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Volume 16 - No. 34 • 3 Sections – 20 Pages

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AUGUST 25-31, 2017

Also published in LOS ANGELES, ORANGE COUNTY/INLAND EMPIRE, LAS VEGAS, NEW YORK/NEW JERSEY

UNICEF Philippines ‘deeply concerned’ DATELINE USA Filipina pleads guilty with PH drug war’s impact on kids to stealing $100,000 FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA

from US Navy base

KANSAS CITY - A Filipino woman has pleaded guilty to stealing nearly $100,000 (P5 million) from a United States Naval base in Japan, according to Federal prosecutors on Monday, August 22.

Cynthia Lopez Creseni on Friday, August 18, pleaded guilty to theft, of public money amounting to $99,068 from the Morale Welfare and Recreation Center (MWR) at the Yokosuka Naval Base in Japan.

The Filipina, who had worked at the base since 2000, was the lead cashier of the game/slot room when the incident occurred.

She officially reported the missing funds af-

police operation last week. “UNICEF offers its condolences to Kian’s family. We MANILA — UNICEF Phil- share their grief and the grief ippines on Tuesday, Aug. 22 of all the families of children said that it is “deeply con- who have been killed, as well cerned about the impact of as of children who have lost the war on drugs on Filipino parents, caregivers and relachildren� after a 17-year-old tives, during anti-drug operboy was killed in a Caloocan ations,� the United Nations

by ROSETTE

ADEL

Philstar.com

program said.

It also called for a fair and transparent investigation into the killing. The Philippine National Police Internal Affairs Service earlier Tuesday said that police officers involved in the operation have confirmed that they were the men seen in secu-

rity footage dragging Delos Santos away.

Police as well as online supporters of the drug war claim that the boy was a drug courier.

The IAS is readying administrative charges over operational lapses that led to the boy’s death. The police

Criminal Investigation and Detection Group will hold a parallel investigation into what the Public Attorney’s Office has described as murder. The National Bureau of Investigation has also been tasked with launching its own probe.

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For Covered California, uncertainty is the new certainty SACRAMENTO — Covered California’s board made several multimillion-dollar decisions Thursday, Aug. 17, all addressing one unsettling theme: uncertainty.

Over and over, board members blamed “uncertainty�

Covered California Executive at the federal level for Director Peter Lee interfering with their Photo by Max Whittaker ability to finalize premiums for 2018 and prepare consumers for open enrollment, which begins Nov. 1.

FUNERAL PROTEST. The children of Leover Miranda stand behind the hearse that carried their father’s remains to the Manila North Cemetery where he was buried on Sunday, Aug. 20. Miranda was one of dozens of drug suspects killed in several massive anti-drug operations in Metro Manila and Bulacan province last week.

ManilaTimes.net photo by Bob Dungo Jr.

by DANA

SIOSON AJPress

Duterte still ‘in full control’ of drug war

SOLAR POWER. President Rodrigo Duterte receives a special “Digong solar panelâ€? from Leandro Leviste, Solar Philippines president and chief executive ofďŹ cer, during the inauguration of its factory at Barangay Sta. Anastacia in Sto. Tomas,Batangas on Wednesday, Aug. 23.

MALACAĂ‘ANG on Tuesday, August 22 assured that President Rodrigo Duterte remains “in full controlâ€? of the Philippine National Police (PNP)’s enforcement of the administration’s crackdown on illegal drugs.

In a press briefing, Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella refuted accusations

ManilaTimes.net photo by Roger RaĂąada

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Philippine arena possible venue SC forms team to examine ballots in Court affirms Pemberton’s Marcos vs Robredo election protest conviction on killing of Laude for Pacquiao-Horn rematch

by DANA

by AJPRESS THE anticipated rematch between Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao and Australian boxer Jeff Horn is likely to happen in the Philippines, according to Philippine Department of Tourism (DOT).

While negotiations have yet to be finalized, DOT Secretary Wanda Teo on Tuesday, August 22 announced that the rematch will possibly take place at the 55,000-seater Philippine Arena in Bocaue, Bulacan.

As for the date, the tourism

chief said they are eyeing December 15. “Just this morning we have talked to Congressman Eric Pineda. He was asking us if we could sponsor the Pacquiao fight this coming December.

So we’re working on that,� the tourism chief told reporters.

Pineda is Pacquiao’s business manager, as well as the 1-PACMAN party-list Representative.

Teo’s announcement came in contrast to Brisbane Lord In this April 17 photo, former Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong� Marcos Jr. arrived at the Supreme Mayor Graham Quirk who pre- Court to pay the bond for his poll protest against Vice President Leni Robredo.

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Philstar.com photo by Miguel De Guzman

THE Supreme Court (SC), sitting as the Presidential Electoral Tribunal (PET), has formed a retrieval team to secure ballot boxes being questioned in connection with former Senator

Ferdinand “Bongbong� Marcos Jr.’s electoral protest against Philippine Vice President Maria Leonor “Leni� Robredo.

According to the court’s reso-

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A tug-of-war for the right to stage Manny Pacquiao’s rematch with Jeff Horn looms between Manila and Brisbane, Australia, as the two cities have expressed keenness in hosting the bout.

Days after Brisbane Lord Mayor Graham Quirk conďŹ rmed that the city will again be the venue for the ďŹ ght, Philippine Tourism Secretary Wanda Teo made a contrasting announcement.

Philstar.com photo by Wendell Rupert Alinea

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THE Philippine Court of Appeals (CA) has upheld with finality its earlier decision convicting United States Marine Lance Corporal Joseph Scott Pemberton for killing Filipino transgender woman Jeffrey “Jennifer� Laude

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United States Marine Lance Corporal Joseph Scott Pemberton Photo from Olongapo City Jail

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august 25-31, 2017 • NORCaL asIaN JOuRNaL

http://www.asianjournal.com • (650) 689-5160

From the Front Page

UNICEF Philippines ‘deeply concerned’...

PAGE A1 t “This investigation must be undertaken in a manner that seeks to guarantee the best interests of children and promote respect for their rights. Those who are responsible for killings and deliberate violence against children must be held accountable,” UNICEF, which also has ongoing recovery programs in Marawi City, said.

“The Philippines, as a State Party to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, has a legal and moral obligation to promote, protect and fulfil the human rights of every child. Every child’s right to life, to develop to her or his full potential, to be heard, and to be protected from all forms of violence are universal and inalienable. There are no exceptions. These rights apply without qualification,” it also said.

The Department of Education condemned the killing over the weekend.

FINAL FAREWEL. Schoolmates of Kian Lloyd Delos Santos cry as they view his remains at the Our Lady of Lourdes College in Valenzuela City. De los Santos will be buried on Sunday, Aug. 27.

ManilaTimes.net photo by Roger Rañada

“The Department denounces all forms of violence against our students, teachers, and personnel,” it said in a statement.

“DepEd supports the call for an impartial investigation of the

incident. We also support President Duterte’s directive to uphold the rule of law, and to put to jail those who will be found responsible for the student’s death,” it also said. n

INSPIRATION FOR MARAWI TROOPS. Western Mindanao Command handout shows members of the Boy Scouts of the Philippines Zamboanga Council and Lt. Gen. Carlito Galvez Jr. flash heart signs to show support for soldiers and police fighting terrorists in Marawi City. The scouts, led by BSP Zamboanga Council chairman Jose Rizalino Ortega, turned over the letters and chocolates collected from among the scouts during a courtesy call at the command’s headquarters in Camp Navarro in Zamboanga City on Tuesday, Aug. 22.

Photo courtesy of Western Mindanao Command

Duterte still ‘in full control’...

PAGE A1 t

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that Duterte has lost control of the police amid the controversial killing spree—particularly of the recent killing of a Grade 11 student during an anti-drug operation last week.

“Malinaw naman na (It’s very clear that) the president is in full control,” Abella told reporters.

17-year-old Kian Loyd Delos Santos was killed during an antidrug operation in Caloocan City on Wednesday, August 16 after allegedly pulling a gun on police officers.

A CCTV footage, however, showed Delos Santos being dragged by the police to the spot where he was killed. Witnesses also gave statements supporting the footage, adding that the police gave Delos Santos a gun and told him to run.

The teenager’s death has sparked public outrage, and various groups joined in a “Justice for Kian” rally the following Monday, August 21. Several rallyists expressed sentiments that Duterte seemed to have lost control of the police.

“I think they misread the situation. The president is very concerned that these things will be properly handled and properly managed,” Abella further said.

In a statement, United States Ambassador the Philippines Sung Kim extended his condolences to the family and friends of Delos

Santos. He also joined the call for “full accountability” in the killing of the teenager.

“My condolences go out to the family and friends of Kian,” the U.S. Ambassador said in a tweet.

Malacañang earlier assured that “mistakes and illegal acts (by the police) would not be tolerated.”

“This deeply regrettable incident has triggered deep public sentiment, and challenges those in law enforcement to be wary of the reckless exercise of power and authority,” Abella said.

He added, “The President, who continues to vigorously pursue the dismantling of drug apparatus, ensures that erring enforcers will be properly investigated.”

The Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) has begun its formal investigation into the death of Delos Santos.

The three cops involved in the operation were relieved of their post amid the investigation. They were Police Chief Insp. Amor Cerillo, commander of Police Community Precinct 7, PO3 Arnel Oares, PO1 Jeremiah Pereda and PO1 Jerwin Cruz.

In a separate statement, the PNP asked the public to not generalize the drug war based on the death of Delos Santos.

“This is a separate incident.

Huwag natin i-generalize na (Let us not generalize that) because of one incident, lahat ng (all) police operation[s] will result as same as

to Kian,” PNP Spokesperson Chief Superintendent Dionardo Carlos said.

The Philippine government’s so-called drug war has been highly criticized by the international community and various human rights groups over its alleged thousands of state-sanctioned killings and rights abuses, which in turn, had been repeatedly refuted by the Duterte administration.

Carlos noted that there has been about 1.039 million drug personalities who surrendered to the authorities since Duterte launched the campaign in July last year.

He also cited the arrest of about 90,000 drug suspects “who violated the law” but were still alive and detained.

“Let us not generalize the incident involving the minor. Iba po ‘yan sa pang araw-araw na nagaganap (This is different from what is happening everyday),” the PNP official added.

On Sunday, August 20, all members of the Senate majority, except Senator Manny Pacquiao, reportedly signed a resolution seeking an investigation into the apparent abuses of the PNP in the war on drugs.

According to Inquirer, the senators have agreed to tap Senator Panfilo Lacson’s committee on public order to investigate Delos Santos’ death and further “determine the accountability of the PNP in the conduct of the anti-illegal drug campaign that may have resulted in unnecessary and unjustified deaths and/or killings.” n

Court affirms Pemberton’s conviction...

PAGE A1 t

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in October 2014.

In a resolution issued on Tuesday, August 15, the appellate court’s former Special 16th Division dismissed the appeal filed

by Pemberton seeking to reverse the CA’s decision last April, which affirmed the earlier ruling of the Olongapo City Regional Trial Court (RTC) against him.

“With respect to Pemberton’s motion, we maintain our ruling that his invocation of self-defense is an admission of the killing and of its authorship,” the CA decision read, penned by Associate Justice Marlene Gonzales-Sison.

The CA said that Pemberton’s arguments are a mere “rehash of issues” already discussed in its decision in April 3 of this year.

In its recent resolution, the court again dismissed Pemberton’s argument that he killed Laude in

self-defense after the latter allegedly attacked him when he discovered Laude’s real gender.

“The allegation of Pemberton that he was slapped by Laude could not even be corroborated by any medical findings. Worthy to note that according to Pemberton, the slap he allegedly received made his ear ring which if true should have promoted Pemberton to immediately seek medical attention,” the CA said.

The court reiterated that selfdefense implied Pemberton’s admission that he committed the criminal act.

It further said that the U.S. marine’s immediate escape from the Celzone Lodge in Olongapo City is a sign of guilt.

“The bits of evidence, pieced together, point to Pemberton as the killer of Laude. Ostensibly, our rules make no distinction be-

tween direct evidence of a fact and evidence of circumstances from which the existence of a fact may be inferred. Pemberton’s criminal liability for homicide stands,” the CA added.

The court, likewise, upheld its order to Pemberton to pay Laude’s family P4.32 million for loss of earning capacity, P30,000 for exemplary damages, P75,000 for civil indemnity, P75,000 for moral damages, and P155,250 for the wake, burial, and related expenses.

The CA also maintained it its affirmation on the RTC’s ruling which sentenced Pemberton to a maximum of 10 years of imprisonment.

Pemberton is currently detained at the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) headquarters at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City. n

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Dateline USa

NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL • AUgUSt 25-31, 2017

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Palace: US aid conditions should be Philippine Navy receives radar blimp from US aligned with Duterte admin’s agenda

by Dana

SioSon AJPress

ANY conditions on assistance the Philippines may receive from a foreign aid agency must be aligned with the policies of President Rodrigo Duterte’s administration, a Palace official said.

Malacañang issued the statement on Sunday, August 20 after Washington-based Millennium Challenge Corp. (MCC) announced that the Philippines is among the candidate countries to receive assistance for 2018.

“We acknowledge and welcome the decision of the United States Millennium Challenge Corp to extend assistance to the Philippines after the first grant ended in May 2016,” Duterte’s spokesperson Ernes-

to Abella said.

MCC said it will assess a country’s eligibility for the grant based on criteria such as the country’s demonstrated commitment to just and democratic governance, economic freedom, and investments in its people.

Additional indicators include the country’s opportunity to reduce poverty and generate economic growth in the country, as well as the availability of funds.

The Philippines’ inclusion, Abella said, serves as a “recognition of the efforts” of the administration to “continue and maintain macroeconomic policies while investing in human capital development in health and educational systems and improving social protection programs to protect the poor.”

He credited the administra-

tion’s socioeconomic agenda for the Philippines’ inclusion in MCC’s list of candidate countries.

While the Philippine government welcomed the recent developments, Malacañang stressed that it will study the conditions set by the U.S. poverty reduction agency.

“While we are happy with this new development, our economic managers would study the conditions set by the MCC if these are aligned with the President’s priority agenda,” Abella added.

In December 2016, MCC deferred a vote on the re-selection of the Philippines, saying it withheld its second aid due to “significant concerns around rule of law and civil liberties.”

Its first grant, worth $434 million, expired in May last year. n

For Covered California, uncertainty...

PAGE A1 t In response to that uncertainty, the board agreed to delay a critical decision on 2018 rate hikes, boost Covered California’s marketing budget by more than $5 million and allow its participating insurers to make higher profits in the future — under certain circumstances.

“The lack of clarity and direction at the federal level continues to be a challenge,” said Covered California Executive Director Peter Lee. “While we are doing our best to manage a difficult situation, we hope Congress and the administration will provide clear guidance on how [they intend] to stabilize the individual insurance market.”

One of the most pressing questions facing Covered California and other Obamacare exchanges across the country is whether President Donald Trump will continue to fund critical subsidies that help reduce many consumers’ out-of-pocket expenses.

The White House announced this week it would fund those so-called cost-sharing reduction payments this month but did not say whether it would continue to do so after that.

Covered California is seeking a long-term commitment to fund the subsidies, which are available only to consumers whose incomes are low enough to qualify and who purchase silver-level plans, the second-least expensive among the exchange’s four tiers of coverage. The subsidies reduce what they pay for medical expenses such as copayments and deductibles.

Earlier this month, the exchange announced proposed average statewide rate hikes of 12.5 percent for 2018. It also floated an additional average surcharge of 12.4 percent on silver plans if the federal government does not commit to making the payments.

Covered California was supposed to decide by the end of this month whether to apply the surcharge next year. But on Thursday, its board announced it will push the deadline to Sept.

30.

“Our hope is that by changing the deadline to allow Congress to act, we will not have to deal with the … surcharge,” Lee said.

The surcharge would vary by region and plan, ranging from 8 percent to 27 percent — on top of the regular annual premium increases, Lee said.

Covered California consumers who receive tax credits to reduce their monthly premiums would not bear the full brunt of the increase, however, because those credits would also rise.

Delaying the decision until the end of September doesn’t leave much time for Covered California — its health plans — to finalize rates and prepare consumers to renew their health plans or shop for new ones, said Diana Dooley, board chair and secretary of the state Health and Human Services Agency.

But the board doesn’t want to raise silver plan rates prematurely, in case Congress acts next month to fund the cost-sharing subsidies on a more durable ba-

sis, she said.

If Congress doesn’t act until the very end of September, “that will put extraordinary pressure on our system,” she said.

Charles Bacchi, president and CEO of the California Association of Health Plans, said 1.2 million renewal packets will have to be dispatched to enrollees on a very tight timeline.

“It is going to be a heavy lift, but the plans will work to do the best we can under difficult circumstances,” he said.

The board also agreed to modify its contracts with participating insurers to allow them to make higher profits in 2019, 2020 and 2021 if they lose money next year as a result of continued uncertainty or changes in existing federal policy.

For example, one way insurers could lose money is if the federal government stops enforcing the Obamacare requirement to have health insurance, known as the individual mandate, Covered California said.

The change also requires plans that reap increased profits next year — again, because of uncertainty or changes in federal policy — to lower their premiums over the next one to three years.

Lee explained that Covered California’s insurers usually make a profit of about 1 to 3 percent annually. But, for example, if one should lose money next year, its profit margin could grow to 6 to 8 percent in the subsequent three years, he said.

Any profit increase would be decided on a case-by-case basis and depend on the amount of the loss, he said.

The contract amendment would not change any laws or violate any rules, such as the Medical Loss Ratio provision of the Affordable Care Act, Lee said. That provision requires most insurance companies that cover individuals and small businesses to spend at least 80 percent of their premium dollars on medical care and the remaining 20 percent on administration, marketing and profit.

Consumer advocates testified Thursday that they were initially skeptical of the change, but they now hope it will save consumers money in the long run.

“We like the idea that it is balanced and if [there is profit], it could go to reducing premiums,” said Doreena Wong, project director at Asian Americans Advancing Justice, a Los Angeles-based civil rights group.

In another move tied to the uncertainty over federal policy, the board agreed to increase its marketing budget by $5.3 million, bringing the total to $111.5 million for 2017-18.

The additional money will pay for more radio and television spots, and more direct mail to consumers.

Some of the advertising will target Covered California enrollees who are losing their Anthem Blue Cross plan next year.

Anthem will exit the individual market in 16 of the state’s 19 pricing regions, which will force 153,000 enrollees to find new plans. Anthem cited uncertainty

Philippine arena possible venue...

PAGE A1 t viously said that Australia will again host the fight.

“This (rematch) is now confirmed it will happen. I have had a meeting earlier today which has confirmed that Manny Pacquiao will definitely be in Brisbane this year for a rematch with Jeff Horn,” Quirk told Sydney Morning Herald.

Pacquiao lost his World Boxing Organization (WBO) Welterweight title to Horn through a unanimous decision on July 2 in a match held at the Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane, Australia.

Judges gave scores of 117-111, 115-113, 115-113, all in favor

of Horn.

“The details around a renewed contract will have to be worked through but given what I have not been advised today through Duco and Top Rank, we are in a position now where Brisbane Marketing will be reengaged to get involved in the negotiation plan,” Quirk said on Monday, August 21.

He then added, “The good news is Manny Pacquiao will definitely be here to fight Jeff Horn this year.”

Top Rank Promotion’s Bob Arum previously said that the rematch would be held in Brisbane on November 12. n

and market instability for its pullout.

“This open enrollment is going to be our most challenging since year one,” Lee said. (Ana B. Ibarra/Kaiser Health News) This story was produced by Kaiser Health News, which publishes California Healthline, an editorially independent service of the California Health Care Foundation.

KHN’s coverage in California is funded in part by Blue Shield of California Foundation. n

THE United States has turned over a new Tethered Aerostat Radar System (TARS) to the Philippine Navy which will enhance its maritime surveillance capabilities.

The rapidly-deployable 28M Class TARS can rise to an altitude of 5,000 feet while tethered by a single cable. It is a self-sustained, unmanned lighter-thanair platform, according to the U.S. Embassy.

This donation would enhance the Navy’s capability in maritime intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance by detecting maritime and air traffic within the country’s coastal waters.

The TARS will also be used for humanitarian assistance and disaster response operations.

The donation of the radar system is part of the U.S. Maritime Security Initiative, a program for Southeast Asian countries that seek to improve their abilities to address maritime challenges.

About 16 personnel of the Philippine Naval Information and Communication Technology Center went through a six-week

The 28M Class Tethered Aerostat Radar System (TARS) at the Naval Education and Training Command in Zambales. The rapidly-deployable 28M Class TARS can rise to an altitude of 5,000 feet while tethered by a single cable. It is a self-sustained, unmanned lighter-than-air platform, according to the U.S. Embassy.

Photo courtesy of the U.S. Embassy in Manila

training program to learn assembly, handling, operation, maintenance and troubleshooting of the radar blimp. They will instruct the next batch of operators.

“The TARS includes a weather station that provides telemetry data for the monitoring of ambient temperature, pressure, wind speed and other pertinent parameters to successfully operate

the system,” the U.S. Embassy said.

The TARS will be stationed at the Naval Education and Training Command in Zambales, the largest Navy base with flat terrain. It also fits the minimum requirement of 300 square feet for the launching of the radar system. (Patricia Lourdes Viray/ Philstar.com)

Filipina pleads guilty to stealing...

PAGE A1 t ter returning from her vacation in U.S. in February 2015 and initially denied taking the money.

She was then placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of an investigation.

Interviews of Creseni’s coworkers suggested that the Filipina is suffering from financial difficulties.

Creseni, after some time, vacated her home in Japan and moved to the Philippines. Efforts to locate had failed, until investigators learned that she flew to U.S. in July 2015.

She was located in Overland Park, Kansas and arrested by federal agents on January 24 earlier this year over immigration violations for overstaying

her visa.

Sentencing is scheduled for the fourth of January next year.

The case is being prosecuted

by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kim Moore; and was investigated by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service and Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). (AJPress)

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Dateline USa

august 25-31, 2017 • NORCaL asIaN JOuRNaL

San Antonio, Texas’ last WWII veteran, a Filipino, dies at 101

SAN ANTONIO, Texas — Dominador Soriano, 101, the last World War II Filipino veteran of San Antonio, was buried on Wednesday, Aug. 8 at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery. He died July 31 of a hemorrhagic stroke.

Soriano fought against the Japanese occupation of the Philippines during World War II. He was with both the Philippine Army and the U.S. Army during World War II and was one of fewer than 7,000 such veterans living in the U.S. Filipino army troops were integrated into the US Armed Forces in the Far East (USAFFE) just before Japan invaded in 1941 and were among the first US soldiers to see combat in WWII. Soriano commanded Echo Company of the 83rd Infantry Regiment, which served under Gen. Douglas MacArthur. He and his men became coast watchers from an outpost on the eastern shore of Cebu Island, reporting on Japanese ships passing through the Tañon Strait in the early days of the war, according a report by Expressnews.com.

He was wounded in the leg by a Japanese machinegun, and when Japan won in April 1942, he told his men not to surrender but go home. Soriano organized a guerrilla force, but in July 1944, he was betrayed by

http://www.asianjournal.com • (650) 689-5160

SETTING SAIL ACROSS ASIA. After a successful trip to Brunei, traditional Balangay boats from the Philippines docked in Manila to mark the recently concluded Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival. The Balangay, also the logo and symbol of Cinemalaya, is the huge boat with sail and outriggers that early Filipinos used to cross unchartered and untempered waters in search of a land where they could live in freedom. Early Filipinos were a people of the sea, living in coastal villages or near rivers. Boats were linked to many aspects of Filipino life: fishing, trade, warfare, piracy (trade-raiding for goods and slaves), travel, communication, and dwelling.

Philstar.com photo by Deni Rose M. Afinidad-Bernardo

Fil-Am gymnast bags gold, repeats mom’s feat

by Olmin leyba Philstar.com

Dominador Soriano, San Antonio’s last WWII veteran, during his 101st birthday celebration last May. Iqnuirer.net photo

collaborators, captured and tortured. After his release he kept

working for the resistance until Japan surrendered Aug. 15, 1945.

After the war, Soriano became a lawyer for local farmers. When he was 52 his family arrived in the U.S. in 1971, and he settled in San Antonio, where two of his children live. He was awarded a Purple Heart for his wounds.

But in 1946, President Harry S. Truman signed the Rescission Act, which retroactively stripped Filipinos of service benefits that were promised them during World War II. His family says that the decision always bothered him.

Last year, Congress awarded all Filipinos who fought under the U.S. flag of a single Congressional Gold Medal, the nation’s highest civilian honor. The city of San Antonio honored Soriano last fall with its own citation.

Soriano spent his last days as a volunteer for the Catholic church next to his house, preparing food for poor families in his neighborhood. (Inquirer.net)

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IT’S virtually liquid gold that runs through the veins of young gymnastics sensation Kaitlin de Guzman.

Gifted with the genes of a former Southeast Asian Games champion and a firm resolve to excel in the same battlefront, 17year-old De Guzman carved her name in the company of greats by winning the Malaysia SEAG’s uneven bars event.

This she achieved 22 years after her mother, Cintamoni “Tammy” de la Cruz, crowned herself the golden girl of the exact event when the biennial SEA Games was held in the hilly Thai city of Chiang Mai. Tammy excitedly watched from the sidelines and recorded a video of Kaitlin’s moves and couldn’t be prouder to see her bask in glory and enjoy the very experience she had way back in 1995.

“Super proud! So excited!!!!

Dream come true,” an ecstatic Tammy, who also owns a bronze in the uneven bars from the 1997 SEAG, told The STAR.

Kaitlin de Guzman of the Philippines competes in the uneven bars of the women’s artistic gymnastics competition, where she won gold in the 29th Southeast Asian Games in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on Tuesday, Aug. 22. Inset photo from the PSC shows Kaitlin with her mother Cintamoni, who won gold in the same event during the 1995 Chiang Mai SEA Games.

Philstar.com photo by Jun Mendoza

From club competitions in the U.S., Kaitlin shifted to international play and stuck gold on her SEA Games debut.

“I’m so very happy with my very first gold medal representing the Philippines,” Kaitlin said.

Proud mom said Kaitlin’s triumph was actually a pleasant surprise.

“We were not expecting her to win since this is just her first SEA Games,” said Tammy, who posted a winning 9.10 when she achieved her feat in 1995.

“All we were hoping for her is to qualify for the finals. This victory is a major surprise; that’s why we’re so happy with this achievement.” n

Trump draws flak for echoing fake story on Pershing’s 20th century exploits in PH U.S. President Donald Trump was much quicker on Thursday, Aug. 17 to condemn the violence in Barcelona, where more than a dozen people were killed when a van veered onto a sidewalk and sped down a busy pedestrian zone in what authorities called a terror attack.

He then added to his expression of support a tweet reviving a debunked legend about a U.S. general subduing Muslim rebels a century ago in the Philippines by shooting them with bullets dipped in pig blood, the Associated Press reported.

“Study what General Pershing of the United States did to terrorists when caught. There was no more Radical Islamic Terror for 35 years!” Trump wrote.

Hours after Trump’s tweet, newspapers quickly pointed out the U.S. president’s incautiousness.

The independent said: “He appeared to be referring to a widely debunked story that Pershing overcame militant Muslims in the Philippines by killing them and burying their bodies with pigs.”

“Another part of the legend is that he killed them with bullets

Photo screengrabbed from Pres. Donald Trump’s Twitter account

dipped in pigs’ blood.”

According to The Independent, historians who have studied Pershing’s activities in the Moro province from 1909 to 1913 had discredited these claims.

The Washington Post also has a take on Trump’s outrageous claims.

It said Brian M. Linn, a history professor at Texas A&M Universi-

ty, studied Pershing and published “Guardians of Empire,” a book on the U.S. military presence in Asia from 1902 to 1940.

Linn told the paper that he found “no evidence this occurred.”

“It’s a made-up story. It doesn’t seem to matter how many times people say this isn’t true. No one can say where or when this occurred,” he said. (Inquirer.net)

SC forms team to examine ballots in Marcos vs...

PAGE A1 t lution dated August 8, the retrieval team is tasked to locate and examine all ballot boxes in the provinces and cities subject to the poll protest in order to facilitate its retrieval and transport to the SC compound in Manila for revision. waThe revision stage is the third part of an electoral protest, in which the questioned ballot boxes will be opened and votes will be recounted and tallied through the use of vote-counting machines or manually and visually.

The SC Gymnasium will be used for the revision proceedings. The court also approved the use of two more areas, including the a portion of the fourth floor parking level of the SC-Court of Appeals Multi-Purpose Building, as well as a room at the back of the Division Hearing room.

Additionally, the resolution states that the Revision Committees will be composed of a coordinator who shall be a lawyer not affiliated with the court, and a recorder and a representative from both each the protestant and protestee.

Each Revision Committee will receive P1,500 per clustered precinct for compensation and supplies. The coordinator will

receive P780, while the recorder will receive P480 for the recorder. P184 will be allotted for supplies and materials.

On the other hand, compensation of the members of the panel of commissioners were fixed. Justice Jose Vitug as chairperson who will receive P50,000, while his members, lawyers Angelito Imperio and Irene Ragodon-Guevarra, will each receive P45,000 monthly.

Robredo won the May 2016 vice presidential elections with only just 263,473 votes more than Marcos.

In his electoral protest, the former senator questioned over 39,221 clustered precincts, composing of 132,446 established precincts. He has already completed the payment of his P66.2million protest fee.

In a statement, Marcos’ camp welcomed the PET’s resolution.

“We cannot wait for the actual process to start because it is the only way we’ll be able to ferret the truth. We have always maintained that the ballots themselves are the best evidence in any election protest. This is the reason why we have always pushed for the early revision of ballots,” lawyer Victor Rodriguez, Marcos’s spokesperson, said.

“We hope that this will expedite the process so this issue can be settled once and for all. The Filipino people deserve to know their real vice president is,” he added.

Robredo, on the other hand, is contesting 8,042 clustered precincts, consisting of 31,278 established precincts in her counter-protest. The PET has extended the vice president’s deadline to pay the remaining P7.43 million required to process her counter-protest.

On Wednesday, August 23, Piso Para Kay Leni group led by Museo Pambata chair Cristina Lim-Yuson asked the PET to reconsider its earlier decision dismissing their motion to pay the vice president’s remaining balance.

The petitioners, through their counsel, Purification BartolomeBernabe, the PET needs to reverse its earlier ruling as the issue is a matter of “transcendental importance.

“This is a necessary exercise of the right of suffrage considering that VP Leni will be deprived of her victory, we will be deprived of her victory because she is financially disadvantaged,” Bartolome-Bernabe said. (Dana Sioson/AJPress)

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DATELINE PHILIPPINES

A5

Palace, AFP downplay call for Duterte’s ouster

by CATHERIN

S. VALENTE ManilaTimes.net

MALACAÑANG and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Tuesday, Aug. 22 downplayed supposed efforts to oust President Rodrigo Duterte, saying such move by a group claiming to represent the military and the police was “politically motivated.”

Palace spokesman Ernesto Abella dismissed the allegations against the President made by the group calling itself the “Patriotic and Democratic Movement” (Padem).

“We based our statement on the AFP’s assessment and it says it is a politically motivated group and that we should be wary of their statements,” Abella said.

A statement from Padem called

for the ouster of Duterte “for betraying public trust” as well as violating the “national sovereignty and democratic rights of the people.”

Padem is accusing Duterte of treating the AFP and Philippine National Police as his private armies and for playing favorites, bungling anti-terrorist operations in Marawi City, allowing Chinese vessels to occupy some parts of West Philippine Sea, condoning top illegal drug lords supposedly including his son Davao City Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte, and inciting police officers to engage in extrajudicial killings of poor illegal drug users.

Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla Jr., spokesman for the AFP, said the military was supportive of Duterte, its commander in chief,

but reiterated its “apolitical stance.”

“The entire AFP along with all the men and women of the uniformed services and all our civilian personnel stand by the constitutionally mandated government and unequivocally supports the Commander-in-Chief,” Padilla said in a statement.

“The accusations and issues cited by the group are unfounded and uncalled for. Such issues are clearly politically motivated and a matter that the AFP does not and will not subscribe to,” he added.

Padilla said the AFP would not hesitate in “acting against forces who shall undermine the stability and security of our country and those who wish to destabilize our nation through unconstitutional means.”

Cayetano: PH will continue to assert claims amid ‘change of strategy’ in disputed sea DFA to get bigger fund for assistance to OFWs FPJ’s 78th BIRTHDAY REMEMBERED. Sen. Grace Poe offers prayers at the tomb of the late Filipino action king Fernando Poe, Jr. in Manila North Cemetery on Sunday in commemoration of his 78th birth anniversary.

Senate photo

by DANA

SIOSON AJPress

THE Philippine government maintained that it will not hand over any part of the country’s territory and will continue to assert its maritime claims in the disputed South China Sea. Philippine Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano made the assurance on Tuesday, August 22, amid reports that Chinese vessels have been recently spotted near Pag-asa Island in the West Philippine (South China) Sea. Critics have accused Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte of having “soft” stance in the maritime issue when the president appeared to have kept the ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) on the back burner in pursuit of warmer economic ties with China.

In July 2016, the arbitration tribunal at The Hague ruled in favor of the Philippines and concluded that China’s massive claim South China had no legal basis and violates United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

The top diplomat noted that the Philippine government, under the Duterte administration, has changed its strategy in deal-

ing with territorial disputes.

Despite this, he assured that the current administration remains firm and will not give up give up the country’s maritime claims.

Cayetano also assured that Beijing is not invading a sandbar located some 2.5 nautical miles off Pag-asa Island.

This, following Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonio Carpio’s report that Chinese ships are guarding Sandy Cay, which he described as an “invasion of Philippine territory by China.”

“Let me assure you that despite the lack of details that we give you, we will tell you if there is an alarming station or if the public is in danger or if we are going to take or step up certain actions that needs the public’s support,” Cayetano said.

He assured that reported presence of Chinese vessels near Pag-asa Island has already been “resolved diplomatically.”

“We will tell you that we are taking the diplomatic actions but if we tell you every step of the way and all the facts etcetera, it will not help unless there is something that happened that the public has to know,” he added.

In an earlier statement, Duterte also refuted Carpio’s claim.

“We were not invaded,” the president stressed. “I called the ambassador nung nabasa ko (when I read [the report]). He said: ‘We will assure you that we are not building anything there’.”

A separate claim by Magdalo Rep. Gary Alejano alleged that China has planted its country flag on a sand cay seven nautical miles off Kota Island located at the West Philippine Sea. “According to the information that I received, a Chinese flag mounted on a steel pipe was discovered planted on a sand cay located seven nautical miles northeast off Kota Island. It was discovered around third week of July 2017. A Chinese vessel allegedly erected the said 3-meter high Chinese flag on a sand cay which is known to be within a Philippine-controlled area,” Alejano said.

The lawmaker also criticized the Foreign secretary’s socalled “strategy of silence”, urging the department to be more transparent on issues concerning the disputed territories.

He remarked that the DFA doesn’t necessarily have to release all the details, but it still “must release something for the consumption of the public.”

by JEFFERSON

ANTIPORDA ManilaTimes.net

PHILIPPINE embassies and consulates in the Middle East are expected to be able to respond to the needs of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in distress with President Rodrigo Duterte’s approval of P1 billion in additional funding for their respective Assistance to Nationals (ATN) programs, Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano said on Tuesday, Aug. 22.

The additional funding, according to Cayetano, will allow Filipino diplomats particularly in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Doha, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia to better serve distressed Filipinos working in these countries.

Distressed nationals are defined under Republic Act 8042 as those who have valid medical, psychological or legal assistance problems requiring treatment, hospitalization, counseling, legal representation or any other kind of intervention with authorities in the country where they are found.

Together with the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration and the Office of the Labor Attache, the ATN Section of the Philippine Embassy assists Filipinos

Foreign Affairs Sec. Aan Peter Cayetano Philstar.com photo

in resolution of their cases and, if applicable, in their repatriation to the Philippines.

“Our diplomats cannot be expected to quickly respond to any request for assistance from our kababayan [countrymen]in the Middle East and in other parts of the world if they cannot be provided with the resources they need to be able to do so,” Cayetano said in a statement.

Sarah Lou Arriola, Foreign Affairs undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs, has informed Cayetano that the DFA has already spent almost 60 percent

of the P400 million allocated by Congress to support ATN operations abroad for this year.

In her consultation with some foreign service posts in the Middle East, she was told that they could not effectively respond to ATN cases because of budget constraints.

Cayetano said the additional funding could address limitations being faced by ambassadors and consul generals as they would be provided more resources to serve Filipinos in their respective areas.

“I would like to assure them that they will have all the support they would need to let them accomplish the instructions of the President for them to better serve and protect our kababayan there,” he added.

Arriola said the increase in ATN funding would enable the DFA to fund not just the usual rescues and repatriations but also to open new shelters, hire more translators, interpreters and other personnel and purchase equipment needed by various Philippine posts.

“Our ATN budget will be utilized to the fullest to allow our posts to respond more quickly and more effectively,” she added.

A6

AUGUST 25-31, 2017 • NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL

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OPINION

FEATURES

Credible probe needed DAYS after Kian Loyd delos Santos was gunned down near his home in Caloocan, police have trotted out someone who claims to have personal knowledge about the slain teen’s alleged activities as a drug courier.

The story, however, is proving to be a hard sell in this season of “planting” drugs and guns to bolster police claims of resisting arrest. Too many “witnesses” in this country have admitted lying to protect themselves from police brutality, or have recanted their stories or contradicted each other’s testimonies even before a congressional inquiry.

The commander of the Northern Police District, which has jurisdiction over Caloocan, has admitted that neither Delos Santos nor his father was on the drug watch list of the city’s police, although Caloocan cops are now frantically moving to present Kian as a “new” drug suspect. The NPD chief also admitted that the Grade 11 student was not the target of the police sweep on Wednesday night last week.

There’s also that damning surveillance video footage of Delos Santos being dragged away moments before his death. Police are claiming the boy in the

video is not Delos Santos, even if barangay personnel and the boy’s neighbors insist otherwise.

An autopsy showed Delos Santos was shot in the head and back. What happened to shooting merely to disable? This boy was finished off. Even if defenders of the brutal drug war manage to prove that Delos Santos was a drug courier who tried to shoot the police, it does not justify his killing. Cops should also be aware that suspected child offenders younger than 18 enjoy special protection under the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act of 2006.

With the frantic police efforts to present Delos Santos belatedly as a drug fiend, the investigation of this case should be taken out of the hands of the Philippine National Police – if the government wants a credible probe. The Duterte administration has so far enjoyed public support in the war on drugs. Admitting that abuses are possible in the drug war and that ing punishment for the rotten eggs will not weaken there can be bad eggs in the police, and guarantee- the PNP. On the contrary, the PNP will enjoy greater

Editorial

ManilaTimes.net photo

public trust if it helps give justice to Kian delos Santos. (Philstar.com)

Duterte finally admits possible police abuses in his war against illegal drugs

REST in peace, Kian delos Santos, who was The Fil-Am 17 years young when he was killed by police Perspective during an anti-drug operation last Thursday, August 17.

People all over the world, including inter- GEL SANTOS-RELOS national media organizations, government officials and even ordinary citizens, have expressed their outrage and called out Duterte for the gruesome killings in the Philippines.

Amid the mourning and the flak, many among the police and Duterte’s supporters have been spreading stories about Kian that he was a user and a courier who was caught with two sachets of shabu.

Police reports said Kian ran when he saw the police approaching him, then he allegedly pulled out a gun and fired at the policemen who, because “nanlaban ang suspect,” had to fire back. Another version was that his father was the real user/ pusher, while his father said he would submit himself to a drug test to prove otherwise.

But those who witnessed the killing said the 17-year-old boy was not armed at all, and that they believe he had been framed by the three police officers. Witnesses also said Kian was forced to hold a gun, fire and run. The poor boy was crying, pleading with the policemen to stop because he ”had an exam the next day.”

Kian wanted to be a cop someday, and in these cops’ hands were the guns that shot him and his dreams to death.

The aforementioned witness accounts and a CCTV footage disputed the police’ version of the story. The footage showed Kian being carried by two men to the place where his lifeless body was found.

Several lawmakers from the opposition and even Duterte’s own allies condemned the killing and have demanded an investigation, not only into Kian’s case, but also into the spike in killings lately.

The New York Times reported that “58 people suspected of selling or using

Commentary

FRANK CHING A YEAR after China lost an arbitration case brought against it by the Philippines over disputed territories in the South China Sea, Beijing has emerged the victor in real terms as it flouted the Permanent Court of Arbitration’s ruling favoring Manila’s arguments based on the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (Unclos). And then the Philippines, under President Rodrigo Duterte, made an about-turn, adopting a policy of cooperation with China.

Meanwhile, Vietnam, another country with territorial claims in the South China Sea, has bowed to China’s superior might after threats from Beijing, and ceased oil exploration activities in an area within its exclusive economic zone.

drugs have been killed in Manila and its northern suburbs in just three days, making this the deadliest week so far in President Rodrigo Duterte’s monthslong drug crackdown,” the police said on August 17.

The victims were mostly the poor and the helpless — not the big fish drug lords and traders.

As Al Jazeera news reported, Duterte’s critics said during the rally on Monday that demanded an end to the killings said “the death toll in Duterte’s war on drugs has now reached 13,000 - surpassing the number of deaths of anti-government activists during Marcos’ two decades in office.”

The report further said Government statistics reveal that since Duterte took office last year, around 3,451 “drug personalities” have been killed in gun battles with police, and this number is only up to July 26, 2017.

Moreover, about 2,000 more reportedly died in drug-related homicides. This would include attacks by motorcycle-riding masked gunmen and other assaults, while 8,200 homicide cases are “under investigation”.

On Monday, August 21, Duterte admitted in a press conference that there may have been abuses in his administration’s war on drugs. The president said he would not interfere in the investigation and if there would be charges filed against the policemen.

Kian delos Santos was but ONE of the many victims of Duterte’s war on drugs that has denied victims of their basic human rights. The UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights, of which the Philippines is a signatory, stipulates: “Article 7. All are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to equal protection of the law. All are entitled to equal protection against any discrimination in violation of this Declaration and against any incitement to such

discrimination.

Article 8. Everyone has the right to an effective remedy by the competent national tribunals for acts violating the fundamental rights granted him by the constitution or by law.

Article 9. No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention or exile.

Article 10. Everyone is entitled in full equality to a fair and public hearing by an independent and impartial tribunal, in the determination of his rights and obligations and of any criminal charge against him.

Article 11. (1) Everyone charged with a penal offence has the right to be presumed innocent until proved guilty according to law in a public trial at which he has had all the guarantees necessary for his defence.

(2) No one shall be held guilty of any penal offence on account of any act or omission which did not constitute a penal offence, under national or international law, at the time when it was committed.

Nor shall a heavier penalty be imposed than the one that was applicable at the time the penal offence was committed.”

The rich, the powerful, the well-connected were accorded these rights. The poor, powerless people like Kian were robbed of it.

I would like to share with you excerpts from a powerful essay written by a Filipino Jesuit priest, Fr. Joel E. Tabora, SJ, who, at 17, made the life-changing decision to serve God by being a priest: The war on drugs must be fought. The drug menace is international evil, driven by powerful forces of evil. This is still the case. It has for too long victimized our people with impunity.

But the war on drugs is fought ultimately because those forces of evil disrespect human lives. They are evil because they destroy human lives, human futures and human culture particularly in the Philippines. For cheap money, they bring their victims to chemically-induced highs, but cook and extinguish their brains till little is left of the human being. In this way, they destroy whole families and whole

communities. They attack the entire nation. The President has declared that the Philippines, corrupted by these drugs in all levels of government, local and national, and even in its security and its law enforcement agencies, is a narcotic state.

Push back is needed.

But not in the way it is being done. If the war on drugs is fought out of respect for human life, it must be guided by respect for human life. The President must be the first to cry out for this because that is why he is fighting the war in the first place, out of his love for the country, and especially out of his love for the poor. Where security and police forces are already flawed because of their vulnerability to corruption and disrespect for human life, even more care must be taken to lead them on the straight path, to direct them to destroy the enemy, and not the victims of the enemy. Certainly, the President must rally his forces to win the war and to legitimately defend their lives against the onslaughts of the enemy. At the same time, he must be keen not to encourage the dark culture of death against which he is fighting his war in the first place. High numbers of people killed dahil nanlaban — because they resisted — do not indicate the war on drugs being won.

Where the President himself was shocked at the extent of the use of drugs in this country and its corruptive effects, it may be helpful for him not only to declare that we are now a narcotic state but to make the nation aware of who exactly the big players are and where exactly the big distribution centers are located. He may wish to explain the operations of security forces against a strategy of winning against strategic targets. He may wish to tell us that if the war on drugs was not won within six months, where the nation now is in its strategy of winning this war.

He may wish to help us understand how he measures his successes, or even his failures.

He may acknowledge that since his war on drugs may groups in civil society and in faith-based communities are contribut-

ing to the war on drugs through personal and communal efforts at battling illegal drugs and helping their hapless victims.

He also may wish to state unequivocally that the killing of a Kian at seventeen does not advance the war on drugs.

It debases it.

Not too long ago, human rights lawyers associated with the Center Against Illegal Drugs (CAID) of the Ateneo de Davao University conducted a three-day seminar in Samal for law enforcers from Mindanao on human-rights-based law enforcement.

The intervention was very well received by the law enforcers. For many of them, it was the first time they had [been] given the opportunity to reflect systematically on their responsibilities as law enforcers in the protection of human rights. Perhaps something like this may be done in other parts of the country in order that our security forces gain personal insight into their responsibility to protect and not destroy, nor even to instrumentalize, human life.

The war on drugs is a battle for human life, for human dignity and the integrity of human society in the Philippine context. The enemy of the war on drugs is not human rights. The enemy of the war on drugs is thinking a President will be pleased with large numbers of chalkedup deaths “dahil nanlaban” that have no demonstrated strategic value in winning the war; or it is the Commander in Chief giving the troops the impression that the murder of such as Kian at seventeen is defensible in the context of a narcotic state.

The death of Kian is not defensible. He was only seventeen. Think of all the possibilities killed. Think of his goodness extinguished. Think of his bereaved family, friends and nation. #JusticeForKian! *** Gel Santos Relos is the anchor of TFC’s “Balitang America.” Views and opinions expressed by the author in this column are solely those of the author and not of Asian Journal and ABS-CBN-TFC. For comments, go to www.TheFil-AmPerspective.com, https://www.facebook. com/Gel.Santos.Relos

A year after losing arbitration, China wins control of South China Sea

Little wonder, then, that last month, a year after the arbitration case, a spokesman of China’s foreign ministry, Geng Shuang, declared: “With the concerted efforts of China, the Philippines and other Asean countries, the situation in the South China Sea has stabilized and taken on a good trend.”

In other words, flouting international law works. With little external support, the small countries of Southeast Asia have little choice but to make the best of a bad situation.

China wants to keep it that way.

The week before Asean opened its annual meetings, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi urged Asean members to unite against “nonregional forces”—rather like the fox telling chickens not to let anyone else into the henhouse.

The identity of these outside forces was clear to all. On August 7, the US, Japan and Australia held a ministerial meeting of the

Trilateral Strategic Dialogue and issued a joint statement. There was a paragraph on the South China Sea. “The ministers called on China and the Philippines to abide by the arbitral tribunal’s 2016 Award in the Philippines-China arbitration, as it is final and legally binding on both parties,” the statement said.

Responding to the announcement that China and Asean had reached agreement on a framework Code of Conduct on the South China Sea, the statement “urged Asean member states and China to ensure that the COC be finalized in a timely manner, and that it be legally binding, meaningful, effective and consistent with international law.”

China did not appreciate such unsolicited advice. Wang Yi said some countries “outside the South China Sea are still dwelling on the past and turning a blind eye to positive changes of

the situation.”

Officially, Beijing espouses a policy of resolving problems through dialogue and negotiations. But the reality of its military power is ever present. China claims almost the entire South China Sea. Thus, Duterte disclosed in May that President Xi Jinping had told him that if the Philippines tried to drill for oil in an area within Manila’s exclusive economic zone, China would declare war.

In June, after Vietnam granted the Spanish energy firm Repsol permission to drill for gas within its exclusive economic zone, China issued repeated warnings. Finally, Vietnam’s ambassador to China was told that, unless the drilling stopped, China would take military action. Hanoi backed down.

This month, Asean marked its 50th anniversary during its annual series of meetings, hosted this year by Manila. A statement

was issued after a meeting of its 10 foreign ministers. As in previous years, the South China Sea was discussed but, this time, the statement was cautiously worded and did not mention China by name.

But it did take note of “the concerns expressed by some Ministers on the land reclamations and activities in the area, which have eroded trust and confidence, increased tensions and may undermine peace, security and stability in the region.”

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang found comfort in the fact that the section on the South China Sea this year was “much shorter than that of the past” and did not mention China. He also declared that China had ceased its reclamation activities in 2015.

This was rebutted by the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington-based think tank. “China’s

own reclamation work did not end in mid-2015 with the completion of its artificial islands in the Spratlys,” it said while releasing recent photographs. “Beijing continues to reclaim land farther north, in the Paracel islands.”

One person who believes that China had stopped reclamation is the Philippine foreign secretary, Alan Peter Cayetano. He had lobbied against referring to land reclamation in the Asean foreign ministers’ statement because the Chinese “are not claiming land anymore.” Evidently, however, his Asean associates weren’t as trusting and thus land reclamation was again cited.

So, ironically, despite losing in the arbitral tribunal, China has won effective control of the South China Sea. Unless the US, Japan, Australia and others are willing to go beyond issuing pious statements, China has shown that it pays to defy international law. (ManilaTimes.net)

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

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NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL • AUGUST 25-31, 2017

A

DSWD says goodbye to ‘Manay’ Judy Taguiwalo

by Rosette

AJPress

GOLD FINISH. Kim Mangrobang celebrates after winning the women’s triathlon competition of the 29th Southeast Asian Games on Monday, Aug. 21 at the Water Sports Complex in Putrajaya City. Mangrobang clocked two hours, 11 minutes and 14 seconds to claim the gold medal.

SEA Games official photo

PH, Chinese coast guards hold maritime exercises by evelyn

MAcAiRAn Philstar.com

MANILA - Despite China’s creeping occupation of land features within Philippine waters, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) has embarked on a joint maritime law enforcement operation with its Chinese counterpart in accordance with President Rodrigo Duterte’s instructions.

PCG spokesman Commander Armand Balilo said that since President Duterte’s visit to China last year, the PCG has established better rapport with the Chinese Coast Guard, while maintaining good relations with the United States Coast Guard (USCG).

“The Philippine Coast Guard has received guidance from the President to cooperate and forge an agreement with the Chinese Coast Guard (CCG), so we have clear cut guidelines from the President,” Balilo said. “Our actions are aligned with the guidance of President Duterte.”

Aside from a series of meetings with the CCG, the PCG sent 20 of its officers to China last May for a two-week law enforcement training. Also in the works is a visit of a CCG ship to the Philippines possibly next month.

Balilo said improving relationship with China is in the best interest of the PCG as it would enhance the skills of its personnel in combatting sea piracy, terrorism and illegal drugs — the problems Duterte wants immediately addressed.

The PCG is also currently collaborating with the USCG and with the coast guards of six other member-countries of the

Southeast Asia Cooperation and Training (SEACAT) exercise.

SEACAT, an annual multilateral maritime security information sharing exercise, began on Monday, Aug. 21 and would run for two weeks.

This is the first time the PCG is hosting SEACAT. The other SEACAT member-countries are Brunei, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Sri Lanka.

He said that since the PCG is a civilian agency, it could hold maritime exercises with other countries even if there is a raging dispute over territories in the region.

“This is the beauty of the PCG, we would make exercises or training with all countries that concern law enforcement, which is the function of the PCG. As for the territorial dispute, we leave it to the Department of Foreign Affairs,” Balilo said.

“As far as the PCG is concerned, we would foster one law enforcement interoperability doctrine wherein everyone may participate, including the U.S. and China. We would have one framework because what we are talking about here is drugs and terrorism,” he added.

One of the highlights of the exercise is the conduct of maritime interdiction operation or visit, board and search and seizure workshop to be conducted by the USCG Law Enforcement Detachment.

To join the workshop are representatives from the PCG, Philippine Navy, Indonesian Coast Guard, Indonesian Navy, Sri Lanka Navy, Royal Thai Navy

and Thai Maritime Law Enforcement Coordinating Center.

The PCG would be utilizing three of its ships — the BRP Corregidor, BRP Davao del Norte and BRP Capones — for the boarding exercise.

Balilo said the PCG hopes to get new insights from the USCGinitiated exercises, especially on dealing with rules of engagement issue.

He cited the May 9, 2013 Balintang Channel incident wherein a Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources boat, manned by PCG personnel, chased a Taiwanese fishing boat found poaching in Philippine waters.

The PCG fired warning shots but accidentally hit and killed a Taiwanese national on the boat.

Balilo said the USCG may also introduce force protocol, or the allowable force in an engagement, to avoid violation of human rights.

“There would also be a lecture on vessel on maritime law enforcement. So our men, when they conduct vessel boarding procedure, would be aware of the laws that they need to implement not only within our territorial waters, but even when they are in the continuous zone and the exclusive economic zone. So we would learn from them about what is acceptable in the international community.”

Earlier, Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio said China — contrary to its commitment — was slowly occupying Sandy Cay in the West Philippine Sea. The new geological feature is some 2.5 nautical miles off Pag-asa Island.

Coast guard men from Brunei, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, the U.S. and the Philippines gather at the PCG headquarters in Port Area, Manila for the opening of the Southeast Asia Cooperation and Training exercises on Monday, Aug. 21.

Philstar.com photo by Edd Gumban

‘Comeleaks’ included in impeach raps vs Bautista by edu

PunAy Philstar.com

MANILA - The breach in voters’ data prior to the elections last year or the so-called “Comeleaks” will be included in the impeachment complaint to be filed against Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman Andres Bautista in the House of Representatives.

The complainants, to be led by former Negros Oriental representative Jacinto Paras, will raise the criminal liability of Bautista in the hacking of the Comelec website that led to the leakage of voters’ database — as discovered by the National Privacy Commission (NPC) — as one of the grounds in the impeachment complaint.

Paras’ lawyer Manuelito Luna bared that Bautista’s accountabilities for the data breach and the script tweak of the server during the 2016 elections constitute betrayal of public trust and culpable violation of the Constitution.

He said they would submit to the House the NPC decision last December finding Bautista liable for lack of appreciation for data protection, which the commission said was more than just the implementation of security measures.

The NPC concluded that Bautista’s willful and intentional disregard of his duties as head of agency is tantamount to gross

negligence.

“A head of agency making his acts depend on the recommendations of the executive director of the Information Technology Department amplifies the want of even slight care. The duty to obey the law should begin at the top and should not be frustrated simply because no employee recommended such action,” the NPC said in its decision released last January.

“Data privacy is more than the deployment of technical security; it also includes the implementation of physical and organizational measures, as well as regular review, evaluation and updating of Comelec’s privacy and security policies and practices,” it stressed.

The commission specifically cited violations of Sections 11, 20 and 21 of Republic Act 10173 or the Data Privacy Act in dispensing the poll body’s duty as personal information controller.

The NPC stressed that Bautista also violated several provisions of the same law, which penalizes accessing sensitive personal information due to negligence and imposes imprisonment of three to six years and a fine of P500,000 to P4 million.

The law also accords additional penalties when the offender is a public officer, consisting of disqualification from public office.

Bautista was ordered to appoint a data protection officer and conduct an agency-wide privacy impact assessment.

The NPC also recommended to the Department of Justice to look into possible prosecution of Bautista under the Cybercrime Prevention Act. The DOJ indicted last June an official of Smartmatic Inc., the technology provider of Comelec for the automated polls, over the alteration of script in the transparency server on the eve of the general elections in May 2016.

Prosecutors have found probable cause to file a case for violation of Republic Act 10175 (Cybercrime Prevention Act) against Smartmatic technical support head Marlon Garcia for unauthorized access of the computer and intentional and reckless altering of computer data.

The DOJ resolution, however, did not include Bautista, owing to his immunity from criminal suit as an impeachable official.

Apart from the “Comeleaks” controversy, the impeachment complaint is expected to cite as grounds the alleged hidden wealth of Bautista or misdeclaration in his statement of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN) and receipt of referral fees or commissions from the Divina Law Office as alleged by his estranged wife Patricia Paz.

Adel

litical leanings are. Pagmamahal at pasasalamat ang handog natin kay Manay Judy. She will never be forgotten,” Assistant Secretary Lorraine Badoy was quoted as saying during the send-off activity.

DSWD Undersecretary Malou Turalde-Jarabe and Regional Director Alice Bonoan said they were disheartened that Taguiwalo was rejected by the CA but said they see this as an inspiration to serve.

Undersecretary Emmanuel Leyco, designated officer-incharge, said the former Social Welfare chief left lessons that will guide them in their public service.

“Sikapin nating maipagpatuloy ang serbisyong bayan na iniwan ni Secretary Judy,” Leyco was quoted as saying.

Taguiwalo thankful for DSWD stint For her part, Taguiwalo said she is grateful that she was able to serve DSWD. She said she

protected it from corruption and abuse and asked the employees to “go beyond the symptoms and check the root causes of deep poverty.”

Taguiwalo, a nominee of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines, said: “Alam kong malabong tatagal ako. Pero aalis ako with a heart so full from your love and affection.”

“I keep my faith with President Duterte. The president knew from the beginning where I stand, but he still appointed me,” she was quoted as saying.

“Mr. President I kept faith with you. Nalulungkot lang ako kasi I don’t think you kept faith with me at the end,” she also said.

“But, still, thank you for allowing me to serve the Filipino people as a member of your Cabinet.”

Aside from the DSWD employees, Taguiwalo’s supporters, including the Solo Parents Federation, participated in the sendoff activity at the DSWD Central Office.

MANILA — Employees of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) on Tuesday, Aug. 22 organized a sendoff activity for Judy Taguiwalo, whose appointment a bicameral congressional panel was rejected on undisclosed grounds.

Emotional employees offered messages, a performance of “Do You Hear the People Sing,” and framed caricatures for Taguiwalo, whom they fondly call “Manay.”

Some messages for her were posted on a freedom wall.

Last Wednesday, Aug. 16, the congressional Commission on Appointments rejected the ad interim appoinment of Taguiwalo. The same panel had already bypassed her appointment twice.

Duterte regrets CA decision on Taguiwalo Duterte on Monday, Aug. 21, said he regrets the commission’s decision but he said it is the CA’s duty for the country.

“Sayang…That is the job of Congress as part of the check and balances of the government.

Check and balance iyan, so wala tayong magawa kung i-reject,” Duterte said at a press briefing on Monday night.

“It’s (their) discretion and they voted secretly,” he added.

The administration PDP Laban party leads the majority blocs of the House of Representatives and of the Senate.

Meanwhile, DSWD officials recognized Taguiwalo’s hard work and service in her short stay in the agency.

“Secretary Judy taught me to serve anyone whatever your po- Employees of the Social Welfare and Development department on Tuesday, Aug. 22 organized a send-off activity for outgoing DSWD chief Judy Taguiwalo.

DSWD photo

Duterte wants major Customs revamp MANILA - If President Rodrigo Duterte would have his way, he would implement a major revamp of the Bureau of Customs (BOC), which he said is suffering from a “rotten system.”

“As I see it, we need to revamp, we need to revitalize, take in new people, then bring the people from the province here,” Duterte said on Monday, Aug. 21.

But Duterte said he would leave it up to incoming Customs Commissioner Isidro Lapeña to decide whether to reshuffle personnel of the BOC. “It will depend on his recom-

mendation… It will be up to him,” the President said when asked what was his directive to Lapeña.

“He said he would reorganize, a massive one,” Duterte added.

The president said he expects Lapeña to run after corrupt BOC employees, including those who allowed the entry of a shipment of P6.4 billion worth of shabu into the country.

“Let the guy sit there for a time, and he can improve on the investigation, and in due time, I will ask for the necks of those involved,” Duterte said.

“We have to prosecute them

criminally and remember that is non-bailable. Everyone involved who are from the Customs, they will have to go to jail without bail,” he added.

Lapeña, chief of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), will replace resigned Customs chief Nicanor Faeldon, who had been criticized over the entry of shabu shipment from China.

Chief Supt. Aaron Aquino, director of the Police Regional Office in Southern Luzon, was appointed PDEA director general.

(Philstar.com)

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AUGUST 25-31, 2017 • NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL

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BUSINESSJ& COMMUNITY OURNAL

Your Immigration Solution ERIC R. WELSH AND NANCY MILLER IMMIGRATING to the United States is difficult under the best of circumstances. American immigration laws are notoriously thorny and byzantine; many judges have said that only the Internal Revenue Code rivals the Immigration and Nationality Act in complexity.

These complications are magnified when an immigrant has a criminal record. Crimes can trigger severe immigration consequences, including removal (deportation) from the U.S. or bars to admission or relief. Pleading guilty and accepting what appears to be a lenient sentence like probation without jail time can have dire consequences for a noncitizen.

Of course, not every criminal conviction is so calamitous.

Practitioners call the interplay of immigration and criminal law by its own name, “crimmigration,” and the practice of crimmigration law requires an exhaustive knowledge of criminal and immigration statutes, and a familiarity with a constantly changing body of case law that continues to add nuance and wrinkles to the rules.

Immigration laws set forth specific offenses that trigger immigration consequences. When a person is convicted of a crime in state court, practitioners and judges must make an exhaustive analysis to determine whether that state crime fits within the “generic” federal definition of a crime with immigration consequences. The courts use terms like “categorical approach” and “modified categorical approach” to determine whether there are alternative means or alternative elements such that a person convicted of a state crime that sounds like a deportable offense is actually not deportable.

If your head is spinning at this point, don’t worry: you’re in good company! The rules for determining when a crime has immigration consequences are

Navigating the minefield of ‘crimmigation’ law continuously evolving and morphing through decisions issued from the U.S. Supreme Court, the Courts of Appeals, the immigration courts, and the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA). To be polite, crimmigration has a tendency to frustrate and confuse.

But, with the right counsel and zealous advocacy, there may be hope, even for difficult cases involving serious criminal records.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit published two decisions last week that prove this point. In Sandoval v. Sessions, the court found that the Immigration Judge (IJ) and the BIA had both erred when they denied relief to a permanent resident who was ordered deported because of his conviction for “delivery of a controlled substance.” The IJ and the BIA refused to allow Mr. Sandoval to apply for relief, despite the facts that he had a green card, had lived in the U.S. for more than 30 years and had not been arrested since his conviction in 1998, and his two children and his wife of 26 years were all U.S. citizens.

Mr. Sandoval’s lawyer argued that the statute of conviction was overbroad, and did not match the generic federal offense of “drug trafficking.” The IJ and the BIA rejected that argument, but the Ninth Circuit agreed with Mr. Sandoval’s attorney. After a detailed analysis of the complicated interplay between the criminal statutes and the immigration laws, the Ninth Circuit found that Mr. Sandoval was eligible for relief, reversed the order of removal, and sent the case back to the Immigration Court.

The second case, Lozano-Arredondo v. Sessions, also illustrates the value of zealous advocacy.

Like Mr. Sandoval, the immigrant in Lozano-Arredondo was found ineligible for relief and ordered removed by an IJ because of a criminal conviction. Mr. LozanoArredondo’s attorneys appealed that decision, first to the BIA and then to the Ninth Circuit, arguing that the IJ and the BIA had mis-

applied the rules for criminal bars to relief. The court analyzed the criminal code and the immigration laws, comparing the statute of conviction to the generic federal definition of a “crime involving moral turpitude.” The court addressed when it is appropriate or not appropriate to look beyond the statute to decide if a person is barred from relief. As in Sandoval, the court concluded that the IJ and the BIA had wrongly ordered removal, and sent the case back to consider Mr. LozanoArredondo’s eligibility for relief.

These two cases demonstrate the value of a good crimmigration lawyer. Mr. Sandoval and Mr. Lozano-Arredondo were both ordered removed because of criminal convictions, but their lawyers appealed those removal orders up to the Circuit Court and won.

Now, they both have the chance for relief so that they can stay with their families in the United States as permanent residents.

A noncitizen with a criminal record is not without hope but the battle for immigration relief may not be easy. The interplay of criminal and immigration laws is a minefield of statutory interpretation that requires careful navigation. Any person facing such difficulties should have a knowledgeable lawyer willing to fight for them and make the hard arguments to let them stay in the U.S.■

*** Reeves Miller Zhang & Diza is one of the oldest, largest and most experienced immigration firms in the United States with offices in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Las Vegas and Manila. For more Information please call (800) 795-8009 or visit www. rreeves.com.

Telephone: (800) 795-8009 E-mail: immigration@rreeves.com Website: www.rreeves.com. *** The analysis and suggestions offered in this column do not create a lawyer-client relationship and are not a substitute for the personalized representation that is essential to every case.

Retailers feel pinch of online shopping

by IRIS

GONZALES Philstar.com

MANILA - The country’s retailers are now feeling the pinch of heightened competition from the once ignored, but now rapidly growing online shopping business, industry players told The Star.

Samie Lim, chairman emeritus of the Philippine Retailers Association (PRA), said many of their members are losing some customers to online shopping, which has become a craze among consumers because of convenience and worsening traffic in Metro Manila.

Among the popular online re-

tail sites in the country are Zalora, Lazada and Weemall.

“Definitely, with online we’re affected. The numbers are not yet big now but obviously it is growing very fast,” Lim said in a recent interview.

The online retail market now accounts for about five to six percent of the total retail market from just one to two percent a few years ago, Lim said.

To cope with the situation, brick and mortar retailers are stepping up their game by launching promotions and season sales.

The PRA, the national organization of all retailers in the country, is also in talks with mall operators to help retailers cope

with the situation.

“Retailers are saying their biggest expense is rent which is why others are just going online so we should talk to the mall operators to bring down the rent,” Lim said.

He said if traditional retailers don’t do anything about it, online sellers may soon eat a huge chunk of the market.

The tipping point may be in five years,” Lim said.

Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry president George Barcelon shared the same view.

He said competition from online stores is growing, noting the

percent target and represents a slowdown from last year’s actual GDP growth of 6.9 percent.

The Philippine economy grew by 6.5 percent in the second quarter, picking up from the 6.4 percent recorded in the first three months of the year but down from the 7.1 percent posted a year earlier.

Year to date growth, at 6.4 percent, remains below target.

S&P said consumption and investment remained the Philippines’ main growth drivers and were a testament to solid demographic trends that were benefit-

ing the country.

“We expect strong domestic demand to drive solid GDP expansion over the next few years…,” it added.

S&P said inflation remained benign and was even declining, but it maintained the view that consistently strong growth would likely lead to a shift in bias toward monetary policy tightening in the second half of 2017.

The ratings agency said that external factors were still the main source of risks — be it rising protectionism overseas,

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S&P maintains PH growth forecast

by MAYVELIN

U. CARABALLO ManilaTimes.net

S&P Global Ratings is keeping its full-year growth forecast for the Philippines at 6.4 percent, noting that the second-quarter result released last week was within expectations.

“GDP (gross domestic product) growth remained strong at 6.5 percent in Q2, in line with our estimate of potential growth,” the debt watcher said in a report released on Tuesday, August 22.

S&P’s 2017 forecast falls short (Advertising Supplement) of the government’s 6.5-7.5-

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COMMUNITY JOURNAL

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Unauthorized practice of law: beware of unlicensed notarios and paralegals

The CTV Files ATTY. LILLI B. BACULI THIS July, the State Bar of California reported that it obtained an interim court order to assist an estimated 2,000 clients who had paid for legal advice from a Los Angeles immigration practice operating without proper authority.

According to the State Bar report, the Los Angeles County Superior Court interim order which was signed on July 6, 2017, allowed the State Bar to seize client files and other records of the unauthorized law practice of Servicio Latino Legal Office, SLLSCO Inc., in W. Olympic Blvd. in Los Angeles, CA. The State Bar is returning clients’ documents to them and informing them it may be in their best interest to seek other legal counsel. The court order also froze the office’s bank accounts. Former clients should call the State Bar at 213-7651663.

The court order was sought by

the State Bar in cooperation with the Los Angeles County Department of Consumer and Business Affairs, which investigated, and the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office, which brought criminal charges against the operator earlier this year. All three agencies are part of an immigration services fraud working group that aims to protect vulnerable consumers from falling victim to legal scams.

A Department of Consumer Affairs investigator posed as a potential client, and the operator of Servicio Latino Legal Office promised the Department of Consumer Affairs investigator there was an 85- to 90-percent chance he could obtain her asylum if she paid an advance fee of $5,000. The operator of these services is not licensed by the State Bar of California and is not authorized under federal law to represent consumers before the Board of Immigration Appeals or

the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

On April 10, 2017, the operator pleaded no contest to the unauthorized practice of law and received probation, along with fines and penalties. On June 30, 2017 after a follow-up investigation showed the office was continuing to operate out of compliance, the operator’s probation was revoked, leading to additional fines and penalties.

Many people do not hire attorneys to handle their cases for a variety of reasons. The most common reason is the cost of hiring an attorney, which reason is why people fall prey to unlicensed notarios or paralegals who may charge a cheaper rate, but who are not licensed to practice law in California and under federal law to represent clients before the Board of Immigration Appeals or USCIS. “Do I really need an attorney?

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Immigrant Living: 101 and Beyond MONETTE ADEVA MAGLAYA A CIRCLE is perhaps the perfect geometric structure there is.

Although some would claim the triangle or a square to be better structures because of their stable nature, the circle and all its derivatives — the orb, the sphere, the globe and every structure on earth and in the universe with a core, circumference and radii emanating from the core — can teach and even help us to understand much about nature, human life and its cycles and seasons.

From the micro to the macro levels, every creative urge in every level, in the intellectual and the physical realms, begins as a thought and if tenaciously pursued and fleshed out by one’s strength of will, proceeds from concept to completion as a circle.

Even in the mundane reality of living an ordinary life from day to day, circles and cycles mark the patterns of our lives. Note nature’s seasons and cycles of birth and death, of sleep and wakefulness, of sunrise and sunset, of the waxing and waning of the moon and of the quarter mil-

Health@Heart PHILIP S. CHUA, MD, FACS, FPCS

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HIRING Asian Journal Publications is now looking for:

Customer Sales and Service Representative Fax résumé to:

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EVERY child is a blessing from God, and having children, natural or adopted, is one of the greatest privileges a couple or a person can have. But just like any privilege in life, parenthood comes with serious obligations and responsibilities for both the mother and the father, or the adopted parent(s).

It does not require a man to be a genius or a superman to impregnate a woman. Neither does it need more than consent for a healthy woman to get pregnant.

What makes a woman a mother is not the few minutes of romance or the short nine months of carrying the child, or even the actual delivery. They are the everlasting love, enduring sacrifices and endless patience that follow in caring for the child that define motherhood. Child bearing is easy. Child rearing is something else. Any woman can get pregnant and deliver a child, but not all can be a mother.

Similarly, it takes more than just virility and prowess in bed for a man to be a father. Fatherhood is the indomitable strength, invincible courage, and the joyful eagerness in a man to commit, to love with selfless devotion and tenderness the new life he helps bring into this world.

Anything less in either parent makes the man nothing but an egocentric sperm donor and the woman only a cold and cruel human incubator.

While most couples are blessed with children of their own, some have to endeavor harder to receive these gifts. The admirable ones who have decided to adopt children are those with fortitude, self-confidence, a mind

MD Beauty & Wellness SUSAN LIN, MD STUDIES show that an estimated 85 percent of all adolescents have some form of acne, and out of these, 30 to 50 percent experience psychiatric disturbances due to their skin condition. Additionally, some studies have shown that salary and selfesteem are lower among adults with acne than those without.

These statitics are unacceptable and should not be tolerated since there are many treatment options available. No one deserves to be discriminated against and have their quality of life negatively impacted [due to acne].

What is acne?

Acne vulgaris is a very common skin disorder of the pilosebacious unit, an oil gland connected to a hair follicle. Overstimulation of this gland leads to increased oil production, called sebum, which is normally responsible for lubrication and waterproofing of the skin and the hair. These glands are found in the greatest numbers over the face and scalp, but are also present on the back, shoulders and even the buttocks.

Who gets acne?

Acne affects both sexes equally. Acne problems might develop as early as six to eight years old, or many not appear until well after the age of 20. Some people might develop hormonal acne in their 40s. Genetic predisposi-

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Circles, cycles and movement

“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.” – Albert Einstein lion year rotation of the solar system around the core of our home galaxy, the Milky Way and in the grandest of levels, the movement of a nearly infinite number of galaxies in the universe, the edge of which only the Creator knows.

On the minutest level, the astounding movement of electrons around a nucleus and the wondrous flow of the human bloodstream from and to the heart are cyclical. As science has found out, blockages, either man-made or natural to the flow or movement in the processes existing in nature at all levels, can create anomalies, abnormalities and mutations, resulting in pain and illnesses in the human body and if uncorrected, result in diseases, debilitation and ultimately, death.

This presents a strong argument for regular exercise and movement, which pumps the movement of blood flow down to the capillaries and strengthens the muscles of the heart.

Nature moves in cycles. While the earth’s atmospheric cloak adheres to the surface because of the gravitational pull of the earth’s mass, the hydrologic cycle will continue to maintain our seas and give us rain to sustain all planetary life — that is, for the time being —unless something unforeseen and catastrophic upsets and upends this delicate homeostatic-like balance.

In a way, the life of our living, breathing planet is reflective of human life itself.

“Life,” according to Einstein, “is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.”

And on that point, we are finding out he is absolutely right. ■ *** Nota Bene: Monette Adeva Maglaya is SVP of Asian Journal Publications, Inc. To send comments, e-mail monette.maglaya@asianjournalinc.com

Parenthood: A sacred covenant

“...Anything less makes the man nothing but a selfish egocentric sperm donor and the woman only a cold and cruel human incubator.” that is secure, and a heart full of love and compassion. And in today’s world where unfortunate orphans and unwanted, or neglected, children abound, these wonderful couples, who are eager to adopt them, love them, and care for them, are truly admirable saviors and heroes in the strict sense of the word. After all, procreation, conception, and delivery are only a miniscule part of true motherhood, and providing the sperm, only an iota of what fatherhood is all about.

Parenthood is really the natural instinct of giving oneself totally in the subconscious fulfillment of an unwritten, self-imposed, contract the parents made with their yet unborn child, entered into the very moment the man and the woman engaged themselves in an act that could bring forth a new life into this world. Conceivably, that same sacred bond, and all the instincts of parenthood, have been faithfully kept and handed down from the very first family of humans on earth to our generation today. The reciprocal obligation is, of course, for the children to take care of their parents when the time comes.

That this covenant is a part of the laws of nature is evident even among animals, especially among mammals. It is a tragedy and a shame, though to realize that it is more pervasive among humans to neglect, hurt

and/or abandon their young than among almost all animals. Similarly, it is a sad commentary, on the other end of the spectrum, that ingratitude and cruelty are all too common among some people of today, who wantonly desert their old and helpless parents in the sunset years of their lives when they need their children’s love and care the greatest.

While parenthood is a grave responsibility filled with many a sleepless night, sweat and sacrifices, and sometimes disappointments and tears, it is nonetheless a joyous privilege and a magnificent gift from the Almighty.

And as long as we, supposedly the smartest and most superior creatures on the Planet Earth, continue to honor that divine covenant, the world will remain a wonderful place to live in.■ *** Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, Cardiac Surgeon Emeritus in Northwest Indiana and chairman of cardiac surgery from 1997 to 2010 at Cebu Doctors University Hospital, where he holds the title of Physician Emeritus in Surgery, is based in Las Vegas, Nevada. He is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, the Philippine College of Surgeons, and the Denton A. Cooley Cardiovascular Surgical Society.

He is the chairman of the Filipino United Network – USA, a 501(c)(3) humanitarian foundation in the United States. For more data, visit philipSchua. com; Email: scalpelpen@gmail.com

Combatting acne tion appears to play an important role, as well as diet.

How does acne develop?

Acne development consists of four key elements: • Follicular epidermal hyperproliferation • Excess sebum production • Inflammation • The presence and activity of bacterium Propionibacterium acnes.

Treatment is tailored to address all of these stages and often consist of a combination of more than one treatment options.

What are some of the current available treatments on the market?

Acne vulgaris treatments consist of many local and systemic treatments. Skin clearners, salicylic acid, azelaic acid, benzoyl peroxide, topical antibiotics, retinoids, oral contraceptives, corticosteroids, phototherapy, Isolaz Laser and natural supplements are among the treatments available in the market.

New treatment options We love helping patients with acne. Rather than the traditional long-term antibiotics and accutane, we prefer to use alternative, effective therapy.

We start with plant-derived oral supplements that will effectively block production of oil on the skin. You should notice a decrease of deep cystic acne and oil production within a few days of taking the supplements.

Then, by using a combination of salicylic and retinoid acid peels, we reduce existing acne quickly so you can achieve a

smoother complexion quickly.

Using gentle, yet effective topical products to clear your skin and reduce scars are recommended afterwards.

For grade 4 cystic acne, Isolaz Laser will be used in combination with a chemical peel to shut down oil production for a deep pore cleanse. If needed, we can use Fraxel and Dermapen Microderm with a combination of PRP/ Growth Factors to reduce acne scars and start to rebuild your confidence.■ *** Dr. Susan Lin is the founder of MD Laser & Cosmetics Center in San Mateo, CA. A noted author in the field of medical aesthetics, Dr. Lin has been has been on a quest since 1991 for the latest medical breakthroughs for health and wellness for people of all ages and backgrounds.

She has been an Expert Review for the Medical Board of California since 2004.

Dr. Lin is responsible for creating MD®, a collection of innovative hair, skin and wellness products utilizing the latest in anti-aging technology; her products are currently sold in over 26 countries. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Lin, please call (650) 340-7546 and look for Rowena. MD Laser & Cosmetics Center is located at 448 N. San Mateo Drive, San Mateo, CA 94401. Visit the website at www.mdlaserandcosmetics.com. *** The information presented in this column is intended for informational purposes only, and does not constitute a client-doctor relationship nor is it intended to provide treatment for any particular medical case. Please consult a physician or licensed doctor before embarking on any form of treatment.

(Advertising Supplement)

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Myths and misconceptions about immigration law THERE are many myths and misconceptions about immigration law, which are simply not true. People may receive “advice” from consultants, or wellmeaning friends or relatives, which is wrong. Following these myths, misconceptions and advice could have devastating effects on a person’s immigration case or result in years of delays.

Here are some of the more common misconceptions I’ve encountered among Filipinos: • Green card holders cannot petition family members; only U.S. citizens can. This is false.

Green card holders can petition their spouse and unmarried children, whether the children are under or over 21 years of age. There are cases where a green card holder could have petitioned a spouse or unmarried child years ago, but waited until they naturalized, under the false belief they had to be a citizen to petition those family members.

In the meantime, years are wasted or the child may have “aged out” (turned 21 years of age), resulting in the child having to wait many more years to immigrate.

• It is faster to wait to become a U.S. citizen, and then petition a spouse or minor child. This is untrue. In most cases, it would be faster to petition a spouse or minor child while the person is still a green card holder. Think about the timing: right now, it takes about two years for a green card holder to petition a spouse or minor child in the F-2A category. However, if the person waits to become a U.S. citizen, they have to first be a green card holder for five years, then it takes about another year to naturalize, and another year after that to process the family petition.

That’s about seven years. Even if you are a year or so away from naturalization, you can still file the petitions, and then once you naturalize, you can “upgrade” the

Immigration Corner ATTY. MICHAEL GURFINKEL, ESQ petitions. But at least you have the petitions on file and moving forward while you are a green card holder, and your family may be eligible for green cards before your naturalization is completed.

• My U.S. citizen child can petition me when he’s 18 years old.

This is false. A U.S. citizen child must be at least 21 years old to petition a parent.

• My U.S. citizen husband can petition my child (his step-child) if we get married and he files a petition before my child’s 21st birthday. This is partially true. In order for a U.S. citizen to petition a child (whether biological child or step-child), the petition must be filed before the child’s 21st birthday. However, in the case of petitioning a step-child, the marriage to the U.S. citizen stepparent must take place before the child’s 18th birthday. Therefore, in order for your husband to be able to petition your child, your marriage should have taken place before your child’s 18th birthday, and the petition should be filed before your child’s 21st birthday.

• I don’t have to work for my petitioning employer once I get my green card. This is false. If a person is being petition by an employer, USCIS expects the person to work for the employer for a reasonable period of time after they get their green card. Of course, if a person gets a green card through labor certification, they are not required to work for the employer “for life.” However, if a person never worked for the employer, stop working for the

employer before being granting a green card, or quit the day after obtaining their green card, it could create issues or problems for them in the future, especially when filing for naturalization.

Whenever a person obtains a green card through employment, one of the first questions asked at a naturalization interview is how long the person worked for the sponsoring employer AFTER they obtained their green card, and they may be required to produce pay stubs and tax returns proving it. If you never worked for the employer or quit before getting a green card, etc., the immigration officer may be suspicious it was a “job of convenience” (just like marriages of convenience), and could quite possibly conclude the job offer was bogus or fake.

USCIS could deny your citizenship application, and quite possibly question the legitimacy of your green card.

The forgoing are just a few myths and misconceptions I’ve encountered. In future articles I will discuss more.■ *** Michael J. Gurfinkel is licensed, and an active member of the State Bar of California and New York. All immigration services are provided by, or under the supervision of, an active member of the State Bar of California. Each case is different. The information contained herein including testimonials, “Success Stories,” endorsements and re-enactments) is of a general nature, and is not intended to apply to any particular case, and does not constitute a prediction, warranty, guarantee or legal advice regarding the outcome of your legal matter. No attorney-client relationship is, or shall be, established with any reader.

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

Reunited with his children by being petitioned as a caregiver on a brand new episode of ‘Citizen Pinoy’ IT was a sign while walking the streets of Mabini in Manila, Philippines that made Isaac apply to become a seaman. In 2007, after his ship docked in Los Angeles, Isaac again asked for another sign, and decided to jump ship, to build a brighter future for his children.

Luckily, Isaac found an employer who was willing to petition him as a caregiver. Despite this fortunate turn of events, Isaac still felt the pain of separation from his family.

It would be a long and lonely journey alone in the U.S. while he waited for his petition to be

current. However, Isaac realized there were no shortcuts if he wanted to do it right. He sought the services of leading U.S. Immigration Attorney Michael J. Gurfinkel, who had successfully handled the case of Isaac’s father before him. The family was fully satisfied with the service and work the Law Offices of Michael J. Gurfinkel provided. Isaac did not even consider going anywhere else.

Isaac wanted it done right and legally, especially since Gurfinkel always advises: “The best way to legalize your status is to do it legally.”

The process went smoothly. Soon enough, Isaac got his green card in the U.S. and returned to the Philippines to be with his family, after eight long years of separation. And, as a bonus, his employer’s petition included his sons, allowing them to join him in the U.S. as green card holders, without Isaac having to file another family petition.

Watch this long-awaited family reunion on a brand-new episode of “Citizen Pinoy” — on Sunday 6:15 p.m. PST/EST (9:15 pm EST thru select Cable/Satellite providers).■ (Advertising Supplement)

Business News

BSP: Peso movement in line with growth goal

by MAYVELIN

CARABALLO

Calendar of Events across

America

ADVERTISE YOUR EVENTS! PRE-EVENT AND POST EVENT GO DEEPER. GO WIDER. LET THE WORLD KNOW. CALL ASIAN JOURNAL: (818) 502-0651 DISPLAY AD SIZES AT SPECIAL RATES FOR NON-PROFIT GROUPS AU G U ST 24

FACC-SLAA’s “luau” quarterly business & professionals networking mixer in Wilmington, CA The Filipino-American Chamber of Commerce – SouthBay Los Angeles Area (FACC-SLAA) presents a “luau” quarterly business & professionals networking mixer on Thursday, August 24. Come meet other driven Filipino/Fil-Am businesspersons and professionals in a relaxed and casual atmosphere! It will be from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Camino de Guanajuto Restaurant, 208 W. Anaheim St., Unit C, Wilmington, CA 90744. Tickets are free for FACCSLAA members. For non-members, it’s $15 for pre-registration or $20 at the door. For more information on FACC-SLAA, please visit https://www.facebook.com/pg/FilAmChamberOfCommerceSouthBayLAArea/.

SEPTEMBER 1-4

Ramon Magsaysay (Cubao) High School international reunion in Las Vegas Come and celebrate with RMCHS alumni and guests for the third biannual international homecoming. Sing, dance, party, share precious memories and join the fun from Friday, September 1 to Monday, September 4 at The Orleans Hotel and Casino at 4500 W. Tropicana Ave, Las Vegas, NV 89103. Join the golf tournament in the morning of Saturday, Sept.

2 and then wear your best (black and white) for a dinner dance later that evening. Make this event an opportunity to reunite with your own batchmates, watch a show, visit tourist spots, and stroll along the Las Vegas Strip. For more information, visit the RMCHS 2017 INTL REUNION Facebook page.

S E P T E M B E R 1 5 -1 7

Liliwenos reunion in Las Vegas, NV Calling all Liliwenos living all around the world! There will be a three-day reunion in Las Vegas, NV starting with a picnic on Friday, Sept. 15 at Silverado Ranch Park. On Saturday, Sept. 16, it is a dinner/dance party at the Palace Station (2411 W. Sahara Ave. Las Vegas, NV 89102) at 5 p.m. The attire is semi-formal and costs $50 / person. Souvenir t-shirts cost $10 regardless of size. Deadline of payment for both the reunion and t-shirt cost is August 31 to be sent to Ms. Nerri Monteagudo at 9252 Bronze River, Las Vegas, Nevada 89149. On Sept.

17, participants are free to explore the Strip and other Vegas activities. For more information, please contact Bob and Nerri Monteagudo at (702) 339-3838; Carmen P. Manguin (702) 526-8005; Loida Borgonos at (201) 654-5482; or Fred Polistico at (818) 527-3476.

O C TO B E R 1 4

26th annual Festival of Philippine Arts and Culture in Echo Park

ManilaTimes.net

THE peso’s recent movements are consistent with monetary policies aimed at fostering sustained economic growth, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) said.

“Pursuing a flexible and adaptive exchange rate policy enables the BSP to keep its interest rate policy settings squarely focused on achieving the inflation target while dampening consumption and supporting a more investment- and export-led growth that the economy needs to sustain its strong momentum over the long haul,” central bank Governor Nestor Espenilla Jr. in said a message to reporters on Monday, August 21.

The peso fell to near 11-year lows last week, trading in P51 to the dollar territory, due to factors such as the prospect of war on the Korean peninsula.

It lost 14 centavos on Friday, August 18, to close at P51.49:$1, its weakest since settling at P51.60:$1 on August 24, 2006.

Several analysts say it could fall to the P52:$1 level before the end of the year.

Some commentators, Espenilla noted, are judging the state of the Philippine economy merely on the basis of the peso’s depreciation.

“In particular, the peso is compared in [an]unfavorable light against ‘stronger’ regional currencies. That’s a rather simplistic way to look at it,” he said.

The better way to gauge the economy is to evaluate its progress toward delivering things that ultimately matter to the people, the Bangko Sentral chief claimed, such as low inflation,

CAREGIVER PETITION ALLOWS ISAAC TO BE REUNITED WITH HIS CHILDREN IN THE U.S. AS GREEN CARD HOLDERS. Driven by the desire to improve his life for his children’s sake, Isaac (left) jumped ship when his ship docked at Los Angeles in 2007. Fortunately, he found an employer who was willing to petition him as a caregiver. The employer’s petition was approved, but Isaac still had to wait several more years before his priority date was current and he was eligible for a green card.

All that time, Isaac could not return to the Philippines due to his immigration status. But he still made that sacrifice, knowing it was the right way to do. For him, it was better to wait, if everything was done properly and legally. Isaac knew he was in capable hands under the Law Offices of Michael J. Gurfinkel, who helped obtain green cards for Isaac and his two young sons.

Watch this happy family reunion on a brand new episode of “Citizen Pinoy” – on Sunday, August 27, at 6:15 p.m. (PST) on TFC. (Advertising supplement)

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

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

O C TO B E R 1 4

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

O C TO B E R 2 1 growth and jobs.

Economies, Espenilla pointed out, have their own unique challenges that require policies suiting circumstances and needs.

He said the Philippines was doing the correct thing in prioritizing investment-led economic growth, adding that allowing the peso to gradually depreciate to a more appropriate level was fully consistent with that strategy.

“However, the BSP is very mindful that such adjustment may create market uncertainty if not well explained. So we communicate and explain,” he added.

Espenilla also said that mon-

etary authorities would go after speculators wanting to take advantage of the situation.

“The BSP will not tolerate such speculative behavior and stands ready to use its very ample international reserves and deploy its full policy and regulatory arsenal if necessary,” he said.

In any case, the peso has now sufficiently adjusted and can be expected to regain relative stability going forward, he added.

“This soft landing is reinforced by effective discipline in fiscal management and a well-designed and well-executed public investment program,” Espenilla said.■

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

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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AUGUST 25-31, 2017 • NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL

43 firms eye bid for new Clark airport terminal

Business news

meRcuRio Philstar.com

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Philippines eyes $3.8 B loan from ADB by maRy

GRace Philstar.com

Padin

by Raymond

MANILA - Over 40 local and foreign companies have expressed interest in bidding for the construction of a new terminal building for the expansion of the Clark International Airport, a project two decades in the making, the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) said yesterday.

BCDA is kicking off the multiphase Clark International Airport expansion with a new passenger terminal building capable of handling eight million passengers a year, expanding the airport’s capacity to 12 million from the existing 4.2 million passengers per year.

The P12.55-billion project attracted 43 local and international prospective bidders, seven of which have already bought bid documents.

Three of the seven prospective bidders that purchased bid documents are Chinese firms.

They are Qingjian Group Co. Ltd., China Harbour Engineering Co. Ltd. and China State Construction Engineering Corp.

The four other firms which bought the bid documents are Tokwing Construction Corp., RII Builders Inc., First Balfour Inc. and Datem joint venture and a Megawide-GMR joint venture.

Submission of the bid documents is set on Oct. 23, 2017.

The new terminal building is

expected to break ground in the fourth quarter of 2017 and is targeted to be operational in 2020.

Some prospective bidders who attended the pre-bid conference Tuesday, August 22, clamored for an extension of the submission of the bid documents.

BCDA senior vice president for business development and operations Joshua Bingcang said they will study if there is merit in extending the deadline.

However, Bingcang said the government is keen to start the project within the initially targeted timeframe.

“We are going to do this in the most professional and most transparent way possible. What we want to ensure here is that the quality of the new facility that we’re building in Clark is really at par with the best in the world,” BCDA president and CEO Vivencio Dizon said.

Dizon said the project is the

first hybrid project under the Duterte administration. Under the hybrid public-private partnership model, the government will finance the construction of the infrastructure, while operations and maintenance will be auctioned to the private sector.

“The Clark airport project is probably the longest planned airport project in the world. The planning of the Clark airport project started way back in the 1990s, after the US left then Clark airbase. 20 plus years after, we’re finally going full steam ahead with the development of the Clark International Airport,” Dizon said.

The government is pushing for the development of the Clark airport to serve as an alternative to the congested Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).

“We do need a secondary gateway and you cannot replace NAIA just like that,” Dizon said..n

of 7.8 million square meters.

Ayala Corp. chief finance officer TG Limcaoco said it would take a long time before e-commerce goes full blast in the Philippines, but the conglomerate is making sure malls will remain popular.

“There is a need to shift the model to make malls a lifestyle and entertainment destinations,” he said.

As of end-2016, Ayala had 45 malls in operation.

But e-commerce still has a lot of room for improvement because delivery of items still takes days in the Philippines, Limcaoco added.

“Weneedtogetlogisticsinplace.

In the U.S. or in Europe, delivery is on the same day,” he said.

The Villar Group likewise believes brick and mortar shopping

would stay even as it recognized that online retailing is growing.

“You can’t say it is not going to happen but for now it hasn’t affected us because e-commerce still has some serious obstacles such as slow internet and there also some problems in logistics,” Vista Land president and CEO Manuel Paolo Villar said.

He said there some items that are popular online such as cellphones, apparel and books but others major needs such as groceries would still be in shopping malls.

The Philippine e-commerce market was valued at $500 million in 2015 and is expected to grow to $9.7 billion by 2025, according to a May 2016 report by Google/Temasek. n

Retailers feel pinch of online...

PAGE CJ1 t

need to ensure a level playing field.

“We want to make sure they are paying the right taxes,” Barcelon said.

Some of the country’s mall operators, for their part, concede that online retailing is indeed growing and that they are doing innovations to keep their malls filled with customers.

“We expect online retail to grow in the coming years but we continue to upgrade our mall offerings to include more exciting and experiential features that are resilient to online retailing,” SM Prime Holdings Inc. president Jeffrey Lim told The Star.

At present, SM Prime has 63 shopping malls all over the country with a gross floor area

EMPLOYMENT

EMPLOYMENT

SERVICES

MANILA - The Philippines may be able to tap $3.8 billion in loans from the Asian Development Bank in the next three years to help fund the priority programs of the Duterte administration, the Department of Finance (DOF) said over the weekend.

According to a report by the DOF’s International Finance Group (IFG), the proposed lending program of the ADB to the Philippines under its Country Operations Business Plan (COBP) from 2018 to 2022, amounted to $3.8 billion which will cover three priority areas including infrastructure, social services and good governance.

Of the proposed amount, $1.8 billion may be used as loans to finance infrastructure development; $1.5 billion for education and skills development, access to finance, expanded social protection and employment opportunities for the youth; and $500 million for programs on good governance and finance.

“Program loans under the proposed lending pipeline make up 39 percent of the COBP, while project loans account for 61 percent,” the IFG said in its report to Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III. The IFG said projects covered by the COBP for 2018 to 2020 include the Central Spine RollOn/Roll-Off (RORO) Project and the Mindanao River Basin Flood Control Project, among others.

It also said the ADB has committed to design a $300 million package covering critical transportation infrastructure initiatives that can help ease traffic

in Metro Manila. This initiative is being eyed for a co-financing arrangement with other multilateral institutions, such as the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and the Agence Francaise de Developpement, the IFG said.

Meanwhile, another $21.8 million in non-lending programs are also in the pipeline under the COBP, the IFG said. The programs include support for project preparations and capacity building of various government agencies.

According to the IFG, the ADB has also agreed to look into cofinancing arrangements with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for the Philippines’ flagship infrastructure projects, such as the proposed Philippine National Railways Malolos to Clark Railway and the PNR Commuter South Line project.

“On this aspect, the ADB agreed to help the Philippines beef up its capacity and readiness in handling and financing infrastructure projects, particularly on the construction of the

country’s railways,” the IFG added.

The ADB has also agreed to hold quarterly meetings with Philippine officials to ensure that the bank’s country partnership strategy is aligned with the administration’s priorities, according to the IFG. “The bank has also responded positively to our request to increase the Philippines’ lending envelope and provide more grants and technical assistance,” the IFG said.

Finance Secretary Dominguez had been appointed last May as chairman of the ADB Board of Governors.

Earlier, the bank committed its support for the Philippines’ infrastructure program.

ADB president Takehiko Nakao said improving the transportation infrastructure is one of the ADB’s priorities in the country.

He said the lack of adequate infrastructure remains one of the more significant constraints to the Philippines’ growth prospects. n

Unauthorized practice of...

PAGE CJ1 t Immigration forms are available for free online.” You don’t need an attorney. There is no requirement that you must have an attorney. Immigration forms are available online. However, people have to remember that each question or box to be marked off in an immigration form corresponds to federal immigration law and marking a box incorrectly may lead to very harsh consequences under federal immigration laws. The worst, of course, is deportation or removal from the

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. *** Atty. Lilli Berbano Baculi is an associate chuatinsayvega.com. attorney with Chua Tinsay & Vega, A (Advertising Supplement) United States.

No two cases are exactly the same. Consult with an experienced and competent immigration attorney immediately, and more importantly prior to filing any applications with the USCIS, in order to explore your options and possible legal ramifications you might be facing especially if you do not completely understand a particular immigration question or concept. n

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People & Events

Filipina pianist Cecile Licad to perform with Vallejo Symphony THE Vallejo Symphony proudly presents the Philippines’ world-renowned pianist, Cecile Licad.

Cecile Licad is a Filipina pianist who has received international acclaim for her mastery of the classical works of the world’s foremost composers and musicians. She debuted as a solo pianist with the Philharmonic Orchestra of the Philippines at the early age of seven.

Adding to her natural talent, Ms. Licad received exceptional training from the likes of Rosario Picazo in Manila and the pedagogues from the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. Her repertoire consists of the classical compositions of Mozart and Beethoven, the Romantic works of Brahms and Tchaikovsky and

the 20th Century pieces of Debussy and Bartok, to name a few.

As a featured artist of the Vallejo Symphony for its Fall 2017/2018 Season, Ms. Licad will be performing the masterpieces of Chopin, Shostakovich, Siant-Saëns, Tchaikovsky and Mozart. She will be joined by the Symphony’s very own Music Director Marc Taddei as conductor.

The three-part concert series will be held at The Empress Theater, Vallejo’s very own historic performing arts center. The season will premiere on Octo-

ber 15, 2017.

For tickets, show times and complete concert details, please visit vallejosymphony.org ■

Job vacancy: Overseas Voter Registration staff In view of the overseas voter registration period for the 2019 Philippine National Elections which commenced on 01 December 2016 and shall end on 30 September 2018, and in order to reach out and efficiently serve all Filipinos within its ten-state jurisdiction, the Consulate General, in partnership with the Commission on Elections (COMELEC), is searching for a motivated individual to serve as Overseas Voter Registration staff. The position is project-based, and renewable periodically until the end of the registration period.

Following are the positions’ duties and responsibilities: • Encoding names and registration details of Filipino citizens; • Answering public queries regarding overseas voter registration and election; • Disseminating information regarding overseas voter registration and the subsequent election; • Performing administrative tasks related to overseas voter registration and election; and • Assisting in other tasks related to overseas registration and voting.

Individuals who meet the following criteria are encouraged to apply: •Possesses good customer service and interpersonal communication skills • Organized and detail-oriented • Able to work under pressure • Willing to travel to other states • Fluent in written and spoken English • Conversant in Filipino • Has completed a college degree in any field Interested applicants are requested to submit the following to hr.sfpcg@gmail.com : • Curriculum vitae with recent 2x2 picture • Cover letter stating why you are suitable for the position • Copy of any valid government-issued ID Interviews will be set to further discuss responsibilities and remuneration. For more information on Overseas Voting Registration, please visit the Consulate General’s website philippinessanfrancisco.org.

ğ įōíľ ÀðıÃæµįPçį ʼn æIJįıÀ ØÃĉÃæîÂ ß ğÃqPç qíß߼æÃıŎįĤÀíĽØ ÕæíŊįPdíĽIJĕ If you have an upcoming event and would like us to post it, email us the details (title, description, time & date, location, etc.) at info@asianjournalinc.com.

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

To be included in our online calendar/ e-newsletter, please allow at least two to three weeks' notice.

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

SEA-U.S. consortium announces commercial operations of $250M state of the art undersea cable system

THE seven-member Southeast Asia – United States (SEA-U.S.) cable consortium announced that the full commercial operations of the $250 million submarine fiber cable system that directly links Asia to the U.S. for faster data transmission, more efficient connectivity and greater network resiliency, has officially been achieved on August 8, 2017.

With the recent completion of the Philippine and Indonesia portion, the cable system can now provide additional capacity for the exponential growth of bandwidth between the two continents as well as bypass congested, earthquake-prone areas to ensure business continuity even during disasters.

“We are happy that the final leg of the SEA-U.S. cable strategically terminating in Davao, is already done. We are proud to be part of this landmark undertaking because of the immense benefits that it brings to the country and the rest of the Southeast Asian region. The facility will not only ease our dependence on the two international cable systems routed through Northern Philippines but will also provide support for the expanding business requirement for data in Southern Philippines and the country as a whole,” said Ernest L. Cu, President and CEO of Globe Telecom, one of the consortium members. Globe commercially launched the SEAU.S. cable facility on August 11 - three days after the cable consortium declared SEA-U.S. ready for commercial operations.

The SEA-U.S. undersea cable system delivers a 20 Terabit per second capacity with state-of-the-art 100 Gigabit per second technology. It provides the

fastest direct access between the U.S., Philippines and Indonesia, extending nearly 9,000 miles on a route that bypasses congested, earthquake-prone regions. The SEA-U.S. system includes expansive and redundant terrestrial networks connecting cable stations and data centers in California, Guam and Hawaii, Indonesia, and as important, Philippines.

As one of the world’s top vendors of submarine cable systems, Mr. Toru Kawauchi, General Manager of NEC’s Submarine Network Division said, “It is with deep pride that NEC hands over the key to launch SEA-U.S. to the SEA-U.S. consortium members. From the day we signed the contract, we have dedicated our best resources to completing this cable. There are plenty of obstacles for every cable we build, and SEA-U.S. was not immune from this. However, together with the cable owners, we overcame each obstacle, and have come to this day. We look forward to many more years of further enhancing our relationship in order to answer the global demand for connectivity. ” The SEA-U.S. cable system was built by a consortium of 7 international telecommunication companies, that include Globe Telecom, PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia International (Telin), Telkom USA, GTI Corporation (a member of the Globe Group of companies), RAM Telecom International (RTI), Teleguam Holdings (GTA) and Hawaiian Telcom (HTEL). It links five countries and territories that include Manado (Indonesia), Davao (Philippines), Piti (Guam), Oahu (Hawaii, United States) and Los Angeles (California, United States). ■

S&P maintains PH growth forecast

PAGE CJ1 t

geopolitical tensions or uncertainty in financial markets that could lead to capital outflows.

Still, “[t]he tail risk of a spillover of tension and fighting in the south (between government forces and extremists) appears to have receded significantly,” it noted.

Other forecasts Earlier, banking giant Standard Chartered Bank also retained its 6.5 percent forecast, saying the Philippines will be the fastestgrowing Asean-6 economy this year/ “Strong domestic demand and steady services sector growth will likely remain the primary growth drivers; better implementation of planned infrastructure investments might drive even faster growth,” it said.

The bank, however, said that infrastructure spending would have to pick up significantly for GDP growth to edge closer to 7 percent.

“While the government remains committed to spending more on infrastructure, actual expenditure remains subdued for now,” it said.

Japanese financial giant Nomura has also retained its 6.7percent growth forecast, forecasting a pickup to 6.9 percent in the second half from 6.4 percent in the first half.

“We continue to expect government spending to accelerate given the administration’s strong push to implement public sector infrastructure projects and avoid past problems of underspending.

More progress on infrastructure projects should continue to crowd in private investment,” it said.

Singapore’s DBS also said it does not see a compelling need to adjust its 2017 forecast of 6.4 percent.

IHS Markit, for its part, said the Philippine economy will maintain rapid growth for

2017 calendar year, growing by 6.4 percent year-on-year.

Revisions Credit Suisse and Australia’s ANZ Research, meanwhile, have revised their 2017 growth projections for the Philippines.

Credit Suisse raised its forecast to 6.1 percent from 6 percent but noted that it expected growth to moderate in the second half.

“Driving this forecast is our view that private consumption will begin to weaken due to an unusually weak labour market,” it said.

ANZ Research for its part cut its estimated 6.5 percent from 6.9 percent.

“Despite the slowdown in private consumption growth, strong investment and the improvement in exports will remain supportive of growth. However, we are increasingly cautious of the quality of growth if real estate and construction continue to drive activity,” it said. ■

CJ

AUGUST 25-31, 2017 • NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL

http://www.asianjournal.com • (650) 689-5160

Friday, August 25, 2017

SF2

cover story The Asian Jour nal SF MAGAZINE - August 25, 2017

In a very competitive market where everybody highlights their winning features, the challenge lies on how to brand yourself as a cut above the rest.

Inquirer.net photos

Remember: employers do not want fake smiles or rehearsed answers during the interview. They want to know whether you really align with their culture and the position.

You need to make the hiring managers feel comfortable about you on an emotional level to sell yourself and stand out.

Get hired: how to move your job application ahead

by IrIs

VIcente/AJPress

WHeTHeR you’re a fresh graduate who has the faintest idea what it’s like to apply for a job, or someone who’s looking for a major career move, the whole process of seeking a post can be quite a challenge. Tired of the frustrating course of applying and someone else taking it because they crop up as “more qualified” than you? Chill out!

Most of the time it’s not about incompetence, sometimes, you just haven’t found the slick hacks to entice employers in saying, “Hey! I’m calling dibs on this one.”

Here are some pointers to get you through applying and getting ahead on other applicants: Polish your resume Knockout credentials have no merit when laid out as crude. It’s important that you organize the things that you want to put in your resume.

Remember: your resume is your ticket to the next phase which is the interview so if you don’t put more work and tweaks on it, you’ll lose your chance at selling yourself.

These days a resume may be scanned in a matter of seconds — if at all. Highlight what you think are your selling points and outline it to the job posting. And please, put your latest email address, not from when you were a kid with lots of characters and numbers e.g aibisyosa16@ gmail.com.

Prepare for the interview Research on the company and job you’re applying to beforehand. Don’t just barge in without knowing what you’re putting yourself into.

Signs that you’re ready for a job change

by JennIfer

a call afterwards, you need to be a step ahead all the time, be creative and unique. Ask the right questions to find out what the company’s problems are and prove that you can solve those problems. Another hack is to research on the interviewer as he or she is the key to your potential break, see if there’s something you can talk about while being polite and professional. You need to make the hiring managers feel comfortable about you on an emotional level to sell yourself and stand out.

Be honest Questions like defining your strengths and weaknesses are some of the trickiest as they could be fallbacks if you don’t answer them smartly. Be authentic about your weaknesses — not necessarily overcoming them, but state what steps you’re doing to manage them. A weakness can become a strength if you spin it right.

But remember: employers do not want fake smiles or rehearsed answers during the interview. They want to know

whether you really align with their culture and the position.

Being honest is the best way to show off your skills to nail the job of your dreams.

Look the part First impressions might not always be accurate in real life but when it comes to seeking for a job, it is everything.

Dress for the part of an upper or senior management (even if you are fresh out of college).

Hiring managers would only talk to you for a few minutes so make sure to leave a lasting impression. Most of the time, people get eliminated because they have bad postures, thus be confident and carry yourself well like a professional would.

While all of these are just things that could increase your chances at landing success, the power of whether or not you’re gonna get hired lies solely on your own ability and remember, getting rejections is not the end of the world. Don’t stop looking until you find the job that matches your values and meets your needs.

do it right: writing the perfect resume by elIJah

roderos AJPress

sorIano

AJPress

OuR jobs occupy a big chunk of our lives. That’s why it’s no surprise it is called occupation.

To quote Apple founder Steve Jobs, “The only way to do a great work is to love what you do.” Sure, it is easier said than done, because at some point, loving what we are doing can be a difficult task. What you thought would be a pleasant mutually beneficial relationship with paper work, co-employees and your boss, can become a dreaded cloud in the horizon along your supposedly pleasant walk in your career path. Most of the time we get confused, scared even.

But how far do we see ourselves traveling down this road that leads us to the infinite black hole? Here are a few signs that you need a detour and are all set in hopin for a new job: You’re not passionate about work any longer If you can flip a tennis ball, an egg and an apple up in the air while delivering comical one-liners, but your job only allows you to sell tickets, it’s highly possible that you will get bored. eventually it will lead to apathy that shows up in your work. People around you can tell and they don’t want a job done by this kind of employee.

There can also be situations that you do great in a job that you do not truly enjoy, so you end dreading it.

“Doing the same job for 50 years, unless you love it, is going to prove to be challenging,” says Career Doctor, Dr John Taccori. “Changing careers is healthy and keeps you engaged in the workforce longer. However a career change should be made with a well-informed mind.” Satisfaction and fulfillment ensue if what we do has a purpose at least, if not passion.

You don’t feel your worth is valued A pat on the back of the boss works wonders. It feeds the basic human necessity of sense of worth and belongingness. A simple, “good job” means you are part of the overall success of the

Companies don’t want to hire someone who doesn’t know why or even if they want to work there. Look into the job position responsibilities, accountabilities and growth opportunities. Being knowledgeable about these things creates an impression to the hiring managers that you mean business, and not someone who just wants to take any job you can get.

Network It’s time to make use of your connections specially in social media. Sometimes, job opportunities can arise in the unlikeliest places. Be open to communicating and networking with others in your field.

Whether at industry events, over email, make the effort to connect with others.

Make sure to stand out In a very competitive market where everybody highlights their winning features, the challenge lies on how to brand yourself as a cut above the rest. It’s not enough to fire companies up with your resume and hoping you’ll get

While some people can be content on staying in the same position for a long period of time, others want to grow in order to progress in their careers.

Philstar.com photo

company. However, when you did a job well and have spent blood, sweat and tears just to ensure the quality of your work but never get any credit or recognition can be a dangerous thing to both parties.

It can sap out your interest to your and decreases your chances of survival in your job.

You want to reach a higher level While some people can be content on staying in the same position for a long period of time, others want to grow in order to progress in their careers. For some workplace, they provide little or no room for growth, thus leaving employees stunted.

If this is the case, it’s time to pack your bags and breath fresh air that nourishes career growth.

But be wary. People can make bold career decisions, even unexpected ones. We have to make sure that every move is a calculated one to minimize risk and avoid the notorious move: One step forward, two steps backward.

You’re always too stressed, even after work As the popular saying goes, “All work, no play makes John a dull boy.” If your work seems to be occupying your waking hours, following you or let’s say, haunting you at home until the wee hours of the night, then you are sacrificing that much-needed “me” time.

This leaves you stressed, thus, making you counterproductive at work. This might happen for occasional urgent reasons, but if it happens almost everyday, just stop and breathe and

draft that resignation letter.

You’re depressed Do you find yourself perennially tired? Do you always drag yourself out of the bed and sometimes think of excuses for skipping work for a day, if not forever? Well, normally that happens especially after long weekends and during cold weather. But if it happens on a regular basis, it is because you don’t like your work. Chances are, your work does not love you back either.

This can be manifested in a decreased emotional well being that can further affect our overall well being.

Our jobs offer us a mix of interesting factors such as joy, pain, sadness, sacrifice, kindness, and support. If we, with the participation of our bosses, co-employees and clients manage to strike a good balance of these; then we can yield a satisfying job.

If not, then go ahead and leave. The imbalance of these factors sums up that you are ready for a job change. Do it as a favor to yourself to experience life and a job that you deserve. It wouldn’t be easy but most of the time, the strength to do it is all we need. Make that decision where you won’t end up sully later on. After you’ve found that new job, start with yourself first. Start by being a better version of yourself. Put the distressing situations you have had on your previous job into good use by learning from them. If all else fails, repeat, not the mistakes, but the process. This will eventually lead you to find the one that you deserve.

A WeLL-WRITTen resume is your best tool to make a good first impression to your potential employer. A study by an online job-matching service TheLadders says that it only takes an average of 6 seconds for recruiters to scan your resume and decide right away whether you’re up to the job or not.

Taking time to write your resume is really important, so make sure it follows a clear visual hierarchy to make it stand out above the rest. Here are some essential tips from TheLadders and Business Time, on how to make a perfect resume that can likely increase your chance to get a call on your job interview: 1. Start your resume with a branding statement Begin your resume with your branding statement that stands out rather than relying on the traditional objective statement.

An objective statement only focuses on the job seeker’s talents in relation to a particular job position, whereas a branding statement doesn’t only focus on a specific position or industry. Instead, it allows the job hunter to sum up his/her talents and translatable skills in a one definitive sentence.

Here’s an example: Objective statement: “Talented social media marketing professional seeks position as an associate at a small to medium size clothing retailer.”

Branding statement: “Fashion savvy social marketing wiz with experience running successful marketing campaigns incorporating Face-

Tailor your resume to every job application that responds to the specific requirements your prospect organizations are looking for. It is important to be unique, rather than merely using generic terms you originally apply for or held.

are looking for. It is important to be unique, rather than merely using generic terms you originally apply for or held. use keywords that match the job description. These may catch the employers’ attention and probably place your resume at the top of the list.

Don’t make a mistake of just portraying a bio of a candidate but market your skills and strengths for the particular position.

Some companies nowadays use preliminary software that targets specific words or phrases in order to determine which resume should be further assessed or flagged down. If you strategically place keywords on your resume, there’s a greater chance it will be forwarded on to a breathing HR professional.

4. Avoid using creative fonts and formatting Choose a classic font such as Arial, Times new Roman, Calibri or Verdana. Avoid using excessive amounts of bold, italics, and other features as this may confuse resume scanning software. If you do choose to use bold or italics in titles and headings, make sure to use it consistently.

Forgo distractive fonts and visuals which may hamper employer’s decision-making and reduce their analytical capabilities. Create a clear visual hierarchy that is smooth-flowing for the employer’s to read through.

5. Don’t make it too long There’s no specific length for a resume because it depends on your work experience and education. Yet, there’s a greater chance that your employer will give lesser attention to the next page than the first. Hence, include as much on the first page without making your resume Taking time to write your resume is really important, so make sure it follows a clear visual hierarchy to make it stand appear cluttered. out above the rest.

Photos from the U.S. Department of Labor Continued on Page SF3 book, Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr.”

There are still posted jobs with the sole intent of filling a single position. Whilst this is still a frequent goal today, employers now seek out talents and create space for well-qualified individuals whom can fit within their organizations. Start your resume with a branding statement that can show how you can be a valuable asset to your target companies.

2. Prioritize your expertise and skills on top List all these things near the top where the recruiter can easily see them. use action verbs when presenting your accomplishments and support it with quantitative data if you can. For example, say that you increased sales by 50 percent, or the decisions you made led to a 120 percent decrease in operational costs.

This is the area where you can freely go in depth and be specific. Don’t focus on your personal achievement; instead be detailed on your qualifications that can contribute to the company.

3. Tailor your resume for the potential position Tailor your resume to every job application that responds to the specific requirements your prospect organizations

entertainment SF3 Summer beauty tips The Asian Jour nal SF MAGAZINE – August 25, 2017

ing is closest to being equally important. Exfoliation removes San FranciSco dulling skin debris and helps improve hydration from toners

By Monet Lu and moisturizers. For a clearer and smoother skin, I urge you to exfoliate regularly. I know DUE to insistent public how much you love applying demand, I finally had the time make-up in the morning but to put up a piece for summer before you perform your usual beauty tips. “painting session,” make sure Jefre Manuel (center) conceptualized the crown of new America’s Miss World 2017 Clarissa Today, I give you a special you exfoliate first. Do this prior Bowers.

Photos courtesy of Jefre Manuel treat by answering some of to applying toner, moisturthe frequently asked questions izer and SPF. Remember, your regarding skin and hair care make-up will last longer on an during the summer season. exfoliated skin.

Question #1: How do I My last—but not the least keep my skin looking radiant tip—to maintain that youthdespite the summer heat? ful summer glow, is to apply I’ve said this before and I sunblock. In my 30 years in say it again: It is very importhe beauty industry, I couldn’t tant, especially during sumremember a time in which I FILIPINo-AMERIcAN artist mertime that you keep your never recommended the use of JEFRË was commissioned to skin hydrated. Look for beauty sunscreen. Sunscreen soothes design the crown for America’s products that are great for over-exposed skin. A burnt Miss World 2017. hydrating the skin, and level up skin is never beautiful and is in The artist also judged the your usual hydration standards fact, dangerous sometimes. So preliminary and final rounds of by using intensive masks at always be on the safe side– Apthe pageant, which saw Florileast once or twice a week. ply and reapply, as needed. I da’s very own clarissa Bowers Use a toner for more refreshing think every two hours would be take home the newly designed moisturizer prep. It helps even a good interval. crown and the distinction as out the sponginess of the skin.

Question # 2: What makeAmerica’s Miss World 2017.

I also suggest that you freshen up regimen would you recom“Even though there was up with some revitalizing toner mend for summer? a lot of pressure, it was an spritz a couple of times during As I mentioned earlier, I honor to make one girl’s dream the day especially when the know that make-up is one, come true,” shared JEFRË. “I temperature is really hot. if not the best, transforming Filipino-American artist JEFRË and the crown he CBHQ-13659-01 CRA Asian Ad MM.pdf 1 6/22/17 10:14 AM was surprised it was clarissa’s If hydrating your skin stands agent ever invented. I’ve been conceptualized for America’s Miss World 2017. first pageant, but she was very as my top advice, exfoliatdoing hair and make-up for as poised, humorous, natural, and authentic. She will represent America proud!”

The 66th Annual America’s Miss World was held at the Linda chaplin Theatre in orlando, Florida and showcased 28 hopefuls. Taking inspiration from the pageant’s motto, “Beauty with a Purpose,” JEFRË conceptualized the crown to mimic Gore Strips, which are triangular paper segments used The crown’s design was inspired by globe to create world globes. strips.

“I’ve always had an interest roots and making a difference in maps and globes, how they are deconstructed and created. in the skyline and landscape of The Gore Strips have a point at his native community.

JEFRË studied at the Art the top and bottom that when Institute of chicago prior to placed on a sphere, forms the receiving a Bachelor’s Degree north and south poles,” JEFRË in Landscape Architecture elaborated. “When completed and assembled, the Gore Strips from ohio State University.

JEFRË was named one of seven have true perspective and cre“Faces of Design for 2007” by ates the image of the world as Florida Inside out architecture one.” magazine for his environmental Along with Prerna Nanda of Elementz by Prerna, JEFRË’s art and couture landscapes.

As a designer and public design was brought to life using art initiator, his design solu• 2,367 diamonds and white tions originate from a deep sapphires understanding of the historical, • 97 pieces of hyro blue environmental, social and consapphires textual relationships influencing • 382 grams of silver and the site and the architecture. white gold.

In 2008, JEFRË launched his “Seeing the concept come own couture landscape and to fruition by a renowned jewelery designer and then placed public art studio with a focus on environmental art, green roofs, on the American winner to represent Miss World was both boutique plazas and parks and inspiring and an honor!,” JEFRË public art master plans.

He was selected by the said.

“The shape that JEFRË cre- prestigious Marlborough Galated is powerful because it rep- lery in New York city as an “Up and coming International resents so many different parts of the world: unique yet united. Public Artist” and chosen by This crown is a reminder to our the Lexus corporation to be the sixth member of their Eco titleholder, organization, and anyone who looks at the design Hybrid Living National Design Team to design environmental that she is a representation of conscious carbon neutral envithe world as a whole and all ronments. who inhabit it,” says Elizabeth JEFRË is passionate about Safrit, co-national director of Miss World in the United States. sharing his public art initiative through his line of new interJefre Manuel-Figueras, a active designs and upcoming Filipino-American artist estabpublic art projects. (Philstar. lished globally has a strong com) interest in connecting with his

Fil-Am artist designs crown, judges America’s Miss World 2017

Do it right: Writing the perfect...

From Page SF2 6. Follow employer’s instruction on making a resume There’s nothing that will get a resume sent to the recycling bin faster than failing to follow the basic submission instructions. common directives may include: submitting your resume as a specific file type, using a specific format on file name, including specific information on the subject of the email, using specific font type and size, and/or submitting your resume through the company website instead of email. More often, these instructions are given because of the employer’s special software requirements; however, in other cases, it is used to test the applicant’s ability to follow simple instructions.

7. Be honest While it is important to maximize certain work history and minimize the others, it is never okay to lie. In some

companies, employers require to have a reference person, whether a colleague, or a previous employer because they will check your claims. And when they do, make sure there aren’t any unpleasant surprises.

8. Review your resume At the end of every resume, you need to evaluate and check for grammatical errors and spellings. Make sure that you updated your e-mail, phone number, and address as much as needed.

Never misspell on your resume. A trivial oversight can make your recruiters take you less seriously. You can ask a co-worker, former employers, teachers, parents or guardians, or other trusted people to check your resume and tell you if something is not right.

You can also have it professionally done. You may want to do the first draft, but leave the final touches to a professional.

long as I can remember. It truly transforms a person’s face—if done right. And during this hot season, the right make-up means light make-up.

Los Angeles makeup artist Napoleon Perdis says, “Skip thick foundations and save your cream lipsticks for fall.” While I agree that thick foundations would make your make-up look too heavy, I think some cream hydrating lipsticks may still work on some occasions.

As for the face, aim for a lighter texture like tinted moisturizer, bronzing gel and cheek stain.

They wear better in this crazy LA summer. I still recommend the use of a prepping primer on any given day.

Going to the beach is just so inevitable during the summer. I suggest wearing waterproof eyeliner, shadow and mascara just in case you decided to take a sudden

detour to Santa Monica Pier.

An undereye concealer is also a must-have. It would help prevent eye makeup from running or smearing in the heat.

I also recommend using an oil-free daily lotion that has a minimum SPF15. Also, carry a compact that you can use for midday touch-ups but remember to keep on the “barely covered” tone. You would want your natural glow to stand out, Continued on Page SF5

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celebrityworld The Asian Jour nal SF MAGAZINE - August 25, 2017

celebrity world

By Ferdie Villar COMEDIENNE Pokwang (Marietta Subong in real life) recently got her followers thinking that she and American boyfriend Lee O’Brien are supposedly having disagreements due to her loaded posts on her Instagram ac-

Veteran actor Michael de Mesa is one of the lead starts of the teleserye “Ikaw Lang Ang Iibigin” on The Filipino Channel.

count. Initially, her followers assumed that she is going through major mood swings at this point in her pregnancy.

The “Banana Sundae” mainstay lamented about the difficulties of pregnancy in her recent post that many believe

Baste, the talented five-year-old co-host of GMA 7’s noontime show “Eat Bulaga,” celebrated his birthday with the dabarkads last Saturday, August 19.

Comedienne Pokwang laments being misunderstood during her pregnancy

was for Lee. The post was a picture of a pregnant woman with the saying, “You never understand life until it grows inside of you.”

She also posted a caption that said, “At sana intindihin mo rin buntis mood namin!!!!! kung di ma gets edi try mo ikaw kaya mag buntis????? ikaw mag suka at mahilo, di maka tulog, ikaw narin mag labor pain ng halos ilang oras, or ikaw narin mag pa hiwa sa tyan at tiisin mo lahat ng sakit!!!!! #adjustdinpagmaytime.”

In a separate post, Pokwang even called her upcoming bundle of joy “Baby Subong,” in reference to her last name. A follower of hers pointed out that it should’ve been “Baby O’Brien” after her boyfriend’s last name.

Recently, she also posted quotations that seem to “question” the presence of a certain person in her life. The quotes include, “If I ever get a chance to rewrite my life, would I still include you?” and

Queen of All Media Kris Aquino has recently confirmed that she will be part of the Hollywood adaptation of “Crazy Rich Asians.”

(Photo from Kris Aquino Instagram)

Actress Anne Curtis has remained mum about the preparations for her wedding to boyfriend Erwan Heussaff.

There are speculations that there is trouble in paradise between Pokwang and her American boyfriend Lee O’Brien after the comedienne’s cryptic posting of the difficulties of her pregnancy.

Comedienne Pokwang — who is now pregnant with her first child with boyfriend Lee O’Brien — has been posting on her social how she is being misunderstood during her pregnancy.

“If someone can fall asleep knowing you’re crying, knowing that you’re hurting or didn’t get home safe, they

don’t care for you.”

Lamenting in another post that she is being misunderstood, her fans are praying

that these are just indeed pregnancy mood swings. *** Actress Anne Curtis has been mum about plans for her wedding to boyfriend Erwan Heussaff. During the launch of her Dream Machine platform, entertainment columnist Ricky Lo asked her what kind of wedding she’s dreaming to have, how she dreamed of meeting a guy like Erwan (the chef brother of Solenn Heussaff) and how many children she and Erwan are dreaming to raise.

Understandably, Anne was mum but very graciously shared a piece of her mind.

“Our dream wedding?,” she asked laughing. “Secret pa ‘yon! But I assure you that we will reveal everything in due time,” adding, “every girl dreams of meeting her Prince Charming and I was very lucky to have met my Prince Charming in Erwan. And how many kids do we plan to have? I don’t know yet. Bahala na. We will cross the bridge when we get there.”

Former Mrs. Pangasinan Gloria Junio is shown in photo together with Edna Roxas and first princess Norma Bitanga during the United Pangasinanes coronation banquet and ball held last Saturday, August 19, at Crowne Plaza Hotel in Foster City.

Ogie Alcasid now a Golden Boy by rIcky Lo Philstar.com

Paul Soriano and Toni Gonzaga recently celebrated their second wedding anniversary.

Photo from Toni Gonzaga’s Instagram account

Toni Gonzaga slams cheating rumors about Paul Soriano, Erich Gonzales

by IrIs VIcente AJPress

SHE knew it was coming.

Toni Gonzaga is dismissing rumors surrounding her husband, commercial and film director Paul Soriano and actress Erich Gonzales.

In an interview with Pep. ph during the opening of Alex and Toni Gonzaga’s Happy Cup milk tea business, Toni revealed that she was aware of the blind items involving her husband and Erich, when the two filmed the movie “Siargao” in May. Paul directed the film while Erich, who was recently involved in a controversial break-up with Daniel Matsunaga, played the main character opposite Jericho Rosales.

“Really? You know what, Paul already told me last May. He said, ‘I think people are gonna make an issue about me and Erich just like how they did to me with Maja [Salvador] before. So I guess it’s inevitable because Erich already talked to me and she said that some people are bashing her, messaging her, ‘‘how can you do that to Toni? Stuff like that.” she said.

With Toni’s huge following, it’s no surprise that people began bashing Paul and Erich regarding the issue.

“Paul said, ‘It’s not true, and I don’t wanna react about it,” Toni shared.

Toni also believes that a woman’s intuition is accurate most of the time and that she trusts her husband fully.

“Ewan ko, ayaw nating magsalita nang tapos, but we always lift it up to God na sana wag kaming dumaan sa ganung klase ng pagsubok, trial o ano pa man na challenge sa married life. Naniniwala kasi ako sa intuition, kasi sabi ng mommy ko kahit walang issue, kahit walang tsismis, kahit walang ano, may woman’s intuition most likely 80% of the time, it’s true. Pinakiramdaman ko, so far wala pa naman,” Gonzaga said.

(I don’t know, i don’t want to put an end to it but we always lift it up to God hoping that we won’t go through that kind of challenges in our married life. I believe in intuition, my Mom said that even though there’s no issue, nothing at all, there’s a woman’s intuition, most likely, 80% of the time, it’s

true. I’m trying to observe, so far there’s none.)

According to Toni, there are also rumors circulating about Erich and Jericho even though the latter is already married to blogger/model Kim Jones. Toni even joked about which one between Paul and Jericho is really involved with Erich, “So ano talaga ang totoo? Multiple choice? Kaya pala pinavisit niya ako. Sabi niya [Paul], ‘Why don’t you visit here?’

E, nagsyu-shooting kami ni Piolo, next month na yung shooting namin. Last four days.” she added.

(So what’s the truth? Multiple choice? Maybe that’s the reason why he wanted me to visit on set, he said ‘why don’t you visit here?’ but I’m filming with Piolo, Our shooting is next month. Last four days.)

Toni was referring to the romantic-comedy movie that will be out next month in which she and Piolo are currently filming.

The movie, which is directed by Joyce Bernal, is a dark romcom according to Toni. She described it as different from all the other rom-com movies she has ever done.

IN barely a week, Ogie Alcasid is turning 50 and he’s celebrating his Golden Year in Paris with his wife Regine Velasquez and son Nate, along with his ex-wife Michelle van Eimeren and husband Mark Murrow and Michelle’s daughters (with Ogie) Leila and Sarah.

Why in Paris?

“Because Nate (Nathaniel James Alcasid) is serving as Ring Bearer at the wedding of Dr. Vicki (Belo) and (Dr.) Hayden (Kho),” explained Ogie whose daughter’s birthday falls on Sept. 1, just about the time of the wedding. “So we might as well celebrate na lang together in Paris since andoon na rin naman kami.”

Ogie’s birthday is on Saturday, Aug. 27, two days after his special concert “Nakakalokal” at the Kia Theater, which is so titled because Ogie will be doing an all-OPM repertoire with his guests Angeline Quinto, Erik Santos, Jaya, Teng Constantino, Solenn Heussaff, Lovi Poe and his daughter Leila. Ogie is doing the concert gratis et amore for the World Vision Development Foundation, Inc. whose advocacy includes children who are victims of sex abuse.

“It’s my way of saying ‘Thank you’ for all the blessings in my life,” said Ogie who, thanks to his “cuteness,” doesn’t look 50 at all (in jest, the press release says it’s his “21st birthday” concert, hehehe!!!).

Ogie Alcasid is celebrating his 50th birthday in Paris.

Asked to give 50 reasons why turning “golden” is extraspecial, Ogie could mention only two: happy home and wellraised children.

“It’s nice to go home to a happy family,” said Ogie. “I do Facetime with my kids, with Regine, with Michelle and Mark.

Ang saya ng feeling na sa bahay mo walang conflict kasi pag toxic sa bahay mo, ang hirap, eh.

Toxicity ang talagang papatay sa pamilya mo.”

And there are his children, with Leila (the eldest) now living with Ogie and Regine.

“I’m happy that Leila is back home,” continued Ogie. “She has started a career here and she’s not in a hurry. She’s grateful for the blessings. She has been here for only six months at nag-Bench na siya, naggi-guest on TV at kinukuhang cover girl ng magazines. When she posts something on her blog, may bayad na s’ya at maraming nagpa-follow sa kanya. I was teasing her, ‘Anak, 30 years na ako sa showbiz, I keep on posting and posting and I’m not getting anything.’

“One time, I got a call from a student from La Salle (Ogie’s alma mater where he was a member of Kundirana, the school’s singing group. — Ed.).

Leila daw is his classmates’ favorite and they wanted to invite her as their muse. I asked the student about their age range at ang sabi, ‘Year 6.’ Wow, Year 6 talaga ha, hehehe!!! Very millennial.”

Just like Leila’s kind of music — very millennial. Like her dad, Leila is also a songwriter and an ardent fan of OPM. A few days ago, Leila started recording her own composition under Marion Aunor, with Lara Maigue as voice coach.

“Once,” recalled Ogie, “I did an areglo for Leila and I submitted it to a producer.

When Leila listened to it, ang sama ng hitsura niya. Hindi niya gusto. So I told her, ‘Anak, hindi tayo bagay sa isa’t-isa.’ Then, we found Marion. Perfect! She’s very good, ang galing-galing!

So medyo hindi ako masyadong nakikialam sa career niya.”

While pursuing her own career, Leila will resume her studies (started in Australian where she used to stay with her mom) either at UP or Ateneo.

“She’s a good writer. Malawak ang imahinasyon. Sometimes, I would ask her to check if my grammar is correct,” said Ogie who has collaborated on a song with Leila.

It was Ogie himself who prepared the family itinerary in Paris.

“Nothing grand,” he assured. “Maybe we will just eat out.”

Asked what the best thing is about turning 50, Ogie smiled.

“My children have grown up and they are nice to talk to. In business, I have become choosy with what I do. Slow down na and enjoy life more, unlike in my 30s and 40s when I was always on the go.”

Philstar.com photos by Ricky Lo

entertainment

Roxanne Barcelo and Will Devaughn: From real to reel

The Asian Jour nal SF MAGAZINE - August 25, 2017

SF5

Celebrity couple talk about working together in first movie as actors and producers by chrIstIna

alpad ManilaTimes.net

CeLeBRITIeS who play lovers onscreen only to fall in love in real life has been written about numerous times. Remember Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt in “Mr. & Mrs. Smith;” Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan who are still married 11 years after playing lovers in “Step Up;” and, on the small screen, “Game of Thrones” stars Kit Harrington and Rose Leslie who are rumored to be engaged.

The opposite—that is, reallife couples playing lovers in a movie—is seemingly less exciting for media, but as Roxanne Barcelo and Will Devaughn prove, can be just as interesting a story.

Now on their fourth year as an official couple, the two first met at an awards ceremony where Barcelo had won. It wasn’t a love-at-first-sight kind of story, however, because the pair became longtime friends before committing to a relationship.

Barcelo and Devaughn are set to appear on the big screen via their first movie together, “I Found My Heart in Santa Fe,” which follows the blossoming romance between Jennifer (Barcelo), a smart, hardworking and pretty islander whose

recent heartache made her tougher around men, and Viktor (Devaughn), an adventurous rich businessman who will stop at nothing to win the fair maiden’s heart.

Director Bona Fajardo admitted that Barcelo and Devaughn as leads made all working on his third movie much easier.

“For me, the chemistry is already there—it’s natural for this real-life couple. We really didn’t need to work hard for them to have that magic onscreen,” Fajardo shared.

As for Barcelo and Devaughn, acting as lovers has its pros and cons.

“True, we don’t really need to undergo intimacy workshops to let go off the awkwardness that most reel pairs go through, but there are also challenges on set,” Devaughn divulged.

Barcelo elaborated and said, “Like any couple, we have our simple tampuhan like when Will didn’t wait for me on the set. But we’re both very professional and we carry on with our scenes even during those silly moments.”

The 32-year-old actress further noted how in some instances, their scenes allow them to work on their small disagreements.

“Another challenge I can think of is when we have to act like we’re mad toward each other. Sometimes we get carried away then we’d have to assure one another that was just a scene,” Barcelo added chuckling.

Besides working together for the first time, the couple takes pride in “I Found My Heart in Sante Fe” for not only are they the lead stars but they also serve as co-producers of the film.

“What that means is that our work does not end on the set, we talk to sponsors, we promote the film and go about other tasks that actors normally don’t worry about,” Devaughn said.

As such, when the press commented on how promising the rushes are, especially its innocent story and glossy and picturesque feel, the couple could hardly contain their happiness.

“We too fell in love with Santa Fe. Ang ganda talaga. It’s like paradise where you’ll really get to relax and not stress about the volume of tourists. As most of us know, that’s what’s happening in prime tourist spots nowadays,” Barcelo shared.

Sante Fe is a real municipality within the famed Bantayan Island in Cebu. It boasts of a noncrowded beach and pure white

Summer beauty...

From Page SF3

not a “heavily covered” face.

Less is more when it comes to summer make-up but a little shimmer won’t hurt. You can use a shimmery bronzer to add a sexy, healthy sheen to your skin.

Question # 3: It is extradifficult to keep my hair from drying out during summer.

Any suggestions?

I am actually saving the hair

tips for a more concentrated article but I can give a word or two to help take care of your crown and glory.

I know this is hard for some but, try to avoid “overcleansing.” Shampooing just once a week is enough. On other days, applying conditioner alone is ok. You can also add a weekly clarifying shampoo and skip the conditioner (or just apply it to the hair ends).

Try and take a break from the blow dryer if you can and let your hair air-dry. Best advice: Visit Monet Salon for more hair advice–and makeover!

I hope I have shed some summer beauty wisdom to you.

Stay tuned for more of our seasonal beauty tips. Or, just like my best advice: Monet Salon in Canoga Park and Panorama City are open weekdays and weekends. Please call (818)

Sarah Lahbati and Richard Gutierrez announced their engagement last month.

Photo from Sarah Lahbati’s Instagram account

Roxanne Barcelo and WilL Devaughn are bringing their real life chemistry to the big screen. Photo from Will Devaughn’s Instagram account

sand that sparkles in the sunlight.

The idea to shoot the movie in postcard worthy Sante Fe came from director Fajardo who also featured the picturesque Vigan, Ilocos Sur in his previous Kaye Abad-starrer “Iliw.”

“As directors or writers, we have certain stories that we keep inside our hearts and minds. It is just a matter of finding the right inspiration to fuel that story.

When I saw Sante Fe last year, I knew I found the place where I’ll shoot the story I had in mind,” Fajardo noted.

912-6835 and (818) 891-8949 or got to Monetsalon@aol. com. *** 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

Sarah Lahbati, Annabelle Rama clash over wedding plans

by IrIs VIcente AJPress

KAPAMILYA actress Sarah Lahbati recently revealed details about her upcoming wedding with long-time boyfriend Richard Gutierrez.

In her guesting on ABSCBN’s morning show “Magandang Buhay,” Sarah shared that she wants an intimate gathering rather than a huge wedding celebration. However, she also revealed that she might get into an argument with future mother-in-law Annabelle Rama if she insists on her preference because the latter prefers a flashy and grand wedding for her and Richard. ”Mag-aaway kami doon ni Tita kasi gusto ni Tita bongga, ‘yung marami. Marami siyang kaibigan. Kaya feeling ko mag-a-argue kami doon. So naiisip namin what if isa dito, isa abroad, pero parang magastos din ‘yon. So ‘yung mga kino-consider namin ano ba dito or abroad, kapag abroad ba lahat ay makakapunta.

So ang dami naming kino-consider kasi nga gusto namin lahat ng

loved ones namin ay nandoon.” she said.

(Tita and I will disagree on it because she wants it to be glamorous and huge. She has a lot of friends so I think we’ll argue about that. We are considering if we’re gonna do two weddings, here and abroad but that would be costly. If we do it abroad, we are considering if all of our friends could attend. So we have a lot to consider because we want all of our loved ones to be there.)

Sarah and Richard, who have been together for five years, got engaged in Switzerland last July. It was the same place where Sarah grew up and took refuge when she was hiding her pregnancy in 2012, eventually giving birth to their first born, Zion.

“Ako lang ang dream ko ay makumpleto ang family ko at family niya, kaibigan ko at mga kaibigan niya para maging soulful,” she added.

(My only dream is for our family and friends to be complete for it [wedding] to be soulful.)

SF6

T he Asian Jo ur na l SF M A G A Z I NE - Augus t 25 , 2 0 1 7

seafood city fpfc roger