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Bishop: Church cannot keep silent on killings

by KRISTIAN JAVIER Philstar.com

ACTIVE BOMB. A member of the Army’s Explosive Ordinance Disposal Battalion inspects the World War II bomb found in Surigao High School. The 500-pound active bomb was discovered by construction workers last Saturday, January 14.

Photo from Media Information Communication Office, Surigao City

MANILA, Philippines — A Catholic bishop on Tuesday, January 17 said Church leaders and the faithful should speak out against the continued drug-related killings in the Philippines.

“If we are true to our call to be Church of the Poor, we cannot as a Church keep silent on these issues,” Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo said at the 4th Apostolic Congress on Mercy in Manila, the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines News website reported.

Pabillo, who formerly chaired the CBCP’s National Secretariat for Social Action, and Peace, said that Catholics should not be afraid to denounce extrajudicial killings in the country.

More than 6,000 people with suspected links to illegal drugs have been killed since President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs started last July. The government has insisted that 2,550 of those killed were drug suspects who fought back. The rest, it has attributed to vigilantes and to drug syndicates.

The UN, the US, the EU and human

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Duterte denies plan to declare martial law

USA

‘I’ll be quiet if needed’

DATELINE Immigration activists tell Trump admin: We are here to stay FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA

“But if I feel as a president that I have to preserve my country, I will declare martial law,” he PHILIPPINE President Rodrigo added.

Duterte on Wednesday, January Duterte also expressed his 18, stressed that he has no plans agreement with the military that, to put the country under martial as of present, there was “no comlaw. pelling reason” to declare martial He added, however, that he law. However, he warned that would be quiet if he is compelled Mindanao is being “contaminatto do so. ed” by the Islamic State (ISIS).

“I will not declare martial law at “But I will just fill you in in the kung mag-declare ako ng Martial days to come. It’s ISIS coming in Law hindi ako mag-iingay (and very fast and Mindanao is a pure if I do, I will not make noise),” case of rising nationalism,” he Duterte said in his speech dur- noted. ing the 20th anniversary of the In his speech, Duterte also hit Premier Medical Center in Caba- out at media outlets regarding natuan City, Nueva Ecija. u PAGE A2 President Rodrigo Duterte

by DANA

SIOSON AJPress

ACTIVISTS rallied in support of immigrants’ rights on Saturday, January 14 at LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes in downtown Los Angeles as they have across the country in the weeks since the election of Donald Trump to the presidency of the United States.

A number of the president-elect’s stated intentions, including his promise to deport millions of undocumented immigrants, have sparked impassioned responses from both liberals and conservatives who say America’s immigration policy is broken.

“We know for a fact that the first thing we need to do is secure the border,” Rudy Asercion, a committee member for the Republican Party in San Francisco told the Asian Journal during a phone call on Monday, January 16.

“You need to enforce immigration laws before you reform the system.”

He said that lawmakers need to focus on protecting citizens in light of prior instances

Robredo camp to Marcos: Don’t feed Pinoys wrong, self-serving info

by AJ

BOLANDO Philstar.com

MANILA, Philippines — The camp of Vice President Leni Robredo on Tuesday, January 17 said that former Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos should not give out “wrong and self-serving information for political reasons” like claiming that data in unused secure digital (SD) cards is evidence of “massive electoral fraud” in the May 2016 elections.

Lawyer Romulo Macalintal, lead counsel for Robredo, said the Marcos camp obviously doesn’t understand the process for election protests involving automated elections.

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New US envoy affirms ‘solid’ ties with PH

THE United States Ambassador to the Philippines Sung Kim has affirmed the longstanding ties between Manila and Washington, Malacañang said. “[Kim] reiterated the commitment of the U.S. to the bilateral relationship with the Philippines, which he described as ‘solid,’” Presidential Presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella said in a statement on Sunday, January 15.

According to Abella, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte had a “productive 45-minute meeting” with the U.S. ambassador on Sunday in Davao City.

Abella said Duterte and Kim met following the launching of the country’s chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) this year.

“The U.S. ambassador congratulated the Philippines on its assumption of the ASEAN hosting and looked forward to a successful

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Pope Francis welcomes chief government peace negotiator Jesus Dureza at the Vatican on Jan. 18, 2017. Dureza delivered President Duterte’s letter of thanks and respect to the Pontiff, who visited the Philippines in January 2015 to express solidarity with the victims of Supertyphoon Yolanda.

Photo from the Facebook page of Mr. Dureza

“The data from some of these 13 SD cards have not yet been decrypted, meaning they are still in encrypted form and have not yet been converted to its original form for an ordinary layman to understand their full contents,” Macalintal explained in a statement released to reporters.

“The camp of Marcos must have a bionic mind or bionic eyes to be able to read these encrypted data and immediately claim that there were electoral frauds committed in the said election,” he added.

Marcos’ legal team, headed by lawyer Victor Rodriguez, claimed on Monday, January 16 that there

Pope Francis receives Duterte’s thank-you letter

by DANA

SIOSON AJPress

PHILIPPINE President Rodrigo Duterte has personally written Pope Francis a letter to express his gratitude to the Pontiff for visiting the country in 2015.

According to the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process, Foreign Affairs Secretary Perfecto Yasay personally handed Duterte’s letter to Pope Francis on Wednesday, January 18.

“Our countrymen remember your Holiness’ apostolic visit in 2015 with deep appreciation, knowing that it was made with the most sincere regard for the welfare of the Church’s flock,” Duterte said in his letter addressed to the pope.

“The Philippines values its special relations with the Holy See and regards with gratitude your Holiness’ gracious stewardship of the Catholic faith,” it further read.

Duterte also expressed his high respect to the

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Pacquiao asks DOT for P3-B to fund his match against Marquez in PH In a radio interview with DZMM’s Fastbreak, Pacquiao related that he asked Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Wanda Teo to fund his bout against Marquez that is reportedly scheduled for sometime in November.

“Approximately, sabi ko sa kanya [Secre-

by DANA

SIOSON AJPress

FILIPINO boxing champion and Senator Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao announced that he is anticipating a rematch in the Philippines against Mexican boxer Juan Manuel Marquez.

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From the Front Page

Bishop: Church cannot keep silent on…

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rights groups have all called out to the president to ensure that the rule of law is respected in all law enforcement operations.

Pabillo said that with the 6,000 killed, more than 30,000 people are directly affected and orphaned of their family members.

“These thousands are deeply traumatized and even now made more poor,” Pabillo added.

He also said that, for him, it is not an insult to be labeled an

“activist bishop” and be identified with the poor and the oppressed since he is “not speaking for myself, but for the poor and voiceless.”

“It is what I am supposed to be, to be a follower of Christ,” Pabillo added.

Pabillo, the current chairman of the Commission on the Laity of the Catholic Bishops Conference Philippines, will be leading a “Walk for Life” in Manila on February 18 to demonstrate their disapproval of EJKs.

Sangguniang Laiko ng Pilipinas President Zenaida Capistrano said that it is time the laypeople convey their opposition to thousands of unexplained killings.

“We, the Filipino Catholic lay faithful signify our protest against all forms of threats to human life and dignity that are coming from the economic, social, and political structures and authorities,” Capistrano said.

Laypeople are not ordained as part of the clergy but actively help the Church. n

Robredo camp to Marcos: Don’t feed…

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had been fraud in the recent elections because the supposedly unused SD cards contained folders and data.

Rodriguez questioned the folders and data in the SD cards saying the cards should be empty since they came from vote counting machine kits that were not used.

Macalintal, speaking for Ro-

bredo, pointed out that the unused VCMs were not even part of Marcos’ protest and that could not be used as evidence.

The vice president’s camp asserted that the votes that they received were legitimate and no electoral fraud was committed.

“We stand by our position that all the votes cast for and received

by Robredo were valid votes and we are confident that the results

of the verification and examination of the ballots will confirm her victory and the defeat of Marcos in the last election,” Macalintal said.

Macalintal also schooled the Marcos camp on how the election protest would be handled by the Supreme Court sitting as the Presidential Electoral Tribunal.

“They should remember that

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FLASH FLOOD. Photo from the Cagayan de Oro Facebook page shows cars nearly submerged in one of the city’s main thoroughfares.

Flooding was caused by heavy rains, compounded by clogged drains, authorities said.

Photo by Manilatimes.net/CDO Facebook page

Duterte denies plan to declare martial…

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their reporting of his pronouncements.

“Ang media kasi hindi nakikinig. Ang marinig lang nila, martial law. Hindi ako stupido. Mas bright tayo sa kanila (The media do not listen. All they hear is Martial Law. I am not stupid. We are brighter than them),” Duterte said.

Last Monday, January 16, Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar also chided media outlets for their supposed “misreporting” of President Ro-

drigo Duterte’s recent remarks regarding the declaration of martial law.

Over the weekend, reports cited Duterte saying that he would impose martial law if the country’s situation became “very virulent.”

“Kung gusto ko (If I wanted to), and if it will deteriorate into something really very virulent, I will declare martial law if I want to. Walang makapigil sa akin (No one can stop me),” the president said in a speech during an oathtaking ceremony of Davao City

Chamber of Commerce officials last Saturday, January 14.

Duterte then added, “If I have to declare martial law, I will declare it, not because of invasion, insurrection, I will declare martial law to preserve my nation, period.”

The Malacañang Press Corps (MPC) on Wednesday, however, said “a review of the president’s speech last Saturday in Davao City would reveal that the media merely paraphrased or translated some of his remarks.”

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Pope Francis receives Duterte’s thank-you…

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Pontiff.

Quoting the leader of the Roman Catholic Church, Presidential Adviser on Peace Process Jesus Dureza said that the pope has blessed the Philippines and Duterte.

“I said, ‘Bless the Philippines, your holiness.’ Pope Francis [said], ‘I will also bless your president,’” Dureza shared in his Facebook account.

Dureza and other Philippine government delegates were in Rome to have a third round of

peace talks with the National Democratic Front of the Philippines, which was slated from January 19 to 25.

In 2015, then-presidential candidate Duterte made headlines after reportedly cursing the pope for causing heavy traffic during his papal visit. Duterte later clarified that the curse was directed at the government’s traffic management. He later sent an apology to the Vatican.

Earlier this week, Pope Francis sent a message to Manila, urging World Apostolic Congress on

Mercy (WACOM 4) delegates to continue on searching and sharing God’s mercy.

“Carry on seeking and finding new ways to express God’s mercy,” the church leader said in his message. The pope’s message was read by Papal Legate Archbishop Philippe Cardinal Barbarin during a mass held at the University of Santo Tomas in Manila on Tuesday evening, January 17.

The WACOM is an international gathering of devotees of the Divine Mercy that is held every three years. n

Pacquiao asks DOT for P3-B to fund his…

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tary Teo] nasa 3 o 2.5 billion [pesos]. Kasi plano ko mag-rematch kay Marquez tapos dito ko dalhin si Marquez sa Pilipinas (Approximately, I told her we need 3 or 2.5 billion. I plan to have a rematch with Marquez here in the Philippines),” Pacquiao said.

He added, “Maganda kasi ‘pag kami naglaban, hindi takbu-takbuhan (Our fight will be good because there will be no running around).”

Teo confirmed that Pacquiao had asked her to help provide funds for his fifth fight against the Mexican boxer.

“Kinausap nga ako ni Manny Pacquiao, we talked and he said, humingi siya ng P3 billion for the fight (Manny Pacquiao indeed talked to me and asked P3 billion for the fight),” Teo said in a radio interview with DZMM’s Pasada Sais Trenta.

According to her, the DOT would only grant Pacquiao’s request if he fights another big name boxer.

“I was telling him, ‘pag (Floyd) Mayweather o si Marquez, madali ‘yung i-sell, kaya namin ang P3 billion (if it’s going to be a fight with Mayweather or with Marquez, it’ll be easy for us to shell out P3 billion),” Teo added.

Senator Manny Pacquiao

Top Rank chief executive Bob Arum earlier confirmed that Pacquiao is set to defend his World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight championship against Australian Jeff Horn on April 22.

Arum, however, said the location of the match is not yet finalized.

“Once we have a location, then I’ll fly over to the Philippines to meet with Manny and finalize everything on our side. But he is going to fight Jeff Horn,” Arum told ESPN.

Pacquiao defends death penalty, cites Bible The boxer-turned-politician again invited controversy for recent remarks supporting the revival of the death penalty in the Philippines.

“The Bible says do not kill.

Ang ibig sabihin kasi noon pag nagkasala ka sa akin hindi kita pwedeng patayin (In the past, it means that if you sinned against me, I cannot kill you). Let the authority handle that,” Pacquiao told reporters on Tuesday, January 17.

He took note that both the Bible and the Constitution allow the imposition of the death penalty as punishment for heinous crimes.

“Siguro naman sa Constitution allowed yung heinous crimes na death penalty and then sa Panginoon naman, binibigyan ng Panginoon ang karapatan ang government (The Constitution allow us to use death penalty for heinous crimes while the Lord also gives the government the rights) to use the capital punishment, which is the death penalty,” Pacquiao argued.

The senator also said that he is ready to lead a subcommittee in the Senate that would discuss the proposal. n

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US, Philippine forces to exchange experts

by Fernan

Marasigan ManilaTimes.net

THE United States and Philippine militaries will conduct “subject matter expert exchanges” at Clark Air Base in Pampanga starting today up to January 25, according to the Pacific Air Forces (Pacaf).

Upon the invitation of the Philippine government, the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Army and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) service members will also conduct humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, Pacaf said.

Security officials have recommended a “reduced” number of joint military exercises be-

tween the Philippines and the U.S. since President Rodrigo Duterte’s declaration of a “military and economic separation” from Washington as part of an “independent foreign policy.”

On its website, Pacaf said the exchanges would focus on capability related to the U.S. Air Force’s ground-based satellite imagery system known as “Eagle Vision.”

The system provides “realtime, mission-critical imagery” acquired from commercially available satellites and is a key component of the U.S. Pacific Command’s foreign humanitarian assistance response.

In addition to improving hu-

manitarian and relief capabilities of both nations, the exchanges will promote increased interoperability between U.S. and Filipino forces and strengthen the military relationship between the two long-time allies, Pacaf said.

Headquartered at the Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, Pacaf is one of nine U.S. Air Force major commands, and is the air component of U.S. Pacific Command.

Pacaf, which consists of 46,000 members including active duty personnel, Air National Guard, reserves and civilians, is tasked to provide air and space power to “promote U.S. interests in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region.” n

New US envoy affirms ‘solid’ ties with…

MISS U GOVERNOR’S BALL. Eighty six of the ‘most beautiful women in the universe’ — all gorgeous and dressed elegantly — posed, paraded and were introduced one by one on stage last Monday, Jan. 16 for the Miss Universe Governor’s Ball held at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City.

Immigration activists tell Trump admin…

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of terrorism-linked violence.

Gaining more control over the movement of people in and out of the country and removing up to 3 million undocumented residents with criminal convictions on their records from the U.S. has to be the first step in correcting immigration policy, according to Asercion.

He went on to echo Trump’s assertion that those who would be targeted by the administration for deportation were mostly criminals who might pose a risk to the safety of American citizens while adding unfair competition to the U.S. job market.

However, speakers at Saturday’s rally challenged that characterization.

“We are not taking away jobs from American-born workers, we are not depressing wages, we are not a drain on taxpayer dollars, and we are not criminals,” California State Controller Betty Yee told a densely packed crowd of both documented and undocumented Angelenos attending Saturday’s event.

She went on to say that Cali-

fornia has developed one of the world’s most powerful economies largely thanks to the work of people who came to the U.S. from abroad.

Numerous studies show that an influx of immigrants typically provides a boost to local business in the places they choose to settle which can lead to job growth, according to Deepak Pateriya, chief of staff for the nonprofit Center for Community Change.

He and other speakers at Saturday’s rally said that Trump’s stance on immigration threatened to disrupt the livelihoods of contributing members of society.

“It’s important to distinguish between violent felons and criminals, and hardworking people who are trying to rebuild their lives,” Alejandra Valles, secretary-treasurer of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU)’s United Service Workers West (USWW), told the Asian Journal after Saturday’s rally.

She said that many of those who fear removal from the U.S. under the incoming Trump administration had committed no crime other than unlawfully en-

Top photo shows Aquilina Versoza, executive director of Pilipino Workers Center in Los Angeles, leading a chant at the rally on Saturday, Jan. 14. Bottom photo shows Alejandra Valles, secretary-treasurer of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU)’s United Service Workers West (USWW), pumps up attendees.

Duterte denies plan to declare…

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The MPC called out Andanar for accusing the media of “misreporting” Duterte’s remarks and urged him to “read the entire news stories, not just the heads or titles, to get a better picture of the media’s coverage of the president.”

In a statement, the press corps also said that the media “has no obligation to please or satisfy its sources because its loyalty is to the citizens, those who will be affected by the actions of people

who are far more powerful than them.”

Following Andanar’s comments, the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) also criticized the communications secretary for his “utterly dishonest tack of blaming the media” over the supposed “misreporting” of Duterte’s comments.

The NUJP’s letter to Andanar pointed out that Duterte’s message has been accurately recorded on video by the government channel, RTVM. n

Robredo camp to Marcos…

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an election protest is not decided on the basis of SD cards but the ballots actually cast in the VCMs with the results compared with the election returns, statement of votes, and other election documents,” the lawyer said.

“An election protest is not won on mere press statements or media releases but based on solid and hard evidence presented before the courts or electoral tribunal,” Macalintal added.

He also hit the Marcos camp for indirectly influencing Filipinos and the court of “non-existing, speculative and scattershot evidence of alleged massive fraud” even if the PET has not

been presented a single ballot.

“If they cannot respect the court, they should at least respect the electorate and the entire Filipino people by not feeding them with wrong and self-serving information for political reason. It is indeed ridiculous if not total frivolous for Marcos camp to make such a wide and speculative claim of massive fraud.”

The Marcos camp earlier contested the stripping of the unused VCMs. However, the PET sided with Comelec when the poll body explained that they do not contain election results since they only served as contingency machines during the elections. n

tering the country. She added that in some cases, candidates for deportation were actually American citizens who had fallen victim to some sort of error in the legal system.

Members of the GOP have also expressed hope that Trump would proceed with caution on his plans to overhaul the immigration system.

“First, find out who really are the bad people,” Mel Alfarero, the founder of the Filipino-Amer-

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leadership,” Abella related.

During the meeting, Abella said Kim discussed the military and law enforcement cooperation between the Philippines and the United States.

“Furthermore, he also discussed military cooperation, particularly in the fight against terrorism, and the extent of US assistance to Mindanao,” Abella added.

Quoting Kim, Abella also took note that the United States will continue to support the Philippines.

“Citing cooperation in law enforcement, Ambassador Sung Kim stressed that the U.S. will continue to provide support, including intelligence exchange

‘PRODUCTIVE MEETING’. President Rodrigo Duterte (right), accompanied by some Cabinet members, meets the new US ambassador to Manila, Sung Kim (second from right), at the Panacan presidential guesthouse in Davao City on Sunday, Jan. 15.

Malacañang photo

and in maritime security. It was a very productive meeting marked by an open exchange of ideas,” Abella said.

Last month, Kim met Duterte when he presented his credentials to the Philippine leader.

Born in Seoul, South Korea, Kim replaced Philip Goldberg as the new U.S. ambassador to the Philippines last year. Kim also previously worked as U.S. ambassador to South Korea from 2011 to 2014. (Dana Sioson / AJPress)

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US journalist reports on ‘Duterte’s army of online trolls’

SAN FRANCISCO — An American journalist has reported on President Rodrigo Duterte’s use of a social media army of trolls to generate fake news and adulatory propaganda and attack his critics.

Sean Williams details his finding in an article titled, “Rodrigo Duterte’s Army of Online Trolls,” published in this month’s issue of The New Republic.

When Williams was reporting on the violence in the Philippines and in September tweeted about Duterte’s war on drugs, a woman named Madelyn replied to him writing him off as a “troll,” and a “foreigner who knows nothing bout my country.”

Williams noticed that Madelyn’s Twitter stream was filled with adulation for President Duterte, and she seemed to tweet about him constantly throughout the day, according to a story about his experience told by Public Radio International. He had stumbled on President Duterte’s “keyboard army” of paid and unpaid online trolls.

Anyone speaking critically of

President Rodrigo Duterte

Duterte gets attacked by them – “and this is pretty much standard going for everyone covering the drug war and anything else in the Philippines right now,” he was quoted by PRI’s The Takeaway.

Duterte’s social media strategy takes advantage of the Philippines’ young population – the average age is 23; nearly half of its 103 million residents use social media, according to Williams. From Facebook trolls, they get a steady diet of proDuterte propaganda.

Some people are paid to promote Duterte online, and often

they create fake social media accounts. Some 20 percent of Duterte mentions online seen on Facebook by Philippine users come just from “bots,” a figure that Williams checked with the help of a social media research company.

“They were surprised and so was I, that this amount of noise just being put out by fake accounts is so strong around Duterte. So that kind of says a lot about where his messages are coming from,” told PRI. Williams reports that Duterte has a real following. “People do kind of admire him, but, but, yeah, it’s been very much propped up by a lot of this noise online.”

He notes that in the Philippines Twitter, Facebook and other social media platforms, once seen as belonging to the masses, have been co-opted by bigger players.

“They’re kind of being used by the people with the most money and the bigger means to get that message across, and that’s kind of a worrying development,” Williams told PRI. (Inquirer.net)

QC PEACE AND ORDER COUNCIL. Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista underscores the need to speed up the construction of the city’s new jail facility to address the concern of overcrowding at the Quezon City Jail during a meeting with members of Quezon City Peace and Order Council and Technical Working Group in Bulwagang Amoranto on Monday, Jan. 16. Judge Celiyn E. Burgos-Villabert (at the mayor’s left) reported that around 60 percent of prisoners were drug-related offenders.

Manilatimes.net photo

New report looks at how to diversify health care, provide careers to disadvantaged youth OAKLAND, Calif. — Well-designed programs can increase the diversity of California’s health care workforce while helping young people of color overcome high unemployment rates and establish themselves in solid careers, a new report from The Greenlining Institute argues.

“In a state where people of color make up over 60 percent of the population, people of color make up just 34 percent of physicians and 47 percent of registered nurses, and are underrepresented in other health fields as well,” said report co-author Anthony Galace, Greenlining’s health policy director.

“Boosting these numbers can help to assure culturally competent care while creating career pathways for disadvantaged

young people.”

Greenlining conducted extensive interviews with experts in the field and distilled them into a series of recommendations, including: • Forge strong partnerships between health pipeline programs and local schools. Effective programs connect mentoring and exposure to career options with school health curricula.

• Ensure opportunities to disconnected youth and young people of color. Programs should reach out to youth who are homeless, in foster care, involved in the criminal justice system, or are neither in school nor working.

• Facilitate culturally competent mentorship between youth and health care professionals.

When a mentor and mentee

share identities — such as race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, etc. — this facilitates greater connection and support.

• Provide comprehensive wellness support. Young people of color in urban environments can face a variety of challenges, from exposure to violence to inability to afford transportation. Programs should go beyond professional education/mentorship and address these needs.

Click the following http:// greenlining.org/issues/2017/ building-diverse-health-careerpipeline/ link to read the full report, “Building a diverse health career pipeline: Best practices for supporting young people of color pursuing a career in health care.” (Greenlining Institute)

Construction of Nickelodeon resort in Palawan to push through Development to be on land, not underwater

by AJPress

DESPITE backlash from environmentalists and netizens, the construction of the Nickelodeon resort in Palawan will continue as planned, the property’s developer said.

Developer Coral World Park Undersea Resorts Inc. (CWP) clarified that the property will not have an underwater theme park, as previously reported. Instead, it will be a resort and attraction.

“There has never been any form of communication from our side mentioning a theme park,” said Susan Lee, CWP’s marketing and communications director.

In a press statement earlier this week, Nickelodeon’s parent company Viacom, in partnership with CWP, announced its plan to develop a 100-hectare attraction and resort in Coron, Palawan.

According to Viacom, the property will feature Nickelodeon’s iconic properties like “SpongeBob SquarePants,” “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” and “Dora the Explorer.” It will be part of CWP’s 400-hectare “undersea-themed masterplanned development,” according to the statement.

The statement also noted that the “underwater restaurants and lounges will be located about 20 feet below sea level with vivid views of the world beneath the ocean.”

However, Lee said that the developments will be on land.

“The ‘undersea themed’ Coral World Park is land based but is designed to meet the international standards required as a

global destination especially environment-related standards advocating conservation tourism, renewable energy and category 5 proof architecture,” her statement said.

Backlash Philippine Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Gina Lopez came out in opposition to the park.

“I will never allow the corals to be harmed, that’s what we have, that’s our wealth. You can’t kill the corals for a theme park, no way,” Lopez said on Wednesday, January 11.

While the DENR said it has not received any application from Nickelodeon, Lopez stressed that she will “not allow anything that will damage the environment.”

“No amount of money is worth the well-being of our farmers and fishermen,” Lopez added.

Meanwhile, the Philippine Department of Tourism (DOT) said that it also hasn’t received any proposals for the underwater project.

“We don’t even know. We are not aware if they are building it.

Hindi namin alam sa DOT (We were not aware). Pero I’m sure Secretary [Wanda Teo] would like us to look. Diving nga ang gusto nating i-promote dito eh (DOT actually wants to promote diving). And Coron is already beautiful as it is,” Tourism Undersecretary Kat De Castro told DZMM on Wednesday.

The Nickelodeon underwater park is expected to open in 2020.

But contrary to Viacom’s statement that the development will

“advocate ocean protection,” different environment groups said that the park would destroy Palawan’s marine ecosystem instead.

“It’s sad and alarming because a theme park that big will not promote environmental protection by building those structures,” Greenpeace Southeast Asia told AFP. “Why build a viewing deck when you have the whole paradise to enjoy?”

A signature campaign, “No to Nickelodeon’s Underwater Theme Park in Palawan,” was also launched online to urge the network and the government to cancel its construction plan.

“For a channel that targets children, Nickelodeon is setting a terrible example to the younger generation by taking away their right to enjoy our natural resources. We don’t need an underwater theme park — our underwater like is fascinating, entertaining, and educational on its own,” the petition read.

The campaign, authored by Anna Oposa, was posted on Bataris.org.ph and had reached 199,000 signatures as of Friday, Jan. 13.

The petition argued that the artificial structures will “undeniably damage and disrupt” the Philippines’ “last ecological frontier.”

“If you are sincere and serious about marine conservation, the money allocated for the underwater theme park should be invested in marine protected areas, sustainable livelihoods for local communities, and environmental education programs,” it further read. n

Immigration activists tell Trump admin…

PAGE A3 t

icans Republicans of Los Angeles County (FARLAC), told the Asian Journal during a phone call on Monday. “I want him to study properly how these people will be deported.”

Both he and Asercion said that whatever measures the incoming administration launches to address the issue need to be properly debated and approved through the regular legislative process.

They say that outgoing President Barack Obama’s prior actions conferring protection from deportation to millions of undocumented residents in the United States overstepped the bounds of his authority.

On Monday, Trump reiterated his intention to rescind the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. The 2012 executive order prevented immigration officials from deporting students brought to the U.S. as children by their families and granted those youth temporary

work visas.

However, during a town hall meeting hosted by CNN on Thursday, January 12, House Speaker Paul Ryan said that Congress was not developing legislation that would effect the swift mass deportations the presidentelect had proposed during his campaign.

“What we have to do is find a way to make sure that you can get right with the law,” Ryan told a woman who identified herself as a DACA recipient on Thursday. “We’ve got to do this in a good way so that the rug doesn’t get pulled out from under you and your family gets separated.”

In the face of mixed signals from leaders in Washington, lawmakers and educators in California had announced that they would not comply with any federal deportation efforts.

“You have to come through us before you get to our students,” Arlene Inouye, treasurer for the labor organization United Teach-

ers Los Angeles (UTLA), told the Asian Journal on Saturday. “We are making it clear that we are opposed to the policies of Trump and Devas, [the President-elect’s nominee for] secretary of education.

She, Pateriya, Valles and other advocates for immigrant and worker’s rights voiced trepidation regarding the people chosen

by Trump to join his cabinet as well as the incoming administration’s vision of the future.

Alfarero and Asercion said it is too early to make judgments about the president-elect’s leadership.

As they prepare to attend his inauguration in Washington D.C. on Friday, January 20, they said the Fil-Am community must become more involved in the political process and be open to working with the president.

“We have to be engaged in order to get a reaction,” said Alfarero on Monday. “If you’re not engaged you’re not part of it.

(Eric Anthony Licas / AJPress)

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A

2 senators squabble over allegations of ‘whitewash’

by Jefferson

AntipordA Manilatimes.net

A heAted exchange transpired between Senators Antonio trillanes IV and Juan Miguel Zubiri during the plenary session tuesday, Jan. 17 when trillanes alleged that Zubiri and Sen. Richard Gordon are trying to “whitewash” the proposed senate investigation into the bribery scandal involving two immigration officials. trillanes, in a television interview tuesday, claimed that there were efforts to prevent the passage of a resolution calling for a reorganization of the Bureau of Immigration in connection with the P50 million bribery scandal that also dragged the name of Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre 2nd. the resolution was to be referred to the committee on civil service and government reorganization, which he currently heads.

“Now that they (Zubiri and Gordon) will be the ones to handle the hearing, they can whitewash the investigation like what happened to the senate inquiry on extrajudicial killings recently,” trillanes said. during the session, Zubiri took the floor to deny the allegation and denounced trillanes for making such claims against his colleagues in the Senate. he noted that in his nine years as a member of the house of Representatives and four years in the Senate, he was never accused of “whitewashing,” “stonewalling” or “stopping”

SESSION SUSPENDED. Senators Juan Miguel Zubiri and Antonio Trillanes IV nearly come to blows after a heated exchange on the Senate floor. Trillanes accused Zubiri of attempting to cover up the bribery scandal at the Bureau of Immigration.

ManilaTimes.net photo by Jun Aniceta

any investigation.

“I don’t care. If they want to investigate, investigate. If they want to raise hell in their committee, I don’t care. My intention was just to discuss rules,” Zubiri said. during the Jan. 16 session, Zubiri questioned the referral of the resolution filed by Senate President Pro-tempore Franklin drilon to trillanes’ committee when it should have been referred to the committee on justice and human rights chaired by Gordon.

“I will never be a part of any whitewash. I take offense on that Mr. President,” Zubiri said.

After Zubiri’s speech, trillanes took the floor and stood by his allegation against the senators saying: “I’m glad that the gentleman took offense because in fact, the statement is meant to be offensive. So at least he feels something.” trillanes also took issue with

Zubiri’s statement that he has never been accused of any impropriety and brought up the 2007 election cheating issue and said: “he, in fact resigned from the Senate because he was proven to have cheated during the 2007 elections.” trillanes then told Zubiri that if he wants to declare war then he should be prepared for war.

Zubiri then retorted: “I did not become a world champion of arnis for nothing.”

After the heated exchanges, Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III, who was presiding at the session, moved for a suspension to ease the tension between the two senators.

When the session resumed Zubiri and trillanes shook hands.

Senate Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III then moved that all hurtful statements between the two senators be stricken off the record.

CONGRESS OF MERCY. Archbishop Giuseppe Pinto (above, left), apostolic nuncio to the Philippines, listens as Manila Archbishop Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle (above, right) delivers his homily during the Holy Mass for the 4th World Apostolic Congress on Mercy on Monday, Jan. 16 at the Manila Metropolitan Cathedral-Basilica in Intramuros, Manila.

ManilaTimes.net photos

Marcoses can be sued for damages, CA rules by edu

punAy

Philstar.com

MANILA - the Court of Appeals (CA) has given its go-signal to a Makati court to hear a class suit filed by alleged human rights victims against heirs of the late strongman Ferdinand Marcos.

Saying they had suffered under the Marcos regime’s martial law, the petitioners are seeking enforcement of the $2-billion damages that a US court awarded to them 20 years ago.

In a three-page resolution, the CA’s special 13th division junked the bid of the Marcos heirs to stop Makati Regional trial Court (RtC) Branch 134 from hearing the complaint that former

‘Death penalty bill top House priority’ by delon

porcAllA Philstar.com

MANILA — house lawmakers—whether for or against the death penalty bill—will have more than four months to debate and discuss whether capital punishment should be reinstated in the country’s justice system.

Oriental Mindoro Rep. Reynaldo Umali, chairman of the house

committee on justice, told journalists that they intend to pass the measure—along with a bill seeking to lower the age of discernment for minors—before the regular session ends in May. “I personally intend to pass the death penalty bill before the end of the first regular session,” Umali said, adding the panel endorsed the bill last week to the house

committee on rules so it can be included in the plenary agenda. he said he is currently preparing for the measure’s sponsorship on second reading before the plenary.

Umali said they hope to pass during the same period the measure lowering the age of criminal responsibility from 15 to nine years old.

he assured the public that the version of the measure to be passed by Congress would be more acceptable, wherein inputs from different sectors of society would be considered.

Anti-death penalty coalition Meanwhile, pro-life advocates have formed a coalition to oppose any move of the house to revive capital punishment.

Commission on human Rights chair Loretta Ann Rosales filed last year on behalf of other martial law victims.

Rosales and her group lodged a class suit in the US over 20 years ago. the CA faulted the Marcos family for their failure, within the 60-day prescribed period under court rules, to challenge a May 2016 RtC ruling that gave due course to the group’s complaint. the Makati court then junked the motion filed by the Marcoses seeking to dismiss the complaint. the ruling became final in August last year, giving the Marcoses until October to file the petition for review before the CA. But instead of filing the peti-

tion, lawyers of the Marcoses filed a motion seeking extension of the 60-day deadline for filing of the petition. they cited as reason the heavy workload they had with another case in the Supreme Court (SC) involving the controversial burial of the former president at the Libingan ng mga Bayani. the CA was not convinced, stressing that the reglementary period cannot be extended under a standing SC administrative order. the SC order amended Section 4, Rule 65 of the Rules of Court and deleted the clause allowing an extension of the period to file a “petition for certiorari” for compelling reasons.

“the broad coalition of antideath penalty advocates will sustain the campaign against the proposed re-imposition of capital punishment until the proposal is finally consigned to the legislative dustbin,” Albay Rep. edcel Lagman said.

Lagman said there has been a widening coalition of legislators, religious group leaders, civil society, non-government organization networks, college students and youth opposing the death penalty.

he said the groups vowed to “intensify the campaign inside and outside of Congress.” the opposition lawmaker believes capital punishment is not a solution to crime and the drug problem. “the prevention of heinous crimes involves a complex and multidimensional process relative to problems ranging from poverty and inequity to police corruption and brutality, inept and discriminatory prosecution and flawed judicial system,” Lagman said.

A

january 20-26, 2017 • nOrCaL aSIan jOurnaL

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OpiniOn

ASEAN at 50

Features

THE Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is turning 50 years old this year. The 10-member organization will celebrate a milestone, from starting as a loosely constructed regional association at the height of the Cold War to becoming a stable organization that has overcome a myriad of challenges that have come its way.

Perhaps the biggest prize for ASEAN has been the preservation of peace, stability, prosperity and close relations among its members, including Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.

This stable bond has propelled ASEAN’s economic growth and has boosted its international profile.

President Rogrido Duterte on Sunday, Jan. 15 called for a stronger ASEAN free of external interference, dependence and ignorance as he launched the Philippine chairmanship of the bloc’s 50th founding anniversary.

“For an ASEAN citizen, the ASEAN community must provide opportunities for a truly better life.

This is a life that has broken the bonds of dependence and ignorance. This is a life that has given opportunities for self-improvement. This is a life that is provided by a society transformed and reformed,” Duterte said.

With the theme “Partnering for Change, Engaging the World,” the Philippine hosting of the 2017 ASEAN meetings aims to have “inclusive and innovation-led growth,” and turn ASEAN into a “model of regionalism.

“We express our shared determination to ensure stability and security from external interference in

any form of negotiation in order to preserve our national identity,” the president added.

The Philippines will be hosting 118 ASEAN meetings this year— including two summits with the heads of state of the 10 member-nations and dialogue partners—which will take place in various locations nationwide, including Metro Manila, Laoag, Pampanga, Legazpi, Palawan, Boracay, Cebu, Iloilo, Bacolod, Bohol, Cagayan de Oro, and Davao.

“Fifty years, hence, we see ourselves much changed for the better. Lives have been improved.

The march towards sustainable development and inclusive growth continues to take place. And we have established amongst ourselves good neighborliness that allows for secure and stable relations. But we also see in ourselves the very same burning desire to move forward together based on shared values,” Duterte said in his speech.

Despite these achievements, some political pundits have challenged the organization to grow economically and politically, to have a more dynamic ASEAN Code of Conduct, and a facilitation of a deeper and more meaningful dialogue and consultation.

ASEAN must also address the brewing tension in

Editorial

ManilaTimes.net photo

the contested waters of the South China Sea. China asserts sovereignty on almost the entire South China Sea. China has been aggressive when it comes to territorial disputes. It has continuously rejected other nations’ claims (including Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei) on the oil- and gasrich waters.

Despite obstacles set by conflicts among nations,

ASEAN is moving forward to pursue higher goals.

The ASEAN community is sure to meet its vision of becoming an alliance that has withstood the test of time, assuring regional peace and stability for its people. Allies not only by common interests, but also by shared values and aspirations among its people, the ASEAN will set precedents for creating a solution to global challenges. (AJPress)

Thank you for your service, President Barack Obama IT was President Barack Obama who welcomed me and my family when we took our oaths as new citizens of the United States of America in 2012. It was during his presidency when I first exercised my sacred right and duty as an adopted daughter of America.

I have followed President Obama’s rise to the highest post in the land — watched him evolve from being a candidate up until he was catapulted to be the most powerful leader in the world. I have also watched his family — First Lady Michelle Obama and their two daughters Sasha and Malia during the eight years that they were in the White House.

You may not believe in his policy and ideology. You may not agree with all his decisions, initiatives and actions. But looking past the prism of contentious and dirty tactics of politics, I hope you also find in you the respect and even admiration for the man.

THANK YOU, President Barack Obama, for being the leader who my children can emulate in the way you carried your self with decency, integrity,

governed the counhumility, dignity, and try, amid all the critirespect for all human The Fil-Am cisms and obstrucbeings. tionism from your THANK YOU for liv- Perspective political distractors. ing a life that exempliYou ran your race fies that thirst for the in the best way you truth, for learning, and can with grace, faith the pursuit of excelGel SantoS-ReloS in God and in the lence. goodness and value THANK YOU for walking the talk when you teach my fam- of every person. You fought hard so that ily about how America is a nation that those who have been blessed may be is strengthened by immigrants like us, inspired and motivated to reach out and welcoming us to this exceptional coun- help those who are in need, marginaltry with your policies that affirm the very ized, and neglected by society because principle held scared by the Constitution you believe we are all on this journey — equal opportunities and equal rights together.

THANK YOU, President Barack for all regardless of the color of our skin, where we came from, our age, edu- Obama for your service to the country. cational attainment, economic status, I know you will continue fighting for us. religion, our gender, whom we choose I know you will continue to inspire us. to love — for as long as we do our part Your legacy will live on in all of us as we in respecting and obeying the law, and do our part in giving back to this nation, giving our fair share for the good of the to the world, to this planet as you have shown us in the past eight years. nation.

May God bless you and your beautiful THANK YOU for showing us what the audacity of hope really is in the way you family as you start a new chapter in your

Pres. Barack Obama

life as a private citizen.. *** Gel Santos Relos is the anchor of TFC’s “Balitang America.” Views and opinions expressed by the author

in this column are are solely those of the author and not of Asian Journal and ABS-CBN-TFC. For comments, go to www.TheFil-AmPerspective.com, https://www.facebook. com/Gel.Santos.Relos

Tillerson’s threat to keep China from its artificial islands hollow without PH support Commentary

FRank ChinG REX Tillerson, US Presidentelect Donald Trump’s nominee for Secretary of State, stirred up a hornet’s nest when he condemned Chinese actions in the South China Sea, comparing the construction of artificial islands in disputed waters with Russia’s seizure of Crimea and saying that China’s access to the islands “is not going to be allowed.”

As to how this is to be done, he said: “The way we’ve got to deal with this is we’ve got to show backup in the region with our traditional allies in Southeast Asia.”

Just who are these traditional allies? Why, the Philippines and Thailand, of course. Thailand was condemned by the US when a coup in 2014 installed a military junta. Thailand enjoys close relations with China and is unlikely to join any embargo against Beijing.

As for the Philippines, its President, Rodrigo Duterte, has taken a hostile stance towards the United States since his inauguration last June. In October, while visiting China, he declared his “separation” from the US.

Surprisingly, this came after the Philippines scored a sweeping victory in its arbitration case with China, brought in 2013 under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. After three years of costly efforts, Manila won on most points but China refused to recognize the tribunal’s jurisdiction.

So, all Manila got was a moral victory. Duterte then had to decide his future course. The US, while backing the Philippines in its arbitration bid, had also been careful not to be sucked into a war with China.

In 1995, Mischief Reef, claimed by the Philippines, was taken over by China. Manila was furious but ultimately accepted that there was not much that it could do about it. Now, China has built an artificial island on the reef.

Hillary Clinton, as Secretary of State, adopted a strong pro-Philippine stance and even referred to the body of water in which disputed reefs lie as not the South China Sea but the West Philippine Sea. But rhetoric only goes so far.

In 2012, during a China-Philippines standoff lasting several weeks at Scarborough Shoal, claimed by both countries, Philippine Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario pointedly recalled that Clinton had said that the US “will honor its treaty obligations to the Philippines.”

However, the next day, the State Department urged that “diplomatic efforts be used to resolve the current situation.” An unnamed American official was quoted in the Washington Post as saying, “I don’t think we’d allow the US to get dragged into a conflict over fish or over a rock.”

That was a wake-up call for the Philippines. America’s commitment to the country’s security wasn’t what Manila had thought it was.

It was after China took control of the shoal that the Philippines decided to take its case to the arbitral tribunal, citing UNCLOS. Before Duterte assumed the presidency on June 30, the American ambassador, Philip Goldberg, paid him a courtesy call. Quite naturally, they talked about China and, according to the Philippine leader, he asked the ambassador: “Are you with us? Or are you not with us?”

According to Duterte, the REX Tillerson, President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for Secretary of State ambassador replied that the US would help if the Philippines was that, from a practical standpoint, US access to five military bases. its alliance with the US didn’t Without such facilities, any US “attacked.”

Shortly afterward, Duterte as- mean what Manila hoped it military activity would be severesumed the presidency and The meant that Duterte decided that ly hobbled.

So far, China’s reaction to Hague-based tribunal issued its the wiser course was to make Tillerson has been mild. Asked judgment. The Philippines had peace with China.

Now, without the Philippines, whether American use of force “won” but had little to show for the victory. China was still next the US has little room for ma- would be legal, a foreign minisdoor and the US was far away neuver in the South China Sea. try spokesman said that “we do and, clearly, unwilling to take on Duterte has threatened to nul- not take hypothetical questions.”

The mild Chinese reaction has lify the agreement that his prethe bully.

Perhaps it was the realization decessor had signed to give the been attributed to a desire for

good relations with the Trump administration. But perhaps there is another reason as well: knowledge that even if Tillerson is confirmed as Secretary of State, there is little the US can do about the artificial islands. Without strong allies, the US cannot possibly implement Tillerson’s policy of keeping China off these manmade Chinese islands. (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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A

World Apostolic Congress delegates alarmed by extrajudicial killings

by EvElyn

macairan Philstar.com

PRINCE OF PEACE. Devotees parade their images of the Santo Niño or the Holy Infant Jesus ahead of Sunday’s festivities in Tondo, Manila. The Filipino devotion to the Holy Child stems from the rediscovery in 1565 by Spanish colonizers of an image of the Santo Niño brought by Magellan to Cebu in 1521.

ManilaTimes.net photo by Russell Palma

Mindanao’s ‘drug queen’ nabbed in police bust CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – The so-called drug queen of Mindanao, who reportedly supplied drugs to top drug distributors in the country, such as Kerwin Espinosa, was arrested during a buy-bust operation conducted by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in Iligan City on Wednesday, January 18.

Lovely Adam Impal was caught red-handed while trying to sell a packet of suspected shabu to a PDEA agent.

Seized from her possession were more sachets of shabu, weighing a total of 110 grams

with an estimated street value of P550,000.

Ampal earlier surrendered to PNP Director General Ronald Dela Rosa in 2016 after her name surfaced on the list of Espinosa’s suppliers but she was allowed to go home.

PDEA-10 regional director Adrian Alvariño said Impal was “selling and giving samples of her stock of drugs in an effort to expand her network and re-convince other pushers to go back to selling drugs.”

Impal, however, denied there was a buy-bust operation when

taken in from her house in Iligan.

“They just barged into my place and arrested me and my companions,” she told reporters. Arrested with Impal were her sister Farina Rato and Alvin Pamilian.

Impal said “it would be a shame that I surrendered to [Police Director General Ronald Dela Rosa] and would return again to drug pushing. No, I do not sell drugs anymore.”

In 2006, Impal was also arrested during a buy-bust operation inside a fastfood chain in Cebu City but she was also freed. (Inquirer.net)

PNP: Drug supply down by 90%

by EmmanuEl

Tupas

Philstar.com

MANILA - Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa vowed on Saturday, Jan. 14 to rid the Philippines of illegal drugs.

Speaking at the inauguration of a drug rehabilitation facility in Sta. Rosa, Laguna, Dela Rosa said drug supply in the country fell by 80 to 90 percent last September, just two months into the Duterte administration.

“We will try our best to reduce the supply of drugs. We will kill all drug lords,” Dela Rosa proclaimed, pausing for a few seconds before adding, “if they fight,” noting media presence in the event and eliciting laughter

from the audience.

According to Dela Rosa, shabu is now hard to find, unlike before, when drugs were being sold like candies.

“The prices of drugs now are expensive. It’s dangerous for drug traffickers to sell drugs now,” he said.

The PNP reported that 95,000 sachets of shabu and 113,000 sachets of marijuana worth P3.7 billion were seized in various police operations from Jul. 1, 2016 to Jan. 12, 2017.

“This is the result of the unrelenting dedication and support of the PNP to the flagship program of President Duterte, embedded in the nationwide anti-illegal drugs campaign Oplan Double Barrel,”

PNP spokesman Senior Supt. Dionardo Carlos said in a statement.

In its latest report on Project Double Barrel Alpha, a total of 2,239 suspected drug personalities have been killed in 41,676 operations nationwide since July last year.

The police have arrested 45,195 drug suspects, while 1,025,473 have surrendered to authorities.

Dela Rosa was the guest speaker at the inauguration of the Dangal ng Pagbabago rehabilitation center built by the local government of Sta. Rosa. With 25 staff members, the center will care for over 200 drug dependents. He urged the drug dependents to grab the opportunity to undergo rehabilitation and reform.

MANILA - Organizers of the 4th World Apostolic Congress on Mercy (WACOM 4) have assured more than 700 foreign delegates that despite concerns over the reported extrajudicial killings, they would be safe during the event to be held in Manila and various parts of Luzon this month.

WACOM 4 chief executive officer Fr. Prospero Tenorio said stories of alleged extrajudicial killings (EJKs) in the country were reportedly a cause of concern for the 703 foreign delegates to the five-day event from Jan. 16 to 20. Some 2,296 local delegates would also join the congress.

The WACOM 4 delegates would be coming from 40 countries and 60 local dioceses and archdioceses.

Tenorio said that during the start of preparations for the congress, he got reports that some of the foreign delegates have heard about the EJK incidents in the country and have expressed concern.

“At first there were concerns that there were killings or something like that, that there was no peace. But we said that this is a very important situation that because of our faith, we should not allow fear to rule over us,” said Tenorio.

He added that those who have become lost must feel the presence of God’s love in their lives.

They should be given the opportunity to see the beauty in living.

“We must be able to show the importance of life,” the WACOM official said.

He said that even if there is no terrorist threat against the WACOM 4, the organizers assured the foreign delegates that they have good coordination for security.

In fact, the Philippine National Police (PNP) would be deploying 300 to 500 of their personnel at every venue.

There would be a different venue on each day of the WACOM. In his homily during the first day of the WACOM 4 at the Manila Cathedral, Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle asked the Catholic faithful to show mercy to parents who have lost their children to violence and vices such as human trafficking.

Tagle said that the faithful should follow the example of Jesus who, when He was nailed to the cross, told his Mother Mary and his disciple John, “Woman behold your

son, son behold your mother.”

“At that crisis moment when Mary was about to lose her son, Jesus told her to accept John as her son because He did not want his mother to be alone.

“In today’s society there are parents who have lost their children to acts of violence, criminal syndicates and vices. The mothers and fathers, in their time of need, at times seldom have people to go to, to comfort them.”

Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle

COMMUNITY

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Your Immigration Solution LoreLLa T. Hess & NaNcy MiLLer YOUR green card identifies you as a “lawful permanent resident” (LPR) of the United States, but that does not guarantee you a lifetime right to live in this country. There are several ways a person can lose LPR status. Once LPR status is lost, your green card will be cancelled (even if the card itself has not yet expired) and you can be deported from the United States or refused re-entry after a trip abroad. Even if you are permitted to reenter the country in order to fight for your status, you may be taken into custody and remain there until the question of your status is resolved. Unlike those with LPR status, United States citizenship cannot be involuntarily taken unless it is found that either the green card or citizenship was obtained through fraud.

The main ways LPR status can be lost are: fraud, abandonment, and criminal activity.

LPR status can be lost if you obtained it originally through fraud or misrepresentation.

Some examples of fraud include submitting false documents with your application (like a fake birth certificate) or lying about a material fact (criminal history, marital status, educational background or employment history are just some examples).

Lawful permanent residence means just that. It means that the holder of that status resides (lives) in the United States. One who has LPR status but does not live in the U.S. is considered to have abandoned that status. In seeking to determine whether one has abandoned LPR status, the government looks to how much time the LPR spends in the United States verses how much time is spent outside.

There is a rebuttable presump-

NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL • JANUARy 20-26, 2017

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Journal When ‘permanent’ doesn’t necessarily mean permanent

tion that one who spends a year or more outside the U.S. has abandoned their LPR status; however, rebuttable means the presumption is not conclusive.

It can be contested by showing that the intent at the time of leaving was to maintain LPR status. One who is not gone for a year at a time but spends more time out of the U.S. than in it may also be found to have abandoned their LPR status.

Here again, the government looks at the whole picture. Is the green card holder returning to the U.S. for a few weeks every year but lives and works elsewhere? Such people are likely to be found to have abandoned their LPR status.

If one knows they will have to outside the U.S. for an extended period of time but does not intend to abandon their status, they should apply for a re-entry permit before they leave the U.S. If they have any irregularities in their immigration history, they should consult an immigration attorney before leaving in order to determine whether those irregularities could result in refusal of admission or deportation.

Another common way to lose LPR status is through criminal activity. Many people assume that only very serious crimes like murder or armed robbery put a green card at risk, but the true picture is much more complicated and in some cases even depends on the timing of the offense. If you have ever pled guilty to a felony or misdemeanor in this country, you probably received a warning that your conviction would carry immigration consequences including removal from the United States. Take that warning seriously. Crimes commit-

ted abroad could also jeopardize your LPR status. For this reason, it is extremely important for a non-citizen to consult with an immigration attorney and to have that attorney consult with the criminal defense attorney before deciding to accept a plea deal or take the case to trial. He or she should also consult with an experienced and knowledgeable immigration attorney before either traveling abroad or applying for citizenship.

Fraud, abandonment or a criminal conviction can result in being placed into removal proceedings. That means being issued a Notice to Appear in Immigration Court because the government is seeking to remove you from the United States. However, even if the immigration judge finds that the LPR has committed fraud or abandoned their status or been convicted of a crime, all is not necessarily lost. Waivers and other forms of relief may be possible. That determination should be made by an immigration attorney who is knowledgeable and experienced in the area of deportation defense and who will work diligently to help their clients retain their status. *** 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) 7958009 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.

(Advertising Supplement)

by Mary

Grace Philstar.com

Padin

MANILA, Philippines — The government’s efforts to improve the Philippines’ air connectivity with other countries will continue to stimulate increased tourist arrivals in the country this 2017, a senior official of the Department of Tourism (DOT) said.

Tourism Undersecretary for development planning Benito Bengzon told The STAR the country would achieve its 6.5 million foreign tourist target in 2017 on the back of improved

accessibility.

“Growth will be fueled by improved air connectivity with more foreign and domestic airlines operating in our primary and secondary airports,” Bengzon said in a text message.

Aside from foreign tourists, the DOT is also targeting 73.3 million domestic travels within the country.

The government is also eyeing P407 billion and P1.954 trillion in revenues from the spending of foreign and domestic tourists, respectively.

The DOT’s Route Development

Team, for its part, said it is continuing its efforts to open new routes, particularly short-haul flights.

Erwin Balane, the team’s head, told The STAR. The DOT is eyeing to launch more flight connections with its Asian neighbors.

Trips to the country’s secondary airports have been increasing, as well.

Earlier, the DOT Route Development Team said it inaugurated China Eastern Airlines’ WuhanCebu flights, the first local connection to that part of China.

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OFW remittances up 18% in Nov

by Zinnia

B. dela Philstar.com

Peña

MANILA, Philippines — Remittances from overseas Filipino workers (OFW) grew to $2.4 billion in November last year, aided by steady job orders overseas.

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) reported Monday, Jan. 16, that cash sent

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Community Journal

january 20-26, 2017 • nOrCaL aSIan jOurnaL

Health@Heart

Superbug kills lady Alarming news, warning to all

PhiliP S. Chua, MD, FaCS, FPCS “PUBLIC health officials from Nevada are reporting on a case of a woman who died in Reno in September from an incurable infection. Testing showed the superbug that had spread throughout her system could fend off 26 different antibiotics.”

“It was tested against everything that’s available in the United States … and was not effective,” said Dr. Alexander Kallen, a medical officer in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s division of health care quality promotion.

We have written about superbugs in this column before, and this recent scary news from last week highlights the utter helplessness of all living creatures on earth if drug resistant microorganisms (superbugs) are not eradicated from this world. Or, at least countered by the discovery of a cure against them. Medically, superbugs could wipe out our civilization if they become

widespread and remain incurable, like what happened to the lady in Reno.

Let me take you back in time and space.

Since Sir Alexander Fleming, a Scottish biologist, pharmacologist, and botanist (a 1945 Nobel laureate), first discovered penicillin in 1923, hundreds of more potent wider spectrum antibiotics have been added to the medical armamentarium. These lifesaving drugs have been a boon to medical care and benefited billions of patients around the globe.

However, like many good things, antibiotics have been abused by society as a whole, including the medical community. In many cases, they are prescribed without strict medical justification or used for a protracted period, longer than necessary. Individuals who are able to buy them over the counter without prescription use them ignorantly and unnecessarily, without medical rationale.

Besides wasting money, they are endangering their health and well-being, and those of others,

and encouraging the development of mutation of today’s microbes into superbugs.

The “Transformer” bugs Since bacteria have the ability to adapt to substances being repeatedly used against them and mutate (transform itself) overtime to a resistant variety in order to survive, medically resistant strains of the micro-organisms soon develop. They are called superbugs, potential killers which would not respond to any antibiotics at all.

When this happens, humans and other animals would be under the mercy of these superbugs. Medically, we would be transported back to the pre-antibiotic era, where simple wound infections of the hand, arm, or leg could lead to amputation or death, where easy-to-treat bacterial pneumonia or gastrointestinal infections of today could be a frequent killer once more.

Indeed, it is scary to imagine a world with a pandemic of superbugs, without effective antibiotics. People will be dying like flies, especially today when bac-

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

Angels among us

Immigrant Living: 101 and Beyond

“I think we all do have a guardian angel.

I believe they work through us all the time, and kind to each other.”

Monette aDeva Maglaya

— Roma Downey

(Continued from last week)

TRUST your own instincts.

Your own personal experience will color the lens with which you view and relate with your personal guardian angel. God so loved the world, He sent His only son to redeem us from sin and death so we may gain eternal life — not unlike His angels.

Then He sent the Holy Spirit to guide us and enlighten us. But on the micro, day-by-day level, God sent us our personal guardian angels from conception, birth, throughout our life and our passage from death to eternal life as a constant presence.

Come to think of it, every time an unborn life is cut down, the murder deprives an angel of his purpose. There is must be some cosmic angst and turmoil in the heavens. There must be anguish and pain, a disturbance, not only

(Part 2 of 2)

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.

An angel is an invisible presence that must be acknowledged to become ever stronger. God sends angels to keep watch over human beings and help them in every human challenge. There is, however, the element of free will in humans.

You can acknowledge the presence of angels or deny it. It is your choice ultimately. The more angels are acknowledged and become a conduit to heaven, they become a hovering, guiding reality in one’s life growing ever stronger in their influence to shape every thought, word and deed in one’s life. (To be continued) *** Nota Bene: Monette Adeva Maglaya is SVP of Asian Journal Publications, Inc. To send comments, e-mail monette.maglaya@ asianjournalinc.com

Prognostications, predictions and prayers for 2017

The Metamorphosis

ernie D. DelFin

ğ įōíľ ÀðıÃæµįPçį ʼn æIJįıÀ ØÃĉÃæîÂ ß ğÃqPç qíß߼æÃıŎįĤÀíĽØ ÕæíŊįPdíĽIJĕ

on earth but also in the celestial realm. Some say God created so many angels, one cannot count the number of angels that can stand on the head of a pin.

But there is a caveat to this gift from the Almighty. One must accept the gift and use the gift of the presence of angels in one’s life for good and only good. One must be humble of heart to know that by ourselves we can do nothing of real value to ourselves or our loved ones and ultimately find God in our lives without asking in earnest for help from the spiritual, unseen realm of angels.

Yes, the key is to ask for help for one to receive it.

Also, one must never take the gift of a personal guardian angel for granted.

6. A Constitutional Convention or Constitutional Assembly to amend the Constitution and make it more relevant to the needs, aspirations of the Filipino people should be held in 2017-2018.

Among them is to convert the political system into a federal form of government like the United States or Great Britain. Doing so will accelerate the development of other regions or provinces and make the representatives of the people more accountable to the people who voted for them.

The above are some of the critical issues and concerns that may make Duterte a great president or become a big disappointment!

He still has over five years to really work very hard to make the Philippines great again.

For the world: 7. The Vatican — while Pope Francis I has a massive moral support from Catholics all over the world — should be more aggressive to change the centuriesold-way of governance of the Church. Significant changes to archaic or obsolete ways of doing business or protecting their “flock” who commit grievous sins (like sexual abuse and fathering children) take forever. Churches (not only the Catholic Church, by the way) can be one of the best agents of changes in the area of social justice and the alleviation of extreme poverty. They should not only “teach” people how to pray, but also how to live in dignity (dignity of work, the wisdom of having less children if you cannot afford to provide their basic needs, education not only for those who can afford to pay tuition, but to all who have the ability and capacity to learn).

It is very interesting to note that there are millions of impoverished people in countries where the religion is predominantly Catholic or of the Muslim faith. This sad phenomenon should start a spirited debate among the leaders of the Catholic Church and also those who control the other church denominations. Paging the leaders of the Dominicans, the Franciscans, the Jesuits, the Augustinians, the Anglicans, Methodists, the Lutherans, Redemptorists, the Budhists and lslams, and all religions who are in the education field. WHY is that?

8. Population and poverty.

There is also a direct correlation between poverty and population. It should not only be the responsibility of the church, nor the government but everybody in the community, to have some kind of formal or informal protocols to have a healthy balance of population growth that will not make people in the community or country poorer, rather, such increase in population should enrich (not just materially) the community or country. It takes a community or a village to raise a good child to become a useful citizen to the society where he or she belongs.

How to do it? The church, community, college, or schools and the Social welfare Agency of the country should discuss it with young men and women as a requirement to get a marriage license. If the parents of the young child are not “married” require a Parenting Class (for the parents) before they are issued a “birth certificate” for their child.

9. The basic right to food, shelter, clothing and health care. All over the world, from America to Zimbabwe, (from Aparri to Zamboanga in the Philippines), there are always poor people and much

fewer wealthy people. The late publisher-columnist Max V. Soliven wrote, “God loves the poor so much that He made so many of them!” However, there should be some ways, led by the national and provincial government to have some kind of safety net (a sort of a “petty cash system” that can be funded if necessary by an extra one percent “sales tax” for every dollar) exclusively to be used to provide the most basic needs to those who run out of luck, so that these unfortunate citizens will not die from hunger or cold while they are in the bottom of the pyramid.

10. For all leaders, be it in government, business, church or even in NGOs or Community Benefit Organizations (CBOs), to read, learn and hopefully to try and implement attributes of Servant Leadership. For Catholics and Christians, the greatest example of a servant leader is Jesus Christ himself. The Bible says that in His public ministry, His area of focus is always on the welfare and well being of His brothers and sisters, His “Church.

Servant Leadership is a philosophy and set of practices that enriches the lives of individuals, builds better organizations and ultimately creates a more just and caring world. Servant leaders are the greatest needs of our world now, and we as a society must work towards towards it.

Google “Servant Leadership” and you will get dozens of good reading materials, like Robert K. Greenleaf’s writings on the subject.

May we all have a great 2017!

Let us endeavor to become not just a person of success but a person of value! *** Email: ernie.delfin@gmail.com Website: www.gkerc.org

Business News

IMF hikes 2017 growth forecast for PH

by Zinnia

B. Dela Philstar.com

Peña

MANILA, Philippines — The International Monetary Fund raised its 2017 growth forecast for the Philippines on the back of strong macroeconomic fundamentals and expectations of a rebound in export earnings.

IMF resident representative Shanaka Jayanath Peiris said the multilateral lender has upgraded its gross domestic product growth assumption for the Philippines to 6.8 percent from 6.7 percent.

“The Philippines is expected to maintain its strong GDP growth momentum registered in 2016 into 2017 at a pace of about 6.8 percent, supported by a fiscal stimulus as the budget deficit widens towards the three percent of GDP target,” Peiris said.

The IMF fully supports the government’s plan to widen the budget deficit target to three percent of GDP in the mediumterm to boost infrastructure development.

The Philippines emerged as the fastest growing economy in

the region after it recorded a 7.1percent expansion in the third quarter of 2016, outpacing China’s 6.7 percent, Vietnam’s 6.4 percent, Indonesia’s five percent, and Malaysia’s 4.3 percent.

The growth forecast upgrade was also due to a modest recovery in exports. “Exports are also anticipated to recover reflecting the pick-up in global growth and commodity prices,” Peiris said.

Peiris highlighted the need

for additional revenue to finance further infrastructure and social spending.

“The medium term growth outlook would depend on the more uncertain global economic outlook and the passage of the administration’s tax reform proposals that would be important to continue to raise public infrastructure investment and social spending to benefit from the demographic dividend,” he said. n

Toursist arrivals to hit 6.5-M this…

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According to Bengzon, more local spots are starting to emerge as more tourists have been looking for less traveled destinations to explore.

“Emerging destinations will provide more options for travelers, especially those looking for off-the-beaten path types,” he said.

It is part of the DOT’s thrusts to develop more destinations to

diversify the country’s tourism portfolio, as well as promote inclusive growth in local communities.

Bengzon said the DOT is also continuing its efforts to promote the country in new target markets.

“The DOT, meanwhile, will continue to look at opportunity markets that will help improve the country with a larger market base,” he said.

Earlier, Bengzon cited Israel and Turkey as some emerging high-growth markets which the agency is aggressively tapping.

In 2016, the DOT’s foreign arrivals target was six million.

Official data from the DOT as of Oct. 30 showed that tourist arrivals in the country have already summed up to roughly 4.91 million, 11.65 percent higher than last year’s record of 4.4 million. n

Community Journal

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

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Is your broken marriage really ‘fixed’?

Immigration Corner Atty. MichAel Gurfinkel, eSQ IF a person is ever caught in a fi xed marriage (married solely to obtain immigration benefits), the consequences (or punishment) could be severe. A fixed marriage finding by the USCIS could result in a lifetime ban from ever having any other petition approved. For example, if a person was caught in a fixed marriage, but later divorced that American and married a different US citizen for love, the second US citizen spouse would not be able to petition the person. Similarly, if a person is caught in a fixed marriage, and years later, their USborn child turns 21, the child also could not petition them.

However, there have been many cases where the marriage was real, but for one reason or another (perhaps miscommunication, misunderstanding, confusion, lack of documents), the USCIS concludes the marriage was fixed. If you are in a real marriage, but your case was denied because USCIS incorrectly concluded your marriage was fixed, you should fight that decision.

(Of course, if the marriage WAS fixed, then there really would be nothing to fight for.)

The laws concerning fixed marriages could be very helpful to people finding themselves being wrongly accused of entering into a fixed marriage. The key to the “viability of the marriage” (or whether it was real) is whether the marriage was valid at its inception, even if the couple is now separated and the marriage is no longer viable. This means if you walked down the aisle on your wedding day with “love in your heart,” then your marriage would be valid even if it soon deteriorates. Think about the 72–day marriage between Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries.

That marriage, although short in

length, was valid at its inception and if Kim was an alien being petitioned by Kris, it would still have been considered a valid or viable marriage.

As long as the marriage was valid at its inception, and the couple is not divorced yet, the person’s adjustment of status could still be approved, even though the marriage may no longer be viable at the time of the adjustment application or interview. So long as the marriage was viable at its inception (and can be proved and documented as such), a person would still be entitled to pursue their green card.

Courts have recognized that “marriages for green cards [may be] genuine. An intent to obtain something other than or in addition to love and companionship from that life does not make a marriage a sham. Rather, the sham arises from the intent not “to establish a life together.”

Therefore, even if one of the reasons you get married is to obtain a green card, it does not necessarily mean the marriage is fixed, as long as on your wedding day, you intended to have a life together with your spouse.

In another case, involving an elderly couple, they never consummated their marriage. The US citizen married because he needed a housekeeper and was sick, and his wife took care of him. He paid for the food, and she paid for everything else. The BIA ruled that “The reasons for the marriage appear to be far sounder than exist for most marriages.”

I know so much confusion can take place at an interview because the person is extremely nervous and the couple may give conflicting answers, or the questions are confusing. I recall one case that was denied, where the officer asked the wife if her hus-

band had any ailments or sickness. She said “no”. The officer separately asked the husband whether he had any injuries. He replied he injured his knee. The officer concluded the marriage was fixed because of this type of inconsistent answer. But there’s a big difference between sickness and injury. So, the officer created the confusion and discrepancy.

Also, if you are called back for several interviews, or if DHS visits your home early in the morning or interviews your neighbors, that shows your case is in trouble, and you’re likely under suspicion and investigation.

As you can see, it’s sometimes like walking through a minefield in connection with marriages, especially if they were viable at the inception but then fell apart.

If this type of situation applies to you, or you’re being called back for a “second” interview, you may want to seek the advice of an attorney who can hopefully salvage your case, by proving the marriage was not fixed – only broken. *** Michael J. Gurfinkel is licensed, and an active member of the State Bar of California and New York. All immigration services are provided by, or under the supervision of, an active member of the State Bar of California.

Each case is different. The information contained herein including testimonials, “Success Stories,” endorsements and reenactments) is of a general nature, and is not intended to apply to any particular case, and does not constitute a prediction, warranty, guarantee or legal advice regarding the outcome of your legal matter. No attorneyclient relationship is, or shall be, established with any reader.

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

Business News

(Advertising Supplement)

‘More foreign banks to enter PH this year’ BSP also expects the lenders to bring in FDI

by Mayvelin

U. Caraballo ManilaTimes.net

MORE foreign banks may be expected to enter the liberalized Philippine banking industry this year and bring foreign direct investment (FDI) into the country, the central bank said.

Foreign banks may operate in the Philippines as a branch or a wholly owned subsidiary, “There are more banks that have expressed interest to come to the Philippines. So I think there will be more, possibly this year,” Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Governor Amando Tetangco Jr., told reporters in an interview late Monday, Jan. 16.

Earlier, Tetangco said in a separate announcement six banks from Asia were interested in setting up operations in the Philippines, but

did not identify the banks.

The banking sector began attracting foreign players after the RA 10641, or the Act Allowing the Full Entry of Foreign Banks in the Philippines, was passed in July 2014. The law lifted the prevailing equity limit of 60 percent for foreign partners and allowed 100 percent ownership of the voting shares in an existing domestic bank.

Since the passage of the law, nine banks have entered the local banking scene.

Vehicle for FDI Foreign banks provide competition to local lenders, but more than that, they also act as vehicles for FDI as “they help potential investors from their own jurisdictions to set up shop here,” Tetangco said.

“They not only serve their clients from their own country, they

Superbug kills…

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NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL • JANUARy 20-26, 2017

teria appear to be more virulent and more adaptive.

Superbugs are here But this is not science fiction.

Today, we already have some superbugs, as the death of the woman from Reno has proven. One of them is the medically resistant tubercle bacilli, where the standard anti-TB regimen is no longer effective and where survival is more of an exception. The more popular one is MRSA a methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, which used to respond to methicillin, a simpler and much less expensive antibiotic.

Today, MRSA is resistant to many antibiotics. In public, most MRSA infections are skin infections, but in medical centers, this dangerous bug causes potentially fatal blood poisoning, pneumonia, and infection of the surgical incisions. MRSA is expected to have a death toll of 19,000 annually in the United States alone.

Luckily for patients with MRSA, Bactrim and Vancomycin, clindamycin, minocycline have been found to be still effective against it. However, resistance is now being seen developing even to some of these more potent and more expensive drugs.

The emergence, multiplication, and spread of superbugs are a threat to the achievements of modern medicine. They would negate and render useless the great advances in pharmacologic science and clinical medicine we have gained so far in our war against bacterial infections.

Warning from WHO The World Health Organization (WHO) has published and released its first worldwide review of antimicrobial resistance with data from 114 countries and warning the global community

of this serious threat to public health.

WHO assistant director-general for Health Security, Dr. Keiji Fukuda, declared “Without urgent, coordinated action by many stakeholders, the world is headed for a post-antibiotic era, in which common infections and minor injuries which have been treatable for decades can once again kill….the implications will be devastating.”

The report also pointed out that there is a resistance to last resort treatments, like carbapenem antibiotic against the common intestinal bacterium Klebsiella pneumoniae, which has now spread around the globe. This is now ineffective for more than 50 percent of severe infections it used to cure.

E. coli infection of the urinary tract, which used to respond to fluoroquinolones, is now resistant to the drug around the world. When these drugs first came out in the 1980s, there was zero resistance.

The UK, Canada, Australia, France, Japan, Austria, South Africa, Norway, Sweden, and Slovenia have reported treatment failures with third generation cephalosporins, the last resort treatment for the more than one million gonorrhea patients around the world.

WHO also laments the fact that many nations lack basic systems to track and monitor antibiotic use and resistance, and not many have seriously addressed this issue.

Our abuse is haunting us While bacterial resistance is a natural and expected tendency to a degree, the rapid speed of its development and the number of superbug transformations have been the results of our carelessness and abuse in the use of anti-

also serve local Filipino clients.

So, as I was saying, this encourages greater competition in the banking system. So with competition you can expect better services, better pricing for their products,” he said.

“But before that, they are also our source of information for foreign investors. In fact, they conduct investors’ briefings and investment seminars dealing with conditions as well as opportunities, economic and financial opportunities in the Philippines,” he added.

In accepting foreign banks’ applications for entry into the Philippine market, the BSP takes into consideration strategic relationships and reciprocity rights.

The BSP also requires a separate assessment of the applicants by bank regulators in their respective countries of origin. n microbial drugs as a society.

For one thing, viral infections in general (colds, Flu, etc) do not respond to antibiotics, which are actually indicated only for bacterial infections. A person taking antibiotic frequently and without medical supervision is more prone to develop superbugs in his/her body. That would be tragic.

Our abuse, which includes feeding antibiotics to our farm animal sources of meat, could bring back some old enemies in a drug-resistant and deadly form: tuberculosis, typhoid, syphilis, gonorrhea, klebsiella, diphtheria, etc., which could wipe out countless millions more.

Unless people take this warning seriously and act wisely and responsibly, and unless nations around the world work together to reassess and change how these drugs are manufactured, prescribed, and used, and come up with potent new drugs against these superbugs, we, humans, are doomed to lose our war against these deadly bugs.

And this could be worse than the plague, known as the Black Death, that killed more than 25 million people (almost half of the population) in Europe in the 14th century.

This is not fiction. It is a very scary reality that is brewing. It’s really up to us. *** 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

AFTER 13 YEARS OF WAITING FOR THE FAMILY TO BE REUNITED, THE U.S. EMBASSY STILL DENIED THE RELEASE OF THEIR VISAS. MISERY AND REDEMPTION ON A BRAND NEW EPISODE OF CITIZEN PINOY! Tatay Lando (2nd from right) went to the US to provide a better life for his family. After 13 years, the petition became current in 2016. However, when his son, Allan (left), and his grandson, Chean (2nd from right) went to the U.S. Embassy for their interview, some doubtful details came up in Allanís paperwork that caused the Embassy to deny their visas. Father and son left the Embassy heartbroken and traumatized over the incident. Immediately, Tatay Lando sought the help of leading US immigration attorney Michael J. Gurfinkel. Watch how hope was renewed, and a family was happily reunited after many, many years on a brand-new episode of ‘Citizen Pinoy’ on Sunday at 6:15 pm (PST) on TFC.

Will their dream of a family reunion turn into a nightmare? See how the story ends – on ‘Citizen Pinoy’!

WHEN Tatay Lando had the chance to go to the US to create a better life for his family, he took it. He faced the separation as a necessary evil, in order to give them a brighter future.

After a very long wait, the petition for his son Allan, and grandson Chean, became current. But things did not pan out well at the U.S. Embassy. After nearly four hours of being passed around

from window to window, father and son were told they could leave without giving them the visas they dreamt of for so long.

Chean was disappointed. Allan was traumatized. And their parents in the U.S. were brokenhearted.

But Tatay Lando did not give up so easily. The older Cruz immediately went to seek the help of leading US immigration at-

Calendar of Events across

torney Michael J. Gurfinkel, who went to work on preparing all necessary documents in a properly packaged and properly presented manner.

Watch how what could have been a nightmare turned into a dream come true on a brand-new episode of ‘Citizen Pinoy’ –– on Sunday 6:15 pm PST/EST (9:15 pm EST thru select Cable/Satellite providers). (Advertising Supplement)

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 JA N UA Ry 2 1

Free women’s self-defense class in Echo Park Assemblymember Jimmy Gomez invites you to a free women’s self-defense class with Grand Master Conrad A. Manaois on Saturday, January 21st. In partnership with MOTHER Movement and El Centro Del Pueblo, this workshop will be from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at El Centro Pueblo at 1157 Lemoyne St., Los Angeles, CA 90026. Space is limited, participants must RSVP no later than Jan. 18 by calling (213)483-5151.

JA N UA Ry 24

Workshop - Dementia: Up close & personal in Sherman Oaks, CA The American Geriatric Care Management and Filipino American Chamber of Commerce of Greater LA are hosting a workshop on Tuesday, January 24 called Dementia: Up close & personal, preserving family relationships at the onset of dementia. Learn how to handle the stress and challenges of family caregiving when alzheimer’s or dementia are too close to home. Manage the care of your family member by using the right language and approach. The event will be held from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Valley Economic Alliance (VEA) building, BFG conference room at 5121 Van Nuys Blvd., Sherman Oaks, CA 91204.

To RSVP, please call Lou at (310) 938-9393 or Mary Ann Omega at (818) 430-3972. Seating is limited. Snacks and refreshments will be provided.

JA N UA Ry 28

Historic Filipinotown Scavenger Hunt Explore the cultural gems of HiFi (Historic Filipinotown) by joining the 2nd HiFi Scavenger Hunt Fundraiser on Saturday, January 28 from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m! Meet Filipino-specific challenges (from a Balut eating contest to dancing Tinikling to a hip hop beat!). You may find yourself meeting a little-known community hero, tasting a Filipino food challenge or receiving your very own Filipino nickname! You will be having a blast while building your bayanihan spirit by asking your friends and family and even your Facebook fans to donate money to sponsor your Team to take this challenge. You and your team choose your own fundraising goal! Funds raised by this event will go to the programs and services of 2 HiFi community organizations, Pilipino Workers Center (PWC) and Filipino American Service Group, Inc. (FASGI) to provide vital services to families, workers and seniors in our community. Services include free or low-cost citizenship application assistance, human trafficking survivor support, civic engagement, wage theft claims assistance, cultural programs and more! Have fun, Discover Historic Filipinotown win prizes and support your community while doing it! Go to www.pwcsc.org/HiddenHiFi to sign up now. PWC is located at 153 Glendale Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90026.

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

OFW remittances up 18% in…

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by overseas-based Flipinos increased by 18.4 percent in November last year from a year ago.

This brought total remittances for the first 11 months of 2016 to $26.9 billion, up 5.1 percent from the same period a year ago.

The bulk of remittances came from land-based workers with contracts for one year or more who sent back a total of $20.9 billion, up 7.8 percent from a year ago.

This made up for the 3.6 percent drop in remittances from sea-based and land-based workers with work contracts of less than one year amounting to $5.5

billion.

Cash remitted through banks rose 18.5 percent in November ahead of the holiday season to $2.2 billion.

At the end of the first 11 months, remittances reached $24.3 billion, representing a 5.2 percent increase from the 2015 level.

Cash remittances from landbased workers went up $1.4 billion, compensating for the P200 million decrease in sea-based workers’ remittance amid stiffer competition in the supply of seafarers particularly from East Asia and Eastern Euope.

“The improving global eco-

nomic conditions particularly in the US may have contbutd to the overall growth in remittances,” the BSP said.

The bulk of cash remittances came from the US, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Singapore, UK, Japan, Qatar, Kuwait, Hong Kong, and Germany. Combined remittances from these countries accounted for more than 80 percent of the total cash remittances from January to November last year.

Remittances from overseasbased Filipinos largely fuel household consumption. They play a crucial role in the economy’s growth. n

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Business news

january 20-26, 2017 • nOrCaL aSIan jOurnaL

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United States citizenship PEZA wants Malacañang relocated to Mauban, Quezon

The CTV Files Atty. LiLLi B. BAcuLi MARIO, was admitted to the United States as a lawful permanent resident (green card holder) when he was 18 years old. Now he wants to apply for citizenship, but the application is asking about something called “selective service.” He doesn’t know what this is. Will this bar him from his application to become a U.S. citizen?

Lualhati thought she acquired U.S. citizenship through her newly naturalized parent and has submitted an application for a U.S. passport at her local passport agency. However, it has been several months since her application was first submitted, and she has been passed on from one passport agent to the next, telling her different things about additional documents that she needs to submit. What else can she do?

Crispin, a U.S. citizen, is a newlywed who just found great news that his wife is pregnant with their first born. However, his employer just informed him that he will need to be transferred overseas, and therefore his wife might give birth to their child while living abroad. Is his child still going to be a U.S. citizen?

In Lualhati’s case, it is likely that local passport agents do not

know what to do with out-of-theordinary applications such as hers, or their requests did not specifically spell out the magic words that local agents are trained to look out for in processing such applications. Lualhati might have to be re-submit her respective application, and this time around very clearly outline the basis upon which she is resting her claims to citizenship and why it is that the Department of State must issue them a muchcoveted United States passport.

For Crispin, he will have to look at the immigration laws that are in place at the time of his child’s birth. Likely, he will have to execute a “Consular Report of Birth Abroad.”

For Mario, it might be a little complicated. Males between ages 18 – 26 are required by law to register for Selective Service.

It is the law, period. He will have to explain why it was he failed to abide by this law.

Acquisition of U.S. Citizenship at Birth. A child born in the United States is automatically a citizen of the United States. A child born outside of the United States where one or both of his parents are United States citizens may also acquire U.S. citizenship. For children born abroad to acquire US citizenship, there is a requirement that the USC parent must have resided or have been physically present in the United States for certain time periods prior to the birth of the child so

that he or she may “transmit” citizenship. The transmission requirements are established by the law in effect at the time of the child’s birth. If the parent is a naturalized US citizen, the time both before and after naturalization can be counted in determining transmission by the parent.

Acquisition of U.S. Citizenship Through Naturalization of a Parent. Under the Child Citizenship Act (CCA) of 2000, a child could be a derivative US citizen when: (i) one parent is a citizen by birth or naturalization; (ii) the child is under 18 years old; (iii) the child is a lawful permanent resident; (iv) the child is residing in the United States in the legal and physical custody of the US citizen parent. Under the CCA, a child no longer needs to prove that his or her parents were legally separated or divorced if she is in the custody of one parent.

However, a child whose parents are legally separated must be in the full or joint custody of the USC parent. In the case of joint custody, physical custody is implied regardless of actual physical custodial situation.

Children born out of wedlock who have not been legitimated are eligible for derivative citizenship when the mother becomes a naturalized citizen.

However, for children born out of wedlock seeking to claim derivative US citizenship through their

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AS NEDA AIMS TO DEVELOP HIGH-INCOME ECONOMY

PH needs investment equal to 30% of GDP

by Mayvelin

u. CaRaballo ManilaTimes.net

THE Philippines will have to ramp up its total investment spending to an equivalent of 30 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) to achieve its goal of becoming an upper middle-income economy by 2022 and a high-income one by 2040, the socioeconomic planning body said over the weekend.

As part of the target, the public share of investments must increase from 5.4 percent of GDP this year to 7 percent onward until 2022, Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia said in a statement.

The budget for public infrastructure alone beginning this year will be raised to 5.4 percent

EMPLOYMENT

of GDP, which is equivalent to about P861 billion, while private investment is expected to contribute 18.6 percent of GDP, for a total investment equivalent to 24 percent of GDP, Pernia said.

“This is a significant improvement from historical lows, but this level will not be enough to help the country achieve its vision of eradicating poverty and becoming a high-income economy, where Malaysia is nearly right now, by 2040,” he said.

To achieve this vision, the country needs to bring total investments from 24 percent this year to 30 percent of GDP, of which 7 percent of GDP will be contributed by the public sector.

“Hence, an ambitious program focusing on infrastructure is necessary not only to raise the

government’s contribution to investments, but also to fill the country’s massive infrastructure backlog that has been inherited from past governments,” Pernia said.

Boost infra budget to P1.9T by 2022 The government’s total infrastructure budget, both national and local, is projected to grow from P861 billion in 2017 to P1.898 trillion by 2022, or from 5.4 percent to about 7 percent of GDP, Budget and Management Secretary Benjamin Diokno has said.

“These record levels of spending will align our country with its more vibrant neighbors and put us on track to achieve our vision of eradicating extreme poverty

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EMPLOYMENT

by Raadee

S. SauSa ManilaTimes.net

THE Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) will propose to President Rodrigo Duterte to relocate Malacañan Palace to Mauban in Quezon province.

“Philip Xia, owner of F1 Hotel will donate 200 hectares for the proposed national government center, where we will relocate the Malacañang, and the three branches of government: executive, legislative and judiciary,” PEZA Director General Charito Plaza said last week.

The move will supposedly help decongest Metro Manila.

“Now it takes two and a half hours to get there, so, we can put up a railway system to make it faster, and Metro Manila will be a commercial, residential center.”

The PEZA is seeking to make a courtesy call on the President, as well as seek the help of the Japan International Cooperation

Malacañan Palace

Agency to finance a master plan for the scheme.

“Together with my big locators in PEZA, we will present to the President these new programs. So the offices of the three branches will be a one-stopshop,” Plaza said.

The PEZA has just approved the Mauban, Quezon-Greater Lu-

cena Integrated Economic Zone Project, to which Xia also donated about 1,500 hectares.

Xia intends to build an airport and a seaport, a manufacturing industry zone, an agriculture hub and a tourism hub. “That will cost $300 million to $400 million for the development of the area,” Plaza said. n

Tycoons vow to spur development in Mindanao

by ChRiStina

Mendez

Philstar.com

MANILA, Philippines — They came in full force to meet with President Duterte, committing to pour resources into some of the nation’s most impoverished regions and promote inclusive growth.

Sitting down to dinner with the President at Malacañang, the country’s business heavyweights vowed to help the government promote peace, spur development and reduce poverty in Mindanao.

The meeting took place on Tuesday, January 17 at the President’s Hall, with Ramon Ang of San Miguel Corp., Manuel V. Pangilinan of Metro Pacific and PLDT, Hans Sy of the SM Group, Tony Tan Caktiong of Jollibee and Ayala Corp.’s Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala, among others, in attendance.

“Mainly, they were there to show their support, especially for improvement in areas of poverty and crisis and conflict,” presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella said in a briefing on Wednesday, January 18.

He said the consensus after the meeting was for the business sector and the Duterte administration to work more closely

in boosting Mindanao development while efforts to forge lasting peace with rebel groups are underway.

“And, in fact, they had taken the initiative regarding Sulu. And, I think, they – as far as I know, I think Sec. Sonny was also talking to them about how the Landbank had extra funds, something like $40 million for improvements in other areas of Mindanao,” he said, referring to Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III. “So, basically, they were being brought on board to help address the issue of how to create a more inclusive economy, especially addressing work and investments, investments in areas of conflict,” Abella added.

Pangilinan told reporters Wednesday his group has conveyed its interest to Duterte in investing more in hospitals, telecommunications and in a coconut oil mill facility in Mindanao.

“We offered and suggested areas where we could help. The business groups that were present, I would say, were in full force, in support of the government,” he said, referring to the Tuesday dinner with the President.

He added his group would also be interested in working with community development movement Gawad Kalinga for housing

EMPLOYMENT

SERVICES

projects in Mindanao.

Following the dialogue with the President, he said the next step would be to concretize plans and discuss them with relevant government agencies.

“It is good to have this dialogue with the President. In my recollection, this is the first time that a president has done this and sat down with business groups,” Pangilinan said. “It’s unprecedented. We have much to be thankful for.”

Earlier, Pangilinan said his group is looking at submitting unsolicited proposals for projects in the infrastructure, power and agriculture sectors.

At present, MPIC is involved in infrastructure projects in the rail and tollways sectors under the public-private partnership program.

The MPIC is also engaged in other ventures like water, power, healthcare and logistics.

It was presidential adviser on entrepreneurship Joey Concepcion III who invited the business taipans to Malacañang. Former president and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo also helped arrange the dinner meeting.

Listening president In the same meeting, Presi-

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NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL • JANUARy 20-26, 2017

CJ

Influenza activity is widespread in the Bay Area

HERCULES CYCLING CLUB. Want to get into cycling or looking to ride with a group? Established in August 2013, The Hercules Cycling Club was organized to promote the enjoyment of cycling in our local community. We are a collection of cyclists from different backgrounds and skill levels that organize fun group rides open to everyone, and support events and activities that encourage cycling. Membership is not limited to Hercules City residents, we have members all over the Bay Area including San Francisco, Fremont in the south and Fairfield up north.

Safety comes first on our rides, and no one gets dropped nor left behind! For more information on the club and ride schedules, go to www. herculescyclingclub.net or email herculescyclingclub@gmail.com.

San Mateo County encourages all residents to enroll in Affordable Health Coverage by Jan. 31 SAN MATEO, Calif. – With the January 31 deadline to sign up for affordable health insurance fast approaching, a network of agencies, community organizations, and dedicated individuals across San Mateo County are partnering to help every uninsured resident gain access to quality, affordable health insurance.

With three weeks remaining to the enrollment deadline, there are still an estimated 32,000 county residents who do not have health insurance and may qualify for financial help. Residents who do not enroll by January 31 may have to wait until 2018 to gain affordable health coverage and financial assistance. People who sign up by January 15 will have health coverage starting on February 1, and those who enroll January 16 through January 31 will be covered starting March 1.

Those eligible for Medi-Cal coverage can continue to apply or renew year-round.

“Covered California, Medi-Cal, and San Mateo County health insurance programs have helped

hundreds of thousands of residents gain access to affordable healthcare services,” said Srija Srinivasan, San Mateo County Health System Interim Deputy Chief. “While 96% of San Mateo County’s population is insured, we want to make sure everyone is covered so they are best prepared to stay healthy and get any care they need. If you already signed up, please encourage others to take action for their future.

Most of the 60,000 people who enrolled or reenrolled in health coverage through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) last year were encouraged to do so by a family member, friend, or doctor.”

The Health System supports a “no-wrong-door” approach where a single application is used to enroll someone in the most appropriate health insurance coverage based on income and other criteria – whether the person is completing the application on their own online, or with the help of an enrollment counselor by phone or in-person. Regardless of their immigration status,

San Mateo County residents can access free or low-cost health insurance coverage through a combination of federal, state, and county programs. The County is committed to the privacy and security of all personal information, as required by law.

Bilingual enrollment counselors are available to help people sign up at enrollment sites before the 2017 deadline. Enrollment hours and languages spoken at each center can be found at smcgov. org/healthcoverage. The public is invited to ask enrollment counselors last minute questions during the KGO-TV health coverage phone bank from 4:00 to 7:00pm on Friday, January 13. The San Mateo Medical Center will also be extending hours leading up to the enrollment deadline and will be open on Saturday, January 21 from 8am to 4:30pm. Local in-person enrollment assistance is available by calling (650) 616-2002 or 1 (800) 223-8383. People can also enroll directly through Covered California’s website: www.CoveredCA.com. n

SAN MATEO, Calif. – Public Health Departments around the Bay Area are announcing that influenza activity is increasing and has reached “widespread” levels.

Areas with the most influenza activity in the State include the Bay Area.

In the United States, influenza activity reaches its highest levels between December and February – and may continue through May, so it is not too late to get vaccinated against influenza. Public health officials recommend the annual flu vaccine for everyone six months of age and older, including pregnant women.

Flu specimens that have been tested match very closely to the current vaccine strains, so the vaccine provides good protection against the flu. People at highest risk for severe complications from influenza include adults 65 years of age and older, children less than 5 years old, pregnant women, and those with certain medical conditions like asthma, heart disease, and weakened immune systems.

San Mateo County Health Officer Dr. Scott Morrow recommends that all individuals six months of age and older be vaccinated against influenza.

“Influenza vaccination is a safe and effective way to protect you and your family from the flu,” commented Dr. Scott Morrow, San Mateo County Health Officer. “It’s not too late to get vaccinated.”

San Mateo County residents

are encouraged to contact their health care provider to get their flu shot. The vaccine is also available at pharmacies, retail stores, and is offered by some employers.

In addition to getting the vaccine, health officials advise people to take the following steps to protect themselves and loved ones from influenza: • Cover your cough and sneezes with a tissue.

• If you do not have a tissue, cough into your elbow.

• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth.

• Wash your hands often and thoroughly with soap and warm water or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.

• Stay home when you are sick, and stay home until you

have been symptom-free for 24 hours.

Symptoms of the flu include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, muscle or body aches, headaches and fatigue.

People at higher risk of severe disease who show flu symptoms should contact their medical provider. Medical providers may prescribe antiviral medications that reduce the severity and duration of illness. Antibiotics are not effective against the flu.

Find more information on preventing the flu in San Mateo County at www.smchealth.org/ flu. For more information about influenza visit the CDPH influenza web page. To find a flu vaccine at a location near you, visit the Vaccine Finder. n

Social Security continues to innovate with new features

SOCIAL Security is always innovating and improving our technology to better serve you. In an effort to meet our goal to deliver innovative, quality services, we are improving how you can check the status of your Social Security benefit application online.

Placing the “Application Status” feature behind our my Social Security portal provides a secure service delivery channel that will allow the Agency to provide detailed status information without requiring a confirmation number.

Our first service improvement will include status information for Social Security and SSI benefits 2017: initial claims and appeals, but future modifications • Health screening - April 8 will allow you to check the status of medical and • Blood pressure check - May 13 non-medical redeterminations.

• Diabetes monitoring - June 10 With the new Application Status, you will see: • Medication counseling - January 14 / July 8 • the Re-entry number for in-progress online • Health education - February 11 / August 12 applications; • Care from UCSF providers - March 11 / Sep• detailed information about the current status tember 9 n of the application or appeal; • the location where your claim is being pro-

Free health services offered by Mabuhay Health Center THE Mabuhay Health Center is offering free health services every 2nd Saturday of the month from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. (last patient accepted at 12:30 p.m.) at the Bayanihan Community Center, 1010 Mission Street, San Francisco. They are also working in conjunction with UCSF. Offered health services and clinic dates for

PH needs investment equal to 30% of…

PAGE CJ4 t

and transforming our economy into a high-income one by 2040,” he said.

Diokno reiterated, however, that the unprecedented levels of public spending in the years ahead can happen only if the government generates much more revenue than currently collected, an effort that will require major reforms in tax policy and administration.

Tax reform vital to growth plan With this, a tax reform program must be implemented to achieve this vision, according

to the government’s economic managers.

Pernia, who is also director general of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), said the government needs to implement broad and deep reforms in tax policy and administration in order to raise enough revenue to fund the government’s unprecedented public spending plan.

“Without the tax reform, we will not be able to fund the needed increase in infrastructure spending beginning 2018,” he said.

The first package of the Comprehensive Tax Reform Program

crafted by the Department of Finance (DoF) was submitted to the Congress in September last year and remains pending to date.

It proposes to lower personal income tax rates, broaden the value-added tax base, and adjust the excise taxes on automobiles and petroleum products.

Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez 3rd also said that his department welcomes the recent statement of Rep. Dakila Carlo Cua, who chairs the House ways and means committee tackling tax reform, that the first package is likely to be approved by the panel this January. n

United States citizenship…

PAGE CJ4 t

father, the claim may be based on the legitimation laws of any jurisdiction where the father or the child resided or was domiciled, between the child’s birthday and his or her 18th birthday.

Those who might have a claim to US citizenship should consult with an experienced, licensed immigration attorney to obtain an in-depth consultation

about the law, what the law requires, and how to proceed. In addition and more importantly, people should be wary of online tools that offer immigration help or notarios who are not licensed to practice law. ***

Atty. Lilli Berbano Baculi is an associate attorney with Chua Tinsay & Vega, A Professional Legal Corporation (CTV) - a full service law firm with offices in San Francisco,

San Diego, Sacramento and Philippines. The information presented in this article is for general information only and is not, nor intended to be, formal legal advice nor the formation of an attorney-client relationship.

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

Tycoons vow to spur development in…

PAGE CJ4 t

dent Duterte had shown his willingness to listen to the business community’s call for the preservation of the current practice of contracting as long as workers’ security of tenure is guaranteed and protected, Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry president George Barcelon said.

“On contractualization, Mr. Joey Concepcion explained that endo (end of contract) is prohibited and the business community will police its own ranks. Joey pointed out that this is the best solution wherein the workers – even they are given jobs by the service providers, they are protected, they are regularized, they will enjoy all the benefits mandated by law, and in case they will temporarily be out of work, they would be able to get some financial assistance,” Barcelon told The STAR Wednesday.

“So this provides the security of tenure for the workers. I think he is okay with the proposal,” Barcelon said.

The Department of Labor and Employment has yet to come out with a clear policy on the issue of labor contracting.

Duterte earlier promised to

put an end to contractualization.

Workers are calling for the complete abolition of contracting in the country.

The business community, however, said that while it is clearly against the illegal practice of contracting such as endo and “5-5-5,” it wants to maintain the accepted and legal practice of the scheme.

“Under the law, the management has the right to hire contractual workers. Actually I mentioned it in our discussion that the small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are not like the big companies that can project the number of people they will need,” he said.

“The biggest employers in our country are the SMEs, so for them it is important to have that flexibility,” Barcelon pointed out.

“We are hoping that this issue can clear the air so that those who want to invest here in our country will see that labor contracting is not an issue to deter them,” he added.

“The common denominator is that the taipans and the business community want to help in job creation,” Barcelon said, stressing the complete abolition of

contracting would only limit job opportunities.

Abella said the business leaders were discussing a “win-win” position with Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III. “Apparently, they are engaged in a conversation with Sec. Bello and they are working out a winwin situation. In the words of Sec. Dominguez, they are trying to work out a win-win situation.

They are engaged in working out a situation which will be beneficial for both employees and employers,” Abella pointed out.

He added the dinner meeting provided a conducive environment for the President and the business groups to share insights regarding development goals.

“It was over dinner, they had conversation. Apparently as PA (presidential adviser) Joey (Concepcion) was saying, their preconceptions about PRRD were settled because of the one-onone conversation,” he said, referring to Duterte by his presidential initials.

“Many of them have not met the President, they had this faceto-face, according to PA Joey, a number of their uncertainties were settled,” Abella disclosed. n

cessed; and • scheduled hearing information for appeals.

Log into my Social Security to see what other personalized features are available to you at www.socialsecurity.gov/myaccount. (Eric Phillips/Social Security Public Affairs Specialist in Sacramento, CA)

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cover story The Asian Jour nal SF MAGAZINE - January 20, 2017

Chef Charleen Caabay on winning ‘Chopped’ and bringing Filipino food mainstream The charismatic Oakland-based restaurant owner and recent winner of the Food Network’s “Chopped” sizzles as one of the country’s leading Fil-Am chefs and restaurateurs. by

Klarize Medenilla/aJPress

WHEN Charleen Caabay learned she earned a coveted spot on the Food Network’s “Chopped,” she knew she had a great opportunity to showcase her talents.

The vivacious owner of Kainbigan, one of the Bay Area’s most-loved Filipino restaurants, has sprung as an up-and-coming leader in Filipino-American cuisine, and her appearance on the “New Year’s Bash” episode of the cooking competition show — which aired in late December — is likely to bring in a whole new wave of fans.

“My goals were to inspire anyone who was going to watch the show,” Caabay, 37, told the Asian Journal. “It’s not often that women that are in business have the opportunity to really shine. I just wanted to show them who I was.”

Caabay knew she was going against formally-trained, renowned chefs, some of which worked in Michelin-star restaurants. But she didn’t let that break her spirit. Utilizing only techniques she learned growing up, Caabay has never had any formal training in culinary arts, and she doesn’t see the need.

“Each round, all I could do

was pray,” she said.

She started off in the first round creating a crab torta with collard green laing (a Filipino dish traditionally consisting of taro leaves cooked in coconut milk) with champagne butter sauce, which judge Alex Guarnaschelli praised for its creativity.

Once again, she drew inspiration from her heritage in her martini steamed lobster tail with BBQ strip loin and curried black-eyed peas, using the Filipino tradition of cooking barbeque on a stick.

To top it all off, in the third and final round, Caabay created a funnel cake with pomegranate grape compote.

“I was a little worried about the fancier folks like when a French culinary chef I competed against,” Caabay remarked. “I knew he was going to throw down a lot of, like, fancy French techniques, like with his sauces.

But I really just pushed myself to really believe and have the

confidence to say, ‘Hey, you can do your fancy sauce, and I can do my own Filipino sauce,’ which was probably just, like, suka (vinegar) and soy sauce.” “[On the show] I was basically like, ‘This is what I got, this is what I grew up with and this is what I have to show,’” Caabay opined.

“It was just really amazing to see how I really surprised them by going my own way and having them try something different that I’m sure they’re not used to,” Caabay said, adding she was happy that the judges reacted favorably to the Filipino influences in her dishes.

Moreover, the decision to draw Filipino inspiration in her dishes each round was a nobrainer.

“This is my culture, this is my heritage. I’m Filipino, so you’re going to taste some Filipino,” she added with a laugh.

Growing up with the basics Caabay, was born and raised in New Jersey by first-

generation Filipino Americans.

When she was in her teens, the family relocated to the Bay Area.

Her teenage years were when Caabay’s love for cooking really flourished. Inspired by her mother’s and grandmother’s cooking, it seemed like she was on the path to delving into a culinary career.

However, cooking and owning a restaurant weren’t in Caabay’s initial career sights.

As the tech world was booming, Caabay saw herself working in information technology (IT), attending DeVry University right after high school.

After being laid off from job after job and realizing the 9-5 work day wasn’t for her, she sought a different direction and went back to her real passion: cooking.

She shifted her career into a culinary nomad, creating makeshift kitchens, selling her food on the street and catering in clubs and for private clients. As she began holding steady clients and garnered a following, she opened up a pop-up restaurant in 2012, creating her signature Filipino comfort dishes.

“From there, it became a huge thing and it got more serious,” Caabay said of her rise in the food arena. Fans of her cooking would often ask what her next food venture was or even if she would be opening up a restaurant.

Kainbigan and the rise of the Filipino food movement In 2013, Caabay signed the lease for a restaurant in residential Oakland, and Kainbigan was opened nine months later. She finally had a brick and mortar food joint to call her own, and took it back to her roots when setting up her menu.

“I made it simple. I made it memorable to what was on the stove growing up, so a lot of it had to do with what my grandma and what my mom cooked,” Caabay said of the inspiration for the Kainbigan menu.

Kainbigan’s menu includes unique takes on a variety of Filipino comfort favorites including rice dishes, pork adobo, bistek (beef steak), afritadas (stew) as well as breakfast like tocino (sweet cured pork), lonPhoto by Shar g. photography ganisa (sausage) and beef tapa.

Photos courtesy of Chef Charleen

The chef’s garlic noodle special, which is created with a calamansi aioli and crispy adobo sprinkled on top.

The chef on the Food Network’s “Chopped”

One of the restaurant’s most popular dishes is the garlic noodle special, which is created with a calamansi aioli and crispy adobo sprinkled on top.

In the three years since it first opened, Kainbigan has garnered a wide following in the Bay Area — and not just from Filipinos. It has been cited by Zagat and has been nominated for local awards.

Caabay and her first restaurant (and certainly not her last, she said) have been instrumental in introducing Filipino cuisine onto the mainstream food world in the last few years, which has seen a rise in more Filipino food ventures.

“I think the more we all work together to support each other and really put it out there it will be one of those top food when it comes to ordering food,” Caabay said. “I think my win on ‘Chopped’ defi-

nitely came at a right time, and I think it’s important that the generation continues to build on. We really need to step up because food is a huge way in introduc[ing] our culture. There are so many amazing Filipino restaurants popping up, and whether you’re a restaurant or a pop-up store or food truck, it’s amazing.”

Caabay encourages all aspiring Filipino chefs and restaurateurs to never give up and to be proud of Filipino culture and cuisine.

“Keep pushing, be confident in our cuisine, present it well and present from inside and where you’re from,” she said. “Don’t let anybody else tell you how this adobo should be made, just trust in what you’re making. It’s part of you.

Continue to go strong because our cuisine is dope and hella good!”

Maxine Medina, an ‘empowered’ beauty 26-year-old Binibining Pilipinas is all set to win the Miss Universe crown by arlo

Custodio ManilaTimes.net

BINIBINING Pilipinas talent scouts invited Maria Mika Maxine Peñaranda Medina to join the country’s foremost beauty pageant as early as 2012, but an existing advertising contract prevented her from entering the contest. Apparently, her endorsement brand was a direct competitor of one of the pageant’s major sponsors, making it impossible for then 22-year-old beauty to vie for the prestigious title.

She finally relented to the constant prodding of friends from the modelling industry and threw in her hat into the

Binibining Pilipinas ring in 2016, winning no less than the Miss Universe-Philippines crown.

And in just two weeks’ time, Medina will compete anew for the ultimate title of Miss Universe, now proudly held by her predecessor, Miss Universe Philippines 2015 Pia Wurtzbach.

With such big stilettos to fill at January 30’s grand coronation night, right here in Manila to boot, the press naturally had a field day at Medina’s “good luck send-off” this past week at Novotel Manila Araneta Center.

The foremost question on everyone’s mind was how the Philippine bet was feeling amid all the pressure.

Surrounded by those closest to her—her mom Marife, sister Ferica, boyfriend Marx Topacio, her fellow beauty queens, and the Binibinining Pilipinas organizers, led by chairman Stella Marquez-Araneta—Medina was far from nervous nor anxious as expected.

On the contrary, she radiated with confidence and shared she is excited at the possibility of a back-to-back win with Wurtzbach in the presence of President Rodrigo Duterte and the Filipino people.

Beautiful host After almost a year of rigorous training under the guidance of Aces and Queens mentors,

Maxine Medina (4th from left) and her court of Binibining Pilipinas queens blow kisses of thanks to supporters during her send-off press conference on January 10 at Novotel Manila Araneta Center in Quezon

Reigning Miss Universe Pia Wurtzbach crowns successor Maxine Medina on April 17, 2016 as the Philippines’ representative to the 65th Miss Universe pageant—will she pull off a back-to-back

and personality development experts Dale Carnegie and John Robert Powers, Medina described herself as “empowered,” ready not only to do the flag proud at the pageant, but

also to become a gracious host to the 80-plus strong delegation of candidates from all over the world.

Beautifully fulfilling her Continued on Page SF4

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The ‘immortality’ of Filipino matinee idol Ian Veneracion

By Monet

The Asian Jour nal SF MAGAZINE – January 20, 2017

Lu

Guys, seriously. Is Ian Veneracion a vampire?

I was looking at his pictures from the time he started showbiz and pictures from his newest teleserye, “A Love to Last,” and I swear, this guy has not aged a day! Talk about the ultimate hashtag #foreveryoung, #ngitipalangulamna, #hotdad.

It’s impressive to how well he’s kept his still relatively youthful looks. Now that he’s being “rediscovered” in a big way, his career in showbiz seem to be soaring high as he is paired with actresses who are 20 years his junior!

Currently, Veneracion is teamed up with Bea Alonzo in their new primetime series with ABs-CBN. But for a long time since he came back to showbiz, he was paired with Jodi sta. Maria and their tandem was such a hit! They starred in pivotal projects “All you Need Is Pag-Ibig” (2015), “The Achy Breaky Hearts” (2016) and the remake of the classic series, “Pangako sa yo” (2015). He was also nominated Best Actor in the 41stMetro Manila Festival for his performance in “All you Need is Pag-ibig.”

No wonder Veneracion is one of the most bankable leading men. He’s like wine – gets better with time, sophisticated and his charm captivates both young and older audiences.

Like, I said – a vampire!

But seriously, Veneracion’s appeal is just timeless. And there’s nothing more relaxing than seeing his pretty face on TV as he plays Anton Noble IV in “A Love to Last.” In the series, he is the high-flying CEO, president and husband of Grace (Iza Calzado). When Grace decides to seek an annulment, Anton finds love in newly-single Andrea (Bea Alonzo).

Born on February 7, 1975, stephen Ian Veneracion started acting at five years old. His

“Everybody has a Miss Universe moment,” said Steve Harvey. His came when he named Miss Colombia Ariadna Gutierrez as the winner when the actual winner was Miss Philippines, Pia Wurtzbach in 2015. Miss Universe 2014 Paulina Vega had to crown — and uncrown — Ariadna.

parents are Roy Veneracion, a famous painter, and susan Lopez.

He was first cast by Leo Rialp in a Christmas TV show and has taken up many roles from being child actor to matinee idol to action star to villain and finally a father. Among the remarkable movies under his belt are “Anak ng Demonyo” and “El Presidente.”

Veneracion is also noted for his involvement in the current defunct youth variety show called That’s Entertainment where he was in for a decade.

But wait, there’s more to this man than being a talented actor. Veneracion paints and plays the guitar and piano like a pro. He is a licensed private pilot and has licenses in skydiving and paragliding. He loves cooking and baking such that he took up a course in culinary arts.

With all these amazing abilities, who do you think he loves doing all these things with and for? None other than his lovely wife, Pam Gallardo. yes, my friends. This fish is hooked and is very much spoken for. Veneracion’s choice of woman as his wife was indeed surprising for a rising celebrity

like him as Pam is neither an actress, singer nor painter. she is an industrial engineer. It is said that she graduated from uP Diliman, and she has also taken her masters in education at Ateneo.

At 22 years old, Veneracion married his long time girlfriend, Pam in 1997. Veneracion said in an interview that Pam is very understanding of his job, including the romantic scenes he has with his onscreen partners.

He also mentioned that she is an ideal partner who is able to balance between her job and family well.

Pam is even supportive of Ian’s expensive hobbies. He and his wife have planned to set up a pre-school.

The power couple has three children, Draco (17), Deirdre (15) and Buccio (8). Being a family man, Veneracion usually spends his time painting, swimming, fishing and visiting museums with his children.

According to an interview with Inquirer, Veneracion stated that he is quite proud to be a father, saying “But the role I’m the proudest of is being a dad.

Fatherhood has allowed me to teach my kids what my dad Continued on Page SF4

Steve Harvey: Miss Universe experience reminded me to stay true to my core beliefs

by Millet

Martinez Manaquil Philstar.com

IN December 2015, steve Harvey was the most hated man in Colombia, the Philippines and the whole universe.

As host of the Miss universe pageant, he slipped up big-time while reading the names of the runner-up and winner of the beauty pageant. He reversed their order, momentarily selecting Miss Colombia as the winner when the actual winner was Miss Philippines. Confusion and anger ensued.

“The world was eating me alive... In just 48 hours, I had nearly four billion impressions on social media... For five days till Christmas day, it was just horrible.

Death threats came. People rode by my house in suVs, threatening to hurt my family. I could not let my children go anywhere. I had to have armed security guards at my gates. I got cursed out so many ways in spanish that I thought I knew spanish. I am certain I can’t vacation in Colombia anytime soon! I probably can’t even drink Colombian coffee,” he said then.

The most hated man of 2015 soon became, for me, a most lovable man as I spent sleepless

nights over the past year watching steve Harvey on very-latenight cable TV, hosting shows like “Family Feud” and “Little Big shots.” Boy, this man is really funny. His facial expressions are capable of showing a whole universe of emotions. And it seems like he has a big heart. I felt this

heart jump at me between the pages of his latest book, “Jump,” which I got from National Book store.

The struggles Harvey has gone through aren’t funny. But they’re what made him strong and successful.

Continued on Page SF4

SF4

celebrityworld The Asian Jour nal SF MAGAZINE - January 20, 2017

celebrity world

By Ferdie Villar EVERYBoDY in the Philippines is excited for Miss Universe 2016 pageant! The event will be held on Monday, January 30 (January 29 here in the United States), at the SMX Convention Center in Manila. our very own Miss Philippines and Miss Universe 2015 Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach, 27, is all set to hand the crown over to her successor. Hosting the coronation and finals is Steve Harvey, who has a five-year contract with the Miss Universe organization.

Filipinos are hoping for a back-to-back win, pinning their hopes on the Philippines’ representative to the pageant this year, Maria Mika Maxine Medina. A graduate of Inte-

Celebrity manager Arnold Vegafria has been awarded the exclusive license for the Miss World and Mr. World Philippines franchises.

rior Design from the Philippine School of Interior Design and De La Salle-College of St. Benilde, Maxine is also a professional model.

The 25-year-old Maxine is not the only beauty queen in the family. Her aunt, model Gem Padilla-Thomas, was also 1990 Bb. Pilipinas-Universe.

With her predecessor Pia Wurtzbach as the reigning Miss Universe, she knows everyone’s eyes will be definitely be on her as she tries to make a rare back-to-back victory for the country. Though it may seem to be a long shot for some, the buzz is that Miss Philippines is among the favorites. other top pics are Miss Colombia Andrea Tovar, Miss Australia Caris Tiivel, Miss France Iris Mittenaere, Miss Panama Keity Drennan, Miss Venezuela Mariam Habach, Miss Brazil Raissa Santana, Miss Indonesia Kesia Warouw, Miss Canada Siera Bearchell and Miss Iceland Hildur Maria.

However, as we approach the pageant finals, the list will surely change. We are hoping though that Maxine will be able to stand out and get that crown for the Philippines again! *** Speaking of pageants,

65th Miss Universe pageant gears up in the Philippines

Former beauty queen Sara Atienza Luong will be honored with a baby shower by her friends and family on Sunday, January 29, in South San Francisco.

Shown in photo with Sara is her husband, Tat Luong.

Former beauty queen Cory Quirino has recently announced her decision to relinquish her exclusive franchise of Miss World Philippines due to “business and personal reasons.”

Actress and producer Donna Villa, wife or writer-director Carlo J. Caparas, passed away last Tuesday, January 17, due to cancer.

former beauty queen, TV host and writer Cory Quirino recently announced her decision to relinquish her exclusive franchise of Miss World Philippines. After six years of managing the prestigious beauty pageant, Ms. Quirno said that her decision was because of personal and business reasons.

Prior to handling the pageant franchise in 2011, Miss World Philippines was being managed by Binibining Pilipinas Charities, Inc. (BPCI) since 1992.

Prior to BPCI, other pageant organizations who had the franchise were Miss Republic of the Philippines (1966 to 1976) and Mutya ng Pilipinas (1977 to 1991).

Miss Philippines Universe Maria Mika Maxine Medina is hoping for a back-to-back win in this year’s 65th Miss Universe pageant. (Inquirer photo)

Celebrity manager Arnold Vegafria has been awarded the exclusive license for the Miss World and Mr. World Philippines franchises. He announced this through his Instagram last Sunday, January 15. *** our condolences to the family and friends of actress/ producer Donna Villa, who passed away last Tuesday, January 17 due to cancer. Donna is the wife of writer-director Carlo J. Caparas. They have two children, CJ and Peach Caparas.

Although there was no additional information surrounding her death, actress Vivian Velez confirmed the news through her social media account. Ac-

cording to Vivian, Donna was confined at UST Hospital since January 10.

Donna was among the wellloved personalities in Philippine showbiz. Her production outfit, Golden Lions Films, became popular in producing the massacre films during the ‘90s.

Some of the films include “The Vizconde Massacre: Gold Help Us!” (1993), “The Myrna Diones Story (Lord, Have Mercy)” (1993), “The Untold Story: Vizconde Massacre II-May the Lord be With Us” (1994), “Lipa ‘Arandia’ Massacre: Lord, Deliver Us from Evil” (1994), and The Cecicilia Masagca Story: Antipolo Massacre (Jesus Save Us!)” (1994).

Maxine Medina, an ‘empowered’...

From Page SF2

The fiesta of Padre Jesus Nazareno de Quiapo was celebrated at the residence of beauty impressario Ferdie Villar in South San Francisco held last Monday, January 9. Among the guests and devotees who attended were (seated, L-R) Rev. Father Abraham Alonzo (officiated the celebration) host Ferdie Villar, (standing, L-R) Gil Navarro, Susan Pacifico, Claire Viray, Rey Reyes, Elaine Estabrooks, Jet Viray-Navarro, Rachel Satorre, Violet Orence, Cristina Caseres and JD “JDC” Charisma.

responsibilities so far—both literally and figuratively—Medina was asked if she sees a downside to being the host country to the pageant. There Filipino American Democratic Club of San Mateo are those who say that playCounty president Dorie Cachuela Paniza recently ing host automatically earns arrived from a two-month goodwill and friendship tour of her hometown in Iloilo, Philippines. a candidate plus points, thus making a less credible finish, impression-wise.

“I still think it’s fulfilling to have the competition here in the Philippines,” she replied, choosing to brush aside the suggestion. “Everyone knows I’m fond figure. She confided in an interof the outdoors, and happily, view with TV host Boy Abunda we’re going around the Philipthat she shed off at least 66 pines. This has actually been pounds through an “all-natural” my goal that before I travel the method. world, I’ll go around the PhilipHer wish for the country pines first.” this year is “Peace, especially in one thing the model-cumpolitics, which I cannot stand in interior designer especially the first place.” wants to let her fellow candiShe also hopes for a great dates experience—besides the economy and more opportuwarm hospitality of the Filipinos, nities especially for overseas the unique culture and traditionFilipino workers, so they can find al values—is the boodle fight. jobs locally and “don’t have to “The best thing is, I will get leave anymore.” to share with them the best Her message to her fans this food choices in our cuisine as year? well as the boodle fight. I’d like “I love you so much and for them to try it! Eating without please watch out for our utensils—that’s going to be very projects. I know you’ve been waiting, I’m sorry, it’s taken me forever. We appreciate your support, your love. At 50, I should be retiring, but I’m really here still for them.”

What Sharon Cuneta hopes to achieve this year

by Deni

Rose M. AfiniDAD-BeRnARDo Philstar.com

“To continue losing weight and not gain it back,” the actress and “Your Face Sounds Familiar Kids” judge disclosed

to Philstar.com.

Last month, the star gained praises for her social media post that showed off her slimmer

Recording star and “Your Face Sounds Familiar Kids” judge Sharon Cuneta.

challenging!” Medina enthused.

Meanwhile, asked how she feels over the President’s mandate for all government agencies to support the staging of the Miss Universe pageant but without spending a single centavo, she replied, “The fact that the President has said he will personally watch the coronation is the best indication of the government’s support.

Will I be nervous he is there? oh no, I’m very honored that the President will be there and he will be witnessing a back-toback,” she confidently added.

Improvements A Binibining Pilipinas Charities, Inc. (BPCI) staffer told The Times that Medina has shown exceptional improvements since she was crowned Miss UniversePhilippines in April, and that her confidence level has “doubled” through her training. Her fellow Binibining Pilipinas queens agree.

Miss International 2016 Kylie Verzosa related, “Everyone can see her improvements overall, and I know she knows it herself.”

Acknowledging the fruits of her hard work, Medina said, “I

never thought of myself being a beauty queen, and now that I have embraced it to prepare for Miss Universe, I feel very empowered. Besides competing, I really want to inspire the youth through my own experiences, and I believe I can do a better job of that if I become Miss Universe.”

She further revealed that she has chosen the same advocacy as Miss Universe Pia Wurtzbach, that of AIDS/HIV awareness and prevention, but one that is more focused on the youth.

“My advocacy is about the youth who has HIV to be able to give them hope and help them live the life they should have despite their disease, especially in terms of education.” she said.

Should she win the crown, Medina also said she is very much willing to leave her life in the Philippines to fulfil her obligations in New York and around the world.

“It will be a once in a lifetime opportunity and I will devote myself to the title, for the country, for people everywhere as this is something that can really inspire others to dream big.”

Steve Harvey: Miss Universe experience...

From Page SF3 Today, Harvey is no longer just a comedian. He has also become a TV host, radio personality, producer, actor, singer and, yes: No. 1 New York Times bestselling author.

In his latest book, Harvey recounts his infamous Miss Universe moment.

He was excited when his agent told him he would host the Miss Universe pageant, and he thought it would be the “pinnacle achievement of my career.”

Harvey knew how important it was for these women to bring home the crown. “It was about bringing home an honor to their families and countries.”

Harvey said that at the moment everyone had been waiting for, there were three women positioned in front. “I held the card close to my chest with my thumb covering the words ‘second runner-up.’ I announced Miss USA as

the first runner-up.

“Miss Colombia and Miss Philippines were holding hands, saying a prayer: Miss Philippines in her royal blue gown, and Miss Colombia in a bronze sparkly number. Miss Colombia’s name was on the next card.

“I read the teleprompter the same as I had over the past three days: ‘And the new Miss Universe 2015 is’ — in my ear I heard, ‘Hold... hold... hold...

NoW READ — ‘Miss Colombia!’

I exited the stage as the audience was screaming with delirium.

Miss Colombia put her hands over her eyes in disbelief before reaching for Miss Philippines and hugging her. The Miss Universe sash was put around Miss Colombia. Tears rolled down her face... Her cousin, a former Miss Universe, entered the stage with the crown in her hand. Paulina Vega crowned Ariadna Gutierrez Miss Universe. The audience was

jumping and waving flags... there were kisses and tears.

“Backstage there was chaos.

I heard in the earpiece: ‘We have to fix this.’”

Suddenly, Harvey could hear his father’s voice saying: “Be a man... Stick out your chest and handle it.” He heard his mother echoing: “You have to do the right thing by people, even if it hurts you.”

Harvey decided at that moment, he was going to be his mother and father’s son. “My parents taught me how to be a man in the face of adversity.” There was no time for finger-pointing or passing the blame.

“God had brought me to this moment, and I had to trust that He’d bring me through it. I forced my feet to take me back onstage. And believe me, it was hard. It took a full two minutes for the cheers and the music to

Not only is Medina representing the country to January 30’s coronation night but she is also playing host to her fellow candidates from around the world; this batch visited in December for a week of promotions

The ‘immortality’ of Filipino matinee idol...

From Page SF3

(visual artist Roy Veneracion) has taught me: Explore your options.”

Such an amazing family and I cannot get over the fact that he is just human. Yep, not a vampire, a Greek god nor an immortal.

Still, not any mortal man – an incredibly handsome one, Continued on Page SF5 if I may add – would have the

same successes as this one if not for his character, will, determination and love for his family. For that, I applaud him.

Ian Veneracion may not be immortal but the values he passed on to his children and the contributions he’s made to the entertainment industry will last in perpetuity just as his youthfulness has through the years. ***

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

entertainment

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The Asian Jour nal SF MAGAZINE - January 20, 2017

Travel agents: Your virtual human travel apps In today’s digital age when computers, tablets, and smartphones are the order of the day, travel isn’t the same as it used to be. easy accessibility to the Internet and the various mobile application platforms aiding us in our daily needs make it possible for people to automatically turn to their electronic devices when planning a trip. And why not?

It’s so easy. Using any electronic device with Internet access allows you to search and compare airfares, lodging prices, rental-car deals, etc. because there are countless sites like expedia, Orbitz, Travelocity, Priceline, TripAdvisor, KAYAK, Hotwire, AirfareWatchdog plus numerous airline and hotel sites that allow the would-be travelers to become their own booking agents.

Therefore, with the number of options available online, many people are beginning to think that travel agents are becoming obsolete and are no longer useful in planning their vacation. Right? Wrong. So very wrong!

True, the onset of advanced technology has tremendously impacted and influenced travel planning, but it has not negated the need for travel professionals. In fact, an indepth industry market research conducted by IBISWorld (a leading industry research organization) showed that the travel agencies industry is growing despite the rise of online travel websites. While this growth can be partly attributed to the fact that traditional travel agencies have reinvented themselves and are finding new markets and niches, the study showed that travel agents are certainly not on the way out. On the contrary, travelers are more and more becoming aware that they need the services of travel agents. The following are just some of the many reasons: 1. Travel agents have professional expertise. If you are looking for a hotel booking and flight for a simple weekend vacation, there’s no doubt you can easily arrange that on your own. However, if you are trying to coordinate multiple flights in various locations on different dates, and require specific amenities and more, a travel agent can easily provide you with expert advice customized to your needs because they have the knowledge and the expertise to assess your vaca-

tion needs and provide you with the best possible experience.

2. Travel agents can save you money. It may sound idiotic when you think about paying someone for something that you can handle on your own. But booking a trip often proves to be extremely stressful, and time consuming.

You can spend hours online searching for deals on flights and hotels, surfing one website after another in search of the best prices while coordinating your vacation schedule. Travel agents, however, who are directly connected with travel suppliers are in the best position to get you better prices, in addition to the fact that they can sometimes provide you with additional perks such as VIP packages, room upgrades or restaurant reservations which you probably won’t get on your own.

3. Travel agents save time.

You have to admit it, when trying to make travel arrangements on your own you need to read through reviews of hotels, various accommodations, and sightseeing opportunities especially when you’re heading to a place you’ve never been before. However, a travel agent can help you navigate through this oftentimes headache-inducing maze, can advise you on options available to you or can connect you with an expert colleague in less time than you would spend searching on your own.

4. Travel agents makes your trip secure. Travelers know that even after a trip is booked, things may not always go as planned. Sometime between the booking and the actual trip, something may come up that may require travel cancellation or rescheduling. In addition, anything from bad weather condition, a lost luggage or a family member getting sick can disrupt one’s vacation plans. If you made your travel arrangements yourself with online travel sites, you are left entirely on your own to deal with this eventuality. But with a travel agent, you are assured that someone is always there to help you resolve any bumps that may occur during your trip and therefore make your travel experience a lot less stressful.

5. Travel agents offer convenience. Faced with countless choices and options

for flights, hotels, car rentals, tours and too many travel products available on numerous websites, travelers are finding it more and more difficult to navigate and decipher all the options available. Travel agencies are one-stop shops. Just tell them exactly what you want and they can arrange everything for you the way you want it, less the headache and stress of doing the planning on your own.

6. Travel agents build relationships. There’s a great difference between price and value. While technology had its many advantages, one of its downsides is the noticeable decline in our interpersonal relationships. This is so true in the travel industry with the rise of online travel sites offering you the “best deals”. Travel sites are not looking to build a personal relationship – they are looking to make a sale. Travel agents, on the other hand, want to build a relationship that makes your experience with them count for more than one trip. They will not only help you book a trip, they will help you make the trip you will enjoy.

Flawless and successful travel plans lie in the details, and travel agents are experts when it comes to handling details. They will not only find you the best fares and options according to your needs, but they are also there to help you travel like a tourist and finding unique life experiences that you will surely remember. needless to say, these people who are your virtual human travel apps are here to stay. *** Manny V. Ilagan is a Tourism Specialist with over 23 years professional experience in the overseas tourism and travel industry.

He is currently the Director for Business Development and Marketing of GTT International/Majestic Vacations, one of the biggest airlines consolidators in the United States, and wholesaler of package tours worldwide. He also provides travel consultancy services to some of the biggest wholesalers and tour operators in the country as well as to some airline companies. He is the former Tourism Director-OIC of the Philippine Department of Tourism-Los Angeles, where he worked for over two decades. As a writer, he has written numerous articles about travel and tourism, which have been published in various Filipino-American newspapers in Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, Las Vegas and New York, and other Manilabased newspapers as well. For comments or questions, you may reach him at manilagan@ gmail.com.

Jake and Angeline set inhibitions aside for sexy rom-com HUnKY Jake Cuenca and sweet singer-turnedmovie actress Angeline Quinto rekindle the flame of an aborted romance in Regal entertainment Inc’s initial offering for 2017, “Foolish Love.” And for this unique pairing’s first big screen project this new year, director Joel Lamangan reveals, “They went all out in their kissing scenes and love scenes.”

A sexy romantic comedy, “Foolish Love” required the actors to set their inhibitions aside— Quinto especially—so they can convincingly portray a woman obsessed to meet the man of her dreams, and an actual personification of Mr. Perfect whom she suddenly meets.

Falling madly in love with Cuenca’s character, the public will definitely see a different Angeline Quinto in the movie—a singer-actress who has matured from wide-eyed simpleton characters to a daring performer to fulfill the demands of her character.

Cuenca, meanwhile, shows his ever-present passion for his craft and was very much willing to help Quinto fall at ease into the sexy genre in which he has made a name, both for TV and the movies.

Besides these two popular showbiz celebrities, “Foolish Love” also stars real-life couple Miho nishida and Tommy esguerra. It opens in cinemas nationwide on January 25. (ManilaTimes.net) Angeline Quinto and Jake Cuenca

Steve Harvey: Miss Universe experience...

From Page SF4 die down. I started with: ‘I have to apologize.’ The contestants were laughing. They were thinking I was telling some kind of joke, as I’d done in rehearsals. Finally, I said slowly and clearly: ‘The first runner-up is Miss Colombia....

Miss Universe is Miss Philippines.’

At the end of his book, Harvey writes: “The Miss Universe experience reminded me to stay true to my core beliefs. I may be seen by many as successful. But

the incident was a reminder from God that He can take it away at a moment’s notice. everybody has a Miss Universe moment... and when you are bold enough to step off in faith, to jump, that is when you’ll soar.”

And yes, Steve Harvey told Jimmy Fallon on “The Tonight Show” — another very-latenight cable tv show that I regularly watch — that he is ready to jump again, to host the Miss Universe here in Manila

this January. To give his apologies once more. And to make us forgive and laugh with him once again.

Oops! Harvey has to make another apology though, this time to Asian men, and that includes Filipino males.

For saying that white women would not find Asian men attractive.

Harvey has to know that the Filipino male is the captain of his so-very-macho soul.

Clockwise, from top left: Andree Camille ‘AC’ Bonifacio, Alonzo Muhlach, McNeal ‘Awra’ Briguela, Ehla Nympha, Xia Vigor, Sam Shoaf, Lyca Gairanod and Justin

‘YFSF’ kids as good as their adult counterparts

by Leah

C. SaLterio Philstar.com

One cannot underestimate the kids’ capacity to perform.

Young as they are, the kiddie talents of “Your Face Sounds Familiar Kids” (YFSFK) can do equally well as their adult counterparts previously seen in the first two seasons of ABS-CBn’s reality talent show.

The third season of “Your Face Sounds Familiar” started with a bang, as “eight cute and small celebrity kids with big time talent” faced the celebrity judges — Sharon Cuneta, Gary Valenciano and Ogie Alcasid — on the show’s pilot weekend.

The kids can impersonate not just the voice and dance moves, but also the nuances of the artists they are mimicking. On the pilot airing, the kids started with their idols, so they were familiar with the material.

Breakout child star Mcneal “Awra” Briguela, who made his mark in the primetime soap, Ang Probinsiyano, came out as the first winner after the pilot airing. Awra was a hit as he copied Mommy Dionisia for the first time and sang “Wrecking Ball,” complete with the latter’s

thick Visayan accent and noted quirks.

Dance sweetheart Andree Camille “AC” Bonifacio, who was the other half of “Dance Kids” grand champion (with Lucky Ancheta of Lucky Aces), was a strong second placer after she sang and danced to Britney Spears “Baby, One More Time.”

Young belter ehla nympha, who previously won the grand prize in “The Voice Kids Season 2,” was in third place after she belted out Beyoncé’s “Love On Top.” Digital TV host Sam Shoaf, the talented son of singer Arnee Hidalgo, was a hit as fourth placer when he aped Bruno Mars in “Uptown Funk.”

“The Voice Kids” first winner, young diva Lyca Gairanod, rendered for the first time an english ditty, Katy Perry’s “Roar.” “The Voice Kids 3” runner-up Justin Alva danced and strutted to King of Pop Michael Jackson’s “Beat It.” Daytime princess Xia Vigor, star of the afternoon soap “Langit Lupa,” rendered “I Love You Like a Love Song” by Selena Gomez. Xia rose to fame as the young Selena Gomez, when Xia became the grand winner of the

noontime program, “It’s Showtime” segment, Mini Me. Guys can come out as girls and vice versa. Awra was Mommy Dionisia, but for the second week, Sam was challenged to do Alicia Keys. Meanwhile, Xia was Taylor Swift. Lyca was Lady Gaga, Justin was Adam Levine, Alonzo did Rico J. Puno, ehla was excited as Sharon Cuneta, AC went Korean to do Sandara Park and Awra was challenged all the more as Daniel Padilla Credit the make-up team for the spectacular transformation of the kiddie talents in “Your Face Sounds Familiar Kids.”

Viewers amazingly witness the young celebrities copying, imitating and close to cloning adult celebrities. In fact, first-time jury member Ogie Alcasid had his “baptism of fire” on the show when he came out as young orphan Annie and rendered “Tomorrow.”

Hosted by Billy Crawford, Your Face Sounds Familiar Kids will award P2M grand prize, with P1M going to the winner’s chosen charity. Previous winners of Your Face Sounds Familiar are Melai Cantiveros (Season 1) and Denise Laurel (Season 2).

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