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New ‘Fat Leonard’ indictment adds admiral, eight others in US Navy scandal

“Fat Leonard” bribery scandal.

The latest federal indictment charged Loveless, four retired Navy captains, a A NEW indictment unsealed in San Marine colonel and three others of takDiego on Tuesday, March 14, added ing bribes – in forms of sex parties with nine high-ranking U.S. Navy officials, prostitutes, extravagant dinners and including retired Admiral Bruce Love- luxury travel – in exchange of trading less, in connection with the so-called military secrets.

by DANA

SIOSON AJPress

DATELINE

“This is a fleecing and betrayal of the United States Navy in epic proportions, and it was allegedly carried out by the Navy’s highest-ranking officers,” Acting U.S. Attorney Alana Robinson said in a statement.

The indictment claims that the defendants helped former Glenn Defense Ma-

rine Asia (GDMA) chief executive Leonard Glenn Francis, also nicknamed as “Fat Leonard,” in pulling off a colossal fraud that cost U.S. government tens of millions of dollars by overcharging food, water, fuel and other supplies.

The Navy officers were facing cases of bribery, conspiracy to commit bribery,

USA

Filipinos advised to remain vigilant of imposter scams

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Deciphering the CBO estimates on the GOP health bill

24 million more people to be without insurance in a decade THE Congressional Budget Office is out with its estimate of the effect that the Republican health bill, “The American Health Care Act,” would have on the nation’s health care system and how much it would cost the federal government. The GOP plan is designed to partially repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act passed during the Obama administration.

Here are some of the CBO highlights: —$337 billion reduction in the deficit.

That’s CBO’s estimate over the next decade.

That takes into account both decreased government spending in the form of less help to individuals to purchase insurance and lower payments to states for the Medicaid program.

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by DANA

SIOSON AJPress

SENIOR HIGH. Students apply for slots in senior high school in a fair at the Cuneta Astrodome in Pasay City on Wednesday, March 15.

Beginning this school year, high school students were required to go through two additional years of senior high school prior to taking up college.

Manilatimes.net photo by Roger Ranada

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by AJPRESS

by AJPRESS DESPITE the protest by the Philippine Embassy in Washington, CBS Corporation still aired the latest episode of American television series “Madam Secretary” on Sunday, March 12.

The Philippine Embassy earlier called on CBS to take “necessary corrective actions,” following a “highly negative depiction” of a supposed Philippine president on the American TV series.

Based on its trailer, the season 3, episode 15 of “Madam Secretary” showed fictional Philippine President Datu Andrada (played

by Joel de la Fuente) clad in a barong and is seen to be making sexual advances toward the lead character, U.S. Secretary of State Elizabeth McCord (played by Téa Leoni), during a private meeting to discuss an Asia-Pacific territory treaty.

In response to the inappropriate move, McCord reflexively punches Andrada in the face and bloodies his nose. She then tells her husband (played by Tim Daly), “I

ly this month from key positions.

In a surprising move, House Majority Rodolfo Fariñas deMANILA, Philippines — The clared the posts of representaleadership of the House of Repre- tives who went against the order sentatives on Wednesday, March of the House leader to support 15, removed members who voted the bill reimposing death penalty against the death penalty bill earu PAGE A2

MORALLO Philstar.com

THE thousands of killings and human rights abuses in the Philippine government’s brutal war against illegal drugs had left Filipinos feel “hopeless” and “helpless,” Vice President Leni Robredo said in a recorded message to the United Nations (UN).

In a video message uploaded on Monday, March 13, Robredo stressed that the drug problem in the country should be treated as a “public health issue” and not something that “can Vice President Leni Robredo

‘Madam Secretary’ airs controversial Beijing says Manila can’t claim episode despite PH Embassy protest Benham Rise as part of PH territory

House majority strips anti-death penalty members of key posts

by AUDREY

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Robredo decries drug war deaths: Filipinos feel ‘hopeless’ and ‘helpless’

FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA

CONSUMERS in the United States lost a whopping $744 million to scams in 2016, according to the latest Federal Trade Commission (FTC) report.

That number could go up this year, especially considering what’s happening in the news with the executive orders on immigration and proposed legislation to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

“Fraud tends to follow the headlines. What’s in the headlines is something that is likely to be transformed into some kind of a fraud,” Monica Vaca, acting associate director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, told reporters during a recent press call.

Vaca is urging consumers to stay updated with the news “for a clue on where we might see fraudsters hitting next.”

From last year, out of the 1.3 million fraud

honest services fraud and obstruction of justice and making false statements to federal investigators when confronted about their actions.

“The alleged conduct amounts to a staggering degree of corruption by the most prominent leaders of the Seventh

clobbered a world leader instead of saving a major regional agreement.”

Entitled “Break in Diplomacy,” the prompted backlash from Filipino officials and supporters of President Rodrigo Duterte. In a later scene in the episode, Andrada is seen wearing a plaid polo shirt, drawing a strong connection to the piece of clothing commonly worn by Duterte.

While CBS has yet to issue any statements as of this writing, Leoni wrote on her Twitter account: “Funny, I had someone else in mind… #relaxduerte (sic).”

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DESPITE recognizing a 2012 ruling of the United Nations (UN), the Chinese government on Friday, March 10 said that Manila cannot claim Benham Rise as part of the Philippine territory.

The UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf in 2012 approved the submission of Manila in 2009, acknowledging

that Benham Rise is within the continental shelf of the Philippines.

Also referred to as Benham Plateau, the region is not part of China’s nine-dash claim.

No other nation has claimed it apart from the Philippines, which is also the only country within the 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of the United Nations Convention

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MARCH 17-23, 2017 • NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL

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From the Front Page

New ‘Fat Leonard’ indictment adds…

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Fleet – the largest fleet in the U.S. Navy – actively worked together as a team to trade secrets for sex, serving the interests of a greedy foreign defense contractor, and not those of their own country,” Robinson added.

The indictment mentioned two Philippine hotels as settings for the wild sex party, citing Manila Hotel’s MacArthur Suite and Shangri-La hotel.

It said that Francis hosted and paid for a lavish party and the services of prostitutes in the MacArthur Suite of the Manila Hotel, during a port call to the Philippines by

the USS Blue Ridge in 2007.

The Navy officers also allegedly even used historic MacArthur memorabilia in their sex acts.

In 2008, it said Francis hosted a “raging multi-day party, with a rotating carousel of prostitutes in attendance, during which the conspirators drank all of the Dom Perignon available” at the Shangri-La hotel in 2008.

Following the release of the indictment, Bagong Alyansang Makabayan called on the Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte to kick the U.S. troops out of the country.

“U.S. troops are bad news for

the Philippines. They have no qualms violating domestic laws.

Duterte must act now and kick US troops out of the Philippines,” Bayan secretary general Renato Reyes told Philstar.

According to Reyes, the recently “debauchery and other foul acts” in the scandal should “raise alarm bells for the Philippine government.”

Reyes said that the Philippines should also scrap its military agreements and war exercises with the United States, citing the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) and the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA). n

Robredo decries drug war deaths: Filipinos…

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be solved by bullets alone.”

“The body count due to the drug-related killings keeps growing,” Robredo said. “We are now looking at some very grim statistics… Our people need nothing less than a safe environment.”

Since President Rodrigo Duterte launched the campaign when he took office in July last year, more than 8,000 people were reportedly killed in his drug war.

“You cannot kill addicts and declare the problem solved… We must all demand greater transparency in the government’s war on drugs because this is a major, publicly-funded campaign,” Robredo remarked.

While the Philippine government has repeatedly insisted that the deaths were not state-sanctioned, Human Rights Watch (HRW) and Amnesty International (AI) claimed that majority of the killings were conducted by police, amounting to “crimes against humanity.”

Citing other human rights abuses in the drug war, Robredo remarked people were beaten up for requesting search warrants.

“Some of those who have told us that when there’s crime, they normally go to the police. Now, they don’t know where to turn,” Robredo said.

According to her, poor people were “rounded up in places like basketball courts, women separated from men, those with tattoos asked to stand in the corner, their belongings searched.”

She also mentioned the sup-

(PNP) “exchange of head” scheme. “[Exchange of head scheme] refers to a commitment of a drug suspect to provide assistance in the arrest of a ‘bigger fish’ in the illegal drug syndicate, whether an up-line/superior/supplier of the arrested suspect, in exchange for lighter charges,” Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella clarified.

In a statement, Abella took note that while the vice president has the right to speak freely on matters of public concern, Robredo also “has the responsibility to be careful with her statements especially avoiding unfounded allegations from questionable President Rodrigo Duterte sources.”

Echoing Abella, Presidential posed “exchange of head” scheme, in which she said “the Legal Adviser Salvador Panelo wife, husband or relative in a so- described Robredo’s online vidcalled drug list will be taken if eo message as “misleading and the person himself could not be consists of bare assertions that are not based on evidence.” found.”

Recorded in February, the Robredo then called on Duterte to “uphold basic human Robredo’s video was released to rights” instead of “encouraging the press ahead of its scheduled screening on Thursday, March its abuse.”

“We ask him to focus on the 16 for the upcoming 60th annual war that really matters: the war meeting of the UN Commission against poverty instead of just on Narcotic Drugs in Vienna, the war against illegal drugs,” Austria.

“Thus, her intention to present Robredo further said. “We ask him to direct the nation towards the same tomorrow (Thursday) respect for rule of law instead of during the annual meeting of the a blatant disregard for it… to be Commission on Narcotic Drugs the leader he promised to be and is not only misplaced, but also evoke in our people hope and in- unfortunate,” Panelo added.

He also pointed out that the spiration instead of fear.”

Reacting to Robredo’s video government’s resources is now message, Malacañang said that focused more on the rehabilitashe “gravely misunderstood” tion of drug users and depenthe Philippine National Police’s dents. n

WOMAN OF COURAGE. Environment Secretary Gina Lopez is recognized as a “Woman of Courage” on Friday, March 10, by GABRIELA, for her “standing up for the general welfare of women, indigenous peoples and the Filipino nation vis-à-vis encroaching interests of commercial despoilers of the environment.”

Photo from DENR.gov

Beijing says Manila can’t claim Benham Rise…

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on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) of the plateau.

Located along the Pacific Ocean 250 kilometers (155 miles) east of Isabela, Benham Rise is believed to be rich in mineral and gas deposits.

While the UN ruling allows the Philippines “to carry out exploration and development of natural resources” within the Benham Rise, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang, however, stressed that “it does not mean that the Philippines can take it as its own territory.”

Last week, the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said it sent a note verbale to the Chinese Embassy, seeking clarification over the reported presence of a Chinese ship near the Benham Rise.

The note verbale comes after Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana raised an alarm earlier this month over the survey ships that stay on the Benham Rise “as if doing nothing, but actually, they are surveying

the seafloor, the seabed.”

In response, China confirmed that Chinese vessels did sail across the region but only “for marine research” and “without conducting any other activities or operations” as part of exercising the principles of “freedom of navigation” and “right to innocent passage.”

“The remarks by some individuals from the Philippines are not consistent with the facts,” Geng said.

The Chinese official also took note that based on the UNCLOS, a country’s rights over the continental shelf “do not affect the legal status of the superjacent waters or of the airspace above those waters, nor do they affect foreign ships’ navigation freedom in the coastal state’s EEZ and on the high seas, or their innocent passage through the coastal state’s territorial sea as supported by international law.”

Meanwhile, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, who has been exerting efforts to forge a closer relationship with China

amid territorial conflicts, said he would rather talk than pick a fight with China over the Benham Rise issue.

“Let’s not fight about ownership and sovereignty at this time,” he said. “Things are going great for my country. When it becomes commercial to me, whether you like it or not we have to talk about the arbitral ruling.”

While expressing his belief that the reports about the presence of Chinese ships in Benham Rise were just “exaggerated,” Duterte remarked that the Philippines will maintain its ownership over the region.

“My order to my military, you go there and tell them straight that this is ours, but I say it in friendship,” Duterte said.

The chief executive said that he also believes China would not build structures in Benham Rise, unlike what the latter did in some parts of the conflicted maritime territories along the South China Sea. “They’ll not do it at this time.

Gugulo yan (It will cause complications),” Duterte added. n

‘Madam Secretary’ airs controversial…

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In her post, Leoni was quoting another tweet that links to a Mashable news article entitled, “People are furious that ‘Madam Secretary’ will feature a lecherous Filipino president.”

Earlier on March 6, the Philippine Embassy said that the “highly negative portrayal” of the Filipino president not only casts doubt on the respectability of the Office of the Philippine President but also “denigrates the way our nation navigates foreign affairs.”

Though the show is a work of fiction, the embassy said it “tracks and mirrors current events.”

“It is, therefore, inevitable that its depiction of world leaders will have an impact on how its audience views the real personages and the countries they represent,” the statement added.

Asked if Duterte found the trailer insulting, Philippine Presidential Spokesman Ernesto Abella said: “Well, they engage in something that they would like to — It’s their business. It’s their craft. You cannot deny them their craft. Their taste, perhaps.” n

House majority strips anti-death penalty…

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vacant.

Removed from leadership positions in the House majority were: - Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo - Batangas Rep. Vilma Santos - Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Carlos Zarate

- Gabriela party-list Rep. Emmi De Jesus - Buhay party-list Rep. Mariano Michael Velarde Jr. - ACT-Teachers party-list Rep. Antonio Tinio - Amin party-list Rep. Sitti Hataman - Sorsogon Rep. Evelina Escudero

- Dinagat Islands Rep. Kaka Bag-ao - Quezon City Rep. John Christopher Belmonte DIWA Party-list Rep. Emmeline Aglipay-Villar - Batanes Rep. Henedina Abad.

Arroyo, in a statement, thanked

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From the Front Page

NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL • MARCH 17-23, 2017

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House majority strips anti-death penalty…

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GIANT PEARL. National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) spokesman Ferdinand Lavin shows journalists huge pearls confiscated from a group during an entrapment operation.

Manilatimes.net photo by DJ Diosina

Deciphering the CBO estimates on the GOP… PAGE A1 t

It also includes decreased revenues from the repeal of the taxes imposed by the ACA to pay for the new benefits.

—24 million more people without insurance in a decade. The federal budget experts estimate that people will lose insurance and that drop will begin quickly.

In 2018, they say 14 million more people would join the ranks of the uninsured. It would reach the 24 million by 2026, when “an estimated 52 million people would be uninsured, compared with 28 million who would lack insurance that year under current law.”

—15 to 20 percent increase in 2018 premiums, but relief would follow. Monthly costs for insurance would go up at first, due to the elimination of the requirement for most people to have insurance or else pay a tax penalty.

After 2018, CBO estimates that average premiums would actually drop by 10 percent by 2026 compared to current law. That is because the lower prices for

younger people would encourage more to sign up. By contrast, the law would “substantially [raise] premiums for older people.”

—$880 billion drop in federal Medicaid spending over the decade. That comes primarily by imposing, for the first time, a cap on federal contributions to the program for those with low incomes.

—14 million fewer Medicaid enrollees by 2026. That’s 17 percent fewer than projected under current law. The projection includes people who are currently eligible and would lose coverage, as well as people who might have become eligible if more states, as expected, expanded coverage under the ACA. CBO projects that is unlikely to happen now.

—95 percent of people who are getting Medicaid through the health law’s expansion would lose that enhanced federal funding. The CBO estimates that only 5 percent of enrollees in the expansion program would remain eligible for the higher federal

Filipinos advised to remain…

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reports the FTC received, debt collection topped the complaint list.

It was followed by imposter scams and identity theft. 77 percent of the individuals who reported their fraud experiences said they were contacted by phone, while 8 percent were by email and 3 percent were by mail.

Red flags The scammers would usually con their victims into sending money via wire transfer, as evidenced by 58 percent of the cases. On average, consumers lost $450.

“If someone is telling you to wire money, it should be a big red flag,” Vaca said.

In Los Angeles County, the Department of Consumer and Business Affairs (DCBA) is also warning communities to be wary of individuals who pretend to be “immigration consultants,” who often defraud consumers by charging fees for illegal or misleading services.

Some examples include that they claim to have inside connections with immigration agencies or encourage consumers to lie on their applications, according to the department.

Rigoberto Reyes, chief of investigations at the DCBA, told the Asian Journal that if immigrants — whether a legal permanent resident or undocumented — are seeking advice from an individual, they should verify if he or she is actually a licensed attorney.

If not an attorney, he or she must be registered and bonded with the California Secretary of State to offer any immigrationrelated services and must have visible signs in the office that show his or her name and bond number and a list of services and fees for each one. Failure to display these signs should be an indicator to customers not to do business with this individual.

“Even if they are registered and bonded, that only means they can provide only non-legal advice type of services. They can complete forms, translate documents and submit the package to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), but they may not tell the customer whether they qualify [for citizenship], how they will qualify and what to do to qualify — that only an attorney or Board of Immigration Appeals-certified non-profit organization can do,” Reyes said.

He added that the immigration consultant must give customers a written contract in English/ their native language (i.e. Tagalog) and a receipt that states how much was paid, the date and the consultant’s signature. The consultant shouldn’t keep original copies of documents like a birth certificate or a marriage license because if his or her office closes down, it would be difficult to get those back.

“Anytime someone guarantees you an outcome for your case, you know that they are either lying or they’re exaggerating,” he

said. “It’s not just thousands of dollars you’re at risk of losing.

The big problem is that if someone opens a petition for a benefit they don’t qualify for, it’s going to be denied and it’s going to end up most likely with a deportation order. Once you’re in that process, you can’t back out of that.”

Reporting cases If individuals believe they may have been victims of a scam, the FTC and LA County DCBA are encouraging them to report to appropriate agencies as these testimonies will assist in building cases.

Reyes said that these reports would help the department compile a thorough list of “bad actors” that are targeting various groups, like Filipinos.

“We would welcome calls from the Filipino community and would like Filipinos to know we are available. The sooner they call, the better,” he said.

These resources can provide an educational benefit for others so that they know what to watch out for, as well as what to do if they suspect they are being duped.

“Chances are that we may already have an investigation on a certain business and victims are extremely helpful to make sure they don’t defraud more people,” Reyes explained, adding that the department is currently investigating a business that had a lot of Filipino clients.

Vaca also noted that penalties for these scammers can be severe, ranging from prison time to requirements to pay back the money lost.

“When the Federal Trade Commission enforces the law, we always seek first an order to get money back for the people who have been victimized and we always seek an injunction, which means a court order requiring the person or the company to stop engaging in deceptive practices,” she said. The protection agency also seeks court orders that impose a ban on a particular type of conducting business.

Despite the fear that is being perpetuated in various immigrant communities, Reyes said that undocumented immigrants especially should not be scared to reach out to the DCBA for assistance, whether where to look for a certified attorney or how to recoup their lost money.

“Immigration status is something we certainly do not take into account. We will never share that information with any immigration agency,” he said. “We want them to be calm and really research and investigate their situations and get the right help before they make a decision that could make matters worse. Be prepared but don’t overreact.”

The Los Angeles Department of Consumer and Business Affairs can be reached at (800) 593-8222. The Federal Trade Commission can receive complaints at https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov. (By Christina M. Oriel / AJPress)

payments by 2024 since the bill would phase out those payments to states as patients cycle in and out of eligibility.

—15 percent of Planned Parenthood clinic patients would “lose access to care.” These patients generally live in areas without other sources of medical care for low-income people. The Republican bill would cut out Medicaid funding for Planned Parenthood for a year. (By Julie Rovner / California Healthline) This story was produced by Kaiser Health News, an editorially independent program of the Kaiser Family Foundation.

Speaker Alvarez for the “honor” of allowing her to serve as deputy speaker.

She also thanked President Rodrigo Duterte for understanding her position on the issue. She said that despite her removal she would continue to support both Duterte and Alvarez.

Arroyo, who had the death penalty scrapped in 2006 while she was president, also explained her vote on the death penalty, saying that the issue touched the “core of each person’s fundamental view of human life.”

She said that she “believes that the issue required a vote based solely on conscience and the deepest of personal convictions.”

For Dinagat Islands Rep. Kaka Bag-ao, the issue on the death penalty was an issue of principle as she expressed her readiness to face the repercussions of her vote.

“Tatanggapin ko po at yayakapin ko ang lahat ng kapalit ng botong ito (I will accept and embrace everything to replace this vote),” Bag-ao said during her speech explaining her vote against the death penalty bill on March 7.

She added: “Tungkulin natin sa Kongresong ito na pangalagaan ang ating mga mamamayan at isulong ang katarungan. Kung nakikita nating may problema sa sistema, maghanap tayo ng paraan upang maayos ito nang hindi sumasagasa sa karapatan at dignidad ng tao (It is our job in Congress to take care of our

people and push for justice. If we see there’s a problem in the system, we should look for a way to fix it so that it doesn’t trample over the right and dignity of a person).”

Cebu Rep. Ramon Durano IV was elected to replace Sorsogon Rep. Evelina Escudero as chairperson of the House committee on basic education.

The replacements for Arroyo and others who were ousted will be chosen when session resumes on May 2.

Reshuffle not expected until May House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez said earlier Wednesday that the reshuffle in the House leadership positions would happen in May, when Congress returns from its break.

Speaking to reporters at the House of Representatives, Alvarez said the House majority would not forget the policy announced before voting on House Bill 4727 or the death penalty bill.

“Ay, hindi makakalimutan dahil (No we won’t forget because) we have asked the respective parties to submit their nominees for the replacements,” he said.

Alvarez also declared that he was willing to “burn bridges” with his decision.

“Well if I’m burning bridges then so be it wala tayo magagawa diyan (we can’t do anything about it),” he said.

That time, Alvarez said that representatives occupying committee chairmanship and deputy speakership positions who would vote against the death penalty measure

would lose their key positions.

“Tuloy na tuloy ‘yun. ‘Yun ang naging policy natin kaya kailangan nating gawin ‘yun (That will proceed for sure. That has been our policy that is why we need to do it),” Alvarez said in a radio interview when asked if they would follow through on the warning.

With 217 voting in favor and 54 against, the House passed the bill on third reading on March 7.

A day after the vote, Alvarez reissued his warning, but this time he dialed back a bit, saying that the changes in the composition of the House leadership would happen some other time and that he was leaving it to Fariñas how to effect the reshuffle, a move that was criticized and scored by some members in the minority.

Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman, who is not in the majority and who voted against the measure, described the threat of Alvarez as “mere scheming braggadocio.”

Lagman said: “The threat of Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez to oust those who would vote against the death penalty bill from their key leadership positions has turned out to be a mere scheming braggadocio.”

Alvarez said that the House leadership would consider whom each party would nominate as replacements.

“Kung ano yung ino-nominate nila kung sino yun (Whoever they nominate) of course we will consider,” he said.

He also added even those who were absent would be removed from their posts, unless they had a valid reason. n

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DMV releases proposed rules for driverless autonomous vehicles Public hearing to be held April 25, 2017

SACRAMENTO – The California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) on Friday, March 10 released proposed regulations to establish a path for testing and future deployment of fully autonomous vehicles without drivers.

“California has more manufacturers testing autonomous vehicles than any other state and today’s rules continue our leadership with this emerging technology,” said California Transportation Agency Secretary Brian P. Kelly. “These rules protect public safety, promote innovation and lay out the path for future testing and deployment of driverless technology. This rulemaking is the next step in working with stakeholders to get this right.”

“These rules expand our existing autonomous vehicle testing program to include testing vehicles where no driver is present,” said DMV Director Jean Shiomoto. “This is the next step in eventually allowing driverless autonomous vehicles on California roadways.”

The department received substantial feedback from manufacturers, consumer advocates, local government, insurance companies, and other stakeholders after it released revised draft regulations for testing without a driver and the deployment of au-

tonomous vehicles in September 2016.

The proposed regulations were published in the Office of Administrative Law’s California Regulatory Notice Register on March 10, 2017, and mark the start of a 45-day public comment period, which ends April 24, 2017.

The proposed regulations address public safety concerns while recognizing the potential of autonomous technology to improve safety, enhance mobility and encourage innovation. The proposed regulations: Recognize that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is vested with the authority to develop Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) and enforce compliance with safety and performance standards for motor vehicles. DMV is requiring certification to meeting these federal safety standards.

Establish a framework for testing without a driver.

Identify requirements that a manufacturer must meet in order to sell, lease, or otherwise make their vehicle available outside of a testing program.

Address other key topics related to autonomous vehicle deployment, including driver licensing and responsibility, vehicle registration, and advertising

of autonomous vehicles.

To gather public input on the regulations, the department will hold a public hearing on Tuesday, April 25, 2017, in Sacramento.

Written comments may be submitted to: LADRegulations@ dmv.ca.gov until April 24, 2017.

Written and verbal comments will be accepted at the public hearing.

After the public hearing, the DMV will complete the remaining steps in the formal rulemaking process and deliver the final regulations to the Office of Administrative Law for approval.

The regulations are anticipated to be completed by the end of the year.

SB 1298 (Chapter 570; Statutes of 2012) requires the DMV to create regulations that cover both the testing and deployment of autonomous vehicles. The regulations to test autonomous vehicles with a driver have been in effect since September 2014. Currently, 27 manufacturers hold an autonomous vehicle test permit.

The proposed autonomous vehicle driverless testing and deployment regulations and hearing notice are available on the DMV Autonomous Vehicles webpage at: https://www.dmv. ca.gov/portal/dmv/detail/vr/autonomous/auto n

THE Department of Foreign Affairs-Overseas Voting Secretariat (DFA-OVS) announced Wednesday, March 15, that the 2016-2018 overseas voter (OV) registration that commenced on December 1, 2016 and will end on September 30, 2018, has set a new record for first quarter performance, garnering a total of 67,497 new OV registrants for purposes of the 2019 elections.

It has surpassed the numbers of the first three months of 20142015 OV registration with a total of 64,074 new OV registrants and the previous record of 64,917 that was set in 2009.

The overseas voter registration in preparation for the 2016 elections netted a cumulative total of 1,376,067 active registered overseas voters. The 826,881 new registrants for the 2016 elections, was more than a 100 percent increase over the 398,554 new registrants for the 2013 elections. Of the almost 1.4 mil-

lion registered overseas voters, 590,440 were in the Middle East and Africa, 334,215 in the Asia Pacific, 263,316 in the Americas, 138,757 in Europe, and 49,339 were Seabased. The attainable target for this registration period is 1.1 million OV registrants, which would net a cumulative total of 2,130,000 active registered voters for the coming national elections.

“This new milestone can be mostly attributed to the hardwork and dedication of the men and women of our Foreign Service who are aggressively campaigning to encourage more overseas Filipinos to participate in this on-going electoral exercise. Our media partners and other OV stakeholders are also playing a vital role in disseminating overseas voting awareness among our kababayans abroad,” said Undersecretary Ariel Y. Abadilla, who is concurrently Chairman of DFA-OVS.

“There are still plenty of overseas Filipinos that have yet to register and vote so it’s the duty of DFA-OVS along with the Foreign Service Post’s to encourage them to register and vote because this coming midterm elections is important specially if constitutional amendment bill will be approved by the Philippine Congress,” OVS Chair Abadilla added.

All Filipino citizens who expect to be abroad from April 13 to May 13, 2019 during the overseas voting period for the 2019 Elections, at least 18 years old on May 13, 2019, and not otherwise disqualified by law, may register as an overseas voter, at all Philippine Foreign Service Posts including the three (3) Manila Economic and Cultural Offices (MECO) in Taiwan and Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) in Al-Khobar (for an updated list please go to www.dfa-oavs.gov.ph or www. comelec.gov.ph). Register and vote! (DFA)

Overseas Voter registration sets new record

UNDERWATER MARVEL A scientist diving deep into the waters of Benham Rise explores the rich marine biodiversity. President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered the Philippine Navy to put up “structures” to assert the country’s sovereignty over an underwater landmass 250 kilometers off the east coast of Luzon that a Chinese survey ship visited for six months last year, according to Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana.

Photo from Oceana/University of the Philippines Los Baños.

AAPI Equal Pay Day highlights wage disparity among women

by Christina

M. Oriel

AJPress

ASIAN American and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) comprise the fastest-growing demographic in the United States and are widely believed to have achieved professional and educational success at higher rates compared to other minority groups.

However, a closer look at the over 50 AAPI ethnic groups who speak more than 100 different languages show proves the “model minority” myth wrong. Aggregated data often fails to capture the economic challenges that subpopulations within the AAPI community face.

On Tuesday, March 7, AAPI Equal Pay Day was observed to highlight that an AAPI woman gets roughly 85 cents for every dollar a white, non-Hispanic man earns. That means, it takes over two additional months for them to be paid what a white man earned the previous year, according to recent data compiled by the National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum (NAPAWF).

A report from the NAPAWF, shows that the estimated annual income for Filipino women is $49,000, compared to $45,000 for Filipino men and $55,000 for white, non-Hispanic men.

Moreover, southeast AAPI women have some of the highest wage gaps compared to other racial and ethnic groups. The

gap also increases as women get older — according to the National Women’s Law Center, AAPI women aged 45-64 years old make 68 cents on average to each dollar earned by a white man. Those who are 65 years or older make 53 cents.

“It’s important to note that educational level varies very much within the community,” Shilpa Phadke, senior director of the women’s initiative at the Center for American Progress (CAP) told the Asian Journal. “When you consider those who hold a bachelor’s degree, the wage gap really widens. Asian American women might make 85 cents compared to white, non-Hispanic men, but that higher education pays off more for white men than it does for Asian American women. That wage gap widens as these women get older.”

She added that it’s important for policymakers to understand the details of the data in order to understand “Filipino women, Vietnamese women or Korean women and the types of occupations that they may hold that may have a wider wage gap.”

In an article on the website, The Establishment, NAPAWF policy associate Aliya Khan wrote that the wage inequality within the AAPI community can be an uncomfortable topic of discussion.

“It forces people to acknowledge areas of privilege, and it

forces us to chip away at the myth that all members of the AAPI community have the same access to opportunities,” Khan wrote of the wealthier AAPIs. However, for those who are not as wealthy, “discussing financial hardship can cause feelings of vulnerability— as if you are not living up to the standards and expectations outlined by family, friends, your community, and your dominant culture,” she added. “The silence within our community makes it hard to shed light on the lived reality of so many AAPI people.”

Advocates for equal pay for AAPI women recommend that federal legislation be passed aimed directly at reducing the pay inequity (i.e. the Paycheck Fairness Act and the Pay Equity for All Act) and supporting caregivers. Moreover, they suggest that federal agencies collect and report disaggregated data among the various AAPI groups, as well as transgender and gender-nonconforming communities, to provide a more accurate portrayal of the income disparities.

“On the data piece, we should really demand on the federal and state level that they collect as much data on AAPI communities as possible. Second is enforcement to make sure the federal government is enforcing claims around equal pay as much as they can and that the programs are not gutted,” Phadke said. n

Hundreds of Women March on International Working Women’s Day “RISE Against Fear, RESIST Attacks On Our Communities, UNITE For Self-Determination” SAN FRANCISCO, Calif.

— Hundreds of members of grassroots women’s organizations from throughout the Bay Area came out for International Women’s Alliance on Saturday, March 11, to commemorate the 108th year of International Working Women’s Day. The day honors the first women who went on strike in 1909, even as marchers today continue to build collective resistance and people power.

Participants stood up for workers’ rights, immigrant rights and more.

“We are marching for all women, transgender and gender non-conforming folks, and all the communities being subject to attack by the Trump regime,” said Irma Shauf-Bajar, National Chairperson of GABRIELA USA, a Philippine-based, international women’s rights group. “We’re here to rise against fear, resist attacks on our communities, and unite for self-determination!”

“To understand the problems of immigrants we have to understand why they migrate and the role Trump’s policies play in the conditions of other countries,” said Bernadette Herrera, spokesperson for Migrante

NorCal. “We’re caregivers, domestic workers and janitors, and this economy wouldn’t exist without us.”

“We’re marching for the equality and respect that we deserve as trans women,” said Sthefany Galante Bautista of El/La Para TransLatinas. “We’re fighting for liberation.”

“We are here for the mothers of the Palestinian martyrs who have continuously faced violent Zionist oppression for 70 years,” said Maisa Morrar of Palestinian Youth Movement. We are here to uphold the mothers, grandmothers, sisters, aunts and beyond to

continue their struggle and fight for freedom and liberation.

In just six weeks since assuming presidency, Trump has launched violent attacks on the rights of women, Muslim, and LGBTQ communities; infringed on the self determination of native people with the continuation of the Dakota Access and Keystone Pipeline; and denied citizens their basic rights of accessible health care and education.

People in the US and around the world are now taking to the streets and women resistors, youth, and workers are on the front lines of liberation movements. n

vide climate finance to developing countries.

Muller will help the committee provide relevant advice to UNFCCC State Parties in relation to the Financial Mechanism of the treaty.

These recommendations, when adopted, will guide the Global Environment Facility and the Green Climate Fund, the operating entities of the mechanism that provide climate finance in the adaptation and mitigation needs of developing countries.

Muller has a long experience in the climate negotiations, having participated in the first meeting in 1991 of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee that produced the UNFCCC. She has been deeply involved in negotiating UNFCCC decisions that established the Least Developed Country Fund, the

Special Climate Change Fund, the Adaptation Fund of the Kyoto Protocol and the Green Climate Fund.

During the Marrakesh climate talks in November 2016, Muller was the lead coordinator for finance of the G77 and China negotiating bloc where the Philippines is affiliated. She helped secure a decision that will allow developing countries as parties to the Paris Agreement to use the Adaptation Fund to finance their climate plans. This is seen as a big benefit to the Philippines as it becomes a Party to the Paris Agreement in the coming weeks.

Muller hails from Sta Cruz, Laguna. She graduated from the University of the Philippines, Sorbonne University in Paris, and the Graduate Institute of International Studies in Geneva. She served as a foreign service officer until her retirement in 2007. n

Filipina elected co-chairman of UN panel

by JaiMe

r. PilaPil ManilaTiames.net

A VETERAN Filipino climate negotiator was elected co-chairman of the Standing Committee on Finance of the United Nations framework on climate change.

The election of Bernarditas de Castro Muller, former diplomat and a veteran finance negotiator at the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), was among the agenda of the 15th Meeting of the Standing Committee on Finance in Bonn, Germany on March 7 to 9.

Muller was nominated to the post by the SCF’s Developing Country constituency, which controls 10 of 20 seats and has representatives from African, Asia-Pacific and the Latin America and Caribbean States.

The 10 other seats are held by developed countries that pro-

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A

Senate unanimously approves Paris climate deal

by Patricia LourDeS Philstar.com

Viray

MANILA — The Senate on Tuesday unanimously voted to concur with the ratification of the historic Paris Agreement, strengthening the country’s role in climate talks. earlier this month, President Rodrigo Duterte signed the Instrument of Accession for the Paris climate deal, which calls for the reduction of carbon emissions that have been blamed for climate change and extreme weather conditions.

Sen. Loren Legarda, chair of the Senate Committee on Climate Change, thanked her colleagues for supporting the ratification of the Paris Agreement.

“The Paris Agreement is a testament of solidarity and a call for global climate action. It shows that developing nations and the developed countries could pursue

climate action and uphold climate justice together,” Legarda said in a statement.

The accession to the climate deal will allow the country to exercise governance, oversight, leadership and decision-making in the implementation of the Paris Agreement.

“The Paris Agreement is an embodiment of a legacy. This will go down in history as one of our shining achievements. The 17th Congress, under the Duterte Administration, can be regarded as the legislative assembly that championed climate action, environmental protection, and sustainable development,” Legarda said.

The embassy of France in the Philippines has congratulated the country for the ratification of the climate deal.

The Philippines joins 133 other parties to the Paris Agreement,

which represents more than 80 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions.

“The ratification of the Paris Agreement, which coincides with the 70th year anniversary of French-Philippine diplomatic relations, opens new perspectives for our two countries to develop and implement sustainable solutions towards a greener, more sustainable future for our planet,” the French embassy said in a statement.

In 2015, members of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change crafted the climate deal which seeks to limit the increase in the global average temperature to below two degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.

The Philippine vowed to reduce carbon emissions by 70 percent by 2030. n

Sen. Loren Legarda, chair of the Senate Committee on Climate Change, sponsored the committee report on the Paris Agreement.

(From left) Biodiversity Management Bureau Director Mundita Lim, US Ambassador Sung Kim, DENR Secretary Gina Lopez, Senator Cynthia Villar, and Deputy Mission Director of USAID, Clay Epperson.

US, PH join forces to conserve wildlife, biodiversity The US government, through the US embassy in the Philippines’ United States Agency for International Development (USAID), partnered with the Department of environment and Natural Resources (DeNR) to launch a new biodiversity conservation project to help protect and manage the Philippines’ diverse habitats and species.

US Ambassador to the Philippines Sung Kim joined DeNR Secretary Gina Lopez to inaugurate the five-year, P1.2-billion project. Protect Wildlife will address biodiversity loss and illegal wildlife trade in some of the richest yet most vulnerable ecosystems in the Philippines. It will also focus on improving the food, water, livelihood, and ecotourism that can be derived from these ecosystems.

“Natural resources and biodiversity play an important part in the Philippines’ economy. This is why the US government, through USAID, has been working with national and local governments,

PH seeks proof that terror suspects in Malaysia are ‘Filipinos’

by Dana

M. SioSon

AJPress

The Philippine embassy in Kuala Lumpur has requested the Royal Malaysian Police to provide “further information” regarding the identity of the five “Filipinos” arrested over their alleged link to a terror group.

Ph Ambassador to Malaysia eduardo Malaya said that the Philippine embassy has asked in particular for details regarding the nationalities of the five arrested in-

dividuals.

While various reports claim that they are Filipinos, Malaya said that the Royal Malaysia Police initially informed them that “none of the five had Philippine passports or identity documents in their possession, although three are confirmed to be permanent residents in Malaysia.”

“We trust that their names and other personal details will be shared with us shortly, particularly if they are indeed Filipinos,”

Malaya told Inquirer.

The Malaysian police on Monday, March 13 said that it arrested seven individuals for their suspected links to the Islamic State (IS) militant group; five of whom are supposedly Filipinos while the remaining two are Malaysians.

According to Malaysian Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar, three of the nabbed Filipinos have permanent resident (PR) statuses in Malaysia.

Khalid revealed that a 27-year-

old Filipino, with a PR status, was first arrested together with another 18-year-old Filipino on Wednesday, March 8 in Kota Kinabalu.

The first Filipino is believed to have secured funds for Malaysian fugitives, Dr. Mahmud Ahmad and Mohamad Joraimee Awang Raimee. The latter Filipino is supposed to be an IS militant who has sworn allegiance to Abu Sayyaf senior leader Isnilon hapilon.

On the following Thursday,

the private sector, civil society, and individual communities to strengthen natural and environmental resource management in the country,” Ambassador Kim said.

The project will use a comprehensive strategy that combines technical assistance for government and civil society partners, partnerships for conservation financing, behavior change campaigns and social marketing, science and technology, and environmental law enforcement.

This holistic approach promotes partnership and action among environmental stakeholders and empowers those best positioned to address biodiversity loss and the illegal wildlife trade.

“The project will demonstrate that protecting and managing the Philippines’ diverse habitats and species lead to improved quality of life and community-level, sustainable development,” Ambassador Kim added. The project also supports the DeNR’s commitment to deliver people-centric programs

that support sustainable and inclusive growth.

USAID’s Protect Wildlife will commence in Palawan, Zamboanga City, and Tawi-Tawi, which host some of the most biodiverse habitats and unique species in the Philippines. These provinces are also exposed to various humaninduced threats, such as poaching and trafficking of wildlife, destructive fishing practices, and loss of habitats from widespread conversion of forests, wetlands, and mangroves to settlements and agricultural lands.

The project complements other US government-funded projects with the DeNR. Collectively, the suite of projects furthers USAID’s mission to promote biodiversity conservation in an inclusive and sustainable way. Protect Wildlife is the first USAID initiative in the Philippines to align with the US government’s newly signed eliminate, Neutralize and Disrupt Wildlife Trafficking Act of 2016, which addresses the global illegal wildlife trade. (ManilaTimes.net)

March 9, a 53-year-old Filipino ferry ticket seller and a laborer, who both have PR statuses, and another 31-year-old Malaysian Immigration officer, were arrested in Sandakan.

According to Khalid, the two Filipino suspects with PR statuses supposedly “have assisted in the transit of three Indonesian IS militants to [the] southern Philippines through Sabah.”

The immigration officer, meanwhile, allegedly arranged the entries of people “without valid travel documents, including IS militants from Indonesia and Malaysia, into

Sabah before they head to [the] southern Philippines.”

Also on Thursday, another 36year-old Filipino man with alleged plans to join the IS in Syria was arrested.

On Sunday, March 12, a deported 36-year-old Malaysian, who allegedly tried to enter Syria with the help of known Indonesian militant Abu Fateh last year, was arrested at Kuala Lampur International Airport.

Since 2013, the Malaysian police has reportedly arrested more than 250 individuals for their alleged links to militant activities. n

A

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Trespassing

Features

BILATERAL ties between the Philippines and China have begun to warm up as soon as President Rodrigo Duterte stepped into office.

Following his early anti-American outbursts, Duterte vowed to carry out an independent foreign policy, one that seeks to distance Manila from Washington, but makes overtures toward Beijing.

True enough, Chinese investors are lining up to explore business opportunities in the Philippines, with new projects worth at least $10 billion expected to be infused in the country’s aviation, oil downstream, renewable energy, iron and steel, and shipbuilding/ship repair industries.

While the bilateral relations are blossoming, a cloud on the horizon appears as a reported incursion of Chinese vessels in the Benham Rise, a 13-million hectare mineral-rich undersea region east of Luzon. Beijing maintained that it was only “exercising navigation freedoms and the right to innocent passage.”

Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang also said that the Philippines cannot declare Benham Rise as part of its territory despite a 2012ruling declaring that the resources-rich waters as part of the Philippine territory.

Duterte then revealed that he knew that China would be sending survey ships to Benham Rise.

The president remains confident that China will not build facilities on Benham Rise the same way that they did with the features in the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea. The recent incursion is a reminder that another

international court exists, where the ruling favors the Philippines’ maritime case against China over its expansive claim in the disputed water of the South China Sea. The Philippines has pleaded its case to the International Tribunal on the Law of the Sea (ITLOS), an intergovernmental organization created through the directive of the Third United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea and established by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), signed at Montego Bay, Jamaica, on Dec. 10, 1982.

The two countries have competing claims to some parts of the South China Sea. China claims the largest swathe of the strategic water, which is believed to have significant oil and gas deposits. It has continuously rejected other nations’ claim (including Vietnam, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei) on the South China Sea. It has also been busy militarizing the strategic waters in the last few years through the creation of new outposts by piling sand atop reefs and atolls, and then adding buildings, ports and airstrips big enough to handle bombers and fighter jets.

Despite continuous calls from the international community to halt the construction, China remained adamant over its assertion to the South West Philippine (South China) Sea. It maintained that its military activities are consistent with its position that the construction of artificial islands was designed to

Editorial

ManilaTimes.net photo

provide public service to the region by helping ships and fishermen and disaster relief efforts.

Admitting that the Philippines is militarily outmatched by China, Duterte is bent on discussing and resolving the issues in the South China Sea

through dialogue. Let’s hope that this renewed partnership with China will facilitate regional integration and create dynamic and stable domestic economies—benefitting the needs of both their people. (AJPress)

Congressional Budget Office: Millions of Americans will lose insurance under Trumpcare

REPUBLICANS, including then candidate Donald Trump, ran on the campaign promise of repealing President Barack Obama’s signature legislative legacy — the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The Republican party, a.k.a. the Grand Old Party (GOP), had been fixated on demonizing the ACA, also known as “Obamacare,” since Obama started pushing for its passing to provide health care to the most number of uninsured Americans.

When Trump won, he started repealing most of Obama’s legacy through executive orders, yet Obamacare remained untouched by Republicans, save for their barrage of criticisms of how much of a disaster it had been in the past eight years. Why? Republicans had no concrete bill to replace Obamacare with after eight long years.

Members of Congress had the biggest surprise of their lives when the polls showed Obamacare had been at an all-time high in approval ratings among Americans, despite the fact that many of its provisions need modifications to address the rising cost of premiums in

Commentary

FRanciSco S. tatad THE confident wisdom is that aside from being immune from lawsuit while in office, President Rodrigo Duterte enjoys the tacit support and protection of Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales because of close family ties.

DU30’s daughter Sara, who is the mayor of Davao City, is married to the son of the Ombudsman’s extended family, and the Ombudsman part of the mayor’s.

Despite this, PDU30 is said to be sorely disappointed with Justice Carpio Morales, because of her alleged coziness to the “yellows”—the former members of the Aquino administration. He has, therefore, reportedly given the go-ahead for the filing of an impeachment complaint against the former SC associate justice.

Betraying the public trust The recently ubiquitous Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC) is reportedly poised to file the impeachment complaint, citing betrayal of public trust on several counts. This includes: The Ombudsman’s alleged failure to act promptly on complaints and dispose of cases without inordinate delay—the disposal rate of cases for 2016 is a meager 52 percent; Her allegedly undue bias in

the age of 26. several states. Many Trumpcare (or is congressmen faced an- The Fil-Am it Ryancare?) would gry constituents who keep Obamacare’s had benefitted from Perspective protections of those Obamacare, who hamwith pre-existing mered them with the conditions but allows questions — “Where is insurers to charge your plan?” and “How higher premiums to do you guarantee we Gel SantoS-ReloS those who let their will continue to be covcoverage lapse. ered if you repeal Obamacare?”

The Republican health care bill would Finally, on Monday, March 6, the Republican Party introduced their health restructure the country’s Medicaid procare bill — led by House Speaker Paul gram so that states receive a set amount Ryan — which was embraced and en- of money from the federal government dorsed by Pres. Trump. They call it every year.

This bill was rejected not only by “American Health Care Act.” The measure would throw away the Democrats, by the more conservative requirement for individuals and em- members of Congress as well. They call ployers to get insurance coverage or it “Obamacare lite”, saying it would be face penalties as was mandated by “dead on arrival” in the Senate.

The most damning report and case Obamacare.

What the GOP bill proposes is to give against Trumpcare, however, came individuals refundable tax credits to from the nonpartisan Congressional purchase health insurance. It also aims Budget Office (CBO) along with the to maintain coverage for people with Joint Committee on Taxation.

While the bill would reduce the federpre-existing conditions and allow children to stay on their parents’ plans until al deficit by $337 billion over 10 years,

millions of Americans will be left without health care coverage.

As the New York Times reported: “The budget office estimated that 52 million people would be uninsured in 2026 under the House Republican bill, compared with 28 million projected under current law.

“The report foresees huge changes in Medicaid. By 2026, it said, federal Medicaid spending would be 25 percent lower under the House bill than is projected under current law, and the number of Medicaid beneficiaries would be 17 percent lower, with 14 million fewer people covered by Medicaid.”

CNN reported that “health insurance premiums are expected to jump up to 20 percent in the individual market in 2018 and 2019, but after that, they would decrease. By 2026, average premiums would be roughly 10 percent lower than under the current system.”

“The increase in premiums would be much steeper for some Americans in the individual market,” the CNN report added, “particularly older people with lower incomes.

By the numbers, CNN stated that: “A 64-year-old making $26,500 would pay $1,700 for coverage in 2026 under Obamacare, thanks to its subsidies. But under the Ryan plan, that person would get hit with an annual premium bill of $14,600.

“However, those who earn too much to receive Obamacare subsidies would be better off under the GOP plan no matter their age. For 2017, the thresholds to qualify are $47,500 for individuals and $97,200 for families of four.

“So a 21-year-old earning $68,200 in 2026 would pay $1,450 under the House bill, but $5,100 under Obamacare. A 64year-old would face an annual premium of $14,600, compared to $15,300 under Obamacare.”

Do you support this plan? Will this repeal and replace Obamacare? *** Gel Santos Relos is the anchor of TFC’s “Balitang America.” Views and opinions expressed by the author in this column are solely those of the author and not of Asian Journal and ABS-CBN-TFC. For comments, go to www.TheFil-AmPerspective.com, https://www.facebook. com/Gel.Santos.Relos

Impeaching the Ombudsman favor of “yellow” personalities, against whom charges have been routinely dropped, while opposition personalities like former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, former Vice President Jejomar Binay, his wife and former mayor Dr. Elenita Binay, their son and former mayor Junjun Binay, Senators Juan Ponce Enrile, Jinggoy Estrada, Ramon Revilla Jr., Rep. Prospero Pichay and others were prosecuted and, in many instances, jailed; and Her allegedly extraordinary effort to shield B. S. Aquino 3rd from prosecution—she cleared him of any accountability in the constitutionally outlawed P149billion Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP) funds, which he used to bribe Congress in order to impeach and remove the late Chief Justice Renato Corona, and imposed a ridiculous fine equivalent to three months’ pay on the architect and implementer of the scheme, former Budget Secretary Florencio Abad.

The grounds enumerated in the Constitution include culpable violation of the Constitution, treason, bribery, graft and corruption, other high crimes, or betrayal of public trust. The gravity of the alleged offense is the first thing that strikes us, but what matters ultimately is the resolve of the prosecution to prosecute and convict the respondent. In the Corona impeachment, the prosecution started with eight articles of impeachment, then

dropped five for lack of evidence, but ultimately focused on only one which, to a number of lawyers, did not constitute an impeachable offense. This involved alleged discrepancies in his statement of assets, liabilities and net worth, which the law allows the filer to correct his mistakes. Still, Corona was convicted and removed, instead of being allowed to correct his mistakes.

One way to resolve political conflict It won’t be the first nor the last time the impeachment process will be used to resolve a political conflict. In 2011, the pro-Aquino House of Representatives impeached Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez, after the House had failed to do so in 2009, for allegedly failing to act on certain charges against Aquino’s political pet peeves. However, Gutierrez resigned before she could be tried by the Senate, which alone tries and decides all impeachment cases. It was the second time in 10 years that Congress had used its impeachment power to remove an impeachable official without actually completing the process. In 2001, President Joseph Estrada was removed in a judicially assisted coup after the prosecution walked out of the Senate impeachment trial and took their case to the streets.

Estrada stepped down after his Cabinet and the Armed Forces of the Philippines withdrew their allegiance and support. Accused

and found guilty of plunder, he was then jailed and pardoned by President Arroyo whom President B. S. Aquino 3rd later prosecuted and jailed. This came after Aquino bribed members of Congress to impeach and remove Corona for having, among other things, been close to Arroyo, and ruled against Hacienda Luisita, Cory’s family’s sugar estate in Tarlac.

Cory had earlier exempted her own hacienda from land reform when she was revolutionary President, but the Corona Court finally awarded the rights to the hacienda to its workers during B.S.Aquino 3rd’s watch.

Morales played a stellar role in the Corona affair. On June 30, 2010, she swore B. S. Aquino 3rd into office as the 16th Filipino president (counting from Emilio Aguinaldo of the First Philippine Republic) after he refused to be sworn in by Corona just as his mother had refused to be sworn in by the Chief Justice under Marcos as revolutionary President.

She took her oath before Associate Justice Claudio Teehankee Jr. instead. One year later, B. S. Aquino announced Morales’s appointment as Ombudsman during his State of the Nation Address. At Corona’s impeachment trial, Morales testified against her former chief, citing confidential bank records directly accessed by her office.

From prosecutor to prosecuted?

Now the shoe is on the other

Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales

foot. Should the reported VACC initiative prosper, Morales would find herself at the receiving end.

But this is not likely to be the main event. The real combat will be fought between DU30 and Aquino’s forces after Carpio Morales will have been removed—if indeed she is removed—and a new Ombudsman installed. Although DU30 has not said anything about the impeachment move, VACC-related sources say Malacañang is fully behind it.

The move on Morales is seen as preparatory to going after Aquino for his unpunished offenses, which include the massive diversion of DAP funds into illegal projects, including the bribery of Congress to railroad the RH Law and remove an unwanted Chief Justice. An incipient modus vivendi between DU30 and Aquino appears to have been washed out by unverified but insistent reports about the Liberal Party trying to escalate the process of presidential succession in favor of Vice President Leni

Robredo whose legitimacy is under question before the Presidential Electoral Tribunal or the Supreme Court en banc. The LP apparently wants a presidential succession to preempt a PET decision on the electoral protest by former Senator Ferdinand (Bongbong) Marcos Jr. At the same time, there are forces within the DU30 government, led preeminently by Cabinet Secretary, NDF vice chairman, and Kilusang Pagbabago chair Leoncio Evasco Jr., who would like to see the electoral protest and the constitutional line of presidential succession simultaneously extinguished by a simple declaration of a revolutionary government.

This pipe dream of DU30’s communist partners would simply abolish the government. Unless that happens, DU30 cannot afford to underestimate Morales.

He should learn from Corona’s or his lawyers’ mistake.

Not powerless to strike back Analysts believe Morales has PAGE A7

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

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NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL • mARCh 17-23, 2017

A

DFA puts on hold renewal of Yasay’s PH passport

by EllEn

TordEsillas Manilatimes.net

THE Department of Foreign Affairs has put on hold the application of former Foreign Secretary Perfecto Yasay Jr. for renewal of his Philippine passport pending resolution of questions surrounding his citizenship by “competent authorities.”

Yasay filed the application on March 9, a day after the 15-member Commission on Appointments rejected his appointment as head of the country’s foreign service for lying about his American citizenship.

“At this writing, we have received instructions from Acting Secretary (Enrique) Manalo to suspend or hold in abeyance the issuance of the passport to former Secretary Yasay pending resolution of the legal question by competent authorities,” Assistant Secretary for Consular Affairs Frank R. Cimafranca said.

Asked about the DFA’s move,Yasay said, “I don’t know about that. They did not inform me.” He declined further comment.

Sources close to Yasay said the former secretary’s Philippine passport issued in 2013 is valid up to mid-2018. He applied for Express Processing (seven working days) and paid P1,200.

The DFA’s Office of Consular Affairs said the only requirement for renewal of an e-passport is the current passport.

“The question or determina-

Former Foreign Secretary Perfecto Yasay Jr.

tion of Secretary Yasay’s citizenship properly belongs to a court of competent jurisdiction in the Philippines. In the absence of that legal determination, he has in his favor the presumption of regularity with respect to the issuance of his current passport,” Cimafranca said, He said the Office of Consular Affairs has sought the opinion of the DFA’s legal office on Yasay’s application.

President Rodrigo Duterte named Yasay foreign secretary immediately after the May 2016 elections even as he also said he had offered the position to his running mate, Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano.

Cayetano, who lost in the vice presidential race, was at the time covered by the one-year election ban on candidates being appointed to executive positions.

Duterte and Yasay’s friend-

ship dates back to their law school days when they were roommates at the YMCA dormitory in Manila. Duterte was then taking up law at San Beda College and Yasay at the University of the Philippines.

Yasay had denied speculations about his US citizenship. Media investigations, however revealed that he was granted citizenship by the United States government on Nov. 24, 1986. He officially renounced his US citizenship at the U.S. Embassy in Manila on June 26, 2016, two days before he assumed the position of Philippine foreign secretary.

On March 8, the Commission on Appointments unanimously rejected Yasay’s nomination, the first of Duterte’s appointees to suffer such a fate. Manalo, a career foreign service officer, was appointed acting foreign secretary.

Despite probe findings, Duterte stands by cops in Espinosa slay by alExis

romEro Philstar.com

MANILA — President Rodrigo Duterte stood by the policemen who ordered to arrest Albuera Mayor Rolando Espinosa Sr. and maintained that he would never grieve for the death of people involved in illegal drugs.

“I don’t care even if it’s a thousand committees there. I would insist on the truthfulness of the police and I’ll defend them basta wag lang yung abuso (as long as they are not abusive),” Duterte said in a press conference in Malacañang on Monday, March 13.

“You grieve for Espinosa, fine. I said I’ll protect the Filipino people,” Duterte said.

Two Senate committees in-

vestigating the killing of Espinosa inside a Leyte jail said in their joint committee report that police involved tried to cover up their possible involvement.

Their 34-page report also warned Duterte against “micro-managing” the affairs of the government as shown by his order reinstating police officers implicated in the Espinosa murder.

Duterte, for his part, said he would defend the policemen facing charges over Espinosa’s death.

“Let’s just wait. If the case is filed in court, that’s the proper venue to discuss it. Lawsuit? It’s okay,” Duterte said.

“When I defend the police, I will defend the police. If I defend the military, I will go down with them to the mouths of hell because that’s my order. I won’t renege on it. I won’t deny it,” he added.

“If you are involved in drugs, don’t expect anything. Don’t expect (me to) cry for you. How many Filipino lives have you destroyed? And then when you die you want your memoirs to be melodramatic? Son of a b**ch. I know you’re ready to go to hell.

Let’s go there together.”

Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III said the committee report still has to be subjected to plenary discussions and approval.

15 KILOS. Senator Risa Hontiveros, chair of the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality, on Tuesday, March 14, 2017, together with IndustriALL Women-Philippines chairperson Asuncion Binos (left), and Chief of Staff of Diwa Partylist Representative Em Aglipay-Villar (right), demonstrate the physical burden of pregnancy in her advocacy to expand paid maternity leave from the current 60 days to 120-150 days.

Senate photo by Joseph Vidal

Impeaching the Ombudsman PAGE A6 her own options. She could, for one, cause a defective impeachment complaint to be filed against her before anybody else does. Once it is dismissed for being insufficient in form and in substance, she could no longer be subjected to any impeachment complaint for a period of one year. This is consistent with the ruling in Francisco v. House of Representatives, which says that after an impeachment complaint has failed to prosper in the House, no other impeachment complaint may be filed against the same official for a period of one year. Morales wrote this ponencia in 2003 and it saved then-Chief Justice Hilario Davide Jr. from certain impeachment.

President GMA used the same ruling effectively to outsmart her political enemies.

Plain readers of the English language regard this ruling as an ingenious attempt to provide a creative interpretation of the Constitution, in order to nullify the complaint filed by Congressmen Gilbert Teodoro and Felix William Fuentebella against Davide, which to many lawyers, was an open and shut case. A previous complaint filed by former President Estrada had failed to prosper, so there was no previous impeachment case or proceedings to talk about; but

this was used to declare that the Chief Justice could no longer be subjected to an impeachment complaint because of a previous impeachment “case.”

Just to end this brief critique, the Constitution provides that the House of Representatives shall have the exclusive power to initiate all cases of impeachment; the Senate shall have the sole power to try and decide all cases of impeachment; and no impeachment proceedings shall be initiated against the same official more than once within a period of one year. It is the House, not any petitioner, that initiates an impeachment case, as distinguished from a mere complaint.

And the House initiates it when it transmits the Articles of Impeachment to the Senate for trial.

Until that happens, the complaint filed by a petitioner is just a complaint, not a case. Thus, since Estrada’s complaint had failed to develop into a case, there was no bar to the Teodoro-Fuentebella complaint becoming one.

The Carpio-Morales ponencia, however, interpreted the provision to mean that Davide, having been subjected to a failed impeachment complaint could no longer be subjected to an impeachment complaint, which had the support of the required number in the House. Thus, on the basis of this ruling, all that lawyer Oliver Lozano had to do

was to file an insufficient complaint against Mrs. Arroyo a few years later to enable her to avoid an honest-to-goodness impeachment complaint for an initial period of one year.

A fallback position This option is now open to Justice Morales. Will she make use of it? If she does, before VACC files its intended complaint, she’d be home free for the next 12 months. But some sources suggest that she might decide to fight it out by some other means.

She need not be on the defensive, these sources argue; she could take the offensive by raising some of the issues that have been raised earlier by the Catholic bishops, by Senator Leila de Lima, who is now under detention, or by two self-confessed members of the so-called Davao Death Squad, Edgar Matobato and Arthur Lascañas.

These sources believe Morales has the legal personality and the necessary character to bring the extra-judicial drug killings to the International Criminal Court at The Hague, if she so desires.

And that may be where she is heading. I dare not imagine how DU30 would react if and when something like that happens. Just listen to him now. But I am not prepared to underestimate Morales, nor to discount anything.

The best and the worst are yet to come. (ManilaTimes.net)

Binigay nila ang lahat sa iyo.

Ngayon, ikaw naman Sa pamamagitan ng ‘paid family leave’ maaari mong makuha ang bahagi ng iyong kita para alagaan ang iyong pinakaminamahal. Kung hindi ikaw, sino?

CaliforniaPaidFamilyLeave.com

A

March 17-23, 2017 • NOrcaL aSIaN JOUrNaL

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NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL • MARCH 17-23, 2017

BUSINESS& COMMUNITY

CJ

Journal

Your Immigration Solution Brittany Milliasseau IN this time of rapidly changing immigration directives and uncertainty regarding the immigration policies of the Trump Administration, noncitizens and their family members are desperately seeking answers and looking for solutions to their immigration issues. Unfortunately, fear and worry regarding the Trump Administration’s stance on immigration has caused individuals to look for help in all the wrong places. Many of these individuals are exploited by unqualified immigration consultants, or “notarios” who are only seeking to make money at the expense of desperate victims. Don’t become a victim! Be wary of individuals providing immigration advice and charging for legal services they are not qualified to perform. Only obtain legal advice from a competent and qualified attorney and never retain help from someone who fails to provide you with a written contract explaining the nature of the work to be performed and the fees to be charged.

It is important to keep in mind that obtaining the wrong legal advice and receiving assistance from ill-equipped sources can have dire consequences. Even seemingly minor mistakes can place one’s immigration case in serious jeopardy, ultimately causing one to be denied an immigration benefit he or she may be clearly qualified for or may even cause an individual to end up in removal proceedings or be physically removed from the country. While fraudulent immigration consultants have been around for years, it is more important than ever to be cautious of fraudulent immigration practitioners who have been taking advantage of the recent changes in immigration policy. If you have questions regarding your immigration situation, be sure to seek experienced immigration counsel who can provide sound advice and zealously represent your case.

Don’t become a victim: The rise of immigration scams during periods of uncertainty in immigration policy Further, in the wake of the recent Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids throughout the country in February, there were reports of fake immigration officials wrongfully apprehending immigrants. Recently, a man was approached by several men dressed as ICE agents who threatened to arrest and deport him unless he provided the fake agents with money. Be sure to keep yourself informed of these incidents and remember that ICE agents should never solicit money from you. If you or a loved one is questioned or detained, quickly seek the advice of experienced immigration counsel.

Additionally, numerous officials have warned of an increase in general immigration scams in light of the changes in immigration policy.

Common immigration scams include email notifications regarding selection in the Diversity Visa Lottery, suspicious job offers via email, and the creation of fraudulent government websites providing immigration “assistance.”

There have also been reports of phone calls and emails from individuals pretending to be immigration agents who ask for personal information and request payment.

Beware of any individuals that ask for sensitive personal information or payment. If you have questions regarding the legitimacy of a request, be sure to reach out to competent immigration counsel and allow them to respond on your behalf if necessary.

In response to these immigration scams, advocacy groups and various government agencies have made efforts aimed at preventing immigrants from falling prey to these various scams. Specifically, the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office has released several fact sheets with useful tips. A few of those tips include: • USCIS (United States Citizenship & Immigration Services) does not charge for blank forms. They are free and can be downloaded at

www.uscis.gov/forms.

• Don’t trust anyone who claims to be able to speed up the process and guarantee immigration benefits because of a special relationship with immigration officials.

• Don’t trust someone who promises immigration benefits by applying through them instead of directly with USCIS. • USCIS will never ask for payment over the phone. They will not call and request personal information (social security number, passport number, A-number) or identify false problems with your immigration record and ask for payment to correct it.

• INS (Immigration & Naturalization Service) no longer exists.

Any reference to INS is coming from a fraudulent source.

• Do not sign any forms, applications or petitions containing false or missing information.

• Always get a copy of your documents and a receipt of filing • If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

With all the uncertainty created by the recent changes in immigration policy, save yourself some worry by making sure you have qualified and experienced immigration counsel handle your case.

If you have specific questions regarding your immigration situation or current immigration scams, do not delay in contacting knowledgeable immigration counsel. *** 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)

L- R: Gerry Palabyab, Marketing Partner, Keyland Corporation, Vienna Bertolano Sanger, Realtor, Marissa M. Marzo Holland, client and Jess Medina, Broker, CEO of Crestline Financial.

G

erry Palabyab announced the very first sale by Crestline Financial, Real Estate Broker, of a residential condominium unit at Southkey Place, Alabang North Cyber Zone to two of its clients, Vienna Bertolano Sanger, Realtor/Investor and Marissa Marzol Holland, investor. Southkey Place is an investment residential condominium development right in the heart of Alabang, North Cyber Zone where many of its 30,000 employees are competing for scarce rental condo units. Construction of this building is right on target and is expected to be finished and turned over by February, 2019.

Meanwhile, Keyland Corporation’s 110 Benavidez luxury residences will soon rise, right at the heart of Legaspi Village, Makati City, and define Makati’s skyline. The 31-floor edifice was designed by AEDAS (foreign de-

signers) and AIDEA (local architectural designer) to meet the luxury and high standards of the Ascott Group, the world’s largest property management company. Out of the 209 total residential units, 143 will be serviced residences by the Citadine brand of Ascott. The rest are private residences. The whole building will enjoy the exclusive hotel services provided by Ascott. The project’s turn over date is 2022. The company’s show room is at the ground floor of Sol Building, along Amorsolo Street across the Mile-Long District. Keyland Corporation is represented in the U.S. by Gerry Palabyab and holds office at 1799 Bayshore Highway, Unit 136, Burlingame, CA 94644. Mr. Palabyab may be reached at 650 393 9306 and via email at german.palabyab@keyland.com.ph, gingervalpal@yahoo. com.

CJ

MARCH 17-23, 2017 • NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL

The CTV Files atty. DenniS Chua, eSq. ONE advantage in filing a fiancé visa petition is that the fiancé beneficiary will be able to enter the United States faster compared to a spousal immigrant petition to be filed for the fiance.

Once the fiancé beneficiary enters the United States, he or she must marry the US citizen petitioner within ninety (90) days.

After the marriage, the fiancé beneficiary must file for an application to adjust his or her status to that of a permanent resident alien.

Since the purpose in the issuance of a fiancé visa is for the beneficiary to enter the United States to marry the US citizen petitioner, there are certain restrictions imposed on the fiancé visa.

The fiancé beneficiary can only adjust status based on marriage to the US citizen petitioner who filed the fiancé petition. Neither can the fiancé beneficiary change status to another type of nonimmigrant visa (such as a student visa, working visa, investor’s

Community Journal

Failed relationships of fiance visa beneficiaries

visa) nor extend the fiancé visa.

Two different case scenarios will best illustrate the implications on the fiancé * * * beneficiary’s failure marry theis US citizen Atty.

Lilli to Berbano Baculi an associate petitioner adjust her statusA attorney withorChua Tinsay & Vega, after marriage to the US citizen Professional Legal Corporation (CTV) - a full petitioner. service law firm with offices in San Francisco, JoseSacramento filed a fiancé visa petiSan•Diego, and Philippines.

The tion for Gilda.

Upon information presented in thisGilda’s article isenfor try intoinformation the United both general only States, and is not, nor of them discovered that nor they intended to be, formal legal advice the were not meant for each other. formation of an attorney-client relationship.

Since Gilda in Call or e-mail CTVwas for analready in-personhere or phone the United to States, she decided to consultation discuss your particular remain in the how country stayed situation and/or their and services may with her at relatives.

After a few be retained (619) 955-6277; (415) 495years,(916) Gilda met Mario and the 8088; 449-3923; lbaculi@ctvattys. two fell in love.information Gilda and com.

For general visitMario www. eventually got married. Thinkchuatinsayvega.com. ing that she was now married to a US citizen, Gilda filed for an application for adjustment of status based on her marriage to Mario. After their interview, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) denied Gilda’s application for adjustment of status because Gilda entered the US using a fiancé visa and she was not adjusting her status based on her marriage to the person who filed the fiancé visa

petition for her. Gilda may still be allowed to stay in the country and fix her status if she has been in the country for at least ten years. Gilda has the option to exit the country and undergo visa processing and to file for a waiver before the US Embassy so that the government could waive her unlawful presence if she has been in the United States unlawfully for more than 180 days. The option of filing a stateside waiver is also available to her where she could file the waiver here in the United States first before going back to her home country.

• Norman filed a fiancé visa petition for Daisy. Norman and Daisy got married within 90 days upon Daisy’s entry into the United States. Daisy then filed for her application for adjustment of status with the USCIS. During the early stages of their marriage, Daisy discovered that Norman was not the person she fell in love with. Norman had a temper and he began abusing her verbally and physically. Since Daisy could no longer stand the abuses of Norman, she left their

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How to build a house of bricks

Immigrant Living: 101 and Beyond Monette aDeva Maglaya (First of 3 parts)

(Note: I am reprising a series of how-to articles originally written more than a decade ago and tweaked for today’s readers. I believe, these still hold true now as they did back then many people including myself.)

Remember the story of the three little pigs?

Everyone does. But we relegate the story to children’s lit and condescendingly forget that these cute little porkers bring home an important point about the choices we make when we embark on building something worthwhile — like choosing the foundation on which we live our lives.

The first pig built his house of straw and the second one built his house of sticks and went partying till the cows came home.

Enter the big bad wolf.

Hankering for crispy chicharrones, he came down huffing and puffing and blowing both houses down in a snap, much to the utter dismay of the two hapless, lazy porkers. Running for their lives with their curled, tiny tails and the hair on their chinny, chin chin a-quivering, they dashed over to safety, straight to the house of their other stolid,

somewhat stodgy brother pig who had built his house methodically, meticulously, slowly, brick by solid brick.

Enter the big bad wolf again, now crazed with the thought of wolfing down not one but three pigs. He does his blustery huffing and puffing… well… you know how the story ended (that is, unless Disney produces a blockbuster sequel with their spin on the ending.)

Any structural engineer will agree with the third porker and allude to the biblical reference about a house built on a rock and the wind and rain could not prevail upon it. He will tell you that solid foundation work taking stress points into account is basic in building anything of value that’s meant to last. The same is true in living one’s life.

I am certain there are countless other pointers hundreds of thousands can add to the growing pool of knowledge that hopefully, translates to wisdom in this continuing saga of human life. In the interest of brevity I’ll cull out only 15 bite-size pointers.

1. Get your ducks in a row. Set your priorities. Align your time, decisions, actions and resource allocation according to your set of personal priorities: health, happiness, family, peace, wellbeing, wealth, time, fame, recognition, and applause. There’s a whole menu to choose from. You choose

what’s important and what’s not.

Without an internal value system and a firm sense of direction, you’re more than likely to be distracted by the many pitfalls along the way. Consider technology and its spawn, social media, as a double-edged sword. It can either help or hinder, depending on how you use it. As a tool, it is awesome but become obsessed with it and you’re a goner. FOCUSED MINDFULNESS is the antidote to all distractions.

2. Ask for help. Fold that ego to the size of a postage stamp.

There is help out there. Use it.

We need others to help us on the first get-go during the first years of scrambling, scraping and just getting our bearings straight.

Don’t be too proud to ask and seek out only those who mean well. Don’t forget to say thanks and show appreciation to those who have helped you every step of the way. There is a place in Hades for the grossly ungrateful.

3. Open your mind. Be informed. Observe the patterns of human behavior and the seasonal patterns of life. We are living in the throes of the Age of TMI (Too Much Information). The challenge is in sorting out the essentials from the ton of crud out there particularly on the internet. But above all, fear not the predictions of doom and gloom. If TV or social media are your constant compan-

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Social life impacts health

Health@Heart PhiliP S. Chua, MD, FaCS, FPCS YOU and I are social animals.

Our two-legged and four-legged friends are also “social” creatures. They are usually in pairs or in herds. Like us, humans, these animals apparently also value, long for, and enjoy companionship. The loners among them usually do not survive long. Most obviously, social life, a sense of belonging, a comfortable feeling of security in number, a natural mental sense of community, is essential to health, mental and otherwise.

That social nature starts the day we are born, in the arms of our mother, nurtured in the crib, and developed into a complete positive mental state through interactions with both our parents, siblings, grandparents, and friends. All this enables us to develop lasting relationships and a rewarding mental health, which affect and influence all other lives we touch.

Human beings’ capacity to live a stable and happy life and our survival as a species heavily depend on our social skills, attitude, and social behavior.

The history of man on earth shows that cavemen started forming small groups, literally for security and for survival against the harsh and unforgiving environment, and vicious attacks from animals preying on them. That dependency on each other is still very evident even today, in this modern, technologically advanced society of ours. Indeed, no man is an island, and a loner is, comparatively, at a much graver risk of ill-health and attrition.

Like our need for proper nutrition and shelter, humans also need that sense of belonging, within the family, among friends,

in a community, in society, and in the world at large. This support-group structures and interactions, emotional, recreational, even informational, are vital to people’s health and life. The last one has led to the popularity and proliferation of social media. This modern-day phenomenon is a tangible testimony to the value of social behavior as a natural need of homo sapiens.

A lonely person, alone, without friends, is doomed to be more depressed and more likely to die of ill-health, or even kill himself/herself, compared to another lonely individual who has a ton of family and friends providing him/ her love, friendship, inspiration, and moral support.

A sense of belonging keeps us, humans, connected with our fellowmen, within our own circle, our community, conferring upon our being the reward of acceptance, a gratifying inner satisfaction that we are “in,” and “one of them,” akin to being a member of a club or a fraternity/sorority or a party. This sense of belonging is fundamental for our emotional and physical well-being, a powerful prescription that effectively enables each of us to cope with the sometimes unfriendly and harsh environment and social order.

Attitude and social skills Our social skills, which are vital to our acceptance as a member of a group or community, are developed or impeded by our attitude, which, like social prowess, also significantly impacts our life and our health. Both are pre-requisites to health, happiness and inner peace in each of us human beings.

Show me a man with an attitude and I will show you one abandoned by his friends and scorned by strangers he irritated and riled. A good attitude compliments and boosts our social skills and acceptability to “belong.”

Here are some quotes of wisdom I have come across which are inspiring philosophical parachutes in life for those who, like many of us, sometimes find themselves falling towards the pit of discouragement and despair. With the proper attitude, these sage proverbs lift our spirit by allowing us to view and accept the trials and tribulations in this world in their most positive and best light. Indeed, all of us need a psychological boost, an inspiration, every now and then.

Here are some that inspire and guide me: Anthony J. D’Angelo, in The College Blue Book, said “Wherever you go, no matter what the weather, always bring your own sunshine.” To quote Oscar Wilde, “If you don’t get everything you want, think of the things you don’t get that you don’t want.”

Voltaire expressed it beautifully when he stated, “Life is like a shipwreck, but we must not forget to sing in the lifeboats.”

An ancient Persian saying puts a great perspective on our daily aches and pains in life, “I had the blues because I had no shoes until upon the street, I met a man who had no feet.” And as some of us may curse some bad days we encounter and wish they never came. Cavett Robert offers these poignant words: “If you don’t think every day is a good day, just try missing one.”

Indeed, every day is a good day, although others are better, and others not as good. But each day is a gift. Not waking up to another day is a deadly waste, but not appreciating another day as we open our eyes each morning in our journey through life is a tragedy. How each of us greets the day depends greatly on our attitude. Indeed, attitude impacts our health, our life, and our everyday happiness and success. A person with a chip on

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Business News

Jollibee to buy bigger chunk of US-based Smashburger

by Kristyn

niKa M. ManilaTimes.net

Lazo

HOMEGROWN fast food chain Jollibee Foods Corp. (JFC) is moving to acquire a bigger chunk of US-based burger chain Smashburger to build a stronger market presence in the U.S. In a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange on Tuesday, JFC said its wholly owned subsidiary Bee Good! Inc (BGI) and Smashburger Master LLC (Master) have revised the terms of their earlier agreement on JFC’s option to additional shares in the US burger chain.

Master is the parent firm of SJBF LLC, which is the operator and franchiser of Smashburger.

The revised agreement now allows BGI to acquire an additional 45 percent stake in the Smashburger operator from 2018 to 2021, and another option to buy 15 percent from 2019 to 2026.

The earlier deal had offered BGI the option to acquire only 35 percent of SJBF from 2018 to 2021, and 25 percent from 2019 to 2026.

Since the announcement of the joint venture agreement between BGI and Master in October 2015, JFC has acquired a 40 percent

stake in the Smashburger chain valued at $100 million.

JFC funded the acquisition with cash reserves and 10-year loan from Metrobank.

Headquartered in Denver, Colorado, Smashburger is one of the fastest growing restaurant brands in the U.S. with 339 outlets across 35 US states and seven foreign markets.

JFC said the Smashburger acquisition will make the group’s presence in the US more significant, going beyond the Filipino market and serving mainstream consumers in the $100-billion burger market, a food segment

which is estimated to be almost three times larger than the pizza, sandwich or coffee segment in terms of sales.

As of end-2016, JFC had 3,254 stores worldwide, comprising 2,643 outlets in the Philippines and 611 stores abroad. Other than its flagship brand Jollibee and Smashburger in the US, its brand network also includes Chowking, Greenwich, Red Ribbon, Mang Inasal, and Burger King in the Philippines and abroad, as well as Yonghe King, Hong Zhuang Yuan, and Dunkin’ Donuts in China. n

Community Journal

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Immigration Corner Atty. MichAel Gurfinkel, eSQ EACH month, the Visa Office of the State Department publishes, in the Visa Bulletin, the priority dates for that particular month, for the various family and employment based categories. A priority date is a person’s “place in line” for a visa, meaning immigrant visas (or green cards) would be available for persons whose priority date is earlier than the cut-off date listed below.

If your priority date was “current,” but later retrogressed (or “moved backwards” and became unavailable) before your immigrant visa was issued (or before you adjusted status in the U.S.), you would have to wait until it becomes current again.

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

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

Application Filing Date

Visa Issuance Date

May 1, 2006

January 15, 2006

First Preference

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

Second Preference

(2A) Spouse and minor children (below November 22, 21 years old) of green 2015 card holder

June 8, 2015

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

February 1, 2007

June 15, 2006

Third Preference

Married sons and daughters of US Citizens.

January 1, 1995

September 15, 1994

Fourth Preference

Brothers and sisters of US Citizens.

April 1, 1994

September 8, 1993

Application Filing Date

LABOR CERTIFICATION: Second Preference

Advanced Degree (Masters)

Third Preference

Professional/ Skilled Workers

Visa Issuance Date

Current

September 1, 2013

Current

September 15, 2012

WHAT TO DO WHEN IMMIGRATION AND CUSTOMS ENFORCEMENT (ICE) KNOCKS AT YOUR DOOR, ON AN ENCORE EPISODE OF “CITIZEN PINOY!” Many people are terrified and uncertain about their future in the U.S. because of President Trump’s “enforcement priorities”, and whether they may be targeted for removal/deportation. Leading U.S. immigration attorney Michael J. Gurfinkel provides useful tips and guidance on what you need to know and what to do when ICE comes to your home or work, on a encore episode of “Citizen Pinoy” – on Sunday at 6:15 p.m. (PST) on TFC.

Social life impacts…

PAGE CJ2 t

September 1, 2013

Non-Skilled Workers

Calendar of Events across

September 15, 2012

America

FASO’s “Swing the Night Away” in Glendale, CA Swing the night away with Filipino American Symphony Orchestra (FASO) on Saturday, March 18 at the Glendale Hilton! Bring your dancing shoes for an evening of swing, two-step, rumba, cha-cha, tango and waltz! Dance Instructors will be available on the floor. You can feel free to sit back, relax and enjoy the music! No host cocktails at 6:00 p.m, with dinner at 7:00 p.m. Tickets (dinner included) are $125. You can also contact Arlene Ferrolino (213) 248-9850, Bob Shroder (818) 395-8936 or JL Garcia (310) 936-2988 for tickets and sponsorship opportunities information. FASO is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization. Proceeds will be used to sustain the orchestra, and to fund its education and outreach programs. More information is available on the FASO website at http://www.fasofoundation.org.

M A R C H 1 8 -1 9

Consular outreach mission in Dallas, TX A team from the Philippine Consulate General in Los Angeles will conduct a Consular Outreach Mission in Dallas, Texas on March 18 and 19. It will be held at Dallas Events Center (4343 Sigma Rd., Suite #600, Farmers Branch, TX 75244) from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 1 to 5 p.m. Please email outreach.dallas@gmail.com (attn: Dallas, TX Outreach) with submissions and applications; incomplete forms will not be processed. All applications must be received no later than March 10. No walk-in applicants will be accepted. The following consular services will be rendered: renewal and/or first-time applications for electronic passport ($60 processing fee + $24 mailing fee). New passports will be released to the applicant by mail twelve (12) weeks from March 22, 2017. No lost passport applications will be accepted; Applications for the retention and re-acquisition of Philippine citizenship pursuant to the Dual Citizenship Law ($50 processing fee). Oath taking will be scheduled on the same day for qualified applicants. Applicants are advised to wear appropriate clothing for the occasion; Applications for report of marriage & birth ($25 processing fee + $7 mailing fee); and registration for overseas voting for the 2019 national elections for senators and party list representatives.

Fees must be paid in person at the scheduled appointment. Only cash, postal money order or cashier’s checks are accepted. Personal checks will not be accepted. For more information, please visit http://www.philippineconsulatela.org/. A final list of all applicants will confirmed appointment schedules will be posted on the website by March 15.

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

Failed relationships of fiance visa…

home and went to a shelter. This angered Norman who then withdrew the affidavit of support he submitted for Daisy in her adjustment of status application.

Daisy’s adjustment application was eventually denied. Under this factual scenario, Daisy can file for a battered spouse petition and adjust her status without

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The April 2017 priority dates

his shoulder, with a negative atOther Workers titude or pessimistic view of life, will obviously be miserable most of the time. And the opposite is and New York. All immigration services are outcome of your legal matter. No attorney- true, as Annette Goodheart brilprovided by, or under the supervision of, an client relationship is, or shall be, established liantly points out: “Just because you’re miserable doesn’t mean active member of the State Bar of California. with any reader. you can’t enjoy life.”

Each case is different. The information WEBSITE: www.gurfinkel.com Happiness is basically an atticontained herein including testimonials, Call Toll free to schedule a consultation for tude. Gaining inner peace is an “Success Stories,” endorsements and re- anywhere in the US: attitude. We have that God-given enactments) is of a general nature, and is not (866)—GURFINKEL intended to apply to any particular case, and Four offices to serve you: LOS ANGELES power to feel what we want to Michael J. Gurfinkel is licensed, and an does not constitute a prediction, warranty, · SAN FRANCISCO · NEW YORK · PHILIPPINES feel. And we can even psyche active member of the State Bar of California guarantee or legal advice regarding the (Advertising Supplement) ourselves. I do. Our attitude and social behavior play an important role here.

In a world where global peace is still a dream, a world beset with an economic crisis, with terrorism, with greed and corruption, with energy, food and water shortage, global warming and its devastating side-effects ADVERTISE YOUR EVENTS! on typhoons, earthquakes and PRE-EVENT AND POST-EVENT flooding, a good social skills and attitude, in the midst of all these GO DEEPER. GO WIDER. LET THE WORLD KNOW. disasters, are one of our best CALL ASIAN JOURNAL: (818) 502-0651 weapons against helplessness, despair and depression. They inDISPLAY AD SIZES AT SPECIAL RATES deed impact our health and life.

FOR NON-PROFIT GROUPS With all these complex problems confronting us, we often find ourselves in the gutter of MARCH 18 hopelessness, wherefrom, OsFree vision screenings & walk for sight in San Fernando, CA car Wilde suggests, we can look On Saturday, March 18, the Lions Club event Lions Eyes Across America will be having up at the heavens and “see the stars.” Indeed, a positive attifree vision screenings and a “Walk For Sight” at San Fernando Recreation Park (208 Park Ave, San Fernando, CA 91340). Registration is at 9 a.m. and the walk starts at 10 a.m. Donate your old eyeglasses and hearing aids. Gather family and friends to support low vision resources throughout Los Angeles. The $15 registration includes a 2017 Lion Eyes T-Shirt.

Contact Vangie Tabberrah at (818) 399-7965 or csvangie.tabb@gmail.com.

PAGE CJ2 t

NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL • MARCH 17-23, 2017

Norman’s participation.

It is important to note that the factual antecedents of each case are different and it is essential to assess various reliefs that may be available depending on the circumstances of each case. ***

Atty. Dennis E. Chua is a partner in The Law Firm of Chua Tinsay and Vega (CTV), a full service law firm with offices in San Francisco, San Diego

How to build a house of…

and Manila. 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 (415) 495-8088; (619) 955-6277; Dchua@ctvattys.com.

The CTV Attorneys will be at Max’s Restaurant in Vallejo on October 19, 2009 from 5pm to 7pm to hold a FREE legal clinic. (Advertising Supplement)

them. But you have to be willing to pay the price. And no, you PAGE CJ2 t who can hit the ground running can’t cheat. You can’t have your ions, you will become a fearful, but for mere mortals, like you cake and eat it too. There is no paranoid nutcase. The cycles of and me, we have to take a step free lunch. You may be achievboom and bust, recession and at a time, at least in the begin- ing your goal of a whopping six bumper crop years happen over ning stages. Small mistakes and figure income that allows you the and over again with the regularity errors in decision-making are material status you seek, but see of night and day. More often than rectifiable; the big ones on the what the price of putting in 16 not, life is a roller coaster ride, things that truly matter, will set hour shifts or taking on double or with its thrills and spills. Enjoy it. us back years. triple jobs is doing to your own Learn to live and move with the 5. In going for the brass ring, health, your family, your marseasons. As Ecclesiastes reminds know the price you have to pay riage and your sanity. us, “Everything passes.” to get it. Even with America on *** 4. Slow down. Pace your- a major slump these days, con- Nota Bene: Monette Adeva Maglaya is self. There is a learning curve ditions will improve and make it SVP of Asian Journal Publications, Inc. To that most of us will have to go possible for ordinary people with send comments, e-mail monette.maglaya@ through. There are a select few extraordinary dreams to realize asianjournalinc.com

tude, a happy outlook in life, especially these days, can help us tremendously in conquering our fears, insecurities, and dilemmas.

Without total surrender, when we sometimes lose or fail, we should remind ourselves to get up and fight even harder. After all, “defeat is not bitter unless you swallow it,” as Joe Clark states. To this, I will add my own: “No one can succeed in life who does not have the courage to fail”; and, “The greatest risk in life is in not taking any risk at all.”

Someone said, “You cannot adjust the direction of the wind, but you can adjust your sail.”

Very true, indeed. Simple words of wisdom that could make our day, if not our life.

But, of course, we should not simply leave everything to God. We must do our share. He promises to help those who help themselves. While we cannot cure the cancer of poverty in our country, we, as individuals, who are more blessed, can at least open our heart to help the homeless and the hungry, and gain that sense of satisfaction and inner peace.

As I have stated a few times in the past, let us not wait for surgery to open our heart. Let our social behavior and good attitude and compassion for our fellowmen reign.

As I live my life each day, I remind myself of an ancient proverb that says, “To everyone is given the key to heaven; the same key opens the gates to hell.” It’s indeed a matter of personal choice. And that choice inevitably depends on our attitude in life. Some people believe their fate is predestined, and that they can’t do anything about it. Others, inspired by good attitude and a positive social frame of mind, design, create, and charter their own destiny.

Finally, I strongly believe that leaving this world after this life is not a tragedy. Dying without significance, without making a difference, without leaving behind a good legacy as a social being, is.

Let’s all develop good social skills and a positive attitude to help us enjoy life. It’s a potent prescription for health and happiness. *** 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

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MARCH 17-23, 2017 • NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL

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

Business News

More Filipinos jobless after 2016 polls – NEDA Fully automated gov’t procedures seen by 2022

by Mayvelin

U. Caraballo ManilaTimes.net

by Mayvelin

U. Caraballo ManilaTimes.net

UNEMPLOYMENT in the Philippines worsened to 6.6 percent in January from 5.7 percent a year earlier, when temporary jobs were created ahead of the May 2016 elections, the latest Labor Force Survey (LFS) showed.

This translates to 2.76 million jobless Filipinos in January 2017, compared with 2.46 million jobless in January 2016, LFS data released by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) showed on Tuesday, March 14.

The increase in the number of unemployed Filipinos came from those with elementary education only (up by 128,000), followed by those who had high school education only (up by 88,000). But the bulk of the increase in the unemployed group was traced to adult workers (up by 181,000).

Consequently, the employment rate in January dropped to 93.4 percent from 94.3 percent a year earlier, according to the LFS results.

Pointing out the drop in employment due to the void caused by the elimination of election-related jobs, the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) said the same trend occurred in January 2011, the year that followed the 2010 elections.

However, the NEDA added that the unemployment rate in January 2017 reflected an improvement from the average 7.4 percent recorded from 2006-2015.

Election-related jobs gone A market economist from the Land Bank of the Philippines agreed with NEDA’s view that the higher unemployment rate was due to election-related factors.

“The increase in the unemployment rate might be attributed to the decline in temporary jobs, which were created last year as a result of the election season,” Land Bank’s Guian Angelo Dumalagan said.

In the next few months, he said, unemployment may rise further as domestic economic activity normalizes from the election-spending boost that took place last year.

Employment rate drops The employment rate in January dropped to 93.4 percent from 94.3 percent a year earlier.

The NEDA said this translates

EMPLOYMENT

to 39.3 million employed Filipinos, down by 1.34 million or 3.3 percent from the number in January 2016.

“We mainly observe the employment losses in the agriculture sector, which has been greatly affected by typhoons Nina and Auring that hit our country last December and January,” said Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia.

The agriculture sector accounts for the second largest share of the total number of employed Filipinos at 25.5 percent, which reflects a shedding of about 882,000 workers, or twothirds of the employment losses.

Underemployment eases On the other hand, underemployment, which refers to the lack of enough jobs for those who are working but for less than 40 hours a week, declined to 16.3 percent from last year’s 19.7 percent. That means there were 1.6 million less underemployed workers than in the comparative year-earlier period.

The NEDA noted that this is lowest rate recorded for all LFS January rounds since 2006.

Landbank’s Dumalagan said the drop in the underemployment rate could indicate a general improvement in the quality of existing jobs in the country.

Meanwhile, Bank of the Philippine Islands Vice President and lead economist Emilio Neri Jr. said he is hoping that the drop in the underemployment rate is “due to structural factors, rather than just favorable weather, as agriculture and manufacturing had likely been the driver of the improvement.”

THE Duterte administration aims to fully automate all government procedures and processes by the end of its term in line with one of the targets under the 2017-2022 Philippine Development Plan (PDP), economic planning officials said on Monday, March 13.

“The President [Rodrigo Duterte] doesn’t want people queuing [for government procedures], and how will you achieve that? Then you have to go for automation of many of these procedures,” Undersecretary Rosemarie Edillon of the National Economic and Development AuInfrastructure pipeline, agri thority (NEDA) said.

“The prospects for job generaEdillon said fully automated tion may be enhanced with the government procedures will not long pipeline of infrastructure only improve doing business in projects for implementation on a the country but will also stream24/7 work mode basis under the current administration,” Secretary Pernia said.

Given that several of these projects are going to be foreignby riChMond S. MerCUrio funded, he said the government Philstar.com must see to it that foreign contractors are made to agree to also MANILA, Philippines — The recruit technical and blue-collar Philippines and China are set workers who are available in our to sign tomorrow an agreement domestic labor market. for the purchase of local agricul“Critical interventions to ad- tural products now worth $500 dress youth unemployment are million more than the earlier esenumerated in the Philippine De- timated value. velopment Plan 2017-2022, parInternational Chamber of ticularly to reduce the number of Commerce Philippines chairyouth who are neither studying man Francis Chua said the lonor employed, nor in training,” cal agriculture products China Pernia added. intends to buy from the country He noted that scholarships are now valued at “more or less” and the strengthening of linkag- $1.5 billion. es with vocational and technical Last week, Trade Secretary schools and state universities/ Ramon Lopez said China has colleges offering technical vo- committed to significantly boost cational education and training its imports from the Philippines programs will provide access to as it seeks to purchase $1 billion a greater number of trainees. worth of local agriculture prod“Policy and regulatory chang- ucts following his meeting with es can also adversely affect em- China’s Minister of Commerce ployment. Government must Zhong Shan in Manila. continue skills development and The agreement includes a retooling programs through con- wide range of agriculture prodtinuing education and training ucts such as durian, avocado, for the affected workers, and ad- banana, pineapple, dragon fruit, just policies where warranted,” mangosteen, marang, rice, cofhe said. fee, cacao, fish, chicken and Pernia added that the govern- duck meat, among others. ment must focus its interventions Several high ranking Chion diversifying the sources of nese officials are expected to income for workers in the agri- attend the Philippines-China culture sector, increase women’s business talk and signing cerlabor participation, and address emony scheduled tomorrow in youth unemployment. n Manila. Among them are Liu

line citizen transactions.

For his part, Socioeconomic Secretary Ernesto Pernia projected that by the midterm of the Duterte regime, there should already be clear signs that the government is moving to a fully automated system by 2022.

Under the six-year PDP, the Duterte administration will adopt a whole-of-government approach in the delivery of key services.

A whole-of-government approach means that government systems and processes work together to provide ease of access and use by citizens.

To realize this goal, achieving inter-operability of government processes, which includes converging of government databases, achieving a smart and automated government, and continuation of ongoing initiatives such as the Inter-Agency Business Process Inter-operability Program should

be undertaken, the PDP states.

“The objective is to implement unified information and communications technology-enabled business processes and establish an information infrastructure that will allow the exchange, collaboration, and sharing of data,” it says.

This will include administrative and field data of various government agencies on international migration that will be harmonized for evidence-based policymaking and planning, it says.

With these targets in mind, the government’s legislative agenda includes the amendment of the Local Government Code to address the challenges in the delivery of local services and the passage of the E-government Act that will enable interoperability of government data and processes to increase efficiency and economy in the delivery of services. n

Philippines, China to finalize $1.5-B agri exports

EMPLOYMENT

Changyu, deputy director general of China’s Department of Foreign Trade, Ministry of Commerce and Jin Yuan, commercial counsellor of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China to the Philippines.

The Philippines and China concluded its 28th Joint Commission on Economic and Trade Cooperation (JCETC) meeting in Manila last week after the two countries’ last meeting in 2011.

Prior to the JCETC, five Chinese companies presented their

PSYCHIC

PERSONAL

letters of intent to the Board of Investments, signifying their keen interest in further exploring business opportunities in the country’s aviation, oil downstream, renewable energy, iron and steel, and shipbuilding/ship repair industries.

The Department of Trade and Industry said the reconvening of the Philippines-China JCETC and the letters of intent secured from the Chinese companies were a result of President Duterte’s visit to Beijing last year. n

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

NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL • MARCH 17-23, 2017

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First workshop set for Concord Community Reuse Plan THE public is invited to the first of three workshops on the Concord Community Reuse Plan for the former Concord Naval Weapons Station. The workshop will be held Saturday, March 18 from 9 a.m. to noon at the Concord Senior Center, 2727 Parkside Circle.

In 2012, the City Council adopted the Reuse Project Area Plan for the 5,000-acre base, reflecting several years of community visioning and planning.

More than 65 percent of the project will become a regional park. Over the next 20 years, the remaining area will be developed in phases.

Now that master developer Lennar/FivePoint has been se-

lected for Phase 1 of the project, it is time to start work on a Specific Plan. The Specific Plan will provide detailed guidance on topics such as design and layout of buildings, roadways, and community facilities.

The workshop will be hosted by members of the Community Advisory Committee, an advisory body appointed by the City Council to provide input and encourage public participation during the development of the Specific Plan. Workshop leaders will seek community input about issues important to residents and neighbors as the master developer begins to design the Specific Plan and Infrastructure Master Plan.

“We invite residents to join us for this first discussion of the Specific Plan,” says Guy Bjerke, Director of Community Reuse Planning. “It’s important that we hear from the community as we move forward with more detailed planning for the development of the base.”

Two additional community workshops have been scheduled for June and September. More details will be announced closer to the dates of the workshops and residents will be notified with a postcard announcement.

For more information, visit the Reuse Project website at www. concordreuseproject.org or contact the Reuse Project office at (925) 671-3001. n

Art for and by children with autism fuels hope

by Carol

TanjuTCo Inquirer.net

NEW YORK — With the upcoming celebration of World Autism Day in the United Nations on April 2, children with autism are getting ready to come to the Big Apple with their hand-painted piña fabrics for the Fashion Arts Autism Benefit (FAAB), a series of exhibits and an international runway show to be held at the Philippine Center here.

FAAB Ambassador of Hope “Bond girl” Rachel Grant modeled some of the finished products during a recent meeting of the organizers, the Autism Heart Foundation, community volunteers and the Philippine Consulate General of New York.

Consul General Tess Dizon de Vega and AHF Executive Director Thomas Natale presented a token of appreciation to Grant for her efforts in promoting the hand-painted products by the children with autism.

Proceeds from the weeklong events will benefit the art therapy program and art training sessions in the Philippines, which include training children with autism to become children with autism to become productive citizens as their products are transformed into distinctive Filipiniana attire by world-renowned designers Patis Pamintuan-Tesoro and Anthony Legarda.

EIGHTH BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION. Gabrielle Hugo Wong celebrated her 8th birthday last Friday, March 10, at the Yerba Buena Garden Skating Rink in San Francisco. Shown in photo above with the birthday celebrant are classmates, friends, relatives and proud parents Dick and Margaret Hugo Wong.

Planning will help you see green in retirement

Autism Hearts Foundation Executive Director Thomas Natale (left) presents a shawl to Rachel Grant, assisted by Consul General Tess Dizon De Vega, this writer and DFA officer Wendell Gaa.

Several activities are lined up: April 3- Exhibit and Opening Reception at the United Nations lobby; April 5-Art Workshop participated by children with autism and New York artists followed by a Silent Auction of art pieces donated by several artists from New York; April 7-Fashion for Hope runway show presenting the final products that have been painstakingly designed to commemorate the beginning of a new era of artists with autism.

The Filipino-American community in New York and various organizations have pledged

assistance to make this event possible. Sponsors include Loida Nicolas Lewis, Sonia Delen, New York Life Company, FilAm Who’s Who magazine and a number of Filipino American organizations that pledged to support the international runway show.

Limited seatings for the fashion show are now available for reservation online at https:// faab-fashionforhope.eventbrite. com Further information of how you can help may be relayed to the Autism Hearts Foundation Tel. (1) 415-392-0882. n

SOCIAL Security has been a cornerstone of financial security for over 80 years. As you might already know, a lifetime of measured discipline can ensure a comfortable retirement. Social Security can help you plan, save, and see plenty of green in your golden years.

Social Security is part of the retirement plan of almost every American worker. If you’re among the 96 percent of workers in the United States covered under Social Security, it is helpful to know what benefits you are entitled to. Social Security bases your benefit payment on how much you earned during your working career. Higher lifetime earnings result in higher benefits. If there were some years you didn’t work or had low earnings, your benefit amount may be lower than if you worked steadily. How do you know what your retirement benefits might be so you can plan? Create a safe and secure my Social Security account to view estimates of your future retirement, disability, and survivors benefits. Visit www.socialsecurity.gov/ myaccount and create your account today.

Social Security benefits help secure your today and tomorrow, but many people will need more retirement income. Saving for retirement is key. You might also have a pension or 401k. Combining as many savings resources will mean more income once you retire.

Your personal my Social Security account continues to benefit you once you file for benefits and beyond. Use your account to check the status of your application and, once you are receiving benefits, use your account to manage them. For ex-

ample, you can start or change your direct deposit, change your address and phone number, get proof of benefits, and much more—online and at your convenience. Learn about all the great advantages of having your own my Social Security account at www.socialsecurity.gov/myaccount.

Social Security puts you in control. Visit www. socialsecurity.gov regularly to access the everevolving tools and information we provide. (By Eric Phillips / Social Security Public Affairs Specialist in Sacramento, CA.

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MARCH 17-23, 2017 • NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL

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

Friday, March 17, 2017

SF2

cover story The Asian Jour nal SF MAGAZINE - March 17, 2017

75th AnniversAry of BAtAAn DeAth MArch

remembering the courage of our heroes by

On April 9, 1942, three months after the Bataan of Bataan in the Philippines during World War II; Filipino and American prisoners of war were forcibly transferred by the Imperial Japanese Army from Mariveles, Bataan to Camp O’Donnell in Tarlac. They marched approximately 60 miles under extreme heat, with no provisions for food, water, shelter or medicine. Along the way, those who could no longer go on were beaten, bayoneted, shot or beheaded by their Japanese captors. Approximately 10,000 Filipino and 650 American soldiers died during the march.

These soldiers fought in the Bataan Peninsula for 99 days without reinforcement or air support, but they were able to disrupt the 50-day timetable of the Imperial Japanese Army before their surrender. This delay prevented the Japanese from reaching Australia.

This year commemorates the 75th anniversary of the

Malou liwanag-bledsoe / AJPress

Bataan Death March, keeping mind the valor and sacrifices of these brave soldiers who fought in Bataan, Corregidor and other parts of the Philippines. Despite being aban-

doned early on during the war, the Filipino and American soldiers of the U.S. Army Forces in the Far East (USAFFE) fought gallantly in the Bataan Peninsula for 99 days without

reinforcement or air support.

But they managed to disrupt the 50-day timetable of the Imperial Japanese Army before their surrender, despite suffering from massive disease and

starvation.

“This is the real significance of the Bataan Death March,” said Bataan Legacy Historical Society (BLHS) Director Cecilia Gaerlan. “While their bodies were beaten their spirits remained steadfast and true to the ideals of freedom and justice for all. As stewards of this great legacy, we have a great obligation not only to our ancestors but to future generations.”

Last year, BLHS worked successfully with the California Department of Education to include the Bataan Death March and WWII in the Philippines in the U.S. history curriculum framework for Grade 11. It is now starting the next phase to help enable its implementation by creating sample lesson plans.

To remember these heroes, BLHS along with its partners the Presidio Trust, national Park Service, American Battle Monuments Commission and Fil-Am Racing; have organized a series of events on Saturday, April 8, starting with a Bataan Legacy 7.5K Valor run at 8:30 a.m. The race will start and end in front of the Presidio Officers Club at 50 Moraga Avenue in San Francisco. Proceeds from the run will benefit the BLHS and the Congressional Medal for the WWII Filipino Veterans.

A wreath-laying ceremony will also take place at 9 a.m. at the American Battle Monuments Commission WWII West Coast Memorial, and a program at the Moraga Room of the Presidio Officers Club at 10 a.m. Veterans of the Bataan of Bataan as well as WWII in the Philippines will be honored

during the ceremony. Major Generals (Ret.) Eldon Regua and Antonio “Tony” Taguba, Fil-Ams whose fathers and uncles fought in Bataan, are among the guest speakers.

“As a leader of the FilipinoAmerican community, I am asking you to join us during this event not only to remember this glorious past but to show the younger generation that they can emulate the ideals of their ancestors so that they can learn and appreciate the steep price of the freedom that they are enjoying,” Gaerlan stressed and continued, “Only by learning the unvarnished facts of history can they become informed citizens and responsible leaders of our society. We in the Filipino American community must join together to show the entire nation that we have a proud heritage and one voice. Only then can we have a formidable presence and a resounding voice – one that must be heard across the nation.”

To register for the Bataan Legacy Valor Run, please go to www.filamracing.com. To RSVP for the commemorative program, go to http://bit. ly/BDMCommemoration. For more information about the commemorative program, contact (510) 520-8540 or info@bataanlegacy.org or go to www.bataanlegacy.org. For more information about the Valor Run, contact (973) 7138053 or info@filamracing.com.

Please also use hashtags: #BataanLegacy, #Filamracing, #ValorRun. *All photos from the National Archives and Records Administration (www.archives. gov).

features SF3

Vina Morales: 30 years and counting

by Bot

GloSorio Philstar.com

WiTH reality talent searches mushrooming on TV these days, it is no longer surprising for the next big thing to pop up as fast as a blink of an eye. But count Vina Morales in the list of “lucky few” artists whose talent cannot easily be ignored.

Vina’s presence continues to be strongly felt on her 30th year in showbiz, what with the intrigues and controversies keeping the rumor mill running day in and day out. add to that the new batch of artists eager to take her place. No wonder, Vina appreciates the undying support of the fans for her singing and acting career. “it is true that artists come and go in a quick pace that there are some who only last for a few years,” said Vina. “Social media broaden our reach to artists, nag-broaden kung paano ka pag-uusapan, mapakinggan yung awitin at pwede ka na din mapanood online so i’m just lucky and i feel so blessed that until now — in my 30 years here (in showbiz) — people appreciate me.”

Perhaps, Vina added, her singing the theme songs of TV soaps serves as a reminder for people that her talent cannot easily be relegated to the sidelines. “(in a way) millennial artists give me an opportunity to sing the theme songs of their soaps.

That’s why i feel blessed that i’m always given the chance to do a really quality job and i always make sure to do my best para mabigyan ulit ako ng project.” as part of the celebration of her 30th year in showbiz, Vina is releasing an album titled “Vina XXX” under Star Music.

She admitted it took her seven years to come up with a new album. “it took a while but what is important is it’s released in celebration of my 30 years. i’m so thankful to Star Music,” said Vina.

She continued, “To reach 30 years in the business is a milestone. i never would have made it this far if it weren’t for the people who helped me. and now i’m inspired more than ever to work some more and looking forward to giving back to my supporters through my album.”

For those not in the know, Vina was nine years old when she competed and won at the Cebu Pop Music Festival.

Her winning piece “Paglaom” (Visayan word for hope) made everyone sit up and notice her vocal talent that led to her discovery as a singer. She was then offered to go to Manila to start her singing career. apart from singing, Vina also ventured into acting and hosting. She has done a number of blockbuster movies with Sharon Cuneta under Viva Films

The Asian Jour nal SF MAGAZINE – March 17, 2017

San FranciSco

By Monet

Vina Morales

and played leading lady to robin Padilla in a number of hit flicks with “Utol kong Hoodlum” as the most memorable. asked what is her secret to staying long in showbiz?

“Like what i always say, attitude is No. 1 and then always be professional. Ako kasi i always make sure to control myself, hindi ako nagpapabaya physically na kung tumaba ako baka wala akong proyekto ngayon and i really prepared for my 30-year celebration. if you watched my concert, you saw how i worked hard for it. i had to lose weight para magkaroon ako ng confidence every time i would perform. after the concert, tinuloy-tuloy ko na at sakto din since the theme of my new album is sexy and has a Latin flavor. i think you really have to take care of yourself to last long in this business.”

‘Tawag ng Tanghalan’ winner Noven Belleza is proud of his roots

by Kane

errol choa Philstar.com

Noven Belleza

WHEN rice farmer Noven Belleza first appeared in “it’s Showtime!’s” “Tawag ng Tanghalan” — the first televised singing contest he joined — in July 2016, he performed air Supply’s “Even the Nights are Better,” hoping to get through the first round and get as far as he could in the competition to pay for home repairs.

He would go on to nab a spot in the Quarter 3 semi-finals with another air Supply song.

Continued on Page SF5

Famous celebrity hairstyles of all time

Lu

Hair serves not only a protective function but also an ornamental function for every person. as i look back on my career in the aesthetic business, there were icons who have stood out and personified the beauty and style of their era.

These women were considered beautiful because of their hairstyles that completed their look.

Their hair was their crowning glory – by just saying these women’s names, you not only think of their face but also of their manes. Their hairstyles inspired their generation, as evidenced by the millions of women who flocked to the salons and requested to look like them. Here are some of the famous and iconic personalities and their haircuts.

Audrey Hepburn Type audrey Hepburn’s “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” hair into Google and you’ll get over 371,000 results and most of those happen to be hair tutorials. it seems we can’t get enough of Hepburn’s sophisticated (and let’s face it) high maintenance up-do. While times have moved on and the general feeling right now is for a more relaxed approach to hair, Hepburn’s twist will forever be relevant and never more so than during wedding season.

Marilyn Monroe as the original bottle blonde, Marilyn Monroe (formerly Norma Jean) came to single-handedly represent what it meant to look sexy in 1950s Hollywood. While her blonde fluctuated over the years, Monroe first tested the waters in 1946 in Frank and Joseph salon in La and she didn’t look back.

Twiggy’s 60s look This short, boyish hairdo became one of the defining looks of Mod culture and fashion in

Lady Diana

the period. Her signature cut has been reinvented on the red carpet by celebrities including Halle Berry, Michelle Williams and Emma Watson.

Farrah Fawcett Farrah Fawcett’s hair quite possibly started the featheredhair revolution when she was seen kicking butt on “Charlie’s angels” in the 70s. People will forever talk about Farrah Fawcett’s hair. it was so feminine and carefree.

Lady Diana There’s no denying the influence that she had on women’s hair. i don’t think you can describe the impact Diana’s hair had on a generation of young women. in fact, people are still copying that look today.

Madonna Madonna had many looks during the 80s. One of her most iconic looks was the wavy hair with highlights. Girls went to the salons in droves to get the “poodle” looking perm, so that their hair can be wavy too.

They pulled it up in bows like she did to copy her look in the

Victoria Beckham

Borderline video.

Jennifer Aniston Though she now wears her hair long and straight, aniston is famous for “The rachel,” a medium-length layered look named after the character she played on the hit sitcom “Friends.” it is still one of the most requested styles up to now Victoria Beckham The former Spice Girl is known for her a-line bob, as it is layered at the back. it is originally from the shape of the face but has many variations, including the dramatic “buzzcut bob” where it is shoulder-length at the front and a crew-cut at the back. *** Monet Lu is a Marikina-born, award-winning 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 allnatural beauty products such as Enlighten, your solution to discoloration . To contact Monet, please visit www.monetsalon.com or email him at monetsalon@aol.com

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celebrityworld The Asian Jour nal SF MAGAZINE - March 17, 2017

celebrity world

By Ferdie Villar The one and only Philippine Superstar Nora Aunor was supposed to be the main judge of the grand finals of the “Tawag ng Tanghalan” contest in the noontime show “It’s Showtime,” but the legendary actress-singer decided to back

out. She instead appeared on the rival show “eat Bulaga!,” citing the reason that one of the main hosts, comedian Vice Ganda, does not like her.

“Hindi ako feel ng main host nila na si Vice Ganda,” she said. “Baka bastusin lang ako

Gov Lloyd, a registered personal trainer from Queensland, Australia; is the newest addition to the longest-running noontime show in the Philippines, “Eat Bulaga!” He is the referee of the “Jackpot en Poy” portion of the show.

The one and only Superstar Nora Aunor backed out of guesting in “It’s Showtime” saying that he cannot handle how comedian Vice Ganda disrespected her.

Actor-comedian Vice Ganda decided to remain silent against the allegations made by Superstar Nora Aunor. The singer-actress claimed that the “It’s Showtime” host does not like her and has disrespected her in the past.

nun.”

Many were confused when she backed out, as “It’s Showtime” already released an announcement about having her as a judge. It was supposed to be a good move for the show, since the Superstar’s showbiz career started when she became the grand champion in the singing search “Tawag ng Tanghalan” in 1968. however, the same time when her guesting as a judge was announced, GMA Network and “eat Bulaga!” came out with a TV plug saying that La Aunor was going to be a special guest that same day.

In an interview with PeP.ph a day before she appeared on “eat Bulaga!,” the actress-singer initially shared that she felt that she owed Senator Tito Sotto (who is also one of the hosts).

“Malaki ang utang na loob ko kay Tito Sen (Tito Sotto).

Hindi ko siya pwedeng tanggihan.

“Kasi alam mo naman, ang laki ng naitulong niya nung magkasakit at mamatay si Buboy,” she said, referring to her late brother, eddie Villamayor.

But she also added another reason why she backed out of guesting in “It’s Showtime.”

Apart from saying that Vice Ganda does not seem to like her, she also added that she feels he might not respect her.

“Yung mga patutsada niya, parinig niya na alam ko ako ang tinutukoy niya dahil minsan ako mismo ang nakarinig, e.”

Athough she did change her mind again and considered guesting as a main judge, at the end, she texted the show’s production unit head and said that

Superstar Nora Aunor backs out of ‘It’s Showtime’ because of Vice Ganda

Philippine President Rodrigo Roa Duterte will celebrate his 72nd birthday on Tuesday, March 28.

she can’t be a guest because she can’t handle Vice Ganda.

As per Vice Ganda, he refuses to make a comment on the issue and accusations.

According to a report by ABSCBN, the actor-comedian said, “No comment. Mas relevant pa si Gina Lopez kesa sa aming dalawa.” *** Former Miss Universe 2015 Pia Wurtzbach is warning all girls about going after her boyfriend, Marlon Stockinger: he’s mine now.

On Monday, March 13, Marlon posted a photo of him and Pia with other featured celebrities on the cover of a magazine. Below it, the former Miss Universe made a comment and gave fair warning as well to the girls who keep messaging her boyfriend.

She wrote: “That’s mine on the left. You girls better know.

San Mateo County District 5 (composed of Daly City, Colma, Brisbane, San Bruno, South San Francisco and Broadmoor) headed by Supervisor David J. Canepa, will sponsor a cultural and resource fair on Saturday, March 18, at 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Former Miss Universe 2015 Pia Wurtzbach gave fair warning to all the girls who have been texting her boyfriend, Marlon Stockinger: “He’s all mine.”

Race car driver Marlon Stockinger is the current boyfriend of former Miss Universe 2015, Pia Wurtzbach.

Stop messaging my boyfriend.

I know who you girls are. And I feel sorry for girls who let this one go. But oh well he’s mine

now.”

Pia did delete her comment, but not fast enough for other followers to see.

Lea Salonga named one of Filipinas’ top 3 role models

by Deni

Rose BeRnaRDo Philstar.com

Singer-actress Nadine Lustre has been named “Favorite Pinoy Star” by Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards.

Nadine Lustre on being a good influence for the youth

by Deni

Rose M. BeRnaRDo Philstar.com

FILIPINO kids have spoken: Nadine Lustre is their “Favorite Pinoy Star.”

Nadine won over fellow actors Janella Salvador, Janine Gutierrez and Liza Soberano in the category “Favorite Pinoy Star,” of Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards (KCA) for this year. The category was available only in the Philippines.

In a phone interview with Philstar.com following her announcement as winner, Nadine said: “I’m really, really happy about it because Nickelodeon is a big part of my childhood. Being able to receive that award means so much to me. It’s like a check out of my bucket list. I guess I really never expected it.”

Despite the controversies she went through, including her sexy beach photos and car love scene with real-life boyfriend James Reid in their recently concluded TV series, “Till I Met You,” Nadine still considers herself a good influence for the youth.

“I am (still a good influence to the youth) because I’m just being myself. That’s what we

teach ‘di ba, all the kids to be themselves and not pretend to be someone else because that’s how you live life happily eh—being yourself. Kasi trying to become someone else, I’ve been through that stage. So what I’m doing now is not influencing, but I’m like showing everyone na ‘Don’t try to be someone else because you’re not going to be happy that way’.”

The only thing that does not make her “wholesome” is her going to the beach in a bikini. “But I guess that’s just normal (wearing bikini in the beach),” she opined.

She dedicates her award to all her fans, the JaDines, and everyone who voted for her.

The awards, organized by TV cartoon network Nickelodeon, celebrates kids’ favorites from across the worlds of film, TV, music and pop culture. It is determined through a survey involving children 14 and below. From February 3 to March 6, the kids voted through the channel’s website and social media sites, as well as via ballot boxes stationed in a popular toy store chain.

Last year, the category for the Philippines was “Favorite

Pinoy Personality,” which went to Maine Mendoza. This year, the category was changed to “Favorite Pinoy Star,” where Nadine, Janella, Janine and Liza were the nominees.

Besides herself, who does Nadine want to win?

“When they announced the nominees, I was happy I was part of it. Because for me, whoever wins, we’re all winners…I know all of them so kahit sino, I’ll be happy for them. Because we’re from the same country, we’re all together in this.”

This year, there were new categories: Favorite Frenemies; Best Friends Forever; Most Wanted Pet Squad; Favorite Music Video; Favorite DJ/eDM Artist; Favorite Soundtrack; Favorite Viral Music Artist; and Favorite Global Music Star.

KCA was held at USC’s Glen Center in Los Angeles on March 11, aired in the Philippines on March 13, 11:30 a.m., with a same day encore at 5 p.m.

Nadine shared that she and James are leaving for a concert tour in the United States and they have a new movie on the works.

MANY of Filipinas look up to celebrities for inspiration, according to the results of a recent nationwide survey released in time for International Women’s Month.

“Filipina Next,” a quantitative and qualitative research conducted by multi-agency J. Walter Thompson (JWT) Philippines, revealed that 88 percent of Filipinas look up to other women, particularly celebrities from film and TV. The survey further bared that the following are the top three role models of Filipinas: The late Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago Despite being a political veteran, former Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago is popular among the youth for her humorous remarks and witty advice.

Roman Catholic saint Mother Teresa Most Filipinas are Roman Catholics and spiritual, said the research. “Filipinas are prayerful and their belief in God is their barometer for success,” the study further stated.

In “Female Tribes,” a 2016 study on women around the

Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago

Lea Salonga

Mother Teresa

world conducted by multinational agency JWT Global, it was found out that Filipinas are 47 percent higher in spiritual awareness than other countries surveyed.

Award-winning international singer and actress Lea Salonga The research also showed that thanks to role models Filipinas see on mass media: • 15 percent of respondents left abusive relationships • Around 41 percent of those surveyed said they “have taken risks in life that they otherwise

would not have taken.”

• 40 percent “became more ambitious” • 33 percent were encouraged to go to school or pursue further education Nevertheless, according to the survey: • 40 percent of Filipinas cannot relate to celebrities • 76 percent find many celebrities superficial The study was conducted among Filipinas across socioeconomic classes ABCDe and between the ages of 18 to 70.

Is it goodbye to reunion movie of Sharon & Gabby?

by Ricky Lo Philstar.com

ARe they or aren’t they? Reteaming up in a movie, that is.

Almost three decades after they did a movie together, there are reports that Sharon Cuneta and Gabby Concepcion might do a reunion movie under Star Cinema. The report has actually been floated last year but up to now Star Cinema hasn’t issued any official announcement. Will it take forever for the project to materialize? Is the reel SharonGabby team-up co-terminus with their real-life union?

All sorts of speculation have been spreading — that Gabby is asking for twice the alleged talent fee of Sharon (P5M times two?), that conflict of schedules is hampering the project, and that Sharon has been doggedly

Those were the days that fans of Sharon Cuneta and Gabby Concepcion thought would never end. As of now, plans (if there is any) to cast Sharon and Gabby in a reunion movie remain unclear.

working out in preparation for the shoot that is taking forever to start.

“I have been waiting to shoot this movie forever,” Gabby texted back in answer to Funfare’s inquiry. “I have no reason to promote a movie at this time. Up to this day (Sunday, March 12), I have not been presented a script or a contract. however, it looks like the movie

will be delayed indefinitely.”

Also contacted by Funfare (last Friday, March 10), Sharon said, “Minsan tuloy, minsan no. Now tuloy na naman. I’m not believing anything until we are actually shooting halfway through na.”

Funfare respectfully refrained from asking Sharon and Gabby about money matters. Late last Continued on Page SF5

Top Model of the World Inc., Slimmers World International Philippines ink partnership TOP Model Of The World Inc. (TMWI) and Slimmers World International Philippines (SWI) recently signed the agreement formalizing the Launch of Top Model of the World Philippines 2017 (TMWP 2017).

The agreement signals for the cooperation between TMWI and SWI to the launch of the TMWP 2017 jointly with Miss Bikini Philippines 2017 in Metro Manila.

According to Miss Shyla Marquez, Marketing Manager of Slimmers World International Philippines, the search and screening has started in various key cities and regions of the Philippines. The TMWP organization announced that the Filipino Communities are expected to field participants among their accredited overseas-partner organizations. The events will begin on May 2 to start with the Press Presentation.

The Finals is scheduled May 12.

Last year winner’s of the Top Model of the World Philippines 2016 was won by the delegate representing the Filipino Communities of Southern California.

She was sponsored by the Asian Journal Publications, Inc. and Pageantry Global, Inc. The 1st Runner-Up represented the Filipino Communities of Canada and was sponsored

by International Professional

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The Asian Jour nal SF MAGAZINE - March 17, 2017

‘Tawag ng Tanghalan’ winner...

From Page SF3 And last Saturday at Resorts World Manila, Noven’s journey came full circle as he was crowned the competition’s grand champion, walking away with P2M and an all-new house and lot, after impressing both viewers and thehurados with a spectacular medley of the Australian rock duo’s hits.

“Hindi ako makapaniwala.

Nabago po talaga ang buhay ko dahil sa ‘Tawag ng Tanghalan.’ Thank you so much sa ‘Showtime’ family, pamilya ko, kay Lord. ‘Di po ako makapaniwala na sa libo-libong nagaudition,ako po ang nanguna.

Ang bait po talaga ng Diyos,” said Noven in an interview with the media after the announcement of his victory.

The 22-year-old Bukid Boy Wonder of Negros Occidental nabbed the title after receiving the highest average score of 99.96 percent from the combined judges’ scores and madlang people’s votes, beating final three contenders Sam Man(L-R) Caroline C. De Venecia, President of TMWI, Shyla Marquez representing SWI Philippines, gubat (49.09 percent) and Froilan and Christina C. De Venecia, Treasurer of TMWI. Canlas (45.78 percent). in Australia.

Entertainment Network (IPEN) As the first-ever grand chamAlready confirmed to join in pion of “Tawag ng Tanghalan” of Toronto this year’s event are delegates Last year’s 2016 Finals of in “It’s Showtime!,” Noven also presenting West Australia, the Top Model of the World won a recording contract with Melbourne, Canada, the East Philippines was held in MelStar Music, a musical instrubourne, Australia and managed Coast and the West Coast of ments package from JB Music, the USA. The locals are exby Face Australia Promotions a negosyo package and a family Management organization - the pected to put up a good fight vacation package. and surprises are in-store. partner organization of TMWP When asked what he would do with his prize money, he said, “Una po, sa pamilya ko po talaga, sa mga kapatid ko para po mabago ko rin ang buhay nila at maipagpatuloy ang pagSundays. GMA is my priority. fare at noon last Sunday, Gabby aaral nila. At sa magulang ko po We may find a way to squeeze said that he had just woken up kasi hindi ko na rin po gustong in one or two shooting days a because he finished taping early week if we do start shooting the makita sila na nagtatrabaho pa that morning for a GMA soap sa tanda nila sa bukid. Ang mga movie.” But, added Gabby, “I (he is in two shows, the trendnabenta at nasanla po naming am still hoping to do a movie ing “Ika-6 Utos” with Sunshine lupa, kukunin po namin ulit.” someday.”

Dizon and Ryza Cenon and A veteran of local singing Finally, Funfare texted Star “Tsuperhero” with Bea Binene contests in his hometown VicCinema COO Malou Santos and Derrick Monasterio). toria City, Noven has charmed what the real score is.

“My taping days are Monviewers and the program’s hosts “Actually, nothing is final yet day, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday,” said Gabby, “and on this project,” she texted back. since day one with his easy smile and positive disposition.

Anyway, if it would take forsometimes we do mall or outEven Vice Ganda was moved ever, would the Sharon-Gabby of-town promo for “Ika-6 Utos”

by Noven’s story of sacrifice that fans still be interested if the on Sundays. Family days are the host committed to pay for his movie were made? juggled between Thursdays and

Is it goodbye to reunion movie...

From Page SF3 week, Ahwel Paz reported on his dzMM program Mismo with Jobert Sucaldito that he texted Gabby to ask about the TF (Talent Fee) and Ahwel quoted Gabby as saying that he could do the movie “for free” just to please Sharon-Gabby fans who have been clamoring for their idols’ re-teamup.

As it is, Gabby may be too busy to do any project out of GMA with which he has just renewed his contract (two years exclusive). When he texted Fun-

entertainment

siblings’ one year of schooling after finding out that Noven had given up his own education so he could help his father plough the land and send his siblings to school.

Throughout his journey, Noven would often refer to his triumph as that of the ordinary Filipino, inspiring viewers with his determination to help his family that lives off a weekly income of P1,000.

“Minsan naiinggit din ako sa mga ka-edad ko dahil sila libro ang hawak. Ako, kalabaw at pang-araro. Pero kailanman ay hindi ko ikakahiya ang pinanggalingan ko kasi dito ako naging matibay. Napagtanto ko na maraming naituro sa akin ang sitwasyon ko na hindi pa siguro natutunan ng iba,” Noven said at one point in the competition.

The conclusion of the competition’s more-than-a-year-long search for its first grand champion pulled in viewers nationwide and prompted netizens to post their comments about the grand finals online.

According to data from Kantar Media, “It’s Showtime!” hit a whopping national TV rating of 33.6 percent. The data cover both urban and rural homes and represent 100 percent of total Philippine TV population.

The hashtag #TnTAngHulingTapatan also became the top trending topic on Twitter world-

wide and in the Philippines, while tweets about the finale occupied 16 out of the 20 local trending topics on the microblogging site. The show’s online live streaming also drew more than 39,000 viewers — one of the highest numbers recorded on the ABS-CBN site.

Aside from the grand finalists’ final showdown, the program also brought together the competition’shurados Rey Valera, Ogie Alcasid, Karla Estrada, K Brosas, Mitoy Yonting, Erik Santos, Rico J. Puno, Billy Crawford, Karylle, Louie Ocampo, Nyoy Volante, Jaya and Yeng Constantino for a performance with past Tawag ng Tanghalan winners Boy Leonardo, Arnaldo Agarin and Esterlita Liñan.

“Tawag ng Tanghalan,” the legendary singing contest that was launched in the ’50s, returned to It’s Showtime! in January 2016. Its reboot attracted more than 30,000 auditionees, 1,392 contenders of whom made it to the “It’s Showtime!” stage to represent Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao and Metro Manila.

This week, “It’s Showtime!” will continue to feature the best of the Filipino and make dreams come true by giving extraordinary singers seven to 13 years old the chance to show their talent in “Tawag ng Tanghalan Kids.”

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