San Francisco Edition -- October 30 -- November 05, 2015

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA

w w w. a s i a n

.com T h e F i l i p i n o A m e r i cA n c o m m u n iT y n e ws pAp e r

Volume 14 - No. 44 • 3 Sections – 22 Pages

1001 Bayhill Drive, Suite 200, San Bruno, CA 94066 • Tel: (650) 616-4150 • Fax: (650) 616-4152 • www.asianjournal.com

o c t o be r 3 0 - N o Ve mbe r 5 , 2 0 1 5

Also published in LOS ANGELES, ORANGE COUNTY/INLAND EMPIRE, LAS VEGAS, NEw YORk/NEw JERSEY

US senator: Freedom of navigation ops in South China Sea long overdue

by Rosette

Adel

Philstar.com

mANILA—United states senator John mcCain on tuesday, oct.

27 welcomed the decision of Us President Barack obama to allow the Us Navy to conduct freedom of Navigation operations in the south China sea.

“I am pleased the Us Navy has finally been allowed to conduct freedom of Navigation operations within 12 nautical miles of China’s manmade land features in the south China sea. this decision is long overdue. And I have been dismayed, though hardly surprised, as this administration’s appar-

ent confusion and indecision has played out before the world over the last several months,” mcCain said. mcCain said the Us must not exempt China from its operation as it is allowed by the international laws.

“As China mounts increasingly

routine challenges to the freedom of the seas throughout the AsiaPacific region, it is more important than ever that the United states fly, sail, and operate wherever international law allows. And the south China sea must be no exception,” mcCain said. on tuesday, the guided mis-

Senator John McCain

sile destroyer Uss Lassen started to sail within the 12-nautical mile territorial limit of one of China’s artificially built group of islets in the south China sea.the foN op-

eration commenced after internal debates within the obama administration. the Us destroyer was accompanied by two maritime PAGE A2

Pres. Obama to attend APEC Summit in Manila

USA

DATELINE Filipina found dead in Las Vegas cryotherapy chamber died in ‘seconds’ from the AJPress NEWS TEAM AcroSS AMEricA

A fILIPINA whose body was found tuesday, oct. 20, in a Las Vegas cryotherapy chamber, died in “seconds,” medical examiners told her family, the Las Vegas reviewJournal reported.

Chelsea Ake-Salvacion Chelsea Ake-salvacion, 24, was found dead last week at rejuvenice spa. she was discovered by her friend and colleague elise Iverson.

PAGE A2

REMITTANCE FIRM SURVEY REVEALS

FREEDOM OF NAVIGATION. In this file photo the guided-missile destroyer USS Lassen (DDG 88) is underway in the Philippine Sea. Lassen recently sailed near China’s artificial island on Subi Reef in the disputed sea, US defense officials said on Tuesday, Oct. 27.

US Navy photo

Many Filipinos working in the US are overqualified for their jobs

Aquino belittles Marcoses

DOJ summons 90 MILF, BIFF, armed group members in Mamasapano raid

President disregards resurgence of support for former First Family

by Joel

M. sy egco ManilaTimes.net

by tetch

toRRes-tupAs Inquirer.net

the Department of Justice (DoJ) has summoned the 90 commanders and members of the Bangsamoro Islamic freedom fighters (BIff), moro Islamic Liberation front (mILf), and private armed groups facing criminal complaint in connection with the death of members of the special Action force (sAf) during the mamasapano clash last

PresIDeNt Benigno Aquino III on tuesday, oct. 27 belittled the marcos family’s ability to claw its way back to power. the President particularly took pot shots at sen. ferdinand “Bongbong” marcos Jr.’s bid for the vice presidency, belying the purported “resurgence of support” for members of the former first family.

“No, no. I think the answer to that is very obvious. I don’t think so,” Aquino said PAGE A2 Pres. Benigno Aquino III

most filipino workers living in the United states are overqualified for the jobs they do, according to respondents of a survey conducted by international money transfer firm transfast.

In a survey of 400 Philippine natives who live in the United states and remit money back PAGE A3

mANILA—United states President Barack obama will attend the AsiaPacific economic Cooperation (APeC) summit next month in the Philippines, Washington announced on tuesday, oct. 27. this will be obama’s second trip to the Philippines in over two years. In April last year, obama paid a two-day state visit to the Philippines and witnessed the signing of the enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (eDCA), the legality of which is still being reviewed by the supreme Court. there is talk that obama wants to play basketball with filipino children if time will allow it but there is no official confirmation about this supposed request. meanwhile, President Aquino promises to be a “perfect host” to Chinese President Xi Jinping should he decide to attend the APeC summit in the PAGE A2

Jan. 25.

In a subpoena dated oct. 20, the DoJ panel of prosecutors led by senior Assistant state Prosecutor roseanne Balauag ordered the respondents to answer the complaint for direct assault with murder and theft filed against them by the government’s factfinding team from the National Prosecution service and National Bureau of Investigation.

PAGE A2

Binay: Put railway systems in order reCogNIzINg the detrimental effects of an inefficient public transport system, Vice President Jejomar Binay on Wednesday, oct. 28 said the next President of the Philippines should make a priority the repair and rehabilitation of the country’s railway systems.

According to Binay, the Philippine National railways (PNr)

should be revitalized so that people from the provinces of Quezon and Laguna and the Bicol region can again avail of the service. “[Let’s suport the rehabilitation of the PNr]. It is just unfortunate that after a hundred years, the national railways have degenerated. from 1,300 kilometers, it has PAGE A2

Bonus Rewards ducing!

Intro

is here!

up Sign w no !

Keep shopping!

You may be the next lucky winner!

Va l i d f ro m O c t 2 9 - N ov 4 · Th u r s d ay-We d n e s d ay

Presyong Sulit

Savings! ong Sul esy Pr Savings! it

ong Sul esy Pr Savings! it

2 WAS

SAVINGS

$5.49 46%

1

$ 29

$ 99 /lb

ong Sul esy Pr Savings! it

Korean BBQ Ribs

WAS

/lb

SAVINGS

$2.29 44%

1

ong Sul esy Pr Savings! it

3

$ 49

Pork Leg (Boneless/Skin-on)

WAS

/lb

SAVINGS

$1.99 25%

ong Sul esy Pr Savings! it

$ 99

Pork Chop (End Cut)

Valid at Island Pacific Union City, Pittsburg, San Jose, Vallejo, American Canyon, Elk Grove.

AS

/lb

SAVINGS

$4.99 20%

|

Large White Shrimp H/O

99¢

/lb

WAS

SAVINGS

$1.99 50%

Roundscad (Galunggong)

w w w.islandpacificmarket.com

A

october 30-november 5, 2015 • norcAL ASIAn JoUrnAL

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

From the Front Page

US senator: Freedom of navigation ops...

PAGE A1 surveillance aircraft, P-3 Orion and P-8A Poseidon.

The FON operation was opposed by China, arguing that the action damaged the US-China relations and regional peace. It also triggered an angry protest from Beijing.

Meanwhile, China’s Foreign Ministry said authorities monitored and warned the USS Lassen

as it entered the Subi Reef, alleging that the US Navy threatened China’s sovereignty and security interests with its move.

McCain, however, claimed that the FON operation must not be considered as an irregular operation but an ordinary action to defend the freedom of the seas.

“Going forward, Freedom of Navigation operations should not be sporadic spectacles to behold, but ordinary and consistent dem-

Aquino belittles...

PAGE A1 when asked if he believes that the Marcoses are regaining wide support from the people.

Marcos is running as an independent candidate for Vice President and is purportedly the running mate of Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago.

While admitting that his camp had met with Santiago’s representatives over a possible teamup, he is yet to confirm their alliance.

The President’s father and namesake, late former senator Benigno ‘Ninoy’ Aquino Jr., was killed a few minutes after he arrived in the country from exile in 1983.

His father’s death catapulted his mother, Corazon “Cory” Aquino, to political prominence, paving the way for her to become the opposition’s standard-bearer in

the 1986 snap presidential elections.

She was later installed into power in 1986 after allegedly anomalous elections fueled a “people’s revolt” that led to the ouster of the Marcoses.

Fielding questions from members of the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines (Focap) on Tuesday, Oct. 27, President Aquino said he does not see the view that “by appearing on a cover of a magazine demonstrates a resurgence of support.”

Aquino was referring to a glossy magazine, which had the 60-yearold Ilocos Norte governor, Imee Marcos, on the cover of its latest issue.

The governor is Ferdinand Jr.’s elder sister.

Aquino said he faithfully believes that the Marcoses would not be able to return to

Filipina found dead in Las Vegas...

PAGE A1 After working a closing shift Monday, Oct. 19, she stayed to undergo a cryotherapy session herself. Such sessions involve brief exposures to air temperatures below minus 240 degrees Fahrenheit.

KSNV-TV Channel 3, citing friends and authorities, said the 24-year-old Filipina “froze to death.” She was believed to be inside the machine for more than 10 hours, according to the Nevada Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

A police report obtained by ABC News stated that it appeared Ake-Salvacion set levels improperly on the machine she used.

She “was supposed to have assistance with the machine,” the report states, but she did not do so.

“Ake used it alone, it appears, she did not have the level setting at the proper height, she did not get enough oxygen and she suffocated and froze herself to death,” according to the report.

She was declared dead at 1:30pm on Oct. 20, Coroner’s office staff said Saturday, Oct. 24, according to the Review-Journal.

Ake-Salvacion’s death has raised concerns about the safety of cryotherapy treatment, which is used by athletes and celebrities but is hardly ever studied and not regulated by any agency.

“Cryotherapy is safe treatment,

it’s definitely safe but it’s not to be used alone,” Iverson said. “It was misused.”

The owners of Rejuvenice on Monday said they were “devastated by this accident” and are “voluntarily scrutinizing each and every one of our internal procedures to ensure nothing like this ever happens again.”

“All Rejuvenice employees undergo very strict and rigorous training, our cryochambers are never locked, and guests and employees are always supervised during the entirety of the treatment to ensure their safety,” the company said Monday, according to the Review-Journal.

Because Ake-Salvacion used the chamber for personal use outside of business hours, a Nevada Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) spokeswoman, Teri Williams, said OSHA does not have jurisdiction over the case. Several agencies also told the Review-Journal that they were not responsible for any investigations and pointed out that cryotherapy businesses are not regulated the same way medical clinics or salons are.

The Las Vegas publication further reported that Rejuvenice does not possess at least one business license required to have paying customers, Clark County records indicate.

The practice of whole-body cryotherapy came under the

onstrations of our nation’s commitment to uphold the freedom of the seas,” McCain said.

“Demonstrating this unwavering commitment will require regular air and naval patrols in the weeks and months ahead and the robust forward presence in the Pacific required to sustain them,” the senator added.

The Subi Reef in the Spratlys Islands archipelago is also being claimed by the Philippines.

Malacañang.

“I have faith in my bosses, the Filipino people. There was nothing that has caused me to change the faith that they are able to discern,” the President noted during the Focap forum.

What should be “highlighted,” he said, “is the fact that there is a period in time that contrary opinions were not encouraged, that somehow they were involved in the periphery of.”

“In our watch, contrary opinions are part and parcel and protected in the democratic space that we have managed to really strengthen within our watch. That is, I think, proof positive that the democratic system in this country works,” Aquino pointed out.

The President noted that his administration showed that “the democratic system in this country works” contrary to how it was during martial law, which Sen. Marcos’ father and namesake imposed. spotlight during the NBA playoffs when basketball player LeBron James said he was addressing his injuries by using a liquid nitrogen freezing chamber that could reach temperatures as low as approximately minus 300 degrees Fahrenheit.

A March 2014 issue of Open Access Journal of Sports Medicine reported, however, that cryotherapy offers little significant improvement over the use of applying ice packs.

“Until further research is available, athletes should remain cognizant that less expensive modes of cryotherapy, such as local ice-pack application or cold-water immersion, offer comparable physiological and clinical effects,” researchers wrote.

Albert Ake, Ake-Salvacion’s uncle, told the Review-Journal the family disagrees with TV news reports stating she died due to an operator error.

“She knew exactly what she was doing,” Ake said, adding she had completed the procedure a number of times.

Lab results for the Ake-Salvacion’s autopsy report are expected to be available in six to eight weeks.

Through a publicist, Rejuvenice offered the following statement on Monday: “We are all incredibly saddened. “Chelsea was not only an employee, but a friend to most of us, and a wonderful person with a beautiful soul.” (Agnes Constante/AJPress)

NECESSITY. A woman in Bohol wears a face mask as protection from the haze. The prices of N95 face masks have doubled due to a high demand following reports of hazardous haze and dust particles over Metro Cebu. There was also a reported shortage of supply of the face masks and hoarding by suppliers to jack up the prices.

Inquirer.net photo by Leo Udtohan

Pres. Obama to attend APEC Summit...

PAGE A1 country next month along with other heads of state, including President Obama.

Sources said the Chinese have communicated with the Philippines regarding its participation in the four-day event and have not given the impression that Xi would not be coming.

“I will try to engage all 21 in fruitful conversations,” Aquino said when asked about a possible meeting with Xi, during the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines’ annual presidential forum held in Parañaque City.

The APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting in Manila is from Nov. 18 to 19.

Aquino said there is no scheduled bilateral meeting yet with Xi, and that the brief tete-a-tete with the Chinese leader on the sidelines of the APEC Summit hosted by Beijing last year was not really by accident. He said he is looking forward to having “cooperation” as part of the summit’s core objectives. “That is the goal,” he said.

“Currently, there is no schedule for a bilateral talk, but we are very open to it. But there are others that have already indicated that they want bilateral discussions, including those that will be coming on state visits before the launch of APEC,”

Aquino added.

The President said an invitation has been formally transmitted to Xi and that he expressed hope the Chinese leader would come.

“We were very supportive of China when they hosted. We assume that our big brother to the West will also be supportive. We have not yet received confirmation as to who will be attending,” Aquino said.

The President said he would tell Xi what he had conveyed to the latter’s predecessors – that the event would promote stability as well as foster better relations among countries.

“So if there is a central message that would be what I want to convey,” Aquino said.

The President said he has been emphasizing since 2011 when he went to China for a state visit the need for improved relations between the two countries despite the West Philippine Sea dispute.

Aquino said at that time, Chinese companies invested around $600 million in the Philippine economy while local companies put in about P2.5 billion in China.

He added China has been sending 200,000 tourists in the country annually as of 2011 as against 800,000 Filipinos going to China in the same period.

Culturally, the ties between

DOJ summons 90 MILF, BIFF, armed group members...

PAGE A1 Prosecutor General Claro Arellano, chief of the DOJ’s prosecutorial arm, said the hearings for the preliminary investigation were set on Nov. 11 and 27, both at 10am, in the department’s executive lounge.

The subpoena for the MILF was coursed through the Coordination Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities, while the subpoenas for BIFF and the private armed groups were served through Mamasapano Mayor

Benzar Ampatuan.

The complaint against the 90 individuals covered only the death of 35 members of the 55th SAF Company that engaged MILF and BIFF fighters and members of private groups on the cornfields of Barangay (village) Tukanalipao.

The 90 individuals were accused of acting “in conspiracy with one another to attack, employ force, seriously intimidate or resist the 35 SAF commandos, who were uniformed police offi-

Binay: Put railway systems...

PAGE A1 shrunk to 28 kilometers,” he said.

“This 28-kilometer track between Tutuban [in Manila’s Divisoria area] and Alabang [in Muntinlupa City in Metro Manila] pales in comparison with countries that have long found the economic and social benefits of the railways,” the Vice President added.

Binay noted that the world’s most developed nations all have a traditional railway system: the United States has 224,792 kilo-

the Philippines and China cannot be ignored.

“The Chinese side has also pointed out the very long relationship. And obviously, it profits both to really be able to manage the issues that have a conflict between our two parties, and go back to a concentration on that which can be beneficial for both sides,” Aquino said.

The White House said President Obama is also set to travel to Turkey and Malaysia from Nov. 14 to 22.

In Turkey, the President will participate in the G-20 Leaders Summit.

In Malaysia, he will participate in the US-ASEAN Summit and the East Asia Summit.

Obama’s visit to the Philippines and Malaysia underscores America’s support for Asia’s regional institutions.

These visits also will support the President’s efforts to expand opportunities for American businesses and workers.

APEC groups 21 membereconomies namely: the Philippines, US, Australia, Brunei, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, Thailand, Canada, Taiwan, China, Hong Kong, Mexico, Papua New Guinea, Chile, Peru, Russia, and Vietnam. (Joseph Lariosa and Aurea Calica, Philstar.com)

meters and China has 112,000 kilometers.

“Transport continues to play an important role in enabling economic development and poverty reduction. We plan to revive the Manila-Bicol line gradually, first starting with the Alabang-Calamba line, then Calamba to Matnog,” he said.

Binay said the return of the “Bicol Express” would be good for the tourism industry, and that this approach could be adopted Vice. Pres. Jejomar Binay

cers and, thus persons in authority.”

However, no case can be filed for the death of the nine members of the 84th SAF Company in Barangay Pidsandawan as well as of five civilians and 18 MILF fighters due to lack of witness.

Aside from Balauag, other members of the panel are assistant state prosecutors Aldrin Evangelista, Benito Oliver Sales III, Rassendell Rex Gingoyon, and Alexander Suarez as members. by other provinces to boost local tourism.

The Vice President cited a need to appoint a competent manager to take charge of PNR, whose priority task should be to check the deteriorating infrastructure and rolling stock, and implement a regular maintenance check.

Meanwhile, pointing to various problems encountered by the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC), Binay said his administration might consider splitting the department into two: one will focus solely on transportation and the other on communications.

“The MRT [Metro Rail Transit] 3 is in a sorry state, with regularly stalled operations, lack of coaches and slow run time resulting in a loss of productivity,” he noted.

According to Binay, ordering a new public bidding for a new maintenance contractor for MRT 3, suspending all officials liable for the line’s failures and initiating talks with private shareholders Metro Rail Transit Corp. on cooperating for better services would be among immediate measures that his administration can take.

The Vice President said construction of a subway line running through the length of Edsa could also serve as a flagship infrastructure project.

The Vice President outlined plans for the Light Rail Transit 1 and LRT 2 lines, also noting the need to fast-track the extension of the lines.

The government can initiate talks with other countries for possible concessional loans for the funding of the project, Binay said.

He underlined the need for the Secretary of Transportation to be a civil engineer to ensure that he or she understands the scientific and engineering aspects of all the projects that have to be supervised and fast-tracked. (ManilaTimes.net)

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

Dateline USa

NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL • OCtObeR 30-NOvembeR 5, 2015

A

World Health Organization: Biden won’t run for president in 2016 Processed meat can cause cancer

by Agnes

ConstAnte AJPress

PROCESSED meat—including ham, corned beef, bacon and beef jerky—can cause cancer, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced Monday, Oct. 26, putting the meat in the same danger category as smoking or asbestos.

The agency’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) in Lyon, France reached the conclusion after analyzing decades of research. It evaluated more than 800 studies across several continents about meat and cancer, which looked at more than 12 types of cancer in populations with a wide spectrum of diets throughout the last 20 years.

Among its findings suggest that consuming 50 grams of processed meat per day, equivalent to about 1.75 ounces or two slices of bacon, heightens the risk of developing colorectal cancer by 18 percent.

“This is an important step in helping individuals make healthier dietary choices to reduce their risk of colorectal cancer in particular,” said Susan Gapstur of the American Cancer Society, according to The Associated Press. The organization has recommended limiting the consumption of red and processed meat since 2002. It suggests opting for fish or poultry, or cooking red meat at low temperatures.

Processed meat, which is modified either to extend shelf life or enhance taste, is smoked, salted, fermented, smoked, or cured. Among chemicals used to cure meat include nitrates and nitrites, which the body converts into cancer-causing compounds.

The IARC has labeled processed meat as a carcinogen, similarly to how cigarettes are labeled.

Still, this is not to say processed meat and smoking are equally dangerous: smoking remains worse than eating a bacon sandwich.

The IARC’s findings state that the chance of individuals developing colorectal cancer because of their consumption of processed meat is small, Dr. Kurt Straif of the IARC said in a statement. However, the risk increases with the amount of meat consumed.

In the United States, the overall lifetime risk of developing the cancer is about 5 percent, according to the American Cancer Society. But the WHO says eating a cold-cut sandwich on a daily basis would only raise the risk to about 6 percent.

In the United Kingdom, approximately 6 percent of individuals develop bowel cancer in their lives. If, in the UK, people ate an additional 50 grams of bacon every day for the rest of their lives, their risk for would rise by 18 percent to about seven in every 100 people developing bowel cancer.

“This is still very relevant from

The World Health Organization (WHO) linked bacon, ham, cold cuts and other processed meat like corned beef, luncheon meat, beef jerky and sausages (longganisa) to colon and stomach cancers.

Inquirer.net photo

a public health point of view, as there are more than 30,000 new cases per year [of colon cancer],” said Gunter Kuhnle, a food nutrition scientist at the University of Reading, according to the AP. “But it should not be used for scaremongering.”

The IARC found that red meat – defined by the WHO to include beef, goat, horse, lamb, mutton, pork and veal – is “probably carcinogenic to humans.”

Despite the linkage established in these findings, the agency did not make any specific dietary recommendations and said it did not possess sufficient data to indicate the amount of processed meat to be considered too dangerous. Furthermore, doctors are not all advising against completely eliminating meat from the diet.

“It’s not that you can’t have any,” ABC News Chief Health & Medical Editor Dr. Richard Besser said. “But you want to reduce the amount of processed meat that you’re taking in. Go with broiling, with baking, those things will not release some of the chemicals.”

Red meat does have nutritional value and is a major source of iron, vitamin B12 and zinc.

The WHO said there was limited evidence that 100 grams of red meat per day boosts the risk of cancer by 17 percent.

“People should limit consumption of red meat and avoid consuming processed meat, but they should also have a diet rich in fibre, from fruit and vegetables and maintain an adequate body weight throughout life and limit the consumption of alcohol and be physically active,” Dr. Teresa Norat, an advisor to the WHO report, told BBC News.

After the new pronouncement from the WHO, the North American Meat Institute pointed out that the report ignored “numerous” studies with findings indicating no connection between meat and cancer. The new findings could impact the American meat industry, which is arguing

Home invader who victimized Asians, Filipinos gets 47 years TACOMA, Washington—A 21-year-old man was sentenced to 47 years in prison for his part in a string of home-invasion robberies that targeted Tacoma’s Asian community in 2012, particularly families of Vietnamese, Filipino and Cambodian descent.

The News Tribune reports that a Pierce County jury convicted Azariah Ross on 16 counts earlier this year. His charges included robbery, burglary and

unlawful imprisonment.

Prosecutors say he was one of four people who committed seven robberies between January and August 2012. The robberies netted the group more than $80,000 in cash and goods, court records show.

Each time, two or three armed bandits broke into a home, threatened the people inside and sometimes tied them up before stealing cash, jewelry and valuables. n

Many Filipinos working...

PAGE A1 home, more than 80 percent said they possess more skills than what is required in their jobs; 72 percent said workplaces in America are more stressful than those they experienced in the Philippines.

Yet 93 percent of survey participants said they believe there are still more opportunities in their US jobs than those in the Philippines.

“What I have achieved here in the US, is a lot,” said respondent Joanna Loresto, 47, of San Rafael, California. “I just left my job and I’m so fortunate I could go wherever I want to, and employers will hire me. Owning a home, buying any car I want – I’m proud of it. I can give my son the best education. I have three siblings in the Philippines and a lot of cousins, and I’m thankful that I can be the one helping out.”

Respondent Ruben Espiritu, 56, of Garner, North Carolina also called the US the land of opportunity with many jobs available, but pointed out that the Philippine economy is im-

proving.

“People who come here for work are playing vital economic roles by contributing to the U.S. economy and also adding to the GDP of their home country when they send money back to family and friends,” said Transfast CEO Samish Kumar.

The remittance firm conducted the same survey with respondents across all nationalities, noting a number of similarities with Filipino immigrants.

However, there were differences in responses about how much immigrants were expecting to earn versus what they expected (37 percent of overall immigrants said they were making what they expected, while 61 percent of Filipinos responded as such), and where they planned to retire.

Of the immigrants surveyed, 18 percent said they intend to retire in their home country. 53 percent of Filipinos said they plan on retiring in the Philippines, while 31 percent of Filipinos said they intend to retire in the United States. (Agnes Constante / AJPress)

against the linkage between their products and colorectal cancer, citing the illness involves other lifestyle and environmental factors, the AP reported.

Yet shares of the majority of meat companies experienced little change on Monday.

“I’m not expecting that [IARC] report to be a big issue going forward,” said Brian Weddington, a vice president of Moody’s Investors Service’s corporate financial group, according to Reuters. “I think there’s still going to be a lot of hot dogs sold tomorrow.” n

VICE President Joe Biden has announced that he will not run for president in the 2016 election.

“Unfortunately, I believe we’re out of time, the time necessary to mount a winning campaign for the nomination,” he said on Wednesday, Oct. 21.

Biden made the announcement at the White House Rose Garden, putting to rest months of speculation about his immediate political future. He said he would focus on his remaining time in office for now, but gave little indication about what could happen after that.

“But while I will not be a candidate, I will not be silent. I intend to speak out clearly and forcefully, to influence as much as I can where we stand as a party and where we need to go as a nation,” he said.

A Biden bid appeared unlikely earlier in the year, although he gave it some thought before his son Beau, who passed away in May, fell ill to brain cancer. But he began looking into the possibility during the summer, reaching out to advisers and allies. In September, he began courting donors.

Elected to the Senate when he was 29 years old, Biden spent 36 years representing Delaware in the legislative chamber and served as chairman of the Judiciary and Foreign Relations Committees. And throughout his political career, it was no secret that he had his sights set on the White House.

While he unsuccessfully ran for president in 1988 and 2008, Biden was positioned to be a more competitive candidate after serving

two terms in the Obama administration. There was also the scandal that broke out earlier this year involving Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server during her time as secretary of state, which made 2016 his best and final opportunity to participate in the race for the presidency.

However, after his son’s death, Biden warned that his and his family’s loss was overwhelming and that they may not be prepared for the demands of a presidential campaign.

Furthermore, Biden’s aides were divided on whether the vice president should join the race, particularly considering that many of the Democrats’ top donors and strategists backed Clinton. Given this, Biden would have had to compete with her for votes and donors.

An aide said Biden made his decision on Tuesday, Oct. 20, according to The New York Times.

In his speech Wednesday, Biden discussed the case he would have made as a candidate and also made some indirect criticisms toward Clinton, without mentioning her name, about how she asserted in the Democratic debate that Republicans are her enemies.

“I believe that we have to end the divisive partisan politics that is ripping this country apart, and I think we can,” said Biden, who, during his time in the Senate, frequently worked with members in both parties.

“They are our opposition; they’re not our enemies. And for the sake of our country, we have to work together,” he said.

Despite his jabs, Clinton, in a statement, praised Biden’s “passion for our country,” his “devotion to family,” and cited his record of fighting for the middle class.

“Joe Biden is a good man and a great vice president,” she said.

“And I’m confident that history isn’t finished with Joe Biden.”

Politicians from both sides of the aisle agreed Biden would have made a good candidate, but said “he made the right decision,” as Democratic Senate Minority leader Harry Reid told CNN. Republican front-runner Donald Trump echoed the sentiment while also taking a stab at Clinton.

“I think Joe Biden made [the] correct decision for him & his family. Personally, I would rather run against Hillary because her record is so bad,” Trump wrote.

Reince Priebus, chairman of the Republican National Committee, said Biden’s decision makes it easier for the GOP to win the election.

“Vice President Biden was the most formidable general election candidate the Democratic Party could have fielded, and his decision not to challenge Hillary Clinton greatly improves our chances of taking back the White House,” Priebus said.

With a little more than a year remaining as vice president, Biden said he and his family “intend to spend the next 15 months fighting for what we’ve always cared about, what my family’s always cared about, with every ounce of our being.” (Agnes Constante / AJPress)

8+

F:KF9<I *'$EFM<D9<I ,# )'(, EFI:8C 8J@8E AFLIE8C

_kkg1&&nnn%Xj`XeaflieXc%Zfd -,' -(-$+(,'

SEAFOOD CITY ADVERTORIAL FPFC

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

NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL • OCtObeR 30-NOvembeR 5, 2015

Brown vetoes bill aimed at disaggregating AAPI data

by Agnes

ConstAnte AJPress

EARLIER this year, Fil-Am Assemblyman Rob Bonta introduced a bill that would roll out new guidelines to collect disaggregated demographic data about California’s diverse Asian Pacific Islander (API) population.

The measure, AB176, aimed to address disparities in health and education.

“The API community is not a monolith. We are not the same in every single respect. Each of our diverse communities has different social, economic, and educational challenges and outcomes that need to be addressed differently,” Bonta said.

A report by Los Angeles Times published Wednesday, Oct. 21, illustrated the disparities with some statistics: approximately 70 percent of the state’s Indian American population above the age of 25 possess bachelor’s degrees; for Laotian Americans in California, that number is 10 percent.

In another comparison, a number of Hmong immigrants, many of whom came as refugees from war and genocide, are among California’s poorest

ethnic groups; Taiwanese immigrants, however, are one of the wealthiest groups in the state, according to the Times.

AB 176 overwhelmingly cleared both chambers of the legislature – unanimously in the Senate, and in the Assembly with only one dissenting vote.

But on Oct. 7, in a shock for API community advocates, California Gov. Jerry Brown vetoed the bill.

“I am wary of the ever growing desire to stratify,” the governor wrote in a letter to the California State Assembly on Wednesday, Oct. 21. “Dividing people into ethnic or other subcategories may yield more information, but not necessarily greater wisdom about what actions should follow. To focus just on ethnic identity may not be enough.”

Under AB 176, separate categories would be required for at least Bangladeshi, Fijian, Hmong, Indonesian, Malaysian, Pakistani, Sri Lankan, Taiwanese, Thai and Tongan individuals, who are typically categorized collectively as “Other Asian.” It would also have mandated the University of California and California State University systems, community

colleges, and the state Department of Health to use specified categories for each major API group. Furthermore, the measure would require those entities to make that data publicly available on their website.

“I was disappointed by Governor Brown’s veto of my AB 176, which would have uncovered many of the social, economic, and educational disparities in the Asian Pacific Islander (API) community,” said Bonta in a statement to NBC News.

He added that he “respectfully, but very strongly, disagree[d]” with Brown’s veto.

Other API leaders and activists offered statements mirroring Bonta’s position, saying that for California’s growing 5.6 million API population, the largest of any state, stratification is necessary to reflect the diversity, according to the Times.

Bonta previously cited data from the 2010 US Census Bureau, which indicated that California’s Asian American population grew 34 percent between 2000 to 2010, while the Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander population grew by 29 percent in the same time period.

“I think he is ignoring the …

reality of how diverse our nation, and in particular, California, is becoming,” said Quyen Dinh, executive director of the Southeast Asia Resource Action Center, the Times reported.

“In vetoing AB 176, Governor Brown, unfortunately, sets forth a public policy approach that perpetuates the model minority myth and the dilemma of the AANHPI community being treated as a monolithic whole,” said Betty Hung, policy director of Asian Americans Advancing Justice, according to NBC News.

Richard Chang, policy director of Empowering Pacific Islander Communities, told NBC News that AB 176 would have portrayed a more accurate picture of who Californians are, inform state and local policymakers and allow them to make better use of resources, and improve educational outcomes for some of the state’s most underserved communities.

“For now, community stakeholders and organizations like ourselves will simply have to continue engaging in a costly, time consuming struggle to extract data from each public higher education institution,” he told NBC News.

Although being lumped to-

gether in one group may hide education and income disparities among Asian populations, it collectively provides members of the groups a louder voice, Barbara O’Connor, director of the Institute for the Study of Politics and Media at Cal State Sacramento and a former Brown appointee, told the Times.

“I think he really believes that minorities of all types are represented better when they’re not stratified,” O’Connor said.

“Asians have more clout in Sacramento when they act as a caucus.”

The veto came as a surprise especially because AB 176 measure was modeled after a bill Brown signed in 2011, Bonta said, according to the Times.

AB 1088 required the Department of Industrial Relations, a labor agency, and the Department of Fair Employment and Housing to gather data about the same ethnic groups.

“It shows that at one point at least, the governor thought this was important,” Bonta said, the Times reported.

When the measure was introduced earlier this year, Bonta pointed out that there had been no Filipino member of the Cali-

A

fornia state legislature until he was elected in 2012.

“And I mention that to draw attn to the issue of why it’s so important that I and we here today give voice to not just the Filipino-American community, but all API subgroups who face challenges that are distinct and unique from the greater API population. And while all of us as part of the API community share common goals and struggles, our struggles and challenges are simply not all the same,” he said.

Bonta also remembered struggling to figure out what box to check on standardized test forms as a kid, the Times reported. And while he was the political chair of a Filipino student group at Yale University, he asked for information regarding retention and graduation rates for Filipino students and learned the institution did not have it.

“When you use the monolithic Asian category, you render invisible the experiences of each specific population,” Bonta said, according to the Times.

Despite Brown’s veto, Bonta said he plans to reintroduce the bill next year. n

Young Fil-Am dad shot to death in Hayward, California

by Jun

nuCum Inquirer.net

HAYWARD—A grieving Filipina mother is appealing to witnesses to step forward and shed light on the brutal killing of her youngest son and help the police in apprehending the perpetrator(s).

Patria Roxas, originally of Quezon City in the Philippines, was at a farmers’ market when she was told something happened to her 25-year-old-son, Darryl Peñafiel Roxas, in the early morning of Saturday, Oct. 24 near the South Hayward BART station.

“They did not tell me at once what happened so I was thinking that Darryl was just involved in a simple car accident, a fight or at worse a DUI incident,” Roxas recalled.

Someone from the coroner’s office later went to her home in Castro Valley to inform her husband, who recently came out of the hospital due to a stroke, that Darryl was found dead from gun-

shot wound in the chest inside his own car at Barbara Court, Cole Point and Pacific Street in Hayward California.

Roxas’ daughter-in-law, Elizabeth Lisa Mendoza, together with Roxas’ daughters, Danica and Princess, broke the tragic news to her when she got home, and she has been listless and lost ever since.

“I would have accepted it if my son was just involved in a fight which resulted in him being mauled, or was cited for a traffic violation and even DUI (driving under the influence) and he would still be with us and his family.”

Ex-gang member Roxas admitted that Peñafiel used to belong to a gang when he was much younger and had been out of it though he remained friends with some gang members.

Peñafiel was a driver with East Bay Paratransit, ferrying clients to and from care homes and doctor’s clinics when his young life was cut short. He

is survived by distraught wife, Lisa, who is pregnant with their second son and who stays home to look after their 14-month-oldson, King Angel.

From information gathered, Darryl was supposed to go to a San Francisco bar with friends that early morning but did not make it to the friend’s house.

He reportedly was spotted with a former high school girlfriend in his car when last seen alive in Hayward.

This said ex-girlfriend supposedly has a current boyfriend with whom she has a son and who belongs to a gang composed mainly of Mexicans.

Jealousy as motive?

It’s possible Peñafiel might have met with this ex-girlfriend that morning like he had done couple of times before, and jealousy might have been the motive for the shooting.

Nothing has been heard from either the former girlfriend or her supposedly current boyfriend.

“We cannot imagine why he

had to be in South Hayward, which is far from where he and his family stay,” Roxas wondered. “If what the witness said is right, why did that girl not ask for help or simply call 911 as soon as the shooting happened if she did not know the shooter? My son might have had a chance to live or at least have been helped after the incident.”

Roxas surmised that the girl might have been terrified, shocked, scared and/or too confused to move reasonably when it happened, but at least something should have been done to help his dying son.

“I felt real bad for my youngest child. In his last moments, no one was able to help him get immediate aid to even ease a bit the pain he was going through.

We were not even given a chance to help him when he took his last breath.”

Appeal Roxas is appealing to the former girlfriend, her boyfriend, who cannot no longer be reached or located, witnesses

or anyone who can give more information that can help in the police investigation, to get in touch with the Hayward Police.

“I hope that the case of my son is solved and not become mere entry of unsolved crimes.

We have to give justice to his death not just for us who have known him all his life but, more so for his very young children, one of whom is still in his mother’s womb, who still have to know their father. We hope we can give them plausible answers when the time comes.”

Roxas added that she was counting on Peñafiel’s trusted friends to give more information as soon as they learn anything.

Darryl’s pregnant wife, Elizabeth Lisa Mendoza, started a fund drive on as Darryl aka Chino Burial Fund in the Go Fund Me to help this family.

“Gone from us is a good man with a big heart and a family in need of as much help as possible. There is no donation too small. Thank you all for your

Victim of fatal shooting, Darryl Peñafiel Roxas.

Contributed photo

love and support through these difficult times,” the appeal stated.

As of this writing, more than a thousand dollars have been raised of the targeted $10,000 by 11 people in seven hours.

Those willing to help can go to Go Fund Me. n

A

october 30-november 5, 2015 • norcAL ASIAn JoUrnAL

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

OpiniOn

Features

Proposition A GREAT fight is brewing among four opposing names who dare to covet the highest political rank in the Philippines. While the top presidential aspirants are strong contenders—each carrying a political track record—one test they have to accomplish is being the most business-friendly.

With a growing middle class, strong domestic demand, stable economic policy and GDP growth, signposts for the Philippine economy are generally in a positive outlook. What the country needs now is a leader who will hold a successful transition of power by 2016.

Elections are shaped by the involvement of corporate businesses. For a leader to initiate a successful leadership, he or she must encourage the support of business leaders.

The country’s largest business organization recently held a two-day conference on Oct. 26-27 to discuss how the government and business community can improve Philippine competitiveness and spur economic growth beyond 2016. Invited during the event were top presidential candidates, Vice Pres. Jejomar Binay, Former Interior and Local Secretary Mar Roxas, Sen. Miriam DefensorSantiago and Sen. Grace Poe. They took turns on the hot seat as they seized the opportunity to appeal to the country’s local business community and explain why they are the best candidate by outlining programs they will pursue if elected president. Among the programs discussed were priority bills, tax reforms, human capital and infrastructure investments, constitutional amendments and addressing corruption in the government.

Binay aims to alleviate corruption in the government and focus on poverty reduction by providing more jobs Filipinos. He allayed the current

corruption allegations against him and said he leaves it to the courts to decide on the matter.

“The moral problem actually is not corruption, the moral problem is poverty. That is what I have to face, not a fight against all these allegations but a fight to alleviate poverty in the life of every Filipino,” Binay said.

Roxas will continue the current administration’s track record on anticorruption and public service.

He also aims to address corruption in the government.

“We want to eliminate corruption irrespective of what the person’s chaleco is wearing. We are agnostic. We don’t look at their affiliation so long as its corruption, we are against it,” Roxas warned.

Santiago promised a nation that is more prosperous, people who are more united and institutions that are more stable by 2022. And to promote public accountability, Santiago vowed to have the Freedom of Information Act (FOI) enacted into law when elected as president.

Poe admitted that she has the least number of years in public service among the presidential candidates, but reiterated that she is capable to hold such position.

“Even if they say that my resume is quite lean compared to the others, in terms of my service in the public sector, my resume is lean enough that I don’t have the added baggage that is not necessary to be successful in government,” Poe said.

Sergio Ortiz-Luis, president of the Philippine

Editorial

ManilaTimes.net photo

Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI), said that as businessmen and citizens, they are looking at who will take action on his or her promises. He said that business executives were impressed with the plans laid out by the presidential aspirants.

“What we can say is we will record what they promised to us and if they win, we will hold them accountable for what they promised,” Ortiz-Luis said.

The event also highlighted success stories and global and regional trends on business competi-

tiveness, including strategies for business and economic growth, developing a world-class infrastructure and advancing international trade partnerships.

This campaign season has no room for political candidates spouting platitudes. Economists will note that the quality of life enhances business climate. Because like ordinary citizens, the country’s business leaders are looking for someone who will turn pledges into actions and who can make a corruption-free society possible. (AJPress)

Usapang Todos Los Santos: When your time comes, would you choose to be cremated?

PERHAPS a lot of us Filipinos living abroad would have a collective memory of how “Todos Los Santos” was observed in the Philippines where many of us grew up. This would be totally different from the “Halloween” culture of today’s generation—no costumes or Halloween parades and party for us.

October 31 and November 1 would a time when we meet with family at cemeteries to remember our loved ones who have gone ahead of us.

However, in the past decade, we have seen a shift in the way people choose to be laid to rest. It is no longer an automatic burial of the remains; instead the option of being cremated has now been accepted by many Filipino families, both here in the United States and in the Philippines.

I had first hand experience on this when we sent off my brother David and my Daddy just in the past two years. This happened in the Philippines at the Sanctuarium near Araneta Avenue.

We had a “lamay” (wake) for them for a few days, with their remains in the caskets for family and friends to pay their last respects. As in the traditional wake, we had masses and eulogies, with people watching over the remains of our dearly departed 24/7, until it was time for cremation.

IF you were made aware of the excuses given by the Sandiganbayan’s First Division for its refusal to grant bail to former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, you would be very, very angry.

You’d wonder how such an utter distortion of the law could occur in this country that is supposedly under the rule of law.

You’d tend to believe the widespread rumors in legal circles that this division of the Sandiganbayan firmly bears the mark of President Aquino’s thumb, and that he or his representative has directly called several times the members of this body to emphasize to them that at all costs, they should not and cannot grant bail to the 68-year old grandmother who has a life-threatening illness. (The First Division consists of Efren de la Cruz as presiding judge, with Rafael Lagosa and Rodolfo Ponferrada as members. Justices Alex Quiroz and Napoleon Inoturon were recently added as members of the division.)

No wonder, international law-

it is reduced to skeletal remains and bone fragments. It is then collected in a tray or pan (tiny residue may still remain in the chamber and mix with the particles from subsequent cremations) and allowed to cool for sometime.

Finally, the dried bone fragments are further ground into a finer sand-like consistency. The machine used for this pulverization is called cremulator.

On an average, it takes about one to three hours to cremate a human body, thereby reducing it to 3-7 pounds of cremains. The cremation remains are usually pasty white in color.

These remains are transferred in a cremation urn and given to the relative or representative of the deceased. If you do not have an urn, the crematorium may return the ashes in a plastic box or default container.

The convenience of cremation Some people indicate their will to be cremated through written documents or just through a solemn “bilin” to be respected and followed by

family.

Many, like my Dad and my brother, follow the traditional viewing practices before the body is cremated, and then the pulverized remains or ashes in the urn are interred in the cemetery.

Others choose to have their ashes scattered in the sea or other favorite places.

Some have part of their ashes kept in ornamental pendants and given to immediate family members.

There are those who choose to be cremated before memorial services as they wish to be remembered how they were when they were alive and strong by their family and friends.

Many kababayans living abroad also choose to be cremated because it is easer and cheaper to have their ashes be brought back home to the Philippines instead of their remains in casket.

HAVE YOU THOUGHT ABOUT THIS? Would you choose to be cremated when your time comes? *** Gel Santos Relos is the anchor of TFC’s “Balitang America.” Views and opinions expressed by the author in this column are are solely those of the author and not of Asian Journal and ABS-CBN-TFC. For comments, go to www.TheFil-AmPerspective.com, https://www.facebook.com/Gel. Santos.Relos

Sandiganbayan ‘changed’ plunder law to keep Arroyo in jail

Commentary

RigobeRto tiglao

This is where the practice deviates from tradition. After the The Fil-Am final mass and blessing, the remains were brought to the cre- Perspective matory level. There was a final viewing but during this time, the body was already brought out of the casket and was made to lie Gel SantoS-ReloS down on a “stretcher” for family members to pray over and bid them goodbye for the last time through a touch of the hand, a last hug, a last kiss, a last whisper of words of affection. Stems of flowers were also offered before the “stretcher” was rolled out to the crematory for incineration.

The process of incineration This is a detailed description of how it is done, as described by cremationresource.org: During incineration, the body is exposed to a column of flames produced by a furnace fueled by natural gas, oils, propane, etc.

As the corpse is placed in a casket or container (preferably prepared from a combustible material), the container burns down.

Next, the heat dries the body and burns it until

yer Amal Clooney was so horrified at the blatant disregard for the rule of law in Arroyo’s incarceration that she took the case to the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention. No wonder that in just two months’ time, the Group issued its conclusion that the former president is a victim of arbitrary detention, that she should be immediately released, and that she should even sue for damages.

No wonder that the Supreme Court two weeks ago in an unprecedented move barred the Sandiganbayan from proceeding with the case until it has ruled on the petition filed by Arroyo’s lawyer, Estelito Mendoza.

Exasperated over the Sandiganbayan’s blatant disregard of the law, Mendoza has asked the Supreme Court itself to dismiss the plunder charges against the former president.

It is a test whether this nation still has a court of last resort to check the distortions of the law the Aquino regime has managed to undertake just to keep his predecessor in jail for the past three years. Whether it is an act of vengeance over some slight in the past, or fear of her political clout, or a false trophy to brag about for his anti-corruption drive – we

can only surmise.

The case filed at the Court involved Arroyo’s approval requested of her for the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office’s (PCSO) P366 million intelligence and confidential funds (CIF) in 2008. Such approval is ‘ministerial,’ i.e., a routine required by a Marcos Letter of Instruction No. 1282 of 1983 (which has the power of law) not only in the PCSO’s case but in similar funds, released by all presidents including Aquino.

For some reason, it became a cause célèbre—a false one, though—by the strident antiArroyo movement, with Senate hearings undertaken in 2011.

These hearings, however, yielded no anomalous findings other than that funds were used to donate SUVs to bishops stationed in the boondocks and to help raise the blood-money for OFWs convicted of some crime and due for beheading in Saudi Arabia.

Aquino’s agenda, though, was to jail for whatever reason, Arroyo, who he sees in his twisted mind as someone like Marcos was to his mother, Cory.

To conceal his role behind it, Aquino got Akbayan leader Riza Hontiveros-Baraquel and her associate, military mutineer

Danilo Lim, to file a plunder case against Arroyo for her approval of the PCSO CIF funds. Aquino rewarded her for her service by including her in his 2013 senatorial slate. Lim was given a plum post at the Bureau of Customs as deputy commissioner for intelligence.

Hontiveros lost in that election and now has the gall and shamelessness to run for the Senate again under Aquino’s party in 2016. She is campaigning early, using government funds for airing TV ads disguised as public messages from Philhealth, where Aquino had positioned her as a board member. Why would anyone vote for such a hypocritical political mercenary?

You wouldn’t believe what Hontiveros and Lim submitted as evidence of plunder and witness against Arroyo.

The transcript of the Senate hearings – peppered with charges being hurled left and right for the anti-Arroyo peanut gallery without any shred of proof! Their witness? The Senate clerk attesting to the authenticity of the transcript!

It’s been a Kafkaesque trial for Arroyo. The Commission on Audit chairman, during which term the use of the confidential funds

was cleared by lower ranking auditors, was included among those accused, apparently to force him to bear false witness against Arroyo. He didn’t. Eight of the 10 accused (mostly PCSO trustees) and detained were granted bail, except Arroyo and the poor PCSO budget officer, Benigno Aguas.

The prosecution presented about eight witnesses, all of whom were military men doing intelligence work. They merely explained what “intelligence fund” meant, and it quickly became clear their presence at the hearing was a trick employed by Aquino’s lawyers to prolong the trial. They, of course, knew nothing about PCSO’s intelligence funds.

Arroyo’s lawyers pleaded to the Court several times: Arroyo just approved the intelligence funds, as was required of her to prove such funds by most agencies. Not a centavo of it passed through her – as mandated, it is the board which allocates its use, it is the PCSO management which “liquidates” it, i.e., submits the receipts proving it has been used legally.

Had there been something wrong with the way it was used, the COA would not have cleared it and would have asked the PCSO

officials to return the money. If the charge was plunder or even malversation of funds, please show some proof that the funds were illegally used or ended up in Arroyo’s pocket or any PCSO official’s bank account.

By using excuses such as what they cited for not dismissing the case, or for not even granting bail to Arroyo, these [expletivedeleted] in robes did the unthinkable: they altered the Philippines’ plunder law itself!

The plunder and anti-graft laws of this land categorically require proof that funds allegedly stolen from government ended up in the pockets of the accused.

In former president Joseph Estrada’s case, the prosecutors proved with bank accounts and even witnesses (bank officers) that jueteng money and tobacco excise tax funds turned up in his bank accounts.

Amazingly, for judges of their stature to be in special court devoted to prosecuting graft, the Sandiganbayan in one of its resolutions denying Arroyo bail eliminated this well known requirement for proving plunder or just plain graft, and declared, utterly without any basis either in terms of the law or Supreme Court juPAGE A8

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.

ROGER LAGMAY ORIEL Publisher & Chairman of the Board CORA MACABAGDAL-ORIEL President main office: 1210 S. brand blvd Glendale, cA 91204 tels: (818) 502-0651 • (213) 250-9797 Fax: (818) 502-0858 e-mail: info@asianjournalinc.com http://www.asianjournal.com northern california: 1001 bayhill Drive, Suite 200, San bruno, cA 94066 tel.: (650) 616-4150 • Fax: (650) 616-4152 Las vegas Sales office: 3700 W. Desert Inn road Las vegas, nevada 89102 tel.: (702) 792-6678 • Fax: (702) 792-6879

manila office: 2/F D&e Fort Palm Springs cond.

30th St., cor. 1st Ave., bonifacio Global city, taguig tel.: (632) 856-4921 • 856-0397 Fax: (632) 856-1661 new York office: 133-30 32nd Ave., Flushing, nY 11354 tel.: (212) 655-5426 • Fax (818) 502-0858 new Jersey office: 449 Hoboken Ave., Jersey city, nJ 07306 tel.: (212) 655-5426. • Fax (818) 502-0858

ELIZABETH HILARIO SISON Chief Financial Officer JOSEPH PERALTA Vice President & General Manager Northern California Asian Journal MOMAR G. VISAYA Executive Editor MALOU LIWANAG-BLEDSOE Editor-in-Chief Northern California Asian Journal

ADvertISInG AnD ADvertorIAL PoLIcIeS Asian Journal Publitions, Inc. (“AJPI”) reserves the right to refuse to publish, in its sole and absolute discretion, any advertising and advertorial material submitted for publition by client. (“client’s material”) Submission of an advertisement or advertorial to an AJPI sales representative does not constitute a commitment by AJPI to publish a client’s material. AJPI has the option to correctly classify any client’s material and to delete objectionable words or phrases. client represents and warrants that a client’s material does not and will not contain any language or material which is libelous, slanderous or defamatory or invades any rights of privacy or publicity; does not and will not violate or infringe upon, or give rise to any adverse claim with respect to any common law or other right whatsoever (including, without limitation, any copyright, trademark, service mark or contract right) of any person or entity, or violate any other applible law; and is not the subject of any litigation or claim that might give rise to any litigation.

Publition of a client’s material does not constitute an agreement to continue publition. client agrees and covenants to indemnify AJPI and its officers against any and all loss, liability, damage, expenses, cost, charges, claims, actions, uses of action, recoveries, judgments, penalties, including outside attorneys’ fees (individually and collectively “claims”) which AJPI may suffer by reason of (1) client’s breach of any of the representations, warranties and agreements herein or (2) any claims by any third party relating in any way to client’s material.

AJPI will not be liable for failure to publish any client’s material as requested or for more than one incorrect insertion of a client’s material. In the event of an error, or omission in printing or publition of a client’s material, AJPI shall be limited to an adjustment for the space occupied by the error, with maximum liability being ncellation of the cost of the first incorrect advertisement or republition of the correct advertisement.

Under no circumstances shall Asian Publitions, Inc. be liable for consequential damages of any kind.

ASIAN JOURNAL PUBLITIONS, INC. publishes the Los Angeles Asian Journal, published twice a week; the Orange County and Inland Empire Asian Journal, Northern lifornia Asian Journal, Las Vegas Asian Journal and the New York / New Jersey Asian Journal which are published once a week and distributed to Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino, Orange Counties, Northern lifornia, Las Vegas and New York and New Jersey respectively.

Articles published in this paper do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the publisher. Letters to the Editor are welcome. Letters must contain complete name and return address. The materials, however, are subject to editing and revisions.

Contributions and advertising deadlines are every Mondays and Thursdays. For advertising rates and other informations, please ll the L.A. office at (213) 250-9797 or the Las Vegas Sales Office at (702) 792-6678 or send us an email at info@asianjournalinc.com

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

NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL • OCtObeR 30-NOvembeR 5, 2015

Dateline PhiliPPines

A

APEC may affect OFW New ‘Balikbayan Box Law’ for approval in Senate arrival this Christmas

by RoSette

adel

Philstar.com

by Rudy

SantoS Philstar.com

MANILA—The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in November may affect the number of overseas Filipino workers (OFW) arriving in the country to celebrate Christmas with their families.

This early, sources from airline companies at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) revealed that thousands have rebooked flights, originally scheduled in November, to next year in anticipation of disruptions to normal airport operations during the summit on Nov. 16 to 20.

The sources also said their companies have stopped selling seats on those dates to avoid causing inconvenience to passengers. Flights on those days, they added, would either be delayed or cancelled. Earlier, local carrier Cebu Pacific announced

the cancelations of 242 domestic and 30 international flights to and from the NAIA during the summit week.

In a statement, the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) advised airlines and the public of periodic runway closures as heads of state arrive for the summit. The closure is a protocol to airport security.

Although the MIAA said commercial flights would still be available from Nov. 16 to 20, it also advised passengers to avoid booking flights on those days to avoid having delayed or cancelled flights.

After the summit, the airline sources said they might schedule extra flights to Manila to accommodate an expected high volume of passengers arriving for the season. About 75,000 OFW were recorded to have arrived in November last year.

MANILA—Senate President Pro-Tempore Ralph Recto said a new “Balikbayan Box Law” (BBL) is now pending for approval in the Senate after it was consolidated with a Customs reform bill.

Recto said the proposed BBL, which aims to raise the tax-exempt value of “pasalubong” cargo brought in or sent by overseas Filipino workers (OFW) to P150,000, is now a section in the proposed Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA).

CMTA, defined as “conditionally-free and duty-exempt importation,” was sponsored on the floor by Sen. Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara, chair of the Senate Ways and Means Committee, last month. ”That became the agreement in the ‘BBL’ which has been included in the CMTA,”

Recto said.

Recto filed the Senate Bill No. 2913, which he dubbed Balikbayan Box Law or BBL, following the public protest against Bureau of Customs’ directive to open and inspect balikbayan boxes. The order revealed outdated regulations, including taxing any box with content worth more than P10,000.

“Residents of the Philippines, Overseas Filipino Workers, other Filipinos while residing abroad or in their return to the Philippines shall be allowed to bring in or send to their families or relatives in the Philippines balikbayan boxes which shall be exempt from duties and taxes,” the section read.

Recto said that with his proposed BBL, the “total dutiable value” of the boxes shall not exceed 150,000 which can only be enjoyed “up to three times in a calendar year.” However,

the measure states that the boxes must contain “personal and household effects only and shall neither be in commercial quantities, nor intended for barter, sale or for hire.”

“This means that an OFW can send two boxes at the same time provided that their total worth is not more than P150,000. That will be counted as one shipment,” Recto said.

“This is to prevent senders from abusing this privilege.

With this privilege comes the duty to observe the law. And it also comes with penalties so that smugglers won’t take advantage of it,” he added.

The senator added that Senate Bill No. 2913 also includes a provision indexing rates to inflation “so that it will not take another quarter-of-a-century to adjust the tax-exempt ceiling for balikbayan boxes.” ”Every three years after the effectivity of this Act, the

Secretary of Finance, upon recommendation of the Commissioner (of Customs), shall review the value herein stated and shall adjust its present value using the Consumer Price Index as published by the Philippine Statistics Authority,” the provision read.

According to Recto, the “antiquated provision” of slapping a 50 percent duty on the value of a balikbayan box in excess of PhP10,000 was set 28 years ago through President Corazon Aquino’s Executive Order 206 while the BOC Memorandum Circular 7990 which raised the maximum value of a tax-exempt balikbayan box to USD 500 is already more than 25 years old.

BBL is included in the CMTA which is a consolidation of eight bills. Recto wrote two bills with another named Senate Bill 456, that increases penalties for smuggling.

A

Dateline PhiliPPines

october 30-november 5, 2015 • norcAL ASIAn JoUrnAL

5th presidential bet? Comelec keeps public guessing

by Sheila

CriSoStomo

Philstar.com

MANILA—A fifth presidential candidate may qualify for next year’s elections.

Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman Andres Bautista, however, declined to identify the candidate until the poll body weeds out the nuisance candidates.

The other four presidential candidates are Liberal Party standard bearer Mar Roxas, Vice President Jejomar Binay of the United Nationalist Alliance and Sens. Grace Poe and Miriam Defensor-Santiago, who are running as independent.

“At this point, it would not be fair to the others because there is still no prima facie evidence that they are nuisance,” Bautista said during the Kapihan sa Manila Hotel media forum on Monday, Oct. 26.

Last week, the Comelec sent letters to 125 of the 130 people who filed their certificates of candidacy (COCs) for president, asking them to show proof or evidence why they should not be declared as nuisance candidates.

Thirteen of the 19 vice presidential aspirants and 128 of the 172 senatorial candidates were also sent such letters.

“It is part and parcel of due process that every candidate be given the opportunity to show that they are not nuisance candidates…

One of the parameters pursuant to a Supreme Court ruling on the Ely Pamatong case is the re-

785 bets may be disqualified over poll expense reports

by JoCelyn

r. Uy

Inquirer.net

Commission on Elections Chairman Andres Bautista

sources, the capability to mount a campaign,” Bautista said.

Among those who filed COCs for president are losing senatorial candidate Rizalito David of Ang Kapatiran Party, OFW Family Club party-list Rep. Roy Señeres of the Partido ng Manggagawa at Magsasaka Workers and Peasant Party and former Technical Education and Skills Development Authority Augusto Syjuco Jr. who is running as independent.

In separate interviews, Señeres and David said they have not received such letters from the Comelec.

Señeres said he has a legitimate political party with the capability to launch a nationwide

campaign. He added his partylist group ranked 8th in the 2013 elections.

“Among the overseas absentee voters, I was number one in all countries… I am taking up the cudgels for the 15 million contractual workers in the country,” he added.

David, who had filed a disqualification case against Poe, said the Comelec-accredited Ang Kapatiran has the campaign machinery.

“Even if we are all subjected to a hearing to justify why we should not be declared nuisance, we can prove that we are capable…

I have not received a letter and (neither has) my vice president,” he said.

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

MANILA—Over 780 people who ran for local elective posts in the previous years are at risk of being permanently barred from running for any public office for failing to submit to the Commission on Elections (Comelec) their statements of contributions and expenses (SOCE) in two or more elections.

The Comelec’s campaign finance unit has made available on its website www.comelec. gov.ph a list bearing the names of 785 candidates in the past elections who did not report their campaign expenses following the 2007, 2010 and 2013 polling.

Majority of them ran for city or municipal and provincial and congressional elective positions.

In an interview with reporters on Monday, Oct. 26, Comelec Chair Andres Bautista said those who filed their certificates of candidacy for the 2016 elections but whose names appeared on the list might be disqualified due to their repeated failure to file their SOCE. “If they are on the list, they can be disqualified unless we get an order from the court [saying otherwise],” said Bautista.

Section 14 of Republic Act 7166 requires all candidates to

file their “full, true and itemized” [SOCE] in connection with the election 30 days after election day.

Second-time offenders are subject to an administrative penalty ranging from P2,000 to P60,000, depending on the position they ran for, and would be perpetually disqualified from holding public office.

The list showed that the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) accounted for the highest number of election aspirants who perennially failed to file their campaign expenses since the 2007 balloting with 194.

In Calabarzon, 88 aspirants were found to have not submitted the documents twice since the 2007 elections and 70 individuals in the Cordillera Administrative Region failed to comply with the law.

Northern Mindanao also registered among the highest number of non-filers of SOCE with 67; Central Luzon, 60; Soccsksargen, 59; and the National Capital Region with 54 election candidates.

Among the prominent names that appeared on the list included former Caloocan City mayor Macario Asistio Jr., former Quezon City Rep. Ismael Mathay III and former ARMM Gov. Nur

Misuari. Two members of the Ampatuan clan were also named on the list.

The document showed that Misuari failed to report his campaign expenses when he ran for provincial governor of Sulu in 2007 and 2010 and regional governor in the 2013 balloting.

Comelec records also revealed that Asistio did not submit the pertinent documents twice—in 2010 when he ran for city vice mayor and in 2013 when he vied for the mayoralty while Mathay failed to submit a report following the 2007 and 2010 balloting.

It also showed that Pandag Ampatuan failed to report his campaign expenses when he ran as member of the Sangguniang Bayan (municipal council) of Datu Unsay, Maguindanao, in 2010 and as member of the sangguniang panlalawigan (provincial board) in 2013.

Abdullah Ampatuan, who was killed in July 2013, was also registered as a non-filer of SOCE in the 2010 and 2013 elections.

Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez said cases against the 785 erring candidates would be filed before the commission.

“These are still up for filing of petitions for perpetual disqualification before the Office of the Secretary of the Commission,” he said.

Binay: Aquino administration government of unfulfilled promises by helen

FloreS Philstar.com

COMPROMISE. Officials pose for a unity photo following the settlement in Davao City of the intense rivalry between two mayoral candidates, Cahar Ibay (second from right) and reelectionist Kits Guro (third from right), in Matanog town in Maguindanao. Iranun residents of Matanog town are confident they can exercise their right of suffrage next year without fear of getting trapped in hostilities between local partisan camps.

Philstar.com photo by John Unson

MANILA—Vice President Jejomar Binay said the Aquino administration will be known as the period of missed opportunities and unfulfilled promises.

“The Aquino administration promised much, unfortunately it delivered very little,” Binay said in his speech at the 41st Philippine Business Conference and Expo at the Marriott Hotel in Pasay.

Binay, the presidential bet of the United Nationalist Alliance, said the Philippine economy under the Aquino government has been a paradox.

“We have posted a rather respectable GDP growth rate but our poverty rate has worsened rather than improved. We have experienced a property boom, but the housing backlog worsened. Some

of our best companies generated good profit, but local business conditions did not lead to a healthy reinvested rate. To the contrary, our best companies decided to invest abroad,” he explained.

“The Aquino years may most accurately be described as a period of lost opportunities,” he added.

Binay noted that five years ago, President Aquino boasted that his administration would increase tourist arrivals to 10 million by the end of his term. But recently, Malacañang crowed about tourist arrivals reaching only four million.

He also pointed out that ports, airports, roads and other infrastructure that would allow the Vice Pres. Jejomar Binay country to support 10 million ar- projects covered by this program massive infrastructure program. remain on the drawing board. riving tourists were not built.

This will enable companies to op“This administration will bow erate more efficiently to compete “Sadly, the Manila airport is the worst in the world. Tourists are out of office with only one project in an open regional market. regularly victims of the worsen- completed: a four-kilometer link “It will unlock the potential of ing peace and order situation that road it called expressway obvi- our agricultural sector and help the last interior secretary failed so ously built to serve the property bring down our excessively high miserably to check,” Binay said, developments of those who built food price regime. That will create referring to Liberal Party standard it,” Binay added. jobs and reduce poverty,” he said.

Aquino and Binay used to be albearer Manuel Roxas II. Binay also renewed his call for Binay also recounted that five lies, but their relationship turned lower income tax rates. “The first years ago, the Aquino adminis- sour after pro-administration sen- task of the next government is to tration unveiled a private-public ators started an inquiry into vari- bring tax relief to our people by repartnership program as its center- ous corruption allegations against vising the tax rates to account for Binay. piece policy. inflation. This will restore purchasBinay promised that should he ing power to the working class and “This program has now become the epicenter of its failure,” he said, be elected president in May 2016, expand demand in the local econand that most of the infrastructure his presidency will put prime to a omy.”

Bongbong Marcos decries alleged ‘bullet planting’ on OFW by neStor

CorraleS Inquirer.net

SEN. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has deplored another incident of alleged “bullet planting” at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) involving a Hong Kong-bound Filipino.

Gloria Ortinez was arrested and detained on Oct. 25 after airport authorities claimed that they found a bullet inside her hand-carry bag at the Naia Terminal 2.

The 56-year old overseas Filipino worker (OFW) denied the allegations, saying the bullet did not belong to her.

Ortinez said she was well aware that such item was strictly prohib-

ited, having worked as an OFW for 20 years.

“We have heard of similar incidents before on this modus operandi to extort money from hapless victims and we all thought that with the media attention and investigations conducted, this won’t happen again. That is why this latest incident is disturbing to say the least,” Marcos said.

While Marcos said that strict implementation of security protocols in our airports was necessary, he warned that authorities be careful against the hasty filing of criminal charges against passengers who may be a “victim of a frame up.”

“Because of the allegation

against her, Mrs. Ortinez was not able to leave the country and she could lose her job. Worse, she now bears the additional burden of having to defend herself in court and the possibility of spending time in jail. This means she is still on the losing end even if she is eventually cleared of the charges against her,” Marcos said.

“We call our OFWs our modern heroes and this is what they get in return?” the senator added.

Marcos has sent his legal staff to provide assistance to Ortinez, adding that he will await the report of his staff to find out if there is a need to call for a Senate investigation on the incident.

Sandiganbayan ‘changed’ plunder law...

PAGE A6 risprudence: “Thus a ‘raid on the public treasury’ can be said to have been achieved through the pillaging or looting of public coffers either through misuse, misappropriation or conversion, without need of establishing gain or profit to the raider. Otherwise stated, once a “raider” gets material possession of a government asset through improper means and has free disposal of the same, the raid or pillage is completed.”

The Sandiganbayan wove a web of fallacy in which it was itself entangled when it pointed out: “What [the] accused Arroyo forgets is that although she did not actually commit any ‘overt act’ of illegally amassing CIF funds, her act of approving not only the additional CIF funds but also their releases, aided and abetted [the] accused Uriarte’s successful raids on the public treasury.”

But the essence of the plunder law, if you will, is about “illegally amassing” funds from government, Arroyo’s lawyer Mendoza has argued in his petition at the Court.

If Arroyo, as the Sandiganbayan itself said, did not illegally amass such funds, how could she be accused of plunder under that law? Approving the release of funds to a public official who subsequently steals them is not the kind of crime punishable under the plunder law. It is the official’s own act of theft of public funds that qualifies as plunder in that case. The Sandiganbayan invented such crime.

Arroyo’s trial has become a theater of the absurd, not much different from the Inquisition of the medieval ages: She is guilty of plunder even if it is not proven that she used the PCSO intelligence funds for her private use. And the definition of plunder or “raid on the public treasury” by the Sandiganbayan?” It is the improper acquisition and illegal use of the intelligence funds that amount to a raid on the public treasury.

How does it define “improper use?” “The encashment of the checks, which named her as the ‘payee,’ gave (PCSO) General Manager Uriarte material possession of the CIF funds which she disposed of at will,” the San-

diganbayan pontificated.

One’s mind reels in the language games the Sandiganbayan plays just to keep Arroyo in jail.

Why would they put on the line their careers in the legal system by making absurd legal arguments?

But the funds were used for legitimate purposes, as the COA concluded, Arroyo’s lawyers claimed. Not a single witness out of the 21 the prosecution presented, not any of the 637 exhibits it presented, showed that any money from the CIF was used illegally.

“We will see, but in the meantime, Arroyo stays in jail,” the Sandiganbayan in so many words said.

This is the worst kind of oppression, as hellish as in medieval times when the Inquisition would torture heretics to confess, which then was taken as proof of their guilt.

A nation’s entire system of the rule of law is undermined when a law is distorted by justices in order to persecute a political figure, just to follow the orders of a ruthless President. (ManilaTimes.net)

Dateline PhiliPPines

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

NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL • OCtObeR 30-NOvembeR 5, 2015

Amid INC case, PNoy says gov’t must not favor any religion

by Louis

Bacani Philstar.com

MANILA—President Benigno Aquino III preached about the separation of church and state, saying the government should not favor any religion.

“Sa atin pong Saligang Batas nakasaad ang pagkakahiwalay ng simbahan at ng estado. Ayon po rito, kaakibat ng kalayaan sa pananampalataya, wala ring dapat kilingang relihiyon ang estado,” Aquino said.

But while the separation of church and state should be upheld, Aquino said the church should not shrug off state issues such as poverty and injustice.

“Kaya po sumasang-ayon ako sa aral ng Second Vatican Council ng simbahang kinabibilangan ko.

Ayon po rito, mahalagang pakialaman ang buhay sa mundo dahil

ito ang gumagabay sa atin sa landas patungo sa buhay na walang hanggan,” Aquino said.

“Ang hamon sa atin ng Bibliya, sa halip na makuntento sa pagbibigay ng limos, dapat nating labanan ang sistemang ugat ng kawalangkatarungan at paghihirap ng kapwa,” the president added.

Aquino made the remarks about the separation of church and state as the government continues to resolve the alleged abduction of expelled Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) ministers.

In August, the Department of Justice (DOJ) ordered the investigation of the alleged kidnapping and detention of Isaias Samson, whom the INC leadership has expelled for allegedly exposing corruption in the religious group.

The Supreme Court also issued writs of habeas corpus and am-

paro to compel the INC to present Lowell Menorca II, another expelled minister who was allegedly abducted and detained.

INC members have earlier decried the government’s actions.

Calling for the separation of church of state, thousands flocked to EDSA to stage a protest against the DOJ probe, saying the government should not interfere with the affairs of their church.

Malacañang said INC officials accused in the alleged abduction of former ministers areassured of due process.

“Whatever is in the law, that is what will be followed,” Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte said.

However, Valte clarified that the case was not against the INC church but against some of its leaders.

A

HOT COMMODITY. Fresh flower market Dangwa is the choice destination for buying and selling of wholesale and retail of flowers. he prices of flowers went up in Manila’s flower markets as All Souls’ Day draws near. Reports said flower prices at Sampaloc, Manila’s Dangwa Flower Market started to double as flower supply was affected by Typhoon Lando.

Philstar.com photo by Adrian Biblanias

Poe hopes DNA results will be out this week Pacquiao: We’re still negotiating rematch with Mayweather by ceLso

amo

Philstar.com

IRAC, Catanduanes—Presidential aspirant Sen. Grace Poe is hoping the results of her DNA test will be out this week.

Poe last weekend said the DNA testing was done at an American hospital that has the capability to conduct such procedure.

Her camp asked for two more weeks to submit the DNA test results to the Senate Electoral Tribunal (SET) after failing to beat the Oct. 21 deadline.

The SET is deliberating on a disqualification case filed against Poe amid questions on her citizenship. The tribunal is set to rule on the case on Nov. 5.

“I’m really worried these days as I wait for the results of the DNA testing,” Poe said at a press conference during a visit here.

She said the DNA testing was not completed as scheduled because the search for probable biological matches has reached abroad.

Her lawyer, Alexander Poblador, earlier said Poe underwent DNA test with possible relatives to determine her pedigree and prove that either of her biological parents is a Filipino citizen.

Poblador said this would debunk the disqualification case filed before the SET by Rizalito David in connection with Poe’s election as senator in 2013.

The results would also prove

Sen. Grace Poe

that she is qualified to run for president in the May 2016 general elections.

Poe said she hopes the DNA testing will turn out to be positive so that her search for her parents will come to an end.

“You love your parents who raised you up and you thank them deeply. But there are times when you also want to know how your biological parents look in real life,” Poe said. “Do I have brothers and sisters because I feel I’m the only one, although I have a half-sibling, Lovi, who I can call my sister.”

She admitted that she would be saddened if the results will turn out to be negative.

“If it’s negative, we have to continue the fight because the premise of our legal defense is not solely based on the results of the DNA testing. We also want to show that a foundling is a natural-born Filipino because that child was found in this country,”

Poe added.

No more questions Poe’s running mate, Sen. Francis Escudero, also hopes the results of her DNA testing will end all questions on her nationality.

Escudero issued the statement amid reports that the SET has extended the time to hear the quo warranto petition filed against Poe until December.

“Definitely, if the results turn out to be positive and one of her parents is a Filipino, then it’s settled that she is natural-born Filipino,” he said. “We don’t need to cite theories on international law, treaties or conventions on statelessness.”

Poe was abandoned in the font of the Jaro Cathedral in 1968. She was adopted by movie stars Fernando Poe Jr. or FPJ and Susan Roces.

Like any adopted person, Poe has been longing to know why she was abandoned when she was still a baby, Escudero said.

The senator also quoted as a legal precedent the opinion of a justice in the case of Poe’s father, FPJ, who ran for president in 2004.

Escudero was then FPJ’s spokesman.

“We should not give to the unelected members of this court the power and right to decide who the next president will be. That decision is best left to the sovereign Filipino people,” Escudero said, citing the legal opinion.

by mark

GionGco Inquirer.net

NEARLY six months since losing to Floyd Mayweather Jr., Manny Pacquiao is still holding out hope on a rematch with the now-retired boxing champion.

Pacquiao, in fact, told his fans that his camp is in talks for a sec-

ond bout against Mayweather.

“I don’t know yet who [will be] my opponent next, but we’re still negotiating right now about the rematch with Floyd Mayweather,” said the eightdivision champion through a video Q&A with his fans on his Facebook account. “Hoping for that.”

His promoter Bob Arum had already announced a proposed date for Pacquiao’s return to the ring, which is not later than April 9 next year.

It could also be Pacquiao’s farewell fight with the Sarangani representative gunning for a Senate seat in the coming Elections in May.

PDP-Laban keeps door open for Duterte in 2016

by Jeannette

i. andrade

Inquirer.net

NEVER say die.

Unfazed by Rodrigo Duterte’s repeated declarations that he would not run for President, Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) has decided to name the Davao City mayor as its “replacement” candidate in the 2016 presidential election.

PDP-Laban national chair and former South Cotabato Gov. Ismael “Mike” Sueno said that while the party was confident of its choice of Martin Diño as its presidential candidate, anything could happen in the run-up to next year’s elections.

Diño, a former Quezon City barangay captain, is secretary general of PDP-Laban.

Sueno told the Inquirer that the PDP-Laban national council’s first resolution was to nominate Duterte as a replacement candidate should Diño, for some reason, withdraw

from the presidential race.

Duterte has repeatedly denied he plans to run for President.

“PDP-Laban has only two choices for its presidential candidate— Diño and Duterte. So Duterte is the only one who can replace Diño,” Sueno said.

In the PDP-Laban national council meeting, attended by some 40 regional officials, Sueno said Duterte was the unanimous choice as replacement candidate.

“In choosing him as the replacement bet, we took into consideration his popularity and the nationwide support he enjoys, as well as his track record of serving as Davao City mayor,” Sueno said.

Among the country’s political groups, PDP-Laban is the only party—so far—to name a replacement presidential candidate.

Asked if Diño planned to bow out of the race, thus the need for a substitute, Sueno said: “No. He has no plan to drop out of the race.”

“The purpose of Duterte’s nomination is for us to still have a presidential candidate in case Diño withdraws,” he stressed.

Duterte has said that he is not running for President at least eight times.

In an interview with Inquirer editors and reporters on Aug. 25, Duterte again said he was not running for President.

He repeated this at a press conference in Davao City on Sept. 7, saying he would “retire from public life” in 2016.

Two days later in San Juan City, Duterte said only one thing would make him run for President—if Vice President Jejomar Binay, Sen. Grace Poe and former Interior Secretary Mar Roxas “suddenly disappear—[probably] abducted by aliens.”

Finally, on Sept. 30, he said that if he changed his mind, he would declare his presidential candidacy in Davao City. “I started here and I’ll finish here.”

One is gOOd. TwO is even beTTer! Are yOu prepAred?

When you have a family, you need to learn how to protect them and plan for the future.

Whether you want a bigger car or life insurance that better serves your needs, State Farm® can customize your coverage to help protect everything that matters to you.

Call an Agent today!

855-414-7565

State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company, State Farm Indemnity Company – Bloomington, IL

VWDWHIDUP FRP ÀOLSLQR

A10 october 30-november 5, 2015 • norcAL ASIAn JoUrnAL

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

COMMUNITY

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

NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL • OCTOBER 30-NOVEMBER 5, 2015

CJ

Journal

Your Immigration Solution Atty. RobeRt Reeves Devin M. Connolly AnD nAnCy MilleR IT is no surprise that many people dream of one day becoming a US citizen. After all, a person must be a US citizen to vote in elections, file petitions so their parents can immigrate to the US, be issued a US passport, etc.

Despite the many advantages of US citizenship, it should also come as no surprise that people sometimes do things that make their path to US citizenship more challenging. These mistakes are a part of life. But do these mistakes prevent a person from being granted US citizenship?

One of the most common ways a person acquires US citizenship is through the process known as naturalization. There are several requirements a person must satisfy for their application to be approved. They include permanent resident status for a prescribed period of time, physical presence in the US, and good moral character.

Many applications are denied because the applicant lacks the requisite good moral character.

The concept of requiring an applicant to possess good moral character for a prescribed period of time prior to submitting their applicationis one of the more complex requirements of naturalization. Many acts that one might not think of as evidencing bad moral character may nevertheless be considered in making a good moral character determination. The Immigration and Nationality Act lists several specific acts that preclude an applicant from establishing good moral character.

These include lying to obtain an immigration benefit,committing certain criminal offenses, the willful failure to pay support for dependents, and engaging in an extramarital affair which tended to destroy an existing marriage.

However, the list of prohibited acts is not absolute. Thus, the

Becoming a US citizen CDPH study shows prenatal vaccination decreases despite a checkered Past severe illness and death in pediatric pertussis cases US Citizenship and Immigration Service may deny an application on good moral character grounds even though their act was not specifically prohibited.

Furthermore, acts outside of the required good moral character period can also be considered in determining an applicant’s good moral character.

Regarding prior criminal acts, a disqualifying criminal conviction in the prescribed period of required good moral character will automatically render an individual ineligible for naturalization. However, a disqualifying criminal offense outside of the prescribed period can also cause an application for naturalization to be denied. The government is afforded broad discretion to examine otherwise non-disqualifying criminal convictions outside the prescribed period to determine if the underlying facts warrant a favorable finding of good moral character. Therefore, an analysis of good moral character extends far beyond the prescribed period. These issues may not result in an automatic denial but they must be adequately explained.

When applying for naturalization with a criminal history, it is also important to determine whether the conviction could cause not only the non-citizen’s application for naturalization to be denied, but also the Department of Homeland Security to attempt take away their permanent resident status (Green card) and deport them to their native country.The answer to this question depends on various things, including whether the underlying crime is considered a ‘Crime Involving Moral Turpitude’ or an ‘Aggravated Felony,’ the date of the crime and the date on which the person was issue their green card, etc. This should be carefully analyzed before submitting an application for naturalization.

Another issue that is not un-

common is an applicant failing to register with the Selective Service. If you are a male living in the US and between the age of 18 and 25, you are likely required to register with the Selective Service. Failing to register before you turn 26-years-old is often grounds for a denial of an application for naturalization. The applicant must then wait until they turn 31-years-old before they may be granted US citizenship.

A final issue worth mentioning is the submission of incorrect or fraudulent tax returns. Claiming ineligible dependents, not reporting all income, or filing under the wrong category could potentially cause an application to be denied.

The process of acquiring US citizenship is often far more complex than one might anticipate.

It is important to remember, though, that past mistakes are not fatal and that even potential set-backs may ultimately result in US citizenship. As with all requests for immigration-related benefits, one should know the positive and negative ramifications of the request before filing the application. Therefore, when contemplating the possibility of obtaining US citizenship, the application should consult an experienced and knowledgeable immigration attorney to determine if it is advisable and how best to succeed. *** Atty. Reeves has represented clients in numerous landmark immigration cases that have set new policies regarding INS action and immigrants’ rights. His offices are located in Pasadena, Irvine, San Francisco, Las Vegas and Makati City.

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)

SACRAMENTO – California Department of Public Health (CDPH) Director and State Public Health Officer Dr. Karen Smith today announced the results of a CDPH study that shows additional benefits of prenatal pertussis vaccination. Vaccination of pregnant women against pertussis (whooping cough) has been found to prevent whooping cough in their infants, however no vaccine is 100 percent effective and some infants of vaccinated women develop pertussis.

The study found that infants were significantly less likely to have severe illness or die from pertussis if their mother had received the Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis) vaccine during pregnancy.

“Prior studies have demonstrated that prenatal Tdap vaccination reduces the risk of whooping cough among infants less than two months of age,” Dr. Smith said. “However, this is the first study that CDPH is aware of that has evaluated the impact of Tdap vaccine during pregnancy on the outcomes of infants who do become infected with pertussis. This study provides more evidence that getting the Tdap vaccine is the best way for pregnant mothers to protect their babies from pertussis and its complications.”

CDPH’s Immunization Branch conducted the study among 690 California infants younger than two months of age who had pertussis. The study showed that infants with whooping cough whose mothers received Tdap vaccine during pregnancy were less likely to be hospitalized or admitted to an intensive care unit. Researchers also found that infants whose mothers received Tdap vaccine during pregnancy had significantly shorter hospital stays when hospitalization was needed. In addition, there were no deaths among infants whose

mothers were vaccinated with Tdap.

Pregnant women should receive the whooping cough vaccine at 27 weeks, the start of the third trimester of each pregnancy. When pregnant women are vaccinated, maternal antibodies are transferred to the fetus and help protect young infants until they are old enough to receive their own vaccination against pertussis. This is the only way to provide direct protection to infants.

Whooping cough continues to spread at above-normal levels in California following a major epidemic in 2014, when the number of reported cases was the highest seen since the 1950s. Disease rates and the risk of hospitalization and death are highest for infants younger than three months of age.

Classic whooping cough in children and adults starts with a cough and runny nose for one-totwo weeks, followed by weeks to months of rapid coughing fits that sometimes end with a whooping sound and vomiting. Fever is rare. Symptoms of whooping cough vary by age and vaccination history. Infants often do not have typical whooping cough symptoms and may not appear to cough.

Instead, they may have difficulty breathing, their face may turn purple, and they may even stop breathing.

CDPH is working closely with local health departments, schools, media outlets, and other partners to inform providers and the public about the importance of vaccination against whooping cough, especially for pregnant women during the third trimester of every pregnancy. CDPH also reminds parents that Tdap vaccination is a requirement for advancement into the 7th grade. Tdap vaccinations are widely available at doctors’ offices, clinics, and pharmacies. n

Excessive alcohol use continues to be drain on American economy

EXCESSIVE alcohol use continues to be a drain on the American economy, according to a study released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Excessive drinking cost the US $249 billion in 2010, or $2.05 per drink, a significant increase from $223.5 billion, or $1.90 per drink, in 2006. Most of these costs were due to reduced workplace productivity, crime, and the cost of treating people for health problems caused by excessive drinking.

Binge drinking, defined as

drinking five or more drinks on one occasion for men or four or more drinks on one occasion for women, was responsible for most of these costs (77 percent).

Two of every 5 dollars of costs -over $100 billion -- were paid by governments.

“The increase in the costs of excessive drinking from 2006 to 2010 is concerning, particularly given the severe economic recession that occurred during these years,” said Robert Brewer, M.D., M.S.P.H., head of CDC’s Alcohol Program and one

of the study’s authors. “Effective prevention strategies can reduce excessive drinking and related costs in states and communities, but they are under used.”

Excessive alcohol consumption is responsible for an average of 88,000 deaths each year, including 1 in 10 deaths among working-age Americans ages 2064.

Excessive alcohol use cost states and the District of Columbia a median of $3.5 billion in 2010, ranging from $488 million

u PAGE CJ2

CJ

OCTOBER 30-NOVEMBER 5, 2015 • NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL

The Metamorphosis

ErniE D. DElfin (Part 2 of 2)

”THUS also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” James 2:17 6. If you are an employee, be the best employee you can be, and if possible have a second job, to be able to SAVE for your future, to ensure that your own children will have a better future. Be ambitious and choose your role models wisely. Be an entrepreneur like your employer, while you are young. Many business owners you met, especially the Chinese nationals, started their businesses even at the bottom of the pyramid, like collecting or buying and reselling empty bottles or scrap iron and anything. Many years later they own the only hardware store in town!

7. If you are a priest or a clergy, teach the real meaning of the beatitudes, and not just literally. For example, when Bible says, “Blessed are the poor in

Community Journal

12 Simple things Filipinos can do to help PH progress morally, economically and politically spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” The meaning is not to be poor literally but oftentimes poor people use the Bible as their crutch or justification that it is okay to be poor! God never wanted His children to be poor, but they are given the free will to be poor or to be rich, materially or spiritually.

8. Be the best neighbor you can be. Perpetuate the bayanihan spirit, one of the most enduring and beautiful traits we Filipinos have and this trait must last forever!

9. Be proud to be a Filipino despite the shenanigans of many of our leaders. If the Philippine society is likened a huge bucket of water that is polluted by a few drops of ink or impurities (graft and corruption) let us demand a stop of adding more more ink or impurity into the bucket. Instead, let’s pour more buckets of clear unpolluted water continuously for months or years, may be, and soon the wa-

ter in the bucket becomes clean and pure too!

10. Continue to believe in the goodness of the Filipino -- with the family and its culture: being happy, flexible, compassionate, and yes, can manage to laugh and smile despite the natural calamities like during Yolanda, happening around him!

11. To all the OFWs and Filipina nannies all over the world, teach and influence your “alagas” -- the young babies of your masters -- to learn our language, our songs and culture and to love their nannies as their surrogate mothers too. Who knows that in the future when these toddlers become adults and become the kings or prime ministers of their country, the Philippines can be one of beneficiaries of their love and affection because of you!

12. Be bold to fight for what is right, even though you are in the minority. And, if you are a true leader, you should and you must

u PAGE CJ3

Immigrant Living: 101 and Beyond Monette AdevA MAglAyA

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

The curious case of Stephen C. Davis: A ghost story

(Part 2 of 2)

Half a lifetime later and half a world away, I have forgotten much about the murdered American soldier. Buried in the mists of time, his story would have remained shelved, tucked away in my memory banks and promptly forgotten until I came across an account of that incident long ago on the internet.

Written by Virgilio Lacaba, I read a long, detailed article, perhaps a reprint, on “Strange Occurrences at the UP” and like a flood, everything came rushing back as though it happened yesterday. Weeks after the session, I remember being interviewed for an article in a then popular weekly magazine, Mr. & Ms., by Neni Santa Romana Cruz, a wellknown Filipino writer who also happened to be the elder sister of a good friend from St. Scholastica’s College, the kind and gentle Chona Santa Romana, who incidentally and sadly, I learned much later, was herself a tragic victim of murder and domestic foul play, sometime in the late eighties. I had left the country for America by then and lost touch.

I do remember that during the interview for the article I have had to be careful in how the story is presented because I was living, working and studying in an academic environment, which by default should place reason and scientific explanation on everything that happens in the world.

Paranormal phenomenon is an entirely different ball of wax that supposedly rational beings do not normally subscribe to, something that would raise skeptical brows.

Yet I have found that life is not entirely rational, a lot of things don’t make sense and we have only begun to chip away at the great mysteries of life that lay before us. I am thus convinced that quite possibly, I am just one of the multitudes the world over who believe that there are things in the universe that are far beyond the scope of reason and known science to explain and things that are far beyond human intelligence to comprehend fully.

Quite plainly, there are things in this world that cannot be defined, completely understood and pegged in a nice, neat box.

The curious case of this murdered American soldier reaching out from the grave is probably one of them.

As a postcript decades later, Lacaba updated the account by

“…Underneath the bone-chilling poltergeist tactics his restless soul employed to reach out from beyond the grave, he was no more than a lonely soul whose young life was cut down so suddenly and so tragically one dark moonless night. …” verifying the information about Stephen Davies with the American Battle Monuments Commission (http: //www.abmc. gov/search/detailwwnew.php).

Something may have been lost in the spelling and translation during the sessions, for there were two entries for Stephen Davis (there was no e though in the Davis) — one was Stephen E. Davis, a US Air Force officer who was killed in Hawaii and whose remains were never recovered and a Stephen C. Davis. The latter was listed as Seaman, First Class, U.S. Navy, with Service # 3759920 and that he had entered the service in California. The approximate date of death was December 15, 1945 in Manila, Philippines.

Davis earned a Purple Heart Award posthumously. Just like the other Davis in Hawaii, there were no remains recovered. The name of Stephen C. Davis is inscribed in one of the hemicycles on the west side in the American Cemetery near Forbes Park and what used to be Fort Bonifacio, a military camp sold to private real estate developers during the nineteen nineties and now known as The Fort in Global City.

There is absolutely no way to verify every minute detail of this cold murder case unless one is a tenacious private investigator with the mixed pedigree of a bloodhound and a bulldog. One thing that comes across clearly, at least to me, is that the ghost of Stephen C. Davis, whether real or conjured by hypnotic suggestion, didn’t seem to be obsessed with vengeance or justice although he did seem knowledgeable about his killer’s whereabouts. Underneath the bone-chilling poltergeist tactics his restless soul employed to reach out from beyond the grave, he was no more than a lonely soul whose young life was cut down so suddenly and so tragically one dark moonless night. Stuck in a nebulous, nether world between the living and the world beyond, nothing seemed to be as important to

this murdered American soldier as being remembered. It didn’t matter even if the remembrance is by a motley crew of curious, total strangers.

With a sigh of relief over the realization that the spirit was neither malevolent nor malicious, Stephen C. Davis would probably have to deal with an incensed group of total strangers who would gladly take turns putting their hands around his poltergeist neck and choking him, if they could, for scaring them half to death while using the rest rooms.

The ghost simply wanted to call attention to his plight, to being stuck in limbo or trapped in a dimension that defies time and space. Scaring mortals was one heck of a way to do it.

If you remember the movie “Ghost” there was one such paranormal being who was practically forced into mentoring Patrick Swayze’s character in the ways of poltergeists. The movie character is a disembodied soul trapped in one dimension. He inhabited a New York subway because he was pushed on the path of a train and died.

He was stuck and could not cross over to the other side because his time had not yet come.

So he spends his time morosely bent on mischief scaring the living daylights out of subway commuters.

Because his approximate death anniversary is supposedly December 15, Stephen C. Davis is again reaching out from the grave one more time from another century, so that he may be remembered and included in prayers just once more until he reaches final closure and eternal rest. Do pray for him if you can.

If Stephen Davis’s story holds up, it is clear that to be forgotten as though one’s life didn’t matter is indeed tragic. *** Nota Bene: Monette Adeva Maglaya is SVP of Asian Journal Publications, Inc. To send comments, e-mail monette.maglaya@ asianjournalinc.com

EBRPD announces public meeting #2: Concord Hills Regional Park land use plan CONCORD, Calif. — The East Bay Regional Park District invites the public to review alternative design concepts for the future regional park to be located within the former Concord Naval Weapons Station. This is the second in a series of meetings dedicated to Concord Hills Regional Park Land Use Plan, and an opportunity to share ideas and preferences for the future park. The meeting will be held at the Concord Senior Center at 6:30pm, Thursday, Nov. 19.

Concord Hills Regional Park is the working name for the future world-class regional park that will provide a full range of trail opportunities, wildlife preservation and environmental and historic interpretation -including a partnership with the National Park Service to develop a joint visitor center highlighting the history of the Port Chicago Naval

Magazine National Memorial.

The future regional park is part of the much larger Concord Reuse Project that will develop over 12,000 new homes on the 5,028-acre site. The US Navy will transfer 2,453 acres for the future park through a public conveyance process as early as next year.

“The project will be a model for balancing the Bay Area’s need for housing while preserving our most sensitive resources,” said Park District Principal Planner Brian Holt. “The park will provide access to the outdoor experiences that make this such a special place to live.”

Park features may include both paved and unpaved trails, picnic areas, an education center and extensive habitat restoration.

Park District staff and consultants expect to present the preferred design option to the Park

District’s Board of Directors by early next year. Once a design is approved, the next step will be an environmental impact report.

The public may learn more by attending the meeting, or visiting www.ebparks.org/cnws. Detailed information about the land use plan and process are available online; and the public may fill out an online survey.

Website: www.ebparks.org/ cnws For the Concord Reuse Project see www.concordreuseproject.org The East Bay Regional Park District is a system of beautiful public parks and trails in Alameda and Contra Costa counties east of San Francisco Bay, established in 1934. The system comprises 119,000 acres in 65 parks including over 1,250 miles of trails for hiking, biking, horseback riding and nature learning. n

2015 FPACC Bi-National Business Conference: Bridging trans-Pacific commerce in a changing world SAN FRANCISCO – On November 6 to 8, 2015, the Federation of Philippine American Chambers of Commerce (FPACC) will commemorate and celebrate its 19th year anniversary at the 2015 FPACC BiNational Business Conference, a.k.a. Federation 2015, which will be held at the Monte Carlo Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. The organizers of the biennial, bi-national gathering of members from various Filipino American Chamber organizations and business communities in the USA and the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) expect to enhance

and strengthen the organization’s volunteer work in “Bridging Trans-Pacific Commerce in a Changing World”, which is also the conference’s theme.

Federation 2015’s partner and collaborator is FPACC Foundation Inc. while the co-hosts are the Las Vegas Filipino American Chamber of Commerce and the Filipino American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Nevada.

Federation 2015 promises an exciting, engaging, and timely general program with moderated business-to-business (B2B) interactions and transactions, idea exchanges, networking, and memorandums of under-

standing interwoven throughout the 2-1/2 days’ activities. The program opens with the “Women’s Entrepreneurial Summit” on Friday, which also includes home-based entrepreneurs, a trade show exhibit that is open to the public for two days, and an evening welcome reception.

The Saturday morning program is dedicated to US-based business and economic matters while the afternoon session is focused on Philippine and international topics of interest, highlighted by a formal evening gala event. FPACC’s biennial election of its officers and board mem-

u PAGE CJ4

Excessive alcohol use continues to…

PAGE CJ1 t

in North Dakota to $35 billion in California. Washington D.C. had the highest cost per person ($1,526, compared to the $807 national average), and New Mexico had the highest cost per drink ($2.77, compared to the $2.05 national average).

The 2010 cost estimates were

based on changes in the occurrence of alcohol-related problems and the cost of paying for them since 2006. Even so, the researchers believe that the study underestimates the cost of excessive drinking because information on alcohol is often underreported or unavailable, and the study did not include other

costs, such as pain and suffering due to alcohol-attributable harms.

The study, “2010 National and State Costs of Excessive Alcohol Consumption,” is available at www.ajpmonline.org/content/ infoformedia. For more information: www.cdc.gov/alcohol/.

(CDC)

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

Immigration Corner Atty. MichAel Gurfinkel, eSQ ONE of the most important requirements for naturalization is that an applicant must maintain residency in the US for the five years before filing a naturalization application. The person should have been physically present in the US for at least half of the 5 years prior to filing, and should not have been outside the US for over one year on any single trip.

Some green card holders treat their green card as though it was a visitor’s visa, and look for loopholes to get around the residency requirement. They are careful to spend no more than five months outside the US on any single trip, return to the US, stay about two weeks, and then go back to the Philippines for another five months, and continue that process. Or, if they were outside the US for over a year, they “back date” the length of time they were outside the US, with fake entry\exit stamps in their passport.

When a person applies for citizenship, there is a question on the Form N-400 asking about trips outside the US during the previous five years. If you lie about your absences, thinking USCIS will never discover the truth, well, think again!

In one case, a person was already approved for naturalization, and was merely awaiting for his oath taking ceremony, when he got a notice from USCIS advising the case was being “reopened”, because USCIS discovered he lied about his ab-

Community Journal

sences and physical presence in the US. In that case, the person listed on his N – 400 he had been outside the US on only four trips, for a total time period of just over 100 days. His longest trip was a month and a half. He confirmed the accuracy of these trips at his naturalization interview. He passed all the tests and questions, and was told just to wait for his oath taking ceremony.

About a month later, the person received a notice from USCIS advising that USCIS had checked with Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and a “review of the record reflects that the dates of travel that you put on your N – 400 application do not match the travel records of DHS”. The notice then listed his actual absences from the US, which revealed he had been outside the US for over a year on at least two occasions, and had been outside the US for a total of more than 3 1/2 years. As a result, the USCIS concluded his naturalization application was approved in error, because he lied about his absences and he lacked “good moral character” as he was not truthful about his travel and physical presence in the US. As you can see, the USCIS is checking with CBP concerning applicant’s entries and exits from the US. Remember, every time you travel, and you check in at the airline, they take your passport and swipe the barcode into their system. That generates a passenger manifest and that information is turned over to

CBP. Therefore, even if a person puts down incorrect information about their absences, CBP has the accurate information.

In that case, the person is likely to have his naturalization application denied, and USCIS could possibly put him in removal proceedings for having “abandoned” his residency (or green card) for having stayed outside the US for more than a year.

Therefore, if you have any questions or issues about the physical presence requirement, you should seek the advice and guidance of an attorney before filling out the naturalization application or applying. If you provide inaccurate information, your application could be denied and your immigration status jeopardized. ***

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

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

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

to address difficult questions.

Participants completing the program will receive certification to demonstrate their expertise to employers and colleagues. They also receive regular “MY SF Insider” emails from San Francisco Travel with tourism industry updates. Thirty days of additional career development trainings on Learn iT!’s online learning portal is also included.

The enrollment fee is $19.95 for individuals, $15.95 per person for San Francisco Travel partner businesses and $13.95 per person for pre-paid groups of 50 or more. There is no fee to complete the training without the certification and additional benefits.

To learn more, visit http:// www.sanfrancisco.travel/mysf.

To register, go to http://learnitanytime.com/courses/mysf/.

The San Francisco Travel Association is a private, not-forprofit organization that markets the city as a leisure, convention and business travel destination.

With more than 1,500 partner businesses, San Francisco Travel is one of the largest membership-based tourism promotion agencies in the country.

Tourism, San Francisco’s largest industry, generated re-

cord-breaking numbers in 2014.

More than 18 million people visited the destination, spending in excess of $10.67 billion. More than 87,000 jobs are supported by tourism in San Francisco.

The San Francisco Travel business offices are located at One Front St., Suite 2900, San Francisco, CA 94111. San Francisco Travel also operates the Visitor Information Center at Hallidie Plaza, 900 Market Street at the corner of Powell and Market streets. For more information, call 415-974-6900 or visit www. sanfrancisco.travel.

San Francisco International Airport (SFO) offers non-stop flights to more than 34 international cities on 29 international carriers. The Bay Area’s largest airport connects non-stop with 78 cities in the U.S. on 15 domestic airlines. SFO offers upgraded free Wi-Fi with no advertising.

For up-to-the-minute departure and arrival information, airport maps and details on shopping, dining, cultural exhibitions, ground transportation and more, visit www.flysfo.com. Follow SFO on www.twitter.com/flysfo and www.facebook.com/flysfo.

American Express is the official Card partner of the San Francisco Travel Association. n

We kept the Priority Enforcement Program (PEP) out of San Francisco ASPIRE applauds San Francisco Board of Supervisors for protecting immigrant damilies SAN FRANCISCO, CA -- On October 20, ASPIRE joined over 70 other immigrant rights advocates and community organizations to demand an end to the scapegoating of undocumented immigrants and to restore community trust. After a three-month advocacy effort that included grassroots organizing and mass mobilization, immigrant communities gained huge successes during this week’s Board of Supervisors hearing that upheld San Francisco as a sanctuary city for all immigrants.

The Board of Supervisors unanimously voted for a resolution that protects the immigrant community from the harmful effects of local law enforcement’s entanglement with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

ASPIRE applauds the Supervisors on the Board who champion the rights of immigrants, even in

the face of reactionary backlash that further casts undocumented people into the shadows.

“We especially thank Supervisor Malia Cohen for her courageous and vocal support of our local immigrant communities,” says Hong Mei Pang, a Community Organizer at ASPIRE. “Our communities are all too often scapegoated and Supervisor Cohen’s powerful statement dismantled these dangerous stereotypes. We refuse to be criminalized.”

By debunking the false rhetoric of “felons not families”, ASPIRE hopes to continue advocating for all immigrant families to stay together. Through developing restorative justice and addressing the root causes of violence in the community, this victory is a first step towards ending the criminalization of people of color in San Francisco.

Maria HW, a Core Leader at ASPIRE who has led the efforts to empower the immigrant community, reflects, “Our community has bravely mobilized and organized to defend our sanctuary city. The victory we achieved this week is a historic milestone towards disentangling law enforcement from ICE. We rejected PEP. We protected our city. We will continue to fight.”

ASPIRE is the first undocumented API youth-led group in the country. It provides a safe space for undocumented API youth to build community.

Through leadership development, ASPIRE members advocate for our community around issues of immigration and social justice as directly impacted people. Our activism has halted deportations and spawned positive changes for immigrants from the local to national levels. n

12 Simple things Filipinos can do to help PH…

PAGE CJ2 t

be able to scold or reprimand your people if what they are doing is not right. (I am so pleased and proud of this rare leadership quality of my cousin, Mayor Boying Alarcio of our town of Laoac Pangasinan, whom I personally witnessed him scolding his constituents, when he believes his people did wrong! May your kind of a leader, multiply, my dear Mayor!)

CJ

Naturalization disaster: Misrepresenting absences from the US

San Francisco Travel and Learn iT! Launch ‘My SF’ training WITH San Francisco’s tourism volume at record levels and more than 87,000 jobs supported by the visitor industry, it’s more important than ever for people who work on the front lines of tourism to be knowledgeable and prepared to help visitors have their best possible experience.

The San Francisco Travel Association, the official destination marketing organization for the City and County of San Francisco, and Learn iT! have combined their expertise to create MY SF, an interactive online training program with destination information and insider tips to inform and empower locals on how best to help visitors enjoy their time in San Francisco.

“Everyone who comes in contact with visitors can make a difference, whether it’s at a hotel or restaurant, on a tour bus or in a store,” said Joe D’Alessandro, president and CEO of San Francisco Travel. “Increased visitor satisfaction can lead to positive economic impact through longer stays, repeat visits and word-ofmouth promotion,” he added.

The one-hour course includes information on how to use various transportation systems to reach popular attractions, the importance of tourism and how

NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL • OCTOBER 30-NOVEMBER 5, 2015

Last, but not the least, have faith in Divine Providence that eventually will lead the triumph of Good over Evil. So, let us do our best to be good all the time, even though nobody is looking as God sees everything. Sooner or later we get the reward of our good works. The law of Karma, I believe, is still real!

As a postscript, I strongly recommend the movie War Room.

Serendipitously, the movie paral-

lels the theme of this column that I started before hand.

Mabuhay ang Pilipino! Mabuhay ang Pilipinas! *** Food for thought: “United, there is little that we cannot do as a people. But divided, there is little we can do!” - John F. Kennedy *** Email: ernie.delfin@gmail.com Website: www.gkerc.org

CAN A DAUGHTER IMMIGRATE SOONER IF HER MOTHER NATURALIZED AND HER PETITION WAS RECLASSIFIED? THIS QUESTION AND MORE WILL BE ANSWERED THIS SUNDAY! Leading US immigration attorney Michael J. Gurfinkel answers this question from Louise (left) and also gives answers to: what is the fastest way one can be with his wife and can a person get his green card in the US despite being outof-status for a long time? These questions and more, on an encore episode of the information-packed, award-winning public service program -- “Citizen Pinoy,” this Sunday, November 1 at 6:15 pm PST/EST (9:15 pm EST thru select Cable/Satellite providers).

Calendar of Events across

America

ADVERTISE YOUR EVENTS! PRE-EVENT AND POST-EVENT GO DEEPER. GO WIDER. LET THE WORLD KNOW. CALL ASIAN JOURNAL: (818) 502-0651 DISPLAY AD SIZES AT SPECIAL RATES FOR NON-PROFIT GROUPS O C TO B E R 26 - N OV E M B E R 2

Asian World Film Festival in Los Angeles The Asian World Film Festival (AWFF) brings the best of a broad selection of Asian World cinema to Los Angeles from Oct. 26 - Nov. 2, 2015 in order to draw greater recognition to the region’s wealth of filmmakers, strengthening ties between the Asian and Hollywood film industries. With films from 50 countries across Asia, from Turkey to Japan to India and the Philippines, the AWFF focuses on cinema-lovers, especially fans of foreign and independent films. Screenings will be held at the ArcLight Cinemas and iPic Theater in Culver City, and VIP festival passes (including access to filmmakers lounge, professional panels, cocktail receptions, and screenings) are available. A special showing of Paul Soriano’s “Kid Kulafu,” the story of a young Manny Pacquiao, will also premiere on Tuesday, Oct. 28 at 8pm at ArcLight.

For more information and ticketing prices, please visit http://www.asianworldfilmfest.org/.

O C TO B E R 3 1

HallowBack Halloween Dance Event This coming Halloween, come to the newest ultra-lounge located near Glendale’s Americana, the chic 103 LOUNGE (103 E. Broadway Ave., Glendale, CA, 91025, across Marshalls and Bloomingdale’s)! Brought to you by EMEX Events, ToneDef Music, Bounce Electronic Music & DJ School, with support from MISS PHILIPPINES USA, HALLOWBACK is a one-of-a-kind Halloween dance music/clubbing event. Featuring dance tunes from the mid 90’s until the year 2000 by DJs Mon Maramba and Josh Evangelista, and curated by Louie Ysmael together with Arnel Castillo, as well as local retro hero Ricky Fabre of ClubManila. Doors for this popular Halloween event will open at 9pm, so make sure you secure a spot on the dancefloor! 21+ only, with $10 entry fee. Reserved seating with bottle service and birthday specials/VIP areas available. Please email tonedefmusicph@gmail.com for more info.

N OV E M B E R 1 -3

Calapan Central High School Reunion Please save the date for the 60th anniversary year of Calapan Central School in Oriental Mindoro.

Where: Oakland, CA When: November 1-3, 2015.

Contact: Luz Yu (luz_yu@yahoo.com)

N OV E M B E R 7

FPAC 24 - “Balik tanaw, Pananaw bukas” Save the date! The 24th Annual Festival of Philippine Arts & Culture (FPAC) will be celebrated on Saturday, November 7, 2015 at El Pueblo de Los Angeles (125 Paseo De La Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90012). and will feature contemporary and traditional Filipino food, music, dance, crafts and culture. FPAC is the longest-running Filipino cultural celebration in Southern California. This year’s theme for the City of Los Angeles’ Filipino American Event is “Balik tanaw, Pananaw bukas” a Tagalog phrase meaning “looking backward, looking forward, and celebrates the rich experiences of being Filipino American. As a community we honor the culture paved by our ancestors, and move forward with a grateful understanding of our Filipino American history. This is the spirit that keeps FPAC going. Please check www.filmarts.org for more event updates. For Sponsorship Inquiries please contact us at 213-380-3722; or info@ filamarts.org. For exhibitor (food and business) information, contact John Swing at jswing@ esipa.org. #FPAC24

N OV E M B E R 5 -1 4

16th San Diego Asian Film Festival To celebrate its sweet 16th, the San Diego Asian Film Festival (SDAFF) is proud to welcome and pay tribute to entertainment and film legends and pioneers during its 10-day film festival, from November 5 - 14, 2015. Presented by Pacific Arts Movement, the SDAFF is the largest showcase of Asian cinema on the West Coast, with more than 130 films and programs from 20 countries. This year, the SDAFF presents the West Coast premiere of documentary TYRUS, paying tribute and welcoming entertainment legend Tyrus Wong, a 105-year-old Chinese American artist who is best known for inspiring the artwork in Disney’s original classic Bambi. Other contemporary pioneers in entertainment such as Ken Jeong and Eugene Lee Yang will be present. The film festival will take place at the Ultrastar Mission Valley at Hazard Center (Main Theater & Box Office), 7510 Hazard Center Drive, San Diego, CA 92108. For all screenings at Ultrastar, tickets can be purchased at the Ultrastar Mission Valley box office (Member $9, General $12) starting October 30. Student/Military/Senior and Group discounts are available at the door. Opening, Centerpiece, and Closing Night tickets are $15 for General, $12 for Members. Limited All-Fest Passes are available for $250. For ticketing info, film program/gala awards night details, and a full schedule, please visit festival.sdaff.org or contact 619.400.5911 | info@pacarts.org.

N OV E M B E R 8

Dr. Jose P. Rizal Award for Excellence Dr. Jose P. Rizal Award For Excellence In Medicine, Education, Arts & Literature and The Youth When: Saturday, November 28, 2015, 1-6 pm Where: Astoria World Manor in Astoria, Queens, NY Hosted by: Knights of Rizal - New York For More Information, please contact: Atty. Ferdinand G. Suba, Esq., KCR Commander, Knights of Rizal - NY E-mail: SUBALAW@aol.com

D EC E M B E R 5

Santo Nino de Cebu Association Annual Dinner Dance The Santo Niño de Cebu Association of Southern California, Inc. will hold its ANNUAL CHRISTMAS DINNER DANCE on December 5, 6pm - 12:00 midnight, at Almansor Court (700 S. Almansor St., Alhambra, CA 91801). For more details and reservations, please contact Helah (626) 215-2684, Gemma (909) 997-1026, Nelia (818) 425-9926, Joy (909) 228-0437 or Willo (818) 458-0779.

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

CJ

OCTOBER 30-NOVEMBER 5, 2015 • NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL

PeoPle & events

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

Make a lasting, positive impact this holiday season: Give family and friends gifts from the Arbor Day Foundation

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

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

Christmas countdown at DOT Makati

our foreign and local tourists alike a glimpse how Christmas is celebrated across the archipelago and how our brand of fun becomes more vivid this time of the year.”

“No need to do heavy shopping when you travel out-of-town during the holidays. Through the ‘Countdown to Christmas: Celebrating the Regions,’ we are bringing the best local products and tour packages for the most affordable price right here for the next three months. This is our humble way of bringing Yuletide’s good cheers and warmest greetings to all Filipinos and our visitors,” says Undersecretary Maria Victoria V. Jasmin of the Tourism Regulation, Coordination and Resource Generation (TRCRG) sector.

The clusters which will be on display are: Metro Manila (September 21-October 2), Southern Luzon (October 5-16), Mindanao FORMER employees of Philippine Veterans Bank will hold their (October 19-30), Northern Luzon Grand Reunion on February 21, 2016 at the Marco Polo Hotel in (November 3-13), Visayas (NoOrtigas, Manila. vember 16-27), and One PhilipWe are trying to reach out to all members residing all over the pines: All Regions (November world to disseminate information about the upcoming event. For 30-December 18). more details about the reunion, please contact the following memFor more details, please conbers through their Facebook accounts: tact the office of DOT Assistant Southern California – Aurora Carillo Secretary Arturo Boncato, Jr. Northern California – Angie Virola through artboncato@gmail.com Philippines – Lourdes Barbero Ramos and Lyn Lagpitanghap or telephone numbers 459-5200 We look to forward to see you all! n to 30. n THE Department of Tourism (DOT) office along Senator Gil J. Puyat Avenue and Jupiter Street in Makati City opens its doors again to the public as a mustexperience venue for its “Countdown to Christmas: Celebrating the Regions” beginning September 21 until December 18.

This Yuletide countdown will showcase the best tourism products and services of the Philippines’ 16 regions for a period of two weeks each. It will be the tourism regions’ yearly showcase during the Christmas season by promoting their diverse cultures through vignette fiesta performances, native arts and crafts, locally processed and packed food products as well as travel packages featuring both popular and emerging tourist destinations. The kick-off is also in time

for the tourism month.

This year, the focus will be on Community-based Ecotourism (CBET) sites with their products and services. There will be a travel consultant or concierge to share information and give professional advice to visitors. The building’s ground and second floors will be converted into an Eco Store where the regions’ native products, especially gifts for Christmas, will be on sale on said duration.

Tourism Secretary Ramon R. Jimenez, Jr. remarked, “The Philippines holds the distinction of having the longest Christmas season in the world, starting early in September and even lasting until January 6 or the feast of the Three Kings. The success of this project which debuted last year inspired us to continue and give

Former PVB employees 2016 Grand Reunion

2015 FPACC Bi-National Business Conference: Bridging…

PAGE CJ2 t

bers will also take place during the conference. The Sunday morning session is scheduled to showcase the memorandums of understanding among the conference’s bi-national and domestic business stakeholders and present the incoming board of directors’ strategic plans.

EMPLOYMENT

Monte Carlo Hotel & Casino is located at 3770 Las Vegas Boulevard South, Las Vegas, Nevada.

Registration and hotel booking information are found at http:// FPACC.net and http://fpachamber.com/FED_2015__Bi-National.html. Register online at http:// tinyurl.com/federation2015. As of press time, the “early bird”

discounts for registration ends on August 30, 2015. Sponsorships, including media sponsorships, and advertising opportunities are also available at FEDERATION2015@FPACC.net.

For more information, contact Marie Cunning, FPACC President, at Marie.Cunning@FPACC. net or (602) 573-6936. n

EMPLOYMENT

NEBRASKA CITY, Neb. – Celebrate this year’s holiday season with friends and loved ones while supporting conservation and tree planting with the help of the Arbor Day Foundation.

• Returning for the seventh season in a row, Give-A-Tree cards from the Arbor Day Foundation offer a unique holiday giving opportunity with conservation benefits that will endure for generations. And again this year, Give-A-Tree cards can be purchased individually and with customized text. Cards can be purchased for $5.95.

• Purchasing the Arbor Day Foundation’s coffee helps preserve rain forests in Central and

South America. The Foundation’s coffee, a part of the Rain Forest Rescue program, is shade-grown under the canopy of Latin American rain forests. Unlike sun-grown coffee plantations, this traditional shade-grown method gives the coffee a rich and delicious flavor.

Each bag helps preserve 2 feet of rain forest. Cost per bag is $13.49, including shipping.

• The Foundation’s Trees in Celebration program allows the giver to honor loved ones while supporting crucial conservation efforts. For each dollar donated, one tree is planted in a high-need forest, and recipients are given a certificate showing them where the trees were planted.

• Give the gift of membership with the Arbor Day Foundation and recipients will be sent 10 free trees, which will be shipped at the right time of year for planting. Membership levels vary and begin with a $10 contribution.

“The holidays are a time for thinking about others, and as you do, take a moment to think about what you can do to protect the beauty and splendor of the earth,” said Matt Harris, chief executive of the Arbor Day Foundation. “We encourage everyone to give gifts that will have a lasting impact for generations to come.”

To purchase holiday gifts that give back to the planet, visit arborday.org. n

Daly City Arts & Culture Commission Photo contest exhibit and reception on Nov. 12 THIS spring amateur photographers were invited to enter original photographs for the City’s first-ever photo contest.

The contest was divided into three categories: landmarks, landscape, and people. Please join the Daly City Arts & Culture Commission for a special event celebrating the contest winners and honoring all of the participants. The display will feature original photographs that portray nature, people, and places

of Daly City from hidden gems in our communities to favorite places and scenes around town.

Bring your friends and family to view the winning photos, meet your City Council and Arts & Culture Commissioners, and share what you envision would be part of arts and culture in Daly City in the future. Light refreshments will be served and is sponsored by the Daly City Host Lions Club.

If you’re unable to attend the

event, the exhibit is free and open to the public during regular business hours (8:00 am to 5:00 pm) Monday-Friday. The exhibit is located in the Octagon Gallery at City Hall at 333 90th Street.

To help us plan for the event, your RSVP for the reception is appreciated. Please RSVP here.

For questions please email the artscommission@dalycity.org or contact the Assistant City Manager, Julie Underwood at (650) 991-8127. n

Corporate farming: Who owns the world’s seeds?

THIS summer, agrochemical, biotechnology, and seed giant Monsanto dropped their bid to acquire their Switzerland-based competitor Syngenta. Initial merger serenades were sternly rebuffed by Syngenta, and Monsanto’s interest turned into a $46.5 billion hostile takeover.

Monsanto had no fear of backlash from US antitrust officials.

And there’s the rub, the reason a failed merger is still worthy of note and cause for concern. What level of seed industry consolidation would have to be achieved to trigger interest, let alone action, at the Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division?

According to Dr. Philip Howard of Michigan State University,

there have been more than 70 seed company acquisitions by the top eight firms since 2008.

Monsanto, DuPont, and Syngenta maintained their dominant position, collectively controlling over 50 percent of the market, up from 22 percent in 1996.

Monsanto acquiring Syngenta would have put over half the American seed market in the hands of just two transnational corporations. It’s difficult to imagine a more crucial concern for farmers than who owns and controls the world’s seeds.

Farmers have lost access to varieties while seeing the prices they pay for biotechnology traits through technology agreements skyrocket. Further consolidation

in the seed sector will make matters worse.

The failed Monsanto-Syngenta merger should be a clarion call for the Department of Justice Antitrust division to breathe life into the 2009 announcement of their intention to investigate anticompetitive behavior in the seed industry. We are well past the time for action over empty promises.

Established in 1973, the Center for Rural Affairs is a private, non-profit organization working to strengthen small businesses, family farms and ranches, and rural communities through action oriented programs addressing social, economic, and environmental issues. (By John Crabtree / Center for Rural Affairs) n

FOR SALE

FOSTER HOMECARE

PSYCHIC

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

NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL • OCTOBER 30-NOVEMBER 5, 2015

CJ

:A-

F:KF9<I *'$EFM<D9<I ,# )'(, EFI:8C 8J@8E AFLIE8C

_kkg1&&nnn%Xj`XeaflieXc%Zfd -,' -(-$+(,'

SEAFOOD CITY FOOD SERVICE FPFC

Friday, October 30, 2015

SF2

cover story

The Asian Jour nal SF MAGAZINE - October 30, 2015

Peninsula Food RunneRs: Paying forward by reducing food waste and hunger through sustainability

by Malou liwanag-Bledsoe/AJPress

AccOrding to the natural resources defense council (nrdc), 40 percent of food in the United States is wasted. A mere 15 percent of that would feed 25 million more people. in california alone, food is the largest single source of waste, as reported by to the california integrated Waste Management Board. in fact, studies have found that more than six million tons of food products are dumped annually, enough to fill the Staples center in Los Angeles 35 times.

One would think that with that amount of wasted food, people in the state are guaranteed to have food on their table. The sad truth is that, while tons of food rot in farm fields, grocery stores or end in restaurant dumpsters -- much of which are edible, good and safe to consume -- families are starving in california. in the article Hunger in the golden State by Kim daniels as part of the Annenberg School for communication and Journalism at USc and california Watch, it stated that an examination showed shortcomings along food distribution chain in the state.

These shortcomings allowed vast amounts of food to go to waste in landfills -- despite

laws and tax incentives that encourage food donations.

Here in the Bay Area, one non-profit organization is working hard to lessen -- even in a very minute percentage -- the wasted food and bring it to those who need it.

Peninsula Food runners (PFr) was launched by Maria Yap in collaboration with web consultant Tod Hing, who created a custom technology, chow Match, to connect volunteers, donors and recipients in an efficient and timely manner. inspired to start the organization after years of volunteering at a successful food recovery organization in San Francisco, Maria saw an opportunity to take the same basic model and spread its reach to the San Mateo and Santa clara region.

From 40 volunteers in its initial launch, PFr has since grown to over 250 volunteers.

The organization services more than 150 donors, and delivers food to over 60 recipients. The organization provides free service to pick up excess perishable and prepared food from restaurants, caterers, bakeries, wholesalers, event planners, corporate cafeterias, farmers market vendors and hotels.

Volunteers pick up food from

At the Safe Harbor Shelter

Peninsula Food Runner Founder Maria Yap talking to one of their donors at the Belmont farmers market

Maria Yap, Founder of Peninsula Food Runners

these businesses and deliver directly to shelters, neighborhood feeding programs and 100 percent affordable housing. currently, PFr recovers over 380,000 pounds of food and delivers 30,000 meals a week. The distribution area goes as far south as San Jose, and as far north as San Francisco and daly city. Food runs are also made to Pacifica and Half Moon Bay on a weekly basis.

“Peninsula Food runners works by finding organizations and companies with surplus food, identifying (the) group in need of food, and using our volunteer network to deliver donations in a timely manner to recipients,” said Yap. “This is made possible by PFr’s chow Match web application, which uses an algorithm to match donations with recipient needs. chow Match addresses some of the known challenges in food surplus distribution, such as the lack of human resources at shelters, minimum space to store or process food, the varied infrastructure of shelters and feeding programs, and finally the fear of liability associated with food donations.” in fact, PFr has been referred to as “Uber of Food recovery” by Manna Food center, a premier food bank in Maryland, who is also using the chow Match web application.

Among those benefiting

PFr’s services are thousands of people in the northern Peninsula, both in shelters and affordable housing. These include St. Andrew’s Senior Housing, Safe Harbor, all the satellites of the club, daly city de Lue Boys and girls club, School House Family Housing, catholic West San Bruno shelter, Hillside church, St. Vincent de Paul feeding program, chestnut Senior Housing, Fairway Senior Housing, SSF YMcA family services, and more.

“Food donations in northern Peninsula feed an estimated 80 percent Asians, 60-70 percent are Filipinos,” shared Yap. “Sadly, we only have 3-5 Filipino volunteers who have faithfully served PFr since it began in 2013.”

On a somber note, Yap mentioned that one of PFr’s first three original Filipino volunteers, Leo Quini, passed away and was laid to rest last October 13. “He was a committed and dependable volunteer,” she added.

Yap explained that one of the reasons PFr is a success is mainly due to their community and corporate volunteers. “Being a ‘food runner’ is flexible and rewarding, and each run usually takes only an hour total.” For this short time, volunteers have the opportunity to accomplish their social responsibilities throughout the year, instead of just during the holiday season.

“This eliminates the effect

Peninsula Food Runner’s youngest volunteer runners help deliver food to Hope and Home in Burlingame

of too little (famine), versus too much (feast) phenomena that is a common experience among shelters. Hunger exists everyday, so why not volunteer throughout the year,” she added.

Majority of PFr’s volunteers are from the South Peninsula, but they would love to have more volunteers from daly city, colma, South San Francisco, Visitation Valley and Brisbane so they can step up and support their own communities, Yap said.

Volunteering is also a great opportunity for high school students to meet community service requirements. not only will they get to help a lot of people, it will open their eyes to many pressing issues such as food waste, homelessness, hunger, food insecurities, poverty, resource diversion, sustainable practices, public perception to food, present available solutions, supplementing feeding programs for seniors, families and children, as well as many other secondary issues.

Although PFr has no definite funding source, Yap is extremely grateful to their generous donors and supporters. She however, mentioned that their biggest challenge at the moment is building a

sustainable infrastructure.

“We are presently 100 percent volunteer-based.

Funding affords PFr a few permanent employees to dedicate their time ensuring PFr is successful at accomplishing its goals. The goal for 2016 is to purchase a refrigerated truck, and hire a driver so we can reach even more people,” she added. reiterating that the public -- especially potential donors and volunteers -- should know that PFr and this service exist and that there is no reason to waste food, Yap believes that we need to pay forward for our future generation by sustaining our present resources.

“Feeding those in need minimizes the psychological trauma of hunger and food insecurities. diverting food from landfills reduces household gases, which is a major contributor to global warming.

We all have a responsibility to do our part to be the solution to hunger, food waste and sustainability.”

To volunteer, donate or know more about Peninsula Food runners, log on to www. peninsulafoodrunners.org.

Add them on Facebook at www.facebook. com/PeninsulaFoodrunners/ ?fref=ts.

Pinay group 4th Impact makes Stars’ spookiest experiences it to ‘X Factor’ UK’s top 12

4th Impact formerly known as 4th Power

FiLiPinO group 4th impact, formerly 4th Power, has made it to the X Factor UK’s Top 12.

The girl band, which is composed of sisters Almira, irene, Mylene and celina, im-

mentor Jess glynne during the Judges House round of the competition which aired in the United Kingdom on Saturday, Oct. 24.

The girl group has constantly wowed the judges with their take on upbeat songs marked by their soaring vocals and choreography.

For this round, the groups were flown by the former girls Aloud member to her home in rome. Other mentors Simon cowell, rita Ora and nick grimshaw were assigned to pressed mentor cheryl Fernan- handle the Overs, the girls, dez-Versini with their powerful and the Boys, respectively. rendition of the rihanna hit Aside from 4th impact, the Love the Way You Lie. other groups who made it to “Wow! i was choked, i got the Live Shows are Alien Ungoosebumps, i feel weird,” covered and reggie and Bollie.

Fernandez-Versini told guest (Inquirer.net)

Angel Locsin no longer reprising role as ‘darna’ by arvin

Mendoza Inquirer.net

dArnA could never fly again. due to a health problem, actress Angel Locsin will no longer reprise her iconic superheroine title role in the upcoming Star cinema movie Darna.

“Because of her passion and dedication and commitment to the project, she underwent various rigorous training regimens for two years. Unfortunately, this led her to developing a disc bulge in her spine,” said Kane Errol choa, ABS-cBn’s integrated corporate communications Head. choa said that because of Angel’s spinal disc problem, she won’t be able to perform demanding activities like stunts or liftings “which will be required of her for the action scenes in the

Angel Locsin

film.”

Angel, who first played the Mars ravelo comics character in 2005, will also need to undergo rehabilitation and treatment.

Last August, the 30-year-old actress had to be confined at a hospital because of severe back and leg pain.

Fortunately, her medical condition is treatable, and recovery may take six to eight months despite Angel’s health problem, choa said she could still do her regular work.

Angel is currently finishing her movie project with “Star for All Seasons” Vilma Santos.

Rocco Nacino recalls his ghost experience as a kid.

Andi Eigenmann

Carmi Martin

by dolly

anne Carvajal Inquirer.net

LUnAr-POWErEd creatures comme moi revel every Halloween. it is when we can really go carpe noctem (seize the night)!

So to set the Halloween mood, i asked some celebs about their spookiest experience.

May the ghosts of your past not haunt you. don’t brew what i would not brew. Happy “trick or treat” day!

Ogie Alcasid When i was in grade 7 in La Salle, i attended an overnight leadership training [seminar]. We had a bonfire and from about 500 yards away, we could see an old woman with gray hair just watching us. We were all spooked and curious at the same time so we decided to go near her. Lo and behold! it was the security guard who was sleeping…[with] a white towel on his head.

Robi Domingo After i visited a [departed] friend at her wake, i went home…[then i saw her] apparition…in my room. From then on, i believed in the practice called “pagpag.” When i come from a wake, i make sure i pass some place first before going home.

Andi Eigenmann it happened during the shoot of Tragic Theater. i was in a harness 10 feet above the ground.

Robi Domingo recounts seeing an apparition.

Richard Reyes

Mark Bautista says he felt someone watching him sleep.

As i was being lifted up, i was rehearsing my lines with Kuya John (Estrada). As i blurted out my first lines in Latin, the harness snapped and i fell. good thing i was not seriously injured. What made it spooky was people on the set were saying that Latin is the language of the dead and since we were filming a movie on exorcism, a spirit must have interrupted our shoot.

Mark Bautista i was sound asleep but i suddenly woke up because i could feel someone watching me. i saw a shadow by my door. i could not move. it was a nightmare!

Rocco Nacino My first ghost experience was at my aunt’s house when i was still young. i was about to go to sleep when i heard a voice whisper my name in my ear.

When i opened my eyes, i saw a kid looking at me. i hid under the blanket until i fell asleep

trembling.

Carmi Martin it happened in the 1980s.

While i was waiting for the elevator to open, i glanced at my condo unit’s door and i saw a floating woman with no face.

Noel Cabangon i was invited to do a concert in irosin, Sorsogon. [The organizer] took me to an inn.

Upon approaching the building, i sensed something eerie. My steps were becoming heavy. So i asked my host if that was where i was going to stay. He said yes and that it was a nice place. But when we got to the steps of the building, i saw a mother and child who seemed like they were waiting for me. So i stopped and asked my host who they were but he said he saw nobody. That was really scary! it turned out that there was a cemetery behind the building. So we moved to another inn.

features SF3 The Asian Jour nal SF MAGAZINE – October 30, 2015

Fall in love with these Fall makeup trends

San FranciSco

By Monet

Lu

SOme weeks ago we welcomed the Fall season with an article on hairstyles. Today, we tackle another one of my fortes—and a sought-after subject for women—the latest makeup trends. I can describe this season’s makeup peg in two words: fresh and minimal.

With that image in mind, I invite you to experience “Valentine’s in October” and fall in love with these autumn-inspired makeup styles.

Go easy on the eyes Whoever said that sexy smoky eye is so 90 degrees ago must learn how to carry the classic eye-do with just a teeny bit of flaw. Allow me to elaborate before I give the impression that carelessly applied shadow is a thing – please…never been, never will be. What I meant by a little flaw is how you would do your smoky eye look at home. You know, the kind that gives off an ultra diffused shadow that looks intense while feeling soft. makeup artist Pat mcGrath created this look at Diane von Furstenberg by using a black and brown liner. You can also use gray shadows with just a hint of sparkle to keep it soft enough for daytime.

A bronze shadow is another equally striking-yet-with-an-easy feel. You can maybe give your metallic shadows a break this season by using bronze shadows instead of the classic gold or silver. This type of hue warms up your face and gives you a good reason to put a naturallooking lip color.

Paint outside the lines It’s this time of the year when you feel a bit more adventurous. It shows on your outfit and your hair, and well, your

eye makeup better match that mood. As they say, the eyes are the windows of the soul.

And your carefree soul needs an audience! One article writes, “ Tweak the classic cat eye by opting for a more straight across swipe of black kohl like we saw at Oscar de la Renta.

This is a more modern way to wear liner that elongates and lifts the eye and adds intrigue to the face.” Add more spice to your usual winged liner, by scribbling some double-winged lines. seventeen.com suggests, “Use a soft kohl pencil to trace your lower waterline, then smudge it out with a makeup sponge for an extremely edgy and perfectly un-perfect vibe.”

Tip of the lashes Close your eyes and think: silver, water droplets, rhinestones. Now open your eyes and give your volumizing mascara, falsies and lash add-ons a much-needed upgrade. It’s time those lashes shine as bright as your eyes! Silver sparkles on the tip of the lashes give your eyelashes a water droplet effect. A bit of gold layers on the lashes will make it look like it has rhinestones tips. Bring on the prettiest lashes by layering, lengthening, or volumizing your top and bottom lashes.

Rush that blush Now is the perfect time to embrace your “just stepped out of the gym” look. Or for some people; “I just went on a brisk, wintry walk.” This is the season for flushed cheeks and naturally

rosy blush. You had a good run with your sculpting tools, it’s time to give them a break.

Grab your warm peach blush powder and head out the door.

That’s all you need. Now, fly.

Lips like berry Let’s talk about that lip color, shall we? This season, I am delighted to see a sea of lip colors that remind of the 90’s. That almost black but not quite is making a comeback and I LOVe it! From ripe berry to plum black to oxblood red, they are undeniably luscious. It may sound scary but I dare you to rock a dark lipstick this fall!

Nude is out. Let’s make way for the plums, magentas and berries.

Fall Season isn’t just about tucking away your tank tops and covering up with cozy sweaters and cool scarves. It is also “wearing” the best look of the season. Although the weather isn’t as cool as we usually expect it to be around this time, it is best to plan your ensemble ahead – and stock up on the latest makeup finds. *** Monet Lu is a Marikina-born, awardwinning celebrity beauty stylist with his own chain of Monet Salon salons across Southern California and Las Vegas, Nevada. Ultimately, Monet is known as an all-around artiste who produces sold-out fashion and awards shows as well as unforgettable marketing campaigns.

Monet is also the founder of the revolutionary all-natural beauty products such as Enlighten, your solution to discoloration. To contact Monet, please visit www.monetsalon.com or email him at monetsalon@aol.com

Beauty Gonzalez on pregnancy: I’m the happiest girl in the world by chuck

Smith Philstar.com

mANILA—After weeks of keeping quiet about the issue, Beauty Gonzalez took to social media to finally talk about her pregnancy and reveal the gender of her baby.

In a Instagram post, the ABS-CBN actress posted a photo of herself in a bikini, showing off yet again her baby bump.

The caption for the photo goes: “I’d like you all to meet our future baby girl!!”

“I am the happiest girl in the world and also the luckiest to receive so much love and support from all of you.”

She added, “my little blueberry and I feel the love and

It’s Go Time.

Beauty Gonzalez: “My little blueberry and I feel the love and positive vibes. Thank you. What a wonderful world it truly is.”

positive vibes. Thank you. What a wonderful world it truly is.”

This is the first she gave a statement about her pregnan-

cy. Beauty first posted a photo of baby bump on Saturday, Oct. 24 which confirmed rumors that she is pregnant.

Jessy mendiola focused on work by nathalie

tomada Philstar.com

mANILA—Amidst cryptic posts on social media, Jessy mendiola has remained mum on rumors that she has broken up with boyfriend Jm de Guzman.

In the two occasions that The Star met with the 22-yearold actress, she politely begged off from answering questions about the actor, whom she only reconciled early this year.

“I’m OK naman. I’m happy with work. I’m focused on work because obviously, I’m blessed in that aspect of my life,” Jessy shared.

She said she’s contented getting the love from her mom and family. “Love of family is always present so…Hindi nawawala ang pag-ibig ng pamilya, nandiyan lang siya sa paligid.”

In You’re My Home, a new primetime drama on ABS-CBN, she plays the eldest of the children of Richard and Dawn’s characters. The soap tells the story of a once-solid family torn apart when the youngest son disappears. “The youngest son disappears because of me,” said Jessy, “as the story goes along,

Jessy Mendiola

paano namin mahahanap yung brother namin? The conflict of the story is, (may nag-kidnap ba ng brother ko) or is it my fault that he went missing?”

Jessy said of her character, “It’s a big challenge because you’re working with big actors.

Second, it’s a heavy drama. It’s super heavy drama! It’s challenging in a way that’s productive because I know that whenever I do heavy drama in the future, I’ll be able to do it because I’ve already done it in this soap.”

While she had to step up acting-wise, it wasn’t that hard finding inspiration for the emotionally-charged scenes.

“I always play for the moment.

But it’s easy to draw emotions

when the role or project is about family.” meanwhile, Jessy expressed her happiness at being handpicked to be the celebrity ambassador of HOOQ (pronounced as Hook), an international online streaming site offering over 30,000 hours of content. These include thousands of Hollywood films as well as the widest selection of Filipino-produced content with movies and series from ABSCBN, GmA 7, Star Cinema, Regal entertainment and Viva Communications. The start-up venture of Singtel, Sony Pictures Television and Warner Bros. entertainment, HOOQ first launched in the Philippines last march, then rolled out to Thailand and India.

According to Jessy, HOOQ has an app that can be downloaded through any Internetenabled device. “I have to be honest with you, I first learned about HOOQ like a month before the shoot (for the brand).

What was HOOQ? They sent me a background and I downloaded the app. You can watch any movie or series that you want.

I’m really happy I’m one of their ambassadors.”

When it comes to business, timing is everything.

And, with historically low rates, there’s never been a more opportunistic time to expand your business with a commercial real estate loan from Comerica. As the leading bank for business*, we’ve been financing business expansion for nearly 150 years. Whether you need to build or purchase, expand or refinance, It’s Go Time. Are you ready?

Call 800.705.2387, stop by a Comerica banking center or visit comerica.com/cre.

®

RAISE YOUR EXPECTATIONS.

MEMBER FDIC. EQUAL OPPORTUNITY LENDER. Comerica Bank NMLS ID: 480990 *Based on commercial and industrial loans as a percentage of total assets.

Data provided by SNL Financial, December 2014.

CBP-5219-02 07/15

SF4

celebrityworld

The Asian Jour nal SF MAGAZINE - October 30, 2015

celebrity world

By Ferdie Villar

VILMA Santos, know in Philippine showbiz as the Star for All Seasons and who is also the beloved Governor of Batangas, heads the list of prominent personalities celebrating their birthdays this month of November. She will be turning another year on Tuesday, November 3.

Other personalities celebrating are: November 1 - Fr. Abraham Alonzo of Saint Catherine Church in Vallejo and former Mrs. Philippines-USA winner Arlene Lindalop; November 2 - Former San Francisco top fashion designer Encarnito “Ito” Curata, and caregiver Myrna Padilla Bautista; November 3 - New Haven Health and Hospice in Daly City and Vallejo owner Eunice BejarLee, and Kadok’s Restaurant owner Ricky Tejada; November 5 - Handsome actor Gabby Concepcion, actress Shaina Magdayao, former Miss Philippines Earth winner Melissa Sokkawa, and Fil-Am basketball ace J Taylor; November 6 - Singer/actress Jolina Magdangal; November 8 - ABS-CBN Vice President for Entertainment Deo Edrinal, comedienne Ai-Ai de las Alas, actress Angelica Panganiban and balladeer Basil Valdez; November 9 - Eat Bulaga! co-host and actress Pauleen Luna, actress Janice de Belen, singer/comedienne Tuesday Vargas, handsome actor Rafael Rosell, and San Francisco brilliant lawyer Ted Laguatan; November 11 - Philippine Vice President Jejomar Binay,

who will be celebrating his 73rd birthday; November 12 - Singer for all occasions Tess Gregorio; November 13 - International wine distributor executive Ronald Villar, San Bruno Filipina community leader Alma de Leon Scott; November 14 - Former RP-USA winner Leilani Venegas of Fairfield, and San Francisco Pistahan Parade and Festival organizer and Filipino American Arts Exposition (FAAE) Principal Al Perez; November 18 - Filipina care home owner Remy Acedillo, and actor/swimmer Enchong Dee; November 19 - Antioch community leaders Joselito and Margarita Cabrera; November 20 - Kapamilya actress Shaina Magdayao; November 24 - Buri-Buri Senior Association President Moring Macalinao, and ABSCBN News Senior Vice President Ging Reyes; November 25 - Former Binibining Pilipinas Universe and actress Bianca Manalo, singer/actor Randy Santiago, and comedienne Melai Cantiveros; November 28 - Senator Frank Drilon, and former San Francisco Consul General Leoncio “Jun” Cardenas; November 29 - Kapatid TV 5 Artist Relations Chief Jeff Remigio; November 30 - San Francisco veteran photographer Bonifacio Valera and entertainment producer and promoter Sunny Tila.

To all celebrants, a very happy birthday!

Star for All Seasons and Batangas Governor Vilma Santos heads list of November celebrants

Star for All Seasons and Batangas Governor Vilma Santos heads the list of personalities celebrating their birthdays for the month of November. The actress/politician will celebrate another year on Tuesday, November 3.

Rev. Fr. Abraham Alonzo, Administrator of Saint Catherine Church in Vallejo is celebrating his birthday on Sunday, November 1.

Popular comedienne Ai-Ai de las Alas, now with the Kapuso channel GMA 7, is celebrating her birthday on Sunday, November 8.

Tess Gregorio, Filipina singer for all occasions and president of Forever Young Association here in Northern California will celebrate her 74th birthday on Thursday, November12.

Handsome actor Gabby Concepcion will celebrate his birthday on November 5.

Former Mrs. RP-USA winner Leilani Venegas of Fairfield will celebrate her birthday on Saturday, November 14.

Dr. Fred Paiso will celebrate his birthday on Sunday, November 15, with an afternoon dance party to be held at Lake Elizabeth Senior Centor in Fremont at 3pm. Dr. Paiso is shown with his wife Myrla.

The Songbird still soars

by Don Jaucian

worship (she is a devout Christian) and the imagery that comes with it. But it’s hard not to put MANILA—Regine Velasquezsomeone like Regine on the altar Alcasid just shattered the myth of of pop music. Her brand of music her highest version videos. is solely hers, her takes sonically But first, a bit of context: a distinct and recognizable. quick search of “regine velasquez For someone who has been highest version” on YouTube performing since she was six, it’s yields a smattering of songs vital that she keeps on challengapparently sung in stratospheric ing herself. In her upcoming notes. “Love on Top (highest series, “Regine at the Theater,” version) – Regine Velasquez After she’s both surprised and excited Giving Birth”, “Halo – Regine that she can still push the limits Velasquez [With F5 to G5 Belted of her abilities. Populated with Note],” and even “Disney’s showtunes from musicals and Frozen Let it Go The Greatest theater productions, her setlist Returning with a concert series this November, Version in the World [HQ].” In Regine Velasquez-Alcasid proves that she can still ranges from staples (a medley of one video, shot in a mall show in surprise herself and her fans after all these years. songs from Wicked) to the unPhilstar.com photo by Mark Nicdao expected (Still Hurting from The Cagayan de Oro, a fan actually shouts “Miss Reg, taasan mo!”

That’s not good; people don’t Last 5 Years). as she prepares to sing Pangarap want to see a singer scream all “I’ve been rehearsing, pracKo Ay Ibigin Ka, to which she the time. Pine-pace ko din kung ticing my tone. Kasi iba-iba yung replies, “Try ko.” These videos saan lang ako magagalit.” placement ng kanta so binabagoare a testament to her seemingly It’s a Pinoy fascination, this bago ko yung placement ng boboundless vocal capacity. Regine idea of birit as a spectacle. Long ses ko. I have to get used to the though, in all humility, laughs it off before American Idol brought tone that each song requires. Out when asked about it and unkowback the frenzy of singing conof all the concerts that I’ve done, ingly breaks the hearts of a million tests, Pinoys have held their own this will be the most colorful as far gay men. star search in every barangay as vocals are concerened. I’m us“Nakakatawa nga yun eh and, to some extent, in karaoke ing techniques that I haven’t done tapos hindi naman. Hindi naman bars. Stories such as Regine’s before, singing songs that are not highest version, nilalagay lang have become hallowed fairy tales in my comfort zone,” she says. nila. Wala namang highest vercoming from the talent search Regine has been careful in sion.” stage: a little girl from a humble plotting out the next step in her The Songbird admits though background gradually making career, mindful of her age and that sometimes she tends to rounds of all the competitions she what is expected of her. Her reign get bored with songs that don’t can join until she finally becomes has been storied and intense: she require powerful vocals. She’s a legend in the music scene. This has sung perched atop the Manila aware that fan service, the kind isn’t overselling her success—she Peninsula fountain, performed at that gets them all riled up with has actually become a benchmark the Carnegie Hall, and even uptheir eyeballs popping out, comes for aspiring performers who sing staged Mandy Moore at the MTV with a degree of difficulty, literally using their hairbrushes as they Asia Awards. She might be more in her case. dream of singing for a crowd of inclined to favor the mellower “I don’t mean to make any thousands. side of the musical spectrum songs hard. It’s just that when I’m Regine balks at the word these days and perform with less on stage, with the adrenaline rush “idol” and the concept of being flashy outfits. But whatever she is and all, you get excited. I do try one. She prefers to be called an doing, we’re all just glad to witto hold back [because] otherwise “inspiration.” Perhaps it’s the ap- ness the Songbird doing what she I’d be screaming the whole show. parent association of “idol” with does best.

Philstar.com

entertainment

What makes LizQuen different from the others? by ricky Lo Philstar.com

THE status quo stands.

Since Liza Soberano is still legally a minor (she’s turning 18 next year yet), she’s not allowed by her manager Ogie Diaz (“Nasa contract namin ‘yon”) to entertain suitors, not even Enrique Gil, Liza’s screen sweetheart, who has sworn that he’s willing to wait (even if it takes forever?).

Older than Liza by a few years, Enrique (Quen for short) understands. He was convinced that Liza truly cared for him when she stood by him during a recent “airborne” incident. You know, for better or for worse.

Taking a cue from the title of their latest (second) movie, Star Cinema’s Everyday I Love You (following the first, Just The Way You Are), Quen titillated the movie press by admitting that he says “I love you!” to Liza every day.

Funfare puts LizQuen on the hot seat.

How has your love team been so far?

Quen: Amazing! It has been an amazing journey from the time we first worked together till now. We have grown so much not just as individuals but as a team. I can’t wait for our forever together.

Liza: Fun! One of the greatest things that has ever happened to me, career-wise and personally. I found a partner on screen and a best friend in real life with Quen, it’s always a good time when we are together.

How do you make sure that you sustain public interest in your team, considering that there are so many other young love teams?

Quen: By being real and not trying to prove anything. We just love each other’s company. What the public sees is what it gets.

Liza: To be honest, we never really try to make the people like us. We just love what we’re doing and enjoy our work and friendship.

What do you think makes your team different from the others?

Quen: Our supporters see something distinctive in us that makes us different and we will

SF5

The Asian Jour nal SF MAGAZINE - October 30, 2015

Dangwa: A welcome change for Janine

by Jerry

Donato Philstar.com

MANILA—Janine Gutierrez’s onscreen versatility will be tested as she is paired with Mark Herras and Aljur Abrenica in the GMA News production Dangwa. She is stepping out of her and Elmo Taking a cue from the title of their latest (second) movie together, Enrique Gil and Liza Soberano admit Magalona’s team-up. It is a cathat they swap ‘I love you!’ every day. reer detour that the GMA Artist will never stop looking after never really know what that is.

Center star embraces. each other.

Ako lagi akong Basta kami we’re just enjoy“I was surprised,” said Janine nandyan para sa kanya and she’s ing and doing what we do and of the latest TV assignment. “It always there for me, no matter I guess that captivates them is my first time to be paired with what. ‘Yung support namin sa because they see some kind of other (Kapuso) male stars. We isa’t-isa at ‘yung bond namin magic in us. had fun taping and the two have Are you the jealous/posses- ay matatag. I know her and she been in showbiz for a long time knows me, and no matter what sive type? happens we support each other. and started their careers ahead Quen: Depends on the of me. It’s good that I’ll be learnShe’s my soul mate. You guys situation. I mean, depende sa sitwasyon. Pag medyo out of the will see what I mean in due time. ing from them. Our first shooting day was challenging because we Liza: The first time to be line na ‘yan…siempre. Pag hindi, paired is always the hardest. Be- had to mountain climb for the ibig sabihin wala kang pakicause lagi kaming nag-tatantya- OBB. We went to Mt. Pinatubo. alam, di ba? Di mo siya mahal, It was hot up there and there was han and siempre po we didn’t di ba? no electricity.” This sojourn is a know how the audience would Liza: Well, I’m not known to accept us, especially since Quen sneak peek into other interesting be the jealous one in the family. locations the show will visit with But sometimes when I really love has had other leading ladies.

Dangwa in Manila as its base.

I was worried kung meron pa the person, I can’t help but be Aside from working with the bang matitirang puwedeng jealous.

StarStruck winners, Janine is tickmag-support sa LizQuen teamYou are sweethearts only led pink for topbilling the GMA up. onscreen. What’s the possibilNews production’s first foray into What do you like most ity of you getting real? the kilig genre. about each other?

Quen: Sa totoong buhay, “I’m really grateful for the Liza: Quen and I are so much kahit di pa kami, sweetheart ko alike. I think that’s one big factor opportunity,” said Janine. “This siya. Alam kong sweetheart din is the latest baby of GMA News. ako n’yan. Di niya babawiin ’yun. why we get along so easily. But Based on my experience doing if there is one thing I’d have to Liza: Quen is my “bestest” applaud Quen for that would be guest appearances on GMA friend as of now and for me News shows such as Wagas and his selflessness. It’s always the that is the best foundation in a people he loves before him and Karelasyon, the outputs always relationship. I can really say that not only the people he loves but come out good. Their producI know him so well. Every aspect tions are well-crafted like the also the people in need. of him is really lovable. When directing and the editing parts.

What don’t you like about the perfect time comes that This time around, they have a each other? we’re both ready and, of course, kilig program which will be airing Quen: Sometimes, she likes with the approval of our loved every day. It’s a first from them.” certain things that I don’t. Little ones, then yes.

Dangwa, Janine’s followmisunderstanding lang. Di naAs special friends, do you up to the primetime serye man talaga ‘yun naiiwasan. Pero accept each other, warts and More than Words, explores the we always talk about it na. We all, right or wrong? universal theme of love and its just remind each other to be Quen: Of course! Sabi nga different facets. more aware lang sa ginagawa nila, love is blind. Love is blind “It’s about love and being sa mga flaws. Ang isang tao pag namin. What’s important is comgood,” she shared. “It’s about mahal mo siya, kahit anong flaws munication. If we have a little niya, maganda yun para sayo. So misunderstanding, we just sort it love for boyfriend or girlfriend, love for family or even love for out at once. totoo ‘yun. Love is blind. yourself. Rosa, my character, Liza: Siguro sometimes we What were the challenges will share sayings with other have a misunderstanding bethat you’d gone through cause in a team, there are always characters on the show and together and how did you with televiewers. She has this different opinions. But I can’t survive them? habit of appearing from nowhere really point out what I don’t like Quen: We just hang out, and speaking about personal about him. Wala akong makita, we’ve been watching each learnings that surprise the guest eh! other’s back from the start. We

Janine Gutierrez as Rosa topbills the GMA News’ first foray into the kilig genre

characters. Nang gugulat lang siya ng mga lessons in life.”

According to Janine, Rosa and her love interests Baste and Lorenzo, portrayed by Mark and Aljur, respectively, will be present all throughout the show and as each story progresses. Their stories interweave with the stories of the guest stars. Rosa, the flower vendor; Baste, the flower delivery boy; and Lorenzo, the furniture designer remain the dominant voices and “constant” on the show. Every week presents and promises new story to look forward to. And the approach is episodic. Televiewers can follow it religiously or watch it on a specific week, if they are busy, without getting lost in the narrative. “The fans will be given the opportunity to watch their idols in a different story apart from the teleserye they are doing,” she added.

Dangwa, as the latest offering from GMA 7, might run for more than a season since there are plotlines that can be explored and more artists can grace the mid-morning, feelgood show. So far, Janine, Mark and Aljur have just finished four episodes. The pilot episode will see Barbie Forteza being teamed up with Ruru Madrid.

Asked about the initial reaction of her fans doing Dangwa without Elmo, her perennial loveteam mate, Janine replied, “Siyempre hinahanap-hanap (nila). Since More than Words, they have been tweeting and

waiting for our next project.

They are very supportive.

I’m thankful for them. Kahit gumagawa kami ng project na di kami magkasama, they fully support us.”

Janine also shrugged off rumors regarding the possibility of Elmo transferring to another network since his contract with GMA will expire next year. “I haven’t heard of it,” she said.

And the decision is between Elmo and his mom, the young actor’s manager.

To Janine, being paired with other stars is a natural course in showbiz. “I think lahat naman ng love team pinagdadaanan na mapahinga, to have a break from each other,” she said.

Again, Dangwa is a welcome change for Janine because “siyempre gusto ko namang mag-grow, at ayaw ko na ng masyadong pa-bagets. From playing Ikay, I want to do something new. I’m embracing my new character.”

Now that Janine is living up to her dream, she also wants to put up her own business, which is more permanent than doing showbiz, especially when offers come far and between. “I’m still saving up for it,” said the European Studies graduate from Ateneo de Manila University. “If ever there’s a break from acting, I’ll be busy doing something else.”

Meantime, Janine keeps her hands full as Rosa, the lady of quotable quotes.

SF6

The Asian Jour nal SF MAGAZINE - October 30, 2015

SEAFOOD CITY FPFC