LA Midweek Edition -- December 30, 2015 -- January 01, 2016

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Supreme Court grants TROs

by JEROME

C. ANING

Inquirer.net

THE Supreme Court on Monday, Dec. 28 issued two temporary restraining orders (TRO) stopping the Commission on Elections (Comelec) from enforcing its resolutions canceling Sen. Grace Poe’s certificate of candidacy (COC) for President. The orders came just hours after Poe’s camp filed two petitions asking the high tribunal to stop

the Comelec from disqualifying her from next year’s election on the grounds that she is not a natural-born Filipino and that she does not meet the 10-year residency requirement for candidates. Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno issued the orders on the written recommendation of the members in charge, or the justices assigned to the petitions brought by Poe, in accordance with the court’s internal rules,

Theodore Te, spokesperson for the Supreme Court, told reporters. Poe brought two petitions for certiorari, each pleading for the issuance of a TRO or a status quo ante (the way things were before) order against the Comelec resolutions. Te said the orders were “effective immediately and until further orders� from the court. He said the cases were set for

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Duterte to Comelec: Junk COC petition by SHEILA

CRISOSTOMO Philstar.com

MANILA – Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte on Monday, Dec. 28 asked the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to junk the petition seeking the cancellation of his certificate of candidacy (COC) for president. In a 25-page memorandum submitted to the Comelec First Division, Duterte said the petition of broadcaster Ruben Castor should be dismissed for lack of merit. Duterte noted that the poll body has accepted his substitution for Martin DiĂąo as standard bearer of the Partido Demokratikong Pilipino (PDP)-Laban so the issue has become moot. @e X ),$gX^\ d\dfiXe[ld jlYd`kk\[ kf k_\ :fd\c\Z =`ijk ;`m`j`fe# ;XmXf “The Comelec en banc, in its Resolution No. :`kp DXpfi If[i`^f ;lk\ik\ jX`[ k_\ g\k`k`fe f] YifX[ZXjk\i IlY\e :Xjkfi

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Old peso bills no longer valid starting Jan. 1 The old banknotes, however, can still be exchanged in banks and BSP offices through the end WITH the new year less than a of 2016 free of charge for the week away, the Bangko Sentral new notes that were launched in ng Pilipinas (BSP) is reminding 2010. the public that beginning Jan. 1, Filipinos residing abroad with old Philippine peso bills will no old peso bills who are unable longer be accepted when paying exchange the notes in 2016 can for goods and services. register online between Oct. 1, by AGNES

CONSTANTE AJPress

California minimum wage increases to $10 in New Year

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Thursday-Wednesday Dec 31-Jan 6

Manigong Bagong Taon!

ON New Year’s Day, Califor- two dollars over the $7.25 federal minimum wage, reported CBS nia employees will get a raise. Effective Jan. 1, 2016, the Los Angeles. LA City Council voted in July state minimum wage will go up one dollar to $10 an hour. As to continue increasing the minisigned by California Governor mum wage slowly each year, to reach $15 by Jerry Brown, 2020. and voted on The widely in July by the anticipated Los Angeles wage hike to County Board $10 by Los of Supervithe sors, workers FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA Angeles, largest local will also have job-protected leave to address government in the United States, child-care or school emergen- applies to unincorporated areas and thousands of employees, cies. The scheduled wage hike joining at least 12 states. Within bring California workers’ mini- a few years, according to reports, mum wage (currently at $9 in more than half of the countywide the Golden State) up more than X G8>< 8)

DATELINE

2016 to Dec. 31, 2016 on the BSP website. The old notes can then be exchanged with the BSP within a year of the registration date. OFWs are limited to exchanging P10,000, and only the amount they register will be honored by BSP. By Jan. 1, 2017, the old notes,

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FROM THE FRONT PAGE

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oral arguments before the full court at 2 p.m. on Jan. 19, 2016. The court gave the Comelec and the other respondents in the cases 10 days to comment on the petitions. Poe thanked the Supreme Court for acting swiftly on her petitions despite the holiday break. The court is on a recess for the Christmas and New Year holidays. It will resume sessions on Jan. 12. “I thank the Supreme Court for a just and compassionate decision,” Poe said in a statement issued by her camp immediately after Te announced the tribunal’s action. “From the start, I put my full faith in the judicial process. The Comelec denied our people their choices in an open election, but I am confident that the Supreme Court will uphold the truth and the spirit of the Constitution,” Poe said. “We are confident the [Supreme Court] will honor previous jurisprudence on the rights of foundlings to a country and citizenship. I also pray that they will carefully look into the facts of my residence and my actual physical presence in the country,” she said. Justices in charge Poe’s petitions were included in Monday’s regular raffle. Court sources said Poe’s petitions were raffled off to Associate Justices Marvic Leonen and Mariano del Castillo. Under the court’s rules, the Chief Justice could act on urgent petitions, which later on must be

upheld by a majority of the 15 justices. Sereno issued the two TROs on the recommendation of Leonen and Del Castillo. Poe’s lawyer George Garcia said he would bring a motion today for the consolidation of the two cases. He said he would bring another motion for the inhibition of three Supreme Court justices on the Senate Electoral Tribunal (SET)—Teresita Leonardo-de Castro, Arturo Brion and Antonio Carpio—who voted against Poe in a case brought by Rizalito David for her ouster from the Senate, also for not being a natural-born Filipino and not meeting the residency requirement when she ran for senator in the 2013 elections. The SET voted 5-4 to junk David’s petition. David, who lost the 2013 senatorial election, appealed the SET decision to the Supreme Court. The court will also hear oral arguments on David’s case on Jan. 19. Also thanking the Supreme Court, Poe’s camp said the high tribunal clearly saw “the grave abuse of authority committed by the Comelec.” “This move prevents further damage to our democracy. We are confident that in the coming days, as the legal points are threshed out, the [Supreme Court] will see the merits of our position that Senator Poe is a natural-born Filipino and has met the [residency requirement],” Poe’s spokesperson, Valenzuela City Mayor Rex Gatchalian, said

in a text message. Poe’s running mate, Sen. Francis Escudero, commended the Supreme Court for its swift action. “By acting expeditiously despite being on a holiday break, the high tribunal, through Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno, once again showed that it is just, impartial and our saving grace, the Comelec notwithstanding,” Escudero said. “I thank the [Supreme Court] for saving Senator [Poe] and the right of our people to choose and decide [their leaders],” he said. On Monday was the end of the five-day period the Comelec had given Poe to secure an injunction from the Supreme Court after the full commission upheld on Dec. 23 the decisions of its two divisions to cancel the senator’s COC because she was not a naturalborn Filipino and that she did not meet the residency requirement for presidential candidates. Had the Supreme Court failed to issue the TROs on Monday, the Comelec would have proceeded to strike Poe’s name from the list of presidential candidates in next year’s general elections. Monday’s action by the Supreme Court mooted a petition brought by former Sen. Francisco Tatad asking the Comelec to remove Poe’s name from the list should the tribunal fail to order a halt to the senator’s disqualification. DQ petitions Tatad, De La Salle University professor Antonio Contreras and former University of the East

10028 promulgated on Dec. 17, had accepted the COC of respondent Duterte… The resolution merely confirms the previous acts of the Comelec, all of which recognized the validity of the COC of respondent Diño,” the memorandum read. The memorandum further stated that such acceptance “deals a death blow to the petition in this case as well as other petitions seeking to disqualify respondent Duterte, predicated on the ground that the COC of re-

spondent Diño is ‘null and void’ due to the alleged errors in the document. “By accepting the COC of respondent Duterte, the Comelec en banc did recognize that a valid substitution of candidacy for the position of president had taken place by operation of law between respondent Diño as the withdrawing candidate and respondent Duterte as the substitute candidate,” it added. Duterte also argued that Castor had “waived his presence during the preliminary conference held

Old peso bills no longer valid starting Jan…

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which use a design that has been used since 1985, will be considered demonetized and no longer have any monetary value. BSP Deputy Gov. Diwa Guinigundo said all local banks should begin releasing and circulating new banknotes, according to CNN. “We have always encourage[d] the banks of release and circulate

on Dec. 15.” At the hearing on Dec. 18, Castor appeared but did not mark any documentary evidence to support his petition. “Hence, there is no documentary evidence submitted by petitioner to which respondent Duterte can comment or object,” the memorandum read. In his petition, Castor charged that the substitution is not valid because Diño was not running for president but for mayor of Pasay City as indicated in his COC. ■

brand new notes. We have ample delivery from our production staff both printed in house and outsourced. So there is no excuse for any bank not to release new notes,” Guinigundo said. The old notes, New Design Series, will be replaced with new notes called New Generation Currency, which incorporates enhanced security features to help guard against counterfeiting.

workforce will be guaranteed a base income more than 60 percent higher than the current rate. With some exceptions to the new law, the statewide change is expected to affect over 9 million workers being paid at or below the federal minimum wage in California, according to a recent report from US Bureau of Labor Statistics. “We’re at a turning point,” Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody’s Analytics research firm, told the Los Angeles Times. “I think it’ll be a breakout year [in 2016] for wage growth.” With an estimated 2.5 million working mothers with children under 18 in California, SB 579

will also provide job-protected leave to address child-care or school emergencies, and prohibit employers with 25 or more employees from discharging or discriminating against employees for taking up to eight hours a month to participate in school or day-care activities with their children. Another new law that went into effect on July 1 allows eligible part-time and hourly workers to accrue sick time, giving them access to benefits already enjoyed by white-collar professionals. Economic growth in 2016 is projected to remain moderate, but about half a point stronger than this year’s pace of just over 2 percent, said the LA Times. Reactions were mixed, mostly

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The phasing out of the old notes is in line with provisions of Section 57 of the New Central Bank Act - or Republic Act No. 7653 - that authorizes BSP to replace banknotes that are in circulation for over five years. Guinigundo said there are a total of 2.42 billion pieces of new peso bills valued at P753.42 billion ($15.94 billion), according to Rappler. ■

California minimum wage increases to…

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Duterte to Comelec: Junk COC…

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among small business owners, who both welcomed and were disgruntled at the change. “We don’t really have a choice and it’s going to happen,” said Chris Ulrich, co-owner of First Awakenings restaurant in Pacific Grove, California. Ulrich added that under the new law about 17 of their employees will get a raise, meaning the restaurant will have pay to more than 130 extra dollars a day to their staff. “As a business owner you always want to try and keep your expenses down,” said Ulrich. “We’re not happy about it because it drives our customers away that are used to a certain amount. But we just raised ev-

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New traffic laws to be enforced in California by ALLYSON

ESCOBAR

AJPress

WITH the New Year just days away, several new, important traffic-related laws will go into effect on Jan. 1, designed to address issues of roadway safety and directly impact California drivers, motorists and bicyclists. The new laws, which cover everything from hit-and-run, to DUI laws, electric bicycles and hoverboards, were signed by Gov. Jerry Brown during the 2015 legislative session. The California Department of Motor Vehicles released the list of approved Senate and Assembly bills, poised to go into effect on the first day of the year. Traffic amnesty SB 405 amends the criteria for a person to be eligible for the traffic citation amnesty program, approved through the 2015-16 Budget Act. A person is eligible for the traffic amnesty program if he or she has not made any payments after Sept. 30, 2015, to a collection program for fines or bail already due. The law also indicates that payment of bail, fines, penalties, fees, or a civil assessment is not required in order for the court to remove the civil assessment of up to $300 against any defendant who fails, after notice and without good cause, to appear in court. Yellow Alert System for hitand-runs Starting Jan. 1, a Yellow Alert notification system will be estab-

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LRT EXTENSION PROJECT

Aquino’s ‘run over’ statement not to be taken seriously

MALACAÑANG on Monday said the public should not take literally what President Benigno Aquino III said in jest that he would have himself and Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya run over by a train if the project extending the Light Railway Transit (LRT) to Cavite will not be completed in 2015. “The statement should not be taken literally,” Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr.

said as he referred to a speech made by the President in Dasmariñas City in Cavite in April 2013. The President, who was then campaigning for his senatorial ticket, gave his word that the LRT project, which would extend the railway from Baclaran in Paranaque City (Metro Manila) to Bacoor in Cavite would be completed in 2015. “At pag hindi ho nangyari ito,

nandyan ho si Secretary Abaya na nangangasiwa ng proyektong ito, dalawa na kaming magpapasagasa siguro sa train [If that will not happen, there’s Secretary Abaya, who is supervising the project. The two of us whould have ourselves run over by a train],” Aquino said. The project remains stalled as the Department of Transportation and Communications

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College of Law dean Amado Valdez brought the petition for Poe’s disqualification, charging that she was not a natural-born Filipino and she did not meet the residency requirement. The Comelec’s First Division granted their petition on Dec. 11. On Dec. 1, the Comelec’s Second Division granted the petition brought by former government

lawyer Estrella Elamparo asking the commission to cancel Poe’s COC, also charging that the senator was not a natural-born Filipino and did not meet the residency requirement. Five members of the sevenmember commission voted to uphold the two divisions’ decisions on Dec. 23. In the petitions they filed in the Supreme Court on Monday, Poe’s lawyers reiterated that

Poe, who was abandoned in a church in Iloilo province shortly after birth in 1968 and whose parents remain unknown, is presumed to be a natural-born citizen of the Philippines, that international law recognize her as such, and that her reacquisitioned of Filipino citizenship meant she also acquired natural-born status. (With reports from Christine O. Avendaño and Jocelyn R. Uy)

California minimum wage increases to… G8>< 8) W

erything a small percentage not even 10 percent.” Gaby Granados with Medina’s Bridal Shop in Salinas already makes $10 dollars an hour. “We have bills, insurance, rent, food,” Granados told CNN news partner KION, applauding the new wage increase but arguing that 10 dollars an hour is not much. “We’re still trying to fit in school it’s really, really hard. I think they should do at least $12 and I still don’t think that’s enough.” She also expressed her fears that some businesses will not im-

plement the new wage increase. “There’s a lot of people who take advantage of field workers or even people who don’t have papers and I think that’s really wrong,” Granados said, adding her belief that with the minimum wage going up, so will everything else, leaving her and other employees “stuck in the same place financially, instead of moving ahead.” “No matter how much we’re getting paid things are just gonna keep going up and up and up,” said Granados. LA cities like Santa Monica and West Hollywood are consider-

ing their own wage hikes. Many other local cities—such as Glendale, Pasadena, Santa Clarita, Torrance and Long Beach—have yet to decide whether to boost wages. “With more proof that gradual wage increases won’t shock the economy, more states are going to follow suit,” said Bill Scher, an activist and analyst for the Campaign for America’s Future. Four other states--including New York, Oregon, and Washington DC--are also considering proposals in the coming year to gradually raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour. (Allyson

SEAFOOD CITY AD2

lished for hit-and-run incidents that result in death or major injuries, according to a California Highway Patrol (CHP) news release. Similar to Amber Alerts, CHP would work with requesting law enforcement agencies to determine whether a hit-and-run warrants activation of the emergency system, including whether changeable message signs on freeways should be used. The criteria for a Yellow Alert includes whether there is information about the hit-and-run driver or their vehicle. The legislation was introduced by local Assemblyman Mike Gatto. Consumer Protection - Starter Interrupt Warning AB 265 requires a “buy-herepay-here” dealer to make certain disclosures and notices to a vehicle buyer when a vehicle is sold with tracking and starter interrupt technology installed. This law also requires advance warning be given to the purchaser prior to engagement of the starter interrupt technology, if the buyer fails to make timely vehicle payments. A “buy-here-pay-here” dealer is defined by law as “a used car dealer that assigns less than 90 percent of their conditional sales and lease contracts to third party lenders; and therefore provide direct financing to car buyers.” Silver Alert System The Silver Alert notification system will be amended starting

Jan. 1 to allow it to be communicated on changeable message signs when a vehicle is involved in the missing person incident. Regional and statewide emergency alerts can be activated when seniors or individuals with developmental disabilities go missing or are believed to be in danger. DUI: Ignition Interlock Device A new law (SB 61) for 2016 grants a one-year extension to the existing Ignition Interlock Device (IID) pilot project, in which a person convicted of drunken driving may be required to install an ignition interlock device to their vehicle. The IID registers alcohol on the driver’s breath, and can prevent the vehicle from starting based on the result. The project requires a person convicted of a DUI to install an IID for five months upon a first offense, 12 months for a second offense, 24 months for a third offense, and 36 months for a fourth or subsequence offense. The extension would impact Los Angeles, Alameda, Sacramento and Tulare counties, according to the CHP. Highway Lane Use A law requiring slow-moving passenger vehicles to safely pull over and let traffic pass will expand and apply to bicyclists come Jan. 1, according to the CHP. The law requires slowmoving cars and bicycles to use the next available turnout or oth-

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DATELINE PHILIPPINES

US embassy warns against Sayyaf, BIFF threats by EDITH

REGALADO Philstar.com

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DOT upbeat about reaching 6M tourists in 2016 by JEANNETTE

ANDRADE Inquirer.net

MANILA — With visitor arrivals to the Philippines breaching the 5 million mark, officials of the Department of Tourism (DOT) remain upbeat on drawing even more tourists next year with projects lined up to improve the country’s airports and seaports. Greater connectivity and service quality upgrade, according to DOT undersecretary for tourism development Benito Bengzon Jr., are the agency’s current focus to easily achieve next year’s target of 6 million tourists. Bengzon pointed out that while the DOT has successfully built global awareness of the country as a whole, the agency would still work to create “a bigger demand for specific destinations,” hinged on the Philippines’ advantage of having multiple gateways. Among such destinations are: Manila, Cebu, Bohol, Boracay, Palawan, Davao, Iloilo, and Siargao Island. “It is part of the strategy of the DOT to position ourselves as a multiple-gateway destination. We have that unique advantage over the others because many countries in Southeast Asia, at best, only have three or four destinations,” the tourism official

said. “We are able to push eight destinations. This is why connectivity is very important,” he stressed and added that connectivity means better transportation facilities and infrastructure, thus, accessibility. Bengzon said that the agency has become focused on complementing the marketing strategy with infrastructure for greater connectivity and expanding our capacity to absorb visitors. Likewise, the DOT is looking to upgrade the quality of services delivered by frontliners in the tourism industry. He said that while the country has faced challenges since 2010, including: the Quirino grandstand hostage crisis; supertyphoon Yolanda; foreign embassy-issued travel advisories; and the “tanim-bala” (bullet-planting) debacle that hit the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), the tourism industry has remained strong. From January to October this year, visitor receipts grew by 8.24 percent at P186.89 billion compared to the same period last year’s P172.66 billion. Korea is still the top visitor spending market, followed by the US, Canada, Japan, Australia, China, Malaysia, the United

Kingdom, India, and Taiwan. Korea also contributed the most number of arrivals at 1.1 million. On December 21 the country’s 5 millionth visitor for 2015, Filipino-American Gabby Grantham, arrived at the NAIA terminal 2 on a Philippine Airlines flight from Los Angeles. She was surprised by officials of the DOT and the Bureau of Immigration with a bouquet and a VIP tour voucher for her next visit. Looking forward, Bengzon assured the continuity of whatever project the DOT would undertake before the change in administration next year, saying that there would be a smooth transition with the plan in place and strategic infrastructure projects already embedded in the work programs of the Departments of Public Works and Highways and the Transportation and Communications. “The overall framework is intact. In fact, now we are working for the next phase of tourism development for 2016. We call it the successor plan which will be from 2016 through 2025,” he said. Bengzon further assured, “There will be a solid corps of technocrats and bureaucrats who will make sure the programs will be implemented.” ■

DAVAO CITY — American citizens have been alerted against traveling to areas in Mindanao as well as in Palawan, southern Negros Island and the resort island of Boracay, citing threats by the Abu Sayyaf and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF). “The United States embassy would like to alert US citizens residing in, or traveling to, the Philippines to recent statements by Philippine security officials regarding an increase in the Terrorist Threat Level to Level III (High) in seven cities and nine provinces across the country due to persistent reports of kidnapping for ransom plots and potential bombings by the Abu Sayyaf and BIFF members,” the embassy said on Monday, Dec. 28. The separatist BIFF rebels

warned of more attacks following the three-day military operations against local jihadist factions. “The embassy wishes to remind all US citizens to review your personal security plans, remain aware of your surroundings, including local events, and monitor local news stations for updates. Be vigilant and take appropriate steps to enhance your personal security.” The US embassy also pointed out that Philippine security officials indicated that cities under the increased terrorism alert are Zamboanga, Marawi, Isabela, Kidapawan, Dipolog, Dapitan and Cotabato. Philippine security officials were also quoted to have further indicated that provinces under increased terrorism alert are Sultan Kudarat North Cotabato, Maguindanao, Basilan, Tawi-Tawi and Sulu.

The areas in Palawan, southern Negros island and Boracay island in Aklan have also been placed in the same situation by the US embassy. The embassy also said Philippine officials in several of the areas have announced increased security measures. Malacañang said government forces will hunt down the BIFF rebels. Quoting military spokesman Col. Restituto Padilla, Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said the BIFF’s “lightning raids and harassment are still expected following losses incurred” in military operations conducted during the last few weeks. “They intend to show that they are not yet a spent force following recent debacles,” Padilla said. Padilla, however, said the

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er area to let vehicles pass if five or more are backed-up behind them. Hoverboard safety According to AB 604, an electronically motorized board — defined by the CHP as “a wheeled device designed to be stood and powered by electronic propulsion,” and includes hover-boards — will be able to go no more than 15 mph, and will be permitted only on roadways with a speed limit of 35 mph or less and on designated bikeways. Hover-board riders must be at least 16, cannot be under the influence of alcohol or drugs, and must wear a helmet at all times. No Earbuds or Headsets Supported by the Transportation Committee, SB 491, which was filed with the Secretary of State in early October, is a provision that would prohibit anyone operating a vehicle from wearing earphones that cover, rest on, or are inserted in both ears. The prohibition does not apply to persons operating authorized emergency vehicles, construction equipment, and refuse or waste equipment while wearing a headset or safety earplugs. “Laws previously barred motorists and cyclists from wearing ear plugs in both ears or wearing

a headset, subject to some exceptions,” the bill stated. California Residency Requirement AB 1465 will require an applicant for an original driver license or identification card to provide proof of California state residency, starting on July 1, 2016 and it will bring the DMV into compliance with a federal law requirement. The DMV will also need to adopt regulations relating to the procedures for verifying that the applicant is a California resident. CA New Motor Voter Program AB 1461 creates an automatic voter registration process for qualified individuals who apply for a driver license or identification card, or submit a change of address to the DMV. Under the

new law, Californians who obtain or renew their driver’s license would be automatically registered to vote, with an opt-out option also abailable. The Los Angeles Times reported that information by the DMV will not be sent to the Secretary of State until regulations are developed, a statewide database system is established, and funding to implement the program is secured. The DMV is required to implement the New Motor Voter Act no later than a year after the Secretary of State certifies these regulations. Consequently, it is not exactly clear still when the law will take effect. Complete information on the new statewide traffic laws can be found at http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/. ■

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OPINION

FEATURES

Reflection

BEFORE we charge 2015 to history, we are again reminded to look back and reflect on all the important events that have happened in the past 12 months. This year we celebrated triumphs and suffered defeats. Which way does the Philippines go? Will Filipinos learn from mistakes and lead themselves to better lives, or will we constitute a false dawn? In a nutshell, 2015 will go down as one of the most eventful years, for it has shaped and changed the world by leaps and bounds. The Philippine economy is booming -- it stands strong by sustaining a steady growth. Remittances sent by overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) are forecast to reach $29.7 billion this year, making the Philippines the world’s third largest recipient of remittances, just behind India ($72.2 billion) and China ($63.9 billion). The labor markets for Filipinos are now expanding and demands for Filipinos workers are seen. With sound government spending, the economic potential of the country is now confident to go head-to-head with its aggressive neighbors. The current administration has also led development to agriculture, education, health and social welfare. 2015 started on a high note when Pope Francis visited the country in January. In November, Filipinos welcomed global leaders for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation’s (APEC) Summit in Manila. The leaders from the 21-member associa-

tion discussed some of the region’s most pressing issues including economic integration, trade liberalization, sustainable growth and energy security. On Dec. 20, 26-year-old Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach won the Miss Universe crown, the third crown for the Philippines. Besting 80 beauties from around the globe, Wurtzbach won the hearts of the judges by displaying her intellect, cultural values, sense of poise and of being. She did not only epitomize what the world considers beautiful, but she also represented what a Filipina has to offer. Along the victories Filipinos rejoiced were adversities that the country had to bear. The ongoing Spratlys dispute between China and the Philippines remains unresolved. Travel advisories were issued against the Philippines for purported terrorism. Many Filipinos were affected by the series of typhoons that hit the country. Some lost power for days, others had their homes flooded and a number lost their homes altogether, while damages amounted to billions.

Editorial

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During the latter part of the year, difficulties have posed threats on the integrity of the country’s political system. Political vendettas and government procrastination have cast doubts on the Filipinos’ practice of democracy. To say that Philippine politics has never been more controversial this year is an understatement. While 2015 proved to be a challenging year, it

also fortified our courage, vigilance, resilience and hope as a people, in the face of adversity. No matter how dreadful some of the unfortunate events are, Filipinos have still managed to score achievements, solve problems and most of all, set goals. The work is not yet done for Filipinos. Challenges will still come and improvements must still transpire. (AJPress)

Victorious thoughts to guide us in 2016 I HOPE you all had the merriest Christmas with your loved ones. This happy holiday season also heralds the ending of the year, and the beginning of a new chapter in our lives. No matter how crazy and busy our schedules haven been in the last days of the year, let us find those solemn moments to be quiet and reflect on the gift and lessons 2015 has brought us as we welcome the coming of 2016. As we aspire and strive to make 2016 a better year, let us be guided by positive healthy thoughts on the first day of the year, and everyday thereafter. Remember that the battle starts in our minds, and so let us feed our minds with thoughts of hope, faith and victory. HAVE A BLESSED 2016! Below are some of my favorites that I gather from many sources. “Year’s end is neither an end nor a beginning but a going on, with all the wisdom that experience can instill in us. Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right.” - Oprah

The battle starts in our minds

Winfrey “For last year’s words be- The Fil-Am long to last year’s language and next year’s words await another Perspective voice.” - T.S. Eliot “Your success and happiness lies in you. Resolve to keep happy, and your joy and you shall form an invincible host against GEL SANTOS-RELOS difficulties.” - Helen Keller “Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don’t resist them; that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like.” Lao Tzu “Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year.” -Ralph Waldo Emerson “All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.” -Walt Disney “All of us every single year, we’re a different person. I don’t think we’re the same person all our lives.” - Steven Spielberg

“Make New Year’s goals. Dig within, and discover what you would like to have happen in your life this year. This helps you do your part. It is an affirmation that you’re interested in fully living life in the year to come.” - Melody Beattie “Character is the ability to carry out a good resolution long after the excitement of the moment has passed.” - Cavett Robert “For a new year to bring you something new, make a move, like a butterfly tearing its cocoon! Make a move!” - Mehmet Murat Ildan “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” -- Eleanor Roosevelt “Success means having the courage, the determination, and the will to become the person you believe you were meant to be.” - George Sheehan “The object of a new year is not that we should have a new year, but rather that we should have a new soul.” - G.K. Chesterton

“You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.” - C.S. Lewis “Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.” - Albert Einstein “I hope that in this year to come, you make mistakes. Because if you are making mistakes, then you are making new things, trying new things, learning, living, pushing yourself, changing yourself, changing your world. You’re doing things you’ve never done before, and more importantly, you’re doing something.” - Neil Gaiman “Here’s to the bright New Year, and a fond farewell to the old; here’s to the things that are yet to come, and to the memories that we hold.” - Unknown “Forgetting the things that are behind and reaching out for the things that are ahead..” - Philippians 3:13 *** >\c JXekfj I\cfj `j k_\ XeZ_fi f] K=:Ëj È9Xc`kXe^ 8d\i`ZX%É M`\nj Xe[ fg`e`fej \ogi\jj\[ Yp k_\ Xlk_fi `e k_`j Zfclde Xi\ Xi\ jfc\cp k_fj\ f] k_\ Xlk_fi Xe[ efk f] 8j`Xe AflieXc Xe[ 89J$:9E$K=:% =fi Zfdd\ekj# ^f kf nnn%K_\=`c$8dG\ijg\Zk`m\%Zfd# _kkgj1&&nnn%]XZ\Yffb%Zfd&>\c% JXekfj%I\cfj

Will the presidential contest be won on social media?

8:00AM, Tuesdays in the San Francisco Street Bay Area is 12:00 midnight in Manila, Talk because of Daylight Saving Time. This is when the Wednesday online edition of Business World is posted. GREG B. MACABENTA I watch out for this proverbial witching hour (which is, in fact, breakfast time for folks like me in California) because that’s when I can go over my column of 27-plus years in the country’s leading business daily. Except for burglars and security guards and, oh yes, witches, you hardly expect anyone to be awake in Manila just to post comments on someone’s newspaper column. But the other week, as soon as my piece, “Duterte’s Way Isn’t the Best Way,” went online, it was immediately pelted with a barrage of negative comments (well over a dozen) that appeared, interestingly, like an orchestrated counter-propaganda blitz by paid social media trolls. Note that the commentaries were posted almost immediately after midnight, which means that a team had been placed on standby to take potshots at my column (if was it was about or against Duterte, my piece in the previous week having been entitled, “Duterte, Trump, Hitler and Nardong Putik”). I’ve been writing for a living for much longer than most people have been alive, so I can spot from a mile away any effort to make a letter to the editor look “authentic.” The fellows who posted the adverse comments were probably sleepy or poorly-paid and thus tended to copy from each other, as well as use similar phraseology (lines like, “Whatever you say, Duterte pa rin kami!” and “We are rock solid behind Duterte!”). Worse yet (for whoever is paying their wages), the trolls tried but failed to seem like “average Pinoys” with bad

grammar and poor spelling. They certainly did not fit the readership profile of Business World. You might describe their verbiage as “pang-tabloid.” Apparently, my commentaries on the presidential aspirations of Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte have become reason for me to be caught in the cross-hairs of the social media snipers. Of course, I have no worries about being given the dreaded Duterte extrajudicial treatment. I’m too old to get scared of that. Besides, Duterte’s legendary kill rate, by his own admission, is more fiction than fact. At any rate, Duterte’s presidential campaign isn’t the specific focus of this piece. Rather, it is the use of social media as a means for influencing minds and, by extension, influencing a political contest like the coming presidential elections. The question is: How effective is social media in doing so? One clue could be in the fact that Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago, who claims to be the hands-down favorite for president among Facebook habitues, registers rather poorly in the SWS and Pulse Asia surveys, both of which provide a relatively fair idea of the rankings (except when a survey is commissioned by a candidate). In a report on Inquirer.net, dated November 25, Carlo Ople, managing partner and director of digital advertising agency DM9 Digit, described Santiago as a “social media darling” who “leads the pack among presidential aspirants with 3,205,407 followers on Facebook and 2,094,618 on Twitter.” In contrast, Ople pointed out, “Senator Grace Poe, lags in social media: She only has 737,711 fans on Facebook and 58,154 on Twitter.” However, a completely different story is revealed by a December 4 to 12 Stan-

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dard Poll, conducted nationwide by veteran pollster Junie Laylo among 1,500 registered voters. The survey tells us that Poe, in spite of being disqualified by two Comelec divisions, is in the lead with 28%, followed by Vice-President Jejomar Binay with 23%, LP standard bearer Mar Roxas with 22% and Duterte with 19%. Santiago just managed to register a wee beep with 3%. In truth, we do not know enough about the impact of social media on the attitudes of Filipinos as voters (as distinct from their attitudes as social media butterflies). What we have observed, however, is that the mainstream media – meaning, the national dailies and the TV and radio networks – closely monitor postings on social media and, whenever there appears to be a “trend,” they recycle the postings as “fresh news.” A further recycling happens when TV and radio newscasters and commentators, read the news straight from the pages of the newspapers and pass that off as “nagbabagang balita” (red hot news). According to available data, national TV has the most influence on the perceptions and attitudes of the citizenry – whether as voters or as consumers of entertainment news. In that regard, theoretically, one could influence the voters by, first, influencing the content of TV newscasts and commentaries. Of course, in the age of envelopmental journalism, one does not need

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social media to achieve that objective. The coffee shop scuttlebutt tells us that broadcasters are just as prone to bribery as politicians (but then, who is to provide proof of that?) In any case, one reason PR and propaganda specialists consider social media a vehicle of choice to sow disinformation, feed outright lies, create confusion and generate the impression of a bandwagon for their clients is because they only pay for the cost of labor and, next to newspaper clippings, it is a convenient way to show “proof of performance.” Social media postings are easy to click and clip or produce a screen shot of for showing to clients and thus, for earning their retainers. It’s not as easy to do with broadcast media because that requires tedious monitoring, recording and submission of affidavits of performance. An online article in July 2014, entitled, “Research Confirms: The Philippines is Still the Social Media Capital of the World,” cited a global study called Wave7 that stated, “Filipinos are using social media to primarily connect (with) their families living overseas.” The same study listed “how Filipinos use social media”: • To keep company – 62% • To share new experiences to (sic) friends and followers – 63% • To have fun – 65% • To meet new people – 70%

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• To stay in touch with friends and family – 74% There was no mention of “keeping up with current events” or “political news.” But then, the study was conducted in 2006. Presumably, a lot has changed since then. However, if the disconnect between the results of public opinion polls and social media popularity is an indicator, it looks like the social media trolls who have been assigned to snipe at my columns may not be helping Duterte very much. In truth, if you were to closely follow social media, you will note the same familiar names over and over again, posting commentaries, exchanging views, philosophizing and passing on profundities to each other, over and over again. It’s almost like incest. In a Facebook exchange with a dear friend of mine, creative and communications wonder boy, Greg Garcia, he made an oblique reference to the impact (or lack of impact) of social media: “In social media we are all just talking to each other, sa totoo lang. And active participants are really committed anyway to a candidate with a passion.” Greg’s advice: If you want to effectively promote your candidates – at least at this point in time – use mainstream media. He should have added: And be prepared to invest millions. (gregmacabenta@hotmail.com)

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There is still time to pass BBL – MILF

THE peace panels of the Government of the Philippines (GPH) and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) on Monday lauded the optimism of Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos on the passage of the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) as they noted that there is still time to approve the bill. “I am confident that the Senate would do its best to pass the measure within the remaining session days of Congress after considering all the amendments introduced by the senators,” Marcos said in a letter addressed to Miriam Coronel-Ferrer and Mohagher Iqbal, chairpersons of the government and MILF peace panels, respectively. The letter dated December 1, 2015 was recently received by the peace panels. On its last session day on December 16, the House of Representatives concluded the period

of interpellation on the proposed Bangsamoro law. Rep. Rufus Rodriguez, chairman of the ad hoc committee on the BBL, vowed to pass the bill when Congress resumes session in January. The Senate, on the other hand, failed to deliberate on the Bangsamoro measure on its last week of session this December. Marcos’ letter was in response to the open letter of the peace panels sent to Congress on November 26, 2015. “Time is short, but there is still time. We ask our legislators to work for the immediate passage of the draft law on the Bangsamoro. Time is of the essence, and opportunity knocks only once,” the GPH and MILF peace panels said in an open letter. “We are at the cusp of closing a major armed conflict that has divided our people for decades. But we cannot reach our destination without the goodwill and show of

statesmanship from our leaders in the august halls of Congress, in whose hands the legislative power lies,” they added. In the joint letter, the two peace negotiators underscored the importance of passing the BBL to continue the decommissioning of MILF forces and weapons, generate positive effects on the succeeding administration and arrest the spread of extremism. “We ask you, our legislators, to open your hearts and to give our Bangsamoro brothers and sisters this one good chance to enjoy the right to peace, and partake of meaningful reforms and development,” they said. Marcos’ positive statement on the passage of the Bangsamoro bill came weeks after he was quoted in news reports as saying 8 nXcc f] g_fkf^iXg_j f] aflieXc`jkj b`cc\[ n_`c\ i\gfik`e^ k_\ e\nj c`e\j X nXcc [li`e^ k_\ i\[\[`ZXk`fe f] k_\ AflieXc`jkj D\dfi`Xc Xk k_\ E\nj\ld `e NXj_`e^kfe# Dfe[Xp# Ale\ 0# )'(+% 8G Ôc\ g_fkf&:_Xic\j ;_XiXgXb that the measure is dead because Congress has run out of time to pass it. (ManilaTimes.net)

Aquino’s ‘run over’ statement not…

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(DOTC) is yet to issue a notice to proceed to the contractor, Light Rail Manila Corp. Abaya said delays were caused by failure of the project’s bidding process. The project is expected to start in the middle of 2016. “The President was speaking with a sense of urgency when he announced his desire to see the project within two years,” Coloma said. “Any reasonable person would understand this to have been an aspirational statement. Despite the delays, the government continues to pursue the project,” he added. Meanwhile, the local representative of a German rail technology firm, Schunk Bahn-und Industrietechnik GmbH (SBI), has elevated to Malacañang the case of embattled Metro Rail Transit 3 train and signalling systems joint venture contractor- Schunk Bahn – Comm Builders & Technology (SBI-CBT JV) on their unsolicited proposal for a P4.65- billion rehabilitation and restoration of the MRT 3 submitted to the Transportation department last March 2. Rolf Bieri, authorized representative of SBI, has written a threepage “open letter” to President Aquino, claiming that the DOTC has not acted upon their unsolicited proposal, and had even gone on to hold public tenders for a P4.3-billion MRT 3 rehabilitation and maintenance contract that subsequently failed, and had then resorted to “emergency procurement negotiations” to which they were not even invited. The DOTC only invited them to the negotiations after the SBICBT authorized representative Roehl “Boyett” Bacar, rushed to submit a letter to DOTC Undersecretary Rene Limcaoco, the head of the DOTC Negotiating Team handling the “emergency negotiated procurement,” signifying their desire to join the negotiations, citing they were the incumbent six-month MRT 3 train and signalling systems maintenance contractor, and had even submitted an unsolicited proposal, which meant that they should have been included among the invitees to the “emergency negotiated procurement” pre-negotiation meetings. Last week, the DOTC announced that they have awarded a P3.8-billion contract to a “joint venture” of Busan Transportation Corporation, Edison Development & Construction, Tramat Mercantile Inc., TMICorp Inc. and Castan Corporation. While they had a pending unsolicited proposal not acted upon, the SBI-CBT JV, upon learning of a move of the DOTC to hold “emergency negotiations” for

the contract, had submitted a competing offer to rehabilitate and maintain the MRT 3 primarily based on their unsolicited proposal for a “systematic and comprehensive” rehabilitation of the MRT 3 systems that already takes into consideration the additional trains supposedly procured by the DOTC to address congestion woes at the rail line. The DOTC Negotiating Team, however, had refused to accept their offer, saying it was submitted late by “45 minutes.” “May we earnestly appeal that our proposal be opened and that the technical aspects be deliberated and be given the same chance and preference as with the lowest offeror whom the time element of negotiation is still in effect even after official proceedings,” Bieri said in his letter. “May we also take this opportunity to express our disappointment on the way the Rehabilitation and Maintenance Negotiation Team of the DOTC had treated our offer for the Negotiated Procurement for DOTCMRT3 Systems Maintenance Service Provider, 43 LRV General Overhauling and Total Replacement of Signaling System. At first, we were disregarded, being the incumbent short-term rolling stocks maintenance provider, by not inviting us in the negotiation thereof,” he added. “After representations have been made by us, we were eventually invited. However, the convenience of complying with the terms of reference [TOR] were only provided to the few, and the element of time by not accepting our technical offer is up to now confusing,” Bieri said, referring to the DOTC Negotiating Team’s failure to invite them to the prenegotiation conference last October. The basis of disqualification of SBI-CB&T Group (Joint Venture) was allegedly the late submission of SBI-CB&T’s compliance documents. Compliance documents were those inadvertently not included during the opening of eligibility and technical offers,” he added. “However, the entire proceedings during the opening of compliance documents [were] not in [themselves] unblemished of tardiness. Prior to the submission, SBI-CB&T explained the need for a few minutes for the arrival of its authenticated documents. It was denied, [which] caused us surprise, expecting DOTC to give equal opportunities [to] competitors and offerors, this being an emergency procurement,” Bieri said. “The time element for disqualification violates DOTC’s own rules by continuously changing procedures and terms even after

finality of the negotiation proceedings onward,” he pointed out. “Moreover, clarifications on whether technical compliances such as OEM (original equipment manufacturer) preference, rail grinding equipment compliance and post-qualifications of local partners and capabilities are illogically overturned by the lowest bid rules of the law,” Bieri noted. “In consideration of our familiarity with the train and OEM parts access—the trains beyond the eight-year overhaul and without upgrades [upgrades are parts periodically modified for the train brand to improve to safety and convenience features]—we see more logic to rely on the technical proposal than the price considering this may lead to consequences of not just rescinding from the original functionality of the components and train model being considerably obsolete but more to the safety risk of the riding public,” he said. Bieri and Bacar earlier expressed confidence that their tandem, along with German rail firm Heag mobilo, and their unsolicited proposal would put an end to the perennial systems woes at the MRT 3, and will level up the operations of the rail line to world-class. Under the unsolicited proposal submitted last March and meant for a “Swiss challenge” if it had been acted upon by the DOTC, the group said the basic plan is to initially mobilize rehabilitation where time and work windows are flexible and station facilities would be given priority. Compared to the other proposals provided, the group said its proposal would address the ancillary power, considered the 48 new trains to be supplied by a Chinese firm and set up a new stabling area, new elevators and escalators, new public address system, public information system, new toilets, platform gates, CCTV, signaling system, rail replacement and rail grinding at a mere P4.65 billion. The group’s unsolicited proposal also aimed at restoring two trains every 45 days to allow a lead time of eight to 12 months before the rolling stock is turned over to the government. According to the proposal, the system rehabilitation to be completed in three to four years has a limited downtime of four hours to make sure that the operations of MRT 3 would not be disrupted. Aside from the limited maintenance downtime, the group said its proposal ensures that only one entity would control the system rehabilitation composed of efficient and experienced parts integrators with global network. (ManilaTimes.net)

PH out of list of deadliest for journalists by ARTEMIO

DUMLAO Philstar.com

BAGUIO CITY – For the first time since 2007, the Philippines is not on the list of the “World’s Most Deadly Countries for Journalists.” The New York-based press freedom watchdog Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said in its yearend analysis that it did not document a single journalist killed in direct relation to work in the Philippines. The CPJ, however, noted that at least seven Filipino journalists were killed in unclear circumstances. It continues to investigate these cases for a workrelated motive, it said. The Philippines was always in the list of World’s Most Dangerous Countries for the Press, along with warn-torn countries like Syria and Iraq, peaking in November 2009 when at least 30 journalists were killed along with 28 others in Maguindanao, perhaps the single most deadly mass killing of journalists in the world. CPJ began compiling detailed records on all journalist deaths in 1992. Syria and France topped the countries around the world with 40 percent of 69 journalists killed in the line of duty in 2015. Muslim extremist groups that included al-Qaeda and the Islamic State systematically kill journalists in Syria. Nine of 69 killings took place in France, which came second to Syria. The number of journalists killed between Jan. 1 and Dec.

23, 2015 was higher than the 61 journalists killed last year, the CPJ said, while vowing it was investigating the deaths of at least 24 more journalists during the year to determine whether they were work-related. The CPJ noted that unlike the past three years, the deaths were widely distributed across countries, citing that at least five journalists were killed each in Iraq, Brazil, Bangladesh, South Sudan and Yemen. In 2012, 2013 and 2014, deaths in Syria far outnumbered those in the rest of the world. The declining number of deaths in Syria – where 13 were killed in 2015 – “reflects in part the reduced number of journalists working there, after many major international news organizations chose not to send staff to the country and local journalists fled into exile,” the CPJ yearend analysis said. It was acknowledged by CPJ that while there was lower number of confirmed killings in Syria, researching cases was increasingly difficult there and in other places ravaged by conflict, including Libya, Yemen and Iraq. CPJ said it undertook a research mission to Iraq this year to investigate reports that up to 35 journalists from Mosul were missing, dead or held captive by Islamic State. But the CPJ wasn’t able to confirm the deaths because of the militant group’s stranglehold on information about the city. The press freedom watchdog said it has received reports of dozens more journalists killed in Syria and Iraq, but was unable to independently confirm this and whether work was the reason.

Those left practicing journalism in these conflict-ravaged countries are often affiliated with groups party to the conflict, further complicating CPJ’s endeavors to determine the reasons behind their deaths. Worldwide, more than twothirds of the journalists killed in 2015 were singled out in reprisal for their work – “in line with the historical average but a greater percentage than CPJ has recorded over the past five years.” One-third of killings worldwide came at the hands of criminal groups, government officials or local residents – in most cases, drug traffickers or local authorities suspected of being in collusion with organized crime, the CPJ analysis said. It specifically cited how Brazilian Gleydson Carvalho was shot dead by two men while on his afternoon radio show, which often criticized local police and politicians for corruption and wrongdoing. Brazil, with six murders, registered its highest number of killings since CPJ began keeping detailed records in 1992. While the level of violence is unprecedented, Brazilian judicial authorities made strides in combating impunity with six convictions of murder in the past two years. The world’s newest country – South Sudan – registered for the first time on CPJ’s database of killed journalists when gunmen ambushed an official convoy in Western Bahr al Ghazal state, resulting in the death of five journalists traveling with an official. ■

Tourism key to job generation – Marcos

THE next administration should take advantage of the initial gains of the tourism industry to generate more jobs and income opportunities, Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. said Monday. Marcos aired the call following the Department of Tourism’s report that tourist arrivals hit the five million mark in December. The department expressed confidence that tourist arrivals next year could reach six million. “Although that is still far from the original target of 10 million tourist arrivals by 2016, these initial projections reflect we are gaining ground in our efforts to promote the Philippines as a top tourist destination,” the senator said. Marcos however warned that tourist arrivals will not increase unless the next administration vigorously pursues tourism-related infrastructure projects such as new airports, upgrading of existing ones, and adding sea ports and other road projects. “These facilities leave a lasting impression on tourists. How

can you expect anybody to recommend that a friend visit the Philippines if his arrival here was delayed because of runway congestion, if he found the airport comfort rooms dirty, or if they got stuck for hours in traffic?” the senator said. He also stressed the need to train tourism industry workers and businesses to make the country more tourist-friendly. “I don’t think it would be too difficult to achieve given the legendary hospitality of Filipinos, most of whom can also speak English,” Marcos, who is run-

ning for Vice President in 2016, said. The lawmaker has been pushing to strengthen the country’s tourism industry because it contributed a large part in the economic development of Ilocos Norte during his stint as threeterm governor of the province. He cited a report of the World Travel and Tourism Council saying that Southeast Asia posted the second fastest growth in travel and tourism in 2015 at seven percent, next to South Asia which posted a 7.7 percent growth. (ManilaTimes.net)

US embassy warns against… G8>< 8, t

Armed Forces of the Philippines had determined these activities were localized and focused ongoing military operations against the BIFF. Government chief negotiator Miriam Coronel-Ferrer added the BIFF’s sporadic attacks across the three provinces of Maguindanao, Sultan Kudarat and North Cota-

bato “indicate an attempt to gain momentum for their bid to destabilize the situation in these areas and garner attention for themselves and their flagging cause.” Ferrer asked the leaders of the BIFF to reconsider their violent ways and take heed of the people’s desire for peace and normalcy in their lives. (With report from Aurea Calica)

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COMMUNITY JOURNAL

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Business News

PH to become major car market by 2020 Third highest worldwide, by RICHMOND

S. MERCURIO

Philstar.com

MANILA — The Philippines is poised to become a major automotive market in Southeast Asia by 2020 as domestic sales are expected to continue posting stellar growth while local production is seen ramping up with the government’s Comprehensive Automotive Resurgence Strategy (CARS) program. Local industry players see the Philippine automotive market pumping in sales, accounting for eight to 10 percent of the total vehicle sales in the region by 2020. By 2020, sales of the automotive market within member economies of the Association of South East Asian Nations (Asean) are projected to reach five to six million units, with Thailand and Indonesia still seen as leaders in the region. The Philippines, however, will become an important automotive market growth area in the region as volume of vehicles sold is expected to zoom to 500,000 units by 2020, Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corp. first vice president and corporate secretary Dante Santos said. Santos said the Philippine automotive market,

although small from a regional perspective, has been experiencing unprecedented sales growth in the last five years. From 168,000 units sold in 2010, vehicle sales in the country reached 269,000 units last year and are expected to surpass industry target of 310,000 units this year. For next year, the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines Inc. (CAMPI) is initially projecting vehicle sales to reach a new high of 350,000 units. “Low car ownership ratio, favorable demographics and rising income indicate high potential for growth in the Philippine auto market,� Santos said. But while domestic sales have been on the ascent for several years now, Philippine vehicle production has remained pale compared to its neighbors. Data from the Asean Automotive Federation showed Philippine motor vehicle production stood at the bottom of the region with only 83,874 units produced locally from January to October. The output was far from the 1.6 million units produced in Thailand or the 1.1 million units from

OFW remittances seen to hit $29.7 B in 2015 by TED

TORRES Philstar.com

MANILA — Money sent home by overseas Filipino workers are forecast to reach $29.7 billion this year, making the Philippines the world’s third largest recipient of remittances, according to the World Bank. Based on the World Bank’s Migration and Remittances Factbook 2016, India would be the top recipient of remittances which are seen to hit about $72.2 billion, followed by China with $63.9 billion and the Philippines. Trailing behind are Mexico u G8>< 9) ($25.7 billion), France ($24.6 billion), Nigeria ($20.8 billion), the Arab Republic of Egypt ($20.4 billion), Pakistan ($20.1 billion), Germany ($17.5 billion), Bangladesh ($15.8 billion), Vietnam ($12.3 billion),

Philippine hotel industry seen to post growth in next 5 years by IRIS

GONZALES

Philstar.com

MANILA — The country’s hotel industry is expected to see a continued growth in the next five years amid the decline in hotel occupancy rates in the first half, according to the latest Market Insight report of Pinnacle Real Estate Consulting Services Inc. The consultancy firm said hotel occupancy rates in Manila slipped to an average of 68 percent in the first half, 1.6 percentage points lower than the rates a year ago but still better than in other countries. “Even with this slight decrease, the Philippines is actually doing better than most countries in Southeast Asia where drops ranged from 2.1 percentage points (Singapore) to as high as 8.6 percentage points (Bali). Only Thailand and Vietnam bucked

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Belgium ($11 billion), Spain ($10.5 billion), and Indonesia ($10.5 billion). The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) estimated that remittances coursed through the

country’s bank system would expand over five percent from $24.31 billion in 2014. The World Bank outlook is a mix of remittances coursed

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Palace: BCDA-Camp John Hay dispute now in court by DAXIM

L, LUCAS

Inquirer.net

THE Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) is complying with the law in all its actions against Camp John Hay Development Corp. (CJHDC), the developer of the former US facility in Baguio City with which the state-run agency is having a long running dispute, MalacaĂąang said on Monday, Dec. 28. In a statement e-mailed to the Inquirer, Presidential CommuniK_\ ZflekipĂ‹j _fk\c `e[ljkip `j \og\Zk\[ kf j\\ X Zfek`el\[ ^ifnk_ `e k_\ e\ok Ă”m\ p\Xij# cations Secretary Herminio CoXZZfi[`e^ kf k_\ cXk\jk DXib\k @ej`^_k i\gfik f] G`eeXZc\ I\Xc <jkXk\ :fejlck`e^ J\im`Z\j @eZ% loma Jr. said the BCDA “acted in Ale 8ZZlcX[fi&:: 9P$E; compliance with law when it filed the trend with slight increase in expansion projects. for judicial confirmation before occupancy,â€? Pinnacle said. For instance, Pinnacle said the the Regional Trial Court (RTC) of Despite the slowdown, Pin- Filinvest Group is beefing up its Baguio City, regarding the arbinacle said industry players con- hotel portfolio and expects to tral award issued against Camp tinue to pursue their respective u G8>< 9) John Hay Development Corp. by

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the Philippine Dispute Resolution Center Inc. (PDRCI).� Coloma pointed out, however, that the RTC’s decision, which

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was favorable to the government side, was taken to the higher courts by CJHDC, resulting in the protracted legal battle. â–

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Economy robust enough PH to become major car market by… vs global shocks in 2016 G8>< 9( t

MANILA — Amid forecasts of continued headwinds in global trade, the top official of the country’s umbrella organization of exporters is upbeat the Philippine economy will sustain its remarkable growth rate going into 2016. Sergio R. Ortiz Luis Jr., president of the Philippine Exporters Confederation Inc. (Philexport), said despite a decline in the country’s exports, he expects a bright outlook for the Philippines. He said the nation will remain a “bright spot” in Asia through next year despite the global export slump, noting international economists’ view that Philippine “domestic drivers can sustain economic expansion despite external shocks.” He said the economy has a number of advantages going for it, including being relatively insulated from global upheavals compared to other more open economies in Asia and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. In

Indonesia during the same period. Industry players, however, believe the country’s position as an automotive production hub may soon improve with the CARS program that seeks to provide for fiscal and non-fiscal incentives to encourage the local assembly of automotive vehicles. The Board of Investments issued last week the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) for EO 182 or the CARS program. Under the program, two prospective local car assemblers may apply for fiscal support not exceeding P27 billion by locally assembling three vehicle models or P9 billion per model with a commitment to produce 200,000 J\i^`f I% Fik`q Cl`j Ai%# gi\j`[\ek f] k_\ G_`c`gg`e\ <ogfik\ij :fe]\[\iXk`fe @eZ% G_`c\ogfik # units for each model during its jX`[ [\jg`k\ X [\Zc`e\ `e k_\ ZflekipËj \ogfikj# _\ \og\Zkj X Yi`^_k flkcffb ]fi k_\ G_`c`gg`e\j% six-year model life. “We expect the car assemblers =`c\ g_fkf addition, the country has “strong ternal demand, according to the fundamentals” and derives “a Philippine Statistics Authority. larger percent of growth” from However, this was an improvedomestic consumption. ment from the double-digit drop Philippine exports fell 10.8 of 24.7 percent in September, percent in October 2015, the sev- following the slight improvement enth straight month of decline in the global manufacturing inowing to continued sluggish ex- dustry. (Philstar.com)

to go full blast with their expansion and product developments plans that they have temporarily shelved, while waiting for this IRR. We expect investments in the auto industry, both foreign and local, to now go full steam ahead,” Philippine Part Maker Association (PPMA) president Ferdinand Raquel Santos said. Raquel Santos said the PPMA believes the CARS program is the lifeline that the struggling local auto parts making industry has long been waiting for. “Since this will mean an increase in local auto assembly and production of an average of 100,000 units per year or more than double last year’s local production of 88,000 units, this will result in the same increase in the demand and local manufacture of auto parts. This bodes well for us, the local auto parts makers,”

he said. “Add to this the opportunity for local auto parts makers to forge joint venture partnerships or technical licensing agreements with foreign original equipment suppliers to localize the manufacture and assembly of vehicle components and parts. This will result in both an inflow of foreign investments and ultimately, a transfer of technology that will benefit the local parts making industry,” Raquel Santos added. Raquel Santos said that even though most of the big body shell parts would be done by the car assemblers, it is the desire of local parts makers to get some of the small sheet metal components like brackets, stiffeners, and latches for them to press, stamp and fabricate, while at the same time providing the tools, dies, molds and fixtures required. ■

Third highest worldwide, OFW remittances… G8>< 9( t

through the formal and non-formal sectors. However, remittances as a percentage of gross domestic product (GDP) are projected to remain at 10 percent. The same report likewise disclosed that international migrants would send $601 billion to their families in their home countries this year, with developing countries receiving $441 billion. “At more than three times the size of development aid, international migrants’ remittances provide a lifeline for millions of households in developing countries. In addition, migrants hold more than $500 billion in annual savings. Together, remittances and migrant savings offer a substantial source of financing for development projects that can improve lives and livelihoods in developing countries,” Dilip Ratha, co-author of the report, said. The World Bank said the real size of remittances is “significantly larger” as there are unrecorded flows through the formal and informal sectors. More than 247 million people,

or 3.4 percent of the world population, live outside their countries of birth. Although the number of international migrants rose from 175 million in 2000 to more than 247 million in 2013 and will surpass 251 million in 2015, the share of migrants has remained just above three percent (of world population) for the last 15 years. The top migrant destination country is the US, followed by Saudi Arabia, Germany, the Russian Federation, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, France, Canada, Spain, and Australia. Last year, the United States had an estimated $56 billion in outward flows, followed by Saudi Arabia ($37 billion), and Russia ($33 billion). For the Philippines, the top destinations are Saudi Arabia, other Middle East/North Africa (MENA), the US and Canada, and Asia. The top six immigration countries, relative to population, are outside the high-income OECD countries: Qatar (91 percent), United Arab Emirates (88 percent), Kuwait (72 percent), Jor-

dan (56 percent), and Bahrain (54 percent). “There is ample research to demonstrate that migration, both of highly-skilled and low skilled workers, generates numerous benefits for receiving and sending countries. The diaspora of developing countries and return migration can be a source of capital, trade, investment, knowledge, and technology transfers,” the report added. Last year, there were 14.4 million refugees (excluding 5.1 million Palestinian refugees), accounting for six percent of international migrants. About 86 percent of the refugees were hosted by developing countries, with Turkey, Pakistan, Lebanon, Iran, Ethiopia, Jordan, Kenya, Chad, and Uganda as the largest host countries. In contrast, the number of refugees in advanced countries was 1.6 million. The top 10 leading source countries of refugees last year were Syria Arab Republic, West Bank and Gaza, Afghanistan, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan, Congo, Myanmar, Central African Republic and Iraq. ■

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Philippine hotel industry seen to post…

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reach 5,000 keys by 2020 from 1,063 keys at present in Alabang and Cebu. The Filinvest Group’s Chroma Hospitality, which offers hotel management services, meanwhile, is pouring in P2.6 billion for a 228-room Canvas Hotel in Cubao and a 185-room Canvas Hotel in Mactan. “Filinvest is bringing to the market a Crimson Hotel in Boracay; Quest Hotels in Dumaguete and Tagaytay; Canvas Hotels and Resorts in Cubao, Mactan and

Cebu City; and a Serulyan condotel in Mactan. These hotels will open between 2018 and 2019,” Pinnacle said. Chroma Hospitality is looking to expand in Pasig and Quezon City as well as in other provincial areas such as Batangas, Cavite, Laoag, Baguio, Cebu and Davao, the report also said. Another top player, Ayala Land has plans to put up Seda hotels across the country in the next five years on top of the four Seda Hotels located in Bonifacio Global City, Cagayan de Oro City, Davao

City and Sta. Rosa, Laguna. “The target opening of the ongoing developments with nearly 2,000 hotel rooms will be from 2016 to 2018. Under its Vision 2020, the Ayala Group plans to achieve a portfolio of 6,000 hotel and resort keys,” Pinnacle said in a report. Another player that is also seen expanding in the next five years is Red Planet, formerly Tune Hotel. The rebranded hotel has 10 hotels and is targeting to have 20 hotels in the Philippines in five years. ■

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Debt Relief ATTY. LAWRENCE YANG ON Friday, the 25th, the entire Christian world celebrated the birth of Jesus Christ 2015 years ago. Christmas is the birthday of Jesus who is the manifestation of God’s love and mercy for mankind. He is consubstantial with the Father, God from God, begotten, not made and through Him all things were made, and all things are held together. What holds the whole universe together is Jesus Christ. All these atoms, protons, neutrons, all the laws of physics which men discover, Jesus is the one who holds all of these, everything in the universe,

Barrister’s Corner ATTY. KENNETH URSUA REYES THE holidays and the end of the year is a good time to think about who you would like to inherit from your estate in case you pass away or at least who among your closest friends (BFFs) and family members are even deserving of inheriting from your estate. In doing so, you should also think about which vehicle you plan to use in implementing your estate plan. One of the best vehicle in implementing your estate plan is a revocable living trust. Five major benefits of establishing a revocable living trust are: Your estate can avoid the time, cost, and hassle of going through the probate court process. If you pass away without a will (intestate) in California, one of your close family would have to file a petition in probate court to probate your estate. Your estate will be divided and distributed according to the California probate code rules of intestate succession. Even if you have a will when you pass away, your family would still need to file a petition in probate court if your estate is worth over $150,000 and go through the probate process. This can become a circus if certain beneficiaries contest the validity of the Will or the dis-

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World celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ when God became man it is He who holds these together, and it is because of Him that the universe and everything in it exists. Therefore, the birth of Jesus Christ is the most significant and important event in the entire history of mankind. On that day, God became man and walked among us, to die for our sins, to explain to us that in his infinite mercy and love for humankind, He sent His only and beloved son, to redeem us from our fallen nature, the save us from our damnation, the free us from the claws of Lucifer, who spearheads the rebellion against God because of his pride. This is what the Christian world celebrates on Friday, the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Christmas is not about gift giving. It is about God becoming man. It is the expression of God’s love for his creation, on the pinnacle

of which is man and woman. Our ancestors, Adam and Eve, broke their relationship with God when they ate of the forbidden fruit at the instigation of Lucifer. Before the fall, Adam and Eve never felt hunger; want, deprivation, illness, fear and they never aged. Their bodies were made to last for eternity. This is really what our bodies were meant to be. We were not meant to get old, get sick and die. We were supposed to have bodies that never got old, never got sick, and never died. We were meant to have perpetual youth for eternity with our Father in heaven. But once Adam & Eve ate of the forbidden fruit in the tree of life, they lost their innocence before God, they chose to follow Lucifer and lost their trust in God, they chose the way of the flesh, so as a consequence, their bodies

Five benefits of establishing a revocable living trust tribution of the estate. Your estate will pay for attorney’s fees, probate referee fees, appraisers and other experts, CPA fees, etc. If people contest the case, your estate would end up paying legal fees to defend the estate in litigation. The entire process can take anywhere from 9 months to years depending on the contentiousness of the probate case. With a revocable living trust, your trustee or successor trustee if you were the initial trustee, would administer the trust and distribute the estate according to the trust document without having to open a probate court case. If the trust is funded with all your assets, it is possible to administer and distribute the trust assets without any Court involvement at all. This process is a lot faster than going through probate. Your estate is not public record When you file a probate case, the public has access to your probate case file. The public will know the assets of the estate including the values of those assets. If the Will is admitted into probate, the terms of the Will is open to public scrutiny. Establishing a revocable living trust makes your estate affairs private. Strangers do not have access to the terms of your living trust. Only certain beneficiaries and possible heirs can

request a copy of the revocable living trust after you pass away. You can dictate who will inherit from your estate. If you pass away without a Will, your estate will be divided and distributed in Probate Court following the rules of intestate succession in the California probate code. Certain relatives will be entitled to a share of your estate even if you feel they are not deserving. By establishing a revocable living trust, you can designate who you want to inherit from your estate. You can designate what and how much each one will received from your estate after you pass away. The assets distributed to each beneficiaries does not have to be equal. The people you designate as beneficiaries of your living trust does not even have to be close family members. You can designate anyone as a beneficiary, with certain exceptions, of your estate. You can structure your estate to minimize estate taxes If your estate is valued above the estate tax exemption, establishing a trust can allow you to divide up your estate into smaller sub trusts to minimize the overall estate tax effect on your estate. It allows you to set up a vehicle for certain charitable giving which carries tax advantage and asset protection.

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became inferior and became subject to decay. This was not God’s original plan for humankind. How can the broken relationship between God and humankind be rectified, how can it be restored to where it was before? No man or woman has the intrinsic self worth to do this. No amount of money or sacrifice or good works can heal this broken relationship. Even if you combine all the wealth of all the billionaires and millionaires in the world and give them all to charity in the name of man or woman, this broken relationship will not heal. Man or woman has no power to heal this relationship. So our God, in his infinite love and mercy for us, decided to send in only and begotten son Jesus Christ to become man, to die for our sins, to restore the broken relationship to where it was before, before Adam and Eve broke it, before sin entered the world. Therefore, the birth of Jesus Christ is the expression of God’s mercy and love for us who are by our very nature worthless no mat-

ter how much material wealth or power we have. You cannot buy your way to heaven with money or good works of charity. You cannot buy your way to heaven by ritualistic religiosity. The only way you can get to heaven is if you let Jesus Christ into your heart because the only way you can get to the Father is through Jesus Christ. “No one gets to the Father, except through Me And I am the way, the truth and the life,” said Jesus. That is a plain and simple statement. And God does not lie. There are no ifs and buts about it. All these things that people do, craving for power, wealth, wars, drugs, pleasure etc., these are just chasing the wind, they are all for nothing. At the end of our life, we all die. Death is the great equalizer, is it not? Isn’t it safer for you to believe now that Jesus is the way to enter heaven? You are gambling with your soul. I don’t think you will enjoy being in hell for the rest of eternity. There is only one true God. That is why God has said that He is the one true God, and there are

ST. FRANCIS of Rome Church celebrates annual fiesta on January 10, 2016. Join the procession of Nuestro Señor Jesus Naxareno, with mass at 5pm followed by the candlelight procession. Reception follows at Fr. Edward Landreau’s Auditorium. For more information, please

contact: Linda (626) 965-4988. Schedule of masses: Sat., Jan. 2 - 2:30pm - Novena followed by mass at 5pm Sun., Jan. 3 - 2:30pm - Novena followed by mass at 5pm Mon., Jan. 4 - 5:15pm - Mass followed by Novena at Chapel Tues., Jan 5 - 5:15pm - Mass followed by Novena

no other Gods except Him. By God, we refer to the God of Moses and Israel, whose only Son, Jesus Christ, became man and died for our sins, to redeem us, to give us a chance to enter heaven and be with them for eternity with bodies that last forever. This means the one true God is Adonai, El Shaddai, El Elohim, Yahweh, Jehovah. Those are His names. So, on Christmas day, we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, God who became man. Give your gifts if you must, but don’t ever forget what Christmas is really about. “Hark the herald angels sing, glory to the new born King. The King of Kings, the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior!”

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St. Francis of Rome Church annual fiesta celebration

Calendar of Events across

Wed., Jan 6 - 5:15pm - Mass followed by Novena Thurs., Jan 7 - 5:15pm - Mass followed by Novena Fri., Jan 8 - 5:15pm - Mass followed by Novena at Chapel Sat., Jan 9 - 2:30pm - Novena followed by Mass at 5pm Sun., Jan 10 - 2:30pm - Novena followed by Mass at 5pm ■

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 ; <: < D 9 < I )0 $* '

GXdgXe^X ?`^_ JZ_ffc :cXjj f] Ë-, >fc[\e AlY`c\\ :\c\YiXk`fe The Class of 1965 of the Pampanga High School will hold “TULA ampong SAYA,” its 50th Anniversary Reunion, this coming December 29-30, in San Fernando Pampanga, Philippines. All 1965 graduates of the Pampanga High School (PHS), formerly the Jose Abad Santos High School (JASHS), and their spouses are welcome to all scheduled events. Admission is free. The celebration will begin with BISPERAS on December 29 from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm, enjoying fun games, old music, and togetherness at the DIASPORA FARM RESORT in Santa Barbara, Bacolor, Pampanga. On December 30, from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm, join us for KAPIYESTAN, a provincial fiesta luncheon featuring familiar Kapampangan dishes, at the Mulang Galang orchard in San Antonio, Mexico, Pampanga. The evening of Dec. 30 will conclude with TERAKAN, a gala dinner-dance from 6:30 pm to 12 midnight, at the Fortune Hongkong Seafood Restaurant in the San Fernando, Pampanga. Enjoy a fun evening of dancing to the retro music of Decadas and the mellow songs of folksinger Jerry. Class ‘65ers, please join us in celebrating our 50th Golden Anniversary! Full details on preparations, events and venues can be found on “TULA ampong SAYA,” on Facebook. For donations, interest in the 50th Anniversary Reunion souvenir memory book, highlighting the successes of individual Class ‘65ers and the accomplishments of the PHS Class ’65 Foundation, Inc., please contact the jubilee reunion organizing committee in the Philippines: Joseph Deang (0927-228-8588); Erlie Aquino Estandarte (0929-219-0248); Corazon Cunanan (0939-118-2888; 0926-660-35540); Cecille Morales Bernas (0932-509-2646); and Marcial Morales (0918-915-9095); and Dan Galang 0929-427-9308; 045-966-0764). In the US and Canada, please contact Dan Galang at (510) 487-5551 or at (510) 648-1047.

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=\Xjk f] JXekf E` f [\ :\Yl All are cordially invited to the Feast of Santo Niño de Cebu on Saturday, January 9, 2016, from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm at St. Bernard Catholic Church in Bellflower, California, organized and sponsored by the Santo Niño de Cebu Association of Southern California, Inc., a non-profit religious organization. The Eucharistic Celebration will be presided by the Auxiliary Bishop of Los Angeles, His Excellency Bishop Oscar A. Solis at 10:00 am followed by the traditional procession of the image of Santo Niño de Cebu, fiesta lunch and Sinulog presentations. Food and financial donations are welcome, and all donations are tax deductible. For further information, you may contact the association President, Danny C. Diluvio at (323) 252-4991 or email at: dannydiluvio1@gmail.com.

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)0k_ 8ee`m\ijXip =\Xjk f] JXekf E` f Santo Niño Cruzada USA, with the participation of the Cathedral Knights of Columbus and a Sinulog group, is inviting everyone for a holy mass to celebrate the 29th anniversary of the Feast of Santo Niño, the Divine Infant Jesus, at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in downtown Los Angeles (555 W Temple St, Los Angeles, CA 90012) on Sunday, January 17, at 3:30pm. The main celebrant is Monsignor Kevin Kostelnik, with Father David Gallardo as concelebrant. For more information, please contact any of the following officers: Romy & Tess Esturas (213-387-9682), Rey & Tess Edpao (818-469-7292), Lilia Figuracion (626-394-2661, Carmen Estrada (213-413-2881), Fe Montana (323-218-1587), Ester Paredes (213-864-1149), Fe Reyes (213-413-5286), Laurie Dolorfino (213-407-0097), and Cherry Guerrero (213-632-2096).

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Attention all graduates of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines and the Philippine College of Commerce: join us in our FIRST GLOBAL REUNION being organized by the Polytechnic University of the Philippines Alumni Association, USA Inc. scheduled on May 2729, 2016 (Memorial Day Weekend) at the New Orleans Hotel in Las Vegas, NV. We promise a weekend of fun-filled activities, of friendship and camaraderie as we reminisce our best memories during our high school and college days. There will be lots of entertainment, singing and dancing and photo opportunities with your classmates and friends. For more information, please contact any of the following: Loi Herrera at 562-544-8210 or loiherrera@yahoo.com; Monette Santillan-Rivera at 818-970-8317 or Monette_santillan@yahoo. com; Rose Mejia at 323-997-3838 or Rosemariemejia@kw.com; Marissa Sugay-Palanca at 818281-7460 or marispalanca@yahoo.com; Rose Maghari at 661-794-8906 or rmaghari@gmail. com; Sally Mendoza at 323-695-0235 or sally.mendoza616@yahoo.com; Honeylette De Leon at 562-480-5743 orhoney@worldclassfreight.com; Virginia Herbito at virginiaherbito@gmail.com; Connie Acosta at 323-854-5303 orconnieacosta1@att.net; Violeta D. Cristobal at 310-880-5808 or vee@cristobalcpa.com; Jun Mapoy at 323-627-5326 or jcmapoy@yahoo.com.

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Immigrant Living: 101 and Beyond MONETTE ADEVA MAGLAYA IF we are blessed with a grateful heart, we will see beauty and light amid darkness especially during Christmas, when hope wells within many hearts. A grateful heart is one that is mindful of the abundant blessings of family, friends, and other people who orbit our lives. A grateful heart is well aware of all the infinite number of graces, seen and unseen, that abound and permeate our daily lives, from the rising of the sun to its setting. Each day becomes even more meaningful particularly for those whose lives are suddenly shattered by a life-changing experience. To be given the chance to find one’s purpose in life and rewrite one’s story midstream is a rare and precious gift coming directly from above. Use it or lose it. If you’ve been given the chance to restart a new life after you’ve gone through some life-changing, miraculous experience, you will know exactly what I mean. If you survived a horrific accident when everyone else perished, or if you found yourself inexplicably healed from a deadly disease, then you’ll know what it feels to be given a reprieve. It is a new lease on life — a fresh slate, a clean paper, what the Greeks call tabula rasa, on which you can start writing your new story. Or if you use a computer, click on a new blank document and chase the cursor until the rest of your life story unfolds. How does one use this new lease on life? Most people lucky enough to be given a second chance, will quickly realize that this new lease can just be an extra few months or years, and in the most blessed scenarios, a decade or two. Each day beyond that critical turning point is a bonus, every single moment, a gift. Sometimes, God mercifully knocks some sense into us through drastic means by throwing us a curve ball to bring us down on our knees so that we have no choice but to look above and beyond our own petty, selfish concerns and total self-involvement in order to grasp the concept of our own mortality and to know that we are here for a purpose. We’re not here to merely consume resources or take up space. Consider the fearsome dinosaurs.

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Tweaking our own life story “A useless life is an early death.”

— Goethe

Grazing the earth for millions of years, that is essentially what they did — consumed resources and took up space. Not by intelligence but by sheer size and numbers, they had dominion over all other species for millions of years, until one day, as scientists try to explain their extinction, a rogue asteroid about 7 miles long, possibly got unhinged off its orbit in the asteroid belt, hit the earth with such impact, setting off a series of volcanic eruptions that covered the atmosphere with ash far above the stratosphere, so that sunlight could not penetrate through the haze for years, killing off the plant life, upsetting and destroying the food chain balance and effectively starving and wiping the dinosaurs off the face of the earth 65 million years ago. Here is earth’s tabula rasa story — starting on a clean slate, a new lease on life. When the reptiles died, mammals, of which we are classified under, began their ascent. Human beings with purpose came to be. Yet each man’s purpose is nebulous and not always obvious. Purpose does not come as clear as the light of day. We have to seek it out. Either by choice or circumstance, some exceptional ones find their purpose early enough and proceed to fulfill it. Sometimes, it is as simple as blooming where God planted us. But the great majority of people on the bell curve don’t have the nose to sense their true north. Most of us of the garden variety meander about our lives trying different things until we finally stumble upon it by trial and error. The annals of history are rife with such stories. St. Paul played a critical role in the beginnings of the early Christian church through his numerous travels. But he didn’t start out that way. He was just as passionate about persecuting Christians before he was tapped from above to do what he did. Edwin Hubble, the great astronomer who lived in the nineteen twenties and for whom the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) is named for his outstanding achievements in expanding our view of the universe, tried different things before finding out what he was meant to do. In col-

lege, he played championship basketball and even tried boxing. After fighting in World War I, he studied law, tried lawyering for a year and obviously didn’t like it. Something must have happened because he went back to college to study astronomy and finally found his footing and his purpose in life. That’s what most of us do. We try different lives until we find the one that matches heaven’s purpose. Just don’t run out of time. No one wants to leave with unfinished business. If our stations in life allow us the luxury of choice, then more than likely, we will be meandering too and trying different things before coming on board to the ship that will likely bring us to the port of our purpose. Try reading all or portions of Rick Warren’s “The Purpose Driven Life.” Warren, who has just gone through some difficult personal trial, is the pastor of Saddleback Church in Orange County, California. His book continues to be received widely for its clear, wellstructured and succinct explanation of what living with purpose means. True, its skewed towards his ministry but there are valuable truths about purpose and meaning to be gleaned by both the secular and spiritual. We don’t really have to wait for something dramatic, traumatic or tragic to happen to get us on track to finding that purpose. But do go to the right source. Nix the harebrained ideas coming from most of the media about what that purpose might be. When it comes to things that matter, most of the mainstream media has proven itself to be unworthy of trust. It pushes its own agenda of power that comes from profit. Tune out of the external world and go deep within. If you pray hard enough and long enough and live in the silence for a little while, chances are, you’ll find it. You can then begin tweaking your own story on a new document page — your own life story that will get heaven’s stamp of approval on it. TO ONE AND ALL, A HAPPY, HEALTHY AND BLESSED 2016! ***

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DCFS Asian Pacific Program and Deaf Services host holiday party for foster children ON December 18, 2015, The Asian Pacific Program and Deaf Services Unit of the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) hosted a holiday party for 75 foster children and their caregivers. Supervising Children’s Social Worker Kimberly Cardozo, under the guidance of Assistant Regional Administrator Aris Banico, supervised the fundraising and event logistics to ensure that the children would have a great experience. Throughout the year, Asian Pacific and Deaf Services staff hosted fundraisers to raise money for the event. Deaf Services Supervisor Karen Bowman and her staff with Sherman Oaks neighbors collected recyclable plastic bottles and donated proceeds for the holiday party. Korean media was on hand to cover the festivities. The participation of the Korean American Family Services (KFAM), who provided food and gifts for the children, was especially appreciated. KFAM Executive Direc-

tor Connie Chung Joe and staff members Estee Song, Esther Wu and Katherine Yeom, along with MSW volunteers from Azusa Pacific University Julia McCormick, Mericella Castellanos, Eunice Han and Lisa Heuer helped make the day special. Andrea Choe, President of Gift 2 Friends, and local high school students brought 100 blankets and lovely gifts for the children. Six bicycles, provided by Los Angeles County Board Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich, were raffled off to lucky guests. DCFS staffer Juan Cabrera donned the Santa Claus outfit and Tue and Tuyen of TDang Photography provided beautiful instant photos of guests posing with Santa. The children were delighted with the magic show, and with the face painting artistry of Lali’s Face Painting. Fancy manicures by Jill and Grace from Gett Nails were very popular with the girls. Kimberly Martinez, hairstylist at Salon Trenza in West Covina, provided styling

and accessories. Mark Keppel High School students Kimberly and Tiffany Hangse, Samantha Lam, Darren Tse, Cherry and Luyen Deng, Angela Lau, Kellie Chen and Steven Troung helped out at the crafts tables and entertained guests with an instrumental rendition of Christmas songs. The venue, the Hall of the Child Advocacy Center was generously donated by the Masonic Home in Covina. Holiday committee members Vantha Hangse, Angela Chau, Denise Poon, Melissa Hoffman, Phuong Do, Steven Song, Richard Kwong, Sophia Sak Pamela Ha and Tuyet Dang decorated the tables. All in attendance enjoyed a lunch consisting of numerous Chinese entrees, Vietnamese / American sandwiches, pizza, cookies, cupcakes and assorted drinks. Most of all, the children went home very happy, pleased with their numerous gifts and the day’s entertainment and activities. (Feli Gutierrez, DCFS)

Five benefits of establishing a revocable…

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You can choose who will administer your estate after your death When you establish a revocable trust, you can appoint someone else as trustee or you can appoint a successor trustee if you are the initial trustee. The trustee will be administering (managing) the trust after you pass away without a need to open a probate court case. This allows for continuity in operating the trust and the efficient EfkX 9\e\1 Dfe\kk\ 8[\mX DX^cXpX `j and cost effective distribution JMG f] 8j`Xe AflieXc GlYc`ZXk`fej# @eZ% Kf of estate assets. If you are conj\e[ Zfdd\ekj# \$dX`c dfe\kk\%dX^cXpX7 cerned about whether you can Xj`XeaflieXc`eZ%Zfd trust any family members as

your trustee, you can appoint an institution as a professional trustee to carry out the terms of the declaration of trust. These type of trustee services are often offered by banks, financial institutions, wealth management firms, and business management firms for a reasonable fee. This minimizes conflicts within the family and prevents negligence and wrong doing by inexperienced family members. ***

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Los Angeles airport police spread holiday cheer THE Los Angeles Airport Police and Santa Claus handed out teddy bears to children for Christmas. On December 22, the Los Angeles Airport Police in cooperation with Los Angeles School Police, Los Angeles Port Police, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, and the cities of Vernon, Bell, El Monte and Alhambra police Departments collected teddy bears donated by officers and employees with assistance from

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Kenner Unlimited, Linzy, Imperial, Los Angeles Airport Police Athletic League and Cal Plush, handed out teddy bears to the children of the pediatric unit of LA/USC Medical Center. The second annual event organized by Los Angeles School Police Motor Officer Ron Chacon was an overwhelming success. “Last year we collected and distributed 500 bears and hope to raise 1500 this year” said officer Chacon at a December 2nd orga-

nizational meeting. Officer Chacon was overjoyed when on December 22 all the agencies gathered at the LASPD East Division to motorcade to LA/ USC Medical Center to deliver more than twice the number of bears Chacon had hoped to collect. Officers personally handed out the stuffed animals to each child and had so many left that children will be receiving bears for months to come. The Los An-

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geles Airport Police borrowed a taking pictures with children and page from the School Police book adults. The travelers were so surand on Christmas Day handed prised to see Jolly St. Nick that out teddy bears to children trav- their faces lit up with joy. “To see the look on the faces eling on Christmas morning. Mr. Steve Van Noord, uncle of Motor of the parents was as rewarding Officer Nick Van Dragt spent his as seeing the look on the faces Christmas morning dressed as of the children.” said Motor Sgt. Santa Claus walking the termi- John Hernandez, who walked the nals with Airport Police handing terminals with other officers of out teddy bears to children and the Motor Unit. “This was such

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a success that we need to do this again next year.” The Los Angeles Airport Police is the nation’s premier aviation law-enforcement agency with more than 1,100 specially trained police officers, security officers, and civilian staff protecting Los Angeles International, LA/Ontario International, and Van Nuys airports. ■

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Wednesday, DECEMBER 30, 2015

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cover story The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - December 30, 2015

The pride of the Filipino community: Success stories in entertainment, business, academia, food & more by CHRISTINA M. ORIEL / AJPRESS

As we close out 2015, we take a look at the top MDWK Magazine covers from the past 12 months. Our editorial team has interviewed and written about various Filipinos and Filipino-Americans in entertainment, business, academia and other industries who are breaking barriers and continuously giving us all a reason to be proud. *To read these selected features & other stories in their entirety, please visit http://asianjournal. com/aj-magazines/mdwk-magazine/. How Eggslut’s Alvin Cailan got Los Angeles to eat eggs all day If you’re in tune with the Los Angeles food scene, then you’ve heard of Eggslut — a stand at Grand Central Market in downtown that serves egg-centric dishes. With wait times averaging 45 minutes to an hour every day, foodies line up to taste items, like the signature “Slut” (a coddled egg on top of a smooth potato purée, poached in a glass jar and served with a demi baguette)and the “Fairfax” sandwich (scrambled eggs, cheddar cheese, caramelized onions and sriracha mayo in a warm brioche bun). Behind this movement to make eggs not just for breakfast is Filipino-American Alvin Cailan, who studied at the Oregon Culinary Institute and noticed the lack of breakfast options when he returned to Los Angeles. From a food truck to now

Eggslutʼs Alvin Cailan AJPress photo by Ding Carreon

one of the most popular dining destinations in the city, Cailan is eyeing more locations of Eggslut in Southern California and Las Vegas in 2016. “I figured, being Filipino and in the second largest market in the country, how do you make waves? Having a name like Eggslut threw people off. Immediately people were intrigued by the name, [but] they would walk in, taste the food, stay and then come back. I took a word that no one was using commercially, got the trademark and went forward with it,” Cailan said. Vincent Rodriguez III: On facing challenges as an Asian American actor and scoring a lead role in CW’s ‘Crazy ExGirlfriend’ Fil-Am Vincent Rodriguez III found his love for musical theater in high school and went on to build a full-time career around it, appearing in numerous acting, singing and dancing roles such

Vincent Rodriguez III

as “Thoroughly Modern Millie,” “Anything Goes,” and “Here Lies Love.” While in “Here Lies Love,” Rodriguez was motivated to audition for the role of Josh Chan on “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” — CW’s musical-comedy that follows Rebecca Bunch, a successful, miserable young woman who impulsively leaves her job as a real estate lawyer in New York in search of love and happiness in West Covina, California, the suburban hometown of her Filipino ex-boyfriend. “You know how there’s always ‘the Black guy,’ or ‘the Mexican guy?’ I always wanted to be the ASIAN guy, the mirror of society,” Rodriguez said of Filipino culture being represented in mainstream. “As a Filipino actor, I always wanted to be a part of the growth of AsianAmerican representation on TV and onstage. Now I feel like I’m a part of that journey to exposing modern, cultural America.” Mel Recana and son Julian share valuable experience on trials in court and in life The Asian Journal interviewed Mel and Julian Recana, the first Filipino father-son duo in the state of California. Mel, the elder Recana, was appointed to the Los Angeles Municipal Court in 1981, which made him the first Fil-Am judge in the United States. In July of this year, Mel’s son, Julian followed suit after he was appointed by Governor Jerry Brown to the Los Angeles County Superior Court, the largest unified trial court in the United States. Prior to his appointment,

Mel and Julian Recana AJPress photo by Ding Carreon

During a mock eye examination using telemedicine, Apl.de.ap and renowned pediatric eye specialist Tom Lee, MD, look into the retina of a patient located in the next room. Telemedicine will be a critical component to the success of the Campaign for Filipino Children, an initiative between Apl. de.ap Foundation International and The Vision Center at Childrenʼs Hospital Los Angeles, which is co mbatting a widespread eye condition in the Philippines that causes premature infants to go blind. Photo courtesy of Childrenʼs Hospital Los Angeles

Julian has served as a deputy district attorney for the LA County District Attorney’s Office since 1999, seeking justice for victims of crime and murder. He became involved with various bar associations, including the Philippine American Bar Association (PABA), as a founding officer and assistant secretary. He also served in the Long Beach Courthouse for 11 years, prosecuting murders in the Long Beach and greater Los Angeles area. To date, Julian has tried 92 jury trials to completion: 83 as felonies, and 13 murders. Most recently, he was assigned to the Hardcore Gang Division, prosecuting violent, gang-related offenses. The secret to the Recanas’ success? Family. “As a lawyer, especially in the criminal courts, the profession can be very stressful and consuming. Unless you have a family to lean on and spend time with to decompress…I don’t know how you could do this sort of work,” Julian said. “I need my family to ground me.” Through telemedicine, Apl. de.ap and Dr. Thomas Lee are keeping premature Filipino

babies from going blind In the spring, the Asian Journal got an exclusive look at the work Apl.de.ap of the Black Eyed Peas is doing with the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) to provide treatment to Filipinos babies who are born with retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). The rare eye condition causes abnormal blood vessel growth in the retina from excessive oxygenation and could lead to blindness if not treated within 48 hours of birth. Under the Apl.de.ap Foundation, Dr. Thomas Lee of CHLA using telemedicine to help train doctors in the Philippines to treat the visual impairment. About 30 percent of premature babies in the Philippines develop ROP, but by training at least six to ten medical practitioners in each of the four hospitals, 4,380 premature babies can be saved from the impairment. To date, the foundation has built 15 schools throughout the country, and a computer laboratory and recording and music studio in his hometown of Angeles City. This past year, it has been raising the funds to

Kuh Ledesma and Isabella Gonzalez

buy and send RetCams (retinal imaging systems to screen for ROP) to four pilot facilities: a central training hospital in Manila, and hospitals in Pampanga, Iloilo and Davao. Kuh Ledesma and Isabella Gonzalez: On their love for singing, visual arts and God For our Mother’s Day issue, we interviewed Philippine ‘Pop Diva’ Kuh Ledesma and her daughter, Isabella Gonzalez, who are both bounded by their faith and love of visual and performing arts. Though Isabella has followed Continued on Page 3

The pride of the Filipino community... From Page 2 her mother’s footsteps into the entertainment industry, she does not solely want to be known as Kuh’s daughter. “I took that leap of faith into singing and into this place where I knew I could be criticized heavily because they might compare me — and they had been doing that since I was 10 years old anyway,” Isabella said. Despite being known as an iconic music personality and wearing many hats, Kuh shared that being a mother is her favorite role. “I’m always proud of my daughter,” she said. “I don’t flatter her too much because I’m very hard to please but when I like something, I always tell her because I want to be honest with her…There’s always time for everything but mothering is the most important thing in my life.” Walter & Margarita Manzke: Bridging the culinary culture between Los Angeles and Manila Meet Walter & Margarita (Marge) Manzke, the culinary couple behind Republique, a French-inspired restaurant in Los Angeles and several locations of Wildflour Café + Bakery in Manila. In just two years, Republique has won over critics, topping best-of lists, including Los Angeles Magazine’s ‘Best New Restaurant’ for 2014. Forbes has named it a restaurant slated to become an LA classic. Marge, who heads the pastry department, has received the title of LA Weekly’s Best Pastry Chef for 2014 and a nomination for Outstanding Pastry Chef by the James Beard Foundation earlier this year. The couple shared their ingredients for success in the restaurant industry, how Filipino consumers help drive their business and their plans for the coming year, including bringing the famed Pink’s Hot Dogs to Manila. “…Filipinos have a close eye on the rest of the world and when they see something, they want it more than anybody and are willing to stand in line and fight over it. They literally will do anything to get it,” Walter said. Deedee Magno Hall: On a passionate career, family & favorite roles For Filipina actress Deedee Magno Hall, her career in the entertainment industry began at a young age on The Mickey Mouse Club. She went on to be a member of teen pop group, “The Party,” and has since appeared in roles in “Miss Saigon,” “Wicked,” “If/Then and “Tommy.” This fall, Deedee and her husband Cliffton are part of the national tour of “If/Then,” as understudies and members of the ensemble. To those struggling to find their voice, Deedee said, “No matter where they are from, human stories are stories. They’re your story. And now, more than ever, those narratives are being written by people from all different backgrounds. There are so many resources out there; make yourself known…You make your life what it is. You play a very big part in this world, so choose the right one.” Lovelyn Marquez-Prueher: the first Fil-am ‘teacher of the year’ for California Staff writer Agnes Constante won the Philippine American Press Club USA’s Plaridel award for “Best Feature Story” for this piece on Lovelyn Marquez-Prueher, a middle school teacher in Rancho Palos Verdes, California. In November 2014, she was selected as one of five California Teachers of the Year, becoming the first Fil-Am to win the award. Prior to winning the prestigious award, Marquez-Prueher received two others last year:

Lovelyn Marquez-Prueher

Chef Walter Manzke and his wife Margarita

Dr. Lori Adrian

Los Angeles,” she acknowledges that Filipinos living away from home don’t necessarily know everything going on in the Philippines, but states this does not eliminate ties to their ethnic identity. “We may not follow day-today what’s happening in the Philippines, in our villages or cities, Cambe & Sons: Phillip, Dean Sr. and Dean Jr. AJPress photo by Ding Carreon but…We will always remember where we came from and the in June 2014, she was chosen value of respecting our elders,” as one of the 16 Los Angeles she writes. County Teachers of the year for Dr. Lori Adrian: On advocatthe 2014-15 school year and in ing a ‘students first’ philosophy April she was recognized as a Los and the call for more Filipino Angeles Unified School District educational leaders Teacher of the Year. Dr. Lori Adrian, the president As a California Teacher of the of Coastline Community ColYear, Marquez-Prueher said she lege in Orange County, is one feels she will be able to show the of the few Filipinos leading a Filipino community, “that we’re higher education institution in kind of a force to be reckoned the United States — and the only with,” among other things. “So Filipina. an achievement of one is an Now five years into her leadachievement of all,” she said. ership position, Adrian shared “I definitely would not be here that despite some challenging without the support of my parcircumstances, she has paved an ents, my extended family and all Estelle Reyes atmosphere of inclusiveness, muthe Filipino friends that we made the high-end products that meet tual respect, open and transparhere in the United States.” ent communication. She is also consumer demands, which in Cambe & Sons: The trio shares their secrets to business turn helps increase their earning an advocate for more Filipinos in education-related career. potential, and are given market success “I think we need to have access through retail and corpoFor the Father’s Day issue, more role models for [Filipinos], the Asian Journal featured Dean rate partnerships. telling that they can and should “The legacy of R2R should Cambe and his sons, Phillip aim high…Who would have be to show that it is possible to and Dean Jr., who operate an thought that I would be a college have a sustainable business that aviation company in Southern can be good for the world at the president?” she said. “[W]e need California. to highlight the qualities of Filisame time. When you do good Dean, who is originally from pinos and Asians that blend well for the world, it can actually be Burgos, Pangasinan, realized his with academic institutions, like a career and you can actually dream of owning his own busibeing accommodating — somereward people for doing what is ness and aircraft hangar. Along times that’s seen as a negative right,” she said. “[As] a company with his two sons, the Cambe connotation. It doesn’t mean and a concept… it tells people Group (and sub-companies VIP Jet Services and Avilist) provides in the future that if we just talk to being a pushover…[W]e need to each other and make each other show that we are good accomaircraft parts, sales, inspection, modators in terms of different partners in business and in life, management and more. points of view and perspectives “Though I knew how to work there’s so much we can achieve. [W]e have to start engaging one and that we are able to make difwith other people, working with another, not just give our spare family is a whole different story change to those who need it, but because you see them during the day, working hours and then give our lives.” Estelle Reyes: A Filipinoafter hours. You’re constantly American education advocate with them. When I first started, championing youth to be the I would ask, ‘I have to be with CEOs of their own lives them for the weekend?’ Now After a career in finance, Filthat I see it, [not a lot of people] Am Estelle Reyes dabbled into can be with their families all the time. It made us closer being to- teaching and realized that education was her calling. While studygether 12 hours a day for seven ing at Harvard University, one days a week,” Phillip said. of her classes looked at a case Rags2Riches: The Philipstudy written about the Network pine-based social enterprise transforms scraps into designer for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE), a non-profit organization accessories that teaches entrepreneurship Social entrepreneur Reese and business skills to low-income Fernandez-Ruiz caught the youth, recognizing that this attention of Forbes magazine mindset will help them maximize earlier this year and was placed their future educational and on its annual “30 Under 30” list employment opportunities. for her work as co-founder of Today, Estelle is the executive Rags2Riches, Inc. (R2R), an ecodirector of NFTE’s Los Angeles ethical brand that partners with chapter, which has helped 10,000 artisans around Metro Manila to students, with an additional produce fashion and home ac2,000 for the 2014-15 school cessories made from ‘upcycled’ year in partnership with 23 lowscrap cloth, organic materials income middle and high schools, and indigenous fabrics. a majority of which are under In the past eight years, the the Los Angeles Unified School company has trained over 900 District. artisans (both men and women) “It’s really important for us to from Payatas, Tondo, Caloocan and Sucat. Two hundred of them come together as a community to figure out who are the Filipino remain active and work from entrepreneurs and business ownhome, while 30 work full-time at ers so we can support them,” its office. They receive ongoing she said. “We can also build the skills training in order to create next generation of entrepreneurs coming from the Filipino community.” Carlene Bonnivier: Retracing her Filipino roots and enriching cultural identity Agnes Constante’s feature on 75-year-old writer Carlene Bonnivier garnered the Philippine American Press Club USA’s Plaridel award for “Best Feature Story.” Though Bonnivier does not look typically Filipino and speaks limited Tagalog, she identifies most strongly with her Filipino roots. In Bonnivier’s most recent book, “Filipinotown: Voices from

Deedee Magno-Hall and husband Clifton, with theirs sons Kaeden Ryley and Brycen.

Carlene Bonnivier AJPress photo by Agnes Constante

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The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - December 30, 2015

Photo by Michelle Park

Reese Fernandez-Ruiz, co-founder and president of R2R

features

ficult decisions as needed.” Teach for the Philippines: Committed to nation building through education Three years ago, Lizzie Eder Zobel, Margarita Delgado and Clarissa Isabelle Delgado, set out with a vision: By 2050, all Filipino children will have access to an excellent and relevant education. The women came across Teach for America (TFA), an organization that recruits recent college graduates for a two-year program to teach in under-resourced, low-income urban and rural communities throughout the United States with the intentions of diminishing educational inequity and retaining promising educators. They replicated that model for the Philippines with Teach for the Philippines, which gets college graduates to join as teacher fellows. The fellows placed in schools across the country to help improve the circumstances of the students there. Since most of the fellows are recent college graduates, Teach for the Philippines provides realworld experience and a chance to see if the educational field is for them. Some alumni have gone on to work for the Department of Education, Commission on Higher Education, Department of Social Welfare and Development, or stayed teaching in the public school system. Others have moved to the private sector, yet have developed leadership and critical thinking skills that can be applied to any industry. “The story of Teach for the

Philippines is evolving every day. It’s about transformation for the children and the teachers involved,” Zobel said. NextDayBetter x LA: Entrepreneurs, chefs & foodies show promise of Filipino food NextDayBetter, the international creative speaker and food series, hosted an annual event in Los Angeles earlier this summer, where over 300 likeminded individuals came to listen to the ideas of Fil-Am chefs and entrepreneurs, who shared what needs to be done to make Filipino food the next best thing. “When it came for us to decide on a theme for this [event], it really was a unanimous decision to talk about and highlight the Filipino tastemakers right here in our backyard that are making waves in the Filipino foodie scene. With so many Filipinos living in Southern California, we’re always asking ourselves, why hasn’t Filipino food gotten the attention that Thai, Japanese, and Korean [food] have?,” said Krizia Medenilla, one of the event organizers. Around the world, NextDayBetter has united diaspora communities and spurred a call to action that is relevant and tailored for a particular city. This year, the organization held similar events in San Francisco, Orlando and Toronto, with Washington DC, New York, London and Manila on the lineup in coming months. Around the world, these events are creating platforms to discuss literally how to make the next day better.

Loyola Marymount University (LMU) School of Education Dean Shane Martin, Philippine Consul General Leo Herrera-Lim and wife Fides, Teach for Philippines co-founder and vice-chairman Margarita Delgado and co-founder and chairman Lizzie Zobel, and LMU Professor Edmundo Litton. AJPress photo by Ding Carreon

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features

The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - December 30, 2015

How-to stay Away from unwanted weight gain this season by LINDSEY JOE

LET’S face it, the holidays are a hectic time of year. No matter what traditions your friends, family and co-workers follow, food is sure to be at the forefront of all

your get-togethers, making the calories quick to add up. In fact, during the holiday season it’s typical for Americans to gain approximately one to two pounds. Take home these tips to keep off unwanted weight gain this

Making 2016 the best year yet by ANNA

MARIE CRUZ

HELLO kababayans. It’s that time again when we resolve to change some of our habits for good. We’re naturally feeling optimistic with the arrival of a new year, a cosmic reset – a time for new beginnings. So we sign up for gym memberships, fill our pantry and fridge with sugar-free, fat-free, flavor-free foods, and declare to quit other vices cold turkey. But how do we stick with these resolutions throughout the year? Many have given up Lindsey Joe on keeping resolutions entirely season and usher in 2016 with a and I don’t blame them. For a balanced lifestyle plan. lot of us, once the newness of 1. Make holiday favorites 2016 wears off, our commitment more filling. Recreate your favorite holiday dishes by includ- to changes we said we would make just vanishes. And then we ing more fiber-rich foods, fruits, feel guilty and end up punishing vegetables and whole-grains. Increasing the amount of fiber in ourselves by going back to old habits. And so the cycle goes. your food is helpful because it is Well, let me share with you a nutrient that helps you feel full my secrets on how you can make and keeps your hunger at bay. 2016 your best yet without feel2. Think less. It’s More! ing defeated so you can finally Instead of swearing off your favorite side dishes in order to look move closer to making those good in your holiday dress, enjoy lifestyle changes for good. 1. First, let’s talk about them by taking smaller portions. mindset using simple astronomy. Use the common household While the New Year has been items to help guide you on celebrated for thousands of years recommended portion sizes: a as the beginning of a new revolulight bulb for mashed potatoes, tion around the sun, or new a cassette tape for sliced bread, 3 dice for hard cheese, a deck of calendar year, this detail alone cards for meats or a slice of cake, ignores other variations in the cosmos. After a visit to the local poker chip for salad dressing. 3. Drink to that! Make sure planetarium, I learned that while planets revolve around the sun to pair all of the great tasting consistently, “how” they do so is holiday foods with a variety of inconsistent. The planets tilt difbeverages from sparkling water ferently, the stars relocate, and in to soda. I love the Coca-Cola general, there are unnoticeable mini can because I can have the changes in the Universe everytaste I want and it’s perfectly day. This got me thinking about portioned so I can keep with my how we see ourselves in the plan to keep calories in check. context of change and growth. Sipping between bites during your meal can help you eat more If the entire Universe in its very nature is changing each day, why slowly and really savor those are we keeping resolutions that special holiday flavors! are often inflexible, restrictive, 4. Become leftovers-savvy. and designed for failure? This While one extravagant meal is no big deal, multiple extravagant means that if my original resolution is “Work out 5 days a week” meals means more calories that and I learn that my body simply can lead to unwanted weight can’t tolerate that much activity gain. Plan ahead for holiday party leftovers by packaging them into single-serving sized of overeating or skipped activity storage containers or consider will not erase all of your progdonating them to a local soup ress. What will is an extended kitchen or family center. hiatus from your typical eating 5. Bounce back quick! and exercise routine. Keep with Remember that a short period the spirit of giving to yourself

because my baseline is “Sit on the couch and watch tv,” why isn’t it ok to change this to “Walk for 30 minutes 2-3 days a week”? Accept that change is part of the plan. 2. Next, remember that Every Day is a Brand New Day, an attitude that helps us make better decisions without the residual guilt. Get excited about each new day, which gives you the opportunity to start over. You don’t need to let the mistakes of yesterday be the same mistakes today. In other words, this is your chance to forgive yourself. Likewise, do not rest on your laurels of yesterday either. If you were successful at avoiding junk food yesterday, guess what? Today is a completely different day and your body needs healthy, high quality fuel for today’s activities! Everyday is a new beginning. 3. By far, this is the biggest game-changer for myself and for many of my clients: Crowd out the Bad with the Good. a. More Kindness to Self, Less Self-Criticism. Are you even aware of all the negative self-talk you tell yourself throughout the day? Many of us have to work on quieting the inner critic. And this critic can really do a number on your confidence to tackle new challenges. So, take some time now to think about 5 things you appreciate about yourself. Write these down and keep this list somewhere you can see everyday. Remind yourself of your great qualities and show yourself the same kindness you would give to your best friend. b. More Gulay, Less Tinapay When I lead people through clean eating programs, I always advise them to give allowances for unhealthy foods. What if for every slice of pizza, you have 2 plates of salad? Not only will you feel better about doing so, your body will also have an easier time eliminating all that processed starch. Think of other less healthy habits this way. More walking, by getting back on track at the very next meal, snack or exercise opportunity. With these tips in mind, you should be ready to embrace the holiday season and 2016.

Anna Marie Cruz

less sitting. More water, less soda. More in-person meet ups, less texting. 4. Next, think “I Am” instead of “I will be.” This is also called “Fake it ‘til you make it.” When you tell yourself that who you aspire to be is who you are now, you will notice that habits aligned with that identity come with ease. A long time ago, I signed up for my first half-marathon thinking “I am a runner.” Of course I had been training, but given it was my first long distance race, I did not feel 100% confident. What if I told myself “I will be a runner after I complete the half marathon?” It probably would have been a struggle to complete that race repeating in my head “I am NOT a runner.” Remember that the journey is about progress, not perfection. It’s about the lessons. So rather than just making a list of resolutions, ask yourself in what ways would you like to grow? What experiences, activities, habits would help you evolve so you may continue to live out your potential? Because just like the stars, where you are today will not be the same as where you will be next year. You will be even brighter! Contact me for a FREE 30 minute strategy session! Instagram: i_am_wellness Facebook: Health Coach Anna Marie www.annamariecruz.com *** 8eeX DXi`\ :ilq `j X Cfj 8e^\c\j$YXj\[ ?\Xck_ :fXZ_ n_f nfibj n`k_ Yljp gif]\jj`feXcj Xe[ \eki\gi\e\lij i\XZ_ Xe `[\Xc n\`^_k# \Xk Zc\Xe# Xe[ ZiX]k X mXcl\$YXj\[ c`]\jkpc\ k_\p cfm\%

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MOONLIGHTING

Cheers to a new year!

by MYLAH DE

LEON

features 5

The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - December 30, 2015

Out with the old, embracing the new MANGO MIX

ACROSS America, given the fractured state of our collective hearts, attempts to embrace the New Year will be paddled with reverence, or a little whoop, a bit of holler and Auld Lang Syne; in splashes of patriotism, the traditional sounds of churning and noisemakers and fireworks that will mingle with the ringing of bells in churches, as the nation Fernandico Q. Gonong Jr. leads Fil Am friends celebrate the Holidays Photo by Ding Carreon moves away from the historic tragedy of an unwanted ongoing war. Shedding the wrinkled skin of an old year gives a welcome sense of another chance. So welcome winter, welcome new year. Is there a term for the way dusk drapes, begins at noon, and across and around us in the next couple of hours? Is it after light, after glow? Where are we headed? Do we take life as a journey, a safari or a pilgrimage, or perhaps as a garden if not as the Fil-Am photographers finally bonded together in a Christmas celebration at Bobby Saddulʼs highest art? We have lived the questions, ready to embrace the Pasadena home. tive to celebrate, the biggest savaged only by the twisted answers. Chronologically, we’re party will take place on the Strip wisdom of my collegeues. That at the end of the year, yet at the of Las Vegas (with its ecstatic pointed out that there were beginning of a journey. festivities) the center party of We will make some discover- different rules for old women the universe. ies, as we keep on a look out for with money; I vowed to one day It won’t bring world peace, be one. soulful markers that surround us but with this primordial capacity Regardless, it will always be savoring the stops along the for collective joy, why not put it a day for voluntary kindness and way These are what makes the to use? charity for family and friends. journey marvelous, meaningful Celebrations that create ocand memorable. As you find and For celebrating freedom and casion for communal joy -- a sort the bounty it creates, without honor your own pace, stirring undermining the fact that almost of idiocy passed from generation your mind, body and spirit, to generation, like an heirloom. half of the globe has universally through the parting of the mists collapsed into a heap of poverty, It does not seem less than where faith and doubt meet, we generous to protest whatever devastation, denial and finger will find, not who we are—but traditions others may cherish this pointing. what we are. season. I let the pine tree live, on I am not fazed by cynicism And least we forget this that Christmas morning that and betrayals. I will sprinkle it about Christmas and New Year: came and gone. I threw open on my oats, add it as a boost to children are the best ornaments, my window on a bright, delightmy Ensure. It keeps me young. friends are the real feasts. Like But for a week more, I will put all ful and shining world for the life, the holidays will be over, 72nd time. The bustling street that on hold. Forget the cynics, before you know it. But on the falls strangely quiet. The living those that give you grief. Feed brighter side, the lengthening of room rests, ankle-deep in an them to the alligators! If you’re each day from this point, promeffluvia of ribbons, papers and sad at New Year’s you really ised the vital return of spring. bows, empty cardboard boxes have only yourself to blame. So, welcome winter. Welthat held presents. In the backCandles, firelights, bubbling come the New Year! ground, Tchaikovsky gives the wines can keep their heads *** evanescent joy of music into a above them. E-mail Mylah at moonlightingmdl@aol. I will laugh when I hear favor- yearning heart. com With that human imperaite lines gleaned from beaujolies,

by MARTIN

JASON L. ITA-AS

WITH the old year changing into a new one, so must everything within the earth. Just as the snow will blossom into the spring with its verdant beauty, people need to learn and change for the better. Boundaries must be crossed. Rules must be broken. Promises must be made. The new year is the best time to push oneself into changing because it brings about the realization that nothing lasts forever. Out with the old and in with the new. Putting away the memories of the year to give way to the new ones you’ll make. But putting them away does not necessarily mean throwing them away. The lessons you learned and the mistakes you fix can still be looked back on to help you make good choices in the future. The future is like a story where the beginning has been written and the ending is in sight. But how you reach the end from where you are right now is one big mystery. Sometimes this mystery is filled with scary choices you just have to get on board with. Other times, it will be lazily or irresponsibly written in order to reach the ending quickly. Having to write the events unfolding can be hard and even scary. Some people opt to just put the pen away and keep the story where it is. But without anybody writing it, the pages will just disappear without a trace of its true existence. All it takes is a chance: A chance to try something new. A chance to replace a bad habit with a good one. A chance to finish something that you started long ago. Only you

yourself can give that chance. Only you can make give yourself the time to change or better yourself. Challenging yourself is one good way to open yourself to new and better opportunities. It may not be the smooth ride you had hoped it would be, but even scars and wounds have fond stories to tell. Just get out there and seize each day for the New Year! *** Mango Tours is a provider of quality, affordable

and convenient travel services that include lowpriced airline tickets, customized Philippine and International Tour Packages, Cruises, Land Transfers, Passport and Visa Concerns. It is the #1 producer of reliable travel services particularly when it comes to Philippine travel arrangements to the Filipino-American community in the US Mango Tours is able to provide its customers with a number of travel options at affordable rates because of its consolidator contracts with over 11 airlines. Book your travel bookings with Mango Tours by calling its 24/7 U.S. toll-free number at 1-866-2-MANILA (1-866-2-626452). Visit www. mangotours.com to know more about its latest promos and travel offers.* *Advertising Supplement

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The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - December 30, 2015

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37%

Hadong Green Tea Asstd Flavors 40TB

$

$9.49 26%

Magic Flakes Handypack Asstd Flavors 10pc CORPORATE OFFICE 20819 CURRIER ROAD, WALNUT, CA 91789 (909) 594-8080

11%

lbs for Green Cabbage

5

$1.59

28%

lit! Presyong Su

WAS

SAVINGS

21%

li Presyong Su

2$

for

$1.19 17%

SAVINGS

Pampanga Sweet/ Hot Sausage 12oz

Hereford Chunky Corned Beef 12oz

3

$3.29

WAS

$0.50 50%

25%

2$

$1.29

SAVINGS

SAVINGS

17%

WAS

1

$3.99

SAVINGS

for

1

$

lbs for Brown Onions

WAS

$5.99

5

6

t!

li Presyong Su

4

$

$0.79 37%

2$

for

WAS

2$

2 WAS

4.99

San Miguel Purefoods Tender Juicy Hotdog 16oz

t!

li Presyong Su

lbs for Chayote

$

37%

Argentina Luncheon Meat 12oz

Zen Calrose White Rice 20lbs

SAVINGS

$1.99 25%

!

WAS

16%

WAS

/lb

$2.99 33%

5

SAVINGS

36%

SAVINGS

2$

for

$2.99

SAVINGS

for

5

WAS

WAS

WAS

SULIT DEAL

2$

for

1

$ 49

Seafood Mix

/lb

$7.99 13%

20 LBS

lit! Presyong Su Japanese Yellowtail Hamachi

li Presyong Su

Trafficanda Medium White Eggs dozen WEST COVINA 1512 E. AMAR ROAD WEST COVINA, CA 91792 (626) 964-4858

2

WAS

OXNARD 4833 S.ROSE AVE. OXNARD, CA 93033 (805) 874-4980

1

$

SAVINGS

NATIONAL CITY 2720 E. PLAZA BLVD. NATIONAL CITY, CA 91950 (619) 475-1025

“WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO TERMINATE THE SALES PROMO WITHOUT PRIOR NOTICE. WE ALSO RESERVE THE RIGHT TO REPLACE ITEMS WITH PRODUCTS OF APPROXIMATE VALUE. NO RAIN CHECKS. PROMO GOOD WHILE SUPPLIES LAST. NOT VALID WITH ANY OTHER COUPON OR PROMO. PRICES MAY CHANGE WITHOUT PRIOR NOTICE. GIVEAWAYS NOT VALID FOR CUSTOMERS WITH DISCOUNT.”

3

99

WAS

SAVINGS

c

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