LA Weekend Edition -- October 31 -- November 03, 2015

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October 31-November 3, 2015 Volume 25 - No. 85 • 4 Sections – 36 Pages

T h e F i l i p i n o –A m e r i c A n c o m m u n i T y n e w s pA p e r

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PH wins round 1 in case against China

by Pia lee-brago anD

from the AJPress NEWS TEAM AcroSS AMEricA

Larry Itliong’s son fights to continue legacy IN the last 32 years, community leader Johnny Itliong has attended nearly 400 events to spread awareness about the role his father and the Delano manongs played in the eventual creation of the United farm Workers (UfW). “my big picture goal is to get everybody educated about how a group of people can get together regardless of their background, set their differences aside, get rid of political correctness…and treat everybody as people.

And really to have our rights as a person to be recognized by each other and share that with each other,” Itliong said.

It is mexican-American labor leader Cesar Chavez who is most often associated with the founding of the UfW. But the contributions of Itliong’s father, Larry Itliong, have long been ignored. on sept. 8, 1965, Larry led about 1,500 farmers in what marked the beginning of the Delano Grape strike.

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District of Columbia gov’t honors Filipino World War II veterans

WAshINGtoN, D.C. – In its first-ever celebration of filipino American history month, the Government of the District of Columbia recognized the contributions of filipino Americans and issued a “Call to Action” urging passage of the filipino Veterans Congressional Gold medal bill now pending in Congress.

Attending the standing-room-only october 26 event at the Philippine embassy were filipino World War II veterans, DC government officials, Us Army and Us Navy officers, diplomats, community leaders, students and members of veterans’ service organizations.

Although she was unable to participate, DC mayor muriel Bowser was represented

by David Do, director of the mayor’s office on Asian and Pacific Islander Affairs. Do read Bowser’s Proclamation, which noted the “rich cultural heritage and the historic contributions of filipino Americans” to the nation’s economy, culture and the Armed forces.

In his remarks, Do said, “tonight’s cele-

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Delon Porcalla

Philstar.com

mANILA – In a legal setback for Beijing, an arbitration court in the Netherlands ruled on thursday, oct.

29 that it has jurisdiction to hear maritime claims the Philippines has filed against China over disputed areas in the south China sea. manila filed the case in 2013 to seek a ruling on its right to exploit the south China sea waters in its 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone (eeZ) as allowed under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the sea (UNCLos). the hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration rejected Beijing’s claim that the disputes were about territorial sovereignty and said additional hearings would be held to decide the merits of the Philippines’

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We’ll do it again, says US on ‘sail-past’

by Jose ARBITRATION. The United Nations arbitral tribunal in The Hague hears the case filed by the Philippines over the maritime dispute in the West Philippine Sea. The international Arbitral Tribunal unanimously decided on Thursday, Oct. 29 that it has jurisdiction over the maritime dispute between China and the Philippines involving parts of the South China Sea (West Philippine Sea.) Photo from the Permanent Court of Arbitration

Aquino, Abad face new complaint for PDAF, DAP Acceleration Program (DAP). former technical education and skills Development AuthorimANILA – President Benigno ty (tesDA) chief and presidential Aquino III is facing another com- aspirant Augusto syjuco Jr. on plaint on the alleged misuse of the friday filed a complaint against Priority Development Assistance Aquino, Budget secretary florfund (PDAf) and Disbursement encio “Butch” Abad, Agriculby Patricia lourDes Philstar.com

Viray

ture secretary Proceso Alcala and senate President franklin Drilon. “this Complaint for Investigation focuses on Bs Aquino’s sins in the agricultural sector, which our poor farmers continue

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KatigbaK Philstar.com

WAshINGtoN – the United states has downplayed the significance of sending a Navy warship within 12 miles of artificial islands built by China in the south China sea, and has promised to do it again. state Department spokesman John Kirby said it was a routine freedom of navigation operation in international waters and “shouldn’t be construed as a threat by anybody.” “there’s no reason that Us Navy operations in international waters, in accordance with international law, should have any negative effect on our relationship with any country around the world,” Kirby said. he said setting this aside the Us-China relationship

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PH has 2nd biggest I can walk the population in ASEAN talk – Binay by rhayDz

b. barcia ManilaTimes. net

by Delon

Porcalla Philstar.com

mANILA – the Philippines has the second biggest population – next to Indonesia – among countries belonging to the Association of southeast Asian Nations (AseAN).

Based on data from the 3rd AseAN Connectivity forum held last week in seoul, the Philippines’ population stood at 101.6 million as of August as against Indonesia’s 248 million.

Indonesia has a land area of 1.8 million square kilometers while the Philippines has 300,000 square kilometers divided among three major archipelagic regions – Luzon, Visayas and mindanao.

AseAN-south Korea records likewise show that

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LeGAZPI CItY, Albay – Vice President Jejomar Binay believes that he can make things happen if he is elected President next year because he had implemented the promises being made by his contenders in the presidential elections.

“All candidates are promising something but at the end of the day, I’ve done all the things they are promising. I have a good track record, I’m a good manager. I could

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Adm. Harry B. Harris, Jr. of US Navy Commander, US Pacific Command walks past a photograph showing an island that China is building on the Fiery Cross Reef in the South China Sea, as the prepares to testify on Capitol Hill in Washington. As expectations grow that the US Navy will directly challenge Beijing’s South China Sea claims, China is engaging in some serious image-building for its own military by hosting two international security forums beginning Friday, Oct. 16, 2015.

AP file photo by Cliff Owen

A OCTOBER 31-NOVEMBER 3, 2015 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL

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From the Front Page

PH wins round 1 in case against…

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arguments.

China has boycotted the proceedings and rejects the court’s authority in the case. Beijing claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea, dismissing claims to parts of it from Vietnam, the Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei.

It has even built artificial is-

lands – complete with military facilities – over coral reefs and shoals in areas within the EEZ of the Philippines, to assert its claim.

The tribunal found it had authority to hear seven of Manila’s submissions under UNCLOS and China’s decision not to participate did “not deprive the tribunal of jurisdiction.” No date has been

set for the next hearings.

The Philippine government welcomed the decision.

Solicitor General Florin Hilbay said the ruling represented a “significant step forward in the Philippines’ quest for a peaceful, impartial resolution of the disputes between the parties and the clarification of their rights under UNCLOS.” “The elimination of preliminary objections to the exercise of the Tribunal’s jurisdiction opens the way for the presentation of the merits of the Philippines’ substantive claims,” Hilbay added.

Good for relations In Arteche, Samar, President Aquino said he expects China to respect the decision of the Permanent Court of Arbitration and acknowledge the possibility that it could even redound to the benefit of both countries. Aquino was in Samar yesterday to check on the progress of post-Yolanda road projects.

“When nothing is vague any-

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RESTING PLACE. The Libingan ng mga Bayani serves as the final resting place of deceased presidents, dignitaries, national artists, scientists, boy scouts, war veterans, and military chiefs. The 142-hectare cemetery was established in May 1947 as the Republic Memorial Cemetery and was renamed Libingan ng mga Bayani on Oct. 27, 1954. A total of 46,120 persons are interred in the cemetery, which is being maintained by the rave Services Unit of the Army Support Command.

Philstar.com photo

We’ll do it…

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is vitally important and one that Washington wants to see grow and prosper.

“The US-China relationship is vitally important and one that we want to see continue to improve and to grow for the benefit of both our countries, not to mention the region,” Kirby told reporters in Washington.

“So again, without speaking to specific operations, it’s the Secretary’s desire that our relationship with China will continue to deepen,” he said referring to Defense Secretary Ash Carter.

Carter, testifying before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday, initially would only say the US Navy had conducted operations in the South China Sea. But under questioning from lawmakers, he said the USS Lassen had passed within 12 miles of a Chinese artificial island.

It was the first time a US warship passed close to a Chineseclaimed artificial island since 2012.

The sail-past infuriated China which summoned the American

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Aquino, Abad face new …

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to bear inabject destitution and economic bondage,” Syjuco said in his complaint.

Syjuco said Aquino and the other respondents must be held liable for the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) alleged misuse of DAP funds and several lawmakers’ misuse of their PDAF. The petitioner claimed that the DA misused an estimated P14.4 billion of its public funds on questionable programs and projects.

“Many of these projects, which included construction of farm-tomarket roads, credit financing for livestock sector and financial assistance for the cultivation of commercial crops, were left incomplete or lacked necessary documents,” Syjuco said.

He based his claims on a series

of annual audit reports by the Commission on Audit (COA).

The COA’s reports showed that the DA’s attached agency, the National Livelihood and Development Corporation, allegedly misused P235-million worth of PDAF from seven lawmakers.

The funds were allegedly allocated to four fake non-government organizations (NGOs) linked with alleged pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles.

Meanwhile, the National Agriculture and Fisheries Council (NAFC), also under the DA, allegedly misused funds of several lawmakers worth P199.4 million from 2012 to 2013 by allocating the funds supposedly for livelihood projects to NGOs linked to Napoles and businessman Godofredo Roque.

“In its annual audit report of

the NAFC, COA said projects under the congressional Priority Development Assistance Fund were implemented without bidding and proof that the recipients benefitted from livelihood projects involving vegetables and earthworms,” Syjuco added.

Syjuco also claimed that the National Agribusiness Corporation allegedly misused DAP and PDAF funds for various livelihood projects worth P5 million.

“In sum, DA squandered P14.4 billion in public fund including DAP and PDAF funds,” Syjuco said.

Last week, Syjuco also filed a complaint against Aquino and Abad over the DAP and PDAF but refused to specify the charges he wanted filed against the respondents.

The Office of the Ombudsman earlier started an investigation on Aquino and Abad in relation to the controversial DAP. n

The island-state of Singapore ranked ninth with 5.4 million people; while tiny Brunei only has 400,000 people.

Singapore – which is just 716 square kilometers, or just as big as Metro Manila – has a GDP of $267.9 billion. Kuala Lumpur has $307.2 billion GDP while Bangkok has $377 billion.

The details about the population of each ASEAN country were contained in the press kit the ASEAN-ROK forum gave to journalists. The STAR updated the data on the Philippines.

South Korea, which sponsored the ASEAN connectivity forum, said its vision was “to be a key player in building a lasting and genuine partnership between ASEAN and Korea,” and where mandates include “increasing trade volume, accelerate investment flow, invigorate tourism and enrich cultural and peopleto-people exchange.”

“The ASEAN-Korea Centre was established as an intergovernmental organization with the aim to promote exchanges among Korea and the 10 Asean member states. It was officially inaugurated in March 2009,” a portion of the press kit read. n

PH has 2nd biggest…

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the Philippines has $240.7 billion in gross domestic product while Indonesia has $894.9 billion.

Vietnam has the third biggest population with 89.7 million, followed by Thailand with 68.2 million and Myanmar (61.5 million).

Malaysia is sixth with 29.9 million citizens living in a 330,290 square kilometer land area. Landlocked Cambodia and Lao ranked seventh and eighth – 14.9 million and 6.6 million, respectively.

From the Front page

LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • OCTOBER 31-NOVEMBER 3, 2015

A

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

Philstar.com photo by Adrian Biblanias

I can walk the talk…

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make things happen, so, if I’m elected President, I can walk the talk,” Binay said in a radio interview with Dante Maravillas over dzGB radio station in this city.

He added that if he wins, he will introduce hybrid rice to help farmers recover from the impact of natural disasters.

Binay deplored the Aquino administration’s lack of vision to address water scarcity.

SEAFOOD CITY 1

“We don’t want to experience water crisis in the future,” he said.

The Vice President also criticized President Benigno Aquino 3rd for his failure to make the much-touted economic growth inclusive.

“The Philippine economy, according to the administration, is growing tremendously. Unfortunately, we have the highest number of poor families. This

reported economic growth is not trickling down to the poor,” he said.

According to Binay, he will also push expanded health care and education programs.

He vowed to continue the conditional cash transfer (CCT) program for the poor.

The Vice President flew to Bicol for a two-day sortie with members of his senatorial slate.

Binay’s camp challenged the Aquino administration to explain why poverty worsened in the

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A OCTOBER 31-NOVEMBER 3, 2015 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL

From the Front page

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PH wins round 1 in case against…

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more, when what should be followed is clear, isn’t that going to be a way to improve relations with each other because it will no longer be ‘this is my opinion, that is your opinion?” Aquino said.

“Once the correct opinion is clear, relations should improve between each other and other countries with disputes over the sea of many names,” the President said.

Though it was just an initial victory, the President said he was really happy with the decision because an unfavorable ruling would have removed arbitration as an option for pressing territorial claims.

“Isn’t it that what was discussed was: Did we abuse the process by unilaterally filing (a case) without China? They answered that in their decision that we did not abuse the process,” Aquino said, referring to the official press release issued by the PCA. Being both signatories to the UNCLOS, the Philippines and China should follow the ruling that would pave the way for the PCA to decide on the merits of Manila’s case, Aquino said.

He added the rule of law has always been an equalizer between a big and a small country as stated by Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonio Carpio.

The President said the PCA announced it might decide on the Philippine case by next year and he thanked the court for allowing

rule of law to prevail by acting swiftly despite the sensitive nature of the case.

Aquino said he would bring up the latest development before the Association of Southeast Asian Nations during its summit and meetings with dialogue partners in Malaysia in November.

He added he would remind ASEAN of the need for a legally binding code of conduct on South China Sea. Focus on merits At Malacañang, Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. of the Presidential Communications Operations Office said the ruling will “pave the way for the furtherance of the proceedings to evaluate the merits of the position” of the country. He said the government “will await further advice” from the tribunal.

On reports that the naval forces of the US and China have agreed to maintain an open dialogue so as to reduce tensions in the AsiaPacific region, Coloma said it has always been the Philippines’ position to push for freedom of navigation.

“Our basic position is to promote the freedom of navigation recognizing that the South China Sea or the West Philippine Sea is one of the most important arteries for global commerce,” he said.

“We have always maintained that all disputes pertaining to maritime entitlements in body of water will have to be resolved peacefully in accordance with

the rules such as those contained in the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea,” Coloma added.

In a text message to reporters, deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said the ruling would set into motion the country’s formal presentation of its case.

“Our people can be assured that those representing our country have been continuously preparing for this,” she said.

Senate President Franklin Drilon said the decision of arbitral court is a positive step in the country’s efforts to preserve its sovereignty over disputed areas and land features in the West Philippine Sea. In a statement, Drilon said that the Philippines would now be able to “present before the Permanent Court of Arbitration the merits of our claims over areas of the West Philippine Sea disputed

by China.”

“The ruling is a crucial positive step in our efforts to protect our sovereignty,” Drilon said.

“The Philippines remains committed to the peaceful settlement of conflicting claims in the West Philippine Sea in accordance with international law, in particular UNCLOS, with the firm hope that through international law, peace and justice will prevail,” he added.

The Department of National Defense (DND) also welcomed the ruling.

“It’s a very good development not only for the Philippines but also for countries that believe in UNCLOS,” DND spokesman Peter Galvez said in a press briefing yesterday.

“We will continue what we have been doing before. We will support our troops and monitor activities in the area,” he added.

Galvez stressed that the Philippines would continue to advocate rule of law, freedom of navigation and peaceful means of resolving maritime disputes.

China’s ignoring the ruling would only confirm fears of its neighbors that it’s a bully and a real threat to regional stability, former national security adviser and congressman Roilo Golez said.

“Should we win, and China ignores, they would be portrayed as international outlaws and I doubt whether they would be able to withstand and resist international censure,” Golez, a former naval officer, said.

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SURVIVOR. A basketball goal remains standing as fire victims in Barangay Tatalon, Quezon City, try to salvage their belongings after a fire razed 100 houses in the area. The fire was believed to be caused by illegal electrical connections.

Inquirer.net photo by Nino Jesus Orbeta

We’ll do it again, says US on ‘sail…

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ambassador to protest the operation, which it saw as direct challenge to Chinese sovereignty claims.

Sen. John McCain praised the decision to send a warship on a patrol in the South China Sea, saying it was a step that should have been taken long ago. “This decision is long overdue,” he said.

The move was quickly blasted

by Chinese officials who saw it as a violation of Chinese territorial waters.

“The Chinese side strongly urges the American side to take China’s solemn representations seriously, put right mistakes, refrain from any dangerous or provocative actions detrimental to China’s sovereignty and security

interests, and honor its commitment of not taking sides on disputes over territorial sovereignty so as to avoid any further damage to China-US relations and regional peace and stability,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said, according to a statement posted on the Chinese Foreign Ministry website.

China’s Foreign Ministry said on its website yesterday that Executive Vice Minister Zhang Yesui told Max Bacaus that the US had acted in defiance of repeated Chinese objections and had threatened China’s sovereignty and security.

While offering no details, Zhang said Tuesday’s “provocative” maneuver also placed personnel and infrastructure on the island in jeopardy.

I can walk the talk…

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country, proof, it said, of the failure of its Kung walang corrupt, walang mahirap (Where no one is corrupt, no one is poor) campaign slogan.

Rico Quicho, Binay’s spokesman for political affairs, said poverty and corruption persist despite Aquino’s promise of a better life five years ago.

“The administration should retire this tired slogan. Mas dumami ang mahihirap pagkatapos ng limang taon. Mas marami ang nagugutom. Mas marami ang

walang trabaho at naghahanap ng trabaho [The number of poor and jobless Filipinos grew],” Quicho noted.

“The administration must man up to the reality that it has failed to deliver on its promise to the people to address poverty,” he said.

Results of a Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey in September showed that 50 percent of respondents or around 11 million see themselves as poor.

Quicho said instead of “spouting empty promises,” the Aquino

China was “extremely dissatisfied and resolutely opposed” the US actions, the ministry said. The US State Department declined to confirm the Tuesday meeting, or comment on any remarks made on the issue.

China says authorities monitored and warned the destroyer USS Lassen as it entered what China claims as a 12-mile or 21kilometer territorial limit around Subi Reef in the Spratly Islands archipelago, a group of reefs, islets, and atolls where the Philippines has competing claims.

The sail-past fits a US policy of pushing back against China’s growing assertiveness in the South China Sea. US ally the Philippines welcomed the move as a way of helping maintain “a

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administration should answer why corrupt practices remain rampant, and why the administration’s friends and partymates accused of large-scale corruption are allowed to go scot-free.

On Tuesday, the Vice President told members of the business community that poverty is the moral issue that must be addressed.

“My vision is for every Filipino to have an equal share in the nation’s progress. No one should be left behind. Ang hangad at pangarap ko ay ginhawa para sa lahat [My dream is prosperity for all],” he said. (With report from Bernice Camille V. Bauzon)

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District of Columbia gov’t honors Filipino World… Larry Itliong’s son fights to continue…

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bration is also a commemoration of the sacrifices of Filipino World War II veterans who served with dignity and honor.” He added that the presence of Filipinos, who constitute 12 percent of the city’s AAPI population, have played a significant role in the District’s economic vitality and cultural diversity.

Earlier this year, Filipino American activist Ben de Guzman received an award for “Outstanding Community Service” from Mayor Bowser. De Guzman, who works for the Diverse Elders Coalition, has been a prominent voice in the civil and gay rights Family and friends of Filipino veterans smile at the more than one dozen photographers who movements. Do also mentioned snapped pictures of the historic event.

Photos by Jon Melegrito the growing popularity of Filipino Chaudhary said, describing cuisine, as shown in rave reviews Calugas and all the soldiers who and from books at school.

“This is understandable, as of Filipino American-owned res- fought as pathfinders. “That’s taurants that opened recently in why we must honor them and the people who lived through the war are fading, along with the area. recognize the sacrifices they their stories of triumphs and sufCommunity salute made.” fering,” she said. “However, for But the evening’s highlight Call to action the veterans and their families, was the community salute to Maj. Gen. Antonio Taguba, the memory of the war remains Filipino veterans, represented by himself a son of a World War II Rudy Panaglima, 85, of Arling- veteran, made the call to action a vivid backdrop against which ton, Virginia; Rey Cabacar, 87, of at the end of the ceremony. “The they move on with their lives.

Ft. Washington, Maryland; and history of the war in the Pacific For these heroes and their loved Celestino Almeda, 98, of Gaith- was written by US Army offi- ones, choices and sacrifices made over years ago continue to ersburg, Maryland. cers,” he explained. reverberate into the present. The Accompanied by their fami“We need to tell the real story lies, the three veterans received a of the 260,000 Filipino soldiers present generation must make a standing ovation when they were who were sworn under the Amer- conscious choice to be aware of called to the stage by Tammi ican flag, who battled bravely and and to never forget the bravery of Lambert, director of the Mayor’s refused to surrender, who en- our veterans. And while we can Office of Veteran Affairs. Herself dured the Bataan Death March, never repay in full what the vetan Iraq War veteran, Lambert who engaged in a guerilla war- erans had done, we hope that our told the audience how “passion- fare of which nothing much has pledge will be a source of comate I am about our veterans. It’s been written about. They were fort and inspiration for them.”

An eye-opener time they receive what’s long prisoners of war, killed in action, Among those who came to peroverdue: their honor and recog- wounded for life and, soon after sonally meet the Filipino veterans nition.” liberation, humiliated and reu PAGE A6 In his keynote remarks, Ravi jected by the country they served Chaudhary, a member of the when Congress passed two rePresident’s Advisory Commis- scission acts. sion on Asian Americans and Pa“We must pass the Congrescific Islanders, shared the story sional Gold Medal Award bill of Captain Jose Cabalfin Calugas, now. The few remaining vetera Filipino soldier who saved the ans cannot wait another year to lives of his comrades when he receive that piece of paper prorisked heavy enemy fire, manned claiming their service to this naa cannon by himself and stopped tion,” Taguba concluded. the advancing enemy forces. For In her welcome remarks, 1/16 page his action beyond and HORIZONTAL above the Philippine Minister and Consul call of duty, he was awarded the Rosanna Villamor-Voogel noted Medal of Honor.

3.87”W 3.75”H that for the present generation, “It’s that kind of courage that World War II is a war they got to uplifts the very soul of our na- know about largely from the Histion during challenging times,” tory Channel, Hollywood movies

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A victory came earlier this year when California Gov. Jerry Brown signed into law legislation, AB 7, that designated October 25 as Larry Itliong Day, the day Larry was born in 1913. Itliong says it is one of the top three strides that have come about since he committed himself to informing the public of his father’s legacy more than 30 years ago.

Awareness of Larry Itliong’s part in the story of the UFW has been on the rise in recent years.

In 2010, the City of Carson became the first in the United States to issue a proclamation dedicating a day to Larry Itliong, with Los Angeles County doing the same shortly afterward.

This year alone, the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors and San Jose City Council issued proclamations declaring Larry Itliong Day on Oct. 25. The City of Milpitas recognized Filipino American History Month, and the work Larry and the Delano manongs did in the same resolu-

tion. Solano County was another body that recognized the day.

Much has been accomplished this year, but Itliong has no plans to stop telling people the story of his father.

“Just because a couple of places recognize it, the state recognizes it, doesn’t mean everybody knows. And even here in California, even Filipinos. And if they do [know about it], who’s telling [them] what it is? What information are they getting? Because there’s a lot of wrong information out there,” Itliong said.

Along with the several resolutions passed by various counties and cities, 2015 marks the 50th anniversary of the Delano Grape Strike. A successful celebration in September this year is another one of Itliong’s top three moments in his ongoing journey to educate the nation about Larry’s legacy.

Last weekend, Itliong participated in events in Los Angeles County commemorating Filipino American History Month and his

father. On Oct. 23, he was recognized at Los Angeles City Hall, where he said in an emotional address that Larry deserves more than to be ignored for half a century; on Oct. 24, he tabled at Carson’s Larry Itliong Day celebration with informational booths and photos on display to educate visitors; on Oct. 25, he was among panel members who discussed the significance of the Delano Manongs after a screening of a documentary called “The Delano Manongs: Forgotten Heroes of the United Farm Workers” at the Search to Involve Pilipino Americans (SIPA) headquarters.

During a Q&A session with the panel at SIPA, Itliong shared that he has encountered opposition, specifically citing an instance at a university campus where one student yelled at him, “That’s not the Cesar I knew!”

“I told him, Cesar was a dictator with the UFW. It was his way or no way.... And I witnessed that

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PH wins round 1 in case against…

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In a position paper in December, China argued the dispute was not covered by UNCLOS because it was ultimately a matter of sovereignty, not exploitation rights.

UNCLOS does not rule on sovereignty but it does outline a system of territory and economic zones that can be claimed from features such as islands, rocks and reefs.

The court said it could hear arguments including one contending that several South China Sea reefs and shoals were not important enough to base territorial claims on.

On seven other submissions, including that China had violated the Philippines’ sovereign right to exploit its own territorial waters, the court said it would reserve judgment about jurisdic-

tion until it had decided the merits of the case.

The tribunal is composed of Thomas Mensah of Ghana as president, and Jean-Pierre Cot of France, Stanislaw Pawlak of Poland, professor Alfred Soons of the Netherlands, and Rüdiger Wolfrum of Germany. (With reports from Marvin Sy, Edu Punay, Aurea Calica, Alexis Romero, Jaime Laude)

A OCTOBER 31-NOVEMBER 3, 2015 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL

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Tuberculosis is now a leading killer bacterial disease According to report, over 4,000 people are dying each day

by Allyson

EscobAr

AJPress

DESPITE lower death rates, tuberculosis (TB) is now killing more people each year than HIV, according to new data from the World Health Organization (WHO).

WHO announced that the fight against TB--one of the top infectious bacterial diseases, mainly affecting the lungs--has paid off, with this year’s mortality rate at nearly half of what it was in 1990.

However, 1.5 million people still died from the airborne disease in 2014, with over half (54 percent) in China, India, Indonesia, Nigeria, and Pakistan.

“Most of these deaths could have been prevented,” according to WHO’s Global Tuberculosis Report 2015, released on Wednesday, Oct. 28 in Washington, DC. WHO estimated that there were almost 10 million new cases of TB last year, making it the number one infectious killer, according to NPR. The United Nations reported that 4,400 people are dying from the transmittable disease every day.

“Despite the gains, the progress made against TB is far from sufficient, which is unacceptable in an era when you can diagnose and cure nearly every person with TB,” said Dr. Mario Raviglione, Director of WHO’s Global TB Program.

In 2014, TB killed 890,000 men, 480,000 women and 140,000 children, according to the analysis. The disease ranks alongside HIV as a “leading killer worldwide.”

Some 400,000 fatalities were

double-counted in the report, included under each disease, because the deceased had both infections.

Detection and treatment gaps need to be closed, funding shortfalls to be filled, and modern development of diagnostics, drugs, and vaccines are needed to reduce TB’s overall burden, WHO said.

On the positive side, effective diagnosis and treatment have saved 43 million lives between 2000 and 2015, according to the report.

“The report shows that TB control has had a tremendous impact, in terms of lives saved and patients cured,” said WHO Director-General Margaret Chan.

“These advances are heartening, but if the world is to end this epidemic, it needs to scale up services and, critically, invest in research.”

The 2015 report describes “higher global totals for new TB cases (9.6. million) than in previous years,” reflecting increased and improved national data and greater in-depth studies, rather than any increase in the spread of the disease.

Among new cases, an estimated 3.3 percent have multidrug-resistant TB, a level that has remained unchanged in recent years, said the UN News Service.

The report showed detection and treatment gaps are especially serious among people with multidrug-resistant TB (MDRTB), which remains a public health crisis. The three countries with the largest numbers of these cases are China, India and the Russian Federation.

“MDR-TB is rampant in some parts of the world such as the for-

mer Soviet Union, where up to a third of all [TB] cases are MDR,” said Dr. Raviglione. “Something is not going well there.”

Public officials are worried that TB is not moving as fast as progress against other diseases, and not as fast as they would like.

Additionally, TB does not attract nearly the funding for research or treatment that goes to HIV. WHO data claimed about $6.6 billion was spent fighting TB in 2014, compared to $20.2 billion invested in the fight against HIV/AIDS in low- and middle-income countries.

“Our point is that we should have the same type of investment going to TB and as of yet that hasn’t been achieved,” said Raviglione.

Last year, 1 million people living with HIV were given TB preventive therapy, an increase of about 60 percent compared with 2013. Over half (59 percent) of the population was in South Africa.

“From 2016, the global goal will shift from controlling TB to ending the global TB epidemic,” the WHO report stated.

“Ending the TB epidemic is now part of the Sustainable Development Goal agenda,” said Dr. Eric Goosby, UN Special Envoy on Tuberculosis. “If we want to achieve it, we’ll need far more investment – at a level befitting such a global threat.”

Mark Harrington, executive director of Treatment Action Group, agreed. “We’re in this dire situation because the vigorous community response, massive research effort and political leadership that distinguished the response to HIV are utterly absent from TB.” n

Filipino arrested for beating wife badly in San Leandro, Calif.

SAN LEANDRO, Calif. – Police arrested 53-year-old Luisito Villaruz of this city for allegedly beating his 63-year-old wife into partial paralysis. She is in critical condition at a local hospital.

The beating occurred shortly before midnight at the couple’s home in the 1200 block of Douglas Drive, according to a police spokesperson. Police found a rifle and a pistol on the kitchen table and at least one of the weapons was loaded.

Doctors told police that Villaruz’s wife, who has not been identified, will suffer from severe brain injuries and paralysis for at least a year, if she survives her injuries. Her brain injuries reportedly are such that doctors can’t perform surgery on her for fear of additional injuries or even death.

Villaruz is in custody at the San Leandro Jail on suspicion of domestic violence resulting in great bodily injury. There could be additional charges if his wife’s condition worsens, according to

TEAM POE. Vice presidential aspirant Sen. Chiz Escudero speaks before the crowd at Club Filipino in San Juan City on Thursday, Oct. 29 during the launch of the senatorial slate of Partido Galing at Puso. The 12 senatorial bets in the slate include: Sen. Ralph Recto, Sen. Vicente “Tito” Sotto III, former Sen. Richard Gordon, former Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri, Susan Ople, Manila Vice Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso, Valenzuela Rep. Sherwin Gatchalian, Pasig Rep. Roman Romulo, ACT-CIS partylist Rep. Samuel Pagdilao, Bayan Muna Rep. Neri Colmenares, Atty. Lorna Kapunan and Edu Manzano.

Inquirer.net photo by Maila Ager

RNC seeks Asian Americans millennials voters, leaders

by Allyson

EscobAr

AJPress

WITH the 2016 presidential election a year away, the Republican National Committee (RNC) is expanding outreach efforts to a key demographic: Asian American millennials.

Through a six-week program called the Republican Leadership Initiative (RLI), volunteers will undergo “a series of extensive training workshops to equip Asian Pacific American grassroots community leaders across the country with the skills needed to work as professional field organizers and community engagers,” the RNC said, adding that it is open to all ages across the 50 states.

The RNC is already making a big recruiting push for millennials within the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community, through a new video advertisement on YouTube, entitled “It’s Our Time.”

The 42-second video includes members of the diverse AAPI demographic, including two Filipino-Americans.

“It’s our time to stand up for American freedom,” the video says, featuring the bright faces of AAPI millennials. “Together our generation can achieve success, together we can restore our American dream and win in 2016.”

According to a 2014 survey,

AAPI millennials’ biggest concern is healthcare and the Affordable Care Act, which beat out the economy by five points.

For the RNC, it’s “about connecting with Asian voters and forming a bond with the fastgrowing community that could help them succeed in 2016,” according to a Fox Business article.

“Ever since 2013, we’ve been building relationships with the communities through our candidates. When they actively engage and build strong relationships with the community, Asian Americans come out to vote,” Ninio Fetalvo, press secretary for Asian American and Pacific Islander media for the RNC, told the outlet.

In recent months, Republican candidates have made headlines for controversial comments about the Asian American community, including Donald Trump poking fun at Chinese business partners for broken English and Mike Huckabee’s North Korean joke directed at Senator Bernie Sanders.

However, the RNC is seeking to detach itself from the candidates’ comments by grooming the party’s next generation of leaders.

“The RNC’s focus is to engage the Asian American and Pacific Islander community in a real way, and it is up to the voters to pick the nominee out of our pool

of candidates, who set their own agenda and messaging for their respective candidates,” said Fetalvo, according to Fox Business.

The increase in outreach efforts comes after Asians leaned more to the right in the 2014 midterm elections, despite historically supporting Democrats. A 2014 survey from Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote shows that Asian Americans are less likely to formally align with a political party; nearly half identify as Independent, while 27 percent of millennials in the demographic marked ‘undecided.’

A study earlier this year by the University of California, Los Angeles and the Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies revealed that the Asian American electorate is expected to double by 2040, amounting to nearly 7 percent or 1 in 15 registered voters.

“Not only will Asian Americans be a politically influential voting bloc in select areas in the United States, they have the potential to be the margin of victory in critical swing votes during the next six presidential election cycles,” the study’s authors wrote.

Further, Asians are slated to become the largest ethnic group in the United States, surpassing Hispanics, by 2055. The group will comprise 38 percent of the foreign-born population by 2065. n

cent passage” in transiting other country’s seas without notification, although China’s Foreign Ministry labeled the ship’s actions as illegal.

The US says it doesn’t take a position on sovereignty over the South China Sea but insists on freedom of navigation and overflight. About 30 percent of global trade passes through the South China Sea, which also has rich fishing grounds and a potential wealth of undersea mineral deposits.

China says it respects the right of navigation but has never specified the exact legal status of its maritime claims. China says virtually all of the South China Sea belongs to it, while the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam claim either parts or all of it.

Beijing’s response closely mirrored its actions in May when a navy dispatcher warned off a US

Navy P8-A Poseidon surveillance aircraft as it flew over Fiery Cross Reef, where China has conducted extensive reclamation work.

A US Defense Department official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the Lassen’s movements, said the patrol was completed without incident. Pentagon spokesman Navy Cmdr. Bill Urban declined to comment.

The Obama administration has long said it will exercise a right to freedom of navigation in any international waters.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry statement said China adhered to international law regarding freedom of navigation and flight, but “resolutely opposes the damaging of China’s sovereignty and security interests in the name of free navigation and flight.”

“China will firmly deal with provocations from other countries,” the statement said. n

We’ll do it again, says US on ‘sail…

PAGE A4 t

Luisito Villaruz, was arrested in San Leandro, California, for allegedly beating his wife so severely she is partially paralyzed.

San Leandro Police photo

a San Leandro Patch report.

San Leandro police said officers knew Villaruz–he was a customer at an illegal gambling business, Dimond Internet Services at 767 Marina Blvd., which was raided

"RVJOP -PFX CERTIFIED SPECIALISTS IN U.S. IMMIGRATION LAW

by San Leandro police and the California Department of Justice’s Bureau of Gambling Control two weeks ago. The business was allegedly a venue for a lot of criminal activities. (Inquirer.net)

balance of power.”

Since 2013, China has accelerated the creation of new outposts by piling sand atop reefs and atolls then adding buildings, ports and airstrips big enough to handle bombers and fighter jets — activities seen as attempting to change the territorial status by altering the geography.

Navy officials had said the sailpast was necessary to assert the US position that China’s manmade islands cannot be considered sovereign territory with the right to surrounding territorial waters.

International law permits military vessels the right of “inno-

District of Columbia gov’t…

PAGE A5 t

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was African American James Gillespie, an officer in the US Army based in Ft. Belvoir. “This is an eye-opener for me,” he said. “I didn’t realize that of all the minority groups who served in the war, Filipino veterans have been discounted and yet to be recognized.

That really concerns me. I’m going to call my senators from Kentucky first thing tomorrow.”

Also in the room to shake hands with the veterans was Rear Admiral Vic Mercado, one of only two Filipino Americans with the highest ranks in the US

Navy. “I wouldn’t be where I am today were it not for our veterans,” Mercado said. “I am proud of what they did. They are indeed the greatest generation.”

Added 29-year-old Rodel Custodio, a lieutenant in the US Navy and currently based in the Pentagon: “Learning more about our Filipino veterans tonight and their legacy of heroism and courage has inspired me immensely.

We can’t just let their story fade and be forgotten. We owe it to them to keep their story alive for generations to come.” (Jon Melegrito/Inquirer.net)

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Dateline USa

Filipino shot dead outside night club in San Jose, Calif.

SAN FRANCISCO – A Filipino was shot and killed outside a San Jose, California nightclub early Saturday morning, October 24.

San Jose police officers found 34-year-old Michael Arcega wounded by at least one gunshot outside the Lu Beer Club and Restaurant on Monterey Avenue.

He was pronounced dead at the Shooting victim MIchael Arcega, 34, died at scene.

Arcega, a San Jose real estate the scene. agent, was out celebrating a career achievement that night.

No suspects have been named or arrested as of press time. Arcega’s death marks San Jose’s 24th homicide this year.

Arcega, who grew up in Hawaii, went out to celebrate at the club on Friday night.

Around 1:30 a.m. Saturday, neighbors heard at least three

Larry Itliong’s…

PAGE A5 t as a child. I asked [the student], ‘Did you sit on Cesar’s lap as a child? Did he change your diapers? Did Helen [Chavez’s wife] change your diapers?’ [I loved Cesar] and I called him Tio and I called [Helen] Tia. They were family. And it hurts and it hurt the Itliong family to have to see this through years and years.

Fifty years, finally, to get this out and tell the story. And it’s not my fault but that’s what they did...I’m going to sit here and correct it. I want to set the record straight,” Itliong said.

He added that his goal is not to bring down Chavez or the UFW, but to tell the real story and show that two communities united to fight against the largest industry in the United States.

Despite opposition, Itliong says his work in spreading his father’s legacy isn’t challenging except when it comes to finances, as most expenses – including travel and lodging – are out-of-pocket.

“I put more into it than I’ve ever gotten out of it,” he said.

Itliong currently serves as the executive director of the Larry Itliong Foundation through Education, which seeks to educate communities, schools and the public about his father’s contributions.

Based in Northern California, Itliong is open to attending events that aren’t too far from him.

u PAGE A10

gunshots that they believe killed Arcega who was standing outside of the club.

Arcega’s sister told KTVU Fox News that they were looking forward to a family trip to the Philippines in two weeks.

San Jose police are urging anyone with additional information to contact Detective Sergeant Rick Yu or Detective Wayne Smith at (408) 277-5283. (Inquirer.net)

LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • OCTOBER 31-NOVEMBER 3, 2015

A

A OCTOBER 31-NOVEMBER 3, 2015 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL

http://www.asianjournal.com • (818) 502-0651 • (213) 250-9797

OpiniOn

Features

Bigger than the UN?

ROUND one went to the Philippines as the Permanent Court of Arbitration ruled Thursday in The Hague that it had jurisdiction over the sea dispute between the country and China.

The Philippines, with no military power to prevent Chinese construction of artificial islands in waters way beyond their territory, turned to the United Nations for arbitration to define the Philippines’ maritime entitlements under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. The two countries have ratified UNCLOS. Yet China announced it would disregard any final ruling of the century-old international tribunal.

This is in marked contrast to the reaction of India to a July 2014 ruling of the same tribunal on a similar dispute, this time between the South Asian giant and its neighbor Bangladesh. The tribunal gave Bangladesh exclusive economic jurisdiction over 19,467 square kilometers of waters in the Bay of Bengal, ending a 40-year dispute.

That ruling was binding on both parties with no option for appeal. It went into effect this year after nearly five years of hearings in which the feuding parties participated.

In March 2012, Bangladesh also won the arbitration case it brought against Myanmar before

the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea. That was a bigger victory for Bangladesh, which decided to seek international arbitration after bilateral efforts to settle the case went nowhere. Voting 21 to 1, the court awarded Bangladesh 111,000 square kilometers of EEZ waters in the Bay of Bengal – an area nearly as large as the entire country – plus a 12-mile territorial sea around St. Martin’s Island, half of which Myanmar was claiming. As in the case with India, the ruling was binding and without appeal.

Myanmar, like India, bowed to the UN decision. This is how responsible members of the international community behave. At the UN, every country regardless of military might or the size of the land area and economy, has an equal voice.

China, one of just five permanent members of the UN Security Council, should be setting the example in abiding by the conventions of the United Nations. Those who disregard rules passed by the UN should get out of it. (Philstar.com)

Guest Editorial

Philstar.com photo

PH presidential election cliffhanger: Duterte could still run for president RODRIGO Duterte fans won’t stop believing, and they have reasons to press forward. Turns out the speculations about the “substitution” theory may indeed happen -- popular Davao City mayor “may” substitute the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) candidate Martin Diño.

Mayor Duterte has made it clear when he failed to file his certificate of candidacy (COC) last October 16 that he won’t run for president, and that he would not substitute anyone.

However, on October 21, Duterte said there was still a chance he would change his mind, and that may happen if his party, the PDP-Laban, decides that he should substitute the party’s candidate for president.

Even Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano hinted that it is possible that The Fil-Am Duterte will run as a substitute presidential candidate in 2016. Perspective Of course, Cayetano had always been open about his hope that Duterte would run for president, and that he would be chosen as Duterte’s VP. Cayetano said he Gel sAntos-relos believes Duterte can be a gamechanger who will bring a different perspective to the national leadership.

And on October 27, PDP-Laban national chairman Former South Cotabato Gov. Mike Sueno announced: ”Wherefore, be it resolved, as it is hereby resolved to substitute Martin Diño in case

Plaridel: Nom de plume to PAPC’s awards for journalism excellence “DI kailangan, kapatid ko, ang magbukas ka’t bumasa ng Rhizomes pilosopiya, o nang teolohiya at iba pang karunungan upang maranasan mo ang kadakilaan nang Dios. (You don’t have, my brother, to have to open and read a book on philosophy or Prosy AbArqueztechnology or other sciences for DelAcruz, J.D. you to experience the nobility of God)” – Marcelo H. del Pilar Plaridel is the nom de plume of Marcelo H. del Pilar, a writer, lawyer, journalist, and a freemason.

Along with Graciano Lopez Jaena, they became leaders of the Reform Movement in Spain. He was a staunch critic of the Spaniards and after his quarrel with the parish priest over exorbitant baptismal fees, he was suspended and jailed in 1869. After an order of banishment was issued to him, he went to Spain. From there, he succeeded Lopez Jaena as the editor of the La Solidaridad. Following his bout of tuberculosis in Barcelona, he died in 1896, the year which marked the beginning of the Philippine Revolution in Pugad Lawin. That same year, eight provinces in the Philippines were placed under martial law by the Spanish Government under Ramon Blanco. Those provinces included Batangas, Rizal, Cavite and Nueva Ecija.

Plaridel embodied zeal and passion of writing, while he sought reforms from the Spanish rule in the Philippines.

Here in the United States, 2015 marks the fourth Plaridel awards, held at Fort McKinley restaurant in South San Francisco.

Ambassador Jose Cuisia Jr. said that the Plaridel is a form of “encouraging Filipino-American journalists to practice their craft for the purpose of helping create a safer and more equitable world.

I would also like to take this opportunity to commend the Philippine American Press Club-USA for its efforts to provide news and information to the Filipino-American community and to stimulate discussions about relevant issues.”

Esther Misa Chavez, president of the Philippine American Press Club, USA acknowledged that “this institution is our collective accomplishment, built by all the journalists who have submitted their work, by publishers who have encouraged their reporters, correspondents and producers, and by judges who have devoted uncompensated time and whose only reward is the knowledge that they are helping keep Filipino American journalism to a high standard.”

For the Asian Journal, this year’s editor, Christina Oriel encouraged the writers to submit their stories for Plaridel consideration. The result: Malou Liwanag-Bledsoe, Christina Oriel, Agnes Constante, Allyson Escobar and myself became nomi-

nees in various categories.

Christina was nominated in Best Youth Voice, Best Profile Writing, Best Tourism Feature Story and Best Entertainment Story; Agnes was nominated for Best Youth Voice, Best News Story, Best Feature Writing and Best Profile Writing; and Allyson Escobar was nominated for Best Youth Voice, Best Food Story, and Best News Story.

I was nominated for Best Personal Essay, Best Profile Writing, Best Commentary/Editorial Essay and Best Investigative/In-Depth Story.

Malou Liwanag-Bledsoe was nominated for Best Food Story and Best Sports Story, “Philippines in the International Cheerleading Stage,” as the sole female writer in this sports category, along with Myles Garcia, “Before Elorde, Before Pacquiao, There was Luis Logan,” Anthony Maddela for “Jordan Clarkson, the Lakers’ Fil-Am Sniper,” and Emil Guillermo, “Basketball’s Mt. Pinatubo erupts again – Lincecum throws a 2nd No Hitter.”

In all, the Asian Journal’s writers got six Plaridel Awards: three awards were garnered by Allyson Escobar for best youth voice, best food story and best news story, Agnes Constante got two Plaridel awards for best feature writing and best profile writing, while Christina Oriel got the best tourism feature story.

Other outlets like Positively Filipino, Inquirer. net, and Balitang America/TFC got awards. As in prior years, Positively Filipino was a favorite amongst the judges, as our paper.

For Best Investigative/In-Depth Story, given to series which identify and explore issues relevant to Filipinos in America, I was nominated for my two part series on: “Lillian Galedo’s Clarion Leadership: Styled by Openness, Sacrifice and Progressive Social Change.”

Patricia Araneta of Positively Filipino, on her “TBoli: It’s Better to Weave Than to Leave” was also nominated.

Cecile Ochoa got the Plaridel Award for her piece, “DACA – Confessions of a Formerly Undocumented Youth,” which she thanked Advancing Justice-LA for securing the interview. The story appeared inInquirer.net, edited by Rene CirriaCruz. In her acceptance speech, Cecile stressed the importance of the Plaridel Awards in highlighting relevant community stories, which are original, based on actual interviews, research, and elevating the quality standards of journalism, away from “cut and paste.”

For Best Youth Voice, given to reporting by young people, 16 to 24 years old, about their

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he withdraws from the presidential race with Mayor Rodrigo Roa Duterte.”

A day after, on October 28, the plot thickened. Diño withdrew his candidacy and named Duterte as his substitute.

Media reports quoted Diño who said he withdrew after learning that he is likely to be declared as a nuisance candidate by the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

But ABS-CBN News reported on Friday, October 30 that Comelec said it “will not work on the substitution of Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte as a presidential candidate of the Partido Demokratiko

Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan until the mayor accepts the party’s decision.”

Duterte then, per Comelec rules, has until December 10 to signify and officially confirm that he is accepting his party’s decision.

Do you think Duterte will be a good soldier and follow the PDP-Laban’s decision to be the presidential bet? Should he run for president, along side Binay, Roxas, Poe, and Santiago? If he runs, who should he pick as his VP? *** Gel Santos Relos is the anchor of TFC’s “Balitang America.” Views and opinions expressed by the author in this column are are solely those of the author and not of Asian Journal and ABS-CBN-TFC. For comments, go to www.TheFil-AmPerspective.com, https://www. facebook.com/Gel.Santos.Relos

Election or revolution?

“No faith is potent unless it is also Opinion faith in the future, unless it has a millennial component. So, too, an effective doctrine: as well as being a source of power, it must also claim to be Homobono A. AdAzA a key to the book of the future.”

— From The True Believer by Eric Hoffer ELECTION is the new preoccupation of the multitude. The last minute rush for registration is suffocating. Lines span a kilometer in many malls throughout the country. It takes hours to complete the biometrics for everyone on the line. But the prospective voters seem to enjoy the exercise.

Since I have no affection for voting in this country, I took the trouble of asking prospective voters of all sizes, ages and genders including the weird ones like PNoy and Chiz. Wonder of wonders, they came out with familiar answers – silence in a desperate effort to hide their ignorance or a hope that somewhere along the way, there may be changes for the better.

They are both stupid and ignorant answers because there is no hope of meaningful changes in the lives of our people, if we use election as a mode of changing our lives. From 1949 up to this day; from birds and bees as well as the dead voting in Mindanao to the favorite Garci Tape of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo; from the computers of Corazon Aquino to the PCOS machines of Gloria and PNoy – nothing has effectively change for the better for the Filipinos.

Nothing! And you think that your vote can change the lives of the poor and underprivileged and the alienated in this country? You must be joking! If you are not, then you are ready for an honored room in the National Center for Mental Health in Abalos’ City of Mandaluyong.

Peaceful or violent revolution A fairly intelligent person knows that a revolution means systemic change. Systemic change cannot happen in an election. Why? First, election in this country is very expensive, especially for a national office. Being expensive, only the rich or their running dogs can afford to run in an election and win. Of course, there are many idiots in this country who run despite the fact that their chances of winning are virtually nonexistent; but they run anyway to give meaning to their hallucinations.

Second, since the rich and their running dogs are creatures of the system and they wallow in the luxuries and the perquisites of the system, why should they opt for systemic change?

So election cannot change the system. It is as clear as day in a cloudless sky, The only other way for changing the system, in a manner that is peaceful, is to invoke sections 1 and 3 of Article II of the Philippine Constitution.

As I have repeatedly pointed out, these are the only constitutional provisions that can safely change the system. But our problem is the institutions that can change the system are all controlled by the governing oligarchy and its conspiratorial power elites – the presidency, the military and the people. They are all creatures of the system. PNoy is the personification of the oligarch – the cacique. Most of the military leaders have embraced the corruption of the system, including blindly following the man in Malacañang as shown in the Mamasapano incident. The people, as a rule, have become lickers of the asses of the oligarchy and their running dogs by years of control – economically, politically and psychologically.

This is precisely the reason why I abandoned, after very serious and thorough re-examination, the idea of calling a dialogue to discuss the institution of a constitutional transition government (CTG). It would have been an exercise in idiocy, to the delight of the oligarchs and their running dogs.

Revolution of the National Transformation Council (NTC) The main spokesmen of the NTC appear to be former Senator and Press Secretary Francisco “Kit” Tatad and former National Defense Secretary and National Security Adviser Norberto “Bert” Adviser Norberto “Bert” Gonzales. Both are perceived to have a good set of brains. Both of them are good writers.

I have taken the trouble of reading the Lipa Declaration and their write ups on the need for a peaceful revolution – one writes about election as a mode of bringing about their concept of revolutionary change and the other talks of mass uprisings as the beginning of a meaningful revolution.

As students of history, both ancient and contemporary, they seem to me to have missed some very important points. First, from as early as 1949 up to this day, elections have not resulted in meaningful changes in the lives of our people. Second, uprisings in this country only occur when a branch of the outsider oligarchs and power elite are the ones to trigger the so-called mass uprisings. These refer to the mislabeled Edsa I and Edsa II “revolutions.”

They were not genuine mass uprisings; they were manipulated “mass uprisings” by the outsider oligarchs and their conspiratorial power elites..

The Lipa Declaration, I am sad to say, is not an inspiring document. It is dull and uninspiring. It does not deal with specifics; it deals with grandmother-hood statements like those of weatherbeaten traditional politicians.

For a document to have revolutionary impact, it must shine with incandescent celestial fire. Without sounding presumptuous, I think this is where Bert and Kit should begin, if they want effective

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OpiniOn & Features

LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • OCTOBER 31-NOVEMBER 3, 2015

Election or…

PAGE A8 t

Nominees of the Plaridel Awards at Fort McKinley restaurant in South San Francisco on Oct. 8, 2015.

Photo by Prosy Abarquez-Delacruz

Plaridel: Nom de plume to PAPC’s…

PAGE A8 t

broader communities, three Asian Journal writers were nominated: Agnes Constante for “Filipino Cultural School: Preserving and Promoting Philippine Heritage and Identity Through the Years”, Allyson Escobar for “Passion Planner: Creating Your Life Journey in a Notebook” and Christina Oriel for “Through Telemedicine, Apl.de.Ap and Dr. Thomas Lee are Keeping Premature Filipino Babies from Going Blind.”

Plaridel Award was given to Allyson Escobar and in her acceptance speech, read by Michael Nitro, she expressed her gratitude as well as how she was inspired by her 94-year-old grandmother who instilled the joy of writing. Allyson also got the Best Food Story for “Cooking Hawaiian Style: The Art of Island Cuisine” and the Best News Story for “LA Mayor, Homeland Security Chief Urge Undocumented Immigrants to “Step Forward.”

For Best Profile Writing, given to personality profile, with emphasis on choice of subject, quality of writing, research input and scope of interview. In this category, Myles Garcia’s “Love Baskets for Betty,” and Anthony Maddela’s “Above the Law Blogger David Lat Goes Long Form were nominated.

The Plaridel award was given to Agnes Constante’s “Carlene Bonnivier: Retracing Her Filipino Roots and Enriching Cultural Identity,” over three Asian Journal writers who were also nominated: Christina Oriel’s “Rheena Mae: Crafting Pieces Inspired by You,” Malou Liwanag Bledsoe’s “Building a Strong Voice for the FilAm Community in SF and Beyond,” and Prosy Abarquez-Delacruz’s “Self-Worth Powers: an Immigrant’s Dream,” a feature on Abigail Zelenski.

For Best Feature Writing, given to the story with focus on the choice of topic, the quality of writing, research input, unique perspective and relevance to the target market, Agnes Constante’s “Lovelyn Marquez-Prueher – The First Fil-Am Teacher of the Year for California” got the Plaridel.

Other nominees were Myles Garcia’s “Good Help is Hard to Find: The Improbable Story of Huguette and Hadassah,” Christina Peczon Rodriguez’s “The Life and Times of an Absentee Mother,“ and Christina Oriel’s “Series on Female Filipinas Who Champion Entrepreneurship” and “Social Products: Why Mindanao’s Black Rice is

the Next Superfood.”

A special category, Best Tourism Feature Story, Sponsored by the Department of Tourism, was given to the most unique or convincing article on why “It’s More Fun in the Philippines.” Our editor, Christina Oriel, in her acceptance speech, highlighted the Philippines’ islands, its landscapes, its people, their unconditional hospitality and why all these strengths make for more fun in the Philippines. Her story, “Huma Island: An Island Hideaway in the Tropical Paradise of Busuanga” won the award over Senen Siasoco’s “Positively Pinatubo” and Manuel Hizon’s “11 Great Beaches you Probably Haven’t Been To.” For Best Commentary/Editorial Essay, the awards honors the best editorial or commentary by a columnist, editorial writer or independent contributor, and the Plaridel went to Emil Guillermo’s “Are you Charlie Hebdo? Or Just Charlie Adobo?” over my opinion-editorial on “Unmuzzled Voice of Leadership: Snuff Out the Fires with Truth and Justice.”

For Best International Reporting, the award honors the best reporting on an international issue related to Filipinos or the Philippines, and Plaridel went to Dr. Jorge Emmanuel, on his first-hand report on “My Battle with Ebola,“ chronicling how he trained medical professionals on how to autoclave medical waste. He endured less than spartan living conditions. After his work in Africa, even though he did not test positive for the virus, as a safety precaution, he went into a self-imposed quarantine of 21 days.

Best Entertainment Story went to Lisa Suguitan Melnick, for her story on “Maseg: An Artistic Tempest,” Best Sports Story to Myles Garcia, “Before Elorde, Before Pacquiao, There Was Luis Logan,” Best Personal Essay to Lotis Key for “Feeding My Filipino,” Best Community Reporting in Television to Rommel Conclara for “Grandson and Grandma Create Memories Through Art,” and Henni Espinosa for “Pinoy Mortician,” who accepted the award and acknowledged the subject, the crew and how with the right story, it was done in 30 minutes.

Other community reporting in television nominees included Troy Espera, Ricky delos Reyes, Giselle Tongi, Rachelle Ocampo, Adonis Tagala

u PAGE A10

results.

So what is the alternative?

If a peaceful revolution as conceived by the NTC cannot be achieved, what is the viable alternative? Of course, what immediately comes to mind is a violent revolution. But in the Philippine experience, can such type of a revolution be an immediate alternative to the present system?

It cannot be since the traditional Communist Party of the Philippines started its revolution in 1931 and that was 84 years ago; and it has not succeeded. The CPP-NPA started its revolution in 1959 and that was 55 years ago; and it has not succeeded. So that cannot be the alternative!

Is there any other alternative?

Of course there is; as the cliché goes, if there is a will, there is a way. It is as copyrighted as Sun Tzu’s Art of War, Grigor Ferguson’s Coup d’Etat, and Edward Luttwak’s Coup d’Etat. It is not for sale. It is not in print. But it can be found and negotiated. Is it mysterious? Yes! I can share two elements for free – a brilliant, charismatic leader and a vision that scintillates as an incandescent magical dream.

Brilliant and charismatic leaders like Trotsky and Lenin, Fidel Castro and Che Guevarra and incandescent dreams like those of John F. and Robert Kennedy!

They are difficult to find. But they can be found, if you try. May be you are temporarily blind because they may be staring at you, straight at your face.

Fading Duterte option The followers of Mayor Rodrigo of Davao City never tire egging him to run for President.

He is fanning the hopes of the Dutertistas by saying he may yet change his mind by December 2015 through the magic of substitution. Many people are tired of Duterte changing his mind – now he is running; now he is not. He is like a teenager holding a four leaf clover saying – I love you; I love you not. He is driving his follower nuts.

Every time Duterte opens his mouth, he reveals himself as not ready for the big leagues, just like the rest of the current presidential candidates, he needs six years seminar in the art of national governance and the science of good behavior and decent language.

The most revealing side of Duterte was shown in a recent interview as published in one of the Manila dailies. When asked

whether he will decide to run for President by December of 2015, his immediate answer was – it would depend on what is good for him or what is good for his party. No mention was made by him on what is good for the country or the people. The statement reveals entirely the man – naked as the emperor with no clothes.

I wish that the man were somebody else – with vision, intellectual depth, probably brilliant and committed, and disciplined – and maybe that man could make the

A

difference for this country.

Is the country hopeless?

Is the country hopeless? Of course not! Are the majority of the people hopeless? Maybe! To detail the familiar refrain – Erap said weather weather lang yan.

He was referring to the choice of the national leader as a matter of destiny. But as I have written before, in complete disagreement with that Erap observation, great leaders create their own weather. They create their own season. Will a great leader emerge in this country to rescue us from the slough of despond? Yes, yes, yes! Sooner than you think! n

A10 OCTOBER 31-NOVEMBER 3, 2015 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL

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Dateline PhiliPPines

Int’l airport in Pangasinan is ‘necessary’ AN umbrella group of 33 farmers and agriculture associations nationwide has defended a proposal to build an international airport in Pangasinan province as “not only feasible, but necessary.”

“What the people of Pangasinan want is to have an international airport in the central area of Pangasinan, making it nearer to neighboring provinces such as La Union and Baguio, and a domestic airport in Alaminos,” said Rosendo So, head of the Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura, in

a statement.

He said to describe the proposal, made by Sen. Grace Poe during a visit to Pangasinan, as not feasible is to ignore cases of successful multiple international airport projects in areas smaller than the island of Luzon.

“If you compare, for example, Luzon to Taiwan, which is roughly only a third in size, Taiwan has six international airports and 13 domestic airports,” said So. So said there is a sizable population in northern and Central Luzon who would benefit from

the proposed international airport.

During a recent visit to Pangasinan, Poe said the lack of airports in Pangasinan could be part of the reason for the province’s low share of tourists.

An international airport in Alaminos City was started in 2010 but the Aquino administration did not list it as a priority project.

Alaminos City Mayor Arturo Celeste said he did not mind if an international airport is built elsewhere, though. (Inquirer.net)

PDP-Laban keeps door open for Duterte

by Jeannette

andrade Inquirer.net

NEVER say die.

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

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

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

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

Duterte has repeatedly denied he plans to run for President.

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

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

“In choosing him as the replacement bet, we took into con-

Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte.

Kimberly de la Cruz/inquirer.net file photo

sideration his popularity and the nationwide support he enjoys, as well as his track record of serving as Davao City mayor,” Sueno said.

Among the country’s political groups, PDP-Laban is the only party—so far—to name a replacement presidential candidate. substitute, Sueno said: “No. He has no plan to drop out of the race.”

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

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

eight times.

In a March 2014 television program, he said no one could make him run for President because he did not have the money for such a campaign.

In another TV show later that year, he reiterated he was not interested in the presidency, saying, “I would rather die early than enter Malacañang.”

In February this year in Baguio City, he told reporters he might run for a Senate seat but not for President, “at least for now.”

Begin and end in Davao At the anniversary of the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption in July, Duterte told reporters what he would do if elected President but said he was speaking of “hypothetical scenarios” and again stated, “I won’t run.”

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

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

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

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

(With a report from Inquirer Research)

YAYADUB IN ITALY. Almost a month after embarking on a 60-day “Climate Walk” from Rome to Paris, a group of Filipino and foreign climate activists has reached and left their mark in Italy—by creating a mural of Mother Earth styled after Eat Bulaga’s Maine Mendoza also known as Yaya Dub. Former Climate Change Commissioner (CCC) Naderev “Yeb” Saño, one of the leaders of the Climate Walk posted online a photo of him sitting in front of the mural made by his brother AG Saño.

Inquirer.net photo by Yeb Saño

Aquino seriously thinking of marriage

by Jerry

e. esplanada Inquirer.net

PRESIDENT Benigno Aquino III has disclosed he was seriously thinking of marrying, even before June 30, 2016, his last day in office.

That is, “if the right person comes around,” he said on Tuesday at a media forum hosted by the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines at a Pasay City hotel.

The President, a middle-aged bachelor, did not provide details about his plan. He also did not say if he was currently dating.

He has repeatedly said he is still hoping to find a wife, saying that it would make him a better person and leader.

Mr. Aquino earlier told reporters he had been “planning this for a long time, since college even.

But I just have been unlucky.”

He was once quoted as having said: “Given the burdens of my office, if there was someone you could confide in, someone you could talk to, someone who would tell you, ‘you are still doing OK,’ then of course, that would be a key to your inspiration.”

Asked about his political plans, he said, “I cannot run in 2016 and I have no plans yet for 2019.”

But he expressed willingness to be an “elder” or adviser to the next President.

“I’d like to think that if my help is requested by anybody, then I should always be willing to help anybody regardless of the status.

And again, I will also follow my (mother President Corazon Aquino’s) dictum of not offering unsolicited advice. So I’d like to be of help but not to be a nuisance to anybody who succeeds me,” he said.

On what he would like to be remembered as President, he said he would “rather wait for my bosses (the Filipino people) to say that I am best remembered for this and for that.”

“All I can say is that at the end of the day, when I go home and I’m about to sleep and if I look at myself in the mirror, I can honestly say that ‘I did my all on that particular day, and each and every day.’ That is the mantra,” he said.

On government programs, Mr.

Aquino said: “If you listened to all of our pronouncements through these years, we have always paid a premium on how we deal with our bosses.”

“At the end of the day, it’s always the Filipino people, their attitude, their drive, their optimism, their lack of it, their hope, their zealousness in pursuing anything that made everything possible.

“So I guess, the biggest challenge was actually changing the attitude from one of despondency and hopelessness, manifested in their desire to leave the country to one where there is tremendous optimism, where there is a feeling that everything is possible, that it will take only little time to achieve the particular goals.”

Perhaps, “this is clearly manifested in even the drop in the number of our overseas Filipino workers by about 400,000 based on the 2014 figures,” he said.

“So again, from people who gave up even complaining when we started in 2010 to people who are demanding that government do everything yesterday is, I think, the major challenge. Suddenly, there is renewed belief.

There is renewed feeling of confidence.

“So how to change the attitude was the greatest difficulty that manifests in our ability to undertake so many different things.

So many ambitious plans even to the extent that there are studies suggesting that we will reach a high-income status perhaps as early as 25 years from now,” he said.

He said the country was “on that trajectory if we keep to the current practices and policies.”

Asked about the administration’s top accomplishments in its anticorruption campaign, he pointed out that the nation was “witness to several people, several organizations which were previously considered sacrosanct, beyond the reach and above the law.”

“Everybody has been made to account and still being made to account, including my immediate predecessor,” he said.

Asked about his greatest strength as President, he said “as an economist who pays very much attention to maximizing

Philippine resources, time is a very important resource.”

“I don’t waste my time lying to anybody or listening to lies.

I’d rather listen to the truth and have that truth shared. And I think that’s the greatest strength.

Some of my advisers tell me, it’s also the weakness. (But) one does not lie to one’s boss… We avoid the situation of garbage in and garbage out. We arrive at a consensus that is solid and that leads to the greater ability to address any concern that we have,” he said.

That, he said, was both his strength and weakness. “My inability also to shake the truth or take out certain portions off it.

That is something not native to my character.”

Are there things he will miss and not miss in his presidency?

Mr. Aquino said, “it’s opposite sides of the same coin.”

“The office enables you to effect changes really rapidly. Your opinion, in a sense, matters. The reverse of that coin is that you are responsible for anything and everything, whether you know or you don’t know about it, whether it was ever brought to your attention or not brought to your attention by everybody who is part of this government.

“You know, when I wake up and I read the newspapers and when I’m made to feel by certain people that every sin ever committed by man is my fault, that I won’t miss.” n

Larry Itliong’s…

PAGE A7 t

“I’ll do it because I’m definitely not in it for the money,” he said.

Ultimately, Itliong hopes that his dad’s legacy will be that he was a man for the people.

“I think he was never a man for just himself, to honor himself,” he said.

Moving forward, Itliong plans to keep doing what he’s been doing over the past three decades for Larry and the manongs.

“Yes I want to recognize my father, but you know what, my father was not alone and it was never [his] union: it was my dad worked for the union, for the people of the union, and he was the voice of it,” he said. (Agnes Constante / AJPress)

PDP-Laban’s prexy bet withdraws candidacy, names Duterte as substitute MANILA—Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan’s (PDP-Laban) standard bearer for president on Thursday, Oct. 29 officially withdrew his candidacy and named his party mate, Davao City Mayor Rodrigo “Rody” Duterte, as substitute.

Martin “Bobot” Diño, a longtime barangay chair in Quezon City, chair of the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption and the secretary general of PDP-Laban, withdrew from the presidential race after he received a motu propio letter from the legal department of the Com-

mission on Elections (Comelec) that he will likely be declared as a nuisance candidate.

Diño submitted his withdrawal from the candidacy two days after PDP-Laban released a resolution on Tuesday, Oct. 27 that PDP-Laban nominated Duterte as a substitute for Diño.

Reports said Diño opposed the Comelec’s decision to declare him as a nuisance candidate as he is a member of a legitimate political party.

Under the Comelec ruling, any candidate may still be allowed to file his certificate of candidacy (COC) for president as substitute

of a party mate until December 10.

However, Duterte, who filed his COC for local re-election, repeatedly said he has no intentions of running for president.

Reports added that in the event that Duterte will still not file his COC for presidency, PDP-Laban President Sen. Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III will replace him as a second substitute.

Diño filed his COC during the last day and hour of the COC filing last October 16 after Duterte released a statement that he has no interest in seeking presidency. (Philstar.com)

Plaridel: Nom de plume to PAPC’s…

PAGE A9 t

and Paul Henson.

The Robert Henry Memorial Award went to Allan Alvarez. Torchbearer Awards went to ABSCBN and Philippine Consulate in San Francisco, whose Consul General Henry Bensurto, Jr. spoke for about half an hour on the territorial disputes between China and the Philippines on the West Philippine Sea. Brian Flores, an anchor of KTVU, keynoted for five minutes on his lineage, as his dad, Ernie Flores, Jr., also a journalist both in the Philippines and in the US, started “The Filipino Press” in National City, California.

Reflections Kudos to publishers of the Asian Journal, Cora and Roger Oriel, whose values of community, harmony and love of country, still animate the writers’ stories to stay relevant.

As for me, I write to advocate for positive social

change. I write to challenge policies that no longer serve the family, the community, the country and the world. I write simply to be, true to my core, to be a voice for those marginalized, to be a platform for those deprived, and lastly to celebrate the unsung heroes of our community. *** Prosy Abarquez-Delacruz, J.D. writes a weekly column for Asian Journal, called “Rhizomes.” She has been writing for Asian Journal Press for 8 years now. She contributes to Balikbayan Magazine. Her training and experiences are in the field of science, food technology, law and community volunteerism for 4 decades. She holds a B.S. degree from the University of the Philippines, a law degree from Whittier College School of Law in California and a certificate on 21st Century Leadership from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. She has been a participant in NVM Writing Workshops taught by Prof. Peter Bacho for 4 years and Prof. Russell Leong. She has travelled to France, Holland, Belgium and Mexico and 22 national parks in the US, in pursuit of her love for arts.

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Dateline PHiliPPineS

LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • OCTOBER 31-NOVEMBER 3, 2015

BIGGER TROUBLE AHEAD. Former Iglesia ni Cristo minister Lowell Menorca cries while narrating his ordeal to members of the press. With him is his wife Jinky.

ManilaTimes.net photo by Rene Dilan

Comelec recommends suspension of proceedings in Poe’s disqualification case

by Patricia Lourdes Philstar.com

Viray

MANILA – The law department of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Wednesday, Oct. 28 recommended to suspend the legal proceedings of the disqualification case against Sen. Grace Poe due to the similar case filed against her before the Senate Electoral Tribunal (SET).

“The law department has recommended the suspension of the proceedings before the commission on the alleged ground that the case before the SET contains a prejudicial question determinative of the outcome of the election offense case pending before the commission, and subsequently filed before it,” Comelec Commissioner Arthur Lim told lawmakers during the House of Representatives committee on suffrage and electoral reforms hearing.

Lim clarified that the commission has not yet resolved the issue on prejudicial question and added that the rules of the Comelec on preliminary investigation should be complied with.

The Comelec official said that “the rules mandate that if there is a verified complaint for an election offense, the investigative pro-

Sen. Grace Poe announces intention to run for president in the 2016 national elections in an event at the University of the Philippines on Sept. 16, 2015 in Diliman, Quezon City. Poe is facing a case before the Senate Electoral Tribunal challenging the validity of her candidacy based on citizenship.

Philstar.com/Efigenio Toledo IV

cess has to be set into motion.”

The commission may release a decision on the disqualification case against Poe by December.

Meanwhile, the Comelec summoned Poe to a hearing scheduled on November 3 for her to respond to the charges filed

against her.

Three disqualification cases have been filed against Poe before the Comelec, seeking to invalidate her certificate of candidacy for president. Poe is also facing a disqualification case before the SET. n

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A12 OCTOBER 31-NOVEMBER 3, 2015 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL

Dateline PHiliPPineS

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Sen. Marcos vows to end senseless killing of media

PETITION FOR EXTENSION. Kabataan party-list Rep. Terry Ridon (center) and two youth leaders show copies of the petition they filed at the Supreme Court asking the tribunal to order the Commission on Elections to extend the voters registration until the first week of January 2016.

ManilaTimes.net photo by Ruy Martinez

NDRRMC: Typhoon ‘Lando’ displaced 3M people

by Julie

M. Aurelio Inquirer.net

TYPHOON “Lando”-affected residents has risen to more than three million this week, according to figures released by the the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC).

The NDRRMC said 697,027 families or 3,041,979 people were displaced by the most destructive typhoon to hit the country this year.

There are 5,805 families or 25,443 people still staying in 106 evacuation centers after floods and landslides swept their homes.

Another 227,615 families or 989,673 people are temporarily staying with relatives or friends.

Government and nongovernment organizations released P121,016,529.30 worth of assistance to affected families in Ilocos, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) and Metro Manila.

The NDRRMC said the damages sustained during the onslaught of Lando has climbed to P10.9 billion.

Of the P10,999,431,694.04 damages from the typhoon, P9,692,784,114.04 was in agriculture while P1,306,647,576 was in infrastructure.

Earlier, the agency said Lando was the most destructive typhoon the Philippines has seen this year, given the high number of casualties and damages it

Photo by Carmela Reyes-Estrope

caused to property.

Lando, with its strong winds and massive rains, also damaged 31 health facilities in Ilocos, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Calabarzon and CAR. Two health facilities were completely ravaged while 29 were partially damaged in the provinces of Pangasinan, Cagayan, Quirino, Isabela, Aurora, Nueva Ecija, Quezon and Mountain Province.

The typhoon also caused damage to 134,867 houses in the same regions, of which 18,413 homes were totally destroyed.

As of Thursday, the death toll has climbed up to 48, with 83 injured and four victims still missing.

The most recently recorded fatality was Kimberly Manansala, 17, who drowned last Oct. 23 and whose body was recently recovered along the shore of Aringay, La Union.

The NDRRMC also monitored 956 typhoon-related incidents in the past week, with 937 floods noted in Ilocos, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon and CAR. Flooding in 679 barangay in these regions have already subsided.

The NDRRMC said eight provinces, two cities and 13 towns were placed under a state of calamity because of the destruction brought about by the typhoon.

Meanwhile, the government has begun clearing thoroughfares previously blocked due to landslides, floods and mud flows, with only 17 roads and four bridges still not passable to vehicles.

Power has been restored to areas previously suffering outages, except for the towns of Luna and Balaoan in La Union and Quirino, Sigay and Sugpon in Ilocos Sur, and Casiguran, Dinalungan and Dilasag in Aurora. n

SENATOR Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos, Jr. on Thursday, Oct. 29 vowed to exert all efforts to end the senseless killings of media and the culture of impunity in the country.

In his speech at the celebration of the National Press Club’s 63rd founding anniversary, Marcos noted that the Committee to Protect Journalists ranked the Philippines as the third most dangerous place in the world for journalists, next only to war-torn Iraq and Syria.

Marcos, who is running for Vice President in the 2016 election, believes the root of the problem lies in the fact that the role of media is largely misunderstood, that many people in power think they are untouchable, and the weaknesses in the pillars of our justice system.

“Media is the special army among our citizenry, who, because of the nature of their profession, bring to light, speak and write those, which the general public would not have the capacity or the time, or would not even have the guts, to know about, let alone speak or write about,” he said.

On the other hand, Marcos said many of those in power mistakenly believe no one should dare to get in their way.

What makes matters worse is that investigation, prosecution and trial of cases of media killings often drag on, and that some ar-

Officers of the national press club led by President Joel Sy Egco and Vice President Benny Antiporda gifts SBBM with a symbolic justice for senseless killings of journalists. From left to right Dir. Jean Fernando, Secretary Kristina Maralit , NPC Pres. Joel Sy Egco, VP Benny Antiporda, Auditor Lakay Gonzalo, Dir. Arlie Calalo, Dir. Alvin Murcia, Dir. Paul Gutierrez and Dir. Jun Mendoza.

rested suspects even manage to get special treatment inside jail.

To address the problem, Marcos said there should be a constant effort to educate the people and public servants on the important role of media reminding likewise the people in power that even if unjustly accused they can take comfort in the “balm of a clear conscience”.

“I know this for a fact. Ako po mismo, na isang halal na Senador ng Republika, ay walangkawala at hindi “exempted” sa mga banat at batikos ng ating mga matatapang at magigiting na mamamahayag na tulad ninyo.” Marcos said.

Likewise, he said there is a need to speed up the entire justice system and involve the community as well, particularly in

using new technology to deter or solve crimes.

On the part of the journalists, Marcos said the media industry should adopt an effective-self regulation system that allows for redress for those unjustly maligned.

“In order to address this complex cultural problem, we have to go down to the very root causes.

As the Vice-President of the Republic, I will commit to devote my entire term to work out and implement the solutions pursuant to my analysis,” Marcos said.

The senator also paid tribute to the memories of the 32 journalists slain in Maguindanao, murdered whistle-blower Mark Welson Chua, and all other journalists who have died in the exercise of their profession. n

Pope Francis reaffirms love for Pinoys

MANILA—Pope Francis has reaffirmed his love for the Filipino faithful during the synod on the family in the Vatican, which concluded on Monday, Oct. 26.

This was according to Filipino bishops who had a brief encounter with the pontiff, who recalled his impression of the Filipino’s great faith and respect for elders.

“The Holy Father said ‘I have special admiration for the Filipinos,’” Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma quoted the pope as saying in a post on the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines website.

“Basically, he is taking us as people of great faith,” he said.

Daet Bishop Gilbert Garcera, for his part, said the pope recalled with “great happiness” the “Lolo Kiko” nickname that Filipinos gave him.

“He was really laughing and was

so happy about it,” Garcera said.

Palma said it created a good impression on the pope how the elderly are held in high regard in the Philippines.

“It’s a sign that I am appreciated. I am loved in the Philippines,” Pope Francis said, according to the Cebu prelate.

Palma and Garcera were among six Filipinos out of 270 prelates and 18 couples from around the world who participated in the synod on the family.

Both added that results of the synod will highlight the church’s “great concern” for families and also address the many issues facing families in the modern world.

“It makes us aware of the realities of families. It makes us aware that efforts are being done all over the world,” said Palma, a former president of the CBCP.

“The church must accompany all people of God whoever they are. We are sinners but the church must be there to guide, to help, and to tell them that God will never ever abandon us. That is the point,” Garcera added, alluding to the matter of communion for divorced and remarried persons.

Among the issues raised in the synod, which started last Oct. 4, is the possibility of divorced and remarried Catholics to receive holy communion again as they are currently barred from doing so.

“What is important is that although they cannot receive communion, they are still part of the people of God,” Garcera said.

“No matter what condition you are in, the church must still take care of you because, basically, God will never abandon us no matter what,” he said.

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A13

INC seeks prayers, understanding amid abduction allegations by rosette

Adel

Philstar.com

NCAA CHAMPIONS. Manny Pacquiao celebrates after the Colegio de San Juan de Letran Knights won the National Collegiate Atheletic Association (NCAA) basketball championship on Thursday, Oct. 29. Team manager Manny Pacquiao promised to give the players a P100,000 cash incentive each shortly after they ended their 10-year title drought in the NCAA with an 85-82 Game 3 overtime victory over San Beda.

Inquirer.net photo by Tristan Tamayo

PH welcomes support ASEAN support on sea row

by AureA

CAliCA Philstar.com

MANILA – President Benigno Aquino III is satisfied with the support of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) for the country’s position on the West Philippine Sea and understands the “limitations” of each member-country in dealing with the issue.

“We have broadened our view as to what solutions are appropriate for given problems. So we recognize everybody has their limitations and their capacities.

So, if we deal on areas where we can cooperate, then that enhances cooperation,” the President said Tuesday at an annual presidential forum of the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines.

“When we recognize that there are certain areas (where) there are limitations as to cooperation, the depth of cooperation available on particular issues, if we recognize all of these, then it leads to a really harmonious relationship amongst all,” Aquino said.

China’s encroachment on the territorial waters of neighboring countries, including the Philippines, as well as its massive island building activities have raised tensions in the region.

With its weak military, the Philippines turned to the international court of arbitration for

help in challenging Beijing’s incredible maritime claim.

He will be flying to Kuala Lumpur right after hosting the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation leaders’ summit on Nov. 18 to 19.

The President said all ASEAN member-countries have demonstrated their being “extremely friendly” to the Philippines, especially in times of disasters.

“Perhaps it has been a learning experience also that we have gotten to know all of our partners even that much more intimately.

We recognize that perhaps accepted standard solutions to perceived problems might really need a local or indigenous character if it is to take hold in these countries,” he said.

The President said overall, he was satisfied with the country’s relationship with ASEAN. “It is not only the Philippines vis-à-vis ASEAN, but also ASEAN vis-à-vis the Philippines that, I think, has experienced a deeper sense of community, a growth in the relationship,” he said.

The West Philippine Sea and South China Sea are also being claimed in whole or in part by Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam.

Stronger navy Meanwhile in Virac, Catanduanes, Sen. Grace Poe said the Philippines should be firm in asserting its position on the West Philippine Sea issue with China,

but should not disregard the other facets of its relationship with the Asian giant.

“We must also continue and support this move because China is one of the signatories to UNCLOS and China must understand that we are fighting for our rights in the arbitration case,” Poe, who is running for president in 2016, said referring to the arbitration case filed by Manila against Beijing.

“We have no bilateral talks with China on the issue of the West Philippine Sea but when it comes to our other relations with China we should continue this,” she said.

“We have economic ties with them and we must continue this,” she added.

“But we should not give away our rights on the West Philippine Sea,” she emphasized.

To demonstrate the country’s resolve to guard and defend its maritime borders, the Coast Guard and the navy should be strengthened, she said.

“Even if we are not militarily strong than China we must strengthen our Navy, strengthen the joint exercises with the allied countries which can help us defend our territory,” she pointed out.

China was the Philippines’ largest source of imports in 2014 with shipments amounting to $9.57 billion. n

MANILA – The Iglesia Ni Cristo (INC) on Wednesday, Oct. 28 sought for prayers and understanding from members and Filipinos amid reports that police are being deployed in its central office in Tandang Sora, Quezon City as security.

Although he did not confirm the reports of police presence in the Church, the INC spokesperson appealed to its members asking them to remain calm despite the situation.

“In this time of great tribulation we ask our brethren to remain calm and continue praying for our Church,” Zabala said in a statement.

Zabala vowed that the INC will face all issues hurled against it and called on the public to be understanding and objective in order to attain the justice everyone deserves.

“Rest assured that the Church leadership will face all the issues with dignity and with full confidence in the fairness of our jus-

Tarpaulins that read “One with EVM” are hung outside the church of the Iglesia ni Cristo in Los Baños, Laguna.

Inquirer.net photo

tice system,” Zabala said.

“To our fellow Filipinos, we appeal for open-mindedness, objectivity and understanding, We likewise call for circumspection in the face of baseless speculation and reckless accusations that do not contribute to efforts to obtain justice for all those involved.” he said.

INC leaders were charged for allegedly kidnapping former

church ministers Isaias Samson Jr. and Lowell Menorca II, together with their families.

The case reached the Supreme Court as members of the Menorca family filed a petition for habeas corpus and writ of amparo over the weekend.

According to reports, about 100 policemen are deployed as security in the INC compound. n

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SHOWBIZ&STYLE

B

Journal

‘Kid Kulafu’ shows Pacquiao’s early years

by Agnes

ConstAnte AJPress

BEFORE Emmanuel “Manny” Pacquiao became a world boxing champion, he was known as Kid Kulafu.

In a film titled after Pacquiao’s childhood boxing nickname, the rags chapter of the people’s champ’s rags-to-riches story is conveyed in a dramatization that focuses on his younger years.

“Kid Kulafu” takes viewers on an in-depth journey through Pacquiao’s life in poverty and in an area of the Southern Philippines where strife between militants and police often leaves locals caught in the middle.

The biopic also depicts how his Tio Sardo got him started in boxing, how he worked collecting bottles after school, how he and his brother sold bread to earn money for the family after his mother suffered a heart attack, and how his mother was against his desire to box because she wanted him to become a priest.

A number of stories have already been told about the Philippine boxer, however, director Paul Soriano came with a different approach when pitching the idea to Pacquiao.

“I told him, well, the handle for this would be about your childhood, something maybe that not many people know in detail.

“Kid Kulafu” producer Marie Pineda & director Paul Soriano

New documentary explores what it means to be Asian American through food

by Agnes

ConstAnte AJPress

ON Dec. 8, a new documentary that explores what it means to be Asian American through food is set for release on PBS. “Off the Menu: Asian America,” directed by Grace Lee, chronicles a journey from Texas to New York, to Wisconsin to Hawaii, where Lee delves into food traditions in Asian American cultures.

In the four areas Lee visits, she uncovers a wide spectrum of food traditions and the role food plays in people’s lives, from sushi in Texas to Langar – where food is served for free to all visitors – at a Sikh temple in Wisconsin, and even catching and cooking octopus in Hawaii.

“Off the Menu” came to life after the Center for American Media approached Lee, whose credits include “The Grace Lee Project” (2007) and “Makers: Women in Politics.”

In choosing which stories to feature in the film, Lee said she cast a wide net and wanted to include a segment on the midwest, as

stories on Asians from the region are rare. “[I] definitely wanted to go into the farther reaches where people might not be so familiar with Asian American cuisine or what that meant,” she said during a Q&A session following a screening of the documentary on Sunday, Oct. 25, at the Japanese American National Museum.

Another goal was to ensure wide geographic diversity and ethnic diversity. The film also explored food supplies in Asian Pacific Islander culture in Hawaii, where a father and daughter are shown going out to sea for octopus, and a separate group of youth farm and sell produce to a local restaurant.

While “Off the Menu” does not feature any Filipino stories, Lee emphasized that the film was not necessarily talking about specific ethnicities, but an Asian American experience.

“If you have any kind of connection to that, whether you’re a first generation immigrant or third generation, I think that a lot of the themes in the film connect that

Photo by Peter Dumaual

the ArcLight in Culver City for the hours of stories from Pacquiao.

Director Paul Soriano and Fight Director Erwin Tagle discussing a shot for one of the boxing Asian World Film Festival.

“Manny is a hard guy to catch. matches.

Photo by (c) Ten17P It took three years from the start You don’t get him every day, so And that kind of lit a fire in him I session following a “Kid Kulafu” to completion of the film, which when he calls, you kind of have think,” Soriano said during a Q&A screening on Tuesday, Oct. 27, at included extensive research and PAGE B3

Grace Lee, director of “Off the Menu: Asian America”

way. These themes of tradition, home, family, trying to make … a business, trying to succeed in business, how food can also be part of a spiritual practice, or sustainability or farming is part of the food supply. Those stories aren’t specific to those ethnicities, those just happen to be the people that we met on this journey.”

PAGE B2

B OCTOBER 31-nOvEmBER 3, 2015 • LA WEEKEnD ASIAn JOURnAL

Moonlighting

by Mylah de

leon

Features

http://www.asianjournal.com • (213) 250-9797

The spectacle of joie de vivre First Fil-Am Bond villain fights with Daniel Craig in the Filipino community

by Ruben

V. nepales Inquirer.net

It is a knack of knowing how to live, the hearty enjoyment of life. It is the flush of happiness that can overtake a person anywhere.

It took the French genius for formalizing the informal, to bring sticky, sacramental sanctity to the Fil-Am version of the French myth of pagan happiness. toasts were toasted, dance were danced, speeches were delivered, oaths were sworn.

Reporters scribbled the roar and dazzle of the week’s entertainment, socials, and the political braggadocio.

Photos by Ding Carreon and Sid T. Guerrero

New documentary explores...

PAGE B1

Food writer Christine Chiao was also among panelists who engaged in discussions after the screening, and touched on how she is drawn to stories that are untold. She specifically cited one story involving a FilAm brother duo who reached out to her in late 2014, pitching their story about their pop up called LASA. “And I found that really fascinating because even though we have a very rich Filipino Angeleno community, we don’t see those stories come out as much in food media.

And so that was my motivation to go out and meet Chad and Chase [Valencia] and hear about their narratives,” Chiao said.

Others who weighed in on the panel were chef Minh Phan of Porridge+Puffs, scholar and USC professor Karen tongson and Youa Yang of Yang Farms; writer and sociologist Oliver Wang served as

AJ Ads 54_Layout 1 10/5/15 12:54 PM Page 1

age gracefully

Stirring It Up With Cauliflower Tofu and Vegetable Stir-Fry Serves 2–4

BY GRACE O

Is cauliflower the new kale, or just an old favorite rediscovered and reinvented? A member of the nutritionpacked, cruciferous cabbage family along with Brussels sprouts and broccoli, cauliflower is anti-inflammatory and antioxidant-rich, and may boost both heart and brain health. Eating cauliflower provides impressive amounts of vitamin C, vitamin K, beta-carotene, and much more while supporting healthy digestion and detoxification.

It also contains sulforaphane, a sulfur compound that has been linked to killing cancer stem cells, which can slow tumor growth. A great way to enjoy cauliflower is to bake it with olive oil, salt and pepper. I like to add turmeric (another anti-inflammatory) to give it an extra nutrition boost. I also include it in my Tofu Vegetable Stir Fry which provides plenty of health-boosting vegetables. In addition to the cauliflower and proteinpacked tofu, it contains broccoli, a good source of lutein, which can help prevent macular degeneration. Both the cauliflower and the kale in the recipe have phytonutrients that protect against cancer. I like to use a wok to prepare this dish, but a large skillet will do. Enjoy versatile cauliflower which is in season from September to June.

1 package (8 oz.) firm tofu 6 Tbs. peanut oil 1 Tbs. grated gingerroot 2 Tbs. minced garlic 1 cup baby carrots 1 cup snow peas 1 cup broccoli florets, cut or separated into bite-size pieces 1 cup cauliflower florets, cut or separated into bite-size pieces 3 cups chopped kale 2 chopped scallions 2 Tbs. oyster sauce combined with 2 Tbs. water 2 Tbs. cornstarch dissolved in ¼ cup cold water

1. Drain the tofu and press between paper towels to remove excess water. Cut tofu into 1- to 11⁄4-inch cubes.

2. Heat 4 Tbs. of the peanut oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the tofu and fry until golden brown, about 2–3 minutes. Remove tofu from pan and keep warm.

3. Add the remaining 2 Tbs. peanut oil to the pan and sauté the ginger and garlic over medium-high heat until lightly browned, about 2 minutes.

4. Add the carrots, snow peas, broccoli, and cauliflower and cook until just tender but still crunchy, about 7–10 minutes.

5. Add the kale and scallions and continue cooking until kale softens, about 4–5 minutes.

6. Stir in the oyster sauce mixture and cornstarch mixture and cook until a thick sauce forms, about 2 minutes. (If using unfried tofu, add now and cook until heated through, about 2–3 minutes.)

7. Remove vegetables from heat. Fold in tofu.

GRACE O – Combining her passion for food and a commitment to promoting a healthy lifestyle, GRACE O has created FoodTrients®, a unique program for optimizing wellness. Grace O is a fusion chef with a mission: to cook up recipes for a long and joyful life that are built on a foundation of anti-aging science and her 15 years in the healthcare industry. Visit FoodTrients.com to learn more. Email us at info@FoodTrients.com © 2015 by FoodTrients.com

LOS ANGELES—“No, I wasn’t careful with him (Daniel Craig),” declared Dave Bautista, the first Filipino-American James Bond villain about brawling with the actor in Sam Mendes’ “Spectre” that is probably among the most memorable fight scenes in 007 cinematic history. “We beat the hell out of each other, to be honest with you.”

“But I was a professional,” stressed the actor whose father is Filipino. Dressed in a tight turtleneck sweater that made his biceps look bigger than my two arms combined, Dave looked massive—a 6-foot-6-inch tall giant in a meeting room at the Corinthia Hotel in London.

Playing Hinx, Dave tussles with Daniel in several scenes but a knock-down-drag-out fight on a speeding train is spectacular. It left Daniel with an injured knee.

“Sam doesn’t like to use doubles very much so a lot of that was us,” explained the six-time World Wrestling Entertainment champion. “It turned out great because you can see that it’s actually us.”

“We were well-prepared for this fight scene on the train,” added the former pro mixed martial artist. “We rehearsed and rehearsed and we still managed to both get hurt.” the train scene, one of “Spectre’s” thrilling set pieces, is reminiscent of an iconic fight between Bond (Sean Connery) and Red Grant (Robert Shaw) in 1963’s “From Russia with Love.”

“I didn’t remember that scene, never made the connection,” said the actor whose mother is of Greek descent. “I downloaded the movie

Dave Bautista: “As long as you’re not afraid to fail, you can go out and accomplish more than you ever thought you could.”

Inquirer.net photo by Ruben V. Nepales

(laughs) on itunes. I watched the scene and I can see where they would make the comparison.

Ahead of its time “What we’ve accomplished is a modern-day thing. that fight scene must have been way ahead of its time because it was not only very gritty but it was very violent. It was well-done.

“We are proud of our fight scene because I think it will be one of those scenes that 30 years down the line, they’re going to be looking back and say that was way ahead of its time.”

On being the first Fil-Am actor in a major role in a Bond movie, Dave, who sports tattoos of the flags of the Philippines and Greece on his arm, admitted, “I say to people, ‘I’m very big in the Philippines.’ It’s very humbling because the Filipino people just embraced me like I was born and raised there and I’m full Filipino. that means a lot to me.” the man who is Drax the Destroyer in “Guardians of the Galaxy” PAGE B4

moderator.

“Asian eaters are pretty smart....

We just eat out a lot, we love eating.

It doesn’t matter if it’s Asian food or Mexican food, we’re very smart eaters and we don’t mind going out of our comfort zone,” Phan said.

Sunday’s screening was hosted by non-profit organization Visual Communications. “[the documentary] encapsulates how cultural pride as an Asian Pacific Islander can be a shared celebration here in America. I’m excited to launch [Grace’s] film in advance of her national broadcast...” Francis Cullado, executive director of Visual Communications, said in a statement.

“Off the Menu: Asian America” is a multimedia project for Center for Asian American Media (CAAM) and KQED. It is suitable for general audiences and has a total run time Dave Bautista describes his character in “Spectre” as “very memorable, interesting, of 56 minutes.. intriguing.” Photo courtesy of Alexader Tuma

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Features

LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • OCTOBER 31-NOvEmBER 3, 2015

B

Pasadena lecture to focus on fighting cancer and other diseases Keith Block, M.D., author of Life Over Cancer, is known as the “father of integrative oncology.”

On Wednesday, November 4, Dr. Block and his wife Penny Block, M.A., Ph.D., author of A Banquet of health, will be speaking at an event sponsored by Foodtrients.com. they will discuss the Block Model, which is designed to help you achieve optimal health and fight serious illnesses, such as cancer, heart disease, and diabetes. Audience members may ask questions about how best to design a personalized program of care through diet, fitness and lifestyle.

Seating is limited, so if you would like to attend, make your reservations now by calling Sandy at (626) 304-6900 or emailing corp. execast@gmail.com. Please leave your name and contact information (phone number and email address) and say that you are interested in attending Dr. Block’s Nov. 4 event, which will be held from 10:30am to 12:30pm on Wednesday, Nov. 4. RSVP’s must be received by Monday, Nov. 2 and tickets will be available on a first come basis.

Keith i. Block, M.D. combines cutting-edge conventional treatment with scientifically based

‘Kid Kulafu’ shows Pacquiao’s...

PAGE B1 to make time to talk and the challenge was what do we put in the film,” Soriano said.

Completing the movie took two years of research and about a year of filming, which included six months of preparation work and 34 days of filming in a span of three to four months.

With a runtime of 108 minutes, Soriano said, “Kid Kulafu” is only a small snippet of what Pacquiao went through in his life. And with the boxer’s abundance of vibrant memories while he was growing up, Soriano found it challenging to find the heart of the story. however, he said 80 percent of the storyline is factual.

“Of course in every biopic that you do there’s always that creative license that you take. We didn’t make up anything. We just compressed it to make it look like it happened all right at the same time,” Soriano said. he added that he is happy with

the finished product, which was completed with a budget equivalent to about $1 million.

Big-name Philippine actors the film stars big-name actors, with 17-year-old Robert “Buboy” Villar portraying the younger Pacquiao, emmanuel; Alessandra de Rossi as his mother, Dionisia; Cesar Montano as tio Sardo; Alex Vincent Medina as his father, Rosalio; and Khalil Ramos as his friend eugene, who died in the boxing ring.

While the cast is well-known in the Philippines, Soriano said it was more important to choose actors who possessed a similar appearance to the roles in the story. “i couldn’t get a young kid to play Pacquiao if he didn’t have kind of a resemblance ... so i had to go with authenticity as much as possible because it was a biopic,” the director said. in casting Villar for the lead, Soriano said the teenager still had to audition despite his popularity

Director Paul Soriano and Producer Marie Pineda by the monitors on set Photo by (c) Ten17P

complementary therapies. he is currently Director of integrative Medical education at the University of illinois College of Medicine at Chicago and director of the institute for integrative Cancer Research and education, and the author of over 75 scientific papers and numerous articles.

Penny Block, M.A., Ph.D. is the co-founder and executive Director of the Block Center, one of the world’s leading cancer centers.

She obtained her Ph.D. in BioBehavioral/Psychosocial Oncology from the University of Chicago in 2008. in the Philippines. “i still wanted to see as [much] talent as possible and it was a challenge because did you want to get a boxer and teach how to act, or did you get an actor you teach how to box?” Soriano said. it was Villar’s acting capabilities, his resemblance to Pacquiao and his ability to emulate the boxer’s fighting style that set him apart from others who auditioned for the role, Marie Pineda, producer of the film, told the Asian Journal. “it was a challenge because did you want to get a boxer and teach how to act, or did you get an actor you teach how to box? it was just very fortunate that we got a great actor who also learned how to box. it’s just i guess one of those blessings you thank God for,” Soriano said.

Villar trained for about three to four months with a mixed martial arts champion in Asia who served as the film’s fight director. they studied Pacquiao’s earlier fights, where he was more of a brawler. “the fight scenes were extremely tough because you’re mimicking one of the world’s best boxers and you kind of have to do justice to that,” Soriano said.

But he commended Villar for his performance. “he really embraced the character, took the challenge. he did a great job,” he said.

Another cast member the crew got “lucky” with was de Rossi. “i think she was able to capture Manny’s mom’s humor and strong personality without making it too much of a caricature.

She was able to balance showing her love for her son while also showing her humorous side,” Pineda said.

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

Pacquiao helps with filming locations and release in addition to ensuring the authenticity of “Kid Kulafu” through the actors, the crew also did so through the filming locations. A considerable portion of the movie was shot in the mountains – one of

the biggest expenses, Soriano said – and many scenes were filmed in original locations in General Santos City.

Pineda said the ring where Pacquiao fought in General Santos was the same one featured in the biopic.

“So we traveled very far to get the authenticity of the location,” Pineda said.

Despite logistical challenges, Pacquiao helped in securing locations in the area, where the filming took place for about two weeks.

PAGE B4

Features

B OCTOBER 31-nOvEmBER 3, 2015 • LA WEEKEnD ASIAn JOURnAL

The Global Kababayan

Ms. Loida Lacson-Atienza on what it takes to succeed in mortgage and real estate: ‘Transparency and integrity’

Programming of Kababayan Today, November 2-6, 2015

G. TönGi

By Monet

Nov. 2 - Pacific Arts Movement, artistic director Brian Hu and Nikki Jimenez discuss the Filipino lineup of Asian cinema at this year’s San Diego Asian Film Festival, the largest showcase of Asian cinema on the West Coast. We will also air the trailers for the films “Lorna” (directed by Sigrid Andrea Bernardo) and “Swap” (directed by Remton Zuasola). “Lorna” is showing at the UltraStar Mission Valley in San Diego onFriday, Nov. 6 at 6:30pm. “Swap ” will be screened at the UltraStar Mission Valley on Monday, Nov. 9 at 6:20pm. Support Philippine cinema!

Nov. 3 - Call us LIVE in the studio at 3:30pm on LA18 or email email us at kababayan@la18.tv for your immigration questions. We are live with our immigration attorneys Aquino and Loew.

Nov. 4 - Midweek News Updates from the Asian Journal and and Real Estate Buzz with Mia McLeod.

Actor Chris Marcos talks about his latest play at the Pasadena Playhouse this month!

Nov. 5 - “Heneral Luna,” the highest grossing independent Philippine film opens in North America.

Tune in for details!

Nov. 6 - Get to know the biggest

celebration of Philippine arts and culture in Southern California as FPAC board members and artsits share their thoughts and talent on

the show.

***

Giselle “G” Töngi is the host and producer of Kababayan Today, a daily talk show that features relevant topics for Filipino’s living in America. Her aim is to bridge not only the cultural gap between America & the Philippines but to help with the generational gap between our own people. She is married with two children and is based in Southern California and makes frequent trips in the Pacific Rim to Hawaii and Manila to feature fellow kababayans who are empowering the FilAm community.

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Bee Sexy is made of bee pollen and other fibers and herbs. It helps you cut your food cravings and helps you lose weight easily, safely and fast. Unlike other diet supplements today, it doesn’t just suppress your appetite or boost your energy level, but it also rejuvenates your skin to make you look younger! Sounds perfect? Wait, there’s more!

A capsule of Bee Sexy is equal to 3 hours of jogging. Bee Sexy focuses well on the waist and butt so you can now say goodbye to your annoying muffin tops and belly fats. you can easily lose those

‘Kid Kulafu’ shows Pacquiao’s...

PAGE B3 The boxer also helped with promoting the movie, which hit theaters in April this year, despite the fact it was around the time of his bout against Floyd Mayweather, Jr. “Kid Kulafu” was shown in select theaters in North America, but Soriano said the concentration was likely on Filipino communities. He added that the release

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was not as wide, likely due to the outcome of the Fight of the Century on May 2.

Since April, the biopic has been screened at multiple film festivals, including the Raindance in London, Tokyo International Film Festival the Guam International Film Festival, where Villar won the Achievement in Acting award. Later this month, it will be screened at a film festival in Hawaii.

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Lu

I RARELy write on business philosophy per se but if writing about it meant gaining wisdom straight from an industry expert who also happens to be a good friend, then I would definitely make an exception.

This year’s Beautiful Life Celebration Distinguished in Mortgage and Real Estate Awardee is Ms. Loida Lacson-Atienza. It is our honor to feature a wise and resolute woman who knows her numbers, treats her clients as if they’re family and talks about the “REAL” deal in REAL-ty.

Suit up, my readers; today is Mortgage and Real Estate 101.

“When I deal with clients, I walk them through every single thing they will encounter when buying a property or a business,” Loida shares how she does – and keeps – her business solid. Her business ethics is probably the main reason why she is one of the most trusted brokers of her time. Loida is the owner of Weichert, Realtors ATIENZA & Asscociates, L.A. Financial Management & Services Mortgage/ Loans and L&A Escrow Services.

Her company specializes in providing mortgage and realty services for several residential, commercial and industrial entities.

Loida has been in the real estate business for over 25 years and is showing no signs of stopping. She says, “I am in this business not just – or not even– for the money, but because I see that there are a lot of people needing sincere and honest realtors and brokers who can tell them the ins and outs of buying and selling a property. And this is what I do. I don’t sell properties just to make commissions. I aim to educate my clients so they can make an informed decision, as well as meet their financing needs.”

Her company motto, “The Weichert Difference” promises to provide a high level of service marked with integrity, transparency and hands-on guidance in every major decision one will encounter in the process of securing home financing, insurance and acquisition.

Furthermore, Loida understands the main factors in loan & real estate transaction because she herself has bought and sold businesses, and has been a corporate financial executive for 10 years. She stressed, “My company treats every transaction as if we are the ones “buy-

ing.” We put in as much financial planning as they (buyers) do. This makes our clients trust us more and refer us to other people” One of the commendable business practices that Loida is known for is her knack for going above and beyond her responsibility as an agent or a broker. “ I don’t deal with just selling. I see to it that I exercise transparency by explaining to my clients what they need and what they should expect when they buy a property or business.

Once we established a firm plan and decision, I deliver to the best of my ability. I am also very hands-on. In fact, if it calls for it, I would go with my client to the city council to get a license or get into the nitty gritty part of securing a loan. Basically, whatever it needs to make it happen, I’ll do it.”

I asked Loida what got her started on this profession and she said, “It started off as a part-time job because I wanted to make some supplemental income while I stay home with my kids. After getting my real estate license, I became an agent under my brother-in-law’s brokerage business. At first I was only interested in buying and selling properties for personal use but in the course of doing that, I saw the necessity of becoming a good broker to real estate agents. When my brother in law passed, I was basically ushered into the business as the company’s broker and started loving it.”

A native of Angeles City, Philippines, Loida immigrated to Califor-

First Fil-Am Bond villain fights...

PAGE B2

“Kid Kulafu” is also being shown on Red, a channel by HBO, on a rotational broadcast.

Pineda and Soriano said Pacquiao will further be hosting free screenings of the film in General Santos City at the end of November.

The biopic will also be released on DVD before the end of the year and possibly online, according to Soriano.

Overall takeaway Pineda and Soriano hope “Kid PAGE B5

Loida Lacson-Atienza is a proud lola to 3-year-old Rue.

and in a coming sequel recalled his humble beginnings. According to online reports, “His paternal grandfather served in the Philippine military, worked as a taxicab driver, barber and held other jobs to feed the family.”

“I was a poor kid,” said the Washington, DC native. “There was a lot of times when we didn’t even have food. My memory of that is something I still struggle with.

“Obviously that’s a common factor in the Philippines so I want to inspire people to not settle with

the choices that they’re given that are right in front of them; to not to settle with living on that same block their whole lives and being limited to what amount of food that they’ll have, what type of job that they’ll have and how they’ll have to go out to struggle to actually have a dream.

“And don’t just have the dream— actually go out and pursue it. As long as you’re not afraid to fail, you can go out and accomplish more than you ever thought you could.”

“It is a cool thing,” Dave commented about being the first Fil-Am Bond villain. “I always say there are henchmen and then there are James Bond henchmen. Completely different animals. When I first got into film, I was always offered the role of strong guy No. 1 or right hand man No. 2. I was always offered henchman type roles. I turned them down because I just wanted nothing to do with them. I actually wanted to learn how to act.

“I was going to learn how to act playing a big muscle head who was just kicking open doors, shooting people in the face and not doing anything interesting,” he said with wry humor. “I’ve seen it a million times but with these (James Bond villain) characters, they’re just so memorable and iconic.

“It was very much an honor to even be considered. I did my audition and finally met with Sam. He was a little concerned whether I’d really at this point (in my career) be interested in this type of character and also with the very limited dialogue (laughs). I said, ‘Absolutely, I would be honored.’

“He’s very memorable, interesting, intriguing and mysterious so it’s a complete honor.”

The 46-year-old actor, who shares top billing with Robert de Niro and Jeffrey Dean Morgan in “Heist,” appeared even bigger than the last time we saw him in Mexico City where “Spectre’s” thrilling opening sequence was shot. “I don’t think so,” he reacted.

Imposing character “When I first talked to Sam about this role, he described the character as being so large and imposing.

I said, ‘yeah, I can put on some weight for you if you want.’ He said, ‘yeah, that’d be great.’

“I started lifting weights again and the designers came over to Washington, DC to do a fitting for me. I was telling them that by the time we get to the filming, I’m probably going to be 10 to 15 pounds heavier. They said, ‘No, if you do that, you’re going to kill us.’

Because they were having so many suits made for the fight scenes and

nia in 1978, attended University of California to pursue second degree in Accounting (but did not continue on). There, she met the love of her life, Oscar San Pedro Atienza, now a retired licensed Architect, and they got married in 1982. Before becoming a “real estate guru”, Loida was a controller for a manufacturing firm.

Loida and her husband, Oscar raised three sons namely Byron (32,married), Brandon (29) and Blake (26). Now grown men, all three of them are professionals in their chosen field. Byron and Blake are both in the advertising field while Brandon works as a Junior Escrow Officer. Loida is also a proud and doting grandmother to her adorable 3-year-old granddaughter, Rue. To my good friend Loida, who for me is a walking “real estate encyclopedia”, I wish you all the best in your business. Continue upholding unprecedented business values. The world -- not just the Fil-Am community -- needs people like you. *** Monet Lu is a Marikina-born, award-winning celebrity beauty stylist with his own chain of Monet Salon salons across Southern California and Las Vegas, Nevada. Ultimately, Monet is known as an all-around artiste who produces sold-out fashion and awards shows as well as unforgettable marketing campaigns. Monet is also the founder of the revolutionary all-natural beauty products such as Enlighten, your solution to discoloration. To contact Monet, please visit www.monetsalon.com or email him at monetsalon@aol.com

everything.

“They had like 13 suits made for the train fight scene and if all of a sudden, I show up and I don’t fit in any of them, they’re going to start at square one.”

He volunteered how he grew into a hulk. “I have this physique for a reason,” Dave dished with a laugh. “I was such a socially awkward, introverted, shy kid that eventually I just found my comfort in exercise.

He revealed, “I was raised by a single mom who was a lesbian and my dad was nowhere in the picture so I wasn’t raised around sports. I was raised on the streets. My mom was trying to work to put food on the table.

“I was running on the streets, getting in trouble. When I was a teenager, my mother finally sent me to live with my father. I was in high school. Then one of the kids on the wrestling team said, ‘What do you think about coming out for the wrestling team?’ Because I was already muscular. I wasn’t jacked like I am now but I was muscular.

“I just went out and started beating the hell out of guys. I was just sticking guys just through brute strength and will. Then I found my way into the weight room. I started lifting weights. In my first year of wrestling, I was 185 pounds. In my second year, I was 220 pounds. After high school, the next thing you knew, I was 250 pounds.

“I just built up and it became a natural thing for me. I was very big, strong and muscular. The gym was the only place where I felt I wasn’t socially awkward and I wasn’t a misfit. I felt like I fit in.”

Delayed honeymoon Dave would have liked to spend his honeymoon with Sarah Jade in Hawaii and the Philippines.

The couple tied the knot early this month. “My wife doesn’t like to travel,” he explained. “She gets really bad motion sickness. As soon as she got here (London) today, it broke my heart. She was crying and she said, ‘I got sick in the car on the way here with a bag of vomit (laughs).’ The honeymoon that we didn’t get to have—we’re going to do it now.

“I thought it would be great if we could go to Hawaii and then the Philippines. But when she found out how long the trip was to Hawaii, she didn’t even want to go there anymore. We live in Florida so my best bet to get her out of the country is on a cruise boat or something like that. For some reason, she thinks she can deal with that. I may end up with a wife throwing up for seven days on a boat. But she’s willing to attempt it anyway.”

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BBC calls ‘AlDub’ ‘social media phenomenon’ “A SOCIAL media phenomenon.”

This was how the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) described the phenomenal tandem of actor Alden Richards and Maine Mendoza known as “Yaya Dub.” An article published by BBC and written by Heather Chen discussed the popularity of “AlDub,” which has become an everyday trending topic on Twitter.

“It is a surreal and wildly popular show which has smashed global social media records,” Chen wrote.

Figures from Twitter Asia Pacific showed that 41 million tweets were posted using the hashtag #AlDubEBTamangPanahon from October 23 to October 25.

Chen mentioned how Eat Bulaga’s “Kalyeserye” has earned

the admiration of local and international celebrities.

“And it isn’t just the local fans. US politicians and even alternative rock bands, have declared their love for the show and its young stars,” Chen said.

The report quoted Filipino TV host and blogger Daphne OseñaPaez, saying that the “AlDub” love story “appealed to all sectors of Filipino society and was created by playing on a popular formula used in the Philippine entertainment industry.”

“Actors and actresses are often paired up so fans hope they end up together in real life. But what’s different about ‘AlDub’… is that it wasn’t just the creation of a TV network or movie production,” Paez was quoted as saying in the report.

BBC Filipino anchor Rico Hizon, who admitted to being a

huge fan of the loveteam, said that Richards and Mendoza “appear very down-to-earth.”

“I believe that one big reason they are so popular is because the actors are very humble despite their massive success–they keep thanking fans as well as everyone who supports their work,” Hizon said in the report.

The report cited that Mendoza or Yaya Dub has now become the third fastest-growing celebrity on Twitter, which places her alongside singers Taylor Swift and Katy Perry.

After posting a record-breaking 41 million tweets, Twitter described “AlDub” as a “global phenomenon.”

The tweet volume of #AlDubEBTamangPanahon has broken the 35.6 million tweets sent during the Brazil vs Germany World Cup semi-final last July 8, 2014.

(Inquirer.net)

LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • OCTOBER 31-NOvEmBER 3, 2015

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‘One More Chance’ sequel release date, title revealed

by ChuCk

Smith Philstar.com

MANILA — The wait is over for fans of Popoy and Basha.

Star Cinema finally revealed the release date of the sequel to their 2007 movie “One More Chance.”

The John Lloyd Cruz-Bea Alonzo starrer will open in theaters this November, Star Cinema announced during the screening of their movie “Everyday I Love You” on Tuesday., Nov. 3 The sequel is titled “A Second Chance.”

It was announced earlier this year that “One More Chance” will get a sequel eight years after it premiered in theaters.

The movie tells the story of Popoy (played by John

The sequel to the 2007 movie “One More Chance” finally gets a release date. John Lloyd Cruz and Bea Alonzo will reprise their roles as Popoy and Basha.

Lloyd) and Basha (played by Bea), long-time lovers who go through a breakup only to end up with each other again.

“A Second Chance” will tell the story of Popoy and Basha

as a married couple. It will also serve as John Lloyd and Bea’s reunion movie; they last appeared on the big screen together in the 2012 hit movie “The Mistress.”

Dennis Padilla gives up on surname Jay-R back on the concert stage battle with daughter Julia Barretto

by JoyCe Jimenez

MANILA—Dennis Padilla said he is giving daughter Julia Barretto the freedom to use whatever surname she wants.

During the press conference for the upcoming movie “Maria Labo,” Dennis said he has withdrawn his Motion to Intervene, which aimed to question Julia’s petition to change her family name from Baldivia to Barretto, last September.

Baldivia is Dennis’s real surname, while Barretto is the surname of Julia’s mother, Marjorie.

Earlier this year, Julia said she is withdrawing her petition to change her surname. However, according to Dennis, the ABS-CBN actress still hasn’t withdrawn the petition.

Dennis explained that one of the reasons why he gave up on his petition is Julia’s age.

“Kasi, number one, kahit manalo ako, kunyari manalo ako na dapat pa rin niyang gamitin ang family name ko, eh 18 na siya, eh. She can still remove it. Kasi karapatan na ng 18-year-old, dahil adult na

Philstar.com

MANILA—Jay-R is back on the concert stage as he gears up for his show Press Play” at the Music Museum this November.

It took him years before he finally decided to stage his fourth major concert.

“That time kasi I made two remake albums, e. As an artist, hindi enough sa akin to do a concert of remake albums,” he explained. “So that’s why I didn’t do any concerts at that time. Kasi kapag pupunta ka sa isang concert ng isang artist gusto mo marinig ang mga kanta niya, hindi kanta ng ibang tao.”

Dennis on daughter Julia: “Yun siguro ang disadvantage ‘pag walang pera masyado ang tatay.”

Early this year, he released siya, na magpalit ng family name,” ko alam kung paano sila tatawagan, his all-original album “Elevated,” hindi ko alam kung paano sila ite- which he timed before moving to he said.

ABS-CBN and doing “Your Face He further said he filed the peti- text,” he said.

“Actually, nagte-text ako at tu- Sounds Familiar.” Recently, his altion when Julia was still 16.

Dennis claimed he is not given matawag pero walang reply. And bum receive the gold record award, the opportunity to reach out to his eventually, ‘yung hinapo ka ba, which made him feel it’s the perfect time to stage a concert. napagod,” Dennis added. children with Marjorie.

“Press Play” is special for him “’Yun siguro ang disadvantage “Hindi ko sila nahihiram saka hindi ko alam kung paano sila ‘pag walang pera masyado ang because some of the artists from his iri-reach out, hindi ko alam kung tatay,” Dennis also said. (Philstar. record label Homeworkz will get to join him in the show. paano ipapadala ang pera, hindi com)

‘Kid Kulafu’ shows Pacquiao’s...

PAGE B4 Kulafu” will be seen by as many people as possible and that Pacquiao’s story will inspire viewers to work hard and believe that they

can accomplish what they set out to do.

“I was very captivated by Manny’s story. Hopefully it gives inspiration to the people who watch

the film that with hard work and determination, you can do anything. What a better example than through Manny Pacquiao, who is known all over the world,” Soriano said, adding that Pacquiao’s faith in God is a significant key to his success.

The film further shows how Pacquiao got to where he is, not only with hard work, but with talent and the support of his family.

In the development of the storyline, Soriano said Pacquiao gave the production the freedom to put everything – both good and bad

Jay-R: “Kapag pupunta ka sa isang concert ng isang artist gusto mo marinig ang mga kanta niya, hindi kanta ng ibang tao.”

His girlfriend Mica Javier, DJ Poblete, Q-York and Chris Lawrence are his guests at the concert which will happen on November 6 and 7 at the Music Museum in Greenhills, San Juan City.

Aside from his music career and record label, Jay-R is also busy with his business ventures, including a restaurant in Makati City. He admits his schedule is often full that he’s not able to be with his girlfriend.

“She’s very supportive,” he said about Mica. “Minsan one month na kami di nagkikita pero naintindihan niya. Alam niya mabait naman ako, ‘di ako nagloloko, alam niyang trabaho naman talaga. So she doesn’t give me any drama, she supports what I do.”

He added that they’re not in a hurry to settle down, but he’s sure that “all the qualities that I like in a girl nasa kanya.”

– and did not dictate what parts to put in.

“We were trying to show the human side of Manny as a child, his drive, his relationship with his family – especially [with] his mother.

Those are things we really wanted to highlight,” Soriano said.

Although “Kid Kulafu” specifically tells the story of Pacquiao, it isn’t just about him: it’s also a story about faith and dedication.

“At the end of the day, his goal was to be the best boxer in the world. Hopefully the film can kind of trigger that,” Soriano said.

B OCTOBER 31-nOvEmBER 3, 2015 • LA WEEKEnD ASIAn JOURnAL

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Is John Lloyd Cruz afraid to be forgotten? PNB, on patronizing Filipino-owned businesses MANILA—John Lloyd Cruz is not afraid to fall in popularity.

“Hindi naman ‘yon ang pinunta ko dito, e,” he said, referring to his fame. “Malinaw naman bakit ako nandito and it’s for my love for the craft and that’s it.

It’s been taking me to places I’ve never been to, ang impact sa buhay ko.”

The Kapamilya actor started making a name when he starred in the ABS-CBN’s youth-oriented show “Tabing Ilog” in 1999. Until

John Lloyd Cruz is not afraid to fall in popularity saying he’s after improving his craft.

Philstar.com photo

he landed his first lead role with Bea Alonzo in the TV series “It Might Be You.” Being in the business for a more than a decade now, John Lloyd had a fair share of ups and down in the industry.

He admitted that at some point of his career he wanted to leave everything behind and live a simple life.

“Kasi ano ‘yon, e, it’s life’s natural cycle and you don’t go against it, e, you don’t argue with it,” he explained. “Siguro sa aming mga artista, humihirap lang kasi mayro’n kaming commitment lagi. But if I’ll honor myself more than the rest, baka mas madalas akong nagwo-walk away.”

“Kasi walking away ay hindi naman para talikuran lahat, e, or iwan. Sometimes you have to walk away para pagbalik mo mas okay ka,” he added.

John Lloyd stars in the Erik Matti film “Honor Thy Father” which will be the opening film at this year’s Cinema One Originals film festival on November 8 at TriNoMa. (Philstar.com)

LOS AGNELES—PNB Remittance Centers Inc. is delighted to announce the Grand Opening and Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony of the new PNB Global Remittance in Bahay Kubo Restaurant at 2330 W. Temple St., Los Angeles, CA 90026 on Thursday, November 5, 2015.

PNB is resolute in addressing the ever changing needs of our kababayans abroad thru security enhancements in our multi-channel platform while offering speed and convenience of service. However, let’s keep in mind that fundamentally, we, as a company, represent the Filipino spirit of entrepreneurship. We build partnerships with Filipinoowned businesses in helping develop their presence within the community.

As we all looked at our foot print across the US, we realized that ‘over the bakod’ style still exists in choosing where to locate. The management team realized that in downtown LA, we didn’t even have a site in Historic Filipinotown. This needed to be addressed which is why we chose

AlDub fallout: From ratings wars to gown wars

Who wore it better? The jury is still out, as fans of Maine Mendoza and Kim Chiu debate the issue

by Alex

Y. VergArA Inquirer.net

IF Maine Mendoza, a.k.a. Yaya Dub, had no problem wearing a gown already worn by another young star from a rival network, then why are certain netizens so riled up about it, to the point of bashing Mendoza and her collaborators, including the gown’s designer Francis Libiran?

Mendoza wore the semi-embroidered sleeveless pink dress with full, floor-sweeping skirt made from layers of soft tulle during “Eat Bulaga’s” much awaited “Sa Tamang Panahon” special show at the Philippine Arena last Saturday, Oct. 24.

Based on old photos, which resurfaced on social media soon after, a similar gown adorned with pink acrylic stones and crystals was also worn by Kim Chiu during a fashion show at Shangri-La Edsa Plaza two years ago.

Mendoza is a mainstay of long-running top-rated noontime show “Eat Bulaga,” whose home network is GMA 7, while Chiu is a talent of ABS-CBN. “Sa Tamang Panahon,” which culminated in Yaya Dub finally meeting her Prince Charming in the person of actor Alden Richards, reportedly drew more than 50,000 people to the Philippine Arena in Bocaue, Bulacan, while

Kim Chiu and Maine Mendoza wearing identical gowns by Francis Libiran on separate occasions.

Fil-Am Amy Vachal gets second life in ‘The Voice’

FILIPINO-AMERICAN singer Amy Vachal got a second life in the ninth season of “The Voice” after losing in the first Knockout Round to her teammate Madi Davis.

During the episode this week, Vachal sang the Etta James hit “A Sunday Kind of Love” while Davis sang Joni Mitchell’s “A Case of You.” Team coach Pharell Williams said that he paired both singers because they have “delicate” voices.

As Williams pondered his decision, coach Gwen Stefani praised both singers, saying that she “could listen to their voices all day.”

Adam Levine told Vachal that he regretted not turning his chair for her while Blake Shelton said that he has been a huge fan of the Fil-Am singer from day one.

Faced with a difficult decision, Williams eventually chose the 16year-old Davis.

Immediately after the announcement, Levine and Shelton pressed their buttons to “steal” Vachal.

The country superstar was the first one who persuaded Vachal to join his team, reminding her that he pressed his button for her from the blind auditions.

“I remembered begging. I believe you are a star. You are still one of my favorite artists who ever auditioned for this show ever. And I won this show a bunch of times,” Shelton said.

On his part, Levine said that he is excited to have an opportunity to work with Vachal.

“Listen, during the blind auditions, I thought: ‘Wow this girl can win this whole thing and I didn’t have the chance.’ So I feel that I really missed out. But now, I feel I know what to do to really help you thrive. I believe you can win this whole thing,” he said.

Vac ha l eve n t u ally c h os e

Amy Vachal

Levine.

Joining Vachal and Davis in the live Playoffs are Blaine Mitchell from Team Adam, Braiden Sunshine and Viktor Kiraly from Team Gwen, Barrett Baber, Ivonne Acero and Jordan Smith from Team Blake. (Inquirer.net)

millions more watched the show in their homes. Generating 39 million tweets, the show also set a record on the most number of tweets on Twitter, beating the 2014 World Cup semi-final match between Germany and Brazil.

Libiran, who designed the

gown in 2013 for his Bangalore pink series collection, sent a statement to Inquirer Lifestyle to set the record straight.

“Our good friend Kim Chiu was generous enough to model the gown for one of my fashion shows,” said Libiran. “The design

to partner with Bahay Kubo. They have been in business for twenty years and is well embedded in the surrounding community.

Filipinos like to commune and it is normally around food. During this time, we talk about our families, friends and what is happening to them back home. We still imbibe the spirit of caring for the sick even if they are not our parents or immediate relatives.

We still long for the touch & taste that reminds us of our childhood.

When this occurs, we want PNB to be in their thoughts and how we can help send money, send a package, even give a phone card to call, all while you are dining at Bahay Kubo.

As an institution, we have been around for 100 years. In the United States, the first bank started operations in 1914. With this in mind, a lot of changes have transpired in how Filipinos live our lives. The money remittance platform has also turned a new leaf. Increasing demand in fast & cheap alternatives with low barriers to entry has made an impact in our industry and how businesses

gauge performance.

We understand that the need to be more progressive in delivering the best service at the most reasonable cost is important but we also understand that Filipinos have an inherent pride in supporting their own culture, even promoting this culture. Who remembers that Anthony Bourdain show when he went to Cebu and introduced the world to Lechon? How about the time that Survivor was filmed in Camiguin? Or how Palawan’s Underground River became the 7th wonder of the world?

This is why PNB has partnered with Filipino owned businesses who share THAT same PRIDE. We recently formed strategic alliances/partnerships with Seafood City, Jollibee, Chowking, Ayala Land, Vista Land, XYZ express, Mango Tours, SMDC, Megaworld, SSS, Pag-ibig, Filinvest and a lot of small privately owned businesses across the country to help bring our Kababayans together.

We have a lot more to offer outside of remittances and we do hope you visit us to make your trip worthwhile.

(Advertising Supplement)

was also what Maine’s stylists chose for the ‘Tamang Panahon’ telecast. They were fully aware that Kim already wore something similar.”

Although the two gowns are almost identical, Libiran also insisted that he created a new one for Mendoza based on her measurements. The designer had already done replicas of the same princess-cut gown for several low-key clients here

and abroad.

“But other than Kim, it hasn’t been worn by another celebrity when Stylized Studio, the team of stylists hired by ‘Eat Bulaga,’ chose the gown for Maine,” he said.

TAPE, producer “Eat Bulaga,” didn’t borrow the said gown from Libiran, but paid for it. Richards wore a three-piece light gray suit with coattails to the special telecast also by Libiran.

B OCTOBER 31-nOvEmBER 3, 2015 • LA WEEKEnD ASIAn JOURnAL

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COMMUNITY Journal

Your Immigration Solution Atty. RobeRt Reeves Devin M. Connolly AnD nAnCy MilleR IT is no surprise that many people dream of one day becoming a US citizen. After all, a person must be a US citizen to vote in elections, file petitions so their parents can immigrate to the US, be issued a US passport, etc. Despite the many advantages of US citizenship, it should also come as no surprise that people sometimes do things that make their path to US citizenship more challenging. These mistakes are a part of life. But do these mistakes prevent a person from being granted US citizenship?

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

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

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

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

Becoming a US citizen despite a checkered past

prohibited acts is not absolute.

Thus, the US Citizenship and Immigration Service may deny an application on good moral character grounds even though their act was not specifically prohibited. Furthermore, acts outside of the required good moral character period can also be considered in determining an applicant’s good moral character.

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

When applying for naturalization with a criminal history, it is also important to determine whether the conviction could cause not only the non-citizen’s application for naturalization to be denied, but also the De-

partment of Homeland Security to attempt take away their permanent resident status (Green card) and deport them to their native country.The answer to this question depends on various things, including whether the underlying crime is considered a ‘Crime Involving Moral Turpitude’ or an ‘Aggravated Felony,’ the date of the crime and the date on which the person was issue their green card, etc. This should be carefully analyzed before submitting an application for naturalization.

Another issue that is not uncommon is an applicant failing to register with the Selective Service. If you are a male living in the US and between the age of 18 and 25, you are likely required to register with the Selective Service. Failing to register before you turn 26-years-old is often grounds for a denial of an application for naturalization. The applicant must then wait until they turn 31-yearsold before they may be granted US citizenship.

A final issue worth mentioning is the submission of incorrect or fraudulent tax returns.

Claiming ineligible dependents, not reporting all income, or filing under the wrong category could potentially cause an application to be denied.

The process of acquiring US citizenship is often far more complex than one might anticipate. It is important to remem-

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Community Journal

http://www.asianjournal.com • (818) 502-0651 • (213) 250-9797

Minding Your Finances Atty. RAymond BulAon THIS week, the truth of this statement struck a chord with a prospective client who came to me for debt help. Keep reading as this may be the most important article you’ve ever read.

Prospective client is seriously in debt, something in the neighborhood of $80,000, mostly credit cards. She is a single mother with 3 children and has never received child or spousal support from her ex-husband since they got divorced more than 8 years ago (Apparently, ex-husband has been in and out of jail and doesn’t work). After her divorce, she went to nursing school, got her license and is now working as a registered nurse. She owns a home, has a car payment and makes more than 100K per year.

However, the income is from 2 jobs- a full-time job hospital job and a second job of 6 hours in the evenings. Thus, she works 14 hours per day! When does she ever sleep?

She came to me because the minimum payments on her credit cards add up to $1,800 per month which is about the same amount she makes from her second job.

As a matter of fact, she said that she needs this second job precisely for that reason- to be able to at least make the minimum payments every single month.

The problem is that even with all the income she has, she is barely surviving. She never has any extra money for emergencies or for recreation. She has

Tax Tips VictoR Sy, cPA, mBA And ARlene Al-oS, cPA, mBA

The debt trap: Too busy making a living that you don’t have a life? no retirement plans and has zero savings. She juggles her credit cards by doing balance transfers.

I warned her that if she keeps borrowing, she’ll never get out of debt. And what if she loses her second job? This actually happened a year ago when she lost her then second job and it took more than 4 months to get another one. She fell behind in her mortgage payments and hadn’t it been for a loan modification granted by her lender, her home would have been lost through foreclosure.

The average interest rate on her credit cards is 24%. At that interest rate, if she only made her usual minimum payments of $1800 per month, it would take her 111 months or 9 years and 3 months to be debt-free. But that’s not the worst part. Over that period of time, she would have paid her creditors $119,722 in interest alone- which is even more than the $80,000 that she owes!

So basically, she will spend the next 10 years of her life making the banks richer while she works herself to death every month just to survive.

After speaking with me, she realized that it will take her more than a decade working 2 jobs to pay her debts. In the meantime, she can’t even save a penny for retirement or for her children’s college education. Most days, she said she feels like a “zombie” just walking around, always dead tired from working too much. She said she actually hates working 2

jobs because her kids are growing up fast and she rarely spends time with them. She knows that one day, she will wake up and realize that life has passed her by and that she has missed out on the precious times she could have spent with her loved ones.

Is there anything she can do to turn her life around before it’s too late?

Unfortunately, she is not alone.

This is a common situation. If you are buried in debt and it takes you more than a decade to find financial freedom (if you even live that long with all the financial stress that your debts are causing you), shouldn’t you make it a priority to do something about it as if your life depended on it?

You should because it does.. If the only reason you’re forced to work two jobs is to pay your debts, make sure that you’re not too busy making a living that you forget to have a life.

If this article has spoken to you because you or someone you know is in this situation, I’d like to help you. For a free consultation, call Toll-Free 1-866-477-7772 to schedule a free consultation. I have offices in Los Angeles, Pasadena, Cerritos and Valencia. *** None of the information herein is intended to give legal advice for any specific situation. Atty. Ray Bulaon has successfully helped thousands of clients in getting out of debt. For a free attorney evaluation of your situation, please call Ray Bulaon Law Offices at TOLL FREE 1 (866) 477-7772.

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Economic hardship for offer in compromise (OIC)

cept offers only if there was doubt as to liability and collectibility. Now, the IRS will have to determine if the liability would MEDIA coverage on IRS create economic hardship. The abuses and subsequent tax laws regulations outline possible exput pressure on the Service to amples of economic hardships: 1. Taxpayer is incapable of revamp the Offer in Compromise (OIC) program for tax- earning a living due to medipayers who could not pay their cal condition, long-term illness, tax liabilities. The IRS has just or disability and the taxpayer’s proposed regulations which, resources are reasonably forefor the first time, provide relief seen to be depleted.

2. A dependent of the taxif present collection activities payer has long-term illness that create economic hardships.

Previously, the IRS could ac- requires the taxpayer to use as-

sets for basic living expenses and medical care.

3. Liquidation of assets to pay liabilities would render taxpayer unable to meet basic living expenses.

To expand access to the OIC program, the IRS also instituted a new review process for rejected offers, revised OIC Form 656, and revised its handbook for IRS agents. OIC specialists are advised to look for “exceptional circumstances” whereby collection would be detrimental

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Protecting Employee & Consumer Rights Atty. C. Joe SAyAS, Jr. Q: I WORK as an on-call employee for a healthcare facility.

My employer often calls me to report for duty but when I arrive to work, my assignment is cancelled and I am sent home.

This has happened several times and I was not paid for a single canceled work even though they scheduled it and I showed up for it. What are my rights?

A: For every day that you reported to a scheduled workday, you may be entitled to reporting time pay. If the employee is required to work, reports to work, and is not put to work, or does not work half of the employee’s scheduled day’s work, the employee is paid a half-shift reporting wage of at least two hours but not to exceed four

Community Journal

LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • OCTOBER 31-NOVEMBER 3, 2015

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‘Show up pay’: an overlooked compensation at work hours.

Generally, if an employee is required to report to work a second time in any one workday and is furnished less than two hours of work on the second reporting, he or she must be paid for two hours at his or her regular rate of pay. These hours must be paid at the employee’s regular rate of pay.

Reporting time pay or “showup pay” is compensation that employers are required to pay to hourly employees for certain unworked but regularly scheduled time, in addition to the hours the employee actually worked. The employer’s legal obligation to pay reporting time pay stems from California’s objective to encourage employers to properly schedule employees, and not waste employee’s time with haphazard scheduling.

Employers do not have to pay reporting time pay when the following situations occur:

1. Business operations cannot begin or continue due to threats to employees or property, or when civil authorities recommend that work not begin or continue; 2. Public utilities fail to supply electricity, water, or gas, or there is a failure in the public utilities, or sewer system; 3. The interruption of work is caused by an Act of God or other cause not within the employer’s control (e.g., earthquake, rain, or inclement weather); 4. The employee has requested to leave work early for personal reasons; 5. The employee is not fit to work (e.g., the employee reported to work while drunk); 6. The employee has not reported to work on time and is fired or sent home as a disciplinary action; 7. The employee is paid on standby status and is called to perform standby work on nonscheduled time.

Some employers may find it convenient to schedule employees only when there is a need for them, thus, keeping employees “on-call” and scheduling them to work with maybe a few hours’ notice. If these employees show up for a scheduled work, but then were sent home without being put to work, should they be paid for showing up? Some employees who work in the retail industry have filed lawsuits so they could be paid their show-up pay.

We previously mentioned Mayra Casas, a sales clerk for Victoria’s Secret in California, who sued her employer for failure to pay reporting time on regularly scheduled shifts, failure to pay reporting time on “call-in” shifts, and failure to pay for all time worked, among others. Casas claimed that she, and other employees, were required by the company to “call-in” two hours before their scheduled shift to see if work

was available. If there was no work for them, they should not show up. If there was work, they need to show up on time. The employees said they were told to come in for work but when they arrived at work, they were told that their “call-in” shifts were cancelled. They were then sent home without pay. At other times, the employees showed up to work but were only provided a shortened shift.

Employees who worked at Forever 21 and BCBG Max Azria have also recently sued their respective employers in a class action for “on-call” shifts that were suddenly canceled after the employees have shown up to work. The employees were not paid reporting time pay.

“On-call” scheduling may happen not only in the retail industry but other industries as well, where the demand for workers may fluctuate, such as in healthcare, manufacturing, hotels and restaurants, or sales.

Employees who are “on-call,” on unpaid “stand-by” or “per diem,” who find their scheduled work canceled after they show up, and who do not get paid for the cancellation, would be smart to speak with a knowledgeable employment attorney to find out if they’re entitled to additional wages. *** The Law Offices of C. Joe Sayas, Jr. welcomes inquiries about this topic. All inquiries are confidential and at no-cost. Atty. Sayas’ Law Office is located at 500 N. Brand Blvd. Suite 980, Glendale, CA 91203. You can contact the office at (818) 291-0088 or visit www. joesayaslaw.com. *** C. Joe Sayas, Jr., Esq. is trial attorney who has obtained several million dollar recoveries for his clients against employers and insurance companies. He has been selected as a Super Lawyer by the Los Angeles Magazine, featured in the cover of Los Angeles Daily Journal’s Verdicts and Settlements, and is a member of the Million Dollar-Advocates Forum.

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Preventing abandonment of your Economic hardship for offer in compromise… green card due to travel abroad PAGE C2 t

A GREEN card holder can travel outside the US and return with some limitations. If a green card holder is outside the US for an extended period of time, he may be considered to have abandoned his permanent resident status. Brief travel (such as for a vacation) normally will not affect permanent resident status.

However, abandonment of permanent resident status is a potential issue for green card holders who have to leave the US for an extended period of time (over 1 year) for one reason or another, such as to finish studies or work abroad. In such situations, how can a person be prevented from losing his green card?

If a person plans to be outside the US for an extended period of time (over 1 year), an application for a reentry permit must be filed. A reentry permit establishes that one did not intend to abandon his green card, and it allows one to apply for admission to the US after being outside the US for up to 2 years without having to obtain a returning resident visa. Reentry permits are normally valid for 2 years from the date of issuance. A permanent resident can re-apply for subsequent reentry permits for 2 year increments As aforementioned, if one is outside the US for an extended period of time without a reentry permit, he may be considered to have abandoned his green card. If a person who has been outside the US for more than 1 year attempts to re-enter the US, he may be referred to an Immigration Judge to determine whether he has abandoned his permanent resident status.

An application for reentry permit should be filed at least 60 days prior to the contemplated extended trip outside the US. While a person does not have to be present in the US at the time his reentry permit application is approved, it is important to file it with sufficient time prior to the trip to allow time to receive the biometrics notice after the application is filed, and have biometrics taken. An applicant must provide his biometrics while in the US. If an applicant leaves the US before biometrics are taken, the USCIS may deny the application.

What if a permanent resident has already left the US and either has 1) been outside the US for over 1 year or 2) been outside the US for over 2 years with an expired reentry permit? The Department of State on its website advises to apply for a Returning Resident Visa. To qualify for a Returning Resident Visa, you must show a valid reason why your stay abroad was extended, and that the reason for the extended stay was beyond your control or for which you were not responsible. Another (perhaps better) option would be to re-enter the US--if US customs denies admission due to abandonment of your green card, you will have an opportunity to argue that you did not abandon permanent resident status, here in the US before an Immigration Judge.

Obtaining a green card often is a difficult process. For some, it takes many years. It is accordingly important to take all steps necessary to maintain permanent resident status once attained. If you plan to be away from the US for an extended period of time, or have been away from the US for an extended period of time without a reentry permit, or a reentry permit that has expired, it is recommended that you consult with an experienced attorney. *** Darrick V. Tan, Esq. is admitted to practice law in California and Nevada. Mr. Tan is a graduate of UCLA and Southwestern University School of Law. He is a member of the Consumers Attorney Association of Los Angeles and is a former member of the Board of Governors of the Philippine American Bar Association.

LAW OFFICES OF DARRICK V. TAN, 3580 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 900, Los Angeles, CA 90010. Tel: (323) 639-0277. Email: info@dtanlaw. com.

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Barrister’s Corner Atty. Kenneth UrSUA reyeS CHANGES in the economy and in the employment lanscape has made it more difficult to pursue certain traditional paths to obtaining permanent residency in the United States such as employment based.

H1-b visas has been affected by the visa annual visa cap and does not lead to a green card.

In addition, it is a viable option only if the immigrant is fortunate enough to find a job or an employer to offer them a job.

However, one traditional way of obtaining permanent residency which has remained unchanged is through a petition by a US citizen spouse.

As a spouse of a US Citizen, an alien is considered an immediate relative and entitled to immediately apply for a green card inside the United States. This is usually done by simultaneously filing an I-130 Petition for Alien Relative and an I-485 Application to adjust status. However in order to do this, the alien spouse must have been inspected when the alien entered the United States or if not inspected must be grandfathered by section 245(i) of the immigration and nationality act.

Being inspected means that the alien entered using a valid visa, paroled inside the United States,entered using the visa waiver program. The alien is grandfathered by section 245(i) if a family petition or a labor certification has been filed for the benefit of that alien prior to April 30, 2001. If the alien was not inspected nor grandfathered under section 245(i), such as if the alien crossed the border illegally, the alien cannot obtain his or her green card inside the United States and would have to obtain the immigrant visa

Permanent residency through marriage to US citizen spouse from the US Consulate at their home country. If the alien has accumulated unlawful presence in the US of over 180 days, the alien would have to apply for a provisional waiver of the unlawful presence bar before leaving the US in order to avoid the 3/10 year bar and be able to return back to the US. Along with the application and petition, the alien is also required to take a medical examination by a physician designated by the USCIS. The result of that physical examination is reported in a USCIS form and sealed in an envelope submitted with the Petition and Adjustment Application.

The alien spouse may also apply for a work authorization card with the Petition and Adjustment application. The work authorization card will allow the alien spouse to work legally in the United States, obtain a social security card, and a driver’s license while that person is waiting for his or her green card interview. Work Authorization card are usually issued in about1 to 2 months from filing the application.

The green card interview is usually set in about 5 to 6 months from the time the Petition and Application is filed.

The green card interview is the most important step in the process. It is through this process that the USCIS officer usually determines whether the marriage, which forms the basis of the Petition, was entered in good faith. The adjudicating officer usually asks detailed questions about the marriage relationship between the US Citizen spouse and alien spouse. If the couple do not have children, the marriage are usually subject to closer scrutiny. Along with this inquiry process, the USCIS would usually request for

certain documents that proves a bonafide marriage. Some of these documents may be in the form of pictures, joint utility bills, health insurance documents, and many more. If everything goes well, the USCIS officer will approve the case and a green card will be mailed to the alien’ address within a reasonable time period. If the couple has been married for 2 years or more, the alien spouse will recieve a permanent greencard. If the couple has been married for less than 2 years, the alien will receive a conditional green card. The alien spouse will have to file a petition to remove the condition 3 months prior to the expiration of the conditional greencard which is good for 2 years.

Obtaining legal status in the United States is a one shot deal.

People should seek the assistance of an experienced Attorney to guide them through this important and and once in a lifetime process. *** Attorney Kenneth Ursua Reyes is a Certified Family Law Specialist. He was President of the Philippine American Bar Association.

He is a member of both the Family law section and Immigration law section of the Los Angeles County Bar Association. He has extensive CPA experience prior to law practice. LAW OFFICES OF KENNETH REYES, P.C. is located at 3699 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 747, Los Angeles, CA, 90010. Tel. (213) 3881611 or e-mail kureyeslaw@gmail.com or visit our website at Kenreyeslaw.com.

***

Please note that this article is not legal advice and is not intended as legal advice. The article is intended to provide only general, non-specific legal information. This article is not intended to cover all the issues related to the topic discussed. The specific facts that apply to your matter may make the outcome different than would be anticipated by you. This article does create any attorney client relationship between you and the Law Offices of Kenneth U. Reyes, P.C. This article is not a solicitation.

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to voluntary compliance. The new Form 656-A, Additional Basis for Compromise, is to be used in cases where acceptance of the offer would promote effective tax administration and would not undermine tax compliance.

To qualify, taxpayers must have a clean history of filing and paying their taxes. Businesses must have timely filed and paid all quarterly federal taxes for the two preceding quarters and must have timely made all federal tax deposits in the current quarter in which they submit an offer. They also cannot be in bankruptcy at that time.

The procedures require that you submit the traditional Form 656 and the new Form 656-A that contains a full page of “explanation of circumstances.”

While these new regulations open the door for taxpayers who could not qualify under traditional remedies, the IRS stresses that these regulations should not be viewed as an invitation to avoid paying taxes.

Commissioner Rossitti describes the program as a “new way for the IRS to help some people who are trapped in severe hardship.”

Remember that telephone calls, notices, and visits by agents of the IRS stop when you

file an OIC. It brings temporary relief while your OIC proposal is being reviewed. Remember also that the statute of limitations is suspended while your offer is pending. Good luck. ***

Sy Al-os Accountancy Corporation provides accounting and tax services to individuals, corporations, LLCs and business entities.

The Firm has a niche in defending taxpayers audited by the IRS and other governmental agencies. The firm celebrates its 38th anniversary in 2015. *** Victor Santos Sy graduated Cum Laude from UE with a BBA and from Indiana State University with an MBA. Vic worked with SyCip, Gorres, Velayo (SGV - Andersen

Consulting) and Ernst & Young before establishing Sy Accountancy Corporation in 704 Mira Monte Place, Pasadena, CA 91101. He has 50 years of experience in accounting, consulting, and tax work.

*** The Firm proudly welcomes Arlene Al-os in 2015. She obtained her bachelors of Science in Accountancy from Mindanao State University and MBA from Ateneo de Manila University. She teaches intermediate accounting at UCLA and was a professor of Economics at Asia Pacific College. She has over 15 years of experience including member firms of KPMG and BDO Seidman accounting firms. *** Our readers may call (626) 744-0200 or email tax questions to info@victorsycpa.com. Please visit our website for about 300 tax tips at www.

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Becoming a US citizen despite…

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ber, though, that past mistakes are not fatal and that even potential set-backs may ultimately result in US citizenship. As with all requests for immigration-related benefits, one should know the positive and negative ramifications of the request before filing the application. Therefore, when contemplating the possibility of obtaining US citizenship, the application should consult an experienced and knowledgeable immigration attorney to determine if it is advisable and how best to succeed.

*** Atty. Reeves has represented clients in numerous landmark immigration cases that have set new policies regarding INS action and immigrants’ rights. His offices are located in Pasadena, Irvine, San Francisco, Las Vegas and Makati City.

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

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Community Journal

Landlords seek chapter 13 relief

Debt Relief atty. lawRence yanG TWO different clients both landlords because they both own rental properties came to see me last week with different problems.

The conventional wisdom why people buy rental properties has two points. First, the rental properties will provide a steady stream of monthly income to the landlord. Second, the value of the properties will eventually rise, thus making the landlord rich in equity, like Donald Trump.

The problem is that in reality many things can go wrong with rental properties. For instance, rents may not be able to cover the monthly expenses, and there are quite a few expenses particularly repairs and maintenance. If this happens, instead of having a steady stream of monthly income, the landlord is faced with financing a monthly loss. Facing continuous monthly losses, landlord will either have to pay for the monthly loss from his own pocket, or borrow money to finance the loss.

A $1,500 monthly loss translates to an annual loss of $18,000. Landlord is then squeezed between a rock and a hard place. Should he continue being a landlord and lose another $100K in the next 5 years? And another question is, if the equities in the properties are rising, can the increase in equities offset the yearly loss? Let’s say that after 5 years of eating the yearly loss of $18,000, landlord is out $90K but on the 5th year his/her equities in the properties have increased by $200K, then landlord will be ahead by $100K on the 5th year.

On paper, that seems to be a logical way of looking at it. But in real life, it’s not that easy to keep on eating the annual loss. This is what happened to my first landlord client.

Chapter 13 to abandon rentals In her case, she sold her residence about 8 years ago, just before the burst of the housing bubble. She made a net of $300K from the sale of her residence.

She then put $100K down on a

new residence, $100K on a rental with 4 units, and the last $100K on another rental with 4 units.

At that time all real estate prices were sky high. So, although she made $300K on the sale of her old residence because the price was sky high, she also bought her new residence, and the two rentals also sky high. Now, 7 years hence, there’s no problem with the new residence, which has equity of $400K because her new residence is in a high demand area where foreigners are paying 100% cash for a limited number of houses.

The first problem with the rentals is that they are negative every month because she has many rental expenses: property management, constant repairs, gardening, maintenance, taxes, and the mortgage payments are hefty. She’s negative almost $2K a month for 8 units. The second problem is that after 7 years, the properties have no equity.

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Heaven and earth

To Live With Faith

implement her desire to get rid of the rentals without owing any money on them. Because she has large equity in her residence that is over $175K, she would have to pay her unsecured debt of $30K over 60 months without interest resulting in a plan payment of about $500K a month. After 60 months she would be debt free but she would be immediately free of the two rental properties without further liability. This is exactly what she wanted, to retire without financial problems.

Chapter 13 to stop foreclosure and keep rentals In the other case, client sold her house five years ago and used her net proceeds of $100K to buy a 4-unit apartment. She rents out 3 units and lives in one unit. She breaks even monthly.

The problem is she’s having a really hard time paying the first mortgage because husband retired last year. The bank modified her mortgage after her husband retired but the modified amount is still a burden for her. Now she wants to make one last attempt to further modify the mortgage payment. The problem is the bank has set a foreclosure sale for the property in 10 days. She has not paid the mortgage for 12 months and now has a large default of $100K. However, she wants to stop the foreclosure because she believes that she will be able to get a reasonable modification shortly. Certainly, the only way to stop the foreclosure on its tracks is with a Chapter 13 petition.

“Now after six days, Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves; and He was transfigured before them.

His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light.” – Matthew 17:1-2

ReveRend Rodel G. BalaGtas

*** Lawrence Bautista Yang specializes in bankruptcy, business, real estate and civil litigation and has successfully represented more than five thousand clients in California.

Please call Angie, Barbara or Jess at (626) 284-1142 for an appointment at 1000 S. Fremont Ave, Mailstop 58, Building A-1 Suite 1125, Alhambra, CA 91803.

ASIAN American Professional Association (AAPA) will host The Achievement Awards & Graduation Gala, honoring prominent leaders who trailblaze and inspire others to become leaders, and celebrating the 2015 graduating class of AAPA Mentees.

The theme is “Waves of Change, Oceans of Opportunity.” The gala

Facing continuous monthly losses, landlord will either have to pay for the monthly loss from his own pocket, or borrow money to finance the loss.

Therefore, after 7 years she lost $168K to pay for the monthly loss of $2K, and she also lost her $200K downpayment, making a grand total loss of $368K for 7 years! Now, she wants to retire and be rid of the rental properties because as she said “I already lost all of my $120K savings, and the $200K downpayment, I have to keep on borrowing money to cover the loss, I just want to retire now without this problem.” “I want to get rid of the two rental properties, but I want to keep my residence, this is what I want to do.”

After analyzing her situation thoroughly, I suggested a Chapter 13 to abandon the two rentals at the right time. One rental had to get foreclosed first, or a “deed in lieu of foreclosure” instead, whichever is faster; otherwise, her secured debt level would be over the limit for Chapter 13. She could then abandon the other rental in her Chapter 13 plan. She could not file a 7 because her equity in the residence was $400K. In any event, the Chapter 13 will

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“WHOEVER or wherever you are in life, as I see you in front of me in prayer, I feel very close to you, not in any sentimental way, but as a man who has lived your lives interiorly and knows about the pain and joy you hold in your hearts.” — Henry Nouwen The above words of Henry Nouwen speak about our connectedness with one another, including those who have gone before us. They speak of prayer as an act and a means of communion with those that we love and those that need our prayers.

They are words of generosity and deep concern for fellow human beings.

They show a similar sentiment that a seminarian shared with me one day when we were talking about the value of praying the Liturgy of Hours. He said, “Father, every time that I pray the Liturgy of the Hours, I do it in communion with the Church and in remembrance of all those who need our prayers.”

As we celebrate All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day this first week of November, it may help us to reflect on this communal aspect of prayer. Prayer is not merely the lifting up of our personal

needs to the Father; it is also an expression of our solidarity with all people, living and dead.

It is an expression of solidarity because there are other people and creatures of God who are joining us in praying for others and the needs of the world: they are the saints and the angels in heaven. They too are in communion with us. They know the deep longings of our hearts and since they are near our God in heaven, they can intercede for us.

This is the wisdom of the Catholic doctrine, The Communion of Saints. Those that have gone before us and are worthy of a home in heaven have never stopped relating with us here on earth. We have a spiritual relationship with them that still runs deep. Their vocation in heaven is to pray for us, to intercede for all our needs.

Now this may sound like a simple faith, but it is a profound truth.

As a matter of fact, for us, Catholics, the most intimate time that we can communicate with the saints and with our deceased loved ones is during the Mass. At Mass, the saints and our loved ones who are enjoying eternal life in heaven are worshipping with us, singing praises to the Father, and offering with Jesus his eternal sacrifice to God, the Father.

So, may I suggest that we keep in mind this wisdom of the Church when we do your prayers and

when we come to Mass? By doing this we come out of your egocentric attitude. We die to ourselves because of our love for God and for others. We are concerned not just of our personal well being but also that of other people.

The praying of the Litany of the Saints is a manifestation of this fundamental truth of our Catholic faith. We call on the saints to ask them to pray for us.

Our wish is to become like the saints when our personal journeys here on earth end. In heaven, we too will keep interceding for the people on earth and the world. Our whole consciousness will be our love for God and others. We will be singing our eternal praise to the Almighty God. In our fidelity and love for him, his heart would be moved to answer our prayers!

May Mary, the Mother of God, all the Saints and our love ones in heaven, intercede for us! Amen. *** From a Filipino immigrant family, Reverend Rodel G. Balagtas was ordained to the priesthood from St. John’s Seminary in 1991. He served as Associate Pastor at St. Augustine, Culver City (1991-1993); St. Martha, Valinda (1993-1999); and St. Joseph the Worker, Canoga Park (1999-2001). In 2001, he served as Administrator Pro Tem of St. John Neumann in Santa Maria, CA, until his appointment as pastor of Immaculate Heart of Mary, Los Angeles, in 2002, which lasted 12 years. His term as Associate Director of Pastoral Field Education at St. John’s Seminary began in July 2014.

People and Events

FPAC 24 - ‘Balik tanaw, Pananaw bukas’

SAVE the date! The 24th Annual Festival of Philippine Arts & Culture (FPAC) will be celebrated on Saturday, November 7, 2015 at El Pueblo de Los Angeles (125 Paseo De La Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90012). and will feature contemporary and traditional Filipino food, music, dance, crafts and culture. FPAC is the longest-running Filipino cultural celebration in Southern California.

This year’s theme for the City of Los Angeles’ Filipino American Event is “Balik tanaw, Pananaw bukas” a Tagalog phrase meaning “looking back-

ward, looking forward, and celebrates the rich experiences of being Filipino American.

As a community we honor the culture paved by our ancestors, and move forward with a grateful understanding of our Filipino American history.

This is the spirit that keeps FPAC going. Please check www.filmarts.org for more event updates.

For Sponsorship Inquiries please contact us at 213-380-3722; or info@filamarts.org.

For exhibitor (food and business) information, contact John Swing at jswing@esipa.org. n

AAPA Awards Gala will take place on Thursday, Dec 3 from 5:30pm - 9:30pm, at the Hilton San Gabriel (225 West Valley Blvd. San Gabriel, CA 91776).

Expose your brand to the professional community who are your customers, clients, potential employees, entrepreneurs, corporate and community leaders. Your support will directly benefit the

AAPA mentees in the program.

To purchase a ticket or ad, the cost is $50 each (limited time only); full/half/quarter page ad sizes are available in full color.

Please visit http://aapaawards. eventbrite.com/ for more details and to RSVP by Nov. 13. Please get involved by emailing lia.andika@aapamentoring.com. n

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Larry Itliong Day celebrated in Southern California

by Agnes

ConstAnte & Allyson esCobAr AJPress

In honor of Larry Itliong Day in Los Angeles and the 50th anniversary of the Delano Grape Strike, members and leaders of the Filipino community celebrated last weekend with a parade in Carson and a screening of a documentary about the Delano Manongs in Historic Filipinotown, among other festivities. The weekend-long events included a tribute march, an awards-ceremony for community and labor leaders, and an important documentary film screening of “Delano Manongs.”

City of Carson celebrates Larry Itliong Day On a warm, sunny day on Saturday, October 24, hundreds of Filipinos from over 30 organizations gathered at the parking lot of Congresswoman Juanita Millender-McDonald Community Center in Carson, CA, to celebrate the life and legacy of Larry Itliong.

On October 2010, the Carson City Council passed a resolution that officially established as October 25 as Larry Itliong Day. October is also officially recognized as Filipino American History Month, highlighting the achievements and contributions of countless Filipino Americans.

The late Itliong was responsible for organizing immigrant farm workers and cannery workers for over 30 years. He helped establish the Alaska Cannery Workers Union in the 1930s and the Filipino Farm Labor Union in 1956, and worked to establish a contract which called for eight-hour work days with overtime pay.

In 1965, Itliong led the successful “Great Delano Grape Strike” to protest low wages and miserable working conditions in the region. 1,500 Filipino grape pickers walked away from the fields on September 8 of that year. In 1966, he led the Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee (AWOC) and merged with the National Farm Workers Association, in association with Cesar Chavez, to form the United Farm Workers of America (UFW).

In 1970, Itliong founded the Filipino American Political Association (FAPA), the first national political Filipino-American organization. FAPA also established a crucial alliance between Filipino professionals, with 30 active chapters throughout the United States.

A spirited parade/tribute march began early in the morning, and included representatives from various Filipino organizations around Southern California--including the Philippine Independence Day Foundation, FASGI, AFFIRM - LA, the Filipino American Press Club, and the Philippine American Bar Association. Elected officials present included Philippine Consul General Leo M. Herrera-Lim, Mayor of Carson Albert Robles, Mayor Pro-Tempore Elito Santarina, and members of the Carson City Council.

“The City of Carson is the first city to recognize the contributions of labor union leader Larry Itliong. We are proud to have this annual event and proud to have been instrumental in the movement to get Assembly Bill 7 passed in Sacramento to have October 25 recognized as Larry Itliong Day throughout California,” said Mayor Robles. “We give special thanks to Mayor Pro Tem Elito M. Santarina for his leadership in getting Carson to be the first city in the US to recognize Larry Itliong Day.” The celebration, hosted by emcees Alex Cainglet and Kat Iniba (of LA18’s “Halo-Halo with Kat Iniba”), began with welcome remarks and speeches from various dignitaries, including Consul Hererra-Lim, Atty. Jose Lauchengco and Atty. C. Joe Sayas.

Cultural performances from multiple dance troupes and special guest singers also took place throughout much of the afternoon, as well as a “Fil-Ams Got Talent” contest featuring celebrity judges.

Medals of honor for labor and community leadership, and advocacy work among the Filipino veteran communities, were also awarded. The awardees include Gerardo Villero and David W. Campbell for the 2015 Larry Itliong Labor Awards, WWII veteran Mr. Franco Arcebal for Community

City of Carson leaders with awardees Johnny Itliong, son of Larry Itliong, and Kobe Paras, the son of PBA star Benjie Paras.

Leadership, Fritz Friedman and Dean Devlin for CONFAA medals, and Philippine basketball star Kobe Paras and Olympian figure skater Michael Christian Martinez for youth achievement.

Johnny Itliong, the son of Larry who has been advocating for his father’s legacy both within the Filipino community and nationwide, also spoke at the event, receiving an official proclamation recognizing the holiday.

“I started this movement many years ago to appeal to anyone else who would listen, whom I could educate about my father and what he did, what the Delano Manongs stood for and fought for, the racism and brutality they took for us,” Itliong said. “As human beings, they suffered so much so that our lives could be good.”

Delano Manongs screening On Sunday, Oct. 25, community members gathered at the Search to Involve Pilipino Americans (SIPA) headquarters to screen “Delano Manongs: Forgotten Heroes of the United Farm Workers,” a documentary that tells the story of the contribution of Filipino farmers in the eventual creation of the United Farm Workers (UFW).

“For many, the face of the United Farm Workers is usually Ceasar Chavez, but the heart and soul of that union and that movement, [that] legacy, was Larry Itliong,” said Casimiro Urbano Tolentino, an attorney and retired judge who moderated a panel of individuals involved in the creation of the film after the screening. Panel members included filmmaker Marissa Aroy, community leader Johnny Itliong, and secretary to Larry Itliong in the summer of 1969 Linda Susana Terrazas.

Aroy, who wrote, directed and narrated the film, spent five years working on the project.

Aroy, who is the granddaughter of a manong, was also among three honorees recognized at LA City Hall on Friday, Oct. 23, for Filipino American History Month.

During the celebration at SIPA, Aroy credited support from the Filipino community, including the Pulido family and Board of Public Works Commissioner Joel Jacinto, for helping the project move forward since its beginnings.

Since the documentary premiered in Oakland last year, it has been screened about 70 times nationwide and in Canada.

While the majority of community members who attended the screening were Filipino, Itliong said non Filipinos can learn from what his father and the manongs did. He cited that many materials sanctioned by the UFW state that Cesar Chavez and Dolres Huerta founded the organization, leaving out Filipinos like Pete Velasco and Andy Imutan.

“I’m not trying to bring down the UFW … or Cesar Chavez. I’m trying to tell the real, real story, and I feel they’ve missed on a huge, huge opportunity to show that two communities got together and fought against the largest industry here in the United States, an industry that has a larger economy than Russia here in California,” Itliong said.

Community members gathered at the Search to Involve Pilipino Americans headquarters to screen a documentary about the Delano Manongs and their contribution to the Delano Grape Strike of 1965, as well as the eventual formation of the United Farm Workers.

Youth Achievement awardees Michael Martinez and Kobe Paras.

Filipino Olympian figure skater Michael Martinez was recognized for Youth Achievement.

Fil-Am History Month Community Leadership awardee, WWII veteran Franco Arcebal, with Mayor Pro-Tem Elito Santarina.

Filipino war veterans marching in the Carson tribute parade.

Photo by Allyson Escobar.

A cultural performance from the FASGI Cultural Group.

Johnny Itliong, the son of Larry Itliong, continues his father’s legacy.

The audience sweats off doing Zumba with Noni iDance Studio.

From left to right: Senior planning deputy for LA City Council District 1 Gerald Gubatan, retired judge and attorney Casimiro Urbano Tolentino, filmmaker Marissa Aroy, community leader Johnny Itlion and secretary to Larry Itliong in the summer of 1969 Linda Susana Terrazas.

AJ Press photos by Ding Carreon

C OCTOBER 31-NOVEMBER 3, 2015 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL

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MARKETPLACE SHOWROOM Naturalization disaster:Misrepresenting absences from the US

&

World Bank recommends: Immigration Open up shipping, rice, Corner telecommunications sectors

by Richmond

S. meRcuRio

Philstar.com

MANILA—The World Bank is urging the Philippines to open up its telecommunications, shipping, and rice industries to more competition locally and internationally to increase competitiveness and attract more foreign investments.

Karl Kendrick Chua, senior country economist of the World Bank Philippine Office, said the three industries have the potential to create more jobs if only the country could improve the quality of their service and lower prices.

“These are the sectors wherein the costs are somehow prohibitive, negative to the quality of service you get,” Chua said.

In the telecommunications sector, Chua said the country’s Internet costs are among the highest in the region but consumers also get the lowest speed.

In shipping, it is currently way more expensive to ship between local destinations in the Philippines than if one were to ship from a foreign port, Chua noted.

“This is one reason why agriculture produce from Mindanao are having a hard time getting to the markets in Luzon or Visayas,” he said.

The World Bank likewise believes the country’s agricultural sector has been underperforming for over 30 years now, characterized by low growth PAGE D2

Shipping containers are stacked at the Manila International Container Port.

Philstar.com photo

China’s easing of birth limit a boon to couples, companies BEIJING—China’s decision to abolish its one-child policy is a boon to couples and to sellers of goods from formula to diapers to toys. And it might help defuse economic stresses caused by an aging population.

The impact of the surprise change announced on Thursday, Oct. 29 is expected to be gradual. But with incomes rising in the world’s most populous country, even a small uptick in births could translate into higher demand from Chinese that could ripple around the world.

The decision to let all married couples have two children, end-

ing a policy that limited many urban families to one, coincides with official efforts to encourage economic growth based on consumer spending.

Wei Guang, the father of an 8-year-old son, said he and his wife already were considering whether to have a second child, even though the cost was daunting. Wei said food, clothes, nannies, after-school lessons and other expenses can cost 100,000 yuan ($16,000) a year.

“We know the cost will be substantial,” said Wei, 51, who works in media and whose wife is in her PAGE D2

In an economic bulletin, Finance Undersecretary Gil Beltran said the dollar’s recent appreciation against major currencies lowered the value of remittances sent by Filipinos to their families.

Philstar.com photo

Dollar strength cutting through OFW remittances

by PRinz

P. magtuliS Philstar.com

MANILA—The US dollar’s strength is cutting through remittance earnings of overseas Filipinos, but the recent drop in inflows could prove to be “temporary,” the chief economist of the Department of Finance said.

“Overseas remittances will continue to be a positive factor in Philippine GDP (gross domestic product) growth and recent slowdown may be temporary as the US dollar strengthens,” Finance Undersecretary Gil Beltran said.

In August, cash remittances coursed through banks dipped 0.6 percent to $2.04 billion, the first monthly drop recorded in 12 years. For the first eight months though, inflows remained 4.1 percent higher year-on-year.

In an economic bulletin, Beltran said the dollar’s recent appreciation against major currencies lowered the value of remittances sent

by Filipinos to their families.

The greenback, he said, is garnering strength from expectations the US Federal Reserve would hike key rates before the year ends. On

Wednesday, the Fed kept its nearzero policy rates steady after its two-day meet.

“If remittances were valued in respective local currencies, growth would have been double-digit or close to double-digit in many countries,” Beltran said.

That includes countries “mired in recession, except Italy, and the petroleum exporters which were adversely affected by steep oil price drop,” he added.

A strong dollar strips the value of remittances in other currencies if the value being sent remains constant. For the first eight months, a number of emerging market currencies plummeted in value as profit-seeking investors flock to the US to wait for the rate hike.

Beltran named the currencies as the euro and Japanese yen (down 18 percent), Singaporean dollar (eight percent) and the pound (8.5 percent). The Philippine peso also decreased four percent.

By segment, land-based overseas workers were the one highly affected by the dollar’s surge.

Sea-based workers, meanwhile, have been experiencing a decline in remittances for the past four years.

Business Quote of the Week “Developing a good, healthy culture is extremely important at a startup. Culture reflects the essence of a startup’s operation because it directly affects the success of a company’s hiring practices and overall strategy.”

- Scott Weiss, venture capitalist

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

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

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

In one case, a person was already approved for naturalization, and was merely awaiting for his oath taking ceremony, when he got a notice from USCIS advising the case was being “reopened”, because USCIS discovered he lied about his absences and physical presence in the US. In that case, the person listed on his N – 400 he had been outside the US on only four trips, for a total time period of just over 100 days. His longest trip was a month and a half. He confirmed the accuracy of these trips at his naturalization interview. He passed all the tests and questions, and was told just to wait for his oath taking ceremony.

About a month later, the person received a notice from USCIS advising that USCIS had checked with Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and a “review of the record reflects that the dates of travel that you put on your N

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

In that case, the person is likely to have his naturalization application denied, and USCIS could possibly put him in removal proceedings for having “abandoned” his residency (or green

card) for having stayed outside the US for more than a year.

Therefore, if you have any questions or issues about the physical presence requirement, you should seek the advice and guidance of an attorney before filling out the naturalization application or applying. If you provide inaccurate information, your application could be denied and your immigration status jeopardized. *** Michael J. Gurfinkel is licensed, and an active member of the State Bar of California and New York. All immigration services are provided by, or under the supervision of, an active member of the State Bar of California.

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

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

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PLDT partners with Airbnb

by LoueLLa

D. DesiDerio Philstar.com

MANILA—Telecommunications giant Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) which has forged a partnership with online accommodation booking platform Airbnb, is looking to conclude three other partnerships with investments of $15 million to $30 million by year-end.

In line with its thrust to provide the best digital experience to its customers, PLDT with wireless unit Smart Communications Inc. and digital innovations unit Voyager Innovations Inc. announced enue official added. Unlike Uber, its partnership with Airbnb. however, GrabTaxi’s business is Under the partnership, Smart entirely cash-based, which, ac- subscribers can avail of a P2,500 cording to Aspe, is more difficult discount when they book an acto track. commodation through Airbnb The guidelines on Uber rides, with a minimum spend of P8,000 which Aspe said would not cre- from today until January 2016. ate new rules but define how To avail of the discount, subexisting laws should be applied, scribers just need to text SMARTwould be issued before the end AIRBNB to 2855 to receive a of the year.

The requirement for receipts is the latest legal hoop faced by Uber and other ride-sharing service providers. Earlier this year, by richmonD s. mercurio the Philippines became the first Philstar.com country in the world to issue forMANILA—The Philippines is mal regulations for ride-sharing services, which allow passengers following trends in Europe and to book rides using smart phone the United States where people become more serious in buying apps.

Uber vehicle owners and driv- properties as they get older, a new ers were required to get licenses report by global property portal from the Land Transportation Lamudi said.

The report showed there is Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB), much like regular taxis. an increasing preference among Uber’s accreditation as a Trans- Filipinos to buy a property as they port Network Company was ap- hit 35 years and their purchasing tendency further escalates as they proved in August.

Taxing rides: BIR targets Uber

by PaoLo

G. monteciLLo Philstar.com

UBER rides may soon become less convenient for the public as tax authorities plan to require the issuance of receipts—a rule ignored by many taxi operators.

Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) Deputy Commissioner Nelson Aspe said new guidelines would be issued to spell out the tax responsibilities of all parties in the Uber system.

Apart from the issuance of receipts, the BIR said it expected owners of cars used for Uber rides to file tax returns. Uber drivers who don’t own the cars they use will also be considered employees, hence appropriate taxes should be withheld from their salaries.

Uber rides will also be subjected to value-added tax (VAT), which will add 12 percent to total costs. Aspe said the BIR would charge it retroactively.

“All of these taxes are in the

present law,” Aspe told reporters at the sidelines of a financial services forum hosted by accounting firm Punongbayan & Araullo.

“We’re telling everyone what the law provides… It’s just a reiteration of what they should pay.”

Uber drivers who own the cars they use would have to issue receipts as self-employed individuals, like doctors and lawyers. Uber drivers who work for car owners, meanwhile, should issue receipts on behalf of their employers.

Aspe said BIR would dig through information from credit card companies, which are required to make regular reports to the government on all transactions. This will ensure that the tax liabilities of drivers, owners and Uber itself are computed accurately. Uber passengers are charged online using their credit card information.

The same rules will apply to other ride-sharing services like GrabTaxi, which offers a similar service called GrabCar, the rev-

unique promo code.

The discount can be availed once by every registered Philippine Airbnb user on the condition the booking is made by March 31, 2016 and the date of travel is between today and December 2016.

While the partnership is seen to benefit Filipino travelers, Airbnb and PLDT are also exploring ways to work together to make it easier for homes and unique hospitality businesses to list on the platform.

“We’re excited to help bring yet another digital innovation closer to more Filipinos nationwide, this time with a global pioneer in travel accommodations, Airbnb. As more and more Filipinos, particularly the younger ones, find the time and resources to travel around the country and abroad, we are providing them convenient access to millions of the most unique accommodations around the world through

our partnership with Airbnb, as part of the revolutionary ‘Smart Life’ experience,” Ariel Fermin, executive vice president and head of consumer business at Smart said.

For his part, Jia Jih Chai, regional director for Southeast Asia at Airbnb said the partnership with Smart is expected to enable the platform to sustain, if not exceed the 300 percent growth in Filipino users and hosts seen last year, this year.

“The Philippines is among the fastest growing markets for Airbnb in the region and we are excited to reach even more Filipinos through this partnership. Unforgettable travel experiences are literally just a few clicks away on Airbnb. With almost two million homes to choose from all over the world, tree houses, holiday villas or designer apartments are safely and easily booked on a computer, mobile phone or tablet,” he said.

PH follows US, Europe trend in property hunting grow older.

Lamudi data revealed there is an equal proportion of property hunters looking for for-rent and for-sale properties among 18- to 24-year-olds.

For this age group, Lamudi said 50.2 percent look for for-rent properties while 49.8 percent search for for-sale properties.

Among the 25- to 34-year-old age group, 57.3 percent check out for-sale properties while 42.7 percent look for for-rent properties.

Lamudi said the preference to buy is even higher in the 35 to 44 and 45 to 54 age groups as 70.8 percent and 72.6 percent, respectively, search for for-sale properties.

The 55 to 64 age group also posts strong eagerness in buying a property at 71.1 percent while only 28.9 percent look for for-rent properties.

Lamudi Philippines managing director Jacqueline van den Ende said the findings in the Philippines are consistent with observations made in Europe and the United States, where people have the tendency to buy as they get older.

“This seems to be the case among Filipinos. Younger people, those aged 18 to 24, probably prefer mobility and flexibility, which explains a higher search volume for for-rent properties in the Lamudi website,” Van den Ende said.

Van den Ende, however, said this does not mean the young generation are not planning to buy eventually.

“Almost half of searches in this age group are dedicated to forsale properties, then this tendency significantly increases in the 25 to 34 and 35 to 44 age groups: stage when young people start to have stable jobs, consider getting married, and start families,” she said.

In terms of areas, Lamudi data showed Quezon City remains the Philippines’ most popular place to search a property, whether to rent or to buy.

Lamudi said 27 percent of property hunters looking for for-sale properties are checking Quezon City, followed by Makati, Parañaque, Tagaytay, and Las Piñas.

World Bank recommends: Open...

PAGE D1 and productivity, and high food prices.

Chua said calamities like typhoons have further emphasized the vulnerability of the country’s rice industry.

“We have to pay for that through the very high price of rice. This high food cost translates of course to high minimum wage, translates to high cost of manufacturing, and high cost of inputs for agribusiness or food manufacturing, therefore eroding the competitiveness of Filipinos,” he said.

For his part, National Competitiveness Council co-chairman Guillermo Luz said there are five areas—energy and power, infrastructure, agriculture, education, and regulatory processes—that need

special attention to further boost the country’s competitiveness.

“We are still stuck in a lot of red tape, we are still stuck in a bureaucratic maze as far as regulations are concerned,” Luz said.

“I think we need to look at more opportunities to streamline e-governance, for more automation, for more business-friendly and user-friendly ways of interacting with customers, investors, and with citizens,” he added.

Luz also underscored the country’s need to revisit existing laws and regulations.

“I think we have far too many.

We probably need to sit back, assess them, and do a regulatory impact assessment so we can begin to repeal some laws which are no longer necessary,” Luz said.

China’s easing of birth limit...

PAGE D1 30s. “But we can manage.”

Citigroup researchers said they expect a 5 percent to 10 percent rise in Chinese births.

The one-child policy had been intended to conserve resources at a time when widespread poverty would have been worsened by unregulated population growth. The ruling Communist Party has said it led to 400 million fewer births. But that also caused China’s average age to soar, prompting concern about whether a shrinking workforce could support a growing pool of retirees.

China already had one of Asia’s highest median ages at 37.3 years in 2014, and that could rise to 40 by 2025, according to Media Eghbal of Euromonitor International, a research firm.

The size of China’s workingage population ages 15 to 64 is set to decline starting next year, according to Eghbal. Euromonitor estimates that the workforce will shrink by 11 million people in 2015-20.

The latest change “is significant and likely a response to the pressures that have been building,” said Eghbal.

Experts say it will take two decades for babies born under the relaxed policy to have a significant effect on the workforce. But an increase in births could begin providing a boost to the economy as soon as mid-2016.

“Having the birth rate go up will definitely stimulate the economy,” said Seth Kaplowitz, a lecturer in finance at San Diego State University who worked in China’s real estate industry in the late 2000s.

Kaplowitz predicted that an increase in babies will eventually provide a “whole new base of opportunity” for U.S. and other

consumer products companies.

A string of Chinese product safety scandals has helped boost demand for imported milk, food and baby care products, allowing foreign brands to charge premium prices.

On Thursday, shares of Mead Johnson Nutrition Co., which makes Enfamil and other baby formula, rose more than 3 percent. The company, based in Glenview, Illinois, derived more than half its revenue between July and September from Asia.

“China is an important market for us, and we will be carefully monitoring this latest policy adjustment,” said Chris Perille, a company spokesman.

Jeremy Haft, an entrepreneur who does business in China, said the one-child policy damaged the country demographically but faster population growth brought on by the end of the policy is a business opportunity worth trillions of dollars over time.

“All these people will need to be fed, clothed, housed, healed, powered, transported, and networked,” he said.

The birth limits that were enacted in 1979 dramatically changed the status of children in Chinese society. Even families with modest incomes lavish money on their “little emperors,” paying for dance, music and English classes.

Su Weihua, the mother of an 8-year-old daughter in the southern city of in Guangzhou, said she was making plans to become pregnant next year. She already is thinking about how to pay for a second child.

“I think we may spend less on things like traveling, luxury goods, expensive new phones or a bigger house,” said Su, 36.

(Philstar.com with reports from Associated Press)

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Australia’s Telstra eager to compete in PH telco WIN Hyundai and WIN Chevrolet: Three giant locations to serve you

by LoueLLa

D. DesiDerio Philstar.com

MANILA—Australia’s biggest telecommunications provider Telstra will invest nearly $1 billion in the country should it decide to pursue a partnership for a wireless business with San Miguel Corp. (SMC).

A transcript of Telstra’s Investor Day held in Australia sent to Philippine media cited company chief executive officer Andrew Penn as saying the company is looking to invest nearly $1 billion for the wireless business in the Philippines, if and when it proceeds with plans with SMC. “Our estimate would be an investment from Telstra (which) would be less than $1 billion,” he said.

Telstra sees opportunity in

investing in the Philippines as there are only two players in the telecommunications industry as opposed to six up to eight in other markets.

Given the “lousy” service from present telco players, Penn said there is also opportunity for Telstra to provide much better quality offerings in the country.

James Molan, group manager for communications for international and new businesses at Telstra, said in an email discussions with SMC for a possible joint venture on the wireless business in the Philippines are still ongoing.

“No deal has been reached and there is no certainty one will be reached,” he said.

Should Telstra pursue the joint venture with SMC, the Australian firm would hold a 40 percent stake given the Philippine Constitution’s

foreign ownership limit.

“As a foreign investor in the Philippines, you are limited to a 40 percent shareholding, so this would be very much a partnership and our capital would be equivalent effectively to that shareholding and then also supplemented by external financing as well,” Penn said.

For now, he said Telstra is working with SMC in terms of design and network rollout in case the deal pushes through.

Telstra offers a wide range of services globally, with a focus on the Asia Pacific region.

SMC is engaged in the telecommunications business through the companies Eastern Telecommunications Philippines Inc., Bell Telecommunications Philippines Inc., Liberty Telecoms Holdings Inc. and Vega Telecom, Inc.

Cyclists battle Manila’s ‘carmageddon’ MANILA—Cyclist Jack Yabut is on a perilous and likely futile crusade to help the Philippine capital beat “Carmageddon,” but even if his campaign fails—he will have saved time on his own commute.

Traffic in the megacity of 12 million people has reached crisis levels this year, as record car sales have added to long-term problems of decrepit railways, a stunted road network and a lawof-the-jungle driving culture.

In response to the worsening traffic, President Benigno Aquino recently deployed extra police to some of Manila’s worst choke points with orders for them to force recalcitrant drivers to obey laws.

But, with relatively little infrastructure spending underway, Aquino has been widely seen as otherwise helpless in trying to ease what enraged commuters and the national press have branded “Carmageddon.”

Cycling has barely featured in the discussion of remedies but Yabut, part of a growing community of daredevil bike riding advocates, believes that is a mistake.

“Cycling offers an immediate solution to the traffic and pollution problems,” Yabut, 55, told AFP after dodging trucks and buses while riding along EDSA, one of the city’s most important and gridlocked roads.

While commuters in cars or on over-crowded buses regularly spend more than two hours travel-

Traffic in the megacity of 12 million people has reached crisis levels this year, as record car sales have added to long-term problems of decrepit railways, a stunted road network and a law-of-the-jungle driving culture.

Inquirer.net photo

ing just 15 kilometers (nine miles) along EDSA and its arteries, Yabut does that in under 30 minutes.

“It seems crazy to me to be stuck in traffic when you can cycle so much more quickly.”

But, for most drivers, cyclists such as Yabut are the crazy ones.

Killer roads Cycling fatalities are common, and tens of thousands of people have signed online petitions calling for authorities to improve road safety conditions for bike riders.

“It is very dangerous,” acknowledged Yabut, a father-of-two and president of cycling advocacy group The Firefly Brigade.

Advocates are lobbying for bike lanes, which are nearly non-

existent, as well as to educate drivers that cyclists have the right to share the roads.

“Opening bike lanes is one part of it. But the bigger effort is changing people’s perceptions and attitudes,” Yabut said.

Among the dangers, cyclists have to negotiate mini-bus “jeepneys” and buses that randomly stop in the middle of roads for passengers, or sweep out suddenly into lanes meant for oncoming traffic.

Most drivers also routinely ignore pedestrian crossings and block intersections at traffic lights, while indicators are rarely used and poorly enforced emission standards mean badly polluting PAGE D5

There’s no better place for kababayans to shop for hyundai vehicles than WIN hyundai in Carson, Calif. established in 2011, the young dealership started with the goal of becoming the premiere hyundai dealership. since then, it has lived up to its aim by consistently ranked among the top five dealers in the district.

In 2012, the dealership, which is also equus Certified, was also ranked No. 1 in district sales.

WIN is proud to carry hyundai vehicles. J.D. Power and Associates ranked the automaker No. 2 among nonpremium automakers in the 2015 Automotive Performance, execution and Layout (APeAL) study.

“Finishing among the top two non-premium brands in this year’s J.D. Power, the APeAL study shows hyundai takes design, technology, features, and performance seriously across the entire lineup. having the bestselling sonata ranking among the top two in its class is a remarkable accomplishment and we are committed to delivering the highest customer experience possible to our owners,” said Mike O’Brien, vice president of corporate and product planning at hyundai.

WIN hyundai offers a wide selection of quality hyundai vehicles and extends its offerings across the Los Angeles area with its two locations: one in Carson and another in el Monte. On both sites, customers can find new and certified pre-owned vehicles – including the santa Fe, sonata, elantra and Genesis Coupe – to meet a variety of budgets and preferences.

Because the Carson and el Monte locations serve just about anyone and everyone in southern California, its experienced sales representatives are prepared and eager to help customers find the cars that best fit their preferences and needs.

When it comes to purchasing a hyundai, WIN specializes in working with all types of credit, good or bad, and has the ability to refinance current loans.

Additionally, although it sells hyundai cars, the dealership services vehicles of all makes and models and currently has an oil change special of $19.95 For Chevrolet owners and

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shoppers in Los Angeles, you may check out WIN’s third location at WIN Chevrolet, which will make sure to handle everything from helping you purchase a new or used Chevy. schedule an appointment or just stop on by to take any of our 2015 Chevrolet models for a test drive including the 2015 Chevrolet Camaro, 2015 Chevrolet Impala, and 2015 Chevrolet Tahoe.

Beyond the highly-praised brand WIN offers southern California residents, it has departments dedicated diverse groups found throughout the Los Angeles region, including Chinese, Korean, hispanic and Filipino communities. “ We w a n t t o m a k e t h e buying process as easy as possible, so we understand communicating in your native language can be important to completely understanding the purchasing and financing of your vehicle,” said Munir Younis, general sales manager of the dealership.

Younis, who is of Middle eastern descent, grew up in the Philippines and can speak Tagalog fluently, just as the Filipino sales representatives at the dealership.

“We have a dedicated team that serves the largest Filipino community in the U.s. We believe in giving back to the community and have participated in multiple sponsorship opportunities with multiple Filipino groups and organizations, including the Philippine Independence Day Foundation,” he said.

Among Filipino members of the WIN hyundai Carson team include long-time car industry veterans Jun Milan and Jay Trinidad.

“WIN is a great dealership and customer service is the best it can be,” Milan said.

Also on the Filipino team is Franklin Magarro, the dealership’s internet sales manager.

In addition to its on-location offerings, those shopping for hyundai cars can browse WIN’s inventory online with userfriendly filters. Whether you know specifically what make and model you’re looking for, are trying to shop based on a budget, or simply want to browse through what is available, the dealership website makes it easy to shop around from home. Live chat is also available and sales representatives are happy to assist customers via phone.

WIN Hyundai Carson 2205 e 223rd street Carson, CA 90810 (877) 354-4253 Monday through saturday: 9am to 9pm sunday: 10am to 8pm WIN Hyundai El Monte 3462 N Peck road el Monte, CA 91731 (877) 290-2164 Monday through sunday: 9am to 9pm www.winhyundai.com Win Chevrolet 2201 e. 223rd street Carson, CA 90810 (818) 639-1216 www.winchevrolet.com 8[m\ik`j`e^ Jlggc\d\ek

D october 31-november 3, 2015 • LA WeeKenD ASIAn JoUrnAL

Marketplace

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Buyers discover the bright side of buying La Colina Estates distinguished by remarkable new at William Lyon Homes’ Canvas luxury & highly rated school districts

LAKEWOOD—Homebuyers looking for beautiful townhomes to fit their lives are quickly discovering the bright side of buying new at William Lyon Homes’ Canvas neighborhood in convenient Lakewood. With attainable prices starting from the low $400,000s and the promise of quality, brand-new construction, this contemporary attachedhome collection offers threestory row townhome-inspired architecture that includes two to three bedrooms; two full baths and two powder baths; flowing living spaces with a versatile first-level bonus room; a directaccess two-car side-by-side garage and an outdoor patio. Interested buyers are encouraged to visit the Canvas Sales Gallery for model tours to find out why from floor to ceiling and everything in between, nothing compares to the beauty of buying new at Canvas. For immediate details on the collection, log on to www.

LyonCanvas.com.

“Purchasing a brand-new home at Canvas is one of the most prudent decisions a first-time buyer could make,” said Lesley Pennington, Vice President of Sales for William Lyon Homes.

“Not only are Canvas’ designs smartly planned to embrace the

best of contemporary living, but they’re also built with William Lyon Homes’ signature quality, giving buyers both confidence and true peace of mind.”

Canvas’ three attached-home designs span from approximately 1,647 to 1,801 square feet with open-concept living that includes a well-equipped kitchen, living and dining room spaces and much The commuter-friendly setting in Lakewood near Long Beach puts Davenport Park, Lakewood Country Club, Lakewood Golf Course, Mayfair Park and Pool and other recreational opportunities all within reach.

Lakewood Center’s Costco, Best Buy, Macy’s, and Target are also nearby, as well as attractions at the Long Beach Towne Center.

Downtown Long Beach, The Pike at Rainbow Harbor, Belmont Shores and the Aquarium of the Pacific are also convenient, while medical services are accessible at Lakewood Regional Medical Center.

It matters who your builder is and William Lyon Homes is a company built upon a legacy of pride and integrity. A team of visionaries who are passionate about homebuilding and committed to providing a high quality

homebuying and homeownership experience, William Lyon Homes has earned a solid track record for outstanding construction and customer service since 1956. The company continues to expand its well-respected brand beyond California, Arizona and Nevada and into other market areas across the Western region with the acquisition of Polygon Northwest Homes, its newest division in Washington and Oregon, and its Village Homes division in Colorado. William Lyon Homes’ shares are publicly traded on NYSE under the symbol WLH. For updated information and to learn more, visit www.lyonhomes.com.

To visit Canvas, travel the 405 Freeway, exit Lakewood Blvd., and head east. Turn left on E. South St. and follow the signs to the Sales Gallery, which is located on the left hand side. The sales gallery is open daily from 10am. to 5pm. For more information, please call (562)470-7404, or visit www.LyonCanvas.com and register your interest.

Prices are effective as of the date of publication. Pricing is approximate and is subject to change without prior notice. CalBRE Officer License: 00982816.

(Advertising Supplement)

GLENDORA—La Colina Estates by William Lyon Homes fulfills the grandest aspirations of homebuyers with the unparalleled advantages of owning a brand-new luxury home with no Mello Roos fees in one of the highest rated school districts in the area. Priced from the low $1 millions, this exquisite singlefamily detached home collection offers families architecturally magnificent residences graced with elegantly appointed floorplans, estate-sized properties averaging 20,000 square feet, and a Glendora foothills location that includes access to the acclaimed La Fetra Elementary, Sandburg Middle School and Glendora High School in the coveted Glendora Unified School District. With impressively high rankings by GreatSchools.org and Glendora High School’s outstanding recognition as a three-time California Distinguished School, La Colina Estates’ homeowners can feel confident that their children will receive an educational experience that meets every expectation and prepares them with the skills and critical thinking needed to realize their full potential. Those interested in the value, prestige and luxury of a La Colina Estates lifestyle are encouraged to visit the Sales Gallery for model tours to find the floorplan design that best suits their family’s needs. For additional neighborhood details, log on to www.LyonLaColinaEstates. com. For further information on the Glendora Unified School District, visit http://www.glendora. k12.ca.us.

“La Colina Estates is one of the most sought-after new-home addresses in Glendora, and that allure is rooted in the extraordinary lifestyle advantages we offer without the need for Mello Roos fees,” said Ben Blomdahl, Director of Sales for William Lyon Homes.

“Having a strong school system at our disposal is essential to our homeowners and that’s a factor we greatly considered when choosing this setting.”

Beautifully framed by the San Gabriel Mountain Range, La Colina Estates offers homebuyers remarkable luxury with a selection of seven elegant floorplans that seamlessly blend indoor-outdoor living spaces, including five spectacular single-level designs. The gorgeously appointed interiors

range from approximately 3,643 to 6,081 square feet with three to six bedrooms; three and one-half to five and one-half baths; modern, chef-inspired kitchens with oversized islands; sweeping living spaces that inspire socializing and family time; large family rooms for casual relaxation; and three- to four-car attached garages. Additional design features showcased per plan include conservatories, spacious outdoor courtyards, wine rooms, clubrooms, offices, optional outdoor kitchens, optional suites with exterior stairs and much more. Sprawling homesites enhance each home, providing a dramatic backdrop for outdoor entertaining.

La Colina Estates’ commuterfriendly location near I-210, 57 Freeway and the future Metro Gold Line commuter train creates an ideal homebase for working professionals. For those seeking premier leisure, the private Glendora Country Club is just a short distance away with its 113-acre Robert Trent Jones, Sr.-designed golf course equipped with an urban forest, undulating terrain and water features; a 25-yard swimming pool for year-round aquatics; and several indoor and outdoor venues to host private events. Other advantages include proximity to the Eastland Center’s retail and dining spots, including PetSmart, Target, Chipotle and Starbucks, and nearness to the excellent shops and restaurants at Plaza West Covina. Medical services are easily accessible at the Foothill Presbyterian Hospital and East Valley Hospital Medical Center.

It matters who your builder is and William Lyon Homes is a com-

pany built upon a legacy of pride and integrity. A team of visionaries who are passionate about homebuilding and committed to providing a high quality homebuying and homeownership experience, William Lyon Homes has earned a solid track record for outstanding construction and customer service since 1956. The company continues to expand its well-respected brand beyond California, Arizona and Nevada and into other market areas across the Western region with the acquisition of Polygon Northwest Homes, its newest division in Washington and Oregon, and its Village Homes division in Colorado.

William Lyon Homes’ shares are publicly traded on NYSE under the symbol WLH. For updated information and to learn more, visit www. lyonhomes.com.

Brokers will receive a 3% referral fee per closing. Brokers must bring client on first visit to register for broker referral fee.

Buyers cannot be registered online prior to first visit. Broker referral fee to be paid at the close of escrow.

To visit La Colina Estates, travel I-210, exit Citrus Avenue North, which turns into Foothill Blvd. Turn left on Barranca Ave., left on W. Sierra Madre Ave., left on Yucca Ridge Road and then right on Iris Lane. The Sales Gallery is open daily from 10am to 5pm. For more information, call (626)9691177, or visit www.LyonLaColinaEstates.com.

Prices are effective as of the date of publication. Pricing is approximate and is subject to change without prior notice. CalBRE Officer License: 00982816.

(Advertising Supplement)

Diamond Honda of Glendale: Your fuel for inspiration EvEry waking day is a challenge to do better than yesterday.

In order to improve, a person looks for an inspiration, a fuel that would always ignite his passion and purpose. For most people, inspiration comes from the people they look up to or they care about.

Some would like to visualize the things that they want to have on a daily basis as a reminder that they will get those things someday with faith and perseverance. May it be a successful career, a lovely house, or a fancy car, it is important that those goals are realized so other long term goals may be accomplished.

Believing that there is no need to wait in getting the car you have always wanted; Diamond Honda of Glendale showcases a huge pool of cars to choose from. At the same time, its team of financial experts will be more than willing to work with clients and settle for the most competitive pricing. Whether it may be brand-new or certified pre-owned cars, clients can be sure that they only get quality vehicles at the dealership.

With a track record of innovative and customer-centric service, Diamond Honda of Glendale looks forward to more success with its customers as Philip Keung, the newly-installed General Manager takes the reins.

While you may now have more options where to get your new set of wheels, it also means you are more prone to being enticed by deals which look good on the surface but when you take a more in-depth look into it will

prove to be not as worthwhile as you thought it was. This is the case with car dealerships who are focused in just selling you a car to give their annual sales report the much-needed boost.

At Diamond Honda of Glendale, you can trust that you won’t be considered as a mere statistic as their main focus is to provide their customers with quality service and 100 percent customer satisfaction, which they hope would equal to a long-term relationship.

Trust among buyers and longterm customer relationships are the main goals of business in Diamond Honda of Glendale.

Diamond Honda of Glendale considers its Filipino staff to be assets in the company because of the Pinoys’ resilient and friendly nature. Committed to help customers find the right vehicles that would inspire them every day, the Filipino Department of the Diamond Honda of Glendale make a continuous effort to close comprehensive deals.

Being loyal is also a quality attributed to Filipinos, wherever they may be. And with a strong, committed, accomodating and well-experienced sales staff, there is no doubt that Diamond Honda of Glendale will gain even more loyal customers in the coming years. The Filipino-American community can be assured their car needs would be fulfilled to their satisfaction.

Other members of the Filipino Department like Sales Consultant Orly roque are always more than happy to serve clients at the Diamond Honda of Glendale.

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Come visit your kababayans at Diamond Honda of Glendale located at 138 S. Glendale Ave., Glendale, CA 91205. and Sales are open from Mondays to Sundays, 9am-9pm. Parts and Services are open from Mondays to Saturdays, 9am-6pm. For more information, you may call (866) 236-9460.

8[m\ik`j`e^ Jlggc\d\ek

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Marketplace & ShowrooM

PAL revives talks with strategic investors

by LoueLLa

D. DesiDerio Philstar.com

MANILA—Philippine Airlines (PAL) is in talks to bring in a strategic investor to support the company’s expansion plans.

PAL president and chief operating officer Jaime Bautista told reporters that while the carrier is not in a hurry to get a strategic investor, its financial adviser is currently in talks with potential investors.

“We are considering some,” he said, but declined to name the parties being considered citing confidentiality agreements.

PAL is looking for a strategic investor as it looks to expand its operations in the international markets.

“As we expand, as we take delivery of more airplanes, as we compete in Asia, the US, Europe, we will need that (investor),” Bautista said.

According to Bautista, PAL is aiming to be the preferred carrier in all the markets where it operates and so, it would need the help of a partner in growing its presence in certain areas. “(We need) companies that will help us grow our market,” he

PAL is looking for a strategic investor as it looks to expand its operations in the international markets.

said.

For instance, partners from Europe who can carry PAL’s passengers from London and beyond would be welcome as the carrier wants to serve more passengers in that region.

While PAL would also want to grow in the domestic market, Bautista said there is limited capacity to expand operations given congestion in the airport.

PAL is spending about $500

million to $700 million next year to take delivery of five Airbus A321 aircraft as well as two Boeing 777-300ER in line with its plan of expanding its services.

For this year, the carrier has already taken delivery of five new A321 aircraft.

The company is also evaluating a plan to purchase new aircraft for long-haul flights to replace its Airbus A340s which consume more fuel and are costlier to maintain.

Cyclists battle Manila’s ‘carmageddon’ PAGE D3 vehicles roam free.

One of the chief strategists for the capital’s transport network, Emerson Carlos, said cyclists should be an important part of the traffic solution.

But, in a candid interview, he said there were few options for them and the ideal of bikes sharing the road with vehicles was unwise.

“It is not safe for cyclists to share the roads with motor vehicles,” said Carlos, the Metro Manila Development Authority’s assistant general manager for operations.

He said city authorities were trying to establish bike lanes but only on footpaths where there were already many other obstacles, such as electric poles, illegally parked cars and pedestrians.

“The problem is cyclists were an afterthought. We can’t move the electric poles,” he said.

Urban dreams Meanwhile, Carlos and other city planners appear focused on much bigger problems.

With a fast-growing middle class, the Philippines is in the

midst of an unprecedented carbuying frenzy.

An extra 600,000 new vehicles are expected to hit the capital’s roads this year, taking the total to three million, according to Carlos.

“Where are all those cars going to go? We already don’t have enough roads,” Carlos said.

Global road navigation app Waze recently reported that Manila had the world’s worst traffic, based on a survey of its users and its own data.

Carlos lamented the lack of other options for commuters, citing figures showing the city’s rail network was much smaller than in Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur and other Southeast Asian capitals.

“It’s pathetic,” he said of the rail network. “We need an efficient, safe and comfortable mass transport system.”

A “Dream Plan” recently adopted by the government to fix the urban chaos envisages 65 billion dollars of infrastructure spending over the next 15 years, which would include building a subway system.

But, in a nation bedevilled by government corruption and a

chaotic democracy that has seen similar strategies collapse, most people expect the plan will remain a dream.

With few other solutions, cycling offers the opportunity for quick and cheap “big wins” in the traffic war, according to Julia Nebrija, another bike riding advocate and a prominent urban planner.

“It’s not rocket science. And it will have a big impact,” she said, citing measures such as creating cycling lanes on major roads that have the space, building bike racks at transport hubs and installing showers at offices.

Nebrija and Yabut said one district in the capital had successfully started to introduce a bike network, proving it was possible.

In the meantime, Yabut intends to continue riding with an almost missionary zeal, hoping that his high-stakes, traffic-beating exploits will inspire others.

“We need people to be role models… to be crazy enough to bicycle, so that motorists and pedestrians will be encouraged to bicycle too,” he said. (Inquirer. net)

LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • OctObER 31-NOvEmbER 3, 2015 D

Longo Lexus offers the ultimate conveniences in customer amenities

We all know that the process of buying a car is not just as simple as buying a new pair of shoes at the mall. It is a long process that involves careful comparison between vehicle models, reviewing the car’s specifications with regards to the needs of the buyer, and of course, the negotiations for the financing packages and promos.

As such, it is very important for Longo Lexus that its customers are supremely comfortable and well-pampered if they are going to make that important decision of which Lexus they will drive home.

As a car dealership, there are many reasons why Longo Lexus has been an elite of Lexus dealer since 1992. One of those reasons includes the ultimate conveniences that they offer in customer amenities. As one of the leading Lexus car dealerships, Longo Lexus provides not only pre-sales conveniences, but also noteworthy post-sales services.

Longo Lexus is known for the unique amenities that they offer to dealership customers.

One of those unique amenities include an on-site Auto Club of Southern California (AAA) center. The AAA branch offers DMV services, airline, car, and hotel reservations, discounted movie and local attraction tickets, AAA membership application processing, OnBoard Teen Safe Driver Program, auto and home insurance, and more. Sign up at our AAA branch in Longo, and you’ll receive a special $13 discount off the original membership price.

Aside from from the on-site AAA branch, Longo is also the first dealership in the US to offer Verizon Wireless and Verizon Wireless Neighborhood services on-site. Offering the latest technologies in telecommunications, mobile accessories, and services, Longo’s on-site Verizon branch makes it even more convenient for customers to stay connected with the world. Our Verizon Wireless Premium Retailer is open from Monday to Friday, 7am-7pm; Saturday, from 7am to 5:30pm; and Sunday, from 8am to 4pm. Please call (888) 8115201.

While waiting for your car to come out of our premium carcare service lines or while you’re going through our wide inventory of luxurious Lexus vehicles, you can enjoy a quick bite at Sub-

way or a nice refreshing drink at Starbucks.

If you want to pamper your car, you can also shop at the Longo Lexus Parts Boutique, which carries a wide selection of genuine Lexus parts and accessories for your vehicle. M`Zkfi I\p\j With over 31,000 parts and accessories in stock, you’re sure to find what you’re looking for.

The after-sales services of a dealership is just as important as the pre-sales amenities. And it these after-sales services that make buying a vehicle at Longo Lexus a truly rewarding experience.

We offer complimentary loaner vehicles for your use while your car is in our service center. For inquiries, on our loaners, please call our coordinators at 1-800-5970813.

For your convenience, we also offer complimentary shuttle service to take you to your office, home, or even the mall—basically anywhere within a 15-mile radius—while your vehicle is being serviced.

If you don’t have time to make the drive to our dealership, our Longo Lexus Mobile Service Van and Truck can provide routine maintenance services, such as oil changes and tire rotations, right at your home or office. Appointments can be made up to 6 months in advance.

Similarly, if your service requirements need the car to be physically present at our Longo service center, we offer complimentary flatbed truck pick-up and delivery of your vehicle to and from our dealership. Our Longo Lexus Mobile Service Van and Truck, and our complimentary flatbed truch pick-up and delivery service are exclusively for cars that are purchased from Longo Lexus, and are located within 60mile radius from Longo.

Please call 1-800-597-0813 to schedule your appointment.

Also, for every service appointment, each vehicle receives a complimentary car wash in our Longo Lexus Car Spa. For our clients who wish to use other cars, aside from those among our fleet of loaner Lexus cars, they can avail of the services of our enterprise Rent-A-Car offices.

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With two branches on the Longo Premises, enterprise is ready to address all your car rental needs.

Please call (800) 969-6519 for more information.

We understand that life’s daily grind requires our customers to be always on top of everything while keeping up with an onthe-go lifestyle. Which is they are more than welcome to work at our Longo Business Center where they can work on our computer terminals, free of charge.

We also offer complimentary Wireless Internet Access (Wi-Fi) to our customers throughout the facility. This is particularly useful for our customers with mobile devices, laptops, and tablets.

While you wait for your car to come out of our service center, your kids can enjoy and have a good time at our Children Play Area, where we offer video games and other activities for the young ones.

Longo Lexus customers will also be offered complimentary use of our iPads while they are waiting for their vehicle.

For more information on our Longo Lexus Guest Services, please log on to www.longolexus.com/GuestAmenities or call (626) 539-2956.

Longo Lexus is located at 3530 North Peck Road, el Monte, CA 91731.

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FOR RENT MEDICAL/SERVICES

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