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Volume 27 - No. 8 • 2 Sections – 16 Pages
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1986 People Power Revolution: Philippines’ gift to the world by AUreA
CAliCA Philstar.com
mANILA—thirty years ago, on feb. 25, 1986, filipinos achieved the impossible and brought down a dictatorship. the 1986 people power revolution inspired pro-democracy uprisings in other parts of the world and must not be forgotten by filipinos, malacañang said on Wednesday, feb. 24.
Presidential Communications operations office secretary herminio Coloma Jr. said filipinos should “celebrate and rekindle the spirit of eDsA as it represents a high water mark in our history” with the triumph of democracy. the peaceful revolt ended the dictatorship of ferdinand marcos and propelled Corazon Aquino to power. “Demonstrating the primacy
of people power is the filipinos’ gift to the world: we paved the way for the peaceful dismantling of the Berlin Wall and the return of democracy in south Korea and romania,” Coloma said at the launch of the People Power experiential museum at Camp Aguinaldo. the Berlin Wall divided Germany from 1961 to 1989. A reunified PAGE A2
What Ramos wants to tell millennials 30 years after EDSA revolt by yUJi
Former President Fidel V. Ramos
DATELINE
vinCent GOnzAles
still remains up to this day. “the edsa revolution, up to It hAs been three decades now, is the unequaled model since the historic 1986 People of common people collectively Power revolution, but for former getting together to reject an oppresident and edsa personality pressive regime and succeed in fidel V. ramos, its legacy as an doing so, non-violently,” ramos The late Coraon Aquino flashes the Laban sign to the crowd in EDSA. The peaceful revolt ended the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos and “unequaled model” to the world of told Inquirer.net. Teo Marasigan via Kapirasong Kritika/worpress.com a peaceful uprising for democracy PAGE A2 propelled Aquino to power. Inquirer.net
AAPI voters energized after Nevada caucuses
USA
from the AJPress NEWS TEAM AcroSS AMEricA
Clinton, Trump win state
White House report: US economy on the rise IN the last two years, the Us economy saw its fastest decline in unemployment since the 1980s and concluded its best years of job growth since the 1990s, according to the 70th annual economic report of the President. the most recent version of the report, released monday, feb. 22, by the Council of economic Advisers, also noted the nation’s economy also extended the longest streak of job growth on record, and that wage growth in the last 12 months was the strongest it has been since the Great recession. the combination of increased jobs and wages helped boost consumer confidence about the economy to its highest level since 2004, according to the report. “In 2015, we continued to take steps forward, with strong job growth and wages risPAGE A3
Aquino boasts PH’s progress during meeting with Fil-Am community
M. Oriel
AJPress
At Desert Oasis High School in Las Vegas, a line formed ahead of the 5pm start time on Tuesday, Feb. 23, stretching around the block. Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump AJPress photo by Robert Macabagdal AJPress photos by Ding Carreon and Raoul Gatchalian
All candidates claim victory Pacquiao negotiating in first PH presidential debate with other brands after by Christine
O. AvendAñO And JOCelyn r. Uy, Gil C. CAbACUnGAn Inquirer.net
ALL of them won the debate. A day after the first presidential debate held in Cagayan de oro City, the camps of Vice President Jejomar Binay, sen. miriam Defensor-santiago, Davao City mayor rodrigo Duterte, sen. Grace Poe and former Interior secretary mar roxas claimed first-round victory. But Dignidad, a coalition of civil society groups organized recently, was not impressed with the debate and the performance of the candidates.
the group found the questions and the candidates’ answers inadequate and the face-off’s format faulty. Navotas rep. tobias tiangco, president of Binay’s United Nationalist Alliance, said the Vice President’s team was satisfied that he showed he was “the most experienced, most ready and most committed to uplift the lives of the poor.” malacañang hailed santiago’s performance, PAGE A3
Los ANGeLes — President Benigno Aquino III on Wednesday, feb. 17, met with the filipino community at the end of his working visit to the United states. more than 800 members of filipino community groups from the southwestern United states gathered inside the hilton LAX ballroom on Wednesday evening, where Aquino spent more than an hour sharing stories that drew laughter from the audience, and updates on the status of the Philippines. Among areas of progress Aquino highlighted included how 91 percent of filipinos in the Philippines are now covered through Philhealth, the nation’s universal health insurance, compared to 51 percent in 2010; that the Philippines switched over to a 12year education cycle; that the country is PAGE A4
counted, republican frontrunner Donald trump proved victorious yet again on tuesday night, capAsIAN American and Pacific turing 45.9 percent of the vote. Islanders (AAPIs) across Nevada “Now we’re going to get aggressively mobilized voters greedy for the United states,” leading up to the Democratic and trump said in his victory speech. republican caucuses on satur- “We’re going to grab and grab day, feb. 20 and tuesday, feb. and grab.” 23, respectively. According to poll data, trump With 100 percent of the votes PAGE A3 by ChristinA
Presidential debates held in Capitol University in Cagayan de Oro City with VP Jejomar Binay, Sen. Miriam Santiago, Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, Sen. Grace Poe and Mar Roxas. Also in photo is COMELEC Chairman Andy Bautista. Inquirer.net photo by Lyn Yillon
being dropped by Nike
by AGnes
COnstAnte AJPress
DAYs after Nike dropped its endorsement contract with manny Pacquiao due to his controversial remarks on same-sex couples, the filipino boxer has reportedly begun negotiating new deals with other sports apparel companies. “there are several already now in the pipeline,” Pacquiao’s business manager, eric Pineda, told Agence france-Presse without identifying the companies. “they [the Pacquiao camp] were A photo of Manny Pacquiao rocking a pair of Under Armour actually negotiating shoes made the rounds on social media, spurring thoughts of him endorsing the athletic-wear brand. Under Armour with some already.” Pacquiao, 37, had is not in talks with the boxer, however, reports say that he is negotiating with other brands after his contract with endorsed Nike for a Nike was terminated. little more than eight years. however, the brand last week terminated its relationship with the boxer after he made controversial remarks comparing same-sex couples to animals. In a statement, Nike called Pacquiao’s comments “abhorrent.” Pineda said among companies in talks with the Pacquiao camp is PAGE A2
A
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february 25-march 2, 2016 • LaS VeGaS aSIaN JOurNaL
From The FronT Page
What Ramos wants to tell millennials 30 years...
PAGE A1 Citing the plight of refugees and the war in the Middle East, Ramos said the world today, contrary to the bloodless 1986 revolution, was “all bloody.� Ramos, then head of the Philippine Constabulary and vice chief of staff to Ferdinand Marcos, became known for breaking away from the dictatorship and pledging loyalty to democracy icon and former president Corazon Aquino. Ramos has also a message to the younger generation of Filipinos who did not experience the oppression during the martial rule, especially to those who are feeling “nostalgic in a positive way� toward the Marcoses. “They should visit the Bantayog MONUMENT OF PEACE. A worker cleans statues at the EDSA Monument, the site of the bloodless people power revolution in 1986. The country will mark the peaceful revolt on Thursday, Feb. 25. ManilaTimes.net photo by Mike De Juan ng mga Bayani in Quezon City, where the names of the martial
1986 People Power Revolution... PAGE A1 Germany is celebrating the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. The German government has given the Philippines a section of the wall. Based on reports, huge rallies challenged South Korea’s strongman Chun Doo-hwa a year after EDSA, which eventually led to democratic reforms, among them the direct election of president. The overthrow of the communist regime in Romania and other parts of the world also occurred a few years after EDSA. Coloma said the executive branch would continue to work closely with the judiciary to ensure that all those who suffered during the Marcos regime get justice. “The Human Rights Claims Board is processing more than 76,000 claims from individuals and surviving families of those who were killed, tortured or who disappeared during martial law,� he said. Funding for claims would be drawn from ill-gotten wealth recovered from the Marcoses and their cronies by the Presidential
Commission on Good Government. “The Philippines is probably the only country that has set up this institutionalized recovery and compensation processes through official government bodies,� Coloma said. Human rights victims during martial law assail the slow justice, the reemergence of oligarchs and traditional politicians, as well as the return of the Marcoses to power 30 years after the relatively peaceful military-backed people’s uprising. Reflect on EDSA As the country prepares to elect its new leaders, voters should ponder the lessons of EDSA so they can be more discerning in their choice, Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. said. He recalled that during the EDSA revolution, Filipinos were ready to lay down their lives to “end over two decades of a dictatorship where freedoms of expression and of the press were controlled, and the justice system was barely allowed to function.� “Significantly, this celebration comes during an election year
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law victims are,� he said, when asked about the popularity of the dictator’s son and namesake in preference surveys. Marcos Jr., who had repeatedly refused to apologize for the crimes of atrocities and human rights violations committed during the reign of his father, is running for vice president in the upcoming national elections in May. Ramos said the government and elder people who witnessed martial law should help educate the youth or the so-called millennial generation on the struggle for freedom and the price that came with it. “It is the responsibility of the parents to impart to the children if they are still very young,� Ramos said. “This government is trying its best but it’s not good enough,�
he added, reiterating the need to establish a center that would lay down the “context of the happenings in 1986.� Highlighting a “balance mix between discipline and democracy,� Ramos also urged the youth to play their part in nation-building by “sharing, caring, and daring for the Philippines,� and by taking a “concerted action to make a difference,� especially less than three months before the May polls. “I would hope that whoever would be elected, together as a team, will succeed better as our top officials, better than successors, better than me,� Ramos said. “To wrap it up, no one wants World War III. Not even that crazy guy from North Korea,� he added in jest.
Pacquiao negotiating with other...
– a genuine exercise under a democracy that was made possible PAGE A1 tian, posted an apology on Twitter In a statement, TV5 said it had because of EDSA,� Belmonte said a multi-million dollar brand that while still standing by his beliefs. no intention of taking what Pacin a statement. would likely replace Nike as the He also said he respected Nike’s quiao said out of context. “In May, we choose new lead- supplier of the Filipino boxer’s decision, that the endorsement “The video that was posted ers. It should also be an occasion sports gear, Inquirer reported. agreement had expired and that online was not spliced but miniwhere voters should carefully asHe further noted that no Philip- the company was only a cloth- mally edited in good faith and sess choices based on history and pine-based companies dropped ing sponsor for him, according to with reasonable care. There was our world-recognized achieve- Pacquiao despite the comments GMA News. no intention to change the conment that was EDSA,� he said. he made. TV5: Pacquiao’s video “ed- text or misrepresent the essence “We are each called upon to do On Sunday, photos of Pacquiao ited in good faith� of Mr. Pacquiao’s statement,� our role in choosing government wearing red Under Armour shoes Television network TV5, where the network said in a statement leaders whom we can trust to spurred speculation that he may the video of Pacquiao’s contro- posted on its Facebook page. continue to uphold the gains of be working with the brand. How- versial comments was aired, on The complete video was sent to EDSA and not set aside the very ever, The Baltimore Sun, report- Sunday, Feb. 21, issued a state- Pacquiao’s camp and broadcast reason why we live in a democracy ed that the Baltimore-based fit- ment regarding the boxer’s re- on primetime newscast Aksyon today,� he added. ness apparel and footwear brand marks. on Feb. 16, TV5 said. The Speaker said the country is not in talks with Pacquiao. The A 26-second clip was broadPacquiao has announced that has taken great strides since publication further stated that cast by the network. However, his last fight will be on April 9 February 1986 when Filipinos Under Armour on Monday, Feb. the complete one-minute-and- against two-time former WBO overcame fear and fought peace- 22, declined to comment on the two-second video included the welterweight champion Timothy fully for genuine freedom. issue. interviewer’s question and Pac- Bradley, Jr. The Filipino boxer is He said a legacy of the revoluDespite being dropped by quiao saying that he was not running for a seat in the Philiption is the continued quest for Nike, Pacquiao was seen playing condemning the LGBT commu- pine Senate in May. Despite a good governance as well as for a basketball in Nike shoes on Mon- nity in his response, but that he poor attendance record as the just and lasting peace. day in General Santos City. just believes such individuals representative for the Saran“Let us enjoy the fruits of our Hours after making his com- getting married goes against the gani province, Pacquiao remains democracy and by all means, ments, Pacquiao, a devout Chris- Bible. poised. speak our minds in all fora where freedom of expression reigns,� he said. “This is our government and it is our responsibility to sustain what EDSA has won back for us,� Belmonte said. Aquino’s tales In Talavera, Nueva Ecija, President Aquino recalled how martial law had turned his family’s world upside down – especially with the arrest and detention of his father and namesake, then a senator – at Fort Magsaysay here along with fellow senator Jose “Pepe� Diokno. He said his father and Diokno were blindfolded and handcuffed when flown by helicopter from Fort Bonifacio to Fort Magsaysay after martial law was declared. “Whatever I am today, I was molded by everything that we have been through in our lives. And one of the most significant stories or chapters of our lives, of my life, is the declaration of martial law in our motherland, which happened in 1972,� Aquino said. He noted that though that there had been squandered opportuni- Congresswoman Dina Titus at Las Vegas Chinatown Chinese New Year Festival. Rep. Dina Titus graced the Las Vegas Chinatown Chinese New PAGE A4
Year Festival on Sunday, Feb. 21. Titus represents the CD1, the largest Asian community in Nevada.
Photo from the office of Rep. Dina Titus
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All candidates claim victory in first... PAGE A1 with Presidential Communications Undersecretary Manuel Quezon III saying “many people’s hearts were melted by the great personal courage shown by Senator Santiago in what was a very obvious great physical ordeal for her.” “Duterte wins first presidential debate,” Duterte’s camp declared in a press release. “It is clear that the big winner of the debate is Mayor Duterte and the big loser is Vice President Jejomar Binay,” said the press release. Duterte’s running mate, Sen. Peter Cayetano, agreed. “Binay is the biggest loser in the debate. He lied about the source of his wealth and could not talk about corruption, unlike the other candidates,” Cayetano said at a campaign rally in Pateros Monday.
‘Enriching experience’ In a statement, Poe said she found the debate “an enriching experience.” “You get the pulse of the people. Seeing that kind of ardor for knowing who would become the next President has only spurred me on to reach out and go to the farthest, hardest-to-reach places in the country so I can hear and address the concerns of the people,” she said. Malacañang said Roxas was the “best prepared” speaker at the debate. “Secretary Roxas showed that he was the best prepared, that he was able to meet the timelines, which is important because it boiled down complex questions into answers that met the timeline. And I think people saw a new side of him that they may not have known in the
past—a side of great responsibility and great commitment,” Quezon said in a tweet. ‘Good start’ Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chair Andres Bautista found the candidates “very civil.” He said he expected them to be more aggressive in the succeeding debates. Sunday’s face-off was the first in a series of three organized by the Comelec, GMA 7 and the Philippine Daily Inquirer to shift the public’s focus toward policy talk and programs to confront social life. “It was a good start, given that we haven’t done it [in 24 years]. At least we are able to show that it can be done,” Bautista told reporters. (With reports from Nancy C. Carvajal, DJ Yap, Jaymee T. Gamil and AP)
The five presidential aspirants square off in the first of three debates held at Capitol University in Cagayan de Oro City.
Inquirer.net photo by Lyn Rillon
White House report: US economy on...
PAGE A1
ing at their fastest rate in the recovery,” President Barack Obama said in the opening message of the 430-page report. “So claims that America’s economy is in decline or that we haven’t made progress are simply not true.” This year, the economy is expected to grow to 2.7 percent, while the jobless rate has dropped more quickly than many analysts predicted. In January, the rate fell to 4.9 percent, and it is expected to fall to approximately 4.5 percent by the end of 2016. This figure would be near the rate of full employment, according to the report. But although there were many indicators of domestic resilience, the report also touched on both challenges at home and abroad. Slow growth in other nations including Brazil, Canada India, the European Union and China, for instance - has resulted in limited demand for US exports. Domestically, cheaper gas pric-
es had a smaller impact on gross domestic product at just 0.2 percent. Although paying less at the pump left consumers with more to spend, it was largely offset by the decline in drilling activity. Crumbling roads and other similar infrastructure also slowed down US growth. Furthermore, economic growth is expected to slow down slightly to 2.5 percent in 2017 and 2.4 percent in 2018. “It is critical to strengthen domestic growth by boosting our economy’s productivity and dynamism, to work with partners around the world to improve global growth, and to take steps to help ensure that the benefits of growth are shared – including by addressing the long-standing challenge of inequality,” the White House said. The report also acknowledged that technological developments are affecting American workers by deepening income gaps and contributing to disaffection.
Obama has attempted to address this with the Affordable Care Act and through tax cuts for the middle class, his advisers said. However, Congress has balked at other measures, such as a minimum wage increase and a new infrastructure plan, The New York Times reported. “We would have liked to have passed even more support for jobs than we did,” said Jason Furman, chairman of the economic council, according to the Times. “We’re still not all the way there. We, in particular, would like to see stronger wage growth.” Although the report indicated improvement in America’s economy, authors of the document wrote that inequality remains among the most important challenges facing the country. They further noted that it is more pronounced in the US compared to other advanced economies and that it has sharpened more quickly in recent decades. (Agnes Constante/AJPress)
LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL • fEbRUARy 25-mARch 2, 2016
AAPI voters energized after Nevada...
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PAGE A1
appealed to various demographics, especially caucus-goers without a college degree. “We won with the young. We won with old. We won with highly educated. We won with poorly educated. I love the poorly educated,” he added. For Filipino-American Dolly De Leon, Trump’s win in Nevada was “expected.” “Donald Trump is a phenomenal candidate,” De Leon told the Asian Journal. “Donald’s supporters like what they’re hearing and he’s a fighter. He tells it like it is and that’s what people like to hear. He doesn’t hold back.” She added that Trump’s offers promise for business owners like herself. “A year ago, I was already preparing myself for…the 2016 election. The last eight years have been so bad. I’m a business owner and I was deeply affected by the bad economy,” she said. At Desert Oasis High School in Las Vegas, a line formed ahead of the 5 pm start time on Tuesday afternoon, stretching around the block. Rand Paul supporter Sharon Pascual shared why he would have been a suitable nominee for the Republican Party. Though Paul dropped out of the race after the Iowa caucus earlier this month, Pascual expressed her enthusiasm for voting and participating in the political process for the first time. “This is my first time to get involved in politics,” Pascual told the Asian Journal. “I felt passionate enough this year to register for the caucus and general election.” Aurora Hornbuckle, a staunch Republican voter, said it was her first time to participate in the caucus. “I see Ted Cruz in the White House,” Hornbuckle said, as she waited for her turn to cast the ballot. “I believe in [him] and his policies.” Trailing behind Trump on Tuesday were Florida Sen. Marco Rubio (23.9 percent) and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz (21.4 percent). Republican National Committee (RNC) APA Press Secretary Ninio Fetalvo shared that Republicans have been engaging with AAPIs in Nevada through caucus trainings, meeting with community leaders on recruitment for the Republican Leadership Initiative, conducting voter registration and knocking on doors.
AJPress photos by Robert Macabagdal
Aurora Hornbuckle
“It’s clear that the Republican Party’s continued engagement with Nevada’s Filipino-American community contributed to Tuesday night’s historic voter turnout in the Nevada Republican Caucus,” Fetalvo said in an email. “We are excited to continue our work with the Filipino-American community to ensure a Republican president is elected in November.” Prior to Nevada, Trump took the lead in the South Carolina primary on Saturday with 32.5 percent. Rubio narrowly took second (22.5 percent), before Cruz (22.3 percent). Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush trailed in fourth at 7.8 percent, just ahead of Ohio Gov. John Kasich (7.6 percent) and retired Michigan neurosurgeon Ben Carson (7.2 percent). Bush, who entered the race last year as the Republican frontrunner and reportedly spent the most funds in campaigning and attracting high-profile endorsements, dropped his candidacy after a poor showing in the South Carolina primary, reported CNN. “I firmly believe the American people must entrust this office to someone who understands that
Sharon Pascual
whoever holds it is a servant, not the master, someone who will commit to that service with honor and decency,” Bush said in his exit speech. Clinton triumphs in Silver State On Saturday, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton succeeded in Nevada with 52.6 percent of the vote, compared to 47.4 percent for Sanders. “Some may have doubted us, but we never doubted each other,” Clinton told her supporters at an appearance in Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. “This one is for you.” She continued, “it is not enough, simply to give voice to the anxiety and frustrations many voters feel. Americans have a right to be angry. But we’re also hungry for real solutions.” Days before Saturday’s caucus, AAPI organizers and volunteers — from throughout Nevada, California and even the East Coast — launched a week of action that involved training sessions and canvassing around AAPI-concentrated areas. These efforts, they say, helped Clinton secure the state. PAGE A4
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february 25-march 2, 2016 • LaS VeGaS aSIaN JOurNaL
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1986 People Power Revolution... PAGE A2 ties after EDSA, including what he called the lost decade under the Arroyo administration, there were still a lot of reasons to honor the first EDSA revolution. “My father wrote an article published in the Bangkok Post that was critical of martial law imposed during the time of Mr. Marcos. Because of this article, the forces of the dictatorship were enraged,” he said. “He was secretly arrested in
Fort Bonifacio, along with the late senator Jose ‘Pepe’ Diokno,” he added. “We did not know if our father was dead or alive. There are those even taking advantage and providing false information as to my father’s whereabouts at the time,” the President recalled. He said a military officer on an Army truck arrived one day at their family’s home on Times street in Quezon City to return the senator’s personal belongings,
including a toothbrush. “My mother asked, ‘Why were all his stuff being brought back, including the toothbrush?’ And the simple answer from those who returned the things was that there was no need for them. Think about it, put yourself in my situation, you’re 13 years old, the toothbrush was being returned. When do you not need a toothbrush? That gave us much anxiety,” the President said. He said they sought help from the Supreme Court which allowed him, his mother and his siblings to visit the senator. “From the headquarters of the Philippine Army in Fort Bonifacio, we were brought to a faraway place, we do not know for sure where, and in this place, it was dark, there was a camp, surrounded by barb wire and bamboo splits. At the time I felt we were brought to a concentration camp,” the President said. He said he was relieved to see his father but was shocked to realize he had lost so much weight. “What was left to him before he faced us was his underwear, two pieces of T-shirt, two pieces of briefs. It was very important for my father to wear eyeglasses because he was nearsighted. Whenever he removed that, he would easily get dizzy. If you take the watch, you remove the so-called sense of time,” he said. “My father told us that he had been praying for so long to see us his family even just once. He prayed to the Virgin Mary and that was his request,” Aquino said. The President said his story and that of his family were just part of the millions of stories told by Filipinos who experienced injustice at the time. Aquino said he was doing his best to make sure people are always empowered. “Here in Talavera, if I’m not mistaken in 2010, we were campaigning, it was here when an elderly woman told me, ‘You will be clashing with the heavyweights, you be careful.’ I lived with that. I knew that what I got into was dangerous,” the President said. “We stopped their grisly wrongdoings, they would find a way to get even. That is okay with me for as long as in the end I could say that I would leave you in a much better place than what I found. With your help, we can continue the changes,” Aquino said. (With Paolo Romero, Cecille Suerte Felipe, Romina Cabrera)
EDSA Experential Museum’s Hall of the Lost or the Disappeared (Desaparecidos). The EDSA People Power Commission (EPPC) hopes to debunk, especially among the new generation of Filipinos, through an experiential museum set up at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City. The interactive museum, which is composed of nine halls, recreates the martial law victims’ struggle for democracy, including the events that led to the bloodless revolution in 1986. Inquirer.net photo by Yuji Vincent Gonzales
Aquino boasts PH’s progress during... PAGE A1 one of the fastest-growing economies in Asia with an average GDP growth of 6.2 percent per year; and that his administration has worked toward ending the cycle of constructing/reconstructing by using sturdier materials when building infrastructure. “Lahat ng gawain po natin, naka tutok sa kapwa (Everything we do is focused on togetherness),” Aquino said. The Philippine president also addressed the upcoming election and said the next president should be someone who is ready to sacrifice and put the country first, endorsing Liberal Party presidential and vice presidential candidates Mar Roxas and Leni Robredo. Prior to Aquino’s address to the community, he conferred the Order of Sikatuna with the rank of Grand Cross to Ambassador Jose L. Cuisia, Jr. in recognition of his “exemplary accomplishments in working for the advancement of the country’s national interests in its relations with the United States.” The order is one of diplomatic merit conferred upon individuals who have conducted exceptional and meritorious services to the Philippines; diplomats, officials and foreign nationals who have contributed to strengthening relations between their country and the Philippines; or upon Department of Foreign Affairs personnel both stationed in the Philippines and abroad. “Alam po n’yo, talagang karamihan ho ng mga in-appoint nating mga ambassador ay tinatawag na career diplomat. Illan po ang masasabi nating political appointees. Si Joey Cuisia ay isa sa ating mga in-appoint. Talagang ipinagmamalaki ko na in-appoint natin ang mga katulad ni Joey Cuisia (You
know, many of the ambassadors we appoint are called career diplomats. We can only say a few are political appointees. Joey Cuisia is one of those we appointed. I’m very proud that we appoint people like Joey Cuisia),” Aquino said in his opening speech. Cuisia, in his remarks, commended Filipino communities in America for their resilience and energy. “Everywhere I go in this country, Americans and other foreigners would tell me their positive views about their Filipino colleagues, neighbors, friends and acquaintances. These testimonials make me proud to be your ambassador and inspire the Philippine Embassy and consulates in the US to ensure that we represent our country effectively,” Cuisia said. Aquino’s interaction with the Filipino community on Wednesday was largely received positively among attendees. “I’m very glad about the accomplishment of the president and it is important that whoever would be elected [president] will follow the footstep of the president. He has done a lot [of] outstanding accomplishments,” said Tony Cartagena, current councilmember and former mayor of Walnut, California. Cartegena also lauded the president’s efforts in reducing corruption and improving the country’s economy. Lakewood resident Raul Sambitan, 47, who has returned to the Philippines on multiple occasions in the 14 years he has lived in the United States, commended the improvement in the country’s infrastructure since Aquino took office. “I was really impressed because they’re not just building [roads], they’re widening [them]. I believe [the roads are] not going to be vanished for awhile because [the
concrete is] so thick,” said Sambitan, who noted that roads would previously be washed out by heavy rain. Sambitan added that he has spoken with other Philippine residents in Visayas and Mindanao, who say roads are also being improved in their respective areas. “This administration was really good. I like it. [I don’t have a] political affiliation but … I would say I’m very pleased with what [the president] has done so far,” Sambitan said. Wednesday’s event also drew a handful of young Filipino Americans, including Norwalk resident Erika Castro, 24, who was born in the United States but has traveled to the Philippines almost every other year. “I thought it would be a great opportunity to do so because it’s not every day that you get to be in a place where you get to meet not only the president but also all of these community leaders who have a similar purpose in a sense where who has a great appreciation for the Filipino culture as well as the Filipino American culture,” Castro said. After Aquino’s remarks, attendees also had a chance to take a photo with Aquino and his delegation. Cabinet members -- Secretary of Finance Cesar V. Purisima; Secretary of Defense Voltaire T. Gazmin; Secretary of the Cabinet Jose Rene D. Almendras; National SocioEconomic Planning Secretary Emmanuel F. Esguerra; Secretary of the Presidential Communications Operations Office Herminio B. Coloma, Jr.; Secretary Emmanuel M. de Guzman of the Climate Change Commission; and Secretary Julia Abad of the Presidential Management Staff -- joined Aquino during his visit to Southern California. (Agnes Constante/AJPress)
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, Rep. Maxine Waters of California’s 43rd district and Loyola Marymount University President Timothy Law Snyder join President Benigno S. Aquino III (center) as he receives an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from the university on Wednesday, Feb. 17. AJPress photo by Ding Carreon
AAPI voters energized after Nevada... PAGE A3
“We walked door-to-door in heavily AAPI districts…pretty much they were Hillary supporters. But we had to remind them to get out and caucus,” Melissa Ramoso, who came from Southern California, said. Ultimately, according to exit polls, AAPIs made up 4 percent of the Democratic caucus-goers. “We were thrilled that Clinton did win. We are not going to stop [until she is elected]. We did a lot of phone banking, calling friends, relatives and Democrats who are registered to vote. We are going to remind them to vote for her,” Fil-Am grassroots political leader Rozita Lee told the Asian Journal. CAPA21, a national AAPI political action committee, launched a $50,000 outreach campaign using direct mailers, ethnic media ads and a new website (NevadaAAPI. com) to target AAPI voters in Nevada and encourage them to support Clinton. Filipino Americans for Hillary organized walks to over 50 FilAm businesses through the Las
Vegas area. “We asked owners if they would support, come caucus and put up signs. Many people were really receptive so it was an overall successful outreach [effort], especially to Filipino Americans,” Ramoso added. With election season in full gear, grassroots leaders will be continuing on the efforts already started. The Nevada Republican Party reported a record turnout of 75,000 voters this year (compared to only 33,000 in 2012). Meanwhile, the state Democratic Party estimated around 80,000 turned out on Saturday. “It was amazing for both caucuses to have those numbers. I’m glad that people are engaged. This is a hotly contested race,” Lee said. According to APIAVote data, 8.5 percent of Nevada’s voting age identifies as AAPI. “Hillary is known in Nevada and the Clinton name resonates well with the Filipino-American community,” Ramoso said. “They’re really energized and
ready to elect her…because she would be the best representative for our community.” De Leon added that Fil-Am voters need to be aware of candidates’ platforms and what the parties stand for. “Filipinos, and even other ethnic groups, need to be educated…It goes back to the fact that [some] are not aware of the differences between where the Republicans stand and where the Democrats are,” she remarked. “I would say, even if you are Democrat or Independent, know what your candidate stands for. Do they believe the way you believe? Does it goes within your values as a Filipino American?” While Republicans were focused on Nevada, Clinton and Sanders participated in a town hall in South Carolina on Tuesday night. Democrats in that state will select their candidate on Saturday, Feb. 27, and will send 59 delegates to the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia this July. (With reports from Robert Macabagdal and Allyson Escobar/AJPress)
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Dateline PRoxas hiliPPines insists drugs rampant in Davao, Makati
Binay eyes establishment of ‘Malacañang of Mindanao’ by Rosette
Adel
Philstar.com
MANILA—United Nationalist Alliance’s standard bearer Vice President Jejomar “Jojo” Binay on Tuesday, Feb. 23 expressed his plans to build a Malacañang of Mindanao. In his speech, Binay said he wants to put up a satellite office in Mindanao because he wants reach out to them and address their concerns. He also vowed that if elected as president, he will experience the true meaning of decentralization. “Dito ho ako mag-o-opisina sa Mindanao sapagkat babantayan ko na ang mga local governments will experience the true meaning of decentralization and devolution gagawin ko po iyan ‘yung local autonomy,” Binay told his supporters in Pantao Ragat, Lanao del Norte. Binay said that his priority for Mindanao includes addressing the issues on electricity, security, terrorism, and agriculture in Mindanao, among others. He then
Presidential candidate and Vice President Jejomar “Jojo” Binay vowed to put up a Malacañang of Mindanao. Philstar.com photo by AJ Bolando
lamented that the current administration neglected the problems of Mindanao. “Itong administrasyon na ito walang inukol na atensyon walang pinakitang pagmamalasakit ditto sa problema ng Mindanao,” Binay said. The vice president is also planning to develop the roads and infrastructure in Mindanao as it will enable farmers and entrepreneurs
to widen the market for goods and services. He added that he wants to implement measures on peace and security in Mindanao. “Calamities, hostage-taking, fires, nandoon po ako at kapiling ng aking mamamayan, ‘yan din po ang aking paparamdam sa inyo,” Binay added. Aside from Mindanao, Binay also wants to put up a satellite office in Cebu.
The survey found 48 percent of respondents agreed with the statement “the May 2016 elections will be clean and the results credible because the counting of votes is automated.” Philstar.com photo
39% of Filipinos expect cheating in May by Helen
FloRes Philstar.com
MANILA—Four in 10 Filipinos, or 39 percent, expect cheating to take place in the elections in May, but 48 percent still expect it to be clean and credible, the latest survey by Pulse Asia found. Twenty-nine percent said they did not expect cheating to occur, while 32 percent were undecided on the matter, according to the survey taken from Jan. 24 to 28. Most of those who expect cheating in the upcoming elections were from Mindanao at 56 percent, followed by the Visayas with 42 percent, balance Luzon with 31 percent and Metro Manila with 29 percent. Among those expecting cheating to occur in May 2016, 65 percent of respondents said votebuying was most likely to happen. This was the predominant view in all geographic areas and socioeconomic classes, with 56 to 71 percent and 56 to 66 percent, respectively. The second most mentioned form of cheating was tampering of the precinct count optical scan
(PCOS) machines at 37 percent, followed by attempts to change the actual vote count and the presence of flying voters at 32 percent and 31 percent, respectively. Other forms of cheating cited by the respondents were hoarding of votes and the replacement of ballots inserted in the PCOS machines, at 25 percent and 24 percent, respectively. Eighteen percent cited harassment of voters and election officers while 16 percent cited stealing of PCOS machines. Fewer than one percent cited blackouts as a form of cheating that may occur. But the survey also found that nearly half of Filipinos expect the elections to be “clean” and the results “credible” with the use of the automated counting system. The survey found 48 percent of respondents agreed with the statement “the May 2016 elections will be clean and the results credible because the counting of votes is automated.” Fifteen percent of the respondents did not agree that the elections would be clean, while
36 percent were ambivalent on the matter. Political dynasty Public opinion regarding electoral support or non-support for politicians belonging to political dynasties is split three ways, according to the survey. The poll found that 34 percent of Filipinos said they don’t see anything wrong with electing candidates who belong to political dynasties. Thirty-two percent of them, however, have a contrary opinion, and 34 percent were undecided on the matter. Fifty percent of respondents in Metro Manila disagreed with the view that candidates coming from political dynasties should not be elected, followed by the Visayas and Mindanao with 34 percent each, and balance Luzon with 29 percent. The nationwide survey used face-to-face interviews of 1,800 registered voters 18 years old and above. It has an error margin of plus or minus two percentage points at the 95 percent confidence level.
In a 349-page memorandum, Poe’s legal team led by Alex Poblador maintained that the front-runner in voter preference polls had met the citizenship and residency requirements to run for President in the May 9 general elections, contrary to two decisions of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) that had canceled her certificate of candidacy (COC). Inquirer.net photo
Poe makes final plea to Supreme Court by JeRome C. Aning
elec’s assertion that the senator committed material misrepresenWITH the Supreme Court poised tation when she indicated in her to issue a decision soon, Sen. Grace COC that she was a natural-born Poe has made a final plea to nullify Filipino and that she would be a a bid to disqualify her from the resident of the Philippines for “10 presidential race, while her op- years and 11 months” by May 9, ponents urged the high tribunal 2016, which is way beyond the “to assert to one foundling who 10-year residency requirement for abandoned us that she can only presidential candidates in the 1987 return to our embrace on our own Constitution. terms, in the clear language of our Antonio Contreras, a political Constitution.” science professor and one of the In a 349-page memorandum, four petitioners seeking Poe’s disPoe’s legal team led by Alex Pobla- qualification, said the right to vote dor maintained that the front-run- and to be voted upon “must and ner in voter preference polls had should bow to the parameters set met the citizenship and residency by the Constitution.” requirements to run for President A foundling, Poe has not estabin the May 9 general elections, con- lished the identity of her biological trary to two decisions of the Com- parents. She was adopted by movie mission on Elections (Comelec) stars Fernando Poe Jr. and Susan that had canceled her certificate of Roces, later moved to the United candidacy (COC). States, renounced her Filipino naThe lawyers disputed the Com- tionality and became a US citizen. Inquirer.net
The Philippine Constitution explicitly states that “no person may be elected President unless he is a natural-born citizen of the Philippines … and a resident of the Philippines for at least 10 years immediately preceding such election.” It goes on to say that “natural-born citizens are those who are citizens of the Philippines from birth without having to perform any act to acquire or perfect their citizenship.” Ruling out soon Despite demands that it speed up resolution of the case with the approaching elections, the Supreme Court held five weekly sessions to hear oral arguments, which ended last week. The parties were then told to submit their respective memoranda by last Monday before issuing a decision. Court sources indicated a ruling may be forthcoming any time soon.
by Alexis
RomeRo Philstar.com
MANILA—Liberal Party (LP) presidential candidate Manuel Roxas II continued to hit his rivals after their debate in Mindanao, urging them to stop confusing voters with what he described as “false” claims. Roxas particularly questioned Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte’s Liberal Party presidential candidate Manuel Roxas claim that he can solve problems on criminality, drugs and corruption in three to six months. “Davao has the fourth highest incidence of crime in the entire country. There are drugs in Davao. If you want, I can bring you there. We can buy drugs in Davao. So it’s not true that he can do it,” Roxas said. “He has been a mayor of Davao for so long and yet he failed to do it. Why would we believe him?” he added. Roxas also claimed that one can buy illegal drugs in Makati, the bailiwick of Vice President Jejomar Binay. “The same is true in Makati. There are drugs in Makati. We can buy shabu, we can buy cocaine, we can buy heroin. I know that! That’s the news that reached me,” he said. The LP presidential bet claimed during last Sunday’s debate that poverty remains a problem in East and West Rembo in Makati, where Binay served as mayor for several years. Binay refuted this, saying poverty has been addressed in the two villages because of the city government’s programs. Roxas challenged the claims of Duterte and Binay after reporters had asked him if he can solve criminality, corruption and the drug menace in three to six months. “Our countrymen deserve serious, meaningful and doable programs. This is not about tirades or lines. The lives of 100 million Filipinos are at stake here,” he added. Roxas has been lagging in presidential surveys despite his claims of a clean record and the endorsement of President Aquino. He ranked fourth in the Social Weather Stations poll conducted this month with 18 percent, lower than the 21 percent he got last month. Binay topped the survey with 29 percent while Sen. Grace Poe and Duterte were tied with 24 percent.
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february 25-March 2, 2016 • LaS VeGaS aSIaN JOurNaL
OpiniOn
Features
Ideological
30 YEARS ago—on Feb. 25, 1986—the People Power Revolution on EDSA trampled the 20-year-old dictatorship of former Pres. Ferdinand Marcos. For the generation who witnessed this peaceful uprising, the echoes of the People Power Revolution reverberated not only in the air, but in the consciousness of the Filipinos who were awakened to their senses about a leader who kept their democracy in chains. When Marcos declared martial law on September 21, 1972, then Senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr. was one of the first to be arrested. He was allowed to leave for the US due to his health condition. While in the US, Aquino attended forums, symposiums and delivered speeches in freedom rallies opposing the Marcos dictatorship. Saying “the Filipino is worth dying for,” Aquino returned to the Philippines from his exile in the US to continue his plight for the restoration of the Filipinos’ rights and freedom. He met his death upon his arrival at the Manila International Airport. He was shot in the head while being escorted off the airplane by his captors via the Manila International Airport. His kababayans found solidarity in his death. His widow, the late Cory Aquino was thrust into the public eye. She ran for president against Marcos during the 1986 snap elections and pulled the Filipinos out in the streets for the People Power Revolution. According to the Malacañang Palace, the essence of People Power Revolution remains: to commemorate the heroism and greatness of the Filipino race that helped the country achieved
freedom. “The important issues here are freedom and justice. The EDSA People Power revolution became the answer of the Filipino nation to the suppression of their freedom and making a travesty of democracy by imposing martial law,” Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said. Coloma also said that remembering this event would make Filipinos learn from the past. “We were united in EDSA in 1986 based on principles of democracy, freedom and justice. That is the true spirit of our EDSA 30 celebration,” Coloma added. The People Power Revolution is embedded in Philippine history. To honor the people who have suffered and lost their lives for the sake of democracy, today’s Filipinos must never forget the event that freed the country from the clutches of a tyrannical ruler. Much has been achieved since martial law. But with present controversies hounding current Filipinos must zealously guard that has been government leaders, Philippine politics appears granted to them by the People Power Revolution. to be hampered by bureaucracy, manipulation of Filipinos must appreciate the genuine meaning money, interests of capital and the status quo. of democracy, which is empowered by the will
Editorial
Philstar.com photo
of the people. It gives the citizenry the power to overturn the culture of corruption, unethical conduct, and self-serving antics of politics. (AJPress)
Fil-Am who started petition for Nike to drop Pacquiao gets death threats. Should Pacquiao Intervene? FIL-AM Aries Dela Cruz spearheaded an online petition for Nike to drop the Philippines’ Pambansang Kamao Manny Pacquiao as its endorser after the boxing congressman compared people in homosexual relationships to animals. Now, this kababayan from New Jersey is getting death threats online. The harassment and threats are reportedly not only aimed at Dela Cruz, but are also targeting many gays and lesbians. After all, their idol Manny Pacquiao has been humiliated all over the world, been labeled homophobic and a bigot, and has income opportunities following Nike’s decision to drop him as an endorser of their sports apparel. Pacquiao supporters also burned their Nike shoes as a sign of protest and have urged kababayans to ban the brand. An online petition, which has reportedly gained more than 18,000 signatures as for this writing, has also been created, urging the Philippine government to declare Dela Cruz ‘persona non grata’ in the country. The petition calls Dela Cruz a
“selfish traitor.” Surprisingly, even Fil-Ams The Fil-Am who are exposed to the “political correctness” and “inclusive Perspective culture of the American people, have not lost love for Manny because of what he did.” In an online poll, The Filipino Channel’s daily newscast “Bali- GeL santos-ReLos tang America” asked its viewers: “Were you personally offended by Pacquiao’s comments comparing people in homosexual relationships to animals?” A big majority of those who voted, 66 percent, said NO. Some said Pacquiao was just expressing his opinion because of his religious convictions, and he has the right to do so because of free speech. 34 percent said YES. They opined that Pacquiao’s comments were hurtful, homophobic and unworthy of someone who is known as “The People’s Champ.” However, many LGBT advocates, respected
SucceSSor to ScAlIA
Why President Obama should quickly nominate an Asian American to the US Supreme Court Community Voice Faith Bautista nino Lim
and
PRESIDENT Obama, as a result of the unexpected death of US Supreme Court Justice Antonio Scalia, has an opportunity to appoint the first Asian American to the US Supreme Court in its more than 225 year history. As the late Justice Scalia has frequently stated, the court needs more diversity. In America’s history 112 justices have been appointed and confirmed. But despite more than 20 million Asian Americans, and the projections of the Census Bureau that the Asian American population will at least double in the next generation, no Asian American appointees have ever been made. We believe that this decision to appoint an Asian American should not be political since the very conservative Justice Scalia has always raised the issue of lack of Supreme Court diversity. Many of us, including the authors of this article, disagree on what elements are crucial in President Obama’s appointment
process. Therefore, we have sent to the President on February 16th, three names of Asian Americans who are 50 or under who cover the spectrum of political opinions from those probably approved by Senator Cruz to those probably approved by liberal governors such as Governor Brown. This includes California Supreme Court Justice Gordon Liu, who President Obama previously nominated to be a 9th Circuit Judge and is presently a brilliant scholarly progressive on the California Supreme Court. Somewhere in the middle, we have mentioned Jacqueline Nguyen, a 9th Circuit (Western US) Justice. Farther to the right, we have mentioned a former associate of Senator Ted Cruz, Sri Srinavasan. We also believe there are at least a dozen other well qualified and scholarly Asian American judges in the mix. The obvious political advantage to President Obama of nominating an Asian American is that it is likely to further unify the Asian American vote in favor of future presidential candidates. It also has the advantage of including the perspective of a community that potentially, within a generation, will have at least eight times the voting power of the entire Jewish community (Presently, three of the nine members of the US Supreme Court are Jewish.)
For Republicans, the advantage of such an appointment should they agree to hold hearings and support the nominee is that they will prove to the Asian American community that the Asian Americans are a key element in America’s future progress. It is our hope and expectation that the Republican leadership will join with the President in supporting the late Justice Scalia’s commitment to and concerns about the lack of diversity throughout the 225 year history of the US Supreme Court. Our letter to the President will be followed, if possible, by meetings with both the Republican leadership and the President when the National Asian American Coalition and its allies from the Black and Latino churches and chambers of commerce are in Washington D.C during the week of March 1st. It is also our hope that the leading Republican and Democratic candidates, including Clinton, Sanders, Trump, Cruz, Rubio, Bush and Kasich will begin to speak out on the need for the prompt confirmation of a fully qualified Asian American justice. As many Asian American leaders have often said, the US Supreme Court is far stronger by having three women, an African American and a Latino among the nine justices.
personalities and human rights activists came to Dela Cruz’s defense. They say Dela Cruz has been offended by Pacquiao’s remarks and has all the right to start a petition in a free country like America. He, too, has his freedom of speech which does not take away nor diminish Pacquiao’s freedom of religion and freedom of speech. They explain that they respect Pacquiao’s stand against same-sex marriage/relationship because of his religious views, but what they said was offensive was the comparison to animals, insinuating that these people were even lower than animals because animals do not engage in homosexual relationships. Of course those knowledgeable about science, as pointed out by Broadway superstar and Filipino singer/actress Lea Salonga on social media, know that there are many kinds of animals who DO engage in homosexual acts. They urge Pac-
quiao to do more research before making such unfounded statements meant to discredit gays and lesbians. They also say Nike dropped Pacquiao because Dela Cruz’s petition gained traction. Many people were offended by Pacquiao’s statements and signed the petition. They, too, are exercising their freedom of expression. Nike and other brands who have distanced themselves from Pacquiao also exercised their right to do what they believe is in the best interest of their business. But what is really concerning are the death threats being thrown at Dela Cruz. To his credit, Pacquiao told his fans not to hate but to pray for Nike. But with the tension now elevated to death threats, shouldn’t Pacquiao categorically speak up in defense of Dela Cruz to avert any violence? *** 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
Who is really leading in the presidential race? Street Talk GReG B. macaBenta THE recent BusinessWorld (BW)-Social Weather Station (SWS) presidential preference survey, conducted from February 5 to 7, tells us that Vice President Jejomar Binay is ahead of the pack with a 29 percent rating. While this is lower than the 31 percent that he got in the January 8-10 BW-SWS reading, one could conjecture that Binay’s score has actually remained relatively stable because of the margin of error of +3 percent. Binay is followed by Sen. Grace Poe and Davao Mayor Rodrigo Duterte who are tied with 24 percent. While Poe has maintained her rating in the last poll, Duterte has surged from 20 percent in January. On the other hand, Liberal Party standardbearer, Mar Roxas, appears to have lost ground, from 21 percent down to 18 percent. Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago has remained in last place with 4 percent, a slight improvement from 3 percent in the last SWS poll. In stark contrast, the Pulse Asia survey of January 24-28 -only a few days earlier than the BW-SWS reading -- had Poe in the lead with 30 percent (up by
9 percent from 21 percent in the polling firm’s December reading) and Binay suffering a 10 percent drop to 23 percent from 33 percent in December. Significantly, Roxas and Duterte, both rating 20 percent in Pulse Asia’s January survey, were said to be statistically tied with Binay because of the margin of error. How do you explain the variance between the BW-SWS and the Pulse Asia surveys, which were conducted only a few days apart and ostensibly using a representative nationwide respondent base? Well, if your head hasn’t stopped spinning yet from trying to figure out the variance, in the Standard-Laylo survey, conducted from January 27 to February 4 (almost overlapping the February 5-7 BW-SWS poll), it was Poe who was on top with 29 percent while Binay and Roxas both rated 22 percent. Duterte was close to 20 percent. To further add to your confusion, in the Pulse Asia January 24-28 survey, Binay and Poe were virtually tied in Metro Manila (32 percent and 33 percent, respectively), but in the Standard-Laylo reading, Poe was way ahead with 35 percent vs. only 22 percent for Binay. While I have occasionally been critical of SWS and Pulse Asia, mainly over the issue of methodology (I’ve only been recently exposed to Junie Laylo’s work), I’m not willing to go along with critics who have accused them,
and other survey firms, of selling out to political interests. Even that startling November SWS survey -- which had Duterte enjoying a commanding lead of 38 percent, compared to 21 percent each for Poe and Binay, and Roxas’ 15 percent -- was explained away (albeit, awkwardly) as having been commissioned by a Duterte supporter who appears to have influenced the way the questionnaire was framed (allowing a leading question that created an obvious bias for Duterte). SWS made no effort to deny who funded the survey. It could, of course, have protested the media exploitation of the results by the Duterte camp. And it could also have more vigorously clarified that the methodology was not up to its high standards. But, unless a specific condition prohibits a survey funder from using the results for certain purposes, all is fair in war and politics and surveys happen to be one of the weapons of choice. How survey results are used for political advantage is obvious. Impressive results for a candidate are supposed to generate a bandwagon effect on voters, motivate bigtime contributors to loosen the purses, and cause the usual political carpetbaggers to jump in. But the key to unleashing these dynamics is in the hands of media. This is where the astute political operators get to PAGE A7
The views expressed by our Op-Ed contributors are solely their own and do not necessarily reflect the predilection of the editorial board and staff of Asian Journal.
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LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL • fEbRUARy 25-mARch 2, 2016
NUJP backs legal action vs INC men who harassed US-based Filipino journalists by aries JosePh hegina
they were covering the blessing of an INC church in Bakersfield, The National Union of Journal- California, ast February 20. The “men in black” were videoists of the Philippines (NUJP) on Wednesday expressed support taping and taking shots of them. for two US-based Filipino journal- They also took photos of Angeles’ ists should they file a case against license plate. Angeles was also singled out by suspected security men from the Iglesia ni Cristo who harassed the INC members for ABS-CBN’s supposed bias on their coverage them. “We support any legal action on the issues surrounding the our US colleagues may choose to religious sect. The INC members take against this assault on their blocked his attempts to shoot persons and profession,” the NUJP footage and even tried to grab his camera. said in a statement. “While the NUJP recognizes and The NUJP has denounced the harassment against ABS-CBN respects the right of INC members reporter Steve Angeles and Philip- to air their grievances against pine Daily Inquirer correspondent media entities they feel – rightly Nimfa Rueda after they were tailed or wrongly – are biased against by alleged INC security men while them, their freedom to do so does Inquirer.net
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not include harassment or worse, and especially not of individual journalists merely going about their work,” the NUJP said in a statement. The journalist group asked the INC leadership to spare those who are not involved in their internal conflict. “We once again call on the INC hierarchy to display true leadership and statesmanship and spare everyone not party to your conflicts from being victimized by partisans on either side of the divide,” it said. Journalists covering issues on the INC were also asked to take caution and to report any activity which will hinder them to do activities related to their profession.
China insists Philippines violated agreements on disputed sea Aquino richer by P20 M since 2010 UNITY CARAVAN. Vice presidential candidate Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr. brings his Unity Caravan to Muntinlupa on Monday, Feb. 22 as he continues to bring his message of unity as a way bring the country to a progressive future. Senate photo
by Patricia Lourdes Viray Philstar.com
MANILA — Beijing on Wednesday, Feb. 24 insisted that Manila violated agreements on maritime conduct in the disputed South China Sea. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi claimed that the Philippines reneged on the 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) between China and Southeast Asian nations. “It is exactly one country, and let me not avoid mentioning the name: that is, the Philippines has violated the stipulation of Article 4 of DOC and has given up on the dialogue and negotiations with the direct concerned parties of China, which is regrettable and which is ill-advised,” Wang said. The Philippines had filed an arbitration case against China before the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The hague, Netherlands. China, however, refused to
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi
participate in the proceedings. Wang warned other claimant countries in the region from deploying naval power to enforce their claims. “We don’t hope to see anymore close-up military reconnaissance or the dispatch of missile destroy-
ers or strategic bombers to the South China Sea. This is something we have a responsibility for under our non-militarization commitment,” the Chinese Foreign Minister said. Meanwhile, US Secretary of State John Kerry stressed the importance of diplomatic solution in resolving the maritime dispute in the region. “We think everybody benefits by true demilitarization, non-militarization. We also urged people to clarify the territorial and maritime claims in accordance with international law and to commit to peacefully resolve and manage disputes,” Kerry said. A US think tank earlier reported that China may be building radars in some of its artificial islands at the Spratly Island Group in the South China Sea. A few weeks ago, Fox News reported that Beijing has deployed surface-to-air missiles at Woody Island, a part of the Paracel Island chain in the disputed sea.
Who is really leading in the presidential... PAGE A6 work. By motivating media to banner the results and give them a positive spin, the bandwagon is supposed to start rolling, the money bags are supposed to be loosened and the political ward leaders are supposed to be attracted like flies to food. At ground level, this scenario does not necessarily unfold. In the 2010 race for the vicepresidency, Mar Roxas was flying high throughout most of the survey periods. he enjoyed a rating of 47 percent and 39 percent in the SWS and Pulse Asia surveys, respectively, both conducted in December 2009. Loren Legarda was not far behind Roxas. In the same surveys, Jojo Binay was struggling with only 10 percent. At a certain point in the campaign, Roxas even enjoyed higher poll ratings than Noynoy Aquino, such that some of Roxas’ supporters began making noises that he should not have given up his presidential candidacy in favor of Aquino. however in the May 2-3 SWS survey, just a few days before the May 10 elections, Binay had overtaken Roxas with a razorthin margin of .2 percent (37.2 percent vs Roxas’ 37 percent). Legarda was down to only 12 percent. The final results had Binay winning 41.65 percent of the votes against Roxas’ 39.58 percent. The lesson is obvious to the wise political strategist. Don’t let the current survey results
go to your head. The numbers have a way of going up or down and the margin of error may be larger than the statistical calculations of the research firms. Back in my early ad agency days, we were constantly reminded: “Use research as a lamp to illuminate rather than as a lamp post to lean on.” The best use of survey findings is as an indicator of strengths and weaknesses. In this regard, it makes no sense to argue that unflattering results may have been due to a biased methodology conducted by mercenaries in research scientists’ clothing. “Keep running scared,” is a motto that I have heard from veteran politicians. “Never take anything for granted.” If the ratings are down, the seasoned strategist will take that seriously and find out why. If the ratings are up, he will find out why, too. It’s just as bad not knowing why your candidate is ahead as not knowing why he is behind. There’s another factor aside from voter preference, as indicated by the surveys, And it could be the game-changer. In the 2004 presidential elections, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo defeated Fernando Poe, Jr. by a narrow margin of 3.48 percent (equivalent to one million votes). Up to the time she had served her full term, Arroyo never lived down the accusation that she had schemed with Comelec officials, specifically Commissioner Virgilio Garcillano,
to pad the election results with the winning margin. The infamous “hello Garci” phone call of Arroyo has forever tainted her legacy. In other words, whatever Pulse Asia, BW-SWS and Standard-Laylo say about who is leading in the polls, the usual skeptics believe that a “Garcified” electoral count will determine the final results. Will someone make a crucial phone call to the Comelec the way Arroyo did to Garci? Frankly, I don’t think that a phone call will be necessary. The way Noynoy Aquino has been using his presidential muscle to twist the arms of provincial officials and ward leaders, down to the barangay captains, he doesn’t need to make that call. The message he has sent to everyone in his administration – especially those he has appointed to key positions - is that he wants Roxas elected president by hook or by crook. Who’s really leading in the presidential race? The surveys will tell you from time to time, and the results will keep changing as election day nears. But the big question is: Who’s going to win in the counting? Take it from one battlescarred pundit: “If you thought getting Chief Justice Corona impeached was important enough for Aquino to bribe members of the Senate, imagine how important it is for him to see that his presidential candidate will win.” (gregmacabenta@hotmail.com)
by MichaeL Punongbayan Philstar.com
MANILA—President Aquino’s net worth increased minimally during his stay in Malacañang since June 2010, but he is still expected to step down in 2016 richer by around P20 million. Based on his statements of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALNs) filed with the Office of the Ombudsman, Aquino’s total wealth amounted to P50.194 million when he assumed office on June 30, 2010. his real properties then was collectively valued at P33.755 million, including the house he inherited in Quezon City declared to be worth P13.8 million. Aquino’s first SALN said he has a residential lot in Antipolo, Rizal that he inherited worth P12.2 million; another residential lot in San Juan that he also inherited, valued at P7 million; another residential lot in Tarlac that he purchased worth P604,680 and agricultural land, also in Tarlac, purchased at P116,588. he also had other personal and other properties like motor vehicles valued at a little over P9 million, investment in stocks in seven companies worth P4.774 million and cash totaling P3.635 million. When he assumed office, President Aquino, a bachelor, listed
one liability in the form of mortgage debts amounting to P2.430 million. After six months in office, he filed his second SALN, which showed his net worth increasing to 54.999 million as of Dec. 31, 2010. The increase in his wealth, as explained by Malacañang, was supposedly due to the income he earned from the sale of a residential lot in Antipolo City. One year later, President Aquino’s wealth again increased to P65.130 million as of Dec. 31, 2011 supposedly because of the increase in the value of his house in Quezon City which went up from P13.796 million to P23.6 million. his next SALN as of Dec. 31, 2012 showed a slight decrease in his net worth as he declared himself to be worth P65.128 million. In 2013, Aquino’s total declared wealth of P66.494 million posted a considerably minimal increase of only P1.3 million. The last SALN he has so far filed, for the year 2014, showed his net worth at P68.311 million, posting an increase of P1.8 million. So far, from June 30, 2010 to Dec. 31, 2014, President Aquino has increased his total wealth to the tune of P18.117 million. he is expected to file his 2015 SALN before April 30 this year
Based on his statements of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALNs) filed with the Office of the Ombudsman, President Aquino’s total wealth amounted to P50.194 million when he assumed office on June 30, 2010. Philstar.com photo
and another SALN after he steps down from office on June 30 as required by law. Unless his next declarations reveal huge increases, the increase in his net worth during his presidency pales in comparison to his predecessor. Former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s wealth more than doubled during her nine-year stay in Malacañang, starting at only P66.7 million in 2001 and ending at P145.7 million by Dec. 31, 2010.
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James Reid, Nadine Lustre admit real-life romance Madonna visits children at Bahay Tuluyan Foundation After years of being paired onscreen, James reid and Nadine Lustre finally admitted to having a real-life romance. the stars of the ABS-CBN teleserye “On the Wings of Love” revealed the real score between them after their “JaDine in Love” concert on Saturday, feb. 20. “We’re now officially JaDine,” reid said. the Viva actor said that they became a couple on february 11, 2016. During the concert, the hit love team sent fans into a tizzy when reid said “I love you” to From reel to real: James Reid and Nadine Lustre now officially a couple. Inquirer.net photo to take their relationship from reel eInLoveConcert,” reid said. Lustre. On social media, JaDine fans to real, but James and Nadine, in Shortly after their admission, the 22-year-old actor took to cannot contain their excitement previous interview, were adamant in saying that, while they’re not Instagram his feelings for what and happiness for their idols. fans of the love team have closing doors, they want to focus transpired on Saturday. “Well… that was fun :) #JaDin- long been clamoring for the two on work. (Inquirer.net)
by AllAn
PolicArPio Inquirer.net
A DAy before her scheduled concert on Wednesday, feb. 24, pop culture icon Madonna spent her time visiting welfare institutions for children in Manila on tuesday afternoon. Catherine Scerri, deputy director of the nongovernmental children’s rights organization Bahay tuluyan, said the American singer-songwriter dropped by at their headquarters at 2pm and stayed for close to an hour. “She watched a little dance number prepared by the children, and then ended up dancing with them, too,” Scerri told the Inquirer in a phone interview. “the children were very happy and enjoyed their time with Madonna,” Scerri said. On her Instagram account, Madonna posted a photo of her with three children under the organization’s care. “Chillin’ with my homies Madonna at Hospicio de San Jose at the Bahay tuluyan foundation, M A N I LA — to n i G o n z a g a giving shelter to orphans street in Manila,” Madonna wrote. Scerri described the meeting would rather not talk about children trafficking abuse victims about her rumored pregnancy yet. “I think this is not the right place and moment to talk about it,” she replied when asked about her pregnancy, in an interview aired in the ABS-CBN late night talk show “tonight with Boy Abunda” on tuesday, feb. 23. the Kapamilya actress said that there’s “tamang panahon” to talk about the issue. It was early this month when a report came out about her pregnancy, eight months after her wedding with Paul. In previous interviews, the actress-host said that they haven’t planned to have a baby yet and that she would still finish her projects with her home network even after she got married. (Joyce Jimenez/Philstar.com) Madonna in Bahay Tuluyan Photos from Madonna’s Instagram account
Toni Gonzaga still mum about rumored pregnancy
Toni Gonzaga is still elusive on talking about her rumoured pregnancy with husband Paul Soriano.
REviEW by Allyson
EscobAr
AJPress
tHe east West Players’ premiered “Criers for Hire” at the David Henry Hwang theater on a rainy night on Wednesday, february 17. Starring Broadway veteran Joan Almedilla, Nicole Barredo, Samantha Cutaran, rudy Martinez, and LA18 “Kababayan today” host Giselle “G” tongi, the play warmly celebrates filipino and filipinoAmerican culture, generation, and the excitement and challenges of finding home in a new place. Set in California’s predominantly Asian neighborhood of Monterey Park in the 90s, the play centers on mother Aurora/“Baby” (played by Almedilla), remedios/“Meding” (played by tongi) and eugenia/ “Henny” (played by Cutaran), three struggling filipina women
“private and casual,” with Madonna being accompanied by around 20 people, including some of her dancers. “they reached out to us yesterday. Initially, we thought it was only her dancers who will go. We found out that Madonna was also coming only today,” Scerri said, adding that Madonna asked her about how the foundation works. “We discussed the situation of the children and how we help them,” she said. Also on Instagram, Madonna shared with her 6.2 million followers photos of her playing with babies at the orphanage Hospicio de San Jose. “everyone needs a tickle!” she wrote in another post. Madonna, one of the bestselling artists of all time, was in the country for a two-night show at SM Mall of Asia Arena, on feb. 24 and 25, as part of her “rebel Heart” world tour.
East West Players’ Criers for Hire: A hilarious, heartwarming cultural triumph who work as professional funeral criers to make ends meet. Baby has petitioned her 14-year-old daughter, Ligaya/“Gaya” (Barredo), to study and live with her in the US from the Philippines, and the funeral criers are eager to teach Gaya their somber line of work. However, upon arrival and enrollment in high school, young, heavily-accented Gaya is more concerned with immersing herself in American life and culture. Criers for Hire, written by Giovanni Ortega and directed by Jon Lawrence rivera, is hilarious, heartwarming, and filled with cultural references that filipinos and fil-Ams alike will enjoy. for nontagalog speakers in the audience, the show’s program provides a helpful glossary of “taglish” (tagalog-english) words, and uniquely
projects english translations onto the stage. “...I’ve never played a filipino before--it’s such a great opportunity. I could also relate to Ligaya as far as her culture shock, because I was 14 when I moved here from the Philippines as well,” actress Nicole Barredo shared. “It is also amazing that I get to work in east West Players, the longest-running professional theater of color in the US, bringing our culture out to Los Angeles.” Inspired by the immigrant experience in the United States, “Criers for Hire” reveals important challenges and themes: culture shock, assimilation, conflict, coming-ofage, and sacrificial love. It brilliantly explores filipino values (education, strict parenting, close-knit family ties) and Chinese traditions
(L-R) Giselle “G” Töngi as Meding, Joan Almedilla as Baby, Nicole Barredo as Gaya, Samantha Cutaran as Henny, and Rudy Martinez as Narcisco Triste Photos by Michael Lamont
(burning of Joss paper in funerals), and focuses on the distinctive ways in which people express emotion. Almedilla, tongi, and Cutaran have hilarious chemistry, while Barredo and Martinez (playing the charm-
(L-R) Joan Almedilla as Baby, Giselle “G” Töngi as Meding, and Samantha Cutaran as Henny in
PAGE B3 East West Players’ world premiere production of Giovanni Ortega’s “Criers for Hire.”
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Lav’s 8-hr epic bags silver in Berlin by Bayani
San Diego Inquirer.net
Jr.
APART from bagging the Silver Bear Alfred Bauer Prize at the 66th Berlinale, the Filipino cast and crew of Lav Diaz’s “Hele sa Hiwagang Hapis” brought home snapshots with A-list Hollywood stars and a trunk full of glitzy memories. “We are so happy. This award is for the country. We are carrying the nation’s flag in Germany,” Diaz told the Inquirer. After scoring a selfie with Oscar winning actress and jury president Meryl Streep, actress Cherie Gil said, “I’m in heaven.” Gil, who played a mythical tikbalang (half-horse/half-human) in “Hele,” told the Inquirer via Facebook that Streep and other jury members went out of their way to speak with the Filipino contingent. “Meryl is the warmest and most gracious goddess I’ve ever met in my life. She said she was grateful that she had the opportunity to see our film,” Gil said. True and humble artist “Meryl said she was cozy throughout the screening. I adore her. Her true essence always remains beneath the varied characters she plays. She is a true and humble artist,” she added. Bernardo Bernardo, who also played a tikbalang in the film, got a kiss from jury member, Oscarnominated actor Clive Owen.
“Mr. Owen was so cool,” Bernardo said. “He enjoyed the ‘Hele’ team so much that he invited us to join the after-party party.” Producer Bianca Balbuena said Streep also talked with cast members Hazel Orencio and Susan Africa at the dinner after the awards ceremony on Saturday night (in Berlin). “Meryl told Susan and Hazel: ‘It’s an honor to see you live and in color. You are so beautiful,’” Balbuena said. Shot in black and white Diaz’s expansive epic on the Philippine revolution was shot in stunning black and white by cinematographer Larry Manda. Executive producer Paul Soriano said that meeting Streep was “surreal.” “She was so nice and welcoming,” Soriano said of the three-time Oscar winner. “We talked about the film and how it literally took her a whole day to watch it.” The two-part premiere on Feb. 18 began at 9:30 a.m. and ended at 6 p.m., with a one-hour lunch break. Soriano said he considered “Hele” his apprenticeship under a film master. He also attended a master class under Streep held a few days before the awards show. According to the Berlinale website, the Silver Bear Alfred Bauer Prize is awarded to a
feature film “that opens new perspectives.” Some observers said such a protracted film may be a “tough sell” for audiences, distributors and theater owners. Length no longer an issue Soriano begged to disagree, insisting that length is no longer an issue in the age of bingewatching, video-on-demand and mobile phone/tablet viewing. He expressed the hope that “Hele,” which will be distributed locally by Star Cinema, will find an audience in the Philippines. The film features box office stars John Lloyd Cruz and Piolo Pascual. Diaz earlier told the Inquirer that it could be released in two four-hour parts in local theaters. In his acceptance speech, Diaz dedicated the award to “filmmakers who want to change” the world. Gianfranco Rosi’s “Fire at Sea” (Italy), a documentary on Europe’s refugee crisis, won the Golden Bear. Danis Tanovic’s Bosnian drama “Death in Sarajevo” won the Silver Bear Grand Jury. Best Director went to Mia Hansen-Love’s “Things to Come” (France); Best Actress to Trine Dyrholm for Thomas Vinterberg’s “The Commune” (Denmark) and Best Actor to Majd Mastoura for Mohamed Ben Attia’s “Hedi” (Tunisia).
John Lloyd Cruz got to chat with jury prexy Meryl Streep
Cherie Gil got close with Meryl Streep
Direk Paul Soriano also had his moment with the acclaimed actress
Meryl Streep meets ‘Hele’ stars at Berlinale
ACCLAIMED Hollywood actress Meryl Streep met the cast members of Lav Diaz’s eighthour opus “Hele sa Hiwagang Hapis” during the awarding ceremony of the 66th Berlin International Film Festival, more known as the Berlinale. In photos shared by Inquirer Entertainment, it can be seen that the three-time Oscar winner rubbed elbows and chatted with John Lloyd Cruz, Angel Aquino, Cherie Gil, Susan Africa, and
Hazel Orencio. Streep, who is the president of the seven-member jury, said that it was an “honor” for her to meet the cast of “Hele.” On her Instagram account, Aquino gushed about the experience of meeting Streep. “This kiss.. Not even in my wildest dreams.. I almost did not survive it. I thought I can never love Meryl Streep more…?” she said. Film producer Paul Soriano
Cherie Gil also got a photo with jury member Clive Owen
Angel Aquino gave Clive Owen a kiss
also posted a photo of him with the Hollywood actress. Another international celebrity present was jury member and English actor Clive Owen who also met with the “Hele” cast. “Hele,” which showed Diaz’s reimagination of the 1896 revolution and the search for Andres Bonifacio’s body, won the Alfred Bauer Prize for work of particular innovation in the said film festival. (Inquirer.net)
Clive Owen scores a kiss from Bernardo Bernardo
Filipino develops app to simply fitness and health by chriStina
M. oriel
AJ Press
Lav Diaz accepts the Silver Bear.
IT’S well into the second month of the year — how many individuals have ditched their New Year’s resolutions to get healthy and shed some pounds? But if you’ve stuck to your word or are looking for another way to stay active, there’s a new app for that. Nikko Mendoza, a 30-year-old Filipino from Fairfield, California, recently launched “Fit in 15,” a fitness and health app that combines workouts with nutritious meal plans. The inspiration for the app came from Mendoza’s own experience when he gained several pounds to Photo courtesy of Cherrie Gil the point where he couldn’t tie his
shoes without losing his breath. “When I got married, I stopped caring and I blew up. It wasn’t huge, but it got to a point where I would tie my shoes and I lost my breath…I would see my [stomach] in the way and I asked, ‘how did I get here?’” Mendoza shared. “So from there, I got back into working out, I read thousands of articles and it just kind of stuck with me.” “Fit in 15” is essentially a portable trainer that was created to eliminate the various excuses people have for not getting in a daily workout: affordability (the app is free for a trial period but is only $2.99 a month), no time (workouts span just 15 to 25 minutes) or stuck in a fitness rut (workouts options are abundant).
Screenshot of Fit in 15 app
With options for high-intensity interval training (HIIT), cardio acceleration or a fit test, users can perform the workouts anywhere, and can select whether they want to use equipment or just their own body weight. During a six-month development process, Mendoza looked at other fitness apps, but noticed that most of them didn’t have a nutrition component. “If you don’t teach people the other half, I feel like you’re cheating them,” he said. “If you’re first starting out, you need to have the basics and this common foundation of knowledge if you really want to lose weight.” Users can enter their basal metabolic rate and the app generates a customizable plan for up to every meal for a week. Since the app was launched in the Apple store in late January, Mendoza shared that some users have reported losing an average of two pounds a week. Some reviews of the app praise it for being “easy to navigate” and a “personal trainer and nutritionist all rolled into one.” Mendoza said the app is his way of making a difference in the lives of others. “The benefits of being healthy are unbelievable — confidence goes up, the pride you have, and it’s a snowball effect,” he said. He added, “to me, it’s really easy to be healthy. 15 minutes a day, that’s all you need. You can eat rice, Kare Kare and lumpia — you can eat all this food because I do — and still look decent.” More updates are planned for the app, such as progress tracking, incentives for completing achievements and different languages. Fit in 15 is currently available for iOS, and a version for Android is expected to be released soon. For more information, visit http://www. fitin15.training/.
Baby Zia is Marian Rivera’s priority for now by allan
PolicarPio Inquirer.net
BEING an only child, Marian Rivera has always wanted to have a big family. And the actress didn’t seem to be kidding when she giddily revealed that she wanted to have as many as five children. This, despite her tough experience giving birth for the first time to daughter Maria Letizia—it took 18 hours and involved a whole lot of crying. “Go pa!” Marian told reporters at a press conference. “Friends have been teasing us to hurry up with the next.” But before she and husband, Dingdong Dantes, actively try for another baby, the GMA 7 star said she first wants to make sure that she has devoted enough time on Zia (her firstborn). “I want to focus on her. I’m afraid that if I get pregnant so soon, I wouldn’t be able to take care of her well,” Marian said, adding that a twoyear gap would be preferable. According to Marian, it almost pains her to leave baby Zia, whom she described as “jolly and giggly.” “I’m a very hands-on mom,” she said. “I bathe her, feed her, play with her, tuck her into bed—everything. And when I have to go to work, I leave her only with my
mother or grandmother.” “I haven’t given her (infant) formula so far in three months. I try my best to breastfeed, even if it turned out to be more difficult than I expected. But I don’t mind because I know it will make her healthier… I’m willing to make sacrifices,” she added. “That’s why every day, I eat something with malunggay in it!” A miracle But the reward is priceless. Simply holding and looking at Zia, Marian said, make her and Dong emotional. “We’re so lucky to have been blessed with a child. It’s a miracle. I feel complete,” she related. “We have been looking forward to this moment since we got married.” Zia, who was born last November, was christened last Valentine’s Day at the St. Alphonsus Mary de Liguori Parish in Makati City. As per Marian’s request to Dong, the event was kept intimate, attended only by family, close friends and godparents— including Sen. Grace Poe. The 31-year-old celebrity mom stressed: “All the godparents we chose are people whom we think could stand as second parents to our child if we’re not around.” While she needs to go back
Dingdong and Marian (center) with Baby Zia
to work soon, Marian, who’s set to host a talk show and star as Ynang Reyna in the remake of the fantasy series “Encantadia,” admitted to feeling a little halfhearted about it—she loves her job, but Zia is her priority. “That’s why I’m so grateful to my home network, which has taken those things into consideration. My load wouldn’t be so heavy and I’ll have a cutoff time, so I can still take care of my baby,” Marian said.
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East West Players’ Criers for Hire: A hilarious...
��oto �y Denise Truscello
Celine Dion makes emotional return to her Las Vegas residency at Caesars Palace New 2016 performances go on sale Saturday, Feb. 27 at 10am LAS VEGAS—Celine Dion made an emotional return to a sold-out crowd at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace to resume her Las Vegas residency which has been on hiatus since her husband and former manager, René Angélil, passed away on Jan. 14, 2016. As a tribute to René Angélil, the performance opened with a touching video that chronicled personal and milestone moments in René’s life from his early days of childhood, to managing a superstar recording
artist, to being a loving husband and father. The video was produced by Productions J., a prominent television production company based in Montreal, which has worked closely with René and Celine for years and has captured some of their most successful and intimate moments together. Celine also sang Barbra Streisand’s “With One More Look at You,” dedicating the song to the memory of her late husband. “I understood that my career was in a way was his master-
piece, his song, his symphony,” expressed Celine. “The idea of leaving it unfinished would have hurt him terribly. I realized that if he ever left us I would have to continue without him, for him.” René Angélil was the visionary behind Celine’s Las Vegas headlining residency at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace which began over a decade ago in March 2003. To date, Celine has performed 966 shows in the venue and tonight announced PAGE B5
Derek Ramsay a ‘happy’ Kapatid MANILA – Derek Ramsay is happy with his home network, TV5. This despite being focused with hosting projects. Two of his shows with the network are the Sunday noontime variety show “Happy Truck Happinas” and the upcoming reality challenge show “Tough & Rough.” “I’m very blessed that I was chosen by TV5 to do this project. I’m very happy to be part of this family,” he said in an interview on Wednesday. He even revealed that he’s looking forward about the plans of making another book of his fantasy show “Kidlat,” which he did in 2013. He added that he’s happy to give new talents a chance to star in their own show and showcase their talents. Derek Ra�say is �appy wit� �is �o�e network “It’s great that we’re getting TV5 despite �aving less acting projects.
more talent, we need that,” he explained. “We can’t rely on one person to help this network develop. We need more talent.” “We’re all here to help the network, not just me,” he added. The Kapatid talent clarified the reason behind the reformatting of the variety show “Happy Truck Happinas.” “Maybe that’s why they wanted to invest more money and time to make the show better. Kung ang network hindi nakikita ang potential ng show, hindi ma-reformat ito. They’ll just scrap it,” he added. Aside from his TV projects, Derek is also busy doing films. One is a movie with Shaina Magdayao under Quantum Films, and another is with Anne Curtis. He’s also under talks with Viva and Star Cinema for two other separate movies. (Philstar.com)
PAGE B1 ing classmate, Narcisco) add depth to their quirky, flirting scenes. The complex relationship between mother and daughter is moving and reminiscent of any child with a hard-working parent. “We wanted it to be an all-out comedy, but we realized there was an emotional connection, especially with the relationship between the mother and her daughter,” said Tim Dang, producing artistic director of East West Players. “People in the audience were saying that it reminds them of their own relationship with their mother, how they did not appreciate all the things she had sacrificed for them. We added these poignant moments that will have an impact and touch the heart.” The unique set design also plays an important role in the show, which utilizes sliding panels to change scenes and reveal different locations around the city. The climax also includes a gorgeous, originally-written musical number-though is not a musical--involving the main cast of characters. “When we found out our cast has musical talent and background [including lead actress Joan Almedilla], Jon [Lawrence Rivera] thought it would be great to have Joan sing. The characters humming the song’s melody during the scene changes also builds up the show’s music, so it’s not completely random,” said Dang. “Our cast has contributed so much to this production; we had so many suggestions on where this plot and its characters could go, and changes were made to script every day. The show is not set until the day before opening.” Dang also noted the importance of diversity in arts and culture, which is key for the East West Players, celebrating 50 years of Asian American theater.
Rudy Martinez as Narcisco Triste and Nicole Barredo as Gaya
��otos �y Mic�ael �a�ont
(�-R) Joan Al�edilla as Ba�y, Giselle “G” Töngi as Meding, Nicole Barredo as Gaya, and Sa�ant�a Cutaran as Henny in East West �layers’ world pre�iere production of Giovanni Ortega’s “Criers for Hire.”
“People want to see themselves, their stories, on stage. Doing a play for the Filipino community is one of the great things we have to offer. We also give Filipino actors a chance to play Filipino,” he said. “There is a lot of support for these kinds of plays, and we always keep in mind why certain Asian American communities support the arts.” “It’s mind-blowing, especially to work with this cast,” Barredo added. “There’s not a lot of opportunities for Filipino plays, so when
something comes up like this, you jump on it. Bringing Filipino culture out in the creative space is something we need to do more in our community.” Latino actor Rudy Martinez commented, “The best part is being around these four women. As an actor in LA, I’m so committed to doing really diverse theater. I’ve learned so much about Filipino culture by being a part of this. People need to know the hardships of women who work. Recognize what the women in our families have struggled with and gone through, in order to help us be where we are today.” “I guess I’d say the main message of ‘Criers for Hire’ is to call your mom,” Martinez laughed. The East West Players’ performance of Criers for Hire, in community partnership with Asia Society and FilAm ARTS, will be at the David Henry Hwang Theater at the Union Center for the Arts (120 Judge John Aiso Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012) from Wednesday through Sunday until March 13. �rofessional �ourners Henny (Sa�ant�a Cutaran), Ba�y (Joan Al�edilla), and Meding (Giselle “G” Tickets, discounts, and detailed Töngi) cry in t�e �ackground wit� Narcisco Triste (Rudy Martinez) and Gaya (Nicole Barredo) in information may be found online at t�e foreground in East West �layers’ world pre�iere co�edy “Criers for Hire” written �y Giovanni www.eastwestplayers.org.
Ortega.
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APIASF hosts reception with Las Vegas Asian American & Pacific Islander community
With the generous support of MGM Resorts international, the Asian & Pacific islander American Scholarship Fund (APiASF) recently held an intimate convening of Asian American & Pacific islander (AAPi) business leaders and executives in the Las Vegas area on Friday, Feb. 19 at the New York New York hotel & Casino. During the event, guests learned about APiASF’s work to accelerate the success of students through scholarship and resources and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas’ (UNLV) recent success in securing a and resources and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas’ (UNLV) recent success in securing a federal Asian American and Native American Pacific islanderServing institutions (AANAPiSi) grant. these institutions are the largest hubs of AAPi students and provide culturally relevant support
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programs to ensure that students persist and succeed after college – serving about 42 percent of AAPi college students across the country. APiASF visited Las Vegas for the first time to establish support for AAPi students in the community. Nevada is the fastest grown state for Asian Americans – Clark County is the fastest growing. Additionally, Nevada is one of the top five growing states for the Native hawaiian Pacific islander (NhPi) community. As AAPi presence continues to grow, educational needs are expanding. By convening business, government and community leaders, APiASF looks forward to raising awareness and garnering support to change the experiences of local students. Based in Washington, D.C., the Asian & Pacific islander American Scholarship Fund (APiASF)
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titUS PReSeNtS NePALeSe ChiLDReN’S BookS to StUDeNtS. on Monday, Feb. 22, Rep. Dina titus presented Nepali language children’s books to Nepalese students and community members at Ruby thomas elementary School. titus received the books while on avisit to Nepal with the house Democracy Partnership. the event coincides with the United Nations’ international Mother Language Day, which is celebrated every Feb. 21 to promote multilingualism and cultural diversity.
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is the nation’s largest non-profit organization devoted to providing college scholarships for Asian Americans and Pacific islanders (AAPi). APiASF works to create opportunities for students to access, complete, and succeed after post-secondary education; thereby developing future leaders who will excel in their career, serve as role models in their communities, and will ultimately contribute to a more vibrant America. Since 2003, APiASF has distributed over $100 million in scholarships to AAPi students. APiASF manages three scholarship programs: the APiASF General Scholarship, the APiASF Asian American and Native American Pacific islander - Serving institutions (AANAPiSi) Scholarship, and the Gates Millennium Scholars/Asian Pacific islander Americans funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
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Your Immigration Solution Atty. RobeRt Reeves RAfAel toRRes, III NANcy e. MIlleR ELECTION season is upon us! There are estimates that over 8 million people here in the United States are eligible to embark upon the naturalization process to become citizens and, if they submit their applications in the very near future, may be able to participate in the upcoming election in November of this year. This year, citizens of the United States will have the opportunity to select the next President – the person who will lead us for the next 4 years. Citizens from various states, including California, will also have the opportunity to decide who will represent them in the Senate and the House of Representatives. And, of course, as is usually the case in California, citizens who reside in this state will be asked to weigh in on many, many propositions. The ability to participate in the election of a United States President (and a member of the Senate)
LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL • fEbRUARy 25-mARch 2, 2016
Why naturalize: To vote and for much more! is incredibly powerful. Article Two of the United States Constitution imbues the power of appointing Justices to the United States Supreme Court to the President of the United States. A presidential nomination is then confirmed by the Senate. As we are seeing, which party controls the Senate can have a tremendous impact on when, or if, a presidential nominee is voted upon. As the President normally nominates Justices in line with their own ideologies, and as Justices serve for life, the impact of a citizen’s vote for a particular presidential candidate can be felt many years after their elected President leaves office. Justice Scalia, whose death resulted in the current vacancy on the bench, was appointed over 25 years ago. Several presidents of both parties have lived in the White House since he first took his seat on the Supreme Court. It is not unreasonable to expect his replacement to sit on the Court for a similar length of time. Most people who come to the United States do so because they want to become full-fledged contributing members of the American
society. What better way to do that than to become a citizen. But that does not happen automatically or by magic. One has to be statutorily eligible and has to apply. In general, the following individuals are eligible to naturalize and become citizens of the United States. Lawful Permanent Residents (LPRs) who are over the age of eighteen (18), who have been continuous residents for five (5) years after retaining Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR) Status, and who can meet the good moral character requirement are generally able to apply for naturalization. It should be noted that one who committed a misrepresentation to get a green card may still be able to naturalize. They may be eligible for various waivers that will validate their green card from the time it was initially issued. This will allow them to apply for naturalization as soon as the waiver is granted. Others who have been convicted of various crimes may find that changes in law have resulted in the removal of the dreaded aggravated felony bars so they can now apply to naturalize. Special consideration is also giv-
Celine Dion makes emotional return to... PAGE B3 27 more shows in 2016 which will put her on schedule to reach the epic milestone of 1,000 performances by the end of the year. The 27 new shows scheduled Sept. 20 through Oct. 8 and Nov. 1 through Nov. 26 will go on sale to the public beginningSaturday, Feb. 27 at 10am. Celine at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace is a glamorous show directed by legendary Grammy Awards producer Ken Ehrlich and presented jointly by AEG Live and Caesars Entertainment. Celine’s updated Las Vegas show includes her biggest hits mixed with timeless hits by iconic artists that celebrate all generations and genres of music ranging from Elvis to the Bee Gees, Queen and Prince. The show features a full orchestra and band and is set to a visually stunning presentation designed exclusively for the 4,300-seat state-of-the-art venue. For show information visitwww. celineinvegas.com.
Health@Heart PhIlIP s. chuA, MD, fAcs, fPcs WE wrote about the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issuing a public alert on June 1, 2009 for consumers to “stop using Hydroxycut Products, dietary supplements used for weight loss as fat burners, as energy-enhancers, as low carb diet aids, and for water loss under the Lovate and MuscleTech brand names.” While this was not scam, the deadly side effects led to the recall of all of their 14 products. The FDA reported that “thus far Hydroxycut has been linked to at least one death and 23 reports of serious health problems; consumers who use the products are at risk of serious liver injury. Some of the health problems associated with the Hydroxycut products include jaundice, elevated liver enzymes (an indicator of potential liver problems), seizures, cardiovascular disorders, rhabdomyolysis (a type of muscle damage that can lead to other serious health problems such as kidney failure) and liver damage requiring a liver transplant.” On the other hand, there are hundreds of products marketed as “food supplements,” including untested herbals, that are nothing but a scam, victimizing the unsuspecting, innocent, uninformed, and gullible consumers. The manufacturers of these items hide under the name “food or dietary supplements” to be exempt from the stringent scrutiny of governmental agencies like the FDA, and similar agencies in other countries. As food supplements, these products are then NOT considered as DRUGS and do not have to pass the super-strict and extensive laboratory and clinical investigation by these agencies. However, while they advertise them as “food or dietary supplements,” these manufacturers claim or imply that their products have medicinal or health benefits, or even effective against various diseases. As such, they should literally be considered drugs, and not food supplements. Some of the herbals on the dangerous list include: Aconite, Bitter Orange, Chaparral, Colloidal silver, Coltsfoot, Comfrey, Country mallow, Germanium, Greater celandine, Kava, Lobelia, and Yohimbe. All of these were found to have serious side effects, including organ failure and death. But the sad part of it all is that,
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One of the most immediately recognized, widely respected and successful performers in pop music history, Celine Dion has sold almost 250 million albums during her over 30-year career. She has earned five Grammy Awards, two Academy Awards, seven American Music Awards, 20 Juno Awards (Canada) and an astonishing 40 Felix Award (Quebec). In 2004, Celine received the Diamond award at the World Music Awards recognizing her status as the best-selling female artist of all time. In 2007 she was honored with the Legend Award at World Music Awards in recognition of her global success and outstanding contribution to the music industry. In the summer of 2016, inbetween performances of her hit Las Vegas residency at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace, Celine will head overseas for a limited run of international shows in Antwerp, Paris, Montreal and Quebec City. For tickets and tour information visit www.celinedion.com.
reasons to apply for US citizenship. A citizen can petition for their married children, for their parents and for their siblings. Petitions from US citizens for spouses and children under the age of 21 have no numerical limitation in the number of visas issued per year and that lack of visa-backlog can keep families together or reunite them in a short time. At this time, only US citizens can be the qualifying relative for the provisional waiver that allows persons to get their unlawful presence waiver approved before they leave to consular process. Those people who are potentially eligible to become citizens of the United States and who would like to participate in this historic
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election should consult with an experienced and knowledgeable immigration attorney to evaluate their eligibility to get that treasured US citizenship status. *** Atty. Reeves has represented clients in numerous landmark immigration cases that have set new policies regarding INS action and immigrants’ rights. His offices are located in Pasadena, Irvine, San Francisco, Las Vegas and Makati City. Telephone: (800) 795-8009 E-mail: immigration @rreeves.com Website: www.rreeves.com. *** The analysis and suggestions offered in this column do not create a lawyer-client relationship and are not a substitute for the personalized representation that is essential to every case. (Advertising Supplement)
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ADVERTISE YOUR EVENTS! PRE-EVENT AND POST-EVENT GO DEEPER. GO WIDER. LET THE WORLD KNOW. CALL ASIAN JOURNAL: (818) 502-0651 DISPLAY AD SIZES AT SPECIAL RATES FOR NON-PROFIT GROUPS f E b R UA Ry 26
New Americans Campaign FREE citizen workshops in LA A partnership with the Catholic Charities of Los Angeles and Immigrant Refugee and Immigration Service (IRIS) will help local green card holders take the first step towards becoming citizens through FREE event as part of the New Americans Campaign. The workshop will provide lawful permanent residents with free naturalization application assistance by professional and trained volunteers. Individuals will also receive legal counsel by pro bono attorneys and legal experts. Services are available in multiple languages. WHERE/WHEN: Friday, February 26, 2016 at 10:30am Interfaith Refugee and Immigration Service (3621 Brunswick Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90039) RSVP: Registration for the Immigrant Refugee and Immigrant Service (IRIS) workshop is required. For more information, call 213-819-1890. Services are available in English, Spanish, Russian, Farsi and Arabic.
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FREE Citizenship Workshop/legal assistance in North Hollywood
Photos by Denise Truscello
The ‘dietary aid’ scam while the manufacturers and merchants of this deception enrich themselves with trillion dollar sales around the world each year, the poor consumers are duped into thinking that the very expensive version of the “food supplements” (“designer” vitamins, weight-loss products, beauty aids, immune system boosters, whiteners, sex enhancers, etc) are better than the regular over the counter and cheaper versions. Most of them do not have any proven good effects or advantages over the conventional household products people have been using five decades ago. The hype is so much, because of the tremendous marketing blitz (print media, TV and via the Internet) that uninformed or misinformed people easily fall victims to them. In the infomercials, some manufacturers or dealers even promise a “100 percent satisfaction or money-back” guarantee. What these companies do is to deposit all sales proceeds in the bank, which earn interest. By the time they refund the customer’s money, if ever, and perhaps after a lot of hustle, it will be at least eight weeks after they have already earned the bank interest on the money of millions of customers. And this translates to billions of dollars in “extra” income for these companies. A good example of another scam is the so-called “Oxygen Bar” that is seen in many shopping malls and airports. For $10-$15 dollars, one can sit on a stool and breathe in oxygen flowing through colorful fluid (whose cleanliness and sterility are suspect since the liquid is not changed from customer to customer). This is terrible and unhealthy. This obviously contaminated fluid could transmit diseases. The ambient oxygen we breathe in daily is the right dose, healthy and also free. Too much oxygen is even bad for our lungs. Another is the popular Slim Tea or weight loss tea. If that tea is all one drinks in a day and does not eat, then one would lose weight. Water can do the same. But if one does not diet and controls the food intake, and simply drink the Slim Tea, the result is obvious. The other diet control beverages could also have chemicals in them that are unsafe for the kidneys or liver, etc. Energy drinks are outright dangerous and deaths have been reported among consumers. Then there is the breast enlarger cream or lotion, or the penis-enhancer pill or lotion. These are all ineffective, useless, and nothing but scams. Let us be thankful for what-
en to those LPRs who are married to, and residing with, their United States Citizen spouses. They are eligible to apply for naturalization three (3) years after obtaining lawful resident status. There are special considerations given to those LPRs or non-LPRS who have served in the Armed Forces of the United States. In fact, some non-LPRs who have served in a time of conflict can get citizenship without obtaining a green card. In addition, certain individuals born outside the United States may be able to acquire United States citizenship based on their birth to one or both parents who are citizens of the United States. Of course, there are many more
ever we were blessed with, and not mess around with Mother Nature too much. Enlargers and enhancers are not necessary -- the character and the personality of the individual truly count and matter. Worse is the cure-all tablets or beverages, which claim to be good against several diseases, such as acne, high blood pressure, immune diseases, allergies, diabetes, heart disease, stroke, athlete’s foot and so on. But the most despicable of them all are those “food supplements” that suggest that they are effective cures for cancer. They are not only baseless and have unfounded claims, but deliver lies that rob cancer patients of their dignity by giving them false hope, while the manufacturers and vendors take their money. The sage strategy for a healthy lifestyle is exercising daily; eating a diet low in saturated fat, cholesterol, and carbohydrates; consuming a lot of vegetables, nuts, and some fruits daily; maintaining a desired weight; abstaining from tobacco and excess alcohol; taking regular time out to relax; perhaps taking a regular multi-vitamin with minerals daily, if desired; and whatever prescription medications, if any, as ordered by the physician. We do not really need those “food or dietary supplements” to be healthy, attractive and happy. These products are not only expensive but useless and a waste of money and expectations. As we have reported in the past, a few of them could also have harmful side effects, some serious or even fatal. Unfortunately, it may take time before these adverse effects or organ damage/failures manifest or become evident. By the time the damage is obvious, it is too late. Let’s be smart and live healthy lifestyles, and stop contributing funds to the already filthy rich CEOs of this multinational trillion-dollar industry at the expense of our wallets, health, and safety. As always, caveat emptor (“let the buyer beware”) is a wise rule to follow. *** Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, Cardiac Surgeon Emeritus in Northwest Indiana and chairman of cardiac surgery from 1997 to 2010 at Cebu Doctors University Hospital, where he holds the title of Physician Emeritus in Surgery, is based in Las Vegas, Nevada. He is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, the Philippine College of Surgeons, and the Denton A. Cooley Cardiovascular Surgical Society. He is the chairman of the Filipino United Network – USA, a 501(c)(3) humanitarian foundation in the United States. Email: scalpelpen@gmail.com
On Saturday, February 27, the Asian Americans Advancing Justice - Los Angeles and Central American Resource Center (CARECEN) will help local green card holders take the first step towards becoming citizens through two free events as part of the New Americans Campaign. These workshops will provide lawful permanent residents with free naturalization application assistance by professional and trained volunteers. Individuals will also receive legal counsel by pro bono attorneys and legal experts. Services are available in multiple languages (English, Khmer, Korean, Thai, Vietnamese and Spanish), and registration for both workshops is required. The Asian Americans Advancing Justice - Los Angeles workshop will take Saturday, February 27, at 9:00am at 1145 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90017. For more information, call 213-977-7500. The CARECEN workshop will take place Saturday, February 27, at 12:00pm at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church (5250 Central Ave, Riverside, CA 92504). For more information, call 213-385-7800 X 152.
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GK USA National Summit 2016 There is no better time for Gawad Kalinga (GK) to present the Philippines as the new land of opportunity, with a steadily rising economy--the fastest growing in the world next to China, according to Bloomberg--and alleviating poverty. GK continues to evolve as a movement, starting with philanthropy expanding to sustainability, and creating hybrid, innovative systems to end poverty. The Summit will provide an opportunity for Filipinos, GK volunteers, partners, and millennials to reconnect with their homeland, contribute to their country and social entrepreneurship, and help to build bridges for a thriving nation. Asian Americans will have a taste of the emerging market of world-class, affordable Philippinemade products, such as Bayani Brew, First Harvest Peanut Spreads, Human Nature beauty products, and Theo Philo chocolates. Support GK’s humanitarian efforts to provide home and livelihood to the poorest of the poor, and learn about GK, GK USA, and GK Enchanted Farm programs. The Summit will take place from March 4-6, 2016, at the Radisson Midtown at USC, Los Angeles (3540 S Figueroa St. Los Angeles, CA 90007). To register, please visit gk-usa.org.
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“An Enchanted Evening” Dinner-Dance for Gawad Kalinga As part of the GK USA National Summit, you are cordially invited to a dinner-dance, themed “An Enchanged Evening,” to benefit programs of Gawad Kalinga and GK Enchanted Farm. The Dance will take place on Saturday, March 5, 7:00pm, at the Radisson Midtown at USC, Los Angeles (3540 S Figueroa St. Los Angeles, CA 90007). The cost is $100, with formal attire. The all-night program will include dinner, induction of the GK-USA Board of Directors, remarks from the Chairman of the Board, and all-night dancing. For more details on sponsorship packages for Gawad Kalinga builders and feeding programs, as well as GKEF programs and scholarships, please visit gk-usa.org. For tickets, please visit gk-usa.org/dinnerdance.
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Eagle Rock High School Monthly Open House Tours Eagle Rock High School invites the community to International Baccalaureate Open House Tours, from 8-10am during the spring semester on March 11; and Friday, April 1. Eagle Rock Junior/Senior High School serves students in grades 7-12, and was the first school in the LAUSD to be authorized to offer the prestigious International Baccalaureate (IB) Middle Years Programme (grades 7-10) and the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (grades 11-12), a project-based program for concept and content-based learning to promote global mindedness and service to others. The IB Open House is open to all interested students, and will include an introductory presentation in the ERHS library, followed by campus tours, classroom visits, and a short question-and-answer period. To register for the Open Houses, please visit www.erhs.la, and click on the “IB Open House Registration” link. Please email Mylene Keipp mylene.keipp@lausd.net for more information. We look forward to your visit!
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Love to Nippon 2016 “Love to Nippon 2016” is the fifth-anniversary memorial event and community-wide tribute to those lost and the survivors of the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami. The free event will support the recovery and rebuilding efforts in the devastated regions, and helps prepare and train Southern Californians for future natural disasters through sharing information and education, and designating “3.11” (March 11th) as the official statewide natural disaster preparedness training day. The formal program includes peaceful interfaith prayers, incense-burning, musical tributes, panel discussions, and outdoor information booths hosted by the American Red Cross, Home Depot, LA County Fire Dept., US Coast Guard, and affected prefectures of Japan. Love to Nippon 2016 takes place on Sunday, March 6, from 1 pm – 5:30 pm at LAPD Headquarters, Ronald F. Deaton Civic Auditorium (100 West First Street, Los Angeles, California 90012). The event is free. To register (limited auditorium seating available), please visit www.lovetonippon.com. For more information, please call 310.484.1800 / lovetonippon2016@gmail.com.
If you have an upcoming event and would like us to post it, please email us the details at info@asianjournalinc.com or calendar@asianjournalinc.com
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ACC CHINESE NEW YEAR CELEBRATION The Asian Chamber of Commerce (ACC) welcomed the Year of the Monkey with a Chinese New Year Gala and Community Achievements Awards last Friday, Feb. 18 at the Gold Coast hotel and Casino. This year’s awardees include: hau Un Lee, Lee’s Discount Liquor (Lifetime Achievement), east West Bank (Corporation of the Year), Napoleon McCallum, Las Vegas Sands Corp. (Member of the Year), Sheriff Joseph Lombardo (elected Official of the Year), Sunbay Supplies (Small Business of the Year) and Irene Lee (Community Service). AJPress photos by Robert Macabagdal
Groovy! AnnA Sui FAll-2016 FAShion Show. The NY Fashion Week Fall last Wednesday, Feb. 17 was groovy for Anna Sui. The fashion designer married Carnaby Street style with the saturated pop drama of artists like Peter Blake (the cover of Sgt.Pepper’s Lonely hearts Club Band), Robert “Groovy Bob” Fraser’s London gallery, Barbara hulanicki, the founder of the Sixties London cult label and retailer Biba who designed a print for the collection. The psychedelic colors, ruffled shirt and tie dye velvet burnout pants, recalled the stage style of rocker Jimi hendrix. “There’s something in the air, a psychedelia going around,” Anna said. Photos by Raoul Gatchalian
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LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL • fEbRUARy 25-mARch 2, 2016
Immigrant Living: 101 and Beyond Monette AdevA MAglAyA (Part 2 of 2)
City of Las Vegas dedicates day for William C. Wong
McDonalD’s restaurant o w n e r / o p e ra t o r W i l l i a m c . Wong, received a proclamation from the city of las Vegas dedicating Feb. 17 as William c. Wong Day, in honor of the chinese new Year. Wong was recognized for his community work as a local entrepreneur. He supports the com-
munity through charitable opportunities such as donating free meals to the homeless students at Rancho High school, donating to local nonprofit organizations with coupons, food and cash, and contributing time and money to the asian community through scholarships and volunteering. In addition to his charitable
work, Wong also holds several leadership roles in the community such as sitting on the Board of Directors of the asian chamber of commerce of las Vegas, he is the lead person for the las Vegas co-op asian consumer Market, and a member of the Ronald McDonald House scholarship review board.
‘Bamboo Flowers’ charms audience at 8th Bridges to the World Film Fest “BaMBoo Flowers,” a critically acclaimed film by multi-awarded director Maryo J. delos Reyes, charmed audiences during the 8th Bridges to the World Film Festival held at six separate venues in Maryland. The Bridges to the World Film Festival is an annual flagship event organized by the World artists Experiences (WaE), a non-profit organization with the mission to bridge international understanding through cultural and citizen diplomacy. “World artists Experiences (WaE) looks forward to presenting the film, “Bamboo Flowers,” in partnership with the Embassy of the Philippines, as way to bridge our people and countries. The film is a wonderful means of people being taken to the Philippines and better understanding the spirit of
the people, the culture, and the country through the arts,” WaE President and founder Betty McGinnis said. “We celebrate the PhilippinesUs relations for over seventy years. our hope is that WaE can continue to build bridges between the people of the Philippines and the Us,” she added. “Bamboo Flowers” is a 2013 production that tells the stories of diverse characters experiencing major changes to their otherwise idyllic lives in the Philippine province of Bohol. It takes on themes such as school bullying, urban migration and vice versa, the problematic path of establishing careers and making ends meet in a limited economic environment. “The Philippines has so much to offer in terms of culture and heritage. ‘Bamboo Flowers’ is
only one of the many Philippine films that have been able to successfully combine exposition of local culture and entertainment value in recent years. We intend to showcase more of these movies to foster appreciation of the Philippines among international audiences, especially to mark the 70th anniversary of the establishment of Philippines-Us relations this year,” Philippine ambassador to the United states Jose l. cuisia, Jr. said. The other four participating countries in this year’s festival are Israel (“cupcakes”), Panama (“Breaking the Wave”), slovakia (“cruel Joys”), and syria (“Vent and cham leaves of Damascus”). The 8th Bridges to the World Film Festival takes place from the first week of February to the first week of March.
THERE seems to be a moral turpitude that ails a society when some of its members regard violence as an option. This much is certain — when extreme hubris rules the heart and mind, there will always be a lack of personal responsibility and accountability when something goes wrong. It would always be because of someone else’s fault or because of a set of circumstances. We tend to blame everything else but ourselves. The tendency to shirk responsibility is probably wired into our Dna right at the Garden of Eden with Eve originally playing the blame game early on. The devil made me do it. so did adam. The woman gave me the apple. It is our inability, due to pride, the deadliest of all human failings, to own up to sin. and so it was with the fallen angels. There’s only one antidote to pride for us mere mortals and that is to cultivate daily a grateful, humble heart that thanks God for every moment of life on earth. our Blessed Mother Mary exemplifies the kind of heart that bears all. That is why she is worthy of emulation of the ultimate role model for a God-centered life. I say emulation but not adoration. adoration belongs to God alone. That is why the devil works hard but fails miserably to marginalize the role of the Holy Mother Mary in christian worship. Many christian churches have fallen into the devil’s snare eliminating God’s choice for the most powerful of intercessors among humans. “Thou shalt not kill” is a commandment that holds in good times and in bad. There’s no moral relativism on this. Each is precious to God or He wouldn’t have sacrificed His own son if He didn’t think we were worth the time and trouble. Each murder, particularly abortion, is a grievous sin against the Holy spirit from whom all life comes. Man has discounted his own worth. Part of the reason we have discounted the value of human life is that modern society has
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Pressure cooker violence “We tend to blame everything else but ourselves. The tendency to shirk responsibility is probably wired into our DNA right at the Garden of Eden with Eve originally playing the blame game early on. The devil made me do it. So did Adam. The woman gave me the apple.” become so desensitized to violence and death via the content in films, games and media that pass for entertainment these days, that we take life for granted as though it means nothing. Does hell exist? How is punishment meted out in the afterlife? In the physical universe, scientists claim that there are black holes in the known universe that cannot be seen by human eyes but with gravitation so strong that it suctions, as in a whirling cosmic cauldron stirred by mighty forces, all the stars and planetary systems that come within its orbit, so strong that not even light can escape. That must be what hell is like. need a visual image for hell aside from Dante’s Inferno? Black holes could fit the bill as a repository for lost souls, a cold, dark, fetid, state of gnawing pain and bitter regret, filled with the piercing screams of the damned, without the presence of God for all eternity, and forever blotted out from all memory except their own. Is it possible that the morally bankrupt and depraved, regard the taking of a life as an option when things do not go their way or when the course of their lives hit a snag and overweening pride tells them to end it all, instead of getting down on their knees to pray to the God of their beings for the humility, the courage and the strength to endure and receive the grace to overcome the most severe of troubles? Gone is the fear of God, much less the love of God. as we steer farther and farther away from God and place something else in the center of our lives, scenarios of helplessness and despair such as what we are witnessing more frequently these days may be expected to unfold with eerie regularity. Particularly during the “age
of selfies,” many have developed bloated images of their own self-importance. Far too many have become egocentric, overly individualistic, self-absorbed individuals. Perhaps during this period of testing, we would be a lot happier, healthier and less prone to veer towards lives of quiet desperation if we focused less and less on ourselves and more on the welfare of the other person and commit spontaneous, frequent acts of kindness and generosity to family members, total strangers and even those we struggle to love. It would be a tough slog but with God’s help, all things are possible. There was one telling incident I never quite forgot. long ago, I was running breathlessly huffing and puffing in my stilettos to drop some coins on a parking meter on Wilshire Boulevard I knew had expired because of a long, drawn-out presentation I was making on the upper floor of a nearby highrise. Fortunately, I narrowly missed getting a hefty fine from the parking enforcer because a panhandler had dropped some coins for my car’s meter, from his can of coins. It stunned me to see him feeding all the meters that were expiring on that block. of course, he may have been merely trying to annoy the heck out of the parking enforcer. Who knows? I only saw the kindness in the act. That stayed with me. From then on, I would remember and always be inspired by the completely anonymous gesture of that person who had practically nothing but still gave of the little he had. That’s when I knew kindness is contagious like the flu. *** Nota Bene: Monette Adeva Maglaya is SVP of Asian Journal Publications, Inc. To send comments, e-mail monette.maglaya@ asianjournalinc.com
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