New York/New Jersey -- December 11 -- 17, 2015 by Asian Journal Community Newspapers

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Volume 9 – Issue 11 • 16 Pages

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Malacañang: No delay in 2016 PH elections by Gil

Presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda

DATELINE

C. CabaCunGan, Jerry e. esplanada Inquirer.net

mALACAÑANG on monday, Dec. 7 said the 2016 elections must be held as scheduled, as it is mandated by the Constitution. the Palace was commenting on the statement on sunday, Dec. 6 of Commission on elections (Comelec) Chair Andres Bautista that the elections might be postponed because a supreme Court order temporarily stopping the Comelec’s “no bio,

USA

from the AJPress NEWS TEAM AcroSS AMEricA

Fil-Am dep’t head was at X’mas party an hour before San Bernardino massacre sAN frANCIsCo—the filipino American chief of san Bernardino County, California’s health department was at the Christmas party of her department’s environmental health services division an hour before San Bernardino California health the December department chief Trudy Raymundo 2 massacre that speaking to news media about the killed 14 people, December 2 shootings that killed 12 of whom were 14 people, 12 of whom were county county employhealth employees. ees. trudy raymundo, director of the county’s public health department, had been at the party held at the Inland regional Center where the attackers– syed rizwan farook, a division employee, and his wife, tashfeen malik—opened fire at the revelers. PAGE A3

no boto” (no biometrics, no vote) policy had upset preparations for the balloting. Under the rule, only registered voters with biometrics data with the Comelec will be allowed to vote. the Comelec, following its schedule, must complete the polling precinct assignments by Dec. 15. PAGE A2

Poe hits Duterte rights record Mayor has no ‘right to lead’ by leila

b. salaverria Inquirer.net

she did not mention the current front-runner in surveys on next year’s presidential elections, but the reference to Davao City mayor rodrigo Duterte was clear. “A government or people who abuse human rights are violating international human rights and have no right to lead our country,” Sen. Grace Poe said sen. Grace Poe, who is likewise running for President and had PAGE A4

CHRISTMAS SEASON. A parol-lighting ceremony kicked off the nine-day traditional Simbang Gabi sa Konsulado at the Philippine Center New York.

Ceremonial lighting of parols kick off Simbang Gabi at the Philippine Center in New York

New York—A parol-lighting ceremony led by Consul General mario L. de Leon, Jr. and Permanent representative to the United Nations Lourdes o. Yparraguirre kicked off the 9-day traditional simbang Gabi sa konsulado on monday, Dec. 7 at the Philippine Center New York. the traditional parols, made in san fernando, Pampanga, were set up at the window display at the Philippine Center as a way to depict how filipinos celebrate Christmas. the colorful display of lights added to the glitter of Christmas décor that line New York City’s prestigious fifth Avenue, where the Philippine Center is located,

Consul General Mario L. de Leon, Jr.

and effectively showcased the artistry and craftsmanship of the parol makers. In his remarks, the Consul General described the parollighting ceremony as a tribute to the filipino tradition of hang-

Permanent Representative to the United Nations Lourdes O. Yparraguirre

ing parols in their homes as an expression of their faith and hope. the parol is also an expression of gratitude for the blessings in the past year, PAGE A2

PH to battle it out for climate goals by Kristine

anGeli Inquirer.net

The Philippine delegation to the 21st Conference of Parties (COP21) in Paris, France, is hard at work as the climate talks enter the final stretch. Picture fifth and sixth from left are Secretary Manny de Guzman and Dean Tony La Viña, head and spokesperson of the country’s delegation, respectively. Inquirer.net photo by Kristine Sabillo

sabillo

PArIs — Negotiations remain tense as the deadline for a legally binding agreement on climate change looms but the Philippines is not backing down. the Philippine delegation on thursday said it will continue to “fight for priorities” in the climate talks, which has entered

the final phase of negotiations. “Philippines vowed on thursday to pull all stops to make sure that human rights, ecosystems integrity, loss and damage, adaptation finance and the ambitious emissions reductions goal to achieve below 1.5 degrees Celsius global warming will be part of the Paris deal,” it said in PAGE A2

Pope Francis opens Gaa, envoy and statesman passes away Obama: ‘Threat from terrorism door to the Jubilee Willy Fil-Am community mourns death of veteran diplomat is real, but we will overcome it’ Year of Mercy House passes bill to restrict visa-free travel the filipino community in New York is saddened by the news. “Ambassador Gaa was known in the foreign service for his level-headed insightfulness and bright attitude,” said Consul General mario L. de Leon, Jr. “his illustrious career that spanned 36 years proved his expertise in various aspects of the service – in administration, consular affairs, political diplomacy – in all geographic areas covered by the Department.” the filipino-American community he dealt with in Northeast UsA during his term as Consul General in New York and later as Ambassador to the United states remembers him as a warm and accommoAmbassador Willy Gaa dating community leader. Photo courtesy of the Philippine Embassy Ambassador Jose L. Cuisia, Jr also isformer Philippine Ambassador to the sued a statement on Gaa’s passing. United states willy Gaa died last tuesday, “It is with great sadness that we learned December 8 of lung cancer. he was 69. PAGE A3 by MoMar

tUesDAY, Dec. 8 marked the beginning of an important year in the Catholic Church--the beginning of the Year of mercy, a special holy year for Catholics. Pope francis opened the holy Door at st. Peter’s Basilica on tuesday morning, officially launching the yearlong celebration of mercy, compassion and forgiveness for Catholics around the world. francis stood in prayer before the great bronze doors leading into the Basilica, the largest Catholic Church in the world, before pushing them open and walking through its entrance. he is the first of an estimated 10 million faithful who will pass through the doors over the course of the next year, in a rite of holy pilgrimage that dates back centuries, reported the Associated Press. francis’ aging predecessor, Benedict XVI, PAGE A3

G. visaya

AJPress

by allyson

esCobar

AJPress

PresIDeNt Barack obama somberly addressed the nation from the oval office on sunday, Dec. 6, outlining his administration’s strategy for fighting the war on terror, namely, terrorist groups like the Islamic state. “tonight, I want to talk with you about this tragedy, the broader threat of terrorism, and how we can keep our country safe,” obama said in a primetime address. “our nation has been at war with terrorists since al Qaeda killed nearly 3,000 Americans on 9/11. In the process, we’ve hardened our defenses.” the president first acknowledged

the hard work and professionalism of the military and armed forces, law enforcement, and airport security. “our military and counterterrorism professionals have relentlessly pursued terrorist networks overseas—disrupting safe havens in several different countries, killing osama bin Laden, and decimating al Qaeda’s leadership.” obama’s address to the country came just days after the shooting rampage on wednesday, Dec. 2 in san Bernardino, California, which left 14 people at the Inland regional Center dead, and 21 injured. the terrorists—a muslim husband and wife, who were killed PAGE A2

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From the Front Page

Malacañang: No delay...

PAGE A1

But the Supreme Court order means the Comelec has to allow 2.4 million registered voters without biometrics data to vote. It also means the Comelec has to revise the precinct assignments to make room for the 2.4 million voters without biometrics data—a revamp too big it cannot

be finished by Dec. 15. Bautista said the snag would have a domino effect on the rest of the Comelec’s preparations, making the May 9 vote likely to be pushed down to a later date. The Constitution requires national elections to be held on the second Monday of May. Filipinos are looking forward

to that date, presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda told reporters in Malacañang Monday, Dec. 7. “So we … certainly [want the elections to be held as scheduled],” Lacierda said. Defer to SC He added, however, that the Palace would “defer” to the Supreme Court’s decision on the matter. “Our … position is … the elections [must] push through as mandated by the Constitution. [All parties—the Comelec, the Supreme Court, all of them— must have that in mind],” Lacierda said. Lacierda also brushed aside fears of an extension of President Aquino’s term in the event the elections were postponed. “We are counting the number of days left. We have 206 days left and we cannot wait to leave, for the President to take his longdelayed break,” he said.

Ceremonial lighting of parols kick off...

PAGE A1 and a prayer for guidance in the coming one, he said. He added that the parols represent an important tradition of the Filipino people at Christmas, one that deserves to be shared with our non-Filipino friends. “It is an important element of our duty to celebrate Filipino culture, and share it with the mainstream community in New York,”

PAGE A1

Consul General de Leon said. The evening was also the occasion to officially launch the “Orange the World” initiative, led by the Philippine Mission to the United Nations, to support the global campaign to end gender-based violence. Orange-colored lights illuminated the entrance of the Philippine Center in solidarity of the worldwide initiative.

PH to battle it out...

a statement. On Wednesday evening, Secretary Emmanuel “Manny” de Guzman gave a strongly-worded intervention on the need to include the said topics in the draft agreement of the 21st Conference of Parties (COP21). Reiterating his earlier speech, the Secretary criticized the lack of clear provisions on finance and capacity building. He again

called for quantitative goals for adaptation finance and the goal to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius below preindustrial levels. De Guzman told COP21 president Laurent Fabius and other parties that the Philippines and the other countries cannot allow “mass violation of human rights” to happen “when there is an option to do otherwise.” The vice chair of the Climate

Consul General de Leon and Permanent Representative Yparraguirre ceremonially pressed the switch that simultaneously lit up the parols and the orange lights. The lighting ceremony was witnessed by personnel of the Philippine Consulate General New York, the Philippine Mission to the United Nations and the Philippine Center. Change Commission complained about the bracketed provision on human rights. Phrases and words bracketed in the draft text can be revised or removed from the final agreement. The Philippines has been taking on a leadership role throughout the negotiations, as chair of the Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF). The CVF is not a negotiation bloc at the COP but it has been advocating the 1.5 degrees Celsius goal in behalf of countries vulnerable to climate change. PAGE A4

Obama: ‘Threat from terrorism is real... PAGE A1 in a shootout with police hours after the attack—were “radicalized, embracing a perverted interpretation of Islam that calls for war against America and the West.” “We cannot turn against one another by letting this fight be defined as a war between America and Islam. ISIL does not speak for Islam. They are…part of a cult of death, and they account for a tiny fraction of more than a billion Muslims around the world,” Obama said, emphasizing that the US is not involved in a war on religion. “We must enlist Muslim communities as some of our strongest allies, rather than push them away through suspicion and hate.” In his speech, the president also laid out his administration’s strategy for combating terror: deploying Special Operations Forces, sending proper training and equipment to freedom fighters in Iraq and Syria, launching heavy airstrikes on oil tankers (which provide extremist groups with much of their revenue), high intelligence-sharing with European allies, and Secretary of State John Kerry’s “Vienna process” plan to halt the civil war in Syria, so that all parties can focus on a common

enemy, according to the New York Times. “The threat from terrorism is real, but we will overcome it. We will destroy ISIL and any other organization that tries to harm us. Our success won’t depend on tough talk, or abandoning our values, or giving into fear. That’s what groups like ISIL are hoping for. Instead, we will prevail by being strong and smart, resilient and relentless, and by drawing upon every aspect of American power,” Obama said. In an impassioned plea, he urged Congress’ action to ensure that any potential suspects who are on the nation’s no-fly list are not able to buy a gun. “What could possibly be the argument for allowing a terrorist suspect to buy a semi-automatic weapon? This is a matter of national security,” he stated. “We need to make it harder for people to buy powerful assault weapons like the ones that were used in San Bernardino.” A day after the president’s speech, the FBI also announced that the attackers were radicalized, and “had been for quite some time,” according to ABC News. Officials had found a stockpile of

Pres. Barack Obama addresses the nation on Sunday, Dec. 6 the threat of terrorism and the steps the governments is taking to keep its citizens safe. White House photo by Pete Souza

assault weapons, ammunition, and pipe bombs in their Redlands home. The FBI has not determined whether the attack was directed by a terrorist organization overseas, but are investigating it as an act of terrorism. “We do not see any evidence so far of a plot outside the continental US,” said David Bowdich, the assistant director of the Los Angeles bureau of the FBI. “We may find it someday, we may not, we don’t know. But right now we’re looking at these two individuals and beginning to focus on building it

out from there. We will get to the bottom of this. We don’t know everything yet, but we will leave no stone unturned.” Congress votes on restrictions for visa-free travel In his remarks, Obama also promised for stronger security screenings. Separately, some lawmakers have discussed looking at the K1 fiancée visa program, through which the female shooter Tashfeen Malik, came through US borders from Saudi Arabia after her marPAGE A3

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Fil-Am dep’t head was... PAGE A1 “They were upbeat, they were happy, they were learning from each other, which is indicative of what this group has always been,” Raymundo told news media. Raymundo said she arrived to a party filled with camaraderie and good spirits. “I want to make it clear that this is a very tight, close-knit group. They have always supported each other. They are beyond co-workers. They are friends and they are family. They are tight and we are holding onto each other right now.” Raymundo thanked law enforcement and medical personnel who responded to the emergency and asked the public to join in mourning “the loss of our

colleagues, of our friends, of our families and our loved ones.” she said. “I ask that you come together and hold each other strong, because it is this strength that will help us heal. And I want you to every day be grateful for those of us that were spared.” Ironically, a year ago, employees of the county’s Environmental Health Services division attended an “active-shooter training” in the very room at the Inland Regional Center where the bloody terrorist attack took place. Staff members in Farook’s division will return to work next week, but other county departments reopened Monday, December 7. County officials pledged to ramp up security measures. (Inquirer.net)

Pope Francis opens door... PAGE A1 followed the Pope through the giant doors into the Basilica. In a solemn, gloomy day Mass attended by thousands gathered in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican, the pontiff celebrated the feast of the Immaculate Conception, celebrating the birth of Mary, the mother of Jesus. He also praised the work of the Second Vatican Council, saying that the newly-begun Jubilee Year “compels us not to neglect the spirit which emerged.” The Eucharistic celebration Tuesday was opened with readings of excerpts from the Vatican II’s four constitutions and its documents on ecumenism and religious liberty. In his homily, Francis said the Council documents “verify the great advance in faith” made at the event, said National Catholic Reporter. “How much wrong we do to God and His grace when we speak of sins being punished by his judgment before we speak of their being forgiven by His mercy,” Pope Francis told an estimated 50,000 people in attendance. “We have to put mercy before judgment, and in any event God’s judgment will always be in the light of His mercy.” Thousands of police, Roman soldiers, and extra heightened security were also present in the square. A no-fly zone had been imposed on Rome’s skies, to protect pilgrims flocking to witness the celebration. Francis launched the 12month Jubilee Year to emphasize the importance of mercy, healing and forgiveness to a church with a bad-rep for moralizing and judgment. A Jubilee Year is defined by Dynamic Catholic as “when the Catholic Church across the world takes approximately a year to focus on forgiveness and healing in a special way…to help people grow spiritually, strengthen their faith, and encourage works of service, and to promote unity within the Catholic Church and society” as a whole. The last Jubilee Year was in 2000, called for by St. John Paul II as the church’s third millennium. In his official announcement, Pope Francis asked individuals

and the entire Church to “be a witness of mercy,” reflecting on the love of God, practicing spiritual and corporal works of service to others, and simply reflecting on mercy, receiving it, and being merciful to all. The Year of Mercy will include a host of special Masses celebrated in Vatican City, with extra added security to accommodate the throngs of pilgrims expected to visit in the next 12 months. The Vatican Office also opened onto the main road in St. Peter’s Square, to welcome pilgrims and centralize services such as tickets to walk through the Holy Doors at St. Peter’s Basilica. Francis has also said he would set aside one Friday each month to perform a private act of mercy himself. Francis announced his Holy Year on the second anniversary of his papacy, during a chaotic time of ongoing war, terrorist attacks, and inbred violence--a time when the Church and its people most need peace, healing and encouragement. The Pope has made it a priority for the Catholic Church to be a “field hospital after battle,” with the ability to “heal wounds and warm the hearts of the faithful,” he told America Magazine in 2013. Holy Years are generally celebrated every 25-50 years, and have been used over time to encourage the faithful to make pilgrimages to Rome to obtain blessings and a “plenary indulgence,” defined by the Vatican as “having the interior disposition of complete detachment from sin, even venial sin.” It removes all temporal punishments from sins that have already been forgiven by God, through the sacrament of reconciliation in the Catholic Church. The Pope also made clear that this Holy Year would be a more “sober” occasion. Francis will also open the Holy Door at the Basilica of St. John Lateran, his cathedral church, on Dec. 13, when US Cardinal James Harvey will also open the holy door at Rome’s Basilica of St. Paul’s Outside the Walls. For the first time, the Pope instructed all cathedrals worldPAGE A4

From the Front Page

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Willy Gaa, envoy and statesman...

PAGE A1 of the passing of Ambassador Willy Gaa. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Gaa family during this time of loss and sorrow. On this sad occasion, we recall the Ambassador’s long and dedicated service to our country and to the Filipino people. Ambassador Gaa’s professionalism and tireless efforts to advance the interests of the Philippines and the Filipino diaspora community will continue to inspire the work of the Philippine Embassy and Consulates General across the United States.” Gaa, a veteran diplomat and a statesman, is survived by his wife Linda and sons Wendell and Warren. The outpouring of prayers and condolences on Facebook and various email groups prompted Wendell to thank friends, relatives and supporters for their prayers, support and well wishes to the family during this difficult time. “I know my Dad is now looking from up above upon us with much pride, knowing that we will continue to carry on the work of servicing the Fil-Am community which he so dedicated his life and career to when he was in the diplomatic corps,” Wendell said. Gaa was the Philippine ambassador to China from 2003 to 2006. He then at the Los Angeles Consulate General twice, first as a Deputy Consul General from 1987 to 1990 and as Consul General in 2006. Prior to his appointment as ambassador to the United States, he was charge d’affaires at the Philippine Embassy in Washington, DC. He was also assigned as an

envoy to Australia and Libya and non-resident ambassador to Tunisia, Malta and Niger from 1992 to 1997. Gaa began his 36-year career as a diplomat when he was appointed as a Foreign Service Officer in December 1974 after passing the FSO examination. He has served in various capacities in the Department of Foreign Affairs and in the Foreign Service, as Philippine Ambassador to Australia from 2002 to 2003, China from 2003 to 2006 and the United States in 2006. Consummate Diplomat “Ambassador Willy Gaa was a consummate diplomat, whose actions more than his words, helped make a difference in the Filipino American community’s aspirations for empowerment,” said NaFFAA National Chairman JT Mallonga. “As Philippine Ambassador to the United States from 20062011, Ambassador Gaa deeply cared for the community’s issues and concerns, notably the struggle of Filipino World War II Veterans for justice and equity. He championed this cause with determination and delight, walking the halls of Congress and meeting with U.S. leaders to speak for the thousands of veterans who needed a voice. He was there when the House finally voted for the Filipino Veterans Equity Compensation Fund on February 2007, staying late into the night to savor a measure of justice that had long been denied from our brave heroes. Thank you, Ambassador Gaa, for standing with us during our community’s most critical hours,” Mallonga added.

Ambassador Willy Gaa and his wife Linda

Community leader Gloria T. Caoile said Ambassador Gaa came to Washington, D.C. “with an open mind and a heart full of passion to serve us well.” “With his wife Linda, they opened their home to the community, relating to us as their family! His wry sense of humor and humility served him well in the rewarding relationships he forged, driven mainly by a passion to serve his people and his country. We will miss you, Sir, but we will never forget the good things you left behind,”Caoile said. Loida Nicolas Lewis, NaFFAA National Chair Emeritus, praised Ambassador Gaa’s diligent efforts to motivate Filipinos and Filipino Americans to give back to their mother country. “He instilled a sense of devotion and duty to the Philippines by encouraging them to become dual citizens, and be involved in

Photos courtesy of Bing Cardenas Branigin

the country’s governance as overseas voters and citizens. He also encouraged community organizations to help needy and distressed Filipino nationals who are in need of legal and humanitarian assistance. He was truly a man who cared. He gave his very best, with quiet dignity and humble grace,” Lewis said. As an organization and in behalf of the Filipino American community, NaFFAA wishes to convey its deepest sympathies to Mrs. Erlinda Gaa and the family during their time of mourning and grief. Interment is scheduled on December 15, with viewings from December 10-14 at Funeraria Paz, Manila Memorial Park in Sucat, Paranaque. A condolence book will be made available at the Philippine Center Lobby on Fifth Avenue from December 11 to 18 for the community.

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Garcetti leads coalition for Supreme Court review on Obama’s immigration plan

LOS ANGELES—Mayor Eric Garcetti announced on Friday, Dec. 4 that, as part of the Cities United for Immigration Action coalition he has led with New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, 84 cities and counties filed an amicus brief asking the Supreme Court to lift an injunction blocking President Barack Obama’s executive actions on immigration. Drafted by the Los Angeles City Attorney and the Corporation Counsel of the City of New York, the amicus brief makes a strong case for support of lifting the injunction on public safety, economic, and humanitarian grounds. “National, state, and local leaders across the country are

asking the Supreme Court to review the decision in Texas v. United States because we have a special understanding of how generations of immigrants have contributed to the foundation of our cities and the strength of our nation,” said Garcetti in a statement. “Partisan politics should not stand in the way of doing what is right for families who simply want to stay together. These are true American values, and it is our obligation to do all we can to preserve and protect family bonds.” In November, the Obama administration announced that it would seek the Supreme Court’s review of the President’s executive actions on immigration, fol-

lowing a federal appeals court’s ruling that the plans must remain blocked. Obama, in November 2014, announced a series of actions that would shield up to 5 million undocumented immigrants from deportation. Texas v. United States -- a lawsuit brought on by of 26 states -- seeks to ban two key provisions of the plan: Deferred Action for Parents of Americans (DAPA) and an expanded version of the Deferred Action on Childhood Arrivals (DACA). Under DAPA, parents of US citizens or lawful permanent residents could be spared from deportation if they meet certain criteria, including continuous

residency in the US since Jan. 1, 2010 and a clean record free of any criminal offenses. Meanwhile, the amended version of DACA was slated to include children brought to the United States before Jan. 1, 2010, notwithstanding their current age, and would have provided three years of relief. The original version of DACA, which was introduced in 2012, remains intact and untouched by the lawsuit. The program is reserved for those who were born after 1981. Texas and 25 other states filed a lawsuit back in February, stating that the creation of DAPA and expansion of DACA go against the President’s ex-

ecutive power and would have negative effects on each state’s economy. Texas asserted that the “lawful presence” of the immigrants would require the state to issue “state-subsidized driver’s licenses” and other aid programs. Garcetti’s coalition continues on his administration’s commitment to immigration issues. Similarly on Friday, over 210 congressional Democrats -- including Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) -- announced that they filed an amicus brief supporting the Department of Justice’s appeal for the high court’s review of the federal appeals court’s

decision. “We are confident that the Supreme Court will support President Obama’s decision to use the authority granted by Congress to set enforcement priorities and focus our limited resources on threats to national security and public safety, not hard-working families,” Reid and Pelosi said in a statement. “President Obama took executive action after extensive legal analysis by the Department of Justice and only after Republicans refused to address our broken immigration system.” If the Supreme Court decides to hear the immigration case, a decision could come by June, before the term ends. (AJPress)

Labor Dep’t sues Filipino care home owners for wage theft SAN FRANCISCO—Having exhausted all attempts to reach a settlement, the US Department of Labor on Friday, Dec. 4, sued a Filipino-owned Silicon Valley residential care provider charging the owners with gross violations of federal wage and hour regulations. The department’s Solicitor’s Office filed the lawsuit in US District Court in Northern California against the owners of San Miguel

PAGE A2

Homes for the Elderly, LLC, who operate three residential care facilities for the elderly in Union City. Listed as defendants in the lawsuit are Precilla San Miguel and her two sons, Teofilo Cris Sanque and Ryan San Miguel. Precilla San Miguel resides in Union City, California, and is president and 60-percent owner and a manager of San Miguel Homes for the Elderly, LLC.

Before approximately June 2014, she owned the facilities and Quality In Home Care as a sole proprietorship and operated them with her two sons, co-defendants Teofilo Cris Sanque and Ryan San Miguel. The Department of Labor is seeking to recover the back wages and damages owed to 22 employees for the substantial hours worked at substandard pay. All the employees are Filipino.

The department accuses the defendants of having either paid the workers for only eight hours of work per day, or paid them a flat daily rate that did not account for all hours worked. As a result, the workers’ hourly rate has been less than the federal minimum wage. Specifically, the workers employed in the facilities routinely work and have worked more than 40 hours per week, but de-

“We have now reached 1 degree, we only have 0.5 left to control, and so we need to act with great urgency. Paris is our chance,” De Guzman said. De Guzman also argued for “good and strong language on ecosystems integrity,” as well as the inclusion of the Warsaw international mechanism on loss and damage (WIM), which was adopted during COP19 in Poland. The Philippines proposed WIM-PLUS as De Guzman em-

Pope Francis opens door... PAGE A3 wide to open their Holy Doors to pilgrims to encourage them to mark the jubilee at home, rather than traveling to Rome. During his visit to the Central African Republic last week, Francis also opened the Holy Door of the Cathédrale Notre-Dame in

Bangui. Francis asked churchgoers and followers, “When we are called to share joys and sorrows, do we sincerely weep with those who weep and rejoice with those who rejoice? When we express our faith, we do it with courage and simplicity, without being

ashamed of the Gospel?” “Wherever there is a person, the Church is called to reach out to them to bring the joy of the Gospel. After these decades, we again take up this missionary push with the same power and enthusiasm,” he continued. “Be merciful as your father is merciful.” (Allyson Escobar/AJPress)

The department’s Wage and Hour Division continues to see problems in the residential care field, particularly in the San Francisco Bay Area. Earlier this year, the department announced that it had returned more than $6.8 million in overtime and minimum wage back wages and damages to Bay Area residential care workers from 2011 through 2014. (Inquirer.net)

Poe hits Duterte rights...

PH to battle it out...

can do this,” delegation spokesperson Tony La Viña said. “From 12 a.m. of December phasized the importance of a 10 onwards, we will push for our loss and damage mechanism. Accountability and the issue priorities in two simultaneous of loss and damage remain a meetings – one where the dissticky issue in the negotiations, cussion is facilitated by Fabius which have further exposed the himself and another set of condiffering opinions of developed sultations chaired by Peruvian and developing countries on cli- environment minister and COP20 president Manuel Pulgar-Vidal,” mate finance. De Guzman and the Philip- he added. He said among the issues that pines’ negotiators have been at the negotiating table until the will be discussed are ambition, differentiation, means of implewee hours of the morning. “The delegation is practically mentation, preamble, forests, sleepless in the past few days, loss and damage and cooperabut we can work on this and we tive mechanisms.

fendants have not compensated them at time and one-half the regular rate at which they were employed for all hours worked in excess of 40. In many work weeks, defendants failed to keep any records at all of the hours worked by the workers employed in the facilities. In other work weeks, defendants failed to keep accurate and complete records of the hours worked by those employees.

PAGE A1 been topping popularity polls before Duterte announced—after so much hemming and hawing—he was joining the race. At the commemoration of International Human Rights Day on Thursday, Poe said in a statement that the Philippines should have a leader that upholds and not just respects human rights in the face of challenges. Poe did not specifically name Duterte but the latter has been accused of setting loose a “death squad” to execute drug dealers and criminals since he became mayor of Davao City in 1988. He has not denied the accusations and in recent public statements even admitted he had killed criminals in his drive to make his city one of the most secure places in the world. If a government allows the rights of constituents to be violated, it cannot lead the people, Poe said. Everybody should enjoy

these rights, whether rich or poor, she said. “Everybody should be included and nobody should be left behind. This includes the right to choose a leader,” she said. And as she continuous to face challenges to her candidacy on account of her being a foundling, her camp stressed that she has a right to run for President based on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The Commission on Elections is tackling four petitions seeking to disqualify her from running for the presidency in next year’s polls for supposedly not being a natural-born citizen, an express requirement under the Constitution, and for not meeting the 10year residency rule. “We all have the right to a nationality, the right to belong to a country,” Poe said. “I have always said that abandoned children are entitled to the same rights that all people enjoy. The circumstances of their

birth do not make them lesser humans,” she added. The Supreme Court has recognized the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in its rulings, she noted. “We all have the same rights under the law. The law should be the same for everyone. We should be able to expect fair treatment from a fair court,” she said. “At the end of the day, I trust that the Supreme Court recognizes the right of every Filipino to choose his leader,” she further said. Some lawyers have stressed that the clear mandate of the Constitution that the President must be natural born cannot be contravened by international conventions. Former Supreme Court Chief Justice Artemio Panganiban has suggested that the express provision in the Constitution should be set aside, Poe should be allowed to run in the election and people should decide her fate.

Obama: ‘Threat from terrorism is real... PAGE A2 riage to Syed Rizwan Farook, the other shooter in the San Bernardino attacks. In a rare agreement, Congress and the White House are ready to combat terrorism with legislation that would slap on new, more secure travel restrictions on foreign visitors to the US who have recently been to Syria, Iraq, Iran or the Sudan. On Tuesday night, Dec. 5, the House overwhelmingly passed legislation to overhaul the federal visa waiver program, barring those who have visited those countries in the last five years from traveling to the US without a visa. The 407 to 19 vote had wide bipartisan support and White House backing, said The Associated Press. The House measure, which was hammered out in private talks between the administration and leaders of Congress following the attacks in Paris last month, would ban visa-free entry of citizens from 38 countries, including most of Europe and several US allies in Asia, if they report on a travel application that they have visited any of the four targeted countries since 2011. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) would also gather more detailed information from travelers about their past visits to countries like Syria and Iraq. “This will help neutralize the threat from foreign terrorists entering our country,” said House Speaker Paul Ryan, also emphasizing that there was no “religious test” in the House’s final vote. “Freedom of religion is a fundamental constitutional principle. It’s a founding principle of this country.” The program, endorsed by top House Democrats, allowed eligible citizens of the 38 approved countries--including Great Britain, Belgium and France--to travel into the States without first obtaining a visa. Instead, this new measure would require people from those countries to apply for entry to the US through the traditional visa process. The measure would also require all 38 countries that participate in the visa-waiver program to share traveler information with the US. In the past, some countries had been slow to provide such vital information, some officials complained. Under the bill, those countries could face elimination from the program if they fail to comply.

Though the polls have shown a majority of Americans who also oppose the plan, the funding measure is tangled in other battles, said the LA Times. Republican contender Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), a main rival of front-runner Donald Trump, has called for blocking all refugees from Syria and other countries where terrorists operate from entering the US for the next three years. Cruz vowed to try to attach is refugee ban to the broader House measure. Officials such as CIA Director John Brennan to Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC), the chairman of the Senate Intelligence committee and California Democrat Sen. Diane Feinstein, the committee’s ranking member, are more worried that the visa waiver program is a greater concern in that it makes it much harder to keep track of potential terrorists and prevent attacks in the US. One potentially huge roadblock to passage of the visa-waiver bill remains in the Senate, where Sen. Feinstein has pushed for even tougher restrictions added to the program. Under Feinstein’s proposal, which was drafted with Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), first-time visitors who apply through the visa-waiver program must undergo biometric fingerprint and photograph screening at US embassies or consulates in their home countries, rather than after they arrive in the US. A major difference between the House and Senate versions of the bill concerns which countries are affected. While the House bill also blocks visa-free travel for those who admit to visiting Iran and Sudan, with several exceptions for citizens involved with government or the military, Feinstein’s bill in the Senate restricts those who have gone to Syria and Iraq, and gives the DHS the ability to add countries to the restricted list, with no exceptions for any travelers. “Sen. Feinstein is encouraged by the consensus on strengthening the security of the visa-waiver program and will work with her colleagues to get something signed into law,” said a Feinstein aide. Critics of the Senate proposal say that overseas facilities are not staffed up to handle the expected onslaught of thousands of visitors who would need extra prescreening. Some also argue that the new restrictions might create problems for innocent citizens, such as Iranian or Iraqi immigrants who have settled in Europe and visited their home countries in recent years. The American Civil Liberties

Union, arguing that the measure passed Tuesday was too arbitrary and does not make exceptions for aid workers and dual citizens, said in a letter to lawmakers: “We urge Congress to exercise caution and to avoid passing legislation that would broadly scapegoat groups based on nationality, and would fan the flames of discriminatory exclusion, both here and abroad.” The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee also raised concerns, pointing to another feature of the bill that it found troubling: the exclusion from the visa waiver program of people who have traveled to Iraq or Syria since March 2011, when the conflict in Syria began. That provision could target people who do humanitarian work in those countries, the group said, according to Politico. “There are other avenues to strengthen security other than placing blanket exclusion on all countries designated under this bill and groups of people based on their national origin,” the group stated. As the Obama administration works to address such concerns, the DHS will also look at pilot programs for collecting biometric information, such as travelers’ fingerprints, the White House said in a statement. The visa-waiver changes are among the most substantial ever made to the 30-year-old program. A task force in the House of Representatives is meeting to discuss details of the program, and hopes to craft legislation to pass “by the end of the year,” said House Majority Leader Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) last week. “The House bill’s more limited approach [would bring] thoughtful solutions that will enhance America’s security,” said US Travel Assn. President Roger Dow in a statement, also warning against “knee-jerk restrictions that could harm tourism to the US.” Around 20 million visitors a year—roughly 59 percent of all overseas visitors—have traveled on the current waiver program, which grants 90-day stays in the US, and is vital to America’s tourism economy, says the travel association. The visa-waiver program measure will now move to the Senate, and is likely to be attached to a must-pass spending bill to fund federal operations in Congress. Despite unresolved bipartisan differences, the Senate is expected to have approved the bill by the end of the week to avoid a government shutdown.

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NBI files charges vs ‘laglag-bala’ perpetrators by Patricia Lourdes Philstar.com

Viray

MANILA—The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) on Thursday, Dec. 10 filed criminal charges against two personnel from the Office for Transportation Security (OTS) and four members of the Philippine National Police Aviation Security Group for their involvement in the “laglag-bala” or bullet planting scheme at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. The Department of Justice confirmed that there were instances that the extortion scheme were perpetrated by OTS personnel. What used to be a routine procedure at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport is now viewed DOJ Spokesperson Emmanuel with suspicion. Inquirer.net photo Caparas said in a press conferpassengers. Airport officials ask ence that the NBI went through ing scheme. The DOJ official said that victims for money to avoid dedocuments, data and interviewed all stakeholders in the laglag-bala the group working behind the tention. President Benigno Aquino III, scheme is not big enough to be cases. however, insisted that the bullet Caparas clarified that the NBI considered a syndicate. The scheme involves the plant- planting issue has been “sensacannot confirm yet if there is a syndicate behind the bullet planting of bullets in unsuspecting tionalized.”

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Half of Pinoys see better lives in 2016 by HeLen

FLores Philstar.com

MANILA—Almost half of Filipinos expect their lives to improve in the next 12 months, the Social Weather Stations (SWS) said in its latest survey. The survey, conducted from Nov. 26 to 28, found 46 percent expect their quality of life to get better against five percent who expect it to get worse, yielding a net score of +41. The survey, commissioned by Davao-based businessman William Lima, used face-to-face interviews with 1,200 registered voters nationwide. Net personal optimism was highest in balance Luzon (+47), The survey, conducted from Nov. 26 to 28, found 46 percent expect their quality of life to get PAGE A7 better against five percent who expect it to get worse, yielding a net score of +41.

Ang Pangarap Niyo Ay Pangarap Namin.

Duterte wants to implement curfew if he wins presidency by nestor

corraLes Inquirer.net

DAvAO City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday, Dec. 9 said he would implement a nationwide curfew if elected president in the 2016 national elections. During an interview with radio DZMM on Wednesday, Duterte was asked if he would replicate

in the country the curfew currently being implemented in Davao City. The mayor answered by recalling an incident when he attended a party of a friend in a resort casino in Paranaque City where people were clamoring for him. “Sigaw (ng) sigaw, ‘Presidente!’ Sabi ko, ‘pag ako naging presidente, ala una (ng madaling

araw) sarado na,” he said. Asked if he would indeed implement this in the country, he said, “Ginawa ko sa Davao; bakit hindi ko gawin dito?” In Davao City, an ordinance prohibiting the selling and serving of alcoholic beverages starting at 1 am is being implemented. PAGE A7

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Features

Global commitment RECENT climatic and environmental events warn that the world is doomed for disastrous consequences. The Philippines—who is among the countries that bear the brunt of this phenomenon—seeks adaptive measures that would strengthen livelihoods, food security and ecosystems. In his trip to Paris, France last week, Pres. Benigno Aquino III called for significant actions to address the challenge of climate change. He urged world leaders to arrive at a “fair consensus” that would help developing countries like the Philippines squarely confront the ruinous impact of climate change. During the 21st Conference of Parties (COP21), Aquino called for global security among heads of state and government, leaders from the private sector and civil society representatives, in addressing climate change saying every country must commit to reduce green house gas emissions and build resilient communities. “It is imperative that all countries do everything, and maximize what can be done to address climate change. Either we all strive and sacrifice, or we all lose to the cycle of destruction and reconstruction,” Aquino said. Aquino added that the economic costs of climate change amount to $44.9 billion annually for the Vulnerable 20 (V20) countries alone, which includes the Philippines. Inaction to this problem

will cost all affected nations even more, Aquino warned, as this number is set to grow almost 10-fold by 2030, bringing the total estimated amount up to $400 billion. Rising water levels brought by climate change threatens the existence of other island-nations such as Kiribati, Tuvalu, and the Maldives. Aquino said that the extinction of these islands would be certain, “unless we pursue realizable goals that acknowledge that, for some nations, the fight against climate change is a matter of survival.” People must understand how the world’s current practices exhaust many of the planet’s limits—leading to risks of damaging the ecosystem that is beyond repair. About 75 percent of disasters are caused by or related to weather. The world has reached a critical stage in its efforts to exercise responsible environmental stewardship. Despite intentions and some admirable actions done by notable organizations, unsustainable use of the world’s natural resources has left the degradation of the global environment unabated. Environmental degradation, urban develop-

Editorial

ManilaTimes.net photo

ment and population growth, combined with the impacts of natural calamities have increased the risks. Environmental problems caused by impacts of human activities on resources is a phenomenon commonly known as climate change. As time goes by, the planet becomes more vulnerable. Its ability to ward off wastes and destructive effluent is growing thin. The planet has be-

come fragile, recent catastrophic events should be enough emphasis for nations to change their ways to make this planet a safer place. While we cannot undo the damages done, we are still capable of learning from recent climate change incidents and decelerating the rate of change to produce a desirable future for the planet altogether. (AJPress)

Do you agree with Trump’s call to ban Muslims from entering the US? Donald Trump once again shook the nation with yet another plan to purportedly keep America safe following the San Bernardino massacre that killed 14 people and injured 21 others. The Republican presidential frontrunner wants a total shutdown of all Muslims entering America — whether they are immigrants or tourists. While Trump’s fans cheered when he made the announcement on Monday, Dec. 7, many were outraged, even among members of the Republican Party. Recent investigations revealed that the perpetrators of the San Bernardino shooting were radicalized, drawing inspiration from the ideology of extremist group ISIS. As he himself announced on television, “Donald Trump is calling for a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until

our country’s representatives can figure out what the hell is going The Fil-Am on.” This proposal excludes Mus- Perspective lims who are already living in the US and those who serve in the US military. The Filipino Channel’s daily Gel SantoS-reloS newscast “Balitang America” reported on the reactions from individuals on either side of the political spectrum, who are against Trump’s proposal. White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest challenged the Republican Party to denounce Donald Trump, and said this proposal disqualifies him from serving the country as president. “What was proposed yesterday is not what this party stands for,” Republican House Speaker

Paul Ryan said, contending that Trump’s statement is in violation of the Constitution. Presidential candidate and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush called Trump “unhinged”. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, another presidential candidate, criticized Trump, saying his comments clearly show the frontrunner does not have the experience to be president. Meanwhile, Senator Lindsey Graham said it is time for all Republicans to unite against Trump. On “Balitang America,” I interviewed Abu Qadir Al-Amin to get his reaction to Trump’s plan. Located in the Excelsior District of San Francisco, which has the highest concentration of Filipinos in the city, the Center is where many Filipino Mus-

lims go to pray. While the Imam categorically stated that America is not and should not be at war with ALL Muslims, he said they choose not to respond to Trump, and just live by the very essence of the Muslim faith: to live in peace. This is also the message kababayans in the Philippines want to spread through an art exhibit that they staged, in order to shine a positive light on the stories and contributions of Filipino Muslims. Do you agree with Donald Trump’s proposal? *** 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

May angal, Circa 2015 IN April 2010, towards the end of the Street term of President Gloria Macapagal-Ar- Talk royo, I wrote a biting piece entitled, “May Angal???” I wrote it out of sheer frustration GreG B. MacaBenta over the abuses of the Arroyo administration that we, as citizens, could only helplessly protest. Here’s how that piece read: “If you grew up in the streets and had to deal with a bully, you may recall having been told this to your face: May angal? Literally: Any complaints? If the bully was much bigger than you, and especially if he had other toughies backing him up, you simply swallowed your pride, meekly shook your head, and took whatever abuse was heaped on you. “Your only recourse was to weep in self-pity and complain to the heavens about your fate. If you were the type with some measure of braggadocio, you told your friends that you didn’t have the heart to embarrass the bully or you didn’t want to dignify his lack of manners. But deep inside you, you felt really puny, impotent, and helpless. And ashamed of yourself for not fighting back. “In this country, which has deteriorated into one governed, not by laws but by people wielding raw power, we are being bullied and told to our faces: May angal??? “We make a lot of noises, organize marches, sign petitions, hold up placards, write letters to the media, threaten to go to court, and curse the bullies to high heavens. But after so much sound and fury, the bullies in government still get away with their abuses. In fact, in a literal sense, they get away with murder.” That was the situation then. And that still seems to be the case now, even as the tenure of President Benigno S. Aquino III nears its end. At least, at one point, Arroyo said, “I-am-sorry…”, no matter that she obviously did not mean it and that she

promptly took it back. But Aquino’s self-righteousness appears to be cast in stone. He seems to be a staunch believer in that kiddie taunt, “Sticks and stones may break my bones but names will never hurt me!” In the face of protests and accusations – even being told to his face that he lied - he has brazened it and, in effect, has shot back: May angal? Thousands of victims of super typhoon Yolanda are still living in pitiful conditions in Leyte, two years after the tragedy, and yet P10.28 Billion in rehabilitation funds have not been released by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) and nearly P4.5 Billion in quick response funds allocated to various national government agencies have remained idle – a clear case of government incompetence and insensitivity. Aquino himself did not even bother to show up in Tacloban for the second year’s commemoration of the disaster, choosing instead to attend the wedding of a taipan’s son. And who can forget how, amidst the death and destruction, Aquino and Mar Roxas, then Interior Secretary, made the most heartless remarks ever mouthed by national leaders? “Buhay ka pa naman, hindi ba?”(You’re still alive, aren’t you?) and “Bahala na kayo sa buhay niyo!” (Loosely: You’re on your own!) May angal??? Some P10 Billion in public funds were spent, thousands of Metro Manilans were made to suffer monstrous inconveniences, businesses had to bear massive financial losses and, in effect, the entire country was swept under the rug, along with the filth of the metropolis, in order to present an impressive façade to the delegates of the APEC summit. In the aftermath, with a straight face, Aquino claimed credit for a “successful” summit, making the inconveniences and financial losses “worthwhile.” Meanwhile, Metro Manila promptly has

returned to “normal” with its shanties, vagrants and horrible traffic. May angal??? Forty-four members of the Philippine National Police (PNP) Special Action Force were slaughtered in Mamasapano, in an operation in which Aquino clearly had a direct hand.. Worse yet, when the remains of the troopers were flown to Manila, Aquino did not bother to honor them with his presence. He preferred, instead, to attend the inauguration of a Mitsubishi facility in nearby Laguna. Former President Fidel V. Ramos was also at that event but left early to meet the SAF remains, along with Vice-President Jejomar Binay. Ignoring the facts, Aquino has stubbornly refused to acknowledge command responsibility for the tragedy, choosing to blame others, including suspended PNP Chief Alan Purisima, for having “misled” him. And yet it was Aquino who had gotten Purisima involved in the operation, in spite of the latter’s suspension. In his last State of the Nation Address, Aquino made no mention of the Fallen 44 and, to this day, their families’ cries for justice have been in vain. May angal??? Sen. Grace Poe-Llamanzares fudged her birth, residency and citizenship records en route to the Senate and, she hopes, the presidency. Three Associate Justices of the Supreme Court, sitting in the Senate Electoral Tribunal, wrote incisive positions against Poe’s claim to being a natural-born Filipino citizen, but five other members of the SET – Senators Pia Cayetano, Cynthia Villar, Tito Sotto, Bam Aquino and Loren Legarda – ignored the Justices’ arguments, as well as their Constitutional underpinnings, in the name of political expediency.. May angal??? The Department of Transportation & Communication (DOTC), once headed by Liberal Party presidential standard bearer, Mar Roxas, and now by LP Acting President Joseph Emilio Aguinaldo Abaya, has been a glaring example of government incompetence and insensitivity. In spite of the daily torment that

THE bullet-planting or tanim-bala extortion scheme involves NAIA security officials and personnel demanding money from a passenger in exchange for dropping criminal charges for possession of a bullet. Rudy Santos/Philstar.com/File

commuters have to suffer in taking the MRT and LRT, the congestion at the country’s airports, the frequent sea mishaps due to lax government oversight, and the infernal traffic made worse by the delayed implementation of infrastructure projects, Aquino has shown no intention of replacing Abaya. “It’s not fatal!” was how Abaya described the traffic situation, while Roxas called it “a sign of economic progress.” May angal??? Hundreds of travellers have reportedly been victimized by extortionists manning the security process at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. The incidents have been bannered in the international media, further eroding the already tarnished image of the country’s principal airport. Instead of vowing to immediately get to the bottom of the problem, the government responded like a bunch of kids caught with their hands in the cookie jar. President Aquino dismissed the incidents as having been “blown out of proportion by media,” Secretary Abaya

cited figures to show that the affected passengers constituted an insignificant percentage of total travellers, and Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) General Manager Jose Angel Honrado disclaimed any accountability because, according to him, his function is simply to “coordinate” airport activities. Meanwhile, the mysterious single bullet appearance in the bags of departing passengers continues and a new “profit center” has been devised at the NAIA: an “escort service” to guarantee hassle-free departures. May angal??? The good news is that the Aquino administration will soon make its exit and the citizenry will have a chance to choose a new set of leaders with more competence and compassion than the ones in power. The bad news, however, is that our cherished hopes could be dashed by gold, goons and an automated version of Garci. May angal??? (gregmacabenta@hotmail.com)’

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Binay: Poverty a human rights issue

Vice President Jejomar Binay

AT the heart of the issue of human rights is the moral issue of poverty, according to Vice President Jejomar Binay. “As one Nobel Peace Prize awardee once said, ‘Poverty is the absence of all human rights,’” Binay said in a statement on the observance of Human Rights Day. In the same statement, the Vice President added that his vision is for every Filipino to have “an equal share in the nation’s progress.” “No one should be left behind. Together, let us continue to transform with our hands the ideals of human rights into reality where we all have the freedom to live our lives and thrive,” he said. Binay was a human-rights lawyer during the martial law years, co-founding the Move-

ment of Attorneys for Brotherhood, Integrity and Nationalism (Mabini) with fellow humanrights lawyers Joker Arroyo and Rene Saguisag. “Safeguarding human dignity and the rights of individuals is an issue which I championed in my early years as a lawyer and activist,” he said. The Vice President noted that while significant strides have been made in upholding and promoting human rights, the Philippines is still “a long way off from a society that truly respects and protects the human rights of every man, woman and child.” “Many of our people continue to remain at risk of harassment, acts of violence, cruel treatment, and even death. Our task therefore is to put a stop to the long culture of impunity that perpetu-

ates abuses,” he said. The Philippines, according to the Vice President, takes pride in being one of the signatories to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) drafted by the United Nations. “Respect for human rights as state policy has [also] been enshrined in our 1987 Constitution when it declares, ‘The State values the dignity of every human person and guarantees full respect for human rights,’” he said. According to the latest quarterly survey of the Social Weather Stations (SWS), 59 percent of Filipino families considered themselves “mahirap” or poor in the last quarter of 2015, an increase of nine percentage points. The SWS attributed the rise in poverty rate to the higher percentage of families who claimed they are poor in the rest of Luzon (from 38 percent to 54 percent), Metro Manila (from 32 percent to 38 percent), and Visayas (from 66 percent to 71 percent). But poverty incidence in Mindanao was lower (from 70 percent to 67 percent). Meanwhile, economist and former Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno earlier said the Philippines’ economic growth did not ease poverty in the country. “Strong, sustained growth is a necessary condition for poverty reduction, but it is not a sufficient one. It matters where growth is coming from, and whether it is inclusive,” Diokno added. (ManilaTimes.net)

Half of Pinoys see better lives... PAGE A5 followed by the National Capital Region (+42), Mindanao (+36) and the Visayas (+32). The latest net personal optimism was higher than the +33 recorded in the SWS Sept. 2-5 poll.

In terms of economic class, net optimism was +40 among the ABC, +43 among class D and +31 among class E. In terms of age groups, respondents 18-24 yielded a net +55, followed by 25-34 (+50); 3544 (+40); 45-54 (+35) and 55 and

above (+33). The survey has sampling error margins of plus or minus three percentage points nationwide and plus or minus six percentage points each for Metro Manila, balance Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao.

Duterte wants to implement curfew... PAGE A5 Duterte said he was also concerned with the welfare of the children. “You know, there’s always a time for everything. Ang inaalala ko ay ‘yung mga bata,” he added. Davao City has been imple-

menting a curfew law, ordering that those 18 years old and below are not allowed to loiter in the city between 10 pm and 5 am unless they are accompanied by their parents or guardians of legal age. Duterte has ordered the arrest of parents whose children are

seen roaming the streets of the city during the curfew period. He recalled that when he was staying in a dormitory as a student, there was no curfew implemented. “Sa dormitory namin noon, walang limit e. Maski anong oras ka dumating,” he said.

ECO-FRIENDLY. To bring back interest in its 2-year-old bike-sharing program aimed at promoting a greener Metro Manila, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) has added 40 new mountain bikes to its fleet, bringing the total to 70. During the blessing of the new bikes on Tuesday, Dec. 8 at the agency’s headquarters in Makati City, MMDA Chair Emerson Carlos said the public was welcome to borrow free of charge the eco-friendly mode of transport. Inquirer.net photo by Grig Montegrande

No hope in sight for BBL by LLanesca

T. PanTi & JoeL M. sy egco Manilatimes.net

THE House of Representatives will not approve the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) this year, Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. said on Thursday, Dec. 10. Belmonte was referring to the proposed enabling law that would concretize a peace agreement between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). The draft law calls for the creation of a Bangsamoro Autonomous Region (BAR) replacing the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. The BAR would enjoy fiscal autonomy and would be governed by a parliament. The Speaker noted that the best-case scenario would be the termination of the period of interpellation on the Bangsamoro measure within next week wherein the House will be holding sessions from Monday to Wednesday before adjourning for the Christmas break. “Hindi rin… hindi puwede sa tingin ko [I don’t think we can approve it on second reading]. There are still people lined up to interpellate, and we can’t prevent them from interpellating,” Belmonte told reporters. Belmonte, however, clarified that the Bangsamoro measure is not the lone bill likely to be shelved for lack of time and the looming start of the campaign period for national candidates in February.

He said the Freedom of Information bill is also a likely casualty even if he has committed that the FOI measure would be passed during the Aquino administration. The FOI bill mandates government agencies and public officials to disclose all information pertaining to official acts, transactions or decisions, as well as government research data used as a basis for policy development. “I hate to be a liar. On FOI, we already know the real situation that there are people who need convincing. Anyway, everything’s chances are slim, with a few days to go for our session and a few days to go before the campaign period,” Belmonte said. But for Akbayan party-list Rep. Angelina Ludovice Katoh, the passage of the Bangsamoro measure is needed to ensure protection for the human rights of Moros and lumad (indigenous people) in Mindanao and ending decades of war in Mindanao. “The war in Mindanao has prevented our Moro and lumad brothers and sisters from exercising and fully enjoying their economic, socio-cultural and political rights. Future generations will point to this critical moment when we would have stood to ignore or advance the rights of our Moro and lumad brothers and sister. We cannot let them down,” Katoh, a native of Mindanao herself, said in a statement.

President Benigno Aquino III could no longer muster support from his allies in Congress and this may spell doom for his pet legislation, including the BBL, according to a political analyst. Ramon Casiple of the Institute for Political and Electoral Reforms said lawmakers are only “playing” with Aquino, especially on the issue of the BBL which, according to him, is already in a precarious situation. “The BBL is in danger. Lawmakers don’t like the BBL… They don’t want to touch it,” Casiple added. He noted the failure of the House leadership to achieve quorum to pass important legislation despite Aquino’s plea. Recently, the President had lunch with members of Congress to talk about the prospects of having the measure passed. Casiple said Aquino’s only “hold” on lawmakers is the budget, which he controls as President. “They don’t like to antagonize PNoy [Aquino]. As President, he controls the budget. The budget will [be] pass [ed],” he added. The P3-trillion national budget for 2016 was approved on Wednesday. Earlier, Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. expressed the belief that lawmakers’ response to the President’s call was “positive.” The BBL was originally intended to be passed several months ago but the onset of the election season and “prejudices” against the measure derailed it.

A december 11-17, 2015 • NeW YOrK ANd NeW JerSeY ASIAN JOUrNAL

http://www.asianjournal.com • (212) 655-5426

december 11-17, 2015

people events arts culture entertainment

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New York’s Filipino foodie events celebrate the holiday season by MoMar G. Visaya/AJPress Purveyors of Filipino food movement showcased the cuisine further with a couple of foodie events in Manhattan and Brooklyn held last week. over at the Asia society, the Philippine American Chamber of Commerce gathered some of the Filipino restaurants for ‘PHiesta! Noche Buena Feast,’ an iteration of the annual ‘Inuman at Pulutan’ project. The food event this time focused on celebrating the Christmas holidays Filipino style. Among the featured restaurants were Kuma Inn, Lumpia shack, Maharlika, ugly Kitchen and Bibingka-esk. “This is similar to the annual Inuman at Pulutan event, only this time we wanted to focus more on the holiday feast and other experiences like the performance event downstairs,” PACC’s Mike Nierva said. The evening also included a program called ‘A Golden opportunity: Filipino New york stories’ which gathered 14 Filipino-Americans from across the spectrum to talk about their own golden opportunity in this country. All these events were done to complement the ongoing Philippine Gold exhibit at the Asia society. The free flowing cocktails

that featured both calamansi and mango juices from the Philippines complemented the dishes, which include a whole lechon from Chef King Phojanakong, Chef Neil syham from Lumpia shack prepared paella; Chef Miguel from Maharlika served embutido meatballs on a bed of chicken laing and Chef Aris of ugly Kitchen had roasted bone marrow with bacon served on a crostini. “It’s a Filipino PHiesta and people will be enjoying lots of food and booze - Filipino food, culture and entertainment all rolled into one. We’re expecting about two hundred people tonight,” Nierva added. “We wanted more people to join us but we were faced with space limitations.” For now, the Inuman at Pulutan project is planned to be resurrected either in the spring or summer. PACC is hoping to do it outdoors next year. salo x Lumpia shack Less than a week later, a collaboration between two Filipino chefs happened in Brooklyn. They called it sari sari, a Filipino Kamayan Feast. Chef yana Gilbuena is back in New york for a short time after finishing her 50-state salo series project this year. The last time we

Paella, made by Lumpia Shack Roasted bone marrow served with bacon on top of a crostini from Ugly Kitchen

met her was in Las vegas around February and she was then in her 11th or 12th state. A lot of things have happened in between. she was able to finish what she dreamt of and served a kamayan dinner across all 50 states, and more, including Canada. she also went back home to the Philippines to spend a vacation and recharge for her next conquest: south America. “Tonight’s dinner is special because I’m back in New york where it all started,” yana told the Asian Journal. she has lost count but she believes she has done almost 200 pop-up dinners since she started doing one in Brooklyn

a couple of years ago. “It was the trend then, pop-ups, so I wanted to do it and introduce Filipino food through this platform of Kamayan dinners,” she said. The collaboration began when she met Neil syham of Lumpia shack in san Francisco for a food event and their personalities just clicked. “I’ve always wanted to do a collaboration with Lumpia shack and other Filipino establishments and we’ve been planning to do this since last year,” she added. The place was in the heart of Brooklyn’s Crown Heights neighborhood in a beer hall called Berg’n. This is also the latest

Ginataang Halo Halo at the Salo pop-up dinner in Brooklyn

Lumpia shack outpost, which they started a month ago. The chefs included the other vendors from Berg’n and incorporated their dishes into the sari sari menu. Mighty Quinn’s, famous for their barbecue, offered a twist on their beef brisket, which was served with a kare-kare sauce. The other vendor, samesa, served adobo chicken shawarma served with freshly-baked pita. Lumpia shack prepared their signature dish, the truffled mushroom adobo lumpia. Chef yana prepared ginataang liempo or deep-fried pork belly with spicy coconut milk sauce. Beer and wine were also served to complement the dishes. A combination of ginataang halo halo (sweet coconut soup with the traditional halo halo ingredients such as nata de coco, macapuno, langka) and turon capped the full dinner. “Next stops? A couple of dinners in Tampa, then Central and south America. oh, and Cuba,” yana, a self-taught chef, said after the dinner service. The ambassador chef, as she has been called, is thankful to her partners and credits social media for connecting her to the right people. “I reach out to my Facebook groups, communities, Twitter, Instagram, whatever I can get my hands on. This project is not just about Filipino food, it’s about food in general and food brings people together. I have received help not just from Filipinos but from strangers who are genuinely interested about this project, and the cuisine,” she explained. Whether she was serving The three chef collaborators (top photo, left) Neil Syham of Lumpia Shack, Yana Gilbuena of Salo Series Project and Eli Sussman of Samesa explain their dishes to the diners. Top photo, right shows Gilbuena and Syham answering our questions prior to the start of the pop-up dinner service. Bottom photos show the crowd of about 50 people enjoying a kamayan dinner at almost a hundred hungry diners Berg’n, a beer hall in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, which is also the new outpost of Lumpia Shack.

AJ Photos by Momar G. Visaya

Chicken adobo on top of pita bread and the deep fried liempo with Bicol Express sauce

(95, Hawaii) or just a handful (4, North Dakota), yana soldiered on and kept pushing, even if she reached low points and questioned herself why she was doing it. “I came to a point where I asked why I was still doing it when everything in my life was falling apart, my relationship with my then-boyfriend, with my friend and documentarian,” yana related. “eventually I got re-centered and I figured this is something that I am very passionate about and I wanted to do this. I want to push myself and push the envelope and it was something greater than the little discomforts of life.” Asked if she gets the chance to do it all over again, yana paused, let out a loud laugh and said, “yes! But this time, I’ll travel smarter and get sponsors.” Not everyone gets that elusive chance to travel the world. Most Americans don’t even get to travel outside of their own home states, and here is one feisty Filipina who is defying the odds and made it a point to see all 50 states and cook regional Filipino cuisine in each one of them. “My biggest takeaway from the experience is that it restored my faith in people, that everyone out there is not out to get you and that there’s a lot of good and kindhearted people out there,” she said. For now, yana is preparing to travel and cook in Central and south America, starting in Colombia. And in June, the culinary tour to Cuba, a kickoff to her conquest of Latin America.

Thank you Manila! Tennis stars hope to be back by alder alMo Philstar.com

MANILA—From serena Williams screaming her lungs out after winning a point in her match against samantha stosur and Milos raonic grinning widely following a stunning victory over rafael Nadal, to the whole Philippine Mavericks team taking a selfie together, the atmosphere inside the Mall of Asia Arena was electric. There was a sense of belonging. The players felt truly honored to play in front of a crowd that cheered their every move. “It’s amazing. As the home

team, it was an honor to compete here,” said the 24-year-old Canadian raonic after clinching the win for the Mavericks against one of the greatest players of all time. The Mavericks completed a sweep of their home stand on Tuesday night after pulling off a thrilling 25-24 victory against the erstwhile unbeaten Indian Aces to move up to 4 wins and one loss, but still trail the Aces for the top spot with a match on hand. The Aces still occupy the top spot despite suffering their first loss in the Coca-Cola International

Premier Tennis League season 2 with a higher winning percentage (54.4 percent) compared to the Mavericks (53.7 percent). But now, the Aces’ cloak of invincibility has been dismantled despite the presence of Nadal, a 14-time Grand slam winner. unlike last season, the Mavericks now have a more balanced lineup, beefed up by the presence of raonic and Williams. Local hero Treat Huey is benefiting from this tournament, learning from the biggest names in the sport and at the same time helping grow the sport in the

country. “It’s been wonderful playing with some of the best players in the world. When I played with serena in Kobe, the first match I was a bit nervous. But then we won all our games there, we played really well, I loosened up a bit, and we got off to a great start here in Manila too,” Huey said. “I’ve really enjoyed playing with her, and it’s great to have a partner like serena on your side of the court. In the next few days, I’m looking forward to playing with and against some of the other Continued on Page 7

Ai Ai delas Alas, Vic Sotto, Maine Mendoza and Alden Richards at the press conference of “My Bebe Love: #KiligPaMore” on Wednesday, Dec. 9.

Vic, Ai Ai up for box office challenge in MMFF 2015 with ‘My Bebe Love’ by ChuCk sMith Philstar.com

Photo from Treat Huey’s Instagram account shows the Fil-American with members of the Philippine Mavericks at the conclusion of the International Premier Tennis League’s Manila leg at the MOA Arena last Tuesday. The team includes Serena Williams, Mark Philippoussis, Milos Raonic, Richard Gasquet, Jarmila Gajdosova, Ajla Tomljanovic, Edouard Roger-Vasselin and co-owner Jean Henri Lhuillier.

MANILA—As early as now, fans and members of the press alike are predicting that vic sotto and Ai Ai delas Alas’ Metro Manila Film Festival 2015 entry “My Bebe Love: #KiligPaMore” will dominate the box office. It’s a prediction that’s not unwarranted: aside from vic and Ai Ai’s star power in the box office, Former world No.1 Rafael Nadal waves to the crowd during the introduction of players Monday, the movie also stars popular love Dec. 7 in the second day of the 2015 IPTL Manila leg at Mall of Asia Arena. The former world team Alden richards and Maine No.1 overcame a 3-nil deficit and survived Berdych in a shootout, 7-3 with the crowd rallying “yaya Dub” Mendoza. behind him. Inquirer.net photo by Tristan Tamayo “Kung pinipilit nila, bakit

hindi? Tatanggapin namin,” vic said during the press conference of “My Bebe Love” on Wednesday, Dec. 9. He added: “Ito ang tunay na romantic comedy. Kasi, may mga romantic comedy na puro pacute-pacute lang. Ito, kumpleto: matatawa ka, kikiligin ka, mapagiisip ka ng kaunti, medyo makukurot ka ng kaunti.” “s’yempre, masarap ‘yung feeling na pinepredict nila na number one. Pero ako, sinabi ko nga kay God, ‘Bahala ka na. s’yempre sa buhay namin ikaw naman ‘yung number one’,” Ai Ai said.

Immigration Corner

The January 2016 Priority Dates

EACH month, the Visa Office of the State Department publishes, in the Visa Bulletin, the priority dates for that particular month, for the various family and employment based categories. A priority date is a person’s “place in line” for a visa, meaning immigrant visas (or green cards) would be available for persons whose priority date is earlier than the cut-off date listed below. If your priority date was “current,” but later retrogressed (or “moved backwards” and became unavailable) before your immigrant visa was issued (or before you adjusted status in the U.S.), you would have to wait until it becomes current again. Beginning last October 2015, the format of the Visa Bulletin changed, in that a new column was added, called the “Application Filing Date.” If a person’s priority date is earlier than the Application Filing Date, they can already file for adjustment of status and work authorization (provided they are otherwise eligible and USCIS indicates on its website it will use the Application Filing Date for that month). This could allow people to obtain work authorization much sooner than before, where they had to wait for the priority date to be current (in the Visa Issuance Date column) in order to both file for adjustment and be eligible for a green card. ***

Application Filing Date

Visa Issuance Date

September 1, 2005

June 1, 2003

First Preference

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

Second Preference

(2A) Spouse and minor children (below June 15, 2015 21 years old) of green card holder

August 1, 2014

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

May 1, 2005

January 1, 2005

Third Preference

Married sons and daughters of US Citizens.

August 1, 1995 November 1, 1993

Fourth Preference

Brothers and sisters of US Citizens.

January 1, 1993

LABOR CERTIFICATION:

Application Filing Date

Third Preference

Professional/ Skilled Workers

Other Workers

Non-Skilled Workers

Michael J. Gurfinkel is licensed, and an active member of the State Bar of California and New York. All immigration services are provided by, or under the supervision of, an active member of the State Bar of California. Each case is different. The information contained herein including testimonials, “Success Stories,” endorsements and reenactments) is of a general nature, and is not intended to apply to any particular case, and does not constitute a prediction, warranty,

July 22, 1992 Visa Issuance Date

January 1, 2010

November 1, 2007

January 1, 2010

November 1, 2007

guarantee or legal advice regarding the outcome of your legal matter. No attorneyclient relationship is, or shall be, established with any reader. WEBSITE: www.gurfinkel.com Call Toll free to schedule a consultation for anywhere in the US: (866)—GURFINKEL Four offices to serve you: LOS ANGELES · SAN FRANCISCO · NEW YORK · PHILIPPINES (Advertising Supplement)

Binge watching TV as young adult could lead to decline in brain function, study finds By Agnes

ConstAnte AJPress

WATCHING excessive TV can lead to cognitive decline over time, a new study has found. Researchers from the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) conducted a study on more than 3,200 participants throughout a 25-year period starting when they were young adults. They checked in with them every five years to ask for an estimate of

how much TV they watched every day; every two to five years, researchers examined the amount of physical exercise participants got. After the 25-year period concluded, participants were in their 40s and 50s and were tested on their memory, focus, and mental and physical quickness. “Participants with the least active patterns of behavior (i.e., both low physical activity and high television viewing time)

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

Atty. MichAel Gurfinkel, eSQ

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were the most likely to have poor cognitive function,” said the study, which was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) on Wednesday, Dec. 2. One of the researchers, Tina Hoang, said the inactivity linked with binge watching has an effect on cognitive function earlier than has been realized. Previous related studies have found that sitting for too long and watching TV fore three hours or more per day puts

PROVISIONAL WAIVER dispels the fear in going back to Manila for visa processing – on a Special Episode of CITIZEN PINOY! Cindy (2nd from left) was a crewman who jumped ship and had been a TNT for more than 10 years. After seeing a CITIZEN PINOY episode about a crewman who also jumped ship, Cindy and US citizen husband, Tom (left) decided to consult with leading US immigration attorney Michael J. Gurfinkel (right). Through Atty. Gurfinkel’s help, Cindy’s PROVISIONAL WAIVER was approved. She went back to the Philippines and was processed for her immigrant visa at the American Embassy in Manila and returned to the US as a legal permanent resident. Watch a brand-new episode on Provisional Waivers, which could benefit crewmen, those who entered the US without inspection, or K-1 who did not marry their US petitioner, on CITIZEN PINOY – this Sunday, December 13 at 6:15 pm (PST) on TFC.

Citizen Pinoy shows you how provisional waivers work for those eligible CINDY was a crewman who jumped ship without the benefit of Section 245(i). She had been TNT for over 10 years. She met and married US citizen Tom, and together they approached a lawyer who advised them to file for a “Parole-In-Place,” for which she was not even eligible. After watching an earlier episode on Citizen Pinoy about a crewman who also jumped ship, the couple decided to consult

with leading US immigration attorney Michael J. Gurfinkel. Being a legal permanent resident is the only way that Cindy could be at peace and pursue her American dream. The Law Offices of Michael Gurfinkel worked diligently and thoroughly to present all required documents to obtain an approval of a PROVISIONAL WAIVER for Cindy, allowing her to go the US Embassy in Manila for her

immigrant visa, without fear of being barred under the 3/10 year bar. Watch how Atty. Gurfinkel comforted Cindy’s fear of going to Manila, and enabled her to return to the US with a green card, on a brand-new episode of Citizen Pinoy—on Sunday, December 13 at 6:15pm PST/EST (9:15pm EST thru select Cable/Satellite providers).

individuals at a higher risk of premature death. However, studies have not examined people who engaged in such activity at younger ages. Dr. Kristine Yaffe, a professor at UCSF, found that those who watched a lot of TV and

exercised little had weaker working memories, slower processing speed and a lesser ability to plan and complete tasks. However, their verbal memory appeared to be unaffected. Despite the findings, Yaffe

said the decline in cognitive abilities wasn’t enough to have an impact on an individual’s daily life. “The question is what does it mean if you’re 50 and you’ve got these slight changes? Does it

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Farmers and fisherfolk are portraits of resilience after typhoon Haiyan TACLOBAN CITY—The road to recovery was not easy for farmers and fisherfolk who lost almost everything they had when Typhoon Haiyan (local name Yolanda) struck on November 8, 2013. Many of them were already hard-pressed to make ends meet even before the disaster and the will to rebuild their lives had almost faded. “When the typhoon hit, our rice was almost ready and we were expecting a good harvest,” narrated Susan Gaspay of Burauen, Leyte. “We lost everything – our ready-toharvest rice, our stored seeds, and our rented tractor, not to mention our house.” Fast-forward to two years later, Susan, along with hundreds of thousands of other farmers and fishers are now role models of recovery in their communities. Through the support of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in collaboration with the Government of the Philippines, the concept “building back better” has become a reality for the agriculture and fisheries sector of the four severely affected regions of Western Visayas (Region VI), Central Visayas (Region VII), Eastern Visayas (Region VIII) and MIMAROPA (Region IV-B), including far-flung remote islands and upland indigenous communities. This was made possible by the financial contributions of 14 international

donor agencies, which reached nearly USD 40 million. “This has been a unique emergency and rehabilitation response for FAO. It was the first Level 3 crisis declared within the Organization, the highest category of emergency response. This involved fast-tracked operational procedures and the deployment of massive support from the FAO headquarters in Rome and the regional office in Bangkok. It was also one of the largest programs directly implemented by FAO in collaboration with the Government,” said José Luis Fernández, FAO Representative in the Philippines. Through its two-year Typhoon Haiyan emergency, recovery and rehabilitation programme, FAO’s 22 projects covered interventions in rice and corn farming, coconut-based farming systems, fisheries and coastal communities and coastal/mangrove forest rehabilitation. Stories of recovery “A notable aspect of FAO’s Haiyan response is the mainstreaming of Accountability to Affected Populations (AAP) principles into all the elements of the programme. This is a core tenet of FAO operations, which ensures the highest levels of program accountability in terms of participation, governance,

transparency and addressing complaints by programme beneficiaries. AAP principles were integrated into the design, implementation and evaluation of projects, and communities were engaged since the beginning to ensure that both the process and what was being delivered addressed their needs, especially for the most vulnerable,” explained Cristina Graziani, FAO’s Emergency Operations Manager for the Typhoon Haiyan programme. Marife Jalbay, a member of the Abejao Farmers Association in Salcedo, Eastern Samar, recalls how their group was selected to undertake value-addition training through an assessment conducted by FAO. This has led them to expand their farm business by producing cassava chips. With a larger role in the value chain, they are able to earn significantly higher returns compared to selling raw cassava to nearby markets, which fetched an average of Php 120 (USD 2.50) per barrel. For that equivalent weight of cassava turned into chips, they now make Php 3 250 pesos (USD 69.60). For Marcelina Calvez of Palompon, Leyte who lost her coconut trees to the typhoon, growing vegetables and other cash crops, as well as learning how to integrate these in land that would

With a larger role in the value chain, Marife Jalbay and other members Aerial view of a Sloping Agricultural Land Technology (SALT) site near of the Abejao Farmers Association in Salcedo, Eastern Samar, now enjoy Palompon, Leyte, which FAO helped establish to introduce climateimproved incomes from producing cassava chips. ©FAO/R. Cabrera resilient agriculture to coconut farmers affected by Typhoon Haiyan. ©FAO/R. Cabrera

otherwise be idle, has helped her gain a stable source of alternative livelihood. As newly-planted coconut trees take six to eight years to bear fruit, FAO helped farmers establish diversified coconutbased farming systems that would address both immediate and long-term food and income needs. This also included the introduction of climate-smart farming technologies, specifically sloping agricultural land technology (SALT) or contour farming, which would help them maximize the use of their limited farm area by utilizing land under coconut plantations or on hilly terrains. “It’s hard work but it’s much better than our traditional way of farming. I’m now planting pineapples and I’m using the method I learnt from the training to plant madre de cacao as hedgerows because these plants are good for maintaining the fertility of the soil,” says Marcelina. In many of the beneficiary communities, recovery was achieved by equipping farmers to establish and manage nurseries that will provide them with seeds and seedlings to rehabilitate their typhoon-damaged and diseaseaffected farms more efficiently. “We usually buy seeds from

the agricultural supply office here, but now we have the means to do it ourselves. This brings immense pride to our community,” said Laurence Palmes Barotac of Viejo, Iloilo. Marife, Marcelina and Laurence are among the 230 000 farming and fishing households or over 1 million individuals who are now well on their way to recovery through the support of FAO and its partners. Strong partnership “The cooperation we had with FAO has been there since the beginning. We were collaborating every step of the way especially in identifying the beneficiaries. The presence of FAO was very crucial in demonstrating to these people that help is there when it is needed,” said Leo Cañeda, Regional Executive Director of the Department of Agriculture (DA). At the 35th World Food Day Celebration, Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala also highlighted the DA’s partnership with FAO in delivering support to farmers in the immediate aftermath of Haiyan and in ensuring the recovery and rehabilitation of the agriculture sector in affected areas. From emergency to recovery, FAO in close collaboration with

the DA and its attached agencies took every opportunity to not only replace what the typhoon had taken. More importantly, the consensus and strong partnership placed affected communities and local governments in a good position to ensure longer-term food security, better agricultural livelihood opportunities, sustainable income streams that will lift them out of poverty and improved capacities to adapt to and mitigate future disasters. “In commemoration of the second anniversary of Typhoon Haiyan, we pay tribute to all who made this effort a success - our donors and partners, the Government and the communities who welcomed this opportunity to build back better in spite of the challenges,” added FAO Representative José Luis Fernández. FAO’s Typhoon Haiyan response programme was implemented with financial support from the European Commission’s Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection, United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund and the governments of Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.

Rizandra Amang of Culion Island, Palawan, is the sole bread winner of her family of six. She, along with more than 17 000 fisher households in three regions, received assistance such as fishing gear, post-harvest kits and safety at sea educational material through FAO, which enabled them to restore their fisheries-related livelihoods and improve their resilience after Typhoon Haiyan. ©FAO/J. Lebante

Datu Uldarico Padecio, a chieftain of the Manobo tribe, plants Madre de Cacao, applying the techniques he learned from an FAO-supported training programme. FAO’s asistance to indigenous communities affected by Typhoon Haiyan included immediate recovery as well as longer-term capacity and resilience building activities that were responsive to the local context. ©FAO/R. Cabrera

The island of Tubabao, off the coast of Guiuan in Eastern Samar, was one of the first areas in the Philippines to be hit by Typhoon Haiyan. Many farming families living here received minimal assistance owing to the difficulty of transporting materials to this remote location. FAO delivered livelihood recovery and rehabilitation support, including more than 7 000 heads of livestock, to affected farmers in regions IV-B, VI, VII and VIII, reaching far-flung islands and remote upland communities. ©FAO/R. Cabrera

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ConGen De Leon surprised with award at the Poinsettia Ball

End your holiday parties in style with fireworks By Monet

‘TIS the season to be jolly! Christmas songs are heard everywhere, holiday parties held everyday, homes decorated with lovely and colorful accents, snowmen, Santa Claus and mistletoes. People decorate their Christmas trees, deciding whether “I share this award with the community and my wife, Eleanor,” ConGen ConGen receives the citation from several Filcom organizations. they should go with white or green. And how can I forget the De Leon said as he accepted his award. Photos by Boyet Loverita holiday parties? They are basically NEW YORK—The annual what I look forward to this season! Poinsettia Christmas Ball was The most creative Christmas made extra special this year when parties are being thrown at this organizers Friends Indeed and rude and drive them away. What party endings” goodbye because time of the year. And I am just so Philippine Hearts and Hopes it means is that while the ball is this one will definitely be the talk thrilled to go to the best ones. Society Inc. along with other Filipino rolling, you seize the moment to of the town. If you are working on the community organizations presented capture their attention, and stage There is a plethora of different theme for your next Christmas a Special Citation to Consul General your prestigious grand finale (and fireworks to choose from. You party, you may take heed of my Mario De Leon as “Man of the Year” get ready to be famous for hosting can go from Roman candles and tips below. last Sunday, Dec. 6 at the Astoria the most amazing party ever) sparklers to sound shells and As holiday party season World Manor in Queens, NY. by ending it with a bang – and I barrages. You may also choose comes in full swing, think: what Ms Cora Reyes of Friends mean that literally – and yes, you to light them up individually or better way to host a party but Indeed announced the award guessed it: Fireworks! orchestrate a mixture of different with an amazingly grand finale. and read the accomplishments Fireworks are definitely fireworks for an “all-spark” cast. Not to spoil your party mood but Painting the town red. Consul General Mario and Madame Eleanor De Leon celebrate Poinsettia of the Consul General since his the best way to end a party Now, don’t be intimidated the point is, that the end of the Ball with close to 500 guests from the Filipino-American community. assumption in New York. She and make a lasting impression thinking this might cost a fortune, party should be as spectacular, his vision to the community, Legal Defense Fund and the mentioned his brainchild projects (and not a bad one at that). You because it doesn’t. Besides, if not even grander, than as its that the Fil-Am organizations be Association of Filipino Teachers in “Build A Shelter” which funded can choose among a variety of pulling up a kind of show like this start. As prose writer Baltazar sustained by leadership of the America, among others, chimed in 102 houses for Yolanda victims in momentum-grabbing pyrois definitely worth it. My advice Gracian once said, “What matters emerging generation, all the while to give their citations to the Consul Samar and Leyte; “Leadership and magic. The most commonly used is, first, know where to get it, isn’t being applauded when you encouraging more Filipinos to General. Mentoring Seminar” to empower and a real crowd pleaser are and find the best ones—quality arrive - for that is common - but take on leadership roles in the In his acceptance speech, the Second-Generation members fountains. Fountains are those and cost considered. Some offer being missed when you leave. ” mainstream American society. Consul General De Leon thanked of the community; “Warden usually cone-shaped ones that discounts and packages, as well as Contrary to popular belief, “exits” The Consul General shared his the organizations behind the System” to facilitate assistance to sit on the ground and release fireworks that are on sale. are as important, and sometimes award with the Filipinos of the US nationals in distress; “Homecoming award led by Friends Indeed and showers of colorful sparks So to my readers and my even more memorable than Northeast for their participation in the Philippines Hearts and Hope sa Konsulado” which fosters upwards. Its incredibly luminous party-loving friends, I suggest entrances. Which is why, and as the Consulate’s programs which Society –for recognizing his work. fellowship among school alumni spark will surely brighten both you start planning your parties party enthusiasts say, “the end of enabled him to accomplish his He stressed his commitment to associations, among other major your party and your guests’ faces. and not worry about ending with the party (or leaving) should be a missions successfully, and his wife help elevate the profile of Filipinos initiatives which promote the Another crowd favorite and blah… Fireworks are here to save defining moment.” Eleanor who has been with him in in the US Northeast and the entire interests of the community in the one of the most popular types are the day! In fact, after this party, There are a number of ways most of the community activities. United States, which guides his US Northeast. After Mrs Reyes’ the multi-cakes. They are basically you may have to be ready to host to end a party. Some people The red-motif event attracted tribute, other organizations such as work as the Consul General. He everything you love about a next year’s party again. Just be about 500 attendees this year, which conclude it with a prayer or a the Philippine American Association cited the community’s strength firework show, all stacked up in sure to invite me. Happy Holidays! speech; some officially announce hopes to raise funds for medical, being the second largest ethnic of Connecticut, the Philippine *** one place. Multi-cakes produce a surgical and humanitarian missions it while others just let people minority in the whole US, and third American Friendship Committee, Monet Lu is a Marikina-born, awardvariety of effects in long durations, leave any time during the party of Friends Indeed in 2016. largest in the Tristate. He reiterated Knights of Rizal, Filipino American winning celebrity beauty stylist with his own which make them a total crowd – which practically tells us how chain of Monet Salon salons across Southern favorite. So if you are into that the party went and why it should California and Las Vegas, Nevada. Ultimately, laidback and savor-the-moment come to an end. Great parties do Immigrant Monet is known as an all-around artiste who not end when the last person calls type of endings, go ahead, light Living: 101 produces sold-out fashion and awards shows that fuse and enjoy the show. it a night. In fact it is quite the as well as unforgettable marketing campaigns. opposite because contrary to what Prepare to be mesmerized by and Beyond Monet is also the founder of the revolutionary your own party ending, as this our not-so-awesome selves may all-natural beauty products such as Enlighten, will definitely be one of your most have been used to, the end should Monette your solution to discoloration. To contact memorable ones. And as soon as be announced while everybody is AdevA MAglAyA Monet, please visit www.monetsalon.com or those beautiful sparks shoot up still at the party. Now this doesn’t high in the air, you can kiss “boring email him at monetsalon@aol.com mean you have the right to be “REMEMBER the Wonder” was a catchy TV ad slogan from Wonder Bread before it SEASON. Pay no attention to the that includes refraining to max abandoned California for another godless fools who would like to state. But the phrase can very well out my credit cards, no matter delete Christ from the season. be used to refer to the true season how infinitely tempting it is to The strongest evidence of Christ rush out and join the shopping of wonder — CHRISTMAS. living in our hearts during this madness. Each day of the season, December days and nights season is an inner glow and count at least one blessing that seem to slip from our grasp like outward manifestation of joy that you may have taken for granted fine grains of sand. The hours wells within, overflows and like a — like your family, dysfunctional seem to hurtle through the day heaven-sent viral infection affects as we complete a year’s cycle and or imperfect the members may Asia Society Museum, New York those we work and live with be, including yourself, we are all move on to the next. within the orbit of our existence. we’ve got. Many of us, particularly the Sorrow, pain and To borrow from a song, women, try in earnest to mesh the disappointment, heartache and “Love the one you’re with.” That unusually heavy demands of the CLOSING JANUARY 3 heartbreak in spades — we will roles we play in our lives specially means stop looking elsewhere. always have. They have a place The internet has proven to be a this season. If we get completely in the general scheme of things. minefield of dashed hopes and sidetracked by the minutiae and They work like a sculptor’s tool dreams. For the most part, it is the methodology, the expenses “Gorgeous” – New York Times kit that shapes and molds the definitely not the place to find and the endless activities of what structure of resilient souls that what you think is missing in your constitutes Christmas, we are can weather all seasons. “Fantastic” – New Yorker more than likely to morph into the life. But just for this season, If you still have relatively likes of Ebenezer Scrooge and be BELIEVE that you are allowed to good health and do not have to tempted to say “Bah, humbug!” get a moratorium from all that. depend on a cocktail of drugs to But unlike the tightwad This season is filled with get you through the day, REJOICE Scrooge, the cost of doing awesome wonders and all it takes AND BE GLAD! Many wealthy yet Christmas has little to do with it. is to open our eyes, sharpen ailing people longing to live a bit More than likely, the heaviness our senses and soak them all in. longer, will trade places with you and drudgery that we seem to We have become inured to the in a heartbeat. TAKE NOTHING associate with this season have a possibilities of joy each moment FOR GRANTED. lot to do with the failure to find brings. Conditioned by years of Love your life but without that somewhat elusive sense of mundane repetition, we have lost real joy that this season can bring conceit. It is simply on loan to (Detail) Kinnari. Surigao. Ca. 10th–13th century. Gold. Ayala Museum, 81.5189. Photography by Leandro Y. Locsin, Jr.; Image courtesy of Ayala Museum the magic and instinctive sense you. Treasure the hours. Forcibly in abundance to those who are of wonder we were born with. yank out just an hour each day open to it. We went through the motions of to sit in the silence during this Sure, we can go through the oin us for an exhibition of over 100 spectacular works of gold, getting an education, raising a season to take the time to smell motions of Christmas activities, family, earning a living, running the coffee, steep the tea or quaff shopping, baking, decorating, highlighting the prosperity and achievements of 10th–13th a business, working ceaselessly, the cocoa in a quiet spot, free partying, drinking and binging. century Philippine kingdoms. A point of great pride for the Filipino it seems till we drop down dead of the interruptions of all those And yet, very often even if we or until Social Security says we annoying electronic beeps. community, this exhibition is a rare opportunity to experience the diligently check off all the things can stop, (whichever comes first), Unless your job entails in our list, something remains rich culture and heritage of the Philippines. sleeping and doing the same spelling the difference between amiss. We just don’t have that things all over again at daybreak. life and death, cut off your Christmas feeling. Exhibition organized by Asia Society, New York, and Ayala Museum, Philippines. Routine and predictability electronic leash, at least for just At the risk of sounding though calming and reassuring, an hour. Who said you have to redundant, the spirit of the ALSO ON VIEW can numb the soul over time. be on call all the time? That season is like a butterfly. If you Video Spotlight: Philippines Filipino Design Now Don’t let that happen. hour you gift yourself with is keep mindlessly trashing about Take heart. This season, as yours to savor and JUST BE. That Exhibition of recent work by leading Filipino artists Lobby showcase celebrating top Filipino designers in endless activities, it will elude God intended it to be, will always hour might very well help you to Through January 31, 2016 you but if you sit very still, that Through January 3, 2016 be a joyful reminder of what truly remember the wonder — to get Christmas feeling might simply matters in life. back that gift of amazement we alight on you. Be still and soak in *** the sight, sounds and smells of the once had when we were children, Special Group Tour Packages available. Reservations required. Please email before we became jaded, cynical Nota Bene: Monette Adeva Maglaya is SVP season. PhilippineGold@AsiaSociety.org or call 212.327.9237. souls. of Asian Journal Publications, Inc. To send One trick I have learned is Lest we forget, CHRIST IS comments, e-mail monette.maglaya@ to simplify and not try to take STILL THE REASON FOR THE asianjournalinc.com on too much of anything, and Philippine Gold: Treasures of Forgotten Kingdoms is made possible by Ayala Corporation with additional support provided by Bank of the Philippine Islands, Del Monte Foods, Inc., Philippine Airlines, ABS-CBN The Filipino Channel, Tourism Promotions Board, Philippines, and other generous benefactors.

Once more with feeling … Remembering the Wonder “Love your life but without conceit. It is simply on loan to you.”

Binge watching TV as young adult...

From Page 3 mean you’re on a path to greater changes down the line or does not make a difference? I don’t think we really know the answer to that,” Yaffe said, according to NPR. The study’s results are

not conclusive, and some possibilities include that those with low cognitive functioning are more likely to sit and watch a lot of TV, or that sedentary activity and a lot of TV could result in other conditions, like

obesity or poor heart health. Looking forward, because sedentary behaviors are on the rise, alongside time spent in front of screens, Hoang said she hopes to further examine the relationship between them.

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The Asian Journal N E W YO R K / N E W J E R S EY D Ec E m b E R 1 1 , 20 1 5

Simbang Gabi sa Konsulado at Home in New York NEW YORK—Filipino Christmas once again came to New York as the 9-day novena and traditional mass at the Simbang Gabi sa Konsulado started last 7 December at the Kalayaan Hall of the Philippine Center. Consul General Mario De Leon welcomed the guests, and expressed his joy in gathering the whole community together Partner organizations for the first night of SGK – Coalition of Philippine ConGen De Leon urges everyone, “Isapuso natin ang Pasko,” the theme to celebrate the 28th year of for this year’s Simbang Gabi sa Konsulado. Schools, San Lorenzo Choir, UN Philippine Cultural Society. Simbang Gabi sa Konsulado (SGK). It will be recalled that SGK was suspended for two years in 2012 and 2013 during which time the community celebrated Christmas with Panunuluyan sa Konsulado. Last year in 2014, the whole community lobbied to bring the

Calendar of Events across

America

A legacy that should be carried on for years to come. The Simbang Gabi sa Konsulado is held from December 7 to 15 at the Philippine Center New York. Photo by Merela Gret Aberin

celebration back to the Philippine Center and was granted permission by the Diocese of New York. ConGen lauded the core group of organizers that the Christmas tradition of Simbang Gabi sa Konsulado has become a legacy and an institution in itself that the community has carried out for so many years and should be passed on for generations to come.

Father Patrick Longalong, who serves as the spiritual Director of the SGK presided over the concelebrated mass on the first night, along with Deacon Sonny Ungco. This year, 42 organizations consisted the core group of organizers who will sponsor each of the nine days of the Simbang Gabi which will be held until 15 December.

ADVERTISE YOUR EVENTS! PRE-EVENT AND POST-EVENT GO DEEPER. GO WIDER. LET THE WORLD KNOW. CALL ASIAN JOURNAL: (818) 502-0651 DISPLAY AD SIZES AT SPECIAL RATES FOR NON-PROFIT GROUPS D EC E M B E R 1 5

LA Archdiocesan SIMBANG GABI 2015

Longalong passes on the veiled Infant Jesus to the organizers of the Second night co-sponsors UST, Friends Indeed, Philippine Hearts and second night of SGK. Hope, Red Poinsettia Foundation, Glambassadors Club.

WHAT: LA Archdiocesan SIMBANG GABI 2015 WHEN: Tuesday, December 15, at 6:30pm WHERE: Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels (555 W. Temple Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012) Principal Celebrant: Most Rev. Jose H. Gomez, D.D., Archbishop of Los Angeles The Filipino Ministry of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, San Fernando Pastoral Region, will sponsor the first day of the Archdiocesan Simbang Gabi. Pre-liturgy/Parol Procession will begin at 6:30 pm, followed by the Mass celebrated by Archbishop Rev. Jose H. Gomez. Filipiniana attire is requested to be worn by organizers and participants. This year’s theme is “Jesus Our Savior, Empower Our Families to be Better Stewards of Your Creation.” For the Parol Procession Guidelines and other information, contact any Chairperson: Patty Santiago – email: piesan@hotmail.com; Phone: (818) 472-4288 or Raymond de Guzman- email: rdeguzman1317@verizon.net; Phone: (818) 634-8664.

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Blessed Hope Christian Church Night of Praise Come celebrate the birth of Christ and praise God with the congregation at our upcoming Christmas Praise Night, on Friday, December 18 at 7:30pm. Our church can be found at 474 North Summit Ave. Pasadena, CA 91103. Please contact Jun Recio (818) 472-5244 for more details.

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JASHS (Binondo) Alumni Christmas Party Jose Abad Santos High School (Binondo) USA Alumni Association will hold its 2015 Christmas Party at 6:00pm on Sunday, Dec. 20, 2015, at the Mayflower Seafood Restaurant (679 N. Spring St., Los Angeles, CA 90012). Please contact Val Abelgas val.abelgas@aol. com for more information.

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

• 2016 • JA N UA RY 9

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

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PUP/PCC to hold 1st Global Reunion Attention all graduates of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines and the Philippine College of Commerce: join us in our FIRST GLOBAL REUNION being organized by the Polytechnic University of the Philippines Alumni Association, USA Inc. scheduled on May 27-29, 2016 (Memorial Day Weekend) at the New Orleans Hotel in Las Vegas, NV. We promise a weekend of fun-filled activities, of friendship and camaraderie as we reminisce our best memories during our high school and college days. There will be lots of entertainment, singing and dancing and photo opportunities with your classmates and friends. For more information, please contact any of the following: Loi Herrera at 562-544-8210 or loiherrera@yahoo.com; Monette Santillan-Rivera at 818-970-8317 or Monette_santillan@ yahoo.com; Rose Mejia at 323-997-3838 or Rosemariemejia@kw.com; Marissa SugayPalanca at 818-281-7460 or marispalanca@yahoo.com; Rose Maghari at 661-794-8906 or rmaghari@gmail.com; Sally Mendoza at 323-695-0235 or sally.mendoza616@yahoo.com; Honeylette De Leon at 562-480-5743 orhoney@worldclassfreight.com; Virginia Herbito at virginiaherbito@gmail.com; Connie Acosta at 323-854-5303 orconnieacosta1@att.net; Violeta D. Cristobal at 310-880-5808 or vee@cristobalcpa.com; Jun Mapoy at 323-627-5326 or jcmapoy@yahoo.com.

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

Father Alex Cruz of Linden, NJ shares his mission with the Filipino community of the US Northeast.

Kalayaan Hall is filled with Filipino Christmas spirit at the start of Photos by Merela Gret Aberin and Cris Abril Simbang Gabi.

Menard Leelin pays courtesy visit to Philippine Embassy THE Republic the Philippines Ambassador to the United States, His Excellency Jose L. Cuisia, Jr., received a courtesy visit from Mr. Menard L. Leelin at the Philippine Embassy diplomatic mission in Washington, D.C. on November 25, 2015. Mr. Leelin, a long-time Cerritos, California resident, successful Filipino-American businessman, and owner of Leelin Bakery and Cafe, had a warm, pleasant, and friendly conversation with Ambassador Cuisia during his recent business

and family vacation trip to the Nation’s capital in Washington, D.C. They discussed various business and current issues concerning the Philippines and the United States, among many others. Mr. Leelin expressed his appreciation to Ambassador Cuisia for the warm hospitality he received during his courtesy visit. Leelin Bakery and Cafe operates five store chains in Los Angeles, Cerritos, Eagle Rock, North Hills, Panorama City and West Covina in Southern

Menard L. Leelin with Ambassador to the US, Jose L. Cuisia, Jr.

California. Additionally, Menard’s family owns four Yojie Shabu Shabu Japanese Fondue Restaurants in Artesia, Diamond Bar and Los Angeles, California, and one in Las Vegas Nevada.

Fil-Am Amy Vachal eliminated from ‘The Voice’ FILIPINO-AMERICAN jazz performer Amy Vachal did not survive the bloodbath on hit singing competition “The Voice.” With only four acts advancing to the show’s finale, Vachal was one of the five artists who got the boot on Tuesday, Dec. 8. Incidentally, she was eliminated on her birthday. The four finalists are Adam Levine’s act Jordan Smith, Blake Shelton’s wards Emily Ann Roberts and Barrett Baber and Gwen Stefani’s bet Jeffrey Austin. The other hopefuls who were eliminated were Shelby Brown, Braiden Sunshine, Zach Seabaugh and Pharrell William’s mentee Madi

Davis. Vachal performed the Bob Dylan classic “To Make You Feel My Love” on Tuesday. Netizens expressed dismay

and disappointment in Vachal’s exit, but they also urged her to keep working on her craft and come up with an album. (Inquirer.net)

Manny Pacquiao revives boxing show ‘Blow by Blow’ by Bong Lozada Inquirer.net

MANNY Pacquiao is arguably one of the greatest boxers of all time, but the eight-division world champion began his career as a scrawny kid in the boxing show “Blow by Blow.” And the show now dubbed as “Manny Pacquiao Presents: Blow by Blow” makes its return to mainstream audience on December 13 as it found a new home in TV5. Former North Cotabato Governor Manny Piñol, Sports5 Head Chot Reyes, and original Blow by Blow producer Lito Mondejar on Thursday announced the revival of the boxing show that catapulted Pacquiao to greater heights. Piñol said it was Pacquiao who had the idea to give the show another go and the boxing legend asked him to help godfather Mondejar. “This is the same program that gave him the opportunity…to become famous and challenge for a world title,” Piñol said. “We would

Manny Pacquiao

from one city to another, bring Blow by Blow to the grassroots for the less fortunate kids to get discovered as the possible next Manny Pacquiao.” Piñol added Blow by Blow could be the kids’ ticket out of poverty as the show dangles a P100,000 cash prize trophy to motivate the kids not only to fight as boxers but also take care of themselves. There will be five different weight classes; flyweight, bantamweight, featherweight, lightweight, and welterweight,

AJPress photo by Tobert Macabagdal

and one fighter from each division who garner the most wins in a 12month period will be named Most Outstanding in that weight class. The will also be one undisputed Most Promising Boxer—someone who will show exemplary performance during the season. Piñol said Pacquiao would bring the six boxers who will be named Most Outstanding and Most Promising Boxer to the United States to fight against quality boxers.

Carla Abellana shrugs off rumored boyfriend’s ‘fling’ with Cai Cortez by Joyce Jimenez Philstar.com

MANILA—Carla Abellana wants the past to stay in the past, at least when it comes to the recently-reported past “fling” between rumored boyfriend Tom Rodriguez and Cai Cortez. Cai revealed in a recent interview with Mo Twister’s podcast show “Good Times With Mo” that she had slept before with Tom. “That’s between the two of them,” Carla replied when asked to react about the issue, in an interview on Thursday when she was launched as an endorser of ATC’s Vita-E product. “Hindi naman ako involved, that’s something I have nothing to do with. Past na ‘yon,” she added. She also said that she’s not the type who prys on people’s past relationships. “Kasi past nila ‘yan, e, hindi na dapat inuungkat pa,” she explained. “Tapos na ‘yon, past is past. You don’t judge a person by his past.” Despite the issue, the Kapuso actress said she remains friends with Cai whom she has worked before in several projects. She added that she’s open

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Sarah Geronimo journeys back ‘from the top’ at two-night concert by Joyce Jimenez Philstar.com

MANILA—Sarah Geronimo journeyed back with her fans in her “From the Top” concert. The pop princess recalled how her dreams started and how she dealt with the people who didn’t believe in her in the beginning. “Basta una ang desire ng puso ko ay patuloy na kumanta para gamitin ko ang talentong binigay sa akin ng Diyos. Pangalawa, sobrang in love po ako sa music,” she said during the second night of her concert, Saturday, at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City. Sarah also turned emotional Carla Abellana doesn’t want to talk to rumored boyfriend Tom Rodriguez about his “past” with Cai Cortez. when she acknowledged how things may change for her in the the issue didn’t affect how she to work with her again, which is coming years. sees Tom at the present. inevitable in this industry. “Kung mawala man lahat “Dapat lang din open-minded “Pareho kaming nasa ng ito... alam ko eventually industriya, pareho kaming artista,” ka and in a way,” she said. “Alam mawawala ‘tong lahat. Lahat kong kapag ginawa mo lang she said about Cai. “With Tom, ng bagay sa mundo ay may that’s her past, wala naman akong siyang issue or pinalaki mo lang, katapusan,” she said. “How I want ibabalik mo lang, waste of time. magagawa doon.” to be remembered, sabi ko hindi Ang importante ‘yong today.” Carla also pointed out that ko naman gusto na tawagin ‘The Popstar Royalty,’ binigay lang ‘yan tao,” she continued.

PH’s Angelia Ong makes history as Miss Earth 2015 by Aries Joseph heginA Inquirer.net

THE Philippines posted a historic back-to-back win in the Miss Earth pageant as the country’s representative, Angelia Ong, was crowned Miss Earth 2015 during the coronation night held Saturday [early Sunday morning in Manila] at the Marx Halle in Vienna, Austria. Ong, who bested 85 women to claim the crown, succeeded Miss Earth 2014 and fellow Filipina Jamie Herrell. Ong’s victory marks the first time in the 15-year history of the pageant that a county won for the second time in a row. In the question-and-answer portion, the 25-year-old beauty said that if she would come up with a slogan for the next 15 years of the pageant, it would be “”We

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“Ang gusto ko talaga, ang ultimate goal is fulfilling God’s purpose for me, kung ano man dahilan bakit niya ako nilagay sa industriyang ito,” said Sarah Geronimo during the second night of her “From The Top” concert at the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City on Saturday, December 5.

“Ang gusto ko talaga, ang ultimate goal is fulfilling God’s purpose for me, kung ano man dahilan bakit niya ako nilagay sa industriyang ito.” She then expressed her love to her family saying, “I’m hundred percent sure that my family knows how much I love them, buhay ko sila, e. Ang pamilya ko ay buhay

ko.” “Mahal na mahal ko kayo, ‘wag na ‘wag n’yo ‘yan kakalimutan,” she added. She also thanked her fans who “alam ko napakasuwerte ko sa inyo. Hindi ako perpektong idolo pero nananatili kayong nandyan sa tabi ko. Nananatili kayong nandyan from the top!” Some celebrities present during her concert are Gary Valenciano, father of her concert director Paolo Valenciano, Vice Ganda and Jason Dy. The crowd also went wild when Piolo Pascual appeared on stage to join Sarah in singing “Paano Ba Magmahal.” It is the theme song of their movie “The Breakup Playlist.” She also performed her winning piece in the talent search show “Search for a Star,” which she said “launched my singing career.” Some of other hits she performed are “Forever’s Not Enough,” “Ikot Ikot,” “If Only,” “Perfectly Imperfect” and her latest single “Minamahal.” Watch some of Sarah’s performances in her “From the Top” concert in clips below.

Thank you Manila! Tennis stars... From Page 2 bigger players. It’s great for me, and a terrific learning for my game.” Mavericks captain Mark Philippoussis has provided the veteran presence and leadership. “We have a great captain in Mark, picking his player rotation the way he did, starting Angelia Ong of Manila receives the 2015 Miss Earth crown from last year’s winner, Jamie out in exceptional fashion winning Herrell of Cebu, in a back-to-back victory for the Philippines in the pageant’s 15th edition at the opening set each time, which Marx Halle in Vienna, Austria, on Saturday, Dec. 5. was very motivating,” Raonic said. Miss Earth – Fire (third runner-up). will, because we can.” Philippoussis has been the best Miss Earth, which was first The runners-up in the said Legends player in the first two legs held in 2001, is among the world’s of the five-city tour, winning all pageant were: Australia’s Dayanna largest beauty contests. The 2015 Grageda as Miss Earth – Air (first of his five matches against fellow runner-up), USA’s Brittany Payne as edition also marks the first time legends Carlos Moya, Marat Safin, Miss Earth – Water (second runner- that the coronation night was held Goran Ivanisevic, Thomas Enqvist in Europe. up) and Brazil’s Thiessa Sickert as and Fabrice Santoro.

Williams did not want to leave the team and end the Manila leg with a loss. The world no. 1 women’s player came back from a tough loss she suffered with Huey in the mixed doubles play to tie the match at 19 games apiece with a 6-3 win against Stosur. “It was fun, our team really needed some games so I tried,” Williams said of her victory that saw her regain her top form after that mixed doubles loss. “Last year, I was here and I really had fun. The crowd was amazing. Next year, I hope to be back again and play in front of this great crowd,” said Williams to the roaring approval of the home crowd that packed the MOA Arena.

For a first-timer, Raonic quickly endeared himself to the fans with his lightning quick and powerful serves and fancy shot making on top of his boy-next-door looks. “It is exciting to play the way we did all three nights in front of home fans, winning all our matches here,” said Raonic, who dished out the best play in the tournament so far with that behind-the-back trick shot on Day 1 against Tomas Berdych of the UAE Royals. “It’s a great format, very audience-friendly and TV-friendly; we have a great atmosphere in the team, and we’re looking forward to taking this winning streak into the next leg,” Raonic added.

An Asian Journal Magazine

The Asian Journal N E W YO R K / N E W J E R S EY dEcEmbER 11, 2015