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ORANGE COUNTY/INLAND EMPIRE

Volume 23 - No. 7 • 2 Sections - 16 Pages FEBRUARY 12-18, 2016

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by PATRICIA LOURDES VIRAY Philstar.com

DATELINEUSAFROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA Heated PH Presidential race begins

DFA chief wants to be remembered as a patriot

Medical breakthrough: Pinoys get �rst crack at dengue vaccine

ON ARBITRATION CASE OVER WEST PH SEA DISPUTE

MANILA—Outgoing Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosa-rio on Wednesday, Feb. 10 said that the Philippines is expecting the final ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration on its case against China by May.

In January 2014, the Philip-pines filed an arbitration case against China before the inter-

national tribunal in The Hague, Netherlands to invalidate the latter’s excessive claims in the South China Sea.

“We hope that the decision will come out before May. We don’t know what the chances of that might be but it looks doable from where we sit,” Del Rosario told members of the press

Del Rosario also expressed his concerns over China’s aggres-

sive activities in the disputed sea that undermine the territorial claims of its smaller neighbors.

Last month, Manila protested China’s test flights on Kagitin-gan Reef in the West Philippine Sea. Foreign Affairs spokesper-son Charles Jose said that Chi-na’s action was provocative and restricts freedom of navigation and overflight in the disputed

MANILA — A cliffhanger of a race to lead the country began last Tuesday, Feb. 9, with five candidates claiming to have a genuine chance of succeeding President Aquino.

Since emerging from dicta-torship three decades ago, the Philippines has seen its political scene dominated by elite fami-lies, celebrities, corruption and violence, which have contrib-uted to near-constant chaos.

Those factors are once again dominant themes in this year’s contest for the presidency, as well as the thousands of na-tional and local posts up for grabs in the May 9 elections.

The current presidential frontrunner is Sen. Grace Poe, an inexperienced politician

who is riding a wave of popu-larity among the tens of mil-lions of poor Filipinos, due in part to her adopted father, Fer-nando Poe Jr.

FPJ became one of the na-tion’s most loved actors by playing characters who cham-pioned the poor, and nearly translated that popularity into political success by coming in second in the 2004 presidential elections.

Grace Poe, 47, launched her political career only three years ago when she entered the Sen-ate, but has enjoyed huge suc-cess by trading on her father’s name while portraying herself as a reliable, honest advocate of the poor.

by CAMILLE DIOLA Philstar.com

MANILA—Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario revealed on Wednesday, Feb. 10 following the announce-ment of his resignation that he wants to be remembered as a patriot.

by MICHAEL JOE T. DELIZOManilaTimes.net

A VACCINE that prevents dengue is now available and Filipinos will get the first chance to try it.

Medical societies on Thursday, Feb. 11 launched Dengvaxia, which was de-veloped and manufactured by Sanofi Pasteur.

“Our country has been in the [fore-front] of clinical development of this

dengue vaccine because we are the only country that has reached the three phases of clinical development. Phases 1, 2 and 3 were conducted in the Phil-ippines,” Rose Capeding, a doctor who heads the Department of Microbiology at the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine, said.

The health breakthrough is the cul-mination of more than two decades of

National labor board rules infavor of �red Fil-Am nurse

by CHRISTINA M. ORIELAJPress

PASADENA, Calif.—The National La-bor Relations Board (NLRB) found merit to allegations that two Asian American registered nurses were illegally termi-nated from Huntington Memorial Hos-pital in this city.

The nurses, Allysha Almada and Vicki Lin, were joined by city officials and community leaders to applaud the

labor board’s decision at a press confer-ence on Thursday, Feb. 4.

“…The first emotion I felt hearing about the NLRB ruling was a state of shock and then it easily turned into elation,” Al-mada, a 28-year-old Filipino-American nurse told the Asian Journal. “It’s an, us versus them, David versus Goliath, kind of situation. Here we are, we’re going up against a large community hospital

Denver Broncos defeat Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl 50Fil-Am Jordan Norwood makes history for longest

punt return MILLIONS of Americans tuned in on

Sunday, Feb. 7, as the Denver Broncos beat the Carolina Panthers 24-10 to win Super Bowl 50.

Playing at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, the Broncos showed off their superior defense, gaining four turnovers — two of which resulted in touchdowns. Meanwhile, the Panthers struggled to ride on the momentum of their nearly undefeated season re-cord.

Many analysts noted that Panthers’ quarterback Cam Newton, who was named the 2015 NFL Most Valuable Player (MVP), had an off night, failing to adapt to the Broncos’ rush. He was

Over 600K driver’s licenses issued to undocumented immigrants in CA

ABOUT 605,000 undocumented im-migrants residing in California were granted driver’s license in 2015, the first year that the state has permitted them to do so, according to a news release from the state Department of Motor Vehicles.

In October 2013, California Gov. Jerry Brown signed legislation known as AB 60, which allows eligible un-documented immigrants in Califor-nia to apply for driver’s licenses. The law further prohibits discrimination against undocumented immigrant drivers.

AB 60 allows individuals with these licenses to drive without fear of be-ing fined or having their vehicle im-pounded.

License holders under the law, however, cannot use the identifica-

AND THEY’RE OFF

“When I first met Presi-dent Aquino, his excellency stated that he had called for me because I was a fighter for democracy. In truth, I simply want to be remembered as a patriot,” Del Rosario said in a DFA statement.

FROM THE FRONT PAGE

sea.China, however, insisted that

the flights conducted by its air-craft fall completely with its sov-ereignty. Beijing accused the Manila of having ulterior motives with its claims.

Del Rosario said that the South China Sea dispute will be discussed in the upcoming

Association of Southeast Asian Nations-US Summit in California from February 15 to 16.

US President Barack Obama will host the meeting which will also be attended by President Benigno Aquino III and his coun-terparts from Brunei, Cambo-dia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

“We want to bring to the fore the rule of law, we want to dis-cuss freedom of navigation, we want to look at the island-build-ing, as well as the question of de-facto ADIZ (Air Defense Identification Zone) and arbitra-tion. Those are the topics that we will be looking at,” Del Ro-sario said.

DFA chief wants to be remembered as...Del Rosario, 76, served as the

country’s top diplomat amid the maritime flare-up with China, global security challenges con-fronting Filipino workers and the need to reposition the Philippines in the international economic landscape.

A successful businessman, Del Rosario was appointed ambassa-dor to the United States under the administration of Gloria Macapa-gal Arroyo before he was removed from his post for opposing her declaration of a state of national emergency in 2006.

President Benigno Aquino III in 2011 placed Del Rosario at the helm of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).

On Monday, Feb. 8 Malacañang

confirmed reports that Del Rosario has tendered his resignation from the DFA citing health reasons. Del Rosario, who is set to step down from office in March, said his age does not allow him to continue in government and in foreign ser-vice.

Thanking his colleagues, Del Rosario said he plans to return to the private sector and spend more time with his family while working on his health.

“It has been a real honor and privilege to have worked with all the outstanding men and women of the ‘department that never sleeps.’ Please accept my most profound appreciation for all your hard work, sacrifice and service and above all, for reaching beyond your grasp,” he said.

He also delivered a message to members of the media, whom he described as having “an in-herent love of our people and our country and their uniting with us in promoting our nation-al interest.”

In a get-together on Wednes-day, Del Rosario expressed his hope that the next administration would embrace a principled for-eign policy.

Del Rosario said he has recom-mended someone to Aquino to re-place him, but he leaves the final decision to the president.

“I have made my recommen-dation. As a matter of course the president has the last say and my sense is that he’ll be making an announcement soon,” Del Rosario said.

Denver Broncos defeat Carolina Panthers...sacked seven times during the game.

During the second quarter of the game, Broncos’ wide receiv-er Jordan Norwood — who is a quarter Filipino — set a Super Bowl record with a 61-yard punt return.

Norwood received the punt at the Broncos’ 25-yard line and

ran it down the right sideline all the way to the Panthers’ 14-yard line. Though Norwood’s run was unable to secure a touchdown, Denver earned a field goal that put them ahead 13-7.

The previous record was a 45-yard return by 49ers wide re-ceiver John Taylor in Super Bowl XXIII against the Cincinnati Ben-gals.

At 39 years old, Peyton Man-ning of the Broncos became the oldest starting quarterback in Super Bowl history. Manning, whose 18-year career includes includes two Super Bowl titles and 200 career wins, is expected to retire, though he has yet to announce that decision. He is also the first quarterback to win a Super Bowl with two different teams, winning Super Bowl XLI with the Indianapolis Colts.

“You know, I’ll take some time to reflect,” Manning said during a post-game interview. “I have a couple of priorities first. I want to go kiss my wife and my kids, I want to go hug my family. I’m going to drink a lot of Budweiser tonight. I promise you that. I’m going to take care of those things first, and say a little prayer to thank the man upstairs for this great opportunity. I’m just very grateful.”

For six tackles, 2.5 sacks and two forced fumbles — leading to defensive and offensive touch-downs — Broncos outside line-backer Von Miller was named MVP following the game.

Sunday marked the Broncos’ third Super Bowl title in fran-chise history.

”We had our opportunities. There wasn’t nothing special that they did. We dropped balls. We turned the ball over, gave up sacks, threw errant passes. That’s it. They scored more points than we did,” Panthers quarterback Newton said after the game.

Aside from the game itself, the most-anticipated part of the game was the halftime show, featuring Coldplay, Beyonce and Bruno Mars. Against a col-orful backdrop, Coldplay deliv-ered a medley of their hits, but guest stars Beyonce, performing her new song “Formation,” and Bruno Mars, singing and groov-ing to Uptown Funk,” stole the show.

Miss Universe Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach — who was reporting as a special correspondent for “Inside Edition” — praised Be-yonce on Twitter, saying “From Queen to Queen, @Beyonce you owned the show! –Pia.”

Super Bowl 50 was the third-most-watched television program in the United States with 111.9 million viewers, falling short to beat the viewership records from the last two years. (AJPress)

Heated PH Presidential race beginsHowever, opponents have peti-

tioned the Supreme Court to dis-qualify Poe, arguing she cannot prove she is a natural-born Fili-pino because she does not know who her biological parents are.

The SC could also disqualify Poe for failing to meet residency rules, because she spent many years living in the US and gained US citizenship before renounc-ing it and returning home.

If Poe is knocked out, with a court ruling expected dur-ing the campaign, the nation would be plunged into political turmoil with three contenders who are currently each polling about 20 percent support ready to pounce.

A major contender is Vice President Jejomar Binay, who heads the main opposition par-ty.

Binay, 73, has spent decades building a vast political machine but he has had to endure a bar-rage of corruption allegations that have seen him lose his front-runner status.

A Senate committee recently recommended Binay be charged with graft for kickbacks alleg-edly taken during his long stint as mayor of the nation’s financial capital, Makati.

President Aquino, who has overseen growth averaging 6.2 percent since 2010 and won in-ternational applause for trying to fight corruption, wants to hand over the keys to the presiden-tial palace to longtime ally Mar Roxas.

However Roxas, 58, a US-edu-cated investment banker from one of the nation’s richest fami-lies, has consistently trailed Poe and Binay in surveys. Analysts blame a lack of charisma and in-ability to connect with the poor masses.

In contrast, controversial pop-ulist politician Rodrigo Duterte, 70, is making a spectacular charge for the presidency by vowing a ruthless crackdown on crime.

Human rights groups have ac-cused Duterte of running vigi-lante “death squads” that killed more than 1,000 suspected crim-inals during his many years as mayor of the major southern city of Davao.

Duterte has acknowledged the

existence of the death squads and said in speeches and press conferences in recent months that he had overseen the killing of drug traffickers.

The fifth contender is Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago, who chose Sen. Ferdinand Marcos Jr. as her runningmate.

Santiago reiterated that she

will be running for the highest position for the third time to stop the corruption in the govern-ment.

Despite claims she has beaten cancer and her popularity among the younger voters with her strong presence in social media, Santiago has consistently trailed in the surveys. (Philstar.com)

that has millions of dollars to es-sentially spend fighting us when that money should be going to pa-tient care. We’ve seen them direct money and funds from patients into fighting organizing efforts. This definitely feels that yes, we were in the right.”

Almada and Lin, both of whom were working in the intensive care unit, were terminated in August of last year, after spearheading a union organizing drive under the California Nurses Association/Na-tional Nurses United (CNA/NNU) and publicly speaking about de-teriorating conditions (i.e. short staffing and inadequate supplies) at the hospital.

Registered nurses at the hos-pital began organizing with CNA/NNU in May 2014, but many voted against representation the follow-ing year after they were allegedly intimated to do so by hospital of-ficials.

“When this [firing] first hap-pened, I felt very hopeless. I was very scared and I didn’t know what to do,” Lin said.

The union filed an unfair labor practice charge with the NLRB challenging the dismissal last year, which the labor board re-sponded to on Friday, Jan. 29 by siding with the nurses.

Lin added, “what happened to me can happen to anyone and that’s why we need union rep-resentation to protect our rights along with our patients. Nurses need job protection. We need someone to advocate for us, so we can advocate for our patients.”

In a statement emailed to the Asian Journal, Huntington Hospi-tal’s spokesman Derek Clark said the union’s flyers and statements have been filled “with patently false information.”

Responding to allegations that the nurses were fired for union-izing, the hospital asserted that it was because the pair violated em-ployment policies.

“We stand by our decisions and course of actions – and believe they are in accordance with em-ployment laws, our employment practices and in the best interests of maintaining patient safety and providing the highest quality of patient care,” Clark said, adding that the hospital looks “forward to a resolution in our favor from the NLRB.”

Each week, the union has also gathered signatures from mem-bers of the Pasadena community in support of the nurses’ reinstate-ment, and has attempted to deliver

National labor board rules in favor...them to the hospital CEO.

“I am grateful and humble that so many people feel strongly about our cause and want to support us that they are willing to sign a peti-tion or willing to come out to our delegation,” Almada said.

Since her firing, the Fil-Am has continued to advocate for nurses’ rights and quality patient care. In October, she attended the White House Summit on Worker Voice, where she briefly met President Barack Obama. She also spoke at a press conference alongside Democratic presidential candi-date Bernie Sanders and met with the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Orga-nizations (AFL-CIO).

Though Almada is currently working at another hospital in Los Angeles, she is fighting to get her job back at Huntington Hospital.

“It is definitely a point to be made in that…me coming back to the hospital could show nurses — not only at Huntington, but throughout the world — that when we stand together, when we organize [and] when we have a strong collective voice, we can accomplish a lot,” she said.

Tessie Costales, a Fil-Am regis-tered nurse at Kaiser LA Medical Center and CNA leader, called on hospital leaders to abide by the NLRB’s announcement.

“I couldn’t believe what they did to these two nurses. They built a case just to instill fear in the nurs-es and they made [Allysha and Vicki] guinea pigs to show nurses not to vote for the union… I think

Huntington leaders should respect the ruling of the NLRB. They did not find any merit on the case,” said Costales. “Delays would only mean a waste of resources.”

She also called on the local Fil-Am community to join in on any rallies and sign petitions on behalf of the nurses.

“Although this unfortunate event happened to us, our victory is so important to show that when you have the backing of thousands of nurses — behind you, standing up for you…[and] your federally protected rights — it is powerful and impactful. Together as a com-munity, together as nurses, we will win this fight. We will win jus-tice and we will make Huntington a better place and a better asset to the city of Pasadena,” Almada said.

Over 600K driver’s licenses issued to...tion to board planes for domestic flights. Furthermore, it does not grant these individuals a path-way to apply for a US passport, a way to work, or legal residency status.

A dozen other states, along with Washington D.C., have

Medical breakthrough: Pinoys get...scientific innovation, collabora-tion and research involving 25 clinical trials among more than 14,000 individuals in 15 coun-tries.

The vaccine provides protec-tion from four dengue strains. It has proven effective in prevent-ing nine out of 10 severe dengue and eight out of 10 hospitaliza-tions among those aged nine to 45.

Sally Gatchalian, who is presi-dent of the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society of the Philip-pines, noted that the cost of the vaccine “is very affordable and reasonable.”

similar laws for undocumented immigrants.

“If you can approve policies that integrate immigrants, I think it’s a win-win for all people in a big state like California,” said Luis Alejo, a member of the California Assembly and author of the bill, according to Agence-

France Presse.In February, March and April,

more than 70,000 licenses were issued per month.

A total of 830,000 individuals applied for licenses under AB 60 between Jan. 2, 2015 to Dec. 31, 2015. (Agnes Constante / AJ-Press)

“The first thing we need to un-derstand and realize is that den-gue is a devastating disease.

It does not have only medical burden but there is economic burden, there’s social burden, emotional and psychological stress, and trauma not only to the patients but the whole fam-ily as well,” Gatchalian said.

Cecilia Montalban, president of the Philippine Foundation for Vaccination, noted that more than 110,000 Filipinos get sick of dengue annually. The govern-ment spends P16.7 billion every year due to the viral infection.

In the last 50 years, the mos-quito-borne disease has spread

to 128 countries where around 3.9 billion people live. Dengue incidence has increased 30-fold, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

Experts said that the vaccine is expected to reduce dengue mortality.

“Our aim is to protect our pa-tients as much as possible. We don’t want them to be hospital-ized. Prevention is now available and that is the most important thing. We suggest and recom-mend that you go visit a physi-cian, have yourself and your children assessed and evaluated to get the vaccine,” Gatchalian said.

Obama sends Congress record $4.1 trillion 2017 �scal budget

PRESIDENT Barack Obama sent Congress his eighth and fi-nal budget of his presidency on Tuesday, Feb. 9. The proposal includes a spending record of $4.1 trillion on a number of ini-tiatives, from a new war on can-cer to combating global warming to fighting growing threats from Islamic State militants.

“While it is important to take stock of our progress, this Bud-get is not about looking back at the road we have traveled. It is about looking forward and mak-ing sure our economy works for everybody, not just those at the top,” the President states in an emailed fact sheet on the 2017 fiscal year budget. “It is about choosing investments that not only make us stronger today, but also reflect the kind of country we aspire to be--the kind of country we want to pass on to our chil-dren and grandchildren.”

The proposed spending plan applies for the budget year that begins Oct. 1, just three-and-a-half months before he leaves office, according to the Associ-ated Press. It addresses issues such as climate change, health-care, opportunities for small businesses and students, as well as national and economic secu-rity.

Obama already faces heavy fire from the GOP-controlled Congress, which is not expected to approve the proposal, and has called it “dead on arrival.”

Overall, Obama’s budget would increase taxes by $2.6 trillion in the coming decade-- nearly double the $1.4 trillion in new taxes Obama sought and failed to achieve in last year’s budget.

Congressional Republicans have already said they will ig-nore the proposal, rather than engage in another round of “fiscal brinksmanship” with the president, said the Washington Post.

“President Obama will leave office having never proposed a budget that balances — ever. This isn’t even a budget so much as it is a progressive manual for growing the federal government at the expense of hardworking Americans,” said House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis).

GOP lawmakers said Obama’s proposal to impose a $10-per-barrel tax on crude oil--in order

to bring in an additional $319 bil-lion in revenue--had “no chance of congressional approval.” The administration announced they would use the money to fund billions of dollars in alternative transportation programs as part of the president’s efforts to deal with global warming.

Ryan also pledged that House Republicans would produce a budget that does reach balance in coming weeks.

“In 2016, we will make it our goal to pass all 12 appropria-tion bills through regular order,” Ryan said back in December, laying out his plans for the year ahead. “This hasn’t been done since 1994--but it’s how Con-gress ought to operate so that we can better protect the tax-payer dollars and make our place the true representative body that it is.”

Even with the increased taxes, Obama’s budget projects sharply higher deficits in the near future, totaling $9.8 trillion over the next decade. Last summer, Obama’s baseline forecast a deficit of $8 trillion over the next decade.

Much of the deficit problem stems from the surge in spend-ing on benefit programs like Social Security and Medicare, whose budgets are predicted to soar with the retirement of mil-lions of baby boomers.

The budget sees the economy growing at a 2.6 percent rate this year, although administration of-ficials noted that projection was finalized in November, before re-cent stock market slide. Inflation would remain low, registering a

1.5 percent gain this year.Obama’s new budget projects

a deficit for the current 2016 budget year of $616 billion, which is sharply higher than the latest forecast by the Congres-sional Budget Office (totaling $544 billion).

Republicans have long com-plained that Obama has failed to attack the chief cause of future deficits. Previous Obama bud-gets did propose such things as slowing the automatic infla-tion increase for Social Security. However, the President aban-doned those proposals when it became clear that Republicans were opposed to his suggestions to raise taxes on the wealthy in order to benefit programs for the working poor.

On Tuesday, White House of-ficials expressed their goal to obtain bipartisan support for a number of Obama’s initiatives, such as the effort to combat her-oin and opioid addiction, fund a “moonshot” initiative to cure cancer, and expand tax credits for the working poor.

Other elements of his proposal include ideas to appeal to Demo-crats: increasing Pell Grants for college students from low-in-come backgrounds; bolster funds for the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commod-ity Futures Trading Commission; funding the Treasury’s State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI); and renewing incen-tives for GOP-governed states to join the expanded Medicaid sys-tem, established under his land-mark health care law.

Separately, Obama has also proposed $1.8 billion in emer-gency spending to combat the Zika virus, on top of the $1.1 tril-lion catchall spending bill that passed in December.

The budget also pledges to in-crease military spending to fight terrorist threats, and help make Americans safer. It includes in-creased support (around $19 billion) for cybersecurity, up-grading computers across gov-ernment agencies in the wake of last year’s major federal hack, which compromised the per-sonal information of 21 million Americans.

“The budget that we are re-leasing today reflects my priori-ties and the priorities I believe will help advance security and prosperity for America for many years to come,” Obama told re-porters at the White House.

by ALLYSON ESCOBARAJPress

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IT turns out that consuming seafood at least once per week can help prevent Alzheimer’s dis-ease, a new study has found.

Although seafood is known to contain mercury, scientists delved into the question of whether or not that nullifies the benefit it has on staving off Alzheimer’s.

“Our hypothesis was that sea-food consumption would be asso-ciated with less neuropathology, but that if there were higher lev-els of mercury in the brain, that would work against that. But we didn’t find that at all,” said lead study author Martha Clare Mor-ris, a professor of epidemiology at Rush University Medical Cen-ter.

Morris and her colleagues analyzed a database of about

Study: eating �sh could reduce risk for Alzheimer’s

by AGNES CONSTANTEAJPress 300 people living in the Chicago

area who completed regular diet questionnaires and agreed to donate their brains to research after they died.

Researchers found that indi-viduals who consumed seafood at least once per week had high-er levels of mercury in their brain compared to those who ate less. However, those with a genetic risk factor for Alzheimer’s called ApoE4 and ate seafood at least once a week showed less harm-ful proteins in their brain.

“The take-home message is that the concern about eating seafood because of mercury should be allayed somewhat by this study since we didn’t see any evidence that increased levels of mercury in the brain is causing brain pathologies,” Morris said, TIME reported.

Researchers also found that eating more than one serving of fish did not boost prevention against brain damage associated with dementia.

A limitation of the study is that scientists only observed the ben-efit of fish in participants with the ApoE4 gene. Furthermore, it did not reveal if participants who suffered less brain damage showed fewer symptoms of de-mentia while they were alive.

Morris said that those with-out ApoE4 may still benefit from eating seafood once per week, but noted that the amount of Al-zheimer’s proteins in their brains may be too little for researchers to notice any effect.

The study was published Tuesday, Feb. 2, in the Journal of the American Medical Asso-ciation.

Filipino-Salvadoran math whiz honored by LA school board

LOS ANGELES—17-year-old Cedrick Argueta was honored on Tuesday, Feb. 9 by the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) Board of Education for earning a perfect score on his Advanced Placement Calculus exam.

Argueta, the son of a Filipina nurse and a Salvadoran mainte-nance worker, is one of 12 stu-dents in the world — out of the total 302,531 who took the exam — to achieve the perfect mark of 108.

“I’m glad that I’m able to do this, not just for my culture, but for all cultures so anybody can realize that anything is possible,” he said.

Speaking before LAUSD Su-perintendent Michelle King and the Board of Education, Argueta acknowledged that it was a “team effort” to pass the exam and tha-the is “one small example” of the school district’s work.

Currently a senior at Abraham Lincoln High School, Argueta as-pires to attend the California In-stitute of Technology and one day work for NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory as an engineer.

“I want to be an engineer be-cause I’ve always liked math and science, so going into that field makes sense for me,” he told the Asian Journal.

He credits his math teacher An-thony Yom, a Korean immigrant, for helping him excel in the sub-ject. In preparing for the exam, Yom designated Argueta as a study leader, and would spend af-

by CHRISTINA M. ORIELAJPress

ter school and weekends making sure other students mastered the advanced concepts. Tuesday’s board meeting also recognized Yom and the high school’s princi-pal Jose Torres.

In his remarks, Yom thanked students’ parents for making the commitment to drive their chil-dren to school on weekends so they could study for the exam and community members for opening up their facilities when the school wasn’t open.

“I want everyone to remember that it still takes a village to raise a child,” Yom said.

Yom — whose AP students have all passed the calculus exam in the last three years — noted that he doesn’t have any special strategies when it comes to teach-ing. Rather, he treats his students as “friends” and gets to know them on a personal level to build trust.

“If you don’t think of [teaching] as work, then you produce a bet-ter result,” he said.

Torres cited Argueta as an ex-ample of “what can happen…if we all believe that every child who comes into a classroom can learn, regardless of their background or where they come from.”

Argueta’s mother Lilian, who migrated to the United States from Batangas, Philippines in 1992, remarked on how studious her son is.

“At school, they have an after-school program to prepare for the test. When he gets home, he stud-ies hard too. He’s always been like that,” she said.

She beamed with pride seeing

her son be recognized and receive a standing ovation by the school district’s board members.

“We’re all happy and proud of him,” she said. “He can be what-ever he wants to be. We’re here to support him.”

Since finding out about his test score, Argueta has received worldwide attention, and even got President Barack Obama to tweet at him: “Cedrick; way to go on your perfect score! How about you come by the next White House Science Fair?”

Getting a tweet “from the most influential and important man in the world” was an honor, Argueta said, and he is excited to take that trip to the White House.

In addition to his incredible achievement on the AP exam, Ar-gueta also scored perfectly on the math and English sections of the ACT college-entrance exam.

Despite being a math wiz (his nickname at school is “One of Twelve”), Argueta asserts that he’s just a normal teenager who likes sports, video games and hanging out at the mall.

His advice for high school stu-dents? Take advantage of avail-able resources and balance aca-demics with other hobbies.

“I know everyone tells them to try hard and work hard, but really try to get all the help that they can get. There are a lot of great re-sources,” Argueta told the Asian Journal. “Also, try not to make everything about academics. Bal-ance your life out. Try to put your time in something that’s fun for you, rather than just putting it into academics.”

THE top US intelligence offi-cial said on Tuesday, Feb. 9 that ISIS was likely to attempt direct attacks on the US through the coming year, and that the group was infiltrating refugees escap-ing from Iraq and Syria to move across borders.

“[ISIS] will probably attempt to conduct additional attacks in Europe, and attempt to direct attacks on the US homeland in 2016,” Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Vincent Stewart, director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, testified in a security conference on Capitol Hill Tuesday.

Stewart linked his warning to the extremist group’s growing network of “emerging branch-es” in Mali, Tunisia, Somalia, Indonesia, and Bangladesh, ac-cording to Reuters, and added that ISIS is likely stepping up its “pace and lethality.”

Director of National Intelli-gence James Clapper, also pres-ent at the Senate Armed Services Committee hearing, estimated in his “Worldwide Threat As-sessment of the US Intelligence Community” report that violent extremists were “active in about 40 countries,” and that there are

Defense intelligence chief predicts more ISIS attacks on US

by ALLYSON ESCOBARAJPress

currently “more terrorist safe havens than at any time in his-tory.”

ISIS and its eight branches were the No. 1 terrorist threat to the US, and it was using the refugee exodus from violence in Iraq and Syria to hide among innocent civilians and outreach other countries, Clapper warned.

He added that ISIS was “tak-ing advantage of the torrent of migrants to insert operatives into that flow,” and said they were “pretty skilled at phony passports so they can travel ostensibly as legitimate travelers.”

ISIS fighters have reportedly seized Syrian passport facilities with machines that of manufac-ture realistic-looking passports, according to CNN.

The Defense Intelligence Agency also confirmed that ISIS bas succeeded in making and deploying toxic chemical weapons in Iraq and Syria, the first such attack by an extrem-ist group in over two decades, since a chemical warfare attack in Japan in 1995, reported Fox News.

Clapper’s assessment also notes that “approximately five dozen” people linked to ISIS were arrested in the US last year.

The Islamic State has as many

as 25,000 fighters in Syria and Iraq, down from a previous es-timate of up to 31,000, an intel-ligence report revealed. Over 36,500 foreign fighters, includ-ing at least 6,600 from Western countries, have also traveled to Syria from more than 100 countries since 2012, the report states.

On the counter-ISIS campaign in Iraq and Syria, Stewart added it was “unlikely” that the Iraqi city of Mosul would be liberated in 2016.

While the National Intelligence assessment calls ISIS the “pre-eminent terrorist threat,” it also affirms that “al Qaeda affiliates are positioned to make gains in 2016.”

Al Qaida, based in Yemen in the Arabian Peninsula, and Al Nusra Front in Syria were named the “most capable al Qaeda branches.”

“The perceived success of at-tacks by homegrown violent extremists in Europe and North America, such as those in Chat-tanooga and San Bernardino, might motivate others to repli-cate opportunistic attacks with little or no warning, diminish-ing our ability to detect terrorist operational planning and readi-ness,” Clapper noted.

DATELINE PHILIPPINESTagle slams hypocrisy of politicians

Errors found in source codes, voting machinesby SHEILA CRISOSTOMO

Philstar.com

by TINA G. SANTOS Inquirer.net

AS the political campaign sea-son unfolded, Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle lashed out at the hypocrisy of some people who promote them-selves under the guise of “char-ity.”

In his Ash Wednesday homily at the Archdiocese of Manila cha-pel in Intramuros, Tagle lament-ed that even charity, supposed to be a path to closer union with God, could be used for selfish in-terests.

He did not mention politicians, but the reference was obvious when he spoke on the first day of Lent, when Catholics had their foreheads marked with ash.

“This is why Jesus said when you give alms, don’t be noisy about it. Don’t have a barrage of photos taken when you’re donat-ing to the poor. That’s the work

MANILA—Less than three months before the May 9 polls, more errors have been discov-ered in the source codes of the automated election system (AES).

Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman Andres Bautista said SLI Global Solu-tions Inc. notified the Comelec that there were problems with the source codes of the consoli-dation and canvassing system (CCS) and the vote counting ma-chines (VCM).

Based in Denver, SLI was con-tracted by Comelec to certify the source codes of the VCM, CCS and Election Management Sys-tem (EMS) before they are put together for use in the coming polls.

“In a way, they are our inde-pendent adviser and in doing their work, their job is to look for things in the system that need to either be addressed, improved or rectified. Over the past few days, they have seen certain findings which they believe should be ad-dressed,” Bautista said.

The Comelec earlier had to postpone depositing the source codes at the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas after SLI detected com-patibility problems in the CCS.

SLI found that while the CCS had to be “stand alone,” the sys-tem was found to be “network dependent.” This prompted the Comelec to re-do the “trusted build” of the EMS, which serves as the brain of the entire system.

Just like the VCM, the CCS was supplied by the joint venture of Smartmatic-Total Information Management Corp. According to SLI senior test manager Michael Santos, the firm also found that the ISO image in the CCS source code could not be installed dur-ing the trusted build process.

“That necessitates a rebuild of the trusted build of the CCS ISO image. We don’t see it actually during the build process itself but once we got done building that image, we sent it to the labo-ratory, we went to install it and realized there was an issue,” Santos explained.

During the testing of the VCM, SLI also found that it could detect even small ink spots, caus-ing the machines to reject the ballots. The VCM posted one- to two-percent rejection rate.

“Just a couple of spots in the ballots, the VCM detecting them and rejecting them, which is a good thing because it is showing that it’s capable enough to catch just about any mark,” Santos said.

Comelec spokesman James Jimenez maintained that the is-sue should not be a cause of con-cern.

Jimenez said that to address the problem, the threshold of the sensitivity of the VCM would be adjusted.

Bautista explained the Com-elec could not turn off the detec-tion feature of the VCM as it was meant to address the problems on digital lines, which he de-scribed as a “dangerous ailment” that surfaced on the ballots in the 2013 elections.

He gave assurance that the Comelec would be reviewing its contact with Smartmatic-TIM to determine if the joint venture can be held liable for the errors.

The Comelec chief also main-tained that despite the technical issues in the machines, there is no cause for concern.

“The problems have been con-tained. It is good that we discover these things now than later when we could no longer correct or im-prove them,” he said.

Bautista expressed confidence that the printing of official ballots would be completed by April 25 as scheduled since the ballots

of hypocrites who only want peo-ple to say ‘Wow, look at him, he’s really charitable, he’s helpful to others,’” he said in Filipino.

The cardinal warned that do-ing acts of charity contrary to its true meaning is like rubbing salt in the wound.

“Charity that doesn’t think of others, giving donations, giving alms but calling attention to one-self is not charity. It is an insult to the recipient,” he stressed.

He added that this kind of almsgiving could bring a person farther from God.

Tagle reminded the faithful that real generosity of spirit was doing something for someone without their knowledge.

He tackled some concerns such as poverty and environment but reserved his more impas-sioned words for ordinary people whose struggles are worsened by some people’s “selfish” thirst

for power.“There will be a lot of char-

ity work in the days to come but how many will be true service? Or these may just be self-promo-tion,” Tagle said.

According to him, Lent is a sea-son for reconciliation with God. This invitation, he said, rings out to Christians to take the Lenten call to conversion seriously.

Tagle also emphasized the message of the Gospel reading in which Jesus rereads the three works of mercy—almsgiving, prayer, and fasting.

He stressed that fasting goes beyond reducing one’s food in-take.

“Fasting is not dieting. It’s giving, almsgiving, sharing,” he said.

Tagle reminded Catholics that Lent is a time for renewal, with special attention to the suffering of others and helping them.

PH gov’t, MILF meet anew in Malaysia to reassess peace process

THE Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) continue to hold talks in Malaysia as they “assess means of moving forward” after Congress failed to approve the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL).

In a statement, the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) said the two par-ties remain optimistic on the said matter.

“Despite the extraordinary ef-forts of our teams and all the other tireless peace advocates and con-gressional allies who traveled with us in this difficult journey of a thousand miles, we saw the session days in Congress wither away, without a BBL in sight,” said Miriam Coronel-Ferrer, chief negotiator of the Philippine gov-ernment.

“With humility, we accept the weaknesses and imperfections of our efforts,” she said in a speech on Wednesday, Feb. 10.

Ferrer said looking at the sum of the total shows that they have gained despite the failure to pass the BBL, which should pave for the creation of a new autonomous political entity.

“We have made life better for the people in the periods of sustained

ceasefire, and through the many capacity development programs and socio-economic activities that have flourished,” she said.

“Many of those who were 10-14 year-old children when we started out in 2010 are now about to en-ter the cusp of adulthood with a stronger sense of the value of life

and human dignity,” she added. “Instead of learning the ropes of warfare, they experienced relative peace. Like most children used to hard life, they have solid dreams for a better future for their fami-lies.”

The MILF and the Philippine

by KRISTINE ANGELI SABILLO Inquirer.net

would be shorter by four inches, from 27 inches in 2013 elec-tions.

“We are just fine-tuning the system… we still have 88 days. We still have time. The problems now are still manageable,” he added.

OPINION FEATURES

AFTER the Iowa Caucuses and before the New Hampshire pri-mary, a new national poll reveals the sentiment of the American people on where they want this nation to be stirred moving for-ward through the presidential elections.

On the Democratic front, Front-runner Hillary Clinton has report-edly planned on shaking her campaign to stop the momentum that has been favoring Vermont Sena-tor Bernie Sanders steadily and increasingly in the past year. From leading Sanders by 50 percent just a year ago, Clinton’s lead has now shrunk to a virtual tie as revealed by two major national polls.

A recent Reuters/Ipsos poll shows Clinton lead-ing Sanders 48-45 percent, while a Quinnipiac University poll reveals Clinton leading 44-42 per-cent, both gaps within the margin of error.

After winning Iowa by just 0.3 percent, Clinton is expected to lose in New Hampshire, if polls are any indication. In the final CNN/WMUR tracking poll, CNN reports that it remains Bernie Sanders’ primary to lose, with the Vermont senator holding a 26-point lead over Hillary Clinton, with 61 per-cent for Sanders versus 35 percent for Clinton.

While I monitor the exit polls in New Hampshire as of the press time, CNN has projected Sanders as the winner of the primary election in the state and Clinton has reportedly conceded. With potentially record-breaking turnout, enthusiastic voters are eager to make their voices heard in this election.

Clinton won in New Hampshire when she ran against Obama in 2008. What should Clinton do to stop Sanders’ momentum?

On the Republican side, the latest Quinnipiac University National poll reveals Donald Trump still leads the GOP presidential pack among Republi-can voters nationwide, with 31 percent. He is fol-lowed by Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas with 22 percent and Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida with 19 percent. Dr. Ben Carson has 6 percent, with 9 percent un-decided and no other candidate above 3 percent.

Heading to New Hampshire, Donald Trump continues to lead the Republican race on the eve of the vote with 31 percent, according to the final CNN/WMUR tracking poll.

CNN reports that trailing behind Trump, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio earned 17 percent support --

within the margin of sam-pling error of Texas Sen. Ted Cruz at 14 percent, but significantly ahead of the fourth and fifth place candidates in the poll, Ohio Gov. John Kasich (10 percent) and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (7 percent). Carly Fiorina stands at 5 percent, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie at 4 percent and retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson at 3 percent.

Exit polls revealed that Democratic voters are looking for the candidate who is honest and who cares about them, more than electability and ex-perience.

Meanwhile, Republican voters want a candidate who is not part of the establishment, as more than half of them say feel betrayed by and are dissatis-fied with how the Republican party has done its job over the years.

Will it be 2008 again for Hillary Clinton? Will

Donald Trump continue to lord over the other GOP candidates moving forward?

ABANGAN!* * *

ACCORDING to the National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC) the incidence of pov-erty in the Philippines in 2014 was 25.8 per-cent. This includes in-dividuals earning less than P1,755 a month or a family of five earning less than P8,778 a month.

This begs the question: If only one-fourth of our population lives in pov-erty, does that mean that three-fourths do not?

Noted economist and former Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno had some-thing to say about that in a piece he wrote in Business World in March last year, referring to the poverty threshold set for 2012:

“The real poverty picture may be worse than what the official statistics suggest. In 2012, the poverty thresh-old was P18,935 per year, P1,578 per month, or P52.60 per day. That’s the height of absurdity! I challenge public officials to survive on P52.60 per day for even a week.”

For those residing in the US, it is not easy to appreciate the relative value of what people earn in the Philippines. Conceivably, because of the much low-er cost of living here, what may appear to be meager minimum wage earnings locally can actually buy more goods and services than the minimum wage in the US.

It was in this context that I took note of Diokno’s commentary and decided to probe this issue further. What, in fact,

is the true picture of poverty in our coun-try?

Our home in Para-ñaque happens to be right across the creek from a squatters’ area (pardon me, I mean, an informal settle-ment) called Creek

Drive. Thus, I have easy access to the pulse of non-rich folks.

I hesitate to refer to them as “poor” because of the government’s definition of poverty.

We have known many of the squat-ters (oops, informal settlers) in Creek Drive for years. Before they called the place by that name, they used our home address for their correspondence. Let-ters from the province were delivered through us by the post office. My former ad agency driver, Jun, built a shanty and raised a family there. He now makes a living driving his own tricycle.

Jun earns from P800 to P1,000 a day from plying his tricycle route. That’s a monthly income of over P20,000, for himself alone, not counting that of his wife who is a grade school teacher and that of his son, also a tricycle driver. In other words, they are well above the poverty threshold, as defined by the economic managers.

But recently, Jun developed a lung infection and couldn’t drive his tricycle. Not covered by Philhealth and with-out any savings to afford medicine, his health deteriorated. Fortunately, being close to the family, we gave him some financial assistance and he managed to

get medical treatment. He is recovering now and could be well on the way to once again being “non-poor” (a term used by government numbers crunch-ers).

But even if Jun and his family manage to stay above the official poverty line, he is painfully aware that they are, in truth, poor and are vulnerable to the ravages of cruel circumstances -- no matter what the economic managers say.

Randy, a relative, earns P17,800 a month as a truck driver for a tire com-pany and his wife Kaye makes P11,500 a month as a department store sales girl. They live rent-free in quarters above our garage (the living area is as large as an apartment and more spa-cious than a condominium studio). Be-cause they don’t have to pay rent and they only have one child, who is in the grades, they are technically almost mid-dle income, based on the classification of the National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB). They certainly are well above the government-defined poverty threshold.

But don’t tell that to the couple. Af-ter the usual deductions from their pay slips and considering the cost of trans-portation, food and utilities, they have very little left on payday and hardly any-thing set aside for emergencies. And when their daughter graduates from high school, it will be a struggle send-ing her to college.

Nene does our laundry once a week and also services several homes in the subdivision. For her labors, she earns over P10,000 a month. Based on the government’s definition of poverty,

Nene is not poor. But when her mother fell ill and needed oxygen, she couldn’t afford the cost of one that was mecha-nized and had to make do with manual pumping. That was not good enough to save her mother’s life.

Whatever the economic managers might say, Nene rues the fact that her mother would still be alive, if they were not, in fact, poor.

Grace, a niece whom my wife and I are sending to nursing school, gave me interesting findings derived by her class from households in a slum area in San Dionisio, a barangay in Parañaque. The survey was part of their course re-quirement.

Out of 54 families interviewed, 24 earn below the official poverty threshold. The rest technically qualify as non-poor because they earn above P11,000 a month. But try telling them that they are not poor and they will think you are being sarcastic.

Frankly, the government statistics are an exercise in denial and delusion. But the people are not being fooled. They know that they are poor. They can see it in the faces of their children whom they cannot afford to send to school. They can feel it in their empty stomachs and in the ailments that they must suffer because they cannot afford health care.

Those living in Mindanao and the ru-ral areas know that they are even more impoverished than the government will acknowledge. And they are keenly aware that all the talk about a booming economy does not include them and is mainly benefiting the wealthy few.

With the presidential elections only a few months away, the candidates have begun to woo the electorate in earnest. And, as suitors always do, they are all promising to make life more blissful for the Filipino masses and the future brighter for their children.

Three of the candidates have enunci-ated their main appeals to the voters in relatively clear terms, with the bottom line being a happier, more contented citizenry and a more progressive Phil-ippines.

Liberal Party standard bearer Mar Roxas is waving the flag of econom-ic gains through clean governance, expressed as “Tuwid na Daan” (or Straight Path). Davao City Mayor Ro-drigo Duterte is vowing to create a pro-gressive Philippines by killing criminals and stamping out corruption in govern-ment. Vice President Jejomar Binay is focusing on poverty and is promising to solve it by creating jobs and income opportunities for everyone, not just the rich.

The two other candidates, Senators Grace Poe and Miriam Defensor-San-tiago, are vaguely promising all or most of the above without really underscor-ing their primary pitch.

Which promise will resonate most effectively with the masses? The resi-dents of Creek Drive and San Dionisio have this to say:

“Lahat ng pangako nila ay maganda. Pero alin ba ang magiging laman ng sikmura?”

Translation: “All the promises are good. But which one can fill our stom-ach?” (gregmacabenta@hotmail.com)

What is the true picture of poverty in our country?

GREG B. MACABENTA

Street Talk

AND so it begins. Filipinos are in the throes of election fever as the campaign period for the upcoming May national elections officially began on Tuesday, Feb. 9. With 18,053 elective positions at stake, qualified voters in the Philippines and abroad have in their hands, the power and responsibility of ensuring candidates for public office are the most qualified for the respective positions.

Campaign season

On a national scale, Filipino vot-ers will declare who to fill the presi-dential, vice presidential, 12 senato-rial and 80 party-list representation seats. The local elections involve voters to elect district representatives (Congress members), provincial governors, vice governors, provincial board members, city and municipal mayors, city and municipal vice mayors, and town council members.

The promotion of people’s interests will be on top of political junkets once again. Issues such as criminality, high prices, unemployment, housing shortage, overpopulation, and the poor justice sys-tem are still expected to headline each candidate’s platform.

Vice President Jejomar Binay launched his presi-dential bid at the Welfareville compound in Manda-luyong City “to be with the Filipino poor.” Leading the opposition party, United Nationalist Alliance (UNA), Binay’s camp said that the vice president chose to be with those “have been left behind and continue to struggle with poverty, hunger and un-employment. Because he wanted to share with the masses his vision of a nation where rich and poor share the benefits of economic growth.”

Binay was joined by his running mate Sen. Gregorio Honasan II, and UNA’s candidates for

senators including Manny Pacquiao, former Special Action Force (SAF) director Getulio Napeñas, Parañaque councilor and actress Alma Moreno, Princess Jacel Kiram, labor lawyer

Allan Montaño and broadcaster Rey Langit.Sen. Grace Poe, who promises a “gobyernong

may puso (government with a heart),” led her po-litical party to Plaza Miranda in front of the historic Quiapo Church in Manila. Still facing disqualifica-tion over citizenship and residency issues, Poe said that just like an ordinary Filipino, her life is full of drama.

“With all my heart and strength, I will uphold and defend programs of a compassionate gov-ernment, our aspirations for the Filipino family, our hopes for the country and our children. The next three months will be a grueling journey for candidates and voters,” Poe promised her sup-porters.

The ruling Liberal Party and its standard-bearer Mar Roxas and running mate Rep. Leni Robredo kicked off their campaign in Roxas City, Capiz. The tandem vowed to continue Pres. Benigno Aquino III’s “daang matuwid (straight path)” policy. Aqui-no was also present during the campaign rally and appealed to the public on why his bets are deserv-ing to be elected.

Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte brought his team to Tondo, Manila. The no-nonsense presi-dential aspirant promised his kababayans that he will curb corruption and the proliferation of illegal drugs, and vowed to prioritize education and ag-riculture.

Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago and Sen. Bong-bong Marcos went north, to the latter’s hometown in Batac City, Ilocos Norte. Santiago vowed to go after people who were involved in the Priority De-velopment Assistance Fund (PDAF) or pork barrel

scam, while Marcos insisted on unity among Fili-pinos.

The next three months will be a grueling journey for both candidates and voters. It will test political aspirants on how they can engage the public to support their causes and grant them their previous votes. On the other hand, it will be the voters’ un-dertaking to identify all social, political, economic and environmental issues that are hounding the country and choose wisely who will best offer the solution for them. (AJPress)

Editorial

New national poll: Trump leads, Clinton and Sanders in a virtual tie

GEL SANTOS-RELOS

The Fil-Am Perspective

FVR: Support for Leni Robredo‘sincerely given,’ no strings attached

Roxas low ratings worry Liberal Partyby JEFFERSON ANTIPORDA

AND JOEL SY EGCO Inquirer.net

SENATE President Franklin Drilon on Wednesday, Feb. 10 said the consistently poor show-ing of Manuel “Mar” Roxas II, presidential candidate of the Lib-eral Party (LP), is a concern, but he expressed confidence that the ratings of the former Interior sec-retary will improve with the help of the ruling party’s machinery.

“Of course it is a concern. No question about that,” Drilon, the vice chairman of the LP, said.

In all the past surveys, Roxas consistently trailed his rivals in the presidential race. In December last year, Vice President Jejomar Binay topped the Pulse Asia survey with 33 percent, dislodging Sen. Grace Poe who got 21 percent.

Results of a survey released by the Social Weather Stations (SWS) on January 15 also showed Binay leading other presidential bets with 31 percent. Poe placed sec-ond with 24 percent. Roxas got 21 percent, while Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte had 20 percent.

Poe regained the lead in the lat-est survey released by Pulse Asia last week, getting the support of 30 percent of the people polled.

Binay got 23 percent while Roxas got 20 percent.

But Drilon said he believes that Roxas’ ratings will rise once the LP machinery kicks in.

“We have the biggest politi-cal machinery in the country. We have the most credible ‘general campaign manager’ and that is President Benigno Aquino 3rd,” he told a weekly news forum in The Senate chief said they expect Roxas’ numbers to go up in the next three months as the ruling party will be maximizing its politi-cal machinery with the help of lo-cal officials.

“We have many governors, congressmen, mayors who are [running] unopposed and there-fore, we will have them campaign for our national candidates,” Dril-on noted.

He said members of the Cabinet will also campaign for Roxas since there is no law prohibiting them from doing so.

Some Cabinet members were present in the kickoff rally of the LP in Roxas City, Capiz, on Tues-day, including Budget Secretary Florencio Abad.

“Under the law, Cabinet mem-bers are not prohibited from cam-paigning. They can campaign,” Drilon said, adding that what is

prohibited is the use of govern-ment funds for political purposes.

Roxas was reported to be the top overall ad spender last year, shelling out P774 million from January to December 2015. Binay was said to have spent P695 mil-lion while Poe paid P694 million for her campaign ads.

Drilon expressed confidence that Roxas will win the presiden-tial derby.

He also expressed dismay over supposedly slow resolution of dis-qualification cases filed against Poe.

“I am not happy with the pace of trial in the Supreme Court. It appears that the High Court lacks a sense of urgency. These are] not ordinary case[s]. [They] will have a vast impact on our future,” the Senate chief said.

He maintained that it is within the High Court’s power to hold marathon hearings on cases of great importance.

“Having oral arguments once a week, that is not giving it the urgency it deserves. I’m not dic-tating on the court, but it is very frustrating because we know for certain that the court could hasten the process by conducting mara-thon hearings but it has chosen not to do so,” Drilon said.

by ARIES JOSEPH HEGINAInquirer.net

FORMER President Fidel V. Ramos on Thursday, Feb. 11 de-bunked a claim made in a news-paper report that he was set to deny his endorsement to admin-istration vice presidential bet and Camarines Sur Rep. Ma. Leonor “Leni” Robredo.

In a handwritten note, Ramos said that his endorsement for Ro-bredo was “sincerely given” and that he does not expect anything for return.

“Kindly be informed that FVR’s support to Cong. Leni Robredo

as a VP candidate was sincerely given, with no expectation of re-wards or favors,” Ramos said.

He also extolled the late Interior secretary Jesse Robredo as “a key stalwart” in his administration.

“The late DILG Secretary/Naga City Mayor was a good friend, tireless campaigner and model LGU official—a key stalwart of the FVR administration (1992-1998),” the former chief executive said.

Ramos’ reiteration of support for Robredo was issued following Wednesday’s The Manila Times report which claimed that his en-dorsement was part of Robredo camp’s “public relations spin.”

Citing a source who is said to be one of Ramos’ aides, the report said that the Robredo camp sup-posedly had “a ready media re-lease and just waited for the usual photo opportunity with the former President” before releasing the PR to various media outlets.

The two leaders met last Mon-day, Feb. 8, a day before the of-ficial start of the campaign pe-riod.

Other leaders who also ex-pressed support for Robredo’s vice presidential bid include House Speaker Feliciano Bel-monte Jr. and Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista.

PH gov’t, MILF meet anew in Malaysia to...government signed the Com-prehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) in 2014 after 17 years of negotiations.

However, the BBL, which is sup-posed to implement parts of the agreement, has yet to be enacted into law. It was stalled in Congress after a series of debates and the controversial Mamasapano opera-tion, which left 44 Special Action Force (SAF) troopers and 17 MILF fighters dead. With Congress ad-journing session until after the May elections, it will be up to the next administration to continue the peace process.

Ferrer raised the various chal-lenges that the BBL will face in the next Congress.

“In the Senate we generally foresee a majority who will be supportive of a good BBL being obtained… The House probably remains the bigger challenge giv-en these figures: almost half are re-electionists, a good number are running unopposed, others are relatives of incumbents,” she ex-plained.

Ferrer said the next President

will have less leverage because of reforms in the budget system and the scrapping of pork barrel. How-ever, she said the new leader “will enjoy a honeymoon period and will harvest many of the turncoats and can therefore heavily influence the movements in the House.”

“As for the best legislative tack in the next Congress, several questions are relevant: Would it simply entail a refilling of a BBB (Bangsamoro Basic Bill)? Which version? Are the prospects rife for constitutional change? What to expect? Who would be the cham-pions for peace and the Bangsam-oro?” she asked.

Meanwhile, Mohagher Iqbal, MILF chief negotiator and chair of the Bangsamoro Transition Com-mission, said their men have “ac-cused the government of resorting again to delaying tactic and just managing the conflict in Mind-anao.”

Nevertheless, he said, “[T]he MILF and the government shall jointly find ways and means to ad-dress this dangerous situation and avoid actions that may increase the frustrations. We must provide

them hope that there is a chance for passage of [a] CAB-compli-ant BBL whoever will be the next President.”

Ferrer said the two parties will need to work harder. “We should listen more, engage more. This cause is ours, and so the main bur-den is ours.”

“Precisely because we perse-vered, we have reached this far in the process,” she said.

Also present in the meetings were European Union (EU) Am-bassador Franz Jessen, United Kingdom Representative to the International Contact Group (ICG) Thomas Phipps, Transitional Jus-tice and Reconciliation Commis-sion (TJRC) Chair Mo Bleeker, Independent Decommissioning Body (IDB) Chair Mustafa Pulat and Third-Party Monitoring Team (TPMT) Chair Alistair MacDonald. Representing Malaysia as third-party facilitator was Tengku Dato’ Ab Ghafar Tengku Mohamed.

He said the meetings are crucial as these will not only reassess but also reschedule and prepare for the next phase of the peace pro-cess.

ISULAN, SULTAN KUDA-RAT—Vice presidential candi-date and Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero blamed the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) for the decision of Congress not to pass the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) at this time.

Escudero, in a press confer-ence at the Sultan Kudarat State University here Thursday, Feb. 11, expressed his support for the Senate’s version of the BBL, the one called the Basic Law on the Bangsamoro Autonomous Re-gion (BLBAR), and not the one coming from the OPAPP.

“It seems like OPAPP wants

more than what the MILF wants. OPAPP gave us their version of the BBL and told us we can’t touch it. OPAPP told us not to change a comma, a period or a paragraph. When I talked to the MILF, it was fine with them if there were changes,” Escudero said.

“There would have been no problem if OPAPP did not think that they had the monopoly of talent, skills, intelligence and good intentions for the BBL,” Es-cudero added.

He said the senators had a problem with a provision on the setting up of parallel constitu-tional bodies in the proposed

Bangsamoro autonomous re-gion. The 1987 Constitution has strictly prohibited the setting up of another Commission on Audit, Civil Service Commission and Commission on Elections offices as guaranteed in the OPAPP ver-sion of the BBL, Escudero said.

“But OPAPP insisted on it,” he said.

Escudero said should he and his presidential candidate, Sena-tor Grace Poe, win, they would push for a BBL that would be ac-ceptable to all.

“We will craft a BBL that is better than the ARMM but still in the bounds of the Constitution,” he said. (Inquirer.net)

Escudero bares reason why Senate did not pass BBL‘Peace adviser, negotiator did not want lawmakers

to revise any part at all’

THE ASIAN JOURNAL ENTERTAINMENT MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 12-18, 2016

*Images used on the cover are stock photos only and do not represent actual people who are involved in online dating or relationships that resulted from online dating. Photos cannot be used in any other publication without permission.

VALENTINE’S DAY 2016 SPECIAL FEATURE

MAY 30-JUNE 5, 2014www.asianjournal.com

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FEBRUARY 12-18, 2016 2Press enter for love: Romance

and relationships in the digital ageBEFORE the Internet became

a household name, dating and courtship went through normal stages. That is, you meet people in person, go on a date and if it worked out, then you go on to a more committed relationship.

Today, some still manage to do it the conventional way. However, technology has found a way to bring romance and relationships to many — through their computers. Some still have reservations about the possibility of meeting “the one” through this manner. Of course, this is understandable due to the fact that you shouldn’t believe anything—or anyone—you read and meet online.

Love online anyone?Since the explosion of the

Internet in the 1990s, it was used immediately for online dating. Even before the Web itself was created, newsgroups, bulletin boards, and forums were somewhat unintentionally used to post personal ads, just like the ones in newspapers. People who were online met with others with similar interests and would go on to meet in person. Chat rooms were o�ered by Internet service providers and heavily advertised these features. Although technically limited, it spurred a dating culture to many who were just starting to get acquainted with the

technology.However, the �rst major dating

website was the combination of Kiss.com and Match.com, both registered by the same person in 1994 and 1995 respectively. Other dating sites also existed, but focused on international dating slanting towards the “mail order bride” services. By 1996, Yahoo listed 16 dating websites, including the then popular Friend�nder.com and OneandOnly.com.

The movie “You’ve Got Mail” in 1998 starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan brought Internet dating some cultural boost. Though their

characters didn’t really meet on a dating site and the movie

wasn’t about online dating, the story showed how the

Web can bring people together.

With its popularity and

growing public acceptance, Match.com and OneandOnly.com were bought by Ticketmaster Online-Citysearch for an undisclosed sum. Major Internet players like — Yahoo and AOL —upped their game and started to develop their personal/dating section. Others followed suit during the dot-com boom in the late 90s and early 2000s.

The dot-com crash in 2001/2002 brought a lot of the frenzy and sites to an end. However, it also changed the online world. For dating sites, the change came more from the launch of social networking sites like Friendster and MySpace in 2002, and Facebook in 2004. The mentality was that the idea of online social networking carried a much smaller stigma than online dating sites, as it was used by those who are not seeking a

partner at all.Still, with the social networking

wave, online dating has continued to thrive. According to Online Dating Magazine, nearly 20 million people visit at least one online dating site every month, and 120,000 marriages every year take place due to that.

Finally, the public’s perception of online dating is changing and the stigma of �nding a partner online has been slowly lifting due to the popularity of social networking. Although the majority of marriages still meet through more traditional means, nearly everyone on the Web has met someone or made a friend online. And in this fast-paced world, people �nd it a lot harder to make time to meet and date people in person. Why would they, when all one has to do is log on and click?

By MALOU LIWANAG-BLEDSOE AJPRESS

Connections: Couples who have found love online

First impressions aren’t always important

IN time for Valentine’s Day, the Asian Journal asked a few couples how they found their significant others online & how they’ve made the relationships last.

Pat Bolognese and Arleah Baingan-BologneseMet through:Filipinofinder.com in 2005Courtship: Chatted on and off for a year, then regularly for another year. Dated for seven years before getting married.Married: April 14, 2014 in Orchard Park, NYSon: Zavi was born on April 3, 2015 in Buffalo, NY

First time meeting:P: “We first met in 2007.

Not much changed the first time we met but the second time was when things really exploded.”

A: “He told me he liked me right away. I thought he was a nice guy.”

Challenges in their relation-ship:

A: “There were many chal-lenges to this kind of set-up (long distance relationship). Physical togetherness is very different from just seeing each other on-cam. Second, there is an issue of trust. You really don’t know what your partner is doing. He/she can say one thing and do another. It is dif-ficult to verify a person’s claims when you are so far from each other and your means of com-munication is mostly online. I missed going out on ‘real’ dates. I get paranoid at time when he wasn’t online on our usual chat schedule.”

P: “Some of the challenges are that things can be misun-derstood...There are also times that outside things like traffic or weather, that affect timing (like if you were supposed to chat at a certain time but the MRT was late or traffic was heavy and one was late. I wouldn’t know any-thing about a MRT breakdown and Arleah would not know about a traffic problem here

so one may think something is wrong). Also, not being able to actually go on dates is very difficult.”

Advice for those who want to try online dating:

A: “Online dating is not for everyone. I might suggest it to my friends who are open-minded, those who are not afraid to take chances, because it is a very challenging set-up. If you are the clingy or jealous type, like you want your boy-friend/partner to report his/her every move, this may not be for you. There are so many people online who are just out there to have fun and take advantage of those who are gullible enough.

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Gary Kelly

Ian Nguyen

Ian Nguyen

Jason Rivanis

Maritza Lizarraras

Rosa Baer

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FEBRUARY 12-18, 2016 3www.asianjournal.comSearch for Top Model of

the World PH 2016 is on

THE search is on for the next Top Model of the World (TMW) Philippines.

Top Model of the World is the largest and most prestigious international model and pageant competition for vibrant young women. It combines fashion, modeling and pageantry as its main components.

This 2016, the search is open to quali�ed candidates from Asia, Australia, Canada, Europe, the Middle East, the Philippines and the United States.

The event is expected to draw attention and participation from Filipino communities across the globe, particularly from Southern California, Northern California, the US East Coast and US Midwest, the aforementioned countries, Italy and New Zealand.

In the US, pageant and fashion veterans Trini Foliente and Cora Soriano of Pageantry Global, Inc. are behind the screening of potential candidates.

Foliente, who has been a pageant promoter since the 1980s, said she has witnessed pageants help boost the self-con�dence of young women. It’s also a phenomenon Soriano has seen, which is why she said she supports and is fond of pageantry.

“The transformation of the personality is what we need for them to succeed because if you are very con�dent ... you can go anywhere,” Soriano said.

As a young girl, Soriano shared she was often told she was beautiful. Frequently hearing that helped her build self-con�dence, and it’s something she makes an e�ort to tell young girls, regardless of their physical appearance.

“The compliments help. And that is related to the pageantry because if [they] feel like [they’re] beautiful ... it will help them tremendously in their lives,” Soriano said.

Some former pageant candidates Foliente has helped throughout her years in the industry have gone on to secure careers as actresses in Hollywood,

as well as various positions in the medical �eld. She credits successes like these to the women’s involvement in pageantry, which she said boosts their self-esteem.

Coinciding with the search for the next Top Model of the World (TMW) Philippines is the launching of the 2016 Top Model of the World (TMW) Philippines in the greater Melbourne area to be lead by its partner and cooperator, “Face Australia Promotion & Management.” Face Australia is a leading pageant operator in Australasia and the Oceania.

The much-awaited national pageant will be a pioneering launch, as most pageant and model searches in the Philippines are done in Metro Manila. It will be the ‘�rst’ of such a renowned national event to be entirely launched outside the Philippine.

The grand coronation of the Top Model of the World (TMW) Philippines will be held on July 9 in Australia.

The winner of the competition will represent the Philippines in the forthcoming Top Model of the World 2016 pageant.

Requirements for young women to join the TMW pageant is as follows:

- Minimum height 5’7”- Must have Filipino lineage- Must be between the ages of 18 and 25- Must be bubbly with a pleasing personality- Must be single, have never been married and

have no childrenFor more information, please contact:USA: Pageantry Global, Inc. Trini Foliente(818)455-2132 Cora Soriano (213)999-1993 tmwusacanada@gmail.comAustralia: faceaustralia@gmail.comCanada: ipenevents@gmail.comPhilippines: tmwasia@gmail.com

Tips on �nding love on the Internet

BY MONET LU

I OFTEN hear (and use) the idiomatic phrase, “Wear your heart on your sleeve.” It is often thrown at someone who is bent on concealing his or her true feelings. And since we live in a world �lled with mysteries and false pretenses, many can relate to the phrase. The phrases’ pervasiveness is so casual, it found its way to the lyrics of di�erent songs by known artists: from Ringo Starr to Eminem to Carrie Underwood. But did you know the story behind this casual expression?

It’s been said that in the Middle Ages, young men and women drew names to see who their Valentine would be. To do this, they would wear the name pinned to their sleeve for one week so that everyone would know their supposed true feelings. This etymology made me wonder how uncomplicated it must be like to just go around declaring your search for true love and actually �nding it. On second thought, isn’t this the basic principle of internet dating? So it is possible to meet your true love by clicking the right button – rather, pro�le?

The answer to that question was served to me by one of my clients who told me her cyber-love story. I did her hair and makeup and it has been customary for me to know a little bit about my clients. Actually, I didn’t even insist or pry. She was very enthusiastic to tell me how she met her then cyber-prince. She told me how they met on Facebook, fell in love, met personally and got married – now they have a 4-year-old kid. All of that because she happens to be one of those who applied the basic principle of the old days: “to wear your heart on your sleeves.”

“You have to be very speci�c with what you want. I was so speci�c in my description. I said I wanted to be with a Chinese guy, earning an average income and so on…”, my client advised as she recalls the fond memories she had when she decided to start her (online) search for “forever.” I was

kind of skeptic, imagining how vulnerable I’d be if I were to be as open as she claimed but hey, who am I to argue with a happily married woman with an adorable child?

But just in case there are others out there who are like me – careful and cautious to a fault – It wouldn’t hurt to pay attention to these advice I gathered from my client, as well as from those I know who have worn their hearts on their sleeves and succeeded in �nding true love. Here are 3 tips on �nding love on the Internet.

1. BE SPECIFICJust like what my client

told me, you have to know what you want and state it in 250 characters or less. Most relationships end because neither parties know what they want out of the relationship or one of them just aren’t interested in knowing. Su�ce to say that all relationships should start with a basic understanding of what you really want. It doesn’t have to be as detailed, not to mention overboard, as knowing how many children you want or the layout of your love nest. But it would be a good start to know what you want in a relationship – and know who or what type of person you want to have that relationship with.

2. BE HONESTNow this deals with what kind

of person they expect to have a relationship with. Don’t be afraid to tell something interesting about you like your obsession to peanut butter or your love-hate relationship with your neighbor’s dog (on second thought, you can leave that last part out – animal lovers are adorable). You can be open about yourself without selling yourself out.

Just remember, it is better to be yourself than to pretend someone you are not.

3. INCLUDE A WELL-WRITTEN INTRODUCTION AND A GOOD PICTURE

And when I say, “well-written,” I mean grammatically correct. It doesn’t have to be an autobiography. A twitter-like intro would be enough but make sure it is not �lled with typos and wrong tenses. When in doubt: google it. The picture has to be recent. I am not one to judge those who love to use �lters and photo editing apps but please make sure it’ll still look like YOU, the real ‘I-woke-up-like-this’ You.

Tinder, Hinge, Match.com., You name it, these dating apps are everywhere. And while some (like my client) have found their true love via the internet, not everybody end up in the same happy ending. As much as I wish otherwise, some people can be misleading – or worse, psycho killers. So take the necessary precaution. I agree that we should once in a while wear our “hearts” on our sleeves (or post in on the web), but it would save you a ton of heartaches if you proceed with caution. Good luck and Happy Valentine’s Day!

* * *

FEBRUARY 12-18, 2016 4www.asianjournal.com

Continued on Page 5

John Lloyd Cruz, Jennylyn Mercado to star in Star Cinema project

No Expectations

Also, it is easier to lie when you’re online. It’s important to get to know each other, take your time and check their background. It’s a personal decision.

“Finding, keeping and staying happy with ‘the one’ is probably life’s biggest adven-ture. If there’s opportunity to meet and get to know new

people, try it and take advan-tage. Give it time. Do your research. Trust your instinct. Ask a lot of questions.”

P: “ You can only date online if you are patient and understanding and accepting that things don’t always hap-pen as they are planned. It is difficult but not impossible. I would tell someone that wants

to date online that they should talk to someone that has when they have issues. I would never tell someone not to. I would tell them to just take it slow and to be careful. There are many men that just want to have fun and many women that just want money. If you take it slow, you will be able to tell if the other person is serious.”

Connections: Couples who have found love online...From Page 2

Chris Bledsoe and Malou Liwanag-BledsoeMet through: Yahoo Messenger in November 2007Courtship: No actual courtship. Friends on and off for a year.Married: February 5, 2010 in Redwood City, CA

First impression about each other:

Malou: “It was a little weird. He just popped out of my Yahoo Messenger and said hi. He seemed nice so I chatted with him. We were online friends off and on for a year. I wasn’t looking to date anyone. But my mom thought he looked like a ‘gangster’ (laughs).”

Chris: “I don’t know how I found her online (or I forgot). She seemed nice, she just moved to the US and she was still adjusting to the culture and missed her friends. I told her to give it some time.”

First time meeting:M: “The first meeting we

planned didn’t push through so we set up another one. We refused to call it a date and saw it as a friendly meeting. Just as he promised, he hugged me. He was very sweet.”

C: “She was cute and small. I thought she was re-ally funny. I picked her up at her apartment. We went to the beach, walked around,

talked about the Philippines and Spongebob Squarepants and got sandwiches at a local deli. There were no expecta-tions of romance or putting on your best clothes—it was just a simple but really nice day.

Challenges in their rela-tionship:

C: “After the first date we knew we wanted to see each other again. I lived on the oth-er side of the Bay that time and had crazy work hours. Also, both of us were going through some personal matters that needed to be dealt with.”

M: “We tried to see as much as we can and just as he said, there were personal matters in our respective lives that we needed to fix. Another thing was I was avoiding the stigma of having met someone online and how other people viewed it (I have a friend who does online dating, and tries to ask money from men). Also, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to stay in the US after my work visa expires.”

Advice for those who want

to try online dating:C: “Again, don’t expect

romance right away—or at all. Start with being friends, because it’ll help you know the person on the other side better. It is not for everyone.”

M: “I’ve never really dated online, and I don’t know if I would consider ours as one. I keep calling our story as ‘no ex-pectations,’ because that’s how it was, really. Also, be cautious and careful. Chances are, you’ll come across some sleazy person who only wants either money or naked pictures of you. Stalker-ish it may seem, try to do some research on the person—that’s what Facebook and Google are for.”

No BoundariesBy ALLYSON ESCOBAR

AJPRESS

Mark & PJ Met through : Tinder in 2014Love is when the person is

your other half, no matter the distance

Mark Bautista, 24, and his girlfriend of over a year, Pre-cious Joy aka. “PJ,” 22, met on the social dating app Tinder

MANILA—After working with Derek Ramsay, Sam Milby and Jericho Rosales, GMA-7 star Jennylyn Mercado will be paired up with another ABS-CBN actor.

The 28-year-old actress will star with John Lloyd Cruz in a movie project for Star Cinema.

Jennylyn revealed the news by posting a photo of herself with John Lloyd on her o�cial Facebook page on Monday, Feb. 8.

Pilipino Star Ngayon columnist Salve Asis reported that the movie is slated to be released this summer.

Cathy Garcia-Molina will direct the movie.

This is the �rst time the two will

Daniel on relationship with Erich: I’ll do everything I can to make her feel special

by MARINEL R. CRUZ Inquirer.net

“VALENTINE’S Day is just a date. I try to show my love for her every day in every way,” said Daniel Matsunaga, when asked whether he plans to do something special

for his lady love and “Be My Lady” costar Erich Gonzales on V-Day.

“If we get called for work on that day, that’ll be our priority. I’ll do everything I can to make her feel special. We will de�nitely �nd time to be together on that day,” said Daniel.

The couple reports for work three times a week on the set of “Be My Lady” in Arayat, Pampanga. “The place is so beautiful. The sunset there is breathtaking. There’s no pollution.”

The only downer, he said,

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PSYCHIC

FOR RENT

EMPLOYMENT EMPLOYMENT F0R SALE

FEBRUARY 12-18, 2016 5www.asianjournal.com

Ryan Reynolds, ‘Deadpool’ co-star give out ‘sisig’

#RelationshipGoals Thanks to social media, not only are fans able to live vicariously through celebrities’ lives, they also get to

witness their idols as they document their sweet moments. Check out our favorite celebrity couples as they give us glimpses into their relationships. (AJPress)

Vanessa Hudgens & Austin Butler

“Wow. Vanessa singing ‘Worst Things’ had me in tears. Just brilliant #GreaseLive,” - Austin Butler in Jan 2016, after the emotional perfor-mance in Fox’s “Grease Live.”

“I think you just have to put that other person first. If you’re constantly looking for ways that you can make them happy, and they’re constantly looking for ways that they can make you happy, then you kind of lift each other up as much as pos-sible and you can’t go wrong.” - Austin Butler to ET in August 2015

Jasmine Villegas & Ronnie Banks

“You’re my better half.” - Jasmine Villegas on Insta-gram, December 2015

“You’ve made me so d*mn happy and you really do mean a whole lot to me. I’d be lost without you. I know it took me awhile to finally admit my love for you, but I ain’t ever felt this way about anyone before. I’m happy to be spending the rest of my life with you and I can’t wait to meet our baby girl in February.” - Ronnie Banks on Instagram, December 2015

Kobe Paras & Gabrielle Current

“I’m not so good with self-ies, but with her in every pic it’s flawless.” - Kobe Paras in January 2016

“What’s sweeter than a cup of hot cocoa? A kiss from a beautiful girl named Gabrielle Current.”

Bruno Mars& Jessica Caban

“Bruno is about to bring it!! Dancing more than ever. He’s been working so incredibly hard for you all!! Baby you’re a STAR” - Jessica on Twitter before Bruno Mars’ performance on the Super Bowl 50 halftime show.

Jericho Rosales& Kim Jones

“Jackpot.” - Jericho Rosales wrote on his photo with wife Kim Jones when they attended the Star Magic Ball last year.

“Best wife ever.” - Jericho Rosales, in February 2015

Billy Crawford & Coleen Garcia

“Currently en route to #MasaiMara. I’m so blessed to be here with you, @billyjo-ecrawford Thank you for being the perfect travel buddy, as al-ways. Love you! #BillyColeen” - Coleen in December 2015

“Thank you, love, for always making everything ten times more fun and memorable! I,’ al-ways at my happiest when I’m with you @billyjoecrawford.” - Coleen in November 2015

Charice Pempengo& Alyssa Quijano

“The love connection between us is what’s important. It’s not about gender.” - Alyssa to ABS-CBN in June 2014.

“We talk about that a lot. We consider ourselves like a married couple…the way we treat each other, the way we plan our lives together…we know that’s where we’re head-ed.” - Charice in June 2014.

Photo from Austin Butlerʼs Twitter account Photo from Ronnie Bankʼs Instagram account

Gabrielle Current Photo taken by Kobe Paras on his Instagram account

Photo from Jessica Cabanʼs Twitter account

Photo from Coleen Garciaʼs Instagram account

Photo from Jericho Rosalesʼs Instagram account

Photo from Erwan Heussaffʼs Twitter account

Anne Curtis& Erwan Heussaff

“Happy birthday to the most caring and hardest work-ing woman I know. Today you turned 30, a number that freaks out most people, sending them into a frenzy of ‘What have I done with my life?’. In your case you’ve accomplished so much already. You’ve kept a strong head during tough times and have arrived more fulfilled than ever. I can’t wait to conquer more countries with you, eat our way through bizarre cities, wreck ourselves at workouts, binge watch TV series’ and bounce around like idiots at different concerts. Remember you’re just 18 with 12 years of experience under your belt.” -Erwan wrote on Instagram when he greeted Anne on her 30th birthday last year.

Photo from Alyssa Quijanoʼs Twitter account

Dingdong Dantes& Marian Rivera

“Celebrating 10 months of marriage over a sliced banana and some ice cream.” - Ding-dong in November 2015

“I couldn’t get enough of my girls.” - Dingdong in August 2015

Dingdong, Marian and baby Maria Letizia Photo from Dingdong Dantesʼs Instagram account

WHO wants sisig chimichangas?

Ryan Reynolds, who plays Deadpool in the new superhero �lm, gave out free servings of the Filipino fusion food during a promotional event in San Francisco this week.

Together with TJ Miller, who plays Deadpool’s best friend Weasel, Reynolds visited the Filipino fusion food truck to promote the �lm.

Señor Sisig, the lucky food truck business visited by the two actors, posted on Instagram photos of the event.

Together with TJ Miller, who plays Deadpool’s best friend Weasel, Reynolds visited the Filipino fusion food truck to promote the �lm.

Señor Sisig, the lucky food truck business visited by the two actors, posted on Instagram photos of the event.

The Yard, which houses the food truck neighborhood, also announced the event on their Instagram account.

Reynolds originally played the anti-hero version of the Marvel Comics character in the 2009 �lm “X-Men Origins: Wolverine.” (Inquirer.net)

in 2014. The location-based application, which connects to Facebook, matched Mark and PJ up as a pair while the two were both working in Manila, where Tinder culture is large and thriving. After just a few weeks on Tinder, Mark asked PJ for coffee, and the rest was history. The two made it official after just a few weeks of dating.

“My friends would always make fun of me for using the app [Tinder], but then I showed it to them and soon they were using it too,” Mark, a videog-rapher now based in Southern California, laughed.

When he and PJ began dating, it was apparent from the start that the both of them were going to leave to the US to launch their careers individu-ally. Back home in the Philip-pines, they hardly saw each other because of PJ’s frequent visits to her family in the north-ern province of Isabela. They communicated frequently, and when they did see each other, it was as if no time had passed.

Soon, long distance began to run its course. Mark ob-tained his visa and went to Cali-fornia to continue his career, while PJ took up a temporary

Ciara Sotto posts ‘friendly reminder’ vs mistressesNETIZENS are abuzz over a “friendly reminder”

Ciara Sotto shared on her Twitter account.Ciara posted a photo caption that reads:

‘God is not going to bless you with someone else’s husband.”

Her accompanying tweet for the photo goes: “A friendly reminder.”

Although Ciara did not specify who the tweet was for, her social media followers are speculating that the tweet is in connection to her husband Jojo Oconer.

Last month, Ciara admitted that she and Jojo are having marital problems. Reports that a third party was the reason for their problems surfaced immediately after Ciara’s revelation. (Chuck Smith/Philstar.com)

position in Colorado, work-ing for hotel management, before she went back home to Manila for work in Decem-ber 2015. Mark remained in Southern California with his family. Despite nearly a day’s time difference, the two have always made it work, with the help of communication and technology, mutual respect, and maturity.

“We’re really private about our relationship, and it’s one of the factors that’s kept us going. No one’s going to bother you. We’ve gotten a lot stronger as a couple, especially after this first year.”

The two were also able to see each other last year, shar-ing their love for travel while visiting the East Coast; Can-ada, New York, New Jersey, and Washington DC. It was a rare moment for the two to be face to face, in a relationship rooted and sustained in online digital communication.

“We connect mostly through Facebook, Viber, and Skype--we Skype almost every single day, at the same time, while I’m going home and she is on her way to work,” Mark shared. “As a long-distance couple, communication is the

thing that will really hold us together.”

The couple also sends each other surprise gifts for birthdays and holidays, despite being oceans apart, and they have many future travel plans in mind, including a grand tour of Asia.

“You need to bond by do-ing things together, and learn from each other. We love to travel; she loves photography, I love video. She teaches me cooking--for example, when she was in Colorado we were on Skype, and she taught me how to cook while on camera. Those are our dates. And we are very similar--she’s the girl version of myself.”

Mark and PJ hope to settle together in the US someday, but for now, they will continue to pursue their careers and work on growing themselves. They continue to communicate every day.

“Respect and communica-tion. That’s key. You need to be mature enough to know what’s right and wrong, and to be understanding of one another’s situations,” Mark shared. “Now, after a whole year--I’m proud to say we are making it.”

Connections: Couples who...From Page 4

Daniel on relationship with...is that “it’s incredibly hot in the rice�elds.”

Daniel said Erich helps him on the set. “She has more work experience than me. She gives me tips on when to pause while delivering my lines, or on how to breathe to relax before takes.”

Just like Daniel, his character Phil is Brazilian-Japanese. “Phil and

I have many similarities, except I wasn’t a bully as a kid. Like me, he’ll do everything for his loved ones.”

While he does not speak too many Filipino words in the series, Daniel said his goal is to learn to speak the language �uently by the end of the year. “There are a lot of things I want to achieve. I want to take on more challenging roles. I’ll work hard to improve as an actor.”

From Page 4

be working on a project together. However, this isn’t the �rst time Star Cinema, the movie production out�t of ABS-CBN, got a talent from a rival network.

TV5 actor Derek Ramsay starred with Coleen Garcia in their movie “Ex with Bene�ts,” while GMA-7 actor Dennis Trillo paired up with Maja Salvador in “You’re Still the One.”

Dingdong Dantes also starred in three Star Cinema projects: “Segunda Mano” in 2011, “One Last Try” in 2012 and “She’s The One” in 2013.

Jennylyn’s two movies in 2015, “Pre-Nup and “Walang Forever,” were with long-time ABS-CBN actors Jericho Rosales and Sam Milby.

John Lloyd recently appeared in “A Second Chance” with Bea Alonzo and the Metro Manila Film Festival entry “Honor Thy Father.” (Philstar.com)

John Lloyd Cruz, Jennylyn Mercado...

From Page 4

FEBRUARY 12-18, 2016 6www.asianjournal.com

MONETTE

ADEVA MAGLAYA

ImmigrantLiving: 101 and Beyond

Tweaking the lessons learned from the garden

“My garden is my most beautiful masterpiece.” —Claude Monet, speaking of his garden at Giverny

THANKFULLY, spring is almost upon us in a few weeks and the earth beckons. The gardener at heart tunes out all dire predictions of doom and gloom,

This year will be an unsettling year. There is a national election in November and there will be so much uncertainty in the air. There exists the specter of a protracted war with radical Muslim terrorists gunning for world domination with their visions of a caliphate, looming menacingly in the horizon.

The realist in us thinks there is reason to be anxious. But the true gardener at heart remains unfazed. Cool, calm and collected, he chooses to live in that rare state of grace called equanimity.

It must come from the zen-like peace one gets when one gardens, even if it is simply tending a single potted plant on an o�ce desk. Doing what must be done in the garden is his small way of keeping the delicate balance of nature in his own sphere of in�uence.

In many ways, gardening is like praying. It keeps fears and anxieties at bay and keeps one centered in the belief that all things in the cosmos work together for good.

I was and still am a reluctant gardener. I was thrust into it by circumstances since I have a thing about not wanting anything dying on my shift. I had to seek books and advice despite the frenetic schedule of a workaday world as I multitasked my way through the day. Nothing I did seemed right at the time. I tended to over water not knowing about the dangers of root rot.

My track record at growing things was dismal, yet I have often wondered what it would be like to watch something grow. I marveled at my mother’s green thumb. She can stick a seemingly lifeless stump at a clump of earth and grow a new beautiful plant nearly every time.

I wasn’t one to give up easily though. Tenaciously, doggedly I hung on to an image of me as a con�dent gardener. My education on the art and science of growing things had begun. I took baby steps and stumbled countless times. I still do.

I became quieter within as I began to observe and seek to understand the process of growth, the seasons and the cycle of life. I read voraciously volumes upon volumes about plants and watched public television that featured gardening. Nurseries and gardens have become my favorite haunts where I could ask those who knew

better. I boned up on my rusty, halting Spanish quizzing the gardener as best I could. Finally, I slammed on the brakes fearing I had become boringly, compulsively obsessive. But I found that unless I got down on the ground myself, nothing happened.

I have discovered gardening to be a quiet, solitary pursuit somewhat �t for hermits and loners — unglamorous, unexciting, backbreaking, time consuming, manual, icky, down in the dirt labor that was certainly not meant for immediate grati�cation.

So, why do it at all? I don’t really know. Must be borderline idiocy. Of course, I speak only for myself. For one thing, it teaches you the patience of Job and the virtue of humility. I have failed more than succeeded and am still working on it. But as time passed, I have been encouraged by modest results. I became synchronized with the seasons and their gentle nuances. I took baby steps and was o� and running at one point

I could call most plants by name these days and seem to instinctively know what to do when a problem arises. If things don’t work on my own accord, I seek help. I still am a failure with azaleas. Azaleas have been dying on my shift so I am staying away from them. I suspect it has something to do with the amount of light and too much water that has drenched the soil because of an unusually wetter, longer winter season. I said goodbye too to a beautiful sago palm that must have su�ered root rot. Farewell too to a French lavender bush that gave me so much fragrance. The garden gets a lot of shade being in a Northwest orientation so I am quite alright with the fact that I will never have roses which I would love to have but can’t. Believe me, I tried. So I just admire them in my neighbors’ gardens with a southeast orientation.

My journey to self-discovery has been made easier by understanding the process of nature, the seasons and the nature of things: of why a seed no matter how good cannot grow in a certain type of soil; or how a young tree cannot grow in the shadow of a mighty oak; or of how much light a plant needs to burst with �owers, of the impeccable timing and the cycle of the seasons

that are in God’s perfect divine order like a well rehearsed dance or a Beethoven symphony; of why you must resist moving a plant from a place where it is growing so well to another place simply to satisfy a whim or a feng shui decorating principle; when and where to prune, of knowing when to water by sticking a �nger in the soil or noting the droop of the leaves; or the merits of clay pots and plastic pots; of when to re-pot or top dress; even how to propagate.

The most important lesson perhaps is learning when to leave well enough alone and letting go; of accepting death as part of life. I make it a point to take pictures when the �owers are in full bloom, knowing that no matter how pretty they are, their beauty is �eeting. I am left with images and memories.

The irony of it all is that the more I know, the more I realize how little I know. I guess that is the paradox of all lifelong learning. I now appreciate more clearly the delicate balance on which our planet depends for it to sustain life — of how vastly critical it is for everyone to do their part to ensure that life continues, specially that of human life.

But do reject the rabid, unhinged proponents of climate change whose real agenda is a political and economic windfall for its billionaire backers. It is sheer hubris and madness to pretend to usurp the laws of nature to push an agenda.

One can see life’s longing for itself in the perennial grass that grows. There is great wisdom in gardening. If you dig in the garden long enough, you will �nd an in�nite variety of the parallel laws that govern all life with unsurpassed clarity. Gardening, if you stick with it long enough, is a metaphor for human life itself.

Gardening has taught me a zen-like passive skill of enjoying quiet solitude, of observing what works and what won’t, of doing what needs to get done with very little struggle and ultimately, of accepting and of simply letting go when all I have done is all I can do.

* * *

PROF. ENRIQUE SORIANO

Kite Runner

Inspiring Filipino-Chinese entrepreneurs

MANY attempts have been made to pro�le the Asian Entrepreneur. But I found an easier way to spot them—just check their family name.

The fact is enterprises and entrepreneurship in the Asian context is usually tied up with kin or family.

In the Philippines, the term “Asian entrepreneur” has not been around for long but trading is nothing new. The Chinese and Malay traders have made their presence known throughout Philippine history even before the Spanish came.

Their trading continued even in the presence of the Spanish conquistadores. The Spanish o�cials’ aristocratic lifestyle was completely dependent on the Galleon Trade for hundreds of years.

This Galleon Trade brought Chinese silk and porcelains to Europe via Mexico and European luxury goods and Mexican silver via Manila.1

GETTING TO KNOW THE FILIPINO-CHINESE ENTREPRENEURS

The Chinese in the Philippines make up only 20 percent of the country’s total population but they are a force to be reckoned with.

Most Chinese in the Philippines are business owners and their lives center around the family business that are usually small and medium enterprises. These family businesses play a signi�cant role in the Philippine economy. A handful of these entrepreneurs run large companies and are respected as some of the most prominent business tycoons in the country.

Chinese Filipinos attribute their success in business to frugality and hard work, Confucian values and their traditional Chinese customs and traditions. They are very business-minded and entrepreneurship is highly valued and encouraged among the young.

We can trace the roots of the Chinese in the Philippines to either the Fujianese or Cantonese dialect groups of the Han Chinese ethnicity. Most pure-blooded Chinese in the Philippines come from the province of Fujian in China and are called Fujianese or Hoklo.

Mixed Chinese people who have either Malay or Spanish (or both) ancestry are called Chinese mestizos. During the Spanish times, they were legally classi�ed as Mestizo de Sangley as printed on their community tax certi�cates.

A number of Chinese mestizos have surnames that re�ect their heritage, mostly two or three syllables that have Chinese roots. They use the full name of a Chinese ancestor and provide a Hispanic phonetic spelling.

The Chinese mestizos are sometimes called Chinoy or Tsinoy, although this term is more accurate for pure-blooded Chinese-Filipinos. However, the Chinoy is not to be mistaken for chinito, a term used to describe physical characteristics—slanted eyes — rather than describing ethnic origin or cultural orientation.

In contrast with the mixed blooded Chinese mestizos, few Chinese Filipinos are plantation owners. This is partly due to the fact that it was only until recently that the Chinese in the Philippines became Filipino citizens. The law prohibited them from owning land.

These days, most Chinese Filipinos are urban dwellers. At least 50 percent of them live within Metro Manila, while the rest reside in the major cities of the Philippines such as Cebu, Iloilo

and Davao. They can be found everywhere.

The famous Filipino entrepreneurs are mostly Chinese

Eight out of the most famous Filipino entrepreneurs are businessmen whose families emigrated from Mainland China to the Philippines before World War II when the economy was strong.

Some sought out regular employment and others set up small businesses. Although each took a di�erent approach, there is one common denominator among them before they became famous Filipino entrepreneurs — unparalleled work ethic.

While there are other factors that contribute to their achievements, such as being frugal, a good �nancial sense, and a strong network of fellow Chinese businessmen for support, the collective image of these famous Filipino entrepreneurs working hard and diligently has stuck in the minds of budding entrepreneurs in the Philippines. Indeed, if one wants to be a successful entrepreneur, there is much to learn from the Chinese Filipino entrepreneurs.

In my next article, I will provide an overview of the most famous Filipino entrepreneurs, mostly Chinese with a few mestizos. We have a lot to learn from these icons of the local business scene. (To be continued)

Ex-Pres. FVR to launch new book on Feb. 19 at Pandesal Forum of Kamuning Bakery Cafe

THE Ramos Peace and Development Foundation (RPDEV) will launch “2030: ONE WORLD, ONE COMMUNITY, ONE FAMILY”, a compilation of selected essays, articles and other writings of former President Fidel V. Ramos on February 19, 2016 (Friday) 8:30 AM at the 77-year-old artisanal Kamuning Bakery Café, 43 Judge Jimenez St. corner K-1st St., Kamuning, Quezon City.

This book has been written with the coming 30th Anniversary of the EDSA People Power Revolution in mind, within the context of the forthcoming national elections and the on-going threat of international terrorism.

FVR reminds us that “as Filipinos, we do believe that the best way to promote the Spirit of EDSA is for everyone of us, as concerned citizens, to pull together, uplift the common life, and raise our country to a position of dignity and admiration the Philippines deserves in the community of nations.”

To meet today’s challenges, everyone must develop a greater sense of universal responsibility. Each of us must learn to work not just for his or her own self, family or nation, but for the bene�t of all humankind. Universal responsibility -- through the equitable use of natural

resources, concern for future generations and the proper care of the environment -- is the key to human survival and is the strongest foundation for world peace.

On a lighter note, the book once again ends with various anecdotes (which range from funny to critical to libelous to seditious to subversive) narrated by opinion-makers, FVR associates, and former government o�cials.

This new book is part of RPDEV’s continuing education program in accordance with its four main program areas namely:

sustainable development, enduring peace in the Asia-Paci�c region, socio-economic diplomacy, and democratic governance.

Government o�cials, sectoral representatives, educators, journalists, professionals, veterans, senior students and other concerned Filipinos are cordially invited to join this historic book launch.

For con�rmations or further inquiries, call Kamuning Bakery Cafe at Tels: 4161637, 9292216, 4126628 or o�ce Tels: 4151692, 4112311, 4126685.

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The Philippine College of Commerce High School Laboratory Batch 1966 (now Poly-technic University of the Philippines) will be celebrating its Golden Jubilee from February 20-21 in Manila, Philippines. According to the President of the PCCHS Batch ‘66 Alumni As-sociation, ROLAND ATIENZA, about 55 batchmates from Australia, Canada and USA have confirmed attendance to the Homecoming and 50 from Manila local chapter. Activities lined up for the Golden Jubilee Celebration are as follows:

February 20, 2016 -- 6:00-12:00 pm. Formal Program/Dinner at the Banahaw Ballroom, The Legend Villas, Mandaluyong City, Philippines

February 21, 2016 -- 8:00 am - 9:00 pm - Visit the ANAWIM Home for the Abandoned Elderly, Montalban, Rizal Province (Fel-

lowship/Lunch/Donate basic needs of the elderly) - Tour of Manila (Former PCCHS in Lepanto, Intramuros Tour (old churches and Cathe-

dral, Rizal Park, Fort Santiago) - Dinner/Cultural Show, at Barbara’s, IntramurosFebruary 22, 2016 - BREAKUP GROUP (To Palawan, Laguna and respective hometown

provinces of the guests) For inquiries, please contact the following members of the CORE group: Agnes T.

Sule #09165567000 suleagnes@yahoo.com, Roland Atienza #09062947156 atienza8@ya-hoo.com, Rebecca T. Sayed 09064032624 rebecca.sayed@yahoo.com, Lourdes T. Flores lu-lutflores@yahoo.com, Rebecca Sayed rebecca.sayed@yahoo.com.

As part of the GK USA National Summit, you are cordially invited to a dinner-dance, themed “An Enchanged Evening,” to benefit programs of Gawad Kalinga and GK En-chanted Farm. The Dance will take place on Saturday, March 5, 7:00pm, at the Radisson Midtown at USC, Los Angeles (3540 S Figueroa St. Los Angeles, CA 90007). The cost is $100, with formal attire. The all-night program will include dinner, induction of the GK-USA Board of Directors, remarks from the Chairman of the Board, and all-night dancing. For more details on sponsorship packages for Gawad Kalinga builders and feeding programs, as well as GKEF programs and scholarships, please visit gk-usa.org. For tickets, please visit gk-usa.org/dinnerdance.

WHAT: Asian American and Pacific Islander students and families are invited to Cali-fornia State University, Los Angeles for “Journey to Success,” a college exposition open to high school and community college students who are interested in Cal State LA. “Journey to Success” will feature workshops on how to prepare and pay for college, information on CSU requirements for admission and application processes, and representatives from Cal State LA and other CSU campuses to answer questions. The outreach event will include free parking, breakfast, special giveaways, college resources and student panels. The college expo is sponsored by the California State University’s (CSU) Asian American and Pacific Islander Initiative.

WHEN: Saturday, Feb. 20, 2016, 9:30 am to 12:30 pm WHERE: The Golden Eagle Ballrooms at Cal State LA. (5151 State University Dr, Los

Angeles, CA) For more information and details, please go to calstate.edu/journeytosuccess or call

the Office of Outreach and Recruitment at Cal State LA, (323) 343-3839.

‘Art Leads!’ Kids will discover their inner artist at the 2016 Oasis Children’s Arts Festival

SANTA ANA—Arts, Virtual Reality and Fun Bring Kids and Families TOGETHER! This weekend, the 2016 OASIS Children’s Arts Festival will �ll Santa Ana with life, color and art for more than 400+ Kids and their families. Kids will experience hands-on art activities, see the launch of the Oasis Virtual Reality Project by Casanova Pendrill in partnership with Long Beach Museum of Art and view animated short �lms, which individually won the Guinness World Records. This year’s festivities include a panel discussion by American Gra�ti Artist, LeBa Professional Tap Dancer and Choreographer, Jason Rodgers, Artist and Curator, Ronald Nelson, acclaimed Architect, Craig Schultz, and Performing Artist, Choreographer, Mentor and Educator, Ingrid Graham.

The 2016 OASIS Children’s Arts Festival was created to bring together the Arts Community in Santa Ana, and expose Santa Ana’s children to all types of artistic expression and that when ART LEADs, anything is possible in their lives. The event will be enjoyed by kids, families, friends and arts lovers alike. While the Festival founders pride themselves on o�ering a variety of acuities and interactive experience of the kids, they will also take time to highlight the true starts of the show, the student artists!

With a beautiful weekend as its backdrop, the 2016 OASIS Children’s Artist Festival will encourage Festival-goers to discover their inner artist. The artistry of Jason Roger’s and company will �ll the air with energy and some surprises, too.

Stay informed about 2016 OASIS CHILDREN’S ARTS FESTIVAL (#ARTLEADS) by following @oasiscenterintl on Twitter, and becoming a “fan” on Facebook. Photos from the weekend will be available on facebook and on www.oasiscenterintl.org.

OASIS Children’s Arts Festival will be held at 2301 W. MacArthur Blvd., Santa Ana, CA 92704 – theater doors open at 1PM!

tOasis Center InternationalOASIS Center International

is a 501©3 arts non-pro�t organization, founded in 2012. OASIS seeks to inspire a generations of youth to ful�ll the highest level of life achievement possible through the discovery and development of their inherent creative gifts.

For your information please visit our website at www.oasiscenterintl.org.

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