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MANILA — After 25 hearings over 17 months, the Senate Blue Ribbon subcommittee finally concluded its probe into the alleged anomalies in-volving Vice President Jejomar Bi-nay.

No new information was presented during the Tuesday, Jan 26 hearing which, as subcommittee chairman Sen. Aquilino Pimentel III said, was to wrap up the unfinished issues.

“Our public committee hearings on the two resolutions will end Tuesday, Jan. 26. This representation would like to assure everyone that legisla-tive ideas based on the evidence that we have gathered and our findings on the two resolutions shall be forth-coming. To remind everyone, this subcommittee’s proceedings were

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA

The Fil ip ino AmericAn communiTy newspAper

w w w. a s i a n . c o mVolume 15 - No. 5 • 3 Sections – 20 Pages JANUARY 29-FEBRUARY 4, 2016

1001 Bayhill Drive, Suite 200, San Bruno, CA 94066 • Tel: (650) 616-4150 • Fax: (650) 616-4152 • www.asianjournal.com Also published in LOS ANGELES, ORANGE COUNTY/INLAND EMPIRE, LAS VEGAS, NEw YORk/NEw JERSEY

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SeNATOR ferdinand Marcos Jr. admitted on Tuesday, Jan. 25, that government failed to give justice to police commandos mowed down by Muslim rebels in Mamasapano, Maguindanao, last year.

The Aquino administration should explain why it allowed the United States to play a role in the operation against Malaysian terrorist Zulkifli bin hir, alias Marwan, when it was just a police mat-ter, Senate Minority Leader Juan Ponce enrile said Wednesday, Jan. 27.

enrile raised the point as he ques-tioned former Philippine National Police Special Action force (SAf) chief Getu-lio Napeñas on the assistance that the United States, including presumably the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), pro-

vided to “Oplan exodus,” code name for the covert SAf mission to arrest Marwan in Mamasapano, Maguindanao province, on Jan. 25, 2015.

Napeñas said that through the Joint Task force Philippines based in Zam-boanga province, the United States provided the SAf real-time intelligence support, training and equipment.

“In that Oplan exodus, they provided support in terms of humanitarian and medical evacuation and also the inves-tigation,” Napeñas said.

“Investigation” referred to the DNA testing on the finger taken from Mar-wan, to prove that he was killed in the

clash with SAf troopers, he said. Were they CIA?Napeñas also said that some of the

Americans who provided training to the SAf were members of the US military, while others were members of the Joint Task force.

The Joint Task force Philippines was disbanded on feb. 24, 2015, a month af-ter the Mamasapano debacle.

enrile asked Napeñas if the civilian members of the Joint Task force were CIA agents.

Napeñas said he presumed they were CIA agents, though they were not ex-pressly identified as such.

“To my knowledge, your honor, be-cause we are talking here about intelli-gence, they are providing real-time in-telligence and intelligence, they should be working in that outfit,” he said.

“The word CIA is never mentioned in our dealings,” he added.

enrile asked why the United States was providing intelligence on a “purely police matter.”

Napeñas replied that the US Special Operations Command’s top priority was counterterrorism, and the capture of Marwan, who was ordered arrested by a Philippine court for murder, was part of the war on terror.

Basis for US interventionThe SAf is the counterterrorism unit

of the PNP, and that was the reason the United States was dealing with it, he added.

enrile asked if the United States was using the Visiting forces Agreement (VfA), or any other agreement, as a ba-sis for the cooperation with the SAf.

he pointed out that the VfA covered only military cooperation between the Philippines and the United States, and it did not cover law enforcement, which involved criminal laws.

Criminal laws are strictly territorial

PROUD TO BE FILIPINO. Miss Universe 2015 Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach proudly displays the Philippine flag during her grand homecoming parade in Manila. Photo by Edwin Bacasmas/Inquirer.net

Marcos: PH gov’t failed SAF heroes

fANS lined the streets of Ma-nila to Makati City as Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach, the newly-crowned Miss Universe 2015, traveled by float in her homecoming pa-rade on January 25.

The float traveled for more than three hours from the Sofi-tel Philippine Plaza hotel in Manila, down Roxas Boulevard

A homecoming fit for a queenMiss Universe Pia Wurtzbach returns to the Philippinesby Allyson EscobAr

AJPress

to Ayala Avenue in Makati City. At one point it rained, but the weather did not stop adoring fili-pinos hoping for a selfie with the beauty queen from attending.

With thousands of support-ers present, Wurtzbach smiled and waved a filipino flag to the crowd, wearing her signature crown and a teal dress by fili-pino designer Albert Andrada with traditional butterfly sleeves. She stood elegantly on top of a

decorative float with her parade band, surrounded by police es-corts.

The parade was one of the nearly week-long homecoming in the Philippines, which will end in a grand parade and show at the Araneta Coliseum in Que-zon City on Jan. 28. Wurtzbach told press that she would also be advocating for hIV aware-ness and testing, as well as di-

The Philippine house of Representatives Com-mittee on Ways and Means approved a bill on Tuesday, Jan. 26 exempting Pia Wurtzbach from paying taxes on her earnings as the reigning Miss Universe.

house Bill 6367, filed by Reps. Rufus Rodriguez of Cagayan de Oro and Maximo Rodriguez Jr. of Abante Mindanao party-list, was unanimously passed in the committee.

“In view of the tremendous achievement of Ka-gay-anon Ms. Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach and for bring-ing pride and honor to the Philippines by winning the 2015 Miss Universe pageant, it is only right that all her winnings and prizes be exempt from any form of taxes and duties,” the bill read.

The tax break measure came in response to Bu-reau of Internal Revenue (BIR) Commissioner Kim henares’ statement that Wurtzbach has to pay taxes for her winnings. The BIR earlier said that the winnings should be subjected to a maximum 32 percent tax.

“I am aware just like any employee that I have to pay taxes. I have never (missed it) when I was with ABS-CBN, Binibining Pilipinas. When I start work-ing in the US, I’d be doing that as well,” Wurtzbach previously said of her intentions to pay taxes, ac-cording to inquirer.

The measure is expected to be submitted for plenary approval.

The prizes covered under the measure include: her year-long salary, accommodations in a New York apartment for the duration of her reign, living expenses, wardrobe and personal services, among others.

In addition to her one-year salary, Wurtzbach brought her $300,000-crown — made of 18k gold, diamonds and blue sapphire — back with her to the Philippines. Wurtzbach said the crown was given on loan and cannot be subjected to tax by the BIR, according to GMA News.

A 65-year-old fili-pina was allegedly stabbed to death by her husband of 35 years on the morning of January 18 in Oahu, hawaii.

Melita fajotina died from stab wounds to her neck and was found in her home in Aliama-nu, Oahu at around 5:43 am, reports said. The honolulu medical examiner’s office de-

Filipina fatally stabbed in Hawaii

Melita Fajotina

SACRAMeNTO, Calif. — Covered Califor-nia joined with leaders of the Asian American community to spread the word that time is running out for uninsured Californians to sign up for quality health insurance coverage.

“We are teaming up with leaders of Asian-American communities to make sure that we reach out to everyone who is eligible for cov-erage,” Covered California executive Director Peter V. Lee said. “We want to drive home the message that the deadline is coming up and remind consumers that financial help is

Covered California makes final push for health care enrollment in AAPI communities

Senate ends probe on Binay casesby MArvin sy

Philstar.com

The Senate Blue Ribbon subcommittee finally concluded its probe into the alleged anomalies involving Vice President Jejomar Binay. Philstar.com file photo by AJ Bolando

In a privileged speech, Mar-cos called on concerned agen-cies to make up for lost time and end the quest for justice of the families of the 44 members of the Special Action force (SAf) slain during an operation to cap-ture terrorists.

“As a member of government

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by lEilA b. sAlAvErriAInquirer.net

by JEffErson AntipordAManilaTimes.net

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Senate questions CIA involvement in Mamapasano

PH House panel okaysbill exempting PiaWurtzbach from taxes

JANUARY 29-FEBRUARY 4, 2016 • NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL http://www.asianjournal.com • (650) 616-4150A�

From the Front Page

Miss Universe Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach stands on her float, as hundreds of Filipinos line the streets of Manila. Photo courtesy of Miss Universe Facebook page

except for a few exceptions, he added.

“This is something that the government must explain, why they have allowed a police mat-ter to include US participation. I’m not saying that I’m correct, but this has to be looked into,” he said.

But Presidential Communica-tions Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said he did not recall Enrile asking for a government expla-nation of the US role in the SAF operation.

“I think it was Napeñas who gave an account [of] this when he was discussing the back-ground of previous operations. It was only Napeñas who had the

opportunity to talk about it dur-ing the interpellation,” Coloma said in a text message to the In-quirer.

“It was pointed out during the hearing that this involved counterterrorism actions in which there is cooperation be-tween the Philippines and the US,” he said.

Reward remains unpaidNapeñas said the United

States was interested in Marwan because he was a suspect in the 2002 bombings in Bali, Indo-nesia, where US citizens were among the 202 people killed.

The United States offered $5 million and the Philippine govern-ment P7.4 million for information that would lead to the capture of

Marwan dead or alive.Asked about it at Wednesday’s

hearing, Supt. Fernando Men-dez, PNP intelligence chief, said the payment of the reward was still being processed.

When Sen. Vicente Sotto III asked him why it was taking too long to pay the informant, Men-dez said he did not know.

Sen. Ralph Recto asked the re-source persons about the nation-ality of the informant.

Former PNP Director General Alan Purisima replied that the in-formant was a Filipino.

Recto asked if the informant was a member of the Moro Is-lamic Liberation Front.

Purisima said no. (With a re-port from Jerry E. Esplanada)

PAGE A1 t

saster relief, while visiting her home country and attending to her duties as Miss Universe.

Wurtzbach also visited Malacañang Palace, home of President Benigno Aquino III, and paid a courtesy call to the President, Manila Mayor Jo-seph Estrada and the Philippine Senate.

“We’re erasing the image that Filipinas are not palaban [fight-ers], because in fact we are,” she said following the visit. “We go out there and we’re brave and fearless…much more different than what people think we used

to be. I think that speaks on how modern we are now.”

She also confirmed her appear-ance as a special correspondent at this year’s 50th Super Bowl between the Denver Broncos and the Carolina Panthers on Febru-ary 7.

“I see it as a great compliment. It is a great way of me connect-ing to more people and being recognized, not only as Pia and as Miss Universe, but as a Filipi-na,” she said, according to CNN Philippines.

Wurtzbach, 26, is the Philip-pines’ first Miss Universe in 42 years, since Margarita “Margie”

Moran-Floirendo was crowned in 1973.

Last year, beauty queen Fili-pinas also took over the pageant scene with Trixie Maristela’s victory in the Miss International Queen, Ann Lorraine Colis’ win in Miss Globe, Angelia Ong’s big success in the Miss Earth, Leren Mae Bautista’s high accomplish-ment in Miss Tourism Queen of the Year International, and Wurtzbach’s renowned triumph in the Miss Universe.

“It’s good that we’re finally getting the recognition that I think we deserve,” Wurtzbach said. n

A homecoming fit for a…PAGE A1 t

Joined by her mother Cheryl Alonzo Tyndall, Wurtzbach also received the congressional medal of distinction on Tuesday

afternoon. “I know you have our coun-

try in mind when making laws. On that note, we have the same inspiration, the Philippines. So

let’s continue confidently work-ing with a heart for the Filipino people,” Wurtzbach told 173 House members before receiv-ing the House medal. (AJPress)

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PH House panel okays bill exempting Pia…

Senate questions CIA involvement…

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(650) 616-4150 • http://www.asianjournal.com NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL • JANUARY 29-FEBRUARY 4, 2016 A�From the Front Page

clared her death a homicide. Police arrested her husband,

Isagani “Sonny” Fajotina, on Tuesday, Jan. 19 on suspicion of second-degree murder, but he was released pending further in-vestigation.

The case is being investigated by detectives as a murder-at-tempted suicide. Isagani Fajotina — who relatives said suffered from mental health problems — remains hospitalized at Queen’s Medical Center with a self-inflict-ed stab wound. He is expected to survive, police said.

Isagani, a Vietnam War veter-an, and Melita Fajotina moved to Hawaii from the Philippines. The retired couple previously worked at Queen’s Medical Center where he was a janitor and she was a nursing assistant.

Several relatives, including a daughter and two grandchildren, and tenants live in the couple’s home. There were a few witness-es to the fatal domestic violence, according to police.

“I couldn’t understand cause the sister-in-law was screaming in Filipino and the daughter was

just screaming, running out here waiting for the cops,” Wiiu Wil-son, a tenant, told Hawaii News Now.

The suspect’s sister-in-law also suffered a minor cut on her neck after trying to intervene, reports said.

“There was one other indi-vidual who was injured when she attempted to intervene, but she was treated and she’s in good condition,” said Lt. Phillip Lavarias of the Honolulu Police Department.

A recent study presented by lawmakers found that 30 percent of fatal domestic violence cases in Hawaii involved Filipinos.

“What stood out for me was the level of over-representation of D.V. related deaths within the Filipino community,” state Rep. Della Au Belatti, chairwoman of the House Health Committee, said according to Hawaii News Now.

The study noted that most of the women killed previously sought help or contacted agen-cies, such as law enforcement, the prosecutor’s office, courts and health care providers. (Christina M. Oriel / AJPress)

Filipina fatally stabbed in…PAGE A1 t

available through Covered Cali-fornia.”

Assemblymember Rob Bonta, who chairs the Assembly Com-mittee on Health, said uninsured Asian Americans across the state should explore their options in this new era of health care and get coverage for 2016.

“Health care is now a right and not just a privilege for the fortu-nate,” Bonta said. “Enrolling in Covered California gives people access to the best doctors and hospitals in the state, and that is critical to building strong fami-lies and communities.”

Assemblymember Kansen Chu, who chairs the Assembly Committee on Human Services, said there is still time for those who have waited to get coverage for the remainder of 2016.

“The uninsured are among the most vulnerable in Califor-nia and that can change now,” Chu said. “Every community in California can benefit from better health service and lower costs for care.”

An outreach effort on Tuesday, Jan. 26 included a teleconference with Covered California, Asian-language media, Bonta and Chu, as well as officials from Asian Americans Advancing Justice and Asian Pacific Health Care Venture Inc.

In addition, Bonta, Chu and Lee wanted to alert consumers to the rising tax penalty if they choose to remain uninsured in 2016 and reassure them that their immi-gration status will not be shared with immigration authorities.

“We know that many mixed families live in California, and consumers should know that when someone applies to Cov-ered California their information will not be shared or used by any

immigration agency,” Bonta said.Chu added: “A consumer’s

information will only be used to determine their eligibility for health insurance programs avail-able under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and will not affect the immigration status of any family member on the ap-plication.”

While noncitizens and un-documented residents will not be eligible for Covered California health insurance plans, they may still be eligible for specific, lim-ited Medi-Cal programs. Individ-ual consumers and their families are encouraged to research their options through Covered Califor-nia to see what health coverage is available to them.

As for the tax penalty, in some cases a consumer could actually save money by purchasing health insurance instead of paying the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

“The tax penalty starts at $695 for an adult, or $2,085 for a family of four, and can easily be several hundred or even thousands of dollars more,” Lee said. “That’s money that goes straight to the IRS, and the consumer gets noth-ing in return. Don’t gamble with your health or your financial fu-ture.”

Covered California has also built an extensive network of Asian-language resources, in-cluding online resourcesavailable in Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Lao, Tagalog and Hmong. These can be found by clicking on “Oth-er Languages” in the top right corner of www.CoveredCA.com.

Consumers can also speak to certified enrollers in their lan-guage at (800) 300-1506 and find thousands of local certified enrollers by visiting www.Cov-eredCA.com/get-help/local. The in-person assistance is free, con-

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BONGBONG’S MARKET VISIT: Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr. visits the Pasay City Public Market on Libertad St. to meet with barangay officials, market vendors and tricycle drivers.

and Congress, it fills me with shame that in all these months that have passed, despite the grand pronouncements of im-mediate action and investigation, our government has not moved forward in meeting this appeal for justice,”said Marcos, chair-man of the Senate Committee on Local Government.

He noted that even President Benigno Aquino 3rd acknowl-edged the delay and expressed dismay on the slow investigation of the case.

“What the nation feels is be-yond dismay, beyond impa-tience, beyond just sadness but a loss of part of our humanity as Filipinos. We feel this when we see that we have failed our very own sons, husbands and fathers, our very own declared heroes,” Marcos said.

“We must move now and move quickly to bring them justice. It is nothing less than a defining mo-ment for us as a nation,” he noted.

Controversial conversationThe senator confirmed exis-

tence of a taped conversation between him and Presidential Peace Adviser Teresita Quintos-Deles that happened several days after the Mamasapano tragedy but he denied giving authority to anyone to record that meeting.

Marcos said the existence of the recorded conversation was brought to his attention by a friend.

But the senator maintained that he has no idea where the re-cording came from.

“There were like 50 people inside my office, so I don’t know who recorded our conversation,” he told reporters.

Marcos said Deles visited him in his office to discuss the Mama-sapano incident, particularly the involvement of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in the encounter.

“Essentially, what happened was they were saying that even if

Marcos: PH gov’t failed SAF…PAGE A1 t

Covered California makes final push for health…fidential and available in a vari-ety of languages throughout the state.

Consumers who apply may be eligible for financial assistance depending on their income and family size. Approximately nine out of every 10 enrollees receives some level of financial assis-tance to help pay for their health care, with the average Covered California household receiving $5,200 in financial assistance in 2014. Consumers can find out if they qualify by using the Shop and Compare Tool on Covered California’s website.

Open enrollment runs through Jan. 31. Consumers who qualify for low-cost or no-cost Medi-Cal can enroll at any time. n

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undertaken in aid of legislation,” Pimentel said in his opening statement.

The decision to end the hear-ings was made after Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV, who came out with the resolutions that paved the way for the conduct of the probe, agreed to conclude this.

Trillanes said he just wanted the presentations made during the hearing to be placed on re-cord to be included in the final committee report to be drafted by Pimentel.

A partial committee report was released by Pimentel last year but it only focused on the allegedly overpriced parking building turned Makati City Hall 2 building.

After the parking building is-sue, the subcommittee took up several other issues, namely the main Makati City Hall Building; University of Makati Nursing Building; Makati Science High School Building; the supplies for Ospital ng Makati; the alleged ir-regularities in the Pag-IBIG Fund; the granting of developmental loans to favored contractors; the award of service contracts to fa-vored bidders; the Boy Scouts of the Philippines-Alphaland joint venture agreement; University of Makati-STI joint venture agree-ment; the award of government land to an unqualified private corporation, Meriras Realty and Development Corp. property in Comembo, Makati; the so-called “Hacienda Binay” in Rosario, Batangas; the benefits of Makati City senior citizens; Makati City sister cities; the Makati Friendship Suites and Makati Homeville.

During Tuesday’s hearing, for-mer Makati City barangay chair-man Renato Bondal recapped the reports that came out last year regarding the move of the Anti-Money Laundering Council to freeze several bank accounts and financial instruments under the names of the Vice President, his friends and associates.

A total of 242 of the bank ac-counts and financial instruments were ordered frozen by the Court of Appeals, the sum of which is said to be around P11 billion.

Bondal pointed out most of these were hidden by the Vice President under the names of his close aides such as Gerardo Limlingan and Eduviges Baloloy, who have standing warrants of arrest but could not be located.

He also showed a web of names and organizations repre-senting the alleged “Binay syn-dicate,” all of which were traced from the creation of the JC Binay Foundation and its officers Binay and Limlingan.

Binay finds an allyIt was during this part of the

presentation of Bondal that Sen-ate Minority Leader Juan Ponce Enrile started questioning the conclusions being made against the Vice President.

This was the first time that any senator other than Pimentel, Trillanes and Majority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano attended the hearings since they started in August 2014.

Enrile, an ally of the Vice Pres-ident in the United Nationalist Alliance, was also the first sena-tor who came to the defense of Binay in the hearings.

On the claim of Bondal that the

declared net worth of the Vice President grew by 2,300 per-cent from P2.5 million in 1998 to P60.25 million in 2014, Enrile noted Bondal failed to consider how the cost of the assets were derived as well as the exchange rate that varied from year to year.

Enrile also questioned the links made by Bondal between Binay and the various organiza-tions that supposedly formed the “Binay syndicate.”

Enrile pointed out Bondal showed no evidence to back up his claims, such as a paper trail that would show a transfer of funds or other assets that would link Binay to the various organi-zations.

Based on what he saw in Bondal’s presentation, Enrile said all he saw was a direct link between Binay and Limlingan to the JC Binay Foundation and nothing else.

“Was there anything to show that there was a transfer of funds that paved the way for the Vice President’s control of these or-ganizations through that founda-tion?” Enrile asked.

Former Makati City vice mayor Ernesto Mercado, who used to be allied with Binay, said he was part of the incorporators of JC Bi-nay Foundation and what he has been able to prove was Limlingan and Baloloy were the bagmen of the Vice President.

“That is your word. But you are presenting a concrete evi-dence of relationship. You have to prove each step of the whole relationship. That is your inter-pretation. That is your conclu-

Senate ends probe on Binay…PAGE A1 t

JANUARY 29-FEBRUARY 4, 2016 • NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL http://www.asianjournal.com • (650) 616-4150A�

thing, but I’m lucky because I won a million!”

Three winning tickets in Flori-da, California and Tennessee will share the largest prizes in the $1.5 billion jackpot.

Wednesday’s drawing marked the first time a ticket matched all five numbers and the Power-ball since the jackpot began on Nov. 7 at $40 million. The pot had been rolled over 20 times before winners emerged during Wednesday’s drawing.

Mesina is retired from work-ing in a sign shop, where he bent glass. After claiming his prize, presented by the Virginia Lottery’s deputy director Randy Wright, he told reporters that he doesn’t any plans yet for how he will spend the money, except to pay off his mortgage first.

As an occasional lottery play-er, Mesina is not done trying his luck.

“Of course, [I’ll] win some more money,” he said. n

Dateline USa

NEW YORK – The great bliz-zard of 2016 unloaded 26.8 inch-es of snow, the second biggest snowfall in New York City his-tory, almost breaking the record set in 2006.

According to unofficial totals reported by the National Weather Service, the historic blizzard now ranks among the biggest snow-falls in the city’s record books, missing the record by a tenth of an inch.

Communities across the north-east United States began digging out from the blizzard on Monday, Jan. 25.

“This weekend, Mother Na-ture sent us the second largest snowfall since 1869 – and hun-dreds of our tireless workers rose to the challenge to keep our city safe,” said New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio. “New Yorkers should continue to use extreme caution when walking and driv-ing. When shoveling, remember to stay safe, and do not overexert yourself.”

Because of the predicted snow-fall, a travel ban was imposed in New York City, including Long Island. New Jersey Transit, the Long island Rail Road and the Metro North trains were also shut down as major roads, state highways and railways were cov-ered with feet of snow.

Under the ban, only emer-gency vehicles were allowed on the streets. Drivers who ignored the order faced heavy fines and license points. Even the public was warned not to go outside.

“If you want to go really quick-ly to someplace near your home, stay with your kids – adult super-vision necessary,” de Blasio said on Saturday, Jan. 23. “This is a

New York, other states dig out after epic blizzard

BY the year 2020, humans are expected to lose a net of 5.1 mil-lions of jobs to robots and artifi-cial intelligence, according to a report from the World Economic Forum (WEF).

In the report, 15 economies that make up 65 percent – about 1.9 billion workers – of the total global workforce were surveyed. About 7 million jobs will be lost while 2 million will be gained due to technological change in these developed and emerging nations.

Robots have already begun taking over manual labor and jobs, such as cashiers, that in-volve redundant tasks.

However, smarter machines are also jeopardizing more skilled occupations.

“As entire industries adjust, most occupations are undergo-ing a fundamental transforma-tion,” according to the report. “While some jobs are threatened by redundancy and others grow rapidly, existing jobs are also go-ing through a change in the skill

Report: Humans to lose 5 million jobs to robots by 2020

sets required to do them.”Jobs in every industry would

be displaced, according to the report. But the effects would vary and the most at-risk jobs include data processing and administra-tive jobs. Latest findings say that two-thirds of anticipated losses will probably be in the office and administrative sectors.

A Business Insider report states that humans could also lose nine jobs to robots: phar-macists, lawyers and paralegals, drivers, astronauts, store clerks, soldiers, babysitters, rescuers (the article notes that robots are able to search areas that are inac-cessible to humans), and sports-writers and other reporters.

CNN cited a Bank of America study stating that there is a 90 percent risk or more of the fol-lowing jobs being replaced: bak-ers, butchers, tour guides, tax collectors, telemarketers, insur-ance sales agents, retail sales-people, clerks, accountants and pharmacy technicians.

That report also stated that ro-bots will likely be performing 45 percent of manufacturing tasks

by 2025, compared to just 10 percent today.

“To prevent a worst-case sce-nario – technological change ac-companied by talent shortages, mass unemployment and grow-ing inequality – reskilling and upskilling of today’s workers will be critical,” the authors wrote. “It is simply not possible to weather the current technological revolu-tion by waiting for the next gen-eration’s workforce to become better prepared.”

Jobs involving much social in-teraction, empathy and intuition are least likely to be replaced by technology, according to CNN. Among these occupations in-clude teachers, artists, mental health care workers, police and detectives, and social workers.

Women are projected to be disproportionately affected, with more than five jobs lost for every one gained throughout the next five years, versus one job gained per three lost for men. This is due to the low participation of women in the science, technol-ogy, engineering and mathemat-ics fields. n

by Agnes ConstAnteAJPress

EPIC BLIZZARD. More 60 million people in the East Coast were affected by a blizzard over the weekend. Contributed photo by Nina del Rosario

WHILE most people were closely watching the national Powerball lottery drawing live on television on Wednesday, Jan. 13, an 82-year-old Filipino man from Virginia Beach, Va. was not one of them.

It wasn’t until he checked on-line when he realized he had a winning ticket.

Teofilo Mesina won $1 million – before taxes – from the record $1.5 billion jackpot, after cor-rectly picking five numbers. He missed only the Powerball num-ber.

“Not many people win that kind of money,” Mesina told The Virginian-Pilot on Jan. 19, as he claimed his prize.

Mesina bought his ticket from a 7-Eleven at Lynnhaven Park-way and Salem Road in Virginia Beach.

“I would buy just sometimes,” he said. “I played a mix of my own numbers, and some com-puter pick numbers.”

His numbers – 04, 08, 19, 27 and 34 – were selected from sig-nificant dates for loved ones, he said. (A friend was born in April, the fourth month of the year, so he chose number 4.)

When Mesina looked at the numbers, he first thought he was misreading. He checked with his wife, Irene, then other family mem-bers to make sure he had won.

Filipino in Virginia Beach wins $1-M from Powerball

vastly intensifying storm and it’s slippery, it’s gusty. I, as a parent, wouldn’t let my kids out of my sight.”

Many New Yorkers heeded warnings to stay home, but not after going to Central Park to snap a few photos and enjoy the blanket of snow covering the en-tire park.

Among them were Fil-Ams Marilen Clemente and Nina del Rosario who both live in the city’s Upper East Side neighbor-hood and a few blocks away from Central Park.

“I went to Chinatown and bought water and ingredients for sinigang on Friday, Jan. 22,” Cle-mente told the Asian Journal. “I also readied water in a pail and other containers in case there’s electricity and water shortage. I also made sure my phone was fully charged.”

Shortly after noon, Clemente and del Rosario went to Central Park to take some photos.

“I was more excited than scared,” Clemente said. “But of course, we were careful and we were hoping that no one gets in-jured.”

By 2:30 pm, it was announced that only emergency vehicles were allowed on the streets and by 4:00 pm, anyone caught walk-ing around the city would be subject to a ticket and possible arrest. It was also around this time when the travel ban was im-posed. The ban was lifted early Sunday morning, Jan. 24.

The blizzard of 2016 affected more than 60 million people as the storm’s effects stretched from Georgia to Massachusetts. According to Weather.com, elev-en states have declared states of emergency.

In Leesburg, Virginia, the snowfall was also as historic.

With almost four feet of snow burying parts of the state, many private company employees were not able to report for work on Monday because of unplowed roads.

Carol del Pilar-Boado, a bank-er, was one of them. The bank where she works is running on two-hour delays because of em-ployee shortage. Out of their 35 branches, only six were able to open, including the branch where she works.

“I’m not sure if the roads will be plowed by Tuesday, other-wise, I’d still be working from home,” she told the Asian Jour-nal.

Boado and her family were prepared for the arrival of bliz-zard Jonas. They stocked up on food and the basics – eggs, wa-ter, bread and milk. She said she also marinated lots of meat, and on Friday, she cooked four Fili-pino dishes.

“We were a little worried about losing power because we do not have a fireplace and it is freez-ing,” she added. “But we have flashlight batteries, lanterns, extra blankets in case we lose power.”

Louise Bejer, a lawyer in mid-town Manhattan, had no chance to prepare.

“I worked late on Friday eve-ning and I got home past mid-night, by then there were already flurries,” she said. She was not that worried, though since she always keeps supplies in her apartment, from canned goods, frozen meats and fish in the freezer, bottled water, matches and candles.

“I think the most preparation I did was I made sure that all of my gadgets were charged so if we lose power, I could still work,” she said. n

by MoMAr g. VisAyAAJPress

by Allyson esCobArAJPress

sion. There is no problem with that, but whether that is true to fact or reality is something else,” Enrile said.

Even in the bank accounts pre-sented by Bondal, Enrile said he only managed to show two per-sons, referring to Limlingan and

Baloloy, transferring money to each other and nothing directly involving the Vice President.

“You show that in court and that’s meaningless. You have to trace the flow of wealth, where it originated,” Enrile said. (With reports from Helen Flores and Alexis Romero)

Senate ends probe on Binay…PAGE A2 t

“I was shocked; I couldn’t be-lieve it,” Irene Mesina said.

Including Messina, there were 72 $1 million winners -- 12 of whom are from California -- and eight $2 million winners. More than 635 million tickets were sold for the drawing.

“I finally called my son when I realized the numbers matched,” he told Virginia’s WTKR News Channel 3. “The next day, I talk-ed to a financial advisor so I can decide how to handle my win-nings. I wanted to win the whole

the massacre happened, the de-liberation on the BBL must con-tinue,” he added, referring to the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law.

But the senator told Deles that

he will not allow deliberations on the BBL to continue as if Mama-sapano did not happen and he even raised the need to have the incident investigated thoroughly.

Retired police Chief Supt. Dios-

dado Valeroso earlier said he had obtained a copy of the recorded conversation between a govern-ment official and a lawmaker and he will submit this to the Senate when it reopens its investigation of the massacre.

Marcos, however, did not say if Valeroso’s recording is the same taped conversation he had with Deles.

Senate President Franklin Drilon mentioned the taped con-versation during an interview on Monday, Jan. 25, but he noted that it is not new because the me-dia already reported it last year.

The Manila Times on February 12, 2015 published an article enti-tled “Deles clears MILF,” which is based on a conversation between the senator and the peace adviser.

In that conversation, Deles reportedly tried but failed to convince Marcos that the MILF should not be faulted for the death of the 44 SAF men.

The Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs headed by Sen. Grace Poe will start its inquiry into the Mamasapano incident today, January 27, but it is not clear if the committee will allow the taped conversation to be played during the proceedings. n

Marcos: PH gov’t failed SAF…PAGE A3 t

Teofilo Mesina, 82, is joined by his wife Irene as he claims a $1 million Powerball prize. Photo courtesy of Powerball’s official website

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PH calls for international action vs terrorism

Marcos says BBL ‘a foolish attempt’ at peace

by Pia Lee-Brago Philstar.com

MANILA—With terror at-tacks across the world becoming bolder and indiscriminately tar-geting civilians, there is greater need for nations to close ranks to fight terrorism “in all its forms and wherever they may occur,” a statement from Manila ad-dressed to the international com-munity said.

“The Philippines and the Filipi-no people stand in solidarity with other peace-loving countries and individuals in expressing deep concern on the continuing terror-

ist acts happening in many parts of the world, which are indis-criminately targeting innocents and civilians,” the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said in a statement.

The DFA issued the statement in the wake of terror attacks across the globe, including in major urban centers like Paris and Istanbul.

A new UN action calls for a comprehensive approach to combating extremism, includ-ing taking systematic preventive steps to address the underlying conditions that drive individuals

to radicalize and join violent ex-tremist groups.

The UN Plan of Action to Pre-vent Violent Extremism appeals for concerted action by the in-ternational community and cites critical elements for its success including good governance, rule of law, political participation, quality education and decent jobs and full respect for human rights.

The action plan provides more than 70 recommendations to UN member-states to prevent the further spread of violent extrem-ism stemming from “poisonous ideologies.”

by roeL Pareño Philstar.com

ZAMBOANGA CITY—Sen. Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) is a poor attempt of the Aquino admin-istration in winning the peace.

Marcos, who was in Zamboanga City on Sunday, Jan. 24, said the BBL which he described earlier as dead—was done “very badly” as it did not engage all the sectors to support it.

He said the BBL could not bring peace with the government as it

In this February 2015 photo, Sen. Bongbong Marcos meets with MILF chief peace negotiator Mohagher Iqbal. Philstar.com photo

Eucharistic Congress calls for love, compassion for the poorby edu Punay, Kristine Quintas

Philstar.com

MANILA—A mass, celebrated in a humble plaza to show the message of hope, kicked off the 51st International Eucharistic Congress in Cebu City on Sunday, Jan 24.

Yangon Archbishop Charles Maung Cardinal Bo, who was sent by Pope Francis to represent him in the weeklong event, said in the homily that the Eucharist and the poor are inseparable as he noted that 20,000 children die every day, about 90,000 a month or 10 million a year due to starva-

tion and malnutrition.Calling on everyone to give love

and compassion for the poor, the papal legate stressed that the big-gest mortal sin is seeing a child die of starvation.

Cardinal Bo is set to visit the Cebu provincial jail tomorrow and, in the following days, a voca-tional school and a training facil-ity for the poor and out-of-school youth.

“In our world, where there is a shortage of hope, mankind needs to hear the message of hope in Christ Jesus,” said Cebu Arch-bishop Jose Palma in a post on

the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) news website.

He added that since the Con-gress is an event of hope, Cardinal Bo wants to show this message by interacting with those who languish in prison and spending time with a number of Cebu’s poor children.

Bo will visit the Don Bosco Training and Youth Center, es-tablished by his Filipino confreres to reach out to poor children and out-of-school youths, and a voca-tional school in Barangay Pasil,

Members of the clergy attend a mass held at the Plaza Independencia in Cebu City on Sunday, Jan. 24, kicking off the 51st International Eucharistic Congress. Philstar.com photo by Paul Jun Rosaroso

Comelec delays ballot printingby tina g. santos

Inquirer.net

GRUDGINGLY, the Commis-sion on Elections (Comelec) has decided to postpone anew the printing of ballots to be used in the May polls to Feb. 8.

“This is final… meaning, if they still move the printing, then they better be ready to also postpone the elections,” said Comelec Commissioner Christian Robert Lim in a press briefing Tuesday, Jan. 26.

The poll body’s original target for the printing of ballots was Jan. 26. The commission en banc moved it to Feb. 1 because they were still cleansing the list of can-didates.

“That (Feb. 1) was supposed to be the deadline for the final list. But during the meeting today, the en banc voted to move it to Feb. 8,” Lim said.

“We’re trying to accommodate the calls of certain quarters, and again, just to show that we’re not trying to railroad or trying to favor any candidate, we think it would be better if a final deci-sion is reached in respect of the cases against certain candidates,” he said.

The Supreme Court is still de-liberating on the disqualification case against Sen. Grace Poe, a foundling whose qualification as a natural-born citizen has been questioned. Also pending at the Comelec is a disqualification case against another presidential bet, Davao Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, whose substitution as standard bearer of the PDP-Laban party has been cited as problematic.

Both Lim and Bautista ex-pressed hope that Sen. Grace Poe’s disqualification case would be resolved soon as it would help

finalize the list of candidates.“We hope that the Supreme

Court can close the oral argu-ments today. We’re looking to finalize the list of candidates by Feb. 3,” Lim said.

Earlier, Senate President Frank-lin Drilon urged the poll body to defer the printing of ballots un-til the Supreme Court has ruled on all the disqualification cases pending before it.

Bautista explained that once a candidate’s name is printed on the ballot, the vote-counting ma-chines will still count the votes even if the bet is disqualified later on, although those will be de-clared stray votes.

Comelec aims to finish printing around 57 million ballots by April 25, with additional 14 days allot-ted to reprinting of rejected bal-lots and maintenance of printing machines.

PAGE A7

pushes for providing the Moro Is-lamic Liberation Front (MILF) reb-els of P75 billion a year with their own military and police.

“That’s why the BBL was a fool-ish attempt,” Marcos said. He said the BBL issue is already dead.

Marcos said what they are push-ing is the substitute bill.

The senator said they will con-tinue to deliberate on the substi-tute bill titled the “Basic Law for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Re-gion.”

However, he said the practical consideration remains that they

only have six session days left to pass the substitute bill.

He said the delay was due to the Palace BBL draft being forwarded to the Senate a year late and the Mamasapano incident.

Marcos also said another prob-lem is in the House of Representa-tive where 99 percent of the con-gressmen are candidates.

“We are in all efforts to bring peace in Mindanao. We have not stopped despite of the failure of the BBL – the Palace version. We are continuing to look for all pos-sible ways,” he said.

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RecurrenceIT has been a year since the bloodbath between the Philippine

National Police-Special Action Force (PNP-SAF), and elements of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) and private armed groups in Mamasapano, Maguindanao. That fateful Sunday on Jan. 25, 2015 left 44 elite policemen and 19 Moro rebels dead.

Philstar.com photo

Gel SantoS-ReloS

The Fil-Am Perspective

RiGobeRto tiGlao

Commentary

A BOTCHED FBI PROJECT WITH ITS SECURITY CONTRACTORS

The government’s failure to successfully resolve the Mamasapano encounter has become emblemat-ic of persistent dangers that affect everyone. Crimi-nal charges have been filed against 90 commander and members from different Moro entities, but justice has yet to be delivered for the vic-tims’ kin.

Justice department spokesman and Undersecretary Emmanuel Ca-paras said the agency is aware of the cry for justice for the families of the slain policemen and vowed to have a resolution soon.

“The DOJ continues to do what it needs to do so that it can deliver justice to all parties involved. Let’s just say the authorities are moving as quickly as they can, as responsibly as they can, as judiciously as they can so that justice may be delivered,” Ca-paras said.

Senate Minority Leader Juan Ponce Enrile initi-ated the resumption of the Senate investigation into the Mamasapano encounter and vowed to implicate Pres. Benigno Aquino III for his active and direct involvement in the planning and preparation of the botched “Oplan Exodus.”

For Sen. Bongbong Marcos, the reopening of the Senate investigation will address the government’s unfulfilled promises and the continuing cries for

justice of families of the 44 slain SAF commandos.“No case has been filed in court to prosecute

those responsible. We owe it to the families of the SAF heroes to resolve these issues and the Senate investigation will al-low us the opportunity to do that,” Marcos said.

Earlier, Aquino admitted that he believes that the resumption of the Senate investigation is fueled by

politics and an attempt to put blood on his hands. “We all know that the campaign period is coming

soon. Among our opponents, they see that this has been the greatest burden I have had since I took office. Perhaps, they are trying to take this opportu-nity,” Aquino said, alluding to his administration’s rivals.

Meanwhile, on the first anniversary of the Ma-masapano encounter on Monday, Jan. 25 Aquino awarded the fallen SAF troopers with medals to honor their their gallantry during the operation that resulted in the death of Zulkifli Abdhir (also known as Marwan), who was one of the US Federal Bureau of Investigation’s most wanted terrorists.

“On this day, we are gathered to honor the val-iant efforts of the Philippine National Police Special Action Force. Together with the whole nation, we whole-heartedly recognize them for their service.

Editorial

To our valiant SAF: Thank you so much for your heroism to promote peace,” Aquino said in Filipino after presenting the posthumous awards to the fallen SAF troopers’ families. The President also assured them of the government’s assistance and vowed justice over the killings.

Another victim of the Mamasapano encounter is the fate of the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL). The peace pact made between the national

government and Muslim rebels in the country—meant allow comprehensive growth and develop-ment in the southern region—has been gaining headway, and an expected passage in the legisla-ture was already underway, until the Mamasapano tragedy occurred.

Depending on the outcome of the Senate investi-gation, the future of the peace and stability in Mind-anao will remain in a precarious balance. (AJPress)

Did Aquino expect the US to save the SAF, as they did his mother in 1989?

THE United States’ role in Oplan Exodus that killed an in-ternational terrorist but led to the worst massacre of Philippine troops in recent history must be established if we are to under-stand and put closure to this na-tional tragedy brought upon us by this incompetent president.

A report by the respected Los Angeles Times on the episode, published September 2015 or after months of investigative work, depicts our government and the military as puppets that US special forces de facto di-rected as part of its international war on terror.

According to the LA Times re-port, US special forces trained the police commandos, gave them high-tech equipment, “fer-ried them around” using air-craft flown by US contractors, pinpointed where Marwan was hiding, provided photographic aerial maps to the site, and even provided “real time” intelligence while the operation was being undertaken using drones.

Indeed, Zulkifli bin Hir, aka “Marwan,” a Malaysian, wasn’t really high in the Philippine po-lice and military’s order of battle, as he was believed to have been given refuge by the MILF for his

huge financial donation to the insurgents, but only on condi-tion that he didn’t undertake his terrorist activities in Mindanao.

It was the US who designated him as “HV1” (high value target no.1) here as an international terrorist linked to its archenemy Al-Qaeda, with the FBI putting a $5 million bounty on his head; this was mainly because he was believed to have supplied the bombs in the 2002 Bali attack, and had trained Islamic terror-ists around the world in bomb warfare. The US also wanted to prove that nobody can escape the long arm of its law: Marwan was indicted in August 2007 in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Cali-fornia.

Former police colonel Getulio Napeñas, then commander of the Philippine National Police Special Action Force that under-took the mission, testified in the Senate hearings on the massa-cre last year:

One of the Americans ordered (Army 6th Infantry Division com-mander Maj. Gen. Edmundo) Pangilinan to fire the artillery. However, Pangilinan refused and told him “Do not dictate to me what to do. I am the com-

mander here!”Why would an American dare

order an army general to fire ar-tillery if he had no commanding role in the operation?

There were several pieces of evidence of US involvement in the operation disclosed in the Senate hearings: testimonies of a local mayor and an SAF trooper that they saw drones circling the battle field, Napenas’ disclosure that there were six Americans at the operation’s command post, and his explanation that a Fed-eral Bureau of Investigation offi-cer was waiting at General San-tos City airport to whom a SAF officer gave Marwan’s severed finger right after the operation, for DNA testing in an FBI labo-ratory in the US.

There was in fact photo evi-dence of US involvement: News-paper photos of Caucasians tend-ing to and loading the wounded on a helicopter on the day of the massacre. The chopper’s mark-ings are clearly visible. Why didn’t the Senate establish who or what agency or what country operated this helicopter? Like meek colonial subjects, the Sen-ate and the press shirked away from finding out why that heli-copter was there pre-positioned

for the operation.How can we pretend to be a

sovereign nation when Oplan Exodus was almost entirely an American operation, from which it swiftly distanced itself from when it resulted in 44 of our elite police troops massacred?

It is the American role in the Mamasapano operation that ex-plains what had been a mystery to me. This is something that can’t be discussed, for some flimsy national-security reason, only in closed executive ses-sions in the Senate. The nation, the loved ones and relatives of the massacred SAF 44, deserve to know the truth.

Where could this President — who had never really shown

himself to be really decisive and courageous — find the guts to pretend to command Oplan Exo-dus, even asking his close friend Police Chief Alan Purisima – in spite of Purisima’s having been sacked a month before — to be his “executive officer?”

From the Americans, who assured him that, short of having American boots on the ground, they were on top of Oplan Exodus. The Ameri-cans probably told him: “We’ll do all the work. Just be in Zam-boanga City to congratulate your troops for a job well done.”

As the operation unraveled, Aquino was still probably hop-ing for the American military to somehow turn things around.

After all, the Americans saved his mother at the last minute in 1989, when US Phantom jets swooped from Clark Air Base to force down the RAM rebels’ T28 Trojans (the so-called “Tora-To-ras”) that were bombing Mala-canang, and thereby defeating that coup that had nearly won.

This time around, of course, no US fighters swooped down on Mamasapano. The kind of drones the US sent were un-armed.

This president could be guilty not only of criminal negligence but treason, for letting a foreign power undertake a military op-eration within our country, one that resulted in 44 SAF troopers massacred. (ManilaTimes.net)

US security contractors loading wounded SAF, as the battle raged.

IN less than a week, the race to the White House takes off in Iowa for both the Democratic and the Republican parties. The voters of this state and all the others, as scheduled perhaps until sum-mer, will head to the polls and choose the can-didate who they believe will best represent the principles, vision and advocacies of their party.

The developments of the week preceding the February 1 Iowa caucuses headlined so many un-expected twists and turns many were not expect-ing in the past six months.

The Bush brand did not seem well for Jeb Bush, who many thought would be the frontrun-ner for the GOP, but six debates later and the entry of billionaire real estate mogul and reality TV star Donald Trump has shaken and perhaps redefined what “conservative” means for the Re-publican Party.

Donald Trump has been perceived as someone embracing more liberal principles, and yet he has emerged to be the candidate most likely to be the nominee of the Republican Party. Trump dominated the recent CNN/ORC poll with 41 per-cent of Republican voters nationwide saying they

will vote for the billionaire. CNN further reported that more than two-thirds believe he will win the party’s nomination.

Trump has beaten candidates in the polls who were more tra-ditional Republicans embrac-ing conservative principles with strong ties to evangelical Chris-tians. According to CNN, the nearest competitor, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, got 19 percent support in the poll.

The CNN/ORC poll revealed that no other can-didate hit double-digits. Florida Sen. Marco Ru-bio landed at 8 percent, retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson at 6 percent, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush at 5 percent, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie at 4 percent, and the rest at 1 percent or less.

In the Democratic Party, the latest Fox News Poll shows frontrunner Hillary Clinton’s national lead among likely Democratic primary voters has narrowed—49 percent to Sanders’ 37 percent.

In Iowa, the Fox news poll reveals Clinton with 48 percent support to Sanders’ 42 percent and

former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley’s 3 percent. Sanders remains the frontrunner in New Hampshire, the first primary state after Iowa with a 56 per-cent to 34 percent advantage over Clinton.

The surge of Bernie Sanders in the polls over time has been fueled by the support of the

younger voters who see the 75-year-old senator as the candidate who can bring real change in America, with his “democratic socialism” prin-ciple.

This is different from the Soviet Union kind of socialism, and Sanders defined it in the recent Democratic town hall meeting in Iowa:

“What democratic socialism means to me is that economic rights, the right to economic secu-rity, should exist in the United States of America,” said Sanders, who calls himself a “democratic so-cialist.” He said the term means that government listens to the middle class as much as it listens to the rich, and that government helps students

have access to college. “Creating a government that works for all of us, not just a handful of peo-ple on the top. That’s my definition of democratic socialism.”

The CNN-sponsored debate highlighted how each candidate differentiated themselves from each other, with Clinton perceived as the more “experienced” candidate while Sanders high-lighted that aside from his experience and pre-paredness for the highest post in the nation, he has the better judgement to be President.

We will know by February 1 who among the candidates in both parties will have the wind be-hind their backs heading to New Hampshire. And we will see if another billionaire, former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, will join the race as he has been seriously thinking of doing so.

Abangan!* * *

Gel Santos Relos is the anchor of TFC’s “Balitang America.” Views and opinions expressed by the author in this column are are solely those of the author and not of Asian Journal and ABS-CBN-TFC. For comments, go to www.TheFil-AmPerspective.com, https://www.facebook.com/Gel.Santos.Relos

Surprises ahead of the start of presidential election primaries and caucuses

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More Filipinos see improved quality of life this year

REMEMBERING CORY. President Benigno S. Aquino III attends the mass in celebration of 83rd birthday of President Cory Aquino at the tomb of his parents Cory and Ninoy at Manila Memorial Park in Sucat, Paranaque on Sunday, Jan. 24. Also in attendance are members of the First Family and followers of Cory and Ninoy. Malacañang photo Johnny Pascua

TWO OUT of five Filipinos expect their quality of life to im-prove in the next 12 months, the highest turnout in the last three decades, the results of the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey showed.

The Fourth Quarter 2015 Social Weather Survey report, conduct-ed from Dec. 5 to 8 and results of which were first published in BusinessWorld newspaper, also showed that a record-high num-ber of Filipinos expressed opti-mism on the economy this year.

Out of 1,200 respondents aged 18 and up nationwide, 45 per-cent said they were optimistic about changes in their quality of life in 2016, while 5 percent said otherwise.

The latest figure yielded a per-sonal optimism net (optimists minus pessimists) score of “very high” +40, the highest since SWS conducted the same survey in April 1984.

The SWS poll, which had a margin-of-error of plus-or-mi-nus 3 percent, also found that

39 percent of respondents ex-pected the economy to be better this year, while 8 percent said it would be worse, to yield a net score of “very high” +30 (cor-rectly rounded), the same score gained in November 2010 which were both the highest since 1998.

Asked about changes in their quality of life over past 12 months, 31 percent claimed their lives had improved (gain-ers) while 27 percent said their lives worsened (losers), resulting in a net score of +5. It was sta-tistically unchanged from +4 net score (29 percent gainers and 25 percent losers) in September.

By region, net personal opti-mism rose in the rest of Luzon (+42 from +33), the Visayas (+32 from +25), Mindanao (+41 from +34) and Metro Manila (+43 from +40).

Net personal optimism among socioeconomic groups also im-proved among Classes D (+40 from +31) and E (+42 from +35) but declined among ABC (+34

from +41).Net economic optimism also

went up in Metro Manila (+26 from +19), with double-digit im-provements in the Visayas (+24 from +7), the rest of Luzon (+32 from +19) and Mindanao (+36 from +25).

An improved economic opti-mism was also recorded among Classes D (+31 from +17) and E (+34 from +25) except in ABC (+13 from +16).

Meanwhile, net gainers in-creased in Mindanao (+7 from +3), the rest of Luzon (+8 from +7), declined in the Visayas (-5 from -1) and unchanged in Metro Manila (+2). It also went up among Class E (+11 from +4), declined among ABC (+7 from +18) and retained among D (+3).

For net personal optimism, the SWS considers a rating of +30 and above as “very high”; +20 to +29 as “high”; +10 to +19 as “fair”; +1 to +9 as “mediocre”; 0 to -9 as “low”; and -10 and below as “very low.” (Inquirer.net)

Eucharistic Congress calls for love, compassion...which is identified as one of the city’s most depressed areas.

Palma also said Pope Fran-cis tapped two priests – Marvin Mejia and Dominic Bar Bu – for “special pontifical missions” that he did not specify.

In the mass celebrated at the Plaza Independencia, Cardinal Bo reminded everyone that all

humans are equal before the Eu-charist.

“Today, we have gathered from various backgrounds, the rich and the poor, the noble and the blessed, aristocrat and the servant, but when you approach the altar, the Eucharist strips you of all your social stages. You are equal among equals in an unequal and uncaring world,” he said.

At least 1,500 priests, 200 bishops and 10 cardinals concele-brated the mass with Archbishop Palma presenting the Holy Bible given by Pope Francis as a gift. Authorities estimated the total at-tendees at 400,000.

Palma said the Eucharist is the primary source of renewal, cen-ter of community and hope of glory.

PH, Japan forge stronger ties

by Delon Porcalla Philstar.com

MANILA—Under the cloud of China’s aggressively stak-ing maritime territorial claims, Japan’s Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko arrived in Ma-nila on Tuesday, Jan. 26 to forge stronger ties between their coun-try and the Philippines.

President Benigno Aquino III was on hand for planeside hon-ors for the Japanese royals at a special hangar at the Ninoy Aqui-no International Airport.

It was the first time for Akihito to visit the Philippines as em-peror. He was two weeks short of his eighth birthday when Japan bombed Pearl Harbor in Hawaii with the blessings of his father, the late Emperor Hirohito, set-ting off the war in the Pacific that would lead to the Japanese inva-sion of the Philippines.

Since then ties have improved between the two former foes, linked by their common ally the United States. Japan is now the Philippines’ single largest source of official development assistance and Japanese busi-nessmen are among the biggest investors.

With China staking claims on islands occupied by Japan and claimed by the Philippines, Manila and Tokyo have also strengthened defense coopera-tion.

The imperial couple met the Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers yesterday afternoon shortly after their arrival.

Emperor Akihito on Wednes-day, Jan. 27 said the Japanese people “must never forget” the loss of Filipino lives caught be-tween the battles of Japan and the United States in World War II.

The emperor made the state-ment as he raised a toast for the continuing strong relations be-tween Japan and the Philippines at the state banquet hosted by President Benigno Aquino III for the imperial couple at Rizal Hall in Malacañang Palace.

“Last year, Japan marked the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II. During this war, fierce battles between Japan and the United States took place on Philippine soil, resulting in the loss of many Filipino lives and leaving many Filipinos injured. This is something we Japanese must never forget and we in-tend to keep this engraved in our hearts throughout our visit,” Em-peror Akihito said.

Former Japanese Foreign Min-ister Masahiko Komura will serve as principal attendant.

Around 1.1 million Filipinos and 518,000 Japanese soldiers and civilians perished during the war.

The Imperial Japanese Army launched air strikes on the Philip-pines, then a US colony, on Dec. 8, 1941 (Dec. 7 Hawaiian time), the same day Japan attacked Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, marking the start of the Pacific phase of World War II.

Japan occupied Manila in

January 1942, while local resi-dents continued to resist the move through guerrilla fighting. A month of Japan-US fighting in Manila in February 1945 claimed the lives of around 100,000 Fili-pino civilians.

“In the Philippines, many lives of Filipino, US and Japanese peo-ple were lost during the previous war. Especially, an enormous number of innocent Filipino civil-ians fell victim in the urban com-bat in Manila,” the emperor said prior to departure from Tokyo’s Haneda airport.

“We’d like to carry out this visit while always bearing this in mind,” he said, adding that he is pleased to travel to the country again following a previous visit by the couple in 1962 when they were crown prince and princess.

Their return after more than half a century comes at the in-vitation of President Aquino, ex-tended during his state visit to Japan last June.

The trip was arranged on the occasion of the two countries marking the 60th anniversary of the normalization of bilateral ties in July.

With a strong desire to mourn all the war dead, the emperor has been traveling with the empress to places hit hard by the war at home and abroad, including Saipan, one of the Northern Mar-iana Islands, in 2005 and Palau last year, in commemoration of the 60th and 70th anniversaries of the war’s end in 1945. (With reports from Inquirer.net)

VISIT FROM JAPANESE ROYALTY. Japanese Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko arrive in Manila Tuesday, Jan. 26 for a five-day State Visit and to pay their respects for those who lost their lives here during World War II and to promote international goodwill. They are welcome by President Benigno S. Aquino III, sister PinkyAbellada and members of his Cabinet at AGES Aviation Center, Balabag Ramp, Pasay City. Malacañang photo by Gil Nartea

PAGE A5

january 29-february 4, 2016 • nOrCaL aSIan jOurnaL http://www.asianjournal.com • (650) 616-4150A�

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presidency, rescinding benefits from the parents of US citizens could be a costly and unpopular move and could prove easier said than done.

While many immigration group advocates rejoiced in the Supreme Court’s decision to hear the case, they did so cautiously. The groups and the immigrants they represent are all too aware of the fact that the Supreme Court’s decision to hear the case is a far cry from a victory in this matter and that the Court could still uphold the lower court’s rulings which have to date pre-vented the programs from being implemented. In the meantime potential beneficiaries of these programs should seek profes-sional assistance from experi-enced immigration attorneys to assess what other options might be available and to ensure that if the programs go in to effect that they will be ready.

The programs in question, if implemented, could benefit mil-lions of persons across the Unit-ed States. The programs were conceived to be implemented as a form of executive action known as prosecutorial discretion. Ex-isting regulations enable benefi-ciaries of prosecutorial discretion who are granted deferred action to apply for and receive employ-ment authorization. The DAPA and DACA programs aimed to provide deferred action to mil-lions and thereby provide a route to work authorization and a way out of the shadows and away from a living in fear of deportation.

Specifically, DAPA would pro-vide a three-year work authoriza-tion and potentially the ability to later apply for travel authoriza-tion. To qualify you must have: (1) a US citizen or permanent resident son or daughter (of any age) as of November 20, 2014; (2) continuous presence in the US since before January 1, 2010; (3) physical presence in the US

COMMUNITYJ o u r n a l

Atty. RobeRt Reeves ben LovemAnAnd nAncy miLLeR

Your ImmigrationSolution

MANILA — Despite slower growth last year, remittances from overseas Filipinos have so far not been affected by the slump in oil prices, the chief economist of the Department of Finance said.

“So far, the steep drop in crude petroleum prices has not affected Middle East remittanc-es,” Finance Undersecretary Gil Beltran said in an economic bul-letin dated Jan. 19.

According to central bank data quoted by Beltran, remittances grew 3.63 percent to $22.83 bil-lion from January to November last year. The growth was slower than the revised 2015 goal of four percent.

Broken down, money from the Middle East – the second major source of remittances – expanded by a faster 9.6 percent to $5.243

OFW remittances remain unaffected by slump in oil prices

Business News

billion during the same period.Global oil prices have con-

tinued their decline into 2016, plunging to new lows not seen in more than 13 years and hitting company profit margins.

This, in turn, has caused anxi-ety that jobs in the oil sector may

be slashed, including those held by the more than two million Fili-pinos, according to Department of Foreign Affairs figures.

“The DOLE (Department of Labor and Employment should be ready with viable options in

uPAGE CJ4

by Prinz P. MagtulisPhilstar.com

TYCOON Ramon S. Ang is interested to bid for state-run Intercontinental Broad-casting Corp. (IBC-13), which the gov-ernment said on Monday, Jan. 25, it would sell at a floor price of P1.977 billion.

Ang told the Inquirer that he would join the bidding for the cash-strapped television net-work once it was placed on the auction block. Ang is president of San Miguel Corp., but his potential participation would likely be done on a personal ca-pacity.

Ang had sought out media as-sets in the past. In 2014, Ang said he was in talks with the owners of GMA Network Inc. on the ac-

Gov’t OKs sale of IBC-13 for at least P1.98Bquisition of a minority stake. The negotiations, however, collapsed in the middle of last year as “deal-breaking” disagreements erupted between both camps.

A spokesperson for Philip-pine Long Distance Telephone Co., which controls TV5 and had previously expressed interest in IBC-13, said they were “not in-terested” to bid for the state TV network.

GMA chair and chief executive Felipe Gozon also said they were not interested to bid.

An official of ABS-CBN Corp. did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Governance Commission for GOCCs (GCG) said President Aquino already approved the privatization of IBC-13, which the GCG had recommended. The privatization will be implemented

by a committee to be comprised of representatives from IBC-13, the GCG and the Presidential Communications Operations Of-fice (PCOO).

Asked about the timetable for the privatization, presidential spokesperson and PCOO chief Herminio Coloma Jr. only said they “will prepare a media state-ment.”

“The privatization rational-izes the state’s portfolio in the communications sector in view of the overlap with PTV-4 [Peo-ple’s Television Network Inc.], which is already sufficient to address market failures in the private broadcast industry such as providing programs with so-cial value but are not considered profitable,” the GCG explained. At present, the government runs both IBC-13 and PTV-4. n

by Ben O. de Veraand Miguel r. CaMus

Inquirer.net

ON Tuesday, Jan. 19, the US Supreme Court threw a lifeline to the Obama administration’s deferred action programs known as DAPA and expanded DACA (Deferred Action for Parents of US citizens and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, respec-tively) agreeing to hear the case in this Court term. Of course, the Court’s decision to hear the case is just a first step and is not an indication that the Court will overrule the lower court deci-sions or allow DAPA to be imple-mented. For those hoping that DAPA and expanded DACA will be implemented, we continue to urge that you explore all options available as many other changes to the immigration landscape have opened new pathways to residency and other benefits over the last several years.

For months the DAPA and ex-panded DACA programs have taken one legal hit after another and looked in peril of fading with the end of the Obama presiden-cy. However, the United States’ highest court agreed to hear the case and could potentially invali-date an injunction issued in 2015 by a US District Court Judge in Texas which has to date blocked implementation of the program which could benefit millions of families with undocumented family members.

Importantly, the decision by the Supreme Court to hear the case was made in time so that the Court could receive briefs and argument from the par-ties and issue a ruling by June of 2016 prior to the November elections. Many Republican can-didates have indicated in no un-certain terms that they would im-mediately rescind the program if elected. However, November is a long time off and election re-sults are unknown and unknow-able at this time. Further, even assuming a Republican wins the

Deferred action program to receive Supreme Court review

both on November 20, 2014 and at the time of making the request for DAPA. Applicants must also not be considered a priority for removal. The DACA program would be expanded by the elimination of the upper age limit of 31 and by bestow-ing eligibility to applicants arriv-ing in the United States before January 1, 2010 whereas before eligibility required arrival before June 15, 2007. If the Supreme Court allows the programs to be implemented it is likely that the Obama Administration would roll out the programs as quickly as possible to beat the Novem-ber election cycle.

The benefits that the DAPA and expanded DACA programs could achieve for the affected people, their families, and for the United States as whole are tremendous. However, there is no indication of which way the Supreme Court will rule and those who are wait-ing for a decision on the case would be well-served by seeking the advice and assistance of a reputable and experienced im-migration attorney to explore op-tions for obtaining benefits at this time under existing laws. Many new programs and changes to old ones have been implemented in the last several years and may provide a route to residency or employment authorization where none existed before.

***Atty. Reeves has represented clients in numerous landmark immigration cases that have set new policies regarding INS action and immigrants’ rights. His offices are located in Pasadena, Irvine, San Francisco, Las Vegas and Makati City. Telephone: (800) 795-8009 E-mail: immigration@rreeves.com Website: www.rreeves.com.

***The analysis and suggestions offered in this column do not create a lawyer-client relationship and are not a substitute for the personalized representation that is essential to every case. (Advertising Supplement)

JANUARY 29-FEBRUARY 4, 2016 • NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL http://www.asianjournal.com • (650) 616-4150CJ� Community Journal

ErniE D. DElfin

The Metamorphosis

(Part 1 of 2)“FIGHTING multinationals

was very tough. At first, every-one thought I was crazy. They told me, how would I survive this? True enough, it’s by the grace of God that I’m still here in the toothpaste industry after 20 years. God is good,” – Cecilio K. Pedro

In our fast-paced, hectic world we all need a daily dose of faith, hope and love. Stories of heroic struggle against odds, survival and eventual triumph have al-ways inspired people, given them hope, courage to fight, and egged them on to persevere.

When you read inspirational, you’ll start to see a few common threads. Hard work, passion, determination, and drive are all common elements of these stories. Surprisingly, obstacles, failure, and incredible odds are also elements of these stories. In almost every case, the main character of the story would

Prof. EnriquE M. Soriano

The KiteRunner Faith and Pinoy pride: Outperforming and outhinking the giants

never have been expected to achieve so much in a single life-time. These individuals, how-ever, overcame tough odds, sur-passed difficult obstacles, and “Things aren’t always what they seem.” If you have faith, you just need to trust that every outcome is always to your advantage. You might not know it until some time later. I am sure Cecilio Pedro’s story would ignite your never-say-die spirit and inspire you to become all that you can be. His company, Lamoiyan Corporation, is the manufactur-er of Hapee toothpaste, the first homegrown toothpaste in the Philippines.

I first had the opportunity to exchange notes with Cecilio more than a decade ago when he was our speaker in an ATENEO MBA Roundtable meeting with fellow Professors. Then a little more than a year ago, we had the rare opportunity to share sto-ries when we were both invited as resource speakers in a Fam-ily Business Conference at AIM. Knowing the man up close and listening intently to his inspiring story gave me goose bumps in a positive way and today I want to

share his story. Reflecting upon it, the key to success is the own-ing of the family’s devotion to the business, its resilience in coping with disappointment, and the in-tensity of its long-term commit-ment to the business. That in a nutshell best characterizes the country’s Toothpaste King.

It is my fervent hope that family business owners and visionaries can learn so many lessons about Cecilio’s values, faith, tenacity and vision for his company.

Cecilio Kwok Pedro is an entrepreneur who made it to the top after his failure back in 1985. His principle is much grounded and to quote this man of humility, he once said, “We are competing against the gi-ants. Without faith and without the intervention of the Divine, it is really difficult to survive in this industry.”

Twenty-five years ago, people thought Cecilio Pedro was cra-zy for competing head-on with global toothpaste brands Col-gate and Close Up.

Faith Will Give You Courage, Courage Will Give You Faith

Before he went head-to-head with Colgate and Close Up, the

two multinational toothpaste brands were Pedro’s only cus-tomers. His first company, Alu-minum Container Inc., sold alu-minum toothpaste tubes to these foreign firms from 1978 to 1985.

“At that time, I was thinking that toothpaste is something that everyone uses. And multination-al firms will be here for the long term, so I thought it was a safe business,” he said.

All was going well for his company until plastic toothpaste tubes were invented. Both Col-gate and Close Up decided to switch to plastic tubes in 1985, forcing Pedro to close shop.

“I never thought that they would switch to plastic tubes. My business got in trouble when they left,” he lamented.

Relying on a few customers was Pedro’s biggest mistake

yet. Money stopped coming in, and he was left with millions of aluminum tubes.

Deeply mired in debt, he could have committed suicide had it not been because of his deep faith in God’s power and mercy. He turned his crisis into opportunity when he opted to compete with Colgate despite its being a multinational. With faith, guts and hard work, he put up a “David vs. Goliath” type of fight. When his sales started to dent Colgate’s, they offered to buy him out but he answered, “I don’t think you can afford my price.” Lamoiyan has now cap-tured 30% of the market and still growing.

Now, Hapee toothpaste tubes and sachets are selling like hot-cakes in the Philippines, making his company, Lamoiyan Corpo-

ration, the country’s first home-grown toothpaste empire. (sori-anoasia@gmail.com)

(Part 2 will follow)* * *

Prof. Soriano is an ASEAN Family Business Advisor, Book Author, Executive Director of Asean-based Consulting group, Wong + Bernstein Advisory and Program Director for Real Estate and the former Chair of the Marketing Cluster of the ATENEO Graduate School of Business. He is slated to deliver a talk on Philippine Business and Franchising Opportunities. The first talk is in NY on Feb 1 at the Philippine Consulate and Boston on Feb 4 at the Harvard Campus and in LA. The talk is organized by the Philippine Consulate in New York, in coordination with the Bagong Kulturang Pinoy (bkpinc.org), the Harvard Philippine Forum, TFC with Asian Journal as media partner. For those interested to attend, pls email nzuelke@gmail.com. Prof Soriano’s business articles can also be accessed at www.Faminbusines.com.

(Part1 of 2)“Since a politician never be-

lieves what he says, he is quite surprised to be taken at his word.” - Charles de Gaulle

“In politics stupidity is not a handicap!” - Napoleon Bonapar-te

As a Filipino-American, I am fascinated (“entertained” per-haps is a better term) by the drama and comedy-filled elec-tion campaigns that have started here in the US as well as in the Philippines.

This year will be a very inter-esting and exciting year in the US as the results of the forth-coming November election will definitely alter many govern-ment programs and established priorities, including many do-mestic and foreign policies. The years of President Obama, after former President Bush caused many events that were consid-ered miscalculations, made the American people suffer unnec-essarily.

The “war on terrorism” start-ed by George W. Bush was a failure, one that the American people are still paying. The cat-astrophic meltdown of the finan-cial markets caused by massive frauds in the mortgage industry brought America to its highest

Politicians provide great entertainment, excellent source of revenues for businessesunemployment and foreclosures of homes that almost paralleled the Great Depression of the 1930s. The government bailed out the banks and Wall Street and the taxpayers have to foot the bill.

The Affordable Health Care Act (aka Obama Care) is also fal-tering and may be substantially scrapped if the Republicans win big in the coming election. The economic divide between the 99 percent vs. the 1 percent be-came wider, and the trend may continue depending who will control the White House and Congress.

As I am writing this column the Democratic candidates, Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders are fighting it out in Iowa and New Hampshire. That is also true in the Republican party, among Donald Trump, Ted Cruz, Mark Rubio and Gov. Christie. It’s just unfortunate that minority party candidates will never have a chance to win the presidency as the Electoral College system makes it almost impossible. Having left the Republican Party a long time ago, my vote will definitely go, if there is a line or space for Ms. NOTA (None Of The Above) candidate. Most likely, however, I will again be compelled to vote for the “lesser

evil,” who may have some de-gree of commonality between his/her values and mine.

The political landscape in the US has changed dramatically because people are hungry and angry on how things are going on right now. The optimism exuded by the Camelot years of President John F. Kennedy when he lifted the imagination of the people to go to the moon, chal-lenging his fellow Americans, “Ask not what your country can do for you, rather ask what you can do for your country.” And the US Peace Corps was started and still going on half a century later!

The pessimism, anger and hunger of the American people are fueling the candidacy of “outsiders” like celebrity billion-aire Donald Trump who remains at the top of the surveys. Gone are the days when government officials went back to the private sector and did what they were doing before they were elected to a government office. These days, a political office has be-come now the “milking cow,” the livelihood career for most politicians, from the time they are out of college, to the time they become retired. Once re-tired, many of them receive ben-

Box A Smile delivered smiles to 3,000 children over the holiday season

THE busy holiday season was made extra special with the ac-tivation of Box A Smile, LBC’s Christmas Gift-Giving activity during which smiles were deliv-ered to 3,000 underprivileged children in various communities. With the invaluable assistance of Project Pearls, the Box A Smile gift-giving events were a suc-cess, drawing volunteers both from the LBC & Project Pearls communities.

Project Pearls, a volunteer, non-government agency headed by Melissa Villa, gathered chil-dren in the various communities of Helping Land/Newland, Ton-do, Manila, Lubusang Alyansa ng Katutubong Aeta ng Sam-bales (LAKAS) in Botolan, Zam-bales, and relocated residents of Ulingan now in Barangay Batia, Bulacan. A total of 3,000 chil-dren were treated to a Christmas party with games and prizes, lots of dancing and singing, and of course, food and drinks.

With these events, an over-whelming sense of commu-nity and camaraderie was felt throughout, in keeping with the spirit of giving, the true spirit of the holiday season. Over 3,000 donor participants from the US were engaged, and co-sponsors likewise provided much-needed assistance for the events.

LBC volunteers from various departments and areas partici-pated in the gift-giving activities: from the principals, executives, and their children, to warehouse personnel, associates and front-liners, delivery associates and teams. The LBC family came in full-force, some employees dressed as Santa Claus, enjoin-ing the children and all present that it is indeed FAMILY that truly makes the holiday season special and memorable.

“LBC has been a very impor-

LBC VITAS Warehouse Manager Glenn Garcia as Santa Claus, with the children of Helping Land, Tondo, Manila

LBC Chief Innovation Officer Fernando “Dino” Araneta distributing gifts in Barangay Batia, Bulacan

“LBC and Project PEARLS partnership is more than just a corporate partnership, it is really a partnership for humanity. Together, we are helping and supporting each other in making this world a better and kinder place for all - rich, poor or poorest.” --- MELISSA VILLA, Project Pearls

tant partner for Project PEARLS. LBC USA has generously pro-vided assistance to Project PEARLS in transporting in-kind donations to Manila from United States. Because of this, we are able to provide to hundreds more children in the communities we serve mainly in Bulacan and Tondo, Manila.

“When they informed me that they would like to partner with Project PEARLS for a gift-giv-ing for 3,000 children, I was very grateful and humbled, not to mention, I was jumping up and down from excitement because this is the first time we are able to provide Christmas gifts to over 1,000 children.

LBC BOX A SMILE would not have been possible without the kind assistance of co-sponsors and donors who heeded our call to action. Namely, Mc Donald’s Philippines, LDL Marketing, Inc., Children’s Hour, Belo Essentials, Adriatic Manufacturing Corp., Agron and United Laboratories, Inc. Media Partners in the US in-cluded: Asian Journal, Philippine News, Weekend Balita, Filipino Press, Fil-Am Inquirer, Philip-pine Weekly, One Philippines, Fil-Am Courier, Manila Mail and Filipino Star; in Canada: Philip-

pine Canadian Inquirer and Atin Ito. We thank all our co-sponsors, and volunteers, and likewise our customer participants for help-ing LBC make this possible, and bring smiles to 3,000 children.

* * *LBC Express, Inc. is the Phil-

ippines’ market leader in pay-ments, remittance, courier products, mail, parcels and, cargo logistics. Through a global presence in over 30 countries in Asia-Pacific, North America, the Middle East and Europe, LBC Express’ network of 4,400 loca-tions, partners, and agents is growing steadily, and commits to moving lives, businesses, and communities in the Philippines and across the globe. Founded in 1945 as a brokerage and air car-go agent, LBC Express pioneered time-sensitive cargo delivery and 24-hour door-to-door delivery in the Philippines. Today, it is the most admired and trusted cou-rier, cargo, and remittance ser-vice of millions of Filipinos, an iconic and global Filipino brand. LBC can move it for you: visit us at www.lbcexpress.com, or call telephone +632 8585 999 (Metro Manila), 1 800 10 8585 999 (Pro-vincial), and follow LBCExpress (Facebook and Twitter).

(Advertising Supplement)

uPAGE CJ3

(650) 616-4150 • http://www.asianjournal.com NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL • JANUARY 29-FEBRUARY 4, 2016 CJ�Community Journal

Atty. MichAelGurfinkel, eSQ

ImmigrationCorner

If you have an upcoming event and would like us to post it, please email us the details at info@asianjournalinc.com or calendar@asianjournalinc.com

Americaalendar of EventsacrossC

ADVERTISE YOUR EVENTS!PRE-EVENT AND POST-EVENT

GO DEEPER. GO WIDER. LET THE WORLD KNOW.CALL ASIAN JOURNAL: (818) 502-0651DISPLAY AD SIZES AT SPECIAL RATES

FOR NON-PROFIT GROUPS

Miss Magsingal Organization of America Coronation & Dinner-DanceThe Officers and Members of Miss Magsingal Organization of America (MOA) cordially in-

vites townmates and friends to attend our Miss MOA 2016-17 Coronation and Dinner/Dance on Feb. 6, from 5:00pm -12 midnight at the Hilton of Stockton (2323 Grand Canal Blvd, Stockton, CA). Our Royal Court to be honored and crowned are: Her Majesty Queen, Jillian Foronda; 1st Princess, Jemina Atanaya; and 2nd Princess, Jeramae Luczon. Attire is formal, dinner is $50/person, with live band entertainment. Limited seats are available on a first come first serve basis. For more details, please call Tereso U (209) 603-8440, Lanie (209) 814-8004, and Grace (209) 817-5674. Thank you.

FEBRUARY 6

Infant Jesus of Prague 9 hour Novena and MassThe Infant Jesus of Prague Apostolic Group is celebrating 32 years of service and prayer,

and will hold its 32nd annual 9-hour Novena and Mass in honor of the Divine Child Jesus on Saturday, January 30, at Saint Joseph the Worker Church (19855 Sherman Way, Winnetka, California). The Novena starts at 7:00am with Mass following at 3:20 pm. Based in San Fern-ando Valley, the Apostolic Group aims to promote the Gospel message of Jesus and spread devotions to the Infant Jesus. For more information, please contact Leo Nevada at (818) 633 3926 or visit www.IJPAG.com.

JANUARY 30

University of the East Tau Alpha Sigma (TAS) fraternity golden anniversaryPlease join us in congratulating TAS for their Golden (50th) Anniversary to be held at

Tower Club, Philamlife Building in Makati, Philippines on February 5, 2016. All brothers from all over the world are encouraged to attend. There will be fun–filled activities includ-ing dancing, singing, reminiscing college days, golf, trips to Bicol, Batangas, and Tagaytay and reconnecting with both old and new TAS brothers and their spouses. Those who have not yet confirmed their attendance, please contact: (USA) Bernie Lim (bernielim@sbcglobal.net) & Rene Marcos (rmarcos_cpa@verizon.net); (PHILIPPINES) Rodrigo Mangay-ayam (rod-man0983@yahoo.com.ph) & Manny Bautista (Manuel.D.Bautista@ph.ey.com).

FEBRUARY 5-15

Prof. Enrique Soriano Talks About Philippine Business and Franchising OpportunitiesProf. Enrique Soriano, ASEAN Family Business Advisor and book author will be deliver-

ing a talk on Philippine business and franchising opportunities on February 1st at the Philip-pine Consulate in New York and on February 4th in Boston. Free admission but reservations required. This is a wonderful opportunity for kababayans to learn about owning a busi-ness while still working in the US. This event was put together by BKP, a US based social enterprise group helping Filipino children to read their way out of poverty; the Philippine Consulate in New York, and the Harvard Philippine Forum.

FEBRUARY 1 -4

A Tagalog conversation with USCIS: ‘How to Become a US Citizen’United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) invites you and your rela-

tives to attend a Tagalog-language community event on Wednesday, February 3rd, from 6:00–7:30pm, at the Carson Community Center (801 East Carson Street, Hall A, Carson, CA 90745). Representatives will go through the process and answer your questions about how to become a lawful citizen of the US. For more information about the event, please email us at Public.Engagement@uscis.dhs.gov.

FEBRUARY 3

Eagle Rock High School Monthly Open House ToursEagle Rock High School invites the community to International Baccalaureate Open

House Tours, from 8-10am during the spring semester on Friday, February 5; Friday, March 11; and Friday, April 1. Eagle Rock Junior/Senior High School serves students in grades 7-12, and was the first school in the LAUSD to be authorized to offer the prestigious Inter-national Baccalaureate (IB) Middle Years Programme (grades 7-10) and the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (grades 11-12), a project-based program for concept and content-based learning to promote global mindedness and service to others. The IB Open House is open to all interested students, and will include an introductory presenta-tion in the ERHS library, followed by campus tours, classroom visits, and a short question-and-answer period. To register for the Open Houses, please visit www.erhs.la, and click on the “IB Open House Registration” link. Please email Mylene Keipp mylene.keipp@lausd.net for more information. We look forward to your visit!

FEBRUARY 5-ApRIL 1

St. Finbar Catholic Church Valentine’s Dinner DanceWhen: Saturday, February 6 from 7:00 - 11:00pm.Cost per ticket: $30. For more information on all events, please contact Marian Nobleza at 818-219-6463.

Year of the Monkey celebrations at The Grove and the Americana at BrandBoth The Grove in Los Angeles and the Americana at Brand will transform into a grand

celebration of cheer and good fortune on Saturday, January 30 from 2:00 – 5:00pm with two Chinese New Year parades, including traditional lion and dragon performances, Chi-nese and Korean folk dancers, and a special appearance by cast members from the comedy TV series “Fresh Off the Boat” at The Americana. Guests can also enjoy traditional lantern décor, calligraphy artists, face painters and craft activities for kids, gourmet food and cultural bites, special shopping offers and surprise gifts (including cash prizes or gift cards) in lucky red envelopes, from now until Feb. 8. The dancing fountains at both properties will turn red for Lunar New Year, and the event will conclude with a final parade. Share your photos of the event by tagging #LunarAmericana and #LunarGrove.

MonetteAdevA MAglAyA

ImmigrantLiving: 101 and Beyond

AMID all the hype about cli-mate change, global warming and all junk science made possi-ble by manipulating data to sup-port predetermined results to advance a political global agen-da, we all need to step back, take a deep breath and SEE THE BIG PICTURE.

The Big Bang Theory claims that out of gas and dust, the uni-verse was born 13.2 billion years ago in a spectacular explosion. The solar system where our tiny, fragile, magnificent earth orbits was born only in the last 4.5 bil-lion years.

Life, in the form of single celled organisms began on earth 3.4 billion years ago and man began to walk the earth just a few million years ago. How does one fathom the unfathomable? One brilliant writer drew a more readily comprehensible parallel about the existence of human life as we know it, in this way. If the time frame of 13.2 billion years were to be thought of as a 24-hour day, human life only began the last two or three sec-onds just before midnight.

Our planet earth, with its satel-lite moon, is the third rock from the sun — an ordinary, garden variety, midsize yellow star — only one of two billion stars in an ordinary, garden variety spiral shaped galaxy called the Milky Way.

Scientists estimate that our sun has enough fuel in its bel-ly to burn for another 9 billion years at current brightness be-fore it dies. There was a time when men thought that the Milky Way comprised the entire universe. Now we know bet-ter. Galaxies huddle together to form clusters and superclusters and our galaxy — the Milky Way — is only one of a small group of about 20 galaxies orbiting in our tiny neck of the woods of the visible cosmos. Scientists now claim that there are perhaps 125 billion galaxies.

Edwin Hubble — for whom the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) was named — theorized that the universe is still expand-ing. In 1993, the Hubble tele-scope has been able to turn out stunning photographs of about 40 billion other galaxies orbit-ing in space in a universe that is perhaps, boundless. Since then, that telescope, the extension of

Seeing the big picture“Get out of yourself and out of the house, preferably in the countryside with less artificialsources of light on a moonless, cloudless, velvet night and gaze at the stars in the heavens. Fall in love with your own life all over again.”

the human vision into the vast-ness of the universe, has con-tinued to astound even the most cynical among us. It has photo-graphed the existence of an-other 1,500 galaxies, previously undiscovered. In 1997, the Hub-ble showed evidence of a black hole bigger than the sun’s mass — 300 million times at least.

A few astronomers even theo-rize the distinct possibility that there is not just one universe but the existence of multiverses. The concept and the imagery of watching the night skies partic-ularly on clear, moonless nights boggle the mind and strains the limits of the human imagina-tion.

Man has been sending out probes to find some other forms of life comparable to human life in the outer reaches of space but have found nothing convinc-ing — as of yet. And while we search and probe for other life forms, we know that absence of evidence does not mean evi-dence of absence.

What is the point of bring-ing up this cosmic canvass that seems little to do with our mind, body and spirit? The point is this. It has taken billions of years in a universe so incred-ibly vast — it staggers the hu-man imagination — for anyone born on earth to be given the wondrous gift of life the Cre-ator of the Universe is giving each one of us — whether we deserve it or not — a gift that puzzles us no end.

One thing is certain, there is nothing on earth more pre-cious than life itself. Looking at the big picture makes us see how infinitesimally tiny we are in the grand scheme of things, most times, how laughably in-significant our concerns are, how trivial our pursuits, how fearfully short and delicate life is and how utterly foolish to throw away the minutes and the hours in useless, useless fretting and worrying.

Next time you feel over-whelmed with tension, worry and ill health and seriously thinking of giving up — as you

are perhaps tempted to do while you figure out the complexities and parry with the slings and arrows of your life — do what the wise among us have done — sometimes out of sheer des-peration. Look heavenward. Get out of yourself and out of the house, preferably in the coun-tryside with less artificial sourc-es of light on a moonless, cloud-less, velvet night and gaze at the stars in the heavens. Fall in love with your own life all over again. Thoreau was right when he said that the darkness reveals the heavenly lights.

Carl Sagan, the noted astrono-mer who began researching the origins of life beginning in the nineteen fifties made his mark in astronomy and cosmography showing that Venus is too hot, Mars is too cold and our won-drous planet, the Earth, a tiny blue and white marbled dot, a mere iota, in the vast expanse of the cosmos — just right, for human life. We live in the tiny sliver of the Goldilocks zone with liquid water.

To the question of whether we are alone, there are, as yet, no answers. Unfazed and un-daunted by the silence of galac-tic neighbors to earthly probes by radio telescopes beamed into outer space, listening for signs of intelligent life, similar to ours perhaps with a mind-body-spirit connection as well, somewhere in deep space, Sagan wrote:

“It says something about the rarity

and preciousness of life on this planet.

The flip side of not finding life on another planet

is appreciating life on earth.” If the earth with all its beau-

ty and abundance and the vast expanse and majestic glory of the heavens themselves cannot impress upon thinking, feeling man the fragile and utterly pre-cious nature of his own life, it is doubtful anything ever will.

* * *Nota Bene: Monette Adeva Maglaya is SVP of Asian Journal Publications, Inc. To send comments, e-mail monette.maglaya@asianjournalinc.com

efits that are often inflated com-pared to their private industry counterparts. The maxim that our system of government is “of the people, by the people and for the people” no longer rings true!

Although Bernie Sanders, a 74-year-old Vermont senator and a long time politician, is rela-tively an unknown candidate but his effective mouthing of cam-paign slogans that are palatable to the ears of many voters who are “sick and tired” of the sta-tus quo is making his numbers surge, an unexpected phenom-enon that is making Secretary Clinton running scared. Clin-ton, despite the backing of many lobbyists and name recognition, has to fight hard to cleanse the stigma of just another recycled

traditional politician. By the end of summer, however, I think Clinton will eventually outrun the aging Sanders and then will face off a GOP establishment candidate Rubio or Cruz. I pre-dict that the short-lived celeb-rity status of Trump would have evaporated by the summer heat generated by thinking and more discriminating members of the GOP across the country.

My fearless prediction, as of today, will be a battle of the FAT C’s (Clinton vs. Cruz, who are both devoid of any charisma) with their fat campaign chests, clowns of follower and corrupt lobbyists, willing to invest into their campaign funds to protect or expand their vested inter-ests.

The American public has nine months to be entertained

and confused (hopefully edu-cated along the way) by these candidates who are all trying to sell to the American voters that they will be working for our welfare and future, as we are their employer or bosses, and they are our public servants. In reality, they are our masters and we are their slaves. Let’s not be that naïve that these politicians are always working for our welfare and the com-mon good! Let us be more vigilant, discriminating and must never shallow the hook, line and sinker thrown to the public by these politicians!

Stay tuned!(To be continued next week)

***Email columnist at: ernie.delfin@gmail.comBlog: http://ed-metamorphosis.blogspot.com; Website: www.gkerc.org

Politicians provide great entertainment…PAGE CJ2 t

PROVISIONAL WAIVER DISPELS THE FEAR IN GOING BACK TO MANILA FOR VISA PROCESSING — ON A SPECIAL EPISODE OF “CITIZEN PINOY!” Cindy was a crewman who jumped ship and had been a TNT for more than 10 years. After seeing a CITIZEN PINOY episode about a crewman who also jumped ship, Cindy and US citizen husband, Tom decided to consult with leading US immigration attorney Michael J. Gurfinkel. Through Atty. Gurfinkel’s help, Cindy’s PROVISIONAL WAIVER was approved. She went back to the Philippines and was processed for her immigrant visa at the American Embassy in Manila and returned to the US as a legal permanent resident. Watch an encore episode on Provisional Waivers, which could benefit crewmen, those who entered the US without inspection, or K-1 who did not marry their US petitioner, on “Citizen Pinoy” – this Sunday, January 31 at 6:15pm (PST) on TFC.

IF, years ago, you were peti-tioned by an employer, and that employer’s petition (Form I -140) was approved, but you nev-er received a green card from that case, a new employer could petition you, and you could pos-sibly have the old priority date transferred to the new case. This could save years of waiting time for a green card, as you could utilize the old priority date from the first employer’s case. In ad-dition, it does not even need to be the same type of job!

For example, a person was pe-titioned as a caregiver in 2000, and their I-140 was approved. However, before the person could adjust status, the employ-er went out of business, and the case was never concluded. Years later, in 2015, the person had a new employer who will peti-tion them as an accountant. Of course, they will still need to file a new labor certification appli-cation (PERM) and have it certi-fied by the Department of Labor, and have a new I-140 filed and approved by USCIS for an ac-countant. However, they could then have the old 2000 priority transferred to the newly – filed Form I-140.

It could be possible to retain and transfer your old employment-based priority date

Even though the USCIS is currently processing cases with 2007 priority dates, if a person is able to retain and transfer their older (or earlier) priority date, they would be immediately eligible to file for adjustment of status and get a green card, in-stead of waiting years for the lat-er priority date to become cur-rent! The regulation states that a “petition approved on behalf of an alien. . . accords the alien the priority date of the approved petition for any subsequently filed petition for any classifica-tion. . . for which the alien may qualify.” If a person has several approved petitions, the person is entitled to the earliest prior-ity date. (Note: transferring of priority dates in this manner ap-plies only for employment based petitions; not for family based petitions.)

If you have a previously ap-proved employment – based petition, and you believe you may be eligible under this reg-ulation, you should seek the advice of an attorney, who can evaluate your situation, and de-termine your eligibility. I also want to caution you that there are other requirements as well, such as if you are out of status,

you may still need the benefit of section 245(i)-- if your priority date was after April 30, 2001. In addition, if your previous peti-tion was revoked or denied, you may not be eligible to transfer the priority date to another peti-tion. However, if your situation qualifies, you could save years of waiting time for a green card by retaining and transferring an older employment – based pri-ority date.

* * *Michael J. Gurfinkel is licensed, and an

active member of the State Bar of California and New York. All immigration services are provided by, or under the supervision of, an active member of the State Bar of California. Each case is different. The information contained herein including testimonials, “Success Stories,” endorsements and re-enactments) is of a general nature, and is not intended to apply to any particular case, and does not constitute a prediction, warranty, guarantee or legal advice regarding the outcome of your legal matter. No attorney-client relationship is, or shall be, established with any reader.

WEBSITE: www.gurfinkel.comCall Toll free to schedule a consultation

for anywhere in the US: (866)—GURFINKELFour offices to serve you: LOS ANGELES

· SAN FRANCISCO · NEW YORK · PHILIPPINES (Advertising Supplement)

JANUARY 29-FEBRUARY 4, 2016 • NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL http://www.asianjournal.com • (650) 616-4150CJ� Business news

case the economic crunch starts to bite,” Beltran said.

Aside from this, he said it would also be advantageous for the government to diversify the profession and destination of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).

As for the type of jobs, Beltran said most OFWs are employed as skilled workers, particularly in the healthcare, management and education sectors, which are “so-

cially necessary.”“While OFWs are in profes-

sions that are socially neces-sary..., and are therefore less prone to job turnovers, reduced concentration could minimize risks from socio-political upheav-als and economic instability,” he pointed out.

Meanwhile, OFWs have start-ed to become “more dispersed” in terms of destinations.

Without citing data, Beltran said the share of smaller coun-

tries in attracting OFWs have been growing faster than the tra-ditional ones, suggesting more diversification.

“The country should continue exploiting non-traditional mar-kets for deploying OFWs to re-duce risks,” he said.

Remittances traditionally ac-count for a tenth of the country’s gross domestic product, benefit-ting OFW families by boosting their consumption and invest-ment capacities. n

OFW remittances remain unaffected…PAGE CJ1 t

TYCOON Andrew Tan-led property developer Megaworld expects recurring earnings from its commercial property portfolio to reach P11 billion this year, ac-counting for at least a fifth of to-tal business.

In a disclosure to the Philip-pine Stock Exchange on Mon-day, January 25, Megaworld said it would complete more of-fice towers, malls and commer-cial centers with a total gross floor area of more than 650,000 square meters by the end of the year. With this pace of expan-sion, the property developer sees its recurring income to grow to more than 20 percent of total revenue by end-2016.

“We are on track in strength-ening our office and mall portfo-lio as we continue to experience

Megaworld sees P11B rental income this 2016robust demand for spaces, both office and retail, in our town-ships. Both our offices and retail spaces enjoy a very high oc-cupancy rate of around 99 per-cent across our developments,” Megaworld senior vice presi-dent Jericho Go said.

At least 10 office towers in Up-town Bonifacio, McKinley West, The Mactan Newtown and Iloilo Business Park are expected to be completed by yearend, add-ing a gross floor area of 287,500 square meters to Megaworld’s office property inventory.

Currently, the company has over 150 companies in its portfo-lio of office tenants, mostly from the information technology and business process outsourcing (IT-BPO) sector.

Through the years, Megaworld townships have provided office space to some of the world’s big-gest IT-BPO companies such as

Accenture, Wells Fargo, HP, IBM and United Health Group.

Apart from office properties, around 11 malls and commer-cial centers will be completed in McKinley Hill, Uptown Boni-facio, McKinley West, The Mac-tan Newtown, Iloilo Business Park, ArcoVia City, Southwoods City and Makati by yearend. These new developments will have a gross floor area of around 371,000 square meters.

“Our malls and commercial centers primarily cater to our growing residents and BPO workers in our townships. Mega-world offers a “ready market” to our retail partners. In McKinley Hill, for example, where we have around 80,000 BPO workers and 12,000 residents. They are the primary customers of Venice Piazza, Tuscany and the upcom-ing Venice GrandCanal Mall,” said Go. n

MORE than 40 local exporters are gearing up for the world’s largest, oldest and most impor-tant consumer trade fair in Frank-furt, Germany, next month.

The Philippines will join thou-sands of exhibitors from around the world at Ambiente 2016.

Showcasing mostly handmade products in the Dining, Giving and Living categories, in an ex-hibit area more than 50 times the size of the Philippines’ SMX Convention Center, the show has double the number of its exhibi-tors from last year.

“European shows are design-oriented, so we have to make sure there is always something new each year,” said Wilbert Novero, general manager of We Link (Worldwide Exhibitions Linkage Services), a division of Global Link Exhibitions Special-

Filipino exporters join world’s largest trade fairist, the official sales partner of Messe Frankfurt GmbH, orga-nizer of Ambiente.

With a booth occupying a floor area of 700 square meters at the fair, the Philippines will be presenting table, kitchen and household products in Dining; gifts, decor, fashion and jewelry in Giving; and furnishing ideas, home accessories, and indoor and outdoor decor in Living.

Nuances of craftThe country’s edge in the

show, however, is what Novero calls the Filipino “soul.” Most countries now go for a clean, industrial look. While these are modern, they lack the nuances of craft that can only be seen, for example, in a handmade chair.

The indigenous materials and labor that go into Philippine products, coupled with unique design sensibilities, have always made them a standout at Ambi-ente trade fairs.

Dining tabletops are now among the most sought-after products, since many Europeans today opt to dine and entertain at home. What the Philippines lacks in tableware and glassware, it makes up for in innovative de-signs.

Germany is known as the capi-tal of trade fairs, where every ma-jor city has a fair ground. Ambi-ente has been the leading world trade show in consumer goods for more than 800 years, since it started in a medieval building in Frankfurt in 1150.

Today, it sets trends worldwide in design, color and material.

Italian designer Paola Navone will design this year’s partner country presentation, while Ger-man designer Detlef Klatt and Rachelle Dagñalan will curate the Philippine exhibit.

For more info, visit we-link.gesi.com.ph/ or www.messefrankfurt.com/frankfurt/en.html. n

PHILIPPINE merchandise imports accelerated for a sixth consecutive month in November, picking up by 10.1 percent from a year earlier but losing momen-tum from October’s revised 16.9-percent growth.

An analyst said this was a sign that the need for capital goods and raw materials remained strong given domestic demand and infrastructure spending, but warned that the country’s trade deficit could widen given weak external markets.

The Philippines, the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) pointed out, ranked first among other Asian economies in terms of imports growth in November 2015.

A Cabinet official, meanwhile, said lower commodity prices, particularly for oil, would ben-efit the economy as manufactur-ing costs decrease but warned that the government should be prepared to combat continued global volatility.

The Philippine Statistics Au-thority (PSA) on Tuesday, Jan. 26, said growth was recorded for five out of the top 10 imported commodities, boosting overall in-bound shipments to $6.095 billion from $5.536 billion a year earlier.

The country’s trade position posted a deficit of $977 mil-lion, narrower than the revised $1.944 billion recorded in Octo-ber but wider compared to the $361-million deficit recorded a year earlier.

Year to date, merchandise im-ports totaled $62.629 billion, up 4.5 percent from the $59.928 bil-

Philippine imports up 10.1 percent, tops Asian economies

November marks sixth straight month of growthlion seen in January to November last year.

The trade deficit for the 11-month period increased to $8.640 billion from $2.629 bil-lion a year earlier.

The NEDA, in a statement, said continued growth in merchan-dise imports signified increasing investment demand in the Philip-pines.

The value of imported capital goods, an indicator of economic activity, grew by 40.8 percent in November 2015, it noted. Import payments for raw materials and intermediate goods, which ac-counted for 41.4 percent of total imports, also rose by 14.0 per-cent to $2.5 billion.

Inbound shipments of con-sumer goods, meanwhile, grew by 8 percent to $1.0 billion on higher purchases of durable goods and home appliances, the NEDA said.

Imports of mineral products and lubricants, on the other hand, declined 40.1 percent, weighed down mainly by lower imports of petroleum crude from Saudi Ara-bia, Japan and Vietnam.

Socioeconomic Planning Sec-retary Arsenio Balisacan, howev-er, said the decline in commod-ity prices, especially for crude, would be beneficial for the local manufacturers.

“We . . . expect the trend of low oil prices to continue as demand softens with slower economic growth. Oversupply could hap-pen as oil-exporting economies continue to produce to drive down prices and maintain mar-ket share,” he noted.

Jeff Ng, economist at Standard Chartered Bank, said import growth continued to be driven by

strong demand for capital goods and raw materials, which he said could be traced to consumer and infrastructure spending.

The wider trade deficit as of end-November, Ng said, was due to a combination of weak external and stronger domestic demand.

“Export growth near-term should still remain downwardly impacted by sluggish external demand,” he said.

Electronic products remained the country’s top import with a 35 percent share. In value terms, the Philippines purchased $2.131 billion worth, up 68.8 percent from a year earlier.

China was the top source of imports in November, account-ing for 16.7 percent of the total. Following were Japan, the Unit-ed States, Taiwan, South Korea, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Hong Kong.

The NEDA, in noting that the Philippines was the top import-er in the region, said that with the exception of Vietnam that recorded 6.6-percent imports growth, other Asian economies such as China, Thailand, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, Ja-pan, Malaysia, South Korea and Indonesia posted declines dur-ing the month.

Balisacan, the NEDA direc-tor general, urged the govern-ment to continue being vigilant against possible external shocks, considering uncertainties stem-ming from the impact of mon-etary tightening in the United States, an economic slowdown and structural transformation of China and the continued geo-political tensions in various re-gions. n

by Mayvelin U. CaraballoManilaTimes.net

by Doris DUMlao-abaDillaInquirer.net

by anne a. JaMboraInquirer.net

IN partnership with the San Mateo County Health System, North County Fire Authority is providing a free flu vaccine clinic on Saturday, January 30, from 9am to 12 noon. The clinic is being held at North County Fire Authority Station 94 located at 444 Gellert Drive, Daly City.

The flu vaccine is available to those ages five

and older. Top three reasons to get a flu vaccine: 1. Prevents flu-related death 2. Prevents severe illness 3. Protect other people Don’t miss out on this opportunity to protect you

and your family! n

Free Flu Vaccine Clinicn in Daly City on Jan. 30

EMPLOYMENT

FOSTER HOMECARE

EMPLOYMENT FOR SALE

(650) 616-4150 • http://www.asianjournal.com NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL • JANUARY 29-FEBRUARY 4, 2016 CJ�PeoPle & events

MOUNTAIN VIEW — Seven years after launching its discre-tionary grantmaking program, Silicon Valley Community Foun-dation announced today that it will begin a strategic review pro-cess in 2016 to ensure that the organization is continuing to ad-dress Silicon Valley’s most press-ing community needs.

Through its grantmaking strat-egies, SVCF supports the most effective and innovative organi-zations to solve the most chal-lenging problems in San Mateo and Santa Clara counties. Since making its first grants in 2009, SVCF has awarded more than $87 million in grants to over 400 local nonprofit organizations through its discretionary grant-making program.

“It is important that our grant-making investments continue to demonstrate impact, timeliness and relevance to the region’s residents consistent with our institutional goals and commit-ment to effective grantmaking,”

FOLLOWING the two hearings on the costs and impacts of the private, corporate event—Super Bowl 50 Festival—that is being held in San Francisco and fund-ed with taxpayer dollars at a cost estimate of $4 million dollars, Supervisor Kim is introducing a resolution calling for the Office of the Controller to conduct a cost analysis prior to the City’s com-mitment of public funds to future large events.

In a recent SF Chronicle ar-ticle, published January 8, 2016,

CAROL Klatt, a 50-year resi-dent of Daly City, died peacefully at her new home in Las Vegas, NV with her beloved family by her side on January 20, 2016. Mrs. Klatt served on the City Council more than 21 years, since September 1993.

Mrs. Klatt rose to City Coun-cil by being an active volunteer with many business and com-munity groups. Her service to the community can be traced back to 1991, when she was ap-pointed to the Parks and Rec-reation Commission, a position she retained until ascending to the City Council.

Mrs. Klatt earned a reputation for her grassroots community involvement as far back as 1965 when she served as a Girl Scout Leader, fostering good citizen-ship among Daly City’s next gen-eration of young women. Her calling as a neighborhood activ-ist was evident by 1980 when she was elected as the President and Secretary of the Serramonte Homeowners Association, the same year she developed a keen interest in City Council proceed-ings. Mrs. Klatt’s community in-volvement continued to grow as she became a fixture at meetings of the Clean Community Com-mittee, Anti-Graffiti Committee, Airport Community Roundta-ble, Daly City Host Lions Club, Friends of the Library, North Peninsula Food Pantry & Dining Center, and the Mission Street Merchants Association, to name but a few.

During Mrs. Klatt’s 21 years on the City Council, she served as

HERCULES CYCLING CLUB. Want to get into cycling or looking to ride with a group? Established in August 2013, The Hercules Cycling Club was organized to promote the enjoyment of cycling in our local community. We are a collection of cyclists from different backgrounds and skill levels that organize fun group rides open to everyone, and support events and activities that encourage cycling. Membership is not limited to Hercules City residents, we have members all over the Bay Area including San Francisco, Fremont in the south and Fairfield up north. Safety comes first on our rides, and no one gets dropped nor left behind! For more information on the club and ride schedules, go to www.herculescyclingclub.net or email herculescyclingclub@gmail.com.

Daly City mourns the passing of former Councilmember and community leader Carol Klatt

Mayor five times, and earned the well-deserved reputation as one of the hardest working elected officials in San Mateo County, rarely missing a meeting or com-munity event and always finding time to respond to constituent concerns.

After her election to the Coun-cil, she continued her active in-volvement in a broad range of City activities and committees, serving the interests of all Daly City residents. Mrs. Klatt served on such committees as: Bayshore Revitalization/Cow Palace, CDBG Advisory, Daly City Council of Homeowners and Residents Liaison Committee, Daly City General Plan Steering Commit-tee, Daly City-Quezon City Sister City Committee, Ethics Commit-tee, Jefferson Elementary School District, Medical Marijuana Com-mittee, Mission Street Improve-ment Committee, Pacific Plaza, Serramonte Shopping Center, Sullivan Corridor Committee, Solid Waste/Recycling Commit-tee, Taxi Cab Committee, and the

Water Issues Committee.In addition, she represented

the City of Daly City on the Ex-ecutive Committee of the As-sociation of Bay Area Govern-ments and Seton Medical Center Committee, and represented the City of Daly City on the Bay Area Air Quality Management Dis-trict Board and on the following BAAQMD Subcommittees: Leg-islative, Personnel, Public Rela-tions and Mobile Source. Mrs. Klatt also represented the City of Daly City on the following Boards and Committees: Colma Creek Flood Control District, North County Fire Authority Board, Pre-Hospital Emergency Medical Services Group (JPA) Board, and the Peninsula Traffic Congestion Relief Alliance. Mrs. Klatt also served as the Alternate on the Airport Community Roundtable, the City/County Association of Governments and the San Mateo Operational Area Office of Emer-gency Services.

Mrs. Klatt’s achievements will serve as her legacy in a commu-nity that is eternally grateful for her unwavering dedication and commitment to improving the quality of life in Daly City for resi-dents of all generations.

Mrs. Klatt is survived by her husband, John, daughters Deb-bie and Kim, son Anthony, seven grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

The Klatt family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations be made in her honor to the Pilipino Bayanihan Resource Center or the North Peninsula Food Pantry & Dining Center. n

Carol Klatt

Silicon Valley Community Foundation announces 2016 review of grant making strategies

Supervisor Kim to introduce resolution to mandate city provide economic analysis prior to paying for special events: ‘No fiscal hangovers for San Francisco’

City officials acknowledged that they could not and did not pro-vide cost estimates regarding how much additional funds and resources would be spent to staff the Super Bowl events. And while “…the host committee is raising $10 million for local nonprofits,” out of more than $50 million raised by the host committee, “the agreement didn’t include reimbursing the city for extra police, traffic control and other services.”

“My priorities from the very

beginning have been to make sure that the people who make San Francisco work, can actually get to work throughout the Super Bowl festival, and just as impor-tantly, that San Franciscans aren’t left with the bill for a party that is primarily marketing and promot-ing a multibillion dollar corpora-tion that thinks a $4 million dol-lar price tag is just not that much. Maybe it’s not, for them. But for the rest of us, we shouldn’t be left with a fiscal hangover when the party’s over.”

“There is, at least as it was crafted by the city with the host committee, no reimbursement to the city and taxpayers for the cost of this. There are going to be lit-erally hundreds of officers there on overtime with no money, none for cleanup or Muni. I, along with several of my colleagues, will be asking the city’s budget analyst to determine how much this is going to cost the city,” stated Supervisor Aaron Peskin, “We should have been provided with that information months ago and

we should have that information as a matter of policy before the city gets involved and uses tax-payer money.”

“With our hotel rooms full and our housing cannibalized for short-term rentals, commuters severely inconvenienced by the literal derailment of public trans-portation on a main transportation artery, when does the business attraction go too far? As stewards of the public trust and taxpayer dollars, it’s our job to ensure any diversion of city resources is done

only when absolutely necessary,” asserted Supervisor John Avalos.

The resolution will request that the City perform at least a prelim-inary financial analysis prior to any private event being hosted by the City, in addition to a more comprehensive analysis after the event. If an event is not 100% free and open to the residents of San Francisco, no commitment to use City resources should be made until the preliminary cost analysis is complete and public-ly presented to the Board. n

said Emmett D. Carson, Ph.D., CEO and president of SVCF.

SVCF’s five grantmaking strat-egies were announced in 2008 after an extensive community in-put process. At that time, SVCF shared with the community that it would be making larger grants, over longer periods of time, and that it would do a refresh of its strategies after five years and conduct a more comprehensive review after the seven years.

The refresh process was com-pleted in 2013 and the strate-gic review process will begin in 2016. It will be carried out over a two year period. There will be no changes to our grantmaking program during the 2016 calen-dar year.

“SVCF will engage the com-munity in the review of its strate-gies. Any changes to the grant-making strategies will require the approval of SVCF’s board of directors,” said Erica Wood, chief community impact officer for SVCF.

In keeping with the community foundation’s values of transpar-ency and accountability, SVCF will share more about the review process in the months ahead.

To review SVCF’s impact briefs from our 2013 refresh process, please visit: http://www.siliconval-leycf.org/publications#impact-briefs

About Silicon Valley Com-munity Foundation

Silicon Valley Community Foundation advances innovative philanthropic solutions to chal-lenging problems. As the larg-est community foundation in the world, we engage donors and corporations from Silicon Valley, across the country and around the globe to make our region and world better for all. Our passion for helping people and organiza-tions achieve their philanthropic dreams has created a global philanthropic enterprise commit-ted to the belief that possibilities start here. Learn more at silicon-valleycf.org. n

JANUARY 29-FEBRUARY 4, 2016 • NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL http://www.asianjournal.com • (650) 616-4150CJ�

Friday, January 29, 2016

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by Joseph peralta/AJPress

WITH millions of Filipinos spread out across the globe, Philippine products are finding their way to thousands of markets overseas buoyed not only by the demand of kababayans living in places

like North America, Europe, Latin America and other parts of Asia, but also by finding new fans who are not familiar with Filipino products.

With millions of Filipinos spread out across the globe, Philippine products are finding their way to thousands of mar-kets overseas buoyed not only by the demand of kababay-ans living in places like North America, Europe, Latin America and other parts of Asia, but also by finding new fans who are not familiar with Filipino

products.Here in the West Coast – in

the San Francisco Bay Area to be exact – the Winter Fancy Food Show has become a major event where buyers, sup-pliers, distributors, retailers and people connected to the food industry meet to look at the latest trends and products from domestic and international companies.

The 41st edition of annual event featured a Philippines Pavilion in the South Hall, the fourth year in a row the country has participated in the event’s 41-year history.

Organized by the Philip-pine Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM) and the Foreign Trade Services Corps-Philippine Trade and Invest-ment Center, the pavilion fea-tured 16 Philippine companies offering an array of products, including heirloom rice, banana chips, coconut juice/milk/oil/sugar, seafood, sea salt, condi-ments, syrups and even ice

pops and jellies.‘Food products with a

heart’What is interesting to note

about the Philippines Pavilion is the unique story and presenta-tion it had to offer to visitors – that of offering “Food Prod-ucts with a Heart.”

According to Trade Com-missioner Nicanor Bautista,

this is in response to global trends which demand account-ability, the preservation of good practices, and a sense of community.

“That’s the social dimen-sion,” Baustista told the Asian Journal in referring to the tagline. “We’re here not just to make money. We’re here to help the least developed communities in the Philippines. It’s the social responsibility not only of the government but one that is shared equally by everybody, by all the private companies comprising the Philippine delegation. It’s their way of paying it forward.”

Indeed, in its brochure distributed to fancy food show visitors, the government de-scribes how today’s exporters have become good stewards, taking “meaningful action to improve their environmental policies, provide healthy op-tions and ensure they care for the farmers and laborers.”

“Thanks to the Filipino heart, social entrepreneurs have made it a vocation to

Taste by design, food products with a heart

SF2 cover storyThe Asian Journal SF MAGAZINE - January 29, 2016

THE PHILIPPINES AT THE 2016 WINTER FANCY FOOD SHOW

Who’s at the Philippines Pavilion:

• Brandexports Philipp-pines Inc./Peace and Equity Foundation

Products: Juices, Dried Fruits, Nuts & Chips, Fresh & Processed Fruits, Banana Chips, Coconut and Mango Vinegar, Coco Wine, Fruit Wine, Virgin Coconut Oil, Coconut Sugar, Coconut Water

Brand names: Islas Filipina, Philippine golden Harvest

Status: Some products sold in the US, both in Asian and mainstream markets

• Citra Mina Canning Corporation

Products: Cook Loin, Canned Tuna products

Status: Manufacturer/supplier for private brands or labels

• Eighth Wonder, Inc.Products: Gourmet qual-

ity heirloom rice from historic rice terraces of the Philip-pines (3 varieties of sticky rice; 4 varieties of staple rice)

Status: Sold in US & Canada, mostly in high-end, natural food stores and to chefs

• Franklin Baker Compa-ny of the Philippines

Products: Coconut (Des-sicated, Toasted or Sweet-ened), Virgin Cococnut Oil, Coconut Water Con-centrate, Coconut Sugar, Coconut Concentrate, Co-conut Chips, Coconut Flour, Coconut Milk

Status: Distributed in US and globally. Sold in bulk and for private labels; not available in retail stores

• Fruits of Life, Inc.Products: Coconut Wa-

ter, Coconut Meat, Coconut Cream Frozen, Sardines

Brand Names: Lipa (for Coconut products), Picarte (bottled Spanish Sardines)

Status: Provides raw materials for private labels of US companies; also looking at retail market

• Hatchgrove EnterpriseProducts: Garnishing

Coconut Oils, Virgin Coconut Oil, Marinating Coconut Vinegar, Frozen Coconut Products

Status: Supplies products for other companies’ private labels

• JUD Products Philip-pines, Inc.

Products: Coconut Sugar, Coconut Syrup, Nut Butters, Fruitcake, Savoury Banana Chips

Status: Looking for dis-tributors; hopes to enter US market within 2016

• Mackie International, Inc.

Products: Ice Pops,

Jellies, and Chilled Drinks, Frozen Treats for Kids

Status: Available in US market via Safeway, mom & pop stores, independents and Hispanic grocery stores; also sold overseas, including Australia, UK & Germany

• Mama Sita’s (Marigold Manufacturing Corporation)

Products: All-natural Vinegars, Seasalt & Spices; Tropical Fruit Syrup, Ar-rozcaldo, Champorado, Samalamig Kits, Noodle and Spice Kits

Status: Sold in US market via Oriental/Asian groceries; also via distributors.

• Philfresh CorporationProducts: Super Frozen

Tuna, Shelf Stable & Ready-to-Cook products/Frozen Pork Loin Canned Tuna

Status: Manufacturer for private labels

• Q-Phil Products Inter-national

Products: Noodles, Taro Leaves, Coconut Cream

Status: Entered US market in late 2015; sold in oriental markets

• Raw Brown Sugar Mill-ing Co, Inc.

Products: Organic Muscovado (Powder, Rocks, Cubes, Sachet, Syrup), Muscovado Candy (Mango, Ginger, Pineapple, Papaya, Coconut, Banana), Virgin Coconut Oil

Status: Available in US market since 2015 via dis-tributors

• Sagrex Foods, Inc.Products: Frozen Banana

(Saba)Brand Name: Golden

SabaStatus: Available in US

market for 5 years now; sold in Asian groceries

• See’s International Food Manufacturing Corp.

Products: Banana ChipsStatus: Sold in bullk;

planning to enter retail market and looking to sell to private labels in 2016

• SL Agritech Corpora-tion

Products: Premium Healthy Rice

Brand Name: Doña MariaStatus: Available since

2015 at Seafood City; also looking at potential outlets, including Costco and Trader Joe’s

• xroads Philippine Sea Salts®

Products: Culinary Sea Salts

Status: Since 2006 in food service distribution; sold to restaurants and chefs; sold in retail stores like Potter’s Green and Village Market

Kathryn Bernardo:‘We need someone to give our generation a wake-up call’

by stefan punongbayan Philstar

MANILA—Kathryn Bernardo is game, all day long. That’s exactly what she told me when I asked her for a one-on-one following her coronation as the latest face of a top haircare brand. We’ve all seen her grow in front of the camera. We hardly could have predicted that she was destined to be one of the most sought-after actresses and crushes ng bayan.

Apparently, the Teen Queen always leaves room for her royal subjects. She fixes her blush-hued dress and silky hair, and beckons me to sit with her on her throne — a fuchsia and white sofa — ea-ger to tell me the tales of her vic-tory. Love her or hate her, she has

managed to rule while having fun. She is, after all, Kathryn Bernardo and not Kathryn Bernardon’t.

Philstar.com: This year, you’re pushing 20. What have you learned so far from your reign as the Teen Queen of Philippine showbiz?

Kathryn Bernardo: A lot, actually, especially in 2015. Mas kilala ko na ang sarili ko, I think. I feel that I’m stronger and more mature now. Like, kung may prob-lema, I handle things differently.

Were there any struggles, pressures and perks?

Of course, nandiyan ‘yan. Hanggang ngayon, hindi mawawala ang pressure. I think it’s a good thing, though, kasi yun ang motivation ko. Ngayon,

Continued on Page SF4

Xian Lim reveals mostchallenging role to date

by Joyce Jimenez Philstar

MANILA—Xian Lim hopes to prove himself as an actor in his upcoming film “Everything About Her” with Vilma Santos and Angel Locsin.

He admitted that like his character Albert, he feels strongly about proving himself.

“Similarities namin ni Albert, often misunderstood si Albert,” he said in an interview. “He has a lot of insecurities regarding work. He’s a frustrated architect and he wants to show everyone na he can do it.”

“Pareho lang po kami, ‘yon din po ang frustration ko. Gusto ko ipakita sa tao na kaya ko,” he added.

The Kapamilya actor admit-ted that “Everything About Her” is his most challenging role to date. Aside from working

Xian Lim wants and hopes to prove himself as an actor through his latest film “Everything About Her,” which also stars Vilma Santos and Angel Locsin. Philstar.com photo by Joyce Jimenez

with actresses Vilma and Angel, Xian said he went outside of his comfort zone for this project.

“Kasi una sa lahat ‘yong mga projects ko previously ever since nagsimula ang ‘My Binondo Girl’ was with Kim [Chiu],” he explained. “Pero sa apat na taon po namin nagkaro’n kami ng mga pelikula, gamay na gamay na namin ang isa’t isa. Pero sa pelikulang ‘to, it’s a learning pro-cess. I’m just really proud.”

After experiencing a differ-ent style of directing from Joyce Bernal and character internaliza-tion from Vilma and Angel, Xian thinks there have been changes in his “standards” when it comes to his acting.

“Yes nag-iba po. Hindi sa pagpili ng roles, hindi sa pagpili ng projects, pero ‘yong proseso po na ginagawa [for the role],” he said. “I won’t be selective

with my projects. As much as possible, I want to tackle a lot of roles. I want to learn more. This project pa lang ang dami ko na natutunan. Very life-changing ang project na ‘to.”

“Sometimes it’s good. Sometimes kailangan lang nating matutunan kung paano i-balance ang lahat para hindi tayo maging pabigat o masabihang spoiled at entitled,” says Kathryn. Philstar.com photo

support, mobilize and engage local farms and fishers, and work to ensure their success. The future is seeing through stories considerable prom-ise in the industry’s landscape where cultural heritage and entrepreneur-ial prosperity reach harmony,” it said as an ending.

Bautista, whose former posting was as DTI Commercial Counselor in Korea, disclosed that Philippine exporters are ready to handle today’s food trends and demands as present-ed in the Winter Fancy Food Show.

“Yes, they are!” he an-swered enthusiastically to a query whether Philippine companies can deliver products that are non-GMO (genetically modified organism), fair trade, gluten-free and come from sustainable sources. “That’s the good thing about Filipinos and is a direct result of the fact that we have 7 million Filipinos all over the world in about 148 countries who serve as virtual feedback sources…who serve as marketing agents that pro-vide us in Manila and these pro-ducers with information about the latest trends, demands, and this-and-that.”

“We are positioning ourselves to be a supplier of healthy, natural, organic food. We have products here that are non-GMO, we have products here that have low glycemic index, we have products here bereft of any preservatives and additives… That’s what we’re hearing from the visitors for the last two days. They appreciate it – some of them didn’t even know that we are into fair trade in the Philippines, that we are into the protection of indige-nous communities, and that we

are into the protection of the sustainability of our natural re-sources. They are hearing it for the first time, and they like what they’re hearing,” he added.

And as far as any negative perception about Philippine-made products is concerned, Bautista said that passing the stringent procedures set forth by the European Union (EU) and countries like United States, Japan and Korea proves that these products are ready for the global market.

“The quality is there,” he explained. “We have products that have gained a foothold not only in the US market but in more stringent markets like the EU, Japan, Korea. And they have penetrated not only the usual Pinoy constituencies but the very main markets of these areas.”

Despite the foothold that

Continued on Page SF5

“Thanks to the Filipino heart, social entrepreneurs have made it a vocation to support, mobilize and engage local

farms and fishers, and work to ensure their success. The future is seeing through stories

considerable promise in the industry’s landscape where cultural heritage and

entrepreneurial prosperity reach harmony.”

SF3entertainmentThe Asian Journal SF MAGAZINE – January 29, 2016

By MoNET Lu

The radiant glow ofa beautiful bride

“THE radiant glow of my bride is simply breathtaking.” This was what people have told me about beautiful actress Joyce Jimenez, and countless other brides that have trusted me to be part of their very special day. Even after many years of making brides shine on their wedding day, I still have this important task—to master perfection and pursue my pas-sion to continuously update my knowledge in the latest styles in make up and hairstyle, like the new “ 3D illusion technique 2016.” My stylists and I have done weddings so many times that they have become second nature to us.

If you have been doing this as long as we have, I think you reach a certain level of profi-ciency. It is my passion, and I am still so excited to apply the skills that I gained after all these years of being in the beauty industry. I employ highly profi-cient hair and makeup artists as my part of my team. We work together in unison to create a perfect makeup look and style for the whole bridal entourage. Timeless elegance starts with perfection.

Personalized service is a key element in my profession and experience, especially for brides who are still deciding on a look they want to wear on the big day. It’s important that the bride communicates how she wants her overall look to be. It’s her day and she should be the center of attention. As experts, we can make recommendations and perhaps improve on her raw ideas but ultimately it is up to the bride.” From our variety of personalized service menu, brides may opt for salon-caliber makeup and hair service from the comforts of their own home or hotels. More than this, brides can also count on me and my crew to dish out useful tips on the essential pre-wedding must-

Actress Joyce Jimenez and her groom Ely

knows, such as choosing the perfect gown, the placement of the tiara, skin care and other details.

One suggestion would be light makeup, which is very soft, glowing and flawless. The aim is to look like you are not made-up. The natural, timeless look never runs out of style, nor do the dramatic smoky eyes -- so that when a bride looks back at her wedding pictures, she will be reminded that she wore a style that never ages. I have been grooming beautiful brides from all over Southern & Northern California, Nevada, the East Coast and even as far as Europe. Budget is never an issue, as I give personalized and reasonable prices depending on the bride’s need and loca-tion. We understand that price is always a big consideration when it comes to choosing your hairstylist and makeup artist. There are other salons out there who charge lower than Monet Salons, but the important ques-tion to ask is: “Will I be happy with the outcome?” Brides

should choose talent and exper-tise over budget. My team of makeup artists and hairdressers boast of extensive training and experience both in the Philip-pines and in the United States. We have three locations in Panorama City and Winnetka, California. All are full service salons that specialize in hair and makeup for weddings, debu-tante balls, and other special occasions. For the full service menu and a complimentary consultation, visit www.monet-salon.com or call (213)216-4923 and ask for me. I would love to be of service to you.

***Monet Lu is a Marikina-born, award-

winning celebrity beauty stylist with his own chain of Monet Salon salons across Southern California and Las Vegas, Nevada. Ultimately, Monet is known as an all-around artiste who produces sold-out fashion and awards shows as well as unforgettable marketing campaigns. Monet is also the founder of the revolutionary all-natural beauty products such as Enlighten, your solution to discoloration. To contact Monet, please visit www.monetsalon.com or email him at monetsalon@aol.com

by Tessa Mauricio-arriola ManilaTimes

SHE was long considered the queen of soaps on prime time TV until her personal life encountered many controversies. But now, Claudine Barretto, who at the height of her career was christened the “Optimum Star,” is back where the likes of director Joel Lamangan believes she belongs.

“Aktres si Claudine Barretto sa totoong depinisyon ng pagiging aktres,” he declared at the launch of the come-backing celebrity’s Viva tele-drama ‘Bakit Manipis ang Ulap’ on TV5. The piece is a remake of a 1985 film drama written and helmed by the late and noted director Danny Zialcita.

In response, Claudine expressed her gratitude to Viva and her director for giving her another shot to thrive in what she calls her “forte” in show business.

“I’ve been in the industry for 24 years—I was 11 when I started in theater with Reper-tory Philippines. Bata pa lang ako gusto ko na

Claudine returns to the teleseryeand a more stable personal life

Continued on Page SF4 Claudine Barretto returns to her ‘forte.’

SF4 celebrityworldThe Asian Journal SF MAGAZINE - January 29, 2016

celebrity worldBy Ferdie Villar

International Broadway starLea Salonga heads February

birthday celebrantsINTERNATIONALLY known

Filipina stage actress and singer Lea Salonga heads the list of prominent personalities celebrat-ing their birthday this February. Lea will celebrate her birthday on Monday, February 22.

Lea is most known for her role of Kim in the highly success-ful musical, “Miss Saigon,” for which she won the Olivier, Tony, Drama Desk, Outer Critics and Theatre World awards. She is the first Filipino artist to sign with international record label – At-lantic Records – in 1993. She is also the first Philippine-based artist to have received a major album release and distribution deal in the United States (the second being Charice Pem-pengco with her 2010 album, Charice), and one of the best-selling Filipino artists of all time, having sold over five million cop-ies of her albums worldwide.

Lea was the first Asian actress to play the roles of Eponine and Fantine in the famed musical “Les Miserables” on Broadway. She portrayed both roles on the musical’s 10th and 25th anniver-sary show in London respectively. She also provided the singing voice of two official Disney princesses: Jasmine in “Aladdin” (1992) and Fa Mulan in “Mulan” (1998) and “Mulan II” (2004). Lea was named a Disney Legend in 2011 for her work with The Walt Disney Company.

The daughter of Feliciano Genuino Salonga and Ligaya Alcantara Imutan, Lea spent the first six years of her childhood in Angeles City before moving to Manila. Her brother, Gerard, is now an orchestral conductor and musical director.

Other personalities celebrat-ing their birthday this February are:

February 1 - Fashion stylist, hairdresser and designer Fanny Serrano;

February 2 - Kaiser Hospital in South San Francisco nurse Alma Bernabe Roxas;

February 3 - ABS-CBN 2 Managing Director for Star Cin-ema Malou Santos;

February 4 - ABS-CBN 2 Senior Vice President and Star Magic Talent Manager Johnny Manahan;

International artist Lea Salonga, the only Filipina who has received the Disney Legends award, heads the list of prominent personalities celebrat-ing their birthdays this February. Ms. Salonga is shown in photo with beauty impresario Ferdie Villar, taken during her recent visit in the Bay Area last year.

by Bayani San Diego Jr.Inquirer

February 5 - Concert King Martin Nievera, and Daly City community leader Mario Panor-ingan;

February 6 - LuzViMin of the Bay Area President Ora Seyler, veteran actor Eddie Gutierrez, and entertainment producer/veteran actress Daisy Romualdez;

February 7 - Former Mr. RP-USA Willard Torres of Hayward;

February 8 - Philippine President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III, and Dr. John Gabor-do of Gilroy;

February 9 - GMA 7 actress Heart Evangelista, and actor/dancer John Prats;

February 10 - Ballroom dancer Jose “Joe” de Guzan, San Francisco tailor Gil Rivera, and former medical assistant Ricky Umali;

February 11 - GMA 7 multi-awarded actress Lovi Poe, and actress/TV host Jackielou Blanco;

February 12 - Retired engineer from Concord Manny Sarmiento;

February 13 – Daly City real

estate broker Carmelita “Lita” Celimen;

February 14 - Queen of All Media Kris Aquino, Mr. Total Entertainer Rico J. Puno, actress Roxanne Guinoo;

February 15 - PBA cager James Yap;

February 17 - Showtime TV host Anne Curtis;

February 18 - Hollywood stage actress and model Glenda Kennedy, and TV host Berna-dette Sembrano;

February 20 - ABS-CBN 2 actress Cristine Reyes;

February 21 - Fil-Am busi-ness executive Sean Rennock;

February 22 - TV5 Vice President for Entertainment Wilma Galvante;

February 23 - Real estate agent Ramon “Monching” Bu-nag, Magandang Pilipina writer Joey Panlilio;

February 25 - Asia’s fashion czar Jose “Pitoy” Moreno;

February 26 - Actress As-sunta de Rossi, veteran actress Chanda Romero, and equestri-enne Mikee Cojuangco-Jawor-ski;

February 27 - International recording star Josh Groban, well-liked dentist and sing-ing tenor Dr. Narciso “Tito” Yusi, community and religious leader and Roco Medical Clinic administrator and civic leader Bernadette Munoz Roco, and Navy pilot Michael Back;

February 29 - San Francisco community leader Jun Jun Vil-legas.

To all celebrants, happy birthday and to all my readers, advanced Happy Valentine’s Day.

Religious and community leader Bernadette Munoz Roco (far right), who is also the Administrator of the Roco Medical Clinic, will celebrate her birthday on February 27. Mrs. Roco is shown with her husband, Dr. Carmelo Lim Roco and Superstar Nora Aunor.

Dr. Narciso “Tito” Yusi, a dentist and singing tenor, will celebrate his birthday on February 27.

LuzViMin of the Bay Area President Ora Seyler will celebrate her birthday with family and close friends on February 6.

Daly City Vice Mayor David Canepa was among the attendees during the grand fiesta of Jesus of Black Nazarene held at the residence of beauty impresario Ferdie Villar last January 9. In photo are (L-R) Rev. Fr. Abra-ham Alonzo who officiated the Holy Mass, Daly City Vice Mayor Canepa, Lilly Smith, Ferdie Villar and San Francisco Supervisor Jane Kim.

Former fashion model and movie actress Glenda Kennedy will celebrate her birthday on February 18.

Malou Santos, ABS-CBN 2 Managing Director of Star Cinema, will celebrate her birthday on February 3.

Actress and “Showtime” TV host Anne Curtis will be celebrating her birthday on February 17.

sa every project, sa every show na ginagawa ko, nandoon pa rin yung pressure na kailangang it’s better than my last work.

I take it that, as a teen actress and a former child star, you’ve had and will always have a bigger share of grown-up problems than most of us. Plus, you have to constantly stay pretty. How do you cope with, say, Metro Manila traffic, given your ultra-fast-paced lifestyle?

’Wag kang magpaapekto sa stress. Sobrang stressful ng pagiging actress — maingay at mabilis ang lahat — pero ang secret dun ay dapat diyan ka lang, kalmahin mo ang sarili mo, planuhin mo kung paano mo magagawa ang schedule for the day, and you’ll get through it.

I know you get this a lot, but we’re going to ask this anyway just to get your final word on it. How would you describe your relationship with your peers, Liza and Nadine? What can you say about the apparent rivalry among the three of you and among your respective fan bases?

We all work for the same sta-tion, so I don’t think dapat lagyan ng malice o kulay. Kaming tatlo, we’re very okay. Wala naman talagang isyu sa amin, it’s just that ibang tao lang siguro ang gumagawa.

And haters? Can you give us tips on shaking them off?

Walang artistang walang hater. Ganun naman, eh. It comes with the package. Just ignore them. It’s the best revenge. Kapag hindi mo sila pinansin, wala silang makukuha sa ‘yo.

Moviegoers were abuzz recently about the contro-versy that was the MMFF. From where you’re sitting, if

Kathryn Bernardo:‘We ...From Page SF3 you could change a few things

about the current entertainment landscape, what would they be?

Bigyan ng chance ang lahat ng tao, hindi lang yung dahil mas kilala ang isang tao o kaya related siya kanino man. Sana the enter-tainment industry would open more doors for these people na talented pero hindi nabibigyan ng opportunities.

What’s your dream role? Like, what would be the wildest project you’d do if you had anything to choose from?

Action! I’d like to take on action roles. Yun yung gusto ko kasi nakapag-drama na ako, romcom, horror, so yun na lang ang kulang.

I’ve personally been mean-ing to ask a young public figure about this. In recent years, we millennials have been obsess-ing about having a genera-tional identity. Do you think we really need to hail someone to be the “voice” of this genera-tion?

I think aside from having someone speak for us, we need someone to give us a wake-up call. Kasi iba na talaga ang generation natin. We’re very advanced because of technology at dahil sa lahat ng nakikita natin ngayon. Sometimes it’s good. Sometimes kailangan lang nating matutunan kung paano i-balance ang lahat para hindi tayo maging pabigat o masabihang spoiled at entitled, at ma-prove na kaya nating makatulong especially with the many resources we have nowadays.

What’s in store for Kathryn Bernardo in 2016?

Well, right now I’m still doing “Pangako Sa ‘Yo.“ After that, I’ll be working on a movie with DJ. Yun ang abangan niyo. Surprise na ang iba.

talaga mag-artista and I’m re-ally grateful na lahat naman ng pinangarap ko na abot ko. Pero I can say na teleserye talaga ang forte ko at kahit noon minsan-minsan lang ako sa pelikula,” Claudine explained.

“Mas mahirap gawin ang teleserye dahil mas maraming sequences, dapat mabilis ka kumilos, dapat na-memorize mo agad ang lines mo. But dito talaga na hahasa ang acting mo, and mas challenging siya kaya

Claudine returns to the teleserye and...From Page SF2 masaya po talaga ako to be

back here,” she added.Claudine is further over-

whelmed by a stellar cast assembled for her return to the teleserye in Cesar Montano, Di-ether Ocampo, Ruffa Gutterez, Diether Ocampo, Dindi Gal-lardo, Samantha Lopez, Bernard Palanca, and Meg Imperial.

“In this business, you cannot call yourself an fulfilled actress if you haven’t worked with Cesar Montano,” she enthused. “And as for Diet, alam n’yo naming la-

hat that we’ve worked so many times before so balik trabaho lang kami.”

Perhaps another reason why the controversial actress is back on track is that she is also in better terms with ex-husband Raymart Santiago, with whom she had a highly publicized separation and continuing spats.

“Raymart and are very good friends now, and we’re really trying to be good parents. Nag-fail na po kami as husband and wife, so we don’t want to fail

Boss Vic Del Rosario: Stars are born and made

DOES the country need yet another singing competition? TV5 apparently believes so and recently launched “Born to be a Star,” its newest reality talent tilt and latest collaboration with Viva big boss, Vic del Rosario, who now serves as the Kapatid network’s chief strategist.

Del Rosario, who has been in the business of discovering, developing and managing stars for five decades, vows that he will personally handle the career of the eventual winner of the tilt, which premieres on Feb. 6.

“The problem with the other contests was that the winners were not given proper followup projects or the right recording or album after the show,” he told the Inquirer.

He cited as example Sarah Geronimo, winner of the Viva-produced singing contest, “Star for a Night,” in 2003. “We immediately gave her a single, ‘Forever is Not Enough,’ which became a hit,” he recalled.

Sustaining the gains from a talent-show triumph is crucial, he

explained. “The struggle doesn’t end with winning—that is only the beginning of an aspirant’s journey to superstardom.”

More than the P1-million prize money, the show’s winner will benefit from his extensive experience in the music indus-try, Del Rosario said. “I will do everything to make the show’s winner a success.” (The winner will receive a P1-million contract from Viva and TV5 and P1-million real estate property, too.)

A dozen years after discov-ering Geronimo, Del Rosario feels the time is right to look for another multimedia superstar. Del Rosario, who is credited for helping Sharon Cuneta achieve megastardom in the 1980s, enu-merated the traits he’s looking for in a possible winner.

“On top of the list is talent, of course. A close second is charis-ma—that doesn’t mean that the contestant has to be extremely good-looking, though,” he clari-fied. “Sometimes, the X factor comes out once they’re already in the contest and after they’ve undergone a makeover.”

Some contestants aren’t that

competent in the beginning, he pointed out, “but they eventually improve as the contest goes on.”

Youth is another prime consideration. Young people can still be trained and developed, he said. “We are looking for a singing star that today’s youth can idolize.”

He noted that, apart from the age limit, the show is open to everyone: rich or poor, city-bred or from the provinces—and whatever the sexual orientation.

Although the show’s title asserts that stars are “born,”

Del Rosario insists that they can also be “manufactured.” “Take a look at K-Pop stars. In South Korea, stars are mass-produced. It helps to reinvent stars, to maximize their assets and get rid of their weaknesses,” he said.

Even after 50 years in show business, he remains gung ho in his search for a multimedia sen-sation. He said, “I am still looking for the next big star who will follow in the footsteps of Nora, Sharon, Regine and Sarah. The search still excites me!”

Regine Velasquez Sarah Geronimo

as parents naman,” Claudine explained. “So napagusapan muna namin na i-stop muna lahat ng mga kaso and mag-co-parenting na lang kami sa pag-papalaki sa mga anak namin.”

As they say, a good family life—no matter how unconven-tional it may be—is always the foundation for all other aspects of one’s life. With Claudine’s revelations, Philippine showbiz’ erstwhile Optimum Star, may just be starting her climb to the top once again.

The TV adaptation of Danny Zialcita’s “Bakit Manipis ang Ulap” will soon air on TV5.

entertainment SF5The Asian Journal SF MAGAZINE - January 29, 2016Launch of ‘Top Model of the World

Philippines 2016’ in AustraliaTOP Model of the World

Philippines will launch its 2016 edition in the greater Mel-bourne area to be lead by its partner and cooperator “Face Australia Promotion & Man-agement”. 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 search in the Philippines are done in Metro Manila. It will be a ‘first’ of such re-nowned national events to be entirely launched outside the Philippines.

Top Model of the World Philippines is a hybrid pro-gram with fashion, modeling, and pageantry as its main components. Top Model of the World Inc. in the Philip-pines is proud of its associa-tion with Face Australia. The event will certainly draw attention & participation from dominant pageant operators in various jurisdictions among the overseas Filipino com-

munities, namely Northern California, Southern California, East Coast & Midwest USA, Canada, Germany, Italy, the Philippines, New Zealand, & Australia.

Finals is expected to hap-pen in early July. The Winner of this event will represent the Philippines in the forthcoming

Top Model of the World 2016 competition.

Interested parties may direct their queries to Ms. Choy Symes at faceaustralia@gmail.com or for Southern California, to Ms. Trini Foli-ente at tpf524@sbcglobal.net or Cora Aragon Soriano at coraaragon@aol.com.

Shamcey Supsup gives birth to baby girlMISS Universe 2011 3rd

runner-up Shamcey Supsup has given birth to a baby girl last Sunday, January 24—her first child with husband Lloyd Lee.

In an Instagram post, Supsup shared that she had to undergo caesarian operation to give birth to her daughter whom they named Nyla Kelcey or “Nyke.”

The beauty queen said: “Arrived at the hospital, 7cm dilated. Really thought I could deliver normally, but because of unforeseen circumstances, had to undergo CS.”

“Everything just hurts, but seeing your baby for the first time is just magical. Thank You, Lord, for giving us this healthy, strong and super bait na baby,”

she said.Binibining Pilipinas Universe

2014 Mary Jean Lastimosa also expressed elation upon seeing her goddaughter.

“Tita Ninang is soooooo happy to finally meet you, baby Nyke. You’re so tall for an

8-hour-old baby! Congrats to Mommy @supsupshamcey and Daddy @lloydtylee. So much gigil right now! #Nyke #baby-love #BabyLee #ItsAGirl,” Lastimosa said.

Supsup and Lee were mar-ried in 2013. (Inquirer.net)

Beauty queen Shamcey Supsup and husband Lloyd Lee welcome baby girl Nyke as the newest member of their family.

Erich-Daniel love affair ‘not scripted’by Marinel r. Cruz

Inquirer

“IT’S REAL. We’re genuinely happy together,” said Erich Gonzales of her boyfriend, Brazilian-Japanese actor Daniel Matsunaga, who is also her leading man in the ABS-CBN teleserye, “Be My Lady.”

During a recent media gath-ering, the actress pointed out that the concept of a program dealing with interracial romance was developed “long before Daniel and I realized that we were in love. This isn’t part of any script (or publicity stunt).”

Business unit head Ruel Bay-ani echoed Erich’s statement: “The original story featured a Filipino woman and an Ameri-can guy. We were having a hard time completing the cast when Ma’am Charo (Santos-Concio, former ABS-CBN president), suggested Daniel and Erich. We simply changed the nationality of the male character to Brazil-ian.”

Daniel recalled that he and Erich first met on the set of the morning show, “Kris TV,” and eventually got to work together there on several episodes. They first realized that they felt “something more than friend-ship” for each other while work-ing on the defunct Kapamilya series “Two Wives.”

“I waited for three years for that special someone, then she finally came along. She is such a blessing to me,” added Daniel, the grand winner of the reality series, “Pinoy Big Brother: All In” in 2014.

More time together“Be My Lady” is his first big

break in ABS-CBN. He said: “I’m thankful for the oppor-tunity. The show is even more special because I’m working with my girlfriend. We get to spend a lot of time together. I also learn a lot about her.”

Erich said “Be My Lady” was special to her in the sense that she would often go to work “feeling inspired.” The set is located in Arayat, Pampanga.

According to director Theo-dore Boborol, working on a love story with real-life sweet-hearts has its advantages. “You can’t fake their chemistry—it’s natural. Another plus factor is that they help each other even when I’m not on the set. Work for us is made easier because of this. The two read their scripts together and discuss character-ization.”

Erich admitted to feeling the pressure of being the lead star in the series. “I think it’s a good thing, because it keeps me from being complacent. As a result, I push myself to give my best.”

The couple likewise clarified that the pictures they uploaded

on Instagram during their recent vacation in Bali, Indonesia, weren’t prenup photos. “We celebrated my birthday there. The place is truly lovely, and we simply wanted to share our magical moments there (with our supporters),” Daniel explained.

The Brazilian-Japanese celebrity also denied he has immediate plans of settling down with Erich. “Of course I have future plans with her, but our focus now is the show. We believe that things will happen in God’s time. My immediate goal is to build a home for my family here in the Philippines,” he pointed out.

“Marriage is a big deal,” Erich added. “We don’t want to rush something that we want to last forever. We’re grateful to be given the chance to work together!”

Erich Gonzales and Daniel Matsunaga ABS-CBN photo

Ex-couple Derek and Solenn: No regrets about their split

“IT’S hard to hang on to ‘what ifs.’ We only deal with the present,” said actor Derek Ramsay when asked if he ever considered rekindling an old flame with actress Solenn Heus-saff.

The two worked together for the first time in Jason Paul Laxamana’s romantic comedy flick, “Love is Blind.”

“Everything happens for a reason. I don’t regret anything. After all, Solenn is still very much a part of my life, even after the split [nine years ago],” said Derek. “The great thing about us is that we’re still good friends. I can call her anytime, knowing that she’ll be there for me.”

Solenn said the relationship lasted for four years. “Derek was my first real boyfriend. He was my first love, so our rela-tionship was kind of intense,” she shared with reporters. “I was also studying abroad. There was no Skype then. I still bought phone cards, so I could call him for 20 minutes.”

by Marinel r. CruzInquirer

focus too much on one an-other, to not forget myself. She was there studying, and I was here trying to figure out what I wanted to do with my life, but still my priority was to answer the phone whenever she called. It was then when we started having fights for petty reasons.”

According to Solenn, her Argentine boyfriend Nico Bol-zico isn’t the jealous type and that he has no issues with her working with an ex-boyfriend. “He doesn’t meddle with my work. He said if you can do it, then go ahead. He doesn’t ask questions.”

For his part, Derek said he is lucky that his current girlfriend, Joanne Villablanca, “trusts me and understands my work. The nice thing about her is that she accepts the kind of job that I do. I was already an actor when we met.”

In “Love is Blind,” Derek plays Wade, who leaves his sexy and beautiful girlfriend Maggie (Solenn) for the ordinary-look-ing hotel intern Fe (Kiray Celis), much to the surprise of his fam-ily and friends.

Derek Ramsay and Solenn Heussaff She said the long-distance

romance had been tough for her. “But it made me more mature. I think every relation-ship is different. I’ve learned a lot from what Derek and I went through.”

When it comes to handling relationships, Derek said he and Solenn are the same in the sense that “we both give our all. What I learned from what happened to us was to not

Philippine-made food prod-ucts have gained in overseas markets, Bautista sees more op-portunities in the seafood and other agricultural areas.

“We should highlight more our seafood products. The country being archipelagic in nature – us being virtu-ally surrounded by water – it should be second nature to us to be concentrating on this. Also, agricultural… anything agricultural benefits our com-munities. It’s the best way to promote inclusive growth,” he said. “And when you say agricultural, I’m referring to chocolate, gourmet rice, various organic applications of coco-nut including coconut sugar, coconut juice and drink, new and novel applications for our mango like the mango dipped in chocolate that we’re seeing in Costco… I’m referring to crab meat, chocolate products that we have, processed fruits… I’m referring to beverages as well. We have a good line of beverages being manufactured and exported by one of the biggest food companies in the Philippines. We’d love for them to join us… We’d love to see our tropical ice cream being

Taste by design, food products...

exhibited as well.” The Trade Commissioner

foresees a continued participa-tion in events like the Winter Fancy Food Show, saying that the only way for an end to Philippine participation is if the results plateau.

“We’re happy with the results. We see growth, we see dramatic and significant opportunities for us to not only increase the value of our exports to the United States in this sector but also to diversify and deepen our inventory of products. That’s where we’re headed,” Bautista said, while adding that they are exploring the possibility of the Philip-pines joining the Summer Food Fancy Show in New York which he describes as a very large market and where many major distributors have head-

quarters.”Bautista says a confluence

of factors will make the Philip-pines a destination for food lov-ers in the future.

“You have Filipinos helping you, you have the government subsidizing your effort and rein-forcing the effort of the private sector. You have the private sector eager to take this op-portunity. Globally, it’s the best time to export… Other sources of food are encountering a few problems while the Philippines is booming. Investments and technology are coming to the Philippines from Japan, the US, from Korea even, and all over the world. Add to that the fact that PH tourism is increasing and you have a confluence of events and factors that really conspire to making us a food destination,” he said.

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The Asian Journal SF MAGAZINE - January 29, 2016SF6

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