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Volume 23 - No. 3 • 2 Sections - 16 Pages jaNuary 22-28, 2016

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DATELINEUSAfrom the AJPress NEWS TEAM AcroSS AMEricA

FINAL FIGHT. The People’s Champ Manny Pacquiao and Timothy Bradley hold a press conference at the Beverly Hills Hotel for their upcoming April 9 fight in Las Vegas. Pacquiao announced that this bout—his third against Bradley—will be his last before he retires to focus on his career as a politician in the Philippines. AJPress photos by Ding Carreon

45,000 Filipinos are eligiblefor both DACA and DAPA

Comelec releases initial list of Presidential, VP candidates

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Enrile blames Aquino for death of 44 SAF Police

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by Jefferson AntipordA, WilliAm depAsupil / ManilaTimes.net

In this January 30, 2015 photo, President Benigno S. Aquino III condoles with the family of the fallen Philippine National Police-Special Action Force (PNP-SAF) Troopers during the Necrological Service at the NCRPO Multi-Purpose Center of Camp Bagong Diwa in Bicutan, Taguig City. Senate Minority Leader Juan Ponce Enrile said he has evidence to prove that President Benigno Aquino III was “actively” and “directly” involved in the planning and preparation of the Mamasapano incident and that “he did not do anything at all to save” the elite policemen who perished from it. Malacañang photo by Benhur Arcayan

Supreme Court todecide on Obama’simmigration programs

by pAtriciA lourdes VirAy Philstar.com

mANILA—sen. Grace Poe and Davao City mayor rodrigo Duterte, who are both facing dis-qualification from the presidential race, made it to the initial list of candidates running for president in the may elections.

Based on the list released on thursday, Jan. 21 by the Com-mission on elections (Comelec), only eight out of 130 candidates seeking the presidency were ap-proved.

Apart from Poe and Duterte, those on the list of presidential bets are Vice President Jejomar Binay of the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA), sen. miriam De-

The initial list of candidates for the 2016 national elections—which includes presidential aspirants Vice Pres. Jejomar Binay, Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, Sen. Grace Poe, former DILG Sec. Mar Roxas and Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago—is subject to the outcome of the pending cases before the Commission on Elections.

by Agnes constAnteAJPress

Pacquiao formally announces retirement:‘I want to help my countrymen, the Pilipino people’

As world boxing champion manny Pacquiao prepares for what he has said will the final bout of his boxing career, he looks ahead to a political career where he can serve his country-men.

on April 9, the filipino boxer will face WBo/WBC Jr. Wel-terweight champion timothy Bradley, Jr. in the ring for a third time.

“I’m so happy hanging my gloves after this fight because of what I have done. I’m sure I will feel sad after that but, you know, that’s life,” Pacquiao said during a press conference for the fight tuesday, Jan. 19,

seNAte minority Leader Juan Ponce enrile on monday, Jan. 18 said he has evidence to prove that President Benigno Aquino III did nothing to save the lives of the special Action force (sAf) police commandos mowed down while carrying out an operation to capture a terrorist in mamasapano, ma-guindanao, almost a year ago

enrile claimed that Aquino

actively involved himself in the planning and preparation for oplan exodus, the police operation launched to capture suspected terrorist Zulkifli Bin hir alias marwan.

“so that there will be no more questions about whether we should reopen the ma-masapano hearings or not, I would like to make it on record

Hike in ‘balikbayan’ tax-free cap eyedby Jerry e. esplAnAdA, leilA B. sAlAVerriA / Inquirer.net

oVerseAs filipinos may soon be sending home more “balikbayan” boxes after the senate passed a measure rais-ing tax limits on the goodies they send to their families here.

the senate on monday, Jan. 18 passed on third and final reading the proposed Customs modernization and tariff Act (CmtA) which, among other things, seeks to simplify, modernize and make trans-parent customs procedures and increase the tax-exempt value of ofW packages to P150,000 from P10,000.

the provision “is one that is most awaited by ofWs,” said senate President Pro tempore ralph recto.

Under section 800 of the CmtA, Philip-

pine residents, ofWs and other filipinos residing abroad or returning to the coun-try would be allowed to bring in or ship to their families balikbayan boxes exempt from duties and taxes as long as the total dutiable value of a box shall not exceed P150,000. they may enjoy the privilege up to three times a year.

“this means an ofW may send two boxes at the same time provided their total worth is not more than P150,000. that will be counted as one shipment,” recto said in a statement.

But the boxes should contain personal and household effects only, they must not be in commercial quantities, and must not be intended for barter, sale or hire.

SSS pension hike one of Binay’s prioritiesVICe President Jejomar C.

Binay vowed to make pension hike his priority if Congress will not override President Benigno Aquino’s veto of a bill seeking to grant pensioners of the social security system (sss) a P2,000 pension increase.

“If Congress will not override the veto, I will give priority to in-creasing our assistance to sss pensioners (under my presiden-cy),” Binay said in an interview in

Caloocan City.“It is saddening. It is such a

small sum. Why deny them?” he added.

he said a review of the sss in-vestment portfolio will be part of the reforms that his administra-tion will introduce in the pension fund.

Joey salgado, spokesman for media affairs department of the office of the Vice President, said reforming the sss will be a prior-

ity of the Binay administration.“After six years, it has become

apparent that the sss has failed to introduce reforms that would have addressed the long-fester-ing problem of collection inef-ficiency, poor customer service and the absence of additional benefits for its members,” he said.

salgado said the home Devel-opment mutual fund (Pag-IBIG

the supreme Court announced on tuesday, Jan. 19, that it will decide whether President Barack obama has the executive authority to declare that millions of undoc-umented immigrants can be allowed to live and work in the United states for a period of time, without fear of deportation.

obama’s actions, unveiled just over a year ago, are aimed at allowing at least 4 million immigrants to apply for expanded programs that could make them eligible for work authorization and other associ-ated benefits, reported CNN.

the high court’s decision provides the

Fil-Am sworn in as president of Nevada State Board of Nursing

fILIPINo-American Dr. rhigel Jay Al-forque-tan took oath as president of the Nevada state Board of Nursing on Jan. 6, in a ceremony presided by honorable Judge Cheryl moss and joined by honor-able Judge Bill henderson.

tan’s election makes him the first Asian American male elected to the position in the 92 years of the board’s existence.

originally from Cebu, Philippines, tan came from humble beginnings, making ends meet by peddling bananacue (cara-melized bananas on sticks) and boiled eggs. he had dreams of going to medical school to become a doctor, but given his financial situation, he took nursing instead.

At the Cebu state College-Cebu City medical Center College of Nursing (CCmC), he graduated cum laude with a bachelor’s of science in nursing in 1990, then migrated to the United states years later.

at the Beverly hills hotel in Beverly hills, California.

the formal announcement of his decision comes just a few months before the Philip-pine general election in may. Pacquiao is currently the lone congressman of sarangani province but is now seeking a seat in the senate.

“I remember when I started boxing, I started because I wanted to help my family, my mother. And now, I end my boxing career because I want to help my countrymen, the Pilipino people,” he said.

Pacquiao, who holds a re-cord of 57-6-2, 38 Kos, was the first boxer in history to win 10 world titles in eight different weight divisions. In 2000, the

Boxing Writers Association of America named him “fighter of the Decade.”

People’s Champ seeking “clear victory” against Brad-ley

for his last showdown in the ring, Pacquiao said he considered opponents includ-ing WBA super lightweight champion Adrien Broner, Brit-ish boxer and two-time former world champion Amir Khan, mexican multiple-time world champion Juan marquez, and even a rematch against floyd mayweather, Jr., to who he lost in the most lucrative match in boxing history.

Although he has already fought Bradley twice, the fili-

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Sen. Ralph Recto filed Senate Bill 2913 last August after a public outcry over a Bureau of Customs plan to open and inspect balikbayan boxes revealed outdated regulations, one of which taxes any box whose contents are worth more than P10,000. Philstar.com photo by Kriz John Rosales

january 22-28, 2016 • OC/IE aSIan jOurnaL http://www.asianjournal.com • (818) 502-0651 • (213) 250-9797A�

From the Front Page

Comelec releases initial list...PAGE A1

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fensor-Santiago of the People’s Reform Party, Liberal Party (LP) standard bearer Manuel Roxas II, Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP) candidate Mel Mendoza, party-list Rep. Roy Señeres of the Partido ng Mangagawa at Mag-sasaka Workers and Peasants Party (WPPPMM) and indepen-dent candidate Dante Valencia.

Duterte is running under the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan. Poe is an inde-pendent candidate.

The Comelec listed Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano, Francis Escude-ro, Gringo Honasan, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Antonio Trillanes IV as well as Camarines Sur Rep. Leni Robredo as the official can-didates for vice president.

A total of 19 aspirants filed their certificates of candidacy for vice president in October last year.

In the senatorial race, a total of 52 candidates made it to the list.

They include Raffy Alunan (independent), Ina Ambolodto (LP), Tonyboy Aquino (inde-pendent), Godofredo Arquiza (independent), Levito Baligod (independent), Greco Belgica (independent), Walden Bello (in-

Roger Rodriguez (independent), Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez (Lakas-CMD), Pasig Rep. Roman Romulo (independent), Dionisio Santiago (independent), Sen. Vicente Sotto (NPC), Francis To-lentino (independent), Joel Vil-lanueva (LP) and Miguel Zubiri (independent).

There are 120 party-list groups seeking seats in the House of Representatives.

According to the poll body, the list is still subject to verification and editing since there are can-didates facing disqualification cases.

The Comelec released the ini-tial list to allow the candidates to check the accuracy of their names prior to the printing of of-ficial ballots.

Ballot printingMeanwhile, the Comelec de-

nied railroading the printing of the official ballots for the May polls to favor Poe.

James Jimenez, spokesman for the Comelec, said they are not rushing the printing of ballots. Ji-menez said since Poe’s disquali-fication cases remain pending before the Supreme Court, her name could not be removed yet from the official ballot.

dependent), Sandra Cam (PMP), Joel Catmon (PRP), Mel Chavez (WPPPMM), Neri Colmenares (Makabayan), Leila de Lima (LP), Isko Moreno (PMP), Senate President Franklin Drilon (LP), Larry Gadon (KBL), Valenzuela Rep. Sherwin Gatchalian (NPC), Dick Gordon (independent), Sen. Teofisto Guingona III (LP), Risa Hontiveros (Akbayan), Princess Jaafar (independent), Eid Kabalu (independent), Lorna Kapunan (Aksyon), Princess Jacel Kiram (UNA), Alma Moreno (UNA), Panfilo Lacson (independent) and Juror Lagare (independent).

Other senatorial bets are Rey Langit (UNA), Mark Lapid (Aksyon), Dante Liban (indepen-dent), Romeo Maganto (Lakas-CMD), Edu Manzano (indepen-dent), Allan Montano (UNA), Mon Montano (independent), Getulio Napeñas (UNA), Susan Ople (NP), Emma Orozco (inde-pendent), Sen. Sergio Osmena III (independent), Sarangani Rep. Manny Pacquiao (UNA), Coop-Natcco party-list Rep. Cresente Paez (independent), Samuel Pag-dilao (independent), Jovito Pal-paran (independent), Franciso Pangilinan (LP), Jericho Petilla (LP), Sen. Ralph Recto (LP),

Pacquiao formally announces retirement...pino boxer said that this time around he is seeking a clear vic-tory. In his second match against the American fighter, Bradley won in a controversial split deci-sion.

“I’m not saying I’m going to knock him out, but I will do my best to prove that Manny Pac-quiao is still in the prime, he’s still in the top before I hang up my gloves,” he said.

Different Bradley expected on April 9

A different Bradley is expected to enter the ring on April 9 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Last year after a victory against Amer-ican boxer Jessie Vargas, he fired long-time trainer Joel Diaz and hired trainer and ESPN analyst Teddy Atlas.

TopRank promoter Bob Arum has previously said the Ameri-can boxer is “a new Bradley” citing his November 2015 fight against former WBA lightweight world champion Brandon Rios, at which time he was training un-der Atlas.

Bradley, who currently holds a record of 33-1-1, 13 KOs, agreed that his third match against The People’s Champ would stand apart from their first two.

“I think this fight will definitely be different than the first two al-tercations that we had. And that’s all I can tell you. I think it’s going to be a great fight … it’s Manny Pacquiao’s farewell fight. I know he wants to win the fight really badly and so do I...”

During Tuesday’s press con-ference, Atlas spoke about the upcoming fight using the Super Bowl as an analogy, saying the boxers were Peyton Manning and Tom Brady.

“They’ve been to a lot of super bowls and this is what they’re in the business for: getting to the top to show that they are the best. We have an opportunity to fight ... Manny Pacquiao, who has been one of the best most dy-namic fighters of the last decade. And to me … has been one of the best fighters of the last decade,” Atlas said.

“Donald Trump undercard”Arum also said the undercard

of Pacquiao vs. Bradley will be called “the Donald Trump un-dercard,” featuring all Hispanic fighters as a response to the Re-publican presidential contender who has been vocal about deport-ing undocumented immigrants.

“I want them to know there are a lot of people that have their back and are not going to allow them to be deported,” he said, dedicating the undercard to the approximately 12 million un-documented immigrants in the United States.

Pacquiao is not planning to run for president, message to Filipino fans

After the fight in April, Pac-quiao will have one month to campaign before the election on May 9. If he wins, he said he would like to focus on fighting corruption, providing free educa-tion from elementary to college, and providing incentives and subsidies for farmers and fisher-men.

While there have been talks of Pacquiao aiming to run for presi-dent at some point, he said that goal is not in his current plans.

“I don’t have that in my mind right now but if that’s my destiny then no one will refuse that,” he told reporters.

Arum, who has served as Pac-

quiao’s promoter for years, said Tuesday he couldn’t believe it would be the boxer’s last time in the ring.

“It could be, it may very well be, but when I stand up here to introduce him in this ballroom at The Beverly Hills Hotel where I’ve done it so many times, and so many memories, I can’t come to grips with the fact that it would be the last time. Maybe it will, maybe it won’t, that’s up to Man-ny,” Arum said.

For Filipino fans, Pacquiao had the following message:

“Maraming salamat sa ating mga kababayan sa support and prayers sa aking career, and sana hindi sila mg sawa na mg suporta sa akin, especially this coming last fight ... and also my other career ... to help the people (Many thanks to my kababayans for the support and prayers for my career, and I hope they don’t tire of supporting me, especially this coming last fight … and also my other career … to help the people),” he said.

Press tour continues in New York, tickets on sale Friday

Pacquiao will return to the Philippines as soon as he returns from the press tour, said Mike Koncz, his adviser, and plans on completing the first half of his training in General Santos City, according to Manila Bulletin.

Team Pacquiao and Team Bradley are set to fly to New York City on Wednesday, Jan. 20, for a second press conference on Thursday, Jan. 21, at Madison Square Garden.

Tickets for Pacquiao vs. Brad-ley go on sale Friday, Jan. 22, at 1 pm ET/10am PT, and will range from $154 to $1,204, excluding service fees.

SSS pension hike one of Binay’s prioritiesFund), which the Vice President used to chair, should be seen “as proof that you can expand bene-fits, improve services, and shore up financial stability without in-creasing contribution.”

“It can done. Look at Pag-IBIG today. It is not only the most finan-cially stable government corpora-tion, it is also setting the bench-mark in customer service. And

show concern for their welfare, in-cluding the 1.9 million retired and elderly SSS members,” Salgado said.

“The SSS pension amounts have been unchanged since 1997 and have not been adjusted to inflation. Any increase could augment the rising cost of aging members’ basic living and medi-cal expenses without sacrificing the fund’s long-term viability,” he added.

Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. also called an end to the SSS impasse, saying both branches of government should find alternative ways to look for a win-win solution to the issue.

Marcos said the more viable so-lution is for the legislative and ex-ecutive branches to work together and set aside politics rather than overriding the veto of the Presi-dent.

“Ang hirap gawin ng override dahil two-thirds (votes) ang kailan-gan hindi lamang sa House (of Rep-resentatives) kundi pati sa Senado. So, mas maganda kung magkaisa pati ‘yung executive na maghanap ng paraan na pagandahin nga ang koleksyon, mga win-win solution, pagandahin ang investment para kayanin ‘yung P2,000 na dagdag,” he said.

“This should be a wake-up call for the Presidential Legislative Li-aison Office which plays a crucial role in making sure that the Presi-dent and the legislators in both Houses of Congress have proper coordination through proper communication and information dissemination. All these contro-versy would not have happened if both branches have been prop-erly guided by the PLLO,” Marcos said.

The senator said the SSS should improve its collection and man-agement strategies. (Manilatimes.net)

all the reforms were introduced during the term of the Vice Presi-dent,” he added.

He added that the presidential veto, which is being supported by the administration standard bear-er, underscores the absence of compassion, especially for senior citizens.

“Our senior citizens have con-tributed to our economy. The least the administration could do is to

Fil-Am sworn in as president of Nevada State...“Being educated in the Philip-

pines brings with it the respon-sibility to influence the nursing profession in a global perspec-tive,” Tan previously told the Asian Journal. “Beyond just mak-ing a living, [nurses] should also be involved in promoting public safety through participation in regulatory tasks.”

He added, “Filipino nurses are not only world-class care provid-ers, but also global professionals capable of contributing to general welfare and safety of the public.”

With only $200 in his pocket and the H1-A visa (or temporary work permit for nurses) that he re-ceived from the US Embassy, Tan moved to the United States after being hired by a nursing home in Las Vegas. There, he took on the tasks of a nursing assistant, such as bathing patients, helping them use the bedpan, and changing their diapers.

In 1995, Tan passed the Nation-al Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses [NCLEX-RN], allowing him as a nursing assistant in healthcare to become a professional licensed Registered Nurse.

He also worked with Nathan Adelson Hospice to start a pro-gram for nursing students to be “Hospice-oriented” and edu-cated in Hospice Principles. The program’s success garnered $85,000 in funding by the MGM Mirage Foundation, and was later presented at the National Hospice Leadership Convention in Wash-ington, D.C.

As a health care professional, Tan has focused on researching and developing an Evidenced-Based Practice (EBP) training program along fellow educated

Dr. Rhigel Alforque Tan is sworn in by Honorable Judge Cheryl Moss as President of the Nevada State Board of Nursing last Wednesday, Jan. 6. AJPress photo by Robert Macabagdal

nurses, and the use of human patient simulation technology in nursing. Over the years, he crafted policies and procedures that impacted the outcomes of his patient’s lives patient satisfaction. He also established a program accredited by the Nevada State Board of Nursing to help jobless Nevadans get back in the work force as Certified Nursing As-sistants, and provided them with opportunities to work in a skilled nursing facility. Tan’s program helped 200 successful nursing candidates get back into the work force.

Based on a vision that is in-formed by personal experience, commitment and a deep passion for education, Dr. Tan became a clinical instructor in Nursing at the Community College of Southern Nevada (CCSN), and as a college professor, was awarded tenure in 2005.

He soon joined the University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV), College of Nursing, becoming an

assistant professor and finishing his doctorate in nursing practice in 2011.

Tan’s positive influence in pro-moting nursing as a career did not go unnoticed. He was awarded “Health Care Hero” by the Nevada Business Community and Anthem Blue Cross. His passion for medi-cal research also paved the way for multiple Nursing Education studies and publications in several international journals.

Continuing his passion for com-munity service, Tan established a mental and psychiatric clinic to provide services for Las Vegas and Clark County residents. He also founded a mental health non-profit called The Goal Foundation, which raises awareness in de-creasing social stigma attached to mental illness, and to outreach to communities about the biological and genetic component of mental health issues.

In November 2011, Nevada Gov-ernor Brian Sandoval appointed

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Vice Pres. Jejomar Binay

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Supreme Court to decide on Obama’s...last chance that the White House would have to implement the pro-gram before Obama leaves office next January.

One of the programs proposed by Obama was the Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Law-ful Permanent Residents (DAPA), which would allow undocumented immigrants in those categories to remain in the country and apply for work permits if they have been here for at least five years, and have not committed felonies or re-peated misdemeanors.

The president’s executive ac-tions would also expand the De-ferred Action for Childhood Arriv-als (DACA) program implemented in 2012, which applies to younger people who were born outside of the US, but raised within its bor-ders.

The administration says the pro-gram is a way for a government with limited resources to prioritize which immigrants it will move first to deport, said the Washington Post.

However, Obama’s sweeping plan, taken after Congress failed to enact comprehensive immigra-tion reform, was swiftly blocked by lower courts when Texas, led by US District Judge Andrew S. Hanen, and 25 other Republican-led states sued the administration in United States v. Texas.

The 26 states said that the pro-gram “would be one of the largest changes in immigration policy in our nation’s history” and that it raises major issues involving the separation of powers and federal-ism.

Since the executive order’s blocking, millions of immigrants, including the aging parents of US citizens and lawful permanent res-idents who would have been eli-gible, are left waiting for reform.

In a 15-page ruling, Judge Hanen said he “remains convinced” that his original findings in February 2015--halting programs meant to ease deportation threats to mil-lions of eligible undocumented immigrants--were correct. “The Obama Administration’s blatant misrepresentations to the court about its implementation of ex-panded work permits for illegal immigrants under the President’s lawless amnesty plan reflects a pattern of disrespect for the rule of law in America.”

“DAPA is a crucial change in the nation’s immigration law and policy—and that is precisely why it could be created only by Congress, rather than unilaterally imposed

by the Executive,” said Texas At-torney General Ken Paxton (R) in a court filing.

On Tuesday, Paxton welcomed the Supreme Court’s review, say-ing in a statement: “In deciding to hear this case, the Supreme Court recognizes the importance of the separation of powers. As federal courts have already ruled three times, there are limits to the Pres-ident’s authority, and those limits enacted by Congress were exceed-ed when the President unilaterally sought to grant ‘lawful presence’ to more than 4 million unauthor-ized aliens who are in this country unlawfully.”

He added that the Obama ad-ministration has violated the Administrative Procedures Act, which sets forth how federal agen-cies can establish regulations.

The programs represent one of the “largest changes in immigra-tion policy in our nation’s history,” Paxton said, arguing that the state of Texas has the standing to bring the case, partly because it would also bear the burden and cost of is-suing additional driver’s licenses.

White House officials also wel-comed the announcement, say-ing they were confident their side would prevail. White House assis-tant press secretary Brandi Hof-fine said that US v. Texas affects “immigrants who want to be held accountable, to work on the books, to pay taxes, and to contribute to our society openly and honestly.”

“The policies will make our com-munities safer. They will make our economy stronger. And they are consistent with the actions taken by presidents of both parties, the laws passed by Congress, and the decisions of the Supreme Court. We are confident that the policies will be upheld as lawful,” she said.

“Millions of families have waited nearly a year for these programs to take effect,” said the National Immigration Law Center’s Karen Tumlin. “They will now get a full day in court as the nation’s highest court hears this case of tremendous moral and legal importance.”

Comprehensive immigration re-form has confounded a politically deadlocked Congress, and has become one of the main disagree-ments between Democrat and Re-publican presidential candidates.

The issue of undocumented im-migration has taken center stage in the Republican primary battle, said Fox News, with frontrunner candidate Donald Trump calling for a wall to be built along the US and Mexico border, and other candidates calling for tough pro-

posals.Though the White House has

appealed, the 5th US Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of the lower courts in November of last year, keeping the programs from being implemented.

The administration contends that the states have “no legal standing to sue,” because it is up to the federal government to set immigration policy. They also defend that the Department of Homeland Security did not violate federal statutes in devising the ex-ecutive programs.

“Setting priorities about whom to deport is a practical response to the fact that Congress has given the administration only enough money to deport no more than about 400,000 of the nation’s esti-mated 11 million [undocumented] immigrants,” the government said, according to the Washington Post.

In their petition to the court, US Solicitor General Donald B. Verrilli Jr. said that the lower courts had blocked “a federal immigration en-forcement policy of great national importance…in violation of estab-lished limits on the judicial power. If left undisturbed, that ruling will allow states to frustrate the federal government’s enforcement of the nation’s immigration laws.”

Verrilli also added that lower-court rulings “will force millions of people —who are not removal pri-orities under criteria the court con-ceded are valid, and who are par-ents of US citizens and permanent residents—to continue to work off the books, without the option of lawful employment to provide for their families.”

In challenging the immigration plan, the Supreme Court justices also added a question about the constitutionality of Obama’s ac-tions. Texas argued that the Court precedent requires that “presiden-tial action that lacks congressional support must be scrutinized with caution.”

Supporters of the immigration order welcomed the justices’ deci-sion to take up the case, saying it is the only way to resolve the status of millions of undocumented im-migrants stuck in litigation limbo.

“The president’s program has been delayed for far too long by this political lawsuit and the clearly erroneous decisions of the lower courts,” said Elizabeth Wydra, chief counsel of the Con-gressional Accountability Center. “The lives of millions of children and families in America have been

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Filipina killed in San Jose bus crashA FILIPINA who recently

moved to the United States was one of two women killed when a Greyhound bus overturned on Highway 101 in San Jose, Cali-fornia on Tuesday morning, Jan. 19.

Fely Olivera, 51, was travel-ing back home to San Francisco from Los Angeles, where she had visited her two other sons. She had just immigrated to California from the Philippines in Septem-ber.

Antonio Olivera, 25, Fely’s son who is based in the Bay Area, said that he was hoping that his moth-er was one of the passengers that got injured. “...So I called hos-pitals in San Jose and I called emergency rooms but they said my mom was not on their lists,” he told the Associated Press.

Although authorities have not released the identity of the vic-tims, Antonio said he was noti-

fied by the Santa Clara County coroner’s office that his mother died after being ejected from the bus.

Antonio shared to the Associ-ated Press that his mother was a stay-at-home mom who loved to take care of her family. Prior to the crash, he said that his mother had made that trip to Los Angeles three times before.

According to the California Highway Patrol (CHP), the bus crashed around 6:40am during a heavy rainstorm. The Greyhound was in the northbound lanes near the Highway 58 flyover when the bus landed on its right side and straddled the center concrete barrier.

The cause of the crash is still under investigation, but a pas-senger Gary Bonslater, 22, said that the bus driver had earlier pulled over, complaining that he was tired, according to a report

by SFGate. Another unidentified passen-

ger also told reporters at the scene that at one time the driver fell asleep. “He pulled over 5 miles back to catch himself, but he didn’t have any energy,” the passenger added.

The bus was carrying 20 pas-sengers and left Los Angeles at 11:30pm Monday with stops planned in Gilroy, San Jose, San Francisco and Oakland, said Greyhound spokeswoman Lanesha Gipson. She added that the company requires op-erators to rest nine hours be-tween trips.

Officials said that apart from the two fatalities, another person suf-fered major injuries while three others were moderately hurt. A number of passengers had minor injuries and got patched up at the scene or were taken to a hospital for treatment. (AJPress)

Enrile: Aquino to blame for death...that I have evidence that the Presi-dent of the Philippines, Benigno S. Aquino 3rd, actively and directly involved himself in the planning and preparation for Oplan Exo-dus,” the senator said.

Enrile added that he also has proof to show that Aquino was monitoring the operation on the day of the actual operation while on his way to Zamboanga City.

“Third, while the operation was going on and the SAF units were being slaughtered, he did not do anything at all to save them and I’m going to prove this with evi-dence in that hearing,” he said.

It was Enrile who sought the re-opening of the investigation of the Mamasapano bloodbath that left 44 SAF troops dead.

Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. said the investigation is justified by continuing cries for justice from families of the slain police commandos.

“Almost a year has passed after the Mamasapano massacre and yet we continue to hear complaints from some of the kin of the SAF 44 that they are yet to receive the as-sistance the government promised to them,” Marcos noted.

He cited reports quoting widows Virgie Viernes and Merlyn Gamu-tan who bared that they have not received the aid pledged by the government.

Marcos said the complaint of the two widows runs counter to the claim of the Philippine Nation-al Police that they have provided about P80 million in cash aid for the kin of the fallen policemen.

“But what the families of the SAF 44 are asking most from the government is justice for their loved ones. Yet until now no case has been filed in court to prose-cute those responsible,” the sena-tor added.

Former Local Government Sec-retary Rafael Alunan also blamed Aquino for the bloodshed in Ma-masapano.

“What I can say as an observer is that what happened in Mama-sapano was very, very unusual. It should not have happened. Saving those guys is the primordial inter-est of the government, especially for the Commander-in-Chief,” Alunan told the weekly Kapihan sa Manila forum.

As Commander-in-Chief, Aquino approves very sensitive missions and has the duty to make sure that

a unit is given all the resources to accomplish that mission, and to do everything to keep its members from harm, he noted.

“I think perhaps that he has complied with the first one but with the second role of the Com-mander-in-Chief, that’s where he failed. Not enough was done, per-haps nothing was done to get the troops out of harm’s way,” Alunan said.

“Operations as crucial as this one require the approval of the Commander-in-Chief but he did not perform the most crucial role in that entire operations which was to make sure that the boys who are in trouble were supported by troops to extricate them,” he added.

Alunan said the President and other officials were keeping the truth from the public where the or-ders during the botched operation came from.

“That is the one that has to be unearthed by this new probe on Mamasapano,” he added. “In this particular case, it’s really a mystery why the Army unit there was not able to extend help de-spite repeated requests for assis-tance.”

Tan was joined by his family and friends including the Philippine Nurses Association of Nevada Board of Directors, during the ceremony. AJPress photo by Robert Macabagdal

Tan to the Nevada State Board of Nursing, with an appointed term until November 2015. He lobbied for the passage of Assembly Bill 170, which allowed autonomous practice for Advanced Practice Nurses, and became Nevada law in July 2013.

Tan was also a member of the Nevada State Board of Nursing Advisory Committee for Advanced Practice Nursing from 2008-2010, the Clark County Emergency Corps, and the Zetta Kappa Chap-ter of the Sigma Theta Tau Inter-national Honor Society for Nurses, according to his biography.

Along with multiple recogni-tions and awards, Tan is also actively involved in the Asian American community of Las Vegas, particularly among his fellow Filipinos. He co-founded

the KALAHI Philippine Folkloric Ensemble, a cultural community-based organization aimed to unite the community through preserva-tion and promotion of the Filipino heritage through arts and culture. He was a board member of the Philippine Nurses Association of Nevada, and initiated the forma-tion of an EBP Committee of the association.

He also spearheaded a fund-raising campaign during the 2013 Philippine Typhoon Haiyan, rais-ing enough money to build a new settlement in the typhoon-ravaged Leyte islands. The settlement was named “Las Vegas Village.”

Through his Yolanda Alforque-Tan Scholarship Foundation, named after his mother, and the Maria Libron Nursing Scholar-ship Foundation, Tan assisted 20 young scholars in the Philippines

who have shared the same voca-tion of service and dedication, but could not afford the cost of education. The scholarship has helped students become full-time nurses.

Sandoval re-appointed Tan as a board member of the nursing board on Dec. 16, 2015.

Despite Tan’s various accom-plishments, he is now pursuing his second Doctorate degree in nursing at the University of Arizona, focusing on genetics and genomics.

“I made my own story [a] guid-ing encouragement for [other Filipino nurses] to achieve a sense of professional achievement even while away from the Philippines,” he said.

(With reports from Amelia Abello and Dymphna Calica-La Putt/AJPress)

Fil-Am sworn in as president of Nevada State...PAGE A2

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january 22-28, 2016 • OC/IE aSIan jOurnaL http://www.asianjournal.com • (818) 502-0651 • (213) 250-9797A� Dateline USa

Supreme Court to decide on Obama’s...PAGE A1

disrupted and held in limbo…and they deserve the Court’s careful and prompt attention.”

“We are thrilled that the Court decided to hear Texas v. US, as it preserves the very real possibility that expanded DACA and DAPA will become available to qualified applicants later this year,” said Sally Kinoshita, deputy director of the Immigrant Legal Resource Center, which leads the Ready California campaign--a coalition of organizations working together to educate and provide outreach on DACA and DAPA.

“These programs would im-prove the lives of over five million people nationwide–1.5 million in California alone–by allowing them to continue building their lives and contributing to their communities without living in fear and uncer-tainty. Today’s decision brings us one step closer to providing pro-tections that keep families together and strengthen our communities, and that is truly good news.”

According to data from the Mi-gration Policy Institute, many im-

migrant Filipinos in the US would qualify for both the original and expanded DACA and DAPA pro-grams. Out of around 197,000 undocumented Filipinos currently in the US, approximately 45,000 are estimated to be eligible for both DACA and DAPA. In Califor-nia’s Los Angeles County, around 7,000 are estimated to be eligible for the expanded DAPA program, and 4,000 for the original DACA. In San Francisco, those eligible for both DACA and DAPA are esti-mated to be less than 1,000; while in New York’s Queens County, around 2,000 undocumented Fili-pinos would be qualified.

In Los Angeles County, Filipinos make up about 2 percent of un-documented immigrants currently under the original DACA program, according to the MPI. 3 percent of those would be immediately eli-gible.

Directing Attorney Joyce Noche from the Immigration Unit at the Public Law Center in Orange County said, “Filipinos are one of the largest groups in California that could potentially benefit from

these programs, and we encour-age families to go ahead and pre-pare, now that the Supreme Court has granted review. We tell immi-grants to start gathering documen-tation, save money for the applica-tion fee, and contact other family members who could potentially benefit from the programs.”

“We also want to encourage folks to keep informed about the legalization process, and to be wary of false immigration services. Know the resources available, in-cluding the media and legal service organizations,” she added. “I think there’s a lot of fear in our commu-nity, and people who are generally reluctant to come forward.”

The Public Law Center helps low-income individuals and fami-lies in Orange County, provides as-sistance under the existing DACA program, and helps immigrants with legal services and litigation.

The Supreme Court will likely hear the case in April, with a rul-ing before it adjourns in June. If it approves the programs, they will go into effect before Obama leaves office.

California bill would fund trauma and mental health services for students

CALIFORNIA schools will once again be able to offer men-tal health programs for students in kindergarten and grades one to three who are struggling with anxiety and other trauma or stress related symptoms, if a bill intro-duced in the legislature earlier this week passes.

AB 1644 was introduced by Assemblymember Rob Bonta (D-Oakland) and is co-sponsored by Children Now, a statewide youth advocacy organization headquar-tered in Oakland, and by state At-torney General Kamala Harris.

“The evidence is clear that when we don’t intervene, many children are more likely to be either victims or perpetrators of crimes,” Harris said in a statement.

“We view early childhood trau-ma as a public health crisis,” not-ed Ben Rubin, senior associate of neurodevelopment and health with Children Now. He said adverse childhood experiences (ACE) lead to long-term mental and medical health effects.

Bonta’s bill would restore fund-ing for mental health services that were once offered on 464 school sites around California under the state’s Early Mental Health Inter-vention (EMHI) program launched in 1992. The state gave matching funds to schools that provided in-tervention programs. AB 1644 is estimated to cost the state about $1 million a year.

In 2012, the state defunded the program, citing budgetary reasons.

Research showed that 79 percent of the children who received those services improved their behavioral and social skills.

According to a Kidsdata.org study, more than half of all Cali-fornia elementary school staff reported that mental health is a problem at their school. And just over 70 percent of the state’s el-ementary school teachers say that their school “emphasizes helping students with emotional or behav-ioral problems.”

Early childhood mental health advocates say the teacher train-ing and funding isn’t adequate to support young students who are experiencing symptoms resulting from stress and trauma. In its 2016 California Children’s Report Card, Children Now gave the state a D minus when it comes to spending on assessing and treating children who have mental health challeng-es.

The Children Now report warns that if kids struggling with men-tal health disorders don’t get the treatment they need, they are more likely to be hospitalized, drop out of school and become “involved with the justice system.” The report also says that only 40 percent of children under the age of six with mental health issues get the support they need.

California has the highest stu-dent-to-counselor ratio in the nation, with an average of 1,016 K-12 students per counselor, ac-cording to EdSource. The Ameri-

can School Counselor Association recommends a ratio of 250 to one.

The question of a school’s re-sponsibility to provide services to students suffering ACE related trauma is at the core of a lawsuit filed against the Compton Unified School District in Los Angeles. Five students and three teachers there have sued the district for al-legedly failing to provide adequate training and resources for coping with trauma. The CUSD, the plain-tiffs say in the federal lawsuit filed last year, is setting them up for academic failure.

Robert Hull, a school psycholo-gist in Prince George’s County in Maryland, who has extensively researched the impact of complex trauma on childhood develop-ment, observed: “There’s a huge number of children walking into kindergarten with trauma. They’re just sitting in the classroom try-ing to make it through the day, not profiting from the instruction, however good it may be.”

By providing them early inter-vention, he said, “you are moving them from a survival mode into a learning mode.”

Bonta’s bill would establish a four-year pilot program in schools that are serving students who have experienced high levels of child-hood trauma and adversity, ex-pand the EMHI program to include younger children, and provide regional trainings and support to schools on mental health and trau-ma. (New America Media)

by Allyson EscobArAJPress

THE Department of Homeland Security amended its regulations on Friday, Jan. 15 to improve the programs serving the H-1B1, E-3 and CW-1 nonimmigrant clas-sifications and the EB-1 immi-grant classification, and remove unnecessary hurdles that place such workers at a disadvantage when compared to similarly situ-ated workers in other visa classi-fications.

This final rule, posted to the Federal Register effective on Feb. 16, revises regulations affect-ing highly skilled workers in the nonimmigrant classifications for specialty occupations from Chile, Singapore (H-1B1) and Australia (E-3); the immigrant classifica-tion for employment-based first preference (EB-1) outstanding professors and researchers; and nonimmigrant workers in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI)-Only Transitional Worker (CW-1) clas-sification.

Specifically, this final rule amends DHS regulations as de-scribed below:

• DHS is including H-1B1 and principal E-3 classifications in the list of classes of foreign nationals authorized for employment inci-dent to status with a specific em-

ployer. This means that H-1B1 and principal E-3 nonimmigrants are allowed to work for the spon-soring employer without having to separately apply for employ-ment authorization.

• DHS is authorizing contin-ued employment with the same employer for up to 240 days for H-1B1 and principal E-3 non-immigrants whose status has expired while their employer’s timely filed extension of stay re-quest remains pending.

• DHS is providing this same continued employment authori-zation for CW-1 nonimmigrants whose status has expired while their employer’s timely filed Form I-129CW, Petition for a CNMI-Only Nonimmigrant Transitional Worker, request for an extension of stay remains pending.

• Existing regulations on the filing procedures for extensions of stay and change of status re-quests now include principal E-3 and H-1B1 nonimmigrant classi-fications.

• Employers petitioning for EB-1 outstanding professors and researchers may now submit ini-tial evidence comparable to the other forms of evidence already listed in 8 CFR 204.5(i)(3)(i), much like certain employment-

based immigrant categories that already allow for submission of comparable evidence.

This final rule does not impose any additional costs on employ-ers, workers or any governmen-tal entity. Further, changing the employment authorization regu-lations for H-1B1 and E-3 nonim-migrants makes them consistent with other similarly situated non-immigrant worker classifications. Additionally, this rule minimizes the potential of employment disruptions for U.S. employers of H-1B1, E-3 and CW-1 nonim-migrant workers. Finally, DHS expects that this change will help U.S. employers recruit EB-1 outstanding professors and researchers by expanding the range of evidence that U.S. em-ployers may provide to support their petitions.

“We constantly strive to im-prove our processes and ensure fair and consistent access to im-migration benefits,” U.S. Citizen-ship and Immigration Services Director León Rodríguez said. “This Enhancing Opportuni-ties rule removes unnecessary hurdles that place workers at a disadvantage and will be benefi-cial to both employers and their workers.”

Homeland Security announces new regulations, opportunities for certain highly-skilled workers

NAVAL BASE. Oyster Bay Palawan- Philippine Navy Vessels are scattered around the Oyster Bay and Ulugan Bay fronting the West Philippine sea, and is being deveopled as a “mini Subic” where the country’s two former US Coast Guard cutters would be based. Oyster Bay is only 160 km (100 miles) from the disputed Spratly islands, where China has been reclaiming a reef known as Johnson South Reef, and building what appears to be an airstrip on it. Inquirer.net photo by Marianne Bermudez

HILLARY Clinton, Bernie Sand-ers, and Martin O’Malley met for their fourth debate, which aired live on Sunday, Jan. 17 on NBC. It was the Democratic contenders’ fi-nal face-off before the crucial Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire pri-mary.

In a strong performance, Mary-land Gov. Martin O’Malley came across as experienced and empa-thetic, but did not get the chance to talk as much, while former Secretary of State and frontrun-ner Hillary Clinton argued she was pragmatic, skilled and a “battle-tested politician” who can work effectively on both foreign policy and domestic fronts, reported CBS News. 74-year-old Vermont Sena-tor Bernie Sanders, meanwhile, drove home the message about the influence of funding in politics.

The candidates talked about a variety of issues, from health care to foreign policy, to the criminal justice system, to President Barack Obama.

When asked what their top three priorities as president would be, Sanders cited universal health care, minimum wage increases (to $15 an hour), and rebuilding infra-structure. Clinton said she would focus on equal pay for women, building on Pres. Obama’s Afford-able Care Act, and working dili-gently to bring the nation togeth-er, reported USA Today. O’Malley spoke about wage increases, em-powering labor unions, and re-forming the immigration system.

“I understand that this is the hardest job in the world,” Clinton said in her opening remarks, but assuring that she was capable of doing “all aspects of the job.” She also clung tightly to her loyalty with President Obama, arguing she would build on his legacy and promising continuity, according to CNN.

Clinton and Sanders took most of the time on the debate stage, coming face to face over issues with health care, gun control, and financial politics.

Clinton called Sanders out on his support of the National Rifle Association (NRA), for voting “with the gun lobby, numerous times,” and also named several occasions when she said the Vermont sena-tor sided with guns rights support-ers to gain votes in Congress. She said she was glad that Sanders had

Democratic candidates face off on health care, Wall Street and guns

“reversed his position on immuni-ty” after his recent support of a bill to amend gun manufacturers im-munity from prosecution, but also accused him of flip-flopping and getting “cozy” with the NRA.

However, Sanders retorted that he had a D-minus voting rating from the NRA, and rejected her list of charges. “I think that Secretary Clinton knows that what she says is very disingenuous,” he said.

“Let me talk about polling…In terms of polling, guess what, we are running ahead of Secretary Clinton in terms of taking on my good friend Donald Trump,” he added. “We have the momentum. We’re on a path to a victory.”

The biggest argument of the night was on health care. Just two hours before the debate, Sanders rolled out a tax plan that would fund his Medicare-for-all proposal to scrap private health insurance entirely, replacing with a federally-run health program.

“Right now what we have to deal with is the fact that 29 million people still have no health insur-ance. Tell me why we are spend-ing almost three times more than the British, who guarantee health care for all of their people,” he said.

“What a Medicare-for-all pro-gram does is finally provide in this country health care for every man, woman and child as a right,” he added, saying his plan would lead to tax increases for the middle class, and would take aim at insur-ance companies.

Although Clinton leads Sand-ers 59 percent to 34 percent, ac-cording to an NBC/Wall Street Journal national poll, many view-ers of the debate believe Sand-ers, who is very popular with young people, emerged the true winner. Sanders’ poll stats num-bers have been rising over the last month.

“I certainly respect Sen. Sand-ers’ intentions,” Clinton replied, but stayed defending the Afford-able Care Act. “When you’re talk-ing about health care, the details really matter. We finally have a path to universal health care, we have accomplished so much al-

ready. I do not want to see the Republicans repeal it, and I do not want us to start all over again with a contentious debate.”

“No one is tearing this up--I helped write [the Affordable Care Act]. We are going to go forward,” Sanders retorted angrily, saying he wanted to focus on the issues, not on her husband.

Accomplishing goals (such as an inclusive health care system,

free public colleges, and a higher minimum wage) is dependent on the influence of big corporations and their funding. “Nothing real will get done unless we have a political revolution where millions of people finally stand up,” he stressed, citing problems on Wall Street.

Clinton rebutted that there’s “no bank too big to fail, no individual too powerful to jail.”

When asked about how she wins the votes of younger generations, Clinton cited her goal of debt-free tuition, and is concerned about the “Republican assault” on vot-ing, and on women’s, LGBT, and workers’ rights. “This is an elec-tion where we have to pull young people and older people together. Turning over our White House would be bad for everybody, in-cluding our young people.”

O’Malley managed to squeeze in a word regarding guns and criminal justice reform, personal-izing the issue with a story about meeting a three-year-old shooting victim in the hospital.

He also showed an endearing side when talking about putting ground troops in the Middle East to fight the terror group ISIS, tell-ing a more personal appeal on the matter. All of the candidates agreed there should be no US troops on the ground to fight the war on terror.

The debate viewed by over 12.5 million viewers, including 10.2 million who watched it live, report-ed The Associated Press.

The debate was also the third-most watched Democratic debate in history, according to NBC, drawing in more young viewers than the two previous broadcasted debates. n

“Right now what we have to deal with is the fact that 29 million people still have no health insurance. Tell me why we are spending almost three times more than the British, who guarantee health care for all of their people.” - Bernie Sanders

OC/IE ASIAN JOURNAL • JANUARy 22-28, 2016(818) 502-0651 • (213) 250-9797 • http://www.asianjournal.com A�

Dateline PhiliPPinesby Patricia Lourdes Viray

Philstar.com

PAGE A7

First Chinese visitors arrive at Kagitingan Reef

Indonesia vows to help PH capture Veloso recruiters

MANILA—The first visitors of China’s newly-built airport in the Fiery Cross (Kagitingan) Reef in the West Philippine Sea arrived last week.

A report from Chinese online news agency Sina said the visi-tors were wives and children of garrison soldiers and officers on the island.

The visitors landed at the air-port of the island on January 15.

The Fiery Cross Reef or Yongshu island is part of the Spratly Group of Islands where China has been conducting mas-sive land reclamation activities.

The reef is also being claimed by the Philippines. China has also been building structures on other Manila-claimed areas such as the Panganiban (Mischief), Zamora (Subi), Kennan (Chigua), Mabini (Johnson South), Burgos (Gaven) and Calderon (Cuarteron) Reefs.

A few weeks ago, China held

The first visitors to the Fiery Cross (Kagitingan) Reef in the West Philippine Sea are composed of wives and children of garrison soldiers and officers on the island.

test flights over the South Chi-na Sea and landed two civilian planes over the Fiery Cross Reef.

The Philippines has filed a pro-test against China’s test flights on the Manila-claimed reef. Foreign Affairs spokesperson Charles Jose said that China’s actions

were “provocative” and “restrict-ing the freedom of navigation and overflight in the West Philip-pine Sea.”

China, however, claimed that the Philippines’ accusations were made with ulterior motivesand are not worth refuting.

THE Indonesian government has vowed to help the Philip-pines capture those responsible for bringing convicted Filipina drug courier Mary Jane Veloso to its country, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).

Following a recent meeting with Yogyakarta chief prosecu-tor Tony Spontana, DFA offi-cials and Veloso’s lawyers, the foreign affairs department said Indonesia was ready to provide assistance on the case against

by Nestor corraLes Inquirer.net

the illegal recruiters.“The two sides confirmed

their respective government’s commitment to work together in responding to the Philip-pine government’s request for mutual legal assistance in rela-tion to the prosecution of those responsible for bringing Mary Jane to Indonesia,” the DFA said in a statement on Thurs-day, Jan. 21.

In 2010, Veloso was arrested after authorities found 2.6 kilo-grams of heroin inside her bag at Yogyakarta airport.

Last week, the DFA arranged a “humanitarian visit” to Veloso with

her parents and two children.According to the DFA, a sim-

ple celebration inside the pris-on’s social hall was arranged by the Philippine Embassy in Jakarta for the 31st birthday of Veloso.

“A cake and the children’s favorite fried chicken were brought inside the prison for the celebration,” DFA said, adding Veloso’s family brought her clothing, books, letters and greeting cards from friends and relatives as presents.

The visit took place at Wiron-gunan Penitentiary in Yogya-karta from Jan. 12 to 15.

Sandigan starts Janet, Gigi plunder trial

MANILA—The trial of alleged pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles and lawyer Jessica “Gigi” Reyes started on Wednes-day, Jan. 20 at the Sandiganbayan, 18 months after they were arrested and indicted for plunder.

Napoles’ former property cus-todian and one of the whistle-blowers in the scam, Marina Sula, was the first witness to tes-tify before the anti-graft court’s Third Division.

Sula, who became president of the Masaganang Ani Para sa Magsasaka Foundation Inc., told the court how she helped Na-poles put up bogus non-govern-ment organizations.

The plunder case against Na-poles and Reyes stemmed from their alleged involvement in Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile’s alleged P172-million kickbacks from the pork barrel scam.

This is the first case to move on to the trial phase since the alleged misuse of the Priority Development Assistance Fund

by MichaeL PuNoNgbayaN Philstar.com

allocations of lawmakers broke out in 2013.

Sula will continue her testimo-ny today as hearings have been scheduled twice a week to expe-dite the trial.

Enrile has yet to face trial be-cause of the pending motions he had filed before the Supreme Court, which granted him bail last year.

Sens. Jinggoy Estrada and Ramon Revilla Jr. are also fac-ing plunder and graft charges in connection with the pork barrel scam.

Estrada and Revilla remain in detention at the Philippine Na-tional Police Custodial Center at Camp Crame as the Sandigan-bayan has denied their petitions for bail.

The plunder case against Janet Lim-Napoles and lawyer Jessica “Gigi” Reyes stemmed from their alleged involvement in Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile’s alleged P172-million kickbacks from the pork barrel scam.

THE Philippines and the United Kingdom are looking to sign a re-vised defense agreement before the end of the year, British Am-bassador to the Philippines Asif Ahmad said Monday, Jan. 18.

The new agreement would ex-pand both countries’ cooperation on military, security and disaster response, GMA News reported.

Ahmad did not provide specific details on the new pact, but did say it will “not be as complicated” as the agreement between the Phil-ippines and the United States. He added that he wouldn’t describe the agreement as British troops coming to the Philippines, saying it sounds “a bit emotive.”

“I would say British expertise coming here. Two hundred fifty-one years ago, when we sent Brit-ish troops here, they liked it so much, they stayed,” he said, ac-cording to Rappler.

At the moment, the two coun-tries are exchanging drafts, he said.

The ambassador added it is not the Visiting Forces Agreement be-tween the Philippines and the US, which allows American troops to enter the Philippines for joint military training with their Filipino counterparts.

“I think, basically, it codifies what we’re already doing and some of the ambitions that we have. I don’t think it translates into something more than that.

“What happened is, the old one was so lacking in ambition that it really allowed us very little scope to do anything,” he said.

In particular, Ahmad said the two countries would like to incor-porate lessons they learned dur-ing Super Typhoon Yolanda, also known as Haiyan, which struck the Philippines in November 2013 and killed more than 6,300 people.

After Super Typhoon Haiyan struck the Philippines, the UK was one of the countries that helped out the most. Ahmad noted, how-ever, that most of the cooperation between the two nations was com-pleted “very informally.”

“We don’t have too many writ-ten protocols as to how this is

PH, UK to revise & sign defense agreement before end of 2016

by agNes coNstaNteAJPress

done. And we want to regularize that,” Ahmad said, according to Rappler.

The ambassador was asked if the UK and Philippines decided to revise their defense agreement due to the territorial quarrels be-

tween Manila and Beijing in the South China Sea, as well as the threat of terrorism, among other issues. He said that, in regard to the dispute, diplomacy is needed.

“I always say that if you’re start-

Poe finds a champion in the Supreme Courtby JeroMe aNiNg

Inquirer.net

WHY is Sen. Grace Poe, who was unjustly abandoned at birth by her parents, being unjustly compelled to find them just to prove that she is a natural-born Filipino?

Associate Justice Marvic Le-onen made this point on Tuesday, Jan. 19 at the start of oral argu-ments in the Supreme Court while questioning Poe’s lawyer, Alexan-der Poblador, on a petition by the senator to set aside her disqualifi-cation in the May presidential bal-loting by the Commission on Elec-tions (Comelec) for alleged abuse of discretion.

The Comelec has decided to nullify the certificate of candidacy of Poe, a foundling whose parents are unknown, for failing to meet the expressed constitutional re-quirements that candidates for high office should be natural-born citizens and should have lived for at least 10 years in the country.

Leonen pointed out that Poe’s

being abandoned after birth was wrong and unjust. He said the senator was “lucky” because she was adopted by movie stars Fer-nando Poe Jr. and Susan Roces.

Recounting that he grew up without a father, Leonen said Poe surely had a “very difficult time” growing up not knowing who her real parents were.

Where’s justness?He asked why a foundling like

Poe would be compelled to look for her real parents or required to prove her parentage, such as through DNA testing, when ordi-nary Filipinos only need to show their birth certificates to prove their parentage and citizenship.

Those birth certificates were prepared by somebody else, he noted.

“At the end of the day, should this court ask her to look for those parents who actually left her be-cause she had it lucky. She is now one of the candidates to become President of this country. Do you think that is a fair result? It’s clear to us what should happen in terms

of justness. Can our laws actually contain that kind of a result? Is it clear enough to say that the Con-stitution of the Republic looks this way on foundlings? That there can never be any foundling found in a rural area of the Philippines that can ever become President?” he explained.

“We are here not as legalists, we are here as justices. The root word is not ‘legal’ but it is ‘just’—meaning to say we do justice in accordance with law but if we can interpret law so that it can do jus-tice then so be it. So we are not completely legalists,” he said.

Leonen added that the cases against Poe also pertained to Fili-pinos who went overseas to work or reside and decided to come home to run for public office.

He said laws were made to give such expatriates, or balikbayan, to reestablish their residencies and reacquire citizenships.

Poe had lived in the United States with an American husband and had become a US citizen. She later decided to reacquire her Philippine citizenship and run for high office.

Poe insists foundlings like her should be regarded as natural-born, otherwise those with un-known biological parents would become stateless and, worse, de-nied the right to serve the coun-try.

Let people decideLeonen joined the position of

some Poe supporters, includ-ing former Chief Justice Artemio Panganiban, who held that the expressed provision of the Con-stitution on qualifications of presi-dential aspirants should be disre-garded and the issue thrown to the electorate, saying the voice of the people is the voice of God.

It was the electorate, in exercise

Presidential bet Senator Grace Poe said she will no longer present the results of her DNA tests with possible relatives in Jaro, Iloilo, saying she and her camp are using legal basis, and not the DNA results, to prove that she is a natural-born Filipino citizen during a press conference with Senator and Vice Presidential bet Chiz Escudero on a restaurant in Dasmarinas, Cavite. Inquirer.net photo by Richard Reyes

PAGE A7

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FEBRUARY 1 is a big day in US politics as it marks the beginning of the primary elections in the United States. This is when both the Demo-cratic and Republican parties choose their nomi-nees for president in all the 50 states of America, the victors of which will be in the race for the General Elections in November.

Only one nominee for each major party will run against each other, although other parties may field their candidates against the major league. Or, somebody from either the Democrats or the Republicans may run as an Independent if he or she fails to win the party’s nomination.

In the next months, perhaps all the way until the end of summer, the candidates for president will continue their campaigns as primary elec-tions and caucuses move from one state to an-other, starting off in Iowa, to be followed by New Hampshire. Sometimes, the winner emerges early in the game and the contenders for each

party concede. Other times, the nominee is known not until the convention of both parties.

Ahead of the Iowa caucuses which will be in a little over one week, who is leading? What do the latest polls say for each party?

Monmouth Poll Results After Democratic Debate (January 18):

Hillary Clinton’s lead over Bernie Sanders in the latest national Monmouth University Poll has narrowed in the past month. However, Clinton re-tains a massive advantage among black and Lati-no voters – groups that will play a prominent role in the primaries immediately following Iowa and New Hampshire. She is also seen as the stron-ger nominee when pitted against the Republican field.

Clinton currently has the sup-port of 52 percent of Democrats and Democratic-leaning voters nationwide, which is down from 59 percent in December. Sand-ers gets 37 percent support, which is up substantially from his 26 percent support level last month. Martin O’Malley has 2 percent support. This marks the

first time Clinton’s lead has dropped below 20 points in a national Monmouth poll.

NBC/Wall Street Journal Poll Ahead of the Re-publican Debate (January 13) :

Donald Trump has opened a double-digit lead over his next-closest Republican rival, less than three weeks before the first votes of the 2016 presidential race are cast.

Trump is the first choice of 33 percent of na-tional Republican primary voters - his highest

percentage in the poll. He’s followed by Ted Cruz at 20 percent, Marco Rubio at 13 percent and Ben Carson at 12 percent. Chris Christie and Jeb Bush are tied at five percent. No other Republican presidential candidate gets more than 3 percent.

Trump’s 13-point lead over Cruz is an increase from last month, when he held a five-point ad-vantage over the Texas senator, 27 percent to 22 percent.

WHO DO YOU THINK WILL WIN in Iowa in both the Democrats and Republican caucuses? Who will win in New Hampshire? Will these con-tests affect the next states’ primary elections?

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

AlertedTO this day, terrorism poses a serious threat anywhere in the world.

Clashes among cultures continue to have a damaging impact on world peace and security. Grim news of insurgency and terror attacks are thrust onto international headlines every day. Because of cross-cultural ignorance, the essence of civilization is compromised.

Philstar.com photo

Gel SantoS-ReloS

The Fil-Am Perspective

RiGobeRto tiGlao

Commentary

Mamasapano: Aquino and Roxas’ political grave, and Llamanzares’ too

THE massacre of 44 elite police troops in Mamasapano, Maguin-danao on January 25 last year is President Aquino and his presi-dential candidate Manuel Roxas II’s political graveyard.

Aquino, in his hubris that he could catch international ter-rorists, and then in his paralysis when the operation turned awry dug the grave, enough to fit Rox-as since he stood idly by while his police commandos—whom he of-ficially had command over —were massacred by Muslim insurgents.

Presidential candidate Grace Poe Llamanzares exploited the fiasco by projecting herself, as chairman of the committee in-vestigating the massacre, as a competent, fearless senator out to uncover the truth. Yet very clev-erly, she left room for Aquino to wiggle out of the quagmire, and didn’t submit her committee re-port to the Senate, so it was just left in her office and forgotten.

I suspect that at that time she was hoping that by helping Aqui-no, he would anoint her as his successor rather than Roxas.

Or did Aquino himself, as I was told, tell Llamanzares at that time (February 2015) to help him sur-vive the hearings, and quid pro

quo, he’ll anoint her as his candi-date towards the end of the year. That would explain why a Balik-bayan, who can’t even boast what her highest working position in the US was, suddenly became so confident she could win the presi-dency of the Republic.

But Aquino obviously double-crossed her and instead offered her the vice-presidency. After that she’s been barraged by disquali-fication cases, which likely would strike her out of the contest.

The new investigation into the Mamasapano massacre called by senator Juan Ponce Enrile will undoubtedly show Aquino and Roxas as at best standing idly by while the Special Action Forces were being massacred.

At worse, as Enrile has hinted, the hearing would establish with-out doubt that Aquino called rein-forcing troops to stand down, in effect leaving the SAF to the Moro insurgent wolves.

It will also expose why Llaman-zares stopped short in exposing Aquino’s criminal negligence and in asking for his impeachment.

If Aquino and Roxas have any decency left, they would resign their posts when the hearings in-dubitably prove this.

I don’t know how any decent, intellectually honest Filipino would agree to suffer even for just a few more months a lying Presi-dent with blood on his hands.

I don’t know how any decent, in-tellectually honest Filipino would vote for Aquino’s clone with the same blood on his hands.

Just the photos alone of Aquino and Roxas gallivanting in Zambo-anga City while the SAF troops were embattled and massacred are proof enough of their criminal negligence.

Ironically these photos were by the Malacañang Photo Bureau; since Aquino’s trip to Zamboanga that day was unscheduled, the main broadsheets were unable to send their own photographers there.

Note the shadows the sun cast in the photos, which show that Aquino and Roxas were going around Zamboanga from noon to late afternoon, when the SAF troopers were being killed.

By Aquino’s and Roxas’ own statements they were aware that “Oplan Exodus”—with interna-tional terrorists Zulkifli Abdhir (a.k.a. Marwan) and Abdul Basit Usman as its targets—was well underway in the wee hours of the morning, and that shortly af-ter daybreak the SAF troops had been pinned down in the corn fields with little cover.

They did nothingYet what did Aquino and Roxas

do?After a closed-door meeting

with Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin and other generals after they arrived at 10 AM at Edwin Andrews Air Base, they went to Guiwan village to see where the car bomb exploded just a few days earlier. Then they went to the Zamboanga Peninsula Medi-cal Center to visit a wounded

Even with an intensive and multilateral approach by international governments to combat terrorism, the world remains on its toes. The international community has valiantly dealt with these threats through various mili-tary campaigns. But even with suc-cesses in containing one group, an-other one still manages to pop up.

During a gathering in an undis-closed area in Central Mindanao on Tuesday, Jan. 19, over 300 armed Christian civil-ians gathered to stand up against attacks by a radi-cal Moro group. The group called themselves “Red God’s soldiers,” as they burned a replica of the Is-lamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) flag and vowed to defend their lands and families.

In its country report on terrorism, the United States government claim that terrorist groups, in-cluding the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG), Jemaah Is-lamiya (JI), and the Communist People’s Party/New People’s Army (CPP/NPA), were unable to conduct major attacks compared to previous years due to continuous pressure from Philippine counterter-rorism and law enforcement efforts.

“Terrorist groups’ acts included criminal activi-ties designed to generate revenue for self-sustain-ment, such as kidnapping for ransom, extortion, and bombings for hire,” the report said.

Counterterrorism cooperation between the Phil-ippines and the United States has continued to im-

prove. “The Government of the Philippines made prog-

ress in implementing its 2011–2016 Internal Peace and Security Plan that calls for the transition of internal security func-tions from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to the Philippine National Police (PNP). The increas-ing role and capability of the police in maintaining internal security in

conflict-affected areas will permit the AFP to shift its focus to enhance the country’s maritime secu-rity and territorial defense capabilities. To date, however, this transition continued to be slow and ineffective. Continued violent extremist activity, as well as counterterrorism capability gaps between the AFP and PNP, slowed this transition and forced the AFP to continue playing the lead counterterror-ism role in the Philippines,” the report added.

Furthermore, the AFP downplayed alleged re-ports that several terrorist groups in the country are establishing a local base for ISIS.

Armed Forces Chief of Staff General Hernando Iriberri said that military operations are underway to neutralize terror leaders and members who are responsible for the insurgence. “Our armed forces are trying their best. Every time we have the in-formation, we validate it and we take action just to make sure we will prevent whatever terror acts they are planning to do,” Iriberri said.

Editorial

Pres. Benigno Aquino III also belittles the same reports and suspects that those in the country who claim allegiance to ISIS are not in direct contact with the terror group and are just riding on the prominence of its threat.

“The same groups that were claiming linkage to Al-Qaeda according to our intelligence reports are the same people who are claiming that they have pledged allegiance to the caliph of the ISIS. And we presumed not to belittle them but if there is a new group that is ascendant, they will be probably the next franchisee in our country,” Aquino assured.

He added that the problem of extremism in Min-danao was not triggered by ideologies or conflicts religious beliefs, but more by the lack of economic opportunities in Mindanao.

As an offshoot to the latest news of terror-related violence, people are alerted to promote individual responsibility and are encouraged to commit to ef-fective long-term solutions. Confronting this chal-lenge is beyond the power of governments alone. Today’s terrorism will only be defeated with the engagement of the public and on the basis of com-mon values. (AJPress)

Who is leading before the February 1 primary election season begins?

Pacman’s maternity leave proposal is anti-business, anti-labor

HAVING Manny Pacquiao in Congress has always been a lot like having Michael Jordan in a baseball uniform: It’s uncomfort-able to watch, and one desper-ately hopes he figures out on his own that he’s a fish out of water, before someone has to tell him he’s making a fool of himself.

Although Pacman is a stel-lar boxer, and in his prime was maybe the best the world has ever seen, the only thing he has ever excelled at in his career as a politician is setting a record for absenteeism (in 2014 he re-ported for a grand total of four out of 70 sessions). Perhaps that is just as well, because when he does bother to give his legislative job some attention, he will more likely than not propose some-thing completely daft, such as a bill he has filed extending paid maternity leave for government workers from the current 60 days to 180 days.

In another bill that seems set to pass the Senate, the length of maternity leave for all employ-ees public or private is to be ex-tended to 100 days, but Pacquiao does not feel that is adequate, be-cause, according to a report from GMA News, “The lawmaker, who

has five children with Sarangani Vice Governor Jinkee Pacquiao, noted the International Labor Organization’s recommendation that the standard length of time for maternity leave should not be less than 14 weeks.”

Fourteen weeks is 98 days, but maybe we should overlook the math on that one; after all, the man’s been hit in the head several thousand times. There are much bigger problems with the whole concept of maternity leave.

Maternity leave is one of those sacred cows of an idea (like the minimum wage) that no one dares question; there may be some debate about details such as how long maternity leave should be, but to suggest that maternity leave shouldn’t even be a thing is considered blas-phemy. But maternity leave is an example, maybe the best one, of how regulation of labor— which was originally necessary to curb admittedly gross abuses as the Industrial Age developed—has gone too far into economically negative social engineering.

Harsh as it may sound to the more liberal-minded among us, employment is logically not a social arrangement but a user-resource equation. A for-profit business needs employees to fill process roles; any other objective in having employees is simple philanthropy.

Indeed, employers should be held accountable for their em-ployees’ well-being to the extent it is relevant to their jobs: That

means providing competitive compensation, ensuring that the number of working hours required are not unreasonable and that sufficient rest periods are provided, that the working environment is safe and healthy, and that any harm to employees’ health and well-being arising from the job environment is fully corrected by the employer.

All of those things fall into the category of proper use and care of a valuable resource. Many employers, of course, go well be-yond that and do foster a social relationship with their employ-ees, and that’s fine—it’s good business, and employers should be encouraged to go beyond what is reasonably required to the extent their capacity allows. But going beyond the reasonable requirements should be optional. The capacity to reward employ-ees varies from business to busi-ness, and the business case for compensation and employment terms beyond those that can rea-sonably be universally applied varies from job role to job role. Obliging employers to go beyond those is a form of intervention that ignores economic logic.

Even though it does not actu-ally make sense to do so, it is still the prerogative of the govern-ment representing the people to decide that a) having a baby is a right, and not a choice; and b) employers, and by extension shareholders and end-consum-ers, should be required to sub-

PAGE A7 PAGE A7

ben D. KRitz

Analysis

OC/IE ASIAN JOURNAL • JANUARy 22-28, 2016(818) 502-0651 • (213) 250-9797 • http://www.asianjournal.com A�Dateline PhiliPPines

Mamasapano: Aquino and Roxas’ political grave...

PAGE A5

PAGE A6

policeman, and to the Western Mindanao Medical Center on Santa Cruz Street where two blast patients were confined. After a long lunch probably with the lo-cal delicacy curacha served, they visited another blast victim at the Ciudad Medical Center and 10 other victims at the Zamboanga City Medical Center in Santa Cata-lina village. Of course, in all these affairs, Aquino and Roxas went with the hand-shaking, back-pat-ting routine.

All these activities when the SAF troops’ bloody fate was be-ing sealed as the hours passed by without any reinforcement nor artillery fire to scare off the Moro insurgents.

Visiting the bombing victims was actually scheduled merely as a cover story for Aquino and his several Cabinet members for them to be there, so they could proceed swiftly to Cotabato City to congratulate the SAF troopers

after they had taken down the in-ternational terrorists.

Any other president, any com-manding officer would have dropped everything in the face of a crisis that could mean the death of his men, so he could monitor closely the events as they unfold-ed, so he could issue orders to save the troops.

Even US President Obama with his closest security advisers had set up a war room to monitor the American commandos in their operation to terminate Osama bin Laden.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was given special facilities to similarly do so in the opera-tion that hunted down and killed Abu Sayyaf leader Abu Sabaya in 2002.

In Aquino and Roxas’ case, they pretended nothing was happening during those frenetic hours from mid-morning to late afternoon, when the SAF troops were pinned down and were picked off one by

one by long-range MILF Barrett sniper rifles. Without help com-ing for the SAF, the insurgents simply waited for their ammo to run out, and then rushed them to shoot those still alive point blank one by one.

By the police commanders’ ac-count these were the hours when they were frantically begging the Army to send reinforcements and to fire non-deadly artillery fire to scare off the Moro insurgents.

It was a criminal failure of lead-ership. Was Aquino so shocked and then paralyzed that his fan-tasy as a commander of comman-dos who killed two international terrorists turned into a bloody nightmare?

It is a very expensive lesson for us a nation, but one we should never forget: Never again elect a president, especially a spoiled scion of hacenderos, who hasn’t been tested in the crucible of ex-perience and leadership. (Manila-Times.net)

Pacman’s maternity leave proposal...sidize that right. By the same to-ken, since it is impossible to force someone to become an employer, it is the prerogative of would-be job creators to choose not to sub-ject themselves to those imposi-tions, and not employ anyone in the first place.

PAGE A6 Which is likely to be the result of measures to extend maternity leave, and may—although it is impossible to determine empiri-cally—already contribute to a dearth of worthwhile employ-ment opportunities for women. If Pacquiao’s proposal passes into law, it will have a chilling effect on

hiring for women, and may even reduce job growth in general. If businesses are threatened with the prospect of being accused of discrimination, they may choose to avoid hiring altogether, or turn to other undesirable alternatives such as contractual hiring or out-sourcing. (ManilaTimes.net)

PH, UK to revise & sign defense agreement...ing to talk in terms of military in-tervention, then diplomacy has failed. It’s the tool of last resort,” he said, according to Rappler.

Ahmad added that Britain is keen on aiding the Philippines,

Poe finds a champion in the Supreme...of their sovereign right, who had ratified the Constitution, Leonen said.

The magistrate said the Consti-tution already provided a mecha-nism for the people to decide whom to elect and the court could only step in to become the final ar-biter should there be a contest.

It is the 1987 Constitution that is in effect today and not the old 1935 and 1973 Constitutions that applied to specific historical peri-ods of the country, Leonen point-ed out.

He said justices should confine themselves to the reading of the text of the present Constitution to find its meaning and apply it to a situation that may not have been

contemplated by the framers.No power to judgeUnder the 1935 Constitution, in

effect when Poe was born in 1968, only those born of Filipino fathers are regarded as natural-born, while those born of Filipino moth-ers have to elect their citizenship upon reaching the age of major-ity.

According to Leonen, this year marks the first time in the coun-try’s history that a founding will be running for President so it will be the first time that the court will be laying down a doctrine on found-lings.

“Don’t you think it’s the better part of prudence that we follow what the Constitution says, that the Supreme Court has jurisdic-

tion over election contests to de-termine the qualifications of [pres-idential] candidates,” he said, referring to the court’s role as the Presidential Electoral Tribunal.

Leonen pointed out that the Constitution never granted the Comelec the power to adjudicate on qualifications of elected nation-al government officials.

He said the Comelec should have just confined itself to evalu-ating Poe’s certificate of candida-cy and determining whether the facts stated there, from her point of view, were correct or not.

To interpret these facts, Leonen said, “is a matter of opinion and law; to do so would be to adjudi-cate,” which the Comelec is barred from doing by the Constitution.

which has one of the weakest mili-taries in Asia, enhance its defense capability.

“What we do … is we set up a whole range of options and capa-bilities that we actually have and it is then up to the Philippine gov-

ernment to decide,” he said.He also said he isn’t ruling out

the possibility of evolving the part-nership between the two countries to a more strategic one that could involve joint training between Fili-pino and British troops.

PAGE A5

MILF not giving up on BBLMANILA—As Congress is run-

ning out of time to pass the pro-posed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL), the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) on Wednesday, Jan./ 20 vowed not to give up on the measure, which it believes would help bring about peace and pros-perity in the country.

In an editorial posted on its website Luwaran, the MILF noted that the fate of the proposed BBL is now in Congress’ hands and it would be up to lawmakers to de-cide if they would seize the oppor-tunity to achieve peace.

“The BBL will pass if Congress decides to pass it. If they don’t, then it is finished, at least for the present Congress and the Aquino Administration,” the editorial read.

“But for us in the MILF, it is nev-er finished. We will persevere until our just agreements are imple-mented because that is what hon-orable and principled people do -- they keep their word,” it added.

The BBL will implement the comprehensive peace agreement signed by the government and the MILF in 2014. The measure will create a new Bangsamoro politi-cal entity with enhanced economic

and political powers.The draft law also aims to form a

Bangsamoro parliamentary gov-ernment, a Bangsamoro auditing body, civil service commission, electoral office, police, human rights commission, and regional police board.

The proposed BBL is a priority bill of the Aquino administration but it is in danger of being by-passed because of lack of time.

Congress has until February 5 to pass the measure but it re-mains uncertain if a quorum can be mustered as politicians are now busy preparing for the campaign period.

“Let us not delay. The decision to pass or not to pass the BBL has to be a positive act,” the MILF said.

“The Senate should not allow time to lapse without acting on the BBL. The Senate owes that favor to Filipino people and the Bangsam-oro -- that they will make a deci-sion on the BBL before the end of the current session of Congress on February 5,” it added.

The MILF also urged the House of Representatives to reconsider putting back the provisions that were deleted from the original BBL draft submitted by the Office of the President and the Bangsam-

oro Transition Commission (BTC).The BBL provisions that were

deleted by the House include the creation of a separate Bangsam-oro military command, making in-ternal security a concurrent power with the Bangsamoro government, and permitting contiguous areas to join the Bangsamoro political entity upon the petition of 10 per-cent of its residents.

“Those provisions have a pur-pose and they are needed to bring about peace and development in the Bangsamoro. In any case, many of those deleted provisions were already granted the Bangsamoro in the present ARMM Law. Why deprive the Bangsamoro of those powers and prerogatives which have already been granted to them by law?” MILF said.

The MILF said questions about the legality of the provisions should be left to the wisdom of the Supreme Court.

“Let us not be faint-hearted. Let us not fail to seize this singular op-portunity. There might be no more of something like this in the fu-ture as the situation may even get worse as we will all be suck into the quagmire of the global con-flict and extremist violence. This opportunity we must seize,” the group said.

by Alexis RomeRo Philstar.com

UN GLOBAL CHAMPION FOR RESILIENCE. Senator Loren Legarda formally accepts from Ms. Margareta Wahlstrom (5th from left), outgoing chief of the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR), her appointment as UNISDR Global Champion for Resilience on 19 January 2016 at the Senate of the Philippines. Witnessing the event are (from left): Former Climate Change Commissioner Heherson Alvarez, Secretary Emmanuel de Guzman, Vice Chairperson of the Climate Change Commission, Senate President Franklin Drilon, Mr. Mark Bidder of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), and Atty. Tess de Vega, Chief Coordinator of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA). Senate photo

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the asian journal entertainment magazine january 22-28, 2016

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Ronnie del Carmen on Oscar nod: I’m the luckiest man on Earth

by MoMar G. Visaya/AJPress

How Kate Gavino’s Tumblr blogbecame a dream book project

It all started in 2013 with a tumblr post.

Illustrator and writer Kate Gavino was having a grand time attending book readings in Manhattan, Brooklyn and even in New Jersey. An avid lover of books, she made it a point to attend these book readings every night to meet authors and get a chance to ask them questions.

She then began creating portraits or sketches of these authors and afterwards, she chooses a quote from the author that evening and places it with the author’s portrait. She then posted her illustrations on her tumblr blog, which she called Last Night’s Reading.

“I’ve been going to book readings ever since I moved to New York because they’re usually free and I was a broke college students and they were usually at my favorite bookstores. I was spending all my time reading anyway,” Gavino told the Asian Journal in an interview. “I did not start the blog as an idea to come up with a book. Someone from Penguin approached me a year into the blog and told me that we can make these illustrations into a book.”

Fast forward to the last quarter of 2015 and the blog is now a book published by Penguin Random House.

the book, called Last Night’s Reading: Illustrated Encounters with Extraordinary Authors, is a collection of Gavino’s illustrations and snippets and hand-lettered quotes.

“Writing is a solitary activity, but at a reading, writers are with their audience, talking about what matters most to them,” Gavino wrote on one of the book’s pages.

the book documents the book readings she has attended so far with authors such as Neil Gaiman, Junot Diaz, Elizabeth

Aside from Tumblr, Gavino also posts her illustrations and book reading events in her Instagram page, @lastnightsreading.

New York City’s bookstores,” she quipped.

the reception towards her book has been great.

It was featured in O, the Oprah Magazine’s “Gratitude Meter” as one of “5 things we can’t stop smiling about this month!”

Buzzfeed Books says that Gavino’s book of illustrated quotes from authors “will inspire you” while the Boston Globe calls it “A witty love letter to the literary world.”

Golden OpportunityGavino was invited last

month to join a talk sponsored by the Filipino American Museum at the Asia Society about the golden opportunity for Filipino Americans across the spectrum.

they were each given five minutes to talk about the topic. Gavino delivered her story with so much heart that she was one of the evening’s highlights.

We even suggested that her short speech could be a good book project in itself.

“I owe any success that I have

to my family,” she shared. “So when they asked me to talk about my golden opportunity, I thought about my Lola who died a couple of years ago. I definitely wanted to honor her.”

Gavino loves senior citizens and she makes time to volunteer in projects that help the city’s aging population. It was in one of these volunteer works where she met Nenita and they became fast friends.

“this is like a dream event. Like I said in my story, I haven’t had a Filipino friend since eighth grade, so I like what we have here. We’re in different places but we have the same cultural experiences and I really miss that connection. this event really feels like a family event,” she shared.

Gavino’s parents met in texas because they were both in the same nursing program. they also got married in the same state.

“My parents are both nurses but I think they’re secret artists as well because they both love writing and reading and they both encouraged me to read

Gilbert, Khaled Hosseini, George R.R. Martin, Salman Rushdie, Lev Grossman, Zadie Smith, Mindy Kaling and many more.

the quotes she picks out of maybe a hundred or so quotable quips from the authors that evening range from the mundane to the serious. One evening it’s about creativity, the next it’s about humor and the following it’s about pain and happiness.

For the quote to make it on paper, it has to be one of three things – interesting, funny or intelligent.

the book is a light and easy read, perfect as a gift for word warriors and for people who follow their favorite authors. It celebrates not just the books and the authors reading from their books but also independent bookstores across the city, that they are an essential part of a balanced and healthy community. It’s like getting pieces of advice from your favorite authors as you intently listen to them interact with the people who share the same passion as yours.

“It was exciting to see the blog turn into a book project, it has become my love letter to

when I was younger. they never said no to me when I wanted to go to the library,” she shared.

“I haven’t been back [to the Philippines] in 12 years. I really want to go back. I think my family is planning a trip this summer so I hope it happens,” she added.

Her Own Book ReadingGavino has also been touring

different bookstores in the east coast since Penguin released the book last November.

“I even had a chance to go back to texas and it was really fun. there were a lot of Filipino nurses in the audience because my parents invited all their colleagues and co-workers. It has given me a chance to talk to bookstore owners and booksellers and they’re the ones who make book readings possible,” Gavino recalled.

Asked if she had a favorite among the hundreds of quotes she has gathered so far and the profiles she has sketched.

“the first drawing I ever did, which is of the author Junot Diaz. It’s about the importance of

bearing witness,” she shared. “I’m always an observer and it seems like a passive activity but when he talks about the part of telling your story, it made observation as an active part and it spoke a lot to me and that’s why it’s one of my favorite drawings.”

She hasn’t personally met Diaz (“I’ve only been to many of his readings”) but she knows he loves going to Maharlika in the East Village.

the Junot Diaz quote that connected with her?

“the absolute safety of your soul will depend on whether you can find the community or the courage to bear witness to what has happened to you.”

Sketching the authors with their quotes was Gavino’s way of sharing her experience from that book reading with people who live across the globe.

“the book pretty much explains why I love going to book readings and why I love bookstores and the whole literary culture of New York in general,” she said.

LOS ANGELES—After the Academy announced its nominations to the 88th Oscars on thursday, Ronnie del Carmen became the first University of Santo tomas (USt) alumnus to earn an Oscar nod. the College of Fine Arts and Design (CFAD) graduate bagged a best original screenplay nomination for Pixar’s “Inside Out,” which he shared with Pete Docter, Meg LeFauve and Josh Cooley.

“Inside Out,” codirected by Ronnie, also got a best animated feature film nomination that went to director Pete and producer Jonas Rivera. the film, acclaimed as one of the year’s best since its Cannes fest debut last May, tackles how the human mind works, specifically that of an 11-year-old girl named

Riley. It also won the Golden Globe Awards’ best animated feature prize last Jan. 10.

Last August, Ronnie returned to USt’s historic Manila campus and was honored by CFAD as an outstanding alumnus.

Ronnie’s other Pixar credits

by ruben V. nepales Inquirer.net

include “Up,” “Brave,” “Monsters University,” “Finding Nemo,” “Wall-E” and “Ratatouille.”

Actor John Krasinski, directors Ang Lee and Guillermo del toro and Academy president Cheryl Boone Isaacs announced the nominations in the traditionally early morning rites inside the Samuel Goldwyn theater at the Oscars’ headquarters in Beverly Hills.

the Pixar team competes in the original screenplay race against “Bridge of Spies,” “Ex Machina,” “Spotlight” and “Straight Outta Compton.”

With his first Oscar nod, Ronnie joins a select group of Fil-Ams who have garnered Academy citations. the list includes Robert Lopez (2014, best original song, “Let It Go”—he went on to be the first Fil-Am to win an Oscar); Hailee Steinfeld (2011 – best supporting actress, “true Grit”); Matthew Libatique (2011, best cinematography, “Black Swan”); producer Pia Clemente (2006, best short film-live action, “Our time Is Up”) and a man whose name escapes my mind—my apologies—but

he cinched a nomination in a technical category.

“I was in bed with my iPad watching a live stream,” Ronnie described how he learned about his nomination. “I even forgot to set the alarm for this (announcement) the night before. Somehow, I woke up in time. Somebody up there likes me.”

“this is such an amazing honor!” exclaimed the Cavite native whose brothers, Louie and Rick, are also USt alumni and accomplished animators in the United States. “‘Inside Out’ is that movie you wait a career lifetime to be part of. Pete invited me to codirect and, that day, I felt like I won the lottery!

“On top of that, the movie is nominated for two Oscars! And I am mentioned by name on the best original screenplay nomination! I can’t believe it! I am the luckiest man on Earth!”

On being the first USt alumnus to score an Academy nod, Ronnie said, “I can’t wait to go back to USt someday and bring this full circle. this is your tribe—you want to bring

honor to your tribe. And though there are many ways to do this, walking back in there with an Oscar nomination is way cool. Heck—it’s super-cool!”

the USt campus is also significant to Ronnie because that was where he met his wife, theresa or “tess,” also a CFAD student at the time.

As for joining an elite group of Fil-Ams who have the distinction of being Oscar nominees, the multi-awarded animator and comics and book illustrator said, “We used to watch the Oscars as a family when I was a kid. We loved watching it. Movies are a big deal in the family. I’d watch tV all day and night if left on my own.

“It is mind-blowing to even consider that this could happen. In fact, I was trying not to think about it as the nominations announcement approached. But what an honor to serve on ‘Inside Out’ and be part of Oscar history. Can you imagine? My people in the Philippines can share in this honor as their own. I get to be that person! How cool is that?”

“I am so lucky to be part of a studio that is certainly the only one that could have green-lit a movie like ‘Inside Out,’” he remarked about Pixar where Filipino employees proudly call themselves “Pixnoys.”

“Such a courageous and groundbreaking movie,” he added. “John Lasseter, as our creative leader, makes sure that these kinds of stories not only get explored but thrive out there in the world. I am in a unique

role now where I can be part of all the movies being made in the studio—a role created by John for me to do here at Pixar.”

Pete, for his part, said about his two nominations: “We are beyond grateful to the Academy for honoring us with these nominations, especially in a year with so many fantastic movies. We’re lucky to work in a studio that allows us to make movies that are colorful, fun, personal and emotional.”

Disney/Pixar’s ‘Inside Out’ director Pete Docter (right) and Fil-Am co-director Ronnie del Carmen wrap up the Southeast Asian press tour for their film in Manila. Philstar.com photo by Ed Ramos

Valeen Montenegro’s camp denies involvement in Ciara-Jojo marital problem

MANILA—Valeen Montenegro’s camp denied that the actress was involved in the martial issue between Ciara Sotto and Jojo Oconer.

“It’s not true that Valeen is Sir Jojo Oconer’s ‘girl,’” said Valeen’s manager Olive de Jesus, through a text message sent to Jojo Sucaldito, which he published in his column on January 17.

It was last week when Ciara admitted having marital problems with her husband Jojo, through a statement posted on her Instagram account.

Here she admitted leaving her home with Oconer together with

their son Vincezo Xose, and going back to her parents’ house. Ciara is the daughter of Sen. tito Sotto and Helen Gamboa.

After Ciara’s revelation, Valeen’s name has been dragged in the issue with some even saying that her projects in GMA, under APt, were arranged through Oconer.

However, her manager denied this saying that “Si Mamu Andrew de Real ang nag-recommend kay Valeen sa APt. then we had a meeting with Mr. t [tony tuviera] and Direk Mike tuviera.”

“that’s how she got into Sunday PinaSaya. I hope we can clarify the issue. thank you,” she added.

Valeen is currently part of “Princess in the Palace” and “Sunday PinaSaya.”

by Joyce JiMenez Philstar.com

Valeen Montenegro’s manager Olive de Jesus denied the actress’ involvement in the marital issue between Ciara Sotto and Jojo Oconer.

Can Pia, Nadine, Liza be Darna? Erik Matti weighs inby chuck sMith

Philstar.com

MANILA—Who among the current female stars can play Darna?

Since Star Cinema released a teaser trailer for their upcoming Darna movie project last month, fans have been speculating who should replace Angel Locsin to portray the iconic Pinoy superhero on the big screen.

In a recent interview, Erik Matti, the director of the Darna movie, said: “Ang burden nitong Darna na latest is over the past five years, na-bombard na tayo ng Marvel. Mahirap siya execution-wise na kung paano lang din ‘yung dati.”

Matti also weighed in on the fan favorites who emerged as possible replacements for Darna.

Among them are Liza Soberano, Nadine Lustre and Jessy Mendiola.

“Si Liza, yes puwede. She has the

strength physically, ‘yung hitsura at katawan. And then tama ‘yung edad and you can do a lot of things sa mukha niya. Pwede siya mag-iba-iba ng hitsura and she could still look really good. At the same time, Pinay siya na maganda, pang-Asian. Mahirap ‘yung mestizo eh,” he said of the “Forevermore” actress.

As for Jessy, Matti said: “Si Jessy has the built. Maputi lang siya masyado. Personal ko itong comment ha, hindi ito comment ng ABS-CBN. Maputi lang masyado si Jessy. Pinay dapat.”

On Nadine, Matti said: ““Okay din naman si Nadine... Hindi ko pa

Continued on Page 6

Liza Soberano Nadine Lustre

January 22-28, 2016 3www.asianjournal.comDirector Cathy Garcia-Molina: ‘I am not an evil person’

PNBRCI holds drawings for‘Magpadala Magpalipad’ promo

Three lucky individuals from the United States are now going on vacation to the Philippines, thanks to PNB remittance Centers Inc. (PNBrCI)’s “Magpadala Magpalipad” promotion in cooperation with Philippine Airlines.

Those who remitted money through any US location of PNBrCI from Oct. 15, 2015 to Jan. 14, 2016 received one raffle entry for a chance to win one of three tickets back to the Philippines. The prizes included: 1st prize—a business class roundtrip ticket from Los Angeles to Manila; 2nd prize—an economy class roundtrip ticket from Los Angeles to Manila plus a domestic ticket to any Philippine domestic destination; and 3rd prize — an economy class roundtrip ticket from Los Angeles to Manila.

The drawings were witnessed by ricky Villacisneros, president and CeO of PNBrCI, Joanne rivera,

business development head and general manager of PNB’s LA Branch, and Marie Jemma B. Saranillo, area manager of Philippine Airlines in LA on Friday, Jan. 15.

randomly selected from over 100,000 valid transactions, resty Pagala of Chicago, Illinois won the first prize; the 2nd prize went to eden Donato of San Jose, California; and lastly, Jun Oliveros of National City, California received the 3rd prize.

PNBrCI in the US makes remitting money more fun and exciting. This is also the company’s way of thanking its loyal patrons in every part of the globe who have used the services of the company through the years. PNB also reinforces the emotional ties that bind expatriates and their loved ones by making it possible for some very lucky winners to come home for free and enjoy the warmth and comfort of the

homeland.even if overseas Filipinos can’t

be with their loved ones back home, PNBrCI has introduced a simple and fast way for beneficiaries to receive remittances with the Global Filipino Card (GFC). The GFC is a reloadable prepaid ATM card for beneficiaries who want their funds credited online, which then can be withdrawn from any PNB SuperTellers or any selected ATMs. For an annual $5 fee, the many benefits for remitters include up to $10 off on remittance fees, free ATMSafe Insurance, and a free Globe sim card.

So why remit your valuable dollars using any other company? PNBrCI offers a relationship that is mutually rewarding.

For more information about PNBrCI and its services, please visit: www.pnbrci.com or to remit money by phone, please call PNB-rCI Phone remit at (855) 889-7788.� (Advertising�Supplement)

The�drawings�for�the�“Magpadala�Magpalipad”�promo�were�witnessed�by�Jomito�Torres,�Philippine�Airlines�senior�account�officer�for�passenger�sales,�PNBRCI�President�and�CEO�Ricky�Villacisneros,�Marie�Jemma�B.�Saranillo�of�Philippine�Airlines,�Joanne�Rivera,�business�development�head�and�general�manager�of�PNB’s�LA�Branch,�and�Monette�Maglaya,�senior�vice�president�of�Asian�Journal�Publications,�Inc.�

PNBRCI�President�and�CEO�Ricky�Villacisneros�introduces�the�drawings�for�the�“Magpadala�Magpalipad”�promo�on�Friday,�Jan.�15.

PNBRCI� President� and�CEO�Ricky�Villacisneros� and�Marie� Jemma�B.� Saranillo,� area�manager� of� Philippine�Airlines� in� Los�Angeles�.�� AJPress�photos�by�Ding�Carreon

by Nestor Corrales Inquirer.net

“I MAy have my mistakes but I am not an evil person,” said director Cathy Garcia-Molina as she broke her silence on her alleged maltreatment of a substitute bit actor on the set of the defunct ABS-CBN teleserye “Forevermore.”

In an exclusive interview with Boy Abunda, an emotional Molina said she never intended to hurt anyone as she explained her side on the issue.

Molina was reacting to a viral “open letter” of a talent who took her grievances against the box-office director on social media.

rossellyn Domingo and her boyfriend Alvin Campomanes claimed that the director cursed and humiliated them during filming of ABS-CBN’s “Forevermore” in 2014.

“he (Campomanes) was right. I really cursed. But not at him. Ilalagay ko lang sana sa konteksto (I will just put it into context),” Molina said.

The director said she has never denied cursing at set, but she does so with “good intentions.”

“I admit nagmumura po ako. I admit nagkamali po ako. I never lied. I turned into a monster—with all good intensions na mapaganda ang show,” she said.

“Pero ilagay sana natin sa konteksto,” the director added.

After several rehearsals, Molina said Campomanes wasn’t able to

portray the role he was supposed to deliver.

“Maraming rehearsals, instructions. Hindi nakuha. Okay. Hindi uli nakuha. Okay. ‘Yung sumunod, nagsalita ako,” she said.

Molina recalled the exact lines she told Campomanes.

“Sino ba ang kausap mo? Bakit hindi ka tumingin? Tingnan mo. Ang kulit mo naman e. Paksh*t ka,” Molina recalled telling Campomanes.

Molina explained that, “It doesn’t matter if you are a professor, mahirap kang tao wala kang pina- aralan. Dumating ka sa set ko bilang artista, I expect you to deliver as an actor.”

But she said that had she known that Campomanes was hurt, she would have apologized right away.

“had I known, I would have said

sorry. It’s not hard for me to say sorry and accept my mistake,” Molina said.

She explained that in show business, cursing has a different meaning. She said she had her fair share of cursing and humiliation when she was starting in the industry, saying she does not degrade “extras” or talents.

Molina admitted that she may have offended people time and again, and wholeheartedly asked for an apology.

While she may have unintentionally uttered words that may have offended Campomanes and Domingo, she said she always had the good intentions for the show and for her talents.

More than asking for a public apology, Campomanes demanded

‘I�am�not�evil’:�An�emotional�Cathy�Garcia-Molina�breaks�her�silence�following�the�complaint�of� two�bit� actors� that� they�were�humiliated�by� the�director� on� the� set� of� the� TV� series�“Forevermore.”�� Screengrab�from�ABS-CBN�

Zanjoe Marudo moves on, looks forward to new opportunites

by ChuCk smith Philstar.com

MANILA—After weeks of speculation, Zanjoe Marudo admitted he and Bea Alonzo have broken up.

The actor made the confirmation in an interview with ABS-CBN’s “Tonight with Boy Abunda” aired Wednesday.

“Wala namang madaling way, so kailangan talaga pagdaanan,” Zanjoe said when asked how he is coping with the split.

In an earlier part of the interview, the actor said he is looking forward to new opportunities “dito sa career, syempre sa personal din, sa pamilya.”

he added: “excited ako kasi this year marami akong plano, like

magpatayo ng farm house. Tapos, sa trabaho ko... excited ako.”

Zanjoe is part of the upcoming ABS-CBN soap opera “Tubig at Langis.”

Speculations that the two have broken up came about weeks ago, when they went to trips abroads separately; Zanjoe on a vacation in europe alone, while Bea went to Japan.

Zanjoe and Bea admitted they were in a relationship in October 2011.

Last year, the two admitted that they are having problems in their relationship but both said they are “working it out.”

“Siguro hindi ninyo mahal ang isa’t isa kung hindi kayo nase-shake

or wala kayong pinagdadaanan. That’s not a relationship,” Bea said in an interview with Philstar.com and other members of the press back in November. “A relationship is full of misunderstandings and love. Mahal n’yo ang isa’t isa kung may pakialam pa kayo sa isa’t isa.”

Continued on Page 5

Zanjoe�Marudo

January 22-28, 2016 4www.asianjournal.com

Why you need to start the H-1B process nowBox A Smile delivered smiles to 3,000

children over the holiday season The busy holiday season

was made extra special with the activation of Box A Smile, LBC’s Christmas Gift-Giving activity during which smiles were delivered to 3,000 underprivileged children in various communities. With the invaluable assistance of Project Pearls, the Box A Smile gift-giving events were a success, drawing volunteers both from the LBC & Project Pearls communities.

Project Pearls, a volunteer, non-government agency headed by Melissa Villa, gathered children in the various communities of helping Land/Newland, Tondo, Manila, Lubusang Alyansa ng Katutubong Aeta ng Sambales (LAKAS) in Botolan, Zambales, and relocated residents of Ulingan now in Barangay Batia, Bulacan. A total of 3,000 children 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 overwhelming sense of community 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 participated 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, enjoining the children and all present that it is indeed FAMILY that truly makes the holiday season special and memorable.

“LBC has been a very important partner for Project PeARLS. LBC

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

USA has generously provided 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-giving 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 included: Asian Journal, Philippine News, Weekend Balita, Filipino Press, Fil-Am Inquirer, Philippine Weekly, One Philippines, Fil-Am Courier, Manila Mail and Filipino Star; in Canada: Philippine Canadian Inquirer and Atin Ito.

We thank all our co-sponsors, and volunteers, and likewise our customer participants for helping LBC make this possible, and bring smiles to 3,000 children.

* * *LBC express, Inc. is the

Philippines’ market leader in payments, 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 locations, 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 cargo 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 courier, cargo, and remittance service 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 (Provincial), and follow LBCexpress (Facebook and Twitter). (Advertising Supplement)

by Carl ShuSterman

h-1B petitions cannot be accepted by cap-subject h-1B employers until April 1, 2016, so what’s the rush?

Typically, there are many steps that an employer needs to take before an h-1B petition can be submitted to the USCIS.

First, it must be determined whether the job and the employee qualify for h-1B status. The job must require that the employee have a minimum of a four-year university degree in order to qualify. And the employee must have a degree in the relevant subject. If the employee got his degree abroad, a credentials evaluation is required to show that the foreign degree is equivalent to a degree from a university in the US. Also, the salary offered must be the higher of the prevailing wage or the actual wage (if the employer pays his workers more than the prevailing wage).

Second, there is a posting requirement. Unless the employer is unionized, a notice of the job opening must be posted at the work site for 10 business days.

Third, a Labor Condition Application (LCA) must be filed and approved by the US Department of Labor. The employer must submit form eTA-9035 online using the iCert system. The LCA must certify the wage requirements have been met, that US workers will not be adversely affected, that there has been no recent strike or lockout and that the posting requirements have been complied with. Bear in mind that it may take a few weeks for the LCA to be approved by the DOL.

Fourth, the h-1B petition must be carefully prepared in order to demonstrate that the job is indeed professional, (.e. it is a common practice to hire some one with a bachelor’s degree for that particular job) and that the job is relevant to that company’s business operations and that the employee is qualified for the position.

Law firms which specialize in employment-based immigration typically have several hundred h-1B petition to prepare and submit to the USCIS by the end of March, so make sure to give your attorneys enough time to guide you through

the h-1B process.employers and employees

need to get started on the h-1B process. This is the time to prepare job descriptions, obtain Prevailing Wage Determinations (PWDs), post notices and submit Labor Condition Applications (LCAs) to the Department of Labor.

During the first week of April 2015, the USCIS received over 233,000 h-1B petitions from cap-subject h-1B employers.

By April 1, 2016, the USCIS will begin accepting h-1B petitions. Since there is an annual numerical cap of only 85,000 h-1B visas (65,000 for the general cap, and 20,000 for those with advanced degrees in the US), it is very important that a properly completed h-1B petition be submitted to the USCIS on a timely basis. A properly completed h-1B petition will include the following documents:

• A certified LCA showing that the employer agrees to meet or exceed the prevailing wage for the position;

• evidence that the occupation requires a minimum of a bachelor’s degree in the field of specialty; and

• evidence that the h-1B professional’s educational credentials and/or experience are sufficient to meet the requirements of the position.

Upon approval of the h-1B petition, the professional will be able to commence his or her employment on October 1, 2016. The initial period of employment in h-1B status is granted for up to 3 years and may be extended for an additional 3 years. h-1B professionals whose employers have taken timely steps to apply for permanent residence on their behalf may receive post-6th year extensions. Once an h-1B professional has been counted towards the h-1B cap, he or she can obtain h-1B extensions and change employers without regard to the cap.

While most h-1B professionals are educated abroad, a huge number are educated in the US. Generally, these persons have obtained their undergraduate or graduate degrees in the US while in F-1 status. F-1 students can obtain Optional Practical Training (OPT)

upon graduation and are able to work for their employers prior to obtaining approval of an h-1B petition. They may also be able to extend their OPT between April 1st and October 1st using the USCIS’ “cap-gap” rule.

For persons with degrees in a STeM (Science, Technology, engineering or Mathematics) field, if their employers participate in e-Verify, they can extend their OPT for an additional 17 months. Regulations will soon be published which may extend this period to 24 months.

In the event that the numbers run out by the time that you are able to find an employment opportunity, do not despair! Certain jobs are exempt from the h-1B numerical caps. These include employment “at” universities, at “affiliated” or “related” organizations or at non-profit or government research institutions.

* * *Attorney Carl Shusterman has over 40 years

of experience as an immigration lawyer. He served as an attorney for the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) until 1982, when he entered the private practice of law. For more than 10 years, he has been voted as one of the Best Lawyers in America and as a Super Lawyer by his colleagues in the bar.

Carl has been named as one of the top 15 corporate immigration attorneys in the U.S. by Human Resource Executive magazine. His hard work and dedication to immigration law have earned him the highest rating (“AV”) in legal ability and ethics from the prestigious Martindale-Hubbell Legal Directory. He has also served as a member of the Immigration and Nationality Law Advisory Commission for the State Bar. Carl is also listed in The International Who’s Who of Corporate Immigration Lawyers and the Chamber’s USA Guide for Leading Business Lawyers.

Additionally, he has testified as an expert witness before the Senate Immigration Subcommittee in Washington, D.C.

(Advertising Supplement)

Atty. Carl Shusterman

EMPLOYMENT

FOR SALE

EMPLOYMENT EMPLOYMENT

January 22-28, 2016 5www.asianjournal.com

Thousands of Jobs To be added To RegionPechanga Resort & Casino embarks on $285M expansion

TEMECULA—The Pechanga Band of Luiseno Indians held a ceremonial ground breaking recently to usher in a much-anticipated $285 million expansion in their property that will add more than 3,500 jobs to the region.

Led by Patrick Murphy, president of the Pechanga Development Corporation Board of Directors, and Mark Macarro, Tribal Chairman, tribal leaders welcomed local dignitaries, media and invited guests to the ceremonies. Local leaders and state officials (or their representatives) were also on hand to present the Tribe with certificates for its continuing contributions to the community.

“Today, with the Eagle IV Expansion, we celebrate the beginning of the next chapter of Pechanga Resort & Casino and our history,” Tribal Chairman Mark Macarro said. “This development will build upon the quality and reputation of the original resort and continue our Tribe’s entrepreneurial spirit for future generations. We are grateful and proud as a Tribe to be in a position to strengthen tourism in the

Temecula Valley and Southern California with this project.”

The expansion will add a new, AAA Four Diamond, 568-room and suite hotel wing; a stand-alone luxury two-storey spa and salon with 17 treatment rooms, a fitness center and hydrotherapy pool terrace; a resort-style pool complex with eight pool areas; two new restaurants; and an additional 67,000 square feet of event space. The project, according to builder Tutor-Perini, is expected to be completed in 24 months.

The expansion will also fund $5 million to widen Pechanga Parkway and improve local roads, provide about $9 million for local law enforcement, and contribute $14 million for the Interstate 15/Temecula Parkway Ultimate Interchange.

“We estimate the expansion will result in an economic output of over $500 million, generating roughly 2,944 jobs up front as a result of construction-related activities,” said Dr. Christopher Thornberg, Founding Partner of Beacon Economics. “We estimate the local economy will benefit

from an additional 560 jobs per year going forward as a result of expanded operation of Pechanga Resort & Casino.”

The Tribe’s operation and activities related to Pechanga Resort & Casino, according to a 2014 study of the Rose Institute of State and Local Government at Claremont McKenna College, has resulted in the direct employment of 5,257 people which makes it one of the largest employers in the Inland Empire region.

In the brief ceremonies, both Macarro and Murphy shared their memories of how the Tribe went into the gaming business with eyes wide open after trying different avenues in order to create jobs for tribal members and generate revenues for services needed by the Tribe, including water and basic healthcare, as well as the preservation and promotion of Tribal culture and language. Prior to establishing Pechanga Resort & Casino, the Tribe had gone into sand mining (which was dependent on weather conditions) and tried its hand in grape/wine production (Murphy remarked that

Tribal leaders and Pechanga Resort & Casino management led by Tribal Chairman Mark Macarro and Pechanga Development Corporation President Patrick Murphy pose in front of shovels at the groundbreaking ceremony announcing the resort/casino’s $285 million expansion.

they had no idea how to go about growing grapes).

Pechanga opened in 1995 with only 135 employees but has steadily grown its business and now employs thousands. In recent years, it celebrated a few milestones, including being voted No. 1 U.S. Casino in a poll conducted by USA Today, and in 2015 having 365 days of 100% occupancy, which is part of the reason for the expansion project.

Tribal leaders expect the project to add luster to an already bright history of Pechanga Resort & Casino.

“We are hoping this development will spur us in the next 20 years,” Macarro said in his remarks. “We are also embarking on this project in order to attract more A-list entertainers to our property. This long-term investment will make Pechanga a more complete and refined destination in the region. The expansion will also enable us to meet current demand as there are a lot of folks coming here who are not able to stay at Pechanga.”

For his part, Murphy said, “We are completely committed to making Pechanga Resort & Casino a world-class destination. We have consistently provided our guests with excellent quality and customer service, and now we’re making their experience even better. We’ve brought in some of the best designers, architects and builders who have worked with other iconic properties to create stunning resort features. We are very excited for the future.”

One employee who is excited at the expansion project is Casino Host Vhergie De Jesus, who is Filipino American, and part of the big Filipino contingent employed by Pechanga Resort & Casino.

“I am excited with the additional hotel tower and resort

style pool,” De Jesus said. “This would make us more family-oriented and would fall in line with how Filipinos go about when they vacation or go out – they want the entire family with them.”

“Our relationship with our guests is excellent, which includes many of our kababayans. Filipinos are known for our hospitality and that’s exactly how we try to make them feel while they’re staying at Pechanga – at home,” De Jesus continued. “We tell them about promotions and make sure that everything is in order when they arrive at the property.”

Lee Torres, Vice President for Marketing at Pechanga Resort & Casino, told the Asian Journal that they will try to provide the best experience possible for hotel guests even as the construction rolls on. He also gave his thoughts on the relationship of Pechanga with the Filipino community and Filipino clientele.

“I think the Filipino community is very important to us. We’ve identified some great partners that we work with, including the Seafood City chain. We try to bring in entertainment that’s relevant to them. We try to cater to the experiences that they are looking for. And that’s for our Filipino or any other ethnicities that we’ve developed great relationships with,” Torres said, while adding that the

casino/resort employs a healthy number of Filipinos who give them great feedback on what the community needs.”

Torres also revealed that while they know they are doing great they will not be resting on their laurels.

“We’re going to make it even better for our customers. In a two-year period, we are going to have more to offer. We are going to take it to a higher level and provide people with the best casino experience in the entire country. We want our customers to be excited about that and to be part of it with us,” Torres said. “All of our customers are important to us. That is why you see us doing a variety of things that are targeted to different groups and ethnicities. We want to be inclusive and we want people to who come here to know that they are going to have a great experience regardless of who you are and where you come from.”

Pechanga Resort & Casino is located at 45000 Pechanga Parkway in Temecula. For more information, call 1-888-PECHANGA or visit www.pechanga.com. Follow Pechanga Resort & Casino on Facebook and via Twitter (@PechangaCasino). Pechanga Resort & Casino is open 24 hours; guests must be 21 and older to enter the casino. (Advertising Supplement)

Cake Master’s Duff Goldman designed a cake (right photo) specifically for the event.

Monette

AdevA MAglAyA

ImmigrantLiving: 101 and Beyond

Bringing moxie back“A brave person is someone who takes positiveaction after he has said his prayers.” — Unknown

IF figures are to be believed, 93 million Americans are not working. Every economic and political pundit is harping on the need to create jobs that will bring the country back on track. American economy has been on life-support with the debt clock running in the trillions at hyper speed with Congress who holds the purse strings spending and funding tax dollars on frivolities much like a drunken sailor.

Frankly, I think it will take a sea change of heart and spirit not only in the leadership, from top to bottom, but more importantly, among the majority of ordinary Americans to revive this country back to the glory days.

Perhaps, it’s time to bring moxie back.

It is time to think NATIONAL instead of GLOBAL. Charity begins at home, not elsewhere.

What can you say of a country that has outsourced so much of the production of practically all its needs to China, India and all other countries all in the name of improving profits? What can you say of a country that has forgotten that work itself and the creation of quality products that satisfy the creative impulse of human beings are, by themselves, a blessing to the people who create them? To create something from concept to actualization is ennobling. To be rewarded for creating something that people find useful and that lasts, has been the secret of what was once a strong US economy.

We have taken advantage of the low wages and traded on the appalling work conditions of other countries and the lower costs of overseas production but in the process, created a serious imbalance and a lingering malaise in the psyche of the American work force. Uncontrolled outsourcing has taken away tens of thousands of jobs, which in turn, decimated what was once a strong American middle class.

Perhaps a group of economists and business people with dark agenda and financial and political clout, goofed big time from the early 1990’s. You want to finger point and put the blame on the myopic architects of this economic disaster. More than likely, they could be regarded as a band of conspirators, so-called economic experts, who sold out

the well-being of the country with their economic policies which resulted in the conditions that we are seeing and suffering from these days.

If these were Medieval Times, and you would think it is with the beheadings of Christians by the terror group ISIS, they would be hanging from their toes or boiled in oil in the public square for treason and economic sabotage of the highest order.

But for the unemployed who has lost his home and has trouble putting food on his table, none of the finger pointing and the brilliant but empty rhetoric matters at all. In a situation such as what we have where a significant percentage of the working class is without a source of income, the times call for a crash course on survival where each man must learn to fend for himself.

We now live in a cynical age when no one, it seems, can be trusted. Even those institutions we used to hold sacred and sacrosanct are suspect. We assume everyone is a con artist until proven otherwise. We have now learned to steer clear of strangers, screen our calls, trash suspicious emails asking us about account information or be wary of just about anything new. We even refuse to answer the door. In the media and online, we have seen a parade of scandals: from political scumbags, depraved men of the cloth, big-time con artists to scandal-plagued celebrities. We seem to be breathing their toxic fumes when they self-destruct into flames. Honor, decency, civility and respect are in short supply these days. And we heave a heavy sigh and shake our heads in disbelief.

Our zeitgeist is characterized by distrust and cynicism. It’s been building up for a long time. Zeitgeist is that fancy, $20 Germanic word sociologists use to refer to the spirit of the age. There seems to be a collective negative energy that hovers about and affects the thoughts and feelings of many who are affected by these seemingly dark times. Perhaps, this is somewhat similar to the dark mood and feelings of helplessness that afflicted many who slogged through the long years of the Great Depression.

But we need to shake it off. For

us to get back on track, we have to refuse to live in fear and zap out of this paranoia and malaise that can paralyze us into immobility. We need to take courage.

Someone once said, “A brave person is someone who takes positive action after he has said his prayers.” Time and again, it’s been found that tough survivors believe in a God who cares, believe in themselves, believe in the correlation between luck and hard work, believe in the greatness of their country and has decided to muster enough moxie to engage the enemy within.

In some ways, we can influence good fortune with the attitude, motivation and oftentimes, with sheer moxie, with which we face our individual daily lives. If you expect bad things to happen to you or if you yourself confirm that you are unlucky, more than likely, it will become a self-fulfilling prophecy. You might as well admit it. You’re a sad sack Eeyore with a permanent, black rain cloud hanging over your head. The negative energy you emit repels people who would otherwise be of help to you. You just might be the person who can brighten up a room simply by leaving it.

Perhaps, it’s your personality and there’s nothing you can do about it, not even if you soaked up the brightness of the sun. You were wired to be negative and pessimistic and no motivational speaker can undo you. You’re one tough customer for the Holy Spirit to work wonders with. Fine. But for as long as you think that you have nothing to do with the ill fortune that seems to bedevil your life, you can just live with the dire consequences of fear, anxiety and unhappiness which result from being toxic and always believing the worst of everything.

Particularly during these uncertain times, no one can afford the luxury of a negative thought. But much more so for vulnerable immigrants who are on survival mode, an optimistic can-do attitude is a MUST. With this current economic morass, a big chunk of the immigrant population along with many more in the middle class, will regress back to survival mode, quite by default. Many who have moved to

Continued on Page 6

ErniE D. DElfin

The Metamorphosis

Politicians provide great entertainment,excellent source of revenues for businesses

“SINCE a politician never believes what he says, he is quite surprised to be taken at his word.” - Charles de Gaulle

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

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

This year will be a very interesting and exciting year in the US as the results of the forthcoming November election will definitely alter many government programs and established priorities, including many domestic and foreign policies. The years of President Obama, after former President Bush caused many events that were considered miscalculations, made the American people suffer unnecessarily.

The “war on terrorism” started by George W. Bush was a failure, one that the American people are still paying. The catastrophic meltdown of the financial markets caused by massive frauds in the mortgage industry brought America to its highest unemployment 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 faltering 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 became 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

director Cathy garcia-Molina: ‘i am not...From Page 3

that Molina should be suspended.But Molina said she doesn’t

deserve a suspension because she didn’t maltreat anyone, saying she treats all her talents equally.

Molina revealed earlier in the interview that harsh words she has been reading about her and her family on her social media. She said

that some netizens told her that she was the reason why her husband had died.

She lamented that people have been quick in judging her without listening to her side of the story.

Molina said she started to get offended when the hate was not just on her but on her family as well.

But Molina said she wanted to

personally apologize for Domingo and Campamones to finally settle the issue.

Molina said she was praying for wisdom amid the issue she is facing.

She reiterated her apology to all those she may have offended in the past and hoped that she and Campamones would both learn from this experience.

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 degree 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, challenging 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 billionaire 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 become 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 retired, many of them receive benefits that are often inflated compared 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 relatively an unknown candidate but his

effective mouthing of campaign slogans that are palatable to the ears of many voters who are “sick and tired” of the status quo is making his numbers surge, an unexpected phenomenon that is making Secretary Clinton running scared. Clinton, 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 predict that the short-lived celebrity 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 interests.

The American public has nine months to be entertained and confused (hopefully educated 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 common 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!* * *

Email columnist at: ernie.delfin@gmail.com

Blog: http://ed-metamorphosis.blogspot.com

Website: www.gkerc.org

January 22-28, 2016 6www.asianjournal.com

Program aims to help accelerate market for electricvehicle charging, supports state policies

Prof. EnriquE M. Soriano

The KiteRunner

‘Ensuring the Family Business Legacy’: My second book

ThaT’s the title of my second book! after three years and three copy editors, my book is now available!

To give you an idea on how this book was conceptualized, let me share with you two distinct reasons. First, the family business in asia has grown considerably in the past decades. It has made an impact in China, India, the Philippines, singapore, Malaysia, Japan, Indonesia, Taiwan and hong Kong.

In the Philippines, there are quite a number of family businesses that are at least 100 years old such as the ayala-Zobel and aboitiz clans. I can mention a friend and former neighbor, Dr. Vivian sarabia, whose family business, sarabia Optical, is way past its centennial mark. (The family has been making the eyeglasses of all Philippine presidents since the time of Commonwealth President Manuel L. Quezon. Dr. sarabia herself made a new pair for President aquino to wear during his oath-taking ceremony last June 30, 2010.) Those that have reached the third generation are generally more structured as their organizations naturally evolved.

The second reason has something to do with my experience as mentor and business consultant. I was deluged with cases and stories from clients and students about their family business, and most importantly about the issues and problems related to business succession. Majority of these businesses are still in their first or second generation and managed by founder-owners or sibling-partners. In these firms, one witnesses the struggle between maintaining family harmony and gaining respectable profits. The family business ownership group is the real engine for long-term success and yet we invest so little time in keeping it healthy. somehow, we assume it will naturally stay strong with a unified vision for the future.

The need for a book on asian Family Business really struck home. almost every member of a family business is interested in continuing the life of his or her business as an innovative and successful endeavor until the third generation and beyond. It was then that I realized the imperative of writing a book about the asian family businesses.

The stories of successful asian business tycoons and their succession problems can

encapsulate everything a client or student engaged in a family business needs to know.

Today, business successors are more inclined to shift from the founder’s patriarchal perspectives to a more corporate style of management. This book fits as a quick but comprehensivereference for understanding what it takes to continue a family business across generations.

Moreover, one of my basic aims as an author is to provide a book that every reader would be able to take something from, whether he or she is a business founder or successor.

Of course, the main benefit for the reader is the variety of asian family business stories and complexities shared here. Most of the stories contain timeless business insights, inspiration and advice for both the patriarch/business founder and the younger successor.

These business tips and insights are products of my years of consultancy work and experience with various companies, to wit:

a. as Chair of the Marketing Cluster and Family Business Professor at the aTENEO Graduate school of Business

b. My experience as part of the Executive Committee of theUnilab Group’s property arm, Greenfield Development Corporation;

c. Working and reporting directly to andrew Tan as President and Chair of several companies under his group. Noteworthy was my being handpicked to mentor his eldest son Kevin from day one until he became vice president;

d. Working as Group Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Belo Medical and mentoring Dr. Vicki Belo’s daughter, Cristalle henares;

e. Family Business Mentoring is a core service of Wong and Bernstein Business advisory Group where I mentored andstill mentoring several family owned businesses —initiating a shift from family owned and managed to family inspired;

f. Doing advocacy and turnaround strategies for small andMedium Enterprises (sMEs) and family businesses andmentoring young entrepreneurs and students at the aTENEO Graduate school of Business.;

g. Doing Receivership of and initiating rehabilitation of distressed family owned companies; and

h. Being a strategic advisor to the JG summit Group and its affiliates

To further compliment the chapters of the book, I included apowerful bonus feature about the phenomenal rise of andrew Tan, the challenges and adversities he faced and his climb to being the country’s third wealthiest Filipino.

It is reassuring to know that the vibrancy of the asian family business has been captured in this book. Thus, we can look around and realize that asia is at par with its western counterparts in terms of successful management succession planning as far as family businesses are concerned.

* * * 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.Faminbusiness.com  (Advertising Supplement)

Feb. 1 deadline approaches for the $1.2 Million Edison scholars Program

ROsEMEaD—attention high school seniors. Don’t miss your chance to earn a $40,000 scholarship.

seniors dreaming of becoming engineers and planning to study science, technology, engineering or math (sTEM) in college have until Feb. 1 to apply for Edison International’s $1.2 million Edison scholars Program.

Thirty high school students in southern California Edison’s service territory will each be awarded a $40,000 scholarship from Edison International, the parent company of sCE. since 2006, 520 students have received $5.3 million in scholarships.

“We strongly encourage high school seniors from sCE’s service area who will be pursuing sTEM studies in college to apply for the Edison scholarship,” said Tammy Tumbling, sCE’s director

of Philanthropy and Community Investment. “We know that the costs associated with sTEM education are high and can be a deterrent for underserved, low-income students. That’s why we offer 30 scholarships — so we can help a greater number of students realize their dreams.”

applicants must have a 3.0 GPa or above and either live in or attend public or private high schools in sCE’s service area. high school seniors must demonstrate financial need and plan to be a full-time undergraduate student majoring in electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, civil engineering, computer engineering, industrial engineering, computer sciences/info system, environmental engineering or environmental sciences at a four-year college or university.

students from underserved communities and ethnic minorities are especially encouraged to apply.

To apply and get additional eligibility information, students are encouraged to go to: scholarsapply.org/edisonscholars.

scholarship recipients will be announced in april. Edison scholars may also be eligible for summer internships at sCE after completing their second year of college.

Edison International’s support of charitable causes such as the Edison scholars Program is funded entirely by Edison International shareholders. sCE customers’ utility bill payments do not fund company donations. In addition, dependents of Edison International and sCE employees are not eligible for the Edison scholars Program.

SCE receives CPUC approval for ‘Charge Ready’ pilot program; will install as many as 1,500

electric vehicle charging stations in Southland

ROsEMEaD, Calif. — southern California Edison received the green light on Jan. 14 from state regulators to begin a pilot project to support installation of as many as 1,500 electric vehicle charging stations within its service territory.

The California Public Utilities Commission’s approval clears the way for sCE to begin implementing its $22 million “Charge Ready” program to get more electric vehicle charging stations installed in locations where people park their cars for extended periods of time. For example, at workplaces, campuses, recreational areas and apartment and condominium complexes.

“a major barrier to electric vehicle ownership is that there aren’t enough charging stations where people normally park their cars,” said Caroline Choi, sCE vice president for energy and environmental policy. “We believe that by giving electric vehicle owners more options to charge their vehicles, this program can actually help to accelerate the

market in southern California.” Choi described the Charge

Ready program as a partnership in which the utility will install and maintain the supporting electrical infrastructure, the cost of which will be covered by the program, while participants will own, operate and maintain qualified charging stations.

as an incentive to participate in the program, sCE will also offer rebates of between 25 and 100 percent of the base cost of the charging stations and their installation, depending on location and market segment. The program also calls for at least 10 percent of the charging stations to be installed in disadvantaged communities.

at the conclusion of the pilot, sCE will seek authority from the CPUC to expand the program to bring the total number of charging stations to about 30,000 for a total estimated cost of $355 million. The program also provides funding for education and outreach to develop

awareness about the benefits of electric vehicles and charging from the power grid. sCE also received approval to offer new advisory services to help its business customers learn about transportation electrification technologies.

Choi said the program will help move California closer to its objective of putting 1.5 million zero-emission vehicles on the road by 2025, which will in turn support the state’s goal to reduce greenhouse gases and meet deadlines for federal clean air standards.

“Electricity has a benefit that few other alternative fuels can claim,” Choi said. “While electric vehicles currently cut carbon emissions by 70 percent, they will only get cleaner and cleaner because the grid is getting cleaner as the result of state clean air policies.”

sCE expects to begin accepting applications from prospective participants in March.

Bringing moxie backmore comfortable levels but were caught by the real estate slump and lost their homes, may find themselves sliding back to square one and engaging in the daunting prospect of finding a job.

Do take heart. Most immigrants who come from poverty-stricken nations have what it takes to survive times such as

these. They have had plenty of practice.

Jobs to your liking and at the compensation you were accustomed to in the past, may be harder to find these days. You may have to just take what is available and expedient, just for the time being. Though media is touting an economic recovery, the job numbers are misleading because

these are mostly part time MacJobs which offer no benefits. The slump is longer and deeper, than anyone can imagine. But as in everything else under the sun, ThIs TOO shaLL Pass.

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

From Page 5

Can Pia, Nadine, Liza be Darna? Erik Matti weighs...nakikita kung gaano siya katangkad ngayon. Kasi I’ve done two commercials with her a year ago. Hindi ko lang alam kung ang height niya ay tama.”

Can reigning Miss Universe Pia Wurtzbach play Darna?

“Si Pia, bagay na bagay si Pia pero in the history of Darna,

hindi talaga umuubra ‘yung beauty queen. Kasi kailangan mo talaga ng regular Pinay woman. Ordinary lang na character. Hindi siya kailangan vavavoom, hindi kailangan na stunning,” Matti said.

Nonetheless, Matti wants to hold auditions to determine who can rightfully play the iconic and

physically demanding role.“Gusto ko makita kung

kakayanin ng artista. Kasi ang hirap na ngayon mag-double. Dati mga five years ago, pwede na mag-double sa eksena pero ngayon mahirap na with all the hollywood films that come out where all the actors really prepare for the role,” he said.

Julia Clarete leaves ‘Eat Bulaga’TV host-actress Julia Clarete

has left GMa-7’s noontime show “Eat Bulaga.”

Clarete made the announcement on Thursday on her Facebook Page.

she said she had decided to migrate to Malaysia, leaving her hosting career with the longest-running noontime variety show in the Philippines.

Clarete started hosting “Eat Bulaga” in 2005.

she admitted she wasn’t able to say goodbye but promised to return when everything was fixed.

“Nakatira na kasi ako

sa Kuala Lumpur ngayon… Pasensiya na kung hindi ako nakapag-padespedida man lang. Pero hayaan niyo, pagnaayos ko na ang lahat, babalik ako para magsama sama tayo. Sa #tamangpanaghon,” Clarete said in her post.

(I now live in Kuala Lumpur. I am sorry if I was not even able to host a send-off party. But don’t worry. Once everything is fixed, I will return to be with you again when the time is right.)

The hosts of the show include pioneers Vic sotto, Joey de Leon, Tito sotto, Jimmy santos and Ruby Rodriguez. Eat Bulaga,

which has been running for more than three decades, also features the popular “alDub” love team of alden Richards and Maine “Yaya Dub” Mendoza. (Inquirer.net)

From Page 2

Julia Clarete

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January 22-28, 2016 8www.asianjournal.com