THE CAMP of vice presidential candidate Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will demand from the Commission on Elections (Comelec) a systems audit to determine the extent of the effect of the unauthorized tampering of a hash code in the agency’s transpar-ency server.

The head of Marcos’ legal team, Jose Amor Amorado, said they were set to file on Wednesday a “strongly worded demand letter” for the con-duct of a systems audit.

“A systems audit will finally put to

rest whether or not it’s only the ‘?’ changed to ‘Ñ’ that they tampered with or there was something else,” Amorado said in a press conference at the Marcos campaign headquarters in Mandaluyong City.

He pointed out that the Marcos camp’s IT experts had said it was “the only way to determine” the extent of the tampering.

The legal team will attend on Thurs-day, May 19 the inquiry conducted by the joint congressional oversight committee on the automated election system into the unauthorized change in the hash code of the data packet

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MAY 20-26, 2016

DATELINEUSAFroM THE AJPrEss NEWS TEAM AcroSS AMEricA

Pedestrians walk past a Philippine flag tarpaulin bearing the image of incoming president Rodrigo Duterte along a main road in Davao City on Wednesday, May 18. Obama called Duterte on Tuesday, May 17 to congratulate him for winning the presidential race. The two reaffirmed the two countries’ strong alliance. Philstar.com photo by Miguel de Guzman

Us President Barack obama on Tuesday, May 17, personally called presumptive Philip-pine President rodrigo Duterte to congratu-late him on his victory.

“President obama noted that the successful election and record voter participation were emblematic of the Philippines’ vibrant democ-racy,” the White House said in a statement released Tuesday, May 17.

However, the Us president also emphasized the importance of protecting human rights

in his conversation with Duterte, who vowed during his campaign trail to execute 100,000 criminals and dump them into Manila Bay.

“The two leaders affirmed their interest in seeing the relationship continue to grow on the basis of these shared principles,” the White House statement said.

Duterte received the call in the middle of an interview with GMA News and said obama was the first head of state to call him.

“I am quite honored,” he told GMA News of the Us president’s call.

on early Wednesday morning, May 18, Duterte said he also told obama he is open

to having bilateral talks with China about the disputed West Philippine sea should current efforts to resolve the issue fail, according to GMA News.

“[I] assured [obama] that we will continue with our mutual interests and that we are allied with the Western [World] in this issue on China sea. But I gave him that, well, I would agree to just go with you,” Duterte told reporters, according to GMA News.

Duterte has received criticism from human rights groups who accuse him of running a vigilante death squad in Davao. Last year,

Obama congratulates DuterteUS reaffirms alliance with incoming PH president

US President Barack Obama White House photo by Pete Souza

MANILA—The domestic economy expanded by 6.9 percent during the first quarter of the year, the penulti-mate quarter under the Aquino administration, the Phil-ippine statistics Authority announced Thursday, May 19.

socioeconomic Planning secretary Emmanuel Esguer-ra said the Philippines is the fastest-growing economy among 11 selected Asian economies in the first quarter of the year, outpacing expansions in China (6.7 percent), Vietnam (5.5 percent), Indonesia (4.9) and Malaysia 4.2 percent).

“We are pleased to be turning over a strong and stable economy onto the next administration. We have achieved significant socioeconomic progress over the last five years with the return of political and economic

PH economy grows 6.9%

Palace says up to next admin to continue growth

MANILA — It is a great honor to serve the Filipino people and leave behind a better Phil-ippines, President Aquino said on Thursday, May 19.

speaking in public for the first time since the May 9 elections, Aquino told the nation that he would be leaving behind a government in bet-ter shape than when he took office.

“Until the end, it is a great honor for a Noynoy Aquino to serve a noble race, my bosses, you, the Filipino nation,” he said.

Aquino stressed he would be stepping down without regrets, knowing he did and would do his best to be of service until his last day in the presidency.

“What I can say is, this coming June 30, at exactly 12 noon, I will step down from office at peace. I can look back at the Filipino nation with head held up high and tell them eye-to-eye: I have been true to all of you. I fulfilled the mandate given to me by my bosses. We can truly bequeath to the next generation a Philip-pines that is undeniably better than what we found,” Aquino said in his speech after the signing of republic Act 10821 or the Children’s Emergency relief and Protection Act.

“Moreover, we were able to do this because we helped one another, we uplifted each other and put the nation first before our own selves, before our own welfare,” the President said.

Aquino said as of yesterday, he has 43 days left as the country’s chief executive, but would

MANILA— The Commis-sion on Elections, sitting as the National Board of Canvassers (NBoC), on Thursday, May 19, proclaimed the 12 elected sena-tors in the May 9 elections.

Five first-timers will occupy seats in the senate - former TEsDA Director General Joel Villanueva, boxing icon and sa-rangani rep. Manny Pacquiao, former PhilHealth Director risa Hontiveros, Valenzuela rep. sherwin Gatchalian and former Justice secretary Leila de Lima.

Meanwhile, four former sena-tors will return in the upper

UNITED states President Barrack obama has nominat-ed a former envoy to south Korea as new ambassador to the Philippines, the White House announced.

In a statement, the White House said obama has expressed his intent to nominate sung Y. Kim as Us ambassador to the

Obama nominates new ambassador to the Philippines

THE senate blue ribbon committee terminated its investigation on Thursday, May 19, into the alleged $81 million money laundering scheme with a plea from the envoy of Bangladesh to immediately return the money that had already been recovered by the Philippine government.

Bangladesh Ambassador to the Philippines John Gomes said it would be a slap in his face if he could not bring back to his country the money that had already been surrendered to the Anti-Money Laun-dering Council (AMLC) by businessman Kim Wong, owner of Eastern Hawaii Leisure Company.

Marcos camp to seek poll systems audit

Sen. Bongbong Marcos Inquirer.net photo

As US elections near, more immigrants apply for citizenship

HoUsToN, Texas—For more than a decade, Jannette Diep has been helping immigrants apply for Us citizenship, and as the presidential election looms, Diep, the executive director of Boat People sos, says she has seen a rising interest among immigrants in becoming Us citizens.

More immigrants are going to community centers like hers to find out how to become naturalized, she said.

The number of people applying for Us citizenship shows an uptick during presi-dential election years, according to the Us

by Agnes ConstAnteAJPress

Aquino: It’s a great honor to serve my bosses

AMLC to Bangladesh envoy: Funds turnover will take 3 to 6 months

Comelec proclaims Senate ‘Magic 12’

Senators-elect Leila De Lima, Sherwin Gathalian, Riza Hontiveros, Miguel Zubiri, Joel Villanueva, Franklin Drilon, Richard Gordon, Manny Pacquiao, Francis Pangilinan and Ralph Recto raise their hands during their proclamation at the PICC, in Pasay City, on Thursday, May 19. Philstar.com photo by AJ Bolando

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by JeAnnette I. AndrAdeInquirer.net

by CAmIlle dIolA And JovAn CerdAPhilstar.com

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by AureA CAlICAPhilstar.com

by mAIlA AgerInquirer.net

by PAtrICIA lourdes vIrAyPhilstar.com

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MAY 20-26, 2016 • NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL http://www.asianjournal.com • (212) 655-5426A�

From the Front Page

COURTESY CALL. In this photo released by the Office of the City Mayor of Davao City, president-elect Rodrigo Duterte receives a copy of the book on Chinese President Xi Jinping from Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Zhao Jianhua during a courtesy call in Davao City on Monday, May 16. PDuterte said Monday he would offer Cabinet posts to communist rebels, a move to amend the constitution to give more power to the provinces and reimpose the death penalty in some of his first policy pronouncements since winning last week’s election based on an unofficial count. Photo courtesy of the Office of the City Mayor Davao City

New York-based non-profit hu-man rights organization Human Rights Watch estimated that more than 1,000 people have died under Duterte’s leadership since the 1990s. He has also said he would re-instate the death penalty and kill suspected criminals.

“If I make it to the presidential palace, I will do just what I did as mayor. You drug pushers, hold-up men and do-nothings, you better go out. Because as the mayor, I’d kill you,” Duterte previously said.

The new president has also stirred controversy with certain previous statements, including

what appeared to be a joke he made about the 1989 rape and murder of an Australian mission-ary in Davao City. In a YouTube video that surfaced in April, Du-terte said that as mayor, he should have been first in line. Later on, he said he had used “gutter lan-guage” but did not apologize.

US Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes acknowl-edged the controversy of some of Duterte’s previous statements, but said the United States wants to build on the “good progress” achieved between the two coun-tries under the administration of President Benigno Aquino III.

“For us, the priorities will re-

main the security and prosperity of the Philippines. We’ll want to see continued efforts in the Phil-ippines in respect of rule of law and to combat corruption, just as we support those types of ef-forts across Asia and around the world,” Rhodes told the Center for a New American Security think tank, according to Philstar.

Duterte won the presidency in the Philippine elections on May 9 in a record-setting 81.62 percent voter turnout, which US Depart-ment of State Elizabeth Trudeau said is a testament to the Philip-pines’ democracy.

He is scheduled to be sworn into office on June 30. n

Obama congratulates…PAGE A1 t

stability, which we hope the in-coming administration will build on,” Esguerra said, referring to the incoming government of presumptive president Rodrigo Duterte.

The country’s growth — based on gross domestic product (GDP) or the total value of all goods and services produced — was higher than the last quarter of 2015, when growth was recorded at a revised 6.5 percent. The agency said the revision was due to sim-ilar upward revisions in numbers in electricity; gas and water; pub-lic administration and defense; transport storage and communi-cation; financial intermediation; and mining and quarrying.

Public construction bounces back, exports take a tumble

For the first quarter of the year, Esguerra said growth was investment-driven on the de-mand side, with significant con-tribution from investments in durable equipment.

“Fixed capital, which is a better indicator of investment growth, registered a 25.5 per-cent growth and contributed 5.8 percentage points to real GDP growth. Construction also grew

PH economy grows…PAGE A1 t

continue to work and take the op-portunity to serve.

Aquino refrained from men-tioning anything about the elec-tions but stayed to have a photo opportunity with the children and other guests during the ceremo-nial signing of the new law.

Before he began his speech, Aquino also took notice of one of the children in the audience who looked very serious.

“The smallest but the most serious today. Take a look, even the way he claps is really for all intents and purposes,” Aquino remarked.

Aquino has been saying he was looking forward to having a vacation and leading a nor-mal and quiet life after stepping down from office.

He said he would like to see the various tourism sites in the country.

Asked about the possible role

Aquino: It’s a great honor to serve…

President Benigno Aquino III walks to the Rizal Ceremonial Hall for the signing of Republic Act 10821, the Children’s Emergency Relief and Protection Act, at Malacañang on Wednesday, May 18. Philstar.com photo by Krizjohn Rosales

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Aquino would play after being president, Presidential Com-munications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said Tuesday the chief execu-tive could continue to take part

in democratic processes like his late mother Corazon, and push for advocacies of civil society and non-governmental organizations, particularly micro, small and me-dium enterprises. n

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After all, Gomes said the gov-ernment through the AMLC had promised to immediately trans-mit to Bangladesh the $15 mil-lion that Wong had turned over for “safekeeping” once it secures a decision from the court.

But AMLC Executive Director Julia Bacay-Abad told the com-mittee that the court proceed-ings could still take three months to six months due to opposition from Wong’s camp.

“Barring any substantial op-position with the petition that we have filed, your honor, this will not take that long, your honor. We hope to get a decision in three to five months’ time, your honor,” Abad said, responding to queries of Sen. Bam Aquino.

“That’s still quiet long…,” said Aquino.

But Wong’s lawyer, who was present in the hearing, explained that what they filed was just a clarification that the money did

not belong to his client but to a certain Shuhua Gao, one of the two junket agents identified during the hearing as the ones who allegedly brought the stolen funds to the Philippines.

Gomes expressed dismay that the recovery of the stolen funds would still take months.

“It would be wrong to now say that there is an obstacle in getting that money back to Bangladesh. We have been told from the very

AMLC to Bangladesh envoy: Funds turnover…

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faster at 12 percent during the period, compared with 7.6 per-cent in the last quarter of 2015 and 4.5 percent in the first quar-ter of 2015,” he said.

In addition, public construc-tion managed to reverse a 23-percent contraction last year to a 39.9-percent growth in January to March this year.

“All these investments give us confidence that the economy will continue to perform well in the succeeding quarters of the year and beyond,” Esguerra said.

However, the National Eco-nomic and Development Author-ity director-general said that ex-ternal demand weakened, with growth of exports decelerating to 6.6 percent. Imports stood at 15.9 percent due to purchases of capital goods, an indication that firms are investing.

Structural transformationOn the supply side, he said

the economic growth was fairly broad-based.

“The high growth recorded for the first quarter of this year was driven by gains in the industry and services sectors. The indus-try sector recorded a growth of 8.7-percent, the highest in five consecutive quarters, supported

by manufacturing, construction, and utilities,” he said.

In addition, the services sec-tor posted a 7.9-percent growth, on the back of faster growth in trade, finance, and real estate, renting and business activities.

“The strength of both the in-dustry and services sectors once again shows the ongoing struc-tural transformation taking place in our economy, which is crucial for sustaining economic growth and generating quality jobs,” Es-guerra said.

Agriculture still weakDespite overall strong growth,

however, the the agriculture sec-tor remained weak, contracting by 4.4 percent from almost stag-nation the past year.

“Admittedly, the sector re-mains vulnerable to extreme weather events. These past two quarters, it was the impact of El Niño that considerably reduced agricultural output, similar to the 1998 episode. But we have shown that this need not result in a spike in food prices with good management of the food stock,” Esguerra said.

Moving forward, he said the government must increase pub-

(212) 655-5426 • http://www.asianjournal.com NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL • MAY 20-26, 2016 A�From the Front Page

House - former post-Yolanda rehabilitation czar Panfilo Lac-son, Philippine Red Cross Chair Richard Gordon, former Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri and former food security czar Francis Pang-ilinan. Three senators will retain their seats in the Senate - Frank-lin Drilon, Vicente Sotto III and Ralph Recto.

The poll body proclaimed the 12 senators according to their rank in the recent polls:

12. Leila Norma Eulalia Josefa de Lima (Liberal Party)

11. Ralph Recto (Liberal Party)10. Sherwin “Win” Gatchalian

(Nationalist People’s Coalition)9. Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan

(Liberal Party)8. Ana Theresia “Risa” Honti-

veros (Akbayan Citizens’ Action Party)

7. Emmanuel “Manny” Pac-quiao (United Nationalist Alli-ance)

6. Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri (Independent)

5. Richard “Dick” Gordon (In-dependent)

4. Panfilo “Ping” Lacson (Inde-pendent)

3. Vicente “Tito” Sotto III (Na-tionalist People’s Coalition)

2. Emmanuel Joel Villanueva (Liberal Party)

1. Franklin Drilon (Liberal Party)

The poll body will also proclaim the elected party-list groups on Thursday evening.

On May 23, the House of Rep-resentatives and the Senate will convene and hold a joint session to start their work as NBOC for the canvassing of presidential and vice presidential votes. n

Comelec proclaims Senate…

in the Comelec’s transparency server when election results were already being transmitted from the vote-counting machines.

“The legal team will be there, although we’re not formally in-vited. I think the senator (Marcos) was invited. We will make repre-sentations there,” he said.

Apart from questions on the unauthorized tampering of the hash code, the legal team of Mar-cos has also unearthed “several irregularities” in the tabulation of certificates of canvass (COCs) nationwide, according to Amo-rado.

He cited a request by the La-guna provincial board of canvass-ers (PBOC) for the Comelec to reconvene “to correct discrepan-cies in the manually uploaded election results and the results as

appearing in the provincial COCs and the statement of votes of the municipality of Rizal.”

UndervotesAmorado said the PBOC of

Laguna had noticed an irregu-larity in Precinct 13423 in Rizal where three candidates for Vice President got a total of 12 votes each and the other three getting 9 votes each.

He remarked that it was so con-sistent that it was irregular.

“We have also noticed an unu-sually high number of undervotes in this election,” Amorado said.

An undervote occurs when a voter does not select any can-didate for a post or abstains from choosing, according to the lawyer.

“We have collated unusually high percentages of undervotes in the vice presidential race in all

parts of the country from Regions I, to NCR and all the way to Region XIII and ARMM (Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao),” he said, adding that there are over 3.3 million undervotes in the vice presidential race.

Amorado cited the fact that the 2016 elections had a higher voter turnout of 83 percent than the 2010 and 2013 polls.

Given the hotly contested vice presidential race, “[t]his makes the high percentage of undervotes highly irregular,” he said.

Even then, Amorado expressed optimism that Marcos “will still win the election,” citing the legal team’s tabulation of 100 COCs out of 108, which he claimed showed the senator leading the vice presidential race by 117,939 votes over Camarines Sur Rep. Leni Robredo. n

Marcos camp to seek poll systems…PAGE A1 t

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lic spending on infrastructure, specifically in the transport and logistics sector, given their im-mense role in the all sectors, es-pecially agriculture.

“The development of a seam-less multi-modal transport network as well as improving logistics such as storage and handling mechanisms will en-able a more cost-efficient move-ment of goods and services across regions,” he said.

Moreover, he said that invest-ments in shared services and facilities, research and devel-opment and the use of modern technology will also be impor-tant in modernizing agricultural production and increasing resil-iency to disasters. “With higher quality and volume and wider variety of agricultural products, the agricultural sector can gain access to larger markets locally and even abroad,” he said.

On track to hitting targetThe International Monetary

Fund and the Asian Develop-ment Bank forecasted earlier this month that the Philippine economy would remain robust on the back of resilient domestic demand. The institutions pegged the GDP growth for the Philip-pines at 6 percent this year and 6.2 percent next year.

The growth would be faster than Indonesia’s 4.9 percent, Malaysia’s 4.4 percent, Thai-land’s three percent, and Singa-pore’s 1.8 percent, the IMF said.

“Overall, the growth prospect of our economy for the next quar-ters is encouraging. Growth in the second quarter of an election year is usually stronger than in the first quarter. Barring a signifi-cant drop in business confidence in the second half, the economy seems to be on track in meeting the full-year target of 6.8 to 7.8 percent,” Esguerra said. n

PH economy grows…PAGE A2 t

beginning that this money will be soon transmitted to Bangladesh through forfeiture of cases,” he said.

Since Bangladesh is the only claimant to the money, the am-bassador said the court could immediately decide in favor of its return to his country.

“So it’s my request whatever commitment given to us, what-ever papers we signed for the receipt of money, whatever Kim Wong told he would return the money to Bangladesh because its Bangladesh money so it’s our request that this should be fol-lowed through,” he said.

“And if it’s three to four months then I think it’s too long. I think it was in March that payment in-structions were given and we are

about to conclude the month of May. And we are talking about another three months? I think it’s going to be very long…”

While recognizing the Philip-pine legal system, Gomes said the delay in the recovery of sto-len funds “would be like a slap on my face.”

Senator Teofisto Guingona III, chairman of the committee, as-sured the ambassador that the executive branch will continue its recovery process even after the Senate has terminated its probe.

Abad, for her part, appealed for a “little patience” and under-standing from the government of Bangladesh.

“Much as we’d want to ac-complish everything…we’re governed by laws and rules,

your honor. All the remedies and procedures are provided for by the rules of the court and by the laws, so we have to abide by what the laws and rules provide, your honor,” she said.

“So we just have to go through the process, your honor. I think we should have to be a little pa-tient. As I’ve said earlier, your honor, we’re doing everything to provide all the necessary as-sistance to the Bangladesh gov-ernment to recover the stolen money. We are just requesting some understanding from the Bangladesh government, your honor, for us to go through the process,” Abad added. n

AMLC to Bangladesh envoy: Funds turnover…PAGE A2 t

JOB WELL DONE. Comelec Chair Andres Bautista smiles as lawyer Romeo Macalintal congratulates and acknowledges the poll body’s efforts in conducting the elections as the National Board of Canvassers completes the counting of votes on Wednesday, May 18. Inquirer.net photo by Grig Montegrande

Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

“They come to our office or call us,” says Diep. “They’re very eager to get their citizenship.”

The good news, she said, is that applying for citizenship is easier than people think.

Boat People SOS and other organizations across Houston are providing free and low-cost services to help Houstonians take the step to become US citizens. The effort is part of the New Americans Campaign, a national, nonpartisan campaign now in its fifth year that helps legal perma-nent residents take the step to

As US elections near, more immigrants…become citizens.

Free workshopsThe organizations host free

workshops where legal perma-nent residents can get help with their applications. They help eligible immigrants access fee and language waivers. They also offer English language and civics classes.

Mariana Sanchez, chief oper-ating officer of Bonding Against Adversity, said that between January and April, her organiza-tion alone has helped more than 1,000 immigrants file their citizen-ship applications. “We’re hoping that more and more will apply,” she said.

There are about 8.8 million immigrants in the United States eligible for naturalization, and about 350,000 live in the Houston area, according to Benito Juarez, manager for immigrant and refu-gee issues at the Houston Mayor’s Office of International Communi-ties and Refugee Affairs.

“If they’d be able to vote, then they’d become part of the life of the city,” Juarez said at an eth-nic media briefing in Houston. “They’d become more active [in civic engagement].”

The naturalization process, from the time an applicant sends in the application to an interview

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The Philippine economy grew by 6.9 percent in the first quarter of the year. Infrographics by Philstar.com

MAY 20-26, 2016 • NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL http://www.asianjournal.com • (212) 655-5426A� Dateline USa

Former Securities and ex-change Commission (SeC) chair-man Perfecto Yasay Jr. has ac-cepted the post as secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs offered by President-elect rodrigo Duterte.

Peter Laviña, spokesman for Duterte, announced via Facebook on Wednesday that Yasay has buckled down to work even with-out a formal appointment yet.

“Hitting the ground running asap … Passing unto the incom-ing Foreign Affairs Sec lawyer Perfecto Yasay Jr. requests from various embassies for briefings on the new Duterte administration,” Laviña posted along with a photo with Yasay.

In an interview with reporters in Davao City of which Duterte is mayor, Yasay said he gladly accepted the position because he wanted to help the presumptive President.

The Davao City mayor had said

Former Securities and Exchange Commission secretary accepted the Foreign Affairs post offered by presumptive president Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte.

Yasay can be Foreign Affairs chief for only a year if his running mate, Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano, would later opt for the DFA post.

Under poll rules, Cayetano cannot be appointed to a govern-ment post within a year after the elections.

Yasay said he is willing to stay as DFA secretary or give the position to Cayetano if the latter chooses it.

Perfecto Yasay named new DFA chief

2 suspects arrested in killing of Fil-Am in San Jose, Calif.

SAN FrANCISCo—San Jose police arrested two men in the october killing of a 34-year-old Filipino American real estate agent and San Francisco resident, who was gunned down on a San Jose street after leaving a bar where he celebrated his first real estate listing.

The suspects, Nathan Nai Fong Saechao, 19, of oakland and manh Do Van Tran, 29, of Hayward, were arrested on suspicion of killing michael Arcega, 34, according to a San Jose police spokesman monday, may 16.

Saechao was arrested in oak-land on Thursday and Tran was taken into custody on Sunday in San Jose. Both were booked into Santa Clara County Jail on suspi-cion of murder.

San Jose police officers on oc-tober 24 found michael Arcega dead by at least one gunshot wound outside the Lu Beer Club and restaurant on the 1500 block of monterey road in San Jose. A motive for the slaying was not revealed.

Arcega, who grew up in Ha-waii, was a real estate agent at Keller Williams in San Carlos. (Inquirer.net)

Fil-Am Michael Arcega was found shot to death last October outside a nightclub in San Jose, California.

Police arrested Nathan Nai Fong Saechao and Manh Do Van Tran as suspects in Michael Arcega’s death.

Remittances up 4.4% to $6.56B in Q1

CASH sent home by Filipinos abroad through banks inched up to $2.42 billion in march as deployment of overseas workers remained steady during the first quarter.

The latest Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) data released monday, may 16 showed a 1.5-percent increase in cash remit-tances last march from $2.39 bil-lion a year ago, bringing the first quarter total to $6.56 billion.

The march figure was a steady rise from $2.02 billion in January and $2.11 billion in February.

The cash remittances that came in during the first three months exceeded by 4.4 percent the $6.282 billion recorded in the first quarter of 2015.

Cash remittances from both land-based ($5.1 billion) and sea-based ($1.4 billion) workers grew by 5.3 percent and 1.5 percent year-on-year, respectively, the BSP said in a statement.

more than 75 percent of the cash remittances in march were from Filipinos living or working in Hong Kong, Japan, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, the United Arab emirates, the United Kingdom and the United States.

According to the BSP, the steady demand for overseas Filipino workers remained a key driver to the growth of remittance inflows.

The BSP cited a preliminary Philippine overseas employ-ment Administration (PoeA) report showing that 585,688 job contracts for work abroad were

processed during the first quarter, of which the bulk of 452,722 were for land-based employment.

The same PoeA report showed that a total of 2.3 million con-tracts were processed in 2015, with 1.2 million deployed within the year.

The BSP also cited the role of fi-nancial institutions in boosting re-mittance inflows. “The initiatives of banks and nonbank remittance service providers to expand their international and domestic market coverage through tie-ups abroad and innovations in financial prod-ucts in the remittance market have facilitated the broader capture of remittances through formal chan-nels,” it said.

BSP data showed that as of end-march, 5,524 remittance centers serve Filipinos overseas, up from 4,840 a year ago. n China: UN case just a ‘show’

WeeKS before the arbitra-tion court issues a decision on China’s massive military buildup in the disputed waters of South China Sea, Beijing warned “it will only take a strong position in response” once the Philippines and its military allies use force in enforcing the ruling.

Director General Xu Hong, of the Department of Treaty and Law of the Chinese Foreign ministry said the South China Sea arbitra-tion had already become a show because the Philippines ignored options to engage China in nego-tiations of disputes.

“The South China Sea arbitra-tion has already become a show, so who’s going to be serious about the results of a ‘show’?” Xu

dispute.The Chinese envoy earlier said

his government looked forward to “a new chapter” of bilateral rela-tions with the Philippines under the new administration.

President Aquino has refused to engage in bilateral negotia-tions with China and resorted to elevate the arbitration case to The Hague. The Philippines also strengthened its military alliance with the United States in pushing maritime security in the disputed waters in South China Sea.

The Chinese official said the Philippines’ unilateral move to file an arbitration case had vio-lated the Declaration of Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea that engages parties to conduct bilateral and multilateral negotia-tions to settle disputes. n

told a press briefing in Beijing, a transcript of which was posted on the website of the Chinese Foreign ministry.

China said the ruling of the ar-bitration court would not change Beijing’s position in the South China Sea issue, said Xu, stressing “should any force intends to take this so-called arbitral award as an excuse to do harm to China’s sovereignty and rights and inter-ests, China will only take a strong position in response.”

“We hope that the Philippines could realize its errors and return to the right track of resolving dis-putes through negotiations and consultations,” said Xu.

Presumptive President-elect rodrigo Duterte earlier met with Chinese Ambassador Zhao Jinhua in Davao City on possible bilat-eral talks to settle the maritime

COMING HOME. Jose Maria Sison, founding chair of the Communist Party of the Philippines, is expected to return to the Philippines under a Duterte presidency after nearly 30 years of exile in The Netherlands. Inquirer.net photo

Philippines.Kim is a career member of the

US foreign service and is the spe-cial representative for North Ko-rea Policy. He has also been the Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of east Asia and Pacific Affairs at the Department of State since 2014.

Before that, he was the US am-bassador to South Korea (2011 to 2014).

He was also special envoy for the Six Party Talks from 2008 to 2011, director of the office of Korean Affairs in the Bureau of east Asia and Pacific Affairs from 2006 to 2008, and political-mili-tary chief at the US embassy in Seoul, Korea from 2002 to 2006.

Since joining the US Foreign Service in 1988, he has also served in Hong Kong, Japan and

malaysia.“Prior to joining the Foreign

Service, mr. Kim was a Deputy District Attorney in the Los An-geles County District Attorney’s office. mr. Kim received a B.A. from the University of Pennsyl-vania, a J.D. from Loyola Law School, and an LL.m. from the London School of economics and Political Science,” the White House said.

Kim, who was born in Seoul, Korea, was raised in Los Angeles. He completed degrees from the University of Pennsylvania and the Loyola University, and obtained a master of Laws degree from the London School of economics.

obama also nominated the fol-lowing people to key administra-tion posts:

Ysaÿe m. Barnwell – member, National Council on the Arts

Daniel Becker – member, Board of Directors of the State Justice Institute

rena Bitter – Ambassador to the Lao People’s Democratic re-public, Department of State

Anne S. Casper – Ambassador to the republic of Burundi, De-partment of State

Geoffrey r. Pyatt – Ambas-sador to Greece, Department of State

Douglas Silliman – Ambassa-dor to the republic of Iraq, De-partment of State

marie L. Yovanovitch – Ambas-sador to Ukraine, Department of State

Their appointment will be sub-ject to US Senate confirmation.

Philip Goldberg currently serves as US ambassador to the Philippines. (Kristine Angeli Sa-billo / Inquirer.net)

Obama nominates new ambassador to…PAGE A1 t

with an immigration officer and taking part in the actual swear-ing-in ceremony, can take five to six months. That means that many immigrants are applying to be-come US citizens now, in the hope that they will be able to register to vote in time for November.

Ability to voteSome newly naturalized citi-

zens say being able to exercise their right to vote is the main fac-tor that prompted them to apply for citizenship.

“Now that I can vote, this gives me a sense of ownership to be part of this country,” said ming Shen, an immigrant from Taiwan who became a US citizen earlier this year. “I’m very glad that my voice can be heard in this country.”

But the benefits of becoming a US citizen extend far beyond

November. US citizens can petition family members, travel freely outside the United States, have immunity from deportation, and get a job with the federal government.

Tien Nguyen, a recently natu-ralized US citizen from Vietnam, said that becoming a US citizen allows him to travel without wor-rying whether he will be let back into the country.

“I can now travel freely as an American,” said Nguyen.

Increase in incomeresearch has shown that be-

coming a US citizen is also associ-ated with an increase in income.

Since he became a US citizen this year, mateo Amador Perez says he got a better-paying job and the quality of life of his family has improved.

“I decided to naturalize be-

cause I knew it will bring more opportunities for me and my fam-ily,” said Amador Perez, who is originally from mexico. “I wanted them to have the best future that I could give.”

Texas State representative Gene Wu, who spoke at the press briefing, echoed the sentiments of the newly naturalized citizens. Forty percent of the people in his district are foreign-born, he said.

“my family, myself—we are all immigrants ourselves,” Wu said. “Being an American citizen is something that I have been very proud of.”

For more information about the New Americans Campaign and upcoming citizenship workshops, go to www.newamericanscamp-aign.org. (Anthony Advincula/New America Media)

As US elections near, more immigrants…PAGE A3 t

by EstrElla torrEsInquirer.netHe added that he is willing to

accept any job that Duterte may offer next year.

Cayetano still has three years to serve as senator.

Yasay, who comes from Davao City, was SeC chairman under the administration of Fidel ramos.

He was among those who testified in the impeachment trial against then President Joseph “erap” estrada in 2000.

In an earlier interview with the diplomatic press, ad interim Foreign Secretary Jose rene Al-mendras said the next DFA chief should uphold existing foreign policy in handling a maritime dispute in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) between the Philippines and China.

“It’s important that [the next Foreign secretary has] an un-derstanding of the complete scenario,” he added.

“That’s why we always say that foreign policy should be princi-ples-based because if it is not, it will not be consistent,” Almendras said. n

by BEn o. dE VEraInquirer.net

by CathErinE ValEntEManilaTimes.net

LoS ANGeLeS — Thousands of low-income children in Cali-fornia, regardless of their immi-gration status, are now eligible for full-scope medi-Cal coverage beginning this week.

Undocumented children in Calif. now eligible for health care

The health care expansion, known as “Health for All Kids,” was rolled out on monday, may 16, and will benefit approxi-mately 250,000 children under 19 years old.

An estimated 185,000 undocu-mented children are expected to enroll this year.

“It is sad that children — until monday, that is — had to worry about hospital bills instead of their grades,” state Senator ri-cardo Lara (D-Bell Gardens) said during a press conference on Fri-day, may 13 at the eisner Pediat-ric & Family medical Center.

uPAGE A5

by Christina M. oriElAJPress

(212) 655-5426 • http://www.asianjournal.com NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL • MAY 20-26, 2016 A�

Lara authored Senate Bill 4, which ensures that undocument-ed children enrolled in restrict-ed-scope “emergency” Medi-Cal will be automatically transitioned to the full-scope version. Last year, Governor Jerry Brown signed that bill, along with Sen-ate Bill 75, which includes an investment to expand full-scope, comprehensive Medi-Cal to all low-income undocumented chil-dren under the age of 19.

Currently, 114,981 children are receiving restricted-scope bene-fits, according to the Department of Health Care Services.

“Here [in California], we value immigrants. We understand that immigrants are an essential fab-ric of our society. The roof is not going to fall if we give undocu-mented immigrants health care,” Lara said. “We’re actually go-ing to save money in the state. We’re actually going to be able to have preventative services so that people don’t end up in our emergency rooms.”

Cynthia Buiza, an immigrant from the Philippines who now serves as executive director of the California Immigrant Policy Center, added that this health care initiative is “an investment in the future of the state.”

“As a member of the Fili-pino community, I understand how important health coverage is to keep immigrant families healthy,” Buiza said. “As we cel-ebrate this historic step towards

Health for All, we will continue to work to include undocumented adults and families who remain excluded from coverage, so that all Californians have the opportu-nity to access coverage, no mat-ter where they were born.”

Under full-scope Medi-Cal coverage, children can receive services such as annual check-ups, regular doctor visits, vacci-nations, mental health care, and dental care and treatment.

To qualify, undocumented chil-dren younger than 19 must come from families whose incomes are at or below 266 percent of the federal poverty line. The income eligibility varies depending on family size. For a family of four, the income is $5,387 per month or $64,638 annually.

Families can apply in person at their local county human servic-es office, over the phone, online, with a mail-in application, or at a local health center.

The state-funded program is projected to cost $40 million in the first year and $132 million annually after that.

Some families may be hesitant to apply for the program because they fear that they will be vulner-able to deportation. However, community health organizations assure that information provided during enrollment will not be shared with immigration officials.

In a push to get ethnic commu-nities to apply for the program, Asian Americans Advancing Jus-tice-Los Angeles is working with

22 other organizations to provide “culturally competent outreach, education and enrollment ser-vices targeting undocumented children [ages] 0-19.”

“When people think of the un-documented community, they of-ten do not recognized the diver-sity of immigrants in California. There are thousands of Asians and Pacific Islanders to Africans to Middle Eastern immigrants who contribute so much to our country but whose children have no access to critically important health care,” said Stewart Kwoh, executive director of Advancing Justice - Los Angeles.

The organization encourages community members to call its helplines for additional informa-tion at 888-349-9695 for English or 855-300-2552 for Tagalog.

More health care options for undocumented adults are also under consideration in the Leg-islature.

Lara is sponsoring SB 10, which would allow undocumented adult immigrants and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) re-cipients to purchase a Covered California health plan without subsidies, and SB 1418, which would widen Medi-Cal benefits to adults, regardless of immigra-tion status.

California is now the fifth and largest state in the country to ex-pand state-funded health care to undocumented children, following Massachusetts, New York Wash-ington and Washington D.C. n

Undocumented children in Calif. now…

Dateline PhiliPPines

INCOMING POLICE CHIEF. THE incoming chief of the Philippine National Police will not allow unscrupulous policemen receiving protection money from drug lords to get away from the new administration’s no nonsense drive to make the country safe from criminals within six months. Handpicked by president-elect Rodrigo Duterte, Chief Supt. Ronald dela Rosa, who uses the nickname “Bato” for his tough image, fearlessly warned policemen, including the top-level police officials, to end their ties with drug syndicates or else they will be booted out of the PNP. Inquirer.net photo by Julliane Love De Jesus

Lines drawn in battle for House speaker’s post

PAGE A4 t

MANILA—Two groups filed on Thursday, May 19 before the Of-fice of the Ombudsman charges of electoral sabotage against the Commission on Elections (Com-elec), the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) and automation service provider Smartmatic.

The complainants also asked the ombudsman to treat their case as a class suit.

The criminal charges stemmed from the controversial chang-ing of the so-called hash code in the transparency server on May 9 during the quick count of votes for president, vice president and senators.

Named respondents to the case filed by Rodolfo Javellana Jr. of the Coalition of Clean Air Advocates of the Philippines (CCAAP) and the Mata sa Balota Movement (MBM) were the Comelec as an agency, Henrietta de Villa, PPCRV chair and Marlon Garcia of Smartmatic.

CCAAP, according to its com-plaint, holds office at the Franca Arcade along Malakas Street, Ba-rangay Pinyahan in Quezon City.

Javellana was also part of the group Water For All Refund Move-ment that questioned Maynilad’s advance collections from its con-

Comelec, Smartmatic, PPCRV charged with poll sabotageby Michael Punongbayan

Philstar.com

Named respondents to the case filed by Rodolfo Javellana Jr. of the Coalition of Clean Air Advocates of the Philippines (CCAAP) and the Mata sa Balota Movement (MBM) were the Comelec as an agency, Henrietta de Villa, PPCRV chair and Marlon Garcia (shown in photo) of Smartmatic.sumers in 2012.

The complaint directly accused the poll body of conspiring with an information technology (IT) expert in intentionally introducing a new script or program in the computer system while canvassing for the May 9 elections was ongoing. This allegedly violated specific rules under Republic Act 9369 or the Automated Elections Law, which placed “the credibility of the entire electoral process in doubt.”

A Smartmatic technician changed the “?” to “ñ” in the names of candidates that required

the switch in script of the Come-lec’s computer server.

“The switching in the script could not have been made alone by the respondent Smartmatic IT personnel except for and with the connivance of a Comelec per-sonnel who was responsible for the safekeeping of the password (match code) which he provided to the former,” the charge alleged.

“Thereafter, there was a noted and unexplained surge and cor-responding decline in the vote counts for the vice-presidential

uPAGE A7

by Paolo RoMeRoPhilstar.com

MANILA—The battle lines for the speakership in the House of Representatives are now being drawn ahead of the opening of the 17th Congress on July 25 un-der the incoming Duterte admin-istration.

On one side is incumbent Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr., who is counting on the support of some 120 lawmakers from the Liberal Party (LP) and other House allies.

His challenger is Davao del Norte representative-elect Pan-taleon Alvarez, secretary general of PDP-Laban and the preferred House chief of incoming presi-dent Rodrigo Duterte.

Alvarez’s supporters in the

House staged a show of force on Thursday,, May 19 at the Midas Hotel and Casino in Pasay City, and invited other lawmakers in the incoming Congress to be for “change.”

Fifty-nine reelected and re-turning House members from various political parties and par-ty-list groups joined Alvarez for a luncheon meeting at the hotel to drum up support.

“On behalf of the Duterte ad-ministration, we would like to sincerely thank you for your sup-port and we have a lot of things to do to execute the changes that the Duterte administration has promised to the Filipino people,” Alvarez told his sup-porters.

The election for speaker will be held in the morning of July 25,

when the 17th Congress opens its first regular session. In the afternoon, Duterte is expected to deliver his first State of the Na-tion Address.

He said members of the “coali-tion for change” number at least 80 congressmen coming from PDP-Laban, Nacionalista Party (NP), the National Unity Party (NUP), the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC), Lakas-CMD and even from the LP.

He said House members from other parties supporting his speakership bid need not re-nounce their political affiliation and join PDP-Laban.

However, if the LP ends up as the minority, its members who have voted for him will have to swear their loyalty to PDP-Laban, he said. n

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OpiniOn Features

experts on the matter and men-tioned in particular former Prime Minister Cesar Virata. But Virata was just helping him behind the scene.

But in the forefront as one of Duterte’s economic advisers is former Secretary Carlos “Sonny” Dominguez who comes from Davao. He once served as Agri-culture Secretary of P-Noy’s late mother, ex-President Corazon Aquino. In a press conference yesterday, Dominguez noted the five percent increase in the value of stock market for the past three days augurs well for his new in-coming President.

A major policy bias of the Duterte presidency is not for big business but for the rural devel-opment all around the country to really bring inclusive growth to all Filipinos, Dominguez an-nounced. This is because, he cit-ed, two-thirds of Filipinos below poverty line income live in the rural areas.

However, Dominguez made cautious projected growth rates, especially for the agriculture sector given the effects of the long dry spell brought by the El Niño phenomenon. “We are ex-periencing a severe El Niño. I think it’s going to be very hard,” Dominguez conceded.

Duterte himself assures Fili-pino farmers he would provide more government budget to the agriculture sector. Specifically, he vowed credit extension facili-ties to farmers so that they won’t fall prey to “5-6” creditors. He noted they are mostly “Indian” nationals who offer easy repay-ment but charge double the amount of loans.

The incoming President, how-ever, expressed concern on the lingering effects of El Niño will continue to pester the agricul-

ture sector when he takes over the leadership of the country. He noted most of the hardest hit by the prolonged drought were those in Region XI that includes Davao provinces and most are-palay and food crop producers.

This is why, the incoming President promised to provide government funds to programs that will modernize our country’s agriculture. From farm equip-ment to extension of agricultural support for farmers, he wants Fil-ipino farmers to also try and en-gage in bio-technology farming that will further enhance their output and income.

Incidentally, a new seed labo-ratory has opened at the Inter-national Rice Research Insti-tute (IRRI). It will increase the capacity and speed at which seeds are prepared for entry into the International Rice Genebank, where the germ plasm of more than 127,000 rice varieties from around the world can be found. The Genetic Resources Seed Processing Laboratory (GRSPL) was built with support from the Federal Ministry for Eco-nomic Cooperation and Develop-ment (BMZ) of the Government of Germany.

The Genebank collection con-tinues to grow in size and usage, with more than 181,000 samples shipped to 65 countries over the last five years. The GRSPL will make it possible to handle the growing volume of seeds submit-ted for safekeeping, as well as of requests for seeds, without com-promising seed quality, handling standards, and end-user require-ments.

The use of biotech seeds also promotes environment safety and not just of food security. According to the latest ISAAA report, 20th anniversary (1996-

Should transgenders be allowed to use the bathroom that matches their gender identity?CREATING a lot of buzz in the Unit-

ed States these days is a law in North Carolina which forbids transgender people from using public restrooms that comport with their gender iden-tity. If a person is born male, then he should go to the boys’ bathroom, and conversely, those born female should go to the girls’ bathroom.

This law does not factor in how transgenders feel about themselves and their gender identities. They may be born male but as they were grow-ing up, they knew they were female deep inside. Some are born female, but they do not identify with that gen-der, contending that all their life, they

know they are male. This is why they dress up, act, think and feel, in accordance with the gender they iden-tify with, not with the gender stated in their birth certificates.

This makes the North Carolina law very contentious, because according to transgenders themselves and their advocates, it violates anti-discrimina-tion laws. They explain that making a transgender use the bathroom that does not match with the gender they identify with exposes them to risks of

being bullied and harrassed, not to mention the trau-matic experience they go through be-ing in a bathroom or locker room desig-nated for the oppo-site sex.

In support of the civil rights of transgenders, the Edu-cation and Justice departments of the Obama Administration issued a direc-tive that mandates ALL public schools (from kindergarten to grade 12) all over the U.S. to allow transgenders use the bathroom that match their

gender identity, or risk losing funding from the federal government.

Defending the directive, Pres. Barack Obama said in an interview: “We’re talking about kids, and any-body who’s been in school, been in high school, who’s been a parent, I think should realize that kids who are sometimes in the minority — kids who have a different sexual orienta-tion or are transgender — are subject to a lot of bullying, potentially they are vulnerable.”

Obama added, “I think that it is part of our obligation as a society to make sure that everybody is treated fairly, and our kids are all loved, and that

they’re protected and that their dignity is affirmed.”

The Filipino Channel’s daily news-cast “Balitang America” asked its viewers in an online poll if they agree with the Obama administration’s di-rective. A big majority of those who voted — 73 percent — disagreed.

What do you think about this direc-tive?

* * *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

ManilaTimes.net photo

X factor

Editorial

Gel SantoS-ReloS

The Fil-Am Perspective

Despite his snarky remarks and unconventional approach to poli-tics, rendering good public service is no laughing matter for the tough-talking Duterte. He has vowed to bring Davao City’s internationally-acclaimed peace and order to the national scale by alleviating crimi-nality and corruption in the country within three to six months in his leadership. And he will stop at nothing to get there.

Duterte admitted that he will resurrect the death penalty for heinous crimes, such as drug peddling, rape, murder, kidnap-for-ransom and robbery. He said he preferred death by hanging rather than a firing squad because he did not want to waste bul-lets on criminals.

For people who commit two major crimes, they will be hanged twice. “After you are hanged first, there will be another ceremony for the second time until the head is completely severed from the body. I like that because I am mad,” he added.

And because Filipinos have long desired for a more open and accountable government, his vi-sion may not be far from reality anymore, as the implementation of the Freedom of Information (FOI) through an executive order will be among his top agenda.

“Kung ayaw ng Congress, I will start progres-

sively, para walang sat-sat, yak-yak. (If Congress does not want to pass it, I will start progressively so that we don’t talk too much),” Duterte told Inquirer.net.

The proposed FOI bill people will have access to information regarding the government’s transac-tions and processes. It grants citizens the access to any information held by a government agency on matters of public concern. state policy of full public disclosure of all its transactions involving public in-terest, including documents on government expen-ditures and the bidding of government projects.

It was among the priority bills under outgoing Pres. Benigno Aquino III’s administration, but was later relegated to the back burner towards the end of his term.

Duterte, who also intends to push for the amend-ment of the Constitution to ease the transition to the federal form of government, already has his plates full. Before he bites off more than he can chew, his excellency must be reminded that there are multitude of ills in the country that also de-serves his attention.

Being the president is no cakewalk. A president is the Head of State and Head of Government, and functions as the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. As chief executive, the

“THOSE who kill my country will be killed. Simple as that. No middle ground. No apologies. No excuses,” incoming President Rodrigo Duterte warns, as he is bent on giving the country the facelift it needs as soon as he is sworn into office on June 30.

President exercises control over all the executive departments, bureaus, and offices.

Duterte and his cohorts must successfully adopt these duties and responsibilities before concocting drastic measures just to affect change. Likewise, it is the Filipinos undertaking to transcend from the latest poll results and aid the incoming President

to a successful transition of power. As constituents, they must help Duterte in addressing the country’s other problems such as poverty, unemployment, overpopulation, education and the degrading en-vironment. This rapport will ensure the Philippines and its people of a brighter future in the next six years. (AJPress)

Commonsense

MaRichu a. VillanueVa

Bright prospects for Philippine economy

By noon of June 30, change is coming at Malacañang with the turnover of powers from outgoing President Benigno “Noy” Aquino III to President-elect Duterte.

Trading in the country’s stock market, as the barometer of the Philippine economy, resumed briskly a day after the May 9 presidential elections. Traders who held on to their blue chips or unloaded in panic, realized the fears foisted on the looming win in the presidential race by Davao City Mayor Rodrigo “Rody” Duterte were nothing but toxic politics.

Thus, trading at the bourses are back to normal profit-taking soon after the Davao City Mayor emerged as the clear winner and immediately named his transition team to prepare for his assump-tion of the presidency.

By noon of June 30, change is coming at Malacañang with the turnover of powers from outgoing President Benigno “Noy” Aquino III to President-elect Duterte.

Five days before election, Duterte candidly admitted dur-ing The STAR roundtable forum he is “not an economics person” when asked about his specific priorities and policies on invest-ments, trade and industry, tax reform, agriculture and other economic issues and concerns. The last to enter the presiden-tial race, Duterte was also the last to attend The STAR round-table among the five presidential candidates in the just concluded elections.

Duterte disclosed that he con-sults on economic matters with

2015) of the Global Commer-cialization of Biotech Crops and Biotech Crop Highlights in 2015 (Brief 51), herbicide toler-ant crops, which are planted to 95.9 million hectares of land in 2015, reduce the negative im-pact of farming on the environ-ment by decreasing the need for tilling.

This leads to a plethora of en-vironmental advantages such as conserved biodiversity, pre-vented deforestation, less soil erosion and water pollution, and decreased carbon dioxide emis-sions, among others. With these benefits, biotechnology ensures that the society’s needs are ad-dressed and at the same time, the environment is protected.

One of the main arguments raised by environment groups

led by Greenpeace and Masipag while using agriculture biotech-nology in seed growth and propa-gation is the loss of the tradition-al varieties. This fear, however, is unfounded as scientists here and abroad have all these years kept the germplasm of different seed varieties for conservation, scientific research and breeding purposes.

Before he steps down from of-fice along with outgoing Presi-dent Aquino, a co-terminus Cabi-net official Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala has issued new guidelines drawn by various gov-ernment agencies to shape up the use and imports of Geneti-cally Modified (GM) crops in lo-cal farms all around the country. This was in compliance with the Supreme Court ruling that called

for such crafting of clear-cut guidelines on the use of import-ed GM crops to protect not only the local farmers but also ensure food security of Filipinos.

Four days after the elections, incoming President Duterte seemed to create more excite-ment each day replacing the gloom, especially to those in the business sector who obviously supported other presidential can-didates. The naysayers’ scenario loosely spread towards the end of the official campaign period failed to stop Duterte’s big win.

The prospects of the Philip-pine economy shine bright with hopes and optimism as it gather steam while Duterte is just start-ing with his new job – as the presumptive President for now. (Philstar.com)

Transition of power: President-elect Rodrigo Duterte and outgoing Pres. Benigno Aquino III Philstar.com photo

(212) 655-5426 • http://www.asianjournal.com NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL • MAY 20-26, 2016 A�Dateline PhiliPPines

DUTERTE’S VISITORS. President-elect Rodrigo Duterte with former Senate President Manny Villar, wife Sen. Cynthia Villar, son Rep. Mark Villar and brother Jojo Villar in Davao City as the Villars’ Nacionalista Party joins PDP-Laban in the so-called Coalition of Change. Also in photo are PDP-Laban president Sen. Koko Pimentel, Duterte’s running mate Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano, former Transportation Secretary Pantaleon Alvarez, former Manila International Airport Authority chief Alfonso Cusi and chief aide Bong Go. Inquirer.net photo by Marianne Bermudez

candidates and senators,” the complaint read.

While the events were allegedly happening and the results of the quick count already compromised, Comelec commissioners and the PPRCV chairman were reportedly adamant against suspending the canvass to pave the way for inves-tigation and rectification.

“Despite the admission of the Comelec of the breach of protocol and the resultant abnormalities in the vote counts, respondent com-missioners collectively failed to conduct a Random Manual Audit (RMA) as required under Section 24 of RA 9369 to determine the ne-cessity of a manual count. Instead they allowed the canvass to con-tinue,” CCAAP and MBM said.

“Irrespective of whether or not the change in the script altered the results of the electoral process, the mere change thereof is a prohib-ited act,” the complainants added.

The charges noted that Sec-tion 28 of RA 9369 prohibits acts of “Gaining or causing access to using, altering, destroying or dis-closing any computer data, pro-gram, system software, network, or any computer-related devices, facilities, hardware or equipment, whether classified or declassified regardless of whether or not said acts affect the electoral process or results.

“To restate, the intentional man-ner within which a new computer script or program was introduced in the computer system and the premeditated refusal on the part of respondent commissioners to act

justly and swiftly either simultane-ous or subsequent to the switch are sufficient circumstances to prove conspiracy,” the complaint stressed.

CCAA and MBM said Comelec commissioners should also be held administratively liable for failing “to perform and discharge their duties with the highest degree of excellence, professionalism, intel-ligence and skill” under RA 6713 or the code of conduct and ethical standards for public officials and employees.

Comelec Commissioner Ro-wena Guanzon steered clear of the election sabotage case filed by the CCAAP and MBM before the ombudsman over the alteration of the hash code of the transparency server.

Guanzon was puzzled why Com-elec was included in the charge sheet.

“He (Garcia) is not my agent. Is he my agent when Marlon Garcia did what he did? He is an agent of Smartmatic, isn’t it?” she said.

Garcia had initiated the altera-tion of hash code of the transpar-ency server of the Comelec being used by the PPCRV in its quick count on the night of May 9.

The change of the source code has been blamed by the camp of vice presidential bet Sen. Ferdi-nand Marcos Jr. for the surge in votes for his closest rival Cama-rines Sur. Rep. Leni Robredo and allowed her to overtake him in the canvassing.

Guanzon added they have not received a copy of the petition but she is ready to respond. n

Comelec, Smartmatic…PAGE A5 t

AS soon as Vice President Jejomar Binay’s immunity from suit is lifted when he leaves of-fice on June 30, the Office of the Ombudsman will pursue the plunder and other criminal cas-es against him.

“The resolution that we issued is very clear. When he’s stripped off of immunity then we will con-sider filing the case,” Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales said in a press conference after the launch of the Ombudsman Young Lead-ers Integrity Development Camp on Thursday, May 19.

Morales did not give a specific date on when they would file the cases against Binay.

She said: “Well, July 1st comes after June 30 in the same manner that July 10 comes after June 30.”

The outgoing Vice President is accused of graft and plunder in the Office of the Ombudsman over the alleged overpriced con-struction of the billions-worth Makati City Hall Building II dur-ing his three terms as mayor of the city.

Meanwhile, graft, malversa-tion, and falsification of public documents charges have been filed against the Vice President’s son, dismissed Makati City May-or Jejomar Erwin “Junjun” Binay Jr., also over the alleged anoma-lous construction of the Makati City Parking Building II.

In February, the Office of the Ombudsman said cases against

Ombudsman to file charges vs Binay as soon as he leaves VP post

by Julliane love De JesusInquirer.net

the Vice President would be filed after the expiration of his term, consistent with the principle that “an impeachable officer, while in office, cannot be the subject of a criminal indictment in court.”

In a statement to the media a few hours after Morales’ press conference, Binay’s spokesper-son Rico Quicho slammed the Ombudsman anew and called it “unfair” when it dealt with the investigation of the cases of the Binays.

“Alam ng lahat na hindi patas ang Ombudsman kay VP Binay. Binalewala nito ang mga ebiden-sya, due process at ang batas upang gipitin si VP Binay habang nagbulag-bulagan ito sa mga reklamo laban sa mga kaalyado at kapartido ng kasalukuyang administrasyon (Everyone knows the Ombudsman is unfair when it comes to VP Binay. It ignored all evidence, due process and the law to make it difficult for VP Binay while acting blind to the complaints against the allies and

party mates of the current ad-ministration),” Quicho said.

The lawyer expressed confi-dence that the charges against the Vice President would be junked.

“In a fair and impartial venue, we are confident that the so-called cases against the VP will be dismissed for being frivolous and baseless. We shall exert all legal remedies to prove the Om-budsman wrong,” Quicho said.

Even before Quicho made the statement, Morales said she nev-er paid attention to tirades from Binay’s camp.

“Dedma naman kami sa mga punches na ’yan eh (We don’t mind those punches),” Morales said.

Asked if the death threats against her, allegedly from the Binay camp, still persisted, the feisty Ombudsman told report-ers: “You want me to give you the truth? It’s in the air so I don’t know if it reaches me—any death threat.” n

Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales and dismisses Makati City Mayor Junjun Binay (right) with his father, Vice President Jejomar Binay.

MANILA—The country’s population increased further to 100.98 million in 2015, higher by 8.64 million than in 2010 when the national census was last conducted, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) re-ported on thursday, May 19.

Based on the Census of Popu-lation (POPCEN) concluded in August last year, the country’s population rose at a rate of 1.72 percent from 2010 to 2015.

Out of the country’s 18 ad-ministrative regions, Region IV-A, comprising the provinces of Cavite, Laguna, Rizal and Que-zon, had the biggest population of 14.41 million in 2015.

This was followed by the Na-tional Capital Region (NCR) or Metro Manila with 12.88 million and Central Luzon with 11.22 mil-lion. The combined population of these regions accounted for 38.1 percent of the total last year.

Out of the country’s 81 prov-inces, Cavite was the most popu-lous with 3.68 million, followed by Bulacan (3.29 million) and Laguna (3.04 million).

Philippine population hits 100.98 Mby Czeriza valenCia

Philstar.com

Twenty-seven other provinces surpassed the one- million popu-lation mark. These are Cavite, Bulacan, Laguna, Pangasinan, Cebu, Rizal, Batangas, Negros Occidental, Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, Camarines Sur, Iloilo, Que-zon, Leyte, Isabela, Bukidnon, North Cotabato, Tarlac, Negros Oriental, Albay, Bohol, Cagayan, Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, Davao del Norte, Zamboanga del Norte and Zamboanga del Sur.

Batanes had the smallest pop-ulation with 17,246 persons. Two other provinces posted a popula-tion size of less than 100,000. These are Siquijor with 95,984 and Camiguin with 88,478.

Although currently not the most populous region, the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) had the fastest popula-tion growth rate of 2.89 percent during the census period.

Out of the country’s 33 highly urbanized cities, four had sur-passed the one-million popula-tion mark, namely, Quezon City with 2.94 million, Manila (1.78 million), Davao City (1.63 million) and Caloocan City (1.58 million).

The POPCEN 2015 was un-dertaken by the PSA in August

2015 under Republic Act No. 10625 (Philippine Statistical Act of 2013) and Executive Order No. 352.

The PSA census came follow-ing a report of the United Nations saying the urban population of developing countries is projected to double by 2030.

While cities have emerged over the past 20 years as the world’s economic platforms for produc-tion and innovation, helping mil-lions escape poverty through bet-ter jobs and improved quality of life, the inaugural edition of the World Cities Report, compiled by the UN Human Settlements Pro-gram (UN-HABITAT), said mass urbanization has also led to over-crowding, deepened inequalities and triggered a raft of environ-mental and health challenges. n

Based on the Census of Population (POPCEN) concluded in August last year, the country’s population rose at a rate of 1.72 percent from 2010 to 2015. Philstar.com photo

IT IS up to the people to decide if newly elected Senator Manny Pacquiao should participate in the Rio de Janeiro Olympics.

Pacquiao said on Thursday, May 19 that he does not want to draw flak if he decides by himself to join the Olympics and incur absences in the Senate this Au-gust.

As Sarangani representative, Pacquiao earned the distinction of racking up the biggest num-ber of absences in the House

Manny Pacquiao leaves decision on competing in Rio Olympics to people

by aries Joseph heginaInquirer.net

of Representatives. In 2014, he only attended four session days.

Last month, the eight-time world champion said that he was thinking of participating in the Rio Olympics.

The Olympics will be held from August 5 to 21.

Philippine Olympic Committee president Jose Cojuangco Jr. said that Pacquiao would bring home a gold medal should he decide to join the Olympics.

The boxer-legislator landed in seventh place in the senatorial race with 16,050,546 votes. n

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entertainmentMay 20-26, 2016

2The Asian Journal NEW YORK / NEW JERSEY MAY 20, 2016

An Asian Journal Magazine

“It is a Filipino taqueria and we’re fast casual. We’re definitely not trying at all to be traditional Filipino. In fact, Filipino purists would hate this place. I am not trying to change the world,” Chef Jordan Andino told the Asian Journal a couple of days after officially opening 2nd City, the newest foodie destination in Greenwich Village.

“What I’m trying to do is gently introduce accessible Filipino food to the American masses, in a vessel that they are all familiar with,” he said.

By vessel, he means the current trend that’s all the rage in major foodie cities across the United States today, the poke bowl. then, there’s the pork bun, burrito and the taco.

What he and his team did for 2nd City is to infuse his Filipino heritage, if you will, into these vessels.

take the burrito for example. Chef Jordan’s Adobo-Rito is soy-braised chicken adobo with shredded romaine lettuce and

kimchi fried rice. His fish tacos with bok choy and bird’s eye chili salsa use a reduced sinigang sauce which they call tamarind slurry. If you’re Filipino, you will notice it for sure.

For their bowl, the restaurant uses a mix of quinoa, mango, avocado, tomato, scallion, your choice of protein and calamansi vinaigrette. During the weekends, they offer Plan B-Rito, with longganisa, egg, cheese, ham, hash browns, bacon and salsa.

these are burritos, tacos and bowls but with bold and strong Filipino flavors.

As for the name, Chef Jordan offers three reasons – originally, it was supposed to be called Cebu City – the second largest city in the Philippines - but they realized some people will have different ways of pronouncing it; one of his partners is from the second city in the U.S. , which is Chicago; and lastly, they’re going to the secondary markets – instead of Denver, Boulder; instead of Chicago, Ann Arbor; instead of

Chef Jordan andino opens a filipino

Taqueria in Manhattanby MoMar G. Visaya/AJPress

Houston, Austin.The Rise of Filipino Cuisine

in NYC“It’s the next thing coming,”

Chef Jordan said, echoing what Dale talde told me after he participated in the Bravo reality show top Chef years ago. television host and chef Andrew Zimmern said that as well.

“I noticed that in the past ten years, people had Chinese in an American way, then Japanese and Korean. Now, they’re mixing it up – Japanese tacos, Korean burritos. Filipino dishes blend well with quick, easy food that is cheap and high flavor,” he explained. “that’s why Lumpia Shack made it. Filipino food can also be served this way.”

the 27-year-old restaurateur believes that the turn is happening and that the wheels are turning.

“In five to ten years, I can guarantee that Filipino food will be as popular as Korean tacos and sushi,” he said.

Homagethe first thing you’d notice

upon entering 2nd City is the huge mural occupying the entire wall on the left side of the restaurant. It’s a labor of love and a gift from the chef’s mom, actress and model Joanna Bacalso, who collaborated with her brother, Sonny who is a graffiti artist. It’s a fulfillment of a dream Chef Jordan had when he was a kid when he said that his mom and uncle would come and paint something when he opened his restaurant.

the mural is an homage to chef Jordan and his culture – from the jeepney to the carabao to the Filipino flag. It has its Filipino elements, the stars and the sun, the ‘I Eat Rice’ phrase, which it

tIMELESS: tHE USA tOUR 2016

Despite the elements, Regine Velasquez deliversby MoMar G. Visaya

AJPress

ASIA’S Songbird Regine Velasquez was not her perfect self when she performed in New Jersey on Saturday, May 14 but with a professional artist like her, that didn’t even seem to matter. Not to her fans, anyway.

For her multitude of followers – some trooped to the venue at the Bergen Performing Arts Center in Englewood as early as 5:00 pm – seeing her onstage again was more than enough and they are thankful.

Regine herself was also thankful.

As she closed her two-hour

concert, she exclaimed, “Medyo weird ang boses ko, pasensiya na. I had a great time performing for you, maraming salamat po!”

Unbeknownst to many in the auditorium, Regine arrived in Los Angeles on Friday, then flew to Chicago to do the first show of her US concert tour. New Jersey was the second leg, scheduled for the following day. Needless to say, jetlag, lack of sleep and the weirdly cold spring weather brought a toll to her body and her voice.

the show started around 8:20 pm after about four front acts – all local stars in the tri-state area. Some people behind us were getting antsy and couldn’t wait any longer to see their idol onstage.

Wearing a red dress with gold butterflies, Regine emerged onstage and started the show with her effortless rendition of ‘You Are My Song’. She followed it up with ‘Ako ‘y Iyong Iyo,’ a hit made famous by her husband, Ogiel Alcasid and the Rivermaya classic ‘Hinahanap

Hanap Kita’.With the audience already

grooving, the songbird paused and shifted to sing a couple of what she called “beautiful songs” composed by Ryan Cayabyab. the first one was ‘Araw Gabi’ and the other was her certified hit ‘tuwing Umuulan’.

In between – and only someone who has Regine’s caliber can pull it off without sounding like a diva – she complained about her shoes saying it was tight.

“Masakit sa paa. Mahal nga pero masakit naman sa paa. Hugot pa more,” she remarked and the

audience lapped it up.She then proceeded to sing

‘Minsan Lang Kitang Iibigin’ whose original singer was Ariel Rivera. “I haven’t sung this for a while,” she said, and as she noticed the audience singing with her, she quipped, “May pinagdadaanan din pala kayo?”

Regine also sang ‘You Made Me Stronger,’ one of her earlier hits, also a “hugot song” as she said.

then came one of the most poignant moments of the evening: Regine’s performance of her 2002 monster hit ‘Dadalhin’.

Accompanied on guitar by Cesar Aguas, her silent yearning and the song’s message cut through. And it further proved that she didn’t need her trademark ‘birit-style’ of singing for her audience to appreciate her.

And they did, as they clapped their hearts out after the song.

Which made the songbird quip, “Pumapalakpak din pala kayo sa simpleng kanta. Sadista kayo, buwis buhay ako pag kumakanta, duguan ako lagi eh, atay at balun-balunan pati,” she said laughing.

then she did her follow-up for the knock-out with ‘Sana Maulit Muli’ and like some in the audience, she was a little teary-eyed after the song.

And instead of building into a crescendo, the concert abruptly ended as the voice over announced a 15-minute intermission. Some took the cue to go for a restroom or a cigarette break while others went out to grab some snacks. the remainder of the audience was treated to a couple of song numbers from guests Christopher Corro and Vince Gesmundo.

the second act began with Continued on Page 5

Bi-Curious Tacos Nice Buns Adobo-RitoPass The Bowl

The most poignant and well-applauded moments of the evening were the segments when she tugged the hearts of her audience, delivering a one-two punch with Dadalhin and Sana Maulit Muli. The rearranged version of Butsikik was also a highlight as it showcased a different side of the singer. Photos by Troi Santos

Chef Jordan Andino has appeared on various reality TV shows such as The Food Network’s Chopped, Beat Bobby Flay, and Kourtney and Khloe Take The Hamptons. This time around, he is focused on his newest project, his Filipino taqueria called 2nd City. “It’s about managing expectations from the get go,” he told us. That means you won’t find the traditional Filipino dishes here. AJPress Photos by Momar G. Visaya

2nd City boasts of a quaint, neighborhood joint kind of vibe.

The wall on the left side of the restaurant is a mural specially created by chef Jordan’s mom, Joanna Bacalso and her brother, Sonny.

Despite being jetlagged and under the weather, Regine spent time after the concert to sign CDs for her numerous followers.

turns out, was a screen name he once used on AOL instant messenger back in the day, his birthday is somewhere there, too.

there’s also a neon signage of a fork and a knife – which also happens to be his twitter account and tattooed on his arms, there are skateboards and the on the jeepney’s front, it says Batangas and Cebu, the hometown of his dad and mom, respectively.

the restaurant is Jordan Andino personified.

“Did I design it? Yes, a hundred percent. Is it me in a restaurant? Yes, this is my personality – from the skateboards, fork and knife and dope ass music with fun vibes and chill,” he remarked.

And when he chills, he cooks.His favorite traditional Filipino

dishes to cook and eat – “Hands down,” he said, “Champorado, sinigang, adobo and turbo chicken. I can eat these whole day. My Lola’s lumpia is really good too, like her pancit, and she also makes this kingfish dish.”

“I love to eat champorado for breakfast, I tried to make it on Chopped but I wasn’t successful,” he said laughing.

Reality TV“I used to model,” he told us,

almost whispering. Maybe he didn’t want to get teased by his partners and a couple of servers who were near us then. “I can cook and I happen to film well and I am full of energy so tV people thought it was natural to put me on camera.”

One of his friends submitted his resume and to the production of Chopped, a reality cooking show on the Food Network. He didn’t think about it at all, then two weeks later, he received the call.

that opened the proverbial doors for him and his foray into the world of reality television happened.

Beat Bobby Flay followed, then numerous cooking show episodes – he has done 18 of them so far, including cooking for the Kardashians (Kourtney and Khloe take the Hamptons).

“All of that didn’t really help my skill but it helped me deal with pressure more. What those stints did verified what I did,” he said. “It’s more pressure cooking for a crazy chef who will throw a knife or a pot at you than it is for a cooking show, it is high pressure because you don’t want to look shitty in front of your friends,” he added.

Starting YoungChef Jordan was born in

toronto and their family moved to Manhattan Beach, California when he was nine. He started cooking around this time and because his

dad, Richard Andino was a chef, he would hang out in his kitchen during summer and winter breaks.

“I started swatting flies, peeling shrimp, take out the garbage, sweep and mop the floor. I was this little hyper kid, always restless. I didn’t even need coffee,” he recalled.

And he did that up to the age of 17.

“By the time I was 14, 15, I have worked more hours than any of my cooks. I have been doing this now for 13 years, so it is like second nature to me,” he added.

In 2006, he went to upstate New York to study at the Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration.

After earning his degree, Jordan went on to work with various chefs in order to earn his stripes and learn from the best.

Among his culinary idols, he lists - in order - thomas Keller, Wolfgang Puck, Jean Georges Vongerichten.

He staged in these famous chefs’ acclaimed restaurants: the French Laundry, Wolfgang and Jean Georges.

“I worked for all three of them and it was being in their kitchens, speaking to them and seeing them run their ship. I love and respect the love they have for cooking, the diligence and the militaristic style that they command their troops,” Chef Jordan said.

He learned that working for other people you get pushed to a brink and would make you think you know you can do a better job than this. then, you reach a point when you’ve been doing things long enough that you want to see

if you can make it.that’s what happened to him.

So he thought about opening his own restaurant.

“Owning your own business is risky. I am more broke now than I have ever been, ever,” he told us.

“I don’t work a single hour a week, not one. this is not work. Am I here every single day? Am I doing everything for the restaurant? Absolutely. But it is not work. this is my life, this is my blood and this is exactly what I want to do,” he added. “It’s so corny but I would have to say but I don’t consider what I do as work. I believe that when you do what you love, you don’t work a day in your life. I hate saying clichés like that but it’s true. I love what I am doing.”

Chef Jordan is a man on a mission, and he is achieving this mission one burrito (or taco) at a time.

“I don’t know everything but I know a lot. typically more than not, I know what I am doing. Sometimes, I step back and say ‘I may not know the best option here’ and that balances it, it’s about being humble and being cocky at the same,” he said. “I want people to understand that Filipino food isn’t scary and that it actually is, probably on top three cuisines in the world. But no one knows about it so I’m just here to give people a taste.”

And when he is done giving people a taste of Filipino cuisine, he’d be off to a greater adventure.

“What I envision is refining Filipino food to the point of Michelin star cuisine,” he said wistfully. “But that’s a different story, and for a different time.”

3The Asian Journal NEW YORK / NEW JERSEY mAY 20, 2016

An Asian Journal Magazine

Atty. MichAel

Gurfinkel, eSQ

ImmigrationCorner

CREWMAN WENT HOME TO MANILA ON PROVISIONAL WAIVER AND CAME BACK TO THE US WITH A GREEN CARD — ON A SPECIAL ENCORE EPISODE OF “CITIZEN PINOY!” Leading US immigration attorney Michael J. Gurfinkel obtained a Provisional Waiver for Jerome, a crewman who jumped ship. Jerome had filed for Adjustment of Status on his own, but it was denied, because he was not eligible. With the approved Provisional Waiver of the 3\10 year bar, Jerome returned to the Philippines for visa processing at the US Embassy in Manila. His wife and children wondered and prayed if Jerome could make it back to the US. Every crewman and their US spouse should watch the outcome of this Provisional Waiver case on an encore episode of “Citizen Pinoy – on Sunday, May 22 at 6:15pm (PST) on TFC.

The Priority dates for the Philippines are as follows:

FAMILY CATEGORY:

First Preference

Second Preference

Third Preference

Fourth Preference

LABOR CERTIFICATION:

Third Preference

Other Workers

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

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

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

Married sons and daughters of US Citizens.

Brothers and sisters of US Citizens.

Professional/Skilled Workers

Non-Skilled Workers

ApplicationFiling Date

Visa IssuanceDate

September1, 2005

December 22, 2004

October 15, 2015

November 8, 2014

January 1, 2006

June 1, 2005

August 1, 1995 February 1, 1994

April 1, 1993 December 1, 1992

Visa Issuance Date

January 1, 2010

January 1, 2010

November 1, 2008

November 1, 2008

Application Filing Date

The June 2016 Priority Dates

EACH month, the Visa Office of the State Department publishes, in the Visa Bulletin, the priority dates for that particular month, for the various family and employment based categories. A priority date is a person’s “place in line” for a visa, meaning immigrant visas (or green cards) would be available for persons whose priority date is earlier than the cut-off date listed below. If your priority date was “current,” but later retrogressed (or “moved backwards” and became unavailable) before your immigrant visa was issued (or before you adjusted status in the U.S.), you would have to wait until it becomes current again.

Beginning last October 2015, the format of the Visa Bulletin changed, in that a new column was added, called the “Application

Continued on Page 5

4The Asian Journal NEW YORK / NEW JERSEY mAY 20, 2016

An Asian Journal Magazine

BoBBy T. yalong

On thePEP FrontPeople, Events, Places

ThE current trend of reuniting disbanded or gone-on-its-own-way old-time singing groups and bands, in a despicable evaluation, could offer a nostalgic flashback while simultaneously proving their (still) acceptable capability to perform and entertain…that their inherent magic of collectively making music had neither been carelessly lost nor intentionally abandoned.

Resurfacing under the blinding spotlights and performing again in front of a mammoth audience after several decades of being absent from the entertainment scene could be more challenging than when they were totally new and adamantly hogged the limelights. But as they always say, once a performer, always a performer. Their innate fundamental musicality and arresting “it” factor that catapulted them to stardom must have remained undiminished and ultimately mellowed, instead. Over excited fans and zealous followers are in for surprises as they expect something innovatively fresh or ingeniously rearranged repertoire

Music & Magic: back to the forefront to make magical music together againhaving been away for long.

After leaving behind immense memories of their glorious past that started at the Alibi Bar of the Regent of Manila, Music & Magic, one of the Philippines’ leading and most sought-after bands popular for treating every song with a choreographed production during the late 70s, jointly conceptualized a scheme as they aimed to make a comeback after being almost disbanded in 1986 following Kuh Ledesma’s (the groups front runner and popular soloist) joining the local musical production of Rama hari. Although the rest of the band remained cohesively integrated in their desperate attempt to hold onto the remaining stitches of the shaky situation, several measures were considered to save the dwindling status of the well-patronized musical assemblage.

From the original members of the famed Music & Magic, the band recruited equally promising talents who were driven and focused. New faces made up the re-formatted group with the addition of its new members that sustained the band’s unrivaled status: Bobby Taylo, Vicky Sevilla (now Pangilinan), Jeannette

Casuga (now Trevias).Music & Magic continued to

reign supreme in the entertainment venues as if no internal quandary was just resolved.

But even some good things never last and fate had it that the rest of the members of the closely knitted musical group hit upon a way to grow, survive, and make it on their own. The group untimely disbanded but through the years and despite the vast distance that drew them apart, constant communication keeps them even more bonded and intouch.

It will be recalled that the band’s last reunion presentation was in 1988 when it performed during the ceremonious opening of Music Museum in Greenhills partly owned by former co-member Kuh Ledesma and afterwards, they treaded different roads and established each own career.

Let’s all get to know every member of Music & Magic and be kept abreast of what’s the latest about them.

Kuh Ledesma, a nurse from Bacolod City who unregretfully ditched her professional career in lieu of music. She, with that

Jet Montelibano and the ladies of Music & Magic

Kuh Ledesma with the Music & Magic members

The Music & Music Band of the 80s

mesmerizing vocal sound while simultaneously gifted with a perfectly chiseled face and well-sculptured bone structure, joined the Ensalada Band with Toto Gentica and Jet Montelibano and later tried their luck in Manila where the trio initially formed Music & Magic Band. But Kuh could be fairly ambitious and grabbed every possible opportunity that crossed her path…and she unambiguously made right decisions. Until to this day, Kuh’s name is adequately synonymous to successful recordings, concerts, movies, productions, fashion design, entrepreneurship, and even religious affiliation…justifiably dubbing her, a Renaissance Woman.

A super-hyper performer with that irresistible appeal, Jet Montelibano, who started when he was still in high school, was the toast of the female crowd during the height of the Music & Magic’s decade-long fame. Trained under unparalleled director Peque Gallaga, Jet’s career wasn’t only limited to performing but directing concert shows and stage productions aside from acting. he appeared in a new production of “The Romance of Magno Rubio” at the John Anson Ford Theater in hollywood, a Lonnie Carter’s acclaimed play about Filipino migrant workers in America in the 1930s. Jet is now is Business Manager at Seagate in Los Angeles and happily married to entertainment manager Edith Gomez.

Toto Gentica, the band’s former guitarist, is an established composer, artist, musical director, and an award-

winning film musical scorer and married to equally popular singer-rocker-performer Lou Bonnevie.

Former Camay soap endorser and Music & Magic alumna Angeli Pangilinan is blissfully married to Mr. Pure Energy Gary Valenciano with whom, together, she has three children: Paolo, Gabriel, and Kiana. A dedicated overseer of her husband’s financial and promotional aspects, Angeli’s keen business acumen led her to venture into management and booking business via Manila Genesis Management & Entertainment, Inc.

Still visible and active in popular watering holes in Makati is Butch Elizalde who is currently a member of the Route 70 Band performing regularly in a well-visited metro bar and is married to artist-manager Marinez Elizalde.

Lead vocalist Eva Caparas continues to perform as a soloist in various US bands and occasionally performs in special events.

Vocalist and lady dentist Vicky Sevilla-Pangilinan replaced Angeli

Pangilinan when the latter bade the band adieu. She is married to Angeli’s brother furniture mogul Joseph Pangilinan.

Bobby Taylo, former Music & Magic alumnus, is actively the band leader of Route 70 that regularly plays at the Strumm’s in Makati for 14 years.

Music & Magic latter addition Jeannette Casuga-Trevias is currently hawaii-based and considered the Island’s most successful musical director and keyboard artist.

The band’s former Technical Director, Nonoy Mendoza, is still evidently on-the-scene and currently the drummer of the 8-Track Band.

Fe Delos Reyes, just like Kuh, has unstoppably toured Asian countries and America readily armed with her rib-tickling comedy acts and hilariously choreographed production numbers.

Last year sometime in October Music & Magic, the 70’s band discriminating bar-hopping crowd never tire watching, returned to the entertainment arena with a bang via “Trending: Music & Magic, The Reunion” at the CCP Complex’s PICC Plenary hall in Pasay City which was vociferously loaded with a specially conceptualized repertoire and scrupulously choreographed production numbers the group was known for. … and, as expected, it wasn’t just a hit but a tremendously attended concert!

After all these years, Music & Magic’s enthralling easy-on-the-ear electrifying charisma hasn’t been lost.

For comment and suggestions, please email to: gemini0646@yahoo.com.

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5The Asian Journal NEW YORK / NEW JERSEY mAY 20, 2016

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“People will get the feeling of an actual “live” consultation right in the comfort of their homes,” is how Atty. Gurfinkel describes the show when CITIZEN PINOY GOES LIVE on JUNE 5. n its continued desire to bring public service to Kapamilya across the US, CITIZEN PINOY expands its reach by going LIVE in order to reach more of our core audience and provide immediate replies to their questions. Leading US immigration attorney MICHAEL J. GURFINKEL is “very excited about going live. Now it will be a ‘real time’ contact and more interactive with viewers.” The host and the staff are looking forward to the show’s innovation for Sunday, JUNE 5 when CP goes LIVE. Audiences are encouraged to already send in your questions at www.facebook.com/GurfinkelLaw The LIVE telecast of CITIZEN PINOY will be seen on Sunday, JUNE 5 at 3:15 PM (Pacific)/ 6:15 PM (Eastern) on TFC.

On its 11th year of unparalleled public service to the community, “Citizen Pinoy” goes the extra mile by doing a real-time LIVE telecast on Sunday, June 5 on TFC.

Host and leading US immigration attorney Michael J. Gurfinkel and the staff behind the award-winning public service program are excited about their first ever LIVE telecast. Atty. Gurfinkel is looking forward to this endeavor. According to him, “now, it will be a ‘real time’ contact and more interactive with viewers.”

This attempt makes “Citizen Pinoy” readily available to its core audience across north America. The replies to their immigration concerns will also be immediate. As Atty. Gurfinkel emphasizes, “People will get the feeling of an actual “live” consultation right in the comfort of their homes.”

This early, viewers are already encouraged to send in their questions as private messages via www.facebook.com/GurfinkelLaw. On the actual day of the live telecast, phone lines will also be set up so viewers can call

From Page 3

Filing Date.” If a person’s priority date is earlier than the Application Filing Date, they can already file for adjustment of status and work authorization (provided they are otherwise eligible and USCIS indicates on its website it will use the Application Filing Date for that month). This could allow people to obtain work authorization much sooner than before, where they had to wait for the priority date to be current (in the Visa Issuance Date column) in order to both file for adjustment and be eligible for a green card.

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

active member of the State Bar of California

The June 2016 priority...

Get you immigration questions answered live on June 5 – on ‘Citizen Pinoy’!

in. Questions can be sent via Facebook and phone patch. Atty. Gurfinkel invites everyone to join in with this message – “We hope the audience will find this more exciting, as the whole purpose is to provide not only the

best public service, but a more interactive one.”

Save the date, and be sure to catch us when “Citizen Pinoy” goes LIVE on Sunday, June 5 at 3:15 PM (Pacific) and 6:15 PM (Eastern) on TFC.

the songbird emerging onstage in a black dress, belting the Aegis classic ‘Halik’. She followed it up with movie themes – ‘Ikaw’, ‘Pangako’ and ‘Kailangan Ko’y Ikaw’.

Her reimagined and reinvented version of the Yoyoy Villame hit ‘Butsikik’ was a whiff of fresh air. It was jazzy and loungey, a couple of words I never thought would be used to describe the song. More people should get to listen this version.

2016 can very well be considered as Regine’s comeback year, after taking time off to concentrate on her new life as a mother to nate. She thanked her home network GMA for giving her an opportunity star in a new project, a teleserye called ‘Poor Senorita’, currently airing on the network’s flagship international channel GMA Pinoy TV. She also hosts her own lifestyle show, Sarap

Despite the elements...From Page 3

MAnILA—There are a lot of negative associations with the word “millennial.” Parents, most especially, associate their children’s attitudes to their being millennials.

Being a parent himself, Piolo Pascual appreciates how open millennials in life and with the things around them. However, he didn’t deny that it also quite scares him, especially that he has a 19-year-old son, Iñigo.

“nakakatakot because of the society, the culture, the access,” he said in an interview on Wednesday.

The Kapamilya actor is starring in the film “Love Me Tomorrow,” where a millennial falls in love with him portrayed by Coleen Garcia. However, he falls in love with an older woman portrayed by Dawn Zulueta.

He admitted having a “pasaway” phase in his life, but he finds the encounters of young people today scarier.

“Mas nakakatakot because mas common, wala ng judgement on anything. So you can be who you want to be. You can be anywhere, anytime, so may takot on my end,” he said.

Piolo is just thankful that he and his son’s non-showbiz mom were able to build a “good foundation” of values and character to Iñigo.

“What’s good also is ‘yong

Piolo Pascual on dealing with a millennial sonby Joyce Jimenez

Inquirer.net

concluded.“Love Me Tomorrow” is

directed by Gino Santos and will be in cinemas on May 25.

Piolo Pascual admitted being scared seeing how other millennials lead their lives, especially that he has a 19-year-old son, Iñigo, who is also in showbiz.

faith, ‘yong faith ng bata na-instill naman namin ng maayos, kahit nasa States siya with his mom and the family of his mom,” Piolo said. “So I just try to be present and expose him, kasi ayaw ko naman isipin niya na may pagkukulang sa sarili niya dahil wala siyang complete home.”

“We have to balance a lot, but maganda ‘yong nature ng bata, e. I’m just thankful for that,” he added.

His advice to other parents who have millennial children? “Most importantly you want to be there for them, you want to be there with them. nakikita mo how dangerous it could be, but important thing there is ‘wag mong tatakbuhan so you’ll know how to handle (it).”

“Just be a good example. You can’t preach naman, e, you can just be a testimony of it,” he

Diva, which is seen on GMA Life TV.“It’s certainly been a blessed

year so far and I am so happy to share a night full of music, fun and love with all of you,” she said. “I’m happy to be able to travel and entertain Filipinos around the world. nami miss ko ang Pilipinas when I travel. There’s no place like home.”

And with that, she segued to singing ‘Babalik Ka Rin,’ an homage to overseas Filipinos across the diaspora.

She obliged for an encore number, singing ‘For Good’ and ‘Defying Gravity’ from Wicked and stayed on to sign CDs for the fans.

This weekend, Regine will continue her concert tour in San Diego and Los Angeles. Timeless: The USA Concert Tour 2016 is produced by Starmedia Entertainment with GMA Pinoy TV, GMA Life TV and GMA news TV International as the exclusive media sponsor.

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

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

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

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IT was almost close to midnight when Facebook friends of Hayden Kho, who were about to get some shut-eye, had their eyes popping open as they saw his post of himself with a very cute baby girl.

It read: “I guess God knew fatherhood would change me completely and bring me closer to being the kind of man He always wanted me to be. He sent me and Vicki an angel who is to be our lifelong inspiration. Meet our daughter, Scarlet Snow.”

While it must have surprised a lot of his friends, and the public in general (we tweeted about it), we, in fact, had been waiting for that “coming out” announcement for a little more than a year now—ever since Dr. Vicki Belo told us about it, long before Scarlet Snow was born. At that time, she let us in on her and Kho’s secret—that they would have a baby, and that a surrogate mom in the US was bearing it.

Belo is one of the country’s foremost dermatologists, but beyond her own medical practice, what put her on the contemporary lifestyle scene in the country was

Hayden Kho and Vicki Belointroduce baby Scarlet Snow

by Thelma SioSon San JuanInquirer.net

“When we decided to stay together for life, we decided to have this baby,” Vicki Belo told Inquirer Lifestyle. Photo courtesy of Hayden Kho

how she turned beauty treatments and procedures practically into “must-haves” for a segment of the Philippine population, for men and women.

In this century, with branches here and in Cebu, she institutionalized beauty treatments. She turned Belo into a big beauty brand—primarily by also marketing herself and her lifestyle.

On-and-off relationshipAnd that included her on-and-

off relationship with Dr. Hayden Kho, who is many years her junior, and who’s figured in juicy controversies. But that’s all history now.

Kho, you could say, turned the corner when he rediscovered his religious faith—“turned Christian,” as they say—and began to share it and preach about it two years ago.

now the couple, who has been together for 11 years now, has introduced to the world their 14-month-old baby, Scarlet Snow, born through surrogacy.

“When we decided to stay together for life, we decided to have this baby,” Belo told us.

“It’s always been my concern (in our relationship) that we couldn’t have a family, but Hayden would

always tell me that he was willing to be with me, with or without a child. When we decided, we figured a way, this surrogacy.”

Belo added, “For me this is a wonderful time to have a child. I have the time and money. And Hayden has been the best dad ever.

“We talk about life now more and more, and we’re on the same page because of Scarlet.”

Continued on Page 6

6The Asian Journal NEW YORK / NEW JERSEY mAY 20, 2016

An Asian Journal Magazine

THE SOHO International Film Festival 2016 #SOHO7 returns to New York City for seven days of films at Village East Cinemas located at 189 2nd Avenue on 12th street in New York City!

Three Filipino films in this year competition include:

• “Laut”Starring Barbie Forteza Director: Louie Ignacio Screening Date Friday, June 10

• “Estorika Maynila”Starring Ronnie Liang Director: Elwood PerezScreening Date: Friday, June 10 • “Traslacion: Ang

Paglalakad Ng Alanganin Sa Altar”

Starring Aiza Seguerra Liza DIno and Sebastian Castro

Director: Will Fredo Screening Date: June 13 The SOHO International Film

Festival Founder/President Jorge Ballos is proud to announce that it has secured a bevy of outstanding world-class independent films. SOHO Film Festival honors cutting edge film technology and traditional forms of storytelling. It will run the week from June 9 to June 16.

To get tickets, please go to sohofilmfest.eventbrite.com or www.sohofilmfest.com.

NEW YORK – The Philippine Independence Day Council, Inc. (PIDCI) crowned its winning dalagang Filipina at its scintillating 2016 Diwa ng Kalayaan Selection and Coronation Pageant and Gala at the Teaneck Marriott at Glenpointe Hotel in New Jersey.

The winner of the top contest title Diwa ng Kalayaan (Spirit of Independence) was Elaine Ficara, and her grand prize is a round trip airline ticket to the Philippines, including land arrangements.

First runner up title of Miss Filipino-American 2016 went to Precious Sahagun and the second runner up title of Hiyas ng Pilipinas 2016 went to Katarina Ladaga.

The Bituin titles were won by Kristine Mega Joy McNally, Bituin ng Luzon 2016; Samantha Valerie Mae Meneses, Bituin ng Visayas 2016; and Jill Marie Nieto Yson, Bituin ng Mindanao 2016.

Diwa ng Kalayaan and her court will reign during the months long, multi-event commemoration this year of the 118th anniversary of the declaration of Philippine Independence along with Mrs. Kalayaan and her court.

PIDCI’s Diwa ng Kalayaan beauty, brains and talent

PIDCI crowns Diwa ng Kalayaan 2016

ElainE Ficara Diwa ng Kalayaan

PrEciOUS SaHaGUnMiss Filipino-american

KaTarina laDaGaHiyas ng Pilipinas

KriSTinE McnallYBituin ng luzon

SaManTHa MEnESESBituin ng Visayas

Jill YSOnBituin ng Mindanao

contest is now on its 16th year as the premier young ladies beauty contest in the large

Filipino and Filipino-American community of the northeastern United States.

THE Catholic Action of Mary (CAM) announces its “38th Santacruzan and Flores de Mayo” celebration. Excitement fills the air as the Month of May has arrived. For Filipinos around the world, it is the merriest and most beautiful month of the year. The season brings back joyful childhood memories of the fragrance of flowers that float in the air. The month of May brings Flores De Mayo and Santacruzan. The celebration combines two traditions into one joyous celebration. CAM’s mission is to preserve our heritage by celebrating and sharing the meaning behind our Filipino Religious and Cultural traditions.

The celebration is the largest and longest running Santacruzan here in the East Coast, USA. On Santacruzan day proper, as part of the festivities, CAM in cooperation with PACCAL (Pan American Concerned Citizens Action League 501(c) 3) will be celebrating with a festival. The all-day event is a street fair complete with flea market type vendors, food concessions, exhibitors, small

businesses, health fair and all day activities for the entire family. It will be located on Manila Ave. between First St. & Fourth St., Jersey City, NJ (10 am to 8 pm).

The highlight of the day is the Religious Procession and the traditional celebration of the Santacruzan and Flores de Mayo with the Hermanos & Hermanas Mayores, the Reyna Elenas and Sagalas. There will be a mass at St. Mary’s Church, Second St. corner of Erie St., Jersey City at 2:30 pm and the procession follows immediately after the mass. CAM proudly announces this year’s Reynas: Zezlet Kae D. Depano - Reyna Elena, Maria Ysabella Calleja - Reyna De Las Flores & Ramona S. Gapasin - Reyna Emperatriz. CAM is also honored to distinguish this year’s Hermanos y Hermanas Mayores: Leticia R. Balagot, Lee Gloria Bracero, Ruth P. Sa-Onoy, Gregory De Guzman & Dr. Prospero A. Lim. We would like to thank these prominent members of the Filipino community for their generous contributions to the Parish.

As part of the festival, we are also proud to announce the 2nd year of our “5K Race / 1 Mile Fun Run/Walk Fundraiser,” (10am) which anticipates over 500 runners to join. The race route will be along the Jersey City Waterfront Walkway’s scenic view of the NYC skyline and finish along the Santacruzan procession route on Manila Ave. & Second Street. Live entertainment includes 2 separate stages of performances (11am-2:30 pm & 5-8 pm) featuring local youth talents, live bands, vocalists, cultural and modern dance troops. Our yearly event is amongst the largest assembly of Filipinos of all ages, in the Northeast, USA. Last year was attended by over 10,000 people.

***For more info visit: www.

santacruzanfestival.com (stay tuned for website updates.) To register for the 5K Race visit www.stx5k.com. To participate as a vendor please contact us via email: sanatcruzanstreetfair@gmail.com or call Joey Mayo – (917) 656-9443 / Rick Respicio (201) 993-8782

THE Philippine Independence Day Council, Inc. (PIDCI) holds its annual Philippine Independence Ball at the Grand Ballroom of the Teaneck Marriott at Glenpointe Hotel at 100 Frank W. Burr Boulevard in Teaneck, New Jersey 07666-6702 on Friday, June 10, 2016 from 7:00 in the evening to 1:00 o’clock the following morning.

The Independence Ball is the culminating event for the

many-months, multi-event annual celebration of Philippine Independence, this the 118th anniversary commemoration. It has become the largest celebration of Philippine Independence outside of the Philippines, and in the last six years, last Sunday’s Philippine Independence Day has become the largest outdoor gathering of Filipinos and their friends, in one place, at one time, in the world.

For information or invitations, please call Independence Ball Committee chairs Margie Wisotsky (201) 273-2081, Rely Manacay (917) 755-0160 or Tambi Wycoco (212) 420-0145; or PIDCI President Dr. Prospero Lim (347) 248-5102 or any member of the PIDCI Board of Directors.

You’re all invited! Please Come! And let’s all have a Happy 118th Philippine Independence Day!

PIDCI Philippine Independence Ball on June 10

38th Santacruzan & Flores DeMayo Festival 2016 on May 29

7th annual SOHO International Film Festival kick off on June 9-16

After failed Senate bid, Isko Moreno plans showbiz comeback

MANILA—Outgoing Manila Vice Mayor Isko Moreno is excited to have more time with his family after losing in the recent senatorial race.

The former vice mayor of Manila tried his luck to get a seat at the Senate, only he didn’t land a spot in the “Magic 12.”

“No, no regrets at all,” he replied when asked if he regretted running for senator, in an interview in ABS-CBN’s late-night talk show “Tonight with Boy Abunda” on Tuesday, May 17.

Moreno said it was easy for him to accept his defeat. “I think hindi pa ready ang tao for me. So bakit mo ipipilit ang isang bagay na hindi pa naman para sa iyo.”

He also denied asking re-elected Manila Mayor Joseph Ejercito Estrada if he could run for mayor this election since he didn’t want to “divide” the city.

“I don’t want to divide the city because of too much politics nalugmok ang syudad dahil sa away ng mga politiko,” he explained.

For now, he looks forward

to spending more time with his family, especially now his eldest child will be entering college.

“Unang-una siguro magpapamilya ako. Marami akong utang sa mga anak ko,” he replied when asked about his plans after the elections. “Second, I’ll do some business, ‘yong maliit kong negosyo ipo-focus ko.”

He also bared his plan to

return to showbiz. “I’ll come back sa showbiz, maybe [do] talk show like you [Abunda], kasi pinapanood ko kayo lagi,” he said.

“‘Yon ‘yong essence leading a talk show, e, sometimes ‘yong viewers mo kasi kaya mo i-move, e. Also that’s sort of public service, by giving factual information [to the people],” Isko said. (Joyce Jimenez/Philstar.com)

after admitting defeat in the senatorial race, isko Moreno is already back on his feet and plans to enjoy some quality time with his family.

Hayden Kho and Vicki Belo...From Page 5

Hayden Kho with Scarlet Snow in Kho’s Facebook post

That was how Belo explained how the birth of Scarlet has strengthened their bond.

Kho described it using his biblical belief. He explained how they came up with the name Scarlet Snow.

“Isaiah 118 says, ‘Though your sins be red as scarlet, I shall make them white as snow.’”

Kho has always told people, anyone who’s willing to listen, how he’s been reborn with, he said, the “transforming power of God.”

He said, “Regardless of how far you’ve been from God, God can draw you back in, make your sin as white as snow.”

He’s turning 36 this year, which he considers an eventful year.

To say that he’s now a hands-on father seems an understatement. We’ve seen him look after Scarlet Snow in a children’s party.

He’s done the regimen—change diapers, feed the baby himself, plan her food. Scarlet was raised on breast milk—from friends—then her diet progressed to congee, misua and banana.

Now the new father brings Scarlet to reading and language class, swimming class, gymnastics and music class.

The challenge, Kho said, is “inner. How do we become good examples for her?”

Belo herself is rediscovering motherhood. Her two children are adults: Quark is an acclaimed movie director; Cristalle helps run the Belo

business, and will get married in September.

Are they happy? Kho said, “We’re beyond happy. The word is joy.”

Jennylyn Mercado, Dennis Trillo spotted in MaldivesLOOKS like Jennylyn Mercado and Dennis Trillo were up

for some water adventure in the Maldives.This was after they were spotted at the Beehive Hotel there,

posted by a netizen on Instagram on Sunday, May 15.This was confirmed after Dennis posted diving gears, while

Jennylyn posted underwater photography gadgets on Sunday on their respective Instagram accounts.

Jennylyn’s birthday was on Sunday, May 15, and their fans believe that the Maldives trip is their post-birthday celebra-tion.

The actress has been busy promoting her film “Just the 3 of Us” which she starred with John Lloyd Cruz and her first Star Cinema film.

On Tuesday, May 17, the Kapuso actress posted a photo of a shoreline and captioned it with “it’s the best birthday ever!” and also thanked everyone who remembered her special day. (Joyce Jimenez/Philstar.com)

Jennylyn Mercado and Dennis Trillo were spotted in the island of Maldives, which their fans think is a post-birthday celebration for the actress.

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represent and become the voice of the “outsiders and the disen-franchised”. Trump is aware that American was built by hardwork-ing immigrants like the Filipino-Americans.

What really is Donald Trump all about?

Mr. Dean Cambe, a very hardworking Filipino-American entre-preneur, who leases his jets in the Philippines to the rich and famous, aptly describes why the Filipino Americans, even those who have voted Democrat in the past might go Donald Trump’s way. “Filipino-Ameri-cans traditionally earned their keep the old and proven American way, through self-reliance and hard work”, he says. “Most of us do not depend on dole outs and entitlements given by the government. This is what Donald Trump is all about, doing things the old fashioned American way – through hard work.”, Cambe continues.

Dr. Orlando Maloles, an MD and retired family practitioner in Phila-delphia echoes the same sentiment. People are tired of the exclusive “old boys club”, the Washington D.C. clique from both sides of the isle in the US Congress. Mr. Trump seems to represent a new source of hope for the majority that feels under-represented in the Washington clique of Republicans and Democrats. They feel left out and no match to the lobby by the big players with whom the DC Democrats and Republicans have been traditionally catering to. Dr. Maloles and Mr. Cambe represent the sentiments of thousands (maybe millions) of successful Filipino-American professionals in the US.

Mr. Donald Trump is on his way to become the nominee of the Re-publicans, with or without the endorsement of the Republican leader-ship in the US Congress like Speaker Paul Ryan and Jeb Bush. It will be the end of the Republican Party if they do not rally behind Trump. This is the message that the American people is giving to the Republican Party and to the traditional politicians and king makers who hold their court in Washington DC. They want a real representation for them in DC and Trump, the outsider has gate-crashed the exclusive club. This is where the Trump magic is coming from, being self-made in the realm of party politics as he was in private business. He is beholden to no one but the American people who supports him. And he knows how to leverage this position when dealing with the king makers in Washington DC. Filipino Americans like this.

Signs of the times, the revolution of the disenfranchisedThis is the sign of the times. This is the same revolution of electorates

in the Philippines last May 9, 2016, that catapulted Mr. Rodrigo Duterte from a “nuisance candidate” who did not have a party and a machinery to speak of, to become the duly elected president of the Philippines gar-nering the largest number of votes since Cory Aquino rose to power in February of 1986. There is a close parallelism or similarity between the Trump success in the US primaries and the campaign of Duterte in the Philippines. While there is no comparison between the American and Philippine economies, there is a similarity and parallelism between the two when it comes to the widening gap between the rich and the poor and the failure of the political leadership and system to address or meet the expectations of the greater majority of the population. The masses, particularly the working class and the millennials are worried about their future and do not see the solutions in the hands of the current political parties. The electorates in both countries are willing to try an “outsider” for a change.

Mr. Trump seems to have seen the hand writing on the wall. What is going for Mr. Trump is that he has the data, the money and a clear picture of what he needs to achieve. His sound bites are not the same as the rhetoric and clichés of Hillary and Sanders and even his fellow Republicans Cruz and Rubio’s. He speaks the people’s language, plain and simple. His detractors say this is less than presidential but really this is how he connects to the people.

Among Filipino-Americans, Mr. Trump needs to reach the Fil-Am mil-lennials and the Fil-Am professionals to capture the Filipino-American votes. The Fil-Am professionals in particular are a potent force to capture other Fil-Am voters with the expansion of their respective spheres of in-fluence in their communities.

To us Filipino-Americans, this is a great opportunity to leverage our political empowerment to both parties. Why put your eggs in one bas-ket? California Fil-Ams must give themselves a better chance by open-ing themselves to both parties. Trump’s vision and type of governance is a good match with what we stand for here in the US: self-reliance, faith in the free-market system and the role of the government as an equal-izer of opportunities and leveler of the playing field.

Mr. Trump has started focusing his guns at Hillary Clinton’s weakness-es and will shortly launch a PR campaign to tell everybody, the Hispanics, Asians and Muslim voters that he is not a racist and a homophobic indi-vidual. Part of this campaign will highlight his success as an entrepreneur, an empire builder and a decisive leader who can make “America great again”. It is notable that the legal immigrants are not really the ones go-ing to the streets to denounce Trump. In fairness to Mr. Trump, until he entered the race, Mr. Trump has no history of being a racist and a violator of equal rights. To this writer, Mr. Trump has been the ultimate marketing genius, selling himself to the Republican electorates, willing to say what he feels his audience wants to hear, regardless of its sensitivity or political correctness. Considering he is a TV personality and an entertainer prior to entering politics, we cannot judge him and his leadership ability merely by his public pronouncements and behavior in the primaries. So far his deci-sions and strategy have been effective in achieving his goals. He has also exhibited effective leadership in his campaign organization. This makes him a formidable opponent and not to be taken lightly even now by Hill-ary Clinton.

The Fil-Am vote and psycheWhat about the Filipino-American vote? According to recent stud-

ies from the Pew Research Center, there are now more than 3.4 million Filipino-Americans residing in the US mainland and Hawaii. In California and Nevada, they have been largely identified with the Democrats. But in other states like Chicago, New Jersey, Texas and New York who tend to go Republicans, they are also identified with the Republican Party. The Fil-Am millennials tend to gravitate along with the mainstream millennials towards anti-Washington DC insiders or the traditional politicians who are known to broker, wheel and deal with special interests allegedly at the expense of public interest. This makes the millennials and the highly edu-cated voters really mad at the current system. This is the reason why Mr. Trump won and has a chance to catch up or even overtake the lead of Hillary Clinton by election time. Between Ms. Clinton and Mr. Trump, the latter seems to represent more the ideology of the millennials, the Bernie Sanders supporters and the disenfranchised independents. Ted Cruz was right on this count.

The highly educated Fil-Am voters are no different from the new mil-lennials and those who feel disenfranchised by the current two party sys-tem. Using the system, Mr. Donald Trump beat the odds and broke into one of the parties, the Republicans and is now poised to offer himself to

This remarkable story of Donald Trump, a Washington DC “outsider”, but a savvy if not legendary negotiator and strategist who used this tal-ent to build his multibillion dollar empire, finally came through by May 3, 2016 during the pivotal Indiana primaries. It looked like a long shot when Mr. Trump declared his candidacy at the Trump Tower on June 16, 2015.

Mr. Trump continues to baffle a lot of our Washington D.C. politi-cal analysts. According to Cohn of New York Times, a number of factors came into play in favor of Donald Trump. Among others, these are the number of aspirants (17 was a record number of aspirants), the inability of the “Republican elites” to consolidate and muster support (as donors had to delay and could not decide who to throw their support), and the weak opponents who were left during the Indiana primaries (Ted Cruz and Governor John Kasich) who clearly did not have the popular sup-port from the voters.

Will Mr. Trump again defy the odds against Hillary Clinton?As we come closer to the final convention of both the Democratic

and the Republican Parties in July this year, to nominate their respec-tive presidential candidates, the roller-coaster ride of Trump seems to change at every turn, but generally closer to catching up with Hillary Clinton’s initial lead in the surveys. A Trump-Clinton race to the White House looms as both candidates are set to win their respective party nominations. Again, the odds are against Mr. Trump who according to CNN and Washington Post surveys, trails Ms. Hillary Clinton by as much as 10 points if elections were held in April. Mr. Trump has more than 60% negative points among women and much larger disapproval rat-ings among Hispanics because of his earlier inflammatory remarks and his controversial position on immigration and the building of a wall along the US-Mexican border. He also needs to unite the Republicans before anything else to prepare for a one-on-one race against Hillary Clinton.

The only two things going for Mr. Trump last April were, that Hill-ary Clinton herself is not very popular among the Democrats and the “Bernie Sanders factor” who vowed “to carry the fight to the very end”. Sanders enjoys the support of the millennials, the highly educated and young voters who catapulted Obama in his bid for the presidency. Mr. Trump can court this sector of the voters who do not necessarily follow party lines but go by their own persuasions.

More recent surveys seem to indicate that Trump, in spite of his “loose canon” is catching up and sometimes ahead in Republican domi-nated states.

Negative campaigning from both sidesWe expect a lot of negative campaigning from both sides because

both Ms. Clinton and Mr. Trump have “issues” to deal with in public. The “trust factor” will weigh heavily on both candidates. Can the American people trust Hillary Clinton amidst allegations that she broke the law on more than one occasion (the alleged email and financial scandals) and as a Washington DC political insider? Likewise, can the American people trust Donald Trump who has been “less than presidential” with his public comments and whose skill and abilities have not been tested in any public position? The Benghazi attack in September 2012 which claimed the life of an American Ambassador among others will contin-ue to haunt Hillary Clinton even after the 2016 elections.

Offhand, it appears that what Hillary lacks, Mr. Trump has and vice versa. Mr. Trump thinks that he will quickly close and erase the “gap” in time for the November 2016 election once he focuses his campaign on Hillary Clinton’s flaws.

The Minority Swing Vote and the Filipino-American vote in a tight contest

The current surveys place the millennials as a significant factor in this coming elections. They account for at least 30% of the voters ac-cording to the latest election statistics. They are the ones who also are the most likely to vote. According to Nate Cohn of New York Times, non-whites collectively account for about 30% of the electorate for the 2016 elections. The Asian Americans and particularly the Filipino-Americans are part of this 30%.

In a tight contest that Mr. Trump aims to achieve, the Fil Am vote could be part of the swing votes that Mr. Trump is aiming for. It appears that Mr. Trump already has a plan and a strategy to capture the millen-nial votes, the disgruntled Democrats that continue to support Bernie Sanders and appeal to the Hispanic and the Muslim voters he might have offended.

Why Donald Trump hasa real shot at the Presidency

by German P. Palabyab

DONALD TRUMP has defied all odds and bucked popular expectations to become the Republican “presump-tive nominee” for the 2016 Presidential elections. Even traditionally Democrat leaning New York Time’s (Nate Cohn in his May 4, 2016 column The Upshot) writes “Mr. Trump was a tremendous long shot when he entered the race, and even for months thereafter. Victory wasn’t inevitable — and it took a lot to go his way.” It seems that a lot of us, especially the Filipino-American communities in the mainland and the Hawaii are not getting the real Donald Trump … yet.

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