septeMBer 17, 2016 HAWAii FilipinO cHrOnicle 1 ♦ SEPTEMBER 17, 2016 ♦ OP-ED CANDID PERSPECTIVES PHILIPPINE NEWS DevelOper's On Duterte, Hitler yAsAy On u.s.: AgenDA tHreAtens & resOlving A HerO's DOn't lecture us cOMMunity BuriAl FOr MArcOs On HuMAn rigHts PRESORTED HAWAII FILIPINO CHRONICLE STANDARD 94-356 WAIPAHU DEPOT RD., 2ND FLR. U.S. POSTAGE WAIPAHU, HI 96797 PAID HONOLULU, HI PERMIT NO. 9661 2 HAWAii FilipinO cHrOnicle septeMBer 17, 2016 EDITORIAL FROM THE PUBLISHER Publisher & Executive Editor he hepatitis A outbreak just does- Charlie Y. Sonido, M.D. Philippines’ Fast n’t seem to end. The latest case Publisher & Managing Editor involves a Sam’s Club-Pearl City Chona A. Montesines-Sonido Growing Medical seafood handler who tested pos- Associate Editors Dennis Galolo | Edwin Quinabo itive for the disease, bringing the T Contributing Editor Tourism Industry total number of cases to 271 Belinda Aquino, Ph.D. since the outbreak began several months ago. Creative Designer he Philippines’ fabled hospitality, pristine beaches and According to the State Department of Junggoi Peralta world-class shopping malls have long attracted visitors Health, more cases may be confirmed through at least early Oc- Photography to its shores. However, a new kind of tourist has been Tim Llena tober due to the long incubation period for hepatitis A. In the flocking to the land of 7,107 islands of late. These are Administrative Assistant people seeking high quality and affordable medical meantime, let’s continue taking preventative measures against Shalimar Pagulayan T this disease. Columnists procedures such as plastic surgery, organ transplants, Carlota Hufana Ader hip and knee replacements, eye operations and dental care—to name Our cover story for this issue delves into the Philippines’ Emil Guillermo just a few. In 2015, an estimated 200,000 medical tourists traveled booming medical tourism industry. The Philippines ranks eighth Ruth Elynia Mabanglo, Ph.D. Ron Menor to the Philippines for various procedures—more than double the among the world’s top medical tourism destinations, ahead of J.P. Orias 100,000 arrivals in 2008—resulting in revenues of some $3 billion. countries such as France and Japan. The growth of the medical Pacita Saludes Reuben S. Seguritan, Esq. To meet demand, the Philippines’ newest and most modern- tourism industry is good news since it will further diversify the Charlie Sonido, M.D. ized hospitals have been built close to tourist areas with stunning Philippines’ economy and also provide a boost for the hospitality, Cong. Mark Takai food and beverage and customer service industries. To learn Emmanuel S. Tipon, Esq. beaches and relaxing settings that promote healing and recovery. Felino S. Tubera These private hospitals have medical facilities that are on par with more about this fast-growing industry, please turn to page 4 for Sylvia Yuen, Ph.D. hospitals in the West and provide accommodations similar to five- contributing writer Seneca Moraleda-Puguan’s story entitled Contributing Writers star hotels. For example, St. Luke’s Medical Center in Taguig “Medical Tourism: It’s More Fun in the Philippines.” Clement Bautista City opened in 2010 and is the Philippines’ first hospital designed In other news, controversy is brewing in the Ewa Beach com- Teresita Bernales, Ed.D Rose Churma specifically for medical tourism. It is regarded as the nation’s top munity over a request by developer Haseko Inc., to rezone 62 acres Serafin Colmenares, Jr., Ph.D. hospital and is better equipped than 95 percent of the hospitals in and use the land to develop a recreational lagoon that will be sur- Julia Crowley the U.S. Following their medical procedures, patients can recover Linda Dela Cruz rounded by resort, residential, business and open spaces. Honolulu Fiedes Doctor at a spa, then tour any of the world class tourism sites nearby. City Councilmember Kymberly Marcos Pine, who represents Ewa Danny De Gracia, II, MA Not surprisingly, third party companies are capitalizing on Beach, details her concerns about the proposal in her Op-Ed col- Carolyn Weygan-Hildebrand the Philippines’ booming medical tourism industry, offering med- Amelia Jacang, M.D. umn “Developer’s Agenda Threatens Community” on page 3. Caroline Julian ical tourists a full range of services from private, chauffeured-dri- Read her column and see if you agree with her or not. Raymund Ll. Liongson, Ph.D. ven rides from the airport to and from the hospital, cellular Federico Magdalena, Ph.D. Each September, the Chronicle produces a special Women’s Deborah T. Manog phones, nurses, caregivers and even translators. These companies Health Supplement. We’ve included in this issue a special 12 Maita Milallos have partnered with the Philippines’ premiere hospitals, clinics, Paul Melvin Palalay, M.D. page supplement on women's health. Of particular interest is an health spas, hotels and airlines to offer medical tourists the very Renelaine Bontol-Pfister article by Christine Sabado, the Chronicle’s Maui correspondent, Seneca Moraleda-Puguan best amenities and experience. Lilia Q. Santiago, Ph.D. about the latest trend to discover more about your family lineage Philippine tourism officials are hoping to one day reap the Jay Valdez, Psy.D. using DNA test kits. To find out how the process works, please Glenn Wakai benefits of 1 million medical tourists. But before reaching that turn to page S3 for “What’s In Your DNA? You Will Be Sur- Amado Yoro mark, the government needs to do much more—upgrade public Philippine Correspondent: infrastructure, provide more funds for global marketing and issue prised.” I hope that you will take some time to read the many Greg Garcia special medical visas for foreigners. A robust medical tourism in- other useful articles on improving and maintaining your health. Neighbor Island Correspondents: dustry could also mean fewer doctors, nurses and healthcare pro- You’ll be glad you did! Big Island (Hilo and Kona) fessionals leaving each year to work overseas. For obvious In closing, thank you once again for your faithful support of Grace Larson | Ditas Udani the Hawaii Filipino Chronicle. Please feel free to email us at: fil- Kauai reasons, the Philippines cannot afford to lose thousands of these Millicent Wellington highly-trained and qualified medical professionals. The bottom [email protected] with story ideas, suggestions or con- Maui line is that the Philippines stands to reap huge financial and social cerns you may have. We would love to hear from you! Christine Sabado benefits from medical travel, if it plays its cards right. Let’s hope Until our next issue…aloha and mabuhay! Big Island Distributor that President Duterte and his administration realize the possibil- Grace Larson | Ditas Udani Kauai Distributor ities and capitalize on this potential windfall. Amylou Aguinaldo Nestor Aguinaldo is expected to bring in—Bob Dole (21 percent), John McCain (31 Jimmy Iloreta Maui Distributor Trump Made Election percent), and Mitt Romney (27 percent). The narrative becomes Cecile Piros grows more bleak when considering that the Hispanic population Molokai Distributor About Race: It’s Time He is much larger today, from 14.8 million people in 1980 to 55.2 Maria Watanabe million in 2014. Oahu Distributor Pay for Miscalculation Trump fares even worse among Black Americans. An NBC Yoshimasa Kaneko Jonathan Pagulayan oo little, too late. News-Wall Street Journal-Marist poll shows that only 6 percent Advertising/Marketing Director Donald Trump’s late-game outreach to minority of black voters nationally plan to support Trump. In a Quinnipiac Chona A. Montesines-Sonido communities—his 10-minute address to a Black poll, only 1 percent of blacks favor a Trump presidency. It gets Account Executives congregation in Detroit, his opportunist trip to meet worse regionally, believe it or not. In the same Wall Street Journal Carlota Hufana Ader Mexico’s President Enrique Peña Nieto in hopes of poll, Trump received 0 percent of the votes from blacks in two J.P. Orias T quelling Mexican Americans’ ire—spells d-e-s-p-e- The Hawaii Filipino Chronicle is published key battleground states, Ohio and Pennsylvania. weekly by The Hawaii Filipino Chronicle Inc. r-a-t-i-o-n, and frankly just looks awkward as awkward can be. and is located at 94-356 Waipahu Depot, Waipahu, HI 96797. Telephone (808) 678- The damage inflicted by Trump upon American minorities Racially Divided Presidential Election 8930 Facsimile (808) 678-1829. E-mail fil- [email protected]. Website: cannot simply be reversed or easily forgiven. Polls show that The racial divide this election is foreboding of a host of prob- www.thefilipinochronicle.com. Opinions expressed by the columnists and contribu- Trump is doing worse among minorities than any Republican lems should Trump win. In fact, Trump’s unstable temperament tors do not necessarily reflect those of the presidential candidate in history. A survey by America’s Voice Hawaii Filipino Chronicle management. Re- or novice preparation to serve as commander-in-chief, or his rad- production of the contents in whole or in part and Latino Decisions, which asked 3,729 Latino registered voters ical policies that test the limits of constitutionality, all might just is prohibited without written permission from the management. All rights reserved. online and by phone who they would vote for, found only 19 per- be secondary to a potentially bigger problem—that Trump could Printed in the U.S.A. cent of respondents plan to vote for Trump. Just how damning is be the most divisive leader ever elected in modern U.S. history. U.S. SBA SmAll BUSineSS JoUrnAliSt AwArdee this for Trump? Republican presidential candidates who failed to National unity has been the key component to national sta- memBer, Society of ProfeSSionAl JoUrnAliStS get elected received more votes by Hispanics than what Trump (continued on page 3) septeMBer 17, 2016 HAWAii FilipinO cHrOnicle 3 OP-ED to build today.