SAN FRANCISCO, California (The Adobo Chronicles, San Francisco Bureau) – President Rodrigo Duterte’s decision to terminate the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) between the Philippines and the United States has caused a big stir in the political and military circles.

VFA allowed U.S. military and other personnel to enter the Philippines even without a permit or visa.

Realizing the VFA termination has upset a lot of people — Americans and Filipinos alike — the Philippine Consulate in San Francisco is offering a free conference as a means of therapy to help attendees cope with the change.

A spokesperson for the Consulate told The Adobo Chronicles that the conference will feature pray-overs, psychological and grief counseling, zumba and cooking classes, and a panel of experts that will discuss the implications of the VFA termination.

The conference, called VFO Con — or Visiting Forces Over Conference will be held this weekend at the Holiday Inn in South San Francisco.

WASHINGTON, D.C. (The Adobo Chroncles, Manila Bureau) – There is no love lost between U.S. President Donald Trump and Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, even after the latter decided to end the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) between the two countries.

VFA allows U.S. military and other personnel to enter the Philippines without the need for a visa or permit. Many believe that the agreement enhances America’s overall strategy to maintain its presence and control over its interests, in the Asia Pacific Region.

In a 3 a.m. phone call Duterte made to Trump, the Philippine President formally informed the American President of the termination of the VFA.

In response, Trump told Duterte — in the limited Tagalog he learned during his last visit to the Philippines — “Eh di wow!”  (Translation: “That’s awesome!”)