030724 - Las Vegas Edition

First digital resource hub targets anti-Asian hate

WITH anti-Asian hate skyrocketing in recent years, helping AAPI communities respond to discrimination is more crucial than ever.

In response, Asian Americans Advancing Justice Southern California (AJSOCAL) and Asian Americans Advancing Justice (AAJC) have created the Asian Resource Hub — a searchable national directory of AAPI community data, incidents of antiAsian hate and AAPI-serving organizations offering social services, legal aid, mental health support, civic engagement and policy advocacy.

How the hub started

“In the height of the pandemic, we did a community survey of anti-Asian hate here in the San Gabriel Valley area of LA, and we discovered that the majority of AAPI community members did not feel there was support for those experiencing racial discrimination and harassment,” said

AJSOCAL Chief Executive Officer Connie Chung Joe at a Thursday, February 29 Ethnic Media Services briefing where panelists explained how the hub works.

Marcos: SCS collision not reason to invoke defense pact with US

a video statement released by the Malacañang Presidential Communication Office on Wednesday before his return flight to Manila Wednesday night.

“I

said in

“However, we continue to view with great alarm this continuing dangerous maneuvers and dangerous actions that are being done against our seamen, our Coast Guard. And this time, they

SLOW-growing U.S. green card caps, delays and waste have characterized the system for a century, and are only worsening under politically polarized immigration laws.

At a Friday, March 1 Ethnic Media Services briefing, immigration policy experts discussed how we have reached our present crisis, economically sound solutions and the human cost of our current system.

A century of green card caps

In 2024, 1.1 million people are expected to receive green cards from 35 million pending applications. In other terms, only about 3% of the people who have submitted green card applications will receive permanent status.

This low approval rate owes not to the convoluted process of applying for a green card but to green card caps, said David J. Bier, Associate Director of Immigration Studies at the Cato Institute. Until 1922, when backlogs began, about “98% of the applicants who tried to get the then-equivalent of legal permanent residence were approved.”

By the mid-1920s, the approval rate was about 50% due to the Immigration Act of 1924, setting “very low numerical limits based on country of birth, particularly re-

MANILA — Circulating rumors that former first lady Imelda Marcos is dead are untrue, said the Palace on Thursday, March 7.

The Presidential Communications Office told reporters that this was fake news.

The Marcos matriarch was confined in the hospital due to pneumonia, according to her daughter, Senator Imee Marcos, on Tuesday. She had bouts of fevers and coughs.

Netizens speculated on the status of the 94-yearold following the senator’s announcement, with some suspecting that Imelda Marcos is already dead.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. was in Australia at the time for the Asean-Australia Summit while his mother was in the hospital.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), the President said she had been put on antibiotics to treat her illness.

“The doctors are confident that this will relieve her fever. She is in good spirits, has no difficulty in breathing and is resting well. I thank the Filipino public for their concern and prayers,” said Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

Imelda Marcos, wife of the late dictator Ferdinand

MANILA — The Philippines’ international visitors have breached the 1.2-million mark over the first two months of 2024, the Department of Tourism (DOT) announced.

Compared to the same period last year, arrivals increased 22.89 percent, the DOT added.

Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco made the announcement on Tuesday, March 5, adding that it is a “robust indication of the future of Philippine tourism.”

said

“I would like to express my profound gratitude first to all our Philippine sellers who continue to champion Philippine tourism. As of today, the Philippines has received over 1.2 million international visitors: a robust indication of the future of Philippine tourism. Cheers to all the reasons to celebrate and Love the Philippines,” said Frasco at the Internationale Tourismus-Börse (ITB) 2024 Convention in Berlin, Germany. DOT earlier announced that it will target 7.7 million international visitors in 2024.

In a statement issued Thursday, March

President Marcos among most in uential leaders in Southeast Asia – think tank

by KRISTINA MARALIT ManilaTimes.net

MANILA — The Lowy Institute of Australia named President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. as “one of the most interesting, influential and closely-watched leaders” in Southeast Asia.

Lowy Institute Executive Director Dr. Michael Fullilove on Monday, March 4 said that the president’s address delivered before the Australian Parliament last week emphasized his crucial

role as a regional leader in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

“In the period since his election in 2022, President Marcos has emerged as one of the most interesting, influential, closely watched leaders in Southeast Asia,” he said at the State Library of Victoria in Melbourne, Australia.

“If there’s anyone who thinks individuals don’t matter in politics, I’d invite them to look at the changes in the Philippines in the

Religious leader Apollo Quiboloy Inquirer.net file photo

DOJ orders multiple raps to be led vs Quiboloy

by TINA SANTOS

Inquirer.net

MANILA — The Department of Justice (DOJ) has ordered the filing of sexual abuse and qualified human trafficking cases in separate courts against Pastor Apollo Quiboloy, founder and leader of the Davao Citybased Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) religious sect.

At a press briefing on Monday, March 4, Justice Secretary

Jesus Crispin Remulla said the DOJ had granted the petition for review filed by Quiboloy’s accuser, a former follower who

claimed he raped her.

The Office of the Davao City Prosecutor was subsequently directed to file a case against the self-proclaimed “Son of God” for sexual abuse of a minor in violation of Republic Act No. 7610, or the Anti-Child Abuse Law.

Aside from Quiboloy, five other individuals would also be charged with other acts of child abuse, cruelty or exploitation under RA 7610.

On the other hand, the charges of qualified human trafficking under Section 4(a) of

DOJ orders multiple raps to be filed...

PAGE 1

RA 9208, or the Anti-Trafficking

Persons Act of 2003, would be filed in the Pasig Regional Trial Court.

“We have studied this and investigation showed that Pastor Apollo Quiboloy and his companions really need to be held accountable to a complainant who was 17 years old when the crime happened,” Remulla said.

“I know Pastor Quiboloy. I consider him a friend but I have to do my job. I have a duty to the Filipino people; I have to do my job,” he added.

According to the justice secretary, they will ask the Supreme Court for permission to move the trial for the cases to courts in the National Capital Region once these are filed.

“Because of problems in Davao …, there were threats being made, we will be asking the Supreme Court to transfer the cases to Manila and appoint a special panel of prosecutors to handle them,” Remulla said.

Lookout bulletin signed

He added that he had already signed an immigration lookout bulletin against Quiboloy and with the filing of the charges, prosecutors would secure a hold departure order to prevent him from leaving the country.

In 2020, the Davao City Prosecutor’s Office dismissed the complaints of rape and child abuse under RA 7610,

trafficking in persons through forced labor, and trafficking in persons through sexual abuse filed against Quiboloy and five other individuals.

This prompted the complainant, a former KOJC member who alleged that she was raped by the televangelist in 2014, to file a petition for review with the DOJ.

Another case under review by Remulla’s office is a cyberlibel case in which Quiboloy is the complainant.

Both the Senate and the House of Representatives have issued subpoenas for the televangelist after he skipped separate investigations.

The Senate committee on women, children, family relations and gender equality, which is looking into allegations that he sexually abused female members of the sect, earlier summoned Quiboloy to appear at the hearing on Tuesday, March 5.

‘Huge victory’ Sen. Risa Hontiveros, the committee chair, said the DOJ move was a “huge victory for every woman abused and taken advantage of by Quiboloy.”

“This positive development is a gift to every woman this Women’s Month,” she added as she thanked Remulla “for finally acting decisively on this matter.”

“This is a welcome first step toward the victim-survivors’ cry for justice, peace and healing,”

said Hontiveros, adding that the Senate would continue with its mandate to investigate, in aid of legislation, into abuses allegedly perpetrated by Quiboloy.

“We will ensure that these inquiries will result in strengthened laws for our women, our children and the most vulnerable among us,” she added.

The House of Representatives is also requiring Quiboloy’s presence on March 12 before the committee on legislative franchises, which is investigating the KOJC-owned Sonshine Media Network International (SMNI) for alleged violations of the terms for its franchise.

Quiboloy, a close friend and spiritual adviser of former President Rodrigo Duterte, did not say whether he would honor or ignore the subpoenas. But he denounced the proceedings, which he said were meant to “demonize me and destroy my reputation.”

Remulla said the victim in the case was among those presented before the Senate inquiry. He said the DOJ had asked the victim’s lawyer first if they intend to pursue the case against Quiboloy.

“When I learned that they wanted to pursue the case, we pushed for the filing of the charges,” he said, adding that they would also offer protection to the victim. g

Marcos: SCS collision not reason...

No, Imelda Marcos is not dead...

is said to have amassed large hordes of wealth

during her time as First Lady. She is especially infamous for her tremendous collection of expensive art and jewelry pieces, as well as thousands of pairs of shoes.

Through the 1986 Edsa People Power Revolution, the regime of Marcos Sr. was toppled, forcing the Marcos family to flee to Hawaii and Imelda Marcos, to leave many of her prized possessions behind.

Marcos Sr. died in 1989.

In 1992, Imelda Marcos and the remaining members of her family were allowed to return to the Philippines to face various corruption charges.

Imelda Marcos was convicted of seven counts of graft by the Sandiganbayan in 2018, but she was allowed to post bail and enjoy temporary liberty while the court decides on her appeal. g

President Marcos among...

past 18 months, in particular the way that Manila has become so much more determined to defend its sovereignty,” he added.

Marcos was applauded when he spoke at the Lowy Institute for standing his ground on the West Philippine Sea dispute.

“We shall never surrender even a square inch of our territory and our maritime jurisdiction,” the chief executive said.

He said his government continues to upgrade the capabilities of the Philippine Coast Guard and the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

“Our forces must be able to guarantee, to the fullest extent possible, Filipino nationals,

Philippine corporations, and those authorized by the Philippine Government, unimpeded and peaceful exploration and exploitation of all natural resources in areas where we have jurisdiction,” Marcos said.

“We are on the frontline of international efforts to preserve, defend, and uphold the rulesbased international order -- the same platform from which the postwar Asian economic miracles took off, and upon which the continued prosperity of countries like Australia relies,” he said. “We, in the Indo-Pacific, cannot ignore the existential impact of great power rivalries upon the survival of our peoples and our communities.” g

Over 1.2 million int’l visitors arrived in first two months...

7,

•

or 5.51 percent)

“This is 22.86 percent higher than the 999,390 arrivals received by the country in the same period in 2023,” said DOT. South Korea is still PH’s top visitors Citing their data, DOT likewise disclosed that South Korea remained the country’s “top source market” for visitors. In the first two months of 2024, the Philippines recorded 349,956 visitors from South Korea.

This was followed by the United States of America (195,603); China (85,876); Japan (73,159); and Canada (50,555).

Other top countries where these international visitors came from are as follows:

• Australia (50,488)

• Taiwan (42,955)

• United Kingdom (30,507)

• Singapore (25,253)

• Germany (20,816).

With these international visitors, DOT emphasized that estimated visitor receipts for January 2024 alone totaled USD 652.26 million.

“[This is] 4.84 percent higher than the USD 622.14 million recorded in January 2023,” DOT noted. g

Fil-Am Gen Zer is Daly City’s youngest commissioner

Laguna-born Fernando Montanes rises from organizer to public official by

Cherie M. Querol Moreno Inquirer.net

DALY CITY – Generation Z, the latest global population to enter the workforce, has arrived in the public service ecosystem of this city.

Student and already a seasoned community advocate Fernando Montanes is set to swear in March 13 as a Daly City Recreation Commissioner. He will join four residents appointed by the City Council to advise them and the Recreation Services Department on safe and appropriate activities that bring enjoyment to residents of all ages.

Familiarly called “Rec,” the department “works closely with youth and students, providing them services and programs that promote community welfare, extracurricular activities, sports and other fun and active things,” says the Westmoor High School alum. “So as someone who works with youth and students, I considered the recreation commission the perfect entryway to public service.”

Then-Mayor Ray Buenaventura announced the appointment in his last City Council meeting in January. Council members unanimously approved.

Montanes envisions himself pressing for funding to preserve and expand cultural celebrations that bring together the city’s various populations, while also addressing mental health and loneliness among issues besetting the many generations that call Daly City home.

At 23, he will be the youngest of all city commissioners, being among an estimated 60 million in this country born after 1995 and before 2015, depending on the defining institute.

Sharing the reins of the city leadership was a matter of time for the demographic cohort born in the first half of the twentyteens.

Generation what?

Dubbed Gen Z for short, the successors of millennials are independent, competitive and open-minded, according to LinkedIn, which also describes them as “risk-averse,” having grown up during the Great Recession of 2008 that “fundamentally impacted their world view.”

Those characteristics fit Montanes, though more significant personal factors molded his character.

He was 18 when he got his first job as sales associate at World Market in Serramonte Center in one of two life pauses he took that led to an epiphany.

The first was a year after his high school graduation, when his grandmother passed away. For the first time, Fernando “went home” to his native land with his mother for the interment.

“Emotions were high,” he recalled, as they pondered their loss, prodded him to put college on hold, weigh his priorities and search his soul. Instead of attending class, he learned how to organize his peers and began volunteering.

He was 6 years old when his widow mother Lilibeth Fortuna Montanes brought him and his older sister Carla to this country to join their grandmother Adela Pontiga Fortuna in Daly City. Their elders had uprooted from their hometown Nagcarlan, Laguna, in the late 1960s “during the Marcos regime,” he notes, for a brighter future.

In the absence of his father Carlos Montanes, a car salesman who had died before he was born, Fernando’s mother, sister and grandmother showered him with support and encouragement.

“I was raised by strong women and I credit that for how I am as a man today,” Montanes told Inquirer.net USA.

They imprinted principles he holds dear, particularly “caring for our elders.”

“My family and community recognize the wisdom and wealth of knowledge that elders have to offer,” he explained. He defined his valued community as the “church, school, or simply our distant relatives who live next door (because) collective life is a foundation of how my family and I continue to live in Daly City.”

Montanes considers himself as a “Filipino who lives in America” rather than “Filipino American” despite having been in the United States over two decades.

“I never really adapted to the full American identity as someone raised in a Filipino household,” Fernando qualified.

Transformative period

The pandemic upended the world as we know it and yet the past four years were transformative for Montanes.

“Taking a break from school was a hard but necessary decision” to “get a job, save money and explore the role of being a youth organizer and build community with people I had a chance to build relations with when I was in high school.” Looking back he calls the step “the best decision” he ever made.

Employment, in turn, helped hone his interpersonal skills, taught him to handle “difficult customers” and built his stamina for enduring hectic holiday pressure.

In 2020, he worked as a student assistant with the Skyline College Promise Scholar program. Two years later he became an ambassador for the Kapwa Kultural Youth Advisory and last year he joined the board of directors of the Pilipino Bayanihan Resource Center.

He remains at his retail job part-time and is now “team lead” while on his second sem break to take stock, focus on himself for a change and eventually prepare for his pursuit of a political science degree at San Francisco State University.

Valuable mentorship

Montanes was 15, a sophomore and a self-described “wallflower” when, less out of passion than curiosity, he joined the Filipino Barkada club on the advice of his teacher and “very first mentor” Joal Truong-Vargas, a Fil-Am.

Never involved in extra-curricular activities prior, he had expected to keep to the shadows and “be ignored” at the first meeting. He was surprised to be welcomed – “included” is his term of choice – and “automatically made friends” with members who saw him as a potential leader of the

Jacky Rosen officially files for reelection, highlighting strong support for workers & bipartisan record delivering for Nevada

SENATOR Jacky Rosen officially filed for reelection to the United States State in the key battleground state of Nevada. Joined by Southern Nevada labor leaders and supporters at Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 525, Rosen highlighted her record as an independent voice and bipartisan solver focused on delivering results for hardworking families across Nevada.

Senator Rosen was introduced by Eric Rubek, President of Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 525, Cynthia Reveles, Secretary of International Association of Firefighters Local 1285, Ronnie Young, Director of Government Affairs of IBEW 357, Ted Pappageorge, Secretary Treasurer Culinary Union of Local 226, and Susie Martinez, Executive Secretary-Treasurer of Nevada AFL-CIO.

Rosen’s bipartisan record includes passing historic legislation to rebuild Nevada’s infrastructure and create good-paying union jobs, successfully taking on big drug companies to cap the cost of insulin at $35/month and allow Medicare to negotiate for lower prescription drug prices, and expanding health care for veterans.

While vowing to continue fighting for Nevada families and workers, Rosen also highlighted the stakes of the 2024 election. She warned of MAGA extremists’ agenda to gut Social Security and Medicare, repeal the Affordable Care Act, and institute a nationwide abortion ban overturning the will of Nevadans who overwhelmingly support reproductive freedom.

“I’m running for reelection to continue my record as one of the most bipartisan and effective Senators focused on getting things done for Nevada, not on playing the same old Washington games,” said Rosen. “We still have big problems to solve for hardworking families, and the only way for us to keep delivering for Nevada is to hold this Senate seat and stop MAGA extremists from trying to take our state backwards.”

“Senator Rosen has worked...not only to pass the Inflation Reduction Act, which invested billions in high-paying union clean energy projects, she also

helped write and pass the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that's delivering billions of dollars to dated infrastructure,” said Ronnie Young, IBEW 357 Director of Government Affairs. “Senator Rosen has showed us with actions not words that she invests in Nevada, and I cannot say the same for Sam Brown."

“Senator Rosen has stood firmly and advocated in and allied with Nevada working families, and she has the resume to show for it,” said Susie Martinez, Nevada AFL-CIO Executive Secretary-Treasurer. “She played a key role in reintroducing the PRO Act that focuses on reenforcing workers’ rights to unionize and negotiate for improved wages and better benefits. She has also been a huge support for the Paycheck Fairness Act that ensures equal pay for equal work.” g

Fernando Montanes hones his organization skills as sales team lead at a shop in Serramonte Center.

Photo courtesy of Cherie Querol Moreno

Catarata announces run for CCSD trustees

A workhorse for Nevada’s youth, Catarata saved the Nevada Commission on Mentoring and created Micro-Grants for Nonprofits and Educators

HENDERSON, NEVADA – Karl

Catarata, a Nevada public servant and non-profit professional, will run for the Clark County School District (CCSD) Board of Trustees for District A, which encompasses Boulder City, Clark County, Henderson, Searchlight, and Laughlin.

Catarata currently serves as the Nevada State Director of the Human Rights Campaign and Chairman of the Nevada Commission on Mentoring (NCOM).

Catarata said on Thursday: “I’m excited to announce my candidacy for the CCSD Board of Trustees, driven by a passion to contribute to meaningful solutions. Together, we have the power to shape a brighter future for our students and improve the system to cater to their needs. I’m committed to prioritizing our children and families by instilling accountability as CCSD embarks on a new journey to seek a new superintendent. My focus remains on student achievement, delivering concrete results, optimizing resources, and ensuring readiness for our students to succeed”.

If elected, the CCSD Board of

Trustees will gain a stern public servant who will bring accountability and serious experience in board governance and public affairs. With nearly a decade of public service, Catarata has served in local, state, and federal roles to support Nevadans. As a non-profit professional, Catarata works for children and families for the nation’s largest LGBTQ+ civil rights organization. As Chairman of NCOM, Catarata worked tirelessly to realize the vision of his mentor, the late Assemblyman Tyrone Thompson, in creating a functional statewide commission that supports mentoring programs. Notably, Catarata fought against Nevada Senate Bill 76 (2021), a bill that would remove state advisory commissions and boards, along with administrative functions to NCOM. Catarata believed these statewide volunteer boards serve as a marketplace of ideas to support youth. He worked to terminate the bill with community stakeholders, and then pushed the Nevada Department of Education to fund NCOM with $100K of micro-grant funding for non-profit organizations

across the state. Today, non-profit organizations receive micro-grants and youth get the support they need because of Catarata’s persistence.

Catarata believes that quality education should be accessible to every child in Nevada. He also serves as a Board Trustee on the Vegas Vista Academy Charter School, and as a Member of the Advisory Council of the DISCOVERY Children’s Museum in the City of Las Vegas.

Catarata is a proud product of CCSD. He graduated from Valley High School’s International Baccalaureate program in 2016, attended UNLV’s College of Liberal Arts for a Bachelors in Political Science and a Certificate in Leadership & Civic Engagement. Catarata is currently a student at Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy for a Certificate in Education Finance, Leadership and Strategy. Friends and family of the candidate will convene in the business days ahead to share upcoming announcements and more. Press is advised to contact KarlForNevada@gmail.com for any media inquiries. g

Fil-Am Gen Zer is Daly City’s youngest...

PAGE 3

club, that he did not see coming.

Ultimately he became vice president and then president.

Montanes blossomed with Barkada as he learned how to “build a village” with the guidance of Truong-Vargas. Along the way he crossed paths with individuals whose own journeys inspired his transformation.

Vice Mayor and Skyline Ethnic Studies Professor Rod Daus-Magbual’s grasp of Philippine history and humility as a teacher and public official amazes him.

He admires Mayor Juslyn Manalo, whom he counts as his personal advocate, for unifying and “mobilizing the city” in the face of Asian hate, and her “personal affection for the neighborhood that raised her,” mirroring his own.

The two officials’ political success has awakened their juniors like himself, he said, to follow in their public service footsteps.

He is grateful to PBRC co-founder “Tita” Perla Ibarrientos for inviting him to be the

nonprofit‘s youngest ever board member. All four mentors “understand that they need to pay it (their success) forward, to nurture the next generation, and to raise the village that raised them,” he said.

He also recognizes the Filipino Mental Health Initiative, a component of San Mateo County Behavioral Health & Recovery Services, and Kapwa Kultural Center founders Stephanie Balon, Christi Morales Kumasawa and youth advisory coordinator Alaina Moguel as “mentors and advocates for my mental health.”

Making his mark

Had George Bernard Shaw met Montanes perhaps the great Irish author would not have been inclined to state his infamous view that “youth is wasted on the young.”

“If we are to promote volunteerism and community service to the youth, we have to give them ownership of the community and make them feel that they belong,” the future educator/politico expressed what might be his retort.

“To help the next generation recognize themselves as heirs to leadership and community service, they need to be seen as the leaders that they are now.”

Swedish environmentalist Greta Thunberg and Pakistani education activist Malala Yousafzai come to mind.

About a year ago, Montanes took point in calling concerned citizens to gather at a vigil for Daly City resident Frances Kendra Lucero, who was shot dead allegedly by her ex-partner in front of their two children. The community responded vigorously to his impassioned appeal, packing the City Hall of Daly City and PBRC offices to support the Lucero family.

Montanes is definitely making a mark as he forges toward his vision to see himself and his contemporaries as “legitimate stakeholders in the boardrooms, the dais and in all positions of power who will provide fresh and new perspectives and cultivate an intergenerational relationship which will only strengthen our community as a whole.” g

First digital resource hub targets...

Even where counseling and other aid did exist, many community members weren’t aware of how to find or use them due to language barriers. While the Asian Resource Hub is the first of its kind as a free national digital resource, as of this month it’s also available in Korean, Vietnamese and simplified and traditional Chinese.

Throughout 2024, Asian Resource Hub staff hope to expand its current language offerings to include translations in languages including Hindi, Teymur and Tagalog.

“Over the past few years, as our community has suffered the collective trauma of the Atlanta spa shootings, the Indianapolis shooting, the back-to-back Monterey Park and Half Moon Bay shootings and so much more violence, we knew we could not wait for the next tragedy to occur without addressing this gap” through the hub, Joe explained.

Between 2020 and 2021 alone, reported anti-Asian violence in the U.S. increased by 339%, according to the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism. Furthermore, most hate crimes and incidents are never reported.

AJSOCAL and AAJC came together with leaders from Microsoft to create the hub not only as a culturally and linguistically accessible place for AAPI community members to turn to “amid surging hatred,” but as “an exploration of antiAsian hatred that uniquely combines data from FBI-reported and locally-reported hate crimes, as well as public and nonprofit sources, to bring the impact of hate on Asian populations to life through visualizations, graphics, charts, photographs, maps and pop-up text stories,” said Joe.

Visualizing the impact of anti-Asian hate

“To talk about the hub is to remember what we all witnessed

in 2020 and beyond, as the surge in COVID led to a surge in anti-Asian violence. It felt like a constant barrage of stories of Asian people being attacked verbally, physically or mentally,” said Merisa Heu-Weller, General Manager of Innovation and Society at Microsoft.

“Personally as a thirdgeneration Japanese American, the hub epitomizes my vision of using data and technology to protect fundamental human rights,” she added.

“Too often these stories of the impact of Asian hate went untold or were not told with our communities’ perspectives in mind,” said AAJC President and Executive Director John C. Yang.

“In the face of dramatically increased anti Asian hate incidents since 2020, when we are seeing our elders attacked, we’re seeing our peers hurt. We’re seeing our community members afraid to walk outside. We wanted to allow people to understand our community in a different way through this directory,” he continued.

This directory took the form of “storytelling medium to better illustrate the facts about the AAPI population and the hate they face,” said AJSOCAL Senior Research Analyst Steven Zhang.

Timelines in the directory, for instance, examine key policies, events and personal narratives related to anti-Asian discrimination — from the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, to inflammatory rhetoric by policymakers throughout history, to more recent instances of and responses to anti-Asian hate such as pandemic-era violence, the Hate Crimes Act and Stop Asian Hate community protests in cities nationwide.

Community resources

“We always make a distinction between hate crimes and hate incidents,” explained Zhang. “Because a crime is defined as

a crime in the criminal statutes as an Assault or Battery, or in the worst cases, murder, many incidents we see in the Asian American community might not rise to the level of a crime in the legislative definition. However, that doesn’t minimize the impact on our community.”

Alongside narrative data highlighting the historical impact of hate on AAPI communities across the U.S. is a national directory of “community-based organizations that offer either free or low-cost direct services to support those experiencing anti-Asian discrimination,” he said.

“Right now, about 100 organizations are listed,” continued Zhang. “Each one has been personally vetted by us or by one of our close partners, to make sure that it’s legitimate and active. We don’t want to send people down a closed door. But it’s an evergreen site intended to be continually built up, so if you know of an AAPI resource or organization that’s missing, please nominate it.”

“What stuck out most to me as I was working on this hub was how innovative and resilient our communities have been in the face of unspeakable hate and violence,” he added. “Most hate crimes and incidents go unreported, and the hub will provide much-needed help to fill that gap during an incredibly difficult time.”

This resource is supported in whole or in part by funding provided by the State of California, administered by the California State Library in partnership with the California Department of Social Services and the California Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs as part of the Stop the Hate program. To report a hate incident or hate crime and get support, go to CA vs Hate. (Selen Ozturk/Ethnic Media Services)

Can we fix a century of green card...

stricting legal immigration from Eastern Europe and Asia. In the early ‘30s, we adopted a later phased-out public charge rule that banned almost all applicants,” explained Bier. Approvals remained below 20% during and after World War II, “and this is how we got from open borders to what we have now, which is almost closed borders — a 98% approval rate down to 3% for the last few years.”

Despite the fact that green card applications have more than tripled from about 10 million in 1996 to 35 million now, modern caps — which were originally set by the Immigration Act of 1990 — have barely risen, from 357,000 annually in 1922 to just over 575,000 in 2024.

“The caps are arbitrarily determined by the President in consultation with Congress, they have no basis in reality,” said Bier. U.S. population growth — which was 0.1% in 2021 and has been roughly 0.25% this decade so far — has never been lower.

“Even if after accepting the 35 million pending green cards, we increased ongoing legal immigration five-fold, we still wouldn’t catch up to Canada’s foreign-born population share,” Bier added.

“The U.S. is a huge country, there’s no reason population wise we can’t welcome these people.”

The economics

Clearing green card backlogs by welcoming more legal immigrants makes major economic sense, said Jack Malde, a senior immigration and workforce policy analyst at Bipartisan Policy Center.

As 89% of the employment-based backlog involves people currently in the U.S. on temporary, work-restricted visas, “removing those labor market restrictions allows them to advance in their likely higher-skilled

careers,” he explained.

“On the other hand, most of the family-based backlog are currently outside of the country, so green cards would allow them to contribute to our economy by paying taxes and entering our labor force, which is in dire need of new workers with shortages across industries and an aging population dependent on federal benefits,” Malde continued

As of March 2023 the employment-based adult backlog is 1.4 million (1.8 million total, across ages) and the family-based adult backlog is 4 million (5.8 million total), per a Bipartisan Policy Center report.

What would be the final gain?

Clearing current employment and family-based backlogs, not including future ones, would result in a moderate projection of $3.9 trillion in GDP gains in the next 10 years — though as low as $2.8 trillion or as high as $4.9 trillion.

U.S. immigrants who arrive at age 25 as high school dropouts have a net fiscal impact of +$216,000, not including descendants, which reduces their net fiscal impact to +$57,000. By comparison, American-born dropouts of the same age have a net fiscal impact of −$32,000 that drops to −$177,000 including their descendants.

“It’s a mistaken perception that there are a fixed number of jobs in the economy,” said Malde. “When immigrants enter the country, they create more jobs for U.S.-born workers, because they contribute their skills.”

The human cost

“Working legal immigrants and their children are in danger of falling out of status in a never-ending limbo,” said Cyrus Mehta, an immigration lawyer and founding and managing partner of Cyrus D. Mehta & Partners.

Employee-sponsored tempo-

rary visas like an H1 “get them in backlogs that last forever with extension after extension as non immigrants bound to employers, and in the process, the US loses,” he continued. “They get frustrated and go to countries with much more attractive immigration benefits and systems, like Canada, and so the US may not be able to maintain its world leadership with respect to attracting the best and brightest.”

Alongside spouses, the children of these sponsored immigrants get temporary H4 visas until 21, when they’ll most likely age out “due to horrendous backlogs,” Mehta explained. Even if the child gets a student F1 visa for college, “it requires them to have a non-immigrant intent to return to the foreign country.”

Meanwhile, there’s an H1 cap for employees with U.S. master’s degrees if the child continues to graduate school — and if the child is lucky enough to get one, they start the green card process again. The parent’s priority date cannot be transferred.

As a policy fix, Mehta suggested counting unified family units rather than discrete family members for caps in the employment and family-based categories, or allowing temporary visa holders already in the U.S. to file for early status adjustment before their priority date, so their children’s ages are frozen.

“But you can imagine what an unworkable, untenable, unhuman system this whole thing is, especially for a child who has been here for their whole life,” he said. “To free up visas, bipartisan agreement from Congress is hard, this issue is politically fraught … but once you show that an administrative policy is successful, then Congress may someday bless it. Parole is one example. (Selen Ozturk/Ethnic Media Services)

ART EXHIBIT. A student views paintings and other art works at the “She Made It Art Exhibit” at Gateway Mall 2 in Cubao, Quezon City on Tuesday, March 5. Thirty-five female artists put their works on display in celebration of National Women’s Month. PNA photo by Robert Oswald P. Alfiler

Dateline PhiliPPines

Marcos witnesses signing of P86-B deals

by Kristina Maralit ManilaTimes.net

reliance on grid power, improve sustainability and achieve progress on the decarbonization journey. g

United Nations issues global alert over teacher shortage

MANILA — The United Nations has issued a global alert over a shortage of teachers, with the lack greatest in secondary education.

The UN alert was issued last week at a meeting of the International Task Force on Teachers for Education in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Seven out of 10 teachers at the secondary level will need to be replaced by 2030, along with over half of all teachers who will have left the profession by the decade’s end, the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) said.

The agency said the effect of a worldwide teacher shortage is profound, creating larger class sizes, overburdened educators, educational disparities and financial strain on school systems, impacting educational quality and access.

According to a UNESCO report, the world needs 44 million teachers by 2030 in order to make the Sustainable Development Goal of quality and equitable education a reality.

The high-level panel’s recommendations are focused on core aspects: dignity, humanity, diversity, equity and inclusion, quality, sustainability, innovation and leadership.

Responses to the challenge include recommendations to cultivate an environment where teachers can drive educational change, foster critical thinking and promote modern learning skills.

The UN Secretary-General’s High-Level Panel on the Teaching Profession advocates for teachers

to be collaborative partners rather than mere purveyors of knowledge.

Adequate funding for education systems and technology integration are key, with a focus on supporting the use of digital learning and other technology.

Attrition rates among primary teachers almost doubled from 4.62 percent globally in 2015 to 9.06 in 2022, with teachers often leaving the profession within the first five years, the report revealed.

According to recent estimates, financing additional teachers will cost $12.8 billion for universal primary education and $106.8 billion for universal secondary education.

The annual additional financing needed to cover salaries at primary and secondary levels by 2030 is estimated at $120 billion.

‘Drop K-12 curriculum’

With only 20 percent of the country’s senior high school graduates landing employment, the Marcos administration should treat this as an indicator to abandon the K-12 curriculum instead of integrating skills training into the curriculum, according to the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT).

In a statement, the group said President Marcos’ order to increase SHS graduates’ employability through the integration of skills training would only replicate the program’s failures as it “only aims to produce cheap and docile labor force for foreign employers that is bound to be underpaid, contractual or unemployed.”

“There is no point in continuing

a program that not a single study has found to be effective. K-12 only aims to make the Philippines competitive against underdeveloped countries in producing a steady stream of semi-skilled labor force for foreign capital. These jobs are largely contractual in nature and the lowest paying in different industries,” ACT chair Vladimer Quetua said over the weekend.

During an education sector meeting led by Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte at Malacañang last month, Marcos ordered concerned state agencies to work closely with industries to align skills and education with companies’ demands.

Marcos had also ordered the creation of a technical working group to study the proposed embedding of technical vocational education and training or TVET into the K-12 curriculum.

The proposal would strengthen the K-12 program by adding a practicum component, according to the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).

Citing a study by the Philippine Institute for Development Studies, TESDA said the measure would address the low employability rate of SHS graduates.

Quetua said the majority of K-12 graduates “only add up to the huge number of unemployed.”

“TESDA itself admitted the starkly low employment rate of our K-12 graduates and attrition rate of those employed is high,” he added. (Mayen Jaymalin, Pia Lee-Brago, Neil Jayson Servallos/ Philstar.com)

Jinggoy Estrada will be new Senate leader? ‘There’s no truth to it,’ he says

by Charie abarCa Inquirer.net

MANILA — Senator Jinggoy Estrada belied speculations that he would replace Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri, saying he is not ready to take over.

“To quell all speculations, there’s no truth to it,” said Estrada when he was asked by reporters in an ambush interview.

He was asked whether or not there’s truth to rumors that he would replace Zubiri as the Senate chief.

The senator simply said, “No.”

“So what if I am a senior senator? I have high respect [for] Senate President Zubiri,” he emphasized.

He also denied rumors that he is instigating an ouster plot against the Senate leader.

“Me? Talaga? Instigador na ako ngayon!” a baffled Estrada told reporters.

(Me? Really? I am an instigator now!) Asked if there’s truth to these

He responded, “Daw. (That’s what they say.) In case they remove [me], I’ll ask the leadership what the reason [is].”

In a separate ambush interview on Monday, March 4, Senator Bong Revilla said Estrada is not interested in heading the chamber.

“He’s not interested. Wala namang kakumpitensya eh,” said Revilla. g

Senator Jinggoy Estrada Inquirer.net file photo rumors, he shook his head from left to right as a sign of disagreement. But Estrada admitted that his chairmanship of the Senate committee on national defense and security, peace, unification and reconciliation is in danger. Reporters asked Estrada whether or not it is true that he would be removed as the chair of the panel.

COLORS OF SUMMER. Filipinos are naturally drawn to what is referred to in the vernacular as “sa malamig,” literally meaning cold. At the Commonwealth Market in Quezon City on Tuesday, March 5, these drinks made of local fruits such as pineapple. coconut and lemon are bestsellers no matter the weather. PNA photo by Joan Bondoc

EVEN before airport authorities can eradicate an infestation of bed bugs, another video has gone viral, this time showing a large rat scurrying on the ceiling of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3. The rat video, reportedly taken early Friday, March 1, worsened the eww factor of other video footages showing close-ups of bed bugs moving in the holes of metal seats at the NAIA, and of the skin rashes suffered by passengers who were bitten by the creepy-crawlies.

The bed bugs looked unusually large and might have been brought into the country, according to the pest control provider, which spritzed NAIA seats with stronger insecticide. Some officials recalled a serious infestation of bed bugs that hit Paris beginning in October last year. The French capital is still grappling with the problem, with the infestation reported even in private homes and public accommodations. Paris, one of the world’s most visited cities, is preparing to host the Summer Olympics from late July to August this year.

Editorial

Bed bugs, however, are also common in the Philippines, and typically infest rattan, the material used in several pieces of furniture used at the NAIA to give the airport a tropical look. All rattan seats have been pulled out of the NAIA-2. As video footage showed, however, even the metal seats

Horizons

“THE long-standing friendship between our two great nations transcends the 78 years of our formal diplomatic relations,” declared Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in his spirited address before the Australian Parliament last week.

“These bonds trace their roots as far back as the 1860s when Filipino pearl divers, known to you then as the Manilamen, found their way to your shores as early purveyors of globalization,” he continued, tracing the depth of bilateral relations to the dawn of modernity in the Asia-Pacific region.

Crucially, not only Mr. Marcos rightly emphasized the Filipino migrants’ contribution to the “Australian economy” and “Australian life,” but also the Philippines’ role in preserving a rules-based international order.

“We must protect the peace that we fought for during the war and have jealously guarded in the decades since,” he argued, underscoring the need for expanded bilateral cooperation.

The Broader View

IN American jurisprudence, a fugitive from justice forcibly or violently abducted in a foreign territory cannot invoke such irregularity to escape criminal prosecution in a United States court. The Ker-Frisbie doctrine upholds the jurisdiction of federal courts over criminal defendants kidnapped in countries that have extradition treaties with the U.S.

In the 1886 Ker v. Illinois case, the Supreme Court ruled that the forcible abduction of a convicted U.S. citizen in Peru presented no valid objection to his trial. The Court applied the landmark doctrine in the Frisbie v. Collins case (1952). It upheld the conviction of a defendant who was kidnapped by Michigan authorities in Chicago and tried in Michigan.

In the United States v. Alvarez-Machain (1992), the High Court overturned the Court of Appeals’ decision that dismissed the indictment of the Mexican national. Against his will, the defendant was seized in Mexico and flown to Texas. He was arrested for the murder and kidnapping of a Drug

that are fastened to the floor have bed bugs.

The scurrying rat also could not have stowed away on an international flight; surely it must have been born and bred in the Philippines. The existence of vermin all over the country is the reason why there are pest control services. And pest control is of paramount importance particularly in an international airport. That rat caught on video looked like it was enjoying the attention and preening for the cameras, like the star of movie animation hit “Ratatouille.”

Unfortunately for travelers and Filipinos’ national pride, it looks like the pest control service at the NAIA, like its electrical system last year, has suffered a breakdown. As the rat video went viral, officials of the Manila International Airport Authority said they were reviewing the contract of the NAIA pest control service providers, which

could be canceled if lapses are established. The bed bug infestation is happening as the Holy Week travel rush approaches.

Will the NAIA ever stop being a national

embarrassment? NAIA maintenance is being privatized, but this is still six months away. Airport officials must deal decisively with this problem long before that. (Philstar.com)

Marcos, Australia, and Asean

“We must oppose actions that clearly denigrate the rule of law,” he added, referring to China’s aggressive behavior in the South China Sea. The 17-minute speech, at once passionate and parsimonious, rightly reflected the depth of our bilateral ties to Australia. My own grandmother—who saved her father from getting buried alive by Japanese imperial forces by spontaneously reciting the occupying forces’ national anthem, just to be forced into exile in mountains shortly after—once told me about how Australian soldiers saved her community in the Ilocos region toward the end of World War II. Lest we forget, Australian forces suffered their single deadliest day in World War II during their joint operations with Filipino patriots against Imperial Japan. But it was during the past decade that bilateral ties entered a new phase. First came the Comprehensive Partnership deal signed during Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s visit to Manila in 2015. This paved the way for decisive assistance by

Canberra during the Marawi crisis as well as expanded bilateral maritime security cooperation with an eye on the South China Sea disputes. Then came last year’s Strategic Partnership pact during Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s visit to Manila, which aims to bring about a new “golden era” in bilateral ties.

Six years ago, I had the privilege of attending a track II event on the sidelines of the inaugural Australia-Asean Summit in Sydney, where I ended up explaining why our then pro-Beijing President Rodrigo Duterte was the only no-show leader from Asean.

Last week, however, we saw a Philippine president setting the tone for the latest iteration of the Australia-Asean Summit by delivering a spirited speech before the Australian Parliament.

This represents nothing short of a “sea change” in PhilippineAustralia ties, especially with both countries vowing to step up their joint naval drills and military cooperation in light of Beijing’s bullying behavior in adjacent waters. But this time

around, my fear is that the Philippines may end up as an outlier for completely opposite reasons.

During his state visit to Down Under, Mr. Marcos not only highlighted China’s aggressive actions in the South China Sea, but also sought to rally traditional partners such as Australia to jointly hold the line for a rules-based international order. The problem, however, is that I doubt other Asean leaders will follow suit.

Malaysia’s current leadership seems more interested in bashing the West’s doublestandards in the Middle East than pointing out China’s atrocious treatment of its own Muslim minority groups. Ironically, it’s the “old guards” in Putrajaya who are now taking up the cudgels for Malaysia’s claims in the South China Sea. Both Singapore and Vietnam, meanwhile, have adopted an increasingly Beijing-friendly diplomatic language in recent years in order to reap economic rewards.

As for Indonesia, we are yet to see how the incoming Prabowo administration will exercise regional leadership, if at all.

As for majority of continental Southeast Asian nations, they seem more invested in their bilateral relations with China than standing up for so-called “Asean centrality.”

Nevertheless, the only way forward is for a constructive form of “Asean minilateralism,” whereby key Southeast Asian states steadily yet subtly coordinate a more robust position against China’s hegemonic excesses in tandem with middle powers such as Australia.

Extraordinary rendition

Enforcement Administration agent and the latter’s pilot.

Citing the landmark Ker judgment, the Court said the forcible abduction did not prohibit his trial for violating American criminal laws. It also held that the extradition agreement between the U.S. and Mexico “says nothing about either country refraining from forcibly abducting people from the other’s territory or the consequences if an abduction occurs.”

In short, the American legal system is more concerned about putting a defendant to trial. How he came under court jurisdiction is of secondary importance. The above-mentioned cases bring to mind Pastor Apollo Quiboloy, who faces a federal warrant in America.

The charismatic evangelist founded the Kingdom of Jesus Christ, The Name Above Every Name (KJOC) in 1985. The megachurch has grown to six million members worldwide. It is common knowledge that the embattled pastor is a close friend and spiritual adviser to former President Rodrigo Duterte. I have also personal and professional ties with the politically influential leader. FPRRD and I host separate public affairs programs in Sonshine Media Network International

(SMNI), which Quiboloy used to head. The SMNI rose to national prominence for its highly incisive presidential and senatorial debates. It was the only broadcast network that openly supported the candidacy of President Bongbong Marcos in 2022. A dedicated news team even covered the BBM-Sara UniTeam campaign trail across the Philippines. In the 2016 and 2022 general elections, almost all presidentiables, vicepresidentiables and senatoriables made a beeline to the Tamayong Prayer Mountain to get Quiboloy’s endorsement. I am not ashamed to admit that I was among the candidates. Local politicians in Davao Region and the rest of Mindanao also sought his support.

State-sanctioned abduction

In November 2021, a Sta. Ana, California district court indicted Quiboloy for conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking by force, sex trafficking of children, fraud and coercion, conspiracy and bulk cash smuggling. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has included him in its wanted list.

Recently, the president urged Quiboloy to air his side in the ongoing congressional investigations. The Lower House is looking into SMNI’s supposed

franchise violations. Meanwhile, the Senate is probing allegations that he sexually abused former KOJC members. For the record, a witness in the Senate hearing was among those who filed rape, child abuse and human trafficking charges against Quiboloy in 2019. The Davao City Prosecutor’s Office dismissed the charges in 2020 on the ground of false statement and accusation. The alleged victim has appealed the case before the Department of Justice. I believe that her presence in the Senate hearing is nothing but a trial by publicity to further demonize Quiboloy and his church.

In a Feb. 21 statement, Quiboloy said his life and liberty are under serious threat. He has accused the Marcos administration of surrendering him to the U.S. government in blatant contravention of his constitutional and human rights. With 11 of his local compounds reportedly under surveillance by U.S. authorities, he does not want a repeat of a 2020 incident in America. He disclosed that law enforcers forcibly entered and destroyed his house in the U.S.

The evangelist said the government has colluded with the U.S. State Department, Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and FBI to order his

extraordinary rendition or statesponsored kidnapping (similar to the Alvarez-Machain case). Even worse is the possibility that they might murder or assassinate him during the rendition process. PBBM has dismissed the accusation. Based on Quiboloy’s intel, the FBI has reportedly put a $2-million bounty on his head. The U.S. bureau has also denied this.

Extradition request

Strangely, it has been three years since the district court issued an arrest warrant for Quiboloy. However, the U.S. government has yet to file an extradition request.

Based on our treaty with America, we agree to extradite persons charged with or convicted of an extraditable offense – punishable by more than a year of deprivation of liberty or higher penalty – to the U.S. And vice versa. Moreover, the Contracting Parties cannot deny any extradition request on the ground that the person sought is a citizen of the Requested State. I recall that in the case of the late Manila congressman Mark Jimenez, our government immediately surrendered him to America for charges of tax evasion and illegal campaign contributions to the Democratic Party. A U.S. district court sentenced him to

Otherwise, either Asean fades into geopolitical irrelevance and/or the Philippines continues its quiet drift away from fellow Southeast Asian nations in favor of traditional Western partners. (Inquirer.net)

* * * The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff.

* * * rheydarian@inquirer.com.ph

27 months in prison in 2003. Like the pastor, I have not seen any evidence that the prosecution and the police presented to the Grand Jury. Since it is a sealed indictment, Quiboloy must surrender first before he and his legal team can gain full access to the evidence leveled against him by accusers and witnesses. His battery of lawyers has been gearing up for the legal battle but the trial has been postponed several times. I can only surmise that the evidence presented by the prosecution team might not be compelling enough to secure a conviction. Hence, the case is in danger of being dismissed before trial. Otherwise, America would have requested our government for the pastor’s extradition right away. Despite Quiboloy’s misgivings about the Marcos administration, I hope PBBM would continue to reassure the pastor that his life and fundamental rights would remain protected and respected. I pray that Pastor Quiboloy remains safe and well while he exhausts all legal avenues to defend himself. (Philstar.com) * * *

The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff.

RICHARD

Malacañang

Sarah Geronimo attends Billboard Women in Music Awards

by

For me, a global force is having that influence — that power to influence people. It also comes with big responsibility, right? You have to be mindful about the materials that you put out there so you have to create change and positivity towards other people."

Speaking of Women in Music, Geronimo was also asked about going to an event specifically championing and highlighting women.

"Women are beautiful, women are strong and now that I am married, I understand how marriage can be difficult

sometimes. I would also like to salute men on how they take care of us women," she said. Geronimo also paid tribute to mothers, especially to her mom, Divine Geronimo."You are the best. You are my hero. Thank you very much. I mean, I cannot imagine myself being a mother, all

the sacrifices that have to be made for their child, it's mind blowing," she added. Geronimo said she was "truly honored" to represent the country and its music.

"Mabuhay ang (Long live) OPM (Original Pilipino Music)," she said.

Jimmy Kimmel hopes Jo Koy gets a second chance at Golden Globes hosting

HOLLYWOOD talk show host

Jimmy Kimmel expressed hope for Filipino comedian Jo Koy to get a second chance to host the Golden Globes after his first try received a lot of criticism.

Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter ahead of his Oscars hosting stint, Kimmel underscored that circumstances were different for Jo Koy when he was tapped to host the Golden Globes last January, considering he feels like an outsider to Hollywood.

“It’s a lot easier for me than it is for Jo Koy. It’s like if a stranger walks up to you and goes, “Nice shirt, Tom Selleck.” If it’s one of your friends, you don’t take offense to it, but if it’s somebody

you don’t know, you might smack him one,” he said. The seasoned awards show host remarked that Jo Koy should be considered to host the Golden Globes next year as a way to reclaim himself and apply the lessons he learned from drawing flak the first time. “Not that I have any business programming the Golden Globes, but I think they should let Jo Koy host the show next year and give him a shot at doing it over. It would be very smart. I think he learned all the lessons, and he’s a funny guy. I think it would be nice for everyone,” explained Kimmel. Given that the Filipino comedian was criticized for his “misogynic jokes,” the “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” mainstay host was asked how he handles throwing insults when

he’s doing his skit. Kimmel remarked that not everyone is equipped to receive the joke in the way that a comedian wants them to, stressing that he is not after hurting anyone’s feelings when he utters his jokes.

“I have such a fear of standing in front of a quiet audience but as far as people being mad, I don’t necessarily operate that way. I’m not interested in hurting anyone’s feelings, but sometimes some people are more sensitive than others and you just have to accept that,” he said.

“You can’t build your monologue around that. And I’m not looking to say anything mean, but not everybody’s going to love all the jokes,” added Kimmel.

Jo Koy was the first ever Filipino to host the Golden Globes.

Vanessa Hudgens hosting Oscars pre-show for a 3rd time

FILIPINA American actress Vanessa Hudgens is returning to the Oscars red carpet to host the ceremony's pre-show.

This will be the third consecutive year Vanessa has been tapped to host the Oscars pre-show, though this year she will be accompanied by television personality Julianne Hough in her first Oscars stint.

Vanessa and Julianne will oversee proceedings of the 30-minute special highlighting Oscars 2024 attendees and give viewers a multiview experience of the red carpet arrivals.

The Academy Awards 2024 will be hosted by comedian Jimmy Kimmel for the fourth time, having previously helmed the 2017, 2018, and 2023 editions.

The Oscars can be viewed in the Philippines via Disney+, though because of an earlier telecast the pre-show will be at 6:30 a.m. and the ceremony proper at 7:00 a.m., which is expected to run for three hours.

Christopher Nolan's "Oppenheimer" leads all nominees with 13 nods, including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay for Nolan, Best Actor for Cillian Murphy, and Supporting nominations for Robert Downey Jr. and Emily Blunt.

Following "Oppenheimer" are Yorgos Lanthimos' "Poor Things" and Martin Scorsese's "Killers of the

Lovi Poe shares best marriage advice she has received

by Nathalie tomada

Philstar.com

LOVI Poe has hit the halfyear mark of wedded bliss.

After tying the knot with film producer and scientist Monty Blencowe in August 2023 at the 350-year-old Cliveden House in England, Lovi updated the press about how married life is so far for her: “It’s great. It’s nice to have someone to rely on. All my life I’ve been so independent. I’ve always had this, as what they call it, a masculine energy, where I basically do everything on my own.

Iba pala yung feeling you have someone you can rely on. I’m still not used to it, but it feels great pala Ang sarap pala ng pakiramdam, uy, may maasahan pala ako na iba , not just myself, who takes care of everything. Oh my God, baka ma -spoil pa ako . He spoils me so much. Baka masyado ako masanay ,” she further told The STAR during an intimate press gathering sometime this week.

After being in a “longdistance relationship” for most of their time as a couple, Lovi has been in the States these past few months now for work and to spend more time with her husband.

“It’s hard for me kasi naninibago ako . Ever since I was 15, I’ve been working. And every day, until this day, work talaga . I know nothing outside of work parang hindi ako sanay na babangon ako na wala akong gagawin, ‘di ako pupunta sa shoot or shooting, yung sunodsunod siya, and thank you God, I’m so grateful,” she said.

“I’m very happy and very lucky that I gotta do what I love, what I’m most passionate about and I call it my job and it doesn’t actually feel that way. So now, me, waking up in the morning, and doing things you’re meant to do and be a wife, is different for me. So naninibago ako to be honest, na gigising ako na, ‘Ano gagawin ko today?’ Oh, I’m gonna cook, I’m gonna do the laundry, oh, my husband is going home every day, it’s brand-new, it’s a great experience and this is life anyway. It’s nice, it’s a great feeling.”

On being a wife, she said, “I’m doing my best and I hope I’m doing a great job. It’s the first few months that we’re actually spending time together. Because after I got married, I flew back here and I started shooting, then when I went to America, nag -film din ako kaagad

“So, basically one full month palang talaga ako na wife, na talagang present and I wanna make sure I’m present you know, that’s why I try to make time and balance talaga .”

On Monty as a husband, Lovi gushed, “He’s great. He’s really amazing, I can’t thank him enough. Because really, with my line of work and how passionate I am with my job, it’s hard to find someone as understanding as he is, and as supportive as he is. Like, I have

my goals and he wants to see me achieve those goals so I’m really, really grateful for that.

Sobrang maalaga niya na ‘di ko na kailangan sabihin, andyan na, yung may kusa .”

Lovi found time to meet some press while she was in town for only a week to fulfill some endorsement commitments (SCD Skin Products, Ready Set Glow Cosmetics, Imono) and some personal matters.

Asked where she is going to be based more in the coming months, she said, “To be honest, it’s hard for me to say kasi nga very in between talaga. Parang next month, I’m needed there. The other month, I’m needed here. So parang pabalik-balik talaga , and talagang mindset nalang is everything. Walang jetlag-jetlag for me, and I just make sure that I stay healthy and strong.

“So, in between really. Wherever I’m needed in terms of work and also my husband, which is what I’m trying to do, is to balance everything. I’ll make sure to do my best and excel in every aspect.”

As for her next projects, the long-time talent of Leo Dominguez of LVD Artist Management said that she’s currently focused on doing movies. She just finished filming a Hollywood project, the action-comedy “Bad Man” with Seann William Scott, Johnny Simmons, Rob Riggle, among others.

“I really have to choose what’s going to be worth my time because I’m married now. If there are projects I wanna do, whether international or here, I have to make sure it’s worth my time and energy, and it makes me happy.”

Due to her schedule, Lovi admitted that they still have to go on a honeymoon.

“We have no plans yet. Ang joke nga niya , when someone asks him, he’s like, when is Lovi going to have time for a honeymoon? Even him, he’s busy as well. But every day for us is like a honeymoon, we celebrate it in such a way that we’re together, we spend time together. It’s all about the little things, it’s not about going on a big trip together, it’s how you spend your life on a day-to-day basis that matters.”

Her ideal honeymoon is relaxing on a beach. Her ideal destination is Maldives or Palawan because Monty has never been there, according to Lovi. “He’s only been to Samal Island and Boracay.”

Lovi was also asked about the best marriage advice she has received so far that has proved beneficial for her nowadays.

She shared, “ Tita Susan Africa, I asked her kasi and she was like, never lose that humor, of that fun, I’ll never forget that. Parang you always have to keep laughing together and that’s something we always have. Of course, we’re husband and wife, but I would also like to say, really, genuinely say that we’re best friends and we really laugh together.”

She added, “For me, I also realized that it’s the most important thing… One of the reasons why I fell in love with Monty was because he made me laugh. Yun pa naman yung No. 1 ko , humor. And laughing. He can make me laugh, oh my gosh! And his brains, everything, he’s great. I am very lucky and blessed to have a husband like him.”

On husband Monty Blencowe, Lovi Poe gushes, ‘He’s really amazing, I can’t thank him enough.’

Photo from Instagram/@lovipoe

Vanessa Hudgen

Photo from Instagram/@vanessahudgens

Flower Moon" with 11 and 10 nominations each. Both films are also up for Best Picture, Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay, while their respective stars, Emma Stone and Lily Gladstone, will go head-to-head in the Best Actress Race.

Liza Soberano stuns as presenter at Japan anime awards

by Kathleen a llemit

LIZA Soberano just keeps on serving red carpet looks with her latest yellow number at the Crunchyroll Anime Awards held in Japan.

Liza was the presenter during the Best Anime Song, which was won by pop duo Yaosobi for their track "Idol" from the anime "Oshi No Ko."

The actress posted her photo from the event, where she wore a David Koma dress and paired it with Jimmy Choo pumps.

"Congratulations to all of the winners of the @animeawards. official 2024 and thank you so much to @crunchyroll for having me! Can’t wait to be back in Japan," she wrote on Instagram.

Liza graced the red carpet at last month's Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards.

Her SAG outfit was by American designer Pamella Roland from her pre-fall 2024 collection, a black embroidered bodice and a blush Mikado gown with pockets.

Patrick Garcia looks back on his ‘heartthrob’ image in the past

Patrick

by Jessica ann evangelista Inquirer.net

PATRICK Garcia said he wasn’t aware that he was such a “heartthrob” during his early years as an actor, and only realized it when fans went crazy over him during shows.

Sitting down on “Toni Talks” on Sunday, March 3, Garcia had the faintest idea that he was being admired by fans for his looks as he was busy enjoying his role as an actor.

“I didn’t know it back then… I just felt it during the out-of-town shows,” he said. Despite winning the Best Child Actor award at the FAMAS Awards in 1996 for the film “Madrasta,” Garcia underscored that it was only when he starred in “Tabing Ilong” that he got to enjoy the industry more.

“You don’t expect that when you’re a child. You don’t act to win. ‘Yung award parang ano na lang ‘yan icing on the cake,” he remarked. “I enjoy it also, especially during the Tabing Ilog days. I was working with serious actors. That’s when we were

Liza

Photo from Instagram/@lizasoberano

Health

@Heart

IN today’s health-oriented world, the four major players – diet, exercise, smoking and alcohol abuse – are in the spotlight. Diet weighs heavily on this equation and has also been a subject of a lot of pervasive myths and misinformation. Today, we shall review some of the most popular misconceptions about diet.

Fasting is the best way to start

Fasting is the wrong way to start, or even “punctuate,” your dieting schedule. Fasting has no place at all in controlling weight or quality of nutrition for our body. The temporary weight loss resulting from fasting is thru water loss (dehydration). The best way to maintain your weight is to burn the calories your take in daily (example: if you take in 2000 calories, you should exercise off about the same calories that day). It is a matter of intake and output, an obvious common sense approach. If one is overweight and wants to lose weight, then the calories burned should be higher than the calories ingested, until the goal is reached…and at that point, the maintenance intake and output formula should prevail. Those who want to gain weight to reach the ideal weight, obviously, should have more intake than output of calories.

Diet pills are safe

False. There have been medical reports of severe complications and side-effects, a few led to deaths, among those who took the diet pills. The same is true with “energy drinks” loaded with high levels of caffeine. The best way to maintain good body weight and health is through eating a healthy, well-portioned diet, and daily exercise, abstinence from tobacco and limiting alcohol intake to no more than one drink a day.

Low carb - hi protein diet is best Not true. Those on low carbohydrate and high protein diet (meats, eggs, etc.) had good initial weight loss, but regained the weight after six to 12 months, as shown by some studies. They fared better than those on low-fat diet, which is actually healthier as far as cardiovascular diseases, metabolic illnesses, and cancers are concerned. However, low carb diet, combined with low fat diet and exercise, has been found to be the best regimen. This means the diet mainly consists of fish 3-4 times a week (chicken, minimal or no red meat), beans, grains,

Diet myths

and nuts (as the main source of protein and oil) and a lot of green leafy and other vegetables, and fruits. Among diabetics, fruits should be included in the calculation of the total daily restricted calorie intake.

Enemas aids in dieting

False! This is a myth that is unhealthy. Enemas for cleansing “to get rid of toxins in our body,” is not medically accepted as a means of detoxification and weight control. To detoxify our body, the best way is to abstain from smoking, minimize alcohol intake and exposure to other toxic agents, eat a lot of vegetables, nuts, some fruits, and to exercise daily. There have been reports of deaths with frequent self-prescribed enemas. They could lead to diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, electrolyte imbalance, heartbeat irregularity, and bowel perforation. The socalled designer coffee enema for colon cleansing is not only expensive but also useless and very dangerous.

Eating late at night leads to more weight gain This is no more true than the news that Elvis Presley is alive. Of course, it is best not to have a full stomach close to bedtime. Going to bed 4 hours after a meal is fine. The calories taken at night have the same effect as those taken during the daytime. While you burn less calories while sleeping, you lose these when you get up in the morning and start your daily routine, especially if you exercise every day.

“Slimming Tea” works

This is a myth. “Slimming Tea,” or other drinks that are advertised as effective for weight reduction, are per se, useless and a waste of money. Any beverage, so long as they are zero calorie drinks, can help in weight reduction, if taken in lieu of a ton of calories. And I repeat, in lieu of. Not together with thousands of calories. If you drink them and still eat more calories than you burn, then you will gain weight, regardless of what fluid you drink. There is absolutely NO beverage on the market that will lead to weight reduction, per se. There is no easy solution to being overweight; it takes education, discipline, determination and hard work. But the dividends are worth the sacrifices.

Eating grapefruit will burn fats

A caveat to remember: there is no food known to man today that can burn or “melt” body fats, or that can reduce weight without proper dieting. Eating grapefruit is good, if done (again) in lieu of eating tons of calories. Grapefruit,

like many fruits and multi-colored and green leafy vegetables, are loaded with good antioxidants that protect our body from the ravages caused by free radicals. So, eating one daily is healthy for us, but for fat and weight reduction, the only guaranteed formula is our basic common sense principle: output must be equal to intake (calories taken in = calories burned) in order to maintain a certain weight. And you can extrapolate from there to suit your personal goal.

Soft drinks: Toxic!

True and scary! Soft drinks, regular or diet, cola or uncola, caffeinated or not, are not only unhealthy but toxic to the body, especially for children. They increase the risk for the development of metabolic syndrome, number one killer among diseases. Let’s stop “killing” our children…with this “poison.”

Diet without exercise

While dieting or watching our diet, pushing ourselves away from the dining table less than full to maintain a healthy weight, body, and mind, is a great disciplined strategy. Adding exercise to this healthy lifestyle regimen, more than triples its beneficial effects as far as boosting our immune system, our physiology, disease prevention, and overall wellbeing for health and longevity are concerned.

* * * The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff.

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The main objective of this column is to educate and inspire people live a healthier lifestyle to prevent illnesses and disabilities and achieve a happier and more productive life. Any diagnosis, recommendation or treatment in our article are general medical information and not intended to be applicable or appropriate for anyone. This column is not a substitute for your physician, who knows your condition well and who is your best ally when it comes to your health.

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Minding Your Finances

atty. RayMonD Bulaon

IRS problems have a way of ruining all aspects of your life. They can take a toll on you financially, emotionally, and physically.

When you owe the IRS, you’re always wondering if today might be the day when the IRS shows up at work, your home or your business; or if today might be the day the IRS decides to levy your bank account or garnish your paycheck.

Recently, the IRS announced that it will resume all collection activities that they paused during the pandemic. What does this mean for you if you owe the IRS? That means you should be getting a collection letter soon. It’s business as usual again at the IRS, and if your account has been in collection for some time, a big portion of your current balance includes penalties and interest.

But how can the IRS expect you to pay all of that when you couldn’t even pay the original amount to begin with? Frankly, the IRS does not care. They want their money and they want it now. And they’ll do everything within their power to get if from you as soon as possible.

This is a heavy load to bear every day! So, what should you do if you are in this situation? Should you continue to live in fear and uncertainty, or do you do something about it now to prevent your tax problems from getting worse? Sooner or later, you will need to face the IRS but by then you could owe a lot more for waiting too long with the added penalties and interest I mentioned above. I don’t think this is what you want, is it?

Worried

The only way to solve your IRS problems is to face them head-on and to have a plan of action. And that’s exactly what people lack –a plan. Unfortunately, instead of acting, people bury their heads in the sand, pretending that their IRS problems don’t exist. This is the wrong approach, and your tax problems will only continue to get worse! Your IRS problems will not resolve themselves. And your tax problems are here to stay for the long haul and will only continue to make your life miserable.

Unfortunately, there are a lot of unscrupulous companies out there who are more interested in taking your hard-earned dollars instead of offering you the solution that you need. Without knowing anything about your situation, they tell you that you can settle your IRS debt “for pennies on the dollar”. While the IRS has such a program that allows forgiveness of tax debt, it is not for everyone. Don’t fall for that scam. The IRS uses a specific formula to determine the least amount it will accept based on your income and assets. It’s called “reasonable collection potential” which involves taking into account the amount you owe, how much you make, the value of your assets, and how much time the IRS has remaining under the collection statute.

Remember that the IRS leaves no stone unturned in trying to collect everything that you owe. I always tell my clients that the IRS is one of the worst creditors that you can have because the government has a lot of weapons in its arsenal to make sure that they get paid.

Some people tend to think that if they just ignore the IRS long enough, at some point the IRS will just somehow forget. Trust me, the IRS never forgets. And

they will keep adding penalties and interest to what you owe until they find you, your money, or your money source. Then it’s payday for the IRS! Believe it or not, even when you retire, the IRS can attack your pension, retirement, and social security check! In other words, you can run but you can’t hide as far as the IRS is concerned.

The good news is that there is a better way to live your life other than hiding from the IRS if you owe them money. You don’t need to be always looking over your shoulder for the IRS, wondering what the government will do to you next. You don’t need to get up every morning with this incredibly large problem on your shoulders.

The laws have changed over the years and there are laws to protect taxpayers. If you have not filed tax returns in years, remember that the IRS will not even talk to you unless you file those returns first to show good faith. So, if that’s your case, this is a good first step in resolving your IRS tax liabilities.

If you need help with your IRS problems, I can help. I will review your case and will help you come up with a realistic plan to get the IRS out of your life once and for all. If you owe the IRS more than $10,000, the consultation is free.. * * *

The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff.

* * *

None of the information herein is intended to give legal advice for any specific situation.  Atty. Ray J. Bulaon has successfully helped over 6,000 clients in getting out of debt. For a free attorney evaluation of your situation, please call RJB Law Offices at TOLL FREE  1-866-471-8272.

(Advertising Supplement)

Simmons Group names new Director of Operations

LAS VEGAS – Simmons Group, headquartered in Las Vegas, announced today that Brittney Winters has been promoted to the position of Director of Operations. Winters has worked with Simmons Group for eight years, successfully managing and directing a multitude of tasks, clients and projects. The firm is a full-service human resource, training and organizational development company with solutions designed to assist organizations and professionals to achieve their highest level of success. The highly personalized, customized solutions address clients’ specific needs and challenges.

“Brittney Winters has proven over and over again she possesses excellent skills, abilities and knowledge of what we do, and also how we do it,” said Simmons Group Founder Ann Simmons Nicholson. “Achieving Simmons Group high standards is second nature to her. She accomplishes this high level of service with grace and exceptional competence. She is an invaluable resource to our internal team and a trusted strategic partner to our clients.” Winters oversees all areas of support for consultants

Brittney Winters

and logistics for clients. She assigns HR services to Simmons Group consultants in addition to providing those services to some clients, as well as handling other significant duties for the company. Simmons Group is a fullservice strategic planning, human resources, training, talent management, and organizational development company with solutions designed to assist organizations and professionals

achieve their highest level of success. Its team of dedicated trainers, coaches, mentors, and human resource experts works with clients to find, design and execute solutions no matter how big or small the need. Simmons Group is a certified Woman Business Enterprise, headquartered in Las Vegas. The company works with both domestic and international clients of all sizes across a wide range of industries. g

that he never engages with his detractor.

The “Ang TV” star said that what he disliked most about being in the limelight is the lack of privacy. “Wala kang privacy masiyado, during those times. But after a while, nasasanay ka. Kailangan matibay rin loob mo,” he said.

The 42-year-old actor reflected on the online bashing and shared

“Kahit mag-explain ka may iba pa rin dyan who will just bash you just because they wanna bash you, regardless if you’re correct or not… When it comes to bashing online, mga nagmemessage sa Instagram. Never did I react. I never replied to any basher. Kapag nag-engage ka, nanalo na sila, so block,”

Garcia said. When asked if he’s okay with her children entering showbiz at a young age like him, the “Pangako Sa’Yo” actor remarked “not yet, not this time.”

Garcia married Nikka Martinez in March 2015. They have one son and three daughters. He previously dated Jennylyn Mercado, with whom he shared a son, Jazz.

PUBLIC NOTICE SERVICES SERVICES NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC In compliance with Section 5 of RA. Act No. 9048, a notice is hereby served to the Public that Crisanto Amando Juan has filed a Petition For Correction Of Clerical Error In The Certificate Of Live Birth. For error No. 1: I know for the fact that I was born on February 09, 1972 and not February 29, 1972. For error No. 2: I know for a fact that my full name is Crisanto Amando Juan and not Crisanto Amado Juan. Any person adversely affected by said petition may file his/her written opposition with this Philippine Consulate General, Los Angeles, California within the two weeks period of this publication. LV#3215

diving into the craft.”