030824 - New York & New Jersey Edition

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MARCH 8-14, 2024

Volume 17 - No.22 • 16 Pages

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DATELINE USA

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

Lowy Institute Executive Director Dr. Michael Fullilove on Monday, March 4 said that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s address delivered before the Australian Parliament last week emphasized his crucial role as a regional leader in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Malacañang photo

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

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

PH tells China: Order ships to leave Ayungin

by GERALDFORD TICKE, JANE BAUTISTA, NESTOR CORRALES Inquirer.net

THE Philippines summoned China’s second highest diplomat in Manila on Tuesday, March 5 to demand that Beijing order all Chinese vessels to leave Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal in the West Philippine Sea, after their “dangerous maneuvers” resulted in a collision that damaged a Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) ship.

A water cannon attack by the Chinese also

left four Filipino crew members injured in the latest escalation of conflict between the two countries during a routine Philippine trip to a remote outpost in Ayungin Shoal.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said it called Deputy Chief of Mission Zhou Zhiyong of the Chinese Embassy to lodge Manila’s protest against the aggressive actions of the China Coast Guard (CCG) and

US-Philippines war games to test Israeli-made air defense system

by JOHN ERIC MENDOZA Inquirer.net

MANILA — In another first, the annual war games between the United States and the Philippines will test the Israeli-made air defense system during their drills in Central Luzon.

Col. Michael Logico, executive agent of the Balikatan 2024, confirmed on Tuesday, March 5 that Spyder

air Python and Derby) air defense missile system will be used in that military exercise.

“We will also be doing integrated air missile defense exercises in Central Luzon,” Logico added during the regular Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) press conference. But he did not disclose more details.

“We will be utilizing our own newly acquired

Chinese maritime militias toward Philippine ships on a rotation and resupply mission (Rore) to Ayungin.

“During the meeting, the Philippines stressed, among others, that China’s interference with the Philippines’ routine and lawful activities in its own exclusive economic zone (EEZ) is unacceptable,” the DFA said in a statement.

“China’s actions in Ayungin Shoal infringe upon the Philippines’ sovereign rights and

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

by DONA PAZZIBUGAN Inquirer.net

A RECENT collision of Philippine and Chinese vessels in the South China Sea is not the time or reason to invoke a Mutual Defense Treaty with the United States, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said on Wednesday, March 6.

But the continuing dangerous maneuvers and actions against the Philippine Coast Guard is viewed with great alarm, Marcos told reporters in Australia. The 1951 treaty between the Philippines and United States binds them to defend each other if under attack.

“I do not think that it is a time or the reason

Senator seeks arrest warrant vs Quiboloy

by MARC JAYSON CAYABYAB Philstar.com

MANILA — Sen. Risa Hontiveros on Tuesday, March 5 sought the arrest of Apollo Quiboloy for defying the Senate’s summons to attend the hearing on alleged sexual abuses in Quiboloy’s ministry.

During the Senate women and gender committee’s fourth hearing, Hontiveros cited Quiboloy in contempt and asked Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri to order his arrest.

Quiboloy, a Kingdom of Jesus Christ pastor, is a scammer who

ADDRESSING ‘COUP’ RUMORS. Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri (2nd from right) belittles rumors about efforts to replace him as Senate president, during a press briefing at the Senate in Pasay City on Wednesday, March 6. Zubiri said 17 senators have signed a manifesto supporting his leadership.

PNA photo by Avito Dalan

The Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations, and Gender Equality, led by Senator Risa Hontiveros, holds a hearing on Quiboloy’s refusal to appear before the panel on March 5,

SCS collision not reason to invoke...

invoke the Mutual Defense Treaty,” he said in a video statement released by the Malacañang Presidential Communication Office on Wednesday before his return flight to Manila Wednesday night.

“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 damaged the cargo ship and caused some injury to some of our seamen

and I think that we cannot view this in any way but in the most serious way,” the president added.

“Once again, we will make our objections known and hope that we can continue to communicate to find a way so that such actions are no longer seen in the West Philippine Sea,” he went on.

Marcos just attended a special summit between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) and Australia to mark 50 years of dialogue partnership. g

PH tells China: Order ships to leave...

jurisdiction,” it added.

It wasn’t immediately clear why the DFA summoned the deputy chief of mission instead of Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian.

Interviewed by an Australian broadcaster in Melbourne, where he was attending a regional summit, President Marcos warned that a “mistake” could lead to outright conflict in the South China Sea (SCS).

“The potential for outright conflict is much higher now than it was before,” Mr. Marcos told Australian Broadcasting Corp.’s “7:30” news program in an interview that aired on Monday, March 4, before the latest incident.

“[It] could come from not a strategic decision by anyone saying, ‘Okay, we’re going to war,’ but just by some servicemen making a mistake or some action that’s misunderstood,” he added.

interests,” the embassy said.

“China once again urges the Philippines to stop maritime provocations and refrain from taking any actions that may complicate the maritime situation,” it warned.

‘Cannot be appropriated’

Among the Philippines’ demands during the meeting with Zhou was for Chinese vessels to leave the vicinity of Ayungin, a low-tide elevation that lies about 194 kilometers off Palawan province, well within the country’s 370-km EEZ.

of their bodies. They were treated by PCG personnel aboard BRP Sindangan, one of the PCG vessels escorting the supply boats.

Earlier at 6:32 a.m., CCG vessel 21555 made “dangerous blocking maneuvers” against BRP Sindangan that led to a collision, which resulted in “superficial structural damage to the hull of the PCG vessel,” the task force said.

As a result of the damage to the vessel and injuries to crew, UM4, escorted by the BRP Sindangan, went back to mainland Palawan.

But Unaizah May 1, the other civilian supply boat, “successfully docked” at the Sierra Madre at 9:30 a.m. and left a little before 11 a.m., successfully completing its mission, the task force added.

Two of the Philippines’ major allies, the United States and Japan, issued statements on Tuesday condemning the “dangerous actions” in the disputed waters.

“The United States stands with the Philippines and proponents of international law in support of a free and open Indo Pacific,” U.S. Ambassador MaryKay Carlson wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

The Embassy of Japan in Manila said Tokyo “reiterates its grave concern on the repeated dangerous actions in the SCS including the recent use of water cannon by CCG which resulted in Filipino injuries and a collision.”

In a statement on Tuesday night, the Chinese Embassy in Manila said the response of the CCG to the Philippine vessels was “professional, restrained, reasonable and lawful.”

The embassy said it made its own representations with the DFA to protest the “illegal trespassing on [the Spratly islands] by Philippine vessels.”

It claimed that the Philippine ships were the ones that intruded into China’s waters.

“[The Philippines] provoked incidents in the waters off [Ayungin], and seriously violated China’s territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and

Manila maintains its presence in Ayungin through the BRP Sierra Madre, a rusting World War IIera warship deliberately grounded in 1999. The outpost hosts a small contingent of Philippine troops, requiring regular Rore missions that have been on the receiving end of Chinese harassment, according to Philippine security officials.

The DFA asserted that Ayungin was within the Philippines’ EEZ and continental shelf.

Under the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the 2016 arbitral award, the shoal “cannot be appropriated for sovereignty claims,” the agency said.

According to a statement of the National Task Force on the West Philippine Sea (NTFWPS), the CCG and Chinese maritime militia vessels “harassed, blocked, deployed water cannons, and executed dangerous maneuvers” against Philippine ships on Tuesday morning, in “another attempt to illegally impede or obstruct” their Rore mission.

At 8:15 a.m. a CCG vessel caused a minor collision with Unaizah May 4 (UM4), one of the civilian supply boats chartered by the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the task force said.

Navy personnel injured It added that CCG vessels 21555 and 21551 simultaneously deployed water cannons at the UM4.

“The use of water cannons by the CCG vessels shattered the wind shield of UM4, causing minor injuries to at least four personnel on board,” the NTF-WPS said.

The crew members sustained wounds in their hands and various parts

Commodore Jay Tarriela, PCG spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, said the PCG vessels faced harassment throughout the resupply operation.

“Their reckless and illegal actions led to a collision” between BRP Sindangan and CCG vessel 21555 “that resulted [in] minor structural damage to the PCG vessel,” Tarriela said on X.

CCG ships exhibited similar behavior toward Philippine supply boats that resulted in collisions in the same waters in October and December last year. Three of the 14 Rore missions in 2023 were also hounded by water cannon attacks by China, the Navy spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, Commodore Roy Vincent Trinidad, said in February.

China’s version

In China, however, there was a different version of events.

The state-run Chinese Global Times reported on Tuesday that the CCG “lawfully took control measures on Tuesday against a Philippine vessel illegally entering the waters adjacent to Ren’ai Jiao in the Nansha Islands.”

Ren’ai Jiao is China’s name for Ayungin, while Nansha Islands is what it calls the Spratly region, an area in the South China Sea with overlapping claims by the Philippines, China and other claimants.

With reports from Reuters, Inquirer Research And Dona Z. Pazzibugan in Melbourne INQ

BUGGED. Passengers wait for their flights at Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 in Pasay City on Monday, March 4. Lawmakers want to probe the “pest” issues hounding the country’s main gateway. PNA photo by Yancy Lim to

US-Philippines war...

weapon systems from the AFP modernization and we are going to test the interoperability between our weapon systems and that of the United States,” he likewise replied after being asked to expound on Spyder.

The Department of National Defense signed a deal with Israel’s Ministry of Defense and manufacturer Rafael Advanced Defense Systems for three batteries of the Spyder in 2019. The agreement worth P6.8 billion is part of the AFP

modernization program’s Horizon 2.

The first two missile batteries arrived in September 2023 while the third would be delivered this year. The Spyder air defense missile system is designed to protect critical installations, land-based fixed assets, mobile platforms, and friendly forces from aerial threats such as combat aircraft, attack helicopters, drones, incoming missiles, guided munition, and rockets. g

First digital resource hub targets anti-Asian...

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.

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-toback 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 anti-Asian 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 HeuWeller, General Manager of Innovation and Society at Microsoft.

“Personally as a third-generation 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 antiAsian 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

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

Senator seeks arrest warrant vs Quiboloy...

duped his former followers to finance his lavish lifestyle, Hontiveros said.

“If we allow witnesses of the Senate to simply claim that appearing before a committee would violate his or her constitutional right to be presumed innocent and his or her right against self-incrimination, this committee will be powerless in launching investigations,” Hontiveros explained.

“I cite in contempt Apollo Quiboloy for his refusal to be sworn or to testify before this investigation. This committee requests the Senate President to order his arrest so that he may be brought to testify,” she added.

Quiboloy found an ally in Sen. Robinhood Padilla who opposed the arrest order, citing Section 18 of the Senate rules on inquiries in aid of legislation which states that a “majority of all the members of the Committee may, however, reverse or modify the aforesaid order of contempt within seven days.”

“Please forgive me for opposing your contempt order. With all due respect to the senator, whose work in fighting for her advocacies I admire,” Padilla said without citing reasons for blocking the arrest order.

Padilla is an ally of former president Rodrigo Duterte, whose spiritual adviser is Quiboloy.

Hontiveros allowed Padilla to gather support from other panel members for his objection but appealed to other committee members not to overrule or modify her arrest order.

Other panel members are Senators Nancy Binay (vice chair), Pia Cayetano, Cynthia Villar, Grace Poe, Imee Marcos, Raffy Tulfo, Bong Go, JV Ejercito and Mark Villar.

Senate President Pro Tempore Loren Legarda, Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva and Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel III are ex officio members.

Hontiveros ordered Quiboloy’s arrest despite a letter sent by the pastor’s counsels appealing to set aside the subpoena order as they accused Hontiveros of prejudging him guilty.

“The truth about the commission or noncommission of crimes can only be proven before the competent courts and certainly not before the Senate, especially in light of the

fact that no less than the chairperson of the committee conducting the hearing already declared the guilt of Pastor Quiboloy,” Quiboloy’s lawyer Melanio Elvis Balayan wrote in his letter to Zubiri.

During the hearing, Hontiveros presented Reynita Fernandez, an overseas Filipino worker in Singapore who testified that she was forced to give up about 90 percent of her earnings to the church.

“I lost my house. I couldn’t pay my mortgage. And I owe a lot. Because there has never been a stop of the giving,” Fernandez said.

Quiboloy’s ministry trafficked members to Singapore to work multiple jobs and raise funds for Quiboloy, she added.

Hontiveros raised the alarm on possible money laundering after Fernandez claimed the ministry remitted bulk of the money to the Philippines through different account holders due to the city-state’s limit on remittances.

Ministry members also raised money for Quiboloy in the guise of a fundraising activity for the elderly, Fernandez said.

Another witness, Canada-based Dindo Maquiling, bared an alleged scheme that used charity group Children’s Joy Foundation to launder money from Canada to Davao to fund Quiboloy’s private jet trips.

Maquiling, who served as the charity group’s executive director, said he was appalled how the group was used to raise funds not for indigent children but to finance Quiboloy’s luxurious living.

“In 2019, I resigned after one million Canadian dollars were sent to the Philippines without explanation. They are deceiving the people into donating money for children when in fact the funds went to fuel the jet he used to travel from Davao to Manila,” he claimed.

The Anti-Money Laundering Council will be invited to the next hearing to look into the money laundering allegations, Hontiveros said.

“If the testimonies of witnesses are to be believed, one thing is clearly emerging from this hearing – Apollo Quiboloy is a scammer,” she said.

Quiboloy is on the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Most Wanted List. — Delon

— and voters want to hear from Biden and Republicans

PRESIDENT Joe Biden is counting on outrage over abortion restrictions to help drive turnout for his reelection. Former President Donald Trump is promising to take another swing at repealing Obamacare.

But around America’s kitchen tables, those are hardly the only health topics voters want to hear about in the 2024 campaigns. A new KFF tracking poll shows that health care tops the list of basic expenses Americans worry about — more than gas, food, and rent. Nearly 3 in 4 adults — and majorities of both parties — say they’re concerned about paying for unexpected medical bills and other health costs.

“Absolutely health care is something on my mind,” Rob Werner, 64, of Concord, New Hampshire, said in an interview at a local coffee shop in January. He’s a Biden supporter and said he wants to make sure the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, is retained and that there’s more of an effort to control health care costs.

The presidential election is likely to turn on the simple question of whether Americans want Trump back in the White House. (Nikki Haley, the former South Carolina governor and U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, remained in the race for the Republican nomination ahead of Super

Tuesday, though she had lost the first four primary contests.) And neither major party is basing their campaigns on health care promises.

But in the KFF poll, 80% of adults said they think it’s “very important” to hear presidential candidates talk about what they’d do to address health care costs — a subject congressional and state-level candidates can also expect to address.

“People are most concerned about out-ofpocket expenses for health care, and rightly so,” said Andrea Ducas, vice president of health policy at the Center for American Progress, a

President Marcos among most...

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 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 rules-based 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 IndoPacific, cannot ignore the existential impact of great power rivalries upon the survival of our peoples and our communities.” (by Kristina Maralit/ManilaTimes.net)

First digital resource hub targets...

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 lowcost 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)

FRUITFUL. Farmers and helpers destress after harvesting white onions by lying on a heap of rejects in Barangay Sulbec, Pasuquin, Ilocos Norte on Sunday, March 3. The onions will be sold directly to, among others, a fastfood chain for a farm gate price of P45 per kilo. PNA photo by Leilanie G. Adriano

FEATURES OPINION Gross

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

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 that are fastened to the floor have bed bugs.

Bed bugs, however, are also common in the Philippines, and typically infest rattan,

“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

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)

Strategic reset: Marcos, Australia, and Asean

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. “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

Fax:

RICHARD HEYDARIAN

Horizons

Malacañang photo

Dateline PhiliPPines

Marcos witnesses signing of P86-B deals

by Kristina Maralit ManilaTimes.net

PRESIDENT Ferdinand

Marcos Jr. on Monday, March

4 witnessed the signing of 12 business deals, which translate to $1.53 billion or P86 billion in investments to the country, during the Philippine Business Forum organized by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in Melbourne, Australia.

The signing took place on the sidelines of the AseanAustralia Special Summit that Marcos attended.

“These investments will

fuel growth across sectors like renewable energy, health care, housing and technology,” the president said.

The 12 business deals consist of 10 memoranda of understanding (MoUs) between Filipino and Australian business leaders and two letters of intent (LOIs) from Australian business leaders who intend to invest in the Philippines.

Among the MoUs are the development, design, construction, commissioning and funding of a Tier-3 Data Center with a capacity of 30

MW-40 MW in the Poro Point Freeport Zone with a land area of approximately 16 hectares and the Expansion of Next-Generation Battery Manufacturing in the Philippines.

An MoU was also signed for the deployment of decarbonization solutions comprising orchestration of renewable energy, storage, and e-mobility to New Clark City Stadium and other BCDA sites to reduce energy costs, 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.

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.”

instigator now!)

chair of the panel.

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

“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

Asked if there’s truth to these 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

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

America worries about health...

PAGE 4

Washington, D.C.-based progressive think tank.

Here’s a look at the major health care issues that could help determine who wins in November.

Abortion

Less than two years after the Supreme Court overturned the constitutional right to an abortion, it is shaping up to be the biggest health issue in this election.

That was also the case in the 2022 midterm elections, when many voters rallied behind candidates who supported abortion rights and bolstered Democrats to an unexpectedly strong showing. Since the Supreme Court’s decision, voters in six states — including Kansas, Kentucky, and Ohio, where Republicans control the legislatures — have approved state constitutional amendments protecting abortion access.

Polls show that abortion is a key issue to some voters, said Robert Blendon, a public opinion researcher and professor emeritus at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. He said up to 30% across the board see it as a “personal” issue, rather than policy — and most of those support abortion rights.

“That’s a lot of voters, if they show up and vote,” Blendon said.

Proposals to further protect — or restrict — abortion access could drive voter turnout. Advocates are working to put abortionrelated measures on the ballot in such states

as Arizona, Florida, Missouri, and South Dakota this November. A push in Washington toward a nationwide abortion policy could also draw more voters to the polls, Blendon said.

A surprise ruling by the Alabama Supreme Court in February that frozen embryos are children could also shake up the election. It’s an issue that divides even the antiabortion community, with some who believe that a fertilized egg is a unique new person deserving of full legal rights and protections, and others believing that discarding unused embryos as part of the in vitro fertilization process is a morally acceptable way for couples to have children.

Pricey prescriptions

Drug costs regularly rank high among voters’ concerns.

In the latest tracking poll, more than half — 55% — said they were very worried about being able to afford prescription drugs.

Biden has tried to address the price of drugs, though his efforts haven’t registered with many voters. While its name doesn’t suggest landmark health policy, the Inflation Reduction Act, or IRA, which the president signed in August 2022, included a provision allowing Medicare to negotiate prices for some of the most expensive drugs. It also capped total out-of-pocket spending for prescription drugs for all Medicare patients, while capping the price of insulin

Senator Jinggoy Estrada Inquirer.net file photo

America worries about health...

for those with diabetes at $35 a month — a limit some drugmakers have extended to patients with other kinds of insurance.

Drugmakers are fighting the Medicare price negotiation provision in court. Republicans have promised to repeal the IRA, arguing that forcing drugmakers to negotiate lower prices on drugs for Medicare beneficiaries would amount to price controls and stifle innovation.

The party has offered no specific alternative, with the GOP-led House focused primarily on targeting pharmacy benefit managers, the arbitrators who control most Americans’ insurance coverage for medicines.

Costs of coverage

Health care costs continue to rise for many Americans.

The cost of employersponsored health plans have hit new highs in the past few months, raising costs for employers and workers alike.

Experts have attributed the increase to high demand and expensive prices for certain drugs and treatments,

notably weight loss drugs, as well as to medical inflation.

Meanwhile, the ACA is popular. The KFF poll found that more adults want to see the program expanded than scaled back. And a record 21.3 million people signed up for coverage in 2024, about 5 million of them new customers.

Enrollment in Republicandominated states has grown fastest, with year-over-year increases of 80% in West Virginia, nearly 76% in Louisiana, and 62% in Ohio, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

Public support for Obamacare and record enrollment in its coverage have made it politically perilous for Republicans to pursue the law’s repeal, especially without a robust alternative. That hasn’t stopped Trump from raising that prospect on the campaign trail, though it’s hard to find any other Republican candidate willing to step out on the same limb.

“The more he talks about it, the more other candidates

have to start answering for it,” said Jarrett Lewis, a partner at Public Opinion Strategies, a GOP polling firm.

“Will a conversation about repeal-and-replace resonate with suburban women in Maricopa County?” he said, referring to the populous county in Arizona known for being a political bellwether. “I would steer clear of that if I was a candidate.”

Biden and his campaign have pounced on Trump’s talk of repeal. The president has said he wants to make permanent the enhanced premium subsidies he signed into law during the pandemic that are credited with helping to increase enrollment.

Republican advisers generally recommend that their candidates promote “a market-based system that has the consumer much more engaged,” said Lewis, citing short-term insurance plans as an example. “In the minds of Republicans, there is a pool of people that this would benefit. It may not be beneficial for everyone, but

attractive to some.”

Biden and his allies have criticized short-term insurance plans — which Trump made more widely available — as “junk insurance” that doesn’t cover care for serious conditions or illnesses.

Entitlements are off-limits

Both Medicaid and Medicare, the government health insurance programs that cover tens of millions of low-income, disabled, and older people, remain broadly popular with voters, said the Democratic pollster Celinda Lake. That makes it unlikely either party would pursue a platform that includes outright cuts to entitlements. But accusing an opponent of wanting to slash Medicare is a common, and often effective, campaign move.

Although Trump has said he wouldn’t cut Medicare spending, Democrats will likely seek to associate him with other Republicans who support constraining the program’s costs. Polls show that most voters oppose reducing any Medicare benefits, including by raising

Marcos denies family’s ill-gotten wealth anew, accuses critics of ‘propaganda’

MANILA — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has again denied his father’s plunder of billions of public funds during his two-decade rule, calling as “propaganda” the campaign for the Marcos family to return their ill-gotten wealth to the government.

In an interview with Australia-based ABC News published on Monday, March 4, Marcos sought to downplay welldocumented evidence that former President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. had stripped government coffers of at least $5 billion and that his family acquired millions-worth of stolen loot that they even took with them to exile in Hawaii.

Asked to explain why he initially laughed at a question on the billions of money reportedly plundered by his father, Marcos immediately appeared to sober up and said that he “takes exception” to the “assertions” that have been made about his family.

“Since cases were filed, the government failed. Cases were filed against me, my family, the estate etc. Up to now we have ... the assertions that were made were shown to be untrue,” Marcos said.

Marcos also claimed during the interview that a thorough investigation has proved that the ill-gotten wealth acquired by his family was “propaganda.”

“I think that having seen the facts - as they have been slowly reviewed - with true investigation and not propaganda, actual investigation, court cases, investigations by all kinds

of NGOs (non-government organizations) and agencies, that has changed.

People can see that it was propaganda,” he said.

Shortly after Marcos Sr. fled the country in 1986, the newly created Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) uncovered evidence of Swiss bank accounts, secret international deposit accounts set up on their behalf and extensive global assets owned by the Marcos family. Well-documented evidence of such, including diaries, was recovered when the Marcoses left Malacañang on Feb. 25, 1986.

Estimates of the amount the Marcoses reportedly amassed in the last few years of Marcos Sr. presidency range from US$5 billion to $13 billion. This sizeable loot far exceeds the yearly salary that Marcos Sr. was earning as president, which was about $4,700 or P100,000.

In 2003, the Supreme Court ordered the forfeiture of $658 million worth of frozen Swiss bank deposits belonging to Marcos Sr.

In 2019, a division of the Sandiganbayan dismissed a P200 billion civil forfeiture case against the Marcos family due to lack of evidence. However, the decision on the case, penned by Sandiganbayan Associate Justice Alex Quiroz, acknowledged the “atrocities committed during Martial Law under the Marcos regime and the ‘plunder’ committed on the country’s resources.”

In response to calls for the Marcoses to return their ill-gotten wealth, the president also claimed that his family went emptyhanded and that “nothing was left” when they sought exile in Hawaii in 1986.

“We have signed - this

family has signed quit claims where any money that you find is yours. Everything was taken from us. We were taken to Hawaii. Everything. Everything was taken from us. We had nothing left,” Marcos said.

The president also previously claimed this during his visit to Hawaii in November 2023.

However, evidence has shown that the Marcoses brought crates of cash, hundreds of jewelry and freshly printed Philippine notes valued at P27 million, among others, when they fled to Hawaii in 1986.

The Marcoses also brought P397 million worth of bank certificates from the now-defunct Traders Royal Bank, which was confirmed as ill-gotten wealth by a 2021 Sandiganbayan decision ordering its return to the Philippine government.

Marcos’ claims in the ABC News interview appear to be his most public denial of his family’s corruption since he took office in 2022, spouting the same narratives that his supporters typically echo but which local and international media, civil society and democracy watchdogs have long debunked.

During the campaign trail for the 2022 presidential elections, Marcos, who was frequently absent in debates and refused to be interviewed, said that he and his father were the biggest “victims” of disinformation. This, however, was another false claim, as a study by factchecking coalition Tsek.ph in the same year showed that several falsehoods that were spread before the polls were in his favor and against his closest rival to the presidency, former Vice President Leni Robredo. (Philstar.com)

United Nations issues...

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

PH hopes to launch EU free trade negotiations ‘very soon’

THE Philippines hopes to launch formal free trade agreement negotiations with the European Union “very soon”, Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo told AFP in an interview on Monday, March 4.

The Southeast Asian nation, which depends heavily on trade with China, wants to expand its economic relations with other

countries to achieve greater “resiliency”, the minister said.

“We’re hoping... to very soon begin free trade negotiations with the EU,” Manalo said.

The Philippines has been in preliminary talks about a free trade deal with the 27-nation bloc for months.

A previous effort almost a decade ago stalled amid

EU concerns about then president Rodrigo Duterte’s deadly drug war.

“What we’re really aiming for is the notion of greater economic resilience,” the minister said, underscoring the importance of being able to adapt to “sudden changes”, whether manmade or natural.

The Philippines is focused on creating “greater

economic security and economic resiliency, which in turn contributes to your own national security”, Manalo said.

The EU and the Philippines would seek to establish greater cooperation in the area of critical minerals, the minister said, using existing supply chains but with more processing activity in the Philippines. (Philstar.com)

America worries about health...

Medicare’s eligibility age from 65. However, raising taxes on people making more than $400,000 a year to shore up Medicare’s finances is one idea that won strong backing in a recent poll by The Associated Press and NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.

Brian Blase, a former Trump health adviser and the president of Paragon Health Institute, said Republicans, if they win more control of the federal government, should seek to lower spending on Medicare Advantage — through which commercial insurers provide benefits — to build on the program’s efficiencies and ensure it costs taxpayers less than the

traditional program.

So far, though, Republicans, including Trump, have expressed little interest in such a plan. Some of them are clear-eyed about the perils of running on changing Medicare, which cost $829 billion in 2021 and is projected to consume nearly 18% of the federal budget by 2032.

“It’s difficult to have a frank conversation with voters about the future of the Medicare program,” said Lewis, the GOP pollster. “More often than not, it backfires. That conversation will have to happen right after a major election.” Addiction crisis

Many Americans have been touched by the growing

opioid epidemic, which killed more than 112,000 people in the United States in 2023 — more than gun deaths and road fatalities combined. Rural residents and white adults are among the hardest hit.

Federal health officials have cited drug overdose deaths as a primary cause of the recent drop in U.S. life expectancy.

Republicans cast addiction as largely a criminal matter, associating it closely with the migration crisis at the U.S. southern border that they blame on Biden. Democrats have sought more funding for treatment and prevention of substance use disorders.

“This affects the family, the neighborhood,” said

Blendon, the public opinion researcher.

Billions of dollars have begun to flow to states and local governments from legal settlements with opioid manufacturers and retailers, raising questions about how to best spend that money. But it isn’t clear that the crisis, outside the context of immigration, will emerge as a campaign issue. (Julie Appleby and Phil Galewitz/ KFF Health News)

KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF—an independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism.

Strategic reset: Marcos, Australia, and...

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.

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)

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 Philippine-Australia 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 double-standards 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. 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

COMMUNITY JOURNAL

Atty. Gurfinkel answers immigration questions from Kapamilya at Gerry’s Grill in Houston, Texas on Citizen Pinoy

LEADING U.S.

Immigration Attorney

Michael J. Gurfinkel and the Citizen Pinoy team were at Gerry’s Grill in Houston, Texas to celebrate the sixth anniversary of the branch.

Gerry’s has become a gathering place for the Filipino

American community in Houston, and many organizations meet there to enjoy authentic Filipino cuisine and each other’s company.

Atty. Gurfinkel was one of the special guests of Gerry’s Grill USA General Manager and Operations Director PAGE 12

KAPAMILYA IN HOUSTON, TEXAS GET ANSWERS TO THEIR IMMIGRATION QUESTIONS FROM LEADING U.S. IMMIGRATION ATTORNEY MICHAEL J. GURFINKEL ON PART 1 OF “YOUR TANONG, MY SAGOT.” Atty. Gurfinkel (bottom right photo, right) answers the following questions – From Ana (top left): As concert producers, we usually bring artists from the Philippines to perform. How can we avoid having their visas denied?; From Noemi (top right): What is the easiest pathway for teachers from the Philippines to come to the U.S.?; From Marilou (bottom left): What can my 40-year-old brother do to be able to migrate to the U.S.?; From Bhogz (bottom right photo, left): Now that I have my green card, how can I bring all my children to the U.S.? Be sure to tune in for the answers to these questions from Kapamilya in Houston, Texas on Part 1 of “Your Tanong, My Sagot” on a brand-new episode of Citizen Pinoy on Sunday, March 10 at 6:30 PM PT (9:30 PM ET) through select Cable/Satellite providers, right after TV Patrol Linggo.

(Advertising Supplement)

Atty. Michael Gurfinkel (right) with Gerry’s Grill USA General Manager and Operations Director Michael Avancena.

PhiliP S. Chua, MD, FaCS, FPCS

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 sideeffects, 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

Diet myths

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, 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 so-called 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 well-being for health and longevity are concerned. * * *

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.

* * *

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.

* * *

Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, a Cardiac Surgeon Emeritus based in Northwest Indiana and Las Vegas, Nevada, is an international medical lecturer/author, Health Advocate, newspaper columnist, and Chairman of the Filipino United Network-USA, a 501(c)3 humanitarian foundation in the United States. He was a recipient of the Indiana Sagamore of the Wabash Award in 1995, presented by then Indiana Governor, U.S. senator, and later a presidential candidate, Evan Bayh. Other Sagamore past awardees include President Harry Truman, President George HW Bush, Muhammad Ali, Astronaut Gus Grissom, educators, and leaders (Wikipedia). Websites: FUN8888. com, Today.SPSAtoday.com, and philipSchua.com; Email: scalpelpen@ gmail.com.

The untold saga of Daria Ramirez

DESPITE having been separated for many years, veteran actress Daria Ramirez still uses “de Leon.” For the benefit of the millennials, Daria (surnamed Tugas in real life) — pending her annulment — is still legally married to TV host-comedian Joey de Leon, or the Master Henyo as he’s popularly known.

Then, going 20, Daria was five years Joey’s junior. Their short-lived romance, however, bore two kids — Cheenee and Keempee.

For the most part of their lives, it was Cheenee who practically grew up with her granny, Joey’s mother. But the oldie, Daria swears, loves her two grandkids equally and unconditionally. Cheenee’s

Atty. Gurfinkel answers...

Michael Avancena. It was a chance for some of the diners to ask Citizen Pinoy’s Atty. Gurfinkel their immigration questions.

Ana is a physical therapist and a concert producer, and the proceeds of her concerts are usually donated to worthwhile causes such as Gawad Kalinga. She asked Atty. Gurfinkel how they can avoid visas being denied for the artists that they bring in from the Philippines.

Marilou, a Doctor of Nursing Practice and the CEO of her own business, Visiting Doctors MGT of Texas, wanted to know what steps her 40-yearold brother needs to take to be able to migrate to the U.S.

Noemi, an educator armed with a PhD and the current president of the

Filipino American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Houston, wanted to know what the easiest pathway is for teachers in the Philippines who want to come to the U.S.

Bhogz, a cook at Gerry’s Grill for over 20 years now, recently obtained his green card. He wants to know how he can bring all his children to the U.S.

Atty. Gurfinkel answers these questions in part 1 of “Your Tanong, My Sagot” in Houston, Texas. Watch this brand-new episode of Citizen Pinoy on Sunday, March 10 at 6:30 PM PT (9:30 PM ET through select Cable/Satellite providers), right after TV Patrol Linggo. Citizen Pinoy is also available on iWantTFC. Viewers may download the free app.

(Advertising Supplement)

Arjo Atayde surprises wife Maine Mendoza in ‘Eat Bulaga’

By Jan Milo Severo Philstar.com

ACTOR Arjo Atayde surprised wife Maine Mendoza in “Eat Bulaga” last Saturday, March 2.

attachment to her Lola explains why — based on Daria’s account — she grew up “brainwashed” to develop leanings more toward Joey than her.

Keempee is said to be his elder sis’ exact opposite and far more caring toward his mom. This is just a sneak peek into the story of the 61-year-old

Maine was shocked upon seeing Arjo in the show to greet her a happy birthday.

Arjo was the mystery contestant in the “Peraphy” segment of the noontime show.

“Ang maglalaro ngayon ay mula sa pelikulang may forever!” Vic Sotto said while Arjo appeared.

Arjo then hugged Maine, to the delight of the crowd. “Sorry, sorry! Mali pala ‘yung title. Dapat ang title ‘Your Forever!’” Vic said. Arjo then thanked the show for welcoming him.

“Maraming salamat din po, of course, ‘no… Bossing, the whole ‘Eat Bulaga’ fam, Tito Sen, Boss Joey, for allowing me to be with my wife today. Maraming salamat po!” he said.

“Welcome to ‘Eat Bulaga,’ Cong!” Maine replied.

Before Arjo appeared, he

Ana (left) and Marilou

Noemi (left) and Bhogz

Worried about IRS tax problems?

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?

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 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 Bulaon has been in private practice for 23 years and have helped more than 6,000 clients obtain debt relief. For a free attorney evaluation of your situation, please call RJB Law Offices at TOLL FREE 1-866-471-8272.

(Advertising Supplement)

Arjo Atayde surprises wife Maine...

greeted Maine via a video message.

“Hi, Baba. Happy, happy birthday.

Surprise! I hope you’re having a great time with the Dabarkads today.

I hope you enjoy your day. I’ll see you later. Let’s celebrate, my love. I’m just so grateful for you. And thank you for being such a great wife,” he said.

“And more blessings to you. I’ll always be right behind you. I love you. Happy, happy birthday!” he added. g

Andi Eigenmann on late mom

Jaclyn Jose: ‘Her life itself was her greatest obra maestra’

By Leah C. SaLterio Philstar.com

BRINGING home the much-coveted acting trophy from the Cannes International Film Festival in 2016 was a major career highlight in the life of the late multi-awarded actress Jaclyn Jose (Mary Jane Guck in real life).

Jaclyn became the first Southeast Asian talent to win at the prestigious filmfest for her portrayal of a resilient matriarch in Brillante Mendoza’s “Ma’ Rosa.” She went to Cannes to personally receive her award, accompanied by her daughter Andi Eigenmann.

At the time of her death, Jaclyn was playing prison warden Dolores Espinas in the Coco Martin-led “FPJ’s Batang Quiapo.”

Her passing was first confirmed in an official statement from Perry Lansigan’s PPL Entertainment, Jaclyn’s talent management company, in the early hours of Sunday morning, March 3.

“The Guck and Eigenmann families are requesting for everyone to please pray for the eternal repose of Miss Jaclyn Jose and for them to be allowed the respect and privacy to mourn her passing and navigate these difficult times.”

In a press conference, an emotional Andi delivered the family’s official statement, laying to rest speculations surrounding her mother’s shocking demise.

“It’s with great sadness that we announce the untimely passing of my Nanay at the age of 60 on the morning of March 2nd, 2024 due to a myocardial infarction or a heart attack.

“We’d like to thank everyone who has since extended their prayers and condolences to us. As our family is trying to come to terms with this unfortunate incident, please provide us the respect and privacy to grieve and we hope this would put all speculations to rest.

“Just like to say that her undeniable legacy will definitely forever live on through her work, through her children, grandchildren and the many lives she has touched. She herself, her life itself was her greatest obra maestra,” Andi said.

On Sunday, March 3, Jaclyn was reportedly found lifeless by her actresssister, Veronica Jones, in the former’s home in Quezon City. It was her sister who checked on her when the latter was not responding to calls and text messages for quite some time.

Jaclyn’s two children — Andi and Gwen Garimond Guck — were not with her at the time of her death due to heart attack. Andi was in Siargao, where she is based with her family, while Gwen was in the U.S., where he is studying.

Social media was flooded with fond recollection and remembrances of Jaclyn whom they all worked with at one time or another.

The Film Development Council of the Philippines said it mourned the passing of Jaclyn, noting her contributions to Philippine cinema and television for four decades.

Alden Richards, who worked with Jaclyn in such GMA dramas as “Mundo Mo’y Akin,” “Carmela,” “The World Between Us,” wrote: “My heart aches like a son who lost his mom… You will be with me always, I love

you my Tita Jane.”

Coco, who was Jaclyn’s co-star in several Brillante Mendoza films, including the 2022 Summer Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) entry “Apag,” posted a picture with the late actress on the set of their last film together. “Isa pang mahalaga sa buhay ko, nawala ka pa,” Coco wrote.

Jaclyn made her big-screen debut in 1984 in William Pascual’s “Chicas,” after which she was cast in director Chito Roño’s “Private Show,” although she earlier shot Lino Brocka’s “White Slavery” but that was shown the following year (1985).

When direk Chito was looking for a lead to audition for “Private Show,” written by National Artist for Broadcast and Film Ricky Lee, Jaclyn was highly recommended.

“We scheduled an audition then at New Frontier, which is now Kia Theater,” Ricky told The Philippine STAR. “There was one artist who was scheduled to be there, but didn’t make it. We mentioned to Chito that Jaclyn was highly recommended by Lino after ‘White Slavery.’

“Jaclyn was requested to come for the audition. I remember, pupungas-pungas pa siya when she arrived. Ginising yata siya to go to the audition. She was really young at that time. But she was really good and she got her first lead role in ‘Private Show.’”

After that, Jaclyn and Sir Ricky worked in many other films. She was in Lino Brocka’s “Macho Dancer” (1988), Joel Lamangan’s “The Flor Contemplacion Story” (1995) and

Jaclyn Jose

Jaclyn with daughter Andi and grandchildren Ellie, Lilo and Koa Photos from Instagram/@jaclynjose

Philippine pride on Broadway: Red Concepcion’s ‘Chicago’ triumph

by MOMAR G. VISAYA / AJPress

MEET Red Concepcion, a seasoned actor from the Philippines and the newest sensation under the dazzling lights of Broadway’s Great White Way.

In an interview with the Asian Journal, Concepcion talked about his Broadway debut and shared his unique journey and approach to portraying the character of Amos in the musical Chicago.

“It’s surreal, I almost couldn’t believe it,” he told us. “But I am starting to find my groove.”

Red’s first performance was last January 15 and his first rehearsal with the cast was a short ten days earlier.

Recognizing the significance of being the first Filipino to play the role, Concepcion delves into his connection with the character. He draws inspiration from the history of Filipino immigrants in the 1920s, a period when Chicago was set, and emphasizes the importance of bringing his Filipino identity into his performance.

Amos, a mechanic in the show, represents an unseen figure, someone overlooked, and Concepcion wanted to reflect the Filipino immigrant experience through this character.

Exploring the struggles and triumphs of Filipino immigrants during the 1920s, particularly the workers’ strike, he aims to mirror the resilience and strength of the community.

Amos becomes a metaphor for breaking free from being unseen and having a voice, reflecting the broader theme of standing against injustice.

Concepcion’s journey intersects with Amos’s story, highlighting the collective experience of

Filipinos as immigrants and their tendency to navigate challenges with a resilient and accommodating spirit. His portrayal seeks to challenge stereotypes and celebrate the Filipino identity, showing that even those taught to blend in and avoid rocking the boat can also have a powerful voice and make a stand. When asked about envisioning Broadway in his earlier years, Concepcion revealed, “I feel like my whole life kind of led up to this. I had been prepared by everything, all my experiences in theater.” Despite his debut status on Broadway, Concepcion is no newcomer to the world of theater, having honed his skills and garnered acclaim in various productions.

Concepcion initially pursued Organization

Communications at UP Manila but received a scholarship to study musical theater in Singapore after two years. Despite the scholarship covering only tuition, he started the program but couldn’t finish due to financial constraints.

Returning to the Philippines, Concepcion began working. While performing in “Priscilla Queen of the Desert” in Manila, the show extended to Singapore. During his day off, he stumbled upon his old school La Salle College of the Arts’ new building, recalling how he once felt his life was ending for not finishing his studies.

Concepcion’s parents were both musical theater actors in the Philippines, associated with the Metropolitan Chorus before its closure in Manila.

Concepcion initially started

working as a voice actor at the age of 10, dubbing voices for commercials. His first paycheck, earned from a McDonald’s commercial, went towards buying a Bible.

Although performance and music were inherent in his upbringing, Concepcion’s parents were initially reluctant about him pursuing a career in the performing arts. They were concerned about the challenges, heartaches, and difficulties associated with the profession, having experienced them during their own time as actors. Despite their reservations, Concepcion continued to navigate his path in the performing arts.

In 2017, Concepcion participated in the UK and Ireland tour of Miss Saigon for about a year and a half before being transferred to the United States to open the national tour. However, the pandemic disrupted these plans.

Concepcion was in a transitional phase between agents when he decided to audition for the role in “Chicago.” Despite feeling down and questioning his recent move to New York, he attended an open call for the musical. Initially uncertain about securing a slot, he decided to take the chance. During the audition process, he was asked to sing another song and later received material for a callback. After a work session, he unexpectedly received the news of landing the role just three days before Christmas. The experience was both a

rollercoaster of uncertainty and a joyous surprise for Concepcion.

The whirlwind experience began with quick rehearsals, leading up to his opening night on January 15. Concepcion faced the challenge of mastering his role in just ten days, making every moment a discovery.

“It’s a constant learning, improving, discovering,” he added, emphasizing the excitement and continuous evolution that theater brings.

In the context of increasing Filipino representation, Concepcion acknowledged the camaraderie among Filipino actors, both on and off Broadway. He cited instances of connecting with fellow Filipino performers in Chicago, and previously in Miss Saigon where he logged more than 800 performances, creating a sense of community and shared identity.

With Chicago being one of the longest-running American musicals, Concepcion recognizes the significance of contributing to its rich history. He aims to make the role of Amos his own, finding new nuances and joy in each performance. The open approach to interpretation encouraged by Chicago’s creative team allows Concepcion to bring his unique perspective to the character.

As for the future, Concepcion remains dedicated to acting as long as the opportunity allows. While contemplating potential paths, he expressed an interest in producing, considering it a logical next step in his career. However, he remains open to the unpredictable nature of life, emphasizing his love for pottery and envisioning a tranquil life surrounded by nature someday. 

Joining the cast of Chicago holds personal significance for Concepcion as the first Filipino in the role. Delving into his approach to the character, he expressed a desire to incorporate his Filipino identity into Amos. Inspired by the history of Filipino immigrants in the 1920s, Concepcion aims to mirror their experiences of invisibility and resilience within the narrative.

AJPress Photo by Momar G. Visaya

Having built a robust foundation in the Philippines, Concepcion seamlessly transitioned to Broadway. His extensive experience, spanning over 15 years, prepared him for this moment. From his first professional performance in Singapore and Hong Kong to national tours and collaborations with major theater companies, Concepcion’s journey led him to the pinnacle of Broadway.

Liza Soberano stuns as presenter at Japan anime awards

By Kathleen a llemit Philstar.com

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. g

Andi Eigenmann on late mom...

“Aishite Imasu Mahal Kita 1941” (2004).

Jaclyn also starred in Ricky’s first theater play, “Pitik-Bulag sa Buwan ng Pebrero” (2009), directed by Joel Lamangan. It was also Jaclyn’s first theater venture.

“She was really nervous at that time, but she turned out to be very good and natural,” Ricky recalled.

Jaclyn also did director Laurice Guillen’s teleplay, “Desaparecidos” (2014), also written by the National Artist.

“I did many films with Jaclyn,” Ricky proudly said. “She became my friend through the years with our projects together. She was very simple. Hindi siya artista. Taong-tao. Madali mong makasundo.”

When Jaclyn watched her last film with Ricky, Mac Alejandre’s “Call Me Alma,” shown at the Cinemalaya Film Festival last year, she was in tears while watching.

“Taong-tao siya,” Ricky said. “She was watching her film at umiiyak pa rin siya at nagre-react siya.”

When Ricky became the president of FAMAS, she got Jaclyn as juror. That was after she won for “Ma’ Rosa” at the Cannes Film Festival.

“She had a keen eye for detail,” he noted. “She remembered the details about what she saw in the movie that we discussed. She had a very sharp eye.”

In 2022, Jaclyn essayed the role of a killer mom for the first time, a real challenge for her, in director Bobby Bonifacio Jr.’s dark, psychological and sexy thriller, “Tahan,” written by Quinn Carillo. The latter coined the title from a mother’s plea to her child.

“It was really difficult,” Jaclyn said then

The untold saga of Daria...

actress, which she — for the first time — shared with the public via “Ogie Diaz Inspires” vlog.

For many years now, Daria has been living alone. No partner or fiance (who came after Joey). She doesn’t even share the same roof with either of her kids.

“I think I got used to it. I was probably brought up that way by my parents. That’s why I’m strong,” Daria justified her solitude.

Fending for herself, it’s only necessary she finds ways and means to survive.

Nah, Daria didn’t give us the impression that she’s in a state of abject poverty, only in need like anyone else.

Since acting jobs come in trickles these days, what admittedly concerns her is how she’ll go about her daily routine, telling herself: “Naku, sino na naman kaya ang lalapitan ko bukas?” (Who shall I run to for help tomorrow?)

Before going any further, Daria is well aware her revelations might elicit violent reactions from Cheenee and Keempee: “But I’m just telling the truth, so why should I be ashamed?”

move, every plan to come from him. I already told him about this, inuulit ko lang (and I’m just repeating it).

“You know what his reaction was? ‘”Yun ba ang gusto mong mangyari?’

Tatango lang siya, tapos, magpapaalam na: ‘Sige, aalis na ako. May pupuntahan pa ‘ko!’” (He’ll say, “Is that what you’d like to happen?” Then he’ll nod and say, “OK, I’m leaving now. I’ve still got somewhere to go.”)

grudges against his dad?

Kasi naman, Joey doesn’t visit his kids at home! Ang ending: it was Keempee who got bashed by the netizens, kesyo ang tanda-tanda na raw ni Keempee, dependent pa sa tatay niya! (Netizens bashed him for being so old yet still dependent on his father).”

about her role. “I got to take out innards of the guys I kill. Then I throw them away. But my director helped me a lot in every detail of this project.”

Being a killer mom was totally shocking and unbelievable for Jaclyn. “I never thought a mother could do everything I did in this film,” she asserted.

The multi-awarded actress found it hard to say “no” when “Tahan” was offered to her. As the domineering mother, Nora, Jaclyn didn’t initially have qualms about tragically throwing her daughter into prostitution. Nora went on a killing spree to save her daughter from the latter’s abusive clients.

“You can’t say no to a good project,” Jaclyn insisted. “I believe in the project. Very mysterious. When I talk to new stars, I always tell them, I was once there. I will never terrorize the newcomers.

“The young stars are the next generation who can continue in this industry. We need to make their job easy so they can do well in showbiz. We should be nice to them. They are the future of this industry. They will continue the work. So, let’s not intimidate them.”

Jaclyn agreed that “Tahan” was a mother’s longing for her children. “If you are a mother, you will not stop crying,” she explained. “You can’t stop a mother when she cries.

“When a mother misses her children, you just have to control and keep on loving. A mother cannot stop. She is consistently on the look out. Even when she’s sleeping, you cannot stop a mom when she cries.”

Jaclyn is survived by her son Gwen, daughter Andi, and grandchildren Ellie, Lilo, and Koa. g

Nevertheless, her financially challenged situation compelled Daria to seize the opportunity to go on Ogie’s vlog show and channel a request to her estranged husband.

Facing the camera, a straightforward Daria tells Joey: “De Leon (that’s how she addresses Joey), if you’re watching or any of your friends are watching, may pakiusap sana ako sa iyo (I have a favor to ask you). Since we’ve been off for many, many years, why don’t you just give me monthly support as well as find a place where I can stay. Yes, hindi ako nahihiyang sabihing kailangan ko ng pera (I am not ashamed to say I’m in need of money), but let me be clear about this, hindi ako nanggugulo sa inyo ni (I won’t cause any trouble for you and) Aileen (Macapagal, Joey’s current partner).”

Even before she could mouth such words, Daria already had an idea what Joey’s reaction would be based on how well she knows comedian and TV host: “Si Joey kasi ‘yung tipo ng taong ayaw na ayaw siyang pinangungunahan. (Joey is the type of person who really hates being preempted). He wants every decision, every

Apart from asking for regular monetary support, Daria wishes that Joey gets their marriage annulled, but this time at the latter’s expense.

“Naku, nakagastos na ako ng (I already spent) P1 million, which I didn’t even know where it went. Nagulat na lang ako isang araw, annulled na raw ang kasal namin! (I was just surprised when one day, I was told our marriage was already annulled). Sa loob-loob ko, (In my mind, I thought) ‘How did it happen when I don’t remember having affixed my signature on the documents?!’”

Caught in this confusion, Daria can hardly find any justification for what her children’s personal lives have become: “Si Cheenee, nahiwalay sa asawa (is separated). Si Keempee, binatang ama (is a single father). I didn’t realize that my relationship with their father would take a heavy toll on them.”

This is also precisely the reason why Daria can’t blame Keempee if the latter poured out his sentiments toward Joey on social media last year.

“Remember when Keempee had posted his

Daria confessed to being hurt by the deluge of social media attacks against her son, “Simply because I know Keempee more than than those judgmental netizens do! My son is never like that!

Even Tita Caring (fellow veteran actress Caridad Sanchez) tells me, ‘Dada, ang babait ng mga anak mo! At ang gaganda/guwapo pa!’ Sabi ko naman, ‘Tita Caring, ang babait na lang...kasi ‘yung maganda’t guwapo, given na!’ (laughs).” (Tita Caring would tell me my children are very good and also good-looking. On the other hand, I’d then say she can just praise them for being good because being goodlooking is already a given to them!)

To further prove Keempee isn’t a resentful child, Daria points out: “For the netizens’ information, for three months last year pinupuntahan ako ni Keempee sa bahay, inaabutan ako ng pera. (Kempee regularly visited me at home and gave me money). If I refused, he’d insist that I get it!”

Meanwhile, in Cheenee’s case, Daria asserts she’s not throwing in the towel to make her realize one day her mind was just “poisoned” about her. Like Keempee, Cheenee is as much loved, valued and appreciated. (By Ronnie Carrasco/ManilaTimes.net)

Daria Ramirez is comedian and TV host Joey de Leon’s legal wife and mother to his eldest children. GMA photo

Liza Soberano graces the yellow carpet of the Crunchyroll Anime Awards on Saturday, March 2, in Tokyo, Japan.

Photos from Instagram/@lizasoberano