030924 - Los Angeles Weekend Edition

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SLOW-growing

a Friday, March 1 Ethnic Media

Services briefing, immigration policy experts discussed how we have reached our present crisis, economically sound solutions and the human cost of our current system.

A century of green card caps

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

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

LOS ANGELES — Jessica Caloza is a step closer to becoming the first Filipino American woman to get a seat in the California Legislature after garnering the highest votes in the recent primary election.

Caloza registered about 30.13%, or around 15,931 votes, in her bid for the California Assembly District 52 seat, based on unofficial results on Friday, March 8 for the recently concluded March 5 primary election.

The Los Angeles County registrar is slated to certify election results by March 29, while the California secretary of state will certify results by April 12.

Assembly District 52 includes south Glendale, Eagle Rock, Mt. Washington, Highland Park, Glassell Park, Silver Lake, Echo Park, Atwater Village, Lincoln Heights, Loz Feliz, East Hollywood, Cypress Park, Elysian Valley, Monterey Hills, Hermon, Montecito Heights, El Sereno and East Los Angeles. There are about 13,000 Filipino American voters in this district.

PRESIDENT Joe Biden touted his administration’s accomplishments in health care in a wide-ranging State of the Union address on Thursday evening that touched on subjects such as immigration, the economy, crime, job growth, infrastructure, and the Israel-Hamas war.

With Biden and former President Donald Trump now the presumptive Democratic and Republican nominees, Biden used the roughly 68-minute speech to counter his lackluster public approval ratings and draw clear contrasts between his administration’s policies and those of Trump and some congressional Republicans. But he never mentioned Trump by name, instead referring to him as his “predecessor.”

Biden came out swinging, speaking about freedom and democracy, and support for Ukraine and NATO. And he reminded lawmakers that history is watching. Our PolitiFact partners fact-checked the debate in real time.

MARCH 5 marked California's primary election and several Filipino Americans ran for various state and local seats.

Jessica Caloza, a women’s right advocate with extensive experience working for the federal, state and local government, continues to lead the race for Assembly District 52 with 30.13% of the votes (15,931), according to results from the California Secretary of State as of Friday, March 8. She will head to the general election in November and is another step closer to making history.

If elected, Caloza, who previously served a Los Angeles Board of Public Works commissioner, would become the first Filipina American in the California state legislature.

The 52nd Assembly District includes Glendale, parts of East LA and neighborhoods of LA, such as East Hollywood, Los Feliz, Virgil Village, Silver Lake, Atwater Village, Glassell Park, Cypress Park, Elysian Valley, Echo Park, Eagle Rock and Highland Park.

There are about 13,000 Filipino American registered voters in this district.

“It’s a district that has never been

Over 1.2 million int’l visitors arrived in rst two months of 2024 — DOT

by CHARIE ABARCA Inquirer.net

MANILA — The Philippines’ international visitors

arm of the KOJC, posted on X Duterte’s designation as administrator of KOJC’s estate. Duterte accepted the designation, his former executive secretary Salvador Medialdea told The STAR SMNI is under indefinite suspension by the National Telecommunications Commission.

Duterte’s program “Gikan sa Masa para sa Masa,” along  PAGE A3

How Fil-Am candidates fared in the California...

represented by an Asian American. And in the Assembly, we have never elected a Filipino woman ever. So if I make it, I would be the first,” said Caloza in a previous interview with the Asian Journal.

Jed Leano — an immigration attorney, councilmemer and former mayor of Claremont, California — came in fourth with 15.41% of the votes (9,429) in the race for state Assembly's 41st District, according to the Los Angeles County RegistrarRecorder/County Clerk results as of Thursday, March 7. The 41st District covers Los Angeles County cities, such as Pasadena, Altadena, La Cañada Flintridge, San Dimas, Sierra Madre, and San Bernardino County cities of Rancho Cucamonga, San Antonio Heights and Upland.

"Last night was a beautiful celebration of the mission that united us. This morning, I called John Harabedian to congratulate him on an excellent campaign and gave him my endorsement for AD 41. My deepest gratitude for all our amazing allies in journey" Leano wrote in a Facebook post.

Republican candidate Michelle Del Rosario Martinez came out on top in that race with 34.95% of the votes, followed by Democrat John Harabedian with 31.98% of the votes.

In the race for State Senate District 3, Democrat Christopher Cabaldon, former mayor of West Sacramento, trails in second with 26.5% of the votes (42,409), as of Friday, March 8.

In a statement issued Tuesday night, Cabaldon said, “the initial results are indeed encouraging, and while we are optimistic, we recognize that every vote counts and every voice matters. We are committed to giving our election officials the time they need to ensure every ballot is counted and eagerly await the final tally.”

State Senate District 3 includes parts of Solano, Yolo, Napa, Contra Costa, Sonoma and Sacramento counties.

Cabaldon was the first openly gay Filipino in the country to be elected mayor and was also the longest-serving LGBT mayor in the country.

Another Fil-Am, Rozzanna Verder-Aliga trails in third place in this race with 20.4% of the

votes (32,697). Verder-Aliga is a mental health care professional and the current vice mayor of Vallejo. Kurt Jose, a lawyer, ran for a U.S. congressional seat for California's 31st District, which covers West Covina, El Monte, La Verne and other areas of the San Gabriel Valley. He garnered only 1.3% of the votes (883) in a crowded race of 10 candidates. Several Fil-Ams also ran for local Los Angeles races during this cycle.

As of Friday, March 8, Fil-Am housing rights lawyer Ysabel Jurado is in second place with 21.51% (5,214 votes) of the votes in the race for Los Angeles City Council District 14, which covers Eagle Rock, Highland Park, Downtown Los Angeles, Boyle Heights, Lincoln Heights, and El Sereno. Jurado trails behind incumbent Kevin De León, who leads with 25.34% of the votes (6,143).

“I’ve always been an organizer and I never thought I would run for office, it’s true. But I feel called for this by my community. We [Filipinos] are the secondlargest Asian population in Southern California and yet we

haven’t had a council member ever is wild to me,” Jurado told the Asian Journal in a 2023 interview.

Ely De La Cruz Ayao, a Filipino immigrant and retired real estate broker, ran for LA City Council's District 6, which includes the communities of Arleta, Lake Balboa, North Hills, North Hollywood, Pacoima, Panorama City, Sun Valley and Van Nuys. He came in second with 12.56% of the votes (1,820) and was defeated by incumbent councilmember Imelda Padilla, who garnered 77.46% of the votes (11,227). Meawhile, in San Diego, current Mayor Todd Gloria is bound for a November runoff. Gloria had 50.9% of the vote, followed by 24.3% for San Diego police officer Larry Turner, as of Wednesday, March 6.

"Thank you San Diego!

The preliminary primary election results exceeded my expectations and put us on a path to victory in November. I’m excited to continue to work hard for my beloved hometown with the vision of building a city that works #ForAllofUs," Gloria wrote in a social media post. 

Thailand, and

met with senior government officials to reaffirm the U.S. commitment to work together with allies and partners to tackle the most serious global and

challenges of the 21st century.

"We will be flying and sailing around the region," the U.S. official said during a digital press

briefing attended by the Manila Times and other journalists from Asia and the U.S. Matthew Miller, spokesman of the U.S. Department of State said that the provocative actions by China demonstrated disregard for the safety of Filipinos and international law. He commented that the U.S. stands with the Philippines and its allies in the face of these

dangerous and unlawful actions. The U.S. called on China to observe the arbitral award on the South China Sea and stop its dangerous and destabilizing actions.

The Pentagon Press Secretary said that the dangerous actions by China have resulted in injuries to Filipino crew members and demonstrated disregard for international law. 

Over 1.2 million int’l visitors arrived...

Cheers to all the reasons to celebrate and Love the Philippines,” said Frasco at the Internationale Tourismus-Börse (ITB) 2024 Convention in Berlin, Germany. DOT earlier announced that it will target 7.7 million international visitors in 2024. In a statement issued Thursday, March 7, DOT presented a breakdown of the 1.2 million international visitors as follows:

• Foreign tourist arrivals (1,160,129 or 94.9 percent)

• Overseas Filipinos (67,686 or 5.51 percent)

“This is 22.86 percent higher than the 999,390 arrivals received by the country in the same period in 2023,” said DOT.

South Korea is still PH’s top visitors Citing their data, DOT likewise disclosed that South Korea remained the country’s “top source market” for visitors. In the first two months of 2024, the Philippines recorded 349,956 visitors from South Korea. This was followed by the United States of America (195,603); China (85,876); Japan (73,159); and Canada (50,555).

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

• Australia (50,488)

• Taiwan (42,955)

• United Kingdom (30,507)

• Singapore (25,253)

• Germany (20,816).

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

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

Duterte named Quiboloy group property...

PAGE A1

with another program, “Laban Kasama ng Bayan,” was also suspended by the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board following complaints that they had been airing profanity and death threats as well as broadcasting unverified data.

“Former President Rodrigo Duterte is appointed as new administrator for KOJC properties,” SMNI posted on X.

Quiboloy is in hiding from prosecution – and possible arrest by U.S. authorities – for sex trafficking, rape, fraud and cash smuggling.

Duterte was named estate administrator after California Judge Terry Hatter Jr. ordered the unsealing of the arrest warrants against Quiboloy and his co-accused upon the request of the U.S. Attorney General Criminal Division.

The sect leader and selfstyled appointed “son of God” is facing sex trafficking, fraud, conspiracy and bulk cash smuggling charges in the U.S.

Meanwhile, the Department of Justice said it has yet to receive a request from the U.S. for the extradition of Quiboloy.

“There is no extradition request received yet by the DOJ from the DFA (Department of Foreign Affairs). It’s difficult, however, to speak on hypothetical situations,” DOJ spokesman Mico Clavano said in a text message to reporters.

“The government’s goal is to attain justice in whatever form and through the best forum. The decision to resolve came as a result of almost a year of verifying the evidence on record as well as the identity of the alleged victim,” Clavano said.

DOJ case

The DOJ also recently ordered the filing of sexual abuse and qualified trafficking charges against Quiboloy.

This came after the reversal of a 2020 decision of the Davao City prosecutor’s office, which dismissed the charges of rape, child abuse and human trafficking against the sect leader and his followers.

Regarding SMNI’s franchise issue with the House of Representatives, Quiboloy’s lawyers confirmed their receipt of a subpoena for his attendance to the March 12 hearing by the committee on legislative franchises but clarified that

he was not the owner of the network. The committee, headed by Parañaque Rep. Gus Tambunting, had issued a subpoena to Quiboloy to attend the panel’s hearing on alleged franchise violation of SMNI.

In a letter to Tambunting dated March 8, Quiboloy’s lawyers Ferdinand Topacio, Joselito Lomangaya and Raphael Antonio Andrada said it is “important … to clarify that Pastor Quiboloy has not been involved in the management and operations of SMNI since the last quarter of 2018.”

The lawyers did not categorically say if he was skipping the hearing. “In fact, (Quiboloy) was therefore definitely no longer such when the franchise of SMNI was renewed in 22 August 2019,” they said.

They said the Securities and Exchange Commission had also been informed of “his substitution by Mr. Marlon Acobo” as executive pastor of KOJC in a filing in December 2022, as reflected in the amended Articles of Incorporation released in January 2023.

The letter stated that the only title that Quiboloy continues to hold is “honorary chairman” which is “purely honorific in character.”

“Thus, under the circumstances, Pastor Apollo Quiboloy does not possess the specific details or documents that your Honorable Committee would ask from him,” they said.

The lawyers noted that they recognize the importance of legislative inquiries. “We have thoroughly reviewed the requirements and the nature of the information, based on past hearings, and fully understand the significance of the inquiries of your committee,” the letter read.

Aside from Acobo, the committee may also subpoena staff members Eunice Ambrocio and Maria Norfelly Marimon.

“We are confident that these individuals can contribute valuable insight and information pertinent to your Honorable Committee’s investigation,” they added.

Respectable

Meanwhile, Sen. Ronald dela Rosa said he is not convinced of the veracity of sexual allegations against Quiboloy, whom he

claimed he highly respects.

“My impression of him (Quiboloy) is that he is a respectable person and that he cannot do such stupid things that are alleged against him,” the senator said. Dela Rosa, however, clarified that he didn’t know everything Quiboloy was doing as he was not with the religious leader day and night. “I don’t watch him 24 hours but if you ask my opinion about him, he is highly respected. I admire him myself, he is the son of God so, I least expected him to commit such an offense… that’s just my opinion,” the senator added.

Earlier, Sen. Risa Hontiveros, chair of the Senate committee on women and children, cited Quiboloy in contempt for snubbing the committee’s invitation to shed light on allegations of sexual abuses.

Sen. Robinhood Padilla said he is against detaining Quiboloy, whom he believed was a “victim.”

“I have my own reasons. My own reason – for me, pastor became a victim because he fought the New People’s Army,” Padilla said.

A group called Movement Against Tyranny (MAT) is calling on senators to hold Quiboloy accountable for snubbing a Senate investigation.

“We call all the senators to uphold truth and justice and the triumph of the Cross and the Resurrection that we, as Christians, reflect on in this Lenten season and commit to throughout our life,” MAT convenor Carol Araullo said in a statement.

Araullo also called on Padilla, and Senators Cynthia Villar, Imee Marcos and Bong Go to support Hontiveros’ contempt charges against Quiboloy in support of International Women’s Day.

Araullo said senators should commemorate women’s day and recognize the bravery of the women who spoke out against the religious leader’s transgressions by making Quiboloy accountable for his actions.

“Quiboloy’s cowardly no-show at the Senate hearing further confirms his possible guilt,” she said. (Nillicent Bautista, Sheila Crisostomo, Ghio Ong, Cecille Suerte Felipe, Emmanuel Tupas/ Philstar.com)

Jessica Caloza leads in primary election...

gratitude to all her supporters.

“I first want to give an enormous thank you to the hundreds of volunteers and supporters who worked tirelessly to get us to this point. Every day, working-class people have been the backbone of our campaign and I am deeply grateful to all of you,” she said.

Caloza thanked the Filipino community for this initial victory.

“I am extremely humbled by the support our campaign has received from every corner of this district from Glendale to Northeast LA to East LA, including from the Filipino community,” she added.

Caloza also appealed to her supporters to remain steadfast and continue to rally behind her campaign for the Assembly.

“That said, this is only one step in this process, and I look forward to continuing to make the case in the coming months that I am the best candidate to deliver for District 52 on the most important issues, from affordable housing and homelessness, to climate action, more good-paying jobs, safer communities, investments in local classrooms, women’s rights and more,” she said.

Caloza is vying to make history as the first Filipino American woman elected to the California state Legislature.

This isn’t the first time Caloza has made history. She has served at the highest levels of government at the federal, state, and local levels. Currently, she works for Rob Bonta, the first Filipino American to serve as the California Attorney General, and previously worked for President Barack Obama.

Before working for Bonta, Caloza served as the first Filipina on the powerful LA Board of Public Works.

In an earlier interview with the  Asian Journal, Caloza said Filipino Americans have an opportunity to make a mark in U.S. politics.

“In Los Angeles County, we have the largest population of Filipinos outside of the Philippines. There’s nearly half a million Filipinos in L.A. County but we have never elected anyone to the state level. Why? Because we’re not voting. That is a huge loss for our community, because it means that we don’t have a voice at the table for positions like the Assembly. An assemblymember is a powerful position and they help decide where your taxpayer dollars go. They’re the ones who write the bills that eventually turn into law,” Caloza said. With the state facing a huge budget deficit, Caloza pointed out that it is crucial to elect somebody who can represent the district in securing much-needed funds for the community’s programs and projects.

“I want to make sure to promote policies that protect working families, especially immigrants. Filipinos play a huge role in that. We have to make sure that we protect the programs that are really important around education, small businesses, housing affordability, women’s rights and that’s really important because we have a budget deficit of over $50 billion and so what does that mean? That means my job will be to make sure to protect resources for our district,” she added.

Caloza believes that she can also push for crucial policies that will create more opportunities and promote affordability for her constituents if she wins a seat in the CA Assembly.

“The biggest need is really affordability. We’ve been going

door-to-door, talking to people since October and the top issue is that people can’t afford to live in their neighborhood anymore,” said Caloza, who is a renter and lives in Eagle Rock. Her family immigrated from Quezon City, Philippines when she was very young.

“We are in a housing crisis and have to build more affordable and low-income housing. We also have to protect renters,” she noted. Caloza likewise sees the need to push for more policies that will help sustain small businesses in the district.

“If we have to make it affordable for people to live here, we need to make it affordable for businesses to survive here, too, and more than to survive but to actually thrive. We also need to make sure that workers have the benefits they need to succeed,” she said.

Caloza said she would also fight to ensure clean air and water for our neighborhoods and invest in public schools to give every child a shot at success.

In 2019, Caloza became the first Filipina American to serve on the LA Board of Public Works, overseeing more than 5,500 employees. As a Public Works commissioner, she expanded good-paying union jobs, raised wages for workers and required equal pay for women while increasing transparency and accountability.

In California Attorney General Rob Bonta’s office, Caloza served as deputy chief of staff, where she assisted Bonta in his bid to reduce crime and gun violence, take bold action to protect the environment, and helped victims of sexual assault receive justice.

After the March 5 primary election, the general election will be held on Tuesday, November 5, 2024. 

Jessica Caloza (center) is a step closer to becoming the first Filipina American in the California state Legislature as she leads in the race for the Assembly District 52 seat, according to initial results from the March 5 primary election. Photo courtesy of Jessica Caloza’s campaign

Fil-Am food company scores $250K investment on ‘Shark Tank’

by HANS CARBONILLA Inquirer.net

ADDING condiments and sauces to food is a common practice in Filipino dining experience.

With brands such as Fila Manila, enjoying these delicious options is now effortless.

In September of last year, Fila Manila expanded the distribution of its authentic sauces to more U.S. stores, including those nationally distributed in Whole Foods Market, select Target and Stop & Shop stores and all Meijer locations.

Bottling essential Filipino sauces like adobo and kare-kare and offering a range of products including banana ketchup, ube purple yam and coconut spread, the Filipino spreads and condiments company, led by first-generation Filipino American entrepreneur Jake Deleon, recently bagged a $250,000 investment on “Shark Tank.”

The founder of Kind Snacks

Daniel Lubetzky’s investment secured him 20 percent equity in the company, valuing Fila Manila at approximately $1.2 million. He also offered an additional five percent equity back to Deleon if certain performance benchmarks are met. Despite concerns raised by “Shark Tank” investor Lori Greiner about the broader appeal of Filipino cuisine, the company’s growth prospects won Lubetzky over.

In the episode, Deleon highlighted the growing popularity of Filipino cuisine, comparing its current status to where Korean and Japanese cuisines were a decade ago. With $400,000 in annual revenue in 2022, representing a 700 percent increase year-over-year, Fila Manila proved its potential in the market.

While other Sharks passed on the opportunity, Deleon ultimately

accepted Lubetzky’s offer, expressing his excitement about the partnership and the potential for growth with Lubetzky’s experience in building successful brands like Kind Snacks.

On Instagram, the Fil-Am company warmly welcomed Lubetzky, stating, “Daniel was an easy choice for us at Fila Manila. Welcome to the Fila Fam, @ daniellubetzky – we couldn’t be happier to have you here!”

Lubetzky also shared his excitement in a post, saying, “Salamat, or thank you, Fila Manila! It’s clear to me that @jakedeleon is an exceptional entrepreneur with passion and purpose. I can’t wait to watch him bring Filipino cuisine into the spotlight and represent his community in stores across the nation!”

With this investment, Fila Manila is poised to expand its presence in the market and introduce more consumers to the flavors of Filipino cuisine. 

Can we x a century of green card...

By the mid-1920s, the approval rate was about 50% due to the Immigration Act of 1924, setting “very low numerical limits based on country of birth, particularly restricting legal immigration from Eastern Europe and Asia. In the early ‘30s, we adopted a later phased-out public charge rule that banned almost all applicants,” explained Bier. Approvals remained below 20% during and after World War II, “and this is how we got from open borders to what we have now, which is almost closed borders — a 98% approval rate down to 3% for the last few years.”

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

“The caps are arbitrarily determined by the President in consultation with Congress, they have no basis in reality,” said Bier.

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

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

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

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

What would be the final gain?

of falling out of status in a never-ending limbo,” said Cyrus Mehta, an immigration lawyer and founding and managing partner of Cyrus D. Mehta & Partners.

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

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

U.S. population growth — which was 0.1% in 2021 and has been roughly 0.25% this decade so far — has never been lower.

“Even if after accepting the 35 million pending green cards, we increased ongoing legal immigration five-fold, we still wouldn’t catch up to Canada’s foreign-born population share,” Bier added. “The U.S. is a huge country, there’s no reason population wise we can’t welcome these people.”

The economics

Clearing green card backlogs by

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

U.S. immigrants who arrive at age 25 as high school dropouts have a net fiscal impact of +$216,000, not including descendants, which reduces their net fiscal impact to +$57,000.

By comparison, American-born dropouts of the same age have a net fiscal impact of −$32,000 that drops to −$177,000 including their descendants.

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

The human cost

“Working legal immigrants and their children are in danger

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

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

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

Biden said State of the Union is strong and made clear his...

Early in the speech, Biden pointed to the recent Alabama Supreme Court decision that effectively shut down in vitro fertilization treatments across the state, although its governor signed a bill into law March 6 to shield patients and providers from potential legal liability.

Biden challenged his “friends across the aisle” to “guarantee the right to IVF nationwide,” and connected this issue directly to the 2022 Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade. White House guests for the speech included Latorya Beasley of Birmingham, Alabama, whose IVF treatments were canceled because of her state’s court decision; and Kate Cox, who was denied an emergency abortion by the Texas Supreme Court. Members of the Democratic Women’s Caucus sat en bloc, wearing white to show solidarity for reproductive rights.

“Like most Americans, I believe Roe v. Wade got it right,” Biden said, adding that his “predecessor” came to office “determined” to see it overturned and has bragged about its undoing. “Clearly, those bragging about overturning Roe v. Wade have no clue about the power of women in America.”

Biden’s other health care hits included the first steps in implementing Medicare drug price negotiations, something on Democrats’ longtime policy wish list that became law as part of the Inflation Reduction Act he signed in August 2022. He noted that the federal health insurance program for seniors is now — for the first time — negotiating lower prices for some of the costliest drugs on the market. He pointed not only to the savings it would bring seniors, but also to the federal budget. Currently, 10 drugs can be added to the list annually. Biden called for an expansion of the program: “Now it’s time to go further and give Medicare the power to negotiate lower prices for 500 drugs over the next decade.”

He also claimed victory with other Medicare-related changes in that law — including a $35 insulin price cap and a $2,000 price cap on Medicare out-ofpocket drug expenses. In each of case, he challenged Congress to act with him to expand these steps to include everyone.

When it came to the Affordable Care Act, he said it is “still a very big deal” and pledged not only to protect it, but also to expand it by working to make permanent the tax subsidies first advanced at the height of the covid-19 pandemic to make health insurance more affordable.

“My predecessor

protection away by repealing the Affordable Care Act; I won’t let that happen,” he said, drawing heckles from opponents in the audience.

Afterward, some Republicans, including House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), said the address was overly partisan. Trump slammed it, telling Fox News that Biden “suffers from a terminal case of Trump derangement syndrome.” And Sen. Katie Britt (R-Ala.) gave the GOP response.

Here are health care highlights from PolitiFact: “The Alabama Supreme Court shut down IVF treatments across the state, unleashed by a Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade.”

On Feb. 16, the Alabama Supreme Court issued a ruling that said frozen embryos should be considered children.

The decision lacks the power to shut down in vitro fertilization treatments statewide. But it caused multiple clinics in the state to pause IVF treatments as they reviewed the decision and potential liabilities.

Since then, Alabama lawmakers passed legislation to shield IVF providers from civil or criminal liability in a rush to protect fertility treatments after backlash grew. Two clinics announced they were resuming operations after Republican Gov. Kay Ivey signed the law.

Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) — who had two daughters using in vitro fertilization — introduced a similar federal bill aimed at protecting IVF. But Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) blocked it Feb. 28, saying it was a “vast overreach that is full of poison pills that go way too far — far beyond ensuring legal access to IVF.”

“If you, the American people, send me a Congress that supports the right to choose, I promise you: I will restore Roe v. Wade as the law of the land again.”

PolitiFact continues to rate Biden’s promise to codify Roe v. Wade as “Stalled.”

Biden called on Congress to help him achieve his 2020 campaign promise to codify Roe v. Wade.

He can’t do it alone.

The Supreme Court ruled in 2022 to overturn Roe, ending nearly 50 years of federally protected abortion access.

Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) introduced the Women’s Health Protection Act of 2023, which would prohibit governmental restrictions on access to abortion. But it has no Republican cosponsors and didn’t advance.

PolitiFact has been tracking Biden’s campaign promise to codify Roe v. Wade, one of about 100 promises on the Biden

Photos from Instagram/@eatfilamanila, @sharktankabc

hospitalized for slight pneumonia and fever earlier this week.

In a statement, the president shared that he visited the Marcos matriarch as soon as he returned to Manila late Wednesday night,

March 6, from Melbourne where he attended the AseanAustralia Special Summit. "My mother is feeling much better. I visited her last night after arriving from Melbourne and she was awake, alert, and even up at midnight," he said. Marcos said his mother's medical team confirmed "her fever is gradually subsiding, and she is on the path to recovery." Mrs. Marcos, who turns 95

years old in July, will be staying in the hospital while continuing her treatment.

"We've decided to keep her in the hospital until she finishes her prescribed course of antibiotic treatment. This measure will also afford her the necessary rest and continuous medical supervision," the president said.

Sen. Maria Imelda Josefa "Imee" Marcos said her mother was admitted to the hospital on Tuesday, March 5. 

MANILA — The Philippines has made no progress in providing equal economic opportunities for women as it kept its previous year’s rating in the latest Women, Business and Law report of the World Bank.

The report, which measures laws affecting women’s economic opportunity in 190 economies, showed the Philippines scored 78.8 out of 100, unchanged from its score last year.

This score is based on the Women, Business and the Law 1.0 data, which takes into account eight indicators structured around women’s interactions with the law as they move through their lives and careers such as mobility, workplace, pay, marriage, parenthood, entrepreneurship, assets and pension.

The Philippines’ score is slightly higher than the global average score of 77.9 and the regional average score of East Asia and the Pacific of 73.

In addition to the Women, Business and the Law 1.0 data, this year’s edition presents a new approach to measure the implementation gap between the law and how they function in practice through the Women, Business and the Law 2.0 data.

The new approach analyzes legal frameworks, supportive

frameworks and expert opinions on the status of women’s rights and adds two new indicators: safety and childcare.

Based on the new approach, the Philippines got a legal frameworks index score of 70 out of 100, higher than the legal index global average of 64.2 and the average regional score of 57.8.

The World Bank said none of the 25 economies in the East Asia and Pacific region received a score of 100 in the legal frameworks index.

It said this “means that no economy in the region has achieved legal gender parity in the areas measured.”

The World Bank also said no economy in the region got a score above 90 and only four economies received a score of 75 or above, such as Vietnam, Mongolia, Hong Kong and Taiwan.

In terms of supportive frameworks, the Philippines got a rating of 54.2, also higher than the global average score of 39.5 and average regional score of 33.9.

“Women have the power to turbocharge the sputtering global economy,” said Indermit Gill, chief economist of the World Bank Group and senior vice president for development economics.

Discriminatory laws and practices prevent women from working or starting businesses

on an equal footing with men, he said.

“Closing this gap could raise global gross domestic product by more than 20 percent –essentially doubling the global growth rate over the next decade – but reforms have slowed to a crawl,” he added.

The report provides recommendations on what governments can do to accelerate progress toward gender equality in business and the law, he noted.

These recommendations are to improve laws related to women’s safety, access to childcare and business opportunities, as well as establish frameworks that support the effective implementation of laws promoting gender equality.

The World Bank recommended enacting reforms that mandate equal pay for work of equal value and lift restrictions on a woman’s ability to work in industrial jobs.

Other recommendations include expanding maternity and paternity leave provisions and prohibiting the firing of pregnant women; prohibiting sexual harassment in the workplace, in public spaces, at universities and online; providing financial support for parents with young children and establishing quality standards for childcare services and implementing legally binding quotas for women on corporate boards of publicly listed companies. 

Senate-House dialogue proposed

by DELON PORCALLA Philstar.com

MANILA — Conflicting versions of the Senate and the House of Representatives on the proposed economic amendments to the 1987 Constitution, specifically the contentious issue on voting, should be threshed out in a dialogue among senators and congressmen, according to former Senator Gregorio Honasan.

“There’s nothing wrong in sitting down and engaging in a dialogue. We have to do this together,” Honasan told Senior Deputy Speaker Aurelio Gonzales Jr. during the hearing of the House committee of the whole on Wednesday, March 6.

“We are exposing our strengths and weaknesses as a young democracy to temporary friends and allies. This is not good for us,” Honasan said, adding that the nation’s leaders should avoid wrangling in public and settle their differences discreetly.

Both Houses 6, even if he already promised the Senate’s approval to President Marcos, Gonzales said.

This latest development leaves economic Charter change in the Senate with uncertainty, unlike in the House where plenary debates on Resolution of Both Houses 7 will start on March 11, and is projected to be approved on second reading by March 13.

The House committee of the whole approved RBH7 on Wednesday after six days of exhaustive marathon hearings, which started on Feb. 26.

The House is set to pass the resolution on second reading next week. The chamber is targeting final and third-reading approval before Congress goes on its Holy Week recess on March 23, and then send RBH7 to the Senate.

Philippines campus for Ivy League schools

no more need for students to go abroad. I’m supportive of access to education,” Rep. Fidel Nograles told reporters.

MANILA – A fight between Manny Pacquiao and undefeated prospect Conor Benn again gained traction after the two met at a boxing event in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Friday, March 8.

Pacquiao, who is the oil-rich Middle Eastern powerhouse for the upcoming heavyweight bout between Anthony Joshua and Francis Ngannou, crossed paths with the 27-year-old Benn at the weigh-in, immediately drawing attention from the media.

“One reporter came up, mentioned some stuff, and all of a sudden it was like chaos. It was like a feeding frenzy, like the fight was happening,” said Sean Gibbons, president of MP Promotions, who is also with Pacquiao in Riyadh.

“You have reporters sticking their mics in Manny's face, in Conor’s. Next thing you know, [they're] like 'do a face-off’,” he continued.

Pacquiao and Gibbons will be ringside at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh for Joshua-Ngannou upon the invitation of His Excellency Turki Alalshikh, the chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General

Entertainment Authority, which promotes the fight. There had been previous talks about a showdown between Pacquiao and the British Benn 23-0 (14 knockouts), son of former champion Nigel Benn, but none have come into fruition.

But Friday’s meet-up inevitably breathed new life into the idea.

“So long story short, like Conor Benn said 'from idols to rivals',” said Gibbons.

“Manny Pacquiao had the itch to fight ever since his political

campaign ended. We've been working on things. So if an opportunity comes up and His Excellency Turki wants to put this fight on in Saudi Arabia, Manny Pacquiao is ready to go.”

The 45-year-old Pacquiao hasn’t fought professionally since losing to Yordenis Ugas in 2021. But he took on Korean vlogger DK Yoo in an exhibition match in 2022, and is reportedly scheduled to do the same against Muay Thai superstar Buakaw Banchamek next month in Bangkok. 

This is in light of the admission recently made by Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri that his leadership is finding it hard to get the votes of 18 senators to approve their Resolution of

Allowing Ivy League schools in the U.S. to put up branches in the country will force local institutions to improve their quality of education, without sacrificing the need to inculcate patriotism among Filipino students, administration lawmakers said.

“If we will have a Harvard University here, then there is

MANILA – Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte on Friday, March 8 stressed anew the need to uphold the protection of women against insurgency and violence as the world marked International Women’s Day. In a prerecorded video, Duterte said it’s crucial to discuss pressing issues that put women’s welfare and lives at risk.

“Isaisip natin si Dr. Sharmaine Baroquillo na isang kawani ng pamahalaan na biktima ng karahasan at ang abogadang kasapi ng New People’s Army na namatay sa Bohol habang pinaglalaban ang bulok na ideolohiya ng terorismo at pagpapabagsak sa pamahalaan (Let’s remember Dr. Sharmaine Baroquillo, a government employee, a victim of violence, and the lawyer-member of the New People’s Army [NPA] who died in Bohol while fighting for the rotten ideology of terrorism and government destabilization),” she said.

Baroquillo was allegedly shot by three men in Buluan, Maguindanao del Sur while on her way to Sultan Kudarat Provincial Hospital on Feb. 3.

The alleged NPA member, Hannah Joy Cesista (alias Maya or Lean), meanwhile, died during an armed encounter with government troops in Bilar, Bohol on Feb. 23.

“Nariyan din ang mga ina ng mga kabataang inarmasan at biktima ng panlilinlang ng NPA na hanggang ngayon ay nawawala o di kaya umuwi na wala ng buhay (There are also the mothers of the youth armed and victimized by the deception of the NPA who until now are still missing or came home dead),” Duterte added.

Moreover, the vice president mentioned the sacrifices of the female family members of security frontliners. “Huwag din nating kalimutan ang mga ina, asawa, o kapatid ng mga pulis at sundalong nagbuwis ng buhay para matiyak lang na ligtas tayo at ang ating bayan (Let’s not forget the mothers, wives, or sisters of policemen and soldiers who have sacrificed their lives to ensure our safety and the country’s security),” she said. Duterte further insisted that true support for women entails equal opportunities, freedom to choose and excel in their

avenues, access to education, and protection for the foundation of Filipino families, among others.

“Isulong natin ang sapat at angkop na edukasyon para sa publiko. Tulungan ang mga grupong tunay na tagapagtanggol ng karapatan at kapakanan ng mga kababaihan. Suportahan natin ang mga batas para sa kababaihan (Let’s promote adequate and appropriate education for the public. Help groups that are truly fighting for women’s rights and welfare. Let’s support laws in favor of women),” she said.

The Department of Education (DepEd) likewise lauded women’s contribution to society.

“Ensuring women’s and girls' rights across all aspects of life is the only way to secure a prosperous and just economies and a healthy planet for future generations,” the DepEd said in a separate statement.

This year’s International Women’s Day is celebrated with the theme “Investing in Women: Accelerate Progress,” with the aim to push for the realization of “decent work and gender equality” across all sectors. (PNA)

Invest in women, accelerate progress

THE international community marked Women’s Day on Friday, March 8 with governments enjoined to invest in the empowerment of women. Much progress has been made in gender equality over the past decades, but UN Women has warned that the gains are being eroded by geopolitical conflict, climate change and polarizing societies.

By

Editorial

Women’s Day: “Invest in women, accelerate progress.”

To achieve Sustainable Development Goals related to gender equality, the UN estimates that an additional $360 billion a year is needed in developing countries alone. UN Women is urging governments to increase women’s access to financing, but the requirements can be daunting.

By the UN’s estimates, micro, small and medium enterprises owned by women around the world are underfunded by a whopping $1.7 trillion. But closing this gap can raise annual incomes by an average of 12 percent by 2030.

Economic empowerment, UN Women points out, reduces gender-based violence, allows women to increase participation in politics and social activities that impact their lives, and even boosts disaster risk reduction and mitigation. Women who are economically empowered or financially independent also typically have greater awareness of their rights. The Philippines

The Broader

has enacted numerous laws to protect and empower women, but enforcement has been spotty, mostly because many women are unaware of the laws, and partly because even those tasked to enforce the laws are unaware of the provisions or ignore them.

Globally, nearly 60 percent of women work in the informal economy, but the figure is a high 90 percent in low-income states. Equal pay for work of equal value is still missing or weak in many countries. While glass ceilings have been broken even in fields long dominated by men such as the military, women still need greater participation in the fields of science, technology and engineering, according to UN Women. It points out that women spend approximately three times more time than men on unpaid care and domestic work, with the monetary value of this unpaid work placed at $10.8 trillion. UN Women estimates that gross domestic product can increase by 20 percent by closing gender gaps in employment. That should serve as sufficient encouragement for governments seeking to push national progress to invest in women. (Philstar.com)

“broken democracy.”

IT was an interview that should never have happened.

Watching President Bongbong Marcos Jr. badgered and embarrassed by a TV journalist employed by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) over the oppressive regime of his father – the late President Ferdinand Marcos, Sr. – is akin to undergoing a root canal: excruciating and highly uncomfortable. If I were a member of the Palace communications team, I would not have allowed our Head of State to be disrespected in any way by a foreign media entity. Moreover, I would have resigned right away for doing a lousy job.

In the first place, the Western media has been openly antagonistic to the Marcos family since the 1986 People Power revolution. In fact, ABC helped produce “A Dangerous Life,” an anti-Marcos miniseries that dramatized the last days of the dictatorship. The TV drama was released in 1988. Decades later, the broadcast network remains critical of the Marcos family. In 2022, it referred to the landslide victory of the “disgraced dictator’s son” as emblematic of our country’s

The president could have been spared the embarrassment had his comms team been thoroughly mindful of ABC’s stance against the Marcoses. The interviewer was like a blunt object with her hard-hitting questions on the Marcos family’s ill-gotten wealth and human rights record. At one point, a visibly nonplussed PBBM broke into a nervous chuckle when queried about the plunder of our country’s resources. It triggered the acerbic broadcaster to ask why the president found the question funny.

Jurisprudence

Of course, there was nothing remotely amusing about the matter. There is overwhelming literature, publications and research materials that have exposed, documented and analyzed the excesses and atrocities of the Marcos dictatorship.

More importantly, the Supreme and Appellate Courts of the Philippines, Switzerland and the United States have handed down landmark decisions on plunder and human rights atrocities committed during the reign of the elder Marcos.

In 2003, the Supreme Court ruled that the Swiss deposits of the Marcoses are considered illgotten wealth and forfeited in favor of the State under Republic Act 1379 or forfeiture to the State of all illegally acquired

properties by any public officer or employee. Voting 12-0 with one abstention, the Court said the Marcos family failed to justify they acquired the contested assets lawfully, given the undeniable circumstances and the avalanche of documentary evidence presented against them (Republic of the Philippines v. Sandiganbayan).

“…The Swiss deposits, which were transferred to and are now deposited in escrow at the Philippine National Bank (PNB) in the estimated aggregate amount of $658 million as of January 2002, are hereby forfeited in favor of the petitioner Republic of the Philippines,” the High Court stated. Following the SC decision, the Swiss government released the $683 million in funds to the Philippine Treasury in 2004.

According to the Swiss Federal Office, the Federal Council froze the bank accounts in 1986. In 1997, the Swiss Supreme Court established that majority of the Marcos foundation assets were of criminal origin and permitted their transfer to a Philippine bank, even though no Philippine court ruling had yet been issued (Stolen Asset Recovery Initiative). The Court decided to transfer $100 million of the US$500million frozen Marcos accounts to the Philippine government through a PNB escrow account

(The New York Times).

In 1996, the United States 9th Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the $1.9-billion verdict of a Honolulu jury against the estate of the late President Marcos. The San Francisco court said the late Marcos Sr. was responsible for massive human rights abuses (Los Angeles Times).

The Hilao v. Marcos Estate is a class suit filed under the Alien Torts Claims Act. The chief executive has a pending Bench Warrant for contempt issued in 1995 by a Federal Court that rendered judgment in the class suit. The contempt judgment in the amount of $353 million is for the failure of the Marcos Estate to pay monetary judgment in favor of the complainants. Marcos Jr. and former first lady Imelda Marcos are subjects of the contempt judgment as joint executors of the estate. Defense mechanism

On the other hand, the Marcos family has had to repeatedly deal with these issues in legal and public fora, domestically and internationally, post-EDSA revolution. Imagine being subjected to the same questions and accusations for nearly 40 years. I recall that in a 2016 vice presidential debate, PBBM had the same nervous laugh. His rival candidates collectively bashed and ganged up on him on the same issues. I reckon his

reaction is a defense mechanism against tension-filled or absurd situations.

Be that as it may, I was caught off-guard by PBBM’s succeeding remarks that downplayed the illgotten cases as propaganda by the Presidential Commission on Good Government. In essence, he said actual investigations uncovered facts that would prove the issue was a product of anti-Marcos propaganda. He also asserted the Marcoses had signed many quit claims for assets recovered by the Philippine government. As a UniTeam supporter and lawyer, I take exception to his comments. I expected him to echo the position of Senator Imee Marcos, who has been thankful to Filipinos across the world for giving their family another chance at redemption. The presidential sister even vowed to oppose any action or effort that puts the Marcos family name in a bad light. It would have been better if PBBM assured the Filipino nation and the international community that he would rectify the mistakes of the elder Marcos vis-à-vis human rights protection and anticorruption practices.

Addendum In 2016, I sponsored House Bill 226, which called for a permanent Human Rights Claimant Board. The proposed

law sought to amend Republic Act 10368 or the rules and regulations implementing the reparation and recognition of human rights victims. My position then and now is that the Philippines is constitutionally and legally bound to provide reparations to victims of human rights violations. It is an integral part of their right to legal remedy.

The right to reparation is a well-established principle in international law and recognized by the jurisprudence of domestic and international courts. All international human rights treaties carry mandatory provisions. The proposed law highlighted the State’s obligation to deter its agents, agencies and instrumentalities from abusing their authority and committing rights violations. I crafted the measure with the victims of martial law atrocities and slain newsmen in mind. Perhaps, the Marcos administration can ask its allies in Congress to push for a similar measure, if only to demonstrate the government’s commitment to preserve and respect the rights of every Filipino. (Philstar.com)

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

LAST week seems to have been the moment when, after four years of letting things slide, the government decided it could take a political risk by allowing justice to proceed.

The Secretary of Justice last Monday, March 4 finally announced what everyone had been expecting: the city prosecutor of Davao City’s decision to let Apollo Quiboloy off the hook was overturned. Instead, the prosecutor would have to file charges against the powerful cult leader.

Another case will be filed in Pasig, depriving Quiboloy of a home court advantage. And the Secretary of Justice said that aside from these, two other cases are being investigated by the department. All these

cases, the press was told, will be tried in Metro Manila, if the Supreme Court permits.

Quiboloy had a legal double whammy from the time a complaint was filed in Davao— even if dismissed, it was appealed, a ticking time bomb waiting to go off; which is why the Secretary of Justice could make the announcement he did, four years and a change of administrations later—but also when similar complaints prospered in the United States. There, an indictment was the result, and a warrant issued by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, also in 2020— but only against three Los Angeles-based administrators of Quiboloy’s US operations.

A 2021 superseding indictment added Quiboloy and five others, and his American assets (and those of 40 other individuals), according to Time , were frozen (the

superseding indictment lists the pastor’s American homes as being located in Calabasas, California, Las Vegas, Nevada, and Kapolei, Hawaii). When the Palace stopped being antiAmerican, speculation became rife that it was only a matter of time before Quiboloy would be handed over to Uncle Sam. Proceedings were scheduled to take place on Mar. 19, but Time reports they have been postponed to Nov. 5, “with the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California acknowledging that the case was ‘so unusual and so complex.’”

In retrospect, the mounting alarm of Quiboloy in recent weeks can be attributed precisely to the proceedings looming in mid-March.

At the same time, what became clear were the limits of the solidarity of politicians with Quiboloy, and

the limits of the clout of his most powerful friend, former President Rodrigo Duterte. The incumbent president blandly advised Quiboloy to testify before Congress. And both chambers of Congress, in gunning for Quiboloy, have him coming and going: the Senate’s basis are the accusations that have resulted in charges, that of the House, the behavior of his media empire: the Duterte era removed the taboo on using the congressional franchise for broadcast media for political vendetta, which makes Quiboloy’s media fair game. So Sonshine Media Network International’s (SMNI) ability to defend its principal will be weakened—or put another way, once the legal processes begin to unfold in the courts, the same courts can cite the network or its anchors or talents in contempt if their

language becomes too strong. Nor can the network or its talents or anchors hope to thrive in the media landscape once considered to be beyond the reach of government: precisely in the online arena, cyberlibel is already being considered as an offense with which to charge Quiboloy himself. As it is, Quiboloy, in hiding, has refused to obey subpoenas from the Senate and the House, and while the Senate may feel vindicated by the Department of Justice’s announcement, the House is still threatening the cancelation of the franchise of SMNI if Quiboloy is a noshow for the scheduled Mar.

12 House hearing. The most Quiboloy could hope for is to drag things out until the midterms, when he could, hopefully, with the help of the former president, expand the composition of the Duterte-

Arroyo opposition in the Senate to block the cancelation of his media franchise. But this would be to accomplish a holding operation lasting over a year, which is a long time, politically-speaking. It kicks the can down the road, so to speak, since the former president has already dropped his opposition to constitutional amendments— even if limited to economic provisions, approval in the midterms removes another taboo, making it possibly that much easier to propose changes to political provisions in 2028. ( 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.

* * *

Email: mlquezon3@gmail.com; Twitter: @mlq3

SC junks petition to nullify PUV modernization program

by FRANCO JOSE C. BAROÑA ManilaTimes.net

MANILA - The Supreme Court denied the petition seeking to nullify the government's Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program (PUVMP).

The petition for certiorari and prohibition was filed by Bayyo Association, Inc. through, an association consisting of 430 jeepney operators and drivers operating in various routes in Metro Manila.

It challenged the validity of the Department of Transportation's (DOTr) Department Order (DO) 2017-011, which provides for the implementation of the PUVMP.

The petitioners argued that the DOTr order was an invalid delegation of legislative power and is unconstitutional for being violative of the due process and equal protection clauses of the Constitution.

They claimed that the said provision entails the phaseout and replacement of old PUVs

with brand-new and environment-friendly units.

The Court ruled that the petition must be denied for the petitioners' lack of legal standing and violation of the principle of hierarchy of courts.

However, in a decision penned by Associate Justice Maria Filomena Singh, the Supreme Court en banc stressed that no question involving the constitutionality or validity of a law or governmental act may be heard and decided by the Court unless there is compliance with several legal requisites for judicial inquiry.

These legal requisites include an actual case or controversy calling for the exercise of judicial power, that the person challenging the act must have the standing to question the validity of the subject act or issuance, that the question of constitutionality must be raised at the earliest opportunity and the issue of constitutionality must be the very "lis mota" or cause or motivation of the case.

The Court found that the petition lacked the second requisite as the petitioners do not possess the legal standing to file the suit. While the third-party standing of an association to sue on behalf of its members has been recognized by the Court, such association must establish who their members are, and that it has been duly authorized by its members to represent them or sue on their behalf.

The Court said the group also failed to establish who its members are and that it has been duly authorized by said members to institute the petition.

The petition further violated the principle of hierarchy of courts, which requires that a petition must first be brought before the lowest court with jurisdiction and then appealed until it reaches this Court. This concurrent jurisdiction does not give the party discretion on where to file a petition, as non-compliance with this requirement is a ground for dismissal. 

Biden said State of the Union is strong...

PAGE A4

Promise Tracker. The lack of 10 Republicans needed to overcome an expected filibuster has stalled Biden’s efforts on codification.

That obstacle remained even after Democrats kept narrow control of the Senate in the midterms.

“Americans pay more for prescription drugs than anywhere in the world.”

PolitiFact rated a similar claim by Biden as “Mostly True.”

U.S. per capita spending on prescription drugs is nearly three times the average of other advanced, industrialized

countries that comprise the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

A study by the Rand Corp., a nonpartisan research organization, found that, across all drugs, U.S. prices were 2.78 times as high as the combined prices in 33 OECD countries.

The gap was even larger for brand-name drugs, with U.S. prices averaging 4.22 times as much as those in comparison nations. The U.S. pays less than comparable nations for unbranded, generic drugs, which account for about 90% of filled

prescriptions in the country yet make up only one-fifth of prescription drug spending.

Researchers say factors including country-specific pricing, confidential rebates, and other discounts can obscure actual prices, making comparisons harder. (KFF Health News with reports from PolitiFact)

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.

MANILA – Speaker Martin

Romualdez on Thursday, March 7 expressed deep sorrow and concern following reports of the tragic deaths of two Filipino seafarers in a Houthi ballistic missile attack on the M/V True Confidence in the Gulf of Aden.

The attack, marking the first fatal assault by the Iran-backed militant group in the Red Sea, resulted in the loss of at least three crew members, including two Filipino nationals, and severe injuries to two other Filipino crew.

“Our hearts go out to the families and loved ones of the Filipino seafarers who lost their lives in this senseless and tragic attack. Their dedication and sacrifices while serving aboard the M/V True Confidence will always be remembered and honored,” Romualdez said in a press statement.

“We stand in solidarity with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., the Department of Migrant Workers, and the Filipino seafarers affected by this heartbreaking incident. It is imperative that we extend

all possible assistance to the families of the victims and ensure that the injured receive the necessary medical care and support,” he added. The leader of the House of Representatives also called for a thorough investigation into the “heinous attack” and urged the international community to “condemn these cowardly acts of violence” targeting innocent

Senate-House dialogue...

PAGE

Nograles added students aspiring to study abroad will not be constrained by travel and education costs, if foreign education institutions such as Harvard are allowed in the country.

Rep. Janette Garin also pushed for the lifting of restrictive provisions in the 1987 Constitution, insisting it will not make local students less of a Filipino if they get exposed to other methods of learning.

“We’re talking about you’re being a Filipino, we’re talking about patriotism, but does it make you less of a Filipino if you wish for a high-quality education? Does it make you less of a Filipino if you aspire to be competitive?” Garin said.

“Many of our Cabinet officials, senators, our congressmen studied in Harvard, Stanford, Berkeley, Boston University and other Ivy League schools abroad.

Does this mean that if you have the means, only you can study in foreign schools? But if you are

an ordinary child of a teacher, or an ordinary child of a farmer, you do not have the right to good education?” she asked.

Political hack

The hasty passage of RBH7 seeking to amend the economic provisions of the Constitution can be considered the biggest “political hack” as Congress usually takes its time when passing legislation, labor group Partido ng Manggagawa (PM) said on Thursday, March 7.

“(It) is equivalent to a political hack which is unthinkable for a huge political body known for being laggard and protracted in its lawmaking process, especially when it comes to important social development agenda,” PM secretary general Judy Ann Miranda said.

“When it comes to legislation for women, lawmakers treat us like history books. But for Charter change for foreign interests, they are like Facebook, Twitter, or TikTok in their swift action,” Miranda noted.

Meanwhile, militant group

civilians and maritime vessels.

He said the safety and security of Filipino seafarers must remain a top priority, and government agencies must work together to prevent such tragedies from occurring in the future. Romualdez likewise reaffirmed the Marcos administration's commitment to protecting the welfare and rights of Filipino workers abroad. (PNA)

Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) warned about grim prospects of a foreign-controlled economy and well-entrenched political dynasties with unlimited terms after the House of Representatives approved RBH7.

“The Philippines will soon be up for sale. Rates and prices will inevitably increase, profits will be further squeezed from the people,” Bayan secretary general Renato Reyes said. He urged the public, particularly the oppressed classes and marginalized sectors, to oppose efforts to amend the Constitution. “The Philippines is not for sale. Our future is not for sale,” he said.

Reyes expects the Cha-cha measure endorsed by Marcos to be passed on second and then third and final reading before the Holy Week break. He warned the Senate that the House might file a resolution with the Comelec for a plebiscite by June after presenting RBH7 on the back of three-fourths vote of all members of Congress. 

Speaker Martin Romualdez Philstar.com file photo

Liza Soberano graces Vanity Fair Young Hollywood Event

By JeSSica ann evangeliSta Inquirer.net

FILIPINA actress Liza Soberano is keeping her stunning presence on Hollywood red carpets, the most recent one being at the Vanity Fair Young Hollywood Event on Thursday, March 7. Soberano came in an elegant white outfit as she joined the pre-Oscars event. Vanity Fair and Instagram commenced A Night for Young

The event, co-hosted by Hollywood youngsters Barry Keoghan, Charles Melton and Hunter Schafer, was is also graced by the presence of Lucy Hale, Jameela Jamil, Lana Condor and many others.

Prior to this, Soberano attended the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards as a first timer, as she is now a member of the prestigious awarding body. The “Lisa Frankeinstein” breakout star also served as one of the presenters of the recently held 2024 Anime Awards.

The “Bagani” actress

Boy Abunda, Donita said she had a bucket list of characteristics for a new partner. “I have a prayer list, very specific. Sabi ko, puwedeng pastor, puwedeng worship leader, dapat Pinoy or at least

half. Dapat guwapo siyempre,” Donita said. Dapat matangkad pa sa akin. Dapat siya ‘yung magiging breadwinner, kasi marami akong pinagdaanan. At hindi lang ‘yan,

Atty. Gurfinkel answers immigration...

and Operations Director 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-year-old 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

Donita Rose says marrying...

PAGE

dapat nakakatawa,” she added.

Donita also revealed that she married a virgin guy.

Nag-joke pa ako kay Lord na hindi ko talaga akalain, sabi ko, Lord, sana maging virgin ang asawa ko.’ Natupad!” she said.

“When I met him and we started talking as friends, eventually we started dating, he said, ‘May confession ako sa’yo. Virgin pa ako.’ Tapos hindi ko siya sinagot. Sabi niya, ‘Bakit, na-turn off ka na ba?’ “ Sabi ko naman, ‘Alam

mo ba na iyan ang prayer ko kay Lord?’ Hindi ko akalaing nakakatawa pala si Lord. Na kaya Niyang sagutin pati ‘yung small things.”

Donita and Felson tied the knot on September 24, 2022 in San Clemente, California. g

Benny Blanco has change of heart after facing backlash for Jollibee review

His ‘disrespectful’ review sparks rage among Filipinos worldwide, including a Virginia-based lawyer

By Mary Villegas Inquirer.net

SELENA Gomez beau and music producer

Benny Blanco just realized what happens when you give cult-favorite food chain Jollibee – a source of comfort food for Filipinos – a “disrespectful” review.

Jollibee’s Chickenjoy goodness (spicy or not) has become a source of Filipino pride that has been passed on to younger generations.

Not just a cult-favorite but also an icon of cultural export with 72 branches across the US, Jollibee was recently a hot topic following Benny Blanco’s controversial review.

Benny Blanco and his Jollibee conundrum

With an apparent display of disgust — vomiting-like gestures and utter disdain, Blanco referred to Chickenjoy as “soggy” and found Filipino spaghetti (of sweet blend with hotdogs) unappealing, spitting out the pasta after tasting it. He also said the rice “tastes like butt.”

Blanco, whose stepmom is Filipino, tried Jollibee food for the first time. His review amassed over 6.6 million views with the comment section flooded with disapproval and disappointment with his assessment.

The top comment amassing over 88,000 likes said, “Benny your literal review about Jollibee is my literal review of you.”

Not just stirring up fan fervor, his review also caught the attention of Virginia-based Filipino American lawyer Atty. Arnedo Valera, executive

director of the Migrant Heritage Commission.

Valera, a luminary in human rights, international law, environmental law and immigration, didn’t hold back. In a Facebook post, he called out Blanco’s approach for levity and lack of cultural sensitivity and understanding of the food he’s reviewing.

“The manner in which Blanco expressed his disdain…raises concerns about the potential harm such representations can inflict on cultural appreciation and respect,” Valera noted.

“Public figures, like Benny Blanco, have a heightened responsibility to model respect and understanding, especially when engaging with cultures and traditions outside their own,” added Valera.

Encore on redemption

The 35-year-old influencer with a penchant for sharing fast food reviews on TikTok changed his tune after trying Jollibee for the second time on his “Filipino food take 2” video. This time he gave Jollibee positive reviews.

“Holy f—,” he exclaimed, replacing his first criticism with praise for a Jollibee chicken sandwich. “Not only is this sandwich so good, I completely reverse my opinion of how it sucked. You could go there just for this.”

Despite his attempt at redemption, the Internet is divided. Some lauded his effort to reassess while others couldn’t help but suspect a hint of sarcasm.

Is Blanco’s newfound appreciation for Jollibee genuine, or is it just all for show? Chew on that. g

Donita Rose and Felson Palad

Photo from Instagram/@dashofdonita

Ana (left) and Marilou

Noemi (left) and Bhogz 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)

Sarah Geronimo attends Billboard Women in Music Awards

ASIA’S Popstar Royalty Sarah Geronimo graced the blue carpet of the 2024 Billboard Women in Music Awards at the YouTube Theater in California on Wednesday, March 6.

Geronimo wore a nude Michael Cinco gown.

She will be the first Filipina to receive the Global

so you have to create change and positivity towards other people.”

Speaking of Women in Music, Geronimo was also asked about going to an event specifically

championing and highlighting women.

Ruby Rodriguez says she left career in PH for her family

by Jessica ann evangelista Inquirer.net

“Women are beautiful, women are strong and now that I am married, I understand how marriage can be difficult sometimes. I would also like to salute men on how they take care of us women,” she said.

Geronimo also paid tribute to mothers, especially to her mom, Divine Geronimo.”You are the best. You are my hero. Thank you very much. I mean, I cannot imagine myself being a mother, all the sacrifices that have to be made for their child, it’s mind blowing,” she added.

Geronimo said she was “truly honored” to represent the country and its music.

“Mabuhay ang (Long live) OPM (Original Pilipino Music),” she said. g

Megan Young reunites with fellow Miss World titleholders in India

By anne PasaJol Inquirer.net

MEGAN

World pageant, was delighted to be able to bond with her fellow queens prior to the coronation night.

Through an Instagram post on Thursday, March 7, reigning queen Karolina Bielawska gave a glimpse of the pageant titleholders’ reunion that included Young (2013), Mireia Lalaguna (2015), Stephanie Del Valle Diaz (2016), Vanessa Ponce de Leon (2018) and Toni-Ann Singh

(2019).

“Who’s gonna join the Miss World sisterhood in two days?” Bielawska captioned her post. Young, in the comments section, then exclaimed, “Yays to mornings with you ladies!”

In a separate post, Young showed herself preparing for the pageant rehearsals, donning the same dress from the Miss World queens’ reunion.

Young, the lone Miss World winner from the Philippines to date, will share the Miss World hosting chores with Indian celebrity Karan Johar. Young also hosted the pageant’s 2014 edition,

and was one of the presenters as well in the 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 editions of the global tilt.

This year’s Miss World competition includes 112 delegates, with Gwendolyne Fourniol as the Philippines’ representative. The finals night will be held at the Jio World Convention Center in Mumbai, India, at 10:30 p.m. (Philippine time).

The current edition is being held two years after the most recent competition staged in 2022 in Puerto Rico, where Bielawska emerged as the winner. g

Kim Chiu does solo Eras Tour in Singapore, ‘complains’ about kissing couple

Kim Chiu

Photo from Instagram/@chinitaprincess

remarked that it was still very “unreal” for her when she made her Hollywood debut via the horror-comedy film.

“It was a dream come true like it still feels very unreal to me, to be part of such an incredible project surrounded

and people that

By Kristofer Purnell Philstar.com

MANILA — Nothing was going to stop host-actress Kim Chiu from seeing singer-songwriter Taylor Swift live, even if it meant attending a concert alone. Kim shared on her Instagram account clips of her solo trip to Singapore to see Taylor during one of Taylor’s six nights in the National Stadium. The two-minute video set to Taylor’s own song “Mine” started out with Kim flying out from the Philippines. Like most Swifties, Kim wore an Eras tour top and a number of handmade friendship bracelets to be exchanged with other fans. The host-actress had to ask help

truly were rooting for me,” she said.

“I’m so grateful for all the experiences and learnings that I had throughout that whole process and I’m inspired to work harder and do more,” added the actress during one of her endorsement events in the Philippines last March 5. Soberano has been traveling between Los Angeles and the

from fellow fans to take videos of her, and she was cheered on when she revealed she was on her own.

“I watched the concert by myself, and co-Swifties kept me company!!!! It was a fun and unforgettable experience!!! I met new people with whom we shared the same fan girl stories!” Kim wrote in the video’s caption.

Kim was visibly ecstatic to see the singer, screaming and tearing up at times, even joining thousands in yelling when Taylor asked who had flown in from outside Singapore for the concert. She did draw some laughs on X, formerly Twitter, when she posted a photo “complaining” about a couple kissing while waiting in line for an hour to buy

Philippines and shared that she’s learning different aspects of culture in LA.

“LA is kind of like

FORMER “Eat Bulaga” host Ruby Rodriguez said that it had always been her plan to leave her job in the Philippines and pursue a life abroad with her family.

Sitting down on So Jannelle TV, the actresshost revealed that it wasn’t a spur-of-the-moment decision to leave the longest-running Philippine noontime show.

“It was planned so it takes years to uproot yourself. You just don’t do that on a whim. You know I’m not single. I can do that if I was single but if you’re carrying baggage, you have your family, you can’t do that in a snap,” she said.

Rodriguez, who left the Philippines for good in 2021, revealed that she and her family were supposed to migrate a year before, but that it got derailed by the lockdown implemented due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The “Okay Ka, Fairy Ko” actress shared that the main reason they left the country was to give

proper education and medication to his son, who has intellectual disabilities and autoimmune disease.

Rodriguez admitted that no one knew about her plans, not even the variety show’s management, but only her EB co-host Pauleen Luna, who also knew that she was applying for a job at the Philippine consulate, where she works now.

“I was quiet about it because you don’t know what will happen. If it pushes through then they will know. If it doesn’t push through, no harm done. Image intact,” she remarked.

“They didn’t know, the only person who knew what I was doing, who’s in the business, was Pauleen Luna because she’s my best friend. I know she’ll keep quiet about it,” added the former host.

The 58-year-old actress is currently residing in Los Angeles, California, and every now and then gets reunited with her fellow celebrities from the Philippines.

Recently, she bonded with EB co-hosts Maine Mendoza, Alden Richards and Jose Manalo, as she shared photos with them on her Instagram. g

Francis Magalona’s 15th death anniversary brings his ‘girls’ together

By HannaH Mallorca Inquirer.net

FRANCIS Magalona‘s 15th death anniversary was celebrated by his loved ones at the Loyola Memorial Park in Marikina City, including his wife Pia ArroyoMagalona, and their daughters, Maxene and Saab. Maxene took to her Instagram Stories on Wednesday, March 6 to share glimpses of their intimate gathering at the Master

Megan Young with fellow Miss World titleholders

Photo from Instagram/@meganbata

Pia Magalona, Maxene Magalona, and Saab Magalona Photo from Instagram/@maxenemagalona

Ruby Rodriguez says she left career in PH for her family.

Photos Instagram/@rodriguezruby

Sarah Geronimo at the blue carpet of the 2024 Billboard Women in Music Awards

Sarah with Billboard Editorial Director Hanna Karpu Photos from Instagram/@gproductionsph

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

By Jessica ann evangelista Inquirer.net

HOLLYWOOD talk show host

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

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

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

you don’t know, you might smack him one,” he said. The seasoned awards show host remarked that Jo Koy should be considered to host the Golden Globes next year as a way to reclaim himself and apply the lessons he learned from drawing flak the first time.

“Not that I have any business programming the Golden Globes, but I think they should let Jo Koy host the show next year and give him a shot at doing it over. It would be very smart. I think he learned all the lessons, and he’s a funny guy. I think it would be nice for everyone,” explained Kimmel.

Given that the Filipino comedian was criticized for his “misogynic jokes,” the “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” mainstay host was asked how he handles throwing

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

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

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

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

Francis Magalona’s 15th death...

Rapper’s burial site, where they were joined by their family and loved ones.

In one of the pictures, Maxene was seen giving her mother a hug, with Saab beside them. In another post, the actress posed by her father’s tombstone.

The actress also shared a photo of the late Master Rapper’s tombstone, which was decorated with a bouquet and a candle.

Also on Instagram, Maxene also sent love to Magalona, quoting, “Grief, I’ve learned, is really just love. It’s all the love

OVERVIEW

you want to give, but cannot. All that unspent love gathers up in the corners of your eyes, the lump in your throat, and in that hollow part of your chest. Grief is just love with no place to go.”

“This is me trying to send love to my father’s spirit, wherever he may be. We lost him 15 years ago. I love you, Pop! I hope to make you proud [smiling and kissing emojis] #FrancisMForever,” she said in the caption. Maxene made headlines in November 2023 after dropping a cryptic quote on Instagram about

forgiving one’s parents since “they were learning, too.”

Her post came following the disclosure of Magalona’s supposed relationship with a former flight attendant, Abegail Rait, with whom he supposedly had a love child named Gaile Francesca. Rait claimed that Magalona was already “single” when their relationship started.

The Master Rapper died on March 6, 2009, at the age of 44 after battling leukemia. He is best known for his hit songs “Mga Kababayan,” “Kaleidoscope World,” and “Mga Praning.” g

Program & Membership Manager

The Asian Business Association (ABA) is one of the largest Asian-American professional organizations in the Greater LA area with over 1,200 members strong, serving mainly Asian Pacific American small business owners, professionals and entrepreneurs all working toward the same goals. Our lean & mean team is backed by an incredible Board of Directors and distinctive Corporations who all support supplier diversity. Our efforts are exhibited in the numerous educational & fun networking events we put together throughout the year that help connect people and encourage business development. The association is looking into adding a new ambitious, talented, & vibrant individual to support the association’s existing members and more importantly, to secure new members that would benefit from ABA’s programs and events.

Program & Events

An ideal candidate will lead the organization’s events and programs that serve to both engage current members and to attract new members as well as to build relationships with sponsors/ corporations and key community partners. The candidate must be available to work some evenings. Some travel may be required. Along with the Executive Director, candidate will:

● Lead event logistics planning and event program planning which includes coordinating with the event venue, communicating with speakers, and supporting registration and creating the program book

● Speak on the behalf of the organization at internal and external events

● Create email marketing and digital / print marketing material for organization and events

● Perform general office duties including answering telephones and moving materials to and from events

Desired Skills and Qualities

● Ability to work independently, prioritize tasks, organize multiple project deadlines

● Ability to take criticism and think collaboratively with multiple stakeholders

● Effective interpersonal, oral and communication skills to interact with a variety of diverse personalities

● Impeccable project management skills

● Proven ability to compose documents and communicate orally in correct English

● Proficiency working with: Microsoft Office, Google Workspace, Database Software, email marketing, graphic design software and social media

● Show sensitivity and interest to multicultural issues

● Willingness to talk through disagreements and openly discuss ways to improve the organization

● Interest in all aspects of event planning is a plus

● Bilingual is a plus

● Sense of humor is the office is a plus

● Enjoys Asian food and boba is a must

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS

Salary range: $45,000 - $58,000 depending on qualifications and experience. Benefits include medical, paid holidays, sick and personal leave. This is a full time position. We offer an amazing opportunity to connect and support the local business community, a great work environment, and a warm, fun & supportive team environment. Flexible schedule. Interested applicants should submit a cover letter, resume and 3 references to Human Resources at hr@abala.org, emails only; doc. or pdf files. No phone calls please. Applications will be accepted until filled.

767

Hill Street, Suite 308 ǀ Los Angeles, CA 90012

ǀ www.abala.org

FACC-GLA Installation MET Gala is on March 16

Modern Entrepreneurs & Trailblazer awards are the highlight of the festivities

THE Filipino American Chamber of Commerce

Greater Los Angeles (FACC-GLA) will be holding its fundraising gala in a night of grandeur and celebration on March 16. Dubbed “The M.E.T. Gala”, the dinner and dancing event features its Installation of the Board, and its Modern Entrepreneur and Trailblazer Awards highlighting the Chamber’s members.

This highly anticipated event is set to take place on March 16, 2024, promising a captivating experience at the historic Cicada Restaurant & Lounge. Attendees will enjoy an intersection of high-level networking and elegance where business owners, professionals, community leaders, and award nominees will come together for an unforgettable evening.

To be installed are FACC-GLA’s  2024-2025 officers, board members & ambassadors: President Jocip Sarmiento, Immediate Past President Lois P. Klavir, Vice Presidents Ruth Canlobo, Celeste Rose Monderin, and Carlotta Sarenas; Treasurer Henry Chen and Secretary Connie Mapue. Board Members are Roselyn Arciaga, Atty. Lioness Ebbay, Kathy Current, Redy Babasa-Thompson, Ron Ramores, Fidji Victoriano and Luisa RamosManalili. Ambassadors are Aldhea Intia, Jennifer Martinez, Mercy Alpert, Jennifer Baluyot, Diana Lua, Yecenia Baltazar & Carmela De Castro.

Guests will be greeted with welcome champagne and hors d’oeuvres, setting the tone for an evening of connection and celebration. The enchanting Art Deco atmosphere of Cicada Restaurant & Lounge will provide the perfect backdrop for the modern Filipiniana theme (formal/black tie dress code), and the vibrant red and purple color scheme. The culinary journey continues with a delectable

steak dinner paired with fine wine, offering a feast for the senses. As the live band takes the stage, guests are invited to dance the night away in an atmosphere of pure excitement. Guests will be treated to a goodie bag and silent auction items are also available. For those interested in supporting this prestigious event that benefits FACCGLA’s Entreprenuers Empowerment Program, through sponsorship, please direct all inquiries to info@ faccgla.org or visit www.faccgla.org and click on “Events” to purchase your tickets. (Valet parking is included.)

FACC-GLA’s Annual Sponsors are Chase for Business and Island Pacific Supermarket. As of press time, Event Sapphire Sponsors are Van Dichoso, and House R Us General Construction; Amethyst Sponsor is JRC Law and California State University Northridge (CSUN); Pearl Sponsors are Alex Gonzales, Law Office of Linda J. Lin P.C., VIP Aesthetics, GUS Recycling Inc., Freedom Equity Group and Ayala Land. Further event support is provided by My Own Eva, Aldhea Skincare, Trustworthy Homes and Loans, Custom Hardwood Flooring LA, Carlotta Collection, Freedom Equity Group, New York Life Insurance, Tang and Java, Norwex, Connie Mapue of World Financial Group, Kathy Current with Nexa Mortgages, Fidji Victoriano, Luisa Ramos with KW Calabasas, Jennifer Baluyot with EXP Realty, Get Assured Inc., Lioness Ebbay Law, Have Mercy Notary, FILAM E-commerce Global Network, Center Stage Productions, Orchid Republic, Music Arts International, Partners Bank of California  and Matrix Prime Investment LLC. (FACC-GLA Release)

Jimmy Kimmel and Jo Koy

Photo from Instagram/@jokoy

Photo above shows the FACC-GLA officers, board members and ambassadors for 2024-2025: (seated, from left) Treasurer Henry Chen, Secretary

Connie Mapue, Immediate Past President Lois P. Klavir, President Jocip Sarmiento, Vice Presidents Celeste Monderin, Carlotta Sarenas, and Ruth Canlobo; (standing, from left) Board Members Fidji Victoriano, Luisa Ramos-Manalili, Kathy Current, Ambassador and Past Board Member Gemma Bergstrom, President Emeritus Annie Nepomuceno, Board Member Redy Babasa-Thompson, Roselyn Arciaga, Ambassador Yecenia Baltazar, Board Member Atty. Lioness Ebbay, Ambassadors Jennifer Martinez and Aldhea Intia, and Business Development Consultant Dennis Heruela.

Photo courtesy of FACC-GLA

Reimbursement for community contribution towards a spouse’s education and student loan during marriage

Barrister’s Corner

atty.

ONE of the biggest problem of millenials and Gen Z are educational cost and student loan debt. This eats up a large part of a households budget even among married couples. However, what happens to all the money paid towards one spouse’s education and student loans if the marriage fails and leads to divorce. Well, California Family Code Section 2641(b)(1) provides that upon divorce or legal separation, the community “shall be reimbursed” for its “contributions” to a spouse’s education or training that “substantially enhances” the spouse’s earning capacity. Under Family Code Section 2641(a), reimbursable community “contributions” means payments made with community or quasicommunity property for a spouse’s education or training or for the repayment of a loan incurred therefor, no matter where the parties resided when the payments were made.

Family Code § 2641 reimbursement is not limited to education or training received during marriage. Rather, by its terms, application of the statute is governed solely by whether community funds were used to pay for the education or training. Thus, educational costs and loans paid with community funds are within the ambit of §

2641 reimbursement even if the education occurred before marriage. Marriage of Weiner, supra, 105 CA4th at 239-240, 129 CR2d at 291; In Marriage of Mullonkal & Kodiyamplakkil (2020) 51 CA5th 604, 607-608, 265 CR3d 285, 288, the court held that the community is entitled to reimbursement where spouse paid off student loans for education she attained before marriage with funds from her salary earned during marriage. In  Mullonkal & Kodiyamplakkil, the trial court erroneously held § 2641 did not apply because, among other things, the student spouse (Wife) repaid her premarital education with her own earnings during the marriage, and the nonstudent spouse (Husband) failed to contribute to Wife’s education/ loan repayments and family expenses. “[B]ut nothing in [§ 2641] contemplates denying reimbursement to the community where the student spouse pays for her own education or where the nonstudent spouse did not somehow earn an entitlement to an equal share of the community. Indeed, the statute refers to community contributions to education, and makes no reference to the source of the community contribution.” Marriage of Mullonkal & Kodiyamplakkil supra, 51 CA5th at 615-616, 265 CR3d at 294. At a minimum, reimbursable community expenditures include amounts paid for the student spouse’s tuition, fees, books, supplies and transportation. Fam.C. § 2641, Law Rev. Comm’n Comment,

THIS generation’s phenomenal love team, Donny Pangilinan and Belle Mariano or DonBelle, disclosed that living for real is the secret to living more. In a recent interview, the tandem shared that navigating fame in the digital age could be tricky, but grounding oneself in reality makes all the difference. Below, DonBelle peels the layers of online fame by sharing tips on authenticity, finding balance, and voice during social media-heavy times. As Gen Zs themselves, Donny and Belle recognize

23 Cal. L.Rev. Comm’n Reports

1 (1993) Beyond this, however, community expenditures are a reimbursable “contribution” only if directly related to the educational experience. Ordinary living expenses that would have been incurred regardless of whether one spouse was attending school such as rent, food and clothing, health care and entertainment, are not reimbursable under § 2641. Marriage of Watt (1989) 214 CA3d 340, 354, 262 CR 783, 791-792.

* * *

Please note that this article is not legal advice and is not intended as legal advice.  The article is intended to provide only general, non-specific legal information.  This article is not intended to cover all the issues related to the topic discussed.  The specific facts that apply to your matter may make the outcome different than would be anticipated by you.  This article does create any attorney client relationship between you and the Law Offices of Kenneth U. Reyes, APC.  This article is not a solicitation.

* * *

Attorney Kenneth Ursua Reyes is a Certified Family Law Specialist. He was President of the Philippine American Bar Association. He is a member of both the Family law section and Immigration law section of the Los Angeles County Bar Association. He is a graduate of Southwestern University Law School in Los Angeles and California State University, San Bernardino School of Business Administration. He has extensive CPA experience prior to law practice. LAW OFFICES OF KENNETH REYES, APLC. is located at 3699 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 747, Los Angeles, CA, 90010. Tel. (213) 388-1611 or e-mail kenneth@ kenreyeslaw.com or visit our website at Kenreyeslaw.com. (Advertising Supplement)

the need to keep things grounded and authentic despite fame, and this is something their followers would spot and relate to right away.

Don’t let social media dictate who you are

It’s easy to join the bandwagon and post what everybody else is posting but for DonBelle, authenticity is a priority and people should find beauty in imperfection.

“Don’t let the digital world dictate who you are.

Being true to yourself and finding your voice is what

A faith that is shared is a faith that endures

Pastor’s Notes

ReveRend Rodel G. BalaGtas

THE reading from St. Paul to the Ephesians, 2:4-10, presents to us a beautiful verse: “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not from you; it is a gift of God.”

This verse echoes Jesus’ words to the Samaritan  woman at Jacob’s well in our Gospel Reading for Cycle A, from John 4:5-42, which is used for the Mass of Scrutinies with our catechumens: “If you knew the gift of God and who is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living

water.”

Friends, our Christian faith is a gift from God to us. We must value it, safeguard it, and nurture it. It is what has imbued us with resilience, courage, joy, and motivation. Just like any gift, we risk losing it if we fail to cherish, protect, and cultivate it. Therefore, it is crucial to maintain a disciplined prayer life, deepen our personal relationship with Jesus through studying and meditating on the Scriptures, participating in liturgies, receiving the Sacraments, and practicing corporal and spiritual works of mercy, such as feeding the homeless, visiting the sick, comforting the sorrowful, and educating others about our faith.

A gift that is received and shared is a gift that endures. This is why we have invited some of our parishioners to share their

faith with us after the closing prayer of every Mass during the Sundays of Lent. Through their prayers and personal experiences with God, both their faith and ours, as listeners, are fortified and uplifted. Every act of prophetic ministry or testimony is intended to bolster, support, and fortify the faith of others.

Let us observe Lent not only through prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, but also by sharing the greatest treasure we have received: our faith in Jesus, our Lord and Savior.

* * *

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.

* * * Fr. Rodel “Odey” Balagtas is the pastor of Incarnation Church in Glendale, California.

Filipina American among appointments to key insurance-related boards, committees by Commissioner Lara

SACRAMENTO — Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara on Wednesday, March 6 announced several appointments to help advance the California Department of Insurance’s vision of insurance protection for all Californians. Filipina American Imelda Alejandrino was reappointed to the Insurance Diversity Task Force, along with Linda Akutagawa, Annalisa Barrett and Cecil Plummer.

Roche, Genesys, Chevron, Wells Fargo, Jelly Belly Candy Company, Pacific Bell/SBC, San Francisco Opera, Cisco, Siemens, PG&E and Westin Century Plaza. According to LinkedIn, Alejandrino’s other volunteer work includes positions within the Leadership Forum Chairperson Global Service Team and the San Ramon Arts Foundation Event Planning and Marketing division. Additionally, she

B6

Bankruptcy: When life doesn’t go as planned

Minding Your Finances

Atty. RAymond BulAon

LIFE happens. Sometimes even the best laid plans can go wrong. How do you respond when this happens to you? Do you easily give up when you’re overwhelmed? Remaining calm can be difficult when things are chaotic and so the usual reaction is panic.

Bankruptcy can be a lifesaver for people who are at the end of their financial rope. Since the pandemic started, a lot of people have been struggling to just keep up with their bills. The pandemic may have caused job instability; for business owners affected by the pandemic, the government

did what it could to help mitigate losses by offering financial assistance and loans. People who couldn’t pay their mortgage were allowed forbearances. Renters who couldn’t pay their landlord were protected with eviction suspension laws. Unfortunately, all the above are no longer available to most families who are still under a tremendous financial burden.

Real estate values surprisingly shot up during the pandemic but once the Feds started raising interest rates, people who could otherwise refinance their mortgage and squeeze out some of their equity from their home are no longer able to do that because of the high cost of borrowing. Buying has also slowed down and according to a recent article, mortgage applications have plunged to a 28-year low. People with little credit card debt had no other choice but

to borrow, hoping that “when things get better,” they can just pay it all back slowly. Of course, this is nothing more than a temporary solution that could backfire if the additional debt is not paid back. At some point, the credit lines are exhausted, and they are in a deeper financial hole that is hard to get out of. I know this sounds discouraging when you’re clueless about where to turn once you have exhausted your resources. But there is hope.

If you are currently facing a financial crisis, it may be tempting to just throw in the towel and give up all hope for a better financial future. But let me tell you that instead of getting frustrated and angry about things that you cannot control or change, your energy will be better spent focusing on finding a solution. Stop analyzing everything that happened and quit being too

hard on yourself. In life, things will not always go your way but keep your head up and focus on putting the pieces of the puzzle back together. In the meantime, seek legal counsel about your situation especially if important assets or legal rights are at risk. It’s better to know your options now so you can plan before your situation becomes a financial emergency.

* * *

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

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

Filipina American among appointments to... How DonBelle lives for real...

is a parent volunteer on the Special Needs Committee and the Community Advisory Committee for the San Ramon Valley School.

“These appointments underscore our commitment to protecting consumer interests and promoting a robust insurance industry in California,” said Commissioner Lara. “The expertise and diverse viewpoints of these appointees will help complement our efforts to ensure a competitive and sustainable insurance market, ultimately benefiting consumers and businesses statewide.”

CLHIGA consists of all insurance companies licensed to sell life and health insurance, and annuities in California, and it protects certain policyholders against a company’s financial failure. The Board of Directors is responsible for the overall oversight of CLHIGA, which includes approving contracts and reinsurance treaties, authorizing assessments, borrowing money, taking legal actions, and serving on committees that oversee audit and investment functions. The Board consists of up to thirteen member insurers who are selected by the board members and are subject to the approval of the Commissioner.

AB 1104 (Chapter 236, Statutes of 2019) added two additional members to the board who represent the public generally and are appointed directly by the Commissioner.

The Curriculum Board oversees the development of pre-licensing and continuing education curriculum for agents and brokers to uphold professional standards that protect consumers. This includes a

list of preapproved courses of study as well as courses of study for professional designations. This Board also develops standards for providers and instructors who offer courses and other training to licensed agents and brokers.

The CIGA Board of Governors oversees the guarantee association’s general operations and management in order to protect policyholders in the event of an insurance company insolvency. Established in 1969 by the Governor and California State Legislature, CIGA comprises all insurance companies admitted to sell homeowners, workers’ compensation, automobile, and other specified property and casualty lines of insurance in California.

The California Organized Investment Network (COIN) was established in 1996 within the Department of Insurance to guide insurers on making financially sound investments that yield environmental benefits throughout California and social benefits within the State’s underserved communities. Commissioner Lara has prioritized COIN investments which drive affordable housing, support small businesses, combat climate change, and encourage investors to utilize diverse investment managers more. The COIN Advisory Board provides guidance to the Commissioner and the COIN program to meet its mission and chief priorities.

The Insurance Diversity Task Force oversees the Department’s Insurance Diversity Initiative, which encourages insurers to advance diversity of insurance company corporate boards and increase procurement contracts with diverse

businesses owned by women, veterans and disabled veterans, members of historically disadvantaged communities, and LGBTQ+ people. Additionally, the Task Force makes recommendations to the Commissioner regarding innovative ways to increase diversity within the insurance industry.

Last year, Commissioner Lara introduced the first-ever Insurance Diversity Index, a groundbreaking benchmarking tool for a more inclusive insurance industry.

The WCIRB Governing Committee sets policy, oversees WCIRB management, and reviews all issues involving pure premium rates, classifications, rating plans, rating systems, manual rules and policy, and endorsement forms. The WCIRB is a private organization licensed by the Department for the purpose of collecting, analyzing, and compiling rating data, with funding coming from assessments of its insurance company members. All workers’ compensation insurance companies in California are required by law to be members of the WCIRB.

The next CLHIGA Board of Directors meeting will be held on May 7, 2024, the next Curriculum Board meeting is July 18, 2024, the next CIGA Board of Governors meeting is May 7 and May 8, 2024, the next COIN Advisory Board meeting is March 14, 2024, the next Insurance Diversity Task Force meeting was scheduled for March 7, 2024, and the next WCIRB Governing Committee meeting is April 17, 2024.

More details are available at: www. insurance.ca.gov/boards. All positions are uncompensated. g

makes you genuinely shine,” said Donny to start the conversation.

Belle agreed, “Totoo ‘yan. It’s our real stories, our truths, that connect us.”

Unfiltered bravery in social media realness

For DonBelle, being real means being brave. It takes courage to be real, they said as Donny elaborated on the courage it takes to showcase one’s true self.

“In an age where everyone is curating their online personas, being authentic is a brave act. It’s about peeling off the layers of expectation and daring to be seen for who you really are,” he added.

Belle added, “Mahirap sometimes, pero worth it. Real beats perfect any day. And you also become more relatable.”

Finding balance when it comes to sharing things online

The young actors find balance in knowing what to share and when to share things on social media.

“Every day is an opportunity to be a better version of ourselves. It’s not about the likes or the follows, but being real with yourself and with others,” Donny said.

Belle echoed, “Stay true, kahit online. Even though we may be in the public eye, we are still normal people who value family and friends the most.”

Donny intimated that achieving balance online “is about finding those moments of quiet in a day that’s constantly buzzing with notifications.”

On the other hand, Belle offered a glimpse into her strategy, “Simple joys lang, like reading or spending time with family, help me stay true to myself.”

Evolve to inspire

“The real challenge is to continuously evolve and share that journey with others. It’s about being genuine, which truly connects us,” said Donny, underscoring the impact of authenticity on forming meaningful connections.

Belle supported this sentiment with a simple yet powerful message, “Be real, inspire. If we can somehow encourage our community to be better versions of themselves if we can bring joy to their lives, and if we can help them live for real to live more, happy na kami ni Donny.” (Inquirer.net)

Donny

Like Living in Paradise: Don Tim Development Corp. Unveils New Model Units and Improved Amenities in Montebello Village

WHEN making a home purchase, it is important to carefully consider the community you will be joining, as it will significantly impact your overall well-being.

Many future homeowners are currently on the lookout for homes within the Greater Metro Area, encompassing Laguna and Cavite in the south, as well as Bulacan and Rizal in the north and east, to bring them closer to nature. One of the recent developments they are eyeing is Montebello Village in Alfonso, Cavite, a project brought to you by Don Tim Development Corporation (DTDC).

Guests were recently welcomed to Montebello Village’s doors to celebrate the grand ribboncutting ceremony and blessing of its new model units, Daphne Hill and Daphne New, last January 27. The event also featured Fit & Fun Sports Clinic Day, where residents and visitors were treated to a Zumba class, free swimming classes, and a powerpacked basketball clinic.

DTDC is committed to delivering a seamless and enjoyable experience for homeowners. With Daphne Hill and Daphne New, future residents will have the opportunity to live in a serene environment surrounded by beautiful greenery, promoting a healthy and balanced lifestyle.

Residents can also take advantage of Montebello’s renovated and community-centric amenities, including round-the-clock security and a clubhouse. The clubhouse complex in Montebello was created to provide residents with a resort-like experience. Adult and kiddie swimming pools are available, along with a full-size basketball court. You’ll also have plenty of open spaces perfect for picnics, strolling, jogging, biking, and other outdoor activities.

With its pleasant climate and fresh air throughout the year, this development has been thoughtfully designed to prioritize health, safety, and security. It’s the perfect place to call home for years to come. It is an ideal location, only a few minutes away from Tagaytay City’s famous entertainment and dining spots. Despite its proximity to the commercial area, it maintains a peaceful atmosphere away from the noise and hustle.

Beyond construction, DTDC takes pride in its dependable management, ensuring the continued upkeep of every community and safeguarding homeowners’ experiences, as evident by its portfolio of successful projects, following Monte Vista, Alta Monte, and South Midland.

DTDC has significantly impacted the real estate industry by providing exceptional residential communities in Cavite. With more than 70 hectares of prime property, DTDC is dedicated to improving the lives of Filipino families. They offer convenient locations and integrated services to ensure easy access to high-quality homes at an

affordable price.

DTDC believes every Filipino deserves a better life and looks forward to developing new communities in the most ideal locations.

For more information about Daphne Hill and

Daphne New, you may visit dontim.com.ph. To book a tour of Montebello Village and other inquiries, call Don Tim Development Corp. at (0915) 985-8788 or email at sales@dontim. com.ph.

(Advertising Supplement)

Daphne Hill

Daphne New