042024 - Los Angeles Weekend Edition

CALIFORNIA is on the national front lines of public health, transforming Medi-Cal to include services well beyond the doctor’s office. On April 11, Ethnic Media Services, California Black Media, and the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) hosted a briefing featuring a DHCS official, community providers and health care workers statewide to discuss how the transformation of Medi-Cal is improving the lives of Medi-Cal members Speakers at this first of six briefings sponsored by DHCS shared how Medi-Cal is bridging health gaps on the ground by connecting communities to new services that go beyond the doctor’s office — like housing supports, home accessibility modifications, in-home care, sobering centers, asthma remediation and

For 15 million Californians — roughly one

FDA announces recall of heart pumps linked to deaths and injuries

A PAIR of heart devices linked to hundreds of injuries and at least 14 deaths has received the FDA’s most serious recall, the agency announced on Monday, April 15.

The recall comes years after surgeons say they first noticed problems with the HeartMate II and HeartMate 3, manufactured by Thoratec Corp., a subsidiary of Abbott Laboratories. The devices are not currently being removed from the market.

In an emailed response, Abbott said it had communicated the risk to customers this year.

The delayed action raises questions for some safety advocates about how and when issues with approved medical devices should be reported. The heart devices in question have been associated with thousands of reports of patients’ injuries and deaths, as described in a KFF Health News investigation late last year.

“Why doesn’t the public know?” said Sanket Dhruva, a cardiologist and an expert in medical device safety and regulation at the University of California-San Francisco. Though some surgeons may have been aware of issues, others, particularly those who do not implant the device frequently, may have been in the dark. “And

being hurt when the vice president, also the education secretary, supposedly

after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

accused of being “bangag” or high on drugs in a rally led by the Dutertes.

“I mean, for me, nasaktan ako (I was hurt) because my husband will do everything to protect you,” Liza said in a teaser for an interview with broadcaster Anthony Taberna, which was posted on Facebook.

“You ran together, di ba? Sama-sama tayo babangon muli. Pupunta ka sa rally, tatawagin yung presidente mong bangag, ‘di ba (We will rise together again. You will go to a rally, your president will be called a drug addict), you’re going to laugh. Tama ba yan (is that right)? Even (former vice president) Leni (Robredo) never did that,” the first lady said. Liza was apparently referring to a recent prayer rally

MANILA — China’s foreign ministry called the annual war games between the United States and the Philippines a “provocation,” a charge that was dismissed by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

“We urge the Philippines to stop making maritime provocations,” Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian said in a regular press briefing on Wednesday, April 17.

Lin made the remark in reaction to a report that the Philippines will also conduct

joint patrols in the West Philippine Sea with the United States and France as part of the Balikatan (“shoulder-to-shoulder”) exercises for the first time.

Aside from this, Manila and Washington will also sink a mock enemy ship off the coast of Laoag in Ilocos Norte, the northernmost mainland province in the country, relatively near Taiwan.

Taiwan, a self-ruled democratic island that China regards as a renegade province subject to reunification, broke away from the mainland in 1949 following its takeover by Mao Zedong’s communist forces.

‘Apollo Quiboloy arrest warrant remains in e ect’

by DAPHNE GALVEZ Philstar.com

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has been included in Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People of 2024.

The U.S. publication cited his post-pandemic initiatives to keep the economy afloat and to elevate the Philippines on the world stage.

Time Magazine correspondent

Charlie Campbell also cited the chief executive for his stance on the West Philippine Sea and China's increasingly aggressive maneuverings in the contested waterway.

MANILA — The arrest order issued by the Senate against Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) leader Apollo Quiboloy is still in effect as the Supreme Court has yet to decide on the petition of the preacher asking the SC to stop the enforcement of the arrest. The SC asked the Senate to comment on the petition of Quiboloy that questioned the validity of the Senate order for his arrest for contempt, and asked for its nullification, according to SC spokesperson Camille Sue Mae Ting on Wednesday, April 17. The SC gave the

"He brought technocrats back into government, steadied the post-pandemic economy, and elevated the Philippines on the world stage," the article read.

"Bongbong has stood steadfast against Chinese aggression in the disputed South China Sea and bolstered his nation's alliance with the U.S. in the face of rising tensions in our region and the world, as he said last May. Many problems persist, including extrajudicial killings and journalists routinely attacked. But by trying to repair his family name, Bongbong may reshape his country too," it added.

of the Senate regarding Pastor Apollo Quiboloy Photo from Quiboloy official Facebook page

The president joins an elite cast that includes Hollywood

laughed

was

celebrities Dua Lipa, Taraji P. Henson, and Michael J. Fox as well as big-named sports personalities such as National Football League superstar Patrick Mahomes, Dallas Mavericks team owner Marc Cuban and Formula One racer Max Verstappen. Other notable names on the list include World Bank president Ajay Banga, Chinese Premier Li Qiang, and Qatar Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani. 

Marcos says international rule...

matter of concern not only for the Philippines and New Zealand, but absolutely, certainly, the rest of the international community as well,” he added.

The president also said that the Philippines will continue to work with New Zealand in upholding international law. “I take this opportunity to emphasize the intent of the Philippines to continue working with New Zealand on promoting regional peace and security, and in safeguarding the rule of law under the framework of international law,” Marcos said. Marcos has been seeking more international allies for regional stability amid worsening tensions in the West Philippine Sea. China has continued its aggressive behavior in the area, claiming Philippine waterways for itself. The president has already said that New Zealand’s neighbor, Australia, is a natural partner in keeping regional peace. Luxon is the first New Zealand head of state to visit the country in over 14 years.

According to Marcos, New Zealand and the Philippines share 30 bilateral agreements in the fields of defense, agriculture, development, labor, and more. There are also 100,000 Filipinos residing in New Zealand. 

PH-US war games a provocation, says China...

China’s sweeping claim

“The Philippines needs to be fully aware that when countries outside the region are brought into the South China Sea to flex muscles and stoke confrontation, tensions could get worse and the region will only become less stable,” Lin said.

“To hand over one’s security to forces outside the region will only lead to greater insecurity and turn oneself into someone else’s chess piece,” he added. Beijing asserts sovereignty

in the entire South China Sea, including most of the West Philippine Sea, even if the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague already invalidated the claim in July 2016 as it rulied from a case filed by Manila in 2013.

PH prerogative

AFP public affairs chief Col. Xerxes Trinidad said in a statement, however, it was the country’s prerogative to conduct such drills, which would have over 16,000 troops from the Philippines and the United

States taking part starting next week.

“As a sovereign and independent state, it is the prerogative of the Philippines to engage in activities that contribute to our national security and defense posture,” Trinidad said.

He described the annual war games an “an integral part of our ongoing efforts to develop our territorial defense capabilities and ensure that we can effectively safeguard our sovereignty and territorial integrity.” 

‘Apollo Quiboloy arrest warrant...

the issuance of the TRO,” she said. The Senate issued the arrest order against Quiboloy over his refusal to appear before the chamber’s committee on women, children, family relations and gender equality – chaired by Hontiveros – to answer allegations of human trafficking, rape, sexual abuse and violence leveled against him and his sect by former members.

In his petition before the SC, Quiboloy sought a TRO to stop the Senate from implementing the arrest order as well as from demanding the KOJC leader’s attendance at Senate hearings.

Quiboloy’s counsel argued the Senate inquiry violates the preacher’s constitutional rights to due process and against selfincrimination, adding that the proceedings “do not serve any legislative purpose” and that the Senate probe was tantamount to usurpation of judicial functions.

The Senate hearings were also

“unjust,” as the chamber had already concluded that Quiboloy was guilty of the crimes attributed to him.

In a separate statement, Hontiveros said she is ready to comply with the directive of the SC and submit a comment on Quiboloy’s petition.

“While we have yet to receive and read the order, we certainly will comply with the directive of the SC, cognizant of the principle of separation of powers and with only the highest respect for our institutions,” she noted. “I am hopeful that this principle will serve as a guide for us all, including for fugitive Quiboloy,” she added.

Face the music

Former Senate President Franklin Drilon said Quiboloy should face the music and heed directives for him to appear before the Senate following the SC’s refusal to grant a TRO.

Drilon emphasized the significance of the SC’s refusal to

grant a TRO to Quiboloy, saying it reinforces the constitutional authority of the Senate to conduct inquiries in aid of legislation.

“Quiboloy should accord due respect to the ruling of the Supreme Court and the processes of the Senate, as upheld by the SC,” he said.

Drilon also stressed that the ruling respects the authority of the Senate to issue an arrest order against Quiboloy, which is necessary for the performance of its mandate.

He added that Quiboloy, like any other citizen, is subject to the processes of the Senate.

Drilon said Quiboloy should comply with the Senate’s directives, cooperate with the ongoing investigation and testify before the committee investigating, in aid of legislation, allegations on sexual abuses.

Quiboloy continues to evade arrest as he remains nowhere to be found in any of the locations visited by police. 

First Lady hits Sara: She has crossed...

PAGE A1

in Davao City, where Sara’s father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, claimed that Marcos is a drug addict. The President just laughed off the allegation. The first lady said she was always kind to Sara, who ran for vice president under the Marcosled UniTeam alliance in 2022. Taberna then quoted the first lady as saying that Sara has “crossed the line” and asked her if a reconciliation is still possible.

Liza was then shown saying, “Bad shot na yun sa akin” although it was not clear what was the question she was responding to, since the teaser consisted of spliced video clips.

In a Facebook post, Taberna published a graphic card quoting Liza as saying that she is onionskinned when her sons are hurt. Ako, I don’t get pikon. I get pikon when they hurt my sons,” the first lady was quoted as saying. Months before Taberna’s interview, a video of Liza snubbing Sara circulated online, fueling rumors that they are not on good terms.

A video by Radio Television Malacañang showed Marcos shaking hands with Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin and the vice president before entering the plane that carried him and his delegation to Vietnam. Liza, who was beside Marcos,

was about to board the plane but after seeing that her husband was still talking to Sara, she went back to greet Bersamin with a kiss on the cheek and then walked toward the ladder of the aircraft.

Speculations about the supposed infighting among the president’s allies surfaced after some administration lawmakers realigned the confidential funds of agencies led by the vice president. The elder Duterte then accused Marcos’ cousin, Speaker Martin Romualdez, of “swallowing” discretionary funds and described the House of Representatives as the “most rotten” institution. Last November, Marcos told reporters in Hawaii that the UniTeam alliance remains intact and is even becoming stronger.

However, Duterte’s tirades against Marcos did not end there, as he called the president a “cry baby” and “pro-America” earlier this month. Marcos responded by saying that he has no time for personal attacks.

Marcos had been the subject of Duterte’s verbal attacks even before he became president in 2022.

Months before the elections, Duterte described Marcos as “spoiled” and a “weak leader” with baggage. 

In January, the former president claimed in a prayer rally that Marcos was a drug addict and that the fresh push for Charter change was meant to lift the term limits of officials. Marcos responded by saying that the use of Fentanyl may have taken a toll on his predecessor.

Vice President Sara Duterte with First Lady Liza Marcos and Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco Photo from Instagram/@christinafrasco

Newsom o ers a compromise to protect indoor workers from heat

by SAMANTHA YOUNG KFF Health News

SACRAMENTO — Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration has compromised on long-sought rules that would protect indoor workers from extreme heat, saying tens of thousands of prison and jail employees — and prisoners — would have to wait for relief. The deal comes a month after the administration unexpectedly rejected sweeping heat standards for workers in sweltering warehouses, steamy kitchens, and other dangerously hot job sites. The rules had been years in the making, and a state worker safety board voted to adopt them March 21. But in a controversial move, the administration upended the process by saying the cost to cool state prisons was unclear — and likely very expensive.

So the Democratic administration said the rules can proceed but must exempt tens of thousands of workers at 33 state prisons, conservation camps, and local jails, “in recognition of the unique implementation challenges,” said Eric Berg, of California’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health, at a Thursday hearing. A separate regulation will be drafted for correctional facilities, which could take a year, if not longer

It’s unclear if the standards will become law in time to protect millions of other workers from summer’s intensifying heat. The compromise rules must go through a 15-day public comment period, and legal reviews within 100 days, which could push implementation well into summer. But that can’t even happen until the original regulation is rejected by the Office of Administrative Law, which has until next month.

“Summer is arriving, and many workers, unfortunately, are going to suffer heat conditions,” said Tim Shadix, legal director at the Warehouse Worker Resource Center. “Some will likely get really sick, potentially even die from heat illness, while we continue to wait for the standard.”

Berg told members of the Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board on April 18 that Cal/OSHA would try to accelerate the timeline and get protections in place for summer. California has had heat standards on the books for outdoor workers since 2005, and rules for indoor workplaces have been in the works since 2016. The proposed standards would require work sites to be cooled below 87 degrees Fahrenheit when employees are present and below 82 degrees in places where workers wear protective clothing or are exposed to radiant heat, such as furnaces. Buildings could be cooled with air conditioning, fans, misters, and other methods. The rules allow workarounds for businesses that can’t cool their workplaces sufficiently, such as laundries or restaurant kitchens.

Because the rules would have a sweeping economic impact, state law requires Newsom’s Department of Finance to sign off on the financial projections, which it refused to do last month when it was unclear how much the regulations would cost state prisons. The California

Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation said implementing the standards in its prisons and other facilities could cost billions, but the board’s economic analysis pegged the cost at less than $1 million a year.

Department of Finance spokesperson H.D. Palmer couldn’t promise that the compromise rules would be signed off on, but “given that the earlier correctional estimates were the issue before, not having them in the revised package would appear to address that issue,” he said.

Business and agricultural groups complained repeatedly during the rulemaking process that complying with the rules would burden businesses financially. At the April 18 hearing, they highlighted the administration’s lack of transparency and questioned why one sector should be given an exemption over another.

“The massive state costs that are of concern, specifically around prisons in the billions of dollars, are also costs that California employers will bear,” said Robert Moutrie, a senior policy advocate at the California Chamber of Commerce. Labor advocates asked board members not to exempt prisons, saying corrections workers need protection from heat, too.

“It’s a huge concern that prison workplaces all over are being excluded from the heat standard, leaving out not just guards, but also nurses, janitors, and the other prison workers across California unprotected from heat,” said AnaStacia Nicol Wright, an attorney with Worksafe, a workplace safety advocacy nonprofit. “California needs to prioritize the safety and well-being of their workers, regardless of whether they work in corrections, a farm, or a sugar refinery.”

Prisons will continue to provide cooling stations in air-conditioned areas, and make water stations, fans, portable cooling units, and ice more available to workers, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Prison housing units, which house roughly 93,000 inmates as of April 17, all can be cooled, usually with evaporative coolers and fans. The department has 58,135 staff members, spokesperson Terri Hardy said. Only Minnesota and Oregon have adopted heat rules for indoor workers. Legislation has stalled in Congress, and even though the Biden administration has initiated the long process of establishing national heat standards for outdoor and indoor work, they may take years to finalize. Seven workers died in California from indoor heat between 2010 and 2017. Heat stress can lead to heat exhaustion, heatstroke, cardiac arrest, and kidney failure. In 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported, 1,600 heat-related deaths occurred nationally, which is likely an undercount because health care providers are not required to report them. It’s not clear how many of these deaths are related to work, either indoors or outdoors. “These are not overly cumbersome things to

small enough to fit in the palm of a hand, are implanted in patients with endstage heart failure who are waiting for a transplant or as a permanent solution when a transplant is not an option. The recall affects nearly 14,000 devices. Amanda Hils, an FDA press officer, said the agency is working with Abbott to investigate the reported injuries and deaths and determine if further action is needed. “To date, the number of deaths reported appears consistent with the adverse events observed in the initial clinical trial,” Hils said in an email.

According to the FDA’s recall notice, the devices can cause buildup of “biological material” that reduces their ability to help the heart circulate blood and keep patients alive. The buildup accumulates gradually and can appear two years or more after a device is implanted in a patient’s chest.

related to HeartMate II or 3 that mention the complication reported by regulators. The earliest such report filed with the FDA dates to at least 2020, according to a KFF Health News review of the database. Monday’s alert is the second Class 1 recall of a HeartMate device this year.

In January, Abbott issued an urgent “correction letter” to hospitals about a separate issue in which the HeartMate 3 unintentionally starts and stops due to the pump’s communication system, which cardiologists use to assess patients’ status. The FDA alerted the public in March.

detect obstructions and, if needed, a CT angiogram to verify the cause.

At present, the HeartMate 3, which was first approved by the FDA in 2017, is the only medical option for many patients with end-stage heart failure and who do not qualify for a transplant. The HeartMate 3 has supplanted the HeartMate II, which received FDA approval in 2008.

If the new recall leads to the device being removed from the market, end-stage heart failure patients could have no options, said Francis Pagani, a cardiothoracic surgeon at the University of Michigan who also oversees a proprietary database of HeartMate II and HeartMate 3 implants.

implement, and they are easy ways to keep people safe and healthy,” said Jessica Early, patient advocacy coordinator at the National Union of Healthcare Workers. “Now is the urgent time to make our workplaces safer and more resilient in the face of rising temperatures.”

This article was produced by KFF Health News, which publishes California Healthline, an editorially independent service of the California Health Care Foundation.

Doctors were advised to watch out for “low-flow alarms” on the devices and, if they do diagnose the obstruction, to either monitor the patient or perform surgery to implant a stent, release the blockage, or replace the pump. “Rates of outflow obstruction are low,” Abbott spokesperson Justin Paquette said in an email, adding that patients whose devices are functioning normally “have no reason for concern.” A review of the FDA device database shows at least 130 reports

In February, Abbott issued another urgent letter to hospitals about the blockage problem, asking them to inform physicians, complete and return an acknowledgment form, and pay attention to low-flow alarms on the device’s monitor that may indicate an obstruction. The company said in the letter that it is working on “a design solution” to prevent the blockages. A study published in 2022 in the Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery reported the obstruction in about 3% of cases, though the incidence rate was higher the longer a patient had the device.

The only other Class 1 recall issued for the HeartMate 3 was in May 2018, when the company issued corrective action notices to hospitals and physicians warning that the graft line that carries blood from the pump to the aorta could twist and stop blood flow.

The FDA recall notice issued Monday includes additional guidance for physicians to diagnose the blockage using an algorithm to

If that happens, “we are in trouble,” Pagani said. “It would be devastating to the patients to not have this option. It’s not a perfect option — no pump ever is — but this is as good as it’s ever been.”

It’s not known precisely how many patients have received a HeartMate II or HeartMate 3 implant. That information is proprietary. The FDA recall notices show worldwide distribution of more than 22,000 HeartMate 3 devices and more than 2,200 of the HeartMate II.

The blockage complication may have gone unreported to the public for so long partly because physicians are not required to report adverse events to federal regulators, said Madris Kinard, a former FDA medical device official and founder of Device Events, a company that makes FDA device data more user-friendly for hospitals, law firms, and investors. Only device manufacturers,  PAGE A4

Unsplash.com photo by Jonny Gios

How Medi-Cal is being transformed for...

is

health care where they are through Community Supports services and the Enhanced Care Management (ECM) benefit.

Community Supports “keep people out of costly emergency rooms or institutions and support them in their homes and communities, helping them in their place of need,” said Sarah Brooks, Chief Deputy Director for DHCS Health Care Programs. ECM “supports Medi-Cal members with the most complex physical, mental or social needs — who often who are too sick or impaired to keep track of doctor’s appointments and prescriptions — by assigning them a single lead care manager to help them navigate services like basic care, dental, mental health, substance use disorder treatment and longterm care, as well as equipment and transportation,” said Brooks.

“These are at-risk individuals, including people experiencing homelessness, foster youth, pregnant women and their children, adults at risk for longterm care institutionalization and people transitioning from nursing home care facilities back into the community,” she explained.

“Health systems can be burdensome to navigate, and we’re working hard to revolutionize that by simplifying and broadening how members across the state access care, helping them live more independently and safely at home — no matter where they live, what language they speak, or the complexity of their needs,” Brooks added.

Expanding Medi-Cal on the ground “For the state to say, ‘Everyone deserves health’ is one thing, but to invest in the lives of a third of Californians is another,” said Rachelle Grant, senior clinical director of Pacific Clinics.

“Other health plans and states aren’t doing this,” she added. “As the state’s largest nonprofit community-based behavioral health service provider, we now have more referrals than ever in the history of our organization, including 27,000 outreaches to eligible members since the start of ECM” in January 2022.

Pacific Clinics now provides ECM and Community Supports services in 20 counties.

Community Supports they offer include housing services, such as deposit and move-in loans up to $6,000, landlord and roommate facilitation, household maintenance navigators and daily skills habilitation programs — to ever-growing success.

“One member was unhoused and hospitalized for mental health concerns, with a history of substance abuse that required Suboxone treatment, and a traumatic brain injury that resulted in surgery,” said Grant. His ECM manager found him “residential placement to work on his substance use, a therapist, a psychiatrist and transportation to his appointments. Now he’s going on daily walks, playing pickleball and having positive relationships with caregivers.”

“Our street outreach team discovered another individual living in a tent who shared that he was unable to get a job due to an injury, but he also didn’t qualify for disability. He called into our first day of rehabilitation Zoom classes from his tent, and learned new skills to help him find shelter,” she continued. “There’s no wrong door to get these services — it’s about meeting people’s needs where they are.”

The pandemic proved that “community health workers who speak the language, who are trusted by the community, are the first responders for linguistically or culturally isolated people,” said Agnes Hajek, director of health equity services for Somali Family Services of San Diego, which serves refugees and immigrants from several regions, including the Middle East, Haiti and north and east Africa.

Typical of the organization’s culturally tailored Medi-Cal services is its asthma remediation program in which community workers provide supplies like air purifiers, humidifiers, pillowcases, and mattress covers; inspect homes for mold; develop asthma plans in several languages; and gather support groups to address symptoms.

“Growing up in South Central Los Angeles to Mexican immigrant parents, I’ve seen firsthand the barriers our community can face when trying to access care,” said Angelica Rodriguez, Program Manager of Umma Community Clinic, which serves low-income, predominantly brown and Black populations in the area.

“There are so many ways we can fall through the cracks. Some can’t afford to take time off work when health centers are open nine to five on weekdays. Others can’t seek care due to language or cultural barriers, or having to take multiple buses to get to the closest clinic. Some can’t afford nutritious foods to help them stay healthy,” she said. “Now, we can address these issues beyond the clinic walls.”

Neglect by, and low trust in, care systems is a widespread barrier to health in rural California, said Mari PerezRuiz, Executive Director of Central Valley Empowerment Alliance (CVEA), serving a 40 percent Filipino and 99 percent farmworker population primarily in Tulare County. Geographical challenges also worsen this access barrier, as “we don’t have public transportation for medical appointments. We have two buses that come when they can, one in the morning, one in the evening,” she continued, adding that Medi-Cal lets CVEA bridge these access gaps by bringing care to those least reached and most in need of it.

Through partnering with Tulare County Public Health, CVEA health workers “bring these new services into rural communities,” Perez-Ruiz explained. “We do street medicine with farmworkers by their houses, mobile blood pressure checks, Medi-Cal enrollment help, preventive care with children to break the cycle that leads them to feel uncomfortable going to the doctor, and connect people to shelter.”

“Many farmworkers don’t get the health care they need because they’re too busy worrying about how they’re going to get their next meal on the table,” said Aide Hernandez, a CVEA rural health equity organizer who implements community outreach for these services.

“Community members have come in, not knowing they have a serious condition,” she added, “and the following day, they’re diagnosed with diabetes, they have a limb removed, and they’re in a very serious place because they didn’t get preventive care. To be able to connect these families to this expansion of services is life-changing and life-saving.” (Selen Ozturk/Ethnic Media Services)

Medical providers still grappling with UnitedHealth

cyberattack: ‘More devastating than COVID’

TWO months after a cyberattack on a UnitedHealth Group subsidiary halted payments to some doctors, medical providers say they’re still grappling with the fallout, even though UnitedHealth told shareholders on Tuesday that business is largely back to normal.

“We are still desperately struggling,” said Emily Benson, a therapist in Edina, Minnesota, who runs her own practice, Beginnings & Beyond. “This was way more devastating than COVID ever was.”

Change Healthcare, a business unit of the Minnesota-based insurance giant UnitedHealth Group, controls a digital network so vast it processes nearly 1 in 3 U.S. patient records each year. The network is a critical conduit for shuttling information between most of the nation’s insurance companies and medical providers, who submit claims through it to get paid for treating patients. For Benson, the cyberattack continues to significantly disrupt her business and her ability to pay her seven other clinicians.

Before the hack brought down the system, an insurance company would process a provider’s claim, then send a type of receipt known as an “electronic remittance,” which details the amount the provider was paid and whether the claim was denied. Without it, providers don’t know if they were paid correctly or how much to bill patients.

Now, instead of automatically handling those receipts digitally, some insurers must send forms in the mail. The forms require manual entry, which Benson said is a time-consuming process because it requires her to match up service dates and details to divvy up pay among her clinicians.

And from at least one insurer, she said, she has yet to receive any remittances.

“I’m holding on to my sanity by a thread,” Benson said.

The situation is so dire, Alex Shteynshlyuger, a urologist who owns a practice in New York City, said he had to transfer money from his personal accounts to pay his office bills.

“Look, I am freaking out,” Shteynshlyuger said. “Everyone is freaking out. We are like monkeys in a cage. We can’t really do anything about it.”

Roughly 30% of his claims were routed through Change’s platform. Except for Medicare and certain Blue Cross plans, he said, he has been unable to submit claims or receive payment from any insurers.

The company is encouraging struggling providers to reach out to the company directly via its website, said Tyler Mason, vice president of communications for UnitedHealth Group.

“I don’t think we’ve had a single provider that hasn’t been helped that’s contacted us.” As part of that help, Mason said, UnitedHealth has sent providers $7 billion so far.

Ever since the February cyberattack forced UnitedHealth to disconnect its Change platform, the company has been working “day and night to restore services” and has made “substantial progress,” UnitedHealth CEO Andrew Witty told shareholders April 16.

“We see a fairly normal claims receipts and payments flow going on at this point,” Chief Financial Officer John Rex said during the shareholder call. “But we’ll really want to be careful on that because we know there are certain care providers out there that may have been left out of it.”

Rex said the company expects

full operations to resume next year. The company reported that the hacking has already cost it $870 million and that leaders expect the final tally to total at least $1 billion this year. To put that in perspective, the company reported $99.8 billion in revenue for the first quarter of 2024, an 8.6% increase over that period last year.

Meanwhile, the House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee held a hearing April 16 seeking answers on the severity and damage the cyberattack caused to the nation’s health system.

Subcommittee chair Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.) said a provider in his hometown is still grappling with the fallout from the attack and losing staff because they can’t make payroll. Providers “still haven’t been made whole,” Guthrie said.

Rep. Frank Pallone Jr. (D-N.J.) voiced concern that a “single point of failure” reverberated around the country, disrupting patients’ access and providers’ financial stability.

Lawmakers expressed frustration that UnitedHealth failed to send a representative to the Capitol to answer their questions. The committee had sent Witty a list of detailed questions ahead of the hearing but was still awaiting answers.

As providers wait, too, they are trying to cover the gaps. To pay her practice’s bills, Benson said, she had to take out a nearly $40,000 loan — from a division of UnitedHealth.

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.

FDA announces recall of heart pumps...

device importers, and hospitals are required by law to report device-related injuries, deaths, and significant malfunctions to the FDA.

“If this is something physicians were aware of, but they weren’t mandated to report to the FDA,” Kinard said, “at what point does that communication between those two groups need to happen?”

so he can have more thorough conversations with patients considering a HeartMate device.

“We’re going to expect to have some data saying, ‘Hey we created this fix, and this fix works, and it doesn’t cause a new problem.’

Dhruva, the cardiologist, said he is looking for transparency from Abbott about what the company is doing to address the problem

That’s what I want to know,” he said. “There’s just a ton more that I feel in the dark about, to be honest, and I’m sure that patients and their families do as well. (Daniel Chang and Holly K. Hacker/KFF Health News) KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF—an independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism.

DATELINE PHILIPPINES

Coast Guard to join Balikatan exercises with US

— For the first time, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) will join the Balikatan military exercises with the United States, with six of its vessels being readied for “humanitarian armed service” role in the 16-day drill slated to begin on Monday, April 22. PCG commandant Admiral Ronnie Gil Gavan, according to PCG spokesman Rear Admiral Armand Balilo, has ordered the deployment of four 44-meter multi-role response vessels (MRRV) and two larger patrol vessels that “regularly conduct maritime security operations in the country’s exclusive economic zones” for the 39th iteration of the Balikatan Members of the PCG’s special operations force would also participate in “interoperability exercises with the Philippine Navy and their counterparts from Australia, France, and the United States,” Balilo also said. This year’s Balikatan will have more participants and observers and will cover a wider area in the West Philippine Sea. Amid China’s warning that the coming Balikatan would further stoke tension in the region, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has again clarified that the drill is just an annual event and not directed at any country.

“This longstanding initiative, spanning several years, is aimed at enhancing cooperation, fostering training opportunities, and strengthening regional stability,” AFP spokesperson Col. Francel Margareth Padilla said. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian earlier denounced the coming military drill with the U.S. and other countries.

“The Philippines needs to be fully aware that when countries outside the region are brought into the South China Sea to flex muscles and stoke confrontation, tensions could get worse and the region will only become less stable,” he said. “To hand over one’s security to forces outside the region will only lead to greater insecurity and turn oneself into someone else’s chess piece. We urge the Philippines to stop making maritime provocations. We urge relevant countries outside the region to stop stoking confrontation in the South China Sea,” Lin added. He said China “will continue to take necessary measures to firmly safeguard our territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests and keep the South China Sea peaceful and stable.” (Philstar.com)

Liza Marcos laughs o rumors she ‘plans’ to run for senator

by JEAN MANGALUZ Inquirer.net

MANILA — First

Araneta-Marcos dismissed rumors that she was planning to run for senator. Araneta-Marcos said she has heard insinuations that her medical outreach program, “LAB for All Project,” is a front for a future senatorial run.

In an exclusive interview on Tune-in Kay Tunying aired on Friday, April 19, she replied with a laugh after being asked if she has any intentions to seek a seat in the Senate. “Me? I get the mayor’s name wrong,” Araneta-Marcos giggled. She said that her husband, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., has quipped that she is the “ambassador of bad will.” Liza Marcos, former unregistered voter The first lady said she has never had any interest in running for a position in government, telling longtime detractors to “extend your brain just a little bit.”

She likewise recounted during the interview that her family stayed in Ilocos Norte— specifically lived between Paoay and Laoag—while her husband served as provincial governor, which made people believe she might run for a local elective position in either town.

DOTr chief: Transport strike unsuccessful

MANILA — The transport strike protesting the government’s public utility vehicle modernization program was “unsuccessful” and only caused traffic congestion, Transport Secretary Jaime Bautista said on Wednesday, April 16.

“They were successful in

creating traffic. But we were able to prove that the government is ready to address transport issues,” he added.

Transport groups claimed they paralyzed 80 percent of Metro Manila’s public transportation routes on the first day of the strike.

Protesters, mainly drivers and

operators, could face charges and penalties for traffic violations once reviewed by state agencies, he noted.

“What we saw was obstruction, which created traffic. They have the right to fight for their rights but it shouldn’t affect the traveling public,” he said. (Philstar.com)

Foreign students in PH may be subjected to intel probe

MANILA – Foreign nationals in the Philippines holding student visas may be subjected to intelligence investigation by authorities if found involved in illicit acts, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) said on Friday, April 19.

However, she revealed that she was never a registered voter until 2022 when her husband ran to become the country’s president. “I teach election law. Alam mo kayo, hindi ako registered voter. Mag-isip naman kayo ng konti ‘di ba? That’s [the] rule… extend your brain just a little bit. If I’m not a registered voter, how can I run in either? So this one is chicken feed,” Araneta-Marcos said.

(I teach election law. You know, I am not a registered voter. Think a little bit, right? That’s [the] rule… extend your brain just a little bit. If I’m not a registered voter, how can I run in either? So this one is chicken feed.) 

In a statement, Immigration Commissioner Norman Tansingco said under Executive Order (EO) 285, s. 2000, foreign nationals who acquire their student visas may be subjected to checks by the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA) and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) for activities “which appear to be inimical to the security of the State”. The EO established an interagency committee on foreign students, which is headed by the Commission on Higher Education

(CHED), together with NBI, NICA, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), the Department of Education (DepEd), and the BI. He said this allows the bureau to only issue student visas to foreign nationals endorsed by legitimate schools and by CHED. Tansingco, meanwhile, said the rise in students may be attributed to post-pandemic rebound, as well as the aggressive marketing of schools and government agencies to boost the country’s educational tourism.

“The national government has actively promoted the country as an education hub in Asia. We hope that these concerns do not scare away legitimate students whose stay in the country could greatly help re-boost our economy,” he added.

Valid visa holders

In a Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon

briefing, BI spokesperson Dana Sandoval said some 1,516 Chinese nationals were granted student visas in Cagayan province last year, all endorsed by a major university which she did not identify.

However, she noted that based on the reports received by the BI, only more than 400 Chinese nationals are attending in-person classes, as the school is said to be implementing distance learning.

“More on distance learning, balik sila sa bansa kung may mga requirements na kailangan nilang isubmit (They return to the country if they have requirements to submit,") she said at the Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon forum. Sandoval, meanwhile, maintained that they issue student visas to foreigners "as endorsed by legitimate schools through CHED”. (PNA)

Lady Liza

First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos Malacañang file photo

THE country has a law against red tape, which was later enhanced by another law to promote ease of doing business. There is an Anti-Red Tape Authority. And yet something always gets lost in the implementation of even the most well-intentioned laws in this country.

Business groups and foreign missions continue to complain about the difficulty of transacting with the government. This week German Ambassador Andreas Michael Pfaffernoschke, in a talk with journalists, said red tape is “definitely a key concern” not just of investors from his country, but also of the entire business community.

Editorial

“There are many permits you need in the Philippines. There is sometimes corruption involved, and there are different layers of government units that are involved in getting permits,” the envoy said. “When it comes to red tape… it’s the number of permits you need, it’s the time it takes to get a permit… I think it’s not unique to German businesses. You will hear this from the whole business community in the Philippines.”

Government officials with a penchant for overseas travel at taxpayers’ expense, ostensibly to conduct investment “roadshows,” should consider those observations from the ambassador of Europe’s biggest economy. Similar observations continue to be raised by Philippine

Human Face

business groups, from micro, small and medium enterprises to big business.

They complain not only of too many and often overlapping steps and permits required, from national agencies all the way down to the barangay. They point to inconsistent and confusing rules and requirements between national and local government units, and from one LGU to the next. Rodrigo Duterte during his presidency kept telling the bureaucracy to follow deadlines set by law for completing transactions with the government. Not even the threat of lethal violence, however, could change the system wherein as many government officials and personnel as possible must have a say in the release of a government document or approval of a deal, from national agency employees all the way down to barangay council members, with fees collected at every step. Businessmen have sighed that a single transaction can involve multiple steps in different offices and levels of government. Securing all the

the campaign against red tape needs more resolute action. (Philstar.com)

HE should have written it down on a table napkin and shoved it into his pocket or undershirt. But former President Rodrigo Duterte, perhaps awed by China’s lavish reception accorded him, did not. So he does not have a written record of the “gentleman’s agreement” between him and China’s President Xi Jinping as regards the Philippines’ decrepit BRP Sierra Madre, the military outpost in the Philippines’ territorial waters in the West Philippine Sea, the vintage World War II ship that is a sore in the eyes of Xi. Neither do Duterte’s subalterns, the hangers-on who were with him during one of his trips to China toward which Duterte had openly declared he

Virtual Reality

FERDINAND Romualdez Marcos Jr.’s pivot to America will soon yield dividends –in terms of investments in critical areas, jobs and job training, solid infrastructure, energy independence, digital connectivity, microchip production, agribusiness, mass transport and logistics hubs.

The Philippine president elected with the greatest number of votes ever, Bongbong Marcos has decided that his success as the leader of 115 million Filipinos lies in partnership with the United States – and Japan.

The U.S. and Japan are funding what is called the Luzon Economic Corridor (LEC) to develop the Philippine main island’s economically robust 300-km stretch from Subic to Batangas by linking its three major ports – Subic, Manila and Batangas – and three major airports – Clark, Bulacan and NAIA through massive investments in infrastructure, railways, ports modernization, port upgrade at Subic, microchip manufacturing and labor training, agriculture, clean energy, digitalization, supply chain and deployment. This May, high-impact projects will be tackled and presented to investors at a trilateral event on the sidelines of the Indo-Pacific Business Forum in Manila.

had pivoted (that is, away from the United States of America) and which surely made Xi’s eyes moisten with delight. And how did they seal it while in the shadows? With a handshake, a high five, a fist pump? His successor, President Marcos asked point-blank: “What did you compromise?” Why is the Philippines not allowed to repair the BRP Sierra Madre?

Why is China angry that we are not sticking to the deal? Hey, what deal?

Called upon recently to disclose what transpired in his tête-à-tête with Xi, Duterte could only begin his statements with “What I remember … what I remember is that …” Either he does not want to disclose the whole truth of it or he is feigning forgetfulness. Does this mean that the fate of the Philippines’ territorial waters are now consigned to the depths of his 79-year-old memory? Did Xi swear him to secrecy?

The projects will be bankrolled partly by the newly created U.S. International Finance Development Corp. (the successor of OPIC), which will put up its regional office in Manila.

Additionally, the U.S. and Japan will open cutting-edge technological opportunities for Filipino businessmen.

One such project is Open Radio Access Network (RAN) to be based in Manila with an Asia Open RAN Academy to boot, also in Manila, with funding from the U.S. and Japan, to enable future commercial deployment and an open, interoperable, secure, reliable and trusted information communications technology ecosystem in the Philippines. This builds on prior U.S. and Japanese investment of over $9 million for these projects in the Philippines. Open RAN is a national broadband program and free WiFi project.

Also, the Philippines, U.S. and Japan will develop a new pool of semiconductor workers. Filipino students will receive world-class training at leading American and Japanese universities, to help secure the three nations’ semiconductor supply chains.

This initiative complements the expansion of semiconductor investments in Manila to strengthen supply chain resiliency among the U.S., Japan and the Philippines. The idea, it seems, is to secure a cyber network free from intrusion and sabotage by hostile countries in the future.

Anyone worried about the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ) where Filipino fishermen and Philippine vessels do a patintero (a Filipino tagging game) with China’s formidable armada and worse, are being water-cannoned, harassed, and stalked when supplies are being brought to Filipino soldiers stationed in BRP Sierra Madre, should now worry all the more. China’s message: The area is ours. It does not respect the ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration favoring the Philippines’ claims and rejecting China’s expansive claims on the South China Sea as having no basis in international law.

If indeed Duterte had made a secret agreement with Xi and Filipinos ended up blindsided, then Sen. Risa Hontiveros had basis in calling the act “treasonous,” treason being the crime of betraying one’s country or aiding the enemy while at war.

Incidentally, Metro Manila, the national capital, is home to the six military and police headquarters – the Armed Forces of the Philippines in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City and across it, the Philippine National Police headquarters in Camp Crame; plus the headquarters of the four major armed services, the Army at Fort Bonifacio, the Air Force at NAIA, the Navy at Roxas Boulevard, Manila and the Coast Guard in Port Area, Manila. A single missile, or even a drone, can wipe out these command-and-control centers in one blow, thanks to the foresight, or lack of it, of our forefathers.

How do you secure these camps?

Well, through reliable cyber and internet infra. And of course, physically, by the presence of troops.

Marcos Jr. has offered Washington D.C. no less than nine Philippine military bases for use by American soldiers as the U.S. pivots to Asia (now referred to as the Indo-Pacific) to counter China’s rise as the region’s greatest economic and military power.

Considering the dynamic power balance in Asia, the view is that foreign direct investments and economic development can be merged with geopolitical and military objectives, like mixing guns, gasoline, galunggong and a ganta of rice.

In economic output valued at what the U.S. dollar can buy in local goods (or purchasing power parity, PPP), China is the world’s richest, with $35-trillion

Well, isn’t China the so-called enemy at the gates? For now, traitorous or treacherous might be more apt.

I have watched enough TV crime and court dramas where the memories of witnesses— victims and accused—are being challenged to the last bit that they can recall, where defense lawyers and prosecutors make sure memories, no matter how foggy, jibe with the hard evidence and other witness accounts besides. What we now have is a former president whose memory needs rebooting while everyone and his uncle in his circle are just as lost in the fog, if not also feigning forgetfulness. Or might Duterte’s spiritual adviser, the fugitive “appointed son of God” Apollo C. Quiboloy who is facing criminal cases here and in the U.S., be privy to it all?

If I may digress, years ago, I dug up an old notebook with interview notes on it—with my

GDP. The U.S. is only second, with $26.95 trillion.

However, in annual defense spending, the U.S. is unrivalled, $832 billion, vs. China’s $227 billion. While China has a larger army (3.17 million vs U.S.’s 2.12 million), the U.S. has more nuclear weapons, 5,500 vs. Beijing’s 400; more aircraft carriers, 11 vs. two; more intercontinental ballistic missiles, 405 vs. 300 and more aircraft, 13,209 vs. 3,304 of China. China has the larger naval fleet, 730 vs. the U.S.’s 472, and more navy personnel, 380,000 vs. the U.S. Navy’s 13,513. In the Indo-Pacific, whoever controls the oceans controls the region’s future.

Gunboat diplomacy aside, China is also dominant in spreading economic largesse to the poor and middle-income countries, up to $1 trillion in the last decade, under its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), its spectacular infrastructure strategy. To regain lost ground, or waters, and superpower prestige, the U.S. has uncorked an ambitious strategic initiative to counter China’s BRI.

In June 2022, the U.S. inveigled its G7 partners to put up the G7 Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment (PGII), with a $600-billion funding, from the G7 governments and the private sector, by 2027, to provide financing for quality, high-standard, sustainable infrastructure in developing and

heart beating fast—to find out if someone I had interviewed had said something, perhaps in passing, which might hold a clue to a crime committed around that time. Yes, I do keep yesteryears’ interview notebooks and pocket-size planners that tell about my past whereabouts. Would-be journos must know that while digital technology is a boon in news gathering, pen and paper with one’s own handwriting (cum asterisks, stars, underscores, exclamation points, cuss words and all) are added aids to memory and the solitary act of writing. As in, I was there. So in the absence even of scribbles on a table napkin, there is nothing to hold up for scrutiny.

In the language of live, yes live, online selling (a rabbit hole I discovered belatedly), na joy-joy tayo

No written agreement, even in its barest form, means nothing is

binding. Was it all laway after all?

But why must we be falling all over ourselves to find out what it was?

In Filipino, nagkakandarapa, in onomatopoeic Ilonggo, nagakinarankaran. Perhaps there was nothing at all.

During this dry season when the air is hot and life-threatening, lines from Air Supply’s song “Out of Nothing at All” come to mind:

“I know just where to find the answers, And I know just how to lie, I know just how to fake it, And I know just how to scheme, I know just when to face the truth, And then I know just when to dream … Out of nothing at all, out of nothing at all, out of nothing at all.” (Inquirer.net) *

middle-income countries. They need up to $40 trillion in ten years of infra funding.

In the ASEAN, Vietnam has been the biggest beneficiary of the PGII – $15.5 billion for energy transition away from fossils.

Initially, from the GPII, the Philippines has the first Southeast Asia earth observation program with Copernicus (Copernicus Philippines), launched April 2023 in Manila, with a $37.2-million EU grant, and the $2.8-billion North-South Commuter Railway in Metro Manila, financed by Japan’s JICA and ADB.

MANILA — The Philippine Embassy in Tel Aviv said that a contingency plan was in place to aid Filipinos as it monitored the situation in Israel following the missile and drone attacks by Iran on April 13 and 14.

"Should there be significant changes in the security situation, the Embassy will execute its Contingency Plan and respond accordingly to aid affected Filipino nationals," Ambassador Pedro "Junie" Laylo Jr. said in a statement. "Filipinos are generally safe and protected, continue their daily work, and are confident of Israel's capabilities to defend the country and its residents.

MANILA — China's maritime militia conducted a major rotation in the West Philippine Sea covered by the country's exclusive economic zone (EEZ) on Friday, April 19. Retired United States Air Force Col. Ray Powell, director of SeaLight, a maritime transparency project that monitors and reports activities in the South China Sea, said at least 20 large Qiong Sansha Yu ships moved south. Powell said based on the automatic identification system (AIS), two groups of eight headed to the Spratly Islands while a group of four moved southeast and headed toward the recently crowded Bajo de Masinloc (Scarborough Shoal) where a Philippine research vessel, BRP Hydrographer Ventura, conducted a hydrographic survey.

After wrapping up its activity off Bajo de Masinloc on Thursday, April 18, BRP-H Ventura headed toward Pag-asa (Thitu) Island where 16 large Qiong Sansha Yu maritime militia ships will also be arriving, said Powell. China Coast Guard (CCG) 5303 has again intercepted and shadowed BRP-H Ventura and its Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) escort ship BRP Gabriela Silang as they moved southwest toward the Pag-asa Island in the Kalayaan Municipality.

It is believed that BRP-H Ventura will supplant the previous marine scientific research done in the Pag-asa cays that were disturbed by Chinese forces previously.

Throughout its mission in Bajo de Masinloc, BRP-H Ventura was closely watched by CCG 5303.

Meanwhile, in Makati City, leaders of various youth organizations staged a protest

"The Philippine Embassy is constantly in touch with the Filipino community and has taken the initiative to provide our countrymen with timely advisories, including the security guidelines issued by Israel's Home Front Command, to ensure their safety and readiness for emergencies." 

rally in front of the offices of the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines Friday morning.

The Alyansa Bantay Kapayapaan at Demokrasya (ABKD) strongly condemned the aggressive actions of the CCG in Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal and voiced their support for the policies and programs of President Ferdinand Marocs Jr. in the West Philippine Sea.

According to Rodolfo "RJ" Villena Jr., ABKD convenor and spokesman, Filipinos should unite and stand up to defend the country's sovereignty. He said they were also supporting the policies of President Marcos about the sovereignty of the country in the West Philippine Sea. "China has no right to threaten and harm our soldiers and fishermen who are only insisting on their right to our territory," said Villena. 

MANILA – The Philippine Air Force (PAF) and the U.S. Air Force (USAF) formally concluded the first iteration of Cope Thunder Philippines 24-1 exercises at Basa Air Base, Floridablanca, Pampanga on Friday, April 19.

"On the concluding day of Cope Thunder, PAF and USAF maintenance personnel exchanged best practices in aircraft maintenance during a subject matter expert exchange," PAF spokesperson Col. Ma. Consuelo Castillo said in a statement.

The CT PH 24-1, which started on April 8, is expected to have a second iteration in June this year. Castillo said the 11-day bilateral military training exercise, focused on air-to-ground operations, logistics, and other mission support planning and execution.

Participating aircraft include the PAF's FA-50PH light jet fighters and the USAF's F-16 multirole jet fighter.

This took place in the Northern Luzon Intensive Military Training Area, involving approximately 700 airmen from various PAF and USAF units.

"The Cope Thunder exercises play a crucial

a

Año

irresponsible, illegal and unconstitutional call for the military to withdraw support

considering that

colonel of the Navy’s

“It erodes the very foundation of our democratic institutions and undermines the supremacy of civilian authority over the military. Such utterances and actions can be construed as seditious or rebellious and they have no place in our society,” Año said in a statement on Wednesday, April 17. Año, former chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, said Alvarez underestimated the professionalism and integrity of both the AFP and the Philippine National Police (PNP).

role in preparing the PAF for the upcoming Large Force Employment missions during the 'Balikatan' Exercises 2024, scheduled to commence on April 22, 2024," Castllo noted. (PNA)

“We call on the Department of Justice to thoroughly review this matter and consider appropriate legal actions against Rep. Alvarez and others similarly situated,” he added.

Both the AFP and PNP are institutions that are loyal to “the Constitution, the rule of law, the chain of command and the president as commanderin-chief of the Armed Forces. Insinuations to the contrary are baseless and unfounded,” he stressed. “(The AFP and PNP) shall continue to remain above petty partisan, political or personal interests,” he added.

Alvarez should not drag these institutions into serving partisan agendas, Año said, “even if such calls are made, as he claimed, in a fit of emotion.”

On Tuesday, April 16, the Philippine Navy said it initiated an investigation against Alvarez who will be asked to explain his actions.

“We take exception to the recent statement of the 1st District Davao del Norte Representative and Marine reservist, Pantaleon Alvarez. The Philippine Navy has already directed the 9th Marine Brigade to conduct an investigation and to ask Col. Alvarez to explain his statements. The result of the investigation will be the basis of the Navy’s actions moving forward,” its statement read.

Alvarez’s claim that his April 14 statement is protected by freedom of speech “is just an excuse to evade prosecution,” Romualdo said.

“Let’s not make alibis. He very well knows that free speech is not absolute. One cannot make a seditious call or a libelous statement without facing the consequences,” the administration lawmaker from Mindanao noted. Romualdo had asked the DOJ to investigate Alvarez’s remarks made during a rally in Tagum City, where former president Rodrigo Duterte’s followers had assembled against the proposed Charter change.

Duterte is now a vocal critic of Marcos.

“The response to the seditious statement should be the immediate filing of a criminal case so that the move to incite people, including the military, to rebel against the government will be nipped in the bud,” Romualdo said. 

‘Seditious’ Camiguin Rep. Jurdin Jesus Romualdo on Wednesday lauded Justice Secretary Jesus Remulla’s decision to investigate Alvarez for his “seditious statement” calling on the military to withdraw support from the Marcos administration. Romualdo suggested the DOJ should issue a show cause order to Alvarez.

Easy, Safe, and for Everyone: The Essentials of Opening a Bank Account

There are many reasons for opening a bank account. From depositing a check to making a transfer, working with a bank makes it seamless to manage your money in a safe way.

Opening up a bank account also makes it easier to pay bills on time, open a debit card, deposit and withdraw money from an ATM, and make transfers from an app, among many other things.

Whether you’re opening a bank account online or at a bank branch, it’s important to prepare and anticipate what information you will be asked for.

Personal Checking Account

If you’re opening up a personal checking account, you will need to fill out an application form and provide the following documents:

1. Identification: You don’t need to be a U.S. citizen to open an account, but you need documents to verify your identity. These may vary slightly from bank to bank, but valid documents typically include:

• A government-issued photo ID. It could be a driver’s license, for example, or a state ID.

• Passport with photograph and birth certificate for minors.

• Social Security card or ITIN (Individual Taxpayer Identification Number). The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) issues this identification number for those who do not have a Social Security Number. Having a Social Security Number to open a bank account is not mandatory. Some banks and credit unions may accept documents, such as a consular identification card with a photograph to verify identity.

2. Proof of address: An up-to-date and valid document showing the customer’s name and address. This information could be found in a utility or cable bill, for example— any payment document that provides both pieces of information—or even the rental agreement for the apartment where you reside.

3. Money: When opening the account, you need to make an initial deposit, which can be the minimum required by the institution or more. You can deposit with cash, a check, or a transfer.

Business Bank Account

If you’re opening a bank account for your business, make sure you prepare and bring the following documents with you:

1. Documents regarding the structure of your business detailing who is in charge of finances and how it operates. For corporations or LLCs, this may include articles of

incorporation or articles of organization—anything about the company’s name, purpose, structure, and basic administration.

2. Ownership agreement outlining the rights and responsibilities of each business owner.

3. A certificate with the legal name of your business.

4. A business license if it is necessary to operate legally.

5. Personal identification of the business owner, similar to those required for individual accounts.

6. Employer Identification Number issued by the IRS.

7. Money for an initial deposit.

What questions should you ask the bank when opening an account?

Before walking into a bank branch, have a list of questions prepared to help you determine which account will work best for you and your financial needs. Some of those questions may be:

1. What are your monthly maintenance fees, and how can I avoid those fees?

2. Are there any fees associated with different services, including ATM fees within and outside the network, or overdraft fees, and how can they be reduced or eliminated?

3. What is your process for accessing funds from abroad?

4. Do you have any current offers or discounts with opening accounts or credit cards?

5. What is your current interest rate for depositing into a savings account?

6. For a business banking account, what are the monthly transaction limits? And what additional banking services would I have access to, including loans, credit cards and line of credit?

What if you want to save for a few years from now?

Whether it’s to prepare for retirement, or maximize the return on cash for a down payment on a house, many banks have financial experts who can recommend different strategies and investment products to grow your money over the years.

Choose to work with a financial advisor who you can create a strong relationship with and are comfortable expressing concerns and expectations. Keep in mind in some cases, financial advisors may receive a commission deducted from a percentage of the assets they manage for their client and/or charge transaction fees.

All banks offer online access, but not all banks have branches. While digital banking, whether online or with an app, makes managing your finances convenient, having access to a physical branch where you can sit down with someone to discuss your personal or business financing needs may make all the difference.

Which is something that I noticed right away when I met her. Saka ano siya, she’s very shy until you get to know her,” he said.

“Before we parted ways, parang napag-usapan nga namin na sana one day, we could do a collaboration, kasi nagsama kami sa parang corporate event before. Malay po natin, makapag-prod po kami sa Showtime,” added the singer-host.

The “Voice Kids” alum revealed that Ward followed him on social media, which was a gesture he gave back.

“After that episode, I was surprised, kasi siya pa ang unang nag-follow po sa akin, so I followed her back,” he shared.

When asked if he’s courting the actress, Espanto said that they are still “getting to know each other.”

Hindi naman po. Friends lang Getting to know each other. Kasi syempre, that’s the first time

he told Boy Abunda. Espanto then complimented Ward’s “bright aura” and shared that they are hoping to do a collaboration in the future. “She has this bright aura.

Aga Muhlach, Charlene Gonzalez look back on ‘old-school parenting’ their twins Atasha, Andres

By Kristofer Purnell Philstar.com

THE Muhlach family is preparing for its first television show, “Da Pers Family” premiering this May, which comes out about three decades after Aga Muhlach and Charlene Gonzalez met on the ‘90s show Oki Doki Doc.” Not too long after meeting on set, Aga and Charlene tied the knot in 2001, and later that year had the twins Atasha and Andres.

“When I proposed, it was quiet. And then it came out in the papers after one week. Nagulat talaga kami. Lumabas sa diyaryo, we’re getting married,” Aga said in a statement. “That was one of the best decisions I ever made, marrying Charlene. Up to now, I wake up saying, ‘Thank you, Lord, for my wife.’” Other than actors, Aga and

Heart Evangelista on dealing with backstabbers: ‘It always happens’

By Anne PAsAjol Inquirer.net

HEART Evangelista got real—and at the same time literal—about dealing with backstabbers, saying that encountering such people is almost unavoidable.

The fashion personality spoke about this in a video on her TikTok page on Wednesday, April 17, in response to a fan who asked: “What do you do when someone backstabs you?” “Ito lang mabibigay kong advice: It always happens and it’ll always happen,” she said.

The actress then shifted to a lighter tone and quipped, “So ‘wag kang tatalikod—maintain. Gano’n lang dapat.” “Matatamaan ang kabuhayan showcase,” she continued, referring to her face. “Pwede pang i-conceal ‘yung likod.”

Netizens found Evangelista’s response hilarious but agreed with her anyway, with some saying backstabbers will always be behind the fashion personality—”where they are supposed to be.” “I love the humor!” one TikTok user said. “Tama. That’s why they’re always at the back,” another netizen commented.

Earlier this year, Evangelista opened up about the “damage” caused to her by people she was once close to, admitting she feels the need to be “perfect” because they “paint [her] as a bad person.”

Heart Evangelista Photo from Instagram/@iamhearte

In a more recent interview held in March, the actress said she regarded trusting other people too much as her greatest mistake.

While Evangelista didn’t name anyone in particular in her statements, Evangelista made headlines in 2023 after she had a falling-out with her former makeup artists and close friends Jeck Aguilar and Justin Louise Soriano. g

Vance Larena and Mosang. Further details on the movie, including the plot and release date, have yet to be revealed as of this writing. Diaz and Fedelin have worked together in several TV series including “Kadenang Ginto,” “Fractured” and “Dirty Linen.” The pair also earlier starred as two friends who secretly have romantic feelings for each other in the music video of Nobita’s Tayo Na Lang. Last February, Diaz assured fans that FranSeth love team will stay despite each of them having solo projects. “Kami naman po, we also want to explore din ng solo kami. Pero, it doesn’t mean naman na wala na ‘yung love team. Siyempre, iba pa rin naman po ‘yung nakakapag-explore kami at alam namin kung hanggang saan ‘yung kakayanin namin,” she said. g FRANSETH fans are filled with excitement as love-team partners Francine Diaz and Seth Fedelin are set to star together in the upcoming movie “My Future You.” Diaz and Fedelin had a scriptreading session for the project, By Anne PAsAjol Inquirer.net as seen on Star Magic and Regal Films’ Instagram page on Thursday, April 18. “The future looks extra bright for Francine Diaz and Seth Fedelin as the two just had a productive script reading session for the upcoming ‘My Future You’ film, which will be directed by Crisanto B. Aquino and produced by Regal Films!”

Charlene were a matinee idol and a beauty queen, respectively, before redirecting their focus to their children, who inherited their parents’ looks and passion for entertainment.

Still, Aga and Charlene observed “old-school parenting” and gave the twins a “normal childhood” before giving any thought about show business.

Aga Muhlach and Charlene Gonzales with their kids, Andres and Atasha TV5 photo

Filipino circus pro and...

his audition for the 16th season of the reality TV competition “America’s Got Talent,” (AGT) where he reached the deliberation stage. “Iyong ‘AGT’ po, matagal na nila akong gustong kunin, kaya lang nagba-barko po ako no’n. Hindi kaya ng schedule (‘AGT’ has been wanting to get me for the longest time, but I was working on a ship and my schedule wouldn’t allow it),” he told INQUIRER.net in a one-on-one interview in Las Vegas. He was finally able to make time for ‘AGT’ in 2021, because of the pandemic. “Noong nag-air iyong episode ko, ginagawa din po nila ito, kasi parang pangdance and illusion po iyong show (When my episode went on air, they were doing this [Awakening], because it’s like a dance and illusion show),” Ocampo said.

‘Leviwand’ Initially, the show’s producers wanted to get an American who can do a leviwand act like he does, Ocampo said. But they weren’t able to find any, and got him on board because the show’s mounters really insisted on having the unique performance included in the production.

Ocampo said he was on a ship, working, when he got the call for the Las Vegas job.

“Lumabas ang episode ko, andaming nagme-message. Eh ang hina ng internet sa barko. Ayon po, nag-message po sila (I received so many messages when my episode came out. But the internet on the ship was so slow. And they messaged me) ‘Are you interested in a project in Vegas in 2022?’ Of course I’m interested!” he shared.

The Filipino performer flew to Las Vegas without knowing any details about the job, other than having to do a leviwand act.

“Super secret po. Hindi ko alam kung anong show, hindi ko alam ang role ko, as in secret. Alam ko na po ang ‘La Rêve,’ pagkatapos kami ang papalit (I didn’t know what the show is, I didn’t know what my role is. I’m familiar with ‘La Rêve,’ and we will replace it) after the pandemic,” Ocampo said.

It was not easy getting to where he is, enjoying his success through something he is passionate at, he said. His exposure on the show was also extended. If at first his leviwand act showcased toward the latter portion of the production was his only on-stage appearance, he now also appears quite earlier in the show.

Filipino talent on the international stage Ocampo told INQUIRER. net that he hopes to see more Filipinos make it big on international productions. That is why he has been displaying impeccable work ethic, aside from showcasing his unique theatrical abilities.

“What if palagi lang akong late, Filipino time, or tamadtamad, siyempre next time kapag may nakita silang Filipino talent baka ang impression nila gano’n lahat (What if I’m always late, Filipino time, or lazy, of course the next time they will see a Filipino talent their impression will be the same). Not just me, I believe I also really represent Filipinos,” he explained.

“Noong nag-start na po akong

Joey de Leon clarifies no feud with ‘Showtime’: Wag niyo kaming pagsabungin

By Anne PAsAjol Inquirer.net

“EAT Bulaga” host Joey de Leon set the record straight after some netizens apparently assumed that his and Tito Sotto’s recent fiery remarks were aimed at their noontime show counterpart “It’s Showtime.”

“Ito’y para lang matapos ‘yung mga usap-usapan— unang-una, hindi namin kaaway ‘yung ‘Showtime,’” De Leon said in a video shared on his Instagram page on Friday, April 19. “‘Yung ‘Showtime,’ matagal na namin kapitbahay ‘yon. Hindi rin [nila] kami tinitira, hindi rin namin sila tinitira.”

(This is to stop the rumors— first of all, we do not have bad blood with “It’s Showtime.” “It’s Showtime” has been our neighbor for years. They are not attacking us, and vice versa.)

“Ang pinapatungkulan namin

mag-international, na-realize ko na iyong talent sa Pilipinas anlaki po talaga. Patron po ako of Filipino talent, na parang andaming raw talent. Kulang lang po sa facilities, equipment, instruction, opportunities, and everything (When I started going international, I realized that there is immense Filipino talent. I am a patron of Filipino talent, we have so many raw talent. We just have insufficient equipment, instruction, opportunities and everything). And I see that we can be as good as, if not better than the others,” Ocampo said.

Getting the NCCA onboard

When the time comes that he has enough gravitas to command the attention of Filipino art patrons, and agencies that can help uplift the conditions of Filipino performers, Ocampo said he would want to proactively help aspiring Filipino.

He said he is looking at getting the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) on board, and establish a circus performing academy to hone Filipinos with potential, and provide a venue for his countrymen who need to improve on their craft.

Second on his three-pronged approach to talent development is a production company that will mount shows where the academy’s wards can perform. Ocampo’s third step is to put up a management agency so the performers can get all the help they will need to book jobs.

“Actually, iyong tatlong iyon, iyon ang pinakamahirap sa akin (those three were the ones I struggled with the most), ” Ocampo said, adding that he did not have any place to seek a mentor for his craft, and there were not any shows in the Philippines that would pay well for the kind of performance he offers, and the local agencies were focused on booking jobs for bands and singers abroad. Boost for tourism

He aspires to see a boost in the country’s tourism to attract the audience that will pay good money to see the kind of performance that Filipinos can provide, and so that the performers will no longer seek jobs overseas. He also hopes to generate as much local following for such productions, and that citizens will find it easier in the future to allot money for the entertainment he hopes to offer in the future. For those who would want to follow in his footsteps, Ocampo said, “be smart, because the biggest hindrance for performers is the money. It’s not as lucrative in the Philippines. So don’t be a starving artist. Make your training and your performing career, kahit maliit pa siya (even if it’s just small), make it sustainable. Don’t quit your job. If you don’t have money for costume or equipment or training, or kahit papunta sa gig, wala (or even if you don’t have money to get to your gig), you’re gonna suffer also.”

He said aspiring artists should always keep in mind that success will not happen overnight. “Dream big, dasal, mahirap talaga (pray, it’s really hard). Embrace it, embrace the challenge, and it’s gonna be worth it,” he continued. g

Aga Muhlach, Charlene...

“[Our parents] made sure to make us experience a normal life, going to school, playing sports,” Atasha shared about her and Andres’ life growing up in Batangas. “It never really felt any different until recently, when we got older.”

Another key parenting factor Aga and Charlene did was not allowing the twins to have smartphones until they were 17 years old.

Like Atasha said, Aga and Charlene encouraged the kids to engage in activities that nourished their creativity, intellect and interpersonal skills. After small appearances in commercials and a guest appearance on the defunct “Pinoy Explorer” show hosted by Aga, the Muhlach family is now set to appear in their first-ever series together. Da Pers Family” begins airing on TV5 this May. g

ni Tito nung nagalit kami sa ‘Eat Bulaga’ ay ‘yung mga social media na nagpo-post, ‘yung mga nagpo-programa,” he clarified. “Kaya hinamon ko [kung] tatagal nang 15 years ‘yung mga nagpo-post na ‘yon, hindi ‘yung ‘Showtime.’” (When Tito and I addressed the rumors in “Eat Bulaga,” our statements were aimed at those who post, have programs on social media. It was them who I challenged to reach 15 years, and not “It’s Showtime.”)

De Leon then greeted the cast

of ABS-CBN noontime show, which is set to celebrate its 15th anniversary in October. “15 years na nga ‘yung ‘Showtime.’ Bakit ko hahamunin yon?” he continued. (“It’s Showtime” is already in its 15th year. Why would I dare them?) “Mahal namin ang ‘Showtime’ dahil kasabayan namin [sila]. Da-dalawa na lang kami, ‘wag niyo kaming pagsabungin,” he appealed. “Magkakaibigan din kami.”

(We love “It’s Showtime” because we have been counterparts in the noontime slot. Only the two of us were left, so please do not pit us against each other. We are all friends.)

De Leon lamented how some people seemingly wanted “Eat

Bulaga” to go off-air despite it being the longest-running noontime show in the country. He then noted that the achievement of the program as one of the longest-running shows worldwide is also a win for the Filipino viewers. “Kasama kayo do’n sa honor na ‘yon.” “Inuulit namin na ‘yung galit at sama ng loob namin ni Tito at ng mga Dabarkads ay do’n sa mga nagpo-post na hindi free TV… ‘Yung mag salbahe do’n [sa social media]. Talagang luluhod ako, didipa pa ako kung maka-fifteen years ‘yung mga sinungaling na ‘yon,” he stressed.

De Leon and Sotto’s earlier remarks were a response to rumors that “Eat Bulaga” would go off-air due to financial struggles.

Aside from their statement, Sotto announced that their camp would release a copy of the show’s income tax to further dismiss the bankruptcy rumors.g

(I repeat, our ill feelings are aimed toward the bad people who are on social media and not on free TV. I will kneel before them with both my arms outstretched if their programs reach 15 years.) “Pero ‘yung ‘Showtime,’ we love you. Hindi kami magkaaway at nagtatrabaho lang kami,” he reiterated. (“It’s Showtime,” we love you. We are not fighting, and we are all just doing our job.)

Joey de Leon Photo from Instagram/@angpoetnyo

Ehrlich ‘Firechill’ Ocampo in ‘Awakening’ Photo from Instagram/@wynnlasvegas

Lovi Poe’s Hollywood adventures and commitment to home

LOVI Poe is a certified Hollywood actress now with not just one but three movies soon to show from the world’s most famous film industry.

She stars in “The Chelsea Cowboy,” a biopic based on the life of actor, gangster, and lothario John Bindon, alongside Alex Pettyfer, Poppy Delevingne, and Charlie Creed-Miles; and an action-comedy titled “Bad Man,” with William Scott, Rob Riggle, Chance Perdomo, and Andre Hyland; and has just been cast in “Prison Break” and Marvel’s “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” director Adam Beach’s yet-to-be titled movie with Canadian actor Adam Beach.

“Couldn’t be happier to share this with you guys. Really grateful for the opportunity to work with such amazing filmmakers,” Poe wrote on her Instagram.

Despite these back-to-back projects abroad, the grateful Hollywood newbie proved the Philippines will always be home and important to her as Poe jetted in last week to start production her latest Regal Entertainment project, “Guilty Pleasure.”

Co-starring JM de Guzman and Jameson Blake, the Noreen Capili-written movie explores the complex relationships and personal struggles of three ambitious lawyers as they navigate their way through love, betrayal, intrigue, vulnerability, and revenge. The film also sheds light on the important issues of accountability and consent.

“I will get involved with both JM and Jameson’s characters. We each have different storylines, but of course, our paths will intertwine,” Poe revealed at the movie’s media conference.

“I’m very excited because it has a very different theme. It’s something deeper, so it’s more adult in such a way that we are playing lawyers here. I’m very nervous because it’s something I have never done before,” she admitted.

The film will be directed by Connie Macatuno, with whom Poe worked on the highly acclaimed project “Malaya.” The 2020 film gave the actress a Urian nomination for Best Actress. Considered as one of Regal’s lady boss Roselle Monteverde’s pet projects, “Guilty Pleasure”

focuses on women’s issues and is the production’s highly anticipated follow-up to “Seasons” Poe’s last successful outing for them.

Making the most of her time in Manila, Poe is also set to do an action-drama via director Richard Somes’ “The Untamed.”

“I’m also excited to do action projects, just like my dad,” she said, recalling her late father, action superstar and “King of Philippine movies,” Fernando Poe Jr.

Before then, however, her husband Monty Blencowe, a scientist and movie producer, will also fly to Manila and make a movie with his very in-demand wife.

“I still can’t talk about the project,” she excitedly said, “but we will definitely shoot many scenes showing beautiful sites in the Philippines.”

Asked if much has changed about in her life given her Hollywood adventure, Poe humbly replied, “It’s just all the traveling. I will still do projects here in the Philippines and this will always be home,” she ended. g

Jericho Rosales indirectly denies rumors he’s courting Kathryn Bernardo

By Kristofer Purnell Philstar.com

ACTOR Jericho Rosales is subtly denying rumors that he is courting Kapamilya star Kathryn Bernardo. Jericho sat down for an interview with entertainment

reporter MJ Felipe where they discussed the actor’s career and upcoming projects.

Toward the end of the interview, MJ asked Jericho if finding love was a part of his priorities this year, to which the actor immediately said, “No.”

By Christina alPad ManilaTimes.net Lovi Poe Photo from Instagram/@lovipoe

Jericho Rosales Photo from Instagram/@jerichorosalesofficial

Fil-Am Jacob Batalon invites Filipinos to see ‘Tarot’

FILIPINO American actor Jacob Batalon, best known for starring in Marvel’s “Spider-Man” films, is calling on Filipinos to see his latest movie “Tarot.” Central to the horror film’s plot are a deck of tarot cards, and one supposed unspoken rule is to never use someone else’s cards.

A previous trailer sees Batalon and his co-stars being pursued by the cards they received like the High Priestess, the Hermit, the Magician, and the Hanged Man.

In a promotional video for “Tarot,” Batalon took note of Filipinos’ love for supernatural horror and that with his new movie, a “fun scary day at the cinemas is in the cards” for everyone. “Bring all you friends, scream together, and don’t miss the terror of our new horror movie ‘Tarot’... Arat na!” Batalon ended. Also starring with Batalon are Harriet Slater of “Pennyworth” fame, Avantika from “Mean Girls,” Adain Bradley from “The 100,” Humberly González, Alana Boden, Wolfgang Novogratz, and Larsen Thompson. “Tarot” is based on the 1992 novel of the same name by Nicholas Adams who serves as a co-writer alongside co-director Anna Halberg. This is Halber and co-director Spenser Cohen’s feature film directorial debut. g

Lola Amour band unchanged by unexpected success

By AllAn

LOLA Amour isn’t about chasing success. So, despite all their achievements and the attention they have been getting since dropping their chart-topping hit, “Raining in Manila,” the members of the pop-funk band don’t want to look too far ahead.

PolicArPio Inquirer.net and Manu Dumayas (trumpets), David Yuhico (keyboards), Raffy Perez (drums) and Jeff Abueg (saxophone). Lola Amour was formed in 2013 as part of a merger between two rival school bands at De La Salle Zobel. Playing music started out as a hobby. It didn’t immediately occur to them that it could actually be a viable career path.

Yes, success can be sweet but there’s more music to create and work to be done.

“It’s cool at the start. But then you realize that you have to keep working and doing what you have to do. We don’t think that ‘Oh, we’re famous now!’ It gets busier; we now do things like press work. But [success] doesn’t change who you are,” lead vocalist Pio Dumayas said in an interview at the concert launch of the band’s debut album at the Circuit Events Grounds. “We’re proud. But at the same time, things have stayed the same for us,” departing bassist Raymond King said for the band, which is also composed of Zoe Gonzales (lead guitar), Angelo Mesina

Fun pop The band began playing prominent music festivals like Wanderland in 2016, and released its debut EP, “Don’t Look Back” the following year. While they have since scored hits like “Fallen” in 2021, it was “Raining in Manila”—cleverly released during the monsoon season last year—that brought them massive success.

So far, the song’s official releases on Spotify and YouTube have been collectively streamed more than 205 million times. It topped charts on Spotify, Apple Music, iTunes and YouTube Music. Their show in Rizal Park was attended by about 40,000 fans. It piqued the interest of international artists

Jericho Rosales indirectly...

Earlier this year, it was confirmed Jericho and his wife of 10 years Kim Jones already separated. Just last week, rumors emerged that Jericho was among the individuals supposedly courting Kathryn. MJ then asked if such rumors were false, and Jericho only responded with a smile, “What rumors? I don’t read social media. Sometimes I [scroll] but I’d rather not, I don’t want to pollute my mind.”

Prodded again by MJ about finding love in 2024, whether new or old, Jericho said it was still too early for such things. “I love my job, it’s the year of rebuilding things,” Jericho said, before going on to talk about his son Santino and his message for fans.

Earlier this week, talent manager and showbiz reporter Ogie Diaz claimed that Jericho and another actor Alden Richards were courting Kathryn, information he reportedly obtained from a source in the actress’ camp. Ogie also claimed that between the two actors, Kathryn’s family prefers Alden as he is responsible and financially stable. Alden was present at the house blessing of Kathryn and her family’s new home, and even attended several of Kathryn’s birthday celebrations the past few weeks. g

Can my children’s derivative social security benefits be offset against my monthly child support obligation?

Barrister’s Corner

must cooperate with the custodial parent in making the application and providing any necessary information.

• Department of Veterans Affairs

To be eligible for the credit, the child must be potentially eligible for the benefits. This means that the child must meet the requirements for the benefits, such as being the child of a deceased or disabled worker.

The custodial parent or other child support obligee is responsible for applying for the benefits on behalf of the child. The noncustodial parent

If the custodial parent refuses to apply for the benefits or fails to cooperate with the appropriate federal agency, the noncustodial parent may be credited towards their child support obligation for the amount of benefits that the child would have received. The noncustodial parent must provide evidence to the local child support agency indicating the amount of benefits the child would have received. This credit is intended to help ensure that children receive the financial support they need from both parents, even if one parent is deceased or disabled. It can also help to reduce the financial burden on the custodial parent.

If you are a noncustodial parent who is receiving federal government payments on behalf of your child, you may be eligible for a credit towards your child support obligation.

If you are a noncustodial parent who is receiving federal government payments on behalf of your child, you may be eligible for a credit towards your child support obligation. You should speak with an experienced family law attorney to discuss your specific case. Here are some additional things to keep in mind about California Family Code section 4504:

• The credit is not available for all types of federal government payments.

• The credit may not be available if the noncustodial parent is already receiving a credit for child support payments from another source. • The amount of the credit may be limited. If you have any questions about California Family Code section 4504,

By Kristofer Purnell Philstar.com

Jacob Batalon Photo from Instagram/@lifeisaloha

Lola Amour Warner Music Philippines

Items to tick off Paolo, Patrick and Kaye’s bucket lists

by Rito P. Asilo Inquirer.net

IT took Kaye Abad, Patrick Garcia and Paolo Contis 25 years to find a suitable material to reunite in since they worked together in ABS-CBN’s seminal coming-ofage series “Tabing Ilog.” What’s immediately clear to see is how the trio’s time-honed chemistry has worked wonders for the drama “A Journey,” currently the No.1 film on Netflix.

“A Journey” sees embattled actor Kristoff Desiderio aka Tupe (Patrick Garcia) taking bosom buddies, Shane (Kaye Abad) and her doting husband Bryan (Paolo Contis), on a cross-country adventure across the island of Tasmania off the southern coast of mainland Australia.

The trip isn’t just intended to help Tupe come to terms with the career-dimming repercussions of his womanizing ways, but also to tick off items on Shane’s bucket list before she succumbs to cancer.

So, for our quick one-on-one time with the team behind “A Journey” at the hip and swanky Netflix office in Makati last week, we asked Kaye, Paolo and Patrick what they’d like to do before their time to kick the bucket.

Kaye, who’s even lovelier and “deeper” now that she’s in her early 40s, told us that it doesn’t take a lot to please her. “Ako kasi, mababaw akong tao (I’m shallow). Just to spend time with my family is good enough for me, especially with my kids. Every time I’m asked if I want another child, I say, ‘I’d rather not,’ because I just want some quality time with them while I still can,” explained the actress, who has two sons with “Pinoy Big Brother” alumnus Paul Jake Castillo, her husband since 2016. She added, “I want to travel with my children without their nannies … ‘yung kamikami na lang. I want to cherish my time with them because, as it is with Shane’s case, I don’t really know how much time I have left in this world to spend with the people I love. So I want to enjoy every single moment with them.”

Three things

On the other hand, Patrick, who proves in the movie that he hasn’t lost his dramatic flair, wants three things ticked off from his list. “I want to build my dream home for my wife and kids,” he said. “Then, I want to travel the world with them. On a personal note, I want to watch LeBron James in action and play basketball with him. Also, I want to go skydiving and jump off a plane …”

Cutting in with a wicked grin, Paolo, who was two seats away from Patrick, quipped, “Even without a parachute?” “No, there should be a parachute,” Patrick answered back, chuckling. In the interview as it is in the film, it’s this easygoing banter and the improvisational

Paolo Contis

(L-R)

vibe among its three stars that make it easy to empathize with them and the challenges they must hurdle. They can poke fun at each other at any time, but they also know exactly when to set their cheeky antics aside and take things seriously.

‘More time’ For his part, Paolo’s thoughts were for his ailing mother. “I don’t have specific items on my bucket list,” he admitted. “But as Kaye explained, it’s important to spend more and more time with the people we love—in my case, that would be my mom. “She recently had a stroke. So I regret not doing things I should have done with her when she still could … when she was still OK. Now, ang dami kong gustong gawin kasama siya (I want to do a lot of things with her). Hopefully, we could still do them together even when she’s no longer as healthy as I would have wanted her to be.”

We asked prolific director RC delos Reyes, (“3 Days, 2 Nights in Poblacion,” “Unravel: A Swiss Side Love Story,” “I Love Lizzy”) where his intimations of mortality and propensity for flawed but relatable characters are coming from.

He recounted, “I thought of my loved ones the minute I got the script,” he said. “Since we all just went through the pandemic, the topic of death is still a fresh subject matter. Isa ‘yan sa mga pinanggagalingan ko (that’s where I was coming from) when we were doing the film. The story of Shane and Bryan reminded me of my lolo and lola “So, when my lola died during the pandemic, it felt like my lolo also lost a considerable part of his life, too. They were like love birds—they were really meant for each other. That always felt like true love to me. That’s why family and friendship were significant themes in the film.

“I was in my early 30s before the pandemic, and all I could think of was to do as many films as I could. But because of the pandemic,

I realized that a successful career doesn’t define you as a person—what matters more are the friends and family around you. So the film is really about the ties that connect Shane, Bryan and Tupe regardless of what happens to any of them in the end.”

The three share a kind of friendship that demonstrates how opposites could attract each other. After pointing out that Paolo plays the loyal and doting husband in the movie, and Patrick has been cast as his and Kaye’s “naughty but nice” childhood barkada, we asked Patrick and Paolo which of the two characters resonated with them more. Patrick said he could relate to both Bryan and Tupe, although as he reiterated, “I’m really not the ‘naughty’ sort. But I can certainly relate to the actor part of Tupe’s character … to his being a dreamer, to him wanting to achieve greater things in life. But the playboy part … I don’t think I’ve ever been.”

With a wicked twinkle in his eyes, Paolo told us, “I think pinagbaliktad talaga ni Direk RC ang roles namin (it was deliberate on our director’s part)—at sa tingin ko, doon talaga papunta ang tanong mo (that’s where your question is headed). You’re just saying it in a nice way.”

“Ay, oo parang, ‘Hindi ba dapat ikaw ‘yung naughty but nice, Paolo (aren’t you a better fit for the other role)?’ Kaye cut in, ribbing her controversial costar.

Turning serious, Pao, who doubles up as one of the film’s producers, explained, “Actually, we talked about this. As they say, we all need a good challenge in life, that’s why they wanted me to be the nice guy (laughs). But to be honest, you can relay important messages from both characters. I can also relate to Patrick’s character …”

“But you can relate to Patrick’s character more, right?” Kaye asked, laughing.

Paolo answered, “They really interchanged the characters … para may issue (laughs)!” g

like the K-pop acts Enhypen and Bambam of GOT7.

And in what turned out to be one of the most unforgettable moments of their stillblossoming career, Lola Amour shared the stage and performed “Raining in Manila” with Coldplay during the Philippine stop of the iconic British band’s “Music of the Spheres” world tour.

“We were late to the party when it came to figuring out that we wanted to do this for a living … We never expected the success—we never chased it. So, we’re just really lucky to have all these things happening to us,” Pio said. With momentum on their side, the band recently released their nine-track selftitled debut album (Warner Music), which aims to showcase the band’s “musical and storytelling skills” wrapped in a “fun pop” package. Feeling of acceptance

“Our best songs are usually about facing the worst of times, but when you take out the lyrics, the music behind it sounds fun.

I think that reflects the feeling of acceptance that we all want to feel on our worst days,” the band said in a statement.

Lola Amour refuses to box themselves in one genre. No two songs sound the same, they pointed out, and each song itself is a mix of various styles and sounds. But if there’s one thing that binds everything together, it’s the band’s signature use of horns, which makes the tracks undeniably theirs.

“All of the songs sound different. There’s disco, funk, ballads … something borderline rapping and gospel … a lot of experimental stuff. I don’t think we have a signature sound when it comes to genre, but there’s the familiar voice, how we used the horns and instrumentation.

That’s how people realize that it’s Lola Amour [they’re hearing],” Raymond said.

David likened the album to an emotional roller-coaster ride. “When you listen to it as a whole, it will take you on a journey. It starts off with fun, high energy. It dips toward the end, but the emotions increase,” he said. Compared to their previous material, the songs on “Lola Amour,” Pio said, are thematically more mature, tackling topics like mental health. “We tackled mental health twice. There are love songs, but you get the sense that they’re more mature … that they’re really from life experiences,” Pio said. “Part II: Bliss,” for instance, is about a school batchmate who took his life amid depression. “The topic seems out of character for us. But we were happy to write about it. It was one of the songs that we had to respect as much as we could. We already had it back in 2018,” Pio related.

Keep trying

“We did minimal alterations to the original version. We wanted to make sure that every little element conveyed what was happening to him,” he added.

Asked if they feel pressured to come up with a hit as big as “Raining in Manila,” Pio said each member feels differently about it. But as far as he’s concerned, all the band can do is to keep trying. “We need to write something else. I would like to think that this can’t be the peak,” Pio said.

“This is our first song of this magnitude. It led us to Coldplay. I don’t think we will ever be able to do something like that again. But after a while, you just have to keep trying. If you keep thinking about it, or overthinking it, wala ka ring mapapala,” Pio said. g

Patrick Garcia, Kaye Abad and

Photos courtesy of Netflix

Lola Amour Facebook

Apl.de.ap shares story behind first musical collab with Sandara Park

By ChArmie joy PAgulong Philstar.com

MANILA — It was a nobrainer for apl.de.ap to team up with South

girl group 2NE1’s Sandara Park for the song 2 Proud, given his K-pop fascination and their

to the Philippines. 2 Proud, a pop track with a tinge of hip-hop, is now available on all digital streaming platforms. Its music video, directed by Ben Mor, is also out, channeling a ‘50s vibe, featuring apl.de.ap relaxing on a poolside, basking in Californian sunshine, with Dara appearing on a vintage TV set.

The Black Eyed Peas’ Filipino American member was generous enough to sing a few verses from the afrobeat-inspired ditty when he recently graced a press interview at a BGC hotel.

“I’ve been experimenting on my new inspiration. I love and (I am) inspired by afrobeat right now. And it started prepandemic and then the pandemic happened. And so (we) worked the song during the pandemic and you know, I’ve been wanting to collaborate with Sandara Park,” enthused apl.de.ap, whose real name is Allan Pineda Lindo. “We’ve worked with 2NE1 before and I always see her (Dara) in the Philippines. And we’ve been hanging out and wanting to collaborate. I sent it to her and she liked it and the song happened,” he continued.

Dara and apl.de.ap first met in 2011 when the former’s girl group collaborated on a song with the latter’s fellow Black Eyed Peas member Will.i.am.

Dara and apl.de.ap have kept in contact since then. They have also been running into each other in the Philippines, from clubs to tourist places like Boracay. The rapper eventually thought it would be cool to work with Dara, too, after joining forces with another 2NE1 member, CL, for a music project years ago.

“It’s just one of those things… It was just a phone call. I’m like, ‘Yo, you think Sandara wanna do this song? Right!’ It’s like I wanna collaborate with a K-pop artist and she has history in the Philippines. So, it was like kinda just connection there.”

“It was great,” apl.de.ap further described his collab with Sandara.

“I’m glad that she was openminded about this new style. It was during the pandemic so we had to do it via the internet and Zoom.

“And even shooting the video, we had to be creative about it. So you know, it just made sense ‘cause I’m a big K-pop fan and she had history here in the Philippines,” he reiterated.

“We love being back (in the Philippines), not me visiting but me going back home. For me, just the beauty of the Philippines and the islands, the beaches, food, (and) night life. Other than music, that’s what we talked about,” he

told this paper.  In a statement, Dara, for her part, stated how delighted she was to be on 2 Proud collab. “apl.de.ap and I have known each other for many years. We both have cherished memories of the Philippines, which we bond us. As a huge fan of his music, working on this project was filled with excitement and joy. “Even though we had to do everything far off (each other), separately, due to the pandemic, we finally made it and the song came out super great. I hope you also enjoy our first collaboration and one day, I wish we could perform it live in front of the fans.”

The rapper apl.de.ap teased that 2 Proud is just the first song in this style of music and that he is cooking more music collaborations with other Filipino artists which will be released soon. As for apl.de.ap, he hoped to collaborate with BTS and other Filipino artists like Flow G and Nadine Lustre in the future. He is also a fan of the music from the legendary Filipino rock band Asin. In fact, he loves singing their songs in karaoke, like Ang Buhay Ko, “Halos lahat ay nagtatanong doon sa aming bayan/Sa gitnang kanluran na aking pinagmulan…” To recall, his previous hit, the Apl Song, sampled Asin’s Balita

Recently, he’s been practicing juan karlos’ hit Ere

It goes to show how apl.de.ap has always been proud of his Filipino roots. As he told The STAR, “I wanna be remembered (in the music industry) as a proud Pinoy, (it’s) part of my culture, where I come from. And I’m proud of my country and someone that follows the footsteps of people who gave me opportunity.”

Meanwhile, apl.de.ap shared that he liked to collect shoes, hats, glasses and vintage toys like Voltes V, Shogun Warriors, Bionic Man, Star Wars, and e-bikes.

Last month, the singer’s apl.de.ap Foundation International partnered with Asian Development Bank and Arizona-based Legacy EV, LLC to advocate for e-mobility training in the country.

Aside from a Rolex watch, the most expensive but the most rewarding thing that he purchased for himself is a rice field in Concepcion, Pampanga.

“I called my mom one day, I think I was in Germany, I don’t know, it just popped into my head. I’m like, ‘We’re always gonna need rice. I gotta buy a rice field,’” he recalled.

“So, I called my mom. I’m like, ‘Mom, I need you to look for some land. Let’s buy a ricefield.’ She’s like, ‘Anak, are you OK? Are you drunk?’ I’m like that’s beside the point. And then I ran home for one holiday, the next holiday and we got that. That was over a decade ago and she never had to buy rice again.” g

Kris Aquino cried nonstop on Bimby’s birthday, sorry for ‘showing weakness’

By Anne PAsAjol Inquirer.net

KRIS Aquino penned a birthday greeting for her youngest son Bimby’s 17th birthday, saying she was emotional during the occasion because of her fear of no longer being around to celebrate his next one.

The Queen of All Media, who is battling multiple autoimmune diseases, gave a glimpse of their simple celebration in California through her Instagram page on Friday, April 19.

“April 19, 2007 I gave birth to my living guardian angel. In the past month with Kuya Josh back in the [Philippines], and because of several vaccines I needed to be given, Bimb kept me company while I quarantined,” she began.

Addressing Bimby, Kris continued, “I’m keeping the promise i made to you—September 28, 2018 when we first knew there was something scary about my sudden weight loss and my complete blood test result.”

“I’m sorry for showing weakness yesterday when I cried nonstop because of my fear that I may not be around to be with you on your 18th birthday,” she said. Kris underscored that despite her life-threatening conditions, her youngest son has matured so much and has remained his faith in God.

“No matter how much physical pain I endure daily, my heart overflows with love because of your caring, selfless, unconditional love,” she stated. “My one wish is for your character to remain strong, your values and integrity stay admirable, your respectful and polite manner unchanged, and your passion for learning will continue to inspire you to make the most of your education.”

“I love you not only during my lifetime or yours but definitely for eternity. You’re my greatest

achievement because of your capacity to love,” she stressed. “This early you’ve embraced your responsibility to take care of your kuya, and since you were 11 years old, you’ve been so protective of me.”

Concluding her message, Kris reminded Bimby: “Love doesn’t die, my [honey].”

Kris also briefly spoke about her health and said that news about it “has mostly been sad.” She, however, did not expound as she did not want to “ruin the good vibes” of her son’s birthday.

Kris included in her post as well a greeting to her close friend, actress Kim Chiu, who shares the same birthday with Bimby. g

Kris Aquino and her son Bimby Photo from Instagram/@krisaquino

Black Eyed Peas’ Apl.de.ap on collaborating with 2NE1’s Dara in the pop track 2 Proud: ‘You know, it just made sense ‘cause I’m a big K-pop fan and she had history here in the Philippines.’

Dara, or Sandara Park to her Filipino fans, says she and apl.de.ap bonded over their memories of the Philippines. Philstar.com photos

Korean

shared ties