060624 - Las Vegas Edition

Homecare workers’ fight for $20/hour as demand for their labor soars

IN Nevada, where nearly half a million seniors reside, the demand for home caregivers is escalating rapidly, with a projected need for 32,000 more in the next decade to adequately serve its aging population.

Homecare workers help with all the daily activities that empower seniors and people with disabilities to live at home, including bathing, feeding, going to doctors' appointments, grocery shopping, and medication reminders. It is their labor that enables our loved ones to live in dignity, health, and well-being while staying in their home.

Retaining current homecare workers is imperative, and presently one out of every two leave their positions within the first year due to insufficient wages and benefits.

The composition of Nevada's homecare workforce, comprising 85% women and 59% people of color, reflects the diversity within the state, including Asian communities. These communities often prioritize caring for

Vaccinations may not prevent infections from new COVID sub-variant

THE new KP.2 subvariant shows an amazing ability to evade immunity, and will likely spur on a summer surge of COVID-19 infections.

“This is one of the more aggressive versions of the virus that we have ever seen,” said virologist Dr. Benjamin Neuman, professor of biology at Texas A&M University. “This is at the top of the scale in terms of immune resistance, which means that it will almost certainly be able to infect people, even if they have been recently vaccinated,” he said.

A recent vaccination still remains the best way to not die from COVID-19, said Neuman.

FLiRT subvariant

As of May 1, hospitals are no longer mandated to report COVID-19 hospitalizations.

KP.2 comes from the FLiRT family of the Omicron variant, and currently accounts for about one-third of COVID infections, according to data from the

China remains ‘greatest’ threat to PH — survey

by Red Mendoza ManilaTimes.net

MANILA — At least three out of four Filipinos believe that China poses the "greatest" threat to the Philippines, according to a survey conducted by independent pollster OCTA Research.

In its Tugon ng Masa poll conducted from March 11-14, 2024, 76 percent of Filipinos believe that China could be a potential threat to the Philippines, although this is down slightly from 79 percent in the previous quarter's survey in December, but well within the nationwide margin of error, which is at plus or minus

congratulates PH for ‘eloquently’ expressing South China Sea position

by Pia Lee-BRago Philstar.com

MANILA — The United States congratulated the Philippines for “eloquently laying out the Philippines’ position on the South China Sea (SCS).”

Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. and U.S.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin III met on the sidelines of the 21st International Institute for Strategic Studies Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore on Saturday, June 1 to update each other on the progress made by both countries since the recent SQUAD meeting in Hawaii.

The “SQUAD” is the quadrilateral alliance among the U.S., Japan, Australia and the Philippines, which had a series of meetings in Hawaii with Austin last month. The four countries held marine military drills in April.

Austin opened the discussion by congratulating President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for laying out the Philippines’ position on the SCS.

Teodoro responded by expressing his “appreciation to the U.S. for supporting Marcos’ thesis which

three percent. A distant second among countries perceived by Filipinos to have the greatest threat to the Philippines was Russia, at 9 percent, followed by North Korea, Pakistan, Japan and Saudi Arabia, with responses ranging from 2 percent to 1 percent. Five percent believed that there were no countries that could be a threat to the Philippines.

However, Visayas and Class ABC respondents were the highest among those who considered Russia as a major threat to the country at 14 and 25 percent respectively. According to OCTA, the number of those who perceived China as the country's greatest threat increased by 17 percent, from 59 percent in the first

Among major areas, respondents in the National Capital Region (NCR) scored the highest in their perception that China was the greatest threat in the country with 86 percent, followed by Balanced Luzon at 77 percent, Visayas at 73 percent, and Mindanao at 71 percent. Respondents in socioeconomic class D scored the highest among those who considered China as a threat at 77 percent, followed by Class E at 76 percent and Class ABC at 63 percent.

Zelensky on Philippine trip: I need to directly talk to Marcos about Ukraine

by gaBRieL PaBiCo LaLu Inquirer.net

MANILA — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that he took a short and sudden trip to the Philippines — despite the war being waged in his homeland — because it was important to inform President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. about the situation in Ukraine.

Zelensky explained in an interview with Radio Television Malacañang (RTVM) on Monday, June 3, shortly after he met with Marcos, that he asked the president to participate in the Global Peace Summit in

Duterte authorized P47.6 billion PS-DBM fund transfer – Duque

by SheiLa CRiSoStoMo Philstar.com

MANILA — Former President Rodrigo Duterte authorized the transfer of P47.6 billion to the Procurement Service of the Department of Budget and Management (PS-DBM) for the purchase of COVID-19 protective equipment, former Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said during Monday’s (June 3) hearing of the House committee on appropriations.

Duque also told the committee, which is looking into the budgetary performance of the Department of Health (DOH), that the fund transfer was necessary and aboveboard.

“In his (Duterte) public pronouncements, the transfer was done because of a public health emergency,” Duque noted, upon the questioning of ACT Teachers party-list Rep. France Castro.

The former DOH chief cited Executive Orders 385 and 285, a Letter of Instruction, Administrative Order 17 of 2011 and Section 53 of the procurement law as among the basis for the transfer.

Duque said they deemed it best to rely on the expertise of the PSDBM and its network of suppliers in sourcing the supplies to combat the pandemic.

“Our overriding consideration was to prevent, if not mitigate, the

Switzerland this June 15, where Russia’s invasion of Ukraine will be discussed.

According to Zelensky, the voices of Southeast Asian countries, including the Philippines, are very important. “[I went here] directly, to invite him to participate [in] this summit, that there will be three very important issues on 15th of June in Switzerland. The first one will be food security. I think it’s also very important in our bilateral relation between us and the Philippines — nuclear security that’s important for all the world, I think too,” Zelensky said.

Comelec vows clean 2025 polls

by William B. Depasupil ManilaTimes.net

THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) has vowed to use to the fullest its power and constitutional duty to enforce and administer election laws to ensure that the upcoming 2025 midterm polls will be clean, honest and peaceful.

Chairman George Erwin Garcia said on Monday, June 3 that it is the duty of the Comelec to enforce and administer election laws, and it would be a dereliction of duty if it could not enforce the law in 2025.

“This is a warning. Do not test the patience of the Commission on Elections. We will never hesitate to use the full powers of the Constitution to ensure that no lives are sacrificed at lahat makaboto” (and everyone would be able to vote),” said Garcia at the start of the Multi-Party Democracy Summit.

Garcia made the remark as the Comelec prepared for the first parliamentary elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), which will be simultaneously held with the local and national elections on May 12, 2025.

He called on candidates and regional parties that would participate

MASTER.

Former President Rodrigo Duterte Malacañang file photo

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. meets Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky during a courtesy call at the Malacañan Palace on Monday, June 3. The two leaders attended the IISS Shangri-la Dialogue Defense Summit in Singapore, but their schedules did not align to meet on the sidelines of the forum held over the weekend. Malacañang photo

NOTICE TO ELECTORS OF CLOSE OF REGISTRATION FOR THE PRIMARY ELECTION

TO BE HELD ON TUESDAY, JUNE 11, 2024

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that, Lorena S. Portillo, the Registrar of Voters of Clark County, Nevada, will conduct a registration of qualified electors for the Primary Election to be held on Tuesday, June 11, 2024.

Any qualified elector whose name does not appear on the official registry list may apply for registration by mail, in-person, online, or through same day registration in the manner approved by law according to the deadlines listed below. (NRS 293.3568, 293.560, 293.565, 293.5832, 293.5837, 293.5842, 293.5852)

The deadlines to register for the first time or update your existing voter registration by mail or online in time for the June 11, 2024, Primary Election and still receive a mail ballot are below. After those dates pass, voters who wish to register for the first time, or make changes to their existing registration information will have to do so through the same-day registration process, either online or in-person (at an Early Voting site or on Election Day at a Vote Center). New registrants will be required to vote a provisional ballot in-person at any early voting site or on Election Day at any Vote Center. We strongly encourage all qualified electors to register to vote or update their existing voter registration as soon as possible.

2024 PRIMARY ELECTION VOTER REGISTRATION DEADLINES AND HOURS

Method of Registering Dates Hours

Through the mail, government agencies, or in person voter registration application to: Clark County Election Center 965 Trade Drive, Suite A North Las Vegas, NV 89030

Online, only at www.RegistertoVoteNV.gov, and must have a valid Nevada DMV issued ID or Driver’s License

Same Day Registration (In-Person), must have a valid Nevada DMV issued ID, Driver’s License, or Nevada Tribal Identification Card (per NRS 232.006)

Tuesday, May 14 (Deadline)

7:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.

Friday, Saturday, and Sunday Closed

Tuesday, May 28, 2024 (Deadline) to receive a mail ballot or vote a regular ballot in-person at any Early Voting site or Election Day Vote Center.

May 29–June 11 (Online Same Day Registration), must show ID at any early voting site or at Election Day Vote Center and may only vote a provisional ballot in-person at any Early Voting site or Election Day Vote Center.

May 25–June 11 at all Early Voting sites, during voting hours, and on Election Day at all Vote Centers, by close of polls

CITY CLERK’S OFFICE VOTER REGISTRATION DEADLINES AND HOURS (Mail or Over the Counter)

Location Dates Hours

Boulder City

City Clerk’s Office

401 California Avenue

Boulder City, Nevada

City of Henderson

City Clerk’s Office

240 Water Street

Henderson, Nevada

City of Las Vegas

City Clerk’s Office

495 S. Main Street 2nd Floor

Las Vegas, Nevada

City of Mesquite

City Clerk’s Office

10 E. Mesquite Blvd. Mesquite, Nevada

City of North Las Vegas

City Clerk’s Office

2250 Las Vegas Blvd.

North Las Vegas, Nevada

Monday–Thursday

Tuesday, May 14 (Deadline)

Monday–Thursday

Tuesday, May 14 (Deadline)

Monday–Thursday

Tuesday, May 14 (Deadline)

Monday–Thursday Friday

Tuesday, May 14 (Deadline)

Monday–Thursday

Tuesday, May 14 (Deadline)

7:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m.

Friday, Saturday, and Sunday Closed

7:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m.

7:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m.

Friday, Saturday, and Sunday Closed

7:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m.

7:00 a.m.–5:30 p.m.

Friday, Saturday, and Sunday Closed

7:00 a.m.–5:30 p.m.

7:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m.

7:30 a.m.–11:30 a.m.

Saturday and Sunday Closed

7:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m.

8:00 a.m.–5:45 p.m.

Friday, Saturday, and Sunday Closed

8:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m.

A qualified elector who possesses a Nevada driver’s license or DMV-issued identification Card, and wishes to receive a mail ballot, may register or update his/her voter registration information online until 11:59 p.m., on May 28, 2024, exclusively at www. RegistertoVoteNV.gov, (Nevada Secretary of State website). Those qualified electors who register online from May 23, 2024, to June 11, 2024, will not receive a mail ballot, must vote in person at an Early Voting site or on Election Day at a Vote Center, may only vote a provisional ballot, and must be prepared to show their Nevada Driver’s License, DMV-issued Identification Card, Nevada DMV Interim Document, or Nevada Tribal ID (per NRS 232.006) prior to voting.

Nevada and federal law require first-time registrants to provide an identifying number (Nevada Driver’s License number or the last four digits of their Social Security Number). If these do not match the records maintained by the Department of Motor Vehicles or Social Security Administration, the registrant will be required to present identification before being allowed to vote. Forms of current and valid identification include a photo identification with registrant’s name and current physical address (Nevada Driver’s License, Nevada I.D. Card) OR a copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, paycheck, or document issued by a government entity, listing the registrant’s name and current physical address. These individuals have been notified.

For more information, call the Clark County Election Department at (702) 455-8683.

DATED: 16th of May, 2024

China remains ‘greatest’ threat...

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survey conducted when President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. took office in October 2022.

Despite more Filipinos saying that China is the greatest threat to the Philippines, 44 percent also said that China gave a positive impact to the country's economy, an increase of 13 percent from the

US congratulates PH for ‘eloquently’...

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underscores the rights of small states.”

Austin reiterated the point he made during his talk on The New Convergence in the Indo-Pacific on the previous day.

“The harassment that the Philippines has faced is dangerous – pure and simple. And we all share an interest in ensuring that the South China Sea remains open and free,” Austin said.

“We are beyond friends and allies, we are family. What affects you affects us,” he added. n

Comelec vows clean 2025...

1

in the BARMM polls, as well as local and national candidates and other election stakeholders, to help the Comelec get rid of traditional irregularities, including vote buying, violence and terrorism, arson, and harassment, among others.

Garcia stressed that the Bangsamoro people deserve no less than a clean, honest, peaceful and credible BARMM elections, as well as in other parts of the country.

“We will not leave any voter behind, meaning the Comelec will ensure that every qualified voter would be able to vote in the upcoming [2025] elections,” he said.

“Nobody should be disenfranchised. Not under the present leadership, not under the present administration, not under the present process or system,” Garcia said.

Garcia gave his assurance that Comelec would act accordingly based on developments that would happen in a certain area during the election.

“We will assess the level of potential violence, the level of manipulation or irregularity of the locality before it will be

placed under Comelec control. It will be a difficult process because doing so would impute stigma on the people in the area,” he said in Filipino.

Garcia said the purpose of the summit was to gather all regional parties in the BARMM that wanted to be accredited and participate in the first BARMM parliamentary elections in 2025.

“We wanted to orient them on our implementing rules and regulations, how to apply for a petition for accreditation,” he said, adding that “most importantly, we wanted them to be friends even as they would be adversaries in the upcoming polls for the sake of the motherland.”

BARMM is composed of the provinces of Basilan, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, Sulu and Tawi Tawi. The regional center is the City of Cotabato. It also includes the cities of Lamitan and Jolo, 116 municipalities, and 2,590 barangay.

Many of the perennial election hotspots in Mindanao are within the BARMM and surrounding areas. In 2022, placed under Comelec control were the towns of Buluan, Datu Odin Sinsuat, Datu Piang, Mangudadatu, Pandag, and

Sultan Kudarat in the province of Maguindanao, Marawi City, and the towns of Maguing

and Malabang in Lanao del Sur. Under Comelec Resolution 10757, an area can be placed under Comelec control if there is a history of/or current intense rivalry among contending parties. Such rivalries could motivate people to engage in violent acts, incidents of politically-motivated violence involving aspirants/candidates and other supporters. Violence may be facilitated by the employment of Private Armed Groups and serious armed threats posed by the Communist Terrorist Groups and other threat groups, including the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, the Abu Sayyaf Group, the Maute Group, and other analogous threat groups as may be declared by the competent authority, or other paramilitary forces, private armies or identifiable armed bands widely perceived to have committed terrorism, fraud or other election irregularities, and threaten or disrupt the holding of free, peaceful, honest, orderly and credible elections in any political divisions, subdivisions, unit or area. n

Zelensky on Philippine trip: I need to...

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“It was very important directly to invite the president, directly to speak with him about the details [of] what’s going on on the battlefield, what Russia brought with this war to our land, of this crisis, what they think about, and of course, for us it’s very important not to give Russia possibility to influence in Asia, very important region, very important voice of Philippines,” he added.

Earlier, Zelensky said in a tweet that Marcos will participate in the Global Peace Summit. This came after the two leaders held a bilateral meeting at Malacañang.

Initially, there was no confirmation from the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) regarding Marcos’ participation, but PCO Secretary Cheloy Garafil said the Philippines’ participation is still being finalized.

Zelensky, during the interview with RTVM, reiterated that Marcos vowed to attend the summit.

“Yes. He said that the Philippines will support the summit. I said for us it is important for us [for] him to come. He said he will come and he will participate in the summit. This (is a) great strong signal,” Zelensky said.

Zelensky also said that he informed Marcos about their efforts to bring back Ukrainian children allegedly abducted by Russia when it started its invasion.

“But the important reason is because we are preparing, in such a tough period, in the period of war in Ukraine, we are preparing our steps to peace, to just peace, just peace for Ukraine, Ukrainians, for our family, for our children, and of course, for us, it’s very important [to] have participation on the level of your leader, participation in this summit, in Switzerland,” he said.

“And the third one, the humanitarian one, where we count on your support at how to get back our Ukrainian stolen children, you know that Russia

has stolen 20,000 of our children from occupied territories and we need to get them back, and we need to find the mechanism of getting back the children, different age, it’s a pity but we have to bring them home,” he added.

Earlier, Zelensky thanked Marcos for the Philippines’ support of Ukraine’s sovereign claims. In 2022, the Philippines voted in favor of a 2022 United Nations resolution expressing “explicit condemnation” of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Zelensky went to Manila for a short bilateral meeting with Marcos after failing to meet in Singapore over the weekend.

Both Marcos and Zelensky came from Singapore, where the International Institute for Strategic Studies Shangri-La Dialogue, Asia’s premier defense summit, was held.

Marcos was the keynote speaker there; Zelensky, on the other hand, was urging countries in the Asean region to support the Swiss-organized summit. n Malacañang photo

The presence of the China Coast Guard (CCG) persists despite the effort of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) to block them and assist the four main vessels of the second civilian resupply mission of the Atin Ito Coalition to the Bajo de Masinloc or Panatag Shoal in the West Philippine Sea on May 16, 2024. Philstar.com

photo by Miguel De Guzman

Tubaran

The next human pandemic could be bird flu

by Sunita Sohrabji Ethnic Media Services

THE next major pandemic of COVID-like proportions will likely be avian flu, a respiratory disease already killing millions of poultry and waterfowl, and infecting thousands of cattle.

Currently, there is a version of H5N1 — the avian flu virus — on six continents, an unprecedented event, said Dr. Maurice Pitesky, associate professor at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, who focuses on highly pathogenic avian influenza disease modeling.

The virus spreads via an infected waterfowl’s fecal material, said Pitesky, noting that many dairy and poultry farms have lagoons and other large bodies of water nearby. Feral cats that roam around dairies are also conduits for spreading the virus, as are infected farm and factory equipment.

Immigrant workers at high risk Workers in poultry and dairy industries are at a unique risk for catching an infection: humans

who have close contact with sick birds can catch the virus when it gets into a person’s eyes, nose or mouth, or is inhaled. Wearing Tyvek suits, gloves, masks and other personal protective equipment can be extremely challenging in the immense heat, said Pitesky.

Vaccinating chickens is a Herculean task: the U.S. currently breeds about 8 billion chickens per year. Containing spread to particular regions is also difficult: animals are only tested when they cross state lines.

Extremely deadly

Bird flu is extremely deadly in humans, said Dr. Peter ChinHong, professor of Medicine and director of the immunocompromised host infectious diseases program at the University of California, San Francisco.

It appears like a very bad flu, but the fatality rate is much higher, he said.

Both researchers were speaking at a May 24 Ethnic Media Services news briefing.

“The reason why it’s so deadly initially in humans is because

we’re not used to seeing this kind of infection. It’s almost like the early days of COVID. So we don’t have the necessary immune system to target it,” said Chin-Hong.

“It is possible that we can have a pandemic at some point in the medium term,” he stated.

Spanish flu

The 1918 “Spanish flu,” which killed more than 50 million people worldwide, was caused by an H1N1 virus with genes of avian origin, noted Hong. He added however, that better detection and therapeutics today could decrease the number of human fatalities.

Only three cases of humans infected in the U.S. have been reported thus far. In each of those cases, the infection presented with conjunctivitis — pink eye — and symptoms were relatively mild.

“Avian flu is a risk to all of us at some level; there’s so much virus floating around. There’s a lot of new research that’s focusing on virus in wastewater from human wastewater treatment facilities,” he said.

Vaccinations may not prevent infections from...

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Symptoms are similar to infections from other subvariants: runny nose, sore throat, headache, fevers, cough and body aches. The CDC has dropped its recommendation of isolating for five days, advising instead to stay home until the fever has passed Vaccines have not kept pace with the rapid evolution of COVID-19 variants and subvariants, said Neuman, speaking at an Ethnic Media Services news briefing May 24. The Food and Drug Administration was scheduled to last week to discuss KP.2, but has postponed its meeting until July to determine which subvariants on which to base a new vaccine, which will be rolled out in September.

Out of date test kits

The virologist said his preference is for a twice a year vaccine boost. “This would do a lot to prevent infections. However, that does not appear to be the path that they are taking right now. It appears to be a once annual vaccination, in the back to school and winter season.”

“When we know that this is a virus that occurs sporadically,

and peaks at different times throughout the year, every year.

It’s essentially unpredictable. We’re treating COVID as if it were flu, even though it’s very much not,” stated Neuman. Home test kits may not be as effective at diagnosing an infection, because they are developed for older subvariants. However, said Neuman, they will still work. “They are likely out of date. And so that means that they may miss some of the time. But the tests work based on detecting parts of the virus that have not been changing very much in the recent evolution. So in theory, they would still work effectively.”

Summer surge Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, professor of Medicine and director of the immuno-compromised host infectious diseases program at the University of California, San Francisco, said he expects to see a surge of COVID infections this summer.

“As more people get infected with the new variants, it will just be easier to get in a more vulnerable state. And because of the low vaccination rate and low uptake of Paxlovid, I’m worried that we’ll get a swell

in hospitalizations,” said ChinHong, who joined Neuman at the May 24 EMS news briefing. The US has experienced four consecutive summers of COVID surges: as temperatures get warmer, people tend to gather indoors, largely without masks.

Get vaccinated Chin-Hong predicted that the surge would not cripple hospitals, as it has in previous years. He noted that the surge would come in earlier this year, based on wastewater analysis.

“We need to encourage particularly those who are vulnerable and especially if they didn’t get a vaccine last year to please go ahead and get it. And if you don’t want to get a vaccine, make sure you know how to get access to early therapy if you get COVID,” said Chin-Hong.

He encouraged people to continue wearing masks, noting that masks are useful for any illness that’s respiratory spread.

“Emerging threats will continue our lifetimes. And we have to keep our efforts laser focused on protecting all parts of our society, especially the vulnerable,” said Chin-Hong.

(Sunita Sohrabji/Ethnic Media Services)

Meet the first Filipino American judge in the US

Judge Mel ‘Red’ Recana and his son, Judge Julian Recana, have made history as the first Fil-Am father and son to serve in the California judiciary

by Mary Villegas Inquirer.net

LOS ANGELES Superior Court

Judge Mel “Red” Recana, the first-ever Filipino American judge in the United States, has been serving in the California judiciary for 40 years.

It all still seems surreal for Recana, given his humble beginnings in the Philippines. In an interview with ABC7, he said his family was poor and his father, a town police officer, only had a third-grade education.

Recana said his father discouraged him from pursuing his dream to become either an Army general or an actor.

“My dad said, you know what son, to be an actor, you’ve got to be good looking or extremely ugly. You’re just an average guy. So, what am I going to do now? My dad said, you love to talk, maybe you should be a lawyer,” the Fil-Am judge recalled.

Inspired by American Defense Counsel Clarence Darrow, Recana pursued law.

Juggling stints as a court reporter to sustain his studies, the Fil-Am judge graduated from the University of the East in Manila in 1964. A few years later, he

risk of our health care workers waiting for local suppliers whom we knew had no capacity, initially, to supply large volumes of PPEs (personal protective equipment) and other COVID-19 supplies needed,” Duque explained.

He stressed that the DOH could not neglect the lives of health care workers who were at the forefront in the battle against SARS-CoV-2.

Iloilo Rep. Janette Garin, a former DOH secretary herself, expressed dissatisfaction over Duque’s replies.

“Don’t take us for a ride. The question is so simple. Just say yes, or (give) the name of the person or the committee (who decided to make the transfer of funds), or if it was you who authorized (the transfer). Did you unilaterally give an instruction to do this (transfer)?” Garin said.

Duque answered that his decision was based on the recommendation of the Inter-

migrated to California and started a blue-collar job at the Southern Pacific Railroad Company.

An encounter with a Filipino lawyer following a car accident turned the tide for Recana.

“He said, Mel, I heard you’re a lawyer from the Philippines. I said yes. Well, you can take the bar without going back to law school. I said, why is that? Well, because the Philippines is a common law jurisdiction country,” Recana recalled.

In the mid-’70s, Recana passed the bar exam. He later went back to school, earning a master’s

Agency Task Force and the National Task Force against COVID-19.

Garin also raised concerns over the government’s handling of COVID-19 loans, pointing to the burden it created on the taxpayers and the lack of accountability for the borrowed funds.

It was found during the hearing that the government secured a total of $2.21 billion for the Philippine COVID-19 Emergency Response Project and the Health System Enhancement to address and limit COVID-19 in 2021 and 2022.

“So, if you translate that to pesos, considering the P51 conversion rate (in 2021), that’s tantamount to P112,719,180,000.

But because the conversion rate has increased… it has increased to P129 billion. That’s how big our loan is,” Garin said.

degree in public administration from Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. He became the first Fil-Am deputy district attorney in Los Angeles County. His career took a monumental leap when Governor Jerry Brown appointed him as a judge on May 27, 1981 — making history as the first ever Fil-Am judge in the U.S. A golden legacy Fast forward to 2015, Governor Brown also appointed his son, Julian, as a Superior Court judge. Recana proudly swore in his son. They made history as the first FilAm father and son to serve in the California judiciary.

“I really do owe everything to (my father) for this one. He was the big dreamer,” Judge Julian Recana told ABC7. “He put in the idea that I could also become a judge or become an attorney. I never thought I couldn’t be that because I had him as a father.” Judge Mel Recana has recently been honored by the Philippine American Bar Association with its Lifetime Achievement Award.

Recana expressed gratitude for his journey saying, “God was with me all this time. I’ve never wavered in my faith. It was quite an adventure, really.” n

Earlier, the Office of the Ombudsman ordered the filing of graft charges against Duque and former budget undersecretary Christopher Lao, who was reportedly a fraternity brother and campaign leader of Duterte. More than one-fourth of the contract with PS-DBM was bagged by Pharmally Pharmaceuticals Corp., which was linked to Michael Yang, Duterte’s former economic adviser. n Former Health

Secretary Francisco Duque III Philstar.com file photo

Helping AAPI communities heal from the pain of racism Triumphant Saso surges to World No. 6, grabs Olympic spot

by Selen Ozturk Ethnic Media Services

THE Healing Our People

Through Engagement (HOPE) program uses a “Radical Healing Framework” to help the five largest Asian communities in Los Angeles County — Cambodian, Chinese, Filipino, Japanese and Korean — respond to past and ongoing racism.

The project is funded by the California Department of Social Services and led by the AAPI Equity Alliance, an LA-based coalition of over 40 community-based AAPI organizations.

Racism and the Radical Healing Framework

During the pandemic, Asian Americans — comprising over 15% of California’s population, or six million people — experienced “brutality on a scale not seen for generations in this country,” said Michelle Sewrathan Wong, managing director of programs for AAPI Equity Alliance. “They were scapegoated by politicians for transmission of COVID, targeted for violent physical attacks, made to feel unwelcome in their own communities and bullied by neighbors and strangers alike.”

Since 2020 alone, over 11,000 cases of AAPI hate have been reported to Stop AAPI Hate, an organization co-founded by AAPI Equity.

“Exploring the devastating toll this was taking on our community, and its root causes … led us to a Radical Healing Framework that moves beyond individuallevel approaches to coping with racial trauma.” she continued.

“Our community was suffering an epidemic of isolation, anxiety, and depression … Racism doesn’t just occur on an individual level, and healing, hoping for a different future, requires collective action.”

“Decades of research shows that racism can harm both physical and mental health, leading to symptoms of depression, anxiety and PTSD, as well as headaches, trouble sleeping, hypervigilance and withdrawal from other people,” Dr. Anne Saw, associate psychology professor at DePaul University and one of the designers of the HOPE program.

“This program is the very first community-based program developed from Radical Healing psychology, to address the mental health impacts of racism for Asian Americans,” she continued.

The Framework, developed by a multiracial team of psychologists in 2020, builds upon decades of Black

liberation psychology research, Saw explained. “It emphasizes healing rather than simply coping with the traumatic impacts of racism by helping communities see how their experiences are connected to histories of injustice and brainstorming actions we can take to protect our own well-being.”

“After this pilot phase of the program where we learn what works best, we hope to offer it to any Asian American who wants it,” she added. “To fight against racism as a whole requires solidarity across races, so we’d also like to work across different communities of color.”

Radical Healing in action

“Initially, there were doubts about whether this program was needed in the Japanese American community,” said Xueyou Wang, HOPE facilitator and social services program assistant at Little Tokyo Service Center. “We soon realized how much we needed it.”

In weekly community action groups, participants ranging from new Japanese immigrants to fifthgeneration Japanese Americans “talked a lot about micro-stressors building up during the pandemic; for example, that being Asian American and wearing a mask in public made them feel like targets for attack, or when they saw another Asian American person in a crowd, they would feel the need to protect them,” Wang explained, “given all the violence on the news.”

“A big concern for new Japanese immigrants was the loss of culture, while Japanese Americans who had been here longer feared the loss of history; for instance, of grandparents surviving the internment camps,” she continued.

“We had a call to action about an issue they saw in Little Tokyo today, which was gentrification, which we realized also encompasses this loss of culture and history … it was empowering to express these fears as something we could tackle rather than feelings to push aside.”

“Our weekly group had four Chinese American participants including a man who had lived and worked in the U.S. for many years, two international students who recently entered the workforce and a women in her 40’s who grew up in a predominantly white community in California,” said Yu Wang, HOPE program facilitator, and associate marriage and family therapist at Asian Pacific Counseling and Treatment Center.

“Although the woman initially expressed distrust and hopelessness about our community, saying she didn’t feel Asian or Chinese, after

seeing others share their stories of traumatic experiences she said it was the first time she felt truly accepted in wanting to explore her own identity,” she said.

“The students said that before the group, they didn’t see this community as a resource, whereas after they did see it as a way to improve their well-being,” Wang explained. “The older man initially often dismissed other participants’ parallel stories of racism, but after a few sessions, reflected that racism can occur on a structural level.”

“Our group had five Korean participants between their 20s and 30s,” said Joann Won, HOPE facilitator, at Koreatown Youth + Community Center,. “As someone who is Gen Z growing up in Koreatown, I always understood racism on a theoretical level but had the privilege of not personally facing it in any explicit or aggressive way.

Sharing stories, we quickly learned that this changed for all of us during the pandemic.”

“I shared how my parents were worried to the point where they were afraid of stepping out of their homes, just going to the grocery store, because we kept hearing about all these crimes nationwide,” she said.

Joann Won, Psychology BA graduate from UCLA, HOPE Program Facilitator and Program Facilitator at the Koreatown Youth + Community Center, shares the shock and fear brought on by the surge of anti-Asian hate during the Covid-19 pandemic.

“One first-generation immigrant participant revealed such pain and catharsis expressing her experiences for the first time, including how being outcast within her neighborhood and being looked down on for cultural differences and her accent affected her mental health,” she added.

“We were strangers when we started HOPE, but by six weeks we were going out to lunch together,” Won said, “having built a community on the shared understanding that we’re no longer isolated in our pains.”

“It all made me think about how wonderful this program would have been for older generations, like my own parents, if they could have had the space of connection to heal from trauma relating to racism,” she added.

“What really set us up for success was understanding that just because we’re all Korean, or Asian American, doesn’t mean we have the same experiences — but we can hold space for our differences.” n

by Jan Veran Philstar.com

STARTING the week at No. 30 in the world rankings, Yuka Saso catapulted to No. 6 following a spectacular victory at the U.S. Women’s Open in Pennsylvania Sunday, June 2.

The victory not only marked her ascent in the rankings but also all but secured a coveted spot in the upcoming Paris Olympics.

Saso’s impressive 24-spot leap in the rankings also saw her rise from fourth to first among the Japanese contenders for the Olympic team. Tied with World No. 1 Nelly Korda in the prestigious Rolex ANNIKA Major Award derby, Saso’s second major triumph underscores her hard work, dedication and patience.

In stark contrast to her first major win at the Olympic Golf Club in San Francisco in 2021, her latest victory was a well-crafted comeback. It’s a testament to her perseverance and growth as a player.

Reclaiming her career-best world ranking at No. 6, Saso has surpassed notable competitors like Nasa Hataoka, Miyu Yamashita and Ayaka Furue for the top Olympic bid from Japan.

From uncertain prospects of a second Olympic appearance to a guaranteed spot, Saso’s journey has been remarkable. With only four tournaments, including the U.S. Women’s Open, left before the qualification period for the 60-player Olympic field concludes on June 24, Saso was determined to secure her berth in the Paris Games.

“My focus is on the U.S. Women’s Open first,” she said, and she delivered, mirroring her previous major win with a strong finishing kick.

Overcoming a double bogey on No. 6 on the sixth hole and a four-stroke deficit, Saso fired four birdies over the next five holes from No. 12, ultimately winning by three strokes over fellow Japanese Hinako Shibuno.

Her latest victory not only brought her $2.4 million, the largest purse in women’s golf at a standalone event, but also made her the youngest two-time champion in

the YS Women’s Open history at 22 years and 347 days.

Back on the Olympic track, Saso is virtually assured of her second Olympic stint. Determined to maintain or improve her ranking, she is set to compete in the ShopRite LPGA Classic in New Jersey this week and the Meijer LPGA Classic in Michigan the following week.

She is also eyeing a third major win at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship in Washington later this month.

The Paris Olympic field is restricted to 60 players for each of the men’s and women’s competitions. The International Golf Federation will utilize the official world golf rankings to create the Olympic Golf Rankings as a method of determining eligibility where the Top 15 world ranked players will be eligible for the Olympics, with a limit of four players from a given country.

Beyond the Top 15, players will be eligible based on the world rankings, with a maximum of two eligible players from each country that does not already have two or more players among the top 15.

With her second U.S. Open victory, Saso is now eligible for the ANNIKA Major Award, which honors the player with the most outstanding record in all five major championships during the LPGA Tour season.

Saso, who won the U.S. Women’s Open as a non-member in 2021, has now joined an elite group by winning major championships as her first two LPGA Tour victories.

The latest triumph has propelled her to the top of the 2024 Rolex ANNIKA Major Award standings, tied with Korda. The honor, requiring a win in at least one of the five majors, is within Saso’s reach, with three more majors left to play this season.

The second victory is often considered harder to achieve, but Saso has proven her resilience. After her 2021 feat, while representing the Philippines, she recorded 15 Top 10 finishes on the LPGA Tour, coming close to a second career title several times.

Reflecting on her journey, Saso acknowledged her doubts and the support she received.

“I haven't won in two-and-a-half or three years. I definitely had a little doubt if I can win again or if I won't win again. But those experiences helped a lot, and I think I was able to prove something to myself,” she said.

Winning the sport’s highest honors has been a sweeter experience the second time around for Saso.

“Since 2021, I haven't won after that. I think it makes it special because after a long wait, and I wasn't expecting to win the U.S. Women's Open. The last time, too, I wasn't expecting it, and this time, too, I wasn't expecting it. I think that's why it made me a bit emotional. Winning just makes you look back on all the things that your family, your team, and my sponsors, supported me throughout, good or bad,” she said.

Indeed, prospects are bright for the Meycauayan, Bulacan-born Saso, who aspires to become the World No. 1 and clinch the Olympic gold. With her sights set on further achievements in the world of golf, her future looks promising. n

Homecare workers’ fight for $20/hour as...

their elders at home, reflecting deep-rooted cultural values. It's pivotal for policymakers to acknowledge and support this as the elderly demographic continues to expand.

On Thursday, SEIU Local 1107, the largest union of healthcare workers in Nevada, held a Home Care Legislative Town Hall to address the home care crisis, and to unveil their policy goals to ensure Nevada has the workforce necessary to provide quality services to seniors and disabilities. Some of the policy priorities include raising wages to support, recruit, and retain this workforce, and increasing the number of hours Medicaid pays workers to care for patients in need.

Filipino homecare worker and proud SEIU Local 1107 member, Liza Garcia, shared her experience as a new homecare worker. Though she only started a few months ago, she has already been exposed to the struggle so many are facing.

“We have clients that need more hours of care, and they aren’t able to get it.” She explained the situation using the example of a current client she cares for, who is approved by Medicare for 18 hours of paid care per week, or just 2.5 hours per day. People who receive home care services typically need step-by-step assistance with these activities, typically taking longer than average to complete. “It takes 3-4 hours just to bathe and feed my client, but we need additional hours in order to do laundry or assist her in the other ways she needs.”

Increasing service hours isn’t the only thing Garcia is fighting for with the union. "Compared to California our pay is way far away. I know this isn't California but with the cost of living everyone is just trying to get by. It feels like it's not enough.” And, like many home caregivers, Garcia is driven by the heart of what she does, and the patients she cares for.

“It’s not just about the money. It’s about the health of these people. I don’t want this to be placed on the back burner. There are people in critical conditions, and for someone like my client, 18 hours isn’t enough.”

SEIU’s polling data found that among likely voters in Nevada, 80% are concerned about the shortage of homecare workers, 85% support raising caregivers' wages, and 88% said they support providing basic benefits like health care and paid sick days for caregivers. But perhaps the most pertinent statistic given the election year, is that 91% of democrats, 83% of Independents, and 79% of Republicans said they are more likely to vote for candidates who are

at the Town Hall event with Home Care

for their

homecare clients and

led the effort to raise the hourly minimum

for home care workers to $16/hour, up from $11/ hour where it had stagnated for 20 years. Neal sponsored a bill in the 2021 legislative session that established a Home Care Employment Standards Board, ultimately paving the way for the new minimum wage.

But SEIU 1107 isn’t done fighting for home care workers yet. At the Town Hall event, they outlined their policy priorities for 2025 which includes a $20/hour minimum wage for home care workers, increased client service hours, and high quality inperson training for the job.

As Nevada's senior population continues to grow, addressing the needs of both home care workers and their clients is not just an economic necessity but a moral imperative. By prioritizing fair wages, adequate benefits, and sufficient service hours, we can ensure that our seniors receive the care they deserve and that caregivers can continue to do their important work with dignity and support.

Pecorella)

(Paula

The next human pandemic could be bird flu

But Chin-Hong and Pitesky believe there is a vast underreporting of avian flu infections in humans. Immigrants make up 56% of workers in the meatpacking industry and 28% of workers in the poultry industry, according to data from the Economic Policy Institute.

Federal interventions

Employees work in tight quarters, with little or no protective equipment to ward off exposure to the virus. Immigration status, as well as losing out on pay during a sick day, might discourage workers from reporting, said Chin-Hong.

“Those three cases we know about are just the tip of the iceberg. We don’t even know how

many people have asymptomatic infections,” he said.

“There’s a fear of deportation.

So if there was some regulation around immigration amnesty, I think it will help all of us.”

Income assurance for those who get sick and for farms who must shut down during an outbreak could also potentially lead to better reporting, he said. The federal government does provide $50,000 per day to temporarily-shuttered farms.

Raw milk

Pitesky said he was also concerned about avian flu from a food security perspective.

“Poultry is the number one consumed animal protein on the planet. It’s relatively inexpensive and healthy. What we’re dealing with right now is an existential crisis to the poultry industry globally.”

“If we’re going to feed 2 billion more people in the next few decades, poultry is probably part of that solution. And if we can’t get a good handle on this, I’m afraid that that’s gonna be a real challenge for us. Food security is really important for global stability,” he said. n

Humans could potentially get the virus from drinking unpasteurized milk or eating unpasteurized cheese, said Chin-Hong. He referred to a recent study in which mice were given milk from infected cows with H5N1. “It left the gut and actually went to the lungs and caused them to be very sick.”

Yuka Saso Photo from Instagram/@yukasaso_official

(L to R) Sofia Welsford, Senator Rochelle Nguyen (SD-3), Carla Perea, Nayeli Perea, and Araceli Perea Photo by Jason Karsh committed to addressing the home care crisis and improving pay for workers.

Senators Rochelle Nguyen (SD-3) and Dina Neal (SD-4), alongside Nevada’s Health and Human Services Director Richard Whitley, were honored

Champion awards

unwavering advocacy on behalf of

workers. Last year, Nguyen

wage

Three more Filipino athletes earn spots in 2024 Paris Olympics

by Hans Carbonilla Inquirer.net

AFTER Samantha Catantan recently made history as the first Filipino fencer to compete in the Olympics since 1992, three more world-class Filipino athletes have joined the 2024 Paris Olympics contingent.

Filipino American gymnast and UCLA varsity member Emma Malabuyo added to the excitement as she became the fourth gymnast to represent the Philippines at the Olympics, following Carlos Yulo, Aleah Finnegan and Levi JungRuivivar.

She clinched her Olympic berth on May 24 at the Women’s Artistic Gymnastics Asian Championships in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, where she bagged bronze in the individual all-around category.

Taking to Instagram, Malabuyo expressed that she was terrified to go for her Olympic dream one last time, but thought she was “even

more terrified of not trying at all.”

“From four world cups: Cairo to Cottbus to Los Angeles to Baku to Doha, and finally in Tashkent at Asian Championships, I did it,” she continued. “What a dream come true! I have never fought for something so hard in my life. Went out there with passion, fight, resilience and grit. I am so thankful to my family, who never stopped believing in me. To my Bruin family, to all my coaches, to the Filipino community, this is for you, and I am so honored to represent the Philippines.”

Meanwhile, from the heartpounding ring battles, Olympic silver medalist Carlo Paalam emerged victorious once again. With unwavering determination, the Cagayan de Oro boxer clinched victory at the Men’s 57 kg semifinals of the 2nd World Boxing Qualification in Bangkok, Thailand, solidifying his place in the Paris Olympics on June 1. His qualification increases

the Philippine boxing contingent to four.

Following his decisive victory against India’s Sachin Siwach, Paalam expressed his gratitude on social media, writing, “Thank you so much, Lord.”

Lastly, Hergie Bacyadan etched her name in Philippine sports history as she punched her way to the Paris Olympics. The former world champion in vovinam displayed her dominance in the women’s 75 kg category at the World Qualification Tournament in Bangkok, Thailand, on June 2.

In a series of Instagram posts, the boxer wrote “PROUD PINOY” and “BOUND TO PARIS.”

With each qualification, Filipino athletes continue to prove their mettle on the global stage, embodying the spirit of excellence and resilience. As the nation rallies behind these athletes, anticipation builds for the moments of triumph they will bring to Paris in July. n

FLiRT variant detected in Philippines, but DOH says COVID-19 risk remains low

MANILA — The Department of Health (DOH) confirmed on Tuesday, June 4 the detection of flagged Omicron subvariants, including KP.2, in the Philippines, but stressed the increase in cases remains slow and the country faces low COVID-19 risk.

Recent sequencing by the University of the PhilippinesPhilippine Genome Center detected two cases of KP.2, 2 cases of JN.1.18, and 30 cases of JN.1.

“Their detection, along with the slow increase in the number of new cases and the plateau in number of occupied COVID-19 beds, aligns with the international observation that the new variants under monitoring continue to be clinically mild and manageable,” the DOH said.

Currently, there are four COVID-19 variants under monitoring: JN.1.7, JN.1.18, KP.2, and KP.3.

So-called “FLiRT” variants of COVID-19, which include

KP.2 and KP.3, appeared to be contributing to a rising wave of COVID-19 cases across the globe. However, there is still no evidence suggesting that KP.2 and KP.3 cause severe or critical COVID-19, either in the Philippines or internationally.

Health spokesperson Albert Domingo said the earliest collection date for KP.2 was May 2024.

“It may be likely that there are earlier KP.2 cases, but because of limited sequencing we have not detected and reported this earlier,” Domingo told reporters.

Low hospital occupancy

The Philippines reported an average of only 319 COVID-19 cases daily for the week of May 21 to 27.

The DOH said the figure was higher than the previous week’s 202 cases, but still less than half of the around 500 per day reported at the start of this year and around 1,750 per day in mid-May 2023.

Data from the department

showed that hospital occupancy for COVID-19 patients remained low. Only 14% of 1,235 intensive care unit (ICU) beds and 15% of 10,910 non-ICU beds dedicated to COVID-19 patients were occupied.

Only 185 severe and critical cases were admitted, accounting for 10% of the country’s total COVID-19 hospital admissions.

The DOH also recorded 20 deaths due to COVID-19, with five occurring in the recent two weeks.

The department urged the public to continue practicing these preventive measures: proper mask-wearing, frequent handwashing, avoiding crowded spaces and ensuring good ventilation.

“Similar to the ministries of health of other countries, the DOH still does not see any need for travel restrictions, especially as these may impair the flow of other essential health goods and services,” it said. (Gaea Katreena Cabico/Philstar.com)

Expect rough sailing on Sogie bill – Escudero

by Bernadette e tamayo ManilaTimes.net

SENATE President Francis Escudero expects the proposed Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Expression (Sogie) equality bill to "face rough sailing" in the Senate.

Escudero was asked to comment on the call of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) for Congress to pass the Sogie bill.

The measure calls for the protection of all persons, regardless of their sexual orientation and gender identity and expression.

"Unless the proponents of the Sogie bill accede to some amendments, it will continue to face rough sailing in the Senate," Escudero said in a text message Monday, June 3.

On the other hand, he sees the anti-discrimination bill as having a better chance of getting approved.

Sen. Risa Hontiveros disagrees with Escudero, saying 19 senators support the proposed Sogie equality law.

Senate Bill 139, or the proposed Sogie Equality Act, filed by Hontiveros in July 2022, passed the committee level in December of that year, but had been pending for second reading.

SB 139 will protect foremost LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer) persons from discrimination and harassment in schools, workplaces, and public spaces.

"Nineteen of my colleagues signed the committee report on the Sogie Equality Bill. That should speak to its acceptability across the aisle," Hontiveros said in a statement.

She said she has asked Senate Majority Leader Francis Tolentino to look into the committee report, which has remained pending in the Committee on Rules, "and he has promised to do so."

Hontiveros expressed hope that the new Senate leadership "would stand up for our LGBTQ+ community this Pride Month and to their daily lives as individuals."

Pride Month is traditionally celebrated in June by the LGBTQ+ community due to its historic link to Stonewall in 1969 in New York City, which signaled LGBTQ+ activism.

"For the United Nations Population Fund, Pride Month is a call to action. It's a time to amplify our commitment to ensuring that every individual, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity, is entitled to their human rights, including access to comprehensive sexual and reproductive health and rights information and services without discrimination," UNFPA Philippines Country Representative Leila Joudane said in a statement. In 2023, the Philippines broke the record for the biggest Pride March in Southeast Asia, with more than 110,000 people in attendance, the Philippine Anti-Discrimination Alliance of Youth Leaders (Pantay) said.

"This Pride Month, our legislators should commit to hear the Sogie Equality Bill in the Senate," Pantay convener Vince Liban said in a statement. n

Summer Challenge Summer Challenge

Senate President Francis Escudero Philstar.com photo

BREAK. Davao Gulf fisherfolk take advantage of the closed fishing season by mending and repainting their boats on Monday, June 3. The June to August restriction is being implemented by the Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources and the Department of the Interior and Local Government to allow small pelagic fishes to replenish and meet the demands in the region. PNA photo by Robinson Niñal Jr.

OpiniOn Features

More rice importation

WITH rice prices refusing to go down and even likely to further increase in the coming months, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will soon issue an executive order reducing the tariff on rice imports from 35 percent to just 15 percent until the end of his term in 2028. This comes on the heels of the final approval by the House of Representatives of a bill that seeks to restore the power of the National Food Authority to import rice during emergency situations.

The further liberalization of rice importation, according to Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan, is meant to bring down rice prices to P29, to be offered to the country’s poor. Rice farmers, however, are among those poor, and they are worried that further rice import liberalization would bury their livelihood. The government cannot brush aside the farmers’ concerns. Rice prices are a particularly sensitive issue for the Marcos administration, which rose to power on a campaign “aspiration” of bringing rice prices down to P20 a kilo. As the administration enters its third year, not even the heavily subsidized Kadiwa outlets can offer rice at that retail price. Several agriculture experts have noted that rice at P20 a kilo in regular retail outlets is not possible even by 2028. This year, rice prices have remained high due to the lingering impact of an El Niño event that has caused prolonged drought in many areas. Rice prices have fueled food inflation. Despite a slight dip in rice prices that tracked trends in the world market, food and transport costs pushed up the

Editorial

headline inflation rate last April for the third straight month. Boosting domestic rice production is the ideal approach to stabilizing rice supply and prices. Being a net exporter of rice need not remain a dream or an aspiration for the country. President Marcos, since the early days of his administration when he was the concurrent agriculture secretary, had enumerated the problems that plague domestic rice production, along with the solutions.

Those solutions and interventions have been promised by previous administrations: sufficient irrigation, fertilizer and pesticide subsidies, post-harvest facilities, mechanization support, assistance in marketing, and for beneficiaries of agrarian reform, support in forming cooperatives to promote economies of scale.

These support services were supposed to be boosted with the allocation of billions annually from rice import tariffs that went to the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund. Farmers say the full promise of RCEF, which will be

affected by the looming tariff cut, has yet to be realized. In further liberalizing rice importation, the government must see to it that the

What would President Marcos do?

March.

EVERYONE’S waiting with bated breath, as if waiting for the next episode of an edge-ofyour-seat Netflix drama – how would President Marcos handle the ghost employee scandal that has rocked the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas?

A source close to the halls of power said Marcos will come up with a decision in the next ten days. Anything can happen but clearly, the fate of the two Monetary Board members (MBM) at the center of the jaw-dropping ghost employee issue is in the hands of Marcos because MBMs are presidential appointees.

BSP Governor Eli Remolona Jr. has already submitted to Malacañang the results of the central bank’s internal investigation.

The BSP charter is clear and all the president needs to do is to look at it.

According to Republic Act 7653, otherwise known as The New Central Bank Act, Section 10 of Article II states that the president may remove any member of the Monetary Board for several reasons, one of which is:

“If the member is guilty of acts or operations which are of

fraudulent or illegal character or which are manifestly opposed to the aims and interest of the Bangko Sentral.”

There’s the rub, though. Some sources speculate that Marcos, the Mr. Nice Guy that he is, does not want to widen or worsen the rift between his family and the Dutertes. The two MBMs involved in the issue are Duterte appointees.

BSP insiders and former MBMs, however, said that in this case, Marcos may not have a choice given that the law is clear when it comes to dealing with members who are guilty of illegal actions, unless of course the concerned MBMs are able to explain that hiring ghost employees was not illegal or that they weren’t ghost employees to begin with.

In a statement, the BSP already called such acts as irregular. “The irregularities appear unprecedented in an organization that upholds integrity and professionalism at all levels.”

The BSP also said that in January, an investigating team of the BSP’s Office of the General Counsel submitted its final investigation report. “The Office of the General Counsel signed it.”

From late February to early March, four of the employees and one direct supervisor implicated in the report tendered their resignation. Administrative disciplinary cases were filed in

Indeed, the BSP has acknowledged the irregularities following its internal investigation. It is now up to President Marcos to act on the matter.

Former BSP executives and ex-MBMs I’ve talked to believe that the law must prevail. They said that it took decades to rebuild and protect the integrity of the country’s monetary institution after its past life, the old central bank, was mired in its own controversies.

They lament that the scandal has tainted the BSP’s integrity and must therefore be rectified.

As for me, I’m also curious how it happened. What could be the justification? Could it be possible that the MBMs involved did not know that there were ghost employees in their offices?

No, this is not possible, former and current MBMs told me. They said the MBM approves every employee in his or her payroll and likewise signs every staff member’s vacation leave and sick leaves.

This issue, according to BSP insiders and ex BSP executives, is now being closely watched by the international community including central bank organizations in Southeast Asia and beyond, as well as international credit ratings agencies.

What happens next is anybody’s guess but for sure,

everyone’s waiting. I hope that Marcos, who has been busy trying to court international investors to do business in the country, knows the urgency of addressing the issue properly.

Taxing mega corporations

I recently had a chat with former BIR Commissioner Kim Henares who was in Brazil last month as a speaker at the G20 International Tax Symposium.

Comm. Kim discussed the problem of base erosion and profit shifting (BEPS), taking off from the OECD’s move to form the Global Forum For Taxation on addressing BEPS. This tax base erosion and profit shifting happens because multinational enterprises exploit gaps between different countries’ tax systems.

The OECD, she said, has estimated that between four percent to 10 percent of global corporate income tax revenues, or around $100 to $240 billion, were lost as of 2013, because of BEPS.

“It’s a scandalous situation where large companies like Apple, Starbucks and Amazon, though reporting large revenues, are paying little or no corporate taxes,” Comm. Kim said in her presentation.

Against this backdrop, she said it’s good that the OECD recognized the problems of base erosion and profit shifting. However, she also said the OECD missed specific problems

affecting developing countries like the Philippines due to a lack of consultation.

For example, she said that OECD attempts a reallocation of residual profits of megacorporations but applies this to only a few firms and allocates only a small portion of profits.

She said the OECD must consider revisiting and potentially overhauling double taxation treaties to better fit developing countries like the Philippines as well as the global and digital world.

Moving forward, Comm. Kim said that countries like the

Philippines must also support the UN Framework Convention on International Tax Cooperation so that their difficulties in taxing cross border transactions can be heard and they can come up with a solution that will fit their economies. (Philstar.com)

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

* * * Follow her on X, formerly Twitter @ eyesgonzales. Column archives at EyesWideOpen (Iris Gonzales) on Facebook.

THIS is a plea, especially to our nation’s leaders, especially the politicians who wield power in both the political and economic realms. I know I’m far from being the only one who believes that if only most of you loved our country enough to put it ahead of furthering and perpetuating your personal power and wealth, our country and the bulk of our fellow Filipinos would be much better off today.

You would well know how the Philippines had progressively slid from the top to bottom position among its regional peers since the 1960s. We were the most dynamic economy in Southeast Asia and second richest in East Asia (next to Japan) in the 1960s but now rank the worst in most social

and economic indicators that matter. A Korean friend once told me how on his first visit to Manila in the 1960s, he was awestruck with envy at our infrastructure and level of development that was well ahead of his own country then. Neighbors from whom we now import rice and other farm products once sent their students to learn agricultural sciences in our country in my hometown of Los Baños, once the region’s knowledge center on the field. South Korea, Thailand, Taiwan, and India sent people to train at the Agricultural Credit and Cooperatives Institute in Los Baños, and have since demonstrated the power of farm cooperatives in uplifting their farms and farmers. Yet our own farm coops more often than not fail and collapse, leading many to believe that cooperativism simply will not work in the Philippines. We may have lost our cherished tradition of bayanihan,” and have become

too individualistic or “kanyakanya” for sustained collective endeavors to prosper. Our concern for the common good now seems a casualty in the pursuit of selfish interest.

We need you, our leaders, to be always guided by the principle of the greatest good for the greatest number in the decisions you make and the actions you take. We need you to prove by your example that the common good and your personal welfare can actually come together. Many temptations come your way every day that pull you into decisions and actions that would increase your own wealth and power. Vested interests always surround you and strive to push you into actions that will lead to their gain, even if it means harm or loss to many, especially the powerless among us. But please think constantly of our country and how far behind it has fallen because people in power like you had chosen to set the

common good aside, in favor of personal gain.

If you are a local chief executive, please do not be one whose first question to a potential investor is “What’s in it for me?”—then throw hurdles in their way if the answer is not to your liking. And please make it as easy as possible to start, register, and renew a business in your area, and recognize that these create jobs and incomes among your constituents, help uplift their lives, and ultimately strengthen your local economy.

If you are a member of either house of Congress, please take to heart your avowed mission of being a true representative of your constituents, whether they voted for you or not. Please also be mindful that the loudest voices and the strongest lobbies do not necessarily push in the right direction that will lead to the greatest good of the greatest number, which ought to be your yardstick. We implore you to be guided by evidence and

sound analysis in the policy directions you take, which may not necessarily be what seems popular. And please focus on your role as lawmakers, as that is your only proper mandate from the Filipino public.

If you are a policymaker in the executive branch, please immerse yourself among the people you serve to be able to feel their problems firsthand and understand their true needs. If you are a member of the judiciary, please remember that you ultimately decide the fate of our people who count on the protection of the rule of law, which applies equally to everyone regardless of their social and economic stature.

And if you are a public servant in whatever government department or office, please take on an enabling mindset rather than a restricting and regulating one to the point of inhibiting worthwhile private initiatives and enterprises. Lastly, please be mindful that

our country is in crisis on many fronts, the most fundamental of which is the very real threat to our future posed by our failure to care enough for our youngest children who are the very future of our nation. Too many of them are hungry and malnourished due to lack of income and unduly high food prices, and unable to obtain the right education due to numerous failures in our educational system. If we do not reverse these problems now, our very future as a nation is in great peril.

In the end, we pray that you show and practice genuine love for our country that would serve as a worthy example for all Filipinos to emulate.

(Inquirer.net)

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

* * * cielito.habito@gmail.com

Malacanãng photo

ManilaTimes.net photo

support

measures to increase domestic rice production do not remain in the realm of aspiration. (Philstar.com)

PH reaffirms commitment to uphold rights, welfare of refugees

MANILA — Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla on Tuesday, June 4 assured that the Philippines is "taking great strides towards an active role" in upholding the rights and welfare of refugees.

Remulla made the assurance in a statement read by DOJ

Undersecretary Raul Vasquez in Manila, ahead of the official launch of the country's inaugural National Refugee Day on June 20.

"Through the very first commemoration of National Refugee Day, the Philippines sends a strong message of our continuing commitment for a long humanitarian legacy of opening our doors and providing support to people who have crossed international borders to seek safety and protection,"

Remulla said. Under Proclamation No. 265 series of 2023 issued by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., June 20 of every year is National Refugee Day in the Philippines to honor refugees and stateless individuals.

To further affirm the country's commitment, the Refugees and Stateless Persons Protection Unit (RSPPU) was created under the DOJ, which was granted its own budget under the 2024 General Appropriations Act.

"Resources which help in our efforts will be of service, and to further improve our capacity in order to help those seeking refuge in the Philippines, and which we hope, will continue for many years to come, given the growing number of forcibly displaced all over the world,"

DOJ-RPSU head Chief State Counsel Dennis Arvin Chan said. "As Chief State Counsel and head of the DOJ-RSPPU, I hope that the National Refugee Day would pave the way for stronger, more nurturing, inclusive and sustainable communities here in the country," he added.

National Refugee Day 2024 kicks off with the first National Refugee Forum on June 20, discussing the experiences of the displaced and how to help them. There would also be the 2nd Refugee Film Festival and Short Film Competition at De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde and "Hope Away from Home" traveling exhibit of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees at the Supreme Court, both in Manila, on June 20 to 22. (PNA)

House, Senate discuss priorities ahead of 19th Congress last session

MANILA — The House of Representatives and the Senate have started coordinating on their legislative priorities ahead of the 3rd and last regular session of the 19th Congress.

In a media interview in San Mateo, Rizal on Tuesday, June 4, Speaker Martin Romualdez said he initially discussed their common legislative agenda with newly installed Senate President (SP) Francis Escudero on Monday, June 3 in Malacañang during the signing of the law increasing the teaching supply allowance of public school teachers.

“Nag-agree kami ni (We agreed with) Senate president that even before the LEDAC (LegislativeExecutive Development Advisory Council) na sa third week ng buwan na ‘to, mag-usap kami (that in the third week of this month, we will talk). Ah siyempre naman, ‘yung (Of course, the) coordination between SP and myself of course, we have each other’s numbers,” he said.

He said House Majority Leader Jose Manuel Dalipe and his Senate counterpart, Senator Francis Tolentino, have their own coordination.

“So mukhang (it’s like) we’re on our way. We will allow the Senate to fully organize itself or reorganize itself and the common

legislative agenda will be outlined as well as the priority legislation,” he said.

Romualdez said Escudero and the other new leaders of the Senate are aware that the House had already passed all the priority measures of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.

“So the coordination will be particularly dito sa mga (here in the) bicameral conference committees on how we reconcile the differing versions,” he added.

He pointed out that he and his colleagues would also “just await the Senate in prioritizing which

of the local legislations that we have also passed and transmitted to the Senate will be acted upon.”

“Pero maganda po naman ang usapan natin ni Senate president (But my discussion with the Senate president is fine),” he said.

Asked about the proposed amendments to the Constitution’s restrictive economic provisions he and his House colleagues have been advocating, he said “these are pending with the Senate as well.”

The 3rd regular session of Congress will open on July 22, also the third State of the Nation Address of the president. (PNA)

Speaker Martin Romualdez

PNA photo

VEGAS&STYLE

Broadway star Lea Salonga to get own wax figure in Madame Tussauds Singapore

by Kathleen a llemit Philstar.com

MANILA — It's the time for the Philippines' pride, Broadway icon Lea Salonga, to get her own wax figure in Madame Tussauds Singapore.

The Grammy-, Olivier- and Tony-awardee is the latest Filipino to have her legacy in film, TV and stage cemented, in the literal sense, in one of the most visited countries for Filipinos.

Filipinos, who are among the frequent visitors of the rich citystate, can look forward to Lea's own wax figure by third quarter of this year.

“When my manager said this is happening, that Madame Tussauds is interested in making a wax figure of me, it was an absolute honor and privilege to be asked.

It’s fantastic!” shared Lea in her sitting session with the Madame Tussauds Singapore team of expert sculptors and artists.

Madame Tussauds Singapore said that the wax figure of "The Voice of the Philippines" coach will feature "a striking pose that is powerful, iconic, and uniquely Lea."

The announcement of Lea's upcoming wax figure in Singapore is in time for her "Stage, Screen, and Everything in Between," a show where she will perform her iconic roles from "Miss Saigon," "Les Misérables," "Aladdin" and "Mulan," along with "Miss Saigon" shows in Singapore.

Madame Tussauds Singapore is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, with launches, activities and promotions throughout the year. Apart from Lea, Madame Tussauds also did the wax figures of other Filipino pride, boxing champion Manny Pacquio, Miss Universe 2015 Pia Wurtzbach and Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray. Pia's wax figure donning hear iconic blue Michael Cinco gown during her coronation as Miss Universe 2015 is on view in Madame Tussauds Singapore until September 1.

Joaquin’s ‘wicked’ double feat, from ‘Songs’ to Schwartz

by rito P. asilo Inquirer.net

IF his current projects don’t convince you just how prolific theater star Joaquin Pedro Valdes is, we don’t know what will.

The latest adaptation of Stephen Sondheim’s “Pacific Overtures,” which was headlined by the homegrown Filipino actor, had yet to officially open late last year when we asked what was up next for him. Answering with unconcerned nonchalance, Joaquin said, “Oh, nothing yet.”

Fast-forward six months later, Joaquin isn’t just about to tick off yet another coveted item on his bucket list, he’s also staking his claim as one of the London theater scene’s most sought-after heartthrobs.

In fact, Joaquin plays the Lover in both “A Song of Songs”—running until June 15 at Park Theatre in north London—and “The Baker’s Wife,” the eagerly anticipated Stephen Schwartz musical that is scheduled to run from July 6 to Sept. 14 at Menier Chocolate Factory.

For the uninitiated, Schwartz is the 76-year-old composer-lyricist behind such musical behemoths as “Pippin,” “Godspell,” “Pocahontas,” “The Hunchback of Notre Dame,” “Enchanted” and that precious little musical called “Wicked.” Joaquin doesn’t even get to do much in “A Song of Songs,” but theater website WhatsOnStage still singles him out and describes his performance and presence as “commanding,” calling his solo song “Dance for Me” as “the evening’s take-home number.” The production follows the story of a young wife in a loveless marriage as she mulls over meeting her unseen admirer, simply referred to as the Lover (Joaquin).

Diverse music

“It’s very exciting because the music aspect of it is really gorgeous,” Joaquin told Inquirer Entertainment over Zoom. “It attempts to bring in the different kinds of music from the Middle East to Jewish klezmer music to the gypsy, flamenco and Andalusian sounds. It’s a play with a lot of music which helps create that atmosphere.

“I absolutely love it. I function more like a flamenco singer. The band, with our clarinetist, violinist and guitarist, is incredible. Our clarinetist specializes in Azerbaijani, Middle Eastern, Oriental sounds. Our percussionist is Spanish, so you’ll hear all these different flavors … flamenco, rhumba, tango, etc.

“The music is atmospheric and really embraces you. I found it challenging because I function more as a musician than an actor in this show. And there are lots of moments where the band improvises, so I improvise with them vocally, as well. When I started learning it and immersing myself in the Azerbaijani and Middle Eastern vocals, I found that I loved singing it so much!

“There’s a lot of dancing from the women in the cast, because there are loads of flamenco elements to it. But my character, the Lover, sings tunes that don’t necessarily push the plot forward, so they’re more ‘state of mind’ songs that set up the scenes and emotions. And so far, people have been responding well to them. The songs are ethereal, mystical …”

Cult following

As for “The Baker’s Wife,” theater lovers instantly remember the production for its gorgeous show tune, “Meadowlark.” While the musical has grown a cult following since it premiered in the West End in 1989 (yes, the same year as “Miss Saigon”), it has yet to be produced on Broadway.

“Over the years, there have been attempts to revive ‘The Baker’s Wife,’” Joaquin disclosed. “Gordon Greenberg, our director, who recently directed the Tony-nominated play, ‘The Heart of Rock and Roll’ on Broadway, has been with this title for a decade or so.

“He directed a revival of it at the Papermill Playhouse in the United States, with Alice Ripley and Max von Essen. So, it really means a lot to him and Stephen for the Menier to stage it on Schwartz’s 76th birth anniversary. It’s a big deal.

“It’s based on a 1938 French film [by Marcel Pagnol and Jean Giono] about a scandal that rocks

Joaquin Pedro Valdes Photo from Instagram/@joaquin.pedro.valdes

a small community. It wasn’t received well initially, but Gordon has been developing it for years. I met Gordon when he came to watch ‘Pacific Overtures,’ before I was even considered to audition for it. And the Menier, being so intimate [as a 200-seater venue], is perfect for this type of material. So even the performances are informed by the space.

“This version of ‘The Baker’s Wife’ is incredible— like, it features some of the biggest names in London, and I am so humbled to be part of it! They’re stacking it with a lot of not just good musical theater performers, but also fine actors [from straight plays] to breathe life into the text and the space. So, the [staging] is going to be ‘semi-immersive.’ It’s really exciting.”

Catalyst for change

Asked to talk about the story and his character, who is the baker’s wife’s lover, Joaquin said, “I play Dominique. The general plot revolves around a small, idyllic and quite province in the middle of France, whose residents are shaken when an older baker (Clive Rowe) and his beautiful young wife (Lucie Jones) move into town.

“This baker makes the best bread that everybody loves. Meanwhile, Dominique, my character, is the town playboy—a virile and good-looking young man who falls in love with Genevieve, the baker’s wife. He sweeps her off her feet, and they have an affair—and the whole town is just changed by it! So, this affair is the catalyst for everything that transpires thereafter.

“The central song, which I think conveys the quintessential sound and tone of the show, is this beautiful song called ‘Meadowlark’—one of Stephen Schwartz’s best songs ever. As Genevieve decides whether she should stay with her husband or run away with Dominique, she sings this fairy tale about a meadowlark who’s torn between the king who adores her and the Sun God. It’s a beautiful parable for what she’s going through.

“This unexpected turn of events causes a stir, and everybody is invested in this scandal. When you hear Dominique’s song, called ‘Proud Lady’—often every musical-theater tenor’s audition piece—it feels like it was initially written for someone like Gaston from ‘Beauty and the Beast’ … very bombastic, proud and almost two-dimensional.

True love

“But I had a conversation with the director during my audition to explore Dominique’s authenticity and truth even more—how, on the surface, he looks attractive and is always in control, but he’s really just a simple guy from the province.

“All of a sudden, he falls in love and now you can explain why he does what he does. It’s the first time he’s feeling true love. He’s probably had a lot of relationships, but this is the first time he’s genuinely feeling it.

“Before this, Dominique was always vilified as the younger, hotter man, but now would be a great opportunity to show why the decision was hard for him to make. It isn’t just for carnal, animalistic pleasure. There’s genuine connection that Genevieve finds in Dominique that she probably couldn’t find with her husband.

Arjo Atayde calls for proper implementation of ‘Eddie Garcia’ law

NOW that the Eddie Garcia Law has been signed, actor and Quezon City 1st District Representative Juan Carlos "Arjo" Atayde said the law should be strictly implemented to ensure the safe working conditions for those in the movie and TV industry.

According to Atayde, if implemented properly, the Republic Act 11996 should result in overall better movies and shows as workers will be more motivated knowing their safety and security will be prioritized.

Atayde, one of the principal authors, emphasized that the law, which President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. recently signed, should ensure that local movie and TV sets are "safe spaces" for everyone involved in the production. Their work will also become more efficient under a safer condition.

The law has been named after veteran actor Eddie Garcia, who died in 2019 when he tripped on loose cables while shooting a TV series, suffering fractures in the process.

"It's very appropriate that the Eddie Garcia Law was signed into law by the president in the birth month of Eddie Garcia, who would have turned 95 this May if not for an accident that could have been avoided — the kind of accident that the Eddie Garcia Law now seeks to prevent," Atayde said in a statement.

"This law is a fitting tribute to an artist who was loved, admired and respected by his peers in the entertainment industry. If properly implemented, the Eddie Garcia Law will protect personnel in the creative industry and will ensure that local movie and TV sets are literally and figuratively 'safe spaces' where artists and crew members can work knowing their welfare is a priority."

Atayde, an award-winning artist who now is currently the Vice Chairperson of the House Special Committee on Creative Industry and Performing Arts, pointed out that "for the Eddie Garcia Law to achieve its intended purpose, it is critical that the agencies involved in its implementation strictly monitor entertainment productions to ensure compliance with the law's provisions."

Aside from the vigilance of government agencies, Atayde urged those in the entertainment industry "to cooperate with efforts to implement this law."

"This should be a team effort. Those in the

creative industry should familiarize themselves with the law's provisions... compliance should come naturally because this is for the benefit of everyone."

RA 11996 mandates employers in the movie and television industry to "promote safety and provide safe working conditions."

Section 19(f) states that employers are required to "ensure that all sets and locations have been properly assessed for any potential safety and health issues and that proper remedies and safeguards are implemented to deal with these issues."

Meanwhile, under Section 13(g), the law requires employers to designate safety officers and dedicated vehicles for emergency purposes, regardless of whether the productions are done in Metro Manila or out of town.

Arci on how to save up while mixing work and play

by marinel Cruz Inquirer.net

THE best financial advice that singer-actress Arci Muñoz has received came from her mom, whom she said worked hard to secure her future and enabled her to live a comfortable life.

“She told me to save up,” said Arci. “I’ve always been the happy-go-lucky type. Right now, I’m at a point in my life when I should be making wiser decisions financially. I’m 35 and I really have to set my priorities. My mom would tell me, ‘Enjoy your money. You worked hard for it.’

But she also instructed me that when I get my talent fee every month, I should put half of it in a separate bank account. This is the money that I cannot touch. I keep half and the other half I spend to travel.”

Arci admitted that travel is really her biggest expense. “I’m not materialistic. Instead of buying a new bag, I spend it on travel. I also don’t shop often. I just love to try out food that is new to me. Traveling excites me because I get to learn different cultures,” she pointed out.

For those who aspire to be able to afford travel, she has this to say: “I always list down my expenses, the places I want to go to and the things I want to do. I make sure to put a limit on how much I can spend, except for food because I love to eat. I’m willing to pay for that. We discover cultures through their food.

“I don’t mind flying economy especially if I’m using my own money. This is because most of the time, I travel for work. When I go abroad, I try to extend my stay for a couple of days to explore the country. As they say, combine work and play.”

Arci said she has several dream destinations, but would love to see more of China soon. “There are so many beautiful places in China that are still unexplored. It’s the first country I visited when I got a passport. I find China so beautiful. I can’t wait to go back,” she added. She said she’s fortunate that she never struggled financially when she was younger. “For that, I’m grateful. I’m just really blessed that my parents provided for us and made sure that we live a comfortable life. They worked all their lives to be able to give us a good education. For sure, they also had their struggles as parents, but they didn’t make these known to us.

“I guess every family experiences struggles, but our

parents really prepared for our future. Right now, I promise to do the same, especially for friends in need; I will share if I have something to spare,” Arci said during a recent virtual gathering organized by the online cash lending platform, JuanHand, of which she is an endorser.

Investments When it comes to her investments outside show biz, Arci has quite a few. “My friends and I recently opened a yakiniku restaurant in Greenhills called Yoshimeatsu. It’s a franchise. We are relaunching it this month,” she began. “We also launched VIP Life, which is a beauty and lifestyle project. We offer collagen and glutathione supplements, as well as slimming coffee. We’re also expanding and planning to bring it to the United States.” Arci also runs a film production company called NDM Studios with Palanca-winning writer and director Njel de Mesa. In fact, she will be seen alongside Kiray Celis in the comedy film “Malditas in Maldives,” for which she also serves as producer and creative director. The film premiered at the recently concluded 2024 Jinseo Arigato International Film Festival in Japan, where she won the best international Filipino actress award.

“We have our studio in Nagoya. We’re also producing movies there. I love Japan so much. It’s my dream to actually live there. We have so many plans. I’m excited and I’m really looking forward to achieving them all,” she beamed.

‘Sweet Escape’ Arci has also finished

shooting Rommel Ricafort’s romantic drama “Sweet Escape” with Kang Donggun as leading man. Recalling her experience working with the Korean actor, Arci said:

“We struggled because of the language barrier. It’s still hard for him to speak English. In terms of acting, he is very good. I was able to see the emotions he was trying to express through his facial expressions. That’s what’s important. It’s a great experience to work in Korea. I’m also a big fan of their industry. They’ve mastered storytelling,” she said.

The film was also partly shot in Bohol province. “For me, it’s one of the most important places in the Philippines. I’m proud that we have effectively managed to sustain biodiversity in the area. We should really take good care of it—it’s our responsibility. I’m glad we were able to show him one of the most beautiful places in our country. I can’t wait for everyone to see our movie,” the actress said.

This then led reporters to ask Arci, who has not publicly admitted to dating, if she has plans to settle down and have a family of her own. “There’s no point in worrying about that now. I refuse to feel pressured about it but, of course, I would sometimes ask myself, ‘Am I capable of doing it? Have I prepared myself for the future in all aspects?’ My answer is ‘yes.’ It’s easier to just leave it all up to God. Our parents prepared for our future. What I only need to do is to take care of whatever resources I have, and try to expand,” Arci declared.

Actor and Quezon City 1st District Representative Juan Carlos ‘Arjo’ Atayde

Photo from Instagram/@arjoatayde

Lea Salonga

Photo from Instagram/@msleasalonga

Arci Muñoz bagged the best international Filipino actress award in Japan for “Maldita in Maldives” Photo from Instagram/@ramonathornes

Claudine Barretto on divorce: ‘Gives you second chance to right your wrongs’

by anne Pasajol Inquirer.net

CLAUDINE Barretto gave her two cents on the much talked about topic of divorce, saying she believes it gives an individual the chance to “right [their] wrongs.”

The actress, whose annulment process with estranged husband Raymart Santiago is still ongoing, shared photo quotes on the matter through her Instagram page on Sunday, June 2. At present, the Philippines and the city-state of Vatican are the only governments that have not legalized divorce.

The divorce bill was approved by the House of Representatives on third and final reading last May 22. The legislation, however, will still have to muster enough votes in the Senate for it to become a law, provided that it will not be vetoed by the

president. The Senate then had an informal survey conducted by Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada, which showed that six senators were in favor of divorce—namely Robin Padilla, Grace Poe, Risa Hontiveros, Imee Marcos, Pia Cayetano and Raffy Tulfo.

Those who opposed were Estrada himself, Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero, Francis Tolentino, Joel Villanueva and Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa. Juan Miguel Zubiri and Cynthia Villar, in separate interviews, also said they disapprove of divorce.

Prior to Barretto, other celebrities who also expressed their support for the proposal to legalize divorce were Anne Curtis and Maxene Magalona.

by HannaH Mallorca Inquirer.net

KIM Chiu is defined by her bubbly personality that can brighten any room, but for her, it has something to do with her commitment to fitness, saying it has been a huge help in caring for her mental health.

Chiu shared that she makes it a point to wake up at six in the morning and begin working out at seven or 7:30 every day, as it helps in “clearing out [her] mind.”

This, according to her, is reflected in her energetic demeanor as one of the hosts of the noontime show “It’s Showtime.”

“D’un lumalabas ang naipon kong energy,” she told reporters at a beauty brand launch in Quezon City last June 2. “Malaki ang tulong ng work out, not just physically but also mentally. Kahit mabilisang 30 minutes lang, basta walking or running.”

(That’s where my energy comes out. Working out has been a huge help for me, not just physically but also mentally. Even though it’s done for 30 minutes, either through walking or running.)

When asked how she finds strength amid trials, the actress said she was raised by her parents to go through the problem as she can only help herself. “Kunwari may problema ka financially, magtrabaho ka. Kapag may problema ka emotionally, i-work out mo, isayaw mo.”

“Gawin mo ang kahit anong gusto mong gawin, or kung wala

kang makausap, nandyan ang mga kapatid at kaibigan mo,” she continued. “Lahat ng struggles, nagagawan ng paraan. Huwag tayo tumigil kapag may problema. Hindi dapat huminto ang mundo mo doon.”

(For example, if you’re struggling finally, work. If you’re struggling emotionally, work it out. Dance it out. Do anything. If you can’t speak to anyone, your siblings and friends are there. You can find a way through your struggles. Your world shouldn’t stop there.)

The actress said having a clear mental state reflects on one’s demeanor. With this, she hopes her supporters will realize the beauty of living in the moment.

KYLIE Verzosa treated fans to a peek into her relationship with her non-showbiz partner, making them gush by showing a part of his face.

Verzosa, who has been very private about her new romance, showed moments from their trip to Saint-Tropez, France, via her Instagram page on Monday, June 3.

The actress-beauty queen and her beau were seen walking on a pathway in the middle of a bushy area, and enjoying gelato together. They also soaked up the sun at a beach, with Verzosa leaning on him and him caressing her head.

Verzosa only captioned her post with a white heart emoji. She has yet to disclose the identity of her boyfriend as of this writing.

“Live in the moment. Mabuhay ka lang. Na-realize ko dahil sa COVID na ang bilis pala ng buhay ng mga tao so mabuhay ka nang paano nagpapasaya at nagpapaganda sa’yo,” she said. (Live in the moment. Just live your life. COVID-19 made me realize that life is too short. Live a life that makes you feel happy and beautiful.)

The year 2024 is jampacked for Chiu, on top of being one of the hosts of “It’s Showtime.” Chiu is also the lead of the drama series “Linlang: Teleserye Version” with Paulo Avelino and JM de Guzman, as well as the Philippine adaptation of “What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim,” also with Avelino.

Verzosa confirmed

new relationship in April

a year after her breakup with actor Jake Cuenca.

“I’m so happy. I’m so happy. Honestly, I want to keep it private this time, so it’s a private relationship, and it’s so much more peaceful,” she said of her relationship at the time, adding that her beau is a foreigner and not in show biz.

In a more recent interview, Verzosa further noted that she and her boyfriend agreed to keep their relationship out of the limelight.

(Inquirer.net)

Claudine Barretto Photo from Instagram/@claubarretto

Kim Chiu

Photo from Instagram/@chinitaprincess

Verzosa’s friends and fans then took to the comments section to compliment the couple, filling it with heart emoji.

being in a

2023, over

Kylie Verzosa and her new beau Photo from Instagram/@kylieverzosa

SB19, Olivia Rodrigo among 2024 Kids’ Choice Awards nominees

by KriStofer PurNell Philstar.com

MANILA — P-pop group SB19 is nominated for Favorite Asian Act at the 2024 Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards.

SB19 is up against K-pop boy band Enhypen, Japanese girl group NiziU, young Malaysian singer Iman Troye and Indonesian actress-singer Tiara Andini. While SB19 is the only nominee from the Philippines, individuals with Filipino heritage received nominations.

Filipino-American singer Olivia Rodrigo has four nominations: Favorite Female Artist, her sophomore album "Guts" for Favorite Album, her "Guts World

Tour" for Favorite Ticket of the Year, and Favorite Female TV Star (Kids) for her role as Nini in "High School Musical: The Musical: The Series."

Filipino-American content creator and singer Bella Poarch will hope to defend her win last year for Favorite Social Music Star against the likes of Addison Rae, Madison Beer, David Kushner, Djo, and Paul Russell.

Filipino-Canadian actor Gordon Cormier is up for Favorite Male TV Star (Family) for playing the titular character in "Avatar: The Last Airbender" and Filipino-American Hailee Steinfeld is nominated for Favorite Female Voice From An Animated Movie for Gwen

Stacy in "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse."

Award-winning singersongwriter Taylor Swift and the movie "Barbie" lead all nominees with six nods each.

This year's Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards is the ceremony's 37th edition and will be dedicated to the silver anniversary of "Spongebob Squarepants."

With Spongebob (voiced by Tom Kenny) and his friend Patrick Star (Bill Fagerbakke) on hosting duties, it will be the first time the event will be helmed by a virtual host.

The ceremony will take place on July 13 (July 14 in the Philippines), the first time it will be held outside of March or April.

David Chua clarifies romance rumors with ‘Showtime’ host Jackie Gonzaga

by JaN milo Severo Philstar.com

ACTOR and director David Chua clarified the romantic rumors between him and “It’s Showtime” host Jackie Gonzaga.

Eagle-eyed social media users noticed that David and Jackie were having sweet exchanges on Instagram.

Jackie reposted David’s photo showing both of them sharing a sweet moment, which was taken during a break from their taping for their Net25 sitcom “Good Will.”

Despite being teased by their respective fans, David makes it clear that he and Jackie are not exactly dating at the moment.

“I think most people know that she’s recovering from a breakup – an eight-year relationship at that – and I just want to help her move

on,” David said in a statement sent to Philstar.com.

“She’s easy to hang out with, walang arte sa katawan, and being the people person that she is, she’s always willing to meet new people and discover new things. With a mindset like that, I’m sure it’s only a matter of time before she fully recovers from her heartbreak.

“Basta, no matter what happens, I’m always there for Jackie Gurl. I’ll always be by her side.”

David and Jackie first met on the set of “Good Will,” when she joined the cast during the show’s fourth season during the last quarter of 2023.

“Bibo siya, e. Kung kaya mong makipag-sagutan sa isang Vice Ganda, then you must really be smart and gutsy. And that’s what Jackie is! Mabilis kausap and hindi siya plastic,” he said.

“Of course, she’s very stunning! And because she’s a dancer, she’s also very much into fitness, just like me,” he added.

Nash Aguas, Mika dela Cruz reveal breakup two years before wedding

by JeSSica aNN evaNgeliSta Inquirer.net

NEWLYWEDS Nash Aguas and Mika dela Cruz revealed that they broke up for six months during the pandemic before they got engaged and tied the knot this year. In an interview with Bernadette Sembrano, the young couple said that in the course of their six-year relationship, they also had their share of challenges that led them to briefly separate.

Dela Cruz admitted she initiated the breakup because she was dealing with so much—her father’s death, her autoimmune disease, and her hiatus from showbiz.

During those times, Aguas felt that her girlfriend wasn’t genuinely happy, and he began to think that their relationship was just adding to her baggage.

The two asserted that their brief separation brought them both closer to God and then to each other.

“Masakit siya. Obviously, ‘yung desires ng heart ko against talaga siya, pero alam kong will ni Lord,

may peace,” said Aguas. “I think with the process po to deal with the pain, kay Lord lang po talaga (ako nagsabi) even sa sister (Angelika dela Cruz) ko, hindi po ako nagpakita na umiiyak sa kanya, and I’ve always said I’m going to be okay,” expressed Dela Cruz.

The “Kara Mia” actress said that she got so inspired by Aguas’ relationship with God that she also decided to develop her relationship with Him, amid her life challenges.

“Naalala ko po sabi niya sa akin (Nash), ‘wag mo akong intindihin.

‘Wag mong intindihan ‘yung nararamdaman mong pain, i-seek mo lang si Lord, please. Ayusin mo muna ‘yung relationship mo with Him,” she recalled. The now-married couple then shared that they asked God for signs if they were meant to be and if they were “the one” for each other, which they believed they received, as they shared the Bible verses they saw during the times they were asking for signs.

After months of not seeing each other, the two met at one

UST Alumni Gala in America set for July 2024 in SF

SAN FRANCISCO – Lumina

Pandit is Latin for “Spread the Light”. Inspired by Saint Thomas Aquinas and one of the benchmark events of the University during its quadricentennial celebration in 2011, Thomasians USA, the Pontifical and Royal University of Santo Tomas Alumni Association in the United States, is staging an alumni homecoming event on July 6, 2024.

Initially planned to be held at the Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Assumption, co-sponsored by the Archdiocese of San Francisco, the supposed April 2020 event was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Rising from the pandemic hiatus, Thomasians USA will be holding the gala dinner at the Basque Cultural Center in South San Francisco on July 6, 2024, Saturday night – the choice of venue being a salute to our rich heritage as a royal university under the patronage of the Spanish crown, since the university’s establishment in 1611.

Apart from the huge number of Thomasian alumni now living in the United States, University of Santo Tomas enjoys great ties with the U.S. not only due to the University hosting American dignitaries, from General Douglas MacArthur (UST Doctor of Laws, 1945, honoris causa) to Secretary Hillary Clinton, but also due to the University’s bittersweet past as internment camp for thousands of Americans during the Second World War, when the Japanese occupied the Commonwealth of the Philippines. One may also remember that during the American occupation of the Philippines, UST was the oldest university under the American flag, as UST predates Harvard by a quarter of a century.

Since 1987, Thomasians USA has been actively engaged in efforts of the Filipino community in the United States towards educational empowerment and civil rights, with most of its years under the tutelage and leadership of renowned Filipino American civil rights leader, alumna and former UST Sociology department chair, Prof. Alice Peña Bulos, until her passing in 2016. Under the helm of succeeding alumni presidents: academic Amelia Fernandez (2016-2017), architect and urban planner Joseph Palafox (2017-2019), and model and entrepreneur Jeffrey Manalang (2019-present), Thomasians USA has continuously evolved and grown its network of community

partners and alumni alike in the fields of business, academe, and public service, among others. From a government-recognized non-profit based in the United States, Thomasians USA has recently been recognized as the official arm of the University of Santo Tomas Alumni Association in the United States. Efforts have been made to also establish official arms in Canada and other North America countries with significant alumni presence.

Apart from the continuing project to support deserving scholars and perform donation drives for disaster-stricken areas in the Philippines, Thomasians USA heavily lobbied and supported the California State Legislature’s resolution to rename a state highway in California, stretching long as Metro Manila’s Sucat Road. The scenic state highway set a stone’s throw away from the Pacific Ocean was unveiled in 2022 as the Alice Peña Bulos Memorial Freeway. Among others, UST alumni making waves in the United States include Golden Globe awardee Gini Cruz Santos, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) 2018

Rite 33rd Degree Masonic leader Froilan Ancheta, and musical theatre actress Lora Nicolas Olaes who co-produced the Tony-nominated Broadway musical Here Lies Love.

A night of food, music, and entertainment, the 2024 gala of Thomasians USA is open to the public and encourages participation of non-alumni friends and family members and civil society. The event also coincides with other significant events celebrated by the Thomasian community this year, most notably, the opening of the academic year for the University of Santo Tomas campus in General Santos City, Mindanao. As of now, the University of Santo Tomas system operates four campuses: UST Manila, UST Angelicum Quezon City, UST Legazpi, and UST General Santos. Two more campuses are in the pipeline with the integration of the Angelicum campus in Iloilo City and the establishment of UST in Santa Rosa, Laguna. (Thomasians USA)

‘Playtime’ stars on how women can protect themselves against predators

GMA Pictures and Viva Films have collaborated on a suspense-thriller about a predator who lures women into his “twisted game of hunter and prey.” Opening on June 12 in cinemas, the film stars Xian Lim, Sanya Lopez, Coleen Garcia and Faye Lorenzo.

“You know, hindi ko kasi naabutan yung single ako and there’s Tinder,” said Coleen, expressing there can be fear and risk when dating strangers you’ve met online.

“But I guess it’s a case to case basis. It’s different for everybody what you can do to protect yourself… But it’s important really especially that we’re all aware that it does happen.

of the gatherings they attended and decided to rekindle their relationship.

When asked why they did not tell anyone about the breakup, Aguas responded, “Hindi naman po kasi kami sa kanila (ibang tao) nakipag-break, kaming dalawa lang kaya, why do we include other people?”

On May 18, the two exchanged their vows as husband and wife. When asked why they chose to have an intimate wedding, the couple said that it’s not about the guests but about the two of them, with God as the centerpiece.

“Gusto namin ma-feel ‘yung presence ni Lord, ‘yung love. We’re not naman against big weddings, but I guess it’s just our personalities,” explained Nash.

Mika seconded, saying, “We wanted to be present; instead of being preoccupied with the guests, we wanted to be present with God. Kasi kaming tatlo po ‘yun nando’n sa wedding.”

The newlyweds shared that they are planning to live a life in Nueva Ecija, where they are currently building their house and their farm.

Director Mark Reyes was quoted as stressing that the film is not a walk in the park and not a rom-com drama. The story revolves around three women from three different worlds who find themselves in the scary situation involving a man they all wrongly trust.

GMA Pictures and Viva Films have collaborated on a suspense-thriller about a predator who lures women into his “twisted game of hunter and prey.” Opening on June 12 in cinemas, the film stars Xian Lim, Sanya Lopez, Coleen Garcia and Faye Lorenzo.

Director Mark Reyes was quoted as stressing that the film is not a walk in the park and not a rom-com drama. The story revolves around three women from three different worlds who find themselves in the scary situation involving a man they all wrongly trust.

The “sexy” element of the film took the director, who’s best known for megging GMA’s big-budget dramas such as “Encantadia” and “Voltes V: Legacy,” out of his comfort zone. “There are scenes here that really put them (the actors) to the test,” he said.

Asked if the seduction scenes are a major plot device, he said, “The women come into the situation because they are sexually attracted to the character of Xian, but what I want to share is that it’s just a come-on of the film, it’s actually a study of personalities, these girls are all in trouble but should they automatically trust each other? What if someone has an ulterior motive?"

The theme is not just interesting but also relevant in this age of MeToo.

The STAR had to ask the cast, especially the women, if they ever experienced close encounters with sexual predators and how they dealt with them. In their line of work and even in their everyday lives, they can be a magnet or easy target. What advice can they share with fellow women on how to protect themselves from such incidents and encounters?

“And most of the time, actually it happens din sa hindi strangers. ‘Di ba sometimes, it happens in your workplace, sometimes it happens in the family, so it’s important to get help.

“Unang-una, it’s important to get help if you feel you’re in danger, if you feel like somebody has crossed those boundaries. You really need to tell people who can help you.”

The actress who’s married to Billy Crawford also said, “When it comes to going out, not just dating, even among friends, ako personally, ‘di ko pa na-i-experience pero I know people who have experienced it and it’s really scary not just now but even before. So it’s important to watch yourself.

“For example, if you go out, make sure you’re with people whom you feel safe with. Kasi yung gawain ko before, when I was still dating, hindi ako actually, nakikipag-date agad with one person, yung kaming dalawa lang.

“Normally, I’d invite him to meet my friends, things like that. So maganda mag-start ng ganun and you slowly build the trust. It’s hard to be alone with somebody na wala kang tiwala. You don’t put yourself in a compromising situation, whether that’s drinking or even riding in a car alone with somebody. Try your best not to put yourself in a compromising situation,” she stressed.

For Sanya, there are really moments where you meet people with questionable intentions. When she was younger, she admitted that there were times when she felt she was “in danger.”

“Parang ‘di ka paniniwalaan agad kasi bata ka eh, kumbaga wala ka pang boses… may kapitbahay ka lang na lasing na lumapit sa akin, yung parang feeling mo may gagawin silang masama… Hindi naman din talaga, pero may mga ganun lang akong takot,” she shared.

Nowadays, whenever she goes out, she’s alert and vigilant when it comes to people who either become too touchy or too close for comfort.

Sanya also advises fellow women to tell someone you trust your whereabouts.

“There has to be one person that you can tell, ‘I’m here.’ In case of emergency, ito yung tao malalapitan mo at alam niya kung nasaan ka. There are things that we want to do on our own but we have to prioritize our safety,” Sanya stressed.

This is one of the main takeaways from “Playtime,” said Xian.

“I think if there’s one lesson to learn from this film — I know it’s bloody, it’s sexy, it’s entertaining — it would be to not put yourself in a compromising situation,” he said.

“I grew up with my grandmother and grandfather, that’s why my sensibilities are very ‘80s pa, lumang tao (old school)... You just have to be extra careful nowadays because ang dami daming nangyayari kung saan man.

“If it’s a place that invites trouble, think twice and have people with you and be extra safe. And don’t easily believe in online things because it’s so easy to make up different things online.”

Fortunately, she had people who always made her feel safe growing up — her brother, actor Jak Roberto, and her mom. “Kuya ko isa sa mga sinasabihan ko that time and yung mommy ko (if ever I felt uncomfortable). Bilang wala akong Daddy, wala talagang taga-protect sa akin. (Early on) nag-iingat ako until now. Yun ang tumatak sa akin nung bata ako na importante ‘di ako mag-isa. Dapat meron akong kasama na mas matanda talaga sa akin.”

by Nathalie tomada Philstar.com

Honor Awardee Engr. Benjamin Saldua, Telly Award winning host and singer Enteng Evangelista, University of Las Vegas Nevada (UNLV) med-school dean Dr. John Fildes, Scottish