SACRAMENTO — California’s nationleading $25 minimum wage for health workers will rely on a significant boost in federal funding and exempt thousands of state employees under an agreement that is expected to be approved in the coming days.
The minimum wage hike for more than 400,000 health workers, which will be phased in over several years, was to start June 1, but will now begin no earlier than Oct. 15 and no later than Jan. 1 under a budget deal announced June 22. The legislature is expected to approve the changes and Gov. Gavin Newsom to sign them into law before the new fiscal year begins July 1.
The delay is just one of several healthrelated measures in the nearly $300 billion state spending plan. The budget includes about $800 million in cuts to public health and health care workforce programs, but
How would Trump’s immigration plan change the US?
IN his first presidential term, Donald Trump obstructed asylum, imposed a “Muslim Ban,” undermined Temporary Protected Status, terminated DACA and separated families at the border. This time, his immigration plans are even more ambitious.
If elected this November, Trump’s plans include mass deportations and detention camps, legal immigration category freezes, re-invoking public charge and penalizing states that offer in-state tuition to undocumented students. At a Friday, June 14 Ethnic Media Services briefing, immigration policy experts discussed Trump’s plan — outlined in Project 25, a report from conservative think tank The Heritage Foundation — and its impact on U.S. citizens, immigrants and the economy. Immigration policy in Project 25 Project 25 — the newest iteration of Mandate for Leadership, a series of playbooks published by The Heritage Foundation recommending conservative policies to be implemented by the federal government — includes over 175 immigration policy changes and a chapter written by Ken Cuccinelli, immigration
US asks Philippines to solve politically motivated cases after De Lima
Imee Marcos not running for Manila mayor
MANILA — Sen. Imee Marcos has dismissed speculation that she is running for mayor of Manila next year, saying that she will seek another term in the Senate.
When asked if she would be joining the current administration’s slate for the 2025 midterm elections, Marcos said she was not sure.
“I don’t even know if I will be included … I’ve been seeing various slates. I think the candidates would reach 50 because there are so many of us. There’s Lakas, there’s [Partido Federal ng Pilipinas], there’s so many. That’s why I am confused, but let’s see, there’s still more time left anyway,” she added.
“The politics in Philippines is always like basketball. So wait for the last two minutes,” Marcos said. (Tina G. Santos/Inquirer.net)
Less tourists seen to visit Philippines this year
by KEISHA TA-ASAN Philstar.com
MANILA — BMI Country Risk & Industry Research slashed its projection for tourist arrivals in the Philippines this year to 6.6 million from the 8.21 million forecast it gave in January.
BMI’s revised forecast for this year is also 14.2 percent lower than the baseline target of 7.7 million visitors set by the Department of Tourism (DOT). However, despite the slight downgrade in forecast, BMI said international arrivals could still grow by 19.1 percent in 2024
from last year’s 5.54 million. This will also be 81 percent of the 8.26 million arrivals recorded in 2019, right before COVID-19 hit.
“We have a positive outlook for Philippines’ tourist arrivals in 2024 and over the remainder of our medium-term forecast period to 2028,” it said. “We expect arrivals growth to be driven by key source markets in Asia-Pacific, North America and Europe.”
The unit of Fitch Solutions added that tourism in the Philippines would continue to see a strong rebound over the medium term after travel was
thumb. Footage released shows the Chinese coast guard looting items and damaging boats, including navigational and communication equipment.
The incident is the latest and most serious in a series of escalating confrontations between Chinese and Philippine ships in recent months, as Beijing intensifies efforts to assert its claims over nearly the entire waterway.
VICE President Sara Duterte on Tuesday, June 25 said her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, and her two brothers, Davao City 1st District Rep. Paolo Duterte and Davao City Mayor Sebastian Duterte, would run for the Senate in 2025.
"They are raring to run, PRRD (former President Duterte), my elder brother Paolo, who is a congressman, as senator, and Sebastian Duterte [as senator,
too], so yes, there will be three Dutertes [in the Senate] next year, and that is confirmed," Sara said in Filipino on the sidelines of the Office of the Vice President's Pride reception held in Cagayan de Oro City on Tuesday, June 25. She also said the younger Duterte, who goes by the nickname Baste, is vying to become the possible successor of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in 2028.
"My mother told me that the one who will run as senator is my
Sen. Imee R. Marcos
Senate photo
Duterte, sons to run in 2025 polls...
younger brother, Baste Duterte. He will be the one to run in 2028 as president. My mother also said that I should go back to Davao and run as mayor," Duterte said in Bisaya.
ACT Teachers Party-list Rep.
France Castro slammed the move of the Duterte family to run in the 2025 and 2028 elections, calling it a form of "bureaucrat capitalism," where a single family will control every aspect of a nation's politics.
"They are making this a business not just for corruption but to hide their sins from the public. This was done by the Marcos family, and now, the Dutertes are going to replace them," Castro said in Filipino. Castro added that the development exposes the intensifying conflict between the two families, which she described as the "factions of the ruling class."
"We are now seeing an all-out war between the two factions of
the ruling class: the Dutertes, who are backed by China, and the Marcoses, who are backed by the U.S.," she added. On the other hand, the former president's chief legal counsel, Salvador Panelo, welcomed the news.
"Three Dutertes running for the Senate in 2025 is a political storm that their detractors and those undeservingly clinging to power will not be able to contain and survive," he said in a statement.
"The Dutertes will be the demolition team that will dismantle the vested political structures built by those who turned their backs on the people's welfare and interest and who focused on enriching themselves in office and transgressing the constitutional rights of individuals and entities."
The revelation of the Dutertes' political plans ends months of speculation about their plans for the 2025 and, possibly, the 2028 national elections.
In a previous engagement last
year, the vice president said she aimed to run in the 2025 national elections, but she immediately took this back and said she would continue as the country's secondin-command.
She reiterated her stand when reporters asked her about her plans for 2025, saying that she would speak with her team at the Office of the Vice President on her plans after she leaves the Department of Education on July 19.
She also declined to answer questions about whether she would lead a "new opposition."
Her focus right now, Duterte said, is the transition to the next secretary of education, which she said is a "position of trust."
She said the next education secretary should be a "leader and a manager."
"There are no requirements for an education secretary, in fact, in Southeast Asia, not all education secretaries come from the sector. You just need to be a leader and a manager," Duterte said. g
US asks Philippines to solve...
dismissal of the third and final drug case filed against her by the Duterte administration.
De Lima’s camp filed the petition in March, arguing that the prosecution’s case has insufficient evidence.
The lower court’s decision to dismiss the drug charges against De Lima is tantamount to an acquittal of the former senator, a staunch critic of former President Rodrigo Duterte.
Now, all three drugrelated cases that the Duterte administration filed against her are dismissed.
“I feel immense relief and joy right now. I can now rest easier and sleep more soundly,” De Lima said in Filipino during an ambush interview with members of the media after the Muntinlupa court’s decision on her third drug case was announced Monday.
Earlier, European Union (EU) Ambassador to the Philippines Luc Véron said the bloc welcomed
De Lima’s acquittal as they stand alongside the verdict of justice and human rights.
“I share the joy of Atty. Leila De. Lima and her co-defendants who were cleared of all charges today by the Muntinlupa City Court. After so many years, this is a victory for justice!” Veron said on X (formerly Twitter).
De Lima’s colleagues in the political opposition also expressed happiness over her acquittal.
“Noon pa man, alam kong walang sala si Sen. Leila at umaapaw ang kaligayahan sa puso ko na ngayon ay nakamit na niya ang hustisya. From ‘Free Leila Now’ to ‘Now, Leila is free’,” Sen. Risa Hontiveros said in a statement Monday. (Even before, I knew that [former] Sen. Leila was innocent and I am extremely glad now that she has achieved justice. From “Free Leila Now” to “Now, Leila is free.”)
“Ito’y patunay na ang katotohanan ay mananaig pa rin
ang hustisya sa gitna ng mga kasinungalingan,” human rights lawyer Chel Diokno said on X.
(This proves the truth that justice will still prevail even in the midst of lies.)
Both Hontiveros and Diokno, however, stressed that people who unjustly accused De Lima of wrongdoing “must face the consequences of their actions.”
“[W]e need to focus our attention on those who have wrongly accused her. False charges compromise not only the accused’s reputation but also the integrity of our legal system. We call upon the authorities to pursue and hold accountable those who have perpetuated these unfounded.
“Ang hukuman ay takbuhan ng taumbayan para matamo ang hustisya, hindi ito instrumento para sa maruming pamumulitika (People go to the court to get justice, it is not an instrument for dirty politics),” Diokno also said. (Moss R. Laygo/Inquirer.net)
PH issues protest note over China’s latest...
prevail even in the face of these serious incidents, though I admit it's also a challenge," Manalo said.
During a Senate hearing on Tuesday, June 25, the foreign affairs chief expressed hope that the Philippines-China Bilateral Consultation Mechanism on the South China Sea will convene in early July to address the recent incidents.
"We still believe in the primacy of dialogue, and diplomacy should
The last meeting was held on January 17 in Shanghai, where the two parties formulated “some confidence-building measures,” according to Acting Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro.
Defense Secretary Gilberto
Teodoro Jr. last Monday, June 24 clarified that the latest incident was neither a "misunderstanding" nor an "accident," describing China's moves as "illegal use of force."
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. previously assured the public that the Philippines will not resort to war in addressing issues in the disputed region. g
Less tourists seen to visit Philippines...
halted for many years due to the pandemic.
As such, BMI said tourist arrivals could increase further to 8.3 million in 2025 and 9.4 million in 2028, reflecting an annual growth rate of 14 percent year on year over their 2024 to 2028 forecast period.
However, the research firm flagged short-term risks for the country’s tourism sector
stemming from high cost of living in many markets globally and tighter credit conditions, which will drag down consumer spending, especially on nonessential categories such as travel.
Based on the latest data from the DOT, 2.01 million international visitors entered the country from January to April. About 1.9 million of these were foreign tourists while the remaining 116,446 were overseas Filipinos.
The country’s top five source markets over the first quarter were South Korea with 546,726, U.S. with 315,816, Mainland China with 130,574, Japan with 123,204 and Australia with 88,048. Also among the leading sources of tourist arrivals to the Philippines were Canada, Taiwan, the United Kingdom, Singapore and Germany. g
California’s $25 health care hourly wage relies...
they are less severe than what Newsom initially proposed. It includes an 8% reduction in public health spending and preserves in-home support for Medi-Cal recipients regardless of their legal status. It counts on nearly $1.8 billion in additional revenue from the Managed Care Organization tax.
Newsom, a Democrat, had wanted an annual trigger that would have delayed the health worker wage bumps in tight budget years like this one, when the state faced a nearly $47 billion deficit.
Instead, Democratic leaders who control the legislature agreed to a one-time trigger that will start the increases in October if state revenues come in 3% higher than expected, or no later than in January after the state increases what is known as the Hospital Quality Assurance Fee, which allows hospitals to tax themselves to draw in federal money for Medi-Cal, the state’s Medicaid program.
Budget officials expect the fee increase to cover about 30% of the minimum wage increases. The fee currently provides about $8.4 billion to California hospitals each year and officials project that the unspecified increase will bring in billions of dollars more.
The fee increase requires federal approval, but budget officials said they believe even such a large increase is allowed under federal guidelines. The Newsom administration plans to hash out the details with hospitals over the next several months.
The managed care plans will still have to compensate for the remaining increased minimum wage costs with higher Medi-
Cal managed care rates, budget officials said.
However, the administration said hospitals expect the wage bumps “will not result in significant additional costs.”
That differs from what the California Hospital Association said in successfully contesting a $25 minimum wage in one Southern California city. The association said it was reviewing the plan.
The California Association of Health Plans did not comment.
The California Kidney Care Alliance said many dialysis providers already increased wages ahead of the new requirements.
The law originally excluded employees at the Department of State Hospitals, and state budget officials said the new bill extends that to exclude an estimated 21,000 employees at all health care facilities operated by the state, with the exception of the University of California system.
Proponents have said the wage increases would have included employees at the departments of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Developmental Services, and Veterans Affairs.
“Of course, workers are disappointed that not every lowwage worker in health care will receive raises this summer as the law initially scheduled,” said Dave Regan, president of Service Employees International UnionUnited Healthcare Workers West, which pushed for the increases over the state’s $16 minimum wage. But he praised Democratic leaders for recognizing that “despite a historic budget deficit, California’s patient care and health care workforce crisis must be addressed.”
The University of California-
Berkeley Labor Center projected that more than 469,000 health workers would get wage increases, with the biggest benefits going to women and workers of color. The law covers lower-income employees including certified nursing assistants, patient aides, food service workers, janitors, groundskeepers, and security staff. California separately increased the minimum wage for fast-food workers to $20 an hour. The health worker law originally was set to raise the hourly minimum at large health facilities and dialysis clinics to $23 this year, $24 in 2025, and $25 in 2026. It would have increased hourly wages at community clinics to at least $21 in 2024, $22 in 2026, and $25 in 2027. Other health facilities were to go to at least $21 an hour in 2024, $23 in 2026, and $25 by 2028. The initial increases will be pushed back several months based on the one-time trigger. Because the increases will start partway through the fiscal year, Newsom’s administration now projects the first-year cost to be $1.4 billion, down from its earlier full-year estimate of $4 billion. (Don Thompson/KFF Health News)
This article was produced by KFF Health News, which publishes California Healthline, an editorially independent service of the California Health Care Foundation.
KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces indepth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF—an independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism.
TARP SAYS IT ALL Former Sen. Leila de Lima (center, with scarf) is greeted by her supporters, led by peace advocate Teresita “Ging” Deles (fourth from left), after the Muntinlupa City court on Monday, June 24, cleared her of the last drug-related case filed by the Duterte administration. Inquirer.net photo by Grig Montegrande
San Francisco to become first city in California to create new entertainment zones
SAN FRANCISCO – On Tuesday, June 25, the Board of Supervisors
gave final approval to Mayor
London N. Breed’s legislation to make San Francisco the first city in the state to create new Entertainment Zones in downtown and neighborhoods across the city.
The legislation is authorized under Senate Bill 76, a bill authored by State Senator Scott Wiener that went into effect this year. Within the new EZs, restaurants and bars will be permitted to sell alcoholic beverages for consumption during outdoor events and activations.
In May, Mayor Breed announced Front Street, between California and Sacramento streets, as the first entertainment zone to be designated in San Francisco.
Tuesday’s approval expands the pilot program to bring additional entertainment zones across the city to permit the operation of the sale of alcohol within the zones.
Businesses and organizations across San Francisco have expressed interest in establishing entertainment zones in their areas, including in Union Square, Mid-Market, and Thrive City in Mission Bay.
“We are focused on bringing opportunities that are good for business but that are also exciting for residents and visitors across our city,” said Mayor Breed.
“Entertainment Zones bring new economic opportunities that will help strengthen San Francisco’s downtown and neighborhoods citywide. Our local bars and restaurants are an important part of what makes this city unique and fun, and as the first and only city in California to work with this concept, we are thrilled to bring new energy to our city while supporting our small businesses.
I want to thank Senator Wiener and all of our partners involved to make this happen.”
“Our downtown thrives when we bring people into the streets and support the small businesses that make it such a vibrant space,” said Senator Scott Wiener.
“We should have a space where San Franciscans can enjoy drinks outside with their loved ones. Entertainment Zones are an idea whose time has come, and I’m delighted to see Mayor Breed and the Board of Supervisors prioritize them so highly.”
“The approval of the city’s
first Entertainment Zone is a major boost for our downtown revitalization efforts,” said Sarah Dennis Phillips, executive director of the Office of the Economic and Workforce Development. “This legislation sends a strong signal to our local bars and restaurants that the city is poised to support them as they experiment with new strategies to grow their businesses while bringing more vitality to our public spaces. I can’t wait to see the Front Street Entertainment Zone in full effect and for residents and visitors to experience our downtown in new and exciting ways.”
The legislation would designate an approved area to become an entertainment zone, allowing restaurants and bars to sell open beverages for consumption during special events within the zone. Per the ordinance, the designated zone must comply with certain parameters, including:
• Open beverages sold within the zone must be in an approved non-metal or non-glass container. If authorized by the Board, a zone could include sales of cocktails, beer, and wine.
• Only restaurants, bars, breweries, and wineries can sell open containers within an entertainment zone. Liquor stores may not sell open beverages for consumption within the zone and the consumption of alcoholic beverages not purchased from a restaurant or bar within the zone is not permitted.
San Francisco’s proposed Entertainment Zones build off of Senate Bill (SB) 76, introduced by Senator Wiener and passed at the California Legislature last year. The Entertainment Zone Act paved the way for San Francisco, currently the only city in California to designate entertainment zones to operate during special events permitted by the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC). Under the bill, San Francisco could establish entertainment zones through the adoption of a local ordinance by the mayor and the Board of Supervisors. Currently, the mayor’s legislation enables three bars along Front Street (Schroeder’s, Harrington’s, and Royal Exchange) to sell open beverages
for consumption during special events in the zone. These bars, along with the Downtown SF Partnership and BOMA San Francisco, are working to launch a new recurring street closure on this block that could involve live entertainment and other activities during the zone’s operation. Similar programs have been successful in supporting small businesses and commercial districts in other states, including Michigan, Ohio, and North Carolina.
“Seeing small businesses like ours working together on our block to organize new activities and events that will attract people to our local spots is a major milestone,” said Ben Bleiman, owner of Harrington’s Bar & Grill and president of the Entertainment Commission. “We are telling residents, visitors, and businesses that we are ready to see Downtown San Francisco activated with exciting public spaces because when people have fun it benefits local businesses, Downtown, and the entire city.”
“Downtown San Francisco needs a nightlife renaissance post-pandemic. Launching California’s first ever entertainment zone on Front Street is significant and will catalyze more reasons to come downtown,” said Robbie Silver, executive director of the Downtown SF Partnership. “Rethinking the use of public space by opening streets for pedestrians is a proven economic strategy to reinvigorate downtown. The Downtown SF Partnership will optimize Front Street with fun programming, building off its signature activations like Let’s Glow SF, Drag Me Downtown, and Landing at Leidesdorff.”
The Office of Economic Workforce and Development (OEWD) will continue to engage with stakeholders, including Market Street Arts, Thrive City and the Union Square Alliance, who have expressed significant interest in pursuing entertainment zones, across city agencies, and with ABC to ensure the successful implementation of this groundbreaking program.
“Creating an Entertainment Zone in Mid-Market will support local businesses, including large u PAGE 4
Fil-Am Team USA manager happy for volleyball’s growth in PH
EVERYTHING has come full circle for Filipino American team manager David Dantes of Team USA, as he returned to his home country of the Philippines for volleyball in the recently concluded Manila leg of the 2024 Volleyball Nations League last week.
After being away from the Philippines for a decade, Dantes flew with fan favorites Team USA for the weeklong tournament. Bearing witness to the country’s love for volleyball, he reflected on his return to Manila.
“[It’s] my first time back [in Manila] for like, 10 years. So it’s really great to be back. You know, my parents are from here and I think the guys right now are having a wonderful experience,” he said, referring to Team USA players.
“I think that’s been the best part. [For] most of our team, it’s their first time here and we love it. They love the fans, they love the passion, [I] couldn’t be happier,” he added.
Dantes has had a long history with the men’s indoor team, having been a technical staff member for the squad in the 2016 Rio Olympics. He’s also the Independent Contract Performance Analyst of the men’s sitting team.
Now with a new role, Dantes gets a share of the love from the Filipinos in the stands. Born in California to Filipino parents from Quezon City, he connected with his motherland through the sport that he loves.
“That excites me a lot because I love volleyball obviously, and it’s really cool to see that you know, where I’m from, where my parents are from, love it as passionately [as me],” Dantes continued.
“I mean, obviously, almost makes me want to come back and see the sport grow even more. I mean, it’s so cool to see the Philippines growing in the professional sport really quickly, which is great.”
Dantes wears many hats, including being the
director of volleyball operations at NCAA Division 1 school University of Georgia. As luck would have it, one of his athletes will be continuing her career in the Philippines with the Premier Volleyball League.
Though unfamiliar with the pro scene in the Philippines, Dantes vowed to follow the league beginning this upcoming Reinforced Conference as he supports his player.
“I don’t [follow the league], but I will now. Because one of my athletes in [University of] Georgia just started for Creamline last week. Her name’s Erica Staunton, so I will be watching it now because she’ll play,” he said.
As for what advice he has to offer Philippine volleyball, Dantes made it simple and sweet on how the country can continue to grow the sport and push forward in the international scene.
“Just play as much as possible, you know? I think it all starts at the grassroots level. Just provide as many opportunities as you can and let the kids, let the youth play as much as they can.”
Morales/Philstar)
(Luisa
David Dantes Philstar.com photo
BIKE FOR A CAUSE. Healthcare workers pedal from the Department of Health in Sta. Cruz, Manila to the Lung Center of the Philippines and Department of Environment and Natural Resources in Quezon City for the “Ride for their Lives: Bike for Clean Air and a Healthier Future” on Tuesday, June 25.
The activity raises awareness about the dangers of air pollution and demonstrates the healthcare sector’s commitment to driving tangible changes in policy and practice towards sustainable development and healthier lives for all Filipinos. PNA photo by Joan Bondoc
How would Trump’s immigration plan...
director under President Trump.
“These policies abandon traditional conservative values like supporting business growth, decentralizing power away from the federal government and decreasing bureaucratic hurdles, often doing the opposite,” said Cecilia Esterline, immigration research analyst at the Niskanen Center.
“They should be taken seriously;
President Trump implemented nearly 64% of the prior Mandate for Leadership’s recommendations within the first year of his administration.”
“Using executive authority, without Congress, they hope to introduce processing delays,” she continued. For instance, H2A and H2B visas are seasonal visas sustaining the agricultural, construction, forestry and hospitality industries. Project 2025 argues that no updates to eligible countries should be issued, which would essentially grind the program to a halt.
The U.S. Labor Department certified 370,000 temporary H2A jobs in 2022, while the H2B cap was raised from 66,000 to 130,716 visas for 2024.
“They also create new standards cutting off intake for entire categories of immigration; for example, any deemed to have an excessive backlog,” Esterline added. “However, excessive is not defined.”
Another policy would process every approval through a secondary office that currently completes around 35,000 cases a year, rather than through U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, which completed 8.6 million in 2022. Project 2025 also recommends denying Department of Education loans – based on mandatory information sharing with the federal government – to states that allow in-state tuition to “illegal aliens,” including DACA recipients.
While only citizens and green card holders are currently eligible for federal student aid, state tuition is determined according to state-defined residency terms. Currently, 26 states and the District of Columbia allow DACA recipients to qualify for in-state tuition, while 23 states and D.C. allow undocumented immigrants meeting minimum residency length to qualify.
Nearly 10.7 million U.S. students are enrolled in higher education in states allowing in-state tuition to “illegal aliens.” Under this policy, up to 67% of all U.S. higher education
students could lose access to federal aid because their state offers in-state tuition to undocumented or DACA students. Implementing immigration policy under Trump
In addition to these proposals, most policies from the first Trump administration would be “reimplemented in some form” in a second term, said David J. Bier, director of immigration studies at the Cato Institute.
These prospective policies include the “Muslim Ban” expanded to include more non-Muslim countries like Venezuela; restricting parole sponsorship for the current 30,000 Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans entering the U.S. monthly; removing the CBP One app allowing 1,500 daily legal migrations from the southwest border; and reducing the refugee program, which was capped below 10,000 under Trump’s final year — the smallest cap in history, 90% less than that under Obama and dramatically less than the over 100,000 admitted refugees projected this year under Biden.
“Trump left office in 2020 with the highest number of border patrol arrests for any December, going back to 1999 … and removed more people mainly by increasing the immigrants held in detention” by a peak of about 20,000 more beds amounting to roughly 60,000 removals, said Bier.
“This time isn’t anywhere near that scale,” he continued, as Trump has campaigned on calls to detain and deport 15 to 20 million people by using the National Guard and coerce sanctuary cities into compliance by withholding federal funds.
“It’s illegal and unconstitutional,” he added. “The only question is whether there’s anyone who can stop the president, any president, from violating the Constitution in these ways.”
Political implications
“Trump’s immigration agenda presents three interrelated threats in the form of mass deportation, political violence and a threat to American democracy … where the law becomes a challenge to overcome rather than an impediment to rein in the vision,” said Zachary Mueller, senior research director for America’s Voice Education Fund.
The campaign’s calls to deport 15 million to 20 million immigrants are far above the nation’s actual undocumented population.
As of 2021, there were 10.5 million undocumented U.S. immi-
grants — about 3% of the total population and 22% of the foreign-born population, the lowest since the 1990s.
Between 2007 and 2021, the U.S. undocumented population decreased by 1.75 million, or 14%.
“They’re not just going to go after new arrivals but also the 80% of the undocumented population who have called the U.S. home since 2010 — a second-grade teacher with DACA, a home health care aide with TPS, a farm worker keeping food in the grocery store,” said Mueller. “Nor will the havoc be contained to those who lose that legal status. One estimate has found that over 4.4 million U.S. citizen children could be affected if this plan goes into full effect.”
Although the Posse Comitatus Act, which prohibits the military from enforcing regular civilian law, would also prohibit it from enforcing mass deportation, “others like Stephen Miller and Ken Cuccinelli will suggest policies to grant themselves and red state governors war powers,” he continued, “whether that be around the Insurrection Act, or asserting the white nationalist conspiracy that immigrants constitute a literal military invasion.” As Republican campaign spending grows, so does rhetoric around an immigrant “invasion.”
The word has appeared in 27 TV ads for Republican candidates totaling over $5 million, according to AdImpact.
For comparison, in 2022, the word “invasion” appeared in 22 ads totaling $3.3 million; in 2020, it appeared in four ads costing under $300,000.
“The Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security has repeatedly warned that the language of invasion and replacement have become the mainstream of immigration talking points from Republicans this cycle,” said Mueller. “Driving this anti-democratic conspiracy is the baseless myth of a threat of non-citizen voting.”
“It’s not just about these individual policies,” Mueller added.
“By laying the foundation for their supporters to believe the election was rigged, Trump and Republicans may be in lockstep — if the immigrant demagoguery fails to deliver them the electoral college victory in November — for another violent assault on our democracy … by a white nationalist vision that seeks to remake who gets to be American.” (Selen Ozturk/Ethnic Media Services)
San Francisco to become first city in California...
cultural venues, small businesses, and arts organizations by drawing foot traffic, positive media attention, and new programming to the neighborhood,” said Steve Gibson, executive director of the Mid-Market Foundation.
“Spanning the wide sidewalks on Market Street between 5th and 6th, the Entertainment Zone would add another layer to our larger collective effort, Market Street Arts, a multi-year, publicprivate initiative working to uplift Mid-Market as a world-class arts and entertainment district, a place where creatives from the region, country and around the world come together to inspire joy and connection among the diverse communities that intersect at the center of the city.”
“Union Square is the heart of San Francisco’s downtown and we are seeing a wave of energy pour in that is undeniable,” said Marisa Rodriguez, CEO, Union Square Alliance. “Union Square is already a magnet for nightlife and outdoor dining, and with upgrades coming to Powell Street, we are building back stronger than ever. We are excited for the opportunity to
explore how entertainment zones can work for Union Square. But if it’s good for our businesses and visitors, then we are all in. The possibilities are endless when you have creative policies that are working for this city.”
To support activations in entertainment zones and throughout Downtown, Mayor Breed has also directed OEWD to partner with San Francisco New Deal to launch the Downtown ENRG (Entertainment & Nightlife Revitalization Grant) Program, a program that will offer up to $50,000 to fund new economic revitalization projects to support new activities, events, and campaigns to attract patrons and increase downtown activity.
The creation of entertainment zones and grants program are components of the Mayor’s Roadmap to San Francisco’s Future, and build on a series of recently announced entertainment initiatives designed to showcase and support the San Francisco music and entertainment sector, boost neighborhood vitality, activate open spaces and enhance the city’s economic revitalization through arts and culture. Com-
Mayor Breed’s two-year budget proposes investing $15 million for the revitalization of the Union Square and Yerba Buena hospitality districts and the continuation of the Vacant to Vibrant program to address storefront vacancies, which expanded this month to include 11 new pop-up businesses in the East Cut,
REVIVING PASIG RIVER. Local tourists on a kalesa (horse-drawn carriage) go around Intramuros, Manila on Tuesday, June 25, behind them
the stairs with access to the Binondo-Intramuros Bridge. The government’s “Pasig Bigyang Buhay Muli” project envisions the revitalization of the Pasig River, with a look and feel of famous waterways like the Seine in Paris, France or the Chao Phraya in Bangkok, Thailand. PNA photo by Joan Bondoc
House to invite ex-President Duterte, Dela Rosa to drug war hearing
MANILA
— The House Committee on Human Rights on Tuesday, June 25 approved a motion to invite former President Rodrigo Duterte and Senator Ronald dela Rosa to attend its hearing on the previous administration's drug war.
During its third hearing, the House panel approved Gabriela Party-list Rep. Arlene Brosas' motion, which was seconded by ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. France Castro.
Dela Rosa served as the Philippine National Police chief in 2016 to 2018 at the height of the Duterte administration's drug war. He was elected senator in the 2019 midterm elections.
“Mr. Chair, I move to invite former President Rodrigo Duterte and, of course, Senator Bato dela Rosa para po sa pagsagot sa mga issues na ina-allege, mga issues na inihahapag ng EJK [extrajudicial killings] [victims' families] (in order to address the alleged issues--issued raised by the EJK victims' families),” Brosas said during the hearing.
Committee chair and Manila 6th District Rep. Bienvenido Abante Jr. also suggested inviting Duterte and Dela Rosa to listen
to the testimonies of the victims' families.
“We have informed the former president of this hearing, so he knows,” Abante said. “For the fourth hearing, I will be inviting Senator Bato dela Rosa and the former president to come and listen to your testimony.” Abante stressed the importance of this investigation in seeking truth and accountability, as it aims to look into the alleged human rights violations during Duterte’s drug war.
“We are committed to protecting witnesses and supporting victims,” he said. “The House of Representatives is here to support you, to safeguard your rights, and to ensure your safety.”
Government data show that over 6,200 drug suspects died in anti-narcotics operations from June 2016 to November 2021, but human rights organizations estimate the death toll could be more than 20,000, affecting predominantly poor communities. (PNA)
Philippines retains Tier 1 status in US anti-human trafficking report
MANILA – The Philippines has retained its Tier 1 status in the United States’ annual Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report for the ninth year, which deems that the country’s anti-TIP efforts are up to the U.S. standards.
The initial report was released by the State Department on Monday, June 24, listing the Philippines among 33 governments with Tier 1 ranking, the highest in the report’s three-tier placement, and indicates that local authorities are making efforts to address human trafficking.
To maintain a Tier 1 status, governments need to demonstrate progress each year in combating trafficking.
They must also meet the minimum standards in eliminating TIP based on the U.S.
Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA).
The State Department’s report excludes the country narratives, including recommendations for specific states.
Filipino TIP hero
Meanwhile, the State Department named Samson Inocencio Jr., vice president of the International Justice Mission Philippines (IJM) Program Against Online Sexual Exploitation of Children, as one of this year’s TIP Report Heroes. Inocencio has spent more than 20 years combating trafficking in persons through his work with IJM Philippines and has contributed to 147 convictions for commercial sexual exploitation and 220 for online sexual exploitation crimes (OSEC) since 2005.
After becoming National Director of IJM in 2016, he assisted in the removal of 544 children from situations of commercial sexual exploitation and 1,237 children who were at risk of OSEC.
The State Department said Inocencio's collaboration in 2016 was also instrumental in the Philippines' development of a “roadmap to Tier 1” in the TIP Report.
“The Philippines has been ranked Tier 1 for eight years due to the merits of its efforts.
Sam’s leadership and dedicated service have strengthened the government and civil society’s response to trafficking and protected thousands, especially children, from exploitation,” the State Department said. (PNA)
Were Filipino translators hired for US anti-vax campaign? Expert seeks answers
MANILA — A disinformation expert urged a Senate committee on Tuesday, June 25 to investigate the possibility that subcontractors from the Philippines helped craft the messages that were used in the Pentagon's alleged antivaccination campaign against China during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Speaking before the Senate foreign relations committee, disinformation researcher Jonathan Ong pointed out that the recent Reuters report that detailed the covert influence operation by the United States military cited examples of posts that were translated into local languages, including Filipino.
"We need to ask therefore if there is the possibility of subcontractors enlisted by the U.S. military? Who are they, and where are they located?" Ong said.
The Reuters investigation said that the Pentagon's secret campaign against China took place from 2020 to 2021 and involved the use of 300 fake social media accounts that impersonated Filipinos to spread fears of China-made vaccines. Most of the accounts were created in the summer of 2020 and spread the hashtag #Chinaangvirus (China is the virus).
The accounts distributed content that aimed to malign the Sinovac vaccines developed
by Chinese pharmaceutical firm
Sinovac Biotech, as well as health supplies sent by China, according to the Reuters report, which cited former U.S. officials familiar with the operation.
Ong said that the fake accounts appeared to use "insider jokes and cultural knowledge that would resonate with local citizens and communities" in the Philippines and other targeted countries.
These posts have since been taken down by X, according to the Reuters report.
"It's important for us to track down potential in-country collaborators responsible for the translation and dissemination of these campaigns," Ong said.
The disinformation researcher also noted the importance of holding social media platforms accountable. "Did these social media platforms communicate this to the Philippine office?
To any Philippine government official?"
Sen. Imee Marcos, who chairs the Senate foreign affairs panel, said that Ong's recommendations are "certainly leads we need to follow up on."
There was little to no new information that surfaced during the Senate hearing that were not already revealed in the Reuters investigation. The Senate committee meeting did not have representatives from social media
platforms that were invited to attend, namely Meta and X.
The committee secretary said that both companies responded to the invitation. "I was able to talk to the general counsel. She was on maternity leave. She told me to send an email to another person, but at the same time it bounced back," the committee secretary said
But Department of Health
Undersecretary Maria Rosario S. Vergeire said that the department's "social listening" during the pandemic found that there were several posts that sought to fuel vaccine hesitancy among Filipinos.
"We usually get these kinds of issues not just for COVID, but before COVID. We already had these issues in 2016," the DOH official said, referring to the Dengvaxia fiasco in 2016.
Vergeire said that the DOH sought to counter the social media posts with town hall meetings that could "directly and better inform citizens" about vaccines.
Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo said that after reading the Reuters investigation, they reached out to the U.S. embassy in the Philippines through its "regular consultation mechanism," but their initial response was to refer them to the U.S. Department of Defense.
(Cristina Chi/Philstar.com)
Former President Rodrigo Duterte and Senator Ronald dela Rosa PNA file photo
FESTIVE. Workers hang multicolor banderitas (streamers) outside the Aliw Theater at the Cultural Center of the Philippines Complex in Pasay City, where the Aliw Fiesta, is being held on Tuesday, June 25. The Grand Parade on June 26 will feature street dancers, float and the Reyna ng Aliwan beauty pageant candidates. PNA photo by Yancy Lim
OPINION FEATURES
Weak enforcement
THE first law signed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. was Republic Act 11934, the SIM Registration Act of 2022. Two years later, phishing, smishing and other cyberscams continue to proliferate. Thousands of smartphones with SIMs, used for digital scams, are seized in raids on Philippine offshore gaming operator or POGO hubs.
On top of the continuing proliferation of subscriber identity module cards that are unregistered, or registered under fictitious names, cyberscams persist on over-the-top messaging platforms that are not covered by RA 11934, such as Viber, WhatsApp, Telegram and Messenger.
Editorial
It’s not for lack of a legal framework to go after the scammers. Under RA 11934, anyone who provides false or fictitious information in registering a SIM card can be imprisoned for six months to two years, fined P300,000 or suffer both penalties. For the fraudulent use of a registered SIM card, the penalty is at least six years in prison, a fine of P200,000 or both.
The other weekend, the National Telecommunications Commission drew fire from Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian, who said the NTC was “sleeping on the job” after thousands of SIM cards were found in raids on POGO hubs Smartweb Technology Corp. in Pasay City, Zun Yuan Technology Inc. in Bamban, Tarlac, and Lucky South 99 at the boundary of Porac town and Angeles City in Pampanga.
WITH the resignation of Vice President Sara Duterte from her Cabinet position as secretary of the Department of Education, it is now abundantly clear our country is heading towards another endless chapter of divisiveness, with politics being a primary concern, instead of the many major challenges we face locally and internationally.
Political pundits say that this recent development signals the VP’s plan to seek higher office in the 2028 elections by establishing herself as an opposition figure and reaching out to groups that are hostile to the administration. But as expected, the Liberal Party through former Senator Leila de Lima and other parties as well, voiced their objection to the idea of the VP as the new opposition leader following her resignation from the Cabinet.
There are those, however, who believe that the decision
ON June 30, 2024, Ferdinand
“Bongbong” Romualdez Marcos Jr. finishes the first two years of his six-year presidency.
In two years, Marcos Jr. did five things:
One, he unified the country.
Two, BBM has focused on the economy and infrastructure, the “Build Better More” (BBM) program.
Three, BBM neutralized many of his political enemies.
Vice President Sara Duterte is out of the Cabinet, denied travel, intelligence and discretionary funds. She will be a non-starter in the 2028 elections which a broadcaster could probably win, unless a relative snags the presidency.
Four, BBM traveled a lot, making 24 trips to 17 countries. The trips generated $72.2 billion in investment pledges (as of end2023), which if they materialize would make every Filipino upper income overnight.
Five, BBM executed a pivot to America and made China Public Enemy No. 1 of the Filipino people.
He has offered Washington D.C. up to 12 military bases from which to deploy armor, missiles, ships,
Reacting to the criticism, the NTC vowed to enhance enforcement of RA 11934, but pointed out that the law, while an “important tool” against SIM-enabled offenses, is “not a silver bullet against messaging scams.”
Even when RA 11934 was being crafted, several quarters including telecommunications companies had stressed the importance of first having in place a reliable national identification system. This point was brushed aside as lawmakers rushed to be rid of the unwanted messages they kept getting on their mobile phones. To this day, registration for the national ID is not yet complete, and the SIM cards seized at the POGO hubs show how easy it is to provide false information in SIM registration.
The National Bureau of Investigation, under a new director, is at least on the job against cybercrime, busting a team of suspected hackers, one of whom said at a press conference that he operated under the direction of a newspaper editor for technology. The Department of Justice, which has jurisdiction over the NBI, must ensure that heavy penalties are imposed in this case, to send a strong message that hackers can be caught and
to resign was also a strategy on the part of the vice president to distance herself from her father’s political allies and strengthen her own political party, the Hugpong ng Pagbabago – leaving her free to choose a senatorial slate and field candidates for local government positions for the 2025 midterm elections.
According to Senate President Chiz Escudero, VP Sara’s resignation from the Cabinet was “inevitable,” considering her family’s criticisms against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and her silence on certain policy issues, foremost of which is the West Philippine Sea where the Chinese have been escalating their aggression and harassment of Philippine troops and vessels as well as fishermen.
It’s a well-known fact that criticisms against the president stemmed from his tough stance against China’s overly expansive claims in the disputed territories in the South China Sea and his assertion that he will not cede even one square inch of our maritime territory.
But as Chiz pointed out, the vice president has every right to
have policy differences with the president and assert her own beliefs. In other words, VP Sara was elected separately, unlike the U.S. presidential system where the presidential and vice presidential candidates must come from the same party.
No one can argue that if someone firmly believes in something, we have to respect it. And the fact that people can exercise their free will, choose their political affiliations and elect the leaders they want is tangible proof that freedom and democracy is very much alive in this country.
However, it is likewise important for political leaders to be cognizant of, and sensitive to, the sentiment of the majority of the people, especially when it comes to our national security, as seen in the results of the most recent Tugon ng Masa survey conducted by the OCTA Research Group. According to OCTA, a large majority of Filipinos – 91 percent to be exact – continue to distrust China.
Additionally, 76 percent of the respondents also believe that China is a country that poses the
punished.
The discovery of those piles of SIM cards at the illegal POGO hubs, however, shows how much still
biggest threat to the Philippines – and this sentiment seems to be buttressed by the most recent incident in Ayungin Shoal where the China Coast Guard, People’s Liberation Army Navy and Chinese maritime militia vessels were shown acting in a way that has been described as barbaric, brutal and pirate-like.
Clearly, the conduct of the Chinese during that incident belie the claims made by Beijing that their personnel acted in a restrained and professional manner. Anyone who has seen the video released by the Philippine Navy would be left in no doubt that there was nothing professional or restrained in the actions of the Chinese.
There is no denying that we have to secure our maritime borders, and that we cannot give up our territory, as asserted by President Marcos during his keynote speech at the Singapore Shangri-La Dialogue that we cannot and should not cede any contiguous part of our maritime territory. Simultaneously, we also do not want to escalate the already simmering tension in the West Philippine Sea.
Five things BBM did in two years
aircraft and troops, despite what the Philippine Constitution says to the contrary on foreign military bases and nukes.
Marcos Jr. is the first president elected by the majority of Filipinos, since the last majority presidential winner, Ferdinand Edralin Marcos Sr. in 1969. With 31.629 million votes on May 9, 2022, Marcos Jr. garnered 59 percent of the votes cast for president. He won in 64 of the 80 big provinces and in 25 of the 27 largest cities, including all the 15 cities of Metro Manila and the southern cities of Cebu and Davao.
BBM beat Isko Moreno in Manila. The second presidential placer, Leni Robredo, won in just 14 provinces. Third placer Manny Pacquiao won in one province.
“In nearly four decades, we endured being mocked and oppressed,” recalled elder sister, Senator Imee Marcos Manotoc, who joined her only brother at the rostrum for his proclamation after the May 2022 election.
“We are grateful for this second chance.” Ironically today, Ate lmee sounds more like a member of the disparate opposition parties than of the ruling Ang Bagong Pilipinas class.
On the economy, from a modest 5.5 percent growth this year, the administration targets minimum average economic growth of 6.5 percent per year til 2028, with eight percent the high target for
the years 2026, 2027 and 2028, despite worsening geopolitical tensions and growing trade wars.
Whether by luck, by accident or by design, the Philippines is today ASEAN’s fastest growing economy, “a leading force among Asia’s emerging economies.”
“Our first quarter GDP growth rate is about the same as Vietnam’s, surpassing other major economies such as China at 5.3 percent, Indonesia at 5.1 percent and Malaysia at 3.9 percent, but slower than India’s projected growth rate of 6.2 percent,” says Economic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan. From double digits, poverty will be cut to nine percent, or 14 million Filipinos rescued from the misery of earning just $2 every day.
“The Philippine economy’s dynamism is anchored on strong consumer demand supported by a vibrant labor market,” says Finance Secretary Ralph Recto.
“With our arsenal of growthenhancing strategies, this administration has the right policy tools and determination to take us to $6,500 income by 2030,” vows Recto. In 2033, he predicts, “the Philippines will be a $1-trillion economy.” Filipinos will be trillionaires, in dollar terms. “We have a bold and decisive leader,” Recto shrugs off cynics.
Under his BBM infra, Marcos Jr. has lined up 185 infrastructure flagship projects that would cost
a whopping P9.54 trillion ($164 billion) which, if carried out, will be the largest infrastructure rollout in the country’s history.
The 185 projects consist of 134 physical connectivity projects costing $142.2 billion; 29 water projects, $12.3 billion; nine agriculture, $3.7 billion; five health, $1.6 billion; three digital connectivity, $2.8 billion; one power and energy, $0.2 billion; one education, $0.5 billion and three other projects, $0.5 billion. Only half of the 185 projects have a good chance of being started and/or completed.
Puzzling is the sparse allocation for energy projects – $200 million, and education infra, $500 million. We have a severe energy crisis. Within five years, according to forecasts by SMC, additional power capacity needed is between 69,000 megawatts and 92,000 megawatts, an investment of $184 billion. Who will provide that money?
Meanwhile, our 15-year-olds are rated among the most stupid teeners on earth. They cannot read, they cannot count beyond 20 and they are not at all creative. Just like monkeys.
Where will BBM get most of the money, the P9.54 trillion? Well, from borrowings, and from our taxes. Since borrowings will be paid with taxes, Filipinos will shoulder the brunt of the cost. Only five of 82 identified projects
Amid the precarious situation, there is the willingness of Vietnam to peacefully resolve our respective claims in disputed areas in the South China Sea.
Last week, the Philippines filed a claim with the UN to an extended continental shelf in the South China Sea, saying such submission “does not prejudice discussions with relevant coastal states that may have legitimate extended continental shelf claims” – something that resonated well with Vietnam that said it “asserts its full rights and interests under international law, particularly the 1982 UNCLOS, and stays ready to discuss with the Philippines to seek and achieve a solution that is mutually beneficial for both countries.”
This development aligns with the president’s initiative for a separate code of conduct with other ASEAN nations that also have maritime claims in the South China Sea.
There are those who oppose our current relationship with the United States and believe that continuing the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement will impede efforts to resolve
the situation with China. After all, differences in policy perspectives exist in any country or government – which can be like trying to mix oil and water. Certainly, political differences are par for the course in a country that has a multiparty system.
Yet now more than ever, we must be united and should not allow politics to distract us from what is paramount at this time – ensuring our national security and protecting our sovereignty. Which is why the upcoming 2025 elections will be extremely critical in giving us an indication where our country is heading and who the next president in 2028 will be. In fact, it could possibly determine whether our foreign policy will continue in the right direction or not. The bottom line is – either we are united, or divided we will fall. (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.
* * * babeseyeview@gmail.com
have private sector participation. So expect tax measures to come our way. To entice private companies to undertake the 185 projects, BBM has shortened the processing time for unsolicited projects under the new Public Private Partnership (PPP) Code, from 26.5 months to 16.9 months for local PPPs and 14.9 months for national PPPs.
Speaking of investments, the Manila Overseas Press Club (MOPC) holds its “Investment Night” tonight, Tuesday, June 25, at the Fairmont Makati ballroom.
Senior journalists, diplomats and top businessmen will hear the economic czar Frederick Go report on investments and the economy.
Secretary Deck Go built from scratch Robinsons Land Corp., one of the largest and most innovative
*
Email: biznewsasia@gmail.com
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
Malacañang file photo ManilaTimes.net photo
needs to be done. RA 11934 clearly needs better enforcement, and perhaps additional legislation to stop the messaging scams.
(Philstar.com)
THE ASIAN JOURNAL MAGAZINE
Lea Salonga, Dolly de Leon to star in ‘Request sa Radyo’ play
by JESSICA ANN EVANGELISTA Inquirer.net
BROADWAY superstar Lea Salonga and Hollywood breakout star Dolly de Leon are set to headline the Manila run of the 1971 play from Franz Xaver Kroetz, “Request sa Radyo,” in October.
“Tony and Olivier Award winner Lea Salonga and Golden Globe and BAFTA nominee Dolly De Leon return to the stage for “Request sa Radyo,” read Samsung Performing Arts Theater’s Facebook announcement. The two women are set to alternate performances as they portray the theatrical piece that “captures the poignant solitude of a woman through her meticulous evening routine.”
“As she navigates her quiet, solitary life, her actions and her favorite radio program reveal the profound loneliness and yearning for connection that lie beneath,” reads the synopsis on the play’s official website.
In an interview with Vogue Philippines, the Filipina icons echoed each other’s excitement.
“When I was asked by Clint and Bobby if I was interested at
Lea Salonga and Dolly de Leon
from
David Licauco on drawbacks of being a popular actor
by MARINEL CRUZ Inquirer.net
WHILE David Licauco said he is enjoying his time working in front of the camera, the selfconfessed introvert added that the hardest part about being an artist is the attention from people.
“I find it hard to adjust to fame, especially because I’m an introvert. Since I will be talking with a lot of people during this media conference, I know this will take a lot of energy from me. I appreciate this kind of interview with you because it’s intimate,” David told Inquirer Entertainment.
Arts Theater all in this project, an experience that told a probable and possible story that absolutely applies to our people, I said sure—even before knowing the details. It will be a challenge, but hopefully it will lend a figurative voice to those who are suffering,” Salonga said.
Meanwhile, De Leon expressed: “With loneliness one of the immediate problems society faces today, my hope is that people will understand mental health more and find compassion for those who suffer.” The play is set to be produced by Clint Ramos, with Bobby Garcia directing.
“When we got the blessing to bring it to Manila at the Samsung Theater and have it speak to a specific Filipino condition, we could only think of two of the Philippines’ premier actors: Lea Salonga and Dolly de Leon,” Ramos said.
“Through its minimalist approach and profound storytelling, grounded in a specific Filipino lived experience, this production invites audiences to find extraordinary meaning in the everyday and the invisible,” added the producer.
“Request sa Radyo” will open its curtains starting October 10 at the Samsung Performing Arts Theater in Makati City.
Vilma Santos nominated for National Artist
by KRISTOFER PURNELL Philstar.com
VETERAN actress and “Star for All Seasons” Vilma Santos-Recto received a nomination to be part of the next batch of National Artist recipients. The Cultural Center of the Philippines confirmed to Philstar.com that Vilma was among the National Artist nominees, the full list of which will be available at the end of June, the deadline for nominations, but will not be announced to the public. The winners, however, would be announced. Vilma previously called the National Artist award bestowed on her fellow actress Nora Aunor was “the highest” honor an artist could receive. “Alam mo, if it’s meant for you, it’s meant for you,” Vilma also said when asked if she also wants to be hailed a National Artist as well.
Pag hindi napunta sa’yo, it’s not meant for you. So d’un sa mga nabigyan, it’s meant for them, like ‘yung kay Ate Guy. So kung meron akong space d’yan, darating ‘yung panahon na ‘yun, para sa akin na ‘yun.”
Ate Vi also told Philstar.com last year she was willing to work with Nora again, given the right material, “If we can offer something new and something different, why not? Lalo na sa edad namin ngayon, ‘di ba?”
How Derrick Monasterio and Alden Richards address gay rumors
by RONNIE CARRASCO III
ManilaTimes.net
THERE’S probably not a single actor who isn’t rumored to be gay. Even the “tough” ones with nary a slight trace of “gayness” in their outward demeanor are not spared from this public misjudgment.
In the case of Kapuso actors Alden Richards and Derrick Monasterio, one might wonder how they’re dealing with persistent talks that they’re limpwristed.
Do they feel slighted, worse, insulted? Or are Alden and Derrick simply unaffected or unbothered knowing how secure they are with their sexuality as well as their sexual preferences?
Let’s take up Derrick’s case first.
It was on his guesting on “Fast Talk with Boy Abunda” where the main host asked Derrick pointblank: “Are you gay?” Derrick could have spewed a convenient “No!” reply yet he initially opted to take a personal stand on the subject.
“It’s just like saying: ‘You’re so fat!’ or ‘You’re so ugly!’ Clearly, the intention of the person saying it to someone is simply to annoy them! It’s exactly the same when some people tell me I’m gay, they’re just teasing me!”
This vexation all the more gives Derrick a reason to dismiss it.
While there’s hardly any truth to such cruddy talks, his real-life girlfriend and screen partner Elle Villanueva admitted she had told her parents that Derrick was gay. An only child to overly
“But when I’m at a mediacon, I change. If you see me there and notice that I’m talking nonsense, that means I’m already stressed. Being surrounded by a lot of people really stresses me out. I tend to open up when I’m in a more intimate setting.”
The media conference held on Thursday, June 20 was to promote Catherine Camarillo’s romantic comedy “That Kind of Love,” which is also David’s first big-screen project with love team partner Barbie Forteza.
“I think there are two kinds of artists. The first does this for passion and the second treats it as work,” David began. “I don’t walk around feeling like I’m an artista, a celebrity. I look at this as work, that it’s not so different from the work of a doctor, for example. It just so happens that a big part of this particular kind of work is that people know me. I try not to let that get to my head.”
David continued: “Of course, I’m not perfect. If someone approaches me for a picture, I would obviously smile. But there were times when, in my mind, I would say, ‘I want some alone time!’ Of course, I understand where they are coming from. They don’t know that I’m tired, or that I suffer from sleep apnea, or that I’m an introvert.”
David said there were even times when people would approach him while he’s in the middle of a business meeting. “I understand that they’re not aware that a meeting is happening. They just know that I’m David, the artista. Of course, I’d say ‘yes’ to their request for pictures because I’m naturally friendly. I can’t tell them, ‘I’m busy, and so you can’t take pictures with me!’”
‘Blessed’
Despite the drawbacks, David insisted that he is “super blessed” to be part of this industry. “Everything I earn from show biz work, I put in to my business ventures. With the kind of business I’m into, I need my show biz connections because I meet with big-time people. I’m not your typical businessman who started in a corporate setting. I need the artista image so people will take me seriously. Their impression of me changes when they talk to me,” he pointed out.
“I love acting so much, that’s why I really work hard to give my best in ‘Pulang Araw,’” David said of the war drama series he stars in with Barbie. “This has become my main career. I don’t think I’d be successful in my businesses without show biz.”
David now has six restaurants all over the country. He is currently busy working on a branch in Taguig that will open soon. “I’ve been doing a lot lately. Prior to coming here, I had a meeting for the space I’m eyeing in BGC. Yesterday, I was taping, and we finished late. Then I’m here now, and I have a meeting again later. I still have to study my script for the next taping day. Then there’s my workout, too. Sometimes, I myself wonder how I’m
able to find time to do all these things,” he said. David explained that the stress was partly because he is “the type of businessman who really does the legwork. I’m really hands on. I’m the CEO. Of course, I have people under me, but I do everything from operations to marketing.”
Failures David admitted to having experienced failure in his past business ventures, too. “I bought a franchise and lost. The same thing happened to my boxing gym. In those failures, you learn. I guess if you don’t fail, you won’t win in life also. You just have to take that risk. As long as you have an open mind to learn, you will eventually be successful,” he pointed out. David said Pocket Media Productions also took a great risk when it decided to produce a movie featuring BarDa and have it shown in the cinemas. “The story is well-written and the shots are all beautiful. Budget wasn’t a problem for this project. I hope that this will be promoted well. Our producers invested in this, they trusted us, so I really want to help them,” said David. In “That Kind of Love,” Barbie plays Milagros Maharlika, a renowned dating coach and certified psychologist. She takes it upon herself to transform Adam de Dios, a stuck-up and controlling CEO of a prestigious company, by finding him the perfect partner. The chance encounter between the two at a restaurant challenges Adam’s belief in his own perfection and leads Mila to confront her own doubts about love’s complexities.
“Adam is misunderstood. Because he seems perfect, because he is rich, people think he is doing OK. They just see that he owns a helicopter and a jet plane, and that he is handsome. This is just a wall that he has put up, and this wall has to be broken down by someone—that someone is Mila,” explained David. “In real life, you can’t have it all. Sometimes, you may have a lot of money, but you have no time for yourself. In this life, you have to choose happiness all the time.”
Alexa Ilacad hits back at body-shamer: ‘2024 na, such toxic mindset’
by JESSICA ANN EVANGELISTA Inquirer.net
BODY shaming comments are nothing new to Alexa Ilacad, but one particular net user did not escape the ire of the actress, who claimed her being a celebrity does not give anyone to a free pass to spew their rudeness on her social media accounts.
In the now deleted comment on one of Ilacad’s posts, the netizen gave a somewhat passiveaggressive opinion about her figure, saying, “Ang ganda mo pero may something talaga sa katawan mo na mejo off.” (You’re beautiful, but there’s something really off about your body.)
what makes them happy, so be it. I’m not about to take that right to happiness away from them.”
With their career trajectory steadily taking an upward turn, should the baseless gay rumor matter? Photos from Instagram/@aldenrichards02, @derrickmonasterio protective parents, Elle had to make it up for the latter to realize she was in safe hands. Ergo, harmless. Well, that was the only time Derrick was made to “experience” a life of being gay. Seriously though, the Kapuso actor has a lot to thank Elle’s gay reference to him for. A Godsend, it was Elle who Derrick says has turned his life around. Meanwhile, Alden takes this gay impression of him with a grain of salt to avoid any further argument.
“If they think I’m gay, fine!” stresses the 32-year-old actor. Nah, it’s not Alden’s way of lending some credence to a farfetched assertion but more of giving in to what delights his bashers. He calmly qualifies, “If that’s
It appears oddly ironic though that amidst these gay issues confronting Alden, talks about his “marriage” to Maine Mendoza and siring a child with her wouldn’t cease to this day — this even if the latter is already a happy, content wife to Quezon City Representative and actor Arjo Atayde. If only for these unnerving, disturbing rumors — there isn’t a scintilla of doubt that Alden’s and Derrick’s careers have flourished by leaps and bounds. With their career trajectory steadily taking an upward turn, should this baseless stuff matter? End of argument.
The Kapamilya star responded that not all bodies are not at all proportional, and but what is “off” was to have that kind of mindset.
“Twenty twenty-four na pero hindi ka parin aware na (It’s 2024 but you are still not aware that) our bodies come in different shapes, sizes, and proportions? I’d suggest you to hit the books before making comments that are very… ‘off.’”
The basher tried to counter Ilacad’s response by using the public figure card. “Twenty twenty-four na pero mukhang ang gusto mo lang na comment ay yung hindi ‘off’ para sayo? Dapat hindi ka nag artista if you can’t stomach the truth,” they wrote. (It’s 2024, but it looks like the only comment you want is the one that isn’t ‘off’ for you. You shouldn’t be an actor if you can’t
stomach the truth.)
Ilacad clapped back by simply writing, “What a dumb argument. Me being a celebrity doesn’t give you a free pass to be rude.”
After the netizen deleted their comment, the “Luv U” actress posted a screenshot of their exchange on her Instagram story, saying she would not tolerate such a toxic mindset.
“Last time I checked, ang trabaho ko po bilang artista ay umarte, kumanta, sumayaw minsan, at magpasaya ng tao [My job as an artist is to act, sing, dance sometimes, and make
people happy.] (which I love doing),” she wrote. “Buuut it isn’t part of my job description to tolerate rude comments like this. Constructive criticism—I accept with an open heart, but this? Nah. Such a toxic mindset,” stressed the actress. In 2022, Ilacad’s love team, KD Estrada, defended her against another body-shamer after the former got compared to a gasoline tank. “Kapal ng mukha neto ganda ka? (The audacity—are you even beautiful?)” wrote Estrada at the time.
Photo
Facebook/Samsung Performing
Vilma Santos graces the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ Cine Icons event at University of Sto. Tomas to lead the special screening of her restored classic film ‘Anak,’ which is directed by Rory Quintos and written by National Artist for Film and Broadcast Arts Ricky Lee (with Moira Lang). Philstar.com photo
David Licauco
Photo from Instagram/@davidlicauco
Alexa Ilacad
Photo from Instagram/alexailacad
Sky River Casino announces and outlines expansion plans as
of excellence in industry
Already home to gaming, entertainment, 18 elevated restaurants and bars, Sky River will expand to offer a hotel, day spa, pool, event space, and more
planned to begin on a new parking structure this year, the ambitious expansion plans will roll out in two construction phases as outlined below:
• Phase 1 Expansion Plans
– Multi-story, 1,600 space parking garage – Enhanced Valet service area and new Porte Cochere. • Phase 2 Expansion Plans – 300-room state-of-the-art
– Additional, elevated High Limit and VIP gaming area.
While timing is subject to change based on construction, availability of materials, and weather- related variables, Phase I is expected to be completed by summer 2025 and Phase 2 by early 2027.
“We are very proud of what we have created – and continue to imagine – at Sky River Casino,” said Jesus Tarango, Wilton Rancheria Chairman. “With these expansion plans now firmly in process, the future is even brighter for the Elk Grove community, greater Sacramento area, and for generations of Wilton Rancheria people, the only federally recognized Tribe in Sacramento County. I want to thank the Tribal Elders and citizens of Wilton Rancheria for their support.
We would also like to gratefully acknowledge the invaluable support extended by the City of Elk Grove, Sacramento County, and our state leaders, along with the incredible reception by an amazing and welcoming Northern California community.”
Wilton Rancheria currently possesses nearly 140 acres of land, including Sky River Casino and the parcels surrounding it. This includes 77 acres of the Tribe’s traditional Rancheria land which was recently put into federal trust with plans to develop Tribal services and preserve its great cultural legacy.
“These expansion plans for Sky River will continue to set new standards of excellence for casino experiences not only in the Sacramento area but throughout Northern California and beyond,” said Sky River Casino President Michael J. Facenda. “Once we have a world class hotel, event space and other highly desirable amenities, we will offer a destination of appeal to guests who will travel in search
of elevated experiences that are highlighted by lively gaming and entertainment, amazing culinary options, upscale overnight accommodations, and relaxing environments.”
Currently, Sky River Casino employs approximately 1,600 team members (more than half of whom are Charter Team Members who have been with Sky River since before doors opened nearly two years ago). With these expansion plans, approximately 200 new job opportunities will be created to accommodate the new offerings, amenities, and experiences.
In a brief interview with media, Wilton Rancheria chair Jesus Tarango expressed excitement at the upcoming developments at Sky River Casino, saying that the upcoming phases were part of the promises made by the tribe when the project was originally envisioned, which they are now happy to say they are executing via the new development phases.
Tarango revealed that Sky River Casino and the Tribe have been happy to coordinate with cities, counties, local officials and agencies, including working on traffic mitigation as the new projects unfold. He also said that they have a great relationship with the City of Elk Grove Police Department and local sheriffs who help protect the entire city as well as their patrons.
Sky River Casino has impacted the Tribe and the community as well, according to Tarango. Within Wilton Rancheria, Tarango is happy to see Tribe members able to purchase homes for the first time, get out of debt, get healthcare and take care of themselves. The Tribe, through Sky River Casino, has also involved itself in charity and community events, including those related to youth and the fire department and law enforcement, for battered women, and other charitable projects.
“At the end of the day, it’s really us in reciprocation… for our people, it’s not about giving back to the ones that gave to you, but giving back to the ones that need it,” Tarango said.
The June 7 announcement of its expansion plans coincided with the Tribe celebrating the anniversary of it gaining back federal recognition which happened on June 8, 2009 after decades of struggle. Wilton Rancheria are primarily Miwok and Nisenan people, descendants of the Penutian linguistic family. The Tribe has currently more than 1,000 citizens, with 62% of its citizens living in Sacramento County.
The brief program announcing the Sky River expansion included remarks from Tribal Chair Jesus Tarango, Tribal Vice Chair Raquel Williams, Chairman Emeritus Raymond Hitchcock, Boyd Gaming President/CEO Keith Smith, Sky River Casino President Michael Facenda, City of Elk Grove Mayor Bobbie Singh-Allen, Sacramento County Supervisor Pat Hume, California State Assembly Member James Ramos and Sacramento Count Sheriff Jim Cooper.
For more information about Sky River Casino and its offerings, please call 916-866-0200 or visit www.SkyRiver.com. For more information about Wilton Rancheria, please visit www. WiltonRancheria-nsn.gov.
Sky River Casino was built by Wilton Rancheria in partnership with Boyd Gaming Corporation, which is managing the property for the tribe. The casino opened in August 2022 and includes 100,000 sq ft of gaming, 2,100 slot machines, 80 table games, and 18 elevated restaurants, bars, and lounge destinations. To learn more, visit www.SkyRiver.com.
Wilton Rancheria is proud to be the Capitol Tribe with its home in Sacramento County. The Tribe’s government is divided into four separate branches: a General Council, comprised of all voting members; the Office of the Chair and Vice-Chair, which administers all Tribal departments and programs; the Tribal Council, which enacts legislation and oversees the budget; and the Tribal Court, which hears all cases and controversies under the Tribe’s jurisdiction. To learn more, visit www.WiltonRancheria-nsn. gov. (Advertising Supplement)
and
Sam Milby diagnosed with Type
by Jan Milo Severo Philstar.com
KAPAMILYA actor Sam Milby revealed that he was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes. In his Instagram account, Sam posted his blood sugar glucose test kit that reads "525 mg/dL."
"I've always thought of myself as a healthy person. I don't have a sweet tooth, bihira din mag junk food, pero last year I found out na may type 2 diabetes na ako," he said.
"My parents and grandparents never had it. I just wish I got checked up earlier nung pre diabetes pa. My advice - don't
ignore the symptoms (my main symptoms - always thirsty and urinating often) and get checked up regularly," he added.
A quick Google search shows that a 500 mg/dL blood sugar level is considered extremely dangerous and requires immediate attention.
"If you experience blood sugar levels in this range, contact your healthcare provider or seek emergency medical care," the Sahyadri Hospital website said.
According to Mayo Clinic, if left untreated, a high sugar level can lead to Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA), which can lead to death.
Sam Milby
Photo from Instagram/@samuelmilby
Sky River Casino recently announced expansion plans for its property in Elk Grove, CA. Photos above show renderings of the Atrium, hotel lobby and hotel
Philippine officials attend Plug and Play Technology Center summit in Sunnyvale
SUNNYVALE – Philippine officials participated in the Plug and Play Technology Center’s summit on June 11, 2024 to advance the Philippines' digital transformation goals.
Among the attendees were Senator Juan Edgardo
“Sonny” Angara, former Senate Committee on Finance chair and Tatak Pinoy advocate, along with officials from the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT): ICT Industry Ecosystem Development Division Chief Frances Loraine T. Valdez and Head Executive Assistant from the Office of the Secretary Patricia Nicole G. Uy.
The Philippines, through the Tatak Pinoy program, is working to revolutionize the country’s industry with the establishment of the Center for Artificial Intelligence Research and the Industry 4.0 Pilot Factory in a bid to harness the power of AI and Industry 4.0 technologies in line with the country’s innovation goals.
Representing the Philippine Consulate were Consul Vanessa Bago-Llona, Senior Trade Commissioner Celynne Layug, and Economic Officer
Jennifer Sto. Domingo. The summit provided these officials with insights into cuttingedge technology and the growth of international startup ecosystems.
(PCGSF Release)
FRANCISCO – The
SAN
Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco met with Filipino American techpreneur Christeen Rico on June 12, 2024 to discuss possible collaborations to help empower Filipino startups and further grow the Philippine startup ecosystem.
Consul General Neil R. Ferrer, represented by Consul Vanessa Bago-Llona and Senior Trade Commissioner Celynne Layug, welcomed Ms. Rico’s mission to help drive innovation and economic growth, especially involving Filipino startups. “The Consulate stands ready to support entities like Dream Bigger to help foster national development and equitable growth in the Philippines,” he said.
The meeting focused on bridging the gap between Filipino Americans and Filipino entrepreneurs in the tech space. Dream Bigger, co-founded by Ms. Rico, is an accelerator program for Philippine startups. Now in its fourth cohort, it offers virtual and in-person programs, mentorship, investment opportunities, access to resources, and promoting partnerships between Philippine startups and capital partners. (PCGSF Release)
PH-based investors acquire global activewear brand 2XU
The acquisition marks a significant development in the Philippine investment community, reflecting their growing involvement in international business transactions
by Pancho Dizon
TRIVANTAGE Holdings Pte
Ltd., a Singapore-registered special-purpose vehicle jointly owned by mostly Philippine-based investors and former consumer brand executives, recently acquired athleticwear brand 2XU from L Capital Ironman Pte Ltd. While the terms of the transactions were not officially disclosed, The Independent Investor discovered a company filing with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission that disclosed that 2XU was sold for USD$22 million or AUD$34.2 million.
The acquisition marks a significant development in the Philippine investment community, reflecting their growing involvement in international business transactions.
Founded in Australia in 2005, 2XU (pronounced “Two Times You”) is known for its premium performance-focused activewear, particularly compression garments. The brand originated in endurance sports, and its product range covers various stages of athletic performance, including preparation, performance, and recovery. 2XU’s products are frequently used by elite athletes worldwide across multiple disciplines, and the brand holds a notable position in the global high-performance sportswear market. 2XU is headquartered in Melbourne, Australia, and its products are available in over 50 countries worldwide, with more than 2,000 points of sale.
“We welcome 2XU’s new
ownership group and are excited to work with them to further expand the reach of the 2XU brand,” said Marc Boelen, CEO of 2XU. “With their support and fresh perspectives, my team and I are looking forward to exploring new growth avenues for this market-leading brand.”
TriVantage Holdings Pte Ltd. is jointly owned by John Alonte, Eric Manlunas, Angelica Suiza, Willy Au, and Harry Markl, all of whom bring extensive experience in a variety of industries, including venture capital, sports apparel, and e-commerce. Markl, a co-founder of the e-commerce marketplace Zalora, originated and brought this opportunity to TriVantage while advising on the acquisition. Markl will also represent the new ownership group and work closely with 2XU’s management team.
“We’re grateful for this opportunity and we intend to further expand 2XU’s global reach,” said Manlunas. “We have a solid foundation to build on given the brand’s track record. We’re highly confident that 2XU has no upper limits and can exponentially grow in the coming years to further solidify its leadership in the sports compression athleticwear market.”
“We’re excited to further unlock 2XU’s brand potential by leveraging its market leadership in high-performance compression sports garments, commented Angelica Suiza.
“We will grow its presence in fast-growing markets in North America, Europe, and the Asia Pacific region. With Harry Markl’s stewardship, we will catapult 2XU to new commercial highs.” (Reprinted from The Independent Investor)
“We’re humbled that we can acquire a well-known global Australian brand and we intend to be responsible stewards and protect what the 2XU brand stands for,” commented Alonte. “We will continue to pursue the original vision of making 2XU Australia’s first major global sportswear brand.”
Planning, perseverance, and prayer achieved...
However, this path was fraught with challenges. The family's initial attempt at an employment-based petition was denied due to the employer's inability to pay. This led to the family being placed in removal proceedings, creating a daunting and uncertain future. Despite these setbacks, their resilience and faith carried them through.
Leading U.S. Immigration
Attorney Michael J. Gurfinkel prepared a long-term strategy
for Julius and Amelita’s green cards that involved long-term planning and dedication. It required son Nikko to obtain his green card and U.S. citizenship through marriage to his girlfriend, Joyce. Upon Nikko’s naturalization, he was able to petition for his parents, culminating in his parents receiving their green cards.
Julius and Amelita’s journey to legalization spanned 15 years and the use of the three
P’s: Planning, patience, and prayer. They also had the strategic
Watch this success story on a brand-new episode of Citizen Pinoy on Sunday, June 30 at 6:30 PM
through
Linggo. Citizen Pinoy is also available on iWantTFC.
may download the
(Advertising
Consul Vanessa Bago-Llona (left) and
Trade Commissioner Celynne Layug (right) with Christeen Rico (center) of Dream Bigger at the
Consulate General in
San Francisco PCG photo At the Plug and Play Technology Center
Bago-Llona,
(DICT)
From left: Economic Officer Jennifer V. Sto. Domingo, Senior Trade Commissioner Celynne Layug, Consul Vanessa Bago-Llona, Plug and Play Tech Center co-founder Jojo Flores, Science and Technology Advisory Council (STAC) Silicon Valley chair Christina Laskowski, Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) Head
Assistant from the Office of the Secretary
Filipino investors John Alonte (left) and Eric Manlunas (right)
planning of the Law Offices of Michael Gurfinkel.
with unwavering patience, and steadfast prayer, Julius and Amelita’s dream has finally been realized.
