082324 - San Diego Edition

New lines of attack form against the A ordable Care Act

THE Affordable Care Act is back under attack. Not as in the repeal-and-replace debates of yore, but in a fresher take from Republican lawmakers who say

Several House Republican leaders have called on two watchdog agencies to investigate, while Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) fired off more than half a dozen questions in a recent letter to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

At issue are the ACA’s enhanced subsidies, put in place during the covid-19 pandemic as part of economic recovery legislation. Grassley said in a recent news

Public con dence in Supreme Court hits record lows

More than 78% of voters support term limits for justices

THE public’s view of the U.S. Supreme Court’s credibility has plummeted to the lowest levels ever recorded, as voters perceive recent major decisions to be fueled by partisanship.

Of particular concern is the 2022 Dobbs decision, in which the justices ruled 6-3 that abortions were not guaranteed by the Constitution. In another ruling earlier this summer, the court ruled there was vast immunity from criminal prosecution for presidents, effectively expunging several criminal cases against Donald Trump. The former president was able to “stack” the highest court in the nation with three appointees: Justices Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett.

“This is a public institution that is ripe for reform,” said Brennan Center President

Guo’s departure:

by ZACARIAN SARAO Inquirer.net

MANILA – President Ferdinand “Bongbong”

R. Marcos Jr. on Wednesday, August 21 said the government will “expose” the culprits who allowed

MANILA — The country’s first mpox (formerly monkeypox) patient this year is a resident of Metro Manila, Department of Health (DOH) chief Teodoro Herbosa revealed.

Herbosa was asked during a press conference on Monday, August 19 about the details of the new mpox case, which the DOH earlier announced in a statement.

“From NCR,” he said, in reply to questions regarding the patient’s whereabouts.

The DOH said they received information on a newly recorded mpox infection on

MANILA — The government on Monday, August 19 said two Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) ships were damaged in collisions with Chinese vessels that were engaging in “unlawful and aggressive maneuvers” near Escoda (Sabina) Shoal, setting off a new flashpoint between Manila and Beijing.

PCG ships BRP Bagacay (MRRV-4410) and BRP Cape Engaño (MRRV-4411) were en route to resupply outposts Patag (Flat) and Lawak (Nanshan) islands before dawn on Monday when they were met by China Coast Guard (CCG) vessels, whose maneuvers “resulted in collisions causing structural damage” to both ships, according to a statement by the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea read by National Security Council Assistant Director General Jonathan Malaya in a media forum.

Sunday, August 18. It also described the patient as a “33-year-old male Filipino national with no travel history outside the Philippines but with close, intimate contact three weeks before symptom onset.”

“Symptoms started more than a week ago with fever, which was followed four days later by findings of a distinct rash on the face, back, nape, trunk, groin, as well as palms and soles,” it added.

According to Herbosa, DOH has launched contact tracing efforts to prevent the spread of the viral infection.

“We had nine cases in 2023 but we

Terminal reassignment of airlines a top priority, says Ang

THE Ramon Ang-led New Naia (Ninoy Aquino International Airport) Infrastructure Corp. (NNIC) is all set to take over the maintenance and operations of the country’s primary gateway next month, identifying terminal reassignment of airlines and construction of an off-ramp linking the Naia Expressway (Naiax) to the airport as priority plans to improve passenger experience. The San Miguel Corp. chief executive said in a media briefing in his headquarters in Pasig that they were looking into implementing new

terminal assignments for local and foreign airlines before Nov. 1, over a month after the scheduled takeover of the consortium on Sept. 14. Ang said this would improve the efficiency of runway use, allowing the airport to accommodate more flights. Under the concession agreement with the government, the tycoon’s consortium is tasked with increasing the number of aircraft movements or takeoffs and landings per hour from 41 flights to 48 flights. No specific terminal assignments have been set yet. After the initial implementation,

Ramon Ang

Photo by Tyrone Piad

ANOTHER CONFRONTATION. Images released by the Philippine Coast Guard, through the X account of its spokesperson Commodore Jay Tarriela, show the extent of damage sustained by its ships after these were rammed by China Coast Guard vessels early Monday, August 19 near Escoda (Sabina) Shoal in the West Philippine Sea. Photos by PCG

by TYRONE JASPER C. PIAD Inquirer.net

by FAITH ARGOSINO Inquirer.net

by FRANCES MANGOSING, MELVIN GASCON Inquirer.net

“Let me be clear: Heads will roll,” Marcos said in a statement released through his Facebook page.

“We will expose the culprits who have betrayed the people’s trust and aided in her flight. A fullscale investigation is already underway, and those

by JANE BAUTISTA, TINA G. SANTOS Inquirer.net

Public confidence in Supreme Court...

Michael Waldman, at a news briefing Aug. 13. Waldman also served on President Joe Biden’s Commission on the Supreme Court. “It is an institution by its very nature, with lifetime terms unelected, that is often immune from accountability.

“But that accountability moment is now,” said Waldman, noting that justices have faced a large number of ethics controversies and other scandals. “This rattles public confidence,” he added.

Term limits

Two weeks ago, President Joe Biden proposed sweeping changes for the Supreme Court, among them term limits of 18 years. Biden also called on Congress to pass legislation requiring justices to disclose gifts, refrain from public political activity, and recuse themselves from cases in which they or their spouses have financial or other conflicts of interest.

Judge Diane Wood, who was appointed by President Bill Clinton to serve on the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals, echoed Waldman’s remarks, noting that there was a tradition of Supreme Court justices being “neutral arbiters,” using the Constitution to guide their decisions. That no longer seems to be the case, said Wood, currently the director of the American Law Institute, and Senior Lecturer at the University of Chicago Law School.

“This court is one more committee of the Senate, or something like a political committee. We don’t really need one more political committee, we’ve got plenty of them.”

Public losing confidence

“But we need something to assure people that it is actually legal principles that are driving these decisions,” said Wood.

“When the Supreme Court decides a case, the losing party needs to feel that it got a fair hearing, that there was some objectivity to the way the decision was made. And I do think people are losing that confidence,” she said, adding that the Court needs to regain its “public legitimacy.”

Cristina M. Rodríguez, Leighton Homer Surbeck Professor of Law at Yale Law School, and former co-

New lines of attack form against...

release that the subsidies “left Obamacare, a program already riddled with problems, wide open to new waste, fraud and abuse.”

While potential fraud in government programs has always been a rallying cry for conservatives, the recent criticisms are a renewed line of attack on the ACA because repealing it is unlikely, given that more than 21 million people enrolled in marketplace plans for this year.

“I see what’s happening right now as laying the groundwork for the big fight next year,” said Debbie Curtis, a vice president at consulting firm McDermott+.

also drew mixed reactions.

chair of the Commission on the Supreme Court, noted that while she served on the Commission, she heard a lot of varying views about how the Court could be mended.

Republican Party violating norms

“Fundamentally, the calls for court reform stem from alarm at what the conservative supermajority on the Court has been doing to the law, and the sense that their power is way out of proportion to the outcomes of the political process over the last several decades,” she said. There is a sense that the Republican Party has violated norms in the nominations process over the last several years, refusing to meet Merrick Garland, President Barack Obama’s nominee for the seat vacated by the late Justice Antonin Scalia, and rushing through Amy Coney Barrett, Trump’s replacement for Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, said Rodriguez.

“It was so striking at the Commission how, across ideological lines, there was a sense of something needing to be done, that something was out of whack. In one sense, the country was moving in one direction and the Court was moving rapidly in another direction, which creates a real crisis of legitimacy,” she said.

Trajectory of the court

Alicia Bannon, director of

the Judiciary Program at the Brennan Center for Justice, explained how Supreme Court term limits would work.

Justices would be divided into two phases. In the first 18-year phase, they would serve as they do now. In the second phase of service, the justices’ duties would change.

“They would still be judges, they would still get paid, they would still hold their offices, but the duties of that senior Supreme Court justice would be different,” said Bannon, noting, for example, they could serve on lower courts or hear a limited number of cases, but not the full court docket.

Term limits would offer a regularized appointment process. Every two years a new vacancy would open on the Court, so presidents would get an opportunity in each term to put two new justices on the bench.

“It restores us much closer to historical norms in terms of how long justices were sitting on the bench,” said Bannon, noting that justices today serve about a decade longer than they have since the 1960s.

“It also creates a dynamic where the Court is more closely linked to the public because presidents would have equal opportunities in a four-year term to influence the trajectory of the Court,” she said.

(Sunita Sohrabji/Ethnic Media Center)

The enhanced subsidies are set to expire in late 2025. Without them, millions of Americans would likely see their premiums go up.

But the debate will also likely draw in other issues, including Trump-era tax cuts, which also must be addressed next year. Also potentially in play are other aspects of the ACA, including a special year-round enrollment period and zeropremium plans for low-income consumers.

Much of what eventually happens will depend on the makeup of the Senate and House, as well as control of the White House, after the November elections.

“The fate of the enhanced tax credits is dependent on the Democrats holding some majority in Congress and/or winning the presidency and is also tied inextricably to the Trump tax cut expiration,” said Dean Rosen, a partner at Mehlman Consulting and a former senior Republican congressional staffer. That’s because both sides have incentive to extend all or part of the tax cuts, but each will want some kind of compromise on other issues as well.

The growing outcry by Republicans about the subsidies goes hand in hand with a controversial recent report from a conservative think tank that estimates millions of people — or their brokers — may be misstating their incomes and getting the most generous ACA subsidies.

The Paragon Health Institute report estimates that the number of people who enrolled in ACA coverage for this year who projected they would earn between 100% of the federal poverty level and 150% — amounts that qualify them for zero-premium plans and

smaller deductibles — likely exceeds the number of people with that level of income, particularly in nine states.

It recommends several changes to the ACA, including letting the enhanced subsidies expire, increasing repayment amounts for people who fail to project their incomes correctly, and ending the Biden-backed initiative that allows very low-income people to enroll in ACA coverage year-round rather than having to wait for the once-a-year general open enrollment period.

The Paragon report was cited by both Grassley and the House GOP lawmakers in their letters to government overseers. It also notes what they consider a related concern: ongoing problems of unscrupulous, commissionseeking agents enrolling people in ACA coverage or switching their plans without their permission, often into highly subsidized plans. KFF Health News uncovered the enrollment and switching schemes in the spring.

Some critics, though, question how the Paragon analysis was done.

For instance, Paragon’s findings rely on two unrelated data sets from different years. Combining them makes many people who are eligible for subsidies appear to be ineligible, said Gideon Lukens, a senior fellow and director of research at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

“The analytic approach is not careful or sophisticated enough to provide accurate or even meaningful results.”

Paragon President Brian Blase, a former senior Trump administration official and a co-author of the report, said it used publicly available data that others could use to confirm its results.

Paragon’s recommendations

Sabrina Corlette, a codirector of the Center on Health Insurance Reforms at Georgetown University, said they “would make coverage less affordable, disproportionately affecting low-income people, and that’s the opposite of the goals of the ACA.”

Another ACA expert, Joseph Antos of the conservative American Enterprise Institute, agrees with one of the recommended fixes: changing the structure of the subsidies to limit zero-premium plans.

“Giving health insurance away is the problem,” said Antos, who said it is probably contributing to the unauthorized switching by some rogue brokers, who know if they sign someone up for a free plan without their permission, they’re unlikely to get caught for a while because the person won’t get monthly bills.

Another potential solution to people misstating their income is that “the seven or eight states that still haven’t expanded Medicaid should do that,” Antos said. The expansion would open Medicaid eligibility to more people who earn less than the poverty level, reducing the incentive to overestimate their income to qualify for ACA subsidies.

Among other things, the subsidies are larger now for low-income enrollees. For example, families at the poverty level or just above it ($30,000 to $45,000 for a family of four) can currently qualify for coverage with no monthly premium, whereas before they would have had to pay 2% to 4% of their annual income toward such a plan. President Joe Biden has pushed to make the subsidies permanent and has often

Marcos on Alice Guo’s departure...

1

responsible will be suspended and will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law,” he added.

Marcos stressed that there is no place for individuals who “place personal interest above serving the Filipino people with honor, integrity and justice” in the government.

When asked if Marcos has set a deadline for the investigation, Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin told reporters through a Viber message that it would be completed “as soon as feasible.”

He, however, did not give a specific timeframe or date.

It was Senator Risa Hontiveros who first revealed that Guo had already left the Philippines in

Bureau of Immigrations

and

Formal group photograph of the Supreme Court as it was been comprised on June 30, 2022 after Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson joined the Court. The Justices are posed in front of red velvet drapes and arranged by seniority, with five seated and four standing. Seated from left are Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Clarence Thomas, Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr., and Justices Samuel A. Alito and Elena Kagan. Standing from left are Justices Amy Coney Barrett, Neil M. Gorsuch, Brett M. Kavanaugh, and Ketanji Brown Jackson. Photo from Fred Schilling, Collection of the Supreme Court of the United States

Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) on July 30. Photo from Allison Bailey/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images)

Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo Inquirer file photo/ Marianne Bermudez

PAGE

July. Hontiveros said Guo used her Philippine passport to exit the country. The

(BI), meanwhile, confirmed the information from their counterparts

bared that Guo “left the country illegally” without

passing through the Philippine immigration authorities and “illegally traveled to Malaysia as early as July.”

As of Aug. 18, the BI said Guo was last tracked in Indonesia. Despite this, Guo’s legal counsel continues to insist that she is

Alice Guo out of PH, fled to Malaysia ...

to Kuala Lumpur. She entered [Malaysia] 12:17:13 … of July 18…,” she said in a manifestation during the Senate plenary session.

“It cannot be denied that this is her because it matches her Philippine passport,” Hontiveros added, presenting an image of a document of Guo’s supposed entry to Malaysia and the latter’s Philippine passport.

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) on Monday evening confirmed that Guo might have left the Philippines illegally without passing through the required checks of Philippine immigration authorities.

“We received intelligence information from our counterparts abroad that Guo illegally left for Malaysia [and] then flew to Singapore,” Immigration

Commissioner Norman Tansingco said in a statement, citing “very reliable sources.”

Guo reportedly flew to Singapore with Shiela Leal Guo and Wesley Leal Guo on July 21.

Tansingco clarified that while Guo was listed in the immigration lookout bulletin order (Ilbo) issued by the Department of Justice (DOJ), her supposed departure was not recorded in the bureau’s system or centralized database.

“So far, we have not received any turnover or reports related to Guo from other agencies, including those manning our maritime borders,” the BI chief said.

Tansingco also disclosed that Katherine Cassandra Li Ong, one of Guo’s business associates and the named representative of the raided Pogo hub Lucky South 99 in Porac, Pampanga, departed the Philippines as early as June 11, before the Ilbo was issued against them on Aug. 6.

He added that on Sunday, August 18, the group was tracked traveling to Indonesia.

The immigration chief emphasized that canceling Guo’s Philippine travel documents could expedite her extradition to the Philippines.

Corroborating the BI’s information, spokesperson Winston Casio of the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission, quoting “foreign counterparts’ immigration records,” said that Guo arrived in Kuala Lumpur from Denpasar, Indonesia, on July 18.

She then arrived in Singapore from Malaysia on July 21 and reached Batam, Indonesia, from

Singapore via ferry on Aug. 18, Casio said in a message to reporters.

Probe accountability

Earlier, Hontiveros, citing information from her sources, said that after going to Malaysia, Guo, also known as Chinese national Guo Hua Ping, went to Singapore to meet her father Guo Jian Zhong, mother Lin Wen Yi, brother Wesley Guo and Ong.

“Mr. president, who allowed this travesty to happen? Who is responsible for this?” she asked, stressing that Guo would not have been able to leave the country without the help of certain government officials.

“I have always believed that legislative hearings are policydriven. That’s why when the president announced a ban [on Pogos], I said, we have done our jobs, let law enforcement take the lead,” she said.

Hontiveros was referring to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s order to ban all Pogos during his State of the Nation Address last month, directing the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) to wind down their operations by the end of the year.

“But what if the law enforcement itself needs to be investigated? What if they dropped the ball? What if they aare the ones that should be held responsible?” she asked. She criticized the BI, which promised it would not let Guo slip out of the country.

“But then she’s already gone,” lamented Hontiveros.

“Mr. President, if we don’t do anything about this, as an institution, as a country, it’s like we’ve been allowed to be slapped by this foreigner, who has repeatedly violated our laws, policies and processes,” she stressed.

The DOJ earlier on Monday insisted that Guo was still in the

country, saying there were no reports from the BI indicating any attempt by Guo to leave.

“In fact, she filed a motion for her case in the DOJ last Friday, August 16, to which she attached a counter affidavit sworn before a Philippine notary public on Aug. 14,” Assistant Justice Secretary Jose Dominic Clavano IV told reporters in a Viber message.

Chartered Hontiveros said there was no closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage of Guo’s exit.

“Her image was not captured by CCTV. So she passed, or she could have been led to a spot, where her video image would not be captured,” she said.

Sen. Grace Poe urged aviation authorities to check their records for Guo’s supposed departure.

Sen. Raffy Tulfo said Guo could have used a private plane.

“If you’re a passenger who wants to go abroad on a chartered plane, you will not go through the process. You will not go through immigration. You will go straight to the gate, in a limousine or SUV (sport utility vehicle). And when you arrive at the tarmac, you will board your plane, and then here [come] the customs, immigration, and quarantine [officials]. But if [they are] Alice Guo’s accomplice[s], it will be easy to get through because there is no CCTV where you are passing through,” he said.

“I am very sure that she [Guo] left on a chartered plane—through a private plane. So all we need to do is ask if we can trace the private plane or chartered plane that left that very day,” he added.

Tulfo earlier pushed for the establishment of a processing center for passengers on chartered and private flights, pointing out that these VIPs, as well as their luggage, do not undergo the regular screening process. g

New mpox case recorded...

were able to test them little by little, this means that the mpox virus is among us. It is not imported. It is here,” he explained in Filipino.

“Warning to everybody that mpox is here and it was contracted through community transmission from a fellow Filipino. That is why we are contact tracing now,” Herbosa added.

He then advised the public to frequently wash their hands with soap and water or disinfect using alcohol-based sanitizers.

“We can avoid mpox. Mpox is transmitted through close,

intimate contact, and also the materials used by people who have mpox. Keeping our hands clean with soap and water, or with alcohol-based sanitizers will help,” Herbosa said.

“The DOH will make the testing process as convenient as possible, so that suspect cases may be identified fast and allowed to stay at home,” he added.

The DOH said the detection of the new mpox case raised the total number of recorded mpox cases nationwide to 10. The country’s last recorded mpox patient was in December 2023. All previous patients recovered, it noted. g

2 PCG ships damaged in collision with...

China claims the submerged reef, which it calls Xianbin Jiao, although it is only 139 kilometers (75 nautical miles) from the coast of Palawan, well within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone.

“Our vessels suffered severe damage—[BRP Bagacay] sustained a three-foot hole on its auxiliary room and another onefoot dent on its starboard (right side) quarter,” he said over the government television program “Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon.”

BRP Cape Engaño, on the other hand, sustained a 1.1-meter hole on its starboard side and 40-centimeter damage to the engine exhaust, also on the starboard quarter, Malaya added.

Filipino crew were unharmed from the encounter and proceeded with their mission of delivering essential supplies to personnel stationed on Patag and Lawak islands. The Philippines has nine occupied outposts in the Spratly Islands in the West Philippine Sea.

Chinese version debunked CCG spokesperson Gan Yu earlier claimed that the PCG ships “illegally entered the waters near Xianbin Reef… without permission from the Chinese government,” prompting it to take “control measures in accordance with the law.”

He accused the PCG vessels of ignoring “repeated solemn warnings,” leading to a collision with China’s boats.

“The Philippine side is entirely responsible for the collision,” Yu

claimed.

Malaya slammed China’s version of the incident and accused Beijing of releasing “spliced and misleading videos.”

“We condemn this deliberate attempt … to change the narrative and create their own scenarios and reality of what happened,” Malaya said, noting that there were members of the international press on board the PCG ships and “the truth will later come out.”

He clarified that while Escoda Shoal was not part of the original preliminary understanding, such an “act of goodwill” presupposes that China would refrain from doing “dangerous maneuvers” in other areas in the West Philippine Sea.

PCG spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Commodore Jay Tarriela said it was the first violent confrontation between the two countries in the vicinity of Escoda.

Retired Navy Rear Adm. Rommel Jude Ong viewed the latest incident as a “mission kill” tactic that China similarly employed in Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal.

“China doesn’t aim to sink our ships, just destroy them. Those two coast guard vessels will eventually return to harbor and undergo repair. It will take maybe six months of repair and it will be out of commission. We only have 10 of these ships and we could run out of [vessels], the way we ran out of Unaizah May boats in Ayungin,” he said in the same forum, referring to the vessels used during resupply missions

to Ayungin that were eventually replaced due to damage from ramming and water cannons by Chinese ships.

Affront to sovereignty Lawmakers condemned the latest aggression by Chinese vessels.

Senate Majority Leader Francis Tolentino said the Philippines should evaluate China’s sincerity in pursuing a peaceful resolution of the maritime dispute between the two countries following the Escoda incident.

Sen. Grace Poe also denounced China’s “latest irresponsible maneuvers,” saying such actions only jeopardized the “freedom of sea routes guaranteed under international laws” and put at risk the safety of the PCG personnel.

Speaker Martin Romualdez urged China to exercise restraint and stop actions that endanger lives and violate established international rules. Romualdez maintained that the path forward was dialogue and mutual respect, not aggression, pointing out that regional security depended on such. He described the CCG’s action as a “direct affront to our sovereignty and a blatant violation of international law,” specifically the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

He urged the international community to take cognizance of China’s “dangerous” actions which, he said, threatened regional stability and freedom of navigation in the area. (Marlon Ramos and Jeannette I. Andrade/ Inquirer.net)

1890.

This undated image obtained from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) in Bethesda, Maryland, shows a colorized transmission electron micrograph of monkeypox or mpox particles (green) found within an infected cell (pink and purple), cultured in the laboratory. (Photo by Handout / National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases / Agence France-Presse)`

TRAVEL DOCUMENT. This image from the Facebook page of Sen. Risa Hontiveros shows the Philippine passport of dismissed Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo and her travel details to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Hontiveros on Monday, August 19 said Guo, who was linked to a raided Pogo hub in her town, left the country on July 18. Contributed Photo

SMC group all set to take ...

Ang said they would evaluate if further changes would be needed.

At present, Naia terminal 1 is exclusively for international flights while terminals 2 and 4 are for domestic operations. Terminal 3 accommodates both local and international flights.

Improved traffic Meanwhile, Ang shared that an off-ramp connecting Naiax to Naia terminal 3 is expected to be completed next year to improve the flow of traffic going in and out of the the airport. The project is estimated to cost P3 billion to P5 billion.

The permit to proceed with project had already been secured from the Toll Regulatory Board, Ang said. Utilities—like water lines and electric posts—are now being relocated to pave the way for the construction.

Following NNIC’s takeover of Naia, Ang said they would also focus first on repairing the elevators, escalators, toilets and air-conditioning units.

The San Miguel-led group also intends to place self checkin counters and upgrade the baggage handling system to improve travel experience.

“You will experience a better airport,” he vowed.

The group also plans to build a new passenger terminal building with an annual capacity

of 35 million passengers. It will rise at the site of the Philippine Village Hotel, an abandoned hotel owned by Manila International Airport Authority in Pasay City.

Airport fees

Meanwhile, Ang clarified that the imminent airport fee hike was in line with its terms of reference set by the government during the bidding process—and not based on their own numbers.

He explained the additional cost was estimated by the government and its consultants for the Naia rehabilitation project.

Last month, Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista said that terminal fees would increase from around P500 to P550 at present to P950 next year. Bautista said the hike was needed to compensate NNIC for its upcoming investments in the P170.6-billion airport upgrade project.

Consumer groups have been voicing out their concerns about the price hike as this can make plane tickets pricier as well.

NNIC won the Naia rehab contract in February. Apart from SMC, its members are RLW Aviation Development Inc., RMM Asian Logistics Inc. and South Korean airport operator Incheon International Airport Corp. g

Bonta, Cervania lead Fil-Am delegates at DNC in Chicago

CHICAGO – Attorney General

Rob Bonta of California and State Representative Maria Cervania of North Carolina were announced to lead the Filipino American Delegates at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on Aug 19 to 23, 2024.

Attorney General Bonta was designated as Honorary Chair and Representative Cervania was designated as Honorary Deputy Chair of the Filipino Americans for Harris Walz delegation. Over 40 Filipino American delegates from across the nation represented states such as California, North Carolina, Wisconsin, Illinois, Virginia and the territories of Guam and Northern Marianas Islands.

The Democratic National Convention kicked off Monday, August 19, and at the conclusion of it, Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz were expected to formally accept the Democratic nomination to be the next president and vice president of the United States respectively.

Rob Bonta is an American lawyer and politician serving as the Attorney General of California since 2021. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served as a Member of the California State Assembly for the 18th District from 2012 to 2021 and as a Member of the Alameda

City Council from 2010 to

2012.

The first Filipino American to serve in the California State Legislature, Bonta chaired the California Asian Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus. After Xavier Becerra resigned as Attorney General to become U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, Bonta was appointed by California Governor Gavin Newsom to replace him. Bonta was sworn in on April 23, 2021, becoming the first Filipino American to hold the office. Bonta was elected to a full four-year term in office in 2022.

Born in Quezon City, Philippines, Attorney General Bonta immigrated to California with his family as an infant. He is the son of a proud native Filipino mother and a father who taught him the value of public service to his community. He is married to California Assemblymember Mia Bonta, and they are the proud parents of three children Reina, Iliana, and Andres.

Maria Cervania is a Democratic member of the North Carolina House of Representatives, who has represented the 41st district (including portions of western Wake County since 2023). Cervania previously served on the Wake County Board of Commissioners from 2020 to 2022. She is the first Asian

American, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander (AANHPI) person to be elected to the Wake County Board of Commissioners. She was born in Vietnam while her father was deployed in the U.S. Navy. She grew up in Sunnyvale, California when her father retired from the Navy. Her mother worked in technology in Silicon Valley. She graduated from the University of CaliforniaBerkeley with an Integrated Biology and Physical Education degree. She taught Anatomy in the Berkeley Unified School District and Physical Education in the Oakland School District. She pursued a Master’s Degree in Public Health from the University of Illinois in Chicago. She served as President of the American Public Health Association Student Caucus and Editorial Board member of the American Journal of Public Health.

She met and married her husband Jon Cervania in Texas. They later moved to North Carolina. In 2020 she was elected Wake County Commissioner, North Carolina. She was the first Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) elected to the Wake County Board of Commissioners and first Filipino American elected to office in North Carolina.

The following Filipino American delegates listed

below represented their states at the DNC:

• Alaska – Genevieve Mina • California – Vanessa Carr, Dr. Angelica Cortez, Gabriel Quinto, Gloria Pulido, Hon. Mark Pulido, Hon. Frank Yokoyama, Chris Mateo, Alex De Ocampo, Arnel Dino, Christian Figueroa, Hon. Melissa Ramoso, Meredith Curry-Nunez, Hon. Rob Bonta, Hon. Todd Gloria, Johanna Hester, Hon. Juslyn Manalo, Mona Pasquil • Guam – Hon. Regine Lee, Hon. Rory Respicio, Sarah Thomas Nededog, Lawrence Alcairo, Rikki Orsini

New lines of attack form against the affordable...

touted the record enrollment in ACA plans under his watch. Across all income groups, nearly 20 million people out of 21 million ACA enrollees this year got at least some subsidy, according to a KFF report. Subsidies, also called premium tax credits, are generally paid directly to health insurers, and applicants must estimate their income for the coming year to qualify. Those who incorrectly project their incomes — possibly because they work irregular retail hours, are self-employed and give a best guess of business, or get an unexpected raise or a new job — must pay back all or part of the subsidy, on a sliding scale

linked to income.

The cost of the enhanced subsidies has been sharply criticized by some GOP leaders after the Congressional Budget Office recently estimated that making them permanent would add $335 billion to the federal budget deficit over 10 years.

Democrats have pointed to another recent CBO report estimating extending the Trump-era tax cuts would add $4.6 trillion to the deficit over 10 years.

The enhanced subsidies “cost a lot less than that and it’s actually helping people,” Curtis said.

Ultimately, “every health care debate comes down to money,” said Larry Levitt,

executive vice president for health policy at KFF, a health information nonprofit that includes KFF Health News. “There is a trade-off here. Millions of people have gotten coverage and more affordable premiums due to these enhanced subsidies, but extending them would cost the government a lot of money.”

Despite the attention paid by some GOP lawmakers to the fraud concerns, many political observers say they don’t think they will play a direct role during the election campaigns of either party.

“For Republicans, they’ll stay away from health care period. It is not a winning campaign issue for them,” Curtis said.

(Julie Appleby / 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

“With Harris’ campaign, we will see a continued drive for affordable coverage being key, particularly drug costs. In neither party will you hear much about the importance of extending the enhanced subsidies. It’s too complicated.”

Deactivated voters increase to 5.38-M

by Mayen JayMalin Philstar.com

— The number of voters who have been deactivated and may no longer vote in the May 2025 midterm elections has increased to more than 5.38 million, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said Monday, August 19. Aside from deactivating voters, the Comelec has also removed up to 686,859 from the list of registered voters as of July 15.

Latest Comelec data showed a total of 5,388,421 voters have been deactivated. A majority of those deactivated failed to

in two successive elections. Most of those deleted from the voters’ list were dead or have transferred to other areas.

The poll body has processed up to 5.35 milion applications since voter registration resumed in February.

Among regions, Calabarzon has the highest number of applicants with 901,562 followed by the National

Capital Region with 712,458 and Central Luzon with 618,106.

The Cordilleras registered the lowest number of applications with 74,874.

Comelec Chairman George Garcia earlier said the number of people qualified to vote in the 2025 midterm elections is now nearing 66 million.

Garcia urged voters to reactivate their status before the voter registration ends on Sept. 30.

The Comelec is targeting 70 million voters for the midterm elections. g

Classes in Batangas, Cavite, Laguna suspended due to ‘vog’ from Taal Volcano

by Franco Jose c. Baroña ManilaTimes.net

LUCENA CITY — Taal

Volcano’s sudden heavy emission of volcanic sulfur dioxide (SO2) gas on Sunday and Monday, Aug. 18 and 19, prompted the suspension of classes in some schools, public and private, in Batangas, Cavite, and Laguna province to ensure the safety of students and teachers.

The Department of the Interior and Local Government in Batangas announced the suspension of classes in the towns of Padre Garcia, San Juan, Mabini, Lobo, Cuenca, Bauan, San Nicolas, San Pascual, Padre Garcia, Lemery, Malvar, Balayan, Laurel, Nasugbu, Balete, Agoncillo, San Jose, Calatagan, and the cities of Lipa and Tanauan.

In Cavite, the cities of General Trias, Dasmariñas, Bacoor, and the towns of Silang, Indang, Magallanes, Alfonso, General Emilio Aguinaldo, Maragondon, Amadeo, and Carmona have also suspended the classes in their respective localities due to threat of the volcanic smog (vog).

The cities of Cabuyao, Sta.

Rosa, Calamba, San Pedro, Biñan, and San Pablo, and the town of Bay in Laguna also announced the suspension of classes on their respective Facebook pages. These areas continued to experience vog from Taal Volcano.

Some local governments ordered a total suspension, while others shifted to online or modular classes.

On Monday, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) reported emissions of 3,355 metric tons (MT) of SO2 over the past 24 hours that rose to 2,400 meters above Taal Volcano Island, locally known as “Pulo,” which sits within Taal Lake, before drifting north-northwest.

The Phivolcs classified the latest spewing activity of the volcano as “voluminous emission.”

State volcanologists also noted the presence of vog from Saturday until Sunday during their monitoring period.

Shermin Tan, a resident of Tagaytay City overlooking Taal Volcano, said what enveloped their surroundings early Monday was thick fog.

“It’s not vog. There is no

irritation or suffocating smell. What we have here is foggy morning,” Tan said in a phone interview.

He said the thick fog obstructs the scenic view of Taal Volcano from the roadside.

Tagaytay City authorities have yet to cancel school classes as of Monday morning. However, Tan said family members, particularly the elderly, have prepared N95 face masks if the situation worsens.

Vog contains acidic droplets of volcanic gas like SO2, which can irritate the eyes, throat, and respiratory tract, with severity depending on exposure.

Health authorities warned that people with asthma, lung or heart disease, the elderly, pregnant women, and children are especially vulnerable.

Residents are advised to wear N95 masks outside to protect against SO2 plumes.

Alert Level 1 prevails over Taal Volcano, indicating it is still in abnormal condition.

Phivolcs reminded the public that entry into Taal Volcano Island, especially the main crater and Daang Kastila fissures, and boating and flying any aircraft close to the volcano remained prohibited.g

FILE PHOTO: The scenic view of Taal Volcano from Tagaytay City, Cavite, shown in this photo taken on October 24, 2023. This photo portrays calmness amid the volcano’s continued emission of toxic gas. MARLON MALLARI/ CONTRIBUTOR

BACK TO SCHOOL. Students of Masambong High School in Quezon City finally return to their classes but outside the classroom on Monday, Aug. 5. The school was flooded on July 24 due to the Typhoon Carina-induced monsoon rains and some classrooms are still under repair. PNA photo by Joan Bondoc

Individuals fill out registration

12, 2024. P Philstar.com photo by Michael Varcas

FEATURES OPINION

Fighting bullying

Philippines was tagged as the second loneliest country in the world and the most lonesome in Southeast Asia. Among the loneliest in the Philippines, the report said, were members of Generation Z. The report describes Gen Z as those born between 1997 and 2012. And their loneliness has been attributed in part to over-exposure to social media and the use of smartphones. The problem was exacerbated by the COVID lockdowns, and in many households, by the absence of one or two parents working overseas.

Dealing with bullying and loneliness is hampered by the acute lack of mental health workers in this country, from guidance counselors to psychiatrists. The Philippine Mental Health Association estimates that there is less than one health worker for every 100,000 people in the country.

THE digital age has facilitated a host of human activities, including, unfortunately, harmful and criminal undertakings. For the younger generations, many of them digital natives, among these harmful aspects is bullying. This problem has been around for a long time, but digital technology has facilitated bullying among youths particularly in schools. Republic Act 10627 or the AntiBullying Act was passed back in 2013. It requires all elementary and secondary schools to adopt policies to prevent and address acts of bullying in their institutions. Yet the Program for International Student Assessment tagged the Philippines as the “bullying capital of the world,” with the problem cited as one of the reasons for the poor performance of Filipino 15-year-old students in the PISA. New Education Secretary Sonny Angara has found it necessary to remind all schools, both public and private, that they must craft their respective policies against bullying. The policies, he said, must include disciplinary sanctions against bullies as well as the designation of school personnel in charge of the issue. He also wants guidance counselors in every school to help students deal with mental health issues.

As complicated as the problem of bullying is loneliness. Last year, in a Meta-Gallup report on the global state of social connections, the

While the problem is complex, however, there are ways of discouraging bullying and easing mental health problems among the

youth. Digital technology also facilitates pinning down bullies and imposing appropriate penalties. Activities that genuinely interest the youth can be organized by schools to promote positive social interaction. Mental health

professionals can provide mentoring to share their expertise with educators and school administrators. The first step in dealing with this problem is the recognition of its urgency and the need for interventions. (Philstar.com)

Illegal Chinese syndicates: A serious security threat

THERE are clear indications that illegal gambling operators have been, and continue to be, used extensively for the infiltration of Chinese nationals that are engaged in criminal activities and as such, pose serious national security concerns.

I spoke with several Philippine congressmen who are now visiting in Washington, DC and they told me that they are extremely alarmed at how serious the situation has become based on the disturbing information they have been able to unearth from the series of congressional inquiries that various committees have been conducting.

Major scrutiny regarding the connection between illegal gambling and criminality came about when authorities raided a 10-hectare Chinese complex in Bamban, Tarlac last March

WE don’t know who will become America’s next president. Even after dramatically surviving an assassination attempt, Donald Trump is no longer the favorite in the race. By all indications, Vice President Kamala Harris is reconsolidating the Democratic base, thus making swing states in both the Rust Belt (Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Michigan) and Sun Belt (Arizona, Georgia, and North Carolina) extremely competitive. But the outcome of the elections will likely be decided in a few swing counties in a few swing states.

over reports that it was engaged in human trafficking and was being used as a hub for scamming, espionage and cyberattacks against government agencies. The raid resulted in the discovery of hundreds of foreign workers – most of them Chinese – who have no valid work permits. Also seized were SIM cards, mobile phones and other gadgets that are used for online scamming activities.

The raiding team also found high powered firearms, torture chambers and vaults containing passports and documents that indicated a possible link between Alice Guo and the illegal gambling hub that was located just behind the Bamban municipal office.

The subsequent Senate hearing put the spotlight on the seeming mystery behind the identity of Alice Guo, whose nationality came into question after the Philippine Statistics Authority flagged “discrepancies” in Guo’s birth certificate, with the National Bureau of Investigation also revealing that her fingerprints matched that of a Chinese national named Guo Hua Ping who entered the country in 2003 through a Special

Investor’s Resident Visa.

Despite her denials, authorities have been able to uncover the connection between Guo and the Tarlac gaming complex, with billions of pesos channeled into her 36 bank accounts that are allegedly being used to finance illegal gambling activities – a “clear case of money laundering,” according to Senator Win Gatchalian, who pointed out that the profits reported in the Guo family corporations’ income statements were just about P100,000 to P200,000.

According to the congressmen I spoke with, what is really worrisome is that a syndicate seems to be facilitating the issuance of birth certificates, passports, driver’s licenses and other government-issued identification papers for Chinese nationals posing as Filipinos. Reports say that the going rate for obtaining the whole package – a birth certificate, passport and driver’s license – can range from P300,000 to as much as P500,000, obviously through a syndicate that facilitates the process.

Just last month, the National Bureau of Investigation

disclosed that since 2016, more than 1,200 individuals believed to be Chinese nationals were able to obtain Philippine birth certificates through “late registration” – just like what Alice Guo did – from a municipality in Davao del Sur. It’s not farfetched that certain local government employees, in particular those working at the local civil registry, may be part of the syndicate since they are the ones transmitting documents to the Philippine Statistics Authority that issues official birth certificates. Intelligence sources clearly show that the Bureau of Immigration is the root cause of the problem, with allegations that corrupt members of the BI are responsible for the influx of Chinese nationals who were then able to obtain Filipino birth certificates and IDs. People still remember the pastillas bribery scam” that was exposed in 2020, with corrupt BI officials allowing entry to Chinese and other foreigners without going through screening at the airports for a measly P10,000.

Just imagine – illegal aliens can just go to any obscure town or municipality, file for late registration of birth to obtain (fake) Philippine

citizenship that would enable them to purchase property and put up businesses anywhere in the country. Interestingly, a lot of illegal gambling hubs seem to be located in areas near military facilities. The gambling complex in Bamban, Tarlac, for instance, is very near the Clark International Airport in Angeles City where a Philippine Air Force facility is located. In Quezon City, reports say that there are Chinese casinos and gambling hubs near the Armed Forces of the Philippines headquarters in Camp Aguinaldo and the Philippine National Police headquarters in Camp Crame. As early as December last year, Surigao del Norte Congressman Ace Barbers had sounded the alarm about Chinese nationals buying up vast tracts of land across the country allegedly for their drug trafficking activities. He also said a lot of the properties purchased were near EDCA sites and major air and seaports, possibly with the connivance of Filipino “enablers.”

Barbers, who chairs the House committee on dangerous drugs, described illegal gambling hubs as the “worst curse” to ever befall

the government system. While legal gambling operators were allowed to operate because of the revenue they were supposed to bring in, unmitigated illegal operators have become “a monster almost overnight” – linked to spying, hacking, cybercrimes, murders, torture, human and drug trafficking, money laundering and other unspeakable crimes.

Obviously, the money from these gambling activities makes it easy for these syndicates to corrupt officials and “buy influence in government” or, in the case of Alice Guo, even become part of government themselves by becoming elected officials, raising suspicion about the presence of sleeper cells and Trojan horses that seek to undermine the government.

As Congressman Barbers said, it’s like a “creeping invasion” – which is why concerned government agencies must work together to accomplish the president’s order to cease illegal gambling operations immediately – and get rid of these syndicates that have become a serious security threat to our country and our way of life. (Philstar.com) * * * Email: babeseyeview@gmail.com

A ‘Philippines First’ foreign policy

What’s more certain is that America is heading for a contentious post-election landscape. And the world will have to buckle up with a potentially unstable America in the near future. Undoubtedly, the Europeans have the most to lose if Trump comes back to power or, alternatively, America embraces a more insular and isolationist foreign policy doctrine. In fairness, top Republican strategists such as Elbridge Colby have made it clear to me that they would zero in on the threat from China and, accordingly, ramp up their defense aid to frontline allies such as the Philippines should they prevail in the November elections. On his part, our ambassador to Washington, Jose “Babe” Romualdez, has underscored the “bipartisan” commitment to the U.S.Philippine alliance in America during our recent conversation. But the reality is that no one can say for sure what Trump’s policies and moods will be

should he retake the White House. Nor is it clear how a Democratic administration will cope with yet another post-election denialism and populist backlash. Either way, some form of isolationism and protectionism will almost certainly undercut America’s long-term commitment to a liberal international order.

No less than U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates has warned that the U.S. will likely transform into a “dysfunctional superpower.” Even President Marcos, known for his measured language and statesmanlike temperament, has hinted at growing concerns among Asian allies over the direction of American politics.

During the recent “Two Plus Two” summit in Manila, he candidly told his American visitors, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin III: “I

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am a bit surprised considering how interesting your political situation has become back in the [U.S.], but I’m glad that you’ve found the time to come and visit with us.”

Accordingly, it’s important for us to craft a “Philippines First” foreign policy, which protects our core national interests as well as hedges against any potential turbulence in the international system. To this end, I recently launched a new forum at Café Adriatico. The inaugural episode of the UTAK (Usapan Taft at Katipunan) Forum brought together among the country’s leading strategists, namely former vice admiral Rommel Jude Ong, former associate justice Antonio Carpio, former political affairs secretary Ronald Llamas, National Security Council Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya, and Philippine Coast Guard Commodore Jay Tarriela.

With our forum coinciding with yet another breaking news in the West Philippine Sea—the collision between Chinese and Philippine vessels not too far from the Sabina Shoal—it was a standing-room event. The two-hour-long conversation is available online, but allow me to focus on three key takeaways.

First of all, we need to be aligned in terms of the basic facts regarding our national interest. In the West Philippine Sea, we are not fighting a proxy war but instead upholding our sovereign rights based on modern international law.

Second, we should embrace our newfound position as a middle power since we have a relatively large population (13th in the world) and among the 35 largest economies on earth. If anything, we are set to allocate up to $35 billion to modernize our defense capabilities. Meanwhile, we

should double down on our own multi-alignment strategy by proactively developing strategic ties with a full range of likeminded powers from Japan to India and Germany. Instead of aligning with any superpower against another, we should leverage our existing alliances to enhance our strategic agency. And finally, we need a wholeof-nation approach in the face of China’s full-spectrum attempt at sowing divisions and influencing our domestic politics. We can learn from robust democracies from Australia to Taiwan and Canada how to counter malign foreign influence while preserving our core democratic freedoms. Ultimately, we need to foster internal cohesion, selfreliance, and optimize our role as a pivotal state in the most dynamic region of the 21st century. (Inquirer.net)

* * *

rheydarian@inquirer.com.phzz

ManilaTimes.net photo

RICHARD HEYDARIAN

BABE ROMUALDEZ

No impeach move vs Sara Duterte in House, says lawmaker

by

MANILA — The leadership of the House of Representatives on Tuesday, August 20 denied that there was a moveto impeach Vice President Sara Duterte.

“I can categorically say, and it was repeated to me by the speaker this afternoon...., there is none,” Deputy Majority Leader and ACT-CIS Partylist Rep. Erwin Tulfo said.

“In the meeting with the House leadership, there was no

mention [of it]”, Tulfo said in mixed Filipino and English.

“When political leaders had a meeting last night, there was also no mention of impeachment of the VP. Rather, the meeting was all about the lineup of the administration,” Tulfo said. g

6 ex-DOH chiefs buck PhilHealth fund transfer

by Rhodina VillanueVa Philstar.com

MANILA — Six former secretaries of the Department of Health (DOH) have expressed opposition to the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) fund transfer.

In a letter to Finance Secretary Ralph Recto, former health secretaries Jaime Galvez Tan, Manuel Dayrit, Francisco Duque III, Esperanza Cabral, Enrique Ona Jr. and Paulyn Jean RosellUbial, along with groups of health professionals, urged the Department of Finance (DOF) “to be sensitive to public opinion and exercise prudence and caution by not transferring the next tranche of funds and succeeding transfers.”

At least 65 medical organizations staged a protest action, dubbed “white coat rally,” at the Philippine General Hospital in Manila on Monday. August 19 to express their opposition to PhilHealth’s scheduled fund transfer of P10 billion to the national government on Wednesday.

This developed following remittance by PhilHealth of the initial P20 billion last May.

The groups, including the Philippine Medical Association, Philippine College of Physicians, Philippine Pharmacists Association, Philippine Nurses Association, Philippine League of Government and Private Midwives and Philippine Physical Therapy Association, demanded the government stop further transfers of PhilHealth funds to the national treasury. Earlier, concerned groups and individuals representing the labor sector and grassroots communities filed a petition at the

Supreme Court (SC) questioning the constitutionality of the fund transfer.

Last Tuesday, August 13, the SC ordered Congress, the DOF, the executive secretary and PhilHealth to comment on the petition within 10 days.

It was last July when medical societies conducted a press conference where they urged President Marcos to stop the diversion of the P89.9-billion PhilHealth funds, calling for systemic reforms in PhilHealth and protection of the benefits of members as mandated by Republic Act 11223, or the Universal Health Care (UHC) Act.

They argued that PhilHealth funds belong to direct and indirect PhilHealth contributors and should not be used for other purposes.

Despite their pleas, no order from the government has been released to stop the scheduled transfer of the second tranche tomorrow, provoking medical professionals – who are daily witnesses to suffering patients in dire need of health care benefits –to implore the executive branch to exercise prudence and cease the transfer of the funds.

They also expressed openness to dialogue with the concerned government agencies regarding the transfer of funds.

The groups argued that the transfer of the unused PhilHealth funds is against Section 11 of the UHC Act, and is tantamount to taking away people’s money.

The law states that excess in PhilHealth reserve funds should be used to increase the program’s benefits and decrease the amount of members’ contributions.

It said no portion of the reserve fund or income should accrue to the general fund of the national

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government, or to any of its agencies or instrumentalities, including government-owned and controlled corporations.

No impact

Meanwhile, Recto reiterated that tapping PhilHealth’s idle funds would not impact the plan to expand benefit packages for members..

In his latest statement, Recto maintained that the DOF move to ask PhilHealth to transfer almost P90 billion in sleeping funds is consistent with the medical principle of “do no harm.”

“This will not affect the dayto-day operations of PhilHealth, as well as the contribution of members,” he said.

“We will not reduce even a single centavo from the benefits that members will receive,”

The finance chief argued that by the end of the year, PhilHealth would have a net income of P61.18 billion.

PhilHealth profit has steadily increased from P4.66 billion in 2019 to P173.46 billion last year.

Similarly, the state insurer will receive another P70 billion in government subsidies next year that will be used to expand its benefit packages.

The DOF’s move to sweep idle funds of state-run corporations is in line with the General Appropriations Act of 2024 to fund unprogrammed appropriations.

The initial PhilHealth remittance of P20 billion was used to cover the emergency allowances of health workers and frontliners worth P27.5 billion representing 5.04 million claims.

The rest of the funds will be used to support projects on nutrition, education, agriculture, social development and infrastructure. g

Notice is hereby given that the San Diego Unified School District, acting by and through its governing board, will electronically receive bids for the furnishing of all labor, materials, transportation, equipment, and services for: CC25-0273-52-00-00 SINGLE POINT OF ENTRY AT JACKSON ANNEX

A mandatory site visit is scheduled for 9:00 a.m. on THURSDAY, AUGUST 29, 2024, in the parking lot of Jackson Annex, 5465 El Cajon Boulevard, San Diego, CA 92115. All attendees must preregister with the District prior to attending the site walk at sandiegounified.org/sitewalks. The Bid and Contract Documents may be downloaded free of charge at the District’s online Planroom at sandiegousdplans.com. All bids must be received electronically via PlanetBids before 1:00 p.m. on SEPTEMBER 12, 2024. Prime contractors interested in submitting a bid must go to tinyurl.com/SDUSDPlanetBids then search under “Bid Opportunities” for “Invitation number” CC25-0273-5200-00 Single Point of Entry at Jackson Annex. For new vendors, please register under “New Vendor Registration.” The project estimate is between $360,000 and $395,000, inclusive of allowances. This is not a PSA project and does not require prequalification. The District requires that Bidders possess any of the following classification(s) of California State Contractors License(s), valid and in good standing, at the time of bid opening and contract award: B, or other appropriate license, subject to District approval. SAN DIEGO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT, George A. Harris III, Director, Fiscal Controls and Information Systems, Facilities Planning and Construction CC25-0273-52-00-00

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Notice is hereby given that the San Diego Unified School District, acting by and through its governing board, will electronically receive bids for the furnishing of all labor, materials, transportation, equipment, and services for: CC25-0423-05-00-00 PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEM AT KEILLER LEADERSHIP ACADEMY

A mandatory site visit is scheduled for 9:00 a.m. on FRIDAY, AUGUST 30, 2024, outside the main office of Keiller Leadership Academy, 7270 Lisbon St., San Diego, CA 92114. All attendees must preregister with the District prior to attending the site walk at sandiegounified.org/sitewalks. The Bid and Contract Documents may be downloaded free of charge at the District’s online Planroom at sandiegousdplans.com. All bids must be received electronically via PlanetBids before 1:00 p.m. on SEPTEMBER 13, 2024. Prime contractors interested in submitting a bid must go to tinyurl.com/SDUSD-PlanetBids then search under “Bid Opportunities” for “Invitation number” CC25-0423-05-00-00 Public Address System at Keiller Leadership Academy. For new vendors, please register under “New Vendor Registration.” The project estimate is between $220,000 and $245,000, inclusive of allowances. This is not a PSA project and does not require prequalification. The District requires that Bidders possess any of the following classification(s) of California State Contractors License(s), valid and in good standing, at the time of bid opening and contract award: B, C-10 with C-7, or other appropriate license, subject to District approval. SAN DIEGO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT, George A. Harris III, Director, Fiscal Controls and Information Systems, Facilities Planning and Construction CC25-0423-05-00-00.

Bersamin orders cancellation of Alice Guo, family’s passports

by

MANILA — Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin ordered the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Department of Justice to cancel the passports of embattled Bamban Mayor Alice Guo and her family.

In a memorandum signed by Bersamin on Tuesday, the executive secretary cited reports of Guo fleeing the country using her Philippine passport to Malaysia and then meeting her family in Singapore, before traveling to Indonesia. Besides Alice Guo’s passport, Bersamin also ordered the

cancellation of Wesley Leal Guo, Sheila Leal Guo, and Cassandra Ong’s passports.

“Given the foregoing and in the interest of justice, this Office hereby directs that appropriate action be taken for the cancellation of the Philippine passports of Guo, her family, and Ong,” the order read. g

Palawan, Boracay in top islands list

by Moises CRuz ManilaTimes

PALAWAN and Boracay have made it to Times Travel’s “8 Most Visited Island Destinations in Asia,” the Department of Tourism (DoT) said on Monday, August 19.

In the August 9 issue of the Indian publication, Bali, Indonesia, was ranked first, and Phuket, Thailand, was second. Palawan, known as the “last frontier” of the Philippines because of its beautiful natural

surroundings, took third place.

The article highlighted Palawan’s beautiful limestone cliffs and blue waters, specifically in El Nido and Coron, as well as the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River, a Unesco World Heritage Site.

Boracay, noted for its pristine white-sand beaches and crystal-clear waters, ranked fourth on the list.

The report centers on the island’s White Beach, known for its appealing surroundings and spectacular sunsets, as

well as its variety of water sports, lively nightlife, and plenty of dining options.

Other island destinations on the list include the Maldives; Langkawi, Malaysia; Havelock Island, India; and Jeju Island, South Korea.

Times Travel, the travel publication of The Times of India, offers curated insights into prime worldwide destinations, with an emphasis on places that appeal to Indian tourists’ cultural and travel preferences. g

China says US has ‘no right to intervene’ in West Philippine Sea disputes

CHINA warned the United States on Tuesday, August 20 that it has “no right to intervene” in its maritime disputes with the Philippines after another clash near a disputed reef in the West Philippine Sea.

China and the Philippines have had repeated confrontations in the waters over the past year, including around a warship, grounded in 1999 by Manila on the contested Ayungin or Second Thomas Shoal, which hosts a garrison.

Both countries said on Monday, August 19 that their coast guard ships had collided near the disputed Sabina Shoal, located 140 kilometers (86 miles) west of the Philippine island of Palawan and about 1,200 kilometers from Hainan island, the closest Chinese landmass.

China claims almost the entire South China Sea despite an international tribunal ruling that its assertion has no legal basis.

The United States condemned the “dangerous actions” against “lawful Philippine maritime operations” on Monday after the latest clash.

“These actions are the latest examples of (China) using dangerous and escalatory measures to enforce its expansive and unlawful South China Sea maritime claims,” State Department spokesman Vedant Patel said.

Asked about Patel’s remarks on Tuesday, August 20, his Chinese counterpart Mao Ning defended Beijing’s “legal measures to safeguard its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests”.

“The U.S. should stop provoking confrontation in the South China Sea, not disrupt regional stability and not escalate tensions,” Mao said.

Analysts have said Beijing’s aim is to push eastwards from the Ayungin Shoal towards the neighboring Sabina Shoal in the Spratly Islands, encroaching on Manila’s exclusive economic zone and normalizing Chinese control of the area.

The confrontations have echoes of 2012 when Beijing took control of Scarborough Shoal, another strategic feature in the South China Sea closest to the Philippines. (Philstar.com))

“The U.S. is not a party in the South China Sea and has no right to intervene in maritime disputes between China and the Philippines,” Mao told a regular briefing.

SD#0369

Reina C. TolenTino ManilaTimes.net

zaCaRian saRao Inquirer.net

LEGAL SERVICES LEGAL SERVICES LEGAL SERVICES

NOTICE OF INITIAL PETITION

FOR PROBATE ESTATE OF

Ruben F. Imanil

CASE NO: 24PE001826C

To all heirs, beneficiaries, creditors, contingent creditors, and persons who may otherwise be interested in the will or estate, or both, of: Ruben F. Imanil

A Petition for Probate has been filed by Jessie Imanil in the Superior Court of California, County of SAN DIEGO

The Petition for Probate requests that Jessie Imanil be appointed as personal representative to administer with will annexed the estate of the decedent.

The petition requests the decedent’s will and codicils, if any, be admitted to probate. The will and any codicils are available for examination in the file kept by the court.

The petition requests authority to administer the estate under the Independent Administration of Estates Act. (This authority will allow the personal representative to take many actions without obtaining court approval. Before taking certain very important actions, however, the personal representative will be required to give notice to interested persons unless they have waived notice or consented to the proposed action.)

The independent administration authority will be granted unless an interested person files an objection to the petition and shows good cause why the court should not grant the authority.

A hearing on the petition will be held in this court as follows:

Date: 08/29/202

Time: 01:30 P.M. Dept.: 503 Address of court: 1100 Union Street, San Diego, CA 92101

Branch Name: Central, Probate

If you object to the granting of the petition, you should appear at the hearing and state your objections or file written objections with the court before the hearing. Your appearance may be in person or by your attorney. If you are a creditor or a contingent creditor of the decedent, you must file your claim with the court and mail a copy to the personal representative appointed by the court and mail a copy to the personal representative appointed by the court within the later of either (1) four months from the date of first issuance of letters to a general personal representative, as defined in section 58(b) of the California Probate Code, or (2) 60 days from the date of mailing or personal delivery to you of a notice under section 9052 of the California Probate Code. Other California statutes and legal authority may affect your rights as a creditor. You may want to consult with an attorney knowledgeable in California law. You may examine the file kept by the court. If you are a person interested in the estate, you may file with the court a Request for Special Notice (form DE-154) of the

and appraisal

or of any petition or

NOTICE OF INITIAL PETITION FOR PROBATE ESTATE OF SANDY PECK CASE NO: 24PE001806C

To all heirs, beneficiaries, creditors, contingent creditors, and persons who may otherwise be interested in the will or estate, or both, of: SANDY PECK A Petition for Probate has been filed by ADIL ABDULAHAD in the Superior Court of California, County of SAN DIEGO

The Petition for Probate requests that ADIL ABDULAHAD be appointed as personal representative to administer with will annexed the estate of the decedent.

The petition requests the decedent’s will and codicils, if any, be admitted to probate. The will and any codicils are available for examination in the file kept by the court. The petition requests authority to administer the estate under the Independent Administration of Estates Act. (This authority will allow the personal representative to take many actions without obtaining court approval. Before taking certain very important actions, however, the personal representative will be required to give notice to interested persons unless they have waived notice or consented to the proposed action.)

The independent administration authority will be granted unless an interested person files an objection to the petition and shows good cause why the court should not grant the authority.

A hearing on the petition will be held in this court as follows:

Date: 08/28/2024

Time: 01:30 P.M. Dept.: 502 Address of court: 1100 Union Street, San Diego, CA 92101 Branch Name: Central, Probate

If you object to the granting of the petition, you should appear at the hearing and state your objections or file written objections with the court before the hearing. Your appearance may be in person or by your attorney. If you are a creditor or a contingent creditor of the decedent, you must file your claim with the court and mail a copy to the personal representative appointed by the court and mail a copy to the personal representative appointed by the court within the later of either (1) four months from the date of first issuance of letters to a general personal representative, as defined in section 58(b) of the California Probate Code, or (2) 60 days from the date of mailing or personal delivery to you of a notice under section 9052 of the California Probate Code. Other California statutes and legal authority may affect your rights as a creditor. You may want to consult with an attorney knowledgeable in California law.

You may examine the file kept by the court. If you are a person interested in the estate, you may file with the court a Request for Special Notice (form DE-154) of the filing of an inventory and appraisal of estate assets or of any petition or account as provided in Probate Code section 1250. A Request for Special Notice form is available from the court clerk. Evane K. Abbassi, Esq. (SBN 335491) Abbassi Law Firm c/o Estate of Sandy Peck 6320 Canoga Ave, Suite 1610 Woodland Hills, CA 91367

818-463-2329 Publication Dates: 08/23, 08/30, and 09/06/20224 AJ 1494 AJSD 1494

EMPLOYMENT

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT NO. 2024-9014052

Linda View Disposal located at 6456 Tooley Street, San Diego, CA 92114. Registrant: Gerardo Lopez Burgoa, 6456 Tooley Street, San Diego, CA 92114.

This business is conducted by An Indidvidual.

REGISTRANT HAS NOT BEGUN TO TRANSACT BUSINESS UNDER THE NAME(S) ABOVE.

Signature: Gerardo Lopez Burgoa.

Statement filed with Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on 07/08/2024. AJ 1478 08/02, 08/09, 08/16, and 08/23/2024. AJSD 1478

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT NO. 2024-9016273

a. Escondido Combat Academy located at 300 S. Escondido Blvd. Ste 104, Escondido, CA 92025. b. ECA located at 300 S. Escondido Blvd. Ste 104, Escondido, CA 92025. c. Combat Academy located at 300 S. Escondido Blvd. Ste 104, Escondido, CA 92025. d. Escondido Combat located at 300 S. Escondido Blvd. Ste 104, Escondido, CA 92025. e. ESCO CA located at 300 S. Escondido Blvd. Ste 104, Escondido, CA 92025. f. ESCO Combat Academy located at 300 S. Escondido Blvd. Ste 104, Escondido, CA 92025. g. ESCO Combat located at 300 S. Escondido Blvd. Ste 104, Escondido, CA 92025. Registrant: Escondido Combat Academy, 118 W 8th Ave, Escondido, CA 92025. This business is conducted by A Limited Liability Company. REGISTRANT FIRST BEGUN TO TRANSACT BUSINESS UNDER THE NAME(S) AS OF 01/22/2024. Signature: Dominique La Darryl Eugene Chise. Statement filed with Recorder/ County Clerk of San Diego County on 08/09/2024. AJ 1483 08/16, 08/23, 08/30, and 09/06/2024. AJSD 1483

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT NO. 2024-9015110

Tanika’s Cleaning located at 1683 Coolidge St Apt B, San Diego, CA 92111. Registrant: Tanika Natosha Edwards, 1683 Coolidge St Apt B, San Diego, CA 92111. This business is conducted by An Individual. REGISTRANT HAS NOT BEGUN TO TRANSACT BUSINESS UNDER THE NAME(S) ABOVE.

Signature: Tanika Edwards. Statement filed with Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on 07/24/2024.

AJ 1487 08/16, 08/23, 08/30, and 09/06/2024. AJSD 1487

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT NO. 2024-9016052

a. SAFA International Market located at 12788 Rancho Penasquitos Blvd, Suite E, San Diego, CA 92129.

b. SAFA Restaurant located at 12788 Rancho Penasquitos Blvd, Suite E, San Diego, CA 92129.

Registrant: SAFA INC, 12788 Rancho Penasquitos Blvd, Suite E, San Diego, CA 92129. This business is conducted by A Corporation. REGISTRANT FIRST BEGUN TO TRANSACT BUSINESS UNDER THE NAME(S) AS OF 08/06/2024. Signature: Bashir Ahmadi. Statement filed with Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on 08/06/2024. AJ 1480 08/09, 08/16, 08/23, and 08/30/2024. AJSD 1480

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT NO. 2024-9015706

Carbix Auto Detailing located at 475 Woodlawn Ave, Chula Vista, CA 91910. Registrant: Yorbis Jose Rivera Carrero, 300 S. Escondido Blvd. Ste 104, Escondido, CA 92025. This business is conducted by An Individual. REGISTRANT HAS NOT BEGUN TO TRANSACT BUSINESS UNDER THE NAME(S) ABOVE.

Signature: Yorbis Jose Rivera Carrero. Statement filed with Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on 08/01/2024. AJ 1484 08/16, 08/23, 08/30, and 09/06/2024 AJSD 1484

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS

NAME STATEMENT NO. 2024-9016494

One-Stop Commercial Equipment Services located at 981 E. J St, Chula Vista, CA 91910. Registrant: One-Stop Commercial Equipment Services, 981 E. J St, Chula Vista, CA 91910. This business is conducted by A Limited Liability Company.

REGISTRANT FIRST BEGUN TO TRANSACT BUSINESS UNDER THE NAME(S) AS OF 08/13/2024. Signature: Kristina Balderrama. Statement filed with Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on 08/13/2024. AJ 1488 08/16, 08/23, 08/30, and 09/06/2024. AJSD 1488

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT NO. 2024-9016165

Pretty Evy located at 4434 49th Street Apt 5, San Diego, CA 92115. Registrant: Evelyn Anayely Bojorquez Arreola, 4434 49th Street Apt 5, San Diego, CA 92115. This business is conducted by An Individual. REGISTRANT FIRST BEGUN TO TRANSACT BUSINESS UNDER THE NAME(S) AS OF 08/08/2024. Signature: Evelyn Arreola. Statement filed with Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on 08/08/2024. AJ 1481 08/09, 08/16, 08/23, and 08/30/2024. AJSD 1481

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT NO. 2024-9016037

Mahshid Boutique located at 602 Verdin St, El Cajon, CA 92019.

Registrant: Fatima Nedeem, 602 Verdin St, El Cajon, CA 92019. This business is conducted by An Individual. REGISTRANT HAS NOT BEGUN TO TRANSACT BUSINESS UNDER THE NAME(S) ABOVE.

Signature: Fatima Nedeem. Statement filed with Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on 08/06/2024. AJ 1485 08/16, 08/23, 08/30, and 09/06/2024. AJSD 1485

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS

NAME STATEMENT NO. 2024-9016174

Inti Multi Services located at 568 Palmwood Dr, San Diego, CA 92139. Registrant: Jessica Paola Guerra, 568 Palmwood Dr, San Diego, CA 92139. This business is conducted by An Individual.

REGISTRANT HAS NOT BEGUN TO TRANSACT BUSINESS UNDER THE NAME(S) ABOVE.

Signature: Jessica Paola Guerra. Statement filed with Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on 08/08/2024. AJ 1489 08/16, 08/23, 08/30, and 09/06/2024. AJSD 1489

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT NO. 2024-9016186

Therapy With Tracy located at 14340 Minya Lane, Poway, CA 92064. Registrant: Tracy Sharbaugh Aronlee, 14340 Minya Lane, Poway, CA 92064. This business is conducted by An Individual. REGISTRANT FIRST BEGUN TO TRANSACT BUSINESS UNDER THE NAME(S) AS OF 03/13/2024. Signature: Tracy Sharbaugh Aronlee. Statement filed with Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on 08/08/2024. AJ 1482 08/16, 08/23, 08/30, and 09/06/2024. AJSD 1482

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS

NAME STATEMENT NO. 2024-9016388

Nordahl Pharmacy located at 740 Nordahl Rd Unit 120, San Marcos, CA 92069.

Registrant: Nordahl RX, INC, 16226 Avenida Suavidad, San Diego, CA 92128. This business is conducted by A Corporation.

REGISTRANT HAS NOT BEGUN TO TRANSACT BUSINESS UNDER THE NAME(S) ABOVE.

Signature: Casey Long Hoang. Statement filed with Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on 08/13/2024. AJ 1486 08/16, 08/23, 08/30, and 09/06/2024. AJSD 1486

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS

NAME STATEMENT NO. 2024-9016749

Spirits Of St. Germain located at 3251 Holiday Ct, #101, La Jolla, CA 92037. Registrant: a. Kevin Song, 3251 Holiday Ct, #101, La Jolla, CA 92037. b. Chom Ae Sharp, 3251 Holiday Ct, #101, La Jolla, CA 92037

This business is conducted by A Married Couple.

REGISTRANT HAS NOT BEGUN TO TRANSACT BUSINESS UNDER THE NAME(S) ABOVE. Signature: Kevin Kyongho Song. Statement filed with Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on 08/15/2024. AJ 1492 08/23, 08/30, 09/06, and 09/13/2024. AJSD 1492

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT NO. 2024-9016840

Arevalo Painting located at 3241 Franklin Ave, Apt C, San Diego, CA 92113. Registrant: Israel Arevalo, 3241 Franklin Ave, Apt C, San Diego, CA 92113. This business is conducted by An Individual. REGISTRANT FIRST BEGUN TO TRANSACT BUSINESS UNDER THE NAME(S) AS OF 08/06/2024.

Signature: Israel Arevalo. Statement filed with Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on 08/16/2024.

AJ 1493 08/23, 08/30, 09/06, and 09/13/2024. AJSD 1493

SAN DIEGO

Kyline Alcantara on real score with Kobe Paras: ‘It’s

by HANNAH MALLORCA Inquirer.net

WHILE Kyline Alcantara has yet to clarify the status of her relationship with Kobe Paras, she admitted that what she feels towards him is “different,” and hard to describe.

Alcantara, in an interview with GMA, confessed that she “cannot find the exact words” on how she feels towards him.

“It’s a different feeling po so I don’t know the exact words to describe it. Lumalabas siya (It comes out) through actions and our auras, I guess. So I

a di erent feeling’

cannot find the exact words,” she said.

It was also reported that Alcantara and Paras are headed to China for an undisclosed shoot, although details of the project are yet to be revealed, as of this writing.

Alcantara and Paras have been hounded with dating speculations since May after they were spotted together on multiple occasions, including a Taguig date, attending a birthday party as a pair, and the actress being invited to the opening of Paras’ tattoo shop. They were also seen together at

an undisclosed establishment, where they bonded with Paras’ dad Benjie, brother Andre, and the latter’s non-showbiz girlfriend Honey Escarez. Despite this, both stressed at the recently-held GMA Gala that they are just “great friends.”

In a Philippine Daily Inquirer interview last July, the basketball player-turnedactor said he’s happy for Kobe whoever he decides to date, while noting that whatever makes Paras and Alcantara, in turn, makes him happy for them as well. 

Gratitude, passion lead Jericho Rosales back to TV series

JERICHO Rosales was in good spirits when he faced a small group of press to promote his upcoming series, “Lavender Fields.” His aura was light and no questions were off the table.

Even personal questions outside of the show were answered.

To begin with, it was Rosales who first admitted that he and Janine Gutierrez — who play husband-and-wife in a complex relationship for the upcoming Dreamscape production — are more than just co-stars at the moment.

“We’re getting to know each other, we’re dating,” the 44-year-old actor revealed.

Rosales and Gutierrez sparked dating rumors when they were spotted visiting the National Museum in Manila last July.

“I was the one who asked Janine to go to the National Museum because I haven’t been,” he detailed.

Rosales was a first hesitant to share their real status and insisted that as a gentleman, he can’t speak for the 34-yearold actress.

“Just ask Janine,” he teased.

But when pressed for the real score, Rosales eventually gave in, “I’ve known her for a period of time, she’s a very sweet person, loving, family oriented and loves her work.”

He added that he is in such a good position right now that even answering a personal question seems to comes off easily for him.

“I’m in a really good moment in my life. I wish everyone can experience this cooperation that I’m receiving from God, the universe and everything, with work, with my personal life.”

This particular approach to answering showbiz questions was a refreshing shift for Rosales, who previously either evaded questions or gave out answers that could potentially bite him back.

One of them was his declaration that he is never going to sign up for teleseryes (TV series) again.

Addressing this statement, he said during the recent interview: “I ate my word, masarap siya [it’s delicious].” Rosales was last seen in the 2018 drama, “ Halik ” together with Yam Concepcion, Yen Santos and Sam Milby.

Recalling this phase in life, he said, “I was angry,

‘I’m in a really good moment in my life. I wish everyone can experience this cooperation that I’m receiving from God, the universe and everything, with work, with my personal life.’ Photo from Instagram/@jerichorosales

I complained about soap operas, about the industry, the hours, directors, co-actors. I was complaining nonstop because I got burnout.”

So, Rosales took a step back and worked on himself. He particularly recalled going to New York and meeting his acting coach who helped him realize that acting is an integral part of him, “I was crying. I said sorry to myself for turning my back on acting.”

“One of my realizations in this period is you have to choose a life that you will never want to run away from.

So that even when things go south, you can choose to be happy.”

Having healed, the role of Tyrone — ‘an accountant by day and a gun smuggler in the dark,’ as Rosales would describe — came at the right time. “He’s that kind of person

who wanted power and experience the good life until he realized that somewhere in his heart, he wanted a simple life all along.”

While others may see Tyrone as a departure from Rosales’ usual leading man roles, the actor said he is more than happy to introduce gray characters to the audience.

When The Manila Times asked if he’s ready to be potentially hated because of Tyrone, Rosales elaborated, “Ready to be loved? Yes, sure. If I can extract these reactions from people then it’s a sign that I’m doing a good job.

“In the characters that I play, in the six months to a year that I’m going to do a project, it has to have something that people will learn from. I’m not here to show grayness or darkness, let’s add more color to every character,” he ended. 

Nora Aunor laments how she lost her singing voice after botched surgery

by HANNAH MALLORCA Inquirer.net

UP to now, superstar Nora Aunor still feels regret after losing her golden singing voice when she underwent a cosmetic surgery in Japan 14 years ago, claiming it felt like the botched job was done “on purpose” to ruin her voice.

Despite being the most awarded Filipina actress in the country, Aunor stressed that singing remained to be her greatest love and it hurt her that she cannot sing anymore.

“Ang pinaka love ko talaga ‘yung pag-awit kasi kung hindi dahil sa pag-kanta ay hindi ako makakatulong sa pamilya at hindi rin ako makikilala ng mga tao, kaya nung masira ang boses ko, sinira nila eh, para bang sinadya. Hanggang ngayon, hindi ako nakakakanta,” she told Maricel Soriano in a recent interview.

(What I really love most is singing because if it wasn’t for singing, I wouldn’t be able to help

my family and people wouldn’t recognize me, so when my voice broke, they broke it as if it’s intentional. Until now, I can’t sing.)

The 2022 National Artist for film and broadcast arts claimed that she was enticed to endorse a facial clinic in Japan. But after the procedure, she noticed that she was no longer able to recover her voice.

“Nasa States ako non may nagpunta sakin, dadalhin daw ako sa Japan kasi kukunin ako mag-eendorso ng isang [facial].

Pag dating ko doon, pinahiga ako, pinatulog, pag-gising ko wala na akong boses, ‘ayun ang totoong nangyari doon,” she recalled.

(I was in the States and someone came to me; they said they would take me to Japan because they would get me to endorse a [facial]. When I got there, they put me to bed, put me to sleep, and when I woke up, my voice was gone; that’s what really happened there.)

Aunor said that they tried

to sue the people who were accountable for the surgery but she did not disclosed what happened to the lawsuit now. She said she had undergone another surgery to bring back her original voice but that, too, failed.

In February 2010, Aunor went back to the Philippines and appeared in a TV interview with a normal speaking voice. In May of the same year, she performed at a concert in Canada with actor Juan Rodrigo, with whom she formed a special friendship. At that time, Aunor was accused of lip-synching her songs during the concert, but Rodrigo then came to her defense. Aunor confided to her fans that her vocal cords got affected by cosmetic surgery in Japan. She said her doctors even forbade her to talk long enough and that the concert in Toronto was going to be her last, which it was. In 2023, the National Artist for Film and Broadcast Arts attempted to sing again in the movie “Pieta.”

Kyline Alcantara and Kobe Paras

Photo from Instagram/@itskylinealcantara, @_kokoparas

Nora Aunor (left) and Maricel Soriano Photo screengrabed from YouTube/Maricel Soriano

Vince Tañada, a ‘renaissance’ man; Ninoy Aquino’s

My P.E.P. (People, Events,Places)

Rogelio Constantino Medina

41st death anniversary on

RINA Ortiz Podcast Season 2 was broadcast recently with her guest Chel Diokno for the show’s Season 5 episode.

Rina is an animal care advocate. She began rescuing strays at 5 years old.

* * *

“Lupang Hinirang” was played again in the 2024 Paris Olympics, two nights in a row, because of Carlos Yulo who brought two gold medals in gymnastics for the Philippines, thus making history.

In the 1990s, I made a prediction in the Bulong-Pulungan at Sofitel Hotel that a young man will bring honor to the country in the Olympics and it came true several years after.

* * *

The late Butz Aquino, senator and actor, is one of the founders of August Twenty-One Movement which does quietly walking, jogging, running or biking activity through its ROAR (run on against revision) campaign. On August 18, ATOM’s ROAR participants are expected to meet at 7 a.m. on Ayala Avenue, Makati City.

I vividly remember when Jackie Aquino, Butz’s daughter, acted on a film with Roderick Paulate, and Butz was in full support. I once saw Butz on a TV series, “I Heart You, Pare!,”  with Dingdong Dantes, Regine Velasquez and Iza Calzado under the directions of Joyce Bernal and Andoy Ranay.

It was on August 17, 2015 that he passed on. August 21 is the commemoration of Ninoy Aquino’s death anniversary.

“Emilio Aquino, grandson of Butz, is expected to join the ROAR jog on Ayala Avenue together with Xiao Chua, an ATOM member.

The August 18 ROAR is still part of the build-up for the 41st death anniversary of Ninoy Aquino on August 21, in which ATOM is expected to stage a motorcade going to Paranaque City’s Manila Memorial Park and offer candles for the late senator, Ninoy Aquino,” said Volt Bohol, current ATOM president.

* * * Vince M. Tañada is a writerdirector-actor of the films “Katips,” “Ako Si Ninoy,” “Ang Bangkay,”

“Why Love Why” and musical play

“Hero Z.”

He is considered a ‘renaissance’ man, a present-day man who has acquired profound knowledge or proficiency in more than one field, a notion that humans should embrace all knowledge and develop themselves as fully as possible.

One time Vince posted in his FB account: “A theater luminary once said that other A-list theatre practitioners and directors are mad at me because they think I’m egocentric. I don’t know these people and have not met them. Thank you for judging me without knowing me. I now have big-time haters. That means I have arrived.

Congratulations self.”

Ron Gorby remarked: “There’s nothing wrong about being egocentric if that was actually true. As long as you don’t do them any harm for being egocentric then that’s fine. I also don’t think these people actually hate you. Maybe they don’t see it (as) a good idea working with somebody whose talents won’t jibe with theirs.”

Added Wal Den: “You’ve always worked hard for your accolades, thus it’s a natural progression that you become very successful in your life and career.”

Atty. Vince is celebrating his 50th birthday on August 17.

* * * I was a recent guest in Net 25

Radyo Agila DZEC 1062 KHZ’s Wej-a-Minute show, hosted by Wej Cudiamat, one Thursday night at 8 p.m. Wej is a recipient of 2nd Philippines Finest Business Award and Outstanding Achievers on September 8, 2024.

It was a happy moment with this gifted broadcaster with a gift of gab.

* * *

“Asia’s Queen of Fire” Lae Manego-Franzani (married to Querino Franzani), online TV host and producer of Loreley Entertainment Management, celebrated recently her birthday by bringing joys to the elderly at GRACES in the morning and to the kids with cancer at CHILDHaus Mapang-akit in Quezon City in the afternoon.

Assisting her were friends Edwin Lisa, Mark Lester Lico,

Bertch Ian Namuag Ranis, vocalist Madonna Decena, and La Visual Corp., organizer of this year’s 2nd Southeast Asian Premier Business and Achiever Award. Thanks to CHILDHaus director Jeannette Cu and Ms. Lalaine Geronimo.

A few months from now, Lae, a recipient of the 2nd Philippines Finest Business Award and Outstanding Achievers, will be leaving for Europe to do concerts in France and the Netherlands.

* *

*

During the recent Film Academy of the Philippines’ LUNA Awards night, Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) Chairman and CEO Jose Javier Reyes sounded the alarm about the state of Philippine cinema on what is needed to be done. It urgently needs government support to keep it going.

They need to collaborate and work with one another as one, as First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos has tried to help resuscitate the film and entertainment industry.

In May 2024, the first lady met with the organizers of the Manila International Film Festival in her office. In April 2024, she held a meeting with Oscar-winning film producer David Shim and some Filipino movie and entertainment industry representatives. She also held a follow-up meeting on how best to support the Filipino film and entertainment industry.

* *

*

Elia Ilano, 72nd FAMAS best child actress, will receive the 2nd Lahing Pilipino Award on August 18 at Aberdeen Court restaurant in Quezon City. Young awardees include Kian Co and Atasha Eve Franco.  Other awardees are Lae Manego-Franzani, Imelda Papin, Eva Darren, Marissa Delgado, Liz Alindogan Kho, Beverly Salviejo, Michelle Sia, Renz Spangler, FAMAS president Francia “Cheche” Conrado, Christina Aliada, Cong. Milagros Magsaysay, DJ  Johnny Bukol, Don Orozco, Michael Dautil, Rikki Siao Petilla, Jun Alexter Ferrer, Cecilia M. Salvador, Tess Pambuan, Rolando M. Natividad, Rosalie S. Ferrer, Ferdinand V. Ferrer, Relly Nufable Jose Jr., Shiela Lintan Delgado, Ramil Sison Palisoc, Romm Burlat and many more. This is organized by Ms. Maria Liza F. Lorenzo.

* * * The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints

City of San Diego hits new milestone for affordable housing permit program

Mayor Gloria’s executive orders pave way for faster permitting and more homes

SAN DIEGO

– Marking the success of a program aimed at bringing affordable homes to the market quickly, 27 projects totaling 2,834 homes have been issued permits since Mayor Todd Gloria introduced an executive order to expedite the permitting process. Signed on Jan. 11, 2023, the order requires all 100% income-restricted affordable housing projects be reviewed and processed in 30 days or fewer. City staff have succeeded in meeting and exceeding that goal since the program’s introduction, significantly impacting the housing market and helping to bring rental costs down.

The 27 affordable housing projects are located throughout San Diego, with developments in eight of the nine City Council districts, as showcased on a new, interactive website.

“By streamlining the

permitting process, we are making it easier to bring affordable homes to market, and we’re doing it faster,” Mayor Gloria said. “These 27 projects totaling more than 2,800 homes are just the beginning. We will continue to push for innovative solutions to ensure every San Diegan has a roof over their head at a price they can afford.”

The city’s Development Services Department (DSD) has successfully managed the fast-tracking of these affordable homes. Their Affordable Housing Permit Now program incentivizes these projects and ensures they’re thoroughly reviewed and permitted as quickly as possible. This streamlined, enhanced customer service has had a direct impact on housing in San Diego. These improvements helped make 2023 a significant year for housing, with 9,700

new homes permitted, an 82% increase over the prior year and the highest number of permits since at least 2005.

“The work our team has put into these programs and the results that came from that have been a highpoint for DSD over the last year,” said Keely Halsey, assistant director of the Development Services Department. “Finding opportunities to change for the better is something our department takes pride in. We’ll continue to refine and grow to support the mayor’s direction and to address housing needs throughout San Diego.”

The City Planning Department’s Annual Report on Homes shows that, in 2023, the number of incomerestricted homes in San Diego quadrupled and 42% of those were processed via the

u PAGE 11

August 21

State selects and funds 94 wildfire projects to build community and climate resilience

SACRAMENTO — As part of the Newsom Administration’s key priorities to bolster the state’s wildfire response and resilience efforts, CAL FIRE has announced grants for 94 local wildfire prevention projects across California, supported by $90.8 million in funding.

Over the last five years, CAL FIRE has awarded more than $450 million in its Wildfire Prevention Grants Program to over 450 projects across the state.

“In addition to huge investments in personnel, equipment and technology, proactively building community resilience to wildfires is another key part of California’s strategy to reduce the impact of catastrophic wildfires. These investments support local fuel reduction, forest health and other projects that build natural resilience and protect lives and property in at-risk communities from the intensifying impacts of climate change,” Gov. Newsom said in a statement released by his office.

Wildfire Prevention Grant projects include hazardous fuels reduction and wildfire prevention planning and education, with an emphasis on improving public health and safety while reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Over two-thirds of the projects are awards to communities that are low-income and disadvantaged.

The 94 local projects that are receiving awards in this latest round are located across the state, including in:

• Alameda County to support tree trimming and removal along evacuation routes within the City of Oakland, while doubling as a significant fuel break along these vulnerable corridors.

• Fresno County for a project removing 12,000 dead or dying hazard trees and 50,000 cubic yards of ground fuels, to improve protection for at least 1,000 habitable structures. Funding will also support wildfire prevention education for property owners.

• Mendocino County to remove hazardous vegetation along roads and driveways serving around 300 habitable structures near Leggett in an area that has not burned in the last half-century, to reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire, reduce the rate of spread of fire, create safe ingress and egress and reduce the forest fuel load along roadways.

• Nevada and Placer counties Tahoe Truckee Airport District for fuel reduction projects near Truckee that will improve forest health and restore the landscape to a more fire resilient condition through maintenance on existing fuel breaks and prescribed burning, which would decrease fire intensity and improve forest health by reducing fuel loads and ladder fuels.

• Orange County for a multiphased project to remove hazardous fuels, including 953 eucalyptus species on interior slopes to safeguard 1,228 single family homes.

• San Luis Obispo County for 19 wildfire prevention projects in nine wildland urban interface communities, treating hazardous vegetation through prescribed grazing, shaded fuel breaks, roadside clearance, forest thinning and prescribed fire.

• Santa Cruz County for roadside fuel reduction projects on critical evacuation routes, and funding a county-wide chipping program to support residents’ defensible space requirements and reducing wildfire impact on properties.

• Siskiyou County to protect habitable structures within the City of Weed and surrounding areas through fuels reduction, thinning and burning to reduce the fuel loading and fire hazard near communities already impacted by the Mill Fire in 2022. The Wildfire Prevention Grants Program furthers California’s Wildfire and Forest Resilience Action Plan and is funded in part through California Climate Investments, which puts cap-andtrade dollars to work. For a full list of the Wildfire Prevention Grants, visit CAL FIRE’s website at https://www. fire.ca.gov/what-we-do/grants/

• Riverside County to increase defensible space and roadside protection between habitable structures and open spaces within Murrieta, improving fire safety for more than 115,000 residents and in excess of 32,000 structures within the city.

Rina Ortiz with guest Atty. Chel Diokno. Photos courtesy of Rogelio Medina

Two-time Olympic gold medalist Carlos Edriel Yulo

The late Senator Butz Aquino Writer-director-actor Vince Tañada

Clockwise, from lower left: Maria Liza Lorenzo, child actress Elia Ilano, Gladys Reyes and Rogelio Medina.

First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos (right) with Jose Javier Reyes, chairperson and CEO of the Film Development Council of the Philippines.

Lae Manego-Franzani and Querino Franzani Wej Cudiamat (left) with Rogelio Medina

Construction kicks off on Beyer Park in San Ysidro

Park is first to receive investments under Mayor Gloria’s ‘Parks for All of

SAN DIEGO

– Construction

on Phase 1 of Beyer Park in San Ysidro began this week, bringing this long-awaited community vision one step closer to reality. The project, which received funding through several sources including Mayor Todd Gloria’s “Parks for All of Us” initiative, will construct 8 acres of new parkland on an approximately 43-acre site that is currently undeveloped.

Proposals for a park on this site go back at least 50 years when an unimproved 6.78acre site was designated for future park development in a 1974 community plan. Both the 1990 and 2016 San Ysidro Community plans reiterated calls to build Beyer Park. The future park site is located along East Beyer Blvd.

“Beyer Park will be the first new public park in San Ysidro in over 25 years and serves as an example of our commitment to providing every San Diegan with access to high-quality recreational spaces,” said Mayor Gloria.

“It’s also an example of why partnerships matter, and I’m grateful to the California Statewide Park Development and Community Revitalization Program and funds secured by Congressmember Juan Vargas, which together provided the millions of dollars in funding to make this vision a reality.”

When the project is complete, Beyer Park will have a variety of amenities to serve the communities of San Ysidro and Otay Mesa. Features at the park will include a children’s playground area, ball fields,

picnic areas, restrooms, a dog park, skate park, walking trails and public art.

Through the city’s Commission for Arts and Culture, artists Ingram Ober and Marisol Rendón created a site-specific art piece for Beyer Park, titled Air Sanctuary. The artwork consists of a singular ironwood tree that will grow within a sculptural enclosure that relates visually to the growth of the tree and that also creates a charismatic space to contemplate the living processes of a tree. Visitors to the park will be able to watch the tree grow and change with the seasons with the hope that people will feel a sense of connection to the tree that might inspire future climate activism.

“My top priority is to ensure residents of District 8 have the amenities that provide for a high quality of life, like parks and libraries,” said Councilmember Vivian Moreno whose district includes San Ysidro. “For over 30 years, City Hall has promised to build Beyer Park for the residents of San Ysidro. Unfortunately, past city leaders failed to keep that promise. I am proud to have worked closely with community members, particularly San Ysidro youth, to finally build Beyer Park and deliver residents with the park space they deserve.”

The Beyer Park project is one of 19 park projects across the city that received funding through Mayor Gloria’s Parks for All of Us initiative. Through Parks for All of Us – which provides for a more equitable funding process that helps

ensure everyone has access to safe, clean and thriving park spaces – Beyer Park received $1 million from the Citywide Park Development Impact Fee (DIF) in March 2024. The project also received an allocation of $2.5 million in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding in fiscal year 2023, along with $8.5 million in funding from the State of California’s Park Development and Community Revitalization Grant Program. For Phase 2 of the project, the federal government in 2022 gave a $5 million grant for the project, from a program that aims to create more green space and outdoor recreation options in underserved areas. The total project cost is approximately $22.4 million.

“Construction for the new Beyer Park has been a long time in coming and is exciting to see come to fruition,” said Andy Field, Director of the Parks and Recreation Department. “We thank our numerous partners, including the San Ysidro community, youth, numerous nonprofit organizations, and federal and state levels of government, in helping fund and build this much-needed park. It’s important that all San Diegans have equitable access to park and recreation resources and this brings us one step closer to ensuring that more parks are available to more people across our city.”

Construction on the Beyer Park project is expected to be completed in the spring of 2026. (City of San Diego Release)

NaFFAA announces Ryan Namata as new national president

DETROIT— The National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA) proudly announces the election of Ryan Namata as the organization’s new national president, following a pivotal election held on the afternoon of Saturday, August 17, 2024, during the 15th National Empowerment Conference in Detroit. This historic moment marks the beginning of an exciting chapter for NaFFAA, as Namata, a visionary leader deeply rooted in the Filipino American community, takes the helm with a commitment to steering the organization toward unprecedented growth and impact.

Ryan Namata’s association with NaFFAA began in 2016, driven by a passion for effecting meaningful change within the Filipino American community. Over the years, he has risen through the ranks, initially serving as the Director of Human Capital and later as the leader of the organization’s national operations. His dynamic leadership has been crucial in shaping NaFFAA’s trajectory, including the recruitment of key staff members, organizing significant national conferences, and championing the organization’s mission. Namata’s dedication is evident in his hands-on approach – whether coordinating logistics or fostering camaraderie through activities like karaoke, he embodies NaFFAA’s spirit of unity and service.

Professionally, Namata serves as the Chief Human Resources Officer at the Center for American Progress, a prominent think-tank based in Washington, D.C. With nearly 25 years of experience in human capital management, he has led both domestic and international teams across various sectors, including finance, cybersecurity, and nonprofit organizations. Namata’s expertise in organizational development, leadership coaching, and diversity, equity, and inclusion

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has made him a respected voice in the field.

As he steps into his new role as National President of NaFFAA, Namata is focused on two key priorities: empowering the youth and fostering an inclusive environment for all Filipinos. “NaFFAA must get younger,” Namata emphasized. “We need to inspire and motivate the next generation of leaders, ensuring that our organization remains vibrant and relevant for years to come.”

He envisions NaFFAA as a central hub for education and dialogue, where Filipinos can connect with their heritage, culture, and the power of unity.

The election also saw the appointment of other key officers, including Chris Rivera as vice president, Giselle Rushford as secretary, Rod Mercado as treasurer, and Mariela Fletcher as national chair. This leadership team, under Namata’s guidance, is poised to lead NaFFAA into a new era of growth and engagement.

Outgoing NaFFAA national president Mariela Fletcher expressed her full confidence in Namata’s leadership, stating, “Ryan Namata is the right leader at the right time for NaFFAA. His experience, vision, and unwavering commitment to our community make him uniquely qualified to guide our organization forward. I am confident that under his leadership, NaFFAA will reach new heights and continue to make a profound impact on the lives of Filipino Americans across the nation.”

As NaFFAA embarks on this new journey, Namata is determined to build upon the strong foundation laid by his predecessors and lead the organization toward an even brighter future. He is committed to ensuring that NaFFAA remains a vital and dynamic force within the Filipino American community and beyond.

Ryan Namata shared his thoughts on the privilege of serving as NaFFAA’s national

Applications open August 29 for county rental assistance units in three affordable housing developments

THE county’s Housing and Community Development Services (HCDS) is opening a waitlist for renters who are interested in living in three new housing developments with dedicated units supporting seniors, low-income families and disabled adults experiencing homelessness. These units are supported by Project-Based Housing Choice Voucher (PBV) rental assistance. Eligible applicants will be selected from the waitlist and, if approved by the landlord, would pay an affordable rent that is equal to approximately 30% of their income.

president: “It is a profound honor to lead NaFFAA at this crucial moment in our history. The opportunity to serve and empower the Filipino American community is both a privilege and a responsibility that I embrace wholeheartedly. Together, we will continue to elevate our voices, celebrate our heritage, and build a future where every Filipino American feels connected, supported, and empowered.”

With Namata’s election, NaFFAA stands poised to enter a new era of leadership, unity, and empowerment — ensuring that the voices of Filipino Americans are heard, valued, and acted upon across the nation.

The National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA) is the largest national organization advocating for the interests and well-being of nearly 4.2 million Filipino Americans in the United States. Established in 1997, NaFFAA promotes the active participation of Filipino Americans in civic, political, and social affairs, and works to build coalitions that advance the aspirations of Filipino Americans in the broader society. NaFFAA is committed to fostering leadership development, civic engagement, and cultural preservation within the Filipino American community. For more information, visit www. naffaa.org. g

City of San Diego hits new...

mayor’s executive order. Not only did the city meet the 30day requirement; it averaged a processing time of only seven days. The program has garnered positive feedback from both builders and tenants and represents just one aspect of the mayor’s plans to address the city’s housing crisis.

“The new executive order permit process has been very successful, allowing affordable housing developers to permit projects in less than half of the

time that it would have taken without an expedited process,” said Julie Hattler, director of development with Wakeland Housing and Development.

“We had three projects in the executive order permit process at the same time, each of which were uniquely complicated projects. All of them were permitted on or ahead of schedule, which speaks to the success of this new process and the dedication of the City of San Diego staff to get affordable housing built as quickly as possible.” On Jan.10, 2024, Mayor Gloria signed a second executive order on housing, Executive Order 2024-01. This resulted in Complete Communities Now, a program that applies expedited permitting to housing developments near public transit. Since its launch in March 2024, 10 projects totaling 625 homes have been approved, ensuring continued progress on both housing and climate goals. (City of San Diego Release)

Starting Thursday, August 29 at 7:30 a.m., applications will become available and can be submitted online at www. sdhcd.org. Applications also will be accepted in person at the HCDS office, which will open at 7:30 a.m. and have copies available, or by calling 858-694-4801.

“County Project Based Vouchers spur the development

of much needed affordable

housing in the region and are an important way the County supports the housing needs of vulnerable groups like the elderly and disabled,” said David Estrella, director of HCDS.

Advance public notices are posted on HCDS’s website, local newspapers, social media, through email blasts and flyers distributed to County partners and community centers.

The waitlists will open for the following Project-Based Voucher developments:

• Santa Fe Senior Village 53 furnished new, unoccupied units, a portion of the units will be filled through the waitlist and a portion through partner service provider referrals.

Housing for seniors aged 62 and older 414-428 N. Santa Fe Ave, Vista

• Estrella 96 new, unoccupied units

Housing for low-income families, with 24 allocated to project-based vouchers

604 Richmar Ave, San Marcos

• Breezewood

23 project-based voucher units within an existing building that is currently occupied. This waitlist will be for future vacancies at the development.

Housing for disabled adults experiencing homelessness and low-income families

1560 S. Escondido Blvd, Escondido.

The need for affordable housing far outweighs the resources available, making a waitlist necessary in many rental assistance programs. The county is establishing waitlists to fill current and future vacancies at these sites.

All applicants will be selected from the HCDS’s waiting lists, following federal housing policies and program criteria. Please visit www.sdhcd.org for more information on eligibility requirements and services provided at each development.

(Cassie N. Saunders/County of San Diego Communications Office)

Ryan Namata, newly-elected NaFFAA national president. Photo provided by NaFFAA