Fil-Ams join Migrants Day rally against Trump’s mass deportation plan
Los ANGeLes – filipino immigrants were among hundreds of people who marched through the streets of downtown Los Angeles on International migrants Day to protest President-elect Donald trump’s mass deportation plan.
Pilipino Workers Center representative John Perales, who spoke during the rally on Wednesday, said trump’s immigration policies are a “direct assault on values that all Americans hold: family fairness and freedom.”
A human trafficking survivor, Perales said he knows first-hand “how critical immigration protections are.”
“I know what happens when the system fails to protect us,” said Perales, addressing rallyists who carried signs that read, “Keep families together and safe,” “No person is illegal” and “education, not deportation.”
Perales said that like other immigrants, he came to the United states with “hopes and dreams for a better future.” he said undocumented immigrants should fight for
How America lost control of the bird flu, setting the stage for another pandemic
KeIth Poulsen’s jaw dropped when farmers showed him images on their cellphones at the World Dairy expo in Wisconsin in october. A livestock veterinarian at the University of Wisconsin, Poulsen had seen sick cows before, with their noses dripping and udders slack.
But the scale of the farmers’ efforts to treat the sick cows stunned him. they showed videos of systems they built to hydrate hundreds of cattle at once. In 14hour shifts, dairy workers pumped gallons of electrolyte-rich fluids into ailing cows through metal tubes inserted into the esophagus.
“It was like watching a field hospital on an active battlefront treating hundreds of wounded soldiers,” he said.
Nearly a year into the first outbreak of the bird flu among cattle, the virus
Public interest drives Pres. Marcos’ decisions, not high ratings – Palace
mANILA — the public’s interest is at the forefront of every decision of President ferdinand marcos Jr. and not the pursuit of high survey ratings, according to executive secretary Lucas Bersamin. Bersamin made the statement on monday,
December 23 after the latest Pulse Asia survey showed a slight dip in marcos’ approval rating.
“true leadership always carries with it the burden to pursue courses of action which are right but may not be popular,” Bersamin said in a statement.
“Public interest is the sole driver behind every executive decision, not the pursuit of high ratings in the next opinion polls,” he continued. “high
No reason to imprison Mary Jane in Philippines – lawyer
by Rhodina VillanueVa Philstar.com
mANILA — there is no reason to put death row convict mary Jane Veloso in prison in the Philippines, after the latter was recently repatriated from Indonesia, a lawyer said.
Lawyer romulo macalintal questioned calls to grant Veloso a presidential clemency when the latter has never been convicted of any crime in any court in the country.
“What’s all the fuss about mary Jane Veloso to be extended ‘presidential
clemency’ by President marcos, when she has never been convicted in any Philippine court of having committed a crime?” macalintal asked in a statement. he explained, “technically speaking, the clemency has already been extended to her, not by our president, but by the Indonesian government when she was allowed to return to the Philippines after spending nearly 15 years in an Indonesian prison for alleged drug trafficking.” however, to date, Veloso maintained and asserted that she was innocent of the crime.
Imee Marcos blasts bid to rush ‘bad’ budget’s passage
by Javier Joe ismael and aric John sy cua ManilaTimes.net
seN. Imee marcos said she was strongly against the passage of the proposed 2025 General Appropriations Act (GAA), which she described as a “very bad” budget.
speaking during a senate media forum, marcos argued that improving the budget’s contents was better than rushing its passage. “there is no need to revert to a re-enacted budget; we still have a few days. All of us should be patient enough to approve this budget. the poor do not have a vacation, so let’s not rush it.
Let’s ensure that every cent is accounted for and fair,” she said. she said government funds could have been better allocated to the Philippine health Insurance Corp. (Philhealth) for dialysis treatments for more than 60,000 patients at the National Kidney and transplant Institute (NKtI). the Department of education (Deped) is also facing significant funding cuts for 2025. With P11.570 billion slashed from its budget, including P10 billion from the computerization program, 200,000 laptops will no
popularity ratings are the bonus and not the bedrock of effective public service.” Pulse Asia’s nationwide survey, conducted from November 26 to December 3, showed that marcos’ approval rating dropped to 48 percent from 50 percent in september. this comes as more filipinos expressed u PAGE 2
scheme to commit marriage fraud involving members of KoJC in the U.s the KoJC is a religious organization founded and run by Pastor Apollo Quiboloy, who is wanted by the U.s federal Bureau of Investigation for human trafficking and child abuse. Quiboloy is under detention in the Philippines on charges of child sex trafficking. the two KoJC officials will remain under bail under the supervision of the Probation office while
mANILA — the approval and trust ratings of President ferdinand marcos Jr., Vice President sara Duterte, and the two highest congressional leaders declined as more filipinos expressed dissatisfaction with the way the government had been handling high consumer prices, poverty, unemployment, and corruption, according to the results of Pulse Asia’s Ulat ng Bayan nationwide survey released on saturday, December 21. the survey, conducted from Nov. 26 to Dec. 3, showed that the government scored majority approval ratings in only two out of the 14 national issues where its performance was assessed.
these were on its efforts to protect the welfare of overseas filipino workers, which got an approval rating of 60 percent; and its response to the needs of calamity-stricken areas, which got 57 percent. the issue where it had the lowest approval rating was on controlling inflation, which garnered only 2 percent.
Inflation picked up to 2.5 percent in November from 2.3 percent the previous month after the onslaught of powerful storms hit the food supply, while a weak peso bloated import costs of key items such as oil, according to the Philippine statistics Authority. t he other issues with
Senator Imee Marcos Photo from Facebook/@ImeeMarcos
Imee Marcos blasts bid to rush ‘bad’ budget’s...
PAGE 1
longer be provided to teachers and students, marcos said. the Department of Agriculture (DA) also faces a P22.363billion cutback, which includes a reduction of P9.645 billion from the agency’s National rice Program. how can we achieve the target of P29 per kilo of rice if funding for agriculture continues to be reduced?” she said. funding for the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), which has almost 4.4 million beneficiaries, has been trimmed by P50 billion. As a result, families relying on this program may only receive support until June 2025, marcos said. she noted that some budget allocations appear to be used for “vote-buying,” especially with the elections approaching. “It is too obvious! Instead of prioritizing education, health, and social services, vague projects are being
favored,” she said. “the budget must be reviewed. It should serve the interests of the entire population, not just a select few,” marcos said. the opposition group 1sambayan also hit out at “glaring anomalies” in the proposed 2025 appropriations measure. In a statement on saturday, December 21, the group said the Department of Public Works and highways (DPWh) getting a higher allocation than the Deped goes against the constitutional mandate that education should get the biggest budget share. the also lamented there was no budgetary allocation for the Philhealth, which is also unconstitutional. the proposed 2025 GAA reduces by P12 billion the budget of the Deped that was recommended by the president to Congress. Worse, the proposed 2025 GAA reduces to zero the P74.43 billion budget
recommended by the president to Congress. With this, Philhealth will not receive its share of the sin taxes under the existing law must automatically be remitted to Philhealth,” the group said.
It added that the national budget increases by P213 billion the DPWh allocation for flood control projects, reblocking of roads, rock netting, and other public works, which could result in more corruption in government.
It called on President ferdinand marcos Jr. to convince Congress “to reconvene the Bicameral Conference to correct the glaring anomalies in the proposed 2025 GAA. If not corrected, the proposed 2025 GAA will truly come down as the most corrupt national budget in Philippine history.”
the president was supposed to sign the GAA last friday, December 20 but deferred it, saying it needs further study. n
Public interest drives Pres. Marcos’...
dissatisfaction with the way the government has been handling high consumer prices, poverty, unemployment, and corruption.
“We respect the statement that surveys are dipstick readings of the well of the public opinion,” Bersamin said.
“But we believe that the governance scorecard should not be confined to pollings alone,” he continued. “to consider surveys as the sole indicator is to take our focus away from the more important metrics, like employment, that reliably measure our progress as a nation.” n
US judge accepts guilty pleas of...
the court prepares for their sentencing on April 21 next year. Cabactulan maintained
direct communication with the church's leadership in the Philippines, while estopare handled the finances and fundraising quotas of the
How America lost control of the bird flu...
shows no sign of slowing.
person critically ill in Louisiana with the bird flu shows that the virus can be dangerous.
the U.s. government failed to eliminate the virus on dairy farms when it was confined to a handful of states, by quickly identifying infected cows and taking measures to keep their infections from spreading. Now at least 875 herds across 16 states have tested positive.
experts say they have lost faith in the government’s ability to contain the outbreak.
“We are in a terrible situation and going into a worse situation,” said Angela rasmussen, a virologist at the University of saskatchewan in Canada. “I don’t know if the bird flu will become a pandemic, but if it does, we are screwed.”
to understand how the bird flu got out of hand, Kff health News interviewed nearly 70 government officials, farmers and farmworkers, and researchers with expertise in virology, pandemics, veterinary medicine, and more.
together with emails obtained from local health departments through public records requests, this investigation revealed key problems, including deference to the farm industry, eroded public health budgets, neglect for the safety of agriculture workers, and the sluggish pace of federal interventions.
Case in point: the U.s Department of Agriculture this month announced a federal order to test milk nationwide. researchers welcomed the news but said it should have happened months ago — before the virus was so entrenched.
“It’s disheartening to see so many of the same failures that emerged during the covid-19 crisis reemerge,” said tom Bollyky, director of the Global health Program at the Council on foreign relations.
far more bird flu damage is inevitable, but the extent of it will be left to the trump administration and mother Nature. Already, the UsDA has funneled more than $1.7 billion into tamping down the bird flu on poultry farms since 2022, which includes reimbursing farmers who’ve had to cull their flocks, and more than $430 million into combating the bird flu on dairy farms. In coming years, the bird flu may cost billions of dollars more in expenses and losses. Dairy industry experts say the virus kills roughly 2% to 5% of infected dairy cows and reduces a herd’s milk production by about 20%.
Worse, the outbreak poses the threat of a pandemic. more than 60 people in the U.s. have been infected, mainly by cows or poultry, but cases could skyrocket if the virus evolves to spread efficiently from person to person. And the recent news of a
Just a few mutations could allow the bird flu to spread between people. Because viruses mutate within human and animal bodies, each infection is like a pull of a slot machine lever.
even if there’s only a 5% chance of a bird flu pandemic happening, we’re talking about a pandemic that probably looks like 2020 or worse,” said tom Peacock, a bird flu researcher at the Pirbright Institute in the United Kingdom, referring to covid. “the U.s. knows the risk but hasn’t done anything to slow this down,” he added.
Beyond the bird flu, the federal government’s handling of the outbreak reveals cracks in the U.s. health security system that would allow other risky new pathogens to take root. “this virus may not be the one that takes off,” said maria Van Kerkhove, director of the emerging diseases group at the World health organization.
“But this is a real fire exercise right now, and it demonstrates what needs to be improved.”
A slow start
It may have been a grackle, a goose, or some other wild bird that infected a cow in northern texas. In february, the state’s dairy farmers took note when cows stopped making milk. they worked alongside veterinarians to figure out why. In less than two months, veterinary researchers identified the highly pathogenic h5N1 bird flu virus as the culprit.
Long listed among pathogens with pandemic potential, the bird flu’s unprecedented spread among cows marked a worrying shift. It had evolved to thrive in animals that are more like people biologically than birds.
After the UsDA announced the dairy outbreak on march 25, control shifted from farmers, veterinarians, and local officials to state and federal agencies. Collaboration disintegrated almost immediately.
farmers worried the government might block their milk sales or even demand sick cows be killed, as poultry are, said Kay russo, a livestock veterinarian in fort Collins, Colorado. Instead, russo and other veterinarians said, they were dismayed by inaction. the UsDA didn’t respond to their urgent requests to support studies on dairy farms — and for money and confidentiality policies to protect farmers from financial loss if they agreed to test animals. the UsDA announced that it would conduct studies itself. But researchers grew anxious as weeks passed without
results. “Probably the biggest mistake from the UsDA was not involving the boots-on-theground veterinarians,” russo said. Will Clement, a UsDA senior adviser for communications, said in an email: “since first learning of h5N1 in dairy cattle in late march 2024, UsDA has worked swiftly and diligently to assess the prevalence of the virus in U.s. dairy herds.” the agency provided research funds to state and national animal health labs beginning in April, he added. the UsDA didn’t require lactating cows to be tested before interstate travel until April 29. By then, the outbreak had spread to eight other states. farmers often move cattle across great distances, for calving in one place, raising in warm, dry climates, and milking in cooler ones. Analyses of the virus’s genes implied that it spread between cows rather than repeatedly jumping from birds into herds.
milking equipment was a likely source of infection, and there were hints of other possibilities, such as through the air as cows coughed or in droplets on objects, like work boots. But not enough data had been collected to know how exactly it was happening. many farmers declined to test their herds, despite an announcement of funds to compensate them for lost milk production in may.
“there is a fear within the dairy farmer community that if they become officially listed as an affected farm, they may lose their milk market,” said Jamie Jonker, chief science officer at the National milk Producers federation, an organization that represents dairy farmers. to his knowledge, he added, this hasn’t happened.
speculation filled knowledge gaps. Zach riley, head of the Colorado Livestock Association, said he suspected that wild birds may be spreading the virus to herds across the country, despite scientific data suggesting otherwise. riley said farmers were considering whether to install “floppy inflatable men you see outside of car dealerships” to ward off the birds.
Advisories from agriculture departments to farmers were somewhat speculative, too. officials recommended biosecurity measures such as disinfecting equipment and limiting visitors. As the virus kept spreading throughout the summer, UsDA senior official eric Deeble said at a press briefing, “the response is adequate.” the UsDA, the Centers
church's workers.
Both were arrested by U.s federal authorities along with marissa Duenas in 2020. (ManilaTimes.net)
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Malacañang file photo
MAJOR ATTRACTION. A store owner in in La Loma, Quezon City entices buyers to purchase or make advance orders for their lechon (roasted pig) on Sunday, December 22. A Filipino feast is never complete without what is dubbed as the best pig in the world, whether whole or chopped.
PNA photo by Avito Dalan
No reason to imprison Mary Jane in...
“While the Indonesian government left it to the Philippine government to do what the latter thinks is good for Veloso, President marcos cannot use his pardoning power under our Constitution because such power applies only to criminals convicted under Philippine laws,” macalintal stressed.
he added that “our country does not even have jurisdiction over crimes committed by a filipino in other countries.”
macalintal noted that in 2010, the Department of Justice (DoJ) issued a circular on the implementation of agreements involving transfer of sentenced persons, such as Veloso in this case. Under the DoJ circular, only
the sentencing state (Indonesia, in this case) may grant pardon, amnesty or commutation of the sentence, but the administering state (Philippines, in this case) may request the sentencing state to grant pardon, amnesty or commutation of the sentence.
“obviously, by virtue of such agreement, the Indonesian government granted the request of the Philippine government for Veloso’s liberty and sent her back to the Philippines,” macalintal said. he added, “What makes it favorable for Veloso is the apparent compassion of the Indonesian government to release her to the Philippine government for whatever action the latter wants to take on Veloso’s case.”
macalintal said that whatever benefits the Philippine government will give to Veloso will be in line with the spirit of the transfer agreement, particularly to “facilitate the successful reintegration of sentenced persons into society.”
he pointed out that while awaiting the president’s move, Veloso should be allowed to roam free.
“In the meantime, that such action has not yet been done by the president, Veloso should be released from custody of any government agency since she is not facing any charges here in the Philippines, and the fact that not even a warrant of arrest has been issued against her by any court in the Philippines,” macalintal said. n
How America lost control of the bird flu...
for Disease Control and Prevention, and the food and Drug Administration presented a united front at these briefings, calling it a “one health” approach. In reality, agriculture agencies took the lead. this was explicit in an email from a local health department in Colorado to the county’s commissioners. “the state is treating this primarily as an agriculture issue (rightly so) and the public health part is secondary,” wrote Jason Chessher, public health director in Weld County, Colorado. the state’s leading agriculture county, Weld’s livestock and poultry industry produces about $1.9 billion in sales each year.
Patchy surveillance
In July, the bird flu spread from dairies in Colorado to poultry farms. to contain it, two poultry operations employed about 650 temporary workers — spanish-speaking immigrants as young as 15 — to cull flocks. Inside hot barns, they caught infected birds, gassed them with carbon dioxide, and disposed of the carcasses. many did the hazardous job without goggles, face masks, and gloves.
By the time Colorado’s health department asked if workers felt sick, five women and four men had been infected. they all had red, swollen eyes — conjunctivitis — and several had such symptoms as fevers, body aches, and nausea.
state health departments posted online notices offering farms protective gear, but dairy workers in several states told Kff health News that they had none. they also hadn’t heard about the bird flu, never mind tests for it. studies in Colorado, michigan, and texas would later show that bird flu cases had gone under the radar.
In one analysis, eight dairy workers who hadn’t been tested — 7% of those studied — had antibodies against the virus, a sign that they had been infected. missed cases made it impossible to determine how the virus jumped into people and whether it was growing more infectious or dangerous.
“I have been distressed and depressed by the lack of epidemiologic data and the lack of surveillance,” said Nicole Lurie, an executive director at the international organization the Coalition for epidemic Preparedness Innovations, who served as assistant secretary for preparedness and response in the obama administration.
Citing “insufficient data,” the British government raised its assessment of the risk posed by the U.s. dairy outbreak in July from three to four on a six-tier scale.
Virologists around the world said they were flabbergasted by how poorly the United states was tracking the situation.
“You are surrounded by highly pathogenic viruses in the wild and in farm animals,” said marion Koopmans, head of virology at erasmus medical Center in the Netherlands. “If three months from now we are at the start of the pandemic, it is nobody’s surprise.”
Although the bird flu is not yet spreading swiftly between people, a shift in that direction could cause immense suffering.
the CDC has repeatedly described the cases among farmworkers this year as mild — they weren’t hospitalized. But that doesn’t mean symptoms are a breeze, or that the virus can’t cause worse.
“It does not look pleasant,” wrote sean roberts, an emergency services specialist at the tulare County, California, health department in an email to colleagues in may.
he described photographs of an infected dairy worker in another state: “Apparently, the conjunctivitis that this is causing is not a mild one, but rather ruptured blood vessels
and bleeding conjunctiva.”
over the past 30 years, half of around 900 people diagnosed with bird flu around the world have died. even if the case fatality rate is much lower for this strain of the bird flu, covid showed how devastating a 1% death rate can be when a virus spreads easily.
Like other cases around the world, the person now hospitalized with the bird flu in Louisiana appears to have gotten the virus directly from birds. After the case was announced, the CDC released a statement saying, “A sporadic case of severe h5N1 bird flu illness in a person is not unexpected.”
‘The cows are more valuable than us’
Local health officials were trying hard to track infections, according to hundreds of emails from county health departments in five states. But their efforts were stymied. even if farmers reported infected herds to the UsDA and agriculture agencies told health departments where the infected cows were, health officials had to rely on farm owners for access.
“the agriculture community has dictated the rules of engagement from the start,” said michael osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease research and Policy at the University of minnesota. “that was a big mistake.” some farmers told health officials not to visit and declined to monitor their employees for signs of sickness. sending workers to clinics for testing could leave them shorthanded when cattle needed care.
“Producer refuses to send workers to sunrise [clinic] to get tested since they’re too busy. he has pinkeye, too,” said an email from the Weld, Colorado, health department.
“We know of 386 persons exposed — but we know this is far from the total,” said an email from a public health specialist to officials at tulare’s health department recounting a call with state health officials. “employers do not want to run this through worker’s compensation. Workers are hesitant to get tested due to cost,” she wrote.
Jennifer morse, medical director of the mid-michigan District health Department, said local health officials have been hesitant to apply pressure after the backlash many faced at the peak of covid. Describing the 19 rural counties she serves as “very minimal-governmentminded,” she said, “if you try to work against them, it will not go well.”
rural health departments are also stretched thin. organizations that specialize in outreach to farmworkers offered to assist health officials early in the outbreak, but months passed without contracts or funding.
During the first years of covid, lagging government funds for outreach to farmworkers and other historically marginalized groups led to a disproportionate toll of the disease among people of color.
Kevin Griffis, director of communications at the CDC, said the agency worked with the National Center for farmworker health throughout the summer
“to reach every farmworker impacted by h5N1.” But Bethany Boggess Alcauter, the center’s director of public health programs, said it didn’t receive a CDC grant for bird flu outreach until october, to the tune of $4 million. Before then, she said, the group had very limited funds for the task.
“We are certainly not reaching ‘every farmworker,’” she added. farmworker advocates also pressed the CDC for money to offset workers’ financial concerns about testing, including paying for medical care, sick leave, and the risk of being fired. this amounted to an offer of $75 each. “outreach is clearly not a huge priority,” Boggess said. “I hear over and
Marcos, VP Duterte ratings down as poll...
approval ratings were poverty reduction (13 percent), fighting graft and corruption (16 percent), increasing workers’ pay (19 percent), addressing involuntary hunger (20 percent), and job creation (23 percent).
Nationwide decline marcos’ approval rating dropped by 2 percentage points to 48 percent in November, from 50 percent in september.
his trust rating went down by 3 percentage points to 47 percent from 50 percent.
Across the country’s three major geographical groupings, the president’s approval rating fell except in Luzon, where it improved from 61 percent to 65 percent.
the most significant decline was in mindanao, where it dropped to 14 percent from 26 percent. In the Visayas, it went down from 52 to 48.
Bigger slide Vice President Duterte experienced significant slides in both her approval and trust scores. her approval score fell by 10 percentage points from 60 percent to 50 percent, while her trust rating declined by 12 percentage points from 61 percent to 49 percent.
the vice president’s approval rating declined in all areas, most significantly in Visayas where it fell 20 percentage points to 51 percent from 71.
Among socioeconomic classes, her approval rating weakened the most among Class D respondents, from 59 percent to 49 percent.
similar to her approval rating, Duterte’s trust rating also fell in all areas, with the biggest drop in the Visayas from 74 percent to 47 percent.
dero got an approval rating of 53 percent, down by 7 percentage points from 60 percent in september. escudero’s trust rating also dropped by 5 percentage points from 56 percent to 51 percent. still, the senate leader was the only top public official in the survey to maintain majority approval and trust ratings. speaker romualdez experienced a drop in both his approval and trust ratings. his approval rating fell to 25 percent from 32 percent, while his trust rating saw a significant decrease to 21 percent from 31 percent.
Other concerns meanwhile, other national issues where the marcos administration’s performance was weighed were as follows:
over from workers, ‘the cows are more valuable than us.’”
the UsDA has so far put more than $2.1 billion into reimbursing poultry and dairy farmers for losses due to the bird flu and other measures to control the spread on farms.
federal agencies have also put $292 million into developing and stockpiling bird flu vaccines for animals and people. In a controversial decision, the CDC has advised against offering the ones on hand to farmworkers.
“If you want to keep this from becoming a human pandemic, you focus on protecting u PAGE 4
In the National Capital region, the drop was only by 1 percentage point, to 51.
Among the socioeconomic classes, his approval rating declined the most among Class e respondents to 35 percent from 47 percent.
however, it improved by 4 percentage points in Class ABC, rising to 39 percent from 35 percent.
marcos’ trust rating also saw the biggest decline in mindanao, falling to 14 percent from 21 percent, while his trust rating fell the most in Class e to 33 percent from 47 percent.
Among socioeconomic classes, her trust rating fell the most among Class D, from 59 percent to 47 percent.
the Pulse survey was conducted shortly after the already soured relations between the president and the vice president deteriorated even further.
In an online press conference on Nov. 22, four days before the survey began, a fuming Duterte spoke of having instructed a person to assassinate marcos, his wife Liza, and his cousin speaker martin romualdez should an alleged plot to kill her succeed.
Congress leaders
In the same Pulse survey, senate President francis escu-
• Defending the integrity of Philippine territory (50 percent approval rating)
• Promoting peace (42 percent)
• Stopping the destruction and abuse of the environment (40 percent)
• Providing assistance to farmers (40 percent)
• Enforcing the law on all (35 percent)
• Fighting criminality (37 percent). the survey used face-to-face interviews with 2,400 adult respondents and had a margin of error of plus-or-minus 2 percentage points for national estimates, and plus-or-minus 4 percentage points for each geographic area. (inquirer.net)
How America lost control of the bird flu...
farmworkers, since that’s the most likely way that this will enter the human population,” said Peg seminario, an occupational health researcher in Bethesda, maryland. “the fact that this isn’t happening drives me crazy.”
Nirav shah, principal deputy director of the CDC, said the agency aims to keep workers safe. “Widespread awareness does take time,” he said. “And that’s the work we’re committed to doing.”
As President-elect Donald trump comes into office in January, farmworkers may be even less protected. trump’s pledge of mass deportations will have repercussions whether they happen or not, said tania Pacheco-Werner, director of the Central Valley health Policy Institute in California. many dairy and poultry workers are living in the U.s without authorization or on temporary visas linked to their employers. such precarity made people less willing to see doctors about covid symptoms or complain about unsafe working conditions in 2020. Pacheco-Werner said, “mass deportation is an astronomical challenge for public health.”
Not ‘Immaculate Conception’
A switch flipped in september among experts who study pandemics as national security threats. A patient in missouri had the bird flu, and no one knew why. “evidence points to this being a one-off case,” shah said at a briefing with journalists. About a month later, the agency revealed it was not. Antibody tests found that a person who lived with the patient had been infected, too. the CDC didn’t know how the two had gotten the virus, and the possibility of human transmission couldn’t be ruled out. Nonetheless, at an october briefing, shah said the public risk remained low and the UsDA’s Deeble said he was optimistic that the dairy outbreak could be eliminated. experts were perturbed by such confident statements in the face of uncertainty, especially as California’s outbreak spiked and a child was mysteriously infected by the same strain of virus found on dairy farms. “this wasn’t just immaculate conception,” said stephen morrison, director of the
Global health Policy Center at the Center for strategic and International studies. “It came from somewhere and we don’t know where, but that hasn’t triggered any kind of reset in approach — just the same kind of complacency and low energy.”
sam scarpino, a disease surveillance specialist in the Boston area, wondered how many other mysterious infections had gone undetected. surveillance outside of farms was even patchier than on them, and bird flu tests have been hard to get.
Although pandemic experts had identified the CDC’s singular hold on testing for new viruses as a key explanation for why America was hit so hard by covid in 2020, the system remained the same. Bird flu tests could be run only by the CDC and public health labs until this month, even though commercial and academic diagnostic laboratories had inquired about running tests since April. the CDC and fDA should have tried to help them along months ago, said Ali Khan, a former top CDC official who now leads the University of Nebraska medical Center College of Public health.
As winter sets in, the bird flu becomes harder to spot because patient symptoms may be mistaken for the seasonal flu. flu season also raises a risk that the two flu viruses could swap genes if they infect a person simultaneously. that could form a hybrid bird flu that spreads swiftly through coughs and sneezes.
A sluggish response to emerging outbreaks may simply be a new, unfortunate norm for America, said Bollyky, at the Council on foreign relations. If so, the nation has gotten lucky that the bird flu still can’t spread easily between people. Controlling the virus will be much harder and costlier than it would have been when the outbreak was small. But it’s possible.
Agriculture officials could start testing every silo of bulk milk, in every state, monthly, said Poulsen, the livestock veterinarian. “Not one and done,” he added. If they detect the virus, they’d need to determine the affected farm in time to stop sick cows from spreading infections to the rest of the herd — or at least to other
farms. Cows can spread the bird flu before they’re sick, he said, so speed is crucial. Curtailing the virus on farms is the best way to prevent human infections, said Jennifer Nuzzo, director of the Pandemic Center at Brown University, but human surveillance must be stepped up, too. e very clinic serving communities where farmworkers live should have easy access to bird flu tests — and be encouraged to use them. f unds for farmworker outreach must be boosted. And, she added, the CDC should change its position and offer farmworkers bird flu vaccines to protect them and ward off the chance of a hybrid bird flu that spreads quickly.
the rising number of cases not linked to farms signals a need for more testing in general. When patients are positive on a general flu test — a common diagnostic that indicates human, swine, or bird flu — clinics should probe more deeply, Nuzzo said. the alternative is a waitand-see approach in which the nation responds only after enormous damage to lives or businesses. this tack tends to rely on mass vaccination. But an effort analogous to trump’s operation Warp speed is not assured, and neither is rollout like that for the first covid shots, given a rise in vaccine skepticism among republican lawmakers.
Change may instead need to start from the bottom up — on dairy farms, still the most common source of human infections, said Poulsen. he noticed a shift in attitudes among farmers at the Dairy expo: “they’re starting to say, ‘how do I save my dairy for the next generation?’ they recognize how severe this is, and that it’s not just going away.” (Amy Maxmen/KFF Health News)
Healthbeat is a nonprofit newsroom covering public health published by civic News company and KFF Health News. Sign up for its newsletters here.
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.
Fil-Ams join Migrants Day rally against Trump’s...
“safety, dignity and the opportunity to build a life” in the U.s and that they should “not let anyone dehumanize” them. there are more than 950,000 undocumented immigrants, including about 48,000 filipinos, according to the migration Policy Institute, but immigrant rights advocates believe the actual numbers are much higher.
In honor of International migrants Day, local organizations and hundreds of people gathered in downtown Los Angeles in an act of solidarity with immi-
grants, who fear President-elect Donald trump’s promised plans for mass deportation.
Immigrant rights advocates, including members and supporters of the Pilipino Workers Center and the Coalition for humane Immigrant rights (ChIrLA) led the 1.5-mile march, rallying at Placita olvera, 125 Paseo de la Plaza.
the event was part of the fair Immigration reform movement national week of action, which calls on President Joe Biden and Congress to protect immigrant families, and do what they can
to enact measures to prevent incoming President trump’s promised crackdown on illegal immigrants.
Biden and the 118th Congress can take action by voting against a proposal to increase funding requests for immigration enforcement and detention, according to ChIrLA.
Additionally, federal leaders have an opportunity to extend protections for immigrants who have temporary protected status and deferred action for childhood arrivals, also known as DACA. (inquirer.net)
What Trump’s second term could mean for US education
by SElEn ozturk Ethnic Media Services
the American education system is poised to be a battleground for funding, diversity and immigration issues under President trump.
on his campaign trail, trump has mentioned ending the U.s Department of education; rolling back federal funding of public schools, particularly those maintaining diversity, equity and inclusion (DeI) policies; supporting vouchers allowing parents, even wealthy ones, to receive taxpayer money to send their kids to private schools; and overturning title IX, a law prohibiting sex-based discrimination which was expanded under Biden to include sexual orientation- and gender-based discrimination.
In late November, trump picked Linda mcmahon to be the next Department of education (eD) secretary; mcmahon, a major republican donor, is also cochair of his presidential transition team; former small Business Administration head under his first term; and founder, former president and former Ceo of World Wrestling entertainment (WWe).
K-12 and higher education
“We can expect lots of resistance if trump tries to proceed with plans to dismantle the Department of education, and it will come from unlikely quarters, including other republicans in Congress and the senate,” said Pedro Noguera, dean of the University of southern California rossier school of education. “eliminating the department won’t eliminate public education, but it would jeopardize oversight.”
About 90% of general K-12 public education is state- and local government-funded, with 10% — about $800 billion in 2021 — coming from the federal government.
“there’s more federal funding at stake in compensatory cases, like special education and schools in impoverished areas,” he explained. “many of these kids are from republican families and areas, and cutbacks to that support are going to get pushback.”
title I, a grant program established in 1965 for disadvantaged schools, commits the federal government to fund 40% of per-pupil special education costs, although actual funding has always remained below 20%, and was less than 13% in 2023.
schools with at least 40 percent of students from low-income families are also eligible for title I. In 2022, these and similar title I funds for impoverished schools accounted for $15.6 billion; about 63% of public schools in the country’s over 13,000 districts were eligible.
In his first and upcoming administration, trump has also supported private school choice proposals including tax credit vouchers, a measure overwhelmingly rejected in 2018 by voters in states including Arizona, Nebraska, Kentucky and Colorado. however, backing from wealthy conservatives has led nearly a dozen states to create or expand private school voucher or savings
programs in recent years.
Despite resistance to policies like these, often from their own voter base, “a lot of what is driving the administration right now is ideology aimed at launching and sustaining culture wars, like attacks on transgender students and DeI … without bridging the educational gaps our students face,” said Nogura.
According to eD data, 54% of Americans between ages 16 and 74 read below a sixth grade level.
“our demographics are changing to include more students traditionally left out of our nation’s education priorities, and I don’t see the incoming administration’s policies doing better by them,” said thomas toch, director of the futureed program at Georgetown University’s mcCourt school of Public Policy.
higher education policies supported by trump include taxing endowments, nearly half of which are held by 22 out of nearly 6,000 U.s. colleges and universities; reducing oversight of for-profit institutions like the unaccredited trump University, which ceased in 2010 after several lawsuits; reducing federal Pell Grants and work-study programs like AmeriCorps; and ending loan forgiveness and DeI initiatives created under President Biden.
toch added that “International students are also at risk, given the administration’s promises to limit legal and illegal immigration into the Us,” particularly given trump’s pick of first-term immigration hard-liner stephen miller as the White house deputy chief of staff for policy.
Legal challenges Legal precedents present major barriers to other trump-supported policies, like immigration status-dependent public school attendance and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) rollbacks, said thomas A. saenz, president and general counsel of the mexican American Legal Defense and education fund. Plyler v. Doe, the 1982 supreme Court decision guaranteeing every child the right to attend free K-12 public school, “is not in any imminent danger at all,” he explained. “I know we’ve seen a court majority that has overturned long-standing precedent for reproductive choice and affirmative action, but both cases were results of decades-long overturning campaigns by the right, which is
not the case with Plyler.” the Plyler decision, which has been incorporated into federal statutory law, would also prevent raids by ICe or individual immigration officers on public K-12 school campuses.
When the supreme Court overturned trump’s attempt to eliminate DACA in 2020, it did not have the six-to-three republican-appointed majority it currently does. however, eliminating DACA would be more difficult in trump’s second term than the first attempt, which was done through an announcement by the Attorney General to change an obama-era policy.
In 2022, the Biden administration strengthened DACA through a formal regulatory rule-making process. this means that eliminating DACA would require an extensive process involving a public proposal in the federal register with public comment and government response periods.
many of the anti-discrimination protections and civil rights we count on in education are even more protected by legislation which would require action from a Congress that, despite formal republican control, is quite evenly split in the house of representatives, where it would be difficult to enact anything without unanimous republican support,” saenz said.
“What we will get is a daily barrage of rhetoric that is anti-immigrant, anti-DeI, anti-civil rights and anti-public education, including overstated powers of the President to do what he wants,” he continued. “It’s a calculated campaign to convince local decision makers, including school district officials, to withdraw on their own from these issue … But that rhetoric can’t be made real in most cases without congressional action.”
my biggest concern is that rhetoric still has repercussions. People get scared by it, even if it’s not followed up by action. We certainly saw that under the first trump administration,” he added. “We need to do the best we can to prepare for that rhetoric, and remember that the President and his cabinet members do not have dictatorial power. they still have to follow due process for the major changes they’d like to see.” n
ThE American education system is poised to be a battleground for funding, diversity and immigration issues under President Trump. Pexels.com
photo by Pixabay
Dateline PhiliPPines
Alice Guo bail petition denied
by Franco Baroña and Francis earl cueto ManilaTimes.net
A PAsIG City court has dismissed the petition for bail of Alice Guo, citing the "strong evidence" against her and her coaccused.
Guo, the former mayor of Bamban, tarlac, is charged before the Pasig regional trial Court Branch 167 with qualified human trafficking.
the denial of her bail plea means that Guo will continue to be detained at the Pasig City Jail.
Accused with her are maybelline requiro millo, rita sapnu Yturralde, rowena Gonzales evangelista, thelma Barrogo Laranan, merlie Joy manalo Castro, rachelle Joan malonzo Carreon, and Jaimielyn santos Cruz.
the court granted bail to Cruz and millo, stating that the evidence against them was weak. the case stemmed from a raid on a Philippine offshore gaming operator (PoGo) hub in Bamban in June. over 800 filipinos and foreigners working in the hub were rescued.
Guo pleaded not guilty to the human trafficking charge in september. her lawyer, Nicole Jamilla, described the charge as baseless.
Guo is also charged in a graft case in Valenzuela City, a material misrepresentation case in tarlac. she also faces a quo warranto
petition in manila, a petition to cancel her birth certificate in tarlac, complaints for tax evasion, 87 counts of money laundering, and charges of perjury and falsification before the Department of Justice (DoJ).
Guo has denied all charges, including allegations linking her to illegal activities being carried out by PoGos.
President ferdinand marcos Jr. has ordered a total ban on PoGos and their foreign workers deported.
Guo fled the country in July.
In August, she was arrested by authorities in Indonesia, and on sept. 6, a law enforcement team from the Philippines fetched her and brought her back to manila.
In a related development, Pan meishu, the alleged finance officer of the PoGo Zun Yuan technology — formerly known as hongsheng Gaming technology
Inc. — was arrested at a restaurant in Pasay City by a team from the Presidential Anti-organized Crime Commission (Paocc), the Bureau of Immigration (BI), and the Armed forces of the Philippines (AfP).
Paocc said Pan could face similar charges as Guo, including human trafficking and money laundering.
Pan has been linked to Walter Wong Long, a co-accused of Guo.
A government raid on the PoGo site in Bamban, run by Zun Yuan technology, last June revealed that it was engaged in human trafficking and other criminal activities.
Guo is accused of facilitating the gaming operator's entry into Bamban when she was mayor. she has also denied allegations that she has been spying for China. n
Comelec warns candidates vs election scammers
the Commission on elections on sunday, December 22 warned candidates in the may elections not to believe scammers who claim they can deliver a sure win in exchange for fees that reach millions of pesos.
Comelec Chair George Garcia said in a radio interview that these groups have been going across the country claiming “they can tamper the results of the elections, and make them win in just five to 10 minutes, if they pay up from P50 million, P70 million to P100 million.” once they get the attention of their potential victim, these fraudsters would then ask for an advance payment for “administrative expenses.”
Swindlers’ claims the swindlers would also claim that they were “close” with officials of the Comelec, including Garcia himself, and the current automated election systems provider miru. Garcia denied these allegations. the group also claim that they had access to official ballots, where they could put “invisible ink” to shade the name of their political rivals so that votes for them would be rejected. “they should not believe these lies. the printing of ballots at the National Printing office is very secure, with observers and watchers that could countercheck these ballots,” Garcia said.
Former employees According to the poll chief, photos provided by the victims showed that some members of the scamming group were “former Comelec employees, around 15 years ago.” Garcia said he already informed the National Bureau of Investigation about these former employees to get them arrested. these scams have been going on for so long. But still, a number of politicians—who think they will lose and want to ensure their win in the upcoming elections—are still falling for it,” Garcia said. our call to the potential victims is to report them to authorities and have them arrested,” he added. (inquirer.net)
Marcos okays Nat’l Security Strategy to address local, global challenges
mANILA — President ferdi-
nand marcos Jr. has approved the 2024 National security strategy (Nss) to enhance the country’s ability to tackle complex security challenges both locally and globally. In a statement on sunday, December 22, National security Adviser eduardo Año announced that the president approved the Nss during a meeting at malacañang Palace in manila on Dec. 19, 2024.
the Nss, which supports the administration’s National security Policy for 2023-2028, outlines 53 strategic directions and 393 actionable steps designed to safeguard the nation’s sovereignty, protect citizens’ welfare, and promote peace and unity.
“the 2024 Nss prioritizes four key areas: human capital development, institution-building,
efficient use of national power through diplomacy and defense, and fostering sustainable economic growth through resilience and legislative support,” Año said.
Año, a former military chief, emphasized the Nss’s role in addressing both local and global threats, from territorial disputes to economic challenges, while focusing on the well-being of every filipino. this strategy is not only about defending borders. It’s about protecting the hopes and dreams of every filipino family,” he said. the Nss provides a roadmap for building a resilient, united, and self-reliant nation.”
Aligned with the Philippine Development Plan, the Nss advocates a whole-of-nation approach, encouraging participation from government agencies, private organizations, and local commu-
nities to achieve national security goals.
Key priorities of the strategy include investing in education and healthcare, strengthening governance, and leveraging technology to enhance national defense. It also aims to protect critical industries, support economic growth, and uphold the Philippines’ sovereignty, while ensuring opportunities for future generations.
Año urged filipinos to actively engage in the nation’s collective security efforts.
“each step we take brings us closer to a future where our children will be proud to call this nation their own,” he said.
“the Nss is a call to action for the entire nation. By working together, we can overcome challenges, protect our sovereignty, and create a brighter future for all,” Año said.
(PNA)
US Peace Corps hosts marine protection workshop in PH
the United states Peace Corps, in collaboration with the U.s. Agency for International Development (UsAID), hosted its second workshop on marine Protected Area (mPA) management in Puerto Galera, oriental mindoro. the event brought together 23 Peace Corps Volunteers, 47 local government partners, and 12 fisherfolk leaders from 24 communities across the Philippines to learn new strategies on marine protection. the Philippines' rich marine biodiversity faces a number of critical threats. to address this challenge, the workshop provided a platform for participants to exchange best practices in mPA management, explore strategies for managing interconnected mPAs, and to learn about biodiversity monitoring and assessment. Participants also learned practical approaches to managing fisheries, new tools for studying marine life, and strategies for promoting a sustainable marine resource economy — methods designed to balance marine conservation with economic growth in coastal communities.
"through this workshop, we have brought local communities together to build relationships and promote knowledge exchange
needed to protect their marine resources and promote sustainable growth. By working together, we can build a brighter future for our oceans," said matthew tully, Peace Corps Director for Program and training. this workshop also highlighted local success stories on mPA management, including oriental mindoro's "stAr mPA Awards," which celebrate community efforts in marine conservation. Puerto Galera showcased its environmental initiatives, emphasizing how a well-managed marine ecosystem can support livelihoods and boost the local economy. field visits to marine and mangrove conservation areas in oriental mindoro also provided participants with valuable hands-
on learning experiences. the United states counts the Philippines among its closest friends, partners, and allies, and that cooperation is very apparent in this workshop. I wish the participants the best of luck and utmost success in pushing forward these marine protection efforts in their respective communities," said ryder rogers, director of UsAID's environment office. the Peace Corps is the U.s government's premier volunteer organization and has supported filipino communities across the country for more than 60 years. since 1961, over 9,300 Peace Corps Volunteers have worked alongside filipino communities to support sustainable development and create lasting impacts nationwide. (ManilaTimes.net)
Former Bambam Mayor Alice Guo
OPiniOn Features
Gift-giving season
In this season of giving, it says a lot about the magnitude of the corruption problem in this country that Bureau of Immigration personnel at the country’s airports need guidance on whether or not they can give holiday greetings to passengers. The guidance had to be sought because of reports in previous years of BI personnel expecting gifts after greeting passengers a merry Christmas at the immigration counters.
on sunday, December 22, the BI commissioner said immigration personnel may greet passengers but cannot receive gifts. the guidance should go without saying, since under republic Act 6713, the Code of Conduct and ethical standards for Public officials and employees, there are detailed provisions on prohibited acts involving the acceptance of gifts by all government personnel. such provisions should be taken to heart especially by any state worker dealing directly with the public.
the Code of Conduct defines a “gift” that public officials and employees cannot accept from a nonrelative, whether directly or indirectly, as something whose value “is neither nominal nor insignificant, or the gift is given in anticipation of, or in exchange for, a favor.” relatives refer to persons within the fourth civil degree of consanguinity or affinity, including in-laws of the government official or employee. there are exceptions, particularly regarding gifts or grants from foreign governments including fellowships, scholarships or medical treatment.
the demand for overseas filipino workers continues to grow, with foreign employers preferring filipinos because of their admirable work ethic. this positive outlook has greatly contributed to their reputation for being reliable, dependable and hardworking. Added to that is their ability to communicate in english and their eagerness to learn the language of their host country.
According to Department of migrant Workers (DmW) secretary hans Cacdac, job opportunities are expanding rapidly in many countries across europe such as the Czech republic that is doubling its annual quota for filipino workers, while Austria will need over 200,000 workers in the coming years and Croatia is opening up jobs in the health care and hotel sectors.
In the United states, the demand for nurses and other professionals in the health care
IN utter dismay over how badly distorted the 2025 General Appropriations Act (GAA) came out, President ferdinand marcos Jr. (PBBm) wants to redo it. separately ratified by both chambers of the 19th Congress, the president minced no words in asserting the P6.352-trillion budget for next year – as submitted by the executive branch – has been mangled by “insertions” and re-alignments.
It was after the bicameral conference committee (bicam) practically rewrote the 2025 GAA after it was respectively approved at the senate and at the house of representatives. Dubbed as the “third Congress,” the bicam is constituted to reconcile the differing versions of two same legislative bills approved separately in both chambers. the bicam is composed of an equal number of senators and those from the house of representatives as panel members. the designated chairperson for each panel for the 2025 GAA bill was senator Grace Poe, as the chairperson of the senate finance committee, and her
But rA 6713 states: “Public officials and employees shall not solicit or accept, directly or indirectly, any gift, gratuity, favor, entertainment, loan or anything of monetary value from any person in the course of their official duties or in connection with any operation being regulated by, or any transaction which may be affected by the functions of their office.”
If the law would be strictly enforced, it could decimate the ranks of government at all levels. tragically for the country, ignoring the Code of Conduct has become the norm rather than the exception. this may still be corrected, with increased awareness of the prohibitions against soliciting and accepting gifts. Civic-minded people can report violations of rA 6713, if not through official channels, then to the world through the digital information network. BI personnel have received their guidance and warning. In this season of gift-giving, the warning bears dissemination throughout the government. (Philstar.com)
Editorial Department of Migrant Workers plays a crucial role
sector as well as in education, manufacturing and information technology continues to be high. During my interactions with republican and Democrat members of the U.s. Congress, they only have high praise for filipino workers, describing them as hardworking and dedicated.
Dubbed as “bagong bayani” or “new heroes,” ofWs have been a major contributor to the economy of the Philippines through their remittances that amounted to over $37.2 billion in 2023 which, according to the Bangko sentral ng Pilipinas, represented 8.5 percent of the country’s gross domestic product or GDP. topping the country of origin for remittances was the United states followed by singapore and saudi Arabia. this year, ofW remittances are estimated at $38 billion and it’s likely this amount does not include money sent through informal channels.
As I pointed out on several occasions, ofWs are among our best assets and play a major role in promoting good relations with other nations – their loyalty and dedication earning praise and
counterpart Ako Bicol party list rep. elizaldy Co, who chairs the house committee on appropriations. the 12-man senate panel was composed of senate pro tempore Jinggoy estrada; senate majority leader francis tolentino; senate minority leader Aquilino Pimentel III; senate assistant minority leader risa hontiveros; senators JV ejercito, sherwin Gatchalian, Imee marcos, ronald Bato dela rosa, Joel Villanueva, Cynthia Villar, mark Villar and miguel Zubiri. on the part of the house, the bicam members were Pampanga 3rd District rep. (Deputy speaker) Aurelio Dong Gonzales; Quezon 2nd District rep. and Deputy speaker David Jayjay suarez; Zamboanga City 2nd District rep. and majority Leader manuel manix Dalipe; tingog party-list rep. and Deputy majority Leader Jude Acidre; eastern samar 4th District rep. and minority floor leader marcelino Libanan; marikina 2nd District rep. stella Quimbo; mandaluyong City rep. Neptali Gonzales; Agusan del Norte 1st District rep Jose Joboy Aquino; Ako Bicol party-list rep. raul Anglo Jil Bongalon; Antipolo 2nd District rep. romeo Acop; romblon rep. eleandro
accolade as seen during the oct. 7 attack of hamas against Israel when a filipina nurse refused to leave her elderly patient – with both of them brutally murdered. But while we hail their heroism and value their contribution to the economy, these also come at great personal sacrifice, enduring the pain of separation from their families and loved ones. Worse, they are also the most frequent victims of labor and human rights abuses, especially women who make up most of the workforce. Cruel employers maltreat them, force them to work excessively long hours under terrible conditions and with little pay. We hear a lot of stories about ofWs being starved and physically abused for minor mistakes, humiliated and subjected to emotional and mental torture.
President marcos has seen this personally during the years he spent in exile, and he certainly empathizes with the plight of ofWs. he has given clear instructions to secretary Cacdac to ensure their welfare and protection, and provide assistance especially in times of need or distress. Just recently,
the president inaugurated a one-stop center in makati for ofWs that provides fast and streamlined services which include document processing of returnees, renewal, oWWA membership, legal assistance and other services. the facility also houses services from other government agencies essential to ofWs such as the social security system, home Development mutual fund, social Welfare and Development, among others. there is no doubt the DmW plays a crucial role in protecting the rights of ofWs and promoting the welfare of their families as well. to this end, they have issued “whitelisting” guidelines that recruitment agencies must adhere to in order to monitor the safety of deployed workers. efforts are also being doubled to go after illegal recruiters and close down their operations, intensifying awareness campaigns to educate filipinos about the dangers posed by illegal recruiters. ofW mary Jane Veloso is a clear example of one who was victimized by illegal recruiters. she was supposed to work in malaysia but was told that no
work was available, and thus was sent to Indonesia where she was arrested for drug trafficking when authorities found heroin in her luggage, which Veloso claims was provided by her recruiter. mary Jane is lucky to be repatriated to manila following an agreement between Indonesia and the Philippines. others were not so lucky, like flor Contemplacion and a male worker in saudi Arabia who was executed last october. many of us get emotional about the plight of overseas filipino workers and the kind of heartbreak they go through providing for their families.
In fact, not too long ago I got furious when one of the columnists in our publication wrote nasty comments about ofWs when they happened to be on the same flight with her to manila. she mocked, belittled and insulted them in her column – so I fired her. At a Christmas gathering in malacañang to honor ofWs and their families, the president said his administration is strengthening cooperation with host countries to protect the rights of ofWs, hailing their
It’s an election budget
madrona and rizal 1st District rep. michael Duavit.
Last Nov. 28, the “third Congress” began meeting behind closed doors as usual. for almost two weeks, the bicam closeted themselves, along with their respective legislative staff, in a suite at the manila hotel.
senate President francis escudero and speaker martin romualdez later joined them at the signing of the consolidated version of the 2025 GAA held last Dec. 11 at the same venue. It was immediately sent back to the senate and the house for one final look at their respective plenary sessions. And on the same day, both chambers of the 19th Congress ratified the 2025 budget in marathon sessions. the lawmakers were only too happy to meet the self-imposed deadline for the submission of next year’s budget before they adjourned for their Christmas break last week. But at the end of the process, it was discovered the bicam obviously went overboard and unilaterally reshaped the president’s budget priorities for next year. Alas, the final 2025 GAA bill as churned out by the bicam included last-minute changes in the budget program. Drastic changes in allocations
were found in the voluminous copy of the 2025 GAA as transmitted to malacañang for review and eventual signing by the president before it becomes law. from the initial looks of it, the bicam nearly got away with all the usual horse trading. former senator and now Department of education (Deped) secretary sonny Angara bewailed publicly the slashing of P12 billion from his agency’s outlay. the Philippine health Insurance Corp. (Philhealth) got zero subsidy for next year. thus, the actuarial life of the chief implementing agency of the Universal health Act is at risk. Being the agency in charge of state-funded infrastructure activities, the Department of Public Works and highways (DPWh) got more projects that were not even in the list of the president’s National expenditure Program (NeP) for next year. the bonanza of realignments resulted to a P1.113-trillion DPWh budget. self-proclaimed “super Ate,” senator marcos assailed PBBm allies in Congress, whom she accused of impeachment-baiting her younger brother to commit an unconstitutional act. the 1987 Constitution states that education should receive the highest budget allocation among
government offices. With overall P925-billion budgets for basic, higher and technical-vocation education put together, the DPWh budget for next year still exceeded it. she also denounced DPWh’s “various infrastructure projects” that she claimed were reserved for “VIPs,” or very important politicians, glaringly in aid of may 2025 election. herself up for re-election, she claimed “confusion” and “ignorance” as to how these changes got into the 2025 GAA. Although she was part of the bicam, she swore to high heavens: “We were not consulted on these drastic changes.”
PBBm though is not a stranger to this kind of culture in Congress. After all, he served as congressman in his home province at the second district of Ilocos Norte. his first term was from 1992 to 1995 and returned as congressman from 2007 to 2010. he got elected as senator in 2010 for a six-year term.
the 67-year-old chief executive is now taking a strong stand now in the mid-term of his tenure at malacañang. he would no longer tolerate such wanton disregard, if not disrespect, for the president’s budget.
“Now, it’s up to us on how we
contribution to the economy and assuring them that along with the DmW, our consulates and embassies all over the world are working to ensure their welfare. our embassy will do everything to protect and help ofWs in the United states, especially those who have a sword hanging over their head because of their uncertain legal status. this is also the reason why we are hoping to open more consulates in other parts of the U.s. like seattle and even in Alaska. We are also intensifying engagements with relevant U.s. officials to advocate for filipinos’ rights and welfare, and will continue to provide consular assistance to all filipino nationals regardless of their immigration status. But when all is said and done – the only way to have legal status in the United states is to follow U.s. laws. (Philstar.com)
* * * The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff.
* * * Email: babeseyeview@gmail.com
regain control of the spending program, and I cannot give you the details yet... that is what we are doing. We’re going through item by item, line by line to see what is priority and what is not. that’s what we will come up with,” PBBm vowed. he sat down at malacañang with his economic managers to scrutinize with a fine-tooth comb the printed copy of the 2025 GAA. Assisted by his economic team led by Department of Budget and management (DBm) secretary Amenah Pangandaman, the president has nothing to worry about.
While Congress has the “powers of the purse,” the chief executive enjoys line-item veto powers over the budget bill. our Constitution also provided for “automatic re-enactment” that allows the national government to operate its day-to-day mandate even without a new approved GAA. since the 2025 GAA is an election budget anyways, it’s better that we have re-enacted 2024 GAA. (Philstar. com)
* * * The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff.
in
Friday, December 27, 2024
‘It’s Showtime’ to continue airing on GMA-7
by Jan Milo Severo Philstar.com
GmA-7 announced that the ABs-CBN noontime show "It's showtime" will continue to air on its channel in 2025.
“'It’s showtime' will continue to air in GmA in 2025! Maligayang
Pasko, madlang Kapuso at Kapamilya,” the official statement read.
ABs-CBN, meanwhile, thanked GmA for the continued trust and support to the noontime show.
"Masaya ang ABs-CBN na ibalita na magpapatuloy ang 'It's showtime' sa pag-ere tuwing tanghali sa GmA mula Lunes hanggang Sabado.
"Taos-pusong nagpapasalamat ang ABs-CBN at ang pamilya ng 'It's showtime' sa GmA para kanilang patuloy na tiwala at suporta.
"Patuloy kaming maghahatid ng
inspirasyon at saya sa aming mga manonood.
"Maraming salamat, mga Kapuso, mga Kapamilya at Madlang People." the announcement came after rumors of the show parting ways
with GmA trended on social media earlier this week. “It’s showtime” was first seen on GmA-7’s sister channel, GtV, in July 2023. It began airing on GmA-7’s main channel in April this year.
Alfy Yan follows footsteps of late uncle Rico
ALfoNso “Alfy” Yan-tueres became a viral sensation back in 2020 after netizens noticed that he was the spitting image of his uncle, the late matinee idol rico Yan. the resemblance with rico was so close that netizens were quick to spread Alfy’s photos on social media sites, leading many to believe that he would enter show business right away.
But Alfy, who is the son of rico’s eldest sister, chose to focus on his studies as a management student at the Ateneo de manila University. to add to that, he was also quite busy with his love of baseball, being a member of the Ateneo Baseball Varsity team. four years later, Alfy, now 19 years old, made the decision to follow in the footsteps of his talented uncle rico, as part of the
Viva Artists Agency family. Viva has a long history of grooming matinee idols into talented actors, such as Aga muhlach, robin Padilla, James reid, and now, in the current generation, young actors like Andres muhlach.
After the announcement that Alfy would be joining Viva, he was showered with support from fans and family, including actress Claudine Barretto, his uncle rico’s former onscreen and offscreen partner.
“I am so proud to announce that another Yan will be part of this industry,” Claudine wrote on Instagram. “Like his uncle rico, Alfy will be changing and touching lives and will continue the Yan legacy. We are so proud of you Alfy!”
Now that he is under one of the renowned talent agencies in the country, there is a lot to expect from Alfy as he hones his craft as an athlete, and now as an artist. Definitely something to look forward to for 2025 and beyond. (ManilaTimes.net)
Catriona Gray’s philanthropic legacy
Before being crowned miss Universe 2018, Catriona Gray was deeply involved in various charitable initiatives and advocacies. these included hIV awareness, supporting child cleft repair surgery and comprehensive cleft care, and aiding abandoned and traumatized children.
one organization she has worked with extensively since 2016 is Young focus, a non-governmental organization that supports children and their families in the smokey mountain area of tondo, manila. During her reign as miss Universe, Gray brought significant attention to Young focus, highlighting its mission and work.
Young focus emphasizes education as a means to overcome poverty, enrolling children and young adults in school. the organization began in 2008 with 225 beneficiaries in smokey mountain. today, it supports 936 beneficiaries.
Despite the surge in support and awareness for Young focus during Gray’s miss Universe journey, momentum eventually waned. to get more support, Gray organized a fundraising event to benefit the organization.
the fundraising event, titled “Catriona Gray’s Legacy Ball,” was held on Nov. 22 at the City of Dreams manila ballroom in Parañaque City. the private event was a success, attended by donors and invited guests.
“my heart is so full. I’m incredibly grateful to everyone here supporting Young focus. seeing so many people donate has been so fulfilling. this journey has been long, but it continues to grow. I’m super happy — it’s so rewarding,” Gray said in an interview after the ball.
While Gray didn’t set a specific fundraising goal, she noted that donations and pledges were coming in steadily leading up to and during the event. “hopefully, it’s a substantial amount. I want to thank our media partners for amplifying Young focus’s message. If anyone watching or listening — especially companies or schools — wants to get involved, I encour-
them to do so,” Gray added. she further expressed hope that the Legacy Ball would become an annual event, potentially benefiting other groups in the future. “It’s a wonderful way to bring people together to give back to the community and make an impact,” she said. organized in partnership with Cornerstone entertainment and directed by John Prats, the event featured music, fashion, and purpose. Performances included G22, P-Pop boy group Yes my Love, and Patrick Quiroz, who opened the show with “You Will Be found.” Piolo Pascual performed “till there Was You” and “Be my Lady,” followed by richard Poon’s rendition of a Christmas medley and “Kahit Maputi Na Ang Buhok Ko.” meanwhile, radha also performed as Cornerstone talents — including G22, Perlas funtanares, sofia Jarling, roxie smith, and Isabel oli — modeled creations by designers mak tumang, manny halasan, russ Cuevas, Jearson Demavivas, Ulysses Caragayan, and Dia Ali, all close friends of Gray in the fashion industry. Gray herself took the stage to sing “When You Believe” by Whitney houston and mariah Carey. In her speech, she emphasized the event’s purpose, “By being here tonight, you are showing these kids that their dreams are worth pursuing. every child deserves someone to believe in them. When you believe, you help them see how we can overcome obstacles together.” Young focus provides a holistic approach to child development. Its programs include school sponsorships, catch-up classes for students who have dropped out, nutrition initiatives for families, and training in computer and career skills. the organization also offers counseling and other comprehensive support. for as little as P1,500 per month, individuals can sponsor a child’s education, empowering them to pursue a brighter future. “It’s a long-term plan to lift children and their families out of poverty. But you have to start somewhere. I trust Young focus wholehearteaadly and have worked with them for eight years. If you want to get involved, I encourage you to do so,” Gray finally said. (ManilaTimes.net)
National Artist Nora Aunor has ‘special participation’ in MMFF film ‘Isang Himala’
by CharMie Joy Pagulong Philstar.com
the lead actress of the 2024 metro manila film festival (mmff) official entry “isang Himala,” Aicelle santos, had the pleasure of meeting National Artist Nora Aunor long before filming the movie musical. she was ecstatic when she was first introduced to the “Himala” star during the run of the 2018 stage musical adaptation.
In both the current film and the previous theater production, Aicelle portrays the iconic role of elsa, originally played by Nora in the 1982 classic “Himala,” directed by Ishmael Bernal. the singer-thespian recalled to The STAr how the superstar reacted after watching the show.
“I remembered after the show, she hugged us and naalala ko nangingilid yung luha niya. And then magkahawak kami ng kamay in photos. so that’s my receipt.
“And then she said, ‘Nanumbalik sa akin ang panahon na ginagawa ko yung ‘Himala.’ I took that as a sign that she liked the staging back then. she was all smiles. We were nervous at that time, especially me. When I learned that ms. Nora Aunor would watch our staging, I didn’t feel like going on stage, but I think we delivered.”
the musical film tells the story of a young woman named elsa who claims to have witnessed a miracle and have been given healing powers in a village (Baryo Cupang) consumed by drought and suffering. It is helmed by “GomBurZa” director Pepe Diokno and written by “Himala” screenwriter and National Artist ricky Lee. Vincent A. de Jesus served as the musical director.
Direk Pepe told this paper that Nora will have a special participation in the 50th mmff entry. “to meet and hear her perform, iba,” he commented.
the “isang Himala” remains a powerful narrative in today’s context as people still continue to search for hope and love, stated ricky Lee.
“for me, this is a tribute to the film that we made in 1982. since it was released then became a musical and now a film, sa palagay ko patuloy itong magkakaroon ng iba’t ibang bersyon at magpapatuloy pa ang pagkukwento natin ng tungkol sa himala.
the veteran screenwriter emphasized the “importance of revisiting the material and presenting it in a way that resonates with modern audiences while maintaining its timeless essence.”
Direk Pepe, on the other hand, said that the movie tackles issues related to faith and blind faith, adding, “there’s also the issue of truth or lies or non-truths, and then yung effect ng I would say parang corruption also in our society.”
Quoting ricky, direk Pepe noted that the film is both faithful and unfaithful to the original version. “And I’ll take that in the sense na
lahat kami actually, even sir ricky said, kung uulitin lang natin yung nagawa ng 1982, ba’t pa gagawin? And actually ang musical po kasi ang pinanggagalingan nun is si sir ricky in 2003 with Vince de Jesus. Yung idea daw is in the 1982 film kasi, andaming mga silences,” he explained. there were things elsa wouldn’t say, so they thought, ‘What if we give a song to elsa’s true feelings and thoughts? What would she say?’” he continued describing the mmff film as “more emotional with a more expressive story, very powerful and has a different aspect of elsa that wasn’t shown in the original film.” they also creatively played with the visuals and sounds, setting it apart from the original one. “isang Himala” is presented by CreaZion studios in partnership with Unitel, straightshooters, Kapitol films and CmB Production. the film premiered on Christmas Day, Dec. 25, and also stars Bituin escalante, David ezra, Neomi Gonzales, Vic robinson, sweet Plantado, Kakki teodoro, floyd tena and Joann Co.
Alfy Yan Photo courtesy of Viva
Catriona Gray
Photo from Instagram/@catriona_gray age
Quoting National Artist Ricky Lee, ‘Isang himala’ director Pepe Diokno says the 2024 Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) entry ‘Isang himala’ is both faithful and unfaithful to the 1982 classic film directed by Ishmael Bernal. Photo from Instagram/@aicellesantos
College credit for real-world experience
reCeNtLY, Governor Newsom unveiled the framework for California’s final master Plan for Career education. the plan will help Californians, especially veterans, earn college credit for realworld experience, strengthen career pathways and eliminate degree requirements for nearly 30,000 state jobs, with a goal to double that number. Credit for prior learning can allow students to benefit from skills and knowledge gained outside the classroom, giving them a jumpstart on completing their degree and entering the workforce.
California’s 116 community colleges play a pivotal role in this plan which aims to provide at least 250,000 students with college credits for certain kinds of work experience and offer more than 200+ high quality career education programs. these programs provide affordable, hands-on training taught by industry experts who have worked in their respective fields of study.
In response to the master Plan for Career education, California Community Colleges Chancellor sonya Christian said: “Learning is learning – whether it occurs in the classroom or outside the classroom. Credit for Prior Learning, a cornerstone of Vision 2030, creates new opportunities for veterans and working learners by recognizing their valuable skills and experiences with college credit. this investment advances educational opportunity, accelerates career pathways and strengthens economic mobility for all Californians.” to learn more about the master Plan for Career education see the Governor’s office release by going to https://www.gov.ca.gov/2024/12/16/governor-
to learn more about the California Community Colleges Career education programs, Credit for Prior Learning, financial aid and more, visit ICanGotoCollege.com. the site is available in
english, spanish, Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese. the California Community Colleges is the largest system of higher education in the nation, composed of 73 districts and 116 colleges serving 2.1 million students per year. California community colleges provide career education and workforce training; guaranteed transfer to four-year universities; and degree and certificate pathways. As the state’s engine for social and economic mobility, the California Community Colleges supports Vision 2030, a strategic plan designed to serve our students, our communities and our planet. for more information, please visit the California Community Colleges website or follow us on facebook, Instagram and X (formerly twitter).
during his own immigrant visa interview, Carlos got flustered and mistakenly “confessed” to being married when he was, in fact, single. the error led to a visa denial and a charge of fraud.
Despite this rocky start, Atty. Gurfinkel’s law office successfully cleared Carlos’ name, enabling him to obtain his green card in 2016.
After marrying Cielo in the Philippines, Carlos petitioned for her green card. When the priority date became current, the couple sought Atty. Gurfinkel’s expertise again, concerned that the “phantom marriage” might jeopardize her chances.
DALY CItY – the Philippine
Consulate General in san francisco, represented by Acting head of Post Consul rowena Pangilinan-Daquipil, graced the “handog 2024: Concert for a Cause,” organized by Daly City and the Pilipino Bayanihan resource Center, on December 15, 2024 at the Pacelli Gym in Daly City, California. the event was organized following the devastating typhoon season in the Philippines this year, which immensely affected many families, especially children.
ABs-CBN International foundation’s Bantay Bata has been chosen as the beneficiary of this endeavor. In her speech, Consul Pangilinan-Daquipil thanked the organizers, sponsors, and performers of the event for exhibiting the true spirit of bayanihan. she also expressed gratitude to the attendees for not forgetting fellow kababayans facing challenges by way of supporting the concert during this yuletide season. (PcGSF release)
sAN frANCIsCo – on
monday, December 23, mayor London N. Breed announced the first round of grant recipients of this year’s sf shines storefront Improvement Program, which is administered by the office of economic and Workforce Development (oeWD). more than 50 small businesses will receive over $350,000 in funding to support storefront improvements and equipment purchases. the program will begin accepting new applications in January 2025.
As part of sf shines, new and existing small businesses can receive up to $10,000 in funds for physical improvements to help reduce vulnerability to crime, attract foot traffic, ensure compliance with city requirements, and stimulate economic growth in neighborhoods across san francisco. since it launched in 2022, the program has been vital to the city’s economic revitalization strategy, awarding more than $3.7 to approximately 960 businesses. san francisco’s small businesses are at the center of what drives our economy and what makes our city so special,” said mayor Breed. sf shines has awarded nearly $4 million in grants for hundreds of small businesses, but this is just one of many resources available for our small business community. I am proud of the investments we have made and continue to secure so that the city can offer help to businesses stay successful.”
sf shines has been an essential resource for a variety of small businesses, allowing them to expand their offerings, enhance their customer experience, and improve operations. mayor Breed included $5.9 million in the city’s budget to support the program and over 300 small businesses this fiscal year.
sf shines supports economic growth by supporting existing businesses in san francisco’s neighborhoods,” said sarah
Dennis Philips, director of oeWD. “through targeted grant funding, the program not only revives storefronts, but also this contributes to the larger vision of building a more lively, safe, and dynamic community where people can shop, dine, work, and connect.”
sf shines has come through for us when our business was needing it the most. thankfully their process for getting grants has been easy to apply to. We are so grateful for the opportunity to get access to help from sf shines. It’s crucial to small businesses with no investors to back them up. Can’t thank sf shines enough!” said Isai Cuevas, owner of Donaji, a mission District bar that received support to purchase new tables, chairs, and bar equipment. this is Donaji’s second sf shines grant, having previously received funding through the sf shines Construction Grant program in 2023 to support building improvements.
“I am deeply grateful for the grant provided through the sf shines program,” said onur ozkaynak, owner of Cha Cha Cha and oz Pizza. “this investment has not only enabled muchneeded improvements to my businesses but has also brought renewed hope for future growth. thank you for championing small businesses like mine and helping us thrive.”
With the grant funding, ozkaynak will be able to redesign the bar at Cha Cha Cha and purchase a new pizza oven for his other establishment, oz Pizza. for businesses like mine that have weathered the pandemic and increased inflation, grants like these are essential to helping grow our businesses and keeping san francisco unique,” said michelle hernandez, owner and chef at Le Dix-sept Pâtisserie.
“With the anticipated arrival of the funds from sf shines Grant, we will be able to purchase a brand new commercial-use freezer for our bakery,” said hong
Kong Bakery owner David huang. “In previous years, our old freezer would work and stop working randomly, requiring constant repairs and careful maintenance. With the new unit in place, we are able to more accurately control and maintain the desired temperature thereby being able to deliver a fresher food experience
California Community Colleges Chancellor Sonya Christian Contributed photo
Carlos and Cielo during the latter’s graduation several years ago.
Cielo is shown in photo above with leading U.S. Immigration Attorney Michael J. Gurfinkel.
NeeYoNG Nabus, 13, son of Bicolano journalist and radio/tV host Ambet rivera Nabus (awardee of 2nd southeast Asian Premier Business and Achiever Award), is showing great potential in the world of performing arts. his rap single, “Agos ng Tugtog,” talks about ignoring the negativity in life and letting music to take away one’s worries. he is the young artist of ABs-CBN record label starPop. he is a Grade 7 student at feU roosevelt in Cainta, rizal. he loves to play guitar, writes rap songs, and plays basketball and billiards. he also likes cooking and playing with his pet dogs. he enjoys Christmas gathering with family and friends and sees Christmas as the best time to be with loved ones. he delights in opening gifts and giving them away to others. he dreams of becoming a soldier, a chef and a basketball star. his favorite artists include michael Pangilinan, rapper and singer-songwriter flow G and esmer.
* * * the 3rd National Parol-making Competition at Kalayaan Grounds, malacañang Palace was a huge success. A star-studded panel of judges brought their expertise and artistry to the event, composed of comedian and tV host Vice Ganda, philanthropist Lizzie Zobel de Ayala, renowned bag designer Neil felipp san Pedro, celebrated fashion designer michael Leyva, and chairman and Ceo of the film Development Council of the Philippines Jose Javier reyes. the competition showcased the creativity and craftsmanship of participants nationwide. After much deliberation, the top three winners were selected and joined recently the Christmas tree lighting
ceremony at the grounds in front of malacañang’s Kalayaan hall where I worked as presidential message writer for almost nine months years ago.
* * * Congrats to fellow recipients of the World summit excellence Awards’ the Grand Ambassador’s Ball, organized by Lheng Divinagracia Gonzales, at the metro Club of makati on December 14, 2024. some of the winners included shiela Delgado, Yeoj marquez, Nunungan mayor marcos mamay, singers Imelda Papin, Beverly salviejo, richard reynoso and Ice seguerra, actor Jeric raval, actress-singer Ara mina, Net25 radyo Aguila hosts Belle surara and Wej Cudiamat, DJ Nicole hyala of 90.7 Love radio, Dr. Alexis Divinagracia, ma. Candelaria Unidad Co, James Arthur Jimenez of the ComeLeC, Kap. PA Velasco, Paranaque Cong. edwin olivarez, Cong, Virgilio Lacson, Benjo Bernabe, Cong. Carlo Aldeon of Ang tinig ng senior Citizen Partylist, impersonator-singer ruben Noble Dominguez Jr., Atty. Warren mendoza, samira Ali Gutoc, emily Lego with her husband fraternal order of eagles Governor Jessie Lebron, Dr. maria elena Namuag, sJo2 Jude Pagdato Gumawa, Lt. Col. (ret.) ramil Palisoc, PBGen. Wilson C. Asueta, Alma mirano, Vivian Ancheta Gabriel, PhD, PAGCor, PCso mary Liza Dino-seguerra, and Aficionado’s Joel s. Cruz who brought his kids to the awards night.
Lheng also appeared in the films “Imelda Papin: the Untold story” and “Unlock” (with rafael rossell, Julio Daz, Beverly salviejo, Pinky Amador, sheila Delgado and tanya Garcia). she is the chair of the Paranaque Chapter of “Basta tayo sama-sama,” president of southern metro District Lady eagles Club, and secretary of the Ambassador Club of the Philippines.
my students at the University of makati had been fortunate to have as guest emmy award-winning filipino American animator Jess espanola, who I featured at the Philippine star.
*
my Australian relatives visited us at the house of my cousin, foremost filipino glass sculptor ramon Gahol orlina with his malaysian wife Lay-Ann Lee orlina, a London-schooled lawyer.
* * *
Congratulations to the winners of the 2nd southeast Asian Premier Business and Achiever Awards last December 8, 2024 at Winford resort and Casino manila. I brought my aunts, retired teacher Pilar de mesa of Legarda elementary school and PAreB (Philippine Association of real estate Boards) member Anita Garcia, who took care of me since childhood.
During the well-organized event, I saw Asia’s Queen of fire Lae manego (I joined her in an outreach activity at ChILDhaus manila), richard merk, my very good friend Dr. Patrick saburit who remains humble despite his success (more of him in the future issue of this column), amiable Ambet Nabus, Jamin Constantino Lim, marc Logan, my dear friend Andrew de real, miles ocampo, Belle surara, Wej Cudiamat, DJ mama Colleen, D. edgard Cabangon with his wife sharon tan, Usec. robert torres rivera with his lovely wife Nerlisa elyza francisco rivera, Braggy Litonjua Braganza, Guia Cruz Buenaventura of media house express, PtV staff who represented Audrey Gorriceta and rise and shine Pilipinas (we were on table 13), Charlomagne Arceta, hagibis, Gretchen fullido, and Carmela Betonio. I was surprised actor Philip salvador (his sister actress Deborah sun is my good
Mayor Breed announces over $350K in...
small businesses that are seeking to move into Downtown. modeled on the storefront opportunity Grant, which disbursed $1.3 million to 71 new or expanding small businesses across the city, the open Downtown Grant will start accepting applications in early 2025.
• Expansion of Vandalism and fire relief: mayor Breed’s budget includes $1.2 million to continue assisting small businesses with unexpected expenses caused by vandalism and fire. the Vandalism relief Grant provides up to $2,000 grants for small business storefront damages. this year’s budget supports businesses to apply for the vandalism relief grant up to three times per year. the fire Disaster relief Grant awards up
to $10,000 for businesses that are significantly damaged by fire for which they were not at fault. Last year, the city disbursed $819,000 and 535 awards to businesses in the form of relief funding.
“In addition to direct grant programs, the office of small Business has case managers, permit and leasing experts, and other advisors at the ready to help entrepreneurs,” said Katy tang, director of the office of small Business. “We are here to support small businesses, whether they are just getting started, building their brand, expanding to a new location, or securing their legacy.”
oeWD will open another round of applications for sf shines in January 2025. for more information regarding the city’s small business grant programs, or
to subscribe to our newsletter for updates, please visit the office of small Business webpage: sf.gov/ smallBusinessGrants.
other initiatives in the mayor’s holistic approach to support small businesses include: Tax reform
Approved by voters in the November 2024 election, Proposition m reforms and simplifies the business tax structure in san francisco by:
• Shifting away from calculation of taxes based on relative payroll toward gross receipts
• Exempting more than 2,500 small businesses from the tax
• Lowering taxes for hotels, arts, entertainment, and recreation
• Reducing volatility by ensuring taxes are not overconcentrated
• Reducing disincentives for bringing workers back or locating
friend) was there to represent sen. Bong Go. thanks a lot to La Visual Corp. (especially to ms. Lalaine) and Nirro marcelo, awards committee chairman.
* * * Before I proceeded to Baguio mansion in the City of Pines for a coverage, I really enjoyed watching Andrew e’s first major concert with his special guests martin Nievera, regine Velasquez, heaven Peralejo, Anygma, sabalkuta and sheree. Luckily, I was in the VIP seat so
in san francisco
• Simplifying the overall tax structure to be more predictable Reducing fees
• The First Year Free program waives first-year permit, license, and business registration fees for new and expanding businesses. since the program began in 2021, approximately 8,472 businesses have enrolled and over $4.2 million in fees have been waived.
• In 2024, Mayor Breed introduced legislation to waive impact fees associated with commercial projects that are changing from a Production, Distribution and repair (PDr) use to another non-residential use to remove barriers to filling vacant spaces.
mayor Breed introduced legislation that would eliminate annual license fees, providing $10 million annually in relief to san francisco businesses. the legislation is contingent on the
I could see the concert visibly and enjoy the music. I sat beside Prince Angelo Juane, a high school schoolmate of Andrew fordy espiritu (Andrew e’s son) in southville International school and Colleges in Las Pinas City. maricel edios Perez, Andrew e’s producer in his 2025 concert tour in toronto (for may) and montreal (for June) was seated in the same row with me. many thanks to mylene Yap espiritu and Jhobina Garcia. * * * many thanks to elisa escobar,
passage of the Proposition m ballot measure.
Cutting red tape
• The passage of Prop H in 2020 and the small Business recovery Act in 2021 removed notification requirements and allowed for most projects to be processed “over the counter,” allowing applicants to receive their permit immediately or within two business days. Nearly, 5,600 commercial projects have been able to get their permits over the counter.
• Mayor Breed sponsored additional legislation that made over 100 changes to the Planning Code to ease business restrictions to allow more businesses uses on the ground floor, incorporate new liquor licenses for music venues, and prioritize processing for nighttime entertainment, bars and restaurants, among other key reforms.
• Mayor Breed further
group general manager of Azalea hotels and residences, for accommodating us in the City of Pines. It was a nice multi-use, service-apartment complete with living, dining, and kitchen facilities in all its suites. It is located at Leonard Wood Loop, Baguio City.
* * The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of Asian Journal, its
simplified the permitting process by removing the requirement for businesses to submit architectural drawings for projects that involve no new construction and only a transition of one business type to another. this legislation will save businesses an average of $10,000 and months of work.
Easing permitting costs and time
• New Permit Center – Opened by mayor Breed in 2021, the Permit Center consolidates the various permitting agencies in one place to more efficiently serve applicants.
• Simplified event permits –mayor Breed signed legislation that creates a new annual permit for special event food vendors, known as temporary food facilities, which allows them to apply for a single permit to cover multiple events throughout the year.
(SF Mayor’s office release)
Neeyong with his dad Ambet Nabus (left photo), and with Joshua Garcia and Julia Barretto (right photo). Photos courtesy of Rogelio C. Medina
Clockwise, from bottom left: Prof. Rogelio Medina (right) with Marc Logan; Oggie with Dr. Patrick Saburit, Pilar de Mesa and Anita Garcia; Rogelio with Anita Garcia, Pilar de Mesa and singer Richard Merck; the author with Dr. Edgar Cabangon and wife Sharon Tan.
Jess Espanola and Prof. Oggie Medina with University of Makati students.
Social Secretary Biana Cristina C. Zobel (left photo); and Vivian Recio, 3rd from right (right photo).
SAPBA awardees Rogelio Medina and Asia’s Queen of Fire Lae Manego. Elisa Escobar (left) and Yayot Garcia at Azalea hotels and Residences Baguio.
Oggie Medina attends Andrew E’s first major concert in Quezon City’s New Frontier Theater.
Glass sculptor Ramon Orlina (extreme right) with his relatives at Ilaw ng Nayon St., Balic-Balic in Sampaloc, Manila.in Sampaloc, Manila.`
Aficionado’s Joel S. Cruz (4th from left) with his 6 children, Lheng Divinagracia Gonzales (extreme right). In background is WSE Awards chair John Glenn Gonzales, Lheng’s hubby.
Photos from Facebook page of Mylene Abiva
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