California forges ahead with social media rules despite legal barriers
CALIFORNIA lawmakers are pursuing legislation aimed at protecting children from the dangers of social media, one of many efforts around the country to confront what U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy and other public health experts say is a mental health emergency among young people.
But California’s efforts, like those in other states, will likely face the same legal challenges that have thwarted previous legislative attempts to regulate social media. The tech industry has argued successfully that imposing rules regulating how social media operate and how people can use the online services violates the free speech rights of the companies and their customers.
A previous effort at confronting the issue, the California Age-Appropriate Design Code Act in 2022, now rests with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit. A tech trade association sued to block the law and won an injunction from a lower court, largely on First Amendment grounds. The appeals
FTC scores win in suit targeting fraud in the gig economy
HOW does making $18 per hour sound working from the comfort of your own home? For those looking for flexible work hours, a stay-at-home parent, for example, it’s a tempting offer.
But in a first-of-its kind case, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has highlighted the perils for consumers lured by promises of big pay in the gig economy.
“The nature of flexible work can definitely appeal to people who have a need for more flexible hours or to work from home,” says Taylor Arana, an attorney with the FTC based out if its Midwest Regional Office in Chicago. “And those things are aspects of work they may not be able to find in other work environments.”
Still, says Arana, buyer beware.
Arana was part of the FTC team that earlier this month won a $7 million settlement
Filipino American leaders endorse VP Harris for president
by Klarize Medenilla AJPress
IMMEDIATELY following President Joe Biden’s announcement that he is dropping out of the 2024 presidential election, Democratic leaders across
the country—including several Filipino American lawmakers and politicos—publicly endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for president. Ranking members and leaders of the Democratic Party have for weeks urged Biden to drop out in favor of Harris—citing Biden’s several recent flubs
by Julie M. aurelio Philstar.com
MANILA — Heeding the clamor of lawmakers, business groups, civil society and even his economic managers, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday, July 22 banned all Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs) effective immediately.
“Disguising as legitimate entities, their operations have ventured into illicit areas furthest from gaming, such as financial scamming, money laundering, prostitution, human trafficking, kidnapping, brutal
torture, [and] even murder. The grave abuse and disrespect to our system of laws must stop,” the president said during his third State of the Nation Address (SONA), eliciting a standing ovation and chanting of his initials “BBM” among lawmakers, government officials, and other guests at the Batasang Pambansa’s session hall.
“The disorder that it caused our society as well as the desecration of our country must stop. Effectively today, all POGOs are banned,” Marcos firmly declared toward the end of his speech, which lasted an hour and 22 minutes.
SONA, from A-Z
Cristina Chi Philstar.com
technocratic image as an economic manager, then ended with his rousing pronouncements calling to protect the West Philippine Sea and ban all Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs).
Met with swelling applause, Marcos’ third SONA was expectedly free of personal digs to his former UniTeam allies and peppered with minutiae details of the economic, education, health and social programs to come.
Here, we break down the one-hour speech into easily digestible topics from A to Z.
Agriculture
Like last year, Marcos opened his speech with plans to galvanize the agricultural sector, starting with the provision of more seeds, fertilizers, livestock, boats and
MANILA — The chief of the Philippine National Police on Tuesday, July 23, confirmed the removal of police officers from the security detail of Vice President Sara Duterte, saying they were transferred to beef up street patrols, especially in Metro Manila.
Earlier in the day, Duterte released a statement saying the PNP had issued a “Notice of Relief” to 75 personnel posted under the Office of the vice president (OVP).
“I want to assure the public that [the PNP] order will not affect my work in the Office of the vice president,” Duterte said. “Our work will continue in delivering the services to our fellow Filipinos—especially in the rural and underserved communities in the country.”
“I do hope, however, that with this latest directive of the Chief PNP, we hear [fewer]
Marcos thanks Biden for supporting PH after withdrawal from US polls
presidency. In a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter), Marcos hailed Biden’s decision to end his reelection bid, calling it a “demonstration of genuine statesmanship.”
“We thank him for his constant and unwavering support for the Philippines in a delicate and difficult time. We wish him well for the rest of his presidency and for all his future endeavors,” the president said. Biden withdrew from the U.S. presidential race and endorsed his Vice President, Kamala Harris, as the nominee of the Democratic Party. “It has been the greatest honor of my life to u
Carina floods leave PH capital in state of calamity
by JeroMe aning, Julie M. aurelio Inquirer.net
MANILA— The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority said Metro Manila’s existing drainage system could accommodate only 30 millimeters of rainfall an hour. However, during 10 hours on Wednesday, July 24, 74 mm an hour of rainfall was monitored.
The Metro Manila Council (MMC) on Wednesday placed the National Capital Region (NCR) under a state of calamity following the widespread flooding due to heavy rains induced by Typhoon Carina (international name: Gaemi) and the enhanced southwest monsoon or “habagat.”
Malacañang suspended work in government offices and classes at all levels on Thursday, July 25
in Metro Manila, Central Luzon, and Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon) as the weather bureau expects the severe weather conditions to persist for another day. The declaration of a state of emergency will allow the government to use its quick response funds for immediate relief and rescue operations in many of the 16 cities and one municipality that make up the NCR.
At the same time, a price freeze for 60 days on basic necessities in Metro Manila is now in effect, as ordered by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).
Marcos: Rush food aid
President Ferdinand Marcos
and health concerns, as previously reported in the Asian Journal. Biden officially dropped out of the race on the morning of Sunday, July 21. According to the Harris for President campaign, the likely nominee
MARIKINA EVACUEES. Flood-affected families stay in modular tents at the Malanday
With Biden dropping out of the race, Democrats across the country divert support to Harris
ROUGH WATERS. To avoid getting drenched, people cram themselves on a makeshift banca, as it is pushed along the perennially flooded España Boulevard in Manila, on Wednesday, July 24, following heavy rains that prompted the declaration of a state of calamity in Metro Manila.
Photo by Marianne Bermudez
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Malacañang photo
Marcos thanks Biden for supporting PH...
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serve as your president. And while it has been my intention to seek reelection, I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and to focus solely on fulfilling my duties as president for the remainder of my term,” Biden said in a statement posted on X.
Biden offered his “full support and endorsement” for Harris to replace him as presidential candidate in the November 5 elections.
“Democrats — it’s time to come together and beat [Donald] Trump. Let’s do this,” he added.
(Inquirer.net) n
Carina floods leave PH capital in...
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Jr., who presided over the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council meeting in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City, on Wednesday, ordered all government agencies to focus on “critical, isolated” areas.
“That’s important because people there may have not eaten for a few days,” he said.
The chief executive stressed that government agencies must be ready to aid people in affected areas when the floods subside and roads become passable.
In a post on his X account (formerly Twitter) earlier in the day, Marcos said the government has P2.88 billion in prepositioned aid and 4,500 personnel on standby for search, rescue, and retrieval operations.
The president likewise directed government agencies and local government units to give ample, prior warning and support to communities before releasing excess water from dams, especially in Luzon.
“We need to bring enough vehicles to take them to the nearest evacuation centers, they can stay there overnight, at least,” he said.
In a 6 p.m. update, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) reported that the water level at La Mesa Dam was at 80.16 meters, exceeding the overflow elevation of 80.15 meters.
LGU assessment
The decision to place NCR under a state of calamity was reached at around 2:30 p.m. at the emergency meeting of the MMC in Pasig City.
The mayors of Malabon, Marikina, Valenzuela, Las Piñas, and Parañaque cities could not participate as they were busy attending to their flooded constituents.
The Metropolitan Manila
Development Authority said the metropolis’ existing drainage system could accommodate only 30 millimeters (mm) of rainfall an hour. However, during 10 hours on Wednesday, 74 mm per hour of rainfall was monitored.
Mayor Joy Belmonte of Quezon City reported almost 22,000 evacuees in 154 centers, barangay facilities, covered courts, and churches, adding that 80 of the 142 barangays in the city were flooded and 30 major roads were submerged.
San Juan City Mayor Francis Zamora said 14 of the city’s 21 barangays were flooded and some 1,000 people had been evacuated.
Navotas Mayor John Reynald Tiangco said 80 percent of the city was flooded, while Caloocan Mayor Dale Gonzalo Malapitan appealed for manpower and rescue boats.
Pasay Mayor Imelda CalixtoRubiano reported continuing mass evacuation in low-lying residential areas, such as along the swollen Maricaban Creek.
Pasig Mayor Victor Ma. Regis Sotto said 2,000 families were already housed in 19 evacuation centers, while Pateros Mayor Miguel Ponce III said all 10 barangays in the town were flooded, appealing for more food packs for the evacuees.
Power outage, canceled flights
The DTI said the price freeze covered goods such as rice, corn, bread, fresh vegetables, root crops, pork, beef, poultry, eggs, milk, coffee, sugar, cooking oil and salt.
Also included are laundry soap, detergent, firewood, charcoal, candles and certain medicines classified as essential by the Department of Health.
Under the Price Act, violators face fines ranging from P5,000 to P2 million and prison time of one to 10 years. Power outages also hit more
than 430,000 customers of power distributor Manila Electric Co. (Meralco), more than half or around 250,000 customers in Metro Manila, the company said in an advisory as of 3 p.m. on Wednesday.
Some areas covered by Meralco in Batangas, Laguna and Quezon were also hit by service interruptions.
As of 5 p.m. on Wednesday, at least 119 domestic and international flights were canceled at Ninoy Aquino International Airport due to bad weather.
Among those canceled were 11 flights to or from Taipei, Taiwan, where Carina is heading.
The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines reported 88 flight cancellations in various local airports.
All operations were suspended at the airports in Vigan, Lingayen, San Fernando in La Union, and Baguio.
8 fatalities so far
Outside the capital region, eight people were reported dead as the heavy rains caused widespread flooding, triggered landslides, and uprooted trees in the provinces of Batangas, Bataan and Pampanga.
Four of the fatalities, including a pregnant woman, were from Agoncillo town in Batangas. They all died in a landslide at around 9 p.m. on Tuesday.
In Nasugbu town, police reported that a 46-year-old vendor died after he was pinned down by an uprooted acacia tree in Barangay Poblacion. Angelo Marin, 45, a fisherman of Mariveles town in Limay, Bataan, also died after sustaining serious injuries when his fishing boat was destroyed by giant waves while fishing on Tuesday at the height of the typhoon.
Another fisherman in Bataan, Artemio Nabunag, 68, was reported missing.
u PAGE 4
Filipino American leaders endorse VP...
for the Democratic Party raised $100 million between Sunday and the following Monday evening, a record-setting haul that included more than 1.1 million unique donors.
If officially nominated by the Democratic National Committee, Harris—who is of Indian and Black American heritage—would be the first Asian American presidential nominee in American history.
Filipino American California Attorney General Rob Bonta shared his endorsement of Harris in an email to supporters. Like Bonta, Harris held office in the Bay Area, serving as San Francisco district attorney from 2004 to 2011 and then California district attorney from 2011 to 2017.
“As our former AG, Kamala knows firsthand the importance of protecting our fundamental rights as the People’s Attorney and keeping our communities safe as our Chief Law Enforcement Officer. She will no doubt do the same as president,” Bonta said, adding that Harris has supported climate change initiatives, affordable health care, and a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants.
Democratic congressman of Virginia Bobby Scott—who is of Filipino descent—shared his support of Harris on the app formerly known as Twitter: “The only person best situated to build on that record and defeat Trump is our Vice President @KamalaHarris. She is ready to serve and will make a great president. Let’s get to work!”
Filipino Americans for Harris (FAFH) thanked Biden for stepping down and honored his 54 years of public office service.
“President Biden’s tenure in office has been
particularly meaningful to Filipino Americans,” the FAFH team wrote in an email, highlighting the Filipinos who have served his administration.
“President Biden’s commitment to the Filipino American community is also reflected in the historic number of Filipino American delegates attending the Democratic National Committee Convention and appointments throughout his Administration—including Nani Coloretti, Deputy Director at the Office of Management and Budget, Gina Ortiz Jones, former Under Secretary of the Air Force, and Camille Calimlim Touton, Commissioner of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation.” The FAFH officially endorsed Harris on Tuesday, July 23.
Noted lawmakers and leaders in the vast Southern California Filipino American community like Melissa Ramoso—Artesia councilmember and co-chair of FAFH 2024—celebrated the “historic milestone” of Harris’ campaign for presidency. Ramoso said, “[Harris] would not only be the first woman to hold the office but also the first Asian American and the first Black woman President. This is a powerful testament to the values of diversity and inclusion that the country strives for, bringing hope and inspiration to millions of people from all backgrounds.”
Mario Salazar, national co-chair of FAFH 2024 and former political organizer, also highlighted Harris’s impact on the Filipino American community, noting her track history of supporting “policies that benefit Filipino Americans, from healthcare reforms to economic benefits.”
Harris is expected to be officially named the Democratic nominee for president at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago next month. n
PNP removes all 75...
cries from the people regarding the proliferation of drugs in the country, and that even fewer shall fall victim to various criminal activities,” she said.
Day after Sona absence
The reduction of the vice president’s security force came to light a day after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. delivered his third State of the Nation Address, which Duterte did not attend.
Her absence at the event—plus her earlier remark that she had appointed herself “designated survivor” on Sona day, a supposed joke that Marcos’ congressional allies did not find amusing—was seen as the latest sign of soured relations between her and Marcos, who took her as his running mate in the 2022 presidential race.
In a chance interview with reporters, PNP chief Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil confirmed the pullout of police personnel from the OVP but maintained that Duterte’s office was not being singled out.
The PNP’s Police Security Protection Group (PSPG) coordinated with the chief of staff of Duterte for the transfer, he said.
“We didn’t relieve them. We asked them if we could transfer the personnel because we need them in the NCR (National Capital Region),” he said.
“We need to get our people because our policemen are already sleepless and tired working beyond their shift and nobody would take their place,” he explained.
Mainly PSC’s job
Marbil also explained that securing the vice president is mainly the job of the presidential Security Command (PSC), a military unit and that the PNP is only there to augment.
“The security of the vice president is under the presidential Security Command, not under the PSPG. We are just complementing them,” he said.
According to the latest available record, a 2022 report of the Commission on Audit on the OVP, Duterte had a total of 433 security escorts.
Shortly after she assumed office in 2022, the Armed Forces of the Philippines created a new unit—the vice presidential Security and Protection Group (VPSPG)—just for the OVP.
The VPSPG remained under the PSC’s supervision.
The removal of the PNP component from Duterte’s security force also came just over a month after she resigned as secretary of the Department of Education (DepEd) and five days after she formally turned over the position to Sen. Sonny Angara.
It also suddenly left a gap in the security structure for an official who had repeatedly cited national security and intelligence gathering as part of her areas of concern.
In November 2023, Duterte dropped her request for Congress to give her another allocation of confidential and intelligence funds in the national budget—totaling P650 million for both the OVP and the DepEd—as she conceded that the matter had become “divisive.”
(By Dempsey Reyes, Frances Mangosing/Inquirer.net) n
What Marcos said in his third SONA...
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technical and financial assistance to farmers and fisherfolk.
The president said “the hard lesson” of the past year is that data showing the Philippines’ fair standing in the region “means nothing to a Filipino, who is confronted by the price of rice at P45 to 65 pesos kilo.”
The president served concurrently as Department of Agriculture secretary for 17 months before picking fishing tycoon and top campaign donor Francisco Laurel Jr. to replace him.
Business Marcos noted a rise in the number of new businesses and corporate registrations, including foreign firms, driven by expedited processes for registration and approval.
To bolster economic growth, the president said his administration is pushing for an investment-friendly environment through capital market reforms and the implementation of “green lanes,” which are streamlined processes designed to reduce bureaucratic hurdles for businesses.
Climate change
Known to speak in broad strokes about the climate crisis, President Marcos this time bannered the country’s proactive stance on global climate responsibility, including being the host country of the board of the Loss and Damage Fund, which seeks to help poor nations cope with costly climate disasters
The president also spoke of ongoing efforts to enhance disaster preparedness and promote renewable energy sources to mitigate the impact of climate change.
Digitalization
Marcos also claimed the government has made leaps and bounds in digitalization, noting that the number of common towers, or shared infrastructure that allow different telecommunications providers to have co-sharing arrangements, has more than tripled due to streamlined permitting processes.
E-visa
Marcos also highlighted improvements in air transport and tourism through the e-travel system, which provides a digital single data collection platform for passengers arriving in and departing from the Philippines.
The president said e-gates (electronic gates) will become “standard fixtures” in airports, while the “e-visa” is next on his government’s digital transformation agenda.
Free Wi-Fi
Marcos mentions another statistic: nearly ten million unique user devices have reportedly benefited from the government’s free Wi-Fi program, which provides internet access in over thirteen thousand locations across the Philippines, including schools and remote areas.
Marcos also announced the completion of phase 1 of the National Fiber Backbone, with phases 2 and 3 underway and expected to be completed by 2026, aimed at significantly boosting the country’s internet bandwidth capacity.
‘Generic’ medicine
Marcos announced that PhilHealth has significantly expanded its coverage of generic medicines for outpatient benefits, increasing the number of included generic drugs from 21 to 53. This expansion includes new medications for hypertension, nerve pain, and epileptic seizures.
Hospital decongestion
Marcos also bannered two new specialty hospitals that aims to decongest public hospitals and galvanize the “nation’s fight against cancer.” These are the UP-PGH Cancer Center, the first Public Private Partnership project to be approved under Marcos, and the the Philippine Cancer Center of the Department of Health, which broke ground in March.
Inflation
In relation to his plans for agriculture, Marcos listed several measures to reduce food prices and ultimately tame inflation, which at least 74% of Filipinos said the government is failing to manage in a Pulse Asia survey last week.
Due to “illegal price manipulations and smuggling,” Marcos said the government has temporarily set price ceilings on rice and reduced tariffs on rice, corn, and pork until the end of the year and assured the sector these were only “short-term solutions.”
Jobs In describing his plan to create more jobs in the country, Marcos touted the estimated 202,000 jobs expected to be created from the investment pledges he
scored while on his numerous trips abroad.
Another statistic: Marcos cited the Philippines’ increased employment rate 95.9% and decreased underemployment from 11.7% in May of 2023 to 9.9%.
‘Kadiwa’ expansion
Marcos said his pet KADIWA program was instrumental in helping people deal with high food prices. He announced plans to expand the KADIWA centers with local government support, aiming to make them permanent and welldistributed across the country.
Law and order
After recently vetoing the proposed Philippine National Police Reform Act due to the absence of strong accountability standards for cops, Marcos reiterated the need for law enforcers to build public trust to maintain law and order.
“We have noted an overall decrease in crime rate and an improvement in crime-solution efficiency. But this is not enough. Our law enforcers need to earn the trust of our people,” Marcos said.
Mindanao-Visayas interconnection
Marcos also mentioned the 450-megawatt MindanaoVisayas Interconnection Project of the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines, which was ceremonially switched on in January, as “a defining moment not only for the power sector but for the entire country.”
With the project, the president said the government has connected the power grids of all three major island groups of Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.
National learning recovery
Aware of the Philippines’ flagging performance in international assessments, Marcos turned his focus on improving the conditions of teachers, who he described as the “core of our national learning recovery.”
Marcos hailed recent moves to provide teachers with an annual chalk allowance in the “Kabalikat sa Pagtuturo” Act and the provision of a personal accident insurance for teachers through the Government Service Insurance System.
“Our national learning recovery program must proceed without the slightest disruption, especially in basic education,” Marcos said.
Overseas Filipino workers After expressing the usual gratitude to overseas Filipino workers for their remittances and their impact on the economy, Marcos said his government has provided “special facilities and services” for them: the OFW lounge at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport and the Seafarer’s Hub in Manila.
POGO ban
Triggering a standing ovation from administration supporters and critics alike, Marcos announced a total ban on all POGOs across the country and ordered the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (PAGCOR) to wind down their operations by the end of the year.
Marcos also ordered the Department of Labor and Employment to look for new jobs for Filipinos who will be affected by the ban.
In the past months, Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian and Sen. Risa Hontiveros have both uncovered a string of POGOrelated crimes in the country that they say can also be traced back to the public officials who benefited from them, such as suspended Bamban Mayor Alice Guo, whose birth certificate and other claims of citizenship have been tagged as inauthentic.
Quality of life
Marcos also hailed the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program’s success in “breaking the cycle of poverty” in the Philippines with around 420,000 families who have graduated from the program.
The president also seeks to expand the 4Ps program to benefit pregnant women by capitalizing on the rare window for significantly improving children’s development and quality of life — from mother’s pregnancy to age 2.
‘Railway renaissance’
As part of his ambitious Build Better More infrastructure program, Marcos described an ongoing “railway renaissance” in the country of building more railways to improve public transportation.
He cited as an example the Metro Manila Subway Project, where tunneling works have reached depths equivalent to three to six floors. He also noted that other railway projects, including MRT-7 and the NorthSouth Commuter Railway, are making steady progress.
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Vice President Sara Duterte and PNP Chief Rommel Francisco Marbil Inquirer.net photos
California forges ahead with social media rules...
court heard oral arguments in the case on July 17.
“At the end of the day, unconstitutional law protects zero children,” said Carl Szabo, vice president and general counsel for NetChoice, which argued for the tech giants before the federal appellate court.
Like the design code act, the two proposals now working their way through the California Legislature would reshape the way social media users under 18 interact with the services.
The first bill, by state Sen. Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley), prohibits sending push notifications to children at night and during school hours. Skinner’s measure also requires parental permission before platforms can send social media offerings via algorithms, which are designed to offer feeds that children didn’t ask for but might keep them looking at their phones longer, rather than the traditional chronological feeds of those they follow on the app.
The second measure, by Assemblymember Buffy Wicks (D-Oakland), would amend California’s privacy laws to prohibit businesses from collecting, using, selling, or sharing data on minors without their informed consent — or, for those under 13, without their parents’ approval.
Both bills have bipartisan support and are backed by state Attorney General Rob Bonta. “We need to act now to protect our children,” Bonta said earlier this year, by “strengthening data privacy protections for minors and safeguarding youth against social media addiction.”
California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, has been vocal about youth and social media, too, and recently called for a statewide ban on cellphones in schools. His positions on the two social media proposals are not yet known. “But I think the governor, like most every other Californian, is concerned about the harms of social media on kids,” Skinner said.
California’s efforts are especially significant because its influence as the most populous state often results in its setting standards that are then adopted by other states. Also, some of the big tech companies that would be most affected by the laws, including Meta, Apple, Snap, and Alphabet, the parent company of Google, are headquartered in the state.
“Parents are demanding this. That’s why you see Democrats and Republicans working together,” said Wicks, who with a Republican colleague co-authored the design code act that is tied up in litigation.
“Regulation is coming, and we won’t stop until we can keep our kids safe online.”
The fate of the design code act stands as a cautionary tale. Passed without a dissenting vote, the law would set strict limits on data collection from minors and order privacy settings for children to default to their highest levels.
NetChoice, which immediately sued to block the law, has prevailed in similar cases in Ohio, Arkansas, and Mississippi. It is
challenging legislation in Utah that was rewritten after NetChoice sued over the original version. And NetChoice’s lawyers argued before the U.S. Supreme Court that efforts in Texas and Florida to regulate social media content were unconstitutional. Those cases were remanded to lower courts for further review.
Though the particulars differ in each state, the bottom line is the same: Each of the laws has been stifled by an injunction, and none has taken effect.
“When you look at these sweeping laws like the California laws, they’re ambitious and I applaud them,” said Nancy Costello, a clinical law professor at Michigan State University and the director of the school’s First Amendment Clinic. “But the bigger and broader the law is, the greater chance that there will be a First Amendment violation found by the courts.”
The harmful effects of social media on children are well established. An advisory from Surgeon General Murthy last year warned of a “profound risk of harm” to young people, noting that a study of adolescents from ages 12 to 15 found that those who spent more than three hours a day on social media were at twice the risk of depression and anxiety as nonusers. A Gallup survey in 2023 found that U.S. teenagers spent nearly five hours a day on social media.
In June, Murthy called for warnings on social media platforms like those on tobacco products. Later that month came Newsom’s call to severely restrict the use of smartphones during the school day in California. Legislation to codify Newsom’s proposal is working its way through the state Assembly.
Federal legislation has been slow to materialize. A bipartisan bill to limit algorithm-derived feeds and keep children under 13 off social media was introduced in May, but Congress has done little to meaningfully rein in tech platforms — despite Meta’s chief executive, Mark Zuckerberg, apologizing in a U.S. Senate hearing for “the types of things that your families have had to suffer” because of social media harms.
It remains unclear what kinds of regulation the courts will permit. NetChoice has argued that many proposed social media regulations amount to the government dictating how privately owned firms set their editorial rules, in violation of the First Amendment.
The industry also leans on Section 230 of the 1996 Communications Decency Act, which shields tech companies from liability for harmful content produced by a third party.
“We’re hoping lawmakers will realize that as much as you may want to, you can’t endaround the Constitution,” said Szabo, the NetChoice attorney. “The government is not a substitute for parents.”
Skinner tried and failed last year to pass legislation holding tech companies accountable for targeting children with harmful content. This year’s measure, which was overwhelmingly passed by the California Senate and is pending in the
state Assembly, would bar tech companies from sending social media notifications to children between midnight and 6 a.m. every day, and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on school days. The bill also calls for platforms to require minors to obtain parental consent to use their core offerings, and would limit their use to an hour to 90 minutes a day by default.
“If the private sector is not willing to modify their product in a way that makes it safe for Californians, then we have to require them to,” Skinner said, adding that parts of her proposal are standard practice in the European Union.
“Social media has already accommodated users in many parts of the world, but not the U.S.,” she said. “They can do it. They’ve chosen not to.”
Wicks, meanwhile, said she considers her data bill to be about consumer protection, not speech. The proposal would close a loophole in the California Electronic Communications Privacy Act to prevent social media platforms from collecting and sharing information on anyone under 18 unless they opt in. The Assembly approved Wicks’ measure without dissent, sending it to the state Senate for consideration.
Costello suggested that focusing the proposals more narrowly might give them a better chance of surviving court challenges. She is part of an effort coordinated by Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health to write model legislation that would require third-party assessments of the risks posed by the algorithms used by social media apps.
“It means that we’re not restricting content, we’re measuring harms,” Costello said. Once the harms are documented, the results would be publicly available and could lead state attorneys general to take legal action. Government agencies adopted a similar approach against tobacco companies in the 1990s, suing for deceptive advertising or business practices.
Szabo said NetChoice has worked with states to enact what he called “constitutional and commonsense laws,” citing measures in Virginia and Florida that would mandate digital education in school. “There is a role for government,” Szabo said. (The Florida measure failed.)
But with little momentum on actual regulation at the national level, state legislators continue to try to fill the vacuum. New York recently passed legislation similar to Skinner’s, which the state senator said was an encouraging sign.
Will NetChoice race for an injunction in New York? “We are having lots of conversations about it,” Szabo said. (Mark Kreidler/California Healthline)
This article was produced by KFF Health News, which publishes California Healthline, an editorially independent service of the California Health Care Foundation.
KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF—an independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism.
In Angeles City, Pampanga, a 24-year-old mother, and her 5-year-old daughter died while the 23-year-old father survived a landslide that struck their house along the Abacan River in Pampang village on Wednesday, July 24. Batangas Gov. Hermilando Mandanas, meanwhile, had declared a state of emergency since Tuesday.
Data from the Department of Social Welfare and Development showed that there were 45,328 families affected in 225 barangays in Ilocos, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol Region, Western Visayas, Central Visayas, Cordillera Administrative Region and Metro Manila.
Fair weather by weekend Pagasa said Carina continued to intensify on Wednesday as it approached Taiwan. It was reclassified into a super typhoon as of 5 p.m., with maximum sustained winds of 185 km/hr near the center and gusts of up to 230 km/hr. Pagasa forecasts continued
moderate to intense rainfall over the western portion of Luzon through Friday, July 26, with the weather expected to improve by the weekend as Carina moves away from the Philippine area of responsibility.
“Tomorrow (Thursday), we’re likely to experience weather almost identical to today,” Pagasa warned. The Marikina River, notorious for its flash floods, reached the critical third alarm level with its waters rising to 20.7 meters by 4:40 p.m. It reached 22 meters in 2020 during Typhoon “Ulysses” (Vamco) and 21.5 meters during Tropical Storm “Ondoy” (Ketsana).
Ondoy on Sept. 26, 2009, dumped a total of 341 mm of rainfall in six hours that affected 4.9 million people and claimed 464 lives.
Years after Ondoy struck, residents from Marikina, one of the worst hit, still described the typhoon as if it were “the end of the world.” —with reports from Alden M. Monzon, Jerome Aning, Lisbet K. Esmael, Russel Loreto, Inquirer Luzon and Inquirer Research n
DONATIONS. Pasay City Mayor Imelda Calixto-Rubiano (left) inspects the donations that will be distributed to flood-affected families residing near the estero in Maricaban, Pasay City and evacuees, at the Apelo Elementary School Cruz in Pasay City on Thursday, July 25. The donations include 1,608 pairs of slippers and 14 25-kg. sacks of rice from Otto Shoes. PNA photo by Avito Dalan
Dateline PhiliPPines
DOJ reforms to protect innocent, charge the guilty
MANILA – Reforms undertaken by the Department of Justice (DOJ) in the preliminary investigation process will protect the innocent from unwarranted charges and ensure that the guilty will be made to answer for their crimes, a senior DOJ official said on Wednesday, July 24.
“The newly-signed Department of Justice –National Prosecution Service (DOJ-NPS) Rules on Criminal Investigation virtually changed the landscape in criminal investigation and prosecution by ensuring there is a higher degree of proof, there is a quantum of proof or evidence needed for the filing of cases,” Justice Undersecretary Raul Vasquez said during the 2024 Post State of the Nation Address (SONA) discussions.
The DOJ-NPS 2024 was signed by Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla at the Kalayaan Hall in Macalañang on July 10, with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. as witness.
Under the new rules, the standard of proof was raised from probable cause to prima facie evidence with reasonable certainty of conviction.
Vasquez said the new rules also call for more immersive participation by prosecutors in the
investigation phase to ensure quality indictments and help weed out harassment suits.
“This is to ensure that only quality cases are filed, one that is supported by evidence, real, testimonial, and other corroborative witnesses, in order that the wrongdoers or criminals would really be brought to bear before the bar of justice, but at the same time, and more importantly, it is also assures that the innocents need not needlessly be charged in court nor incarcerated,” he said.
“We will also try to formalize the close coordination between law enforcement and the prosecution in order that only trial-ready and evidence-supported cases will be filed.”
Vasquez also pointed out that efforts have been initiated for the establishment of a Forensic Institute, which would make investigations sciencebased, in terms of criminal investigations and prosecutions.
“This is also useful in terms of calamity and disaster control because, with the higher capacity of our doctors and medical practitioners in terms of forensic science, we would be able to determine the real causes of death,” he said. (PNA) n
Ex-PNP execs ‘new suspects’ in ICC probe
by ian laqui Philstar.com
MANILA — Former officials of the Philippine National Police (PNP) have been tagged as the “new suspects” by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for the alleged crimes committed during the Duterte administration’s anti-narcotics campaign.
In a four-page document posted by former Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV on X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday, July 25, the ICC said that five former PNP officials were suspected to be responsible for the ordering of the killings of drug suspects and users from 2011 to 2019.
“...The Office of the Prosecutor (OTP) has reasonable grounds to believe that the following retired and serving members of the Philippine National Police, have committed crimes within the jurisdiction of the OTP,” the document read.
Four of the five are the following officials:
• Former PNP Chief Oscar Albayalde Former PNP-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group Chief Romero Caramat Jr. Former Commissioner of the National Police Commission, Edilberto Leonardo Former PNP Chief Intelligence Officer Eleazar Mata.
Among the five is also former PNP chief and now Sen. Ronald Dela Rosa, who previously said he was unbothered by the ICC’s decision to continue its investigation into the drug war in the Philippines. He, however, admitted was scared of being imprisoned.
Dela Rosa was appointed as the first PNP chief by former President Rodrigo Duterte following his presidential victory in 2016.
During his tenure, Dela Rosa supervised the enforcement of “Oplan Tokhang,” a controversial anti-drug initiative that resulted in thousands of fatalities, according to local and international human rights groups.
Albayalde, on the other hand, succeeded Dela Rosa as PNP chief in April 2018 and held that post until October 2019.
Aside from Dela Rosa and former President Duterte, official documents submitted to the ICC, containing evidence related to the drug war, included the names of Vice President Sara Duterte and Sen. Bong Go, according to a July 2023 report by VERA Files.
On Sept. 15, 2021, the ICC’s pre-trial chamber authorized the ICC prosecutor to begin probing the alleged crimes committed during the drug war spanning from Nov. 1, 2011, to March 16, 2019.
The Philippine government then asked the ICC to defer its investigation within the country which the international tribunal declined.
This prompted the government to appeal its decision, which once again was struck down by the ICC on July 18 which gives the green light to the ICC prosecutor to push through with the probe.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and the Department of Justice previously emphasized that the country has no obligation to comply with the ICC as it has withdrawn its membership from the international tribunal.
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What Marcos said in his...
Space technology
Marcos also praised the achievements of Filipino space scientists and engineers for reaching new heights in the pioneering field. Since the nation’s foray into space technology, the country’s satellites in space have generated more than 51,000 maps, images and space-borne data, the president said.
Marcos noted that 16 Filipino space engineers are currently in the United Kingdom working on the MULA satellite, which, once completed, will be the country’s largest Earth observation satellite to date.
Tech-voc training
Besides listing his usual expectations for the government’s biggest education agency — the Department of Education — Marcos this time expressed hopes for the much smaller Technical Education And Skills Development Authority to step up its programs to produce more employable graduates.
“Statistics do not lie. Eight out of ten graduates of TVET ultimately land decent jobs. So with its high employability rate, TVET will definitely be instrumental in capacitating our people, and in maintaining our employment rate at consistently high levels,” the president said.
University rankings
The number of Philippine universities that make it to world rankings appears to be a continuing marker of success for the Marcos administration.
Marcos said this year, 87 higher education institutions
(HEIs) have now made it into various world university rankings, 51 of which are public universities or colleges.
Vaccination
As part of the administration’s recalibrated approach towards prevention, Marcos said that they would prioritize vaccinations.
The government will continue vaccination efforts, especially for infants and children, particularly in Region 6 and BARMM, where less than half have been vaccinated.
Water security
Marcos laid down his strategy for ensuring water security: by completing irrigation dams to supplement other bulk water projects, especially in underserved areas.
Marcos cited the Jalaur River Multipurpose Project in Iloilo as an example of his water security programs, which is expected to irrigate nearly 32,000 hectares and also help in flood control, electricity generation, and tourism.
The damage wrought by El Niño to farmers has led the government to shell out over P9 billion in crop insurance payments and explore early adoption of modern low-wateruse farming technologies, the president added.
X-periental tourism
To boost the Philippines’ tourism standing in the region, Marcos is eyeing to focus on what the country can offer in terms of experiential tourism, which seeks to provide travelers with the opportunity to immerse themselves in the destination country’s culture and history.
The president’s vision for the tourism industry is in line with the Department of Tourism’s findings last year when its market survey showed that post-pandemic, travelers would rather spend their money on experiences and not on material things.
Youth creativity Marcos also wants the nation’s youth to not just be literate but also capable of creative and innovative thought.
Ideally, the president said the education system must also “consciously develop them into problem-solvers, and into critical thinkers — hungry for success [and] ready for the future.”
According to the results of a new Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) global test released in June, the Philippines ranks in the bottom four among 64 economies in terms of creative thinking.
‘Zones’
The proposed Maritime Zones Act — a priority measure that a bicameral conference committee has already approved — was spotlighted as one of two pending legislations needed for Filipinos to continue their “intergenerational mandate” of defending the country’s sovereign rights West Philippine Sea.
The measure defines the maritime zones under the country’s jurisdiction to fend off entities that seek to challenge the 2016 ruling, which dismissed China’s claim of historic rights over almost the entire South China Sea, including parts of the West Philippine Sea. n
WASHED ASHORE. Personnel of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) sift through the trash that washed up on the Dolomite Beach along Manila Bay on Thursday, July 25. The MMDA has begun cleaning up debris left by the massive floods caused by the typhoon-enhanced southwest monsoon rains the previous day. PNA photo by Yancy Lim
Features OpiniOn
Persistent concerns
INFLATION. Jobs. Salaries. The top concerns of Filipinos, as reflected in surveys, have remained the same. And President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has consistently received the lowest marks in dealing with these problems, which he tackled in his third State of the Nation Address.
While certain factors affecting these problems are beyond the president’s control, there are other factors in which governance plays a critical role. Efficiency, good government and the judicious use of public funds create the environment necessary for attracting investments that generate meaningful jobs and livelihood opportunities.
Business groups have submitted a lengthy list of their proposed reforms along this line, with ease of doing business still a key concern.
Public health care, inadequate as it is, now stands to lose P89.9 billion in funding, thanks to government inefficiency and politics-driven budgeting acrobatics.
Self-rated poverty is at its highest since 2008, at 58 percent. Hunger is pervasive, with poor nutrition leading to physical and mental stunting. This food poverty has contributed to learning poverty. Philippine education is in
Babe’s Eye
View
BaBe Romualdez
THERE is no doubt that we enjoy a strong bipartisan support from the U.S. Congress and generally from most Americans. Ever since I presented my credentials to then President Donald J. Trump in November of 2017, I can say with certainty that we have been able to build strong relationships with both Republicans and Democrats.
As fate would have it, I was appointed as Philippine Ambassador in July 2017 and during my first two years in Washington, I had the opportunity to interact with most of those who worked with President Trump, among them Ambassador Robert O’Brien who served as the National Security Advisor during the latter part of the Trump administration, along with several members of the National Security Council at the time. Ambassador O’Brien also happens to be the chairman of the Richard Nixon Foundation where he invited me to a recent
First Person
THERE are historical moments that enable leaders, should they choose correctly, to rise from mere politician to statesmen.
Joe Biden found himself in such a moment. And he chose correctly.
Since that disastrous, lowenergy performance in a debate with his rival, pressure has been building up from within the Democratic Party for Biden to give up his quest for a second term. The race was basically deadlocked. But the Democrats were in danger of losing down the ballot and yielding control of both houses of Congress. Biden is well loved. His term as president is probably one of the most productive presidencies in U.S. history. He faces a rival who would very likely stand American democracy on its head.
But Joe Biden is 81 and it shows at every public appearance. His every word is belabored and he mixes up names. He has served his country for over five decades and has much to show for it. But he has set himself up for an inglorious end if he persisted in his quest for a second term.
The only real issue against
crisis; new Education Secretary Sonny Angara faces high expectations that he can get the sector out of intensive care.
Food poverty needs more than band-aid solutions like Kadiwa. Boosting agricultural production must move from rhetoric to action. As concurrent agricultural secretary in his first year in power, the president had identified what is needed. Among these are an extensive cold-chain network, a reduction in the number of middlemen, and a host of farm support services that have been promised for several administrations now. For national food security, domestic production must be boosted and the country weaned from over-dependence on imports of basic items from rice to pork, milk and even galunggong and salt.
Addressing these problems could prove to be more challenging for the president with the disintegration of his UniTeam coalition. A good
blunt any negative impact of political intramurals is good government. The nation is in a difficult state and needs firm and capable steering. (Philstar.com)
US bipartisan support for the Philippines
special exhibit titled “Portraits of Courage: A Commander in Chief’s Tribute to America’s Warriors” that featured portraits by former president George W. Bush, who was guest of honor. I met a number of Republicans during that occasion, most of whom will most likely be going back to serve in the event of a Trump victory. I was assured that the foreign policy of the United States will very likely remain the same as far as the Indo-Pacific region is concerned. Perhaps an early indication is the speech of the Republican vice presidential candidate, Senator JD Vance of Ohio, who called for more focus on China, which he described early on as the “real issue” and the “biggest threat” to the United States. Like us, other ASEAN member-countries believe America’s continued presence in the Indo-Pacific region is crucial in maintaining stability and upholding peace and security – a sentiment shared by many nations such as Japan, Australia, Great Britain and Canada. The recent assassination attempt against former U.S. President Donald Trump
was met with a lot of shock, especially because it happened in Butler, a rural county in Pennsylvania known for being a Republican stronghold. But what could have been total chaos turned into stunned disbelief when the former president, with blood streaming down his right cheek – stood up, raised his fist, shouting “Fight!”
Political pundits say that this narrow escape from death by an assassin’s bullet, captured in the iconic photo showing the former president in that defiant pose surrounded by Secret Service agents, with the American flag unfurled just above and a bright blue sky as a backdrop, has provided the Republicans with a strong narrative, possibly giving them the edge towards victory. Not surprisingly, there seems to be a deluge of anxiety among the Democrats who are still dealing with the fallout from the first presidential debate. Despite succeeding media appearances, including a press conference by the president, a lot of Americans are beginning to see that the Republicans may have the upper hand. Calls for President Biden to step down from the race
are coming from Democratic leaders, which sources say include former Speaker Nancy Pelosi. The clamor seems to be intensifying after the shooting in Butler and now, the president has been infected with COVID-19.
According to the latest poll conducted by CBS News, former President Trump is shown with 52 percent or a five percent national lead against President Biden’s 47 percent. “Trump is up five points nationally now, and three across the key battleground states. To put that national lead in context: it’s been 20 years since a Republican presidential candidate has won the national popular vote, and over 30 years since a Republican won by more than five,” CBS News said.
Many nations across Europe and Asia and, of course, the Philippines, are keenly watching these developments leading up to the U.S. elections on Nov. 5, with many pondering the consequences or impact of a Trump presidency.
Meanwhile in our country, it’s so absurd and preposterous for some people to claim that
Momentous
Joe Biden is his age. The presidency is probably the most strenuous of jobs. The nation will suffer if its leader is less than fit.
Biden romped to his party’s nomination primarily by the force of the equity of incumbency. In American political history, incumbent presidents get nominated to seek a second term almost as a matter of course. This happens, as in the case of Jimmy Carter, even when the incumbent has become unpopular.
The only exception in recent history was when Lyndon Johnson decided not to seek a second term because of the unpopularity of U.S. involvement in the Vietnam war. Instead of seeking another term, he committed to use his remaining months in office to work a way out of the war. He failed. His party’s candidate lost to Richard Nixon who, in turn, brought on one of the darkest chapters in American politics.
This year, American voters are disillusioned principally by the toll on their purchasing power brought on by inflation. The bout with inflation was due to the many disruptions caused by the pandemic. The Biden administration managed to rein in the inflation rate and raised employment. But Biden was still held responsible for the erosion in purchasing power.
There was, from the very start of this electoral cycle, very little public enthusiasm for Biden’s candidacy. The opinion polls show a very close race – notwithstanding that the incumbent was running against a morally bankrupt rabblerouser who is now a convicted felon.
Early on, Biden might have considered not seeking a second term. He did not have the energy to inspire the Democratic base and independent voters. He was running mainly on the proposition that Donald Trump was an existential threat to America.
Trump at 78 has always been morally decrepit. Lately, however, he has been exhibiting more signs of cognitive decline. He is not much younger than Biden. He simply has a louder voice unrestrained by facts. At any moment, in the remaining months of this tiring campaign, that cognitive impairment is going to be more obvious.
It was not easy for Biden to withdraw from this race. But each day it became clearer he was running on political vanity alone, thereby imperiling not only his party but also his country.
A few days ago, Biden was infected by COVID. The enforced isolation must have provided a good opportunity to reflect on the fate of his country
and on his own mortality. By Sunday, July 21, he was ready to announce his fateful decision. Biden tells us his withdrawal was in the best interest of the country. No one will quarrel with that.
He called on unity to beat back the existential threat posed by Trump and endorsed his Vice President Kamala Harris for the presidential nomination. It is too early yet to be assured the Democratic Party could avoid ghastly factional infighting to determine its nominee. There is not much time left in the campaign period.
It is also too early to say how Harris will fare against Trump. For sure, she is Trump’s antithesis: a woman of color, a former prosecutor who went after sexual offenders and certainly a powerful voice for the progressive social agenda of her party. She will certainly put women’s reproductive rights at the front and center of this campaign. The abortion debate certainly provides Democrats a strong card against the misogynistic Trump-Vance team.
But Harris will not only be up against the seriously undereducated Trump. She will have to break the ultimate glass ceiling in American society. The U.S. was among the last societies to give women the right to vote. No woman has ever won the presidency.
businessmen are pulling out their money out of fear over the situation with China. On the contrary, more businesses are coming into the Philippines precisely because of the country’s renewed relations with the Western world, including the United States. In New Clark City alone, investment commitments have reached over P143 billion with P15.9 billion already actual investments while P127.3 billion is in the pipeline, according to the Bases Conversion and Development Authority.
In fact, we see more and more of our friends in the U.S. Congress and particularly those working in Washington, D.C. expressing their bipartisan support for the Philippines, like the proposed bill by Republican Senator Bill Hagerty and Democratic Senator Tim Kaine that would provide the Philippines $2.5 billion or $500 million every year in Foreign Military Financing from 2025 to 2029 to boost the capability of the Armed Forces of the Philippines in the wake of Chinese aggression.
One thing is clear: regardless of who is in the Oval Office, the relationship between the Philippines and the United States will remain strong and stable because of our many shared values and most of all – the deep people-to-people ties that have always been the biggest hallmark of our relationship. (Philstar.com)
* * * The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff.
The June 17 incident in Ayungin Shoal has also prompted Republican Senators Roger Wicker and Jim Risch, ranking members of the Senate armed services committee and Senate foreign relations committee, to write to President Joe Biden saying the U.S. must respond “with visible and concrete demonstrations” of support. The senators also asked for a “full list of military, diplomatic and economic options from the Department of Defense and Department of State to deter further Chinese aggression.”
* * * babeseyeview@gmail.com
However the dynamics of this presidential contest changes over the next few weeks, the greater probability is that Harris will present a more viable candidacy than Biden. The incumbent is burdened with age-related issues. He does not have the power of personality to overcome that deficiency.
This presidential contest will actually be fought in only a few states. The rival campaigns will focus on winning the so-called “swing states” that effectively
decide the electoral college outcome even as the Democrats routinely win the popular vote each time.
This reduced the presidential race to mainly local contests. More than ever, women voters will play a vital role. (Philstar. com)
* * * The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff.
ManilaTimes.net photo
way to
U.S. President Joe Biden
Malacañang file photo
FTC scores win in suit targeting...
against Arise Virtual Solutions, a Florida-based company that connects large, Fortune 500 firms with individual gig workers who perform customer service activities for these companies.
In the suit filed by the FTC, the agency charged Arise with violating the Business Opportunity Act, which requires companies to disclose, among other things, accurate earnings opportunities to potential partners, including gig workers.
According to Arana, 99.9% of workers, or “agents” with the company made an average of just $12 per hour, well below the $18 hourly wage touted in its advertising, which specifically targeted Black women and single mothers. Contractors were also required to pay hundreds of dollars in up-front costs for training, equipment and other “usage fees.”
In its filing, the FTC pointed to internal documents with Arise that showed the company was aware that most of its agents were earning far less than what was being advertised.
“A vast majority of the people who signed up for the opportunity did not make what was promised,” said Arana, adding that gig workers for Arise were 90% women, and 60% of them identified as Black, Latino or multi-racial.
Arise claims to have thousands of “agents” across the country.
In March, the company settled another lawsuit, this one filed on behalf of 180 gig workers in Washington DC, for $3 million. In that case, filed by the DC District Attorney’s office, the company was charged with misclassifying its workers as independent
contractors despite the “high level of control” the company maintained over its workforce.
“The economic reality of Arise’s relationship with its agents demonstrates the existence of an employeremployee relationship,” the suit alleged. Comcast, which contracted with Arise, was named a defendant in that case.
Other companies known to have used Arise’s services include Disney and AirBnB.
The company has denied wrongdoing in both the DC case and the one brought by the FTC.
“Operating in the ‘gig’ economy is no license for evading the law, and the FTC will continue using all its tools to protect Americans from unlawful business practice,” FTC Chair Lina Khan said in a statement after the $7 million settlement was announced.
The value of the U.S. gig economy, defined as freelance or part-time work typically through digital platforms, is estimated at over $450 billion, with half of all Americans expected to have done at least some gig work by 2027.
Fraud, including wage and identity theft, is a growing concern with some data showing that nearly a third of consumers report having been the victim of a scam while using a gig platform.
The FTC’s suit is the first such case where a company operating in the gig economy has been charged with violating the Business Opportunity Act.
“The whole idea is to require the company to provide information to consumers, so they have more of an idea of what they are getting into before
they sign up,” said Arana about the law, which also requires companies to disclose current or former employees in the area who can be contacted by prospective workers to learn about their experience with the company.
The FTC received some 2.6 million reports from consumers in 2023 about potentially questionable marketplace practices. “The more reports that we do get the better we’re able to learn about how best to help consumers,” noted Arana.
Consumers can file reports with the FTC at reportfraud. ftc.gov. The site is available in multiple languages and the FTC has translators available for those with limited English proficiency.
Arana says it’s important for those interested in these types of opportunities to “do your research.” That includes simple steps like an internet search with the company’s name and keywords such as complaints, reviews or scam. Individuals can also try and find past employees – whether or not the company has disclosed them – to learn about actual earnings and possible up-front costs.
“Take a moment and be skeptical,” Arana stresses. “We just say, question promises of big money or profits.”
Money from the settlement will be distributed among past Arise workers, though the FTC must first scan Arise data to determine who is eligible and for what amount. That process could take months, says Arana.
But, she adds, “Every penny we collect goes back to consumers.” (Peter Schurmann/ Ethnic Media Services) n
Marcos bans POGOs, cites...
The president instructed the state regulator, Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor), to “wind down and cease the operations of POGOs by the end of the year.”
He then directed the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), in coordination with his economic managers, to “use the time between now and then to find new jobs for our countrymen who will be displaced.”
The DOLE earlier said that some 25,000 workers could find themselves jobless should Congress enact legislation banning POGOs.
The chief executive stressed that the ban on POGOs “will solve many of the problems that we are encountering, but it will not solve all of them.”
He urged all government officials and employees, law enforcers, and the Filipino people to “always be vigilant, principled and think of the nation” in order to “solve all the problems that we have been suffering under.”
Marcos’ pronouncement ended speculation over his stance on POGOs, amid the involvement of illegal offshore gaming hubs in crimes ranging from financial crimes to kidnapping, human trafficking, and murder.
Pagcor Chair Alejandro Tengco vowed to comply with the president’s order on POGOs in the remaining six months of 2024.
“We have to start the process. We cannot just do it by the end of the year, there will be a process first. Many of those to be affected are legally working. We have to explain it to them,” Tengco told reporters after Marcos’ speech.
Tengco said he was not surprised by the president’s pronouncement, adding that he had no qualms about implementing it, even if he was in favor of stronger regulation rather than an outright ban.
He warned that there might be an increase in the number of illegal gaming hubs in the country with the ban in place.
“There should be coordination with law enforcement agencies to counter this,” Tengco added.
Last week, business groups pushed to ban POGOs, a move that snowballed following the congressional probe on the social ills and other crimes that attended their operations.
On separate occasions, Finance Secretary Ralph Recto, Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan, and Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman agreed that POGOs
should be banned. China, which prohibits all forms of gambling, had long urged the Philippines to ban POGOs, which catered mainly to Chinese nationals.
Cost outweighs benefits
POGOs first emerged in the country in 2016, the first year of President Rodrigo Duterte’s presidency, as he pursued closer trade and investment ties with China.
But along with the rise of POGOs came reports of serious crimes—killings, kidnappings, blackmail, prostitution, illegal detention, and other infractions that abused the laws of the country and victimized Pogo workers.
In justifying continued Pogo operations in September 2019, Duterte said shutting them down would cause job and revenue losses.
According to data presented by the Department of Finance during a Senate hearing last July 16, the estimated total economic benefits from POGOs amounted to P166.49 billion annually, while the estimated total economic cost was P265.74 billion.
Economic losses included both direct and indirect costs of allowing Pogo operations, which include “effects of reputational risks which have an impact on foreign direct investments” and the “negative impact of criminal incidents” to the country’s attractiveness as a tourist destination.
Since last year, several illegal Pogo operations have been raided for being linked to criminal activities, including espionage.
One of these was the police raid of an illegal Pogo hub in Bamban, Tarlac, following human trafficking and serious illegal detention complaints that were later linked to suspended Bamban Mayor Alice Guo.
‘Bloodless’ drug war
Earlier in his speech, the president reassured the people that the government’s antinarcotics campaign would remain “bloodless” under his watch and that “extermination” of illegal drug suspects would never be a strategy, drawing the first standing ovation in the course of his SONA.
The previous administration’s bloody campaign on illegal drugs attracted international attention from human rights groups following the mounting death toll it had caused.
Drug suspects killed was officially placed at 6,235 as of Feb. 28, 2022, according to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, adding that 331,694 suspects were arrested in the 229,868 drug war operations that started on the day Duterte took office in 2016. n
This claim, however, has also been previously contested by legal experts, saying that the alleged crimes committed were done when the Philippines was still a member of the ICC, citing Article 27 of the Rome Statute.
In a message to Philstar.com, Dela Rosa said the development is nothing new.
“What’s new? My name was always mentioned since 2016. Seems like a broken record that keeps on repeating the same lines,” he said.
The DOJ, on the other hand, has yet to respond to Philstar.com’s request for comment regarding
Trillanes’ update.
On July 22, during his third State of the Nation Address, Marcos boasted that the war on drugs by the current administration has been “bloodless” saying that no drug suspect has been “exterminated.”
However, contrary to the president’s pronouncements, human rights watchdog Dahas Project from the University of the Philippines Third World Studies Center recorded 359 such killings from July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024, with state agents allegedly responsible for 34.3% of these incidents. n
FREE MEDICAL CARE. Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Rommel Francisco Marbil (6th from left), Chinese General Hospital and Medical Center (CGHMC) Board Chairperson Antonio Tan (7th from left) and Executive Vice Chairperson Kelly Sia (3rd from right), along with Interior Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. (4th from right) show the signed memorandum of agreement between the PNP and CGHMC in Sta. Cruz, Manila on Tuesday, July 23. Under the agreement, PNP personnel get free or discounted hospitalization at the CGHMC. PNA photo by Yancy Lim
court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing. NOTICE OF HEARING Date: 09/03/2024 Time: 8:30 AM Dept. C-61 Superior Court of California, County of San Diego 330 WEST BROADWAY DEPT. 61 San Diego, CA 92101 A copy of this Order to Show Cause shall be published at least once each week for four successive weeks prior to the date set for hearing on the petition in the following newspaper of general circulation printed in this county. (THE) Asian Journal: JUL 16, 2024 NO HEARING WILL OCCUR ON ABOVE DATE: SEE ATTACHMENT Maureen F. Hallahan Judge of the Superior Court AJ 1474 07/19, 07/26, 08/02, and 08/09/2024 ATTACHMENT TO ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME (JC Form #NC-120) NO HEARING WILL OCCUR ON THE DATE SPECIFIED IN THE ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE. The Court will review the documents filed as of the date specified on the Order to Show Cause for Change of Name (JC Form #NC-120). If all requirements for a name change have been met as of the date specified, and no timely written objection has been received (required at least two court days before the date specified), the Petition for Change of Name (JC Form #NC-100) will be granted without a hearing. One certified copy of the Order Granting Petition will be mailed to the petitioner. To change a name on a legal document, including a birth certificate, social security card, drivers license, passport, and other identification, a certificate copy of Decree Changing Name (JC Form #NC-130) or Decree Changing Name and Order Recognizing Change of Gender and for Issuance of New Birth Certificate (JC Form #NC-230) may be required. Contact the agency(ies) who issues the legal document that need to be changed to determine if a certificate copy is required. A certified copy of Decree Changing Name (JC Form #NC-130) or Decree Changing Name and Order Recognizing Change of Gender and for Issuance of New Birth Certificate (JC Form #NC230) may be obtained form the Civil Business Office for a fee. Petitioners who are seeking a change of name under the Safe at Home program may contact the assigned department for information on obtaining certified copies. If all the requirements have not been met as of the date specified, the Court will mail the petitioner a written order with further directions. If timely objection is filed, the Court will set a hearing date and contact the parties by mail with further directions. A RESPONDENT OBJECTING TO THE NAME CHANGE, MUST FILE A WRITTEN OBJECTION AT LEAST TWO COURT DAYS (excluding weekends and holidays) BEFORE THE DATE SPECIFIED. Do not come to court on the specified date. The court will notify the parties by mail of a future hearing date. Any Petition for the name change of a minor, that is signed by only one parent, must have this Attachment served along with the Petition and Order to Show Cause, on the other, non-signing parent, and proof of service must be filed with the Court. AJSD 1474
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT NO. 2024-9013587
World Micro Dramas Research Association located at 10785 Birch Bluff Ave, San Diego, CA 92131. Registrant: Maria Lixian Gee-Schweiger, 10785 Birch Bluff Ave, San Diego, CA 92131. This business is conducted by An Individual. REGISTRANT FIRST BEGUN TO TRANSACT BUSINESS UNDER THE NAME(S) AS OF 06/28/2024.
Signature: Maria Lixian
Gee-Schweiger. Statement filed with Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on 06/28/2024. AJ 1456 07/05, 07/12, 07/19, and 07/26/2024. AJSD 1456
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS
NAME STATEMENT NO. 2024-9014025
A&Y’s Sober and Independent Living located at 1843 Doran Street, San Diego, CA 92154. Registrant: Nyuydine C Meriwether, 1843 Doran Street, San Diego, CA 92154. This business is conducted by An Individual. REGISTRANT FIRST BEGUN TO TRANSACT BUSINESS UNDER THE NAME(S) AS OF 07/01/2024.
Signature: Nyuydine C Meriwether. Statement filed with Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on 07/08/2024. AJ 1461 07/12, 07/19, 07/26, and 08/02/2024 AJSD 1461
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS
NAME STATEMENT NO. 2024-9014352
Craftee Designs located at 3742 33rd St #5, San Diego, CA 92104.
Registrant: Tatjana Annette Sebro, 3742 33rd St #5, San Diego, CA 92104. This business is conducted by An Individual.
REGISTRANT HAS NOT BEGUN TO TRANSACT BUSINESS UNDER THE NAME(S) ABOVE.
Signature: Tatjana Serbo. Statement filed with Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on 07/11/2024. AJ 1465 07/19, 07/26, 08/02, and 08/09/2024. AJSD 1465
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS
NAME STATEMENT NO. 2024-9014405
Lupita’s Cleaning And Dusting located at 2422 Buena Vista Ave, Lemon Grove, CA 91945. Registrant: Guadelupe Murillo Rodriguez, 2422 Buena Vista Ave, Lemon Grove, CA 91945. This business is conducted by An Individual. REGISTRANT FIRST BEGUN TO TRANSACT BUSINESS UNDER THE NAME(S) AS OF 07/12/2024.
Signature: Guadelupe Murillo Rodriguez. Statement filed with Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on 07/12/2024. AJ 1469 07/19, 07/26, 08/02, and 08/09/2024. AJSD 1469
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT NO. 2024-9014423
Purified S&B located at 1111 Sixth Ave, San Diego, CA 92101. Registrant: Rachelle Bayola, 1111 Sixth Ave, San Diego, CA 92101. This business is conducted by An Individual. REGISTRANT FIRST BEGUN TO TRANSACT BUSINESS UNDER THE NAME(S) AS OF 06/04/2024. Signature: Rachelle Bayola. Statement filed with Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on 07/15/2024. AJ 1473 07/19, 07/26, 08/02, and 08/09/2024. AJSD 1473
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT NO. 2024-9013598
a. STELLA MOVING & DELIVERY located at 1947 DARTMOOR DRIVE, LEMON GROVE, CA, 91945. b. MOVING WITH STELLA located at 1947 DARTMOOR DRIVE, LEMON GROVE, CA, 91945. Registrant: C&S LOGISTICS INC.,1947 DARTMOOR DRIVE, LEMON GROVE, CA, 91945.
This business is conducted by A Corporation. REGISTRANT FIRST BEGUN TO TRANSACT BUSINESS UNDER THE NAME(S) AS OF 08/08/2023. Signature: Arslan Turganov. Statement filed with Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on 07/01/2024. AJ 1457 07/05, 07/12, 07/19, and 07/26/2024. AJSD 1457
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS
NAME STATEMENT NO. 2024-9014142
San Diego Sound Reinforcement located at 6373 Pastor Timothy J Winters St, San Diego, CA 92114-4247. Registrant: Ian Tingzon, 6373 Pastor Timothy J Winters St, San Diego, CA 92114. This business is conducted by An Individual. REGISTRANT FIRST BEGUN TO TRANSACT BUSINESS UNDER THE NAME(S) AS OF 07/08/2024.
Signature: Ian Tingzon. Statement filed with Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on 07/09/2024. AJ 1462 07/12, 07/19, 07/26, and 08/02/2024. AJSD 1462
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS
NAME STATEMENT NO. 2024-9013050
San Diego Indian Spices located at 6784 El Cajon Blvd, Ste-C, San Diego, CA 92115.
Registrant: Himalayan Spice Mart LLC, 6784 El Cajon Blvd, Ste-D, San Diego, CA 92115. This business is conducted by A Limited Liability Company.
REGISTRANT HAS NOT BEGUN TO TRANSACT BUSINESS UNDER THE NAME(S) ABOVE.
Signature: Sasmit Koirala. Statement filed with Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on 06/21/2024. AJ 1466 07/19, 07/26, 08/02, and 08/09/2024.AJSD 1466
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT NO. 2024-9014533
Garlic Crave SD located at 1062 Calle Pilares, Chula Vista, CA 91913.
Registrant: Ma Christina D. Agoncillo, 1062 Calle Pilares, Chula Vista, CA 91913. This business is conducted by An Individual. REGISTRANT HAS NOT BEGUN TO TRANSACT BUSINESS UNDER THE NAME(S) ABOVE.
Signature: Ma Christina D. Agoncillo. Statement filed with Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on 07/16/2024. AJ 1470 07/19, 07/26, 08/02, and 08/09/2024. AJSD 1470
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS
NAME STATEMENT NO. 2024-9014621
Tita’s Kitchenette located at 2720 E Plaza Blvd, National City, CA 91950. Registrant: Tita’s Enterprises. Corp, 2720 E Plaza Blvd, National City, CA 91950. This business is conducted by A Corporation REGISTRANT FIRST BEGUN TO TRANSACT BUSINESS UNDER THE NAME(S) AS OF 06/08/2011. Signature: Ovidio S. De Guzman. Statement filed with Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on 07/17/2024. AJ 1475 07/26, 08/02, 08/09, and 08/16/2024. AJSD 1475
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT NO. 2024-9013666
SE7VENCUPS CAFE LLC located at 3400 E. 8th St. Suite 114, National City, CA 91950. Registrant:
SE7VENCUPS CAFE LLC, 3400 E. 8th St. Suite 114, National City, CA 91950. This business is conducted by A Limited Liability COmpany.
REGISTRANT FIRST BEGUN TO TRANSACT BUSINESS UNDER THE NAME(S) AS OF 07/01/2024. Signature: Ivy Macasinag. Statement filed with Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on 07/01/2024. AJ 1459 07/05, 07/12, 07/19, and 07/26/2024. AJSD 1459
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT NO. 2024-9013772
Coolness Under Pressure LLC located at 1741 Eastlake Pkwy, Suite 102, Chula Vista, CA 91915. Registrant: Coolness Under Pressure LLC, 1741 Eastlake Pkwy, Suite 102, Chula Vista, CA 91915. This business is conducted by A Limited Liability Company.
REGISTRANT HAS NOT BEGUN TO TRANSACT BUSINESS UNDER THE NAME(S) ABOVE.
Signature: Leo Vincent F. Meneses. Statement filed with Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on 07/02/2024. AJ 1463 07/12, 07/19, 07/26, and 08/02/2024. AJSD 1463
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS
NAME STATEMENT NO. 2024-9014325
Unspoken Gibberish located at 3400 Cottage Way, Ste G2, Sacramento, CA 95825. Registrant: Unspoken Gibberish, 3400 Cottage Way, Ste G2, Sacramento, CA 95825. This business is conducted by A Limited Liability Company.
REGISTRANT FIRST BEGUN TO TRANSACT BUSINESS UNDER THE NAME(S) AS OF 07/11/2024. Signature: Allen Ramirez. Statement filed with Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on 07/11/2024. AJ 1467 07/19, 07/26, 08/02, and 08/09/2024. AJSD 1467
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT NO. 2024-9014536
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT NO. 2024-9014536
Tyni3 Bites located at 1062 Calle Pilares, Chula Vista, CA 91913. Registrant: Ma Christina D. Agoncillo, 1062 Calle Pilares, Chula Vista, CA 91913. This business is conducted by An Individual. REGISTRANT FIRST BEGUN TO TRANSACT BUSINESS UNDER THE NAME(S) AS OF 05/01/2024.
Signature: Ma Christina D. Agoncillo. Statement filed with Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on 07/16/2024. AJ 1471 07/19, 07/26, 08/02, and 08/09/2024. AJSD 1471
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT NO. 2024-9014592
Philly Fusion located at 287 Naples St, Chula Vista, CA 91911. Registrant: Triple Een Beautified LLC, 4646 63rd St #1122, San Diego, CA 92115. This business is conducted by A Limited Liability Company. REGISTRANT HAS NOT BEGUN TO TRANSACT BUSINESS UNDER THE NAME(S) ABOVE. Signature: Parween Kakayi. Statement filed with Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on 07/16/2024. AJ 1476 07/26, 08/02, 08/09, and 08/16/2024. AJSD 1476
NAME STATEMENT NO. 2024-9013877
Father’s Painting located at 13925 Lewiston St, San Diego, CA 92128. Registrant: Chung L. Kim, 13925 Lewiston St, San Diego, CA 92128. This business is conducted by An Individual.
REGISTRANT FIRST BEGUN TO TRANSACT BUSINESS UNDER THE NAME(S) AS OF 03/20/1999. Signature: Chung L. Kim. Statement filed with Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on 07/03/2024. AJ 1460 07/12, 07/19, 07/26, and 08/02/2024. AJSD 1460
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS
NAME STATEMENT NO. 2024-9014228
Ah Que Burro located at 8783 Troy St, Spring Valley, CA 91977. Registrant: Rosa L. Gonzalez, 1539 S. 38th St, San Diego, CA 91977. This business is conducted by An Individual.
REGISTRANT FIRST BEGUN TO TRANSACT BUSINESS UNDER THE NAME(S) AS OF 07/10/2024.
Signature: Rosa L. Gonzalez.
Statement filed with Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on 07/10/2024. AJ 1464 07/12, 07/19, 07/26, and 08/02/2024. AJSD 1464
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS
NAME STATEMENT NO. 2024-9014395
Numinous Med located at 3655 Ruffin Rd. Suite 200, San Diego, CA 92123.
Registrant: Numinous Naturopathic INC, 9885 Erma Rd, San Diego, CA 92131. This business is conducted by A Corporation. REGISTRANT HAS NOT BEGUN TO TRANSACT BUSINESS UNDER THE NAME(S) ABOVE. Signature: Diana E Phan. Statement filed with Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on 07/12/2024. AJ 1468 07/19, 07/26, 08/02, and 08/09/2024. AJSD 1468
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT NO. 2024-9014528
Sarah’s Global Getaways located at 8829 Spectrum Center Blvd, 3310, San Diego, CA 92123. Registrant: Sarah Valdez Rostamijam, 8829 Spectrum Center Blvd, 3310, San Diego, CA 92123. This business is conducted by An Individual. REGISTRANT HAS NOT BEGUN TO TRANSACT BUSINESS UNDER THE NAME(S) ABOVE. Signature: Sarah Valdez Rostamijam. Statement filed with Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on 07/16/2024. AJ 1472 07/19, 07/26, 08/02, and 08/09/2024. AJSD 1472
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS
NAME STATEMENT NO. 2024-9014657
American Combat Academy Inc. located at 945 Otay Lakes Rd Suite E, Chula Vista, CA 91913. Registrant: American Combat Academy Inc., 945 Otay Lakes Rd Suite E, Chula Vista, CA 91913. This business is conducted by A Corporation REGISTRANT FIRST BEGUN TO TRANSACT BUSINESS UNDER THE NAME(S) AS OF 07/15/2024. Signature: Anthony P. Caravelli. Statement filed with Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on 07/17/2024. AJ 1477 07/26, 08/02, 08/09, and 08/16/2024. AJSD 1477
SAN DIEGO
Filipino American hopeful: Miss New York Marizza Delgado eyes the Miss USA title BREAKING BARRIERS
Mby MOMar G. Visaya / AJPress
ARIZZA Delgado, a 25-year-old Filipino American, made history by becoming the first Filipino American to be crowned Miss New York USA 2024 a few weeks ago. This achievement marks a significant milestone not only in her personal journey but also in the representation of the Filipino American community in the pageant world.
“I am the first Filipino American Miss New York USA, and representation means everything to me,” Delgado told the Asian Journal, reflecting on the importance of her win. “Iyak na iyak ako, I was crying so much in my crowning. I was just so shocked; I am just so grateful for this journey.”
Delgado’s path to the crown was anything but easy. She placed as 3rd Runner Up in both 2022 and 2023, making her triumphant return this year even more meaningful. “Coming back every year is always very difficult, but I always remind myself of my north star, being the first Filipino American and a woman in STEM to be on the Miss USA stage,” she said.
Crowned just two weeks ago, Delgado is now preparing to represent New York at the Miss USA 2024 pageant in Los Angeles on August 4. Her preparations include reaching out to Filipino designers to work on her gown and interview, as well as intensive interview preparation. Delgado says she draws inspiration from Pia Wurtzbach, a former Miss Universe from the Philippines.
Over the weekend, she wore a modern Filipiniana from Mestizo LA at the Philippines Fest second anniversary event in Times Square, where she expressed her excitement about her new role.
“I am so excited to be here
today, it feels so surreal to be here as Miss New York,” she said. “It’s like Little Manila here today. Filipinos are making their mark.”
Delgado, who was born in San Jose, California, to immigrant parents from Pampanga and Cavite, moved to New York City to pursue a career in modeling and data science. She currently works as a fashion model, engineer, and advocate for women in STEM. Her pageant experience is extensive, including titles such as Miss Pacific Teen USA, Miss Earth New York, and a Top 20 placement at Miss Earth 2021. In addition to her professional
achievements, Delgado is actively involved in initiatives like @ GirlsWhoCode, aiming to make a positive impact in her community and the tech industry.
Reflecting on the potential impact of winning the Miss USA crown, Delgado said, “It would mean the world to me if I win Miss USA, and if that happens, I’d be the fourth Miss New York to win the title. It would be such an honor. I’m ready for the crown.”
Delgado’s journey shows how hard work, being yourself, and chasing your dreams can lead to success. Her message to young Filipinas resonates with encouragement and
empowerment: “Kaya mo ‘to. (You can do it!) You are capable to do it.”
As Marizza Delgado prepares to compete for the Miss USA crown, her story continues to inspire and pave the way for future generations of underrepresented voices in the pageant world and beyond.
The Miss USA 2024 pageant will take place on Sunday, August 4, 2024, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, with the winner going on to represent the United States at the Miss Universe 2024 pageant in Mexico. The event will be broadcast live on The CW network. n
Marizza Delgado joined the celebration of the second anniversary of Philippines Fest in Times Square. Photo shows Delgado with Philippines Fest co-founder Augee Francisco and her Kaiser staff.
AJPress photos from Momar G. Visaya
Delgado beat 170 other candidates to wear the Miss New York USA crown Photos courtesy of Miss New York USA
Delgado’s official Miss USA portrait taken by noted fashion photographer Fadil Berisha
GIGIL bags Silver Cannes Lion, delivering Grab its first win in the world’s top advertising honor
Philippine agency’s win showcases creative excellence with business impact
PHILIPPINE creative powerhouse GIGIL clinched its third Cannes Lion in four years, winning its first Silver in Film at the 2024 Festival of Creativity, home of the world’s most prestigious advertising awards. The award reaffirms the agency’s position as a leading independent agency and marks a milestone for Grab, which has earned its first ever Cannes Lion.
GIGIL’s campaign for Grab, “Summer” was also the only finalist from the Philippines in the said category. The agency previously won a Bronze Film Lion for RC Cola and Cheers in 2021 and 2022, respectively.
“This milestone pushes us to scale greater heights in the creative industry as we embark on a transformation. Our present and future clients, especially as we expand our reach globally via our New York and Toronto offices, can expect nothing less than a hundred percent from us,” Jake Yrastorza, GIGIL managing partner, said.
Creativity that delivers business results
Grab “Summer” helped the superapp achieve record-breaking transactions for both its mobility and on-demand delivery services after the campaign launch.
“More importantly, this is further proof that GIGIL’s good ideas deliver good business results,” Yrastorza said.
GIGIL’s work is marked by a history of delivering business results. From 2020 to 2023, it won in the APAC Effies, the known arbiter of marketing effectiveness of advertising ideas.
“Summer” has been viewed over 45 million times and generated over 2.6 million engagements on various social media platforms.
Set in the Philippine summer season, which has brought unprecedented heat levels to the tropical country, the film features a Filipino everyman character who goes about his day – from his commute, office work, to cooking a home meal –while literally sweating buckets in the middle of summer. The creative team uses this exaggerated depiction of the daily grind to highlight Grab’s services that Filipinos can avail during summer like the air-conditioned GrabCar and the delivery of cold drinks through GrabFood.
GIGIL first partnered with Grab in 2022, and has delivered some of the most engaging creative work for the brand in recent years. The film is GIGIL’s first collaboration with award-winning Thai production house Factory01 Bangkok. For more information on GIGIL’s work visit www.gigil.com.ph.
Founded in 2017, GIGIL has become the Philippines’ premier independent creative agency, with offices in New York and Toronto. Known for its boundary-pushing campaigns, GIGIL consistently produces content that captures the attention of viewers, generating unprecedented attention and conversations. It has garnered international acclaim, among which are the prestigious APAC Effies for four consecutive years
a
in
at the
for
in
of
(2020-2023), underscoring the agency’s capability to craft campaigns that not only captivate, but also deliver measurable business results. It has also won the world’s most respected advertising awards, the Cannes Lions, in 2021, 2022, and 2024. GIGIL has also been ranked Number 1 among Network and Independent Agencies in the Philippines by Campaign Brief Asia. This set of recognition cements its dominant market position and provides a testament to its ability to stand among the best networks of agencies in the world. For more information on GIGIL and its body of work, visit www.gigil.com.ph or contact Duke de Ramos via duke.deramos@gigil.com. ph or+639272287446 to discover possibilities for your business. (GIGIL Release) n
On changes to Medicare Part D via the Inflation Reduction Act
CONGRESS recently made some big changes to Medicare’s Part D benefit through the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). The National Asian Pacific Center on Aging (NAPCA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the quality of life of AANHPI older adults and their families, selected some questions about these big changes and would like to share the information.
<Q1> What are the changes to Medicare Part D?
The new rules are designed to make it easier for seniors to afford their prescription drugs. For the first time, the federal government negotiates prices on certain drugs covered through Medicare. The law establishes annual limits on your out-ofpocket spending for all drugs, with a special cap for insulin. Beneficiaries are also able to spread out their cost sharing throughout the plan year, and you no longer have to pay out of pocket for adult vaccines recommended by the Centers for Disease Control.
<Q2> How will my drug costs be affected?
First, if you use insulin, your spending is now capped at $35 per month. This is great news for many seniors with diabetes, especially those in the Asian American and Pacific Islander community, who are more likely to have diabetes.
Second, starting 2025, there will be a $2,000 annual limit on how much you pay for all prescription drugs covered through Medicare. This means that no matter how many medications you need, your total yearly cost won’t go over $2,000. Note that the annual limit is $8,000 in 2024.
Third, starting next year, you can choose to spread your drug costs evenly over the year instead of paying large amounts all at once. This option could make it easier to manage your budget if you’re on a fixed income. But remember, you need to opt-in for this option – it won’t happen automatically. If you have questions, we encourage you to reach out directly to your Medicare drug plan insurer.
<Q3> Can I receive more assistance with my Medicare prescription drug costs? Medicare beneficiaries may qualify for even more savings through the Low-Income Subsidy (LIS) program, also called Extra Help program. In 2024, Extra Help
Jessica Soho, Kara David headline top programs on GMA & GTV; Rolando Inocencio, a seasoned actor
My P.E.P. (People, Events, Places)
Rogelio Constantino medina
BY the time my first name
“Rogelio” was being chanted musically at Philstagers’ PSF Blackbox Theatre in Manila on late evening of July 6, 2024, something good was happening on the other part of the globe: my new column P.E.P. (People, Events, Places) for Asian Journal was about to be published in print in the Asian Journal LA Weekend edition in California. That for me is a blessing.
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The No. 1 highest rated show on GMA is “Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho” and July 7’s episode rated a lately unheard of 18 points, the highest rating of any show in 2024.
Maria Jessica Aspiras Soho, born in San Fernando, La Union, has been the host of GMA Network’s Public Affairs news magazine program “Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho” since 2004. In 1998, she became the first Filipino to win the British Fleet Street Award for Journalism. In 1999, she and the I-Witness team received the Philippines’ first Peabody Award for producing the “Kidneys for Sale” and “Kamao” documentaries. Her story of a hostage crisis in Cagayan Valley made her the first Filipino to win in the New York Film Festival.
Soho attended the University of the Philippines Diliman to study Mass Communication. One of her professors was Luis Beltran who inspired her to finish her studies and practice journalism in Manila.
Meanwhile, the No. 1 highest rated show on GTV is Pinas Sarap, hosted by Kara David. It has been rating more than double its TV5 counterpart (which happens to be a drama).
Kara Patria Constantino DavidCancio, a TOYM and TOWNS awardee, is assistant professor
at UP Diliman and the current chairperson of the Journalism Department at UP’s College of Mass Communication.
She is the founder and president of Project Malasakit, a foundation that helps the people she has featured in her documentaries. She has won a Peabody Award, the second Filipino to win this award.
She is the daughter of Professor Randy David of UP Diliman and Karina ConstantinoDavid, former chairperson of the Civil Service Commission.
1973 Miss Universe Margie Moran Floirendo (front row, center) with Ramon Orlina and Fr. Tito Caluag during the recent ribbon-cutting ceremony at Museo Orlina in Tagaytay City.
Rogelio Medina and Jessica Soho
Rolando Inocencio
Ruru Madrid, Miguel Tanfelix, Bianca Umali, Barbie Forteza, Ashley Sarmiento, Marco Masa, Allen Ansay, Sofia Pablo, Boobay, as well as Sparkle GMA Artist Center and UP College of Law lecturer Atty. Annette Gozon-Valdes, president of GMA Worldwide, Inc. and
Network Films.
awardees will
sector: Annabelle Surara, Wej Cudiamat, Dennis Antennor Jr., Braggy Braganza, Earlo Bringas, Audrey Gorriceta, DJ Mama Colleen, Papa Marky, DJ Kuya Machete, Usec. Robert Rivera, Nerlyza Eliza Francisco Rivera, 97.9 Home Radio, Aliw Channel 23, DWIZ-AM, Media House Express, The Metropolista, Rise and Shine Pilipinas, Light TV, and Win Radio. In music, awardees will be Lae Manego, Dylan Menor, Merjohn Lagaya, George Sison-Tagle, The Flippers (3rd Gen.), Carmela Betonio, The Voice Academy of ROAR participants from a previous year. Photos courtesy of Rogelio C. Medina
Rod Navarro Jr. (extreme right) with FAMAS ladies (from left) Tess Pambuan, Christina Aliada and president Francia Conrado.
Receiving GIGIL’s Silver Cannes Lions Award are (from left:) Bev Lubid, group account director; Dana De Leon; associate creative director; and Nanais Hernandez, senior strategic planner. Photos courtesy of GIGIL
GIGIL’s campaign
Grab, “Summer,” won
Silver
Film
2024 Festival
Creativity
Cannes.
Jessica Soho, Kara David headline top...
the Philippines Inc., and RTU Himig Rizalia.
Others are in the field of business or entrepreneurship and professionalism: Salvacion Paparon, Bhinky Reyes, CPA Shirley Belangel, mga photographer Miller Daniolco, Jamin Lim at Bhon Jheo Exconde, Janice Israel Delima Tentler, Judge Tarcelo Sabarre Jr., Jeffrey Dy, and Sara Luningning Medina.
The PFBA is organized by La Visual Corporation and SIRBISU Channel. The awards night will be held at The Hexagon Events Place in Quezon City on September 8, 2024.
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Museo Orlina in Tagaytay City celebrated its 10th anniversary by opening the “Eskultura III: Crystal Clear” exhibit featuring some of the Philippines’ top glass sculptors like Marge Organo, Raisa Luz, Jinggoy Salcedo, Anna Orlina, Michael Orlina, and Presidential Medal of Merit Awardee Ramon Orlina. It was highlighted by a house blessing presided by Fr. Tito Caluag, and both the museum and the new space being developed were blessed. “Eskultura III: Crystal Clear” will run until August 18, 2024. For questions or requests for catalogs, you may contact +63917-107 -5958, landline (+6346) 413 2581, email: info@museo-orlina.org.
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Rolando Inocencio, a seasoned actor who appeared recently in “A Thousand Forests” musical film, was invited as one of the three judges (the other two were actor Mon Confiado and Eric dela Cruz) in the recent Philstagers’ PSF Theatre Festival for two Saturdays. (Writer Ymman Jake Biaco and PX Ilano were helping me in the updates there.)
Inocencio started as a workshopper in 1981 in the CCP Student Drama Workshop. Since then, he joined the Bulwagang Gantimpala, Teatro Pilipino, Repertory Philippines, PETA, and Tanghalang Pilipino.
He also appeared in dozens of Jose Javier Reyes films. “He runs a tight ship. No time is wasted,” said Rolando of Joey’s style of directing.
He was the artistic director when Dulaang Talyer performed during Festival Off d’Avignon in 2003 in Theatre du Balcon in Avignon, France.
It is a spontaneous space for creation that sprung up in 1966 in relation to the Festival d’Avignon. Referred to as the ‘festival In,’ the ‘festival Off Avignon’ is today in and of itself one of the biggest performing arts festivals in the world. The Festival Off means more than 1,500 shows during the 3-week duration of the festival in July that turns Avignon into one big festival, thanks to the thousands of artists and performers who take over the streets, and the more than one hundred theatres in the city. A unique structure, built on the independence of the theatres that take part in the festival off, the ‘Festival Off Avignon’ welcomes all
the rich diversity of French and international artistic creation.
* * *
Sparkle GMA Artist talents Alden Richards, Rayver Cruz (who once went to my house to shoot ABSCBN’s “All of Me”), Julie Anne San Jose, Boobay, Ai-Ai de las Alas, and Isko Moreno (who said to me that he is unsure if he would join the political arena in next year’s elections) are all busy looking forward for the Sparkle Goes to USA performance in Anaheim, California on August 9. The following day, they will perform in South San Francisco High School Auditorium in San Francisco, California.
* * * Navarro Jr., son of the late comedian Rod Navarro Sr., met again the FAMAS ladies headed by its president Francia “Cheche” Conrado and members Christina Aliada and Teresita Tolentino Pambuan (a retired schoolteacher in Hayward, California who appeared in Romm Burlat’s Manang) during the first anniversary of a beauty wellness and spa in Binondo, Manila. They were all invited as VIP guests by top podcaster Cali Manzano.
* * *
On July 21, a month before the August 21 death anniversary of Ninoy Aquino, a holiday in the Philippines, a group of August Twenty-One Movement (ATOM) will quietly walk, run, jog and bike along Ayala Avenue at 6:30 a.m. through its ROAR (run on against revision) campaign. Expected to attend are regular runners Kiko Aquino Dee (the Aquino family’s spokesperson), Emilio Aquino (son of former senator and actor Butz Aquino), historian Xiao Chua, Volt Bohol, and Jose Francisco Kawada of the Gerry Roxas Leadership Awardees Inc.
* * * 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.
* * * rogeliocmedina@yahoo.com
RA 12001: Essential information for overseas Filipinos
What overseas Filipinos need to know about the Real Property Valuation and Assessment Reform Act (RPVARA)
SAB 's Review
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ann Bathan-san PedRo
UNDERSTANDING RA 12001
On June 13, 2024, President Marcos signed Republic Act No. 12001, commonly known as the Real Property Valuation and Assessment Reform Act (RPVARA).
This landmark legislation aims to overhaul the outdated property valuation system in the Philippines. RA 12001 standardizes property valuations across the country, aligning them with current market values and international standards.
For overseas Filipinos, this means a more transparent and consistent property valuation system, making it easier to manage and invest in real estate back home.
Key changes introduced by RA 12001
The new law separates the technical valuation process from the political taxation process, establishing a single valuation base for taxation purposes. This simplification will alleviate the complexities overseas Filipinos face when dealing with property taxes and transactions, including:
• Transfer taxes
• Capital gains tax
• Withholding taxes
• Documentary stamp tax
• Value-added tax.
The importance of RA 12001
Local government units in the Philippines have historically relied on outdated valuation systems tied to real estate taxation. As of 2024, 97 cities and 40 provinces were not compliant with the requirement to revalue properties every three years. This non-compliance has led to a decrease in the share of real property tax in local tax revenues.
RA 12001 addresses several critical issues:
• Unified valuations: Eliminates multiple and overlapping valuations from different agencies, providing a clear property value.
• Transparency: Enhances transparency in the property market, boosting investor
confidence.
• Automation: Accelerates the automation of the Real Property Information System, streamlining processes.
• Efficiency: Improves the efficiency of tax collection, benefiting both the government and property owners.
Implications for overseas Filipino property owners
With RA 12001 in place, many overseas Filipino property owners are concerned about potential increases in real property taxes and other implications. Here’s what you need to know:
• Property taxes: While the new valuation system aims for fairness and consistency, it may lead to adjustments in property taxes. However, the standardized approach will ensure these taxes reflect true market values.
• Investment confidence: The transparency and efficiency brought by RA 12001 are expected to enhance investor confidence, potentially increasing the value of real estate investments in the Philippines.
• Ease of transactions: Simplified taxation processes will make buying, selling, and managing properties more straightforward for overseas Filipinos.
RA 12001 represents a
Sparkle GMA artists will headline U.S. shows in Anaheim, CA and San Francisco, CA on August 9 and August 10, respectively.
Photos courtesy of Rogelio C. Medina
Regular ROAR runners (from left): Francisco Kawada, Kiko Aquino Dee, Volt Bohol and Xiao Chua.
