Philipines Asian Report Nov/Dec 2022

Power of Parole

R E P O R T

US eyes allocating $70 million for EDCA sites, arms in PH

in S. California city

Filipino-American Retirees of Southern California Presents Veteran of the Year

MANILA, Philippines

— The United States is planning to allocate $70 million, or nearly P4 billion, in the

next two years to implement the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA), a key military deal

that would allow Washington to build facilities and preposition assets in some strategically located military

bases in the country. The agreement signed in 2014 — designed to address Chinese

Bb. Pilipinas Hannah Arnold finally leaving for Miss International pageant

MANILA, Philippines—

Three years since first setting foot on the Binibining Pilipinas stage and months after crowning her successor, Hannah Arnold is finally leaving for the Miss

International pageant.

The Australian-Filipino forensic scientist from Masbate joined the 2019 Bb. Pilipinas pageant where she finished in the semifinals. She returned the following

year, but the competition was postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The national pageant resumed in 2021, and she captured the Bb. Pilipinas International crown. But the

60th Miss International pageant in which she was supposed to compete extended its “pandemic pause” for another year, so she patiently waited for her turn to carry

Philippine malls ready for holiday rush, operators say

DOT breaches tourism target with over 2 million travelers to PH

MANILA, Philippines –

At least two million visitor arrivals have been recorded in the Philippines since the country eased border restrictions last February, said the Department

Mall operators in the Philippines said their commercial establishments were ready for the anticipated increase in people going to

shop, dine and enjoy some leisure time during the holiday season.

In a recent interview with DZMM radio station, exec-

Cardinal Tagle replaced as head of Vatican charity

MANILA, Philippines —

Pope Francis has replaced former Manila Archbishop Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle as president of Caritas Internationalis (CI), Vatican’s charity and disaster relief agency composed of more

than a hundred organizations, following an independent review of its operations that found serious “deficiencies in management and procedures.”

The move was part of the overhaul 9

utives of the country’s three largest shopping mall chains – SM supermalls, Robinsons malls, and Ayala malls –

said that preparations and adjustments have been put in place to ensure the safety and

Ditas Yamane led a drive to switch National City, California's local elections from city-wide to district polls. She also won a city couch seat last Nov. 8. WEBSITE - Story on page 9

U.S. Ambassador MaryKay L. Carlson | PHOTO: U.S. Embassy in the Philippines’ official website

Former Manila Archbishop Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle (FILE PHOTO)

Fil-Ams successfully revamp election system

Filipino American Retirees Association of Southern California (FARSOC) Guest Speaker Gen. Edgar Aglipay, PNP Director (Ret.) at the event on November 12, 2022 at Four Points by Sheraton on Aero Drive. See p.15

The

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JULIET!

From

1

aggression in the South China Sea and respond to natural disasters — will finally make some major headway after facing delays during the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte, who had repeatedly expressed his disdain for the United States since he took office in 2016.

“These improvements are designed to enhance cooperative defense capacities and support humanitarian assistance disaster response activities, in ways that best meet the needs of the AFP [Armed Forces of the Philippines] and the alliance,” US Ambassador MaryKay Carlson said in a forum recently.

The EDCA, she said, is “another way to operationalize” the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty, which binds both countries to defend each other in case of an armed attack. Prepositioned assets and weapons will allow the United States and the Philippines to

US eyes allocating $70 million for EDCA sites, arms in PH 6

BIRTHDAY WISHES TO MS JULIET ALTAMIRANO TAGLE PASTOR!

A long-time supporter of the San Diego Fil-Am Humanitarian Foundation, Inc., established in 1991 and the San Diego Philippine Library & Museum in 2000 and a best friend forever to many particularly Dr. Barbara M. Yorobe of the Philippines & Asian Report, a local newspaper now in its 24th year of existence and service to the public and community. Thank you, Ms Juliet for your continuing support and good friendship!

The many BFF’s of ours present at the grand event with about 150 guests (including many relatives from the Philippines, Canada, Alaska and other parts of the United States) were San Diegans-Cyd Cardasis, Jhigs Legaspi, Josie Isibido (with daughter Joette Davidson), Dr. Luzviminda Pizarro, Elsie Morales, Rosanna Salcedo and Gloria Dayrit. Missed were Jenny Supnet, Elena Novick and Elsa Siverts. A long-time good friend, Rev. Fr. Romy Supnet presided the Invocation. All supporters of the above mentioned organizations.

event was held on October 8, 2022 at the Grand Ballroom of the Marriott Hotel in Mission Valley. Providing love and moral support were Juliet’s husband, Leo Pastor (in intricate native Pilipino Barong Tagalog), children AnnMarie Frances Borer and Mr & Mrs Leomarc Pastor. And, Juliet’s grandchildren. The music was provided by the energetic Jeanne Moss and the popular I Heart San Diego Band.

BFF Dr. Barbara M. Yorobe, Managing Editor Julian Oriel and staff of the widely-circulated Philippines & Asian Report. May you have many, many more to come!

Bb. Pilipinas

Hannah Arnold finally leaving for Miss International pageant

the country’s colors on the global arena.

Meanwhile, the 2022 Bb. Pilipinas pageant was staged in July, and Arnold crowned her successor Nicole Borromeo without seeing action abroad.

Many fans were wondering whether Arnold would still get to represent the Philippines.

The Bb. Pilipinas Charities Inc. (BPCI) quelled Arnold’s fans’ fears as it declared that she will indeed be sent to Japan to represent the Philippines.

Manila Clock Tower Museum: Darkest hours, brighter times

NATIONAL ICON History and art converge within the walls of the Manila Clock Tower Museum. The top floor offers visitors a 360-degree view of the capital city’s busy streets and green parks. There’s a plan to use a vacant space at the museum for a tribute exhibit for architect Antonio Toledo, who designed the clock tower.

A bombed-out metropolis lay in ruins, buildings toppled and streets scarred with wreckage and debris. And

Now, after gracing the send-off for her fellow Bb. Pilipinas queens from both the 2021 and 2022 batches, Arnold is finally the one being sent off.

BPCI threw her a sendoff press conference all her own at the Novotel Manila Araneta City in Quezon City on Nov. 15, where she received well wishes from her pageant sisters. Arnold will fly to Tokyo for the 60th Miss International pageant, which will culminate in a grand coronation program at the Tokyo Dome City Hall on Dec. 13.

If she wins, she will give her 2021 Bb. Pilipinas batch a three-crown haul. Maureen Montagne brought home the Miss Globe crown from Albania, and Cinderella Faye Obeñita was proclaimed Miss Intercontinental in Egypt.

You may help Hannah inch closer to the Miss International crown by voting

yet, four years earlier, the then bustling national capital declared itself an “Open City,” precisely to avoid such destruction and bloodshed as a brutal foreign invader approached. This is Manila during World War II, but there’s neither noise nor movement now, only stillness amid depictions of chaos.

It’s a place that seems frozen in time, but the seconds are ticking away constantly at the Manila Clock Tower Museum, the

newest tourist attraction at the heart of City Hall.

The museum, consisting of six levels, first takes visitors back to the Battle for Manila in 1945, when American and Japanese forces fought street by street for control of the besieged capital. The monthlong fighting, from Feb. 3 to March 3, ended three years of Japanese occupation at a terrible cost with the death of about 100,000 civilians.

On the ground floor, the

black-and-white wartime photos depict the various stages of the siege: From residents fleeing and wandering in the streets, structures up in smoke, to soldiers attending to the wounded.

But the narrative extends backwards to also cover events of months before, such as the historic return of Gen. Douglas MacArthur and the US troops in Palo, Leyte, on Oct. 20, 1944. Further flashbacks show prewar Manila also in pic-

for her on the global pageant’s official mobile app. Download it for free via the Play Store of App Store. Voting started on Nov. 30.

From among the international pageants, the

Philippines

the most success

the Miss International competition with six winners—Gemma Cruz (1964), Aurora Pijuan (1970), Melanie Marquez (1979), Precious Lara Quigaman

(2005), Bea Rose Santiago (2013) and Kylie Verzosa (2016).  /ra

Armin P. Adina INQUIRER.net/PDI

found

in

Hannah Arnold (third from left) receives the full support of her Bb. Pilipinas ‘sisters’ (from left) Chelsea Fernandez, Stacey Gabriel, Nicole Borromeo, Gabrielle Basiano and Samantha Panlilio. Image: Philippine Daily Inquirer/Armin P. Adina

Xi Jinping’s China

Yesterday marked the closing day of the 20th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), which opened on Oct. 16. Today, the CCP’s Central Committee will meet in plenary session to approve the membership of the party’s Politburo and Standing Committee. Xi Jinping is expected to be reelected to a third five-year term as head of the CCP. The only question is whether he will be conferred the title of “Chairman,” as in Chairman Mao.

With Western democracies showing signs of worsening political and economic decay beneath uncertain leadership, one cannot help but marvel at the sight of China confidently going through the rituals of political affirmation rather than of brutal contestation.

Whatever in-fighting has occurred is safely hidden from view. The name of the game is projection of strength and stability under a unified leadership.

So dominant has Xi become as China’s leader that he is now mentioned, in the simplified periodization of the country’s recent history, as the third figure in a triumvirate, after Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping. “The Chinese nation … has stood up, grown rich, and become strong—and it now embraces the brilliant prospects of re-

That the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) is the third most stressful airport in Asia and Oceania is not a surprise—that it did not take the first spot is.

Anyone who has traveled through Manila’s three international terminals, especially during peak travel season, has experienced stress: the numerous security checks (as many as four for certain routes); the long, often disorganized check-in queues; the notorious arrival procedures red-tape; the lack of seats at the departure gates; the delayed flights, and even more delayed luggage release, and lucky if they do not end up elsewhere—the list goes on.

Then there are the numerous scams from the “tanim bala” in 2015, the “pastillas” scheme in 2020, the airport taxi scam, luggage theft, bribery, etc. The risk of becoming viral on social media has not stopped unscrupulous people from trying to trick hapless passengers, most of whom tend to let the crime slide to avoid further hassle on their trips. Even Filipinos do not get a pass from their fellow countrymen and end up as victims of these scams, too.

PUBLICLIVES

RANDY DAVID

*Journalist, sociologist & public intellectual *professor emeritus, sociologyuniversity of the philippines

*Columnist, philipipne daily inquirer *Board of Advisor member, ABs-CBN Corporation *pursued doctoral studies at the unversity of manchester but opted to remain as socialist liberal in the philippines during the martial law.

*married to Karina Constantino david

juvenation,” he told the 19th Congress five years ago. Xi will not only be the head of the CCP; he will also be the chair of the Central Military Commission and, of course, the president of the People’s Republic of China.

Xi has, in the last 10 years, pursued the consolidation of state power over the world’s most populous country (1.4 billion people) with unrelenting determination. This goal owes much to the lessons the Chinese communist leadership drew from the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. They saw that the Soviet collapse became inevitable once the communist party lost its unity and grip on power. They swore not to allow that to happen to China.

Upon his election as party general secretary in 2012, Xi quickly secured control over the whole party by launching an anticorruption campaign that targeted high-

ranking party officials who had enriched themselves during China’s unprecedented economic boom. He did the same thing in the military, purging it of leaders previously thought untouchable. It was a popular move: The public saw it not as an elimination of political rivals but as a stern application of the law against the corrupt. He sought to tame the internet by mounting a massive system of control and surveillance that effectively paralyzed the communicative capabilities of independent social media voices and potential dissidents. At the same time, recognizing the power of digital connectivity, his media team introduced a “Xi app” that not only propagated his thoughts but also functioned as an all-purpose platform for accessing essential services.

The outside world had hoped to see a Chinese leader who could match Deng’s

bold opening of the country’s economic system with the necessary reform of its closed political system. Xi has turned out not to be that leader. He was unimpressed by the Chinese billionaires who amassed enormous private fortunes and used their wealth to buy political influence. He clipped the wings of those who thought their global reach had made them financial superstars worthy of adulation. He went after businessmen who parked their money abroad and kept it out of the reach of the Chinese government.

He closed down gigantic property developers who had taken deposits from aspiring homeowners but failed to deliver as scheduled. He built homes for rural folks using funds “donated” by China’s billionaire class. He took to task the owners of computer game businesses for turning the country’s young people into game addicts.

Xi regards capitalist development not as an end in itself, but only as a means to secure a prosperous life for all. People who heard him attack protectionism in defense of economic globalization at the World Economic Forum in Davos in 2017 wrongly thought he was singing praises to free market capitalism. Far from it. He was only thinking like a Marxist for whom socialism made sense only in the context of a productive and developed economy.

Like Deng, he regarded the development of productive forces as the historic role of

Stress, scams at Naia

According to the travel blog Hawaiian Islands, which analyzed more than 1,500 Google reviews for over 500 airports around the world, nearly 58 percent of passengers that passed through Naia have experienced stress. Naia followed Sydney Kingsford Smith International Airport in Australia—notorious for its extremely delayed flights, poor signages, public transit surcharges, and airport taxes; and Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam—where passengers have complained about corrupt customs officials, dirty toilets, weak Wi-Fi signals, limited restaurant choices, and theft, among others.

These complaints about the Sydney and Ho Chi Minh airports may sound familiar to Naia travelers—they most likely have experienced them at the Manila terminals, too.

And this is not the first time that Naia has earned the ignominy of being one of the world’s most unpopular airports—earlier this year, Cali-

fornia-based luggage store app Bounce ranked it the worst for those flying business class. Unlike the reaction of his predecessor on the Bounce ranking, however, Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista took the Hawaiian Islands ranking as a “challenge” and bared plans to improve the travel experience at Naia, including easing the congestion in the busier terminals starting this holiday season when Filipinos traditionally return to their hometowns to spend Christmas.

An average of 100,480 passengers pass through all Naia terminals daily, according to latest government data. Last November, the Manila International Airport Authority approved the transfer of some domestic flights from Terminal 4 to Terminal 3, and international flights of Philippine Airlines from Terminal 2 to Terminal 1 to decongest them.

Bautista’s experience as an aviation executive for over a decade most certainly has given him the necessary in-

sights to find solutions to problems that have long ailed Naia. The government obviously needs to improve services and facilities at the terminals especially since the planned new international airport is not expected to open its doors until 2027, or five years from now. It is unfathomable to allow travelers to continue experiencing stress during their trips considering that airports serve as the country’s front doors, and bad first impressions could impact the local tourism sector that the government is trying to revive after the slump brought by the COVID-19 pandemic.

But aside from improving services and facilities, authorities must crack down on airport syndicates that are involved in numerous scams.

Sen. Risa Hontiveros just this week exposed the use of fake exit stamps so that Filipinos who were being trafficked to other countries could bypass the Bureau of Immigration (BI). With Hontiveros’ help, 12 overseas Filipino workers

capitalism, not socialism.

He remains a staunch Leninist, for whom the Communist Party represents the distillation of the highest consciousness of the working class and, as such, must provide direction to the government and to Chinese society as a whole. Today, Xi is not just the leader of the party; he is the party. The personality cult that has grown around him, not seen since Chairman Mao’s time, attests to that.

But, as in all autocratic systems, political succession is a critical problem. Xi has no visible successor. That is why every China observer keenly watches the lineup of China’s leaders as they walk onto the front stage at the closing of each party congress. All eyes will be on the person closely following Xi. That photographic moment more or less spells out China’s line of succession.

An interesting side note to the 20th Congress was the selection of Wang Huning as secretary general. A former professor of politics and dean of the law school at Fudan University, he is widely regarded as Xi’s principal adviser.

In 1988, Wang Huning was invited to tour the United States. After visiting 30 cities and almost 20 universities, he wrote an influential report titled “America Against America,” which has become a kind of sourcebook among Chinese intellectuals for what ails the United States.

were recently rescued from Myanmar where they were working for a Chinese syndicate. The BI spokesperson admitted that the use of fake access passes is a recurring problem at Naia—a similar incident was reported in 2014 and the scheme “disappeared” for a while but, as evidenced by this recent case, was never eliminated. Are these syndicates some kind of hydra?

The stress that comes with traveling through Naia is not just about the poor facilities and the numerous inconveniences, but in the criminals who exploit travelers. The journey starts the moment the traveler steps foot in the airport—whether they’re arriving or leaving, they will bring that experience with them, and write reviews or answer surveys about it.

In 2018, Naia ranked 10th in Skytrax’s most improved airports globally—authorities attributed it to reforms such as reduction of flight delays, decongestion of the airport runway, and improvement of overall passenger experience. There is no reason why it cannot duplicate that feat or even do better now.

Plight of Filipino farmers

The spokesman of Filipino farmers, Ka Rene Cerilla of PAKISAMA, lamented that farmers are never consulted, much less invited to significant policymaking meetings. He was one of the panelist-reactors at the “ 21st Jaime V. Ongpin memorial lecture on Public Service in Business and Government” held last October at the Ateneo de Manila University Law School. The others were Prof. Edgardo Valenzuela of the Ateneo School of Government and Mr. Ernesto Ordonez, Chairman of Alyansa Agrikultura, a dear friend. I was perturbed by Ka Rene’s opening statement because I had heard those resentments before, 63 years ago when Mr. Jeremias Montemayor of the Federation of Free Farmers ( FFF) visited my alma mater in 1959. My classmates and I were socially conscious highschool seniors ( or so we thought); has nothing improved since then?

The Federation of Free Farmers was born during “interesting times”shortly after HUK Supremo Luis Taruc surrendered in 1954, after massive military operations against the (old) communist party and an aggressive ” policy of attraction” that included the FFF. It was founded by Mr. Jeremias Montemayor, former seminarian and graduate of the Ateneo Law School. Today, his son Raul is the national manager of the Federation of Free Farmers Cooperatives, Inc. His speech was entitled “Farmer Security is Key to Food Security.“ Tall and slender like his

father, Raul is a dedicated and relentless defender of Filipino farmers, fisherfolk and cooperatives. . The apple didn't fall far from the tree.

Embarrassing as it may sound, the Philippines ranks 73rd in the world’s food security list, but in South East Asia we are at the very bottom. Raul Montemayor said we are vulnerable and

*great grandmother, doña maria mercado-sister of the philippines National hero, dr. Jose rizal

*Bi-weekly Column editorial section, manila Bulletin

*miss international 1964- First Filipino & Asian to win the title miss philippines pageant (sponsored by the City of manila; donated the us $10,000 prize money to Congress to pass a resolution to exempt her & Beauty Title holders from paying taxes).

*secretary of Tourism, 1998-2001

*outstanding mañilena Awardee

*golden heart presidential Awardee

*director/Trustee/president, heritage Conservation society of the philippines 2003 & 2006

*Board of regents, pamantasan ng lungsod ng maynila, 2010

*weekly Television show on dZrJ 810, only gemma! on rajah Broadcasting Network

*Authored and Co-Authored 7 books on philippine history and other related topics, namely: makisig, the little hero of mactan, hanoi diary: Beauty and Fashion (Co-Author), sentimiento: Fiction and Nostalgia, Katha at salamisim and rizal’s True love

*mother is writer & Journalist Carmen guerrero Nakpil mother is writer & Journalist Carmen guerrero Nakpil

insecure because government policies have always been production-oriented, “... this approach is not working despite fertilizer subsidies and ‘ayuda’ because it is directed toward the commodity and not the farmer who is producing the commodity...Policies that control farmgate prices place on the backs of the farmers the burden of making food more affordable ...” Furthermore, importation which is supposed to make consumer prices cheaper is a bane to farmers; it is not realistic to expect them to easily adopt, improve and compete with imported agricultural produce.

Inevitably, the Rice Tarification Law (R.A. 11203) was brought up. Ten billion pesos in tariffs from rice imports are earmarked for the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF), anything in excess is ostensibly for the Rice Farmer Financial Assistance ( RFFA).

From 2019-2021, Php 46.6 billion was reported to have gone to the farming sector. But why does starvation persist and why are farmers still deep in debt? Why are retail prices too high for poor consumers? Could it be red tape in the implementation of the RCEF? Ka Rene said market intermediaries benefit more

than the farmers.”Where will farmers go if they leave their farms, and where will they get their food?” His questions were almost rhetorical.

Mr. Ernesto Ordoñez was ready with a powerpoint presentation of “ Five imperatives for farmer and food security”

1. The market and business information system mandated by 1997 Agriculture and Fisheries

Modernization Act must be in place; correct action is always guided by correct information;

2. Single commodity system approach: 74 percent of land is dedicated to the single commodity production approach by rice, coconut and corn farmers. We need value chain processing, marketing and other income generating activities.

3.Consolidation, because the average landholding is less than 2 hectares, so we need economies of scale to protect local production and enable exportation to other countries. (This is recommended by Thailand’s Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives)

4. Private/ Public Sector Monitoring of Budget. In 2020, the Commission on Audit (COA) reported Php 22 billion in unliquidated and questionable expenses. We need to restore private sector budget monitoring at national and local levels.

5. Provincial and Municipal[ Agricultural Planning. For example, 17,000 Local Government Unit extension

workers are underutilized. An effective framework for the mobilization of unused manpower is essential.

The open forum, both live and online, was invigorating. I asked Ka Rene: Among the Presidents and Agriculture Secretaries we have had, who contributed most to the farmers and fisherfolk? To his knowledge, none of the Secretaries of Agriculture were agronomists. As for the Presidents, in his opinion, it was Fidel V. Ramos; but, he could not expound, time had run out. Ka Rene probably had the Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Act (1997) in mind.

We now have the National Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization and Industrialization Plan, 2021-2030 produced by the Asian Development Bank, the Department of Agriculture and other erudite private and public sector agencies.

President F. Marcos, Jr, concurrently Secretary of Agriculture, must have told the world about this in the video message he sent to the 50th Session of the Commission on World Food Security held recently in Rome.

(ggc1898@gmail.com)gemmacruzaraneta.com

counting on the United States “to help support us in upholding our sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction in the West Philippine Sea or South China Sea which

pines’ national interest.”

respond quickly in times of disaster or crisis.

The two treaty allies have recently seen “new energy and revived confidence” under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who has been reaffirming ties with Washington, marking a departure from his predecessor who sought favor from China and Russia.

Five locations

Acting Defense Secretary Jose Faustino Jr. said they had made “some progress” in three out of five predetermined EDCA sites — Antonio Bautista Air Base in Palawan, which is closest to the Kalayaan Island Group in the West Philippine Sea; Basa Air Base in Pampanga, the home of the Philippine Air Force’s fighter planes; and Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija, the country’s largest military camp and a frequent location of Philippine-US military exercises.

The other two areas are Mactan-Benito Ebuen Air Base in Cebu and Lumbia Air Base in Cagayan de Oro City.

Both sides are keen on exploring additional EDCA

locations “that will build a more credible posture,” Faustino said.

Counting on US

“The EDCA is an important example of how we can come up with implementing details to treaties we have concluded … as well as the prepositioning of materiel that contribute to the AFP modernization to enable greater interoperability, capability, development, and

modernization between our defense forces,” Faustino said.

In late September, Faustino met US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin in Hawaii against the backdrop of tensions in Taiwan and the South China Sea to discuss various ways to step up defense cooperation, including EDCA.

In the same forum, Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo said the Philippines is

are based on international law, and also pursue to deescalate tensions while promoting an international law-based order in the region.”

Faustino said that the Philippine-US alliance “makes an important contribution to our efforts to develop our own capability, as well as to regional peace and stability, which is an essential component of the Philip-

Aside from EDCA, he said they are also prioritizing the conclusion of a General Security of Military Information Agreement, which will establish the terms for the protection of classified military information “with the hope that this will streamline technology transfer for our required capabilities and ultimately improve our interoperability.”

Bilateral talks

The Philippines and the United States will also hold a Bilateral Strategic Dialogue, and a “2+2 Dialogue” of senior foreign affairs and defense officials in the months ahead.

“These meetings represent important opportunities to reiterate our shared vision of the alliance and offer a platform to explore ways we can modernize the alliance to confront today’s complex challenges to our regional security interests,” according to Carlson.

EDCA was signed in April 2014 literally hours before then-US President Barack Obama arrived for a visit to Manila.

The constitutionality of EDCA was challenged in the Supreme Court, but it was declared constitutional in 2016 by the high court, which defined it as an executive agreement that seeks to implement exist-

NO TO AMERICAN BASES | Activists opposed to the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement between the Philippines and the United States—shown here in a protest march in February 2016—may have a new reason to return to the streets following statements from US Ambassador MaryKay Carlson on Wednesday, October 26, 2022. (File photo by GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE / Philippine Daily Inquirer)

IN-DEPTH

DR. EDWIN MENDEZ YOROBE

Editor-In-Chief, Philippines & Asian Report (1998-2018)

*Founder, Tierrasanta medical Center

*served the Community as a dedicated physician, 1976-2018

*Founding Father & Founding president, pilipino medical Association san diego, 1979

(Now philippine medical Association)

*Founder, First pharmaceutical sponsored pmAsd dinner-Conferences/seminars

*Founder & Chairperson, pmAsd First Annual medical mission in the philippines (iriga, Camarines sur & legaspi, Albay and porac pampanga)

*Founder & Chairperson, pmAsd First relief goods distribution for Victims of pinatubo eruptions

*Founder, operation samahan medical Center, mira mesa Branch physician Volunteer for 7 years at operation samahan, National City

*Co-Founder & Co-Chairperson, Annual medical mission in the philippines by the san diego Fil-Am humanitarian Foundation, inc. (32 years)

*honored leader & legend, “who’s who in the Filipino-Amercian Community”, intl.

* Annual recipient of the sharp hospital dediCATioN piN as outstanding physician by patients he has seen in his long practice in the field of interrnal medicine

*poet & prolific writer

This special article is a re-run of one of the many hundreds of articles written by Dr. Edwin Mendez Yorobe in this column. Dr. Yorobe passed away on May 30, 2018.

The Philippines is the only country in the world with the longest Christmas season. As soon as the “ber” months come, radio as part of our freewheeling media, would cue in Christmas songs and play them at all hours of the day. Late nights or early mornings, usually the haunt of night owls and insomniacs, become the favorite hang out of incurable romantics pining for the coming of the cooler months and a joyous season.

The air would be springing up with tunes and melodies that can only be associated with festiv- ities of a religious nature, but in the Philippines, it is abstrusely woven into the fabric of society, both socially and culturally. Display of Christmas cards, tree ornaments and lights suddenly spring up at shopping malls, corner stores, retail outlets, and even record bars.

Jeepneys plying their routes in Metro Manila sparkle up with their multicolored lights and then start playing loud Christmas songs. Christmas bazaars offering every kind of merchandise imaginable become standard weekend fair and destination for those “early birds” who would want to cross out their Christmas shopping lists early and set them aside for their special godchildren who would certainly be knocking on their doors come Christmas day. This beat goes on, with increasing fervor and intensity, through October and November.

In December, the community and villages become alive. Even the streets of Manila which is even more synony- mously contrived as the ever- widening Metropolis (also known as Metropolitan Manila) become witness to feisty toddlers extending their trade to careening motorists held up by traffic along EDSA. Carolers start going from house to house and street plays depicting scenes from the Nativity story come out in the open.

In both rural and urban areas, Christmas parols (lantern) adorn houses, shops and lampposts along major thoroughfares. Multifaceted lights appear in an explosion of blinking,

pulsating and revolving colors on street side stalls and along highway bars. Then, the church-prescribed Christmas liturgical season begins. It starts December 16 and ends on the Feast of the Epiphany (the first Sunday after the New Year). It is also the start of the first dawn masses, known as Misas de Aguinaldo (Gift Masses) in the traditional Spanish, now more popularly known in Pilipino as Simbang Gabi. The Simbang Gabi is one of the most important Pilipino

Paskong Pinoy: Indigenous Oddities and their Contemporary Relevance

Misa de Gallo, which literally means “Mass of the Cock” or “Mass of the Rooster” in Spanish. This refers to the crowing of the rooster welcoming the dawn. The Misa de Gallo is the pre- Christmas mass celebrated on December 24, ending the ninth day of simbang gabi.

For Pilipinos, Christmas eve on December

the first five pointed star parol, from bamboo strips pasted over with delicate papel de japon (Japanese paper) and lit with a candle or kalburo inside (carbide). With electricity nonexistent then, it was with these parols that barrio folks lit the paths of churchgoers for the nine day Misa de Aguinaldo.

The nine dawn masses are also considered as a novena by the Catholic faithful, referring to the Roman Catholic practice of performing nine days of private or public devotion to obtain special graces. In most parishes, simbang gabi starts as early as four in the morning. Going to mass this early is another form of sacrifice and doing so for nine consecutive mornings is meant to show one's devotion to faith and heighten anticipation for the Nativity of the Lord.

After hearing mass, Filipino families partake of traditional Philippine Christmas delicacies, either during breakfast at home or outside the church where vendors offer a wealth of native delicacies, including bibingka (rice cake), puto bumbong (a purple sticky rice delicacy which is steamed in bamboo tubes), salabat (ginger tea) and thick cocoa, a native chocolate made from the cacao bean.

The Misas de Aguinaldo is not to be confused with the

noche, literally midnight-the traditional Christmas feast after the midnight mass. Family members dine together on traditional media noche fare, which usually includes the queso de bola (literally “ball of cheese;” edam cheese) and hamon (Christmas ham).

In different provin-ces in the Philippines, devotees also reenact the journey of Joseph and the pregnant Blessed Virgin Mary, in search of lodging for the soon-to-be-born Jesus Christ.

This is the traditional representing that of Bethlehem glows in the dark. It is then placed outside every home as a sign that the Holy Couple who have been searching for an inn are perfectly welcome.

In the Philippines, for very practical reasons, the Mexican clay luminaria has been transformed into a star lantern. In 1928, an artisan named Francisco Estanislao pieced together

Now, it has become so Pilipino that of all the Christmas symbols, it is only the star lantern that has evolved into gigantic Christmas displays. In the Pampanga town of San Fernando, the Christmas lantern is not only gigantic in proportion, but more important is that it represents the collective work of the community. Men prepare the wooden frame; women assess the costs and purchase the materials and children prepare the paper patterns. The work by professionals is the complicated generator-powered lighting complex that will turn the lantern into a modern kaleidoscopic display. These colossal lanterns are placed on trucks and paraded around the town plaza before the Misa de Aguinaldo. Some lanterns have a thousand light bulbs.

Nowadays, as many as 50 craftsmen may be required to construct one of these giant lanterns that may weigh 1000 kilograms and measure 40 feet in diameter. To come ablaze with thousands of bulbs, these parols are equipped with a safety box and a 75 KVA generator, powerful enough to light up a whole town. It takes a six-wheeler open truck to transport such a star lantern from place to place.

Along the country's sidewalks, one can behold the unforgettable spectacle of parols on display. Clusters and clusters of these lanterns for sale by the hundreds hang side by side, row after row, layer upon layer. When

lit simultaneously, the hazy blue skies of most December evenings become awash with their myriad colors such that one may feel as if he were in another world of a giant kaleidoscopic vortex being tapped

softly by a gentle Siberian breeze. Another symbol, and probably the oldest, is the Nativity scene, known by the Spanish name belen, short for Bethlehem. This is a tradition that is believed to have originated way back in 1223 when St. Francis celebrated Christmas by depicting the Nativity scene, complete with live donkeys, sheep and ox. By the 17th century, the custom reached Spain, and a century later it was introduced in Mexico from where it was brought to the Philippines. Originally, the only human figures in the belen were the Holy Couple and the Holy Infant. The Three Kings were added during the Epiphany. Today, even the presence of the Three Kings are in question. In 1969, the Vatican announced that 33 saints were being removed from the Calendarum Romanum. Among them were the Three Kings and St. Nicholas as Santa Claus, from the Dutch Sinter Klass.

In the Philippines, Santa Claus has become a central figure of Christmas gift-giving and materialism. Gifts were originally exchanged during the feast of the Three Kings. This was to commemorate the homage that the wise men from the East paid to the Holy Infant consisting of gold, frankincense and myrrh. Today, Christmas gifts are exchanged on Christmas day and they are supposed to be presents, not from the Three Kings, but from Santa Claus.

Christmas symbols and some aspects of what we now know as the Nativity scene may change. The Vatican has made the Epiphany a movable feast. It is now celebrated on the first Sunday of January, if that Sunday does not fall on the New Year. The central figures of the Epiphany, the Three Wise Men or the Three Kings, given names by the church as Melchor, Gaspar and Baltazar have now been officially acknowledged by the Vatican as without biblical basis and are now being purged.

While symbols and figures may change with the times, tradition die hard. What will never change is the Christmas spirit, which is a wish for all of mankind-Peace on Earth and Goodwill Towards Men.

It maybe too soon to believe and expect but Hope that comes from the Heart is eternal. edwinmyorobemd Copyrighted & All rights reserved. Written permission required prior to any reproductions or reprinting, full or partial.

The parol or the star lantern is the one truly indigenous Philippine Christmas symbol and the most evocative of the spirit of the season.

Personal Safety Tips

While I worked in emergency departments as a registered nurse, before I was a NP in a daytime clinic, I worked at many hospitals where I found myself walking across parking lots late at night. Unfortunately, I also had to take care of people who were assaulted. This time of year, it gets dark earlier, so it’s a good time for a brief safety review. As a woman, I feel that personal safety is especially important. Here are my ten tips for staying safe in 2022:

1)Be aware of your surroundings. Park in a welllighted area – even if it’s not dark when you arrive, park near a light pole if it might be dark when you leave. If something seems

ON THE FRONT LINES

by JENILYN PEROS DNP, FNP-C, MSN, CCD

Complete

Advanced

Former

wrong as you are parking –stay in your car, put it in gear, and go. Do the errand later or wait for a closer spot.

2)Watch when you walk. Be aware of people walking in front of or behind you, or those simply loitering

outside. If you sense something is off—go back inside at once.

3)Scan your car as you walk up to it. If your tire is flat—go back in and call for help from there—and don’t accept help from strangers.

Is there a suspicious van parked close to the driver’s side of your car? You might get in the passenger side and slide over.

4)Use the buddy system. You’re safer in numbers, so invite someone with you whether you’re meeting people out or simply shopping late. And stay with your friend. If you must walk to your car alone and the hour is late, ask building security to walk you to your car.

5)If you drink: Always have a designated driver (a perfect extension of the buddy system), pour your own drink, and do not leave your drink unwatched. Remember to take it to the bathroom with you.

6)Purses and Bags: Keep your purse close to your body, put the strap around your shoulder and don’t overload yourself with packages.

7)Phone safety: When you’re walking to your car STAY OFF THE PHONE, you are less aware while talking! When you get to your car – don’t sit and check messages! Put the car in gear and go.

8)Address safety: Whisper your address if you must give it in public. If checking into a hotel, don’t accept the room if they say the number out loud.

9)Self Defense items: Pepper spray is small and can be used at a distance. Loud keychain alarms are great. Bad guys do not like to be announced. Remember – any weapon you have can be taken and used against you.

10)Self-Defense: Why not take a course in the new year?

In summary, stay alert and be safe for the holidays!

Average life expectancy of Filipinos is 71, says World Bank

MANILA, Philippines —

The average life expectancy of Filipinos is 71, which is two years the global average of 73, according to a study by the World Bank for 2020.

The same study also showed that the average life expectancy of Filipino males is 67 and females  76.

The highest life expectancy was in Hong Kong

and Japan at 85 and the lowest was in the Central African Republic at 54. Meanwhile, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority, the projected life expectancy for Filipinos was 71 for males and 78 years for females.

Zacarian Sarao INQUIRER.net

Doctor of Nursing Practice, University of San Diego Board Certified Family Nurse Practitioner Clinical Director, Pacific Beach Med Spa

Care Manager, Kaiser Permanente San Diego Nurse Practitioner of the Year 2017, CANP (San Diego Region)

Practice Nurse of the Year 2018, PNA (San Diego)

Ambassador of Customer Excellency at Stanford Hospital & Clinic

Member of Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society for Nursing Preceptor and Mentor for doctorate and nurse practitioner students in California

Nominated Ms Tourism Philippines-San Diego 2023-2024

Albay boy, 9, wins int’l chess tilt in Thailand

LIGAO CITY—

Nine-year-old Bince Rafael Operiano will soon come back to his hometown of Oas in Albay province with great pride as the champion of the recently concluded international chess competition Eastern Asia Youth Championship Standard Rapid Blitz (U-10) held in Bangkok, Thailand.

Operiano, a Grade 3 pupil in his town’s San Isidro Elementary School and a resident of Busac village, dominated the competition involving 29 contenders from different countries, advancing through the nine rounds and finally bagging the gold medal recently.

“We are very proud of his achievement, the glory is not just for us but for the country,” Bince’s mother, Rosemary Roblico Operiano, 33, told the Inquirer in a chat message recently. Learned from dad

Rosemary said joining the competition was tough and full of challenges due to their financial situation since Bince’s father, Ben, a security guard, is the

family’s lone breadwinner.

She said they were almost unable to send Bince to Thailand because of lack of funds.

“We don’t have enough money to meet the needs of my son during the competition. In fact, we sourced out funds by soliciting from friends and local officials,” she said.

She said the worst experience they encountered was that their son almost had to go on his flight without his 33year-old father because their budget was not enough for another plane ticket.

“[But] help poured to us via electronic cash transfer after I shared through social media the situation of my husband and my son who’s really determined to win when he learned that his father will be watching the games,” she said.

Ben taught his son how to play chess when he was 5 years old. Playing chess became their father-son bonding and entertainment in a home that does not have a television set and any

electronic gadget.

Prior to joining the international chess competition, Bince has been a consistent winner in local chess tilts.

“My son started competing even without proper training and coach when he was still 6 years old and the first competition was at Albay Astrodome [in Legazpi City] under 8 boy

category where he was declared the champion in 2020,” Rosemary recalled.

Way to championships

Rosemary said Bince received help from different people that allowed him to join and win various competitions.

In 2021, Bince met Sonia Frayna, mother of the lone Filipina chess grandmaster Janelle

Michael Jaucian INQUIRER.net/PDI

Fil-Ams successfully revamp election system in S. California city

FROM PAGE 1

Electoral politics in National City, a municipality neighboring San Diego, California, has changed overnight, as shown by the results of its Nov. 8 local election, thanks to the successful reform efforts of Filipino American community leaders.

A year ago, Filipino Americans Ditas Yamane and Florfina Arced pressed National City to switch its elec-

tion system from “at-large” (or city-wide) to district voting, recruiting other communities to join their crusade.

According to a report by Audie de Castro, in the Voice of San Diego, National City elected just one person of Filipino descent in the last two decades, years and only two in 55 years, despite the fact that Filipino Americans made up 20% of its population. In one area, Filipinos made up 35% of

the population.

Community leaders like Yamane and Arced argued that these figures prove that at-large elections for city officials amounted to racial discrimination and that similar demographics have made other California cities to switch to district-voting for fairer representation.

Despite city officials’ denials of discrimination, the mayor and the city council agreed to the demands to

adopt district elections on Dec. 21, 2021, saying it was mainly to avoid the high cost of litigation, De Castro reports.

The recent local election vindicated the residents’ demand for the switch district polls. The Filipino American Yamane, who had failed several times to win in citywide council elections, won a seat in her District 3, which has the highest percentage of Filipinos in the city. In

another community, Luz Molina, running for a Council seat for the first time, won in District 1.

Yamane now has the seat formerly occupied by an ally of the former mayor, who also lost her re-election bid. The city leadership’s makeup changed overnight, perhaps for good, concludes the Voice of San Diego’s Audie De Castro.

INQUIRER.NET U.S. Bureau

the Treasurer and the Ecclesiastical Assistant shall cease from their respective offices,” the decree said.

of the leadership of the Vatican’s humanitarian arm, which will now be managed by a “temporary administrator” until a new set of officials are elected in a general assembly next year.

The Pope appointed Pier Francesco Pinelli, an Italian management consultant, as

the temporary CI administrator, according to a Nov. 21 decree issued by the Vatican.

“With the entry into force of this measure, members of the Representative Council and the Executive Council, the President and Vice Presidents, the Secretary General,

During the transition, Tagle will assist Pinelli in preparing for the organization’s general assembly in May next year wherein a new president and other CI officials will be elected.

Tagle was also tasked with serving as a liaison between member groups of the

CI and local churches.

The Pope did not disclose the reasons behind his move in a statement.

“In order to improve the fulfillment of (Caritas’) mission, it would appear necessary to revise the current regulatory framework to make it more appropriate to the statutory functions of the organization, and to prepare it for the elections to be held at the next general assembly,”

he said.

However, the Vatican’s Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development (DPIHD), which commissioned the review, cited “deficiencies in management and procedures, seriously prejudicing team spirit and staff morale” as the reasons behind the complete overhaul of the Caritas’ leadership.

“No evidence emerged of fi-

Cardinal Tagle replaced as head of Vatican charity

Mae who studies at Divine Word College of Legazpi (high school campus) where Ben works. Frayna paved the way for Bince to join the tournament of the National Chess Federation of the Philippines that same year.

Health

During the holiday season, our minds turn towards family and giving. Most of us feel a warm glow when we give, but many don’t realize, that there is a growing body of research that documents health benefits associated with giving.

Giving gifts and giving back to the community by volunteering not only makes you feel good but has been shown to have tangible health benefits including increased self-esteem, lowered blood pressure, decreased

HEALTH & WELLNESS

JERRY THRUSH, M.D. CONTRIBUTING COLUMNIST - HEALTH

medical director, pacific Beach med spa doctor of medicine, stanford university school of medicine

Bachelor of science, loma linda university, summa Cum laude Board Certified, emergency medicine Additionally trained in diving and hyperbaric medicine, and Cosmetic dermatology past director of ems, loma linda university medical Center

Former medical director, lifeCare medical Transportation

Former senior staff physician, emergency medicine, sharp memorial hospital recognized as 2013 who's who Among international professionals worldwide emergency medicine industry, professional of the year

stress, and lower rates of depression. It might extend your life as well.

Remember that warm glow you get when you give a gift? That’s probably your body producing dopamine and oxytocin. We get those chemicals from positive social interactions, and they play a role in decreasing stress and lowering blood pressure.

Researchers have found that people who support others socially by volunteering not only have lower blood

pressure, but studies show that it even helps them to recover from heart events like attacks. According to a recent study, people who were 55 or above and volunteered for two or more organizations were 44% less likely to die over a five-year period. Even when other factors such as exercise, general health and smoking were considered. That’s huge!

So, improve your health and give a little more this season – and don’t forget to make a resolution to give back to your community in 2023. You might just get something in return!

ing treaties between the Philippines and the United States to boost defense and security cooperation.

The security pact grants the United States greater access to Philippine military bases, including the construction of facilities and storage of defense supplies.

In January 2019, then-Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana and then-US Ambassador to the Philippines Sung Kim

inaugurated a warehouse, the first facility under EDCA, at Basa Air Base in Floridablanca, Pampanga, to house equipment to be used in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief missions.

—WITH A REPORT FROM INQUIRER RESEARCH

Frances Mangosing Philippine Daily Inquirer INQUIRER.net

BACOLOD CITY

— A 5-year-old girl, who has roots in Negros Occidental, is the youngest jiu-jitsu world champion.

Aleia Aielle Aguilar won the gold medal in the Kids 1 Girls White Belt 16kg-B category at the Abu Dhabi World Jiu-Jitsu

Fa s t Fa c t s I n t l .

Community Projects & Programs

*Founder historic lincoln hotel housing Acquisition & restoration for low income members of the Community

*Founder, executive director & Curator, san diego philippine

library & historical heritage museum

*san diego Filipino American Archive Center and dr. Jose rizal & rizaliana Center

*Founder & Chairwoman, san diego Filipino American humanitarian Foundation, inc.

*Co-Founder, Tierrasanta medical Center

*Board member, usd Advisory Council (3 years)

*Chairperson, CopAo’s gApCo philippine housing project

*Co-Founder, gaslamp Quarter Asian Thematic district

*Founder & director, gaslamp Quarter Annual Fiesta Filipiniana

*Founder, Annual youth Achievers Award

*Founder & Ceo, san diego Filipino-American youth Foundation, inc.

*Co-Founder, pilipino (philippine) medical Association of san diego (pmAsd)

*Co-Founder, pmA medical missions to the philippines

*Co-Founder & Co-Chairperson, sdFAhF Annual medical mission (32 years)

*Volunteer, operation samahan medical dept., National City (5 years)

*philippine Consulate san diego outreach program, Coordinator (7 years)

*philippine Annual Consul general Ambassador’s Tour to the philippines (9 years)

*Founder & Ceo, san diego Association of women entrepreneurs (Awe) intl.

*speaker, “on a Filipina Coming to America & Breaking the glass Ceiling” @ military establish ments & Community groups

*Founder & Ceo, Annual historical heritage excellence Awards intl.

*Founder, & Ceo honored leaders & legends Awards intl.

*Founder & Ceo “spirit of humanity” Awards & legendary humanitarian Awards, int.

*Founder & Ceo, miss/mrs Tourism ph-sd, mrs ph-san diego, miss/mrs Fiesta Filipiniana

*Founding publisher, philippines & Asian report, AsiANreader and gaslamp Quarter Connection

*Founding publisher, san diego Fil-Am Business directory

*Founder & Ceo, bmymd suN+glAss “preservingVision” Club

*Founder & Ceo, edwin mendez yorobe, m.d. scholarship memorial Foundation

*Founder & Ceo, super Fil-Ams 4 super Fil-Ams “one Voice, one Action” support Team

*Founder & Ceo, Fil-Ams “who’s who in the Filipino-American Community” intl.

*Author, Through the years: “glimpses & reminiscenses” of edwin mendez yorobe, m.d.

*Author, “looKiNg BACK”-An Autobiography

*Author, “As The years go By” -history & heritage and The Foundations

*Author, sophisticated words for stylish Communications *petco park, padres Fil-Am heritage day Awardee by Ceo Jeff murad & san diego philAm Business improvement & development

*First Fil-Am Awardee, CA women in government for outstanding CA public & Community services *mayor Kevin Faulconer excellence Awardee for Continuing services to the senior Citizens in the City & County of san diego

* Founder & publisher, my Annual philippine Calendars on philippine Beauty, Culture, heritage and Traditions including variety of philippine Flowers.

A BIG CONGRATULATIONS TO MY GRANDDAUGHTER, KOURTNEY MARIE PEDIGO!

From, Lola Barbara Yorobe

Kourtney Marie Pedigo, fondly called Koko, a bright and beautiful 5th grader at St. Mary’s School in Aliso Viejo, Laguna Hills recently won 1st place in the Elementary School Novice Division, along with her teammates at the USA Regionals Competitive on December 3, 2022 at the University High School in Irvine.

From Kourtney on New York Tour: I recently joined a group of Mothers & Daughters from St. Mary’s School that toured New York, as part of the annual program at our school, St. Mary’s over Thansgiving holiday. Among the places we went to included ice skating at Bryant Park, Watching Beetlejuice on Broadway, Dinner ar Ellen’s Stardust Diner with singing waiters and waitresses from on and off Broadway, and visiting SUMMIT One Vanderbilt, New York’s newest modern observation deck, and many, many more beautiful historic places. It was a wonderful and unforgettable moment with my mom, Atty Camille Lourdes Yorobe Pedigo and my best friends.

Dr. Barbara M. Yorobe

Is DOT’s “It’s More Fun in the Philippines” tourism slogan on the way out?

Is the Philippines bidding goodbye to the “It’s More Fun in the Philippines” tourism slogan? And soon?

Over the past few months, we’ve read reports from different news outlets that the Department of Tourism is reportedly planning a rebranding of the catchy slogan “It’s More Fun in the Philippines” which has been the country’s tourism campaign for a decade.

In today’s competitive tourism industry, a country has to stand out to draw the attention and interests of tourists. A country needs to be distinctive and unique. Thus, branding is perceived as a major factor in gaining attention and motivation for the tourists to visit the place. Effective marketing slogans have been proven to drive tourism growth.

Using this new tourism marketing tool, many countries have been very successful with their campaign slogans that they do not even consider changing or rebranding – and for good reasons. Not only some tourism slogans reflective of the country’s identity, but they are also timeless and have a great recall value. For example, India’s “incredible India” was officially branded and promoted since 2002 and remains the country’s official tourism slogan. Meanwhile, from 1999 to the present, the slogan “Malaysia, truly Asia’ has been used as an official

TOURISM & TRAVEL

MANNY V. ILAGAN CONTRIBUTING COLUMNIST - TRAVEL

different through destination branding.

tures, aurally enhanced by music and radio broadcast recordings from that era.

For a more tactile experience, suspended in midair are pieces of wooden debris—and a mock-up bomb dropped from a warplane. On the mezzanine, a photo gallery is dedicated to the fallen soldiers of Manila’s Liberation.

Rise to modernity

LIBERATION The capital’s painful wartime past is the main theme of artworks on the ground floor, featuring vignettes before, during and after the Battle of Manila.

As visitors ascend the stairs, the depiction of Manila also moves away from its war-ravaged period. One is greeted by works of Filipino visual artists, like the notable

theme of Malaysia’s tourism promotions worldwide.

Before the worldwide pandemic in 2020, India saw 10.93 million foreign tourist arrivals in 2019, while a total of 26,100,784 international tourists visited Malaysia in the same year.

How has the Philippines fared with its tourism slogan? Data from the Department of Tourism showed that the through its successful tourism campaign of “It’s More Fun in the Philippines”, arrivals of foreign visitors peaked at 8,260,913 in 2019.

The “It’s More Fun in the Philippine” slogan was launched in January 2012, after Ramon R., Jimenez Jr. assumed the post of Tourism Secretary. Within weeks of its launching, it was dubbed the third smartest marketing campaign in the world by global annual ranker of marketing campaigns Warc 100. That year, the Philippines drew in 4.27 million visitors

– a record high for the country.

As a former tourism officer at PDOT-Los Angeles, I am all for actively promoting tourism in the Philippines. And now, as the current president and chairman of the Philippines Association of Travel Agencies of Los Angeles and Suburbs (PATA), with an active membership of several hundred travel agents and representatives, experience has taught me that tourism is a big business. Today, the tourist market is rapidly changing and becoming even more competitive. Understandably nations and individual cities are constantly battling for their share of the huge tourism market to sustain the economic viability of attractions that bring in tourists and travelers – whether they are pristine beaches, ancient monuments, or natural wonders. To attract more tourists, destinations, strive and outdo one another in trying to be

Unless the DOT data are wrong, the fact is that the Philippines’ “It’s More Fun in the Philippines” tourism slogan is a very successful brand, which has attracted more foreign tourists to the country since its launching than any of the many shortlived, costly, and overlyhyped campaigns that the Department of Tourism has tried in the past, namely: “Philippines: Where Asia Wears a Smile,” “Fiesta Islands Philippines,” “Rediscovery Philippines,” “Consider the Philippines,” “WOW Philippines,” and “Pilipinas Kay Ganda.”

Now, reports have it that current Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco is considering replacing the highly successful “It’s More Fun in the Philippines” slogan with a new theme anchored on making the Filipino brand more “distinct”.

The new tourism chef reportedly said that the new branding campaign will “take into consideration the change in circumstances, citing that amid the COVID-19 pande mic, people are now in search for substantial and immersive experiences anchored on cultural experience.”

It is worth noting that tourism is a big spender, too. Specifically, changing slogans is costly and complicated.

Countries and destination cities generally spend considerable amount of money to adopt a catchy tourism slogan that sticks to the consciousness of the public; thus, launching new campaign can be very expensive. And that is why those with successful branding do not change their slogans at the drop of a hat.

Given the current situation of the country – contending with inflation, coping with the lingering effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on the economy, rising unemployment and underemployment, poverty, among many others – is spending millions, or probably billions, of pesos on changing a catchy tourism slogan that has been proven to be successful and effective in drawing tourists to the country the right move? We should also better off noting that it’s not only a catchy slogan that attract travelers to a destination. There are other factors to consider, including: amenities and accommodation, infrastructure, accessibility, safety, activities, and the environment.

If the “It’s More Fun in the Philippines” slogan that captures the “fun factor” of visiting the Philippines and reflects the qualities that set the country apart from other countries does not reflect the Philippines’ “distinctiveness”, then what will?

Rene Robles and his protégés Sherwin Paul Gonzales and Nante Carandang. An exhibit titled “Assertionism Epilogue” celebrates the art movement Robles founded.Jose Belmonte, the head of the museum project, defined assertionism as “the power to transform, transcend and create,” a fitting theme capturing the city’s rise from the ashes of war.

Featured on the same floor are award-winning pieces from the Tawid Gallery collection, including “Anino” by Thomas Daquioag, the grand prize winner in the 2000 Art Association of the Philippines National Painting Competition.

An exhibit of Joe Datuin’s metal sculptures and artworks is on the next floor. In 2008, Datuin won an international

art contest tied up with the Beijing Olympics. Quaint furniture made by Agi Pagkatipunan also serve as conversation pieces in this section.

Another floor offers a

photo-op area modeled after the Manila mayor’s office, complete with a stately table, leather chair and a desk stacked with documents.

Belmonte said this room was meant to be

“Instagrammable.”

In the same area, the visitor is introduced to the past city mayors through the reproductions of their official portraits. The originals can be found

Former Tourism officer, pdoT los Angeles president and Chairman of the philippines Association of Travel Agencies of los Angeles and suburbs (pATA)

Manila Clock Tower Museum: Darkest hours, brighter times

LIBERATION The capital’s painful wartime past is the main theme of artworks on the ground floor, featuring vignettes before, during and after the Battle of Manila.

A Celebration Party for our new president - Asian Real Estate Assoc (AREAA) SD Chapter

The

Manila Clock Tower Museum: Darkest hours, brighter times

at the second floor of City Hall.

Behind the mayor’s room is a small library of Filipiniana books donated to the museum, some courtesy of heritage groups.

The next level serves

as a multipurpose hall for art workshops, competitions and artifact restoration. “We can invite artists to teach kids here,” Belmonte said.

Gonzales, one of the founders of the Tareptepism style and an awardee of the 2012

An icon in itself

NATIONAL ICON History and art converge within the walls of the Manila Clock Tower Museum. The top floor offers visitors a 360degree view of the capital city’s busy

A national icon in itself, the Manila Clock Tower was built in the 1930s, with its most recent renovation done in 2014. The work involved not only

sprucing up the structure but also ensuring that the four clocks remained accurate and in sync.

Opened to the public on Oct. 25, the museum is open on Tuesdays to Fridays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Admission is free but visitors must make reservations online.

Angel Yabut INQUIRER.net PDI

Julio DeGuzman, President of La Jolla Presidents Lions Club sponsored a Celebration Party for their Lion member, Jocelyn Lomahan, recently elected president of the Asian Real Estate Assoc (AREAA) SD Chapter.

party was held at the Sandwich Emporium Restaurant at Clairemont Drive, San Diego on Nov. 14, 2022.

Top Right Photo: Julio DeGuzman, President-La Jolla Presidents, AREAA SD Chapter Jocelyn Lomahan, owners of Sandwich Emporium Peter & Angela Lopez Le.

PAR/AR PHOTOS BY JULIAN E. ORIEL

Front Row: Nedy Lao, Greg Cody, Jocelyn Lomahan, Cheri Mosdell, Tom Bui, Ava Lomahan, Bud Swartz (yellow shirt). 2nd Row: Julio DeGuzman, Marcy Uson, Norliza Rodriguez, Mark Powell (black shirt,) Mary Soriano (white shirt ) Greg Daunorus (blue shirt,) Jay Lomahan, Mike Lao, Angela Lopez Le, Back Row: Benjie Benas, Mrs. Benas, Ed Alfaro, Joe Tran and Ron Phife.

The new president Jocelyn Lomahan-Guest Speaker

Senate Gold Medal for Academic Excellence, is the museum’s resident artist.

nancial mismanagement or sexual impropriety, but other important themes and areas for urgent attention emerged from the panel’s

work,” it said in a statement.

Caritas Internationalis, which serves as the headquarters of 162 charity organiza-

Aguilar defeated Gabriela Vercosa of Brazil in the finals match.

The girl is the daughter of Alvin Aguilar, founder of the Philippine Mixed Martial Art

and Asian Champion in Tokyo. He was born in Bacolod City and is a Freemason in Negros.

Her mother is May Masuda, the first Filipina to win

Capt. Chris Olaes, USN (Ret.); FARSOC Pres. Cesar Adan, MACM (SW) USN (Ret);

PGEN. Edgar Batalla Aglipat, (Ret); Capt Daniel Gruta, USN (Ret) and guest

FILIPINO-AMERICAN MILITARY OFFICERS ASSOCIATION

Dr. Antonio & Malou Del Rio owners of Martinez Hospital & Medical School in Caloocan City, FARSOC Pres. Cesar Adan, MACM (SW) USN (Ret)

Guest Emcee Melissa Mecija -10News

Mr & Mrs Jake Urette, MACM(EXW/SW/AW) USN RET

Mr & Mrs Manny Doria

the World Jiu-jitsu Championship in 2009.

Carla Gomez INQUIRER.net

PILIPINO NURSES ASSOCIATION-SAN DIEGO

Emeline Yabut RN, Carlos & Gloria Mangonon, Mr & Mrs Vincent Fernando-NCPD, Reginaldo Cagampan-Commander Nurse Corps USN and guests

Yolly Morales & Jojie Urrete and guests

PHOTOS BY JULIAN ESCOBAR ORIEL PAR/AR

Aleia Aielle Aguilar, 5, is youngest world jiu-jitsu champion

Cardinal Tagle replaced as head of Vatican charity

Recent immigrant named Saskatchewan crown prosecutor

Solomon Jalmanzar was appointed as crown prosecutor of Saskatchewan by the Criminal Justice Branch of the Ministry of Attorney General. PCN

A former city prosecutor in Quezon City, Philippines was recently appointed as a crown prosecutor in Saskatchewan, Canada, likely the first such designation of a Filipino immigrant in the province.

Ronald Solomon Jalmanzar was an associate of the Olive Waller Zinkhan & Waller LLP, a law firm in Regina, when he learned of a vacant position for crown prosecutor and applied for the job.

A crown prosecutor is appointed and assigned to cases by the Criminal Justice Branch of the Ministry of Attorney General. The Public Prosecution Service of Canada (the federal Crown) prosecutes cases involving federal offences, such as drug violations.

“Throughout the process, I was just focusing on my goal of lawyering as my contribution to society. My vision was to provide excellent legal service to the community,” Jalmanzar said of his journey in an Omni News report.

Describing the process as like going through the eye of a needle, Jalmanzar said there were a lot of times when he just wanted to give up.

A father of two boys, Jalmanzar said he and his wife decided to immigrate to Canada in 2018 to give their sons a better future.

Ronald Jalmanzar and his family migrated to Canada in 2018 with the dream of giving his children a better future. PCN

Despite the fear and the advice of many not to leave the Philippines where they already had stable jobs, Jalmanzar said they pursued their plan.

“Initially, ayaw kong mag-migrate. Natatakot ako, eh. Natatakot ako kung anong mangyari at naiintindihan ko na masyado siyang malaking risk. Lalo pa ako at ang asawa ko ay established na sa aming mga careers,”

he added in the same interview. (Initially, I didn’t want to migrate. I was afraid. I was afraid of what was going to happen and I understood that it was such a big risk especially that my wife and I already had established careers in the Philippines.)

Set on his goals to practice law in Canada, Jalmanzar said even before they filed their application to immigrate, he already sent inquiries to the Law Society of Canada for the accreditation process for an internationally trained lawyer.

When they sent him links and a list of the requirements, he saw that he needed to take about nine exams and pass them in five years and be knowledgeable of Canadian laws.

To save on costs, he self-studied and in five months passed the Saskatchewan Canadian Centre for Professional Legal Education (CPLED) Bar Admissions Program and articling period, becoming a member of the Law Society of Saskatchewan.

Before that, he obtained a Certificate of Qualification from the National Committee on Accreditation of the Federation of Law Societies of Canada, according to a post from the Facebook page of the Philippine Association of Saskatchewan, which congratulated him for the achievement and said that he is “probably the first Filipino member of the Law Society of Saskatchewan.”

Charmaine Y. Rodriguez; INQUIRER.net PhilippineCanadianNews.com / INQUIRER.net News Partner

by ATTY ERIN J. LEE

Many people from war torn countries come to the U.S. to seek refuge from their native countries that cannot protect them. Sometimes, natural disasters or other circumstances force people out of their home countries. In any case, although the U.S. does not grant asylum to each person that escapes from their own countries for one reason or another, the U.S. provides other types of relief to allow them to reside in the U.S., and usually with a work permit. Some of those programs include Temporary Protected Status. Currently, Afghanis and Ukrainians have recently been given the opportunity to apply for such status. Another program is the parole program. “Parolee” status also allows applicants to enter the U.S. and reside with a work authorization. Although these programs do not grant lawful status per se, they are still in the U.S. lawfully and are not subject to the threat of deportation.

Starting June 8, 2016, USCIS implemented a new parole program for Filipino World War II Veterans. The parole program will allow family members of certain Filipino WWII veterans, who have approved family-based visa petitions, to receive parole to come to the U.S. while they

wait for their visa to become available. As you may know, a visa can sometimes take more than 20 years to become available for Filipino family members, so this is great news for those family members and their spouse and children.

The parole program was implemented as part of the government’s goal toward streamlining the immigration process, and to recognize the contributions o f Filipino soldiers during WWII. More than 260,000 Filipinos fought for the U.S. during WWII and about 26,000 of these soldiers became U.S. citizens. Most of these Filipinos have petitioned for their family members in the Philippines, but due to the long wait for a visa, the families have been separated for years.

Other than being able to obtain a work authorization as a parolee, one of the major advantages of being paroled into the U.S. is that it is considered a lawful entry. If someone ends up finding a petitioner, they may be able to adjust their status in the U.S. and obtain their green card sooner than anticipated. Speak to a knowledgeable attorney if you believe you qualify to be paroled into the U.S., or are in the U.S. and are eligible to adjust your status.

Bersola, Frayna recognized as part of Ten Outstanding Students of PH

Kathy Bersola and Janelle Frayna, who showed that student-athletes can excel in both fields, were named in the Ten Outstanding Students of the Philippines (TOSP) in the National Capital Region.

Bersola graduated summa cum laude, Bachelor of Sports Science in University of the Philippines Diliman and is a former team captain of the UP Lady Maroons.

Frayna, who graduated cum laude, Bachelor of Science in Psychology in Far Eastern University Manila, is the country’s first Filipina Grand Master and is the class valedictorian of Batch 2017 of Institute of Arts and Sciences.

Bersola, who was named Best Blocker in the 76th Season of the UAAP, said one of the keys to being a star athlete and top student is time management.

“It’s about learning how to prioritize and of course, learning how to sacrifice along the way. The two are connected, so the things that are of least importance will take the backseat. Just trying your best and working hard and aiming for excellence in every aspect and every duty take a role,” Bersola

said during the awarding ceremony Monday night at Asian Institute of Management in Makati City.

Frayna, who was a recipient of a Congressional Award last year, and Bersola made the cut from 20 finalists.

“It’s an honor. I really didn’t expect it,” said the 21-year-old Bersola.

“It’s really a big thing for me because I feel like I’m representing all the student-athletes who grad-

uated this year. And it’s also like breaking the stereotypes about studentathletes,” she added.

Frayna, who hails from Legazpi City, Albay, missed the event and was represented by her mother Sonia.

Bersola said the best advice she can impart to student-athletes is to stay determined and passionate amid adversities.

“I want to tell them to keep pushing and just do

your best not just in your sport but also in academics because you can’t play forever,” she said.

“You don’t know what will happen to you in the future so it would be really nice to get a degree and have learned in the university and if you think we can’t do it, as long as we really work hard for it, we’ll be able to reach for it.”

Mark Giongco INQUIRER.net

DOT breaches tourism target with over 2 million travelers to PH 1

of Tourism (DOT).

This has translated to around P100.7 billion worth of revenue in the tourism sector, surpassing its P4.94 billion record from the same period last year, according to DOT Secretary Christina Frasco in a statement recently.

Frasco then cited a DOT report as of November 14, which showed a total of 2,025,421 visitor arrivals in the country – 1,487,343 or 73.43 percent of which were foreign tourists, while 538,078 or 26.57 percent were overseas Filipinos.

“Our latest figures have reached well beyond the 1.7 million tourist projections of the DOT,” she said, noting that this reflects the demand for travel into the country and the prioritization of the government for tourism recovery.

Frasco also detailed that the lion’s share of foreign tourist arrivals in the country comes from the United States with 385,121, followed by South Korea and Australia with 285,583 and 96,297, respectively.

Recovering the tourism sector from the slump caused by the years-long COVID-19 pandemic is among the priorities of the administration of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. as he previously noted that tourism is a “high potential driver for the transformation [of] the economy.”

Beatrice Pinlac INQUIRER.net

Kathy Bersola and Janelle Frayna among the Ten Outstanding Students of the Philippines awardees. Photo by Mark Giongco

Tagle replaced as head of Vatican charity

tions, is supervised by the DPIHD.

The review, which covered the “workplace environment of the CI general secretariat and its alignment with Catholic values of human dignity and respect,” was conducted by a panel of experts that included Pinelli.

The change in leadership was announced by Tagle himself during a plenary meeting of the CI, according to a report on the Vatican News website, where he was quoted as saying: “This news might be a bit disturbing or confusing to some of you.”

“But rest assured that this decision of the Holy Father came after a careful and independent study of the working environment of the secretariat and the governance exercised by responsible persons and bodies,” Tagle said.

The cardinal deemed the reorganization as “a call for walking humbly with God and a process of discernment, confronting our unfreedoms and following the spirit of freedom, [and] at the same time, the walking together of different cultures in their unique expressions of humanity.”

In a text message to the Inquirer, Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines president Bishop Pablo Virgilio David said his organization had anticipated Tagle’s relief as head of CI “from the time that Pope Francis assigned him as pre-

fect of the Dicastery for the Evangelization of Peoples.”

“Good heavens, those are two full-time jobs that cannot possibly be handled by one person. Understandably, it took time before Pope Francis could find a replacement and implement a long overdue reorganization of Caritas,” David told the Inquirer.

According to Fr. Gregory Ramon Gaston, rector of Pontificio Collegio Filippino in Rome and a Radio Veritas Vatican correspondent, CI is a large organization and each social arm of Catholic churches worldwide has its own officials.

“Each member agency or organization is autonomous. Each has

Philippine malls ready for holiday rush,

convenience of mall goers.

Forum Robinsons located along EDSA corner Pioneer Street, Mandaluyong City.

The Robinson’s mall executive said there would be no overcrowding in their malls, regardless of the type of activity they hold inside the premises of their shopping complexes.

“First of all, we are going to address the mall operation hours” said Pivi Diaz, cluster head at Ayala Land Inc., which operates the Ayalaowned malls including the U.P. Town center and Fairview Terraces in Quezon City.

Ayala Malls Circuit Diaz said this is in compliance with the guidelines of the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA), which requested malls in Metro Manila to adjust their operating hours and open

from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. or 11 p.m. starting Monday (Nov. 14).

“That is in anticipation of the rush of shoppers… so they’ll have ample time to shop at the different Ayala malls,” she said, explaining that this was to accommodate more people during the holidays.

SM Megamall

Meanwhile, SM Supermalls vice president for corporate marketing Grace Victoria Magno said they were also complying with the MMDAs request to adjust mall hours and other mall activities.

Magno said people looking to avoid the difficulty dealing with crowded and long lines in their centers, as well as those who want

to steer clear of the heavy traffic, could opt to have their shopping errands done for them through their online platform.

“I think that’s very convenient for people who want to experience the mall but are still scared to go out,” she added.

Foot traffic in these malls is expected to go up considerably as Christmas nears, with hundreds of thousands of people going daily to do their shopping and leisure activities.

Alden M. Monzon INQUIRER.net/PDI

(e) (3) Defined benefit pension plan, fully insured,

ROTH IRA, Profit Sharing Plans, SIMPLE, 401K, Worker’s Compensation, Long Term Care Planning, Notary Public, Living Trust Mktg Rep., Medical Coverage for International Visitors & Travelers, TSA, Retirement Planning, & Pre-paid Legal Services Plans, Direct Transfer & Direct Rollover to IRA, SEP-IRA,

MANILA, Philippines — Democratic Party Candidate Steven Raga became the first Filipino-American elected to the New York State Assembly.

Raga received 57.8 percent of the votes, defeating Republican opponent Sean Lally, according to his camp.

“I am honored and proud to have your trust and support. I am honored to be-

come the first-ever Filipino American to be elected in New York State history,” the 39-year old said in a Twitter thread recently.

Raga also said he’s “humbled and excited” to represent the New York State Assembly District 30.

“Being raised by an immigrant single mother in Queens, I’m humbled and excited to represent and serve the diverse communities of

Woodside, Jackson Heights, Astoria, Elmhurst, Maspeth, and Middle Village. Together, we’ll fight for a better Assembly District 30 and New York,” he also said.

Born in New York, New York, Raga earned his bachelor’s degree from Stony Brook University in 2006; a graduate degree from the City University of New York, Baruch College in 2014; and

another graduate degree from Cornell University in 2022, according to website Ballotpedia.

John Eric Mendoza INQUIRER.net

From Steven Raga’s

As though our current national debt was not troubling enough, the bright boys around President Marcos Jr. are planning to set up a state investment fund that seeks to participate in the highly diversified global investment game. Dubbed the “Maharlika Investments Corp.,” the proposed entity is to be headed by Mr. Marcos as chair of the board.

The concept of sovereign wealth funds (SWF) is not new, although the term itself is fairly recent. Some countries have more money than they need, and they use this to generate more money. This may come from proceeds from the extraction of mineral resources like oil. Or it may come from prudent spending that yields budgetary savings. Surplus funds may also come from the sale or lease of state-owned assets like land.

In our case, the plan is to form a seed fund of P275 billion ($5 billion) from pension funds managed by the Government Service Insurance System and the Social Security System, and from

assets of state-owned banks like Landbank and the Development Bank of the Philippines. If it had not been squandered, the Malampaya Fund would have been a good starting point for such a fund.

The world’s largest SWF today is the Norwegian Government Pension Fund with assets valued at $1.36 trillion. Established in 1996 with money coming from oil and gas, it has two separate funds—the Pension Fund Global and the Pension Fund Norway. With its worldwide investments spread out in more than 9,300 companies, its performance is closely

tied to the global economy’s performance. It earned $180 billion in 2019 but reported a record loss of $174 billion in the first half of 2022.

The Kuwait Investment Authority was set up in 1953, with funds coming from the sale of oil. It was created to preserve the nation’s wealth and develop an economy less dependent on oil. The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, the Investment Corp. of Dubai, and the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia were all founded on the same strategic idea.

As one might expect, China has two of the top 10 SWFs in the world—the

China Investment Corp. with $1.2 trillion in assets, and the National Council for Social Security Fund with nearly half a trillion dollars. By the sheer size and dynamism of its economy, China, through its investment arms, has been able to wield a commanding presence in the global economy. More than this, it has effectively leveraged its enormous wealth into global political clout that rivals that of the United States.

Some countries have not allowed the smallness of their population and territory to stop them from punching above their weight. The most notable example is Singapore. Its two SWFs—the Government of Singapore Investment Corp. or GIC and Temasek Holdings—hold about $1.3 trillion in combined assets.

The GIC website proudly notes, “Although we are Government-owned and manage Singapore’s reserves, our relationship with the Government is that of a fund manager to a client. We operate, invest, and measure our performance in the same way as any global fund management company.”

If Singapore’s GIC and Temasek have given sovereign wealth funds a good name, next door Malaysia’s 1MDB (1Malaysia Development Berhad) has sadly exemplified the dark and sordid side. Established by former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak in 2009, his very first year in office, 1MDB was supposed to invest strategically in foreign and local assets to help fund infrastructure projects and alleviate mass poverty at home.

It started with $1 billion in investable funds but ended up six years later with a debt of $11.5 billion. How did that happen? With the help of Goldman Sachs, an American investment bank, the fund issued long-term bonds guaranteed by the Malaysian government. In all, more than $4 billion was stolen from

1MDB, laundered, and siphoned into private accounts. A Wikipedia entry titled “1MDB scandal” sums up the events that led to Najib Razak’s political downfall in 2018, and subsequent imprisonment for abuse of power and embezzlement of public funds.

For as long as he was in power, Najib found ways of evading accountability. It was only after his loss in the May 2018 general election that investigations could be reopened, and some of the funds recovered. The newly elected government formed a special task force, and barred him and his wife, Rosmah Mansor, from leaving the country. A few days later, the police raided his houses and seized 12,000 pieces of jewelry, 423 valuable watches, and 567 luxury handbags, and cash, altogether estimated at around 1 billion Malaysian ringgit. The media had a field day comparing Rosmah Mansor with Imelda Marcos.

The difference between Singapore’s GIC and Temasek and Malaysia’s 1MDB boils down to one thing—the strength of a nation’s institutions. This is exemplified by the professional integrity, competence, and independence of Singapore’s civil servants who are in charge of determining the soundness of investments and of internally auditing the flow of funds. It is also mirrored in the autonomy of the various branches of government, particularly the judiciary.

Our country is not lacking in public servants with such qualities, or in laws that guarantee the separation of state powers. But our career officials are all too often silenced by political pressure, while the legal system is easily trumped by politics. We are more like Malaysia in that sense: We require nothing less than a regime change to bring the perpetrators of bigtime corruption to justice. No, for a host of reasons, we’re not ready for an SWF.

*Journalist, sociologist & public intellectual

emeritus, sociologyuniversity of the philippines

philipipne daily inquirer

of Advisor member, ABs-CBN Corporation

doctoral studies at the unversity of manchester but opted to remain as socialist liberal in the philippines during the martial law.

to Karina Constantino david

RANDY DAVID

Cebu bracing for return of devotees to honor Señor Sto. Niño

CEBU CITY—All activities in honor of the Child Jesus here will be back in January 2023 as the Augustinian priests of the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño de Cebu on Tuesday announced the return of its fiesta activities, including the foot processions, “traslacion” and fluvial parade.

Fr. John Ion Miranda, OSA, secretary general of the 458th Fiesta Señor, said they had coordinated for three months with government agencies for the resumption of the religious activities amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Activities lined up for the Fiesta Señor were expected to draw millions of devotees to Cebu. This is separate from the Sinulog Festival organized by the city government.

While wearing of face masks was no longer required in all the activities, Miranda said devotees were still “highly encouraged” to wear one.

The celebration carries the theme “Sto. Niño: Our Source of Peace in the Walk of Faith.”

Keep it solemn

At a press conference at the basilica on Tuesday, Miranda appealed to devotees to follow the instructions and signages, and to keep the cel-

ebration solemn.“As we resume all our religious activities, we appeal to all devotees, pilgrims and guests to adhere to all protocols which are being implemented for a safe, orderly and solemn conduct of our celebration. Let us be mindful that a ‘good Christian makes a better citizen,’” he said.

Signages, communion kiosks, large LED screens and several television monitors

Celebrating

would be mounted inside the basilica complex and the adjoining streets for people who could not be accommodated at the churchyard.

Except on Jan. 5, 2023 and Jan. 13, 2023 when dawn processions will be held, 10 Masses will be celebrated at the outdoor Pilgrim Center starting at 5:30 a.m. until 7 p.m. every day leading to the feast of the Sto. Niño.

The basilica complex will

be open to the public for 24 hours from Jan. 5, 2023 to Jan. 15, 2023, although the church is off-limits to people from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. to allow maintenance personnel to clean the basilica.

The Fiesta Señor 2023 officially starts with the annual “Walk with Jesus,” a penitential foot procession from Fuente Osmeña to the basilica at 4 a.m. on Jan. 5, 2023.

On Jan. 13, 2023 Friday,

there will be another traditional prayer walk from Fuente Osmeña to the basilica for the “Walk With Mary.”

The “Misa de Traslacion” will also be held that day and will be followed by a motorcade that will bring the images of the Sto. Niño and Our Lady of Guadalupe de Cebu to the National Shrine of St. Joseph in Mandaue City.

At midnight, the images will be transferred to the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Rule in Lapu-Lapu City.

Fluvial procession

On the morning of Jan. 14, 2023, the images will be brought back to the basilica through a fluvial procession along the Mactan Channel.

The reenactment of the planting of the cross, first Mass and baptism will follow at the basilica’s pilgrim center.

At 1 p.m. on Jan. 14, 2023, the solemn foot procession of the Sto. Niño will be held along major streets in the city. It will be followed by a pontifical Mass and the hourlong dancing of the traditional Sinulog with prayer petitions at the pilgrim center.

On the feast day of the Sto. Niño on Jan. 15, 2023, Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma will celebrate the pontifical Mass at 6 a.m. at the Pilgrim Center. INQ

G. Israel, Nestle L. Semilla INQUIRER.net/PDI

Dale

DEVOTION Thousands of devotees join the annual “Walk With Jesus” procession from Fuente Osmeña to Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño in Cebu City to mark the start of the 455th Fiesta Señor celebration in this 2020 photo. —GERARD FRANCISCO/CONTRIBUTOR

Mayor Along awards 43 sari-sari store packages to CC residents

Moreover, Mayor Along called on the winners to help others, in whatever small way they can.

“Tulad po ng sinabi natin kanina, hiling ko lang na mapalago niyo ito at balang araw, maibalik niyo ang tulong na ito sa inyong kapwa. Keep kindness going,” he said.

The said promotion was done in coordination with the

Caloocan City Mayor Dale Gonzalo “Along” Malapitan personally awarded 43 sari-sari store packages to Caloocan City residents as part of the celebration of his 43rd birthday.

According to the local chief executive, he wishes to help the winners start with a micro-business, aiding their daily needs.

“Sa aking ika-43 na kaarawan, hatid nati’y 43 na pangkabuhayan para sa ating

mga kababayan. Ilan po sa mga nanalo’y senior citizen, PWD, solo parent at may mga karamdaman. Ang iba naman po’y lumalaban nang patas sa gitna ng krisis bilang padyak, security guard at dating tindera na nawalan ng puhunan dulot ng pandemya,” the Mayor said.

“Hiling natin na makatulong itong panimula sa inyong maliit na negosyo at pantustos sa inyong pang araw-araw na gastusin,” he added.

its own set of directors, projects and finances, and does not receive direct orders continuously from [CI]. Given this degree of autonomy among member organizations and the intense work that each carries out, it is totally understandable that there is always room for improvement,” Gaston said in a statement to Radio Veritas.

Tagle is considered a leading papabile, or someone worthy to be pope, for having

held numerous positions in the Vatican.

He was appointed as the head of the Dicastery for Evangelization, formerly known as the Propaganda Fide in 2019 and has since been based in Rome. Prior to this, Tagle had been elected for two consecutive terms starting in 2015 as CI president, which has a four-year term.

de Villa INQUIRER.net/PDI

Public Information Office, General Services Department, Public Safety and Traffic Management Department,

City Engineering Department, and Office of the General Manager-North.

Mayor Dale Gonzalo “Along” Malapitan congratulates one of the recepient

Kathleen

Cardinal Tagle replaced as head of Vatican charity