Pilipino Express • Mar 16 2020

Volume 16 • No. 6 • March 16 - 31, 2020 Publication Mailing Account #41721512

Yassi Pressman

Filipino women trailblazers honoured at annual event

12 Honouring the Pinays MB Trailblazer Awardees 2020 on International Women’s Day. L-r: Dr. Irene Mestito-Dao, Sally Bader, Marjorie Soldevilla and Dr. Janilyn Arsenio (see more photos on pp 18-19) It was a beautiful day to celebrate the outstanding achievements of women. The day was made even more beautiful, for the month of March is International Women’s Month, and March 8th is International

Pinoy Pop Star 5 postponed As part of the effort to control the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Pinoy Pop Star Grand Final on March 28, 2020 has been postponed until further notice.

Information on a rescheduled date will be posted once confirmed via www.casinosofwinnipeg.com and www.pilipino-express.com and on social media.

Your tickets will remain valid for the rescheduled show.

Refund info If you cannot attend the postponed show, you will be able to receive a refund via your point of purchase. If purchased online, log in to your Ticketmaster account to process refund. If purchased at Club Regent or McPhillips Street box offices, present the ticket inperson to receive a refund.

Ticketmaster will contact all customers who purchased online/ mobile.

Women’s Day. On Saturday, March 7, Pinays Manitoba held its fifth Annual Recognition Luncheon in honour of Filipino women achievers in the community.

The event was sold-out and it

was quite a crush inside the venue, but family, friends, and supporters did not seem to mind as they happily chatted and mingled with other attendees.

Among the distinguished See PINAYS p5

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(Not a) lockdown As the number of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases in the Philippines continues to rise, President Duterte appeared on live television on Thursday night, March 12, to declare stricter measures on Metro Manila.

Earlier that day, the Department of Health (DOH) raised the Code Alert System for COVID-19 in the country to Code Red Sublevel 2, which is the highest level, and this opened the door for drastic directives such as the suspension of land, domestic air, and domestic sea travel to and from Metro Manila from March 15 to April 14, 2020.

In his live address, the President actually used the word many people were urging government to do for some time now: “For Manila, may – Ayaw namin gamitin ‘yan pero — kasi takot kayo sabihin ‘lockdown.’

And a –- but it’s a lockdown.”

(Loosely translated: For Manila, there is – we don’t want to use the word because you are afraid of it – but it’s a lockdown.) Malacañang would later clarify this and use the term “community quarantine,” not lockdown, on Metro Manila.

Other salient directives are the following: 1. The suspension of classes in all levels in Metro Manila is extended until April 12,

2020, with students remaining in their respective homes for the said duration.

2. Mass gatherings are prohibited during the period.

3. Community quarantine is imposed in the entirety of Metro Manila.

4. Work in the Executive Branch is suspended during the same period.

5. Flexible work arrangements are encouraged in the private sector.

Mass public transports, such as the Light Rail Transits, the Metro Rail Transits, and the Philippine National Railway, will continue operation.

These have raised numerous questions –“How about those who live outside the Metro but work there?” “How do food and other essentials get in?” “I am a Filipino citizen, can I fly home to the Philippines?” As of this writing, Malacañang has been trying to answer them. Those who work in Metro Manila can enter but will have to show employee IDs; Transport of goods to and from Metro Manila will remain, subject to guidelines; Filipinos flying in will be subject to strict quarantine.

But perhaps the most worrying for many people was the president’s statement that the military and police would be used to break up

mass gatherings.

Here in Davao City, meanwhile, City Hall issued a rather confusing guideline – its eighth since the country experienced a sudden rise in cases of COVID-19 – that said the city was “NOT ON LOCKDOWN” (all caps theirs) but that residents were nevertheless “prohibited from going out of Davao City.”

In addition, all short-term visitors were advised to leave Davao City immediately, and all travelers to Davao City were requested to postpone their visit until after the State of Public Health Emergency, which President Rodrigo Duterte had declared on March 9, is lifted.

Because of the confusion that the eighth guideline caused, Mayor Sara Duterte went live in a radio interview to clarify the directives.

She said while the law gives the people the right to travel, the city government has the mandate to impose preventive measures to ensure public safety. She said as mayor, she has the duty to ensure the safety of her constituents, especially since public health is involved.

“The city has a limitation on health facilities and we cannot afford a widespread infection of COVID-19 here. Many people will die if we do not take action,” she said emphatically. She said she will not wait for a confirmed case

of COVID-19 in the city before she implements measures for the safety of the people. “To wait for one positive patient before taking action is too late for everyone,” she said.

The mayor knew very well whereof she spoke: She had to do the radio interview by phone patch because, at the time, she was in voluntary isolation after initially fearing she may have been exposed to coronavirus through a meeting with a senator who had himself gone under self-quarantine after learning that one of the resource persons in a recent Senate hearing tested positive for COVID-19.

In submitting herself not just to isolation but also to the still stigmatizing process of registering with the Department of Health as a Person Under Monitoring (PUM), the mayor was telling everyone that keeping oneself quarantined is of utmost importance and is meant not just to keep oneself safe but, more importantly, to keep other people from potentially catching the virus. It is a sacrifice made for the greater good.

So the restrictions, while they are not part of a lockdown, are meant to protect the larger population, especially since the city does not have the capacity to treat large numbers of sick people.

In her radio interview, the mayor said non-residents of Davao City can still enter the city since no lockdown is being implemented, but she suggested that they cancel their trips. She also said it would be better for non-residents who are here on vacation to go back to their respective hometowns.

“If you are not a resident of Davao and you get the disease here, you can spread it in your hometown once you go back.

It would be better if we take preventive measures,” she said.

Some people see shades of martial law in what the two Dutertes have imposed on Metro Manila and Davao City, but personally, I think the situation calls for such drastic measures.

Social distancing is the most effective way to arrest the spread of the virus, and while people can certainly be cavalier with their own health, they should not be allowed to place other people at risk. As Presidential Spokesperson and Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo said as he sought to allay the fears and apprehension of the public, “the government is essentially calling for a stricter implementation of preventive measures in order to slow down and put a halt to the further spread of COVID-19.”

The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the original author, and do not necessarily represent those of the Pilipino Express publishers.

Jon Joaquin is the Editor-InChief of the Davao City-based Mindanao Daily Mirror. E-mail Jon at jonjoaquin@gmail.com.

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PINAYS...

From page 1 guests were female achievers in their own right; including Winnipeg Centre MP Leah Gazan, Notre Dame MLA Malaya Marcelino, Tyndall Park MLA Cindy Lamoureux, Wolseley MLA Lisa Naylor, City Councillor Vivian Santos of Pt. Douglas and City Councilor Cindy Gilroy of Daniel McIntyre.

The awardees Called the Pinays MB Trailblazers Award, the organization put out a call for nominations in the months leading to the event. After the nomination process, the Pinays Manitoba nomination committee selected these four outstanding Filipinas as the 2020 Pinay Trailblazer Awardees.

Dr. Janilyn Arsenio has distinguished herself in science, specifically in the field of immunology research.

Her study tries to understand what is happening to the immune system in terms of responding to infectious and non-infectious diseases, as well as in cancer, auto-immunity, and transplantation; and how immune cells respond to infectious & chronic inflammation.

Sally Bader is an exceptional volunteer with outstanding contributions in serving others, both in the Filipino-Canadian community, and the Winnipeg community at large. She has been working with tireless devotion and energy as she gives back to the community while making a difference in people’s lives. This

PILIPINO EXPRESS dedicated volunteer has quietly given her priceless gift of time to those in need over the past 37 years.

Dr. Irene Mestito-Dao is the first Filipino optometrist in Manitoba. She was not only the first female but also the first Filipino to be given the award of “Optometrist of the Year” from the Manitoba Association of Optometry in 2013. She is also tireless in her volunteer work for the community and the global community.

Marjorie Soldevilla’s career in the field of social services, and her passion for social justice through community volunteerism, has spanned 27 years. Her work at the International Centre of Winnipeg has allowed Marjorie to help newcomers and refugees settle in the community. Aside from meaningful contributions at work, Marjorie has various community volunteer involvements.

There was laughter as well as tears when each of the awardees took to the podium to share their amazing journeys to be where they are today. They were united in imparting how proud they are to belong to the Filipino community and be an inspiration to others.

And that they are humbled and honoured to be recognized for something that they loved to do.

Also, during the program, special guests Paul Ong, Michele Majul-Ibarra, dancing sisters Katelyn and Lauryn Dao, and the Hot Hula Fitness with Nenette dancers, entertained the guests See PINAYS pp18 & 19

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A recent article in CIC News intrigued me. Entitled, “How do we know if immigrants are succeeding in Canada’s economy?” the writer Kareen El-Assal raises some interesting points about the measures we traditionally use to judge the performance of immigrants. Many researchers would readily compare salaries of newcomers over time with those of the Canadian-born population. This approach makes a lot of sense because we want immigrants to earn salaries similar to those of Canadians based upon their jobs and expect that they should be fairly compensated. The writer however takes issue with this narrow approach and offers several reasons why income is a “misleading indicator of economic integration.”

First, newly arrived immigrants are at a disadvantage.

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They arrive without Canadian social and professional networks and need time for Canadians to recognize their education, credentials and skills. There is usually a delay of five years from landing before their jobs and salaries match those of their Canadian born counterparts.

Second, many newcomers are admitted as part of family class reunification and humanitarian reasons. Third, the writer points out that while 60 per cent of arrivals come under the economic stream, the actual number of persons who are assessed by their skills are roughly 25 per cent, with the balance comprised of accompanying family members.

What other metrics exist to measure integration? The writer points to several other useful measures as a way to gauge economic integration. One metric

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Income is not the only measure of newcomer integration is the housing market where Statistics Canada shows that home purchases among Canadians and immigrants are roughly 69 per cent for both groups. The average value of the house is also the same, which suggests newcomers bring significant savings with them, which increase their buying power in Canada and makes up for their shorter time in the labour market.

The household income of immigrant families and Canadian born ones are at the same level.

The average newcomer family earns about $85,000 per annum compared with $90,000 for the Canadian born household. The similarity can be attributed to multiple wage earners in the immigrant family, which increases their purchasing power. The writer cites both house purchases and household incomes as proof of

the effectiveness of family class immigration. “Canada’s decision to reunite families is good policy,” El-Assal notes, “because families can support one another financially and increase their overall living standards.”

His final conclusion is that comparing new arrivals with the Canadian born population is too narrow a measure. It is important to judge newcomers against those who came before them. The question is whether they are outperforming previous immigrant generations. The economic performance of secondgeneration immigrants actually mirrors that of Canadian-born children. The fact that the children outperform their parents is an indicator of what all parents want for their children – more success.

We should never lose sight that

immigration is not short termed but long termed as Canada has readily shown. Over time, the country has grown because of immigration and integration. The Canadian model is something to be duplicated and continued.

Kareem El-Assal has presented food for thought and “numerous indicators that undoubtedly show immigrants are succeeding in Canada.”

Michael Scott is a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC, R525678) who has 30 years of experience with Canada Immigration and the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program. He currently works as a licensed consultant with R.B. Global Immigration Consultants Ltd. 204-691-1166 or 204-227-0292. E-mail: mscott. ici@gmail.com.

Death and debt

by Tim St Vincent People often say that death and taxes are the only two sure things in life. Well, they’re partly right, I would say death, debt, and taxes are the only sure things in life. At some point in our lives all three of these things will come together.

We will all eventually pass away and when we pass, we’ll no doubt have some debt in our lives and taxes will still have to be settled. As the purpose of this article is not taxation, I won’t comment much on that, beyond stating that the odds are pretty good that you can file two tax returns when someone passes.

You’ll likely be able to file what is called the terminal return (the final return for the deceased) and an estate return. There can be some tax advantages to filing the two returns. Please consult with a lawyer, financial planner, or accountant regarding tax consequences regarding death.

So then, what about death and debt? What happens to my debt when I pass? Well, to some extent,

you don’t have to worry about that, I mean, you won’t be around – but what about your survivors?

Your children? Does the debt pass to them? Do we have a debtor’s prison?

Let’s start with a few basic points. No. Canada doesn’t have a debtor’s prison; your debts do not pass to your children. Now that we have that out of the way, let’s get into some details.

Generally speaking, all of your debts are considered to have passed to your estate when you pass. What does that mean? Well, when you die, your assets (the things you own) are passed along to your beneficiaries through a document called a will. (Talk to a lawyer about what happens if you don’t leave a will. There are certain laws that will determine who gets what.) This can take a bit of time to sort out, and someone has to look after all of it. This person or persons is/are called an executors.

While they are looking after all the paperwork, your assets are held in what is called an estate, usually referred to as “the estate of ______

(insert name of the deceased).” It is the responsibility of the estate to pay all your bills. In order to pay your bills, your estate, through the executor can sell assets or draw against your savings to pay your bills. This includes any debt that has been transferred to the estate; things like credit card bills, lines of credit, car loans, utilities, and mortgages that still need to be paid off.

If there isn’t enough value in the estate to settle all of your bills, the debt does not pass to the children of the deceased. If the debt is greater than the value of the estate, then that portion of the debt is forgiven. There is an order in which debt is paid. Secured creditors are paid first (things like a car loan, or a mortgage), then unsecured creditors are paid next (things such as credit cards, utility bills etc.). Some creditors may forgive some or all of the debt on compassionate grounds, or settle for a lesser amount. That is somewhat rare and at the discretion of each individual creditor.

Banks, credit unions and other financial institutions will typically freeze the accounts of the deceased once they are aware of the death of an account holder.

Be aware that these financial institutions maintain the “Right

of Offset” once the person passes.

What this means is that they have the legal right to take funds out of the account of the deceased to pay any debts that the deceased may owe to that financial institution.

Sometimes people are concerned that family members may find out about their debt once they die. The only person who should be aware of this is the executor. Of course, there is no guarantee that the executor won’t share this information, but as part of their job, they are supposed to keep this type of information confidential.

The best way to minimize any worries about debt after death is to do your best to reduce debt. Have a budget, track your expenses, stay on track and pay off debt as quickly as possible. If you can stay on top of things, ideally the

only debt that should be left once you pass are a few small utilities bills and maybe rent. As is almost always the truth, the best way to stay on top of your bills is with a solid budget. This applies in life and in death.

The information in this article is not a legal opinion and should not be relied upon as such. Please consult with a legal professional regarding all estate settlement matters.

Tim St Vincent is a retired CFP and is a Certified Educator in Personal Finance with the Credit Counselling Society, a Non-Profit organization. If you wish to contact the Society for further information, assistance or to attend a webinar, please call 1-888-527-8999 or visit www.nomoredebts.org or www. mymoneycoach.ca

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Behaviour change amidst COVID-19 There has been a lot of overwhelming information circulating in the news, social media and through word of mouth.

From school closures in every corner of the globe to various concerts and sporting events postponed. We have seen a lot of press conferences and have also heard a lot of different versions of what we should do to prevent the further spread of the corona virus.

While all levels of the government have been proactive in their communication efforts to ensure the general public is well informed, there are still a lot of “loose cannons” out there for lack of a better word.

As an example, on March 13, 2020, CNN released a report that a JetBlue passenger who flew from New York to Florida on March 11, 2020 did not disclose to the airline that he was awaiting his COVID-19 test results. He learned the results of his test midair and only notified the crew after landing that his results came back positive. CNN reported cleaning immediately started for all the areas that he went through which included gates, security checkpoints, check-in counters and kiosks, elevators and restrooms.

While the airport officials took immediate action to address

the matter, a lot of people who were exposed to this passenger are now at high risk of getting ill.

This passenger’s wilful behaviour of not notifying the airline or the airport regarding his health status put not only their crewmembers at risk but also all the airport staff and travelers he came into close proximity with. Further spread of the virus is now inevitable because the entire airport has pretty much been compromised. If this passenger was your co-worker, would you want this person to continue coming in to work?

Probably not.

Well, here is more bad news for you. Did you know that one in five confirmed COVID-19 patients in Singapore continued to go to work and attend events and activities despite being unwell?

According to Health Minister Gan Kim Yong of Singapore, many of their cases as of March 11, 2020 were linked to clusters in their community. This prompted huge concern because many of the locally transmitted cases arose from socially irresponsible actions of their people. The minister further revealed that 35 out of the 160 cases did not minimize social contact despite exhibiting respiratory symptoms.

“Presentee-ism” (i.e. when people show up for work sick) remains to be a difficult issue, especially if you are in a job that requires you to be present all the time. Take Sophie Trudeau as an example. She is the Prime Minister’s wife and also has a job of her own. She is an ambassador for numerous charities that require her to travel and speak in public all the time. Upon return from her recent travel to the U.K., she also tested positive for COVID-19 and as a result, the Prime Minister had to self-isolate as well.

Following the rapid spread of the virus, public health officials at all levels of government issued a guideline to the public on March 13, 2020, to mitigate further risk of spreading the virus. They recommended “social distancing” strategies to flatten the curve of COVID-19, which includes avoiding handshakes, making responsible decisions regarding travel, minimizing prolonged contact with others especially in public and postponing large scale social events and gatherings.

These new behaviours that we are being encouraged to do are not new to us. However, it may be difficult given that we would have to form new habits in order to succeed. Practice makes it perfect.

When we keep practicing these behaviours, they will eventually become habits. Stay healthy and safe!

Sources • www.hcamag.com/asia/ news/general/coronavirusemployees-went-to-work-whileunwell/216671 • www.cnn.com/travel/ article/jetblue-passenger-bannedcoronavirus-trnd/index.html

• www.manitoba.ca/health/ coronavirus/index.html This article is intended for information purposes only and not to be considered as professional advice.

Michele Majul-Ibarra, IPMAACP holds an Advanced Certified HR Professional Designation with the International Personnel Management Association. E-mail her at info@pilipino-express.com.

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The Filipino language that might have been Gamlang, kadamnin, dunà, himansaan, turuangaw, lampibadyâ. Are these Filipino words? Not exactly, but they could have been.

Filipino, as we know it today, was instituted as the national language of the Philippines in 1937. It was taught in schools as early as the 1940s but the Department of Education did not adopt the name Pilipino until 1959.

Before that, it was just called the National Language.

During the early development of the national language, some of the new words that were borrowed or invented were so well received that today most people think that they were always Tagalog words – words like bansa, lungsod, katarungan, kalayaan and bantayog (nation, city, justice, freedom, monument).

Many of these words are the legacy of one man who passed away in 1919, almost two decades before the official birth of the national language. He was Eusebio T. Daluz and he was one of the founders of the Akademya ng Wikang Pilipino (Academy of the Filipino Language). The academy’s aim was to establish a common Filipino language and

in many ways, its vision was far more radical and inclusive of local languages than that of any of the institutes, surians or commissions that were established later in the century.

A new dictionary for a new language As secretary of the academy, Daluz began to compile its official dictionary in 1910 – a task that would take him five years to complete. In the introduction to his 1915 Filipino-English Vocabulary, he said: “[The vocabulary] is a mixture of different Philippine dialects [sic] with the Tagalog as basis.

Most of the words, of course, are Tagalog, but a large number are also taken from the Visayan, Ilokano, Bikol, Pampangan and other native dialects, all of which are Tagalized.” This pretty much describes what the official Filipino language was supposed to be but never was.

(It should be noted that the “dialects” that Daluz mentioned are not dialects but rather distinct languages.)

It is fascinating to leaf through this old book and see what the Filipino language might have become. The spelling was

similar to what we know today.

The reforms that Jose Rizal had proposed were widely accepted by that time. The letters k and w were used instead of the old and awkward Spanish conventions that spelled those sounds with c, qu and o or u. Ng was used too, but it always had a tilde ˜ above the letter g as did the word mga.

However, some of the words are strange to us today and some of the sentences look like a completely different language. The grammar section is particularly baffling because the grammatical terms are not the same ones taught in Filipino classes today, which were invented by Lope K. Santos in the 1940s. The Daluz grammar includes terms like nama, badyâ, halipinama, lampibadyâ and sugnó for noun, verb, pronoun, adverb and adjective, respectively.

Fewer double meanings Especially interesting is how Daluz proposed to make the language more precise by reducing the number of words that have double meanings. For example, instead of using the Tagalog word araw to mean both day and sun, he borrowed the Visayan word adlaw to take on the meaning of sun and retained araw for day. Similarly, buwan still meant month but bulan meant moon. A dahon was a leaf, while a bayhon was a page. Takna is listed as the word for “a period of time,” which would have left panahon as the word for weather only, but curiously, it was still listed with both meanings. Daan retained the meaning of a road or passage, but as the number 100, it was replaced with gatos, which is the Visayan word for hundred.

Ironically, it is also the forgotten Old Tagalog word for million.

Speaking of numbers, the Academy’s proposed vocabulary had words that went far beyond millions, billions and even trillions.

It had words all the way up to turuangaw or one decillion. That’s the number one followed by 33 zeros, or in Europe, one followed by 60 zeros.

Forgotten inventions So many words in the dictionary were potentially useful, if only they had been adopted into general use. Gamlang was the word for industry. Kadám was proposed as the word for senate and a senator would have been called a kadamnin. Bansa, of course, meant country, but there was also himansaan, which meant state.

Dunà took the meaning of “being,” which made a fine companion to

Title page of the Akademya ng Wikang Pilipino dictionary. Published in 1915, it was far ahead of its time. the word diwa, meaning spirit or consciousness. A human being was a dunang tao.

Even the simple conjunction “or” was adapted from the Visayan ug, which became og to replace the Tagalog/Spanish o. It was even used throughout the dictionary in the headings and explanations.

Daluz not only made excellent use of native words to enrich Filipino, he also borrowed Visayan grammar to make derivative nouns and adjectives. For example, lungsod meant city, just as it does today, but there was also lungsuron for civic, lungsurunan for civics, lungsuranin or lungsudnin for civil, and linungsudnin for civilized.

Filipinos were called Pilipinos, the country of the Pilipinos was called Pilipinhan and the adjective, Philippine, was Pilipinhin.

A truly national language Of course, the Pilipino language in the Daluz dictionary was not the same Pilipino that later became the official national language. The official Pilipino had fewer borrowings from

regional Philippine languages and the grammar was based almost exclusively on Tagalog.

But the vision of Eusebio Daluz and the old Academya is not completely dead. In 2001, the Sentro ng Wikang Filipino at the University of the Philippines produced the first edition of the ambitious UP Diksiyonaryong Filipino, which is one of the first major Filipino dictionaries written completely in Filipino without English definitions. Although it contains many foreign words that are commonly used today, it also contains many Old Tagalog words and thousands of words from languages all over the Philippines.

It brings together the linguistic wealth of the entire country.

Perhaps coming generations will discover this treasure and use it to form a truly national Filipino language.

Visit paulmorrow.ca for more about Filipino history and language.

Find Paul Morrow on Facebook.

MARCH 16 - 31, 2020

World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Dr. Tedros announced on March 11 that the outbreak of the coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) is officially a global pandemic. It is both a public health and a socioeconomic global crisis.

Affecting over 100,000 patients and causing over 4000 deaths in 100 days, its geographic spread has reached all regions of the U.N. health agency, six continents and 114 countries. Indeed, COVID-19 is very contagious and rapidly transmissible from patient-topatient, and has exacted a heavy toll on human lives.

Canadians and people around the world are all in this together.

We shall all hope for both a curative drug and a preventive vaccine. In their absence, we shall all affirm to slow the spread of the disease and to mitigate its impact on life and living.

Understanding pandemics Historically, COVID-19 is the world’s sixth pandemic and the first one to involve a member of the coronavirus family.

Scientifically, there is no precise set of criteria that defines the title of “pandemic.” The SARS epidemic, caused by a different coronavirus, was not considered a pandemic.

There are three characteristics that COVID-19 has met: 1. Human-to-human spread occurs in at least two countries in one of the WHO’s six health regions; 2. Community-level outbreaks occur in at least one other country in a different WHO region; and 3. Waves of infection-activity are spread over months.

With COVID-19, the WHO made the declaration because of “the alarming levels of spread and severity, and the alarming levels of inaction” by some countries.

The organization also pointed to the 13-fold increase in patients and the 25-fold rise in deaths outside China, and the three-fold increase in countries affected.

As of this writing, (March 14, 2020) COVID-19 has sickened over 156,000 patients and claimed 5,821 lives, and counting, since it started barely three months ago in early December 2019.

Magnitude before the pandemic declaration During the two-week period before the official announcement, there were over 40,000 new patients and over 1,800‬ new deaths added worldwide. That translates to about 3,000 new patients and 130 lives lost per day.

Italy and Iran were increasingly affected with Italy reporting many more deaths.

The United States showed over 1,000-fold rise to 1,280 new patients. The clusters likely reflect the nation’s slow rollout of testing, despite more requests

PILIPINO EXPRESS

from symptomatic patients.

Therefore, many more Americans are already infected.

The Philippines showed a significant 50-fold increase in new patients, but their absolute number of 52 was also low. Each test costs 5,000 to 8,000 pesos (US$99 to US$160) and may explain the small number of cases diagnosed.

The actual burden of the disease is likely underestimated.

Canada experienced a 150-fold increase in new patients during the two-week period, distributed as follows: British Columbia, 53; Alberta, 23; Saskatchewan, 0 (+ 1 probable); Manitoba, 1 (+ 2 probable); Ontario, 60; Quebec, 13; New Brunswick, 1; and repatriated 1. The absolute number of 152 reflects a releatively low risk for Canadians since Canada has been doing substantial testing nationwide.

Clinical warning signs and high-risk groups The early symptoms and signs of the disease to watch for include a feeling of being unwell – fever, sore throat, headache and shortness of breath. A history of contact, particularly if close, to a known patient is important to report to your doctor. When presenting with any of these early manifestations and history of exposure, call first (do not visit without notice) your family doctor for health advice on what to do and where to go for evaluation, testing and treatment.

At highest risk of being ill when exposed to the infection and being critically ill requiring intensive care are seniors 70 years old and over and those with existing heart and/or lung disease.

They and their families should pay attention to the basics of everyday life and living. This said, most patients – about 80% – do recover.

Incubation period and spread of virus On average, it takes five days after exposure to develop the symptoms and signs, rarely more than 12 days, and almost always before the end of the 14th day. This is what is called the incubation period and it is the basis for the 14-day quarantine period.

Realize, however, that the incubation period relates to symptoms caused by, not to the transmissibility of, the virus. It is probable that people may be able to transmit before symptoms appear and without feeling ill.

A controllable pandemic “In the days and weeks ahead, we expect to see the number of cases, the number of deaths, and the number of affected countries climb even higher,” the WHO has stated. At the same time, the Director-General conveyed a sense of measured optimism: “This is a controllable pandemic,” and he shared the following two key observations in support of his determination:

PAGE 9

COVID-19 pandemic: Canada and around the world

A team of researchers from Sunnybrook, McMaster University and the University of Toronto has isolated severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the agent responsible for the ongoing outbreak of COVID-19. Left to right: Dr. Robert Kozak, Dr. Samira Mubareka, Dr. Arinjay Banerjee 1. There are still 77 countries and territories with no reported cases, and 55 that have reported 10 cases or fewer; and 2. More than 90 per cent of cases are in just four countries, and two of those – China and South Korea – have seen significantly declining epidemics. These countries could make containment the central pillar of their response, even as the focus shifts to mitigation – to slow the spread and impact of the virus on communities in Canada, the US and around the world where it is already spreading. The choice ought not to be containment or mitigation, but applying the appropriate balance between the two approaches.

Canada’s response On the day the WHO made the announcement, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Canada’s response to the disease “by establishing a more than $1 billion COVID-19 response fund.” He reiterated this message yesterday when he briefed the media from his home, where he and his wife, Mrs. Sophie Gregoire Trudeau, are self-quarantined following the infection of his wife. The fund is to assure “new investments to limit the spread of the virus in Canada and prepare for its possible broader impacts,” he said. A week earlier, the prime minister struck a new cabinet committee, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland, to co-ordinate Canada’s response.

Back to the basics and everyday life In the absence of an antiviral drug or vaccine, respiratory hygiene is the best preventive action against COVID-19. This includes frequent hand washing with soap and water (not merely rinsing) for at least 20 seconds (the length of one “Happy Birthday”) and drying with a single-use towel.

Washing with hand sanitizers is also a substitute. Cough etiquette must also be observed.

Avoid handshakes, hugs or kisses; avoid touching the eyes, nose and mouth; and regularly disinfect surfaces at homes. Avoid non-essential travel and cruise ships. Everyone over 70 and those with compromised immune systems or underlying heart or lung disease should, in particular, practice social distancing. That is avoiding crowds and community parties to reduce close contact.

Canadians from all walks of life, can help slow the epidemic – “flatten the peak curve” as they say – by diligently exercising basic personal and community preventive measures. This can help to prevent new clusters of patients and ensure those needing care are provided for by our health care system.

A Canadian research breakthrough “A group of Canadian scientists has successfully isolated and grown copies of the novel coronavirus responsible for the

COVID-19 pandemic, paving the way for a potential vaccine,” reported Nicole Bogart of CTV News on March 13. The team members are research scientists from Sunnybrook Hospital, McMaster University and the University of Toronto. They used samples taken from two Canadian COVID-19 patients.

“We need key tools to develop solutions to this pandemic before the outbreak peaks in Canada,” said Dr. Samira Mubarek. While the immediate response is crucial, longer-term solutions come from essential research into this novel virus. It is anticipated the research breakthrough “will help researchers in Canada and across the world develop better diagnostic testing, treatments and vaccines, and gain a better understanding” of the COVID-19 virus, including how it is shed and transmitted.

Hon. Dr. Rey D. Pagtakhan, P.C, O.M., LL.D., Sc.D., M.D., M.Sc., is a retired lung specialist and professor of pediatrics and child health from the Children’s Hospital of Winnipeg and the University of Manitoba Faculty of Medicine. As Canada’s former Secretary of State for Science, Research and Development, he made a presentation on “The Global Threat of Infectious Diseases” at the G-8 Countries’ Science Ministers and Advisors Group Meeting held on June 13-15, 2003 in Berlin, Germany. reypagtakhan@mail.com

PAGE 10

PEOPLE & EVENTS PILIPINO EXPRESS

MARCH 16 - 31, 2020

I propose we watch this movie!

by Lucille Nolasco Chance meetings. Freedom for one’s self. Family love.

These are just some of the takeaways from the new movie, I Propose We Never See Each Other Again After Tonight by awardwinning Canadian director, Sean Garrity.

Pilipino Express (PE) spoke with Sean (SG) about his new film before it officially opens in Winnipeg.

PE: Tell us about the idea behind your new movie, I Propose We Never See Each Other Again After Tonight. Was it years in the making? Was it full of challenges or was it a smooth project from beginning to end?

SG: I was making films in Toronto for a few years, and when I moved home again, I wanted to make a really Winnipeg movie.

So, I started writing a romantic comedy where one character was Filipino and one was Mennonite, and I wanted the story to climax at a big wedding social! To me, that seemed like the architecture of a truly Winnipeg story.

We started shooting on January 31, 2019, and it was a very difficult film to make. I was trying to achieve a very specific tone.

I wanted it to be very authentic; with very real performances, but not too earnest; funny, but not broad comedy, either. It was hard to get it right, but I felt very supported by my cast and crew who worked really hard to help me achieve my vision.

PE: Is it based on a personal story (yours or someone you know)?

SG: The story starts with an encounter between a man and a woman, who have never met before. They decide that instead of getting to know one another, they will keep their names secret, and take advantage of the opportunity to share secrets with a complete stranger that they will never meet again. After an evening of sharing their darkest secrets with each other, they vow to never see each other again – except, of course, it’s Winnipeg.

This inciting incident is based on an encounter I actually had in South America. I met a Canadian who was backpacking through, while I was living there for two years, going to film school. We had this exact thing happen to us, except in the real story, we actually never saw each other again. I wonder what happened to her?

PE: The main actress and a few others are from the Filipino community, how was it working with these actors?

SG: It was amazing to discover the seemingly endless talent in Winnipeg’s Filipino community!

At the very beginning of my writing process, I sat down with a number of Filipino friends to talk about their experiences going through the events about which I wanted to write. They were so open and generous in sharing their stories with me; it

was incredible. I ended up going back to them a number of times while writing, to ask “did I get this right?” or “does this seem like something that might happen in a Filipino family?” They were so supportive. It was fantastic. I am very grateful to them. They are all listed in the end credits of the movie.

In terms of actors, at first, I couldn’t find very many at all. The usual casting directors in the city don’t have a lot of connections to actors in the Filipino community, which is too bad! So, I had to start searching in other places: I talked to Stephanie Sy, and she connected me with Andrea Macasaet, who, in turn, connected me to a bunch of other actors. We looked online and I cast my lead, Hera Nalam, based on her YouTube videos. We found our “Mom” and “Dad” actors through 204 Filipino Marketplace on Facebook. I talked to someone who had been a drama teacher at Sisler High School, and he connected me with his former students who were talented. I built a real web of people-connectedto-people to fill out the cast.

But now that I have discovered these great actors, I want to do more! Maybe a TV show or something. So much talent! And nobody seems to be camera shy; everyone I met was willing to take a swing at acting. I love it!

PE: The movie is primarily a romantic-comedy, but I believe there’s also a hint of family drama in the mix?

SG: It was important for me that my characters have a background – a family, a job, a goal in life. They need to be fully-flushed characters. My lead character is named Iris Dela Cruz and I was so happy with the scenes we shot with her family – played

by Andrea Macasaet, Mithus Mallari, and Elmer Aquino – that they ended up taking more space in the final film than I had anticipated.

One of the themes of the film centres on Iris’s struggle to get her mother to accept her as an adult who is capable of making adult choices, and I really enjoyed the performances in those scenes, so they became centrepieces of Iris’s story.

PE: What do you want viewers to take away from the movie after watching it?

SG: The movie is funny and sexy and honest and emotionally intense. I want audiences to laugh, and be engaged and walk away having been told a good story. I want them to walk away feeling like they know my characters, that maybe they saw something of themselves in my characters.

I also want them to walk away recognizing that our stories deserve a place on the silver screen, alongside stories from Hollywood and Bollywood. Just because we’re from Winnipeg, doesn’t mean we have to spend our lives watching stories from somewhere else.

PE: As a Canadian film maker,

what usually are the challenges you face?

SG: Where do I start? The biggest challenge is publicity; finding a way to let people know that the film is in cinemas.

PE: Suggestions on how to overcome these challenges for you and other filmmakers in Canada?

SG: The average US film has a $35 million publicity budget. The average Canadian film has a few thousand dollars. I don’t mind if people know about my film, and choose not to see it, but it seems unfair that so many people aren’t able to make that choice because they don’t even know that our films are there!

PE: Any future projects we can look forward to?

SG: Yes! I am always developing new projects. I Propose We Never See Each Other Again After Tonight is my eighth film. I am presently writing a new thriller about identity theft.

The more I research it, the more paranoid I become. I change all my passwords almost every day now. My wife thinks I am crazy.

(You can see trailers for Sean Garrity’s previous films at bedbugsfilms.com/trailers/ ) PE: Anything else you’d like the readers and viewers to know about you and your work, as a Canadian filmmaker?

SG: I would love people to come out and see the new film in the cinema. In the cinema, the sound is in 5.1 surround, the score (composed by local producer Murray Pulver) is mixed beautifully, the colours are right, and you can enjoy the film on a giant screen. It is the way the movie is meant to be seen.

I Propose We Never See Each Other Again After Tonight is playing March 20-26 at the Northgate (check listings for times).

Andrea Macasaet

Kristian Jordan

Hera Nalam as Iris dela Cruz

Director on set, Sean Garrity

Dela Cruz Family, l-r: Elmer Aquino, Andrea Macasaet, Mel Hizon and Mithus Mallari

MARCH 16 - 31, 2020

PILIPINO EXPRESS

1

PAGE 11

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SHOWBIZ SHOWBUZZ

PAGE 12

PILIPINO EXPRESS

MARCH 16 - 31, 2020

• Wowowin, Eat…Bulaga, atbp – Wala munang live audience • Matteo at Sarah – Kailan kaya matatanggap ni Mommy Divine?

• Kim Chiu – Wala na ba sila ni Xian Lim? • AiAi delas Alas – Very proud wife ni Captain Gerald Sibayan • Kris Aquino – Mahina ang katawan, malapit sa aksidente

Tinitipa namin ang pitak na ito ay nasa Visoria kami, ang munting nayon namin sa Quezon, Nueva Ecija, para lang kaming nakitulog sa aming sariling bahay dahil pabalik na rin kami ng Maynila.

Gustung-gusto pa sana naming makasama ang aming mga apo, pero maramot ang panahon, kapag inabot pa kami nang Linggo (March 15) nang umaga ay iba na ang sitwasyon dahil sa umiiral na community quarantine.

Napakaraming naapektuhan ng paglaganap ng COVID-19

sa buong mundo. Dito sa atin ay kaliwa’t kanang programa, concert at mga aktibidad ang kanselado.

Walang ibang pamimilian ang mga kababayan natin, kailangang sundin ang protocol ng DOH, lalo na’t sumailalim na sa lockdown ang buong NCR. Nakakalungkot manood ng mga shows na walang audience, kanselado rin ang concert ng mga dayuhang performers maging ng mga sariling atin, kung kailan matutuldukan ang nakaaalarmang See CRISTY p15

Xian Lim & Kim Chiu

Matteo Guidicelli & Sarah Geronimo

Ai Ai delas Alas & Gerald Sibayan

Sarah Geronimo & mommy Divine

Bimby, Kris & Josh Aquino

Sam and Yassi team up in iWant’s The Tapes Sam Milby and Yassi Pressman will leave no stone unturned as they peel away layers of clues to a dark secret that haunts their town in the iWant original series The Tapes, which drops on March 18.

Set in the 90s, the six-part series follows Sonnyboy and Alice (Sam and Yassi), two cops living in a sleepy town where nothing really happens.

They are rattled out of their routines when Sonnyboy receives a series of tapes sent to him anonymously.

The tapes contain disturbing snippets of incidents related to a cold case – the talked-about disappearance of a local girl named Judy. Distrustful of their boss, Sonnyboy and Alice hide the new evidence and

must skip standard procedures to find answers.

However, the more tapes they watch and the more clues they find, the more unsettling Sonnyboy’s dreams become.

Visions and unknown forces start to plague both Sonnyboy and Alice, making them question whether their hometown is haunted by mere secrets or by the supernatural.

What is the truth behind Judy’s disappearance? What is the intention of the person who sent the tapes?

Bradley Liew, the Malaysianborn and Philippine-based director of the horror film Motel Acacia, which is now showing in cinemas and was first screened at the 32nd Tokyo International Film Festival, directs The Tapes.

In 2016, his first feature film

Singing in Graveyards premiered at the Venice International Film Festival.

Yassi Pressman

The cast of the iWant original series also includes Ricky Davao, Felix Rocco, Perry Dizon,

Barbara Ruaro, and Brian Sy, with the special participation of Cherie Gil.

Yassi Pressman and Sam Milby

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PILIPINO EXPRESS

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PILIPINO EXPRESS

MARCH 16 - 31, 2020

MARCH 16 - 31, 2020

SHOWBIZ SHOWBUZZ PILIPINO EXPRESS

PAGE 15

FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano packs a punch on Jeepney TV Relive how the Coco Martin’s FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano won the hearts of millions of Filipinos as Jeepney TV airs Book One of the beloved ABS-CBN teleserye starting March 16.

The first year of the actiondrama saw the introduction of Cardo Dalisay (Coco) and his quest to seek justice for the death of his identical twin Ador de Leon.

It also explored Cardo’s hunt against the drug and humantrafficking empire masquerading as a philanthropic organization led by Tomas “Papa Tom” Tuazon (Albert Martinez) and PC/Insp.

Joaquin Tuazon (Arjo Atayde).

Even more important, however, is how its now-iconic characters—such as Coco’s Cardo, Jaime Fabregas’ Lolo Delfin, and Susan Roces’ Lola Flora—have inspired Filipinos here and abroad, regardless of

CRISTY...

From page 12 senaryong ito ay wala pang nakakalaam.

Nauna na ang Eat..Bulaga sa pag-ere nang walang studio audience, sa unang pagkakataon pagkatapos nang ilang dekada ay ngayon lang ginawa ng pamunuan ng noontime show ang pag-ere nang walang tao sa kanilang studio, masakit ang desisyon para sa kanila pero makabuluhan naman para sa ating mga kababayan.

Ang show na ipinalit ng ABSCBN para kay Vice Ganda ay kanselado rin ang pagsisimula ngayong gabi sana. May mga naitape na silang ilang episodes, pero paano naman ang mga kasunod, nakaangkla sa live audience ang bago niyang show.

May mga tumawag sa amin na pakisabi raw kay Willie Revillame na mag-show na rin siya nang wala munang studio audience. Hindi kasi nila kontrolado ang bus-bus na manonood na nanggagaling pa sa iba-ibang probinsiya.

Si Willie pa naman, napakaemosyonal, hindi niya madaling matatanggap ang ideyang mag-show sila na walang mga kababayan nating nanonood sa kanila.

Audience kasi ang buhay ng Wowowin, sa studio audience sila kumukuha ng mga contestants, ang studio audience din ang nagbibigay-sigla sa mga hosts ng programa lalo na kay Willie.

Pero para sa kaligtasan ni Willie at ng kaniyang staff, lalo na sa mga kababayan nating dumadayo sa panonood ng taping ng show, ay napakalaking kaginhawahan at kaligtasan ang hindi muna pagpapasok ng studio audience sa Wowowin. Palaging una para kay Willie ang ating mga kababayan pero sa ganito kaselang panahon ay kailangan niyang sumunod sa alituntunin ng GMA7.

Bagsak ang ekonomiya ng ating bayan dahil takot na takot lumabas ng bahay ang mga Pinoy.

Tama naman ang ganoon bilang

age, to always have faith that the good will always triumph despite encountering seeminglyunending adversities.

It has also imparted life lessons woven into its narrative since its earlier days of broadcast, like how Makmak’s (Awra Briguela) sexual identity did not get in the way for Cardo and his family to fully accept him, and how Lola Flora demonstrated being an honourable public servant when she returned the refrigerator given by the mayor to avoid issues.

Now on its fourth year, Ang Probinsyano is a known favourite among Filipino households, garnering the highest-rated pilot episode of all time when it premiered in September 2015.

Watch the gripping adventures of Cardo in FJP’s Ang Probinsyano, airing on Jeepney TV starting March 16.

pagsunod sa ipinapayo ng DOH pero umaaray na ang ating mga negosyante.

Ang buhay na buhay na industriya lang ngayon ay ang mga manufacturers ng alcohol, handwash at sabon.

Pinagsasamantalahan pa nga ng mga third party ang panahong ito, pumapakyaw sila ng mga panglaban sa mikrobyo, para ibenta lang nila nang doble kundi man triple ang presyo.

Onli in da Pilipins! *** Nakita ng mga kaibigan naming nagsi-shopping sina Matteo Guidicelli at Sarah Geronimo. Magkahawak-kamay palagi ang mga bagong kasal.

Ihinahalintulad ng aming

kausap si Sarah sa isang bilanggo nang mahabang panahon na kalalaya pa lang. Kitang-kita kasi nila ang kalayaang niyayakap ngayon ng magaling na singeractress.

“Hinahalikan siya palagi ni Matteo, kinikilig ang mga nakakakita sa kanila, napakasaya nilang dalawa, lalo na si Sarah, na parang ngayon pa lang naeexplore ang mundo!” kuwento ng aming kaibigan.

Wala naman kasi talagang presyong katumbas ang kalayaan.

Matagal na ipinagdamot iyon kay Sarah, may punto o wala ang kaniyang mga magulang ay malinaw ang patotoo na ngayon pa lang talaga niya nakikita ang kagandahan ng mundo, kasama ang kaniyang asawa.

Dahil sa sobrang pagmamahal sa kaniya ni Mommy Divine ay maraming ipinagkait ang panahon kay Sarah. Pagmamahal na

sumobra, lumampas sa guhit na kailangan lang niya, kaya naganap ang lihim nilang pagpapakasal ni Matteo.

Anumang labis, kapag pinairal, ay hindi nakagaganda.

Kontrabida ang tingin ng publiko ngayon kay Mommy Divine, pero hindi iyon sinasamantala ni Sarah, hindi siya nagsasalita nang laban sa kaniyang ina para huwag nang lumala pa ang isyu.

See CRISTY p16

PAGE 16

PILIPINO EXPRESS

MARCH 16 - 31, 2020

Pinoys on Parliament From February 21 to 23, 2020, I had the privilege of representing ANAK and Manitoba at the second annual Pinoys on Parliament Conference in Ottawa, Ontario. Pinoys on Parliament is the country’s first and largest Filipino-Canadian youth leadership conference.

Through leadership panels and workshops, Pinoys on Parliament provides a platform for young Filipino-Canadians to explore their identities while examining how their upbringing affects their future career prospects.

The story that resonated with me the most was that of Clement Nocos. Clement Nocos is a federal policy analyst with Natural Resources Canada. He holds two master’s degrees and was NDP leader Jagmeet Singh’s handler this past federal election.

Clement tells the story of his father who was a seafarer back in the 1970s. When he arrived in Ontario he decided not to return to the Philippines. He only knew a little bit of English and did not have formal education. However, he eventually got a job and settled in Canada for good.

While listening to this story, I was reminded of every Filipino immigrant who took a chance in Canada – those who could hardly speak English but survived because they were driven by their desire to find a better future for their families.

Clement adds to this sentiment by telling his own story. When asked about the importance of representation, Clement says the reason why we don’t see many Filipinos in government is because we do not have enough leverage to be in government. We lack existing connections that can

CRISTY...

From page 15 Kuwento nga ng mga kaibigan naming nakakatrabaho ng magaling na singer ay nakikiusap siyang huwag na munang interbyuhin, ayaw na niyang makapanakit pa ng damdamin, isang patotoo kung gaano siya kabuti at kamarespeto bilang anak.

Isang kaibigan ng pamilya ni Sarah ang nakakuwenthan namin.

Talaga raw ininda nang husto ni Mommy Divine ang lihim na pagpapakasal ng kaniyang anak kay Matteo Guidicelli.

Para raw malibang si Mommy Divine ay inaabala niya na lang ang kaniyang sarili sa pagnenegosyo.

Nagbabantay siya sa kanilang restaurant, tumatao rin siyang madalas sa kanilang malaking tindahan sa may UST, nagtitinda pa rin siya ng mga inaani nilang gulay sa kanilang farm.

Isang araw ay gagamutin din ng panahon ang hidwaan nila ng kaniyang pamilya, sabi nga sa tagline ng ABS-CBN, “Family is forever!”

help pull us to where we want to be. Thankfully, Filipinos are industrious people. If we are not given opportunities, we create them. Similarly, Clement credits his success to a Filipino friend who let him write an essay on Jagmeet Singh that eventually led him to become the latter’s handler.

At the time, he was writing pieces for magazines to pay his bills.

However, with his hard work and perseverance, combined with the help of the people around him, Clement is now content with where he is.

Pinoys on Parliament operates on the same philosophy. This year’s theme was Magkasama or Together. It showcases the things that we can achieve when we uplift each other. The creation of Pinoys on Parliament began when Filipino staffers on Parliament Hill noticed that there were very few Filipinos there. To this day, Dr. Rey Pagtakhan remains the sole Filipino-Canadian to serve as Member of Parliament. Pinoys on Parliament was built because young people saw the need for an incubator for the many potentials of Filipino-Canadian youth. As Filipino-Canadians, we often ask ourselves, “Am I more Filipino or more Canadian? Am I both? Am I a fraud?” And with that question, I remember what our predecessors went through 60 years ago and what many Filipinos continue to go through every day. They leave the motherland in order to provide for their families or to simply build their own destiny in a foreign land. In Kanata, they built a community that looks out for one another. Now, it is up to us to put what they have given us to good use. For a weekend, Pinoys on Parliament showed *** Tiwa-tiwayway sa haba ang mga pangalang pinagtawiran ng pasasalamat ni Kim Chiu dahil sa isang kahindik-hindik na karanasang hindi na niya makakalimutan habang nabubuhay siya.

Hindi simple ang kaniyang nakaengkuwentro, konting-konti na lang at puwede na siyang pinaglalamayan, kaya ganoon na lang ang pasasalamat ng aktres sa matinding paggabay sa kaniya ng Diyos.

Sabi nga ng isang nakausap namin ay hindi pa niya oras. Hindi pa ito ang takdang panahon ng kaniyang pamamaalam sa mundo.

Marami pa siyang dapat gawin na kailangan niyang tapusin.

Pero sa ihinaba-haba ng kaniyang pasasalamat ay wala ang pangalan ng sinasabing karelasyon niyang si Xian Lim. Paulit-ulit pa naming binasa ang post ng pasasalamat ng aktres pero wala talaga doon ang pangalan ng aktor.

Natural lang ang tanong ngayon ng buong bayan ay bakit?

Si Xian Lim ang isa sa mga

Photos by Sarah Alma, courtesy of Pinoys on Parliament

hundreds of young FilipinoCanadians what we can be if we work together.

Karla Atanacio is currently in International Development Studies at the University of

Winnipeg. At 13, she moved with her family to Canada to seek a better future. Karla enjoys being involved in the community and volunteers with different Filipino-Canadian heritage

organizations. In her spare time, Karla enjoys fusion cuisine and listening to podcasts.

To learn more about ANAK, visit anak.ca or send us an e-mail at info@anak.ca.

Willie Revillame and the Wowowin Dancers pangalang dapat unang-unang pinasalamatan ni Kim pero bakit wala ang pangalan nito sa listahan?

Kinapos ba ng pagsuporta si Xian nang mabingit sa kamatayan ang buhay ng kaniyang girlfriend?

Mayroon ba silang matinding away?

Komento naman ng isang

nag-post, “Ito na nga siguro ang panahon para magpakatotoo sila. Mula naman noon, e, pinagdududahan ang relasyon nila. Maraming hindi naniniwala.”

Nakakalungkot lang isipin na ang dami-daming pinasalamatan si Kim pero ang pangalan ng lalaking mahalaga sa kaniyang

buhay ay wala.

Nang maganap ang pagratrat sa van ni Kim ay mayroon din namang ipinost si Xian Lim. Itim.

Basta kulay itim lang.

Iyon na kaya ang pahimakas ng kamatayan ng kanilang pagmamahalan na See CRISTY p17

MARCH 16 - 31, 2020

CRISTY...

From page 16 pinagdududahan ng marami?

Ang hindi kaya pagpapakita ng pagpapahalaga ni Kim sa aktor ay nagbabadya na ng kanilang pagkakani-kaniya?

Sabi nga ni prop, “Natural lang na ang wala ang hinahanap.

Binaril-baril ang van ni Kim, dumating ang mga kapatid niya, ang mga bossing nila sa ABSCBN, pero walang Xian na sumuporta?

“Nasaan na ang kaniyang knight in shining armor? Nasaan na ang kaniyang tagapagligtas?

Waley!” natatawang komento ng kaibigan naming propesor. *** Mula ngayon ay palagi nang may nakakabit na name plate sa dibdib ng mister ni AiAi delas Alas. Captain Gerald Sibayan.

Ganap na piloto na nga ngayon ang binatang nakilala ng Comedy Concert Queen sa badminton court. Malayo ang agwat ng kanilang edad, nang magpakasal sila ay isa lang ang nabuo sa utak ng mga mapanghusga, peperahan lang si AiAi ng binata.

Balat-sibuyas pa nga ang komedyana, dinedepensahan pa niya si Gerald, pero ang kaniyang mister ay napapangiti lang. Kunsensiya kasi nito ang nagsasabing mali ang paghusga sa kaniya.

Pagkatapos nilang magpakasal ay nagtrabaho bilang coach ng national team ng badminton si Gerald kasabay ang pag-aaral nito sa De La Salle University.

Nakapagtapos si Gerald, proud na proud si AiAi, naging saksi kasi siya sa paggising nang madalingaraw ng kaniyang mister para hindi masapul ng traffic sa pagpasok.

Napakalayo ng distansiya ng kanilang bahay sa Quezon City sa Taft Avenue, pero arawaraw na ganoon ang rutina ni Gerald, nagsikap talaga itong makapagtapos.

Hanggang sa nag-aral na ng pagpipiloto ang kaniyang See CRISTY p20

SHOWBIZ SHOWBUZZ PILIPINO EXPRESS

PAGE 17

Bianca Umali debuts single under GMA Music An award-winning actress, an amazing dancer, a fashion inspiration, and an ardent advocate of education and women empowerment, the Kapuso prime star has another talent everyone has to witness. Bianca Umali is now officially a recording artist.

Bianca debuted her first single titled Kahit Kailan on her birthday last March 2.

As she ventures into recording, she is grateful for the opportunity to explore her love for music, which she reveals she shares with her father. She is also looking forward to perform songs that would speak the feelings and experiences of many.

“I am very thankful that GMA Music believes in me and in my talent. This is my first single and the experience has been really fun,” she said.

Kahit Kailan, composed by former Introvoys drummer Paco Arespacochaga, immediately made it on Spotify’s New Music Friday Philippines and OPM Workday Marathon playlists

after its release.

“Nu’ng ni-record ko, nu’ng napakinggan ko na, hindi ko masyadong inakalang sad song siya. Pero nu’ng shinoot namin ‘yung music video, na-realize ko na ang lungkut-lungkot pala nu’ng kanta. It’s about someone who is longing for a person they love but they can’t have for some reasons or maybe because they aren’t just meant to be,” Bianca shared.

2020 proves to be a year of breakthroughs for the Kapuso star.

Currently, Bianca is gearing up for her lead role in HBO Asia’s longest-running series Halfworlds. The thriller is directed by acclaimed filmaker Mikhail Red. For GMA Network’s 70th anniversary, she is one of the leading ladies in the upcoming primetime series ‘Legal Wives’, alongside Kapuso Drama King Dennis Trillo and sought-after actresses Alice Dixson and Megan Young.

Kahit Kailan is now available for streaming on Apple Music, Spotify, YouTube Music, and other digital platforms worldwide.

Bianca Umali

GMA Artist Center introduces up-and-coming stars GMA Artist Center welcomed a fresh batch to their talented roster of stars. During the contract signing ceremony held March 10, winners and finalists from the reality-talent competitions The Clash Season 2 and StarStruck Season 7 including Jeremiah Tiangco, Thea Astley, Radson Flores and Kim de Leon were officially received by the management The Clash Season 2 Grand Champion Jeremiah Tiangco reminisced his journey after winning in the second season of The Clash, “Sobrang saya po and overwhelming, nakakamiss po ‘yung auditions at ‘yung naging journey po namin sa The Clash.

Ngayon po, sobrang saya ko po dahil official talent na po ako ng GMA.” Meanwhile, first runnerup Thea Astley attributes their success to The Clash, “Hindi

L-r: Kim de Leon, Thea Astley, Jeremiah Tiangco and Radson Flores naman po namin in-expect na from The Clash, makakarating kami rito kaya sobrang ipinagpapasalamat po talaga namin and especially right now na pumirma na po kami ng contract, hindi po namin makakalimutan lahat ng taong nasa likod ng The Clash na tumulong at gumabay sa amin.”

StarStruck Season 7 Ultimate

Male Survivor Kim de Leon promises not to disappoint everyone on his future projects, “We look forward to our upcoming shows and we promise to give our very best. Alam naman namin na maaalagaan kaming mabuti sa GMA kaya sobrang thankful kami.”

Fellow StarStruck alumnus

Radson Flores likewise feels overjoyed with this blessing, “Sobrang grateful kami kasi GMA gave us a chance, nakakaoverwhelm na maging part ng Kapuso family.”

At present, the four Kapuso stars are mainstays of GMA’s toprating musical-comedy-variety show, ‘All-Out Sundays.’

PINAYS MANITOBA RECOGNITION BRUNCH

PAGE 18

PILIPINO EXPRESS

PINAYS...

From page 5 with their wonderful talents.

Meghan Marquez emceed the event.

This year, Pinays Manitoba chose New Directions as its beneficiary for the annual event.

“The organization provides cross-cultural education and supports for non-Indigenous families who have fostered Indigenous children,” said Lori Hunter. She is the Communications and Volunteer Coordinator for New Directions.

“The organization offers a wide range of programs. Participants also attend family activities including a family retreat in June of each year. All these programs and activities have associated costs for the art supplies and food supplies and transportation for the family activities.”

Hunter received Pinays MB’s donation, on behalf of New Directions, during the event.

All in all, this slice of something wonderful is a something positive amidst all the concerns in the world right now.

Pinays Manitoba celebrates women who have made outstanding contributions to the Philippine community and the mainstream community. Its other goals include providing support to Filipino women through

confidence building, leadership and communication training, and participation in organized activities.

Since 2016, Pinays Manitoba has held its annual recognition event in the month of March, which is International Women’s Month, On this day, exceptional Filipino women are celebrated and honoured for their invaluable contributions to their respective fields; women who have made a positive, lasting impact in the community and in the lives of others.

Among past awardees were: • In March 2016, the late Mrs. Carolina Custodio who was instrumental in bringing groups of garment workers from the Philippines to Manitoba in 1960 and also took the lead in assisting them to make a smooth transition to life in Canada; and Mrs. Fe Ryder, now a retired nurse, who was one of the first five nurses to settle in Winnipeg in 1959.

• In March 2017, the late Mrs. Rosalinda Cantiveros – a respected community leader who initially made her mark in the field of journalism; Mrs. Erlinda Magnaye-Ramos– an entrepreneur who established Manitoba’s first Filipino-owned bakery in 1971; and the Garment Workers Batch 1968 – a group of young and courageous Filipino women who left the Philippines

in the mid-1960s to seek a better future overseas.

• In March 2018, three Pinay Trailblazers were recognized for their accomplishments and impact in the community and lives of others. Among them were Nena Joy Lazo – for her achievements in the field of performing arts and for her advocacy in volunteerism and mentorship; MLA Flor Marcelino – for her achievements in the field of politics and outstanding community service; and Emmie Joaquin – for her achievements in the field of radio broadcast journalism and outstanding community service.

• In March 2019, the organization recognized three Pinay Trailblazers: Loizza Aquino – for her outstanding leadership and advocacy for mental health; Melody Balane – for her outstanding achievement in sports; and Ma-Anne Dionisio – for her achievements in the field of performing arts.

The Pinays MB Inc. Board of Directors (2020 – 2021) President – Araceli Ancheta; Vice-President – Winnie Navarro; Secretaries – Luella Sadicon and Imelda Sangalang; Treasurer – Connie De Villa/Leah Beltran; Auditor – Trifona Bermisa; PR/ Publicity – Emmie Joaquin; and Past President – Perla Javate.

–– By: Lucille Nolasco

MARCH 16 - 31, 2020

Pinays MB Trailblazer Awardees 2020. L-r: Dr. Irene Mestito-Dao, Sally Bader, Marjorie Soldevilla and Dr. Janilyn Arsenio

L-R: Winnie Navarro, Lori Hunter of New Directions (2020 Pinays MB beneficiary), Pinays MB President Araceli Ancheta, Emmie Joaquin, Imelda Sangalang and Luella Sadicon

Pinay Trailblazer Dr. Janilyn Arsenio and her family

Pinay Trailblazer Dr. Irene Mestito-Dao with her family and friends

Trailblazer Sally Bader w/ husband Reinhard (far right) and guests

Pinay Trailblazer Marjorie Soldevilla w/ her husband Marcel Joaquin and family Josie Panganiban, Emily Alfonso, Malaya Marcelino, MLA for Notre Dame and Remy Amoyo

Standing l-r: Guest, Michele Majul-Ibarra, Emmie Joaquin, Joseph Ibarra and Dr. Crystal Paculan.

Front, l-r: Lucille Nolasco, Dale Garrido, Verlie Maco, Danny and Nadia Garces.

Front: Susan, Jocelyn Striemer, Emmie, Paul Ong. Back: Tess, Issi and Rey-ar

PINAYS MANITOBA RECOGNITION BRUNCH

MARCH 16 - 31, 2020

PILIPINO EXPRESS

PAGE 19

Winnie Navarro and Meghan Marquez

Pinays MB members with the Pinays Trailblazers Awardees and guest, City Councillor Vivian Santos (far left)

Lucille Nolasco and RBC’s Joyce Catenza

Araceli Ancheta

Mayah Duque

Michele Majul-Ibarra

Paul Ong

Maan Chan Urbano and fellow members of Quezon Province Association of Manitoba

Guests from the Vickar Automotive Group and Duque Immigration Group

Leah Gazan, MP-Winnipeg Centre; Liza Naylor, MLA-Wolseley; Malaya Marcelino, MLA-Notre Dame and Mintu Sandhu, MLA-Maples

The Hot Hula Ladies, l-r: Nenette Mayor, Pinay Trailblazer awardee Marjorie Soldevilla, Tes Aiello, Maricar Pagtakhan and Sophia Epp

Lerma Cruz, Ruth Provitina and Alice Robles

“An equal world is an enabled world” - L-R: Joanne Viviezca, Araceli Ancheta, Emmie Joaquin, Winnie Navarro, Meghan Marquez, Mayah Duque, Malaya Marcelino, Wilma Gaburno

Lauryn & Katelyn Dao

L-r: Verna Heinrich Klippinstein of the MB Women’s Advisory Council w/ Trifona Bermisa, Emmie Joaquin, Fely Grieve, Stela Abucot, guest

EH KASI, PINOY!

PAGE 20

PILIPINO EXPRESS

KROSWORD

NO. 344

HOROSCOPE

Ni Bro. Gerry Gamurot

PAHALANG 1. Umpisa 5. Disinterya 8. Tabing-ilog 10. Puntirya 13. Ibigay sa iba 14. Ihirang 15. Nota musikal 16. Madali 17. Sabaw ng sinaing 18. Alog 19. Aliw 20. Isang pagbati 22. Tipo ng dugo 24. Intindi 27. Ihagis 29. Pagtanaw ng utang na loob 31. ’Di pareho 32. Usok 33. Payapain

7. Pagtitiis 9. Tuparin 11. Ipalinis 12. Anaki 20. Impis 21. Nanay 22. Mando 23. Halal 25. Iritasyon 26. Panimplang butil 27. Estero 28. Tagulamin 30. Kaawa-awa

SAGOT SA NO. 343

PABABA 1. Pipi 2. Adik 3. Mapinsala 4. Angkan 5. Isang punungkahoy 6. Pindang

CRISTY...

From page 17 mister, madalas silang hindi magkasama dahil abala si Gerald sa pagpapalipad, buung-buo ang kaniyang pangarap na isang araw ay makapagtatapos ito ng kaniyang kurso.

At ngayon ay heto na ang napakasarap na bunga ng pagsisikap ni Gerald, maligayangmaligaya si AiAi, dahil ganap nang piloto ang kaniyang mister.

Ang binatang nangarap, ngayon ay tatawagin nang Captain Gerald Sibayan, helicopter muna ang kaniyang hawak ngayon pero isa pa uling pagsisikap ay pagpapalipad naman ng commercial plane ang kaniyang inaasinta.

Maligaya kami para sa Comedy Concert Queen at pagsaludo naman ang ipinaaabot namin kay Captain Gerald Sibayan na nangarap, nagsikap at nakapagtapos. *** Malapit sa aksidente si Kris

Aquino. Kung saan-saan siya nadadapa at tumtumba. Siya mismo ang aminadong clumsy siya.

Ilang beses na ba siyang nadudulas sa kaniyang banyo?

Huwag namang sabihing sa dami ng kaniyang mga kasambahay ay walang naglilinis noon para hindi siya madulas?

Kumpleto sa mga imported na produkto si Kris para ipanglinis sa kaniyang banyo at kuwarto.

Pero bakit madalas pa rin siyang maaksidente sa pagkadulas?

Noong minsan ay bumagsak naman siya sa kama sa kaniyang pagbangon. Sigaw na raw siya nang sigaw pero halos kalahating oras pa ang dumaan nang makita siyang nakahandusay.

Ang kailangan pala ni Kris sa pagkilos ay palagi siyang may dala-dalang intercom. Malaki ang tulong na magagawa noon sa kaniya para alam ng mga household helpers niya kung ano ang nangyayari sa kaniya.

Mahilig si Kris sa mga gadgets, halos lahat ay mayroon

MARCH 16 - 31, 2020

MARSO 16 - 31, 2020 Aries (March 21 – April 19) Dumadaan sa isang matinding “stress test” ang iyong personal na buhay ngayon.

Sa iyong partner, may tensyon dahil mas marami siyang gustong ibigay mo sa kaniya na alam mong sobra na.

Ang magandang balita, sandali lang ito at buwenas na ang kasunod. OK ang ika-20, 21, 29, 30 at 31. Alalay sa ika-27 at 28.

Leo (July 23 – Aug. 22) Patuloy ang drama sa iyong buhay.

Harapin mo at malulusutan mo nang maayos ang lahat.

Bigyanpansin ang iyong diet dahil nakakalimutan mong kumain ng maayos dahil sa mga stress ngayon. Mas mabuting lutasin ang problema sa umpisa pa lang.

OK ka sa ika-20, 21, 29, 30 at 31.

Ingat sa ika-16, 17, 22 at 23.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22 – Dec. 21) May buhay ka at ikaw ang dapat mong unahin, hindi sila. Nakabayad ka na sa mga dapat mong tanawan ng utang na loob. Oras na upang alagaan mo ang sarili mo. Ayusin mo ang kalusugan mo, pati na ang itsura mo ay ayusin mo rin. Ikaw muna.

OK ang ika-20, 21, 29, 30 at 31.

Ingat sa ika-18, 19, 24, 25 at 26.

Taurus (April 20 – May 20) Pamilya ang asikasuhin mo ngayon.

Kailangan ng mga nakakabata sa iyo ng alalay lalo na tungkol sa kanilang kabuhayan.

Habaan mo ang iyong pasensya dahil idol ka nila at susundin ka nila – matututo rin sila. Guide them. Magpayo ka nang tama.

OK ang ika-22 at 23. Ingat sa ika16, 17, 29, 30 at 31.

Virgo (Aug. 23 – Sept. 22) Magfocus ka sa paglilinis ng iyong utak sa panahong ito. Iwasan mo rin ang padalusdalos na desisyon na hindi mo kayang bawiin sa huli. Anuman ang iyong gagawin, isipin mong mabuti ang lahat ng posibleng resulta. Magaan ang pasok ng pera ngayon. OK ang ika-22 at 23. Ingat sa ika-18, 19, 24, 25 at 26.

Capricorn (Dec. 22 – Jan. 19) Unti-unting kumukulo ang dugo mo sa isang tao na wala yatang pakiramdam at patuloy pa ang pagbabale-wala sa iyo. Ano ang gagawin mo? Kung pamilya, lumayo ka muna. Kung kasama sa trabaho o kaibigan, iwasan mo.

Huwag mo siyang papatulan. OK ang ika-22 at 23. May tensyon sa ika-20, 21, 27 at 28.

Gemini (May 21 – June 20) Walang nakasulat na batas na ang mga kaibigan mo ngayon ay permanente. Kung may kaibigan kang alam mong traydor sa iyo, layuan mo siya. Walang mangyayari kung ipagpapatuloy mo ang pakikipag-kaibigan sa kaniya. Marami kang kaibigang tapat. OK ang ika-16, 17, 24, 25 at 26. Ingat sa ika-18 at 19.

Libra (Sept. 23 – Oct. 22) M a g - i n g a t ka sa iyong pagmamaneho o pagsakay sa sasakyan. Kung puwede, huwag ka munang magmaneho papunta sa malalayong lugar. Iwasan mong humawak ng anumang sasakyan kung kulang ka sa tulog. Dapat kang mag-ingat ngayon. OK ang ika-16, 17, 24, 25 at 26. Kuwidaw sa ika-20, 21, 27 at 28.

Aquarius (Jan. 20 – Feb. 18) Masyadong malagkit ang romansa at mahirap panatilihing maganda ang relasyon kung sinasakal ninyo ang isa’t isa. Nagmamahalan kayo pero kailangan ninyo ng space sa pagitan. Magplano kayo ng hiwalay na bakasyon, at mas tatamis sa pagbabalik. OK sa ika16, 17, 24, 25 at 26. Ingat sa ika22, 23, 29, 30 at 31.

Cancer (June 21 – July 22) Kung akala mo ay tapos na ang mga pagbabagong dumarating sa iyong buhay, mali ka. Patuloy ang mga hindi mo inaasahan.

Maaaring masaya, malungkot o nakakainis. Ang importante ay handa kang dalhin ang anumang dumarating. Matapang ka. Ligtas ka. OK sa ika-18, 19, 27 at 28.

Stressful ang ika-20 at 21.

Scorpio (Oct. 23 – Nov. 21) Parang may nararamdaman kang hindi tama. Hindi mo malaman kung saan nagmumula ang kakaibang pakiramdam. Sana nga ay hindi sakit ito. Ayusin mo ang mga kinakain mo dahil baka napaparami ang kinakain mong bawal sa iyo. OK ang ika-18, 19, 27 at 28. Ingat sa ika-16, 17, 22, 23, 29, 30 at 31.

Pisces (Feb. 19 – March 20) Bantayan mo ang mga gastusin sa pagpasok ng buwan. Magaan naman ang dating ng pera kaya lang, hindi sapat para bilhin mo ang lahat ng makikita mong gusto mo. May pera kang sapat para sa kailangan – pang-bahay, at pangpersonal na kalusugan. OK ang ika-18, 19, 27 at 28. Ingat sa ika24, 25 at 26.

siya, kaya ang unit ng intercom na wireless ay kailangang-kailangan niya kahit saan siya magpunta sa mansiyon niya.

Napaka-fragile pa naman ni Kris na parang sa munting kibot lang ay babagsak na agad siya. Palaging hindi balanse ang kaniyang katawan dahil flatfooted siya.

Huwag naman sana, pero delikado ang ganoon kay Kris, hindi naman sa lahat lng panahon ay katabi niya sina Josh at Bimby at malapit sa kaniya ang mga PA niya.

Kailangan na niyang pagingatan ang kaniyang mga galaw, mahirap mabalian ng buto, mahabang gamutan na naman ang kaniyang pagdadaanan kapag may nangyaring hindi maganda sa kaniyang katawan.

– CSF

Eat Bulaga’s cast/crew in the APT Studio’s empty

MARCH 16 - 31, 2020

EH KASI, PINOY! PILIPINO EXPRESS

PAGE 21

Iwas virus! Wala munang beso beso Habang isinusulat ang artikulong ito ay nag-aantabay ako sa mga latest updates tungkol sa kumakalat na corona virus lalo na dito sa Manitoba na mayroon nang tatlong indibidwal na tinuran ng chief provincial public health officer ng Manitoba na presumptive na positibo sa COVID-19.

Pinay ang unang kaso ng maaaring positibo sa virus na ito na galing ng biyahe sa Pilipinas. Kaya nga, ang mga sumusunod na impormasyon ay ipinapalaganap ng mga kinauukulan: Public health investigations are continuing for case one, which was announced on March 13 by the chief provincial public health officer of Manitoba.

Preliminary information indicates individuals who were on the flights listed below on March 7 and March 8 may have been exposed to COVID-19: • Philippines Airlines flight PR 466 from Manila to Incheon, Korea – rows 48 to 54; • Air Canada flight AC 0064 from Incheon, Korea to Vancouver International Airport – rows 30 to 36; • Air Canada flight AC 8624 from Vancouver International Airport to Winnipeg – rows 24 to 29.

Kung may kakilala kayo na naging pasahero sa mga flights na ito ay agad ninyong ipaalam sa kanila ang mga dapat gawin lalung-lalo na ang pagse-self isolate nang dalawang linggo.

Tumawag agad sa Health Links sa 204-788-8200 sa Winnipeg o 1-888-315-9257 toll-free kung kayo ay nakakaramdam ng simptomas ng lagnat, paninikip ng dibdib, ubo, nagluluha, at iba pang mga palatandaan ng corona virus. Laging maging handa, alerto at maingat, lalo na sa pakikisalamuha sa mga tao.

Mga nakagawian at seremonyas Tayong mga Pilipino ay likas ang pagiging hospitable at palakaibigan. May mga gestures tayo na kadalasan ay may kaakibat na pisikal na kontak tulad ng pagyakap, paghalik, pagkamay at maging pagmamano. Ang lahat ng ito ay naglalayong ipamalas ang pagmamahal, kapatiran at paggalang.

Maging sa simbahan ng Roman Catholics ay naging kagawian na ang paghahawak ng kamay kapag sinasambit o inaawit ang Ama Namin. Sa komunyon naman isinusubo ng pari at ng mga communion servers ang ostiya at minsan ay isang kapa (cup) lamang ang inuuman ng lahat para pagsaluhan ang alak. Hindi naman siguro mamasamain ng mga Kaparian kung wala munang hawak kamay sa pagdarasal.

Maiintindihan siguro ito ni Lord.

Peace be with you.

Usong-uso dito sa Winnipeg ang boodle fight o kamayan sa hapag kainan. Hindi lamang ito attractions sa mga restaurants kundi may mga events din ang iba’t ibang mga samahan o mga angkan at pami-pamilya na salusalo sa pagkain sa iisang mahabang dahon ng saging habang nakakamay. Napakagandang tingnan nito at sumisimbolo ito ng ating pagkakaisa at pagpapasalamat sa mga biyaya sa hapag. However, medyo tigil muna tayo sa ganitong masarap at kagana-ganang kainan.

Pansamantala lamang naman.

Gumamit muna ng kubyertos at maghugas ng kamay.

Tagayan at iba pa Hindi na masyadong uso ang tagayan sa mga manginginom na isang baso lamang ang ginagamit at ipinaiikot ito sa mga kasama sa inuman. Maging ang tinidor o kutsara ng ginagamit sa pulutan ay ginagamit o isinusubo ng lahat.

Well, alam n’yo na ang dapat

gawin. Huwag tumagay. Mag-solo flight na lang muna o huwag na lang uminon. Tubig na lang muna para hydrated tayo. Tubig? Alam n’yo na kung anong tubig ang the best! LOL Ang mga chismosa ay hindi papahuli. Kapag nagkukwentuhan ang mga chismosa ay halos magkapalit na ang kanilang mga pagmumukha dahil sa pag-anas o mahina nilang kuwentuhan ng mga chismis. Tigilan ang chismis para hindi ma-virus.

Sa mga workplace ay nasanay na rin ang iba sa satin na basain ng laway ang hinlalaki para kumapit ang pahina ng libro, notebooks, document at iba pang mga binabasa. Maging conscious sa sanitation sa workplace.

Ang pagsinga, pagbahing at pagdura May ibang mga tao na kung makabahing ay halos itataboy ka ng isang kilometro! Ang masama nito ay hindi pa nagtatakip ng bibig kapag bumabahing. Mayroong ding mga tao na sisinga sa harap mo nang walang kaabug-abog or dadahak kasunod ay dudura sa publiko. Wow! Nakakawalang gana at nakakatakot hindi ba?

Hindi ka nag-iinarte Kapag sinabi ng iyong mga kaibigan na sobrang arte ka dahil nagbibigay ka na ng distansya sa pakikipag-usap sa kanila o hindi ka na nakikipag-kamay or nakikipagbeso-beso ay huwag mo silang intindihin. Ang iyong kaligtasan ay mas importante kaysa sa mga iniisip nila.

Sa mga wagas kung makayakap kahit na kadalasan ay puro kaplastikan lang, ceasefire muna ang batian sa mga amiga!

Mag-“hello” ang “hi” muna kayo sa isa’t isa.

Sa ating mga mahal na Lolo at Lola. Pasensya po muna kung hindi makakapagmano ang inyong mga apo sa inyo hangga’t hindi pa natutuklasan ang lunas na novel corona virus. Huwag ninyo po sanang masamain o isiping wala

silang respeto kung hindi sila magmano sa mga panahong ito.

Sa mga apo naman, mag-good morning or good evening kayo sa mga Lolo at Lola para hindi sila magtampo, okay?

Ang mga community events at activities Ako din ay nag-woworry kung kailan ko bang mag-leave of absence sa pag-attend ng ating mga ginagawa sa labas ng bahay bukod sa pagtatrabaho. Kailangan ko bang sa bahay na lang magexercise at huwag nang pumunta ng gym?

Sa mga nagzuzumba, (pasintabi sa ating mga kaibigan, lalo na kay Ate Lucille), hindi ko sinasabing tumigil kayo sa pagattend ng inyong mga classes pero dapat ay doble ang inyong pagiingat. Puwede bang wala munang groupies or group pictures tuwing matatapos ang session? Hindi naman kasi kailangan na laging nasa social media ang inyong mga sessions. Alam kong bahagi ito ng inyong marketing pero dapat din natin isa-alang-alang ang safety at kaligtasan ng ating mga ka-zumba.

Hindi lamang zumba classes ang gusto nating bigyan ng attention kundi lahat ng mga community events na may posibilidad tayong mahawa o maapektuhan ng virus na ito. Hindi natin alam kung sino ang carrier at hindi nila kasalanan kung sila ay isang nang carrier.

As of this writing ay nasa balita na, na mismong ang asawa ng ating Prime Minister Justin Trudeau na si Aling Sophie ay positibo sa virus na ito. Walang pinipili ang COVID-19. Hindi natin alam kung saan at kung kailan ito dadapo. Ang tangi nating magagwa ay ang dobledoble pag-iingat, hugas ng kamay at pag-distansya muna sa ating mga kakilala o kaibigan.

Pagkakataon ng mga nagtatago sa utang at mga tamad On the lighter side, ito rin ay magandang pagkakataon sa mga

manunuba at mga hindi marunong magbayad ng utang na magtago sa kanilang inutangan! Puwede nilang idahilan na dumudistansya sila dahil sa COVID-19 pero ang totoo ay umiiwas lang sila sa pagbabayad ng utang. Puwes, hindi pa rin kayo ligtas sa text messages. Huwag gawing dahilan ang corona virus sa pag-iwas sa pagbabayad ng utang.

Sa t-shirt design ni Don Fernandez ang sabi: “Sick Day – Minsan totoo, Madalas Planado.”

Hindi lang ito joke kundi kadalasan ay totoo at inaamin ko na guilty din ako dito paminsanminsan. LOL. Sana ay huwag naman nating abusuhin ang ating mga benefits and privileges at gawing excuse ang virus na ito.

Hugas at mag-chill lang sa bahay Finally, ang pinaka-importante ay ang paghuhugas ng kamay.

Huwag kalilimutang maghugas ng kamay para sa ating kaligtasan.

Also, ang kagandahang ng chilling at home ay may time tayo sa ating pamilya. Magkuwentuhan kayo ni Misis o ni Mister na madalas ay hindi n’yo na nagagawa. Manood kayo ng Netflix or Disney movies together. Makibonding sa mga anak. Makipaglaro sa ating mga pets.

Okay, mga kababayan.

Tandaan, no beso-beso muna!

Paunawa: Ang mga paksa at salitang nakasaad sa Batang North End ay sariling opinion ng may-akda at maaaring hindi opinion ng mga taga-lathala ng Pilipino Express.

Noel Lapuz ay dating OFW sa Middle East (Dubai at Qatar).

Nagtrabaho nang sampung taon sa City Hall ng Taguig bilang Human Resource Management Officer. Naging bahagi ng BataBatuta Productions bilang manunulat, entertainment host at stage actor. Nagtatag ng Kulturang Alyansa ng Taguig.

Kasapi ng Ecumenical Movement for Justice and Peace (EMJP).

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OUR HEALTH PILIPINO EXPRESS

MARCH 16 - 31, 2020

COVID-19: Why social distancing, having a personal plan is important You may be hearing the term “social distancing” in relation to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. “In terms of social distancing, it’s important to understand how this virus is transmitted,” says Dr. Nipunie Rajapakse, an infectious diseases specialist at Mayo Clinic. “It’s transmitted through respiratory droplets generated when someone infected coughs or sneezes. We know that these droplets extend about 3 to 6 feet from the person that generates them. If you breathe in the droplets, or they land on your eyes, nose, or mouth then you are at risk of getting

infected.”

“This is where the concept of social distancing comes in. If we stay away from someone who is sick, or in general, beyond that 6-foot margin, then the risk of being exposed drops dramatically. That’s why some of these recommendations about cancelling large meetings and gatherings where people are in very close contact with each other. Some universities have decided to switch from a classroom teaching setting to an online teaching setting. That’s where those measure come in — to increase the distance between people so then decrease

the chances they are exposed if someone around them is sick,” says Dr. Rajapakse.

“Social distancing has been shown to be effective in slowing the spread of infection during many outbreaks in the past.”

Examples of social distancing measures may include: • Avoiding malls; theatres; grocery stores; or anywhere with large crowds, such as concerts or festivals; • Suspending services at houses of worship; • Encouraging people to work from home;

• Avoiding the use of public transportation; • Consider closing schools and child care centres Who should practice social distancing?

Dr. Rajapakse recommends that the general public start implementing social distancing measures in their daily lives now to slow the spread of the virus. People who are not sick should start doing this now to slow down the spread of infection and protect themselves and their families and coworkers. “If someone is sick, it is critically important they stay home and avoid being in public spaces,” says Dr. Rajapakse.

For measures like school closures or cancellation of large gatherings and events people should refer to their local public health department website or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website for the latest updates.

Avoid handshakes “In terms of social distancing, we know there are a few things we can do,” says Dr. Rajapakse. “Avoid handshakes. We know our hands carry a lot of germs on them.

Changing to another method of greeting is encouraged and recommended. I recommend people wave or bow, or put their hand over their heart as certain alternatives that people can use that don’t carry the risk of a handshake.”

“Elbow taps, which some people have been already using and recommending, are actually discouraged because to do that, you still need to get within 6 feet of the other person,” says Dr. Rajapakse.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) offers a list of tips and resources to help people come up with a personal and household plan.

• Practice everyday preventive actions to reduce your risk of getting sick, especially older adults and people who have severe chronic medical conditions; • Make a list of your medicines and refill them; • Make an emergency contact list; • Plan for potential changes at your workplace; • Stay informed.

“Now is the time for people to plan and prepare for this outbreak and to stay informed and get their information from valid news sources. Some of the places we recommend is the CDC and the Mayo Clinic News Network. There is a lot of misinformation circulating out there especially on social media so I would encourage people to check where their information is coming from and try to avoid sharing and spreading information that is coming from invalidated sources,” says Dr. Rajapakse.

More COVID-19 cases, take common sense precautions With the number of worldwide cases of COVID-19 on the rise, concerns about this new coronavirus are making many people anxious. Despite the severity of the current situation, Dr. Joseph Sirven, a Mayo Clinic neurologist, says you shouldn’t panic.

“If you have a fever or cold that is somewhat new, especially if you have recently traveled, it is probably a good time to let your primary care provider know because they may want to test you if they feel you traveled to a high risk area,” says Dr. Sirven, “Take extra precautions to minimize exposure but don’t panic.”

Dr. Sirven recommends practicing good respiratory etiquette, as well as being more vigilant about hand hygiene, and sanitizing surfaces around your home and workspace.

It is also important to implement social distancing to help slow down the spread of infection. That means avoiding large gatherings and crowds.

As far as staying on top of the news, Dr. Sirven says limit your sources to reputable sites, such as the WHO, CDC, National Institutes of Health and Mayo Clinic.

And if you’re a person who gets overwhelmed easily, change the channel.

“It’s a great time to catch up on Netflix or other programs that will divert your attention,” says Dr. Sirven.

“In any situation, whether it is COVID-19 or the flu, you separate yourself from the family so you don’t get the rest of the family sick. The most important thing, he says, is “to stay calm and use common sense.”

By Mayo Clinic Staff – Courtesy Mayo Clinic News Network Illustrations courtesy: WikiHow.com

MARCH 16 - 31, 2020

PILIPINO EXPRESS

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PILIPINO EXPRESS

MARCH 16 - 31, 2020

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