Philippine News Today

By Gilda Balan, Correspondent

NEW YORK - A soon-to-be doctor from New York has raised the possibility that the widespread, random acts of Asian hate are causing serious health problems among Asian-Americans.

Writing for the medical publication MedPage Today last week, Jingwen Zhang said the medical community can help prevent the long-term consequences of the psychological damage Asian-Americans can suffer.

Jingwen related her own painful experiences which made her path to becoming a full-fledged doctor all the more difficult.

“On a single subway trip in 2020,” she wrote, “I had backto-back encounters with different individuals who, unprovoked, hurled slurs and made violent threats due to my ethnicity.”

Suddenly, “the terrible phenomenon I’d read so much about became real,” Jingwen added.

At first, she did not connect her persistent battles

By ALFRED GABOT, Editor in Chief

By Claire Morales True, Managing Editor

SACRAMENTO – President Joseph Biden Jr. has granted California’s request for the declaration of state of federal emergency in the state as California entered the third week of severe winter storms which has claimed 14 lives and caused unprecedented damage on infrastructures, properties and others.

Governor Gavin Newsom lauded Biden’s action and he urged people to keep their guard up as strong winds and heavy rains continue to threaten communities across the state.

Biden’s federal emergency declaration activated the full weight of the federal government to support California’s

storm response and recovery efforts.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is making federal disaster

MANILA – The action taken by the Marcos administration in relation to the unexpected change in the top leadership of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), as well as the “request” for top officers of the Philippine National Police (PNP) to submit their courtesy resignation were questioned by various quarters, leading to widespread talk of destabilization.

For starters, the post of AFP chief of staff was retaken by the same officer who had been summarily removed a mere five months ago. It was the first time in the AFP’s history that the same person held the title of Chief of Staff twice.

It also threw into disarray the long held policy of respecting the chain of command, with a proper turnover from one leader to the next at a scheduled time.

Worst of all, the civilian head of the Defense department also abruptly resigned after saying that he was not made aware that Gen. Andres Centino had already taken his oath of office, replacing Lt. Gen. Bartolome

By Be�ng Laygo Dolor, Editor

President Biden

70% of PNP senior officers file courtesy resignations; lifestyle checks set

By Jeanne Michael Penaranda

MANILA – Seventy percent of top officials of the Philippine ational Police (PNP) with the rank of colonel and general have submitted their courtesy resignations.

This was disclosed by PNP chief Gen. Rodolfo Azurin Jr. who said police officials who have submitted their courtesy resignations will undergo a lifestyle check.

PNP spokesperson Col. Jean Fajardo, meanwhile, said the PNP is expecting more resignations, mostly coming from officers assigned in regional and provincial offices.

She earlier said that the PNP was expecting courtesy resignations from senior officials, ranking from colonel to general, assigned all over the country.

Speaking to reporters, Azurin said the lifestyle check is part of the investigation to be conducted by the five-man committee tasked to assess their courtesy resignations and will issue a recommendation to President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on whether to reject or accept the same.

Azurin said that he was looking at Jan. 31 as a target deadline for the courtesy

resignations, noting that less than officials were suspected to have links to drug syndicates.

“As of now we need to ask the members of the committee about the other procedures to be undertaken, but definitely that would be part of the investigation or inquiry that will be conducted by

the committee to assess and evaluate all third-level officers, A urin said.

The PNP personnel undergo yearly lifestyle checks in accordance with Republic Act 3019 or the “Anti-Graft and Corruption Practices”,and Republic Act 6713 or the “Act Establishing a Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public

fficials and mployees.

Fajardo said they are still checking if the police officials purportedly involved in the illegal drug trade have already submitted their courtesy resignations.

Meanwhile, National Capital Region Police ffice C P chief a . en. Jonnel Estomo announced that all third-level officers have submitted their courtesy resignations.

Estomo led the signing of courtesy resignation together with third-level commissioned officers of C P as well as underwent a surprise drug test which resulted in positive feedback from the media, citizens and the community.

He also ordered a surprise drug test of 30 station commanders with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel -- 16 from the Quezon City Police District (QCDP) and 14 from the Manila Police District (MPD).

“The conduct of this drug test to the station commanders of QCPD and MPD is to show their subordinates that their officers are not involved in illegal drug use. As a matter of fact, it is on record that out of 72 full colonels and up who underwent drug test, all tested negative for illegal drugs,” he added.

SC voids PHL’s joint exploration deal with China, Vietnam in West Philippine Sea

By Jennifer T. Santos

MANILA – The Supreme Court has struck down as unconstitutional an agreement signed in 2005 for min-

eral “pre-exploration” in the South China Sea.

In a statement, the SC said it voted 12-2-1 to void the Joint Marine Seismic Undertaking (JMSU) by and among China ational ffshore il Corporation, ietnam Oil and Gas Corporation and Philippine National Oil Company, covering 142,886 square kilometers.

The tribunal said the tripartite agreement, signed on March 14, 2005, is unconstitutional for allowing wholly-owned foreign corporations to participate in the exploration of the Philippines’ natural resources without observing the safeguards provided in Section 2, Article XII of the 1987 Constitution.

All lands of the public domain, waters, minerals, coal, petroleum, and other mineral oils, all forces of potential energy, fisheries, forests or timber, wildlife, flora and fauna, and other natural resources are owned by the State and exploration, development, and utilization of natural resources shall be under the full control and supervision of the State, according to the law.

he case was filed by former ayan Muna party-List representatives Satur Ocampo and Teodoro Casiño.

Noting that “exploration” pertains to a search or discovery of something in both its ordinary or technical sense, the SC ruled that the JMSU involves the country’s natural resources, particularly petroleum.

Under the JMSU, the parties will “engage in a joint research of petroleum resource potential of a certain area of the South China Sea as a preexploration activity,” a clear indica-

tion that the deal was executed for the purpose of determining if petroleum exists in the agreement area.

“That the parties designated the joint research as a pre-exploration activity is of no moment,” the SC ruled. “Such designation does not detract from the fact that the intent and aim of the agreement is to discover petroleum which is tantamount to exploration.”

The deal stated that the parties involved will “contribute to the transformation of the South China Sea into an area of peace, stability, cooperation, and development in accordance with the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the 2002 ASEAN-China Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea.”

Sought for comment, Solicitor General Menardo uevarra said his office has not received an official copy of the decision and would not react yet.

COURTESY RESIGNATION. Manila Police District director Brig Gen. Andre P. Dizon shows his courtesy resigna�on in front of police o cers at the head uarters of Manila Police District on Friday. This ca e a er Interior Secretary Benhur A alos called on top police o cers to voluntarily step down fro o ce as part of the ca paign to cleanse their ran s of the illegal drug trade. Norman Cruz

Ombudsman presses probe of DA importation of onions

QUEZON CITY - The Ombudsman will continue its investigation into the alleged high procurement cost by the Department of Agriculture of onions sold at Kadiwa sites.

he ffice of the mbudsman will investigate the procurement process of DA and the Food Terminal Inc. (FTI), where onions were allegedly bought at P537/kilogram and sold at only P170/kg in Kadiwa sites.

mbudsman Samuel artires said his office will investigate the high cost of onions, including the possible involvement of traders in price manipulation.

This developed as a lawmaker and a farmers’ group questioned the timing of importation of onions approved by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. as the government hopes to address the high prices of the commodity.

“I think this is a wrong timing because farmers of onions said that yung kanilang paga-ani ay (their harvesting period is) January to February up to March. Sana ginanap yan noong (This should have been done) November or December,” ACT Teachers partylist Rep. France Castro said.

She also asked if Marcos, who is also Agriculture chief, consulted the farmers prior to approving the importation of 21,060 metric tons (MT) of onions.

Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (SINAG) president Rosendo So also bewailed the new importation, saying that harvest season for onion farmers is expected to peak from third week of January to April, with a projected local harvest of around 18,000 to 20,000 MT enough for local consumption.

Allowing imports should have been done during the latter part of 2022 when only 2% of the farmers harvested, he added.

So said imports will be of no help since they really expect prices to drop as more onions are harvested.

Castro and So also said this move will only put local farmers at a disadvantage since this can lower their profits.

In an interview, DA Assistant Secretary Rex Estoperez said the department is open to such a move, considering that all government transactions are bound by proper procurement measures.

“Welcome naman ‘yung mga ganyang activities kasi (Those activities are welcome because) they have the authority to do that. Ito ‘yung pinapatingnan, the P140 million na dinownload sa FTI, tapos binili ng sibuyas (That’s referring to the downloaded P140 million to the FTI, followed by onion procurement),” he said.

He noted that even Assistant Secretary Kristine Evangelista expressed the same openness into a possible probe to identify the real situation on the ground.

“You should be ready. Every time you will be asked what happened to the fund. Kasama ‘yun sa budget o, alam mo dapat kung transparent ka. Alam mo dapat i-justify bakit doon napunta ‘yung pondo mo (That’s included in the budget, or you should know when you’re transparent. You should know how to justify where your fund was disbursed),” he added.

“If you have to use government funds, there are regulations. So you need to adhere or else subject to the Commission on Audit. We also have internal audit services,” he said.

1.2-M devotees join Feast of Black Nazarene QC real property tax still based on 2017 rates

A I A ver . million devotees participated last week in the different activities celebrating the east of the lack a arene in anila.

ased on the data released by uiapo Church Command Center, a total of , , devotees oined the celebrations from an. to . his is far from the million total proected during the pre-pandemic raslacion, but double the number during the pandemic raslacion, r. arl alde , uiapo Church spokesperson, said in a statement. A total of , devotees went to the uiapo Church while those who were at the uirino randstand were , devotees.

Another , faithful oined the alk of aith procession where they walked from the uirino randstand to the uiapo Church on an.

ata also showed that most devotees came on feast day itself on onday at , while another , people showed up the day before.

n an. , the first riday of the year, some , devotees participated while devotees on an. and were , and , , respectively.

he feast marked the return of some of the physical activities after being suspended due to the coronavirus disease Covid- pandemic. or the third straight year, organi ers

suspended the traditional raslacion or the procession of the image of the lack a arene from the uirino randstand to uiapo Church in ue on oulevard in compliance with pandemic protocols.

Fishers’ group refutes DENR’s claim on Manila Bay rehab

nila ay, four years after the rehabilitation efforts.

In a statement, PA A A A A said that the s statement was meant to whitewash the failure of the rehabilitation by only looking at the surface level.

PA A A A A has been demanding the revocation of environmental compliance certificates CCs for reclamation pro ects in anila ay. hese pro ects include the -hectare reclamation pro ect in acoor City, Cavite the , -hectare ulacan Aerotropolis -hectare Pasay eclamation Pro ect -hectare anila City aterfront Pro ect and the -hectare ori on anila Pro ect.

indi lamang sa kalidad ng tubig masusukat ang pagbuti ng lagay ng anila ay, kundi sa panunumbalik ng mga yamang-dagat nito na sinira ng mga nagdaang proyektong nagsapribado rito tulad ng reklamasyon, the group said. alang karapatang magsabi ang ng tagumpay ng rehabilitasyon dahil nananatiling inutil ito sa mga mapanirang proyekto sa anila ay na sumisira sa pook-pangisdaan at komunidad ng mga mangingisda. Sa kasalukuyan, may hindi bababa sa proyektong reklamasyon sa buong anila ay kung saan dito ay mayroon nang environmental permit. akailang-ulit na kaming dumulog sa para ipawalambisa ang mga ito ngunit hanggang ngayon ay walang tugon, Pamalakaya added.

Sa katunayan, malaki ang pananagutan ng sa pagkasira ng anila ay dahil sa pagkakaloob nito ng environmental permit sa mga proyektong reklamasyon sa kabila ng malinaw na masamang epekto nito sa kalikasan. aging ang kasalukuyang kalihim ng na si oni ulooy aga ay walang imik sa hinaing ng mga mangingisda laban sa reklamasyon, it said.

CI he ue on City government will base its collection of amilyar or real property ta P this year on the schedule of fair market value of land.

he city government previously passed an ordinance to conduct real property assessments every three years.

owever, in , the Supreme Court issued a temporary restraining order on the city s implementation of an increase that would have raised around P million in additional revenue on the first year, based on the petition of the Alliance of ue on City omeowners Association Inc.

he high court lifted the the following year as the petitioners had no legal standing to uestion the ordinance.

espite the favorable decision, the city government continued the hike suspension to alleviate the effects of inflation and the Covid- pandemic.

hrough the years, the unwavering support of our residents through their ta payments has enabled us to fund impactful programs. e look forward to the same support as we aim to build and rehabilitate vital public facilities such as footbridges, parks, schools, and hospitals, among others, and, of course, to fund the social services that we e tend especially to the marginali ed, City reasurer d illanueva said.

a payers who will settle their annual dues on or before arch can avail of the -percent discount while those who will pay in installment or on or before the end of each uarter will be entitled to a -percent discount.

illanueva advised delin uent ta payers to settle their dues to prevent court action or inclusion of their properties in public auctions.

Step-by-step instructions on how to pay P may be accessed at https ueoncity.gov.ph citi en-guides how-topay-your-real-property-ta .

A I A he militant fishers group Pambansang akas ng ilusang amamalakaya ng Pilipinas PA A A A A

refuted the claim of the epartment of nvironment and atural esources about the improving water uality of a-

SEA OF DEVOTEES. Mass-goers at Quiapo Church in Manila spill onto Quezon Boulevard on Monday night (Jan. 9, 2023).

House panel to probe rampant agri smuggling at Subic port

SUBIC FREEPORT – The House of Representatives Committee on Ways and Means will look into reports of alleged rampant agricultural smuggling at Subic Port after millions of pesos worth of smuggled goods were recently seized at the freeport.

In a statement, Albay Rep. Joey Salceda said the “nonchalance” of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) in the face of legitimate concerns about smuggling through the port is “unacceptable”, as it shows the “kind of institutional inertia that breeds corruption and kills local Philippine industries”.

“Probes as recently as 2020, 2021 and 2022 show that Subic is a haven for both technical and actual smuggling,” Salceda said.

He noted that at least four seizures of smuggled agricultural products were made in Subic in December alone. Some 7000 metric tons of smuggled sugar was also intercepted in Subic in August.

“Any government agency with some vestige of au-

thority cannot call itself nonchalant or indifferent, especially in the face of a monstrous, job-killing and predatory enemy like large-scale smuggling,” he said.

Salceda claimed that there is credible information that the Subic port undercharges tariffs per container van by ust as much as th of the actual tariff dues, or around PHP100,000 per container van of imported meat instead of PHP800,000.

“We are prepared to name names at the proper time. For now, we will protect our sources,” he said.

He also claimed that there are well-known brands in the meat industry procuring from smugglers.

Salceda warned that Presidential Decree No. 1612 or the Anti-Fencing Law penalizes buying items that one should know is from crime, such as smuggling.

“We will point them out in the proper time. The Ways and Means Committee will aggressively run after them,” he said.

He plans to recommend changes to the implementing

PH’s largest port passenger terminal in Calapan to open in March

CALAPAN CITY – The country’s largest port passenger terminal building (PTB) at the Port of Calapan in Oriental Mindoro province is scheduled to open its doors to the public by March.

During a surprise inspection of the construction Port of Calapan on Tuesday, Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) General Manager Jay Santiago said the PTB is currently 98 percent complete with a target completion date set on Feb. 18.

he assessment of the Port anagement ffice of Mindoro (Mindoro PMO) revealed that the completion rate of our PTB is 17 percent ahead of its target schedule and we are set to inaugurate it in March this year,” Santiago said.

rules and regulations of the said law to complement and reconcile the visitorial powers of the police and the visitorial powers of the Bureau of Customs under the Customs oderni ation and ariff Act.

The new passenger terminal building at the Port of Calapan in Calapan City, Oriental Mindoro.

Galvez named new Defense chief

IC Sr. sec. Jose Faustino Jr. The President has offered the position of Secretary to Presidential Adviser on Peace, econciliation, and nity Sec. Carlito alve r. and he has accepted, Press Secretary Cheloy arafil said. alve is a member of Philippine ilitary Academy P A Class of like austino.

and was ad udged as one of the he utstanding Philippine Soldiers in . austino, a graduate of the P A aringal Class of , is a indanao veteran who has served under the special forces, infantry and intelligence posts. austino was named IC in une .

he welcomed alve s appointment as its new secretary. ith Secretary alve s years of eperience as a military commander and as a civilian public servant, we are confident that he will be able to effectively lead the epartment as we fulfill our mandates to the nation, spokesperson Arsenio Andolong said in a statement.

Andolong, meanwhile, thanked austino for his service as the agency s officer-in-charge.

Armed orces of the Philippines A P head uarters in Camp Aguinaldo, ueon City.

e eon, a member of the Philippine ilitary Academy Class of , was appointed to his present post last uly.

e also clarifi ed that no resignation took place in the following the appointment of alve as its new secretary.

A I A President erdinand . arcos r. has named Presidential Adviser on Peace, econciliation, and nity Secretary Carlito alve r. as the new secretary of the epartment of ational efense following the abrupt resignation of officer in charge ose Faustino Jr. alve immediately assumed the post and called for unity in the defense and military establishment.

It is with deep regret that the President has accepted the resignation of

He is best remembered as commander of the estern indanao Command wherein he led the A P in liberating the city of arawi from the hands of the aute-AS -ISIS terror group. alve headed the th Infantry ampilan ivision of the Philippine Army, the th rigade of the st Infantry ivision, the st Scout anger attalion and the ask roup Panther ravo of the irst Scout anger egiment alve was a recipient of the nited States isenhower ellowships in

austino reportedly resigned after learning from the news and social media of the appointment of en. Andres Centino as Armed orces of the Philippines A P chief, replacing t. en. artolome icente acarro last an. .

A ranking official said they will honor efense Secretary Carlito alve r. s call for unity and decided to remain with the agency despite the leadership change.

e all agreed that we stay, the senior leaders and assistant secretaries, ndersecretary for Capability Assessment and evelopment Angelito de eon said in a press briefing shortly after the traditional ew ear s Call held at the

ala pong, gusto ko lang pong istress para po sa paguunawa ng lahat here is none, I would like to stress for the benefi t of everybody that a courtesy resignation is a customary process, whenever there is a new head of the agency, the key offi cials will render their courtesy resignation for the purpose of giving a free hand to the newly designated head of the department, this is nothing e traordinary even in other agencies, moreso with the ne efense eam because kami po we value tradition so it is normal po yun, e eon said.

e also added that it is up to alve on whether he will accept or re ect their courtesy resignations.

In the case of Secretary alve while we are ready with our courtesy resignation in accordance with customs, there is nothing e traordinary about it, he immediately gave the order, everybody stays put and hence nobody would resign or get out of , as manifested, we are intact, he said.

arcos checks oo s a age in North in anao istri utes ai

GINGOOG CITY – President Ferdinand . arcos r. fl ew to indanao and led the distribution of assistance to families aff ected by massive fl ooding in Misamis Occidental and Misamis Oriental late last month.

arcos was oined by efense Secretary Carlito alve r., Public orks and ighways Secretary anuel . onoan and Special Assistant to the President Anton agdameo r. arcos promised aid for communities hit by heavy rains and fl oods over the past weeks.

arcos told the epartment of Public orks and ighways to fast-track the rehabilitation of damaged infrastructure and conduct a study on how to address fl ooding.

he president has ordered the ational isaster isk eduction and anagement Council C to closely monitor concerned areas and render assistance to local government units.

arcos visited parts of orthern indanao aff ected by the Christmas weekend rains.

he plane carrying the President made three landing attempts before touching down at the ami City airport.

he President then proceeded to conduct a briefi ng with isamis ccidental overnor enry aminal at the airport

instead of ro uieta City as originally planned due to inclement weather.

he bad weather also prevented arcos from doing an ocular inspection over ro uieta City to see the e tent of the devastation.

arcos, in his speech before the aid distribution activity in ingoog City, isamis riental, said he wanted to visit as soon as possible, but the inclement weather prevented him from doing so.

ula nung dumating ang balita mga reports sa atin na nagkakabaha ay gusto na namin makapunta ngunit ang weather, hindi kami makalipad, ayaw ng mga piloto. In fact, galing kami sa ami , lilipad din kami dun sa fl oodhit areas, hindi na nakalipad yung helicopter dahil masyadong mababa ang ulap , he said at te ingoog City all.

Some P . million in fi nancial assistance were provided to , benefi ciaries in isamis ccidental and isamis riental during the arcos visit.

f the amount, P . million was provided to , benefi ciaries in rouieta City.

arcos distributed to fi shermen P , cash assistance each under the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations AICS program of the epartment of Social elfare and evelopment.

he government is providing a wide range of assistance to calamity-hit farmers and fi sherfolk, including the Sure Aide Program and the ice armer inancial Assistance A A , both programs under the epartment of Agriculture.

ther assistance available are the mergency Shelter Assistance from the epartment of Social elfare and evelopment and the angka o, awa o Program of the ureau of isheries and A uatic esources.

he number of families aff ected by fl oods in ingoog City has risen to

, , according to local offi cials. orty-fi ve out of barangays have been aff ected, with villagers living along the coastal areas having the most damage.

arcos vowed to provide building materials for residents whose houses were partially damaged and resettlement housing for those whose homes were completely destroyed by fl oods.

e also assured that residents staying in evacuation areas will be provided with their basic needs such as food and water.

MARITIME MEETING. President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. eets with Interna�onal Mari� e E ployers Council IMEC Chief E ecu�ve O cer CEO Francisco Gargiulo and several usiness e ecu�ves and leaders of European shipping co panies and shipowners associa�ons in Brussels, Belgiu .

NEW DND SECRETAR . President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. na es Presiden�al Adviser on Peace, Reconcilia�on and nity Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. as the new secretary of the Depart ent of Na�onal Defense DND .

Man arrested, charged for ‘tragic’ death of Pinay journalist, web developer in Florida

Investigation showed eibrock reportedly run over o rlinda with his truck after some discussion and then reportedly dumped her body along S ighway where her lifeless body was found several hours after the incident between 3:00 a.m and 4:00 a.m.

Sheriff ric lowers said o rlinda died from what medical e aminers described as massive internal trauma after being struck by both front and back sets of wheels.

eibrock was ailed on , bail set by the udge following his first court appearance last Thursday.

television station . eanwhile, o rlinda s son, Ian G. Nebres, has set up a GoFundMe in the S and appealed for financial assistance to cope with une pected big e penses for funeral services, the homicide case, and bringing her body to the Philippines, among others. Contributions may also be made thru GCash in Manila thru her daughter sabelle enis abot ebres Cash or ,

he Indian iver County Sheriff s office earlier declined to identify the woman in deference to further investigation but her father told local media like CPalm that o rlinda aufit abot, , was living in Sebastian and working as a web developer.

SA A CISC A man has been arrested in connection with what the police said was a traffic homicide that resulted to the “tragic” death of Philippine News Today entertainment editor and California correspondent and full-time web developer o rlinda aufit abot in Sebastian, lorida last ecember ecember , anila time .

he Indian iver County Sheriff s office in Sebastian identified the man as rew eibrock, , of Crawford rive, Sebastian. eibrock was charged with leaving the scene of an accident involving death and tampering with or destroying evidence, according to the Indian iver County Sheriff s ffice.

Jo Erlinda, 47, born in Makati City. who just started a full-time career as web developer in lorida, was a daughter of Philippine News Today editor in chief and former president of the National Press Club of the Philippines Alfredo G. Gabot, originally from Binalonan, Pangasinan and San Pedro City in aguna. She was a goddaughter of former Manila Mayor and eputy Speaker ose ito Atien a r. and Los Angeles-based journalist Val G. Abelgas who e pressed shock at the untimely and tragic death of Jo Erlinda and called for justice for the loss.

o rlinda started writing travel and showbiz stories in the weekly Philippines oday in San rancisco while still in anila. When Philippine News and Philippines Today merged, she continued writing entertainment stories and California stories from the office of overnor avin ewsom and the epartment of Public Health under the names Jo Erlinda Maufit, o ie aufit, o rlinda abut and o Erlinda Nebres when she migrated to the S three years ago. er e as-based sister, Marie-Alsie G. Penaranda, works as a part-time reporter of the Manila-based

Ex-COA chief Aguinaldo to head PCC; more appointees named

Former Angeles City Mayor Edgardo Pamintuan was also named acting chairman and member of the board of directors of the Clark evelopment Corp,

The GoFundMe link is: https:// www.gofundme.com f in-loving-memory-of-jo-erlinda-maufitgabot?utm_source=facebook&utm_ medium=social&utm_ campaign=p_cp%20 share-sheet&fbclid=IwAR3Hzhp0btb I lP yf nc m iun I t l a w eports from Sebastian indicated that the lifeless body of Jo Erlinda was found between 3:00 a.m. and 4:00 a.m. along S ighway in Sebastian, lorida after receiving calls from passersby who notified authorities about the body lying along the highway. Rescuers immediately responded but found she was already dead when they arrived at the scene.

“Her death was senseless because she was always friendly, helpful, cheerful to all and she was loving to her four children, one with the .S. avy, and three in Manila who she has been supporting for their education, among others,” Alfred Gabot said in a written statement to CPalm in Sebastian, lorida.

Mr. Gabot, who is a retired senior editor of the Manila Bulletin, a major daily in anila, Philippines, and a university professor, has reached out to the epartment of oreign Affairs, the Philippine mbassy in ashington .C. and the honorary consul in Florida for assistance and was still awaiting any assistance from them.

Mr. Gabot also sought the help of the Sebastian media and the Sebastian community, especially those who know her daughter, for assistance and deeper investigation of the case. Claire orales True)

In a statement, the Presidential Communications ffice PC said Aguinaldo s term as PCC chairperson will end on Jan. 7, 2030.

Aguinaldo replaced Johannes Benjamin ernabe, who was PCC s officer-in-charge (OIC) since July 2022.

Aguinaldo s seven-year term as C A chief ended in February last year.

e also serves as the e ternal auditor of the World Health Organization, the Food and Agriculture Organization, and the International Labour Organization of the United Nations. ew officials have been appointed as the new year began, including the return of Gen. Andres Centino as Armed Forces of the Philippines A P chief of staff and the acceptance of presidential peace adviser Carlito alve r. of the efense secretary post.

Cheloy arafil was also announced as PC s new secretary. She previously served as OIC.

Also appointed was Robert Bioco as acting administrator of the National Food Authority.

Other appointees are:

AI A A A IA, irector III,Presidential Communications ffice GLORIA JACINTO BALBOA, Assistant Secretary, epartment of ealth A A S A , irector I , epartment of ealth S A I -

CA A, irector III epartment of ealth S S I A , eputy irector eneral, Anti- ed ape Authority C

A CA A, A A I A, Acting Members, Representing the Banking, inance, Investment, and Insurance Sectors, oard of rustees, overnment Service Insurance System.

JO ERLINDA M. GABOT in her last post on Facebook declaring that she was ready for fa ily, rela�ves and friends to cele rate Christmas and spread holiday cheers despite the cool weather.

MANILA Lawyer Michael Aguinaldo, former chairperson of the Commission on Audit (COA), has been named head of the Philippine Competition Commission.

Abrupt...

Baccaro, who was scheduled to retire in a few months.

efense department fficer-in-Charge Jose Faustino Jr. said he resigned from his post after he learned from news and social media reports that the AFP had a new head.

“With the utmost respect, I submitted my irrevocable letter of resignation to the President, His Excellency Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., on Friday, January 6, 2023, after learning only from news and social media reports of the new Chief of Staff, AFP had taken place in Malacañang,” Faustino said.

He did not attend – or was not invited, it remains unclear – the change of command ceremony on Saturday.

with insomnia to the incidents. As far as Jingwen was concerned, the stress of trying to balance clerkships, exams, and life during a global pandemic was the cause of her sleepless nights.

Then she asked herself: “What if something else was also at play?”

Jingwen found that new research on Asian-Americans explored how the ongoing wave of racism might be affecting people like her “biologically as well as psychologically.” Even indirect antiAsian racism “can alter physical functioning,” her research showed.

One study published last year that she pored through showed a direct link between anti-Asian racism and changes in physical functioning during the pandemic.

With Fordham University professor

Faustino himself had served as AFP chief of staff during the uterte administration.

Explaining his decision, he issued what others say was a cryptic statement saying he had the highest respect for the AFP, which is a “highly disciplined and competent organization that will survive under any given circumstance.”

As if adding insult to injury, Faustino was immediately succeeded by Carlito alve , not as IC but as full fledged secretary.

ith austino s resignation came rumors of a supposed destabilization plot in the AFP, which was denied by both the military and police leadership.

As for the call by Local Government Secretary Benhur Abalos for all senior officers, from colonel to general, to submit

and academic psychologist iffany ip, PhD, as lead researcher, the study was an eye opener for Jingwen. The study had been conducted after the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, and surveyed 600 Asian-American adults.

he researchers led by ip specifically examined a less-studied, and therefore less-understood, type of discrimination known as “indirect” or “vicarious” racism, which is defined as a person s eperience of experience of discrimination that targets others within his or her racial group, but not that person directly.

The study found that Asian-Americans experiencing indirect racism during the pandemic suffered poorer sleep, with such side effects as shorter duration of sleep, difficulty in falling asleep, and less restful sleep. The participants who stated that they were more strongly affected by vicarious racism were found to have worse sleep disturbances compared

assistance available to supplement local and state resources, including funding, equipment and personnel.

Governor Newsom is regularly briefed by state emergency officials on the latest conditions and response efforts, and the Governor continues to actively monitor storm impacts.

At press time, the California overnor s ffice of Emergency Services (OES) brought together more than 400 community-based organizations throughout the state in a first-of-its-kind effort to mobili e resources with a special emphasis on delivering help to vulnerable communities – unsheltered individuals, those with disabilities and older Californians.

As of last Monday afternoon, winter storms have claimed the lives of Californians – more lives than wildfires in the past two years combined.

ur message to Californians is simple: be hyper-vigilant,” said Governor Newsom. “There are

their courtesy resignation, ostensibly to cleanse the ranks of scalawags who had links to the illegal drug trade, a number not only balked at the “request” and expressed their hesitancy to heed what they say was in effect a mandatory order.

PNP spokesperson Jean Fajardo told local media that there was no denying that there are some senior officers who have reservation in submitting their courtesy resignation.”

Of the 947 colonels and generals who the call was aimed at, only about 500 had submitted their resignations, some grudgingly. Those who submitted their resignations were mostly from Luzon, and included PNP chief Rodolfo Azurin Jr.

According to a ardo, some officers had questioned the need for courtesy resignations when those suspected of hav-

to those who were not as affected.

“The idea that racism impacts health is not new,” wrote Jingwen. Those who e perience racism first hand will see elevated levels of the stress hormone cortisol. This leads to such medical issues as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity, and high blood pressure.

arlier research by ip showed that racism-related stress worsens chronic health conditions and cognitive function.

If there is a silver lining in the dark cloud that is anti-Asian hate, it is the opportunity to study the health impact of indirect racism, moreso because such hate crimes have largely targeted women and the elderly.

Most Asian-Americans had friends or family members who have been targeted in racist incidents, according to ip, even if they themselves were not.

Ask any Filipino or Fil-Am. They would know someone who has been so

still several days of severe winter weather ahead and we need all Californians to be alert and heed the advice of emergency officials. hanks to the President signing off on our request for emergency declaration, we are mobilizing all available resources at every level of government to protect lives and limit storm damage. oday marks five years since the deadly Montecito mudslides that claimed 23 lives – as Montecito faces evacuations today, it s a solemn reminder of how quickly conditions can change.”

Last Sunday, the Governor unveiled $202 million in new investments for longterm flood prevention proposed in the upcoming state budget.

Governor Newsom has visited sites along eer Creek in Sacramento County to highlight the state s work to repair damage from earlier storms and prepare for incoming severe weather.

Newsom said the state is working to support the most vulnerable Californians with 11 shelters statewide along with an additional 20 shelters that are prestaged and on standby. Temporary shelter, food and additional resources are available at these sites and all are welcome. No ID is required.

Heavy rainfall is forecasted throughout the

ing links to the drug trade were already known to the PNP leadership.

It was earlier stated that no more than nine of top officers were involved, although that estimate rose to “around four percent” as if this week.

Added Fajardo: “We cannot deny that if there are one or two PNP personnel identified and caught involved in illegal drugs, it s not only them that are being implicated in illegal drug activities, it is the whole organization.

Azurin expressed his willingness to talk to the senior officers who had not yet submitted their resignations “to let them feel and explain to them personally the intention of this call for courtesy resignation.”

The deadline for the submission of the resignations is by the end of this month.

victimized.

Now, with the worst of the pandemic in the rear view mirror, Asian-Americans continue to be the target of hate incidents. Sadly, one out of three AsianAmericans is unaware that anti-Asian racism is worsening.

“As an Asian American and soonto-be physician, I fear that this sudden increase in racism could manifest as an increase in the prevalence of chronic diseases decades from now,” said Jingwen.

Her biggest fear is that the medical community “may get in our own way of understanding these downstream effects.”

Indeed, the only way to lessen the chances of continued harm to Asian American health is to end it at the root, and this means all parties involved must do their part to Stop Asian Hate.

state uesday and northern California on Wednesday, increasing the potential for flooding given saturated soils from the previous two weeks of precipitation. According to the National Weather Service, rainfall levels are 400-600% above average across California.

Precipitation map showing the atmospheric rivers hitting California since an. .

Emergency Alerts

Californians are reminded to dial -or 3-1-1 to get help or ask questions. If you have a critical emergency, call 911.

Staying informed by signing up for emergency alerts including warnings and evacuation notices. o to CalAlerts. org to sign up to receive alerts from your county officials.

DND...

(From page 1)

Peace Adviser and former Armed Forces chief Gen. Carlito Galvez Jr. took over the defense portfolio after his classmate in the Philippine Military Academy, former AFP chief Jose Faustino Jr., resigned grumbling that he was not informed when a new AFP chief was installed. (See related stories)

Galvez downplayed the reported dissatisfaction and grumblings in the AFP and DND due to the revamp as he called for unity under President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and keep the “One Defense” team intact during a transition briefing at the main office in Camp Aguinaldo.

“We will sustain the gains of the past Secretaries and will also further enhance the capability of our national defense,” he said.

He also emphasized the importance of employee morale in the DND and professionalism in the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in maintaining the trust and confidence of the Filipino people.

Another official said there is no need to check the loyalty of the Armed Forces amid rumors of a destabilization plot against the administration of President Marcos Jr.

In a press briefing in Camp Aguinaldo, efense Undersecretary for capability assessment and development Angelito de Leon said there is no question as to the morale of the troops which he said remains high.

“There is no need for a loyalty check. The AFP remains steadfast and loyal to the Constitution, to the flag and to the duly-constituted authorities,” said De Leon, a retired Army general.

He said newly named Defense SecretaryGalvez Jr. has instructed senior defense officials who were planning to submit courtesy resignations to stay put.

Rumors about the destabilization plot

spread after President Marcos Jr designated Gen. Andres Centino as Armed Forces chief last Friday, cutting short the three-year term of Centino’s predecessor, Lt. Gen. Bartolome acarro, provided by a law that took effect in July last year.

De Leon defended the turover stressing there is nothing irregular in the designation of Centino as the military chief.

“It is the prerogative of the commander-inchief to designate not only the chief of staff of the Armed Forces) but also of course the key officials of the Armed orces of the Philippines and DND civilian bureaus,” said De Leon.

De Leon also noted the high number of military officials who attended the traditional joint DND-AFP New Year’s call at Camp Aguinaldo.

“All the key commanders were there, including the key staff officers of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the DND civilian bureaus. So I think there is no issue on the morale, the morale remains high, they are focused on our mandate,” said De Leon.

De Leon said the Armed Forces has already dismissed rumors about the destabilization plot.

“The message of Secretary Galvez is that the one defense team should remain united and should pursue and focus on its mandate. Basically, that’s what he said in our transition briefing yesterday (Tuesday),” said De Leon.

Senators, meanwhile supported the appointment of Secretary Galvez Jr. citing him as the best man to lead the Department of National Defense (DND).

Senator Jinggoy Estrada said this decision of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., which came three days after the designation of Gen. Andres Centino as Armed Forces of the Philippines A P chief of staff, will somehow give a sense of stability insofar as the leadership in the DND and its attached agencies/organizations are concerned.

“I am hoping that Galvez will eventually be nominated for confirmation before the Commission on Appointments to allow him to fully discharge his functions and responsibilities, not just in an acting capacity” the senator said in a statement.

Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri, for his part, said he sees no problem for Galvez to pass the Commission on Appointment (CA) saying he knows the officer personally as they have been working in the Bangsamoro Organic Law, when the former was the AFP Chief of Staff.

As for Centino, Zubiri said he will still need CA approval although he was already a 4-star General. Centino was appointed as AFP chief of staff by then President odrigo uterte. e was replaced by Lt. General Bartolome Vicente Orpilla Bacarro and was reinstated by President Marcos.

Armed Forces spokesman Col. Medel Aguilar said the military establishment is not looking into the alleged destabilization plot supposedly coming from its ranks.

“There is no need for an investigation inside the Armed Forces of the Philippines because even after or during the change of command ceremony, we did not even raise our alert level. We maintained the (normal) alert level because everything was normal within the organization,” he said.

Galvez was presented with a formal report highlighting the department’s plans, as well as the 10-point agenda initiated by outgoing officer-in-charge IC ndersecretary ose Faustino Jr.

alve also met with senior officials and heads of bureaus and held a discussion with members of the Executive Committee.

The new DND chief also met with Faustino before attending the transition briefing at Camp Aguinaldo.

austino briefed alve on the different accomplishments of the department, along with

his recommendations to ensure continuity in the agency.

The DND-Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) are set to hold a New Year’s call on Wednesday.

Earlier, DND spokesperson Arsenio Andolong said seven to nine officials of the agency have tendered their courtesy resignation after Faustino stepped down as OIC.

He, however, said this is part of the normal procedure amid a change in the agency’s leadership.

AFP spokesman Col. Aguilar said the military is a “professional organization that follows the chain of command.”

“We know very well who has the authority or the power to designate the leader of an organization,” said Aguilar, adding the military respects and supports the President’s decision to appoint Centino as AFP chief.

Aguilar said the military is not sure where the supposed destabilization plot came from, noting that soldiers are focused on their mandate to protect the people.

e know that officers come and go and we have to follow the chain of command always to make sure that the organization is united and that we are able to perform our mandate,” said Aguilar.

Aguilar said he is not sure about individual views of soldiers about the change in the military leadership because the Armed Forces is a “very big organization.”

“But I can assure (the public) that it (Armed Forces) is an organization that follows the chain of command. It’s professional. We are focused on the mission and we follow the chain of command always to make sure that we are united and strong in accomplishing our mission,” said Aguilar.

In an event, new AFP chief Centino said: “The new leadership in the AFP and the DND shall represent a renewed commitment to unity.”

arafil takes oath as arcos o unications ecretary

MANILA – President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. swore in lawyer Cheloy Velicaria- arafil as Secretary of the Presidential Communications ffice PC .

The PCO shared a photo of Marcos administering arafil s oath at alaca ang Palace.

efore being named to the post, arafil served as officer-in-charge IC and ndersecretary of the now defunct ffice of the Press Secretary PS since ctober last year.

Under Executive Order (EO) No. 11, the PS was renamed to the PC which will be responsible for crafting, formulating, developing, enhancing and coordinating the messaging system of the Executive branch and the OP. arafil served as chairperson of the and Transportation Franchising and Regulatory oard but resigned to accept arcos offer to serve as PS IC and ndersecretary after her predecessor Trixie Cruz-Angeles stepped down due to health reasons.

She was also a prosecutor and state solicitor under the Justice Department and the ffice of the Solicitor eneral, respectively.

arafil worked as a ournalist for over a decade. She also worked as a media officer of former President Gloria MacapagalArroyo.

In ctober last year, arafil said her office will see some changes in the coming days.

She said her office continues to boost efforts to inform and communicate to a broader public what the Marcos administration seeks to achieve in the months ahead.

arafil vowed that under her watch, her office will be transparent and accurate in delivering and disseminating information on the arcos administration s policies, programs, activities and accomplishments.

She also assured that her office would uphold free speech and expression, as she acknowledged the Philippine press crucial role in strengthening Philippine democracy.

DOH warns of Covid cases by February if health rules ignored

number of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) infections may increase in February, but it would not reach over 1,000 cases per day.

“If ever minimum public health standards will decline, tapos tuloy-tuloy ang pasok ng variants na (and there is continuous entry of) highly evasive and highly transmissible, we would see up to mga 730 cases by eb. , officer-in-charge

Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said in a media briefing.

Vergeire noted a plateau in cases that are both “declining nationally and in the regional areas”.

“Pero ngayong araw na ito nakita natin mayroon tayong (But today, we see a) 1 percent increase but this is not significant for us to say that there is really this uptick in cases as a result of the holiday season,”

she said.

Apart from plateauing and declining cases, the DOH reported a “slowdown” in the admission of severe and critical cases in intensive care units of Covid-19 facilities in recent days.

As of Jan. 8, only 18.1 percent or 431 out of the 2,379 intensive care unit (ICU) beds are in use, while 26.1 percent or 4,185 of 19,373 non-ICU beds are utilized

according to DOH data.

About 447 daily Covid-19 infections were recorded from Jan. 2 to 8.

Last week, the DOH said the public need not worry about the variants which may enter the country as long as they know how to protect themselves through vaccination and compliance with minimum public health standards.

PCO CHIEF. President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. le ad inisters the oath of o ce of lawyer Cheloy elicaria-Gara l right as Secretary of the Presiden�al Co unica�ons Ofce PCO in Malaca ang Palace.

EDITORIAL

Paper tiger assumes post Speaker of the House

e may have finally won the pri e that he has been salivating for, for the last eight years, and he may even believe that everything he sacrificed was worth it.

e have news for now Speaker evin cCarthy it wasn t.

Sooner rather than later, cCarthy will find out that not only has he demeaned the position of Speaker of the ouse to the point that he will have no real authority, he will always have to try and please his e tremist partymates who can call for his removal anytime they please.

e will not go so far as to say that he made a deal with the devil, but everything he did comes close enough. hat it took tries before he mustered enough votes to claim the gavel speaks volumes of the horse trading that he had to resort to in order to take the title of Speaker.

he uestion he has to ask himself now is, what ne t hether he likes it or not, he has made himself a willing hostage to the small group of his fellow epublicans who may not have the best interests of the country at heart.

It is not even clear if cCarthy has an agenda that can be accomplished. e is not unlike a kindergarten school teacher who allowed a handful of bratty kids to do as they wished, or else they would throw tantrums that he cannot control.

hroughout his term as Speaker, cCarthy will have a symbolic Sword of amocles hanging over his head. At any time, if he so much as says, one angry word at any of the partymates who had made his uest for the speakership a living and embarrassing hell, then that epublican lawmaker can re uest for a motion to vacate the chair.

It is a dead certainty that the California lawmaker will age very uickly, and it is not within the realm of the improbable that he will voluntarily resign from the post he desired for so long.

ot to be unkind, but he does not show the strength of character that other P Speakers had shown before him. e is no ip eill or ewt ingrich. e is not even a Paul yan or ohn oehner.

hat he is, is a desperate politician who can never be his own man. cCarthy may be, in principle, the third highest ranking official of the land, a mere two steps removed from the presidency. ut he has gone as far as he can, having risen to his level of incompetency.

e has barely warmed his seat as Speaker and already some of his partymates have made it clear that they are not too eager to cooperate with him. hey first want him to prove that he is made of the right stuff, but they know that he could well be the most disappointing Speaker of the ouse that the S has ever had.

he political drama that played out in his uest showed evin cCarthy at his worst. In practically begging for the post, he proved himself to be a sad little man who can never amount to much. If many of his own partymates do not respect him, how can he earn the respect of the men and women across the aisle, whose help he will need in order to pass laws that re uire more than a simple ma ority

2022 FilAm headliners

AIP A A , to borrow from behavior displayed recently by fre uent newsmakers, sent ilipino Americans on a roller coaster ride. ust when vaccines and boosters finally hit the brakes on C I in the fall of , emboldening folks to unmask and mingle, new coronavirus variants emerged to shift ew ear and subse uent celebrations back to virtual instead of personal, outdoors rather than indoors. And while the last two months stoked pride and oy with long-overdue triumphs in politics, entertainment and sports - women as prominently as men, recently arrived or several generations born here, millennial and older, biracial or not - ilAms also hugged headlines in shadowy acts in the same sectors. ast year s big stories show ust how embedded in American society are the many and diverse ripples and waves of immigration from the archipelago.

POLITICALLY EMPOWERED ilAms in top offices shook up the establishment. ormer California Assembly ember ob onta s sharply vertical political career smashed another barrier when he sealed his already historic appointed position as Attorney eneral by winning voters approval for the seat on ov. . ov. avin ewsom had appointed the ue on City-born and first ilipino American elected to the State legislature in April with the departure of avier ecerra to oin the iden Administration as Secretary of ealth and uman Services.

he I arrested former S Congress ember errance ohn Co on federal criminal charges of wire fraud, money laundering, financial fraud and campaign contribution fraud over a five-year period on August . he resno emocrat faces a ma imum years in prison and a , fine for wire fraud and money laundering, years in prison and a million fine for wire fraud affecting a financial institution and financial institution fraud. e also faces five years in prison and a , fine for campaign contribution fraud. he son of ilipino-Chinese parentage made history when he was elected to the st congressional district of California and became the first ilAm elected S epresentative in the state. e had defeated avid aladao for the seat in but lost to the same opponent in .

I elections catapulted ilAms across the nation to victory, most of the following marking first-ever state posts for one of their own

In ew ork emocrat Steve aga won the race for the State Assembly representing the th istrict covering oodside, lmhurst, iddle illage, aspeth, ackson eights and Astoria. he former chief of staff of an Assembly ember is a well-known community advocate for e uity and social ustice as a nonprofit strategist and ilAm organi er.

California native aria Cervania, a emocrat, an epidemiologist, strategist and community advocate, was elected istrict epresentative in the orth Carolina ouse. he Cal grad taught Anatomy at erkeley S and P in the akland School istrict while volunteering at the erkeley ree Clinic before earning her master s in Public ealth in Chicago. She and her husband moved to Austin then Phoeni before settling down in Cary near aleigh, urham and Chapel ill.

he results of the presidential elections drove ew ampshire s first elected ilAm u ay to run for office. She said she had to do something when her heartbreak turned to anger as the new administration e ecuted its policies. orn and raised in the Philippines and a naturali ed .S. citi en as recently as , ay oined the over emocrats and launched

(Continued on page 27)

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CHERIE M. QUEROL MORENO

Fiestas during Christmas season add up to the revelries and merriment Picking a competent notary public

Many fellow fellow Ilocanos going home on Christmas season are in for a double treat.

Apart from the usual revelries during the Christmas break, there are fiesta celebrations they look forward to.

here s a lot of merrymaking, eating, drinking, and dancing at the village or town plaza to the tune of exuberant music rendered by live bands they call combos thereabouts.

uring these fiesta celebrations, they hold competitive activities mainly basketball games and hand out cash prizes to the winning teams.

It was a different competition they had in arvacan, Ilocos Sur during their almost two-week town fiesta that began mid ecember.

The contest involved bonsai trees. Yes, Virginia, bonsai trees.

Narvacan Mayor Pablito Sanidad Sr. showed me around, inside the Philippines unprecedented and one of a kind solar-powered arvacan armer s arket to a place where the bonsai trees were arranged beside each other.

I will write more in my later columns about this exceptional market and Philippine wonder which was built last year during ayor uis Chavit Singson s term with Sanidad as the vice mayor. Then President Rodrigo uterte inaugurated the market in arch upon ayor Chavit s invitation.

The various bonsai trees were gathered in one section of the market on top of long tables, some of them with fruits. Those tamarind and star apple fruits hanging from branches of small trees were a sight to behold

The bonsai plants were there not only for the competition, they were also for sale. Mayor Sanidad told me some bonsai owners pocketed as much as more than a hundred thousand pesos apiece after sale.

The mayor has left behind his lucrative law practice in aguio City that s been going on for about fifty years since he passed the ar with flying colors among the op in .

e says it s payback time to the town where he was born and raised although his friends insist that dropping his legal career is a sacrifice he has to bear.

e s assisted by his son Pablo II, also a lawyer, in serving Narvacaneos. The younger Sanidad is the Municipal Administrator.

The mayor introduced me to him after our meeting at the town s armers market.

Pablito is not new to public service, though. hen a young lawyer, he took office as Ilocos Sur ice Governor together with Gov. Chavit Singson, also then a young and rising political leader, after their election in . he Singson-Sanidad tandem ended the Crisologos reign of the province.

He had also served as Deputy Minister of Labor during the Cory Aquino administration.

hen I asked him what s his current direction as mayor of the town, he uickly responded uild, build, build. I bet he ll be pushing for more infra proects and keep them rolling and done for the benefit of his constituents.

e looks forward to completing his coffee table book arvacan aisangsangayan to follow its first edition that came out when he was still the vice mayor. he book deals with arvacan s colorful history and cultural heritage.

(The writer is based in Hercules City, California and is currently on assignment and vacationing in the Philippines.)

New horizon for new beginnings

(Part II)

Health

ART GABOT MADLAING

Wealth

&

Last week Nerissa, an old client from Daly City, California, picked up in our home in San Francisco, California the apostilled Special Power of Attorney (SPA) urgently needed in the Philippines. The notarized SPA was returned by the Attorney-inFact in the Philippines to Nerissa because it was not apostilled due to the ignorance, incompetence and carelessness of the Notary Public who notarized it

Upon review and examination of the notarized SPA, I found out that the date was not filled out the first page of the notarized SPA was not signed by Nerissa and the three other co-principals and the witnesses to the signatures of the four principals were missing. As a result, the submission of the corrected and apostilled SPA was extremely delayed.

Nerissa and her husband were very happy and thankful for our prompt and efficient services. hen I asked erissa why they selected that Notary Public, she answered, “I thought he is okay because he is with the UPS Store in Daly City, California.”

“Next time, beware and avoid the services of Notary Public who is inexperienced and incompetent, ”I told Nerissa.

“That Notary Public is also very careless and is ignorant to the provisions of the Accession of the Philippines to the Hague Apostle Convention. Otherwise, he should have advised you that the notari ed SPA S be apostilled first before being sent to the Philippines, “ I reminded Nerissa.

The SPA notarized by that Notary Public with the UPS Store has incomplete dates, missing signatures of the principals on the first page and missing witnesses to the signatures. If we had not corrected them, the Secretary of State, Notary Public Section in Sacramento, California will not process the document for apostille, which could have further delayed the submission of the SPA urgently needed in the Philippines.

Due to the incompetence, carelessness and ignorance of that Notary Public, Nerissa and her co-principals wasted precious time, money and efforts in addition to the tremendous delay in the submission of the SPA urgently needed to complete the sale of properties in Metro Manila, Philippines.

As a public service, I would like to share to our readers and the general public excerpts of the Special Notice from the Legal Section of the Philippine Consulate in San Francisco on the Accession of the Philippines to the Hague Apostille Convention, effective ay , , as follows

“Philippine Consulate shall no longer issue Authentication Certificate red ribbon for documents notari ed or apostilled in the states under its urisdiction namely Alaska, Idaho, regon, ashington, State, evada, Colorado, ontana, tah, yoming and orthern California.

Please note that Apostilled document/s no longer need additional authentication by the Philippine Consulate General . Once apostilled, it already has legal validity and can be sent to the Philippines for use.”

THANK YOU FOR YOUR REFERRALS! As we come to the end of , I would like e press my profound thanks and gratitude to the P I IPI C S A staff, readers, old and new clients, friend and acquaintances for your A S through the years. ishing you A a appy Holiday Season and Prosperous New Year!

‘Mobile Signing Services (MSS) is committed and will continue to help and assist old and new clients particularly the elderly, veterans, and those physically handicapped. Here are advantages d benefits withy SS

A I A ou don t need to take off from work and dri ve to Sacramento ust submit notarized documents to the Secretary of State, Notary Public Section, for apostille. MSS will take care everything for you.

ISC S A A S e offer special discounts for the elderly and veterans.

SA I S AS A I A S- e encourage old and new clients to come to our home office in San rancisco for savings on gas and mileage fees to .

MULTIPLE DOCUMENTS AND MULTIPLE SIGNA-

S ISC S- e give to discounts on multiple documents and multiple signatures for old and new clients.

“The word impossible appears only in the dictionary of fools.”

– Napoleon Bonaparte “Impossible is only in the mind.”

Former: Provincial Governor of Misamis Oriental, Member of Parliament and Commissioner of Immigration -Homobono A. Adaza

Theory, unless translated into practice, means nothing. Experts in all sciences will tell you that. This has become a biblical truism, especially with political revolutionaries.. To succeed in any enterprise, there must be confluence of theory and practice. Reduced into the level of the law, the brilliant ustice liver endell Homes of the American, Supreme Court once wrote that the life of the law is not logic but experience.

It is in this spirit that I will share with you my experience in the light of what Benjamin Tiu Constreras thought I could be that little spark that could ignite a conflagration of radical ideas. . ecision Succumbing to pressure from the United States government, President Marcos called elections of the Interim Parliament atasang Pambansa on April . hen arcos announced the call for elections sometime in , the national opposition met at the offices of the aurels in Makati City with the leading leaders of the Opposition that included Former President Diosdado Macapagal, Former Speaker of the House of Representatives Jose “Pepito” Laurel, Jr, Senators Salvador “Doy” Laurel, Eva Estrada Kalaq and ene spina, ormer Secretary of oreign Affairs Salvador Lopez and a host of other including this writer,

The prevailing view of the overwhelming majority of the attendees led by President Macapagal was to boycott the election. In so deciding to boycott the election, President Macapagal made the following rationali ation, he said e should boycott the election because to participate will legitimize Marcos and his regime.”

Unable to agree with his argument, I asked permission to speak. his is what I said, ith due respect to you, r. President, I am sorry I cannot agree with you. Legitimacy in a developing country like ours is being in possession of power. Marcos holds power and that makes him legitimate. This is not the USA, France or Britain where legitimacy means election. arcos is giving us an opportunity to fight him and he says we can say anything and we will not be prosecuted. This is our chance to fight him. If we do not participate in the election, our only option is to join the armed revolution. Everyone was silent about the idea of an armed revolution. If you re ready to oin the armed revolution, I ll oin you but since no one is ready, I ll participate in the elections I respect the majority decision but I expect you to respect mine as this is a decision of conscience.”

Suddenly Former UP President and Secretary of Foreign Affairs ope stood up and said in a loud voice, I agree with Ada a. e is right. e should participate in the elections.

Hurt that someone disagreed with him, Macpagal stood up and said, I m leaving. ven my Secretary of oreign Affairs is shouting at me.” Before he could leave, Speaker Laurel got a glass of water, handed it to Macapagal and he drank it and sat down.

he spark After that meeting, I organi ed the first regional political party in the country, MINDANAO ALLIANCE, to accept the challenge of President Marcos. It was only composed of a bunch of young lawyers Atty. irdausi Seng Abbas of Lanao del Sur as Secretary General, Atty. Jesus “Jess” alicanta as egional Chairman for egion and this writer as Chairman. That little spark which Ben mentions resulted to front page treatment in the Marcos mainstream media and the consequent mushrooming of regional parties like Zamboaga City ayor Cesar Climaco s Concerned Citi ens Aggrupation CCA , inoy A uino s aban, ene adarang s Pusyon isaya, Abdul hayer Alonto s uslim ederal Party, Atty. adong Princesa s icol Saro, and Congressman ito upaya s imek i mile

That little spark that led to the organization of MINDANAO ALLIANCE and the mush-

HOMOBONO A. ADAZA Diliman Way

TEDDY P. MOLINA

Why his China visit was not a success

Despite what the spin doctors at the recently renamed Presidential Communications ffice claim, the visit last week of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr to Beijing was not the big success they claim it to be.

While I do not want to call it a failure just yet, it seems to follow a pattern that has been set by the previous visits of the president to foreign countries.

he former ffice of the Press Secretary will say that millions of dollars in investments were pledged as a result. he office may even say that the investments will come in to specific industries, such as agriculture, infrastructure, or manufacturing.

Mere weeks later, all will be forgotten. Few, if any, of the promised investments will come in, and the next presidential visit to another country will be announced.

ither this month or ne t month, the president will be flying off to apan, then to Swit erland. e will, of course, bring his favorite traveling companions, namely his wife, his cousin the Speaker, and his favorite son, the dragonfruit lover.

For the record, he has been traveling at the rate of more than one country per month since he assumed the presidency, and shows no let up in planned travels. Notice that I did not use the word junket.

But back to Marcos’s recent trip to China.

One of his announced “accomplishments” was to assure a supply of fertili er from two Chinese companies.

So he simply placed an order for fertili er, and two companies agreed to supply the stuff, which the Philippines does seem to have a sufficient supply of. I mean, the best fertili er is bat guano, right? That’s also known as droppings. And the less polite word is four letters starting in S and and ending in I and T.

All one has to do is head for the nearest cave where bats are known to stay, and collect what they drop on the floor. est of all, it’s free.

So there were no investments from the two Chinese fertili er companies. All there was, was a deal to sell on their part and to buy on our part, courtesy of the traveling chief executive.

Guess what? All companies exist to sell their products or services to anyone who wishes to buy. It’s how they exist or survive.

eck, I could have gone to China, looked for fertili er companies in the yellow pages – that’s symbolic, ok? I don’t even know if there are still phone books with yellow pages. Or maybe I could have gone online and searched Google for the desired company that sells bat guano.

With my luck, I might have ended up buying a mixture of bat droppings mixed with human feces, but as long as it does its desired ob of fertili ing the good earth of my little farm, than all is well, huh?

So I could have done what the president allegedly accomplished in his Beijing sojourn, which was, to repeat, buy bat sh!t.

Does this mean that I could make a good president? on t answer that. I am being flippant. ut at least I am not including some silly Batman joke here.

ow if having the ability to purchase fertili er was one of the president’s biggest accomplishments in his trip to the People’s Republic of China, then his other major achievement was even better. Or worse. It all depends on one’s perception.

But again the spin doctors of the Palace who give public relations a bad name tried but failed to draw praise from working media stiffs like myself, because to be blunt about it, I as a Filipino felt very insulted.

There had been expectations that the trip to meet President Xi would necessarily include serious talks on the West Philippine Sea, which China says is part of their South China Sea.

We all know that the contested waters should no longer be contested anymore after a UN-backed tribunal ruled that the West Philippine Sea is Philippine territory. All of it. Not one drop of sea water there belongs to China. ot a single fish there, no matter how small, is Chinese property.

What Malacanang announced over the weekend must take the cake, be it fish cake or crab cake.

The presidential palace said

Thief in the night

It was like a thief in the night. Sudden and without warning.

Army Lt. Gen. Bartolome Vicente Bacarro, appointed as the Armed orces chief of staff only five months ago, was removed from his position unceremoniously and without any explanation last week.

IN THE TRENCHES

In August, when Bacarro, one of the few Medal of Valor awardees, was appointed to the military’s top position, he was to serve for three years the first to benefit from a new law that gives senior generals a fi ed three-year term.

The law would reform the military’s “revolving door” policy when senior generals got to be appointed to the top post for as short as 69 days.

Former presidents Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and Rodrigo uterte had chiefs of staff during their terms. Arroyo served for nine years and Duterte for six years.

If the law was applied to Ferdinand Marcos’s tenure, he would only have three chiefs of staff Andres Centino who served until August 2022, Bacarro who was supposed to serve until 2025, and his successor who was to retire in August 2028.

Centino was a holdover. e was appointed by Duterte to replace his classmate, Jose Faustino. Bacarro is also Centino’s classmate. All three graduated from the Philippine Military Academy in 1988.

When Faustino was named officer in charge of the Department of National Defense, it seemed the ruling PMA 1988 class had full control of the military organi ation.

But it was short-lived. In the first week of January 2023, Bacarro was removed and Centino was reinstated. There was talk that Faustino, who was not made permanent defense secretary after six months, had resigned along with three other defense undersecretaries.

Faustino retired from active military service in November . e was barred from taking a Cabinet position for at least one year and was expecting the president to make him permanent defense chief in November . ut that did not happen. e was e pecting it to be at the end of the year. Again, it did not happen, forcing him to quit.

Bacarro’s replacement suggests there is an ongoing purge in the uniformed service – in the defense and military sector as well as in the civilian police service.

A few days before Bacarro’s retirement, Benhur Abalos, the Interior and Local Government secretary, asked for the courtesy resignations of more than 900 generals and colonels to cleanse the ranks of senior officers suspected of involvement in the illegal drug trade.

The twin moves in the military and the police were unprecedented. Although senior police officers were asked to file for early retirement in the s during the administration of Fidel Ramos, the call for courtesy resignations to weed out those linked to the illegal drug trade was a sweeping action.

ess than senior police officers were suspected to be involved, but why asked all generals and colonels to offer courtesy resignations he drug issue could ust be a cover for a political purpose.

arcos r. wanted to clean up the organi ation not because of drugs or corruption; he wanted to make sure senior officers holding sensitive and influential positions would be loyal to him.

In the military’s case, Centino’s reinstatement was also unusual. There has never been an instance since Martial Law when a general was brought back to a position of power.

How to succeed in carrying out New Year’s Resolutions

Every end of the year as we enter the new year, we make our New Year’s resolutions. This is a practice by most of us, and even if we know that most of the time we fail to comply with it… we do it anyway!

We make our new year’s resolutions because a new year can be a great time to set intentions and look for ways to make positive changes in the months to come. Just remember to set realistic goals and things that are simple and reachable. Otherwise, we are doomed to fail in pursuing our New Year’s resolutions, since general and unreasonable intentions are difficult to comply with.

My friend former Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) Prof. Angelito “Lito” Roldan now residing in California, in his feedback to my previous article on Christmas and New Year last week, said: “New resolutions have become a mere fad that carrying it out is lost as the months pass by.”

e might be right because most ew ear s resolutions fail, but despite this, we do it anyway! A study made in 2007, conducted by Richard Wiseman from the University of Bristol involving 3,000 people, showed that 88% of those who set New Year’s resolutions fail. Well, if that is the case, why is there still a need for a New Year’s resolution? With almost everybody breaking their promises immediately after making them, and after jumping when the clock strikes 12 midnight of December 31, 2022 during the countdown: do we still have to make resolutions?

In real life, yes! Most people make their New Year’s resolution because it is crucial to our life. If we make one, we set a goal that we aspire to attain. On the other hand, if we do not – there is no direction – at all, in our life!

Gertrudis Estioko, a classroom teacher from the Urdaneta Central School (UCS) agreed that resolutions is a must for us to be able to set the direction of our future. “We just have to follow it to the letter,” she said.

While there are popular goals or resolutions people go for, to me, the most important, should be to keep the family together. If your family is one, united, and well-connected – maintain it by all means! If there is a lot of disconnections, dysfunctions, and misunderstandings – pick up the pieces and put them together.

The bottom line is,” Prof. Roldan said, “I think, is celebrating Christmas and New Year with the family together in love and harmony.”

So, with that, let us make and nourish this year’s resolution to greater heights. Make the family the center of our heart, the center of our life, the center of our existence. In fact, make it the center of everything we do in life without any mental reservation!

In the same study, it showed that the most common reason for participants failing their New Year’s resolution was setting themselves unrealistic goals (35%), while 33% did not keep track of their progress and a further 23% forgot about it. About one in 10 respondents, the study further showed, claimed they made too many resolutions.

As to success rate, the study mentioned better chances of achieving one’s resolutions when we engage in goal setting (a system where small measurable goals are being set, such as, a pound a week, instead of saying “lose weight”); when we make our goals public and get support from our friends; and when we talk with a counselor about setting goals and New Year’s resolutions.

So, if only we can set up realistic goals, things that are attainable and easy to comply with… we may have a better success rate in accomplishing our resolutions!

But the reality is, with or without a New Year’s resolution, we can do many good things in our life. If we can set our New Year’s goals and can commit to these resolutions, our life will even be more meaningful… it will have a direction, there is a goal we can aim for and attain, as we live the New Year with a charted future!

I know a lot of people failed to comply with their resolutions because they said they forgot. Others say, “I’m busy.” My friends told me it’s because their resolutions are many, vague and general. Well, many also told me their resolutions were not measurable. Let’s make simple and concrete goals that we can easily comply.

Maybe, it can also help if we have somebody to remind us and keep us posted on what we should be doing to be able to make our resolutions come true. Come up with a checklist to make sure we don’t miss any. Or… there are so many of them that we can’t cope with.

So, whether we make our new year’s resolution or not, let’s face the New Year, embrace it, and let’s do it with the hope that it will help us for the better! And… don’t forget our traditions that go with the New Year. Know your roots! Make realistic goals and measurable endeavors!

Realistic and measurable resolutions give us directions and a clear path to success!

(ELPIDIO R. ESTIOKO was a veteran journalist in the Philippines and a multi-awarded journalist here in the US. For feedbacks, comments… please email the author at estiokoelpidio@gmail.com.)

BETING DOLOR

ELPIDIO R. ESTIOKO

MANNY MOGATO

USCIS FILING FEE TO INCREASE SIGNIFICANTLY

On January 4, 2023, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) published a proposed rule to increase fees for most immigration benefit re uests. If implemented, employers will pay significantly more for most nonimmigrant and immigrant filings. he fee increase pro ects to boost revenues by over . billion providing SCIS with the much-needed resources the agency claims are necessary to “improve service levels. he SCIS is funded mainly by these user filing fees, as opposed to appropriations, which fund other agencies like the epartment of abor . he rule is sub ect to aday comment period closing on arch , . etails and key takeaways appear below.

What are the key takeaways for employers from the proposed rule?

ees for cap - registration would increase dramatically from to per registration. ortunately, the comment period makes it impossible for this increase to be implemented for the upcoming cap - registration in arch .

Premium processing service would change from calendar days to business days. usiness days are defined as the days that the federal government is open for business, which does not include weekends or federally observed holidays. his could add a one to two week delay to case processing.

Ad ustment of Status A S applications would no longer benefit from one bundled fee for the I- , I- Advance Parole , and I- A applications. he total fees for a bundled A S application including the I- , I- , and I- would increase from , to , . SCIS would also eliminate the reduced A S fee for individuals under years of age. hus, some individuals may only opt to file the I- without I- and I- applications.

Individuals with a pending A S application would need to pay the I- and I- filing fees with SCIS when renewing Advance Parole or mployment Authori ation.

iling fees for - petitions would increase from to ot including the additional Asylum Program ee .

iling fees for - petitions would increase from to , ot including the additional Asylum Program ee .

iling fees for or petitions would increase from to , ot including the additional Asylum Program ee .

iling fees for I- immigrant visa petitions would increase more modestly from to ot including the additional Asylum Program ee .

iling fees for online applications would be lower than paper-based applications. or instance, SCIS proposes a new filing fee of for I- applications filed online and for paper-based I- applications. Similarly, the proposed filing fee for online I- applications is and the proposed fee for paper-based I- applications is . SCIS views it less e pensive to process when forms are filed electronically. he proposed rule cites the increase of online filings during C I and encourages continued use of online filing at the same or a higher rate after the pandemic, S proposes a lower fee for online filing of immigration benefit re uests for which both paper and online filing options are available.

o encourage the naturali ation of awful Permanent esidents e.g. green card holders to .S. Citi ens, SCIS proposes a modest increase for the - application from to . ote his is not a legal advice

Bankruptcy Basics

. ankruptcy will actually improve your credit within one year because your unsecured debts are discharged. Although the bankruptcy will be in your records for years, not filing bankruptcy will make your credit even worse until most your debts are paid.

. If you are being sued by your creditors, most money udgment can be eliminated in bankruptcy.

. Collection actions continue and you can be sued if you are in debt settlement.

. Chapter will eliminate all unsecured debts. If you are near retirement age, you must eliminate most of your debts.

. ankruptcy will stop foreclosure actions. If your trustee sale date is days before, you can still file for bankruptcy.

. If your salary is being garnished, you have a court case about debts or you are being harassed by creditors, bankruptcy can stop garnishment, court cases, harassing creditors and eliminate the debt.

. ankruptcy is cheaper, faster and safer than debt settlement which has no guaranteed success.

. Preserve your health, eliminate stress and live a happy life.

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT

. P I I S S A CA I S

ur aw irm entered into agreement with nursing facilities in the .S. to process applicants for urses, and Caregivers in the S. e also process petition for caregivers from the Philippines or inside the S. ou may ualify if you have or license Inside or outside the United States ave caregiving e perience.

. I A S S - P he Coronavirus Cares Act Sick and amily eave for Self- mployed provides big ta refunds for self-employed individuals for ta years and . If you have filed your ta return and failed to avail of this refund contact us for consultation. he refund ranges from to per individual self employed depending on your income. Call our office at - - - for confidential consultation

C AI PAI A S

e help our clients recover from employers unpaid minimum wage and overtime. ndocumented workers are ualified to apply.

CAR ACCIDENTS ur aw irm successfully settled a car accident for . . FAMILY

e also handle uncontested I C .

PHL raises $3B from US-dominated global bonds sale

A I A - he ureau of reasury has raised billion from its “blockbuster S dollar-denominated bond sale.

he treasury bureau launched a S dollar-denominated bond offer with tenors of . years, . years, and years with the minimum goal of raising at least million.

he treasury bureau said strong demand helped them lower the interest rates to be paid on all of the bonds. emand for the bonds also pushed tender offers to reach . billion.

his is the second global bond offer under the Marcos administration following the US$2 billion triple tranche bond offering in ctober .

he -year sustainable bond offering is the fourth environmental, social and governance S bond offering and follows those offered in ctober last year, the P . billion four-tranche Samurai-bond in April , and the S . billion triple-tranche bond offering in arch last year.

he rate of the fresh . -year and . -year debt papers were priced at basis points bps and bps above similar tenor S reasuries, with a coupon of . percent and percent, respectively.

he coupon rates are basis points tighter than the initial price guidance of bps area and bps area, respectively.

In turn, the -year Sustainability bond was priced at . percent at par, bps tighter than initial price guidance of . percent area.

he government is e pected to settle the issuance this an. .

he blockbuster reception and tight pricing achieved in all tranches of our latest offering, despite coming on the heels of curtain-raisers done by other big-name sovereigns, reaffirms the distinction of Philippine credit as favored proposition even in times of uncertainties in the market landscape, ational reasurer osalia de eon said in a statement.

“It is both a reward for our masterful navigation of the pandemic crisis and a motivation to become a beacon for growth in a period of dimming global prospects, she added.

he maturities are set at uly , , uly , , and anuary , , respectively.

he term sheet for the offer shows the proceeds of the bonds will be used for general budget financing. Proceeds from the -year sustainability bonds will also be used for the refinancing of assets in line with the Philippines sustainable finance framework.

he robust demand for our first international bond offering in represents a strong vote of confidence by international investors. It is a testament to the epublic s sound economic fundamentals and the resilience of our economy in the face of volatile global financial markets, inance Secretary en amin iokno said, In a statement, Diokno said results of the government s initial bond offering this year “represents a strong vote of confidence by international investors.

Philippines’ external trade eases

CI he country s eternal trade in ovember eased on month-on-month basis, but trade deficit slightly went up.

he Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported that the country’s total trade in ovember amounted to S . billion, lower by . percent from the previous month s e ternal trade of S . billion.

Despite the decline in total trade during the month, balance of trade in goods incurred a higher deficit amounting to S . billion from S . billion in ctober .

oth e ports and imports decreased

in ovember.

port revenues fell by . percent month-on-month to S . billion from S . billion, while imports slipped by . percent to S . billion from S . billion.

ear-on-year, total trade in ovember rose by . percent from S . billion in the same month in . rade deficit narrowed by . percent from S . billion in ovember .

or the same period, e ports rose . percent from S . billion while imports slipped by . percent from S . billion.

Bangko Sentral chief eyes over 6% growth for PHL economy 2023

A I A angko Sentral ng Pilipinas SP overnor elipe edalla is optimistic of an above percent growth for the domestic economy this amidst pro ected slower global output.

Medalla said pent up demand in the tourism sector and car sales, among others, remain high and continue to be served as the economy is reopened further.

he economy is strong and the pent-up demand will continue driving the economy this year, he said.

he government s growth assumption for this year has been slashed from . to

percent to between to percent primarily due to the e pected slower growth in advanced economies.

conomic growth, as measured by gross domestic product P , in the first three uarters of averaged at . percent, e ceeding the . to . assumption of economic managers.

edalla said the basis points uptick in the central bank’s key rates last year is not e pected to immediately hit domestic demand since people continue to spend following the lockdowns when the pandemic hit in .

Metro filmfest tops P500 million gross sales target, summer edition readied

“Deleter” taking home the most trophies, including Best Picture.

Among the 7-trophy haul of “Deleter” were Best Director for Mikhail Red, Best Actress for Nadine Lustre, as well as Best Cinematography for Ian Guevarra.

The romance thriller “Nanahimik Ang abi, meanwhile, clinched five awards in total, including 3rd Best Picture, Best Actor for Ian Veneracion, and Best Supporting Actor for on Confiado.

Winning 2nd Best Picture was “Mamasapano: Now It Can Be Told,” which received three other awards, including Best Screenplay for Eric Ramos.

Meanwhile, the inaugural summer edition of the Metro Manila Film

The summer MMFF was originally supposed to launch in 2020 but was delayed due to the COVID-19 lockdowns and was postponed anew in 2021 and 2022.

Artes earlier said the MMFF 2022 reached a total of P500 million in gross ticket sales. he op films in no particular order are: “Deleter,” “Family Matters,” “Labyu with an Accent,” and “Partners in Crime.”

Artes said the film festival is a certified bo office hit .

With the theme “Balik Saya,” all the eight films were shown in cinemas nationwide from Dec. 25, 2022 up to Jan. 7, 2023, and now extended until Jan. 13, 2023.

“Rest assured that the MMFF will e ert all efforts by encouraging our

MANILA The Metro Manila Film Festival 2022 reached a total of P500 million in gross ticket sales, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chairman Atty. Romando Artes reported”We are delighted to announce that we were able to reach our target gross sales amounting to P500 million considering that we are still recovering from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Indeed, the is a certified bo -office hit, Artes said in a statement.

Artes said that the op films in no particular order are: “Deleter,” “Family Matters,” “Labyu with an Accent,” and “Partners in Crime.”

Sources said “Deleter” was the top grosser with over P200 million in tickets sold.

“Rest assured that the MMFF will e ert all efforts by encouraging our stakeholders, especially the local entertainment industry, to create quality films. I urge each and every one of you to patroni e ilipino films, Artes said.

All films shown in cinemas nationwide will be extended until January 13.

Last December, the 48th Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) handed out awards to stars and talents involved in this year’s eight competing entries, with the psychological horror

estival will be launched finally this year after several delays due to the lockdowns imposed during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Artes said that the Metro Manila Summer Film Festival will be launched in April, in partnership with the Cinema Exhibitors Association of the Philippines (CEAP).

“We will release the deadline of submission of entries as early as we can so that interested producers and filmmakers may be guided accordingly,” Artes said.

The Parade of Stars for the MMFF Summer edition will be held on April 1, while the awards night will take place on April 11. Screenings will run for an 11-day period, from April (Black Saturday) to April 18, in cinemas nationwide.

stakeholders, especially the local entertainment industry, to create quality films. I urge each and every one of you to patroni e ilipino films, he said.

Meanwhile, Artes said the MMDA would launch the Metro Manila Summer Film Festival in April, in partnership with Cinema Exhibitors Association of the Philippines.

“We will release the deadline of submission of entries as early as we can so that interested producers and filmmakers may be guided accordingly,” he said.

The Parade of Stars for the MMFF Summer Edition will be held on April 1 and the Awards Night on April 11.

The Metro Manila Summer Film Festival will run from April (Black Saturday) to April 18, in cinemas nationwide

The MMFF Parade of Stars featuring the oat of one of the ovie entries Deleter on Dec. , .

Dolly de Leon outvoted for Golden Globe award

There is no zenith or summit, only the process of struggling to be better in your craft, to be kinder as a person,” she said.

De Leon said her achievement has opened a wider opportunity and appreciation for Filipinos, but of more significance to her is continuing her pursuit to become a better actor and human being.

award for a Marvel-based movie.

“The late Tony Morrison said that your life is already a miracle of chance ust waiting for you to order its destiny,” Bassett said as she accepts the award. “But in order for that destiny to manifest, I think that it requires courage to have faith. It requires patience, as we ust heard.

Angela Bassett took home the trophy for Best Supporting Actress for ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ in the 2023 Golden Globe Awards, beating an impressive line-up of nominees, including Filipino veteran theater actress Dolly de Leon.

Despite the loss, De Leon will keep the historic title as the first ilipino actress to be nominated in the prestigious award-giving body for her memorable role as Abigail in the satirical dark comedy “Triangle of Sadness.”

Prior to the awards show, de Leon described her Golden Globe nomination -- a first for any ilipino talent – that it is not the “be-all or end-all” of her life and career, ABS-CBN reported.

“I am hoping na manalo tayo but if another actress wins, then she also deserves it,” she previously said.

“Somebody asked me when I realized I have ‘arrived.’ What is that?

De Leon is also the first ilipino to win the best supporting performer award at the Los Angeles Film Critics Association. She will personally receive the award on January 14 in Los Angeles. She is also regarded as a strong contender in the Academy Awards’ best-supporting actress nominations.

She will be seen next in the new ABS-CBN series “Dirty Linen” where she plays a pivotal role.

Dolly de Leon was recognized by the National Society of Film Critics at their recent convention held Saturday.

The National Society of Film Critics, which is made up of 62 of the United States’ most prominent movie critics, held its 57th annual awards voting meeting online using a weighted ballot system. Fifty-four members participated in the vote.

Based on the list released by the film critic organi ation, de eon was the third-best supporting actress with points.

Bassett, according to CNN, became the first ever actress to win a ma or

“It requires a true sense of yourself,” she also said. “It’s not easy because the past is circuitous and it has many unexpected detours, but, by the grace of God, I stand here. I stand here grateful.”

Bassett also dedicated her award to “Black Panther” star Chadwick Boseman, who died of colon cancer in 2020.

e embarked on this ourney together with love,” the actress said. “We mourned, we loved, we healed. We were surrounded each and every day by the light and the spirit of Chadwick Boseman.”

This was Bassett’s second Golden Globe Award after winning Best Actress in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy in 1994 for “What’s Love Got To Do With It,” portraying the iconic singer Tina Turner.

The Golden Globe Award is presented annually by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association in recognition of outstanding achievement in motion pictures and television during the previous year.

The award-giving body recognizes achievements in 25 categories: 14 in motion pictures and 22 in television.

California-based Filipino beauty expert joins all-female selection committee

Yes, Virginia. A Filipino beauty expert is part of a powerhouse, all-female selection committee for the ongoing Miss Universe pageant in New Orleans, Louisiana.

The Filipino expert is Olivia Quido-Co, owner of California-based O Skin Med Spa. She was tapped as a member of the 10-woman panel, which was announced by the Miss Universe organization.

Other members of the committee include former titleholders Ximena Navarrete and Wendy Fitzwilliam, and Miss USA 2015 Olivia Jordan.

Earlier, it was announced that Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray will be one of the backstage commentators in the upcoming 71st Miss Universe.

The Filipina-Australian beauty queen will be joined by Emmy-winning TV host Zuri Hall of the “Ameri-

can Ninja Warrior” and “Access Hollywood.”

American TV host Jeannie MaiJenkins and Miss Universe 2012 Olivia Culpo were confirmed to be the main hosts of the pageant.

Quido-Co started her career as an esthetician in the US back in 2003. She has since cemented her place in the beauty industry, having earned numerous accolades including as one of the top woman entrepreneurs in Los Angeles.

Her O Skin Med Spa’s past clients also include beauty queens, Filipino celebrities, and Hollywood stars alike.

Over 80 hopefuls, including Philippine bet Celeste Cortesi, and Filipino-American Miss USA R’Bonney Gabriel will vie for the coveted Miss Universe crown during the pageant slated for Jan. 14 (Jan. 15 Manila time).

Kim Molina, Jerald Napoles team

up anew in feel-good movie

Reel and real-life couple Kim Molina and Jerald Napoles are teaming up once again in Girlfriend Na Pwede Na, Viva’s opening salvo this 2023. The romantic comedy, in cinemas on January 18, also stars Gab Lagman.

The story follows Pam (Kim Molina), the “okay” girlfriend who is in her late s. Pam has been longing to finally move on to the next chapter of her life and marry her longtime boyfriend Jiggs (Gab Lagman). Despite their seven-year relationship, Jiggs has given no hints in popping the question to Pam. As it turns out, he is not so sure that Pam is the one for him. Hurt and insulted, Pam breaks up with Jiggs but regrets it almost immediately after realizing that Jiggs still owns her heart.

Instead of moving on from her now ex-boyfriend, Pam formulates a plan to make Jiggs want her back and make him realize that Pam is the one for him. With help from her friends, they will hire and

create the perfect guy to make Jiggs jealous. This guy would be Isko (Jerald Napoles), a simple Buko Juice vendor who, in exchange for a good amount of money, agrees to pretend and be the perfect boyfriend for Pam.

hat was at first a fake and forced relationship turns into a happy companionship as Pam and Isko’s humor jive perfectly, and realize that they also have a lot in common. Jiggs and their friends also begin to notice a change in Pam and her growing closeness with Isko.

Jiggs becomes jealous and now tries to pursue Pam once more – this could be the perfect ending for Pam’s original plan, but the catch is Pam is now starting to see Isko in a different light and might be falling for him.

Girlfriend Na Pwede Na is directed by a seasoned screenwriter and filmmaker, and Gawad Urian nominated director Benedict Mique.

PHL Consul General urges support for Filipino films in Sundance film

precede the in-person screenings of the American feature film ast hings . his Sambal short film marks the very first participation of a ilipino woman director, and of a film from ambales, in the film festival s short films program. ore information on It s aining rogs utside is available on the Sundance website https festival. sundance.org program film a b dd d e

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On the other hand, the Filipino American short film hen ou eft e n hat oulevard will be featured during the Short ilm Program , which will be screened both in person and online.

ickets for the in-person screenings of the short film programs will go on sale beginning anuary at https festival.sundance.org tickets , while the sale of the plorer Pass for online screenings is ongoing at the aforementioned website. or information on the in-person and online screening dates of the Short ilm Program , which includes hen ou eft e n hat oulevard, visit the Sundance website https festival.sundance.org program shortinfo a c d b b f df et us support the ilipino creative industry by watching our films at the Sundance ilm estival, and contribute in promoting the immense talent of ilipinos around the world, errer said. araming salamat, at mabuhay ang pelikulang Pilipino , he added.

SAN FRANCISCO - The Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco has called on the Filipino American community to support and watch the Filipino films in the Sundance ilm estival slated in tah on anuary to .

“With great pride, the Philippine Consulate General in San rancisco is pleased to invite members of the ilipino American Community in the .S. Pacific Northwest and the Rocky Mountains to watch the ilipino films participating in the Sundance ilm estival in tah from to anuary , Consul eneral eil rank errer said in a statement.

Considered the largest independent film festival in the nited States, the Sundance ilm estival marks the return of in-person screenings at the Sundance Resort, and in Park City and Salt Lake City in tah after two years.

his year s festival will feature two entries from the Philippines, In y other s Skin and It s aining rogs utside and the ilipino American short film hen ou eft e on hat oulevard.

he ilipino feature film In y other s Skin will be shown during the idnight Section, and will be screened only in person. Set in orld ar II, the film follows the tale of a daughter risking everything, even placing her fate in the hands of a flesh-eating fairy, ust to save her mother.

Single film tickets for in-person screenings will go on sale beginning anuary at https festival. sundance.org tickets . or information on the screening dates of In y other s Skin, visit the Sundance website Program uide Sundance ilm estival

he ilipino short film It s aining rogs utside Ampangabagat in alakba a ikol will

Assessor offers relief to those hit by storms

Filing a misfortune calamity claim jumpstarts the process

have sustained a minimum of , in damage or destroyed entirely may be eligible for a refund of ta es already paid and lower annual ta bills until the property is repaired or rebuilt.

Claim forms for isfortune Calamity relief can be accessed by calling the isaster elief otline at - or online at assessor.lacounty. gov disaster-relief or connect on social media ACAssessor.

Penalty Cancellation Relief

How did raising rates help fight inflation

ast year , the ederal eserve raised its key federal funds rate seven times something it hasn t done as aggressively since the s. he hope was so it can slow down the economy enough to moderate price growth. In other words, to balance out supply and demand.

LOS ANGELES, CA – Los Angeles County Assessor eff Prang is reminding property owners in the path of the recent torrential rainstorms that they may be eligible for ta relief.

he recent spate of winter storms have caused significant damage and in some cases devastating losses, Assessor eff Prang said. I want to remind property owners that you may be eligible for property ta relief that could save you money on your ta es as you move forward.

y filing a claim for isfortune Calamity relief within one year of the incident, properties that

he os Angeles County reasurer and a Collector is aware that property owners impacted by the storms and first responders may not be able to pay their second installment of their - Annual Secured Property a es by the delin uency date of April , , and will be sub ect to a penalty. hose constituents may file for a penalty cancellation at https ttc.lacounty.gov penaltycancellation-re uest- or submit a paper re uest by calling - , - or - .

Also, Assessor Prang encourages residents to use the County s general information phone number of or online at https lacounty.gov recovery to get information about other services offered during the recent slate of heavy storm weather.

ut how does raising interest rates do that, e actly hen you get a loan from a bank for e ample, when you re buying a house an interest rate is attached to that loan. he interest rate is the price you pay to borrow the money.

anks need to borrow money, too. Instead of borrowing directly from other banks, they look to the ederal eserve America s central bank. Its primary role is to provide a safe and reliable financial system for the .S. by maintaining deposit accounts for banks.

hen banks need to borrow money, they look to other banks that have deposit accounts with the ed that may be in a surplus.

And ust as with any other loan, the banks are charged an interest rate for borrowing money. It is this percentage, known as the federal funds rate, that the ederal eserve helps set with its interest rate announcements.

ow the federal funds rate influences parts of the economy

ut how could one interest rate have so much influence on the broader economy anks pass on the cost of a higher federal funds rate to their customers when those customers want to access regular lending products.

he best e ample is the prime rate. his is the interest rate banks charge their most creditworthy borrowers, like large corporations. or several decades now, the rule of thumb has been that the prime rate is e uivalent to the federal funds rate plus . So, with the new federal funds target rate at between . and . , the new prime rate at the upper range would be at . . he percentage difference is supposed to cover the cost of processing a bank loan.

Changes in the prime rate, in turn, drive up the cost of borrowing for all other loan products, like real estate and vehicle purchases, as well as revolving debt such as credit cards. As of hursday, mortgage rates are climbing above .

As the theory goes, if it s more e pensive to borrow money or carry a balance on a credit card, consumers will spend less. hen spending declines, demand will fall and, eventually, so will the price of everyday goods. hus reverse inflation should in effect.

here is a risk, however. conomists warn the combination of higher borrowing costs, high inflation, and slower growth could tip the .S. economy into a recession. he ederal eserve Chair Powell should choose its moves carefully.

oes raising interest rates actually work ederal eserve chairman erome Powell has said he is seeking to bring demand more in line with supply. ut the global supply chain for a wide array of products has been severely constrained over the course of the pandemic, due in part to strict Covidpolicies in China where many mass-produced goods are sourced.

his second uarter of the year will be a big indicator of how our economy will move forward. As far as mortgage rates which most likely will affect all of us will remain high till then.

hanks for your in uiries and please call en o of st Innovative inance roup - - or write to kennethgo veri on.net CA S

New sports chief assumes post at PSC, assures no delays on financial aid to athletes

MANILA – Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) chairman ichard achmann s first order of mission for the PSC manpower o delays on the financial support that PSC provides the athletes.” achmann, on his very first flag raising ceremony as the sports agency s th chairman, made clear his intent to be of service to the athletes.

un ang pinaka urgent na bagay para matulungan natin sila It s the most urgent thing so that we can help them . If there is any delay of allowances of any athlete, paki delay din yung akin. y salary also. ive me the names of those athletes, give me the names of the SAs national sports associations , ako na yung maghahabol I will fi it . ecause, when I say that there is no delay in allowances, I m going to make it happen, achmann said.

e also laid down his plans to bring back free meals for the members of the Philippine team.

e encouraged the PSC workforce to come to him if they have any suggestions or thoughts they want to share relative to the service they carry-out for their cli-

ents.

I work best when I am on the ground - talking and listening to people I am supposed to serve, achmann said. I would rather go to the athlete, and I also encourage our Commissioners to do the same.

Bachmann, who was joined by Commissioners Edward ayco, livia ong Coo and alter orres, plans to take up a four-point priority plan with his commissioners as they hold a board meeting on ednesday.

Aside from supporting the athletes, achmann also assured the PSC family that they are part of his priority as he addressed them uesday saying, kayo rin ay mga

Ps you are also most valuable players , because of the work you do to support our athletes.

he PSC employees also greeted achmann, who will be celebrating his birthday on an. .

I want to assure everyone that I am here to be of service. Period. o personal agenda. I am here to serve our national athletes, the SAs and the PSC organi ation,” he said. (PNA)

Filipinas placed in Pot 1 of Olympic qualifier draw

A I A he Philippine women s football team is on track to cruising past the first round of the Paris lympic ualifiers this April.

he ilipinas, ranked rd in the world and th in Asia, have been placed in Pot of the upcoming group draw on hursday at the Asian ootball Confederation head uarters in uala umpur along with ietnam, Chinese aipei, hailand, yanmar, bekistan and India.

In Pot are Iran, ordan, ong ong, Indonesia, epal, yrgy stan and ongolia while Pot consists of Palestine, Singapore, urkmenistan, angladesh, ebanon, aikistan and imor este.

he last pot, Pot , consists of Sri anka, aldives, Pakistan, hutan and the unranked s uad Afghanistan.

ith the I A omen s orld Cup-bound ilipinas in Pot , they are e pected to top the group they would end up in in the first round of the lympic ualifiers from April - .

he top team from each of the seven first-round groups will oin outright second-round ualifiers orth orea, apan, Australia, China, and South orea in the ne t phase of the oad to Paris.

he second-round teams will be divided into three groups of four, and the top team from each group plus

he team formerly known by the moniker alditas made it to the second round of the okyo lympic ualifiers but failed to make the inal after bowing to Chinese aipei in their last match in the said round.

Melindo beats Thai champ, gets OPBF title

C CI ormer world champion ilan l etodico elindo displayed his old winning form, beating hai Chaiwat uatkrathok via unanimous decision and winning the riental and Pacific o ing ederation P silver featherweight title in front of Cebuano bo ing fans on anuary at the Cebu City Sports Center (CCSC).

elindo, , the former International o ing ederation I and International o ing rgani ation

I world light flyweight champion, did the works with his sleek moves and timely counterpunches to outperform the visiting hai champion.

After ten rounds, elindo got the favor of the three udges. lmo Coloma and Arnel Pasion scored - , while dwin arrientos scored - , all for elindo.

In the co-main event, elindo s stablemate, it Ceron arces suffered his first defeat at the hands of oli ames a uilan.

a uilan walked away with a unanimous decision victory after all three udges scored the bout - . arces dropped to a - win-loss record with four knockouts but remained the orld o ing oundation Australasian flyweight champion.

eanwhile, a uilan of Compostela alley improved to a - win-loss card with three knockouts after his back-and-forth battle against arces of alisay City, south Cebu.

ith the victory, elindo is on track to break into the orld o ing Council C global rankings in pursuit of becoming a world champion anew.

the best second placer will dispute the two lympic spots in two home-and-away playoff series.

New Philippine Sports Commission Chairman Richard Bachmann

A A , Calif. Pacific as and lectric Company P continues responding to the intense series of winter storms impacting orthern and Central California and has mobili ed its largest storm response effort in company history.

his effort has enabled the restoration of more than . million customers who lost power since the initial storm in the series began on ew ear s weekend, with about of customers restored in hours. As of today at noon, ust over , customers are without power amid this historic storm system.

P teams got prepared and in position before the first storm rolled in on ew ear s ve weekend to lessen the impact of these storms. As we make assessments, we will restore power as uickly as safety allows. Challenging conditions could delay our efforts and e tend our customers outages, but we won t rest until our last customer is safely restored, said Adam right, P s ecutive ice President of perations and Chief perating fficer.

uring storms of this magnitude, P concurrently begins assessments and restoration as soon as it is safe to do so. If restoration is not possible uickly, P will provide an estimated time of restoration within hours for customers who will have e tended outages.

P has more than , dedicated personnel currently responding to the storm, including contractors and mutual aid from Southern California, Canada, Colorado, Idaho, ew e ico, regon, tah, ashington, isconsin and yoming, with additional resources e pected to arrive and assist in the coming days. undreds of P employees are serv-

ing in the company s mergency perations Center as well as in regional and divisional emergency centers.

Winter Storm Series Continues

he latest atmospheric river event impacting P s service area began overnight on Saturday, an. , with conditions intensifying again on Sunday, an . he storm delivered another round of strong winds, heavy rain, snow, and thunderstorms that is e pected to continue through uesday. Additional adverse weather is e pected late this week through ne t weekend.

Customer Support

o support customers e periencing etended outages due to the challenging conditions caused by the weather systems, P has provided

early , go bags with water, snacks, a battery pack for charging devices and blankets at warming centers in l orado, umboldt, San ateo, Sonoma and olo counties. how can people know where these centers are located

wenty megawatts of temporary generation currently operating and serving about , customers. his is out of a total of megawatts of temporary generation P deployed throughout the system to prepare for this storm system.

P is coordinating with its community-based partners to offer support to customers in need. P partners with the California oundation for Independent iving Centers to offer support for older adults and people with disabilities through the isability isaster Access and esources Program. As well, as the California etwork of - - who can connect customers to resources in their local communi-

ties.

Keeping Customers Informed

Customers can view real-time outage information at P s online outage center and search by a specific address, by city or by county. his site has been updated to include support in languages.

Additionally, customers can sign up for outage notifications by te t, email, or phone. P will let customers know the cause of an outage, when crews are on their way, the estimated restoration time and when power has been restored.

Storm Safety Tips

ever touch downed wires If you see a downed power line, assume it is energi ed and e tremely dangerous. o not touch or try to move it and keep children and animals away. eport downed power lines immediately by calling - - and then P at - -.

se generators safely Customers with standby electric generators should ensure they are properly installed by a licensed electrician in a well-ventilated area. Improperly installed generators pose a significant danger to customers, as well as crews working on powerlines. If using portable generators, be sure they are in a well-ventilated area.

se flashlights, not candles uring a power outage, use battery-operated flashlights and not candles, due to the risk of fire. And keep e tra batteries on hand. If you must use candles, please keep them away from drapes, lampshades, animals and small children. o not leave candles unattended.

ave a backup phone If you have a telephone system that re uires electricity to work, such as a cordless phone or answering ma-

chine, plan to have a standard telephone or cellular phone ready as a backup. aving a portable charging device helps to keep your cell phone running.

ave fresh drinking water and ice ree e plastic containers filled with water to make blocks of ice that can be placed in your refrigerator free er to prevent food spoilage.

urn off appliances If you e perience an outage, unplug or turn off all electrical appliances to avoid overloading circuits and to prevent fire ha ards when power is restored. Simply leave a single lamp on to alert you when power returns.

Safely clean up After the storm has passed, be sure to safely clean up. ever touch downed wires and always call - - or visit e press. com at least two full business days before digging to have all underground utilities safely marked.

ther tips can be found at Safety and Preparedness, Storm Safety, and Safety Action Center.

o view a public briefing that took place at P. . anuary , click here. or additional media resources visit www.pge.com mediaresources.

About PG&E

Pacific as and lectric Company, a subsidiary of P Corporation S PC , is a combined natural gas and electric utility serving more than million people across , s uare miles in orthern and Central California. or more information, visit www.pge.com and http www.pge.com about newsroom . ou can read about P s data privacy practices here or at P .com privacy.

as far as os Angeles.

ilton ancheria has struggled for decades to regain federal recognition, reclaim our land and improve the lives of our people, said ribal Chairman esus arango. e are e tremely proud of Sky iver. It represents the future and has put our ribe on the path to self-sufficiency. e are firmly committed to serving our members and our community, and we invite guests of all backgrounds and ethnicities to visit Sky iver Casino and en oy the uni ue e periences we offer.

Carrie ordon, P of arketing of Sky iver Casino, warmly welcomed the esteemed members of the Chinese, ietnamese, orean, ilipino, Southern Asian, apanese,

and mong media, e are honored and grateful to have the support of the Asian edia in attendance. he said.

hat you will find with our property is our commitment to enhancing the appeal to every one of your senses that has made Sky iver Casino the eight of ospitality, an unsurpassed standard for comfort and lu ury, ordon added.

he , -s uare-foot casino boasts table games including accarat, Pai ow, and more, as well as over , slot machines. he Sky iver Casino igh imit oom is also available to enhance the guest e perience.

Carrie further highlighted Sky iver Casino s Asian-friendly environment and more specifically, the Sky iver Asian logo transformation. his logo with the ermillion ird, noble and elegant, symboli es prosperity and elegance, bringing pride and prosperity to all Asian guests.

She also introduced various ost eams that accommodate the diversity and backgrounds of the casino guests. he Asian ost eams are fluent in Chinese, ietnamese, orean, agalog and other Asian languages. Sky iver ospitality team is e tremely detailed oriented so as guests are ensured to have a rela ed and en oyable visit.

ager to reaffirm its support and commitment to the community, Sky iver Casino is always looking for ways to improve and grow. he addition of the newly opened ragon eau , featuring dim sum and hot pot cuisine, is ust one of the many multiple dining options that Sky iver Casino has to offer, including he arket at Sky iver, a one-ofa-kind marketplace featuring uni ue restaurants and a variety of cuisines and flavors by popular local chefs.

Join Sky River Rewards

Sky iver ewards, is one of the most hi-tech rewards programs among casinos in

orthern California, allowing guests cardless play, cashless wallet, and more. he Sky iver ewards card is your key to receiving points for all your activities and those points can be redeemed for ree Play or dining credits. ecome a Sky iver ewards member now to receive ree Play. o activate your ree Play, visit any slot machine and place a bet. Sky iver ewards enrollment can be done online using a computer, tablet, or phone with a camera.

About Sky River Casino

Sky River Casino was built the Wilton Rancheria in partnership with Boyd Gaming Corporation, which is building and managing the property for the tribe. The casino opened in August and includes 100,000 sq ft of gaming, slot machines, table games, and 17 bars and restaurants. To learn more, visit www.SkyRiver.com.

Sky iver Casino, the million comple built-in partnership between the ilton ancheria and oyd aming, today hosted the st Asian edia ay for over Asian edia who have traveled from the ay Area, Sacramento, lk rove, and

Back to the Future with Covid-19

ByPeter White

Covid-19 vaccines, testing, and treatments will no longer be free once the Public Health Emergency (PHE) expires on Jan. 11, even as the U.S. faces down a more infectious new subvariant XBB 1.5.

The new subvariant accounts for 75% of new infections on the East Coast and 40% of new cases in the country overall. oreover, the . subvariant contains five new mutations not found on Omicron, on which the current vaccine boosters are based. “It can evade antibodies better and infect human lung tissue easier than earlier strains,” said Dr. Ben Neuman, Chief Virologist of the Global Health Research Complex, Texas A , at an thnic edia Services news briefing an. .

Also speaking at the briefing were r. liver rooks, Chief edical fficer at atts ealthcare, who stressed the importance of continuing to get vaccinated, boosted, and tested, as XBB 1.5 emerges; Jill Rosenthal, Director of Public Health Policy at the Center for American Progress, who predicted a significant drop in people seeking treatment, testing, and vaccines as PHE ends; and Sophia Tan, a research data scientist at UC San Francisco, who discussed a novel new study published in Nature which studied the impact of Covid-19 in the prison population.

Dr. Ben Neuman, Chief Virologist of the Global Health Research Complex, Texas A&M, on new mutations in the latest Covid variants.

“Anyone who’s telling you that COVID is over is misinformed,” said Dr. Neuman, noting that in each of the last three years COVID was the third leading cause of death in the U.S. behind heart disease and cancer.

Neuman said Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) peaked in ovember and the flu season peaked in ecember. ut CVID-19 is not slowing down. So far it has not overwhelmed hospitals and some experts say it might not become as bad as the Omicron surge last year.

Neuman noted that the Omicron virus has seven or eight mutations compared to the original Alpha strain and the XBB has 12. “Based on the rapid rise, it would appear that it is living up to its genetic destiny. It appears that it is very infectious and is overcoming at least some components of immunity,” he said.

Americans have returned to work and resumed their lives as if the pandemic is over, noted Dr. Brooks. Many people have refused vaccines and stopped wearing masks.

Brooks treats COVID patients and talks to them about vaccine confidence, vaccine convenience, and vaccine complacency. He says public health messaging has failed to address

these “three Cs.”

He noted that only 15% of the U.S. population has received the updated, bivalent booster. Only one-third of older adults, who are most at risk of dying from Covid, have taken the updated booster. And there is a very low percentage of fully vaccinated children, as parents hold off because of fears based on misinformation.

“It’s our job to get the community vaccinated. So when I hear we’re not getting vaccinated anymore, to me that’s just a challenge. I can’t stop,” said Brooks. “If you get vaccinated you are not only protecting yourself but also your community. “ hen the pandemic began three years ago, supplies of tests and masks could not keep up with COVID’s advance. The country could be caught flat-footed again.

ast arch, the hite ouse asked Congress for . billion in emergency spending that would replenish funds for testing, treatments, vaccines and other COVID-related infrastructure. But Congress rejected the request in the 2023 budget bill.

Jill Rosenthal, Director of Public Health Policy at the Center for American Progress, on what funding shortfalls mean for future pandemic preparedness.

“That short-sighted failure to invest in the response leaves us without the tests, treatments and vaccines we need going forward and leaves us unable to continue to track the disease and unprepared for future surges,” said Jill Rosenthal of CAP. ithout the money to pay for it, the hite ouse abandoned its National Preparedness Plan. Unlike the past two years, people without health insurance will have to pay for vaccines which now cost the government .

The U.S. government bought 20 million doses of Paxlovid at each but supplies are e pected to run out by . he price for Paxlovid on the private market is expected to skyrocket by then.

Once PHE ends, people enrolled in private insurance and the Affordable Care Act will once again have to pay co-pays for testing, vaccines, and treatments in the same manner they did before PHE. An estimated 27.5 million people in the U.S. are uninsured: they will have to pay for the full price for testing, vaccines, and treatments.

“In the new budget that just passed, the federal budget allows states to disenroll people from Medicaid at the end of the first uarter of . hen that happens, people can lose their Medicaid coverage which provides access to vaccines and treatments,” said Rosenthal. Medicaid covers low-income people and older adults, who are most at risk for getting infected and sick from Covid. For example, Latino and Black adults who have had higher rates of workplace exposure to COVID have had higher rates of COVID and then eventually long COVID.

r. liver rooks, Chief edical fficer at atts ealthcare, on racial disparities in Covid treatment.

“So once again, there is disproportionate impact on vulnerable communities. It’s very concerning not to have federal commitment to continue to respond to the pandemic because we don’t know where it’s going,” she stated.

Some states, including California and Rhode Island, are looking at ways that they can automatically enroll people who are going to lose Medicaid coverage into low-cost marketplace plans. Oregon has developed a bridge health program which will allow existing Medicaid members who earn a certain percent of the federal poverty level to stay enrolled in Medicaid, said Rosenthal.

Researchers from University of California San Francisco and UC Berkeley had some good news. They looked at breakthrough infections, reinfections, and people who had both in California prisons and published their findings last week.

“The question that we were really wondering is what are the benefits from vaccination in terms of preventing the future transmission of COVID,” said Tan of UC San Francisco.

hey couldn t find better test sub ects than inmates living in close quarters whose movements are highly regulated. Researchers tested, traced infections and secondary cases, tracking the virus as it spread through the prison population.

Results showed that any type of vaccine had a 22% reduction in infectiousness; one or two prior infections reduced it by 23%; inmates with both prior vaccination and prior infection had 40% reductions in their infectiousness.

“So, not only do vaccines ideally protect you from getting infected, but if you do get infected, we see that there’s this hidden benefit that they are preventing and reducing the risk of you transmitting disease to other people,” Tan said.

Social Security Update

GENERAL ENROLLMENT PERIOD FOR MEDICARE PART B

By G. Samson Social Security Public Affairs Specialist in the Bay Area

If you did not apply for Medicare Part B (medical insurance) within three months before or after turning age , you have another chance each year during the General Enrollment Period. The period runs from January 1 to March 31 every year.

If you don’t enroll in Part B when you re first eligible for it, you may have to pay a late enrollment penalty for as long as you have Part B coverage. Your monthly premium will increase 10% for each 12-month period that you were eligible for Part B but did not sign up for it. our coverage starts the first day of the month after you sign up.

To learn more about Medicare, please visit our edicare enefits page at www.ssa.gov benefits medicare. ou may also read our publication at www.ssa.gov pubs - - .pdf.

Please share this information with your friends and loved ones who may need it –and share it on social media.

Mr. Alfonso Escalante was approved for green Card by USCIS through the representa�on of A�y. Chris Caday Lozano

Georgia’s new AAPI caucus is one of the largest in the country

When Georgia’s General Assembly convenes in anuary for the legislative session, its first Asian American Pacific Islander caucus one of the largest in the country will get to work on tackling issues for a community that, until recent years, was long ignored by politicians.

hy it matters AAPI voter turnout in eorgia increased by between and , more than any state in the country, according to AAPI ata. Asian Americans are also the fastest-growing group of eligible voters in the country, growing by in the last four years, Pew esearch says.

eorgia s AAPI population is . , according to .S. Census data.

etails he caucus includes voting members nine emocrats and two epublicans for the session and two emeritus members former .S. Attorney and state ep. ay Pak and former state Sen. ahra arinshak.

hat they re saying State ep. Sam Park, who represents awrenceville and was the first Asian American emocrat elected to the legislature in , told A ios the caucus was formed to build a foundation to ensure that the Asian American community really does have

a seat at the table and an opportunity to continue to ensure that their voices are heard.

he caucus will work to increase hate crime protections against Asian Americans, fight racial and ethnic stereotypes, increase civic participation and bolster access to language, education and other social services.

es, and State Sen. r. ichelle Au, a emocrat of ohns Creek, said AAPI voters have long felt they were invisible and tend to be treated in a way that minimi es their presence and their impact. he Atlanta spa shootings on arch , , en-

ergi ed people in a way they may have not felt before, Au told A ios.

hile AAPI voters are not a monolith and all caucus members don t agree on everything, there are core issues that they can find common ground on.

ur strength is really in our numbers and not being able to be ignored in the way that sometimes people feel that we have been, she said.

Conte t AAPI voters were crucial in the outcome of the runoff election, said Asian American Advocacy und ecutive irector Aisha a oob ahmood.

f note he organi ation s affiliate groups knocked on more than , doors, placed a little more than , phone calls, dispatched nearly , te ts, and sent close to , pieces of mail for the runoff election, it said.

ahmood told A ios she hopes that mobili ation will translate into communities advocating for their rights at the old ome.

e re already hard at work because there are important policy issues that we know that we can gain momentum on ne t year, she said, adding a bill to make it easier for undocumented immigrants to get driver s licenses in eorgia.

Newsom presents 2023-24 state budget, seeks to safeguard California’s future

By Claire Morales True Managing Editor

SAC A ollowing his inauguration for a second term, overnor avin ewsom presented astate budget proposal which he describes maintains the state s unprecedented investments in Californians while fortifying the state s strong fiscal foundation amid economic and revenue uncertainties ahead.

ewsom was inaugurated to a second term alongside Californians in a celebration of freedom and democracy.

he overnor delivered his inaugural address with the historic State Capitol at his back, lifting up California s work to protect and advance the fundamental rights and freedoms under attack across the country amid rising e tremism and oppression, and underscoring the state s commitment to continue leading the way forward to prosperity and progress for all.

ith our state and nation facing economic headwinds, this budget keeps the state on solid economic footing while continuing to invest in Californians including transformative funding to deliver on universal preschool, e pand health care access to all and protect our communities, said overnor ewsom.

In partnership with the egislature, we ll continue to prioriti e the issues that matter most to Californians while building a strong fiscal foundation for the

state s future, he said in a statement sent to Philippine ews oday.

he overnor s budget proposal will provide free school meals to every student, create a new grade, e pand before- and after-school programs, forge pathways to debt-free college, protect Californians from climate change, epand health care and reproductive rights, cut costs for prescription drugs, build more housing, get people off the streets, and keep Californians safe. overnor ewsom and state law-

makers have dedicated tens of billions of dollars over the last several budgets to reserves and resiliency uilding healthy reserves liminating budgetary debt educing retirement liabilities and ocusing on one-time spending over ongoing investments. ecause of our prudent planning, the state is in the best position in recent memory to withstand the economic slowdown and declining revenues while safeguarding critical programs, he said. espite the slowdown impacting the

state s economic and revenue outlook this year, the state’s commitment to building reserves and budget resiliency over the last several years enables the - state budget proposal to sustain key investments reflecting the values and priorities of Californians. his includes ma or funding to transform our education system, address the homelessness crisis and housing affordability, increase health care access, tackle the climate crisis, keep Californians safe and epand economic development and growth across the state.

hrough strong fiscal planning, the overnor s proposed budget will protect core programs and invest in the state s future by continuing to:

Advance the highest state education per-pupil funding in history, free school meals for every child and universal transitional kindergarten

Implement historic investments to address homelessness and e pand housing supply

pand edi-Cal, cut prescription drug costs and bolster mental and behavioral health services

ight climate change and protect communities from flooding, drought, wildfires and e treme heat

Keep Californians safe through e panded efforts to combat fentanyl, organi ed retail theft and other crimes

Support economic development and small business across the state

In California, a long and pivotal history of interracial marriage

the “prudent, intelligent, sympathetic white man” who would “not marry unless he can see a reasonable chance of maintaining wife as well as children.”

As interracial marriage becomes more accepted and common nationally, California stands out. According to PEW, the state exceeds the national average of 17% of newlyweds being interracial couples, while the number of cross-cultural couples is also steadily growing, especially among Hispanics and Asians.

What explains these trends?

California is notably diverse: It’s no coincidence that two of the largest populations in the majority-nonwhite state are Hispanic (39.4%) and Asian (15.1%). But demographics alone do not fully reflect the complexity of interracial marriage in the US, which is closely tied to immigration policy, racial classification, and a centuries-long history of anti-miscegenation laws that were only fully overturned in 1967.

Historically, California has played a particularly consequential role in the legalization—and restriction—of interracial marriage in the US. Understanding these historical dynamics provides crucial context behind today’s data on interracial marriage in the state.

Immigration and interracial marriage

Anti-miscegenation laws have existed in California since statehood in 1850. Though the state’s Civil Code initially only restricted whites from marrying “negroes or mulattoes,” the wave of Chinese immigration during the Gold Rush prompted expansions of anti-miscegenation laws that affected other raciali ed groups.

Following German race theorist Johann Frederich Blumenbach’s widely accepted racial classification scheme, Chinese immigrants were classified as “Mongolians.” They were explicitly treated as a threat which demanded policy intervention. Delegates to California’s 1878 Constitutional Convention, for instance, pushed for restrictions on Chinese people’s rights over fears that they would “overrun us” or “Mongolize this land.”

“All marriages of white persons with negroes, Mongolians, members of the Malay race, or mulattoes are illegal and void.”

California Civil Code Section was amended in 1880 to restrict “Mongolians” from marrying whites.

Since most Chinese immigrants were men, interracial marriage was viewed as especially threatening to the white population. During the Convention, the chair of the Committee on Chinese explicitly contrasted the “Chinaman” with

The chairman’s words reveal how interracial marriage was intertwined with immigration. A crucial portion of anti-miscegenation laws, he stated, was restricting immigration to “the Anglo-Saxon race, or kindred varieties of men” worthy of the “great privilege of American citizenship.”

Such rhetoric also shows how racial classifications were neither scientific nor consistent. The convention was marked by confusion over what “Mongolian” exactly meant: Though the chairman explicitly identified Chinaman, other delegates included Native Americans, Black people, even Caucasians under the label. Instead, “Mongolian” explicitly became a shorthand for people of color perceived as criminals, foreign invaders, or other threats to white society. (Said one delegate: “If you expect to wipe out crime, you must wipe out the presence of the Mongolian in our midst.”)

Accordingly, in 1880, Civil Code Section 60 was amended to restrict “Mongolians” from marrying whites. However, the lived realities of people of color in the state continued to defy classification. Section 60 only restricted marriage with whites, allowing other people of color to marry: Sikh farm workers, for instance, circumvented anti-miscegenation laws to marry Mexican women, since both were considered “brown.”

Legal challenges to anti-miscegenation laws

Other racialized groups continued to challenge those laws in court by exposing inconsistencies in racial categorization. In 1933, Salvador Roldan, a Filipino man, was denied a marriage license to his white wife. He appealed, arguing that Filipinos should qualify as “Malayan”—and thus allowed to intermarry with whites—instead of “Mongolian.” In Roldan vs. Los Angeles the court agreed, settling contemporary debates over how to classify the Filipino population.

Marjorie Rogers and Salvador Roldan, 1931. (Credit EastWind)

The case had the potential to set an important precedent against antimiscegenation laws. Instead, it sparked instant backlash from white politicians. In the week after the decision, the California State Legislature promptly amended Section 60 to include “Malayans” in the list of races prevented from marrying whites, further entrenching interracial marriage restrictions in state laws.

Section 60 did not face another challenge until the 1940s, when the conscription of white men during World War II allowed women and other people of color to formally enter the workplace. This created opportunities for interracial relationships that did not exist before.

One such couple was Andrea Perez (whose race was listed as white, despite being Mexican American), and Sylvester Davis, a Black man. The couple was barred from marrying by Section 60 and appealed by arguing that anti-miscegenation laws violated their religious freedom.

In Perez vs. Sharp, the court agreed—but not solely on the basis of fi rst amendment rights. Importantly, the case fi nally affi rmed marriage as a “fundamental right of free men.” The majority opinion also explicitly refuted many racist arguments against interracial marriage and questioned the validity of previously accepted racial classifi cation schemes.

Pere created a domino eff ect against anti-miscegenation laws: 14 states subsequently struck down their interracial marriage bans. The rest were eliminated by the landmark Supreme Court case Loving vs. Virginia (1967), which cited Perez as a precedent. The case was also referenced in In re marriage cases, the California case which affi rmed gay marriage rights in 2008.

Though California played a pivotal role in offi cially legali ing interracial marriage, it would be decades until taboos surrounding cross-cultural couples began to fade across the state the nation.

Interracial marriage today

Recent interracial

marriage trends are heavily infl uenced by the Hart-Celler Act of 1965, which opened immigration to more Asian and Hispanic populations. Subsequently, as scholar Hsin-Yi Cindy Liu observed, interracial marriage became a sign of integration into mainstream US society. his trend is refl ected in California s increasing diversifi cation, as well as the over 200% increase in the state’s mixed race population from 2010 to 2020 alone.

Priscilla and Jose Gamez with their two children. Priscilla is the daughter of Hmong immigrants, while Jose traces his roots to both Indigenous Mexican and German ancestry. Their story is among those told in the California Love Stories project.

oday, couples benefi t from favorable public approval of interracial marriage—at a time where immigration and an increasingly diverse California creates more opportunities for it. Simultaneously, however, racism remains an ongoing issue in both the state and the nation. The racialization of the US border—a direct echo of past xenophobic rhetoric that restricted both immigration and interracial marriage—is a particularly relevant example.

This complex history creates different eff ects for couples of all diff erent races and cultural backgrounds. California Love Stories, a collaboration across 20 ethnic media outlets statewide, shows the lived experiences of interracial couples in a society that is, though more accepting than in the past, still racialized.

ltimately, their e periences refl ect the often comple , sometimes diffi cult, but ultimately rewarding dynamics at the heart of interracial marriage in today’s world.

ditor s ote his is the fi rst in a series of stories looking at interracial marriage in California. Reporters from 20+ ethnic media outlets turned the lens on multiracial couples in their communities. he stories off er intimate portraits of how people from California— as well as from all over the world fi nd and marry one another, creating a cosmopolitan culture in the state that has never existed before. While racial hate continues to rise, the epic story in California is one of love across all color lines. Visit California Love Stories to see more in the series.)

Upside...

(From Page 11)

her successful campaign this year for the North Carolina General Assembly House of Representatives to represent Strafford 21. The three-time cancer survivor with a PhD in Educational Measurement and Statistics is a 29-year psychometrician who wants immigrants and people of color to have the same opportunities that sent her to the state legislature.

Tennessee House Rep. District 52 Rep. Justin Jones calls himself a “servant leader not afraid to put his body on the line for his community.” The Oakland, California-born activist earned a bachelor’s in political science at Fisk University and is on track to gain a master’s in Theological Studies at Vanderbilt University. A Democrat, he was raised by a single mother while studying nursing, and his Black and Filipino grandmothers from whom he learned “the importance of community involvement, care for the environment, and spirituality.”

Nevada House of Representatives District 14 Rep. Erica osca is better known as s. osca to her fifth grade students. The Las Vegas Democrat and UNLV alum is an education advocate who believes: “The opportunity to attain a college education is the foundation, though not prerequisite, for underrepresented students to become diverse leaders of their own communities.”

Working as political aide to an Alaska Representative honed State House District 19 FilAm Rep. Genevieve Mina’s skills in communications and legislation development. The daughter of 1980s Filipino immigrants says she experienced injustice after her father suddenly died and the family ran their assisted living business but could not get health coverage themselves. The late helma uchholdt, the first ilAm elected state legislator in Alaska and perhaps the United States, would approve.

MANY FilAm incumbents and aspirants won local polls up and down California, Hawaii and other states. See http:// www.positivelyfilipino.com maga ine partner-filipino-americans-garnered-historical-victories-during-the-recently-heldmidterm-elections. - ADAPTED

To be continued

Offline

that the country’s president had managed to convince Xi to allow ilipino fishermen to fish in Philippine waters. Should I repeat that?

I shall not, just read it again, ladies and gentlemen. he president had managed to s uee e some magnanimity out of i, who most kindly allowed our fishermen to fish in the West Philippine Sea, as long as they don’t disturb the Chinese fishing vessels grabbing the lion s share of the sea food in the rich waters.

Please do not get me wrong. I may not be too cra y about Mr. Marcos, but I certainly do not want his presidency to fail. As long as he is trying to do a relatively good job, then I say let him.

Besides, I have a number of relatives who have interacted with him, and they’ve just about convinced me that he is a nice guy at heart. So I will continue to give him the benefit of the doubt.

But damn, there is one thing regarding his China trip that I hope he really has accomplished, and that would be his failure – yes, failure – to bring home the latest strain of COVID-19.

I am among those who feel that Mr. Marcos and his contingent should have moved that junket, I mean trip, to a much later date.

It’s in the news, folks. China is now in the middle of what I have to call a super surge of the coronavirus. Millions of Chinese citi ens have already been infected, and as many as a million of them are projected to die because of the spread of the dreaded disease.

By now, we also know that the coronavirus is an airborne disease. It’s in the air, and it’s everywhere.

If just one member of the contingent caught it, then it would have started to spread when they were inside the airplane that took them home.

Heading to China when it was in the middle of a massive surge was a mistake. He could have done it later this year, or five years from now. eck, his irritating son who is being groomed to succeed him may go to China 20 years from now, and Xi will most likely still be president.

So if, and only, if he did not bring the virus back with him, then I must congratulate Marcos, aka Junior. Not doing something that endangers the country could well be what makes him the best president yet.

And yes, boys and girls, that’s known as sarcasm.

Happy Year of the Water Rabbit, folks!

Immigrants Help

SUCCESS STORIES

(From Page 14)

For the month of December, 2022, we received approval from SCIS three naturali ation applications, two ianc e visa petition, two removals of condition on residence and four adjustment of status applications.

Note: If you have immigration problems write us a letter and we will reply to you with no initial obligation. he aw ffices of Crispin C. o ano can help you find a solution before your problem gets worse, which could lead to deportation and family separation. You may request a free consultation at one of our offices in ayward or Cerritos, CA, or by phone at - -. www.crispinlo anolaw.com, email at info ccllaw.net

Diliman Way

in battle never deters me from fighting again, guided by the following lines from Rudyard Kipling in his poem IF –

“If you can make one heap of all your winnings, And risk it in one turn of pitch and toss

And start again at your beginning

And never breathe a word about your loss.”

I have lost many battles, won some. But I never bother crying about defeats because the only person who has not lost a battle is he who has never fought one. Yes, I have lost so many battles but I have never lost a war.

hen, in the gubernatorial fight in isamis riental, in under martial law, I decided to throw my hat into the ring. I was in ue on City with my family practicing law. hen I told my wife, Marge, daughter of the late Provincial Governor of Misamis Oriental, Alfonso Dadole, that I was going home to run for governor, she asked me, “Do you have money?”

(From Page 12)

rooming of regional political parties eventually led to the birth of national political parties like Senator Jovito Salonga’s National Union for Liberation (NUL) Francisco “Kit” Tatad’s Socialist Party of the Philippines (SPP), Mayor Nene Pimentel’s Partido Demokratiko Pilipino (PDP), Senator Edgardo “Ed” Angara’s Laban ng Demokratikon Pilipino(LDP).and the giant of all political parties, the nited emocratic rgani ation I which toppled the regime of President Marcos.

es, en, it only takes a little spark to start a conflagration. hat little spark that led to the organi ation of I A A AIA C bloomed into a conflagration. All my life, I have always believed like some other good men that – it is better to light a candle than curse the darkness.

ore sparks and conflagrations n the last day of filing of certificates of candidacy for the interim Parliament, Secretary Antonio ony a ui a, a friend and client, came to our law office with a very urgent message, and said, “Bono, I just came from the Palace and the President sent me on urgent mission to see you and ask you to run under our ticket in Region Ten. Not only that. He also told me to tell you that you will be at the top of the ticket and Pelae will only place second to you.”

Without hesitation, I replied, “Manong, tell the President I cannot accede to his offer. ou see, I have already appeared many times in the papers that I’m heading a slate under the banner of MINDANAO ALLIANCE. What will the people say – that I have been bought. I cannot stand that as I will lose my character and integrity. As my late father said, when character is lost everything is lost.”

Secretary a ui a answered by a way of uestions. ut you have no money, no organi ation ow can you win

“Well, I will take my chances with the people,” I answered with finality.

The people: I took my chances with the people. Election was block voting and by region. MINDANAO ALLIANCE (MA) ran complete slates in Region 10 composed of the provinces of Misamis Oriental and Occidental, Agusan del Norte and del Sur, Surigao del Norte, Bukidnon and Camiguin and Region 11 composed of the Cotabato provinces, Davao provinces and Lanao Norte and del Sur. MA clobbered the Marcos boys of the KBL in the two regions. In Region 11 MA ran away with the election but lost the proclamation. In egion , the only survivor was ice-President Pelae as tail-ender but in the proclamation the only MA survivor was lawyer Reuben Canoy, former Mayor of Cagayan de Oro City and former Deputy Press Minister.

On the proclamation in Region 10, this is what happened in Malacañang in a morning meeting called by President Marcos with ice-President Pelae and Secretary a ui a in attendance. It started with President arcos asking Pelae a uestion. anny, what happened in your egion, you were clobbered by Ada a, Canoy and Geotina?”

Pelae immediately answered. o, r. President, that is not true. Only two of them won.”

ho arcos asked Pelae ..

Ada a and Canoy and we have to proclaim them as there will be trouble in the egion if we don t proclaim them, Pelae replied.

Alright, proclaim Canoy but not Ada a. arcos finally declared.

After that meeting, a ui called me by phone in Cagayan de Oro City and said, “Bono, I have news for you. I will borrow the plane of o uito Ablan to fly me to Cagayan de ro City and I will tell the news there. Please meet me at the airport.”

I met a ui a at the umbia Airport and he gave me the sad news after brunch. The is the story of Secretary a ui a as that I have written in the preceding paragraphs.

a ui a then told me to file a protest and I did. After one or two months, the COMELEC was burned together with my protest.

Such are the vagaries of elections and when you fight for od, country and people.

Succeeding little sparks: Defeat

I replied, “Yes, I have.”

“How much?” She asked

“Three thousand pesos, “ I answered.

Are you cra y, running for governor without money, without an organi ation and fighting President arcos and Pelae , the political kingpin of the province She asked me pu led by my bravado.

Meekly, I answered, ”The people will listen to me and I will be elected the next governor of Misamis Oriental”

She almost died laughing. But two weeks later, she followed me to Cagayan de Oro City, the capital of Misamis Oriental – a province of two cities and twenty-four towns. She gave me two hundred pesos to start my campaign and the rest is history.

I get elected Governor with a smashing majority of more than twenty thousand votes in a province with two hundred ninety-eight thousand registered votes then but only about two hundred thousand voted. Out of seventy-six provincial governors in the country, there werre only two survived in the Kilusan Bagong Lipunan (KBL) avalanche – Joey Laurel of Batangas and me in Misamis Oriental.

Why do I write these stories? It is done for three reasons – as participant and witness to history: to validate Ben Contreras thought that his friend ” can always be that little spark that could ignite a conflagration of radical ideas and the inspiring lines of one of my favorite poets, Edward Wadsworth Longfellow, in his famous poem, A Psalm of Life –

“Lives of great men all remind us, We can make our lives sublime.

And, departing leave behind us Footprints on the sands of time

Footprints which perhaps another Sailing o’er life’s solemn main

A forlorn and shipwrecked brother

Seeing shall take heart again.’

Health & Wealth

(From Page 12)

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(ART GABOT MADLAING is accredited and commissioned Notary Public and licensed Real Estate Broker (DRE #00635976) in California since1981. He is founder of MOBILE SIGNG SERVICES, FITNESS FOR HUMANITY (aka FITNESS FOR CHRIST) and ACAPINOY. Art is active Evangelist with the GOLDEN GATE CHURCH OF CHRIST in San Francisco, California USA. )

FROM ORIGINAL REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION FROM POSITIVELYFILIPINO.COM

(From Page 13)

WHO Member States agree to develop zero draft of legally binding pandemic accord in early 2023

A - ember States of the orld ealth rgani ation agreed to develop the first draft of a legally binding agreement designed to protect the world from future pandemics. his ero draft of the pandemic accord, rooted in the Constitution, will be discussed by ember States in ebruary .

he agreement by the Intergovernmental egotiating ody I , comprised of s ember States, was a milestone in the global process to learn from the C I - pandemic and prevent a repeat of the devastating impacts it has had on individuals and communities worldwide. he I gathered at head uarters in eneva from - ecember for its third meeting since its establishment in ecember , following a special session of the orld ealth Assembly.

he ody today agreed that the I s ureau will develop the ero draft of the pandemic accord in order to

start negotiations at the fourth I meeting, scheduled to start on ebruary . his draft will be based on the conceptual ero draft and the discussions during this week s I meeting. he I ureau is comprised of si delegates, one from each of the si regions, including the Co-Chairs r oland riece of the etherlands and s Precious atsoso of South Africa.

Countries have delivered a clear message that the world must be better prepared, coordinated and supported to protect all people, everywhere, from a repeat of C I - , said r riece, Co-Chair of the I ureau. he decision to task us with the duty to develop a ero draft of a pandemic accord represents a ma or milestone in the path towards making the world safer.

ellow I ureau Co-Chair, s atsoso, said

government representatives stressed that any future pandemic accord would need to take into account e uity, strengthen preparedness, ensure solidarity, promote a whole-of-society and whole- of-government approach, and respect the sovereignty of countries.

he impact of the C I - pandemic on human lives, economies and societies at large must never be forgotten, said s atsoso. he best chance we have, today, as a global community, to prevent a repeat of the past is to come together, in the spirit of solidarity, in a commitment to e uity, and in the pursuit of health for all, and develop a global accord that safeguards societies from future pandemic threats.

he pandemic accord is being considered with a view to its adoption under Article of the Constitution, without pre udice to also considering, as work progresses, the suitability of Article .

Coffee: benefits and risk

Cvere waves.

Heart of Hope

offee, the wakerupper for percent of adults in America, has been shown to have health benefits and also a risk among those who have severe hypertension, who drink more than one cup cc a day. It is a popular drink around the globe. inland is the world s highest consumer of coffee inns drink an average of nearly cups cc a day. ith all health factors ad usted, studies have shown that drinking coffee could decrease mortality and possibly offer lower risk for the development of heart attack and stroke, diabetes type , livers disease including cancer and Parkinson s, states a report from the ayo Clinic.

A recent apanese study among , men and women for a period of years found that among those with severe hypertension, drinking one cup of coffee a day was safe but or more per day was associated with increased mortality. Severe hypertension is defined as those with a systolic blood pressure of and a diastolic pressure of . he study was published in the ournal of the American eart Association.

Among normotensives and those with moderate high blood pressure talking medications , which were not part of this study, drinking cups or a day, could be safe, as suggested by data from other studies.

hose susceptible to the effect caffeine could develop cardiac arrythmias rapid or irregular heart beat , itters, nausea, and impaired sleep. iscuss any issues with your family physician, who is familiar with your detailed medical history and could advise you accordingly.

ithout any doubt, drinking a cup or two of coffee is safer that consuming any type or variety of soft drinks, cola or uncola, with or without artificial sweetener, is to ic to the body of everyone, especially to children. Soft drinks increase the risk for metabolic syndrome. Coffee does not.

Dominant virus

hile the . and . . subvariants started in India, mid-August and arrived in the SA ovember of micron C I - virus is highest around in California, the challenger currently taking over is the . . found in early following the holidays crowds of unmasked people around the country, many still unvaccinated. his has raised concerns about a new wave in the nited States. China is facing is various se-

As of last riday, there were of confirmed cases of . . , up from a week ago. Seventy-five percent of cases in the ortheast are confirmed . . cases. he replication and mutation to other variants and subvariants will continue until everyone has been vaccinated or has been infected. hen, we shall have herd immunity protection in the country. In the meantime, let us all get vaccinated fully and continue to wear a mask although vaccinated, since new strains of the virus could still infect us.

ntil a truly universal C I - vaccine is developed for all strains and future strains of the virus, even those fully vaccinated today could still be infected by new variants tomorrow.

As I have tried to simply the issue before, I suggested each C I - subvariant infection should be considered a different disease, and that the immunity conferred by the vaccines we received before for those past sub-strains, may not protect us from the newer variants. o prevent confusion, ust remember different strain creates a different disease, and a different vaccine is needed.

Masks, quarantine?

Is there still a need for masking, distancing, and uarantine during this new wave of C Ies, during this new wave of corona virus infection, with new sub-strains invading us, where the daily average death rate as of uesday is still around - a day, is it medically prudent for everyone, especially those vulnerable seniors and the immunocompromised, to continue wearing a mask in public, do social distancing, avoid crowds, and if infected, to do self- uarantine at home for at least from the onset of the first symptom. o confirm if infected after a suspected e posure or if symptoms like cough develops, do a rapid antigen home kit test, which edicare provides for free at stores like almart, etc. If in doubt, consult your physician.

ospitals across the nited States, are overwhelmed by cases of C I , SC, and lu, reported he ashington Post.

Potatoes, beans, diabetes

It is a common notion that potatoes and beans are carbohydrates that are bad for people with type diabetes mellitus. Consumption of carbs are, in general, not healthy for diabetics, and for that matter, for all of us, especially those who are overweight.

Contrary to conventional thinking, a recent study show data that low-energy bean and potato-based diets may be effective in helping reduce insulin resistance and promoting weight loss, as published in the ournal of

edicinal ood. Sweet potatoes and yams and their skin also provide a lot of fiber, which contributes to satiety and blood sugar management. hile the blood sugar did not drop, weight loss and reduced insulin resistance were found with the potato-bean based diet, which will help min the management of disbetes.

arger-scale independent global research is needed to confirm this valuable studies.

Food as medicine

Clinical studies investigated the link between protein consumption and caloric intake. Ama ingly, they found that people who ate less protein intake, consumed more fats and carbohydrates, resulting in higher obesity risk.

besity and its associated health issues are known as the leading cause of preventable and premature deaths, including diabetes, cardiac diseases, stroke, and cancer. In the year between and , the rate of obesity in the nited States soared from . percent to . percent.

he Protein everage ypothesis P was initially proposed in as a theory of obesity, postulating that if the body s protein needs are not met, fats and carbohydrate consumption goes up, dampening the satiety signals from the brain, increasing food intake.

A separate study noted that those who consumed more processed food items tended to eat more fats and carbohydrates, leading to weight gain. he lower protein intake at the first meal of the day led to the higher overall food intake throughout the day, according to this study published in the besity ournal.

Culinary medicine

Culinary medicine is a new evidence-based field in medicine that blends the art of food and cooking with the science of medicine. It uses a high- uality tailored diet to prevent and treat disease and maintain well-being.

Indeed, let s eat food as medicine today, so we do not eat medicine as food tomorrow

Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, a Cardiac Surgeon Emeritus based in Northwest Indiana and Las Vegas, Nevada, is an international medical lecturer/author, a Health Advocate, Chairman of the Filipino United Network-USA, a 501(c)3 humanitarian foundation in the United States. He is a recipient of the Indiana Sagamore of the Wabash Award in 1996, whose other awardees include: President Harry Truman, President George HW Bush, Astronaut Gus Grissom, Mohammad Ali, David Letterman. Websites: FUN8888.com and philipSchua. com Email: scalpelpen@gmail.com

PHILIP S. CHUA

INSPIRATIONAL ARTICLE FOR THE WEEK

AGING GRACEFULLY AND HAPPILY

By TIM PEDROSA

As we get older many of us feel unhappy, health-wise and security-wise, due to the diminishing importance given to us and our opinions. But, it should not be so, if only we understand the basic principles of life and follow them conscientiously. The secret to staying young is to live honestly, eat slowly and lie about your age – Lucille Ball. Here are some suggestions to age gracefully and make life after retirement pleasant, inspired by the writings of N. Jambunathan Lyer. Never say “I am old.” There are ages: chronological, biological and psychological. he first is calculated based on our date of birth; the second is determined by the health conditions; the third is how old we feel we are. hile we don t have control over the first, we can take care of our health with good diet, exercise and a cheerful attitude. A positive attitude and optimistic thinking can reverse the third age. Health is Wealth. If we really love our family and friends, taking care of our health should be our priority. Thus, we will not be a burden to them. Have an annual health check-up and take the prescribed medicines regularly. Do take health insurance coverage. Money is Important. Money is essential for meeting the basic necessities of life, keeping good health and earning family respect and security. We should not spend beyond our means even for our children. We have lived for them all through and it is time we enjoy a harmonious life with our spouse. If our children are grateful and they take care of us, we are blessed. But, never take it for granted. Relaxation and recreation are important. The most relaxing and recreational forces are a healthy religious attitude, good sleep, music and laughter. Have faith in God, learn to sleep well, love good music and see the funny side of life. Time is precious. It is almost like holding a horse’s reins. When they are in our hands, we can control them. Imagine that every day we are born again; yesterday is a cancelled check tomorrow is a promissory note today is ready cash, use it profitably. Live this moment; live it fully, now, in the present time. Change is the only permanent thing. We should accept change, it is inevitable. The only way to make sense out of change is to join in the dance. Change has brought about many pleasant things. Believe in enlightened selfishness. All of us are basically selfish. hatever we do, we e pect something in return. e should definitely be grateful to those who stood by us. ut, our focus should be on the internal satisfaction and the happiness we derive by doing well for others, without expecting anything in return and performing a random act of kindness daily. Forgive and forget. Don’t be bothered too much about others’ mistakes. We are not spiritual enough to show our other cheek when we are slapped in one. But for the sake of our own health and happiness, let us forgive and forget the hurt (but not the lesson we learned). Otherwise, we will be only increasing our blood pressure. Everything has a purpose. Let us take life as it comes; and accept ourselves as we are and also accept others for what they are. Everybody is unique and is right in one’s own way. Overcome the fear of death. We all know that one day we have to leave this world. Still we are afraid of death. We think that our spouse and children will not be able to withstand our loss. But the truth is no one is going to die for us; they may be depressed for some time. Time heals everything and they will go on. There is a fountain of youth: it is our mind, our talents, the creativity we bring to our life and the lives of people we love. When we learn to tap this source, we will truly have defeated age.

Deepened Prayer Life

We know and have prayer life in the measure that we give ourselves daily to prayer. We know prayer by doing it; we learn it not in words but in deeds. We possess it not like a bank account that is uantifiable, but in the way that we are persevering as a prayerful person. Moreover, once we pray, we are in communion with God; the more we pray the more we are blessed to share His life. And the more we converse with God, the more we want to be with Him. Would we not want that? As St. Augustine says, “Lord, I tasted you, now I hunger for more.” I would like us to capture this experience of St. Augustine; so that, we would want to deepen our prayer life.

Afl ame The Heart

We do not need to have a NASA scientist’s mind to pursue growth in prayer life first and foremost, what is needed is trust in od s grace. All is grace, God always initiates and sustains the person in prayer; and then, in the measure the person responds and cooperates to Him, the easier the person is led into the interior chambers of prayer life. As we pray and spend moments of prayer daily, let us trust in God’s grace, let us cooperate to the leadings of the Holy Spirit in our prayer life. Let us be sensitive to the motions of divine grace. We, therefore, must make an effort never to put hindrances to the action of God’s grace in us; we have to keep our mind and heart, our eyes, our mouth, our actions from what is wrong and sinful. For how can a clean water stays clean when the vessel is filthy od s action through His grace can help us get rid of our impurities, accompanied with prayer we will be strong and firm to weed out from ourselves all that is impure and ungodly. Anyone who allows God’s grace like a running stream flowing over his whole being will eventually be purified. hus, as the person prays, he develops too in other aspects of his life; then, as he gives in more to the life of grace, the higher he climbs in mountain of prayer.

Furthermore; our prayer life can also grow with the help of the saints, especially with the Blessed Mother Mary. It is highly encouraged to include in our prayer routine the reading of the lives of the saints; so that, we are not only inspired by their lives but also acknowledge the presence and work of God. We would be inspired by them as they too strove during their earthly life in regards to prayer. Reading and learning about their stories, we can learn like them to fill our hearts with love for God; and growing in love of God, we can appreciate and value all the more prayer. Let us ask our Blessed Mother Mary and all the saints for their help, inspiration, guidance and intercession that as we persevere in prayer life; may our prayer daily transform us into the person He wants us to be.

Another point in deepening prayer; prayer grows with the sacraments. There are no saints who did not accompany their prayer life with the sacraments. In fact, the sacraments, especially the Sacraments of Penance and Reconciliation and the Holy Eucharist, are essential ingredients to a healthy and thriving prayer life. Without the sacraments, prayer will lose its energy and will die out. Prayer life is the work of God; and by His real and divine presence in the Sacraments, He Himself will be able to give life and power to our prayer. The Eucharist, as our highest form of prayer and the Real Presence of the Lord Jesus; can enable our prayer to be powerful for us. Let us be close to the Sacraments as we strive to build ourselves in prayer.

astly, it should be corrected that prayer can be uantified. Prayer is not a thing but a relationship. Only God knows where we are in prayer life. We would sense it if we are growing; but, we should not even concern ourselves of it. Growing in prayer life will also mean, we would be humbler. What matters more is the quality of our heart towards God, and not to quantify prayer as we relate to Him. Growing in relationship with God would be the primary focus and not whatever feeling such relationship gives. When we quantifying prayer, we let our focus be away from God. And once our focus turns away from God, our prayer itself dies. May we just persevere in our deepening and learning on prayer by love prayer and letting it flow into our daily existence.

REV. JOSE PELAGIO A. PADIT, SThD

Recipe of the Week

Ingredients:

k. o tripe innards

c. diluted o bile head whole garlic thumb si e ginger, crushed thumb si e ginger, cut into strips head garlic, chopped medium si e onion, chopped bundle spring onion, chopped small packet, sampalok sinigang mi - siling labuyo, chopped c. patis salt and pepper

Cooking procedure:

ash thoroughly o innards, drain and cut into small slices, set aside liver. In a sauce pan put all innards, whole garlic and crushed ginger cover with water and boil for minutes, drain and discard li uid. inse and add fresh water and boil for - hours or until innards are tender. emove from pan separate broth and keep aside. In same sauce pan saut onion, garlic and ginger. Add innards including liver stir for - minutes, add patis and cook for anotherminutes. Pour in broth and simmer for - minutes, add siling labuyo, sinigang mi and goat bile half uantity at time and taste sourness and bitterness add more if re uired . Simmer for another - minutes. Season with salt and pepper, garnish with spring onion. Serve hot.

Normal ops resume at Dumaguete airport

A CI All flights to and from the umaguete-Sibulan airport in egros riental returned to normal on uesday following two days of cancellations due to air navigation technical issues at the Air raffic anagement Center A C of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines CAAP .

Starting today, operations resumed to normal based on the reports of the three airlines operating here and so far, there are no recovery flights, rank ua a r., fficer-ofthe- ay of the CAAP- umaguete, told the Philippine ews Agency.

n an. , after CAAP announced the air traffic system glitch, seven flights here were cancelled and the following day, three more flights were also suspended, ua a said.

f the total, two were bound for actan, Cebu while the rest were en route to anila.

ua a said some , passengers affected by the cancellations were accommodated and re-booked for free by Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific and Air Asia.

hey were also provided food and drinks, but the ma ority of them returned home.

nly si persons were allowed to stay inside the airport s pre-departure area on Sunday night and four adults and three children on onday night, ua a said.

wo aircraft also remained overnight at the airport on onday, he ua a was thankful that there was no chaos at the airport following the flight cancellations as passengers understood the problem after being informed about it.

here is an average flights weekly at the umaguete-Sibulan airport, he said.

eanwhile, ua a said plan iyaheng Ayos significantly helped during the cancellation of flights with an operational plan in place for the holidays.

his is an initiative to help and assist in the implementation of airport operations, he said.

plan iyaheng Ayos was activated on ec. and will run through an. , he added. P A

Papaitan Baka / Pinapaitan Baka