Norcal 1/26/23

1 January 26-February 1, 2023

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA EDITION

www.pnewstoday.com

THE PREMIER FILIPINO-AMERICAN NEWSPAPER IN THE U.S. SINCE 1961

Vol. 62 No.24 January 26-February 1, 2023

PINOY, 17 OTHERS DEAD IN 3 MASS KILLINGS IN 8 DAYS IN CALIFORNIA Biden, Harris, Newsom, FilAms mourn, call for stricter gun control or gun ban

By Claire Morales True, Managing Editor

SAN FRANCISCO/LOS ANGELES - Just two days after a gunman killed 11 people, including a Filipino American, while people were celebrating the Lunar New Year at a Monterey Park dance studio, seven more people were shot dead near San Francisco, as California suffered one of its bloodiest spates of Page 9 PRESIDENT Joe Biden and California Gov. Gavin Newsom in a file photo. mass gun violence in decades.

Both leaders called for stricter gun safety measures and reforms to avoid mass killings.

Talks ongoing for joint PHL-US patrols in West PHL Sea

By Be�ng Laygo Dolor, Editor

MANILA – Chinese President Xi Jinping’s promise to Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. that Filipino fishermen would be allowed to catch fish in the contested West Philippine Sea after their recent meeting in Beijing may not have reached the Chinese Coast Guard (CCG).

The CCG drove away another Filipino fishing vessel from the Ayungin Shoal this week and

Marcos was hardpressed to explain the most recent aggressive Chinese action against the country’s fishermen. The government was asked to take stronger action against China, and one possible move may yet force President Xi to make good on his promise.

The Philippines and the US are in serious talks to conduct joint patrols in the West Philippine Sea in the near future.

Philippine Ambas-Page 10

FilAm shooting victim hailed, gun violence hit

By Jun Nucum LOS ANGELES - Focusing instead on his love for the people in his community, hearing about their lives and sharing his own stories with so much gusto and enthusiasm and his passion for ballroom dancing and being the life of the party, the family of Filipino American shooting victim also expressed their wish that he would be remembered “as a loving father, a dedicated son and brother, a grandfather who loved his three

g r a n d daughters fiercely, an uncle who loved his nieces and nephews like his own.”

Valen�no Alvero The family of slain Filipino American Valentino Marcos Alvero stressed this in a statement released by Karmel Page 8

NEWS AND VIEWS YOU TRUST

AG Bonta launches anti-Asian hate awareness campaign

By Gilda Balan, Correspondent

OAKLAND - California Attorney General (AG) Rob Bonta last week launched a new community-led anti-Asian hate awareness campaign.

Bonta, the first Fil-Am to be elected as the state’s AG, launched a racial justice bureau, created a hate crime coordinator post, and offered the state’s resources to minimize, if not eradicate, the scourge of antiAsian hate, which usually targets senior citizens or women, two of the most vulnerable Page 8

Dep-Ed laptops overpriced by almost P1-B, Senate wants officials charged PASAY CITY - The Senate Blue Ribbon Committee has recommended the filing of graft and perjury charges against highranking officials of the Department of Budget and Management’s Procurement Services and the Department of Education (DepEd) who were part of an alleged anomalous purchase of “overpriced” and “outdated” laptops.

Sen. Francis Tolentino, chairman of the Senate Blue Ribbon committee, said that based on the 197-paged committee report, the Senate found that the contract supply and delivery of laptop computers for public Page 8

PHL-US trade in 2022 exceeds $33 B: Envoy

Biden-Marcos meet eyed in April in US VIEWS & COMMENTS

SHOWBIZ

Are you deportable for committing a Dolly de Leon crime involving wins award in moral turpitude Sweden (CIMT)?

By A�y. Lozano

Page 14

Page 16

SPORTS

FilAm Donaire set for another title shot Page 21

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 NATIONAL NEWS

January 26-February 1, 2023

2

PHL, US to start talks for civil nuclear cooperation MAKATI CITY – The Philippines and the United nand R. Marcos Jr.’s visit to the US in September 2 0 2 2 .

States are set to begin the preparation to push for civil This was disclosed by US Ambassador to the Philn clear cooperation, an offshoot of President Ferdi- ippines MaryKay Carlson during an event of Makati Business Club (MBC), saying that the two governments ill kick off the first official cons ltations to prepare for 12 3 Agreement negotiations “in the coming weeks.”

“Completing a 12 3 Agreement will allow for greater civil nuclear cooperation –including the export of nuclear technology,” Carlson said.

As of 2 0 2 2 , the US government has 2 3 civil nuclear agreements including Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Kazakhstan, Mexico, Morocco, Norway, Russia, South Korea, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, Vietnam and Taiwan as well as the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom).

The 12 3 Agreements establish a legal framework 3 18 W estlake Center, Suite 2 3 2 Daly City, CA 94 0 15 Office: (6 5 0 ) 75 5 -18 16 *THINKING OF SELLING? Make sure to req uest and read first your FREE copy of “PREPARING YOUR HOME FOR SALE” for guidance and reference. For your FREE copy, just email: admadlaing@hotmail.com

that only allows the transfer of US-origin special nuclear material as well as the export of nuclear fuel, reactors and eq uipment for peaceful use.

The civil nuclear cooperation also allows US partners to access sustainable and responsible nuclear programs of the US government.

This ill e the first step in ringing n clear po er online to help address the Philippines’ energy needs,” Carlson added.

In November 2 0 2 2 , Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI) director Carlo Arcilla said that the US is a critical partner for the country amid US’ advanced technologies and experience in nuclear energy.

The Marcos administration has built on the executive order issued by former President Rodrigo Duterte that recognizes nuclear power as a reliable, cost-competitive and environment-friendly source of energy, and that nuclear power should be included in the country’s energy mix.

First Lady behind some gov’t appointments?

B y Jenni f er T . S ant o s

MANILA - Speculations are afloat that the First Lady, Liza Araneta-Marcos, could be behind appointments of some ranking officials in government.

But the First Lady, a lawyer, herself denied the speculations, saying she had anything to do with the appointment of officials, including those of Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP).

Araneta-Marcos earlier released a video denyLAW OFFICE OF ing the allegation, saying she was “sick and tired” of people using her name to stir controversy.

H er husband, President Ferdinand Marcos & ASSOCIATES Jr., backed her statement.

“Z ero. She really has no input on that. The 3255 Wilshire Blvd. Ste# 1010 First Lady helps me in terms of the organizaLos Angeles, CA 90010 tion because she is actuTel: (213) 388-9925 ally very, very good at Fax: (213) 388-6080 that. Organizing which ocampolawofc@yahoo.com office, how the office – how the workflow goes, where the documents go through. But that’s the extent of it. W e don’t talk policy together,” the FOR COMPETENT & AFFORDABLE LEGAL SERVICES President said.

COMPLIMENTARY/FREE CONSULTATION H e said he did consult her on making “difficult U S IM M IG R A T IO N L A W decisions,” but only if FAMILY/EMPLOYMENT BASED PETITIONS LABOR CERTIFICATION DACA they were legal and not LEGAL REPRESENTATION IN DEPORTATION/REMOVAL PROCEEDINGS political issues.

FA M I L Y L A W “Not political. Not poDIVORCE SPOUSAL SUPPORT CHILD CUSTODY/SUPPORT/VISITATION litical decisions. Legal.

ADOPTION GUARDIANSHIP Oh yeah, legal I will ask PE R S O N A L I N JU R Y her. W henever there’s a AUTO ACCIDENTS PREMISES LIABILITY SLIP AND FALL CASES legal q uestion, I’m not a lawyer so I need an exL A B O R / E M PL O Y M E N T L A W pert opinion. She’s right WRONGFUL TERMINATION WAGE AND HOUR DISPUTES DISCRIMINATION next to me most of the WORKERS’ COMPENSATION time so I could turn to E S T A T E PL A N N I N G her,” he said.

PROBATE WILLS TRUSTS ESTATE ADMINISTRATION Marcos said he was also lucky to have Chief E A T O T H E R S A S Y O U W O U L D H A V E T H E M T R E A T Y O U Presidential Legal Coun-

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C A L I FO R N I A L A W Y E R S I N C E 19 9 3

T R

Fi rs t L ad y, L i z a A ranet a-M arc o s

sel Juan Ponce Enrile as “the best legal representation of any president.”

Marcos also shot down rumors that his son, Senior Deputy Majority Leader and Ilocos Norte Rep. Ferdinand Alexander “Sandro” Marcos was being groomed as “the next Marcos president.”

“W e’re not grooming him for anything. H e is grooming himself. H e has decided on this career in politics and he will handle it the way he does. There is not some long-range plan that one day Sandro is going to be president. Actually, he will laugh in your face if you tell him that,” he said.

Marcos said talks about his son seeking the presidency were “premature” because he was busy dealing with affairs as congressman of Ilocos Norte.

“Everybody dreams to be at the number one position. But that doesn’t mean that we’re plotting – we have this long-range plan. Not at all. Not at all. H e’s too busy anyway. H e has too much work anyway,” he added.

Sandro accompanied his father on several foreign trips, including his recent trip to Davos, Switzerland to attend the 2 0 2 3 W orld Economic Forum.

Marcos said he joined the trip as the author of a bill seeking to establish a sovereign wealth fund in the country to be called Maharlika W ealth Fund.

3 January 26-February 1, 2023

 NATIONAL NEWS

PHL-US trade in 2022 exceeds $33 B: Envoy

A m bas s ad o r M aryK ay C arl s o n

MAKATI CITY – United States Ambassador to the Philippines MaryKay Carlson said bilateral trade between the Philippines and the United States last year surpassed the US$ 3 3 -billion level.

In a forum of the Makati Business Club (MBC) on January 2 4 , Carlson said 2 0 2 2 was a banner year for the bilateral trade between the two countries.

She said a big chunk of the trade value last year was exports to the US at around US$ 2 1 billion, making the US the top destination for Philippine exports.

US Embassy data also showed that two-way trade between the Philippines and US in 2 0 2 1 reached US$ 3 0 .2 billion.

The Philippines is one of the 119 developing countries that are enefiting from the enerali ed ystem of Preferences P. In a report of the US Congressional Research Ser-

vice last year, it said the Philippines is one of the top five eneficiary developing co ntries in terms of val e of goods entering the market in nder the P along ith Thailand, ndonesia, Bra il and am odia.

The trade preference program covers nearly half of tariff lines in the .

Carlson is also optimistic about the trade ties between the two countries, with the Philippines joining the -led ndo-Pacific conomic Partnership P F .

The Biden administration aims to se P F to strengthen its engagement ith ndo-Pacific co ntries such as the Philippines, Australia, Brunei, India, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, New Z ealand, ingapore, Thailand, ietnam and Fiji.

Its four pillars include trade; supply chain; clean energy, decar oni ation and infrastr ct re and ta and anti-corruption.

“The way we look trade and investment now coming o t of the pandemic is very different than the straightup trade agreements that we used to have,” Carlson said, adding that the P F addresses those non-tariff arriers and other trade iss es apart from tariffs that o ld improve the o of trade.

To further boost economic ties between the two countries, Carlson announced that the US government agreed to support multiple trade missions this year.

“These will bring US exporters involved in agriculture, energy, technology and other industries to the Philippines to explore business opportunities,” she said.

The envoy also invited Philippine companies interested in investing in US to participate in the SelectUSA Summit in May.

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 METRO NEWS

January 26-February 1, 2023

Makati revenue collection up at P20.92 B in 2022 - Binay

B y Jeanne M i c h ael Penarand a

MAKATI CITY - The city government of Makati has s rpassed its reven e target y percent, posting a total of P , , , . in reven e collection that year, according to Mayor Abigail Binay.

Binay also said collections from local revenue sources have increased by nine percent compared with 201.

Things are definitely looking p for the city. The significant increase in o r locally-sourced revenue collection from business and real property taxes in 20 is a clear sign of the strong trust and confidence of Makati residents and the siness comm nity in the city government, Binay said in a statement.

We thank o r ta payers and investors for their unstinting support and cooperation as we gradually recover from the pandemic. We can confidently look forward to a more robust and sustainable local economy this year, she added.

The mayor said the city’s continuing financial sta ility ill ens re the contin ous delivery of qua lity services to Proud Makati ens, and the effective implementation of major programs aimed to accelerate Makati’s transformation into a

M ayo r A bi gai l B i nay

smart city.

Based on the report from City Treas rer Jes sa neta, the lk of collections came from Business Tax with P , , , . , p y percent from . eal Property Ta came in second ith P , , , . , or seven percent higher than total PT collection in 201.

The mayor said revenue generated from realty taxes surpassed the target by aro nd percent follo ing an intensive information drive targetted at villages and condominiums to remind real property owners to settle outstanding tax obligations to the city. pearheaded y the ffice of the ity Treas rer, the campaign tapped the assistance of the barangay government as well

$495

408.286.9360 408.286.9311

as building and condominium management.

Cuneta said the support and cooperation of barangay leaders have been instrumental to its successful outcome. “W e are thankf l to o r arangay officials ho even took charge of the delivery of notices to concerned ta payers, making s re these reached the intended recipients, the city official said.

Mean hile, reven e from other local so rces also increased, incl ding fees charges, P . million three percent and economic enterprises, P . million percent . ecords of the B siness Permit and icensing ffice BP sho ed that as of Decem er , , there have een , ne siness registrants and , business permit renewals. The new enterprises chalked p a total of P . Billion in capital investments. egistered sinesses in the city also reported total sales of P1.42 Trillion in 20. n cto er last year, Makati as awarded as the Top 2 performing local government unit in the country and the Top performing city in Metro Manila, based on the 201 locally sourced reven es. The city as also recogni ed as ocal even e eneration all of Famer based on its revenue generated from local so rces from to .

Under the leadership of Mayor Binay since J ly , the city government has implemented reforms at ity all to facilitate business registration and promote transparency, incl ding an aggressive campaign against fi ers.

For five straight years, the city government received an nmodified opinion from the ommission on A dit after a revie of its ann al financial statements for fiscal years to .

4

American wanted for rape in Texas falls in QC

Q UEZ ON CITY – An American national wanted in the state of Texas in the United States for sexually assaulting a disabled woman three years ago was arrested in e on ity, the B rea of mmigration (BI) reported. n a statement, ommissioner orman Tansingco said alvert eroy mmings, , as na ed at a s division in ovaliches, y mem ers of the B ’s F gitive earch nit F last Jan. .

Cummings’ arrest was sought by US authorities in Manila who reque sted his deportation so he could stand trial for his crime.

Tansingco said Cummings will be deported after the BI board of commissioners issues the order for his summary deportation.

Cummings will be placed on the immigration lacklist and anned from reentering the country.

B -F chief endel yan y said a co rt in Aransas o nty, Te as iss ed a warrant against Cummings in September 2019 after he was indicted on charges of aggravated sexual assault of a disabled person. mmings ed to the Philippines to evade arrest and prosecution for his crime.

Cummings is now at the BI’s facility inside amp Bagong Di a, Tag ig ity pending deportation proceedings.

US donates vehicles for PHL anti-drug trafficking campaign

MANILA – The United States government donated two vehicles worth P2 .1 million to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) to support the country’s anti-dr g trafficking efforts, the mbassy in Manila said.

The vehicles, donated y the Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and a nforcement Affairs , will help PDEA’s Inter-Agency Drug Interdiction Task ro p AD T in its efforts to prevent the entry and exit of illegal drugs as well as substances used to manufacture them through the Ninoy Aq uino International Airport and lark nternational Airport.

The vehicles will boost the mobility of law enforcement personnel and transport narcotics-detection dogs in both airports.

“The United States is committed to this partnership, thro gh hich e elieve e can foster and enhance the international

cooperation needed to effectively com at transnational criminal net orks and dr g trafficking, Acting Principal Dep ty Assistant Secretary Lisa Johnson said at the turnover ceremony in Manila on Jan. 19.

The AD T as esta lished to olster the government’s efforts to address dr g interdiction challenges in major entry points. n , lark AD T sei ed a total of . kilograms of sha methamphetamine orth P . million , hile A A AD T sei ed a total of . kilograms of sha orth nearly P million (US$ 1.1 million).

PD A thanked the government for its continued support to the agency’s campaign to stop the transit of illegal drugs through the Philippines.

The vehicle donation is part of a broader INL counternarcotics program in the Philippines through partnerships with PDEA and other agencies, the m assy said

5 January 26-February 1, 2023

 PROVINCIAL NEWS

ex-police officers surrender over missing e-sa ong agent CALAMBA CITY, Laguna – Three former police officers implicated in the kidnapping of a missing e-sa ong master agent have s rrendered to a thorities in ag na, Philippine ational Police P P hief eneral odolfo A rin said.

According to the police chief, the s rrender of dismissed cops in ag na last eek is another reakthro gh in the case.

The three former mem ers of the police force ho are no nder police c stody all have standing arrest arrants for charges of ro ery, kidnapping and serio s illegal detention.

Based on the report of Brig. en. Warren de eon, chief of the ntegrity Monitoring and nforcement ro p M , the t o cops s rrendered on Jan ary hile the other cop t rned himself in on Jan ary .

We are looking for a good reakthro gh especially if they are going to cooperate eca se medyo matagal na itong pro lema natin sa missing e-sa ong na iniim estigahan. hope na itong mga p lis natin na ito o ld really cooperate, says A rin d ring a press riefing at amp rame in e on ity.

Magnitude

Translation We are looking for a good reakthro gh Pa lo ity, ag na prosec tor’s office as dismissed. especially if they are going to cooperate eca se e have asco is still considered missing and the D is had a pro lem ith the missing e-sa ong that is eing in- pro ing the cases involving the disappearance of other vestigated for ite some time no . hope that o r police e-sa ong enth siasts since . officers o ld really cooperate.

A rin also ass red the safety of the families of the acc sed. f co rse the only ass rance that e can give them is if e can see that their participation is lesser, then e can co rse them thro gh the itness protection program and it ill e the WPP ho ill e eval ating if they are alified to e protected nder the WPP program, he added.

The three cops along ith t o other cops ere dismissed from the service in Decem er as the nternal Affairs ervice has fo nd s stantial evidence on the administrative charges filed against them in relation to esa ong agent icardo asco’s disappearance.

The case of asco is one of eight cases eing handled y the riminal nvestigation and Detection ro p D pecial nvestigation Task ro p a ngero, hich took the case for f rther investigation after the complaint for kidnapping filed y the victim’s family efore the an

uake olts avao ccidental

DA A T The Philippine nstit te of olcanology and eismology Phivolcs on Jan ary recorded a magnit de earth ake in Davao ccidental.

The tectonic ake str ck kilometers so theast of Bal t sland, arangani at a.m. t as km. deep.

Phivolcs did not record any reported and instr mental intensities in its earth ake lletin iss ed at

Plan to return to old name of Manila airport revived

a.m.

eported intensity is the traditional ay of kno ing the intensity ased on reports of people ho felt the earth ake. nstr mental intensity, on the other hand, is meas red sing an intensity meter that meas res gro nd acceleration.

Phivolcs said aftershocks are likely, t damage is not e pected from the magnit de ake

 NATIONAL NATIONAL NEWS NEWS

January 26-February 1, 2023

6

Plan to privatize NAIA shot down

MANILA – The Philippine government has no plan of privati ing operations of the inoy A ino nternational Airport (NAIA).

This as President Ferdinand . Mar-

cos Jr. shot do n the proposals to privati ate the operations of the co ntry’s premier airport.

Marcos made the stand after Department of Transportation D Tr ecretary

Jaime Ba tista s pposedly disclosed that the Marcos administration plans to privati e A A’s operations.

There’s no plan to privati e anything. ather, e do the opposite. o, hen ecretary Jimmy Ba tista as talking a o t that, think he may have een – maybe he misspoke or he was misinterpreted, Marcos told select reporters in an interview at Malacaña ng.

B t yo cannot privati e an airport, to begin with. They cannot own the airport. A private firm cannot o n the airport, he added.

H e, however, admitted that his administration is looking to hire a private company to manage traffic and increase movement in the Philippines’ siest gateway.

Marcos did not disclose the name of the company t noted that he met ith their officials d ring his trip to e ork in September last year.

They r n several ig airports, that we are asking them what can they do, can they come in and help s so that e can increase the traffic thro gh the Manila airport. And they said, they co ld.

MANILA – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has achieved its target of at least 1.5 million voter registrants, with over a week before the registration deadline.

Based on its latest fig res as of Jan. 2 2 , the poll body said 1,5 3 7,8 72 applications have een filed in all registration sites in connection with the Barangay and angg niang a ataan lections B set this cto er.

Earlier, the Comelec projected that

some 1.5 million to 2 million applicants ill register d ring the period hich started on Dec. , and ill r n ntil Jan. , .

The n m er of ne registrants incl de , voters aged to years old; 3 97,3 2 3 voters aged 18 to 3 0 years old; and 8 6 ,8 18 voters aged 3 1 years old and above. n the other hand, a total of , applications have een filed in the egister Any here Project AP ooths in

malls, niversities and government offices. egistered Filipino voters aged to 17 years old may participate in the yo th polls, to years old voters for oth the arangay and yo th polls, and 3 1 years old and above for the barangay elections.

There ere also , ho applied for transfer from other city m nicipality while 2 ,16 7 applied for transfer within the same city m nicipality, among

And so they are coming – they were here last week to look at the operations of the airport and especially since we had that pro lem on e ear’s day and this recent o tage ith the ninterr pti le po er s pply , he said.

“At most, we will have a management contract. Come in and manage the airport.

And they say that they, itho t changing anything, itho t changing itho t ne e ipment, itho t ilding a ne r n ay can increase the traffic from hat is presently, they refer to as 35 movements per ho r to p to movements per ho r itho t changing anything. o e ant that, he added. n e ear’s Day, A A enco ntered an air traffic management system glitch that led to n mero s ight cancellations, affecting aro nd , passengers.

The D Tr said the incident that res lted in the loss of po er in the system as d e to a pro lem in the system’s electrical net ork, ith its ninterr pti le po er s pply, hich is to e sed as ack p po er s pply, also failing.

Comelec registers 1.5-M new voters, transferees applicants.

For arangay voter applicants, there were 3 2 5 ,999 who applied for transfer from other city m nicipality hile 8 2 ,5 13 applied for transfer within the same city m nicipality.

A total of , are seeking for transfer ith reactivation , are looking to transfer with reactivation and correction of entries; and 16 ,718 that applied for transfer with correction of entries.

eat toll from non-stop rains oods in isa as Mindanao clim s to T The ffice of ivil Defense D said the reported death toll from heavy rains and oods ca sed y a lo press re area, shear line and northeast monsoon in the co ntry since early Jan ary has clim ed to . n its latest lletin, the D said of these deaths have been validated -nine from am oanga Penins la seven

from Eastern Visayas; two from Northern Mindanao and one from Davao egion.

The remaining are still ndergoing validation -- eight from Bicol; six from orthern Mindanao three from am oanga Penins la and one each from Mimaropa and Soccsksargen.

The n m er of inj red and missing

persons stands at 12 and seven, respectively.

The affected pop lation is placed at , or , , individ als.

The D said the displaced pop lation is estimated at , families or 116 ,6 3 6 persons.

As of this posting, some PH P10 1.1 million worth of assistance was provided

to the affected families.

The amo nt of damage to agric lt re and infrastr ct re is pegged at P P . million and PH P2 8 0 .2 million, respectively. ome , ho ses ere reported damaged d e to the effects of the three weather systems

Suspect in Dacer-Corbito murder case arrested after 22 years in hiding AMP AM , e on ity A former policeman has been arrested in B lacan over the killing of p lic relations man and former jo rnalist alvador B y Dacer and his driver mman el Corbito in 2 0 0 0 .

According to the ational apital egional Police ffice P , la enforcers from different nits arrested William eed , , in an operation in Barangay.

Po lacion in P lilan, B lacan last nday. eed, a former enior Police fficer I, was served with a warrant of arrest that as iss ed in y then-Presiding

J dge odolfo Ponferrada of T Branch in Manila. e is charged ith do le m rder itho t ail.

F rther, a ove-mentioned acc sed is incl ded in the list of Most Wanted Persons (National Level) as stated in DILG Memorand m irc lar o dated Jan ary , ith Php , . reard. e is temporarily detained at detention facility prior to the ret rn of his Warrant of Arrest to the co rt of origin, the P said in a statement.

Two eyewitnesses had said Dacer was

a d cted along President smena ighay at the Makati-Manila o ndary and killed on ov. , in avite. They told reporters that he and Corbito were strangled y policemen sing electric cords efore their corpses ere set on fire.

Both eyewitnesses were then arrested y the ational B rea of nvestigation over their alleged involvement. ne of them admitted to helping ild a pyre of ood and tires to set the victims on fire.

The case has dragged some of the co ntry’s prominent politicians, incl ding former President Joseph strada and former

en. Panfilo acson, AB - B reported.

Another former police officer, enior perintendent e ar Mancao , s rrendered in over the m rder case, the report added.

Among those charged with the killings, Mancao had escaped from the B ’s c stody in May 2 0 13 by changing the padlock of his detention cell.

Mancao had linked Estrada and Lacson to the killings t later apologi ed to them, saying that he had no personal knowledge of the s pposed involvement of the t o.

7 January 26-February 1, 2023

 NATIONAL NATIONAL NEWS NEWS

Marcos to join APEC in SanFo in November, may meet Biden in April

SAN FRANCISCO — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has confirmed in Manila that he ill attend the Asia Pacific conomic ooperation AP leaders’ s mmit in an Francisco, alifornia starting this ovem er .

Marcos made the confirmation as he revealed he as red cing his foreign trips this year and ill in the meantime consolidate the gains and res lts of his overseas meetings last year and this year ith scores of agreements signed, partic larly on investments y foreign gro ps in the co ntry. ice President amala arris, ho hails from alifornia, earlier confirmed the ill host the ovem er AP meeting here ill ork ith AP economies to make ne s staina ility and decar oni ation commitments.

Mean hile, a meeting et een

B y C l ai re M o ral es T rue, M anagi ng E d i t o r President Joseph Biden Jr. and Marcos e nderscored the need for his admay happen at the White o se this April. ministration to promote the co ntry as an eports indicated that preparations are investment destination not only to heads nder ay for the possi le Biden-Marcos of states, t also to corporations and meeting in April. siness leaders.

The April meeting is different from the Pag hindi tayo miyahe at nagpakiovem er AP meeting in an Francis- ta diyan sa mga conference na yan, hindi co, it as learned. tayo iniisip, ala sa isip nila ang PilipiMarcos and Biden first met in eptem- nas. ailangan natin ipakita ang ano ang er last year on the sidelines of the nited ating ginaga a para naman mapaganda ations eneral Assem ly in e ork. ang potential investment nila na dadaApart from the possi le meeting e- lhin sa Pilipinas f e don’t travel and t een Marcos and Biden, top foreign and introd ce o rselves in these conferences, defense officials are also set to meet in they on’t think a o t s, they on’t Washington in April. think a o t the Philippines. We need to n an intervie ith select reporters in sho them hat e’re doing to help the Malaca ang, Marcos ackno ledged his co ntry ring in potential investments , several overseas trips t said these are he said. e pected to yield a higher ret rn on inMarcos said it as also important for vestment s. him to introd ce himself to his co nterMarcos has visited at least eight coun- parts aro nd the orld as the co ntry’s tries since ass ming office, namely, ndo- newest leader. nesia, ingapore, the nited tates here ’m the ne kid on the lock, no ody he attended the United Nations General kno s ho am. ailangan ko magpakiAssem ly and met ith President Joe lala need to introd ce myself . t’s imBiden, am odia, Thailand hich hosted portant also na magkaroon ng personal sa the last AP meeting, Belgi m, hina mga leader t’s important also for leaders and it erland. to meet in person , he added. ...The ay see it, yo have to look After ringing home several investat it as . Do e ring something ack ment pledges from his foreign trips hich or do we not? ” Marcos said.

For e ample, e came ack from hina ith pledges of illion. et’s say e get act al o t of that illion. Ba ing- a i lahat ng eight trips Those eight trips o ld have een orth it Finished. That’s the idea, he added.

MA A eart disease as the leading ca se of death among Filipinos in , according to the Philippine tatistics A thority P A . schemic heart disease, hich is ca sed y narro ed arteries, ca sed , deaths in the co ntry from Jan ary to eptem er . This represents . percent of the total deaths in the country.

This as follo ed y cere rovasc lar disease ith , deaths. ancer ranked third, killing , in the same period.

Deaths d e to dia etes mellit s recorded , cases or . percent share, making it the fo rth leading ca se of death, hile deaths d e to hypertensive diseases, hich ranked fifth, recorded , cases or . percent share, P A said in a statement.

Mean hile, the coronavir s disease ovidno longer holds a spot on the list of top ca ses of death in the Philippines.

This is good ne s to s. n , talagang nakita natin ang ovid- deaths ay naging n m er three ca se of death dito sa ating ansa e have really seen that ovid- deaths as the n m er three

ca se of death in o r co ntry , Department of ealth D officer-in-charge Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said in a media for m. ergeire made the statement follo ing the report of the Philippine tatistics A thority that death d e to ovid- ranks th nation ide as of cto er .

That signifies na kaka nti nalang ang namamatay dahil sa ovid dito sa ating ansa that people dying from ovidare fe er nation ide and e are a le to prevent already f rther deaths eca se of disease, she said.

To date, the co ntry has logged over . million coronavir s cases and more than , fatalities.

B malik na d n sa dati nating trends k ng saan, y ng atake sa p so, y ng schemic heart disease pa rin ang na na, p mapangala a po y ng stroke na tinata ag, y ng cere rovasc lar diseases, pangatlo po ang mga cancer, pang-apat po ang dia etes at panglima, ang hypertensive diseases The trends are ack, here, heart attack, heart disease is still first, second is stroke, the cere rovasc lar diseases, third is cancer, fo rth is dia etes, and fifth is hypertensive diseases , she said.

Heart disease still top killer in PHL, Covid-19 out of top causes of death

incl de his participation in glo al fora like the Association of o theast Asian ations A A and Asia-Pacific conomic ooperation AP s mmits, Marcos said his administration ill no prioriti e consolidating and follo ing p on these commitments.

Medyo a a asan na namin for the rest of the year. Ang dahilan ay kailangan namin alikan lahat itong mga nasim lan sa A A , AP , hina, pati pagp nta sa ropean nion sa Br ssels, tapos itong iyahe sa Davos. ailangan namin idetalye ang aming pinag- sapan We ill red ce o r trips for the rest of the year. The reason is that we have to go ack to all these things that ere started in A A , AP , hina, as ell as going to the in Br ssels, and then this trip to Davos. We need to ela orate on hat e disc ssed , he said. indi pa namin ginaga a dahil sy kami, pero at least mayroon kaming na i. gayon, kailangan na natin iconsolidate, kailangan na natin ifollo p We haven’t had the chance to consolidate these eca se e’re sy, t at least e ere a le to ring home these commitments. o , e have to consolidate and follo p , he said.

 NATIONAL NEWS DEP-ED...

(From page 1)

school teachers in the project as overpriced y at least P -million.

Tolentino also said the committee report as signed y senators, incl ding him and the two minority senators, Sen. Aqui lino “Koko” Pimentel III and Risa H ontiveros.

The committee report recommended the filing of charges for violation of ep lic Act o. , or the Anti- raft and orr pt Practices Act, against former Dep d ndersecretary Alain del Pasc a,

FilAm...

(From page 1)

Kwan, niece of 6 8 -year-old Alvero who was among the eleven victims who were shot and killed Saturday night at the Star Ballroom Dance Studio in Monterey Park, California. Eleven others were injured in the shooting. (See related stories) While offering their deepest condolences to other victims and their families, Alvero’s family wanted that “Valentino is more than just a headline or a news story.”

“Overnight, we became unwilling members of a community who has to mourn the loss of our loved ones due to gun violence. W e are left frustrated, stuck with this vicious cycle,” said the family who also now have to endure this heart-shattering and life-altering tragedy. We hope that e all contin e to look out for each other, may kindness and grace find s in the dark days ahead.

Our hearts are with you,” the statement continued.

The Alvero family was also sad that as a devout Catholic, Valentino did not receive last rites prompting them to reest all priests and atholics to pray offer Masses or rosaries for the repose

January 26-February 1, 2023

8

Undersecretary Annalyn Sevilla, former Assistant Secretary Salvador Malana , Director A ram . . A anil, former DBM-P ec tive Director loyd hristopher ao, former P -DBM ec tive Director Jasonmer ayan, Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) Chairman Ulysses Mora as well as the other members of the SBAC 1 and SBAC technical orking gro p and secretariat hether from Dep d or P -DBM, and ngr. Marwan Amil.

The panel also recommended that charges e filed against evilla and Dep d former e ec tive assistant Alec

adanga for falsification of p lic doc ments nder Article of the evised Penal Code.

Tolentino’s committee also recommended that perj ry charges e filed against evilla, Pasc a, Malana, ao and Uayan.

B t the committee report e cl ded former Dep d secretary eonor Briones from the recommendation sheet.

Tolentino said the former Dep d may have n ittintly approved the ne parameters hich increased the nit price and decreased the antity of laptops to e p rchased.

agamit po siya she as sed . a e idensya po na l ma as, ala siyang lia ility , Tolentino said d ring a press conference on Thursday, January 19 at the Senate.

The mere mention here, is in effect, an admonition on the part of the l e ri bon directed to former secretary Briones,” he said.

B t he said the participation of Pasc a in the anomalo s laptp proc rement deal provided the critical elements hich paved the ay for the overpricing.

of Valentino’s soul and for the souls of all victims of mass shootings and for an end to mass shootings in the nation and the world.

“H e was faithful servant of God and we know that he would want the world to lift his family in prayer more than anything. We appreciate all the messages of sympathy and e also re est that e are allo ed to mo rn in peace from this point for ard, concl ded the Alvero family statement.

In an interview with Rolling Stone, Valnetino’s daughter Kristenne lovingly stated, “My dad loved God, he loved people, and he loved to dance. hope he’s dancing now, in that great gig in the sky.”

W hile acknowledging the Alvero family’s ish for privacy and space, the Philippine ons late in os Angeles relayed their readiness “to assist them in hatever possi le ay sho ld they reach o t got any help e co ld give.

The Philippine ons late eneral in os Angeles e pressed its shock and great sadness over the mass shooting incident that took place in Monterey Park California 2 1 January 2 4 , 2 0 2 3 . r prayers go o t to the families of the victims and we mourn with them during this lunar new year festival hich is s pposed to be a time of gathering and celebration,” the office of ons l eneral Edgar Badajos stated.

The Consulate General called on the commu-

nity to stay safe, e ercise all the ca tion and continue being vigilant during these uncertain times by always monitoring loved ones and family members’ herea o ts and immediately reporting any s spicio s activities to local la enforcement and watch out for each other.

After a the shooting in Monterey Park, s spect an Tran, , ent to the ai ai Ballroom t dio in Alhambra, where he was subdued by 2 6 -year-old Brandon Tsay who demanded that s spect leave the dance studio.

And after police h nt,Tran as fo nd dead nday from a self-in icted gunshot wound inside a white cargo van at a Torrance strip mall parking lot.

19th District of California Assembly Member Phil Ting said he was saddened that this tragedy happened at a traditionally happy cele ration of elcoming the nar ear of the a it.

“W e traditionally say that we in alifornia e are very pro d that e don’t have as many mass shootings as there are in other states because of all the work we had on common-sense gun legislation. But unfortunately, it is still way to easy for any individual to obtain a legal or an illegal firearm in the State,” lamented Ting.

Ting pledged that his he and his colleagues will go back to work and think about what else that we can do to further protect the comm nity. We kno that the more guns there are on the street, the more deaths there are,” Ting said.

State Attorney General Rob Bonta said more g ns in more places makes us less safe and interferes with the a ility of o r citi ens to e ercise their constit tional rights, after he filed an amic s rief in s pport of e ork’s commonsense regulation and authority to prohi it the carrying of firearms in sensitive places, in partic lar, places of orship.. n Monday, e sa seven people shot in H alf Moon Bay. This weekend, people g nned do n in Monterey Park. ess than a year ago, si people ere shot d ring a ch rch service in aguna W oods. In the United States, tragedies such as these are all too common and as e see this tra ma compo nd in our communities, we must do more, not less. We m st provide the p lic ith protection from g n violence, and respect the a thority of states as they implement commonsense g n reg lations to safeguard their communities,” Bonta said.

Bonta also arned the p lic to e vigilant against fraudulent crowdfunding people ho seek to take advantage of comm nities and people’s desire to help crime victims, s rvivors, and their families in the aftermath of tragedy but may e operating cro df nding pages often formed overnight and may lack the e perience, contacts, and staff needed to f lfill their commitments.

Before donating online, Bonta urged Californians to do their research on organi ers and cro df nding platforms, among others.

AG Bonta... (From page 1)

usually targets senior citizens or women, two of the most vulnerable sectors of society.

The attorney general said increasing education and a areness as a critical part of the sol tion. e elieves there is no one approach to addressing hate, especially racial hate.

Sadly for one of the two most racially diverse states in the , the other eing e ork, hate crimes are still on the rise in California. Bonta is just one of several state leaders ho are taking action to provide critical resources to vulnerable victims. They are also orking to stop more people from ecoming targets.

Fresno State freshman student Brenda Manyvanh is among the Golden State youth who have answered the call to take action. Manyvanh is helping create safe spaces for st dents on camp s y orking as st dent coordinator for the Cross-Cultural Gender Center. aid Manyvanh it’s a never-ending fight eca se there’s no perfect sol tion, t the reso rces and more help e have, it’s al ays necessary.

From to , the state e perienced a nearly percent overall rise in reported hate crimes, and a percent hike in reported hate crimes specifically targeting Asians and Asian-Americans.

A Fresno resident recently shared his e perience over local roadcast media. anger nified chool Board Tr stee Brandon ang related his e perience while dining with his wife at a local restaurant about a year ago. o do yo speak hinese someone asked in a loud voice.

A mem er of the gro p then said, ching, chong, chang.” It was then that Vang realized that he and his wife were the subjects of the verbal assault. t t rned o t that the ang co ple ere the only diners of Asian descent at the restaurant. The incident as reported to the management, to no avail.

“I truly believe that racism against one individual is racism against all individuals,” said Vang. e said he is happy that A Bonta reali ed that at the very least, he needs to make it easy or easier for victims of racism to report the crime.

9 January 26-February 1, 2023 Pinoy...

(From page 1)

As California mourned, authorities said they were yet to determine the real motive for either of the rampages, which have a ed the comm nity considering that the suspects were men of retirement age, much older than is typical for perpetrators of deadly mass shootings that have shocked many areas in the United States.

The killings sent Californians chilling and in mo rning as officials headed y US President Joseph Biden Jr., Vice President Kamala H arris, California Governor Gavin Newsom and Attorney General Rob Bonta called anew for more stricter gun safety laws or possible gun ban.

At the W hite H ouse, President Biden said “Jill and I are praying for those killed and injured in the latest tragic shooting in H alf Moon Bay, California. For the second time in recent days, California communities are mourning the loss of loved ones in a senseless act of gun violence.”

“I have directed my administration to ensure local authorities and the broader H alf Moon Bay community have the full support of the federal government in the wake of this heinous attack.

Biden added: “Yesterday, Senator Feinstein — alongside Senators Murphy, Blumenthal and others — reintroduced a federal Assault W eapons Ban and legislation that would raise the minimum purchase age for assault weapons to 21. Even as we await further details on these shootings, we know the scourge

of gun violence across America requi res stronger action. I once again urge both chambers of Congress to act qui ckly and deliver this Assault W eapons Ban to my desk, and take action to keep American communities, schools, workplaces, and homes safe.

H arris, who hails from California, was to travel to the state to join some families of the those slain.

The Philippine Consulate General joined Filipino Americans and Filipinos as it mourned and also expressed “shock and great sadness over the mass shooting incident at Monterey Park late in the night of January 21 or during the celebration of the Lunar Year.

“Our prayers go out to the families of the victims and we mourn with them during this lunar new year festival, which is supposed to be a time of gathering and celebration,” the consulate said in a statement.

Senator Steven Bradford (D-Gardena) said he was heartbroken and angry because of the mass shooting in Monterey Park.

“I am heartbroken and angry that our community has experienced this devastating mass shooting. This shooting, again, points out that we must do more to protect everyone from gun violence. This Lunar New Year event was supposed to be a cultural celebration. This should have been a time for happiness and wishes for good health and prosperity. Instead, it has tragically become the opposite. At least 10 families will never see their loved ones

again and numerous other families are praying that their relatives will recover from their wounds,” Bradford said.

“W e still do not know much about this mass shooting including the motive of the person responsible. I want to see justice for the families and for the community.

W e cannot tolerate or become numb to the impact of gun violence in our society. offer, not only, my prayers to the families, but my pledge as a California State enator, to contin e to s pport and fight for strong and common-sense gun legislation to end these tragedies,” he added.

Biden later called for Congress to act qui ckly to ban assault weapons, as California reeled from three deadly mass shootings in less than 48 hour s.

A group of senators on January 23 reintroduced a federal Assault W eapons Ban and legislation that would raise the minimum purchase age for assault weapons to 21.

“W e know the scourge of gun violence across America requi res stronger action.

I once again urge both chambers of Congress to act qui ckly and deliver this Assault W eapons Ban to my desk, and take action to keep American communities, schools, workplaces, and homes safe,” Biden said in a statement.

Governor Newsom also renewed calls for federal gun safety reforms.

The governor made the trip to H alf Moon Bay, south of San Francisco, after the killing of seven farmworkers Monday.

The latest gun attack hit H alf Moon Bay, south of San Francisco, where a

g nman opened fire on gro ps of farm workers at two locations about a mile apart, leaving seven people dead and one adly o nded, then ed.

Four people were found dead and a fifth inj red from g nshot o nds at one location, and three others were found dead at another several miles away, the an Mateo o nty heriff’s office said. nvestigators identified the alf Moon Bay gunman as Chunli Z hao, 67, who was taken into custody after he was found sitting in his vehicle, parked outside a sheriff’s station, here a thorities said they believe he had come to turn himself in. an Mateo o nty heriff hristina orpus said a gun was found in the vehicle.

The shooting at the Star Ballroom Dance Studio in Monterey Park, just east of downtown Los Angeles, resulted in the death of 11 people while nine others were wounded.

Authorities said the suspect, H uu Can Tran, 72, drove next to an adjacent town and barged into a second dance hall t as stopped y the cl ’s operator and wrestled his gun preventing another bloodbath.

Investigators said Tran, himself a longtime patron of the Star Ballroom, catering mainly to a older dance enthusiasts, ed again and vanished overnight.

H e shot himself to death in his parked getaway vehicle, a cargo van, on Sunday morning, about 12 hours after his rampage, as police surrounded him in the town of Torrance, south of Los Angeles, authorities said.

 NATIONAL NEWS

January 26-February 1, 2023

10

Senators see revival of ROTC

PASAY CITY – Senators see Republic Act (RA) 70 77 or the Citizen Armed Forces of the Philippines Reservist Act will ensure all Filipino students will be covered by the eserve fficers’ Training orps T ill that is c rrently eing p shed in the Senate.

This, after it as raised d ring a hearing y the enate -committee on evitalized ROTC Act that students, who are taking p less than t o years vocational co rses or those ho decided to ork immediately after finishing senior high school, ill not e a le to join the T training.

National ROTC Alumni Association A AA Board Mem er irgilio arcia

said they will be covered by RA 70 77 which re ires all male citi ens et een the ages - , ho are not reservists, to register for military training.

B t the officials from the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ AFP eservist and etiree Affairs said A , hich as passed in June 1991, have not been properly implemented d e to con icting provisions ith the ocal overnment ode. enator her in atchalian arned that no one should be exempted from ROTC as it will create a divide in the society.

Pag-isipan po natin yan et’s think it over eca se e’ll have t o classes of citi ens -- one ell-trained and one never

entered any military training. We cannot just leave them outside the system because they’re e ally important in terms of h man development, national development, and of course what we want to achieve which is oots on the gro nd, ell-trained citi enry in philosophy of military training, atchalian said.

We s pport that it illl e done in college for logistical and practical p rposes. o ever, not every college-aged person is in college. Malaking There is a ig pop lation din ala sa ho are not in college.

We estimate a o t million of that cohort, et een to , are not in college, he added.

Senator Ronald Dela Rosa, who chairs the s committee, told enate reporters after the hearing that they ill most likely e c se from T st dents st dying vocational courses in less than two years and o t-of-school-yo ths.

H e, however, said they are still req uired to ndergo military training nder A hich only e empts mem ers of the clergy of any religio s order or sect those in the active service of the AFP and the Philippine ational Police s perintendent and niformed mem ers of the ational penitentiary, corrective instit tions, and insane asyl ms and licensed air and maritime pilots, navigators and merchant marine officers.

Talks...

Philippine am assador to Washington and the first governor of the Bangko entral ng Pilipinas, after it took the place of the old Central Bank.

Romualdez also told local media that the joint patrols hich are certain to anger hina as on the ta le and as eing disc ssed thoro ghly. e said the and the Philippines already conduct joint military exercises “so joint patrols is also part and parcel of that agreement that e have ith the .

For her part, Ambassador Carlson said the reg lar com ined maritime activities between the two countries was “vitally important to enhance the Philippines’ safety and security. isia agreed that joint patrols ere

necessary to offset hina’s s eeping claims over the South China Sea, which incl des large portions of the West Philippine Sea. egarding the fre ent intr sions of hinese fishing vessels accompanied y what appear to be military seacraft into Philippine waters, Cuisia said, “I think it is only the ho can help the Philippines co nter s ch an aggressive stand taken y hina.

In her speech, Ambassador Carlson said, o many fisher folks have their lives rapped p in fishing so the nited tates ant to do everything possi le.

There is an array of activities we can do.

We are certainly orking very closely ith the Philippine oast ard in that

regard. o hether it’s joint patrols or any activities, the important thing is it is done in conj nction ith o r Philippine partners, she said.

The joint -P military e ercises ere reg larly held for decades as part of the Mutual Defense Treaty between the t o allies, t ere s spended d ring the D terte regime after the former president said he preferred that the co ntry maintain friendlier ties with China instead of the US. D ring the si -year D terte regime, ho ever, military officials ere l kewarm to the idea, and often indicated their preference for the Philippines to remain a staunch ally of the US.

(From page 1)

sador to the United States Jose Manuel Romualdez admitted this Tuesday, Jan. , d ring an event hosted y the Makati B siness l MB , here Am assador to the Philippines Mary ay arlson as g est speaker.

“I think in the next couple of months, you will see more activities as far as our defense cooperation ith the is concerned, said om alde , adding that it’s part of the program and think e are going to have these enhanced patrols in the West Philippine ea fairly ickly.

The idea of joint patrols was raised by MBC board member Jose Cuisia, former

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11 January 26-February 1, 2023

 OPINION 2022 FilAm headliners Part 3

Upside

MARCOS FOES, ROBRED O FANS FilAms simply had to have their say about the May 9 Philippine presidential elections.

Did more people really protest the New York visit of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. than attended his speech eptem er at the eneral Assem ly as photos of empty seats caught on social media show? The protesters also staged a sit-in at the Asia Society and rallied at the Philippine Consulate to air their sentiments.

In San Francisco about a hundred former political detainees reminded of their experience in the hands of the military CHERIE M. QUEROL MORENO while Marcos’ father ruled the Philippines.

For context, Filipinos in Portland, Oregon, gathered to disc ss martial la , atched a film and held a prayer vigil.

Around the same time, the welcome mat rolled out for former Vice President Leni Robredo who spoke against disinformation at the Obama Foundation’s Democracy Forum. She was also named among five a ser leaders at the arvard ennedy chool’s enter for P lic eadership. “At a time when many challenges stem from leadership shortcomings, these H auser eaders ring to camp s living e amples of principled and effective p lic leadership, said Deval Patrick, co-director for the Center for Public Leadership and professor of the practice of p lic leadership. Tho gh from different e periences, these leaders share val es, val es applied in practical ays, that they can no share ith the ennedy chool comm nity.

EDITORIAL

What drove him to do it?

T

here are many que stions that need to be asked, but which may never be fully answered.

W hy, we have to ask, would a 72- year-old immigrant go on a shooting rampage resulting in the death of 10 pe ople and injury to another 10 i n Southern California?

H e was seemingly set to go on another massacre in another site shortly after his first grissly crime hen he as stopped y cl patrons ho noticed him earing a semi-a tomatic assa lt ri e. nfort nately, the civilians ho prevented another tragedy were not aware of what he had just done, and let him go.

It is not known if the gunman had psychological or mental issues, or if he was even in full control of his senses.

W hat has been found out thus far about suspect H uu Can Tran is that he went on his shooting spree at a dance club that he used to freque nt, and where he met his former wife.

Most of his victims were seniors like himself, and apparently generally of Asian descent.

This latest in an nending series of mass killings, ho ever, differs slightly from the mold. H is age, his ethnicity, and choice of victims is not part of any previous pattern. W hich only leads to the most important que stion, why?

W e can only hazard a guess that whatever drove him to commit that unspeakable act in Monterey Park, CA over the weekend must have caused an anger to well up inside of him until he reached his breaking point.

Whatever the reason, it can never e j stified in any ay, shape or form.

W e understand anger, but we do not and cannot understand why it must be expressed in a way that results in the death of innocent men and women.

This latest tragedy again serves as a painful remind – as if one were still needed – that it would not have been as bad if the type of weapon used were not made available to civilians. Semi-automatics should only be made available to the armed forces and the police. Period.

The g n c lt re of the is a fact e have to live ith, and not m ch can e done a o t it. cept limit the type of firearms that civilians are allo ed to own.

Look at all the mass shootings of the past few decades. The one thing they have in common is that the firearms sed ere not ordinary g ns or ri es useful for sport, hunting, or home defense.

They were either automatic or semi-automatic. They were guns that could fire m ltiple ro nds in seconds. And hen sed on a gathering of people, they would invariably cause fatalities in large numbers.

W e have stated multiple times our stand against easy ownership of guns that are in fact weapons of mass destruction.

Now, we can only grieve once more for the unnecessary loss of human life caused by one individual with an axe to grind and a deadly weapon in his hand, at the same time hoping against hope that a way will be found to put an end to the senselessness of it all.

W e pray for the victims of the Monterey Park mass murder.

HEALTH New California State Department of Public H ealth guidelines announced in January requi red health care workers who test positive and are asymptomatic for COVID-19 to return to work, minus qua rantine or testing. That prompted strong commentary from ever-vigilant and outspoken Z enei Triunfo-Cortez, president of the California Nurses Association. “It’s a major disaster aiting to happen, the da ntless nion leader declared in the an Diego nion Tribune. “I think it’s callous and it’s putting our patients and ourselves in grave danger.” Legislators let their constituents down by failing to pass universal health care, added Cortez, a Bay Area RN. PERPETUAL HONOR no n as the odmother of FilAm mpo erment, Alice Pe a B los is no memorialized with two state highway markers bearing her name on Skyline Boulevard (California Route in Daly ity from John Daly Bo levard to ing Drive a tting the honoree’s home city of o th an Francisco. Thro gh the efforts of Daly ity o ncil Mem er ay B enavent ra, District 19 Assembly Member Phil Ting and donors who gave $10,0 requi red to spare public f nds, the Alice Pena B los Memorial igh ay markers ere officially nveiled J ly .

CREATIV E ARTS EX PLORE CULTURE · Filmmaker Reina Bonta graduated from Yale in the spring and escalated community funding outreach in the summer for “LAH I,” her 20- minute photoplay about intergenerational family ties starring her grandmother progressive social activist Cynthia Bonta, mother of eina’s father the alifornia Attorney eneral. A ill e streamed in on FilAm producer Dean Devlin’s streaming service Electric Entertainment. (C ont i nue d on page 27)

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 OPINION

January 26-February 1, 2023

elated congratulations to the Ateneo Debate Society (Ateneo A), composed of David Africa and Toby Leung, for winning the W orld Universities Debating Championship (W UDC) 2 0 2 3 in Madrid, Spain.

This is a historic first for Ateneo since it started comIG NA CIO T OT ING B UNY E peting in the W UDC. The W orld Universities Debating Championships (W UDC) is the world’s biggest debating tournament, held annually in English with teams representing universities from across the world.

Africa and Leung went head-to-head and succeeded against representatives from Princeton University (USA), Tel Aviv niversity srael , and ofia niversity B lgaria in the grand finals. The Ateneans challenged the concept of “ubuntu” – a complex and multifaceted set of social ideals within South Africa which has increasingly been used as a moral compass for directing development.

Both students are taking up Applied Mathematics with specialization in Data Science at the Ateneo. Africa is now in his senior year while Leung is still a sophomore. ‘ Marites pa more’ It is increasingly clear that “Marites” is not just a Filipino past time. Internationally, there is a huge demand for celebrity news or gossip which expose dark secrets of well-known personalities and persons around them. A recent “tell-all” book of Prince H arry and a memoir written by a former close aide of Pope Emeritus Benedict are cases in point. Earlier, a book written by a niece of former President Donald Trump, and published just before the US elections, also grabbed q uite a lot of attention.

According to a CNN London report, the sales of Prince H arry’s “Spare” went through the roof. The English language version sold more than 1.4 million copies on its first day of p lication. The first f ll day of sales of pare represents the largest first-day sales total for any non-fiction ook ever p lished y Peng in andom H ouse, the world’s largest trade publisher.” Prince H arry and Princess Meghan are probably singing their way to the bank.

The tell-all book was preceded by a tell-all interview ith prah Winfrey and a tell-even-more et i doc series in 2 0 2 2 .

Some j uicy b its from “Spare: ” Of King Charles III, H arry said: “W hat he couldn’t really stomach was someone new dominating the monarchy,” … “grabbing the limelight, someone shiny and new coming in and overshadowing him.”

In 2 0 19, Prince W illiam allegedly physically attacked H arry during an argument about Meghan, who W illiam tho ght as diffic lt, r de, and a rasive and whom he previously pleaded with his brother not to date.

The attack left H arry with scrapes and bruises on his back.

Sister-in-law Kate Middleton reportedly voiced several “problems” she had with the arrangements for Meghan and H arry’s wedding, which H arry chalks up to American vers s British c lt ral differences . arry claims that his stepmother hom he and William egged his father not to marry has al ays been “the most cunning royal when it comes to tabloid coverage,” so much so that she freq uently leaks details of the W indsors’ lives to members of the press in exchange for favorable coverage of her own. Q ueen Camilla reportedly “devised and launched a campaign of getting good press for Pa and Camilla at the expense of bad press for us.”

In UK, H arry and Meghan have become q uite unpopular but are hailed outside UK as the underdog in the battle royale.

W

B

First bungling months of President BB Marcos “ I t mat t ers not how s t rai ght t he gat e H ow c har ged w i t h puni s hm ent t he s c rol l I am t he mas t er of my f at e I am c apt ai n of my s oul .”

- I nv ictus by W illiam E rnest Henley

Y

ou might often wonder why I quot e poems or words of wisdom from great poets, thinkers, leaders and philosophers. Most of them have lived before us and their experience and knowledge are worth learning from and preserving.

I have learned a lot from poets because they write beautiful poems of imagination, creation and experience.

As one great poet, W illiam Blake, has written –“Poets are the unacknowledged legislators of the world.” I absolutely agree with him. To arrive at that conclusion - all one needs to do is read W illiam Shakespeare, Dante, W illiam HOMOB ONO A . A D A Z A Wads orth ongfello , dyard Kipling, Thomas Gray, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, a indranath Tagore, ord Alfred Tennyson, Mathe Arnold, o ert Frost, Pa lo er da, ctavio Pa , alph Waldo merson, William rnest enley, hristina ossetti, eoffrey Chaucer, Ezra Pound and Thomas Stearns Eliot. There are more of them but their names escape me for the moment.

You may express some doubt on this but consider the point that I was a Member of the regular Batasang Pambansa (Parliament) which I consider the best legislature this country has ever seen with the best and brightest coming from both sides of aisle – most of the leading personalities come from the College of Law of the University of the Philippines (UP).

CONTINUING TEST: W ith the way PBB or PDD Marcos speaks and acts, it is almost clear that his reading is very limited, if he reads at all. W hy do I say that? I am guided by who he is, what he says and does, and what other persons of authority have said of him. f hat he is e has not finished college, his academic record is unknown, he is not known to have written a book or a single poem, he has no known record of achievement for himself or for our people; President FM, his father does not speak highly of him in his diary, if not in n attering terms and his idol and predecessor, former President Digong Duterte publicly described President BB Marcos as “a week leader, a cocaine user and a spoiled son of a rich and powerful family.”

Admission by silence: PBB Marcos has not denied this serious and damaging charge of Duterte. W hat does this mean?

In law, this is known as admission by silence. By his silence on this devastating charge of Duterte, it means, up to this point, that President BB Marcos, has admitted that “he is a weak leader, he is a cocaine user and a spoiled son of a rich and po erf l family. What an admission Insult to the country: At this stage in time, the Duterte charge is presumed, by law, to be admitted by President BB Marcos by his silence. W hat does this mean? First, this is an insult to the voters who elected BB Marcos as President with these dis alifications. econd, it is similarly an ins lt to the people of this country not to have revoked the choice.

The conclusions derived from the assumptions are that the voters of this country did not know what they were doing in electing BB Marcos President and so did the people of this country who allowed BBM to continue to exercise the powers of the presidency.

But this is nothing new or strange in this country. W e have had all these for decades. W e are a country of masochists. W e love to s ffer from o r st pidities and insanities.

First acts: As correctly said by H enry Kissinger, the Secretary of tate of President ichard i on, f a man does not kno ho to President on his first day of office, he ill never learn till the end of his.” This is the rule but as many say, “For every rule, there is always an exception.” Let us subject President BB Marcos to the test of the rule.

If President BB Marcos has read Peter Drucker, an authority on corporate organizations, and Mao Tse Tung, the fabled revolutionary of China, he should have known that to have a successful organization, he must do the following - analyze, organize, deputize and supervise. If he has read the biographies or writings of Presidents (C ont i nue on page 27)

Diliman Way

ho said guys with simple beginnings, born and raised in rural settings, couldn’t make it to the top of their career ladder?

This q uestion may look like nothing new to others who may be taking note of how some people of countryside origins worked hard, overcome challenges, and ripped through competition leading their way T ED D Y P . MOLINA to the apex of their careers.

The subject of this column is all that plus more.

Many of those earlier rural- to- bigtime success stories though are of people who are in the realm of politics, sports, m sic, and other related fields.

But not as much in the exacting world of the academe, especially in a privately-owned university where, in the hiring of executives, meritocracy is the rule. You can count them y yo r fingers The latest among them is Dr.Z osimo Battad, Ph.D., a multi-awarded educator who has just assumed as President and hief Academic fficer of the niversity of the ast (UE).

Dr. Battad’s rise in the academe can be considered phenomenal.

After his presidency of Pampanga Agricultural College (now Pampanga State Agricultural University) for two terms in 1999-2 0 0 3 and 2 0 0 3 -2 0 0 7, he was transported to the UE system, initially as Chancellor or head of UE-Caloocan, a branch of UE, where he served for almost 12 years in 2 0 112 0 2 2 .

H e made waves at UE-Caloocan where a great transformation took place resulting in greater academic performance/ achievements and in the “aesthetic” uplift of the campus, among others.

H is term as Chancellor ceased on December 3 1 last year but only to be appointed and to assume as President of the entire UE system immediately at the start of the new year on January 1st.

H is exemplary performance at UE-Caloocan must have motivated the people behind the privately-owned university to put him at the helm of UE. UE, which is my Alma Mater, is owned by business tycoon Lucio Tan who acq uired it from the Dalupans whose great patriarch, the late pioneer educator Dr, Francisco Dalupan, founded it along with some associates.

As a respected private institution of learning, UE’s tradition of excellence is well-known. Its graduates have been topnotchers in board examinations in Accounting, Medicine, Dentistry, Engineering and Law, among others.

Former Chief Justice and now Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin was no. 8 in the Bar examinations he took after graduating from the UE College of Law. At another time, UE’s Basilio Alo took the 3 rd place among the Top 10 Bar topnotchers.

Dr. Battad, who is dearly called as Z ing by his family and friends, is a product of the countrysides: Santa, Ilocos Sur and Kabacan, North Cotabato. e’s a chip off the old lock. is Dad, Dr. Fort nato Battad, headed as President five state niversities and colleges before he retired and was subseq uently appointed as Chairman of the Board of Agric lt re at the Professional eg lation ommission P d ring retirement. ing finished college Magna m a de B Agric lture) at the Pampanga Agricultural College. H e went on to obtain his Masters and Ph.D. degrees from the University of the Philippines-Los Bañ os. e e cels in esearch and Development D and institution building, among others. Under his leadership and direction as D Director of the Mariano Marcos tate niversity (MMSU) in 1992 -1995 , the university’s presentation was adjudged the best in the Ilocos region.

The new UE prexy is pretty much aware of the congestion obtaining in UE’s main campus.

There’s just too many buildings close to each other inside the campus that it looks like the well-known institution may in due time no longer be conducive to learning. My last visit there gave me this assessment. All vacant spaces during our time, save for that portion of the Dalupan Q uadrangle where graduation programs were held, are (C ont i nue on page 27)

SPEAKING OUT

Kudos Ateneo Debate Society

Breaking Through

University of the East (UE) has a new President

12

13 January 26-February 1, 2023

 OPINION

Offline

“ I t’ s time for Ferdinand M arcos J r to giv e up h is p osition as agriculture secretary . He is a big failure.

C osts of agricultural p roducts h ad not only risen but th ere were also sup p ly sh ortages.

nions are no ooding wet markets and supermarkets but MA NNY MOG A T O prices remained very high at nearly 5 0 0 pesos a kilo contrary to what the government expected as local farmers started harvesting their crops and the imported bulbs came in. nion prices ill event ally sta ili e, perhaps elo pesos a kilo by next month as imports and local production come in. It will make consumers happy, but for local farmers, it means a big disaster. n some areas, farmers ere forced to sell onions at pesos a kilo, helping middlemen profit more as they market the onions at more than 2 0 0 pesos a kilo. Some even sell it for 5 0 0 pesos a kilo.

Farmers lose and big traders win. The government has to step in and correct the system to encourage local production and stop the country from relying on imported farm products.

From rice, corn, sugar to chicken, pork, and dairy products, the Philippines, an agricultural country, has become dependent on food imports, like tiny Singapore which has very limited farm resources.

But in Singapore, the food costs are very reasonable. In the Philippines, the prices are insane and unrealistic. n a p lic hearing at the enate, farm officials cannot give a coherent and intelligent explanation on why prices of onion rose meteorically. n Bangkok, a kilo of onions costs less than pesos. t is sold in s permarkets at aht for t o kilos. At the c rrent exchange rate, the onions would cost about 70 pesos per kilo, only percent of pesos per kilo at the height of the crisis in the Philippines.

The problem could have been avoided if the farm department had managed the supply side, preventing a shortage that caused prices to increase.

The agriculture department has many farm experts who can project productions, predicting a shortage or a surplus in onions.

So, why did it not recommend importing onions when the co ntry faced a shortage When it finally decided to import, it was timed to the period when onion farmers started harvesting their produce.

It was a stupid idea. There was no common sense in the decision to import at a time of plenty. Farmers’ groups said the government should have made a decision to import in April or May when supply becomes thin. That way, the prices would remain stable.

The high prices of onions have forced ordinary Filipinos to buy the bulbs abroad because it’s cheaper. For instance, a kilo of onions cost less than dirhams or . in the nited Ara mirates. This is less than pesos a kilo. re mem ers of a Philippine Airlines ight from D ai brought home onions for personal use but these were confiscated y the B rea of stoms, hich threatened to file charges against them for violating law. enators, like affy T lfo, came to the resc e, critici ing the customs bureau for its failure to stop smuggling of millions of pesos worth of food products, like rice, sugar and onions.

H e said the customs bureau is concentrating on small fry and allowing big-time smugglers to escape. The airline crew should have been allowed to bring in the onions as it has become a precious “pasalubong” to family, friends and relatives.

It is true that laws were broken but people would not be forced to buy onions abroad if the government had only controlled the prices in the country.

It’s time for Ferdinand Marcos Jr to give up his position as agriculture secretary. H e is a big failure. Costs of agricultural products had not only risen but there were also supply shortages. n more than seven months in office, Marcos has not regularly visited the Elliptical Road to see the farm situation.

H e has spent more time traveling (C ont i nue on pag e 27)

Is diversity important?

E

very culture, every nationality, every single person sees the world in a different ay. imilarly, every culture, nationality, and person have different kno ledge, perspectives, and points of view. W hen all of these different vie s are shared together, miracles can happen because diversity drives creativity and innovation. (Er- ELP ID IO R. ES T IOK O ror! H yperlink reference not valid.

Yes, National Asian American United (NAAU) President Joel W ong believes that diversity is really very important for us to consider and put into practice by building bridges through understanding the Asian Culture and H eritage.

So, his group planned for a Civic Leadership Forum Silicon featuring a 4 0 -minute dialog between Asian American communities over Ding Ding TV with President W ong as moderator. The panelists are people of diverse backgrounds and diversified e periences giving o r co ntry the ni e advantage.

The panelists are: Kathy W atanabe, Council Member, City of Santa Clara, Santa Clara, California; Chris Norwood, President, Milpitas nified chool District Board Francis Espiritu, President-Publisher, Philippine News Today and past president of the San Mateo County Filipino-American Chamber of Commerce; Rosa Kim Trustee, Fremont Union H igh School District; Naomi Nakano – Matsumoto, Executive Administrator at ffice of pervisor tto ee, anta Clara County District 3 ; and Q ueenie Ngu. The forum will be held on Friday, January 2 7, 2 0 2 3 from 4 : 3 0 pm over Ding Ding TV Silicon Valley Studio located in Santa Clara, California. Dr. Xiaoyan Z hang will deliver the keynote speech on “H ow social media divides us and how AAPI leaders leverage their cultural strengths to work together.”

There will be multi-cultural artists performances such as Chinese music, Vietnamese dance and fashion show, Filipino singing, and Korean dance.

As I See It, diversity is of paramount importance for many reasons. First, we can learn various cultures that will propel us to greatness. It teaches us to be innovative and creative.

Second, diversity gives us the chance to understand each other thereby promoting better communication and understanding leading to good relationship. It will make us complete and more diverse in our daily life. Third, it will also give us an idea of how to approach problems that are uniq ue to people by networking with them for a common goal. Since we understand the culture and their heritage, we would know how to make things relevant and encompassing. That’s how important diversity is!

In fact, every person is uniq ue and the more someone is different than yo , it is more likely their skills and kno ledge ill e different from yo . B t, c lt ral diversity red ces discriminations and racism because when we learn their culture and heritage, everyone respects each other regardless of culture.

The idea of a diverse and inclusive team not only gives the companies additional experience and point of views, but it also helps and improves the openness and tolerance of different cultural habits in the same work environment. The diverse team with great talents and with open world view has the great advantage of executing the company’s strategy and can serve the customers better. In fact, a diverse workforce improves customer experiences. You can’t focus on your customers if you don’t understand how they think and act. H aving a diversity of thinking allows your team to understand and design better customer experience, which leads to better customer satisfaction.

Research published by the H arvard Business Review reported that people like to fit in, so they are ca tio s a o t sticking their necks out. W hen we have a strong, homogenous c lt re, e sti e the nat ral cognitive diversity in gro ps through the pressure to conform.”

Therefore, diversity in the workplace can lead to creativity in resolving problems as well as creating new products and services.

According to Toni ’Boyle Ampglo alyo th.org , there are five reasons hy diversity is (C ont i nue on page 27)

As I See It

D

uring his campaign for the presidency, critics of Ferdinand ‘ Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. accused him of being many things. H e never earned a college degree, which put to que stion either his intelligence or his willingness to put in the hard work necessary to get that diploma.

Former president Rodrigo Duterte even accused him of B ET ING D OLOR eing a dr g ser, specifically cocaine, which led to his being called ‘ Boy Singhot’ or Boy niffer over social media.

So is he a dumb, lazy, drug user?

I don’t think so. H e appears to be a senior citizen of average intelligence who wants to nothing more than to correct the negative reputation of the Marcos family in the history books, which is not likely to happen.

H e can, however, still do something about his own reputation now that he is the most powerful leader in the land. Some say he cheated his ay to the presidency, t this is diffic lt if not impossible to prove. This is because ‘ cheating’ is a relative word.

Did the family spend the hidden billions they are believed to have in order for them to return to Malacanang?

It’s possible, but again it’s also extremely hard to prove.

The best thing for him to do at this point is to show the Filipino people and the rest of the world that he is able to provide the necessary leadership to get the country out of the mess it’s in now.

It has to start with admitting that not all is not well and good and beautiful in the Republic of the Philippines.

H e did inherit a ton of very serious problems from his predecessor, Digong Duterte, while he also caused some of the current issues of his administration due to either his action or inaction.

The country’s most important problem is China, and Duterte must bear the full responsibility of how that Asian power is treating the Philippines like a poor relative who has no choice but to follow whatever their President Xi wants.

Recall that it was during the Duterte years that the former Davao mayor ‘ pivoted’ the country towards China, and allowed himself to appear like a lapdog of Xi. China had been intruding into Philippine waters before, but under Duterte they all but took control of the W est Philippine Sea. Marcos says that the Philippines is walking a tightrope between the two superpowers.

I say not so. In wanting to retain the “friendship” of China, he has allo ed hinese fishing oats to intr de into Philippine waters again and again. W orse, they still drive away helpless and narmed Filipino fishermen from the co ntry’s aters.

The latest incident happened just this week.

Marcos must realize that the only way to undo the damage that Duterte did is to pivot back to the US. H e must allow US warships to ply Philippine waters as much as they want. eason hinese vessels steal the fish that rightf lly elongs to Filipino fishermen. American vessels do no s ch thing. All the ants to do is to e its m scle, and sho China who’s boss.

The nationalists and pseudo-nationalists should keep their traps sh t, as they have never offered any tr ly orka le sol tion to the China problem.

W elcoming the US does not mean that we become subordinate to them. It only means that we are allowing their mighty 7th Fleet to roam our seas, instantly providing protection to o r fisherfolk.

This week, the idea of joint PH -US patrols has been brought up.

W hat harm can it do, really? The answer: nothing. It can do no harm to our sovereign state, but will instead send the signal to Xi that maybe he should rethink his policies, relative to its peaceful neighbors.

The second problem that the Philippines has is also a country. This would be Kuwait, which is again hogging the news because a Kuwaiti who is a minor apparently raped, impregnated, killed, then desecrated the remains of an overseas Filipino worker.

This is not the first time an FW as r tali ed and killed.

It’s not even the second time.

(C ont i nue on page 27)

Farm mismanagement: Onion crisis IN THE TRENCHES

3 easy, logical choices for BBM

 BUSINESS | IMMIGRATIONS Are you deportable for committing a crime involving moral turpitude (CIMT)?

A

crime involving moral turpitude can make you inadmissible and deporta le. D ill find inadmissi ility hen yo travel o tside the . . and then ret rn. o ill e sent to second intervie here they ill ask yo estions a o t the crime committed. To e safe yo sho ld cons lt an immigration attorney efore travelling o tside the . .

Traditionally a CIMT involves intent to commit fraud, commit theft ith intent to permanently deprive the o ner, or in ict great odily harm, as ell as some reckless or malicio s offenses and some offenses ith le d intent.

A noncitizen is Deportable for One Conviction of a Crime Involving Moral Turpitude (“CIMT”) if: a) Convicted b) Of one CIMT c That has a potential sentence of one year or more d And as committed ithin five years after date of admission To prevent deportability for a single CIMT ask your attorney to: a Avoid a conviction y getting pre plea diversion or treatment in j venile proceedings or Plead to an offense that is not a MT or c Avoid a potential one year sentence y pleading to a misdemeanor ith a si month ma im m sentence. r in alifornia plead to attempt to commit either a one year misdemeanor or a felony that can e red ced to a misdemeanor, for a ma im m possi le sentence of si months or d Plead to an incident that happened more than five years after the date of admission. This is s ally the date the person as first admitted into the . . ith any kind of visa or card. r, if the person entered the . . itho t inspection i.e., never as admitted on any visa it is the date that the person ecame a permanent resident y adj sting stat s ithin the . . f the person left the . . after ecoming inadmissi le for crimes, or for more than si months sentence, get more advice from your attorney.

A noncitizen is Deportable for Conviction of Two or More CIMTs After Admission if: a Both convictions m st e after the person as admitted to the . . in some stat s, or adj sted status The convictions may not spring from the same incident single scheme A nonciti en is ADM B F M A T PT D , a A if Inadmissible for One or More Convictions of a CIMT There is an e ception hich is Petty ffense ception a tomatically means the person is not inadmissible for CIMT To alify for the e ception a Defendant m st have committed only one MT ever The offense m st have a potential sentence of one year or less. ere a one year misdemeanor, or a felony o led do n to a misdemeanor, ill alify for the e ception. c entence imposed is si months or less. For e ample, s spended imposition of sentence, three years pro ation, si months jail ordered as a condition of pro ation ill alify. o thf l ffender ception applies rarely, t enefits yo th ho ere convicted as ad lts.

A nonciti en is not inadmissi le for MT if he or she committed only one MT ever, hile nder the age of , and the conviction or res lting imprisonment occ rred at least five years ago. ote This is not a legal advice and presented for information p rposes only. f yo have immigration pro lems the a ffices of rispin . o ano can help yo find a sol tion efore yo r pro lem gets orse hich co ld lead to deportation and family separation.

Bankruptcy Basics .

Bankr ptcy ill act ally improve yo r credit ithin one year eca se yo r nsec red de ts are discharged. Altho gh the ankr ptcy ill e in yo r records for years, not filing ankr ptcy ill make your credit even worse until most your debts are paid. . f yo are eing s ed y yo r creditors, most money j dgment can e eliminated in ankr ptcy.

3.

Collection actions continue and you can be sued if you are in debt settlement. . hapter ill eliminate all nsec red de ts. f yo are near retirement age, yo m st eliminate most of your debts.

MP TA T A M T .

P TT F A r a Firm entered into agreement ith n rsing and care home facilities in the . . to process applicants for aregivers in the . We also process petition for caregivers from the Philippines. .

B TA F D F F- MP D The oronavir s ares Act ick and Family eave for elf- mployed provides ig ta ref nds for self-employed individ als for ta years and . f yo have filed yo r ta ret rn and failed to avail of this ref nd contact s for cons ltation. The ref nd ranges from to per individ al self employed depending on your income. all o r office at for confidential cons ltation A MF PA D WA We help o r clients recover from employers’ npaid minim m age and overtime. ndoc mented orkers are alified to apply.

CAR ACCIDENTS r a Firm s ccessf lly settled a car accident for . .

FAM AW We also handle ncontested D .

T For the month of Decem er, , e received approval from three nat rali ation applications, t o Fianc e visa petition, t o removals of condition on residence and fo r adj stment of stat s applications. f yo have immigration pro lems the a ffices of rispin . o ano can help yo find a sol tion efore yo r pro lem gets orse hich co ld lead to deportation and family separation.

C hr i s C aday L oz ano, E s q. i s an ac t i v e membe r of t he St at e B ar of C al i f orni a, t he A meri c an I mmi grat i on L aw y ers A s s oc i at i on and San Franc i s c o T ri al L aw y ers . H e prac t i c es i mmi grat i on l aw , bank rupt c y , pers onal i nj ur y and i nc ome t ax repres ent at i on s i nc e J une 199.

H i s c ont ac t phone i s 1- 87456926, email: info@CCLlaw.net Website: www.crispinlozanolaw.com/ with officers in Hayward and Cerritos, C A .

January 26-February 1, 2023

14

PHL economy resilient to face post-pandemic world: Diokno MA A Finance ecretary Benjamin Diokno told foreign investors and siness leaders that the Philippine economy is resilient eno gh and that the government is doing its best to address post-pandemic challenges.

Diokno made the remarks d ring the Philippine economic riefing attended y the economic managers in Frankf rt, ermany that as streamed thro gh various government agency Facebook pages. n the same event, Bangko entral ng Pilipinas B P overnor Felipe Medalla told foreign investors the Philippines’ ination rate is on its ay ack ithin target in the second half of .

Medalla told siness leaders that the in ation rate in the co ntry is no driven by supply-side factors from an initial impact of global-related issues. e said the government has een doing its est to address the iss e, and among the sol tions incl de speeding p the importation of several agric lt ral prod cts s ch as rice, s gar and meat.

Medalla said there are already signs that in ation is normali ing, ith monthon-month level already decelerating. nless there is a large shock again that’s associated ith the eather, e do not see the shocks propagating into a selff lfilling prophecy eca se of o r very aggressive monetary policy, he said.

B P’s policy-making Monetary Board MB hiked the central ank’s key policy rate y a total of asis points last year after rate of price increases reached the government’s - percent in ation target band starting April last year.

The Finance chief noted that in ation is also a concern in the Philippines j st like in other co ntries, t meas res are eing ndertaken y the government to address the iss e, s ch as managing prices y ens ring ade ate s pplies of agric lt ral prod cts, and oosting the agric lt re sector’s capacity and prod ctivity to help address the rising commodity prices, among others.

We also are contin ing the importation of necessary commodities to ease ination, he said.

The government has allo ed the continued importation of rice, sugar, and meat, hich are among the primary factor for the elevated food prices d e to s pply issues.

Relatively, Diokno assured investors that the government has p t in place a fiscal consolidation program to address the uptick in government liabilities, due in part to the increased orro ing to finance pandemic-related programs. e identified three factors that ill s pport the government’s fiscal consolidation and one of this is the fact that only a small fraction of our outstanding debt is e posed to interest rate resetting.

This, as lk of the government liabilities are sourced from domestic fund so rces, ith aro nd percent of the orro ing program allocated to the domestic market.

We already have anticipated the tightening monetary policy conditions hen e form lated the interest rate payments in the dget, Diokno said. e added that government sec rities market is dominated y local players that are ank-centric and homogeneo s in investment governance.”

These, he said, are strong acking for the government’s fiscal consolidation.

We are confident that the Philippine economy has the a ility to navigate the post-pandemic orld amidst the strained global conditions,” Diokno added.

PH brings initial investment pledges of from wiss firms MA A The Board of nvestments B said Wednesday the Philippines has sec red initial investment commitments from Swiss companies, amo nting D . million P P . illion d ring the co ntry’s investment mission to it erland from Jan. to .

These potential investments ere generated d ring the siness meetings organi ed y the Philippine Trade nvestment enter PT in eneva, Bern and Z ug in Switzerland.

These siness meetings ere cond cted on the sidelines of the Philippines-European Free Trade Agreement FTA meeting and the th Joint conomic Commission (JEC) meeting bet een the Philippines and it erland.

With no less than the President as

the co ntry’s n m er one salesperson in pitching the Philippines, the co ntry’s improved business climate continues to soar high as several m ltinational companies ramp p their interests in setting p sinesses in the co ntry along ith e isting firms e panding their investment portfolios, Trade ndersecretary and B managing head eferino odolfo said.

The D . -million investment pledges, hich are e pected to generate jo s, came from the keypad and silicone sensor manufacturer, Sateco A and start p company, at ra oop. ateco A aims to invest D . million P P . million for a man fact ring facility at the T nd strial Park. The man fact ring plant is e pected to e completed y .

15 January 26-February 1, 2023

 ENTERTAINMENT

US launches P1-billion e-commerce project to support SMEs’ digitalization

MANILA — The United States government, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), has la nched a five-year, one illion peso ($18 million) partnership with the Philippine government to help small and medium enterprises (SMEs) transition to mat re e-commerce sinesses.

The Strengthening Private Enterprises for the Digital Economy (SPEED) project will expand the participation of Philippine SMEs in the country’s emerging ecommerce ecosystem y improving their capacity to adopt digital technologies; supporting the integration of SMEs and ecommerce platforms in logistical supply chains; increasing the use of e-payment systems and other fintech innovations and strengthening consumer awareness and protection.

SPEED supports the U.S. government’s goal to help the Philippines develop a ro st, sec re, and resilient digital economy as a key to drive post-pandemic recovery and long-term economic growth for the co ntry, the m assy in Manila reported.

“As we all know, COVID-19 has fundamentally altered the way we do things, accelerating the shift toward e-commerce, digital platforms, and the digital economy of the post-pandemic orld, Am assador Carlson said at the launching event

attended y Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Alfredo Pascual, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Governor Felipe Medalla, and partners from government and the private sector.

“SPEED signals the U.S. government’s strong commitment to supporting the Philippine government’s vision of a digital Philippines.”

“Key in DTI’s support to scale MSMEs is to help them overcome constraints to their access to technology. W e aim to ena le M M s to em race digital transformation. This ay, elieve DT and USAID’s directions to enhance SME capacities align,” DTI Secretary Pascual said. In his remarks, he also emphasized DTI’s support to the development of the government’s E-commerce Adoption Platform, and their planned Supply Chain Digitalization Project that aims to digitize logistics and supply chains around the country.

“The BSP is optimistic that the programs under SPEED will further support the BSP’s Digital Payments Transformation oadmap o jective to convert at least 50 percent of retail payment transactions to digital form y the end of 20 3,” BSP Governor Medalla noted. olla orations and partnerships s ch as this ill contri te to ard a more resilient and stronger Philippine economy

Californians recently stood up to the tobacco industry and voted to end the sale of most flavored tobacco products, including menthol cigarettes and vapes.

V oters upheld Senate Bill ( SB) 793 by voting “ Y es” on P roposition ( P rop) 31, which prevents retailers from selling these products, and makes it harder for Big T obacco to prey on and profit off of kids and other targeted communities.

California’ s new flavored tobacco law marks a significant victory for California’ s Asian American communities, especially young Asian Americans, as Big T obacco has a deceptive strategy of making tobacco seem like a normal part of our culture, and has been effective in getting young Asian Americans to vape.

T he tobacco industry has long considered the Asian American population a “ potential gold mine” due to high rates of smoking in Asia and the P acific, thereby labeling this community as being “ predisposed toward smoking.” For decades, Big T obacco has placed more advertising on billboards and inside stores in neighborhoods where people who predominantly identify as Asian American shop, and often co- opt cultural holidays like Lunar New Y ear to masquerade their multi- million- dollar marketing machine as support and celebration of these unique cultures and communal ex periences.

PROJECT FOR SMEs. Philippine government and private sector o cials led by BSP Governor Felipe Medalla fourth from le and DTI Secretary Alfredo Pascual si th from le oin U.S. Ambassador Mary ay Carlson center and USAID Mission Director Ryan Washburn third from right in launching USAID s SPEED pro ect. that promotes a high qua lity of life for all Filipinos.”

During the event, private sector partners led y the Philippine ham er of Commerce and Industry also launched the Philippine E-Commerce Alliance.

Looking back to what got us to this momentous point, there is no denying that the tobacco industry has reduced their view of the vibrant and diverse Asian Californian communities to only one thing — profits.

T he tobacco industry targets Asian teens and young adults by advertising their products with flavors like lychee, guava, and passion fruit, and sponsoring cultural events important to Asian communities. T hey also design vapes as sleek and high- tech specifically to appeal to tech savvy young people. T hese tactics work: among Asian youth in California who report currently using flavored vapes, 73% indicated that fruit was the flavor they used most often. T he fresh, sweet taste is a trap the tobacco industry uses to get youth hooked on tobacco and once hooked, they can battle that addiction for life.

W hen it comes to young people and the dangers of vaping, what’ s important to know is that vapes can harm the body and mind. Not only are flavors a trap but vapes have been engineered by the tobacco industry to be as addictive as possible.

Nicotine, which is as addictive as heroin, is poison for the developing brain, and rewires it to crave more. Nicotine can also cause lasting damage to adolescent brains — increasing anx iety, irritability, and mood swings. V aping may also put young people at higher risk of chronic lung issues such as asthma and bronchitis.

sta lished ith the s pport of A D, this private sector-led coalition will facilitate the development of a national siness agenda for digital transformation and inclusion. (Jennifer T. Santos)

 ENTERTAINMENT

January 26-February 1, 2023

16

Dolly de Leon wins best actress in supporting role at Sweden’s Guldbagge Awards, snubbed in Oscar De Leon won best actress in a supporting role at the Guldbagge Awards on Tuesday, January 24, i n Stockholm ceremonies, adding to her already impressive list of accolades.

Later, de Leon, however, failed to make it in the Oscar nominations for best supporting actress, surprising many but her movie, “Triangle of Sadness,” as one of the films vying for est picture.

In winning in Sweden, de Leon bestFilipina actress Dolly de Leon has ed Carla Seh (“Stammisar”), Liv Mjöne s received another award for her portrayal (“Tack for the Last Time”), and Marika of A igail in the critically acclaimed film Lindström (“Burn All my Letters”).

“Triangle of Sadness.”

Aside from the best supporting

actress award, “Triangle of Sadness” also bagged the best movie, best direction, best actor in a supporting role, best costume design, and best mask design awards.

The Guldbagge Awards are Sweden’s leading film a ards and have een presented since 1964 f or outstanding contri tions to edish film over the past year.

“In total around 50 G uldbagge Awards have been handed out over the years, and 18 G uldbagge Awards are now presented annually in the various categories, its official e site added.

De Leon earlier earned recognition

for her breakout role in “Triangle of Sadness,” after sher landed historic Golden Globe and British Academy Film Awards nominations in the same category.

“Triangle of Sadness” is up for the coveted best picture and for original screenplay, while Ö stlund is in the running for best director in the Oscar.

“It would have been lovely to see de Leon, a veteran Filipina actress of stage and screen, be recognized by the Academy for her tremendo s effort, said Marlow Stern, American magazine Rolling Stone’s senior entertainment editor, who described De Leon as the movie’s “saving grace.”

Sky River Casino Celebrates Lunar New Year Big Money for Swipe & Win For a limited time on January 29, 203 f rom 8A M to 8P M, all Sky River Rewards Members can earn 8 Tier Credits by playing their favorite slots and table games! Then simply swipe their Sky River Rewards Cards at any promotional kiosk to claim the prize!

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Sky River Casino is also proud to announce that Leung’s W hite Crane Dragon and Lion Dance Association will

be returning for a special lion dance performance on January 29, 203 a t 11AM in honor of the Lunar New Year. The amazing performance at Sky River Casino is sure to be an exciting and unforgettable event.

Sky River Casino announces the opening of the highly-anticipated dim sum restaurant Dragon Beaux. Chef W illie Ng’s Palette Group has partnered with Sky River to bring the famed dim sum destination to Elk Grove.

The beloved Bay Area restaurant group is known for its mouth-watering dim sum, hot pot, wok rice and noodles dishes which are now available at Sky River casino inside Dragon Beaux, as well as Koi Palace, a fast casual experience inside The Market at Sky River.

Dragon Bea offers per selected men .

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reservation, visit Skyriver.com/ diningand-drinks/ dragonbeaux. *M ust be at least 21 ye ars of age or older and a Sky River Rewards member. Visit Sky River Rewards Club for complete details. Management reserves all rights. Gambling problem? Call 1-80GAMBLER. Join Sky River Rewards Sky River Rewards, is one of the most hi-tech rewards programs among casinos in Northern California, allowing guests cardless play, cashless wallet, and more. The Sky River Rewards card is your key to receiving points for all your activities and those points can be redeemed for Free Play or dining credits.

Become a Sky River Rewards member now to receive $20 F ree Play. To activate your Free Play, visit any slot machine and place a bet. Sky River Rewards enrollment can be done online using a computer, tablet, or phone with a camera.

About Sky River Casino Sky River Casino was built by the W ilton Rancheria in partnership with Boyd Gaming Corporation, which is building and managing the property for the tribe. The casino opened in August 20 a nd includes 100,0 s q f t of gaming, 2,0 s lot machines, 80+ table games, and 17 bars and restaurants. To learn more, visit www.SkyRiver.com.

17 January 26-February 1, 2023

 ENTERTAINMENT

GMA, ABS-CBN ink historic deal for ‘Unbreak My Heart’ tv series collaboration nce fierce rivals in the television and sho siness ind stry, MA et ork and AB - B are no orking together nder a ne historic partnership they have j st sealed.

The partnership ill e for the co-prod ction of a gro nd reaking television series titled n reak My eart ith a stellar cast top- illed y the premiere artists of oth companies Jodi ta. Maria, ichard ap, Josh a arcia, and a i arcia, among others.

The romantic-drama series, hich ill e filmed in it erland, ill air on MA this and stream in territories o tside of the Philippines on i , P W’s leading panregional over-the-top video streaming service.

The partnership as made official d ring a contract signing and story conference event held at AB - B ith top officials from the three companies led y MA senior vice-president for programming, talent management, orld ide,

and s pport gro ps Atty. Annette o on- aldes, AB - B of Broadcast ory idanes, and i Philippines dep ty co ntry manager inchi y- ia.

MA officials ho ere elcomed at the signing event ere first vice-president for program management department Joey A acan and assistant vice-president for parkle Joy Marcelo. epresenting AB - B in the historic event ere ro p F ick Tan, T Prod ction and tar Magic head a ren Dyogi, nternational ales and Distri tion head Pia a rel, and Dreamscape ntertainment led y its head Deo ndrinal, reatives head ondel indayag, reatives manager Joel Mercado, and B siness nit head arlina Dela Merced.

The momento s event as also graced y i Philippines senior project manager Mil Alcain and content partnerships head arlic arcia. t’s a first for Philippine T and ’m s re it’s the a dience that ill

e the inners in this colla oration.

We’re very e cited to e orking ith AB - B on T for the first time, said Annette at the story conference held on the same day.

This is a milestone in the ind stry. We’re thankf l for this opport nity and e’re very happy to ork ith MA to serve o r a diences.

We nite as one team. We never imagined that this as going to happen, said ory.

Today, e are a le to pro dly sho case that on o r platform ith premi m Filipino content not j st for Filipino a diences t also for glo al a diences to appreciate and enjoy.

This is ith a vision of ringing the est of the Filipino talent oncam and off-cam to the orld, said arlic.

Joining the ensem le cast of nreak My eart are Maey Ba tista, Will Ashley, Bianca de era, ikki alde , la aldes, and a rice illen, and directed y mman el . Palo and Dolly D l .

ie ers can e pect an e citing colla oration as the teleserye marks the first project of Jodi ith Josh a and a i, ho ill also e paired together for the first time ever.

Mean hile, Jodi re nites ith ichard, her former on-screen partner.

This colla oration ill really ring in opport nities not only to the net orks, t for the people orking in the net ork, for the people in the ind stry, said Jodi. ’m really pro d, honored, and e cited to e part of this sho hich is history in the making since this is the first time that t o net ork giants ill e orking ith each other. f co rse ’m also e cited to e orking ith Jodi again and all the other people in the cast, said ichard. ’m really honored talaga na makasama dito, na pinili nila ako na maging parte ng proyektong to. cited ako na ga in y ng character, said Josh a. While a i shared, t’s my first time doing this kind of role. ra e y ng gro th and y ng depth ng character ko dito sa sho na to.

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 COMMUNITY NEWS

January 26-February 1, 2023

18

Filipino couple Power Duo makes it to ‘America’s Got Talent’ finals commented.

Po er D o on Pilipinas ot Talent season in and later competed in Asia’s ot Talent in here they finished third.

The co ple thanked the j dges of the local franchise for elieving in them hen they first competed.

We also ant to share o r s ccess to o r Pilipinas ot Talent j dges ho really elieve in o r talent from the start, said Po er D o in a T itter post.

The all-stars edition feat res contestants from the past seasons of America’s ot Talent and from the international ot Talent franchises.

Filipino dance act Power Duo made it to the finals of the America’s ot Talent All- tars thro gh fan voting. eal-life co ple ervin and Anjanette Minor, kno n for their aerial dance, impressed the a dience and j dges imon o ell, eidi l m, and o ie Mende ith their performance to the m sic of al m cott’s o Are The eason, Philippines reported.

What thrilled everyone more as the passionate kiss at the end of their dance, the report added. t is so ea tif l to atch t o people that are in love and they do something ea tif l together, l m

Iloilo bride ditches flowers for onion bouquet at her wedding T This one is for the ooks.

With the e or itant price of onions these days, an longga ride chose practicality over aesthetics hen she carried an onion o et hen she alked do n the aisle instead of the traditional collection of dainty hite or colorf l o ers.

April yka Biorrey- o is told

P A that she didn’t mind carrying fo r to five kilos of an onion o et, hich she said as practical and ni e, for her Jan. edding day to her oyfriend of five years.

April yka, , ho hails from Binga an in loilo, said at first they planned to se o ers t she got the idea of having onions ith a to ch of o ers for her o et hile ro s-

FOR MORE INFO, CALL:

ing thro gh social media. accidentally sa a o et made of onions ith a to ch of o ers. immediately contacted o r coordinator ho said that e can se the concept for o r edding, she said. he asked permission from her groom, r in o is, , of stancia, loilo, to se the concept and he readily agreed.

April yka said o ers o ld only e for display after the edding and once ithered o ld j st e thro n a ay. nions are practical since they can still e sed after the edding, she added.

Their coordinator immediately

ordered online from a s pplier in a nion since there is none in loilo.

Fo r days efore their edding day, a sack of onions arrived.

The ride said the price of one sack of onions at P , is even lo er than the price of traditional o ers, for hich they originally set aside P , .

After the edding, the onions ere given to o r godparents and ridesmaid so they have ith them onions for so venirs. also gave my o et to o r relatives for their everyday se, she added. o ever, they skipped the traditional thro ing of o ets to prevent any inj ry, she added. Perla ena P A

19 January 26-February 1, 2023

 ENTERTAINMENT

Walk of Fame stars of Hidilyn, Maja, 6 others unveiled in Eastwood tress Maja Salvador and ABS-CBN News journalist Mario Dumaual were formally honored with their five-point rass stars in the astwood City W alk of Fame.

A week after the announcement, the newest inductees that also included National Artist Ricky Lee took part in the unveiling of their own W alk of Fame stars at the Central Plaza as ABS-CBN reported.

Walk of Fame made its come ack after eing hindered y the VID-19 pandemic Organizers named personalities coming from the fields of film, television, music, theater, news and p lic affairs, sports, radio and social media to receive the coveted recognition.

M aj a S al v ad o r ee is honored for his contri tion in film D ma al, for ne s and Nine personalities including p lic aff airs singer Janet Basco Olympic champion H idilyn Diaz, acfor m sic roadcaster erry Baja

for radio and si lings Ranz Kyle and Niana errero, ho share a star, for social media, ABS-CBN reported.

News anchor Angeliq ue Lazo, politician-actor er erT Bautista, sports icon Paeng Nepomuceno, and Boots Anson King graced the event as they introduced each of the inductees.

Patterned after the H ollywood W alk of Fame, the ast ood attraction as esta lished H i d i l yn D i az in y the late starmaker erman Moreno, whose son Federico took the helm after his passing.

The erman Moreno Walk of Fame Foundation has since inducted

over personalities from different fields, incl ding T , film, m sic, sports, and news.

Senator Lito Lapid has nothing but praises for Coco Martin story of Baldo formerly played y the late FerFor seven years, FPJ’s Ang Pro insyano nando Poe Jr. , a former pickpocket ho ecomes ro ght more than j st a modern retelling of the action-packed classic y The ing of Action Mov- reformed after spending time ehind ars. e then ies, Fernando Poe Jr. ven ith oco Martin as the sho ’s lead actor, he contin o sly and generously shared the spotlight with other veterans in the entertainment industry.

Most actors are grateful to Coco and the team ehind Ang Pro insyano eca se the sho gave them another chance to show their passion for acting and gain prominence among audiences from today’s generation. Among them is enator ito Lapid.

During a qui ck catch-up with the press last Jan ary , Monday, he shared ho Ang Pro insyano paved the way for millennials to know him as Romulo “Leon” Dumaguit, or simply Pinuno. e ipped that most Filipinos kne him efore as eon errero early in his career as an action star.

Senator Lito Lapid with son Mark Lapid In the seven-year stint, the esteemed senator sa ho oco’s mind orked and ho he appealed to the general masses, making him a wellloved actor among the Filipinos. ng isip ni oco ang ilis. ng script niya nasaulo niya. ‘ Yung timpla ng masa kayang-kaya niya ila as sa T , apid said.

Lapid also recalled how Coco can adapt his dialog e to match the scene’s mood yet add a more relata le air. Altho gh it’s something the senator isn’t sed to, he enjoyed orking ith oco. o much so that he asked the actor to enter politics, t oco declined eca se he already had his platform in sho i . B t that isn’t the end of their on-screen projects.

This year, apid ill ret rn to the small screen ith oco for the modern rendition of another FPJ classic, Batang Q uiapo.

Batang Q uiapo draws inspiration from the 1986 action-comedy film of the same title. t follo s the

meets a yo ng female thief ho ants to e his apprentice. B t instead of f lfilling her ishes, Baldo will try to put her on the right path.

 REAL ESTATE

January 26-February 1, 2023

20

should move to Improve Ayala Land gets high scores Why Seniors their quality of LIFE from global ESG rating firms W

AYALA LAND, Inc. (ALI) said it recently received high scores from several global ESG (Environmental, ocial, and overnance rating firms.

The property developer secured a B rating for water management, as noted by the CDP (formerly known as the Carbon Disclosure Project). ALI secured the highest rating for a company in the Philippines, along with Manila W ater.

“As the only Philippine member with leadership rating since 2 0 2 0 , ALI also maintained its A- rating on the CDP Score Report on Climate Change, which is higher than Asia’s regional average of C,” the com-

pany said in a statement.

The DP is a glo al non-profit that r ns the world’s environmental disclosure system, which is considered the gold standard in corporate environment reporting.

Also, ALI remains the only Philippine member in the Sustainability Yearbook of S& P Global since 2 0 17.

For 2 0 2 2 , S& P Global ranked ALI within the 96 th percentile, which is an improved score from 2 0 2 1.

This puts ALI’s sustainability performance at the top 4 % in the real estate industry, and makes it the highest ranked company in the country.

ALI also retained its Dow Jones Sustainability Indices membership for the 9th year, while still being the only Philippine member. am confident that e ill reach o r goals given the progress e’ve made to offset o r car on footprint for our Scopes 1 and 2 emissions in all our commercial properties,” ALI President and CEO Bernard Vincent O. Dy said in a statement.

We ill e clearly defining o r year-on-year targets so that we can measure and reach our 2 0 3 0 carbon reduction and 2 0 5 0 Net Z ero goals. To achieve this, we will be working in partnership with our suppliers and customers to ensure that our initiatives are in line with our business goals,” he added.

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hen conversations begin between a senior and their family about moving to a retirement community, the topic is often met with several objections.

The most common objections to making a lifestyle change and the emotions involved with the entire process.

Generally, if the topic of making a lifestyle change comes up, something has been going on that is predicating the conversation. Maybe it is becoming apparent that the home is becoming too much to care for. Although it was the perfect size for raising a family, it is now too large for just one or two people. It may be that the senior themselves can no longer manage on their o n. They are having diffic lty managing their medications or making meals. Things like showering or going down the basement stairs to do laundry just aren’t safe anymore.

H ow do you determine whether its time for your to move to a Retirement Community: 1. If you are considering a Low Maintenance Living?

Even in retirement, the never-ending battle against laundry, grocery shopping, bills, and that lawn (that seems to grow t ice as fast each year gets more diffic lt. o r ho sehold responsibilities can get in the way of your bigger goals, like long-term travel or spontaneous road trips.

2. D o you want an Upscale Living?

Living in a community tailored to creating the good life has its advantages. Many retirement communities have upscale amenities you would never dream of owning in your own home. Staying active as you age can help you maintain your independence longer and prevent falls or injury. If selfmotivation is an iss e, the fitness classes and o tdoor activities offered in many retirement comm nities may appeal to you.

3. Are you ready to actually have a social life?

It’s always a challenge to make new friends, but it can become increasingly tricky in retirement. f yo ’re finding yo r schedule a little empty, but want an engaging social life, a retirement comm nity may e the perfect fit. s ally yo go to one that you already know someone, then you can know and have more friends with the same interest.

4. W ould you like to start Eating H ealthy?

Sometimes it’s hard to go to the trouble of cooking a nutritious meal. It’s tempting, as one blogger put it, to “Bread.

W ine. Cheese. Repeat.” Choosing a retirement community can help you opt back into daily meals that nourish the body and satisfy the soul.

5. Time to be Learning, Growing, and Traveling for Fun? Aging doesn’t put a stop for the need to grow and explore the world around us. Retirement communities can make it easier to get out and discover exciting new experiences through planned excursions and travel.

6. You will need Personal Care Services?

As we age, there are daily tasks that just aren’t as easy as they once were. It’s not embarrassing or something to fear, it’s just the facts.

W hether you need help with housekeeping or personal hygiene now, or are cognizant that one day you might, retirement comm nities offer the opport nity to kno hen that transition happens, you will be in good hands.

7. Safety and Security should be important for you?

You may not need any help with your daily personal care, but that doesn’t mean that accidents don’t happen.

H ousehold accidents and falls do occur, and if you live alone, the thought of not receiving the help you need can be daunting. In a retirement community, you can be sure there is always someone there to help!

8. F inally do you need a driver to drive you around?

Bet een mper-to- mper traffic, ne roads, and that one guy” who is always in a hurry, driving can start to feel like a chore. etirement comm nities offer transportation to their residents to help them stay active in their local communities and beyond. You don’t necessarily have to give up your keys altogether, cruise around when you feel like it, and other times let someone else worry about the new roundabout.

Thanks for your inqui ries, please call Ken Go of 1st Innovative Finance Group 5625087048 or write to kennethgo@ verizon.net CABRE 0102123 N MLS 2386

21 January 26-February 1, 2023

 SPORTS

Donaire gets another crack at WBC bantamweight title against Moloney MANILA — Former four-division world champion, Nonito “Filipino Flash” Donaire Jr., has been ordered by the W orld Boxing Council to face Australian world title challenger Jason Moloney. f the fight p shes thro gh, it ill the comeback of the Filipino American Donaire, 40, who was formerly a resident of the San Francisco Bay Area and now is based in Las Vegas.

The W BC formally ordered a vacant antam eight title fight et een Moloney and Donaire, more than two months after confirming the pairing d ring its annual convention last November.

The W BC gave the two sides given until February 17 to reach terms and avoid a purse bid hearing.

Moloney fights nder the anner of H all of Fame promoter Bob Arum’s Top Rank, with company vice president Carl Moretti instructed to take the lead in negotiations for the former two-time title challenger who is managed by Tony Tolj.

Donaire is promoted by Richard Schaefer and managed by his wife, Rachel.

28

It can be recalled that Donaire lost the W BC world bantamweight title to unbeaten Japanese boxing sensation, Naoya Inoue last June in Saitama, Japan via a second round technical knockout.

The heartbreaking defeat prompted

knockouts, while Moloney who recently bagged the W BC silver bantamweight and the W BO international bantamweight titles against Filipino Aston Palicte improved to a 25- 2 (win-loss) card with 19 knockouts.

Moloney scored a resounding technical knockout against Palicte, a former world title challenger in their June bout in Melbourne, Australia to bag the two regional title. H e went on to win another bout against Nawaphon Kaikanha last October in Melbourne.

The WB confirmed d ring its convention that Moloney and Donaire would be next in line for the title once Naoya Inoue (24- 0, 21K Os) vacated the belts to campaign at junior featherweight Moloney and Donaire were named as the top two W BC contenders during the Donaire to consider returning to the super W BC convention, where it was agreed y eight division. that their event ally ordered fight o ld The W BC decision, however, would carry a 50- 50 split should it eventually stall Donaire’s ret rn to s per y eight. make its way to a purse bid hearing.

W ith the defeat last June, Donaire dropped to a 42- 7 (win-loss) record with

PH to send 14 athletes to Asian Lawn Bowls Championships MANILA - Fourteen Philippine athletes will join the 14 th Asian Lawn Bowls Championship in Malaysia next month.

The tournament will be held from Feb. 2 0 to 2 6 at the Arena Lawn Bowls in Ipoh, the capital of Perak state.

Rodel Labayo, men’s pair gold medalist at the 2 0 19 Manila SEA Games, will lead the team composed of Ronald Lising, Leo Carreon, H ommer Mercado and Elmer Abayato (men’s); Marissa Baronda, H azel Jagonoy, Sonia Bruce, Rosita Bradborn and Ronalyn Greenlees (women’s); James Christian Andia and James Raz (Under 2 5 boys); and cousins Andrea and Angeleca Abayato.

They will be accompanied by coaches Chris Dagpin and Rey Samia.

Also joining the trip are Philippine Lawn Bowls Association (PLBA) president Benito Pascual II and board of director Gene Lopez, who will both attend the Asian Lawn Bowls Federation meeting on Feb.2 5 .

“W e never stopped training. W e are fully prepared. In 2 0 18 , only the women’s team was able to join. This time, we have the men’s and juniors teams,” Greenlees said in an interview on Sunday.

She is now a Level 2 international coach, having attended the seminar course in Malaysia two weeks ago.

“W hat I learned from the seminar would be a great help during our training,” said Greenlees, who also served as PLBA president.

The national bowlers are regularly practicing at the Clark Global City in Pampanga, the same venue as the SEA Games.

“W e are very grateful to the Clark Development Corporation (CDC) for allowing us to use the venue,” Greenlees said. “The PLBA will not be as it is now without the help of CDC and course, the Philippine Sports Commission and the Philippine Olympic Committee.”

The Philippines is hoping to improve its one silver and two bronze medals performance in

A gro up p h o t o o f w o m en’ s t eam m em bers ( L -R ) R o nal yn G reenl ees , A i ni e K ni gh t , R o s i t a B rad bo rn, H az el Jago no y, A s unc i o n B ruc e and M ari a R et a G ui nt o d uri ng t h e 13t h A s i an C h am p i o ns h i p s i n X i nx i ang, C h i na i n 2018. ( C o nt ri but ed p h o t o ) the last Asian Championships hosted by China in 2 0 18 .

Bradborn and Bruce captured the women’s pairs’ silver medal.

They also won the women’s fours bronze medal with Jagonoy and Greenlees. Ainie Knight contributed another bronze medal in the women’s singles event.

W ith the three medals, the Philippines ranked second overall in the women’s division with 2 7 points, behind Malaysia, which garnered 3 4 points after winning two golds (pairs and fours) and two bronzes (singles and triples).

Singapore placed third with 2 5 points for winning one gold (singles) and one bronze (triples).

During the 2 0 19 SEA Games, the Philippines won one gold, three silver and two bronze medals, finishing second ehind Malaysia - 2 ).

Labayo and Angelo Morales topped the men’s pairs event, while the silver medalists were Elmer Abatayo, Mercado and Dagpin (men’s triples); Nancy Toyco, Bruce and Knight (women’s triples); and Baronda, Bradborn, Jagonoy and Sharon H auters (women’s fours).

 COMMUNITY NEWS

January 26-February 1, 2023

22

Economic Crash or Soft Landing Ahead?

The child tax credit and extended unemployment insurance program are long gone and experts don’t expect new family-friendly legislation this year.

Recession or no recession? That is the central que stion about the economy as we enter the new year.

“W e really do not know whether there will be a recession in 203 or not,” says Economist George Fenton, Senior Policy Analyst at the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP). H e joined two other economists on an Ethnic Media Services riefing projecting economic trends in the year ahead.

Mark Z andi at Moody’s Analytics currently has it at 50 –50 odds that the U.S. economy will slip into recession and a recent Bloomberg survey of 40 economists set higher odds of 70- 30.

Economists can’t read the tea leaves clearly because job growth is expected to slow by the fourth qu arter as is the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). But neither of those is actually declining now, says Fenton.

“The consensus is that if we have a recession that it will be short and shallow.

But it could be short and deep, it could be long and shallow. W e’re really not sure what’s going to happen,” he says.

The deb t ceiling “I think the next year is going to be incredibly challenging,” says Dr. W endy Edelberg, former chief economist at the ongressional B dget ffice ho no directs the H amilton Project at the Brookings Institution. H er pessimistic outlook comes at a time when W ashington is emroiled in a do n to the ire fight on the debt ceiling.

If the U.S. defaults on its debt payments it would likely trigger a worldwide recession. There are warning signs already. Stocks tumbled last week, and the DOW was down 275 points, giving up its gain for the year.

“I’m nothing but worried,” Edelberg said.

“I unfortunately have a similarly depressing assessment,” said Dr. Rakeen

B yPet er W h i t e justify.”

What’s the fi Ma d argues that Congress should pass a federal price gouging law and the Federal Trade Commission and Department of J stice sho ld go after the profiteers.

Compared to other recessions, the economic downturn from COVID was not that bad. “It was shallow precisely because D r. W end y E d el berg, f o rm er c h i ef ec o no m i s t at t h e policymakers stepped in Congressional Budget O ce and current director of the to take action for people. Hamilton Pro ect at the Brookings Ins�tu�on.

Not for banks, not for big companies, but for peoporate tax rate from 35% to 21% in 2017 ple,” she said. and it will last until 205.

Fenton points Child poverty out that raising it from 21% to 28% would The American Rescue Plan funds are generate a trillion dollars in tax revenue not gone but largely spent and the Child in the next ten years.

Tax Credit ended in 20.

In two years it Democrats have some leverage here Mabud, Chief Economist and Managing lifted 2.9 million children out of poverty. and they could do some horse-trading with Director of Policy and Research at the Edelburg wants to see the child tax credit the Republicans. A tax break for corporate Groundwork Collaborative, a left-leaning expanded so child poverty “doesn’t shoot research and development expired last year and the business lobby desperately activist group. She said there are two ma- right back up.”

There are some prospects for curbing wants that deduction put back in place. jor threats on the horizon.

“Lawmakers who want to see exThe first is that Jerome Po ell p sh- corporate profiteering. President Biden ants to p t an e cess profi ts ta on oil panded enefits for families and children es us into a recession. I think we are well and gas companies and it could be apcould leverage that to force the hand of on our way. The medicine has not yet hit the system and we are likely to see some plied more broadly. Congress could ban lawmakers,” Fenton said.

Edelberg agrees. “Solving the corporeal economic contraction, some unem- stock buybacks as a way to avoid paying ta es.

The n ation ed ction Act passed rate tax system is not going to necessarployment ramping up because that’s what last year includes a 15 % minimum corpoily solve the problems that we’re facing he’s trying to do.

“The second threat this year is a return rate tax that stops the common practice of in our economy today. It’s not going to to government cutbacks and austerity that reporting large profits to shareholders t solve the urgent issues at hand. It’s going to put us on a much better path over the Republicans have already signaled is a none in taxable income to the IRS. The Trump administration cut the corlonger term.” top priority. The o se P kicked off their 118t h Congress by voting to help the super wealthy dodge their taxes,” Mabud said.

At the moment, the Republicans are SOCIAL SECURITY CARDS ARE SAFER AT HOME a house divided between the McConnell

By G. Samson faction and the Marjorie Taylor Greens ocial ec rity blic airs pecialist in the ay rea and they have not been able to make good on their threats to defund public television Scams to steal your personal informaor c t ack on ocial ec rity enefits. tion are at an all-time high. The need to Corporate welfare safeguard important personal documents Mabud noted that the Fed has in- such as your Social Security card contincreased interest rates seven times over the ues to be very important. last year and will likely do it again at the A Social Security card is not an idennext Open Markets Committee meeting tification doc ment. n many sit ations, at the end of Jan ary. B t she said higher you only need to know your Social Seprices and rising unemployment are not curity number (SSN). Your physical card the est strategy to c r in ation eca se is not necessary for most business needs. it will throw millions of people out of Do you need evidence for work? work, slow down wage growth, and cause There are several documents you can use immense financial and economic pain. instead of your card. Other acceptable W e’re stuck in a system where very evidence includes the following: rich corporations hold power and are able Birth ertificate. to shape the economy so it enefits them, • Permanent Resident Card or she said.

Alien Registration Receipt.

Dr. Rakeen Mabud, Chief Economist • Employment Authorization Doc- Department of Motor Vehicles or Driver and Managing Director of Policy and Re- ument.

License (REAL ID). The only state that search at the Groundwork Collaborative.

• Form I-94 or Form I-94A . requi res a physical card is Pennsylvania.

We sa rampant profiteering d rYou do not need to show your physi- For all other states, other acceptable eviing the pandemic. W e’re still seeing that, cal card to apply for certain enefits. o dence includes: right? Anyone who has gone to buy a doz- can simply provide yo r for enefits • W -2 f orms. en eggs in the grocery store, you have no- like: • Form SSA-1099. ticed that egg prices are up,” Mabud said.

• H ousing.

• Non-SSA-1099 f orms.

“It’s not because it costs more to produce • H ealth insurance.

• Pay stubs. eggs or they are scarce at Kroger…T hese • Food assistance.

Keeping your card at home reduces are producers who are raising prices beYou should also know your physical the risk of loss or theft – and helps you yond what their production costs would card is not requi red as evidence for the keep your information safe.

S o c i al S ec uri t y U p d at e

 COMMUNITY NEWS

January 26-February 1, 2023

24

Half Moon Bay Homicide Suspect in Custody B y C ap t ai n E am o nn A l l en

Summary: H alf Moon Bay – Today, at 2: 2 pm, San Mateo o nty heriff’s Dep ties ere dispatched to the lock of an Mateo oad in nincorporated an Mateo o nty on a report of a shooting ith m ltiple victims. pon arrival dep ties located fo r victims deceased ith g nshot o nds. A fifth victim, also s ffering from g nshot o nds, as transported to tanford Medical enter ith life threatening inj ries. The s spect as not immediately located. hortly thereafter, three additional victims ere also located, deceased ith g nshot o nds at a separate

shooting scene in the lock of a rillo igh ay o th. The motive for the shooting is c rrently nkno n.

Thro gh investigation, the s spect as identified as h nli hao, a -year-old alf Moon Bay resident. At pm, hao as located in his vehicle in the parking lot of the heriff’s ffice alf Moon Bay Police station y a heriff’s Dep ty. hao as taken into c stody itho t incident and a eapon as located in his vehicle. hao is elieved to have acted alone. There is no f rther threat to the comm nity.

This is a devasting tragedy for this comm nity and the many families to ched y this nspeaka le act of violence, said heriff hristina orp s.

Anyone ith information a o t this incident is enco raged to contact Detective Deschler at . We ill contin e to provide pdates as information ecomes availa le.

A family re nification center has een set p at the D all, Main t., alf Moon Bay.

CA vs. Hate Updates for State Library Grantees ood afternoon, thnic Media treach comm nity n ehalf of the alifornia ivil ights Department, ’m sharing pdates a o t recent ne s events as ell as information on the soft la nch of the ne ly created A vs. ate eso rce ine and et ork, incl ding an pcoming e inar link.

For f rther information or comments, please contact Becky Monroe or hantel Berm de , cc’d a ove. eleste te ard, thnic Media treach rant Program Manager

e serve. anted to share some general pdates and information a o t o r ork com ating hate and share information a o t an pcoming e inar, t also anted to se this opport nity to share some information a o t reso rces specific to the recent tragedies. Most of the information elo as gathered follo ing Monterey Park, and ill share additional information a o t reso rces for alf Moon Bay in m ltiple lang ages as soon as it is availa le.

D ear C olleagues, Follo ing the tragedies in Monterey Park and alf Moon Bay, it is ith a heavy heart that reach o t to yo this ne year. We kno that regardless of hat the police investigation determines regarding this horrific shootings, the comm nity is e periencing this tragedy in the conte t of an increase in hate incidents and crimes and e are committed to respond to the needs of the comm nities

Monterey Park Please see this important reso rce g ide compiled y the AAP ity Alliance in conj nction Asian Americans Advancing J stice o thern alifornia as ell as many local organi ations and service providers ith information from the ivil ights Department and other state agencies as ell. ill share the reso rce g ide in other lang ages as soon as possi le eso rces for Monterey Park ictims

T O A L L E A H S “ G W A PO ’ s & B E A U T I FU L A B A D A N S . T h ank yo u t o al l o f yo u f o r c o m i ng t o o ur M E M O R A B L E R E U N I O N at A ri s t o c rat R es t aurant , go o d f o o d o f c o urs e PL U S “ B i bi ngk a and Put o bo m bo ng? : p l us f unny gam es . O ne o f yo u m ad e m o ney i n t h e gam es . S ee yo u agai n i n nex t reuni o n.

In the photo are first row Loida Ponio, Mina Or�lla Alcasabas, Aurea Tesoro Del Rosario, Yolanda Costes Cambel, Rosalia Ilagan Maghari, Luisa Tamayo Macawili second row Amado dela Rosa, Filomeno Valiao, R mulo Ram rez, Angelito dela Cruz, Renato Guevarra, Dory Deseo, Lazarito Villamar, Lolita Wico We like to thank the following Sponsors of our Reunion: Aurea, Yoli, arit, Rene G., Filomeno,Rosalia, Amado and Ric T. Maybe we ll get together again ne t year

and omm nity Mem ers.pdf - oogle Drive We also ant to make s re that people have information a o t ho to access in lang age mental health services as soon as possi le, so e are highlighting the follo ing reso rces V ictim and Survivor Resource Center

perated y A o nty, ity of Monterey Park, American ed ross, and others to provide on-the-gro nd mental health services, crisis response teams, and victim services. Mandarin and antonese interpretation availa le. pen daily ampm at the angley enior iti en enter, W merson Ave, Monterey Park, A. Chinatown Service Center The nonprofit, hich provides services for immigrants and other comm nities in A o nty, offers tra ma co nseling to comm nity mem ers. https .cscla.org P T ment Centers Mental health center in A o nty meeting the needs of Asian Pacific immigrants and ref gees. ervices availa le in Mandarin, antonese, ietnamese, orean, Tagalog, Thai, and panish.

Behavioral health and o tpatient clinical services provided at Alham ra location West Main t., ite , Alhamra, A . , M-F ampm https .apctc.org am riting to provide some pdates on the A vs. ate eso rce ine and et ork, and to let yo kno a o t a e inar on hate crimes reporting hosted y the Michigan ivil ights Department that the A ivil ights Department as invited to join.

Updates on CA vs. Hate: Thanks to the inp t of comm nity leaders and government officials across the state, the ivil ights Department D has completed a soft la nch of the A vs. ate eso rce ine and etork. ee attached As a reminder, the A vs. ate eso rce ine and et ork helps individ als and comm nities tar-

geted for hate identify options for ne t steps and connects people ith c lt rally competent reso rces and s pport thro gh care coordination. All services and reso rces are c rrently availa le to people ho s mit reports online at https stophate.calcivilrights.ca.gov at any time in lang ages. People also can report an incident y calling or - - - AT , Monday to Friday from a.m. to p.m., and talk to a trained civil rights agent in over lang ages. tside of those ho rs, people can leave a voicemail or call to report a hate incident and seek s pport from a professional trained in c lt rally competent comm nication and tra ma-informed practices.

D ring this soft la nch period, e are providing services and collecting feedack from comm nity leaders and organi ations to improve o r services efore o r hard la nch of the program this pring. This la nch ill e accompanied y a state ide o treach and media campaign, and e ill reach o t to all of yo again hen e have the data and additional information for the hard la nch.

At D, e are pro d to join o r state civil rights colleag es in Michigan for an pcoming e inar from PM PM P T PM to PM T on ate rime eporting as a part of their M esponse to ate ampaign.

D as invited to participate to speak a o t the importance of acc rate hate crimes reporting, alternatives to traditional reporting meas res, and the A vs. ate eso rce ine and et ork.

D is sched led to join a representative from the FB and representatives from Michigan’s Department of ivil ights and A ’s office. Mem ers of the p lic and the press are invited to join they sho ld register at no cost at https it.ly ra g .

Best, Becky L . M onroe D eput y D i rec t or f or St rat egi c I ni t i at i v es and ternal airs C al i f orni a C i v i l R i ght s D epart ment | w w w .df eh.c a.gov (Formerl y D epart ment of Fai r E mpl oy ment and H ous i ng) P hone : (80) 841684| M obi l e: (916) 208478

25 January 26-February 1, 2023

 COMMUNITY NEWS

Family wishes Filipino shooting victim in Monterey Park “danced to heart’s content … in heaven” Focusing instead on his love for the people in his community, hearing about their lives and sharing his own stories with so much gusto and enthusiasm and his passion for ballroom dancing and being the life of the party, the family of Filipino American shooting victim also expressed their wish that “he was a loving father, a dedicated son and brother, a grandfather who loved his three grandda ghters fierceValen�no Alvero 6 -year- ly, an uncle who loved his old Filipino American, nieces and nephews like his one of eleven shoo�ng own.”

This as the re ected in vic�ms in Monterey Park California Saturday night a family statement released

by Karmel Kwan, niece of 6 8 -year-old Valentino Marcos Alvero who was among the eleven victims who were shot and killed Saturday night at the Star Ballroom Dance Studio in Monterey Park, California. Eleven others were injured in the shooting.

While offering their deepest condolences to other victims and their families, Alvero’s family wanted that he “Valentino is more than just a headline or a news story.”

“Overnight, we became unwilling members of a community who has to mourn the loss of our loved ones due to gun violence. W e are left frustrated, stuck with this vicious cycle,” mentioned the family who also now have to endure this heart-shattering and life-altering tragedy. W e hope that we all continue to look out for each other, may kindness and grace find s in the dark days ahead. r hearts are with you,” the statement continued.

The Alvero family was also sad that as a devout Catholic, Valentino did not receive last rites prompting them to re est all priests and atholics to pray offer Masses or rosaries for the repose of Valentino’s soul and for the souls of all victims of mass shootings and for an end to mass shootings in our nation and the world.

“H e was faithful servant of God and we know that he would want the world to lift his family in prayer more than anything. W e appreciate all the messages of sympathy and we also req uest that we are allowed to mourn in peace from this point forward,” concluded the Alvero family statement.

In an interview with Rolling Stone, Valnetino’s daughter Kristenne lovingly stated, “My dad loved God, he loved people, and he loved to dance. I hope he’s dancing now, in that great gig in the sky.”

W hile acknowledging the Alvero family’s wish for privacy and space, the Philippine Consulate in Los Angeles relayed their readiness “to assist them in whatever possible way should they reach out got any help we could give.”

“The Philippine Consulate General in Los Angeles expressed its shock and great sadness over the mass shooting incident that took place in Monterey Park California 2 1 January 2 4 , 2 0 2 3 . Our prayers go out to the families of the victims and we mourn with them during this lunar new year festival which is supposed to be a time of gathering and cele ration, the office of ons l eneral dgar Badajos stated.

The Consulate General calls on the community to stay safe, exercise all the caution and continue being vigilant during these uncertain times by always monitoring loved ones and family members’ whereabouts and immediately reporting any suspicious activities to local law enforcement and watch out for each other.

After a the shooting in Monterey Park, suspect H uu Can Tran, 72 , went to the Lai Lai Ballroom & Studio in Alhambra, where he was subdued by 2 6 -year-old Brandon Tsay who demanded that suspect leave the dance studio.

And after police hunt. Tran was found dead Sunday from a self-in icted g nshot o nd inside a hite cargo van at a Torrance strip mall parking lot.

19th District of California Assembly Member Phil Ting is saddened that this tragedy happened at a traditionally happy celebration of welcoming the Lunar Year of the Rabbit.

“W e traditionally say that we in California we are very proud that we don’t have as many mass shootings as there are in other states because of all the work we had on common-sense gun legislation. But unfortunately, it is still way to easy for any individ al to o tain a legal or an illegal firearm in the State,” lamented Ting.

Ting pledged that his he and his colleagues will go back to work and think about what else that we can do to further protect the community. W e know that the more guns there are on the street, the more deaths there are,” Ting underscored.

For his part, State Attorney General Rob Bonta echoed this view of Ting reiterating that “more guns in more places makes us less safe and interferes with the ability of our citi ens to e ercise their constit tional rights, after he filed an amicus brief in support of New York’s commonsense

reg lation and a thority to prohi it the carrying of firearms in sensitive places, in particular, places of worship..

“On Monday, we saw seven people shot in H alf Moon Bay. This weekend, 11 people gunned down in Monterey Park. Less than a year ago, six people were shot during a church service in Laguna W oods. In the United States, tragedies such as these are all too common and as we see this trauma compound in our communities, we must do more, not less. W e must provide the public with protection from gun violence, and respect the authority of states as they implement commonsense gun regulations to safeguard their communities.”

Bonta also warned the public to be vigilant against fraudulent crowdfunding people who seek to take advantage of communities and people’s desire to help crime victims, survivors, and their families in the aftermath of tragedy but may be operating crowdfunding pages often formed overnight and may lack the e perience, contacts, and staff needed to f lfill their commitments.

Before donating online, Bonta urges Californians to do their research on organizers and crowdfunding platforms, among others.

 COMMUNITY NEWS

January 26-February 1, 2023

26

Ring in the Year of the Rabbit with a Monthly Energy Discount Program Customers are invited to a “Coffee Connect” event to learn about energy saving programs and income-eligible customers could save 18% on their monthly electric bill We are thrilled to partner ith a minority-o ned local siness to take a neigh orhood approach in reaching o t to o r diverse c stomers. When it comes to nar e ear, e often greet people y saying ong ei Fat hoy’. t translates to ishing yo great happiness and prosperity.’ We hope o r energy saving programs can go a long ay to help o r c stomers to catch p ith their increased ho sehold spending d e to in ation, said Aaron Johnson, egional ice President, Bay Area, P .

The F A program gives disco nts on electricity ills to income- alified ho seholds of three or more individ als, t tho sands of eligi le c stomers have not yet signed p for the program, and are missing o t on significant savings.

P estimates a total of , ho seholds thro gho t orthern and entral alifornia co ld save on their monthly ills y enrolling in F A. ess than of eligi le P ho seholds are c rrently eno stomers ho alk in ill receive a free c p of coffee rolled in the program in orthern and entral alifornia ith an and a small pastry. estimated , eligi le and only , enrolled.

Oakland, Calif. — To wish customers a prosperous Rabbit year, Pacific as and lectric ompany P enco rages tho sands of income-eligi le c stomers to take advantage of its Family lectric ate Assistance F A Program and enjoy a savings on monthly electric bill.

To cele rate the nar e ear, P ill partner ith Asian-o ned akery heng ee to host a offee onnect c stomer o treach event in Daly ity. Biling al representatives ill e on-site at oth events to assist c stomers ith illing estions and to sign p for F A and other energy savings programs hile c stomers can enjoy a free c p of coffee and a free pastry. Please see event detail elo Date Friday, Fe r ary , Time a.m. to a.m.

Place heng ee Bakery, Westlake enter, Daly ity, A

ome may overlook F A thinking it only applies to families, or that income alifications are the same as a similar monthly energy disco nt program alifornia Alternate ates for nergy Program A . n fact, any income alified ho sehold that does not alify for A may e eligi le for F A as it has higher income g idelines. stomers ho apply for A and don’t alify are a tomatically eval ated for F A. stomers cannot e enrolled in oth programs. A offers a higher monthly disco nt of percent or more on oth gas and electricity.

For more financial assistance program s pport visit pge.com billhelp.

Ab out PG&E Pacific as and lectric ompany, a s sidiary of P orporation P , is a com ined nat ral gas and electric tility serving more than million people across , s are miles in orthern and entral alifornia. For more information, visit pge.com and pge.com ne s.

ARIEL FELIX & MYRA AQUINO LEAD AN ALL FIL-AM CAST & CREW TO FILM DARK COMEDY The Team Includes a 6-time Emmy Nominee, a Sundance & SXSW Alum And a Cast With Extensive TV, Film & Broadway Credits os Angeles, A rrently appearing in the ne actionthriller Plane starring erard B tler, actor A F Mile , The Master, hicago Fire is setting his sights on his ne t film project. This one is a little more personal.

Feli and a ard- inning director M A A are sy prepping for he Done Did t, a dark comedy that ill feat re and highlight the talents of an all Filipino-American cast and crew.

The story is a o t fo r estranged si lings, first generation Fil-Ams, ho are ro ght together y an nforeseen circ mstance. t as on vacation in Ma i hen Feli as inspired to rite the story. riginally, my Filipino actor friends and j st anted to colla orate and ork on something together. looked for stories that e can tell, even tried commissioning some. as inspired to rite once got to Ma i. fo nd time to go snorkeling t asically ended p spending almost the hole eek on my alcony coming p ith a first draft of the script. e reached o t to A ino, ho has een inning a ards and accolades for her film Bea ty een this film festival season. Together, they made revisions to the original script. They start shooting at the end of the month.

As the project took shape, the prospect of an all-Pinoy team got more and more e citing, Feli said. mean, hen

does it ever happen in olly ood as it ever And if e don’t contin e to tell o r stories, then ho ill Playing Feli ’s si lings on screen ill e Princess P n alan, fresh from her rec rring role in F ’s The leaning ady, my oligado The ood Fight, rey’s Anatomy, The irl Who eft ome and Broad ay vet van D’Angeles, hom Feli orked ith in the American Premiere of Philip im erg’s Paper Dolls in Washington, D .

Director of Photography is Mike Mali anag, hose films have premiered at ndance, o th By o th West and tfest ditor is -time mmy nominee Ben B latao o nd ngineer is Matt Pere air and make p artist gene ond has also joined the team. Working along side them is Prod cer Pa l Martine , himself an accomplished actor and performer, and ho also prod ced Feli ’s The thers, hich had a s ccessf l film festival r n and is c rrently availa le to stream on Ama on Prime ideo.

Feli said his colleag es ere very open hen he approached them ith the project. ’m lessed and gratef l to have the opport nity to ork ith these artists, he said.

They ere e cited a o t the script t also a o t eing a part of this all-FilAm cre , telling a story they can relate to. e has fo nd that the most challenging task so far is f ndraising.

A R I E L FE L I X

M Y R A A Q U IN O

We’re l cky that the o ners of one of my favorite spots in arson, Manila nrise, have genero sly offered to cater o r shoot. B t filmmaking is e pensive and e’re still seeking financial help. Anyone interested in contri ting sho ld reach o t to Ariel on nstagram arifeli Ariel Feli is repped y World ide Artists, eadline Talent and nd stry ntertainment.

Press Conference Regarding Half Moon Bay Mass Shooting B y C ap t ai n E am o nn A l l en

S A N M A T E O C o unt y S up erv i s o r D av i d C anep a c el ebrat es t h e l unar new year at W es t l ak e S h o p p i ng C ent er i n D al y C i t y.

Summary: arlier this morning heriff hristina orp s, along ith an Mateo o nty District Attorney teven Wagstaff, provided an pdate on yesterday’s horrific mass shooting incident in alf Moon Bay. The follo ing is a s mmary of the details shared d ring the press conference The s spect has een identified as -year-old h nli hao of alf Moon Bay. hao as taken into c stody y heriff’s personnel in the parking lot of the alf Moon Bay Police B rea station. hao is the only s spect in the incident, there is no o tstanding threat to the p lic. A semi-a tomatic handg n as located inside of hoa’s vehicle. hoa as later ooked into the an Mateo o nty Mag ire orrectional Facility on seven co nts of st degree m rder, co nt of st degree attempted m rder. ach co nt also incl ded an enhancement of sing a firearm in the co rse of the alleged crimes. hao as a co- orker or former co- orker of the victims at each shooting site. Based on information o tained so far,

this appears to e an act of orkplace violence. hao had no known criminal history in San Mateo County and there were no preceding factors kno n to la enforcement that o ld have s ggested hao as a o t to carry o t this heino s act of violence.

There ere eight g nshot victims, seven of hich are deceased. The deceased victims are five ad lt males and t o ad lt female. The s rviving victim is an ad lt male. The s rviving victim is eing treated at a tra ma center for his inj ries. The victims are of ispanic and Asian descent. There ere no children physically inj red d ring the shootings. The identifications and ages of the victims are still eing investigated. F rther information a o t the victims is eing ithheld pending confirmed and notification to their loved ones y the an Mateo o nty oroner’s ffice.

P B F MAT FF APTA AM A P M .

T T DW D T , A https .smcsheriff.com

27 January 26-February 1, 2023

Upside...

(From P age 11)

· New York-based children’s book author Sophia N. Lee and illustrator Isabel Roxas on Aug. 30 released their book “H olding On” about preserving connections with their grandmothers. t is the first FilAm pict re ook p lished

by Simon & Schuster’s Atheneum Books for Young Readers. o TV journalist Lisa Ling in January launched “Take t, an -episode e ploration of Asian American Pacific Islanders and their contributions to American culture on H BO Ma . eries opener Mi Mi foc sed on FilAms of o isiana, specifically Jean afitte To n Mayor Tim erner and his dad, who who took her to what’s left of the Manila Village in the ayo s of Jefferson Parish. ndreds of residents trace their ancestry to John ojas, a Filipino ho helped ild the comm nity. . - ADAPT D F M A P T D WT P M F MP T F P . M (To be concluded)

Offline

(From P age 13)

The country had previously declared a ban on the deployment of orkers to ait.

W hat Marcos should do is to once again enforce that ban, but only on domestic workers.

There is something ite sick a o t ho some aitis have an apparent disregard for Filipino orkers, specifically domestic helpers.

Secretary Toots Ople means well, but her rejecting another ban is a wrong move. Surely as night follows day, some vicio s aiti family ill commit more sickening atrocities against Filipino domestic orkers some here do n the road.

W hat Marcos can do is to order Ople to enforce a ban on the deployment of domestic workers only. The Philippines can still send its la orers, skilled orkers, office staff, and storekeepers to the Mideast state.

It’s easy enough to say that the brutalization of female FWs in the recent past ere isolated cases.

My que stion is, when does it stop? Sue me, but I believe that aitis in partic lar do not deserve to have Filipino women working in their private residence as helpers.

The third and last thing that Marcos must do soonest is so obvious that he himself knows the problem, but his pride will not let him take the sensible step.

The country’s agriculture sector is in the worst shape that it’s een in decades. D ring the Marcos era, Filipino cons mers have face shortages or outrageously high prices for a number of commodities.

Begin with rice, then onions, and now eggs. These are all staples necessary in every Filipino kitchen. ome government officials have pointed o t the pro lem – traders are hoarding the commodities, thereby causing artificial shortages. nce prices have reached their peak, they release their hidden stocks, and voila! They have just earned hundreds of millions of pesos, perhaps billions, among themselves. fficials kno that the commodities are stored in h ge warehouses, and in case Marcos is not aware of it, warehouses are huge and therefore not easily hidden.

Marcos said that being president and concurrent Agriculture secretary will result in qui ck action to solve any agrirelated problem that crops up.

W hy then hasn’t he corrected the imbalance between supply and demand of essential commodities?

H e needs to appoint an Agriculture secretary soonest.

Please do not say that you are new to the job, Mr. President. o ’ve een of Philippines, nc. for seven months now, and you have nothing to show for it.

If the Philippines were indeed a private corporation, I as stockholder would have demanded that an emergency meeting be called to determine if the chief executive is doing his job.

And if he’s not, the next logical step should be obvious, right? In business language gibberish: Before it’s too late, Mr. Marcos should do the needful.

As I See It

(From P age 12)

important in the 2 1st century.

First, promoting diversity is the first step to not j st tolerance” but true inclusion and acceptance (growing acceptance, diminishing discrimination). Through growing contact with, exposure to, and communication between people who are not like s, e can learn ho to relate to difference in a ay here difference doesn’t have to e a pro lem, a arrier, or a threat. ncreasing familiarity ith these differences and commonalities) can shape and shift our perspectives, cultivate an acceptance that facilitates belonging, and diminish the misconceptions and prejudices that fuel discrimination.

This is diversity in action!

Second, if you experience diversity in your everyday life, you will have regular exposure to people, cultures, traditions, and practices that are unlike your own (becoming a global citizen). You will learn the skills to communicate and interact with communities, concepts, and belief systems that you are unfamiliar with and therefore gain a more worldly, balanced, and informed perspective. Not only will you enhance your own social development, but you will also increase your true understanding of the world. This will prepare you to be a part of a global society, whether you are traveling to a new country, working with people from diverse backgrounds, or just reading about events in the news that heavily impacts a pop lation different than yo r o n.

Third, hearing about another’s experience can shed light on a life different than yo r o n and provide yo a ne perspective. W hen you contrast your struggles, needs, and values with someone else’s, you can really begin to comprehend where an individual is coming from and empathetically understand their attitudes, behaviors, and beliefs at a deeper level (through which you can more deeply understand your own). Perhaps talking to someone new will change your mind or challenge your values which on a subconscious level can seem scary for o r rains, or the payoff for e i le thinking is a life here e get to see thro gh many different lenses and experience the kaleidoscope that diversity of perspective has to offer. o can learn a lot from them thro gh interaction!

Fo rth, diversity is a nat ral state of eing for the h man race which gives us richer life experience. In fact, it’s what our survival depends on. W hat if everyone who surrounded you was exactly like you, in every way? H ow easily could a disease wipe you all out? And where is the fun in relating to people who are exactly like you? W e need new ideas, views, and practices to stimulate and inspire us, to show us the way others eat, celebrate, and love! And so, it’s important to recognize that diversity is absolutely fundamental to our surviving but it’s also absolutely key to our thriving.

And fifth, ringing together people of vario s ackgro nds ith different life e periences can generate ideas or perspectives that others may not have ever considered or been aware of (productivity). Everyone has their own way of viewing a problem, shaped by the individual experiences that they have and the worldview they carry with them.

W hen tackling an issue, a multitude of interpretations and approaches can generate creativity and innovation, instead of everyone contributing the same thoughts and conclusions. In this way, it’s important to recognize the utility of diversity, it is after all what supports nature’s productivity and we can learn a lot from the natural world. o, to s m p, the a thor said, together o r differences make a strong, beautiful, global community. Even in the face of intolerance, discrimination, and violence, we must not forget to spread the word about the importance of diversity and to respond to that violence with a radical love that unconditionally cherishes people for exactly who they are.”

H enceforth we could say that diversity is vital to our survival! o lo al cholar o Programs o Our Impact PD .

T as a veteran jo rnalist in the Philippines and a multi-awarded journalist here in the US. For feed acks, comments, email the a thor at estiokoelpidio@ gmail.com.)

In The Trenches

(From P age 13)

abroad, attending parties and watching a car race in Singapore. is most tr sted official in the Department of Agric lt re is an old man with outdated farm concepts and realities. H e sho ld find a yo ng and dynamic technocrat to r n the farm sector so he can concentrate on other things.

H is seven months at the farm department was a complete disaster. H e could not feed a starving nation with his slogan of unity. H e has to do more, giving enough subsidies to poor farmers by providing seeds, fertilizers, and fuel support.

The Philippine agricultural sector is not competitive.

Many are still relying on caraaos to plo the field. There are no grain silos, enough farmto-market roads, and a transportation system.

It is more expensive and tedious to ship rice from Mindanao than to get it from Vietnam and Thailand. There is a need to modernize the country’s farm sector.

Modernizing agriculture should start with changing the leaders at the farm department. Marcos should step down. H e should bring in the professionals.

The onion crisis should be a wake-up call for Marcos. It was a problem that could have been prevented. But he allowed it to happen.

(Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Manuel Mogato wrote this column originally for PressOne.Ph)

Breaking Through

(From P age 12 )

already eaten up by new constructions.

W ell, Dr. Battad shall, hopefully, end this dilemma pretty soon. H e said during our exchange of text messages that by the third q uarter of this year, work will commence on a 2 5 -hectare lot in Laguna to serve as UE’s larger campus and expansion area.

Decongestion egan earlier ith the ollege of Dentistry already moved to another lot acq uired in 2 0 14 .

Z ing was a tennis champion during his youth winning awards after awards in the Palarong Pambansa and in other sports competitions. H e bagged similar awards during adulthood as his passion for tennis keeps burning. That’s his balancing act, I guess, after work. A healthy mind in a healthy body.

Recognitions for his labours keep coming his way. Among them are t o a ards from the oka akkai niversity in Japan, the H onorary Doctorate and H ighest H onor award. e also received the ivil ervice ommission’s ational Pagasa A ard ro p ategory .

H e was also a recipient of the Outstanding Alumnus awards given y his Alma Maters P B and PA .

One column space is just not enough for remarkable people like Dr. Z osimo Battad. I hope our Editor would allow us another chance to write more on him.

(T h e au t h or i s a v et eran j ou rn al i s t b as ed i n H erc u l es C i t y , C al i f orn i a. H e i s c u rren t l y on as s i gn men t an d v ac at i on i n t h e P h i l i ppi n es . )

Diliman Way

(From P age 12)

Franklin Delano oosevelt and John Fit gerald ennedy of the USA, he should have known that to have a successful presidency, one must have the best and the brightest in one’s a inet.

The a inet From the ay President BB Marcos conscripted his a inet, it is o vio s he has not read the Dr cker, Mao, oosevelt and ennedy statements mentioned. therwise, if he has read them and learned from them, he would not have organi ed s ch lackl ster a inet. To call a spade a spade and not a gold racelet, President BB Marcos a inet is like that of P D terte’s a inet many of them elong to the beast and the lightest not the best and the brightest.

The appointments have not been well studied. There appears to be no analysis and scrutiny that went into many of the choices. Let us have a few examples. ic odrig e e is the first ec tive ecretary of President BB Marcos. H e was the spokesman of BBM when he was running for President. H e appeared very close to him.

Nobody was surprised when he was appointed Little President. The surprise happened when he resigned or removed as Executive Secretary on an issue which smelled of graft and corruption, so mainstream media speculated. Rodriguez’ resignation or removal in the a inet res lted to the resignation or removal of Rodriguez associates.

Several que stions arise from this incident. If Rodriguez could make decisions that could damage the presidency and the country, why could not President BBM know this of the man when they were together for such a long time? There are only t o possi le ans ers. First, that BBM does not kno to read characters of persons, including that of Rodriguez.

Second, that President BB Marcos is of the same kind as Rodriguez because if main stream media did not reveal the misdeed of Rodriguez on the sugar importation and que stionable appointments, President BB Marcos would just have to let the misdeeds pass with Rodriguez remaining as Executive ecretary. s this a case of irds of a feather ying together BB, odrig e and their ock am j st asking. Why President BBM, probably to assuage the embarrassment and o nded feelings of his Man Friday, he even tried to create a more po erf l office for odrig e hief of taff.

Were it not for the p lic intervention of his hief egal o nsel J an Ponce nrile , ho loves to e called Mang Juan by media, PBBM and Vic Rodriguez would have “run away with murder,” so to say. They thought it was a smart move but not enough. It is like a child caught while trying secretly to get a cookie from a cookie jar.

Enough for now: This is all for the moment to spare the PBBM admirers literal indigestion. But more are coming in the next few days.

 HEALTH NEWS

January 26-February 1, 2023

28

5 billion people unprotected from trans fat leading to heart disease - WHO A Five illion people glo ally remain nprotected from harmf l trans fat, a ne stat s report from the World ealth rgani ation W has fo nd, increasing their risk of heart disease and death. ince W first called for the glo al elimination of ind strially prod ced trans fat in ith an elimination target set for pop lation coverage of estpractice policies has increased almost si -fold.

W said co ntries have no implemented estpractice policies for tackling trans fat in food, ith . illion people protected glo ally.

Despite s stantial progress, ho ever, this still leaves illion orld ide at risk from trans fat’s devastating health impacts ith the glo al goal for its total elimination in remaining nattaina le at this time. nd strially prod ced trans fat also called ind strially prod ced trans-fatty acids is commonly fo nd in packaged foods, aked goods, cooking oils and spreads.

Trans fat intake is responsi le for p to premat re deaths from coronary heart disease each year aro nd

the orld.

Trans fat has no kno n enefit, and h ge health risks that inc r h ge costs for health systems, said W Director- eneral, Dr Tedros Adhanom he reyes s, By contrast, eliminating trans fat is cost effective and has enormo s enefits for health. P t simply, trans fat is a to ic chemical that kills, and sho ld have no place in food. t’s time to get rid of it once and for all. rrently, of the co ntries ith the highest estimated proportion of coronary heart disease deaths ca sed y trans fat intake do not have a est-practice policy. They are A stralia, A er aijan, Bh tan, c ador, gypt, ran, epal, Pakistan and ep lic of orea.

Best-practices in trans fat elimination policies follo specific criteria esta lished y W and limit ind strially prod ced trans fat in all settings. There are t o est-practice policy alternatives mandatory national limit of grams of ind strially prod ced trans fat per grams of total fat in all foods and mandatory national an on the prod ction or se of partially hydrogenated oils a major

so rce of trans fat as an ingredient in all foods.

Progress in eliminating trans fat is at risk of stalling, and trans fat contin es to kill people, said Dr Tom Frieden, President and of esolve to ave ives. very government can stop these preventa le deaths y passing a est-practice policy no . The days of trans fat killing people are n m ered t governments m st act to end this preventa le tragedy.

While most trans fat elimination policies to date have een implemented in higher-income co ntries largely in the Americas and in rope , an increasing n m er of middle-income co ntries are implementing or adopting these policies, incl ding Argentina, Bangladesh, ndia, Parag ay, the Philippines and kraine. Best-practice policies are also eing considered in Me ico, igeria and ri anka in . f passed, igeria o ld e the second and most pop lo s co ntry in Africa to p t a est-practice trans fat elimination policy in place. o lo -income co ntries have yet adopted a est-practice policy to eliminate trans fat.

News capsules Heart of Hope

Sweeteners dilemma

PHILIP S. CHUA

rtificial s gars or s eeteners are very pop lar. estions a o t their safety ith long-term se still oat aro nd. The claim that accharin ca sed cancer years ago as de nked.

A

From tr sted scientific so rces While s cralose itself and other non-n tritive s eeteners have not een sho n to raise lood s gar, maltode trin, hich is fo nd in plenda and some tevia lends, can ca se spikes in lood s gar in some people. Any spike in lood s gar is partic larly dangero s for those ith dia etes. t dies in mice s ggest an association et een cons ming high dose of s cralose and cancer. The recommendation is never se plenda for cooking or aking, since cooking ith s cralose may create potential carcinogens called chloropropanols.

While there are no long-term st dies on tevia, there is no evidence that s ggests it increases risk of diseases among cons mers. The DA considers highly p rified tevia as generally safe. Both plenda and tevia may interfere ith the ser’s healthy g t acteria. ero-calorie s eeteners have een fo nd to ca se people ho se it to eat more calories over time, leading to eight gain, and the s ggestion that they may also interact ith medications for dia etes T and high lood press re, hich have not een confirmed.

The consens s is that et een plenda and tevia, stevia has fe er potential adverse health effects so far, t long-term st dies are needed for confirmation. t is pr dent to se it in moderation any ay. And for those ho se it only for one c p of coffee or tea a day, a teaspoon of ro n or ra s gar might e a iser option.

Fruits and veggies Ad lts need - c ps of prod ce to o tain the f ll enefits from vegeta les and fr its. ess than percent cons me or more c ps a day. ne company, the vendor of Balance of at re, is taking advantage of this. ts claim that caps les a day o ld satisfy the minim m daily re irement is estiona le.

There is no healthier and safer ay and a lot cheaper also to enjoy fr its and vegeta les of yo r

choice than to eat them fresh and not in caps les, hich are processed po der. t is most nfort nate that the trillion-dollar food s pplement ind stry is not reg lated to protect the p lic, and all prod cts not vetted, thro ing the ns specting cons mers into the lion’s den, and enriching shre d and merciless, some dishonest, entreprene rs. aveat emptor, indeed Bad for b ab ies The American Academy of Pediatric strictly recommends no fr it j ices for a ies, a sol tely no fr it j ices at all, efore age one, and very limited, if at all, for toddlers and older children, according to Farida . h a, MD, pediatrician ased in orth est ndiana and as egas.

This is a major shift from the recommendation of the AAP a co ple of decades ago. The academy today even recommends doing a ay ith the eloved sippy c p for children, hich is a contri ting factor in childhood o esity and T dia etes .There is no evidence of any health enefit of fr it j ices in infancy and the high s gar load in them is harmf l, stated Dr. Farida.

Dr. teven A rams, hair of Pediatrics at Dell Medical school at the niversity of Te as, A stin, said offering a ies j ice co ld keep them from getting eno gh reast milk or form la -- and the needed protein, fat and other n trients they contain .once a ies start eating solid foods, they sho ld have hole fr it that is mashed or p reed, rather than j ice. t is est for children to develop the ha it of eating fr its and vegeta les, drinking ater and milk at their early ages, instead of s gary fr it j ice mi es.

Also, sippy c ps non-restricted sipping of s gary drinks also leads to high risk of tooth decay are ad for children drinking from a c p is hat the Academy recommends. f sippy c p is sed, it sho ld only e filled ith ater and or meas red milk at a fi ed sched le of feeding.

Red meat and longevity A clinical investigation p lished in the British Jo rnal of Medicine BMJ reveals the more red meat yo eat, the greater yo r risk is of dying from one of diseases. The research involved , men and omen, ages et een and , hose diet and health ere tracked for years. Findings igh red meat cons mption increased the rate y percent of dying from cancer, heart disease, respiratory disease, stroke,

dia etes, infections, kidney disease and liver disease, according to BMJ. The st dy also pointed o t those ho ate the highest proportion of hite meat had a percent red ced risk of dying from vario s ca ses.

As far as n trition and health are concerned, there is no arg ment that eating fish is healthier instead of red meat. t dies sho ed that any kind of fish cons med at least t ice a eek red ces vario s health risks and that eating red meat often, especially processed meats, is associated ith higher risk for major illnesses, incl ding cancer and a shorter life span.

The oily darker eshed fish like herring and salmon are loaded ith heart-healthy poly nsat rated, omega- fatty acids. Mackerel, anchovies, shad, tro t and sardines, and other fish also have these onderf l cardio-protective fatty acids. The giant or large varieties of fish, like king mackerel, shark, s ordfish, large al acore t na, contain more methyl merc ry and therefore T recommended for cons mption.

B t these good fats are not the only reason hy fish is etter for s.

-FDA dietary g idelines enco rage ad lts to partake at least o nces of a variety of fish and seafood every eek, a o t -meal’s orth to enefit from the total package of n trients in fish. This incl des lean protein, vitamin Bs, A and D, and minerals like iodine, seleni m, inc, and iron. everal independent st dies have sho n that individ als ho eat fish reg larly are less likely to die of a heart attack compared to those ho do not eat fish. A arvard clinical revie concl ded that eating one to t o servings of fish rich in omega- s every eek c t the risk of dying of a heart attack y one-third percent .

Philip . h a, MD, FA , FP , a ardiac rgeon merit s ased in orth est ndiana and as egas, evada, is an international medical lect rer a thor, ealth Advocate, ne spaper col mnist, and hairman of the Filipino nited et ork- A, a c h manitarian fo ndation in the nited tates. e as a decorated recipient of the ndiana agamore of the Wa ash A ard in . ther agamore past a ardees incl de President arry Tr man, President eorge W B sh, M hammad Ali, Astrona t s rissom Wikipedia . We sites F .com, Today. P Atoday. com, and philip ch a.com mail scalpelpen gmail. com

29 January 26-February 1, 2023

NEWS  NATIONAL VIEWS & COMMENTS The Lord of the Heart

INSPIRATIONAL ARTICLE FOR THE WEEK

By TIM PEDROSA

T

ribulation is an inevitable part of life and when it comes, we should hold our head high and meet it squa rely. It is a terrible tragedy when we lose someone we dearly love. H owever, it is comforting to realize that death is simply a shedding of the physical ody like the tter y shedding its cocoon. t is a transition to a higher state of conscio sness here a person contin es to perceive, to nderstand, to laugh, and to grow.W e must not grieve.

Anything we lose comes around in another form.

H ere is a wonderful story about grief by an unknown writer. W e learn that it doesn’t matter how long we live. In the end, it’s not the years in our life that count but it’s the life in our years. W hat is important is how long we will be remembered by whom and for what. She jumped up as soon as she saw the surgeon come out of the operating room. She said: ‘ H ow is my little boy? Is he going to be all right? W hen can I see him? ’ The surgeon said, “I’m sorry.

W e did all we could, but your boy didn’t make it.” Sally said, “W hy do little children get cancer? Doesn’t God care any more? W here were you, God, when my son needed you? ” The surgeon asked, “W ould you like some time alone with your son? One of the nurses will be out in a few minutes, before he’s transported to the university..” Sally asked the nurse to stay with her while she said good bye to son. The mother said, “It was Jimmy’s idea to donate his body to the University for Study. H e said it might help somebody else. said no at first, t Jimmy said, Mom, on’t e sing it after die.

May e it ill help some other little oy spend one more day ith his Mom. he ent on, My Jimmy had a heart of gold. Al ays thinking of someone else. Al ays anting to help others if he co ld. The drive home as diffic lt. t as even harder to enter the empty ho se. he carried Jimmy’s belongings, and the plastic bag with the lock of her son’s hair to her son’s room. She lay down across his bed and, hugging his pillow, cried herself to sleep. It was around midnight when Sally awoke.. Lying beside her on the bed was a folded letter. The letter said: D ear Mom, I know you’re going to miss me; but don’t think that I will ever forget you, or stop loving you, just ‘ cause I’m not around to say ‘ I Love You’. I ill al ays love yo , Mom, even more ith each day.. omeday e ill see each other again. Until then, if you want to adopt a little boy so you won’t e so lonely, that’s okay ith me. e can have my room and old st ff to play with. But, if you decide to get a girl instead, she probably wouldn’t like the same things s oys do. o ’ll have to y her dolls and st ff girls like, yo know. Don’t be sad thinking about me. This really is a neat place. Grandma and Grandpa met me as soon as I got here and showed me around some, but it will take a long time to see everything. The angels are so cool. I love to atch them y. And, yo kno hat Jes s doesn’t look like any of his pictures. Yet, when I saw H im, I knew it was H im. Jesus himself took me to see D And g ess hat, Mom got to sit on od’s knee and talk to H im, like I was somebody important. That’s when I told H im that I wanted to write you a letter, to tell you good bye and everything. But I already knew that asn’t allo ed. Well, yo kno hat Mom od handed me some paper and H is own personal pen to write you this letter I think Gabriel is the name of the angel ho is going to drop this letter off to yo . od said for me to give you the answer to one of the que stions you asked H im ‘ where was H e when I needed him? ’ God said H e was in the same place with me, as when H is son Jesus was on the cross. H e was right there, as H e always is with all is children. h, y the ay, Mom, no one else can see hat ’ve ritten except you. To everyone else this is just a blank piece of paper. Isn’t that cool? I have to give God H is pen back now H e needs it to write some more names in the Book of ife. Tonight get to sit at the ta le ith Jes s for s pper. I’m sure the food will be great. Oh, I almost forgot to tell you. I don’t hurt anymore the cancer is all gone... I’m glad because I couldn’t stand that pain anymore and God couldn’t stand to see me hurt so much, either. That’s hen e sent The Angel of Mercy to come get me. The Angel said as a Special Delivery! H ow about that?

Signed with Love from God, Je sus & Me.

F

rom the Psalm; “Lord, you have probed me, you know me: you know when I sit and stand, you understand my thoughts from afar. You sift through my travels and my rest; with all my ways yo are familiar Ps. - . r heart is the cradle of our decisions, our wishes and wants, our dreams and desires; and the fount of our search for the good and all that makes us joyful and happy. Left REV. JOSE PELAGIO A. PADIT, SThD to itself, due to wounds and scars of sin and sinfulness, our heart, our willing, our capacity to want things, can be problematic to say the least; because, we can be pulled and pushed to many directions by our own undisciplined heart, of which, unfortunately, such directions are many times godless and aimless. W e want to be the master of our own heart, but many times, we are powerless against its power. A man or woman abandoned his wife or husband, he/ she was asked, why? The answer, “I followed my heart.” A priest left the priesthood; he was asked, why? H e answered, “I followed my heart.” But Jesus Christ, our Lord, when the Satan tempted H im, H e also followed H is heart; but was victorious. W e all know, all temptations are attractive t Jes s, Tr e Man and Tr e od, did not fall into the deceptions of the evil one. Jesus too followed H is heart: Going to Calvary, H e fell at least three times while carrying the Cross, H e was so exhausted and tr ly eaten, r ised, and h miliated, t e did not stop and s rrender; because, H e followed H is heart to obey God the Father and to save s all. What is the difference et een ho Jes s follo ed is heart and our following of our heart? Dear reader, where is your heart anchored to?

W ho is the master of your heart?

Our heart is powerful; it can edify us to be a hero or heroine, but it can also destroy us that we become a criminal and villain to others. To control and enefit the po er of o r heart, e m st go to the very reator of it. Taking God away from our heart will not be good for it, but rather its deterioration. As God is the Creator and Designer of our heart and its powers, H e must constantly be allowed to dwell in it and to reign over it and all its activities, choices, whims and wants, desires. God must rule in what and how the heart loves and likes. In our daily life, we can never shut up God’s W ill as H e directs our will and all the desires and decisions of o r heart. To ill the Will of od is greatness in itself, and it ill indeed lead to greatness of life. W e must learn and imitate Christ’s attitude: “… the world must know that I love the Father and that I do just as the Father has commanded me Jn. . r ill may say, ant to go there,” but God’s W ill says, “you better go the other way,” to our human mind and sinful heart, this may be tyranny by God; but willing H is W ill has never led to fail re and destr ction, t rather to e altation and transformation. Willing the oly Will of od is the first principle in making od o r heart’s Master.

Moreover, joy and happiness are of the heart. ence, having od to reign over one’s heart is perfection. Let us make it our constant joy to choose the right from wrong, the virtuous and not the vice. Let our joy be the doing of all that pleases God. Let it be our happiness daily to do our devo t practices of the faith like praying the rosary, attendance to Mass, the practice of daily mortification, and so on. njoying to do all that glorifies and honors od makes o r heart fond of od and is ays. f e enjoy hat e do in hat matters to od, if e enjoy o eying is commands, even if they e diffic lt at times, shapes o r heart to ecome the throne of God. Another ay e can let od ecome the ing and Master of o r heart is by way of making ourselves, our heart, be consumed with God’s concerns. God’s fundamental concern is for our salvation; that we in the end share is glory and receive the Beatific ision. e concerns too for all peoples, especially the weak and the voiceless, the least, the last, and the lost around us. If we allow our hearts to be consumed by God’s concerns, letting H im be our concern; then, we live our vocations in life in ways coherent to H is concerns; and H e would be pleased with us. W e would be giving out our best ways to cooperate to H is ways, and we will be madly in love of H im. As we grew fonder of God, the world and its pleasures will fade to the background. W hen our heart anchors itself on God, its Divine Source; transformation happens, we become the person H e wants us to be. W e must let God remain and rule our hearts always.

Amen.

Aflame The Heart

UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN

31 January 26-February 1, 2023  NATIONAL NEWS

 FOOD & TRAVELS

Recipe of the Week Pinoy Pineapple Fiesta Ham Spaghetti Ingredients: 1 kilo spaghetti noodles, cooked as per package instructions 1/ 2 ki lo Fiesta H am, cut into slices then cut into sq uares 6- 8 pc s. cheese hotdog, cut into thin slices 1 large can (50 0g) pineapple slices in heavy syrup, cut into small wedges, reserved syrup 1 large can sliced button mushrooms, drained 1/ 2 bl ock cheddar cheese, grated 1 large spaghetti sauce 1/ 2 c up sweet chili sauce 1-2 t bsp. chili garlic in oil 1/ 2 he ad garlic, peeled, chopped 3 m edium size onion, chopped 1/ 2 c up cornstarch salt and pepper cooking oil Cook ing procedure: In a large sauce pan sauté garlic and onion ntil fragrant. Add in the fiesta ham and stir cook for 3 to 5 minutes.

Add in the hotdog and button mushroom and continue to stir cook for 2 to 3 minutes.

Now add in the pineapple syrup, spaghetti sauce, sweet chili sauce, chili garlic in oil and about 2 cups of water, bring to a boil and simmer for 3 to 5 minutes stirring occasionally. Add in the hotdogs, pineapple and grated cheddar cheese and continue to simmer for 5 to 8 minutes. Correct saltiness if requi red, season with pepper. Thicken sauce with cornstarch diluted in 1/ 3 cup of water, cook for another minute or until the sauce thickens. Pour sauce over a platter of spaghetti noodles with grated cheddar cheese garnish.

 FOOD & TRAVELS

Leyte town wants to draw more visitors; Tacloban airport eyed as int’l gateway

TACLOBAN CITY – The town of Matag-ob in Leyte province needs at least P2 0 0 million to build roads leading to their key destinations as it seeks to attract tourists from nearby Kalanggaman Island in Palompon town, the most visited site in Eastern Visayas region.

Meanwhile, the Daniel Z . Romualdez (DZ R) Airport in Tacloban City will become an international airport by 2 0 2 5 with ongoing and future projects lined up to improve the facility, according to an official of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP).

W ith available funds for development this year and commitment from the national government to pour in more budget in the future, the facility will elevate its status from a major domestic airport to an international airport by 2 0 2 5 , said CAAP Eastern Visayas Area Manager Danilo Abarreta.

The construction of new passenger terminal building Phase 1 with a budget of P73 1.6 million is now 4 7.4 1 percent complete. The second phase of the project will start early this year with a budget of PH P70 0 million, according to CAAP. “The total cost to develop the terminal building is P1.96 billion. It will have a total area of 3 6 ,2 98 .98 sq uare meters and can accommodate 1,6 70 passengers. The building design is inspired by San Juanico Bridge and city’s coastal mountain landscape merged ith Takl fishcage, A arreta said.

The existing passenger terminal building refurbished after Super Typhoon Yolanda (H aiyan) has a 6 0 0 -seating capacity.

Funding to fully complete the building is already available, to include the P1.4 2 billion release for 2 0 2 3 earlier announced by the Department of Budget and Management Matag-ob Mayor Bernie Tacoy said the proposed road projects in his town will open and improve access to Bondari Peak, a mountain range, and the caves in the villages of San Vicente and Bulak.

“W e have created alliance with other towns to encourage guests in Kalanggaman to visit other nearby sites in northwest Leyte. W e want tourists, especially those

coming from Luzon to make their travels more worthwhile by visiting other destinations, Tacoy said.

Matag-ob is just 19 kilometers from Palompon to n center, the j mp-off point to alanggaman sland. n the first fo r months of 2 0 2 2 , the island has welcomed 3 ,95 4 tourists, the most visited area in the region.

The first proposal is to open a road from Palompon town to Masaba W aterfalls in Matag-ob, a site close to the Bondari Peak.

Another proposal is the concreting of the access road to the 3 7 caves in San Vicente and Bulak villages, according to Tacoy.

The mayor said money generated from tourism activities will raise the income of the local government. n my first term, e foc s on to rism because we don’t want people to pay more taxes. W e need to look for more sources and e see to rism as a good so rce, he said.

Bondari Peak is the most popular destination in Matag-ob town. During weekends, the site welcomes 2 0 0 visitors daily.

It is a 6 0 -hectare mountainous range between the boundary of Matag-ob and Villaba town.

Aside from its breathtaking views on top of the mountainous range during sunrise and sunset, Bondari is an ideal place for camping, hiking, bike trailing, and motocross competitions.

The huge cave in San Vicente, according to Tacoy is comparable to a basketball court, producing calcite minerals leading to the formation of stalagmites and stalactites inside the cave.

The town has 3 7 caves with some recently e plored y local officials, according to him.

Matag-ob is one of the four towns in Leyte province that have forged an alliance to come up with a “circuit tour package promoting their pict res e islands, breathtaking landscapes, and other natural wonders.

Other towns are Palompon, Isabel and Merida. The creation of a tourism circuit is essential to attain local community economic augmentation.