By ALFRED GABOT, Editor in Chief
BEIJING/MANILA – China’s President Xi Jinping has affirmed his commitment to work with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to strengthen Manila-Beijing relations, vowing to extend assistance to the Philippines in various areas such as in agriculture, energy and infrastructure.
By Claire Morales True
SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom is set to take his Oath of Office on January 6 for a new term as head of the state of California.
His oath-taking is dubbed a Celebration of Freedom, Democracy, & Diversity.
Newsom will be inaugurated to a second term on the steps of the historic State Capitol.
The observance of the California spirit of opportunity and inclusion -- “the California Way” -- will stand in peaceful contrast to the violent insurrection and assault on our democracy whic h occurred two years ago, it was announced.
By Be�ng Laygo Dolor, EditorMANILA – Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr heads to Beijing for a state visit this week and political observers say he will be walking a political tightrope.
By Gilda Balan, CorrespondentSAN RAMON - What could be more normal for a pair of teenagers in Northern California than to spend some time at a popular burger joint enjoying the food and the pleasant December weather
while watching a TikTok video?
On the day before Christmas, last year, this is precisely what two teenagers of Asian descent were doing at an In-N-Out Burger place in San Ramon
MILPITAS CITY - Filipino American Council Member Evelyn Q. Chua has assumed as vice mayor of Milpitas City following a reorganization of the new
City Council.
This as former Vice Mayor Carmen Montano assumed as the first woman Mayor in Milpitas history.
The formal meeting between host, Chinese President Xi Jinping, and the Philippine president is fraught with uncertainty, as Marcos is not expected to follow the same path as his predecessor, former president Rodrigo Duterte, who never brought up the conflict over the West Philippine Sea (WPS), which China claims is part of the South China
seen to
inyong pamilya at apwa Pilipino, the President added
he event coincides with the first anniversary of the creation of epu lic ct o 6 , the law creating the epartment of Migrant Wor ers MW headed y Secretary Susan Ople he President greeted the officials and personnel of the MW for the agency s first anniversary, commending them for their hard wor that enefited the OFWs and their families
livelihood assistance and scholarships to the families of OFWs, with the Overseas Wor ers Welfare dministration OWW e tending 6, scholarships as of ovem er
M - President Ferdinand Marcos Jr honored overseas Filipino wor ers OFWs on Friday and promised to ensure their welfare and interests, even that of their families in the Philippines, during a gift-giving event in Malaca ang Malapit po sa a in ang mga OFW at ang anilang mga pamilya aya naman sa ating administrasyon, lalo nating pinagtiti ay ang epartment of Migrant
Wor ers upang mas ma ilis ang ser isyo at pag alinga para sa ating mga agong ayani, President Marcos said as he led the gift-giving event, Pamas ong andog Para sa Pamilyang OFW, at the Palace rounds
gayon, higit ailanman ay napa ahalaga ng papel na ginagampanan ninyo na maiahon ang ating e onomiya at maiangat ang antas ng pamumuhay ng
Sa na araang taon ay na ita natin na uong sigasig na nagtatra aho ang agawaran upang siguruhin ang interes at apa anan ng ating mga OFW, he said, noting MW has initiated change y advancing not only the interest of OFWs ut also their families ccording to the President, the MW has een wor ing to provide shelter, scholarships, and other services and enefits to the families of Filipino overseas wor ers
he MW reported that from July to ecem er this year, it assisted some 66, OFWs to find decent employment a road and facilitated the repatriation of 6, distressed OFWs he agency also continues to provide
t alam din namin, na apag ayo ay nasa a road at ayo y nagtatra aho, ang lagi ninyong inaalala ay ang inyong pamilya aya t siguro arapat-dapat lamang na ang epartment of Migrant Wor ers ay hindi lamang migrant wor ers ang inaalala at inaalagaan, ung hindi ang mga pamilya ng migrant wor ers, he said, epressing elation over MW s reforms in the last si months as a new department aya t sana naman ay inaasahan namin na ahit papaano dito sa pagsimula ng ating agong onsepto, ng aming agong polisiya dito sa ating mga migrant wor ers, ay maramdaman na aagad ay sinimulan na natin dito sa pamimigay ng onting regalo indi lamang ulit para sa OFW lamang, ung hindi para sa mga pamilya
he President was oined y First ady iza raneta-Marcos, his sons Joseph Simon and William incent, Secretary Ople, and other officials during the event
CAMP CRAME, Quezon City –
More than ,6 police officers have een meted with disciplinary sanctions for administrative offenses and involvement in irregularities as a result of an intensified internal cleansing program of the Philippine National Police (PNP).
PNP chief Gen. Rodolfo Azurin Jr. said the internal cleansing efforts continued with a greater focus on ridding the organization of undesira le personnel who do not conform to the norms of discipline and proper conduct.
ased on the report of the irectorate for Personnel and ecords Management P M , zurin disclosed that ,6 errant P P personnel were meted with
penalties this year
he penalties range from withholding of privileges to dismissal from the service due to administrative cases as a direct result of the violation of P P rules and regulations, or involvement in criminal activities his as the P P chief also noted an improvement in the national crime environment throughout compared to the previous year with a significant decrease in oth inde and non-inde crime incidents as well as the eight focus crime categories and eight special comple crimes mong the eight focus crimes, incidents of carnapping of motor vehicles dropped sharply y percent in while similar dou le-digit decreases in incidents of murder and homicide were recorded at percent and percent, respectively he P P units intensified crime deterrent initiatives paid off as the Peace and Order ndicator PO covering the period Jan to ec 6, , generally went down y percent or , from , in compared to , for this year zurin said this hardline stance of the P P against reach of discipline and misconduct within the ran s is the most prominent manifestation of its genuine responsiveness and commitment to reform the organization and enable it to a sor further development and modernization.
he figure includes who were dismissed from the service 6 who were demoted in ran , who were
suspended 6 who were reprimanded who were meted with salary forfeiture 6 who were restricted to uarters and 6 who were denied privileges hose dismissed from the service were found administratively lia le in WO a sence without leave cases for drug use for failure to attend court duty for violence against women and others for involvement in criminal cases for murder, homicide, carnapping, illegal drugs, ro ery e tortion and rape.
would li e to point out the correlation of organizational reform and individual performance as enchmar factors to the accomplishment of unit mission hrough significant gains in the P P internal reform program, P P units fared well in performing our law enforcement and pu lic safety mandate, zurin said
By Jeanne Michael Penaranda
crease of premium rate and income ceiling.
“In light of the prevailing socioeconomic challenges brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic, and to provide financial relief to our countrymen amidst these difficult times, please be informed that the President has directed PhilHealth to suspend the above mentioned increase in premium rate and income ceiling for Calendar Year 2023, subject to applicable laws, rules and regulations,” the memorandum read.
The increase of premium rate and income ceiling is in accordance with the UHC law.
Under the law, the premium rate will increase to increments of 0.5 percent every year starting 2021 until it reaches percent in 2025.
In January 2021, former President Rodrigo Duterte directed PhilHealth to defer the hike amid the health crisis.
PASIG CITY – Good news to thousands of members of the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth).
This as President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered the agency to suspend the increase of its premium rate and income ceiling for the calendar year 2023. memorandum released from the Offi ce of the President signed by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin ordered the deferral of a scheduled hike in the PhilHealth premium rate from percent to 4.5 percent and income ceiling from P80,000 to P90,000 for 2023 under Republic Act (RA) No. 11223 or the Universal Health Care (UHC) Act.
Bersamin cited “socioeconomic challenges” and diffi cult times as reasons for suspending the in-
Earlier, PhilHealth Corporate Communications senior manager Rey Baleña said the yearly increase would e used for the enefi t plan of , including KonSulTa (Konsultasyong Sulit at Tama), a comprehensive primary care enefi t that provides easier access to essential services such as consultations, health risk screenings, laboratory tests, and medicines.
It is also expected to provide outpatient therapeutic care for severe and acute malnutrition; outpatient package for mental health; and continuous Covid-19 enefi t pac age
Balena added that the increase was important so that every Filipino can be given “competent access to medical services.”
P S C he Pasig City Council has passed an ordinance banning the issuance of permits for online gambling companies, including e-sa ong, to “protect the social and moral welfare of the community
This was disclosed by Pasig Mayor Vico Sotto who signed the measure into law before Christmas, pointing out that gam ling has many negative effects especially when one is already addicted to it ng daming masamang epe to nito ng daming masamang naidudulot ang mga establisyimentong ito,” he said in a interview
Wala naman tayong a ilala na pumaso sa e- ingo at luma as na mas maganda ang uhay niya ahat yan, sumama ang buhay, may mga nalulong sa sugal, he said
Sotto cited a where a mother pawned her child to pay off her gam ling de ts t was actually times atu os niya tapos times siya nangyari Our city so-
cial welfare department was really on to the case… Nahuli naman yung gumawa,” he was uoted y C and S-C as saying awawa iyong tatay, pag-uwi niya galing tra aho o ung saan man siya galing, nagulat siya wala na yung anak nila,” he said
“Because of this, siguro wake up call na hindi lang tayo basta may panukala pero itong panukala na ito ay kailangan natin ng sense of urgency, he said
The mayor said the ordinance covers online casinos, online sa ong, e- ingo, and Philippine Offshore aming Operations PO O ased in Pasig City ffected usinesses will e allowed to renew their business permits during the January 2023 renewal period,but will only e valid until ecem er , , he said
Fair tayo lam natin na namuhunan din sila indi naman, u as, sarado na ayo We will do it fairly, sa paraang
ma atao pa rin, the mayor said
“By the end of 2023, they will have to stop operations,” he stressed Pasig, Metro Manila’s fourht richest city, is expected to lose at least P3 million in annual revenue from online gambling facilities, Sotto said
“Considering all the social ills and the negative effects, that is a very small price to pay for the city,” he said, noting that o losses are not e pected to e significant
For us, this is not a out the revenue that the city can or will get his is a out preventing the social ills in the first place
he ordinance focused on online gambling because there are no big gambling dens in Pasig City, Sotto said ung mga e-games, e- ingo, yan talaga yung marami sa lungsod ng Pasig at ito yung marami tayong kuwento na naririnig na ang daming buhay na nasisira so doon tayo mafo-focus, he said
QUEZON CITY – The New Year’s Eve revelry in the city was generally peaceful except for one reported incident of indiscriminate firing and three firecrac er related-in uries
This as Mayor Joy Belmonte and Vice Mayor Gian Sotto greeted residents in a ew ear message
“Makakaasa po kayo na kaagapay ninyo ang Quezon City Government sa inyong hangarin na ma igyan ng magandang kinabukasan ang inyong pamilya at patuloy na maghahatid ng isang malinis, tapat, at mahusay na pamamahala para sa inyo, Citizens, the two officials said Last month, Quezon City Mayor Joy
Belmonte emerged as the top performing local chief e ecutive in the ational Capital Region for the year 2022, based on a survey y the P-Mission and evelopment Foundation nc PM elmonte earned an overall o performance rating of Other top performing mayors in Metro Manila include ale long Malapitan of Caloocan, Jeannie Sandoval of Malabon and John Rey Tiangco of Navotas City
They were followed by Pasay City Mayor mi Cali to- u iano and Mandaluyong City Mayor en amin alos Sr , Mayors igail inay of Ma ati City and Vito Sotto of Pasig City, Muntinlupa City Mayor uffy lazon, Marcy eodoro of Marikina City, Lani Cayetano of Taguig City , Wes Gatchalian of Valenzuela City, oney acuna of Manila, and ric Olivarez of Para a ue City
Mayors Francis Zamora of San Juan City, Ike Ponce III of Pateros and Imelda guilar of as Pi as also had high approval ratings ased on the PM survey
M rch ishop of Manila, Cardinal Jose dvincula, as ed the faithful to learn and follow the teachings and the life of the late Pope meritus enedict X
In a message, the archbishop paid tri ute to the late pontiff and urged the public to pray for the eternal repose of his soul
“Let us honor the memory of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI by learning from his preaching and following his e ample of Christian life, he said
“Let us pray for him that God may welcome him into his ingdom dvincula also reminded the pulic that it is important to remember the former pontiff from ermany for courageously witnessing the Gospel “in a modern world marred by fractures and s epticism
“He prophetically warned us against the “dictatorship of relativism”, from which our post-truth world is now suffering e proclaimed the truth of the Gospel through the gift of his eloquence, but also more poignantly, through his humility and silence, dvincula said, adding that they profoundly mourn the death of enedict X
“Together with the whole Church and all persons of goodwill, we mourn his death, dvincula said
Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI died Saturday in his atican residence e was
CEBU CITY – Interior and Local Government Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. underscored anew the commitment of Cebu law enforcers in implementing President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s holistic campaign against illegal drugs.
Abalos spoke last week during a command visit at the egional Police Office-Central isayas P O- at Camp Sergio Osmeñ a Sr. in Cebu City.
During the visit, Abalos urged the members of the local police to publicly emphasize the adherence to the rule of law and the five pillars of ustice as ases of the government in the fight against drugs
Allowing drug personalities to thrive in communities will have deplorable consequences on children who, Abalos said, are the target of street pushers because of their vulnerability.
While the police stations are mandated to put in place programs to lower criminalities in their areas of jurisdiction, alos stressed the need to put more effort into anti-
drug operations.
He stressed the need for the Philippine National Police to work hard to boost the people’s trust in the justice system, citing the role of the prosecutors and the judges.
The BIDA or “Bihay Ingatan, Droga Ayawan” campaign launched in November this year, he said, will serve as an anti-drug operational guidepost for law enforcement agencies under the Marcos administration.
“The branch should be cut. The best thing to do is remove the fruit, the tree is the drug problem, the branch is the drug pusher, the root is our users who have problems at work, in the family, in the community,” Abalos said.
He said a more holistic approach to addressing the drug problem in the country will need the participation of all government agencies, including the private sector, the church and the community.
He said the national government will craft specialized activities that will veer away the youth from the menace of drugs.
TARLAC CITY – The Department of Public Works and ighways PW is loo ing to operate a portion of the expressway in Central Luzon at the connection of the Su ic-Clar - arlac pressway SC X arlac-Pangasinan- a Union pressway P X in arlac City, arlac up to San Juan, liaga, ueva ci a toward the first half of 2023.
In his report to Secretary Manuel Bonoan, Senior Undersecretary mil Sadain said the PW Unified Proect Management Office - oads Management Cluster PW UPMO MC is wor ing to complete an additional - ilometer segment from uim a- liaga oad intersection to San Juan Interchange that will extend to 25
ilometers the already accessi le - ilometer section of the Central uzon in pressway C X he PW UPMO MC team with the contractors and consultants have worked hard to overcome challenges along the way, such as bad weather, right of way issues, difficulty in the transport of construction materials and Covid- impact that caused some delays, he said Other than the four-lane, two-way expressway with a design speed of ilometers per hour, the PW is also undertaking the construction of three interchanges –Zaragoza, Aliaga, and San Juan that will allow motorists from the secondary and provincial roads to access CLX
“This is our role in the government, I for the DILG, and you the police. With this, we will win this war against drugs,” Abalos said.
a ing pangarap para sa taon na ito Sa aing palagay, ipagpatuloy natin ang pagkakaisa natin (I hope the life of every Filipino gets better and better, the Philippines is united for the good of all. That’s my dream for this year. In my opinion, let’ us continue being united),” he said.
Duterte, for her part, said that she always included in her prayers a “strong, successful, and stable Philippines.”
Marcos said he learned something new every day because he was a bookworm.
“Araw-araw marami akong natututunan sa trabahong ito. Mabuti nalang mahilig akong magbasa. Lagi akong nagaaral ngayon Sa awa naman ng iyos ay nagagamit naman natin ang ating mga natututunan para hindi mapanis ang ating pag-iisipl),” he said.
Sara said she is loo ing forward to completing her short course in Psychology by February.
heart of a mother. I can see that it will be her motivation in her work. That is why thin Sara will e in pu lic service for life),” he said.
Duterte actually took time to read Marcos’ palm and quipped about foreseeing that the President would soon welcome a granddaughter.
“Mayroong blessing. May apo na darating (There will be a blessing. A grandchild will arrive),” Duterte said, as a joke.
Asked to share their New Year’s Resolutions, the two had the same response: Get more sleep.
“Talagang kailangan na matuto ako na magpahinga dahil nagkakasakit na. Hindi na dapat nangyari ‘yun (We need to learn to rest because we’re getting sick. That shouldn’t happen again),” Marcos said. e suffered from colds during his trip to Brussels, Belgium due to the cold weather there.
MANILA – President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. expressed hope that the lives of all Filipinos would get “better and better” as the country welcomed the New Year.
In a vlog, Marcos was joined by Vice President and Department of Education ep d Secretary Sara uterte where the two answered some questions from netizens
One of the questions was: “Ano naman po ang pangarap ninyo para sa bayan ngayong 2023 (What is your dream for the country this 2023)?”
Marcos, in response, renewed his push for unity, saying it was a crucial ingredient in nation-building.
Sana paganda ng paganda ang uhay ng bawat Pilipino, nagkakaisa ang Pilipinas para sa ikabubuti ng lahat. ‘Yan ang
Marcos and Duterte were also asked to predict what was in store for each other by reading each other palms.
Marcos said that he foresees Duterte being in public service for a lifetime.
“Hindi ko kailangan tignan ang palad nito Si nday, puso ng ina a i ita o ang puso ng ina, ‘yun ang nagiging motivation niya para sa trabaho niya. Kaya sa palagay ko habang-buhay na si Inday Sara na nasa ser isyo ng pu li o don t need to read her palms…Inday has the
He said he also wanted to spend “more time with family.”
Duterte said she aimed to complete eight hours of sleep rather than ust five hours, which she would usually get.
This was the second time that Marcos and Duterte joined each other in the former’s vlog.
Marcos said the last time they were together in a vlog was during the campaign period in April 2022.
M - n his first ew ear s message, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. rallied for unity and asked Filipinos to embody the true meaning of solidarity as the nation moves toward overcoming adversities and attaining greater heights.
s we reflect on the events that transpired in the previous year, I hope that we will draw strength and inspiration from what truly binds us together our genu-
ine love for our fellow Filipinos and our country,” Marcos said as he joined the nation in welcoming the New Year.
This is the essence, Marcos said, of his administration’s call for unity and the impetus for the continued invitation to work together for the realization of the shared aspirations as a people.
“It is in this understanding that we need, now more than ever, to embody
the true meaning of solidarity. The innate Bayanihan spirit in all of us is what will keep us going against all adversities that will continue to test our fortitude as a nation,” President Marcos said.
“Together, let us move full-steam ahead towards our goal of giving a better life to every Filipino family. I am confident that, y coming together, we can withstand and overcome all challenges
and bring our nation to greater heights,” the President said.
As the nation looks forward to a fruitful and hopeful New Year, the chief executive encouraged Filipinos to remain steadfast and united as ever as they ask for the Almighty’s guidance in the journey toward attaining a better, brighter, and more prosperous future for the nation.
MANILA – President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has issued an executive order (EO) directing the continued suspension of electronic sabong or e-sabong operations nationwide.
Marcos signed EO No. on Dec. 28 to ensure the state’s “paramount obligation to protect public health and morals, and to promote public safety and general welfare.”
“There is an urgent need to reiterate the continued suspension of all e-sabong operations nationwide, clarify the scope of existing regulations and direct relevant agencies to pursue aggressive crackdown against illegal e-sabong operations, in accordance with law,” the EO states.
Under the EO, live-streaming or roadcasting of live coc fights outside coc pits or coc fighting arenas or premises where coc fights are eing held will be suspended.
EO also suspends online/remote,
or off-coc pit wagering etting on live coc fighting matches and or activities streamed or broadcast live, regardless of the location of the betting platform.
The operations of traditional cockfights authorized or licensed under e isting laws shall not be covered by the suspension.
EO also tasked the Philippine Amusement Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) to coordinate with local government units (LGUs), other concerned government agencies and private entities on the implementation of the order.
The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) are also directed to render necessary assistance to PAGCOR in the implementation of the order and shall take appropriate action against violators, in accordance with law.
The PAGCOR, in coordination with the DILG and PNP, is further tasked to
submit regular reports to the President through the Office of the ecutive Secretary.
Former President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the end of online coc fighting
operations known as e-sabong on May this year in the wake of the disappearance of at least sa ungeros or e-sa ong aficionados in the country who all remain missing until now.
By Claire Morales True
S F C SCO Philippine News Today entertainment editor and California correspondent Jo rlinda M a ot died in Se astian, Florida in what investigators said was a traffic homicide last ecem er ecem er , Manila time She was Jo rlinda, who started a full-time career as we developer in Florida, was a daughter of Philippine ews oday editor in chief lfredo a ot She was a goddaughter of former Manila Mayor and eputy Spea er Jose ito tienza Jr and os ngeles- ased ournalist al elgas who e pressed shoc at the untimely and tragic death of Jo rlinda and called for ustice for the loss
Jo rlinda started writing travel and show iz stories in the Philippines oday
When Philippine ews and Philippines oday merged, she continued writing entertainment stories and California stories under the names Jo rlinda Maufit, Jo rlinda a ut and Jo rlinda e res when she migrated to the US three years ago er e as- ased sister, Marie- lsie Penaranda, wor s as a reporter of the Manila- ased television station U
Meanwhile, Jo rlinda s so, an e res, has set up a oFundMe in the US to see financial assistance to cope with une pected ig e penses for funeral services, the homicide case, and ringing her ody to the Philippines, among others Contri utions thru Cash in Manila or other means will also e set up eports from Se astian indicated that the lifeless ody of Jo rlinda was found along US ighway in Se astian, Florida last ecem er , and mem ers of the family and friends called for ustice for
her death t press time, no one has een arrested in connection with the case, although the Se astian Sheriff Office reported they have identified a person of interest er death was senseless ecause she was always friendly, helpful, cheerful to all and she was loving to her four children whom she has een supporting for their education, especially her two daughters, said Mr a ot
Mr a ot, who served as president of the ational Press Clu of the Philippines and a retired senior editor of the Manila ulletin, a ma or daily in Manila, Philippines, and a university professor, has reached out to the Philippine m assy in Washington C and the honorary consul in Florida for assistance e also sought the help from Se astian media
Mr a ot called on the Se astian community for assistance so that those re-
sponsi le for her daughter s death would e arrested, charged and meted the ma imum penalty and prison term
M he Philippines is on heightened alert as a surge of coronavirus disease Covid- cases in China triggers glo al concern while cases in the country are on the wane n a memorandum, all O -Centers for ealth evelopment O -C were instructed to prepare and augment resources, especially telemedicine providers, in case of a possi le increase in patients with respiratory symptoms ll C s were en oined to ramp up information dissemination on the importance of layers of protection, including
the wearing of mas s, getting the most updated vaccines, and self-isolation if unwell o ensure minimal local transmission in anticipation of possi le increases, all C s are li ewise directed to continue the strict implementation of the updated guidelines on Minimum Pu lic ealth Standards, as aligned with epartment Memorandum - , as well as other relevant Covid- surveillance and mitigation measures, said O officer-in-charge Secretary Maria osario ergeire
ergeire reiterated O s directive on the ureau of uarantine and relevant offices to intensify monitoring and implementation of order protocols for incoming individuals, including from China, at all ports of entry gencies were li ewise ordered to closely coordinate with seaport and airport authorities for possi le re-esta lishment of testing of in ound travelers from high alert countries he daily average of new coronavirus disease Covid- cases has decreased y percent from ec to ,
the O said
From , per day recorded from ec to , the num er went down to daily in the recent wee he latest case ulletin showed that there were ,6 new cases and verified deaths Of the additional deaths, the O said happened from ec to
n the same period, three cases were added to the tally of severe and critical infections, which also went down to 6 from the previous wee s
Of the reported in ured, two have een confirmed one each from am oanga Peninsula and avao region while from orthern Mindanao are still eing verified out missing persons were also reported
Of the num er, three have een confirmed two from astern isayas and one from the locos region
Meanwhile, the remaining are undergoing validation from icol, from astern isayas, two from orthern Mindanao, and one from Western isayas total of , houses were reported damaged in Mimaropa, Western isayas, astern isayas, am oanga Peninsula, orthern Mindanao, avao region, Caraga, and the angsamoro utonomous egion in Muslim Mindanao
Two more people died due to rains and severe flooding during the Christmas season, raising the nationwide death toll to and missing of last wee , the ational isaster is eduction and Management Council MC and the Office of Civil efense reported amage to infrastructure was estimated at around P illion, while agricultural damage was at P million, according to the e agency
he Christmas season rains also have left at least towns and cities in a state of calamity
Of the reported deaths, the MC said have een so far confirmed four in egion , three in Caraga, three in egion , two in egion , and one in Mimaropa
Still undergoing verification are reports of deaths -- in orthern Mindanao, nine in icol egion, five in astern isayas and one in am oaga Peninsula
(From page 1)
he legislative ranch of government does not want Marcos to owtow to Xi the way uterte did he Philippine Senate had as ed Marcos to ma e nown to Xi their anger at China s actions at the contested waters which includes the constant ullying of Filipino armed forces and fisherfol hus far, Marcos s statements on the issue have een wrapped in diplomatic language, and he has appeared to e see ing a compromise with China on the WPS
On the second day of his visit on Wednesday, January , Marcos met with the li es of ationalist People s Congress chairman i hanshu and Premier i e uiang efore facing Xi at an evening
With Chairman i, he said China-Philippines relations must e tend to commerce, culture, education, trade and investment, while with Premier i he said there were many, many, many areas that we continue to have cooperation in etails of his tal s with Xi were not availa le as of press time
Political analysts elieve that China may agree to some concessions regarding the WPS given the friendly welcome that US ice President amala arris received in her recent visit to the Philippines, which could e indicative of a Philippine pivot ac to the US and away from China nd while at least ilateral agreements are e pected to e finalized during Marcos s state visit, one area that may potentially cause pro lems for the president is the reported tal s on inviting China to
set up a nuclear plant in the country n an interview with C Philippines Politics as Usual, Cecilio Pedro, vice president of the Federation of Filipino Chinese Cham ers of Commerce and ndustry, admitted that Marcos remains interested in nuclear power and wanted to discuss the matter with Chinese groups that operate nuclear plants
Pedro said oint ventures in such areas were e pected to move forward, and the Philippine usiness delegation that is part of Marcos s entourage would very li ely return to ei ing in the near future f indeed tal s on setting up a Chineseoperated nuclear power plant move forward, it will almost certainly e a political issue ac home where even allies of the president may not agree with Marcos has spo en on occasion at the possi ility of operating the four decades
old ataan uclear Power Plant, which was a ig tic et pro ect of his father, the late president Ferdinand Marcos Sr Pedro ustified the president s interest in nuclear power ecause it is one of the cheapest forms of energy hus, even if Marcos gingerly avoids more su stantial discussions on the WPS with Xi, he could still e playing with fire if tal s on a Chinese operated nuclear plant ear fruit
For the meantime, what had een agreed eforehand was for the epartment of Foreign ffairs to directly communicate with its Chinese counterpart whenever incidents occur in Philippine waters involving Chinese fishing oats and militia threatening the Philippine military or Filipino fisherfol
(From page 1)
when a Colorado man whom police later identified as -year-old Jordan rah attac ed the pair with racist and homopho ic comments hat same man would, on Christmas ay, confront an sian man at a mall paring lot and spat at him
Prosecutors have charged rah with hate crimes for his assault on the teenagers, as well as attery in the second incident his, after the first incident was caught
(From page 1) Filam...
Chua s assumption was lauded y Philippine ews oday editor in chief lfred a ot, her classmate in high school in Manila
Chua has een very active in the city since winning a seat in the City Council
(From page 1)
ing over 66, passengers Many suspected sa otage or incompetence of airport officials as the cause of the glitch, triggering calls y some senators for an investigation into what they said was a a ing technical pro lem that paralyzed in ound and out ound flights uthorities said it will ta e at least hours for the operations to normalize mong those stranded in Japan due to re-scheduled and delayed flights were usiness tycoon Manuel Pangilinan and an actress, fuming Pangilinan offered colocation, data centers, connectivity and power supply protection to the government to avoid similar glitches f our roup could e of any help to O r C P, we d e happy to participate - colocation of nd, even rd, redundancies in our nationwide data centers, reuired connectivities - fi er, satellite, wireless - ro ust even redundant power supply protection etc, the usinessman said in a Tweet
Following the technical issues that noc ed out the air traffic radar and communication management system of the Civil viation uthority of the Philippines C P , authorities have logged flights at the inoy uino nternational irport that were delayed, canceled and diverted to other regional air-
on video and posted online, uic ly eceeding four million views his caused the police to hunt him down and capture him while he was inside a mall
Contra Costa County istrict ttorney iana ecton said, threat to one ethnic community is a threat to all communities She added that there was no place for hate crimes in Contra County
fter his arrest, rah posted ail and is scheduled to appear in court on Fe e faces a ma imum sentence of one year and si months if convicted on two counts of
lso sworn in were on ien and Fil m lawyer arry ar adillo as City Councilmem ers
Scores of supporters attended the swearing in last month as Milpitas City Manager Steve Mc arris honored former mayor ich ran and former Councilmem er arina ominguez for their service
ports he C P radar and communication system is used y aviation authorities to monitor the location of planes and man the traffic airspace capacity entering or leaving the Philippine air space he upgraded system was inaugurated in and officials said it has to e modernized, adding a secondary system elsewhere should e installed
Senators race Poe, J ercito, ancy inay and Sherwin atchalian called out the C P for not having a ac up system to respond to such emergency and were poised to open a Senate investigation
C P has a lot of e plaining to do What is a ing is that the ir raffic Management System should have a acup aving a totally non functioning radar system is not only dangerous for air travel ut is a concern of national security, ercito lamented
Sen ancy inay called for a full audit of all navigational and communications e uipment installed in all airports in the country
Sen Sherwin atchalian said the government must ensure that the incident will not happen again given the impact it would have on affected passengers and the negative impression that it would have on our foreign visitors
Sen race Poe, chairperson of the Senate panel on pu lic services, said an in ui-
t was also learned that rah faces one count of vehicle ro ery in Colorado and authorities there are li ely to see his etradition he victims themselves had ta en the video on their cellphone, and it showed a man as ing them if they always filmed themselves while eating, after which he hurled a homopho ic comment at them he man, later identified as rah, as ed if they were Japanese or orean When they said they were orean, rah then made a
ominguez was presented a flag that had flown over Milpitas Civic Center during the program ominguez served one four-year term as Councilmem er She ran against Montano for Mayor in the ovem er election, ut came in third place with of the vote
ry will e conducted to hold accounta le the agencies responsi le for the airport mess, which she descri ed as a national security concern housands of lives depend on the efficiency and competence of the Civil viation uthority of the Philippines C P here needs to e transparency and accounta ility from C P, Poe said in a statement
his is a national security concern housands of lives depend on the efficiency and competence of C P she said
Meanwhile, ouse eputy Minority leader and C eachers party-list ep France Castro warned against using the airport mess as a prelude for the privatization of epartment of ransportation Secretary Jaime autista apologized for the incident while Malacanang played down the incident, saying an investigation was under way
comment a out orth orean leader im Jong Un e proceeded to ma e racist and a usive comments efore leaving he two friends said they were overwhelmed y the widespread support they had received from the community and were than ful at the uic arrest of the suspect
rine im and lliot a said in a radio interview that they were planning on trying out some items of the restaurant s secret menu when the ver al assault too place
Mc arris also presented a flag to ran, who than ed everyone for supporting him during his three ac -to- ac mayoral terms s mayor, ran supported the Filipino community and renewed the Milpitasagupan City sister-city agreement
(From page 1)
In the bilateral meeting of the two leaders, Xi also vowed to find a compromise and find a solution for Filipino fishermen to return to traditional fishing grounds in disputed areas in the South China Sea
“I was already very clear in trying to tal a out the plight of our fishermen and the President promised that we would find a compromise and find a solution that will e eneficial so that our fishermen might e a le to fish again in their natural fishing grounds, Marcos said in a taped video
We also discussed what we can do to move forward to avoid any possi le mista es, misunderstandings that could trigger a igger pro lem than what we already have, he said
Marcos said he also told Xi that the Philippines wants to resume negotiations on the joint oil and gas exploration project in the West Philippine Sea, noting his administration s push to shift to renewa le forms of energy
Overall, Marcos and Xi vowed to resolve maritime disagreements through consultation amid heightened tensions over the hotly disputed South China Sea and activities li e encroachment y Chinese ships at West Philippine Sea
Marcos and Xi called for friendly consultation to appropriately resolve maritime issues at their meeting on Wednesday
Prior to his state visit to Beijing, Marcos has insisted he will not let China trample on the Philippines maritime rights in the area, and aired hopes to address political security issues of a ilateral and regional nature
s reported y Chinese media CC , Xi told Marcos that China wished to contri ute more positive energy to regional peace and sta ility and promote cooperation on oil and gas development in non-disputed areas
Marcos said he told President Xi that he is hopeful that efforts to revive discussions on the oint oil e ploration etween China and the Philippines in the West Philippine Sea WPS would soon ear fruit ensions in the West Philippine Sea etween Manila and ei ing egan in after a standoff etween Chinese and Filipino vessels in the resource-rich Scar orough Shoal o date, the Philippines has filed more than protests against China
which continues to deny or laugh off the complaints he two countries initially engaged in ilateral discussions to ease tensions, ut Manila eventually dragged Beijing to an international ar itration court in he ague after China reneged on an initial understanding that oth sides would pull out all vessels in the disputed area n 6, the ar itration court awarded a victory to the Philippines and invalidated China s sweeping claims in the South China Sea, a strategic waterway where at least 6 percent of sea- orne goods pass through annually
China snu ed the ruling and continued uilding military installations in shoals and reefs that fall within the Philippines e clusive economic zone
would very much li e, as you have suggested, Mr President, to e a le to announce that we are continuing negotiations and that we hope that these negotiations will ear fruit ecause the pressure upon not only China, not only the Philippines ut the rest of the world to move away from the traditional fronts of power, Marcos told Xi in a ilateral meeting etween the two leaders in ei ing al s on the oint e ploration of oil and gas etween the two countries were completely terminated during the term of President odrigo uterte due to China s claim on the disputed territorial waters
Marcos earlier said he remained hopeful that tal s would continue ut ared that his administration is also finding other ways to pursue oil e ploration should government-togovernment discussions fail he Philippines and China must maintain their strong partnership for their own gain, Marcos Jr said during his ilateral meeting with Chinese Premier i e iang efore he met Xi
uring the meeting held at the reat all of the People in ei ing, Marcos told i that strengthening the special ties etween the Philippines and China would ena le the two nations to sustain their economic growth and allow them to uild good relations with other allied countries
“It is very important that these partnerships continue to e strong, continue to e encouraged nd think that will be the way forward to the mutual enefit of our countries, Marcos said during his meeting with i, as uoted y the Office of the Press Secretary OPS
“We have many, many, many areas that we continue to have cooperations in nd thin that they should e encouraged ecause they are in the precise areas that are necessary to develop so that we are strong financially as a country, we are strong in our society, and we are strong in our partnerships with our friends and allies around the world, he added
At least 14 bilateral agreements were signed y officials of the Philippines and China on the second day of Marcos Jr s state visit to ei ing he signed deals aim to enhance the two countries cooperation in various fields, including agriculture, infrastructure, development cooperation, maritime security and tourism Marcos descri ed his meeting with Xi as very fairly detailed We covered so many su ects, much more than usual in these formal meetings, the Filipino leader said m actually very optimistic ecause President Xi seemed to e genuinely interested in all of these issues and find, finding a way to move forward to again strengthen the relationship etween China and
the Philippines, he said ensions in the West Philippine Sea etween Manila and ei ing egan in after a standoff etween Chinese and Filipino vessels in the resource-rich Scar orough Shoal he two countries initially engaged in ilateral discussions to ease tensions, ut Manila eventually dragged Beijing to an international ar itration court in he ague after China reneged on an initial understanding that oth sides would pull out all vessels in the disputed area n 6, the ar itration court awarded a victory to the Philippines and invalidated China s sweeping claims in the South China Sea, a strategic waterway where at least 6 percent of sea- orne goods pass through annually
China snu ed the ruling and continued uilding military installations in shoals and reefs that fall within the Philippines e clusive economic zone
ast year, Filipino officials slammed China for interfering with Manila s efforts to collect roc et debris in waters near the Philippines’ coasts
Government (DILG) Secretary Benjamin ‘Benhur’ Abalos Jr. has called on all colonels and generals of the Philippine National Police (PNP) to submit their courtesy resignation in a radical move to cleanse the institution of those linked to illegal drugs.
n a press riefing in Camp Crame, Abalos said the move was recommended by Gen. Rodolfo Azurin Jr. himself after Senator Ronald ‘Bato’ dela Rosa confirmed the presence of nin a cops in the police force.
Pag atapos naming pag-aralan ng ilang uwan ang pro lema natin, lumalabas na malaki ang problema dito sa kapulisan umala as na meron mga generals,
Meanwhile, wor ing to protect Californians from the incoming winter storms, overnor ewsom proclaimed a state of emergency throughout California to support the ongoing response to recent winter storms.
The emergency proclamation supports emergency relief efforts including authorizing the mo ilization of the California National Guard to support disaster response, directing Caltrans to re uest immediate assistance through the Federal Highway Administration’s Emergency Relief Program to support highway repairs and other support for local response and recovery efforts, ewsom said in a statement sent to Philippine News Today.
merong mga colonel na sangkot sa droga fter several months of study, it appears we have a big problem in the police force that there are still generals and colonels linked to drugs). All full colonels to generals We are appealing, the word is appeal. I am appealing for them to submit a courtesy resignation. We got a list and for us this is upon the recommendation of our Chief P P and other hierarchy of the PNP. This is the only way to cleanse the ran s fast, alos said
Abalos did not mention any deadline on when concerned officials must su mit their courtesy resignations.
e said a five-mem er committee will carefully look into the records of the
The Governor also activated the State Operations Center to its highest level, and the state and federal government have stood up the Flood Operations Center, which covers forecasting, reservoir operations coordination, and provides technical support as well as flood fighting materials like sandbags for local agencies.
California is mo ilizing to eep people safe from the impacts of the incoming storm, said overnor ewsom his state of emergency will allow the state to respond uic ly as the storm develops and support local officials in their ongoing response
The National Weather Service is forecasting heavy rain and snow, strong wind and the potential for additional flooding
ran ing P P officials and come up with a recommendation to clear them or dismiss them from the service.
While he did not divulge the identities of the committee mem ers, alos vouched for their integrity.
Abalos admitted that the courtesy resignation is an appeal devoid of any directive which is similar to what was done during the time of former President Fidel amos under different circumstances t s a very radical approach pero alam ko magtatagumpay tayo. Inuulit ko kapulisan, huwag ayo mag-alala For the meantime tuloy tuloy pa rin ang serbisyo at huwag sila mag-alala, ung sila malinis wala naman pro lema Maayos naman ito,
threats. The heaviest of precipitation is expected Wednesday evening into Thursday morning in orthern California, etending into Thursday night in Southern California esidual flooding impacts could extend into the weekend along with additional storms lingering into next week.
Prepositioning Resources he state has prepositioned fire and rescue e uipment and personnel to support local resources across the state. eams will mo ilize uic ly in the event of mud flows, avalanches or flash floods he California ealth and uman Services gency Cal S has engaged with local and community partners to ensure vulnerable groups —individuals
iilan lang ito, maniwala ayo, iilan lang ito pero nasa posisyon silang critical. Ang sinumpaan natin sa ating batas when we too our oath of office as pu lic officials in accordance with the Constitution andaan niyo ito ang maglingkod sa bayan (It’s a very radical approach but I know we will succeed repeat to our colleagues, don t worry For the meantime, the service will continue and don t worry, if they are clean there is no pro lem t s fine, it s only a few, elieve me, it s only a few ut they are in a critical position. What we swore to our law when we too our oath of office as pu lic officials in accordance with the Constitution emem er this is to serve the nation , he stressed
with disa ilities, older individuals, and unsheltered individuals—are aware of the incoming storm and have access to services should they need them.
What happened at the inoy uino nternational irport on the first day of this new year can only e descri ed as a monumental em arrassment, one that told the rest of the world that the epu lic of the Philippines remains very much a hird World country he e planation or e cuses offered y the government ureaucrats does not ma e sense ow in the name of all that s good and holy can the airspace of an entire nation e shut down for an entire day his means that no local and international planes were flying in or out of the country on one of the usiest days of any year t was ad enough that locals intending to fly to and from their provinces ended up stuc at the airports he domino effect meant that all airports everywhere had ceased to function ut international flights could neither leave nor enter Philippine air space, too his means that planes already on the way to Manila were forced to turn ac to their points of origin he situation on the ground was worse ens of thousands of passengers were stuc at the , and were left to their own devices hey received no food nor water, and had no comforta le place to spend long hours not nowing if and when they could finally oard their aircraft he Philippines may e one of the est tourist destinations in the planet, what with its countless eaches, resorts, and hotels all over the archipelago hen there are the people who are naturally warm, friendly and hospita le ll of that does not mean a thing when the country s premiere airport is totally shut down n any other airport in the developed world, all the passengers would have een fed and ta en to a near y hotel at no e pense on the part of the traveler We can imagine no sadder sight than a group of senior citizens too e hausted to do anything than to find an empty spot on the hopefully clean floor, hoping to catch some rest he organization tas ed with insuring that the country s airports are run efficiently gave the lamest of e cuses, laming a glitch for the total shutdown ery clearly, there was no ac up system for the failed uninterrupted power supply So said the Civil viation uthority of the Philippines, which oversees the s ir raffic Management Center
Some 6 , travelers were affected y the shutdown, and one can e pect the foreigners to vow never to return to the Philippines, while also advising their friends and relatives to do the same
One top government official said that the was easily ten years ehind such near y airports li e Changi in Singapore or the ong ong nternational irport e was wrong t s more li e or years ehind s any Fil m or overseas Filipino wor er who is used to traveling via world class airports li e the ones in San Francisco, , u ai, Japan, or the United ra mirates hey will say that the glitch that happened on ew ear s ay at the can never, ever happen ow the Senate wants to conduct an investigation to determine what went wrong here s no need very ody nows what went wrong ureaucrats in charge of the Philippines airports have een sleepwal ing their way to wor , not planning for any and every possi le eventuality for the past four, five, or si decades Should we even count on real changes to ta e place after this wee s e cruciating national em arrassment ou tell us, fol s ou tell us
SOU San Francisco s first Filipina merica Mayor in its year history, uenaflor Flor icolas is set to ta e her oath as President of C lliance for Community mpowerment he all-volunteer nonprofit aims to prevent intimate partner and family a use through education at free pu lic presentations from shared resources he C oath includes learning a out and modeling healthy ehaviors, ma ing ehavioral changes as needed, empathizing with and offering appropriate guidance to those who a use who see to change their ehavior use is a learned ehavior that can e changed with the help of trained peer counselors and clinical therapists li e our umares and umpares or C mem ers, says icolas, mother to enevieve Marie ielson and li ah- iuseppe and grandmother to their children gnatius eltavio and rielle Florina randson ggy had the honor of swearing in his grandmother in her historic new office, want to ensure that South City will e etter than how we found it for the sa e of future South San Franciscans, icolas e plained her choice of officiant and her advocacy to author icolas is ice President and head of pharmacovigilance at ain herapeutics, mar ing her two decades in leadership roles in ma or iotech firms She and hus and enar icolas settled down in South San Francisco as newcomers from the Philippines in Challenges mar ed their earliest days when a fire razed their new home he tragedy rought out the indness of their neigh ors, fellow parishioners and the families of their children s friends, who rushed to their support as they re uilt their lives hat community spirit inspired icolas to dedicate herself to pu lic service For years today, she has ta en time to head or assist endeavors to improve uality of life in her city s Mayor, she vow to redou le her efforts to improve our diverse city and ma e it more racially and socially inclusive and e uita le, she says We will continue our wor on ma ing our city age, youth, and all a ility-friendly, she promised n , icolas added C among her affiliations She em raced the nonprofit s mission to stage events providing information such as defining healthy, unhealthy and a usive ehavior, the forms of a use that go eyond physical, arriers that prevent survivors from leaving a usive relationships and the effects of elders a usive interaction on witnesses, especially children icolas co-sponsored the organization s last ma or event efore the pandemic a ruptly rought all pu lic activities to a halt ecently she initiated steps for C to give a presentation at a City Council meeting to re indle South San Francisco leadership s involvement in the group s edu-
Philippine
December 19 was a red letter day in Muntinlupa City which marked its 105th anniversary as a municipality. On December 19, 1917, Governor General Francis Burton Harrison signed the proclamation separating Muntinlupa from Taguig, and making the latter an independent municipality. In various prior periods, Muntinlupa was a barrio of Biñan, in the province of Laguna. It later became a part of the province of Morong now izal Specifically, Muntinlupa became a barrio of Taguig.
n ovem er , , Muntinlupa and 6 other municipal entities, were carved out from the Province of Rizal to form the geographical unit known as Metropolitan Manila.
Muntinlupa marched, slowly at first, ut later rapidly transformed itself from a 5th class municipality into a highly urbanized city. Muntinlupa achieved cityhood in March 1, 1995.
During the last few years, Muntinlupa has been the consistent recipient of significant awards from government and civic groups. These include the Seal of Good Governance, Most Business-Friendly LGU, Good Financial Housekeeping and other awards recognizing Muntinlupa’s initiatives in economic, environmental, infrastructure, institutional and social development.
Mayor Ruffy Biazon, Congressman Jimmy Fresnedi, Vice Mayor Temy Simundac, City Council Majority Leader Raul Corro and the Muntinlupa Councilors led the day’s festivities with the inauguration in the morning of the new wing of the Ospital ng Muntinlupa (OSMUN). Incidentally, OSMUN, headed by Doc Edwin Dimatatac, recently started its school of medicine, in collaboration with the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Muntinlupa (PLMUN), headed by Dr. Raymund Arcega.
In the afternoon, Biazon recognized distinguished Muntinlupeño civil servants, who included this year’s outstanding employees, retirees and recently-graduated city councilors.
“To be a good Muntinlupeño, we should know how to give back, whatever way we can. Be it a sense of volunteerism or even small acts of kindness for others,” Biazon exhorted guests during the anniversary day awards ceremony held at the Muntinlupa Sports Center. Taking a leaf from Muntinlupa’s city hymn, Biazon urged Muntinlupeños to continue to offer their “Lakas, Talino at Buhay” in the service of the community and country.
Elizabeth Agdon Gaviola, Muntinlupa City’s Human esources head, identified this year s awardees, as follows 2022 Outstanding Employees - Rose Sharon P. Sorolla Most Outstanding ritt illapando Second Most Outstanding Jia Claire Matnog hird Most Outstanding Other Finalists in no particular order on Frederic rciaga amel atan John ussel M enavidez Sarah Jean Cummings Junievien eyte Mary race Montoya Cyrill Chester Param Christian Mar S San Juan o erto Unira etirees onorata Martinez - 6 years Melecia Manuel - years Pedro Mesa - years rmie a eda - years helma as uez - 6 years Fernando S r uero - years Saly el Mundo - years ancy G. Caba - 17 years.
Graduating City Councilors who recently completed consecutive terms:
From District 1 - Louisito A. Arciaga and Stephanie G. eves-Wong From istrict - hesiree revalo (The author, Atty. Ignacio Toting R. Bunye, is a former journalist who served as Mayor and Congressman of Muntinlupa City and later as Press Secretary and Member of the Monetary Board.)
As active Evangelist with the GOLDEN GATE CHURCH OF CHRIST in San Francisco, California, I would like to share to our readers and the general public the message of fellow Evangelist Ruben R. Mendoza in acronym N. E. W. Y. E. A. R. Fellow Evangelist Ruben R. Mendoxa, former faculty member of Asian Christian University (formerly Philippine Theological College) in Bugallon, Pangasinan, Philippines gave me permission to share the N. E. W. Y. E. A. R. Message to our readers and the general public, as follows:
-ow is the time you have, to examine what has transpired, know what lies ahead, we’ll face Go0d in His judgment seat.
-nd your EVIKL DOINGS, follow God’s commandments, for this is your whole duty, to avoid damnation in eternity.
-orthless are those, who ignore the4 Lord, they were enticed by the world, expecting alienation from the Lord.
-esterday must be a mirror, to reform doings that were wrong, obey now His commands, perform what God wants.
-xalt God’s approved good, discard what is falsehood, obey the gospel today, please friend do not delay.
“ -pproved!!!” says God if you obey, He is waiting for you friend patiently, don’t squander this golden opportunity.
-eward is waiting Bessy, eternal life will be, surely in His kingdom my dear Buddy, and live with him in eternity.
OO S O nside my home office, which is also being used as Prayer Room, Study Room and eading oom, three framed uotes on the enefits and necessity of regular and daily reading were displayed by Merly as a close friend and province mate from Pangasinan. One of the beautiful framed quotes read as follows:
“KEEP READING. IT’S OF THE MARVELOUS ADVENTURES THAT ANYONE HAVE.”
AS book author, columnist and active Evangelist with the GOLDEN GATE CHURCH OF CHRIS in San Francisco California, I highly recommend some good books as a must reading for our readers and general public in 2023, starting in January, namely: 1. JESUS CHRIST subtitled “ His Last Few ays efore eturning to eave, y John Jeffrey “Quenching the Devil’s Darts with Proverbs, “ by Wayne Co S O C OF J SUS su titled Facts and Evidences for Agnostics, Atheists, Believers and Christians” y rt a ot Madlaing F S FO OITY subtitled “How to be Healthy Emotionally, Financially, Physically, Sexually and Spiritually, “ by Art. G. Madlaing,: 5. REAL ESTATE & YOU subtitled “Your Basic Guide & Information for Successful Investing in Home, Land and ncome Property y rt g Madlaing 6 O TIPS, subtitled “Secrets” You Can Discover and Do for Good Health and Longevity, by Art Gabot Madlaing.
The list of books are now available through Restoration Books (www.restoration books.church) and through Amazon (in Paperback, Ebook, starting at %4.95 to $9.95 per books. The four books authored by Art Gabot Madlaing are available in Hardcover through Amazon and Restoration Books (www. restoratkion books.church).
These books are excellent addition to your personal library and family library. For autographed copies of the books at a discounted price, please write or call: BOOKS MINISTRY, 701- 8th Avenue, San Francisco, California 94118 Tel 6 - or - or email artmadlaing gmail.com
(ART GABOT MADLAING is accredited and commissioned Notary Public and Public and licensed Real Estate Broker (# 00635976) in California since 1981. He is founder of MOBILE SIGNING SERVICRES, FITNESS FOR HUMANITY (aka FITNESS FOR CHRIST) and ACAPINOY. Art is active Evangelist with the GOLDEN GATE CHURCH OF CHRIST in San Francisco, California. USA. )
“The Constitution is an experiment as all life is an experiment. Every year, if not every day, we have to wager our salvation in some prophecy based on imperfect knowledge.”
Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes
Congress is embroiled in the idea of amending the Constitution. The desire for amendment revolves on two issues – abolishing the limitation on the term of the President and the other is to allow one hundred percent foreign ownership including land
Presidential re-elections: In plain and simple terms –the President will be allowed to run for re- elections. This is visibly a political idea – to perpetuate the current incumbent in office t is not only hare rained, it is outrageously stupid Why? Six years is too long for a bad President and just enough for a good one.
ased on our national e perience in the last fifty-seven years, there are only Presidents who could be described as fit for that office Ferdinand dralin Marcos FM and Fidel aldez amos F he rest are either unfit or incompetent or ignorant or corrupt or a combination of all these vices.
What are the bases of this judgment? Obviously, bases are – intelligence, vision, discipline, knowledge and commitment to God, country and our people. The rest are just scandalous failures and glaring incompetent.
In the light of this experience, why the Hell should any President be re-elected, especially this one? He is a combination of all the vices of unfit Presidents from Cory, rap, M , Pnoy and Duterte, up to this point. But he can change gears or recoup lost ground - if he has brains or a scintilla of intelligence e has five years and a half to rethin and ree amine what he has been doing. So far, it is so bad, you cannot help but puke.
Foreign investments: We need it like a whole in the head. When President George W. Bush was asked, which is the richest country in the world? He unhesitatingly replied - the Philippines. If Bush who is an American knows that our country is the richest, why does not President Dingding (aka Bongbong) Marcos and his economists know it? Are they dense? I don’t know about President DDM – he possibly is since he has not finished college ut his economists many of them graduated from the University of the Philippines (UP)? Are they possibly dense?
In the good old days at UP Diliman, there were two kinds of extremes among the UP graduates – the best of the best and the best of the worst. In the time of President Duterte, most of the UP graduates who were in his government belong to the best of the worst and a number of them were intellectual frauds – thanks to Beelzebub. In the current administration, there are a few who are leftovers from the Duterte presidency. They possibly also belong to the best of the worst of UP graduates – no wonder they are pawning for foreign investments.
Congressional misbehavior: I don’t know the proponents in Congress to amend the Constitution to allow foreigners to own one hundred percent their companies in the Philippines, including land. The idea is not only ignorant, it is also treasonous. It is bad enough that the economy of the country is controlled by foreign oligarch despite existing constitutional limitations, it will be suicidal to allow foreigners to invest in the Philippine and own hundred percent of their companies including land.
President uterte was even floating the idea that it is possibly better for us to be a province of China. This is the kind of thinking that has made the Philippines a basket case – richest ut we have millions of our citizens suffering from misera le poverty due to the greed of the oligarchs and our politicians and the corruption and greed of our leaders.
Now, these treasonous elements are nakedly selling our country to foreigners and foreign countries by amending the Constitution so they can own the country.
No, no, no: Our people should resoundingly tell the President and the proponents of these two possible amendments to abort the move at this stage. Why? The two ideas are an invitation to a revolution. I could be mistaken in arriving at that conclusion but past experi-
Close to two years ago, news came out about the disappearance of sa ungeros, coc fighting aficionados had often wondered why not enough had been written about the mysterious case
The disappeared ones were reportedly involved in e-sa ong, meaning coc fights that could only e seen online
Nothing wrong with that, as the country – in fact the world was still in the midst of attling the CO - pandemic, which was producing variants and su -variants at a regular pace So live coc fighting was out of the uestion as crowds would never agree to social distancing must admit that have never een attracted to coc fighting t seems a little too violent and cruel for me, even if the only parties involved were male chickens AKA cocks (which always invites o es and snide comments from macho followers of the game
lades are placed at the legs of the coc s, who are then released to destroy each other t s always a case of one dies, one survives, although it is not uncommon for the winning cock to also suffer in uries that prove to e fatal n my entire life, have een to one live coc fight, ut did not place any ets as had no idea which coc was etter than the other
also found it uite odd that the ets were ta en y men who were referred to as ristos Why they would e called y the name of Jesus Christ was way eyond my comprehension did appreciate the honor system that was involved in the ta ing of ets ou should shout which coc you favor, and if it wins the risto pays you f it loses, however, you simply throw the sum you had declared to the risto Cheat and you can end up beaten to a pulp outside the coc fighting arena
was somewhat surprised to learn that a good num er of very rich men were coc fighting aficionados hey raised their cocks – a good place for a green joke right there, huh? –li e they were their children, giving them the est foods, having professional trainors care for them, and buying and selling them for tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of pesos
The top owners would spend fortunes importing chicks to train into fighting coc s, too
All in all, it was a pastime for the rich, but which depended on the entire to social classes to thrive he coc fighting arena near the place where grew up would have a par ing lot full of new cars and SU s, ut the hoi polloi would also e seen entering the arena donning slippers and wor clothes t is that honor system that may have caused a case of mass murder that is only now eing revealed ever so slowly he reports said more than coc fighting aficionados had disappeared in to hat was it othing followed o news, no leads, not even rumors of what had efallen them
As far as everyone was concerned, it was as if they had disappeared from the face of the earth, never to be seen or heard from ever again
So the o vious uestion is, what happened ast wee , the first reports came in after a long while Three policemen had been dismissed from the force because of their involvement in the disappearance of one coc fighting aficionado t is not clear if the missing person was some sort of risto
What has come out so far is that five policemen had originally been tagged as being behind one disappearance, but two had een cleared for lac of evidence he most accepted figure is sa ungeros as having disappeared etween May , to March of this year he disappearances do elieve that idnapping is the more apt word too place in several uzon provinces o this day, all are still missing, and can e considered as dead Of the total, are from aguna, si from Manila, si from atangas, and two from ulacan he Senate held hearings on the issue, ut not much came of it he missing are still missing Who is ehind the mass dis-
Months after the gloal coronavirus outbreak in 2020, the United States epartment of efense o funded the establishment of a modern biosurveillance laboratory to research on emerging infectious diseases in animals, particularly on birds and hogs
he US- o efense Threat Reduction Agency helped set up a epartment of griculture-operated regional animal disease diagnostic la oratoryin arlac to protect livestoc and poultry, specifically from ird flu and the frican Swine Fever that almost decimated the country s hog population in uzon he arlac facility is part of an integrated networ of iosafety and iosecurity la oratories that aims to identify diseases prior to them spreading throughout the region and in the country and help mitigate ris s here are five other facilities in the Philippines Cagayan alley, Ce u, Cagayan de Oro, avao City, and eneral Santos City he US has een providing million in funding to biosurveillance facilities in the country since 6
William ar, the previous government s agriculture secretary, also said the uterte government planned to set up a P -million peso trans oundary animal disease center at the Central uzon State University in Mu oz, ueva ci a ut the agriculture department has not reported any progress in fighting the animal diseases as the frican Swine Fever SF continues to affect the hog population in the isayas and ird flu has een detected in the locos region and in Camiguin in Mindanao
Nothing was heard of the transboundary animal disease center, which was supposed to e funded y the ayanihan to ecover s One or the ayanihan fund during the pandemic t appears the ird flu and SF situations in the country have not improved even after the US-funded facility was put up
he agriculture department must reassess how effective these s are in the fight against SF and ird flu in the country he ayanihan funds must also e audited to find out if these were put to good use in preventing further SF and ird flu out rea s in the country
The agriculture department, under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr , should also e amine the US epartment of efense program to fund a biosurveillance laboratory in the country
Some uestions had een raised over US funding on iosurveillance research in other countries after the coronavirus out rea in Wuhan, China in
For instance, the ational nstitutes of ealth suspended funding to a ew or - ased non-government organization doing research to prevent pandemic and conservation of forests, particularly in Southeast and Western sia n particular, the US terminated its research grant to coHealth Alliance, which focuses on studying diseases caused by deforestation and increased interaction between humans and wildlife, after it failed to turn over lab notebooks and other documents from its partner in Wuhan n , co ealth lliance secured a wor ing arrangement with the Wuhan nstitute of irology, which ecame controversial after the coronavirus out rea in China co ealth lliance has done research on emerging infectious diseases such as severe acute respiratory syndrome S S , ipah virus, Middle ast respiratory syndrome M S , ift alley fever, and the ola virus in frica
f there were some concerns raised in the US epartment of ealth s funding of a health-related O research on emerging infectious diseases, there should e red flags when the Pentagon funds animal disease research at the Philippine epartment of griculture t should e the US epartment of griculture that should cooperate on research on animal diseases with the local farm sector Or it should e the US epartment of ealth doing wor with local health agencies he US hreat eduction gency is the Pentagon s combat support arm to counter weapons
espite all the problems in the world that s affecting us, we cele rated Christmas on ecem er with my family, friends, and relatives, as if nothing was happening around us even with the Sword of amocles was hanging above our heads caused y inflation, layoffs, the tridemics, and even the ussia-U raine war which may escalate worldwide… anytime!
So, this was time of the year, aside from family reunion, social gatherings, and onding together, that we reflected on one thing What does Christmas meant to me, to us
Well, Christmas come and go, ut efore it goes, we need to en oy it and give meaning to it, regardless of the situation hat s what we did!
As a tradition worldwide, Christmas, is the time for people to re oice, have fun, ond together, reunite, and en oy each other s company whatever happens So, despite the resurging corona virus pandemic, the emerging influenza flu and respiratory syncytial virus S for children, the spirit of Christmas must go on anywhere, everywhere et not these tridemics spoil our Christmas spirit n our case it didn t
he triple threat of CO - , influenza flu and respiratory syncytial virus S was hitting our communities hard S rates continue to clim in Southern California, and we still are attling with CO -
Masking, social distancing and good hand hygiene reduced the num er of flu and other respiratory virus infections during the first two years of the pandemic ow, with rela ation of recommendations surrounding masking and social distancing, people are again at ris for ac uiring these viral infections, and a ma or concern is lac of immunity ecause of low e posure in the last two years, e plained i ay risal, M , chief medical officer and r orman Melinda Payson, Professor in Medicine at City of ope
ll three - influenza, S and CO - - are particularly worrisome ecause they can cause severe illness in patients undergoing chemotherapy, those who have received stem cell transplants and other immunocompromised patients, risal adds While these are rampant in California, they can always settle anywhere
et us e reminded that each illness is different COspreads through the air o e safe, we still need to wear a mas in pu lic spaces, especially indoors Stay up to date on vaccine oosters and encourage others to have them
For flu, get the flu vaccine nitial signs indicated that this year s flu vaccine is wor ing well to eep people out of the hospital Wear a mas li e CO - , flu is most often spread through droplets in the air and close contact nd, for S , which is spread more often from surfaces than in the air, we need to wash our hands fre uently and use hand sanitizer after eing in pu lic spaces and washrooms
For me, it was time for my family to be together and rejoice as one ig family My wife elia and have si children and we have been missing most of them for the past months because they live away from us
This year, on Christmas day, three of my children who live away from us spent their Christmas with us weety and his hus and Jonathan, with their -year-and-6-month-old daughter awaiian- orn llie from South Carolina arrived one wee efore Christmas Paul, our youngest who is from awaii, arrived three days prior to the holidays, and Jojo (without his wife Alvi and children Kayla and Bibay) from Florida arrived ust in time for our Christmas day cele ration igi and hus and ric from Sydney, ustralia oined us via oom ue to the pandemic travel protocol, we missed them in person he oom Christmas gathering ro e all the physical oundaries that separated us throughout the year han s to the wonders of the internet We spent Christmas in our daughter May and Steve s house in their newly uilt house in Manteca, C nd the following day, we cele rated the traditional Christmas party of our e tended family up to the th generation at llyson and fren s house in ivermore where three of my rothers Marciano, Jr and omulo, joined us in person and via email my other brother Manuel!
While we put up our modest Christmas tree with gifts under it, we always had in mind that gift-giving was ust incidental during the holidays While others say it was the most e pensive time of the year with all the gifts under the tree not only for our family members but for relatives, godchildren (inaanak) and friends (BFFs), there were ways to celebrate the frugal way… and still, we retained the Christmas spirit hat was what we did fter all, it was the giving that mattered and receiving was ust a gesture of than fulness
So, despite the pandemic, let us continue to en oy the Christmas season and prepare for the coming ew ear elated Merry Christmas and a Prosperous ew ear to all our U friends on vonne San Juan-Sera l Fe onzales Sepulveda ino Jennifer Caringal, Jr aei Soliven scudero reta Manaois icarte oc in amil San Juan r Clare dalem lpidio ngeles, Jr Fercima Fernandez Sumera r Fe Sumera anada olay ozon Celeste ado
When applying for naturalization, there are problems many applicants encountered during the interview process his is ecause they loo at how you first get your green card and what actions you have made while a green card holder. Listed below are some of them:
1. Proving good faith marriage. You will be surprised that you are applying for naturalization and yet the USCIS is considering you as a green card applicant although your marriage happened ten years ago. If you obtained your green card through marriage, no matter how many years has passed, they always asked questions and documents about whether your marriage is ona fide and what oint documents support this marriage.
2. Proving family relationship if you were petitioned by your parents, siblings or as derivative of your parents. You should be able to show proof of your relationship through marriage certificate, irth certificate, divorce or death certificate, whichever documents applied to your case.
3. If you were involved is a crime, no matter how minor you think it is, they will always look for documentation if you have been convicted and if you served your sentence.
4. There are crimes that will make you deportable when applying for naturalization. This will include committing two crimes of moral turpitude or an aggravated felony. Theft is a crime involving moral turpitude. There is waiver available, and you should talk to an immigration lawyer.
5. Green card holders who obtained their green card through misrepresentation may also be sent to removal proceedings. These include those who committed marriage fraud or declared as single ut actually married when they first entered the U S f you have this ind of pro lem, you need to tal to an immigration attorney to find if you ualify for a waiver of fraud or misrepresentation.
6 Failure to file and pay your income ta may also dis ualify you for naturalization f you have a payment plan agreement with the IRS and you keep paying the monthly payments, you may be able to get approved. Again you need to consult with an immigration lawyer about your situation.
7. Failure to pay child support. You may be denied if you fail to pay for child support.
8. If you stayed outside the U.S. for more than 180 days in a single year, you may be denied naturalization.
9. If you lack the required period of residency, you may also be denied.
So that you will not have a problem when applying for naturalization, you should consult with an immigration attorney to avoid possible problem along the way.
Note: This is not a legal advice
Bankruptcy Basics
1. Bankruptcy will actually improve your credit within one year because your unsecured de ts are discharged lthough the an ruptcy will e in your records for years, not filing anruptcy will make your credit even worse until most your debts are paid.
f you are eing sued y your creditors, most money udgment can e eliminated in anruptcy.
3. Collection actions continue and you can be sued if you are in debt settlement.
4. Chapter will eliminate all unsecured debts. If you are near retirement age, you must eliminate most of your debts.
5. Bankruptcy will stop foreclosure actions. If your trustee sale date is 10 days before, you can still file for an ruptcy
6. If your salary is being garnished, you have a court case about debts or you are being harassed by creditors, bankruptcy can stop garnishment, court cases, harassing creditors and eliminate the debt.
7. Bankruptcy is cheaper, faster and safer than debt settlement which has no guaranteed success.
8. Preserve your health, eliminate stress and live a happy life.
Our Law Firm entered into agreement with nursing facilities in the U.S. to process applicants for Nurses, LVN and Caregivers in the US. We also process petition for caregivers from the Philippines or inside the US.
You may qualify if you have RN or LVN license
Inside or outside the United States ave caregiving e perience
he Coronavirus Cares ct Sic and Family eave for Self- mployed provides ig ta refunds for self employed individuals for ta years and f you have filed your ta return and failed to avail of this refund contact us for consultation. The refund ranges from $4000 to $32000 per individual self employed depending on your income.
Call our office at - - 6- 66 for confidential consultation
We help our clients recover from employers’ unpaid minimum wage and overtime. Undocumented wor ers are ualified to apply
CAR ACCIDENTS
Our Law Firm successfully settled a car accident for $675.000.
FAMILY LAW
We also handle uncontested DIVORCE.
For the month of December, 2022, we received approval from USCIS three naturalization applications, two Fianc e visa petition, two removals of condition on residence and four ad ustment of status applications.
Note: If you have immigration problems write us a letter and we will reply to you with no initial o ligation he aw Offices of Crispin C ozano can help you find a solution efore your pro lem gets worse, which could lead to deportation and family separation. You may request a free consultation at one of our offices in ayward or Cerritos, C , or y phone at - - 6- 66 www crispinlozanolaw.com, email at info@ccllaw.net
BEIJING/MANILA - President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. received a commitment from Chinese President Xi Jinping to address the trade deficit gap as China readies to accept high-value Philippine agricultural products.
During a bilateral meeting with President Xi on Wednesday, President Marcos said China has become the Philippines’ largest trading partner but noted an imbalance etween e ports and imports
“I’m very glad that we are in the process of finalizing the rules and regulations for the import by China of fruits from the Philippines,” President Marcos said.
“And I believe that very soon now, we will e a le to see the different fruits the high-quality agricultural products coming from the Philippines start to come into China to balance the trade situation that we have between China and the Philippines.”
Earlier, the Philippine Department of Agriculture (DA) and China General Administration of Customs signed an agreement for the protocol of phytosanitary reuirements for the e port of fresh durians from the Philippines to China.
The DA and the Chinese Ministry of griculture and ural ffairs also signed a oint action plan for - on agricultural and fisheries cooperation
“I believe that very soon now, we will e a le to see the different fruits the high-quality agricultural products coming from the Philippines start to come into China to balance the trade situation that we have between China and the Philippines,” Marcos said.
China is the Philippines’ largest trad-
ing partner, the largest source of imports, and the second-largest e port destination
Aside from trade, the President said he looks forward to welcoming once again Chinese friends to visit the Philippines once the COVID-19 situation in China becomes more manageable.
The Philippine and Chinese governments earlier agreed to implement the memorandum of understanding on tourism between the Philippines’ Department of Tourism (DOT) and the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of China.
China is the second largest source of foreign tourists in 2019 and a key player in inbound foreign direct investments and development assistance.
Data from the Department of Tourism (DOT) showed that Chinese nationals accounted for 1.7 million arrivals in 2019.
China had appro imately 6 million tourists who came to the Philippines before the pandemic, the chief e ecutive said, noting tourism’s transformative power was the reason why his administration made it a top priority.
The two countries, he said, must also focus on cultural and educational echanges as well as people-to-people relationships, if they hope to achieve a higher level of closeness and cooperation.
China and the Philippines should also work for the transfer of technology in both directions particularly in addressing future health emergencies.
“And other pandemic lessons that we have to learn is that our health care system must be made more robust, made more efficient, and made more effective And this is another one of the great priorities that we are going to have to attend to,” the President said
SUBIC FREEPORT/MANILAPresident Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has appointed eight new members of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) board of directors led by Allan Troy Dandan Baquir, who represents the national government, and Edelberto “Bert” Salgo Mozo and Tomas Fausto Lahom III, who both represent the business and investment sectors.
Named acting members representing the private sector are Honorario Kagabio Aliado III, Jose Marie Balandra Ponce, Kenneth Lemuel Go Rementilla, Amable Banco Tolentino and Maria Cecilia Bobadila Vidare.
It was not known if current Chairman and Administrator Rolen Paulino Sr., a former mayor of Olongapo City, will also be replaced.;;
MAKATI CITY - Following the January 1 glitch that halted all air travel within Philippine airspace last January 1, Go Negosyo founder Joey Concepcion is suggesting the revival of a 2018 proposal forming a consortium to modernize the Ninoy Aquino International irport he reha ilitation proect was to undertake various developments in three phases from 2021 to 2024 that will decongest and increase capacity
for the airport.
“NAIA is strategically located and any improvements made here will redound to so many enefits to the country,” said Concepcion. Similarly, he said, any inefficiencies in the translate to big losses in business down the line and are felt throughout the country. “I believed then, as I do now, that the private sector can contribute so much if allowed to participate,” he said.
Dion Ignacio, who was also nominated for Best Supporting Actor, was Dingdong’s body double.
Juancho bagged the Best Supporting Actor award for his role as Padre Salvi in “Maria Clara at Ibarra.” It is his first ever acting award and his first nomination
Juancho has been wowing the audience with his convincing performance as the evil priest from “Noli Me Tangere” who holds a secret desire for Maria Clara.
Other Kapuso nominees were Alden Richards (Best Actor), Barbie Forteza (Best Actress), Maricel Laxa (Best Actress), Julie Anne San Jose (Best Supporting Actress), Yasmien Kurdi (Best Supporting Actress), and Mavy Legaspi and Kyline Alcantara (Best Love Team).
“Maria Clara at Ibarra” picked up three nominations, with Barbie Forteza leading the way with a Best Actress nod for her role as Klay.
Dingdong Dantes and Juancho Triviño won acting awards at the 2022 TAG Awards Chicago.
Dingdong, in a report by his network GMA News, was hailed as the Best Actor for his roles as twins Nate and Michael in “I Can See You: Alternate.” He is tied with Piolo Pascual for the honor.
In the series, the Kapuso Primetime King played dual roles for the first time in his acting career
Julie Anne San Jose and Juancho Triviño also picked up nominations as Best Supporting Actress and Best Supporting Actor for their portrayals of Maria Clara and Padre Salvi.
“Start-Up PH” stars Alden Richards and Yasmien Kurdi were also nominated for Best Actor and Best Supporting Actress, respectively.
Dingdong Dantes and Dion Ignacio received were nominated for Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor for “I Can See You: Alternate.””
Maricel Laxa was also nominated for Best Actress for “Mano Po Legacy: The Family Fortune.”
Mavy Legaspi and Kyline Alcantara also picked up a nomination for Best Love Team.
Former Tacloban City mayor and actress Cristina onzalez ust won her firstever beauty pageant.
She was crowned Noble Queen of the Universe 2022 at the Tokyo Prince Hotel in Japan last December 29.
Gonzalez, wife of Mayor Alfred Romualdez, was also proclaimed Ambassador of Humanity. She represented Visayas in the fourth edition of the pageant.
he first o le ueen of the Universe crown was won by a fellow Filipina and actress, Patricia Javier.
Aside from Gonzalez, Noble Queen of the Universe 2022 featured two other representatives from the Philippines: Sheralene Shirata (Luzon) and Leira Buan (Mindanao).
Buan was crowned Noble Queen International and received the Ambassador Queen of Respect and Best in Long Gown awards.
Shirata, on the other hand, was named Noble Queen Earth on top of her Ambassador Queen of Environment and Best in National Costume awards.
Other winners include:
- Yuko Noguchi (Saitama, Japan): Noble Queen Globe, Ambassador Queen of Health and Wellness
- Jenny Miglioretto (Japan): Noble
people ac to the cinemas now, after the two-year hiatus, is to do a tentpole, which means a movie that’s ig enough to ma e people leave their homes and go to movie houses a film that is important enough for people not to say, m ust going to download it two months later, or m ust going to get a pirated copy We need to show a film that s so spectacular that the audience would say, ‘I’m so excited to see this that m going to watch it on its first screening day
‘Playing safe’
I pray for the Philippines to be on everyone’s radar and for it to be given the chance to show how much talent it has, said filmma er ri Matti when as ed to share with n uirer ntertainment what his prayer contains these days.
Matti also said he is hoping that the ongoing Metro Manila Film Festival MMFF will encourage Filipino film lovers to give cinema-watching another try
“We’re on a really low plateau in the Philippines right now, Matti declared ust met with a group of filmma ers as ed them a out what they re usy with, but for me, nothing rises above the clutter—this is unless all of us have signed an nondisclosure agreement with our producers and chosen to eep our cards close to our chests.”
e recently announced that eality ntertainment, his film production outfit with ondon Monteverde, will e producing two film pro ects with veteran actress Vilma Santos, and another with Jericho Rosales.
“Part of the reason we ended up pitching to Vilma was that we love the cinemas and we want to bring the audience ac to the theaters veryone is tal ing a out how we should all go ac to screening films in theaters, but no one seems to be doing that brave move,” he began.
ondon and thin that the only way to ring
he filmma er continued hat s what we have not been doing since pandemic restrictions have been lifted. All of us are trying to play safe. We’ve been showing films that say, t s small We ust want to see if someone would watch.’ I pray for that particular movie that s so e citing that even ournalists would be excited to write about it.”
Meanwhile, Matti confirmed that Jericho osales, who opted to ta e a rea from acting during the onset of the CO - pandemic, has agreed to e part of a movie pre uel of Matti s action series On the Jo O J
This is aside from the second season of “On the Jo he Missing that Matti and his team are currently wor ing on, and will e streamed on O o his script that Michi o amamoto wrote is set in the s t shows how the prisoner-for-hire system in syndicates started. The script was put aside when we started shooting O J n May, when we started loo ing into the script again, we discovered how good it still is, and that, with Season coming, it would be a nice in- etween pro ect, he explained.
ounger versions t s a film that could segue into the second season of OTJ. So we started casting, and Jericho was
our first choice, added Matti We ll have a good ensem le for the s movie Jericho and two other actors will be portraying roles that are already existing in the OTJ series. Won’t it be nice to see the younger versions?”
Matti clarified, however, that there will e no younger version of Joel orre s character, Mario Maghari, who is from the original O J We will get to meet the young Dante Rivero and the young Leo Martinez one from the military and the other from the re els side, he shared with n uirer ntertainment.
es, irginia ctress and model eart vangelista and Senator Francis Chiz scudero are still a couple he two finally put an end to months-long speculation surrounding their marriage when they posed Saturday for a family photo to welcome the ew ear and this is reported by Manila media like S-C he latest reports is that eart and the children of scudero with his first wife are en oying a vacation in Japan as of press time.
appy , the actresssocialite greeted her followers on Instagram, with snaps of her with her senator-hus and and the latter s children
One of the photos shows Evangelista and a eaming scudero holding hands, indicating the two remain very much together despite
persistent rumors that they have separated, according to ABSC
Evangelista earlier hinted at her holiday reunion with scudero, when she tagged him in an Instagram post last week, writing, “See you soon vangelista has een flying etween the Philippines and France for wor in recent months, during which she ought an apartment in the uropean country he new property, plus vangelista and scudero prolonged silence a out their alleged split, only fueled speculation he actress su se uent updates in October (or lack thereof), for some of her fans, were further indication of the rumored separation. For one, Evangelista made no pu lic greeting for scudero on his birthday, after years of
eing openly affectionate online She then opened up a out eing learning to e independent in Paris.
umors of the rea up trace ac to vangelista s Septem er pronouncement of eing in search of happiness, as well as her move
to omit scudero s surname from her social media pages.
ut with their ew ear family picture, they once and for all gave a clear answer as to where they stand still a couple, and still Mr and Mrs scudero
SENATOR Imee Marcos opens 2023 with two brand new vlogs on Jan. and streaming for free on her official ou u e channel
On Jan. (Friday), Imee sits down with one of her favorite vlogging partners, her son Borgy Manotoc, as they give helpful tips and hacks on how to maximize the est u ay-u ay shopping experience.
Both icons of style, Imee and orgy will help ou u ers navigate the u ay-u ay fashion maze
to discover the best deals and most spectacular finds to spruce up any ody s wardro e for less uc s and fa ulous new loo s this 2023.
Imee will then shift to a more festive mode as she takes her su scri ers to Cavite and izal to cele rate the famous igantes and Paru-Paru Festivals t the same time, the Senator gave away much needed aid to Cavite os and izale os to officially ic off her official vlogs this January
eleter y iva Communications, Inc.; “Family Matters” by Cineko Productions, nc Mamasapano Now It Can Be Told” by Borracho Film Production; “My Father, Myself y 6 Media etwor and Mentorque Productions; “Nanahimik ang Gabi” by Rein Entertainment Productions; “Partners in Crime” by ABS-CBN Film Productions a yu with an ccent y ABS-CBN Film Productions and “My Teacher” by TEN17P.
Father, Myself est Sound eleter est Musical Score reg odriguez , anahimik Ang Gabi
est Original heme Song ng ing Mahal, Mamasapano ow t Can e old est isual ffects eleter
est Production esign ananahimi ng a i est diting i olas ed, eleter est Cinematography eleter ender Sensitivity My eacher
Movie goers are going back to the cinemas in Metro Manila and other cities outside the metropolis.
This as the ongoing Metro Manila Film Festival which has also run in the provinces has already raked in almost P400 million since it opened on December 25.
Stars of the eight competing films led y ice Ganda, Coco Martin and others said they were ecstatic that the filmfest is a success in its return this year.
Acting Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairman Atty. Romando “Don” Artes, who is also the MMFF chairman, revealed that the ongoing 2022 Metro Manila Film Festival is a certified o -office hit in terms of o -office sales.
Interviewed by Manila Bulletin editor Robert Requintina at the MMFF 2022 Gabi ng Parangal at the New Frontier Theater in Araneta City, Artes said that he s happy with the results of o -office sales for the first two days of the annual filmfest And he believes that the MMFF is on track to reach its target of million in gross sales
“We’re on our way. But we are not there yet.”
Artes looked back at the MMFF’s highs and lows the past few years.
In 2018, MMFF achieved its historic record with more than illion in gross sales n , despite the challenges, the MMFF got million in gross sales. But the pandemic got in the way and the MMFF was a victim of film piracy
Then came 2020 when the movie theaters started to reopen ut it wasn t a success in terms of o office due to Covid- restrictions rtes did not divulge details for 2021.
Following the initial success of the MMFF which will run until Jan. 7, 2023, Artes announced that the MM will launch the summer film festival ne t year. “It will begin on Black Saturday in April 2023 and will end after two Sundays.”
he decision to launch another film festival was ased on consultations with industry e perts who also elieve that we re ready for another filmfest e pect your full support of this pro ect and invite you again to oin the summer filmfest Magtulungan tayong lahat at sa ating pagsasama, muling babangon ang pelikulang Pilipino, Artes said. e pect your full support of this pro ect and invite you again to oin the summer filmfest et s all wor together nd together, the Filipino film industry will rise again,” Artes said. he official eight entries to the MMFF are
Meanwhile, the movie Deleter was named Best Picture at the 2022 Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) Gabi ng Parangal held on December 27, at the New Frontier Theater.
The psychological thriller took home the most number of trophies, earning the awards for Best Cinematography, est irector, est ead ctress, and Best Picture.
anahimi ng a i star an eneracion was named est ctor, while adine ustre of eleter was hailed Best Actress.
Meanwhile, veteran actress ilma Santos- ecto was honored with the Marichu era-Perez Memorial ward, while the film Mamasapano ow t Can Be Told received the Fernando Poe Jr. Memorial Award.
ere s the full list of winners est Float My Father, Myself est Child Performer Shawn i o a riel, My
Stars of the ight an eneracion, adine ustre Marichu era-Perez Memorial ward ilma Santos-Recto Fernando Poe Jr Memorial ward Mamasapano ow t Can e old est Screenplay Mamasapano ow t Can e Told est Supporting ctress imples omana, My Father, Myself est Supporting ctor Mon Confiado, anahimik Ang Gabi est irector Mi hail ed, eleter est ctor an eneracion, anahimi ng Gabi est ctress adine ustre, eleter rd est Picture anahimi ng a i nd est Picture Mamasapano ow t Can e Told est Picture eleter
The MMFF will run in theaters until January 7, 2023.
AONCR.
The BSP said the increases in residential property prices to higher prices of duplex housing, condominium units and single detached/attached houses.
On the other hand, prices of townhouses fell compared to the last quarter and also the previous year.
MANILA – Prices of residential real estate in July to September 2022 period increased by 6.5 percent year-on-year and by 4.6 percent quarteron-quarter, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) reported.
Year-on-year, both residential property prices in the National Capital Region (NCR) and areas outside NCR (AONCR) by 17.5 percent and 2.3 percent, respectively.
From the second quarter to the third quarter this year, residential real estate prices in NCR increased by 14.6 percent while prices slipped by 0.4 percent
“The average appraised value of new housing units in the country stood at P84,589 per square meter (sqm) in Q3 2022. The average appraised value per sqm in the NCR was at P139,283, higher than both the national average and the average appraised value in the AONCR at P47,129,” the central bank said.
It added that 82.2 percent of the residential real estate loans made during the third quarter were used to purchase new housing units.
Bulk of the housing loans was used to acquire single-detached/attached houses at 47.5 percent, condominium units at percent and townhouses at 13 percent.
Wishing all of you Good Health and A Very Happy New Year. I would like to start off this year with a positive mind, a happy spirit and great health. My new years resolution is to get back into taking care of my body and mind. The pandemic has created a hold on a lot of people’s exercise and eating habits. Let’s all get together and help each other stay strong and healthy, our mind and wealth will surely follow.
A bit of good news going into 2023
Housing inventory in the U.S. decreased between October and November this year, underscoring a housing shortage that some experts believe is helping to keep soaring prices from dramatically plummeting.
The National Association of Realtors (NAR) announced Wednesday that total housing inventory at the end of November was 1.14 million units. This was down 6.6 percent from October but up 2.7 percent from a year ago, when there were 1.11 million units.
“Unsold inventory sits at a 3.3-month supply at the current sales pace, which was identical to October, but up from 2.1 months in November 2021,” the group said in a release.
The potential, or lack thereof, for the U.S. housing market to crash has become a major point of discussion in recent months in light of elevated mortgage rates, soaring housing prices and inflation perts have repeatedly cited housing supply in the U.S. as a major difference etween the current mar et and the mar et during the 2008 housing crash.
Back then, there was an oversupply, but this is not the case today. A Freddie Mac report released in May 2021 found that as of the fourth quarter of 2020, the U S had a housing supply deficit of million units
Separately, the NAR commissioned a report last year that found the U.S. had an “underbuilding gap” of 5.5 million to 6.8 million housing units since 2001.
Jerry oward, the C O of the ational ssociation of Home Builders (NAHB), said during an interview on Fox Business on Monday that there is a shortage of first-time home uyer housing in the mar et right now because it is nearly “impossible” to build.
He noted that construction costs have seen an uptick alongside general inflation in the country
“Builders are in a quandary right now,” Howard added. “A lot of the smaller builders are starting to take on remodeling and renovation contracts just so they can keep their businesses going.”
While builders appear to be struggling, the housing deficit may e playing a ey role in preventing the steep housing price declines that can characterize a market crash.
elly Mangold, a principal at C CO eal state Consulting, told Newsweek earlier this month that she does not believe another situation like 2008 will emerge “because we have still been under-building inventory.”
The low housing inventory is keeping prices in some areas “more stable than you would think just because there’s a scarcity,” Mangold said.
It doesn’t mean that housing prices won’t drop at all edfin predicted in its ousing Outloo that the median U.S. home-sale price would drop by percent to $368,000 in 2023. But prices “would fall more if not for a lack of homes for sale,” the outlook said.
After the NAR’s announcement on Wednesday, Chief conomist awrence un told ewswee that housing inventory levels decline each year toward winter before picking up again in early spring.
“So, the monthly decline
(Continue
MAKATI CITY - Seven-time world champion and former senator Emmanuel “Manny” Pacquiao has announced in Japan that he will officially return to the oing ring.
Pacquiao claimed he has signed a contract with Rizin, a well-known sports promoter in Japan. In his statement, the Filipino pride said that with his new contract, a o ing match to e held in Japan is li ely to ta e place this year t was gathered that he will fight a Japanese foe in Japan ut there are speculations that a Pac uiao-Floyd Mayweather Jr rematch may e in the wor s
“A few months ago, I was here as a guest, and today have a very e citing announcement have agreed with izin to fight ne t year, the date will soon e announced, and also my opponent that Rizin will choose. I’m open and e cited to fight a Japanese fighter, Pac uiao said in front of his Japanese fans.
he Pacman has recently won his e hi ition match with DK Yoo of South Korea.
Meanwhile, a famous Filipino commentator has said that with the Pacman now with Rizin Promotion company, he is also li ely to fight with the undefeated Mayweather he o ing commentator said izin also promoted Mayweather efore in one of his o ing matches held in Japan.
am hopeful that the Filipino ring icon will soon fight Mayweather for the second time ecause now izin, it is one of the iggest sports promoters of com at sports in Japan,” he said.
Pac uiao lost to Mayweather in their first and only fight as negotiations of a rematch failed many times his after, Mayweather also announced his retirement after defeating Pac uiao and many other o ing greats all over the world.
of achmann, a former Philippine as et all ssociation (PBA) player.
“Na-appoint as chairman ng Games and Amusement Board si Mr. Richard Santos Clarin (Mr. Richard Santos Clarin has een appointed chairman of the ames and Amusement Board),” Malacañang announced
The GAB regulates and supervises professional sports and allied activities to com at and prevent the e istence and proliferation of illegal oo ie oints and other forms of organized illegal gam ling connected with all play-for-pay sports and amusement games.
t also e ercises supervision and regulation over the operation and conduct of professional sports and their activities to promote and maintain orderly, honest and fair conduct of games provide protection to the etting pu lic and patrons, practicing licensees in the professional sport concerned; and make professional sports activities a sta le ase for revenue generation
Marcos Jr. also appointed Richard “Dickie” Bachmann as the new Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) chairperson.
Undersecretary Cheloy arafil, Office of the Press Secretary officer-in-charge, confirmed the appointment
achmann is currently the as et all commissioner of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) and chairman of PBA 3×3.
he OPS did not provide any details why achmann’s predecessor Noli Eala was replaced.
Eala was appointed as PSC chairman in August this year.
Marcos also named Walter Francis Torres and Edward Lim Hayco the new PSC commissioners.
he PSC is the top government sports ody that provides leadership, formulates policies, and sets priorities and direction for all amateur sports promotion and development, particularly giving emphasis to grassroots participation.
n a statement, ala confirmed that he has already stepped down as PSC chairman, thanking the President for allowing him to serve the PSC for four months.
My rief stint in the PSC gave me an opportunity to serve with passion in a field hold close to my heart With all humility, I can say that I gave dignity and respect to the position of Chairman and worked tirelessly for Philippine sports,” Eala said.
han you, President ong ong Marcos, for allowing me to help Philippine Sports rise to greater heights. I serve under the pleasure of the president and I fully respect his decision would li e to e tend my heartfelt gratitude to all our sports leaders who gave their unwavering support,” Eala added.
Eala wishes the new PSC chairman well, saying he is leaving the PSC with a legacy of caring for the national athletes.
wish the new chairman of the PSC all the est s leave, I am at peace knowing that in the months I served, I cared for all our athletes and Philippine Sports like no other,” said.
Meanwhile, the PSC welcomed two new commissioners to help Bong Coo lead the way the government sports ody
Coo and deputy e ecutive director Merlita ay also formally announced the appointment of Torres and Hayco y welcoming them to the PSC office at the izal Memorial Sports Comple
Torres was the chef de mission for the Philippine team to the 2022 ASEAN Para Games, while Hayco served as chairman of the Ce u City Sports Commission.
With vaccines and treatments, we’ve come a long way in preventing the worst outcomes from COVID-19. But older adults remain among the most at risk. As we gather together to celebrate Lunar New Year, there are many tools that older adults and anyone can use to help protect against a severe COVID infection.
Here are a few ways older adults and their loved ones can begin the Year of the Rabbit in the best health possible:
Get an updated vaccine. With Lunar New Year dinners and festivals quickly approaching, having an updated vaccine is an effective way to protect yourself and your loved ones of all ages as the celebrations ensue. CDC recommends people and older stay current with their COVID vaccines because they are at high risk of hospitalization, illness, and death from COVID. Staying up to date means getting an updated vaccine as soon as you can. An updated COVID vaccine can restore protection that has waned over time from earlier doses. If you’ve recently had COVID, wait three months before getting your updated vaccine.
Lunar New Year and New Year celebrations across the country this month and ne t will e offering vaccine clinics with the updated vaccine, including: The Japanese Cultural Center of Hawai’i will be celebrating the Year of the Rabbit at its ‘Ohana Festival with a vaccine clinic 10 a.m. – p.m. on Sunday,
Jan. 15, at JCCH, 2454 S. Beretania St., Honolulu, HI.
That same weekend is the San Francisco Chinese New Year Festival & Parade’s Flower Market Fair, which is taking place on Jan. 14-15 Grant Avenue and will offer vaccines
The Tu-Gether Lunar New Year Festival in LA takes place with a vaccine clinic on Jan. 21-22 in Monterey Park, CA.
Later that week, Chinese New Year in the Desert will be held on Jan. 28 with a spring festival—and vaccine clinic—at Fremont East Entertainment District in downtown Las Vegas.
Chicago celebrates with the Chinatown Lunar New Parade Jan. 29, and vaccines will be available at the event, in downtown Chicago.
San Diego’s Chinese New Year Fair will have a vaccine clinic on-site on as it celebrates on Feb. 4-5 in downtown San Diego.
The Manhattan Chinatown Lunar New Year Parade & Festival will offer vaccines at its event on Sunday, Feb. 12, which starts at Mott and Canal in New York at 1 p.m.
Continue practicing healthy habits. In addition to vaccines, there are plenty of things you can do to help protect yourself from a COVID infection. Wash your hands regularly with soap and water. When feeling ill, stay home and rest to
take care of yourself and the people you care about. Avoid crowded spaces and spaces that are not well ventilated. If you must be in those spaces, limit your time there and consider wearing a mask.
Find ways to relieve stress. The ongoing pandemic has been stressful for many people, including older adults and admitting that is ok! Daily routines have been upended, and many have experienced increased loneliness, stress,
and anxiety. Tips for coping with stress include having an open conversation with someone you trust, taking a break from the news, unwinding with physical activities that you enjoy, eating healthy foods, and finding ways to stay connected with family, friends, and community.
Updated COVID vaccines are currently free and widely available. For more information and to find a vaccine, visit www.vaccines.gov.
VID-19 cases sending the total to 3,640,865 cases inn the country.
There were also 26 new deaths due to COVID-19 bringing to 34,756 total deaths.
California’s cases has reached 10,888,090 confirmed cases to date.
There have been 97,757 COVID-19 deaths since the start of the pandemic, the department stated.
The state department said COVID-19 claims the lives of 27 Californians each day (average daily death count over days)
additional data for unvaccinated and vaccinated cases, hospitalizations, and deaths.
Monitoring COVID-19 in Wastewater
As outlined in the SMARTER plan, the state monitors COVID-19 outbreaks and trends to help determine response efforts. One way of doing this is collecting and analyzing wastewater samples for the virus that causes COVID-19, which helps determine virus spread within communities.
CDPH currently tracks wastewater in four main regions across the state. This week’s analysis shows a plateauing in the Bay Area, Sacramento and Southern California regions. Concentrations in these regions are lower compared to the Omicron peak in January, 2022.
the state’s Wastewater Surveillance Network is available here.
Slow the Spread: Get Vaccinated and Boosted for COVID-19
The risk for COVID-19 exposure and infection continues as a number of Californians remain unvaccinated and unboosted.
Real-world evidence continues to show that the vaccine prevents severe illness, hospitalization, and death. Public health officials urge Californians to get vaccinated and boosted as soon as they are eligible.
It is recommended that every individual six months of age and older receive their primary COVID-19 vaccine series and booster dose, if eligible.
LOS ANGELES - The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (Public Health reported 2,138 new CO-
Rates of cases, hospitalizations and deaths are highest among unvaccinated individuals and lowest among boosted individuals. This is true for all age groups. See
Wastewater data is just one part of the state’s disease surveillance system and must be considered along with other factors like test positivity (increasing) and hospitalizations (increasing), to better understand COVID-19 conditions. A map with additional data on
Find a vaccine near you by visiting myturn.ca.gov or calling 1-833422-4255. The consent of a parent or legal guardian may be needed for those under age 18 to receive a vaccination. Visit Vaccinate All 58 to learn more about the safe and effective vaccines available for all Californians six months of age and older.
If you have
Social Security programs touch the lives of more than 70 million people. We wor hard to ensure critical enefits and other services are accessible to you. Consider the start of the new year as an opportunity for you to engage with Social Security online. This begins with creating your free and secure personal my Social Security account at www.ssa.gov/myaccount. Once you create an account, you can:
Apply for retirement, spouses, or disa ility enefits
cation movement.
n Fe ruary she is poised to officially preside over the team at their first in-person get-together after almost three years.
“I envision a return to our successful in-person events reuniting the public with family resource providers,” said outgoing ALLICE president Junior Flores, who led a delegation of Kumares or ALLICE female members in personally cheering the latest achievement of Nicolas. - Adapted from original printed with permission from INQUIRER.NET
Philippine News Today Executive Editor Cherie M. Querol Moreno is FounderExecutive director of ALLICE, Commissioner with the San Mateo County Commission on Aging and Transportation Program Manager of Peninsula Family Service.
August 3, 1933 January 1, 2023
Lydia Santiago Marcaida went with the Lord, peacefully on January 1, 2023. Lydia also known to her family and friends as “Lyds”, Inay, Lola, NayNay, Tia Lydia, Sister Lydia, was a very strong-willed woman, loving, caring, and a true devotee to the Blessed Virgin Mary. She was born on August 3, 1933 in Pulilan, Bulacan, Philippines. Among 12 children of the late Epifanio and Julia Santiago, Lydia is the 11th child. At the age of 16, Lydia got married to the Late Marcial Marcaida on July 14, 1949.
Lydia was survived by her eight (8) children – Susana, Eduardo Sr . Oscar, Maria Elena, Felicito, Emmanuel, Victoria and Esperanza. She had 21 granchildren and 24 great grandchildren.
She devoted her time in helping Marcial as seamstress/ dressmaker. By the grace of God, Lydia and Marcial were both able to send their children to school. One thing that Lydia aimed was that she made sure that all her children get higher education.
Lydia, our beloved Nanay is a faithful Catholic Christian. A devotee to Our Blessed Virgin Mary. Her childhood are full of fond memories of her mom, Julia Paraiso. She was taught to pray the Holy Rosary as young as years old. In fact, when she came to USA, 40 years ago, during her flight, she did not sleep and ust silently recited the oly osary
Our house was prayed for by our Nanay. She asks Mama Mary to have our house close to a church. Nanay and Ama were members of Mary Morning Star Presidium at OLPH. She goes to mass every day until she cannot anymore due to her sickness and that was 2014.
Our daily nighttime family rosary is a must. Nanay’s motto is “Be not afraid, Mama Mary will be with you always.” Nanay Lydia was a very friendly person with a big heart and an inspiration to all who knew her. A very precious person is gone but her love and spirit will remain with us forever. She will always be remembered and will be sorely missed by everyone whose lives she touched. REST IN PARADISE OUR BELOVED NANAY WHERE THERE IS EVERLASTING PEACE AND HAPPINESS.
TUESDAY, JANUARY 10, 2023
PUBLIC VIEWING DUGGGAN’S SERRA MORTUARY P.M. P.M.
NOVENA ROSARY TO 6:30 P.M.
TRIBUTE TO Lydia/Inay/Lola BY FAMILY AND FRIENDS
FRIDAY, JANUARY 13, 2023
PUBLIC VIEWING DUGGGAN’S SERRA MORTUARY P.M. P.M. NOVENA ROSARY TO 6:30 P.M.
TRIBUTE TO Lydia/Inay/Lola BY FAMILY AND FRIENDS
SATURDAY, JANUARY 14, 2023
MASS OUR LADY OF PERPETUAL HELP. 12 NOON
Apply for Medicare. Check your application status. Request a replacement Social Security number card.
f you do not receive Social Security enefits, you can use your personal my Social Security account to: et personalized retirement enefit estimates
Get your Social Security Statement. et estimates for spouse s enefits et instant proof that you do not receive enefits f you receive enefits, you can use your personal my Social Security account to Change your address Social Security enefits only
Set up or change your direct deposit information Social Security enefits only).
nstantly get proof of enefits Print your SSA-1099.
Your personal my Social Security account has a secure Message Center. You can choose to receive the annual cost-of-living ad ustments and the income-related monthly ad ustment amount online Unless you opt-out of receiving notices y mail that are available online, you will receive both mailed and online notices.
our personal my Social Security account offers easy access to features that save you time when you do business with us online. Check out our other resources available at www.ssa.gov/onlineservices for your convenience.
Please share this information with your friends and loved ones who may need it.
COVID-19 symptoms, get tested immediately and talk to a health care provider right away if you test positive to learn if you qualify for treatment. You can also find Test to Treat locations that offer COVID-19 testing and free treatment. If you are uninsured, you can access testing and treatment services for free at OptumServe Test to Treat locations.
Protect yourself, family, friends and community by following these prevention measures:
Wear A Mask: California’s COVID-19 mask guidance aligns with CDC COVID-19 Community Levels. Know your community level to evaluate risk and inform your decision on when to mask. Local policies may go beyond state requirements based on local conditions. Masking is also recommended to protect yourselves and your loved ones from the spread of other winter viruses when they are circulating widely, including flu and RSV.
Upgrade Your Mask: Good fit and filtration continue to be the best way
(From page 22)
to get the most out of your mask. The best masks for preventing COVID-19 include the N95, KN95 and KF94. If you don’t have access to one of these masks, wear a surgical mask or a surgical mask with a cloth mask on top. If you choose a fabric mask, opt for one with three or more cloth layers. No matter what kind of mask you wear, check the fit by avoiding gaps above the nose or on the sides.
My Vaccine Record is an easy way to show vaccination status at venues or businesses that require proof of vaccination. Visit myvaccinerecord.cdph. ca.gov today to get your vaccine record.
Know What to Do if You’re Sick or Have Been Exposed: If you are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 (fever, cough, shortness of breath, fatigue, muscle or body aches), get tested, call your health care provider, and follow isolation guidance. Free, confidential testing is available statewide. Know what to do if you test positive for COVID-19 or have been exposed to COVID-19.
SAN FRANCISCO, USA – Philippine Consul General Neil Ferrer led the commemoration of the 126th anniversary of the martyrdom of Philippine national hero Dr. Jose Rizal in a solemn wreath-laying ceremony at the Sentro Rizal of the Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco on 30 December 2022.
Retired U.S. Army Major Ramon Sumicbay, KCR, LM of the Knights of Rizal Hawaii Chapter joined Consul General Ferrer in the laying of the wreath before Rizal’s bust. Also in attendance was Sunnyvale, California Councilmember Tony Spitaleri.
Consul General Ferrer led the Consulate and guests in the commemorative event, where he expressed the hope that “similar to the statue of Mexican revolutionary hero
Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla at Dolores Park in San Francisco… we will commemorate Rizal Day in a Bay Area monument unveiled in Rizal’s honor, and we would be happy to work with the Knights of Rizal and local officials on this.”
Re�red .S. Army Ma or Ramon Sumicbay, CR, LM of the nights of Rizal awaii Chapter gives his remar s following a wreath-laying ceremony in honor of Philippine na �onal hero Dr. Jose Rizal at Sentro Rizal, Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco on 0 Decem ber 0 . San Francisco PCG photo
Consul General Ferrer cited Rizal’s lone visit to the U.S. in 1888, with the Bay Area as his very first stop. After staying for three days at the opulent Palace Hotel on San Francisco’s Market Street, Rizal took a ferry to Oakland, then a train to Benicia where the train was ferried to Sacramento. A plaque on Rizal’s brief stay in San
Francisco was installed on the exterior wall of the Palace Hotel in 1996.
In his message, Consul General Ferrer also shared his hope that “Rizal’s life and works will continue to inspire the present and future generations of Filipinos all over the world, including the Filipino Americans, to support efforts towards uplifting the conditions of the Filipino people in the Philippines and elsewhere, and to take pride in and promote their Filipino culture and heritage.”
The wreath-laying ceremony at Sentro Rizal San Francisco was the culmination of the Consulate’s month-long commemoration of Rizal Day. Earlier in December, the Consulate teamed up with GMA Pinoy TV for a special watch party of the groundbreaking fantasy portal series on Philippine primetime TV, “Maria Clara at Ibarra,” based on Rizal’s novel “Noli Me Tangere,” which stars Filipino actors Barbie Forteza, Julie Anne San Jose and Dennis Trillo.
O , Calif Pacific as and lectric Company P is mo ilizing personnel ahead of a significant wet and windy winter storm due to arrive across orthern and Central California Wednesday and into hursday his effort follows the restoration of nearly , customers who lost power during the strong ew ear s ve storm last Saturday
Poised to respond to outages are appro imately 6 four-person electric crews, trou lemen, distri ution line technicians and system inspectors who serve as the utility s first responders and another personnel who will monitor electric incidents for pu lic safety dditionally, hundreds of P employees are serving in roles in the company s mergency Operations Center as well as in regional and divisional emergency centers ppro imately vegetation-management personnel also are at the ready
P is currently eing supported y 6 crews from Southern California dison and has re uested mutual-aid assistance from additional West Coast power providers
he company is using its storm outage prediction models that help determine the potential timing, location, and num er of power outages his allows the company to have e tra crews on stand y to deploy to areas that are hard hit y the storm P is also prestaging power poles, powerlines, transformers, and other electric e uipment at yards throughout its service area to restore power to affected areas safely and as uic ly as possi le he weather system forecasted to move through P s service area as early as Wednesday, Jan , will deliver strong,
gusty winds, moderate to heavy rain and a chance for isolated thunderstorms Pea wind ris is e pected Wednesday across the central and southern parts of P s service area, with gusts in the - MP range at lower elevations and possi ly -6 MP across elevated terrain, portions of the Central alley and along the Central Coast
Potentially hazardous conditions such as flooding, mud slides and road closures some which remain from the storms that occurred over ew ear s wee end could slow restoration efforts for some customers he incoming adverse weather could result in trees, lim s and other de ris falling into powerlines, damaging e uipment, and interrupting electric service Saturated soil in many locations could cause trees to fall, and localized flooding and mudslides are possi le
his weather system y itself would present widespread challenges, and we have to factor in that many parts of our service area remain saturated after last wee end s storm Our crews have een wor ing tirelessly to ensure we minimize any impacts this storm may have on our customers and hometowns We encourage customers to prepare for the storm now have an emergency plan in case you lose power and update your contact information on P s we site so we can provide you with real-time updates on outages in your neigh orhood, said ngie i son, vice president, P mergency Preparedness esponse eeping Customers nformed
Customers can view real-time outage information at P s online outage center and search y a specific address, y city or y county his site has een
updated to include support in 6 languages
dditionally, customers can sign up for outage notifications y te t, email, or phone P will let customers now the cause of an outage, when crews are on their way, the estimated restoration time and when power has een restored P is coordinating with its community- ased partners to offer support to customers in need P partners with the California Foundation for ndependent iving Centers to offer support for older adults and people with disa ilities through the isa ility isaster ccess and esources Program s well, as the California etwor of - - who can connect customers to resources in their local communities
Storm Safety ips ever touch downed wires f you see a downed power line, assume it is energized and e tremely dangerous o not touch or try to move it and eep children and animals away eport downed power lines immediately y calling -and then P at - - -
Use generators safely Customers with stand y electric generators should ensure they are properly installed y a licensed electrician in a well-ventilated area mproperly installed generators pose a significant danger to customers, as well as crews wor ing on powerlines f using porta le generators, e sure they are in a well-ventilated area
Use flashlights, not candles uring a power outage, use attery-operated flashlights and not candles, due to the ris of fire nd eep e tra atteries on hand f you must use candles, please eep them away from drapes, lampshades, animals and small children o not leave candles
unattended
ave a ac up phone f you have a telephone system that re uires electricity to wor , such as a cordless phone or answering machine, plan to have a standard telephone or cellular phone ready as a ac up aving a porta le charging device helps to eep your cell phone running
ave fresh drin ing water and ice Freeze plastic containers filled with water to ma e loc s of ice that can e placed in your refrigerator freezer to prevent food spoilage
urn off appliances f you e perience an outage, unplug or turn off all electrical appliances to avoid overloading circuits and to prevent fire hazards when power is restored Simply leave a single lamp on to alert you when power returns
Safely clean up fter the storm has passed, e sure to safely clean up ever touch downed wires and always call -or visit e press com at least two full usiness days efore digging to have all underground utilities safely mar ed
Other tips can e found at Safety and Preparedness, Storm Safety, and Safety ction Center
AboutPG&E
Pacific as and lectric Company, a su sidiary of P Corporation
S PC , is a com ined natural gas and electric utility serving more than 6 million people across , s uare miles in orthern and Central California For more information, visit www pge com and http www pge com a out newsroom
ou can read a out P s data privacy practices here or at P com privacy
Come to the all-round leisure and entertainment destination - raton esort Casino to cele rate unar ew ear he uc y olden a it iveaway will e held on Friday, January , from 6PM to PM cash winner every hour guaranteed Plus, there will e 6 winners of in free slot play n the ew
ear, come and collect une pected good fortune
side from the e citing gaming, come cele rate the ear of the a it at raton with your family and friends On unar ew ear ay, Sunday, January , there will e traditional lion dance performances at PM and PM lso, from PM to 6PM, there is od of Fortune iveaway, oin us to get your door guard Plus, visit the rewards center starting hursday, Jan-
uary to get your F collecti le ear of the a it rewards card here are elegant comforta le rooms and lu urious suites, glamorous lo y and lu urious spa, more than ta le games, including lac ac , accarat, Pai ow Po er and more at raton t also offers slot machines, live po er, video po er and a large function space for different music concerts and special events raton esort Casino s , s uare feet non-smo ing gaming area which offers slot machines and video po er is ust ne t to the casino valet ou can en oy gaming in a nonsmo ing environment at raton esort Casino nd there are delecta le restaurants and ars, that offer different cuisines in the casino, such as welve-time World Pizza Champion Chef ony emignani s
ony s of orth each, Pan- sian atery oathouse, a top- uality stea house 6 Par Stea house, and seats from the Mar etplace, offering casual and convenient eateries, for your selection, you will e sure to have a happy and unforgetta le e perience
AboutGratonResortCasino ocated in Sonoma County, raton esort Casino has a commanding presence among the rolling hills of orthern California s wine country Owned and operated y the Federated ndians of raton ancheria, raton esort Casino features ta le games, the latest slot machines, upscale and casual dining, plus entertainment options for visitors and locals ali e For more information, please visit www gratonresortcasino com or call
(From Page 13)
appearance can only be a matter of conjecture, but the fact that three officers from the Philippine ational Police have een charged in one case is distur ing enough here were several witnesses to the a duction, including the wife and inlaws of the victim
he P P s Criminal nvestigation and etection roup along with the ational ureau of nvestigation have ta en the lead in solving the mystery of the missing sa ungeros Other cases have een filed against other policemen his can only indicated that the P P has too many scalawags within their ran s would readily commit the heinous crime of idnapping if the price is right hey have not only een dismissed from service, ut are now facing idnapping and serious illegal detention charges t is too early to say that the idnapping and possi le illing of the sa ungeros is part of a grand scheme perpetrated y a mo oss who felt that the victims were not living up to the code of honor practiced in the field ut that they could e na ed in large num ers says there is something deeper than a mere case of ettors or ristos not paying their de ts
he families of the missing men are still waiting, and even hoping against hope that their loved ones are still alive his is highly unli ely, of course
ven Justice Secretary Crispin emulla said that there really is no hope for them to return home alive he charges will most li ely e upgraded to murder depending on what the government s prosecutors are a le to find out here have een thousands of cases of Filipinos eing aducted, never to e seen again hey are called desaparecidos, or the disappeared ones Filipinos did not invent the word t came into use in South merica to descri e persons who disappeared and are presumed illed y mem ers of the armed forces or the police ow it has ecome part of our language, for all the wrong reasons Mass disappearances, ergo mass murder, remains a common occurrence in the country we call home
Fa
o my atch 6 high school
osalinda angalin Santos
(From Page 12)
P O S O O was a veteran ournalist in the Philippines and a multi-awarded ournalist here in the US For feed ac s, comments please email the author at estio oelpidio gmail com
(From Page 12)
riences give an indication that something li e that could happen he FM past was a Mem er of Parliament when sponsoring the complaint to impeach President Marcos o less than our Minority eader, the late legendary Spea er of the ouse of epresentatives, Jose Pepito aurel, Jr told me that was em ar ed on a fruitless effort since we did not have the num ers mee ly replied that impeachment is not only a game of num ers, it is a fight for the hearts and minds of men we will lose the vote ut we will win the argument
When got enough signatures to ring the issue to the floor for de ate, Spea er aurel said, could e a national leader as have rains in my alls and alls in my rains in colorful agalog, uta sa ayag at ayag sa uta t the crucial de ate on the canvassing of the results of the snap election, was the last man standing to contest the election of FM Many of my companions in the Opposition told me was suicidal and courting to e sent ac to the Marcos political prisons ignored their warning
When First ady melda omualdez Marcos came ac from e ile in awaii, met her in the oo launching of Joe ad Santos of he eporter and she told me, omo ono were it not for your mouth in Parliament, we will still e in power today My only consoling thought is that we are out of power and so are you mee ly replied, Ma am that s a part of the game and that is the law of life melda s statement made me feel that my efforts paid off and was right
he rap past fewwee s efore President strada was ousted while the impeachment de ate on rap was going on in the Senate, a group of ournalists at he Sulo otel in uezon City were unanimous in saying that President rap would not e removed hey committed the mista e of as ing me what thought of their unanimity that President rap would not e removed replied, e will e out efore May of ne t year nd truly, rap was out y January of ecommendations do not predict events as am no prophet - ut read the drift of developments also read oo s of similar events in other countries
etween the Pentagon and the agriculture department to remove dou ts on the real purpose of the research on animal diseases when there is no progress made in dealing with ird flu and SF in the country
here are concerns the animal disease program will continue and even e pand under a Marcos administration, which is seen sliding swiftly into the merican sphere of influence after si years of close friendship with China
Marcos could ta e the lame if a ma or iological accident or an incident happened under his watch ong ong Marcos should immediately order a deeper investigation into the Pentagon s deal with the agriculture department, which he himself heads as secretary, to dispel speculations a out a secret research on iological warfare program
(Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Manny Mogato wrote this column for PressOne.Ph. Editor )
(From Page 20)
figures are nothing new What is important is the year-over-year change, which showed a modest gain from the very tight supply owever, to e truly alanced etween supply and demand, we need to see around percent growth in inventory hat is why home prices are still showing some gains despite a uite siza le fall in home sales, un added he said that e isting home sales declined for the tenth straight month in ovem er, falling percent from the previous month he median e istinghome price for all housing types increased percent last month from ovem er , up to , from , Prices rose in all regions, the said have no clear read on nterest ates moving forward ut my own prediction is that it will stay a ove ut for sure it wont touch again li e it did last year
han s so much for your support, please call en o of st nnovative Finance roup 6 - - or write to ennethgo verizon net C M S 6 6
6
omines former atch 6 president rsenio ulay Mely Parayno ien a ala Cordingley avid Sumera Outstanding alumni for year Joweh Sumait Mar Mateo ert apena Cris amirez, Jose Corpuz, onnie Sa ado Manuel dos Judina Cadiente ilda oot ic el reg ic y Calacsan ufrosenia igno anny Calacsan us Castillo r orenz g anlog oger ndrada foundindg president of the UC S high school alumni association tty Mario ravo Cora Massin Jaco my a arinto etirado Feliciana Sarga Mila oroza Joy delos eyes Mila atchalian olita osario ggie Pass ida Moreno m rosio liodoro Calacsan eticia Mal og ria loria enito el omagas and Orly arrientos
appy holidays to my fraternity rothers eta ho Omega Fraternity Oscar avid, ert Ca ardo, gay Sevilla, Jun appe, o antolo, Willie Osorio, ody Saez, Joe alo sada, erry avid, Mi e Soledad, OJ de Jesus, r Jun draneda, Jun appe, my former editor Jun lagan, tty ic Jimeno, Jovencio regorio, aron Cervantes, erry Chentes, Jimmy ustria, d amos, former evelopment cademy of the Philippines P president d onzalez former eputy Secretary eneral of olly ungpalan, and aron Cervantes, among others
My good friends former PUP ean oman annug tty udolfo rillantes Prof ito oldan Prof Susan oldan Prof Jeng ed oo uthor omy Morales from nchorage las a former P for cademic ffairs r Samuel Salvador and Prof Joey lagaran
o my Milpitas friends come- ac ing council mem er tty arry ar adillo Outgoing Mayor ich ran Former Mayor Jose steves incoming Mayor and the first woman mayor of Milpitas Carmen Montano Council mem er velyn Chua reelected US Congressman o hanna and former ssem ly mem er ansen Chu nd to my editors in Philippine ews oday Francis spiritu and Fred a ot and my editors in awaii Filipino Chronicle Chona Sonido and Jim ea
nd to my fellow homeowners villagers from reen Par illage es Susan a uipiso Jun eth Cruz ic ngie Sangalang oy ita iray oy ess nri uez rell Jimeno Jess elly adena ric Cory apata emy Caoagas Myrna Chu Caloy Minda Maliwat Cythia matorio Ophie Ortiz, anding ydia Malvar, lmer Minda linoga, Mario ita alenzuela, ed uring ictorino, and former Cainta Councilmem er annie Josie Matias
So, despite the tridemics, we en oyed the Christmas season and now preparing for the coming ew ear elated Maligayang Pas o at Manigong agong aon sa ating
So what do propose et us not amend the Constitution along lines discussed in Congress et us revise the Constitution within the conte t of what conceived to e a ew orizon for this country which will define in the ne t succeeding article in rief general terms
Footnote n the meanwhile so you ll not e wondering why fondly call President ong ong President ingding the reason is simple ong ong is the Ce uano isayan word for wall Similarly, ingding also means wall in our area here is a difference though ong ong is a wall of strength while ingding is a wall infested with termites he actions of the President do not sound ong ong, they sound ingding
(From Page 13)
of mass destruction WM , including chemical, iological, radiological, nuclear, and high e plosives C t ecomes highly suspicious when a US agency tas ed to counter C ecomes involved in research on animal diseases in the Philippines for the purpose of fighting SF and ird flu here are speculations the US od s must e up to something other than ird flu and SF in a evel iosafety la oratory in the Philippines f it s proven that the US has een conducting iological weapons research in the Philippines, then it has serious implications for the country First, it poses a great ris of a ma or la oratory accident that may affect the population in near y areas where the facility is located here had een speculations the coronavirus pandemic was caused y a iological weapons la oratory in China
Second, it can ma e the country a target of US adversaries that may e interested in shutting down these facilities for potential iological warfare development he Philippines should not e made a guinea pig for research on weapons of mass destruction here should e transparency in these inds of arrangements
MANILA – The daily average of new coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) cases decreased by 39 percent from Dec. 26, 2022 to Jan. 1, according to the Department of Health (DOH).
From 813 daily infections recorded from Dec. 19 to 25, 2022, the number went down to 494 in the recent week, the DOH said.
The latest DOH case bulletin showed 3,458 new cases and 164 verified deaths.
Of the additional deaths, the DOH said 32 occurred from Dec. 19, 2022 to Jan. 1.
The positivity rate or the number of people testing positive for the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) in the National Capital Region (NCR) further decreased to 11.5 percent as of Dec. 24.
The region’s positivity rate a week ago, on Dec.
17, was 13.9 percent.
“In Luzon, significant increase in positivity rate observed in Albay, Ilocos Sur, Kalinga, Pampanga,” OCTA Research Group fellow Dr. Guido David said.
As of Dec. 24, Albay province’s positivity rate went up to 35.4 percent from 23.3 percent; Ilocos Sur, 44.8 percent from 30.6 percent; Kalinga, 41.7 percent from 26.2 percent; and Pampanga, 17 percent from 12.5 percent.
As of Dec. 25, the top five areas with the most number of cases include NCR with 225 cases, Cavite with 45, Laguna with 40, Rizal with 38 and Cebu with 22.
To date, the Philippines has 12,660 active Covid-19 infections.
Overall since the pandemic was declared in
March 2020, the country has logged over million coronavirus cases and more than 65,000 fatalities.
During the same seven-day period, three cases were added to the tally of severe and critical infections, which also went down to 433 from the previous week’s 516.
Only 16.2 percent or 350 out of the 2,155 intensive care unit (ICU) beds are in use, while 16.2 percent or 350 of 2,155 non-ICU beds are utilized.
About 73,775,259 or 94.46 percent of the country’s target population (78,100,578) are vaccinated against Covid-19, including 79.45 percent of 8,721,357 senior citizens, as of Jan. 2.
As of Jan. 1, a total of 21,169,446 have received booster shots out of the fully vaccinated population.
he holidays may be behind us but their collateral health effects, among others, will linger a while. Medically speaking, it is actually a time for “damage control” for those of us who have over-indulged during the festivities. And I plead guilty to have also succumbed to the temptation myself.
The post-holiday “makeover” is just as a healthy pre-emptive measure, more so for those who really want to maintain their normal weight or those who have diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, etc.
As with anything else, damage control is best as a preventive strategy. However, special celebrations and holidays expose all of us to that great irresistible gastronomical temptation.
For dieters, those who are watching their weight or counting calories, these occasions are tough times. Blessed are those strong-willed souls, whether or not they carry a calorie-counter on one hand and a scale on the other. These health-conscious individuals will reap their rewards in terms of stamina, energy, a stronger immune system, and even longevity, as shown by medical statistics.
Our physiology is at the optimum when we consume just the right amount of calories to maintain our normal weight and when our glucose (blood sugar) level is on an even keel most of the time. When we over-eat and then try to starve ourselves to compensate for our indiscretion, our blood glucose spikes up and down, descri ed as yo-yo dieting his severe fluctuation in our lood glucose level has adverse effects on our ody and on our immune system. And this poses even greater danger for persons with diabetes.
Eating several times a day, even or times a day, NOT exceeding the total 24-hour caloric need of our body, is a healthier habit, which helps maintain our blood glucose level in a more stable, less erratic, pattern during the day. But the key is calorie-control (especially the ones from carbohydrates) combined with daily exercise.
The“fathormones”
TThe urge to eat is controlled by hormones in our ody nd these hormones fluctuate depending on how much sleep we get, what types of food we eat and how much calories we take in, and on how much physical activities we indulge in daily Scientific researchers are focusing on specific su stances they call fat hormones, which our own endocrine glands in the body produce. There are hormones that make one eat and there are also hormones that signal the brain for the person to stop eating. These substances control hunger and satiety.
The hunger hormone is Ghrelin, which is secreted by our guts (stomach and intestines). When its level goes up, we feel hungry and have the urge to eat. The level of Ghrelin goes up when we get less sleep or not enough sleep. This is the reason why those who are trying to lose weight should get adequate amount (about hours) of sleep. An imbalance meal and stress also elevate the Ghrelin level. Food deprivation obviously increases the Ghrelin level, hence it is better to keep the level of this hormone on an even eel and not fluctuate too much by eating regularly (or even more than times a day) but at a controlled total calorie ceiling, to maintain health and body weight. So, starving oneself is not a good way to lose weight, since this will lead to a Ghrelin “boomerang” in the latter part of the day.
The opposite or counter-hormone, which is called Leptin, signals the brain when to stop eating. It controls the appetite. This “satiety hormone” is produced by fat cells in the body. When a person loses weight, the leptin level in the blood stream also goes down. As a result, there is a “rebound” weight gain. The best strategy in losing and maintaining a desired weight level is to lose in a slow and steady pace, about one to two pounds a week, and not more. In this manner, there will still be an effective level of leptin in the ody to control the urge to eat.
Most appetite control pills, juices, solutions and powders on the market are not physiological and unnatural way to suppress (by force) the appetite for weight control. While they are readily available and very popular, they have potential adverse side-effects on the heart, liver, kidneys and brain in the long haul. Some serious complications, and even deaths, have been reported from the use of these diet substances. Since greater calo-
rie intake than output is the cause of increase in body weight, the safest, most natural, strategy is to eat less and burn more calories with physical exercises, making the output of calories (energy) greater than the intake of calories (food).
The healthier “makeover” for our post-holiday misadventures includes daily gradual incremental reduction in the food we eat, daily physical exercises, as simple and easy as brisk walking for about 30 minutes a day, and hitting the scale daily (yes, daily) to check on any progress. This will aid you greatly in making you more religious to your overall personal health program. Drinking a lot of water (not fruit juices, and especially NOT soft drinks, which are toxic in themselves!) can help a lot. Excess weight that does not come down only means a greater reduction in food intake is needed. The excess weight gained over the holidays could be safely eliminated within a week. There is really no need to buy expensive prepared “diet” foods, which are nothing but high protein-low carbohydrate, calorie-portioned, meals. Rice, bread, soft drinks, and sweats are the top culprits that cause weight gain fast and increase the risk for diabetes and cardiovascular illnesses. With discipline and resolve, and daily exercise, anyone can achieve the same weight control by counting calories. For those who are overweight to begin with, the same strategy (output of calories must exceed the intake) works like wonders. Simply put, more exercise and less food, until the scale tells you that you have achieved your dream weight (and body!) for the NEW YOU in the exciting new year.
I pray that 2023 shall be a year of new hope and that the world would be a lot wiser and smarter. Together, let us welcome and cherish each other with understanding and compassion and savor the great wonderment still ahead of us.
To all people of goodwill (and others as well) a happy new year, peace be with you, and may God bless us all around the globe.
Philip Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, a Cardiac Surgeon Emeritus based in Northwest Indiana and Las Vegas, Nevada, is an international medical lecturer/author, a Health Advocate, Chairman of the Filipino United Network-USA, a 501(c)3 humanitarian foundation in the United States. He is a recipient of the Indiana Sagamore of the Wabash Award in 1996, whose other awardees include: President Harry Truman, President George HW Bush, Astronaut Gus Grissom, Mohammad Ali, David Letterman, and other personalities. Websites: FUN8888.com and philipSchua.com Email: scalpelpen@gmail.com
By TIM PEDROSA
Our life is a test of faith. It’s good to realize that there are no exceptions when it comes to some of the tests of life and faith. God tests us to strengthen us e refines our gold to purify it e allows us to face difficulties ecause it forces us ac onto our foundation of faith and trust in im e strengthens our endurance with time, and using our faith, we ecome spiritual edroc that can stand any test Of course, sometimes there are o stacles along our way, things standing in the way of is answers, which e waits for us to remove et it still comes ac to faith- elieving that e will answer, ma ing sure we ve done our part, and then continuing to elieve and do what e has as ed us to do for however long it ta es until the answer comes n many ways, the modern world fights against this simple faith and patience n i le times, it was easier for od s prophets to delay for months or years in place when e told them to, or to wait years for is deliverance, ecause life moved slower then ut today, we are accustomed to e-mail, phone communication, the nternet, and air travel he pace of our life and getting things done is much faster than efore We tend to e pect email-speed answers to our prayers and it s not that e s incapa le of giving them to us, ut that is often not the est way to accomplish is long-term goals and ours too, when it really comes down to it Speedy deliverance from any difficulty is not always what will ear the est fruit in the long run So, we need patience and we should pray for it We should realize that we are naturally impatient ecause of the world we live in and the speed at which we are accustomed to things operating around us We must realize that od often goes slower, ecause that s the etter way to accomplish is purpose gain, it comes ac to faith Strengthening our faith is the ottom line Faith is the currency of the spiritual realm When we have really stood our ground with faith and have endured, our faith will e the stronger he greatest test of faith is when you don t get what you want ut still you are a le to say han ou ord Pastor Matthew Hagee. Endure and hold on Faith is allowing our soul to go eyond what our eyes can see, for we wal y faith, not y sight et s read od s Word and cherries it, whether or not we thin it does anything for us on the surface. Let’s learn to value the Word and faith for the treasures that they are in themselves, not ust for what they do in the o vious or instant ways hat is the ey Faith is the victory that overcomes the world Feed your faith and your dou ts will starve to death Faith sees the invisi le, feels the intangi le and achieves the impossi le
In the midst of challenges, we face today, are the issues a out marriage and family he push for same-se marriage will in fact redefi ne marriage from the i lical tradition of a man and a woman and the family also is eing redefi ned here is more eff ort to oust od as uthor and esigner of the marriage and family We all elong to a family we have parents, and our parents man and woman, ecame instruments of God gifted to participate in the wor of creation, the egetting of children, the propaga tion of human ind n the conte t of the Christmas season, we have od imself, the mmanuel, ecoming a mem er of the family of azareth here is Mary and Joseph and Jesus, the Messiah he Only Son of od ecoming Son of Man to remind us that human ind, egotte n from every human family, is od s own the family is od s own marriage is od s own verything od s property, e cept sin With the oly Family, we cele rate our eing od s children We cele rate our eing mem ers of a family We cele rate the gift of our family he oly Family of azareth, the family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, is and will always e the model of what it means to e a family, and what marriage is a out o our time, therefore, the oly Family puts these three reminders First, every family is under od s rule and ma esty s od is its author and designer hence, is commands and teachings must e o eyed very family, the mother, father and children, must see godly lives Parents are to e g ood e amples of Christian values they are to instill on their chil dren that od is to e the priority in life, all the rest secondary s parents radiate od s presence through their godly living, the children e perience love and are taught a out od and is love, y their very e perience with how their parents live and ehave n our time, this could e challenging, since parents themselves are more incline d to pattern their lifestyle from the values of the world and mental ities that are incoherent from Christ s teachings he oly Family wants us to reclaim in our own family the sense of od s primacy iving according to od s ingship, all lessings are allowed to overfl ow into the family as all its mem ers are disposed towards od s presence and love
Second, the oly Family reminds and challenges human ind of our time that married love, matrimonial love, is od s love od s love is made tangi le and e periential through the love of hus and and wife conse uently, e perienced y the children through the love received from their parents Moreover, od s love, according to St Paul does not re oice in the wrong ut re oices in the tru th Cor Matrimonial love, therefore, must e in according to the divine truth and not to e molded according to human preference s and changes of mentalities and human feelings ove is of od for e is love married love is, therefore, to e according to is design and truth a out love Married love must e according to od s will not according to our human will, preferences and feelings Mary and Joseph lived their matrimonial love, married love, not accordin g to their design ut according to od s design and holy will for them hird, the oly Family gives us Jesus Christ he children are Jesus of azareth in every family ach a y is Jesus given to every man and woman in holy matrimony hus, every child, oth inside and or outside of the wom is sacred the child is Jesus, each a y is od s child Mother and father of every family must recognize the divine gift given them very mother must realize the honor and privilege given them y od to e the earer and deliverer of t his gift of human life to the world nd li e Mary and Joseph, as they rought up their Son Jesus into the world, they educated, they guarded, and guided Him from childhood to adulthood; so also, parents should see to it they are giving their children godly formation hey are to teach their children that od loves them that, e has l aws and truths too that must e o eyed May our cele ration this year o f the oly Family ma es us grateful of our own families and may empower us to live fully what our eing a family is all a out acc ording to od s plan od less us all men
Ingredients:
1/4 kilo pork belly, cut into thick strips
1/2 kilo frozen chopped spinach
200 grams fresh baby spinach
1 400 ml canned coconut milk/cream
3-4 clove garlic chopped
1 thumb size ginger, cut into thin strips
1 large size onion chopped
t sp agoong alamang use fish sauce if not availa le 1 stalk lemongrass (optional), trimmed crushed 1/2 tsp. cracked peppercorns
3-5 pieces green/red chili, chopped or whole salt cooking oil
Cooking procedure:
In a medium size sauce pan sauté garlic, ginger and onion until fragrant. Add in the pork and stir cook for to minutes add in the bagoong alamang and continue to stir cook for another 1 to 2 minutes. Add in 1/2 cup of water, the coconut milk, lemon grass, crushed peppercorns and chili, bring to a boil and simmer at moderate heat for 20 to 30 minutes or until the pork are tender and the sauce renders oil and almost dry, stirring occasionally. Add in the frozen spinach and baby spinach, cook at low to moderate heat for 15 to 20 minutes until almost dry, stirring occasionally. Correct saltiness if required. Serve with a lot of rice.
MANILA – The holidays delivered further gains for the Philippine tourism industry as it breached its 1.7-million target with 2.65 million international arrivals as of the end of 2022.
The arrivals translated to PHP208.96 billion or USD3.68 billion in tourism revenues, a whopping 2,465.75-percent increase from 2021, according to a news release on Monday.
Based on the monitoring of the Department of Tourism (DOT) from the time the country reopened its borders to all travelers in February until Dec. 31, 2022 arrivals peaked in December as more Filipinos and tourists alike opted to spend the Christmas and New Year vacations in the Philippines.
Of the total 2.65 million international arrivals last year, 628,445 were returning Filipinos while the bulk of 2.02 million tourists were from top markets United States (505,089), South Korea (428,014), Australia (137,974), Canada (121,413), the United Kingdom (101,034), Japan (99,557), Singapore (53,448), India (51,542), Malaysia (46,805) and China (39,627).
The year just ended likewise generated an estimated 5.23 million tourism-related jobs, 11,989 DOTaccredited tourism enterprises as of Dec. 29, 2022 and 25,770 tourism stakeholders who were trained.
DOT Secretary Christina Frasco was elated over the achievements of the administration of President Fer-
dinand R. Marcos Jr., just six months into office
She said the tourism sector’s growth clearly showed the hard work of the entire industry in order to recover from the unprecedented crisis brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Moments of great difficulty are also moments of great opportunity. In the past, we have overcome a global pandemic and survived various calamities. The Philippine tourism industry has managed to exceed expectations and our tourism partners and frontliners continue to offer the est of Filipino grace and hospitality to the world,” Frasco said in a statement.
“We welcome 2023 with gratitude and excitement for Philippine tourism to bounce back stronger than ever. We shall welcome with warmth and that distinct Filipino smile visitors from all over the world as they visit our award-winning beaches, experience the richness of our culture, and enjoy our world-renowned Filipino brand of service excellence,” she added.
Frasco is hopeful that the DOT will surpass its targets anew in 2023.
“We look forward to the continued convergence and collaboration of our tourism stakeholders -- travelers, tourism players, national agencies, local government units and host communities -- in propelling our industry to the heights of becoming a tourism powerhouse in Asia,” Frasco said. (PNA)
