PNEWS 10.5-10.11,2023

1 October 5-11, 2023

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA EDITION

www.pnewstoday.com

US, PHL, ALLIES EXPAND SEA, SHORE WAR DRILLS THE PREMIER FILIPINO-AMERICAN NEWSPAPER IN THE U.S. SINCE 1961

Vol.63 No.8 October 5-11, 2023

NEWS AND VIEWS YOU TRUST

US Commission on Civil Rights takes deeper look at

By ALFRED GABOT, Editor in Chief MANILA/WASHINGTON - The United States and causes of Asian hate

US assures aid to PHL in case of attacks as China tension mount

the Philippines have launched expanded war exercises with new “Sama Sama” training and drills on Philippine shore, land and sea participated by several allies like the United Kingdom, Japan, Canada, Australia and France triggering new tensions with China. Page 9

Marcos, Duterte approval ratings take double digit dive Gov. Gavin Newsom

By Be�ng Laygo Dolor, Editor

Laphonza Butler

Newsom picks Butler to fill Feinstein’s vacant seat

By Be�ng Laygo Dolor, Editor

SACRAMENTO - Knowing that the fallen Diane Feinstein had exceptionally large shoes to fill, figuratively speaking, California Governor Gavin Newsom chose Laphonza Butler to serve as the Golden State’s representative to the Senate.

Feinstein passed away last week at age 90. Her three decades in the Senate made her the longest serving female US senator in history.

Feinstein had shared a long friendship with former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who accompanied the fallen senator’s remains to San

Francisco in a plane from the president’s military fleet.

Speaking of her friend, Pelosi said the loss was “obviously official, it’s political, and it’s very personal.”

Pelosi added that Feinstein “was my neighbor, my friend. My family loved her personally, politically, in every way.”

Feinstein’s remains will lie in state at San Francisco City Hall on Wednesday, to be followed by a family-only funeral service on Thursday.

The senator leaves behind a property fortune of $102 Page 7

By Gilda P. Balan, Correspondent

SAN FRANCISCO - Many incidents evoke fear in the Asian and Asian-American community, but such incidents often go unreported because they do not meet the legal hate crime criteria.

This is one of the conclusions of a recently released report from the US Commission on Civil Rights that studied the federal response to anti-Asian Page 6

Biden and VP Harris honor Fil-Ams on Filipino American History Month

WASHINGTON - US President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris paid tribute to the contributions of FilipinoAmericans to the United States in commemoration of October as the annual Filipino American History Month.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), the White House noted that Pres. BongBong Marcos and VP Sara Duterte.

Filipinos and Filipino-Americans MANILA – President Ferdinand vey. “have helped forge the very idea There were several reasons cited of America.”

Marcos Jr and Vice President Sara Duterte both suffered double digit for the fall including the high infla“This Filipino American Hisdives in their approval ratings, ac- tion that has caused the prices of tory Month, the Biden- Page 6 cording to the latest Pulse Asia sur- fuel and consumer goods Page 7

Groups remember Percy Lapid in PHL, US SC to Palace, Congress: Answer petition vs Maharlika Fund

P4, 23

VIEWS & COMMENTS

SHOWBIZ

Strategies under F2B petition for faster unification

Donny, Belle shine at ABS-CBN Ball revival

Asian Games: Obiena wins gold; Gilas, Marcial in gold bouts

Page 14

Page 16

By A�y. Lozano

Page 12

SPORTS

P7

PESO-DOLLAR RATE

$1.00= P56.88

October 5, 2023 2:30am

 NATIONAL NEWS

October 5-11, 2023

2

Canadian Navy vessel docks in PHL, joins ‘Samasama’ drills MANILA – The Canadian Navy frigate HMCS Vancouver has arrived in the Philippines to participate in the military drills between the Philippines and the United States and other countries starting this week.

Commander Meghan Coates, commanding officer of the HMCS Vancouver, said this is the first time for Canada to join the Exercise Samasama.

“Vancouver’s participation in ‘Samasama’ is to promote regional security cooperation, maintain and strengthen maritime partnerships, and enhance maritime interoperability,” Coates said at a press conference aboard the warship on Saturday.

“We are honored by the opportunity to participate in this complex exercise, highlighting the collaboration between like-minded partners, training and real-world environments,” Coates said.

The Canadian Armed Forces members, she said, would participate in the medical, legal, women, peace, and security activities during the drill’s shore phase.

The vessel’s sea phase participation, on the other hand, will focus on partner building, maritime domain awareness, search and rescue, and humanitarian and disaster relief operations, among others.

Coates said this participation reflects Canada’s commitment to increasing its engagement with regional partners and keeping the Indo-Pacific stable.

The HMCS Vancouver is the third Royal Canadian Navy ship to visit the Philippines this year after the HMCS Ottawa and Naval Replenishment Unit MV Asterix.

This is also Vancouver’s second deployment to the Philippines after a port visit in 2022.

“Samasama,” scheduled from Oct. 2 to 13, is a bilateral exercise between the United States Navy and the Philippine Navy to boost

the latter’s warfare capabilities for maritime security operations.

Apart from Canada, the drills also involve Japan, Australia, France, and the United Kingdom through subject-matter expert exchanges (SMEEs) and humanitarian assistance and disaster response (HADR) tabletop events.

Indonesia and New Zealand will send observers.

Canadian Ambassador David Hartman said Canada’s “augmented presence” in the region is a result of its 2022 Indo-Pacific Strategy (IPS), which places the Philippines as a core partner. ”The physical manifestation of having three of our naval vessels here in the last two weeks is a very concrete illustration of our commitment to the Philippines, our commitment to our regional partners,” he said.

Canada’s non-resident Defense Attaché to the Philippines, Col. Stewart Taylor, said Ottawa would increase its vessels in the region and join more naval exercises similar to “Samasama” in the future.

“We have a very friendly relationship that continues to grow. And the IPS really gives us the impetus and the resources that we need to bring it to the next level,” he added.

Starting Oct. 1, the Embassy said Canada would also post a permanent defense attaché in the Philippines.

PBBM orders DFA, DMW to help Filipinos hit by Hawaii wildfires

MANILA – President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. directed the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) to assist the Filipinos affected by the deadly wildfires that struck the island of Maui, Hawaii in August.

“In the spirit of unity and compassion, I have instructed the DFA and DMW to collaborate with the state of Hawaii to assist grieving families and help Filipino communities rebuild,” Marcos said in a statement posted on his official X account.

“We stand in solidarity with those affected, offering our condolences and continued support,” he added.

Marcos issued the statement following reports that more Filipinos have been included in the list of those who died in the wildfires.

According to a report by GMA News, 10 more Filipinos have been killed in the wildfire tragedy, bringing the death toll among Filipinos and Filipino-Americans to 29.

“Our hearts are with the victims of

the Maui wildfire and their families. With losses among the Filipino and FilipinoAmerican communities, we deeply feel the weight of this tragedy,” Marcos said.

A series of wildfires burned thousands of acres since it struck Maui, hitting the coastal town of Lahaina hard and leaving at least 115 dead and over a thousand more missing.

The DFA has urged the relatives of affected Filipinos to contact the consulate through its hotline number +1808 2539446 to allow the foreign service post to verify its records of reported Filipino casualties or other distressed Filipinos, and to provide them with necessary assistance.

On Aug. 16, Marcos assured the public that he was closely monitoring the condition of Filipinos residing in Hawaii and guaranteed the readiness of the Philippine Consulate in Honolulu to assist affected Filipinos.

There are about 388,000 individuals in Hawaii who identify themselves as Filipino or part-Filipino, according to the 2020 US state census.

3 October 5-11, 2023

 NATIONAL NEWS

3 fishers die as foreign tanker rams HOME SELLING? Get FREE* Home Staging PHL boat off Bajo de Masinloc HOME BUYING? Get a FREE Consultation

By Jeanne Michael Penaranda ermen, including the captain the area using eight service SUBIC, Zambales — Three Filipino fishermen from Subic, Zambales died while 11 of their companions survived after a foreign commercial vessel rammed their boat while they were fishing in waters near the disputed Bajo de Masinloc, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) reported.

The fatalities were identified as boat captain Dexter Laundensia, 47; Romeo Mejico,38; and Benedick Uladandria, 62; all from Calapandayan, Subic, Zambales.

Earlier, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. vowed to provide assistance to the crew members of the fishing vessel and the families of the victims.

Marcos asked the public to refrain from speculation while the PCG completes its investigation into the incident.

“We are deeply saddened by the deaths of the three fish-

of the fishing vessel,” Marcos said in a statement posted on his official X account.

“Rest assured that the government will provide support and assistance to the victims and their families,” he added.

Citing a crew member of the fishing boat “Dearyn,” the PCG said the Filipinos’ watercraft was moored to a payao, or an anchored fish float, some 85 nautical miles northwest of Bajo de Masinloc (also known as Scarborough Shoal), when it was hit at around 4:20 a.m. on Oct. 2 by a suspected a Marshall Islands-registered oil tanker.

The PCG added that eight Filipino crew members were fishing in different locations while six, including the captain, remained in the mother boat. Due to the bad weather, the remaining crew members did not detect the approaching foreign vessel resulting in the collision.

The 11 crew members who survived the incident left

boats and arrived at Barangay Cato in Infanta, Pangasinan at 10 a.m. on Oct. 3.

The crew members also brought the dead, including their captain, to Pangasinan.

The PCG said the foreign vessel which rammed the boat was “Pacific Anna,” a Marshall Islands-flagged crude oil tanker.

Senators called on authorities to secure Filipinos fishing within the country’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri vowed not to stop until those behind the incident were identified and held accountable.

“We are extremely outraged and aggrieved by the fatal ramming of an unidentified vessel on a Filipino fishing vessel in the West Philippine Sea resulting in death and loss of three innocent lives,” Zubiri said

Mandatory price caps on rice lifted

By Jennifer T. Santos TAGUIG CITY – President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has lifted the implementation of Executive Order 39, which imposes a mandated price ceiling on regular milled and well-milled rice.

Marcos announced his decision on the sidelines of the distribution of rice to beneficiaries of the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) in Taguig City.

The President, at the same time, instructed House

of Representatives Speaker Martin Romualdez to launch a program that would task the 33 congressmen from the country’s metropolis to distribute rice to affected individuals.

“I think it’s the appropriate time since namimigay tayo ng bigas (we are distributing rice). As of today, we are lifting the price caps on the rice, for the regular milled rice and for the well-milled rice. So, tinatanggal na natin ‘yung mga kontrol (we are removing the controls),” he said in an interview.

“So tinatanggal na natin ‘yung mga control. Pero hindi ibig sabihin basta’t ganoon na lang dahil kailangan pa rin natin ayusin ang agricultural sector,” he added.

On the production side, Marcos said the government will continue to support the agriculture sector and strengthen the country’s value chain “because we are still talking about production.”

“Ang Rice Tariffication Law, mayroong nakamandate doon na P10 billion every year for the RCEF. Hindi RCEP, ‘yung RCEF (Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund), ‘yung namimigay ng mga gamit, mga tractor, mga dryer, mga harvester, et cetera. Ang ginawa natin para matulungan pa ‘yung ating mga farmer, ‘yung lampas doon sa P10 billion nangongolekta ang rice tariffication,” he said.

FREE Home Loan/Refi Consultation PLS. CALL MONICA:

*Expires 12/31/2024. Conditions apply. Call for details.

Hi, I’m Monica Can I help you?

Monica Gupta Senior Home Loan Specialist (15+ Years Experience) DRE # 01424265, NMLS # 343986 Home Advantage 702 Brown Road Fremont, CA 94539 Brkr. *Rates subject to change daily. Certain Conditions apply. Call to qualify

“...Monica made our refinance process so easy, simple, and smooth...”

-- Charlotte Fajardo “...she truly cares about her clients and treats us like family...

We definitely give Monica a 5 star for service...”

-- Tiffany Argente

and Market Update Call 510-697-7750

 METRO NEWS

October 5-11, 2023

4

Journalists call for justice for Percy Lapid on first death anniversary MANILA — On the first death anniversary of broadcaster Percival “Percy Lapid” Mabasa, journalists led by the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) renewed their call for justice for the broadcaster.

The NUJP along with campus journalists from different schools staged a protest in front of the Department of Justice in Manila.

The family of THE slain broadcaster said they stand united in their call for swift justice to ensure those responsible for his death be held accountable, a year after the veteran newsman was shot to death by gunmen.

“On this occasion, we remember Ka Percy Lapid whose life was tragically cut short one year ago. The family stand(s) united in our call for swift justice to ensure that those responsible for this loss are held accountable,” newsman Roy Mabasa, Percy’s brother said in a statement.

“Let us honor Ka Percy’s memory by advocating for a fair and transparent legal process that brings closure to his family and friends. May his legacy serve as a reminder that justice must prevail in our society,” he added.

Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said contempt charges await three vloggers (video bloggers) who published online an interview with fugitive former Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) chief Gerald Bantag who is wanted for murder in connection with the killing of Mabasa.

“Siya (Bantag) po ay na interview ng mga ilang vloggers at ngayon po ay aming pinaghahandaan ng complaint ang mga vlogger na nag interview sa kanya for contempt of court. Kasi bawal po yan (He was interviewed by vloggers and we are readying complaints against these vloggers who interviewed him for contempt of court. That is not allowed),” Remulla said in a press briefing at the Department of Justice (DOJ) main office in Manila.

He said the act of these vloggers undermines the courts and the legal processes.The DOJ chief, meanwhile, said law enforcers are validating leads on Bantag’s current whereabouts as well as several John Does.

Bantag and former BuCor deputy security officer Ricardo Zulueta are facing murder charges before the Muntinlupa and Las Piñas regional trial courts over last year’s killing of

Slain broadcaster Percival “Percy Lapid” Mabasa (file photo) Mabasa and Cristito Villamor Palaña (alias Jun Villamor), an inmate at the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City.

Mabasa was shot by armed men near his home in Las Piñas City on Oct. 3, 2022. Selfconfessed gunman Joel Escorial faced the media on Oct. 18, 2022 and admitted his role in the killing. On the same day, Villamor died of “unknown causes” at the NBP Hospital. Villamor allegedly hired Escorial to kill Mabasa.

He later died, or was allegedly killed on Bantag’s order coursed through Zulueta.

PNP gets P1.48-B new vehicles, firearms CAMP CRAME, Quezon City– The Philippine National Police’s (PNP) capability to address security threats got a boost with the acquisition of P1.48 billion worth of firearms and mobility assets.

PNP chief Gen. Benjamin Acorda Jr. led the blessing of the new equipment and vehicles at the police force’s headquarters in Camp Crame, the PNP Public Information Office said.

“These acquisitions are not mere tools. They are the instruments that empower us to effectively

fulfill our duty to protect and serve the Filipino people. They represent our commitment to strengthening our capacity to maintain peace and security in our communities,” Acorda said in a statement.

This consists of 44 marked light transport vehicles, 120 4x4 personnel carriers, 203 4x2 patrol jeep single cabs, 5,755 units of 5.56-mm basic assault rifles, 5.8 million rounds of 5.56-mm ball ammunition, 949 enhanced combat helmets and more than 3,000 enhanced combat and all-purpose vests.

5 October 5-11, 2023

 PROVINCIAL NEWS

Confidential funds needed for peace, order: VP Sara BUTUAN CITY – Vice President and Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Sara Duterte has underscored the role of confidential funds in ensuring the country’s security and development.

“In the pursuit of progress, it is imperative that we prioritize the well-being of our citizens and safeguard the peace and order that underpins our society,” said Duterte, who spoke at the 122nd Police Service Anniversary celebration at the Police Regional Office in the Caraga Region (PRO-13) here.

She also reminded the police officers, personnel and other stakeholders during the gathering that security and development are the very essence of a thriving nation.

“Peace and order, along with education,

must be protected at all costs. They are the cornerstones upon which a prosperous society is built,” Duterte said.

Leftist lawmakers have been haranguing Duterte on her use of confidential funds.

Nonetheless, Duterte argued confidential funds help the government ensure that “our people can go about their daily lives without fear and our children can receive an education in a safe environment, and our businesses can thrive without the shadow of insecurities.”

She added that the funds also provide the necessary resources for the government to address unforeseen challenges swiftly and decisively.

“Whether it is combating terrorism or

safeguarding the integrity of our nation, these funds enable our law enforcement agencies and intelligence bodies, as well as other national government agencies, and the equally important local government units, to protect our citizens,” the Vice President explained.

Those who seek to compromise the security and development of the country, she added, also jeopardize the very fabric of the Philippine society.

The Vice President also urged the people of the Caraga Region to remain vigilant and steadfast in safeguarding the people and the nation.

“Those who are against confidential against peace are enemies of the nation,” funds are against peace. Those who are Duterte said in Filipino.

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Palawan – Edward S. Hagedorn, Palawan 3rd District congressman and former mayor of Puerto Princesa City, died on Tuesday, nine days before his 77th birthday on Oct. 12.

His death was officially announced by his family on his Facebook page.

“With heavy hearts, we inform you of the passing of a beloved friend, brother, husband, father, and public servant, Edward Solon Hagedorn. Our dear Congressman died peacefully on October 3rd, 2023, after 76 years of shining his light into the world,” the family said in a statement.

Hagedorm was known for his accom-

plishments in the fields of environmental conservation and tourism during his public service career.

During his entire service as a mayor, Puerto Princesa earned a reputation for excellence as an eco-tourism destination and a model for environmental protection worldwide.

“Cong. Ed’s life speaks volumes, particularly in his role as a champion for the environment, tourism, agriculture, and peace and order. His efforts created inclusive spaces for the community and inspired a collective desire for change. It’s hard not to be infected by his energy and laughter, which he freely

shares with everyone he encounters,” the statement added.

Hagedorn publicly revealed his diagnosis of pancreatic cancer during the flag ceremony at City Hall on Feb. 27 this year.

Puerto Princesa Mayor Lucilo Bayron took to social media to express sadness over the passing of Hagedorn.

“Today is a very sad day for Puerto Princesa City because former Mayor & Congressman Ed Hagedorn passed away at 4:09 AM on October 3, 2023. Cong. Ed was the mayor from July 1, 1992, to June 30, 2013,” Bayron said.

By Jeanne Michael Penaranda

“We are deeply saddened by the deaths of the three fishermen, including the captain of the fishing vessel,” Marcos said in a statement posted on his official X account.

“Rest assured that the government will provide support and assistance to the victims and their families,” he added.

Citing a crew member of the fishing boat “Dearyn,” the PCG said the Filipinos’ watercraft was moored to a payao, or an anchored fish float, some 85 nautical miles northwest of Bajo de Masinloc (also known as Scarborough Shoal), when it was hit at around 4:20 a.m. on Oct. 2 by a suspected a Marshall Islands-registered oil tanker.

The PCG added that eight Filipino crew members were fishing in different locations while six, including the captain, remained in the mother boat. Due to the bad weather, the remaining crew members did not detect the approaching foreign vessel resulting in the col-

lision.

The 11 crew members who survived the incident left the area using eight service boats and arrived at Barangay Cato in Infanta, Pangasinan at 10 a.m. on Oct. 3.

The crew members also brought the dead, including their captain, to Pangasinan.

The PCG said the foreign vessel which rammed the boat was “Pacific Anna,” a Marshall Islands-flagged crude oil tanker.

Senators called on authorities to secure Filipinos fishing within the country’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri vowed not to stop until those behind the incident were identified and held accountable.

“We are extremely outraged and aggrieved by the fatal ramming of an unidentified vessel on a Filipino fishing vessel in the West Philippine Sea resulting in death and loss of three innocent lives,” Zubiri said

“The continuing avian and other zoonotic influenza outbreak from the nearby provinces call for continued implementation of the temporary total ban on entry of related products, which may endanger not only our local poultry industry but also the unknown risks that this outbreak may cause to the consuming public,” he said.

Guico said a veterinary certificate, veterinary shipping permit, animal welfare registration certificate, certificate of disease-free status, handler’s license certificate of registration, and transport carrier registration certificate are required for broiler poultry products to enter the province.

There are also different requirements for day-old chicks, hatching eggs, eggs, fresh poultry meat, and frozen poultry meat prod-

ucts.

“The local government units are hereby directed to strengthen the monitoring of the selling of pork and frozen products in various public markets and other establishments within their territorial jurisdictions,” Guico said.

All animal quarantine checkpoints and facilities shall observe strict monitoring of different entry and exit points in the province for ducks, quails, spent hens, hatching eggs, pigeons, game fowls, and ready-to-lay pullet, he said.

Further, the EO directed all transhipments bound to Ilocos Sur, Ilocos Norte, La Union, Abra, and Benguet to take the TarlacPangasinan-La Union Expressway.

Palawan Rep. Edward S. Hagedorn passes away at 76

Palawan 3rd District Rep. Edward S. Hagedorn, and long-�me mayor of Puerto Princesa

P3.6-B ‘shabu’ seized in Pampanga town

MEXICO, Pampanga – Some 530 kilos of suspected shabu worth P3.6 billion have been seized from a warehouse in Mexico town in Pampanga, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin C. Remulla said.

Remulla said the shipment came from Thailand and has been mixed with other products such as pork rinds and dog food. It arrived in the country through Port of Subic on Sept. 18.

The confiscated illegal drugs are the highest seized under President Marcos administration, the Secretary added.

He said the smugglers have “very sophisticated” methodology, which he declined to elaborate, and this prevented the detection even by drug-sniffing dogs.

“I do not want to reveal anything yet but even when it comes to K9, the K9 was even not as effective. Perhaps we have to retrain some of our K9 to be able to be more sophisticated in trying to smell the drugs,” the Secretary said.

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) said the raid at a warehouse in Purok 5, San Jose Malino, Mexico City, Pampanga last September 24 was conducted in close coordination with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, Bureau of Customs, and the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency.

3 fishers die as foreign tanker rams PHL boat off Bajo de Masinloc

SUBIC, Zambales — Three Filipino fishermen from Subic, Zambales died while 11 of their companions survived after a foreign commercial vessel rammed their boat while they were fishing in waters near the disputed Bajo de Masinloc, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) reported.

The fatalities were identified as boat captain Dexter Laundensia, 47; Romeo Mejico,38; and Benedick Uladandria, 62; all from Calapandayan, Subic, Zambales.

Earlier, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. vowed to provide assistance to the crew members of the fishing vessel and the families of the victims.

Marcos asked the public to refrain from speculation while the PCG completes its investigation into the incident.

Pangasinan bans poultry from 17 provinces MALASIQUI, Pangasinan – The provincial government of Pangasinan has extended indefinitely the ban on the entry of ducks, quails, spent hens (culled), hatching eggs, pigeons, gamefowls, and ready-to-lay pullet (RTL) and restricted the movement of other poultry birds and by-products from 17 provinces in the country to maintain its bird flu-free status.

In Executive Order 01 posted by the provincial government, Governor Ramon Guico III said the restriction and temporary total ban applies to the provinces of Bulacan, Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, Tarlac, Laguna, Sultan Kudarat, Benguet, North Cotabato, South Cotabato, Maguindanao, Isabela, Rizal, Quezon, Kalinga, Aurora, Ilocos Norte and Ilocos Sur.

 NATIONAL NATIONAL NEWS NEWS

October 5-11, 2023

6

White House said. success every single day,” Harris separately The theme acknowledges 1898 as a sig(From page 1) Biden...

Biden and Harris thanked the Filipino tweeted. “During Filipino American Histo- nificant year for both the Philippines and Harris Administration is proud to honor American community for their contribugenerations of Filipino Americans who tions to the U.S. and acknowledged their have ensured our nation remains a land rich heritage and traditions. of hope, opportunity, and optimism,” the “Jill and I are thrilled to celebrate Filipino American History Month, honoring the rich heritage and traditions of millions of Filipino Americans,” Biden tweeted. “To our Filipino American community: Thank you for all you do to ensure our nation continues to be the land of opportunity.”

“Filipino Americans contribute to our nation’s

ry Month, our Administration celebrates the important role that Filipino Americans have played and continue to play in the American story.””

According to the Filipino American National Historical Society (FANHS), this year’s theme is “1898: Recognizing 125 Years of Philippine-American History.” It commemorates the Treaty of Paris, signed 125 years ago, which ended the Spanish American War and led to the annexation of the Philippines by the U.S. The treaty also granted independence to Cuba, while Puerto Rico and Guam were ceded to the U.S., with the Philippines being purchased for $20 million.

the U.S., as well as for Filipino Americans and the Filipino diaspora. It emphasizes the importance of recognizing and understanding the historical event without celebrating or glorifying American colonialism.

There are over four million FilipinoAmericans that reside in the United States, making it one of the largest Asian-American communities there, along with ChineseAmericans and Indian-Americans.

Every October, the US observes the Filipino American History Month to commemorate the first recorded presence of Filipinos in the US, as well as the contributions of Filipinos to the American community and history.

US commission...

port focused on three main areas, namely: · National trends in hate incidents against Asian communities; · The practices of local and state law enforcement in preventing and reporting hate crimes, and; · Federal efforts to encourage reporting and enforce hate crime prevention.

Earlier this year, the Commission conducted a public briefing where experts and impacted individuals provided input. The briefing was part of the study and was the first of its kind since 2019, and was bipartisan in nature.

The Commission cited other sources, such as the Stop Asian Hate reporting center, which documented 10,905 reported hate incidents targeting individuals of Asian descent for the period March 20, 2020 to December 31, 2021.

As is now widely known, the government and media’s use of alternative names for the coronavirus such as “kung flu” and “Chinese virus” contributed to the negative perception of Asians.

“This resulted in stereotypes, racism and xenophobia directed towards Chinese people or those perceived as Chinese,” stated De Pacina. The latter

included such Asians as Filipinos, Koreans, Japanese, and Hmongs, among others.

It was Commission chairperson Rochelle Mercedes Garza who said that “language barriers” hindered the reporting of incidents. A number of the incidents are therefore not accounted in official statistics, she said.

Garza said the Commission proposes a “holistic strategy” to combat antiAsian hate incidents. This should include improvements in data collection, legal enforcement, community support, and education initiatives.

The Commission wants prosecutors and law enforcers to “vigorously investigate and prosecute” hate crimes. It also wants first responders to be trained on identifying hate crimes.

The body also wants the language brier to be addressed in federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies and victim services.

At the very least, Garza’s proposed holistic strategy is worth trying out to see if it can have a measurable effect in ending the scourge that is Asian hate.

This resource is supported in whole or in part by funding provided by the State of California, administered by the California State Library in partnership with the California Department of Social Services and the California Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs as part of the Stop the Hate program. To report a hate incident or hate crime and get support, go to https:// www.cavshate.org/.

(From page 1) racism.

A review of the report written by Michelle De Pacina came out in the online site Nextshark late last month.

The report, titled “The Federal Response to AntiAsian Racism in the United States” assessed the increase in anti-Asian hate crimes in the country from 2019 to 2021, and evaluated that federal government’s role in addressing and enforcing hate crime laws.

De Pacina said the re-

$550

408.286.9360 408.286.9311

7 October 5-11, 2023

 NATIONAL NATIONAL NEWS NEWS

Arroyo faces graft complaint over P38.8-B Malampaya fund QUEZON CITY – A group has filed a complaint before the Office of the Ombudsman against House Deputy Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo for allegedly misusing P38.8 billion of the Malampaya fund during her term.

Arroyo’s lawyer, Ferdinand Topacio, shrugged off the graft and corruption complaint saying the expenses were all in order contrary to the claims of the complainant, adding that the complaint will be dismissed.

Topacio said they have yet to receive the official copy of the complaint filed before the Office of the Ombudsman by Petronilo Ilagan of the National Association of Energy Consumers for Reforms, Inc. (Nasecore) and Rogelio Reyes of Boses ng Konsyumer Al-

liance, Inc. accusing Arroyo of abusing her presidential discretion by disbursing the fund out of its intended use.

“We cannot make any specific comments as of this time. Suffice it to state that based on newspaper reports, the complainant admits that the funds concerned were used for public purposes,” Topacio said.

The lawyer emphasized that the public funds were used in accordance with existing laws.

“Therefore, in accordance with settled legal principles, President Arroyo has done no wrongdoing during her term, and we are confident that these charges will be proven false, in the same manner that other accusations made before them have been shown to

be baseless,” he said.

The complaint was based on a 2017 Commission on Audit (COA) report showing that Arroyo disbursed a total of PHP38.807 billion from the government’s share in the Malampaya fund, which was categorized by the audit body as improper due to non-compliance with existing laws, rules and regulations.

The complainants said the funds in question went to various projects not covered by Presidential Decree No. 910, such as agriculture, irrigation, calamity rehabilitation, relocation and housing projects, infrastructure and transportation, among other “unrelated projects.”

Rep. Macapagal-Arroyo

SC orders Palace, Congress to answer petition vs. Maharlika Fund MANILA - The Supreme Court has ordered Malacañang and Congress to comment on the petition assailing the constitutionality of the Maharlika Investment Fund (MIF) Act of 2023.

The SC asked for comment within 10 days from Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno, the Senate and the House of Representatives.

The respondents are also expected to com-

ment on the petitioners’ request for the SC to issue a temporary restraining order against the MIF. On September 18, 2023, Bayan Muna chairman Neri Colmenares, former Bayan Muna Representatives Isagani Zarate and Ferdinand Gaite, and Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III challenged the constitutionality of the MIF on three grounds.

The petitioners said the MIF failed to

satisfy the test of economic viability, which they said was among the limitations imposed by the Constitution to “ensure that government haphazardly relinquish its governmental functions without basis.”

Moreover, the Treasurer of the Philippines submitted a three-page business proposal for the MIF to comply with the test of economic viability. The proposal said that MIF may generate a return on equity of around 6.51%

to 10.78%.

Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri said the he welcomed “the Supreme Court’s order for the Executive and the Legislative to file their Comment to the petition.”

“We respect any move to bring the MIF Act to the Supreme Court, and we assure everyone that the Senate will actively take part in the court proceedings, including filing the necessary responsive pleading,” Zubiri said.

Comelec forms task force to probe ‘irregularities’ in 2016 polls bidding MANILA – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has created a task force that will investigate allegations of corruption and irregularities in the bidding of the 2016 automated election system (AES) project.

The Task Force will be composed of 12 members, picked based on their credibility and relation to the process.

Comelec chairperson George Erwin Garcia said a memorandum has been issued to concerned departments to make available all the necessary documents, contracts, and papers related to the procurement of the AES in 2016.

“We want to know the root cause of Comelec chairperson George Erwin Garcia this. Are the accusations true? What are the

pieces of evidence in the hands of America?

Who are the other people involved in this issue?” Comelec chairperson George Erwin Garcia said on the sidelines of the signing of a memorandum of agreement between the poll body and the Public Attorney’s Office to strengthen cases of vote buying at The Manila Hotel.

The probe is related to the money laundering charges filed by the United States Department of Homeland Security against former Comelec chair Andres Bautista.

According to reports, Bautista allegedly laundered money to US accounts, supposedly bribes from top executives of an unnamed technology service provider firm.

Bautista headed Comelec from April 2015 to October 2017.

Garcia said the task force aims to unmask those involved and whether they are still with Comelec.

“What is the extent of their participation? We are not accusing anything. We are not saying there is a guilty party. But, as an act of diligence, we need to show that we are not hiding anything,” he added.

The Task Force will review all documents and will need to finish before the year ends, Garcia said.

If needed, the Comelec en banc will file charges.

Duterte...

(From page 1)

the Marcos administration’s efforts to control inflation, as against 16 percent who approve.

It should be noted that the survey was conducted at about the time that the government ordered price caps on rice took effect.

Marcos’ handling of inflation is considered his weakest point.

Only last June when Pulse Asia had its last survey, 31 percent disapproved while 37 approved of the government’s response to inflation.

Disapproval rose by 19 percentage points, while public approval sank by 15 percentage points.

Marcos’s price cap policy – which may be lifted as early as this week – proved unpopular with economists and sectoral groups, but most of all with rice retailers who said they

were being forced to sell the staple at below acquisition cost.

Even Marcos’s economic team was caught off guard by the announcement.

The move was seen as a desperate move on the part of the president, who was constantly being reminded of his campaign promise to bring down the price of rice to PHP20 per kilogram.

When the price cap was first announced, prices of rice had ballooned to triple the president’s promise, or inching toward PHP60/ kilo.

The Marcos regime also received low public approval ratings to such key issues as poverty reduction (29 percent in September as against 43 percent in June), increasing workers’ base pay (41 percent from 52 percent), the

fight against corruption (45 percent), creating more jobs (43 percent from 53 percent), and addressing involuntary hunger (46 percent).

Economists have pointed out that the Marcos regime’s kneejerk reaction of providing financial assistance AKA “ayuda” to various sectors ranging from rice retailers to the public transport sector was simply bad economics, as it solved one problem by creating another.

It was also pointed out that not all intended beneficiaries receive the promised funds, either because their release was trapped in the government bureaucracy or various low level government officials skimmed a percentage of the money for their personal benefit.

Furthermore, the ayuda was deemed as insufficient by many quarters.

Newsom...

(From page 1)

to represent California in the Senate.

President Joe Biden called Butler to congratulate her after she was sworn in.

Newsom had previously considered appointing Butler as his chief of staff, when she was still with the San Francisco-based consulting firm now known as Bearstar Strategies.

Butler received a warm welcome at the Senate, where lawmakers from both parties gathered around her to shake her hand after

she was sworn in.

Prior to her appointment, Butler served as president of Emily’s List, the political action committee that supports Democrats who support abortion rights.

The appointment of Butler is short-term, and she will have to prepare herself for a fivemonth campaign should she opt to run for the position she has just assumed.

An advisor to Newsom told media that the governor appointed Butler without putting

limitations or preconditions on his pick running for the seat next year.

Feinstein had served as mentor to Newsom even as she was breaking barriers as a senator.

Newsom keeps a promise he made to name a Black woman to the Senate following the departure of now Vice President Harris.

Butler is a known confidant of Harris, serving as senior strategist on her 2020 vice presidential campaign.

to skyrocket; the controversy over their intelligence funds; and the helplessness of the country to stop China’s non-stop intrusions into the country’s waters and bullying of Filipino fishermen.

For Marcos, his 80 percent approval rating as of June, this year, sank to 65 percent as of September, this year.

For Duterte, her 84 percent approval rating for the same June 2023 period also took a nosedive to 73 percent.

This meant a 15 percent fall for Marcos, and an 11 percent fall for Duterte.

According to the Pulse Asia survey conducted between September 10 to 14, this year, 56 percent of Filipino families disapprove of

million and a $62 million private jet. Most of the wealth she left behind came from her second husband, billionaire Richard Blum.

Butler was sworn in by Vice President Kamala Harris, and she is the third Black female senator in US history. Her appointment came just two days after Feinstein died at her home in Washington.

She is also the first openly LGBTQ person

9 October 5-11, 2023

242 villages placed by Comelec under areas of concern MANILA – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) reported that 242 villages in the country were included under the red category of election areas of concern (EAC) ahead of the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE).

Comelec data show that the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao recorded the highest number of villages under the red category as of Sept. 20 at 147, Comelec Commissioner Aimee Ferolino said.

She said this classification may still progress as the Oct. 30, 2023 BSKE nears.

“Historically, pag palapit na tayo sa election, mag-iintensify ‘yung rivalry kasi lalo’t mag-u-umpisa na ang campaign period. Kasi iyong sentiments ng mga tao, so emotions will be high, we’re expecting higher incidents and higher categories will be classified under the red (Historically, rivalry intensifies as the election nears, especially since the campaign period is about to start. This is due to people’s sentiments, so emotions will be high. We’re ex-

US, PHL,

(From page 1)

The exercises spearheaded by the US and Philippine navies and Marines comes just a week after the Philippine Coast Guard removed a Beijing-ordered floating barrier that was obstructing Filipino fishing vessels from accessing a shoal 150 miles off the west coast of the Philippines and a fishing boat was rammed by a foreign tanker at Scarborough Shoal killing three fishermen. (See related stories.)

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. defended the removal of the China floating barriers as Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. equated Chinese behavior in the region to that of a schoolyard bully.

“Exercise Samasama” (Together) which is also joined by New Zealand, Indonesia and Malaysia kicked off on Oct. 2 and ends on Oct. 13 in the waters of Manila and Naval Forces Southern Luzon, said Armed Forces of the Philippines chief of staff Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr., adding it highlights the country’s efforts to leverage its alliances to improve its territorial defense capabilities.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines earlier said “Exercise Samasama” aims to further improve maritime integration and combined interoperability with the Japan Maritime Self Defense Force (JMSDF), Royal Australian Navy (RAN), Royal Canadian Navy (RCN), and the United Kingdom’s Royal Navy (RN) through subject-matter expert exchanges (SMEEs) and humanitarian assistance and disaster response table-top events.

“Basically, when it comes to territorial defense we cannot do it alone. So we have to leverage our alliances and our partnerships with like-minded nations. So that’s what we are doing. And ‘Exercise Samasama’ is one of the venues by which we can do that, leveraging our alliances and partnerships,” Brawner said.

Officially called by US as Maritime Training Activity Sama Sama 2023, it is the seventh and largest iteration of the drills as participants from Australia, Canada, France, Japan, the United Kingdom and Malaysia join the US and the Philippines, according to the US Navy.

The exercises off the Philippine coast will include drills on anti-submarine, surface and air warfare as well as land phases, the US Navy added.

“Exercise SAMASAMA is about enhancing interoperability, fostering regional cooperation, and tackling non-traditional challenges that transcend our borders,” Philippine Navy chief Vice Admiral Toribio Adaci Jr. said during the opening ceremony at the Philippine Navy Headquarters in Manila.

“From territorial defense to countering transnational crimes, SAMASAMA equips us

to face an array of threats together,” he added.

For his part, US 7th Fleet commander Vice Admiral Karl Thomas said, “It is really important that we all recognize that the global maritime commons are used by everybody and everybody wants maritime global commons to be free and open.”

“When we do exercises like SAMASAMA, it allows us to really focus our efforts to improve across all of the countries, across all of the navies.”

For the Philippines, BRP Antonio Luna (FF151), an AW109 naval helicopter, C-90 aircraft, and a Naval Special Operations Unit will participate during the sea phase of the exercise. War ships of US, Canada and others will join in the other exercises.

Capt. Sean Lewis, commodore of the US Navy’s Destroyer Squadron 7, said of the war drills: “Together we can address a spectrum of security threats and enhance interoperability and with more nations participating than ever before, we can increase innovation and build a ready, united force that ensures stability in the region.”

Prior to the war exercises, Lindsey Ford, deputy assistant secretary of the US Defense Department, assured before the US House of Representatives that th US will “surely invoke” its Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) with the Philippines if an armed attack against the country’s “assets, including those of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), is committed in the South China Sea.” Ford gave the assurance before the US House of Representatives, which tackled China’s continued aggression in the waters, including laser pointing and water cannon attacks against Philippine personnel.

“The [Defense] department has been incredibly clear when it comes to our treaty commitments to the Philippines,” Ford told Rep. Young Kim of California, who also heads the subcommittee on Indo-Pacific of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.

“We have said repeatedly and will continue to say that we stand by those commitments,” Ford said as Kim raised criticisms of the US’s commitment to the Philippines.

Ford noted the “credibility” of Washington’s military partnership with Manila, which she described as “a bedrock part” of the US’ security in the Indo-Pacific and globally.

Aside from securing the US military foothold in the Philippines through the nine Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) sites across the country, Ford said Washington is also helping an American company operating in Subic in operating a shipyard it sees as a “critical strategic infrastructure.”

“The fact that US companies are cooperating and helping to build jobs and make sure that that strategic area stays in friendly hands,

pecting higher incidents and higher categories will be classified under the red),” she said.

Ferolino explained that for an area to be included under the red category means it hit a lot of parameters in terms of security threats. If the situation gets worse, the area may be declared under Comelec control.

Among the parameters set under this category include the occurrence of suspected election-related incidents, the existence of intense political rivalry, possible employment of partisan or private armed groups, the occurrence of politically-motivated election-related incidents, and history of declaration of Comelec areas of concern and Comelec control.

Ferolino said places under the red category are considered to be on the watchlist and need to be carefully monitored because there’s a threat.

Moreover, around 1,257 villages around the country were placed under the orange category, including a single area in Metro Manila.

I think, is incredibly important,” Ford added.

In the same congressional hearing, Vice Admiral Andrew Tiongson, US Coast Guard Pacific Area commander, said that the PCG has “our largest security sector assistance program with them.”

President has pledged that his administration will continue to defend the Philippines’ maritime territory as well as the rights of Filipino fisherfolk.

Marcos made the vow as he justified his recent order to remove the floating barriers installed by the China Coast Guard in the southeast entrance of Scarborough Shoal, also known as Bajo de Masinloc.

Marcos said he would assert the country’s rights over Philippine waters, but clarified that he is not picking a fight with China.

“Hindi tayo naghahanap ng gulo. Basta gagawin natin, patuloy nating ipagtatanggol ang Pilipinas, ang maritime territory ng Pilipinas, ang mga karapatan ng mga fishermen natin na mangisda doon sa mga areas kung saan sila nangingisda daang-daang taon na (We are not looking for trouble. What we will do is continue defending the Philippines, the maritime territory of the Philippines, the rights of our fishermen who have been fishing there for hundreds of years),” he said.

“Kaya’t hindi ko maintindihan bakit nagbago ng ganito. Basta’t kagaya ng sabi ko, umiiwas nga tayo sa gulo, umiiwas tayo sa mga maiinit na salita ngunit matibay ang ating pagdepensa sa teritoryo ng Pilipinas (So I don’t understand why it changed like this. But as I said, we avoid trouble, we avoid heated exchange but our defense of Philippine territory is strong),” Marcos added.

Marcos said the removal of floating barriers at Bajo de Masinloc would enable local fisherfolk to increase their catch.

He added that he would not allow foreign entities to put up a barrier “that is within the Philippines.”

“But in terms of taking down the barrier, I don’t see what else we could do dahil talaga ‘yung mga fishermen, noong pinutol ‘yong tali, ‘yung mga nakapasok na fishermen noong araw na ‘yun, nakahuli sila ng 164 tons na isda. So, sa isang araw pa lang ‘yun (because the fishermen, when the barrier was removed, the fishermen who entered that day, they caught 164 tons of fish. So, that’s just in one day),” he said.

Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin said the Philippine government is “seriously” studying the case buildup against China, in the wake of its installation of floating barriers at Bajo de Masinloc.

Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said the Philippine government’s legal team is determining the proper complaint that will be filed against China, most likely before the Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration

(PCA) or other bodies such as the International Court of Justice.

Bajo de Masinloc is an integral part of the Philippines over which it has sovereignty and territorial jurisdiction, according to United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. On July 12, 2016, the PCA affirmed Bajo de Masinloc as a traditional fishing ground of Filipino fisherfolk.

In Washington, Assistant Secretary Ford, in her submitted statement to the US House of Representative Committee on Foreign Affairs hearing, “Lasers and Water Cannons: Exposing China’s Harassment in the South China,” argued that China’s actions over the contested region are not isolated incidents.

“These actions demonstrate a pattern of increasingly risky and coercive behavior, a manifestation of PRC’s growing willingness to use its military instrument of power to achieve its foreign policy objectives,” she said.

Ford pointed out that China, over the past decades, added “more than 3,200 acres of land to its seven occupied outposts” in the Spratlys, which now feature airfields, berthing areas, and resupply facilities.

Since 2018, she said, China has “steadily equipped its Spratly Island outposts, including Mischief Reef, Subi Reef, and Fiery Cross, with an increasing array of military capabilities.”

Ford said China uses these outposts “to support People’s Armed Forces Maritime Militia (PAFMM) vessels, People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) deployments, and China Coast Guard (CCG) operations in the South China Sea, including routine harassment of Southeast Asian nations’ vessels and assets, undermining these nations’ sovereign rights under international law.”

“We’ve witnessed a sharp uptick in coercive and risky operational behavior by the PRC, threatening the safety not only of US forces but of allied and partner forces operating in the South China Sea,” she said.

Rep. Young Kim of California’s 40th congressional district, chair of the House Subcommittee on Indo-Pacific, said she has witnessed the situation over the disputed waters and agrees that the US must support the small littoral states in the region.

Kim last month led a bipartisan congressional delegation to the Philippines and flew on a mission with the US Navy over the South China Sea. “(What) we saw is congestion. Instead of open water, we saw civilian fishing fleets from South Asian countries, patrols from the Philippine Coast Guard, and vessels from PLA Navy and Chinese Coast Guard – by far the largest and the most common vessels in the sea, all vying for the same waters and islets,” she said.

 OPINION

October 5-11, 2023

FRANCIS ESPIRITU MARILYN B. KING

Publisher/President

Vice President for Sales and Marketing

THELMA L. CRUZ

Vice President for Operations & Promotions

ALFRED G. GABOT

BETING LAYGO DOLOR

CHERIE QUEROL MORENO

CLAIRE M. TRUE

Manila Editor

JUNNI RANILLO

Entertainment Editor

ANGELO LOPEZ Cartoonist

ELEANOR SMITH Office Manager

NICK SAGMIT GEORGE GANGE RENE AVENIDO

Photo Correspondents

Executive Editor

NEIL GONZALES

Chief Correspondent Northern California

LYDIA SOLIS

Chief Correspondent Southern California

Editor-in-chief

Managing Editor

JO ERLINDA YABUT Entertainment Editor

MA. CECILIA G. MADELO

THOMAS G. MADELO JR.

GILDA PASION BALAN FRANCO G. REGALA ALI MACABALANG JEANNE MICHAEL PENARANDA

BLESIE D. SISON ALBERT MARTINEZ RENE AMON

Graphic Director

Manila Correspondents

Creative Director

Account Executives

VAL G. ABELGAS, HOMOBONO A. ADAZA, PERRY DIAZ, JOJO LIANGCO, JO ERLINDA G. NEBRES, ROY C. MABASA, ART G. MADLAING, FR. JOEPEL PADIT, RODEL E. RODIS, LOURDES TANCINCO ESQ, MELANDREW T. VELASCO, DANTES & CYNTHIA VELUZ, CRISTINA OSMENA, LUDY ONGKEKO. COLUMNISTS

The views and opinions expressed herein by writers, columnists and advertisers are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the publisher, management and staff of Philippines Today. We are not responsible for incorrect printing, photographical errors or information listed or for loss or damage of unsolicited manuscripts.

Reproduction or redistribution in whole or in part is prohibited.

We proudly celebrate Filipino American History Month

O

ctober marks Filipino American History Month and it’s as good a time as any for all Filipinos and Fil-Ams to take stock of themselves and where they stand vis-à-vis their adopted home as well as their motherland.

For an estimated four million of us, the US is where we have established our roots for good.

There is no doubt that the Republic of the Philippines has a rich heritage, one that stretches far beyond the Spanish occupation, which is when most historians consider as the start of the country’s existence.

This is not true, of course. But there is precious little that is known about the various kingdoms that eventually came to be known as the Philippines, or Pilipinas as it should be called.

Yes, all Filipinos know of Lapu Lapu and his conquest of the Spanish invaders. There are also bits and pieces of data which may or may not be historical facts. But how many know that as far back as four centuries ago, the first Filipinos had managed to find their way to what would eventually become the United States of America?

Today, both the US and the Philippines are alive if not perfectly well.

We shall not engage in any debate on the legitimacy or lack thereof of the current administration back home, although we must state that we remain disturbed by the revelations regarding the conduct of the 2022 elections that saw the rise of the son and namesake of the former dictator as president of the republic.

At least the US has a legitimately elected president despite the claims and protestations of a former chief executive desperate to make a comeback.

As President Joe Biden’s congratulatory message to FilAms said, we are now a part of the US’s body politic. FilAms, he said, “have helped forge the very idea of America.”

Still, it is a truism that all who have made the US their home still have strong feelings for their homeland. And thankfully, there is much about our countrymen who have done and continue to do us proud.

Be it in the business, sports, entertainment, or any other arena of note, there are Filipinos and/or Fil-Ams whom we can all consider as modern day heroes. These are the men and women who do us proud, especially when they wear the colors of our flag as a statement saying “I am Filipino.”

Then there are the ordinary men and women who may not be known outside their circle of family and friends but who can be considered patriots nonetheless. All they need do is to live decent lives, raise God-fearing families, work hard, and do the day to day things that show the rest of the world that Filipinos are by and large good human beings.

But while there are many things that unite us as Filipinos living in the US, there are also other things that divide us, with politics being on top of the list.

Here in the US, one is either a Republican or a Democrat. We vote for one or the other, accept the winner, and go one with our lives. Not so, back in the islands.

There are, sad to say, too many people in power back home who constantly bring shame to us. They act as if political and economic power are their birthright, and ignore the fact that they are supposed to be public servants.

We here are lucky. We can refuse to let our political differences divide us. We will celebrate all the good things that are part of being who we are this Filipino American History Month. Why? Because we are proud of who we are.

Mabuhay and Estados Unidos, Mabuhay ang Pilipinas!

I

US keeps border closed to 2 Filipina teachers

n addition to all the other problems facing the Bay Area—outof-reach housing prices, homelessness, fentanyl, looting, organized retail thefts, and gangs of teens attacking unarmed people with hammers—there is a shortage of teachers. Moreover, to affording housing on a teacher’s salary, teachers may drive hours to get to work. Add to that some hefty requirements to qualify as a teacher, especially in the specialty fields, and it all adds up to what has been a challenging hiring environment for schools that was only exacerbated by a rush of retirements during the Covid lockdown.

Especially difficult to hire are teachers in math, science, technology, and special education. It is typical for a Bay Area school district to announce such positions on EDJOIN.org and receive no replies.

“I hear some districts are short hundreds of qualified teachers,” said Ben Turner, Principal of Benjamin Franklin Intermediate School in Daly City. “Right now, a qualified math teacher that is doing well in class is pretty extraordinary.”

That is why we should all be puzzled by Sharena Domingo’s and Angeline Osana’s situations. Both worked as teachers in the Jefferson Elementary School District in Daly City— Domingo as a math teacher and Osana as a special educator. Both obtained the right to work in the United States through J-1 visas for which they applied at the US Embassy in Manila.

The J-1 visa terms out after five years and the holders, in this case Domingo and Osana, must return to their countries. While Domingo and Osana may reapply after two years in the Philippines, they are eager to return to their Bay Area lives, their jobs, and their homes. Here are two people who are natural fits in the local community with places to stay that are close to their places of work. Spending their savings on lawyers, they are trying to return to their US homes through legal means.

It stands in sharp contrast to the situation at the southern border. Since October 2020, US Customs and Border Protection has counted 6.7 million Southwest border “encounters” with illegal immigrants. “Encounters” tripled from fiscal 2020 to fiscal 2021 (that’s the US fiscal year, October to September) before proceeding to climb from those levels. These figures represent only a shadow of the most important number, a number that cannot be tracked— how many people have crossed into the United States whether or not the government knows about them.

I jokingly asked why these teachers not return to Daly City the same way. “They need to (Continued on page 20) do it the ethical way,” said one representative.

Upside

Philippine News Today is published weekly by Philippines Today LLC with business and editorial offices at 156 South Spruce Ave Ste 205 South San Francisco CA 94080 Phone no . 650-872-3200 E-fax # 650-745-1442 and website address www.pnewstoday.com and email address advertising@philippinestodayus.com or editor@philippinestodayus.com MANILA OFFICE: Le Marquis Townhomes, 51 P. Tuazon Blvd. Quezon City 1112, Tels. 8546.8426, 8451.1892, 8546.8421

10

Upside will return on October 12, 2023 issue.

CHERIE M. QUEROL MORENO

T

Remembering a lost sister

wo years ago , after her October 5th birthday, my sister Carmen joined her Maker.

I had seen her in July at my son’s house in Benicia, having driven all the way from Sacramento, and she seemed healthy. I had no inkling that she would be leaving us soon.

Less than three months later, she was gone.

Carmen, Meng to her friends, was a brilliant and great writer and journalist. She started in media after her journalism course at the University of Santo Tomas, long before I did. She was a columnist and editor for Betty Go Belmonte’s “Star” publication and was credited by reporters under her for being instrumental in making them good at their craft.

It was she, who told me, after I started my journalistic career at the Daily Express and expressed doubt about staying in media, that once I was in it, I would never leave. She was right!

She, however, did , after the Fil-American paper in San Francisco published by George Nervez, closed shop. I honestly believe that in doing so, she robbed her readers of the joy of reading her writings.

A devoted mother, a doting grandmother, Carmen was always there for them, sharing the burden of raising her grandchildren.

She enjoyed the company of her friends, traveling to different places around the world, and told me that she had completed her bucket list, which included a trip to the Holy Land.

I have the utmost admiration for my sister for her courage in the face of impending death. I could not have been so brave!

I visited her thrice when the end was near and she told me that she had refused further medical means to prolong her life. I believe she was motivated by the desire not to burden her children further.

During our conversations, brief as they were, I noticed a change in the Carmen I knew and loved. She was humbler, more forgiving, resigned to her fate.

I remember Carmen more vividly on the eve of her birthday. I remember going to parties during our college years and spending most of the time talking to her because we were apart on weekdays, as I was a boarder, so to speak, at the Assumption in my senior year. I remember watching a ballet performance at the Cultural Center of the Philippines with her, going to Lake Tahoe at the height of a snow storm, our communications by mail when we were oceans apart, and a wave of loneliness engulfs me.

Yes, I miss my sister Carmen and I will always remember her for her generosity and her fierce loyalty to the people she loved .

Happy birthday, dear sister, in that place where you have finally found peace and joy in God’s heaven!

11 October 5-11, 2023

 OPINION

A

Volunteer nurses join medical mission in PHL

Diliman Way

M

Health & Wealth

s a book author, columnist, accredited and commissioned Notary Public, founder of Mobile Signing Services (MSS) and active Evangelist any lawyers have with the GOLDEN GATE been killed during CHURCH OF CHRIST in the Duterte and the San Francisco, California, I current BBM regimes. I am was blessed and fortunate to not surprised since on the levnotarize and follow up the ART GABOT MADLAING el of qualifications and perapostille of important papers formance – Duterte and BBM needed by three volunteer are perfect Siamese twins. A nurses for their medical misflood of words and a flood of sion in the Philippines. inability to solve problems Last week, Marissa Abordo Biteng called me and retypify the Duterte and BBM quested help for the notarization and apostille follow up of administrations.

“APPLICATION FOR AUTHORITY TO PRACTICE BY A The whys: Why lawyers HOMOBONO A. ADAZA “ FOREIGNER” for her and two other volunteer nurses. Maget killed in our country in rissa scheduled for appointment after office hours last Tuesgreat numbers in the RRD and BBM regimes? At no time in the life of our country, ex- day, August 29, 2023 in my home office in San Francisco, cept probably during the time of FE Marcos, when killing of California.

I met Marissa Abordo Biteng and her fellow volunteer everyone, not just lawyers, has become prevalent to the point nurses Lourdes L. Gatchalian and Amparo V. Madrigal last of it becoming a habit, if not institutionalized.

During the FM dictatorship, dissenters and activists, espe- Tuesday, 6:30 pm, August 29, 2023. After some preliminarcially rebels or revolutionaries, got killed for the most illegal ies, I found out that they will be joining the medical mission and criminal reasons. That practice has been continued during work with volunteer doctors at resettlement areas in Quezon the Duterte and BBM administrations. And most of the time, City, Philippines in January, 2024. They will help the volunthe culprits belong to the military and police establishments teer doctors in giving free medical check-ups, checking blood with their agents and associates – almost every time, no jus- pressures, provide medicines and other medical assistance to indigent and poor families in the area. tice has been given to the victims.

After reviewing the completed “APPLICATION FOR The specifics: Lawyers get killed for many reasons, among them are the following – 1) by having committed acts which AUTHORITY TO PRACTICE BY A FOREIGNER” and enare viewed by the people who masterminded the killing as closures, I notarized the needed papers for Marissa Abordo unjust either by themselves or by representing clients whose Biteng, Lourdes L. Gatchalian and Amparo V. Madrigal. Then, acts are unjust; 2) by having stolen the affection of a wife or I had them signed my JOURNAL OF NOTARIAL ACTS and a girl friend; 3) by associating with revolutionary or criminal put their right thumbmarks. I, subsequently, submitted the groups; 4) by being very vocal in denouncing powerful per- notarized documents to the Secretary of State, Notary Public Section, in Sacramento, California for apostille. After notarisons, both public or private These reasons for killing are hardly different from the mo- zation of the documents, I expressed my appreciation to the tives in killing non-lawyers. In the old days, however, it was three volunteer nurses, who are registered nurses with Kaiser not easy to kill lawyers. There was morbid fear to kill lawyers Permanente in South San Francisco, California.

“I personally commend and thank you for your spirit of because such act would trigger condemnation from the people. Why? Then, lawyers were considered assets to the com- volunteerism in joining the medical mission in Quezon City munity. It was a noble profession. Lawyers were considered next year. God bless you all for your humanitarian efforts in helping our indigent and poor countrymen back home,” I angels of justice.

But now: Times have changed with the law profession. echoed.

“I fully appreciate your humanitarian efforts to help alleThere are giant law firms all over the place cornering big corporate clients. In a sense, the profession has become a busi- viate the physical conditions of the poor and indigent families ness. In the old days, professors in law colleges would tell because my beloved wife Virginia Jimenez and I have been you that law is a noble profession. It is to serve the people to involved since 2012 in the annual WE CARE Evangelism dispense justice. It was stressed that law is one of the pillars Campaign & Workshop in the Philippines to help alleviate the spiritual conditions and health of Filipinos in our home of democracy and stable government.

What happened? Just like the weather, times have dramati- country,” I explained.

We, at MSS, are committed, dedicated and will continue cally changed. There is a failure of a good value system. Then, human values were important like – the inviolable character to assist and help our old and new clients especially the elof the human person, being honest, telling the truth, saying derly, veterans and those physically handicapped in the signwhat you mean and meaning what you say, serving the people ing, notarization and apostille follow-up of Affidavits, DEED not just serving yourself, being industrious instead of being OF DONATION, Special Power of Attorney, DEED OF ABlazy, working to earn a living instead of begging, principles SOLUTE SALE, Proof of Life, Deed of Extrajudicial Settleinstead of convenience, believing in God and doing God’s ment of Estate and other documents needed in the Philippines.

Here are some advantages and benefits with MSS: words.

1.

AVOID TAKE OFF FROM WORK – You don’t In our time, what has become the most important value is – Money. Everything revolves around money. In judging a need to take off from work and drive to Sacramento just to person, the most important question is – does he have money? submit the notarized documents for apostille by the Secretary Money, money, money – everything is defined in terms of of Estate, Notary Public Section. MSS will take care of everything for you. money’ 2.

VERY FLEXIBLE APPOINTMENTS – We ofUnfortunately, the law profession has adopted the primary value of Philippine society – Money. These days, lawyers, as fer very flexible appointments for old and new clients dura rule, ask first whether the prospective client has money. If no ing regular office hours, after office hours (like what Marissa, money – the prospective client is rejected and referred to PAO Lourdes and Amparo did) and weekends except on Sundays.

3.

DISCOUNTS FOR THE ELDERLY AND VETor lawyer assistance organization like CLASP, FLAG, UPL and other such organization. But they do not exist everywhere ERANS- We offer special discounts for the elderly and veterans. except in select cities.

4.

FREE PARKING – When we had our Office at Killing: Killing has become a national institution and a profession. There are many guns for hire – most of them with the Philippine Center near the Philippine Consulate Office experience in the handling of guns like policemen or retired or in downtown San Francisco, our old clients were complaindismissed policemen; military men whether active or retired ing about the expensive parking fees. With our home office in San Francisco, California, old and new clients can have or dismissed from the service.

No wonder lawyers get killed. They, too, have become FREE parking in our driveway and the available street parking spaces nearby. parts of the game.

5.

FLEXIBLE NOTARIZATION LOCATIONS – For Problem: With the deaths of lawyers, why is there only ce in San Francisco, few prosecutions, much less (Continue on page 20) those who can’t come to our home offi (Continue on page 20) we can do the signing and notari“When wealth is lost, nothing is lost.

When health is lost, something is lost.

But when character is lost, everything is lost.”

-Mayor PEDRO ADAZA, JR. of Catarman, Camiguin

What does it mean when no one is above the law, gag order?

A

s we move on watching in television how House Speaker Kevin McCarthy was ousted from his position by his GOP colleagues, we are confronted with many more developments such as the meaning of no one is above the law and the gag order.

Well, this means that no person, government official or government is above the law following principles that are funda- ELPIDIO R. ESTIOKO mental in preserving the rule of law: All people are ruled by the law. Law enforcers, the government and judges must adhere to the law without bias or prejudice.

(Rule of Law Education Centre) In ordinary parlance, this idiom is often used to describe people in high-level positions who wrongly believe they should not have to obey rules or laws because they think they are too important or too powerful. Idiom: above the law means not having to obey the law or rules; not required to follow rules or standards (Oyster English).

As we witnessed the appearance of former President Donald Trump (Monday) before Judge Arthur Engoron in the $250 million civil case against him, we are reminded of New York Attorney General Letitia James’ initial statement when Judge Engoron ruled against Trump - “no one is above the law.”

Before the trial yesterday, James reiterated her position that Trump for years engaged in “persistent and repeated fraud.” “No matter how powerful you are, and no matter how much money you think you have, no one is above the law,” she said on her way into the courthouse before Judge Engoron.

The judge overseeing the civil trial of former President Donald Trump in New York issued a gag order barring those involved in the case from posting information about his staff. Trump is facing allegations he and his company falsified business and personal records for financial gain. (CBS News chief election and campaign correspondent Robert Costa reports).

Judge Arthur Engoron told all participants in the case not to smear court personnel, warning of “serious sanctions” if they do.

Rebuking Donald Trump, judge Engoron imposed a limited gag order Tuesday in the former president’s civil business fraud trial and ordered him to delete a social media post that publicly maligned a key court staffer. (New York, AP) “Personal attacks on members of my court staff are unacceptable, not appropriate, and I will not tolerate them,” Engoron said after complaining — without naming names — about a defendant’s” disparaging, untrue and personally identifying post about a member of my staff.”

In a separate article by Matthew J. Galluzzo, he stated that a gag order basically instructs a party to a litigation to refrain from speaking publicly about the case. Galluzzo said New York judge overseeing a criminal case has the power to issue a gag order over one or more of the parties to the case. Gag orders are relatively rare, however. They certainly are not done as a matter of routine. The Constitution guarantees the right to free speech, after all, and courts are generally loath to abridge those rights. However, gag orders may be necessary to protect other valuable rights under the Constitution, such as the right to a fair trial (contained in the Sixth Amendment of the Bill of Rights), as well as the all-important “true administration of justice”.

Just like what judge Engoron has done, a gag order can be imposed upon a defendant where the defendant makes deliberate attempts to undermine the “true administration of justice” by tampering with the jury pool and making extrajudicial statements. Already, Mr. Trump has made numerous postings in social media (Truth Social etc.) about the alleged bias of the prosecutor and the trial judge, and slammed the charges as being baseless and politically motivated, among other things.

Reports said that Mr. Trump might argue that his statements about the case relate to his campaign for president. While that may be true in part, there is no question that he hopes to persuade potential jurors of his innocence by making these claims about the case.

In the least, he has to be aware of the fact that his public statements about the case – which immediately become the subject of numerous national media stores – could taint the jury pool in Manhattan. So, a gag order seems likely in this case. In short, if Mr. Trump wants to speak to the jurors in his case, he will have to take the oath and subject himself to cross-examination.

Given what we know of Mr. Trump’s personality and character, it seems inevitable that he would violate such a gag order (in fact he already started it) and speak publicly about the charges. Notwithstanding his general inclination to talk about everything that crosses his mind, it would actually be difficult to run for president without discussing pending criminal charges against oneself. So, then, it is worth asking what would happen if Mr. Trump were to violate the gag order.

Pursuant to NY Judiciary Law Section 750, violations of gag orders are prosecuted by courts. A court would have to conduct an evidentiary hearing on the issue of the (Continue on page 20)

As I See It

Why kill lawyers?

 BUSINESS | IMMIGRATIONS Strategies under F2B petition for faster unification There are many strategies that you can make for you and your family to be united faster in the United States. For most of the immigrants, family unity is the most important part of staying in the United States. However, many failed to use strategies or processes that will make them united faster than what is happening. Some of them are discussed below: 1. For an adult child of a permanent resident, it is faster to petition a child as permanent resident than petition by a U.S. citizen parent. The priority date for F2B petition for an adult child is Oct. 2011 while under F1 as a married child of US citizen is March 2012.

2. It will be better and faster if the adult child is not married because a petition for a married child takes longer than that of a single child. This can also be facilitated by an annulment of marriage so that a child can be considered as single.

3. Fling a petition for spouse and all qualified children once an immigrant received his green card. Remember that even if you are a green card holder, you can petition your spouse and children as soon as you received your green card, even a conditional green card. You do not have to wait for you to become a U.S. citizen to petition a wife or husband and children.

There are many cases when a minor child could have been included in the petition but for some reason they were left behind and aged out. This is primarily due to waiting to be a citizen before filing a petition.

Example: Jose and Maria have a relationship but are not married. They have a minor child, Peter who is ten years old. Jose was petitioned by his father as single under F2B. When his priority date becomes current, he and his son below 21 years may accompany him and get a green card. Once he received his green card, he immediately travelled to the U.S. and went back to the Philippines to marry Maria. He then filed a petition for Maria. The priority date for F2a for spouse of green card holder as of October 1, 2023, is February 8, 2019. This means the wait time is only 4 years. Note that the strategy here is not marrying Maria as wife to allow the son Peter to accompany Jose to the U.S. and later petition for Maria. The F2b usually has a waiting period of 11 years as single adult son whereas for a married child under F3, the waiting period is usually 21 years. In summary, Jose saved time as a single by about 10 years.

Peter saves time by about 21 years if the petition for Jose is as married. Maria saves 17 years if they were married when Jose was petitioned by his father.

Note: This is not legal advice and presented for information purposes only. If you have immigration problems the Law Offices of Crispin C. Lozano can help you find a solution before your problem gets worse, which could lead to deportation and family separation.

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT 1.

PETITION FOR CAREGIVERS Our Law Firm entered into agreement with Care Home Facilities in the U.S. to process applicants for Caregivers in the US You may qualify if you six months experience as Caregivers Applicants Inside the United States or in the Philippines or other countries may qualify.

Bankruptcy Basics We also process Bankruptcy cases.

1. Bankruptcy will actually improve your credit within one year because your unsecured debts are discharged. Although the bankruptcy will be in your records for 10 years, not filing bankruptcy will make your credit even worse until most of your debts are paid.

If you have immigration problems the Law Offices of Crispin C. Lozano can help you find a solution before your problem gets worse, which could lead to deportation and family separation.

Chris Caday Lozano, Esq. is an active member of the State Bar of California, the American Immigration Lawyers Association and San Francisco Trial Lawyers. He has practiced immigration law, bankruptcy, and income tax representation since June 1999. His contact phone is 1-877-456-9266, email: info@CCLlaw.net Website: www.crispinlozanolaw.com/ with offices in Hayward and DOJ SELLER OR TRAVEL # 2025230-40 Cerritos, CA.

October 5-11, 2023

12

Gov’t readies $1-B Retail Dollar Bonds 2 offering MANILA – The government is confident that it will raise more than US$1 billion from its second offering of Retail Onshore Dollar Bonds (RDB 2), a top official of the Bureau of the Treasury (BTr) said.

“It’s been three days, but we’re seeing the demand, we’re close to the USD1 billion initially that we targeted,” BTr Officer-in-Charge Sharon Almanza said during the Finance department’s weekly press briefing.

The BTr launched on Sept. 27 the RDB 2 and has so far raised US$611.2 million.

The offer period for RDB2 will be until Oct. 6, unless terminated earlier by the

BTr. The national government issues RDBs, which are fixed-income instruments, to provide Filipinos with low-risk, affordable and convenient investments to diversify their portfolios.

The features include a lowered minimum investment amount from US$300 to just US$200, and in multiples of US$100 thereafter; a tenor of 5.5 years, and a gross interest rate of 5.750 percent per annum, payable every quarter until its maturity in 2029.

The national government is also assuming the final withholding tax on interest for RDBs.

US trade mission in PHL, broiler breeder eyes Manila operation MANILA – Alabama-based broiler breeder Aviagen, Inc. is exploring to establish its operations in the Philippines, its Asia Pacific business manager Rafael Monleon said.

At a press conference of the United States Embassy in Taguig City, Monleon said the company is looking into expanding its distribution network in the Philippines by establishing its own operation in the country.

“We already have established customers here and they distribute our products. How-

ever, the availability and the supply of our products are insufficient,” he said.

Monleon added that having its own operation here will address the gap in supply in the local market.

“We are looking perhaps, establishing our own operations so we could add capacity and volume into the market for broiler breeding stock,” he said. “The Philippine industry is very vibrant. Poultry industry is growing well... and there is a demand for quality grown stock, which our company specializes

(510) 964-7067

13 October 5-11, 2023

 ENTERTAINMENT

Bong Revilla calls for lifting ‘Showtime’ suspension on humanitarian grounds Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. has appealed to President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. to reconsider the Movie Television Review and Classification Board’s decision junking the bid of “It’s Showtime” to lift the suspension on the variety show, saying this prevented numerous workers from making a living.

The MTRCB denied the motions for reconsideration filed by GMA Network Inc. and ABS-CBN Corporation for “It’s Showtime” which was suspended due to a segment in which hosts Ryan Bang, Vice Ganda, and Ion Perez allegedly acted indecently or inappropriately in the presence of children.

“Without getting into the merits of the case, the MTRCB should be able to consider the welfare of all the staff and crew [working in the show] who had nothing to do with the cited reason why the show was suspended,” Revilla said in a statement.

“These are the workers who are under a ‘no work, no pay’ scheme. If the suspension pushes through, they won’t have the means to earn a living and put food on the table,” Revilla added.

Revilla said both GMA and ABSCBN could file an appeal with the Office of the President within 15 days, and that humanitarian considerations could be applied to the appeal.

“I think lessons have been learned,” Revilla said.

“If a mistake was made, one person’s sin is not the sin of another. I hope we don’t punish those working hard day-in, day-out just to eke out a living,” Revilla added.

Revilla he believes the two networks will appeal with the OP within the allowed 15-day period, and is confident that once it is reviewed,

humanitarian considerations should be given importance.

“I think lessons have been learned,” the lawmaker expressed.

“Kung nagkaroon man ng pagkakamali, ang kasalanan ni Juan ay hindi kasalanan ni Pedro. So I hope we don’t punish those working hard day in-day out just to eke out a living,” Revilla ended.

Earlier, Sen. Revilla Jr. celebrated his 57th birthday and 50th anniversary in show business at a star-studded event at the Okada Manila grand ballroom.

Politicians, businessmen, showbiz stars and celebrities joined the celebration dubbed Idol Ko si Bong.

Bong’s children — from the eldest Brian, Jolo and his wife, Ina and her husband — celebrated with him, as well as his grandson Gab and his sister Andrea Andeng Ynares.

Showbiz personalities who graced Idol Ko si Bong included Aga Muhlach and Charlene Gonzales, Tirso Cruz III and Lyn Ynchausti, Dawn Zulueta and Anton Lagdameo, Dodot Jaworski and Mikee Cojuangco, Ronnie and Mariz Ricketts, Bayani and Lenlen Agbayani, Federico Moreno and Harlene Bautista.

Also in attendance were Maricel Soriano, Jackielou Blanco, Alma Moreno, Iza Calzado, Gladys Reyes, Jimmy Santos, Sunshine Cruz, Jean Garcia, Ara Mina, Gardo Versoza, Roi Vinzon, Niño Muhlach, Long Mejia, Jillian Ward, Beauty Gonzalez and TV executives Annette Gozon, Cory Vidanes, Carlo Katigbak.

Senators Robin Padilla, Manuel Lito Lapid, Maria Imelda Imee Marcos, Mary Grace Poe, former Senator Manny Pacquiao, Senators Miguel Zubiri, JV Ejercito and Mark Villar were also around.

The 50th anniversary TV special of Bong will be aired on GMA 7 on Oct. 7.

Dapper in a white suit worn over black pants, Sen. Bong tirelessly went from one table to another, from one end of the ballroom to another, greeting all his guests who joined the occasion that night, reported Leah Salterio.

“I’m so blessed,” Bong said. “The Lord gave me everything. After what happened to me, my life has been a rollercoaster of emotions — up and down and up.”

“As long as everything is okay, my family is healthy, however I can help the unfortunate others that they can feel it, I will do it. My wish is that God continue to give me courage and wisdom so I can continue to do my duties,” he added.

The senator’s wife, Lani Mercado, has no other wish for her husband but to see his personal wish come true.

“It’s so hard to make a wish for him,” Lani said. “I just want to see his personal wish fulfilled.

“Of course, I also want to see local cinema prosper again. I know it’s so hard to do that at this point because movies are not the priority of Filipinos lately. The prices of all the commodities are so high, watching movies is not their priority. I pray that we can renew that interest to watch movies again,” she said as quoted by Leah Salterio.

Bong, who is Jose Bautista Jr. in real life, added, “Let’s push for the showbiz industry — film and television — to be alive again. I want to see that happen.”

For his golden anniversary in show business, the veteran action star said he is content to still be around doing projects on TV and even on the big screen.

“I cannot ask for anything more now that I will celebrate my 50 years in showbiz,” he said. “I’m really thankful to the Lord for all the bless-

ings that He gave me and my family.

I’m thankful to all those who believed in me through the years.”

The sit-down dinner consisted of seared sesame crusted Ahi tuna with vegetable salad oriental dressing, cream of artichoke for soup and wild mushroom cream of angel hair pasta.

After a mid-course of lemon raspberry sherbet, came the main course of grilled beef tenderloin with mashed potatoes and buttered vegetables, capped by chocolate fudge cake.

Bong was only seven years old when he was first exposed to the glitz and glamor of show business.

He initially played bit roles in the action films of his late dad, Sen. Ramon Revilla Sr. The first was Armando Herrera’s Hulihin si Tiagong Akyat (1973).

“I had a very short role then,” Bong earlier said. “It was really my dad who involved us in the production of his films.”

Acting is in his blood, according to Bong. More than public service which came much later, showbiz was really his first love. He did not aspire to be in politics. That came much later.

When he became a teenager, Bong started making his own name in the entertainment industry. He starred in the film, Bianong Bulag, where he played the young lead. The film was topbilled and directed by his late father.

Bong was 17 years old when his dad introduced him to veteran talent manager Lolit Solis and entrusted his career to her. He has been managed by Lolit for four decades.

It was in 1983 when father and son worked in the memorable action-drama, Dugong Buhay, megged by Carlo J. Caparas.

“My dad was really my mentor,” Sen. Bong admitted. “Not just in making movies. He was the one who molded me into becoming an actor.”

 ENTERTAINMENT

October 5-11, 2023

14

Donny, Belle named Stars of the Night at ABS-CBN Ball 2023 The Kapamilya love team of Donny Pangilinan and Belle Mariano were the People’s Choice: Stars of the Night at this year’s ABSCBN Ball revival held at the Makati ShangriLa Hotel over the weekend.

Donny and Belle were also named People’s Choice: Power Couple of the Ball, while Eian Rances and Anji Salvacion won Star Magic Fan Favorites.

Joshua Garcia and Kathryn Bernardo also took home prizes, as they were named Best Dressed by Metro.

For this year, voting was done via YouTube and KTX. Donny and Bell expressed their joy to be part of the ABS-CBN Ball 2023.

In their red carpet interview as reported by ABS-CBN, the two expressed their gratitude to all their loyal fans and supporters.

“Sa totoo lang we won’t be here walking the red carpet without you guys. ...Even if we don’t see you talaga physically, we feel it naman, online man ‘yan, lahat ng pagmamahal at suporta niyo,” Belle said.

“Mahal namin kayo sobra,” Donny added.

For this year, the ABS-CBN Ball highlighted the company’s gratitude to everyone who have been supporting the Kapamilya network amid the challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic and the franchise denial.

This year’s event benefits the ABS-CBN Foundation which has help several students finish their studies.

Donny and Belle are the stars of the ABSCBN series “Can’t Buy Me Love” which will premiere on Netflix on October 13, three days ahead of free TV and 24 hours before it’s shown on pay TV. “Abangan niyo po ‘yan. We are very ex-

cited to show you guys a very different series and hope you guys join us in that journey,” Donny said.

Young stars, up and comers, and screen veterans took turns in posing for the camera as they graced the red carpet at Makati Shangri-La hotel.

For the first time since they got married early this year, Maja Salvador and Rambo Nuñez finally agreed to do an interview as a married couple during the ABS-CBN Ball on Saturday, September 30.

“Wala namang nagbago, may ring lang

kami now,” Salvador said of their strong relationship, when asked whether anything has changed since they exchanged vows.

At the “Forever Grateful”-themed ABSCBN Ball on Saturday, rumored couple Alexa Ilacad and KD Estrada were asked what they are grateful for, prompting a sweet admission from the actor.

“I’m grateful for you,” Estrada told Ilacad, with whom he has been paired on screen for a year now.

Actress Maxene Magalona considers ABS-CBN a “home,” recalling how the media

giant took care of its artists and employees to the best of its ability, amid the twin crises of its free-TV shutdown and the pandemic.

Magalona shared her sentiments on the network on the sidelines of the ABS-CBN Ball, themed “Forever Grateful.,” Actress Andrea Brillantes admitted that she feels nervous walking solo on the ABSCBN Ball red carpet on Saturday.

“This is something new, something refreshing for me and very empowering as well. So gusto ko lang i-enjoy ‘yung moment ko kasi this is my first and hopefully not the last.,” Brillantes said.

“I am enjoying myself eh, having my own time,” added the Kapamilya actress who is looking forward for a fun night at the ball.

“Actually I just want to have fun tonight. I want to have the night of my life tonight, ‘yun lang talaga ang goal ko,” Brillantes said.

It was just months ago when Brillantes and boyfriend, basketball player Ricci Rivero, broke up.

Currently, Brillantes stars in the ABSCBN primetime series “Senior High.”

“Iba na ngayon ang ABS-CBN — we are expanding,” said screen superstar Judy Ann Santos, as she opened the media company’s 2023 ball on Saturday, September 30.

Santos, who was the first to walk the red carpet of the ABS-CBN Ball along with her husband, TV host Ryan Agoncillo, was asked what she is grateful for in line with the event’s theme.

She mentioned the expansion of ABSCBN as a content creator, which has given creatives and artists like her more opportunities to collaborate outside their home networks.

15 October 5-11, 2023

 ENTERTAINMENT

GOMBURZA THE MOVIE Filipino Catholic martyr priests Mariano Gomez, Jose Burgos and Jacinto Zamora’s life story will now officially have its own movie, Jesuit Communications (JesCom) announced on the 151st death anniversary of the three priests.

Following an extensive search that included an open call and a series of auditions, JesCom announced that the stars of “GomBurZa” are actors Dante Rivero as Padre Gomez, theater thespian Cedrick Juan as Padre Burgos, and Kapamilya actor Enchong Dee as Padre Zamora.

The film is based on the story of Catholic priests Gomez, Burgos and Zamora who were executed in 1872 on charges of subversion.

Joining them are an equally impressive list of actors that include Epi Quizon, Jaime Fabregas, Carlitos Siguion-Reyna, Khalil Ramos, Elijah Canlas, Neil Ryan Sese, Paolo O’Hara, Tommy Alejandrino, Gerry Kaimo, Dylan Tay Talon, Jomari Angeles, Bon Lentejas, and many more.

Piolo Pascual will play the very special role of Padre Pédro Pelaéz, the Filipino clergy leader who was a mentor of Padre José Burgos.

Executive producer and JesCom associate director Fr. Ro Atilano, SJ, describes the cast as “God’s answer to our prayers. There were other options before but this ensemble came at the right time.”

“I love my role as Padre Gomez!” Rivero said.

“Pinag-aaralan ko na sa bahay. I want to engage the audience. I want to make it memorable for them. This is going to be epic!” he added.

For theater-trained Juan, who appeared in independent features such as “Kalel,” “15,” “Big Night!,” and “Goyo: Ang Batang Heneral,” giving life to Padre Burgos will be the biggest break of his 10-year acting career.

A�y. Chris Caday Lozano successfully represented for the approval of naturaliza�on applica�on of Shyrill Fortez. A�y. Lozano also worked for the approval of her green card six years ago under EB3 other worker as caregiver.

“I said ‘yes’ right away when I got the offer; it was a no brainer!” he enthused. The 32-year-old Bulakeño reveals being part of a major production is an “overwhelming” but he is going the extra mile in preparation. “Kailangan todohan ng effort, time and puso,” he said.

For his part, Dee said he wants to portray Padre Zamora as someone who is very human.

“Yes, he is a hero but you can’t take away the human part of him: the temptation, the weaknesses but those are the things that will bring him closer to the audience,” he said.

A few weeks before the team begins filming, Dee admitted to feeling a bit nervous: “There’s a certain level of pressure and inspiration. But I have faith in the people who are behind the camera. So it’s only right and just for me to give the same level of professionalism toward my character.”

Venice International Film Festival Orrizonti Prize winner Pepe Diokno is directing “GomBurZa” from a screenplay by writer Rody Vera. JesCom, the media arm of the Society of Jesus in the Philippines and the company behind the 2016 action-drama biopic Ignacio de Loyola, is the producer.

CARLA ABELLANA MOVES ON Actress, Carla Abellana has made it clear that she doesn’t need to rush into a new relationship just to find healing and

happiness for herself.

After the breakdown of her marriage that led to divorce in the US, the actress has obviously chosen to focus on herself and her career. While there are pressures dictating people can quickly move on from heartbreak by finding a new partner, she doesn’t believe in relying on external relationships to fill up that void.

“Hindi naman po kailangan. Hindi naman po sa hindi maganda, pero parang hindi naman po kailangan ang ganun na paraan or way to move on by papalitan (replacement) or what,” Carla recently said during a no-holds-barred presscon after she was introduced as the latest actress to sign up with All Access to Artists, the same talent management company behind the careers of Marian Rivera and Maine Mendoza.

“Hindi ka tunay makakapag-move on kung ganun lang na ire-replace niyo lang po. Hindi po kayo makapag-heal talaga kung ganoon lang talaga, ‘di ba?”

She reiterated, “Hindi po talaga kailangan. Sarili niyo lang kelangan (You only need yourself).

“At the end of the day, sarili niyo rin ang sasalo sa sarili niyo, makakasama ninyo… ‘Di ko kailangan yun. ‘Di po siya requirement para maging masaya ako,” the actress said.

“When the opportunity presents itself, yung talagang totoo… Sa ngayon, ayoko pa isipin. But of course, sino naman po may ayaw ‘dun? Lahat po may gusto nun.”

“Definitely. Nahanap ko na po yung aking peace. Talagang nasara ko na po yung chapter na iyon ng aking buhay,” she said.

“Lagpas-lagpas pa po, kumbaga, sa pagmo-move on. So, masayang-masaya po. Definitely, I’m happy with my life. I’m happy where I am, pati po sa kung sino ako today.”

 SPORTS

October 5-11, 2023

16

Obiena nails first PHL gold in Hangzhou Asiad with record-breaking leap; Mandal cops silver HANGZHOU, China – As expected, World No. 2 pole vaulter Ernest John Obiena gave the Philippines a gold medal at the 19th Asian Games here on Saturday night, exactly a week since the meet opened.

The 27-year-old Obiena cleared 5.90 meters to outclass the competition at Hangzhou Olympic Sports Centre Stadium for the country’s first gold after a silver and six bronze medals.

His feat erased the Asiad record 5.75m of Japanese Seito Yamamoto set in the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang edition.

China’s Huang Bokai and Saudi Arabia’s Hussain al Hizam both had 5.65m but the local bet took the silver on countback.

“I didn’t want to stop at 5.90,” Obiena told reporters, referring to his attempt at 6.02m. “I’m excited to take this medal, put it on a shelf, but I would have liked to hit a record in front of an Asian crowd. That would have been amazing.”

“Unfortunately, I didn’t have it in me, but this is one of the biggest stadiums I’ve been in and one of the most amazing crowds,” he added.

Obiena was the first Filipino to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics after a 5.82-m finish at the Bauhaus-Galan tournament in Stockholm, Sweden in July.

He finished second to World No. 1 and hometown favorite Armand Duplantis.

Meanwhile, Sanda fighter Arnel Mandal dropped his final encounter against a favored foe on Thursday, delivering the first

silver medal for the Philippines in the 19th Asian Games.

The 27-year-old Mandal unloaded a large number of punches in a desperate attempt to knock out China’s Jiang Haidong but failed to find the target throughout their two-round contest.

Jiang eventually got away with the title, 2-0, in the men’s 56kg. category at the Xiaoshan Guali Sports Center.

“Ginawa ko lahat ng aking makakaya pero hindi ako pinalad (I did my best but I was not lucky),” said Mandal, the 2015 World Sanda Championship men’s 52kg. titleholder.

There is no need to be disappointed though.

Mandal’s second-place finish is the first for Team Philippines apart from the five bronzes across the medal tally.

Gideon Padua ended his Asiad stint with a bronze in the men’s 60kg. after Filipino wushu officials decided not to field him in the semifinals on Wednesday night due to a broken nose bridge.

Padua hurt his nose in an impressive quarterfinal win over Turkmenistan’s Agajumageldi Yazymov on Tuesday night.

“Ayaw namin i-risk pa si Gideon. Bronze na yan at mataas ang probability na matamaan ang injury nya sa mga kasunod na laban (We don’t want to put Gideon at risk. He is already assured of a bronze medal and there is a high probability that his injured nose might get hit again in the next matches),” Wushu Federation of the Philippines President Freddie Jalasco said.

Joining Padua on the bronze podium is Clemente Tabugara

Jr., who was assured of a medal after downing Kazakhstan’s Abdusamat Ashirov in the men’s 65kg. quarterfinals before his run ended against Indonesia’s Samuel Marbun.

The Philippine wushu team wrapped its campaign with one silver and three bronze medals, including the taolu specialist Jones Inso’s medal performance in the men’s taijiquan-taijijian all-round.

Gilas Pilipinas stuns China, returns to Asian Games finals after 33 years

HANGZHOU, China – Justin Brownlee knocked down men’s basketball semifinal at the Hangzhou Olympic Sports host squad for most part of the game before their massive run successive treys down the stretch to tow Gilas Pilipinas to a Center on October 4. in the payoff period. thrilling 77-76 victory over China in the 19th Asian Games It was a stunning comeback by the nationals who trailed the Brownlee finished with 33 points, while Scottie Thompson added 13 against the Chinese squad.

After falling behind 15-6, the nationals mounted a 11-2 fight back capped by June Mar Fajardo’s midrange jumper to tie the scores 17-all with 17 seconds to go in the first quarter.

But Zhao Jiwei made two free throws off Chris Ross’ foul to push China ahead 19-17, going to the second period before the host team went on a 14-4 blitz that created a 36-21 gap in the second quarter.

A three-point play by Ross and a midrange jumper by ScotNew Funeral home with Reception Center Flower Shop tie Thompson forced China to readjust and take a 48-30 halfBeautiful Garden Memorial Park Cremation Services time advantage.

Following a floater by Hu Jinqiu, Justin Brownlee drilled We transfer your loved ones to and from the Philippines a triple to keep the offense going for Gilas midway in the third canto. The nationals then traded shots with the Chinese to cut the deficit to 60-50.

The nationals picked up the pace in the pay off period, with Ange Koame sinking a basket and Brownlee knocking down a couple of treys.

Kevin Alas’ triple in the last 5:39 brought Gilas closer, 6965, but back-to-back buckets by Du Runwang and Hu Jinqiu kept China ahead. Brownlee knocked down successive treys pushed Gilas ahead, 77-76, with 24 seconds to go.

Prior their match, the Philippines escaped a searing comeback by Iran to hack out a 84-83 thriller victory last Tuesday.

Gilas defeated China, 96-75, in their previous face off in the classification round of the recent FIBA World Cup. Behind a blistering start, Gilas was on track to deal Iran a bad beating and led, 64-43, with 4:26 left in the third quarter before settling for a 71-54 advantage at the end of the quarter.

Iran, however, stormed back in the fourth quarter and even took the lead, 83-82, with 1:02 remaining.

Justin Brownlee, though, converted a floater with 44 seconds left to put Gilas back up.

Matin Aghajanpour tried to give Iran the lead again, but he TTT BBBBBBBBB NNN FFFFFFF HHHH RRRRRRRRR CCCCCC CCCCCCC LLLL missed a three-pointer and the team let Gilas milk the remaining 22 seconds of the game.

Losing the 21-point lead was not exactly a shocker, Gilas Pilipinas coach Tim Cone said.

“In the international game, things can turn on a dime, and this did in the fourth quarter,” he said. “Luckily we had a big lead. We should have never put ourselves in that position, but that’s the way these kinds of games are.”

Brownlee led Gilas with 36 points but was held to the gamewinning basket in the fourth quarter by a box-and-one defense thrown by the Iranians that stifled his movement through most of the second half.

“I think we did a good job in the first three quarters. But when they threw a wrench into our plans with that box-and-one, we just kinda struggled,” said Cone. “I think the Iranian coach did a great job bringing his team back.”

THE NUMBER ONE CHOICE FOR FILIPINO FAMILIES The ONLY Place for All Your Arrangements in One Convenient Location

 COMMUNITY NEWS

October 5-11, 2023

18

Graton Resort & Casino Wins Casino Player Best of Gaming 2023 Awards, and Exciting Games Await You in October!

ROHNERT PARK, Calif. – Graton Resort & Casino Graton Resort & Casino won many awards at the Casino Player Best of Gaming awards in recognition of their contributions to the Native Northwest gaming scene. Their achievements include being the “Favorite Casino Resort for a Staycation,” “Best Slot Tournaments” and “Best Poker Tournaments,” as well as garnering recognition for their exceptional “Best Pool” and “Best Hosts.” These awards highlight Graton Resort & Casino’s commitment to providing a superior gaming and hospitality experience.

Come to Graton Resort & Casino in October for luxury and entertainment, everything you could expect! Saturdays in October, 7pm - 10pm, Win big at the $200,000 CASCADE OF CASH GIVEAWAY! 1 winner of $10,000 cash guaranteed every hour. Plus, 20 winners of $500 cash. Also, Thursdays in October, 1PM - 6PM, there is GOLDEN HARVEST SLOT TOURNAMENT. Top price up to $10,000 cash. 50 winners guaranteed at each tournament! All rewards members get one free entry into each tournament.

Besides providing an exciting gaming experience, Graton Resort & Casino is dedicated to serving and contributing to the Asian community. Graton Resort & Casino was the Proud Title Sponsor of the 2023 San Francisco Chinatown Autumn Moon Festival Street Fair, which was successfully held on September 23 and 24.

In addition, Graton Resort & Casino recently introduced a mobile app, which allows guests instant access to personalized offers and rewards and tracks funds for slot play. Guests can download the free app on Google Play or the App Store. All guests must be at least 21 years of age to qualify for a Rewards Card or the Graton App. Complete Graton Rewards information is available here.

Get ready for an exciting lineup of upcoming events that will surely light up your entertainment calendar! Tickets for each of these can be purchased online at www.gratonresortcasino.com.

• 11/10 – Lui Fong Concert • 11/18 – Margaret Cho • 12/9 – Chris Janson

About Graton Resort & Casino Located in Sonoma County, Graton Resort & Casino has a commanding presence among the rolling hills of Northern California’s wine country. Owned and operated by the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria, Graton Resort & Casino features table games, the latest slot machines, upscale and casual dining, plus entertainment options for visitors and locals alike. For more information, please visit www.gratonresortcasino.com or call 707-588-7100.

Stop The Hate: A Southern California Resource List Created by: Dahlia M. Taha | Al Enteshar Newspaper

Combating hate requires a multi-pronged approach, involving education, community outreach, support for targeted groups, and law enforcement intervention. Al Enteshar Newspaper has complied a comprehensive list of resources to combat hate in Southern California.

Reporting Hotlines and Legal Support � CA vs. Hate Resource Line The “CA vs. Hate” campaign is a state-wide effort, and its resource line is a vital tool for individuals in Southern California and other parts of the state to report hate incidents, seek support, and access resources. You can report in over 200 languages including: Amharic, Arabic, Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), Hindi, Hmong, Japanese, Khmer, Korean, Persian-Farsi, Punjabi,

Spanish, Swahili, Tagalog, and Vietnamese. � Website: https://www.cavshate.org/ � Hotline: 1-833-8NO-HATE � Support and Outreach: Beyond reporting, this resource line also provides support, counseling, and community outreach to help victims of hate incidents and inform the broader community about prevention and response strategies. � Stop AAPI Hate: A reporting center to track and respond to incidents of hate, violence, harassment, discrimination, shunning, and child bullying against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in California. � Website: https://stopaapihate.org/

� Commission on Asian & Pacific Islander American Affairs: Resources to address hate incidents and hate crimes � https://capiaa.ca.gov/stop-the-hate/ � LA County 2-1-1 Hate Crime Reporting: Provides support and information for victims of hate crimes in LA � Website: https://civilandhumanrights.lacity.gov/laforall � ACLU of Southern California: Provides legal resources and advocacy in issues related to civil liberties, including combating hate. � Website: https://www.aclusocal.org/ � Office of the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Victim Assistance Program: Assists with filing for the California Victim Compensation Board (Victims of crime application). � Website: https://www.helplacrimevictims.org/#/homepage Organizations and Community Groups � Muslim Public Affairs Council: Advocates for an understanding of Islam to discourage Islamophobia. � Website: https://archive.mpac.org/about.php � CAIR California (Council on American-Islamic Relations): Committed to assisting American Muslims who have been the victims of hate crimes or hate incidents. � Website: https://ca.cair.com/ � American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC): Committed to defending the rights of Arab-Americans. ADC offers advocacy in cases of defamation, legal action in cases of discrimination, and counseling in matters of immigration. � Website: https://adc.org/ � Anti-Defamation League (ADL) Los Angeles: Addresses antiSemitism and other forms of hate both online and offline. � Website: https://www.adl.org/ � Japanese American Citizens League (JACL): Advocacy group focusing on issues affecting the Japanese American community. � Website: https://jacl.org/ � Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF): Promotes and protects civil rights, and specifically, to conduct litigation and advocacy work on behalf of Hispanic Americans. � Website: https://www.maldef.org/ � LA LGBT Center: Provides services and support to the LGBTQ community. � Website: https://lalgbtcenter.org/ � NAACP California State Conference: Works on ensuring the political, educational, and economic equality of minority groups. � Website: https://cahinaacp.org/ � Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC): Monitors hate groups and extremists throughout the US. � Website: https://www.splcenter.org/ � CHIRLA (Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights): Advocacy for immigrant families and individuals. � Website: https://www.chirla.org/ � NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People: Works to remove all barriers of racial discrimination through democratic processes. � Website: https://naacp.org/our-work � Asian Pacific American Legal Center of Southern California (APALC): Nation’s largest legal and civil rights organization that serve Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders. � Website: https://www.ajsocal.org/ Remember, the fight against hate requires ongoing efforts from individuals, communities, and institutions. This list provides a solid starting point for resources available in Southern California. It’s important to stay updated with local resources and initiatives, as organizations and coalitions can emerge in response to changing circumstances.

This resource is supported in whole or in part by funding provided by the State of California, administered by the California State Library in partnership with the California Department of Social Services and the California Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs as part of the Stop the Hate program. To report a hate incident or hate crime and get support, go to https:// www.cavshate.org/.

19 October 5-11, 2023

 COMMUNITY NEWS

PH CONSULATE IN SAN FRANCISCO VISITS CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES FOR MANAMo 2023 CELEBRATION

San Francisco PCG officers and personnel at the Philippine Coral Reef exhibit at California Academy of Sciences (San Francisco PCG photo) SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - The Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco led by Consul General Neil Frank Ferrer visited the California Academy of Sciences and attended its Nightlife event on 28 September 2023 as part of its celebration of Maritime and Archipelagic Nation Awareness Month (MANAMo) 2023 with the theme “Kapuluan, Kabuluhan, Kaunlaran” or Archipelago, Significance, and Development. Given the laboratory breakthrough and innovative conservation strategies of the Academy, including its various techniques to advance coral science, the visit also fits in with the sub-theme adopted by the Department of Foreign Affairs, which is “Setting Sails Towards Sustainability: Ocean Science for Archipelagic Philippines.”

During the visit, Consulate officers and personnel marveled at the Philippine Coral Reef, the gateway to California Academy of Sciences’ larger Coral Reefs of the World exhibit. At 25 feet deep, the Philippine Coral Reef tank is one of

the deepest and largest displays of living coral in the world.

It replicates some of the diversity found in the Verde Island Passage, recognized as the center of marine biodiversity in the world, which is an area of unbelievable beauty and importance. The Consulate personnel also witnessed the live dive show, which educates visitors on the marine ecosystems.

The date of the visit coincided with the 100th Anniversary of the Steinhart Aquarium, which houses the Philippine Coral Reef display. Since 1923, Steinhart Aquarium has developed a colorful history of firsts. It is the first public aquarium to display flashlight fish and coconut octopuses and has been advancing exploration of the ocean’s mysterious “twilight zone,” exhibiting innovation and scientific excellence.

The Philippine Consulate General’s personnel then watched the show “Expedition Reef: Hope for Corals in a Changing World” at the Morrison Planetarium. The 45-minute show lets the audience travel around the globe, including to the Philippines, to explore coral reefs, considered “rainforests of the sea”, and how scientists are developing sus-

Consul General Neil Ferrer tainable solutions to protect (7th from le�, first row) and and regenerate these for the officers and personnel pose future. Narrated by Philip- outside the California Acadpines’ very own and Tony emy of Sciences (San FranAward winner Lea Salonga, cisco PCG photo) the show takes full advantage of the planetarium’s fulldome screen to immerse the audience in the undersea adventure, and for them to discover how corals grow, feed, reproduce, and support over 25% of all marine life on earth while facing unprecedented threats from climate change, habitat destruction, and overfishing.

The California Academy of Sciences, which has an aquarium, planetarium, rainforest, and natural history museum, is a powerful platform for biodiversity research and exploration, environmental education, and sustainability across the globe.

For many years, the Academy scientists and Filipino scientists have been working together documenting the rich biodiversity of the Philippines.

Many new ways to apply for a home loan: Self employed Bank statement programs

B

orrowers who are selfemployed, who own small businesses, who have volatile or irregular income, retirees, seasonal and gig workers, real estate investors, owners and employees of cash businesses, newly self-employed, those transitioning from recent health, family or other life events, those looking to use steady monthly deposits from their clients as a way to show the lender a steady stream of income that could be use to help pay the mortgage. Lenders will have the option to either use 12 or 24 months of your business bank statement to establish an income to help you qualify for a home loan.

Investor Program If you want to invest in a property without using traditional debt-to-income qualifying requirements, our Investor Program offers unique qualifying options as well as rates closer to Prime. As a borrower, you can use your property’s rental income cash flow or choose lower loan-to-value ratios as alternatives to conventional limitations. This is a Debt Service Ration program where if you are buying an investment property, we will use the actual income of the rent to off set the total mortgage payments including taxes and insurance. Usually it’s a 1 to 1:15 ratio that would meet lender guidelines.

Loan to value ratios are depending on terms, fico scores, types of properties and debt service ratio.

This would be ideal for Borrowers who prefer not to use debt-to-income criteria or are unable to qualify using conventional loan requirements.

Prime Plus Program When buying or refinancing a home, it’s pos-

sible the cost could fall just outside conventional financing guidelines. There are some exclusive Prime Plus Program goes one step beyond traditional jumbo loans by offering additional, flexible options to help finance your dream home.

Some lenders will use only a Verification of employment program, where you will not have to provide paystubs and W2s.

Ideal for: Borrowers who struggle to meet conventional loan requirements.

Foreign National Program Qualifying for conventional financing for a U.S. property can be challenging for Foreign Nationals due to traditional asset documentation requirements. Change Home Mortgage has designed a mortgage program that serves non-U.S. citizen borrowers who want to buy or refinance a second home or investment property. Homebuyers can qualify based on the rental income of the property - credit scores are not required to qualify.

Ideal for: Non-U.S.-citizen borrowers who want to purchase a second home or investment property.

This program serves non-resident aliens who holds a visa for temporary residency, not NonPermanent Resident Alien status.

Bridge Loan When you’ve found the home you want to buy but your funds aren’t freed up from a previous property, Bridge Loan can close the gap.

This short-term, interest-only financing helps borrowers purchase an investment property without having to wait for another property to sell, a commission to come through, or another source of funds to become available.

Ideal for: The Bridge Loan is ideal for borrowers who are ready to buy an investment property and prefer to use short-term financing.

These types of loan will most definitely carry higher mortgage rates and will cost you more points and fees, therefore be careful in analyzing and agreeing to use them to avoid becoming under water with your finances.

Please call Ken Go of 1st Innovative Finance at 562-508-7048 or write to kennethgo@veri-

October 5-11, 2023

Diliman Way...

20

shut down an entity that employs hundreds of people working for him in New York, effectively crushing the company.

University of the Philippines convictions. What is the Integrated Bar of the Philippines Alumni Association of San (IBP) doing and the other Bar organizations doing? Are they Health & Wealth... (From Page 11) so busy making money that these killings are really of no mo- zation of documents in the privacy of your homes, offices, Francisco celebrates 50 years ment? What are the police and the National Bureau of Inves- hospitals, restaurants, BART lobby, Post Office Station lobby of service and legacy building tigation (NBI) doing? If killing of lawyers cannot be solved, (From Page 11)

no wonder the deaths of many young poor addicts could not be solved.

Is this a conspiracy of some kind? PNP, NBI, IBP should join forces to find answers to this puzzling problem.

Possible solutions: There is no problem, that does not have a solution Off hand, since there seems to be institutional problems in the killings, I have three possible solutions to the killings, not just the killing of lawyers – organize a lawyer’s group that will devote time and effort, including money, to help solve the problem of killings; adopt as a major part of the solution a gun-less society as proposed by lawyer Nandy Pacheco, a long time ago; and a weekly seminar in all police groups and in the barangays or neighborhoods on the correct and proper values. . Dear reader, you can make this possible without having to read Nobel Prize winner, Lord Bernard Shaw, or Senator and Attorney General Robert “Bobby” Kennedy, though reading them will improve our changes of solving the problem and making us better human beings.

As I See It

(From Page 11)

violation of the court order before rendering a decision. The decision would be made by the court and not a jury. The maximum jail punishment for a violation would be 30 days at rikers Island.

While Trump is supposedly not scheduled to appear, he voluntarily appeared in court, for many understood as a campaign gimmick, to further solidify his lead in the on-going GOP primary leading to the expected showdown with Pres. Joe Biden during the 2024 election. The way its going, Trump will likely get the nod of GOP as their standard bearer for the 2024 election and Biden as the standard bearer of the Democrats due to the doctrine of the equity of the incumbent. So, expect a showdown of Biden vs. Trump in 2024!

Lately, Mr. Trump has been using all his legal setbacks as campaign gimmicks in order to further his ambition of going back to the White House in 2024.

In September 2022, Trump, together with his three children — Donald Jr., Ivanka and Eric Trump — several other company executives and the Trump Organization itself were sued in September 2022 by James. The Trumps and their company are accused of fraud, falsification of business records, issuing false financial statements and conspiracy, among other allegations. The attorney general has accused Trump of overstating his wealth by billions of dollars, and the value of many properties by hundreds of millions, while seeking loans. He has denied wrongdoing.

When Trump arrived in court, photographers were briefly allowed in the courtroom and took pictures of him sitting at the defense table alongside his attorneys, who commented that he is in court to “fight for his name and reputation.”

Trump spoke to the media after arriving at court Monday, denying the fraud allegations and saying, “What we have here is an attempt to hurt me in an election.”

On his social media site, Trump has called Engoron a “political hack” and a “deranged, Trump hating judge.” He has for years maligned James and the investigation, accusing her of pursuing him for political gain.

In a statement released Monday ahead of the trial, James said: “For years, Donald Trump falsely inflated his net worth to enrich himself and cheat the system. ... No matter how rich or powerful you are, there are not two sets of laws for people in this country. The rule of law must apply equally to everyone, and it is my responsibility to make sure that it does.”

Trump attorney Christopher Kise has argued that what the attorney general calls overvaluations are actually examples of Trump’s “genius,” arguing in court that Trump is “a master at finding value where others see nothing.”

Kise might be correct because Trump declared bankruptcy several times in the past, but he made money out it by finding some loopholes in the law.

Reports said that Engoron’s decision could terminate Trump’s control over a flagship commercial property at 40 Wall Street in Lower Manhattan and a family estate in Westchester County. Mr. Trump might also lose control over his other New York properties, including Trump Tower in Midtown Manhattan and his golf club in Westchester.

While the order will not dissolve Mr. Trump’s company itself, which is a collection of hundreds of entities, it could nonetheless have a huge impact on the company’s New York operations.

Mr. Trump can appeal his case, but if Engoron’s decision is not reversed by an appeals court, it could

and other locations.

6.

SAVINGS ON GAS AND MILEAGE FEES – We encourage old and new clients to come to our home office in San Francisco, California for savings on gas and mileage fees ($60-$130) 7.

DOCUMENTS PREPARATION DISCOUNTS With the help of our paralegal and lawyer-friends, we offer special discounts in the drafting, preparation and copying of documents for old and new clients.

8.

DISCOUNTS ON MULTIPLE DOCUMENTS AND MULTIPLE SIGNATURES - We offer to our old and new clients 5% to 10% discounts on multiple documents and multiple signatures.

9.

CONVENIENCE AND PEACE OF MIND- With my experience and accredited and commissioned Notary Public and licensed Real Estate Broker (DRE#00635976) in California since 1981, you can have total convenience and peace of mind with the efficient, complete ad prompt services at MSS. For immediate assistance and help in the signing, notarization and apostille follow up of all documents needed in the Philippines and the other member nations of the Hague Apostille Convention, just write or contact: MOBILE SIGNNG SERVICES, 730 Madrid Street, San Francisco, CA 94112 Tel. (650) 438-3531 or (415) 584-7095 or email: artmadlaing@ hotmail.com If you live in San Jose/Silicon Valley and need immediate help for the signing, notarization and apostille follow up of documents needed in the Philippines, just visit or contact our partner JEVI ESPANOLA OCLARIT at: Farmers Insurance, 16 Corning Avenue, Suite 266, Milpitas, CA 95035 Tel.(408) 854-4274.

(ART GABOT MADLAING is accredited and commissioned Notary Public and licensed Real Estate Broker (DRE#00635976) in California since 1981.He is founder of MOBILE SIGNING SERVICES, FITNESS FOR HUMANITY (aka FITNESS FOR CHRIST) and ACAPINOY. Art is active Evangelist with the GOLDEN GATE CHURCH OF CHRIST in San Francisco, California USA.)

Generation Exile

SAN FRANCISCO – The University of the Philippines Alumni Association of San Francisco (UPAASF) is thrilled to announce its upcoming milestone event, “UPAASF at 50 - 50 Years of Service, Building a Legacy.”

Alumni, friends, and supporters are cordially invited to join the celebration on Saturday, October 14, 2023, at Embassy Suites San Francisco Airport Waterfront in Burlingame, CA as UPAASF marks five decades of unwavering commitment to service and community development in the San Francisco Bay Area. Registration starts at 5:00 P.M. Special guest of the evening is University of the Philippines President Angelo A. Jimenez who will deliver a keynote address. UP President Jimenez’s contributions to education, leadership, and community empowerment have made a profound impact on countless lives. He will be joined by distinguished UP alumni, dignitaries, and corporate partners of UPAASF. In recognition of exceptional dedication to community building, UPAASF will present a special award to Cynthia A. Bonta, an esteemed alumna who has tirelessly worked to uplift the community.

Bonta’s commitment to creating positive change exemplifies the spirit of the UP community.

The proceeds generated from this remarkable fundraising event will play a crucial role in the much-needed upgrade of the university’s beloved Kalayaan Residence Hall. As the first co-ed dormitory in UP, Kalayaan Residence has been a cornerstone of education and camaraderie for incoming freshmen from diverse provinces. Over the years, it has nurtured numerous “iskolars ng bayan,” who have gone on to become influential figures in various industries, community advocates, and even global leaders.

Kalayaan Residence not only offers shelter but also fosters an environment of camaraderie, enabling the development of lasting relationships among future community leaders and advocates. However, the residence is currently in need of urgent upgrades to continue providing an enriching living experience to students.

Join us in commemorating half a century of UPAASF’s dedication to education, community, and service. Your presence and support will contribute to the legacy of excellence and empowerment that the University of the Philippines Alumni Association of San Francisco has upheld for 50 remarkable years.

For further information, ticket purchases, and event registration, please visit the official UPAASF website at www.upaasf.org.

You may also register direct at https://bit.ly/upaasf50. Follow us on Facebook or on Instagram for updates on future events and activities.

(From Page 10)

The flood of migrants through a border that is largely uncontrolled is creating local crises in Texan cities like El Paso and Eagle Pass, and northern cities like New York, Chicago, and Denver. Martha’s Vineyard solved their migrant problem differently, by removing the border crossers to a base off island and issuing a press release about its seasonality.

When pressured to act, the Biden Administration, instead of enforcing the US borders, granted almost five hundred thousand Venezuelans the right to work for 18 months. Typically, asylum seekers must wait several months before applying for work permits. The special treatment is sure to entice more Venezuelans, eager to escape their corrupt socialist government, to make the dangerous trek to Texas.

In the meantime, Sharena Domingo and Angeline Osana wait. They have skills (Domingo’s students enjoyed improved test scores while she taught them). They respect the letter of the law. They have housing of their own in the United States.

All this as the flood of unskilled from south of the border continues unimpeded.

Ben Turner summarizes the situation best: “If there’s a shortage (of teachers) and they want to be here, why can’t they stay? It’s a shame.”

It’s a shame the Biden Administration doesn’t show our skilled Filipinas the same kind of favor he has shown the Venezuelans. After all our countries have been through together.

FOR MORE INFO, CALL:

21 October 5-11, 2023

 COMMUNITY NEWS

PG&E Encourages Customers to Check LIHEAP Eligibility, Apply for Bill Support LIHEAP Funding Still Available to Help Low-Income Customers; More Than $73 Million in Energy Bill Assistance Already Provided to PG&E Customers in 2023

OAKLAND, Calif. — With more than $73 million in Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) credits already distributed in 2023, qualified Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) customers are on track to receive a record amount of LIHEAP financial assistance this year. LIHEAP funding is still available, and eligible PG&E customers who are behind on their bills are encouraged to apply today to receive the annual federal support.

The average LIHEAP enrollee may receive a bill credit of nearly $1,000 through the program, which is administered by the California Department of Community Services and Development (CSD). LIHEAP provided more than $75 million in financial support to over 100,000 households in PG&E’s service area in 2022.

“The LIHEAP program has helped thousands of PG&E customers get their energy

T

bills back on track, and there is funding available to help even more who qualify. LIHEAP distributed a record amount to our customers in 2022, and we encourage others who may be eligible to apply for support this year,” said Vincent Davis, PG&E’s Vice President of Customer Operations and Enablement.

Eligibility for LIHEAP services can vary depending on factors including income, household size and place of residence. For more information or to find a local LIHEAP agency to apply, visit www.csd.ca.gov/energybills or call (866) 675-6623.

Additional Financial Assistance Programs In addition to LIHEAP, customers with past-due utility balances are encouraged to explore other state and federal assistance programs, including: · Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP): Helps households pay down their residential water or wastewa-

Heart of Hope

oday’s column on food contains some data contributed by my classmate and wife, Farida I. Chua, MD, a retired Northwest Indiana pediatrician, an avid reader/researcher, and a fellow in our annual medical missions in the rural areas of the Philippines.

As I have written in this PHILIP S. CHUA column in the past, unless we eat food as medicine today, we shall be eating medicine as food tomorrow.

Body: a chemical factory Whatever food we eat or beverage we drink turn into chemical ingredients, nutrients, after our gastrointestinal tract digests and absorbs them and our body metabolizes them. Our entire body is run and controlled continuously, non-stop, by chemicals and chemical reactions our own body produces from sustenance we ingest. This is why it is essential that we eat healthy. Our body is almost a perfect machine, compared to any man-made devices, including artificial intelligence. When we are in pain, the body automatically produces painkillers (natural intrinsic opioid substances) to reduce our discomfort. When we are scared, it produces adrenalin to prepare us (fight or flight) for any danger. When we are bleeding, it instantly “creates” ingredient to promote clotting to stop the bleeding. When given vaccination, it reacts by fortifying our immune system and builds a “special army” to fight (specific) future viral/bacteria invaders. And so on and so forth. Indeed, God has gifted us with a super-wonderful body…which, unfortunately many of us abuse…leading to diseases and self-destruction…thru unhealthy lifestyle and behavior. The food we eat and liquid we drink determines whether we stay healthy or develop illnesses, from simple common cold, or serious ones, like diabetes, heart disease, or even cancer.

Our body is a large, always active, complex, amazing, and mind-boggling chemical laboratory. It automatically produces whatever chemicals we need. Of course, we must provide it the proper and healthy quantity and quality of food as its source of energy to run the chemical factory well. If we use alcohol, tobacco, and/or illicit drugs, no matter how little, the chemical composition is altered, and the negative effects take its toll, many times, in the “background” and may not be immediately obvious, until years

ter bills through this program offered by CSD. Eligible customers with past-due balances can receive up to $15,000 in bill support. For more information on LIHWAP, visit www. csd.ca.gov/waterbill or call (866) 675-6632.

Customers must apply by Dec. 31, 2023. · Internet for All: Providers offer plans as low as $9.95 per month to income-qualified households. Many plans require no deposit, commitment, or installation fee. Learn more at https://www.internetforallnow.org/getconnected.

PG&E offers income-eligible customers other ways to save on energy expenses including: · California Alternate Rates for Energy Program (CARE): Provides a discount of 20% or more each month on gas and electricity bills. Customers can apply at www.pge. com/CARE. · Family Electric Rate Assistance

Program (FERA): Offers a monthly discount of 18% on electricity bills for households with 3+ people. Customers can apply for FERA at www.pge.com/FERA. · Medical Baseline: For eligible residential customers who have additional energy needs due to certain qualifying medical conditions. Eligible customers can get an additional monthly allotment of power, or a discount based on your rate. Apply at www. pge.com/medicalbaseline.

About PG&E Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E Corporation (NYSE: PCG), is a combined natural gas and electric utility serving more than sixteen million people across 70,000 square miles in Northern and Central California. For more information, visit pge.com and pge.com/news

Food as medicine down the line. By then, the harm to our health is done.

Inflammatory food items Some food items cause inflammation when ingested, other foods, the anti-inflammatory ones, cause the opposite, good, healthy, effect of fighting inflammation. Most illnesses start with inflammation (represented by the letters “itis), as in sinusitis, gastritis, hepatitis, appendicitis, diverticulitis, arthritis, etc.

Inflammatory food items include foods with gluten, lectin, sugars (table sugar, all soft drinks, candies, cookies, bread, most desserts), most carbohydrates, foods made of wheat flour, pasta, processed foods (hot dog, hamburger, bacon, most deli items), burnt meat (from grilling at high heat), soybeans, most fast foods, trans-fats, red meats, alcoholic beverage, tobacco, and foods high in the bad omega-6 and low in good omega-3. The food items are not healthy for any of us, but especially bad for people with gout or arthritis.

Fishes to avoid Fish to avoid because of contaminants in them: King Mackerel, Marlin, Swordfish, Albacore tuna (high mercury content, but small light tuna fish is healthy), orange roughy, Big-eye tuna, shark, swordfish, Tilefish (from Gulf of Mexico). The big fishes eat the smaller fish, resulting in higher mercury and other contaminants in the big fishes.

Cancer fumes High heat, as in grilling food items like meat, causes the oil to drop to the charcoal below, which causes dangerous (cancer-causing) fumes to rise up and “attach” to the meat, which results in advance glycation, making the meat more inflammatory and potentially carcinogenic.

Cooking oil The recommended cooking oil is light olive oil, and the extra virgin oil, for (bread) dips. Avocado oil is also healthy.

The 8 harmful seed oils to avoid are corn oil, canola oil, cottonseed oil, grapeseed oil, sunflower oil, rice bran oil, soy oil, safflower oil.

Nightshade vegetables For those with arthritis, nightshade vegetables (Solanaceae) are to be avoided as they cause more joint inflammation and pain. These veggies include tomato, potato, eggplant, pepper, paprika. They contain glycoalkaloids (for their protection against predators, like insects, bacteria, fungi, animals), which, unfortunately causes inflammation and pain for people with arthritis.

Purine Those with gout and/or arthritis should avoid purine,

which aggravates pain quickly. Food items high in purine are: venison and red meat and fried foods in general, liver, tongue, kidney, tripe, mackerel, bonito fish, sardines, anchovies, spinach, mushroom, asparagus, cauliflower, kale, arugula, and cabbage.

Healthy nuts The recommended healthier nuts for regular daily intake are walnut, pecan, and pistachio. Almond, macadamia, peanuts, and others, for occasional consumption. About 1.5 to 2 ounces of any or a combination of those 3 nuts are healthy daily snacks. Nuts provide fibers, nutrients, vitamins and minerals, protein, and they help lower the LDL, the bad cholesterol.

Anti-inflammatory foods Besides what has been stated above, here are some of the healthy, anti-inflammatory foods: fish (ad libitum), chicken without the skin, like salmon, small light tuna, pompano, pacific cod, halibut, sole, red snapper, flounder, monkfish, sandfish, sardines, mahi-mahi, unagi -eel, herring, shrimp, oyster, scallops, clams, crabs, wild Alaskan pollock, and occasional tilapia. From the produce aisle: papaya, pineapple, avocado, pomegranates, jackfruits, apples, sweet potato, celery, onions, garlic, lettuce, radicchio, artichoke, carrots Proteolytic enzymes Items that reduce inflammation and pain among those with arthritis include: Bromelain (pineapple), Papain (in papaya), Rutin, Apple, Turmeric, Devil’s claw, Boswellia, and Ginger extract, Mojave Yucca, etc. Together with avoiding foods bad for arthritis, and eating anti-inflammatory food items, these ingredients above may be tried if pain is still significant. Google this or check on amazon.com Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, a Cardiac Surgeon Emeritus based in Northwest Indiana and Las Vegas, Nevada, is an international medical lecturer/author, Health Advocate, newspaper columnist, and Chairman of the Filipino United Network-USA, a 501(c)3 humanitarian foundation in the United States. He was a decorated recipient of the Indiana Sagamore of the Wabash Award in 1995, conferred by then Indiana Governor, later Senator, and then presidential candidate, Evan Bayh. Other Sagamore past awardees include President Harry Truman, President George HW Bush, Muhammad Ali, Astronaut Gus Grissom (Wikipedia). Related websites: FUN8888.com, Today.SPSAtoday.com, and philipSchua.com Email: scalpelpen@ gmail.com

23 October 5-11, 2023

 COMMUNITY NEWS

Recipe of the Week Monggo with Pork Pata, Mung Beans with Pork Leg Ingredients: 1 small size pata ng baboy (pork leg or hocks) 2 cups mung beans 1 bunch of green beans, trimmed 1 large bag baby spinach 4-6 pieces long green chili 1/2 head garlic, chopped 1/2 head garlic, crushed 2 thumb size ginger, peeled, cut into thin strips 1 thumb size ginger, peeled, crushed 1 large size onion, chopped 1 medium size onion, quartered 2 large size tomato, chopped 1/4 cup fish sauce salt

Kids of slain broadcast journalist Percival Mabasa became emo�onal during the Memorial Service sponsored and organized by Na�onal Federa�on of Filipino American Associa�ons (NaFFAA) held in Carson City, California. Percy Mabasa or be�er known as Percy Lapid of the Philippine radio program Lapid Fire was assassinated on Oct. 3, 2022 in the Philippines. The family un�l now are s�ll seeking jusCooking procedure: Ask the butcher to saw cut pork pata crosswise at 1 1/2” thick slices. Wash thoroughly, put in �ce. The actual gun man was arrested but the masterminds are s�ll on the loose. a large pot, cover with enough water, bring to a boil for 3 to 5 minutes. Discard first boiled liq- (Photo by Nicanor B. Arriola) uid and rinse the boiled pata off scum. Now pour in fresh water to cover pork pata, add in the crushed garlic, crushed ginger and quartered onion, bring to a boil, and simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until pork and beans are tender. I the meantime in a separate large sauce pan place the bean and add in enough water to about 2 to 3 inches above the beans line, bring to a boil and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes or until the beans disintegrate and the desired liquid consistency is achieved. Take out all scum that rises to the surface and add more water as necessary. When the pork legs are tender separate it from the boiling liquid and keep aside. Using a sieve to filter out the residue add the boiling liquid to the now simmering mung beans. Now sauté the garlic and ginger until fragrant add in the onion and tomato and continue to stir cook for about a minute. Add in the boiled pork leg and fish sauce and continue to stir cook for about 2 to 3 minutes. Add in the stir cooked pork leg to the simmering mung beans, continue to cook for about 3 to 5 minutes. Coreect saltines if require. add in the green beans or similar vegetable and green long chili, cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. Now add the spinach and cook for another half a minute. Serve with a lot of rice.

Community members, student leaders/ac�vists, and Na�onal Federa�on of Filipino American Associa�on (NaFFAA) Board of Directors, Officers and members who organized Percy Lapid Memorial Service posed with the kids of prominent broadcaster Percival Mabasa or Percy Lapid of Lapid Fire, a Philippine radio program. Ka Percy was assassinated on Oct. 3, 2022 in the Philippines. Oct. 1, 2023 Carson City.

(Photo by Nicanor B. Arriola)

San Mateo County Supervisor David Canepa at the Broadmoor Community Center.in Broadmoor Village talking with members of law enforcement and the press about public safety.