As I See It

(From Page 11) who are both in the Philippines but will be joining him soon here in the US. He came to the US in 2004 at the age of 28 and is now a Permanent resident in the US waiting to be a US citizen.

Ygnacio Valley High School (YVHS) is a public secondary school located in Concord, California, United States. Aside from Concord, it draws enrollment as well from the neighboring communities of Walnut Creek and Pleasant Hill. The school opened in 1962, and its first senior class graduated in 1964. Originally conceived as a temporary facility, the school currently has an enrollment of over 1,500 total students for grades 9 through 12.

Again, congratulations to Joseph Alvarico! You deserve the best accolade on earth. Your students are very lucky to have you, a distinguished graduate of the University of Hard Knocks in the field of engineering and robotics!

As I See It, it was indeed a blessing for Alvarico to have accidentally went into education because it paved his way to being an outstanding teacher and was selected as one of five California’s 2024 Teacher of the Year!

Offline

Philippine Trade, Energy, and Science and Tech officials meet with U.S. businesses on sustainability

(From Page 11)

If it was his version of reverse psychologically, thereby forcing the men and women in uniform to pledge their allegiance to the VPcum-Education secretary, it did not work.

The worsening problem caused by China’s non-stop intrusions into Philippine waters has made the Armed Forces uneasy. And they may not see the desired leadership from either Marcos Jr or Sara Duterte.

Here is where Speaker Romualdez comes in. He can present himself as the strong leader that the country needs to prevent China from encroaching further and further into Philippine territory.

He very likely has the edge here, as Sara’s eagerness to become president despite her lack of performance as both VP and Education sec will be used against her.

This is not to say that Romualdez is the better person to lead the country five years from now. But at the very least, he can present himself as the more decisive leader than cousin Bongbong.

I can’t say that between him and Sara that the Speaker is the lesser evil. What I’m still waiting for is a young leader to emerge who can say he or she is seeking the presidency in order to undo the mess that Digong and Bongbong left behind, and mean it.

A Sara or Ferdinand Martin presidency in 2028 will only mean that the Philippines is nothing more than a banana republic which can never attain developed nation status, because it cannot produce honest and competent political leaders on a regular basis.

Health & Wealth...

multiple signatures.

Philippine Trade, Energy, and Science & Tech Officials Meet with U.S. Businesses on Sustainability

L-R: Ms. Verinda Fike, Regional Director of Indo-Pacific, U.S. Trade and Development Agency, Philippine Consul General in San Francisco Neil Frank R. Ferrer, Mr. Rod Hirsch, Director of the Oakland Export Assistance Center, U.S. Commercial Service, Mr. Joseph Scherer, GreenFire Energy CEO, Ms. Hollis Chin, GreenFire Energy Vice President Marke�ng, and Mr. Harish Chandasekar, GreenFire Energy Engineering and Project Development Head

Philippine Trade, Energy, and Science & Tech Officials Meet with U.S. Businesses on Sustainability on the Sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Coopera�on (APEC) Summit 2023 in San Francisco

(From Page 11)

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The Outsider...

(From Page 10) increased to 2,275 from 750. Burial and medical assistance are ready available to senior citizens. Free medicines, vitamins and immunizations are given to the constituents. Scholarships are given to students belonging to financially challenged families. Around 2,000 students are beneficiaries of the scholarship program of Mayor Yap. Eighteen families are beneficiaries of house and lot donated by Mayor Yap and her husband.

Following in the footsteps of her parents, she is giving her constituents the public service they deserve—going the extra mile of sharing what she personally has to people in need. “We should realize how blessed we are and as for me, one of the most important lessons I learned from my parents is to share our blessings.”

The accomplishments of Mayor Yap should inspire other local government officials.

The municipality of San Narciso is one of the 12 municipalities in the Bondoc Peninsula located in the southeastern part of Quezon Province. It has a land area of 263.58 sq. kms. and 24 barangays. Its geographical attributes make the municipality ideal as an eco-tourism destination.

Philippine Trade, Energy, and Science & Tech Officials Meet with U.S. Businesses on Sustainability on the Sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Coopera�on (APEC) Summit 2023 in San Francisco

SAN FRANCISCO -- The Philippines’ Secretaries of Trade and Industry and Energy and Undersecretary of Science and Technology engaged with American companies in a sustainability roundtable on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit 2023.

Philippine Consul General Neil Frank R. Ferrer said that the Secretaries were part of the official delegation of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to the APEC Economic Leaders Week in San Francisco. The President also led the 2023 Philippine Economic Briefing (PEB) in San Francisco, which had the theme, “Think Growth. Think Philippines.”

Hosted by the Philippine Trade and Investment Center in Silicon Valley, in collaboration with the Philippine Consulate in San Francisco and the Oakland Export Assistance Center of the U.S. Commercial Service/U.S. Department of Commerce & Northern California District Export Council (DEC), the event focused on renewable energy, innovation, and sustainable solutions in the face of climate change.

Trade Secretary Alfredo E. Pascual encouraged U.S. companies to invest in the Philippines, emphasizing the dual benefit of supporting the country and contributing to a sustainable future. He highlighted incentives available under the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises Act (CREATE) law and investment opportunities aligned with the Strategic Investment Priority Plan (SIPP).

Energy Secretary Raphael P.M. Lotilla acknowledged existing U.S. companies operating in the Philippines’ energy sector and noted new technologies available to harness renewable energy.

Consul General Ferrer recognized Amber Kinetics for manufacturing flywheel batteries and establishing the world’s first flywheel innovation hub in the Philippines, in cooperation with De La Salle University. He also congratulated GreenFire Energy for receiving an Export Achievement Certificate for its U.S. Trade and Development Agency (TDA)-funded geothermal project in the Philippines.

Undersecretary Sahagun highlighted sustainability as a

Philippine Trade, Energy, and Science & Tech Officials Meet with U.S. Businesses on Sustainability

L-R: Philippine Department of Science and Technology Undersecretary Maridon Sahagun, Philippine Energy Secretary Raphael P.M. Lo�lla, Philippine Department of Trade and Industry Secretary Alfredo E. Pascual recurring theme in the Department of Science and Technology’s priority programs.

Rod Hirsch, Director of the Oakland Export Assistance Center, facilitated the introduction of companies interested in establishing a presence in the Philippines.

Attendees included NorCal DEC members, Fremont Vice Mayor Teresa Cox, representatives from the office of Congressman John Garamendi (CA-08), and CEOs from various sustainability-focused industries such as waste management, renewable energy, and high-tech firms with environmental, social, and governance (ESG) goals. Ms. Verinda Fike, Regional Director of Indo-Pacific, U.S. TDA was also present in the roundtable. The Port of Oakland and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Marine Debris Program California Regional Coordinator were also represented.

Companies that participated in the roundtable included UltraScale Digital Infrastructure, Equus Computer Systems, GreenFire Energy, Amber Kinetics, Enact Systems, Inc., Lilac Solutions, Hadal, Calwave, KCCTech, LLC, Stellar3, and Ocean Power Technologies. The roundtable also saw representation from the Peralta Community College District, including Laney Community College.

Sixth ... (From page 1) hate and discrimination, which remains a threat to our neighborhoods, towns, and cities.

Dozens of anti-hate events were hosted during the UAHW across California from November 12-18 by local government and community partners from poetry slams to rallies and more that followed the announcement by CRD of the release of new preliminary statistics showing approximately 513 reports of hate to California vs Hate, the state’s anti-hate hotline and resource network, in the first six months since its official launch.

In the first six months since its official launch, CA vs Hate has been contacted by hundreds of individuals. Key preliminary statistics from May through October include: CA vs Hate received 513 reports of hate acts across California. Of those reports, 233 were made over the phone and 280 were made via the online portal.

More than 60% of all individuals who reported an act of hate accepted care coordination services, including direct and ongoing support accessing legal aid or counseling.

More than 75% of California’s counties were represented in the preliminary data, up from approximately 40% in the first month following the official launch.

Among the reasons cited for the report of hate, race (27%) and ethnicity (18%) continued to be the most reported bias motivations, followed by religion (13%) and sexual orientation (11%).

Approximately one in six reports were made by a witness or advocate. Most reports were made by an individual who reported being targeted for an act of hate.

This is in addition to reports that hate crimes have continued to rise in recent years in California, reaching their highest levels since 2001 — jumping more than 20% from 2021 to 2022.

“California continues to lead the charge in pushing back against hate,” shared CRD Acting Director Mary Wheat. “From civic engagement at the grassroots level to historic statewide investments, the Civil Rights Department is proud to be part of a new generation of leaders in the fight for greater inclusion and equity for all. During United Against Hate Week, we encourage all Californians to take advantage of existing resources — like California vs Hate — to push for change from the ground up for all our communities.”

Chair of the Assembly Budget Committee Assemblymember Phil Ting emphasized that “with hate crimes increasing in California and different views spurring debate that sometimes turns hostile, movements like United Against Hate Week become more vital.”

“It is my hope that providing awareness about nonprofit services available to victims or other resources, such as the Civil Rights Department hate crime reporting hotline, we can spread the message that hate is not okay and that there is support available for those who need it,” trust Ting.

“Berkeley is proud to have a founding role in United Against Hate Week,” announced Berkeley Mayor Jesse Arreguín. “Over the last few years, we have seen this event grow exponentially, yet there is still so much work to be done. Now more than ever, in the face of growing hate crimes, we must take a stand to bring our communities together against hatred.”

“Black people are disproportionately impacted by hate crimes in California, which is why the NAACP California Hawaii State Conference is proud to participate in the sixth annual United Against Hate Week,” disclosed Rick L. Callender, ESQ., CA/HI NAACP President. “The NAACP CA/HI State Conference, in conjunction with our 57 branches across California, is dedicated and committed to eradicating hate within our state through community action and by supporting bills such as AB 449 (Ting), the CA vs Hate Hotline, and our collaborative efforts with the CDSS Stop the Hate grant.”

Initially created by local government and community leaders in the Bay Area in response to white supremacist rallies in Berkeley and San Francisco, UAHW is an opportunity for local residents to take action in their communities under the simple, yet powerful principle that, when cities and their residents work together against hate, we can restore respect and discourse, embrace the strength of our diversity, and build inclusive and equitable communities for all.