Philippine News Today

SAN FRANCISCO – More Filipino Americans won in the November 2022 midterm elections in various cities in the United States and the over four million FilAms in the country are celebrating one of the biggest inroads in the polls.

Immigration involved in human trafficking of Filipinos to Myanmar

y e�ng Laygo Dolor Editor

MANILA – In what opposition Senator Risa Hontiveros said was a case of modern day slavery, Bureau of Immigration (BI) insiders have been party to the recruitment of Filipinos promised jobs in one country, only to end up as virtual slaves in Myanmar (formerly known as Burma).

Hontiveros said the modus was “worse than the pastillas scam,” which took place during the Duterte regime where Chinese nationals were allowed to

enter the country bypassing Immigration documentation.

At a press conference on Wednesday, Nov. 30 Manila time , Hontiveros presented a handful of the dozen victims who had been rescued with the help of the Department of Foreign Affairs.

ven Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said it was “very possible” that the human trafficking of Filipinos by Filipinos -whether BI personnel or

MANILA - The Marcos administration is eyeing to push through with its planned offering of retail dollar bonds (RDBs) by the first quarter of next year,according to Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno.

Diokno made the disclosure during a forum, saying the tenor of the planned issuance would be at least five years. The offering could be around billion or more which, he said,

LOS ANGELES - The hate crimes in the US against Asians and Asian-Americans have been hogging the news for the past two years, beginning shortly after the coronavirus pandemic forced businesses and communities to shut down.

Former president Donald Trump has been partly blamed for the hateful attacks against innocent men and women of Asian descent, including senior citizens. He referred to CO-

ID-19 as the China u at the start of the worst pandemic in more than a hundred years.

Hate crimes began shortly thereafter, numbering in the hundreds in 2000. The following year, Asian hate crimes rose percent, although

M AT IRRI. President erdinand Marcos r. isits the Interna�onal Rice Research Ins�tute in Los anos Laguna

y Cherie M. uerol Moreno

y Claire Morales True Managing Editor

y ilda P. alan Correspondent

Diana Col in s long�me community ser ice impressed the City Council.

By Jennifer T. Santos

CALOOCAN CITY – President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. urged Filipinos to honor Andres Bonifacio’s heroism by becoming the “best version” of themselves and imbibing the values of sel essness and patriotism for the country’s development.

Marcos made the call during the commemoration of Bonifacio’s 159th birth anniversary at the Bonifacio Monument in Caloocan City, sayingd emulating the revolutionary hero’s character would enable all Filipinos to enjoy a “brighter” future.

Vice President Sara Duterte and other leaders also joined the nation in commemorating Bonifacio’s courage and heroism.

In a message, Duterte said Bonifacio’s extraordinary love for the country should be an inspiration and continue to unite all Filipinos as the nation face and overcome difficulties toward the realization of the aspiration for a better life for all.

Joining the President in honoring Bonifacio were House Speaker Martin Romualdez, National Historical Commission Chairman Rene Escalante, members of the Senate and the Diplomatic Corps, Armed Forces Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Bartolome

“Ang kaniyang (Bonifacio) pangalan ay mananatiling naka-ukit sa ating kasaysayan kailanman, hindi lamang dahil sa kaniyang pamumuno sa rebolusyon kundi sa kaniyang ‘di matatawarang tapang at pagmamahal sa bayan,” he said.

“Kaya naman sikapin natin na maging pinakamahusay na uri ng ating mga sarili; na maging Pilipino na ang katapatan at pagmamahal sa bayan ay kapares ng ating mga bayaning tulad ni Gat Andres,” President Marcos said.

“Magagawa po natin ito sapagkat katuwang natin ang ating mga makabagong bayani—ang ating mga doktor, mga nars, mga sundalo, mga pulis, OFWs, at ang bawat Juan at Juana—na buong pusong naglilingkod para sa kapwa,” the chief executive said.

Those modern-day heroes have shown that every Filipino has the ability to do good to others and society, Marcos said, noting it is one of Bonifacio’s legacies to Filipinos—that everyone can be a hero in his or her own way.

MANILA – The Philippine Navy has commissioned two fast attack interdiction craft-missiles (FAIC-Ms) vessels named after Medal of Valor awardees.

Shortly after the commissioning ceremony presided by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, the BRP Nestor Acero (PG901) and BRP Lolinato To-ong PG902 were sent off and deployed to their place of assignment.

“We are still discussing where they will be deployed, but most likely, priority areas are in the West Philippine Sea and Southern Philippines. But we have no final decision yet as to the exact place of deployment,” said Philippine Navy Flag fficer In Command Rear Admiral Toribio Adaci Jr.

Four more units are slated to be delivered beginning next year while the remaining three will be constructed at the Philippine Navy shipyard in Naval Station Pascual Ledesma, Cavite City

The Philippine Navy (PN) is planning to acquire at least 15 more Israel-made Shaldag Mark missile boats, which are the basis of its Acero-class patrol gunboats, said Adaci.

Adaci said the additional “Acero”-

class gunboats would help them to meet their requirements in “patrolling the seas of the country”.

He also said the FAIC-Ms will be assigned to the Littoral Combat Force.

He said four more FAIC-Ms, the other name of the “Acero” class in the PN service, will be delivered sometime in 2023.

“I don’t know the exact delivery dates next year but this shall be throughout (next year),” the PN chief added.

The last batch of three, which will be built at the PN shipyard in the Naval Station Pascual Ledesma in Cavite, is scheduled for 2024.

Adaci said Israel Shipyard Limited will help the PN rehabilitate the old shipyard and make it more modern and allow it to build these types of ships.

PHILIPPINE NAVY chief Rear Adm. Toribio Adaci Jr.

Vicente Bacarro, Philippine National Police Chief Police General Rodolfo Azurin Jr., Philippine Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Artemio Abu, Caloocan Rep. Oscar Malapitan and Caloocan City Mayor Dale Gonzalo G. Malapitan.

Marcos gets high approval, trust ratings in OCTA survey

QUEZON CITY – The majority of Fil- ipinos have expressed appreciation over the work performance of and have given their trust in President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. if an OCTA Research survey is to be the basis.

OCTA Research, in its Tugon ng Masa poll conducted from October 23 to 27, found that 78 percent of 1,200 adult Filipinos appreciate Marcos, while 86 percent trust the Chief Executive.

Only percent were dissatisfied with Marcos’ performance, while percent expressed distrust in him.

OCTA Research said another survey showed that 85 percent of adult Filipinos believe that the country is on the right track under the Marcos administration, with only percent expressing disagreement.

Marcos earned the highest approval score in Mindanao, registering 85 percent, followed by Visayas (81 percent), Metro Manila (75 percent), and the Balance of Luzon (74 percent).

Smooth Home Buying and Selling Experience

e ought our rst home ack in ith Ra ee and Monica. eing a rst �me uyer they e plained the hole process of home uying in detail to us. e ere e tremely comforta le ith them. Ra ee s e tensi e e perience sa ed us from uying a home ith lots of ork and found us a ank o ned property (REO) in great condi�on.

hile Ra ee nego�ated a great price and terms for us Monica helped us ith a loan that orked ith our do n payment. They are a great team and e ere so thankful

Come e planned to mo e and listed our home for sale ith Ra ee . He ad ised e actly hat needed to e ed in our home made endor appointments

and sold it at a great price ith minimal �me on the market.

The est part is that Ra ee and Monica stayed connected ith us e en a�er the sale. I m a customer for life and feel lessed to ha e them --- Hoton

Makati distributes Christmas bags to residents, cash incentives to seniors

By Jeanne Michael Penaranda

MAKATI CITY - Christmas came early for residents of Makati this year as the city government started distributing free Christmas gift bags to thousands of families.

Makati Mayor Abigail Binay said Christmas bags were also handed to senior citizens.

Makati senior citizens also started getting their year-end cash incentives, beginning with the 83,857 Blu Card holders.

Binay said the early distribution of cash incentives aims to spare them from the holiday rush and give them more time to plan ahead on what or where to spend their cash incentives.

“We want our senior Makatizens to be happy and feel that they are loved and cared for, that is why we made sure that they receive their cash incentives from the city government early,” the mayor said.

The cash incentives are directly sent to the GCash accounts of the recipients to ensure safe, convenient, and fast delivery of their Christmas gift.

nder the expanded benefits program for senior citizens, Blu Card holders receive their cash incentives twice a year: every July and December. For the yearend, seniors 60-69 years old will receive P1,500; 70-79 years old, P2,000; 80-89 years old, P2,500; and 90-99 years old, P5,000.

Centenarians aged 101 and above will also receive P5,000 year-end cash incentive provided that he/she has been a Blu Card holder for at least five years. If not, the beneficiary will only be receiving P2,500 year-end cash incentive.

The city will be distributing a total of P158,655,500 to 83,857 Blu Card holders registered as of October 31,

The mayor said the early distribution of “Pamaskong Handog” bags is part of the city’s commitment to ensure that Makatizens can enjoy a meaningful and happy Christmas.

“We usually distribute the Pamaskong Handog bags during the first week of December. These bags that contain assorted food products for Noche Buena have become a much-anticipated tradition for Proud Makatizens,” Mayor Binay said.

She said the city moved up the dis-

tribution of the gift bags so that families need not worry about preparations for the traditional family meal at Christmastime.

“In light of the rising prices of goods, this is our way of helping Makati’s families enjoy a merrier Christmas this year,” Mayor Abby said.

The mayor said around 240,000 Makatizens will receive the free bags. These include some 105,000 residents, 84,000 senior citizens, 12,000 differently-abled persons, 4,500 members of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), 3,000 relocatees, 11,000 City Hall employees, 5,400 barangay employees, 3,300 DepEd-Makati public school teachers, 50 Makati police officers, ,300 pedicab, tricycle, and jeepney drivers, and 1,300 vendors.

The distribution of Christmas bags will run until December 31,

Each bag contains two cans of Spam luncheon meat, two cans of Libby’s Vienna sausage, two cans of Argentina corned beef, one pack of spaghetti pasta with sauce, one can of fruit cocktail, one can of condensed milk, one can of cream, one box of cheese, and Makatizen t-shirts.

Manilans start getting Xmas gift packs from City Hall

MANILA – The Manila City government started the distribution of gift boxes to residents for the holiday season on December

Mayor Honey Lacuna inspected the noche buena food boxes before they were handed to Manileños.

The inspection of thousands of boxes was conducted at the San Andres Sports Complex.

Lacuna said some 695,000 families will be receiving Christmas food boxes.

Each box contains rice, corned beef, spaghetti noodles and sauce, cheese and cans of milk and fruit cocktail.

Some 160,000 gift boxes will also be distributed to members of the vulnerable sector, the senior citizens.

2 Manila churches declared archdiocesan shrines

MANILA – Manila archbishop Cardinal Jose Advincula has elevated two parish churches in Manila to the rank of archdiocesan shrines.

In separate decrees, the Archdiocese of Manila declared as shrines Nuestra Señora del Perpetuo Socorro Parish (NSPS) in Sampaloc district and San Vicente de Paul Parish (SVPP) in Ermita district.

In a decree dated Nov. 27, the Cardinal approved that SVP Parish on San Marcelino Street will be conferred the title of the Archdiocesan Shrine of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal.

“On the Feast of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal, we received a gift. We give thanks to the Lord for this blessing,”

according to the parish statement issued on Monday.

On the other hand, the parish located at Calamba corner Instruccion Streets will be known as the Archdiocesan Shrine of Nuestra Señora del Perpetuo Socorro through a decree issued on Nov. but announced on Sunday.

Among the requirements for a church to be declared a diocesan shrine, it must be a place of historical significance, prayer, and pilgrimage for a special reason of piety.

A parish files a petition asking the bishop to canonically elevate the church.

Meanwhile, for a church to be declared a national shrine, it must have the approval of the bishops’ conference.

MANILA MAYOR Honey Lacuna (le�) prepare Christmas packages for residents.

ELEVATED. The Archdiocese of Manila declared as na�onal shrines the Nuestra Señora del Perpetuo Socorro Parish (NSPS) (right) in Sampaloc and San Vicente de Paul Parish (SVPP) in Ermita.

Comelec orders Albay governor to vacate post

LEGASPI CITY/MANILA – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has ordered Albay Governor Noel Rosal to vacate the position as the writ of execution has been served and took effect on November 29.

This as Rosal petitioned the Supreme Court for a temporary restraining order on the Comelec ruling ousting him as governor.

Comelec spokesperson John Rex Laudiangco said the Clerk of the Commission served the writ of execution to the parties of Rosal and petitioner Joseph San Juan Armogila while the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) has been directed to implement the writ, issued by the Commission en banc.

“The Comelec has declared and ordered Gov. Rosal will vacate the position and the Albay office and the DILG will implement it,” the poll body official added.

Albay residents rang the historic Liberty bell in Legaspi city’s Peñaranda Park on November 28, in a lastditch effort to appeal for the Supreme Court to issue a temporary restraining order (TRO) on the Comelec ruling disqualifying Governor Rosal as candidate in the May 2022 polls.

“For the common good of the Albayanos and justice for governor Noel Rosal,” said Cynthia Bellen, a government worker from Sto. Domingo town, before she rang the bell thrice.

Students, vendors, and workers on the way home from jobs also took turns ringing the bell, which American World War 2 liberation forces installed in 1945. Rappler reported.

“Whenever oppression knocks at your door, feel free to ring the bell,” exhorts the inscription on the bell. Pe-

Special polls set for Cavite’s 7th congressional district

TRESE MARTIRES CITY – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has set the special elections for the seventh legislative district of Cavite for February 25, 2023.

The special election will pick the replacement of Rep. Jesus Crispin Remulla who resigned after his appointment as justice secretary.

The seventh congressional district is composed of Trese Martires City, and the towns of Amadeo, Indang and Tanza.

The Comelec said it is ready to scrap the holding of the special polls in case there is only one aspirant who will run for the post.

“(In the event) that there is only one candidate qual-

ified for the position of Member, House of Representatives, Seventh Legislative District of the Province of Cavite, and is thereby deemed elected, the Commission shall not hold the special election as scheduled,” the poll body said in Resolution 10865.

It added that the Provincial Board of Canvassers of Cavite will instead schedule the proclamation on February 25.

“The Provincial Board of Canvassers of the Province of Cavite, as authorized by the Commission En Banc, shall convene on February 25, 2023 at 10:00 am, to proclaim the lone qualified candidate for the position of Member, House of Representatives, Seventh Legislative District for the Province of Cavite,” it said.

ñaranda Park, also Albay’s Freedom Park, is surrounded by the provincial capitol, the city hall and St. Gregory the Great Cathedral.

President visits IRRI, reaffirms vow to modernize rice industry

y ennifer T. Santos

L S BA S President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has yet to pick a new agriculture secretary because “the list keeps changing.”

n the sidelines of his visit to the International Rice Research Institute IRRI in Los Banos, Marcos, who is also the agriculture secretary and ex-officio member of the IRRI Board of Trustees, said he has a “timetable” on when he would turn over the office but there were “some things he would like to achieve before leaving the department.”

This means that it will take some time before he lets go of being Department of Agriculture DA chief, Marcos Jr., saying his list of candidates to replace him “keeps changing.”

“Well, the list keeps changing. May nawawala, may nadadagdag. May nawawala, may nadadagdag Someone gets removed, some get added ,” he told reporters in an interview after his meeting with officials of the International Rice Research Institute in Los Baños, Laguna.

The President said he is still in the process of reviewing the list of candidates for DA chief but expressed hope he would name a nominee when all boxes on the checklist are ticked.

At IRRI, Marcos rallied stakeholders to support the government in elevating the current condition of the Philippine rice

industry and pushing for sustainable rice value chains.

Marcos was briefed about the various initiatives being done to improve crop resilience, which includes direct seeding of rice, which is the process of putting up a rice crop from seeds sown in the field. It offers a more sustainable and environment-friendly option, reducing the labor and cost of rice production while significantly lowering water use and greenhouse gas emissions.

Laser Land Leveling LLL , on the other hand, is a laser-guided mechanized system to redistribute soil across a field for a leveled and uniform cultivation area, significantly improving water and input efficiency and mitigating greenhouse gas emissions of paddy farming.

Solar Bubble Dryer, meanwhile, is a low-cost seed drying technology that can be set up anywhere, eliminating losses from traditional sun drying such as spillage, animals, weather, and vehicles running over the grains.

For seed storage, President Marcos was briefed about the Hermetic Storage System, wherein airtight seed storage containers in various sizes help reduce oxygen and moisture penetration, minimizing losses from insects and rot and helping preserve grain quality for longer.

The president was shown how the IRRI’s newest P800,000 AGRAS drone works.

The drone can collect data, spray pes-

ticides and fertilizers, and can help reduce the exposure of rice farmers to chemicals, the IRRI said. It can cover 5,000 square meters in one full run.

“So nabigyan kami ng pag-asa So this gave us hope in the Philippine government to introduce technologies from top to down, to the grassroots ,” Marcos said.

During the visit, Marcos reenacted a pose of his father, former President Ferdinand Marcos, Sr., nited States President Lyndon Johnson and the founding leaders of the IRRI captured in a photo taken around the 1960s.

Marcos raised the need to adopt supportive policies to modernize the rice sector as part of a vibrant agri-food industry in the Philippines.

“There are new technologies that address the problems that we are facing, and that those technologies are beginning to be disseminated down to the local farmers,” the President said.

Global issues, including the con ict between Russia and kraine, reminded the world of “how fundamental” the agriculture sector is, according to the President.

“The pandemic and the situation in kraine have been a glaring reminder of how fundamental the agricultural sector is and food supply is to not only in the Philippines but to the entire world,” the chief executive said.

“We hope to strengthen those partnerships because we very much need not

only to be able to disseminate or to provide these new varieties, the new techniques but we also have to have a more focused approach to how we deal with the agricultural sector to the rice lands in the Philippines,” the President pointed out.

The President recognized IRRI’s vigor and success over the years in the development of climate-resilient, high-yielding rice varieties and farming technologies that significantly improved farmers’ productivity, profitability, and competitiveness all over the world.

“I think that there is no way that I could overstate the importance of the work that you were doing. And so you I have received so many thank yous from all of you. And I feel that perhaps it should I, it should be us from the Philippines who should be thanking you for the continuing thirst for knowledge that you have shown,” Marcos said.

Marcos said there are problems in the agriculture sector that are “so difficult that it will take a president to change and turn it around.”

Marcos said DA officials are supportive of his decision to remain as DA chief, adding that issues hounding the agriculture sector are “deeply embedded.”

“The reason that I stay on up to now, I have actually raised the subject with some of the staff and the employees and the secretaries in the DA, and they asked me not to,” he said.

PHL, US armies mull bigger joint drills in 2023

PASAY CITY – Philippine Army PA and S Army Pacifi c SARPAC offi cers have begun their week-long planning session for larger “Salaknib” military exercises in 2023.

Army spokesperson Col. erxes Trinidad said the planning conference, held at the Hotel Conrad in Pasay City, began on November 28.

“PA and SARPAC Salaknib planners are fi nalizing plans for the combined exercise that will include around 3,000 troops from the SARPAC’s 25th Infantry Division and various PA major units,” he added.

“Salaknib”, which means shield in Ilocano, is an annual combined exercise geared at strengthening the interoperability of Filipino and American armies in a spectrum of military operations.

About 2,200 Filipino and S Army troops participated in this year’s edition of “Salaknib”, which took place in March.

These troops focused on the capability development of the 1st Brigade Combat Team, the PA’s primary combined arms, and rapid deployment unit.

“When you plan, you plan to succeed. And so, as we all work towards

yet another successful execution of xercise Salaknib’ next year. May every planner from both sides be all the more committed and dedicated as we fi nalize the concept of operations, settle the schedule of events and activities, confi rm force commitments and asset re-

quirements, and complete all essential requirements for the execution proper,” PA deputy assistant chief of staff for education and training, Col. mmanuel L. Cabasan, said during the opening of the conference.

PA commander Lt. Gen. Romeo

SALA NI PLANNIN . Philippine Army and S Army Paci c planners par�cipate in the eek-long nal planning conference for ne t year s Salakni e ercises.

Brawner Jr. earlier said the annual combined exercise is a testament to the “long-standing bilateral relations” between the Philippines and the S that would contribute to the pursuit of a common goal of maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacifi c region.

House bill seeking protected areas in West Philippine Sea questioned

N CIT The militant fishers’ group Pambansang Lakas ng ilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas PAMALA A A expressed concern that the House Bill seeking to place the features in the West Philippine Sea as marine protected areas would “sweepingly cover municipal fisherfolk, while failing to prevent Chinese and foreign poachers in our territorial waters”.

House Bill No. 63 3 filed by Palawan 3rd District Representative dward Hagedorn seeks to declare all areas within the three nautical miles from the baselines surrounding the alayaan Group

of Islands and Panatag Shoal Scarborough as marine protected areas.

“While we acknowledge the objective of the bill to protect the major features in the West Philippine Sea against destructive fishing practices, we fear that this might sweepingly cover small fishers, as the proposed marine protected areas will be within the municipal waters,” Fernando Hicap, PAMALA A A National Chairperson said in a statement.

PAMALA A A said that three nautical miles are equivalent to almost six kilometers of the 15-kilometer municipal fishing grounds.

“We will be vigilant of this bill that could restrict Filipino fishers from their traditional fishing grounds while actually failing to prevent China and other foreign eets from conducting largescale fishing, among other destructive activities beyond the municipal waters,” Hicap said.

PAMALA A A said that local conservation measures would be unnecessary’ if only the Marcos administration effectively upholds the arbitral ruling recognizing the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone in the West Philippine Sea.

“There would be no need to explore risky alternative measures because there’s already the international tribunal which is actually our strongest legal claim that we could enforce against China’s continued usurpation of our territorial waters. But it needs decisive action from the Marcos government and sincerity to uphold our sovereignty and territorial integrity,” added Hicap.

The fishers’ group said they will study the House Bill and consult with its chapters in Southern Tagalog and ambales, as well as with marine scientists regarding the potential impacts of the measure.

Commission on Audit Chairperson amaliel Cordo a (le�) and Department of Migrant Workers Secretary Susan Ople pass the tough Commission on Appointments deli era�on.

MANILA The Commission on Appointments CA has confirmed the appointments of Commission on Audit C A Chairperson Gamaliel Cordoba and Department of Migrant Workers DMW Secretary Susan ple.

Cordoba, whose term will expire on Feb. 2, 2029, vowed before the CA that his desire “to serve and go the extra mile” are the principles and work ethics he intend to bring to C A.

“I vow for C A to be partners in rebuilding our country. This appointee hopes that his professional and personal background aptly justifies the President’s decision to nominate him as C A chairperson. Ako po ay I am ready to serve, your honors,” he told the CA Committee on Constitutional Commissions and ffices chaired by Senator Cynthia illar.

Cordoba’s appointment deliberation was initially suspended by illar’s

committee last week after a passionate discussion on the issue of the ABS-CBN franchise.

pposition Senator Risa Hontiveros raised the “injustice” suffered by the broadcast media giant while Cordoba was the head of National Telecommunications Commission.

Cordoba said all his actions were based on the law.

n the other hand, ple vowed to be a true guardian and protector of overseas Filipino workers FWs .

“When my father, former DFA Department of Foreign Affairs secretary and Senate President a Blas ple, died on Dec. 14, 2003, I pledged to dedicate my life to helping our migrant workers. It was and continues to be my way of honoring him, of keeping him close to me, and remembering the legacy that he worked hard for,” ple said.

She heads the Blas F. ple Policy and Training Institute, a non-profit organization that is actively involved in labor and migration issues.

ple is scheduled to visit the ingdom of Saudi Arabia next week to arrange the settlement of wages of some 10,000 FWs who were displaced in 2015 and 2016, visit embassy shelters, and look at potential job opportunities for FWs.

In partnership with the Department of Health, ple also plans to put up a scholarship fund for health care workers and balance the country’s need for their services and the global demand.

Her other plans include the digital verseas mployment Certificate, set for a December launch, to make it easier for FWs to transact with the DMW and its attached agencies.

nfirms a intments f s e, s rd a ar s art e e s e R dri e

MANILA Partido Federal ng Pilipinas PFP , the political party of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., has expelled former xecutive Secretary ictor “ ic” Rodriguez, its former executive vice president, over allegations of questionable practices and of disloyalty.

Retired Gen. Tom Lantion, PFP secretary general, said the party decision on Nov. 11 but just released to the media, stated it kicked out Rodriguez who was its executive vice president for “loss of trust and confidence” and “acts inimical to the party.”

Lantion said Special Assistant to the President SAP Anton Lagdameo has been appointed as the new xecutive ice President of the party.

Lantion said President Marcos, the party chairman, took no part in the expulsion, although he “offered no objection” when he was informed of it, according to the party’s executive committee.

Among the reasons cited were the allegations against Rodriguez, as reported

by the media, including the appointment of Christopher “Chet” Pastrana as general manager of the Philippine Ports Authority.

The party pointed out that this has been questioned for potential con ict of interest, as Pastrana is one of the owners of a ferry company.

It added that the appointment was allegedly traced to Rodriguez “because the wife of Chet Pastrana’s business partner and chairman of the ferry company ” is supposedly related to Rodriguez’ wife.

A substantial portion of the decision which the PFP called the “elephant in the room” stressed on Rodriguez’ alleged “ingratitude, disloyalty and abandonment,” as the party blamed him for the unsuccessful bid of PFP members who applied for positions requiring presidential appointment.

PFP accused Rodriguez, who brie y served as executive secretary before resigning in September, of blocking “all” applications of its members. It further argued that supposedly corrupt and less qualified

individuals were given roles under the Marcos administration.

In a statement, Rodriguez said he could not allow unqualified people to be given government posts just because of their political affiliation.

CONFIRMED.

their cohorts – was indeed taking place.

While Hontiveros said a dozen Filipinos had been saved from being virtual slaves in Myanmar, at least 31 more were still trapped in the Southeast Asian nation.

They are reportedly forced to work in call center-type operations where they are made to sell dubious financial products such as bitcoin. Those who are unable to meet their quotas are physically punished to the point of torture.

Hontiveros first revealed the scam last week during a privilege speech in the Senate, but this week she presented some of the victims to media.

One witness said they were promised jobs in Thailand, but instead ended up in Myanmar where they were forced to work as “crypto scammers” for a Chinese syndicate.

The senator said the number of Filipino victims may be greater than the 43 she had been informed of as the operation had been going on for some time.

The witnesses Hontiveros presented to media said they

were recruited for the online scam in Shwe Kokko Special Economic Zone, Yatai New City, Myanmar.

The victim who acted as spokesperson for the group said they were given fake IDs showing they were employed at stores inside the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

nce they land in Myanmar, their passports are confiscated and if they refuse to do the job assigned them, their travel document is then stamped as void.

One victim said she knew of other Filipinos who were first own to Malaysia, then transported to Myanmar. The recruiter was reportedly “connected” to BI personnel working at the airport.

A witness who called herself Joy said her husband was still in Myanmar after he replaced a certain Baby, who was sent home to the Philippines after being traumatized by her Myanmar experience. Joy said she now feared her husband was being tortured.

The rescued Filipinos referred to their workplace as Scam City, said Hontiveros, who said she suspected there were many other Filipinos working in the economic zone

in illegal jobs.

BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco said he had ordered an investigation on the senator’s claims in coordination with the Manila International Airport Authority.

Last month, BI said airport security had prevented three potential human trafficking victims from leaving the country after their passports were found to have counterfeit immigration stamps.

The pastillas scam that Hontiveros compared the trafficking to had BI personnel giving IP treatment to Chinese nationals who ended up working in Philippine Overseas Gaming Operations or POGOs in exchange for a hefty fee. The cash bribes were usually wrapped in paper made to appear as pastillas, or milk candies.

The BI employees involved in the scam have either resigned or were fired after their identities were made public. They are, however, still facing charges before the Ombudsman.

Hontiveros is calling for a full Senate investigation to determine if the Filipinos working in large numbers in Myanmar needed to be rescued.

the numbers appear to be dropping in many places in

In her column in the Los Angeles Times last week, Anita Chabria asked, “How do you stop hate crimes? How do you even know where to begin?”

The assaults may be dropping, but they are still occurring with frightful regularity throughout the US.

She cited the latest attempts by the state of California to address the issue through two state-sponsored and funded efforts.

First, the Commission on the State of Hate seeks to understand why hate crimes are rising and how to combat them, Chabria wrote.

Then the Governor’s Council on Holocaust and

Genocide Education examines how to inoculate California school children against the misinformation and propaganda that kindle animosity, the LA Times columnist pointed out.

She said that while she is generally not a big fan of commissions when it comes to solving problems, “these are different.”

Chabria believes that the members of the commission are mostly “a no-nonsense group known for getting results.”

One commission member, Bamby Salcedo, said, “It’s important for all of us to wake up and to understand that hate is real and hate is happening in front of our eyes.”

While the year is not yet over, if indeed the number of attacks against Asian-Americans is lower this year compared to last year, it could mean that the various

PHL...

campaigns including #StopAsianHate are beginning to show results.

The unspoken fear is that Donald Trump could return to the White House in 2024, and this will almost certainly cause a resurgence of hate crimes.

Another commission member, Erroll Southers, was quoted by Chabria as noting that the hate crimes have increasingly been tied to politics, extreme right-wing politics to be precise.

Southers is also quoted as saying that “there are people out there on the fringe who feel a need to engage.”

The message of hate continues to be carried in mass media, and the downward trend in hate crimes will only be temporary if one of the sparks to that senseless hatred finds his way back to the val ffice two years from now.

(From page 1)

would depend on demand.

“This offering is to make sure that our overseas Filipino workers get to save part of their income,” Diokno said.

Diokno earlier said the RDBs would push through before the year ends, but due to the busy holiday season, the government opted to launch it in the first quarter of

In October last year, the Philippine government raised billion, or around P80.83 billion, through the country’s first-ever onshore RDB offering.

The said RDBs are the first onshore US dollar-denominated bonds to be issued by the Bureau of the Treasury in amounts of as low as

Earlier this quarter, the Philippine government successfully returned to the international capital markets for the third time this year, its first under the Marcos administration, raising billion from its S dollar-denominated bond offering.

In the same event, Diokno expressed support for the proposed measure that seeks to put up a sovereign wealth fund.

Diokno said the proposed Maharlika Wealth Fund is intended for future generations of Filipinos and will come up with the necessary safeguards.

“Just make sure that it is not identified with the president, such as that whoever is the president, he cannot meddle with the use of the fund. You really have to have a governing council that is totally out of government,” Diokno said.

“We want to create a fund that will take care of future generations of Filipi-

nos. We really have to set aside for the future,” he added.

House Bill No. proposes to establish the said fund, which would draw resources primarily from contributions from the Government Service Insurance System GSIS , Social Security System

SSS , Land Bank of the Philippines and Development Bank of the Philippines.

Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno

More...

(From page 1)

Apart from the five state senators, including Senate President Donna Mercado im, and five state representatives in Hawaii, FilAm candidates made historic wins in California, New ork, North Carolina, New Hampshire, Maryland, Tennessee, Nevada and Alaska.

Reports monitored by the National Federation of Filipino American Associations NaFFAA , the Philippine News Today and other Filipino groups all over the counry showed.

“ ur biggest achievement for this year’s November elections is seeing more Filipinos stepping up to run for public office,” NaFFAA president and national chairperson Brendan Flores said in a statement.

Flores added that Filipino Americans and other minority communities will be inspired to “speak up, participate, and listen” because of such representation in public office.

“We are excited to see progress for our community. Filipino Americans offer a unique type of leadership that is founded upon their deep love for their families and communities,” he said.

In its website, NaFFAA said it congratulates the “trailblazers and history makers who won during the recently held S elections.”

“ our NaFFAA family wishes you all the best as you embark on your journey as servant leaders and transform your communities. We extend our appreciation to these changemakers as they represent our Filipino American community as our voice in

advocating for better representation and more positive changes,” the biggest FilAm group added.

ur NaFFAA Staff is still working on getting the most updated list of Filipino American winners during the recently held S elections. If we miss any other Filipino Americans who won during this year’s elections, please reach out to mark.eyo naffaa. org.,” the NaFFAA statement said.

The winning State Senators of Filipino descent in Hawaii were Lorraine Rodero Inouye, Dist. 1 Joy San Buenaventura, Dist. 2 Donna Mercado im, Dist. 14 Brandon lefante, Dist. 16 and Donovan de la Cruz, Dist. 1 .

The winning Filipino State Representatives in Hawaii were Della Au Belatti, Dist. 26 rnesto Ganaden, Dist. 30 Rose Martinez, Dist. 40 David A. Alcos, Dist. 41 and Diamond Garcia, Dist. 42.

Steven Raga of ueens, New ork, won in his bid to become the first Filipino American in the New ork State Legislature, according to NaFFAA.

In North Carolina, Maria Cervania is now the first Filipino American member of the North Carolina Legislature representing District 41. ris alderrama, a Maryland House of Delegates member, and Marvin Lim, a state representative in District 98 in Georgia, were also reelected.

NaFFAA reported that Justin Jones also won as a state representative for District 52 in Tennessee.

Luz Bay also took a spot in the New Hampshire House of Representatives to represent Strafford County District 21.

Genevieve Mina will assume office

in the Alaska House of Representatives for District 19.

rica Mosca is also elected as a state assembly member for District 14 in Nevada.

In California, lawyer Rob Bonta was reelected as the Attorney General for the S State that is home to more than 500,000 Filipinos.

Representative Bobby Scott, who won the S House election in irginia’s 3rd congressional district, remained the highest-ranking Filipino American elected official, according to NaFFAA.

enneth Mejia of Los Angeles was elected as Burbank City’s first Filipino American city controller.

According to NaFFAA, Cameron Sasai became the youngest Filipino American council member in Pinole City, California at 23 years old.

Activist and accountant enneth Mejia, 32 years old, is the first Filipino American and Asian American elected to city wide office in Los Angeles.

In Tennessee, 26-year-old activist Justin Jones was elected state representative of District 52, becoming the youngest lawmaker in their state capitol.

Many Filipino Americans also won local government positions during the November elections, according to NaFFAA.

In the mayoral race in California, Jed Leano of Claremont City, Rod Daus-Magbual of Daly City, and Melissa Ramoso of the City of Artesia won the polls.

For city council positions, Gabriel uinto, the first LGBT council member in l Cerrito, California, was

Army Support Command gets 21 new facilities from BCDA

MANILA The Philippine Army PA announced that the Army Support Command ASC M based in Camp Servillano Aquino, Tarlac City formally received 21 newly completed facilities from the Bases Conversion and Development Authority BCDA on Wednesday.

The ASC M facilities project is part of the 201 memorandum of agreement signed by BCDA and the Department of National Defense for the relocation of Army facilities from an 11.5-hectare portion of Fort Bonifacio to Camp Servillano Aquino, the headquarters of the Armed Forces of the Philippines-Northern Luzon Command.

In a statement Wednesday night, Army spokesperson Col. erxes Trinidad said BCDA chair Delfin Lorenzana and PA acting chief of staff Maj. Gen. Jose riel Niembra, representing Army commander Lt. Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr., signed the document for the turnover of the facilities in a ceremony at Camp Servillano Aquino.

“Maj. Gen. Niembra said relocating and constructing modern ASC M facilities at a strategic location in Camp Servillano Aquino will bolster

the unit’s capability to provide logistical support to ground forces,” Trinidad said.

He added that the facilities are expected to provide a better logistics, storage and management hub for ASC M which is tasked to provide firepower, transportation, organizational, and maintenance equipment support to PA major units. PNA

reelected.

ther Filipino Americans who won the city council elections in California are the following:

Garry Garbadillo of Milpitas City

Ray Buenaventura of Daly City

llie Cantos of West Covina City

Tony Daysog of Alameda County, Joanne Del Rosario of the City of Colma

Diosdado Matulac of the City of allejo,

Buena or Nicolas of City of South San Francisco

David ro of American Canyon, Charles Palmares of the City of allejo

Cameron Sasai of the City of Pinole

Phil Bacerra of Santa Ana City

Ditas amane of National City

Also, rystle Ang of Burbank City was elected treasurer.

In Hawaii, newcomer Tyler Dos Santos and former member of the State House al kimoto won the Honolulu City Council.

Several Filipino Americans also won school board elections:

Thelma Boac and Jaria Jaug won at Berryessa nion School District Board in San Jose, California

Judy Patacsil was elected as a Board Trustee for District 1 of Palomar College in San Diego County

Mike Guingona also won the election to assume a role at the San Mateo County Community College District Board of Trustees

At the Judicial Level, Filipina American attorney Mari Parade was also elected as a District Family Court Judge in Las egas, Nevada.

PHL Embassy adds to PHL collection of US Library of Congress

WASHINGTON D.C. – The Sentro Rizal of the Philippine Embassy in Washington D.C. donated Philippine history books to the Library of Congress in conjunction with the celebration of the 88th National Book Week on 24-30 November in the Philippines. Charge d’Affaires Jaime Ramon Ascalon, Jr., on behalf of Ambassador Jose Manuel Romualdez and the Philippine mbassy, donated the following books to the Library of Congress:

Quincentennial Catalog: Quincentennial Art Competition and Lapulapu National Monument Design Competition Victory and Humanity: The

Quincentennial Commemorations in the Philippines

1521 Revisited: The Quincentennial Commemorations in the Philippines, olume 1

Remembering World War II in the Philippines, olume 1

Remembering World War II in the Philippines, olume 2

The oyage of Ferdinand Magellan by Fernando liveira

The Philippines: History, Geography, Customs, Agriculture, Industry, and Commerce of the Spanish Colonies in ceania by Jean Mallat Translated by Pura Santillan Castrence and The First Filipino: A Biography of Jose Rizal by Leon Ma. Guerrero.

“We are honored to have more literature and references about the Philippines in the collection of the Library of Congress.

The Philippine Embassy and its Sentro Rizal hopes that these books will cultivate a better understanding of Philippine history and heritage, as well as develop our people-to-people ties as the American pub-

lic can find more information related to the Philippines. I also thank the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) for making this donation possible.” says Ambassador Jose Manuel Romualdez.

The Asian Division of the Library of Congress likewise gifted the Embassy with a copy of “Asian Collections: An Illustrated Guide.” Aside from donating books to the Library of Congress, mbassy officers and staff led by Charg d’Affaires a.i. Jaime Ramon T. Ascalon, Jr. was provided with a special tour inside the Thomas Jefferson Building and the Asian Reading

Room of the Library.

The Library of Congress is the largest library in the world and is the main research arm of the U.S. Congress and the home of the .S. Copyright ffice. Its collection includes more than 173 million items, which consists of more than 51 million cataloged books and other print materials in 4 0 languages more than 5 million manuscripts the largest rare book collection in North America and the world’s largest collection of legal materials, films, maps, sheet music and sound recordings. Further information may be accessed through: https: www.loc.gov .

Charg d A aires a.i. aime Ramon Ascalon r. donates Philippine history ooks to Dr. Dongfang Shao Chief of the Asian Di ision of the Li rary of Congress.

The Asian Di ision of the Li rary of Congress presents their Philippine collec�on to Em assy o cials at the Asian Reading Room including the only kno n e tant copy of Doctrina Chris�ana.

EDITORIAL

What is happening in China?

Something is definitely happening in China, but we do not yet know what it is. All that’s known is that demonstrations took place over the weekend, and some who took part in the mass action had gone so far as to call for the resignation of President i Jinping.

In such places as Shanghai and Beijing, crowds numbering in the hundreds, even thousands, had taken to the streets in a rare display of public anger at the government, with the president being the primary target of their collective ire.

Most of the mass actions, however, are demanding other things, mostly centered around the excessive actions taken by the government where C ID-19 is concerned. The protesters want that policy to end. Some have said that it is the lockdowns, not C ID, that has been killing people.

China’s zero-C ID policy is strictly enforced to the point that even the mere whiff of coronavirus is enough to compel the government to enforce ultra-strict lockdowns. Large sections of cities have been shut out from the rest of the country as a safety precaution. nfortunately, the government has not assured that the residents have enough food and water to survive.

That policy took a dangerous turn when firefighters had a difficult time entering an area where a fire was raging in an apartment building. And because of what are considered as avoidable delays, 10 lives were lost.

The strict zero-C ID policy has been blamed for that tragedy.

In fact, the demonstrations serve to remind us that Chinese citizens once upon a time staged a massive rally demanding change, demanding democracy. It was highlighted by the unforgettable image of one unidentified Chinese man standing in front of a row of tanks, blocking their path.

Tens of thousands held a sit-down rally in Tienanmen Square and local authorities were helpless. Most of the protesters were students, and they occupied the historic site from April 15 to June 4 of 1989.

We all know what happened next. The army was called in to quell what the government said was a rebellion. iolence ensued and to this day it is not known how many ordinary Chinese citizens were killed on that fateful final day.

Today’s Chinese citizens must surely remember that event, even those who were not yet born at that time. The college students back then are now mostly middle aged men and women in their 50s.

They must have told their children of what could have been.

It would seem that there is still a strong desire among the Chinese people for a democratic way of life, or at least more freedoms. Those who took to the streets last weekend knew that they were taking a dangerous path, yet they still came in the hundreds, if not thousands.

Indeed, while today’s Chinese are still under an oppressive government, they have also been well taken cared of. The immense poverty of five or six decades ago has been replaced by a much improved standard of living, which few would be willing to turn their backs on.

What happens next is difficult to guess. The most that can be said is that everything is now in President i’s hands. He may choose to listen to his people and agree to correct the zero-C ID policy, or he can use the same iron fist that was used by the Chinese leadership in 1989.

It is important to remember that what happens in China affects us all, especially the Philippines and the S. It is, after all, one of the biggest economies in the world. We can only hope for the best.

3-time Colma FilAm Mayor retires to focus on her health

CLMA, California Three-time Mayor Diana Colvin officially retired unexpectedly on ctober 18, ending 14 years on the Colma City Council with over a year left to her term.

The Filipino American town executive’s sudden retirement was announced on the town website in an ct. 1 post. It said she “had submitted her notice of retirement citing she would like to focus on her health” but did not elaborate.

“ nfortunately, I can no longer give 100 to the City Council and community, and it is with a heavy heart that I step down from my position,” Colvin said in the announcement. “I have greatly enjoyed my time serving the Town and have strived to do my best to make Colma a great place to live, work and visit.”

In a brief interview Nov. 14 with Inquirer.net and Philippine News Today, however, Colvin disclosed that she was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer and has started the first of several rounds of treatment.

n behalf of the City Council, Mayor Helen Fisicaro expressed support in accepting the resignation.

“We support Diana’s decision and are thankful for her many years of service and dedication to the Town. It has been a pleasure and an honor to serve alongside her and we just want her to focus on her health and recovery,” said the town’s longest serving elected official.

“Diana had a passion for her community and was committed to making the Town of Colma a better place,” City Manager Brian Dossey told Inquirer.net. “We will all miss her leadership and dedication to serving Colma.”

C MM NIT S R IC

Colvin joined the City Council in 2008 to become the second Filipina American to govern Colma along with Joanne del Rosario, who was elected in 2006.

“What struck me about Diana was her reputation for service in the community,” Del Rosario shared observation of her then-new colleague. “The seniors just loved her because she volunteered in so many community activities and was an active member of the Historical Association Tea. She loved to work in the background silently doing her thing. ven just a week or two before retiring, she was helping out at the eteran’s illage and the yearly Tea Party.”

While Colvin served 14 years as Council member, her service to the larger community began much earlier indeed.

Besides volunteering with the Colma Historical Association, she also had been supporting Daly City’s now-shuttered North Peninsula mergency Food Pantry when she decided to take her public service to a new level. pportunity came in 2008 with the resignation of Larry Formalejo, the first Filipino American elected to the Colma City Council. With months left in Formalejo’s term, the City Council sought to appoint a successor well-versed in the town and the area history, its needs and priorities.

Colvin’s credentials and responses at the application interview impressed the Council.

“Given the same questions to be answered by the panel her answers were always on point because she attended Council meetings and knew much about the history of the town,” Del Rosario observed. “She was an interested and caring member of the community.”

Colvin knew the town like the back of her hand as a resident for almost 50 years since settling down there with her family from Hawaii, where she was born. The young Diana attended Colma lementary Intermediate School before moving to Jefferson High School next door in Daly City.

FRANCIS ESPIRITU

CHERIE QUEROL MORENO

JO ERLINDA YABUT

BLESIE D. SISON ALBERT MARTINEZ RENE AMON Account Executives

BETING LAYGO DOLOR Manila Editor

JUNNI RANILLO Entertainment Editor

CLAIRE M. TRUE Managing Editor

CHERIE M. QUEROL MORENO

Bar top Pablo Sanidad now Narvacan mayor Are international IDs acceptable for notarization?

Pablo Sanidad, 1967 Bar topnotcher, progressive, human rights activist, impeachment prosecutor vs. Erap, former Cabinet exec, political actor: Where’s he now

Good-looking and brilliant, sought after by girls as a dashing bachelor during his youth and by big-time clients in need of his legal acumen, Pablito Sanidad made waves in courts of trial or off-court.

This columnist haven’t seen him for quite some time, save for a brief encounter in the campaign trail three years ago in his hometown of Narvacan in Ilocos Sur when he ran for and won as Vice Mayor, in tandem with Ilocos Sur political kingpin former Gov. Luis “Chavit” Singson who beat his rival for mayor handily.

Previous to the 2019 election, I recall that the last time I was in regular contact with him was when the late President Cory Aquino was in power. Pablito was serving in her Cabinet as Labor Undersecretary, albeit short-lived.

I remember I was ahead of our media colleagues in announcing his departure from the Cabinet. I was then writing for the Inquirer.

That was about 34 - 35 years ago!

He’d always been outspoken, but, that time, he kept to himself his reason for resigning, perhaps in deference to the lady president whom he had aggressively supported in 1986 in his capacity as VP for Northern Luzon of the Cory Aquino for President Movement.

Those who knew Sanidad believed he quit when his principles clashed with certain policies of the government.

Before Mrs. Aquino formalized her presidential bid, Pablito was a a key and top leader of the UNIDO, then Vice President Salvador “Doy” Laurel’s political machine precisely set up for his 1986 presidential bid.

But as it turned out, political brokers prevailed and consequently the Aquino-Laurel tandem was born with Doy Laurel sliding to VP.

Fast forward 2022. What’s Pablito busy with nowadays

Over lunch at a popular Quezon City restaurant somewhere in Timog last Sunday, poet, book author anthropologist, lecturer and double Palanca awardee Arnold Molina Azurin and this columnist had a great time with Pablito reminiscing the good ol’ days.

About two weeks earlier though, I had a one on one with him at his office where we happily shared memories of yesteryears.

At our lunch meeting, he was with his son Pablito Jr., also a lawyer and Dean of the University of Baguio’s College of Law. He succeeded his Dad who had to drop everything - law practice and the deanship- as a consequence of his election and, subsequently, assumption as Mayor of Narvacan beginning June this year.

Pablito Jr. who is fresh from “graduation” as a three-term Board Member of Ilocos Sur, is now in charge of Mayor Sanidad’s clients.

It was a reunion too with Pablito Jr. whom I first met in 2013 at the onset of his first term as provincial board member. What’s the Mayor busy with? From the courtrooms that used to be his battleground, Mayor Sanidad now has his hands full serving his constituents and their needs.

It’s payback time for this successful Narvacaneo who had made a name and fortunes in Baguio City where he established an illustrious law career spanning about five decades now.

He has also trained his sights on writing the history of his hometown. Thus, he authored the trailblazing “Narvacan Naisangsangayan”, a glossy and hard-covered coffee table book that came out last year, and published by Twin Pines Publishing.

In his preface to the book, then Narvacan Mayor Luis “Chavit” Singson said “‘This book has been long overdue. I had always hoped that someday, someone would write about Narvacan and narrate it’s rich history for present and future generations. This book answers that need. Narvacan is grateful to the author.”

Pablito was the vice mayor when he wrote the book. He candidly acknowledged that the book is not complete as his access to materials was limited due (Continue on page 27)

Asigner from another country asks for a notarization. The only ID he has is a passport from his country. our first question is, “Can I accept this?

To accept foreign IDs, they must meet the requirements of your state’s Notary laws. Here some examples of state rules regarding foreign IDs.

Health

GABOT MADLAING

Wealth

&

FOREIGN PASSPORTS – Foreign passports are the most commonly acceptable form of foreign identification for notarization but state laws very on the requirements.

One common requirement is that the passport must be stamped by USCIS. Among the states with laws allowing Notaries to accept a properly stamped foreign passport are Florida, Georgia, Nebraska and Tennessee.

Other states that allow foreign passports do not specify that they must be stamped. These include Iowa, Mississippi, Montana, North Dakota, Oregon, South Carolina, Utah and West Virginia. With the exception of Mississippi, South Carolina and Utah, these states allow expired passports as long as the date of expiration is not more than three years before the notarization.

Some states have more stringent requirements for foreign passports, California and Tennessee, for example, require all foreign passports to include a serial or ID number as well as a photo, physical description and signature of the holder –even if stamped by USCIS (California Notaries may accept a foreign passport without a USCIS stamp). Florida requires a foreign passport to include a serial or identifying number and to be current, or if expired, issued within the past years. Massachusetts requires passports to contain a signature and photograph. Oregon requires a foreign passport to be from a nation federally recognized by the United States.

In Arizona, a foreign passport may be used to identify signers for documents conveying or financing real estate property, and in Texas, for a deed or other documents relating to a residential real estate transaction. However, neither of these states, allow a foreign passport to be used for any other type of document.

OTHER TYPES OF INTERNATONAL IDENTIFICATION - State laws allow Notaries to accept very few other foreign IDs.

California allows driver’s licenses issued by Mexico and Canada that contain a serial number, photograph, physical description and signature. Florida also allows these driver’s licenses if the license has a serial number. In both of these states, the license does not have to be current as long as it was issued within the past five years.

In Arizona, when dealing with real estate conveyances and financing, you may accept any other valid, unexpired ID that is acceptable to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to establish on individual’s legal presence in the United States and that is accompanied by supporting documents as required by DHS. Notaries in the state may check the Arizona Publix Reference Manual for more information.

One type of ID that causes confusion is a consular ID issued by the consulate of a foreign country. Matricula consular cards issued by Mexican consulates are the most common of these. They look very official and reliable -especially the newer versions – but only Notaries in Illinois and Nevada are specifically allowed to accept them. Matricula cards have been controversial because of concerns that they are vulnerable to fraud. California Notaries may accept foreign consular IDs as proof of identity under a 2017 state law if the ID is current or issued in the past five years, has a serial or identification number, and contains the signature, photograph and description of the bearer. However, Mexican matricula consular cards may not be accepted under the California law because they lack a physical description of the bearer.

WHERE GUIDANCE ABOUT IDs IS NOT PROVIDED –Many states do not mention foreign passports or foreign IDs by name in their laws, but present a list of general requirements for any IDs Notaries may accept.

If a signer has no acceptable identification at all, depending on the state, you may instead be able to rely on one or more credible identifying witnesses regardless of citizenship or immigration status. (Source: National Notary Association NNA Staff article entitled “Are In-

The deaf don’t have to be mute

Recently, I had a scary experience of becoming temporarily but totally deaf and unable to make myself heard. I almost panicked because I was about to chair a zoom meeting. I noticed that I could not hear the participants. Neither could they hear me. Fortunately, the problem was only technical which was solved by switching to a standby laptop.

Now, I can more fully understand the handicap experienced by many Filipinos who are born profoundly deaf, who under normal circumstances are also mute. For many, there is no standby laptop.

Fortunately, we now have the Philippine Institute for the Deaf, the first oral School recognized by the Department of Education. PID believes that the deaf don’t have to be mute. Thus, PID teaches the profoundly deaf to lip read, to speak and to succeed.

PID is non-profit school established in 1988 by xecutive Director Julie G. Esguerra under the umbrella of the Sergia Esguerra Memorial Foundation.

As Executive Director Esguerra explains: “Whenever a deaf child comes to us, we’re challenged, because he or she shouldn’t be mute. This child has a voice, and all we need is to look for that voice.. and listen!”

At the PID, a deaf child enrollee first undergoes hearing and aptitude evaluation. Then there is the regular times a week one-on-one speech therapy session. The training is supplemented by the K-12 curricular programs and activities designed to encourage the students to express themselves.

These programs include basic computer skills, home economics, physical education and sports, dance and theater arts, painting, gardening, crafts, cooking and baking.

PID believes in a holistic approach so, pre-pandemic, it also conducted workshops for parents, siblings, and yayas so everyone will know how to teach and motivate the deaf children at home and in their social activities.

Some tips when you meet a deaf person:

-Face the person while you are speaking, don’t turn away.

-Speak clearly without shouting.

-Repeat yourself if necessary.

-If the person doesn’t understand you, don’t give up.

- Write it down or draw a picture.

-Speak one at a time, don’t talk over each other.

-Keep your mouth visible.

-Smile and relax.

-Don’t speak too quickly or too slowly.

PID’s forerunner, the Julie Esguerra Speech Clinic, commenced operation in in a rented 4-bedroom bungalow along Scout Tuazon, Quezon City. In 1988, the Sergia Esguerra Memorial Foundation was incorporated, with PID as its agship project. The foundation is duly accredited by the Bureau of Internal Revenue and all donations to the foundation are fully tax-deductible.

In 1992, President Fidel V. Ramos, became PID’s number one supporter. Having been convinced of the value of PID’s alternative mode of training for the hearing impaired, President Ramos provided PID with a two-storey school building located inside the Presidential Security Guard Compound beside Nagtahan Bridge via a 25-year lease at P1/year.

Thanks to various corporate and individual donors, the compound is now a fenced secured campus furnished with classrooms, one-on-one speech cubicles, an occupational room, a library and seminar room, a home economics room, a science laboratory, a computer library, a technical-vocational room, a guidance room, a multi-purpose gym with stage, and a small campus for sports activities.

PID has many beautiful and heartwarming stories to tell. There’s Ramizza Reyeg, who hopes to become a nurse someday. Christian Vega who is on track to becoming a physical education teacher. 37-year-old Karla, one of the pioneer students of PID, who completed a course in interior design in Mapua. 42-year-old Chrissy Camello, now living in Australia, married with 3 chidren, who finished patisserie and retail baking.

There’s 31-year old Janno Lim, now in Canada, where he finished a bachelor’s degree in geography. Janno currently works as project coordinator

ART

TEDDY P. MOLINA

IGNACIO TOTING BUNYE

Actual inflation may be much higher than reported

The in ation figures reported for the last two months September and ctober, actually -- were pegged at 6.9 percent and . percent.

In simplest terms, this means that the prices of goods from September of 2021 rose by 6.9 percent compared to September of 2022.

Thus, a basket of goods that cost P1,000 a year ago would now cost P1,069. That’s a 6.9 percent increase year-on-year.

The reported figure seems to be understated. Severely understated, to be precise.

Ask any housewife or any consumer for that matter if the typical basket of goods has only gone up by the reported 6.9 percent and . percent, and the typical answer would be, “ f course not.”

I consider myself a somewhat typical, middle class Pinoy consumer. I pay my rent, utilities, dues, and my weekly groceries. The rise in prices of just about everything translates to a decline in my purchasing power.

There are many things that I buy regularly from the nearby supermarket. This would be the usual stuff like eggs, toiletries, chicken, beef, pork, rice, bread, etc. As a senior, I’m pretty set in my ways, which means that I usually buy the same brands of the products I regularly buy.

I can say with absolute certainty that the purchases I made this month were not a mere six or seven percent higher than the same period a year ago. By my estimates, the average increase is closer to 15 or 20 percent.

As an example, a bottle of family sized Coke which could be had for around P65 per bottle last year now goes for more than P100. Red onions which sold for P85 to P150 per kilo last year, depending on the quality, now goes for an unbelievable P300-plus. Then there’s sugar, which sold for P60 to P65 per kilo last year disappeared from the shelves for a while, then ballooned all the way to P100. It has since gone down to around P80 kilo.

There are countless examples of semi-luxury goods that have gone through the roof like potato chips, fruits and fruit juices, and cheese. Speaking of cheese, I had to laugh when my partner bought a small block of cheddar cheese, which actually sells for slightly less than its price last year. But lo and behold, the cheese is now only half of its original size.

The old joke was that the humble everybody’s favorite ChocNut follows real in ation when it comes to size. It grows when times are good, and shrinks during bad times. Sometimes it is thumb sized, and other times it is the size of a pinky. Talk about downsizing.

Thus, a thumb sized ChocNut of two years ago has shrunk to pinky sized now, but deceptively sells for the same price, just about. In effect, it has gone down in size to less than half of the original, so the consumer is actually paying much more for what seems to be the same thing from a year or two ago.

This translates to a double digit increase, or course. Which also translates to high in ation. Which will almost certainly lead to a recession when the majority of the people are forced to not only tighten their belts but also settle for less of everything.

I do not pretend to be an economist, but can at least claim that my knowledge of economics is sufficient.

My fear is the low double digit in ation of today will very quickly drop to higher than low, somewhere in the 25 to 50 percent range. Sooner or later, this will collapse to 100 percent in ation, where the prices of goods will double year on year.

This makes me sound like a prophet of doom, doesn’t it But all the economic signs point to a government that is facing very serious problems, and unless the best minds get together and create a plan to arrest the skyrocketing prices, then it could lead to serious social unrest.

The worst thing for this senior citizen is the prices of medicines. Nobody but nobody can tell me that prices have only gone up by single digits. Again being a creature of habit, the maintenance meds I survive on have truly zoomed up.

If, for example, I would spend about P150 a day for my assorted maintenance meds, I now spend more than P200. In simplest terms, that’s a 33 percent increase year-on-year, right

Rumblings in the military

Rumors are swirling in the military about a possible leadership change only three months after Army Lt. Gen. Bartolome icente Bacarro was installed as chief of staff.

Bacarro, who belonged to the Philippine Military Academy PMA class of 1988, actually replaced his classmate, Gen. Andres Centino, who took over from another classmate, Gen. Jose Faustino Jr.

IN THE TRENCHES

Bacarro and Centino are among the few remaining members of PMA 1988 who remained in active duty. The military is now firmly under the control of PMA 1989.

The three service commanders are from PMA 1989 Rear Adm. Toribio Adaci Jr is the new navy ag officer-incommand Lt. Gen. Romeo Brawner is the army commander and Lt. Gen. Connor Anthony Canlas is the air force commander.

There has been a smooth transition in the military leadership in the past despite the “revolving door” policy of past administrations that saw changes in the top leadership happen so often, sometimes lasting only three months.

Rodrigo Duterte had 11 chiefs of staff in six years, the same number former president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo had in nine years. But there were no less grumblings.

After dictator Ferdinand Marcos was removed from power in 1986, the government tried to insulate the armed forces from politics. Marcos had angered the professional soldiers who belonged to the military academies by favoring the promotion and appointments of non-PMA to the highest positions in the military.

Marcos had Generals Romeo spino and Fabian er as chiefs of staff, bypassing highly qualified and respected officers, like Fidel Ramos who was a graduate of the S Military Academy at West Point.

The idea of appointing a chief of staff with a fixed tour of duty was tried in 1988 when Ramos shed his uniform to become secretary of national defense.

That year, the entire PMA class 195 who remained in active duty was retired as a group, except for one who was named the replacement for Ramos, Gen. Renato de illa who served as chief of staff until 1991.

He had the distinction of serving as chief of staff for three years.

Cory Aquino chose Rodolfo Biazon, the first Marine general and from the navy, to become chief of staff for three months. He was replaced by Army Gen. Lisandro Abadia, who was hailed the hero of the December 1989 coup for stopping rogue troops at the Logistics Command and replaced brie y Biazon as commander of defending troops in Camp Aguinaldo.

Ramos, who succeeded Aquino in 1992, retained Abadia and gave him a three-year tour of duty.

Abadia was succeeded by his classmate, Gen. Arturo nrile, who had the distinction of getting extended in his active tour of duty because of the military’s role when the Philippines hosted for the first time the Asia-Pacific conomic Cooperation AP C forum in 1996.

nrile, who was appointed in April 1994, could have retired in June 1996 after reaching 56 years old, the mandatory retirement age for uniformed personnel in the military and police, but stayed on after AP C in November 1996.

The idea of senior military commanders with a fixed term of tour of duty was an excellent mechanism to insulate the organization from politics. The revolving door policy that started late in the Ramos administration politicized the process.

Military officers, once they reached the rank of colonel, started looking for political patrons to get promoted and appointed to juicy positions in the armed forces.

The patronage system causes rumblings within the officers’ corps when a highly connected but unqualified officer gets promoted ahead of the others or when appointed to a coveted position of power.

Before Duterte stepped down from power, he signed a law, Republic Act 11 09, to grant the chief of staff and other senior military commanders a fixed tour of duty of three years, allowing them to retire at

(Continue on page 27)

Is Milpitas ready for a woman Mayor?

After almost 0 years, Milpitas is set to have its first woman Mayor Are the residents ready r, is the woman mayor ready

The Milpitas Beat story written by Rhoda Shapiro projected that ice Mayor Carmen Montano is “on track to take history as first Milpitas woman mayor ”

Shapiro wrote: “Based on the votes that have been counted so far, it’s safe to say that ice Mayor Carmen Montano will be the first woman Mayor in Milpitas history. Currently, Montano has 34.25 of the vote, with 3,123 voters having picked her. Right now, Councilmember Anthony Phan trails behind Montano with 2,318 votes 25.42 .”

As I See It, based on the results, the voters preferred a woman mayor this time after long years of man’s domination as against five other mayoral candidates to take the reins of the city government. Perhaps, aside from the thought that it is high time a woman will take over, the voters were convinced that her track record for the past 8 years as member of the city council both as councilmember and vie mayor twice and a former trustee of the Milpitas nified School Board M SD has catapulted her to the city’s highest position. Montano retired as a public-school teacher and has also served as city commissioner, the latest being in the Library ducation and Advisory Commission L AC as its vice chair.

These are positive indicators that the residents of Milpitas are now ready to have a woman mayor It’s high time they have one after 0 long years I think.

In a telephone and email interview, Mayor-elect Montano has these to say:

How does it feel to be elected as the first woman Mayor of Milpitas As I look at the west wall of the Milpitas city hall Chambers, it has a collection of pictures of past city council members and Mayors since 1954, all were male Mayors. This election sent a message that its time women take on a leadership role as Mayor of our city. People in this community know my accomplishments in public service and the fact that I was raised here in Milpitas speaks volumes. Three generations strong. I care about my city and what direction it will take for future generations. My heart is in Milpitas and I will always try to make Milpitas the best and safest city to live in and raise a family.

What are your short- and long-term programs Public safety is always a number one concern to ensure our residents are kept safe from crime. That is an ongoing priority. Creating a police substation in the southern part of Milpitas near BART is a long-term goal to allow faster response times to our residents and businesses.

There are so many ongoing needs that the city has to address such as our citywide outdated pipeline infrastructure that need to be replaced. Revitalizing and preserving old town Main Street is another project I’m focusing on to create economic opportunity in our historic part of the city

Creating a museum and possibly a theatre for the Performing arts is another long-term goal

To address our unhoused working poor, my vision is to create a navigation center to provide a safe place for the unhoused to sleep. This will be multifaceted with a day worker program to also help them find jobs.

nsure that tax payer monies are spent wisely. n a personal level I am going to create the Mayor’s ducation fund to help teachers by providing them with teacher aides to help students who struggling in reading. As a teacher I am a champion for education and always will be.

What issues do you see as priority issues As I mentioned, reducing crime is a big priority for me. Many of our police officers hands are tied now because the laws from the state legislature have changed to allow 900.00 in theft to be considered petty theft and officers cannot enforce laws to hold them accountable. nfortunately, many of the victims are the businesses and residents because there is no restitution.

Continue to provide opportunities for affordable housing is another priority.

Any message you want to say to your constituents I’m honored, humbled, and ready with the responsibility that our residents have entrusted me with. I want to thank all the voters who voted for me who believe in

BETING DOLOR

ELPIDIO R. ESTIOKO

MANNY MOGATO

The Family First Coronavirus Response Act provides for big refundable tax credit for Sick Leave and Family Leave for certain self employed individuals. It is not too late to avail of this refundable tax credit even if you have already filed your tax returns. We can help you amend your tax return to avail yourself of this credit. You may be able to claim a refundable tax credit of an average of $7000 or a maximum of $32.000 depending on your net earnings.

To figure refundable qualified sick and family leave equivalent credits if you were unable to perform services as an eligible self-employed individual due to certain C ID-19 related circumstances between January 1, 2021, and September 30, 2021 you need to use Form 202. This credit is available if you are an eligible individual who was unable to work or had to care for family members due to the coronavirus C ID-19 .

The form is broken down into two portions: qualified sick leave and qualified family leave for self-employed individuals.

1. The “qualified sick leave” equivalent amount is the lesser of the following: o 100 of the average daily self-employment o Income or o 511

o Taxpayer can elect to use 2020 self-employment income to calculate average daily selfemployment income

o The maximum number of days that this credit can be taken is 10 minus any days already claimed in 2020 during the first benefit period and 10 during the second benefit period.

2. The “qualified family leave” equivalent amount is the lesser of the following: o 6 of the average daily self-employment income, or o $200

o As with sick leave, Taxpayer can elect to use 2020 self-employment income to calculate average daily self-employment income

o The maximum number of days that this credit can be taken is 50 minus any days already claimed in 2020 during the first benefit and 60 during the second benefit period.

Note: If you are a self employed and need more information about this benefit you may schedule a consultation with our CPA and Attorney. The above information is for educational presentation only and not a legal advice.

BR A ING N WS

Stampless entry at SF . SJC and A ports

ffective ctober 1, 2022, the CBP will adopt the stampless entry on all incoming travelers. If you want a stamp on your passport you should request the CBP officer.

New Regulation will make it easier to immigrate

The Biden Administration will release a regulation by December 2022, making it easier to immigrate for people who have taken public benefits. The public charge under Trump era will be revised significantly.

N-400 Application for Naturalization

The SCIS is now giving priorities to application for naturalization . The reason is obviously to allow qualified immigrants to vote in the coming midterm and presidential election. There are cases when the waiting time is only six months compared to prior years. Pres. Biden is encouraging all qualified to file for naturalization. This is a rare opportunity that all qualified should take advantage of.

DACA reinstated

Pres. Biden reiterated to renew the DACA processing as of August 31, 2022

Arrest and removal of undocumented is now up to the discretion of IC officer

US Supreme Court did not allow Pres. Biden to overturn the immigration policy of Trump with regards to priority in arrest and removal. With increasing migrants at the border White House is now requiring IC to deport more migrants under political pressure. It is now a decision to be made by the IC officer which could include arrest of anyone who is undocumented. It is time to work on your green card now.

CLAIM F R NPAID WAG S

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We can help you if you are under IRS audit, need a representation with IRS, need to reduce your tax liability or need to offer a payment plan to IRS,

S CC SS ST RI S

For the month of ctober 2022, we received approval from SCIS three naturalization applications, one Fianc e visa petition, two removals of condition on residence and three adjustment of status applications.

Note: If you have immigration problems write us a letter and we will reply to you with no initial obligation. The Law ffices of Crispin C. Lozano can help you find a solution before your problem gets worse which could lead to deportation and family separation. You may request a free consultation at one of our offices in Hayward or Cerritos, CA, or by phone at 1-8 -456-9266. www.crispinlozanolaw.com, email at info ccllaw.net

Bangko Sentral eyes November in ati n at t

MANILA Higher prices of electricity, liquified petroleum gas LPG , and some agricultural items, with the latter due to the impact of Severe Tropical Storm Paeng, are seen to push the domestic in ation rate to a range of between .4 percent and 8.2 percent for November 2022.

In a statement, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas BSP said these factors are seen to be countered by the decline in petroleum prices along with the prices of pork and the appreciation of the Philippine peso against the US dollar.

“More importantly, in ation is projected to gradually decelerate in the succeeding months as the cost-push shocks to in ation due to weather disturbances and transport fare adjustments dissipate,” it said.

The statement also noted that the “timely implementation of non-monetary measures will also help temper price pressures in the months ahead.”

“The BSP continues to monitor closely emerging price developments to enable timely intervention that could help prevent the further broadening of price pressures, in accordance with the BSP’s price stability mandate,” it added.

The rate of price increases accelerated further to . percent in ctober, the highest since December 2008, due to upticks in the food and non-alcoholic beverage index, among others.

BSP Governor Felipe Medalla told journalists Tuesday night that signs are

pointing to a possible deceleration of the domestic in ation rate, with the peak to be either in December 2022 or January 2023.

He said supply shocks, such as the prices of electricity and adjustment in the public utility fare, drive the current rate of price increases.

He said wage hikes are also possible, noting that although this is normally done once a year, authorities may approve a second hike by citing supervening events.

“These are the things that we’ve been watching all along, that the supply shock will bring about responses,” he said.

Medalla said these are the factors that may drive in ation in the coming months despite the appreciation of the peso against the US dollar and the drop in oil prices.

“But what we are confident of is that we will be on a target-consistent path. And the moment you see it going down, it will continue to go down,” he said.

He, however, pointed out that “it’s a question of when the in ation will start to go down .”

“The highest year-on-year headline in ation is either this coming report or next month. We’re still confident that by middle of next year, July or August, in ation will be closer to 3 percent than to 4 percent ,” he added.

The government’s in ation target is between 2 percent and 4 percent.

As of ctober, the average in ation rate stood at 5.4 percent

v t r t tar et sti feasible amid rate upticks: BSP

MANILA – Hikes in interest rates are not expected to greatly dampen the domestic economy’s 2023 growth, with Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas BSP Governor Felipe Medalla citing pent up demand and recovery of tourism as drivers of growth.

“I would say that the DBCC Development Budget Coordination Committee DBCC growth targets are still feasible,” Medalla said.

DBCC’s next year growth target ranges between 6.5 to 8 percent, which is also the assumption until 2028.

Its growth assumption for ranges to percent.

Economists and multilaterals forecast domestic growth to be around to percent next year.

Medalla cited as drivers of his optimism the possible pick-up of international tourism, which is among the major growth contributors for the Philippine economy.

“There’s also still quite a bit of pent up demand,” he said, adding that “postponed capex capital expenditure is still there.”

Household final consumption expenditures HFC account for around 0 percent of the economy’s annual output.

In the third quarter of this year, HFC grew by 8 percent year-on-year.

Growth, as measured by gross domes-

tic product GDP , in the third quarter rose further to .6 percent from quarter-ago’s upwardly revised .5 percent, bringing the year-to-date average to .8 percent.

Aside from domestic consumption and tourism, Medalla said the business process outsourcing BP sector is among the sources of structural dollar inows for the country.

He said the BP sector also has “some legs”, noting the additional boost that it has been providing to domestic growth in the past years.

arlier, Medalla said the recovery of the domestic economy is expected to cushion the impact of the continued hikes in the central bank’s key policy rates.

Since last May, the central bank’s policy-making Monetary Board MB has increased the BSP’s key rates by a total of basis points as it bids to help address the accelerating domestic in ation rate.

The rate of price increases breached the government’s 2 to 4 percent target band last April when it climbed to 4.9 percent from 4 percent in the previous month due to the impact of higher oil prices.

Last ctober, it further accelerated to . percent, the highest since December 2008, due to faster annual in ation rate of the food and non-alcoholic beverages index.

Are you missing a big IRS refund as self employed

SB19, Ben & Ben lead Awit Awards winners

MAPA, SB19

Favorite Group Artist BG

Best Christmas Recording

Halo-Halo, The Itchyworms

Best Song Written for Movie/TV/Stage Play

Di a Nag-Iisa, Anne Sisa’ Jamito and Lordvino Bassilyo’ Ignacio Jonathan Manalo Regine elasquez

Best Ballad Recording Manatili, be Dancel

Best Rock/Alternative Recording

Fresh from their first concert in the nited States, Filipino supergroups SB19, together with Ben Ben, emerged as the big winners in the 2022 Awit Awards, with seven and five trophies, respectively.

Presented by the Philippine Association of the Record Industry PARI and curated by M Global, the star-studded awarding ceremony was held last week at the Newport Performing Arts Theater.

Artists who won more than one award also included Tandingan with three, and Belle Mariano, Leanne Naara, ild, and Noel Mendez, with two each.

Winners of the top prizes were Leanne Naara’s “Anticipation” as Record of the ear, Ben Ben’s “Pebble House ol. 1: uwaderno, Ben Ben” as Album of the ear, and ack Tabudlo’s “Binibini” as Song of the ear.

SB19, which recently wrapped its S concert tour and is set to y to Singapore, was represented by its music collaborators in accepting awards. Three members of Ben Ben, meanwhile, were present at the ceremony.

Hosted by M Js dward Barber and Samm Alvero, the awards night featured performances from Paolo Sandejas, Sam Concepcion, Maymay ntrata, Alamat, Alex Bruce, Angela en, Janine Berdin, Jason Dhakal, himo Gumatay, Lola Amour, Hero, and ild.

Award presenters included AC Bonifacio, Alexa Ilacad, Andrea Brillantes, D strada, AIA, N, Jeremy G, and JC Alcantara. The full list of winners of the 35th edition of Awit Awards:

Record the Year

Anticipation, Leanne Naara Album of the ear

Pebble House ol. 1: uwaderno, Ben Ben Song the Year Binibini, ack Tabudlo

Best Collaboration

Sabel, Ben Ben feat. Tandingan

Best Performance byGroup Recording Artist

MAPA, SB19

Best Instrumental Performance

Cutting Candy, Noel Mendez feat. Rancis de Leon, Jack Rufo, Bobby Taylo

Best Performance byMale Recording Artist yusi, ild

Best Performance byFemale Recording Artis t

11:59, Tandingan

Best Music Video

Lunod, Jerrold Tarog Ben Ben ild Juan arlos

Best Cover Art

alawakan, Paul Ramirez Paul Pablo

Best Engineered Recording Blink, Fran The Ringmaster’ Lorenzo Clara Benin

Most Streamed Artist

SB19

Most Streamed Song

Mahirap Mahalin, alley of Chrome

Best Pop Recording

Bazinga, SB19

Breakthrough Artist

Belle Mariano

Favorite Song Sigurado, Belle Mariano

Favorite Male Artist

Darren spanto

Favorite Female Artist Maymay ntrata

Best Inspirational Recording

Ako Naman Muna, Angela en

Best Jazz Recording

Cutting Candy, Noel Mendez feat. Rancis de Leon, Jack Rufo, Bobby Taylo

Best NoveltyRecording

Chub by, Grin Department

Best Dance Recording Bazinga, SB19

Best R&B Recording

Anticipation, Leanne Naara

Best Rap/Hip Hop Recording

Lagi Na Lang feat. Gloc-9 , JRLDM

Best Vocal Arrangement

MAPA, SB19

Best Regional Recording

Asa Naman, Maris Racal

Best Global Recording What , SB19

Best World Music Recording Sabel, Ben Ben Tandingan

Best Traditional/Contemporary Folk

Recording

Wag ang Aalis, Ice Seguerra

Best Musical Arrangement puan, Ben Ben

Best New Artist in Collaboration

Get Me Down, Louis int and Juliana Celine

iWantTFC to livestream Eraserheads’

‘Huling El Bimbo’ reunion concert e Philippines on December 12

LOS ANGELES, CA - The holiday season is about to officially start. It’s Thanksgiving week and with the average Thanksgiving dinner now priced 20 higher from last year, millions of folks are looking for good holiday deals. For music fans around the world, one of the best music deals just arrived: the legendary Filipino alternative rock band, raserheads, teamed up with ABS-CBN’s iWantTFC, the largest Filipino streaming platform in the world, for the historic livestream of the band’s much awaited reunion concert, “Huling l Bimbo”, on December 22, 2022. The livestream will be worldwide except in the Philippines.

Fans can avail of the early bird 20 discount rate at S 23.99 until November 30. Come December 1, tickets will be at the regular rate of S 29.99 each, up to the actual live event on December 22 . n top of the livestream, ticket-buyers can also watch on demand as they will get a 48-hour access to the concert on iWantTFC.

The FilipinoBeatles

Formed in 1989, raserheads is composed of niversity of the Philippines schoolmates ly Buendia lead vocals, guitar , Marcus Adoro lead

guitar , Buddy abala bass and Raymund Marasigan drums . Their band name was inspired by the 19 black-and-white film, “ raserhead”, by American surrealist filmmaker David Lynch.

After years of playing The Cure, Beatles and Metallica covers and working on originals that were criticized for “not being pop enough”, the band got their break when BMG Records A R director ic alenciano took a chance on them and signed them to a threeyear record deal in 1992.

In 1993, the album, “ ltraelectromagneticpop ” taken from the Japanese 0’s anime cult classic “ oltes ” became a smash hit, selling 300,000 units

by the end of the year. It featured both the original and radio-friendly versions of the expletive laden “Pare o”. Seven more albums and international success followed through the 90s and early 2000s. Their album, “Aloha Milky Way” featured

“Julie Tearjerky”, which topped the Indonesian charts and earned them the 199 MT Asia iewers’ Choice Award.

In 1995, their third album, “Cutterpillow”, became a milestone in Philippine music history, selling over 400,000 units to become the biggestselling album for any Filipino band or group. Critically and commercially successful, the album featured the classics, “Huwag Mo Nang Itanong”, “ verdrive” and “Ang Huling l Bimbo”. At this point, the band was already hailed as “The Beatles of the Philippines” because of their hits and popularity.

After personal tragedies, health issues, and infighting led to the band’s break up in 2002 and they had challenge-filled reunion concerts even if they were sold out , the band reunited anew to create and release new materials, “1995” and “Sabado”, in 2014.

But fans were not interested in just hearing them again fans wanted to see them perform live together again on stage.

After teasing fans for years, raserheads finally made good their promise to reunite in a live concert to be streamed throughout the world in real time by way of “Huling l Bimbo” on December 22 N T : Please refer to time zones above .

The concert is not just nostalgia for millions of older fans of raserheads it is also an opportunity for millions of Gen who have been looking to the past to find music to their liking. In fact, a study last year of 2000 Americans aged 18 or older by Dolby Laboratories, Inc., a leader in immersive experiences, revealed that 80 of S Gen feel like they were born in the wrong musical era. Many are looking back to 90s music, fashion and films. So, the unique music of 90’s band raserheads would most likely appeal to this

THE LE ENDARY ERASERHEADS rom le� uddy a ala Ely uendia Raymund Marasigan and Marcus Adoro. (Photo courtesy of E Management Ser ices)

“ n The Job: The Missing 8,” the 2021 film thriller of rik Matti, won big at the 5th DD S or ntertainment ditors’ Choice by the Society of Philippine ntertainment ditors SP d .

The film was declared best picture and won eight acting, creative and technical awards during the awards ceremonies at the historic Metropolitan Theatre M T in Manila on November 2 .

Among its biggest awards were “Best Director” for rik Matti, Best Supporting Actress for Lotlot de Leon and Best Picture.

Another big winner was “Big Night,” which bagged Best Screenplay for Jun Robles Lana and Best Actor for Christian Bables.

Charo Santos won the Best Actress award for “ un Maupay Man It Panahon.”

Highlight of the film event, hosted by ing of Talk Boy Abunda and directed by Ice Seguerra, was the recognition of 10 movie icons who have made indelible marks in the entertainment industry through their outstanding bodies of work.

The Icon Awardees were icente Tito Sotto, ic Sotto, Joey de Leon, Phillip Salvador, Roi inzon, Helen Gamboa, Divina alencia, lizabeth ropesa, Sharon Cuneta, and Alma Moreno.

Meanwhile, actress Gretchen Barretto, T host ris Aquino, actor and uezon City 5th district Representative Alfred argas, GMA apuso Foundation, and ABS-CBN Sagip apamilya were the recipients of the Isah . Red Award. This award is presented in honor and memory of SP d’s founding president, Isah . Red. It is given to personalities and organizations to honor their humanitarian efforts toward alleviating the conditions of people adversely affected by the C ID-19 pandemic.

The special awardees were entertainment reporter Ma-

rio Dumaual for the Joe uirino Award former entertainment editor ric Ramos for the Manny Pichel Award Rein ntertainment for the Rising Producers’ Circle and iva Films as Producer of the ear.

The list of awardees follows:

Best Supporting Actor: Mon Confiado for Arisaka

Best Supporting Actress: Lotlot de Leon for “ n The Job: The Missing 8”

Best Sound Design: Corinne de San Jose for “ n The Job: The Missing 8”

Best Musical Score: rwin Romulo “ n The Job: The Missing 8” , Cesar Francis Concio “Love is Color Blind” , Teresa Barrozo “Big Night”

Best riginal Theme Song: “Maghihintay” from “More Than Blue” Words, music and performance by Marion Aunor

Beaut derm Male and Female Faces of the Night: Sean de Guzman and Alexa Miro

Best isual ffects: Mothership for “ n The Job: The Missing 8”

Best diting: Jay Halili “ n The Job: The Missing 8”

Best Production Design: Whammy Alcazaren for “ un Maupay Man It Panahon”

Best Cinematography: Neil Derrik Bion for “ n The Job: The Missing 8”

Best Screenplay: Jun Robles Lana for “Big Night”

Best Director: rik Matti for “ n The Job: The Missing 8”

Best Actor: Christian Bables for “Big Night”

Best Actress: Charo Santos for “ un Maupay Man It Panahon”

Best Picture: “ n The Job: The Missing 8”

Special awards:

Joe uirino Award: Mario Dumaual

Manny Pichel Award: ric Ramos

Rising Producers’ Circle: Rein ntertainment

Producer of the ear: iva Films

DD S Icon: Tito Sotto, ic Sotto, Joey de Leon, Phillip Salvador, Roi inzon, Helen Gamboa, Divina alencia, lizabeth ropesa, Sharon Cuneta, and Alma Moreno

Isah . Red Award: Gretchen Barretto, ris Aquino, Alfred argas, GMA apuso Foundation, and ABS-CBN Sagip apamilya

Chris�an a les and Charo Santos in the top ac�ng honors at the th EDDYs

CA affirms Aga Muhlach, manager not liable in P7-M contract row

The Court of Appeals (CA) has affirmed its earlier decision in favor of actor Aga Muhlach and his manager, who both sought to nullify a lower court ruling that ordered them to pay more than P million in damages to an advertising firm allegedly due to breach of contract.

In its resolution dated Nov. 23, the CA denied the motion for reconsideration filed by Pacific Asian Advertising Specialist, Inc. PAASI on March for its failure to raise new substantive arguments which would merit changes in the court’s previous decision in favor of Muhlach.

“PAASI’s grounds for reconsideration re-argues the same contentious issues that the parties have extensively argued and discussed in their respective briefs and which have already been considered and resolved by the court in the decision sought to be reconsidered,” the tribunal said.

The CA Third Division “extinguished” all obligations of Muhlach and talent manager thelwolda Ramos of the management firm AMC ntertainment with PAASI on Jan.

11.

PAASI contracted AMC in 2009 for Muhlach to promote an aesthetics company’s weight loss program for P10 million, with P6.5 million paid before the legal row started.

From March 8, 2010 when the contract was signed, Muhlach was recorded to have lost 32 inches in body width and weighed 182 pounds from a starting point of 190 pounds.

PAASI later sued Muhlach after it discovered that the actor said in interviews that his weight loss was the result of gym workout sessions and minimized food intake.

The Makati City Regional Trial Court Branch 59 later rescinded the talent contract and ordered AMC ntertainment and Muhlach to compensate PAASI for P .4 million.

In reversing and setting aside the Makati court’s decision, the CA said Muhlach “was not in material breach of the talent contract,” noting among other things that reports that he had been seen working out in a gym in violation of his talent contract were hearsays.

The CA said the talent contract plainly states that Muhlach had the affirmative obligation to undergo weight-loss treatments “three to five times a week during the first phase and at least once a week during the succeeding phases to maintain his ideal weight of pounds.”

The talent contract does not specify where Muhlach would undergo treatment nor was he required

to exclusively undergo treatments at the aesthetics company, the CA decision stated.

“All things considered, leaving the parties where they are is the most equitable resolution of this dispute,” the CA ruled. “The parties failed to agree on a desired outcome, whether it was of Muhlach’s weight or physique.

His weight height profile of the talent contract was left blank by AMC.”

N CIT The Metro Manila Film Festival’s Parade of Stars this year, which marks the official start of the festival, will be hosted by uezon City on Dec. 21.

The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority MMDA said with this year’s theme, “Balik Saya ang MMFF 2022,” the 48th edition of the film festival is bringing in new partners to make the event more thrilling for film makers and moviegoers.

The parade, featuring oats carrying celebrities of the film festival’s entries, will start from Welcome Rotonda- uezon Avenue to uezon Memorial Circle at 2 p.m.

It will run for seven kilometers, with an estimated travel time of two hours and 30 minutes.

Staging area for the oats of eight official entries and the MMDA will be along . Rodriguez to D. Tuazon. The agency’s traffic enforcers will assist on the sidelines of the parade route for crowd control.

Meanwhile, the Film Development Council of the Philippines FDCP announced it will be providing funds worth P500,000 to help in marketing the films through CreatePHFilms, for each film producer whose entries made it to the MMFF 2022.

The FDCP’s CreatePHFilms Funding Program is designed to provide support to filmmakers, producers and distributors

in all stages of filmmaking to complement their efforts to produce quality Filipino films.

The MMFF also signed a memorandum of agreement with BingoPlus, an online bingo game platform, to be the film festival presenter.

“This year’s festival promises an exciting selection of films for all moviegoers. It offers a wide variety of genres that will complete the tradition of Filipinos going to the cinemas during the holiday season,” said Romando Artes, MMDA and MMFF overall chairperson during a meeting with the film producers, marketing team and the parade committee held Wednesday.

The official eight entries to the MMFF 2022 are “Deleter” by iva Communications, Inc. “Family Matters” by Cineko Productions, Inc. “Mamasapano: Now It Can Be Told” by Borracho Film Production “My Father, Myself” by 3:16 Media Network and Mentorque Productions “Nanahimik ang Gabi” by Rein ntertainment Productions

“Partners in Crime” by ABS-CBN Film Productions “Labyu with an Accent” by ABS-CBN Film Productions and “My Teacher” by T N1 P.

The film festival will run in theaters nationwide from Dec. 25, 2022 until Jan. , 2023.

The Gabi ng Parangal Awards Night is set on Dec. 2 at the New Frontier Theater in Cubao, uezon City.

Daniel Padilla, John Arcilla, Dingdong, Piolo lead 5th EDDYS Awards nominees

Voters of Color and Women Saved the Democrats from Disaster

While Democrats maintained control of the Senate following a narrow win this weekend by Nevada’s Catherine Cortez Masto, control of the House remains in question, though Republicans have the advantage.

Common Cause National Redistricting Director Kathay Feng says extreme gerrymandering was a decisive factor in Republicans’ strong showing in states like Ohio and Florida and will be key should they retake the House.

made a big difference there. State Representative Joe Tate is likely to become the first black speaker of the Michigan House. In Detroit and nearby suburbs, an African American is going to be representing this district for the first time in Washington. And in Michigan’s 12th Congressional District, incumbent Democrat Rashida Tlaib, who is Palestinian American, will be representing her newly configured district.

In Colorado, the Citizens Redistricting Board meeting for the first time drew a Congressional district with a Latino population. “And that district, the Congressional 8th, elected for the first time a Latina representative to be part of the Congressional Colorado delegation,” Feng said.

Despite new laws to keep people from voting and gerrymandering election districts to take away the power of minority communities, the Republican “red wave” that pollsters predicted ahead of last week’s midterms didn’t happen.

Ethnic Media Services debriefed six experts on their reactions to the election results and what should be done to prepare for the 2024 election.

“Voters of color were very concerned about the state of their lives beyond the economy,” said Sergio I. García-Rios, assistant professor at the University of Texas at Austin and former director of Polling and Data at Univision News. “A second concern in all of our polls was gun safety, and mass shootings and also security along the border.”

García-Rios said that President Biden’s message about saving democracy resonated with voters of color concerned about rising extremism. But they also sent Democrats a message: “We’re disappointed with both parties.”

That theme was picked up by Christine Chen, executive director of Asian Pacific Islander American ote (APIAVote), who says the number of Asian American voters who eschew both parties is growing. APIAVote conducts an annual survey of Asian American and Pacific Islander voters.

“We noticed that there’s an increasing number of independent voters among the Asian American electorate, overall, and the Chinese actually had the largest percentage… at 47%. Even the Vietnamese, who support Republicans at a higher rate than any other Asian ethnic group, are losing party identification to independents,” Chen said.

Driving many black women were concerns around safety, said Karma Cottman, who leads Ujima, which focuses on violence targeting women in the black community. “Safety for us as women, safety for us as members of the black community, overlaid with what safety looks like in terms of physical and financial safety so we are able to take care of our families.”

Cottman pointed to down ballot elections, noting strong support for black female candidates. “We were voting up and down ballot for black women,” she said.

Voter intimidation, meanwhile, did not prove to be a major issue this election, says Gowri Ramachandran, senior counsel of the Brennan Center’s Democracy program. “We had law enforcement leaders in some communities coming out and saying, look, intimidation of voters and of election workers is not going to be tolerated,” she said.

Exit polls showed Republicans gaining ground in support among African Americans, Latinos, and Asian Americans. While support for Democrats remained high among women and young voters, Cottman echoed those who say Democrats spent too much time trying to ip predominantly white districts instead of investing resources in communities of color.

In red states where the state legislature controls redistricting and Republican governors approve the maps they draw, the fight for fair maps is a David vs Goliath proposition. But in North Carolina and Minnesota, courts forced district maps to be redone. And in New Mexico, Native Americans threatened to blockade the commission if it didn’t redraw the Navajo districts. They did so.

Feng, who has been at the center of efforts to challenge partisan gerrymandering through litigation and state-based organizing around ballot initiatives and legislation, says citizens have been able to get maps drawn fairly where election commissions do the redistricting.

“Across the board we saw many improvements,” she noted, pointing to states like California, Michigan and Colorado.

In Michigan, voters passed a measure in to create an independent Redistricting Commission. It has

“It’s significant to note that in each of these states there has been tremendous participation by communities of color to come out and talk about where those communities are, to talk about the growth, and to make sure that the lines are truly re ective of those communities,” she added.

Feng drew a sharp comparison with the growth of Latino populations in Texas and the black population in Florida. “Those communities were sliced and diced up so that the growth was not represented, or the historic representation was essentially dismantled. So, we see a significant difference between the states that have commissions of some form or another and those that do not,” she said.

Feng likened redistricting to fixing democracy’s clogged plumbing.

“You don’t want to know what’s in there. You don’t want to look at it. And when it bursts, it’s a mess. And that’s why you’ve got to fix it before you have that disaster… and because so many communities participated in redistricting, this time round, we saw a lot of that plumbing get fixed.”

Dep’t of Housing accountability unit marks first year, cites gains

SACRAMENTO – One year ago, Governor Gavin Newsom launched the Housing Accountability Unit at the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) with the goal of increasing stringent enforcement and oversight at the local level to create more housing, faster in California.

Since 2020, HCD has helped to clear the way for nearly 3,500 new homes, with about half of those as a result of the Housing Accountability Unit’s work in the last year.

“The housing crisis we are experiencing in California was decades in the making, but we are taking aggressive steps with an all-of-the-above approach, which includes unprecedented actions to bring about accountability at the local level,” said Governor Newsom in a statement sent to Philippine News Today. “Understanding that we have no time to waste, in just one year, the Housing Accountability nit has moved with a fierce intensity to break the status quo and remove bureaucratic roadblocks.”

nder Governor Newsom, for the first time in state history, local governments are being held accountable to meet their housing targets, with a statewide goal of reaching 2.5 million new units by – million of which must be affordable. To help reach this goal, the Housing Accountability Unit has worked with local jurisdictions to provide technical assistance and review of policies that often hinders the building of housing

throughout the state. In their first year, the unit opened the door to nearly 1,700 new homes, with over being affordable housing.

“California is removing barriers to housing development and preservation, streamlining permitting, and, most importantly, holding local jurisdictions accountable for meeting the housing needs of their communities,” said Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency Secretary Lourdes Castro Ramírez. “By prioritizing enforcement of state housing laws, we are working toward the day that all Californians will have access to an affordable place to call home.”

Among other key accomplishments over the past year, the Housing Accountability nit launched a firstof-its-kind Policy and Practice Review into San Francisco’s legal, planning, and political barriers to housing production at all income levels. The unit also formally absorbed enforcement of the Surplus Land Act, unlocking hundreds of affordable housing units through its review of state surplus land.

“Cities and counties must abide by state housing laws,” said HCD Director Gustavo Velasquez. “First and foremost, HCD will provide technical assistance to create a path toward understanding and complying with state housing laws. But no longer are cities’ and counties’ compliance going unchecked. Accountability is key to getting the 2.5 million new housing units our state needs to serve Californians across the income spectrum.”

Why should you buydown your rate now?

In this common scenario, known as a 2/1 buydown, the seller pays to cut the buyer’s mortgage rate by percentage points for the first year of the loan and by percentage point for the second year.

As rates have surged to percent, that buydown helps reduce some of the sticker shock buyers are experiencing.

Temporary rate buydowns have been around for a long time, but they’re really only relevant in a market like this, where rates are ying off the handle.

A buydown is a way for buyers to feel a little more comfortable, but don’t get fooled. The buyers usually is buying the rate through the sales price. Instead of negotiating the price lower, the sellers/ agents will usually recommend for you to buy down the rate, supposedly paid by the sellers.

During the pandemic-driven housing boom, sellers hardly needed to do anything to unload their homes quickly and for a hefty premium. This year, the housing market has slowed sharply, and sellers face a new reality. Bidding wars are starting to go away, you will see more “Open House” signs on the weekends. Homes are sitting on the market longer.

As the market starts to reset, buyers should be asking for concessions, feel less pressure to bid aggressively and have more time to weigh their options and negotiate for a better deal or wait.

How do rate buydowns work?

Say a buyer plans to pay $575,000 for a home, make a 20 percent down payment and finance the remaining 460,000 with a mortgage.

The monthly payment on a $300,000 loan at 6.5 percent is 2,90 .51. With a 2 1 buydown, the interest rate would fall to 4.5 percent for the first year, and the buyer’s payment would drop to 2,330 a savings of 5 6. 5 a month, or 6,921 that first year. The buyer still must qualify for the loan at the higher rate.

For the seller, the cost of a 2/1 buydown varies, but typically is a bit more than 2 percent of the amount of the loan. For a 460,000 mortgage, the seller would pay $9200 into a buydown account that belongs to the buyer. A portion of that sum would be released each month to reduce the buyer’s monthly mortgage payments. If the buyer decides to refinance while there’s still money left in the account, the remaining balance would be applied to the new loan.

Mortgage lenders offer a variety of buydown options, including: 2 1 buydown: The borrower’s rate drops by 2 percentage points in the first year of the mortgage and by 1 point in the second year.

1 0 buydown: The borrower’s rate drops by 1 percentage point in the first year of the mortgage.

3 2 1 buydown: The borrower’s rate drops by 3 percentage points in the first year of the mortgage, 2 percentage points in the second year and point in the third year. This option is costlier for the seller.

Why not just lower the sale price?

The most common way for sellers to close a deal with a reluctant buyer is to simply lower the price. Proponents of buydowns, however, say both sellers and buyers get more bang for their buck with a temporary rate buydown.

How is a buydown different from an ARM

A temporary buydown has some of the same characteristics of an adjustable-rate mortgage ARM : The borrower begins making payments at one interest rate, then the rate adjusts at a predetermined time down the road.

An ARM carries a fixed interest rate for a period of time, typically five years. After that, the interest rate and monthly payments can change every six months or year.

With a buydown, on the other hand, the interest rate is technically fixed it’s just that the seller reduces the borrower’s interest payments for a set period.

Both buydowns and ARMs have grown more attractive as mortgage rates have swiftly gone up. However, buydowns look more appealing in the short run compared to ARMs.

Bottom line

If you’re a seller looking to entice a buyer, consider paying for a temporary rate buydown. This move can cost you far less than a price cut. Ask your listing agent for advice and keep in mind that this tactic has re-entered the mortgage market only recently, so many Realtors and loan officers are still learning how it works.

Thanks for your inquiries, please call Ken Go of 1st Innovative Finance Group 562-508- 048 or write to kennethgo verizon.net CABRE 01021223 NMLS 238636

PHL athletes bag 3 golds, 6 silvers in Thailand Open

BANGKOK/MANILA – The Philippines has captured three gold, six silver and one bronze medals in the ongoing Thailand Open Track and Field Championships at the National Athletics Centre in Samkhog district, Pathumthani province.

The three gold medals came from John Albert Mantua (shot put), Mariano Masano (800-m) and Alfrence Braza (1,500-m).

After failing to bring home a medal three years ago, the 5-foot-10 Mantua delivered a golden performance of 16.24 meters in the men’s shot put event.

“Nanghihinayang po ako kasi hindi ko nakuha ung target ko na bato pero nagpapasalamat pa rin po ako kasi nakuha ko nman po ang gintong medalya (I regret not being able to achieve my target throw but I am thankful because I got the gold medal),” the 29-year-old Mantua said in an interview on Wednesday.

Mantua, who hails from General Santos City, registered a personal best of 17.33 meters during the Singapore Open last April 16. He sustained an injury while competing in the Vietnam SEA Games last May.

Braza ruled the men’s 1,500-meter event in 4:03.79, beating compatriot Masano (4:06.53).

But Masano bounced back in the 800-meter event, winning the gold medal in 1:54.07 to beat Hong Kong’s Lok Yin Chu (1:54.67).

In the men’s high jump event, Leonard

Grospe submitted 2.16 meters to claim the silver medal. Chao-Hsuan Fu of Chinese Taipei bagged the gold medal.

Janry Ubas claimed the silver medal in the men’s long jump with a leap of

7.72 meters. Ho Long Ko of Hong Kong secured the gold medal with 7.87 meters while Tien Trong Nguyen of Vietnam bagged the bronze medal with 7.53 meters.

In the men’s 400-meter event, Michael Carlo del Prado pocketed the silver medal in 48.26, Edgardo Alejan Jr. was fourth 48.6 while Jayme Sequita did not finish the race.

In the women’s long jump event, Katherine Khay Santos posted 5.98 meters to finish second behind Nga an ue of Hong Kong (6.30).

Joida Gagnao settled for the silver medal in the women’s 3,000-meter steeplechase event with a time of 11:16.19. Dian Ekayanti of Indonesia (11;08.30) won the gold medal while Mnin Yu Soe of Myanmar (11:40.11) took the bronze medal.

Francis Medina had the third-best time of 53.00 in the men’s 400-meter hurdles event won by Halomoan Edwin Binsar of Indonesia (50.95).

Eloiza Luzon was fourth in the women’s 400-meter event 5 .52 and fifth in the 200-meter event (25.57). Sarah Dequinan and Josefa Ligmayo placed sixth with 1.65 meters in the women’s high jump dominated by Wai Yan Phoebe Chung of Hong Kong (1.78).

Congress okays PHL citizenship for American cager Justin Brownlee

QUEZON CITY – The House of Representatives has approved on third and final reading a measure seeking to grant Filipino citizenship to Barangay Ginebra American resident import Justin Brownlee.

With 2 4 affirmative votes, no negative vote, and one abstention, the chamber passed House Bill 6224 to allow Brownlee as a naturalized player of Gilas Pilipinas to the FIBA Basketball World Cup next year by granting him Philippine citizenship.

Brownlee is expected to bolster the Gilas Pilipinas frontcourt in the February window of the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup Asian qualifiers when they go up against

Lebanon and Jordan.

The Philippines currently has a 5-3 win-loss card in the FIBA World Cup qualifiers.

Speaker Martin Romualdez, author of the measure, said this is the House’s “humble contribution to assist the national basketball team’s quest for glory in the FIBA World Cup.”

“Anything is possible if you put your heart or ‘puso’ into it. Speaking of puso, we commend Justin for his desire in joining Gilas Pilipinas in this path, to represent the Philippines, which is his home in this corner of the world,” Romualdez said.

Brownlee, 34, a native of Georgia, wearing barong Tagalog, signed a basketball and gave it to Romualdez as a token of gratitude during his courtesy visit at the House.

1-PACMAN Party-list Rep. Mikee Romero, another author of the bill, highlighted Brownlee’s achievements and credentials before the plenary.

“Throughout Mr. Brownlee’s very decorated and illustrious career in the PBA, he was able to attain five PBA championships and two Best Import awards with the career averages of 28.9 points per game, 12 rebounds per game, 5.6 assists per game, 1.9 steals per game, and 1.7 blocks per game. He is also the first PBA import to record 400 three pointers made and ranks first among PBA imports for 3 points made with 404 as of July 24, 2022. Lastly, he ranks as fifth in the all-time PBA imports scoring leaders with 4,539 points as of April 2022,” Romero said.

He described Brownlee as a “truly dependable ally” who would help Gilas Pilipinas men’s basketball team in their “quest to proudly represent our country in the upcoming February 2023 sixth and final window of the FIBA World Cup Asian ualifiers, which will be hosted by the

Philippines, and the FIBA World Cup 2023.

Demoli�on Team posed proudly a�er inning the olden Hoops asket all League Championship held at ayshore Community Center s gym. Standing from le� to right Rico Escalante (MVP) Elmer Valencia Douglas Meelie Chris Licudine e ello Michael Sa lad (Coach) Do ie Du al (coach) ohnson Rudy Lacson (Commissioner) Ramon erania Art Dela Rosa and Re alapon.

OLD INNER ohn Al ert Mantua of the Philippines (center ack ro ) holds his gold medal during the men s shot put a arding ceremony at the Thailand Open Track and ield Championships on No . .

Wet and Windy Weather to Impact Northern and Central California This Week

OAKLAND, Calif. With meteorologists forecasting a significant weather system this week in Northern and Central California, Pacific Gas and lectric Company PG is ready to respond to potential power outages and urges customers to be prepared as well.

PG meteorologists, along with experts from the National Weather Service, forecast that a significant weather system will move into the region Wednesday night and into Thursday bringing a chance of rain and mountain snow to much of Northern and Central California. Wind gusts of 35 to 45 mph are possible on Thursday. Another weather system may move into the state over the weekend with more unsettled weather.

Ahead of storms, PG stockpiles power poles, powerlines, transformers and other electric equipment at yards throughout our service territory in preparation to restore power to affected areas safely and as quickly as possible.

If needed, local PG operations emergency centers will activate in impacted regions to more efficiently allocate crews, materials and other resources to restoration efforts. PG routinely practices its preparedness and response to storms and other emergencies through company exercises and drills with local first responders.

“As with any wintry weather event, there is the potential of power outages

due to rain, gusty winds and mountain snow. Our meteorology team has been tracking this weather system and is coordinating with our Electric Operations to ensure the company is prepared to respond to outages. It’s always important for our customers to have an emergency plan in place for themselves and their families, too,” said van Duffey, a PG meteorologist.

Wet and windy conditions could cause trees, limbs and other debris to fall into powerlines, damage equipment and interrupt electric service. PG vegetation management crews work year-round to keep trees away from powerlines.

PG ’s meteorology team utilizes a Storm Outage Prediction Model that incorporates real-time weather forecasts, historical data and system knowledge to accurately show where and when storm impacts will be most severe. This model enables the company to pre-stage crews and equipment as storms approach to enable rapid response to outages.

Keeping Customers Informed

PG knows how important it is to keep its customers informed. Customers can view real-time outage information on its website outage center and search by a specific address, by city or by county. This site has been updated to include support in 16 languages.

Additionally, customers can sign up for outage notifications by text, email or

phone. PG will let customers know the cause of an outage, when crews are on their way, the estimated restoration time and when power has been restored.

Storm Safety Tips

Never touch downed wires: If you see a downed power line, assume it is energized and extremely dangerous. Do not touch or try to move it—and keep children and animals away. Report downed power lines immediately by calling 9-11 and then PG at 1-800- 43-5002.

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

se ashlights, not candles: During a power outage, use battery-operated ashlights and not candles, due to the risk of fire. And keep extra batteries on hand. If you must use candles, please keep them away from drapes, lampshades, animals and small children. Do not leave candles unattended.

Have a backup phone: If you have a telephone system that requires electricity to work, such as a cordless phone or answering machine, plan to have a standard telephone or cellular phone ready as a backup. Having a portable charging

device helps to keep your cell phone running.

Have fresh drinking water and ice: Freeze plastic containers filled with water to make blocks of ice that can be placed in your refrigerator freezer during an outage to prevent foods from spoiling.

Turn off appliances: If you experience an outage, unplug or turn off all electrical appliances to avoid overloading circuits and to prevent fire hazards when power is restored. Simply leave a single lamp on to alert you when power returns. Turn your appliances back on one at a time when conditions return to normal.

Safely clean up: After the storm has passed, be sure to safely clean up. Never touch downed wires and always call 8-11 or visit 811express.com at least two full business days before digging to have all underground utilities safely marked.

Other tips can be found at: Safety and Preparedness, Storm Safety, and Safety Action Center

About PG&E

Pacific Gas and lectric Company, a subsidiary of PG Corporation N S :PCG , is a combined natural gas and electric utility serving more than 16 million people across 0,000 square miles in Northern and Central California. For more information, visit www. pge.com/ and http://www.pge.com/ about/newsroom/.

The spread of misinformation on social media and other channels has played a vital role in diminishing vaccine confidence and acceptance throughout the state. We need your help to minimize the impact of mis- and disinformation on COVID-19 vaccination rates!

Read on to learn more about the current misinformation topics gaining high attention.

Taking a closer look at the numbers, we can see the impact that vaccine hesi-

tancy is playing on the uptake of COVID-19 vaccines, especially as it relates to booster doses. We’re at an important time right now as we head into winter to ensure people have accurate information about how the vaccine protects them against severe COVID-19 infection.

Is the COVID-19 pandemic “over”?

Unfortunately, COVID-19 is still a serious threat to our communities. Death and hospitalizations, though lower than what we saw early on in the pandemic, are still higher than a normal virus, with 300 people dying and 3000 new hospital admissions every day in the U.S. In addition, the number of deaths of pregnant people increased during the pandemic as a result of COVID-19, with COVID-19 causing out of every deaths among pregnant people.

Highly infectious variants also continue to emerge at rapid speeds unlike viruses we’ve seen before.

According to a recent study, 1 in 8 people with COVID-19 infection are at risk of developing long COVID, a range of new, returning, or lingering symptoms weeks to months after getting COVID-19.

Is the vaccine safe for pregnant people?

Yes! Multiple studies of tens of thousands of people who received a COVID-19 vaccine while pregnant or before getting pregnant, have continued to show that COVID-19 vaccines are safe. Pregnant people who received COVID-19 vaccines have the same risk of miscarriage, birth defects, preterm birth, or stillbirth as those who did not get the vaccines while pregnant.

accines are effective at preventing COVID-19 in people who are breastfeeding and are strongly recommended.

The benefits of receiving a C ID-19 vaccine outweigh any potential risks of vaccination during pregnancy or during breastfeeding.

The science of how the vaccines are made makes us confident that the vaccines do not cause infertility. A recent study has confirmed that women who received COVID-19 vaccines were able to get pregnant at the same rates as women who did not get the vaccines.

Are side effects of vaccines more dangerous than COVID-19 infection?

Side effects after a C ID-19 vaccination tend to be mild, temporary, and like those experienced after routine vaccinations such as u.

Serious side effects that could cause a long-term health problem are extremely rare following any vaccination, including COVID-19 vaccination.

Billions of people have been safely vaccinated against COVID-19. All the approved COVID-19 vaccines have been carefully tested and continue to be carefully monitored.

Risk of heart complications is higher after COVID-19 infection than after mRNA vaccination, including for males 12-39 years of age.

Tools to Aid in the Conversation:

Use the WhatsApp Chatbot! The app is updated regularly with frequently asked questions and trending misinformation topics.

Use the COVID-19 Public Call Center at 833 422-4255 as a source for questions.

Use your doctor or healthcare provider to get your questions answered.

Los Angeles Philippine Consulate taking steps as hate incidents and crimes persist

As early as months in his term as the new head of the Philippine Consulate General in Los Angeles, Consul General Edgar Badajos already has expressed his serious concern on the rising incidence of hate crimes targeting Asian-Americans and Pacific Islander AAPI not just in places under his jurisdiction but across the United States as well.

Badajos then already decried the wave of violence and declared solidarity with AAPI, including the Filipino and Filipino-American community, in addressing this life-threatening concern.

“We have made representations with local government, requesting that priority action and attention be given acts of violence in whatever form or style against our communities,” Badajos shared. “The Consulate General has been closely coordinating with relevant local agencies and various Fil-Am Community organizations in monitoring and promoting greater awareness about the situation.”

The new Consul General believed that the people cannot remain resilient in the face of this wave of racially-motivated violence as communities of color have as much right to live in peace as anyone else in the United States, which prides itself in being a society where everyone can feel safe, accepted, and equal.

“We ask Filipinos and Filipino-Americans who have experienced or witnessed racially-motivated violent attacks on their person or property to report these to law enforcement authorities and other relevant agencies for immediate action,” Badajos added. “We likewise encourage them to avail themselves of local resources being offered by various organizations and these may include cross-racial dialogues, community-building and other training interventions to help you cope with this pressing social concern.”

In an exclusive interview in his Los Angeles office recently, Badajos explained that one of the reasons for hate is jealousy and envy as there are those misguided elements in the U.S. that believe that immigrants are living-off a system that siphons off resources and opportunities that they otherwise belong to them

and therefore they should have.

“What they are forgetting is that the Filipino American communities is one of the most productive migrant communities in the .S. In paying tribute to the contributions of Filipino Americans to American society, we have to remind them that we cannot separate the achievements of Filipinos from the economic development and sociocultural diversity of America through the years,” Badajos underscored.

Among those that the Consul General mentioned are the achievements and contributions of the farmworkers and labor leader Larry Itliong, the sugarcane planters in Hawaii, Silicon alley’s Filipino pioneer Dado Banatao, and Filipino American nurses who were in the frontlines especially during the pandemic, etc. These are not seen, acknowledge much less appreciated by misguided elements in American society.

“They should know that America was built on blood sweat and tears of immigrants. All of us here are immigrants. The Filipino is so different because the Filipino is so productive. We have done a lot for the country and they cannot say that Filipinos are merely living-off the system,” Badajos reiterated. “Those who are doing those hate crimes should actually thank us for our contributions to American society in so many ways.”

The Consul General revealed that the hate crime that they documented since I took over was only that of a Filipino family’s incident that happened in a McDonald’s branch where a Filipino American family was allegedly threatened

and physically attacked by a man at a McDonald’s drive-thru in North Hollywood, California.

Hate crime suspect Nicholas Weber was reportedly filmed harassing and assaulting the Roque family at a McDonald’s drive-thru on Victory Boulevard in North Hollywood after Weber reportedly rear-ended the family’s car before telling Patricia and her mother, Nerissa, that they were “so Asian” and allegedly used racial slurs and threatened to kill them in a mock Asian accent.

The suspect reportedly refused to attend his arraignment for the third time by refusing to leave his cell. He was charged with battery causing serious bodily injury and misdemeanor battery, both with hate crime enhancements and full trial will start on January 2023.

Nevertheless, Badajos encouraged all victims to call 911 in case of immediate threat and reminded them that the Consulate don’t have police power.

“After reporting to the police, you can call the Philippine Consulate for you may need counseling by a lawyer or counselor, and we can refer you to non-profit groups that can help. Filipino nationals in distress may contact us at 1 213 58 -0 58 or send an email to lapcg.atn@gmail. com,” Badajos advised.

On mitigating measures that they have been undertaking, Badajos cited having a number of dialogues with the LAPD on how the police department and the Consulate can work together to address hate incidents and crimes and with the sheriff’s department, city mayors of Las egas and San Diego, with other Asian Consulates, with Filipino community leaders and members, among others.

“What is really necessary first and foremost is education of your rights when you are a victim of either hate incidents or crimes and what are the resources available to you particularly on what you can

and should do when you become a victim,” Badajos maintains. “The police and the sheriff’s department also conduct information campaigns, seminars, and they also have helplines available for Tagalog speakers aside from our own advisories as we continue to work with the police here.”

Badajos thinks hate crimes are motivated by racism and xenophobia, should not be fought with equal dose of violence but by promoting greater appreciation and understanding of Filipino culture.

In the most recent dialogue with the Los Angeles Police Department, the law enforcers echoed the appeal of the Consulate for the victims to report to them hate incidents at once stressing that they need not hesitate or be afraid to report incidents or crimes to the police regardless of immigration status.

Deputy Chief of Los Angeles Police Department Commander Michael Oreb promised that the LAPD will investigate and take investigative steps to look into hate crimes of any nature including that of Asian community.

“It is important that, if you are a victim of hate crime or incident, the Los Angeles Police Department is very interested to bring that out for reports and investigations to take place and ultimately apprehend those responsible. Report them to us immediately,” Oreb urged. “Hate crimes disrupt community order. They create a lot of disturbances for all the families and folks who are involved. They hurt neighborhood and individuals and we will not tolerate that.”

In addition, everyone must realize that the police don’t have the right to inquire about one’s immigration status as they should only look at the complaint or the crime being reported.

“Incidents are underreported that when they do occur, people are rebuffed discouraged in reporting and bringing them to our attention in order for them to identify the individual and prosecute they need everybody’s help. Call 8 -ASLAPD 8 -2 8-52 3 ,” reb appealed.

On the same dialogue, a short video was shown of Sgt. Jay Balgemino Los Angeles Police Department speaking in Tagalog admitting that many of hate crime victims are afraid to report the incidents to the police and that hate incidents include use of hateful words directed at a race, group or religion.

“A hate incident becomes crime when attended to with criminal acts. If you are a victim or not sure you were a victim of hate crime, do not hesitate to report or call the police. We will help you ascertain if you were victim of hate incident or crime,” Balgemino explained. “We know that there are many reasons why these are not reported. But these reports can help and give useful information so we can help and give additional information on other services and advocacies. Let us help each other so we can avoid these challenges. LAPD is here to help.”

Philippine Consulate General in Los Angeles Consul General Edgar Badajos (center) is anked y reporter un Nucum (e treme le�) and Philippine Ne s Today Pulisher Francis Espiritu

Dialogue et een the Los Angeles Police Department and Philippine Consulate eneral in Los Angeles o cials recently held at the Consulate

Filipino Americans may have to turn to younger generation for political empowerment

We may have to turn to younger generation for political empowerment May 6, PHILIPPINE POST PHILIPPINE POST COMMUNITY November 11, PHILIPPINE POST Page 11 WE FILIPINOS in the Greater Los Angeles Area have many good reasons to celebrate after the elections last Tuesday, November Although not many Filipinos ran in the local elections, most of those who sought seats in their respective cities were leading or have won as of this writing. Attorney General Rob Bonta, a Democrat, leads the list of Filipino-American winners with a resounding victory in his race against Republican Nathan Hochman for a full four-year term as head of the state’s Department of Justice, garnering of the votes. Bonta, the first FilipinoAmerican to hold the key post, was appointed Attorney General by Gov. Gavin Newsom last year after President Joe Biden appointed then Attorney General Xavier Becerra as health secretary. The California Attorney General post has been known to be an important jumping board to higher state and national posts. B e c e r r a , a s m e n t i o n e d earlier, became secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. He replaced Kamala Harris, who went on to become US senator and now Vice President of the United States. Pat Brown held the post and went on to become California governor. It was the same with his son, Jerry Brown, who was elected as attorney general and later as governor. Another former California attorney general was Earl Warren who went on to become US Supreme Court Chief Justice. Bonta, son of Filipino immigrants who toiled in the farms of California and worked to attain justice for thousands of farm workers as union organizers and farm activists, has led a colorful political life. He was a member of the California State Assembly representing the 12th District from 2012 to 2021, becoming the first Filipino-American to be elected to the State Legislature. Before that, he was a member of the Alameda City Council from 2010 to 2012. Bonta is now our best bet for a higher state level post, perhaps even the governorship, or a national level position, maybe as congressman or US senator. He has been hailed by the Democratic Generals

Association as “one of the most active attorneys general in the nation on everything from defending reproductive rights to promoting workers’ rights.”

Another Filipino-American who is going places is 31-yearold political newcomer Kenneth M e j i a , w h o w a s l e a d i n g Councilman Paul Koretz by a wide margin in the runoff for Los Angeles City Controller. As of press time, Mejia had 261,832 votes (60.2%) against Koretz’s 168,710 (39.2%). The city controller serves as Los Angeles’ chief accounting officer, overseeing audits, accounting operations and financial reporting - including submitting reports on the effectiveness of city departments. Mejia becomes the first and only Filipino-American to hold a major elective position in the city of Los Angeles. He is our best bet for higher positions in the City of Los Angeles and Los Angeles County and, who knows, even state or national posts. He is only and has all the time to build up his just-starting political career.

In Carson, reelectionist FilipinoAmerican Councilwoman Arleen Bocatija Rojas defeated fellow Filipino Fred Docdocil in District council race by a wide margin. Another Filipino, Oscar Ramos, lost to former Carson Mayor and current Councilmember Jim Dear in District 2, also by a wide margin. Rojas remains the only Filipino in the five-man City Council.

In West Covina, former Mayor Letty Lopez ran unopposed for the City Council representing District Another FilipinoAmerican, Ollie Cantos, is leading among the three candidates for City Council District 4 and is projected to become the first blind man to occupy a council seat in the city. Blind since birth and the son of Filipino immigrants, Ollie was raised in West Covina since age In spite of being bullied as a child and going through other challenges, he eventually became an attorney, making a difference at the .S. Department of Justice, the U.S. Department of Education, and the White House.

In Artesia, Mayor Melissa Ramoso won reelection to the City Council. Ramoso led the race for three council seats, topping fellow re-electionists Ali Taj and Rene Trevino, and Alma Griffin. Ramoso, along with former Cerritos Mayor Mark Pulido, are our best bets for higher posts, possibly for the State Assembly or State Senate in that part of LA County. In Claremont, former Mayor Jed Leano had a comfortable margin over his rival in the race for the Council seat in District Newcomer Stephanie Loredo was third among candidates for the three seats up for grabs in the Culver City School Board to possibly

We can see from the results that qualified Filipinos have a good chance of winning local elections, and yet there are very few Filipinos who are running for elective positions. We have to aim for more positions of power and in uence in the city level, and higher positions in both the county and state levels. In the City of Los Angeles, for example, Mejia proved that a qualified and dedicated Filipino candidate could win over veteran LA politicians like Koretz. Being a community activist and organizer, Mejia was able to rally Filipinos in LA to support his candidacy, to volunteer in the campaign, and actually vote for him. The victory of young Filipinos like Mejia, Ramoso, Leano and Loredo and, yes, Bonta who is still young at 50, also shows that moving forward into the future, we have to look to the younger generation for helping the Filipino community achieve our long-cherished dream of political empowerment in this our adopted country. The

New York man gets 17 years for mauling Pinay in March

NEW YORK A man who has been convicted for the savage attack on a 67-year-old Filipino woman in Yonkers, New York on March 11 has been sentenced to years and six months of imprisonment.

Tammel Esco, 42, received his sentence from Westchester County Judge Anne Minihan on November after pleading guilty to the crime of Attempted Murder and one count of Assault Under Hate Crime Law.

Esco, who was immediately arrested after the incident, had previous arrests and multiple convictions, police records showed.

bleeding in the brain.

onkers officials led by Mayor Mike Spano condemned the attack.

“Hate crimes are beyond intolerable in our city. I applaud our Yonkers Police for swiftly apprehending this violent criminal and removing him from our streets,” Mayor Spano said in a statement. “I expect the suspect to be charged to the fullest extent of the law for his heinous actions. I continue to keep the victim and her family in our thoughts and prayers.”

Yonkers Police Commissioner John Mueller agreed and called the hate crime despicable and one of the most appalling attacks he has ever seen.

NaFFAA congratulates the following trailblazers and history makers who won during the recently held S elec�ons. Your Na AA family ishes you all the est as you em ark on your ourney as serant leaders and transform your communi�es. e e tend our apprecia�on to these changemakers as they represent our ilipino American community as our oice in ad oca�ng for e er representa�on and more posi� e changes.

Our Na AA Sta is s�ll orking on ge ng the most updated list of ilipino American inners during the recently held S elec�ons. If e miss any other ilipino Americans ho on during this year s elec�ons please reach out to mark.eyo na aa.org.

The woman was entering her apartment building in Yonkers when she was attacked from behind by Esco. Security video showed the woman was punched times, stomped on seven more times and spat on. She sustained fractures and lacerations to the head and face as well as

Judge Minihan said, the reports added, it was a miracle that the woman survived the vicious attack.

The woman told the court that the incident traumatized her and forced her and her family to move to a different area for their safety.

Blind FilAm Ollie Cantos winner in West Covina

become the first Filipino-American member of a school board in west LA. At the Rowland nified School District, Agnes Gonzalez, who was appointed as trustee in February last year, won a seat for a full term.

author with California Attorney General Rob Bonta Kenneth Mejia Melissa Ramoso Letty Lopez-Viado Arleen Rojas Jed Leano Ollie Cantos Stephanie Loredo Agnes Gonzalez.

SPECIAL MYTHBUSTERS REPORT

Filipinos, FilAms still cling to myths on COVID-19 and vaccines

y e�ng Laygo Dolor Editor and ilda Pasion- alan Correspondent

While it is a given that people of all nationalities who migrate to the US carry with them the unique set of beliefs from their homeland, including the do’s and don’ts of their folk medicine, some can be considered as merely quaint, while others are downright dangerous.

This is true of Filipinos who eventually become Fil-Ams, who still believe in the power of albularyos – akin to Filipino shamans – or faith healers to cure any disease. The former resort to herbal medicine, while the latter believe in the power of prayer.

In some cases, the albularyos and faith healers are the first choice whenever illness strikes, while in other cases they are the last resort, notably when conventional Western medicine is considered to be no longer effective and the sick patient and their family are only advised to make their last moments more comfortable while waiting for the inevitable.

When the COVID-19 pandemic began to spread sometime in March of 2020, the US and the Philippines joined almost all the countries of the world in enforcing mandatory lockdowns.

Conventional wisdom said that the best way to beat the coronavirus was for the big drug companies to develop vaccines, and fast.

And here is where the problem lies. Lifetime FilAm antivaxxers were joined by their countrymen who expressed uncertainty that the new vaccines created to defeat COVID-19 were effective as they had been rushed by the various multinational drug companies that developed them.

Most other vaccines created to arrest viral and bacterial diseases take years to develop, and the arrival of the first C ID-19 vaccines little more than a year after coronavirus became widespread was cited by doubters as reason to refuse to be vaccinated.

“It’s not safe,” was the biggest argument for delaying or deferring getting vaccinated, and the doubters took a wait-and-see attitude, which would prove to be fatal to some.

The hesitancy in getting vaccinated offered free to the public – was especially high among Asian-Americans, of whom FilAms comprise one of the biggest blocs.

Data from the California Department of Public Health showed that as of early November, 72.4 percent of the state’s population had been vaccinated with the primary series; 59.4 percent of the population had been vaxxed with both primary series and booster; and 13.3 percent of the population had been vaxxed with the updated booster.

In all, as of early November this year, 84,234,658 vaccines had been administered.

Three main reasons have been cited by the California Department of Public Health for the still high number of California residents who remain unvaccinated, to wit:

The mistaken belief that the pandemic “is over.” Ending the forced lockdowns was necessary to save the world’s economy, but this did not mean that the pandemic had ended. The threat remains, and there are still some 3,000 new hospital admissions daily, with 300 fatalities every day. Moreover, one out of every four pregnant women diagnosed with COVID-19 pass away due to the condition, and new variants emerge at rapid rates which are proving to be highly infectious. Further, one in eight COVID-19 patients are at risk of developing long COVID, described as “a range of new, returning, or lingering symptoms weeks to months after getting COVID-19.”

The vaccine is not safe for pregnant women, is a claim that has been belied by the tens of thousands who have received a COVID-19 vaccine before and during pregnancy, and are living proof that the vaccines are safe. The vaccinated ones have the same risk of miscarriage, birth defects, pre-term birth, or stillbirth as the unvaccinated. The vaccines have also been proven effective in preventing C ID-19 in those who are breastfeeding. The CA Health department says the benefits of receiving a COVID-19 vaccine “outweigh any potential risks of vaccination during pregnancy or during breastfeeding. Vaccinated women also have the same chances of getting pregnant as their peers who are unvaccinated. Health authorities say the science of how the vaccines are made assures that they do not cause infertility.

The side effects of the vaccines are deadlier than C ID-19 itself is yet another mistaken belief as the side effects after being vaccinated are usually mild, temporary and similar to those felt after receiving a routine u vaccination. Serious side effects that can cause long-term health problems are extremely rare. Proof that the vaccines are both safe and effective is proven by the billions of people who have already been vaccinated against the coronavirus. Also, the risk of heart complications is higher after a

person has been infected with COVID-19.

It should be noted that California is one of two US states with the largest FilAm community, the other being New York. Other states like Texas and Florida also host large pockets of FilAm communities.

The latest data from the University of Oxford which cited government sources said only 65 percent of the world’s population has been fully vaxxed against coronavirus as of Nov. 21, this year.

The remaining 35 percent have either gotten only one shot or worse, have not received even a single shot.

Worst of all, false information has been spreading over social media that tries to convince people to eschew the vaccine entirely.

A case in point is the documentary “Died Suddenly,” an anti-vaccine propaganda alleging that COVID-19 vaccines have caused sudden death of “many people,” without giving specifics.

As reported by Forbes magazine, the so-called documentary does not use scientific evidence in relating vaccine intake to the fatalities.

Fact checkers noted that one of the people featured in the film was a mother who claimed her athlete-son “died unexpectedly” blaming the vaccine as the cause, when he had, in fact, died in a car crash.

Yet another fatality had passed away before receiving the vaccine.

In its investigation, Forbes determined that one of the sources quoted in “Died Suddenly” was only described as a “Canadian embalmer,” a broad definition that is both hard to prove or disprove.

As of last week, the documentary had been seen by 5.5 million in Rumble and Twitter combined, and was still available online

One viewer said she was “glad I chose not to vaccinate myself or my children.”

The viewer said she remained unapologetic at her stand, even if she has been described by persons close to her as “an inconsiderate, conspiracy nut.”

Saddest of all was the mud-slinging exchange between those who favored as against those who opposed being vaccinated.

One comment tweeted that the documentary was “a load of f*cking horse sh!t,” while another person, an embalmer, said “embalmers and morticians do not conduct post mortems.”

A virologist from Canada, Dr. Angela Rasmussen from the niversity of Saskatchewan, dismissed the film as “grifters telling lies so you’ll give them money.”

nfortunately, “Died Suddenly’ is neither the first nor will it be the last to spread disinformation about the global pandemic and the vaccines developed to curb its spread.

For Filipinos and FilAms enamored with celebrities, a good many showbiz and music stars, as well as popular athletes, have lent their voice to the anti-vax movement.

From Jenny McCarthy to Jim Carrey to Eric Clapton to Jessica Biel to Leticia Wright to Rob Schneider (a full-blown FilAm) to Toni Braxton to Robert de Niro to Kyrie Irving and Bradley Beal, popular people have cited various reasons for their refusal to be vaxxed.

Basketball-crazy FilAms heard the reasons of the two NBA stars and have echoed the same in their refusal to receive the free shots. They cited either religious or personal reasons for refusing to get the shots.

Beal even resorted to a sophist argument when he asked why “people who have been vaccinated are still getting COVID.”

As for Andrew Wiggins of NBA champion team Golden State Warriors, he refused to say why he would not be vaccinated, only saying, “It’s none of your business” to anyone who asked.

Incidentally, Wiggins eventually relented and received his vaccine shot before the start of the current NBA season.

One LA-based FilAm who told Philippine News Today that he was also anti-vaccine but was forced to get the shot anyway was because it was a requirement in ying home to Manila for a vacation.

He, too, gave an odd argument for his anti-vax stand.

The US with a population of more than 300 million has seen almost a million dead due to COVID, he said, but the Philippines with roughly one-third the US population, or just over 100 million, had only seen some 60,000 fatalities.

“We Pinoys have stronger ‘naturalesa’ than Americans,” he said. (Note: There is no literal translation of the word to English, although inherently strong comes close.)

Yet another FilAm said that based on what he had picked up from various sources, the so-called “herd immunity” had been reached, as the majority of his fellow residents in California had already been vaccinated.

His odd logic: “I don’t need to be vaccinated since everyone else has already been vaccinated. There’s nowhere for me to catch COVID.” Whether he was joking or not, he added that “I am also deathly afraid of injections.”

If true, it is a condition known as trypanophobia and people with a phobia for getting injections is fairly common. They have a tendency to delay or avoid medical care, thereby endangering themselves during a pandemic.

Estimates say as many as two out of three children, and one in four adults have a strong fear of needles. As such, as many as one in 10 people are believed to delay getting the COVID-19 vaccine due to their fear.

As Dr. Anthony Fauci said this time last year, many who are vaccine hesitant “because they have valid questions that have never been answered.”

The director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases said one good way to convince those who still refuse to be vaccinated is to have community leaders deliver the message.

It could be “a clergyman, a family doctor, or family pediatrician,” he said. Or it could even be a trusted member of the community, such as an athlete or entertainer.

Surgeon General (SG) Vivek Murthy further advises asking the anti-vaxxers why they believe what they do, and also focusing on how they feel about the broader issue rather than the false claim itself.

Murthy added that fact-checking a friend or relative who remains opposed to getting vaccinated could be counter-productive.

Such an approach “can often shut down a conversation,” he said.

The SG admitted that some non-believers may simply be confused due to the massive amount of information unleashed by the pandemic.

“The information is constantly changing,” Murthy said, resulting in difficulty in finding accurate data.

In Manila, independent health reform advocate Dr. Anthony C. Leachon, a past president of the Philippine College of Physicians, recently told Philippine News Today that “misinformation, disinformation, and fake news” plays a large part in the continued refusal of countless Filipinos to avail of the free shots.

There is, he said, “a strong movement of anti-vaxxers and people sowing fear on the adverse effects of vaccines.”

For now, a continued campaign to inform the public that the C ID-19 vaccines are not only safe, but effective remains a must.

In the past couple of weeks, reports that a new subvariant of the latest variant of the coronavirus has emerged in China, with millions of people there again being subjected to strict lockdowns.

Viewed by many as excessive, China can at least claim that its zero-tolerance policy to coronavirus has met with substantial success.

Such a policy, however, is impossible to enforce in the US, which means that the only way to battle the worst pandemic in a hundred years is to have as many people as possible agree to be vaccinated.

This means convincing vax-hesitant people to change their minds, a task that is easier said than done.

Upside...

(From Page 11)

By day Colma’s newest Council member handled rental and operations of Cow Palace Area Event Center, the 81-year-old landmark known to Baby Boomers as the site of the Beatles’ debut concert in North America. Seating over 16,000, the venue hosts the Grand National Rodeo, the Great Dickens Christmas Fair and many other large public and private events. The position required Colvin’s business savvy and honed her diplomacy and understanding of the surrounding communities.

FOCUS ON HEALING

The City Council first voted Colvin as Mayor in 2010 and then in 2015. She rose to the occasion again in 2021 at a precipitous time around the world.

Dossey admires how she powered through the pandemic with positive energy.

“She was instrumental in planning our Economic Development Strategy while serving on the Town’s Economic Development AdHoc committee. Highlights of her term included re-engagement with the Colma/Daly City Chamber of Commerce, restarting of the Mayor Chamber Business walks, and commitment to filling retail vacancies in Town,” Dossey noted.

Like her peers in larger cities, Colvin prioritized stabilizing the town economy by “strengthening our fiscal health, continued support and assistance to our business community at-large and ensuring that the needs of our residents continue to be met.”

She had cause for optimism with the earliest rollout of the COVID-19 vaccines that she had hoped would “live up to our expectations in battling the virus and bringing this pandemic to an end.”

The country also had elected a new president, kindling her enthusiasm about “critical changes needed for America to heal, restoring the fundamental values and principles of democracy, renewing our faith in humanity and the human spirit, and suppression of the mounting division that has taken place across our nation.”

Some saw the worldwide calamity as a punishment, but not Colvin, who viewed it as opportunity to “re ect and redefine my role as a civil servant with an even stronger sense of compassion, humility and commitment to those I serve.”

Colvin said the lockdown drew her closer to her loved ones “knowing our time for reuniting and celebration will come again and will be all the more cherished” after physical separation.”

Colvin’s departure marks the second time in months that Colma has had to appoint a new member to complete the town council. In July, then- ice Mayor Rae Gonzalez gave notice she would retire in September due to ovarian cancer preventing her from fulfilling her responsibilities. The term of Colma’s former PIO and then City Treasurer before running for the City Council in 2008 was to end Aug. 24. She passed away on August 2. en Gonzalez, her widower, was appointed to serve the rest of her term till 2024.

In a special meeting Nov. 16, the City Council interviewed individuals applying for the seat vacated by Colvin. They appointed Carrie Slaughter to serve the remainder of the vacated term through 2024.

PDAT D FR M RIGINAL AND R PRINT D WITH P RMISSI N

FR M IN IR R.N T.

Offline

(From Page 13)

And don’t get me started on the cost of hospitalization. The supposed Class A hospitals and medical centers now charge what I can only describe us criminally high rates. As an example, an office mate of mine told me of how she had to rush herself to a nearby hospital – which isn’t even Class A – because she thought she was having a heart attack. It was only acid re ux. She spent a few hours in the R, and ended up having to pay something like P30,000.

In pre-in ationary times, that would have been 600. She was charged an arm and a leg for everything, such as simple bandages which would have cost less than P50 at any drugstore, but which she was charged an excessive P500. r was it P 00 Whatever the amount, it was way, way too much.

Anyone who has been hospitalized recently will say the same thing. They all charge too much.

Then there’s the cost of transportation.

A few months ago, the base fare for a jeepney ride was P10. Today, it’s P12. Now isn’t that a 20 percent increase of what is an essential service for millions of Filipinos

Now the country’s jeepney drivers are asking for a further increase because the diesel or the gasoline that they need has not gone up by a silly six or seven percent, but by a whopping 20 to 30 percent, year-on-year.

One suggestion that a drivers’ organization is for the jeepneys to charge a surge in prices for certain hours of the say. During rush hour, they are suggesting that passengers must pay an additional P1, P2 or even P3 on top of the base fare.

So if it’s P3, then the fare during morning and evening rush hours will be P15, which is a full 50 percent higher than earlier this year’s fare, iznit Doesn’t this translate to 50 percent in ation on the price of an essential service used by all workers and students

I could go on and on about how the prices of essential goods and services have risen to unbearable levels for many Filipinos, but I’m sure the point has been made clear.

What I strongly suspect is that the sources of the official in ation figures are cherry-picked such that only the goods and services which have not risen dramatically are used as examples.

It was a recent balikbayan who pointed out to me what he believed to be the unreal in ation figures released to the public. He said the prices of everything has risen so dramatically that he was aghast, wondering how the average Filipino family copes with the rising prices.

As neither of us were experts in economics, we were left to wonder why the unbelievable figures are released as gospel truth. Asked how I was managing during these hard times, I only smiled and said we should have another beer. Which also costs a lot more now than a year ago, folks. But still good value for money.

Health & Wealth

(From Page 12)

ternational IDs Acceptable for Notarization ” as excerpted For immediate help and assistance in the notarization and apostille follow up of notarized Affidavits, Special Power of Attorney SPA , D D F D NATI N, Deed of xtrajudicial Settlement of Estate with Partition, Deed of Absolute Sale, Proof of Life, and other documents needed in the Philippines and other member nations of the Hague Apostille Convention, just write or call: M BIL SIGNING S R IC S, 30 Madrid Street, San Francisco, CA 94112. Tel. 650 438-3531 or 415 584- 095 or email:artmadlaing@gmail.com (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.)

As I See It

(From Page 12)

me and want change. I am for all the people even those who did not vote for me. I will have an open-door policy meaning I will dedicate a certain time to personally meet with folks at a city community facility. They can come and meet with me to chat or discuss an issue or idea. I am the people’s Mayor.

As for the Milpitas City Council race, it’s certain that current Milpitas nified School District M SD Trustee Hon Lien has won one of two open seats. She currently leads the pack with 28.36 and 4,418 votes. Following in second place is Atty. Garry Barbadillo, with 21.12 and 3,289 votes. Barbadillo may take the second council seat.

In an email interview, Atty. Garry Barbadillo said: “It feels good to come back, knowing that I have more time and level of maturity to give back.” Barbadillo was first elected as councilmember in 2014 for a 4-year term 2014 2018 .

As to his short term and long-term goals, Barbadillo said: “I would like to focus on policies that would support our economic reopening from the last 2 years of Covid. These may include measures to help businesses come back such as incentives and streamlined applications. I would also want to see more policies that will benefit the seniors, like activities, programs, and possibly more discounted expenses. I see all these as my priorities in the city council.”

hold the rank of general until February when he turned 56 years old.

Ferdinand Marcos Jr. had forgotten about Centino when he appointed Bacarro in August as chief of staff, a month before he was due to retire. But his appointment allowed him to serve for three years.

There were some pressures from within and outside the military for Bacarro to step down, linking him to the disgraced executive secretary Vic Rodriguez.

Rodriguez’s replacement, Lucas Bersamin, a retired Supreme Court chief justice, wanted to purge the Marcos government of people who were appointed by Rodriguez to ensure loyalty to the administration.

There have been rumors Bacarro, a medal of valor awardee, could be axed before December as there had been clamor from other military officers to appoint a stronger and more effective chief of staff.

There has been so much jockeying for positions that an in uential senator was rumored to be manipulating appointments in the military. The senator was very instrumental in the past administration regarding military and police appointments, including juicy contracts in the uniformed services.

The senator’s involvement in the current intramurals should be a cause of concern in the Marcos administration. It could be a recipe for unrest seen in the late dictator’s regime when professional soldiers mutinied against Marcos.

The Philippines needs stability within the armed forces, the only institution that can hold the country together. The country saw what happened in the late 1980s when the military was unhappy with its leaders.

Marcos should not allow military adventurism to take root again. The country does not need political and military instability that can fuel regime changes.

There are already so many problems within the government and a new cycle of coup d’etat is not needed.

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Manny Mogato wrote this column for Press ne.Ph of T 5.

Speaking Out

for a non-profit organization for the deaf.

(From Page 12)

And finally, there’s Josh Water Raymundo, currently a librarian at the Philippine National Library. PID provided Josh not only with quality education but more importantly gave him the gift of speech. Josh transitioned to a regular high school where he graduated with high honors. He later got a scholarship and graduated from the University of Santo Tomas in 201 with a degree in Bachelor of Library and information Science. He passed the board exams for librarians the same year.

“

As a closing statement, he said: “Thank you for the renewed trust. I will remain steadfast on sensible and common-sense policies towards the betterment of our community. I will remain independent in decision makings, prioritizing the people’s welfare.”

Barbadillo is a practicing Family Law and Chapter Bankruptcy Lawyer for over 12 years now. He is licensed to practice law in California. He is an active resident of Milpitas, California and frequently volunteers his time in various civic, non-profit and community affairs. He has worked with Griswold Law Firm as counsel since 2014, particularly on issues relating to family law. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science, a Masters of Art in Public Administration, and a Juris Doctor JD degree. Prior to this, he was a court clerk for the Santa Clara Superior Court system, in which capacity he gained thorough knowledge of the inside workings of the court system.

So, the winds of change in the Milpitas political landscape is about to start and will change its course as soon as Montano and Atty. Barbadillo will be taking their oaths of office. In fact, Montano wanted this message to reach City Hall – “This is the change we wanted to reach City Hall We want change, and we want it now ” (ELPIDIO R. ESTIOKO was a veteran journalist in the Philippines and a multi-awarded journalist here in the US. For feedbacks, comments, email the author at estiokoelpidio@gmail.com.)

In The Trenches

age 59 years old.

(From Page 13)

The vice chief of staff, the deputy chief of staff, the inspector general, the three service commanders and the seven area commanders were also given the same privileges. The superintendent of the Philippine Military Academy was given an extraordinary four years.

RA 11 09 was supposed to remedy the much politicized revolving door policy in the military but three months after Bacarro was named chief of staff, the first general to enjoy the three-year tour under the law, troubles started to simmer in the organization.

First, Bacarro could not be promoted to four stars because his classmate, Centino, had not retired and continued to

Breaking Through

to the Covid-19 pandemic.

(From Page 12)

Now he’s targeting a second edition of “Narvacan Naisangsangayan” as the Covid restrictions are easing up, if not fully gone. nowing Pablito Sanidad’s tenacity and passion over everything he does, and with more authorities on the culture and history of the Ilocos like Prof. Arnold Molina Azurin willing to be engaged actively into the book project, I’m certain the second edition will follow suit.

Nearly 40 million children are dangerously susceptible to growing measles threat

GENEVA -- Measles vaccination coverage has steadily declined since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 2021, a record high of nearly 40 million children missed a measles vaccine dose: 25 million children missed their first dose and an additional 14. million children missed their second dose, a joint publication by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports.

This decline is a significant setback in global progress towards achieving and maintaining measles elimination and leaves millions of children susceptible to infection.

In 2021, there were an estimated million cases and 128 000 deaths from measles worldwide. Twenty-two countries experienced large and disruptive outbreaks. Declines in vaccine coverage, weakened measles sur-

veillance, and continued interruptions and delays in immunization activities due to COVID-19, as well as persistent large outbreaks in 2022, mean that measles is an imminent threat in every region of the world.

“The paradox of the pandemic is that while vaccines against COVID-19 were developed in record time and deployed in the largest vaccination campaign in history, routine immunization programmes were badly disrupted, and millions of kids missed out on life-saving vaccinations against deadly diseases like measles,” said WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “Getting immunization programmes back on track is absolutely critical. Behind every statistic in this report is a child at risk of a preventable disease.”

The situation is grave: measles is one of the most contagious human viruses but is almost entirely preventable through vaccination. Coverage of 95% or

greater of doses of measles-containing vaccine is needed to create herd immunity in order to protect communities and achieve and maintain measles elimination. The world is well under that, with only 81% of children receiving their first measles-containing vaccine dose, and only 71% of children receiving their second measles-containing vaccine dose. These are the lowest global coverage rates of the first dose of measles vaccination since 2008, although coverage varies by country.

Urgent global action needed

Measles anywhere is a threat everywhere, as the virus can quickly spread to multiple communities and across international borders. No WHO region has achieved and sustained measles elimination. Since 2016, ten countries that had previously eliminated measles experienced outbreaks and reestablished transmission.

Overlap Syndrome

Not a well-known entity even to many physicians is the Overlap Syndrome. One example of this is the combination of COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) and OSA (Obstructive Sleep Apnea), with closely related respiratory symptoms. There is a 66 percent association between COPD and OSA in the general population. In the United States, there are about 81 million with OSA. The USA, Brazil, and Colombia have the highest incidence of OSA, about 170 million in the Americas.

Heart of Hope

C PD is a long-term in ammation of the lungs, commonly caused by smoking and environmental air pollution, which irritates and destroys the lung tissues, making it harder to breathe. OSA is a condition that causes breath-holding for a prolonged period during sleep, resulting in lowering the oxygen level of the blood, adversely affecting vital organs deprived of normal oxygen level, and the patient not able to have a restful sleep. They wake up tired and feeling sleepy. The impaired sleep leads to increased risk for high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, Alzheimer’s and even cancer.

COPD and OSA is a common combination among people. Each has its own treatment. Smoking cessation and breathing healthier air are both beneficial to COPD and OSA. Newer expensive inhalers, like Breztri and Trelegy are effective in improving airway exchange and easier breathing for this overlap duo.

When confirmed by a Sleep Study, SA is effectively treated with the use of CPAP (Continuous Positive Air Pressure) machine during sleep. This is the state-of-the-art, clinically proven, effective, standard management for OSA. Other advertised nasal, oral, gadgets are a scam, a waste of money, and provides a false sense of security. These purveyors of fake treatment are doing a great disservice to humanity. They are basically criminal. Their gadgets do not treat the pathology which is in the throat. The CPAP does open the airway in the breathing pipe effectively with positive pressure, allowing normal oxygenation of the lungs and all other organs and provides a more restful sleep.

The marketed “Insure” surgically implantable nerve stimulator is recommended for those unable to tolerate CPAP machine. It requires an operation and not guaranteed to work for everyone. The gold standard in the management of OSA is still the use of CPAP device, which could even be monitored (from the patient’s home) wirelessly (thru the internet) by the treating pulmonologist in the office.

If one has restless sleep and wakes up tired, sleepy by mid-afternoon, always feeling “blah,” a Sleep study is in order. Frequent breath-holding while asleep is dangerous to health and to life itself. Some who died in sleep were suspected of dying from heart attack brought on by too much prolonged breath-holding. The body needs non-stop normal oxygen blood level to stay healthy and sleep is vital. If you think you might have OSA, talk to your physician if you need a Sleep Study.

Oxygen and a restful sleep are two wonderful commodities that are free for the taking. Let’s ensure our body gets both in a healthy fashion.

Heart Angiogram

Cardiac catheterization, known to laymen as heart angiogram, is a radiologic video procedure using dye to view the function of the heart and patency (or blockages) in the coronary arteries (responsible for angina or heart attack). The goal on coronary angiogram is to find out what heart arteries are blocked, which could then be stretch-opened with a balloon at the end of the catheter inside the artery and a coil springlike stent is left inside to prop it open. Or, in multiple blocked coronary arteries, coronary bypass could be done, preferred over angioplasty.

Since coronary angiogram was accidentally discovered by cardiologist F. Masson Sones, Jr., on October 30, 1958 at Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, the symptom of angina (chest pain) was enough indication (with a positive stress test) for the performance of cardiac cath and coronary angiogram.

Today, after decades of peer reviews, the indication justification to do coronary angiogram is much stricter. For those with chest pain, the cardiologists are now required to try maximal intensive medical treatment first using calcium channel blocker and beta blocker pills). On top of this, a CTA (Computed Tomography coronary Angiogram) is also required to be tried to find out if there are any significant blockages in

the coronary arteries. Only when medical trial fails to relieve angina on a long-term basis would coronary angiogram be officially justified medically and reimbursable by insurance companies. Clinical studies (COURAG and ISCH MIA Trials confirmed this protocol as the medically sound standard practice in interventional cardiology. This has significantly reduced the number of coronary angiograms around the world.

Weight loss cures diabetes

Obesity has been known to be one of the causes of diabetes mellitus Type2 (DMT2) for decades. Overweight not only increases the risk for diabetes but actually causes this metabolic disease. Worldwide, there are about 463 million adults with DMT2. Many are undiagnosed. In the United States, about 37.3 million people have diabetes mellitus T2.

DIRECT (Diabetes Remission Clinical Trial) in the United Kingdom has shown that among T2 diabetics, who lost significant weight more than 10 kilos or 22 pounds) sustained over 12-24 months) could lead to remission (reversal) of DMT2.

I know of patients who lost 40-50 pounds and achieved their normal weight of 130-150 pounds for 12 months or longer by staying away from carbohydrates and controlling their daily total calorie-intake and exercising, were able to stop taking their insulin shots and maintained normal blood sugar level. Is this remission or a cure? Whichever it is, this “transformation” is amazing and is definitely an inspiring discovery for all diabetics. Obviously, this takes a lot of discipline, hard work, and personal sacrifices. nowing how diabetes damages our organs, increases our risk even for cardiovascular illnesses, including cancer, and how it shortens lives, the great hurdle, and pains of dieting and exercise (not by taking pills, which are dangerous) is worth it. Health is, indeed, wealth!

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

PHILIP S. CHUA

INSPIRATIONAL ARTICLE FOR THE WEEK

BLUE ROSE

By TIM PEDROSA

The best way to impress people is not by telling them how wonderful we are but to listen to how wonderful they are and the best way to cheer up ourselves is to try to cheer up somebody else. In life it takes a minute to find a special person, an hour to appreciate them, a day to love them but then an entire life to forget them. Here’s a simple but beautiful act of kindness that touched the lives of a mentally disabled person and his mother, inspired by the writing of an unknown author. Why do I always have to be the one that starts to do laundry and there’s no detergent? I guess it was time for me to do my store run, which included light bulbs, paper towels, trash bags and Clorox. So off I go. I scurried around the store, gathered up my goodies, and headed for the checkout counter only to be blocked in the narrow aisle by a young man that appeared to be about sixteen-years-old. I wasn’t in a hurry, so I patiently waited for the boy to realize that I was there. This was when he waved his hands excitedly in the air and declared in a loud voice, “Mommy, I’m over here.” It was obvious now, he was mentally challenged, and also startled as he turned and saw me standing so close to him, waiting to squeeze by. His eyes widened and surprise exploded on his face as I said, “Hey Buddy, what’s your name ” “My name is Denny and I’m shopping with my mother,” he responded proudly. “Wow,” I said, “that’s a cool name I wish my name was Denny, but my name is Hal.” “Hal like Halloween ” he asked. “ es,” I answered. “How old are you Denny ” “How old am I now Mommy ” he asked his mother as she slowly came over from the next aisle. “ ou’re fifteenyears-old Denny now be a good boy and let the man pass by.” I acknowledged her and continued to talk to Denny for several more minutes about summer, bicycles and school. I watched his brown eyes dance with excitement because he was the center of someone’s attention. He then abruptly turned and headed toward the toy section. Denny’s mom had a puzzled look on her face and thanked me for taking the time to talk with her son. She told me that most people wouldn’t even look at him, much less talk to him... I told her that it was my pleasure and then I said something I have no idea where it came from, other than by the prompting of the Holy Spirit. I told her that there are plenty of red, yellow and pink roses in God’s garden, however, “Blue Roses” are very rare and should be appreciated for their beauty and distinctiveness. ou see, Denny is a “Blue Rose” and if someone doesn’t stop and smell that rose with their heart and touch that rose with their kindness, then they’ve missed a blessing from God. She was silent for a second, then with a tear in her eye she asked, “Who are you ” Without thinking I said, “ h, I’m probably just a “daffodil or maybe even a dandelion,” but I sure love living in God’s garden.

Advent Season: Saint John the Baptist

Saint John the Baptist is the herald and precursor of the Lord Jesus, The Messiah, the Incarnate Son of God. He was the prophet prophesied from the prophets of one coming in the spirit and power of Elijah (Luke 1:17) and one who cries out in the wilderness “prepare the way of the Lord Mark 1:3 .” Moreover, he was son of St. lizabeth, cousin of the Blessed irgin Mary as mentioned in the Scriptures Luke 1:36 . For this Advent Season, I want us to learn from St. John two things: First the pursuit of moral and spiritual cleanliness for God. He was proclaiming the baptism of repentance as a way to purify the people from their sins so that, they can be ready for the coming of the Messiah. The spiritual and moral cleanliness, the purity of the soul we may say, this is crazy. For how can we ever be clean we are always bombarded with filth and dirt from the world we live in or how can we be pure when we live in the world so impure Secondly, I want us to learn the lesson of perseverance in spite of obstacles in life to finish our mission whatever it takes. St. John, finished what he was tasked to do. He encountered opposition. He met persecution. He was jailed, and then died but before it happened, he was able to ask the Lord Jesus by sending his disciples to Jesus: “are you the one who is to come or should we look for another ” and then, Jesus explained see Mt. 11: 2 5 His words were words coming from the prophesies about Him, the Messiah, by these words into St. John the Baptist’s ears he was being told that the Messiah is in truth Jesus Himself. So, for John the Baptist, hearing those words, it is as if He was being told by God, His Master, “your mission is accomplished, well done.”

Afl ame The Heart

During this Advent Season, therefore, let us make this as our program of life for always to be away from sin, to be pure for God and to strive that we are doing our Christian mission well and completing it fully.

Moreover, to the former spiritual and moral cleanliness is our conscience’s imperative for it makes us ever mindful on one hand, of our sinfulness that constantly needs purification and on the other hand, of the world around us that needs to be purified through the purification itself of the lives of peoples that inhabit it. God is cleanliness and purity Himself when we are in relationship with Him, we cannot associate ourselves with what is ungodly, impure, or sinful. We, therefore, must make a resolution for this Advent journey and for our daily lives that will double our efforts to fight against the sins that we easily fall into that we should exert more effort in getting rid of ourselves of attitudes, mannerisms, and materials that lead us to sin. To be free of sources of sins in our lives is a concrete step to making ourselves clean. Furthermore, dear reader, we must sincerely identify the specific sins that we easily fall into and the specific occasions that brought us to them. nowing well our enemy leads to making concrete steps to defeat them rather than, we confess them, we know them, but not really planning and not really making some serious effort to destroy and trash them out.

Then, to the latter the fulfilling of our Christian mission: ur mission to be holy our mission to grow in virtues our mission to be good example to our family, to our friends, to our colleagues at work, and to all our mission to pray daily and become prayerful our mission to be generous and charitable to others in other words, our mission to radiate to others God’s presence. For whatever good we do we are doing it as instrument of God. Whatever noble and godly deed we do, they are done because God blessed us and enabled us to do them. This Advent Season should be an opportunity for us to renew our enthusiasm to our Christian mission and faith in Christ. We must seek that each day we are accomplishing our mission to make us saints and to make our world the kingdom of God. Would we not want at the end of our lives, as we lie on our deathbed, to think that we truly have striven to live our lives living out our Christian mission and that, as we are ending our earthly life, we tell the Lord in the words of St. Paul “I have competed well I have finished the race I have kept the faith 2 Tim. 4: .” Finishing our life’s mission is making our life lived to the fullest in a meaningful and valuable way. Amen.

REV. JOSE PELAGIO A. PADIT, SThD

Recipe of the Week

Binagoongan Manok, Chicken in Salted Shrimp Paste

Ingredients:

1/2 cup bagoong alamang (pre-sautéed salted shrimp paste) kilo chicken cut into serving pieces, bone in large size onion, coarsely chopped large size tomato, coarsely chopped 1/2 head garlic, crushed, chopped 2-3 pcs. bay leaf tsp. crushed pepper corns

1/4 cup vinegar tbsp. sugar cooking oil

Cookingprocedure:

In a large wok sear chicken on all sides in batches, keep aside. Using the same wok quickly sauté the garlic, onion and tomato a couple of minutes until soft and wilted. Add in the chicken and shrimp paste and continue to stir cook for to minutes. Add in to cups of water, vinegar, bay leaf, sugar and crushed peppercorns, bring to a boil and simmer for to minutes or until tender and most of the liquid has evaporated,stirring occasionally. Serve hot with a lot of rice.

Samar forest park push bid to join UNESCO heritage list

TACLOBAN CITY – The Samar Island Natural Park (SINP) is in a campaign to be included in the UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural rganization) World Heritage sites.

This was disclosed by Angelito Villanueva, Samar provincial environment and natural resources officer, who said the application for inclusion is a 10-year activity that started in 2021.

The SINP is the largest contiguous tract of old-growth forest in the Philippines and the country’s largest terrestrial protected area with an area of 333,300 hectares.

The buffer is spread north to south over the island’s three provinces and totals 458,700 hectares, about a third of the entire island of Samar.

The park is also a center of plant and animal diversity and endemism, containing threatened species belonging to the Eastern Visayas and Mindanao biogeographic regions.

Also inside the SINP are wellknown natural landmarks Sohoton Cave and Natural Bridge National Park; Calbiga Cave, the country’s largest and the second largest cave in Asia; and the more than 100-kilometer Ulot River, the longest river in Eastern Visayas that starts from the upland town of San Jose de Buan, Samar and ends in the Pacific Coastal town of Can-avid, Eastern Samar.

The park is also the home to the critically endangered Philippine Eagle,

Among the ongoing projects is the installation of concrete monuments in 300 corners of SINP to serves as landmarks covered by the protected area.

“Demarcation is necessary to

strengthen the environmental protection initiatives. This is one of the requirements for SINP to qualify to the heritage site list,” Villanueva said in a PNA report.

Aside from demarcation, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources established buffer zones to embrace other areas for biodiversity conservation.

In 2018, Samar Governor Sharee Ann Tan proposed the inclusion of SINP in the UNESCO list.

Governors from Northern Samar and Eastern Samar supported the campaign.

“If SINP will make it to the World Heritage sites list, we can invite more funding from other countries to strengthen biodiversity conservation efforts and develop eco-tourism activities,” Villanueva added.

The park was declared a protected area in 2003 and a total of 33 species of mammals, 215 species of birds, 51 species of reptiles, 26 species of amphibians and 1,000 species of plants have since been recorded inside the SINP.

Part of the initiative of the three provinces in the campaign to declare SINP as World Heritage site is partnering with University of Santo Tomas Graduate School – Center for Conservation of Cultural Property and Environment in the Tropics to conduct capacity-building seminarworkshop for the technical working groups organized by each province.

The workshop is structured according to the three pillars of the UNESCO World Heritage inscription, focusing on each module: Outstanding Universal Value, Authenticity and Integrity, and Protection and Management.

SAMAR S LON EST. A por�on of lot Ri er in arangay Tenani Paranas Samar located ithin the Samar Island Natural Park.