PNEWS 12.14-12.20,2023

1 December 14-20, 2023

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA EDITION

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Vol.63 No.18 December 14-20, 2023

NEWS AND VIEWS YOU TRUST

CHINA UNDER FIRE ANEW OVER PHL SHIPS ‘ATTACKS’ Beijing told to leave West Philippine Sea

By ALFRED GABOT , Editor in Chief

MANILA – As tension escalated to new height between the Philippines and China over Beijing’s continued belligerence and “dangerous maneuvers” in the West Philippine Sea, Philippine officials moved to re-calibrate its plans for the region in order to protect the country’s territory and its vast exclusive economic zone as the Philippines filed new diplomatic protest against China. Page 9 THE ORGANIZERS of the Simbang Gabi masses who are members of the Filipino Americans of Northern California Organiza�on (FANCO), with Fr. Mark Reburiano, front right, the former pastor of the Church of St. Isabella, now the current pastor of St. Gregory Church in San Mateo, CA. The present parish priest of St. Isabella is Fr. Cyril O’Sullivan.”

FilAms gird for 3-day ‘Simbang Gabi’ 2023

Stop AAPI Hate upgrades reporting center for more in-depth data collection, analysis

By Cesar Antonio Nucum Jr. SAN FRANCISCO - With the steady rise in importance of its existence and role in society particularly in the Asian community, Stop AAPI Hate leveled up its Page 9

By Be�ng Laygo Dolor, Editor MANILA -- Short of saying that China is planning to wage war on, or mount a full-scale invasion of the Philippines, Defense Secretary Gilbert ‘Gibo’ Teodoro said at the start of this week what many had been thinking all along.

He said the country’s powerful neighbor “has no peaceful intent” where its recent actions on the West Philippine Sea (WPS) are concerned.

This grim view was Page 6

SF case that launched Stop Asian Hate finally gets trial date

By Rudy M. Viernes

QUEZON CITY – A series of strong earthquake jolted Mindanao and Luzon, including Metro Manila, the past days causing damages to buildings and infrastructures, prompting the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) to warn the people to always be prepared for strong temblors up to magnitude 8.2.

“The Manila Trench and the Philippine Trench are both ca-

PHL preparing for worst-case scenario with China over WPS

By Gilda P. Balan, Correspondent

pable of generating magnitude 8.2 earthquake,” Phivolcs Director Teresito Bacolcol said in an interview.

Bacolcol added that the Philippine Fault Zone in Gabaldon, on the other hand, is capable of generating a magnitude 7.9 earthquake.

Last Saturday night, a magnitude 7.4 earthquake shook Surigao del Sur and parts of Mindanao. The quake’s Page 7

SAN FRANCISCO - A highprofile case considered as the spark that gave birth to the Stop Asian Hate movement finally moves forward with the trial date set for early next year.

In January of 2021, Thai American Vicha Ratanapakdee, 84, was violently shoved to the ground while exercising near his home. The assault, caught on camera, proved fatal for the im-

Page 5

Filipino priest named Philadelphia bishop Congress opens probe on Quiboloy, SMNI VIEWS & COMMENTS

SHOWBIZ

What you need to know when applying for naturalization

KathNiel reunites, stars shine at ABS-CBN Christmas special

By A�y. Lozano

Page 12

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SPORTS

PHL lifter Ramos snatches 3 silvers at Qatar grand prix Page 16

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 NATIONAL NEWS

December 14-20, 2023

2

Third ‘100,000 Graduation Ceremony’ models for safety and order Continuing from 2019 and 2022, we produced more than 100,000 graduates this year.

The Zion Christian Mission Center of Shincheonji Church of Jesus held the ‘Shincheonji 12 Tribes Zion Christian Mission Center 114th Graduation Ceremony’ at Daegu Stadium on the 12th of November.

A total of 108,084 students graduated on this day.

After producing 103,764 students in 2019 and 106,186 in 2022, we set a record of graduating more than 100,000 students for the third time.

In particular, among the 100,000 graduates of this ceremony, 6,274 are former and current pastors and seminarians from home and abroad. This is a more than 10fold increase compared to last year’s graduation ceremony, when 522 pastors graduated. This figure proves that the revealed words of Shincheonji Church of Jesus are so excellent that even pastors of established denominations at home and abroad can learn them again from the perspective of ‘students’ and complete the course.

As proof of this, both domestic and overseas students who presented their

graduation remarks on this day either attended a graduate school of theology or were professors at the school.

On that day, booth interpretation and simple interpretation were provided on site for the people who participated in the graduation ceremony, not only domestically but also from around the world.

Including online interpretation, it was broadcast around the world in more than 13 languages. Therefore, the total number of participants in the graduation ceremony, including online, was more than 300,000.

As it is a rare mega-event not only in Korea but also around the world, Shincheonji Church of Jesus announced that it

is making all possible preparations to hold it safely.

In fact, for safety management, 24 medical booth teams, 4 emergency medical teams, and 4 ambulance standby teams are operated, and a total of 260 medical staff members are involved in on-site safety management.

Additionally, on the day of the event, the emergency medical team and medical booth operated from 1 a.m, and internal and external guidance for order and safety began. There are more than 4,000 people working as guide staff, and the total staff, including safety guards, is 14,000.

Shincheonji Church of Jesus said,

“Continuing from last year, we have been preparing this year with a ‘safe graduation ceremony’ as our top priority. “As we have already held two 100,000 graduation ceremonies, we created an orderly and safe graduation ceremony based on sufficient know-how and extensive data,” he explained.

On the day of the graduation ceremony, a large-scale card section was also held, with more than 10,100 participants.

For about 15 minutes, the book of Revelation’s apostasy, destruction, and achievement of salvation were expressed through cards to impress people.

Probe on Quiboloy ‘abuses’ sought; solons want SMNI franchise revoked PASAY CITY – A resolution has been and child abuse of Pastor Apollo Quifiled in the Senate seeking to look into the boloy’s Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC). alleged cases of large-scale human trafBased on Senate Resolution No. ficking, rape, sexual abuse and violence, (SRN) 884 filed by Senate Deputy Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros, Quiboloy, who is wanted in the United States for various charges, “allegedly demands strict obedience from his full-time followers through brainwashing, psychological manipulation and constant threats of eternal damnation.”

Meanwhile, due to alleged violations of its franchise, such as the willful dissemination of false information and the transfer of ownership without congressional approval, a bill seeking the revocation of the franchise of Swara Sug Media Corporation, which runs and operates Sonshine Media Network International (SMNI) and identified with Quiboloy, was filed at the House of Representatives.

The proposal, authored by1-Rider party-list lawmaker Rodge Gutierrez, was filed under House Bill 9710 a day after the House DOJ SELLER OR TRAVEL # 2025230-40 also adopted a resolution urging the National Telecommunications Commis-

sion (NTC) to suspend Swara Sug’s franchise to operate SMNI due to the alleged violations.

Gutierrez, in his bill, flagged franchise grantee Swara Sug for “failure to deliver truthful and balanced reporting to its audience” by citing the various complaints filed against SMNI before the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas, National Telecommunications Commission, Movie and Television Review and Classification Board, and the regional trial courts.

“SMNI has engaged in red-tagging and fake news peddling, labeling members of the House, the former Vice President of the Philippines [Leni Robredo], and private persons as members of the New People’s Army. The [franchise] grantee corporation also attempted to create discord between the Upper and the Lower House by insinuating that unnamed and unverified Senate sources have claimed that Congress had spent P1.8 billion in travel expenses in 2023 without any basis or proof,” said Gutierrez.

In the Senate, Hontiveros said in the measure that Quiboloy allegedly maintains a stable of women called “pastorals” who occupy a prestigious position in the organization because they are directed to perform special personal tasks and errands for him.

“According to informants, the pastorals are divided into the ‘inner circle’ and the ‘inner of the innermost circle’, with the latter category being made to perform acts of sexual nature and the former category being made to perform other personal

Pastor Apollo Quiboloy tasks such as washing his clothes, bathing him, cleaning his bedroom and massaging him,” the SRN 884 read.

“Some of these pastorals were still minors during their recruitment and during the period they were made to perform sexual services,” it added.

The resolution also said Quiboloy coerced the members of KOJC to perform exploitative acts, such as begging in the streets and soliciting money from strangers.

“According to informants, those who are not able to meet their quota of monies collected find themselves severely whipped, or subjected to public humiliation,” it read.

The investigation, Hontiveros said, will also allow the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality to determine whether the country’s updated human trafficking laws are able to cover large-scale and systematic acts of trafficking done under the cover of a religious organization.

3 December 14-20, 2023

 NATIONAL NEWS

HOME SELLING? Get FREE* Home Staging Pope names Filipino priest auxiliary bishop in Philadelphia HOME BUYING? Get a FREE Consultation

NAVAL EXERCISES. The BRP Antonio Luna (FF-151), one of the two guided missile frigates, is joining this year’s Exercise Pagbubuklod in the waters off Zambales

MANILA/PHILADELPHIA – Pope Francis has appointed three new auxiliary bishops, one of whom is a priest of Filipino descent, for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.

In an article posted on the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) website, the 61-year-old Fr. Efren Esmilla, who was born in Nagcarlan Laguna, will serve the 1.5 million Catholics in the archdiocese together with Fr. Keith Chylinski and Christopher Cooke.

The three newly appointed bishops will join Archbishop Nelson Perez and Auxiliary Bishop John McIntyre, who have been serving in the same capacity since 2010.

Esmilla completed a college degree at San Beda University in Manila in 1984 before immigrating to the US. He began his priestly formation at

St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania, where he also earned a master of divinity in 1992.

On May 15, 1993, the bishop-elect was ordained to the priesthood for the Philadelphia archdiocese by Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua.

He previously served as parochial vicar at St. John Chrysostom in Wallingford, Pennsylvania, and at the Maternity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Philadelphia.

Esmilla also served as assistant director of pastoral formation at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary.

Since 2021, he has served as the pastor of St. James in Elkins Park, Pennsylvania.

According to the parish’s website, he has also been chaplain to the Filipino Apostolate and the spiritual director to the Legion of Mary.

Esmilla is the fourth Filipino to be named bishop in the US. The other three are Bishop Oscar Solis of Salt Lake City, Auxiliary Bishop Alejandro Aclan of Los Angeles, and Auxiliary Bishop Anthony Celino of El Paso-Texas.

He said he was “greatly humbled and honored” by the appointment.

“I ask all of the clergy, men and women religious, and lay faithful our beloved local Church to pray for me while knowing that I will pray for all of you so that I can see how to serve you best,” Esmilla said.

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PHL, India to hold joint maritime exercise in WPS

MANILA – India and the Philip- nership exercise (MPX) in the West pines are conducting a maritime part- Philippine Sea to boost maritime cooperation, the Indian Embassy in Manila announced Wednesday.

The Indian Navy conducts MPX with friendly foreign navy units to enhance interoperability and share best practices.

The embassy said India’s visiting warship, the INS Kadmatt, would hold the MPX with BRP Ramon Alcaraz on Dec. 13, which it hoped would also promote “common approaches for a rules-based order” in the area.

In a reception on Tuesday night, Indian Ambassador Shambhu Kumaran said contributing to peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region is a “key priority” for India.

India also hopes to see stronger engagements with the Philippines, specifically in the areas of economic cooperation and national security.

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 METRO NEWS

December 14-20, 2023

4

City of Las Piñas illuminates holiday season with tree lighting LAS PIÑAS CITY – The festive spirit of the holiday season shone brightly in Las Piñas City as the local government, led by Mayor Imelda Aguilar and Vice Mayor April Aguilar, held its much-anticipated tree lighting ceremony, and the launch of “Love Las Piñas Christmas.”

The event, held on Thursday night at the City Hall Quadrangle, marked a significant moment for the city, symbolizing not only the joy of the season but also the unity and resilience of the Las Piñas community.

The ceremony was attended by several city hall officials, alongside a large gathering of residents, all eager to partake in the festive cheer.

The mayor, in her address, emphasized the importance of unity and community spirit, especially during the festive season despite the recent pandemic.

The ceremony featured a spectacle of lights and music, beginning with a chorale performance from the students of the Dr. Filemon C. Aguilar Memorial College of Las Piñas and a

duet performance from Las Piñas City’s Monterozo twins that showcased local talent, adding to the evening’s entertainment and festive atmosphere.

By the end of the event, the celebration culminated with the lighting of the Christmas tree and a pyrotechnics display, illuminating the sky with a kaleidoscope of colors, adding to the festive mood and symbolizing the vibrant and dynamic nature of the city.

Manila distributes Christmas food boxes for residents

CHRISTMAS IN LAS PIÑAS. Las Piñas City Mayor Imelda Aguilar lights up the giant christmas tree at the City Hall Quadrangle on Dec. MANILA – A total of 695,000 house- 7, 2023, which serves as a beacon of the city’s holds in the city of Manila have received their enduring spirit and communal harmony.

Christmas food boxes during the 12-day disThe inclusion of the members of the vultribution period. nerable sector in the monthly allowances is Mayor Honey Lacuna led the distribution pursuant to an ordinance passed by the Manila of the food packs to residents of the city’s 896 City Council. barangays from Dec. 1 to 12, the Manila Public Information Office said in a statement.

Lacuna also led the start of the three-day distribution of special gift boxes for the city’s 180,000 senior citizens.

On the other hand, Office for Senior Citizens’ Affairs (OSCA) chief Elinor Jacinto said the payout of the PHP500 monthly allowance for senior citizens started on Monday in the city’s first and second districts.

The payout covers the period September to December this year.

The distribution of Christmas gifts and allowance payouts are part of the city’s “May Kalinga, May Ginhawa, May Saya” ChristCHRISTMAS IN LAS PIÑAS. Las Piñas City Maymas celebration in Manila.

Lacuna earlier announced that beginning or Imelda Aguilar lights up the giant christnext year, those aged 18 and below who are mas tree at the City Hall Quadrangle on Dec. persons with disability will also receive the 7, 2023, which serves as a beacon of the city’s enduring spirit and communal harmony. said benefits.

5 December 14-20, 2023

 PROVINCIAL NEWS

Gunman in Nueva Ecija bus shooting AROUND THE NATION arrested, charged with victim’s son, 4 others CABANATUAN CITY – Philippine National Police authorities have arrested one of the suspects in the fatal shooting of a couple inside a provincial bus in Caranglan, Nueva Ecija last month.

Nueva Ecija Police provincial director Col. Richard Caballero said the suspect, Allan delos Santos, admitted his participation in the killing and pointed to the son of the slain woman as the one who hired him and his companion to kill his mother.

Delos Santos, believed to be a gun-for-hire, also gave crucial information about his participation in the killing of partners Gloria Atilano, 60, and Arman Bautista, 55, and voluntarily executed an extrajudicial confession with the assistance of counsel.

Delos Santos also identified the other gunman as “Umpak,” who he urged to surrender to police.

Delos Santos, who also has warrants of arrest for statutory rape and sexual assault, was arrested in Dilasag, Aurora on Nov. 20, five days after the killing.

Delos Santossaid they were offered P60,000 for each victim’s death and allegedly received an initial payment of P20,000 from “Tisoy,“ said to be the son of Atilano.

According doon sa initial na lumabas sa investigation, some-

time September nag-start ‘yung planning nila doon sa pagpatay at ‘yung motibo na tiningnan natin initially nung nag-start tayo sa investigation ay ‘yung filing ng robbery at saka carnapping case ng victim na babae doon sa sarili niyang anak,” Caballero said in a press briefing.

He said another angle is Atilano’s alleged disinheritance of her son, as bared by a sister of the victim in a video interview.

Caballero said a criminal complaint for two counts of murder against delos Santos and three others -- Atilano’s son and his live-in partner, and an unnamed gunman -- was filed before the Prosecutor’s Office in Nueva Ecija on Monday.

Police Regional Office 3 director Police Brigadier General Jose Hidalgo Jr. said that police operation is ongoing to arrest the other individuals involved in the killing.

On Nov. 15 when the bus reached a mountainous portion of Barangay Minuli in Carranglan town, two men stood up from the back and walked towards the victims.

One of the suspects shot the victims at point-blank range, reportedly six times to the head and neck, before alighting and fleeing through a nearby river.

The incident was captured by the dash camera of the bus.

Bulacan forges sisterhood ties with state of California CITY OF MALOLOS – The provincial government of Bulacan and the state of California can now enjoy mutually beneficial educational, economic and cultural exchanges as they forged a sisterhood relationship at the Marco Polo Hotel in Pasig City.

In a statement, Katrina Anne Bernardo-Balingit, Provincial Public Affairs Office chief, said the sisterhood ties were initiated last August when the California Senate enacted Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 57 authored by Senator Anthony Portantino which extended an invitation to the province of Bulacan for a sister state relationship to promote prosperity and improve international understanding and goodwill between them.

She said during the event, Arch. Editha M. Fuentes, chair of the City Planning Commission of the City of Glendale, California recalled that the measure received a unanimous vote of “Yes” from all the senators present during the presentation, PNA’s Manny Balbin reported.

“This recognition affirms the many contributions of the Filipino-Americans to the history of culture and achievements in California and the United States. We appreciate the chance to further our friendship and relationship with California and the Province of Bulacan. I look forward to the many years of the great sister-province relationship,” Fuentes said.

Balingit said in response, the Sangguniang Panlalawigan passed Resolution No. 538-S’2023 signed by Governor Daniel R. Fernando and Vice Governor Alexis C. Castro approv-

SF...

(From page 1)

migrant.

The incident took place at the Anza Vista neighborhood and it made national news, eventually resulting in the creation of the Stop Asian Hate movement, according to a news report written by Han Li of the San Francisco Standard.

Community activists remember the victim as “Grandpa Vicha,” and a street was renamed after him in 2022.

To this day, activists in the community remember Ratanapakdee as “Grandpa Vicha,” and in 2022, San Francisco renamed a street in his honor.

The suspect was apprehended after the attack and has remained in custody.

Identified as Antoine Watson, 22, he has been charged with murder and elder abuse. His defense attorney from the Public Defender’s Office argues that Watson had no intention to kill and was under mental stress.

During a court hearing last week, a San Francisco judge agreed to reconvene in February, 2024 to set a trial date. It will most likely commence in March, well over 1,000 days after the fatal assault.

The victim’s daughter, Monthanus Ratanapakdee, has expressed frustration at the long delay in the case.

She said: “The delay in justice, as witnesses’ memories

SISTERHOOD TIES. Bulacan Vice Governor Alexis C. Castro (4th from le�) and Arch. Editha M. Fuentes, chairman of the City Planning Commission of the City of Glendale, California (3rd from le�), present a copy of a resolu�on approving and accepting the sisterhood partnership between the State of California and the Provincial Government of Bulacan. ing and accepting the partnership between Bulacan and California.

Castro said in a statement that the forging of ties is a true manifestation of their willingness to foster mutual understanding in prospective undertakings within the areas of trade and tourism and hope for continuous exchange of ideas and learnings in leadership with the state of California.

are vanishing, is exasperating.”

Monthanus is preparing for the three-year anniversary of the attack to commemorate her father’s death.

The prosecutor and defense attorney previously pointed accusing fingers at each other for the long delay, saying more time was needed for the investigation.

The Standard news report said the case gathered much media attention, while Ratanapakdee “has become the de facto face of the Stop Asian Hate movement” that raised awareness of anti-Asian violence during the pandemic.

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

Batangas: Protect Verde Island passage, Taal volcano BATANGAS CITY – The provincial government has put the preservation of Batangas’ natural wonders at the center of its 442nd Foundation Day celebration last Friday. Governor Hermilando Mandanas said during the ceremonies at the capitol that his administration is committed to protecting and promoting the province’s natural and cultural sites, especially the Verde Island Passage (VIP), which is a center of marine biodiversity.

In his speech, the governor said his office is pushing for the inclusion of the Taal Volcano Protected Landscape (TVPL) and the VIP in the UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) World Heritage Site Distinction.

Solon eyes int’l airport in north Cebu CEBU CITY – A Cebuano lawmaker is pushing for the creation of a second international airport in Cebu to help decongest air traffic at Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA). Cebu 5th District Rep. Vincent Franco Frasco filed House Bill No. 9665 to propose the construction of the Sogod Cebu International Airport, about 60 kilometers north of Cebu City. The MCIA, located in Lapu-Lapu City, is the second busiest airport in the country, next to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

In October, the MCIA saw almost 790,000 passengers, up by 160 percent from last year.

Bacolod gears up for MassKara festival BACOLOD CITY – This city’s MassKara Festival, one of the Philippines’ most colorful festivities, goes worldwide with the scheduled appearances of its street dance performers in various festivals abroad in 2024.

Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez said the dancers from Barangay Granada, the reigning street dance champion, and Barangay Sum-ag, one of the runners-up, have invitations to perform in Hong Kong and Taiwan, respectively, in February. Both countries celebrate lantern festivals and other grand festivities during that month.

Mayon volcano alert status lowered LEGAZPI CITY – The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) on Friday lowered Mt. Mayon’s alert status from Level 3 to 2 due to declining parameters in volcanic activities. Level 3 means a hazardous eruption is possible while Level 2 signifies moderate unrest. In its Dec. 8 bulletin, Phivolcs said the lowering of the alert level was supported by different parameters and observations.

Army tightens Negros border security DUMAGUETE CITY – The Philippine Army in Negros Oriental has intensified border security in the province to avert possible terror attacks similar to the Dec. 3 bombing of Mindanao State University in Marawi City, Lanao del Sur. Brig. Gen. Joey Escanillas, the Army’s 302nd Infantry Brigade (302Bde) commander, said additional checkpoints have been set up at key entry and exit points of the province. “We have deployed explosive-detecting dogs at bus stations, like in Dumaguete and at the city port to check on luggage,” Escanillas said.

 NATIONAL NATIONAL NEWS NEWS

December 14-20, 2023

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House to pursue constitutional amendments in 2024 – Speaker QUEZON CITY – Cha-cha time is This as House of Representatives coming again.

Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez disclosed plans to pursue amendments to the 1987 Constitution to ease restrictive economic provisions next year.

In his remarks to the House media, Romualdez noted the need to review and revisit the country’s Constitution to “make it more attuned, sensitive, and responsive to the times.”

“I believe 2024 will allow us again to revisit the whole issue on the Constitution because I think it’s timely that we revisit, and I say we’d like to focus very much on the economic provisions,” he said.

Romualdez said relax-

PHL...

ing the Charter’s economic provisions would enhance the investment and economic space in the country.

“We need more foreign capital to create additional job and income opportunities for our people. Increased investments will sustain our economic growth,” he said.

Senior Deputy Speaker Aurelio Gonzales Jr., meanwhile, specified that the chamber would pursue the constitutional amendments upon the resumption of the third regular session.

He said they would consider all modes to amend the Constitution, such as the people’s initiative, the constitutional convention, or the constitutional assembly.

“Napakadali sana eh, napaka-dali sana kung economic provisions lang eh.

Nando’n na sa Senado, pero still hindi yata gumagalaw pa sa Senado, kaya (It’s supposed to be easy if we’re just talking about economic provisions because the

(From page 1)

spurred by the progressively aggressive behavior of China, specifically the Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) with occasional help from its Navy, in recent weeks.

The latest provocation came in quick succession last weekend, with the CCG first using a water cannon on two Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources ships, which were on their way to deliver food and fuel to Filipino fishermen in the vicinity of Scarborough Shoal.

This was followed by a similar water cannon assault on Philippine ships barely a day later, but this time with the added use of an electronic sound device that temporarily caused Filipino crewmen to feel nauseous. The Filipinos were on their way to also deliver supplies to troops stationed at Ayungin Shoal.

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408.286.9360 408.286.9311

proposal is already at the Senate. But it still has not moved at the Senate that’s why) we’re thinking of another mode,” Gonzales said.

“Bagong Konstitusyon ng Bagong Pilipinas. So papaano ka magtatrabaho kung Bagong Pilipinas, kung luma ‘yong ating konstitusyon (New Constitution of the new Philippines. So how can we achieve a new Philippines if our Constitution is old)? Kaya that’s our objective: our objective is Bagong Konstitusyon ng Bagong Pilipinas (a new Constitution for a new Philippines).”

In March, the House approved on third and final reading House Bill 7352, which is the accompanying bill to Resolution of Both Houses (RBH) 6.

RBH 6 calls for a hybrid constitutional convention (con-con) to propose amendments to the economic provisions of the 1987 Constitution.

No less than 46 Chinese vessels took part in the bid to block the resupply mission, the biggest number of ships that Beijing has deployed so far in the WPS, well within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone.

Because of this, the Marcos administration’s defense cluster met recently to map out a new WPS game plan against China.

The National Security Council (NSC) said on Tuesday, Dec. 12 (Manila time) that it has taken months before they were able to finalize with other agencies the new strategy to be implemented in order to protect the country’s sovereign rights in the WPS. “It’s the entire government bureaucracy who’s involved,” NSC Assistant Director General Jonathan Malaya told local media, adding that “”it took some time and given that we have regular rotation and supply, there’s always something that crops up.”

Now the situation has “become very clear,” Malaya also said.

At the start of the week, Malaya said the government had come up with a new national game plan on the WPS in order to reflect “some adjustments.”

Also on Monday, Teodoro said if the country allowed China to continue its “roguish behavior,” it would be “tantamount to acceptance.”

We cannot allow this to happen, the Defense chief said.

China’s intention, Teodoro said, was to claim ownership of the entire South China Sea and with it all of the WPS. Speaking in the vernacular, he told mediamen that China “says it is theirs, but we cannot agree because it is against international law.”

“We have a plan,” he said, and “that is not to yield.”

Details of the new plan will be discussed anytime this week with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, who will either approve or reject it.

7 December 14-20, 2023

 NATIONAL NATIONAL NEWS NEWS

Quezon City cited as top-performing highly urbanized city QUEZON CITY — Quezon City, the richest city and local government unit in the Philippines, was recognized as the topperforming highly urbanized city during the 2023 Local Legislative Awards (LLA).

Santiago City in Isabela and the city of Bogo in Cebu also won in the independent component cities and component cities categories during the LLA ceremonies

held in Pasay City.

Interior Secretary Benjamin Benhur Abalos Jr. lauded the 15 top-performing city and municipal local legislative councils for passing ordinances that helped shape the social, economic and environmental landscape of their jurisdictions.

“Your commitment to legislative excellence has not only set a standard for others

to follow but has also significantly contributed to the advancement of our communities,” Abalos said.

Quezon City which is under the leadership of Mayor Josefina Joy Belmonte also won this year’s local legislative best practices for its free bus rides, alongside measures against discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in

Mandaluyong and Manila.

The LLA is a joint initiative of the Department of the Interior and Local Government, the Vice Mayors League of the Philippines and the Philippine Councilors League.

National winners get a plaque of recognition and a P100,000 cash prize, while first and second runners-up will get P75,000 and P50,000, respectively.

MANILA - Coronavirus cases in the Philippines increased by 36 percent to 1,821, according to the Department of Health as it recorded 13 new COVID deaths.

The new upsurge of cases and deaths prompted DOH officials to call on the people, especially the serniors, to use face masks in

public places, including malls and transportation vehicles like LRT and MRT and buses.

The 1,821 fresh infections, which pushed the country’s active COVID cases to 3,876, were recorded from December 5 to 11, the DOH said Tuesday.

During the preceding week, health authori-

ties logged 1,340 cases.

The DOH also said that the daily average cases this week was 260.

As of December 10, 228 severe and critical COVID patients were admitted to hospitals, the DOH noted.

It added that occupancy rates for ICU and

non-ICU COVID beds were at 13.6 percent and 16.5 percent, respectively.

Last week, health authorities acknowledged that there was an uptick in COVID cases in the Philippines and urged adherence to health measures such as wearing masks and getting vaccinated.

also felt in Metro Manila.

Lacuna also directed barangay officials to check if the integrity of any building or edifice in their respective areas had been affected by the earthquake.

Meanwhile, the Manila International Airport Authority said the earthquake did not cause damage to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport’s runway, taxiway and terminal facilities. The LRT and MRT services also resumed after brief stoppage due to the quake.

Likewise, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines said no damage was reported in airports it operates across Luzon A total of 132,615 families have so

far been affected by the series of strong earthquakes that recently rocked the province of Surigao del Sur and nearby provinces, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) The partial cost of damage to public infrastructure caused by the recent strong earthquakes in Mindanao has topped P500 million, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) reported Bacolcol said the strongest quake in Mindanao was the magnitude 8.1 on August 17, 1976.

“It (strongest quake) was generated by the Cotabato Trench. Around 8,000 people

died because of the tsunami,” he said.

Bacolcol stressed that the people should always be prepared for any eventuality like earthquakes.

“The country is part of the Pacific Ring of Fire, and every now and then we will be jolted by major earthquakes. Earthquakes are random events and we should always be prepared for these geological hazards,” he pointed out.

Bacolcol also said that the magnitude 7.4 quake last Saturday did not cause much damage due to its depth.

“It was 26 km. deep, so the seismic energy was dissipated as it traveled to the surface,” he said.

DOH warns: COVID cases in Philippines up by 36 percent to 1,821

FilAm...

(From page 1)

epicenter was traced 29 km. northeast of Hinatuan. The earthquake has so far generated 1,898 aftershocks with magnitudes 1.4 to 6.6 as of 1 p.m. Monday.

At least 355 of these aftershocks were plotted or located, while 19 were felt.

Meanwhile, Manila Mayor Honey Lacuna has ordered the City Engineer’s Office to conduct a thorough check on the Manila City Hall to ensure its structural integrity.

Lacuna made the order after Tuesday afternoon’s magnitude 5.9 earthquake in Lubang, Occidental Mindoro, which was

9 December 14-20, 2023 China...

(From page 1)

At the same time, the Philippine government, through the Department of Foreign Affairs, in one of its strongest words, “firmly asked” China to stop lingering in waters around Ayungin Shoal as it summoned Chinese Ambassador Huang Xilian who is urged to be expelled for “questionable” behavior, including alleged confrontation with Armed Forces chief of staff Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr., who was on board a Philippine supply boat which was watercannoned by the China Coast Guard.

In sum, the Philippines, through DFA asked China to direct its vessels to cease and desist from what it said were illegal actions and dangerous maneuvres against Philippine vessels, and stop interfering in legitimate Philippine activities.

The United States, the United Kingdom, Japan, South Korea and other countries have expressed support for the Philippines and condemned the actions of China.

The United States called out China for interfering in the Philippines’ maritime operations and undermining regional stability, and urged Beijing to stop “its dangerous and destabilizing conduct” in the strategic waters.

The US, at the same time, reaffirmed its commitment to the mutual defense treaty between Washington and Manila, and called for stability after what it called China’s “unsafe... operational behaviou,” a Pentagon spokesperson said Earlier, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. called China’s actions in the disputed waters an “outright and blatant violation of international law” and that the country will “remain undeterred.”

Stop...

(From page 1) approach to data collection and analysis to further deepen shared understanding of antiAsian and anti-Pacific Islander racism and discrimination in all its forms — from verbal harassment to civil rights violations to physical attacks and beyond.

Since it started in 2020 with just three people and a simple online form, Stop AAPI Hate has received more than 11,000 reports of anti-Asian and anti-Pacific Islander hate enabling their reporting center — the largest of its kind in the United States — Hate to uplift the stories and voices of Asian Americans & Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) across the nation and significantly increase public awareness of the hate that they face.

The reporting center then processes and categorizes each and every act of hate that is reported to Stop AAPI Hate in order to pinpoint patterns concerning where hate takes place; who is involved; and how it is experienced by AAPI communities.

The two key advancements to the Stop AAPI Hate reporting center data being introduced are: 1) A new interactive data visualization tool, which improves access to their data and allows for deeper exploration, and 2) their upgraded data classification system, which enhances how they categorize hate acts and allows them to analyze their data in more ways.

By leveling up the way data is collected, analyzed, and shared, Stop AAPI Hate can uncover more nuanced findings about the various types of racism and discrimination their communities experience, and ultimately, advocate for comprehensive solutions that address the full range of hate when, before, research on anti-AAPI hate has been too narrowly focused on hate crimes — leaving a critical knowledge gap around lesser-understood forms of racism.

By adding a new category for “societal hate acts,” on the other hand, Stop AAPI Hate can more closely track anti-Asian political rhetoric and examine how it may be fueling

“The aggression and provocations perpetrated by the China Coast Guard and their Chinese maritime militia against our vessels and personnel over the weekend have only further steeled our determination to defend and protect our nation’s sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction in the West Philippine Sea,” Marcos said a post on X. China’s continued harassment of Filipino vessels “further steeled” the country’s determination to protect its sovereignty in the West Philippine Sea where only the Philippines has the legal basis to operate, President Marcos Jr. declared.

Marcos reiterated that the Ayungin Shoal, also named Second Thomas Shoal but called

by China as Ren’ai Jiao, is within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and that any foreign claim over it is baseless and contrary to international law.

“No one but the Philippines has a legitimate right or legal basis to operate anywhere in the West Philippine Sea,” the president said in a statement.

“The illegal presence in our waters and dangerous actions against our citizens is an outright and blatant violation of international law and the rules-based international order.”

He added that he directed the country’s uniformed services to conduct its missions in the contested waters with “the utmost regard for the safety of our personnel, yet proceed with a mission-oriented mindset.”

Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr., meanwhile, said China has no peaceful agenda when it comes to the West Philippine Sea (WPS), as China continues its aggression in the area by inflicting ‘serious engine damage” on a Philippine vessel after being blasted with water cannon by the China Coast Guard (CCG)

and swarming the Philippine waters with China war ships, Coast Guard vessels and militia boats disguised as fishing boats.

“Kung tayo ay pumayag sa iligal at roguish behavior nila, magiging acceptance ‘yun.

Hindi natin pwede gawin ‘yun,” Teodoro said.

“Ang intent dito ng China ay kupkupin ang buong South China Sea, kasi ‘yan ang sinasabi nila, pag-aari nila. ‘Yan naman, hindi tayo pwede pumayag dahil wala sa batas ‘yun. Wala sa international law,” he added.

“We have a plan. That is not to yield because of the fact that our operations — ang ating ginagawa ay base sa batas [our actions are based on the law],” he said.

As defense chief, Teodoro said he will build a resilient and credible deterrent force as soon as possible.

Teodoro has also called on the public to unite on the West Philippine Sea issue.

In a related development, former Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio proposed that the Philippines ask the United States for support with its resupply missions, after China’s repeated aggression in the West Philippine Sea. Carpio earlier said that Manila should build a civilian structure such as a lighthouse or marine research center on Ayungin Shoal where BRP Sierra Madre has been grounded since 1999.

“The other strategy is [to] ask the US to accompany us when we conduct the resupply mission,” he said, noting that the Philippines “will have the naval might of the US behind us.”

The Armed Forces of the Philippines accused the Chinese Coast Guard and maritime militia of repeatedly firing water cannons at its resupply boats, causing “serious engine dam-

age” to one, and “deliberately” ramming another. AFP Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces Romeo Brawner was onboard a vessel that was both sprayed with a water cannon and rammed.

“This is a serious escalation on the part of the agents of the People’s Republic of China,” Jonathan Malaya, spokesperson of the National Security Council, said in a press conference where officials showed images and videos of the water cannons and ramming.

Some leaders also want that Philippine Ambassador to China Jaime Florcruz be recalled for alleged failure to bridge the gaps between the Philippines and China.

In a statement, the DFA said it summoned Huang to convey Manila’s “strong protest” against the Chinese forces’ aggressive and harassing actions in the West Philippine Sea over the weekend.

DFA Undersecretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro verbally delivered the protest over the dangerous maneuvers of Chinese vessels that led to collision, illegal shadowing, and undue use of water cannons during the country’s rotation and resupply mission to Ayungin Shoal.

The DFA said it reiterated to Huang that Ayungin Shoal is not an island but a low-tide elevation within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and continental shelf.

“As such, the Philippines exercises sovereign rights and jurisdiction over the feature. As a low-tide elevation, Ayungin Shoal can neither be the subject of a sovereignty claim nor is it capable of appropriation under international law,” the DFA said in a statement.

Lazaro also emphasized that the Philippines’ resupply missions to BRP Sierra Madre are part of the country’s regular operations and are in line with domestic and international law.

interpersonal hate acts amongst individuals.

AAPI then is able to assess how anti-Asian or anti-PI discrimination shows up in each institution and advocate for informed, targeted solutions to bolster specific civil rights protections by tracking offenders of “institutional discrimination” (government, business, education, etc) on a more granular level.

This upgraded approach to Stop AAPI Hate data collection and analysis is an innovative effort in the realm of AAPI-centered research and now will able to provide a more comprehensive picture of hate by weaving together what is known about hate crimes, microaggressions, civil rights violations, and systemic racism — all in one place.

New hate acts classification system highlights the many different types of racism and discrimination that Asian American and Pacific Islander communities experience and key insights include: Hate is not only confined to interpersonal interactions but exists and is bred within a larger environment of societal hate. Hate is not just explicit, but also coded and hidden.

Although it can be harder to detect, non-explicit hate is potentially more pervasive and just as harmful.

Offenders are not just individuals but also institutions and institutional representatives.

Institutional hate calls for different solutions, such as civil rights remedies.

Stop AAPI Hate has compiled key takeaways from a new analysis of their latest dataset, which captures reported hate acts that have occurred between January 1, 2020 and December 31, 2022.

Key findings from a combination of data points and stories from impacted people include, but are not limited to: Most hate acts involve harassment (88%) while 23% of hate acts involve physical contact or harm.

Hate acts most commonly occur in public spaces (51%) — including sidewalks, parks, or transit — and businesses (28%) — including restaurants, supermarkets, or gas stations.

People under the age of 18 report a higher

percentage of hate acts involving written, visual, or auditory harassment compared to other age groups — most of which take place online and on social media. Meanwhile, people ages 60 and older report a higher percentage of hate acts involving physical injury.

Over half (51%) of reported hate acts include explicit racial bias. 20% involve coded bias, while 29% involve perceived bias.

The support of third parties is critical in documenting acts of hate, with an estimated 1 in 6 people reporting on behalf of someone else, including friends, relatives, and even strangers.

Hate is institutional, not just interpersonal.

15% of offenders worked for or represented an institution — offering insight into how racial bias manifests in institutions like schools or businesses.

Through Stop AAPI Hate’s updated classification system, it was learned that community members adopt a broad understanding of “hate” to mean any encounter that is shaped by racial bias, including harassment, physical attacks, and unfair treatment. Also, Stop AAPI Hate has found that: 1. Hate is not confined to interpersonal interactions but is bred within a larger environment of societal hate, requiring a broader approach to prevention and healing.

2. Hate is not just explicit, but also coded and hidden. Although it can be harder to detect, non-explicit hate is potentially more pervasive and just as harmful. It must be understood and addressed alongside more explicit forms of hate.

3. Offenders are not just individuals but also institutions and institutional representatives. This reveals opportunities for improvement in institutional policies and practices and possibilities for civil rights solutions.

Stop AAPI Hate definition of hate is guided by communities and how hate is defined through their reporting. To this end, Stop AAPI Hate upholds a relatively broad definition of hate because Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders experience a broad range of hate — from verbal harassment to physical at-

tacks to institutional discrimination. Although the public has long-focused on violent hate crimes, the majority of hate acts that our communities report are non-criminal acts.

However, Stop AAPI Hate believes that all acts of hate are harmful, whether implicit, explicit, interpersonal, or institutional and hopes their data helps broaden people’s understanding of anti-Asian and anti-Pacific Islander racism and discrimination, as it comes in many forms and requires different solutions.

Stop AAPI Hate defines a “hate act” or “act of hate” as any event motivated by bias or prejudice, whether explicit or implicit, against a person or group’s actual or perceived identity(ies) that inflicts individual or community harm. Hate acts include both potential hate crimes (criminal bias-motivated offenses) and hate incidents (non-criminal bias motivated events). It is important to understand the overall scope and breadth of hate acts that Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders experience — not just explicit hate crimes to fully allow AAPI grasp the impact of racism and discrimination on our communities and to identify solutions to support them.

Their use of the term “hate act” represents a departure from our past use of the term “hate incident” to mean any hate-related event, including both criminal and non-criminal events. They now use the term “hate incident” in a more narrow sense to refer to non-criminal, bias-motivated events in order to align with how the term is conventionally used by most community organizations, scholars, and government entities working in the realm of hate.

Stop AAPI Hate cautions against making claims about hate crimes based on their data and for something to constitute a hate crime, it must be investigated by law enforcement.

Therefore, while a portion of the hate acts reported may constitute potential hate crimes, it would be inaccurate to describe our data as hate crime data since these cases may or may not have been reported to law enforcement and investigated.

 OPINION

December 14-20, 2023

FRANCIS ESPIRITU MARILYN B. KING

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China’s intentions are clear as day

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sk any reputable and respectable political analyst. Or ask any think tank worth its salt. What are China’s intentions vis-à-vis our beloved motherland, the Republic of the Philippines?

No one should be surprised that the general answers will not be good.

How can they be? With every passing encounter between Chinese ships and Philippine vessels within our motherland’s exclusive economic zone, the situation worsens. China gets more and more aggressive. It will not be a question of if but when the next Chinese act will result in the loss of Filipino life. Or lives.

Thus far, the Chinese actions have fallen short of being deemed as acts of war. But this too is also very likely a matter of when, not if.

Again and again, and yet again China will call for a toning down of rhetoric on the part of various Philippine sectors. The Senate, for one, is nearly united in its stand that China is at fault in all cases. This week, some senators even suggested that China’s ambassador to Manila be declared persona non grata.

This, after the China Coast Guard again used water and sound cannons against Philippine ships causing damage to one local boat. And as usual, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs had the unmitigated gall to blame the Philippines and to say that their actions were “professional, restrained, justified and legitimate.”

Such BS. This has been China’s retort each time, or variations of the same theme. The Philippines is at fault, China is not. Never mind that so many civilized countries of the world take the side of the Philippines. Never mind that in all cases, the Philippine Coast Guard had been on humanitarian missions when assaulted.

And let it not be forgotten that China insists that the problem of which nation owns the West Philippine Sea must be settled only between China and the Philippines. The US, they say, has no business intruding in the issue.

China’s bullying tactics against a smaller, weaker nation is indicative of how its senior leadership thinks. They have no qualms about using their superior strength to teach the Philippines a lesson, but when the mightier US so much as implies that it may intercede, China’s leaders show their true colors. They are cowards.

The lesson they want the Philippines to learn? Accept everything that China says and does, and maybe, just maybe, the military and economic power will make easy loans available to their poor neighbor.

This was how it was during the Duterte regime. It is no longer the case today.

The Philippines may remain a relatively weak state for now, but China will be making a huge error in judgement if it believes the Philippines will always have a policy of appeasement, as it did in the departed Duterte era.

To use an old cliché, there are many ways to skin a (Chinese) cat.

And here’s another one: The bigger they are, the harder they fall.

Xi Jinping is best advised to attend to his country’s now faltering economy, and get his damn ships out of Philippine waters. And stay out.

T

Filmmaker Gio Espiritu gains more awards

HIS year has brought a bountiful harvest of acclaim for Filipino American Gio Espiritu, who has been collecting awards for her intersecting talents as actor, writer and filmmaker.

Currently based in Las Vegas to be near her fellow creative “kiddo” or “childling,” as she refers to her only child Vesper Evereux, Espiritu recently nabbed the Crisostomo Ibarra Best Screenplay for “Ally 3000” at the maiden Las Vegas Filipino Short Film Festival, in which she also received the nod for Best Director.

Early this year the multitalent grabbed the Best CHERIE M. QUEROL MORENO Short Film under two minutes for “Legacy” at the Silicon Valley Asian Pacific Film Festival. The same work also garnered the Silver Telly Award.

Admirers of the director-screenplaywright/ actor-acting coach are highly anticipating completion of Espiritu’s “Love and Karma,” which she describes as a “romantic feature” that she wrote and directed. Now in post-production, the film topbills FilAms Belinda Panelo and Jojo Riguerra who share the spotlight with Oscar nominee Eric Roberts, international star Bai Ling and Golden Globe nominee Joanna Pakula. The film also introduces South San Francisco-based pastry chef/ entrepreneur-community advocate Bettina Santos Yap in her first foray in one of her many childhood dream gigs.

Espiritu and Santos Yap met as co-directors of the 2004 staging of Eve Ensler’s The Vagina Monologues by the Filipina Women’s Network at the Herbst Theater in San Francisco. The following year they reunited in the first-ever community presentation of the all-volunteer Filipino American-initiated ALLICE Alliance for Community Empowerment when it was known as the Filipino American Task Force of CORA Community Overcoming Abuse, the nonprofit service agency for domestic violence survivors in San Mateo County. Espiritu gave testimony of her experience with intimate partner abuse at said landmark event at the Philippine Consulate and Santos Yap was elected founding president of the Task Force shortly after.

Their paths crisscrossed as they pursued their twin common passion that eventually converge in a major collaboration that is “Love and Karma.”

Neither can Espiritu’s followers wait to view “Motherland,” her autobiographical journey through the matriarchal line her family. The documentary digs deep into the women’s lives, from their fabled glory days hobnobbing with the “ilustrados” or the establishment during the time of Philippine National Hero Jose Rizal, to their post -WWII reversal of fortune that saw Gio’s mother giving birth at 16 to the future thespian in adject poverty in the bowels of Manila. ”Mother Land” glimpses the filmmaker’s own struggle in the spiral of abuse that began when she was a child, worsened in her teens when she fell in with what she calls a “biblical doomsday cult” and then escalated when she entered a relationship to become the aggrieved half in an violent marriage.

T

Upside

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10

I remember Mama

(Continued on page 20)

omorrow, my mother, Loreto “Nenita” Carreon Hernandez, would be celebrating her birthday, if she were alive today.

She was born on the Feast of Our Lady of Loreto, hence her name.

Orpnaned shortly after her birth, an heiress , she was left under the care of her mother’s relatives, the Tiaoquis of Malate, Manila..

She was enroled at the exclusive Assumption Convent on Herran, where she was an interna, going to Malate only on weekends.Having a sheltered life, it was not surprising that when she met her cousin Alfonso’s brilliant friend, Joe Hernandez, she fell head over heels in love with him.

When she turned 21, my father asked for her hand in marriage and got her guardian’s approval.

Assumption had prepared her to be a good housewife. She could cook, sew, entertain, but she was certainly not prepared to have eight children ! Somehow she managed!

She supervised the household, attended to her husband’s every need I remember how she would see to it that he had all the things he needed before going off to work.

He was her whole life, and it was a wonder that she survived 8 years after his passing..

I think of my mother now, and a wave of sadness engulfs me. Children can be so thoughtless and thankless!

I realize, too late, that she must have been lonely, with my father gone. She needed our care and attention, which we failed to give.

How I wish things had been different, that I had taken more time to be with her!

Now she is gone and nothing can make up for my sins of omission.

I can only hope and pray that up there, in God’s bosom, she can forgive this erring daughter of hers.

Happy, happy birthday, dearest Mom!

11 December 14-20, 2023

 OPINION

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What is he thinking?

Or worse, planning?

O

Let’s extend love, hope and joy on Christmas!

Offline

Health & Wealth

s a columnist, accredited ne very disturbing bit of and commissioned Nonews that came out in tary Public and founder Rappler over the weekof Mobile Signing Services, I end said that weeks before he received a call from Larry, an stepped down from the presi86-year-old neighbor in San dency, then president Rodrigo Francisco, California last week, Duterte registered around 300 requesting help and assistance firearms in his name. in the signing, notarization and Think about that for a minapostille follow up of the DEED ute.

OF ABSOLUTE SALE prepared Why would a retired chief by their lawyer in the PhilipART GABOT MADLAING executive who should be enjoypines. ing what’s left of his life purBETING DOLOR Larry and her 88-year-old chase enough weapons to arm a sister Alicia scheduled and appointment to meet with them in my home office in San Francisco, private army?

Philippine warlords of both California last Tuesday, 2:30 pm, December 5, 2023. At the meeting, Larry and Alicia showed the DEED OF ABSOLUTE SALE prepared past and present -- hello, former Rep. Arnie Teves; hello, Ampatuan in the Philippines by their lawyer. We discovered that there were clan -- would normally have one or two dozen goons serving as his/ some minor additions and corrections needed in the drafted DEED her private army. Each would have one side arm and one long arm, on the average, which would be sufficient to terrorize enough of his OF ABSOLUTE SALE. After further conversation, I found out that they (Larry, Alicia “ provincemates to vote for him or his anointed candidate year in and and siblings) had ready buyers from Canada who already gave them year out.

The number of armed goons would, of course, grow proportionfull payment (in U.S. dollars) of the agreed amount of TWO MILLION FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND PESOS (P2,500,000.00), in ately if another wannabe political overlord of a province (usually Philippine currency, on the sale of their land (and improvement) lo- either a gambling lord or a drug lord or both) sets up his own little cated in Barrio La Paz, Municipality of San Narciso, in the Province army and challenge the current big boss.

Verily (I love that archaic word) this has been so since way back, of Zambales, Philippines.

Upon the request of Larry and Alicia, we typed in our computer to around the post World War ll years when a newly-independent the updated DEED OF ABSOLUTE SALE with the suggested ad- Philippines had not yet reached an ideal level of political maturity ditions and corrections. After one hour, the corrected and updated where candidates for public office would debate issues and the elecDEED OF ABSOLUTE SALE was ready for signing. We prepared torate was free to decide who they believed would best serve their 7 sets of the updated DEED OF ABSOLUTE SALE for signing and interests.

Then as now, the poorer the province, the greater the chance that notarization. one family would hold sway in every election. Dynasties they were I had Larry and Alicia signed the 7 sets of updated DEED OF ABSOLUTE SALE. The wife of Larry also signed the documents for called.

Some dynasties would last for decades, while others would be her marital consent. I also had them signed my Journal of Notarial Acts and put their right thumbmarks. Since one of the siblings is bed- short-lived. Even in Metro Manila, dynasties were commonplace. ridden, Alicia arranged for me to visit him and his spouse last Satur- Heck, even the very progressive city where I live – Makati – has been ruled by the Binays for decades. day, 10:30 am, December 9, 2023 for the signing of the documents.

And in the adjoining city where I grew up known as Pasay AKA I met the bedridden sibling, his wife and another sister in his home in Daly City, California last Saturday, 10:30 am, last December Sin City, it was the Cuneta dynasty that ruled for decades.

Alas, when patriarch Pablo Cuneta passed away, the influence of 9, 2023. After some preliminaries. I had them sign the documents. I also had them sign my Journal of Notarial Acts and put their right his family died along with him. It might have lasted a few decades thumb marks. The rest of the other siblings came to my home office more had his favorite daughter Sharon decided to run for mayor, but in San Francisco, California for the signing and notarization of the 7 she wisely stayed away from the dirty politics of the city.

It is not clear if the same thing that happened in Pasay will also sets of updated DEED OF ABSOLUTE SALE. In our first meeting with Larry and Alicia last December 5, 2023, happen when Jejomar Binay moves on to the Great Beyond. My feeling is it won’t, but what do I know? my wife asked them how they got in contact with me.

What is clear is that Rodrigo Duterte wants his immediate family “We have been reading and keeping clippings of your weekly to remain in power, at least until the day he dies. Having a daughter columns since 2018,” the wife of Larry explained.

“Agyamanac unay ta addaka nga tumulong kadakami, “ (I am as vice president, a son as mayor of his city, and another son as congressman may be enough to assure that he can sleep nights without very thankful that you are here to help us), said Alicia in Ilokano.

“Saan kamin nga makaawid idiay Pilipinas. Agyaman kami ken- worrying that those big, bad investigators of the International Crimini Apo Dios ta addaka nga tumulong kadakami,” (We can’t go home nal Court will come knocking at his door in the middle of the night to the Philippines. We are thankful to God because you are able to and escort him to The Hague or some such place.

His family is his greatest insurance, but just to be absolutely help us), she explained in Ilocano.

When all the siblings signed the 7 sets of updated DEED OF sure, he appears bent on surrounding himself with a heavily-armed ABSOLUTE SALE, I notarized the signed documents. Then my be- private army who would die for him as long as they are well fed and loved wife Virginia Jimenez Madlaing and I submitted the notarized are also paid handsomely.

There may be a reason for his concern. documents to the Secretary of State, Notary Public Section in SacraFor the longest time, it appeared that a certain Pastor Apollo mento, California, for apostille. The following day, I delivered the Quiboloy was completely untouchable. apostilled documents to Larry and Alicia, who subsequently sent the In fact, Quiboloy and Duterte fed off each other, and was watchapostilled DEED OF ABSOLUTE SALE to the Filipino buyers now ing each other’s back. Moreso when Digong became president, and residing in Canada.

Larry and Alicia were so happy for the complete, efficient, he made sure that nothing but nothing could touch his spiritual adviser. Not even the mighty US of A and its FBI could grab him deunique and professional services we rendered to them.

“Agyaman kami unay iti tulong mo Art,” (Thank you very much spite overwhelming proof of very serious crimes committed by the so-called religious leader. for your help Art), said Alicia.

For good measure, Dutz even made sure that Quiboloy AKA the In appreciation for their patronage and for regularly reading and Only Begotten Son of God or Some Such Nonsensical Title would keeping clippings of my weekly columns, I gave Alicia and Larry the autographed copy of my updated best-selling book “REAL ESTATE own a broadcast network. The better to protect the Davao Duo until & YOU” subtitled “You Basic Guide & Information for Successful the end of their days.

But hold your horses. Or your giraffes if you don’t own horses.

Investing in Home, Land and Income Property.”

Some things happening now seem to indicate that not only is Some of the important columns reprinted in the updated book include the following: “How To Sell RP Properties Without Going Digong’s influence waning, Quiboloy is also in similar straits.

Where there were more than a hundred congressmen in his party to the Philippines, Basic Understanding of Apostilles, Avoid Incompetent Notary Public, Are International IDs Acceptable for Notariza- during Digong’s presidency, he now has less than 10. And instead of tion? ID Requirements for Notarization of Documents, Creative Way a supermajority in the Senate, he now has only a handful of loyalists, for Notarization and Apostille of Documents, The Hague Apostille namely Bato dela Rosa, Robin Padilla, and Bong Go. Quiboloy, meanwhile, is no longer as untouchable as he was a Convention.

Donating RP Properties Without Going Home, Do you Need mere year or two ago. A brave senator is now calling for an invesLast Will and Durable Power of Attorney?, The Need for Apostille tigation into his alleged crimes committed in the US, and some are of Documents, Convenience and Savings in Selling RP Properties, truly sickening. If some of the accusations are true, then the guy is Quit Bad Habits Which Can Get You in Bad Debt, Authentication or truly a perv of the highest level.

As far as I’m concerned, the FBI would not make up stories Apostille? Notary Thumbprints and Privacy Issues. about his alleged crimes, so he must be deathly afraid of American HOW TO PREPARE YOUR HOME FOR SALE, Necessity of Last Will and Testament, The Need of Parental Travel Permit, Tips G-men coming to take him away.

As Digong fears the ICC, Quiboloy is allergic to the FBI. on Buying and Selling Real Estate Simultaneously, Deed of ExtrajuWhich brings me back to Digong and his guns. Specifically his dicial Settlement with Waiver of Rights, Etc. fi xation for guns.

Foreword of the updated Edition of “REAL ESTATE & YOU” You all know what some say about gun fanatics, yes? They comwas written by Atty. Cesar Fumar, licensed and practicing lawyer both in California and in the Philippines. The back cover includes pensate for their, uh, short manhood. The Rappler report says that (Continue on page 20) (Continue on page 20) the former president has some of the our group picture with boxing leg-

L

et’s make the spirit of Christmas more meaningful and truthful this time… if we missed this goal last year, this is the time to make up!

It’s time to rejoice and spend the true meaning of Christmas with our love ones, friends and relatives.

Let’s make it more meaningful this time because while the true meaning of Christmas is about Jesus Christ’s birth and life, what it really means is about ELPIDIO R. ESTIOKO us, the way we celebrate it, the way we spend our life… every day, not only during Christmas time, but… daily, the way Jesus Christ wants us to do!

Yes, it’s in us, even when the world or our situations change – the message of Christmas is about the birth of God’s Son – Jesus… it is timeless, it remains the same. It is about how he came to give us love, hope and joy and that message doesn’t change from year to year, yes, even when there is so much bad news and devastation in the world. In fact, it should be good news worth celebrating… despite the Russia-Ukraine and the Israeli-Hamas wars!

As we celebrate the birth of Jesus, it reflects on what we are doing and how we are internalizing His life and teachings in real life among ourselves, our families, relatives, friends, and acquaintances must be synchronized. It’s how we live our lives in the name of Jesus… on how we give love, hope and joy with each other – with our family, our friends, our relatives, even if it’s just a mere acquaintance or chance meeting, just like what the Good Samaritan did - this is what it counts.

While we are doing that, let us not forget that Jesus’ birth and life is a message of companionship… it means we are never alone. It doesn’t matter how difficult or hopeless our situation may appear to be, God is there for us. He walks with us! We don’t have to journey through our challenges and struggle alone. He understands them. He walks them alongside us. (https://www.salvationarmy.org.au/christmas/stories/what-is-the-true-meaning-of-christmas/) As I See It, this message of His birth and life… gives us comfort and great joy to celebrate at Christmas. As the angel said to a group of shepherds on the night Jesus was born, “Do not be afraid.

I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people” (Luke chapter 2: verse 10, NIV Bible). It is one of the most wellknown Bible verses about Christmas I learned as a child, born with religious parents, because it is such an encouraging and inspiring message. It is one of joy – because Jesus comforts and encourages us. One of hope – because we are never alone; God is always with us. And one of inclusivity – because it is for all of us.

This year, my family is celebrating it differently compared to last year, as there is a change of venue. Unlike last year where my children spent their Christmas with us in our Milpitas home in California, we will instead go to them and celebrate Christmas with them in South Carolina and Florida.

We, my wife Delia, daughter May with his boyfriend Steve, and son Jayson, will be flying from our Milpitas residence to South Carolina where we will be spending Christmas with my daughter Tweety, her husband Jonathan and their 3-year-old daughter Ellie.

We will be joined by our son Jojo from Jacksonville, Florida with his wife Alvi and daughters Bibay and Kayla. During our celebration, we will be joined via Zoom by our eldest daughter Gigi from Sydney, Australia with her husband Eric, and our youngest child Paul who is in Kapolei, Hawaii. It will be fun, as we used to do every year, having family bonding despite our distance and physical boundaries which we have always overcome to be together in the spirit of Christmas.

Celebrating Christmas with my family and friends is an opportunity to pause and give thanks for the hope and joy found in Jesus – our friend and savior. It is celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ more than just a Christian holiday or Christian festival, and more than an occasion to decorate our houses and putting up the Christmas tree with many gifts under it. It’s beyond that!

As we exchange gifts, it is out of remembrance of the gift God gave us in Jesus, regardless of the value or amount of the gift. It is not the gift but the art of giving, the gift that we are loved, are never alone and can have hope for the future… that matters.

After Christmas, we will be driving from South Carolina to New York and continue our Christmas bonding with some relatives and friends in the area. Then after three days stay in New York and suburbs, we are driving back to South Carolina and get ready to fly back to California on December 31 to be able to spend New Year at home.

Our Christmas this year looked different compared to last year, but the enjoyment of the true meaning of Christmas is the same, in fact, more enhanced and more meaningful… even with the change of venue.

We blended religious and secular customs with our family traditions, incorporating food and decorations. Christmas dinner included the traditional pansit (noodles), bibingka, puto, suman, ham, spaghetti, roast pork, salad, egg rolls, lumpia, calamari… and my wife made sure we had 12 rounded fruits, as a tradition in the family.

Merry Christmas to all!

As I See It

Deed of absolute sale for PHL properties without going home

 BUSINESS | IMMIGRATIONS What you need to know when applying for naturalization

W

hen applying for naturalization, there are problems many applicants encountered during the interview process. This is because the immigration officer look at how you first get your green card and what actions you have made while a green card holder. Listed below are some of them: 1.

Proving good faith marriage. You will be surprised that you are applying for naturalization and yet the USCIS is considering you as a green card applicant although your marriage happened ten years ago.

If you obtained your green card through marriage, no matter how many years has passed, they always asked questions and documents about whether your marriage is bona fide and what joint documents support this marriage.

2. Proving family relationship if you were petitioned by your parents, siblings or as derivative of your parents. You should be able to show proof of your relationship through marriage certificate, birth certificate, divorce or death certificate, whichever documents applied to your case.

3. If you were involved is a crime, no matter how minor you think it is, they will always look for documentation if you have been convicted and if you served your sentence.

4. There are crimes that will make you deportable when applying for naturalization. This will include committing two crimes of moral turpitude or an aggravated felony. Theft is a crime involving moral turpitude. There is waiver available, and you should talk to an immigration lawyer.

5. Green card holders who obtained their green card through misrepresentation may also be sent to removal proceedings. These include those who committed marriage fraud or declared as single but actually married. If you have this kind of problem, you need to talk to an immigration attorney to find if you qualify for a waiver of fraud or misrepresentation.

6. Failure to file and pay your income tax may also disqualify you for naturalization. If you have a payment plan agreement with the IRS and you keep paying the monthly payments, you may be able to get approved. Again you need to consult with an immigration lawyer about your situation.

7. Failure to pay child support. You may be d. ed if you fail to pay for child support.

8. If you stayed outside the U.S. for more than 180 days in a single year, you may be denied naturalization.

9. If you lack the required period of residency, you may also be denied.

So that you will not have a problem when applying for naturalization, you should consult with an immigration attorney to avoid possible problem along the way.

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

Bankruptcy Basics We also process Bankruptcy cases.

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

2. If you are being sued by your creditors, most money judgment can be eliminated in bankruptcy.

3. Collection actions continue and you can be sued if you are in debt settlement.

4. Chapter 7 will eliminate all unsecured debts. If you are near retirement age, you must eliminate most of your debts.

Chris Caday Lozano, Esq. is an active member of the State Bar of California, the American Immigration Lawyers Association and San Francisco Trial Lawyers. He has practiced immigration law, bankruptcy, personal injury and income tax representation since June 1999. His contact phone is 1-877456-9266, email: info@CCLlaw.net Website: www.crispinlozanolaw.com/ with offices in Hayward and Cerritos, CA.

December 14-20, 2023

12

PTTC, food firm partner to help retirees engage in entrepreneurship MANILA – The Philippine Trade Training Center (PTTC) of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and listed food manufacturing company Monde Nissin Corp. have partnered to equip the firm’s retirees with entrepreneurial skills that will help them transition into their careers.

On Wednesday, PTTC and Monde Nissin signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) for the latter’s Monde Nissin University-School of Lifelong Learning.

The MOA was signed by the PTTC Executive Director Nelly Dillera and Monde Nissin People and Culture director Luz Mercurio.

Monde Nissin tapped the PTTC to provide the necessary expertise and capability building interventions to help its retiring employees transition into competitive entrepreneurs.

The first training program will begin in March 2024.

“Being the first of its kind, we aim to enrich Monde Nissin University’s School of Lifelong Learning by providing skills development programs that will support the would-be retirees of the company,” Mercurio said.

The School of Lifelong Learning aims to expand the skills of Monde Nissin employees that they will need beyond their tenure at the company. The program will provide retirees with the financial skills needed to explore entrepreneurship in retirement.

The PTTC will base the training program in its ASCEND Budding Pathway, one of its Enterprise Learning Pathways.

The program will also make use of a combination of classroom-style sessions, virtual learning platforms, mentorship and

PARTNERSHIP. Monde Nissin People and Culture director Luz Mercurio and Philippine Trade Training Center (PTTC) Execu�ve Director Nelly Dillera (3rd and 4th from le�, respec�vely) sign a memorandum of agreement at the PTTC Office in Pasay City on Wednesday (Dec. 13, 2023). Through the partnership, re�rees from Monde Nissin will be trained and equipped with entrepreneurial skills they can use a�er their tenure at the company. (Courtesy of Monde Nissin) coaching programs, and hands-on practical expertise to develop both technical expertise and leadership abilities of the soonto-be retirees for their career advancement. (PNA)

PSEi sheds, peso weakens to P56-level Wednesday MANILA – Both the local shares and currency finished 55.57. the day with losses.

Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. chief economist MiThe benchmark Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) chael Ricafort said the local currency’s close was among the shed 36.65 points at 6,255.74, with All Shares also down by weakest in a month.

14.32 points at 3,339.14.

All counters closed in the red territory except for ServicLAW OFFICE OF es, which inched up by 2.65 points to 1,552.56.

The biggest decline in shares came from the Mining and Oil sector, which lost 52.82 points during this day’s trading, followed by Hold& ASSOCIATES ing Firms, which was down by 49.87 points; Property, 32.75 points; Industrial, 12.87 3255 Wilshire Blvd. Ste# 1010 points; and Financials, 6.42 Los Angeles, CA 90010 points.

Philstock Financials, Inc. Tel: (213) 388-9925 assistant research manager Fax: (213) 388-6080 Claire Alviar said investors ocampolawofc@yahoo.com were in a wait-and-see mode as they waited for the decisions of the central banks of the country and the United States on their respective interest rates.

“Aside from the interest FOR COMPETENT & AFFORDABLE LEGAL SERVICES rates decision, investors also COMPLIMENTARY/FREE CONSULTATION want to know their outlook on inflation rate and the timing of US IMMIGRATION LAW monetary policy easing,” she FAMILY/EMPLOYMENT BASED PETITIONS LABOR CERTIFICATION DACA said.

LEGAL REPRESENTATION IN DEPORTATION/REMOVAL PROCEEDINGS “Moreover, net foreign selling worth PHP280.55 milFAMILY LAW lion exerted downward presDIVORCE SPOUSAL SUPPORT CHILD CUSTODY/SUPPORT/VISITATION sure on the market. The net ADOPTION GUARDIANSHIP market value turnover stood at PERSONAL INJURY PHP2.84 billion.”

AUTO ACCIDENTS PREMISES LIABILITY SLIP AND FALL CASES The losers outpaced the gainers at 95 to 64, with 47 LABOR/EMPLOYMENT LAW left unchanged.

WRONGFUL TERMINATION WAGE AND HOUR DISPUTES DISCRIMINATION Meanwhile, the Philippine WORKERS’ COMPENSATION peso continued to weaken, falling back to the 56-level on ESTATE PLANNING PROBATE WILLS TRUSTS ESTATE ADMINISTRATION Wednesday.

The peso shed against the US dollar by 0.49, closing at 56.06 from the previous day’s TREAT OTHERS AS YOU WOULD HAVE THEM TREAT YOU

CALIFORNIA LAWYER SINCE 1993

13 December 14-20, 2023

 ENTERTAINMENT

Kathniel, DonBelle, Coco Martin, Vice Ganda lead stars at ABS-CBN Christmas special The ABS-CBN Christmas Special returned to the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City after three years, with some 300 Kapamilya stars on Wednesday (December 13) night.

The biggest surprise of the night was the performance of Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla who had earlier announced their breakup.

The two performed on stage with the song ‘I’ll Be There For You’, the theme song of the sitcom ‘Friends,’ as if they have not separated ways. It was their first public appearance together since their much publicized breakup.

Backstage, the two, known as the KathNiel, were spotted talking to each other, contrary to rumors that their friendship has fallen apart after the much-publicized split. The two also were captured by the camera teasing and talking to each other with the group of stars on stage.

Since 2020, ABS-CBN has conducted its annual Christmas special at Studio 10 because of COVID-19 restrictions. But this year, they returned to the Big Dome and brought back the fun, joy, and Christmas spirit to the network’s loyal viewers, MJ Felipe reported for ABSCBN. The show kicked off around 5 p.m. and lasted for roughly four hours.

The ABS-CBN report stated that Coco

Martin led the whole cast of ‘Batang Quiapo’ minus Lovi Poe who was not at the Christmas special. Cco was joined by his co-stars in the series Ivana Alawi, Christopher de Leon, Cherry Pie Picache, Joel Lamangan, Susan Africa, Irma Adlawan, and Mccoy de Leon, among others.

Hot young stars Donny Pangilinan and Belle Mariano, together with the whole cast of ‘Can’t Buy Me Love,’ were also featured with their legion of fans screaming and cheering their names, MJ Felipe reported.

The powerhouse trio of ‘Linlang’ led by Kim Chiu, Paulo Avelino, and JM de Guzman also surprised the crowd, according to the report.

Vice Ganda, Anne Curtis, Vhong Navarro and the whole bunch of ‘It’s Showtime’ brought the house down with their funny antics and performances. Anne even sang ala-Ariana Grande alongside Martin Nievera while belting to ‘Save Your Tears’.

MJ Felipe’s report on ABS-CBN continued: World-class Kapamilya singers are staple talents during the Christmas special with Ogie Alcasid, Regine Velasquez Alcasid, Gary Valenciano, Jona, Angeline Quinto, Morissette, Jed Madela, Nyoy Volante, and several new-gen singers performing.

Promotion Period: 12 Dec, 2023 ~ 18Dec, 2023 Travel Period: 13 Jan, 2024 ~ 15 May, 2024 For reservation, please visit www.china-airlines.com or your travel agent.

Some restrictions apply.

Above promotion is not combinable with other promotional program and only good for N/H/Q/R/E/D fares only.

China Airlines reserves the right to change or modify the terms and conditions at any time without prior notice.

 ENTERTAINMENT

December 14-20, 2023

14

Dolly de Leon’s 2 Piolo Pascual is Aliw films, Leni Robredo Entertainer of the Year campaign docu

By Jennifer T. Santos

Movie and theater actor Piolo Pascual copped the 2023 Entertainer of the Year award at rites held at the Centennial Hall of the Manila Hotel, which was jampacked with fans of the winners in more than 50 categories.

Alice H. Reyes, Aliw Awards Foundation Inc. president, said the Legacy awardees were Lisa Macuja Elizalde for Dance, Boots Anson Rodrigo for live entertainment, Cecile Guidote Alvarez for theater, Dante Arevalo Ang for public relations and publishing, Ramon S. Ang for entrepreneurship and philanthropy, and Boy Abunda for broadcast media and live entertainment.

Lifetime Achievement awardees were Regine Velasquez and Ogie Alcasid, Martin Nievera (OPM veteran), Beverly Salviejo and Fe de los Reyes (comediennes), Odette Quesada (composer) and Monino Duque (theater director and lighting designer).

Other winners and their categories were: JD Tena – BEST CHILD PERFORMER (Male) Natalie Grace Yanson & Amari Sotto – BEST CHILD PERFORMER (Female) Jeri Violago – BEST NEW ARTIST (Male) Zarina Krishna Villanueva – BEST NEW ARTIST (Female) Super Tekla – BEST STAND UP COMEDIAN Jon Joven Uy & Gian Magdangal – BEST CROSSOVER PERFORMER (Male) Shiela Valderama & Nina Campos – BEST CROSSOVER PERFORMER (Female) Reuben Lourente & Sheena Lee Palad – BEST INSPIRATIONAL/GOSPEL SINGER (Male,Female,Group) Arti Sta Rita (Pampaga) & Ephesus Teatron group Inc. -BEST CULTURAL GROUP (Theater and Dance) “Ayat Festival 2023 :The 173rd La Union Foundation Anniversary”, San Fernando La Union “Mamangi Festival”, Ilagan City,Isabela “Dugoy Festival” Occidental Mindoro -BEST FESTIVAL PRACTICES & PERFORMANCE Gov.Raphaelle Veronica “Rafy”Ortega-David,San Fernando La Union Mayor Jenny A.Barzaga, Dasmarinas, Cavite Mayor Josemarie L. Dias, Ilagan City,Isabela – BEST FESTIVAL CATALYST/ORGANIZER “Art is Calling for Me” ,RCBC – BEST SPECIAL EVENTS PRODUCTION Manni Coloma,Asia CEO Awards – BEST SPECIAL EVENTS DIRECTOR Adrienne Vergara”Ang Awit Ng Dalagang Marmol” – BEST FEATURED ACTRESS IN A PLAY Rikki Benedicto “Dominador Gonzales: National Artist” -BEST FEATURED ACTOR IN A PLAY Lorenz Martinez ”Carousel” – BEST FEATURED

ACTOR IN A MUSICAL Carla Guevara Laforteza “ Snow White and The Prince” – BEST FEATURED ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL Tanghalang Una Obra Ensamble “Ibarra” – BEST ENSEMBLE PERFORMANCE IN A MUSICAL PLAY OR CONCERT Joed Balsamo – BEST MUSICAL DIRECTION FOR A PLAY OR MUSICAL Joed Balsamo – BEST COMPOSER FOR ORIGINAL MUSIC Bing Pascual “ Sounds of Manila Reunion Concert” – BEST CONCERT STAGE DIRECTOR Jason Quitane & Michael Bulaong,Manila Cathedral Concert – BEST MUSICAL DIRECTOR FOR A CONCERT Caisa Borromeo – BEST STAGE DIRECTOR FOR A PLAY Frannie Zamora – BEST STAGE DIRECTOR FOR A MUSICAL “Lungs” – BEST PLAY “ Ibarra” – BEST MUSICAL Nicole Tejedor, Guitar – BEST INSTRUMENTALIST Lance Raymundo – BEST MALE HOST Catriona Grey – BEST FEMALE HOST Jade Riccio & Kathy Hipolito Mas – BEST FEMALE CLASSICAL PERFORMER Sherwin Sozon – BEST MALE CLASSICAL PERFOMER Nicole Laurel Asencio – BEST R&B/JAZZ ARTIST Colby Dela Caizada Quartet – BEST JAZZ ARTIST GROUP Gigi De Lana – BEST FEMALE POP ARTIST Dindo Fernandez – BEST MALE POP ARTIST Rama , Hari – BEST DANCE PRODUCTION Kammerchor Manila – BEST CHORAL GROUP Joel Saracho – BEST LEAD ACTOR IN A PLAY Sab Jose - BEST LEAD ACTRESS IN A PLAY Piolo Pascual – BEST LEAD ACTOR IN A MUSICAL Myramae Meneses – BEST LEAD ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL Noel Cabangon – BEST SOLO PERFORMER IN HOTELS,BAR & MUSIC LOUNGES Men of Blue Blood & 3rd Avenue – BEST GROUP PERFORMER IN HOTELS,BAR & MUSIC LOUNGES Bo Cerrudo – BEST MALE PERFORMANCE IN A CONCERT Sheryn Regis – BEST FEMALE PERFORMANCE IN A CONCERT The Leading Ladies , “ The Art of Christmas” Oasis, Solaire Hotel & Casino Beverly Salviejo,George Sison Tagle, Sherwin Sozon, Egay Rubiano “The Three Tenors Plus One”Teatrino - BEST GROUP ENSEMBLE PERFORMANCE IN A CONCERT Erik Santos – BEST MAJOR CONCERT (MALE) Moira Dela Torre – BEST MAJOR CONCERT (FEMALE) Gabby Concepcion & Sharon Cuneta – BEST COLLABORATION IN A CONCERT Joseleo Logdat – BEST FILIPINO ARTIST BASED ABROAD (MALE) Joanna Ampil – BEST FILIPINO ARTIST BASED ABROAD (FEMALE) Lorna Cifra – BEST JAZZ ARTIST BASED ABROAD Sounds of Manila – BEST GROUP FILIPINO ARTIST BASED ABROAD

to premiere at Sundance Film Festival in January

Two movies starring Dolly de Leon and a documentary about the 2022 presidential campaign of former vice president Leni Robredo are going to premiere at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival in January 18 to 28.

This is gleaned in the 40th Sundance Film Festival website as it released its full line-up of entries for this year’s edition where a majority are up for distribution.

Sundance received a record-breaking 17,435 entries, including 4,410 feature-length films — more than half of which came from outside the United States, it was reported.

Among the 82 feature film entries selected is Nathan Silver’s “Between the Temples,” where Dolly de Leon stars with Jason Schwartzman and Carol Kane, making its world premiere, Philippine Star’s Kristopher Purnell reported.

“A cantor in a crisis of faith finds his world turned upside down when his grade school music teacher reenters his life as his new adult bat mitzvah student,” the film’s synopsis states.

Dolly’s other film, “Ghostlight,” directed by “Cha Cha Real Smooth” filmmaker Kelly O’Sullivan, is also going to have its premiere at the festival.

Starring with de Leon are the father-daughter duo of Keith Kupferer and Katherine Mallen Kupferer and theater actor Tara Mallen.

“When a construction worker unexpectedly joins a local theater’s production of ‘Romeo and Juliet,’ the drama onstage starts to mirror his own life,” goes the synopsis of “Ghostlight.”

De Leon is not the only Filipino representative at Sundance 2024 as Ramona Diaz will premiere “And So It Begins,” a documentary about the people’s movement of Leni Robredo’s 2022 presidential campaign.

Diaz is the director of the award-winning documentary “A Thousand Cuts,” a documentary film about journalist Maria Ressa.

“Amid the traditional pomp and circumstance of Filipino elections, a quirky people’s movement rises to defend the nation against deepening threats to truth and democracy,” the documentary’s synopsis states. “In a collective act of joy as a form of resistance, hope flickers against the backdrop of increasing autocracy.”

“And So It Begins” serves as a companion piece to “A Thousand Cuts,” which followed journalists during Rodrigo Duterte’s presidency. It shows the nationwide efforts of Robredo’s supporters clad in pink in the buildup and aftermath of the 2022 national elections.

The documentary has a runtime of 115 minutes and will also be available on the festival’s website towards Sundance’s end, beginning January 25 for audiences in the United States.

Robredo congratulated Diaz on the documentary being selected for the Sundance Film Festival and expressed hope that “And So It Begins” could be shown in the Philippines by April 2024.

15 December 14-20, 2023

 COMMUNITY NEWS

With latest developments in preparation for 2024 presidential elections, is U.S. democracy in a crisis?

Professor, Department of Poli�cal Science, Director of the Center for American Poli�cs at the University of Denver Seth Masket,

Scholar of United States and Compara�ve Cons�tu�onal Law, University of Chicago Law School Aziz Z. Huq

Professor of Cons�tu�onal Law, John Jay College (CUNY), author, playwright, writer/host of Emmy Award-winning animated series “Your Democracy” Gloria J. Browne-Marshall

The United States has always been looked up to by most around the world as the model and utmost example of democracy in the world and most usually the country that any student of political science student and scholar can point to as exemplary.

But lately, there is lingering uncertainty as to this stature that the U.S. has now in being the democracy nation that other countries can emulate as many are considering that the regarded most powerful country in the world may be sliding into a “constitutional crisis” that is the last thing that a democratic country would want to suffer from.

Strangely, the term “constitutional crisis” itself is defined in numerous ways: from a party that embraces a cult of personality to refusing to accept the results of an election, to rising authoritarian sentiments, to powerful political actors systematically violating the Constitution and the law, to an operational crisis where the system fails to handle significant challenges facing the nation.

This was what the ethnic media services conference American Democracy in Decline: Are We on the Verge of a Constitutional Crisis? panel composed of Professor, Department of Political Science, Director of the Center for American Politics at the University of Denver Seth Masket, Scholar of United States and Comparative Constitutional Law, University of Chicago Law School Aziz Z. Huq and Professor of Constitutional Law, John Jay College (CUNY), author, playwright, writer/host of Emmy Award-winning animated series “Your Democracy” Gloria J. Browne-Marshall engaged with ethnic media to discuss this subject to help us understand its signs and how to cover this critical topic, which may be on the table before or after the 2024 election.

Professor Masket identified four potential kinds of constitutional crises as 1) a circumstance the Constitution doesn’t at all detail how to address as what happened when President Harrison’s died in 1841 before the Constitution included Vice Presidential succession; 2) another was when the Constitution is unclear about the parameters of government as “in the 1850s it was unclear whether the federal government could regulate or eliminate slavery in states, and we had a civil war to answer that question”; 3) a third type involves the outright failure of institutions like in a government shutdown, and 4) is the most descriptive of our current situation: “The Constitution does say what to do, but it’s not politically feasible, we don’t want to do it” — for example, although the Constitution provides for impeachment, “so far we’ve never actu-

ally removed a president from office through impeachment.”

For her part, Professor Browne-Marshall offered another example of constitutional crisis which, she said, we may face in 2024.

When the Supreme Court makes a decision, but one or both of the other branches of government refuse to follow it.

“We could have the executive branch refuse to follow it, or give an executive order that contradicts it which the people want to follow anyway,” Browne-Marshall explained.

Discussing the definition of a constitutional crisis in legal circles, Aziz Z. Huq — scholar of United States and Comparative Constitutional Law at the University of Chicago Law School — expounded that given that the Constitution, like any written law, has many gaps and ambiguities, “I don’t think that conflict over implementation necessarily counts as a crisis, because such conflicts have been pervasive features of our democracy since the 1780s.”

Huq added that rather than a long-standing condition, many lawyers’ use of the term “crisis” depends on “what the purposes of the Constitution are and he believes, it’s a crisis when democratic self-government goes off the rails” if it’s to install a democracy.

However, a crisis is when “the entire system of governance set up by the Constitution is at the point of breaking, which is what happened in the 1850s, before the Civil War” rather than a government shutdown, for example, which is short-term and not uncommon.

Shifting to what’s happening more recently in preparation for the 2024 presidential elections, Donald Trump as one of next year’s major presidential candidates, faces several criminal and civil indictments, a question arises as to whether the possibility of his election indicates a weakness of the Constitution on which our democracy depends.

Masket argued that the problem “isn’t necessarily with the Constitution, it’s with political parties which have stepped in to fill the void left by the Constitution,” given that beyond requirements of age and birth in the U.S. the document’s presidential restrictions are relatively few, and don’t include the prohibition of felons or currently imprisoned people from running for office.

In fact, the only criminal offense which the Constitution details

is insurrection per the 14th Amendment, added Browne-Marshall.

What’s unique about 2024, given Donald Trump’s involvement with the U.S. Capitol storming on January 6th, 2021, is that this constitutional “provision is being triggered in a person who has a real likelihood of winning … I think this is what may cause a political crisis.”

What’s distinctive about this moment, added Huq, “is not the fact that there’s a likely candidate under indictment, but that two of his four indictments concern efforts to subvert the democratic process, and to prevent the lawful proper counting of people’s votes.

What’s unique is the credible demonstration of a willingness to engage in the anti-democratic use of political power, to use political authority to remove political enemies … and that all this may not necessarily move many voters against him. This is observed in other democracies, especially fragile ones, but doesn’t have an exact parallel in American history.”

“It’s important to distinguish between the Constitution and democracy itself,” underscored Masket. “The Constitution has aspects of it that are very democratic — the House of Representatives, elections, and so forth — but also some that are less democratic or even counter-democratic, including to some extent the Senate, the Electoral College, and the Supreme Court. Much of what Trump is threatening may be more of a threat to democracy than to the Constitution itself.”

Browne-Marshall emphasized that those conservatives who support Trump are often the staunchest supporters of the Constitution: “I don’t see progressives, liberals, Democrats, interpreting the Constitution in a way that makes it a real document that can be used or weaponized, while conservatives have weaponized it and made it their own.

“The constitution of this country, which is supposed to bind all of us in our differences, is coming apart at the stitches,” she continued. “We need to understand how some are interpreting the Constitution to allow the behavior of a president who disregards our democracy, whether any interpretation really can.”

The strains of democracy can’t be fixed by our Constitution, speakers suggested.

 SPORTS

December 14-20, 2023

16

PHL lifter Rose Ramos snatches 3 silvers as Sarno, Macrohon miss podium at World Grand Prix 2 in Qatar MANILA – The Philippines’ Vanessa Sarno and Kristel Macrohon missed the podium in the women’s 71-kilogram (kg) event of the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) World Grand Prix 2 in Doha, Qatar on Sunday (early Monday, Philippine time).

The 20-year-old Sarno, Southeast Asian Games (SEAG) gold medalist in 2021 and 2023, ranked seventh in snatch (108 kg) and fifth in clean and jerk (141 kg) for a fifth-best total of 249 kg., PNA’s Jean Malanum reported.

Macrohon, the 2019 SEAG champion in Manila, was 10th in snatch (104 kg), 11th in clean and jerk (130 kg) and ninth in total (234 kg).

North Korean Song Kuk Hyang pocketed the gold medal (120–149-269 kg), Chinese Liao Guifang (116148-264 kg) got the silver and American Olivia Lynn Reeves settled for bronze (115-147-262 kg).

In the women’s 49 kg, Rosegie Ramos placed fourth with a total lift of 191 kg (88-103) and Lovely Inan ninth with a total 182 kg (78-104).

In the 59 kg category on Saturday, 2023 Cambodia

SEAG gold medalist Elreen Ann Ando could only place 11th with a total lift of 215 kg (95-120) while Tokyo Olympics gold medalist in 55 kg Hidilyn Diaz-Naranjo, who lifted 95 kg in snatch, did not compete in clean and jerk after suffering from cramps.

The IWF website said Diaz’s withdrawal “was precautionary after a minor injury worry and she expects to be moving up the rankings again at the next opportunity.”

The Philippine contingent, headed by Samahang Weightlifting ng Pilipinas president Monico Puentevella, will come home with four silver medals -- three from Rose Jean Ramos in the women’s 45 kg event and one from John Febuar Ceniza in the men’s 61 kg event.

Ramos, the 18-year-old pride of Zamboanga City, had a total lift of 155 kg -- 70 kg in snatch and 85 kg in clean and jerk.

The 25-year-old Ceniza of Cebu City ranked second overall (298 kg) despite finishing fourth in snatch (133 kg) and fifth in clean and jerk (165 kg).

Ceniza, a two-time SEAG silver medalist, set the na-

Vanessa Sarno

tional record of 134 kg in snatch during the Hangzhou Asian Games in October.

He also holds the national records in clean and jerk (170 kg) and total (300 kg), establishing both at the Philippine Open in Bacolod City, Negros Occidental in July.

Asian Games medalists get additional P10.6 M in incentives PARANAQUE CITY – The Philippine Olympic assembly at the East Ocean Palace Restaurant in Para- came together in joy and camaraderie… full of ChristCommittee (POC) distributed P10.6 million to the med- ñaque City on Tuesday. mas spirit. We didn’t discuss any topic but just giving al winners of the 19th Asian Games during its general “It was a general assembly where the POC family the incentives and hosting our Christmas Party,” POC president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino said in an interview.

The Philippines pocketed 18 medals – four golds, two silvers, and 12 bronzes – at the Hangzhou Asiad.

Jiu-jitsu gold medalist Annie Ramirez received P1 million while boxing silver medalist Eumir Felix Marcial got P500,000.

POC athletes commission head Nikko Huelgas reNew Funeral home with Reception Center Flower Shop ceived the P1 million check for pole vault champion and record holder Ernest John “EJ” Obiena, while MegBeautiful Garden Memorial Park Cremation Services gie Ochoa’s bonus was received by her fellow jiu-jitsu We transfer your loved ones to and from the Philippines teammates.

MVP Group member Magnum Membrere received the incentive on behalf of the gold medal-winning men’s basketball team, with each member getting P200,000.

Wushu’s Arnel Mandal was awarded P500,000 for his silver, while those who received P300,000 each were Patrick King Perez (poomsae), Patrick Coo (cycling), Sakura Alforte (karate), Kaila Napolis (jiu-jitsu), Erleen Ann Ando (weightlifting), and wushu’s Jones Inso, Gideon Padua, and Clemente Tabugara.

Tennis player Alex Eala received P450,000 for winning the bronze medal in the women’s singles and mixed doubles (P150,000) with Francis Casey Alcantara.

Sepak takraw’s Jason Huerte, Rheyjey Ortouste, Vince Torno, Mark Joseph Gonzales, Ronsited Gabayeron, and Jom Lerry Rafael received P200,000 each for their two bronze medals in men’s quadrant and regu of sepak takraw.

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INCENTIVE. Philippine Olympic Commi�ee (POC) president Abraham “Bambol” Tolen�no (4h from le�) awards Asian Games jiujitsu gold medalist Annie Ramirez (3rd from le�) her P1 million cash bonus during a general assembly at the East Ocean Palace Restaurant in Parañaque City. 12, 2023). With them are (from le�) Nikko Huelgas, Rep. Richard Gomez, Cynthia Carrion-Norton, Pearl Managuelod, Dr. Raul Canlas, and Wharton Chan. (Photo courtesy of POC)

17 December 14-20, 2023

 COMMUNITY NEWS

City of Carson awarded gold-level energy achievement

CARSON, CA – The City of Carson was honored with a Gold-Level Energy Achievement Award at the First-Annual Culmination Event for South Bay Energy and Climate Recognition Program. In partnership with the Southern California Regional Energy Network (SoCal REN), the City of Carson is recognized for its efforts in pursuing energy efficient initiatives over the past year.

To earn this distinction, the City of Carson purchased clean energy technology, advocating for climate action through community presentations, organizing events, conducting greenhouse gas emission inventories, and exploring the replacement of traditional gas water heaters at city facilities with more energy-efficient heat pump water heaters. The city also achieved 5% energy savings (combined kilowatt-hour and therms) this year.

“Through the SBCCOG’s South Bay Environmental Services Center program, it has been our 20-year mission

to implement programs to help our cities save energy and water and reduce waste in our communities,” said Cedric L. Hicks, Sr., Carson Councilmember and Chair of the SBCCOG. “As we continue our work this year to help cities update their greenhouse gas emission (GHG) inventories and ultimately their climate action plans, we decided to create some friendly competition to engage our cities in the process. We’re elated to see they met the challenge.”

“It is exciting to have our efforts recognized at the Gold-Level by the South Bay Cities Council of Governments and Southern California Regional Energy Network.

I am pleased that my colleagues and I along with our staff are using our energy to implement programs that create change for today and future generations. ” said Carson Mayor Lula Davis-Holmes.

To participate, cities were required to be enrolled in the SoCalREN - a program administered by Los Ange-

les County to provide energy-saving services to residents, businesses and public agencies served by Southern California Edison (SCE) and/or SoCalGas. Cities’ progress was tracked through a point system. To earn points, cities had to complete at least one activity within the categories of climate action, education and technical assistance. Cities earned gold-level achievement by earning 12 to 15 points, silver-level by earning eight to 11 points, and bronze-level achievement by earning three to seven points. Point-earning activities included the following: Participating in a SoCalREN energy program Purchasing clean power Updating their city’s GHG inventories Implementing on-site, renewable energy (solar power, hydropower etc.)

Installing energy-efficient lighting and HVAC replacement in municipal facilities Complying with Assembly Bill 802, which requires energy benchmarking and publicly disclosing building energy use Showing quantified energy savings in municipal facilities Replacing turf (grass) at municipal facilities with more drought tolerant native, plants Hosting beach clean-ups, Earth Day events, gardening events and more Promoting sustainable practices online In 2022, the California Air Resources Board released its updated proposal to implement the most ambitious climate action of any jurisdiction in the world, taking unprecedented steps to drastically slash pollution and accelerate the transition to clean energy. The state has set the goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2045. The rewards program is designed to help cities do their part to meet this goal one sustainable step at a time.

 COMMUNITY NEWS

December 14-20, 2023

18

California leads in transforming public health care

By Jun Nucum SAN FRANCISCO - The latest data on redetermining or redetermination of MediCal eligibility, the transition in 21 counties to new managed health care plans and new services aimed at meeting not just individual but community health care needs and the expansion of Medi-Cal to all undocumented immigrants as of January 1, 2024, make possible for California to transform public health care.

This came to fore at an Ethnic Media Services briefing entitled Medi-Cal at Front Lines of Sea Change in Public Health Avoids Purging Rolls, Extends Eligibility to all Undocumented, Medi-Cal state staff and ground-level community health center workers-speakers also discussed transforming health care needs to include cover services such as tattoo removal and home health care that many enrollees may not know they can use.

Among those who shared their expertise in the briefing were Assistant Deputy Director of Health Care Benefits and Eligibility of California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) Yingjia Huang, Chief of Managed Care Operations of DHCS Michelle Retke, Professor of Internal Medicine at UC Davis and Director of UC Davis Center for Reducing Health Disparities (CRHD) Dr. Sergio Aguilar-Gaxiola, Chief Operating Officer of Garden Pathways Juan Avila and first person testimonial on MediCal expansion Dara Montejo Chel.

Medi-Cal redetermination since the end of the federal COVID-19 emergency in May 2022, is but a resumption of MediCal of its annual redetermination of enrollees’ eligibility from April 1, 2023 (although June was the first month that they held actual redetermination) and held every month thereafter until May 31, 2024, Huang reported, adding that as of September 30, 15.2 million people or over a third of California population are on their “case rolls”.

“Because California has the highest Medicaid caseload in the U.S., over one million people have faced redetermination each month since June 2023, the first month of actual disenrollments. In September, about 1.7 million were up for renewal,” Huang added. “About 20% to 21% of these people are disenrolled each month, she continued — much lower than many other

states like Texas, which saw a 73% disenrollment rate by the end of August.”

Hispanic individuals, making up the highest percentage of Medi-Cal enrollees, also make up the highest percentage — 53% — of those disenrolled but Huang assured that many of these disenrollments may owe to families who “no longer need this coverage,” having found employer insurance or surpassed income limits since the pandemic, when eligibility checks were paused.

Retke announced that 21 counties are transitioning to new managed care plans come January 1, 2024 and will experience a change in the kind of health care they may be eligible for. For instance, managed care which uses health insurance plans, like Kaiser or Anthem, to provide primary care doctors picked from a network of local health centers for many of these counties is transitioning to a single-plan model where previously multiple plans were offered while for other affected counties, different plans will replace those currently there.

“The main takeaway for Medi-Cal members in these counties is “Pay attention to your mail; in October, November and December, you’ll get a notice that your plan is changing, and an enrollment choice packet that you can fill out on paper or online,” stressed Retke.

Huang said that the last remaining age segment for the expansion to the undocumented, individuals, ages, 26 through 49, will be implemented in the state of California starting January 1, 2024.

“The department has expanded to the other age groups children under the age of 19 in 2016. Young adults under the age of 26 in 2020 are older adults 55 and older last year in May and finally completing the remaining expansion for 26 through 49 in January,” said Huang.

Aguilar-Gaxiola termed the importance of this expansion to California’s hardestto-reach residents as a tremendous need particularly to farmworkers, a population which Aguilar-Gaxiola has worked with for decades.

“Meeting it requires more than goodwill and wanting to do the right thing. In order to reach these populations, building trust is front and center,” Aguilar-Gaxiola said.

“Many undocumented Californians are or are related to farmworkers. There are approximately 600,000 to 700,000 farmwork-

Assistant Deputy Director of Health Care Benefits and Eligibility of California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) Yingjia Huang

Chief of Managed Care Opera�ons of DHCS Michelle Retke.

Professor of Internal Medicine at UC Davis and Director of UC Davis Center for Reducing Health Dispari�es (CRHD) Dr. Sergio Aguilar-Gaxiola.

Chief Opera�ng Officer of Garden Pathways Juan Avila.

ers in California, he said, with 900,000 dependents — a total of 1.5 million, “the vast majority of which are Mexican or Central American.”

In the 1990s, a study in Fresno County revealed that those with Mexican origin, including farmworkers, continues to be the most comprehensive mental health population-based survey today.

Aguilar-Gaxiola shared that among those who needed mental health services due to depression, anxiety or substance abuse “one out of three of those U.S.-born were using them, one out of six (documented) immigrants were, and less than one in 10 of undocumented workers were. Almost half of them didn’t know where to go, or couldn’t go to clinic hours due to work. I believe that during the pandemic, this has gotten worse.”

Avila, for his part, shared his experience in communicating health care newly offered under Medi-Cal to formerly incarcerated and “justice-involved youth and adults” which number 400 to 500 a year through his nonprofit From them, Avila learned quickly that “if those we work with want to join the

workforce again, they have to be healthy, and providing that care — preventative, mental health, dental, substance abuse — requires trust.”

“Together with my colleagues, we have built this trust since 2017 by going inside the detention centers, the county jail, to enroll individuals in Medi-Cal before they’re released back into their communities, as many reentry people won’t have the same address and so won’t get mail notices,” Avila imparted. ”This is the strength of community work, reaching them where they are — whether in the institutions or on the streets as peacekeepers — and building trust to get them the care they need, because they wouldn’t otherwise come to the government to seek it out.”

This care, too, is expanding: come January 1, Medi-Cal will include new, community-based health services like reentry-related tattoo removal, housing aid “for those at risk of becoming homeless,” community violence intervention, aftercare for violence victims, and “intensive care management for higher-risk populations,” e.g. substance abuse and home health care, he explained.

SANTA DELIVERED HOLIDAY CHEER EARLY FOR A LUCKY SKY RIVER GUEST WHO WON A FACE-UP PAI GOW PROGRESSIVE JACKPOT WORTH $534,121 Rewards member playing Face-Up Pai Gow Poker on December 2, 2023. The lucky guest hit a 7-Card Straight Natural for $490,643 plus the additional Fortune Bonus payout of $43,478 for a total win of $534,121. This latest major jackpot comes after another guest won more than $1 million at Sky River Casino on July 4 playing the same type of popular card game. In total, more than $4.2 million in Pai Gow Progressive jackpots have been paid out at Sky River thus far in 2023.

“It’s always a lucky time to play the variety of table games at Sky River and we just love celebrating big, life-changing wins with our guests,” said Sky River Casino’s President Michael J. Facenda. “The festivities don’t stop there. Sky River has holiday celebrations, amazing dining options, and several New Year’s Eve events – there’s something for evSky River Casino is thrilled to announce the eryone looking to celebrate this holiday season holidays are much brighter for one Sky River at Sky River Casino.”

In addition to plenty of elevated food and fun offerings, Sky River Casino is proud to announce the 2nd Annual Wreaths of Hope, an annual holiday program that will result in $15,000 being donated to support local charities. Casino guests can vote (in-person) for their favorite wreaths through the month of December by swiping their Sky River Rewards card at any promotional kiosk. Each of the 10 participating organizations will receive $1,000 just for participating. Then, the firstplace wreath winner will receive an additional $2,500, second place an additional $1,500, and third place an additional $1,000. A special Awards Ceremony and check presentation will take place on January 11, 2024.

For more information about Sky River Casino, including slots and table games, the rewards program, drinks and dining, entertainment options, upcoming promotions, and more, please visit www.SkyRiver.com.

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Please gamble responsibly. Problem Gambling Helpline 1.800.GAMBLER. About Sky River Casino Sky River Casino was built by the Wilton Rancheria in partnership with Boyd Gaming Corporation, which is building and managing the property for the tribe. The casino opened in August 2022 and includes 100,000 sq ft of gaming, 2,100 slot machines, 80 table games, and 17 bars and restaurants. To learn more, visit www.SkyRiver.com.

19 December 14-20, 2023

 COMMUNITY NEWS

C

Real Estate forecast for 2024

alifornia homes continued to sell at eye-popping prices last month.

The median home sale price rose 4.5% year-over-year from $752,300 to $786,300 in September. The number of homes sold decreased by 5,357 homes to 21,603. Interest rates hit an all-time high at 8.5%, but is California still a seller’s market? Let’s look at the facts. Los Angeles homes sold for a median sale price of $988,000 in September, up 2.11% year-over-year. Homes in San Diego sold for a median sale price of $894,250, a 6.4% increase year-over-year. In fact, there were no markets in California where prices declined year-over-year.

Interest rates are at record highs, with few home buyers.

But the inventory is so low that 46.7% of homes sold were above the list price! There are still more buyers than sellers, in my opinion the balance is still far off as of today and I don’t see a evening of buyers and sellers next year?

If you are a home buyer: You can avoid bidding wars and avail seller concessions if you buy a home now. The 6.5- 7.00% interest rate today and mortgage payments are significant, but if you get the property you like for the price you can afford today, interest rates you can always refinance when it drops.

If you are a home seller: You can lock in California’s high home prices. Homes listed on MLS sell faster and for 17.5% more than off-MLS homes. That could be thousands of dollars in additional proceeds if Average Home Prices: The average median home price in California is $786,300, up by 4.5% YoY. In 2024, experts predict the median sale price will increase due to the tight inventory. Currently, the sale-to-list price ratio is at 100.7%,

with a decline of 1.4 pt YoY compared to September 2022.

Home Sales: As per September 2023 data, home sales decreased by 19.9% YoY! In September 2023, 21,603 homes were sold, down from 26,960 in September 2022.

Average Rent Prices: Rental costs vary statewide. An average tenant in Los Angeles pays $2,742, while the one living in San Diego pays $3,016.

Median Days on Market: The median days on the market for homes for sale was 28 days, down by 8 days YoY. Pending Sales: The number of homes for sale grew by 28.8% YoY compared to 2022. Currently, there are 79,018 homes for sale in California.

Months of Supply: The average month of supply is 2 months. California’s inventory isn’t as squeezed as the national housing market.

California Housing Market Predictions 2024 Californians have survived the shockwaves of skyrocketing mortgage rates and rising home prices of 2023. Here’s what we predict for California’s housing market: Home Sellers Will Return to the Market in 2024: Sellers who chose the sidelines in 2023 will come back. Especially those who can’t avoid new jobs or want to move to a cheap place. Whitney, the analyst who predicted the 2008 financial crisis accurately, has forecasted that baby boomers looking to downsize will also add up to 30 million housing units.

Mortgage Interest Rates Will Stabilize by the 2nd Half of 2024: Mortgage rates hit 7.79% in October 2023, the highest level in 23 years. However, the rate dropped to 7.35% in November due to the softening labor market and slowing economy. Even the annual inflation rate went from 3.7% to 3.2%. We think the rates will remain above 6%, but they will stabilize in the second half.

The Number of Home Buyers Will Rise: The historically high interest rates averted buyers in 2023. But mortgage demand rose after the interest rates lowered to 7.35% in November. The easing inflation and stabilizing rates will bring back house hunters.

Home Prices Will Continue to Rise: Home prices rose steadily in the top metros across CA YoY, reaching $786K in September 2023. Experts predict home prices will continue to rise until the low supply-high demand dynamic changes.

New Home Constructions Sales Will Increase: 12.3% of homes purchased in September were new homes, the highest since 2022. Home builders offered $30,000 worth of concessions to attract buyers in 2023. We think builders and sellers will compete for buyers in 2024.

Bonus Prediction: Buyer Broker Commissions Will Be Negotiable! In a shocking turn of events, the jury in Missouri awarded more than $5 billion in damages to the SitzerBurnett plaintiffs. This motivated nationwide home sellers to file grievances against NAR’s Cooperative Compensation Rule. NAR’s Cooperative Compensation Rule or Participation Rule states that listing brokers must offer competitive compensation to buyer agents if they want to list properties on an NAR-affiliated MLS. The increase in new home listings in California has also brought back home shoppers who were hugging the sidelines. In fact, the recent uptick in mortgage applications shows that buyers are returning. House hunters who could not find affordable homes in 2023 will also start shopping in 2024. The demand for California houses will increase – and that’s why sellers may be able to dominate the market. However, new buildings will compete for attention from buyers.

Home builders have persuaded buyers to buy new construction homes with mortgage buydowns worth $30K in 2023!

Builders will continue offering concessions in 2024, and home sellers may have to wage wars against them. Listings of new constructions, baby boomers looking to downsize, and desperate home sellers will flood the market in 2024.

The properties for sale in California will increase.

Happy Holidays to all, thanks for your support. Please call Ken Go of 1st Innovative Finance Group 562-508-7048 or write to kennethgo@verizon.net CABRE 01021223 NMLS 238636

High Desert Corridor Intercity High-Speed Rail Corridor Project awarded $500K grant from FRA LOS ANGELES - , The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) announced a $500,000 grant award from the Corridor Identification and Development Program to the High Desert Corridor Joint Powers Agency (HDC JPA).

The grant award allocation will support the High Desert Corridor Intercity High-Speed Rail Corridor Project (Project) between Palmdale and the Victor Valley for scope development, schedule, and cost estimates for preparing, completing, or documenting its service development plan.

The 54-mile High Speed Rail Project between the two high desert communities will provide access to housing, jobs, entertainment, and cultural opportunities across Southern California while reducing freeway congestion to areas that have been historically underserved. Eventually, the corridor will connect Southern California to Northern California via the California High Speed Rail Project while connecting to the Brightline West project to Las Vegas. The HDC could provide a one seat ride between Los Angeles County and Las Vegas Nevada.

“Today’s announcement of the inclusion of the HDC Project in the New Intercity Corridor ID Program is a key component of making good on promises made to our L.A. County constituents,” said Supervisor Kathryn Barger, Chair of the HDC JPA Board of Directors and Los Angeles County Fifth District Supervisor. “Moving aggressively to deliver this project is one of my priorities. I am pleased to see this vote of confidence from the Federal Railroad Administration. We also sincerely appreciate President Biden, Transportation Secretary Buttigieg, and FRA Administrator Bose for their partnership.

Their support is essential so that we can deliver vital investments in the communities of Los Angeles and San Bernardino Counties.”

By providing a mobility connection between the planned California High Speed Rail systems and the Brightline West corridor, the

HDC Project will enable convenient, safe, and reliable High-Speed Rail service from Las Vegas Nevada to Los Angeles County and points beyond. It will serve a growing intercity travel market consisting of over 70 million annual trips by 2035. The Project is anticipated to attract most of its ridership from auto and air travel, and thereby reduce GHG emissions by nearly 46,000 metric tons annually.

“The High Desert Corridor project is one of the most advanced high-speed rail projects in America,” said Ezra Silk, Political Director of the U.S. High Speed Rail Coalition. “Recent federal and state grant awards illustrate the vital partnership needed to achieve high speed rail train service in the United States. The High Desert Corridor High Speed Rail Project is a critical link for the emerging West Coast Corridor connecting Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and San Francisco with the Brightline West and the California HighSpeed Rail projects.”

“We are thrilled by the Federal Railroad Administration federal grant award investing in the Victor Valley,” said Elizabeth Becerra, Vice Chair of the HDC JPA Board of Directors (and Vice Mayor, City of Victorville). “The High Desert Corridor High Speed Rail Project furthers the goals contained in the CA State Rail Plan to integrate other transit services and operators such as California High Speed Rail, Brightline West, Metrolink and Amtrak, which opens access to new markets, and increases access to jobs and housing for the Victor Valley in San Bernardino County.”

“Los Angeles County Metro is extremely pleased that the federal government joined Metro in recognizing the need to invest in intercity high speed rail for the historically underserved communities in the high desert of Los Angeles and San Bernardino Counties,” said Ara Najarian, Member, HDC JPA Board of Directors and Metro Board of Directors.

December 14-20, 2023

As I See It

(From Page 11)

longest and most expensive long arms available.

He may even have a golden gun for all I know.

His followers say that there’s nothing wrong with being a gun enthusiast. And they may be right. I have a couple of good friends who own several guns, which they lovingly caress when the mood hits them. And they would probably give me the finger if they read this.

But in all seriousness, I do know rich dudes who have something like a dozen guns, some of which are part engineering marvel and part work of art.

And for the record, I did have a paltik when I was a crazy kid, but only have a nice air gun now which looks and feels like the real deal.

It was gift, ok? From my grandkid, believe it or not.

As for Digong and his 300 guns, I can only surmise that he may be thinking of setting up a security agency, mayhap? Or maybe he plans to have a firearms museum, with each of his three adult kids in politics in charge of taking care of a hundred guns and rifles each.

I don’t really know, but I must surmise that it is also possible that the ex-president is preparing for Armageddon, as he is very likely not waiting for a Chinese invasion and has armed himself and his followers to defend the Republic of the Philippines.

Or will he side with the People’s Republic of China and wage war with the US? Whajatink, folks?

I, for one, see no rational reason why this former chief executive should purchase so many firearms, unless he knows something and he’s not telling us.

Health & Wealth...

(From Page 11)

end and former Philippine Senator Manny Pacquiao inside his mansion in General Santos City, Sarangani, Philppines. The best-selling book is now available at Amazon in Hardcover ($25.95 per copy plus shipping & handling), Paperback ($19.95 per copy plus shipping & handling) and E-book ($9.95 per copy) In the spirit of Christmas, I would like to offer to our readers and the general public autographed copy of the same updated “REAL ESTATE & YOU” I gave to Larry and Alicia, at a discounted price of only $10 (includes shipping & handling) per paperback copy. For your autographed copy, just send $10 (in check or money order )to: ART G MADLAING, 701-8th Avenue, , San Francisco, CA 94118.

You can also order extra copies as lasting gifts to your FRANCS (Friends, Relatives, Acquaintances, Neighbors, Co-Workers).

For immediate help and assistance in the signing, notarization and apostille follow up of Affidavits, Special Power of Attorney, DEED OF ABSOLUTE SALE, Proof of Life, DEED OF DONATION, Deed of Extrajudicial Settlement of Estate and other documents needed in the Philippines and the other member nations of the Hague Apostille Convention, just write or contact: MOBILE SIGNING SERVICES, 730 Madrid Street, San Francisco, CA 94112. Tel (650) 438-3531 or (415) 584-7095 or email:artmadlaing@hotmail. com (ART GABOT MADLAING is accredited and commissioned Notary Public and licensed Real Estate Broker (DRE#00635976) in California since c1981.

Art 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.)

20

2 Assemblymembers back Jessica Caloza LOS ANGELES – Continuing to garner support from State Assembly leaders in her campaign for Assembly District 52, lifelong public servant Jessica Caloza earned the influential endorsements of State Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan and State Assemblymember Tasha Boerner.

Assemblymember Bauer-Kahan, who represents AD-16, Chairs the Assembly Privacy and Consumer Protection Committee and the Select Committee on Reproductive Health, while Assemblymember Boerner, who represents AD-77, Chairs the Assembly Communications & Conveyance Committee.

Each Assemblymember released a statement with their endorsement of Caloza’s campaign: State Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan said: “As a longtime public servant and women’s rights advocate, Jessica Caloza has the wide-ranging experience and forward-thinking vision necessary to deliver for her constituents on day one.

That’s why I’m excited to help her get elected to District 52, because we need more proven leaders in the State Assembly to fight for California with real solutions to homelessness, reproductive rights, safer communities, economic inequality, and more. I look forward to helping Jessica get elected.”

“California needs more leaders in Sacramento who are committed to creating bold, transformative change for women and all working families. That’s why I’m excited to endorse Jessica Caloza for State Assembly, because she is that leader for the 52nd District. Throughout her career, Jessica has championed forward-thinking solutions to the biggest challenges our state faces and I’m confident she will do the same in the State Assembly,” saidState Assemblymember Tasha Boerner This comes on the heels of Caloza announcing the highpowered endorsement of International Longshore and Ware-

house Union (ILWU) Local 13, which represents longshore workers and their families in Southern California.

Caloza, a first generation immigrant and a proud product of the public school system, has amassed a far-reaching coalition of support since entering the AD-52 contest, earning soughtafter support from working families organizations and some of California’s most widely respected leaders, including the following: WORKING FAMILIES ORGANIZATIONS Service Employees International Union (SEIU) California State Council California Federation of Teachers (CFT) California School Employees Association (CSEA) Glendale College Guild/American Federation of Teachers (AFT) Local 2276 Teamsters Joint Council 42 American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Local 3634 - Metro Supervisors International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) Local 13 Ironworkers Local 433 International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) Local 33 United Association (UA) Local 250 Refrigeration, Steamfitters, Welders, and Pipefitters STATEWIDE & COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS California Democratic Legislative Women’s Caucus California Asian & Pacific Islander (API) Legislative Caucus California Environmental Voters (EnviroVoters)

Upside...

(From Page 10)

The film does conclude with hope as it culminates with “reconciliation and understanding generational trauma, putting an end to the toxic family patterns and curses,” says Gio, as only one who has walked in her shoes would recognize, thereby “colonizing,” her reference to coming to terms with her “own world view.”

Espiritu, of course, dipped her feet in entertainment first as an actor, ultimately becoming a regular on the long-running “ER,” guesting on network chartbusters “Young Sheldon” and “Bones” and headlining on Amazon’s “Dyke Central,” among her television body of work.

Like most of her peers, she is relieved the screen actors and writers’ strike is over, but with a caveat.

“I’m still wary about the consent and usage of AI actors (especially thinking about companies generating people of color actors instead of hiring actual diverse artists) but glad that actors and writers can get back to work,” she shared with Inquirer. net. “Most of the industry is made up of working class, gig workers like me and not the 1% of star names that are usually associated with the glitz and the glamour of Hol-

Espiritu shares insights at Silicon Valley AP Filmfest.

activism as a survivor speaker at family and intimate partner violence prevention events and advocating for LGBTQIA rights.

For which she has reaped awards from the California Senate and Assembly as well as Filipina Women’s Network and ALLICE Alliance for Community Empowerment.

The self-identified “bisexual, once-undocumented immigrant Poster touts FilAm filmmakers Actor/filmmaker Gio EsFilipina mom,” she un- latest awards. piritu (right) and fellow acabashedly touts “Break tor-social jus�ce advocate Hearts Wide Open and Create More Moments of Joy” Be�na Santos Yap cross as her “IRL and reel life mantra.” A true creative, she paths at events close to raises consciousness as surely as she raises eyebrows. her hearts. Photo by VolRewards naturally follow in her wake. – Reprinted with taire Yap. permission from INQUIRER.NET https://usa.inquirer. net/140044/fil-am-filmmaker-gio-espiritu-continueslywood life.”

Through the years, she has opened minds and hearts to-harvest-awards Cherie M. Querol Moreno is Executive Editor of with her filmmaking as she does with her social justice Philippine News Today.

21 December 14-20, 2023

Medicare Open Enrollment Period is ongoing. We chose several questions about this subject and want to share the information in this month’s column. We added one question to address the areas where many people are confused about the COVID-19 vaccine more clearly. If you have additional questions on Medicare, Medicaid, Affordable Care Act Health Insurance Marketplace, Social Security Retirement Benefit, Supplemental Security Income, or COVID/Flu vaccination, there are 3 ways you can reach us today: Call: (English) 1-800-336-2722, (Chinese Mandarin) 1-800-683-742, (Chinese Cantonese) 1-800-582-4218, (Korean) 1-800-582-4259, (Vietnamese) 1-800-582-4336 Email: askNAPCA@napca.org Mail: NAPCA Senior Assistance Center, 1511 3rd Avenue, Suite 914, Seattle, WA 98101 <Q1> Why do I need to check my Medicare plan every year during the Open Enrollment Period and how do I check my plan?

If you don’t take any action, your existing plan will be renewed for 2024.

 COMMUNITY NEWS | HEALTH But that could come with cost and benefit changes. Your plans’ coverage may change, and your health care needs may have changed, too. This is why it’s important to check-up on your current plan during the period even if you’re happy with your current plan. Your plan will send you a “Plan Annual Notice of Change” (ANOC) each fall. If you don’t get this important document, contact your plan. The ANOC includes any changes in coverage, costs, and more that will be effective in January. Review any coverage changes including drug formulary. Think about any changes to your healthcare and/ or prescription drug needs, and healthcare expenses to decide whether the plan will continue to meet your needs in the next year. Just remember to do so before Medicare Open Enrollment ends on December 7.

of the following year. Original Medicare does not provide any additional benefits such as drug coverage, dental, or vision you may have with your Medicare Advantage plan. If you make this switch and you want drug coverage, be sure to sign up for a Medicare stand-alone prescription drug plan (PDP). If you do not, and you decide to sign up for Part D coverage later, you may need to wait for another year until the next Open Enrollment Period and face a penalty for late enrollment.

You may also want to consider purchasing a Medicare supplemental insurance policy, known as Medigap, that helps to pay your cost-sharing requirements under Original Medicare. You also can switch from Medicare Advantage to Original Medicare during the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period (January 1 to March 31).

<Q2> I signed up for a Medicare Advantage plan during my Initial Enrollment Period (IEP) this year, but I would like to change it to Original Medicare because I plan to travel to different states throughout the next year. How can I switch from Medicare Advantage to Original Medicare?

You should contact your current plan to cancel your enrollment and call MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) during the Medicare Open Enrollment period.

The change will take effect on January 1

<Q3> If I make a mistake when I change my coverage during the Medicare Open Enrollment Period, what can I do to fix it?

If the Medicare OEP is ongoing: you can simply pick a different plan instead (by the December 7 deadline) and the new choice will take effect on January 1.

If the Medicare OEP has ended: you can use the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period (MAOEP, Jan 1~Mar 31) to pick a different Advantage plan or switch to Original Medicare and a Part D

plan. If you’ve enrolled in a stand-alone Part D plan that doesn’t fit your needs, your options are more limited. Changes to these plans can generally only be made during the fall Medicare OEP. <Q4> I have already received COVID-19 vaccines and the last vaccination was in January 2023. Do I still need to get another COVID-19 vaccine?

Like Flu virus, the virus that causes COVID-19 has changed over time. A new vaccine has been developed and was approved by the FDA on September 11, 2023. The new vaccine provides better protection against the currently prevalent COVID-19 variant and is available for administration starting from late September 2023. If your last vaccine was before September 2023, please get this new vaccine. You can get a COVID-19 vaccine and other vaccines, including a Flu vaccine, at the same visit. Possible side effects after getting vaccinated are generally the same when given alone or with other vaccines.

National Asian Pacific Center on Aging (NAPCA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the quality of life of AANHPI older adults and their families. We operate a NAPCA Senior Assistance Center for Older Adults and Caregivers and is available in 5 different languages.

Heart of Hope

Unhealthy drinks Water is vital to life.

Without water, there won’t be life as we know it on earth. Our body is 50-75 percent water, averaging around 57 to 65 percent.

Infants are 75-78 percent water, dropping to 65 perPHILIP S. CHUA cent by age one year. And the value of water is even more evident during this COVID-19 pandemic.

Drinking distilled water, even during this pandemic, as the main source of liquid daily is not as healthy as one might think. The widespread misconception that distilled water, being the “purest,” is the best water for drinking, is scientifically and medically flawed. Drinking distilled water regularly every day is a health risk to everyone, especially to children. The process of distillation produces vapor/moisture (the purest water one can get) that is collected in separate chambers, eliminating important essential minerals, besides chlorine and other harmful chemicals.

Distilled water may be used temporarily or occasionally as drinking water if filtered water purified through 8-stage reversed osmosis is not available. While distilled water is free of bacteria, parasites, and toxic chemicals, the process of distillation also removes all valuable minerals like fluoride, calcium, and magnesium, etc., which are vital to our health.

Information from APEC, one of the top-rated Reverse Osmosis and Whole House Systems in the United States, worth noting: “According to research articles and news, most tap and well water in the U.S. now are NOT safe for drinking due to heavy industrial and environmental pollution.

We have reached to a point that, all sources of our drinking water, including municipal water systems, wells, lakes, rivers, and even glaciers, contain some level of contamination. Even the chemicals commonly used to treat municipal water supplies such as chlorine and fluoride are toxic and are known to have significant adverse

effects on the human body.”

“Environmental water contamination is the leading worldwide cause of death and disease, and it adversely affects over 1 billion people every day in developing countries. Even here in the United States we often struggle with water pollution caused by natural disasters and human activities. A recent national report on our water quality revealed that 45% of assessed stream miles, 47% of assessed lake acres, and 32% of assessed bays square miles were classified as polluted. Ground and well water sources may also become contaminated due to the problems associated with industrial dumping, hydraulic fracking, and agricultural byproducts. Everyone who uses tap or well water will be exposed to some level of these contaminants every day.”

Distilled vs filtered water Distilled water, as we have alluded to above, is the purest water one can get. But for drinking, we do not need the purest because our body needs the minerals naturally present in water from mother nature. What we need, which modern-day 8-stage reverse osmosis filtration does to water, is the removal of the chlorine and other contaminants, such as harmful heavy metals, parasites, and bacteria, and odor, to make drinking water safe and palatable. Drinking distilled water regularly leads to 15 percent deficiency in calcium (osteoporosis), 30 percent deficiency in magnesium (heart rhythm, abnormality), and almost 100 percent in fluoride, which results in tooth decay. Distilled water is not the best for the human body. Bottled water, which has gone through 8-stage reverse osmosis filtration manufactured by reputable companies, is the safest water to drink today, in the Philippines or in the United States, or in other countries, where tap water is no longer safe because of environmental pollution and contamination.

Alkaline water: waste of money The hype about alkaline water as a healthier choice is nothing but a profit-motivated scam victimizing misinformed, unsuspecting, gullible consumers. Even the Mayo Clinic has warned the public about the health risks of alkalosis for those drinking alkaline water daily,

which could lead to hypocalcemia and hypothyroidism.

There is currently no scientific evidence that alkaline water is beneficial to health. All advertised claims are unfounded, baseless, and theoretical, at best. Caveat emptor, as always!

Our God-gifted body has an excellent electrolyte and acid-base regulator system that continuously monitors our levels of electrolytes to strictly maintain our blood pH between 7.38 and 7.42.

The only indication for drinking alkaline water is when a person has cancer or other illnesses which make their blood pH level too acidic because the acid-base buffer system is not functioning properly.

Some of the life-threatening complications of regular consumption of alkaline water is metabolic alkalosis, which could lead to gastrointestinal problems (nausea, vomiting, hand tremors, muscle twitching, and skin irritation. A bit acidic stomach works best in killing bad bacteria, and alkaline water would deprive the stomach of its normal physiology and protection…and your wallet with less money.

Even more unhealthy than distilled water and alkaline water are soft drinks of any variety on the market, “toxic liquid candy” as I call them, because, as a beverage, it increases the risk for the development of metabolic syndrome in adults, and more severely among children. Today, nothing beats clean, 8-stage filtered, water!

Healthier and cheaper.

Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, a Cardiac Surgeon Emeritus based in Northwest Indiana and Las Vegas, Nevada, is an international medical lecturer/author, Health Advocate, newspaper columnist, and Chairman of the Filipino United Network-USA, a 501(c)3 humanitarian foundation in the United States. He was a decorated recipient of the Indiana Sagamore of the Wabash Award in 1995, conferred by then Indiana Governor, later Senator, and then presidential candidate, Evan Bayh. Other Sagamore past awardees include President Harry Truman, President George HW Bush, Muhammad Ali, Astronaut Gus Grissom (Wikipedia). Websites: FUN8888.com, Today.SPSAtoday.com, and philipSchua.com Email: scalpelpen@gmail.com

23 December 14-20, 2023

 FOOD & TRAVELS

Recipe of the Week Binagoongan Manok, Chicken in Salted Shrimp Paste Ingredients: 1/2 cup bagoong alamang (pre-sautéed salted shrimp paste) 1 kilo chicken cut into serving pieces, bone in 1 large size onion, coarsely chopped 2 large size tomato, coarsely chopped 1/2 head garlic, crushed, chopped 2-3 pcs. bay leaf 1 tsp. crushed pepper corns 1/4 cup vinegar 1 tbsp. sugar cooking oil

Cooking procedure: 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 2 to 3 minutes. Add in 1 to 2 cups of water, vinegar, bay leaf, sugar and crushed peppercorns, bring to a boil and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes or until tender and most of the liquid has evaporated,stirring occasionally. Serve hot with a lot of rice.

SAMAR’S LONGEST. A por�on of Ulot River in Barangay Tenani, Paranas, Samar, located within the Samar Island Natural Park.

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 Organization) 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.