47 minute read
Page 8 Page
EDITORIAL
A massive, unforgiveable failure
For hundreds of thousands of our countrymen, especially those from the Visayas and Mindanao – specifi cally the provinces of Cebu, Bohol, Negros Occidental, Cagayan de Oro, Guimaras, Southern Leyte, Bukidnon and Siargao – this will be the saddest Christmas in their lives.
The reason is super typhoon Odette (international name Rai), which cut a path of destruction last week the likes that had not been seen in years, even decades.
The fi nal death toll is not yet known, but scores are confi rmed to have lost their lives. Damage to property will be in the hundreds of millions of pesos, perhaps billions.
While there is no way to stop acts of nature from taking place, it was the weak response of the Duterte administration that made an already terrible situation much, much worse.
The government was completely unprepared for the Asian version of a Category 4 storm. It was already known the day before Odette entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility that strong rains and powerful winds were to be expected.
Some will say that one day is not enough to prepare for a major calamity. We disagree. Twenty fours is more than enough to warn residents to move to safer ground and lead them to evacuation centers.
The Duterte government failed. Again. It was not the fi rst time that the regime of Rodrigo Duterte had been bogged down, either by the president’s personal laziness or the bureaucratic red tape that has worsened since he came to power more than fi ve years ago.
Worst of all, Duterte announced that his government had no money with which to assist the victims of Odette. This, despite the law stating the funds must always be set aside for natural calamities.
He gave the no-more-money excuse because all available funds had been used to address the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Duterte conveniently ignored the fact that his administration had borrowed trillions of pesos from foreign sources, allegedly as a response to the pandemic.
There has been no accounting of the loans and we suspect that a good portion was lost to graft and corruption – Pharmally scam, anyone? – or to the sheer incompetence of the administration.
It gets worse.
While the likes of Vice President Leni Robredo and Senator Manny Pacquiao – presidential bets both – were already instructing their camps to extend whatever possible assistance could be delivered to the victims, Duterte dared blast the former for stealing his thunder.
While Robredo and Pacquiao were willing to work together to help, the president aimed his unkind words at the vice president, a strong candidate to succeed him and replace his useless regime next year.
Thick-skinned Ferdinand Marcos Jr not only asked for donations from the public but what little assistance he has extended had to have his name and image in the packages. We ask: With his stolen billions, why in God’s name would anyone donate funds through him?
We tire of bringing up the numerous shortcomings of Duterte and his regime of corrupt, incompetent or generally useless politicians with little regard for public service.
We instead ask that the FilAm community to again get together as they have done numerous times in the past to extend help to the victims of the worst storm to hit the motherland in recent years.
Images of the victims available online are not only heartbreaking, they will haunt us for years to come.
Our motherland needs us. Let us give until it hurts. Then let us give some more.
State health...
(From page 1)
The US Food and Drug Administration in October authorized the Pfi zer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for children 5 through 11 years old, stating the ”immune responses of the 3,000 in trials” of the age sector were “comparable to those of individuals 16- 25 years of age.” No serious side eff ects “were detected” and the vaccine was “found to be 90.7%” eff ective, said the Upside FDA announcement. Ghaly gave his assurance as “a pediatrician and fa- CHERIE M. QUEROL MORENO ther of 4 with 3 kids under 12 years and no one without at least the fi rst dose” that “the vaccines are the way through the pandemic.”
Children ages 5-11 constitute 9 percent of the state population, he cited statistics concurring with moderator Regina Brown Wilson of California Black Media. Brown said that the age sector covers children who are 438,000 Asian and Pacifi c Islander, 171,000 Black or African American, and 1.1 million Latino.
The vaccine for the younger sector follows a “diff erent formulation,” Ghaly stressed. “Children will get a lower dose from vaccines for adults. The Pfi zer vaccine for adults is .3% while the pediatric dose is .1% or one-third of the adult dose.”
Ghaly corrected the assumption that children under 5-11 are not carriers or do not suff er from severe symptoms of coronavirus. As more older adults became vaccinated, the group more susceptible to infection were young people, in some cases under-18 representing 25% of the population, sometimes more, he added.
“Thirty young Californians have died from COVID, he said, declaring, “any additional death of a young person is unacceptable if it’s preventable.”
The state health chief counted “hundreds of thousands of covid cases among young people. “
He asserted: “60,000 young people ages 5-11 have been hospitalized in the US for COVID 19. We have lost more kids to covid than other vaccine-preventable diseases in our nation. Now is the chance to get the same protection that so many older Californians have had for so many months that have protected them and kept our community safe.”
The roll out began in November with 500 providers eventually to expand to 4,000 including Kaiser Permanente, Dignity Health and federally qualifi ed health centers and pharmacies, said Ghaly.
Long-term complications of COVID for younger people “are real,” he warned. Those complications aff ect the cardiovascular, endocrine or neurologic system and sometimes psychiatric besides respiratory.
Ghaly fi elded questions ranging from the number and representation of children sampled in the clinical trials to myths fueling vaccination hesitancy.
Young people from all regions, races, ethnicities, with or without pre-existing conditions were among the participants in the trials that took months and months of availability of the data, he said. The trials were “robust.”
On the concern about the vaccine causing fertility problems down the road, “to date” no connections have been seen in adults, male/female or youth, he attributed information from trade associations such as the American college of gynecologists and obstetricians underscoring the safety of the vaccine. (Continued on page 27)
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Rule of law vs. law of the jungle Abe barber shop supports books ministry
Remembering a distant Christmas
RECENT DEVELOPMENT seems to suggest that the U.S. is veering towards a rightward trajectory. The problem with this is that the law of the jungle is supplanting the rule of law. Yes, proponents of the law of the jungle are bamboozling those who adhere to the rule of law. It is survival of PerryScope the strongest. And as some- PERRY DIAZ one once said, it’s “a situation in which people are prepared to harm other people in order to succeed.” Yes, the strong will lord over the weak.
And the sad part is that those who are doing it today are members of the Grand Old Party of Abraham Lincoln. He must be rolling in his grave right now. And the irony of it is that former president Donald Trump is now the undisputed czar of the Grand Old Party. He imposes his rule over Republicans who hold him as their almighty lord, to do as he pleases and suff er the consequences if they defy him.
During the 2020 elections, Trump tried to overturn the elections in six swing states: Arizona, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Georgia, Nevada, and Wisconsin. Had he succeeded in selling the Big Lie that the election was stolen from him, he would have accomplished a coup d’état and prevented the Senate from counting the electoral votes. This would hand power to Trump for another four years.
But then vice president Mike Pence, who presided over the electoral vote count -- whom Trump pressured to declare him the winner -- had the temerity to turn his back on Trump and declare Joe Biden the winner. For that Trump will never forgive Pence. Had Pence declared Trump the winner, it would have been the end of democracy in the country and would usher in an era where the law of the jungle reigns supreme. It’s going to be to each his own -- dog eat dog.
While the American people had to be thankful to Pence for doing the right thing, the shameful exit of Trump – after he toyed with the idea of launching a coup just before noon on January 20 – was a fait accompli when the disgraced expresident walked up the steps of Air Force One on his fl ight to exile in Mar-A-Lago. A handful of supporters bade him goodbye as he turned around to acknowledge the few who bravely showed their loyalty to the one-term president.
And as the Air Force One fl ew south to sunny Florida, one wonders what Trump was thinking at that very moment. Would it be the end of his political career? Or was he thinking what to write in his memoirs? Or was he contemplating how he’s going to make a comeback in 2024? Hmm… a comeback would certainly be the coup of the century. He would come back to the nation’s capital and take his rightful place at the Oval Offi ce, which he believed was his fate to complete his abbreviated presidency. Why not?
But no sooner had Air Force One landed in Florida than he opened his offi ce in Palm Springs and put a sign saying “Offi ce of Former President Donald J. Trump.” He’s back in action and he’s going to raise hell! Four years will come and go in no time at all. He’ll remain active in Republican politics, coaxing members of Congress into supporting his comeback plan. He promised to endorse them in the upcoming primaries if they followed his wishes. And for those who didn’t, he’d destroy them by bad-mouthing them and encouraging others to run against them. For the most part he was successful in keeping them in line because they’re afraid of losing the support of his loyal base that subscribed to his mailing list, which is more than 40 million and growing. It’s a propaganda machine in the tradition of Joseph Goebbels, Hitler’s propaganda minister.
Trump’s mailing list
Upon signing up, his fi rst email will welcome you to the “Team” to promote that “we’re all in this together.” Then he’ll go on to say, “We are up against an unhinged left-wing mob, a Democratic party that has embraced radical socialism, and the FAKE NEWS media that will NEVER tell the truth about all of our accomplishments.” Now, that will suck you right into the Trumpian universe.
It’s no wonder then that Republican politicians are hooked into his propaganda machine, which would compel them never to criticize him lest they’d be banished from his world. He’d destroy and pulverize them into nothingness... oblivion. And many have been hurt by Trump’s attacks, which often goes personal. It’s not uncommon (Continue on page 27) As book author, columnist and Evangelist, I am delighted to know that the owner of Abe Barber Shop is supporting the Books Ministry and Christian Reading as envisioned and suggested by Christina Ridad Joseph, retired Real Estate Broker and community leader. ART GABOT MADLAING Health & Wealth
The 93-year-old retired Real Estate Broker, whom I fondly call “Manang Christina” received autographed copies of the latest books “HISTORICITY OF JESUS” subtitled “Fact and Evidences for Agnostics, Atheists, Believers and Christians,” “LIFESTYLE FOR LONGEVITY” subtitled “How to be Healthy Emotionally, Financially, Physically, Sexually and Spiritually,” “JESUS CHRIST” subtitled “His Last Days on Earth Before His Return to Heaven” and the latest issue of the“Christian World Ministry Quarterly Journal” and copies of PHILIPPINE NEWS TODAY with my weekly column.
In fact, during my visits in her home, the copies of “HISTORICITY OF JESUS” “LIFESTYLE FOR LONGEVITY,” LIFESTYLE FOR LONGEVITY” subtitled “How to be Healthy Emotionally, Financially, Physically, Sexually and Spiritually,” “JESUS CHRIST” subtitled “His Last Days on Earth Before Returning to Heaven” and the “Christian World Ministry” Quarterly Journal were all displayed in her living room for her children, grandchildren, relatives and friends who are visiting her as ready materials to read.
During one of my visits in her home, Manang Christina encouraged me to talk with the owner of the Abe Barber Shop (who happened to be renting the lower portion of her building in Mission Street, San Francisco, California) on the possibility of having a “Christian Reading Corner” where we could display some books and magazines for the customers at the Abe Barber Shop to read while waiting.
Last week, I was blessed to meet Rizalito “Abe”Quiambao, owner of Abe Barber Shop, and mentioned the idea and vision of Manang Christina. Abe was not only very receptive to the vision of Manang Christina but also off ered the Abe Barber Shop located at 5308 Mission Street, San Francisco, California and the Abe Barber Shop located at 7146 Mission Street, Daly City, California as “Christian Reading Corners” to support the BOOKS Ministry and related activities for year-round evangelism and outreach in the neighborhood and community.
Abe even off ered the back room of his branch of the Abe Barber Shop located at 7146 Mission Street Daly City, California where we could meet with prospects. We can do WE CARE gospel presentation with prospects to fi nd answer directly from the Bible the most important and urgent question: “What if Christ were to come right now, or if you’ll die tonight? Would you know for sure, without any doubt, that you would go to heaven?”
Abe is allowing us to have display corners where we can leave copies of the “HISTORICITY OF JESUS” subtitled “Facts and Evidences for Agnostics, Atheists, Believers and Christians;” “LIFESTYLE FOR LONGEVITY” subtitled “How to be Healthy Emotionally, Financially, Physically, Sexually and Spiritually,’ “JESUS CHRIST” subtitled “His Last Days on Earth Before Returning to Heaven,” “Christian World Ministry” Quarterly Journal; and latest issues of the PHILIPPINE NEWS TODAY with my weekly column. Customers of the two branches of Abe Barber Shop will have very good books and magazines to read while waiting.
Abe Barber Shop has excellent service and very aff ordable. I can personally attest to this because I have been a customer of Abe Barber Shop in San Francisco for more than 10 years.
The three books mentioned above are perfect gifts you can give to your FRANC (Friends, Relatives, Acquaintances, Neighbors, Co-Workers) that last forever. If you can’t visit us at the Abe Barber Shop in San Francisco or Daly City, California, you can order copies of the three books and magazine through Amazon.
Next year, the two authors John Jeff rey and yours truly, will have book launching and autographing of books (70% discount from the Amazon price) for the customers and guests of the two branches of Abe Barber Shop in San Francisco and Daly City through the support (Continue on page 27) For many overseas Filipinos who have been unable to visit the Philippines since the Covid-19 pandemic began early last year, the distinctive Filipino way of celebrating Christmas will just be memories of the past. Perhaps, even Filipinos back home would have to tone down their usual way of celebrating “ the birth of Jesus Christ this year because of the new dangers poised by the Covid-19 Omicron variant. For many Filipinos who have been living outside of the Philippines for years, the holiday season is both a time for rejoicing and a time for remembering Christmas in a distant land and a distant time . Even as the Filipino in America begins to feel the holiday mood immediately after Thanksgiving when people start shopping for gifts and Christmas decors, he feels at the same time a longing for home. For nothing beats Christmas in the Philippines!
After living on a distant shore for more than 30 years, I can truly say that nothing beats the way Filipinos celebrate Christmas. The genuine joy that the season brings to millions of Filipinos in the Philippines is the same reason why the hundreds of thousands of Filipinos living abroad yearn for home at this time of the year. For even just during those few days that Christmas is celebrated in the Philippines, many Filipinos feel they can share the blessings that the world brings. Because of the mandatory 13th month pay and the bonuses paid by nearly all companies, big and small alike, many people are able to aff ord what they can only dream about the rest of the year.
For many poor children, the Christmas season is only one of two instances when their parents can aff ord to buy them new sets of clothes and new pairs of shoes, the other being the school opening. Christmas is also the only time for many of these children to own a brand new toy, often as a gift from their parents or from their ninong or ninang.
The Christmas season is also their chance to earn some money to buy candies or toys. In my childhood growing up in Manila and later in Qiuezon City, as early as the fi rst days of December, young boys and girls prepared their instruments for their traditional carolling, making drums out of empty cans covered by plastic, tambourine out of bottle caps, and even just a pair of sticks to provide percussion. At dusk, they formed into groups of three or four, and made their rounds starting on the night of Dec. 16 until Christmas eve. At the end of each night, the carolers counted their earnings and divided them equally among themselves. I haven’t had the chance to spend Christmas in the Philippines since I left, so I’m not really sure if these carollers still make the rounds of the neighborhood at night. While the kids looked forward to the advent of dusk during those nine days to earn some money, the teenagers awaited with anticipation the coming of dawn during that same period. For these teenagers, it was a chance to be with their crushes, girlfriends or boyfriends as they walked to the church in the biting cold. As early as three in the morning, from Dec. 16 to Dec. 24, they woke up and wore their best sweaters or jackets, had fun with their barkadas on the way to church, only to sleep while the mass was going on.
After the mass, they bounced back to life to join their friends again, feasted on bibingkas and puto bungbong on their way home, and hanged around a bit before being called home by their parents. Towards midnight on Christmas Eve, parents and their children donned their Christmas clothes and trekked back to church for the Midnight Mass. The church becomes a venue for both solemn celebration of Christmas and a chance to mingle with friends again.
From the church, families retreated to their homes for the traditional noche buena, a minor preview of the grand celebration at lunchtime the next day. The noche buena often consisted of pan amerikano (bread loaf) or pan de sal, keso (queso de bola for those who can aff ord), hot dog, coff ee or hot chocolate, etc. Noche buenas were usually only for the family.
But the grand Christmas celebration, usually at midday of Christmas Day, was for the entire clan. It was an occasion for children and grandchildren (Continue on page 27)
VAL ABELGAS On Distant Shore
Cocky presidential bets always lose
Ihave a simple message to Marcos Jr diehards who act as if their idol has already won the presidency. It ain’t over till it’s over. In fact, as a Duterte diehard active on social media recently pointed out, all the candidates leading in early surveys in recent decades Offline have lost.
Go back to 2015, when BETING DOLOR initially it was then Vice President Jejomar Binay who walked, talked, and acted like he had the presidency in the bag. And why not? He had been campaigning for the post since the day he was elected VP.
He even had a shadow cabinet ready to man their assigned posts the day he assumed the presidency.
For a while, it looked as if Binay was really on the way to a six-year term in Malacanang. But several things happened that crushed his chances at succeeding PNoy.
First was a candidate named Grace Poe, whose main qualifi cation was that she was the daughter of the late King of Philippine Movies, Fernando Poe Jr.
FPJ actually won the presidency but was cheated out of a rightful win by the uber corrupt Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.
So when Grace Poe decided to run, it was on the belief that those who voted for FPJ would vote for her. Didn’t happen though.
The big reason for Binay’s loss was not Poe’s rise, but because Davao City mayor Rodrigo Duterte was drafted to run. During the campaign, he caught the eye of the electorate with his straight and tough talk, as well as impossible promises of ending the drug menace and bringing back law and order nationwide.
The rest is history, as they say, although I have no idea who “they” are.
Go back further to 2010 when billionaire Manny Villar, a former Speaker of the House, also acted like he was already president. His inner circle acted like they were little Villars and woe to anyone who so much as suggested he would lose.
But along came Benigno Aquino III AKA PNoy. Some analysts say he won the presidency on the strength of the sympathy vote gained from the passing of his mother, the beloved former President Cory Aquino. This may or may not be true, but he did win big over Villar and the rest of the fi eld.
Go back another six years and there was FPJ who surveys indicated would win in a tight race with GMA.
By then Macapagal Arroyo had become president by virtue of what is known as Edsa Dos, or the second People Power revolt.
She of course became notorious for a phone call to a Commission on Elections commissioner where she asked him to guarantee her winning margin of one million over the popular actor.
That “Hello, Garci” call was proof that massive cheating was taking place, and to this day there is widespread belief that the country lost an FPJ presidency because of one scheming woman who was desperate for power, never mind if the will of the electorate had to be ignored in order for her to have six more years as president.
Fast forward to 2021 and some questionable surveys say that Marcos Jr will be chief executive next year despite his total lack of qualifi cations and accomplishments. All he has is money, lots of money.
The billions of dollars that the Philippine government failed to recover from the Marcos family is now being used to fund his campaign, admittedly to some positive eff ect.
But do not for a moment believe that he is a sure winner. He’s not, except in his own mad coke-addled mind.
I have to cite two newspapers which came out with alleged surveys last month. One had a headline that said the battle was between Marcos Jr and Manila Mayor Isko Moreno.
This was as false as false news could get. See, the paper that came out with that ridiculous headline is owned and run by an active public relations practitioner long connected to GMA. Marcos Jr and Moreno are his clients.
I know because I worked there for three years.
The more credible survey came from one of the so-called Big Three broadsheets. The Manila Bulletin took its own survey and the results were not surprising. Leni Robredo won by a mile. (Continue on page 27)
California continues to lead the fi ght against COVID-19
Since the early days of the pandemic, California has led the On the Recordnation’s fi ght against COVID-19 through robust vaccination eff orts rooted in science and data. This has helped slow the spread of the virus and save countless lives, especially in our most vulnerable communities – someone’s parent and friend, and each of them a Californian.
We’ve been meeting people where they are, from partnering with local grocery stores, schools, and barbershops, to developing media content in more than 19 languages to reach California’s richly diverse communities. California’s public health measures are working, and much of our success can be attributed to our greatest tool to ending the pandemic: vaccines.
December 14 marks the one-year anniversary of the fi rst COVID-19 vaccine administered in California. We began by prioritizing vaccinations for our frontline health care workers and vulnerable older adults. Today, after a year of working in partnership with the federal government, local public health and community partners, millions of Californians aged 5 and older are now protected and helping to protect others from this deadly virus.
We’ve administered 62 million doses – more than any other state. Eighty six percent of all eligible Californians have received at least one dose of the vaccine, and more than 6 million adults have received a booster. I am so proud that Californians are quite literally rolling up their sleeves to help end the pandemic and keep each other safer.
The state has also made tremendous strides in closing vaccination equity gaps among our most vulnerable communities. Thanks to our dynamic partnerships with more than 130 faith-based and 700 community-based organizations, 77 percent of Californians living in our least healthy neighborhoods ages 12 and up have received at least one dose. Our work is far from over.
We must continue to practice basic safety tips to protect ourselves, our families, and our communities against COVID-19. This starts with getting fully vaccinated if you haven’t already, and getting your booster. Simply put, vaccination can help you avoid serious illness, hospitalization and death. It is also important that we wear a mask indoors – especially when we are uncertain of everyone’s vaccination status – keep gatherings short, small and outside if possible, get tested if you’re exposed to the virus, experiencing symptoms, or planning to travel, and stay home if you’re feeling sick.
It is especially important for those who are fully vaccinated to get their booster. This includes those 16 and up who received the Pfi zer vaccine at least six months prior, those 18 and up who received the Moderna vaccine at least six months before, and those 18 and over who got the Johnson & Johnson vaccine at least two months ago. It’s critical that we keep our immunity strong, not just for ourselves, but for our communities. Even with the emergence of the Omicron variant, Californians have many reasons to remain hopeful because our state continues to move forward in the right direction.
I want to end this column with a personal note to each and every Californian. Californians have met every challenge with vigor and courage, and together, we will continue to lead the nation in the fi ght against COVID-19. I wish you all a very happy holiday season with heartfelt wishes for a happy, safer, and brighter new year to come.
For the latest information on the Omicron variant go to CDPH.ca.gov and to fi nd a COVID-19 vaccine or booster dose, visit MyTurn.ca.gov. To fi nd a COVID-19 testing site, call (833) 422-4255 or visit your local county public health website.
GOVERNOR GAVIN NEWSOM
Affi davit of support benefi ciary charged with sexually abusing sponsor’s granddaughter – What now?
May an immigrant’s sponsor be relieved from complying with the sponsor’s obligation to support the immigrant under an affi davit of support where the benefi ciary is charged with sexually abusing the sponsor’s granddaughter?
Tatiana and her daughter Thomas sponsored Tatiana’s husband Valentin for admission to the U.S. by executing Form I-864 affi davits. The sponsors promised the U.S. that they would support Valentin at 125% of the poverty income level if the U.S. granted him a visa. Valentin was granted a visa.
Valentin and Tatiana lived together in the U.S. for several years. Valentin went to visit his mother in Russia. When Valentin returned to the United States, Tatiana would not allow him back into their home. She then obtained an order of protection from abuse against him and fi led for divorce. Neither Thomas nor Tatiana provided Valentin with any fi nancial support after this point. Later, Valentin was criminally charged for abusing Thomas’s minor daughter and possessing child pornography.
Valentin sued the sponsors for breaching their support affi davits. An affi davit of support is “legally enforceable against the sponsor by the sponsored alien,” U.S.C. § 1183a(a)(1)(B). The statute creates a federal cause of action so that “the sponsored alien, the Federal Government, [or] any State” may enforce a support affi davit against a sponsor. 8 U.S.C. § 1183a(a) (1)(B)–(C), (e); see also 8 C.F.R. § 213a.2(d). This federal cause of action gives the sponsored immigrant enforcement rights that he would not necessarily have under contract law.
The sponsors raised the affi rmative defenses of unclean hands, anticipatory breach, and equitable estoppel.
The district court rejected those defenses as a matter of law and awarded damages to Belevich. The sponsors appealed.
The Court of Appeals affi rmed, holding that these defenses are foreclosed by the statute and regulation governing Form I-864 and the text of the affi davit itself.
Federal law provides that any alien who “is likely at any time to become a public charge is inadmissible.” 8 U.S.C. § 1182(a)(4)(A). A family-based immigrant is presumptively likely to become a public charge. 8 C.F.R. § 213a.2(a)(1)(i) (A), (a)(2)(i). That presumption can be overcome if a sponsoring relative executes an “affi davit of support.” 8 U.S.C. § 1182(a)(4)(C)(ii), (a)(4)(D). In the Form I-864 affi davit, the sponsor promises the U.S. that such sponsor will support the immigrant “at an annual income that is not less than 125 percent of the Federal poverty line.” 8 U.S.C. § 1183a(a)(1)(A). See Form I-864P for the HHS Poverty Guidelines. https:// www.uscis.gov/i-864p
WHEN DOES AFFIDAVIT OF SUPPORT END?
The statute provides that the obligation under an affi davit of support ends when the alien is naturalized as a U.S. citizen, or has worked forty quarters. 8 U.S.C. § 1183a(a)(2) and § 1183a(a)(3)(A).
The regulation provides that the sponsor’s obligations terminate “when” the sponsored immigrant becomes a U.S. citizen, works forty qualifying quarters, ceases to hold permanent resident status and departs the United States, obtains a grant of adjustment of status as relief from removal, or dies. 8 C.F.R. § 213a.2(e)(2)(i), or if the sponsor dies. Id. § 213a.2(e)(2)(ii).
The Form I-864 affi davit repeats these same terminating events and expressly notes that divorce is not a terminating event. The regulation also provides that “[o]nce the intending immigrant has obtained an immigrant visa, a sponsor . . . cannot disavow his or her agreement to act as a sponsor” unless the immigrant withdraws the visa petition. Id. § 213a.2(f).
EFFECT OF BENEFICIARY’S BAD ACTS AGAINST SPONSOR
The sponsors allege that Valentin committed various bad acts that have undermined his relationship with his family. But the Court pointed out that the sponsors’ proposed equitable defenses are not comparable to any of the listed reasons for terminating the support obligation. The grounds for terminating support concern the benefi - (Continue on page 27)
What’s Up Attorney
EMMANUEL SAMONTE TIPON
What to expect in Naturalization interview with USCIS offi cer
When applying for naturalization, there are problems many applicants encountered during the interview process. This is because they look at how you fi rst 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 your 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 fi de 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 certifi cate, birth certifi cate, divorce or death certifi cate, 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 are 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 fi nd if you qualify for a waiver of fraud or misrepresentation. 6. Failure to fi le 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 denied if you fail to pay for child support. 8. If you stayed outside the U.S. for more than 180 days in a single year, you may be denied naturalization. 9. If you lack the required period of residency, you may also be denied.
So that you will not have a problem when applying for naturalization, you should consult with an immigration attorney to avoid possible problem along the way.
Note: This is not a legal advice
If you have immigration problems the Law Offi ces of Crispin C. Lozano can help you fi nd a solution before your problem gets worse which could lead to deportation and family separation.
Success Stories
For the month of November 2021, we received approvals from USCIS three naturalization applications, one Fiancée visa petition, two removals of condition on residence and four adjustment of status applications.
Bankruptcy Basics
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 fi ling 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.
Wake up and defend our country or it will be too late
We cannot relax when our life is in danger. China may annex the Philippines after the May 2022 election because of China’s ambition to control the West Philippine Sea and the important sea passage. When this happens, all of us including our children and grandchildren will become slaves of Communist China. We will have no more country. We need to unite in order to defeat the current administration and its allies running for President. Listen to Percy Lapid (or Lapid Fire) and Waldy Carbonell on You Tube and Facebook for details and more corruption in the government.
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 practices immigration law, bankruptcy and income tax preparation since June 1999. His contact phone is 1-877-456-9266, email: info@CCLlaw.net Website: www.crispinlozanolaw.com/
PHL sees economic growth; UK group warns vs slowdown
MANILA – Improvements in the country’s healthcare system, among others, are expected to further solidify the domestic economy’s recovery and boost its capacity to hit the revised target of between 5 percent to 5.5 percent. Department of Finance (DOF) Secretary Carlos Dominguez III said domestic output, which averaged at 4.9 percent in the fi rst three quarters this year, “has exceeded our expectations in 2021.” “So there’s a greater likelihood that our full year growth will hit the revised target of our GDP (gross domestic product) growth ranging from 5 to 5.5 percent this year,” he said.
This developed as the Pantheon Macroeconomics warned the Philippines’ economic growth could decelerate next year with risks brought about by the national elections.
Of the fi ve countries included in its Emerging Asia economic outlook for 2022, only the Philippines is expected to see a slower output expansion, according to the United Kingdom-based think tank.
From 5.5% this 2021, it pegs a 4.5% full-year growth for the country next year.
With the economy seen to grow at a milder pace next year, Chanco projects the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) will be kept at bay with its monetary policy support.
Pantheon Macroeconomics projects the BSP to keep rates steady at their record 2% low even until 2023, in line with its prior expectation that the central bank will keep its accommodative policy stance until the economic recovery becomes more stable.
Investors are likewise expected to stay on the sidelines as they await the victors of the 2022 polls, he added.
“Elections in the Philippines are rarely fought on economic policy,” stated Pantheon Macroeconomics senior Asia economist Michael Chanco. “But they still carry signifi cant event risk, particularly if Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the current frontrunner and the son of an ex-dictator, wins. His father was toppled by the last major revolution, in 1986.”
The economist likewise warns public expenditure “hits a brick wall” during elections — refl ective of a government spending ban in place prior to the polls. This shaves “40% off quarterly trend growth, on average, in the same quarter of the last three elections,” he said.
Chanco likewise fl agged that fi scal policy could “impose a persistent drag beyond the ballot.”
He added the Philippines is the “only one left in the region which has yet to engineer a nominal consolidation of its Covid-era budget blowout,” referring to measures aiming to trim public defi cits and accumulation of debt.
Private consumption is expected to remain lukewarm in 2022, according to Chanco, stressing households will continue rebuilding the huge amount of savings lost since the pandemic’s onset. These eff orts were set back by the Delta coronavirus variant, he added.
Meanwhile, Finance Undersecretary Gil Beltran said growth in the third quarter of this year alone reached nearly 7 percent.
Dominguez thus was hopeful about hitting the full-year target.
NPC probes possible data breach in BDO hacking incident
PASAY CITY – The National Privacy Commission (NPC) is looking into a possible personal data breach involving unauthorized transactions that siphoned money off hundreds of BDO Unibank (BDO) depositors.
Earlier, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) said the suspected hackers of the compromised BDO accounts have been identifi ed, with two to four individuals suspected to be behind ‘Mark Nagoyo’ and at least six persons of interest.
BDO said it is processing the reimbursement of nearly 700 clients aff ected by these fraudulent transaction
In a statement, NPC Commissioner John Henry Naga said the NPC’s Complaints and Investigation Division has begun an investigation as early as December 11 and has issued notices to both BDO and Unionbank to provide information, documents, evidence, or witnesses.
“(The) NPC has been in constant coordination with both banks in relation to the ‘sua sponte’ investigation of the security incident,” Naga said.
The commission, he said, is also looking into BDO’s “10-year-old system” and whether suffi cient “technical, organizational, and physical safeguards” were in place.
“Apart from requiring additional evidence and information, the NPC has ordered BDO and Unionbank to appear for a clarifi catory conference, on Jan. 4, 2022, to verify and clarify the evidence submitted by the banks in relation to the investigation,” Naga said.
He said the NPC is also working with other government agencies on its investigation of the security incident.
“The NPC assures the public that all steps necessary to safeguard the rights of data subjects shall be taken and that the commission shall exercise the full extent of its powers under the law against any party found to be in violation of the DPA (Data Privacy Act),” Naga said.
ABS-CBN reveals lineup of new shows, offerings in 2022
ABS-CBN has revealed its lineup of TV programs, movies, and streaming platform releases for the coming year, including the teleserye comeback of Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla, and the new movie of Liza Soberano and Enrique Gil.
Over a dozen new titles were introduced in the video clip which was fi rst shown during the “Andito Tayo Para Sa Isa’t Isa: The ABS-CBN Christmas Special 2021.”
Among the new TV off erings are “The Broken Marriage Vow” starring Jodi Sta. Maria, Zanjoe Marudo and Sue Ramirez; “2 Good 2 Be True” starring Bernardo and Padilla; “Love in 40 Days” starring Loisa Andalio and Ronnie Alonte; “Darna: The TV Series” starring Jane de Leon; and “My Papa Pi” starring Piolo Pascual and Angelica Panganiban.
“I can See Your Voice” will also return for another season hosted by Luis Manzano.
Meanwhile, among the movie projects in 2022 are “The Breakup Trip” starring Soberano and Gil; “Love is Color Blind” starring Donny Pangilinan and Belle Mariano; and the MMFF entries “Love at First Stream” and “Whether the Weather is Fine” to be shown on Christmas day.
It was also revealed that aside from their movie comeback, Gil and Soberano also have a still-untitled TV project.
Over at iWantTFC, there will be more series and movies including “F4 Thailand Boys Over Flowers;” “Lyric and Beat;” “Sleep With Me” starring Janine Gutierrez and Lovi Poe; “Bola Bola” starring Francine Diaz and Akira Morishita; “Misis Piggy” starring Sylvia Sanchez and Ria Atayde; the third season of “Click Like and Share” starring Vivoree Esclito, Elmo Magalona, Jane Oineza, JC Alcantara, Shanaia Gomez and Mariano; “The Goodbye Girl” starring Elisse Joson, Loisa Andalio, Barbie Imperial, Maris Racal and Panganiban; “Tara G” starring Anthony Jennings, Daniela Stranner, Kaori Oinuma, JC Alcantara, Zach Castaneda, CJ Salonga and Esclito; and the second season of “He’s Into Her” with Mariano and Pangilinan.
ABS-CBN also announced the iQiyi original series “Saying Goodbye” starring Seth Fedelin and Andrea Brillantes”, and “Hello Heart” with Gerald Anderson and Gigi de Lana.
Angelica Panganiban will have two upcoming series with the Kapamilya network for 2022.
The fi rst one is titled “My Papa Pi” which Panganiban will co-star with Piolo Pascual. It is a romantic-comedy series to be helmed by blockbuster director Cathy Garcia Molina.
In addition to that, Panganiban has an upcoming show with iWantTFC titled “The Goodbye Girl” directed by Derick Cabrido.
The series is an adaptation of the best-selling book “Mga Kwento ng Pag-ibig at Heartbreak” by Noreen Capili. It will also star Elisse Joson, Loisa Andalio, Barbie Imperial and Maris Racal.
ABS-CBN has yet to announce the exact release dates of the two projects.
Spanish-dubbed “You’re The Boss”, “Feng Shui 2” and “The Third Party” now available on ABS-CBN Entertainment YouTube channel
LOS ANGELES, CA - Here’s some trivia: the fi rst fi lm produced in the Philippines is “La Vida de Rizal” which was screened in 1912. Yes, Philippine cinema was born in the Spanish language. Even now, the major terms used in its local industry -- pelikula, sine, direktor, aktor, bida, contrabida -- are rooted in the Spanish language. This is proof of the cultural proximity that continues to exist not only between Spain and the Philippines but between the Philippines and other countries that have very strong Spanish culture embedded in their histories.
So, it comes as no surprise that even current Filipino cinematic storytelling and themes resonate among present-day Spanish-speaking audiences around the world. Thus, Filipino fi lms originally in Tagalog that were dubbed in Spanish didn’t have a diffi cult time fi nding a Spanish-speaking audience that welcomed these entertainment off erings.
ABS-CBN, the leading Filipino media and entertainment company which is also the world’s largest exporter of primetime teleseryes and fi lms from the Philippines, is enjoying a successful run of its select Spanish-dubbed Filipino fi lms made available for limited time viewing on its ABS-CBN Entertainment YouTube Channel.
The latest additions to its Spanish-dubbed off erings which are available now for viewing on ABSCBN Entertainment YouTube Channel until the end of 2021 are the following:
Starring FAMAS (Philippine Oscars) Best Actress awardee Angel Locsin, Sam Milby and Zanjoe Marudo, this romantic comedy tells the story of how an aspiring fashion designer’s plan to win back her fi rst love is complicated by the fact that he has already fallen in love with another man.
“You’re My Boss” (Un Amor Entre Jefes)
Starring Philippine Prince of Independent Movies and Philippine Teleserye King Coco Martin and Toni Gonzaga, this rom-com centers on how a smart and bossy female airline company executive fi nds herself forced to trade places with her personal assistant in pretense just to close a career make-orbreak deal.
A sequel to the 2004 box-offi ce hit, “Feng Shui”, this horror fi lm starring Kris Aquino and Coco Martin as the new owner of the “cursed bagua” fi nds himself having luck and prosperity fi rst then followed with deadly consequences. It was the fi rst Filipino fi lm to be rendered in 4D shown exclu-
sively at the XD Theater of the Mall of Asia in the Philippines back in 2014 under a partnership of ABS-CBN Star Cinema and SM Lifestyle Entertainment.
ABS-CBN, global home to top-rating Filipino TV programs, box-offi ce fi lms, best-selling music, and live digital concerts and events, continues to produce high-caliber programs and movies with cast and storylines that appeal to diverse cultures and wider audiences. It is also rapidly transitioning into an agile digital company and continues to expand its services and businesses to address the diff erent needs of Filipinos worldwide.
Actress Julia Barretto is excited about the holidays as she revs up for a busier and exciting 2022.
“I hope I won’t get tired in 2022,” says Julia when asked about her New Year’s Resolution for the coming year, during the online launch of her latest endorsement for Miracle White supplements recently.
Julia shares to the entertainment press glimpses of her simple activities with her family and loved ones this Christmas weekend.
“Pag Noche Buena, si mommy talaga nagluluto ‘yan ng favorites namin. On the 24th, she’s going to cook all our favorites. We’re just going to be together, me and my siblings. Gerald (Anderson) will be with us,” Julia reveals.
The year 2021 continues to be a challenging year for many. But Julia says she just appreciates all the wonderful things that happened to her this year.
“We are blessed. It’s a good year (for us) this year. There is real magic in counting your blessings. Every time na medyo napapagod na ako or stressed, I really take the time to shut down and take a moment for myself. Then I count the things that I should be grateful for, and I feel we are blessed, especially this year so hindi ko pinapayagan na mangibabaw ang stress and negativity because again, hindi nakaka-ganda. So always count your blessings especially now na hindi natin alam kung ano ang mangyayari mamaya or bukas so I just want to enjoy what I have and the people around me,” she says.
When asked about her insecurities, Julia says it boils down to height.
Julia Barretto’s confessions
17 December 23-29, 2021
ENTERTAINMENT 1MX 2021 plays to sold out audiences on stage and online; 2022 tour in the works
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - Filipino artists made a huge splash in the international music industry this December with sold out performances of the music festival 1MX 2021 both as an in-person event in Dubai and as a livestreamed event with a Manila cast on KTX.ph.
Produced by ABS-CBN, the leading global Filipino media and entertainment network, through The Filipino Channel (TFC), ABS-CBN Music, One Music PH and Myx Global, together with DJMC Events, Camella Homes and Philippine Airlines, the back-to-back concerts before local and global audiences continue to prove that live entertainment has offi cially returned, and people are eager to see performers on stage once again.
That these companies took a strate-
gic, successful gamble on an in-person event combined with livestreaming refl ects their calculated optimism and determination to reboot the gigantic music events ecosystem.
Doing 1MX in Dubai is key as this world-famous city in UAE is one of the rare places that doubled down on an open economy even as the Omicron variant rattled markets and forced border restrictions across the world. It’s the site of Expo 2020 where 192 countries are presently taking part in a global celebration for 182 days, starting last October 1, 2021. When the whole of Europe shut down, Dubai remained completely open, and their COVID-19 cases have been below 100 for weeks as of this writing.
“Around 5.6 million tourists have already visited the Dubai Expo. Major sports events are drawing packed arenas everywhere in the U.S. BTS became the fi rst group in the world to sell out four concerts in November and December at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. And now 1MX sold out its in-person leg at the Trade Centre Arena at the Dubai World Trade Centre while selling out its livestream from Manila and Dubai on KTX. What do all these tell you? Humanity is eager to get back to the experiences they love. That hopeful desire - with reasonable precautions - should be celebrated and promoted, not restricted. And that’s exactly what we, our partners,
our artists, and our audiences are doing with 1MX,” said ABS-CBN Global COO Aldrin M. Cerrado.
With the stellar cast of Bamboo, Moira, EZ Mil, Gigi De Lana, BGYO and BINI, 1MX 2021 in Dubai reestablished Filipinos as among the best live musical performers in the world. Their showmanship, audience interaction, energy, powerful voices, and innate musicality are unquestionably worldclass. Whether they were doing original
Pilipino hits and compositions or covering mainstream classics, they were able to bring their unique stamps in each of the songs they performed.
Meanwhile, the Manila cast of AC Bonifacio, Angela Ken, Carlo Bautista, Fana, Jayda, Jeremy G, Kritiko, Lian Kyla, Nameless Kids, SAB and Trisha Denise provided a glimpse of the future sounds of OPM that will have no problem competing in the international music landscape. Are Filipino music artists ready for their own hallyu? 1MX strongly suggests so. 1MX Manila on KTX.ph was a showcase of emerging OPM artists and and their fresh sounds. From left, host Edward Barber with Fil-Canadian dancer-singer AC Bonifacio, and singersongwriters SAB and Lian Kyla. “1MX 2021 was not only a showcase of the same superior OPM talent that built the 1MX brand starting in 2017 in Dubai, 2018 in Abu Dhabi, 2019 in Singapore and Manila; 1MX 2021 is a showcase of the resilience of the collective Filipino spirit around the world,” said ABS-CBN Global Head of Events and Managing Director of Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) Arnie Garcia. “With the support of trusted partners, sponsors, overseas Filipino communities and international audiences, we plan to tour 1MX again to various cities around the world starting next year and bring the best of OPM artists to all.”
The most followed OPM ar� st on Spo� fy, Moira, took the audience’s breath away with elegant songs of love, healing, and hope. OPM’s Pop Rock Diva Gigi De Lana showed the incredible vocal range that made her an online singing sensa� on. Bamboo’s performance reminded everyone why he has reached legendary OPM rock icon status. Rapper EZ Mil drew the loudest cheers for his viral track, “Panalo”.
