Philippine News Today

‘PHL WON’T LOSE EVEN AN INCH OF TERRITORY: MARCOS

Joint South China Sea, PHL Sea patrols with US, Australia readied

By ALFRED GABOT, Editor in Chief

Grieving together for lives lost to anti-Asian hate

By Gilda P. Balan, Correspondent

California and New York are the two US states which host the largest number of Asians and Asian-Americans. As such, they are also the two states where the largest number of hate crimes against the community have occurred in recent years.

Last week, the Asian American Foundation held a vigil in Lower Manhattan to remember and pay homage to the victims of anti-Asian hate, specifically those who lost their lives.

Held at the historic Union Square park, the event had local

leaders and elected officials address the demand of the crowd in attendance for a safe space where they could grieve over the latest tragedies involving the community.

Still fresh in their minds was the Monterey Park shooting, where 11 were killed while celebrating the Lunar New Year.

The speakers talked about coping with trauma caused by the series of anti-Asian attacks, and the Asian experience in the US, especially in the past few years of the pan-

BAGUIO CITY – Facing the alumni, cadets and top military officials at the Philippine Military Academy grounds in Baguio city, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. reiterated his assurance to Filipinos that the Philippines will not give away even an inch of its territory to any foreign power.

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(2nd of two parts)

By the Philippine News TODAY staff

The research paper written by Joel Ariarte Jr of UP Diliman’s Third World Studies Center detailed what was not illegal during the Marcos dictatorship, but which must qualify as unethical.

Ferdinand Sr. and Imelda Marcos were more than doting parents to Ferdinand Jr. They

By Jennifer T. Santos

QUEZON CITY – The Sandiganbayan has dismissed an illgotten case filed against the late President Ferdinand Marcos and

agreed to their only son’s every whim, especially where money was concerned.

Dark truth behind Marcos’s assuming Agri post Graft court junks ill-gotten wealth case vs. Marcos Sr., Imelda, others

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And while there has been much talk about Marcos Jr’s reportedly wild past, he has dismissed such talk as exaggerated or worse, little more than baseless rumors. But the

By Jun Nucum

SAN FRANCISCO - The Asia Pacific Islander Council (API Council) has hosted an event that honored former Speaker of the House of Representatives California Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi to show their gratitude for her support to the community in the past decades.

several others as the anti-graft court ruled that the government prosecutors failed to present sufficient evidence against those accused.

In a 156-page de-

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Held at China Live restaurant in San Francisco that brought together individuals representing communities Congresswoman Pelosi has supported,

Senate ratifies RCEP, farmers cry P10

Robin, solons push Charter change

FilAm athletes to compete in Isabela tourney

$1.00= P55.10

API Council fetes former Speaker Pelosi

DEFENDING PHL TERRITORY. President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. graces the Philippine Military Academy Alumni Homecoming 2023 in PMA Grandstand Fort Del Pilar Baguio City. Marcos underscored he will not give up even an inch of Philippine territory. (Rey S. Baniquet/Alfred Frias/PNA)

API Council Board Co-Chair and Execu�ve Director of The Bayanihan Equity Center Luisa M. Antonio formally introduced Speaker Nancy Pelosi

QUEZON CITY - As the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) trains its sights to accelerate the

By ennifer T. antos

protection, preservation and management of the environment, it commends its partners from the private sector, academe, civil society, and other national government agencies for their contributions in the government’s various environmental programs and projects.

At the recently concluded Stakeholders and Partners Forum with the theme “Environmental Partnership for Sustainable Future” held in at the Park Inn by Radisson in Quezon City, these program and project partners were awarded plaques of recognition “for their invaluable support to the programs, projects and activities of the DENR National Capital Region.”

Among those recognized was the Million Trees Foundation, Inc. (MTFI), a non-stoc , non-profit organi ation incorporated on March 16, 2021 whose primary objective is to ensure the sustainability of the Annual Million Trees Challenge (AMTC), a watershed rehabilitation program of the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS).

MTFI is the non-government partner organization of MWSS in the implementation of the AMTC. AMTC surpassed its target five

illion trees planted in five years he

MANILA – Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said his office elco es any ove efore the courts y the defense counsels representing former senator Leila de Lima for her liberty.

MTFI targets to plant 10 million trees more by 2030. It manages the Million Trees Nursery and Eco Learning Center, the center of AMTC programs and initiatives, located inside the La Mesa Watershed compound along President Quirino Highway in Quezon City.

The award was received by MTFI President and Executive Director Melandrew T. Velasco who earlier said that the 10 million more trees target is very doable.

At the forum, DENR Regional Executive Director-NCR Jacqueline A. Caancan, CESO III, presented DENR-NCR’s program for and asked for the continued support of the program partners to

DENR cites Million Trees Foundation e ima may file bail plea ane , Remulla on t oppose

“The case is ongoing. Probably they (De Lima counsels) should petition for habeas corpus and explain the case to the courts (and) we will not object,” Remulla said.

De Lima, who made an unsuccessful bid for reelection in the Senate in the last elections while behind bars, has been detained since 2017 at the Philippine National Police (PNP) headquarters in Quezon City. She is facing criminal charges before the Muntinlupa regional trial court (RTC) for allegedly running a protection racket while she was secretary of justice for detained drug lords who allegedly made contributions for her senatorial bid. A number of key witnesses in the case has since retracted their testimonies.

e i a clai s her detention is part of e orts to persecute her for her criticism of the human rights record of former President Rodrigo Duterte’s anti-crime policies.

The possibility of gaining temporary liberty while the cases remain pending arose anew after the Supreme

ensure a climate resilient and sustainable Metropolitan Manila. The forum utilized hashtags #NurturingCitiesForASustainableFuture #TayoAngKalikasan.

DENR Undersecretary of Field Operations - Luzon, Visayas and Environment Atty Juan Miguel Cuna, delivered the keynote message. Other guests of honor were Senator Cynthia Villar, Chair of the Senate Committee on Environment, Natural Resources and Climate Change.

Also present were DENR NCR Assistant Regional Directors Manuel T. Escasura (Management Services) and Engr. Ignacio R. Almira, Jr. (Technical Services), and EMB-NCR Regional Director Atty.

Court (SC) last January granted a habeas corpus writ for the release of lawyer Jessica Lucila Reyes, a former aide of presidential legal counsel Juan Ponce Enrile.

Detained since 2014, Reyes faced charges for her alleged part in supposed irregularities in the legislator’s discretionary funds. Remulla has since said the basis cited by the SC in allowing Reyes’ release may be applicable to De Lima’s travails.

“I am not objecting personally to any plea that will free anybody from jail. Syempre (Of course) this is something better discussed in court. This is a power left to the judges to decide and even to the higher courts if need be if they want to go to the higher courts,” Remulla said.

“We have our remedies available under our legal system. So let it be that way. If they wish to petition for habeas corpus so be it. It is their right after all as a citizen detained to ask the courts why she is detained and for the courts to decide or not a grant of liberty is appropriate under the circumstances,” he added

House panel OKs reso on charter change via ConCon

QUEZON CITY – A resolution calling for a constitutional convention (ConCon) to amend the 1987 Constitution hurdled committee level at the House of Representatives.

During the hearing, the House Committee on Constitutional Amendments approved the still-unnumbered resolution of oth houses ith affir ative votes, three negative votes and one abstention.

The ConCon will be composed of one delegate representing every legislative district in the country.

“Among the three modes of amending the Constitution, the calling for a constitutional convention to propose amendments to the Constitution to be composed of elected delegates from all legislative districts of the country would

be the most transparent, exhaustive, democratic and least divisive means of implementing constitutional reforms,” the resolution read.

The resolution cited studies showing that particular economic provisions of the Constitution need to be revisited and recrafted so that the Philippines may become globally competitive and attuned to the changing times.

It proposes that the election of delegates from each legislative district to the constitutional convention would be set in October 2023, or simultaneously with the rescheduled barangay polls.

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. earlier said he does not consider making amendments to the 1987 Constitution as one of the priorities of his administration.

T Presi ent an Execu�ve Director th fro ri ht with DEN N o cials le y e ional Execu�ve Director ac ueline aancan th fro ri ht .

en. ynthia illar an T Presi ent Execu�ve Director elan rew T. elasco

PNP, QC gov’t ink pact to boost peace and order drive

CI he Philippine ational Police P P , the ue on City government and representatives from the religious sector signed a memorandum of understanding to strengthen the enforcement of the police force’s “Kasi ayanan apulisan, i ahan, at Pa ayanan ca paign

P P chief, en odolfo A urin r , ayor oy el onte and Pastor liver Lee signed the pact and led the pledge of commitment for the campaign before local officials and e ers of religious groups in simple rites at the Quezon City Hall.

Azurin said the revitalized ‘Kasimbayanan’ program aims to tap volunteers and church leaders to help bridge the gap between the community and the police force.

The drive also seeks to organize the community as peace advocates and to ensure that every citizen is law-abiding through spiritual guidance from church leaders, he said.

“This will be our show window in our co unity progra here our o ective here is to reduce crime here in Quezon City, we will reduce the demand for drugs and we will continue to suppress the crimes that are happening here, es-

pecially the proliferation of illegal drugs and this is a huge help to us in the police force ue on City as the first to invite us here to the launching and signing of a memorandum of agreement. They are including the Kasimbayanan program in their budget so this is what we see -- the seriousness of the government of Quezon City and how they really want to have the city become one of the most progressive cities in our country today, A urin said nder the , the P P and church leaders will work together in promoting peace and order, particularly in addressing crime, drug abuse, and other social

problems in the community.

The agreement also aims to strengthen the partnership between the PNP and local government units in Quezon City, particularly in terms of providing better public safety services to the people.

“When our city is perceived to be peaceful and disciplined, definitely investors will come and put-up companies and it ould ean o opportunities for the people of ue on City and it a ects the economy of Quezon City. That is the direction that we want to take - a progressive and developed ue on City, not ust for the people of the city but for all the ilipinos, A urin added ue on City Police istrict CP director rig en icolas orre III thanked Azurin for gracing the activity.

“This program aims to strengthen the relationship of the PNP with the community and bring awareness of shared responsibility in contributing peace, order, and progress and even holistic transforation of the society, orre said el onte, ean hile, said she elieves that it is really necessary for the church, the community and the police to unite in order to suppress the problem of drug addiction, among many other crimes.

Marikina gets 2 new mo ern fire truc s from BFP

MARIKINA CITY – The city government of Marikina has received two odern pu per fire truc s fro the ureau of ire Protection P to further oost and strengthen its firefighting capabilities.

Marikina Mayor Marcelino Teodoro personally received the two 1,000-gallon capacity fire truc s fro epart ent of the Interior and Local Government I ecretary en a in A alos r , enator uan dgardo Angara and P chief ire irector ouie Puracan during a turnover cere ony at the P national headquarters in Quezon City.

With the addition of the two new odern pu per fire truc s, the PMarikina now has a total of seven functional fire truc s

Teodoro underscored the importance of strong cooperation between the local government and national government in order to streamline the delivery of services to the people.

apat co pli entary ang ga in the national and the local. Katulad nito, nag igay ng fire truc s ang national, i acapacitate natin yung ating ga P personnel na na a-assign fro the P in terms of training. Tapos, ‘yung mga istasyon nila, i-i prove na in yung setup nila All e orts should e copli entary the national and the local govern ent i ilarly, the national govern ent provided fire truc s, e ill capacitate our P personnel assigned fro the P in ter s of training hen, e ill i prove their stations their setup , eodoro said

“Makikita natin na kapag magkatulong talaga ang national at local ay masisigurado natin ang public safety, mas mabibigay natin ang mga serbisyong kailangan ng ating mga mamamayan (We will see that when the national and local really help each other, we can ensure public safety, we can better provide the services that our citi ens need , he stressed.

Metro mayors told to monitor SRP in markets

PA I CI he etropolitan anila evelop ent Authority A has tasked mayors in the National Capital egion C to help onitor the prices of basic commodities to help ensure compliance with the suggested retail prices P in ar ets ithin their urisdiction

In an inspection at the Agora Public ar et in an uan City, A acting chair Romando Artes said the price monitoring activities include checking the prices of basic necessities and prime commodities as well as the weighing scales of vendors.

“We will coordinate with the Metro anila Council C to conduct monitoring of prices in various wet marets in the etropolis, Artes said

an uan City ayor rancis a ora said there are regular price monitoring activities in his city through the Local Price Coordinating Council.

“I want to make sure that our constituents are not being sold overpriced co odities, a ora said uring the inspection, t o notices of violation were issued against a few retailers at the Agora Public Market who failed to co ply ith the P

The latest price monitoring showed the P of i ported ediu and large red onions at P125 per kilogram.

Artes and a ora ere oined in the inspection y I Assistant ecretary for Consumer Protection Group Ann Claire Cabochan

Governor hurt, 3 aides killed in ambush; PNP suspends permit to carry firearms in in anao pro inces

FORT DEL PILAR, BAGUIO CITY – The Philippine National Police (PNP) suspended the “Permit To Carry Firearms Outside of Residence” (PTCFOR) in three Mindanao provinces after the ambush of Lanao del Sur Governor Mamintal Alonto-Adiong Jr. that killed three of his escorts in Maguing town on Friday.

PNP chief, Gen. Rodolfo Azurin Jr., said the suspension of the PTCFOR will cover Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, and 63 barangays ng North Cotabato, which are under the BARMM (Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

Azurin updated meadia on Adiong’s ambush on the sidelines of the Philippine Military Academy Alumni Association Homecoming in Baguio City.

He said the suspension of the PTCFOR is needed considering the series of crimes in these areas and to

prevent the escalation of crime or shooting incidents after the ambush.

An initial motive being looked into for the ambush is “rido” or clan feuds, but other angles are being considered, Azurin said.

Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. condemned the ambush incident that wounded Adiong.

“Agad akong nagbigay ng direktiba sa PNP na magsagawa ng manhunt operations upang agad na mahuli ang mga suspek sa insidenteng ito (I immediately issued a directive to the PNP to conduct man-

Kaliwa Dam project delay averted as Rizal, Quezon IPs get P160-M aid

MANILA – Construction of the P12.2billion Kaliwa dam in Rizal and Quezon provinces that will provide additional potable water to Metro Manila will continue without further delay.

This as leaders of Dumagat-Remontado indigenous groups in Rizal and Quezon provinces received over P160 million worth of “disturbance fees” for the construction of the da , officially called the New Centennial Water Source-Kaliwa Dam Project (NCWS-KDP).

Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) administrator Leonor Cleofas said that through the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP), each indigenous people organization (IPO) of Tanay and General Nakar got P80 million in disturbance fees under the memorandum of agreement (MOA).

Cleofas said the NCIP will supervise the implementation of the livelihood programs and projects of these IPOs.

hunt operations to immediately catch the suspects in this incident),” Abalos said in a statement.

He commiserated with the families of the victims and assured that the entire police force of Lanao del Sur and its neighboring areas are tracking down the culprits.

He also ordered the PNP to coordinate with the military units on the ground in hunting down the suspects and finding out the otive ehind the a ush

Robin, Rodriguez push amendment of Constitution

By Jeanne Michael Penaranda

PASAY CITY/QUEZON CITY – The chairman of the House Committee on Constitutional Amendments pressed on plans to amend the 1987 Philippine Constitution as his counterpart in the Senate, Sen. Robinhood Padilla also pushed bills seeking constitutional amendments in the Senate.

Rodriguez said the existing economic restrictions in the 1987 Constitution have counteracted the structural reforms that were introduced to further liberalize the Philippine economy.

In his sponsorship speech on the Resolution of Both Houses No. 6 calling for a constitutional convention to amend the Constitution, Cagayan de Oro City Representative Rufus Rodriguez said despite the passage of the amendments to the Retail Trade Liberalization Act, the Foreign Investment Act and Public Service Act in the previous administration, the reality is that constitutional limitations contravene the objectives of these laws.

In the Senate, Senator Padilla said no matter how many laws facilitating the entry of foreign investments to the Philippines have been passed, they may all face obstacles if the corresponding economic provisions in the Constitution are not amended.

Padilla, chairman of the Senate Committee on Constitutional Amendments and Revision of Codes, said foreign investors may even hold back if they see the constitutionality of such laws being challenged before the Supreme Court.

“Napakaganda ng batas na ginawa nila pero hanggang itong mga batas na ito sumasalubong at sumasalpok sa ating Constitution, lagi itong questionable. Yan ba pwede nating ibenta sa ating mga foreign investor? Papaano natin makumbinsi ang foreign investor kung ang kanilang pera ay mapupunta sa question dahil pong ito ba ay pinapayagan ng Constitution o hindi (We have passed very good laws for foreign investments but so long as they are perceived to go against the Constitution, they will be questionable. Thus, can we attract foreign investments? How can we convince foreign investors their funds will not go to waste if the investment laws are questioned before the court)?” he said in an interview on DWIZ.

“Ang pagbukas sa foreign direct investment, para magkaroon ng bigat, magkaroon ng tunay na ngipin, ang ginagawa nilang batas patungkol sa ekonomiya. Hanggang hindi natin inaamyendahan ang economic provision ng 1987 Constitution hindi magkakaroon ng liwanag, laging babagsak tayo sa SC, laging magkakaroon ng kababayang kokontra diyan sapagka’t karapatan ng bawat Pilipino ipaglaban kung ano ang sabi ng Constitution (If we want to give teeth to our laws allowing foreign direct investments, we need to amend the economic provisions of the 1987 Constitution. Otherwise, we ill al ays find ourselves efore the Supreme Court when groups question the constitutionality of our investment laws),” he added.

arlier, Padilla filed esolution of Both Houses No. that aims to amend the Constitution’s economic provisions through a constituent assembly. The resolution aims to amend economic provi-

kokontra sa Constitution, walang mangyayari diyan kundi kokontrahin o maupupunta sa mercy ng Supreme Court (All laws will always be questioned before the Supreme Court if they are perceived to go

investments. Even the executive department has agreed with my observation that we cannot have trade without investments),” he said.

Meanwhile, Padilla said he plans to have one or two public consultations before presenting the Committee Report before the plenary.

Rodriguez, further citing statements and position papers coming from the business sector during the public consultations, maintained that those amendents are not sufficient

“We should consider that the Constitution is the fundamental law of the land and all laws must conform to it and not the other way around. Meaning, not unless and until the constitutional restrictions are removed, the apprehensions and hesitancy on the part of the investors will consequently remain,” he said.

He pointed out that the 1987 Constitution contains numerous restrictions against the o of foreign capital in specific areas of econo ic activities

“Although the restrictions on foreign ownership are designed to prioritize Filipino citizens, it is noted however, that the country sorely lacks the requisite capital to boost our economy and develop our natural resources. It is high time to liberalize such restrictions in order to encourage the free o of capital in the country and pave the way to global competitiveness,” he said.

He said the Philippine Constitution needs to be reviewed claiming it is the third most restrictive in the world and the most restrictive in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Citing a graph from the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in 2020, Rodriguez said the Philippines is the most restrictive in terms of foreign equity capital which are enshrined in the Constitution.

espite the e orts of Congress to address the inimical economic situation of our country, the Philippines’ FDI (foreign direct investment) Regulatory restrictiveness ha pers the o of uch needed foreign investments,” he said.

sions to encourage foreign direct investments.

Padilla noted that under the Constitution, any Filipino can question any law and challenge its constitutionality.

“Hanggang di natin nirerebisa o inaamyendahan ang ating Constitution patungkol sa economic provision, lagi po yan magkakaroon ng tanong katulad ng nangyari nitong huli - meron sana tayong joint exploration kasama ang China at Vietnam ano nangyari diyan, dinesisyunan ng SC na unconstitutional (Until we revise or amend our Constitution’s economic provisions, there will always be questions. For example, we could have had joint exploration with China and Vietnam but the Supreme Court deemed it unconstitutional),” he said.

“Lahat na batas na gagawin nyo na

against the Constitution),” he added.

Also, Padilla said that while the Philippines continues to participate in international trade agreements, Filipinos cannot feel the e ects of such participation if there are no investments.

“Magkapatid talaga ang investment at trade. Hindi pupuwedeng puro trade walang investment. Isipin nyo sama tayo ng sama sa trade agreement. Basta trade agreement sumasama tayo diyan. Hindi naman bukas ang ating ekonomiya sa investment, one-way yan. At sumangayon naman ang executive sa sinasabi ko, na talagang hindi pwedeng puro trade walang investment, one-way yan (Investment and trade are like brethren. You cannot have trade without investments. We continue to join international trade agreements but our economy is restrictive to

He said adopting a more liberal policy will increase the country’s capital, increase fir productivity, increase government revenue, increase imports and exports, and increase the gross domestic product growth rate.

As for the rationale behind the calling of a constitutional convention, he said this mode of amending the Constitution would be “more transparent, more democratic, and less divisive.”

The constitutional convention will be composed of one delegate representing every legislative district in the country.

“It is important that constitutional reforms be completed through a transparent process that ensures the participation by the nation at large. In keeping with the sovereign mandate of the people, the new Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines should e truly re ective of the ideals and aspirations of the Filipino nation, and not just of a select few,” he said.

Sen Robin Padilla and wife Maricel Rodriguez

Cagayan de Oro City 2nd District Rep. Rufus Rodriguez (Photo courtesy of Rodriguez’s Facebook Page)

VP Sara rallies local execs for ‘well-thought-out’ projects

MANILA – Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte has urged each municipal executive to be prudent in their programs to achieve short- to long-term development.

Duterte made the statement during her speech before local leaders at the general assembly of the League of Municipalities of the Philippines at the Manila Hotel.

Duterte, who served as a mayor in Davao for nine years, shared several ways to ensure that the local programs will continue even eyond a leader s ter in office

“As a former mayor, I am aware of the amount of responsibility that comes with the opportunity to lead and direct our localities to the path of growth and sustainable development,” she said.

Duterte cited tourism and peace and order as two of Davao’s strengths during her administration.

“Sa turismo ay kailangan ninyo ng pagaaral. Hindi po pwede na kung ano ‘yung gusto ninyo na maging tourism program ng inyong lugar ay pwede na siyang i-roll out (In tourism, you need research. You

cannot simply roll out your desired tourism program in your area),” she said.

Duterte said a feasibility study is vital to identify a locality’s strength, including the capabilities of the community, its available resources, as well as the execution of the plan and multi-sectoral collaboration.

She cited as an example Davao City which has been strengthened to be a MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions) destination in the country.

“Napakahalaga po ng continuity ng isang local government unit (LGU) para po hindi nasasayang ang inyong mga investments sa inyong tourism programs (Continuity is very important for a local government unit to ensure that its investment will not be put to waste),” Duterte said.

“I am optimistic that you will steadfastly work with other local chief executives in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, in tackling salient concerns faced by LGUs across the areas of peace and order, public health, environmental protection and local tourism, among others,” she added.

Meanwhile, Davao City is set to host the MICE Conference (MICECON) 2023, the biggest gathering of the MICE industry in the country, on March 1 to 3.

The conference sets the platform to discuss the rise of the “Bleisure” industry, or the fusion of business and leisure travel experiences.

At least 600 attendees are expected at the MICECON, which will be opened alongside the start of Araw ng Davao.

The Davao City LGU will conduct the MICECON 2023 in collaboration with the Department of Tourism and Tourism Board of the Philippines

LASTING LEGACY. Vice President Sara Duterte shares her experiences as a municipal chief execu�ve for nine years in Davao ity urin her speech at the Lea ue of unicipali�es of the Philippines eneral asse ly.

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LEA E O AYO . Presi ent er inan . arcos r. lea s the eneral Asse ly of the Lea ue of unicipali�es of the Philippines L P at The anila otel on e . . PNA

Photo y Alfre rias ey Bani uet

(From page 1)

Ariarte study showed that Marcos Jr. did grant some large financial favors to select friends, specifically one who qualities as a celebrity chef.

Mostly, however, Marcos Jr. acted as if the funds he was able to receive from his doting parents came from a bottomless well.

From its beginning all the way to the time that then President Rodrigo Duterte put the Northern Food Corporation (NFC) out of its misery by ordering its closure, the tomato processing plant operated in the red. Not because processed tomatoes did not have a market, but because of sheer lack of executive knowhow and managerial competence.

After getting P70 million from Imelda Marcos’ Kilusang Kabuhayan at Kaunlaran (KKK), Marcos Jr. said he needed more. He said the amount was inadequate for the grand plans he had for the company.

Thus, in June, 1984, Marcos Sr. issued a memorandum to his First Lady telling her to “allocate P60 million from the KKK” as additional equity investment.

The P130 million start-up capital at least proved sufficient for starters, and the processing plant egan operations in October, 1984.

he arcoses even got a assador to anila Stephen Bosworth to attend its inauguration.

Here is where Marcos Jr. decided to let Agriman Consultants manage NFC.

Agriman’s president was chef Sandy Daza, a close friend of Marcos Jr. and whose mother Nora Daza was also a confidante of I elda arcos

(From page 1)

cision dated February 21, the Sandiganbayan Fifth Division junked Civil Case which alleges the late Marcos Sr., former First Lady Imelda, Luis Yulo, Roberto Benedicto, Nicolas Dehesa, Jose Tengco Jr, Rafael Sison, Cesar Zalamea and Don Ferry of securing enorous loans fro state-run financial institutions in favor of companies they control.

The case also alleged that the defendants obtained, under favored and very liberal terms, huge loans from the Government Service Insurance System in favor of Philippine Integrated Meat Company (PIMECO), which is a corporation eneficially held and or controlled y

Being a government-owned corporation, Sandy Daza gave Marcos Jr a seat in the seven-man board.

By 1987, NFC employees were scrounging for scrap copper wires and junk metal from the plant’s premises to sell in order to pay for their salaries.

The year before, or in 1986, the NFC’s equity level had sunk to less than P70 million. For all intents, the company was already bankrupt.

The company has become an example of how to run a company to the ground in a few easy steps.

A und niversity study fro ritten y steban Pagaran stated that Agriman had committed various anomalies resulting in high overhead expenses.

Another study published by the Asian Institute of Management, also in 1994 and written by Rafael Ignacio quoted a NFC executive Mike Regino as saying the co pany s top rass ere ying in and out in chartered planes at company expense.

Clearly, Ariarte’s research was as in-depth as it gets.

By 2005, a barely functioning company was facing numerous internal problems, such as its machinery aging and contract-growing farmer preferring to sell their tomatoes to Divisoria traders, who were paying them higher rates.

he C ustified its lo uying price ecause the NFC was providing them everything, from land preparation to seeds to irrigation to planting.

A 2021 Commission on Audit report stated that a huge amount that Daza’s Agriman had taken as cash advances were no longer collectible as they had become “dormant receivable.”

By that time, Agriman had already closed down and

Sabido and the other defendants, and that Sabido installed himself as Chairman of the Board of Lianga Bay Logging Co. (Lianga), a domestic corporation that owned and operated a lumber concession in Lianga, Surigao del Sur, and performed acts of depredation against the best interest of the lumber workers.

In its ruling, the anti-graft court said that the plainti (the Philippine government) failed to prove by preponderant evidence that the properties alleged in the complaint are ill-gotten and or ere eneficially o ned and controlled by former President Marcos and his family.”

Sandiganbayan’s ruling also stated that the state prosecutors relied heavily on the testimony of Rolando Gapud, which the court concluded as hearsay because he did not take the witness stand.

In the 156-page decision and written by Associate Justice Maria Theresa V. Mendoza-Arcega, the antigraft court also lifted the government’s sequestration of Palawan-based Yulo King Ranch (YKR) and the Lianga Bay Logging Co. in Surigao del Sur province.

In fine, this court finds that the plainti Presidential Commission on Good Government) failed to prove by preponderant evidence that the properties alleged in the co plaint are ill-gotten and or as eneficially o ned and controlled by former President Marcos and his family,” the court said.

The anti-graft court noted that the post EDSA administration of the late president Corazon Aquino relied heavily on the affidavit of Rolando Gapud, who claimed to be the financial advisor of the for er president (Marcos) and who said he had personal knowledge that the latter used his close business associates as his dummy in YKR and Pimeco.

The government of former President Corazon Aquino said enefited fro procla ations issued by then President Marcos particularly Presidential Decree No. 619, which authorized the classification of pu lic do ain lands into grazing land. The decree allowed YKR to take control and use 40,000 hectares of public land as grazing ground for large-scale

there as no ay C A could find the original transaction documents.

By the end of 2021, the Duterte government ordered NFC to be shut down and abolished.

President Duterte’s order said the NFC was “no longer consistent with the national development policy of the state.”

That should have marked the end of what was planned as one of the most ambitious government agri projects of its time. But just like Ferdinand Marcos Jr. was able to bounce back in one of the biggest political comebacks in history, so too did he plan the rebound of the NFC.

Barely weeks as the country’s chief executive, Marcos Jr. – who had appointed himself concurrent Agriculture secretary – reversed the Duterte memo and ordered the revival of the NFC.

The government corporation that he had mismanaged almost four decades ago was revived with a cash infusion of P100 million in taxpayers’ money.

It is not yet clear if Daza will have a role in the management of the revitalized NFC. For now, he owns and operates several food outlets, some specializing in Thai food, and others in the classic Filipino snack of empanada.

Whether Marcos Jr. learned a lesson from his past mistakes is not clear. For now, it can be said that pride was one of his reasons for reviving a dead company. The NFC is, after all, his brainchild. He very likely wants to prove that he knows a thing or two about Philippine agriculture.

cattle raising.

Lianga Bay Logging Co., on the other hand, allegedly enefited after the A erican fir eorgia Pacific International Corp. (GPIC), which originally found the company, divested , shares of stoc s in the fir at per share in 1974 in compliance with the provisions of the newly approved 1973 Constitution at the time.

The divested shares were acquired by the Sabido Group gaining control over the production of logs by the fir

The court noted that “Gapud was not presented in court to testify on the alleged matters and under the rules, failure to put the affiant on the itness stand is fatal to the case as it renders the affidavit inad issi le under the hearsay rule.”

he court added that hile apud s affidavit as ac no ledged efore the Philippine Consular ffice in Hong Kong and had been in the archives of the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG), it does not make its veracity unassailable.

he due e ecution of the affidavit as not sufficiently established. The notary public or others who saw that the docu ent as signed or at least could confir its recitals were not presented,” it said adding that “there was no expert testimony or competent witnesses who attested to the genuineness of the questioned signatures.”

PHL... (From page 1)

Marcos attended the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) alu ni ho eco ing for the first ti e as the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) as Philippine and A erican officials discuss details of joint patrols with Australian counterparts in the troubled South China Sea and West Philippine where China has been aggressive during the past months, massing warships and militia vessels disguised as fisher en and shooing a ay ilipino fisher en and the Philippine Coast Guard even within the Philippine territory and exclusive economic zone.

In a keynote speech delivered at the PMA Grandstand in Fort del Pilar, Baguio City, Marcos said his administration would continue protecting the country’s territorial integrity and sovereignty amid the “heightened” geopolitical tensions.

“The country has seen heightened geopolitical tensions that do not conform to our ideals of peace and threaten the security and stability of the country, of the region, and of the world,” he said. “This country will not lose one inch of its territory. We will continue to uphold our territorial integrity and sovereignty in accordance with our Constitution and with international law.”

At the same time, Marcos, an adopted member of PMA Class of 1979, enjoined the alumni of the academy to continue protecting the security and safety of the country.

He urged them to lead a “life of ser-

vice beyond self,” whether they are working in government or the private sector.

On the heels of continuing maritime tensions with Beijing in the South China Sea, American troops are reportedly battle-ready as top ilitary officials predict a possible war with China by 2025 if the tensions and con ict continue

At the same time, Filipino and American troops are gearing up for their biggest ever Balikatan war drills to be joined by Australia, Japan and other observers as Filipino and US troops also continue joint trainings in the Philippines and in US.

Earlier, the Philippines approved expanding to nine bases the areas where American troops can be stationed on a rotational basis in the wake of the brewing Indo Pacific con ict

The US Seventh Fleet, meanwhile, has been passing through international waters in the South China Sea as it secures freedom of navigation in the area as well as ights of airplanes over the vast area

Earlier, Marcos summoned China’s ambassador to Manila and expressed his “serious concern” over Beijing’s “increasing frequency and intensity of actions” against the Philippine Coast Guard and ilipino fisher en in the outh China Sea.

he epart ent of oreign A airs, ean hile, filed a diplo atic protest after the Philippine Coast Guard reported its Chinese counterpart had directed a “military-grade laser” at one of its ships supporting a resupply mission to troops, temporarily blinding its crew on the bridge.

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Aus-

tin III, a recent Manila and Mindanao visitor, has called his Philippine counterpart, Carlito Galvez Jr., to reiterate Washington’s support and commitment to help defend the Philippines, its oldest treaty ally in Asia.

During Austin’s visit to anila, alve and officials had said the allies agreed to carry out joint patrols.

Meanwhile, Galvez and visiting Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles said hat they were looking at Australian and Philippine forces possibly carrying out their joint patrols in the busy waterway.

As countries asserting the rule of law, including the 1982 U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea, in the South China Sea, where a bulk of Australia’s trade traverses, “we did talk today about the possibility of exploring joint patrols,” Marles said.

Australian and Philippine forces have underta en oint patrols o the southern Philippines in the past to counter terrorist threats, Galvez said, and added, “We can do it again.”

At the PMA grounds in Baguio, Marcos told the alumni: “I am aware that some of you have continued your service in the private sector, while others have remained in government. And I hope in whatever capacity you serve, you continue to lead a life of service beyond self – an ethos we can attribute to a premier institution such as the Philippine Military

Academy.”

The President acknowledged that the PMA, since its inception in 1936, has produced sel ess individuals ho have o ered their lives to defend this country and preserve the democratic ideals and freedoms that we all enjoy today.”

o honor those ho sacrificed their lives for the country, Marcos called on the alumni to exemplify “integrity, service before self, and professionalism,” the ideals and values they have gained from the academy.

I a filled ith gratitude, as is the nation, for your contributions to the collective e ort to uild our eloved Philippines. In honor of those who have sacrificed their lives to uild this path for us, we will continue to develop this country and aspire for better lives for our people,” he said. “Rest assured that this government, together with the Filipino people, are with you as we march forward towards achieving a safer, more peaceful, more progressive Philippines.”

As farmers protest

Senate ratifies RCEP, haile as P commitment to economic openness

By Jennifer T. Santos, Correspondent

PASAY CITY – After eight years of haggling, the enate finally concurred ith the ratification of the egional Co prehensive cono ic Partnership C P on e ruary a idst protests y so e groups due to hat they say as possi le adverse e ects on the country, especially on the far ers and producers ho ere said to e not ready to co pete ith their counterparts in the region y a vote of yes to one no vote y en isa ontiveros and one a stention y en I ee arcos, the enate approved the ratification

he Philippines is the last signatory country that ratified C P since it as concluded on ov , after eight years of negotiations

C P is currently the largest regional trade loc in the orld accounting for al ost one-third of the orld s glo al population, gross do estic product, trade, and in ard

Grieving...

(From page 1)

de ic hen attac s on

A ericans of Asian descent ent into overdrive

Asian A erican oundation e ecutive director o-Ann oo said, hat s happening throughout our country is not his is not nor al o ody should get shot at a dance party, no ody should get shot at or , no ody should

invest ents

A ong the country s enefits in oining the C P include ero or lo er i port tari s for Philippine products that ill enter the shores of its free trade partners ider sourcing of ra aterials for Philippine anufacturers sta le and predicta le usiness environ ent integrating icro, s all, and ediu enterprises into the glo al value chain allo ing ilipino professionals to practice their profession in C P areas stronger protection for intellectual property rights and access to econo ic and technical cooperation support to oost the country s co petitiveness, a ong others

It is a co prehensive trade and investent agree ent initiated y the A A e ers ith its A partners China, apan, outh orea, Australia and e ealand he A has entered into force since an , for those participating countries that ratified C P early

he ratification of the egional Co pre-

get shoved o a train platfor , no one should die in their o n apart ent, and no one should die in the street calling for their other

he as referencing the ost recent hate cri es such as the urder of Christina una ee ho as sta ed to death in her apart ent in Chinato n, and ichelle Alyssa o ho as pushed into the path of an onco ing train in i es uare last year

hensive cono ic Partnership C P , the orld s iggest free trade agree ent, sho s the orld that the Philippines is co itted to econo ic openness, President erdinand arcos r said follo ing the ratification y the enate

n his official ace oo page and itter account, arcos elco ed the enate s decision to concur in the ratification after ust t o days of plenary de ates

e are proud of the s ift ratification of the egional Co prehensive cono ic Partnership Agree ent, de onstrating our co it ent to openness and a thriving usiness environ ent, arcos said eing part of this regional free trade agree ent holds i ense potential for prooting econo ic gro th and develop ent across the Asia-Pacific and rings nu erous opportunities for our country, particularly in the areas of agriculture, anufacturing, and icro, s all and ediu enterprises s , he added

Council e er Christopher arte said any e or ers fro the Asian co unity have told hi that they are afraid of going out alone in the city that has een their ho e for the longest ti e, so e since irth

aid arte Al ost a do en people co e to y office a ee and tell us that they are scared e get seniors ho say they can t go out and do tai chi ecause they don t ant to e alone

ast ee , arcos said the ratification of the C P trade deal ould allo the Philippines to further strengthen its agricultural value chain, thus a ing it ore co petitive ean hile, the arcos ad inistration s top econo ist is opti istic that the ne free trade agree ent A ill fuel the country s econo ic gro th ational cono ic and evelop ent Authority A ecretary Arsenio alisacan than ed the enate for ta ing the old and ga e-changing ove y concurring ith the C P ratification that ill allo the Philippines to i ple ent the co it ents and ta e advantage of the enefits under the trade pact inally, the Philippine enate has ratified the egional Co prehensive cono ic Partnership, providing another engine for gro ing the econo y and a ing it part of rapidly rising Asia, alisacan said in a t eet

he one day event in e or City o ered healing through usical perforances It also ai ed to cele rate the lives of the victi s at the sa e ti e hoping to raise a areness and prevent ove racist attac s fro ta ing place in one of the ost diverse cities in the or those ho have een left ehind after the deaths of their loved ones, the shared grief is one ay of easing the pain of a loss that need not have happened

EDITORIAL

A big mistake by Marcos

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has committed a number of mista es in the first year of his presidency, ut fe can e considered igger than his pronounce ent over the ee end that he ill not cooperate ith the International Criminal Court.

he ICC is see ing to pursue its investigation of the e tra udicial illings that too place during the ter of his predecessor, odrigo uterte

arcos uses the sa e ustification as several other past and present govern ent officials ho insist that the Philippines has a fully functioning udicial syste As such, there is no need for any outside party to pass udge ent on the for er president along ith his officials ho ade the illing of suspected drug addicts and users practically a govern ent policy

orst of all, arcos chooses to turn a lind eye to the tens of thousands of fa ilies ho lost their loved ones to the rutality of the uterte regi e ith his declaration, those fa ilies can never hope to find ustice et r arcos still e pects foreign invest ents in the illions of dollars to pour into the country

hy in od s na e, e as , ould any a or investor plun oney into the Philippines hen countless ilipinos are deprived of true ustice If and hen those invest ents run into legal pro le , here can they turn to

Certainly not a ustice syste that allo s a for er president to get a ay ith mass murder.

here is an old saying that is apt at this point hose ho are not guilty have nothing to hide

ast ee , an e -president also too a a or step in a ing sure that odrigo uterte is a le to spend the re ainder of his days free fro arrest loria acapagal Arroyo is as ing the ouse of epresentatives to ta e all possi le easures to assure uterte s safety, and in so doing is saying to hell ith the victi s and the fa ilies of the for er president s e tra- udicial illings

Clearly, the po erful politicians are saying that they should e udged y a different set of rules fro the ordinary ilipinos

Proof if this is staring everyone in the face

Consider that for er first lady I elda arcos has een convicted for her latant isuse of govern ent funds, ut has not spent even a single inute inside prison

Consider that the incu ent president hi self has also een convicted of failing to pay his ta es

Consider that this incu ent president s o n special counsel, -year-old uan Ponce nrile, as allo ed y the court to go scot-free, not only for his role in the ulti- illion peso coco levy fund, ut also for eing party to the e ually large-scale Priority evelop ent Assistance und sca here is no dou t that the Philippine udicial syste is seriously da aged, that ordinary people can never find ustice hen they go against the rich and the po erful.

In refusing to allo the ICC to conduct an investigation, this arcos regi e is sho ing the orld that an international court sanctioned y the nited ations is not allo ed to give hope to ilipinos victi i ed y their o n govern ent his President arcos sho s he is as indi erent to the su ering of his people as past presidents uterte, acapagal-Arroyo, rap strada and ost of all his father and na esa e, erdinand dralin arcos, ho declared artial la under false pretense.

ust as Ponce- nrile, ho as also party to that rutal and illegiti ate regi e

Family awards youth volunteers

Conclusion

A CI , Calif A A A ards ent to high school students ho have een giving ac to their communities in the name of Bulacan native ony Aguilar ho lived a life of caring for others until his passing last year ic y Palo ar, eldest of atay ony s seven children, recogni ed l Ca ino igh chool student i elle rance liva, otre a e senior rista arie ananuil and l Ca ino igh chool senior ohn than ocaling for volunteering at their church and their school

All three students received a pla ue of appreciation and cash a ard as ell as co endations fro the City of aly City presented y ice ayor uslyn analo hroughout her years of e ploy ent at aiser edical Center in outh an rancisco, Palo ar has served as president of Pre ier ions Clu oundation and is egion one Chair of ions istrict C he is a oard e er of the Philippine urses Association of orthern California At or , she sits on the e ecutive oard of aiser Per anente ilipino Association that a ards grants to outstanding students and nonprofits as ell as provides free health e a s at co unity fairs ic y and her hus and dd Palo ar are the selves parents to five achievers in the service profession t o registered nurses, a construction pro ect engineer, a anufacturing engineer and a radiology technician

he attri utes their success to the e a ple set y their grandparents the tireless or er and his ho e a er ife atay ony and his ife ilia had seven children including three nurses, a caregiver and a govern ent e ployee o children re ain ith their fa ilies in the Philippines.

As a ne co er in , -year-old Aguilar found e ploy ent lasting years as a aggage handler at an rancisco International Airport e appreciated having a o and sought every opportunity to e of service on his free ti e ventually he and ilia returned to the Philippines to e ith their other children and their fa ilies ast year as devastating for y fa ily hen y other as diagnosed ith cancer and passed a ay at , Palo ar loo ed ac at hat drove her latest endeavor ive onths later, y grief-stric en -year-old father, passed a ay too ro her sorro arose purpose

I ve learned to i erse yself ith ore or and pro ects to serve the co unity through y various civic and professional groups of affiliation, she ad itted In the four ti es I e to the Philippines last year to spend ti e ith y ailing parents and attend their de ise funerals, I handled pro ects in the Philippines and coordinated pro ects re otely in the to ensure co pletion er e perience taught her that co unity service is an e ercise in sel essness that can e self-healing

I guess it s a ay of alleviating the pain I going through or a therapeutic passage through the stages of personal grief, she concluded Adapted fro the original reprinted ith per ission fro I I

MARILYN B. KING

Vice President for Sales and Marketing

FRANCIS ESPIRITU

Publisher/President

THELMA L. CRUZ

Vice President for Operations & Promotions

NEIL GONZALES Chief Correspondent Northern California

LYDIA SOLIS Chief Correspondent Southern California

ANGELO LOPEZ Cartoonist

ELEANOR SMITH Office Manager GILDA PASION BALAN

NICK SAGMIT

GEORGE GANGE

RENE AVENIDO Photo Correspondents

ALFRED G. GABOT Editor-in-chief

FRANCO G. REGALA

ALI MACABALANG

JEANNE MICHAEL PENARANDA

Manila Correspondents

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

Illegal drug involvement and courtesy resignations

Section Pu lic office is a public trust. Public fficers and eployees must be at all times be accountable to the people, serve them with utmost responsibility, integrity, loyalty and efficiency, act with patriotism and justice, and lead modest lives.”

- Article XI of the Constitution.

This is one provision of our Constitution that government workers, civilian and military, should learn by heart if they are to be worthy of their employment. The problem with our government workers is that most of them are only concerned with their salary, eeping their o , po er and in uence and the per uisites of power. The majority are not really concerned with the welfare of their fellowmen, our government and our country.

There lies the problem. Beyond this lack of concern of government workers is the prevalence of the same attitude among our citizens. This is the primary reason why this country is in a rut. And we have only ourselves to blame.

Example: The recent order of DILG Secretary Benhur A alos as ing top ran ing officers of the P P to file courtesy resignations in an e ort to clean the officer corps of the Philippine National Politics of suspects involved in drug traffic ing

Police officers eing involved in drug traffic ing is nothing new is this country. It has always been there – in rumors, hispers and actual involve ent any officers are suspected of having become multimillionaires due to their criminal involvement in illegal drugs.

But why ask for courtesy resignations? Is that a solution to the problem? Of course, it is not. At best, it is irrational. At worst, it is insane. It is not really surprising in this much ballyhooed era of President BB Marcos – it is usual and typical.

hy irrational It confir s the suspicion and ru ors that any high ran ing officers in the P P are involved in the illegal drug trade. It taints everybody including the innocents. In e ect, it destroys the reputation of the hole officer corps of the P P and li its, if not negates, the e ectiveness of the PNP as a police force whose duty is to secure the safety of the citizens from the actions of criminals. In the light of the serious implications of the order for courtesy resignations -why should the citi ens o ey the police hen so e of its officers are suspected criminals? Why? – citizens may likely ask this question.

hy insane It destroys the orale of the officer corps It is just the wrong way to do it – if the purpose is to rid the PNP of rotten eggs and tomatoes. .It is a rotten egg and rotten tomato of a solution.

Scandalous reaction: Worse than the proposed solution of the govern ent to re ove high ran ing officers of the P P involved in the illegal trade is the reaction of majority of the high ran ing officers hey too the orders of their high civilian official li e du driven cattle

What a shame!

Are these high ran ing officers of the P P not graduates of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) or the Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA)? Are they not familiar with their duties as defined in ection , Article I of the Constitution? Don’t they know that the DILG Secretary is also bound by the same provision of the Constitution?

Don’t they know that the order for courtesy resignations has unsavory i plications on the officer corps of the P P as well as the whole PNP itself? That’s plain and simple common sense. Or, is there something wrong in their training in the PMA and the PNPA? Is there something wrong with the curriculum in the PMA and PNPA?

What is wrong with their orientation and value system as officers of the P PA Is this the reason hy they allo ed and obeyed the order of then President Digong Duterte to kill more than twenty thousand alleged illegal users, according to activists and human rights advocates?

Consultation here ere four P P officers, e ere told, did not file courtesy resignations though for the rong reason If the rest of these P P officers did not no ho to properly react to the courtesy resignation order – they should have consulted lawyers who are experts in constitutional law and criminal law. That is the prop- (Continue on page 27)

Another way to modernize the Armed Forces

In the 1990s, operatives from the Philippine Navy’s special warfare group (SWAG) used to blow up Chinese-installed markers on uninhabited features in the West Philippine Sea.

The explosions were so tiny but it could be heard loudly in Hawaii, making A erican ilitary officials at the Pacific Co and, at that time, nervous as the Philippines played a cat-andmouse game with China.

IN THE TRENCHES

China would put up stone markers to claim territories in South China Sea, but soon after, Filipino troops removed them, blowing up these markers placed on areas within the Philippines’s 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone.

Two decades later, the Philippines can no longer deal with Chinese intrusions into its sovereign waters. It has no armed vessel to even match the Chinese People’s Liberation ArmyNavy (PLA-N) or even its coast guard.

On Feb. 6, a Chinese coast guard vessel pointed a blinding laser to a local maritime law enforcement ship in the West Philippine Sea.

It had no counter measure, exposing the weakness of the country’s armed forces and maritime law enforcement vessels.

Rear Admiral Armand Balilo, a coast guard spokesman, said the coast guard has only 25 capital ships to guard one the world’s longest coastlines.

The vessels only have .50 caliber machine guns, water cannons, and armed personnel who could board and inspect civilian vessels at high seas.

Sadly, the Philippine Navy has fewer ocean-going vessels that could patrol hundreds of miles away from the shores for longer than 10 days.

It has two guided missile frigates and a second-hand outh orean corvette and si other shore Patrol essels – three former British Peacock-class ships and three former US Coast Guard Hamilton cutters.

o ore corvettes and si - hore essels ould e added in two to three years. The rest were second-hand US, Australian, and South Korean platforms destined for the museums.

There is an urgency to modernize the country’s navy and air force to build a minimum credible defense posture that could deter China’s coercive and aggressive actions in the South China Sea.

ut there s a sti price for upgrading the country s air and naval forces. The Navy would need at least P200 billion to ac uire frigates, corvettes, shore Patrol essels, inesweepers, and submarines.

The Navy’s Marine units need highly mobile shoreto-ship batteries to increase its anti-access and area denial (A2AD) capability.

The Air Force also needs almost the same amount to acuire s uadrons of ulti-role fighters, close air support aircraft, long-range maritime surveillance planes, and an integrated air defense system, including an air defense missile system.

The Philippines does not have the funds to acquire the desired air and naval capabilities in one go. It could not even complete two phases of its modernization program. It still needs 300 billion pesos to complete the modernization programs Horizon 1 and Horizon 2.

It still has no funds for the much more expensive Horizon when modern platforms are required to be at par with Southeast Asian neighbors.

The Philippines is among the weakest military forces in the region ith orld ar II-era ships and ietna ar vintage helicopters.

Al ert del osario, the for er foreign a airs secretary, has proposed an innovative but old method of modernizing the country’s armed forces – leasing the equipment from another country or from a commercial company.

Del Rosario’s idea could be a cheaper, faster, and more effective way to upgrade the country’s creaking defense equipment.

The Philippines would not have to wait for defense manufacturers to deliver the equipment in two to three years.

And the cost of renting equip-

(Continue on page 27)

Notarization of documents at Starbucks on Valentine’s Day

Last week Mandy, an old friend and client residing in Benicia, California , called me and requested assistance and help in the notarization and apostille follow-up of the EXTRA JUDICIAL SETTLEMENT OF ESTATE WITH ABSOLUTE SALE prepared by his lawyer.

& Wealth

The document on the sale of property in Calamba, Laguna, Philippines is urgently needed and must be signed by him and his three daughters in lieu of his wife, who died on December 6, 2017. One of his daughters arrived from Singapore last Sunday, February 12, 2023. After proper coordination and arrangement, Mandy told me that the only day his three daughters were available for signing of the docu ent as on alentine s ay, e ruary , 2023. Mandy suggested that we can meet in the Starbucks at the Southampton Road, Benicia in the afternoon for the signing and notarization of the documents.

I told Mandy that we could not meet in the afternoon because my wife and her sister-in-law were preparing for their PA Philippine Airlines ights to anila andy suggested a in the orning of alentine s ay, e ruary , The customer is always right, so my wife and I agreed to the suggestion of Mandy, despite our very tight schedule. Before the alentine s ay appoint ent, I instructed andy to prepare three copies of the EXTRA JUDICIAL SETTLEMENT OF ESTATE WITH ABSOLUTE SALE, three copies of his ife s eath Certificate, three copies of the ransfer Certificate of Title on the property and three copies of his ID and her three daughters.

Driving from San Francisco, California, my wife and I arrived at the tar uc s in enicia, California on alentine s ay, e ruary , a out a After fe inutes Mandy and his three daughters arrived. The manager at the Starbucks was very accommodating. She assigned a long table for us. After some preliminaries, Mandy and his three daughters signed the document. Then, Mandy and his three daughters signed my Journal of Notarial Acts and put their right thumb marks. Mandy and his daughters expressed their profound than s and gratitude for the pro pt and efficient services extended to them.

Immediately after signing and notarization, my wife and I drove back to San Francisco for the preparation of her baggage. I drove my wife to the SFO (San Francisco International Airport late in the afternoon of alentine s ay for her ight to Manila together with her sister-n-law Elisa. They are now enjoying their vacation in Pangasinan.

As accredited and commissioned Notary Public in California since , this as y first ti e to eet and notari e docu ents for clients at tar uc s on alentine s ay espite the very tight schedule, I am glad that I was able to assist and help clients like Mandy and his three daughters.

I continue to receive calls and emails both from old and new clients asking if we still do authentication follow-up of notarized documents with the Philippine Consulate in San rancisco, California As of ay , , the Philippine Consulate no longer issue authentication certificate of documents notarized by accredited and commissioned Notary Public in California. The notarized documents must now be submitted to the Secretary of State, Notary Public Section, in Sacramento or Los Angeles, California., for apostille. For the information of our old and new clients, our readers and the general public, let me share excerpts of the Special Notice from the Legal Section, Philippine Consulate, as follows:

“Philippine Consulate shall no longer issue Authentication Certificate ith red ri on for docu ents notari ed or apostilled in the States under its jurisdiction namely Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, Washington State, Northern Nevada, Colorado, Montana, Utah, Wyoming and Northern California.

If you notari ed docu ents efore ay , the Philippine Consulate will (1) still accept it for authentication (red ribbon) or (2) you may advice the applicant to secure an Apostille n the other hand, if you notari ed docu ents fro May 2019 onwards, we will no longer authenticate said documents. The applicant should forward it to the issuing State/ Co petent Authority for the issuance of an Apostille Certificate.

Please note that Apostilled

ART GABOT MADLAING Health

MANNY MOGATO

HOMOBONO A. ADAZA Diliman Way

No No No to Con Con con

It’s a con, is what it is. The constitutional convention that the House of Representatives is cooking up is for real, and is absolutely dangerous. That con con would amend the Constitution, ostensibly to revise certain provisions that have a negative e ect on the country s economic growth.

A new constitution will promise to deliver miraculous growth to the Philippines, proponents say.

It will not. It will be more of the same, if not worse.

President Bongbong Marcos said last week that charter change was not a priority of his regime. He was lying, of course. The House will bulldoze the bill that would call for cha-cha, and it will be with the full blessings of Speaker Martin Romualdez, the president’s cousin and Yes Man #1.

As House minority leader Edcel Lagman said, cha-cha has the quiet approval of Marcos. “Covert assent” was the phrase he used, which explains why the charter change train is moving as fast as the Maharlika Investment Fund of late last year.

The only question is the method with which the basic law of the land will be amended.

It can be through a con con, or it can be Congress acting as constituent assembly. It can even be a hybrid body, where some representatives are elected and some appointed, as suggested by a retired Supreme Court chief justice.

Whatever the method, it’s a 100 percent sure thing that the political dynasties will be well represented. In fact, they will very likely form the majority of the men and women who would change a perfectly good constitution.

The worst thing is that it is the incumbent dynasties – most of whom are beholden in some way or form to the Marcos/ Romualdez gang, or clan if you prefer.

For starters, they will dispense with term limits. More than this, they ill find a ay to e tend the ter s of all current elected govern ent officials, eginning ith the president

The country has experienced how awful a bad president can a ect the country hin rap strada or odrigo uterte Now imagine the six-year term of an elected president being e tended indefinitely hin loria acapagal-Arroyo and her nine painful years as chief executive. Yes, her extended ter as a u e, ut it caused such da age to the ody politic that its e ects are felt to this day he reinstituted holesale corruption from the top, as a certain Ferdinand Marcos Sr. had done previously.

Those who would revise the constitution may institute some changes that could conceivably do some good for the people, but mostly the new provisions will be self-serving. The convention or assembly’s sole purpose will be to entrench themselves in power.

The BBM Constitution – what else should it be called, the Maharlika charter? -- will allow foreign ownership of media, which is as useless as useless a provision as it can get.

With most Filipinos able to access the internet, they can tune in to any news organization anywhere in the world.

It may even be argued that foreign media is already operating in the Philippines, through social media like YouTube, or through strea ing services li e et i , , or isney

In fact, Filipinos should welcome foreign media operating in the country. None could do a worst job than the 100 percent ilipino-o ned roadcast travesty that is A ner Manny Villar may have all the money in the world, but he had zero expertise in operating a media organization, resulting in a mega failure as his station could not even last six months without its live shows shutting down.

But I digress.

The cha cha choo choo train is moving full speed ahead, and it seems only a handful of senators stand in the way of a law being passed in the very near future which would fund a con con.

The two minority senators Koko Pimentel and Risa Hontiveros may not stand alone in putting up a roadblock to the evil deed planned by the puppets at the House of Representatives.

It is within the realm of the possible that enough senators will see through the Marcos regime’s hidden plan to alter the charter and guarantee that Marcoses and Romualdezes will hold top government positions for many, many decades to come.

(Continue on page 27)

Arare bird is hard to find ut not in the Philippine Airlines here I had a first hand experience with one.

I ta e y hat o to Ms. Cielo Villaluna, the spokesperson of PAL.

She’s a rara avis. With her in the PAL organization, our country s ag carrier airline is lucky and in good hands.

While in the Philippines during a recent visit, y ife and I ere a eneficiary of s illaluna’s good-heartedness.

he airfare covering our return ight to the was saddled by penalty fees and related charges after several rebookings.

In my calculation, with the penalty and rebooking fees slapped on the unused portions of our roundtrip tickets, it would have been cheaper buying new return tickets for each of us.

But Ms. Cielo heard about our predicament and she responded.

he for er P - pri eti e anchor readily came to the aid of a journalist in distress!

I than y old friend olly a ay on alo, former National Press Club of the Philippines prexy, for bringing my case up to Ms. Cielo.

Huge thanks to Ms. Cielo Villaluna and her colleagues she worked with - Chiqui de la Merced, Asst. Sales and Services manager for Metro anila and u on, and her sta assistant arren Togado- to make the airfare price bearable.

Bearable is, in fact, an understatement as we were, in my estimate, actually charged a miniscule of what Customer Service previously came up with.

It was like getting a slap on the wrist for a violation.

Earlier, I had a series of email engagements with PAL customer service but the back and forth was fruitless.

I was about to give up and began scouring the e for udget fares o ered y other airlines I found several pretty good ones, incredibly lowpriced, but the big BUT is you got to hibernate at stopover airports for 48 hours or more.

e t thing I no , I as ith olly on alo Rolly, in whose Broadcasters’ media Forum Ms. Villaluna occasionally guested, called her up and he let her know of my plight.

After a few minutes, he passed the phone to me and, to say the least, I was impressed how fast PAL’s beautiful frontline lady, in her mellow and sympathetic voice, grappled with my problem and assessed it while explaining how airfares go up that she said are ofttimes occasioned by events beyond the airline’s control, aside from penalty fees, as in my case.

I really appreciate s illaluna s e orts, along with Chiqui and Karren, that resulted in saving a lot from our wallet, or what’s left of it.

Actually, the wallet was near depletion because of our extended vacation that made our budget stretched out. My wife who was always on guard, expense-wise, was on her toes.

Is a 4-day-work-week beneficial, acceptable in the US?

This morning, while taking my breakfast, I watched CNN Morning News report about the success of a shortened work week days (4-day-workweek) in the United Kingdom (UK) for employees but still getting the same or better pay and that most of them were less stressed and had better work-life balance.

Wow, that’s great… less work, more money!

Researchers said that a 4-day work week trial in the UK, yielded an overwhelming success!

Will this work in the US? Will US companies adopt the concept?

My co-workers loved the idea because they said they will have ore ti e for the fa ily ne said, he can get a partti e o to aug ent his inco e thers, ust say, they have more freedom to do things they want to do. So, I think it’s a welcome idea here in the US for employees. How about for the companies? Well, if it means more production and more income for the companies, why not?

According to the Associated Press, “A trial of a four-day workweek in Britain, billed as the world’s largest, has found that an overwhelming majority of the 61 companies that participated fro une to ece er ill eep going ith the shorter hours and that most employees were less stressed and had better work-life balance.”

With the scheme, they worked less, they got more! This as according to findings

“We feel really encouraged by the results, which showed the many ways companies were turning the four-day week fro a drea into a realistic policy, ith ultiple enefits, said avid rayne, research associate at niversity of Cabridge, who helped lead the team conducting employee interviews for the trial. “We think there is a lot here that ought to motivate other companies and industries to give it a try.”

The university’s team worked with researchers from Boston College; Autonomy, a research organization focused on the future of or and the ay ee lo al nonprofit community to see how the companies from industries spanning ar eting to finance to nonprofits and their , orers would respond to reduced work hours while pay stayed the same.

The results are very encouraging. “Not surprisingly, employees reported enefits, ith percent less urned out, percent less stressed and percent ore satisfied ith their job than before the trial.”

f the or ers, the report said, percent said it as easier to balance work and responsibilities at home, while percent reported increased satisfaction ith their lives Fatigue was down, people were sleeping more and mental health i proved, the findings sho

Platten’s Fish and Chips Restaurant in the English seaside town of Wells-Next-The Sea found this out. This was also the result especially in the hospitality industry where people often work seven days a week.

“Everyone is focused, everyone knows what they’re doing, everyone is refreshed,” said Kirsty Wainwright, general manager of the restaurant about a three-hour drive northeast of London. “What it means is that they are coming into work with a better frame of mind and passing that on to obviously the clients and the public that are coming here for their meals. They’re getting a greater service because the team are more engaged.”

hey constantly co unicated ith e ployees to find hat or ed est, hich as having the sta split into t o groups, allowing one group to work two days on, and other to have t o days o , she said

The concept lets people work, have a day to do chores li e cleaning the house and then have t o days o , seeing your friends, seeing your fa ily, doing so e stu yourself, Wainwright said. “And that’s what this is all about is actually just working to live and not living to work.”

For companies that rolled out the shorter work hours… revenue asn t a ected, according to the findings say In fact, “revenue even grew 1.4 percent over the course of the trial for co panies that provided ade uate data eighted for the size of the business while

BETING DOLOR

ELPIDIO R. ESTIOKO

TEDDY P. MOLINA

IMMIGRATIONS

Problems you may encounter during naturalization

Problems you may encounter when applying for Naturalization

When applying for naturalization, there are problems many applicants encountered during the interview process. This is because they look at how you first get your green card and hat 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 a out hether your arriage is ona fide and hat oint docu ents 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 arriage certificate, irth 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 pro le , you need to tal to an i igration attorney to find if you ualify for a waiver of fraud or misrepresentation.

ailure to file and pay your inco e ta ay also dis ualify 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 a legal advice. You should consult with an immigration attorney a out the specifics of your case

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, personal injury and income tax representation since June 1999. His contact phone is 1-877-456-9266, email: info@CCLlaw. net Website: www.crispinlozanolaw.com/ with officers in Hayward and Cerritos, CA.

PHL businesses hail RCEP ratification, urge to ma e goo use of tra e eal benefits

A

I

A As the country finally ratified the egional Co prehensive cono ic Partnership C P after years of negotiations, Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Alfredo Pascual encouraged Philippine-based businesses to ta e advantage of the enefits of the new trade pact.

Pascual said that the i pacts of C P depend on how immediate businesses ill act follo ing its ratification

Following Senate’s concurrence with the ratification of C P on uesday evening, the Philippines will deposit its instru ent of ratification to the Association of outheast Asian ations A A Secretariat.

C P ill enter into force days after the receipt of deposit of the instrument of ratification e really ant to co unicate to our business community and the people in general that this C P ust provides the enabling environment. How we behave given the new favorable environment will deter ine to hat e tent e can enefit from it. The government cannot regulate or order this. (But) we make sure that the environment is there,” Pascual said.

As Philippine-based businesses are anticipating the country’s participation to C P, the I chief said they have een preparing for the increased competition and have been planning how to take advantage of the new free trade agreement.

ore than that, I thin investors that are eyeing the Philippines as production hub will now be implementing their intentions and plans to set up manufacturing hubs in the Philippines and making their investments in our country,” Pascual added.

In a separate statement, National cono ic and evelop ent Authority A ecretary Arsenio alisacan said the ratification of C P strengthens the Philippines’ position as an investment hu in A A

ith the country s participation to C P, the Philippines has no further strengthened its position as an ideal in-

vest ent hu in the region as e e pand market access, facilitate trade and align our rules and procedures with participating economies,” he said.

Balisacan said this is in line with the overall targets of the Marcos administration’s medium-term plan of creating higher quality, resilient and sustainable o s to achieve poverty reduction y attracting investments and boosting business e pansions

ith the strong support of Congress, yesterday s concurrence to the C P Agreement is a testament to the government’s commitment to creating an environment conducive for trade and investents that are catalysts for o creation, skills development, and technology transfer as we seek to transform the Philippine econo y in the ne t si years, he added

The Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI), the Makati Business Club (MBC) and the Confederation of eara le porters of the Philippines Con ep also e pressed their gratitude to the Senate members for concurring ith the C P ratification

It s a good develop ent for our country’s economic trade opportunities. Certain products are given conditionalities to avoid negative impact to local producers,” PCCI president George Barcelon said.

C e ecutive director rancisco Alcuaz Jr. said the business group is confident that C P ill accelerate o generation and economic recovery and will promote inclusive growth.

Alcuaz said the Senate’s decision to favor the country s participation to C P is a clear signal that the Philippines is open for usiness and o s

e congratulate the enate, President (Ferdinand) Marcos, DTI Sec. Pascual, former DTI Sec. Ramon Lopez, and the rest of the cono ic cluster for taing another step to open foreign markets for Philippine businesses while improving the uality and a orda ility of local goods and services,” he added.

PHL seen to weather possible global recession

MAKATI CITY – The Philippine government’s push to increase its infrastructure spending and the recovery of the manufacturing sector, among others, are e pected to uoy the do estic econo y from the impact of the possible recession in the United States.

According to February issue of he ar et Call, the oint onthly pu lication of the First Metro Investment Corporation (FIMC) and the University of Asia and the Pacific A P , ost recent economic data suggest that the Philippine economy may weather the global recession relatively unscathed.”

It said while employment may grow slower in the near term, with the December level up by 4.3 percent from the previous onth s percent, total anhours (MH) of work slightly increased to

1.98 billion MH from 1.97-B MH in November.”

his gain o set the , drop in total employment to million, a close second to the all-time record level of 49.7 million achieved a month ago,” it added.

The report cited the decline in unemployment rate last December to 12.6 percent from the previous month’s 14.4 percent.

The manufacturing sector grew faster last January, with the Purchasing Managers Inde P I up at fro in the previous month.

The report cited the drop in the level of the government’s total liabilities by the end of to P13.4 trillion, lower by around P2 billion compared to the November level.

Luis Manzano under fire, Vilma Santos defends son

Actor and popular television host and endorser Luis Manzano is under fire

Known to his family earlier as Lucky, he may not be lucky this time because he is facing allegations of involvement in alleged investment scam involving a company he once headed as its chairan of the oard

Lucky, son of actress Rosa Vilma Santos and Filipino American actor from San Francisco, California Eduardo “Edu” Manzano, in fact, has been summoned twice by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to answer the allegations

But twice, Luis reportedly snubbed the NBI, sending only his la yer to do the tal ing for hi

Luis, of course, denied the allegations, pointing out that he has quit as chairman of the board of the company, and was, in fact, the one who called the attention of the NBI to alleged scam perpetrated by his friend and former classmate to hich the actor said he had no part

Lucky’s mother, the former Batangas governor, congresswoman and Lipa City Mayor Vilma Santosecto, defended her son

“The truth will prevail,” she said as quoted by veteran host Boy A unda

Earlier, Vilma said his son is helping so many people and not a sca er as alleged

“Tumutulong sya (Luis) at hindi nagsasa antala, il a stressed

Boy Abunda, who hosted Vilma in her celebration of her 60th year in showbusiness, wrote in his Philippine Star column: “Words always fall short when you talk about the love of a other er love for her child is so deep that it is always hard for her to see her child in pain

“As a mother herself, Star for All Seasons Vilma Santos couldn’t control her tears when asked how particularly tough it is for her to see her eldest son Luis Manzano going through a rough patch these days,” oy added

“I’m sorry, Tito Boy,” said Vilma in et een so s It s not easy Mahirap rin kasi na minsan it’s your job to do good, to show people that you’re comfortable but deep inside, you re hurting he only thing I can say is that I no y son Ang ana ko tumutulong, hindi nanloloko,” added il a

Earlier, Abunda also interviewed Vilma in his new GMA show, Fast al ith oy A unda

Abunda recaled that it was several days ago when news came out regarding complaints against Luis for his alleged involvement in a gas station invest ent sca uis vehemently denied the allegation and said that he is also a victi

According to the complainants, Luis introduced himself as the owner and chairman of Flex Fuel, oy A unda recounted uis served as chairman of the board until February 2022 and he further claimed that he was only made chairman of the board of the company because this was one of the guarantees for his invest ent

Vilma, according to Boy, also appealed to people not to judge her son too uic ly ung ga nagsasalita at nanghuhusga sa kanya, dahan-dahan lang ayo alang i ang na akakilala sa anak ko kundi ako and I no he s such a good person

She prays that God continues to guide her fa ily h ord, oh y od At this point, it s ust as ing for guidance not even for myself but for y children

Vilma also made a plea to netizens who are giving negative coments, A o na lang u ag ang ana o, a o na lang

Boy Abunda said Vilma also assured her son not to orry too uch ou ill e fine, ana ara ing nagdadasal sa yo ruth ill prevail Ala ng ga tao yan na tu utulong a ana hindi a nanlolo o I love you, uc y

Vilma, according to Boy, is thankful to her fans, the Vilmanians, who remain loyal all these years and who continue to support her in her endeavors And since she started her

own vlog, her fans now also include illennials aving een around sho business for 60 years, Vi said her love for the craft is the reason for staying long in the industry

“Sobra ang dedication na binigay ko sa trabaho ko bilang actor ince I started at nine years old, my world only revolves around the movie industry ore than half of y life, I dedicated to this industry, naputol lang noong pumasok a o sa puliti a

Vi began her political career in 1998 after being elected as the first o an ayor of ipa City, Batangas and served for three ter s he then on the gubernatorial seat in the same province in 2007 before she served as the first representative of the lone district of Lipa City from 2016 to

Senator seeks abolition of Optical Media Board

The Optical Media Board (OMB) has outlived its purpose and would best be abolished, Senator Jose Jinggoy Ejercito strada said as he filed enate ill o

he significant technological advance ents in the edia landscape rendered the use of video tapes and compact discs o solete oday, ovies and television series are consumed through digital and online platfor s and strea ing services Ang andato na dapat ginagapanan ng OMB ay hindi na makabuluhan o naaayon sa kasalukuyang panahon,” said strada, hi self an actor

In pursuing the legislation of SB 1904 or the proposed Act A olishing he OMB, Created By Virtue of Republic Act , ther ise no n As he ptical edia Act of , And or ther Purposes,” Estrada said the conception and i ple entation of regulatory policies of the oard ere due to the proliferation of fil piracy, ost of hich were illegally circulated and physically stored in optical edia

hese activities greatly a ected the operations of movie houses and theaters,

causing a sharp decline in cine a attendance and su stantial losses to government revenues, the senator said in e plaining the enact ent of A hich reorgani ed the ideogra egulatory Board (VRB) and paved the way for the creation of ai ed at ensuring the protection and pro otion of intellectual property rights strada first roached the idea of abolishing the OMB during last year’s budget deliberations when he suggested the transfer of its functions to other eecutive offices, the il evelop ent Council of the Philippines CP in particular, noting the agency’s dismal perfor ance in the past years here as a steady decline in the estimated value of seized items in the last five years, fro P illion in to P , in Also, no ne ad inistrative cases ere filed against violators of A last year and y o n admission of the OMB, this is because s are not used any ore, he said OMB is literally monitoring and regulating an already obsolete industry, Estrada stressed, pointing out that the

storage medium and devices under the agency’s regulatory control are phased out already

To address the displacement of OMB personnel, Estrada proposed to have

so e of the e a sor ed y the CP, transferred to other agencies, or given separation enefits should they opt to retire fro service eanne ichael Penaranda)

Coco Martin’s scriptless process keeps actors on their toes

“This is why I asked to work with intelligent actors,” said Coco Martin when he was made to share his work ha its as a director, riter, line producer, and lead actor of the ne est action-adventure series, P s atang uiapo Coco eeps his co-actors on their toes y not giving the any script

“I know that many actors are scared of this process or that they find it eird, ut this is hat or s for e I do this because I want to give them complete freedom in terms of creating their characters because I trust them co pletely his is also the reason I get only actors ho are intelligent and good at hat they do, Coco told reporters during a recent edia gathering

“I want my actors to personally work on building their characters ac stories I give the only ullet points during ta es ecause I don t ant to spoonfeed the As the director, I have my vision, and I know how to create it I also ant the to surprise e, he e plained his way, scenes come out more organic, and the actors are ore alert during ta es As a result, they re a le to feel their characters ore

Coco explained that he would simply cue the actors on the topic of a particular scene, inform them as to who ould first thro the lines, then leave the to anter I allo the to e peri ent I feel confident ecause no one no s their characters etter than the ftentimes, I would keep shooting the scenes even though I’m already expected to say ‘cut!’ because that’s when the anter eco es a lot ore natural, Coco said atang uiapo is ased on the action-co edy fil of the sa e title, starring ernando Poe r P and aricel oriano he series tells the adventures of anggol Coco ho rises to e one of the ost notorious outlaws in the neighborhood while he navigates life in uiapo oping to earn the a ection of his parents, his feat dra s hi closer to the truth a out his identity

“The one good thing that we chose to bring from Ang Pro insyano is authenticity his is really Pinoy na Pinoy, in terms of its look and the culture it aims to present to the audience,” said Coco in response to the uestion on ho si ilar, as ell as ho di erent, atang uiapo is to its predecessor

Coco Martin plays Tanggol, a criminal who aspires to i provehis life in P s atang uiapo

Coco Martin plays Tanggol, a criminal who aspires to i prove his life in P s atang uiapo

Broaden, deepen stories

he heroes in the t o stories are totally di erent in personalities Cardo is a police an, hile anggol is a cri inal, an antagonist e re very conscious of these di erences I hope the audience sees our e orts I d actually be sad if I hear anyone say, ‘I’ve already seen this in Ang Pro insyano, he pointed out

Coco said he and his production tea ere also conscious not to get anything fro the ovie version e si ply ade the ovie created y P as our inspiration ven the lead characters are di erent the ovie had aldo, hile this teleserye is all a out anggol Also, ecause this is a teleserye, e have the lu ury of time to broaden, as well as deepen, the stories of the characters,” he explained, adding that, as of now, the sho already features actors It s not i possi le to see the original cast e ers of P s ovie version in future episodes alu evilla, one of the series directors, agreed his pays ho age to P he only thing si ilar a out the fil and the series is that they oth feature a lead character ho aspires to change and i prove his life It s a tri ute to P s ody of or , ut it s fro a di erent creator, Coco, whom we hope the people will come to appreciate, as ell

Ang Pro insyano, hich lasted seven years, currently holds the record for eing the longest-running action-adventure series in the country oes Coco feel pressured to make sure that the new show not only matches the success of the previous, but also surpasses it?

I refuse to feel pressured I si ply ant to en oy a ing the pro ect I elieve that as long as you love and respect your or , it ill ear good fruit hat s hat happened to Ang Pro insyano or this series, e ill let the audience dictate ho long it ill last, he said

Senate honors actor John Arcilla for winning in Venice International Film Festival

By Jeanne Michael Penaranda

PASAY CITY - The Senate has adopted a resolution congratulating and commending Filipino actor Romeo “John” Gonzales Arcilla for winning the coveted Volpi Cup for best actor in the 78th Annual Venice International Film Festival.

Senate Resolution 490 was introduced by Sen. Manuel “Lito” Lapid, an actor himself before he entered politics. All senators were made co-authors of the resolution.

In his resolution, Lapid lauded Arcilla’s win, calling it a “truly outstanding feat that deserves all the recognition and praise.” He said Arcilla is truly one of a select few who won the Volpi Cup which included Brad Pitt, Colin Firth, Liam Neeson, Joaquin Pheoni , avier arde , en A ec and ean Penn

He said the success of Arcilla is a testament to the orld-class talent, s ill and passion of the ilipino, which brings inspiration to aspiring artists and creative individuals in the country.

“Recognizing the achievement of John Arcilla is in accord ith the Constitution s ac no ledge ent of the importance of arts and culture in fostering patriotism and nationalism and in promoting total human liberation and development,” Lapid said.

Arcilla portrayed the character of Sisoy Salas in ri atti s n the o he issing , hich as included in the 78th Venice International Film Fes-

tival held from September 1 to 11 last year. Arcilla agged the olpi Cup for est actor out of fil s fro all over the orld e as the first ilipino to win such prestigious recognition.

a ority eader oel illanueva said Arcilla has not only showcased his acting ability to the world stage ut also raised the ilipino ag and rought great pride and honor to the country.

Sen. Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr., another actor turned politician, said the Philippines has once again been catapulted to the world stage with Arcilla’s win. He said being recognized by the Venice International il estival, considered as the orld s oldest fil fest, was truly an honor. He extolled Arcilla’s acting talent, saying that the olpi Cup is another scar

“Muli napatunayan na naman natin na ang talentong Pinoy ay hindi lamang may puwang sa international inning arena indi nga lang a ipagsaayan, undi angingi a a , said en evilla, r in his sponsorship of Senate Resolution 490 congratulating Romeo “John” Gonzales Arcilla for winning the coveted Volpi Cup for Best Actors in the 78th Annual Venice International Film Festival.

he event is considered the oldest fil festival in the world which aims to raise awareness and promote international cinemas in all its forms. Its past awardees include James Stewart, Burt Lancaster, Albert inney, arcelo astroianni, ac e on, ia

eeson, ean Penn, erard epardieu, en A ec , Brad Pitt, Colin Firth, and Willem Dafoe.

Ang sining at peli ula ay aituturing na ayamanan ng ating bayan. And the talented artists and actors produced by our country may very well be considered as national treasures. John, you give us pride. Ang inyong obra at ang iyong talento ay pruweba na basta Pilipino, tunay na mahusay, tunay na pri era lase , evilla said

Sen. Robin Padilla, also a former actor, said it would be hard to emulate Arcilla’s achievement. He urged fello senators to support the local fil industry in light of Arcilla’s feat.

Actor John Arcilla is honored at the Senate

Vogue celebrates H.E.R.’s talent and beauty as February cover girl

H.E.R, who is Gabriella Sarmiento Wilson in real life and was recently a Manila visitor being proud of her Filipino heritage, explained why the honor holds a significant meaning to her.

“The fact that I’m a Black and Filipino woman on the cover of Vogue. You don’t see people like me on magazine covers, so it’s just amazing to see. I’m so grateful,” she said.

Don’t look now but award winning Filipino American singerperformer H.E.R., a native of San Francisco Bay Area, is on the cover of the Vogue Philippines magazine this February.

The 25-year- old Filam, already with an Oscar trophy for her 2021

Best Song win and several Grammy awards, is thankful to the magazine for making her its cover girl. In gracing the cover of Vogue Philippines’ February edition, she said, in Yong Chavez report on TFC, she marked another milestone in her career.

H.E.R. also became the first lac ilipina Disney princess when she was cast in the lead role of the recent ‘Beauty and the Beast’ TV special. She is likewise part of the cast of the upcoming “‘The Color Purple’ musical fil adaptation, according to the TFC report.

The singer-songwriter who loves sinigang admitted that her concept of beauty as a Black-Filipina has changed over the years.

“I think the standards have changed. I feel like the way that I felt about myself has evolved. And I ve gro n ore confident in my skin and who I am. You have to accept yourself and love yourself, and the rest will follow. Being on the cover is the beginning, I think, of a new era and a new acceptance for what a Filipino woman looks like and what a black and Filipino woman looks like. So this is a huge milestone for me, and I think for little girls everywhere.”

Vogue Philippines, according to Yong Chavez on TFC, celebrated H.E.R. with a Hollywood party, a first for the pu lication that launched its Philippine edition last year.

“It really speaks very well of the talents that we have, of the people behind our culture, the creative arts,

all the talent that we have all over the world,” Rhoda Campos-Aldanese, COO Publisher of Vogue Philippines, said. “This is such a great opportunity for us to showcase. Vogue speaks a lot about optimism. We speak about bayanihan, how we are heroes for each other, and that is what H.E.R. is for us. She will be inspiring a lot of other people in the Philippines as well. And of course we are also proud that we’re out there in the forefront fish shot in ca ana to one her hometown. So we’re really helping push the whole of Philippines in the international platform.”

For actress Yassi Pressman, having someone with a global audience like H.E.R. representing Filipinos is a great thing.

“It makes me feel so proud and so happy to know that more and more people are being educated about our culture and how beautiful we are, and there’s so any di erent ilipinas or ilipinos,” she said. (TFC)

 ENTERTAINMENT

Dolly de Leon, others honored in Malacanang; Marcos vows full support for Filipino artists

ang ating industriya ng sining at pinakikilala ang ating lahi sa buong mundo. Tunay na karapatdapat lamang na pahalagahan ang itinuturing nating kayamanan ng ating lahi at kilalanin ang karangalang dala nito sa ating bayan (As you continue to pursue your original creations, you are promoting the arts industry and introducing the ilipino talent to the orld It is only fitting to honor our Filipino talents and national treasures who bring pride to our country),” Marcos said.

Marcos also urged Filipino artists to continue showcasing the country’s rich culture and heritage.

He also emphasized the importance of investing in the arts industry to boost the country’s economic growth and improve Filipinos’ lives.

“Nagtitiwala ako na kung pauunlarin natin ang industriyang ito, higit tayong makatutulong sa paglago ng ating ekonomiya, at maiangat ang Pilipino saan ang da o ng daigdig I a confident that when we continue to develop this industry, it will help grow our economy and let Filipinos be recognized internationally),” he said.

Kinabalu Award for Best Documentary): The Flight of Banog (Golden Kinabalu Award for Best Indigenous Language Film); Geraldo B. Jumawan (Best Actor); Black Rainbow (Best Short Film); Joaquin Ditan Domagoso (Best Actor); The HeadHunter’s Daughter (Grand Jury Prize); It’s Raining Frogs Outside (International Award); Days of the New (International Competition Grand Prix); and Leonor Will Never Die (World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Award).

The list of awardees under the Music category includes Ryle Custodio, Darwin J. Lomentigar, Rafael Adobas Bayog, Ily Matthew Maniano, Theodore Julius Chua Tan, Adrik Cristobal, Jeanne Rafaella Marquez, Far Eastern University Chorale, Michael Valenciano and Danikka Dy.

MANILA – President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. assured that his administration will provide full support to Filipino artists.

Marcos made the assurance, as he acknowledged their vital role in keeping the country’s culture and creative industries alive.

During the 15th Ani ng Dangal (Harvest of Honors) awarding ceremony held at Malacañan Palace in Manila, Marcos instructed the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) to support ilipino artists ho a e significant contributions to the development and promotion of Philippine arts and culture.

“Makaaasa kayo na kaisa ninyo ang pamahalaan at administrasyong ito sa pagsusulong at pagpapayaman ng ating sining at kultura (You can expect that this administration is with you in promoting and developing our arts and culture),” Marcos told the Filipino artists.

“Tinatawagan ko rin ang Pambansang Komisyon para sa Kultura at mga Sining na gamitin ang lahat ng mayroon tayo upang suportahan at linangin ang ating mga artista at manlilikha na may malaking potensyal sa larangan ng sining (I am also calling on the National Commission for Culture and the Arts to use all the resources that we have to support and cultivate the skills of our artists ho have ig potential in the field of arts , he added.

Ani ng Dangal is the highlight and concluding rites of National Arts Month celebrated every February.

The event honors natural-born Filipino talents who have earned the highest international awards and accolades in the categories of Architecture, Cinema, Dance, Dramatic Arts, Literary Arts, Music, Visual Arts, Folk Arts and Broadcast Arts for the past year.

Marcos lauded the NCCA for holding the annual awarding rites and leading the preservation, development and promotion of Philippine arts and culture.

He also hailed the creativity and outstanding performance of Filipino artists.

“Sa inyong patuloy na paglikha at pagsulong ng ating orihinal na mga katha, pinapa-unlad ninyo

On its 15th year, the Ani ng Dangal has one awardee from Cinema; 10 awardees from Music; four awardees from the Architecture and Allied Arts; four awardees from Dance; three awardees from Visual Arts; and one awardee from Broadcast Arts.

For Cinema, the awardees were Jeric Gonzales (Best Actor); Dolly De Leon (Best Supporting Performer); ‘Di N’yo Ba Naririnig (Golden

The awardees under Architecture and Allied Arts were The Penthouse (Best Residential Interior Apartment); The Galleon Residences Showroom (Best Residential Show Home); Equilateral House (Winner for Innovative Architecture); and Batangas Forest City (Best of the Best for Innovative Architecture.

For Dance, the awardees were Billy Crawford, ELECTRO GROOVERS, Halili-Cruz School of Ballet and Bayanihan.

Albert Reyes, Mariah Zamora, and Froiland Rivera received honors for Visual Arts, while A housand Cuts, a fil y a ona ia , received the honor as the Outstanding Social Issue Documentary.

Investment approvals hit P478 billion in Q4 2022

Zone Authority (PEZA), with investment pledges amounting to PHP101.07 billion, or sharing 21.1 percent of the total approved investments in the last quarter of the previous year, and the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) with total project registration of PHP7.24 billion.

Top three industries with highest approvals were information and communication, with registered projects amounting to PHP198.74 billion; electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply at PHP96.03 billion; and real estate activities at PHP96.01 billion.

Very easy to get a No-Doc Mortgage in 2022

MANILA – The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) on Thursday reported that registered investments both from local and foreign sources in investment promotion agencies (IPAs) improved by 17 percent to PHP478.16 billion in the fourth quarter of from PHP408.54 billion in the same quarter the previous year.

The PSA said these investment projects are expected to generate 37,766 jobs.

The Board of Investments (BOI) registered the largest approvals amounting to PHP366.7 billion, or 76.7 percent of the total investment approvals in October to December.

This is followed by the Philippine Economic

Majority of these investments will be infused in Region 4-A (Calabarzon), getting PHP97.8 billion worth of projects, followed by Region 1 (Ilocos) with PHP89.74 billion projects, and Region (Central Luzon) with PHP41.01 billion projects.

Meanwhile, total approved foreign investments alone increased by 30.1 percent in the fourth quarter of to PHP173.61 billion from PHP133.74 billion in the same period in 2021.

“The bulk of foreign investment commitments for the fourth quarter of was from Singapore (64.2 percent), followed by Japan (21.5 percent), and (the) United Kingdom (5.9 percent). Singapore committed PHP 111.47 billion, while Japan and (the) United Kingdom pledged PHP 37.41 billion and PHP 10.22 billion, respectively,” PSA said.

Believe it, you will still be able to get a no-doc mortgage if you have tricky self-employment income or don’t meet the income requirements of traditional loan programs. A no-doc mortgage (also called a noinco e-verification ortgage or stated-income loan by lenders) requires less paperwork to get approved and may close faster than a fully documented loan, especially if you have complicated ta hese no inco e-verification ortgages co e with extra consumer protections, making them a viable alternative to traditional home loans. No doc cash out loans are going hot now as well.

hat is a no-inco e-verification ortgage

A no-inco e-verification ortgage is a ho e loan that doesn’t require standard income documentation (including pay stubs, W2s or tax returns) for approval. The lender allows you to use other items, such as bank statements, to show that you can repay a mortgage.

No-doc mortgages were more commonly known as stated-income loans before the housing crash of and 2008. These loans were popular for self-employed borrowers, as they could essentially declare the gross income made prior to all the deductions.

How no-doc mortgages work and who they work for o-docu ent ortgage lenders o er a variety of different types of no-doc or low-doc mortgages, depending on your criteria. Below are the most common programs and ho ight enefit fro the

DSCR Loan – Debt Service your rent vs your mortgage payment: Assumably the more used now a days for investors. All they have to do is to make sure the current or future rental amount for the new investment property covers the new mortgage payment by around 110%.

BANK STATEMENT MORTGAGE

Lenders calculate income based on an average of deposits made into your personal or business accounts over a 12- to 24-month period.

Who they’re best for: If you receive deposits on a regular basis that can be easily documented through your bank statements, this may be a good option.

ASSET-BASED MORTGAGES

Also called an asset-depletion loan, lenders qualify you based on up to 100% of your liquid assets divided by your loan term. For example, someone with a $1 million net orth applying for a -year fi ed, asset-depletion loan would have $50,000 per year of qualifying income.

Who they’re best for: Wealthy borrowers with a high net orth ay enefit fro this type of lo -doc ortgage loan Institutional an s ay o er the to custoers with large balances on deposit.

Who they’re best for: Real estate investors with enough cash for high down payments may be able to quickly build a portfolio of investment properties with this type of loan.

Variations of these types of loans include:

hen should you get a no-inco e-verification ortgage ou should consider a no-inco e verification loan if you can’t easily verify your monthly earnings, have complex tax returns or just don’t want the hassle of providing a ton of earnings documentation.

enders analy e self-e ployed inco e di erently from salaried or hourly earnings. Because income isn’t guaranteed, lenders take extra care to verify a borrower’s earnings history, the sta ility of their inco e, ho financially sound their business is and even the demand for the type of service or product that their co pany o ers

o do I get a no-doc ortgage

The term “no-doc mortgage”

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FilAms among athletes to compete in PHL athletics tourney in Isabela

I A A CI , Isa ela ore than 1,000 athletes, including several Filipino Americans, from all over the country and across Asia will compete in the National Open Athletics Championships scheduled from March 21 to 26 at the Ilagan Sports Complex in Isabela.

he tourna ent ill serve as the final qualifying stage for athletes vying for slots in the national team going to the Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games) in Cambodia in May.

he ational pen is highly anticipated because the current members of the national team, including Fil-heritage athletes, will be up against the best local talents and those from Asia. Athletes from the national training pool, collegiate leagues and standouts from the Palarong Pambansa and Batang Pinoy are

also joining,” said Philippine Athletics rac and ield Association PA A A secretary general Edward Kho during the formal launching of the event at the ia ond otel in anila

Also present were Cel Logistics, Inc. assistant vice president Anton Capistrano and executive vice president Fernando Juan Perez; Philippine Racing Co ission and PA A A consultant Reli de Leon; Nestle Philippines, Inc. assistant vice president for Milo Sports Carlo a pan and PA A A national training director Renato Unso.

Kho said athletes from Malaysia, ietna , hailand, Chinese aipei, ri an a and Ira have already confi r ed their participation in the tournament hich o ers points in the orld Athletics rankings.

Except for world No. pole vaulter EJ Obiena, all medalists at the 2022 ietna A a es are oining the National Open.

hey are ilipino-A ericans ric Cray (gold, 400m hurdles), William Morrison III (gold, shot put; bronze, discus throw), Kayla Richardson (gold, 100m; bronze, 200m), Kyla Richardson (silver, 200m), Robyn Brown (bronze, 400m hurdles), and homegrown Clinton Kingsley Bautista (gold, 110m hurdles , oc et delos antos silver, pole vault), Janry Ubas (silver, long u p ron e, decathlon , Aries oledo silver, decathlon , ar arry iones silver, triple u p , Christine allasgo (silver, marathon), Sarah Dequinan (silver, heptathlon), Jelly Dianne Paragile (bronze, 100m hurdles), Joida Gagnao

(bronze, 3000m steeplechase), Evalyn Palabrica (bronze, javelin throw), Alfrence Braza (bronze, 1500m), Melvin Calano (bronze, javelin throw), Sonny Wagdos (5000m); and Edgardo Aljean, Bernalyn Bejoy, Joyme Sequita and Jessel Lumapas (bronze, 4x400m mixed relay).

Fil-Ams Alyana Nicolas (pole vault) and Umajesty Williams (200m and 400m) are also competing in the tournament to be held in Ilagan City for the fourth time. Isabela’s provincial capital also played host fro to

Meanwhile, national team head coach o o Posadas said PA A A ill hold an initial performance trial from Feb. 28 to March at the PhilSports Stadium in Pasig City. (Jean Malanum)

FilAm netter Ruben Gonzales eyes gold medal at Cambodia SEA Game

MANILA – Filipino-American Ruben Gonzales has expressed his commitment to play for the Philippine tennis team in the forthcoming Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Cambodia and is setting his sights on winning the gold medal.

“Yes, I am playing SEA Games and I am always shooting for gold,” the 37-year-old Gonzales said in an online interview.

On Sunday, he reached a career-best doubles ranking of No. 120 after a runner-up finish at the Association of ennis Professionals A P Challenger in anama, Bahrain.

Seeded fourth in the USD125,000 event, Gonzales and Brazilian partner Fernando Romboli bowed to third seeds Patrik Niklas Salminen of Finland and Bart Stevens of the Netherlands, 3-6, 4-6. n their ay to the finals, on ales and o oli defeated oshihide atsui and Kaito Uesugi of Japan, 7-6 (3), 6-7 (7), 10-6; Andrea Arnaboldi of Italy and Alexandre Muller of France, 7-6 (4), 6-2; and top seeds Roman Jebavy of Czech Republic and Jonny O’Mara of the United Kingdom, 7-5, 4-6, 10-5.

“I’m really proud that all my hard or is paying o And this, I have only

played three tournaments this year and already t o finals o ever, there are still a lot of work to do and a lot to improve on. But really grateful for the start of the year that I’ve had,” said Gonzales,

ho poc eted three A P Challenger titles last year.

Playing as the No. seeds at the enerife Challenger in pain last ee , Gonzales and Romboli were eliminated

in the se ifinals y o seeds Andre arris of Australia and Christian arrison of the United States, 2-6, 4-6.

In January, Gonzales and American eese talder reached the final round of the Cleveland Open.

o ever, they lost to A erican oert allo ay and e ican ach erdugo, 3-6, 7-5, 10-6.

I ill play at least A P Challengers before the SEA Games. I will try to prepare as best as I can,” said the 6-footGonzales, who will team up again with talder at the , A P Challenger in Monterrey, Mexico starting on hursday

Gonzales, who was born in Chicago, Illinois and raised in Indiana, has represented the Philippines in major tournaments, such as the Davis Cup, Asian Games, and the SEA Games.

e is a consistent edalist in the A Games, winning the doubles gold with fello il-A reat uey in ietna (2022).

Gonzales also won the doubles silver edal ith uey , anila , rancis Casey Alcantara (2017, Malaysia), and Jeson Patrombon (2015, Singapore).

A A , Ifugao he Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) has chosen the town of Lagawe, the capital of Ifugao province, to host the Women in Sports aro ng ahi fro ay -

PSC Commissioner Olivia “Bong” Coo made an ocular inspection of the venues and held a coordination meeting ith the ffice of Provincial overnor Jerry Dalipog, represented by Executive Assistant I Agustin Calya-en, at the

Provincial Capitol in Lagawe last Friday.

“Ifugao would like to strengthen their five regular sports, and e ould li e to help them,” Coo said in a press statement.

“Majority of the games will be played by women and girls as we want to increase the number of female athletes and discover new talents to be part of our national training pool,” the PSC’s lone lady commissioner and a Philippine bowling icon.

“We are happy that the PSC came here with regards to the program of Commissioner ong Coo he Province of Ifugao is really preparing for big events this year, with the PSC’s help and assistance especially the sports equipment, that’s what Gov. Dalipog want to improve our sports sports program,” Calya-en said after the coordination meeting.

Ifugao has proposed for the inclusion muay, weightlifting, boxing, taekwondo

and wrestling to further develop its grassroots sports program.

en indigenous ga es, including guyyudan, kadang-kadang sa bao, dopap dimanuk, munbayu and uggub will also be a part of the competition.

he P C ill have an align ent eeting with the Ifugao workforce like the local secretariat, medical, security and officiating tea s in April to ensure the smooth conduct of the Laro ng Lahi.

SEA GAMES BOUND. Filipino-American Ruben Gonzales prepares to serve during the Cleveland Open in this undated photo. Gonzales has expressed his commitment to play for the Philippine tennis team in the forthco in outheast Asian EA a es in a o ia an is se n his si hts on winnin the gold medal. (Contributed photo)

API Council fetes...

(From Page 1)

San Francisco. Using vehicles of policy/advocacy, research/data and partnership has leveraged relationships, partnerships, and political po er to ena le the API Council to e the go-to API counseling entity for policy a ers, ad inistrators and elected officials in the city and beyond.

Held at China Live restaurant in San Francisco that brought together individuals representing communities Congresswoman Pelosi has supported, the Council recognized “the good Congresswoman from San Francisco’s accomplishments and continued commitment to serve the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander AA PI comunity.”

In a state ent, the Council has seen over the last two years the AA PI co unity reach ne heights advocating for our rights in San Francisco, overcame challenges hen C I - struc and in the a e of historic increases in AAPI hate cri es

hey ac no ledged, ho ever, that they did not a e strides in our ove ent alone as these e orts ere supported by the vibrant unity of collaborators, community members, sponsors li e Congress o an ancy Pelosi.

In holding the event, the API Council also extended its sincerest gratitude to Congresswoman Pelosi “for her commitment to heralding AA PI causes fro the local to federal level—spanning numerous milestones in advancing economic recovery, healthcare access, community development, and social justice.”

“For decades, she has represented an rancisco s th istrict ith the interests of our AA PI co unities in ind uring her ti e in office, Congress o an Pelosi opened dialogues that cha pioned AA PI causes on the political agenda—developing conversations on issues involving poverty, displacement, and social in ustice hese e orts have not gone unnoticed hey spea volumes about Congresswoman Pelosi’s close relationship and engagement ith the AA PI co unity and the Council, the API Council said in a statement.

uring her tenure as the pea er of the U.S. House of Representatives, our members and community mem-

bers have witnessed the transformative up ringing of AA PI issues to the forefront of American politics. The unprecedented level of antiAA PI violence left any of our community members feeling vulnerable in public spaces. As we banded together to present a united front against the rise of AA PI hate, Congresswoman Pelosi was active in helping our organizations and community members navigate through a period of fear and uncertainty with optimism and growth,” the group added.

API Council also cited Pelosi s unwavering commitment to the safety of our community was empowering and instrumental in passing policy solutions, such as the C I - and the Hate Crimes Act.

“As businesses in our cultural districts were challenged by econo ic urdens due to C I - , Congresswoman Pelosi demonstrated her understanding of the pandemic’s impact toward our cultural districts y eeting ith API Council to allocate funds to preserve Japantown and as the first Congress e er to visit San Francisco Chinatown during the pandemic and we The Council is delighted to cele rate her or ith our e ers and sponsors, the API Council statement continued.

he API Council is a - e er coalition of nonprofit organi ations in San Francisco that ensure that underserved Asian Pacific Islanders needs are visibly engaged, addressed and represented in policies, research and data collection, and equitable funding allocations to advance overall healthy communities to enhance and shape San Francisco’s continued vibrant evolution.

Collectively, the organizations serve appro i ately , APIs annually he API Council unites all the neighborhoods of San Francisco, ethnic communities and issue areas, to promote fair, inclusive and meaningful engagement of underserved APIs to strengthen the vi rancy of

he Asian Pacific Islander Council is the largest coalition of APIserving community organizations for ed in an rancisco he API Council was formed in response to the lac of racial and econo ic ustice and e uity for underserved APIs in San Francisco. Through coalition development, research, and advocacy over the past years, API Council has protected and grown resources at the city-budget appropriations level for underserved API co unities y - illion per year to support core services along ith API constituency engagement

As its ission, the API Council advocates for equitable resources that improve the quality of life for San Francisco’s underserved Asian Pacific Islander residents and ould e

the premier voice on behalf of Asian Pacific Islanders, API Council believes that all residents should have access to programs and services that e po er the to a e choices that improve their standard of living.

API Council also ai s to e a leader on behalf of San Francisco’s API residents, ensuring their needs are prioritized and represented in policies, research, and data collection. We advocate for equitable funding allocations to foster healthy communities that contribute to San Francisco’s vibrant culture.

ocial ecurity p ate

SOCIAL SECURITY’S TOP 5 DATA PRIVACY RESOURCES

By G. Samson ocial ec rity blic airs pecialist in the ay rea

It is i portant that you stay safe online. When we collect your personal information, we are committed to protecting your privacy. Please review these data privacy resources:

A great online resource is ssa.gov/myaccount. You can visit this page to open a secure my Social Security account, eep trac of your earnings record, and identify any suspicious activity.

2. Our Privacy Program page at www.ssa.gov/privacy is a central resource to learn about our Privacy Compliance Program, submit a Privacy Act request, and review our privacy policies and reports.

In our log post, ays to Protect our Personal Infor ation, e cover steps you and your loved ones can ta e

to protect personal data ou can chec out this log at log ssa gov - ays-toprotect-your-personal-information.

4. Our fact sheet, How You Can Help Us Protect Your Social Security u er and eep our Infor ation Safe, provides details to safeguard your private information. You can access this fact sheet at ssa gov pu s -pdf ur uard our Card infographic at www.ssa.gov/ssnumber/assets/EN- pdf helps you and your loved ones understand when you need to show your physical Social Security card – and when you do not.

We encourage you to help protect your vital information. Please share these resources with your loved ones.

AP ouncil o cers an e ers with pea er Nancy Pelosi

Radyo Agila DZEC 1062khz Secures Number 1 Spot in Afternoon Block Ratings

In the latest Nielsen survey for radio ratings in Mega Manila, Radyo Agila DZEC 1062khz emerged as the top-rated AM radio station for the afternoon block on weekdays for January 2023. The station secured the highest ratings in its afternoon block, which includes various programs such as Serbisyo ng Agila, Eagle in Action, Siyento Porsiyento, and Bantay Lansangan.

Serbisyo ng Agila, which airs from 2pm to 3pm, is a public service program hosted by Glen Gatus that aims to help the public navigate the complexities of the bureaucracy. Eagle in Action, on the other hand, is a commentary program on current issues that runs from 3pm to 4pm, hosted by Allan Hobrero. Siyento Porsiyento, a newscast delivered with wit and humor, airs from 4pm to 5pm, and is hosted by Gen Subadiaga. Meanwhile, Bantay Lansangan tackles air, sea, and land travel, and is hosted by Glen Gatus and Ariel Fernandez. It airs from 5pm to 6pm.

During the weekends, Radyo Agila DZEC 1062khz also secured the top spot in ratings for several of its pro-

grams. On Saturdays, Edu Aksyon, hosted by Laila Tumanan and airing from 11am to 12nn, earned the number 1 spot in ratings. Radyo Agila sa Amerika, hosted by Don Orozco, followed at 12nn to 1pm, while Gitara, which runs from 1pm to 1:30pm, also secured the top spot. On Sundays, Gitara also topped the ratings from 10am to 11am, while Kantahanan Na, a sing~along radio program that runs from 12nn to 1pm, also garnered the highest ratings.

Nelson Lubao, the station manager of Radyo Agila DZEC 1062khz, expressed gratitude towards their listeners for making the station number 1 in the afternoon block. “We are honored to receive such a positive response from our listeners, and we are committed to delivering informative and quality programs to our audience,” he said.

This recent achievement follows the station’s thirdplace ranking for the whole year of based on the Nielsen survey in Mega Manila.

Overall, Radyo Agila DZEC 1062khz continues to provide high-quality programs that cater to the needs and interests of their listeners. With the recent achievement, the station remains committed to providing excellent service and programming to the public.

No Tolerance for Intolerance: Law Enforcement Vets Explore Strategies to Combat Hate Crimes

By ar e in

cluded stints as Long Beach police chief after almost 30 years ith AP , and as A County sheri fro - , overseeing 18,000 employees and a $3.3 billion budget, attributed some of the near-doubling of hate crime reports in the past decade to in a atory leaders and unchec ed social media that “encourages people who can hide in the dark” to anonymously spew hate encouraging and rewarding like-minded others for “something very hurtful to our community.”

“That lack of accountability, I think, separates where we are today from where we were 20 years ago, as it relates to hate crimes in particular, but other crimes and aberrant behavior as well,” he said.

Doris Trinidad Gamalinda, poet, essayist, and editor of several national publications, died on Monday, February 13, 2023, in Manila. She was 95.

Doris Trinidad, as she is known in journalism and literary circles, is the mother of Marisse Gamalinda-Abelgas, former editor of the Philippine Post and Hiyas Magazine, and mother-in-law of Val G. Abelgas, publisher-editor of the Los Angeles-based Philippine Post. She is also the mother of award-winning New York-based poet, novelist and journalist Eric Gamalinda.

Born Adoracion Trinidad on November 15, 1927, to school teacher Aurora Cañizares and lawyer Jesus Trinidad, she obtained her bachelor’s degree in Philosophy, summa cum laude, from the University of Santo Tomas, where she was also Assistant Literary Editor of The Varsitarian. She also attended high school at the Holy Ghost College (later College of the Holy Spirit) and was

Valedictorian at Legarda Elementary School, a few steps from her ancestral home in Sampaloc, Manila.

She began her writing career as a section editor for the Manila Times until its closure during

Martial Law in 1972, and later worked as associate editor for Focus Manazine, editor of the Times Journal’s People Magazine and the Journal’s lifestyle editor. In 1980, she oined the sta of the ational edia Production Center, and a year later became editor-in-chief of Woman’s Home Companion, during which time she turned the magazine into the most widely circulated lifestyle magazine in the country.

She retired in 1995 and devoted her later years pursuing her first love riting and rapidly pu lished a succession of books, including Looking Glass (essays, New Day Publishers, 1991); Permutations of Love (essays, Anvil Publishing, he ay of the iracle essays, ira e oo s, ysteries and e ories essays, ira e oo s, and o and ifeti es Ago poetry, ira e oo s, he also published Two Voices (poetry, University of Santo Tomas Publishing House, 2012 ) with Gloria G. Goloy. In addition, her poems were also included in the anthology Babaylan (Aunt Lute Books, San Francisco, 2000).

The ACT Against Hate Alliance brought together some heavy hi�ers fro law enforce ent to iscuss strate ies for co a n the recent rise in hate cri es.

As the United States experiences an escalating wave of hate crimes, particularly victimizing Asian Americans, ACT Against Hate Alliance brought together some heavy hitters from law enforcement to discuss strategies for combatting this alarming trend.

“The core mission of the ACT Against Hate Alliance is to identify the root causes behind hate crimes, and propose solutions to stop the , co-host o u , for er California state senate minority leader, said in introducing the Feb. panel, the sixth in a monthly series the organization is hosting while also opening chapters on campuses throughout the state.

“We’re all stakeholders,” said Domingo Herraiz, of the International Association of Chiefs of Police. “When an incident or hate crime occurs, it truly rocks the community and the credibility of government and policing agencies. The sense of safety for all in the community is badly damaged.

“If the investigation falls apart, if there’s no prosecution, no charges, e have long-ter , long-lasting e ects and devastation to the community.

“We need to speak up, because we are the majority and we cannot tolerate this. We weren’t raised this way. Very, very few people were.”

Jim McDonnell, whose decades in law enforcement in-

He cited improvements in data collection thanks to a new “NIBR” (National Incident Based Reporting) system that will improve coordination between various law enforcement agencies and jurisdictions. Besides leading to a more complete picture of what is widely believed to be an underreported crime phenomenon, he said, NIBR is expected to make it easier to identify trends and capture specifics a out individual cri es

“We have a relatively small number of people in our society who would engage in this type of behavior,” he said. “So, it’s important that those in law enforcement be aware of ho those individuals are, hat groups they re affiliated with, and how they operate.”

“We dedicate a ton of resources to hate crimes,” said FBI Special Agent Brian Gilhooly, who oversees criminal investigations across seven southern California counties, dealing with gangs, narcotics, violent crime, hate crime, public corruption, crimes against children and fraud.

“It’s not only an attack on a victim. It has a huge impact on the entire community, which is why it’s a priority for the FBI.”

“It’ll take a team to really make an impact on this threat, the for er avy A officer in the iddle ast and Pacific regions said, and here in os Angeles, e are one of the only field offices that has an entire s uad dedicated to investigating hate crimes.”

There is “is a button for tips and leads” on the FBI website, Gilhooly said. “We can use that information to better prepare our law enforcement or intelligence analysts, our victim specialists or our language specialists to address

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Mysteries and Memories was awarded Book of the Year by the Manila Writers Circle. In his introduction to the book, F. Sionil Jose noted “the felicity of language that only a poet can muster, the depth of perception and the illumination that clear thinking brings.”

Eugenia Duran-Apostol, in her introduction to Permutations of Love, said: “She rises above mere journalese and ends up enchanting you with single-topic literary musings, many of them poems-in-the-rough, almost-poems, not-quite-poems, unmetered poems. For by nature, Doris is a poet.”

Her alma mater UST also honored her with the Ustetika Award in 2006 and Philets Owl Award in 2010.

Doris Trinidad’s work explored the interconnectedness of writing, personal history, and memory, placing great value on the significance of fa ily, friendships, art and literature, spirituality, and even politics and personal loss. Throughout her life, she remained a relentless student of the great metaphysical mysteries and the quest for God and meaning, and of being and becoming.

She wrote: “I will just remind you of the treasures that might be lying in your own mind, buried for years by layers of more pressing, more recent experiences. Find a quiet corner and a restful moment to coax them out. They are part of what you are.”

Doris Trinidad Gamalinda was married to the late Marcial Gamalinda, Jr., and the mother of eight children, Marcial III (“Bunny”); Marisse Abelgas; Marco; Celine Borromeo; Eric; Diana; Marvin; and Miel Lanting. Her siblings included the late Agnes olosa, for erly ean of tudent A airs at the College of the Holy Spirit, and the late Dr. Juvenal Trinidad of the UST Faculty of Medicine. She leaves behind 14 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.

Her remains will lie in estate at St. Peter’s Memorial Chapels in Quezon City starting Feb. 16 and will be interred on Feb. 19 at Loyola Memorial Park.

Making Public Transit Safer — A ‘Massive Intersection of Crises’

By Peter hite

People don’t want to ride public transit for fear of being harassed like Esther Lee was on a New York subway October 21, 2021. Lee, 41, is a Korean American. She was insulted, spit on, and called “a f***g carrier.” he fil ed -seconds of the ugly encounter on her cell phone. Nobody came to her aid and at 42nd St. Lee got out and switched cars.

Lee reported the incident to New York’s Hate Crime Unit, but Deputy Inspector Jessica Corey told her she had escalated the situation y fil ing it and since the man didn’t use an Asian slur, there was no evidence of a hate crime. However, two months later a Civilian Review Panel saw the video and labeled Lee’s case a hate crime. Then she went public to a local TV station.

“If cases like mine were not being labeled as a hate crime, that meant that many more similar incidents were being mislabeled and dismissed,” Lee said.

Peter Kerre founded Safe Walks NYC in January 2021. He created an Instagram page, setting up a program of volunteers to walk with people to and from transit stops in Brooklyn. In May 2021 Safe Walks expanded to cover anhattan elo th t

“Communities were eager for public safety solutions that did not involve law enforcement. Safe Walks was a great fit, especially for o en of color, any of ho reported having negative interactions with the New York Police Department,” Kerre said.

Third, all the homeless who are in crisis due to unemploy ent and financial hardships, and then there is the “elephant in the room”: a breakdown in trust between law enforcement and the community.

hey ve een ooding the e or su ays with a massive police presence, increasing surveillance cameras and extracting the unhoused and unwell folks from the transit system but there’s been no indication of what’s being done with them. Many times they end up back within the subway system.”

Collecting data on ridership, ethnicity, and gender

ing Safety Increasing Ridership’ and introduced it February 13. A former law professor who specialized in an ing and housing policy, in has testified si times before Congress on these issues.

“There’s a saying in academia that the plural of anecdote is data, and so we need hard data at this point if we want to develop solutions. What this would do is to give a voice to the millions of transit riders throughout the State of California,” he said.

Once we have that data, then we can start to develop solutions, Min says.

Janice Li is Board President of the Bay Area Rapid Transit System (BART). Her day job is with Chinese for Affir ative Action, a an rancisco- ased organization that has led Asian American civil rights advocacy for ore than years

Li says BART’s pre-COVID riders made 430,000 trips on an average ee day and ade up of Bart’s operating costs, about $1 billion/yr. But during the lockdowns ridership dropped to four percent and has since re ounded to ust of hat it as e ill not continue to e ist if e cannot find ne revenue streams,” Li says.

BART’s average rider has changed. Two-thirds are non-white, one third are in households with incomes under , , and don t o n cars or the oring poor of the Bay Area, BART is an essential mode of transportation.

“BART knows that in order to bring back riders, we must continue to prioritize safety. I am proud of the many new initiatives that we launched over the past three years, including our BART ambassador program, bathroom attendants, elevator attendants, and crisis intervention specialists,” Li said.

Making people feel safe means putting more BART personnel in our stations, at our platforms, and riding trains throughout our -station syste spanning five Bay Area counties, she says.

BART has two new initiatives Not One More Girl, which is a youth-led campaign to address genderbased harassment and violence on BART, and Let’s Talk About Us, an art campaign to bring visibility to domestic violence in AAPI communities.

During an Ethnic Media Services press call last week, Kerre told reporters that in most cases victims were alone. “Not only in the subway but walking from the subway or walking elsewhere in the city,” he said.

“So simply having an extra person with you will a e a very ig di erence erre said if people feel unsafe, a volunteer can ride with them on the subway.

However, it has not solved “the massive intersection of crises” that are at the root of the problem and everpresent on New York subways, says Kerre.

First of those: all the hate crimes mainly targeting the Asian A erican and Pacific Islander co unity (AAPI). Second, all the mentally ill people on the street.

no Tolerance...

these important issues.”

(From page 24)

“Most people set the bar relatively high for reaching out to law enforcement,” Gilhooly added, “thinking that they might need to actually have some physical violence.” But, to enable better understanding of community dynamics and to target investigations on the orst o enders, he said, “Harassment and other forms should also be reported to law enforcement.”

And perhaps “not commonly known,” he said, are other resources available, primarily to victims, that include community outreach specialists “who speak all manners of foreign languages.

For cultural understanding, he said, “being able to com-

ould help define the pro le ut so far e or officials haven t done that li e in California

“What Senate Bill 434 would do is require that California’s top 10 largest public transit systems collect data from their passengers on the problem of harassment and uncomfortable behavior,” says California State Senator David Min. Min, the only Kirean American in the California Senate, is Vice Chair of the California Asian and Pacific Islander API egislative Caucus.

in na ed the ill Pu lic ransit for All I prov-

unicate in so eone s first language a es it a little it easier to tal a out so e difficult pro le s

More accountability for perpetrators of hate crimes

Walt Allen, Covina mayor pro-tem and a 46-year law enforcement veteran, who helps oversee police training for police recruits throughout southern California, also described a need to do more to hold people accountable for their actions, something he felt has diminished in recent years.

“If people are not held accountable, you’re going to have continuous behavior. We need to set an example for those people who do wrong and hold them to the letter of the law.”

He described a new emphasis in police training on investigating hate crimes and dealing empathetically with its

“These campaigns are creative and engaging ways for our riders to learn what they can do if they witness these situations happening and resources if they are victims or survivors themselves,” Li said.

Cri e on A trains is do n to cri es per million trips. There were two homicides at the 24th St. Mission station last year. “Both times they were conicts that happened in the neigh orhood at the street level, where the victims ended up escaping into our underground system,” Li said.

She says what’s needed is more community-based resources to address homelessness, drug addiction, and mental health crises.

victims, and said he has high hopes for the recently enacted CARE act, state Senate Bill 1338, that begins to address the needs of people diagnosed as severely mentally ill.

“Severe mental health issues are a driving force behind violent crime in California,” he stated.

“If you tolerate it, you encourage it,” said Denton Carlson, police chief in the northern California city of San Ramon, whose department was able to rapidly respond to and defuse some incidents over the holidays late last year.

“If you don’t take actions to stop it, it’s just going to eep occurring and ourish

“You often hear people say that ‘hey, somebody should do something about that,” Herraiz said. “Well, we’re all somebody who can step up and play a role in our own way in a ecting hat happens in the future

The rash of hate crimes, growing numbers of homeless and mentally ill, and a lack of trust in law enforcement have led to ore unsafe con i�ons on pu lic transit.

Esther Lee who was a�ac e on the New Yor su way syste etails her experience an the police epart ent s failure to appropriately han le her case.

afe al s NY foun er Peter erre says that y si ply acco panyin a person who woul otherwise e alone afe al s has alrea y a e a i ifference in eepin New Yor ity transit ri ers safe.

Music Peace Festival Held in Cotabato City to Mark Bangsamoro Foundation Day

COTABATO CITY—In celebration of the Bangsamoro Foundation Day, the We Are One Music Peace Festival was held at the Cotabato State University (CSU) Gymnasium on January 26, 2023.

Around , students fro di erent schools and youth organizations attended the music peace festival to call for the cessation of wars around the world including Ukraine and Russia.

Guest performers including famous YouTuver and singer, Mikey Bustos, hyped up the youth with their performances and stage presence. Korean ‘oppa’ singers Aiden and Jin also surprised the audiences when they sang Tagalog songs.

Bangsamoro youth sang along with Samraida, “Queen of Moro Songs” and Nisha Bedaña of Idol Philippines Season Top 10, and rock ‘n rolled with local bands, The Genremen Band and The Hauz Band.

In attendance also was a peace activist who has advocated peacebuilding in Mindanao, Lee Man-hee,

Chairman of Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light (HWPL).

“I was here before and we walked together with students for peace. Let us all become peace messengers. So, let’s achieve peace without war in our time and make it a legacy for future generations,” he said.

This event was organized by Kutawato Greenland Initiatives (KGI), a non-partisan civil society organization that is committed to foster a suitable environment for sustain-

able development with peace, justice and equality by providing services to the vulnerable and marginalized sectors of the community. It is also participated by its peace partners, HWPL, International Women’s Peace Group (IWPG), International Peace Youth Group (IPYG), Volunteer Individuals for Peace (VIP), BARMM Government, City Government of Cotabato and SPIN Media PH.

On the following day, the HWPL-VIP Peace Monument was unveiled at the school grounds of CSU. Dr. Sema Dilna, University President of CSU, and Dr. Ronald L. Adamat, Commissioner of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) both attended the unveiling ceremony and expressed their support for the continuous peace e orts eing conducted for the students in the university as symbolized by the peace monument.

Sanctuary for Healing: State-of-the-Art Mental Health Center to Bring Critical Services Closer to Home for County Residents

SANTA CLARA COUNTY, Calif. – Community memers, healthcare leaders, County supervisors and sta on ednesday cele rated the ground rea ing of a first-of-itskind facility in the South Bay: a state-of-the-art Behavioral ealth Center that ill o er ental health services close to home for children, adolescents and adults.

“This is the kind of acute care facility we’ve long needed in Santa Clara County for young people in crisis a sanctuary where they can safely begin to heal, close to home,” said County Supervisor Joe Simitian, who chairs the County’s ealth and ospital Co ittee and ho first proposed the new facility in June 2015. “It’s clearly better for these kids to be close to their community when they’re in crisis close to their family, their friends, and their own local health mental health providers. This is about troubled teens at risk of doing damage to themselves or others; this is about families, struggling through the hardest thing they’ll ever face, and being torn apart at precisely the time they need to be together. This goes to the heart of community health and wellness.”

he ne center ill include the first County-operated inpatient facility specifically for children and adolescents in need of ehavioral health care as ell a separate oor for adults – with inpatient and outpatient medical and psychiatric care, emergency psychiatric services, intake and assessment, crisis care, and urgent care.

“It will be an absolute boon to some of the County’s most vulnerable young people, allowing them to receive care close to home, close to loved ones,” said Board of Supervisors President Susan Ellenberg. “This new, higher level of care and support in one place will go far in providing the best outcomes for the people we serve.”

The groundbreaking event on Wednesday signaled the official start of construction on the illion Child, Ado-

lescent, and Adult Behavioral Health Services Center on the SCVMC campus in San José. The new 207,000 sq. ft. facility is expected to be completed by fall 2025.

“This truly is a dream long in the making,” said Paul Lorenz, CEO of Santa Clara Valley Healthcare. “This is an example of how we achieve our goal of providing better health for all. It will increase access to care by making so many services available under one roof with state-of-the-art design and e uip ent And it ill o er etter value and service through early interventions that can help avoid hospitalization during long-term care.”

Rovina Nimbalkar, Executive Director of the Santa Clara County chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, called the center a welcome and crucial new advancement for mental health treatment in the South Bay.

“This new center provides something that NAMI’s members have long looked forward to – easier access to lifechanging services,” Nimbalkar said. “Now our youth can get the help they need close to home, close to the support networks they have and need to achieve better mental health.”

Currently, access to child and adolescent inpatient psychiatric facilities in Santa Clara County is limited. The new facility ill provide the first County-operated acute inpatient care for an underserved population. For many years, children and adolescents who needed short-term psychiatric hospitalization have been sent to facilities as far away as Alameda, Contra Costa, Solano, and even Sacramento counties, far from the support of family, caregivers, and their own behavioral care team.

“Separating these kids from their families at one of the toughest times in their lives, that’s just hell on them. I’m worried, frankly, that the specter of long-distance treatment currently deters kids and families from seeking the help they

need in the first place, said upervisor i itian

When the Board approved the construction of the new center in 2017, 689 Santa Clara County youth were admitted to out-of-area psychiatric hospitals, staying for an average of six days in facilities often far away from home.

The future facility will be unique in that it will house multiple programs under one roof, providing one centralized location to support the needs of everyone who relies on the County for this level of care. The center will consolidate and integrate behavioral health services now provided elsewhere throughout the Santa Clara Valley Medical Center campus into a new building with:

in-patient eds, including eds for children and beds for adolescents

Emergency Psychiatric Services for children and adolescents

Mental Health Urgent Care for children and adolescents

adult inpatient psychiatric eds and services, ergency Psychiatric Services, and Urgent Care Services in a separate, secured part of the building

A pharmacy

A new parking structure

About the County of Santa Clara Health System

The County of Santa Clara Health System is the secondlargest County-owned health and hospital system in California and is committed to improving the health of the 1.8 million residents of Santa Clara County. As an integrated health care system, the Health System comprises Santa Clara Valley Healthcare’s public hospitals and clinics, Behavioral Health Services Department, Public Health Department, Custody Health, Emergency Medical Services (EMS), and Valley Health Plan.

uture facility will offer inpa�ent ental health treat ent to chil ren an a olescents who previously ha to travel far away fro ho e an their co unity of support to receive care

Offline

(From Page 13)

The Duterte and Macapagal-Arroyo clans will be allowed to take some of the spoils, but only if they play nice.

I strongly suspect that the way the Marcos/Romualdez clan intends to perpetuate themselves in power is through a shift to a parliamentary form of government, thanks to the 2023/23 con con.

How’s this for a worst-case scenario: Sandro Marcos as prime minister for the next 20 years, to be followed by a yet unborn Romualdez. In the meantime, one of GMA’s or Digong’s kids may hold the position for a short spell or two.

Let there be no doubt. The great con is on, and everything that is happening is intended to replace a constitution that has been working ell enough since it as ratified in

My dirty mind tells me that cha cha is another way that Marcos Junior wants to erase as many vestiges of the rule of Cory and later Noynoy Aquino as possible.

The plan stinks to high heaven.

As the people remember the Edsa Revolution this week, it is worth asking if it was all worth it. The Marcoses are back and they have every intention of staying in power for the rest of their days. Soon enough, People Power will be erased from the history books.

By comparison, the presidency was thrust upon Cory and Noynoy. They did not lust for power, but only accepted the challenge that was forced on them.

In y ritings, I usually refer to the People Po er evolution as a revolt, an unfinished revolution verything that has happened since Leni Robredo was the victim of massive cheating in last year’s elections says that the Philippines may indeed be facing the bleakest future imaginable.

The Philippines now has a president who has not paid his taxes, who travels whenever the itch hits him, who gives speeches at even the ost insignificant event, ut ho has produced little e cept to invite praise for his non-existent accomplishments.

A con con filled ith no -nothing relatives of elected govern ent officials ho sold their souls to the devil years ago pro ises that the Philippines’ weak democracy will not last.

No no no to the Con Con con. Too much is at stake if it pushes through.

As I See It

(From Page 12)

a separate co panies sa revenue cli ore than percent from the same six-month period a year earlier.”

For Platten’s, “I don’t think we were really measuring it in terms of profita ility, ain right said hat s not really it for us e anted to measure it in productivity. And actually, the productivity has gone through the roof.”

The report also found: “For all those who participated in the trial, there as a drop in the li elihood of e ployees uitting, do n percent compared with the same period a year earlier, as well as those calling out sic , do n percent fro a year ago Isn t this great f the co panies that participated in the trial, percent reported they would continue with the four-day workweek, with 30 percent saying it’s a permanent change. That includes Platten’s, which said it’s sticking with the model permanently.

Charlotte oc hart, co-founder and anaging director of ay Week Global, said “resounding success” of the U.K. pilot program mirrors earlier e orts in Ireland and the

According to Courtney Bonne, Associated Press, with the success of the -day or ee in , he four-day or ee ust eca e a reality for dozens of companies across the U.S. and Canada, at least for the next several months.”

he idea is that e ployees or of the ti e for of the pay and aintain productivity It co es do n to or ing ore efficiently, including cutting ac on unnecessary eetings

Qualtrics survey, a cloud-software vendor, found that employees are also enthusiastic a out the idea In fact, a hopping of or ers are in favor of the shortened workweek, the survey revealed.

Some U.S. companies already have a four-day workweek as part of their policies, so this will just justify their existence in the world market, right?

Uncharted CEO Banks Benitez also saw a reduction in work stress and burnout after instituting the shortened week in 2020. “There are so many parts of the workweek that are just a waste of time,” he said.

It has een a great forcing function for us to thin di erently, li e taking a smaller suitcase on vacation,” he added. “We have to make trade-o s

The boost in employee morale also can help companies retain and attract employees.

Research from Robert Half, an employment agency, shows a large a ority of anagers support a four-day or ee for their tea he data sho s e pect their co pany to transition to one ithin the ne t five years

According to Chris Pandolfo, o usiness, ore than copanies tried a four-day work-week and results sho hy are keeping it.”

So, is the US ready for a fourday-work-week? If some companies already implemented this concept on a trial basis, why not continue with it? Now, they are more or less assured of stability, having contented employees, lesser turn-over of employees, while yielding more investments/income

for them.

The companies that participated found that shorter work week improves e ployees ell- eing efore and after data sho ed that of e ployees reported feeling less stressed, hile had reduced levels of burnout at the end of the trial. Surveyed employees said they also felt less anxious, less fatigued and were sleeping better.

A well-meaning part of the report said that “administrative data from the participating co panies sho ed that revenues rose y on average, weighted by company size, during the trial period. When compared to a similar period from previous years, organizations with a shorter work ee actually reported revenue increases of on average hich the study authors said indicated healthy growth at the same time there was a reduction in work.”

So, as companies report strong productivity levels, the four-daywork-week trend is gaining popularity. Survey of management sowed that support a -day schedule he data sho s a e pect their co pany to transition to one ithin the ne t five years o ert alf Fox News)

Data also showed employees were much less likely to leave the companies that participated in the trial progra , ith sta losses dropping y in the si - onth trial period

“Results are largely steady across workplaces of varying sizes, demonstrating this is an innovation which works for many types of organizations,” said Professor Juliet Schor of Boston College, the lead researcher. Some employees enjoyed the change so much they said keeping the e tra day o each ee ould e ore i portant than a raise ifteen percent of employees said that no amount of money would induce them to return to a five-day schedule

If the results are good and eneficial to oth the e ployees and the companies, why not, right?

Ken Go

perience.

The United States and the United Kingdom leased from Boeing its huge C lo e aster transport aircraft to rapidly deploy troops and equipment.

India, a regional power in South Asia, has been leasing nuclearpowered submarines from Russia and has been talking to South Korea to lease minesweeper vessels.

The Philippines can explore lend-lease arrangements with allies, like the United States, to upgrade its navy and air force faster and cheaper. The United States knows the Philippines needs modern equipment to share the burden of keeping peace and stability in this part of the world.

It could take advantage of the Lend-Lease Act signed by President Biden in May last year. The Philippines has been designated as a major non-NATO ally, like Israel, Egypt and Jordan. It should get a lion’s share of the foreign military sales credit Washington allocates to its allies and partners every year.

ast year, the pro ised illion in ilitary aid ut this is not enough given the threats it faces from a bully in the neighborhood. The Philippines’ defense forces are so puny that they cannot deter China.

Raising the military aid to $500 million to allow the Philippines to lease fighters, I A , and transfer at a give-a ay price Cyclone-class Patrol ships and C heavy-lift transport planes would be enough to energize the armed forces.

It’s about time the Philippine military looked into del Rosario’s proposal to modernize the military through lease arrangements. It might be the answer to the country’s problem of a delayed modernization program.

(Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Manny Mogato wrote this column originally for PressOne.Ph)

Health & Wealth

(From Page 20)

doesn’t mean lenders make loans to just anyone. In fact, no-docu entation ortgage lenders o ering the loans ust a e a good faith e ort to sho you can repay the loan hat eans they ll as for other proof you can a ord the pay ents elo are four co on re uire ents for no-inco e-verification mortgages.

A C I o-inco e-verification ortgage programs generally require a higher credit score than a regular loan with income documents.

2. MAKE A LARGE DOWN PAYMENT. The down payment ini u on no-doc ortgage loans usually starts at ut in so e cases they ill allo do n

3. EXPECT HIGHER INTEREST RATES. Lenders may charge higher rates than you’d pay for a regular mortgage to cover the higher risk of forgoing documentation.

P CA PA A hether it s an statement deposits, rents on an investment property you’re buying or a large stockpile of assets, lenders need proof you have the resources to make monthly payments on your loan.

Are you eligi le for a govern ent- ac ed, no-doc refinance o-inco e-verification ortgage progra s are availa le to ualified orro ers to refinance govern ent- ac ed ortgages Homeowners who have paid on time over the past year and have a loan backed by the FHA, may be eligible for one of these reduceddocu ent refinance loans hese progra s on t need a ho e appraisal.

FHA streamline. Homeowners with an FHA loan can reduce their interest rate or get better terms without any income documents through the A strea line refinance progra ne dra ac , however, is that closing costs can’t be rolled into the loan amount unless you agree to a higher interest rate. or cash out refinancing, second ortgages are eco ing very popular due to confor ing refinance rates a ecting your first ortgage rates.

Please call en o of st Innovative inance roup for your ortgage needs, call - - CA

In the Trenches

(From Page 12)

ment would be much lower than acquiring them. Lending and leasing planes, tanks and ships are not new. Many countries in Europe and even in India have been leasing military equipment to cut costs as governments put a cap on defense spending.

As far back as during the Second World War, the United States had sent tan s, fighters, and capital ships to allied countries li e France and the United Kingdom, and now rivals Russia and China, to fight er any and apan

In the s, the leased ore than illion or the e uivalent of nearly illion orth of supplies and e uip ent to its allies during World War II.

Last year, President Joe Biden signed a Lend-Lease Act to supply for five years ilitary e uip ent to raine during fiscal year 2023.

he has decided to give ore than illion to raine, including its Abrams main battle tanks.

Since the early 2000s, European states have been leasing aircraft and ships on a need basis. For instance, Germany leased Israeli drones when it deployed troops to Afghanistan. he C ech epu lic also leased aa ripen ulti-role fighters for years he Philippines is negotiating ith eden to acquire the Gripen but it could look at the Czech Republic’s ex-

(From Page 12)

document/s no longer need additional authentication by the Philippine Consulate General. Once apostilled, it already has legal validity and can be sent to the Philippines for use.”

e, at o ile igning ervices , are co itted, dedicated and ill continue to assist and help old and new clients, particularly the elderly, veterans and those physically handicapped, in the notarization and apostille follow-up of Affidavits, pecial Po er of Attorney, Proof of ife, A I , trajudicial Settlement of Estate and Waiver of Rights, DEED OF ABSOLUTE SALE and other documents needed in the Philippines and the other member nations of the Hague Apostille Convention.

For immediate help and assistance, just write or contact: MOBILE SIGNING IC , adrid treet, an rancisco, CA el - or - or e ail art adlaing hot ail co

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FEBRUARY IS HEART AWARENESS MONTH: To celebrate February as “Heart Awareness Month”, Deborah Quiniones Marcos, nursing educator and registered nurse with KAISER PERMANENTE, will be the featured speaker on the topic , I , on aturday, e ruary , , - p , during the live broadcast of the global MY ANGEL RADIO San Francisco. Don’t miss to watch and hear this important and very timely topic.

A I I atch A A I at face oo co angelradio roadcast I A CA A A - A p y Angel adio.com

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

(From Page 12)

er thing to do. If they do not know that – they do not deserve to continue as officers of the P P

ith this ind of officers, if they continue on the o , the P P and the country have a pro le s If e cannot even trust our top ran ing police officers, ho can e trust the lo er ran ing officers and the ran and file ho do e turn to for protection when crimes are being committed?

Grapevine: Some people tell me that the order for courtesy resignations is a government plan to name its own boys on designated positions. True or not – I really don’t know. However, considering the performance of this government for the past seven months – the grapevine news appears believable.

If true, it is jump from bad to worse for the PNP, the country and the people. The momentary gainers are the top dog and its fanatical followers. But how long will the gains last?

Problem: The mistake is the leader. Why do we elect leaders who are incompetent and not ualified to govern ringing isery to everyone o the pri ary ista e really is ith the voters ho, in e ect, represent the people nless voters learn to elect the right leaders – the country will continue to be a backwash area and the people in destitute and miserable state. olutions ducate the voters so they ill no ho to vote into office as leaders ducate the leaders If oth fail, ta e a serious loo at ection , Article of II, of our Constitution which mandates that “The Philippines is a democratic and republican State. Sovereignty resides in the people and all government authority emanates from them.’ How can this be a solution to our current problems when we have a national leader who obviously does not know how to lead and government officials ho have gone astray e have had this type of pro le efore In , efense inister uan Ponce Enrile did Edsa I for “personal survival” according to him in a recent forum. The perception of the people then and the political Opposition led by UNIDO, Cory Aquino and Doy Laurel, however, is that Enrile and PC Chief Fidel Ramos was to correct the fraudulent proclamation of FM as the winner of the snap presidential election.

Nearly $1 Billion in grants for homeless housing behavioral health needs up

By Claire Morales True

next year.

SACRAMENTO

Governor Gavin Newsom announced the availability of million in grant funding to address the immediate housing and treatment needs of people experiencing homelessness and serious behavioral health conditions, including mental illness and substance use disorders.

Homelessness and untreated behavioral health conditions are two major challenges facing California and access to immediate and stable housing for those facing both challenges is vital to tackle these crises.

Under Governor Newsom, California is providing unprecedented resources to aid some of the state’s most vulnerable residents, helping people with serious mental illness and su stance use disorders ove o the streets and into housing and treatment.

The announcement spotlights some of the billions in state investments available to local governments to serve Californians across the continuum of behavioral health care and housing - including through the CARE Act starting this year in eight counties and statewide

Heart of Hope

PHILIP S. CHUA

Governor Newsom said: “Along with treatment and supportive services, access to a safe and reliable place to live is a basic necessity. My Administration continues to work tirelessly to ensure that more Californians have the support they need to get out of and stay out of homelessness. Through these new grants, we’ll be housing and helping our ost vulnera le individuals ho su er ith serious behavioral health conditions on streets and sidewalks across the state.”

The Behavioral Health Bridge Housing (BHBH) program, under the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS), will provide support through various “bridge” housing settings, including tiny homes, interim housing, rental assistance models, and assisted living settings. The housing will also provide supportive services to further assist program participants in remaining housed.

“Accessing behavioral health services and maintaining a connection to treatment while unsheltered poses significant challenges, said California ealth uan ervices ecretary r ar haly his e i le program will allow for the creation of new, deeply sup-

portive housing settings that will help Californians who are struggling the ost to find safety, sta ility, and a path to longer term housing stability and recovery.”

All bridge housing settings must include voluntary supportive services to help program participants obtain and maintain housing, manage symptoms of serious behavioral health conditions, and support recovery and wellness.

“Bridge housing is a vital link for people who are experiencing both homelessness and serious behavioral health conditions,” said DHCS Director Michelle Baass. ousing and treat ent are necessary first steps on a journey toward sustained recovery and stability.” or the progra , ridge housing is defined as short- and mid-term residential options and serves as a bridge to longer-term housing. The Request for Application requires that a minimum of 75 percent of funding be expended for bridge housing. The remaining 25 percent can e e pended on e i le funding categories of BHBH program administration, outreach, and engagement and bridge housing start-up infrastructure.

Growing old is a privilege

Quite often, people complain about growing old. They say they hate getting up there in age and living with wrinkles all over, deformed fingers, ith the aches and pain of arthritis, diminished agility and dexterity, a limited mobility, and varying degrees of impairment of vision, hearing, and memory.

The picture portrayed above is, in general, and invariably, a description of what all of us, sooner or later, will face as we get nearer midlife, and more so as we sail through the sunset of our life. As a cardiac surgeon, I feel that as long as one does not have a serious heart ailment, severely complicated illnesses, or cancer, the changes our body and mind undergo as we grow older are as natural and “normal’ as life itself. The cycle from birth to death is a predestination none of us can escape from. In between those years, depending on our genes, and more so on our lifestyle and discipline, on how we behave, our health and longevity will vary accordingly.

In 1950-1955, global life expectancy at birth was estimated to be 46. This had risen to 65 in 2000-2005, and is 79.11 in 2023, a 0.08 percent increase from 2022. In well-developed countries, this rise in longevity is predicted to increase to 82 years by mid-century, while among less developed nations where life expectancy is under 50 years today, the projection is 66 by 2045-2050.

In the United States, there are about 56 million who are 65 and older. By 2050, it will be about 87 million. One in 10,000 people lives to be 100. In 2022, in the USA, there were about an average of 97,914 centenarians, and this is expected to go up to 274,000 in 2025.

The life expectancy today of various races in the USA are as follows: Asian-American, 84.9; North Americans, 79; Middle America, 77.9; Low-income whites in Appalachia, Mississippi Valley, 75; Black Middle Americans, 72.9; Western American Indians, 72.7; Southern low-income rural blacks, 71.2; and, high-risk urban blacks, 71.1 years. By State, Hawaii leads the nation with the longest life expectancy of 80, and Hawaiian women at 83.2. Minnesota follows at 78.8 and Utah at 78.7.

In Tomigusuku City, Japan, a report shows that in

year 2000, women lived to 89.2 years and men, to about 82, and in Wara Village of Gifu Prefecture, men lived up to 80.6 years. Besides genetic as a factor, our diet, exercise, and lifestyle as a hole, ost significantly deter ine our health and longevity.

With old age comes the signs and symptoms of normal wear and tear of any machine, and the human body is one machine that is no exception. As such, the immense tribulation that is inherent with growing old poses great limitations on the person, physically, psychologically, and socially. How the individual copes with all these difficulties depends on the lifestyle he she has lived, his her philosophy, discipline, and attitude in life. At 92, my mother was still watching her diet and at 97, had replaced her decades old regimented walking with her daily home video-guided (Leslie Sansone’s Walk by the Pound) mild exercises. She passed away a year before the COVID-19 pandemic, at age 101.

Alphonse Karr put it eloquently when he wrote “Some people are always grumbling because roses have thorns; I am thankful that thorns have roses.”

Seeing only the hole in a donut, missing the ring of bread around it, or a glass as half-full and not as halfe pty, defines a person s point of vie and outloo in life. I personally believe that not taking any risk at all is the greatest risk in life and that success comes only to those ho have the courage to fail he natural infir ities and difficulties that acco pany old age are the ris s e should all gladly accept as we face the sunset of our life with gratitude and dignity.

However challenging and often times frustrating growing older might be, the blessing of a long and fairly healthy life is a privilege. While getting old is a problem, growing old is a solution, in spite of all the aches and pains that come with the package. Life is tough, and more especially so for the seniors. Growing old is, indeed, not for sissies or the faint of heart.

But, let’s be realistic and face it, we’ve got only one other option. That option is to stop aging. And the only way to achieve that alternative is to die young. Not a palatable nor a more attractive alternative, indeed. Sadly, many are denied the privilege of growing old. Since we cannot control and direct the winds in our voyage through this sometimes-harsh ocean of life, we can at least, to uote a ise an, ad ust our sails, and find happiness and peace during our journey and wherever fate takes us.

Living to the fullest with all our faculties and

abilities to help ourselves and others, and be able to continue enjoying, laughing and sharing our wisdom with, and helping guide our children, grandchildren, great grand ids, and friends, a ing a positive di erence in our society, s elling the o ers along the ay, and savoring this agnificently onderful orld of ours in spite of all man-induced imperfections and calamities), are, indeed, a sacred privilege. It is a blessing we should all look forward to with an upbeat frame of mind, and one to be truly grateful for. After all, not everyone is granted and blessed with this privilege.

So, as we enjoy the youth of our life, let’s lead a healthy lifestyle, show compassion for our less privileged fellowmen, and set good examples for our children to emulate As years y y, let us relish each day to the hilt, as if each day would be our last, and at the same time, let us pray for a life of good health, love, happiness, peace, and the privilege of growing old to enjoy them.

COVID-19 Updates

As of 8:00 AM (EST), Tuesday, February 21, 2023, the worldwide total was 678,868,239 cases of COVID-19, with 6,792,200 deaths; USA - 104,996,288, with 1,142,704 deaths; and in The Philippines, 4,075,611 cases and 66,039 deaths. The average daily number of cases in the United States is still more than 39,000 (per day!) with around 430 deaths a day on average. Vaccination rate is around 82 percent; only about 34 percent have received the booster shot. The unvaccinated individuals are more likely to get infected and times more likely to die from COVID-19. The XBB.1.5 is the dominant variant at 74 percent of all cases nationwide. Fully vaccinated people could still get infected, for various personal reasons, so let’s be vigilant and careful. Arrogance could kill.

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. 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

INSPIRATIONAL ARTICLE FOR THE WEEK

THE WINTER OF MY LIFE

By TIM PEDROSA

We have to decide how we want our life to be. If our life were ending tomorrow, would this be how we would want to have spent it? The truth is, nothing is guaranteed. We know that more than anybody. So don’t be afraid. Be alive.

A good life is when we assume nothing, do more, need less, smile often, dream big, laugh a lot, and realize how blessed we are. Love what you have. Need what you want. Accept what you receive. Give what you can. Always remember, what goes around, comes around. Life is a one time o er, use it ell ou only live once ut if you live it right, once is enough- Mae West.

Here are some thoughts about life’s regrets, outlook and perspectives inspired by the writings of an unknown writer. Time has a way of moving quickly and catching us unaware of the passing years. It seems just yesterday that I was young, just married and embarking on my new life with my mate. And yet in a way, it seems like eons indefinitely long ti e ago, and I onder here all the years ent I no that I lived them all. And I have glimpses of how it was back then and of all my hopes and dreams... But, here it is..the winter of my life and it catches me by surprise... How did I get here so fast? Where did the years go and where did my babies go? And where did my youth go?

I remember well seeing older people through the years and thinking that those older people ere years a ay fro e and that inter as so far o that I could not fatho it or imagine fully what it would be like.But, here it is...my friends are retired and really getting gray...they move slower and I see an older person now. Lots are in better shape than me but, I see the great change, not like the ones that I remember who were young and vibrant but, like me, their age is beginning to show and we are now those older fol s that e used to see and never thought e d e ach day no , I find that ust getting a shower is a real target for the day! And taking a nap is not a treat anymore, it’s mandatory! ‘Cause if I don’t on my own free will, I just fall asleep where I sit! And so, now I enter into this new season of my life unprepared for all the aches and pains, the loss of strength and ability to go and do things that I wish I had done but never did!! But, at least I know, that though the winter has come, and I’m not sure how long it ill last, this I no , that hen it s over, its over es, I have regrets here are things I wish I hadn’t done, things I should have done, but indeed, there are many things I’m happy to have done. It’s all in a lifetime. So, if you’re not in your winter yet let me remind you, that it will be here faster than you think. So, whatever you would like to accomplish in your life, please do it quickly! Don’t put things o too long ife goes y quickly. So, do what you can today, as you can never be sure whether this is your inter or not ou have no promise that you will see all the seasons of your life so, live for good today and say all the things that you want your loved ones to remember and hope that they appreciate and love you for all the things that you have done for them in all the years past!! Life is a gift to you. The way you live your life is your gift to those who come after. Make it a fantastic one. Live it well! Enjoy today! Do something fun! Be happy and be thankful! Old age is li e a an account ou withdraw in later life what you have deposited along the way. Age is a question of mind over matter. If you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter.

Lenten Special: The Cross To Carry

We entered into the Lenten Season on Ash Wednesday. Once again, we are reminded of our fallen nature, of sin and our sinfulness, of the need for conversion, transformation and renewal. Meanwhile, we are also to re-live how the great love of God is displayed for us through the Passion, Death and Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

For this year’s Lenten Season, I want to suggest that we focus on the Cross of Christ. We see the Cross in our Churches, we wear them, we bless ourselves with the Sign of the Cross, and so on. There are many ways we encounter Christ’s Cross which also can be in the spiritual sense the trials, the pro le s and su erings, or any challenging situation that we encounter, these are the Cross for us. So, during this Lenten Season, let us consider what is the meaning of the Cross for us in the personal way? How can the Cross of Christ inspire us to change our ways and become not only an ordinary person but a godly person, a ore Christ-li e et, loo ing at the Cross is not only a out thin ing or re ecting hat is it a out ather, the Cross urges action actions that can manifest God’s reign and presence in each one of us.

To make this Lenten Season fruitful, I want to suggest actions to e done inspired y the ord Cross first, C Change of life in the area of habits. We know we have habits, some good and unfortunately some bad. This Lenten Season seriously consider to get rid of oneself of the bad habits; the bad habits of bad words, the bad of habit of eating without praying. Any bad habit must be replaced with a good habit. So that the change can be a transformation not a deterioration. We continue to live with the bad habits, this will be for deterioration. Do not let that happen to you and I, dear reader.

econd eparation illingly doing the acts of penances as acts of reparation for one’s sins and the sins of others. Reparation is our ay of uniting our hu an e orts ith the or of Christ s rede ption and His merits; so that, being in unity with Him, we are not only cleansed from sins; but especially also, connected and anchored in God, the Heavenly Father, in Christ and with the Holy Spirit in us. Our acts of reparation will be our way to make of ourselves like a Mosaic masterpiece; though from broken pieces, yet now can be a whole new masterpiece displaying the wonder of God’s action in our lives.

hird, ering o ering an e tra good action during this Lenten Season. We know we do good deeds during the day; like we usual prayer, our usual works for our family, or the good works of being cordial and respectful to others during the day. But I want us to consider to illingly choose a good deed to e done for others An e tra praying of the Rosary for someone’s intention, or praying the Stations of the Cross for such intention, or volunteering at some charity work, et cetera. ering an e tra good deed ill not only sanctify us a ing us pleasing to God, but also we will be instruments of God’s love and care for others.

ourth, criptures read the criptures daily during this Lent. Maybe you already have the habit of reading the bible, but I want us to focus on the Passion narratives, there y, editating and re ecting on them, we may have new insights to improve our daily life, our conduct, our prayer life, our friendship with Jesus.

ifth, u ering ith patience ach day there are any challenges that we encounter, there are many situations that truly try our resolve to be good, kind, and godly person. But often times, we do not act or react to these challenges with faith and love of God. Let us always remind ourselves of God’s patience towards us. Christ’s patience must eco e our patience u ering co es in any ays, so let us e patient ith the here is no one ho has no su ering or trou le hatever cross that comes our way, let us be patient and carry it through willingly. or hen e ill to su er or accept trou les deli erately, it can e source of blessings. May we live out the C.R.O.S.S. during this Lenten Season and beyond to make our life meaningful and blessed. Amen.

REV. JOSE PELAGIO A. PADIT, SThD

Recipe of the Week

Pinoy Black Paella, Arroz Negra

Ingredients:

1 cup fragrant rice

1 cup malagkit rice

1/2 kilo medium size shrimp, shelled blanched

pcs. big size squid, blanched, cut into rings

ink sacks from the squid, diluted in 1/2 cup water

pcs. small size crabs, cooked, cut in half

1/2 kilo clams and/or mussels, boiled

1 pc. chorizo, sliced diagonally

1 red bell pepper, cut into strip

1/2 head garlic, chopped

1 medium size onion, chopped

1 pc. roasted bell pepper, chopped

1 cup tomato sauce

1/2 cup green peas, boiled

cooking oil

salt and pepper

kalamansi

pcs. hard boiled eggs, cut into wedges

Cooking procedure:

In a big pot fry chorizo until it start to sizzle, set aside. Sauté garlic and onion, add in tomato and roasted bell pepper stir cook for to minutes. Add 1/2 cup of water, continue to stir cook until most of the liquid has evaporated and turn

into an oily thick sauce. Add in chorizo, squid ink, fragrant rice and malagkit stir until rice is coated and infused with the sauce and tinted with the black ink. Add to 6 cups of water and cook rice stirring occasionally add more water as necessary. When done stir in green peas and arrange seafood on top. Cover and leaving the rice to finish coo ing in the steam for to minutes. Transfer black paella in a platter, arrange seafood on top, drizzle with kalamansi juice and garnish with wedges of hard boiled eggs.

28-km. Naic-CorregidorMariveles bridge, other island bridges OKd by NEDA panel

By JEANNE MICHAEL PENARANDA

PASIG CITY -- Important bridges that will connect island provinces in the Visayas and Cavite province with Bataan province may yet be undertaken by the government soon.

This as the National Economic and Development Authority Board’s Investment Coordination Committee-Cabinet Committee (ICC-CabCom) recommended 12 projects amounting to P557.44 billion for approval by the NEDA Board which is chaired by President Rodrigo Duterte.

The major bridges projects approved by the NEDA ICC-CabCom were the 28-kilometer Bataan-Cavite Interlink Bridge Project; the fourth Cebu-Mactan Bridge and Coastal Road Construction Project (New Mactan Bridge Construction Project); Davao City Coastal Bypass Road including Bucana Bridge Project; and the 19-kilometer bridges that will connect Panay island with Guimaras island and the Negros Island.

The 28-kilometer Cavite-Bataan bridge will link Naic to the historic island fortress Corregidor in Cavite and the export processing town of Mariveles in Bataan.

Bataan Governor Albert Raymond S. Garcia hailed the ambitious project estimated to cost billion designed to boost the economy and tourism in the historic provinces of Bataan and Cavite.

Proposed originally under the Public-Private Partnership program of government, the Cavite-Bataan bridge is expected to further transform Central Luzon into a progressively ega region and the historical peninsula as an e ective and efficient system route to prosperity of the entire Luzon Island.

he approval of these pro ects is a pivotal step in fulfilling our thrust of fostering growth centers in the regions and expanding access to development opportunities throughout the country,” Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia said.

Pernia said these are in line with the National Spatial Strategy to make cities like etro anila efficient and to i prove connectivity et een areas

The projects endorsed also include three new projects of the Department of Transportation (DOTr), seven infrastructure projects of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), and two projects of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP).

The DOTr-implemented projects include the MRT Project from San Juan City to Taytay, Rizal, EDSA Greenways Project, and the Maritime Safety Enhancement Program (MSEP).

The ICC-CabCom also green lighted the changes in scope and cost of the ongoing Davao City Bypass Construction Project, which is assisted by the Japan International Cooperation Agency; and the extension of the loan validity and implementation period, and increase in cost of the a ar Pacific Coastal oad Pro ect i ple ented ith loan financing fro the orean port-I port an cono ic evelop ent Cooperation Facility.

It also approved the unsolicited proposals for the Davao International Airport and for the Laguindingan Airport of the CAAP.