Philippine News Today

DEGAMO SLAY: 17 CASES FILED VS TEVES, OTHERS

Negros solon still ‘hiding’ in US?, seeks 2-month travel extension

By ALFRED GABOT, Editor in Chief

MANILA/SAN FRANCISCO — Rep. Arnolfo “Arnie” Teves has been implicated by two arrested suspected killers of Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo and has been impleaded in murder charges and other charges filed against the assassins and others following police raids on the lawmaker’s homes amid insistence that he was innocent.

Hate crimes in US hit record high in 2021: FBI

By Gilda Balan, Correspondent

LOS ANGELES - The number of hate crimes in the US rose dramatically in 2021, setting an all-time high of almost 11,000 incidents. So says an FBI annual hate crimes report.

Worst of all, the number could be substantially higher as an unknown number of hate crimes go unreported.

The latest FBI report was released in December of last year and its initial vs final figures for the previous year showed that data gathering could still be improved.

Initially, the number of hate

crimes for the previous year was pegged at 7,262, but this was later adjusted to 10,840. That final figure showed a 31 percent increase from the 2020 figure of 8,263.

Brian Levin, director of the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University, San Bernardino, said the year-on-year hike in hate crimes was the highest in more than three decades.

By Be�ng Laygo Dolor, Editor

MANILA – Did assassinated Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo have an inkling of his impending death and knew by whose hand he would lose his life?

This seems to be the case as records from the Senate revealed this week that Degamo had written a letter to the senators asking for help.

FilAm photojournalist, wife assaulted in Sacramento

SACRAMENTO - A Filipino photojournalist based in Southern California and his wife were assaulted by a man while strolling in Sacramento in a brazen robbery attempt that may constitute as a hate crime at the State Capitol.

By Jun Nucum

front of others in the scene who witnessed but reportedly did nothing even to help but may have even taken videos of the attack while they were shoved and kicked multiple times. They were even dragged by the man who was trying to get Arriola’s camera.

Some issues in applying for naturalization

Nicanor ‘Nikki’ Arriola, president of the Asian American Press Club of the U.S., and his wife, Julienne, were walking on a fine afternoon along the Capitol last month and taking some pictures the day before they were about to go back to Carson after visiting relatives in Sacramento.

Suddenly, a black man appeared and assaulted them in

Arriola, who was wearing his press badge, suffered six broken ribs aside from abrasions while his wife is still hurting from knee and other bone injuries. Both were confined a few days at the University of California Davis Medical Center.

“I thank God I had no inju-

8

Levin told media organization this month that the rise in hate crimes represented “a horrifying new era that

ry on my head that would have caused concussions, except for a big bruise on my nose,” Arriola stated, He said it

Bulaga’ revamp halted? Tito, Vic & Joey to stay $1.00= P55.02

Carlos Yulo cops

2 golds in Baku World Cup

Rep. Arnolfo Teves Gov. Roel Degamo

Assassinated governor knew his time was coming

Nicanor Arriola wearing his badge in a photo taken before the a�ack

Bataan-Cavite bridge construction to start late this year - DPWH

The construction of the 1 . -billion ataan-Cavite nterlink ridge ro ect over anila ay will start late this year, the epart ent of ublic orks and ighways announced.

ecretary anuel onoan said the 32-kiloeter pro ect, which was initially expected to begin construction in the first uarter of 2 2 , will break ground earlier than expected.

etailed engineering design is now ongoing it s about percent co plete and we told the resident it will be ready within the year to ground break the i pleentation of this very significant bridge, he told reporters following his eeting with resident erdinand . arcos r. in alaca ang.

onoan said the ai s to finish the pro ect before the end of the resident s ter .

onoan said the pro ect is expected to significantly i prove econo ic develop ent not only in u on but the entire country.

o less than the sian evelop ent ank has indicated that the economic rate of return of this bridge is ore than 2 percent and that s big, he said.

The ataan-Cavite nterlink ridge ro ect is a cable-stayed bridge to be built over anila ay to reduce the travel ti e between the provinces of ataan and Cavite fro five hours to 2 to 3 inutes.

ts starting point will be in arangay las-asin in ariveles town, ataan, crossing anila ay, and ending in aic town, Cavite.

eanwhile, onoan also said that the is going to i ple ent ore than , a or and local pro ects all over the country with a budget allocation of about 8 billion.

e said the agency will also prioriti e the construction of ore classroo s, far -to- arket roads, roads leading to tourist destinations and production areas, a ong others.

Murder raps OK’d vs. Bantag, 11 others for Percy Lapid’s death

MANILA – The Department of Justice (DOJ) has approved the filing in court of urder charges against suspended ureau of Corrections uCor chief erald antag and 11 others for the killing of radio broadcaster ercival ercy apid abasa and alleged iddle an un illa or, a national penitentiary in ate.

The resolution of the panel of prosecutors stated that antag and his supposed right-hand an, for er uCor deputy security o cer icardo ulueta, will face charges as principal by induce ent.

The panel of prosecutors also found probable cause to charge antag s for er deputy, upt. icardo ulueta, self-confessed gun an oel scorial, brothers srael and d on i aculangan, and a certain alias rlando.

lso na ed in the urder charges were ew ilibid rison in ates enver ayores, lvin abra, ldrin alicia, lfie e aredonda, and Chrisopher acoto.

antag, ulueta, abra and alicia are also being

charged for the death of in ate Cristito illa or alaa, alias un illa or doy Crisanto illa or, the supposed iddle an in the slay contract.

Charged as acco plices in illa or s death were inates ario lvare , oseph eorfo, Christian a ac, icky algado, onnie dela Cru and oel eyes.

The said there is su cient circu stantial evidence to establish that antag was the aster ind behind apid s death.

urther, the otive of the urder was also suciently described - the two videos uploaded by apid about respondent antag and showing the latter s house with a nu ber of vehicles parked in front, the departent said.

The prosecution notes that the ti ing of the uploaded videos and the co ence ent of the planning of apid s assassination is not coincidental, it added. rosecutor eneral enedicto alcontento approved the indict ent of antag and 11 others for urder in connection with the killing of abasa in ctober last year.

abasa was shot by ar ed en near his ho e in as

i as City on ct. 3, 2 22. scorial then faced the edia on ct. 18 to ad it his role in the killing. n the sa e day, illa or died of unknown causes at the ospital. eanne ichael enaranda

Marcos appoints Peace and Order Council officials, SBMA director

alaca ang announced several new appoint ents in the epart ent of the nterior and ocal overn ent s egional eace and rder Councils Cs and in the ubic ay etropolitan uthority .

arcos also na ed ictor liveros as a e ber of the anguniang anlungsod in uerto rincesa City.

The resident also appointed aul arcelo as a e ber of the oard of irectors, representing the usiness and nvest ent ectors.

ong those na ed to the eace and rder Councils which are in charge of ensuring peace and order, and public safety at the regional, provincial, city, unicipal and barangay levels are the following

-- ayor ebastian uterte, Chairperson, egion 11 avao , overnor er ogenes bdane r., Chairperson, egion Central u on , hod brahi , Chairperson angsa oro utono ous egion in usli indanao duardo adiano, Chairperson, i aropa indoro, arindu ue, o blon and alawan

-- ose dwin a or, Chairperson, egion icol , ulce nn ofer, Chairperson egion a boanga eninsula , ugenio ose acson, Chairperson, egion

- Calabar on Cavite, aguna, atangas, i al and

ue on ayor en a in agalong, Chairperson C Cordillera d inistrative egion

aphaelle eronica rtega- avid, Chairperson, egion 1 locos egion , overnor Carlos adilla, Chairperson, egion 2 Cagayan alley , lexander i entel, Chairperson, egion 8 astern isayas enedict revalo, ice Chairperson, egion 6 estern isayas and Central isayas

lfred o ualde , Chairperson, egion 13, avier esus o ualdo, Chairperson, egion eynaldo Ta ayo, r., Chairperson, egion 12 overno ngelina Tan, Chairperson, egion - and an uan ayor rancisco avier a ora, Chairperson, C .

E co nity in aic, a ite a ected by the dredging ac� ity.

erci al a ercy Lapid aba a ontrib ted photo

PHL, US start ‘Salaknib’ military exercises, gird for biggest ‘Balikatan’ drills in April

FORT MAGSAYSAY, Nueva Ecija – Troops of the Philippines and the United States started on March 13 their joint military exercises in Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija.

More than 1,000 Filipino soldiers and more than 2,000 American soldiers belonging to the US Army Pacific (USARPAC) are taking part in the military exercises dubbed Salaknib Exercise 2023 (SN23) which concludes on April 4.

This as 17,600 Filipino and American troops, plus Australian and Japanese forces as observers, would participate in another military drills called the “Balikatan” Exercise touted to be the biggest such exercises scheduled from April 11 to 28.

During the “Balikatan,” the Americans will be bringing their Patriot surface-to-air missiles and the HIMARS rocket system, while the AFP will be using its FA-50PH jet fighters and newly-acquired artillery systems and missile frigates and are expected to join the Filipino troops in drills in the disputed areas in West Philippine Sea and international waters of the South China Sea.

Smooth Home buying and selling experience

We know Rajeev and Monica for almost 10 years now. Ever since we have known them, they have always been our best advisors and well-wishers. We bought 3 homes through them, sold a home and now bought our dream home in 2018 with them. They have been a blessing to our family and we wish we met them sooner.

Lyn and I can’t thank you enough how much smooth the process selling our home. You guys were there guiding fro beginning n�l the end. o an ered e ery e �on and e plained every part of the process clearly and

thoro ghly. t a o r r t � e elling a property and yo ade thi e perience painless and stress free! The house was old appro i ately le than a onth and abo e li �ng price. ith that aid, thank yo fro the bo�o of o r heart o ord can e pre ho ch e appreciate yo g y help nding thi perfect house! Thank you very much from the bo�o of o r heart. e ha e already recommended them to all our friends and family.

--- Al Lyn Relojo

Cop found guilty in 2017 death of 2 Cainta teens

T C T The avotas egional Trial Court TC has convicted a for er police an for the urder of two youths al ost six years ago.

effrey u bo ere was found guilty for the deaths of Carl ngelo rnai and eynaldo ulot de u an, aged 1 and 1 , respectively, when they went issing near their ho es in the town of Cainta, i al province in ugust 2 1 .

e was sentenced to reclusion perpetua axi u years without eligibility for parole.

nother suspect police an, icky ruilita, 33, already died of liver disease in pril 2 1 .

The two police en clai ed the victi s died in a gunfight after atte pting to rob a taxi on C-3 oad at the boundary of the cities of Caloocan and avotas. witness, rnold erlada, however, testified that he was with the two victi s

at a birthday party when they were picked up by ere and r uilita.

e u an s re ains were found in a creek in apan City, ueva ci a province nearly a onth after they went issing.

n ove ber last year, ere was found guilty for violating the nti-Torture ct and planting evidence under ection 2 of the Co prehensive angerous rugs ct and under ection 38 of the Co prehensive irear s and unition egulation ct.

e was eted two ter s of life iprison ent and absolute perpetual disualification fro any public o ce and reclusion perpetua.

ere was also ordered to pay 2 illion for each of the victi s heirs, half of which for oral da ages and the other half for exe plary da ages.

is ers old u ial rotest, de and end to destructi e Manila Ba dred in Co s sei e B narcotics since January 1

, Cavite undreds of fisherfolk united under the banner of a bansang akas ng ilusang a a alakaya ng ilipinas held a uvial protest in Cavite on to dra ati e their de and an i ediate halt to destructive dredging activities in the southern part of anila ay.

ore than fishing boats sailed along the unicipal waters of osario, Tan a,

and oveleta in Cavite. The fishers, who co e fro various affected coastline counities, protested against the ongoing dredging operations in the region which have caused severe i pact on their livelihood.

n a state ent, laented that the dredging activities, which began in 2 21, have in icted substantial and irreparable har on the arine eco-

syste in anila ay and have resulted in drastic decline in fish stocks, i periling the livelihood of thousands of s all-scale fishers in the province of Cavite.

uring the protest, the fisherfolk group reiterated its call for the revocation of the environ ental per its granted by the epart ent of nviron ent and atural esources to the destructive dredging operations of an iguel Corporation and the utch co pany oyal oskalis est inster . . in anila ay.

a isa sa ga pag-aaral nito, is ong ang na ang nagsabi na asagana pa sa bahura ang kati ugang bahagi ng anila ay, partikular sa lalawigan ng Cavite. ung kaya t nakapagtataka na inaprubahan at patuloy na pinahihintulutan ang ga apanirang proyektong ito, said ational Chairperson ernando icap, citing a study by s cosyste s esearch and evelop ent ureau , which found that 2 of coral reefs in anila ay are located in Cavite.

apakalaking perwisyo na ang idinulot ng dredging sa ga angingisda sa Cavite. indi na dapat hayaang adagdagan pa ang lawak ng pinsala nito sa kalikasan at sa kabuhayan ng ga aliliit na ga angingisda sa lalawigan, icap said.

ccording to icap, the fishers sustained and consistent push backs against the dredging activities during the past weeks have resulted in a reduction of the nu ber of dredging vessels in osario fro three to ust one.

C C , ue on City hilippine ational olice operatives have sei ed 1.2 billion worth of illegal drugs fro an. 1 to arch 1 this year.

This was disclosed in a press briefing at the police head uarters in Ca p Cra e, ue on City by chief en. odolfo urin r. who said 12,622 big-ti e drug pushers and street-level drug personalities were arrested during the ,3 police operations during the period. urin said that relentless nationwide operations on the ca paign against loose firear s also yielded a total of 6,268 firear s fro an. 1 to arch 12 while a total of 1 , 2 wanted persons have been arrested following the intensified ca paign against the wanted persons.

This only shows that the will not stop until all these fugitives fro law are brought before the bar of ustice one cri inal off the street is also part of cri e prevention, said urin.

e also said the five-year co parative data of urder cases showed a sharp decrease of . 1 percent.

This ca e as the trend of urder cases further showed a consistently downward pattern fro ,121 in 2 18 6,31 in 2 1 , in 2 2 ,8 3 in 2 21 and ,2 2 in 2 22. espite the decreasing nu ber of urder cases over the years, there is still so uch to be done in order to prevent these urder cases. the will not stop until all these cases are solved and suspects are put behind bars, urin said.

E E . i herfolk tage a ial parade to dra a�ze their prote t again t the con�n ing dredging in anila Bay.

3 gunmen in Lanao del Sur governor ambush nabbed; PNP says case solved

MARAWI CITY/CAMP CRAME, Quezon City

Three suspects in the ambush of Lanao del Sur Governor Mamintal Adiong Jr. have been arrested prompting the Philippine National Police (PNP) to declare that the case is now considered “solved.”

PNP chief Rodolfo Azurin Jr. said the three suspects apprehended are known members of the Gandawali group engaged in various illegal activities in the bordering towns between Lanao del Sur and Bukidnon.

The anao del ur police identified the suspects as Palawan Salen Macalbo, 34; Nagac Dimatangkil Baratomo, 38; and Amirodin Dimantingkal Mandoc, 29.

He said the group is involved in marijuana cultivation, robbery, and gunrunning.

According to Azurin, police investigation showed that the suspects sought refuge in a Lumad community in Kalilangan after staging the shooting in Maguing, Lanao del Sur on Feb. 17.

Adiong was wounded in the ambush in Kalilangan, Bukidnon but his aides were killed. A day after the shooting, one of the suspects identified as tin was fatally shot in an armed encounter with local police.

The Area Police Command-Western Mindanao (APC-WM) in Zamboanga City earlier said the three suspects were arrested by operatives of the APC-WM and APC-Eastern Mindanao around 4:30 a.m. last Friday at Barangay Ninoy Aquino in Kalilangan town, Bukidnon.

The Lanao del Sur police said Palawan Salen Macalbo, an alleged member of the Gandawali crime group, has standing warrants of arrest for murder and frustrated murder issued by a court in Marawi City on February 2019.

No bail was recommended by the court for the murder case and P200,000 bail has been set for the frustrated murder case.

Carcar City declares state of calamity amid ASF infection

CEBU CITY African swine fever has hit the pigs in Carcar City prompting authorities to order the culling the affected pigs.

Culling started in Barangays Can-asujan, Guadalupe and Poblacion 1 of Carcar City affecting close to hogs.

But Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia ordered a stop to the culling in the affected areas, stressing that the province will come up with its own procedures in determining ASF infection and how it is managed, veering away from the Department of Agriculture (DA) Bureau of Ani-

mal Industry regulations.

In giving the order, the lady governor said there was no massive death of pigs in Cebu, adding that the infection in Carcar may have just been “common swine fever or common swine cholera” which are not as deadly to hogs. said. kay i ediately stop the culling,’” Garcia said after meeting with mayors and other concerned agencies such as the DA and the National Meat Inspection Agency.

“We will now do our own policy as what we did during C -1 where we

It was reported that both Baratomo and Mandoc are facing charges for illegal possession of explosive which is in violation of Republic Act 9516.

Confiscated fro the three suspected gun en were an 16 ri e, a grenade, a ri e grenade, and an 16 magazine with eight ammunition.

Four of Adiong’s aides were killed while the governor and another staff were in ured during the a bush. eanwhile, the confir ed that business rivalry is among the possible motives behind the ambush on Aparri vice mayor Rommel Alameda last Feb. 19.

Alameda was among the six people killed in a shooting incident that took place in Bagabag, Nueva Vizcaya.

The police said it will continue its operations against loose firear s, organi ed cri e groups, and disbandment of private armed groups.

Tanker sinks off Oriental Mindoro, PCG acts on oil spill

, riental indoro The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) started the mechanical recovery of spilled oil in waters off au an town in riental indoro province following the sinking of the MT Princess Empress on Tuesday.

The PCG said MTUG Titan, a tugboat carrying oil spill recovery equipment, reached the area at around 2 p.m.

It was carrying members of the PCG’s Marine Environmental Protection Unit (MEPU), DENR-Environmental Manage-

ment Bureau (EMB), and Malayan Towage and Salvage Corporation (MTSC).

In addition to a diesel oil spill spanning 6 kilometers (km) long and 4 km. wide, it confir ed the presence of a uch thicker and darker oil spill at about 7.4 nautical iles southwest off alingawan oint, Naujan.

“MTUG Titan has started spraying oil dispersants in the area,” it said.

The oil spill was confir ed after the PCG MEPU observed black and thick oil with a strong odor from the collected water samples in the area.

PHL, Australia military chiefs renew commitment to regional peace

CAMP AGUINALDO, Quezon City

– The military chiefs of the Philippines and Australia have renewed their commitment to upholding regional peace.

This developed following the phone call between Armed Forces of the Philippines chief of staff en. ndres C. Centino and Australian Chief of Defense Force Gen. Angus Campbell on March 13.

“The phone call meeting marked solid military coordination between the Philippines and Australia as partners in keeping the peace and stability in the outh acific region, public affairs o ce chief Col. orry aclor said in a statement Tuesday.

Centino and Campbell’s phone conversation came ahead of the announcement of the Australian government, in collaboration with the United States and the United Kingdom, of its transition to conventionally-armed and nuclear-powered submarines.

“General Campbell informed the C Chief-of- taff of this development and assured his counterpart of their continued coordination,” Baclor

said.

Centino, meanwhile, thanked Campbell for the Australian government’s continued support and participation to the 38th edition of the Philippine-US Exercise “Balikatan” which opens on

April 11.

Joining the CSAFP in the call were Maj. Gen. Jose Maria Cuerpo II, the eputy Chief of taff C for ersonnel, 1 a . en. effrey echanova, DCS for Plans, J5; Brig. Gen. Fernando

Reyeg, DCS for Operations, J3; Brig. Gen. Ferdinand Barandon, DCS for Intelligence, J2; Brig. Gen. Noel Beleran, DCS for Education, Training, and Doctrine, J8; Col. Leo Edward Caranto, Acting DCS for Logistics, J4; Lt. Col. Mark Allan Gavilan, Chief AFP International ilitary ffairs Center and ustralian Assistant Defence Attache Lt. Col. Tim Lopsik.

As this developed, the Philippine Air Force (PAF) formally accepted from the Australian government a close air support (CAS) part-task trainer (PTT), classroo and debriefing facility.

“Another milestone was unlocked after the , together with o cials fro the Australian Embassy, held a ceremony for the formal acceptance, turn-over, and blessing of the new PAF CAS PTT classroo and debriefing facility on arch 13, 2023. The ceremony was held at Col. Ernesto Ravina Air Base, Capas, Tarlac graced by the Ambassador of Australia to the Philippines, Her Excellency Hae Kyong Yu PSM as the guest-of-honor,” PAF spokesperson Col. Ma. Consuelo Castillo said.

House OKs bill calling for con-con to amend Charter, clash with Senate expected

By Jeanne Michael Penaranda

QUEZON CITY – Both chambers of Congress appear to favor amending the 1987 Philippine Constitution.

The Senate and the House of Representatives, however, seem to be headed for a clash as each has its own mode of doing the amendments.

This as the House approved on the third and final reading esolution of Both Houses (RBH) No. 6, which calls for a hybrid constitutional convention (con-con) to propose amendments to the economic provisions of the 1987 Constitution.

Members of the Senate led by neophyte Senator Robinhood Padilla, however, appear to be favoring charter change via Congress formed as a Constituent Assembly.

adilla said he has filed esolution of Both Houses No. which seeks to amend the 1987 Constitution’s economic provisions via constituent assembly.

Under Section XVII of the 1987 Constitution, any amendment or revision to the Constitution may be proposed by Congress upon a vote of three-fourths of all its members (con-ass), through concon, or people’s initiative.

In a con-con, those who will amend the Charter will be elected by the people.

Under a con-ass, the changes will be deliberated by incumbent members of Congress.

Senator Padilla, chairman of the Senate Committee on Constitutional Amendments and Revision of Laws, also said he could convince his colleagues to support his Cha-cha resolution if they could be assured that the amendments would be limited to the constitution’s economic provisions.

“Diyan kailangan magbigay ang mababang kapulungan. Kung gusto po nila talaga,” Padilla told reporters.

Padilla said lawmakers in the House have assured him that only the economic provisions of the constitution are up for revision.

ith 3 1 a r ative votes, seven negative votes and no abstention, the chamber passed on third reading House Bill (HB) 7352, which is the accompanying bill to RBH 6.

Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, author of the bill, said the House constitutional reform initiative aims to rewrite the “restrictive” economic provisions of the Constitution to enable the country to attract more foreign investments.

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

He said relaxing the Charter’s economic provisions would enhance the investment and economic space in the

country.

The bill proposes the seven-month ter of o ce of the convention starting from December 1, 2023, up to June 30, 2024.

Under the measure, Charter amendments to be endorsed by the proposed con-con shall be submitted to the people for ratification in a plebiscite to be held not earlier than 60 days nor later than 90 days after the submission of the convention report to the President and Congress.

The envisioned con-con shall be composed of elected delegates, one from each legislative district, to be voted on Oct. 30, 2023.

The con-con shall also have sectoral representatives, comprising 20 percent of the total number of delegates, to be appointed jointly by the Senate President and the House Speaker.

The appointed sectoral representatives shall include three retired members of the judiciary, three from the academe, three from the legal profession, two economists, and two each from the business

sector, labor, urban poor, farmers and fisherfolk, indigenous cultural co unities, women, youth, veterans, cooperatives, senior citizens and persons with disability, and such other sectors as the Senate President and House Speaker may determine.

The Senate president and House Speaker shall appoint the appointive members within 15 days before the start of the convention.

A delegate must at least be 25 years of age on the day of the election or appointment, at least a college degree holder, must be a registered voter in the district in which the delegate shall be elected, and a resident for a period of not less than one year immediately preceding the day of the election.

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) shall issue implementing rules and regulations for the election of concon members.

cers and e bers of all political parties or coalitions shall be prohibited fro no inating, fielding, endorsing, supporting, or campaigning for any candidate for con-con delegate.

No aspirant shall represent or allow himself/herself to be represented as a candidate of a political party/coalition.

ny person holding public o ce, including members of the armed forces, shall be considered resigned upon the filing of his certificate of candidacy for concon delegate.

Any person elected or appointed to the convention shall not be eligible to run in the first local or national elections after the ratification of the proposed a endments, or appointed to any government position while the convention is in session and within one year after its adjournment.

Marcos lauds nearly 100% decline in text scams due to SIM law

reklamong natatanggap ng National Teleco unications ce si ula ng ating ipatupad ang SIM Card Registration Act (The number of complaints received by the ational Teleco unications ce has dropped by 93.3 percent since we implemented the SIM Card Registration ct , arcos said.

“Unti-unti nang nagiging mas ligtas ang ating digital space kaya naman patuloy naming inaanyayahan ang lahat na magregister na para sa panatag na pagnenegosyo, pagtatrabaho at pamumuhay (Our digital space is becoming more and ore secure that s why we continue to invite everyone to register for safe business, work and life , he added.

nology CT said a total of ,2 8, subscribers or 26.22 percent of the 168,977,773 subscribers across the country have registered their SIM cards since Marcos signed the SIM Registration Act into law.

The DICT is eyeing to extend for another 120 days the deadline for SIM registration which is supposedly on April 26 to give more subscribers time to register.

It is also reaching out to senior citizens as part of its assistance and information campaign to educate and encourage subscribers to register their SIM cards.

11 3 is the first law signed by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.

MANILA – President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Wednesday welcomed a report showing that text scam complaints dropped 93.3 percent after the implementation of the epublic ct 11 3 or the subscriber identity odule Card Registration Act.

n his o cial acebook page and Twitter account, Marcos said this showed that the digital space in the Philippines is becoming “safer” against emerging cyberthreats, vulnerabilities and other online criminal activities.

“93.3 percent ang ibinaba ng mga

Lawyer Andres Castelar Jr., National Teleco unications Co ission TC legal branch o cer-in-charge, said text scam complaints went down to 100 per day from 1,500 complaints prior to the effectivity of the SIM card registration.

Castelar added text scam complaints were expected to further decline once all SIM cards were registered in the system.

As of March 12, the Department of Information and Communications Tech-

The law, signed by Marcos on Oct. 8 last year, requires Public Telecommunication ntities T s or direct sellers to demand end users of SIM cards to present a valid identification docu ent to validate their identities.

It also requires PTEs to submit a verified list of their authori ed dealers and agents nationwide to the NTC an updated list of the same every quarter of each year.

Bersamin denies resignation rumors

MANILA – Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin has denied rumors that he had resigned from the administration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.

“It is fake news and part of black propaganda,” he said in a message to reporters.

The Presidential Communications Office also denied ersa in s supposed resignation.

Bersamin was appointed Executive Secretary in September last year after the resignation of his predecessor, Victor Rodriguez.

As an Executive Secretary, he is referred to as the “Little President” who is mandated to “directly assist the President in the anage ent of affairs of the government, as well as to direct the operations of the xecutive ce, according

to the cial a ette. Before being appointed Executive Secretary, Bersamin served as chairperson of the overn ent ervice nsurance yste under the leadership of arcos predecessor, for er president Rodrigo Duterte. e was na ed the country s top agistrate in November 2018 and retired from the judiciary in October 2019.

House wants multi-sectoral approach vs. job-skills mismatch

MANILA – A measure seeking to address the problem of unemployment, underemployment and job-skills mismatch in the country through the creation of a ulti-sectoral council inched closer to final approval after the House of Representatives passed the bill on second reading on Wednesday.

During the plenary session, the chamber passed through voice voting House Bill 7370, which will create a Tripartite Council composed of representatives from the government, academe and industry sector that will formulate and i ple ent policies and relevant progra s specific to obskills mismatch.

aguio City ep. ark o, chair of the ouse Comittee on Higher and Technical Education, said the creation of the council will allow educational institutions to better understand the labor market, help them identify where the jobs are, and what skills and competencies are required to fill these vacancies.

“It would focus not only in ensuring that graduates were able to land jobs, but more so on whether they were able to truly utilize their particular set of skills and competencies,” o said. t would help the country identify the specific industry needs in terms of manpower requirements, and develop policies that would direct the youth towards these fields of study and profession.

He said there must be established open and continuous communication lines between learning institutions and the business sector in order to sustain a “mutually edifying symbiotic relationship” between them.

“The synergy created would hopefully yield updated curricula, development of standards and industry practices, and increased productivity among others,” he said.

The tripartite council, according to the bill, shall be attached to the Co ission on igher ducation C for administrative and budgetary purposes.

For the government sector, representatives shall be composed of the CHED Commissioner, Deputy Director eneral of the Technical ducation and kills evelopment Authority, and undersecretaries of the Department of Education, Department of Labor and Employment and Department of Trade and Industry.

The academe sector representatives shall be composed of the presidents of the federations of public and private higher education institutions s , public and private technical vocational institutions T s , and accreditation bodies of HEIs and TVIs.

Meanwhile, the industry sector shall be represented by the presidents of business and industry federations.

Under the measure, the tripartite council shall conduct an inventory, review and evaluation of courses, academic programs and curricula of public and private HEIs, as well as the training programs in TVI.

The council shall also conduct an assessment of the ualifications, skills, and co petencies of students and graduates of higher education courses and technical-vocational education and training and inventory of ob specifications and skills re uire ent of various industries.

native of bra, ersa in finished his law degree at the University of the East in 1973 and placed ninth in the bar examinations in the same year.

He served as presiding judge of the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 96 in 1986.

In 2003, he was appointed associate justice at the Court of Appeals and was promoted to the Supreme Court in 2009

SC okays Maria Ressa travel to US, Canada, others

MANILA The Supreme Court has allowed Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Ressa to travel abroad for speaking engagements.

In a statement, the High Court said its First Division granted Ressa’s motion for permission to travel abroad.

The high court allowed the Filipino American journalist to travel to Canada, France, South Korea, and the US from March 13 to April 1 on condition that she “refrain from making any comment on or discussing in public her case and other related matters, and to travel

Assassinated...

(From page 1)

The plea was made as far back as Sept. 21, 2020 and was addressed to then Senate President Vicente ‘Tito’ Sotto, and Senators Cynthia Villar, Francis Tolentino, and anfilo ing acson.

Written in the vernacular, Degamo said his and his wife – Mayor Janice Degamo of Pamplona town – were in grave danger.

Much of what he wrote came to pass. The governor was shot to death on March 4 inside his compound. e had specifically entioned in his letter that the head of the plot to assassinate himself and his wife was Congressman Arnolfo ‘Arnie’ Teves, whom Degamo described as a “known warlord, gambling lord, and drug lord” who had at his disposal a “private armed group (of) goons.”

He related how the Philippine National Police had caught a team of three alleged guns for hire at the Caticlan airport attempting to bring in guns and ammunition, but were caught. The supposed goons under Teves were able to post bail, however, and nothing was heard from the group again.

The atte pt to s uggle the firear s occurred on June 29, 2020 and is in the record books of the PNP, said Degamo.

The Teveses and the Degamos are longtime political enemies. In the last election, a brother of Congressman Teves, Pryde Henry Teves, ran against re-elec-

Hate...

(From page 1)

we’re in with elevated historic levels across many years.”

The top five bias categories in the report were anti-Asian, anti-Black, anti-White, anti-gay males, and anti-Jews.

Anti-Asian bias incidents soared by 167 percent, but “there was an explosion of racial hatred across the board,” said Levin.

ate cri e is defined by the as any cri inal

(From page 1)

was strange that the man left his camera at the scene in his hurry to a getaway car after finally wrestling it fro Arriola. “We were almost run over, though, by the getaway car who backed hurriedly towards us as the man escaped,” he added.

Arriola and wife are still in much pain from the injuries they sustained and may take some time before they get fully healed emotionally and psychologically aside from physically. The couple is asking for continued prayers for their recovery.

“We are also thankful that we were not shot or stabbed by our assailant. I was really not going to let him get my camera, my source of living,” said Arriola. “I want to thank the Sacramento Police for doing their best in apprehending the attacker and I was told that the driver of the getaway vehicle would be next.”

Arriola said he still keeps seeing images of what hap-

on the cash bond of 1 , she previously posted pursuant to an earlier Resolution of the Court.”

The SC said Ressa must also submit to the SC an advice in writing of her return to the country within five days from her arrival.

The Court of Appeals denied last year the plea of Rappler CEO Ressa and former researcher-writer Reynaldo Santos to reverse their cyber libel conviction. The case is currently pending before the high court.

tionist Degamo and was initially declared the winner. ega o, however, filed a case before the Co ission on lections, stating that Teves had fielded a nuisance candidate with a name very similar to his.

The Comelec would rule in favor of Degamo, and all the votes cast for that nuisance candidate were credited to Roel Degamo, enough to overcome the lead of Teves over him. Pryde Henry Teves was a former governor of Negros Oriental, who had earlier been unseated by Degamo.

The fallen governor said in his letter to the Senate that the Teveses had so much clout in the province that they were able to have his police security removed.

As a result, Degamo said he had to turn to the Armed Forces of the Philippines to provide him a security team.

Degamo said he was ready to die after exposing the alleged syndicated criminal activities of the group of Congressman Teves.

Degamo’s letter was forwarded to the Senate committee on public order, then headed by Senator Ronald ‘Bato’ dela Rosa. That committee held hearings and concluded that the unsolved killings in Negros Oriental were committed by a vigilante group against communist insurgents.

Later, however, Dela Rosa asked that a Senate investigation be held to look into the killings that were being linked to Congressman Teves.

offense otivated by the offender s bias es against a race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, ethnicity, gender or gender identity.” The most commonly reported hate crimes in the previous year were intimidation, simple assault and destruction, damage and vandalism.

While the report was issued in December, last year, the ad itted that the figures were based on incoplete data. Some 4,000 law enforcement agencies were unable to switch to the Bureau’s new data collection system.

senior o cial said they resorted to an interi measure,” after which data was collected under the old

pened to them and could not stop talking about the horrible scenarios, which could be therapeutic for him.

“That guy is full of hate. There were also others taking pictures of themselves but it seems we were the only Asians he chose to hurt. It was so horrible I thought that was the end of us at that time,” Arriola recalled. “For now, I’m staying home and most of the time watching news about Asian Hate Crimes all over the US. I am praying for all those victims especially those who died.”

Before the incident, Arriola covered a number of Asian hate crime incidents, including the ongoing trial of Nicholas Weber at the Van Nuys Superior Court. Weber is accused of hate crimes having attacked members of the Roque family at a McDonald’s drive-through on Victory Blvd. in North Hollywood.

Arriola rued that “a lot of people hate us even though we are contributing a lot in this country.”

“It really pains me to realize this,” he added. He maintains though that covering Asian Hate Crime re-

This week, Mayor Degamo asked the Senate to resume its probe on the unsolved rash of killings in Negros Oriental.

She said she wanted the culprit behind her husband’s assassination to be revealed “whoever it may be.”

t is worth noting that five of the six security en of Degamo were strangely absent at the time of the governor’s killing, which also resulted in eight others killed, and 15 wounded. The crime was caught on CCTV and has since gone viral.

The PNP and the AFP launched a manhunt for the assassins of Degamo, and four were apprehended while one was killed in a firefight. ll were for erly with the Armed Forces, but had gone AWOL. One said that the mastermind of the killing was “Congressman Teves.”

Four more suspects remain at large.

Ferdie Topacio, the lawyer of Teves, said they will answer all the allegations once the lawmaker returns to the country.

Teves has been in the US undergoing medical treatment, but has been asked by House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez to return home immediately.

But Teves’ camp said he will only come home if his security is assured. Teves has also brought his case before the Commission on Human Rights, saying that he was being udged unfairly. The firear s and explosives found in his properties were planted, he claimed.

system from some 3,000 agencies.

The increase in reported hate crimes was expected as previously police departments from California, New York, and Chicago took part in the latest report.

Data, however, was submitted on a voluntary basis by police departments, which critics say results in undercounting of hate crimes.

Data for 2022 is not expected to be released until the early part of 2 2 . ore honest figures will almost certainly indicate that hate crimes against AsianAmericans and other groups have not abated.

mains his advocacy.

The Asian American Press Club of the U.S. issued a statement condemning the incident.

“We, the (members of the) Asian American Press Club of the U.S. condemn the wrong that had been done to one of our own AAPCUS family member, our president Nicanor “Nikki” Arriola and his wife. On the afternoon of February 1st, 2023, while on a leisure trip at the Capitol premises in Sacramento, California, both he and his wife were attacked and beaten by a stranger. The initial premise is that the perpetrator was after his camera equipment. As we all know, Nikki’s camera represents his profession, personhood and his livelihood. He did what any human being would have done. He protected his prized possession with his life,” the club stated. “… We solidly stand behind Nikki Arriola and will do all we can to give him the justice he deserves…,” the club added.

Degamo...

(From page 1)

Teves, whose travel authority from Congress for supposed medical treatment in the United States expired on March and has asked for two-month extension, earlier was charged with murder in connection four separate killings in the province since 2019.

At press time, Degamo was being buried in his hometown in Negros and Malacanang declared a special holiday in Negros Oriental to enable the people to mourn and join the burial rites. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Vice President Sara Duterte, Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri, several senators, congressmen and leaders visited Degamo’s wake as they called for justice for the slain governor.

Marcos, who denounced the brazen killing of the governor, has ordered the creation of a special task force on the Degamo assassination as thousands of Army soldiers and police operatives have been assigned in the province to beef up local forces even as an overhaul of police officers assigned in egros riental, especially in Bayawan City, was enforced.

Interior and Local Government Secretary Benjamin Benhur Abalos Jr. disclosed murder and other cases have been filed against the suspects in the killing of the Negros Oriental governor.

Facing reporters, Abalos said apart from the eight murder charges, authorities filed six cases of frustrated urder, one case of illegal possession of firear s, and two cases of Illegal possession of explosives against the suspects.

Abalos also said 13 more cases were expected to be filed a urder case, nine frustrated murder cases, and three attempted murder cases.

There were 27 victims in the Degamo slay; nine of whom were killed while 15 were injured, he added.

Degamo was gunned down by 10 former soldiers clad in military uniforms and bulletproof vedsts with powerful long firear s inside his residential co pound in Barangay San Isidro in Pamplona town, Negros Oriental on March 4 while he was meeting with his constituents when around 10 armed men entered his co pound and opened fire.

The Philippine National Police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group

-C has also filed before the epartment of Justice complaints for illegal possession of firear s against the egros Oriental congressman and his sons after police en recovered firear s, a unition and grenades from one of six Teves’ homes raided by the lawmen, according to Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla. e will look at these cases filed against Congressman Teves, his two sons,” Remulla said.

The raids as well as the complaint is connected to the complaints for three counts of urder the C filed against Teves for allegedly masterminding killings in 2019 in Negros.

“We will ask them to answer these charges already filed before the epartment of Justice,” Remulla said.

Meanwhile, Ferdinand Topacio, lawyer of Teves, said the Negros solon has rescheduled his return to the country reportedly due to concerns about his security.

Remulla earlier assured Teves that he will be secured and safe once he returns.

Remulla has said Teves already left the United States and was “somewhere in Asia,” but he later said nothing is yet definite on where the law aker ight be staying.

Teves had asked the House leadership to grant him a two-month-long leave of absence, citing a “very grave threat” to his life and his family.

Teves, who has been linked to the assassination of Negros Oriental governor Roel Degamo, made the request in a letter addressed to Speaker Martin Romualdez who had asked the solon to return immediately to face the issues against him.

The House ethics committee, meanwhile, took jurisdiction over Teves’ case and asked the solon to explain his side on the issue and failure to do so may mean he could face expulsion from the House.

In another development, members of the -C arrested a staff e ber of e battled egros law aker and five others in connection with the raid on several houses owned by the lawmaker aimed at sei ing illegal firear s.

In a statement on Tuesday, the CIDG

said the six individuals including Hanna Mae Sumerano Oray, Teves’ secretary, were arrested following the raids conducted in five different houses in asay town and Bayawan City Negros Oriental province on March 10 during the service of a search warrant.

arious long and short firear s, amunition and explosives were recovered during the operations.

“The six arrested persons are all detained at CIDG National Capital Region Field Unit (NCRFU), last Sunday (March 12) and also (underwent) inquest at CIDG Camp Crame,” CIDG Public Information

ce chief t. Col. arissa runo told the Philippine News Agency.

Complaints for violations of Republic Act (RA) 10591 or the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act and the Law on Explosives (RA 9516) were filed against ose ablo i arangan and Roland Aguisanda Pablio.

The CIDG said Teves was also “impleaded as respondent” in the cases.

Complaints for infringement of RA 1 1 were also filed against ray, eracleo Sangasin Oray, Rodolfo Teves Maturan, and Joseph Kyle Catan Maturan.

“Unfortunately, Congressman Arnolfo Teves Jr. Kurt Mathew Teves, and Axel Teves were not around during the said implementation of the SWs in their house; however, the criminal complaints against them for violation of RA 10591 and RA 16 will be filed as soon as possible, the CIDG said in a statement.

CIDG director, Brig. Gen. Romeo Caramat, said the CIDG enforces the law regardless of one’s status in society.

“We will assure impartiality in the conduct of the investigation and will hold cri inals accountable for the offense they committed,” said Caramat.

The raid is related to the murder charges filed by the C against Teves and five other individuals last arch in connection to the 2019 killings of three individuals in Negros Oriental.

The CIDG charged Teves and a certain Hannah Mae, allegedly his secretary, before the Department of Justice.

Two counts of murder were likewise lodged against Richard Cuadra alias “Boy Cuadra,” Jasper Tanasan alias “Bobong Tansan” and Rolando Pinili alias “Inday,” and one count of murder against Alex Mayagma.

E A A E AL he police gather the rear they aid ere eized d ring a raid on three proper�e o ned by egro riental ep. Arnolfo e e r. in the pro ince on riday, arch , . e e i being linked to the arch a a ina�on of o . oel De ga o, b t o cial ay the raid are in connec�on ith the co plaint he face for a erie of killing in . D

A LA E E i�zen of egro riental pro ince pay their la t re pect to o . oel Dega o at the ro incial apitol on at rday, a eek a er he a a a inated by g n en in Ar y nifor .

President Biden’s new actions to reduce gun violence lauded

SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom has applauded President Joe Biden’s visit to Monterey Park and his announcement of federal executive actions to reduce gun violence.

“California is grateful for resident iden s efforts today to strengthen our gun laws and make our streets, schools, and communities safer,” said Governor Newsom.

“Simply put, it’s the right thing to do,” Newsom said. “While some Republican leaders are focused on endangering our children and making law enforcement’s job harder, California and the Biden Administration have worked to save lives and end the epidemic of gun violence that has plagued our nation for too long.”

“Now, it’s time for Congress to step up and do their job,” Newsom said.

With gun violence claiming the lives of over 110 Americans a day, California’s nation-leading gun safety laws serve as a valuable blueprint for other states and Congress to

save lives.

Newsom said California’s gun safety laws work. In its most recent scorecard, California ranked as the #1 state for gun safety by the Giffords Law Center, and in 2021, the state saw a 37% lower gun death rate than the national average.

According to the CDC, California’s gun death rate was the 44th lowest in the nation, with 8.5 gun deaths per 100,000 people – compared to 13.7 deaths per 100,000 nationally, 28.6 in Mississippi, 20.7 in Oklahoma, and 14.2 in Texas.

Building on California’s decades of leadership, Governor Newsom has taken historic action to reduce gun violence.

Last summer, the Governor signed a package of gun safety laws, making it easier for Californians to sue manufacturers of illegal assault weapons and those spreading them, allowing lawsuits against irresponsible gun industry members, strengthening prohibitions on ghost guns, and restricting marketing to minors.

Newsom said California has also

launched an 18-month campaign to promote gun violence restraining orders red ag laws that allow law enforcement, family, coworkers or friends to petition a court to temporarily remove weapons from people deemed dangerous to themselves or others.

A study from the Violence Prevention Research Program at the University of California, Davis found that California s red ag law has been used to stop 58 threatened mass shootings since 2016. (Claire Morales True)

EDITORIAL

A third domino must not fall

The fall of Silicon Valley Bank may have been shocking, but it was not completely unexpected. It was the suddenness of SVB’s fall that caused concern because the bank had become the favored depository of the funds of tens of thousands of individual depositors, as well as all kinds of tech sector businesses, which was the primary market of SVB.

The fall of SVB makes it the second biggest collapse of a US bank in history. This alone is reason enough for emergency action to be taken by the federal government, as SVB does business both nationwide and globally. ignature ank which also collapsed is a different atter, as it is both smaller and newer than SVB. Signature also allied itself too closely to cryptocurrency and the greater risks involved in the industry, which overheated last year.

In both cases, however, the management was at fault. No ifs and buts here. They knowingly or unknowingly caused their financial institution to fail.

That President Joe Biden assured the American public that they money deposited in either bank is safe should offer a ittery public so e relief. fter all, bigger banks have collapsed in the not too distant past, to be sure, leading to the Great Recession of 2008.

The president stressed that not only are the funds of depositors safe, but that the American banking system is strong, much stronger today than 15 years ago.

There will, however, be a price to be paid by the investors who knew that any business involves risk, and the possibility of shutting down is always present, albeit to varying degrees. The stockholders of both banks must pay the price. They had a say on who manages the bank, and how. Their chosen executives were clearly not up to par. ank-and-file e ployees, eanwhile, will naturally be off the hook. ut they will now have to start looking for e ployment.

Thus, the banks themselves will have to pay for their mismanagement. There will be no bailout for them.

But the question must be asked: Why did the collapse happen at all?

The simple answer is, it’s complicated. But the long and the short of it is the skyrocketing interest rates set by the Federal Reserve played a key role, but by no means the only role in the twin collapse.

The collapse has also been blamed on what is being called a “Twitter-fueled bank run.” This is because information – and in many cases misinformation – is passed around very quickly today, and one rumor can be enough to spread to so many depositors that they will all want to withdraw their funds immediately.

The classic bank runs of the past can now happen at a far greater pace and it is possible that banks that are otherwise solid can fall victim to fake news.

Since the collapse of SVB and Signature took place late last week, the action to be taken at the federal level this week will determine if only those two dominos will fall. For more banks to fail is the worst thing that can happen to the US economy.

opefully, the iden ad inistration will be up to the task, di cult as it may seem.

Conclusion

MORE than multi-award winning singer-composer Burt Bacharach’s former cook, Daly City resident Rebecca uth o ue en oyed the privilege of the late star s mini concerts in his home he shared with then-wife Carole Bayer-Sager, his co-songwriter along with lyricist Hal David. s one of two housekeeping staff, o ue switched chores depending on the need. When she was not busy in the kitchen, she would babysit Bacharach’s son. Those were the times when the author of “Do You Know the Way to San Jose” and “Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head” would call her with his son into the music room.

“He would play the piano and sing for the baby,” Roque recalled a special benefit of her e ploy ent.

“He was very close to Filipinos,” she noted, and was “very proud to know Philippine culture.”

Prior to her yearlong employment at the Bacharach residence in Malibu, Roque had worked for Consul General Donald Ballentyne in 1985 at the UK diplomatic residence in Los Angeles, reporting to Ballentyne’s wife. She knew she had made the right decision when her employers met her children and welcomed them to stay with their mother.

Cooking for her British bosses was uncomplicated, she said. Meals consisted of breakfast and occasional dinner, sometimes with VIPs. She recognized Cary Grant and then-future King Charles, whose visit prompted her friends to rib her to learn the ‘royal wave,’” she tells Inquirer. net with a laugh.

hen the allentynes tour of duty ended in 1 , o ue had already signed up with a staffing agency frequented by show business moguls like the Bacharachs. In between she hosted a call-in radio program from midnight to 1 am on KAZN 1300. Eponymously called Christ for Every Home, most callers were nurses with whom she prayed for guidance, she says.

DIVINE SIGN

A few years after her tinseltown period, Roque heard from an aunt in San Francisco who was seeking a caregiver for a developmentally challenged adult. Roque embraced the prospect of meaningful service and has been tending to the same client for 23 years today.

Her live-in service requires her focus from 6-9 am and then 5-7 pm, giving her plenty of time for diversion. Yet Roque focuses her availability in service of older adults.

“I got a ticket parked on Taraval Street in San Francisco while visiting a friend. My options were to pay the fine or do co unity service at any of the organi ations listed. chose the one nearest me – Doelger Senior Center,” she traced the beginnings of her volunteerism.

o ue thrived in preparing affordable lunches or what s called in the social service co unity as “congregate meals” for people beyond their golden age.

Along the way she befriended the program director of Healthy Aging Response Team T , and signed up to be a volunteer at the o ce fielding callers seeking resources for older residents. One contact led to another and soon she was attending a training to become a peer counselor for older adults at the nonprofit eninsula a ily ervice.

Seven years later she continues to provide one-one-counseling with a contemporary who may be isolated because of a disability or suffers fro depression. he also fre uents the apihan, PFS weekly Filipino group meetings to promote socialization among adults 55 and older.

Last December Ruth Roque celebrated her 80th birthday. She has been serving older adults more than half of her life and she has no intention to stopping soon, invoking one of her former employer Burt Bacharach’s hits. Of his countless hits, “What the World Needs Now is Love” is among the most inspiring, after all. – Adapted from original reprinted with permission from INQUIRER.NET

(Continued on page 26)

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

A time for reckoning

“There’s always a time for reckoning.”

President Rodrigo Duterte

“Six years is too long for a bad governor and just enough for a good one.”

Opposition Governor of Misamis Oriental during Martial Law

The quotation attributed to President Rodrigo Duterte is one of the few that is right - coming from him. Duterte, like many Presidents before him, is a man of many words – just words and no action. The only comments he translated into actions were on sex and the killing of thousands of poor illegal drug addicts, not to speak of his overwhelming admiration of President Xi Jin Ping – the man at the top of the totem pole of the corona virus.

According to the Social Weather Station (SWS) and Pulse Asia (PA), Duterte was a very popular President. Considering the dismal performance of Duterte as President, I am quite convinced that if the surveys are true, they must have been taken inside the ational Center for ental ealth C in andaluyong City, which is the euphemistic term for an insane asylum or the whole country must have been a nut house where those who gave Duterte high popularity rating needed eyeglasses and hearing aids or a psychiatrist. And the other possible reason is that the survey groups were bought or those who did the interviews were similarly bought. Which is which? Only time or a truthful confession will tell.

Past: Why should I continue writing about former President uterte This is the uestion asked e by an C indanao governor appointed by President Cory Aquino, now trying to secure a govern ent position fro . ut resident uterte is not past – he is very much present for several reasons. First, he is the father of Vice-President Sara Duterte who is one breath away from the presidency. Second, he must be having nightmares about his cases in the ICC. Third, with the way he behaved as President, he appears to be obsessed with the idea of wielding power. Fourth, he has now the most tempting opportunity to get back to power so he could do something about his legacy Fifth, his network when he was President is still there - in both military and civilian agencies of government. ixth, he is the ost strategic figure in the country today who can upset all the plans of the current President considering his publicly low opinion of , both as a leader and as a person. eventh, he must be missing all the perquisites of power.

So former President Duterte is not past – he is very much present. e is a an to watch.

Radar screen: Former President Duterte is no longer at center stage nor is he the man on the saddle. The rest of us who are stakeholders and interested in history will continue to monitor him because he is very relevant person in our contemporary development.

The important questions about former PR D are the following:

1.What is he currently doing – politically? 2. Is he a friend or an ally of resident 3. s he one of the persons behind the current move in Congress to amend the Constitution? 4. Is he still a friend and ally of for er resident . re they the ones behind the ove in the ouse of epresentatives to call a Constitutional Convention? 6. Is he still in constant touch with President Xi Jin Ping of China? Are his death squads alive and kicking?

The answers to these questions will determine what PR D will do in the political arena. hether resident will finish his ter hether will be able to get back into power f, were , I will watch very closely PR D and monitor his every move for three reasons – uneasy is the head that wears the crown, God help me from y friends can take care of y ene ies and keep your fiends close but your enemies even closer?

e e ber finished his ter despite a failed presidency, an intense investigation by the ICC, continuous denunciation by human rights advocates domestically and internationally, complete mishandling of the West Philippine Sea issue, horrendous vulgarity; and uncontrolled problems of high prices of commodities and services, illegal drugs and graft and corruption.

A man of lesser nerve could not have survived the avalanche of isdeeds and infir ities but did he was not re oved. That s quite an achievement.

aybe, could learn a lesson or two fro he defied his own rule on reckoning, at least during his presidency, and he proved to be an exception to the rule of the isa is riental governor.

I focus on a few Filipino American educators in the Bay Area for this week’s column. They deserve to be recognized and remembered for the efforts they have exerted and still exerting in aking a difference in the lives of the students.

While Filipino teachers/educators had a hard time getting into the educational system as teachers here in the US as new immigrants, there were some who were lucky and

(Continue on page 27)

Power vacuum

China’s rise as a global economic and military power was not an accident.

Its coercive and aggressive actions in the South China Sea and in Taiwan are clear indications of China’s desire to consolidate power in the region and expand around the world.

By 2049, Beijing hopes to dominate the world as the number economic and military power, surpassing the United States, which some political analysts say could plunge into a possible civil war due to widening polarization after the November 2020 presidential elections.

The domestic political issues and a cooling economy have been disrupting erica s efforts to intervene in so e distant lands to keep global stability and security.

For instance, the United States retreated from the world stage during Donald Trump’s presidency, withdrawing from Afghanistan and putting doubt on its capability to face conicts on two fronts.

The last time Washington fought wars in two separate theaters was in the Second World War – helping the British and the Russians in defeating Nazi Germany and its Italian ally in the European theater and bringing down the Japanese to liberate China and most Southeast Asian countries in the acific theater.

In the later part of the 20th century, there were pockets of con icts in the alkan peninsula and the iddle ast. t fought wars against drug cartels in Latin America and intervened in ethnic con icts in frica.

Washington abandoned Southeast Asia, pulling out from its two large overseas military bases in Clark and Subic.

t focused on the iddle ast and other inor threats, like drug tra cking, sla ist ilitancy and preventing ussia from regaining its strength after the disintegration of the old Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) and its satellite states in Eastern and Central Europe.

For instance, in the Philippines, the United States, if it really wants to stay in its bases, could do some arm-twisting and pressure tactics. What could 12 senators actually do to a country that overwhelmingly loves the Americans?

ut, at that ti e, the ericans were confident they could leave the region because there were no outside powers that would step into their shoes and the American economy was falling.

The US was wrong. It was a catastrophic and strategic blunder.

China took advantage of the situation and deceived the United States and its allies that its intentions are peaceful.

Beijing has mastered the deception that it was able to acquire modern military technology from the Americans to build up its own armed forces, telling Washington that China could be a friend against the Russians.

China pitted the Americans against the Russians while harvesting crucial and strategic technology to build ships, planes, tanks, and missiles. It was also stealing and doing reverse technology to learn how sophisticated weapons systems were made.

China ooded erican universities with researchers and bought some obscure US companies with tie ups with defense manufacturing industries, like Singer sewing machines. A unit of Singer was producing important parts for sophisticated weapons systems.

Washington did not pay attention to Chinese threats until 1995 when it occupied a half-submerged shoal in the South China Sea. The Philippines discovered that China has built a akeshift fisher en s shelter on ischief eef after a ilipino fighter pilot ew reconnaissance ights in the disputed waters.

The Philippine Navy was not able to send patrols in the area during the harsh monsoon season because it lacked ocean-going vessels.

ost of its platfor s are orld ar destroyer escorts and minesweepers. They cannot endure two to three weeks sea duties in the vast exclusive economic zones.

The United States treated China as a key ally against ussia as well as with sla ist ilitants in the iddle ast because China has its own proble s in in iang with uslim Uyghurs.

(Continue on page 27)

Historicity of Jesus - lasting gift and must reading for the Lenten Season

During the Lenten Season, millions from the “Christendom” will be celebrating Palm Sunday, oly Thursday, ood riday and Resurrection Sunday to commemorate the Death, Burial and Resurrection (DBR) of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Health & Wealth

As book author, columnist and active Evangelist with the GOLDEN GATE C C C T in an rancisco, California, offer and reco end the ourteenth rinting copies of T C T subtitled “Facts and Evidences for Agnostics, Atheists, Believers and Christians” to our readers and the general public. atest edition copies of T C T are now available in ardcover, aperback and -book through Amazon and Restoration Books (website: www.restorationboos.church) Foreword was written by Atty. Junas T. Sagurit, President, Asian Christian University in Bugallon, Pangasinan, Philippines.

The back cover has the group picture of then Congressman and enator anny ac uiao with the e bers of the C inistries Tea during the Courtesy Call and rayer Session inside his mansion last February 19, 2016 in General Santos City, Sarangani, Philippines. The members of the WE C inistries Tea include arry est, Cole obertson with the popular TV Show Duck Dynasty, Steven Prine, Erben Gonzales and yours truly.

ere are so e co ents and reviews on the book. This book can help bring millions of Filipinos to Jesus, the Prince of Peace, for salvation and spiritual awakening,” wrote C . . , or er Chair, egulatory oard of Librarians; Director of Libraries, Lyceum of the Philippines niversity, anila, hilippines.

“This is a special book which merits devoted attention The devastation caused by COVID-19 and the following new strains reveals more than ever how desperately we need to fellowship with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,” echoed T. , lder, C C C T, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. eading T C T should ake it ipossible for the smallest seed of doubt to be sown in anyone’s mind,” said JUANITA ROBERTSON, Retired Professor, City College, San Francisco, California USA.

“This timely book is a must read for agnostics, atheists, believers and Christians, I encourage my INC friends to purchase their own copies, read with open mind and then share with others, a r ed . , ., for er C e ber and now vangelist and inister, C C C C T, anchai, ong ong.

The T C T is a agnificent read and teaching tool filled with valuable notes and historical information. I commend it highly, “ said ERLINDA A. BIANAN, R.N. author of the best-selling book “Nurses Notes on edical, urgical and Critical Care ursing, acra ento, California USA.

“This book evidently represents that there is a Jesus Christ in the history of mankind. Only a plain ignorant would claim that there had never been a an who once walked on this earth. I use and master this book to make myself ‘be ready to give a defense’ to anyone who asks me for the truth,” confir ed TT . . , eal state roker ppraiser, awyer inister, T C C C T, Tan a, Cavite, hilippines.

To commemorate our 49th Wedding Anniversary with y beloved wife irginia i ene adlaing on ay , 2 23 Cinco de ayo , a offering autographed copies ofT C T 326 pages, a on price in ardcover- $18.95; Paperback -$14.95; and E-book-$8.95 per copy respectively, plus shipping and handling) at discounted price to our readers and the general public. This pecial ffer is good only in the nited tates until ugust 18, 2 23, y 76th Birthday.

For your autographed copies, you can choose between the ardcover 12. per copy, shipping handling or Paperback $10.95 per copy, FREE shipping handling) as additional book in your personal library and/or lasting gifts to your FRANC (Friends, Relatives, Acquaintances, Neighbors, Co-Workers). To get

ART GABOT MADLAING

MANNY MOGATO

HOMOBONO A. ADAZA Diliman Way

China’s diplomacy not working as expected

The People’s Republic of China is having uncomfortable moments where its relations with the Philippines is concerned, and with good reason.

The Philippines today is not the Philippines of seven years ago, when then President Rodrigo Duterte was somehow enveigled to pivot towards China on the belief that the country could never win a war with its powerful neighbor coupled with promises of mega-loans that mostly failed to materialize.

In simple terms, Duterte was duped because he was a dupe, a simpleton who believed anything and everything the Chinese told him. In several visits to China, Duterte shamed the Philippines by acting like Xi Jinping’s pet monkey.

To be honest, President Bongbong Marcos appeared willing to hew closely to Duterte’s irrational path at the start of his presidency. But he appears to have woken up to the subjective truth that he needs the US far, far more than he needs China.

As for Xi, the three-term president of China who seems bent on being president for life is acting like a strongman, but one who is wary of going too far against the US. It must be frustrating for Xi to see the US getting the go signal to set up four new uasi- bases in the hilippines, specifically the parts that face China.

If push comes to shove and a shooting war erupts, China will learn very quickly that its military is no match for the US. No military analyst would place his bet on China to win, although it could in ict serious da age to the before it prays and demands that the UN intervene and tell Uncle Sam to pretty please holster his guns.

As for the Philippines, it need not wage war with China, as the later President Benigno Aquino lll proved. All the country had to do was to take China to court.

Afer the Philippines scored an unexpected but most welcome legal victory, China then acted like a spoiled brat who had been deprived of toys that he was not even playing with, in the first place.

That toy is, of course, the West Philippine Sea, which China insists is part of the South China Sea.

Luckily, Marcos seems to be following some sound advice where the country’s relations with China is concerned. He knows he has to take steps to end the non-stop intrusions of Chinese civilian and military vessels into the WPS.

Marcos still wants to maintain friendly ties with China, but only if the economic and military power stops invading Philippine territory and preventing ilipino fisher en fro plying their trade.

There has been and always will be only one solution to end China’s intrusions.

Given the choice on which country to ally itself with, the majority of Filipinos would pick the US over China any day of the week, and twice on Sundays.

I daresay an overwhelming majority of Pinoys will lean towards the US, with minorities either siding with China or play the nationalist card and say the country shouldn’t take sides at all.

China and its diplomats know this, and have taken an obvious tack of trying to ruin the closeness that Filipinos feel towards the US by making America as the bully who must be cut to size. China even used that word bully to describe the US, and its plans to expand the EDCA, or the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement.

Yes, China used the word bully to refer to the US, and perhaps there is much truth to this. The US can, if it wants to, bully China, which has been bullying the Philippines for decades. So there.

All that is happening is China getting – potentially – a taste of its own medicine.

A decade or two ago, some studies surmised that under a worsts-case scenario, World War lll could erupt in Asia, not in urope, and the con icting clai s to the wealth under the South China Sea, including the West Philippine Sea (of course) would be the spark that would result in the unthinkable.

Nobody wants war, of course, but it’s not clear how much Xi hates the idea of going up against the US and its allies like Japan, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, and Taiwan. For as long as the Chinese leader is

Why “soak the rich”? What crimes have they committed?

FULL DISCLOSURE: I am not rich.

President Biden released on March 2 a $6.9 trillion federal budget proposing to tax rich people and big corporations. Americans earning at least $400,000 are the targets.

But what have they done to deserve such cruel and unusual punishment?

Did they steal the money that made them rich? If so, they should not only be taxed to death, but they should be sent to jail. However, if they became rich because of hard work or business acumen, they should be left alone to enjoy the fruits of their labor.

If Biden soaks the rich, the rich will simply pass on their increased taxes to their customers like us. We will be the ones who will suffer not the rich.

According to Biden “No billionaire should ever pay a lower tax rate than a school teacher or a firefighter. f that happens, it is because taxation is not based on gross income but on net income after legitimate deductions. It is called taxable inco e . The billionaire ight have legiti ate deductions to such an extent that his taxable inco e is less than that of the school teacher.

To prevent that from happening, people should be taxed on gross income without deductions.

For instance, in Hawaii there is a General Excise Tax. All businesses, including self-employed people and independent contractors, are required to pay this tax. It is based on gross receipts without any deductions. In addition, these people have also to pay an income tax. It is harsh especially to people who earn very little. The ustification That is the price for living in paradise .

If federal taxation is going to be based on gross income, what would be the rate? Let us assume 10% of gross income. Thus a person whose gross income is $1,000,000 would pay $100,000 in taxes. A person whose gross income is $10,000 would pay $1,000.

To the million dollar earner, losing $100,000 of his inco e does not significantly affect his life style. ut a wage earner earning 1 , who loses 1, would be significantly affected in his life style.

o, the policy akers sought to e uali e the effect of taxation by creating a so-called progressive tax based on ability to pay . nder this theory, high inco e groups should pay a larger percentage of income tax than the “low inco e groups, who should be allowed to keep ore of what they earn.

Thus, for a single person, if taxable income is over $0 but not over $10,275, the tax rate is 10% of the amount over $0. If the taxable inco e is over 3 , but not over no li it , the tax is $162,718 plus 37% of the amount over $539,900. different rate is i posed for arried filing ointly or ualifying widower, for arried filing separately, or for head of household.

Taxation of inco e started in 1861 to finance the Civil War. Congress repealed the income tax in 1872.

However, on February 3, 1913, the 16th Amendment to the Constitution was ratified. t provided The Congress shall have the power to lay and collect taxes on incomes, from whatever source derived, without apportionment among the several States, and without regard to any census or enueration.

The ustification was to finance erica s participation in World War I. But this was only a pretense because World War I commenced on July 28, 1914 – more than one year after February 3, 1913. How could the income tax proponents foretell that there would be a World War? Furthermore, it was only on April 6, 1917 that Congress voted to declare war on Germany.

So, now the only thing certain are taxes – and death.

But according to the Republicans, Biden’s proposed budget and soak the rich - is dead on arrival in Congress. Long live these legislators. If the rich are not soaked with taxes, they will not raise the prices of their products – hopefully.

Atty. Emmanuel Samonte Tipon was a Fulbright and Smith-Mundt scholar to Yale Law School where he obtained a Master of Laws degree specializing in Constitutional Law. He graduated with a Bachelor

A glimpse of Pinoy educators in the Bay

Ifocus on a few Filipino American educators in the Bay Area for this week’s column. They deserve to be recognized and remembered for the efforts they have exerted and still exerting in aking a difference in the lives of the students.

While Filipino teachers/educators had a hard time getting into the educational system as teachers here in the US as new immigrants, there were some who were lucky and earned their teaching jobs through merits and experience.

Their experience in the Philippines, which was seldom considered for new immigrant applicants, propelled them into getting US teaching jobs which became a dilemma for new teacher-applicants considering that most school administrators look for local experience from the applicants and a local boy (meaning a graduate of US institutions) in the hiring process.

Hellie Mateo, for instance, taught English Language Development (ELD) and Global Literature here in the US for 26 years with the Fremont Union High School District in Sunnyvale- in all of its five high schools. he said got y ingle ub ect econdary Teaching Credential through San Jose State University. My experience as an educator was for the most part very productive and satisfactory due to my supportive supervisors and professional colleagues. We have a Teachers’ Union which supported its members in negotiating for pay increases and better working conditions. Our school district is also one of the few in the Bay Area that paid really well due to its geographic location and socioeconomic demographics. We got a raise on top of the salary increases almost every year based on left-over money from district funds, so I never thought about switching to a different district. The students are very diverse which ade teaching both challenging as well as fulfilling as an educator. retired in une 2 22 after 26 years with the .

She worked with students with special needs thereby redirecting her career toward special education. She spent a few years helping build the Transition Program at the school district, at the same time helping recent high school graduates and other young adults prepare for employment by teaching work skills. Additionally, she developed and conducted a training program for the district’s job coaches - enabling them to better support their students with disabilities at their jobs.

Former Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) Dean Roman Dannug, PhD, a resident of Northern California said: “Yes, I got a teaching job at the Concord College of Nursing. I went to credentialing, got a very good rate per hour, and class size was 25 pax maximum which was great. I strictly followed a school-approved subject syllabus, high technology/multi media-driven instruction, and observed a criteria-based grading system that allows a very small percentage of teacher’s discretion… practically everything is measurable based on documented class performance, impressive faculty development program for professional growth, and excellent extension program to support increased enrollment.

To my surprise, our white school director who was a Ph.D. holder talked to me privately and advised that students and colleagues should address me inside the campus as Dr. Dannug, since “we all earned a professional title that separate the ordinary from the extraordinary e phasi ing that the title re uires so e great responsibility in both teacher behavior, delivery and performance inside the program. Over all, my close to years college teaching experience in the was exceedingly great.

Dr. Dannug added: “Managing classes that were full of actual diverse racial and cultural backgrounds beca e ore fulfilling with a profound understanding of “unity in diversity “and full dedication to professional responsibilities - two very important traits for ilipino- erican educators in order to re ain effective agents of change, powerful voices against racism/discrimination and genuine advocates of e ual opportunity for all

Maria Ibarra, on the other hand, was a public-school teacher in the Philippines before immigrating to the US.

Teaching in the is way different co pared to the hilippines in any aspects, she said. Credentials need to be evaluated by an accredited agency. Screening is rigid. You can’t get that job security right away if you haven’t been teaching for more than years in this country. hen the budget is cut, you re the first one to go.

Ibarra further commented: “Compared in the Philippines, if you pass your 3-month probationary period, you’re good to stay unless you committed something against the set policies or regulations. Parents and students in our country have a high regard for teachers since the administration has your back while in this place (referring to the US) the admin is leaning more towards the parents.

(Continue on page 27) (Continue on page 27)

Most of the students here seem not

EMMANUEL SAMONTE TIPON

ELPIDIO R. ESTIOKO

IMMIGRATIONS

Some issues in applying for naturalization

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

1. Proving good faith marriage. You will be surprised that you are applying for naturalization and yet the USCIS is considering you as a green card applicant although your marriage happened ten years ago. If you obtained your green card through marriage, no matter how many years has passed, they always asked questions and documents about whether your arriage is bona fide and what oint documents support this marriage.

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

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

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

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

6. ailure to file and pay your inco e tax ay also dis ualify you for naturali ation. If you have a payment plan agreement with the IRS and you keep paying the monthly payments, you may be able to get approved. Again you need to consult with an immigration lawyer about your situation.

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

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

9. If you lack the required period of residency, you may also be denied. So that you will not have a problem when applying for naturalization, you should consult with an immigration attorney to avoid possible problem along the way.

Note: This is not legal advice and presented for information purposes only. If you have i igration proble s the aw ces of Crispin C. o ano can help you find a solution before your proble gets worse which could lead to deportation and fa ily separation.

Bankruptcy Basics

1. ankruptcy will actually i prove your credit within one year because your unsecured debts are discharged. Although the bankruptcy will be in your records for 10 years, not filing bankruptcy will ake your credit even worse until ost your debts are paid.

2. f you are being sued by your creditors, ost oney udg ent can be eli inated in bankruptcy.

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

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

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENTS

1. PETITION FOR CAREGIVERS

Our Law Firm entered into agreement with nursing and care home facilities in the U.S. to process applicants for Caregivers in the US. We also process petition for caregivers from the Philippines.

2. TThe Coronavirus Cares ct ick and a ily eave for elf- ployed provides big tax refunds for self-e ployed individuals for tax years 2 2 and 2 21. f you have filed your tax return and failed to avail of this refund contact us for consultation. The refund ranges from $4000 to $32000 per individual self employed depending on your income.

Call our o ce at 1-8 - 6- 266 for confidential consultation.

CLAIM FOR UNPAID WAGES

e help our clients recover fro e ployers unpaid ini u wage and overti e. ndocu ented workers are ualified to apply.

CAR ACCIDENTS

Our Law Firm successfully settled a car accident for $675.000.

FAMILY LAW

We also handle uncontested DIVORCE.

SUCCESS STORIES

For the month of February 2023, we received approval from USCIS three naturalization applications, two Fiancée visa petition, two removals of condition on residence and four ad ust ent of status applications.

f you have i igration proble s the aw ces of Crispin C. o ano can help you find a solution before your proble gets worse which could lead to deportation and fa ily separation.

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.

A glimpse of Pinoy educators in the Bay

t has been five years this onth since character actor Karim Kiram (real name: Bernardino C. Reyes Jr.) left this vale of tears.

ast arch 6, the fa ily he left behind took ti e to remember him, consoled by the knowledge that he is in a much better place than this.

ari was born in ligan City, anao, indanao, the eldest son of Col. Bernardino C. Reyes Sr. and Teodora Cabili, sister of Senator Tomas Cabili, also a former Secretary of Defense.

Growing up, he was a mischievous boy, who soon found basketball as his calling. e excelled at it in school, was a member of the Varsity team of Santo Tomas University, and even oined a professional basketball tea , Chelsea, which won the PBA championship.

n 1 , thanks to aily xpress ntertain ent ditor and president o y rceo, he started his acting career as Karim Kiram. Since then and until he left for the United States in 1988, he appeared in any fil s with stars like oseph strada, ernando oe, r., a on evilla r., Tony Ferrer, to name a few.

ost often, he played the role of the villain, who usually dies at the end of the fil . Once, a niece of his who watched a movie he was in, replayed on TV, came to us in tears. “ Tito Tots (his nickname,for family and friends) is dead,” she wailed. She had to be assured that he wasn ’t. Karim’s love for basketball was inherited by his three sons: Sean, Birdie and Jory, whom he trained at an early age. He was their coach during a league at Fairview and at the National Press Club, where the sons of National Press Club members competed at tournaments.

Basketball wasn’t the only game he was good at. He also played golf, chess and poker very well. ari s love for his i ediate fa ily extended to his siblings, nephews, nieces and grandchildren.

He was the person they turned to in moments of crisis and he always found a solution to their problems. The apple of his eye, however, was his grandson, Matthew, whom he helped raise in the United States. Although he loved his other grandchildren as well, it was Matthew who made his eyes light up.

Matthew could do no wrong!

Towards the end of his life , Karim’s strength waned. He could no longer move around without his wheelchair. e still en oyed drinking, ostly wine, and conversations with his fa ily and friends. ike all of us, ari was hu an and, therefore, awed. s death drew near, he tried his best to make up for whatever sins of commission or omission he had made. Thankfully, he was administered the Last Sacraments.

Today, we remember him with sadness. Gone too soon, he will be forever missed.

Rest in eternal peace, Karim, and continue to watch over your loved ones as you did in life, until we meet again.

(Editor’s Note: Karim Kiram lived in San Francisco Bay Area for several years and was active with the local media before his passing.)

Solon bats for cheaper ways for Filipinos to invest

MANILA – A lawmaker on Wednesday underscored the need to pass a legal fra ework for collective investment schemes (CIS) to make it easier and cheaper for working Filipinos to invest in legitimate securities.

uring the hearing of the ouse Coittee on cono ic ffairs, lbay ep. Joey Salceda said investors need to shell out significant a ounts of cash to ake investments in “clunky” assets such as real estate or businesses because existing laws do not expressly provide for C .

A collective investment scheme is an “arrangement where funds are pooled for the purpose of investing in securities and other investments.”

ur assets tend to be clunky . n finance, we call this asset divisibility. The idea is that assets can be divided into infinitesimally small units so that the smallest retail investor can participate in investing an asset. ecause we do not have a legislated CIS framework, most of our assets cannot be divided a ong s aller investors,” he said.

“In short, if you are a retail investor, it s expensive to get started. urther ore, retail investors tend to invest individually, and therefore speculatively. Individually,

it is also expensive to get a personal fund manager who can make more intelligent decisions for the average investor,” he added.

Salceda pointed this entry barrier as the rationale for a framework for investing collectively.

“This is why we need a stronger, broader market for collective investment schemes. Collective investment schemes reduce the fixed costs of fund anage ent and administration,” he said.

e said ground rules ust be set, particularly outlining the duties and responsibilities of the fund manager, establishing certain para eters regarding the anageent and decision- aking for the fund, and delineating custodianship arrangements.

The House panel, during the hearing, created a technical working group to finetune the proposal.

einvest ent ra ework for eal state Investment Trust

eanwhile, the ouse of epresentatives approved on second reading House Bill 7525, providing for a reinvestment framework for Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) by amending Republic Act No. 9856, or the REIT law.

MANILA – Philippine Franchise Association (PFA) president Chris Lim said

Wednesday the majority of franchising businesses will continue open in the prov-

inces in the succeeding years as growth has spread outside Metro Manila.

In a press conference in Quezon City, Lim said many people went back to their provinces during the peak of the pandemic, wherein some have invested their money into franchising businesses.

There were also people who stayed and found new jobs in the provinces following the pandemic, which was expected to boost consumer spending outside the National Capital Region (NCR).

“Franchising is no longer centralized in NCR because the spending power has been unlocked all over the Philippines. I think that is what franchising is all about. Let’s grow beyond NCR, (there are) so many million people here, but there are many potential(s) all over (the country),” Lim told the Philippine News Agency on the sidelines of the event.

He said the industry is also a catalyst to help the country achieve the upper middle-income status in the near term.

Lim said franchising is an “equalizer”

More franchising biz seen to open outside NCR Stocks, peso rise amid concerns on US banking sector

MANILA – The local bourse’s main index recovered on Wednesday amidst concerns on the banking sector in the United States while the peso gained against the US dollar.

fter a five-day slide, the hilippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) rose by 1.14 percent, or 72.77 points, to 6,466.10 points.

All Shares followed after it increased by 0.70 percent, or 24.04 points, to 3,478.52 points.

Half of the sectoral indices also inched up during the day --Industrial, 1.76 percent; Financials, 1.67 percent; and Holding Firms, 1.48 percent.

On the other hand, Mining and Oil fell by 0.52 percent, Property by 0.44 percent and Services by 0.07 percent.

Volume reached 1.19 billion shares amounting to PHP11.07 billion.

Advancers led decliners at 103 to 80, while 48 shares were unchanged.

Luis Limlingan, Regina Capital Development Corporation (RCDC) head of sales, said investors shook off fears that recent banking turmoil would spread to the broader sector.”

i lingan cited the slower in ation rate in the US last February, which expanded by 6 percent year-on-year and by 0.4 percent relatively to last January’s.

“Back home, investors continued to assess the SVB (Silicon Valley Bank) meltdown as the index tried to inch back closer to 6,500,” he said.

Meanwhile, prices of oil fell in the international market due to the banking developments in the US and the within-expectations consumer price index (CPI) in the US last February.

Limlingan said these factors “sparked fears of a fresh financial crisis that could reduce future oil demand.”

Brent crude oil futures slipped by 3.1 percent to USD 78.24 per barrel and the West Texas Intermediate (WTI) by 3.35 percent to USD72.32 per barrel.

PSEi’s recovery was mirrored by the peso after the local currency finished the day’s trade at 54.93 to a US dollar from its 55.17 close a day ago.

It opened the day at 55.05, an improvement from Tuesday’s 55.17 start.

It traded between 55.08 and 54.79, re-

California created more than 18% of nation’s new jobs in January

SACRAMENTO – California continues to lead the nation’s economy, adding 96,700 new jobs in January – a gain that accounted for 18.7 percent of the nation’s 517,000 overall job gains for the month.

Eight of California’s major industry sectors gained jobs in January and the state outpaced the nation in year-over-year job growth with 559,500 jobs added – an increase of 3.5 percent.

January 2023 by the Numbers:

California added 96,700 jobs in January – 18.7 percent of the nation’s overall

job gains

Eight of California’s major industries added jobs

The unemployment rate rose by 0.1 percent to 4.2 percent

Year-over-year, California has added 559,500 jobs – an increase of 3.5 percent, outpacing the nation’s year-over-year growth rate of 3.3 percent

California has added more than million jobs since April 2020 – the biggest hiring spree in the nation

sulting in an average of 54.919.

Volume reached USD1.07 billion, higher than the previous session’s USD779.8 million.

Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation (RCBC) chief economist Michael Ricafort

as it provides everyone access to tested business models and trainers.

It also helped in generating local jobs, he said.

“Every time a franchise opens, (there are new five, 1 , 2 , 3 obs, and those jobs are local,” he added.

Lim said the industry now has over 200 million direct and indirect jobs.

“So franchising is a key tool for job creation and the growth of middle class,” he said.

Meanwhile, Lim said revenues of the industry are expected grow by 12 to 15 percent this year due to higher prices.

“We’ve been seeing price increases from to 15 percent depending on categories, but some of that is not really enough to cover the cost increase they’ve had for the past few years,” he said.

Among the growing sub-sectors in franchising include businesses in agriculture, such as the use of drone services for seeding and healthcare, including franchise of dialysis facilities, diagnostic centers and pharmacies, among others. (PNA)

said the rise of overseas Filipino workers (OFW) remittances last January, the correction of the US dollar against other major currencies and the decline in global oil prices contributed to the appreciation of the peso.

A E E A . hilippine ranchi e A ocia�on pre ident hri Li cen ter an er e �on in a pre conference at the ro ne laza in ezon ity on arch , . Li ee ore franchi e b ine e ill open o t ide of etro anila in the ne t fe year . A photo by o eph azon

OPM greats Imelda Papin, Rey Valera, Nonoy

Geneva Cruz in Subic Freeport fund-raising concert

out Time,” “Live For Love,” “Araw Gabi,” “Doon Lang” among others.

Sultry chanteuse Geneva Cruz’s unforgettable hits include “I Like You,” and other hits she popularized with Smokey Mountain such as “Kailan,” “Anak ng Pasig,” “Da Coconut Nut,” “Paraiso,” and “Can This Be Love?”

The fund-raising concert is organized by the members of the St. Joseph College Olongapo City Alumni Association. Proceeds of the show will be earmarked for the restoration of its school church, the construction of a new school building for multimedia arts, as well as for its scholarship foundation and a medical mission targeting 5,000 destitute patients.

SUBIC FREEPORT - Four OPM giants will gather together on March 19 for a memorable concert night of nostalgic timeless classics for a cause.

The concert, dubbed ‘Reminiscing,’ will feature OPM icons Imelda Papin, Rey Valera, Nonoy Zuñiga and Geneva Cruz. It will be held at Subic Bay Exhibition and Convention Center’s Convention Hall C, Subic Gateway Park, Subic Bay Freeport Zone.

Jukebox Queen Imelda Papin is best remembered for her classic tear-jerker hits, including

“Isang Linggong Pag-Ibig,” “Kung Liligaya Ka Sa Piling Ng Iba,” “Bakit Ikaw Pa?,” and “Hindi Ako Laruan.”

Singer/composer Rey Valera popularized such songs as “Maging Sino Ka Man,” “Kung Kailangan Mo Ako,” “Ako Si Superman,” “Naaalala Ka,” “Malayo Pa Ang Umaga,” and many more.

Balladeer Nonoy Zuñiga, who is now a doctor,m is best remembered for his romantic ditties like “I’ll Never Say Goodbye,” “Kumusta Ka,” “Love With-

Presented by START JPN, “Reminiscing” is sponsored by Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority, Segara Hotels Subic Bay, Shoreline Hotel Subic Bay, 96.7KLite FM, 89.5 Subic Bay Radio, Vantage Point, and SBMA Media Productions Department.

Ticket outlet partners include Value Vision (Ulo ng po and , The Coffee ean and Tea eaf , A+ Development Center, Uncle Johns Subic Bay Outlets, Wimpy’s, Breadtime, Cocolime and Mansion Garden Hotel.

For ticket inquiries, call (0969-4115653).

Imelda Papin, Rey Valdera, Nonoy Zuniga, and Geneva Cruz

SC junks rape, acts of lasciviousness charges vs Vhong Navarro

Actor Vhong Navarro can sleep well again.

This as Navarro won another round in his attempts to clear his name as the Supreme Court’s (SC) Third Division dismissed two criminal charges of rape by sexual intercourse and acts of lasciviousness filed by odel eniece Cornejo against him for lack of probable cause.

In a 43-page decision made public on March 13, the High Court reversed and set aside the July and September 2022 rulings of the Court of Appeals (CA) supporting the charges against Navarro, who is Ferdinand Hipolito Navarro, 46, in real life.

In dismissing the charges, the high tribunal said the “CA gravely erred” when it overturned the Department of Justice resolutions that dismissed the charges against Navarro and granted the appeal of model-stylist Deniece Cornejo, who claimed that the actor-host forced himself on her twice in 2014.

“Having determined that the DOJ committed no grave abuse of discretion in a r ing the finding of lack of probable cause against Navarro, the Court, in the interest of justice and fair play, is constrained to dismiss the subject Informations against him,” the High Court stated in its ruling dated February 8 penned by SC Associate Justice Henri Jean Paul Inting.

SC Third Division Justices Alfredo Benjamin Caguioa, Samuel Gaerlan, Japar Dimaampao, and Maria Filomena Singh concurred in the ruling.

In 2018 and 2020, the Department of Justice dismissed Cornejo’s complaints on the ground that the allegations suffered credibility issues but the CA Fourteenth Division reversed the rulings, saying “it falls upon the trial court to determine who between Navarro and

Cornejo speaks the truth.”

The ruling of the appeals court resulted in Navarro’s temporary detention at the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) before being transferred to the Taguig City jail in November last year. He was released in December after posting a P1 million bail.

After his release, Navarro returned to the daily noontime show “It’s Showtime” on the Kapamilya Channel hosted by Vice Ganda.

“Under the circumstances, the CA simply had no basis to reverse the prosecutor s finding of lack of probable cause. On the contrary, it is the CA that disregarded such parameters when it substituted its own judgment for that of the prosecutor s finding of lack of probable cause against Navarro,” the high court ruling stated.

The SC also noted that Deniese Cornejo’s accusations involved “glaring and manifest inconsistencies” that are “not trivial, minor, or inconsequential.”

“Indeed, no amount of skillful or artful deportment, manner of speaking,

or portrayal in a subsequent court proceeding could supplant Cornejo’s manifestly inconsistent and highly deficient, doubtful, and unclear accounts of her supposed harrowing experience in the hands of Navarro,” the decision stated.

“By reason of the executive nature of this prosecutorial prerogative, courts cannot compel the prosecution of a person against whom the public prosecutor has found no su cient evidence to establish probable cause for indictment. Courts cannot substitute their own judgment for that which is fundamentally in the domain of the Executive branch,” it explained.

The only exception, it said as reported by ABS-CBN and other media in Manila, is when there is grave abuse of discretion amounting to lack or excess of jurisdiction on the part of the prosecutors.

But the high court said the prosecutor s findings appear to have been arrived at objectively” and according to the legal yardsticks of how to conduct a preliminary investigation.

“Prosecutors are duty-bound to make a realistic judicial appraisal of the merits of the case during preliminary investigation,” the court ruled.

The SC Third Division enumerated all the inconsistencies in Cornejo’s affidavits against avarro

he alleged in her first co plaint that nothing happened on January 17, 2014, but claimed in her second and third complaints that Navarro raped her.

She claimed Navarro raped her on anuary 22, 2 1 , in her first co plaint but failed to allege it in her second complaint only to say in her third complaint that there was an attempt to rape her.

The first a davit was executed on January 29, 2014, the second on February 27, 2014, and the third on October 16, 2015.

“As underscored by the DOJ, a preliminary investigation is not a hit-or-

iss endeavor where one could file complaints one after another until he or she gets the desired results. Justice and fair play dictate that Cornejo should not be permitted to materially change her theory in her two previous complaints in a deliberate attempt to address or rectify the weaknesses of her theories, as pointed out by the prosecutor in the dismissal thereof, or worse, supplant or add new material allegations,” the High Court said.

The High Court added that while there is deference to a trial court s findings as to the credibility of a witness, it does not apply to “inconsistent allegations which are too glaring and manifest to be missed.”

Cornejo’s inconsistencies, it said, were “not trivial, minor or inconsequential.”

The high court relied largely on the complaints of Cornejo in resolving the cases, although it did note the lack of physical in uries during the first eeting when she supposedly physically resisted Navarro’s advances.

According to the court, Cornejo tried to explain this by claiming in her third complaint that she took a sip from the glass of wine, which she did not allege in her first 2 co plaints.

The court however did not even go to the extent of discussing CCTV footage on January 22, 2014, from Cornejo’s condominium unit which showed Navarro stepping out of the elevator to go to Corne o s unit at 21 actual ti e 1 3 p while Corne o stepped inside the elevator at 22 3 actual ti e 1 p or around a inute after Navarro stepped out.

“Under the circumstances, the CA simply had no basis to reverse the prosecutor s finding of lack of probable cause. On the contrary, it is the CA that disregarded such parameters when it substituted its own judgment for that of the prosecutor s finding of lack of probable cause against Navarro,” it concluded.

Cornejo alleged that on Jan. 22, 2014, Navarro pinned her down and attempted to rape her at her condominium in Taguig City.

In a subsequent complaint, the model claimed that Navarro had assaulted her once more on Jan. 17, 2014. A third complaint was also submitted, detailing the events of the two incidents.

Navarro also earlier accused Cornejo, along with the group of businessman Cedric Lee, of grave coercion for allegedly forcing him to falsely admit that he raped the model-stylist. He was also attacked by the group, leaving him with multiple injuries. (Jennifer True Santos)

Firm sees sustained recovery for PHL real estate sector

T C T cials of a real estate brokerage fir in the country is opti istic of the continued growth of do estic real state sector given the reopening of the econo y and the private sector s low debt level.

eechu roperty Consultants C chief executive o cer C avid eechiu said prices are rising a id the uptrend of interest rates but de and for o ce and residential spaces re ained high.

esults of the fir s iddle of ece ber 2 22 study show that o ce de and so far this year reached , s uare eters s , exceeding the co bined de and in the past two years at 38 , s in 2 2 and , s in 2 21.

ulk of the de and ca e fro the infor ation technology-business process anage ent T- sector at 66, s given the hybrid work set-up.

ith the return-to-work policy expected in 2 23, the study indicated that resu ption of 1 percent o ce work for the T- sector alone would re uire an o ce space de and of around 3, s .

The fir said a 21 , s of live re uireent fro the T- sector is already visible to

date.

n ter s of the i pact of the rising interest rate, C irector for esearch and Consultancy oy ole said property developers are ore affected than the custo ers because the latter are given longer pay ent ter s to cushion the i pact of the higher rates.

t s ore on the developer side where we will be seeing a higher i pact of these interest rates as logistics in ation and interest rates i pact on the construction cost when delivery these products, especially when the prices would have been fixed today and the construction for a certain building will be over a period of four years, aybe even five years. he said during the sa e briefing.

eechiu further said the real estate sector re ains robust despite several econo ic crisis in recent years and its i pact on prices.

That s a testa ent to the high savings rate and the low debt levels in the private sector. nd that s why, despite all these ra ping up of interest rates, it not really caused uch havoc in the property sector as far as capital values are concerned, he said.

e said any people who own properties are strong handed.

Are you living paycheck to paycheck and finding it hard to save money?

f you are struggling every week to wait for the next paycheck to co e so you can pay your bills, you should know that now is the ti e to ake so e changes to your finances . f you fre uently have to borrow oney fro friends or relatives, take out payday loans or cash advances, or use your credit cards to cover your expenses until your next payday, then you re living paycheck to paycheck.

ro y survey and due to the recent reat ecession we all ust went thru 6 -6 of workers say they live paycheck to paycheck. The nu ber is significantly higher than last year when of workers reported living paycheck to paycheck.

The proble with living paycheck to paycheck is that you re susceptible to financial da age. t s too easy to rack up your cards and debts but very di cult to pay down your loans. . efore you know it, you won t be able to afford your ini u pay ents and you won t be able to borrow ore oney to ake ends eet.

ow to top iving aycheck to aycheck ostly everyone will tell you to start to budget and keep your spending records in order for you to know where all your oney is going, that is easier said than done, if fact have even told people to do budgets but now reali ed that it s not enough. n average fa ily of needs to have an inco e of about 6- to live co fortably a onth, a retired couple with no kids needs at least 3 . to live co fortably a onth, usually without the perks of private schools and lavish yearly vacations, an average person expenses will be at a ini u of 1 . a onth net. believe ost of you will agree with e on this.

o, believe you have to first change your attitude about oney. et goals for aterial things that will be resalable in the future in case you need oney. nough furniture and clothes that you already have too uch of. e frugal in shopping for your food and daily activities.

Cut your expenses. nce you see where oney is leaking, you can start plugging the cracks. This process ight re uire so e lifestyle changes. or exa ple, if you re used to buying a latte every orning before work 1 a onth , you ay have to start aking coffee at ho e 2 - 2 a onth , or going without coffee co pletely. ou ight have to get rid of the expensive cable package, because if you re living paycheck to paycheck, you really can t afford it. ost i portantly ncrease your inco e. ncreasing your inco e isn t always a possibility, but there are options outside getting a raise. f you typically get a tax refund, you ay be able to change your tax withholding and get ore oney in your paycheck each onth. f course, that will ean you get a lower refund if you get one at all , but you ll have ore oney to use during the onth. ou ight also consider working part-ti e or aking oney on the side with a hobby. eware aking ore oney won t always solve your paycheck to paycheck proble .

have spoken to a lot of y readers aking six figures a year but still can t save oney, so does that ean they are also living paycheck to paycheck. ort of, if you don t have savings, that eans you re not secured in case of an e ergency. hat a trying to preach here is that you have to be able to save for opportunities, this past year when ho e prices were at its lows. here you able to take advantage and aybe invest in a ho e or a rental property. hen stock prices where at its all ti e high, where you able to invest in a retire ent account for your future.

strongly suggest that you change your attitude towards oney and start to see it as a vehicle for your financial freedo in the future. sure do believe that we cannot rely on the govern ent for our retire ent let alone our financial freedo . Thanks for this very interest in uiry fro an avid reader. lease call en o of 1st nnovative inance roup at 628- 8 or write to kennethgo veri on.net.

Carlos Yulo captures 2 golds in Azerbaijan World Cup

ulti-awarded ilipino ly pian Carlos ulo concluded his stint in the aku, erbai an leg of the 2 23 rtistic y nastics orld Cup eries with a double gold edal harvest after con uering the en s vault final on arch 12.

resident erdinand arcos r. iediately hailed ulo after winning another gold edal in the erbai an

e celebrate another shining oent in the world of gy nastics with c edriel xs double gold edal victory at the 2 23 rtistic y nastics orld Cup eries in aku, erbai an, arcos said in a tweet.

Congratulations, Carlos, and keep aking history arcos added.

ulo ew back to anila on arch 1 fro erbai an for needed rest.

y nastics ssociation of the hilippines president Cynthia Carrion orton said ulo is in anila to personally spread the word of gy nastics to the ilipino youth seeking glory the sa e way he did in reaching the top.

ulo will be the ain speaker when the launches its grassroots developent progra at his old training ground

at the i al e orial ports Co plex s y nastics all in alate, anila.

Carrion said ulo will speak before

about a hundred aspiring young gynasts, who are all eyeing to e ulate his success as two-ti e world cha pion,

three-ti e sian titlist and seven-ti e outheast sian a es gold winner.

ulo will stay in the country for 13 days and will leave for apan where he will resu e training

fter ruling the parallel bars a day earlier, ulo showed a asterful perforance with a handspring double front pike for 1 . 33 followed by a ope vault for 1 .833.

ulo garnered a 1 . 33 score and the cha pionship trophy, while arry epworth of reat ritain settled for silver with a score of 1 .816.

ai ung hek of ong ong also finished on the podiu with the bron e edal after a score of 1 . 16.

n riday, the 23-year-old athlete struck his first gold in this year s orld Cup during his pet event oor exercise in oha, atar.

e also bagged bron e and silver edals in the parallel bars in the Cottbus and oha legs, respectively, of the prestigious series.

The -foot-11 gy nast is set to oin the fourth and last edition of the orld Cup in Cairo, gypt in pril 2 to 3 .

How the Lady Falcons escaped defeat in Game 1 of 3-game title series vs UP

By EDIEG.ALINEA

The first thing to establish about na antiago is that there really is one.

he currently is the winningest softball coach in the with 1 title con uests while calling the shots fro the da son niversity ady alcons bench. he has a chance of raising that record to 1 in this eason 8 of the varsity league.

ast Tuesday a e 1 of the ady alcons best-of-three gold edal series against the niversity of the hilippines ady aroons, coach na, once again, showed why she has earned that any honors by aking a series of oves that spelled the ady alcons triu ph. The score was 1-all going into the lower half of the seventh and final inning and the oaring alcons in the offensive end. tarting and winning pitcher lory lon o, one of at least half-a-do en e bers of the hilippine lu irls in antiago s roster, had ust successfully shutout the ady aroons in their last two chances to grab the upper hand in the upper sixth and seventh.

t was, therefore, defend on coach na s next oves whether to win the ga e outright and gain big psychological edge of keeping the crown they captured three seasons ago before softball was reoved fro the calendar eueto Covid 1 pande ic.

r keep the tie and send the showdown into extra periods like what happened in their first encounter in the eli ination round won by following four-inning overti e played in nearly five hours.

o, don t want y girls go to that agoni ing o ent again, coach na ust ve thought. nd the uick thinking entor i ediately reconstructed her starting lineup by re oving licia ichon, a regular feature in her dreaded batting order but hardly a factor in her offensive rotation that ti e, and inserted centerfielder lai a Talisik to do the ob of at least aking it on base for a designed last ove to score a run and e erge triu phant.

The ove confused the ady aroons losing hurler acelyn alino, who in her desire to avoid aking an easy pitch for Talisik to connect, rolled her pitch to the ground instead, hitting one of the batter s legs. ith one on in first, antiago fielded adelaene o aug as substitute runner for Talisik.

u aug tried to steal second right after stepping on base forcing the backstopper to throw wild bringing pinch hitter ae angga up.

angga swang alino s fastball in her turn at bat, sending the leather to center and u aug ho e for the tie- reaking run and coach na and her ady alcons u ping in celebration of a hard-earned

victory on the way to earning what could be their 1 th cha pionship, two short of ar astern nivdrsity record 21.

o less than s representative to the board of anage ent, iko ia , expressed praises for coach na s coaching ability saying after the ady aroons loss and his appreciation to what the da son bench tactician had done to win.

ell, hanga ako sa ginawa in coach na para analo kanina. he really has lifted the ady alcons to that win. agagaling na ana talaga sila. hat

with a lineup with a nearly a do en ebers of ouf lu irls.

ut this doesn t ean that we ve already lost. o. aban pa rin ka i, ia said in a post-ga e state ent shared by head coach onilon agkaliwagan. a tutoo lang, wala na ang brilliancy sa ginawa na in. ahat ng sport ay ga privilege na ibinibigay para analo ang tea s, Coach na hu bly said. e only have to avail of the at the right ti e and circu stances. a-tsa bahan lang na in.

Oakland, San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego, Long Beach, and Fresno sign Equal Pay Pledge: First Partner Jennifer Newsom

By Claire Morales True

SACRAMENTO – Oakland, San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego, Long Beach, and Fresno have signed the California Equal Pay Pledge, joining over 100 existing pledge signatories.

This was announced by First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom alongside former State Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson; Deputy Mayor of akland i berly ayfield, i berly Ellis, Executive Director of the San Francisco

Karen Bass. “I’m proud to sign this pledge and I thank First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom for leading this crucial initiative.”

“Equality is a fundamental American value and the bedrock of our democracy, which is why California and the City of San Diego are dedicated to leading the nation on promoting women’s equality,” said Mayor Todd Gloria. “From reestablishing the City’s Commission on the Status of Women to conducting our City s first ever ay uity tudy, an Diego is among those on the vanguard for women’s rights, and I’m proud to join many other local governments and business leaders in committing to the California Equal Pay Pledge.”

First Partner Siebel Newsom Announces Cities of Oakland, San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego, Long Beach, and Fresno Become First Cities to Sign Equal Pay Pledge

tion re ecting, in part, that wo en continue to be clustered in lower-paying occupations relative to their share of the workforce but also persistent discrimination not explained by any other measurable factor. The reliance on women during the pandemic as essential workers, caregivers, and parents made clear that women are essential to our economy and key workforce participants. t s ti e to finally close the wage gap.”

In 2019, as part of her California for ALL Women initiative, the First Partner, in partnership with CCSWG launched the Equal Pay Pledge to build upon the state’s nationleading equal pay laws by closing the existing gender wage gap. The California Partners Project, founded by the First Partner in 2020, also provides support for the Pledge.

Companies who sign the Equal Pay Pledge have committed to conducting annual company-wide gender pay analyses, reviewing their hiring and promotion processes and procedures to reduce unconscious bias and structural barriers, and promoting best practices to help close the pay gap and ensure fundamental equity for all workers.

thousands of Californians to educational equal pay resources, hosted roundtables and conversations to hear firsthand about the pay gap’s impact on working women and their families, and secured major corporate commitments to the Equal Pay Pledge – reaching hundreds of thousands of employees. More information on signatories and the Equal Pay Pledge is available here.

California has some of the strongest equal pay laws in the country, but women in the state still earn 88 cents for every dollar a man earns. Nationally, women earn on average 77 cents for every dollar a man earns, and those numbers plummet to 64 cents for Black women, 54 cents for Latina women, and 51 cents for Native American women, and 62 cents for mothers. In addition, the gender wage gap creates staggering financial losses with California women losing a combined total of $87 billion each year.

of akland, an

Lo

Long Beach, and

e ir t i�e to ign E al ay ledge

Department on the Status of Women; Gloria Chen, Chief eople cer for dobe and Holly Martinez, Executive Director of the California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls (CCSWG).

“It will continue to take public and private partnerships like our California Equal Pay Pledge to close the gender pay gap in California. Pay inequity stems from a patriarchal system that was not built with gender equity in mind, but instead built to keep money and power in the hands of few men in control,” said First Partner Siebel Newsom in a statement sent to Philippine News Today.

“Given our history as a nation, closing the pay gap for mothers and women of color may seem like a daunting goal, but in California, we are up to the challenge,” the First Partner said.

“I am grateful to the over 100 companies as well as the cities of Oakland, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Fresno, Long Beach, and San Diego for standing with us and sending a clear message to their employees, customers, and constituents that women are valued and that women’s labor is as valuable as men’s,” she said.

First Partner Siebel Newsom Announces Cities of Oakland, San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego, Long Beach, and Fresno Become First Cities to Sign Equal Pay Pledge

“Women in America are more likely to live in poverty than men, more likely to work in fields that pay lower wages, and even when holding the same jobs, they are more likely to make less than their male counterparts,” said Mayor Sheng Thao.

“This persistent wage gap holds women back and hurts families. I am proud that akland is the first city in California to sign the Equal Pay Pledge. We owe it to our City workers - and all women - to send a clear message that everyone deserves equal pay,” Mayor Thao added.

“Lifting as we climb is one of the most important things we can do as leaders, which is why being an active participant in the fight for pay equity is so important,” said Mayor

“From the moment I was elected Mayor of Fresno, choosing a team that re ected diversity and gender equity was a priority,” said Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer. “I’m proud to say that women make up 60 percent of my administration, including our City anager, y Chief of taff, two Assistant City Managers, my Communications Director and more. Citywide, we continue making great strides in evaluating and making equitable improvements- and that leads to better service for the people of Fresno.”

“We are proud to stand with First Partner Siebel Newsom and take the California Equal Pay Pledge,” said Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson. “By ensuring that women in government and across every sector are paid fairly for doing the same work, we can eliminate the gender pay gap and meaningfully expand economic opportunity for working women and their families throughout California.”

“At Adobe, we’re proud to have achieved global gender pay parity for the fifth year in a row and to continue this vital work alongside our Equal Pay Pledge Partners to advance pay parity across the state of California and beyond,” said Gloria Chen, Adobe’s Chief eople cer. air pay is one of the ost tangible ways to show our employees that we value them, and it also serves as an important contributor to create a thriving and inclusive workplace where we can fully tap into the diversity of the communities where we live and work.”

“Closing the gender wage gap is not just something California can do, it’s something we must do,” said Kimberly Ellis, Director of the San Francisco Department on the Status of Women. “From building credit to building wealth, we know that the wage gap has greatly hindered progress toward actualizing women’s equality. The City and County of San Francisco is proud to support the First Partner’s initiative and look forward to doing our part to making pay equity a reality for all women in the Golden State.”

“Despite the incredible progress women have made, the gender pay gap in the United States has held stable for nearly 20 years,” said California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls Executive Director Holly Martinez. “This is an unacceptable stagna-

To date, 111 companies have signed the California Equal Pay Pledge, including the State of California, Adobe, GoFundMe, and Apple. Since the launch of the Pledge, First Partner Siebel Newsom has helped connect

First Partner Siebel Newsom is committed to lifting up women and mothers and their ability to thrive both at work and at home. In addition to the Equal Pay Pledge, she’s been an outspoken advocate for reproductive freedom, championed California’s work to increase equitable representation at the tables of power by diversifying public company boards in the state, and advocated for family-friendly policies such as paid leave and child care.

ocial ec rity pdate

SOCIAL SECURITY LAUNCHES REDESIGNED WEBSITE AT SSA.GOV

By G. Samson ocia ec rity ic A airs ecia ist in the ay Area

Have you visited the redesigned SSA.gov yet? In December 2022, we updated our homepage with a new design to help you find what you need ore easily.

“SSA.gov is visited by over 180 million people per year and it is one of our most important tools for providing e cient and e uitable access to service,” said Kilolo Kijakazi, Acting Commissioner of the Social Security Administration, at the launch. “Whether providing service in person or online, our goal is to help people understand what they may qualify for and seamlessly transition them to an application process.”

Now, with improved self-service accessibility to online services, you might not have to call or visit an o ce to get what you need. This helps our staff focus on serving custo ers who need in-person assistance.

Reimagined website prioritizes customer experience

The redesign is intended to provide a clear path to the tasks you need to accomplish. Many of the most visited sections of SSA.gov are now live with a more user-friendly and task-based approach. New pages and improvements based on public feedback will continue to be unveiled in the co ing onths, as part of our ongoing efforts to improve how the public can do business with us.

When you visit SSA.gov, you can use interactive tools to:

Check eligibility for benefits

The new benefit eligibility screener is a convenient and simple way for you to learn if you ight be eligible for benefits.

Save time on Social Security number (SSN) and card online services

If you lose your SSN card, you may not need a replacement. In most cases, simply knowing your SSN is enough. If you do need a replace-

ment card, you may be able to request it online by visiting our Social Security Number and Card page at www.ssa.gov/ssnumber.

You can also start an application for an updated card or request an for the first ti e. ou ay never need to go to an o ce, but if you do need to visit an office to co plete the application then you can save a lot of time by starting online.

Start an application for Supplemental Security Income (SSI)

You can start the application process online and request an appointment to apply for SSI benefits by answering a few uestions on our page at www.ssa.gov/ssi.

pply for ocial ecurity benefits and other online services or ost benefits, you can apply online or start an application online. In many cases, there are no forms to sign. We will review the application and contact you with any questions or if we need more information. Visit our Online Services page at www.ssa.gov/onlineservices to apply for retirement, disability, or Medicare.

Many Social Security services do not require an o ce visit. f you have a personal y ocial Security account, you can start or change direct deposit, request a replacement SSA-1099, or print or download a current benefit verification letter if you need proof of your benefits.

f you re not yet receiving benefits, you can use your online account to get a personalized Social Security Statement, which provides your earnings information as well as estimates of future benefits. The portal also includes a retire ent estimator tool and links to information about other online services. We encourage people without a personal my Social Security account to create one today at www.ssa.gov/myaccount.

ir t artner iebel e o Anno nce i�e

ranci co,

Angele , an Diego,

re no Beco

By Elpidio . E tioko

SAN FRANCISCO - The reason why Asian Americans are easy prey is because they are reserved, very quiet, law-abiding citizens, and seldom go out in the community and mingle with others.

This was the observation of longtime public o cial and currently erryessa chool istrict oard e ber, for er California Assembly member for District 25 Kansen Chu in an interview.

Chu said Asian Americans need to make their presence felt in the community, they need to be brave enough to report to the police or to the authorities if they are mistreated or bullied and have to testify if needed.

In his years of public service, Chu observed lots of Asians shy away from controversies and are afraid to come out

when bullied or so.

“Ia think we need to mobilize social media to encourage them to go out and to show their presence in the community,” he said. “Also, during elections, I observed that they are not studying the credentials and qualities of the candidates they are voting for. They need to scrutini e their ualifi cations, spend their time to know their candidates, and vote for the candidates who are worthy of serving the community,” Chu said.

To avoid being prey, Chu said Asians need to show their presence in the community, be vigilant, concerned with what’s going on in the area, and connect with their o cials and leaders in the community.

He said Asians need to assert their rights and be more courageous enough to report incidents of injustice or personal physical injuries they incurred as

victims. “They need to be assertive and brave for any injustices… not remain silent or reluctant to report a crime to the police… they need to come out in the open,” he added.

Chu also urged Asian organizations to extend their support and services to fellow Asians who are victims of injustices, targets of extortion or other means of damaging activities, especially the elderly who are usually the victims of exploitation and robbery.

As a school board member, Chu is representing a group of schools in the district that are diverse, 13 elementary and a middle school. Of the total student population, Chu said about 50 percent are Asians, 10 to 15 percent Latinos, and 20 percent Caucasians and the rest of the population.

As a result of the Jorge Floyd in-

cident, many San Jose schools are not allowing policemen in their campuses, so school o cials are not only busy in instructions but also in making their campuses safe.

Damaging Storms and Power Outages: California Prepares for More Severe Weather

By Ethnic edia er ice Antonio ay ar ey alifornia Black Media

In a public information campaign driven by Listos California, a program of Cal OES, safety checklists and other resources are being shared with all Californians.

The overnor s ce of ergency Services (Cal OES) is asking all residents across the state to prepare for another round of severe weather systems and potential power outages this week.

In a public information campaign driven by Listos California, a program of Cal OES, safety checklists and other resources are being shared with all Californians.

Diana Crofts-Pelayo, Cal OES Assistant Director of Crisis Communication

and ublic ffairs said during a arch 13 briefing that the state is offering lifesaving resources” and providing an update on the states co prehensive effort to protect California communities during these rounds of storms.”

“Gov. Gavin Newsom has activated the State’s Operation Center, which is essentially the full weight of the State,” Crofts-Pelayo said. “The state has to be able to have tightly coordinated responses and rapidly deploy resources to protect impacted communities.”

Cal OES is reporting that so far this year California has experienced multiple large and damaging storms in the form of snow, gusty winds, lightning and torrential rain. It is warning that storms continue to be dynamic and pose a threat to communities throughout the state.

Gov. Gavin Newsom has activated the State Operations Center to bring state support to county-led emergency response efforts and coordinate utual aid from neighboring jurisdictions.

To elevate the state’s response, Newsom has declared a state of emergency in counties ador, utte, l orado, Fresno, Humboldt, Imperial, Inyo, Kern, ake, os ngeles, adera, ariposa, endocino, erced, ono, onterey, Napa, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Sacraento, an ernardino, an rancisco, an uis bispo, an ateo, anta ar-

bara, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Sierra, Sonoma, Stanislaus, Tulare, Tuolumne, Yuba, Calaveras, Del Norte, Glenn, ings, an enito and an oa uin counties have been warned that disaster may occur.

According to Crofts-Pelayo, the impact of the “extreme weather has been significant. There are 33 shelters opened in 14 counties, about 15,800 people are under evacuation and 6,800 people in 16 counties are without power.

“Our climate is changing and at the end of the day the hots are getting hotter, the wets are wetter, and the dry dryer,” Crofts-Pelayo said. “So, with that we are having to rapidly evolve our response and preparedness messaging to really fit a whole host of different co unities. think that we never really went away from the January storms.”

n arch 13, resident oe iden approved the Governor’s emergency declaration request and has authorized federal assistance to support the storm response effort in California.

Listos California has provided “Preparedness Tips that the o ce says will play a critical role in keeping communities safe.

Californians residing in affected counties are encouraged to sign up for their local community’s warning system at CalAlerts.gov. Use Television, radio, and county emergency services social media channels to get the information to be safe, authorities say.

If asked to evacuate, do so immediately and know that personnel at emergency evacuation centers cannot ask for identification. veryone is welco e at emergency evacuation centers.

Never drive around barricades and never drive into ooded areas. o not walk, swi , or drive through ood waters.

Visit Listos California for information on the range of resources to help Californians in need.

Above: One of a series of storms known as atmospheric rivers heads towards California, which has been battered by heavy rains and wind causing destruction and loss of life across the state.

Downed trees in Sacramento, California, follo ing eek or torren�al rain and hea y ind that ha e ba�ered the tate. redit Antonio ay ar ey

A�y. hri aday Lozano cce f lly repre ented hea Laz arte for the appro al of her applica�on for nat raliza�on

Asian Americans are easy prey, need to come out, be active and vigilant in community, says official

Former employees at old ABS-CBN building nostalgic and sad over news of its demolition

a basketball tournament at ABSCBN. Another unforgettable experience was when their radio station DWOW became number one in the ratings.

Racpan felt so sad at what happened to the network in the last years and in hearing that the old building to going to be demolished.

“I felt so bad as I treated ABS-CBN really as not only a home but a learning institution. That is where I started in broadcasting. Too bad it became a victim of lies and revenge,” believed Racpan who is now based in Canada.

Former employees and talent of ABSCBN who are now based in Northern America but spent much of their professional life in the premier broadcast network of the Philippines for many decades before migrating to the present abode expressed shock and disbelief over reports that their “second home” would be demolished .

The Lopez family reportedly decided to demolish iconic old building that stood proud since 1968 the 3-4 hectare property along Sgt. Esguerra and Mother Ignacia in ue on City to pay off operational cost. The operation management and employees have been notified that they were to move to the nearby 15-story Eugenio Lopez Jr. (ELJ) Communication Center before the end of 2023.

Balitang America anchor Gel SantosRelos admitted that, with the news, “.... it feels like the “home” where my dreams were fulfilled would be gone forever.

“All the memories I have made thereall the dreams and struggles and aspirations and victories and epiphanies that have been part of who I am now would cease to have their “home”…I am broken. I mourn inside. A part of me has died...again and again...” remarked Relos

Relos also admitted that ABS-CBN has been a big part of her childhood growing up in the Philippines and waxed nostalgic and emotional in recalling that she was ust when first set foot in the studios as a fan girl of the iconic channel’s television program. This was when my dream to work in the broadcasting industry started to take root.”

“Little did I know then that I would work there, that I would realize my dreams as a child there, over and above what I could ever wish for. It was there that my sense of purpose became clear to e and had been so blessed to fulfill that through my radio and television programs produced by ABS-CBN,” Relos shared. “It was through ABS-CBN that I was able to make a name for myself that made my family proud. It was through my job at ABS-CBN that I was able to help my husband raise our children while he was pursuing his medical degree that has now been providing us well in our new life in

the U.S.”

Relos added that it was through her career in the company that has ade her earn her ualification to be granted a green card by the United States as an “Alien with Extraordinary Ability”.

“It was through ABS-CBN that I was again been able to continue fulfilling my sense of purpose despite living in the United States, through The Filipino Channel,” Relos stressed

“And even when I have retired, my heart continues to have the love and gratitude for ABS-CBN and I still cry inside me for what has happened to the franchise of this iconic and historic company that has propelled the broadcasting industry to higher levels in the service of the Filipinos around the world.”

Backtracking, topnotch radio and TV entertainment program host Eddie Ilagan or Edilat to his avid patrons at the original DWOW Radyo of the 1960s who just came from the Philippines did not hear about the news until he got back to the U.S.

“I’m sad of course. You’re right, I worked, toiled, spilled blood sweat and tears at the ABS-CBN building. I am a very sentimental person. In fact, I am thinking of re-purchasing our old house in Philam Life Homes where I grew up in. That’s how sentimental I am,” Ilagan imparted. he

Ilagan was hired as a radio announcer in ABS-CBN in 1968 and regarded the building who he worked in every day for 16 years as his second home where he worked long enough to feel that his coworkers are “family”.

“As a radio talk show announcer, every day is different which ade life exciting for me. I cater showbiz news which has a lot of ‘intrigues’ and ‘controversies’. ondest e ories were taff Christ as Parties and other special occassions. It was so much fun in the entertainment world. I also appeared on television and I was a radio drama talent for soap operas too. I learned and gained experience in broadcasting as I go along each day,” recalled Ilagan.

Ilagan sadly recalled when good friend Roger Confessor, who is also a radio announcer, dropped dead in the opening of

“The take away (from what happened to ABS-CBN) is... when you demolish ABS-CBN you are not just demolishing a building. You will be demolishing lives of so many people who will have nothing to look back to what they use to call home,” mused Ilagan who migrated to the US in 1984.

He was with a known tabloid journalist before Eric Racpan of the so-called night patroller of TV Patrol and DZMM radio when he ventured to broadcast the news instead instead at ABS-CBN.

Rapcan started as a reporter and eventually a news editor but remembers vividly the moment when a gun was rudely pointed at him after he reported on an alleged incident of police brutality and when his o cial vehicle turned upside down while trying to catch a story.

From what has happened with ABSCBN, Racpan learned there that a good man (station in this case) cannot be really brought down but it is hard to reason out when you are being shown the door.

Currently with Corporate ffairs and PR of ABS-CBN International Pia Lopezbaños-Carrion echoed Relos and Ilagan in saying that they are all Kapamiiya o about family at ABS-CBN.

“I met my husband in that building in 1992 when he was a new hire. He was with the other artists in our Graphic and Design Department. In January 1998, we got married.

(Continue on page 26)

Congratulations!

The Friends of the Filipino American Community and San Francisco Filipino American Chamber of Commerce CONGRATULATE the 16 Filipino American winners at the 2022 Elections. Their victory brings diversity and representation of our heritage and community. As a way of saying THANK YOU, we are holding a reception to honor our Filipino American electeds

YOU are Invited to join us

When: Wednesday March 22,2023

Where: Philippine Consulate Building 447 Sutter St. San Francisco, Ca Dynamico Space, 3rd Floor

Time: 4:00 PM – 7:00PM

Program starts at 4:30PM

SPECIAL FEATURE: Women’s Forum with Bay Area Filipina Leaders in Government

Eddie Ilagan (right) receiving the Ginintuang Ani a ard ith then only lady anchor e ie Lag an le for DWOW Radyo of ABS-CBN.

el anto elo e tre e right in her r t ne ca t at ABS-CBN in 1987 with co-anchors Mario Garcia (extre e le and obert Are alo iddle .

PG&E Mobilizing for Powerful Winter Storm Expected to Arrive in Northern California Thursday, Spread to Rest of the State Friday

, Calif. acific as and lectric Co pany is obili ing personnel ahead of a significant winter stor that will arrive Thursday afternoon and ove across uch of orthern and Central California riday, bringing with it significant rain, snow levels rising to 6, to 8, feet north to south in the ierra, as well as strong wind gusts.

The inco ing adverse weather could result in trees, li bs and other debris falling into powerlines, da aging e uip ent and interrupting electric service. s eteorology depart ent is warning of another challenge for custo ers and crews ooding due to elting snow.

The upco ing stor will be a strong and uch war er event. ignificant rain, which could total three to seven inches in the ountains, on top of the existing snowpack, will present ooding risks, said cott trenfel, irector of eteorology and ire cience. The wind co bined with heavy rain and ooding risks can lead to access issues for our crews if trees fail and roadways ood, which can result in longer outage durations for so e custo ers.

oised to respond to outages are electric crews, trouble en, distribution line technicians and syste inspectors who serve as the utility s first responders, along with personnel who will onitor electric incidents for public safety.

n addition, has opened its ergency perations Center and local operations e ergency centers in i pacted regions to

Warm Weather Event May Lead to Flooding

ore e ciently allocate crews, aterials and other resources to restoration efforts.

The co pany is using its stor outage prediction odels that help deter ine the potential ti ing, location, and nu ber of power outages. The odels allow the co pany to have extra crews on standby to deploy to areas hard hit by the stor . is also prestaging power poles, powerlines, transforers, and other electric e uip ent at yards throughout its service area to restore power to affected areas safely and as uickly as possible.

redictions for nco ing eather

ar er and wet conditions are expected to return to the region Thursday as a oderately strong at ospheric river stor takes ai at the territory. recipitation and wind then look to pick up in intensity Thursday afternoon and evening across orthern California and will spread southeast across the re ainder of the state into early riday.

oderate to heavy rainfall with bree y to gusty winds and possibly isolated to scattered thunderstor s are expected to continue through riday. inds, and thunderstor threats will then di inish during the afternoon and evening, with scattered precipitation continuing into early aturday.

now levels look to raise above , feet across the orth and possibly up to 8, to 1 , feet across the central southern ierra Thursday evening into riday. This could lead to a a or snow elt event across the state on top of ash ooding threats fro new rainfall.

eeping Custo ers nfor ed

Custo ers can view real-ti e outage infor ation at s online outage center and search by a specific address, by city or by county. This site has been updated to include support in 16 languages.

dditionally, custo ers can sign up for outage notifications by text, e ail, or phone.

will let custo ers know the cause of an outage, when crews are on their way, the esti ated restoration ti e and when power has been restored.

tor afety Tips

ever touch downed wires f you see a downed power line, assu e it is energi ed and extre ely dangerous. o not touch or try to ove it and keep children and anials away. eport downed power lines iediately by calling -1-1 and then at 1-8 - 3- 2.

se generators safely Custo ers with standby electric generators should ensure they are properly installed by a licensed electrician in a well-ventilated area. properly installed generators pose a significant danger to custo ers, as well as crews working on powerlines. f using portable generators, be sure they are in a well-ventilated area.

se ashlights, not candles uring a power outage, use battery-operated ashlights and not candles, due to the risk of fire. nd keep extra batteries on hand. f you ust use candles, please keep the away fro drapes, la pshades, ani als and s all children. o not leave candles unattended.

ave a backup phone f you have a telephone syste that re uires electricity to

work, such as a cordless phone or answering achine, plan to have a standard telephone or cellular phone ready as a backup. aving a portable charging device helps to keep your cell phone running.

ave fresh drinking water and ice ree e plastic containers filled with water to ake blocks of ice that can be placed in your refrigerator free er to prevent food spoilage.

Turn off appliances f you experience an outage, unplug or turn off all electrical appliances to avoid overloading circuits and to prevent fire ha ards when power is restored. i ply leave a single la p on to alert you when power returns.

afely clean up fter the stor has passed, be sure to safely clean up. ever touch downed wires and always call 8-1-1 or visit 811express.co at least two full business days before digging to have all underground utilities safely arked.

ther tips can be found at afety and reparedness, tor afety, and afety ction Center.

About PG&E

acific as and lectric Co pany, a subsidiary of Corporation C , is a co bined natural gas and electric utility serving ore than 16 illion people across , s uare iles in orthern and Central California. or ore infor ation, visit www. pge.co and http www.pge.co about newsroo .

ou can read about s data privacy practices here or at .co privacy.

‘Serial Filers’ — SF Businesses Still Vulnerable to Fraudulent ADA Lawsuits

ast pril, the an rancisco and os ngeles istrict ttorneys sued an iego law fir otter andy, C for filing allegedly fraudulent disability lawsuits with over 3 businessowners in and over 36,3 businessowners statewide since 2 1 .

ince uperior Court udge Curtis arnow dis issed the suit last ugust, however, nothing has changed to protect these businessowners fro being fraudulently sued for illions ore.

t least 2 businesses in the nner ichond neighborhood and over 1 in Chinatown were sued by otter andy around id-

Upside...

2 21 to id-2 22. any of these businesses were not even certified as co pliant, or were sued over violations they could not possibly have co itted.

or exa ple, anda an owner of

on s un-Tun ouse on earny treet in Chinatown was sued in pril 2 21 for serving food at outdoor tables too low for wheelchairs, at a ti e when she only served takeout.

Targeting i igrant and inority owned businesses

To gain uick settle ents of 1 ,2 , , the law fir particularly pressured

(From Page 11)

businesses owned by i igrants and inorities unable to afford legal defense. nder the oint lawsuit, the fir would have had to pay over 3 illion to refund settle ents ade in the orthern istrict of California alone, by conservative esti ates.

iled by for er istrict ttorney Chesa oudin and eorge asc n of , the 8page docu ent stated that over 8 federal cases statewide were filed by otter andy plaintiff rlando arcia over 1, by rian hitaker and thousands ore by other erial ilers chie y cott ohnson, who filed over , since 2 1 .

(From page 25)

fter we had our son in 1 , we would bring hi to work. rowing up, our son spent days -- together with other children of our co-workers, Carrion inated. ur apa ilya coworkers at -C at the other ship ue on City are i portant part of the village that helped raise our son and who provided uch support to our fa ily.

Carrion had to double-check with friends that reain in C to confi r the news of de olition. y fi rst reaction was disbelief. ike T Then sad and so e kind of heartbroken as the ohol venue building was really y second ho e, re inisced Carrion. was interviewed there for a ob shortly after -C re-opened in 1 86 after they were able to reclai the property after the eople ower evolution of 1 86 . t was ctober 1 86 . they called e and told e to report on the riday of that week -- so ust a couple days after y interview and test. Then resident Cory uino was co ing to the -C o ce.

t see ed still fresh on Carrion s ind that at their

iven that this averages to a case daily for 11 years, the s alleged that it is literally i possible for the erial ilers to have personally encountered each listed barrier, let alone to intend to return to hundreds of businesses located hundreds of iles away fro their ho es .

otter andy attorney accused the s of exploiting the situation while they both faced recall threats. n his dis issal, udge arnow said that California s litigation privilege covered the fir , irrespective of the aliciousness or untruthfulness.

o ce in the 3rd oor when they got wind of the news of the coup atte pts and it was also here where ost of y co-workers and experienced the strong earthuake on uly 16, 1 that left the seeking cover under their tables crying.

Carrion e phasi ed that with the news that the iconic building will be de olished to give way to a ulti-use develop ent triggers a sense of nostalgia -- so any e ories of pro ects, shows, pro os, ca paigns, and lifelong friendships -- were built and nurtured in that building.

ou know, so ehow it kinda feels that as long as the building is there, there is hope that things could get back to how they were. That we are the co pany is ust waiting for the right ti e, the funds to co e in, Carrion is hopeful. ut with the building de olished, don t know. t kind of feels that the hopes are now shattered. f we are going to be positive and forward-looking about it --- it signals the beginning of a new chapter.

Peninsula Family Service Filipino Peer Counseling Coordinator e ie adrinan right la d th o e for long� e ol nteer ing as a counselor.

ews xecutive ditor Cherie uerol oreno anages ot heels , eninsula a ily ervice transportation progra for residents of 12 an ateo County cities years and older. isit https www.peninsulafa ilyservice.org our-progra s older-adult-services

(From Page 13)

Offlinenot absolutely sure that he can win, he will probably avoid hostilities at all cost.

And yes, sorry to say, the Philippines will have no choice but to take sides, and without a Duterte in the Palace, the leadership will almost certainly lean America’s way. Some will lean grudgingly, but they will eventually accept the reality that the US will emerge bloodied but victorious in the end.

So best to stand behind the American bully which the Chinese bully cannot hope to defeat. The latter do not have a million Bruce Lees to achieve that wild dream.

This is not to say that the Americans have not caused consternation to Filipinos in the past. There have been instances when American soldiers assaulted and even killed Filipino citizens.

Such incidents are used by true as well as pseudo nationalists to warn their kababayans against welcoming the US Armed Forces to re-enter the Philippines in large numbers.

Unless and until the Philippines declares itself a neutral country with a potent military to boot, the country has no choice but to take sides. And here there is no contest.

Duterte was a terrible, awful glitch. He is the kind of president whom the country must never have again, under pain of the Philippines becoming a puppet state of China.

Any future pro-China president guarantees the end of the Philippines as an independent republic. So yes, this yearly the warning must be raised against a Sara Duterte presidency. She is, after all, her father s daughter. he will be no different fro her father.

Meanwhile, Xi and the rest of China’s political and military leadership can seethe all they want. They can’t do a damn thing, and the fact is that the US has already started to encircle China’s waters with US bases now ready to go into war footing at a moment’s notice.

From Japan to South Korea to Taiwan to the Philippines all the way down to Australia, the US already has China checkmated with its defensive wall that cannot be easily crushed.

Much is at stake now, and the one weak spot of the US will be if it elects the wrong president in next elections. A wishy-washy president who blinks when Xi initiates hostilities could end up with the bad guys winning World War lll.

As I See It

(From Page 12)

that serious about their studies since they don’t get a lot of support from their parents compared to the Philippine students whose minds were instilled with the idea that education is very important in their lives. (Considered by parents as the best legacy they can give to their children.

The only thing in this place that we missed out in our country is the availability of resources for both teachers and students. Teaching and learning materials are easily acquired or provided.”

Jacqueline Curiale was not a teacher in the Philippines, but she found herself teaching in the US. “I was not a teacher in the Philippines. was a arole and robation cer for several years under the Department of Justice working in my province of Bulacan. It’s my 1st year of teaching here in the Bay Area, CA in a public technical school for young adults called Job Corps. Education in the US is not perfect and has its own issues, but I must say that students here are very fortunate to have the opportunity of obtaining career technical education and other assistance free of charge through this government program.”

Curiale further said hen first arrived in the , i ediately started working for the same establishment/school as a part time employee. Then I worked my way through various departments being promoted until I took the job of a Career Technical nstructor teaching ce d in class. had y achelor s egree in Behavioral Science from the University of Santo Tomas (UST), Manila and then went to the University of the East (UE) and Arellano Law Foundation for some law units years ago before joining the entire family in the US. I recently completed the required credentialing classes online through the University of San Diego’s Continued Education Program in CA and is about to clear my credentials with os ngeles County ce of ducation this onth. Growing up in the Philippines, both my parents were public high school teachers for 20 years, and I didn’t realize then that I will be crossing similar career path as they did, but I am enjoying it and is truly grateful to this profession.”

or e, on y first year as an i igrant, started teaching at De Anza College that considered my experience in the Philippines. I was an Assistant Professor IV at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) then teaching journalism and mass communication subjects at the College of Languages and Mass Communications (CLMC) and a special lecturer in three other colleges and universities (Institute of Mass Communications, UP-Diliman; PR Department, Arellano University as department chair where I started the Bachelor of Science in Public Relations (BSPR) course; and the Graduate School of Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila.)

I taught Reading, ESL

and English Writing in De Anza College for 10 years until my retire ent. or five years, taught at xia College, niversity of Phoenix, as a regular online faculty teaching communication subject and business writing. I also had a brief stint with the San Jose State University (SJSU) where I taught essay writing.

I have a Master’s Degree in Mass Communications from the PUP Graduate School, in addition to my Bachelor’s Degree from the University of the Philippines (UP-Diliman).

At present, I am still teaching (this is my 22nd year of teaching) at the high school department of San Jose Job Corps Center (SJJC), one of 121 federally-funded programs of the Department of Labor (DOL) in the country for marginalized adult learners ranging from 16 to 24 years old.

I passed the California Basic Educational Skills Test (CBEST), entry credentialing requirement for new teachers; went through getting a US equivalency of my college degrees in the Philippines by an accredited educational institution; and getting a multiple-subject/ adult education credential to be able to teach.

For those who want to teach in the US, if you are not a graduate of any course here in the US, you don’t need to go to college and earn a degree… just work for your US equivalency; take the CBEST for California applicants; and get your teaching credentials, whether a single-subject, multiple-subject or adult education credentials… well, a trade credential for trade instructors.

(ELPIDIO R. ESTIOKO was a veteran journalist in the Philippines and a multi-awarded journalist here in the US. For feedbacks, comments, email the author at estiokoelpidio@gmail.com.)

In the trenches

(From Page 12)

It was too late for the Americans to discover that the Chinese had deceived them. When Barack Obama unveiled his “pivot to Asia” policy, the US did try to contain Beijing because its own economy depended on Chinese factories.

For instance, Washington just stood by and allowed Beijing to renege on an agreement to pull out from Scarborough Shoal in 2012 after a three- onth standoff with anila. erica is now singing a different tune. t now considers China as a direct competitor, a global power rival, and a security threat. It took decades to realize China’s deception.

America should have not left the region in the early 1990s. It was the US’s second mistake. Right after the Second World War, when Washington drew its defense lines against the growing Communist menace, it forgot to include the Korean peninsula.

As a result, the Communist North tried to take over the democratic South, precipitating a war in the 1950s. North and South technically remain at war because only an armistice is in place.

The situation re ained volatile as yongyang fired issiles to test its nuclear delivery system while the US and South Korea held drills constantly to deter the North’s aggression.

When the US abandoned the Philippines in 1992, it shifted focus on the Korean peninsula and the defense of Japan, which has a territorial dispute with China in the East China Sea.

The US has started to take a second look at the often neglected Philippines. Tensions around Taiwan have made the Philippines a strategic launching pad for any military operation to defend the self-ruled island.

The is back. n the first place, it should never have left the country and left a gaping hole in regional security and stability. The US should restore the balance of power in the region and not allow China to control the strategic sea lanes of communication in the region.

Washington should learn its lesson – not to allow a power vacuum in the region.

What’s Up Atty

ing held last Saturday, March 11, 2023 at the Fellowship Hall, CENTRAL CHURCH OF CHRIST, 1170 Foxworthy Avenue, San Jose, California USA.

The special occasion was hosted by her parents Salvador G. Madlaing and Ursula T. Madlaing. It was attended by her grandparents, uncles, aunties, cousins, classmates, friends and some brethren from the 7RH MISSION STREET CHURCH OF CHRIST and CENTRAL CHURCH OF CHRIST in San Jose, California; and GOLDEN GATE CHURCH OF CHRIST in San Francisco, California USA.

Jeselyn Ames, celebrant’s auntie, was the general coordinator of the 16th Birthday celebration.

Dilbert Deister, 100-year-old former elder of the 7TH MISSION STREET CHURCH OF CHRIST surprisingly attended the 16th Birthday celebration. He was assisted by his daughters Anita and Laura.

The guests enjoyed sumptuous lunch comprised of “lechon” (roasted pig), variety of meats, seafood, vegetables, fruits and desserts.

Program during the 16th Birthday Celebration include the following: 1. Arrival of the celebrant Mercyllena T. Madlaing escorted by her father Salvador G. Madlaing; Welcome Address and Rendition of special song by the celebrant; Opening Prayer Blessing of the Food by yours truly.

While the guests were enjoying their food, I was fortunate to read one verse in 3rd John 2, NKJV: “Beloved Mercyllena, I pray that you prosper in all things and be in good health, just as your soul prospers.” This was followed by my rendition of Special Birthday Song for Mercyllena.

After the lighting and blowing of the cake, the celebrant was greeted with HAPPY BIRTHDAY Song by the guests. Eventually, all March Birthday celebrants were requested to join Mercyllena in front and were greeted with HAPPY BIRHDAY Song by the audience.

Various games were played and enjoyed by the celebrant together with her classmates, friends and volunteers.

I WISH YOU A BLESSED AND WONDERFUL 16TH BIRTHDAY MERCYLLENA!

(ART GABOT MADLAING is accredited and commissioned Notary Pubic and licensed Real Estate Broker (DRE#000635976) in California since 1981. He is founder of MOBILE SIGNNG SERVICES, FITNESS FOR HUMANTY (aka FITNESS FOR CHRIST) and ACAPINOY. Art is active Evangelist with the GOLDEN GATE CHURCH OF CHRIST in San Francisco, California USA. )

Diliman Way

(From Page 12)

uncontrolled problems of high prices of commodities and services, illegal drugs and graft and corruption.

A man of lesser nerve could not have survived the avalanche of misdeeds and infir ities but did he was not re oved. That s uite an achievement.

aybe, could learn a lesson or two fro he defied his own rule on reckoning, at least during his presidency, and he proved to be an exception to the rule of the Misamis Oriental governor.

I focus on a few Filipino American educators in the Bay Area for this week’s column. They deserve to be recognized and remembered for the efforts they have exerted and still exerting in aking a difference in the lives of the students.

While Filipino teachers/educators had a hard time getting into the educational system as teachers here in the US as new immigrants, there were some who were lucky and earned their teaching jobs through merits and experience.

(From Page 13)

of Laws degree from the University of the Philippines. He placed third in the 1955 bar examinations.

He is admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court, New York, and the Philippines. He practices federal law, with emphasis on immigration law and appellate federal criminal defense. He was the Dean and a Professor of Law of the College of Law, Northwestern University, Philippines. He has written law books and legal articles for the world’s most prestigious legal publisher and writes columns for newspapers. He wrote the best-seller “Winning by Knowing Your Election Laws.” Listen to The Tipon Report which he co-hosts with his son Attorney Emmanuel “Noel” Tipon. They talk about immigration law, criminal law, court-martial defense, politics,and current events. It is considered the most witty, interesting, and useful radio show in Hawaii. KNDI 1270 AM band every Thursday at 8:00 a.m. Atty. Tipon was born in Laoag City, Philippines. Cell hone 8 8 22 -26 . - ail fila law yahoo.co . Website: https://www.tiponimmigrationguide.com

The information provided in this article is not legal advice. Publication of this information is not intended to create, and receipt by you does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship.)

Health & Wealth

(From Page 12)

your autographed copies at discounted price, just send number of book orders and corresponding payment in check or money order to: ART G. MADLAING, 730 Madrid Street, San Francisco, CA 112 Tel. 6 38-3 31 or 1 8 - or e ail art adlaing hotmil.com

MERCYLLENA’S 16TH BIRTHDAY: My beloved wife Virginia Jimenez Madlaing and I were blessed and fortunate to attend the 16th Birthday Celebration of our niece Mercyllna Talon Madla-

Their experience in the Philippines, which was seldom considered for new immigrant applicants, propelled them into getting US teaching jobs which became a dilemma for new teacher-applicants considering that most school administrators look for local experience from the applicants and a local boy (meaning a graduate of US institutions) in the hiring process.

Hellie Mateo, for instance, taught English Language Development (ELD) and Global Literature here in the US for 26 years with the Fremont nion igh chool istrict in unnyvale- in all of its five high schools. he said: “I got my Single Subject (Secondary) Teaching Credential through San Jose State University. My experience as an educator was for the most part very productive and satisfactory due to my supportive supervisors and professional colleagues. We have a Teachers’ Union which supported its members in negotiating for pay increases and better working conditions. Our school district is also one of the few in the Bay Area that paid really well due to its geographic location and socioeconomic demographics. We got a raise on top of the salary increases almost every year based on left-over money from district funds, so never thought about switching to a different district. The students are very diverse which ade teaching both challenging as well as fulfilling as an educator. I retired in June 2022 after 26 years with the FUHSD.”

She worked with students with special needs thereby redirecting her career toward special education. She spent a few years helping build the Transition Program at the school district, at the same time helping recent high school graduates and other young adults prepare for employment by teaching work skills.

. Additionally, she developed and conducted a training program for the district’s job coaches - enabling them to better support their students with disabilities at their jobs.

Former Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) Dean Roman Dannug, PhD, a resident of Northern California said: “Yes, I got a teaching job at the Concord College of Nursing. I went to credentialing, got a very good rate per hour, and class size was 25 pax maximum which was great. I strictly followed a school-approved subject syllabus, high technology/multi media-driven instruction, and observed a criteria-based grading system that allows a very small percentage of teacher’s discretion… practically everything is measurable based on documented class performance, impressive faculty development program for professional growth, and excellent extension program to support increased enrollment.

WHO renews alert on safeguards for health worker recruitment

GENEVA –The World Health Organization (WHO) has released an updated WHO health workforce support and safeguards list, identifying countries as vulnerable for availability of health workers required to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goal target for universal health coverage (UHC) by 2030.

The i pact of C -1 and widespread disruptions to health services has resulted in a rapid acceleration in the international recruitment of health workers, WHO said.

For countries losing health personnel to international migration, this could negatively impact on health systems and hinder their progress towards achieving UHC and health security, WHO added.

f the countries, 3 are in the frican region, eight in the estern acific region, six in the astern editerranean region, three in the South-East Asia region and one is in the Americas. Eight countries have been newly added to the support and safeguards list since its original publication in 2020.

“Health workers are the backbone of every health syste , and yet countries with so e of the world s ost fragile health systems do not have enough and many are losing their health workers to international migration,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General.

“WHO is working with these countries to support them to strengthen their health workforce, and we call on all countries to respect the provisions in the WHO health workforce support and safeguards list,” the WHO chief said.

The list should be used to inform advocacy, policy dialogue at all levels and financing efforts in support of health workforce education and employment in these countries.

The countries included in the WHO health workforce support and safeguards list have a UHC service coverage index below and health workforce density below the global edian edical doctors, nursing and idwifery personnel per 1 people. These countries re uire priority support for health workforce development and health system strengthening, along with additional safeguards that limit active international recruitment.

The WHO health workforce support and safeguard list does not prohibit international recruitment, but recommends that government-to-government health worker migration agreements: be informed by health labour market analysis and the adoption of measures to ensure adequate supply of health workers in the source countries; engage Ministries of Health in the negotiation and implementation of agreements; and

specify the health syste benefits of the arrangement to both source and destination countries.

WHO also recommends that these safeguards be extended to all low- and middle-income countries.

Implementation of the WHO Global code of practice on the international recruitment of health personnel (WHO Global Code) can ensure that international movement of health workers is ethically managed, supports the rights and welfare of migrant health workers and maintains health service delivery objectives.

The 2023 update is informed by the report of the WHO xpert dvisory roup on the elevance and ffectiveness of the WHO Global Code. WHO will update the list every three years, with the next update scheduled for publication in 2026.

This issue will be discussed at the upcoming Fifth Global Forum on Human Resources for Health, which will examine the required policy solutions, investments, and multisectoral partnerships to address health and care workforce challenges to advance health systems towards the attainment of UHC and health security. The outcomes of the Forum will inform the United Nations General Assembly’s High-Level Meeting on UHC in September 2023.

Are you depressed?

What is depression?

Are there screening tests for depression?

Heart of Hope

Depression is a state of emotion where the individual has some or all of the following senses, feelings or moods: downhearted, unhappy, anxious, irritable, unable to concentrate, socially withdrawn, empty inside, has inordinate fatigue and reduced interest in activities which used to be fun, hopelessness, indecision, impaired sleep, misery, helplessness, confusion, monosyllabic speech or abnormally quiet.

What is morbid mood?

The morbid mood in depression may be so severe that the patient is unable to cry (tears dry up) or to feel the usual emotions like pleasure, grief or joy. The whole world appears lifeless and colorless to the patient, who could be pre-occupied with a sense of guilt and self-denigrating and destructive ideas.

What is Melancholia?

It used to be called endogenous depression. Its features include marked slowness in thinking and activity, agitation, worthlessness, weight loss, restlessness, wringing of the hands, inability to experience pleasure or wellbeing, di culty falling asleep and has inso nia, following arousal from sleep, with diminished or loss of sexual desire. The patient usually has the feeling of guilt that he/she has committed a grave crime, with hallucinations (voices of people accusing the patient of bad deeds, or condemning him/her to death. Others believe that they have incurable diseases like cancer or AIDs). Very rarely, the patient with this psychotic depression kills family members (“to save them from future misfortunes in life”) and kills himself/ herself.

How rampant is depression?

n the nited tates, depression affects about 1 million Americans. In the Philippines, about ten percent of young adults have moderate to severe depression in 2022, about 3.6 illion of the population. ore than 2 3 or of the do not benefit fro proper therapy because of patient’s inability to seek counseling, misunderstanding of the condition or misdiagnosis. Most people do not seek professional help because the condition is very common and many of them mild or subclinical (with no obvious symptoms). Sometimes, even physicians miss making the correct diagnosis in earnest, thinking the patient’s complaints could be due to some medication interaction.

Yes, there are. Mental health specialists can administer preliminary tests such as the BDI (Beck Depression Inventory), or the HRS (Hamilton Rating Scale), which is composed of 20 questions to screen the patient. Today, co puteri ed phone interviews are gaining effectivity as a screening tool. These tests are only a small part of the evaluation process, because the specialists have the symptoms of the patient and other criteria to aid them make the correct diagnosis.

Don’t we all get depressed sometimes?

To some degree, when the situations demand it, normal people develop a mild form of depression, which is transient, self-terminating, and not a disease. As long as the resultant symptoms are trivial and temporary, and do not debilitate the person, the condition does not need any medical treatment.

What foods relieve depression?

Foods that are high in tryptophan, an amino acid involve in serotonin production, provide relief to some people with depression. Niacin (Vitamin B3), which is essential in the production of tryptophan, can be found in dried peas, beans, whole grains, dried fortified cereals, and especially in oily fishes like sal on and ackerel. t is reported that ega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in fish oil may actually reduce depression. PMS Escape, a high carbohydrate drink, is claimed to increase tryptophan level and may control the depression related to pre-menopausal syndrome for about hours. However, there are impurities in the L-tryptophan diet supplements that are associated with EMS (eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome), which increases the white blood cells and causes muscle pains.

Does calcium help alleviate depression?

Calciu supple ents and ita in -12 have been reported to reduce pre-menstrual depression. Also, some studies showed that among depressed people who drink caffeinated beverages have a lower incidence of suicide, which see s to suggest that coffee or tea reduces depression.

What are the therapy guidelines? ong adults who suffer fro a or or chronic depression, a trial of antidepressant drugs is used, together with psychotherapy that is designed for the patient. For those who do not improve with this strategy, ECT (electroconvulsive therapy have been found to be effective and safe. If this fails, psychosurgery might be indicated.

How about exercises?

Believe it or not, physical exercises may be as effective as psychotherapy in the anage ent of ild to moderate depression. Prolonged aerobic workouts lead to higher levels of serotonin, adrenalin, endorphins and do-

pamine in the brain (producing the popular term “runner’s high”). Physical exercises, brisk walking, ballroom dancing, yoga, tai-bo, etc. lead to better emotional health. As an extra bonus from physical exercises, weight loss and improved muscle tone lead to the sense of well-being and higher self-esteem. Those individuals with strong spiritual faiths have a relatively lower predisposition to depression. These people ight benefit fro editation, yoga, and other techniques for obtaining spiritual security, inner peace, and happiness.

What are the therapy guidelines?

ong adults who suffer fro a or or chronic depression, a trial of antidepressant drugs is used, together with psychotherapy that is designed for the patient. For those who do not improve with this strategy, ECT (electroconvulsive therapy have been found to be effective and safe. If this fails, psychosurgery might be indicated.

How about for children?

Children and adolescents with major depression have been found in clinical studies to respond as well to placebos (sugar pills) as to tricyclic antidepressants, especially the newer ones, the SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. For these group of young patients, a trial of psychotherapy (cognitive-behavioral or supportive therapy) is preferred before they are placed on antidepressant drugs.

Do you have depression?

If you suspect you do, do not medicate yourself. It is ost prudent to seek edical help. The first thing to do it to consult your primary physician, who can help guide you. With early proper medication and/or advice, depression in ost cases can be anaged effectively and eli inated faster than one can imagine. Physicians today have invaluable tools in their armamentarium for the diagnosis and treatment of depression. Many individuals with depression, who have sought medical care, are “cured” with simple oral medications that they look, behave, function, and live as normally and happily as anybody else, lost in the sea of anonymity.

Philip 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

PHILIP S. CHUA

INSPIRATIONAL ARTICLE FOR THE WEEK

RID YOURSELF OF WORRY

By TIM PEDROSA

We cannot change the past, but we can ruin the present by worrying over the future. Whatever happens, happens for a reason. Greet each day with the belief that wonderful things are about to happen. Don’t worry for tomorrow, for tomorrow shall take care of itself. Let’s not be anxious about anything. When life becomes troublesome and worries crowd our day, let those heartaches blow away. Once we have started seeing the beauty of life, ugliness and troubles start disappearing. If we start looking at life with joy, sadness starts fading. We cannot have heaven and hell together, we can have only one. No matter what happened, no matter what looms ahead, if we can eat today, let’s enjoy the sunlight, mix good cheer with friends, let’s enjoy it and thank God for what we have; trust Him for what we need. We have a lot to be thankful for. The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, worry about the future or anticipate troubles but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestlyt- Buddha. Here are some beautiful words of wisdom. We have nothing to do with tomorrow until we get to it. When the day comes with its cares, then we may meet them and then God will provide for them. Duty only is ours, the faithful, diligently doing of God’s will day by day. The rest is God’s and anxious care is unbelief. Worry is like a rocking chair. It will give us something to do, but it won’t get us anywhere. Where there is worry, there cannot be any rest or comfort. Where there is fear there cannot be any peace. Here are some suggestions to get rid ourselves of worry. Write it down. Acknowledging your worry takes away its obsessive power. So make a list of what’s bugging you. Say a prayer. Ask God for help, patience and the strength to get through your troubles. Do something. Clean out your closet, reorganize a roo , write a letter or ake a phone call you ve been putting off. ou ll feel better just getting something done. Read a book about someone else’s troubles (to take your ind off your own , so ething uplifting or funny, or even a self-help book for advice. Take a break. For 10-15 minutes, sit with your eyes closed in a quiet spot. Mentally make a list of blessings in your life; good health, plenty of food in the refrigerator, friends and family, nice weather, anything you can think of. Take a walk. Movement is action. With any luck, the exercise will clear your mind and raise your endorphin levels at the same time. Getting out in the sun will lift your spirits too. Let it go. For a day or even just a few hours, do something you enjoy. Try to refresh your mind and see things in a new light. Don’t worry –your problems will still be there when you get back. Ask for help. Ask your spouse, friend, sibling or family for ideas on how to get past the obstacles in your life. It’ll remind you that others have gotten through the same problems before and hopefully give you some useful advice. Sometimes you just have to stop worrying, wondering, and doubting. Have faith that things will work out, maybe not how you planned, but just how they’re meant to be. Worry often gives a small thing a big shadow – Swedish Proverb.

Pilate’s Situation

Pilate is remembered not for whatever he has done good but for the bad, the condemnation of Jesus to be crucified. e could have saved esus from dying, since he knew Jesus was innocent; but still decided to take no action against the people’s clamor which was in uenced greatly by the leaders of the people. What could be the factors in Pilate’s life that led to this point? Dear reader, what would you and I do if we could have been in Pilate’s position?

Pontius Pilate’s military and political career must have been his priority. He could have willed not to let Jesus be condemned; but he wanted to have a good rapport with the people, so he has to do what they were asking him to preserve his personal image and good name not only before the people but most importantly towards the emperor. He must be said to be a good governor; so, he has to play a delicate balance between his own interests, the people’s demands, and the honor and respect he has for the emperor. As a military man himself, he must be strong willed, and he must destroy whatever threat or unrest there was happening to his jurisdiction.

Moreover, Pilate as a Roman, was a pagan. He was not inclined to believe in Jesus as the Messiah or Son of God Incarnate; even if, there was the information: “…have nothing to do with that man…(Mt. 2 1 , fro his wife. s a o an, ilate knew Caesar, the e peror, as god or like god Caesar is lord. is heart was e pty of faith in esus Christ. Dear reader, like Pilate, who may have learned about Jesus all in hear say that he did not actually witnessed esus iracles first hand, or listened to Him spoke or taught the people; yet, if we would be Pilate and knowing what we know now about the events, and whatever truths told to Pilate at that time, would we accept them as truths and to let us be converted and not condemn Jesus? We come to realize that when we are given situations to make decisions, we must decide always for what is right, for what is good. We cannot choose what is sinful and evil. We too can be multi-layered shells to cover our ego, vices, bad conduct, and bad attitudes, we keep justifying our inability to progress in spiritual life. Our multi-layered forms of reasoning, our laziness to study the teachings of our faith that we have less knowledge of, our complacencies in our spiritual life that even praying daily is an ordeal, our going to mass on Sundays or days of obligation many times considered a waste of time to go to church, and so on and so forth, with many factors devoid of the sense of God or sense of the divine in our life; these can be ways or elements that may hog us down, that hinder us to live fully our faith and love of God. This Lenten Season, we must make efforts to destroy all for s of sinfulness in our daily life be it s all bad habit or grave sinful conduct and mannerism; because, these lead us to be bad or behave in sinful way.

During this Lenten Season, we cannot take for granted our inabilities to do and live coherent to our faith. We cannot think less of our for s of ignorance, thinking that it is fine not to really exert effort in our spiritual life; after all, God is good and merciful. Let this Lenten Season be our opportunity to make amends in our life in the big ways in order to be pleasing to God. During this season, let us be vigilant against sin and strive fir ly towards growth in our friendship with ord esus.

We cannot be like Pontius Pilate who is remembered for the crucifixion and killing of the ord esus Christ rather, we are to be re ebered as one who strove to always bring to life Jesus in our behavior, in our lifestyle, in our relationships, and especially in our daily sanctification of life. If Pilate left us a legacy of bad example; we are to be good examples and leave behind as our legacy our lives as models of godly living and faithfulness to Lord Jesus Christ. Lord Jesus, make me never offend ou, but let e be docile to ou, so that in aking decisions and choices, I will always choose what is pleasing to God. Amen

REV. JOSE PELAGIO A. PADIT, SThD

Buko Melon Salad Recipe of the Week

uko elon alad. f you are looking for buko salad for your events but tired of the usual buko pandan salad try these buko and elon co bination topped with a buco melon sorbetes.

Ingredients:

2 pcs. buko, grated, buko water keep aside for other use

pcs. elon, grated

3 cups condense ilk

1 cup all-purpose creamer

For the Ice Cream:

1.3 liters estle s uco elon orbetes ice crea

Method:

Co bine and ix thoroughly all the ingredients in a big bowl. Chill in a refrigerator until ready to serve.

First cruise ship docks at Puerto Princesa City seaport after 3 years

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Palawan – This city’s tourism industry has received a major boost with the arrival of the first cruise ship in the country after three years due to the pande ic.

Seabourn Encore docked at the uerto rincesa City seaport, signaling the return of cruise ship touris since the onset of the Covid-19 health crisis in 2 2 .

The ship which ca e fro ingapore carried 12 passengers and 82 crew, 2 of who are ilipinos.

epart ent of Touris - i aropa egional irector enny allugna said the return of the cruise ship touris is a welco e develop ent as it is expected to aid the recovery of the country s econo y.

“Puerto Princesa is very fortunate with eabourn ncore. This is its first stop after sailing fro ingapore, allugna said in an interview.

ight now, there are already 22 scheduled cruise calls in Palawan and we are expecting 1 in i aropa with ore than , passengers plus the crew, so that’s around 60,000 arrivals ust for the cruise ships. That s a big develop ent for the depart ent, especially as we open our borders to foreign travelers, she added.

allugna said they will try to invite Touris ecretary a. speran a Christina rasco to welco e a bigger cruise ship scheduled to arrive in the city on arch .

he noted that they are targeting to have ore cruise ship arrivals this year.

re-pande ic, that was year 2 1 , we had 1 cruise calls for the entire country. This year, we are only in the first uarter and we already have confir ed 1 1 cruise calls. That s a very big boost to our touris industry, es-

pecially with the depart ent targeting around . illion foreign tourist arrivals, she said.

eanwhile, City Touris epartent chief e etrio lvior r. said the return of the cruise ship will further boost the recovery of Puerto rincesa s touris industry.

While the industry has yet to fully return to its pre-pande ic status, he said the recovery is going faster than expected.

e re happy because our city is their priority as destination, and we expect this to be ust the start. t s a a or boost to our touris industry. uring the pande ic, we expected to recover in three to four years. ith this develop ent, we are expecting to recover econo ically uch faster, lvior said.

He, however, said that connectivity in the city is not yet in full swing as ights are still li ited.

ur regional director is working on the return of direct flights fro avao, iargao, lo-ilo and Clark. t will be a big help for the recovery of our touris industry, lvior said.

ayor ucilo ayron, on the other hand, said it is an honor for the city to be the first port of call for a cruise ship in the country.

e said he is expecting cruise ship touris to play a big role in the city s econo y.

e are pro ecting that there will be more to come that’s why we reuested the epart ent of ublic orks and ighways to construct a bigger cruise port the - eter port in uito. This cruise ship industry is a big help in our econo y, ayron said. erald Ticke

A . eabo rn Encore, the r t cr i e hip to i it the hilippine a er the o id pande ic, arri ed and docked at the erto rince a ity eaport on eb. .