PNEWS 3.28-4.3,2024

U.S. SENATORS and a congressman, accompanied by US Ambassador MaryKay Carlson, call on President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in Malacanang and aired support to the Philippines in connec�on with China aggression in West Philippine Sea.

Canepa: School principal a hero for student street safety improvements

Washington reaffirms mutual defense treaty commitment

UPSIDE

Commissioner

David J. Canepa hosted a ribbon cutting to unveil the completion of the MTC-funded $2 million Broadmoor Safe

MANILA/WASHINGTON - A Philippine civilian boat on a re-supply mission to Filipino soldiers in Ayungin shoal was severely damaged and some of its crew members were injured when two China Coast Guard ships fired water cannons at it in the latest “dangerous” confrontation in the West Philippine Sea.

Page 9

Murder suspect Teves arrested in East Timor

By Jennifer T. Santos

MANILA – Expelled Negros Oriental 3rd District congressman and designated terrorist Arnolfo “Arnie” Teves Jr. was arrested last week in Dili, East Timor while playing golf.

Critics slam Dutertes’ deafening silence on China’s non-stop actions in WPS

By Be�ng Laygo Dolor, Editor

DALY CITY, Calif. -

Z - the latest global population to enter the workforce - has arrived in the public service ecosystem of this city.

By Gilda P. Balan, Correspondent

Page 10

MANILA -- Critics have slammed former president Rodrigo Duterte and current Vice President Sara Duterte’s silence on China’s continued hostile actions in the West Philippine Sea, the latest of which caused injuries to Filipinos following a water cannon attack by the China Coast Guard.

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SACRAMENTO - -In yet another incident that police confirmed was a hate crime, a woman was attacked outside a Sutter Street parking garage in Folsom on Tuesday, last week.

Luckily for her, a good Samaritan intervened, preventing more serious injuries on the victim, whose identity was withheld by the Folsom Po-

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Comelec eyes 2-M more overseas voters

San Mateo County Board of Supervisors Vice President and Metropolitan Transporta�on Commissioner David J. Canepa with officials at the ribbon cu�ng.

Generation

Fernando Montanes (center) swore in before Daly City Mayor Juslyn Manalo (le�) and his mother Lilibeth Montanes on March 13.

Former Negros Oriental 3rd District congressman Arnolfo “Arnie” Teves Jr.

Comelec eyes 2-M more overseas voters

MANILA – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is hopeful of getting some 2 million new overseas voters as it ramps up voter registration activities for Filipinos abroad.

This is in addition to the current 1 million registered overseas voters, Comelec chairperson George Erwin Garcia said at the signing of the memorandum of agreement (MOA) between the Commission’s Offi ce for Overseas Voting (OFOV) and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), the Fraternal Order of Eagles, Rotary Club International District 3810, and the Associated Marine Offi cers and

Seamen’s Union of the Philippines (AMOSUP) at the Comelec main offi ce in Manila.

The poll body chief said in the May 2022 elections, there were 1.697 million registered overseas voters and only 40.59 percent participated in the polls.

“Only almost 600,000 ang bumoto (cast their votes). Of the number, some 600,000 have been deactivated. Yung 1 million hopefully tumaas (Hopefully, the 1 million new voters would increase),” he added.

The voter registration will run until Sept. 30, 2024.

At the same time, Garcia reiterated that the internet voting will be implemented in

the next national polls despite the absence of a law.

Aside from internet voting, voters overseas may cast their votes in embassies/consulates of countries they are living/working and mail voting.

Overseas voters can only choose national candidates or president, vice president, senators and party-list representative.

“Ang interpretation ng Comelec in-authorized kami ng batas to venture on other mode of voting kasama po ang internet voting dyan. Basta kailangan magrereport sa Congress on the update of the process nitong pangatlong (The Comelec’s interpreta-

tion is that we are allowed by law to venture on other modes of voting, including internet voting. We only need to report to Congress on the update of the third) voting process,” he added.

Garcia also welcomed the signing of the agreement with stakeholders, noting that holding poll exercises is not only the responsibility of the poll body but everyone.

Garcia also expressed hope that there would be no challenges to their plan to conduct internet voting before the Supreme Court.

US senators to Marcos: ‘We will stand by you and with you’

MANILA - President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. earned the support of the US Congressional Delegation (CODEL) over the aggressive actions of China in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

“We share your concern about China’s aggression with regard to many of the issues around the Philippines. We stand with you and we want to continue to stand by you, and with you, and to push that aggression back appropriately,” Senator Kirsten Gillibrand told Pres-

ident Marcos in her courtesy call in Malacañang.

She also assured President Marcos of the delegations’ support to the Philippines, which she considered as an ally and a friend to the US as she expressed concern over China’s aggression in the WPS despite international ruling, favoring the Philippines.

Senator Gillibrand, who led the CODEL delegation, paid a courtesy visit on President Marcos at the Malacañan Palace on Tuesday afternoon as part of their two-day visit to the Philippines from March 25 to 26.

The Senator was joined by Senators Jeanne Shaheen, Roger Marshall, Mark Kelly, Cynthia Lummins, Michael Bennet and Representative Adriano Espaillat, who is a member of the House Committees on Appropriations and Budget.

In welcoming the delegation, President Marcos thanked them for visiting the Philippines in the midst of political issues in the US.

He also expressed gladness for their presence in the country.

“But I’m happy, very happy to welcome all of you to the Philippines, and I hope that the time that you will spend here can be a productive time where we are able to discuss further the situation concerning the Philippines and the geopolitical complications that we are facing presently,” he said.

Senator Gillibrand also expressed his gratitude to President Marcos for welcoming them at the Malacañan Palace as she emphasized that they are delighted to be in “a beautiful country” filled with optimism and hope for the future.

She also noted the Filipinos’ contribution to the US. “We are so grateful for our years of friendship. We’re grateful for the steadfast partnership we had economically. We’re grateful to have you as an ally. Each of those roles is essential for the United States and we hope to continue to play those roles,” she said. “We

have such a strong friendship with the Philippines because we have four million Filipinos in the United States. And we consider them our brothers and sisters, and our neighbors. And so, we’re very grateful for all the contributions that the Filipino community has made in the United States,” she added.

She also emphasized that the Filipino people have been at the forefront of healthcare, technology, and are serving America’s armed services. She added that the Philippines and the US are at the moment of extraordinary opportunity especially in terms of economic ties, in the fields of energy, minerals and commerce, among others.

“These are important alliances for us and we want to continue to grow on that. We want to build on the trip that Secretary Raimondo just had here with a number of executives from our companies. So, we’re grateful for that,” she quipped.

Two-thirds of Americans have decreased spending due to economy, Wells Fargo Money

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-

- When asked how Americans are faring financially, most admitted to having to make major adjustments due to the economy, according to the inaugural Wells Fargo Money Study. Two-thirds (67%) of Americans say that they’ve cut back on spending, and almost half (45%) say they’ve put some life plans on hold. A third (35%) have dipped into their savings or investments. And almost two thirds (62%) say that even though they are able to pay their bills, they have little left over for “extras.”

“The data tells us that Americans – no matter who they are – are uncertain about the sustainability of their financial lives. We launched The Wells Fargo Money Studyto help them get back on track. We took a unique, authentic and fresh look at money from the viewpoint of Americans of all demographics to get insight into how we can make better progress together toward our financial goals – whatever they may be,” said Michael Liersch, head of Advice and Planning for Wells Fargo.

The data reveals Americans’ real attitudes about money, including how they talk about money, whether it brings them joy or stress, how it informs their life narrative – or “money story” – and how they want help improving their approach to money. On behalf of Wells Fargo, Versta Research conducted a national survey of 3,403 U.S. adults and 203 U.S. teens age 14 to 17

Are Americans Over-Spending?

More than half of Americans (58%) report being able to live within their means and not worry about making ends meet, while fewer than half (40%) feel they are in good or great financial shape, and one in four (23%) say they are

in poor shape. What’s more, almost half (44%) report having more debt than they feel comfortable with, and one in three (31%) report spending more than they can afford each month.

Despite concerns when managing spending, across all those surveyed, one-third (37%) say they have been putting more into savings and investments—while a full 69% of young affluent* Americans report doing so. Similarly, three out of five (62%) feel that now is a good time to take advantage of new financial opportunities. And nine out of 10 (91%) feel it is a good time to be saving, though just one in seven (14%) feel it is a good time to borrow

Thoughts and worries about money: Teenagers are concerned

A majority of Americans (57%) say their money story is different from that of their parents. Looking back, adults said they thought and worried about money a lot less when they were growing up compared to now. Today’s teenagers look more like today’s adults when it comes to thinking and worrying about money, with more than one in three saying they think about money a lot. In fact, 73% of teens say they sometimes over-focus on how much money they have or don’t have, and nearly all of teens (91%) want to learn new ways of thinking about and dealing with their money.

“It may be time to flip the frame when we think of communicating about money in families: Usually we think of kids needing to listen to parents when it comes to money. Perhaps it’s time we listen to our kids, who may have more insight than we think on how we should be open to learning about, and changing our money behaviors,” said Liersch.

Study finds

Lying about money is common: Teens confess to doing it more than adults

Teens say they’ve lied more about money than adults when it comes to how much they spend on things, how much they save, how much their home is worth and how much money they grew up with. Specifically, half (50%) of teens confess they have lied about how much they spend on things (versus 32% of adults). Fortytwo percent of teens also report that they have lied to others about their savings (versus 28% of adults), and 18% of teens have lied about how much their

“Teens appear compelled to lie more than adults about various aspects of their financial lives. We have to ask ourselves why. It may be from observing their parents’ behavior, peer pressure or the influence of social media. They may be embarrassed or ashamed of their or their family’s financial situation,” Liersch said. “There is also the possibility that teens are simply being more straightforward about the fact that they are dishonest about money. It’s important for Americans to understand the money messages American teens are receiving and why that compels them to lie about money.”

How money plays a role in mindset

More than half of Americans (57%) admit needing a “mental reset” when it comes to their money, with many feeling embarrassed, judged and overly focused on money.

Additionally, more than half of Americans (55%) report having a love-hate relationship with money and that they: Sometimes overfocus on how much money they have or don’t have (60%)

Always worry about money even when they

have enough (56%)

Over a third (36%) feel embarrassed by their finances, with nearly as many reporting that: They are not their best self when dealing with money (30%)

Their money controls them instead of them controlling it (28%)

They receive criticism from others about their approach to money (27%)

Almost half (43%) think about money from a scarcity mindset (what they don’t have) versus a prosperity mindset that focuses on what they do have (57%).

Feelings of judgement are a factor for most, with more than half (57%) saying they sometimes judge themselves based on their money or lack of money, and half (50%) sometimes feel judged by others. A large majority (84%) want to be more intentional and thoughtful about their spending than they are right now.

Highlighting the possibilities for a mental reset and becoming more intentional about money, two-thirds (68%) agree that their money story is more about who they are and less about their money. Four out of five (80%) would value having a bank help them feel more in control of their money.

“Resetting your money story can feel overwhelming because it can seem like you need to make large changes all at once,” Liersch said. “The fact is that it’s small, incremental changes –like being more intentional about how you spend just on one thing, or saving even seemingly small dollar amounts like $50 or $100 per month – that tend to make sustainable positive steps toward accomplishing your goals.

(To be Continued)

VP Sara: Nurture faithful, democratic hopes on Holy Week

MANILA – Vice President Sara Z. Duterte joins Filipino Christians in the observance of the Lenten season with prayers for peace and unity.

“Maging inspirasyon sana natin ang pagkakataong ito upang ipagpatuloy ang ating maka-Diyos at demokratikong mithiin para sa bayan at bumuo ng isang mapayapang bansa (Let us be inspired by this occasion to continue our faithful and democratic aspirations in building a peaceful country),” Duterte said in a video message released on Monday.

Apart from remembering Jesus Christ’s goodness and sacrifices, Duterte urged Filipino Christians to continue strengthening their faith.

“Nawa’y maging gabay ang Kaniyang mga aral at salita sa ating pang-arawaraw na pamumuhay (May His teachings and words be a guide in our daily lives),” she said.

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QC declares pertussis outbreak after 4 deaths

QUEZON CITY – The Quezon City government has declared an outbreak of pertussis or whooping cough after logging 23 cases and four deaths, mostly infants 22 days to 60 days old from January to March 20.

Quezon City Mayor Josefina Joy Belmonte said she has already ordered the City Health Department, City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, and all relevant city departments to beef up the awareness campaign, especially in the health centers, on how to prevent contracting pertussis.

She also advised the public not to panic, saying the city government has mobilized assets and resources to prevent the spread of the disease.

“The increasing number of pertussis cases is alarming and we are taking the

necessary steps to prevent further transmission of the disease. We are extending our call to QCitizens who are experiencing symptoms to seek medical care in our health centers,” she said.

Belmonte said the declaration of a pertussis outbreak aims to inform the public that the local government is on top of the situation.

“We will do whatever it takes to curb the spread of this disease. We are mobilizing our own resources towards procuring the needed vaccines to keep our children safe, until such time as the DOH (Department of Health) supply arrives,” she said.

Belmonte said the City Health Department - Epidemiology and Disease Surveillance Division has been tasked to administer prophylaxis in areas where the cases

were reported and to isolate and treat patients.

She also assured that increased surveillance in high-risk areas and targeted testing will be conducted on individuals exhibiting symptoms, including those at risk.

Pertussis is caused by the bacterium Bordetella pertussis, resulting in a highly contagious respiratory infection.

It is transmitted through person-toperson respiratory droplets or contact with airborne droplets and exposure to infected or contaminated clothes, utensils, and furniture, among others.

Symptoms include a persisting cough that may last for two or more weeks, mild fever, and a runny nose.

Pertussis is most contagious up to about three weeks after the cough begins,

and many children who contract the infection have coughing spells that last four to eight weeks.

Infants and children from two months old should be given a routine DPT (diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis) vaccination to avoid the disease.

Belmonte has ordered the emergency procurement of pentavalent vaccines and antibiotics for the treatment of cases and prophylaxis of close contacts of patients reported to have acquired the disease.

She also appealed to pharmaceutical companies, suppliers, pharmacies, and medical doctors not to take advantage of the situation and to cooperate with the local government units and concerned agencies to help prevent the spread of the disease.

Filipinos mark Holy Week; DoH, PNP on alert; PBBM urges spread of kindness, selflessness

By Jeanne Michael Penaranda

MANILA – As Catholic devotees in the Philippines and around the world marked start of Holy Week on Palm Sunday, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. enjoined Filipinos to reflect and not to lose sight of the true essence of the occasion by spreading kindness and selflessness.

The Department of Health (DOH), meanwhile, raised “code white alert” for the Lenten season in anticipation of thousands traveling to provinces starting on Palm Sunday.

The DOH said Saturday the alert level would be active on March 24 to 31, placing identified medical personnel and staff on standby for the immediate acceptance and treatment of patients in hospitals.

A code white alert is declared during national events, holidays, or celebrations that can potentially cause mass casualty incidents or emergencies.

Through its Health Emergency Management Bureau (HEMB), the DOH said it continues to conduct active monitoring.

In a related development, a total of 52,273 police officers across the country have been deployed to ensure safe travel

for motorists and commuters during the Lenten season, Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Benjamin Acorda Jr. said.

In Camp Crame, Acorda said the deployment of the police officers will be from March 25-31 during the observance of the Holy Week for Catholics.

Of the total, 12,640 police officers will be deployed in places of worship; 17,499 in places of convergence like malls, terminals, commercial establishments, recreational parks, resorts, and tourist destinations; 9,789 law enforcers in 2,150 major thoroughfares; 3,854 in airports and seaports; and 8,491 reserved cops from Reactionary Standby Support Force (RSSF) are on standby.

“In this solemn occasion, let us not only seek to unravel the mysteries of our faith but also to illuminate the path for others through acts of kindness and selflessness,” Marcos said in his Holy Week message.

“I pray that we may humbly accept our authentic selves as imperfect beings, for it is by becoming truly human that we can experience the divine. Let us always remember to seek the Lord in our desires

and to desire Him in our seeking,” he said.

The Philippines, a predominantly Catholic nation with the third largest Catholic population in the world after Brazil and Mexico, observes Holy Week, or Semana Santa, from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday.

Marcos said the observance of Holy Week is a commemoration of the passion, death, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus

Critics...

(From page 1)

Akbayan Party head Rafaela David noted what she called the “deafening silence” of Ms. Duterte as she challenged the VP to speak up.

“It is bewildering how Vice President Duterte can find the time and energy to defend a disgraced figure like (Apollo) Quiboloy, yet remain silent when our own countrymen and women are under attack by a foreign aggressor,” said David.

The opposition lawmaker added: “Is her allegiance to justice selective, or does she simply lack the courage to stand up to China? Either way, it is despicable.”

Ms.Duterte’s father, the former chief executive, has likewise refused to speak up against China. During his time as president, the elder Duterte turned to China as a preferred ally instead of the US.

He reasoned that going to war with China was useless as the Philippines was sure to lose.

Christ, and an opportunity to reflect on the many transcendent encounters of the Catholic faithful.

“This hallowed time of contemplative silence behooves us to ponder on the mysteries that elude our grasp, seek revelation in the face of the inexplicable, and acknowledge the interplay of joy and sorrow in life so that we may understand the path laid before us by Almighty God,” he said.

Ms. Duterte has also been accused of disloyalty after she attended a recent “prayer rally” of her father which called for the resignation of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

That rally at the Liwasang Bonifacio in the capital city of Manila was in support of Pastor Apollo Quiboloy who has pending warrants for his arrest even as his TV network Sonshine Media Network International has had its franchise cancelled by the House of Representatives.

As a member of the Cabinet, Ms. Duterte was advised to either support the president or resign.

It is worth noting that ex-president Duterte as well as Davao City Mayor Baste Duterte had also called on Mr. Marcos to resign on various occasions in the past few months.

In a related development, China insisted that the Philippines has reneged on its promise to remove a derelict warship from the Ayungin Shoal made as far back as two decades ago.

P34-B Pangasinan Expressway breaks ground

Holdings Corp. (SMHC) signed the joint venture and tollway concession agreements for the construction of the P34 billion 42.76-km. expressway project phase one. Funded by SMHC, it will connect the province’s eastern and western parts.

Guico said other major infrastructure projects like the Bolinao airport and upcoming seaport projects are anchored on the construction of the PLEX.

San Miguel Corp. president and chief executive officer Ramon Ang, in his speech during the program, said the road construction would bring economic growth along its way, citing as an example the impact of the Tarlac-Pangasinan Expressway (TPLEX) on the economy of the towns and cities it passes through.

He said the value of land in Binalonan, Pangasinan cost about P200 per square meter before the construction of the expressway but has increased to about P2,500 per square meter a couple of years after TPLEX was built.

AROUND THE NATION

ALAMINOS CITY, Pangasinan – Measles cases rose by 40 percent in Region 1 to date and the region recorded a confirmed case of pertussis, Dr. Rheuel Bobis, head of the Department of Health Center for Health Development in Ilocos Region said. Measles cases in the region from Jan. 1 to March 9 this year reached 38, up from 27 cases in the same period last year. “We have intensified vaccination activity. Cases increase if the coverage of vaccination is low and only vaccines can prevent it,” he said, adding vaccines for measles, rubella, pertussis and other vaccine-preventable diseases are available for children for free at government hospitals and health centers.

Ifugao state of calamity over El Niño

LAOAC, Pangasinan – Investment and job opportunities in the province are seen to get a boost as the construction of the Pangasinan Link Expressway (PLEX) begins after the groundbreaking ceremony here.

“It will serve as a backbone of the province in terms of ease of travel and accessibility. If we are able to construct it, it will open many doors to other towns and cities. There will be growth in investment, jobs created, the ease of travel in and out of the province,” Pangasinan Governor Ramon Guico III said after the groundbreaking and unveiling of the marker.

The ceremony was done five months after officials of Pangasinan’s provincial government and San Miguel

He said PLEX would also connect to TPLEX and provide access to the planned New Manila International Airport in Bulacan.

The PLEX phase one has three main sections – the 7-km. stretch from Binalonan to Manaoag, the 11.3-km. stretch from Manaoag to Calasiao, and the 22.1-km. stretch from Calasiao to Lingayen, which will also have a 2.4-km. spur road in Calasiao town.

Ang said the project’s phase 2 would extend to Alaminos City as demand increases.

Once completed within the targeted four- to five-year construction period, the first phase of the expressway is expected to shorten travel time from the TPLEX exit in Binalonan town to Lingayen from 90 minutes to just half an hour or less.

LAGAWE, Ifugao – The Department of Agriculture in the Cordillera Administrative Region (DA-CAR) has started mobilizing assistance to the rice and corn farmers of Ifugao, with the dry spell affecting the plantation areas. Lawyer Jennilyn Dawayan, DA-CAR regional director, said that they had earlier mobilized the El Niño Task Force to conduct site validation and monitoring of the Rapid Damage Analysis and Needs Assessment (RDANA) through the provincial offices of the DA to collect actual data from the ground to assist them in decision-making. Dawayan reported that the dry spell affected 1,311 Ifugao farmers tending 1,350 hectares of rice and cornfields in CAR. Of this number, 86.4 hectares were reported to be ruined, while 1,253 were partially damaged.

EXPRESSWAY. Pangasinan Vice Governor Mark Ronald Lambino, Governor Ramon Guico III, San Miguel Corp. president and chief execu�ve officer Ramon Ang, and Pangasinan 5th District Rep. Ramon Guico Jr. (le� to right) unveil the marker for the Pangasinan Link Expressway project.

DOH warns HIV cases may reach 500K by 2030

MANILA – Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) cases in the country would reach at least 500,000 over the next six years, with men comprising most of the patients, the Department of Health (DOH) said.

DOH Undersecretary Eric Tayag said from six cases a day, HIV cases in the country have increased to 50 new cases daily.

“Ang tantiya po namin ay nasa 185,000 may HIV at sa mga ilang taon pa ay baka

umabot tayo ng kalahating milyon (By our estimate, there are 185,000 Filipinos infected with HIV and they may reach 500,000) in 2030,” he said.

Tayag lamented that Filipinos’ test rate for HIV is low at 40 percent, way below their 90-90-90 goal -- 90 percent at risk should be tested, 90 percent must be undergoing treatment, and 90 percent should achieve good results.

“May kampanya kami para huwag matakot at maging regular na lang itong

pagpapa-testing (We do campaigns so people won’t be afraid to get tested regularly,” he said.

He said cases are rising among the 1524 age bracket but the majority are still in the 25-34 group.

He said health officials are also monitoring pregnant overseas Filipino workers and those injecting medicines, even if legally prescribed, because of possible contaminated needles.

“Gusto natin malaman baka mamaya si baby pala ay na-infect. Hindi alam mismo nung buntis na siya pala ay may HIV at ma-isalin doon sa baby (We want to know if the baby is safe because the mother herself may not know she is infected and unknowingly infect the baby),” Tayag said.

HIV attacks the body’s immune system and can lead to AIDS (acquired im-

(From page 1) Good...

lice Department.

Her attacker was identified as Mamikon Shushanyan, 59, and homeless. He was initially charged with a misdemeanor battery charge with a hate crime enhancement, but this was later upgraded to a felony after it was learned that his victim had suffered a bone fracture.

No specifics on her injury were provided to media.

Prior to attacking his victim, Shushanyan had been acting erratically, waving his arms, pacing, and yelling at people. He was also heard hurling racial slurs at his victim.

His actions were reported to the Folsom PD, which sent officers to the scene. But before they arrived, Shushanyan had attacked a woman who was passing by. He kicked her then pushed her to the ground.

munodeficiency syndrome) if not immediately treated.

It can be passed on through sexual contact, use of shared needles, and contact with infected blood; and by parent to child during pregnancy, childbirth, or breastfeeding.

That was when a good Samaritan intervened, restraining the suspect until the police arrived. Another witness also helped restrain the attacker. Yet another witness helped the woman, who was then taken to a hospital.

Shushanyan was booked at the Sacramento County Main Jail.

He was held on $50,000 bail and has been scheduled to appear in court this Friday.

The entire incident was captured on CCTV provided by the Folsom PD. It showed a person running towards another person walking on the street and shoving them to the ground before beginning the attack.

The Folsom PD said while they normally caution civilians against intervening to stop a crime in progress, this time the actions of the good Samaritan helped.

Shushanyan appears to have serious mental problems, which his lawyer will likely use in his defense.

It is not clear how an individual of unstable mind who commits a felony will be treated by a court, although a temporary insanity plea is his likely defense.

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

Comelec warns celebrities on premature campaigning

Capena.... (From page 1)

Routes to School Pedestrian Improvements Project between two neighborhood-serving schools that was prompted by Garden Village Elementary School Principal Nuala O’Sullivan-Haley advocating for the safety of her students and families who walk to school.

The ribbon cutting was held at 10:15 a.m., Wednesday, March 27, at the student drop off location on South Park Plaza Drive between Benjamin Franklin Intermediate School and Garden Village Elementary School, Broadmoor/Daly City.

“Some motorists have been treating these streets

Murder....

(From page 1)

Teves was nabbed at the Top Golf Driving Range and Bar around 4 p.m. last Thursday.

Teves is facing multiple murder charges in connection with the killing of Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo and nine others in March 2023, and three others in 2019.

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. said that the government will make sure that Teves Jr. will return home to face the charges against him.

Marcos made the vow, as he lauded the collaborative efforts of the Philippine law enforcement agencies and its international partners to ensure the successful arrest of Teves in Timor-Leste.

“Rest assured that the government will take all necessary actions to bring him back to the country so he can face the charges filed against him,” he said in an X post.

“I assure the Filipino people that we will spare no effort in ensuring that justice will prevail in this case,” Marcos added.

Proceedings for the transfer of Teves Jr. will take from seven to 40 days, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) said.

NBI director Medardo de Lemos said this was assured by the Timor Leste justice officials to the Philippine contingent following Teves’ capture.

“Sabi nila (They said) they will terminate the proceedings within the period of seven days to 40 days maximum,” he told reporters.

De Lemos, however, clarified that Timor Leste officials are still in the process of determining the merits of the red notice issued against Teves, after which they will decide what actions to pursue.

Pamplona, Negros Oriental Mayor Janice Degamo, the slain governor’s widow, hailed the arrest of Teves.

“ Words cannot express how it feels to finally see the man who terrorized our province and brutally murdered my husband surrounded by police. Dalaygon ang buhi nga Dios!” Mayor Janice Degamo said.

The arrest of Teves was made possible through the collaborative efforts of law enforcement agencies, including the International Police (Interpol) - National Central Bureau (NCB) in Dili, in coordination with the East Timorese Police.

“Today’s (Thursday) apprehension of Teves is a testament to the power of international cooperation,” Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said in a statement. “It sends a clear message that no terrorist can evade justice and that nations stand united in safeguarding the

MANILA – Movie and television personalities who are would-be public servants will not be allowed to appear on television, films, and social media once the Commission on Elections (Comelec) implements the ban on premature campaigning for the May 2025 midterm polls.

“The Comelec will stand firm that those who will file their Certificates of Candidacy (COCs) this October will immediately be considered as candidates. Whatever are the prohibitions, it will be applicable to all,” Comelec chairperson Erwin Garcia said.

“We will presume all those, who filed their COCs, as engaged in premature campaigning when it’s done prior to the campaign period,” he added.

like racetracks and hopefully this project will put an end to that,” Canepa said. “This is the first major infrastructure project in unincorporated Broadmoor in decades and we wouldn’t be cutting the ribbon if it weren’t for the heroic effort by a school principal who fought on behalf of her students to improve the treacherous conditions that existed on the nearby sidewalks and roads. But we’re not done yet, the next step I’m working on is to reduce the speed limit in the area

The poll body chief is hoping that nobody will question their move, just like when they implemented the same in the 2023 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE).

“When we imposed it during the BSKE, nobody went to the Supreme Court to question the Comelec. Hopefully, with the support of the people, nobody will question us (this time),” he said.

Under the Poll Automation Law, “any person who files his certificate of candidacy shall only be considered as a candidate at the start of the campaign period”, and that “unlawful acts applicable to a candidate shall be in effect only upon the start of the campaign period.”

when school is in session down to 15 mph.”

The Broadmoor Safe Routes to School Pedestrian Improvements Project includes a raised midblock crosswalk, bulb-outs, ADA curb ramps, pedestrian and traffic signals, as well as road surfacing treatment and striping improvements near Garden Village Elementary School and Benjamin Franklin Intermediate School to increase visibility, shorten crossing distances and serve as traffic calming features to slow traffic.

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Comelec chairperson Erwin Garcia

China...

(From page 1)

The United States and the Philippines immediately condemned China for its latest ‘dangerous actions in the West Philippine Sea, a territory and an exclusive economic zone of the Philippines, saying the actions by China Coast Guard were in disregard of international law and could destabilize the region further.

The US State Department, at the same time, reaffirmed its commitment to the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) between the US and the Philippines.

“The United States reaffirms that Article IV of the 1951 U.S.-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty extends to armed attacks on Philippine armed forces, public vessels, or aircraft – including those of its Coast Guard – anywhere in the South China Sea,” US State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a statement dated March 23.

The defense pact states that the US and the Philippines would support each other if either of them were to be attacked by an external party.

Meanwhile, the Japanese Embassy in the Philippines also expressed “grave concern” over what it described as China’s “repeated dangerous actions” in the South China Sea.

“Japan stands in solidarity with the PH as confirmed at the (Japan-PH-US) Vice Foreign Ministers’ meeting held in this week,” the embassy said in an X (Twitter) post.

The incident comes ahead of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s visit to Washington where he is set to hold a trilateral leaders’ summit with his US and Japanese counterparts on April 11.

According to the White House, Marcos, US President Joe Biden, and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida Fumio will discuss a broad range of areas, including economic and security cooperation, among others.

The Philippines’ National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS) slammed the China Coast Guard for damaging a Filipino supply vessel, the Unaizah May 4, near the Ayungin Shoal with water cannon and injuring those on board.

Undterred by China’s dangerous actions, the Philippines will continue to act peacefully and responsibly, consistent with international law, particularly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the 2016 Arbitral Award, the NTF-WPS said.

“The Philippines will not be deterred—by veiled threats or hostility—from exercising our legal rights over our maritime zones, including Ayungin Shoal, which forms part of our EEZ and continental shelf,” it added.

‘’We demand that China demonstrate in deeds and not in words that it is a responsible and trustworthy member of the international community,’’ the NTF-WPS said.

In Washington, the US State Department issued a statement condemning the “dangerous actions” of the Chinese forces against the Philippines.

“The United States stands with its ally the Philippines and condemns the dangerous actions by the People’s Republic of China (PRC) against lawful Philippine maritime operations in the South China Sea on March 23,” the US State Department said in a press statement released over the weekend.

The State Department Spokesperson said that, “PRC ships’ repeated employment of water cannons and reckless blocking maneuvers resulted in injuries to Filipino service members and significant damage to their resupply vessel, rendering it immobile.

“The PRC’s actions prevent normal personnel rotations and deprive Filipino service members at Second Thomas Shoal of necessary provisions. This incident marks only the latest in the PRC’s repeated obstruction of

Philippine vessels’ exercise of high seas freedom of navigation and disruption of supply lines to this longstanding outpost.”

The State Department said it considers China’s actions “destabilizing to the region and show clear disregard for international law.”

“According to an international tribunal’s legally binding decision issued in July 2016, the PRC has no lawful maritime claims to the waters around Second Thomas Shoal and Second Thomas Shoal is a low tide feature clearly within the Philippines exclusive economic zone. As provided under the 1982 Law of the Sea Convention, the 2016 arbitral decision is final and legally binding on the PRC and the Philippines, and the United States calls upon the PRC to abide by the ruling and desist from its dangerous and destabilizing conduct,” the statement said.

Earlier, the Philippines’ NTF-WPS reported Saturday morning that China Coast Guard vessels, along with Chinese maritime militia vessels, “acted recklessly and dangerously” against the country’s resupply boat Unaizah May 4 (UM4) and its Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) escort vessels.

This ended with two CCG ships water cannoning the UM4, causing severe damage to the boat and injuries to the Filipino crew members onboard.

The NTF-WPS said the Chinese vessels even attempted to obstruct the PCG escort vessels from providing immediate relief and assistance to the disabled UM4 and its crew, but the PCG ships were able to break through and provide medical attention to the injured crew.

To complete the RORE mission, BRP Sierra Madre which serves as the Philippines’ outpost in Ayungin Shoal, deployed rigidhulled inflatable boats to UM4 to ferry personnel.

The NTF-WPS said: ‘’The People’s Re-

public of China’s latest acts of unprovoked aggression, coercion, and dangerous maneuvers against a legitimate and routine Philippine RoRe mission to Ayungin Shoal, have once again placed at risk, caused severe damage to property, and caused physical harm to Filipinos on board UM4.’’

“The actions of the agents of the PRC today in the waters of the Philippine exclusive economic zone (EEZ) show to the Filipino people, the region, and the world that the PRC recognizes no reasonable or legal restraint nor limitation upon its actions under international law,” it added.

American Ambassador MaryKay Carlson expressed the United States’ support for the Philippines following the incident.

‘’The PRC’s interference with [the Philippines’] freedom of navigation violates international law and threatens a #FreeAndOpenIndoPacific,’’ she said on X.

Ironically, China Coast Guard spokesperson Gan Yu claimed that the Philippines conducted an “irregular resupply mission.’’

He said the Philippines sent two PCG ships and one resupply ship ‘’to intrude into the adjacent waters’’ of Ayungin Shoal, which China calls Ren’ai Jiao, ‘’only 18 days after its resupply mission, ‘’attempting to transport construction materials’’ to BRP Sierra Madre.

This prompted Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro Jr. to challenge China to put its sovereignty claim to arbitration after Beijing also had warned the Philippines to bear all ‘’potential consequences’’ amid its actions in the South China Sea.

‘Kung talagang gusto nila, kung talaga siguro hindi sila natatakot na ihayag sa boung mundo ang kanilang claim, bakit hindi tayo mag-arbitrate sa ilalim ng international law para maliwanag sa lahat kung ano ang karapatan ng kahit sino? Bakit ayaw nila?’’ Teodoro said.

You’re invited to attend the 2024 VTA Board of Directors public meetings. The meetings are: Please

FRANCIS ESPIRITU

Publisher/President

THELMA

NEIL GONZALES Chief Correspondent Northern California LYDIA SOLIS Chief Correspondent Southern California

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

Closer and closer to a state of war

China’s latest attack on a resupply ship manned by Filipinos hired by the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) may be said to be the closest step it has taken yet for a de facto declaration of a state of war.

A water cannon assault on the ship did more than hurt the morale of the people on board, or cause some form of damage. This time, there were injuries inflicted on a number of Filipinos who only wanted to deliver food, water, and supplies to their fellow Filipinos in a military outpost.

There is reason to fear that the next water cannon attack may actually cause fatalities, in which case the Philippines will have no recourse but to consider China has having declared war.

What follows is not hard to imagine. The Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) between the US and the Philippines will be brought into play.

Under a state of war, the Armed Forces of the Philippines will be duty bound to protect the country’s boundaries, specifically the country’s globally-accepted exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

The US has stated on multiple occasions that the MDT is an “ironclad” pact and American forces will come in when the situation calls for it.

This is the risk that China has to consider. It may have the largest navy in the world, but there is no question that the US 7th Fleet based in the Pacific will make short work of China’s untested ability to fight a naval war.

In short, China may cause some damage to the US fleet, but in the end, their navy will be obliterated.

All because they insist on claiming territory that no one believes belongs to them.

Parts of that EEZ is what China has been illegally claiming to be theirs despite the rest of the world disagreeing with their stand. It is this intransigence that may spell disaster for the people of China. Never mind their political leadership, specifically Xi Jinping, who fancies himself a great leader who will topple the US and the West by creating an economic and military superpower second to none.

Perhaps the government executives and bureaucrats responsible for the Philippines’ external defense can study the playbook of Vietnam and Indonesia, which faced similar aggression from China in the past.

These neighbors of the Philippines did not flinch in their own symbolic staredowns with China. Instead, they gave as good as they got, and it eventually caused China to rethink its attempts at grabbing Vietnamese and Indonesian waters by force.

They do not have anything similar to the MDT the Philippines has with the US, by the way.

The Philippine government should make clear to China that the current tensions started when the latter introduced their nine-dash line from thin air a few decades ago. Everything would be so much simpler if China were to agree to hold that imaginary ancient map of theirs in abeyance for now.

Instead, China last year even went further, introducing what it calls its ten-dash line.

It’s a good thing that the US says that they have the Philippines’ back, but the support of the world’s only superpower may not even be necessary. The rest of the world is behind the Philippines, if not militarily then at least diplomatically.

In the global game of diplomacy, China has already lost to the Philippines.

At the very least they should accept the challenge of Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro, which is to take the Philippines to a world court and prove that it is the Filipinos who are at fault.

Student and already a seasoned community advocate

Fernando Montanes swore in March 13 as a Daly City Recreation Commissioner. He will join four residents appointed by the City Council to advise them and the Recreation Services Department on safe and appropriate activities that bring enjoyment to residents of all ages.

Familiarly called “Rec,” the department “works closely with youth and students, providing them services and programs that promote community welfare, extracurricular activities, sports, and other fun and active things,” says the Westmoor High School alum. “So as someone who works with youth and students, I considered the recreation commission the perfect entryway to public service.”

CHERIE M. QUEROL MORENO

Then-Mayor Ray Buenaventura announced the appointment in his last City Council meeting in January. Council members unanimously approved.

Montanes envisions himself pressing for funding to preserve and expand cultural celebrations that bring together the city’s various populations, while also addressing mental health and loneliness among issues besetting the many generations that call Daly City home.

At 23, he will be the youngest of all city commissioners, being among an estimated 60 million in this country born after 1995 and before 2015, depending on the defining institute.

Sharing the reins of the city leadership was a matter of time for the demographic cohort born in the first half of the twentyteens.

GENERATION WHAT?

Dubbed Gen Z for short, the successors of Millennials are independent, competitive and open-minded, according to LinkedIn, which also describes them as “risk-averse,” having grown up during the Great Recession of 2008 that “fundamentally impacted their world view.”

Those characteristics fit Montanes, though more significant personal factors molded his character.

He was 6 years old when his widow mother Lilibeth Fortuna Montanes brought him and his older sister Carla to this country to join their grandmother Adela Pontiga Fortuna in Daly City. Their elders had uprooted from their hometown Nagcarlan, Laguna, in the late 1960s “during the Marcos regime,” he notes, for a brighter future.

In the absence of his father Carlos Montanes, a car salesman who had died before he was born, Fernando’s mother, sister and grandmother showered him with support and encouragement.

“I was raised by strong women and I credit that for how I am as a man today,” Montanes told Inquirer.netUSA.

They imprinted principles he holds dear, particularly “caring for our elders.”

“My family and community recognize the wisdom and wealth of knowledge that elders have to offer,” he explained. He defined his valued community as the “church, school, or simply our distant relatives who live next door (because) collective life is a foundation of how my family and I continue to live in Daly City.”

Montanes considers himself as a “Filipino who lives in America” rather than “Filipino American” despite having been in the United States over two decades.

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Why marriages fail

It is always heartbreaking to hear about failed marriages, especially of those near and dear to us.

Why do marriages fail? How could a love that seemed so right at the start go wrong?

The problem stems from many factors. It may be because he partners did not know each other well from the start. It may be due to different backgrounds and cultures, or it may be because one partner outgrew the other.

Marriages fail as well because of monotony, indifference, loss of respect and love.

For marriage to succeed, it must be between two mature individuals who truly love each other.

Marriage could last if both partners would only strive to keep their love alive.

Unfortunately, often couples take each other for granted . They forget to be considerate of each other’s needs.

There should be no room for selfishness and pride in a good marriage.

Couples are not perfect and must accept that fact from the start of their relationship.One loves another person, warts and all .

I know couples whose marriage survived time and tribulations because thy chose to stay together, despite each other’s idiosyncracies.

Marriages fail when there is a lack of communication,when pride rears its ugly head, when one or the other is insecure.

As a Catholic, I believe in the sanctity of marriage, which should last until death.

However, if both partners are unhappy and irreconcilable, separation is acceptable and advisable .

Why do marriages fail?

The bottomline is: the loss of love, which can only be rekindled if both partners decide to try to make a go of it. What do you think?

Amazing Synergy B-10 health food supplement

As an active Evangelist and founder of FITNESS FOR HUMANITY (aka FITNESS FOR CHRIST), I’ve searched and tried natural health supplements for my personal well-being and longevity.

For several years, I’ve been taking the GLS natural supplement with very good result and shared them to my FRANCS (Friends, Relatives, Acquaintances, Neighbors, Co-Workers, Strangers). Late last year, the company and group manufacturing the GLS supplement closed and stopped manufacturing the natural health supplement.

I, then, prayed that God will send a comparable or better health food supplement to replace the GLS I’ve been taking for more than 10 years. Last month, my old acquaintance Jun Isiderio visited me at home in San Francisco and shared some information on SB-10 (Synergy Benefits-10) as natural health food supplement.

Jun showed the special program of Broadcaster Bing Formento (also an old friend who used to operate a grocery and restaurant in San Francisco which was one of the outlets of the weekly PHILIPPINE EXAMINER I owned and published for more than five years), now based in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Bing Formento shared in his special program testimonials of those who had tried the SB-10 and experienced benefits and were helped on health issues like Insomnia or trouble falling asleep, Arthritis Pain, Allergies, Vertigo, Constipation, Asthma, Impotency, Lack of Energy, Cold Sores, Goiter, Migraine, Cataract, Aging, Fever, Stomach Pain, Bad Breath, Hypertension, Diabetes, Fatigue, Stress, Acne, Eczema, Menstrual Cramps, Dandruff, Eye Floater and other ailments or health problems.

Many of those who shared their testimonials voluntarily described the Synergy Benefits-10 health food supplement that is “short of a miracle” making wonders in the lives of people around the world.

“Synergy Benefits-10 looks like the answer to my prayers,” I told Jun Isiderio after the SB-10 presentation.

“I have to try it myself first before I can recommend and share it to others,” I explained to Jun.

For the past two weeks, I started taking the SB-10 health food supplement everyday by drinking 20 drops of SB-10 for 8 fluids oz of water (half the regular water bottle) in the morning before breakfast and 20 drops in the evening before sleeping.

After 3-5 days I noticed that I have better and deeper sleep at night. After one week, I became more energetic and noticed that I can walk up the stairs in our front gate faster and easier.

My beloved wife Virginia Jimenez Madlaing had been monitoring my blood pressure and sugar level everyday. My blood sugar level ranges from 97 to 110. My blood pressure ranges from 101/68 to 118/72, which are all normal now, an improvement from my prediabetic condition before taking the SB-10 health supplement.

Then, Mike Alop, Evangelist-Minister, and the elders of the EAST FOOTHILL CHURCH OF CHRIST in San Jose, California scheduled me to share a message as guest preacher during the Worship Services, Sunday, 10:30 am last March 17, 2024.

Few days before my preaching schedule, I requested the brethren at the GOLDEN GATE CHURCH OF CHRIST in San Francisco, California to pray for my strength in sharing the gospel at the East Foothill congregation in San Jose, California.

After taking the SB-10 health supplement everyday for two weeks as well as answer to prayers, I was able to share the gospel in its purity and simplicity to a live audience inside the Auditorium of the EAST FOOTHILL CHURCH OF CHRIST in 214 North White Road in San Jose, California last Sunday, 10:30am, March 17, 2024 with much vigor and enthusiasm for almost one hour.

SB-10 is considered a mineral food supplement. It’s very easy and convenient to take. It’s better and more effective than the GLS natural health supplement I’ve been taking for more than 10 years. It’s even cheaper compared to the cost of the health supplement I’ve tried like the GLS.

If you are interested to try the SB-10 as a prevention and maintenance as well as help on your health issues, we can visit you in the privacy of your Home or Office or attend special presentation of Synergy Benefits -10 near you.

My friend and client Mark Flores told me that with proper diet, healthy lifestyle plus natural health supplement, we can reach the ripe old age of 120 years citing Genesis 6:3 as follows:

“My spirit will not contend with man forever, for he is mortal, his days will be a hundred and twenty years.” (Genesis 6:3, NIV)

My good friend Mark Flores has prophetic instinct that I’ll reach the age of 100 years plus like my late mother Elena Sampayan Gabot Madlaing who died in her sleep at the age of 103 years and eighth months last August, 2023 in the home of my sister Josie Lewis and his son Ferdinand Lewis in Bethel Island, California USA.

Last week, Arthur de los Reyes, an old friend and client, came to my Home-Office in San Francisco, California for notarization and apostille follow up of Special Power of Attorney needed in the Philippines.

China headed for depression if Xi stays in power

Acloser look at China may partially explain its aggressive actions in the West Philippine Sea. Its economy is actually in shambles now, and there are strong indications that not only will the country enter a recession, it may go so far as spiral into a full-blown depression in the very near future.

All the signs are present that China’s economy as a whole is in the worst shape it has ever been since the 1950s, when then Chairman Mao Zedung (formerly spelled Mao Tse Tsung) launched his Great Leap Forward, that resulted in millions of Chinese dying of starvation.

Reports coming out of China are quite worrisome. More than a million restaurants, big and small, have closed down since the pandemic, and those that are still in operation are selling food at bargain basement prices.

Malls in the biggest cities are empty, with so many stores closing down rather than staying open when there are few, if any, shoppers.

The ‘salvation’ that China was expecting with the arrival of the Chinese New Year did not pan out.

Unlike in the past when a store shut down and another would instantly take its place, no new players are coming in.

One of the saddest sights on China’s malls was where a local shopper showed a video that had all the stores in one floor shuttered, leaving only one sad McDonald’s remaining open. Even then, there were only a handful of customers in the global burger chain.

Meanwhile, Chinese who remain employed, especially in the government bureaucracy, have been told that they will not be getting their full salaries, while some of their peers have been forced to go on extended leaves of absence.

Have any friends who have been to Hong Kong lately? Ask them what’s happened there. That semi-independent state which was once a favorite shopping haven of bargain-hunting Pinoys is facing an economic downturn that became apparent in the recent Chinese Lunar New Year.

What should have been the best of times became the worst of times.

The term being used to describe what’s happening all over China now is deflation, or the opposite of inflation. This means prices are going down instead of the usual up, and in many ways it’s even worse.

Despite the sinking prices, however, the economy remains in the doldrums.

The simplest definition of deflation is “reduction of the general level of prices in an economy.” This usually occurs during times of high unemployment.

One would think that when fewer consumers are buying, sellers would necessarily raise their prices in order to pay for such necessary expenses as rent, payroll, and stocks to sell.

In fact, the opposite is true. When consumers are not buying because they prefer to keep their cash in their wallets, sellers entice them by bringing down the prices of their goods or services to the barest minimum. Those that can afford it can go so far as to sell at a loss.

Sometimes it works, other times it doesn’t. In China and Hong Kong, it is the latter that is happening.

(And as proof that the Taiwanese leadership is far superior to Xi and his cohorts, the ‘rogue’ state is still doing well, thank you very much.)

It’s actually much worse in some big cities in the mainland. Countless high-rise condos remain unoccupied/unsold because the Chinese have no interest in buying new residences, preferring to instead hold on to what money they have.

And no, they no longer keep their money in banks following instances when customers were only allowed to withdraw portions of their savings for the simple reason that many banks were short on cash.

This, too, is documented with numerous videos on the internet showing a people whose anger at their leaders is positively seething.

Very lately, the government .as been forced to act to save the dying real estate industry. The biggest developer was ready to declare bankruptcy, but this has been deferred via a lifeline from the government.

It remains to be seen if it will work.

China’s largest property developer is Evergrande, and it defaulted on its loans late last year. This spurred a liquidity crisis in the sector, and no less than 50 big developers also defaulted in their debts.

Imagine the effect this will have on the banks, which were the primary source of funds used by the developers for their mega projects.

As a result, tens of thousands of Chinese working men and women suddenly found themselves jobless;

The property downturn is on its third year now, and there is no end in sight. The real estate bubble has burst, and it will take years before it can recover. And this is based on a number of ifs.

It’s been said that the millions of Chinese who had joined the mighty middle class in recent decades due to the economic miracle that was the People’s Republic of China have been pushed back to poverty, while the tens of thousands -- even hundreds of thousands -- who had attained millionaire status been humbled back to a middle class state.

It is no wonder then that the still-rich Chinese who are able to opt to leave for the West, to such places as the US and Canada.

March: Women’s History Month

It’s almost at the end of our celebration of the month-long Women’s History Month. We are celebrating and honoring women, their contributions to society and their role in social development. We need to remember though that it doesn’t end there… we need to remember them yearround, all the time!

So, even beyond the month of March, we need to honor women and their contributions to society. They are vital partners for development, important cog of the wheel of change, and great energizers for progress that need constant affirmation of their contributions to society. They should not be forgotten.

In fact, once empowered, they deliver! They can equal or even surpass men in this male-dominated society.

As we remember them, let us move for equity and women’s empowerment, especially in areas where women are not excelling because of men’s domination in both traditional and non-traditional industries.

This is what Job Corps, a DOL-run program for marginalized youth ranging from 16 to 24 years old giving them a chance to earn their high school diploma, get trade certifications and high school equivalency (GED/HSE), is trying to push.

Acting National Job Corps Center Director Erin McGee noted women’s exemplary performance in society: “Women’s participation in the labor force has increased exponentially since 1950. But while progress has been made in women’s earnings and opportunities, there had been limited advancement for women seeking employment in male-dominated skilled trades and women on the average still earn 83 cents for every dollar man earns in the same position.”

In her regular message from the US Department of Labor, Office of Job Corps tilted “Touchpoint”, she added: “We at Job Corps know it is imperative that we empower young women to follow their dreams and find a career they’re passionate about – regardless of industry or field. Industries such as construction, maintenance transportation, protective services, and fishing a forestry continue to witness a significant underrepresentation of women, with women making up less than 25% of the workforce.”

This is very significant considering that what Job Corps is doing in encouraging its female student population to explore opportunities in traditional male-dominated industries, including nontraditional occupations, is a commitment in bridging the gap between male and female opportunities in the job market.

“At Job Corps,” McGee continued, “we are committed to bridging this gap by encouraging our female student population to explore opportunities in traditionally male-dominated industries, including those ‘nontraditional’ occupations.”

To support her claim, McGee cited Cassandra, once seeking stability and independence, emerged as a leader in the male-dominated construction training program at the Don Young Alaska Job Corps Center. After excelling in a work-based learning program with H-5, a local construction company, Cassandra not only secured a permanent position but also earned two raises within a year, proving her dedication and skills. She aspires to reach the level of salesperson on construction projects and pursue welding to further enhance her abilities.

Briana, on the other hand, graduated from Job Corps in 2019 with carpentry credentials from the United Brotherhood of Carpenters. Her instructors helped her join the union and she landed her first post-graduation job with American Demolition as a laborer. Now, she works for Precision Pipeline and has worked her way up from the warehouse laborer to environmental laborer.

And… over the course of two years at Cleveland Job Corps Center, Alexandra earned credentials in carpentry, green awareness, scaffolding, Ramset, and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). After Job Corps, Alexandra started working at local business 1st Choice Roofing Company as an estimator.

In San Jose Job Corps Center (SJJC), the center’s Diversity Committee will sponsor Women’s History Month celebration on Friday, March 29, 2024 at the center’s Gymnasium from 10:00 am to 11:30 am. It will feature a lot of trivia activities, fun games and an art show displaying drawings, paintings, and poems related to women submitted by staff and students a couple of days before the Women’s History Month celebration.

San Jose Job Corps Center’s current Center Director is a woman – Davina Hernandez. The Deputy Center Director is a woman – La Verne Niles. They are excelling and are running the center effectively!

They are one in pushing National Center Director Erin McGee’s gesture empowering young women to follow their dreams and find their careers they are passionate of regardless of industry or field where men dominate. With these moves, it will beef up women’s power in the workforce.

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“Art, you still look young, healthy and energetic. What’s your secret,” he asked me.

There are some indications that some have gone to the Philippines, where it is easier for them to join the

(Continue on page 20)

My daughter Tweety, likewise need a pat in the back for being a responsible mom. Before going back to Hawaii, her husband Jonathan and daughter 4-year-old Ellie, (Continue on page 20)

ART GABOT MADLAING

PHL gets ¥250-B Japanese loan for Dalton Pass, Metro subway

MANILA – The Philippines and Japanformally signed the exchange of notes for the JPY250 billion or around P92.8 billion loan that will finance the construction of Dalton Pass East Alignment Road and the ongoing Metro Manila Subway (MMS) project.

Of the amount, JPY100 billion will be allocated for the construction of a bypass road for the Dalton Pass, which links Metro Manila and north-central Luzon.

The remaining JPY150 billion, meanwhile, will serve as the third tranche of Japanese financing for the MMS project.

“On behalf of the Philippines, I signed today diplomatic notes for Japan’s ODA (official development assistance) worth JPY250 billion in loan for the Dalton Pass East Alignment Road Project to enhance the connectivity of Regions I & II to the NCR (National Capital Region), and for the third tranche of the Metro Manila Subway Project (Phase I),” Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo said.

“Japan, a strategic partner of the Phil-

ippines, has been a strong supporter of our infrastructure development and the Build Better More projects,” he added.

In a separate release, the Japanese Embassy in Manila hoped the construction of a disaster-resistant and highly motorable alternative road for Dalton Pass would contribute to the “economic revitalization” of Luzon.

Meanwhile, it looked forward to the reduction of severe traffic congestion and air pollution in Metro Manila with the subway project.

The additional loan follows the 1st tranche of funding for the metro subway in 2017 (JPY104,530 billion) and second tranche (JPY 253,307 million) signed in 2021.

The Embassy said the interest rate for these ODAs is at 0.3 percent per annum, with 0.2 percent per annum set for consulting services.

The repayment period is 40 years, including a 10-year grace period.

Recto: PHL records budget surplus in Jan-Feb 2024

MANILA – Department of Finance (DOF)

Secretary Ralph Recto said preliminary data showed that the national government has posted a budget surplus in the first two months of the year.

“As of today, for the last two months and a half, our revenues are 20 percent up year-on-year (YOY) while spending is 10 percent up YOY, so we do have a surplus,” Recto said on the sidelines of the briefing for the country’s hosting of the two-day World Economic Forum (WEF) Round-

Department of Finance (DOF)

TEligibility Requirements for VAWA Self-Petitioners

he self-petitioner must have a qualifying relationship to an abusive U.S. citizen or LPR relative as the:

• Spouse, intended spouse, or former spouse of a U.S. citizen or LPR;

• Child of a U.S. citizen or LPR; or

• Parent of a U.S. citizen son or daughter that is 21 years of age or older.

The self-petitioner must have been married in good faith (for self-petitioning spouses only).

The self-petitioner is eligible for immigrant classification as an immediate relative or under a family-based preference category.

The self-petitioner was subjected to battery or extreme cruelty perpetrated by the U.S. citizen or LPR during the qualifying relationship (self-petitioning spouses may also be eligible based on the battery or extreme cruelty subjected on their child).

The self-petitioner resides or resided with the abusive U.S. citizen or LPR.

The self-petitioner is a person of good moral character.

What evidence is required to file for VAWA?

While self-petitioners are encouraged to submit primary evidence, when possible, USCIS must consider any credible evidence relevant to the petition. The self-petitioner may, but is not required to, demonstrate that primary or secondary evidence is not available. A petition may not be denied for failure to submit particular evidence. The petition may only be denied on evidentiary grounds if the evidence submitted is not credible or otherwise does not establish eligibility.

The determination of what evidence is credible and the weight to be given that evidence is within the sole discretion of USCIS. As with all petitions and applications for an immigration benefit, a self-petitioner must remain eligible to receive a benefit under VAWA at the time of filing through final adjudication.

The Self Petitioner must prove a Qualifying Relationship

Self-petitioners must demonstrate a qualifying relationship to an abusive U.S. citizen or LPR to be eligible for VAWA benefits.[13] Self-petitioners who have a qualifying relationship include:

abuser under the age of 18 at the time of issuance;

• A statement executed by a U.S. consular officer certifying the abuser to be a U.S. citizen and the bearer of a currently valid U.S. passport;

• The abuser’s Certificate of Naturalization or Certificate of Citizenship or a copy of either document; or

• The abuser’s Report of Birth Abroad of a Citizen of the United States (Department of State Form FS-240).[20]

Other examples of evidence to establish the U.S. citizenship of the abuser may include a receipt or approval notice of a Petition for Alien Relative (Form I-130) filed by the abuser for an immediate relative category, the abuser’s A-Number with evidence of naturalization, or information on a marriage license or certificate showing the abuser’s birth in the United States.

Primary evidence to demonstrate the abuser’s LPR status is a copy of the abuser’s Permanent Resident Card (Form I-551) or other proof from the DHS reflecting LPR status. Other examples of evidence to establish the abuser’s LPR status include but are not limited to:

• A copy of the pages of the abuser’s passport with visas and entry stamps showing name and immigration status; or

• The abuser’s A-Number with verification of status.

If self-petitioners are unable to provide documentary evidence of the abuser’s U.S. citizenship or LPR status, they should provide some identifying information for the abusive U.S. citizen or LPR, such as a name, place of birth, country of birth, date of birth, or Social Security number. USCIS uses this information to conduct a search of DHS records to attempt to verify the abuser’s citizenship or immigration status.

Secretary

Ralph Recto

table.

“In fact, last January, first time we had a surplus of roughly P88 billion, almost double that of January 2023. So far, we’re hitting the numbers, surpassing the targets, and we hope that continues.”

Data released by the Bureau of the Treasury earlier showed that the national government posted a budget surplus of P88 billion in January, up by more than 90 percent from the previous year’s P45.7 billion.

Total revenues during the month amounted to P421.8 billion, higher than last year’s P348.2 billion while government spending amounted to P333.99 billion.

Recto said the DOF continues to assist the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) and the Bureau of Customs (BOC) to improve tax collection.

• An abused spouse of a U.S. citizen or LPR or a spouse of a U.S. citizen or LPR whose child was abused by the U.S. citizen or LPR (self-petitioning spouse[14]);

• An abused child of a U.S. citizen or LPR (self-petitioning child); or

• An abused parent of a U.S. citizen son or daughter 21 years of age or older (selfpetitioning parent).[15]

To establish a qualifying relationship, the self-petitioner must submit evidence to prove the requisite familial relationship to the abuser as well as evidence of the abuser’s U.S. citizenship or LPR status.

Abuser’s U.S. Citizenship or Lawful Permanent Resident Status

The self-petitioner’s abusive qualifying family member must generally be a U.S. citizen or LPR when the self-petition is filed. There are certain exceptions, however, where self-petitioners may preserve their eligibility in cases where abusers have lost or renounced their U.S. citizenship or LPR status for a reason that was related to an incident of abuse. Changes to the abuser’s U.S. citizenship or LPR status after the self-petitioner files the self-petition do not adversely impact approving a pending self-petition or the validity of an approved self-petition.

Primary evidence to demonstrate the abuser’s U.S. citizenship includes, but is not limited to:

• A birth certificate (or legible photocopy) issued by a civil authority that establishes the abuser’s birth in the United States;

• A copy of an unexpired U.S. passport issued initially for a full 10-year period to the abuser over the age of 18 at the time of issuance;

• A copy of an unexpired U.S. passport issued initially for a full 5-year period to the

An abused spouse or child of a U.S. national may also be eligible for VAWA benefits, as a U.S. national is accorded the same rights as an LPR. USCIS treats a self-petitioning spouse or child of a U.S. national as a self-petitioning spouse or child of an LPR when adjudicating the self-petition.

Note: This is not legal advice and presented for information purposes only.

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT

1. PETITION FOR CAREGIVERS

Our Law Firm entered into agreement with Care Home Facilities in the U.S. to process applicants for Caregivers in the US

You may qualify if you six months experience as Caregivers Applicants Inside the United States or in the Philippines or other countries may qualify.

Bankruptcy Basics

We also process Bankruptcy cases.

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

If you have immigration problems the Law Offices of Crispin C. Lozano can help you find a solution before your problem gets worse, which could lead to deportation and family separation.

Chris Caday Lozano, Esq. is an active member of the State Bar of California, the American Immigration Lawyers Association and San Francisco Trial Lawyers. He has practiced immigration law, bankruptcy, and income tax representation since June 1999. His contact phone is 1-877-456-9266, email: info@CCLlaw.net

Website: www.crispinlozanolaw.com/ with offi ces in Hayward and Cerritos, CA.

Reminder for Free Online Training Home Health Workers that Ends Soon

While many caregivers and home healthcare workers--predominantly people of color and women--play a pivotal role as the backbone of California’s healthcare system but are still in the dark while struggling to care for elderly or disabled friends or family, a comprehensive state program stated that CalGrows, a comprehensive program, reminds that hundreds of free online or inperson classes are available to help and allow home health workers, the backbone of California health care, to earn up to $6,000 for learning and using new skills.

However, time is running out for caregivers to sign up, as the program ends in August.

At an Ethnic Media Services briefing jointly hosted with the California Department of Aging titled Time is Running Out Free Online Training for California’s Home Healthcare Workers and Caregivers, invited speakers described the caregiving and healthcare program, and the paid incentives that go with it, adding a note of urgency.

In the briefing were California Department of Aging Assistant Director at Office of Direct Care, Workforce Renita Polk Ph.D. CDA, Director of Stanford AGE Research Center and Director of Palliative Care Education & Training at Stanford University School of Medicine Dr. VJ Periyakoil, and Self-Help for the Elderly CEO Anni Chung. Chung’s organization provides a comprehensive range of health, educational, social, and recreational services to over 40,000 older adults a year.

Polk cited estimates that by 2030, a quarter of all Californians — 10.8 million people — will be at least 60 years old and require another 3.2 million caregivers and healthcare workers to provide “varying levels of care.”

“This is a tangible investment in caregivers, acknowledging their vital role and representing California’s diverse communities and providing people with the quality care they deserve,” states Polk who shared data on California’s aging and elderly population and the growing need for paid care workers.

Periyakoil sees this as a massive problem as “It’s not a ‘them’ problem, it’s an ‘us’ problem” and added that “most of us are eventually going to live for years with a chronic condition, and die of multiple causes as constantly improving medical care means sudden deaths are fewer.

“Already, people are surviving cancer diagnoses for years, living with diabetes, surviving strokes, lung disease, kidney problems and much more. Just to get through the day, some will need help with simple, basic functions such as showering, dressing and toileting,” Periyakoil explained. “But asking people with no training or background in the work to provide such services is like giving an unlicensed driver the keys to an 18-wheeler. And those caregivers are also reporting the depression and burnout that can accompany being constantly on call.”

By Jun Nucum

For her part, Nakano reported that about 6,000 people have completed more than 25,000 courses and earned more than $2 million in incentives so far while becoming better trained and able to provide the support that seniors and their families need.

“Those eligible for the program must be unlicensed caregivers, certified home care aids or certified nursing assistants who live and work in California.

Free career-advancement training is open to those providing unpaid care to older adults or people with disabilities — including friends and family — in a home or community setting, though incentives don’t apply.

Caregivers already paid by an employer which is not In-Home Supportive Services may receive incentives for taking the courses. IHSS employees with a second job elsewhere, or employees with an organization under a county contract to provide IHSS care, are also eligible.

Chung whose organization San Francisco’s Self Help for the Elderly organization, which has been operating since 1966 and currently serves more than 40,000 clients annually with health, educational, social and recreational services.

“It allows us an opportunity to train our staff of 411 employees and provide the training updates they need to recertify every two years. It’s an excellent opportunity for newly arrived immigrants to develop career paths by providing the knowledge they’ll need to pass state-administered licensing tests,” Chung expressed.

One of the trainee, Mei Guo, arrived in 2005 and began working as an unlicensed caregiver almost immediately.

“I was full of passion, but also felt confused and challenged,” Guo admitted through a translator. “But as i began taking courses through Self Help for the Elderly, I quickly realized this would be a turning point in my career. After obtaining my license I was able to provide higher quality care service to the seniors I took care of, not only improving their quality of life but also giving their family members peace of mind.”

“Program such as this help monolingual, non-English-speaking job seekers, immigrants like me, for whom language barriers are a significant challenge … providing not only professional training, but a bridge for communication and learning, allowing us to find our place in this multicultural society in the United States. Through this training we not only improved our professional skills, but learned how to integrate into this society,” Guo continued.

The courses are offered in nine languages: English, Spanish, Armenian, Cantonese, Korean, Mandarin, Tagalog, Russian and Vietnamese. Topics include Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia, cultural diversity, food safety, infection control and self-care for caregivers, but there are many, many

more.

Caregivers can sign up for the program online at calgrows.org, by phone at (888) 991-7234 or by email at help@calgrows.org.

Polk also revealed that there’s a course out there that can fit anyone’s schedule that range from short, quarter- or half-hour onetime brush-ups to longer ones that can be completed online, with pauses as needed, to others that are considerably longer depending on how much time the student has.

While the program remains available, retired journalist Joe Rodriguez, said he’s signing up right away. Rodriguez is currently caring for his sister, who devoted herself to their parents’ needs while Rodriguez was working for the San Jose Mercury News.

Rodriguez is single and his sister, who has no other family, can no longer walk, bathe or cook, and needs help getting almost anywhere, sometimes even at home.

“We’re going to be living together for a

long time,” Rodriguez admits. “Her needs are going to be getting more profound. It’s quite scary.”

Years ago, Rodriguez said he wrote a column about his sister’s struggles taking care of their parents, and how she deserved a respite.

“I never got so much hate mail,” he recalled, more than for anything else he’d written, from people insisting elder care was a duty. “It’s going to be a tough haul to improve things, just as it’s going to be a tough haul for me personally.”

As the CalGrows program, in its current state, ends at the end of August due to the rules that came with the federal dollars that support it, Polk and others expressed hope that somehow the educational opportunities will remain in place, even if the stipend funding dries up, but this remains to be seen.

Renita Polk

Dr. VJ Periyakoil

Anni Chung and her trainees

Joe Rodriguez

Willie Revillame eyes return to TV5 as GMA gets ‘It’s Showtime’

By Jennifer T. Santos

Is Willie Revillame and his show ‘Wowowin” will return to TV 5?

Speculations on Willie’s comeback on television have made legions of fans and supporters of the popular TV host and singer alive and happy, although there is no official announcement yet from the TV station and Willie.

Speculations were strengthened by a photo on social media of host Willie Revillame visiting TV5 Media Center in Mandaluyong City. To some, like PEP.ph and Bilyonario. com, Willie’s return to TV5 is no longer just an speculation or rumor but is expected to happen in April

The photo shows Revilla and his lawyer Enrique Buko dela Cruz with Mediaquest and Cignal president President Jane Basas, TV5 President Guido Zaballero, Mediaquest CFO John Andal, and Cignal VP for channel and content Sienna Olaso.

Atty, Enrique “Buko” Dela Cruz of Divina Law represented TVJ in their successful court case to regain control of their creation, “Eat Bulaga.”

The photo immediately sent social media abuzz with the possibility of Willie returning to TV soon.

Speculations indicated that Willie’s “Wowowin” will be shown back to back with TV 5’s top noontime show “Eat Bulaga” hosted by the trip Tito, Vic and Joey (Vicente Sotto, Vic Sotto and Joey de Leon) from 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

If everything goes well, this will mark Willie’s return to TV5 which was his mother station after he left ABS-CBN in 2010 and before he moved to GMA in 2015 and later to AllTV of former Senate President Manuel Villar Jr..

TV5 hopes to dominate the entire midday programming starting with the long-running noontime show Eat Bulaga, it was reported.

TV5’s strategic move as Pangilinan’s response to GMA Network’s rumored plan to ABS-CBN’s “It’s Showtime” as its flagship mid-

day program after axing “Tahanang Pinakamasaya”, the ill-fated show of TAPE Inc., according to Bilyonario. com.

TV5 previously had It’s Showtime airing during its noontime slot until Pangilinan convinced TVJ to come to his network.

Although TV5 suggested moving It’s Showtime to the afternoon, ABS-CBN decided to relocate the show to GMA’s affiliate channel, GTV, to stay in the prime noontime position, Bilyonario.com reported.

While there is still no confirmation on the return of “Wowowin” on TV 5, the Philippine Entertainment Portal (PEP.ph), an authoritative showbiz website, already confirmed the news.

In its report, PEP stated: “Tiyak na ang pagbabalik ni Willie Revillame sa telebisyon. Mapapanood na sa TV5 ang Wowowin, ang dating game show at public service program niya sa GMA-7 at ALLTV.”

“Base sa impormasyong nakarating sa Cabinet Files, Wowowin pa rin ang pamagat ng show ni Willie sa TV5,” PEP.ph reported.

“Hindi pa naglalabas ng opisyal na anunsiyo ang TV5 tungkol sa petsa ng pagsisimula ng Wowowin, pero may mga espekulasyong mangyayari ito sa Abril 2024,” PEP.ph reported.

“Malapit na kasing matapos ang

studio na ipinagagawa ni Willie sa Sta. Lucia East Mall, Cainta, Rizal,” PEP added.

Bilyonario.com, meanwhile, the return of Willie’s show on TV5 maybe part of billionaire Manny V. Pangilinan’s TV5 strengthening its hold on midday television ratings by bringing back Willie Revillame and slotting him back-to-back with Tito, Vic & Joey’s “Eat Bulaga.”

Willie’s legal counsel wrote in the caption of the photo he posted, “Wowowee sa TV5???”

Revillame’s Facebook page for his show “Wowowin” posted a similar photo.

“BREAKING NEWS! Mga Big Boss ng TV5 at si Kuya Wil Willie Revillame nagkita!” read the caption of the photo on Willie’s Facebook page.

After five years, the show went through different names, including “Willing Willie/Will Time Big Time” and “Wowowillie,” and was aired on TV5 from 2010 to 2013.

In 2015, Willie again headed a similar show with his brand of hosting on GMA-7 titled “Wowowin” until 2022. This show briefly aired for a year on the beleaguered channel All TV until last year.

Willie has been hosting game bearing several iterations and names since 2005’s “Wowowee” in ABSCBN.

Ria Atayde, Zanjoe Marudo are married

As some celebrities hugged the headlines as they broke up, actress Ria Atayde and actor Zanjoe Marudo were married at a civil wedding in Quezon City.

Mayor Joy Belmonte officiated the wedding in front of the couple’s families and closest friends as shown in photos posted on social media and reported by media like ABS-CBN and GMA Network.

According to the reports, the civil wedding was held on Saturday, March 23, which is also the birthday of Ria.

Rita, 32, whose real name is Maria Sophia Campo Atayde, is a younger sister of actor and Quezon City first district Congressman Arjo Atayde, who is himself married to actress and television host Maine Mendoza.

Rita and Sanjoe, 41, a native of Tanauan, Batangas, shared the photos of their wedding on social media.

In the post, Ria shared sweet pictures of them together, along with a photo of her hand adorned with two beautiful rings. “Forever sounds good,” the actress wrote in the cap-

tion.

In his announcement, Zanjoe called the actress his wife and wrote March 23, 2024 in the caption.

Zanjoe’s wedding photos were captioned: “03.23.24” apparently referring to the date of his nuptials. It was also Ria’s 32nd birthday when she got married on Saturday.

Ria was seen wearing an off-theshoulder Martin Bautista dress that featured soft, flowy sleeves. Her makeup was done by Denise Ochoa, while her hair was styled by Antonio Papa.

Martin Nievera, Pops Fernandez gear up for US concert tour

After her successful comeback concert last month, the country’s Concert Queen Pops Fernandez will be doing a US concert tour with her ex-husband, Concert King Martin Nievera, in June.

In a social media post, Nievera shared his upcoming international shows with Fernandez dubbed “Twogether Again.”

“Always a pleasure to share the stage with the concert queen!” he wrote as ABS-CBN reported.

Last month, Fernandez penned an appreciation post for Nievera, who guested in her comeback concert “Always Loved.”

In her post, Fernandez revealed that Nievera decided not to hold a Valentine show this year because of her show, thanking him for always making her “shine.”

The former couple will start their US tour at Choctaw Casino & Resort – Durant in Oklahoma on June 1. This will be followed by performances at Pechanga Resort and Casino in Temecula, California on June 2, and Cache Creek Casino Resort in Brooks, California on June 8.

Here’s the announcement by Cache Creek Casino and Resort on the ex-couple’s show there:

“World-class performers Martin Nievera and Pops Fernandez will always be credited for redefining the country’s concert scene. Week in and week out, the country’s crowned Concert King and Queen, Martin and Pops, took televiewers not only through a journey of sentimental duets in the top-rating show, Penthouse Live! but also through moving real-life drama, romance and fairy tale as well. From thereon, the tandem brought their on-cam chemistry to the stage, starting a decadeslong collaboration that made them the undisputed Concert King and Queen of the Philippines.”

Last December, the former couple announced the arrival of their first grandchild Phineas.

Based on her recent social media updates, Fernandez is enjoying her time with baby Phineas abroad.

Meanwhile, Nievera is one of the coaches of ABSCBN’s reality singing competition “The Voice Teens.”

MMFF 2023 movies ‘Rewind,’ ‘GomBurZa,’ ‘Mallari,’ others to be shown on Netflix

Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) 2023 entries “Rewind,” “GomBurZa” and “Mallari” are soon going to be available for streaming on Netflix.

The streaming platform announced that it will be streaming first the Marian Rivera-Dingdong Dantes global box-office, comeback film “Rewind” starting March 25.

On April 9, Araw ng Kagitingan, the three martyred priests’, Jacinto Zamora, Jose Burgos and Mariano Gomez, wrongful conviction during the Spanish period in the award-winning film “GomBurZa” will premiere on the platform.

Piolo Pascual’s most-challenging triple character role in “Mallari” will start streaming on June 21.

Other MMFF 2023 movies that will premiere on Netflix include the Eugene Domingo and Pokwang comedy “Becky and Badette” on April 4, the horror mystery “Kampon” on April 18, the Alden Richards-Sharon Cuneta family drama “Family of Two” on June 1 and the latest iteration of the popular “Pedro Penduko” myth, “Penduko,” starring Matteo Guidicelli, on June 7.

Mortgage Delinquency Report 2024

The state of mortgage delinquencies in the United States is a vital indicator of the health of the housing market and the broader economy. The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) recently released its Third Quarter 2023 National Delinquency Survey, shedding light on the latest trends and insights into mortgage delinquency rates. This article aims to dissect the key findings of the survey, providing valuable insights into the factors driving changes in delinquency rates and their implications.

Rising Delinquency Rates: According to the MBA’s survey, the delinquency rate for mortgage loans on one-to-fourunit residential properties increased to a seasonally adjusted rate of 3.62 percent at the end of the third quarter of 2023. This represented an uptick of 25 basis points from the previous quarter and 17 basis points from the same period last year. The increase was observed across all loan types – conventional, FHA, and VA.

Understanding the Drivers: The rise in delinquency rates was primarily driven by an increase in earliest-stage delinquencies – those 30-days and 60-days past due. Notably, laterstage delinquencies – those 90 days or more past due – declined to the lowest level since the first quarter of 2020. This trend suggests that while some homeowners may be facing initial financial hardships, others are successfully managing to stay current on their mortgage payments.

Loss Mitigation Efforts and Home Equity: The survey highlighted the importance of loss mitigation efforts in preventing foreclosures. The foreclosure start rate remained low at 0.14 percent, indicating that distressed homeowners may be utilizing available loss mitigation or loan modification options effectively. Additionally, accumulated home equity has enabled some homeowners to sell their homes before foreclosure becomes a possibility, further mitigating delinquency risks.

Employment Conditions and Delinquency Rates: The report also underscored the close correlation between mortgage delinquencies and employment conditions. With recent signs of weakening in the labor market, including rising unemployment rates, MBA forecasts slower hiring and a potential increase in mortgage delinquencies, particularly for FHA borrowers. FHA borrowers have typically brought in more non occupants to help qualify for this loan, however who is ultimately responsible for the mortgage? Is it only the occupant, if so then by bringing in a non-occupant or non-paying borrower is actually a loophole that might back fire on the actual homebuyer.

The mortgage market is witnessing a significant upheaval as interest rates surge in response to robust economic data. The recent uptick in rates has rattled homebuyers, leading to a notable decline in mortgage applications for home purchases. This article delves into the implications of rising mortgage rates on housing demand and refinancing activity, shedding light on the factors driving the current market dynamics.

Rapid Increase in Mortgage Rates: Last week, the average

contract interest rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages experienced a modest increase to 6.80% from 6.78%. However, the real shock came with a massive surge in rates following the release of much higher-than-expected employment and manufacturing data. The 30-year fixedrate saw a staggering jump of 29 basis points, marking one of the most significant increases since March 2020.

Impact on Homebuyer Activity: As mortgage rates soared, homebuyers swiftly responded by pulling back from the market. Applications for mortgages to purchase homes fell by 1% compared to the previous week and were 19% lower than the same period last year. Despite a strong start to 2024, the subdued activity reflects the persistent challenge of low housing supply, constraining prospective buyers.

Refinancing Activity Surges: In contrast to the decline in home purchase applications, refinancing activity surged by

12% for the week. This increase is attributed to homeowners capitalizing on lower rates to refinance their existing mortgages. Although the weekly jump in refinancing applications seems substantial, it’s worth noting that the base is relatively low, amplifying the percentage change.

Economic Optimism and Mortgage Rates: The recent spike in mortgage rates is a reaction to surprisingly robust economic data, prompting optimism about the nation’s economic trajectory. Federal Reserve officials have affirmed expectations of rate cuts in 2024, albeit at a slower pace than initially anticipated. Despite the slight retreat in mortgage rates, the adjustment reflects a recalibration in response to evolving economic conditions.

Thanks for your comments, please call Ken Go of 1st Innovative Finance 562-508-7048 or write to kennethgo@verizon.net CABRE 01021223 NMLS 238636

Eumir Marcial knocks out Thai foe in Manila bout

Marcial scored a fourth round knockout in his homecoming bout against Thailand’s Theodsak Sinam on Saturday at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium in Malate, Manila.

Marcial, 28, opened the contest with jabs before unleashing his patented left straight down the pipe. Sinam was game in the early going but was eventually caught with a big uppercut in the fourth stanza.

Unable to beat the count, the referee halted the contest at the 1:33 mark of round 4, improving Marcial’s flawless record to 5-0 with 3 knockouts while Sinam dropped to 2314 with 19 knockouts.

It took a few minutes before the Thai, who was attended to by medical personnel, got back to his senses and was able to sit on a stool.

The aborted eight-rounder will be Marcial’s last pro fight before pursuing his quest for an Olympic gold, Rappler reported.

Marcial bagged the bronze in the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 as a middleweight, but will be climbing to light heavyweight in Paris.

According to local boxing officials, Marcial will join the Philippine team that will hold training camp in Colorado Springs in the US.

Earlier, Arnold Cordoba and Mikko Camingawan

fought to an action-packed four-round draw and were given $500 each by MP (Manny Pacquiao) Promotions president Sean Gibbons as bonus.

World Boxing Council (WBC) president Mauricio Sulaiman was impressed and congratulated the two fighters.

Also present were POC president and Tagaytay City Mayor Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino, Philippine Sports Commission chairman Richard Bachmann, Senator Francis Tolentino, and GAB chairman Atty. Richard Clarin.

The open to the public 10-fight card was presented by MP Promotions and Viva Promotions headed by Brendan Gibbons in cooperation with Sanman Boxing led by JC Manangquil and Elorde Promotions. It was supported by the PSC, the POC, Chooks-to-Go, and Arena Plus. Junnie Navarro, a fellow Zamboangueno and ardent supporter of Marcial was also around

Marcial, pride of Zamboanga City, thus posted his fifth straight win as a pro, including three knockouts, that provided a glimpse of his preparations for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

The 28-year-old Marcial spent the first round finding the distance and feeling out the power of Sinam, who fell to 23-14 with 19 knockouts.

Marcial is already assured of a slot in the 2024 Paris Olympics.

MANILA - Tokyo Olympics bronze medalist Eumir

Anti-Asian Hate hub created to combat hate incidents and crimes against Asians

By Jun Nucum

Although some major cities in the U.S., like San Francisco, have reported a drop in Asian hate incidents and crimes, reports of anti-Asian hate skyrocketing in recent years persist and measures in helping Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities respond to discrimination is deemed more crucial than ever.

One such major response measure is the creation of the Asian Resource Hub — a searchable national directory of AAPI community data, incidents of anti-Asian hate and AAPI-serving organizations offering social services, legal aid, mental health support, civic engagement and policy advocacy by the Asian Americans Advancing Justice Southern California (AJSOCAL) and Asian Americans Advancing Justice (AAJC) that was launched February 29, 2024.

In a media briefing conducted by the Ethnic Media Services dubbed Introducing FirstEver National Asian Resource Hub-- Interactive Data Narratives on Anti Asian Hate and a Service Directory, it was learned that the hub was developed by AJSOCAL and AAJC with support of Microsoft.

The hub has a dual mission: 1) to document the surge of hatred against Asian American community through data culled from a combination of reports (surveys, hate trackers, law enforcement, and public records) and 2) to provide a searchable national directory of resources and culturally competent services that offer help in Asian languages. The website is currently translated in Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese.

Among those who shared their time to explain on this were Asian Americans Advancing Justice Southern California’s (AJSOCAL) Connie Chung Joe, Asian Americans

Advancing Justice – AAJC’s (Advancing Justice AAJC) John C. Yang, Microsoft General Manager of Innovation and Society Merisa Heu-Weller, and Asian Americans Advancing Justice Southern California (AJSOCAL) Steven Zhang.

Joe divulged that at the height of the COVID- 19 pandemic, a community survey of anti-Asian hate in the San Gabriel Valley area of LA revealed that the majority of AAPI community members did not feel there was support for those experiencing racial discrimination and harassment.

“Over the past few years, as our community has suffered the collective trauma of the Atlanta spa shootings, the Indianapolis shooting, the back-to-back Monterey Park and Half Moon Bay shootings and so much more violence, we knew we could not wait for the next tragedy to occur without addressing this gap” through the hub,” Joe explained.

Between 2020 and 2021 alone, reported anti-Asian violence in the U.S. increased by 339%, according to the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism. Furthermore, most hate crimes and incidents are never reported.

“AJSOCAL and AAJC came together with leaders from Microsoft to create the hub not only as a culturally and linguistically accessible place for AAPI community members to turn to amid surging hatred, but as an exploration of anti-Asian hatred that uniquely combines data from FBI-reported and locallyreported hate crimes, as well as public and nonprofit sources, to bring the impact of hate on Asian populations to life through visualizations, graphics, charts, photographs, maps and pop-up text stories,” expounded Joe.

Even where counseling and other aid did exist, many community members weren’t

aware of how to find or use them due to language barriers. While the Asian Resource Hub is the first of its kind as a free national digital resource, as of this month it’s also available in Korean, Vietnamese and simplified and traditional Chinese.

Throughout 2024, Asian Resource Hub staff hope to expand its current language offerings to include translations in languages including Hindi, Teymur and Tagalog.

Heu-Weller feels that to talk about the hub is to remember what we all witnessed in 2020 and beyond, as the surge in COVID led to a surge in anti-Asian violence.

“It felt like a constant barrage of stories of Asian people being attacked verbally, physically or mentally,” mentioned Heu-Weller, General Manager of Innovation and Society at Microsoft. “Personally, as a third-generation Japanese American, the hub epitomizes my vision of using data and technology to protect fundamental human rights.”

Yang is saddened that too often, “these stories of the impact of Asian hate went untold or were not told with our communities’ perspectives in mind.”

“In the face of dramatically increased antiAsian hate incidents since 2020, when we are seeing our elders attacked, we’re seeing our peers hurt. We’re seeing our community members afraid to walk outside. We wanted to allow people to understand our community in a different way through this directory,” Yang continued.

Zhang shared that the directory took the form of “storytelling medium to better illustrate the facts about the AAPI population and the hate they face.”

Timelines in the directory, for instance, examine key policies, events and personal

narratives related to anti-Asian discrimination — from the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, to inflammatory rhetoric by policymakers throughout history, to more recent instances of and responses to anti-Asian hate such as pandemic-era violence, the Hate Crimes Act and Stop Asian Hate community protests in cities nationwide.

“We always make a distinction between hate crimes and hate incidents,” explained Zhang. “Because a crime is defined as a crime in the criminal statutes as an Assault or Battery, or in the worst cases, murder, many incidents we see in the Asian American community might not rise to the level of a crime in the legislative definition. However, that doesn’t minimize the impact on our community.”

“Alongside narrative data highlighting the historical impact of hate on AAPI communities across the U.S. is a national directory of community-based organizations that offer either free or low-cost direct services to support those experiencing anti-Asian discrimination,” Zhang disclosed. “Right now, about 100 organizations are listed and each one has been personally vetted by us or by one of our close partners, to make sure that it’s legitimate and active.”

Zhang stressed that they don’t want to send people down a closed door and it’s an evergreen site intended to be continually built up.

“So if you know of an AAPI resource or organization that’s missing, please nominate it, urged Zhang. “What stuck out most to me as I was working on this hub was how innovative and resilient our communities have been in the face of unspeakable hate and violence. Most hate crimes and incidents go unreported, and the hub will provide much-needed help to fill that gap during an incredibly difficult time.”

PHILIPPINE CONSUL GENERAL FERRER TOURS eVTOL COMPANY JOBY AVIATION FACILITIES

Consul General Neil R. Ferrer, together with Marina City officials and Asian Communi�es of Marina Board Members, including Filipino American community leaders in Monterey County, listens as Joby Avia�on Design Engineer Mr. Erik Lassen gives a tour of its Pilot Produc�on Plant in Marina, California on 22 March 2024. (photo by PCGSF)

Marina, California, 22 March 2024 - Philippine Consul General in San Francisco Neil R. Ferrer visited Joby Aviation, an aerospace company pioneering the development and production of electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft (eVTOL) in the U.S. for commercial passenger service.

Consul General Ferrer was accompanied by Consul Vanessa G. Bago-Llona, Trade Commissioner May Nina Celynne P. Layug, and Economic Assistant Jennifer V. Sto. Do-

The Joby aircra� aims to pioneer electric aerial ridesharing, poten�ally becoming the first of its kind to be integrated with the Uber app (photo by PCGSF).

mingo. The tour, facilitated by Marina Council Member Katherine Biala and Marina City Manager Layne Long, was also attended by Asian Communities of Marina Board Members, including Filipino American community leaders in Monterey County.

Philippine Consul General Neil Frank Ferrer (in the middle), together with Marina City Council Member Katherine Biala (third from right), Marina City Manager Layne Long, (third from le�), Consul Vanessa Bago-Llona (second from le�), Trade Commissioner May Nina Celynne Layug (le�most) and Economic Assistant Jennifer Sto, Domingo (rightmost) (photo by PCGSF)

Joby Aviation, headquartered in Marina, has been developing quiet, all-electric aircraft to enhance connectivity, especially in busy urban areas. Its aircraft has a range of up to 150 miles as well as vertical takeoff and landing capabilities.

Through the company’s aerial ridesharing service, individuals could reserve an environmentally sustainable ride and be transported from one location to a nearby destination with a smartphone app.

During the tour of Joby Aviation’s Pilot Production Plant in Marina, California, at-

Joby Avia�on giving a tour of its facility in Marina, California (Photo by PCGSF)

tendees were given insights into the company’s cutting-edge manufacturing techniques. With strategic partnerships with Toyota, Delta Airlines, and Uber, Joby Aviation aims to bring aerial ridesharing to a global scale.

Joby’s recent milestones include becoming the first electric air taxi to fly in New York City in November 2023 and delivering its first aircraft to Edwards Air Force Base in September 2023, becoming the first electric air taxi to be stationed on a U.S. military base.

John C. Yang

Connie Chung Joe

Merisa Heu-Weller

Steven Zhang

California Mortgage Relief Program Announces Final Funding Phase and Urges Homeowners to Apply Now

SACRAMENTO, CA – March 27, 2024 – The California Mortgage Relief Program, a critical lifeline for homeowners affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, has announced it is entering its final phase of funding, with a limited amount of federal funds remaining. The program has equitably distributed over $800 million in more than 33,000 grants to families facing pandemic-related financial hardships to avoid foreclosure and stay in their homes.

“The California Mortgage Relief Program has achieved remarkable success by preserving homeownership opportunities which are so vital to ensuring our most vulnerable populations have a shot at building generational wealth,” said Tiena Johnson Hall, Executive Director of the California Housing Finance Agency (CalHFA), which administers the program. “This program stands as a testament to CalHFA’s commitment to building a more equitable future for all Californians by guaranteeing funds are fairly allocated and prioritizing our most at-risk communities.”

Launched at the height of the pandemic in December 2021, the California Mortgage Relief Program was tasked by the State of California with disbursing its allocation from the American Rescue Plan Act’s Homeowner Assistance Fund (HAF), which was the largest allocation of any state in the country. Over the past

two years, the program focused on helping those in the most urgent need, then adapting to assist even more vulnerable California homeowners. With an average award near $25,000, thousands of California homeowners have been provided with peace of mind in maintaining homeownership.

“California’s Mortgage Relief Program has made a huge impact in underserved communities where families were in danger of losing their homes or hardearned equity,” said Stacey Tutt, Homeowner Assistance Fund Coordinator and Senior Staff Attorney at the National Housing Law Project. “We are especially impressed by how responsive the program has been to input from advocates for homeowners’ rights. This program has not just prevented foreclosures; it has preserved futures.”

Data-driven outreach, focused program design and close partnerships with community organizations and consumer advocates have ensured that the most high-risk and vulnerable populations have the opportunity to apply. This effort underscores California’s commitment to equity and transparency in providing relief to those most in need.

• To date, 55 percent of grants have gone to households in socially disadvantaged communities.

• Currently, three out of every four families receiving grants are at or below

100 percent of Area Median Income (by county), with an average AMI for all households of 69 percent.

• Funding awarded to Black and Latino households exceeds state homeownership rates for each group. While 3.8 percent of California homeowners identify as Black/African American, 15 percent of California Mortgage Relief Program grants have gone to Black/African American households. While Hispanics/ Latinos comprise 25.3 percent of California homeowners, 37 percent of program funds have gone to Hispanic/Latino households.

“The California Mortgage Relief Program has exceeded all goals for ensuring high-risk homeowners from underrepresented communities get the support they need,” said Rebecca Franklin, President of the CalHFA Homeowner Relief Corporation.” As we draw nearer to the full disbursement of California’s allocation of Homeowner Assistance Funds, eligible homeowners that act quickly can still take advantage of these resources.”

With the remaining funds expected to be depleted in the coming months, the program is emphasizing the urgency for eligible homeowners to apply as soon as possible. Applications are open and will be processed as long as funds are available. Depending on the availability of funds, there is no guarantee all eligible applications will be funded.

The California Mortgage Relief Program is committed to providing assistance to homeowners for the duration of the program and will do all it can to direct homeowners to housing assistance programs once the federal funds are exhausted.

“I’m extremely grateful for the assistance provided by the California Mortgage Relief Program funds. It has changed my life,” said California homeowner Eloy Garcia. “I can breathe again. This help is one of the best things that has happened to me.”

California Mortgage Relief Program Fast Facts

• Program Launch: December 2021

• Funding Source: American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), Homeowner Assistance Fund

• Program Goal: To address current housing instability and alleviate longterm economic impacts by providing eligible homeowners with financial assistance to eliminate past due housing and property tax payments, and certain Partial Claim Liens or Deferrals established due to COVID-19 related delinquencies.

• Funds Awarded to Date: More than $800 million

• Grant to Households: More than 33,000

(Continue on page 20)

HOW WE PROTECT YOU FROM MISLEADING ADVERTISING AND COMMUNICATIONS

By G. Samson Social Security Public Affairs Specialist in the Bay Area Social Security Update

Social Security works with the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) to protect you from scams that use Social Security as bait. Section 1140 of the Social Security Act allows OIG to impose severe penalties against anyone who engages in misleading Social Security-related advertising or imposter communications.

For example, the OIG may impose a penalty against anyone who:

• Mails misleading solicitations that appear to be from or authorized by Social Security.

• Operates an imposter website or social media account designed to look like it belongs to or is authorized by Social Security.

• Sends emails or text messages or makes telephone calls claiming to be from Social Security.

• Sells Social Security’s free forms, applications, and publications without our written approval.

• Charges a fee for a service that Social Security provides free of charge without providing a clearly visible notice that Social Security provides the service for free.

If you receive a suspicious Social Securityrelated advertisement or imposter communication, please let us know immediately. We

encourage you to report potential scams to the OIG at oig.ssa.gov. You can also send an email to OIG.1140@ ssa.gov.

Please try to capture as much information about the communication as you can. Here’s what you can do:

• For suspicious websites or social media accounts, take a screenshot of the webpage. Note the website address or social media link – and how you came across it.

• For emails and text messages, capture the entire message and any message links.

• For U.S. mail, retain the complete communication, including the outside envelope and all inserts.

• For telephone calls, note the caller identification phone number and any company name or callback number that the caller or recorded message provides.

This information will help OIG locate the source of the suspicious communication. You can review Section 1140 at www.ssa.gov/OP_ Home/ssact/title11/1140.htm. You can also check out our publication, What You Need to Know About Misleading Advertising, at www. ssa.gov/pubs/EN-05-10005.pdf.

Please share this information with friends and family and help us spread the word on social media!

Health & Wealth...

(From Page 11)

“Lord, willing, I’ll celebrate my 77th Birthday on August 18, 2024. I’ll tell the secret when you’ll pick up your apostilled Special Power of Attorney,” I replied.

I’ll be giving my old friend and client an autographed copy of my latest best-selling book “LONGEVITY TIPS” subtitled “Secrets You Can Discover and Do for Good Health and Longevity” now available at Amazon (in Hardcover, Paperback and E-book) as my lasting gift to him.

For your good health and longevity, I encourage YOU to try SB-10 ASAP. Remember, YOUR GOOD HEALTH IS YOUR WEALTH. Just call or contact us at: (650) 438-3531 or (415) 5847095 or email:artmadlaing@hotmail.com Arrange for Synergy Benefits-10 presentation in your Home or Office and we’ll give YOU an autographed copy of “LONGEVITY TIPS” as my lasting gift to you.

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

As I See It

(From Page 11)

slept overnight in our Milpitas residence. We had family bonding and Ellie was busy in he drawing board. I asked her what she was doing and she said: “I’m drawing my mom and me. Then she showed me her drawing with her mom feeding her and making sure she has the nourishment for the day.

Parenting is crucial in the child’s growth. Tweety was apparently doing her part in making sure her daughter will grow up as a responsible member of society. She is doing her share in her role as a mother and making sure she is doing it as expected from women especially during Women’s History Month. Good job, Tweety!

Women power, right?

Offline

(From Page 11)

They shouldn’t be unwelcome if only they were to invest in legit businesses, but some preferred to go into semi-legal or even outright illegal (and immoral) business like POGOs, or Philippine overseas gaming operations.

These damn POGOs are most unwelcome, but have stuck like leeches in many cities that welcomed them. Many lawmakers and government officials have called for the forcible closure of the POGOs, but they have enough politicians in their pockets to remain in operation.

Business is business, they say. For some, this justifies Chinese businessmen seeking their fortunes in the Philippines by providing work for Filipinos, even if the companies they set up are very incidentally involved in prostitution, human slavery, and illegal gambling.

I do not present myself as an expert in economics, but I have suddenly become fascinated with the economies of our next door neighbors.

China’s current problems did not begin with Xi, nor will they end when he eventually exits.

As one very important example, China and even Japan and to a lesser extent South Korea are having problems with their ageing population and a slowing down of their national birth rate.

This means that a decade or so down the road, these powerful economies will not have the manpower needed to achieve continued growth.

At least this is not a problem in our motherland. Our young men and women still know how to make babies, and are not in any mood to have very small families.

I can predict that China will eventually open its doors to as many foreigners as possible, and allow them to inter-marry with their locals.

But first they have to take care of business. This means ridding their country of a megalomaniac leader who fancies himself a modern day emperor. If they don’t, their total collapse is assured.

City of Carson sets 2024 Tribute to César E. Chávez

CARSON, California - The City of Carson will be presenting a fun-filled event on March 29th as it holds its annual tribute to the late labor leader César E. Chávez.

This year’s keynote speaker is Manuel Bernal who serves as the current President of the César E. Chávez Foundation. Entertainment will be provided by Mariachi Santa Monica and Alma de Oro Ballet Folklorico.

“Please join us as we pay tribute to an individual who took a stand to fight for a better life for everyone. César E. Chávez lived with positive values and virtues, including dedication to the philosophy of non-violence and public action,” said Carson Mayor Lula Davis-Holmes.

For more information, call Community Services Recreation Park Maintenance Department at (310) 8473570.

Upside...

“I never really adapted to the full American identity as someone raised in a Filipino household,” Fernando qualified.

The pandemic upended the world as we know it and yet the past four years were transformative for Montanes.

He was 18 he got his first job as sales associate at World

Market in Serramonte Center in one of two life pauses he took that led to an epiphany. – Adapted from original reprinted with permission from INQUIRER.NETUSA TO BE CONCLUDED

Cherie Querol Moreno is Executive Editor of Philippine

• Federal Allocation to Help Homeowners: More than $900 million (an additional 15% was provided to administer the program, with projections showing the program will come in under 15%, allowing those resources to be used to help even more homeowners)

• Average Grant Award (maximum funds allowed per household - $80,000): Nearly $25,000

• Funds to Households At or Below the Median Income (100% AMI): 75%

• Grants to Socially Disadvantaged Households: 55%

• Average Income Level of Grant Awardees: 69% of average median income (by county) Demographic information can be found on the program dashboard here.

Homeowner Testimonials:

“We want to express how grateful we are for your help paying for our overdue property taxes. Because of unexpected out-of-pocket medical bills, we got behind for the first time in our lives on our property taxes. If it were not for the assistance from The California Mortgage Relief Program, we would have lost our home!”

Cathy, San Diego County

“I want to express my deep gratitude for your recent financial support to our family. During these unprecedented times, you were the only helping hand that tried, trusted and helped us. Your help and tremendous support are appreciated.”

Ani, Los Angeles County

“It was an unexpected twist when we got behind on our mortgage and we didn’t know which way to turn until we found The California Mortgage Relief Program. Thanks to your generosity, we are able to get our life and home back on track. You changed our lives.”

Corey, Placer County

As a youth advisor for Kapwa Kultural Center and board member of Pilipino Bayanihan Resource Center, Montanes (seated right) gathered the community to support the family of Frances Kendra Lucero days a�er she was shot dead allegedly by her ex-partner.

PH Consulate in SF Delivers 1,389 Consular Services to Filipinos in Washington and Nearby States 21 March 2024

San Francisco, USA- In partnership with volunteers from various Filipino American community organizations in Tacoma, Washington, an 11-member team from the Philippine Consulate in San Francisco led by Deputy Consul General Raquel R. Solano conducted a consular outreach mission in Tacoma, Washington on 16-19 March 2024 at the Freedom Room of the Holiday Inn Express in Tacoma Mall, Washington.

The team provided a total of 1,389 services, including overseas voting registration, passport, and dual citizenship, during the 4-day outreach. 513 individuals applied for passports, 540 applied for reacquisition or retention of Philippine citizenship, and 44 obtained legal and notarial services. A total of 292 individuals registered for overseas voting. Applicants who were provided services included Filipinos/Filipino Americans not only from Washington but also from Alaska,

Idaho, and Oregon.

During the outreach, Post also held a briefing on workers’ rights in partnership with the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) in the WashingtonAlaska district. DOL-Wage and Hour Division (DOL-WHD) community outreach and planning specialist Stephen Yim and his colleague, Ian Apostol, took turns in talking to the consular applicants about the U.S. Fair Labor Standards Act as well as the programs and services of DOL-Wage and Hour Division (WHD).

Atty. Flomy Diza of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines- Northern California (IBP-NorCal) chapter also spoke about the free legal consultations on family and property laws, immigration, bankruptcy, among others, being conducted by IBP-NorCal monthly at the Philippine Consulate in San Francisco, and offered to provide the

same service during the outreach to the applicants. He also indicated that those with legal concerns in the U.S. or in the Philippines, may contact IBP-NorCal for legal advice through the Consulate.

Heart of Hope

Various clinical studies around the world regarding the COVID-19 pandemic reveal the following, among others: (1) “Even for people in the highest-risk demographic for mRNA COVID-19 vaccine-associated myocarditis, receiving the primary series of the COVID-19 vaccines was safer than getting COVID-19 without having been vaccinated”;

(2) In spite of some (now obviously false) claims, “there has actually never been any link between COVID-19 vaccines and sudden cardiac death,” (3) After more than 13.57 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered globally in the past, and today about 6,000 given each day, these vaccines have been found to be safe and effective in saving billions of lives around the globe, with a complication/death rate of a fraction of 1 percent, compared to 20 to 35 percent mortality rate for COIVID-19, especially during its initial period; (4) The newest strain and more easily transmissible XBB.1.5 is a more immune-evasive variant of omicron BA.2;

(5) As of March 16, 2024, there were 10,719 hospital admissions for COVID-19, with a rate of 1.8 percent of all deaths in the USA;

(6) To date, in the USA, there are 84 percent who had the primary vaccination (16 percent of Americans are still unvaccinated, possible carriers and spreaders) and only 16 percent received the bivalent booster shot; and (7) Those who have not had the second bivalent booster are advised to have them, especially those whose last vaccination has been more than 6 months ago. Death rate from Covid-19 is still significant. Every life matters. Be safe.

Anabolic Steroids

Among athletes who are dopers or cheat-

Latest on COVID

ers in sports using anabolic steroids, is the mortality rate higher compared to non-users? Yes, according to “Danish research pharmacologists in a report in the JAMA, where 1,189 Danish males who were caught doping, compared to 59,450 matched controls.” Steroid users were “over 2.8 percent more likely to die from any and all causes over the following 18 years.” Noteworthy were “the deaths both from natural causes (heart attack, cancer) and unnatural (accidents, homicide, suicide) were all higher among the steroid users, which indicates the anabolic agent had both physical and mental effects.” And users also have “increased risk-taking behaviors.”

Tobacco and diabetes

A new clinical analysis shows a “strong correlation between tobacco exposure early in life (even in the womb of a smoking pregnant woman) and the development of type 2 diabetes later in life. People with preexisting genetic risk have an even greater risk if they smoke. This large-scale study involved about 476,000 adults in the UK Biobank. These findings were presented at the March 18, 2024 annual American Heart Association’s Epidemiology and Prevention/Lifestyle and Cardiometabolic Scientific Sessions in Chicago.

Einstein: smart?

There is no that Albert Einstein was a genius, but some quarters questioned his decision when he refused to undergo surgery for non-ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm in1948, a procedure with less than 10 percent in-hospital mortality risk, 90 percent success at that time, compared to more than 50 percent death rate when the aneurysm was ruptured. Today, the in-hospital surgical mortality is about 1-2 percent for non-ruptured abdominal aneurysm. His physician respected his decision. Einstein died 7 years later, on April 18, 1955 at the age 76, of a ruptured abdominal aneurysm. Considering the natural lifespan for men in 1955, which was 66.7 years, Einstein may have made the right calculation. He

lived 10.7 years longer than the natural lifespan then, without surgery. Of course, only God knows how many years longer he would have lived had he agreed to have the surgery.

Tips on boiling eggs

In today’s informational age in all sciences and technology and more, “EGGsperts” even have some scientific tips on how to boil eggs. Here they are: (1) Older eggs have more alkaline whites, with less binding to the cell membrane, making it easier to peel them, so wait at least a few days before boiling them; (2) Use room-temperature eggs, cold eggs place into hot ater are more likely to crack from thermal shock; (3) Don’t poke a hole in the shell, it does not make peeling any easier and could allow cracking and bursting of the egg through the hole; (4) Don’t add vinegar, salt, or baking soda to the water; (5) Bring the water to a boil before carefully adding the egg, to make peeling easier; (6) Do not keep the water at a rolling boil: “Egg-white proteins coagulate between 144 and 149 degrees Fahrenheit, while yolks coagulate between 144 and 158 degrees Fahrenheit. Water boils at 212 degrees Fahrenheit, so cooking eggs at a rolling boil is going to lead to tough whites and chalky, overcooked yolks — and probably some cracked shells from all the continuous movement. Give the eggs a quick “sear” in the boiling water, so the whites closest to the shell coagulate quickly. Then, lower the temperature to a very low simmer to gently cook the egg through; (7) Allow the eggs to boil for 30 seconds, then reduce the heat to a low simmer, cover, and cook to desired doneness: 6 minutes for a runny yolk, 8 minutes for a jammy yolk, and 13 minutes for a hard yolk; (8) Peel the eggs only when ready to eat them, to prevent bacterial growth; (8) Cool the eggs in an ice-bath to prevent the greenish ring formation (a reaction between the iron and the hydrogen sulfide from the surface of the yolk); (9) Peel eggs under running water; and (10) Eating one or two eggs a day, but for

those with high cholesterol, the recommendation is about 4 eggs or less a week.

Broccoli and Stroke

About 15 million people around the world suffer stroke each year. Stroke happens when an artery going to the brain is blocked by a clot which prevents blood circulation to the brin tissue. How rapidly the treatment is administered, and the effectiveness of the regimen determine the degree of recovery from stroke. Scientists at the Heart Research Institute in New South Wales, Australia, have discovered a natural chemical in broccoli that may both prevent and treat stroke. The treatment is either to employ medication that dissolves the blood clot, or preventing blood from leaking into the brain tissue. Only about 10 percent of stroke survivors fully recover, leaving the rest with disabilities and impairments, mental and physical. This discovery was recently published in the journal of American Society’s ACS Central Science. More studies are needed to confirm this finding and for the future drug to be developed and approved by the US-FDA for eventual public consumption. Since the chemical in broccoli is both preventive and therapeutic, its value in cardiovascular medicine is priceless.

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

Consular applicants wai�ng to be served Dual ci�zenship applicants being processed by Consulate personnel

U.S. Department of Labor- Wage and Hour Division (DOL-WHD) community outreach and planning specialist Stephen Yim talks about the U.S. Fair Labor Standards Act as well as the programs and services of DOL-WHD

A�y. Flomy Diza of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines- NorCal Chapter talks about IBP’s free legal consulta�ons program

Consulate staff processing passport applica�ons

PHILIP S. CHUA

The outreach in Tacoma was the first consular outreach mission of the PH Consulate in San Francisco for the year 2024.

Recipe of the Week

Crab with Sotanghon in Black Bean Sauce

Ingredients:

4 to 6 medium size crabs, steamed, cut in half

250 grams vermicelli noddles, soaked with warm water, drained

1 thumb size ginger, cut into thin strips

1/2 head garlic, chopped

3 to 5 stalk Chinese parsley, chopped

1 small bundle spring onion, chopped

1 small size onion, chopped

1/4 cup black bean sauce,

1 small can fermented black beans, drained, rinsed

2-3 tbsp. soy sauce

1-2 tsp. sugar

salt and pepper

cooking oil

Cooking procedure

In a large wok sauté garlic, ginger and onion until fragrant. Add in the crabs and parsley and stir cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Add in the soy sauce, black bean sauce, sugar and 2 to 2 1/2 cups of water bring to a boil and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Add in the soaked vermicelli noodles and cook for 3 to 5 minutes stir-

ring occasionally until most of the liquid is absorbed by the noodles. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Now add in the fermented black beans and spring onion, stir cook for about half a minute. Serve with a lot of rice.

Strawberries remain top La Trinidad tourist magnet

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – The strawberries produced in this capital town serve as top reasons why tourists visit.

While there are several agri-tourism attractions in the capital town, the strawberry farm in Barangay Betag is a magnet, bringing in thousands.

“We have declared that the OTOP (one town, one product) of La Trinidad is strawberry. So, iyon po ang palaging tinitingnan ng local and foreign tourists natin (We have declared that the OTOP of La Trinidad is strawberry. So, it is what local and foreign tourists look forward to), to have a chance to pick strawberries,” Mayor Romeo Salda said during the serving of around 12,000 strawberry cupcakes at the municipal gym, one of the highlights of the Strawberry Festival.

Salda there are about 1,020 farmers that continuously produce strawberries in La Trinidad.

Aside from the farmers, several others have ventured into processing the strawberries into different products like jam, preserves, dried, tarts, cookies and pastries, wine, vinegar, and even soap.

gardens, but a kilo of personally picked strawberries range from P700 to P1,000.

After the town notched a Guinness World Record for baking the world’s largest strawberry shortcake in 2004, the ceremonial slicing of the giant strawberry cake has also became a sought-after event during Strawberry Festival every March.

Guinness data indicated the shortcake weighed 21,213.40 pounds (9,622.23 kilos).

For this year’s celebrations, scheduled March 3 to 24, festival organizers decided not to bake a giant cake and instead had five bakeshops prepare 12,000 cupcakes sold for P40 each.

Myanne Salda, municipal administrator and head of the committee that handled

Valred Olsim, municipal tourism officer, said in an earlier interview that around 700,000 visited La Trinidad in 2023.

Baguio City visitors normally also go to La Trinidad for the strawberry-picking experience.

Strawberry season starts in November and lasts until June, but with new technologies and the use of green houses, they are produced year round for tourism purposes.

During peak tourism season, a kilo of strawberry is sold betweenP400 and P500 a kilo in markets and the stalls outside the

the strawberry cupcake event, said the cake-slicing event will return next year using the kayabang design, or local handmade basket.

“Kayabang symbolizes abundant strawberry harvest through the coming years. The cakes on top of the kayabang symbolize that La Trinidad will still be known as the strawberry capital of the Philippines through the coming years -abundantly producing the berries for the livelihood of the people and the enjoyment of the public,” she said. (PNA)

NEXT GIANT CAKE. La Trinidad Mayor Romeo Salda (le�) and Vice Mayor Roderick Awingan pose beside the replica of the proposed “kayabang” cake that will be featured in the 2025 Strawberry Fes�val. Kayabang symbolizes abundant strawberry harvest. (Liza T. Agoot/ PNA)

PG&E making EV ownership more affordable in underserved communities

Pre-Owned EV rebate program and other resources aim to narrow the economic divide and accelerate EV adoption for all customers

OAKLAND, California—In the year since launching its Pre-Owned Electric Vehicle (EV) Rebate Program, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) has helped make EV ownership a reality for thousands of customers in underserved communities. The rebate is just one of the many resources that PG&E offers to help support the equitable acceleration of EV adoption throughout its service area.

PG&E’s Pre-Owned EV Rebate Program, launched in February 2023, provides incomequalified customers with up to $4,000 when purchasing or leasing a used EV. More than 3,300 rebate payments have been distributed at the one-year mark, and an additional $70 million in funding is still available to help income-qualified customers transition to an EV. The funding is available through 2024, although PG&E has requested to extend the program for additional years.

“We serve a diverse population and want to ensure all of our customers have the resources they need to make EV ownership an

attainable goal,” said Lydia Krefta, Director, Clean Energy Transportation for PG&E. “The Pre-Owned EV Rebate Program is a great resource that has already helped many of our underserved customers transition to electric vehicles, and there is still substantial funding available to enable our customers to adopt affordable EVs.”

PG&E’s Clean Energy Transportation Initiatives

There are nearly 600,000 EVs in PG&E’s service area, representing one in seven EVs in the country. PG&E continues expanding its portfolio of programs to provide incentives for EV charging equipment and EV electric rates, aiming to make it easy and affordable for all customers to drive an EV.

In November 2023, PG&E launched a new Residential Charging Solutions pilot that provides income-qualified customers with a $700 post-purchase rebate on approved Level 2 residential charging equipment that can utilize existing 240-volt outlets and eliminate

the need for costly electrical upgrades. The pilot is funded by California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard.

The Empower EV program offers income-eligible customers up to $2,500 in incentives to help cover the cost of installing EV-charging equipment at their single-family residences. PG&E provides a free Level 2 charger, valued at $500, to customers who meet eligibility requirements and covers up to $2,000 per eligible household for panel upgrades completed by the program’s approved electrician. Eligible customers are encouraged to enroll in the program before it closes at the end of 2024.

The Multifamily Housing and Small Business EV Charger Program installs Level 1 and Level 2 EV chargers at multifamily housing units, nonprofit organizations and small businesses in select communities. For qualified customers, the charging units are installed at no cost to property owners and the program covers two years of networking and

software fees. Priority communities include low-income, rural, tribal and other priority populations defined by the California Public Utilities Commission and California Air Resources Board.

“At PG&E, we’re proud of the work we are doing to help make EV ownership more affordable. Income-eligible customers can save thousands of dollars by enrolling in the California Alternate Rates for Energy and Pre-Owned EV Rebate programs, and they can receive a free EV charger and save even more on their energy costs,” said Krefta.

Additional EV Resources and Programs

PG&E offers a variety of tools, rebates and resources in multiple languages to help educate customers and encourage EV adoption. Customers are invited to check out PG&E’s EV Savings Calculator, an online resource to browse vehicles, discover incentives, locate charging stations and more. PG&E also offers an EV Rate Comparison tool to help customers find the best rate plan for them.

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