6.20.24-6.26.24 by Philippine News Today

VP SARA QUITS MARCOS CABINET; RIFT DEEPENS

TCI Village and A New Day Village -- shelters for change for the troubled

By Be�ng Laygo Dolor, Editor

MANILA – They are two sister facilities in the Philippines which exist to “save lives of people suﬀering from addiction and behavioral issues.”

In fact, they can be considered the last chance for those who have been crippled by a condition that remains generally misunderstood, even in this day and age.

TCI Village and A New Day Village are two places, one in Laguna and the other in Cavite, which oﬀer the latest in terms of treating a condition that used to be dismissed as being an escape for the emotion-

ally weak.

Not so, says Duane Patrick Tan, program director of the two centers. He should know of what he speaks, as he himself had undergone the condition that has destroyed countless lives, and which sadly former president Rodrigo Duterte used as a convenient excuse to go on a killing spree against suspected addicts and pushers during his brutal six-year term.

Team Unity breaks up ahead of midterm polls

By ALFRED GABOT and CLAIRE MORALES TRUE Editor in chief and Managing Editor

UPSIDE

Manalo eyes Supervisor seat

(Conclusion)

Addiction comes in many forms such as drugs or alcohol and even gambling. It can strike anyone, from the very young to the most

Page 4

MANILA/DAVAO CITY – Only days after claiming the “Unity Team” that catapulted to power President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and her as Vice President were forged only for the 2022 presidential and national elections, Vice President Sara Duterte resigned from the Marcos cabinet without any clear reason as the relations between their two families have become tense and soured and slowly turning into a public rift as the nation approaches the May 2025 midterm elections.

PHL

By Jeanne Michael Penaranda

CAMP AGUINALDO/ WASHINGTON/ITALY

— China’s Coast Guard, reportedly aided by militias, attacked the Philippine Coast Guard boats again in the West Philippine Sea, ramming the PCG ships leaving several Filipino soldiers injured.

The attack, including boarding the Philippine vessel and seizing several

Page 9

SAN FRANCISCO – Daly City Mayor Juslyn Manalo recently returned to the institution where she earned her masters in

Public Administration and announced her next step in her aspiration to represent her community in higher elected oﬃce.

 Page 10

ﬁrearms, and communication gadgets, was immediately condemned by G7 led by the United States and European Union leaders as well as Asian allies even as some Philippine leaders like former Senator Richard Gordon branded China’s dangerous actions as “an act of war” deserving a counter action.

Page 20

By Gilda Balan, Correspondent

LOS ANGELES -- A Northridge, California man has been sentenced to three years and seven months in federal prison.

His crime? The 35-yearold Andre Lackner was found to have sent a series of threats against a woman, while threatening to exterminate Asian Americans and Jewish Americans. Lackner pled guilty to stalking charges and admitted sending the messages in January, this year, according to the US District Attorney’s oﬃce. Page 6

by Cherie M. Querol Moreno

IN HAPPIER DAYS. Newly inaugurated President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. raises the hands of Vice President Sara Duterte as the First Lady and others look on.

FilGrads celebrate their big day with Mayor Manalo and Vice Mayor Rod Daus Magbual.

DOJ: Extradition trial of Teves concluded

MANILA/TIMOR LESTE - The Department of Justice (DOJ) said that the extradition trial of expelled Negros Oriental Representative Arnolfo Teves Jr. in Timor

Leste concluded last week.

In a statement, the DOJ said the Timor Leste Central Authority and the camp of Teves had both submitted their position papers.

Smooth Home Buying and Selling

It said the court is expected to release its decision on the matter by the end of June.

The DOJ is optimistic that Timor-Leste’s Court of Appeals will approve the extradition of Teves Jr. to the Philippines to face the charges against him.

“The DOJ is optimistic that a favorable decision will be made by the Court of Appeals, particularly as our witnesses were able to eﬀectively counter the arguments raised by the camp of Teves,” it said.

Teves is facing 10 counts of murder, 12 counts of frustrated murder, and four counts of attempted murder before the Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 51 in relation to the March 4, 2023 shootings in Pamplona town, Negros Oriental.

The agency expressed strong belief that its witnesses were able to eﬀectively counter the arguments of Teves.

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Monica’s Happy Clients:

Metro Manila LGUs urged to remove dangling wires in streets

PASIG CITY – The Metro Manila Council (MMC) has approved in principle a resolution calling for the regulation and monitoring of utility lines as well as the removal of dangling and “spaghetti” cables in all streets in the National Capital Region (NCR).

During the MMC meeting at the MMDA head oﬃce in Pasig City, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) acting chairman Romando Artes said MMDA Resolution 24-16 Series of 2024 urges local government units

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senior citizens. It happens to the very rich and the very poor, and everyone in between. It can also happen to women as much as men.

And yes, only those who have gone through the pains that addiction brings can understand. It didn’t help that there were other cures which were no cures at all, at times even worsening the condition of the aﬄicted.

Tan says that unlike those, TCI and A New Day “are not stuck in the ‘70s,” meaning the company has kept abreast of the developments that have made real cures a reality.

As an example, past quasi-cures would treat patients like Army recruits, made to undergo extremely rigorous “training.”

TCI and A New Day have a more nurturing facility, one that treats all patients as family. But there is no pampering. Everyone has chores that need to be done.

There are, however, some practices from the past that are still followed. Once accepted into

(LGUs) in NCR to pass an ordinance for the control and maintenance of these utility lines.

“Noong isang araw ay may bumagsak na poste dahil sa salasalabat na wire at nagdulot ng mabigat na trapiko. Walang nakadaan dahil nakaharang sa daan. Kailangan nang maiwasan ang ganito para hindi na umabot sa pagkawala ng buhay (The other day, a utility post fell down due to these spaghetti wires that caused heavy traﬃc. Nobody was able to pass. We need to avoid such occurrences and

their program, the patients are not allowed to see their families at the start. Their progress determines how soon they are allowed to meet their immediate family.

“It’s all about behavior shaping,” Tan told Philippine News Today.

TCI was ﬁrst set up in 2016 and A New Day followed in 2022. To-date, some 700 Filipinos have undergone the treatment that lasts anywhere from 12 to 15 months, according to Tan.

Incidentally, the company was actually set up by Tan’s older brother Dionisio ‘Jun’ Tan, along with partners Joel Chavez and Joey Ibanez. The trio have also recovered from their own bondage, and became advocates of helping others who needed someone to turn to.

Their mission/vision is to “provide a private, high-quality recovery treatment program anchored on scientiﬁc and holistic approach for individuals and their families, helping them restore and rebuild their lives.”

Tan says they have a high success rate of around 80 percent, while another 20 percent have necessarily had to return for further treat-

not wait for it to take a life),” Artes said.

During the meeting, executives from power distributor Manila Electric Company (Meralco) said these wires cannot easily be removed due to the diﬃculty of identifying which wires are non-operational.

“Temporary disruption of services which results in complaints from aﬀected residents are also among their challenges,” he said.

To alleviate these issues, Artes said an information drive will be launched to

ment after completing the 12 to 15 month program.

As for the remaining 20 percent, they enter and leave the facility because their conditions are more complex. Some are bipolar, says Tan, and a cure is dependent on outside factors.

“There is no one size ﬁts all cure,” he said, which accounts for the diﬀerence in time spent inside the facility.

The behavior of those who are accepted in the program determines the length of their stay as well as when they are allowed to have progressively longer visits with their families.

One thing Tan made clear is that “no negative behavior is allowed.” Patients are made to understand what is expected of them.

Treatment sessions are individualized, with the one-on-one sessions addressing such issues as anger management. The two-hour sessions are held at least once a week.

The 20 percent “failure” rate, if it can be called that, result in patients leaving the facility without warning. In extreme cases, the patients can be so deranged as to prove to be unmanageable.

Besides families bringing in their troubled members, there are also a few cases of private corporations seeking help for their executives, usually due to gambling issues. The latter are done on an out patient basis.

As the two villages are fully staﬀed by professionals, the program does not come cheap.

Families can choose to have their patients stay in large rooms shared with 20 others at P45,000 a month, or a smaller room with a smaller number at P50,000 a month. For those who prefer to have private rooms, the rate ranges from P80,000 to P100,000.

The company does acknowledge that not many can aﬀord their rates, in which case those who have less in life may still be able to be part of the program at between P20,000 and P30,000.

(Note: the current exchange rate is now around P58:$1)

warn residents of any service disruptions that may happen before the removal of these unnecessary wires.

“This long-standing malady needs to be immediately addressed and remedied as a measure of eﬃcient and eﬀective governance for the promotion of the general welfare of the people,” he said.

The resolution also seeks to improve the coordination between LGUs and utility providers such as Meralco on the removal of these dangling wires.

Incidentally, the twin facilities have also accepted foreigners in the past, and their doors are actually open to anyone, regardless of nationality. Past patients were usually foreigner married to Filipinos. As an example, a retired ship captain entered the program because he was having serious gambling problems, which is where his relatively large monthly pension would end up being wasted.

This means the door is open for FilAms, who may be pleasantly surprised to learn that the rates charged by TCI and A New Day are anywhere from only half to even one third of what US-based facilities with similar programs now charge.

There are separate facilities for men and women, and the patients they have treated range from a young 14 year old, to the most senior being in his mid-70s, according to Tan.

Once the patients have “graduated,” there is still an aftercare program that they can take part in. The company understands that returning back to society is not an easy process. As such, they “provide a continuum of care” for former residents turned graduates.

The focus, the company says, is on real-life issues and problems of people in recovery and how to deal with them.

Members meet monthly, forming a support group where they are able to share and discuss issues, thereby maintaining a group focused on sobriety.

TCI and A New Day call their facilities shelters for change. They at least address the issue of addiction for what it is, not a crime whose victims must be removed from society -- even permanently as what the previous government had as a solution – but as an unfortunate condition that need not be considered hopeless.

What they oﬀer is a modern day solution to an age-old problem that has become all too common in these stressful times. Theirs is a Health department-accredited program that works.

Pampanga set to ban POGOs after Porac raid: Pined

By CLAIRE MORALES TRUE

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga -- The provincial government of Pampanga has ordered all mayors in the province to conduct house-to-house inspections against illegal Philippine Oﬀshore Gaming Operator (POGO) hubs in their localities as it sets to ban all POGO operations in the province.

Presiding over a Sangguniang Panlalawigan hearing on the Porac POGO, Pampanga Vice Governor Lilia Pineda said authorities have been conducting inspections since Sunday.

Pineda, who fumed at the mayor and oﬃcials of Porac town during the hearing, said the order for house-to-house inspec-

tion was issued even before the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) revealed that it has discovered small-scale scam hubs in houses in Mexico and Bacolor towns, both in Pampanga.

Officilas call to ban Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) after the discovery of People’s Liberation Army (PLA) uniforms, drugs and firearms in the huge POGO facility in Porac.

The presence of PLA uniforms raises concerns about national security, the ofﬁcials said.

“This is clear evidence that POGOs are a national security threat to our nation. It has opened the doors, not only to criminal syndicates, but also to those who want to destabilize and inﬁltrate our gov-

ernmental and political institutions,” an oﬃcial said.

“Hindi pa naman sinasabi nung PAOCC ‘yung intel report nila, in-alarm ko naman lahat ‘yung mga mayors ng Pampanga na lahat ng kapitan, mag-inspection, mag-house-to house sila, tingnan din nila kung may mga POGO pa rin sa mga bayan-bayan nila,” Pineda said.

Pineda said the provincial government would issue a resolution banning all POGOs in the province during the last hearing of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan.

According to the vice governor, they would also invite the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) to share data on which POGOs were issued licenses.

“Kasi dapat sa kanila talaga magmula… Kasi kaysa ‘yung naghahanap kami, hinahanap namin kung saan, saan nakatago, sila lang ang makakapagpatunay lang talaga niyan,” she said.

“At sasabihin lang namin kahit wala siyang violation, ‘yung ordinansa namin na hindi na kami pumapayag na may POGO sa Pampanga,” she added.

Pineda said she has asked the Philippine National Police to help barangay oﬃcials regarding illegal POGO operations.

Authorities earlier this month rescued more than 150 foreign nationals from a 10-hectare 46-buildings POGO compound in Porac, Pampanga.

Mt. Kanlaon eruption threat persists; LGUs urged to prepare contingency plans

BACOLOD CITY – Oﬃcials of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) have urged local government units (LGUs) situated near Mt. Kanlaon in Negros Island to prepare contingency plans as the threat of magmatic eruption remains a week after its explosive eruption.

Phivolcs Director Teresito Bacolcol and chief science research specialist Ma. Antonia Bornas issued the advisory during a presentation on the latest updates

of the Mt. Kanlaon eruption with Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson at the Provincial Capitol here.

“They should always be prepared for the worst case. For example, in Alert Level 3, are we prepared? Are the people ready? Our vehicles. It should be the contingency plans are in place. There are corresponding activities that they should do,” he said.

In Negros Occidental, LGUs with communities located at the foot of Mt.

Kanlaon are the municipalities of La Castellana, Moises Padilla, and Murcia, as well as the cities of Bago, La Carlota, and San Carlos.

On Monday afternoon, Mayor Rhummyla Nicor-Mangilimutan said that in La Castellana, the worst-hit LGU, some 1,237 families or 4,190 individuals stay in evacuation centers.

“Our recommendation is there should be no people within the four-kilometer permanent danger zone. It’s up to the

LGUs to implement it,” Bacolcol said.

In her presentation on the current outlook, Bornas said Alert Level 2 will be maintained until monitoring parameters signiﬁcantly change.

“If monitoring parameters are sustained, phreatic and short-live explosive eruptions may subsequently occur and produce small-magnitude hazards that will endanger areas within the four-kilometer permanent danger,” she added.

DFA to China: Stop enforcing domestic laws on PH maritime zones

PASAY CITY – The Department of Foreign Aﬀairs (DFA) rebuked China for its “provocative behavior” at sea, includ-

ing the enforcement of its domestic laws within the Philippines’ maritime zones, an apparent swipe at Beijing’s new Coast Guard rules.

“The Philippines urges China to stop its provocative behavior and distortion of the facts, including through enactment and enforcement of domestic laws and regulations that overreach into the legallysettled maritime zones of the Philippines in violation

of international law,” it said in a statement.

“We call on China to show sincerity in working together to de-escalate the situation, in the spirit of dialogue and the peaceful settlement of disputes,” it added.

The latest DFA call was included in its lengthy statement welcoming the G7 leaders’ recent rejection of China’s “dangerous use of coast guard” in the South China Sea.

It also came hours after the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea conﬁrmed that the People’s Liberation

Army-Navy, Chinese Coast Guard, and Chinese Maritime Militia vessels have engaged in dangerous maneuvers, this time, involving “ramming and towing” during Manila’s conduct of regular resupply mission to the BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal on June 17.

Beijing’s newly released law enforcement procedure for the Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) took eﬀect on June 15, allowing its Coast Guard to board, inspect, and detain foreign vessels or individuals in waters that China considers under its jurisdiction for up to 60 days.

Ex-judge and cop is new NBI chief

MANILA – President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has appointed retired judge and former police oﬃcer Jaime Santiago as the new director of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).

Santiago replaced Medardo de Lemos. Santiago, known as a sharpshooter at Manila police’s Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team, took his oath of oﬃce before Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin.

CA...

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sending bigoted and racially-motivated threats.

The news report cited court documents which said that from June 2021 to October 2022, Lackner sent the unnamed victim -- referred to only by the initials M.S. – anti-Semitic remarks like “Hitler was right about you people,” “I want to see every single Jew exterminated from this earth,” “Would you like to celebrate the next synagogue shooting?” and “I will make sure I kill a Jew before I leave this earth.”

The Los Angeles Times also covered the story. The widely circulated paper reported that the culprit and the victim actually knew each other in their college days and even had a relationship, which ended amicably. This was in Santa Monica College back in 2006.

Prosecutors said M.S. also received multiple racist threats about Asian Americans such as “Asians are even worse,” and “We need to start more Asian

He served at the then-Western Police District (now Manila Police District) from 1979 to 2000.

Santiago also served as the presiding judge of the regional trial courts in the cities of Manila and Tagaytay, and was a former Metropolitan Trial Court judge of Manila.

He served as the assistant city prosecutor of the Department of Justice-Oﬃce of the City Prosecutor from October 2003 to December 2006.

hate” and wipe Asian people “oﬀ the planet, too.”

Because of the messages, M.S. began to live in fear for her safety, her family, and the larger community.

M.S. – whose family is Jewish -- said she told Lackner to seek help, then reported him to the FBI after getting the threatening and prejudiced messages.

Krysti Hawkins, acting assistant director in charge of the FBI’s LA Field Oﬃce, said the defendant “admitted stalking victims based on either their religion or their race by making vile threats for more than a year.”

Hawkins added that the FBI remains committed to its “zero tolerance for criminal activity rooted in hatred.”

For his part, US Attorney Martin Estrada said: “Through this case we send a strong message that we will not tolerate attempts to divide us.”

Lackner has been in federal custody since December, 2022.

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/.

PHL submits formal claim to UN on extended WPS shelf

NEW YORK/MANILA – The Philippines has formally asked the United Nations (UN) to register its extended continental shelf (ECS) in the Western Palawan region in the West Philippine Sea, the Department of Foreign Aﬀairs (DFA) announced.

The submission of information at the UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS) was made through the Philippine Mission to the UN in New York on June 14 (New York time).

This is the second time the Philippines has registered an ECS entitlement. In 2012, the CLCS validated its partial submission on the Philippine Rise, resulting in an additional 135,506 square kilometers of seabed area for the country.

In a statement, DFA Assistant Secretary for Maritime and Ocean Aﬀairs Marshall Louis Alferez said this submission is a declaration not only of the Philippines’ maritime entitlements under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) but also of Manila’s commitment to the responsible application of its processes.

This would also help secure the Philippines’ sovereign rights and maritime jurisdictions in the West Philippine Sea, Alferez said, noting that the 2016 Arbitral Ruling conﬁrmed the country’s maritime entitlements and rejected those that exceeded geographic and substantive limits under UNCLOS.

“Incidents in the waters tend to overshadow the importance of what lies beneath,” he said.

“The seabed and the subsoil extending from our archipelago up to the maximum extent allowed by UNCLOS hold signiﬁcant potential resources that will beneﬁt our nation and our people for generations to come. Today, we se-

cure our future by making a manifestation of our exclusive right to explore and exploit natural resources in our ECS entitlement.”

Alferez, meanwhile, clariﬁed that the submission does not prejudice discussions with relevant coastal States that may have legitimate ECS claims measured from their respective lawful baselines under UNCLOS.

“We consider our submission as a step in discussing delimitation matters and other forms of cooperation moving forward. What is important is the Philippines puts on record the maximum extent of our entitlement,” he said.

Philippine Permanent Representative to the UN in New York Ambassador Antonio Lagdameo has also expressed optimism this submission would reinvigorate the eﬀorts of States “to demonstrate their readiness to pursue UNCLOS processes in the determination of maritime entitlements and promote a rulesbased international order.”

In its Philippine Rise submission in 2009, the country stated that it reserved the right to make submissions in other areas in the future.

Under Article 76 of the UNCLOS, a coastal State such as the Philippines is entitled to establish the outer limits of its continental shelf comprising the seabed and subsoil of the submarine areas extending beyond 200 nautical miles (NM) but not to exceed 350 NM from the baselines from which the breadth of the territorial sea is measured.

The National Mapping and Resource Information Agency (NAMRIA) led the Extended Continental Shelf Technical Working Group (ECS-TWG) that worked on the submission for more than a decade and a half.

NAMRIA Administrator Peter Tiangco welcomed the oﬃcial ECS submission and

FORMAL CLAIM. DFA Assistant Secretary for Mari�me and Ocean Aﬀairs Marshall Louis Alferez (3rd from le�) and Philippine Permanent Representa�ve to the UN in New York Ambassador Antonio Lagdameo (2nd from le�) make the West Philippine Sea submission at the UN Commission on the Limits of the Con�nental Shelf on June 14, 2024 (New York �me).

thanked the ECS-TWG for their work in gathering and processing data on geodetic and hydrographic information, and geophysical and geological information to substantiate the submission.

The ﬁrst submission was also undertaken by the ECS-TWG, an inter-agency body composed of technical, legal, diplomatic, political, and law enforcement experts from several Philippine oﬃces and agencies, among them

NAMRIA, DFA, Department of Justice, Department of Energy, National Security Council, Department of Environment and Natural Resources – Mines and Geosciences Bureau, University of the Philippines (UP) Institute for Maritime Aﬀairs and Law of the Sea, UP National Institute of Geological Sciences, the former National Coast Watch Council Secretariat, Department of National Defense, Oﬃce of the Solicitor General, and Philippine Coast Guard.

VP SARA...

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Malacanang said Marcos readily accepted the resignation of Duterte as secretary of the Department of Education and also as vice chairman of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conﬂict only hours after the Vice President personally submitted her resignation to the President.

“She [Duterte] declined to give a reason why. She will continue to serve as Vice President. We thank her for her service,” a Malacanang official said who confirmed Marcos accepted Duterte’s resignation from the Cabinet which takes effect on July 19 to be able to prepare for a smooth transition to the next DepEd official.

Marcos appointed Duterte as education secretary upon their assumption to oﬃce on June 30, 2022.

Marcos and Duterte ran and won by landslide under the Unity Team Coalition in the 2022 election over the opposition tandem of then Vice President Leni Robredo and Senator Francis Pangilinan. Most senators of the Unity Team led by neophyte Sen. Robinhood Padilla and only one from the opposition, Sen. Risa Hontiveros, won also in that election.

The Marcos-Duterte rift started when the vice president’s father, former president Rodrigo Duterte took a potshot at Marcos during a Davao City public rally, including branding the president as a “drug user” based on what he said a conﬁdential government memo shown to him by law enforcers.

Marcos vehemently denied the accusation but the rift deepened as First Lady Loise Marcos and the president’s cousin, Speaker Martin Romualdez who is known to be nurturing a desire to succeed Marcos in 2028, joined the fray.

Political observers and pundits said they expected Duterte’s leaving the Marcos Cabinet as both families attempt to shore up their rival support bases and secure key positions ahead of the mid-term elections in May 2025 and presidential polls in 2028. Filing of certiﬁcates of candidacies for the 2025 elections start in three months. In the same Davao City rally in Janu-

ary, Mayor Sebastian Duterte asked Mr. Marcos to resign.

In a press conference at DepEd main oﬃce in Pasig City after leaving Malacanang, Duterte said she met with President Marcos and informed him about her resignation eﬀective July 19.

“Ano mang kwento, kahit gaano kaganda ay sadyang nagtatapos rin (Whatever story, no matter how good, still comes to an end.

“Even if I will not be the head of the department of education, I will continue to be a mother who will watch and stand for the rights of every teacher and every student in the Philippines,” she added.

“I have given my 30-day notice to ensure the proper and orderly transition for the beneﬁt of the next secretary,” she added.

She thanked the teachers, local governments, partner agencies and the national government and private stakeholders as she pushed for reforms in the education sector.

As Vice President, Duterte vowed to continue advocating for the rights and welfare of all teachers and learners in the country.

First Lady Louise ‘’Liza’’ Araneta-Marcos had admitted having ill feelings towards the Vice President after Sara’s father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, called the President “bangag” or high on drugs.

The First Lady said she took oﬀense when she saw the Vice President laughing over the former President’s remark at a Davao City rally in late January to oppose eﬀorts to amend the 1987 Constitution.

Last February, the Vice President said she and Marcos have no issue with each other even after her father and brother, Davao City Mayor Sebastian ‘’Baste’’ Duterte, criticized the Chief Executive.

Despite his wife’s ill feelings, Marcos had said he did not see any reason why Duterte needs to be replaced in his Cabinet.

In late May 2023, Duterte posted a photo of herself with the cryptic caption, “Sa imong ambisyon, do not be tambaloslos. (In your ambition, do not be tambaloslos.)”

US committed to a free Indo-Paciﬁc – 7th Fleet commander

“During the meeting, Lt. Gen. Cordura and Vice Admiral Kacher discussed the current security environment and reaﬃrmed their commitment to upholding rules-based international law to promote a free and prosperous IndoPaciﬁc Region,” Trinidad said.

The two oﬃcials also talked about progressive engagements in multilateral partnerships that aim to advance collective maritime domain security.

Among Visayans, “tambaloslos” referred to a greedy mythical creature that had a large mouth and leds people astray.

The post was made a few days after the Vice President announced her irrevocable resignation as member of the Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD) party, the party under which she ran in the previous elections.

Under Duterte’s leadership, the DepEd has launched its MATATAG Agenda to address challenges in the quality of the education sector.

The MATATAG Agenda stands for MAke the curriculum relevant to produce competent and job-ready, active, and responsible citizens; TAke steps to accelerate delivery of basic education facilities and services; TAke good care of learners by promoting learner well-being, inclusive education, and a positive learning environment; and Give support to teachers to teach better.

Duterte’s stint at the DepEd was marked by ongoing eﬀorts to improve the country’s educational system, considered one of the important tools in combating local communist insurgency, NTF-ELCAC executive director Undersecretary Ernesto Torres Jr. said.

“She spearheaded various programs aimed at improving the quality of education and making it more accessible, thereby addressing one of the key factors contributing to local conﬂicts,” Torres said. “Her leadership has also emphasized the importance of education as a vital component in combating insurgency.”

Torres thanked Duterte for her “invaluable contributions and leadership,” saying dedication to the task force has resulted in numerous successful initiatives and operations that have strengthened the resolve and capacity of communities to stand against insurgency.

“We wish her success in her future endeavors and are conﬁdent that she will continue to serve the Filipino people with the same passion and dedication,” Torres said.

Sena Senate President Francis ‘’Chiz’’ Escudero said he respects the decision of Duterte; but he said Duterte’s resignation was inevitable amid the attacks made by the Dutertes.

‘’I believe her resignation was inevitable from the time her father, FPRRD, and her siblings and allies started attacking PBBM and members of the First Family,’’ Escudero said in a statement.

‘’Its inevitability became more pronounced when she was already silent and not expressing her support on certain policy issues such as the West Philippine Sea, the Bagong Pilipinas Hymn, the Quiboloy cases and attempted arrest, etc.,’’ he added.

Escudero said that Duterte, as the Vice President, has every right to have policy diﬀerences with the President.

‘’I believe that people love and respect her precisely for that… for having and ﬁghting for what she believes in and for her own beliefs,’’ he said.

Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian, who chairs the Senate Committee on Basic Education, said Duterte’s resignation as DepEd secretary “is a big loss” as the “political will” of the vice president is important in putting the directions of the education sector in “one direction.”

“Ang isang pangunahing dahilan kung bakit itinalaga [ni President Marcos] si Vice President Sara dahil binibigyan ng priority yung (One of the main reasons why [President Marcos] appointed Vice President Sara is because he prioritizes the) education sector,” Gatchalian said during the Kapihan sa Senado.

Gatchalian said he is hoping that existing programs and policies being implemented by the DepEd will continue despite her resignation.

Senator Aquilino Pimentel III said President Marcos should appoint a new DepEd chief who has “experience and good track record” in the education sector.

“This person must be someone who has worked with or in the department for decades. Someone familiar with how tSenhe department works as well as with the problems of the education sector and educational system. Someone who has dedicated his or her life to education and can show the track record for it,” Pimentel said in a Viber message to reporters.

PHL, US start 2nd edition of ‘Cope Thunder’ drills

CAMP AGUINALDO, Quezon City – US 7th Fleet commander Vice Admiral Frederick William Kacher reaﬃrmed his country’s stance in upholding rules-based international law to promote a free and prosperous Indo-Paciﬁc region.

Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) public affairs office chief Col. Xerxes Trinidad said Kacher made this comment following his courtesy call to the AFP headquarters at Camp Aguinaldo where he was welcomed by AFP vice chief of staff Lt. Gen. Arthur Cordura. (See related stories.)

Cordura thanked he US’ continued support in enhancing the military’s capabilities, stressing the importance of the annual “Balikatan” exercise.

The Philippines, the US and other partner nations such as Australia have been conducting military drills amid Chinese aggression in the West Philippine Sea.

Kacher’s visit came days after the Chinese Coast Guard rammed a Philippine vessel while on rotation and resupply mission in Ayungin Shoal, causing severe injury to a Philippine Navy personnel

CLARK FREEPORT, Pampanga –

The second iteration of the Cope Thunder exercises between the Philippine Air Force (PAF) and its US counterparts started Tuesday in Clark Air Base, Mabalacat, Pampanga.

PAF spokesperson Ma. Col. Consuelo Castillo said approximately 1,000 PAF personnel participate in subject matter expert exchanges on planning and execution of various military missions, along with their counterparts from the US Paciﬁc Air Forces.

Formally known as Cope Thunder 2024-2, the joint drills will end on June 28.

Castillo said Cope Thunder aims to promote interoperability of the armed forces involved in the exercise in conducting air and ground operations.

“This ensures smooth collaboration and eﬀective response during real-world scenarios,” she added.

The Cope Thunder 2024-1 was held last April 8 to 19 and focused mainly on large-force deployment exercises.

VISITING 7TH FLEET COMMANDER. Armed Forces of the Philippines vice chief of staﬀ Lt. Gen. Arthur Cordura (right) and US 7th Fleet commander Vice Admiral Frederick William Kacher during the la�er’s courtesy call.

COPE THUNDER. Philippine Air Force and US Paciﬁc Air Forces personnel pose for a group photo during the opening ceremonies of the second itera�on of the Cope Thunder exercise in Clark Air Base, Pampanga

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Two similar tyrants and two leaders who are world’s apart Manalo...

It may rightly be said that there are only two tyrannical world leaders who are capable of starting World War lll -- Russia’s Vladimir Putin and China’s Xi Jinping. Of the pair of communist leaders, it is Putin who has openly spoken of using nuclear weapons, a sureﬁre way of launching WW lll.

Xi, on the other hand, has not dared speak the unspeakable, which may indicate that he has a slightly more rational mind than the Russian strongman. But Xi has allowed the million-strong People’s Liberation Army to go on war footing, which has sadly included our beloved motherland, the Republic of the Philippines as probable target.

China under Xi has also created the world’s largest navy, which along with its Coast Guard has been testing just how far the Philippines and Taiwan will go to protect their interests.

It may be said that if Xi and Putin were to trade places, the Russian despot would have already invaded Taiwan and the Philippines as he did Ukraine. He did so under the mistaken notion that his military was so superior that the war he started would have been over in days, or weeks at most. Instead, it will soon be entering its third year.

For better or worse, the Philippines and its president, Ferdinand Marcos Jr., have become key players in global politics, although many could rightly say that the son and namesake of the late dictator is little more than a willing pawn in the game.

And like it or not, he is taking a role that is the anti-thesis of that which was played by his predecessor, Rodrigo Duterte. Because the former mayor of Davao City opted to veer away from the US, and allowed himself to be little more than a lapdog of Xi, Marcos was left with little option but to tweak back to the US as a matter of national survival.

Marcos Jr and recent Manila visitor Volodymyr Zelenskyy are in the same boat, in some ways. The Ukrainian leader has very ably lead his country in facing the Russian invaders head on, to the point that Putin very recently spoke of the possibility of agreeing to peace talks. Since a military victory is all but impossible now, Putin may have no choice. His war has taken its toll on his country’s economy and the unexpected weaknesses of his armed forces has been revealed for the world to see.

Marcos Jr may not have the luxury Zelenskyy has, as Xi has not yet approved military action against the Philippines and Taiwan. Xi’s forces may not be able to conquer the two countries, much like Putin failed to take Ukraine, so he is still biding his time and weighing the pros and cons of taking such a drastic move.

Thus, while Zelenskyy has been able to continue to inspire his people to ﬁght on, the untested Marcos might not be able to do the same. Under a worst-case scenario and Chinese troops enter Manila, Marcos may even ask – nay, demand! – that the US ﬂy him and his family out of the country, and grant them asylum in Hawaii. It will be a scenario that is too funny for words, and too tragic to imagine.

(From page 1)

The San Francisco State University alum gave her audience a thrill in her keynote at the Filipinx Graduation (FilGrad) by revealing that she will be seeking a seat on the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors.

No Supervisor of Filipino descent has occupied a seat on the board, but Manalo, whose surname is Tagalog for “be victorious” may be the one to correct that statistic as she did by becoming the ﬁrst FilAm woman elected to the City Council of Daly City.

RECOGNITION

In her speech she acknowledged those who inspired her and illuminated her path to her present position.

“My personal journey starts with my mother Joseﬁna Manalo who at the age of 24 moved to South of Market (in) San Francisco to take a risk with no family and move to the United States” from the Philippines. She met and married Carlito Manalo and they made their home in Daly City, where Juslyn grew up and eventually graduated from Jeﬀerson High School.

Manalo, known for donning Philippine-inspired attire at oﬃcial events, disclosed the font of her activism, a program launched in the 1990s renamed in 2017 as Bayanihan Equity Center to reﬂect its expanded services.

“I was blessed to work for the Veterans Equity Center during college. It was in my community service work, (in) which I learned ﬁrsthand about advocacy and self-determination. Walking through the halls of US Congress with these heroes and heroines was a life changing experience,” she recalled how witnessing WWII veterans then in their seventies unburdening themselves to the nation’s lawmakers “about the injustice they were still ﬁghting” moved her to carry her weight. The sight was pivotal.

“This showed me a system that had holes, a system that needed more people that reﬂected the communities that these legislators served.”

SFSU grad Jade Caitlyn Gonzalez Murao had known of Manalo’s loyalty to her school and community, and the town leader’s presence at the annual Filipino American Mural celebration reinforced the student’s choice for speaker at her own commencement exercise.

“Learning about how she was one of the people that advocated for the Filipino Mural to be put up at the Cesar Chavez Student Center in the ﬁrst place, to then eventually becoming the Mayor for Daly City, was commendable. I told myself she’d be a great commencement speaker for our FilGrads (Filipinx Graduation), so I gathered the courage to walk up to her after she concluded her speech. I introduced myself, my position as FilGrad Director, and asked if she would be interested in speaking at our ceremony.”

TRUE TO TRADITION

Besides Murao, 13 FilGrad Board members coordinated the rites that have become a tradition on the SFSU campus: Dahlia Inis, Assistant Director; (Continue on page 20)

On legalizing divorce

It has been over half a century since the legalization of divorce in the Philippines was seriously taken up by the Philippine Congress.

Most of the advocates of divorce are long gone, never to beneﬁt from the divorce law, if passed..

Recently, I learned that the members of the Lower House have taken steps to legalize divorce. It is an idea whose time has come.

The Philippines is probably the only country in the civilized world where divorce is not legal. Over the past decades, many children have been born out of wedlock, Filipinos engaged in extramarital aﬀairs,and many Catholics have forsaken their religion to be so-called Born Again Christians.

As a Catholic, I acknowledge that divorce is not an option for Catholic couples. The Catholic Church’s stand on this matter is clear. Matrimony is a sacrament and marriage is indissoluble.

Catholics true to their faith, therefore, will not avail of divorce, if legalized in the Philippines.

Despite my being a Catholic, I believe that non-Catholics should have the right to divorce, if and when needed, for the following reasons:

--To maintain peace in the family for the sake of the children

--To prevent physical harm

--To prevent the birth of bastards

--To ensure ﬁnancial stability of all parties

--To do away with extramarital aﬀairs

I have seen too many couples in a loveless marriage who cannot get out of it because divorce is not legal in the Philippines.

As a result, one or the other has resorted to an extramarital relationship or migrated to other countries, where divorce is available.

I have heard that the House of Representatives is threshing out the details of the proposed divorce bill.

I hope that the bill if or when enacted into law, will not make divorce easily available. Divorce should be the last resort for unhappy couples.

In the past, besides the Catholic Church, male legislators in a predominantly male Congress have objected to the legalization of divorce.

I venture to trust that the 24 members of our august Senate will be enlightened enough to see that this divorce bill needs to be passed, the sooner the better.

CHERIE M. QUEROL MORENO

MSS client discovers healing power of SB-10; aborts dialysis

Few weeks before our Carnival Cruise (with my beloved wife, daughters, grandsons and son-in-law) in Cabo San Lucas and Ensenada, B.C., Mexico last month, I had signing, notarization and apostille follow-up of Special Power of Attorney with Becky in the house of her older sister who is our neighbor in the Excelsior District in San Francisco, California.

After the signing and notarization of documents, we had friendly conversations and then I gave the two sisters autographed copies of my updated two best-selling books “Longevity Tips” subtitled “Secrets You Can Discover and Do for Good Health and Longevity” and “R.A.W. WISDOM” subtitled “FINDING PEACE IN THE MIDST OF CHAOS” now available at Amazon in Hardcover, Paperback and E-book.

Eventually, the two sisters brought out and conﬁded their health issues and problems to me like pain on their bodies, lack of sleep and energy but most importantly the worsening negative eﬀect of diabetes in their overall physical health. I brought out one bottle of SB-10 from my notary bag. With 5-7 drops of SB-10, I massaged their shoulders, backs, foreheads, hands and feet joints. Then I requested two cups of bottled water and put 20 drops of SB-10 and had Becky and her older sister drank the cups of bottled water with SB-10.

To know more about the healing power of SB-10, I instructed Becky and her older sister to read pertinent articles inside the autographed books like “Amazing SB-10 Health Food Supplement,” “Reader Finds Solution to Health Problems with SB-10,” “More Readers Find Solutions to Health Problems with SB-10,”Neighbor, Others Discover Healing of Various Ailments through SB-10.” Before leaving, I left two bottles of SB-10 (one bottle for Becky and one bottle for her older sister). I instructed them to continue the massage with the drops of SB-10 and drink cup of bottled with water with 20 drops of SB-10 in the morning; with 10-15 drops of SB-10 after lunch and 20 drops of SB-10 after dinner.

I didn’t’ hear again from Becky and her older sister until my wife Virginia Jimenez Madlaing and I arrived home in San Francisco, California on Tuesday, 2:00pm, June 4, 2024 after our Carnival Cruise.

I received several messages from Becky in my voicemail, all reordering 5 bottles of SB-10. Responding to the voicemail messages, I asked Becky why she is reordering ﬁve bottles of SB-10.

“Nasurprisa yong Vietnamese lady doctorko sa resulta ng latest labtestko. Normal lahat ang blood sugar level at blood pressure,” (My Vietnamese lady doctor was surprised by the result of my latest lab tests. My blood sugar level and blood pressure were all normal.), explained Becky.

“What did you do?” asked my doctor. “Hindi ko sinabi na nag-iinom ako ng SB-10 pero wala na akong SB-10 supply. Kaya nagreorder ako ng lima pang SB-10 bottles, ( I didn’t tell my doctor that I’m drinking SB-10 but I ran out of SB-10 supply. That’s why I’m re-ordering 5 more bottles of SB-10), echoed Becky.

Becky told me that her Vietnamese lady physician will be forced to have her undergo dialysis if her condition will not improve and her kidney will be adversely aﬀected.

Becky, who had been diabetic since 2002, conﬁded to me her fear and apprehension in undergoing dialysis because she personally observed how her brother-in-law and other relatives suﬀered and died while undergoing dialysis.

“Gusto kong ituloy ang pagtake ng SB-10 bago darating ang next medical check-up at lab test ko sa Hulyo 10, 2024. Sa tulong ng Panginoon, positibo ako na maganda ang resulta ng labtestko. Sa ganon, maabort o hindi matuloy ang recommendation ng doktorko na magdialyis ako.” (I want to continue taking SB-10 before my next medical check-up and labtests on July 10,2024. With God’s help, I’m positive that my next medical check-up and lab tests will have very good results. That way, my doctor will abort or stop recommending that I’ll undergo dialysis) Becky concluded.

As book author, columnist and founder of FITNESS FOR HUMANITY (aka FITNESS FOR CHRIST), I’m glad that Becky was able to discover the healing power of SB-10. She became more energetic and have better and deeper sleep at night and her body pain was gone.

It is my desire that our regular readers and the general public will have good health and longevity through discovery of the healing power of SB-10. I encourage YOU to know more about the healing power of SB-10 like what Becky personally discovered.

How many more acts

before Junior takes action?

To be perfectly honest, I have forgotten the number of times Chinese ships have rammed Philippine boats in the past decade. My best guess is maybe half a dozen, although I could be way, way oﬀ base.

The rammings – if there is such a word -- were mostly done by the China Coast Guard, although there have been instances when private ships were involved. I recall one case where a large Chinese ﬁshing vessel hit a Filipino-owned boat, which was cut in half.

Sometime after, a Chinese millionaire reportedly donated a brand new boat for the displaced ﬁshermen, none of whom were injured by the incident, except maybe for their pride and loss of selfrespect.

For them, it was a clear act of bullying, and their government was powerless to do anything.

To be fair, it did not happen in the past two years of the Marcos Junior regime. I may be wrong, but it must have happened during the Duterte administration.

Instead of taking action, the government bided its time and waited for China to take remedial action. It may have taken a few months, but the government wanted everyone to believe that it was a case of all’s well that ends well.

The Pinoy ﬁshermen, especially the owner of the destroyed boat, had a brand new replacement vessel, so they were expected to be grateful to them, thar generous China folk. After all, the replacement boat must have been work more than the wrecked one.

Why the people were not jumping up and down like crazed monkeys -- to paraphrase a line from a late famous lawyer/politician/ Cabinet secretary named Joker was beyond yours truly.

Looking back, that little incident set the stage for future aggressive actions by Chinese seamen against the hapless Pinoy ﬁsherfolk. I don’t distinguish between the China Coast Guard, Navy, or militia pretending to be commercial ﬁshing boats. They’re all the same.

As a mediaman on social media said recently, we should love the Chinoys (Chinese Pinoys) but hate the Chinese, or words to that eﬀect. After all, he said, Chinoys are nothing more than Filipinos with Chinese blood.

A good friend has another take. The only good Chinaman is a dead….never mind. You all know what he said, and as far as he’s concerned, his is a righteous anger.

I have other friends who would agree, and it’s hard to blame them because the progressively aggressive actions being taken by Chinese in Philippine waters has gotten a lot of Filipinos wanting to take counter aggressive action.

Not that Junior would allow it.

No one knows what should be done, least of all the supposed president of the country, who talks the talk but has given no indication of walking the walk.

He has said on several occasions that the Philippines would not surrender an inch of Philippine territory to outside forces, meaning China. But his lame solution has always been to tell the Department of Foreign Aﬀairs to ﬁle a formal complaint against China. In a few cases, the Chinese embassy is told to explain what happened, and guess what? Rarely, if ever, has the Chinese embassy in Manila sent its ambassador to give his formal reply. Usually, it’s his second or even third in command who heads for the DFA headquarters or even to the presidential Palace to give a meaningless explanation.

AS for China itself, their foreign ministry or their armed forces chief or whoever the hell wants to act big will issue a statement blaming the Philippines for being the aggressor.

In so many words, they will say: How dare you lowly Filipinos and your weak armed forces engage our ships in the South China Sea.

As for your so-called West Philippine Sea, we don’t acknowledge its existence because it doesn’t appear in any of our maps.

So why don’t you fck oﬀ and make nice with mighty China instead? If you do, we will promise to grant you humungous loans for whatever project you tell your people will be for their beneﬁt sometime in the not too distant future.

The public library in the 21st century

With virtual platforms for community engagement, internet search engines, media streaming platforms, and digital and audible books, one may ask, (in fact I too personally ask), “What is the current day signiﬁcance of a public library?”

Well, As I See It, despite living in a digital world in the 21st century, the public library is still vitally important and signiﬁcant in serving the community.

I really believe we should continue to patronize the library. According to Ashley Payton in her article “Public Libraries Are Still Important”. (https://www.gpb.org/blogs/educationmatters/2022/01/20/public-libraries-are-still-important), there are four reasons why public libraries are vitally important and why we should continue to patronize them.

First, she wrote: “In a society where the cost of living continues to rise, public libraries remain one of the few free spaces that provide public resources catering to the most diverse demographics: toddlers, people facing housing insecurity and unemployment, people with disabilities, students, senior citizens, educators, parents, and caregivers. In public libraries, no matter where you come from or your social-economic status, you can access countless resources and services free of charge.”

The second, she continued: “Public libraries offer more than book rental services. Additionally, they offer vitally essential resources used for educational purposes such as 1) Technological: High-speed internet access, computers, e-books, printers, and other tech gadgets 2) Educational Entertainment: films, games, and music, 3) One-on-One and group services: literacy and homework support, story-time, and afterschool and summer learning programming, teen spaces and study rooms, job training, and other employment services.”

Third, “Public libraries are a part of the American social infrastructure promoting self-development, intellectual, social, and political empowerment… building and sustaining healthy communities. According to the American Library Association (ALA), there are more American public libraries than Starbucks (more than 17,000). “These libraries serve as community hubs that support and empower local community members’ social, political, and personal well-being. A study conducted by the pew research center found that eight-in-ten adults (78%) feel that public libraries help them ﬁnd trustworthy and reliable information, and 76% say libraries help them learn new things.”

Fourth, Payton continued: “Libraries serve as refuges providing safe shelter from open to closing hours for vulnerable populations such as children and those facing housing insecurities. They also preserve and house historical records available to the public. Social services, health information, and programs are often facilitated and hosted at public libraries. These programs oﬀer free workshops, training, and information that targets vulnerable populations such as senior citizens, language learners, those seeking employment, people with disabilities, people experiencing mental or physical health challenges.”

I concur with Payton, so we need to continue patronizing our public library…at a time of the year of modern technology and the world of social media, by promoting it and emphasizing the beneﬁts library users can beneﬁt from.

As such, the Santa Clara County Library District (SCCLD) is proud to announce that two librarians have been recognized with the Movers & Shakers Award by the literary publication, Library Journal (LJ). This honor highlights 50 individuals who are advocates, community builders, change agents, innovators, educators and “ban battlers” who help move library work forward.” The recipients were announced in the May issue of Library Journal.

“Our 2024 Movers represent a range of innovative, proactive, and supportive work; they are imaginative and kind and brave in a world that needs those qualities—and the results they produce— very much,” said Library Journal Executive Editor Lisa Peet, according to Mariana Walker, Associate Communications Oﬃcer for the Santa Clara County Library District.

(Continue on page 20)

Make sure to order your autographed copy of the two best-selling books mentioned above which opened the eyes of Becky on the healing power of SB-10. To commemorate our 50th Wedding Anniversary last May 5.2024 and my upcoming 77th Birthday on August 18. 2024, my beloved wife Virginia Jimenez Madlaing and I are oﬀering FREE autographed copies of “LONGEVITY TIPS” subtitled “Secrets You Discover and Do for Good Health and Longevity” or “R.A.W. WISDOM” subtitled “FINDING PEACE IN THE MIDST OF CHAOS,” plus the companion original copy of “HISTORICITY OF JESUS” subtitled “”Facts and Evidences for Agnostics, Atheists and Believers.” These books are excellent addition to your Personal Library or Family Library. For your FREE autographed copies of the books mentioned above, just send $8.95 (for mailing, shipping and handling) in check or money order to ART G. MADLAING, 730 Madrid Street, San Francisco, CA 94112 Tel. (650) 438-3531 or (415)

Now, because Junior likes to say that the Philippine will never surrender an inch of its territory, why not engage China in a game of who will blink ﬁrst? The boy president also said that loss of life is where he will draw the line.

Well guess what? In the latest collision, a Filipino seaman was seriously injured.

As China has been committing progressively aggressive action against helpless Philippines, the next step is clear as day. China will commit maximum damage, resulting in the loss of life, be it a ﬁsherman, scientist, or Coast Guard.

I do not want it to happen but I am predicting it because of the meaningless actions that Junior approves of.

I will also predict that whoever loses his (or her) life will be turned into an instant hero, and the family will be the recipient of generous cash gifts, not only from Malacanang, but also the Senate, the House, the private sector, and

(Continue on page 20)

Library Services Manager Clare Varesio, the ﬁrst recipient, served as the point person on two major health-related initiatives in 2023. One of these projects was to partner with the County Behavioral Health Services Department and bring Mental Health Access programs to our libraries, empowering the public to access mental health services. In addition, Varesio also helped to organize community workshops regarding naloxone (also called Narcan), the anti-opioid overdose drug that can save lives if given to someone experiencing an overdose. Nearly 400 community members learned how to recognize an opioid overdose and how to safely administer the life-saving nasal spray.

Varesio has been with SCCLD since 2007, ﬁrst as a Children’s Librarian, next as a Supervising Librarian, and then as the Community Librarian responsible for Cupertino Library, which is one of the largest and busiest in the SCCLD system. She currently works out of the Services & Support Center as

(Continue on page 20)

BETING DOLOR

“

ART GABOT MADLAING Health & Wealth

ELPIDIO R. ESTIOKO

President Biden new immigration executive action

On June 18, 2024, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced a key step toward fulﬁlling President Biden’s commitment to promoting family unity in the immigration system. DHS will establish a new process to consider, on a case-bycase basis, requests for certain noncitizen spouses of U.S. citizens who have been continuously physically present without admission or parole in the United States for 10 years or more; have no disqualifying criminal convictions; do not pose a threat to national security and public safety and pass vetting; are otherwise eligible to apply for adjustment of status; and merit a favorable exercise of discretion.

If paroled, these noncitizens will generally be able to apply for lawful permanent residence without having to leave the United States and be processed by a U.S. consulate overseas. DHS estimates that 500,000 noncitizen spouses of U.S. citizens could be eligible to access this process; on average, these noncitizens have resided in the United States for 23 years. Approximately 50,000 noncitizen children of these spouses are estimated to be eligible to seek parole under this process.

Additional information on the application process, required fee, and other key information will be detailed in a forthcoming Federal Register Notice. USCIS will reject any ﬁling received prior to the publication of the Federal Register Notice.

Eligibility and Process

To be considered on a case-by-case basis for a discretionary grant of parole in place under this process, an individual must:

• Be present in the United States without admission or parole;

• Have been continuously present in the United States for at least 10 years as of June 17, 2024; and

• Have a legally valid marriage to a U.S. citizen as of June 17, 2024.

In addition, individuals must not have disqualifying criminal history or otherwise constitute a threat to national security or public safety and should otherwise merit a favorable exercise of discretion.

Noncitizen children of spouses who are granted parole under this process may also be considered for parole on a case-by-case basis under this process if they are

physically present in the United States without admission or parole and have a qualifying stepchild relationship with a U.S. citizen parent as deﬁned by the Immigration and Nationality Act as of June 17, 2024.

In order to be considered for parole, an individual will need to ﬁle a form with USCIS along with supporting documentation to show they meet the requirements and pay a fee. Further information regarding eligibility and the application process, including a notice in the Federal Register, will be published in the near term. USCIS will reject any ﬁlings or individual requests in relation to this process received before the date when the application process begins later this summer.

Upon receipt of a properly filed parole in place request, USCIS will determine on a case-by-case basis whether a grant of parole is warranted based on a significant public benefit or urgent humanitarian reasons and whether the applicant merits a favorable exercise of discretion. All requests will take into consideration the potential requestor’s previous immigration history, criminal history, the results of background checks and national security and public safety vetting, and any other relevant information available to or requested by USCIS.

When will the process start?

USCIS will soon publish a Federal Register Notice to implement this process, explain the application process, and provide additional guidance on requirements to be considered for parole in place. This notice will explain what forms to ﬁle, the associated ﬁling fees, any required documentation, and supporting evidence that will be needed to request parole in place. The application process is expected to begin later this summer.

What happens if I apply to USCIS prior to the start date of the process?

USCIS will reject any filings received before the date when the application process begins. This includes applications filed through our paper and electronic filing processes as well as requests submitted in person at our offices.

What will be the duration of parole? What happens when it ends?

Under this process, a qualifying individual may be granted parole on a case-by-case basis for up to three years. This period provides an opportunity for eligible spouses of U.S. citizens granted parole to ﬁle a Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status (and concurrent Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative, if applicable). At the conclusion of the parole period, USCIS anticipates that these individuals will have either a pending adjustment application or ﬁnal adjustment adjudication completed.

What can I do now to prepare my application before the process begins?

Individuals should wait for additional information to be issued, including the date on which the process begins, when applications will be accepted, and what forms to use to apply for parole. Until then, individuals may consider preparing by gathering evidence, including:

• Documentation to establish that the noncitizen has been continuously present in the United States for at least 10 years as of June 17, 2024;

• Evidence of a legally valid marriage to a U.S. citizen as of June 17, 2024; and

• Evidence of additional favorable discretionary factors that the applicant would like USCIS to consider.

Will I need to submit my biometrics?

Applicants must submit certain biographic and biometric information to USCIS for screening and vetting purposes. More information about the biometrics collection process will be provided in the forthcoming Federal Register Notice and other guidance to follow.

Will the parole application be available for ﬁling online, on paper, or both?

Further ﬁling instructions will be available in the near term.

What is the fee for applying for parole under the process?

Information regarding the form to use and associated ﬁling fees will be detailed in the forthcoming Federal Register Notice.

Can the fee be waived?

USCIS will provide future guidance about the application process, including ﬁling fees, for individuals seeking parole under this process.

Questions related to potential beneﬁciaries

I was lawfully admitted to the United States on a nonimmigrant visa but overstayed my period of authorized stay. Am I eligible for parole in place under the process?

No. By law, parole is only available to noncitizens

who are “applicants for admission” under Section 235(a) of the INA, 8 U.S.C. § 1225(a). Therefore, parole in place under this process may be granted only to certain individuals who are present in the United States without admission. This process is not available to those who were previously lawfully admitted to the United States. However, an individual may be eligible to apply for adjustment of status to that of lawful permanent resident (LPR) without parole in place if previously lawfully admitted and applying as an immediate relative of a U.S. citizen.

If I am in removal proceedings that are pending before an immigration judge, am I eligible for this process? Who will decide my parole application?

Noncitizens in removal proceedings may apply for parole in place under this process before USCIS if they otherwise qualify under this process. USCIS will weigh, on a case-by-case basis, the existence and circumstances of the removal proceedings, as well as the applicant’s positive equities, in determining whether to grant parole in place. However, a noncitizen who is in removal proceedings because they are an enforcement priority under the Guidelines for the Enforcement of Civil Immigration Law, issued by Secretary Mayorkas in September 2021, will be disqualiﬁed from receiving parole in place pursuant to this process.

If USCIS denies my application for parole, will I be placed in removal proceedings?

If USCIS denies a request for parole, USCIS maintains discretion to issue a Notice to Appear (NTA) or refer the case to ICE for possible enforcement action consistent with the Guidelines for the Enforcement of Civil Immigration Law issued by Secretary Mayorkas on September 30, 2021.

If I have criminal history, can I apply for parole under this process?

All applicants will undergo national security and public safety vetting as part of this process. Those who pose a threat to national security or public safety will be disqualiﬁed from this process and, where appropriate, may be referred for law enforcement action. Noncitizens who pose a threat to national security or public safety will not be eligible for this process, as aligned with our immigration enforcement priorities.

If a noncitizen poses a threat to national security or public safety, DHS will detain, remove, or refer them to other federal agencies for further vetting, investigation, or prosecution as appropriate.

Disqualifying criminal history includes criminal convictions that are likely to render the individual statutorily ineligible for adjustment of status, as well as convictions that do not render noncitizens statutorily ineligible for adjustment of status but nevertheless warrant their disqualiﬁcation from this process in the exercise of discretion. Further guidance on this topic is forthcoming.

Can the undocumented child of a noncitizen spouse covered by this policy also be considered for a grant of parole in place under the process?

Noncitizen children of potential requestors may be considered for parole in place under this process along with their noncitizen parent, if the child is physically present in the United States without admission or parole as of June 17, 2024 and has a qualifying stepchild relationship to a U.S. citizen as of that date. To qualify as a stepchild under the Immigration and Nationality Act, the noncitizen child must be unmarried, under the age of 21, and the marriage of their noncitizen parent and U.S. citizen stepparent must have taken place prior to the child’s 18th birthday. Further guidance on this topic is forthcoming.

Employment Authorization

If I am approved for parole, when can I apply for an employment authorization document (EAD)? Can I apply for an EAD at the same time as when I apply for parole?

An individual who is granted parole is immediately eligible to apply for an EAD from USCIS and can do so by submitting a completed Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, using the (c)(11) category code. Further information about the process to apply for an EAD will be included in the forthcoming Federal Register Notice.

How long will it take to receive a decision on my employment authorization application?

Application processing times vary. USCIS has several tools that individuals can use to request information about their applications submitted to the agency, including the Case Status Online tool.

Willie Revillame unveils new show ‘Wil to Win’ on TV5

The long awaited game show of singer, composer and host Willie Revillame will soon air on TV5.

“Wil to Win” will be the title of the show.

“Ilang tulog na lang may programa na naman ang bawat Pilipino,” Willie, Wilfredo Buendia Revilliame in real life, said..“Magmula Lunes hanggang Biyernes, kasama ninyo na po ang bagong programa dito yan sa TV5,” announced Willie from the Studio 6 of the Kapatid network.

Willie said he feels so ecstatic for the forthcoming pilot episode of his show.

However, the exact date of its initial episode hasn’t been announced yet.

“Magsisimula po ang programa ng araw ng linggo. Kung anong date po...abangan ninyo. Alam ninyo kung bakit, it’s family day. Yung linggong yung makakasama namin kayo. Pagkatapos ng linggo, tuloy-tuloy na po. Magmula Lunes hanggang Biyernes, kasama ninyo na po ang bagong programa dito yan sa TV5,” he said.

araw-araw ko kayong kasama sa GMA. Maraming pagsubok, maraming nangyari; may luha ng kaligayahan, may luha ng hinagpis na araw-araw kong nararamdaman.”

GMA-7 for his show “Wowowin” before he decided to leave the network in 2022.

in Quezon City by Vista Residences, owned by the Villar family.

Revillame’s “Wowowin,” which aired on GMA from May 2015 to February 2022, started airing on the Villar’s ﬂedgling network AllTV from September 2022 to April 2023.

Revillame looked back at the almost seven years his show aired on GMA, repeatedly thanking GMA executives for giving him the chance to air his popular show.

“Magpapaalam na po ang programa for six and half years. Sinamahan n’yo ako araw-araw sa GMA,” he said.

Revillame then revealed about the contract renewal.

During the Facebook livestream, Revillame showed a video compilation of his journey with “Wowowin” which moved him to tears.

“Salamat, Wowowin,” he said with his breaking voice. “For almost seven years,

“Sorry, naging emosyonal ako kasi mawawala na ho kasi si ‘Wowowin.’ Magpapaalam na po ang programang ‘Wowowin,’” he added.

He was the host of the show’s TV5 iteration that were titled “Willing Willie” and “Wowowillie” from 2010 to 2013.

Earlier, Revillame revealed that he had in fact been oﬀered a contract renewal by

“I’m so thankful naman po sa GMA dahil talagang binigyan naman ako ng importansya. Iba ‘yung binigyan ng sariling studio,” Revillame said on a Facebook live as reported by Philippine Star.

“Kaya lang may pagkakataon sa buhay mo na minsan, mabigat ka mag-desisyon kung kailangan. Nagkaroon ako ng Wil Tower because of Sen. Manny Villar, so, nu’ng kinausap nila ako, gusto kong tumulong, ‘di ba?” he recalled.

Wil Tower is a high-rise condominium

“May contract renewal ako sa GMA kaya lang nag-desisyon ako sa buhay ko ng isang bagay na, ganyan talaga ang buhay e. Marami kang nadidinig na kung anu-ano. Laos ka na. Mayabang ka, arogante ka. Hindi niyo alam kung ano ‘yung pinagdaanan ko sa programang ‘Wowowin,’” he remarked after watching the slide show that summed up all that had happened in his show.

“Again sa mga taong nakasama ko, walang hatred, walang sama ng loob, puro pasasalamat lang. Maraming-maraming salamat at again nakabukas na naman ang pinto. Not for me, ito po ay para sa mga tao,” he revealed.

Bea Alonzo says she didn’t initiate breakup with Dominic Roque

By Jennifer T. Santos

Actress Bea Alonzo has a new revelation about her and ex-boyfriend Dominic Roque.

The revelation comes despite the rumors that Bea and Dominic are now both dating separately.

In a recent interview with GMA’s Nelson Canlas, Bea was asked who initiated the break up.

She had a ready reply: “Actually, that’s false! Hindi ako ang nakipagbreak.” This means it was Dominic who initiated the breakup as she wanted to set the record straight.

Bea, however, has a plea. “ Pero huwag na natin pag-usapan y’on. Let’s leave it in the past, and it’s amicable. Okay naman kami,” she said.

“ I think it will be disrespectful to the relationship and to the other person to

talk about it,” she said. “It’s a very sensitive topic. And gusto kong bigyang ng respeto at gusto kong iwan sa magandang paraan what we had.”

Yes, it was Dominic who broke up with Bea. Contrary to the initial news that Bea çalled oﬀ their wedding.

Once and for all, the actress wanted to put an end to the issue that it was her who ended her four-year relationship with Dominic.

She added: “Doon ako siguro mas naaapektuhan, kasi maraming nag-ispread ng false narratives about my life. And when you’re going through something really difficult in your life, and you have other people narrating it for you in a different way, very different from the way you see it, and very different from the truth, sobrang sakit niya.”

“Kasi, yes, it aﬀects you because it’s one thing to go through something silent-

ly, like a very, very huge heartbreak. But it’s another thing to be going through it in front of the public na iba yung narrative.” she narrated.

Bea stars in upcoming GMA Prime series “Widow’s War” with Carla Abellana. The murder-mystery spinoﬀ of “Widow’s Web” and “Royal Blood” will premiere on July 1.

Bea and Dominic began dating in January 2021. They got engaged in July last year and planned to get married this year.

After rumors of their breakup began spreading, Boy Abunda announced their separation on “Fast Talk With Boy Abunda” back in February. The couple then issued their own statement conﬁrming their split.

In a joint statement last February, Bea and Dominic conﬁrmed that they have ended their engagement, putting to rest weeks of rumors surrounding the pair’s relationship status.

In a statement posted jointly on their Instagram accounts, Alonzo and Roque

said the split was a mutual decision.

“After much thought, consideration, and care, we have mutually decided to amicably end our engagement. It was not an easy decision,” the two said.

“We wanted to have more time to carefully deliberate and pray about it, but there have been many speculations, questions and insults,” they said.

ABS-CBN reported the couple said they broke their silence after various personalities publicly spoke about their relationship.

“Some even conﬁrmed our break-up without our consent and some created ridiculous stories that had no basis and were utterly false, so we felt the need to share this announcement with great sadness, for our peace of mind and our families,” they said.

Both Bea and Dominic asked the public for privacy and to “kindly spare us from more cruel and very hurtful words thrown on social media.”

Cache Creek Casino Resort 2nd Annual Charity Golf Tournament Raises

$137,000 for the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano

Brooks, Calif. – June 19, 2024 – On May 16, Cache Creek Casino Resort and the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation proudly hosted their second annual charity golf tournament at the stunning Yocha Dehe Golf Club. This event, in collaboration with partners from various industries nationwide, brought together a community dedicated to making a diﬀerence.

Tribal leaders, vendors, and community partners gathered at the championship golf course with hopes of raising at least $100,000 for the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano counties. The initial projections were far exceeded, with $137,000 raised going directly to the organization. The organization serves 400,000 residents monthly in Contra Costa and Solano counties, strives to serve all people experiencing food insecurity, and commits never to turn anyone away.

“The Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation remains steadfast in our commitment to building

Fstrong, inclusive communities,” expressed Anthony Roberts, Tribal Chairman of Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation. “We are deeply honored to share the natural beauty of our ancestral homelands with our cherished partners. Together, we strive to raise vital funds to support the noble mission of ending hunger, ensuring that no one in our community goes without the nourishment they need. This cause is close to our hearts, and we are dedicated to making a lasting impact in the lives of those who need it most.”

Kari Stout-Smith, General Manager and COO of Cache Creek Casino Resort, shared, “We are deeply grateful for the opportunity to support such a vital cause. The incredible turnout and generous contributions at our second annual charity golf tournament have been truly heartwarming. Seeing our business and community partners come together to help end hunger and uplift the people of Northern California ﬁlls us with immense joy. It is an honor to be part of such a compassionate and dedicated community.”

“On behalf of the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano, we would like to thank Cache Creek Casino Resort for your gener-

osity and continued support. Your commitment to helping us ﬁght food insecurity in our community will have a profound impact on our neighbors in need,” said Caitlin Sly, President and CEO of the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano. “With your donation from the charity golf tournament, we can provide 274,000 meals to our community.”

The third annual charity golf tournament is scheduled for May 2025. For more information, call Yocha Dehe Golf Club at 530796-4653 or visit yochadehegolfclub.com.

MEDIA AVAILABLE

Cache Creek Casino Resort Photos: CLICK HERE

Second Annual Charity Golf Tournament

Photo & Video: CLICK HERE

Cutline: Cache Creek Casino Resort and Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation oﬃcials presented the proceeds from the second annual charity golf tournament to the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Salano.

About Cache Creek Casino Resort

Cache Creek Casino Resort, owned and operated by the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation, is Northern California’s premier casino resort. Located 40 miles northwest of Sacramento

and 80 miles from the San Francisco Bay Area in Brooks, CA, nestled in the picturesque Capay Valley, it features 659 four-diamond luxury hotel rooms, two resort-style heated pools, an extravagant full-service spa, thousands of exclusive slot machines, more than 80 table games, 11 incredible dining experiences, exhilarating nightlife, a state-of-the-art event center, a mini-mart, and an 18-hole championship golf course. Call 1.800.992.8686 or visit www.cachecreek.com for more information.

New Real Estate Commission Rules Shake Up the Industry: A Win for Sellers?

or decades, the standard practice in real estate has seen home sellers paying a commission ranging from 5% to 6% to cover both the listing agent and the buyer’s agent. However, a landmark agreement from the National Association of Realtors (NAR) has ushered in a new era for real estate transactions, fundamentally altering this longstanding tradition. Eﬀective July, pending court approval, these changes promise to signiﬁcantly impact sellers, buyers, and real estate agents.

Key Changes to

Buyers’

Agent Compensation

The most pivotal change revolves around how buyers’ agents are compensated. Traditionally, sellers have borne the cost of both their own agent’s commission and that of the buyers’ agent, a practice critics argue inflated home prices and stifled competition. Under the new rule, most listings will no longer specify how much buyers’ agents are paid, effectively removing the presumption that sellers are responsible for both commissions.

Additionally, buyers’ agents will now be required to enter into written agreements with their clients, known as buyer brokerage agreements. These agreements will clearly outline the services provided and the corresponding fees, which may vary from ﬁxed-fee commissions paid directly by consumers, concessions from sellers, portions of the listing broker’s compensation, or other negotiated forms of compensation.

Potential Savings for Sellers

One of the most signiﬁcant outcomes of this rule change is the potential for lower fees for sellers. For instance, in February, the average home in Southern California sold for $842,997. Under the old system, sellers would pay approximately $50,580 in commissions for both agents. However, with the new rule, if sellers are only required to pay their listing agent’s commission (typically 3%), they could save approximately $25,290. This represents a substantial reduction in selling costs, making the new rules a potential ﬁnancial boon for sellers.

Buyers’ Agents Won’t Work for Free

Despite the changes, buyers’ agents will not be working for free. Oﬀers of compensation will still be made but will no longer be communicated via the Multiple Listing Services (MLS). Compensation arrangements can take various forms, including ﬁxed-fee commissions, concessions from sellers, or portions of the listing broker’s compensation. These terms will be negotiable and must be explicitly agreed upon in the buyer brokerage agreements.

Impact on Buyers

and Sellers

The new rules preserve consumer choice regarding real estate services and compensation structures. While listing brokers and sellers may still oﬀer compensation for buyer broker services, such oﬀers cannot be advertised through the MLS. This shift necessitates that buyers’ agents secure written agreements with their clients before home tours, ensuring clarity on the services provided and their costs.

Market Implications and Agent Adaptation

The new rules are likely to beneﬁt seasoned agents who have established trust and extensive networks with buyers and sellers.

Conversely, newer agents, especially those working primarily as buyer brokers, may face challenges as they adjust to the new compensation structures. Buyers might increasingly approach sellers directly, leveraging the control listing agents have over negotiations. While the intent is to save sellers money, the real impact will depend on the dynamics of negotiation. Both sales prices and buyers’ agent commissions will become key points of negotiation, potentially leading to varied outcomes.

Conclusion

The real estate industry is on the brink of signiﬁcant change.

These new NAR rules are set to reshape how commissions are structured, oﬀering potential cost savings for sellers and introducing more transparent and negotiable compensation models for buyers’ agents. As the market adapts, seasoned agents with strong client relationships may ﬁnd themselves well-positioned, while newer agents will need to navigate a more complex landscape.

For further inquiries and assistance with real estate mortgage needs, please contact Ken Go at 1st Innovative Finance Group. Call 562-508-7048 or email kennethgo@verizon.net. CABRE 01021223 NMLS 238636.

Pinoy athletes flying this week to Paris Olympics; PBBM to lead send off

OPTIMISTIC. Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) Chairman Richard Bachmann (seated far right) with the Olympics-bound na�onal boxing team during the Philippine Sportswriters Associa�on (PSA) Forum at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex on Tuesday (June 11, 2024).

MANILA/PARIS – The Philippine delegation to the Paris Olympics which opens in July leaves for the France capital this Friday hoping for more medals than it did in the Tokyo Oympics where the country’s ﬁrst gold medal was harvested.

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. is scheduled to attend the send-oﬀ ceremony for the members of the Paris Olympics-bound Philippine delegation at the Marble Hall of the Ayuntamiento de Manila in Intramuros on

Friday.

Expected to join the President in the evening ceremony are Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino, Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) chairperson Richard “Dickie” Bachmann, Philippine Olympian Association president Gillian Akiko Thomson-Guevara, and national sports association oﬃcials.

At press time, those who qualiﬁed for Paris are polevaulter Ernest J Obiena; gymnasts Carlos Yulo, Aleah Finnegan, Levi Ruivivar, and Emma Malabuyo; boxers Aira Villegas, Nesthy Petecio, Hergie Bacyadan, Eumir Marcial, and Carlo Paalam; rower Joanie Delgaco; weightlifters Vanessa Sarno, John Ceniza, and Elreen Ando; and fencer Sam Catantan.

The number of athletes may yet increase as oﬃcials are awaiting announcement in athletics and other sports.

The hopefuls are hurdlers John Cabang Tolentino and Lauren Hoﬀman who are just counting the days before their acceptance notice for the Games arrives along with Filipino American sprinter Kristina Knott and Robyn Brown, the women’s 400-meter hurdles Asian champion.

Boxers Carlo Paalam and Nesthy Petecio will carry the Philippine ﬂag in the parade of nations in the opening ceremony.

Some of them will leave on June 22 for Metz, France where they will stay in a training facility for their ﬁnal preparations.

A Holy Mass will usher in the send-oﬀ ceremony, which will be highlighted by the turnover of the national ﬂag from the PSC to the President and Tolentino.

The POC chief will also present to Marcos the ofﬁcial training and competition apparel from Peak and Adidas.

MANILA - Perhaps no other name is as popular as Biboy in contemporary cockfighting. Born Leandro D. Enriquez to Modesto and Trinidad Enriquez 82 years ago, Biboy first witnessed cockfighting through their family driver. He became interested in the sport and while studying would find time to watch cockfighting at the La Loma Cockpit. For some time, his interest in cockfighting would take a back seat as he concentrated helping his parents on the booming family restaurant and hotel business.

Know more about Biboy. cockfighting, and the game fowl industry in a book that will be launched on June 20, 2024 at the Bistro Manuel, Estancia de Lorenzo in San Mateo, Rizal. Authored by veteran writer and publisher Melandrew T. Velasco, the Biboy book is published by Media Touchstone Ventures, Inc. (MTVi), an outfit that has produced several coffee table books among these are biographies of the Ramos family; institutional books of MWSS, the Philippine Public Safety College, RPDev; and on local government units, among others. Titled “Biboy: The Inspiring Story of Leandro Diaz Enriquez,” the coffee table book is a tribute to Biboy by it is co-published by EDL Group of Companies Chairman Dr. Eulalio D. Lorenzo, DVM who financed and co-published the book. Biboy is the top endorser of Tatak Excellence Poultry and Livestock Specialist Inc. whose products are manufactured and distributed are top notch in the industry. Incidentally, Tatak Excellence is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year and it’s the premier company among the more than 20 companies underDr. Lorenzo’s EDL Group. This is MTVi’s second coffee table book collaboration with Dr. Lorenzo after “Doc Ayong The Inspiring story of Dr. Eulalio D. Lorenzo, DV published in 2019.

The coffee table book chronicles Biboy’s growing up years in Quezon City, his years as a business executive and hotelier at Silahis and Sulo hotels, as the founder of the Mutya ng Pilipinas and Asian Pacific pageants, franchisee of the Playboy Club of the Philippines, to his pursuit of a passion—cockfighting-- discovered as a young boy. Giving up up his career in the hotel, restaurant and tourism industry, he pursued this passion and today, he is one of the country’s popular cockers. What occupies his time is breeding gamecocks in his Firebird Gamefarm and joining expositions to promote cockfighting and the game fowl industry. Biboy has developed champion bloodlines sought after by cockfighting enthusiasts and breeders alike. The book also features cockfighting which has remained popular through the years not only in the country but also in other parts of the world. It has been and continues to be a source of entertainment for Filipinos. Aside from entertainment, cockfighting is also a sport and considered a part of the Filipino cultural heritage. Cockfighting has provided revenues to the government and generated employment to people. It has contributed to the expansion of the game fowl industry. The prospect of the game fowl industry is tackled in the book as cockfighting evolves with the rapidly changing information and communication technologies that have given rise to e-sabong.

Interested parties for autographed books by Biboy and the author may contact MTVI thru Ms. May Pedrosa at +63

NEW BOOK. Former hotelier and cockﬁgh�ng legend Leandro ‘Biboy’ Enriquez receives a copy of a coﬀee table book on him from author Melandrew Velasco as co-publisher Dr. Eulalio Lorenzo look on.

Demand on China and U.S. to leave PHL rings out on Independence Day rites

By Jun Nucum

SAN FRANCISCO - Over 100 protestors from Northern California Filipino organizations and solidarity grassroots organizations including Malaya Movement San Francisco and BAYAN Northern California mobilized to the San Francisco Philippine Consulate on June 12, Philippine Independence Day for a “Hindipendence Day” rally (“hindi” meaning no/not in Tagalog) to call for genuine Philippine sovereignty.

Various speakers denounced alleged human rights violations, extrajudicial killings, and indiscriminate bombings that have occurred in the Philippines, as a result of U.S. military aid that may come up with PERA act or the Philippine Enhanced Resilience Act of 2024 by Senators Bill Hagerty (R-TN) and Tim Kaine (D-VA) that was introduced this April, which proposes to send $2.5 billion in U.S. military aid to the Philippines over ﬁve years.

Speaker Glenn Mercado from Malaya Movement San Francisco stated opposition to the PERA act, “we must continue calling for the suspension of US military aid to our homeland and hold the Philippine govern-

ment and armed forces accountable through the Philippine Human Rights Act (PHRA)”.

Conchita from Gabriela Daly City spoke on the eﬀect of U.S. military bases and military exercises on the women’s sector saying that “the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) policy and presence of U.S. military bases have contributed to many cases of rape and abuse, citing the case Jennifer Laude, a trans Filipina who was killed by U.S. marine corporal Joseph Scott Pemberton. Let’s defend the safety of our people, especially of our women and workers.”

Community members delivered speeches and a cultural performance of the song ‘Bayan Ko’ in front of a banner reading ‘Atin ang Pinas!’ (‘The Philippines is Ours!’) vowing to return to the Philippine consulate next month on Monday, July 22nd for the People’s State of the Nation Address. The People’s State of the Nation Address is held each year on the 4th Monday in July in response to the current Philippine President’s State of the Nation Address.

On the same day at the China Consulate in San Francisco, dozens of community lead-

ers representing Vietnam, Philippines, Hong Kong, Canton, and Yunnan gathered together to protest China’s aggression in Asia, speciﬁcally its action on the South China Sea chanting “End the Occupation, China Out Now.”

Coinciding with the Philippine Independence Day commemoration, protesters also marked the 5th year of Hong Kong’s protest versus China, and the 5th year of Vietnam’s opposition to China’s Economic Zone.

Both Vietnamese and Filipinos denounce China’s occupation and militarization of islands in South China Sea, speciﬁcally the Spratlys and Scarborough.

In a statement, Filipino American Human Rights Alliance (FAHRA) stressed that “China is blatantly aggressive using its old pirate tactics and gunboat diplomacy reﬂective of a bully nation.”

Recent news shows China endangering small civilian vessels via water-canons and risky maneuvers by China’s Coast Guard and supported by China’s Navy, which is the biggest in the world.

“China even broadened its “9-Dash line”into “10-Dash line to include Taiwan,

Paracels and East Asian Sea from Vietnam, Senkaku islands from Japan and the WPS and its EEZ from the Philippines.

Lately, China just conducted “punishments drills” against Taiwan and deployed jet ﬁghters on the border with India. It also claimed land from Russia and India using the “10-Dash line” doctrine on land, even annoying Russia and India but not North Korea,” the statement lamented.

Protesters vowed to continue to uphold The Hague Ruling of 2016 that invalidated the Chinese doctrine of 9-dash, which if unopposed, will allow China to own 90% of South China Sea.

“China is a rogue country that does not even respect the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) that it signed in 1982,” FAHRA also claimed.

Next rally was set for July 12 to mark the 8th year anniversary of the arbitral award to the Philippines, which negated China’s claim of sovereignty over islands and waters in South China Sea.

Continued feud among top political leaders detrimental to Filipinos wanting solutions to country’s problems

Lone opposition lady Philippine Senator Risa Hontiveros has been in town for herself to give updates and more on local politics in the home country to fellow Filipinos in the U.S. especially on hot issues prevailing and San Francisco and Artesia are some of the cities that she went to in time for the celebration of 126th Philippine Independence.

In San Francisco Public Library talk, Hontiveros rued that the continued back and forth exchanges of words between the warring Marcos-Duterte families leave the Filipino people remained hungry and jobless, the Philippines continue to be threatened and harassed by China in the West Philippine Sea, women and girls continue to seek justice for abuses committed by fugitive pastor Apollo Quiboloy, human traﬃcking victims increased by the thousands due to POGOs and scam hubs, among others.

“The list of problems come and go on and

on. As a member of the opposition, witnessing this feud unravel before our eyes only makes me more motivated to take action, to take this time to reintegrate our base broaden our alliance and show the Filipino people that we in the opposition can oﬀer a much much better alternative. That we can provide good governance. That we can lead. That we can win,” Hontiveros oﬀers some relief.

On developments that may have started early on in the Marcos presidency when Vice President Sara Duterte was not given the Defense department portfolio and instead was given the Education department where her supposed bid for hundreds of millions of pesos in intelligence fund was denied in the budget hearings that followed, followed closely by the sudden change of mind in the possible reentry of the Philippines to the International Criminal Court that then President Rodrigo Duterte pulled out the country from

have somehow contributed to the widening of rift between the two presidents. Now comes the bid in the House of Representatives for charter change or Cha Cha to supposedly install Speaker Martin Romualdez to the Prime Minister post that would somehow push VP Duterte away from the presidency.

“This open warfare was apparent during the last week of January. The Marcos administration held the whole of government Bagong Pilipinas rally in Manila… (while) that very same day, all the way in Davao City, the Dutertes also hosted a prayer rally an event that demonstrated their clear opposition to the current administration,” Hontiveros recalled. “My beloved fellowmen our country needs all the help it can get. I ask that you stay involved in our lifelong project of nation building.”

On the South China Sea issue, she believes that frontline of the response to China is political and diplomatic that should always be ﬁrst with the continuous modernization of the Armed Forces and the implementation of the recently-passed self-reliant defense posture program law should be next coming up next.

“What is important is for us to take advantage of the growing number of countries and regional alliances that have explicitly said they’re on our side. They share with us the value of rule of law at sea, freedom of navigation, rule-based of conﬂict resolution in any past of the south China Sea including the West Philippine Sea. It is a renewal of alliance between the US and the Philippines as equals and renewed alliances with Japan, Southeast

Asian countries like Indonesia, Vietnam, Brunei that have pushed back against China in various part of the South China Sea, Australia New Zealand, UK, France and even India,” Hontiveros stressed.

As the issue on the Philippine oﬀshore gaming operation (POGO) has become very hot lately, Hontiveros reported that the House of Representatives reportedly has already passed a bill outlawing it while the senate under the committee on economic aﬀairs under former chair Sherwin

An�-China rally was conducted by Filipinos and Vietnamese in front of Chinese Consulate in San Francisco. (FAHRA photo)

Group shot with Senator Hon�veros (front center with shawl) and her audience at San Francisco Public Library

Senator Risa Hon�veros

Filipinos protested in front of the San Francisco Philippine Consulate on Philippine Independence Day (Photo credit: Andrew Paguio)

Summer health safety steps needed amidst threats

It is summer time again and timely reminders, precautionary steps have been discussed and advanced in order to better prepare and not be caught ﬂat-footed in the face of some anticipated threats brought about by diﬀerent causes that have beset the populace in recent years.

In an national May 24, 2024 briefing of Ethnic Media Services dubbed as How Safe Are We This Summer?, discussion was held to know more and address the significant threat of avian flu and the new COVID variant known as FLiRT.

Among those who spoke at the brieﬁng were Associate Professor, with a research focus on highly pathogenic avian inﬂuenza disease modeling, UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine Dr. Maurice Pitesky, Professor of Medicine and Director of the immunocompromised host infectious diseases program, UCSF Dr. Peter Chin Hong, and Professor of Biology, Texas A&M University Dr. Benjamin Neuman.

The avian flu also known as bird flu, which is affecting afflicting the poultry and poultry and dairy industry not only here in the US but globally in the US, the poultry and dairy industry is where many of our immigrant workers are employed, are there dangers for some of our most vulnerable people in the workforce?

New, more contagious, some variant of COVID is also taking hold. Do our vaccines and diagnostics have the capacity to base KP 2 from the family.

Pitesky explains that waterfowl, like ducks and geese, and these birds are migratory by nature, so they can travel literally thousands of miles that in the summertime, they breed when they’re up in the Arctic.

“Because our globe is round that’s when all these birds and all these flyways start interfacing so, when you have different versions of avian influenza in different flyways. Birds interface with avian influencers from different flyways and that’s how we get this very unique reassortments and combinations so I would say that we’ve probably had avian influenza as long as we’ve had water fowl,” Piteski added.

When waterfowl migrate into California, for example, where there are a lot of commercial poultry and commercial dairy, they might be roosting and feeding in areas where there are human agriculture and a risk is taken every time there is interactions between wild birds for example and domesticated animals such as chickens and dairy cows.

“The spatial interface between wild animals and domesticated animals is where any kind of transmission can potentially occur so you could have infected water

fowl when they go to the bathroom when they then have fecal shedding when they poop basically they can shed virus when they’re infected and that virus can stay infectious in their fecal material,” continued Pitesky.

Piteski believes that avian ﬂu is an occupational hazard and just like all diseases there is under reporting we probably have more under reporting and a disease like this because there is a lot of folks that work in this industry might be undocumented.

Poultry is the right now the number one consumed animal protein on the planet. It’s relatively inexpensive and we have it’s so important if we’re going to feed 2 billion more people in the next few decades. What we’re dealing with right now is an existential issue to the poultry industry globally. Poultry is probably part of that solution and and if we can’t get a good handle on this, I’m afraid that that’s going to be a real challenge for us to do on the food security side.

And food security is really, really important. For global stability and and for for all of us to be able to thrive so I’m concerned just from a food security side, let alone from this this potential for another pandemic.

Dr. ChinHong expects to see more cases of bird ﬂu in humans days move on as what happened in the last 30 years when there were already about 880 cases in humans with about 50 50% fatality rate.

Like Pitesky, ChinHong believes 100% that there is an underreporting of cases because of the vulnerability of immigrant workers who are largely in these industries.

“Because, it’s been very diﬃcult for multiple reasons to have farm workers submit samples even when people from the CDC and others have gone in and they’re due to a few factors. Immigration since I see many of these workers are probably undocumented so there’s fear of deportation so if there was some regulation around immigration on the see i think It will help all of us,” cited ChinHong. “Another is income assurance, which is related to sick leave. The fact not only do workers will get compensated even if they’re sick and they don’t come or if they were diagnosed.”

Asked whether humans are going to get sick by drinking infected milk and eating infected beef, ChinHong mentioned that H5N1 inﬂuenza are fragments that wouldn’t hold virus since they are just chopped up pieces.

“And in fact the CDC did work and some other people by taking some of these fragments and putting it into chicken and

eggs really which is kind of to see if they would come back alive and they didn’t. the process of pasteurization, which is heating the milk at very high temperatures for a short period of time,” ChinHong added.

Neuman described the characteristics of KP 2 saying that this is a new name for a very old thing.

“The name ﬂirt, capital FL, lowercase i, capital RT that comes from 2 particular mutations that have been seen in this strain. These are both mutations that are common. And the mutations we’re talking about a change in amino acids and so there’s an amino acid that was F that turns into an L and an R that turns into a T that’s where it comes from,” Neuman revealed. “These are adaptive mutations that have popped up on several diﬀerent lines. And so they seem to be recurring and they seem to give the virus a little boost.”

Neuman also stated that there are pretty good statistical models now for predicting

the characteristics of a new strain when we only have its sequence information. For example, we can predict quite reliably how well this virus will grow, how well it will be able to evade immunity. And how well it will be able to compete with other versions of the COVID virus.

This is one of the more aggressive versions of the virus that we have ever seen. Well, this is at the top of the scale in terms of immune resistance which means that it will almost certainly be able to infect people even if they have been recently vaccinated although recent vaccination still remains very much the best way to not die from the virus so there’s some chance of infection.

When we know that this is a virus that occurs sporadically and peaks at diﬀerent times throughout the year every year. It’s essentially unpredictable. So we’re treating COVID as if it were ﬂu, even though it’s very much not.

Dr. Maurice Pitesky

Dr. Peter ChinHong

Dr. Benjamin Neuman

As I see It

(From Page 11)

a Library Services Manager over Organizational Development and Partnerships.

Elizabeth Muñoz-Rosas, the second recipient, is one of the most popular librarians at Gilroy Library, where she serves as the Children’s Supervising Librarian. Muñoz-Rosas has advocated effectively to bring materials, services and programs to her community that reflect the interests of all residents. Her advocacy for Spanish language materials ensures that library patrons see their lives and stories reflected in the collection.

She has also spearheaded programs of great relevance to the community of Gilroy. This includes working with the Smithsonian Institution’s Traveling Exhibition Service to bring the bilingual exhibit Dolores Huerta: Revolution in the Fields to the Gilroy Library. More than 1,300 total visitors were able to enjoy this free exhibit. To coincide with the opening of the exhibit, Muñoz-Rosas organized a panel of distinguished speakers, including Dolores Huerta, to discuss the plight of the farmworker and Huerta’s legacy. More than 600 community members attended the program.

Muñoz-Rosas ﬁrst began her career with SCCLD in 2007 as a part-time librarian at the Campbell Library.

County Librarian Jennifer Weeks said: “Clare and Elizabeth are truly talented and dedicated library staﬀ who have worked tirelessly to improve their communities’ quality of life. While this is something we have always known, we are thrilled that they are both getting nationwide recognition. We hope their groundbreaking and inspiring work and advocacy encourage other library systems across the country to campaign for their patrons’ well-being, just as Clare and Elizabeth have done.”

With that, I would say, let’s continue patronizing the public library. They are there to serve us!

That’s perhaps, the reason why I served the Milpitas Public Library as a Library Education and Advisory Commissioner (LEAC) for 12 years as a member and eventually as chair for most of the years.

Health & Wealth...

(From Page 11)

584-7095 or email: artmadlaing@hotmail.com This Special Oﬀer is only good in the United States.

(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.)

(From Page 11)

maybe even a Chinese billionaire or two.

Hey, maybe even the mother and son tandem in the Senate will donate a nice two-storey, single detached house to the widow and kids of the slain ﬁsherman (I still do not accept the word ﬁsherfolk, ok?) in a subdivision of their choosing.

It goes without saying that China will still blame the Philippines for the casualty of the undeclared war at sea. Our West Philippine Sea.

His dedicated followers will ask me the obvious question: What do you want our beloved president to do, you damn dilawan?

How about this: With every assault on our kababayans in our waters, downgrade our diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic. Little by little, step by step.

No, we should not break our ties with Xi and his Communist Party of China. But we should make it clear that we have had enough of China’s diplomatic double talk.

Scrap the educational and cultural exchanges with China, at least for the time being.

Do not allow Chinese tourists into the country. Let them go to North Korea instead. We want more Chinese tourists? Yes and no. We should spread out the red carpet to travelers from Taiwan. They’re the good kind of Chinese, aren’t they?

Rethink the One China policy. Our good friends from Taiwan have made it perfectly clear that they do not want to unify with the People’s Republic, so let’s respect the wishes of the Taiwanese majority.

Raid and deport all POGO managers and employees of obvious Chinese citizenship.

Incidentally, not too long ago, a number of our senators demanded that Beijing’s ambassador to Manila be declared persona non grata. Why not?

My point is that the Philippine government should stop diplomatic protests each time there is an incident, as China ignores those scraps of paper anyway. Take some action, instead. At the very least, the pent up anger of the Filipino people will be appeased, even a little. As for me, I’d ﬂatten all the tires of all the cars of the Chinese embassy in Manila. But then, I’m just an angry Pinoy kid at heart.

Upside...

(From Page 10)

Katrina Uy, Finance Coordinator; Leilani Semana and Claire Satuito, Co-Logistics Coordinators; Liam De Vera and Kesiah Zabala, aCo-Undergraduate Representatives; Jerisa Pasco, Cherry Caneng, and Joanna Gatchalian, Co-Aesthetics & Events Coordinators; Kris Vicencio and Ysabel Brosas, Co-Internal Public Relations Coordinators, and Theo Bonifacio and Ric Prado, Co-External Public Relations.

Murao described the Filipinx Graduation as a student-run graduation under PACE. The eﬀort “welcomes students from any major and any graduate level to help commemorate the hard work, eﬀort and resilience they have put into their community during their time at SFSU,” she added.

“You do not have to be Filipinx or a part of PACE in order to participate. It has been held annually during the spring semester, and is an alternative, more-intimate college graduation ceremony at SFSU.”

Acknowledging one’s ancestry and recognizing the surrounding community harks back to the beginnings of student activism at the campus where this country’s ﬁrst ethnic studies program was born and continues to inspire and develop future leaders.

Among prominent FilAm alums are retired SF Superior Court Judge Ron Quidachay and SFSU Professor Dan Gonzales. Former BART Board trustee Rodel Rodis met his wife Edna Austria, one of his students when he taught history there.

Cherie M. Querol Moreno is Executive Editor of Philippine News Today, Founder-Executive Director of ALLICE Alliance for Community Empowerment and Manager of Peninsula Family Service Got Wheels! Transportation program.

Act of war?...

(From Page 1)

that the AFP will not be cowered by Beijing in defending the Philippine territory. Brawner also demanded that China return several riﬂes and equipment seized by a China Coast Guard while the Philippine soldiers were on a re-supply mission in Ayungin Shoal, a part of the Philippine territory and exclusive economic zone.

Reports from the AFP Western Command indicated Chinese personnel on board more than eight motorboats repeatedly rammed then boarded two Philippine navy inflatable boats Monday to prevent Filipino navy personnel from transferring food and other supplies including firearms to a Philippine territorial outpost in Ayungin Shoal (Second Thomas Shoal). After a scuffle and repeated collisions, the Chinese seized the boats and damaged them with machetes, knives and hammers. They also seized eight M4 rifles, which were packed in cases, navigation equipment and other supplies and wounded a number of Filipino navy personnel, including one who lost his right thumb, two Philippine security officials disclosed.

The United States renewed a warning Tuesday that it is obligated to defend the Philippines under a mutual defense treaty.

The powerful Group of Seven (G7) composed of the United States, Japan, France, Germany, Canada, Britain and Italy called out China for its “increasing use” of dangerous maneuvers and water cannons against Filipino vessels as it reiterated its opposition to Chinese “intimidation activities” in the South China Sea.

Following the G7 statement, the US renewed a warning that it’s obligated to defend the Philippines.

U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell discussed China’s actions with Philippine counterpart, Maria Theresa Lazaro, in a telephone call. Both agreed that China’s “dangerous actions threatened regional peace and stability,” State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said.

Campbell reaﬃrmed that the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty, which obligates Washington and Manila to help defend the other in major conﬂicts, “extends to armed attacks on Philippine armed forces, public vessels, or aircraft – including those of its coast guard – anywhere in the South China Sea,” according to Miller.

In a post on X, Washington’s ambassador to Manila MaryKay Carlson said the US condemned China’s “aggressive, dangerous maneuvers,” which “caused bodily injury” and “damaged Philippine vessels.”

(From

Gatchalian already issued a committee report signed by a majority number of senators banning POGO within three months. This senate report has not been acted upon yet and somehow the problems on alleged POGO-related crimes such as prostitution, illegal recruitment and detention, the pastillas scam and now the POGO-related human traﬃcking, cyber scamming, money-laundering and possible espionage continue.

“One thing being investigated now is that there are different groups different POGO companies operating in the Philippines. Some may have designated different parts of the country their turf some may eventually emerge in the investigation as being linked to each other or having some form of interlocking directorate like a director in one company may turn out to be an officer of the other. And yes beyond the Philippines it could eventually emerge in our final committee report that these POGOs are part of a regional or international network,” disclosed Hontiveros after being asked by Philippine News Today publisher Francis Espiritu if senate committee inves-

tigations show that there is a connection in the POGO in the Philippines and the scams happening in the U.S.

As to whether divorce law may see the light of day in the Philippines, Hontiveros is upbeat mentioning that a majority of the members of her committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality signed a report on the divorce bill approval and is waiting to be reported out in plenary.

“Recent surveys have validated that majority of Filipinos support a divorce law be passed. Some Catholic institutions like Ateneo de Manila have issued a position paper that divorce is a public issue and not a religious issue,” she reported. “The new senate president Chiz Escudero, though he said, he is not for the divorce bill he committed to not blocking it and will allow a conscience vote to be cast on the divorce bill in the senate. We have a ﬁghting chance now.”

Hontiveros also is optimistic that we have reasons to happily celebrate Philippine independence as “we are still here we are surviving we are ﬁghting we have the capacity to assess our situation and to decide what best we can do on the current

Page 18)

Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr., Armed Forces of the Philippines chief, visited the injured soldiers at the AFP Western Command in Palawan, decorated one with a wounded soldier medal as he vowed

FilAm Kuya Lord Chef Maynard Llera wins California’s Best Chef Award

By Elpidio R. Es�oko

Los Angeles, California - The prestigious James Beard Foundation Awards for California’s Best Chef for 2024 was awarded to a FilAm from Los Angeles, California last Monday in Chicago.

The most coveted national restaurant award in America for Best Chef: California went to Kuya Lord Chef Lord Maynard Llera, 45, a chef from Los Angeles. Maynard’s win was the only one for Los Angeles this year.

In a telephone interview in his home in LA (he just arrived from Chicago where he accepted the award), Chef Maynard said: “It’s just surreal… my efforts and creative works in my recipes were recognized and I am happy about it. I came here 20 years ago from the Philippines with a dream of opening a restaurant.” He was at the Chicago Airport waiting for his 4:30 pm flight to LA, when I first got hold of him.

The awards ceremony took place in Chicago celebrating culinary and beverage professionals across a range of cuisines, price points and locales. The James Beard Foundation Awards are often referred to as “the Oscars of food.”

Kuya Lord, the name of Llera’s restaurant, is an elevated fast casual restaurant concept by Chef Lord Maynard Llera featuring regional Filipino dishes that he grew up eating in Lucena City, Quezon Province, Philippines. While the food harkens back to his childhood,

Chef Maynard applied his classical techniques in enhancing and reinventing traditional Filipino dishes. (Stephanie Breijo, Staﬀ writer, LA Times)

Before the pandemic hit in 2019, Llera launched his Kuya Lord pop-ups that brought his spin on Southern Tagalog cuisine to wine bars, breweries, food events, and private dining rooms. Through those pop-ups, he was able to showcase all of his three restaurant concepts: ﬁne dining, fast casual and street food.

When COVID-19 struck and Californians were made to stay home, Kuya took the opportunity to do some research and development, cultivated recipes for his upcoming project by converting his La Cañada Flintridge house garage and backyard into a full kitchen and grill.

For the ﬁrst few months, Kuya Lord and his wife Gigi, cooked Filipino food for friends, relatives and people who have been long time followers, and through word of mouth, more people inquired about his food. That was how Kuya Lord came to be as people started picking up food on a weekly basis and the most favorite was the gigantic portions of various dishes served family style. (Kuya Lord,com)

Lord Maynard Llera, 45, was born and raised in the Philippines. He migrated to the U.S. in 2004 to study culinary arts, with the ultimate goal of opening his own restaurant. After graduating from the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York, Llera moved to Los Angeles where he found himself

working in some of the hottest kitchens in the West Coast with Chefs Neal Fraser, Nyesha Arrington, Walter Manske, and more prominently as the sous chef to Ori Menashe at one of the city’s favorite restaurants, BESTIA.

Llera became the Culinary Director of the h. wood Group, developing its own culinary program, and creating restaurant concepts across the US.

“Maynard focuses on using high quality ingredients and thoughtful cooking processes to make Filipino food shine. His Lucenachon, a Filipino-style porchetta, is a 4-day process of infusing Filipino ﬂavors of garlic and lemongrass into a juicy and tender pork belly roast, with the crispiest, crackling skin. For his pancit chami, Maynard builds layers of sweet and spicy ﬂavors, with every timely integration of his 20+ ingredients” - Patrick Manalo, Paper Plate Zine Issue No. 1

“Pancit Chami is a signature dish of Lucena City, and with thick noodles and a starchy, gravy-like sauce, it’s fairly diﬀerent from other types of pancit. Kuya Lord’s version is among the best we’ve ever had, period. It comes with either blue prawns or lechon kawali, but choosing one is a huge problem, because both are equally fantastic. - Brant Cox, The Infatuation Llera’s signature dish is lechon and sweet sausages, “I want to thank my wife, who came here to America to be with me and to support me since day one,” Llera said during his acceptance speech. “She even quit her job and

shared with me through this journey. Without her, Kuya Lord wouldn’t be here now … this recognition is not just a testament to my individual eﬀorts and hard work but a reﬂection of the support and encouragement and collaboration from many wonderful people in my life. I am fortunate enough to have mentors, friends and family all throughout this journey.”

Chef Llera graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York and subsequently began his professional career at The Green Room, a Forbes Four-Star French ﬁne-dining restaurant in Delaware’s renowned Hotel DuPont.

At The h. wood Group, Chef Llera brought a unique dining experience to each restaurant, incorporating his Filipino heritage and ﬁnding modern and creative ways to reinvent classic ﬂavors. From traditional, family-style Italian to playful, tiki-inspired tapas Llera’s menus underscore quality and craft while maintaining approachability.

He kept on saying: “You don’t go to a restaurant just to eat good food. The most important things are the memories created out of the dining experience. A good dining experience is being together with the people close to your heart,” emphasizing the importance of meals as an occasion for friends and family.

As a ﬁnal word during the interview, Kuya Maynard said: “Follow your passion… make a solid plan, work hard no matter what and never give up. Be patient, and be humble.”

Heart of Hope

In this wonderful era of health-consciousness, olive oil, which is an essential ingredient in the Mediterranean Diet, considered the healthiest diet in the world, is on the spotlight today. Olive oil has been used since 4,000 BC. It is amazingly useful and versatile.

The most common method of making olive oil is by cold pressing, without the use of heat or chemicals. This process helps the oil to retain its nutritional value, because beneﬁcial plant compounds are broken down by high heat. The oleic acid content of olive oil determines its grade. The highest grades, extra virgin and virgin olive oil, are always cold pressed to preserve its highest level of oleic acid.

For cooking, frying, sauteing, light virgin olive oil is recommended. Extra virgin olive oil is popularly used for dips and salad dressing. Other uses of extra virgin olive oil: dental cleaning, skin moisturizer, wound application as a “liquid bandage,” and as a health drink (a tablespoon a day).

Olive oil is preferred over Canola Oil, Vegetable oil, Sunﬂower oil, and others on the market. The next best is Avocado Oil, which is second to olive oil in the level of healthy monounsaturated fats.

Extra virgin

Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) contains more than 20 varieties of polyphenols, plant-based antioxidant chemicals that reduce inflammation and protect our arteries and our heart. They fight unhealthy free radicals in our body that cause oxidative stress, to minimize the signs of aging and the risk of getting chronic diseases. Oxidation is the process that makes all of us age. The more stress we have in life, including bad habits and unhealthy behavior, the greater the oxidative process and faster we age. Living a healthy lifestyle, which includes fish (seafood) and plant-based diet and daily exercise (plus no smoking, skimping or abstinence from alcohol and illicit drugs) is the best way to reduce oxidative stress, slow down aging, and maintain a good health.

Beneﬁts

There are at least a dozen health beneﬁts provided by olive oil. Among them are: Olive oil is gluten-free and high in unsaturated fat, which is associated with lowered risk of heart

Olive oil wonders

disease, T2 diabetes, cancer, and other chronic diseases. It also contains vitamin E (12.9 percent of the Daily Value), a powerful antioxidant that boosts the immune system, and vitamin K (6.8 percent of the DV), which plays a major role in blood clotting and bone health.

A tablespoon (15 ml) of cold pressed olive oil has 119 calories, 13.5 grams of total fat (saturated – 2 grams, monounsaturated – 10 grams, and polyunsaturated – 1.5 grams. Nearly 71 percent of its fat comes from unsaturated fats oleic acid, which lowers the low-density lipoprotein (LDL -the bad cholesterol) and about 11 percent from omega fatty acids. It is indeed packed with healthy fats, about 5 times more monounsaturated fats compared to grapeseed oil, which is healthy because it contains a lot of Omega 6 fatty acids. Omega 3 is the healthier of the two.

(The USDA recommends consumption of 20-35 percent of calories from fat, mainly unsaturated. Fats from red meats are unhealthy saturated fats, linked to increased risk for cardiovascular diseases, Alzheimer’s and even cancer.)

Cold pressed olive oil also contains 30 beneficial plant compounds, mostly potent antioxidants with good anti-inflammatory health effects.

The potent antioxidant contents of olive oil fight against harmful unstable molecules called free radicals and as such, helps ward off heart disease, diabetes and cancer. It also contains oleuropein, oleocanthal, and hydroxythyrosol, which are partly responsible for the benefits of the Mediterranean Diet, including stronger bones, lesser arthritis, reduced cardiac disease, brain maladies, Alzheimer’s, and cancer.

A study of more than 84,000 women revealed that substituting foods high in monounsaturated fats like olive oil for saturated fats (as in red meats, lard, and other cooking oil) reduced heart disease by 15 percent. The Mediterranean Diet itself, which relies heavily on olive oil, has been shown to reduce the risk of heart attack by 18 percent.

In a 4.5-year research in 923 individuals who adhered to a healthy diet were found to have a 53 percent reduction in the rate of Alzheimer’s Disease.

Besides reducing the risk for T2 diabetes and improving blood sugar level, olive oil also delays the progression of arthritis, provides relief from constipation, aids in losing weight, and helps maintain healthy hair, skin, and nails. Many cosmetic products have olive oil in them. The extra virgin olive oil

is also good for gastric infection from helicobacter, chapped lips, cracked heel, sunburn, removing sticky substances, as hair-conditioner, ear-wax remover, etc. Olive oil is indeed versatile.

Historical data suggest Jesus Christ most likely ate olive oil as part of his peasant Mediterranean-style diet in Nazareth, a village in Galilee, and in Judea, regions in Israel. Olive oil is very popular in Europe. The European Union (EU) is the world’s largest producer, consumer, importer and exporter of olive oil, about 53 percent of global consumption. In 2022, the EU consumed more than 1.55 million tons of olive oil, with Italy and Spain as the largest users.

So, as far as cooking is concerned, instead of using unhealthy saturated-fat-loaded lard, shortening, butter, or bacon grease for cooking, use light virgin oil, and for a substitute for creamy salad dressings, try extra virgin olive oil (with or without vinegar). Olive oil-based sauces are also better than cream- or cheese-based sauces, even for dips.

Let’s lubricate, not only our joints but our health, with the wonders of olive oil.

The main objective of this column is to educate and inspire people to live a healthier lifestyle to prevent illnesses and disabilities and achieve a happier and more productive life. Any diagnosis, recommendation, or treatment in our article are general medical information and not intended to be applicable to or appropriate for anyone. This column is not a substitute for your physician, who knows your condition well and who is your best ally when it comes to your health.

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

PHILIP S. CHUA

Recipe of the Week

Ingredients:

Binagoongan Manok, Chicken in Salted Shrimp Paste

1/2 cup bagoong alamang (pre-sautéed salted shrimp paste)

1 kilo chicken cut into serving pieces, bone in

1 large size onion, coarsely chopped

2 large size tomato, coarsely chopped

1/2 head garlic, crushed, chopped

2-3 pcs. bay leaf

1 tsp. crushed pepper

corns

1/4 cup vinegar

1 tbsp. sugar cooking oil

Cooking procedure:

In a large wok sear chicken on all sides in batches, keep aside. Using the same wok quickly sauté the garlic, onion and tomato a couple of minutes until soft and wilted. Add in the chicken and shrimp paste and continue to stir cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add in 1 to 2 cups of water, vinegar, bay leaf, sugar and crushed peppercorns, bring to a boil and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes or until tender and most of the liquid has evaporated,stirring occasionally. Serve hot with a lot of rice.

Cagsawa Festival dishes out gastronomic delights

DARAGA, Albay – Coconut milk and chili are at the heart of Bicolano cuisine, but if there is one place in the region that surely knows how to tickle taste buds using these key ingredients, it is Daraga town in Albay.

As part of this year’s Cagsawa Festival, ﬁve cooks from all over the region went head-to-head in their quest to serve the best dish that captures the rich history, culture, and tradition of this town at the Cagsawa Ruins, PNA’s Gladys Seraﬁca reported.

Against the backdrop of the majestic Mayon Volcano, amateur and professional culinary experts wielded their magic as they infused innovative twists to elevate traditional recipes.

Here are the top three gastronomic delights that made the cut in this savory spectacle.

1. Pinangat with a modern ﬂair

John Pestin’s “Manok sa Ibalon,” at ﬁrst glance, may seem like the ordinary pinangat, the savory signature specialty in Bicol made from taro leaves, chili, and meat stewed in coconut milk and tied with coconut leaves.

But there is more to this dish than meets the eye.

To level up the humble pinangat, Pestin used chicken breast as a substitute for the usual morsels of dried ﬁsh and pork meat found in most traditional recipes, then added mushrooms, chili, macapuno, pili nuts, and other spices.

He then stewed the pinangat in coconut milk, tapioca sauce, and crab paste to give the dish a unique umami taste. He also paired it with Adlai rice, a local grain known for its subtle and chewy texture, which is gradually becoming a rice substitute for people with diabetes.

The result? A savory feast for the taste buds, which was described as “innovative, insightful,” and a product of “modern techniques” by one of the judges, renowned local chef Jesse Uy.

2. Bicolano-Italian fusion

Rey Mallorca’s “Cagsawa Pasta” is an edible work of art that showcases the iconic Cagsawa Ruins in all its splendor.

The visual spectacle features a mound of al dente spaghetti bathed in

laing sauce and arranged masterfully to resemble the Mayon Volcano. At the crater’s edge, coconut milk foam rose, mirroring plumes of smoke, while red chili sauce cascades down the sides like the ﬁery molten lava.

Squid meat balls, cooked in their natural ink, were strategically placed on the plate to depict the dark boulders surrounding the ruins. A tuile, a thin wafer cookie shaped like the Cagsawa belfry, completed the look.

Mallorca’s Italian pasta met Bicolano laing, which packs layers of ﬂavor and texture, is a sight to behold. No wonder, this fancy-looking dish could only come from a creative genius who can turn an ordinary-looking plate into an edible canvas worthy of public attention.

3. Picadillo with a twist

Juanita Llaguno’s “Chicken Picadillo” warms both body and soul. Its charm lies in its simplicity and in its ability to transport people back to moments spent around the family table.

“In Daraga, picadillo is commonly prepared using ﬁsh, but I’ve put my own twist on this dish by replacing it with chicken,” Llaguno said in the vernacular.

For her specialty, she delicately wrapped the slabs of chicken in pechay leaves, gently simmering them in luscious coconut milk sauce. She then added garlic, onions, tomato, ginger, and chili to infuse the stew with that distinct blend of ﬂavor.

“My dish is for the masses,” she proudly said.

Food and cultural identity

Recognizing that food is an important identity marker, this year’s Bikol’s Best Fest: Cagsawa Cooking Competition aimed to showcase the rich culinary heritage of the town and discover dishes that are distinctively Daragueño.

“We want the world to know that, aside from Cagsawa Ruins, we also have a vibrant culinary culture. Our food is one way to introduce ourselves as a people because it reﬂects our history, culture, traditions, and values,” Daraga Mayor Carlwyn Baldo said.

WINNING DISH. John Pes�n’s “Manok sa Ibalon” bagged the top prize in the 2024 Bikol’s Best Fest: Cagsawa Cooking Compe��on