7.4.24-7.10.24 by Philippine News Today

CHINA TARGETS EDCA BASES WITH SUPERSONIC MISSILES

SAN FRANCISCO -A 74-year-old Filipina returning home from work was pushed into a moving BART train at Powell Street station and killed on Monday night.

A report by San Francisco Chronicle stated that Corazon Dandan, a Daly City in San Mateo County resident, was struck in the head on the train and fell onto the platform. She later died at the San Francisco General Hospital

Duterte patriarch denies he and sons running for senator

By Jeanne Michael Penaranda

DAVAO CITY/MANILA – As some political pundits consider the Dutertes a threat to the Marcos administration and the nation’s stability if they run and win in the election, former President Rodrigo Duterte denied Vice President Sara Duterte’s revelation that he and his two sons will run for senator in

the May 2025 election.

“Maniwala kayo kay Inday? I-jamming ka niyan nang husto... Saan ka nakakita, tatay dalawang anak magtakbo [sa Senado]... Wag kayong kumagat kay Inday kasi ‘yan si Inday kagaya ko rin ‘yan (You believe Inday? She will have her fun

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

UPSIDE

by Cherie M. Querol Moreno

Gay couple now free from legal barriers

SAN FRANCISCO

– After over 30 years of overcoming legal barriers, Shirl Tan and Jay Mercado are free to be together as wife and wife in the United States. Early this year Tan received her “green card,” allowing them to travel beyond US borders and back.

Before their ﬁrst overseas trip together, they recounted the early days of their relationship and their growing family with author.  Page 10

– Now, it is the Holy See urging all parties in the South China Sea to abide by international law and pursue dialogue as a solution to disputes.

Marcos regime looks to save POGOs

MANILA -- Despite widespread calls for a total and permanent ban on Philippine Overseas Gaming Operators

(POGOs), the Marcos regime appears bent on allowing some to continue doing business in the country.

By Gilda Balan, Ryan Doan-Nguyen, Correspondents

DETROIT -- More than four decades after he was brutally murdered, Chinese American Vincent Chin has not found justice.

The 27-year-old was bludgeoned to death with a baseball bat by two white autoworkers during his bachelor party in

Be�ng Laygo Dolor, Editor

By Cesar Antonio Nucum Jr.

Tan-Mercado Christmas tree proclaims their iden�ty with Pride ﬂag as topper.

Corazon Dandan, 74, perished in a hospital a�er allegedly being pushed on a Millbraebound BART train at Powell Sta�on

VISITING DIPLOMAT. Archbishop Paul Gallagher, Secretary for Rela�ons with States of Holy See, meets with Foreign Aﬀairs Secretary Enrique Manalo in Manila

MWSS, foundation get pledges to plant 2.7-M trees in watersheds in 2025

QUEZON CITY – The Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) and the Million Trees Foundation, Inc.

(MTFI) received pledges from its 31 partners to plant more than 2.7 million trees nationwide, especially in the critical watersheds, in 2025 to ensure the steady supply of water in the country in the years ahead.

The pledge was announced during the 2nd Annual Million Trees Challenge (AMTC) and awarding ceremony held at the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) oﬃce in Balara, Quezon City.

During the ceremony, the MWSS led by Administrator engineer Leonor Cleofas

and AMTC headed by its president Melandrerw Velasco and chairman emeritus Gen. Reynaldo Velasco honored their partners and individuals who planted millions of trees in 2023.

AMTC is targeting to plant 10 million trees by 2030. To date, AMTC has planted 7.8 million trees since 2017.

The awardees for 2023 received certiﬁcates of recognition for fulﬁlling their pledges to plant trees nationwide.

Recipients of the Champion of Trees Award and Million Trees Achiever that have planted over a million trees from 2017 to 2023 were San Miguel Corporation, Manila Water, Maynilad and Sta. Ana International Corporation.

One Million Tree Foundation’s origin

traces back to the Annual Million Tree Challenge, launched on Feb. 18, 2017 by then MWSS administrator Gen. Reynaldo Velasco (ret.)

The foundation rehabilitated seven critical watersheds, namely Angat, Ipo, Kaliwa, La Mesa, Laguna Lake, Umiray, and Upper Marikina, including Manila Bay.

It is advocating for the planting of bamboos along river banks; and narra and ylangylang trees in other areas

Bamboos help absorb excess water, cut soil losses, and minimize soil erosion.

The foundation is not only concerned with tree-planting, reforestation, and environmental sustainability but also to provide livelihood opportunities, particularly those in the communities through its tree-planting advocacy.

Record P6.352-T PHL nat’l budget for 2025 proposed

MANILA – The inter-agency Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC) has pegged at P6.352 trillion the proposed national budget for 2025

DBCC chairperson and Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman said the proposed spending plan for next year is equivalent to 22 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP), and 10.1 percent higher than this year’s budget of P5.768 trillion.

Pangandaman said the DBCC will submit to Congress the proposed 2025 national budget on July 29, one week after the third

State of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.

The proposed budget is anchored on the theme “Agenda for Prosperity: Fulﬁlling the Needs and Aspirations of the Filipino People”.

In line with the Philippine Development Plan (PDP) 2023-2028, the proposed budget for next year aims to develop and protect the capabilities of individuals and families, transform production sectors to generate more quality jobs and produce competitive products, and foster an enabling environ-

ment encompassing institutions, physical and natural environment.

During the same brieﬁng, Pangandaman said the DBCC maintained its economic growth targets for this year through 2028.

Pangandaman said the Philippine economy is expected to “ﬁnish strong” at 6 to 7 percent in 2024, and expand further to 6.5 to 7.5 percent in 2025.

“Despite external headwinds, we are expected to continue surpassing most emerging economies,” she said.

She added the “robust growth momen-

tum” is expected to continue over the medium term with a GDP projection of 6.5 to 8 percent from 2026 to 2028.

“We are committed to implementing growth-enhancing strategies to mitigate these risks such as sustaining government efforts to address inflation, promoting and adopting digitalization to improve efficiency in government spending, accelerating infrastructure development, expanding skills development for our workforce, and strengthening inter-industry supply chain linkages, among others,” Pangandaman said.

PHL can deter hostile attacks due to stronger AFP modernization: Brawner

MANILA – The ongoing moderniza-

tion of the Philippine military has gone far in terms of ramping up the country’s capability to thwart attacks or invasion attempts by hostile forces.

During Tuesday’s preState of the Nation Address (SONA) Special “Resibo ng Serbisyo ng Pangulo” interview over state-run PTV, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. said the military’s modernization dates back to 1995 when their assets began to deteriorate after the closure of American military bases in the country.

“Hindi po natin pwedeng sabihin iyan para hindi alam ng ating mga competitors kung nasaan na tayo. But suﬃ ce to say, na kung mayroon pong gustong sumakop, maginvade sa atin ay talagang lalaban po tayo at siguradong masusugatan sila,” the AFP chief said when asked about the exact progress of the AFP Modernization Program.

Smooth Home Buying and Selling Experience

We bought our ﬁrst home back in 2009 with Rajeev and Monica. Being a ﬁrst �me buyer, they explained the whole process of home buying in detail to us. We were extremely comfortable with them. Rajeev’s extensive experience saved us from buying a home with lots of work and found us a bank owned property (REO) in great condi�on.

While Rajeev nego�ated a great price and terms for us, Monica helped us with a loan that worked with our down payment.

They are a great team and we were so thankful!

Come 2016, we planned to move and listed our home for sale with Rajeev. He advised exactly what needed to be ﬁxed in our home, made vendor appointments and sold it at a great price with minimal �me on the market.

The best part is that Rajeev and Monica stayed connected with us even a�er the sale. I’m a customer for life and feel blessed to have them! --- Hoton

DOJ: Teves extradition to happen late July

CITY/MANILA – Police authorities have arrested former Negros Oriental governor Pryde Henry Teves over his alleged involvement in terrorism activities.

In a report, the PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) said Teves was nabbed in Barangay Taclobo,

Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental at about 8:15 a.m.

The former governor is wanted by the Cebu City Regional Trial Court Branch 74 where he has been charged with violating the Terrorism Financing Prevention and Suppression Act of 2012, with a bail of P200,000.

He was also listed as the top MostWanted Person at the provincial and regional levels.

In August, the Anti-Terrorism Council designated as terrorists Pryde Henry and his brother, former Negros Oriental congressman Arnolfo Teves Jr., over their alleged involvement in several murder incidents and harassment in the province in the past years when they were still in public oﬃce.

These incidents include the March 4, 2023 murder of former Negros Oriental governor Roel Degamo and nine others.

Arnolfo Teves is currently under house arrest in Timor-Leste, pending the host country’s decision on his extradition to the Philippines to face the charges against him.

Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla lauded Pryde Teves’ arrest, saying that the recent development demonstrates the government’s commitment to ﬁghting terrorism.

“The arrest of Pryde Henry Alipit Teves demonstrates our resolute commitment to ﬁghting terrorism and upholding the rule of law,” he said.

LUNGSOD NG SAN CARLOS PAUNAWA SA PANGKALAHATANG MUNISIPAL NA HALALAN at panukalang tanong ay iboboto

IBIBIGAY DITO ANG PAUNAWA na ang isang Pangkalahatang Munisipal na Halalan ay gaganapin sa Lungsod ng San Carlos sa Martes, Nobyembre 5, 2024 para sa dalawang (2) miyembro ng Konseho ng Lungsod para sa buong termino ng apat na taon at isang Ingat-yaman ng Lungsod para sa buong termino ng apat na taon.

Ang panahon ng nominasyon para sa mga tanggapang ito ay magsisimula sa Lunes, Hulyo 15, 2024 sa ganap na 8:00 a.m. at magsasara sa Biyernes, Agosto 9, 2024 sa ganap na 5:00 p.m. Kung ang isang nanunungkulan na opisyal ng Lungsod ay hindi maghain ng mga papeles sa nominasyon sa ika-9 ng Agosto na deadline, ang panahon ng paghahain ay papalawigin ng limang (5) araw, na magtatapos sa Miyerkules, Agosto 14, 2024 sa ganap na 5:00 ng hapon para sa mga hindi nanunungkulan na kandidato. Ang mga papeles ng nominasyon para sa mga nahalal na posisyon ay dapat makuha mula sa Klerk ng Lungsod.

Kung walang isa o isang tao lamang ang nominado para sa isang elektibong katungkulan, ang paghirang sa elektibong opisina ay maaaring gawin ayon sa inutos ng §10229, Kodigo ng Mga Halalan ng Estado ng California.

Ang mga Sentro ng Pagboto ay magbubukas sa Nobyembre 5, 2024 sa pagitan ng mga oras na 7:00 am hanggang 8:00 pm. Ang mga Karagdagang Sentro ng Pagboto na humahantong sa nasabing Araw ng Halalan ay magiging available sa buong County alinsunod sa Batas ng Pagpili ng Mga Botante.

HIGIT PANG IBINIBIGAY ANG PAUNAWA na ang sumusunod na panukalang tanong ay iboboto ng mga kUwalipikadong botante ng Lungsod ng San Carlos sa Martes, Nobyembre 5, 2024 sa Pangkalahatang Munisipal na Halalan:

Ihihirang ba ang Tanggapan ng Ingat-yaman ng Lungsod ng San Carlos?

Ang mga pangunahing argumento na pabor sa o laban sa mga pamamaraan sa itaas ay maaaring isumite sa pamamagitan ng sulat sa City Clerk’s Office, 600 Elm Street, San Carlos para sa pagimprenta at pamamahagi sa mga botante, alinsunod sa mga probisyon ng California Elections Code, bago ang 5:00 p.m. Martes, Agosto 13, 2024. Ang mga argumento sa pagtanggi ng mga may-akda ng nasabing pangunahing argumento ay maaaring isampa bago ang 5:00 p.m. sa Biyernes, Agosto 23, 2024.

Para sa higit pang impormasyon tungkol sa pagtakbo para sa nahalal na tanggapan sa San Carlos, kontakin ang Klerk ng Lungsod na si Crystal Mui sa cmui@cityofsancarlos.org o sa pagtawa sa (650) 802-4219.

Crystal Mui, Klerk ng Lungsod

Inilathala: Hulyo 2, 2024

Former Negros Oriental governor Pryde Henry Teves (Photos courtesy of CIDG)

Marcos names Angara next DepEd chief

MANILA – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has picked Senator Juan Edgardo Sonny Angara as the next secretary of the

Department of Education (DepEd).

Marcos said Angara will replace Vice President Sara Duterte who resigned from DepEd on June 19, 2024 and eﬀective July 19.

“Senator Angara has an extensive legislative history, having championed signiﬁcant educational reforms since joining the Senate of the Philippines in 2013,” Malacanang said.

“His notable legislative achievements include

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Detroit in 1982.

the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act and the Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013 (K-12).”

Marcos also made the announcement during the 17th Cabinet Meeting at the Palace on July 2.

“Sonny has agreed to take on the brief of the Department of Education,” a Palace statement quoted Marcos as saying.

In a separate statement, Angara said he is deeply honored and grateful to Marcos for the trust he has placed by appointing him as the new DepEd chief.

“This signiﬁcant responsibility is one I accept with humility and a profound

The two men who killed him never saw the inside of a prison cell after circuit judge Charles Kaufman were sentenced to three years’ probation after they pleaded guilty to manslaughter. Kaufman’s reason for the clear miscarriage of justice?

“These aren’t the kind of men you send to jail,” he said.

The pair had blamed Asian manufacturers for the downfall of the city’s auto industry. They told the court racism was not an issue in the killing.

This would be disproven after evidence that was not presented in court had eyewitnesses saying they heard the two men shouting racial insults during the attack.

On the anniversary of Chin’s killing, dozens of residents stood beneath Boston’s Chinatown gate to remember Chin. Donning t-shirts that read “STOP ASIAN HATE,” they lit candles arranged in the shape of a heart and a portrait of Chin with his name written in Chinese stating “May 18, 1955 – June 23, 1982.”

If there’s anything positive that came out of the senseless killing of a young

sense of duty,” Angara said.

He added that he is “committed to working with all sectors of society, including my predecessor, Vice President Sara Duterte, to ensure that every Filipino child has access to quality education.”

Angara emphasized that education is the cornerstone of the country’s future, adding that “it is through collective eﬀort that we can address the challenges and seize the opportunities ahead.”

“I am eager to collaborate with President Marcos and the entire administration in serving our students,” Angara said.

Asian American in his prime, it is that countless Asian Americans united across ethnic and cultural lines to protest the injustice that had been meted on Chin.

More than four decades after the crime, activists continue to ﬁght to make sure that Chin is never forgotten. Asian Americans recall the impact his killing had on their struggle for equality and racial justice.

Filmmaker Curtis Chin said, “For a whole generation of Asian American activists, the Vincent Chin case was the case that got them involved.”

It is worth noting that Hollywood had adapted Chin’s story into a movie “Who Killed Vincent Chan?” while law students till enact his trial.

Filmmaker Chin – no relation to the victim – recalled being outraged when he was 14, and wrote letters to newspaper editors. He would spend the next three decades raising Asian American voices, and recalling Vincent Chin’s tragedy amid the racism in 1980s Detroit.

For Helen Zia, the absence of any local organization advocating Asian American civil rights had her cofounding the American Citizens for Justice.

Her organization helped secure a federal trial against Chin’s killers. One was acquitted of civil rights violations while the other was convicted and sentenced to 25 years in prison.

It seemed that some form of justice had ﬁnally come, but it was not to be. That sentence was overturned on appeal.

Last year. Zia launched the Vincent Chin Institute, an advocacy organization to counter hatred against Asian Americans.

In some way, the relatives and friends of Chin can take heart in the fact that he is still remembered and has served as an inspiration for Asian Americans to reject racism and be willing to ﬁght for their rights, no matter the cost.

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/.

Brutal...

Wescom chief, 3 other AFP ofﬁcials promoted

CAMP AGUINALDO, Quezon City–Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Western Command chief Rear Admiral Alfonso Torres Jr. and three other ranking oﬃcials were promoted to the next higher rank.

AFP chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. led the donning or ranks rites at the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) headquarters in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City.

Aside from Torres who was promoted to Vice Admiral, the other promoted oﬃcials were Marine Maj. Gen. Jimmy Larida, AFP deputy chief of staﬀ for operations; Commodore Constancio Arturo Reyes Jr. Wescom deputy commander for

external defense operations; and Wescom deputy commander for internal defense Brig. Gen. Roman Dioso.

Wescom is the uniﬁed command responsible for safeguarding the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

Brawner told the newly-promoted oﬃcials that greater responsibilities and expectations come with higher ranks in the military.

“Be reminded that you are now entrusted with the well-being of your subordinates and the success of our mission, especially in the WPS, in support of our territorial defense operations while upholding our core values of honor, service, and patriotism,” he added.

NAIA travelers urged to use mask amid Japan’s rising bacterial cases

PASAY CITY – The management of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) encourages travelers to wear face masks and observe sanitary measures amid the reported rise in cases of streptococcal toxic shock syndrome (STSS) infection in Japan.

Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) head executive assistant Chris Bendijo said passengers are also encouraged to reach out to authorities if they feel some symptoms so the medical team can immediately attend to their concerns.

Bendijo advised passengers to wash

Duterte...

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with you. Where have you seen a father and his two sons all running for the Senate? Don’t take Inday’s bait because she is just like me.),” Duterte told reporters in Tacloban City.

The former president said it would be “bizarre” to have him and his two sons in the Senate. “Anong gagawin namin sa Senate...Anong gagawin namin doon?” he said as reported by ABS-CBN and Manila media.

On June 25, Vice President Duterte “conﬁrmed” that her father and two brothers, Mayor Sebastian Baste Duterte and Rep. Paolo Duterte would be running for senator in 2025, with one of the brothers gunning for the presidency, adding that was what her mother told her.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Speaker Martin Romualdez who is said to be harboring plans for the presidency said they welcome the candidacy of the Dutertes, saying “we are a free and democratic country.”

Filing of certiﬁcates of candidacy to the midterm election will start in October, according to the Commission on Elections, and it will be known only by then if the Dutertes would make true their plans to run.

Meanwhile, less than a year out from the midterm election, former President Duterte was reported to be favored to win a Senate seat and his sons, although still trailing in the polls, have chances to also win with the former president’s backing.

Polls also show likely Senate re-election for Duterte’s closest allies – Sens.

their hands regularly and cover their mouths when coughing or sneezing.

He, however, said the wearing of face mask is not mandatory.

“Be aware and observant. Be careful of who you mingle with at the airport,” he added.

Infectious diseases expert Rontgene Solante conﬁrmed the presence of STSS in the country.

The Department of Health (DOH) reportedly stated that the STSS is not yet a public health concern.

“We are constantly coordinating with the DOH through the BOQ (Bureau of

Francis Tolentino, Ronald dela Rosa and Christopher Bong Go.

Jean Encinas-Franco, a University of the Philippines political science professor, described the Dutertes as threat. “It is a message to the Marcoses as it is a message to the Filipino people that ‘we are alive and kicking’,” he added.

Victories in the May midterm elections by the Duterte family, backed by their strong political base, could complicate Marcos’ efforts to pass laws, other experts said.

Some political analysts like Julio Amador said the former president may be motivated to run for “political protection,” citing that Duterte is being investigated by the International Criminal Court (ICC) over his “war on drugs” campaign, where thousands were killed.

Lawyer Harry Roque, a Duterte spokesperson when he was president, dismissed the suggestion, saying the court no longer has jurisdiction over the Philippines since the country withdrew its membership from the ICC.

The former president , meanwhile, clariﬁed that the group Hakbang ng Maisug is not calling for the ouster or resignation of President Marcos, pointing out that every administration has its own mistakes and that Maisug is just there to call out the mistakes of the Marcos administration.

“Marcos should not lose any sleep. I want him to work for six years. He was voted by the people to work for six years. You do your work there. Do not worry, nobody is interested in removing you. It is a waste of time,” Duterte saidin a Phiippine Star report. “I am praying that he should live till the end of his term.”

Quarantine) to inform us if they have monitored an uptick in cases involving any virus so we could prepare the policies that we should implement to prevent contamination,” Bendijo said.

According to reports, STSS is a rare bacterial infection that can develop when bacteria spread into deep tissues and the bloodstream. Patients initially suﬀer from fever, muscle pain, and vomiting but symptoms can quickly turn life-threatening with low blood pressure, swelling, and multiple organ failure.

The STSS has a mortality rate of up to 30 percent.

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) arrested seven individuals, including a Chinese national, for oﬀering Filipino minors and women of other nationalities for sexual services, during an operation in Quezon City last week.

NBI Director Jaime Santiago identiﬁed the arrested suspects as Moises Bognot, Jermaine Villanueva, Glenn Paolo Solijon, Darwin Tagalog, Lance Cliﬀord Ungriano, Nighjer Teriote, and Chinese national Zhang Wenyou. They were arrested on June 27 by operatives of the NBI-CyberCrime Division (CCD).

PROMOTED. AFP chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. (le�) dons the new rank on newly-promoted Western Command chief Vice Admiral Alfonso Torres Jr., (right) in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City.

CHINA...

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...while holding their dialogue, Sen. Imelda “Imee” Marcos warned on China’s supposed plan to use hypersonic missiles targeting at least 25 military bases of the Philippines and the United States, including those in Ilocos Norte, Batanes and Cagayan, as China’s biggest Coast Guard vessel called the “Monster” returned to Ayungin Shoal in the West Philippine Sea.

As the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) vowed to look into Sen. Marcos claim, the National Security Council (NSC) said so far it sees “no threat of any imminent attack” from China with the hypersonic missiles.

“Regarding Senator Imee Marcos’ statement about 25 areas potentially targeted by China’s hypersonic missiles due to EDCA (Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement) sites and the West Philippine Sea scenario, the AFP takes such concerns seriously. We are ready to coordinate with Senator Marcos to obtain details and take appropriate actions to ensure our nation’s security,” AFP spokesperson Col. Francel Margareth Padilla said.

“We will reach out to Senator Imee to get more information about her statement because we are not aware of any of the security threats she mentioned,” NSC Assistant Director General Jonathan Malaya as he noted agreement of the two nations to de-escalate tension in the South China Sea and West Philippine sea.

In February last year, President Marcos granted the US access to four more Philip-

Filipina...

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rested transient (homeless) Trevor Belmont, 49, also known as Hoak Taing, on the platform of Powell Street Station shortly after the ﬁrst homicide incident on the BART this year.

Belmont was booked in county jail at 8 a.m. Tuesday morning, where he remains after being arrested on suspicion of murder and inﬂicting injury on an elder, likely to cause great bodily injury.

San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins announced that Trevor Belmont (49), of San Francisco, also known as Hoak Taing was charged in connection to a fatal incident at Powell Street BART Station on July 1, 2024.

Mr. Belmont is scheduled to be arraigned on July 5, 2024, at 1:30 pm in Department 10 at the Hall of Justice. Mr. Belmont is charged with one count of murder (PC 187(a)).

The criminal complaint also alleges that Mr. Belmont personally inﬂicted great bodily

Vatican...

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“The position of the Holy See is quite clear, in such circumstances, such situations of conflict whatever they are, first of all, that every effort must be made – that any differences or conflicts are resolved peacefully,” Vatican’s Secretary for Relations Paul Gallagher said.

“We would encourage parties in conﬂict to abide by international law and to pursue that as a way of resolving diﬃculties and problems with the best interest of all involved,” he said.

The issue of the West Philippine Sea and the Taiwan Strait were among the subjects discussed by Gallagher and Foreign Aﬀairs Secretary Enrique Manalo during a bilateral meeting at the Manila Diamond Hotel.

pine military camps on top of the ﬁve existing locations under the EDCA – the Naval Base Camilo Osias in Sta. Ana, Cagayan; Lal-lo Airport in Lal-lo, Cagayan; Camp Melchor Dela Cruz in Gamu, Isabela; and Balabac Island in Palawan.

The ﬁrst ﬁve EDCA locations were Basa Air Base in Pampanga, Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija, Lumbia Air Base in Cagayan de Oro, Antonio Bautista Air Base in Palawan, and Mactan Benito Ebuen Air Base in Cebu.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), former US Air Force oﬃcial and former Defence Attaché Ray Powell said the CCG 5901 has joined CCG 5203 in Ayungin Shoal as of 7:26 a.m.

“The 165-meter China Coast Guard 5901 (‘The Monster’) has returned for another intrusive patrol in the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone and has just joined the 102-meter CCG 5203 at 2nd Thomas (Ayungin) Shoal,” Powell said.

Sen. Marcos, chairperson of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, claimed that the hypersonic missiles will target all 25 EDCA sites in the country.

““Dahil sa tingin ng Tsina, talagang kumampi na tayo sa kalaban nila... May nakita ako na plano ng Tsina na gagamitin yung hypersonic missile. Ang plano air, ang plano ay yung hypersonic missile at nakatakda na yung 25 na target nila,” Marcos said in a video posted on Facebook page.

Sen Marcos said China’s move is allegedly in response to the Philippines’ approval of the EDCA, which allowed the United

injury on a vulnerable victim (PC 1203.09(a)) and that he intentionally killed the victim while lying in wait (PC 190.2(a)(15)).

The District Attorney’s Oﬃce moved to have him detained pending trial due to the public safety risk he poses.“The nature of this incident at Powell Street BART Station was tragic and truly shocking. I would like to express my deepest condolences to the victim’s family, friends, and colleagues,” said District Attorney Brooke Jenkins. “Unprovoked attacks, especially on our most vulnerable, are

Concerned by the “far too many conﬂicts in the world,” Gallagher said the Holy See is focused on promoting peace through dialogue and negotiation.

“We believe that in many of these things, the Holy See and Republic of the Philippines share the same values, the same vision of things so we can probably work together in the future,” he said.

During the meeting, Manalo said they “noted their shared perspective that amidst the various international challenges and conﬂicts, the international community must be united in preserving a world where diﬀerences are resolved peacefully and on the basis of international law.”

Gallagher and Manalo ﬁrst exchanged views on the West Philippine Sea during a meeting on the sidelines of

States to set up sites in the country for the use of Filipino and American military units and ongoing tensions in the West Philippine Sea.

“Sa pagbabasa natin, may mga missile na sa Batanes, pati sa Subic, so ‘yung dalawang ‘yun ang uunahin kasama ng Ilocos, kasi may mga live-fire na Balikatan. Kakatakot nga eh, ano ba yan, bente singko ah, hindi biro ‘yun (Based on what we read, there are missiles in Batanes and in Subic, so those two would be the first targets together with Ilocos because of Balikatan live-fire drills. It’s scary, what is that, we are talking of 25 here, that is not a joke),” the presidential sister said in a video.

Hypersonic missiles are weapons capable of ﬂying toward their target with speeds of ﬁve to 25 times the speed of sound, and are hard to track and intercept with ordinary air defense systems, according to experts.

The Philippines and China agreed on deescalating tension during their ﬁrst formal dialogue since the violent skirmish between the Chinese Coast Guard and the Armed Forces of the Philippines near Ayungin Shoal on June 17.

The two states convened the 9th Meeting of their Bilateral Consultation Mechanism on the South China Sea (BCM) in Manila on July 2.

Department of Foreign Aﬀairs (DFA) Undersecretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro and Vice Foreign Minister Chen Xiaodong led the Philippine and Chinese delegations, respectively, and had a “frank and constructive discussions” on the situation.

In her comments, Lazaro told her counterpart that the Philippines would be “relent-

unacceptable and will not be tolerated. San Francisco residents, workers, and visitors should be able to freely move about and utilize our public transportation systems without fear. My oﬃce will now do everything in our power to ensure that there is justice in this case.”

In an interview with Corazon’s nephew Alvin Dandan, a doctor in St. Louis, it was learned that Corazon was on the way home after her shift as telephone operator at the PARC 55 hotel when the incident happened.

Alvin hailed his Tita Cora, who immigrated to San Francisco from the Philippines in the 1980s, with helping pay for his medical school as well as the education of several relatives, very unselﬁsh and “someone who just loved working and being around younger people.”

“Great does not even deﬁne what I think this woman is I wouldn’t be here and a lot of my cousins wouldn’t be here…She put a lot of people through school,” Alvin shared on Tita Cora, a single, independent woman who

the Munich Security Conference in February 2023.

On top of security issues, the two top diplomats also discussed ways to strengthen the Philippines and the Vatican’s relations, speciﬁcally on migrant rights promotion, culture and education, climate resilience and interfaith dialogue, among others.

Manalo said the two states are now working on an agreement on education that would allow for mutual recognition of university degrees.

This proposed memorandum of understanding is expected to beneﬁt Filipino priests and nuns pursuing further studies in various ecclesiastical and Catholic educational institutions of the Holy See.

less in protecting its interests and upholding its sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction in the West Philippine Sea.”

“Noting recent incidents in the South China Sea, both sides recognized that there is a need to restore trust, rebuild conﬁdence, and create conditions conducive to productive dialogue and interaction,” the DFA said in a statement.

“The two sides discussed their respective positions on Ayungin Shoal and aﬃrmed their commitment to de-escalate tensions without prejudice to their respective positions,” it added.

The DFA said there was a “substantial progress” on developing measures to manage the situation at sea, but said “signiﬁcant diﬀerences remain.”

The DFA has yet to provide details when asked what kind of measures the Philippines is pushing and what progress has been reached.

Meanwhile, both sides agreed to continue discussions to ﬁnd a “mutually acceptable resolution” to the issues.

According to the DFA, the two sides signed the Arrangement on Improving Philippines-China Maritime Communication Mechanisms and agreed to discuss further how to operationalize this mechanism.

They also agreed to continue discussions on maritime cooperation between their coast guard authorities, including the possible resumption of the Joint Coast Guard Committee.

The two sides also talked about the possibility of convening an academic forum among scientists and academics on marine scientiﬁc and technological cooperation.

rode BART every day to her job at the hotel. His cousins recently warned her about riding BART late at night, fearing that the transit system was unsafe.

BART police are actively investigating, interviewing witnesses, and reviewing surveillance footage. Investigators are still working to determine a motive for the incident.

According to BART Police, on July 1, 2024, at approximately 11:06pm, BART Police oﬃcers responded to an incident involving a Millbrae-bound train at Powell Street Station. Upon arrival, oﬃcers discovered a 74-year-old victim who had allegedly been pushed into the path of the train by Mr. Belmont.

The victim sustained severe head injuries and fell onto the platform. BART Police Officers and paramedics rendered immediate aid, and the victim was transported to San Francisco General Hospital. Despite the lifesaving efforts of the medical staff, the victim later succumbed to her injuries. Mr. Belmont was apprehended by BART Police at the scene.

BART train

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EOne bad day does not undo his massive accomplishments Gay

ver had a bad day? We all have. President Joe Biden certainly did in his ﬁrst debate with private citizen Donald Trump last week. Biden’s camp said he was nursing a cold, and we can believe that.

Unfortunately, because he had a bad day, various camps are calling for Biden to withdraw from the presidential race in November. Even within the Democratic Party, sad to say.

At 81, they say Joe Biden is too old to be president.

And what of 78-year-old Trump, who has been showing more and more signs of impending dementia of late? Does he come across as the more competent candidate?

Some people need to think long and hard. Are they, in effect, saying that a convicted felon, also proven guilty by a jury of his peers of sexual assault, is better qualified to be president of the US? He is also accused of multiple other crimes, by the way, yet he is more equipped to handle the affairs of state?

All because the incumbent president had one not-so-good day?

Have they forgotten how Biden knocked it out of the park during his State of the Union address, silencing his non-believers in both parties?

Lest everyone forget -- be they Democrat, Republican, or Independent -- the US is in great shape under Biden. As the old ad from a presidential campaign of long ago said, “It’s the economy, stupid.”

Simply put, to re-elect Joe Biden is to assure that the US economy continues on its growth path. To elect Donald Trump is to guarantee that the economy will again falter and dive deeper into debt.

Sorry Mr. Robert Kennedy, but for all intents and purposes, there are only two viable candidates for president this year. Some say one is too old, we say the other is too crazy.

Disagree with the latter? Then why ask why not a single Fortune 500 CEO has endorsed Trump. Not one. As everybody knows, the Fortune 500 is the best barometer of how the economy is doing.

Now ask yourselves: A handful of billionaires may have donated to Trump’s campaign, but at what cost? During his messy time in the Oval Oﬃce, Trump’s biggest accomplishment was cutting individual and corporate taxes for the super rich. Its eﬀect on the economy was predictable. Growth was non-existent.

After Trump made a mess of it, guess who rescued and revived the US economy, and turned it into the world’s top performing economy?

Hint: His name is Joe, not Donald.

Hand in hand with the booming economy is the employment ﬁgure under Biden. It’s simply the best it’s ever been. Now imagine how many millions of jobs will be lost if the wrong president is elected in November.

Be afraid, folks. Be very afraid.

The biggest issue that the Biden administration is inﬂation. We are not blind to this fact. But neither are we blind to the huge strides Biden has accomplished to tame inﬂation in recent months.

If you are a billionaire, by all means vote for the convicted felon. But if you are an ordinary man or woman who cares for the future of this country, the choice is obvious.

Old Joe Biden still has what it takes. Let him ﬁnish the job.

(From page 1)

“They were happy at Good Shepherd (parochial school),” Shirl described the early education of their twin sons Joriene, who earned his human biology degree in Stanford, and Jashley business management at Chapman University. Jashley married Abby Leus, a fellow FilAm. Joriene married Ryan, a fellow teacher.

“Seamless” is the adjective Shirl uses to recount how Joriene came out to them.

“He invited us to a play in school where his role was that of someone coming out to his family,” she recalled. “On our way home afterwards, he told us it was his story.”

Tan and Mercado are a typical long-married couple, except for their diﬀerent last names, a concession to practicality. Shirl says she will “deﬁnitely take Jay’s last name” when she applies for her US passport in three years.

BIGGEST TEST

Shirl disclosed a priority for that ﬁrst trip in three decades.

“We’ll visit the graves of my family,” Shirl brought up a bittersweet item on their itinerary. Her last phone call to her father was to say goodbye as he lay in his deathbed, she said.

Shirl had lost her mother and sister much earlier when they were shot and killed by a relative in a family dispute over inheritance, she said, a tragedy that became basis for her 1995 asylum bid. Shirl herself was shot but was lucky to survive with a scar on her head.

Her asylum appeal was rejected by the US Board of Immigration Appeals due to its personal rather than political nature, but Shirl said she did not receive notiﬁcation. That triggered the 6 am surprise visit from two Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and the legal struggle for Tan to stay put with her wife and their family.

Their eﬀorts drew the intercession of then-US Rep. Jackie Speier and the late U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein that made headlines around the country. Last summer a judge gave Tan permanent residence. Shirl’s “green card” arrived recently.

PRIVILEGE

Tan and Mercado are generous with their time, sharing their story to give hope to couples hiding their love for each other to avoid harassment or deportation.

“It’s a privilege to be able to speak up for the community,” Shirl said of their unexpected emergence as champions of marriage equality.

“What we all need is to be more educated,” Jay explains their openness to speak to the media or attend public events to show they are “the same, human beings who happen to love each other…doing nothing wrong” to others.

“Be truthful to yourselves. And always ﬁght for what is right,” Mercado would say to those together in secret.

While grateful for their newfound freedom, they cannot help but harbor some anxiety these days.

(Continue on page 20)

On June 8,2024, my grand daughter, Josephine Anna Reyes Licavoli, nicknamed Josie, held her art exhibit on Mission St., San Francisco. In full force were the Licavoli and Reyes families as well as Josie’s fellow artists, former schoolmates and friends.

On exhibit were over 20 of Josie’s paintings , which she had painted a year prior to the exhibit.

Entitled “Pamana”, the exhibit clearly manifested Josie’s Filipino roots through the subjects portrayed in her paintings.

The third of four children of my daughter, Cara Mia, Josie showed her inclination for art at an early age. “ I have always wamted to draw,” she bared , during an interview I conducted with her. Not surprisingly, she took up Studio Art and Art Education when she went to college at Cal-Pol Humbolt..

After her college graduation, Josie spent time for her artist’s residency in South Hampten, New York, taught painting to kids aged 3-5, painted murals and opened a studio in San Francisco. “I like painting murals,” she declared,” possibly because they are accessible to more people , for free.

Josie’s desire to hone her artistic talent brought her recently to Italy, where she got the opportunity to view great works of art there. Next month, she will travel to Croatia, Italy, Spain and Portugal,where presumably she can learn more about art.

When she return from her travels, Josie plans to work for her Master’s degree in Fine Arts. “ I would like to make painting my main job,” she said. Josie’s “Pamana” exhibit was just a beginning for this talented young artist. Kudos, Josie, and I look forward to your next exhibit!

Kudos, Josie Licavoli!

CHERIE M. QUEROL MORENO

WCM founder Larry West Recommends

A“Historicity of Jesus’

s book author and Evangelist, I’m delighted to receive uplifting message from WCM (We Care Ministries) Founder Larry West last week after he received the autographed updated copies of my three best-selling books “HISTORICITY OF JESUS” subtitled “Facts and Evidences for Agnostics Atheists, Believers and Christians,” “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” The three best-selling books are now available at Amazon in Hardcover, Paperback and Ebook.

“I’m reading your books! And I am enjoying them immensely! You are quite an intellectual, young man! I especially am enjoying ‘HISTORICITY OF JESUS.’ Thank you for being YOU, and for being my beloved brother,” wrote LARRY WEST, Evangelist & Founder, WE CARE Ministries, West Monroe, Louisiana, USA.

“As founder of WE CARE MINSTRIES, I am glad that Art Madlaing wrote this book. I encourage all – the agnostics, atheists, and of course , strayed or straying Christians, to read it, heed it, and be blessed,” LARRY WEST wrote in his brief comment and review of ‘HISTORICITY OF JESUS,’ subtitled ‘Facts and Evidences for Agnostics, Atheists, Believers and Chrstians.’

“I am glad that Art Gabot Madlaing wrote this book. I encourage everybody to order a copy read it, heed it and be blessed.” wrote LARRY WEST, in his brief comment and review of ‘LONGEVITY TIPS’ subtitled “Secrets You Can Discover and Do for Good Health and Longevity.’

“The wisdom discussed in this timeless book will help everyone. Order your copy now,” wrote LARRY WEST in his brief comment and review of ‘R.A.W. WISDOM’ subtitled ‘FINDING PEACE IN THE MIDST OF CHAOS.’

Jon Rowe, Evangelist and Minister of the SOUTHWEST CHURCH OF CHRIST in Phoenix, Arizona, USA, and is conducting Soul Winners’ Workshop all over the United States, Canada and the Philippines shared also his brief comment and review of the three best-selling books.

“As member of the WE CARE Ministries, I commend brother Art Madlaing for writing this book. Agnostics, atheists, believers and Christians will surely be blessed to read this book especially with the aftermath of the Coronavirus (COVID-10) pandemic lockdown,” wrote JON ROWE in his brief comment and review of ‘HISTORICITY OF JESUS’ subtitled “Facts and Evidences for Agnostics, Atheists, Believers and Christians.’

“As fellow Evangelist, I am happy that Art Gabot Madlaing wrote his latest book LONGEVITY TIPS. This is a very timely book you can give as lasting gift this coming Christmas season and other special occasions or events,” JON ROWE said.

“Every Christian must order copies of this important book and share to their FRANC (Friends, Relatives, Acquaintances, Neighbors, Co-Workers) for year-round outreach and evangelism,” echoed JON ROWE in his brief comment and review of ‘.R.A.W. WISDOM’ subtitled ‘FINDING PEACE IN THE MIDST OF CHAOS.’

Despite his older age, Larry West had joined the annual WE CARE Evangelism Campaign and Workshop in the Philippines for three years. In fact, he and the WE CARE Ministries Team had Courtesy Call and Prayer Session with then congressman and former Philippine Senator and boxing legend Manny Pacquiao inside his mansion in General Santos City, Sarangani, Philippines on February 19, 2016. The other members of the WE CARE Ministries Team who had Courtesy Call and Prayer Session with boxing icon Manny Pacquiao include Cole Robertson with the popular TV Show Duck Dynasty; Steven Prine, Evangelist and Director of WE CARE Philippines; Erben Gonzales, Evangelist and Minister, CALASIAO CHURCH OF CHRIST in Cabilocaan, Calasiao, Pangasinan, Philippines; and yours truly.

Jon Rowe, Evangelist and Minister of SOUTHWEST CHURCH OF CHRIST in Phoenix, Arizona, USA had joined the WE CARE Evangelism Campaign and Workshop in the Philippines for many years. Together with his wife Razzle Rowe, originally from Tayug,

Some not-so-important matters

Allow me, if I may, engage in some bellyaching on a couple of matters that affect a lot of Filipinos. First is the growing presence of social media “inﬂuencers” who present themselves as experts on a variety of topics, mostly inconsequential.

There are those who proclaim themselves experts on fashion or beauty products or entertainment, which is well and good. I have no beef with them, as I have no expertise at all on such matters, which I consider trivial, but which many of my friends will strongly disagree with.

Then there are those who have appointed themselves as political commentators, and they are free to mouth their opinions whenever and wherever they like, on one condition. Let them voice their own opinion, not those of others who reward them for seeing things their way.

The old term for them is environmental journalists, and turning into bloggers or vloggers only makes them the same dog with a different collar.

What really gets my goat are those inﬂuencers who go to the provinces, head for the best restaurants with their hangers on, order more food and drink than they can consume, and refuse to pay because they say they’re doing the owners a favor.

If I may, I would like to paraphrase an Fb friend who says that too many of these inﬂuencers complain about the skimpy loot bags they receive when attending press cons, small “appearance fees” at events where they are invited, and lack of special treatment when they deign show their presence at resorts, restaurants, and hotels.

For a lot of us oldtimers, they’re just spoiled brats who do not deserve anyone’s time of day.

My friends in the public relations industry share some of the guilt of these damn inﬂuencers actually believing that they are ﬁt to shine the shoes of real honest-to-goodness print and broadcast journalists who have and continue to pay their dues.

Almost all the good ones from the legit media organizations are graduates of four year courses of good to excellent colleges and universities. They may not necessarily be journ or masscom grads, but a diploma hanging in their parents’ walls says that they earned the right to enter the world of journalism, Philippine style.

The door was opened for them, but there is never a guarantee that they will succeed. It all counts on their skills coupled with ‘abilidad,’ or street smarts.

Growing by leaps and bounds

With all my angst being said and done, I now turn to sports. See, for many years, I was a sports columnist for a business paper.

In previous years and decades, when pro or amateur sports was the topic, the Philippine Basketball Association was the league.

Not anymore.

Now, volleyball has become the favored sport of Pinoys, speciﬁcally women’s volleyball. Be it amateur or pro women’s volleyball, not only do they draw bigger live crowds and TV audiences than the PBA, which may almost be considered a dying league.

Even Manny Pacquiao’s Maharlika Philippine Basketball League has been drawing larger crowds than the PBA.

A lot of experts blame corporate greed for the sad state of the PBA. Two of the Philippines’ biggest business groups – the MVP Group and the SMC Group – own three teams each.

Because the titans have the big bucks, they are able to grab the best players. Not only that, they are also somehow able to twist the recruitment rules, such that other “lesser” teams have seen a regular exodus of their best players to either the SMC or MVP teams.

As a result, it is only the MVP and SMC teams that win championships. This inequity was the reason that the fabled Alaska team decided to leave the league a few years back.

There should be a simple solution to this – the PBA should disallow mega business groups from owning more than two teams. Actually, one team each would be even better.

Unless Asia’s oldest professional basketball league corrects its course soonest, its demise will not be too far oﬀ.

Right now, women’s volleyball is so popular that its pro league has been going on an expansion binge, with new teams being formed and a beeline forming to join.

There is, however, one red ﬂag. The salaries of players has gone through the roof, with the top players now getting up to a quarter million pesos salary per month, on top of such perks as signing bonuses, houses and cars. Even the lowest paid players –those who spend more time on the bench than the court – receive P50,000/ month.

The problem? Some owners are against putting up a ceiling in pay. This could result in the Premiere Volleyball League turning into another PBA, only with volleybelles instead of cagers. The big companies may come in and start recruiting the best players left and right. This is already happening to some extent, with stars from the UAAP going pro even before completing their maximum playing years.

I get that some players may come

Donald Trump on his way to the White House?

Is there any indication that former President Donald Trump can’t be stopped from going back to the White House?

Latest developments show that he is speeding up his momentum to his second term as president, despite the fact that he is a convicted felon and was indicted twice, as he is outsprinting President Joe Biden in the presidential race!

The ﬁrst early presidential debate between Trump and Biden led to his superb debate performance while Biden to his dismal failure to capitalize on Trump’s more than 35 lies and other issues throughout the duration of the debate. Many consider these as signs of old age (Biden is now 81 years old) that Biden can no longer function to be the president as shown in the debate. He had all the chances of rebutting and countering Trump’s lies but he was not able to do it.

Most viewers and voters say Biden failed and Trump won in said debate. With that, Trump gained more campaign money after the debate while Biden has to retreat to Camp David with his family and trusted allies to assess his chances of moving on as the Democratic Party standard bearer.

Another debacle is the Supreme Court ruling Monday (6-3) that Trump has criminal immunity for oﬃcial acts. Justice Sonia Sotomayor said, in her dissenting opinion: “The Court gives former President Donald Trump all the immunity he asked for and more. Today’s decision to grant former presidents criminal immunity reshapes the institutions of the Presidency. It makes a mockery of the principle, foundational to our Constitution and the system of government, that no man is above the law. Because of our Constitution does not shield a former president from answering for criminal and treasonous acts, I dissent.”

She was joined by justices Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson. Sotomayor added in her dissent: “the president is now a king above the law… with fear of r our democracy...”

Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson each took the rare step of reading provocative dissenting statements this past week. The ritual from the elevated mahogany bench oﬀered a bit of drama before rapt courtroom spectators and a chance to draw public attention to their views. (CNN)

The outrageous decision is a big win for Trump which may led to delays and possible immunity for Trump in the January 6th trial. And, since it is a limited decision, not conclusive, the immunity case of Trump will be going back to the lower court that will determine which were Trump’s decisions that were ofﬁcial (which will be covered by the Supreme Court decisions) and which ones were personal which were not covered by the SC decision. This process will go a long way that it may not be decided before the November general election.

Justice Sotomayor was right! Trump got what he wanted in his immunity case--delay, delay, delay! That’s what Trump wanted, to delay decisions before the election so that when he wins, he can pardon himself or go for revenge, which he promised to do.

The question now is: “Can Biden come back and regain stature as the logical candidate that can beat Trump?”

The Democratic Party and Biden’s family are doing a lot of damage control in order to save Biden’s candidacy. Will they succeed?

As I See It, they may succeed! What they need to do is hammer on Biden’s plans for the American people on the critical issues on immigration, the economy, health issues, birth control, peace and order, safety, homelessness, and other issues of national importance. The people need to know what he plans to do for the welfare of the American people. He was not able to do this during the debate but he now has all the chance of making people know of his plans. They need to saturate the airwaves of positive TV ads, a multitude of testimonials, energized door-to-door campaigning, more community reach outs, and the like. If there will be another debate, this time he must make sure that he will dominate over Trump. This is the penultimate way of doing it.

Yes, he has limited time to do it but he must do it within that limited period with precision and clarity. He needs to double time and race against the clock because if he will be able to do these, it will prove that he is still capable of leading the nation, that his age is not a problem, that he is strong and determined to continue as president of the United States of America.

That way, the issue of old age will no longer be an issue. It will be wiped out by results, by solid performance, and by his positive vision for America!

Can he do it? If he can put into practice and translate what a famous basketball coach I know has been saying: “One step backward, two steps forward,” then he will be able to save his candidacy! He made a backward step by not doing well in the debate but needs to do two steps forward to solidify and strengthen his chances of winning over Trump!

Yes, Biden can do it! America will be watching!

(Continue on page 20)

BETING DOLOR

“

ART GABOT MADLAING Health & Wealth

ELPIDIO R. ESTIOKO

Bulacan Eco Zone bill lapses into law, set to hasten C. Luzon, North NCR dev’t

BULACAN/MANILA – President

Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has allowed the bill creating the Bulacan Special Economic Zone and Freeport lapse into law.

Bulacan residents welcomed the law hoping that it will speed up the economic development not only of Bulacan province but also of Central Luzon and other areas north of Metro Manila.

The spread of economic progress in these parts of Luzon could also decongest the National Capital Region (NCR), according to Cagayan de Oro City Rep. Ru-

fus Rodriguez.

The Mindanao lawmaker urged the national government and the Bulacan provincial government to prepare for this eventuality by helping the Bulacan Freeport establish or add the necessary infrastructure like roads, and health, housing and similar facilities.

San Miguel Corp. (SMC), the proponent-builder of the new Bulacan international airport, and Central Luzon lawmakers and local oﬃcials pushed for the enactment of the Bulacan Freeport bill.

Grave consequences of the U.S. Supreme Court decision granting Trump immunity in election subversion cases and January 6, 2021, riot

On July 1, 2024, the U.S. Supreme Court handed down a landmark decision granting Donald Trump partial immunity from special counsel Jack Smith’s election subversion case, handing the former president a signiﬁcant win during his reelection bid.

What is the eﬀect of this ruling on the Election 2024?

“The president is not above the law,” Roberts wrote for the conservative majority. “But Congress may not criminalize the president’s conduct in carrying out the responsibilities of the executive branch under the Constitution.”

What will happen to the cases against Trump because of this decision?

Special Counsel Smith’s case now returns to lower courts, which must review the speciﬁc steps Trump took to overturn the results of the 2020 election and whether those actions were oﬃcial, and therefore receive immunity, or private, and do not.

The Supreme Court ruled that for “core” presidential activity, Trump has the absolute immunity he had sought. The majority said that Trump’s conversations with the Justice Department – his efforts to try to get officials on board with his effort to overturn the election – were covered with absolute immunity.

For other oﬃcial actions and more routine powers held by the president, the court said there is at least some immunity and it largely deferred to lower courts to sort that out. That’s a process that could take weeks or even months.

Donald Trump can delay the sentencing of his case in New York. His other cases may be pushed through after November election. If he wins the election he can order the Department of Justice to terminate all cases against him. He promised to be a “Dictator” from day one of his becoming president. He promised to deport all undocumented persons in the United States.

What are the immigration consequences of Trump winning the election?

Many court cases will be on a fast track to removal of persons without relief. There will be strict implementation of ICE going after undocumented in the communities and the workplace.

What should immigrants do to prepare for this possible scenario?

Immigrants should work hard together to prevent a Trump victory. They should contact their friends and relatives and members in their communities to vote for the candidate who can help them in their immigration situation.

The analysis about what’s immune and what isn’t “ultimately is best left to the lower courts to perform,” Roberts wrote.

Perhaps even more important, the majority made clear that oﬃcial acts cannot be considered at all as evidence in a potential trial, which could make it much harder for Smith to prevail.

What is the minority view of the 3 Justices on this case?

In an unsparing dissent, Justice Sonia Sotomayor said the Supreme Court allowed a president to become a “king above the law” in its ruling that limited the scope of criminal charges against former President Donald Trump for his role in the Jan. 6, 2021 riot at the U.S. Capitol and eﬀorts to overturn the election.

She called the decision, which likely ended the prospect of a trial for Trump before the November election, “utterly indefensible.”

“The court effectively creates a lawfree zone around the president, upsetting the status quo that has existed since the founding,” she wrote. She was joined by liberal justices Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson, who wrote another dissent referring to the ruling’s consequences as a “five alarm fire.”

Sotomayor read her dissent aloud in the courtroom, with a weighty delivery that underscored her criticism of the majority. She strongly pronounced each word, pausing at certain moments and gritting her teeth at others.

“Ironic isn’t it? The man in charge of enforcing laws can now just break them,” Sotomayor said.

Note: This is not a legal advice.

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Kris Aquino admits she has new boyfriend, a Makati-based doctor

Kris Aquino, Kristina Bernadette Cojuangco Aquino in real life, just conﬁrmed that she has a new boyfriend!

After her on-and-oﬀ publicized relationship with Batangas Vice Governor Mark Leviste, Kris, 53, made the revelation in an interview with Ogie Diaz in Orange County in California and reported by GMA News, Rappler and other Manila media.

Diaz featured the interview in his latest vlog titled “Kris Aquino, nahihirapan na nga ba sa kaniyang sakit?”

Kris told Diaz that she is in a relationship with a doctor based in Makati City.

Kris, however, didn’t give other details about her new partner, adding that she prefers to keep her new

romance private.

“He’s a doctor, and I think that’s part of the reason why it was easy,” she said. “Kasi alam niya kung anong pinagdadaanan ko.”

“He’s part of the reason why I’m conﬁdent na pwede akong umuwi kasi alam ko there’s someone who will help in taking care of me,” she added.

In the vlog, Kris said that she can come home to the Philippines in the last quarter of the year when all goes well with her treatments.

“Hopefully, sa last quarter ng taon bago mag-Pasko, I’ll be back in the Philippines,” she said.

“It just really depends kasi may pagdadaanan akong mga test,” she added.

Kris’s son James Bimby Yap Jr. was also part of the interview with Ogie, and the 17-year-old said that her mom’s new boyfriend is “a really good guy.”

Bimby described her mom’s new partner as “makulit” but a “very good guy.” He also added that “[his] mom’s heart is peaceful” now.

Kris also broke her silence about her breakup with Batangas Vice Governor Mark Leviste, saying that Bimby and Mark didn’t get along very well. The separation happened before Kris’s birthday in February.

“Hindi sila nagkasundo nung ex [Mark and Bimby],” Kris said. “Hindi niya gusto eh.”

“[Bimby’s opinion] matters to me because he knows me best,” she added. “Siya at si kuya [Josh], ‘yung opinion nila really matters.”

Kris also said one of the reasons they called it quits was because she got to know some things she didn’t

like.

“Nagkalabuan na magmula November. Sinubukang ayusin pero may mga nalaman ako na hindi ko gusto,” she said.

“Ayaw ko na magsabi pa ng more than that because part of the reason why it did not work out is I’m at the stage in my life na mas gusto ko nang tahimik,” she added a GMA News reported.

The actress, according to Rappler, said that she no longer had plans to get back with the local politician as she also learned about some things that she didn’t like.

“We’re still friendly but at a distance na,” Aquino said of her current status with Leviste.

Dating rumors between Aquino and Leviste started in January 2023, when the Batangas politician visited her in the US during the New Year, Rappler stated.

At one point, the host-actress clariﬁed that Leviste was only her “male best friend.” Then, months later, she said that her relationship with him was publicized without her “knowledge and consent.”

In July 2023, Aquino revealed that she had broken up with Leviste, saying that a long-distance relationship was diﬃcult to maintain given her health condition. In November 2023, she disclosed that it was her who initiated the break-up.

Since 2018, Aquino has been battling a number of autoimmune diseases, Rappler reported adding she was ﬁrst diagnosed with chronic spontaneous urticaria, and was additionally diagnosed with erosive gastritis and a gastric ulcer in March 2022.

Kris left the country in 2022 to seek treatment in the United States for her autoimmune conditions, which are already threatening her life.

She has been sharing her health journey on Instagram and asking for prayers from her fans.

Vilma Santos officially nominated National Artist in Films

It’s oﬃcial: actress Rosa Vilma Santos is nominated for the Order of National Artist in Films.

Actor Dingdong Dantes and the AKTOR.PH which he heads oﬃcially nominated Vilma Santos-Recto for the Order of National Artist following a meeting at the Manila Hotel.

This is the ﬁrst time that a big actors’ group made such nomination of one of their peers. This did not happen in the case of National Artist Nora Aunor, Nora Villamayor in real life, who nonetheless got the prestigious award after she was initially rejected some years back.

The nomination was oﬃcially submitted to the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) and the Cultural Center of the Philippines, the two government agencies administering the awards. The agencies will review the nomination within the next months.

“On behalf of our organization, our oﬃcers, board of directors — including Piolo Pascual, Iza Calzado, Agot Isidro, Cherry Pie Picache, Mylene Dizon, Jasmine Curtis-Smith — and our Board of Advisers, Christopher de Leon, Tirso Cruz III, and Charo Santos,” said Dantes, “we wholeheartedly endorse the nomination of Rosa Vilma Santos-Recto to the Order of National Artist for Film and Broadcast.”

In his address, Dantes outlined ﬁve key reasons for nominating Santos-Recto: her career achievements, cultural impact, public service, legacy, and inspiration to peers.

He highlighted Santos-Recto’s versatility, citing her portrayal of iconic characters and enumerated her numerous accolades from awards-giving bodies locally and internationally, solidifying the 70-year-old actress’ status as the most

awarded in Philippine cinema history.

He also acknowledged her cultural impact and enduring relevance through ﬁlms that mirror social issues, sparking national discourse.

Further, Dantes praised Santos-Recto’s public service contributions as mayor, governor, and congressman, which earned her the Presidential Lingkod Bayan award.

“Vilma Santos stands not only as an actress but also as a symbol of empowerment and resilience, embodying the strength and spirit of Filipinos,” said Dantes. “Known as the ‘Star for All Seasons,’ she continues to excel in both reel and real life, always bringing pride to the country. Her enduring legacy as a pioneer and an icon of Philippine cinema will forever shine bright in our hearts and minds, inspiring excellence across all seasons and generations.”

In response to the endorsement, Vilma Santos-Recto expressed her gratitude: “I am deeply humbled and sincerely grateful to AKTOR, led by Chairman Dingdong Dantes, for its endorsement! Sobrang maraming salamat to my colleagues in the industry for this honor.

Sa iba pang mga organizations na nagbigay tiwala…salamat po! My heart is full!!”

The nomination for Santos-Recto was submitted to the oﬃce of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts in

Intramuros by Vicki Dantes, AKTOR’s executive secretary and Dingdong’s sister.

The entire process, from submission to approval, could take up to eighteen months, according to Multi-media Press Society of the Philippines Inc. (MMPRESS) president Ambet Nabus, who hosted the press conference.

“After the nomination is submitted, NCCA will hire an independent research group to study and validate all the submitted documents. That process will take six months. Within that period, they will evaluate,” Nabus said. “After six months, there will be another six months for the three levels of evaluation. After that, the result will be submitted to the Oﬃce of the President for approval or rejection.”

Stronger joint measures to address scams targeting older adults non-English pushed

Despite steps adopted to curb the rise in incidents of scams all over and even globally, perpetrators have become slippery and have even caused the rise in cases aﬀecting the more vulnerable sectors of society particularly older adults

In a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) data, scams involving those who are aged 60 and older are on the rise with the average victim of elder fraud losing over $33,000. Aside from lost money, victims suﬀer more as they lose independence, suﬀer reduced quality of life and poor health outcomes. And in the San Francisco Bay Area, nonEnglish speaking Chinese have had devastating consequences.

As a step to somehow alleviate the plight of these older vulnerable adults, organizations including the San Francisco Department of Disability and Aging Services’ Adult Protective Services unit, the San Francisco District Attorney’s Oﬃce, the San Francisco Police Department, Self-Help for the Elderly Institute on Aging and community providers hold trainings to arm older adults with the latest information on how to protect themselves.

To further elucidate on the measures these organizations are taking to stop these scams of older adults, Ethnic Media Services in partnership with SF Human Services Agency & Institute on Aging presented a Bay Area ethnic media brieﬁng on June 6, 2024 dubbed FBI Data Shows Spike in Scams Targeting Older Adults -- Monolingual Chinese at High Risk.

Those who joined the briefing included FBI Special Agent in Charge of San Francisco Field Office Robert K. Tripp, Sergeant-Inspector at the Special Victims Unit of San Francisco Police Department Tony Flores, Elder Abuse Prevention Program of Institute on Aging representative Ali Chiu, attorney representing victims of $39 million scam targeting Chinatown residents Jaynry Mak, President/ CEO, Self Help for the Elderly Anni Chung and from the regional office of the Federal Trade Commission based in San Francisco Denise Oki who shared valuable information from FTC research and reporting on scams.

Tripp of the FBI admitted that scam is not only an important FBI issue but also a personal one being exposed early on in his career to a former school teacher victim of a lottery scam who lost his entire life’s savings he originally intended for his and his spouse’s retirement years.

“And a scammer took advantage of that. Unfortunately, he did not leave that ﬁnancial legacy, but worse than that, he was left destitute,” rued Tripp. “For me personally, it’s an important issue. But for the FBI, it’s certainly an important issue as well, because this is big business.”

Tripp proceeded to report that $3.4 billion is how much money victims over 60 years of age lost last year nationally to more than two dozen diﬀerent types of scams and that 101,000 victims that ﬁled reports with the FBI’s clearinghouse for addressing these kinds of crimes with California leading all other states in both the dollar loss and the number of victims to this crime.

“One that I want to mention are investment scams…a very risky, high risk, sort of guaranteed reward types scams that materialize out of the blue that could start with an unsolicited email and unsolicited phone call or a text. People hear an opportunity to get rich investing in any number of diﬀerent things. In the Bay Area cryptocurrency is very often put forth as a very lucrative investment opportunity, but there is no cryptocurrency. It’s merely a scam,” warned Tripp.

Tripp also advised that other types of scams are tech support scams, confidence scams or romance scam and impersonation scams where people pretend to a government official, either a US government official or for the Chinese community, like people pretending to be consular officials from the People’s Republic of China. indicating that the person receiving the call has to pay money for some sort of reason.

“

Now who is behind this is something that’s very important to the FBI. There are certainly scammers that are present here in the Bay Area as they are across the country. But the FBI is very concerned with overseas-based organizations. And these are organizations. This type of activity is very well organized,” added Tripp.

Tripp admitted that some victims talk about being ashamed to come forward but wants victims to know that it’s not an accident they’re being targeted as these people are very skilled at what they do, they have technical support, practice day in and day out, this is their full-time jobs and they’re experts at psychological manipulation, thus there is no shame in being a victim, something that intimidates people into keeping silent.

“I want people to know that they should be very concerned. They should be very cautious with any unsolicited text. Phone call pop-up message they receive on their computer from somebody they don’t know. Real people, real companies will not make an unsolicited call to people to request money so that unsolicited and interaction, that’s a red ﬂag,” Tripp exhorted.

Another red ﬂag is urgency when you must pay money immediately. Tripp advised that if one doesn’t understand something, one should not feel pressured to say yes.

Tripp also emphasized that it is important for people to report their experiences by calling FBI at 1 800 call FBI, CL-L-FBI, or ﬁle a report online at the Internet Crime Complaint Center.

Flores who has been with the Special Victims Unit for approximately 42 years currently assigned to the San Francisco Police Department overseeing the financial crimes, human trafficking, elder abuse, and stalking when people say they’re hypnotized but actually lets their guard down and are being vulnerable something scammers look for and specifically more in San Francisco.

“In these scams, scammers work in teams. They don’t just work isolated by themselves so normally as either a two to three person team to even a 5 person team it really depends on what the scam is going to be,” Flores observed.

Flores continued that there’s been a lot of media attention to the blessing scams which involved a lot of people working together to make you lose control of your thoughts, your concentration, trust them fully and make you do what they ever they wish you to give them like cash, jewelry and/or anything of much value usually in a bag that you possess. And all of a sudden, the feeling of shame and anger set in making you not report what happened

“Delays are dangerous as we lose that information the longer you wait. There’s a possibility that they were captured on video. Maybe there’s other, devices that were out there that are going to be gone,” Flores added. “Or they may be forensic evidence that we could have collected like DNA on anything that the scammers may have left ﬁngerprints on.”

“I ask you time and time again. Help me. Help you hold these people accountable for what they’ve done to you and to your family. If this does come up, please make sure that you at least talk to somebody before making any kind of ﬁnancial decision,” Flores urged victims. “We will keep telling folks about all these scams that are going on currently out there because the more that you’re educated, the more that the way the word spreads, then all of a sudden maybe somebody comes up. Make the police support you and let us do our job and hold these people accountable because they’re not going to be here that long. They’re going to get on a plane.”

Ali Chu of Institute on Aging who partners with Department of Disability and Aging Services shared a story of a person of a monolingual Chinese speaking.72-year-old older adult woman victim who received a random phone call and was stalked repeatedly after she ig-

nored the caller who started making threats to intimidate.

“She went to the bank, withdrew money. They tracked her phone and knew where she was and there was a lot of intimidation happening,” Chu narrated. “She ended up losing her house after getting a loan with more than 15% on the interest. She didn’t want to tell her son about it. She didn’t want to tell anybody about it.”

Chu reminded that when people have fears, “they really believe that the scammers are right there with them, they make threats, scaring victims and take the victims’ money and other belongings.”

Chu also talked about victims already in the state of longingness, lonely and isolated making them already in a vulnerable state and feeling shame after they already suﬀered being victimized.

“When you hear people experiencing ﬁnancial scams please, in San Francisco, called the adult-protected services at (415) 355-6700 or call 9 1 1, report to the police as well or also direct people to 2 Golf Street that’s the hub. People can get there and get their support,” Chu urged.

Lawyer Mak who represented Chinatown residents on a scam that amounted to over 35 million dollars ending in an April 2023 federal grand jury indictment of an East Bay man and charged him for crimes related to a 39 million dollars Ponzi scheme which involved over 100 victims.

“This scammer used several companies to raise 39 million dollars by fraudulently, soliciting investments. Part of that 39 million dollars he used to pay off the earlier investors in this Ponzi scheme but about more than 7.3 million dollars of it he used for his own personal benefit to pay off his credit card debts from his lavish lifestyle of travel, luxury cars, luxury jewelry and handbags,” Mak narrated.

“A Chinatown merchant was told by the suspect sells life insurance and she was lured into lending him some money that he didn’t pay me back And at that time a civil lawsuit can be ﬁled, but even if we can get a judgment, we’re not going to be able to collect,” rued Mak who was approached by another senior woman with a related case.

Mak also told of other victims who were ﬂeeced by a family friend of money amounting in increments from $5000 to 280,000 that ended tragically as the husband-victim became very, very, very sick and passed away four months later.

(Continued on page 18)

Robert K. Tripp Tony Flores Ali Chiu

Jaynry Mak Anni Chung

Yulo, 2 tankers now in Metz camp; more Pinoys seen competing in Paris Olympics

METZ, France - Multi-medalled gymnast Carlos Yulo and tankers Kayla Sanchez and Jarod Hatch have joined the training camp for the Paris Olympics-bound Philippine team in Metz, France.

The three arrived over the weekend and joined the ﬁrst batch that left the country the week before for a month-long training prior to the competition proper set July 26 to Aug, 11 in the French capital.

The Metz training is part of the Nationals’ ﬁnal preparation before plunging into battle in Paris where they hope to surpass, if not match, the country’s Tokyo Games haul of one gold, two silvers and one bronze.

More additions are coming in for the Philippine team campaigning in the 2024 Olympics in Paris.

Now cinch to make the contingent are hurdlers John Cabang Tolentino and Lauren Hoﬀman. Filipino American sprinter Kristina Knott and hurdler in Eric Cray could make the cut too.

“John Cabang Tolentino, sure na ‘yan,” Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association secretary-general Jasper Tanhueco said.

“Lauren Hoﬀman, points wise, no one can overtake her. Four athletes need to qualify to push Lauren out. But very unlikely, so she’s safe,” Tanhueco also said.

Spain-based Tolentino is well perched inside the top 40 at No. 29 in the men’s 110-meter hurdles while Hoﬀman is

at No. 36, also safely inside the top 40 in the women’s 400m hurdles.

World Athletics will announce all the Olympic qualiﬁers on July 7.

Already with the Philippine team are pole-vaulter EJ Obiena, boxers Nesthy Petecio, Carlo Paalam, Eumir Marcial, Aira Villegas and Hergie Bacyadan, gymnasts Carlos Yulo, Aleah Finnegan, Levi Ruivivar and Emma Malabuyo, weightlifters Vanessa Sarno, Elreen Ando and John Ceniza, rower Joanie Delgaco, fencer Sam Catantan, judoka Kiyomi Watanabe, golfers Bianca Pagdanganan and Dottie Ardina and swimmers Kayla Sanchez and Jarod Hatch.

Meanwhile, with one month to go until the opening ceremony, Paris is in the ﬁnal stages of its preparations for the 2024 Summer Olympics.

Here is a look at how the French capital is shaping up to stage the world’s largest sporting event for the third time in its history.

Over the coming days and weeks, the Paris 2024 organizing committee will step up its transition from preparation to operation mode.

Major facilities and venues that will open their doors include the Main Press Center, the International Broadcast Center, and the Olympic Village, which will accommodate more than 14,000 residents, comprising athletes, coaches, support staﬀ, and oﬃcials.

The Paris 2024 Main Operations Center, which has been functional since mid-April, was due to start its full Gamestime operations on June 26, while ﬁnishing touches are also being made to other venues.

The construction of temporary facilities at key Parisian sites like the Concorde and Trocadero public squares, the Invalides monument, and the Eiﬀel Tower is nearing completion. These works include provisional grandstands to accommodate 37,000 spectators for events such as basketball, skateboarding, BMX, and breakdancing. Authorities have also implemented traﬃc detours designed to make large swaths of the city pedestrian-friendly.

On the competition front, more than 80 percent of the qualifying schedule has been completed, representing more than 8,000 athletes.

The remaining event slots will be conﬁrmed by the end of June, and national committees have until July 8 to register their athletes. Paris 2024 will mark the ﬁrst time that athlete participation at the Olympics will feature full gender parity.

More than 8 million tickets have been sold so far for Paris 2024, already ensuring that it will be one of the best-attended Games ever.

The organizing committee has reported particularly high demand for athletics, swimming, basketball, football, and rugby sevens. Other popular events are volleyball, handball, beach volleyball, ﬁeld hockey, tennis, and water polo.

Fan enthusiasm has already been evident in the buildup to the Games, with more than 2.5 million people attending the Olympic torch relay in France, including 150,000 in Marseille. Another 6 million people have followed the relay on television.

The general public can also participate in the mega-event through the Paris 2024 Cultural Olympiad, a multidisciplinary artistic and cultural program that features more than 2,000 projects, 80 percent of which oﬀer free entry.

Additionally, more than 900 activities for fans have been set up across France, providing opportunities to watch the Games, engage in cultural and sports activities, explore cities, and enjoy the local cuisine.

Amid concerns over potential threats such as drone attacks, the French government has halved the spectator capacity for the Olympic opening ceremony.

Up to 300,000 people will be able to watch the ceremony from stands located on the banks of the River Seine, down from an initial plan to accommodate 600,000.

The curtain-raising event will feature national teams parading in boats along a 6-km. stretch of the Seine through central Paris.

However, French President Emmanuel Macron has indicated that the ceremony could be relocated to an enclosed stadium if security risks escalate.

To ensure safety, the French government is deploying approximately 20,000 soldiers and more than 40,000 police ofﬁcers, with additional support from 2,000 troops and police oﬃcers from other countries.

Efforts to combat hate to intensify as Bonta releases 2023 hate crime report

By Cesar Antonio Jr. Nucum

State of California A�orney General Rob

Despite an overall decrease on overall reported hate crime events in California in 2023, the Oﬃce of the State Attorney General - California Department of Justice still highlighted information and resources to support ongoing eﬀorts across the state to combat hate.

A decrease of 7.1% from 2,120 in 2022 to 1,970 in 2023 did little to really hail the decline in number of reported hate crime events as reported hate crimes against LGBTQ+, Jewish, and Muslim communities have increased, and too many continue to be unacceptably targeted by hate.

To combat hate crime oﬀenses and events, Attorney General Rob Bonta urges local partners and law enforcement to review the resources highlighted today and to recommit themselves to taking action.

“While it is heartening to see an overall decrease in hate crimes in 2023, some of our communities, including our LGBTQ+, Jew-

Logo of Oﬃce of A�orney General California Department of Jus�ce

ish and Muslim communities, continue to be targeted and endangered by hate at alarming rates. An attack against one of us is an attack against all of us — there is no place for hate in California,” reiterated Bonta. “Everyone has a part to play as we continue to ﬁght prejudice and create safer communities in California. I urge everyone to review the data and resources available and recommit to standing united against hate. The California Department of Justice has a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to hate, and will continue working with law enforcement, elected leaders, and community organizations across the state to keep our communities safe through education, prevention, and enforcement.”

Some of the key ﬁndings from the 2023 Hate Crime in California Report include:

Reported hate crime events decreased 7.1% from 2,120 in 2022 to 1,970 in 2023.

Hate crime oﬀenses decreased 8.9% from 2,589 in 2022 to 2,359 in 2023.

The number of victims of reported hate crimes decreased 6.9% from 2,474 in 2022 to 2,303 in 2023.

Reported hate crime events involving a racial bias decreased 21.6% from 1,298 in 2022 to 1,017 in 2023.

Anti-Black bias events remained the most prevalent, despite a 20.6% decrease from 652 in 2022 to 518 in 2023.

Anti-Asian bias events decreased 10.71% from 140 in 2022 to 125 in 2023.

Reported hate crime events involving a religion bias increased 30% from 303 in 2022 to 394 in 2023.

Anti-Jewish bias events rose from 189 in

SAN FRANCISCO – The South of Market Community Action Network (SOMCAN) through its Reclaiming Our Space (ROSe) program presents Kahayágan, an art installation on the windows of the Children’s Creativity Museum honoring Filipino/a/x change makers and leaders.

In partnership with the Children’s Creativity Museum and artists Wilfred Galila and Ramon Bonifacio, the unveiling and ribbon cutting of Kahayágan is on Friday, July 12 starting at 6:00 p.m. at the Children’s Creativity Museum.

Kahayágan (kah-hah-yáh-gahn) is from the Hiligaynon/Visayan language meaning clearness, lucidity, intelligible, visible, and manifest. The Kahayágan Art Project is a project dedicated to the leaders and legacies that has helped build, empower, engage, and continue to inspire our communities ongoing contribution for a just society.

Wilfred Galila and Ramon Bonifacio’s mixed media art installation, evoking stained glass portraits, highlights 23 Filipino/a/x individuals who have manifested progress and change through their invaluable work and contributions to the Filipino community—from history, art and culture, health and wellness, youth and families, safety, Filipino studies, language access, workers rights, and LGBTQ+ rights.

The featured honorees for Kahayágan are Alexis David, Andrea Almario, Arlene Daus-Magbual, Bernadette Herrera, Christopher Cara, Conrad Benedicto, Evangeline Naredo, Gayle Romasanta, Glesaree Valdez, Helen Seraﬁno-Agar, Herna Cruz-Louie, Joyce Juan-Manalo, Kali Diwa Lebon Ildefonzo Redondiez, Kevin Nadal, Maria Luz Torre, Maya Masagca, Necolasa Tuthill-Delute, Rico Reimedio, Rogelio “Roger” Gadiano, Ruby Turalba, Teresa Dulalas,

2022 to 289 in 2023, an increase of 52.9%.

Anti-Islamic (Muslim) bias events rose from 25 in 2022 to 40 in 2023.

information please reference the “Understanding the Data, Characteristics and Known Limitations” section in the report.

Between 2022 and 2023, hate crime events motivated by sexual orientation bias increased by 4.1% from 391 in 2022 to 405 in 2023, anti-transgender bias events increased by 10.2% from 59 in 2022 to 65 in 2023, and anti-LGBTQ+ bias events increased by 86.4% from 2022.

From 2022 to 2023, the number of hate crimes referred for prosecution increased from 647 in 2022 to 679 in 2023. Of the 679 hate crimes that were referred for prosecution, 463 cases were filed by district attorneys and elected city attorneys for prosecution. Of the 463 cases that were filed for prosecution, 322 were filed as hate crimes and 141 were filed as non-bias motivated crimes.

Given the ongoing challenges presented by hate crimes, Attorney General Bonta urges leaders across the state and members of the public to review and make use of these important resources, which include an updated law enforcement bulletin summarizing applicable civil and criminal hate crime laws, guidance to prosecutors to help strengthen prosecution and enforcement, and brochures and fact sheets in more than two dozen languages to assist Californians in identifying and responding to hate crime events. In 2021, Attorney General Bonta also released a special report on anti-Asian hate crimes during the pandemic, which oﬀers important context and analysis regarding increases in anti-Asian hate crime events in 2020.

It is to be noted though that historically, hate crime data has generally been underreported and the California Department of Justice recognizes that the data presented in its reports may not adequately reﬂect the actual number of hate crime events that have occurred in the state. Caution should be used when comparing 2023 hate crimes data to prior years, as not all agencies were able to submit a full year of data for 2023. For more

Tim Figueras, and Tina Alejo.

This project was made possible with funding from the Speciﬁc General Fund for the Museum Grant Program under the California Cultural & Historical Endowment.

SOMCAN’S ROSe program uplifts Filipino language, culture, and history by combining art and design with community planning to educate, organize, empower, and strengthen the Filipino community’s civic engagement in shaping their neighborhood and City.

Kahayágan Unveiling and Ribbon Cutting

Date: Friday, July 12, 2024 Time: 6:00 p.m. - Doors Open

6:30 p.m. - Program

7:30 p.m. - Food and refreshments

8:15 p.m. - Ribbon Cutting Location:

Children’s Creativity Museum

221 4th Street San Francisco, CA 94103

About SOMCAN:

Established in 2000, the South of Market Community Action Network (SOMCAN) is a multi-issue and multi-strategy organization that nurtures the lives of youth, families, individuals, and workers. We work on a wide range of issues—from tenant rights to community planning to Filipino language access to workers rights— and provide culturally competent direct services ranging from tenant counseling to family support to youth empowerment to employment.

SOMCAN believes in uplifting the voices of immigrant, people-of-color, and low-income communities, so they will be heard in local policy-making decisions and so civic oﬃces are accountable to their needs. www.somcan.org

The California Department of Justice has collected statewide data on hate crimes since 1995. Under California law, a hate crime is a criminal act committed in whole or in part because of a victim’s actual or perceived disability, gender, nationality, race or ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, or association with someone with one or more of these characteristics.

Some of the most important things to remember and steps to take if you have been a victim of a hate crime are:

If you are in immediate danger, call 911 and if needed, seek medical attention; Write down the exact words that were used and take note of any other relevant facts; If safe to do so, save all evidence and take photos;

Get contact information for other victims and witnesses; and

Reach out to community organizations in your area that deal with hate crimes or incidents.

Hate crimes are distinct from hate incidents, which are actions or behaviors motivated by hate that may be protected by the First Amendment right to freedom of expression. Examples of hate incidents include namecalling, insults, and distributing hate material in public places. If a hate incident starts to threaten a person or property, it may become a hate crime. Reports of hate incidents can be made to the California Civil Rights Department CA v. Hate online portal at any time in 15 languages or by calling the CA v. Hate hotline at (833) 866-4283 or 833-8-NO-HATE, Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and talking to a trained civil rights agent in over 200 languages. Outside of those hours, people can leave a voicemail or call 211 to report a hate incident and seek support from a professional trained in culturally competent communication and trauma-informed practices.

(From page 15)

“And while he was sick and dying then, the scammers came back to the victims and were made to sign documents purportedly to protect victims’ investments and your assets. And because this elderly couple victims were monolingual Chinese, they don’t read or write Chinese and they trusted this man that they’ve known for over 30 years, they signed documents to get a loan on their property worth $800,000 that went directly to the scammers.”

And as if these were not enough, the woman victim (wife of the sick victim) ended up losing the entire real estate property building in San Francisco she was forced to sell because of the mortgages were not be able to pay back.

“And you know during this time her husband died, this man was supposed to be this close family friend even delivered the eulogy at her husband’s funeral while he was scamming her,” Mak sadly intimated.

Chung of Self-help for the Elderly mentioned that the 36-37% Asian American and Paciﬁc Islanders in San Franscico there is usually between 6 to 7,000 elder abuse and self-neglect cases. Over 42% of those victims are from the Asian community.

“And if you look at our population of 36%, then the reporting of the Asian from the Asians is only 12%. So that means that two thirds of our community members who are victims never report the crimes,” Chung rued. “I just want to say that we are very alarmed. We are very concerned that these ﬁnancial scams on the increase and with the AI you now have what they call deep what, the fake images and recordings are hurting. Or coming to our seniors, we are their phone that look just like their relatives and sounded just like the relatives. That is scary,” warned Chung.

Bonta

PG&E Prepares for Extraordinary High Temperatures and Possible Heat-related Outages for the Week Ahead

As PG&E staff meteorologists closely track the weather, the company is reaching out to customers with resources to stay safe and cool.

OAKLAND, Calif. — With the Fourth of July holiday just days away, Paciﬁc Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) meteorologists are monitoring weather models that forecast a heat wave that will aﬀect millions of Californians. Above-average temperatures are expected to begin on Tuesday and Wednesday and last through the July 4 holiday and weekend. In preparation for the heat event, PG&E has activated its Emergency Operations Center and all regional and local emergency centers; additionally, it is asking customers to have a plan for possible power outages and to take steps to stay safe during the long and brutal heat wave.

According to PG&E’s in-house meteorologists, who are tracking this week’s heat event from PG&E’s Emergency Operations Center, a strong high-pressure system will begin building today, resulting in triple-digit heat mid-week across the interior valleys, especially the Sacramento Valley, as the week continues. Along the coast, the marine layer will weaken, driving temperatures into the mid-90s and low 100s in coastal valleys and 80s in the Bay.

“Widespread heat waves such as the one forecast for the July 4 week mean all hands on deck for PG&E. You will see crews and PG&E trucks throughout your hometown if the heat aﬀects our equipment, and we’ll be working around the clock to restore customers safely and as quickly as possible,” said Rod Robinson, Vice President of Electric System Operations.

Our outage prediction models help determine potential timing, location and number of heat-related power outages to assign troubleworkers (PG&E ﬁrst responders), crews and other resources to areas that need support.

PG&E has pre-positioned crews and equipment, such as transformers, expected to be affected by heat-related outages and will mobilize equipment to other areas, as needed, based on real-time impacts.

During extended periods of high temperatures, energy use increases and electric grid equipment gets hotter. Equipment such as transformers need time to cool down during a heat wave. This usually happens overnight when temperatures and energy usage drop. Heat events with high overnight temperatures can put additional stress on equipment and cause heatrelated outages.

“We are closely monitoring areas where abnormally high heat is forecasted and demand on the grid will be elevated, such as the Santa Clara Valley and other interior Bay valleys. This is in addition to the entire Central Valley where temperatures are projected to be the hottest,” said Scott Strenfel, Senior Director of Meteorology and Fire Science at PG&E.

Potential Targeted Public Safety Power Shutoﬀ

PG&E Meteorology is also monitoring the potential for breezy to locally gusty winds from Monday night through Wednesday morning, peaking on Tuesday. While a strong wind event is not currently expected, wind gusts could reach up to 40 mph in the Northern and Western Sacramento Valley and adjacent foothills. This, combined with high temperatures and low humidity, has increased the wildﬁre risk.

As a result, PG&E has informed approximately 12,000 customers that we may need to proactively turn oﬀ their power for safety starting on Tuesday morning. The customers poten-

tially aﬀected by the PSPS event are in targeted portions of the following ten counties: Shasta, Tehama, Glenn, Colusa, Lake, Yolo, Napa, Sonoma, Butte and Solano. A PSPS is a safety precaution of last resort to reduce the risk of wildﬁres during the forecasted high wind event.

Customers have been notiﬁed via text, email and automated phone calls prior to potential shutoﬀs. If customers enrolled in PG&E’s Medical Baseline Program do not verify that they have received these important safety communications, PG&E employees will conduct individual, in-person visits, when possible, with a primary focus on customers who rely on electricity for critical life-sustaining equipment.

Customers can look up their address online to ﬁnd out if their location is being monitored for the potential safety shutoﬀ at pge.com/pspsupdates.

Support for PG&E customers

We understand that being without power is difficult for our customers — especially in areas impacted by the heat wave. Numerous Community Resource Centers (CRC) will be available within the affected counties. To accommodate the heat, CRCs will be receiving additional ice to provide for customers. Additionally, each center offers ADA-accessible restrooms, device charging, Wi-Fi, blankets, air conditioning and bottled water, snacks and other supplies. Customers can find a CRC near them by visiting www.pge.com/crc.

If called, this would be the ﬁrst PSPS event of 2024.

In case of heat-related outages, PG&E of-

fers the following safety tips: Use battery-operated ﬂashlights, and not candles, due to the risk of ﬁre.

Customers with generators should make sure they are properly installed by a licensed electrician in a well-ventilated area.

Freeze plastic containers ﬁlled with water to make blocks of ice that can be placed in your refrigerator/freezer during an outage to prevent foods from spoiling.

Customers can get updates on outages in their neighborhood through a variety of channels.

o Contact PG&E’s outage information line at 1-800-743-5002

o Access the Electric Outage Map online at online outage center

o Customers can also log-in to their account through pge.com and sign up to receive proactive outage alerts through email, text or phone PG&E reminds customers to update their contact information at www.pge.com/mywildﬁrealerts. For more tips on how to safely navigate summer recreational activities, visit PG&E’s Summer Safety Guide. The guide is also available in Chinese and Spanish.

About PG&E

Paciﬁc Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E Corporation (NYSE:PCG), is a combined natural gas and electric utility serving more than 16 million people across 70,000 square miles in Northern and Central California. For more information, visit pge.com and pge.com/news.

Father Geoﬀrey Baraan, Parish Priest of St Joseph Church in Pinole, CA did a free concert for his parishioners and friends. The guest performer with an astonishing voice is none other than Ms Madonna Decena. She was the ﬁnalist for Britain’s got talent in 2008 and she was well applauded by the audience. A�er the concert there was a meet and greet and photo shoot with their idol. Photo by: Cris Enriquez

4-Year-old Ellie displays Filipiniana outfit at FilCom Center

Hawaiian-born Ellie Estioko Rasay, 4, proudly displayed her Filipiniana outﬁt given to her as a gift from her grandparents (Lolo Elpidio and Lola Delia Estioko) they bought in Taytay, Rizal during their recent visit in the Philippines.

The pictures were taken by her parents John and Tweety Estioko Rasay during their visit to the Filipino Community Center (FilCom) Waipahu, HI as part of its national day celebration of the Philippine Consulate General in Honolulu’s Filipiniana Fashion Exhibit titled “Ebolusyon ng Pananamit ng mga Pilipina,” which showcased traditional Filipiniana attire through the years.

from not very wealthy families, so perhaps hardship exemptions may be allowed. Let them turn pro after two years.

Overpriced fried chicken, anyone?

This brings me to my latest peeve or irritant, one which aﬀects millions of Filipinos.

I’m aware that fastfood prices in the US have skyrocketed, of late. The reason cited by the companies that own or run such giants as McDonald’s, Burger King, Subway, and Starbucks, among others is the hike in minimum wage. It’s now $20 per hour in California, isn’t it?

Here in the Philippines, far and away the biggest fastfood chain is Jollibee, which owns a number of other restaurants such as ChowKing, Greenwich, and Mang Inasal, among many, many others.

In recent years, the publicly-listed company has gone beyond fastfood with purchases of the likes of Tim Ho Wan, Red Ribbon, and The Coﬀee Bean and Tea Leaf, and even Smashburger in the US and God knows what else.

It’s a global success story, no doubt, but very lately there have been mounting complaints about how Jollibee’s top product, Chickenjoy, has not only shrunk in size even as prices have gone up.

Since there’s a Jollibee very near my place, I went and ordered their popular chicken – billed not too long ago as one of the best in the world – and can conﬁrm that the servings have become pathetically small. And yes, prices have gone up substantially since the pre-pandemic days. The sad thing is that the employees have not received any substantial pay hikes. Whatever adjustments they’ve received has been minimal at best, and definitely far behind the country’s inﬂation, one of the problems that the government is unable to solve.

Maybe we can have one too (“Ebolusyon ng Pananamit ng mga Pilipina,”) in the Bay Area by the Philippine Consulate in San Francisco!

Upside...

(From Page 10)

“Currently we feel safe, but with this coming election and if you-know-who wins, our situation will be in jeopardy,” Jay expressed a rare moment of unease amid the rise of political rhetoric scapegoating minorities including the collective Pride community. “What we have worked for might be in great danger.”

These past two weeks, however, their focus was on their belated honeymoon, cherishing every moment they always believed would come. – Adapted from original reprinted with permission from INQUIRER.NETUSA.

Cherie M. Querol Moreno is Executive Editor of Philippine News Today.

VIRGILIO F. MAKALALAD

1967-2024

It is with heavy hearts that the family of Virgilio F. Makalalad, Jr. announces his passing on June 16, 2024, at the age of 56. Lovingly known by his closest friends and family as ‘Jun’ or ‘Virgil’, he was born on August 9, 1967 in Manila, Philippines. He is the youngest of six children and the only son to the late Virgilio Sr. and Monina Makalalad. In the early 1970’s, he and his family migrated to San Francisco, where Virgil graduated from Westmoor High School in Daly City. He continued to reside in the Bay Area throughout his adulthood. Beginning at the young age of 26, he dedicated nine years of his life to being the primary caregiver to his mom and dad, who both battled serious health challenges. During this time, he also spent two decades as the store manager of Napa Auto Parts in Burlingame. Virgil was known for his caring and generous personality, his sarcastic wit, and his charm that could make anyone smile. He loved R&B music, was a Nascar enthusiast, and was an avid SF Giants and 49ers fan. Virgil is survived by his ﬁve older sisters: Virina, Marissa, Monina, Maristella, and Marjorie; his brothers-inlaw: Brigido, Romel, and Melandro; his nieces, nephews, grandnieces, grandnephews, and great-grandnieces. He will be remembered as the strongest, ﬁercely protective, warm, and funny brother and uncle. Now reunited with his parents, Virgilio Sr. and Monina Makalalad, and his aunt Clara Makalalad, his family uplifts his soul to rest and will continue to love and miss him forever.

A memorial vigil for Virgilio will be held on Tuesday, July 23, 2024, at 4:00 PM at Fairﬁeld Funeral Home, 1750 Pennsylvania Ave, Fairﬁeld, CA. The rosary will begin at 5:00 PM, with words of remembrance to follow.

On Wednesday, July 24, 2024 at 11:00 AM, a memorial mass will be held to honor Virgil at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church, 2700 Dover Ave, Fairﬁeld, CA.

Family, friends, and all those who knew Virgil are invited to pay their respects.

To commemorate our 50th Wedding Anniversary last May 5, 2024 and my 77th Birthday on August 18, 2024, my beloved wife Virginia Jimenez Madlaing and I are oﬀering FREE autographed copies of “HISTORICITY OF JESUS” subtitled “Facts and Evidences for Agnostics, Atheists, Believers and Christians,” “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.” These three best-selling are excellent addition to your Personal Library or Family Library. This Special Oﬀer is good only in the United States.

For your FREE autographed copies of books, just mentioned the book title and send $8.95 (for mailing, shipping and handling per book) in check or money order to: ART G. MADLAING, 730 Madrid Street, San Francisco, CA 94112 Tel. (650)438-3531 or (415)584-7095 or email: artmadlaing@hotmail.com

(ART GABOT MADLAING is accredited and commissioned Notary Public and licensed Real Estate Broker (DRE #00635976) in California since 1981. He is the 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.)

Pangasinan. Phliippines, and now registered in Arizona. Jon Rowe and his wife Razzle Rowe are jointly conducting Soul Winners Workshop hosted by sister congregations all over the United States.

With their growing family at the San Diego wedding of Joriene and Ryan, from le�: daughter-in-law Abby, Shirl, the newlyweds, Jay and Jashley Mercado.

Memory Loss That Disrupts Daily Life, Misplacing items, Confusion with Time or Place? Recognizing Alzheimer’s Disease Early and Getting Treatment Helps Families and Patients Improve Quality of Life

By Wynnelena Canio, MD, AGSF Geriatrician (IM) and Psychiatrist, Regional Dementia Care Clinical Lead, Kaiser Permanente Northern California

My grandma was diagnosed with dementia when I was in college. She started mixing up the stories she had told me growing up. Her doctor gave her medication and told her it may or may not help.

Over the years, as a family, we suﬀered ambiguous loss as grandma was losing her ability to cook, move independently, shower on her own, control her bladder, amongst other things. Like most Asian families, we took turns helping her with these increasing disabilities, while learning how to communicate in her disease/stage-appropriate language. One day, as I was helping her bathe, she cried and said, “why are you helping me with this, I bathed you.” I responded, “you’re right you did, so now it’s my turn.”

When grandma’s paid caregiver moved, my mom decided to retire early to take care of her at home. Given how emotionally and physically draining as it was, mom often said “I’ll die before her.” I’d give mom a break and I’d take grandma to spend one week at a time with us in Petaluma.

This was an extremely arduous journey

for us, the progression of the disease revealing new challenges at every turn, which required us to learn and adapt. This is a journey not unlike every caregiver and family with a loved one suﬀering from dementia.

While caring for our elders is a cultural touchstone for many AAPI communities, the challenge of older adult care and managing a multigenerational household can be overwhelming for anyone. When a parent, grandparent or other loved one begins to show a new pattern of forgetfulness, lost items or confusion with time – possible early signs of Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias (ADRDs) – the stress for caregivers is compounded. The loved one, often aware of their increasing lapses may also fear their loss of control and the stigma of aging and becoming a burden to their family.

Now, the State of California is helping people meet these challenges through the Take on Alzheimer’s campaign. The ﬁrst-ever statewide campaign of its kind, it aims to shift perceptions and reduce stigma around Alzheimer’s.

For Asian American and Paciﬁc Islander (AAPI) populations the message is critical. We know that almost half (46%) of Asian Americans say that they are concerned about developing Alzheimer’s or dementia and 90% worry about being a burden on their family if they

develop Alzheimer’s disease. Moreover, we know that stigma can play a role in limiting the help families receive. Too often AAPI families experience shame that deters them from seeking information, assistance, or a formal diagnosis, until the disease has progressed to later stages.

Honest and empathetic conversations with friends, loved ones or a clinician can be critical to improving outcomes. The earlier ADRDs are diagnosed, the better it is for the loved one with the disease and their caregivers. Take on Alzheimer’s hopes to make conversations about symptoms, diagnosis, and caregiving commonplace. We want people to know that ﬁrst and foremost, there are things we can do to take care of our brain health before and after diagnosis. We also want to shift perceptions so that people understand that Alzheimer’s is a neurological disorder and not a psychiatric disorder. There are new treatments and considerable research in this area, and we expect care and therapies to get even better.

Why is California taking on Alzheimer’s now? According to the 2024 California State of Public Health report, Alzheimer’s is now the second leading cause of death in California, aﬀecting over 690,000 individuals across the state. California is expecting the number of residents living with Alzheimer’s to double by

2040.

By identifying when memory loss disrupts your loved one’s daily life or tasks, you can discuss symptoms with a doctor and take action. It’s ok to be afraid at this step, but open communication leads to better outcomes and increased support for the aﬀected loved one.

California’s Take on Alzheimer’s campaign hopes that by ﬁghting the stigma associated with Alzheimer’s, people can get the resources and assistance they need sooner. Especially in the early stages, eating a balanced diet, exercising, getting good sleep, and staying socially connected help preserve quality of life.

With early screening and detection, people with ADRD, along with their family members, have the chance to make the choices that are right for them. Families can also take critical steps to create the necessary legal and financial plans for their affected loved one. While these conversations may be difficult to start, they are critically important to ensuring your loved one’s needs and wishes are met.

Ready to start the conversation? Visit TakeOnAlz.com for information, tips and resources. ***

Dr. Canio is the Regional Dementia Care Clinical Lead for Kaiser Permanente of Northern California.

Heart of Hope

Warning: Energy drink

Beer and bone health

Dietary silicon, which is found in beer, helps keep bone strong by improving the bone mineral density, a new report from the University of California, Davis, stated in the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture. The silicon content varies from beer to beer. After testing 100 commercial beer, the study found that the silicon content ranged from 6.4 to 56.5 milligrams per liter. Those containing high level of “malted barley and hops are riches in silicon.” This medical ﬁnding is for information only and not a recommendation for people to drink beer.

Chocolate and stroke

Three new studies have shown that eating dark chocolate appears to decrease the risk of developing stroke or lower the death rate after a stroke. The reviews of these researches on chocolate consumption and stroke expanded from 2001 to 2009, conducted at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto, Canada.

Deadly air pollutants

Traﬃc pollutants, nitrogen dioxide and tiny particulate matter, may be linked to higher death rate among people who have survived a stroke. The risk of dying rose 28% when the nitrogen dioxide was up by just 10 micrograms per 3 square meter of air. A similar increased in particulate matter was associated with 52% increase in the death rate. These same pollutants in the air also cause cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases.

Acne drug vs. HIV

A cheap antibiotic used for acne has been found to “target the HIV infected immune system cells at their dormant stage before coming back to life and spreading the infection” to cause AIDS, according to Janice Clements, professor of molecular and comparative pathobiology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Minocycline (Minocin) “targets the T-cells and makes it harder for them to reproduce and keeping HIV dormant,” a welcome drug as an adjunct in the treatment of HIV infection. Incidentally, premature aging of the brain has been found among HIV patients.

Drug helps sex drive

The antidepressant drug, Wellbutrin SR (bupropion), may help improve the sex drive in younger women suﬀer-

ing from HSDD (hypoactive sexual desire disorder), who have persistently low interest in sex, according to a study published in the medical journal BJU International. Not approved in the USA, another drug, a testosterone patch called Intrinsa is being used in Europe for the treatment of HSDD among post-menopausal women. More extensive studies are needed to conﬁrm the suggested eﬀectiveness of bupropion for HSDD.

Music for anxiety

Massage has been known to help reduce anxiety very effectively and has been used in the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder. However, a new study shows that a cheaper and simpler alternative, resting and listening to enjoyable and relaxing music, is equally effective. Comparing the two, the researchers found no difference in their effectiveness (level of relief) after 3 months of therapy. Not to mention the convenience and cost difference in the two modes of treatment.

Heart rhythm on ﬂight

Air flight could increase the risk of irregularity of heart beat, especially among those individuals with a history of heart disease, says a new study presented at the American Heart Association annual conference in San Francisco last month. Flying is like going from sea level to scaling a mountain 8,000 feet high, which is obviously a great stress for the cardiovascular system, in spite of the pressurized cabin and all. The overall effect appears not to be significant, though, and flying is deemed safe for almost everybody, including those who have had open heart surgery and are asymptomatic. Thalidomide “rediscovered”

The drug for morning sickness introduced about 50 years ago, Thalidomide, which was banned because it was found to cause birth defects, has been discovered to be eﬀective in the treatment of hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT), which aﬀects one in 5000 people. With an anti-cancer power, Thalidomide is more recently used for the treatment of certain forms of cancer, like Multiple Myeloma. Herbal not for asthma

Researchers found that people who chose to take herbals for their asthma were experiencing more episodes of shortness of breaths and poorer quality of life. These were individuals who were not on any prescribed medications or who had abandoned their physician-ordered drugs and took herbals instead. About 7.85% of the 309,115,457 population

of the United States have asthma, increasing about 0.5% every 3 years. Louisiana (5.05%) has the lowest incidence and Rhode Island (10.68%) has the highest, while only one State, Nevada, experienced a decline in asthma cases. Herbals are not an eﬀective substitute for the management of asthma, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and other medical conditions.

Vitamin D and Cancer

About 150,000 Americans were diagnosed with colorectal cancer in 2009. Studies revealed that those with the highest level of Vitamin D in their blood stream have up to 40% lower risk of this cancer than those with low level of Vitamin D. Good sources of Vitamin D are sunlight, ﬁsh (salmon, tuna, etc.), breakfast cereal, yogurt, fortiﬁed milk. For daily supplement, Vitamin D3 is the form recommended by physicians.

Warning: Energy drinks

Combining alcoholic beverage with caffeine energy drink is a popular cocktail today. Energy drinks, unhealthy beverages, have been popular. This alcohol-coffee mix has been found to be dangerous, leading to higher state of drunkenness and severely impaired driving, compared to drinking alcoholic drink alone. “There’s a very common misconception that if you drink caffeine with an alcoholic beverage the stimulant effect of the caffeine counteracts the depressant effect of the alcohol, and that is not true,” says Bruce Goldberger, director of toxicology in the University of Florida College of Medicine. Being wide awake and drunk can lead to dangerous, if not deadly, consequences. Energy drinks have been associated with irregularity of heartbeat, heart attack, and death.

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, David Letterman, Astronaut Gus Grissom, etc. (Wikipedia). Websites: FUN8888.com, Today.SPSAtoday.com, and philipSchua.com

Email: scalpelpen@gmail.com

PHILIP S. CHUA

Recipe of the Week

Ukoy na Dilis at Kangkong

Ukoy na Dilis at Kangkong is a tweaked version of my Ukoy na Dilis recipe. On this tweaked version I fried the dilis in a bed of kangkong leaves. The basic recipe is similar except for the addition of the kangkong leaves. To assemble lay several kangkong leaves in a small sauce plate this will serve as a bed for the dilis mixed with the prepared batter. The ukoy mixture is then slide in to hot oil for deep frying. The dish is best served with vinegar, garlic, salt and hot chili dip. Here is the recipe of my innovative Ukoy na dilis at Kangkong enjoy.

Ingredients:

1/2 kilo dilis, anchovy, head abd entrails disgarded 2-3 stalks spring onion, chopped

1 big bundle kangkong, trimmed

1/2 cup ﬂour

1 1/2 cup cornstarch

1 tsp. baking powder

1 medium size egg, beaten salt and pepper cooking oil

Cooking procedure:

In a bowl mix flour and cornstarch, dash of salt and pepper. Blend in the beaten egg and 1 1/2 cups of water until a smooth batter is produced. Add in the dilis and spring onion mix thoroughly. Heat about 2 to 3 cups of oil in a wok. To assemble lay several kangkong leaves in a small sauce plate this will serve as a bed for the dilis mixed with the prepared batter. Using a soup ladle scoop about 1/3 cup of the fish batter mixture and pour into the kangkong bed in the small sauce plate. Slide the ukoy mixture in to wok. Fry one serving at a time flip once the bottom turns to golden brown. Fry until crispy and golden brown. Remove from wok and drain on a paper towel. Serve with vinegar, crushed garlic, salt and pepper dipping sauce.

Birdwatching takes center stage in Ilocos-Pangasinan region, Taiwan model eyed

LAOAG CITY – The Department of Tourism (DOT) is looking at the birdwatching tourism model used in Taiwan’s southern city of Kaohsiung in developing a similar niche product for the Ilocos Region, speciﬁcally in the provinces of Pangasinan and Ilocos Norte.

DOT Region 1 (Ilocos) Director Jeﬀ Ortega said birdwatching is among the emerging niche products that the agency is keen to further strengthen, especially as it seeks to “decentralize” tourism activities in already popular destinations and bring more attention to lesser-known sites in Ilocos.

“When you go to (Kaohsiung in) Taiwan, grabe ang birdwatching nila (their birdwatching there is great), it’s so small yet so green. What they did is they built wooden decks around the greenery,” he said at the Philippine Tour Operators Association, Inc. (PHILTOA) general meeting.

“That’s the goal (to model it from Kaohsiung) and that’s part of our tourism development plan for birdwatching,” he added.

The budget to construct these facilities, however, “is another story”, he admitted.

In the meantime, DOT Region 1 is actively partnering with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources in Ilocos to identify areas that have potential as birdwatching trails.

To date, Ortega said the DOT has classiﬁed as “ready” for birdwatching Pangasinan’s Bani, Bolinao, and Lingayen; La Union’s Agoo, Bauang, San Fernando, and San Gabriel and the Kalbario-Patapat Natural Park in Pagudpud.

The Kalbario-Patapat is a good birding location for birdwatcher who wants to get a chance to see a variety of species such as the ﬂame-breasted fruit-dove, spotted imperial-pigeon, Philippine eagle-owl, whiskered pitta, green-faced parrotﬁnch, yellow bunting, tanguile, short-crested monarch, scale-feathered malkoha, Lu-

zon bleeding-heart, and Luzon hornbill, among others.

Apart from birdwatching, Ortega said the DOT is studying opportunities in bike, dive, and cruise tourism in the region.

The DOT, he said, is also promoting its Miraculous Marian Pilgrimage trail that is spread across Ilocos Region for travelers devoted to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

He said Ilocos has one of the “systematic” circuits in the Philippines that comprehensively lists all miraculous Marian churches in the region.

“There are less than 20 churches involved because there are only a few miraculous Marian churches, hindi lahat may miracle (not every church has miracles associated with it),” he said.

PHILTOA Board of Trustees member Fe Abling-Yu agreed that Ilocos Region’s emerging destinations have the potential to attract not only domestic tourists and returning overseas Filipinos but also foreign travelers.

“Ang maganda kasi sa Region 1 ay ang connectivity niya. Ang gusto lang namin ay madagdagan ang destinations (What’s good with Region 1 is its connectivity. (For us operators), what we want is to get more destinations to oﬀer),” she said in a separate interview.

“Ang Region 1 ay value for money kasi kapag pumunta ka sa kanila, mayroon kang 1,000 pesos lang marami ka nang mabibili kasi hindi siya mahal (Region 1 is already a value for money destination because even if you only haveP1,000, you can already but a lot of stuﬀ to bring with you home),” she added.

BIRDING. Local birdwatchers and photographers visit Paoay Lake for the yearly Asian bird census in this undated photo.