Norcal 8/18/22 by Philippine News Today

1 August 18-24, 2022

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA EDITION

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Vol. 62 No. 2 August 18-24, 2022

NEWS AND VIEWS YOU TRUST

JOINT PHL-U.S. SEA PATROLS EYED AS CHINA TENSION LINGERS Filipinos in Taiwan told to be alert, remain vigilant SPECIAL REPORT:

PHL private colleges, universities in crisis

By ALFRED GABOT, Editor-in-Chief

MANILA – As China started new military drills with planes, helicopters, warships and missiles, following the visit of another United States Congress delegation in Taiwan after US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy By Be�ng Laygo Dolor, Editor Pelosi, the Philippines declared it is ready to MANILA – Philippine private conduct joint patrols with the United States schools are facing an existential Page 9 crisis, with established school after in the West Philippine Sea (WPS). MEETING IN US. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. may meet US President Joe Biden next month.

Marcos set to attend UN meet in New York - envoy

NaFFAA upbeat, vows to work, push FilAms to greater heights By Jun Nucum

By Claire Morales True, Managing Editor

MANILA – If plans will not miscarry, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. will be in the United States next month to address the United Nations General Assembly in New York and meet heads of states on the sidelines. Philippine Ambassador to the Washington D.C. Jose Manuel Romualdez disclosed preparations are under way for the Marcos state visit, but did not indicate if Marcos will meet US President Joseph Biden Jr. in the White House although there is an standing invitation for the state

visit from Biden. Marcos was given the assurance that he will have “full diplomatic immunity” as head of state, despite a long-standing contempt order that had prevented him from entering the US. Romualdez said in an online media forum which was reported by various Manila media like ABS-CBN that plans are afoot for Marcos to hold several bilateral meetings with other heads of states in New York. Romualdez also reported that Marcos has started preparing a speech for the event as Page 8

school shutting down for good. At the start of this week, parents and students of the Colegio de San Lorenzo (CSL) were Page 8

Marcos to extend state of public health emergency By Jeanne Michael Penaranda

NaFFAA pioneers (from 3rd le� to right) Gloria Caoile. Jon Melegrito, Rodel Rodis, Brendan Flores, Loida Nicolas-Lewis and Michael Dadap, among others, at the conference in Las Vegas. LAS VEGAS - The new crop across the U.S. of oﬃcers of the biggest group of The oﬃcers of the National Filipino associations in the Unit- Federation of Filipino Ameried States vowed to continue with can Association (NaFFAA) led much energy and vigor whatever by President Mariela Fletcher their predecessors have started made the pledge at the just conto further serve and improve cluded NaFFAA’s 14th National the plight of Filipino Americans Empowerment Confer- Page 8

MANILA – President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. said he is considering extending the validity of the state of public health emergency amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic. Marcos said lifting the state of emergency, which is slated to last until September 12, would invalidate the emergency use authorization and compassionate special permits issued by the Food and Drug Ad-

Page 10

US issues health, travel advisories on PHL; DoH reacts

US Congresswoman hands medals for Filipino war veteran VIEWS & COMMENTS

SHOWBIZ

SPORTS

September 2022 Visa Bulletin

Liza Soberano, Bea Alonzo to star in Hollywood ﬁlms

POC to honor Lydia de Vega in a museum

Page 16

Page 21

By A�y. Lozano

Page 14

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3 August 18-24, 2022

 NATIONAL NEWS

Senate sets probe on sugar importation, laptop mess, other PDS-DBM controversies PASAY CITY – The Senate Blue Ribbon Committee chaired by Senator Francis Tolentino has tapped two former ofcials of the ﬃce of the bu s an to join the panel in investigating alleged anomalies in the government and its ofcials Tolentino said former deputy ombudsman Melchor Carandang would sit as his senior legal consultant while former deputy ombudsman for Luzon Gerard Mosque ra would sit as the committee’s general counsel

“That would probably show the seriousness of this committee in tackling the resolutions ahea he sai This as the committee will investigate the sugar importation mess at the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) and controversies involving the Procurement Service of the Department of Budget and anage ent The in uiries ill be the rst to be conducted by the committee chaired b en Tolentino un er the th on gress

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 METRO NEWS

August 18-24, 2022

QC college faces Transport groups challenge no-contact probe, legal apprehension for trafﬁc violators before SC action for

B y J en n i f er S an to s

MANILA – Transport organizations have asked petition the Supreme Court to stop e etro anila cities an go ernment regulators their no-contact apprehension progra N for traffic violators. SC spokesperson Brian K eith Hosaka i enti e the transport groups hich le their petitions for certiorari with temporary restraining order as the K ilusan sa Pagbabago ng Industriya ng Transportasyon Inc., Pasang Masda, Alliance of Transport O perators and Drivers Association of the Philippines, and Alliance of Concerned Transport O rganizations. Named in the suit were Manila, Q uezon City, Valenzuela, Paraña que City, Muntinlupa City, and the Land Transportation ffice The transport groups said that the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) has no legal authority to craft a resolution adopting the implementation of NCAP, adding that at the time the resolution was passed, there was no valid law or ordinance adopted by local city councils authorizing the MMDA to expand traffic rules an regulations They also claimed that the local ordinances facilitating the implementation NCAP are not valid as there are no exist-

ing laws that allows it. The transport groups said Republic Act 4136 or the Land Transportation and Traffic o e pro i es for onl face to face apprehension of traffic iolators an that erring drivers – not the registered vehicle o ners are liable for traffic iola tions. The transport groups also lamented the NCAP rule that vehicle registration cannot be rene e unless nes for traffic violations are settled, and for the inclusion of innocent third persons as liable for traffic iolations Meanwhile, the vice-chairperson of the House committee on Metro Manila development has called for the suspension and review of the implementation of the no-contact apprehension policy (NCAP) in the capital region. Q uezon City 4th District Representative Marvin Rillo made the call through House Resolution No. 237, urging the House committees on local government, Metro Manila development, and transportation to probe the implementation of the NCAP amid complaints and concerns about the policy. n his resolution le on ugust Rillo urged the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), Land Transportation ffice T an con cerned local government units “to sus-

pend the implementation and enforcement of the NCAP pending the development of a uniform guideline for the implementation of the NCAP.” “The Court has requi red the responents to le their respecti e co ents to the said petition and application for TRO within a non-extendible period of 10 days from receipt of the written notice from the Court,” Hosaka said. In the 47- page petition, the groups said the system which uses close-circuit television cameras places motorists “under constant threat of being arbitrarily apprehended remotely and issued notices of iolation for allege traﬃc o enses co mitted without any contact whatsoever.” In Q uezon City which fully implemented NCAP on July 1, state-of-theart ca eras ith arti cial intelligence technology will capture, photograph and record the conduction stickers and plate nu bers of ehicles that iolates traﬃc rules and regulations 24/ 7 along select major roads. The City of Manila said NCAP will decrease obstructions and choking of trafc fro apprehen e ehicles hile a more conscientious environment for pedestrians will not only keep our family and loved ones safe but could positively a ect the touris in ustr

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Q UEZ O N CITY – The Colegio de San oren o in ue on it is un er re an is facing legal action as a result of the school’s su en an une pecte closure a ecting some 1,3 00 students. This as the Commission on Higher Education, the Department of Education and the Q uezon City government started their separate investigation of the college. The CHED said the college has much to explain when it announced its closure only days before the start of classes in violation of CHED rules. arents of stu ents a ecte b the col lege’s closure press the college to immediately refund the tuition and other fees that they had paid so they can enrol in other schools. Q uezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte and legal counsel O rlando Paolo Casimiro, meanwhile, said the city government is willing and ready to assist parents, students, teachers, and non-teaching personnel in case the ant to le charges against the school “The possible legal action(s) against CDSL will be dependent upon those directly a ecte as ell as on the o is sion on Higher Education) and DepEd (Department of Education) who have jurisdiction over it as an educational institution.

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CAMP BAGO NG DIWA, Taguig City - Police Brig Gen. Jonnel Estomo has formally taken the reins of the Philippine National Police-National Capital egion olice ﬃce N NCRPO ), replacing Maj. Gen. Felipe Natividad who as on the post for e months. The change at the NCRPO also brought in 5 new district directors for the Manila Police District, Q uezon City Police District, Eastern Police District, Southern Police District and Northern Police District, respectively. Police Col. Jaysen De Guzman was named as the new director of the Q uezon City Police District, replacing Police Brig. Gen. Remus Medina who was assigned to the Personnel Holding and Accounting Unit. Police Col. K irby John K raft was designated as the director of the Southern Police District while Police Col. Wilson Asueta

as the new director of the Eastern Police District.

5 August 18-24, 2022

 PROVINCIAL NEWS

Spate of killings of girls in Bulacan hit, governor told cops to solve cases MALO LO S CITY- A spate of killings of girls has created a cloud of gloom over Bulacan in the past weeks prompting Governor Daniel Fernando to order the police to solve the cases as he appealed to the people to be always vigilant. The latest killing involved a 15- year-old girl who was found dead in Bustos, Bulacan. The victim, who friends said was an avid biker and was known in their local cycling community, was found in a grassy area in Barangay Bonga Menor, on Aug. 12. The Bulacan governor added he is dismayed over the incident and warned the public to always be cautious. “Nakakalungkot dahil tong mga nangyayari. Unahin natin ang pag-iingat sa lahat. Hindi lang mga babae. K ahit sino mag-ingat tayo, sa hirap ngayon. Hindi pa tayo nakaka-recover. Lalo na ngayon. Marami ang walang

hanapbuhay, kailangan natin na magkaisa,” he stated. PNP,” he said. Meanwhile, police redscued a forteen year old girl from a cybersex den in San Jose del Monte, Bulacan. The ulacan olice ro incial ﬃce sai the teener was rescued from the cyberden in Barangay Sta. Cruz that city and arrested three suspects. Earlier, a girl disappeared in Guguinto, Bulacan and her body was found later where it was dumped in Barangay Tikay in Malolos City. “Yung sa Guiguinto, sa magnanakaw ‘ yun. Iyon ang n ings sa N to ala pa he sai referring to the Bustos case. Fernando assured the public he is coordinating with the police to ensure the assailants will be caught. “Wala pa update ang police… mag-usap kami ni PD Cabradilla mamaya. Heto magbibigay tayo ng update sa

US, PHL troops’ Balance Piston exercise starts in Palawan PUERTO PRINCESA CITY – The Philippine Army’s Special Forces Regiment (Airborne) [ SFR(A)] and the US r pecial perations o an aci c formally started the month-long Balance Piston 22-3 exercise geared at enhancing interoperability between the two elite units in Palawan. “SFR(A) and SO CPAC teams will conduct bilateral training drills until September 16 , 2022 at the Joint Maritime Law Enforcement Training Center in Honda Bay, Puerto Princesa, and the Headq uarters of the 18 th Special Forces ‘ Riverine’ Company in Punta Baja in Rizal town,” PA spokesperson Col. X erxes Trinidad said in a statement.

Plan to return to old name of Manila airport revived

The bilateral exercise will focus on long-range marksmanship, combat marksmanship, close-q uarter combat, small unit tactics, unconventional warfare, maritime operations an a full ission pro le or cul ination e er cise. “We are certain that this will enable us to exchange tactics, techniq ues, and procedures to enhance interoperability between Filipino and US Special Forces,” SFR(A) assistant chief of sta for e ucation an training t ol Paulo F. Baylon said. Balance Piston is a regular bilateral training exercise between the special operation forces of the two countries which started in the early 2000s.

 NATIONAL NATIONAL NEWS NEWS

August 18-24, 2022

Marcos taps ex-agri chief as senior DA undersecretary MANILA – President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has administered the oath of office of o ingo anganiban as n ersecretar of the e partment of Agriculture (DA). Panganiban formally took his oath of office as shown in photos shared in the President’s official Facebook page on Monday. “We congratulate Mr. Domingo F. Panganiban ho as s orn in as n ersecretar of the epart ment of Agriculture on August 12, 2022,” Marcos said in his post on Facebook. “It is an honor to work ith our e perts in eeting the nee s of our people especially in the agricultural sector.” Panganiban was former Secretary of the DA in 2001 under President Joseph Estrada and in 2005 under President Gloria-Macapagal Arroyo. Arroyo tapped Panganiban to lead the Philippine

ore S

National nti o ert o ission ith cabinet rank in November 2006 . Panganiban began his career in public service as a lant est ontrol or er in the ureau of lant n ustr assigne in a boanga it He was later appointed DA Regional Director for egion entral u on Panganiban also became Director of the Bureau of lant n ustr an conse uentl ecuti e i rector of the National oo an griculture oun cil N He served as Deputy Minister of the Philippine Ministry of Food and Agriculture in 198 4. N E W D A E X E C . Pr esi d en t F er d i n an d “ B o n gb o n g” M ar He earned his Bachelor of Science in Agriculcos Jr. administers the oath of o ce of Domingo Pan- ture egree at the ni ersit of the hilippines at gan i b an as U n d er sec r etar y o f th e D ep ar tmen t o f Agr i - Los Bañ os in 196 1. c ul tur e .

ofﬁcials resign over s gar i portation ess

N T ugar egulator inistra tion a inistrator er enegil o era ca has re signed from post following the controversial sugar importation order sans the approval of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. era ca s resignation as con r e b ress ecre tar Tri ie ru ngeles in a press state ent ru ngeles sai the resignation of era ca as well as SRA board member Roland Beltran, has been accepted. e con r the acceptance of inistrator of the Sugar Regulatory Administration Mr. Hermenegildo Se-

ra ca s resignation as ell as the resignation of tt olan eltran of the ugar egulator oar ru Angeles said. The “immediate” acceptance of their resignation was contained in the two letters dated Aug. 15 and separately sent to era ca an eltran ast ee griculture chief of sta an n ersec retary for O perations Leocadio Sebastian also tendered his resignation to Marcos, who also sits as head of the Department of Agriculture, following the sugar importation asco sincerel o er apologies our cellenc for

having approved Sugar O rder No. 4 on your behalf, and through the authority, you had vested upon me. It has become clear that the same was not in keeping with your administration’s desired direction for the sugar industry,” Sebasian said in his letter. Malacaña ng earlier said the issuance of SO 4 was “illegal and unauthorized,” as it was rejected by the Presient consi ering the a inistration s thrust to ful ll a balancing act of securing a or able an a e uate suppl for the consu ers as ell as bene ting the local producers.

DBM to submit proposed P5.3-T nat’l budget to Congress MANILA – The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) will be submitting the Marcos adinistration s rst spen ing plan to ongress ne t week. Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman, in a video message during an economic forum hosted by Economic Journalists Association of the Philippines an the an iguel orp announce that the would submit the proposed P5 .26 8 -trillion national bu get for to the ongress on ugust “[ We] have already presented the administration’s rst National pen iture rogra or N a ount ing to P5 .26 8 to President Marcos Jr. on July 28 and

e are gearing up for its sub ission to the th on gress on Monday, August 22,” she said in her speech. Pangandaman admitted that “it was not easy” to prepare the NEP after the country’s gains were underine b in ationar pressures an e ternal con icts “But this only strengthens our resolve to ensure that the government’s programs, activities, and projects will reach every Filipino and improve their q uality of life amid the pandemic, through our recovery and beyond,” she added. She said the 2023 NEP is anchored on the theme “Agenda for Prosperity: Economic Transformation Towards Inclusivity and Sustainability.”

“O ur agenda for prosperity focuses on food safety and security and human capital and infrastructure development among other priority sectors. It is anchored on the administration’s overarching goals of creating more q uality and green jobs, reducing poverty incidence, promoting digitalization, and achieving an inclusive and resilient economy,” she said. The proposed national budget for 2023 is 4.9 percent higher than this year’s P5 .024 trillion national budget. Pangandaman said Marcos wanted to stick to the timeline and pass the proposed budget before December this year.

Customs releases abandoned Comelec sets Calaca OFWs’ balikbayan boxes and Maguindanao plebiscites MANILA – Good news to overseas ilipinos hose bali ba an bo es sent to the Philippines have been withheld for some time. This as the ureau of usto s has starte releasing bali ba an bo es insi e container ans aban one by two private companies. usto s o issioner ogi ile mon Ruiz said the bureau has initially release se en bali ba an bo es that arrived from the Middle East and are consigne to nternational o ers after an inspection by the Door-tooor onsoli ators ssociation of the hilippines last onth The initiate this o e to help our O FWs,” he said in a statement.

The eli er of the bali ba an bo es is e pecte to be co plete b the end of August. Ruiz said an additional 27 containers of aban one bali ba an bo es ill be auctione o to the an sent to the consignees. The also i enti e the other r s as argo er ices an argo e aulers orporation The chief sai he plans to cre ate a ali ba an o ssistance nit that ill onitor the e pe itious re lease an eli er of the bo es O nce formed, it will also serve as the primary communications center of the consignees, he said.

atangas The o is sion on lections o elec has begun the printing of more than 870,000 ballots and other accountable forms for the two plebiscites sche ule ne t onth The poll bo sai the rst plebiscite to be held on September 3 would ratify the conversion of the municipality of alaca atangas into a co ponent cit The other plebiscite, scheduled on September 17, would ratify the division of the province of Maguindanao into two provinces to be known as Maguindanao del Norte and Maguindanao del Sur. ccor ing to the o elec rinting o ittee it has printe so far oﬃcial ballots for the alaca atangas plebiscite.

Each ballot measures 4.5 inches by 8 inches and bears the que stion, “Pumapaag a ba na ang unisipali a ng alaca ay gawing isang lungsod ng probinsya ng Batangas na kikilalanin bilang lungsod ng alaca alinsuno sa atas epubli a ilang na ilala in bilang harter of the it of alaca oters ill rite either es or o to vote for the approval of the proposal, or “No” or “Hindi” to vote for its rejection, on the blank after the que stion. Meanwhile, 818,790 ballots will be printed for the Maguindanao plebiscite. The printing will continue at the National rinting ﬃce in ili an ue on it

7 August 18-24, 2022

 NATIONAL NATIONAL NEWS NEWS

Sara see s C

fra

PASIG CITY – O n order of Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte, the Department of Education (DepEd) asked for a fraud audit from the Commission on Audit (CO A) to look into the P2.4 billion alleged overpriced and outdated laptops purchased for teachers. ep n ersecretar an hief of sta pi aco Densing III said they have already transmitted their letter to CO A Chairperson Jose Calida. “In the meantime, while we are not yet declaring that there is a fraudulent transaction that happened at that time, we’re also not saying that there is none… K aya nga po ang direktiba po sa’min ni Secretary, ni VP Sara,

o i pen ing

it of

paimbestigahan niyo na ‘ yan, para makita kung mayroon bang kalokohan o wala (That’s why the directive to us by VP Secretary Sara, let it be investigated, to see whether or not there’s an irregularity),” he said. Densing said Duterte gave the go signal last Friday to reque st a fraud audit from CO A on the procurement of the P2.4 billion laptops through the Procurement Services of the Department of Budget and Management (PS-DBM). “Ang tinitingnan po namin ngayon (What we are loo ing at is not an oﬃcial in estigation et an this is the reason why we are asking CO A to do a fraud audit,

the reason h it as o ngra e fro gigahert to gigahert t the sa e ti e tu aas in ang pres o (the price also increased), and why is it [ an] Intel Celeron,” he added. He said all the documents “immediately given” by the PS-DBM upon the DepEd’s reque st have already been submitted to the CO A. Densing said the DepEd prefers to conduct future purchases under its own team to avoid similar controersies after the agge the report on the pro curement of the P2.4 billion laptops for online classes a i the o i pan e ic

ﬁnancial crisis, sa s ﬁnance ep t chief

Q UEZ O N CITY – Finance Secretary Benjamin mittee on Ways and Means that the Philippines is far Diokno dismissed speculations that the country is on fro a nancial crisis the brink of a debt crisis. “There has been a lot of speculation regarding our Diokno assured the House of Representatives Com- debt, with the cases of Sri Lanka and some of these o ngra es a be so e reassurance fro our nance oﬃcials econo ic anagers that e ill not go that way, and that the debt is still at a manageable level? ” Senator Juan Edgardo Sonny Angara asked Diokno. The DO F chief said the country has always been careful in its borrowings, citing the tax reform laws passed by Congress as “critical” in keeping the econoa oat a i the o i pan e ic “I can assure you that we will not go Sri Lanka’s way. We’re very careful with our borrowings. In fact, the treasurer said I think most of our debts are longterm,” Diokno said, giving credit to his predecessor, Carlos Dominguez, whom he said made sure that the country borrows with the lowest possible interest rates. “I think we should be 7 3 0 Madrid Street able to service whatever San Francisco, CA 94112 we borrowed down the road. So, I can assure you that in fact, that is the purpose of the mediumter scal fra e or -to make sure that we NOW AVAILABLE! Call or contact me for FREE don’t go the Sri Lanka consultations on home loans, refinancing, selling way,” he added. homes, buying real estate and get your complimentary A DO F report in May, autographed copy of “REAL ESTATE & YOU” ($ 15 .95 Amazon price plus shipping and handling) or a month before the subtitled “Your Basic Guide and Information for end of the Duterte adSuccessful Investing in Home Land and Income ministration, showed the Property.” Call or email me today! Tax Reform for Accel-

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eration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Act, tax amnesty programs, and “sin” tax laws raised some P6 8 .4 billion in re enues in billion in billion in an billion in T N signe in ece ber pro i es heft income tax cuts for majority of Filipino taxpayers while raising additional funds to help support the government’s accelerated spending on its “Build, Build, Build” infrastructure and social services programs. “This tax reform package corrects a longstanding ineq uity of the tax system by reducing personal inco e ta es for percent of ta pa ers thereb gi ing them the much needed relief after 20 years of non-adjustment of the tax rates and brackets” the DO F said. Recently, the Sri Lankan government announced that it as efaulting on its ebts a ing it the rst sovereign nation to default since the pandemic started.

August 18-24, 2022

NaFFAA...

(From page 1)

ence N

here the ere electe hel at the arrah s otel in as egas t the conference Na create a tas force to focus on hate inci ents an cri es in or er to alle iate the plight of particularl ilipino ic ti s an oul be icti s of hate letcher e plaine that ith focus of the ate ri e Tas orce is to o er resources to e er one e s pathi e ith all icti s of hate cri es an pro ise to o e er thing ithin our po er to assist an e po er the Through our ate ri e Tas orce e ill o our best to respon to hate cri e reports assist hate cri e icti s on the groun an buil a net or of tas forces across the countr to ser e ore local areas increasing our igital resources an see ing fun ing to hope full create a efense un for hate cri e icti s e are illing to o ore to pro i e these uch nee e resources to our ababa ans letcher sai e ere all e cite to gather together in per son as a Na fa il at the recentl hel N a o er hel e ith satisfaction an gratitu e to be able to eet our engaging e bers sel ess

Marcos set... (From page 1)

preparations are ongoing for his trip This is the rst ti e he ill be a ressing the nite Nations hich is basicall intro ucing hi self to the orl in the estern orl especiall an an secon l to ha e ore econo ic business eetings that ill bring in in est ents into the hil ippines he sai arcos ain thrust in relationships ith other countries especiall ith the nite tates is to ha e ore econo ic acti it he a e o ual e sai se eral eetings ha e been planne bet een arcos an business councils an potential co panies that oul li e to in est or e pan their business operations in the countr nl last onth arcos recei e the cre entials of ne bassa or to the hilippine ar a oss arlson

co unit lea ers gui ing foun ers an e er one in person again letcher sai letcher sai she as than ful that the associa tion s foun ers re inisce the colorful histor of Na ith so uch enthusias uring the con ference hich ga e the atten ees the opportunit to collaborate ith partners an co unit lea ers The conference tea also highlighte se eral ilipino ericans ho continue to ser e the or gani ation a ong others ore i portantl lethcer sai Na as able to channel a s to i pro e as a ilipino erican co unit in atters of national a o cac lea ership e elop ent an ci ic engage ent s the resi ent of Na fore ost priorit is the elfare of our ilipino ericans an helping the reach greater heights through na tional a ocac lea ership e elop ent an ci ic engage ent are priorities letcher sai The Na foun ers an past presi ents ha e create a path an ill ensure that neces sar a ust ents are a e to a apt to current situ ations an changes in the present an future en i ron ent of Na as nee e letcher a e he sai she oul focus on e po ering the Na tates concentrate on the gro th of certain Na egions an e eloping an arlson e presse hope that the hilippine ties ill be stronger un er his arcos lea er ship n response arcos assure that the hilip pines ill continue to ha e strong relations ith the nite tates un er his lea ership To echo our co it ent that the nite tates is co itte to the hilippines the hil ippines is also co itte to the nite tates co itte to the continuing relationship bet een our t o countries in the an i ensions an the ulti facete nature of our relationship bet een the an the hilippines arcos tol arlson arcos sai the tra itional ties bet een the hilippines an the continue to be eep an en uring arl ugust ecretar of tate nton lin en assure resi ent arcos that the oul honor its eca es ol co it ent to the utual efense Treat T

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strengthening the structure of the regions tates b closel or ing ith Na s lea ers an shar ing best practices an onthl ne sletters a ong others s to the challenge of Na foun er oi a Nicolas e is for ilipinos ericans to be at the table lest the beco e erel part of the enu letcher ie e it as a call to action so ething that con e s that ilipino ericans ha e to be represente in electe office s e continue to stea il increase to ar s e illion ilipino ericans in the nite tates e belie e that e nee to ha e ore elect e officials fro a ong us she sai ur goal is to create a pipeline of ilipino erican lea ers ho ill represent us on local boar s co issions cit councils states an national offices through Na s un for ffice rogra et s get out ote an ha e our oices hear letcher stresse letcher lau e the pioneers of Na li e loria aoile on elegrito o el o is i chael a ap oi a Nicolas e is an others ho atten e the conference he also cite the e e plar lea ership of le scla a o ecease These pioneers passe the baton fro the el ers to their ounger successors letcher sai

The ere certainl engaging throughout greeting an elco ing people an sharing stories of ho Na as foun e egar ing the ter passing on the baton e prefer to sa let us hol on to the baton together This is hat Na is all about ur pre ious lea ers are al a s engage an helping out as uch as possible ecause ore than being a national non pro t organi ation Na is ulti generational ith o er four illion ilipino ericans strong letcher sai The ne Na presi ent sai she belie es in the ne t rising generation of oung lea ers in the co unit a ing that the ust hear their con cerns an consi er hat is best for the hile pa ing tribute to the histor an foun ing principles of Na s resi ent belie e a crucial role is to n that balance an bri ge generations ithin our ili pino erican co unit The best a to o e for ar is b or ing T T stresse letcher si e fro letcher other ne Na oﬃ cers inclu e National ice resi ent hristopher i era National ecretar l rin arreon an Na tional Treasurer ngeles ell aran ang ast resi ent ren an lores ga e his fare ell speech uring the conference follo ing his a ress on the tate of (Continued on page 9)

been struggling e en before the pan e ic (From page 1) e sai his enroll ent ha shrun to about PHL... stunned when they were told that the school which to percent of hat it as before an he a itte ha been o ering ele entar high school an col lege classes as abruptl shutting o n The school cite nancial issues are their rea son for closing for goo en the epart ent of ucation ep as ell as the o ission on igher ucation ere caught at foote sa ing that the onl foun out about the i pen ing closure fro ne s reports ep spo es an ichael oa sai there as no for al co unication regar ing their inten tion to close ho e er sai a ha e bro en regulations one of hich states that outright closure of institutions ust be usti e an enforce at the en of the aca e ic ear an not in the beginning The school ear oﬃciall begins on ugust hich is onl a ee a a fro the announce clo sure olegio e an oren o as not the rst ual it school to cease operations lso in the last ear the ore than ear ol ollege of the ol pirit in en iola near alacanang announce that it as shutting o n for goo oun e in the historic school close for goo in ctober last ear citing rising operational costs an lo enroll ent turnout orsene b the health crisis efore that a relati el ne college that as set up b a retire presi ent of the ni ersit of the hilippines along ith a nu ber of also retire college profes sors fro the state uni ersit ere force to raise the hite ag of sur ren er ala aan ollege also base in ue on it li e last ear announce that the ere shutting their oors for goo in une stablishe in uch as e pecte of ala aan as its foun er as the highl respecte e ucator ose bue a the th presi ent of

that he as lost after getting a heft ban loan to buil his o n ca pus ost recentl he sai he ha no choice ha e to gi e up he sai n the plus si e ho e er he a itte that he ha earne a s all fortune hen the going as goo for about a eca e o petition as hurting hi he sai but the pan e ic prett uch ille business an ala aan all cite the serious ef fects of the pan e ic as the ain reason for their closure n the absence of face to face classes an ith enroll ent shrin ing as countless parents lost their obs the three schools coul no longer aintain their ca puses or pa for the salaries of their teachers and non teaching sta chool closures are not uni ue to etro anila n an parts of the countr pri ate schools ha e been struggling to sta a oat so eti es to no a ail uring the t o ear pan e ic hun re s of pri ate schools close for goo nation i e ith ep sa ing nearl schools close last ear t can therefore be sai that hile pri ate schools use to be pro table business enterprises in the past the present an the near future are a i erent atter t goes ithout sa ing that ithout a literal all to lean on chances of sur i al are sli for the at best

Ex-President... (From page 1)

bue a passe a a last ear an ithout his lea ership the school preferre to close o n in stea sol iering on t is a long stan ing belief of ilipino parents that pri ate schools are superior to public schools in a nu ber of areas inclu ing better laboratories libraries classroo s an ost i portant of all teachers There are ho e er pri ate schools hich are little ore than iplo a ills but ost of the operate outsi e the countr s a or cities There are also schools that franchise their operations such as T an franchisee of one of the t o ho re ueste anon it tol hilippine Ne s To a that he ha

9 August 18-24, 2022 JOINT PHL-U.S... (From page 1) The Na aci c leet alrea has been patrolling regularl international aters in outh hina ea ensuring the safe passage of cargo ships an other essels o eti es other countries li e ustralia oin the patrol in the region The co an er of the apan base eet no n as the e enth leet ice iral arl Tho as sai hina s ecision to re issiles aroun Tai an has to be conteste other ise that ill be co e the nor ean hile estern e ia reporte that business lea ers fro an countries inclu ing urope ha e starte ra ing contingenc plans in the a e of hat is percei e as potential hina con ict that coul a e Tai an as the ne t raine This as ritish inister for sia an the i le ast an a illing as reporte b Tai an Ne s to ha e urge hina to n a peaceful solution to Tai an trait tensions e o not support an unilateral atte pts to change the status uo an e call on hina to resol e cross trait i er ences b peaceful eans sai illing hile isiting Ne ealan he sai that the roup of e en of hich the is a e ber is orrie about hina s li e re e ercises an econo ic coercion on Tai an These ris unnecessar escala tion illing sai ccor ing to epart ent of National efense N spo es an rsenio n olong oint patrols ith the can be e plore especiall if the arrange ent ill be bene cial to the hilippines arlier oreign airs ecretar nri ue analo sai that oint patrols bet een the hilippines an the in the est hilippine ea can be e plore in the face of continuing ag gressi e actions b hina in the ater a analo as reporte to ha e sai that the patrols can ta e place un er the a bit of the utual efense Treat The treat signe in calls for the hilippines an the to efen each other fro aggression analo a e the state ent after the isit of ecretar of tate nton lin en in anila here he calle on resi ent er inan arcos r in alacanang uring the call the t o iscusse securit atters in the region lin en assure arcos uring their eeting that the nit e tates continues to honor its co it ent to sustaining e

 NATIONAL NEWS fense an securit cooperation e are co itte to the utual efense Treat e re co itte to or ing ith ou on share challenges sai lin en the highest oﬃcial to isit the hilippines since the arcos inauguration n his eeting ith lin en resi ent arcos sai the hilippines oul continue to e ol e its frien ship ith the nite tates a i global challenges hope that e ill continue to e ol e ith that relation ship in the face of all the changes that e ha e been seeing an the changes in our bilateral relations ith the nite tates arcos tol lin en in the eeting in alaca an alace cannot o ere phasi e the i portance that the hilip pines hol s in its relationship ith the nite tates t is at e er le el t s not personal le el it s at a fa ilial le el people ho ha e fol s in the nite tates ho ha e been or ing there secon thir generation ilipinos ho ha e been there ro that er er grassroots le el arcos sai or his part lin en sai the relationship bet een the t o countries is foun e on frien ship as he haile the strong alli ance bet een anila an ashington ur relationship is uite e traor inar because it is reall foun e in frien ship it s forge as ell in partnership an it s strengthene b the fact that it s an alliance as ell lin en sai ean hile r e orces of the hilippines hief of ta t en artolo e icente acarro sai uring his rst co an conference that the ilitar as ore than illing to carr out its an ate to protect the countr s so ereignt n his tate of the Nation ress resi ent arcos o e not to surren er e en one s uare inch of the nation s territor to an foreign po er i the unprece ente ilitar rills of hina ecretar usan ple of the epart ent of igrant or ers urge o erseas ilipino or ers s in Tai an to aintain their igilance o er the tension there ple sai it oul be better if s re aine igilant e ha e instructe our three labor attaches in Tai an to re ain igilant an isible to co unities e plo ers an other sta ehol ers ple sai o far she sai s in the area in bet een hina an Tai an are safe n the enate enator afael Tulfo calle on the go ern ent to craft contingenc plans for the s a i the rising

tension bet een ei ing an Taipei Tulfo ho hea s the enate o ittee on igrant or ers note that there are at least s or ing in Tai an ho coul be a ecte in case of a con ict The tension bet een hina an Tai an is not so ething to be ta en lightl This is the perfect ti e for go ern ent agen cies to sho their unite force b or ing together for the safe t an securit of our or ers abroa Tulfo sai

NaFFAA... (From page 8)

the Na a su ar of Na s collecti e e orts o er the past si ears an that also ga e an insight of hat Na ill o ne t n his fare ell speech lores en lightene on the N s the e Na i gating the resent haping the uture as it gathere its e bers fro across the nite tates to co e together again to a ress critical issues i pact Pr esi d en t ing the co unit post o i an into N aF F AA the i ter s an to la out a roa ap M ar i el a F l etc h er to buil a uni e ision for the co u nit the ne t ears an be on The N also highlighte presentations an or shops fro arious ilipino erican lea ers representing ultiple genera tions fro e er corner of the nite tates an abroa ccor ing to ensus ilipino ericans are the thir largest origin group of sians in the nite tates ith ore than illion ilipinos li ing in the countr s ilipinos continue to gro in nu bers the conference see s to ful ll N initiati es b e po ering ilipino ericans through lea ership e elop ent ci ic engage ent an national a ocac lores sai n his o n call to action lores challenge that ilipino er ican co unit oices ust continue to be interconnecte to a e progress n hile our in i i ual push an pull on issues that at ter ost to us can be isolating at ti es that shoul not insulate us fro the po er of our collecti e oice ince the National e eration of ilipino erican s sociations Na has been the stan ar bearer for pro oting the elfare an ell being of the four illion ilipinos an ilipino ericans throughout the nite tates Na is the largest non partisan non pro t organi ation an national aﬃliation of ilipino erican institutions u brella organi ations an in i i uals ts fourteen e ber regions co er the continental nite tates las a a aii an the aci c slan s

 NATIONAL NEWS

August 18-24, 2022

US Congresswoman holds medal ceremony for family of Filipino war veteran

PO MO NA, California — Congresswoman Norma J. Torres (CA-3 5 ) has hosted a posthumous medal awards ceremony for the family of late veteran Lt. Adriano Barcelona Cartagena. Lieutenant Cartagena served in the Philippines during World War II, and his family now resides in Pomona. Lieutenant Cartagena’s family earlier went to the office of Congresswoman Torres seeking his service records, only to find out he was owed eight medals and ribbons for his mili-

tary service. “Lieutenant Cartagena served our nation proudly and with honor,” said Congresswoman Torres. “Unfortunately, he was not able to receive all that he was owed during his life. I was so honored to help ensure his family received these medals, and that we could in some small measure pay back the sacrifices he made for our nation.” The medals and ribbons presented to Lieutenant Cartagena’s family were Bronze Star, Prisoner of War,American

Defense Service, World War II Victory, Combat Infantryman Badge 1st Award, Philippine Defense Ribbon and Bronze Star, Philippine Liberation Ribbon and Philippine Independence Ribbon Mr. Cartagena was commissioned as a First Lieutenant at the outset of the Second World War under General Douglas MacArthur. Many Filipino-Americans answered President Roosevelt’s call for help, including Lieutenant Cartagena. After initial defeats at the hands of

the Japanese Imperial Army, Lieutenant Cartagena continued to fight, but was eventually captured. After spending time as a prisoner of war, he later escaped and continued to fight as a guerrilla. “This case serves as a reminder of the debt that we owe to all our veterans,” continued Torres. “I will continue to fight to ensure that our veterans have all the help they need- from health care to educational assistance, and beyond.”

ministration for CO VID-19 vaccines. “Yes, we were just discussing it with Usec. [ Ma. Rosario] Vergeire. K asi maraming mga binibigay sa international medical community kapag state of emergency. WHO [ World Health O rganization] is one of them,” Marcos said in a chance interview. At the same time, Marcos said he is assessing the need to purchase new types of Covid-19 vaccines against O micron coronavirus subvariants. Marcos made the statement as he acknowledged that the presence of O micron subvariants remains a problem that needs to be addressed. As of August 16 , data from the Department of Health showed that there were

Meanwhile, more than 7 2 million Filipinos are fully vaccinated against CO VID-19. In another development, Marcos Jr. received his booster shot against the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19). Marcos received the additional dose against coronavirus during his attendance to the “PinasLakas” vaccine campaign at the Department of Health (DO H) vaccination site in SM City Manila. In his speech, Marcos said he decided to get the booster shot to prove that the vaccine is important to strengthen immunity against severe Covid-19 infection. “We will take our [ booster] shot,” Marcos said, adding that he wants to “show everyone that it is safe it is e ecti e an it is nee e

of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19). The Department of Health said at least one person from all regions except Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) has tested positive for the BA.5 subvariant. About 3 3 6 are from Western Visayas, 8 2 from the National Capital Region (NCR), 7 9 from Central Luzon, 7 5 from Calabarzon, 7 2 from Ilocos Region, 7 0 from Bicol Region, 6 7 from Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), 48 from Soccksargen, 44 from Mimaropa, 3 4 from Northern Mindanao, 27 from Caraga, 26 from Central Visayas, 25 from Cagayan Valley, 17 from Davao Region, e fro a boanga eninsula one fro Eastern Visayas, and three returning overseas

are partially vaccinated, three are unvaccinated, while the vaccination status of the reaining in i i uals is still being eri e Their exposures and travel histories are also being eri e About 907 individuals are now tagged as recovered, 5 3 are still undergoing isolation, two have died, and the outcomes of the reaining are still being eri e In a media interview during the “PinasLakas” vaccine campaign at SM City Manila, Marcos said he is discussing with epart ent of ealth ﬃcer in Charge (O IC) Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire the possible extension of the state of public health emergency “until the end of the year.”

8 ,06 2 CO VID-19 cases nationwide. O f Meanwhile, the country has detected 1,011 Filipinos. Marcos extend... (From page 1) 3this,8 3 number, 3 6 ,190 are active cases. more cases of the O micron BA.5 subvariant O f the tally, 6 90 are fully vaccinated, 12

1 - 8 7 7 - 4 5 6 - 9 2 6 6

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11 August 18-24, 2022

 OPINION FAJ facing 50

EDITORIAL

FilAm vote to decide the balance of the Senate? he possibilit has been raise that the il ote ill a e all the i erence in the co position of the enate after this ear s i ter elections hich is currentl ea loc e at epublican an e ocrat senators each but ith ice resi ent a ala arris casting the eci ing ote in case of a tie There has been uch tal of late of ho the coul regain control of the en ate because there are ore states here the e ocratic art s can i ate for senator is consi ere ore ulnerable than ice ersa t goes ithout sa ing that losing control of the enate coul o serious har to resi ent oe i en s chances of being re electe in ne of the states that coul a e or brea the re aining t o ears of the i en presi enc is Ne a a hich has a gro ing il population t has been propose that the il ote in the state coul eci e the balance of the enate not ust as a case of ishful thin ing or e pt tal but in an opinion piece in one of the countr s a or ainstrea ne spapers t s a tantali ing thought ecause if the il s of Ne a a can act as a bloc the can eci e ho ins an ho loses il s can nall ful ll their rea of being politicall e po ere to the hilt or if the can be a factor in one state then the can ust as easil be a factor in a nu ber of states hich ha e large populations of il s The on t e en ha e to act as a soli bloc for one part The can be pre o inant l epublican in so e states an o er hel ingl e ocrat in others The i portant thing is that the act as a soli group that can be i enti e as a il ote n fact in recent eca es il s ha e a e stri es in a fe states here their ote is generall cast in fa or of one part or the other alifornia an a aii uic l co e to in ut it coul an shoul also happen in the li es of Ne or or las a an es Ne a a The i ter elections are happening sooner than e e pect an our e es ill be on the il s of Ne a a ertainl there ill be spoilers ho ill insist that il s shoul not ote as a bloc because the oul then be surren ering their in i i ual political in epen ence This is the short ie il s can an shoul ote as one because this gi es the the clout to e an that their co unit ust ne er be cast asi e in fa or of other i norities i e it or not this is precisel hat is happening in an areas hich en up as ha ing a relati el big il co unit but ne er ha ing an honest to goo ness il ote s this the legen ar crab entalit of the ilipino at or e hope not uch a entalit shoul ha e been era icate ages ago an if still e ists then all e orts ust be e erte to a e sure it is relegate to the ust bin of histor e ha e long rea e of establishing a il ote that all politicians ill see to curr fa or fro That ti e a be no

Upside

ust li e that ilipino ocates for ustice ill celebrate its th birth a ne t spring The ast a agenc that has nurture co unit acti ists e elope lea ers an organi e area resi ents to ar e po er ent an social ustice as foun e in an continues to ourish through the region an the nation s transitions o co e orates its half centur of ser ice is still un er raps but an in ite has been poste for fol s ho ish to olunteer in re spirits a call or for ore infor ation CHERIE M. QUEROL MORENO ntereste parties a e ail s ith lipinos us tice org for etails r ie the latest issue of iga an haring the agenc ne sletter The tea le b eral ine lci is see ing olunteers for e ent subco ittees rogra e eloping progra content liaising ith participants such as spea ers an perfor ers an or ing on the sou enir progra ogistics in ol es setting o i safet protocols coor inating the site operating an tech foo an catering supplies an e ent o utreach an ar eting ill entail han ling of the social e ia calen ar an strateg an press engage ent un raising an sponsorship ill in ol e the honorar co ittee corporate sponsorship applications onor correspon ence an solicitation tic et sales an guest list anage ent an olunteer oor ination ill be responsible for recruiting an anaging olun teers for e ent acti ities ara ing sala at po an than ou for stan ing ith ilipino ocates for us tice ith our longti e support e at are feeling prou hopeful grateful an inspire to buil on all e ha e acco plishe together to bring po er to the people in Together e ha e participate in an le se eral ca paigns to e po er ilipinos across the a rea the state lci sa s in iga an This past ear e began a ourne centering ellness healing ithin our sta to strengthen our abilit to be able to sho up as our hole authentic sel es for our or co unit lci continues e con ene a ealing isor o it tee of tra itional healers ellness practitioners ental health professionals so e for er sta to pro i e gui ance on e bo i ent so atics an resilience practices a ing reco en ations to shift unhealth organi ational patterns Nee s ere assesse through a eep ellness chec in follo e b onthl o erings an cul inate in a retreat in t hasta e loo for ar to ear t o of our collecti e healing ourne as the rst il organi ation a ar e b the sian aci c slan er uit un to ght anti sian an aci c slan er hate hilippine Ne s To a an partner e ia outlets recei e The recei e the ear ar e on ental health trau a an healing in acti ities ti e for a heritage onth s ecuti e irector lci gui es a cohort of co itte co unit acti ists hose titles re ect the broa ser ices the agenc pro i es (Continued on page 27)

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 OPINION

August 18-24, 2022

Diliman Way

SPEAKING OUT

s boo author colu “ “ Y ou c an f ool al l th e peopl e s ome of th e time, nist an acti e ange s ome of th e peopl e al l th e time b ut y ou c annot list ith the N f ool al l peopl e al l th e time. ” – A b rah am L inc ol n T T in an rancisco a blesse resident Rodrigo Duterte and fortunate to celebrate my must have read this line 7 5 th birthday on August 21, from Lincoln as it ap2022 (Sunday closest to my pears he was an ardent believer birth a at the ello in this line from Adolf Hitler ship Hall, 7 01-8 th Avenue (near and Joseph Goebbels that – “A ol en ate ar in an ran lie said once remains a lie. A cisco alifornia A RT G A B OT MA D LA ING a also than ful that lie repeated several times beJames Q uitoriano, Minister of comes the truth.” Why do I say the N T that? T sche ule e to preach uring the orship er ices Listening to PR D, you a un a ugust as part of co it ent an ful ll will feel he is telling the truth. ment of my promise to serve and glorify God. He does Hitler and Goebbels e aile personal letter in itation to N rien s serious validation. But the fault HOMOB ONO A . A D A Z A elati es c uaintances Neighbors o or ers to atten the of Hitler, Goebells and PR D is Worship Services at the Golden Gate congregation and then cele- that a lie repeated several times brate th birth a in the afternoon s boo author colu nist an acti e angelist oul li e to e ten the sa e in itation to does not become the truth when words are tested by actions. A lie will always be rendered invalid by contradicting actions as our readers and the general public as follows: the lessons show. s acti e angelist ith the N T Lesson Six: Indeed, there is need for an independent foreign T in an rancisco it is again the ti e of the ear hen a policy for any country. PR D said so a number of times he would scheduled to preach on Sunday closest to my Birthday. an our fa il are therefore in ite to atten our or have an independent foreign policy He echoed this statement in his e ance in or s of hina he oul go on a ets i to the ship er ices on ugust un a a at the e nishe his N T T u itoriu locate at th carborough hoal to plant the hilippine ag term of six years without going to the Shoal because what he said enue near ol en ate ar in an rancisco to celebrate 7 5 th birthday. as a o e an those ho belie e hi ere all stupi illions n atten ing our orship er ices an our fa il ill ho ere all en o ing the insult n the call the sel es ilipi have the uniq ue opportunity to hear me preach on the timeless topic nos. They all deserve the insult for voting him to the presidency N T T T fter and continuing to say he was a popular president. the orship er ices can oin us in the pecial unch el tupi it ust be a irtue in this countr not ust uring lo ship at the ello ship all to for all celebrate th the presi enc of o rigo uterte but of or rap loria an birthday. No no robabl e shoul all loo at oursel es in the ir an our fa il can also ha e the opportunit to eet the ror as it would tell us Mandaluyong has expanded to the whole publisher an authors Terr enis ohn e re an ours trul countr as a nut house no n as the National enter for ental and receive complimentary autographed copies of the following best Health. As they say – people get the government they deserve. selling boo s an aga ine T N T Despite stupidity, PR Duterte is right that a country needs an pages ar co er is aperbac is an boo is fro a on T T pages independent foreign policy. It is not really original with Duterte as he as erel echoing ection rticle of the or ar co er is aperbac is an boo is fro uino onstitution hich states that The tate shall pursue a on T T pages ar co er is an independent foreign policy. In its relations with other states aperbac is an boo is fro a on T subtitle The inal a s on arth efore is the paramount consideration shall be national sovereignty, territorial integrity, national interest, and the right to self-determieturn to ea en hristian orl inistr uarterl ournal nation.” The independent foreign policy of Duterte is the exact or ust call or contact e at or or e ail art a laing g ail o opposite of the phrase, especially his vassalage attachment to God bless you and your family.” hina T N T s accre ite an co o uterte as spea ing li e ig rother in eorge r missioned Notary Public and founder of Mobile Signing Services ell s here blac is hite an hite is blac a si ple continue to recei e in uiries fro ol an ne clients as case of Adolf Hitler and Joseph Goebbell. The comparison is ing if the ront es at the ecretar of tate Notar ublic ection solely up to this level since to extend it further would be an indein acra ento has nall opene l an ne clients ere hoping fensible insult both to Hitler and Goebbell – since intellectually, that the one a apostille processing of notari e ocu ents nee uterte su ers iserabl in co parison to both ed in the Philippines (and the other member nations of the Hague Lesson Seven: There is a pressing need to educate and dispostille on ention hich as nor al before the cipline ilipinos This is an ob ious obser ation of an person pan e ic loc o n is no a ailable as e the uper isor at the ecretar of tate Notar ublic who has a modicum of intelligence in his system. All you need to ection in acra ento last ee an as infor e that the ront o to agree ith this lesson is to sta in this countr for a ee es is still close This si pl eans that there are t o options an ou ill n that this is a er ali obser ation ust loo at otorists a ailable for us na el ail notari e ocu ents to the ec the irt in public places the iolation of traffic rules b retary of State, Notary Public Section, either in Sacramento or Los in our streets the happiness of the ilipino in being able to put Angeles. I don’t recommend mailing the documents due to delay one over the other, the rampant graft and corruption, public and an possible ris The secon option is to rop o the notari e private immorality, the daily lies and duplicity in our lives - all documents with pertinent enclosures, corresponding apostille fees these show, among others, the immediate need to educate and an full lle out ub ission or insi e the postille o lo iscipline the ilipino cated at the lobby of the Secretary of State building in Sacramento, As glaring examples of this imperative need to educate and alifornia This is the best faster an safest option personall rec iscipline the ilipino is no less than ho has an un isci ommend. pline outh calle the hristian o stupi curse the ope MSS is committed and will continue to help and assist old and on the traffic a hile he as ca paigning calle o en as ne clients in the notari ation an apostille follo up of notari e biological ob ect calle those ho belie e in his state ent that documents at the Secretary of State, Notary Public Section, in Sac- he oul go on a ets i to plant the hilippine ag on the car ramento, especially for the veterans, elderly and those physically borough hoal as stupi calle resi ent arac ba a as a handicapped. Most of the time, it is more convenient and economi- son of a bitch a ong others uch scan alous lac of iscipline cal for ou to a ail ourself of the uni ue efficient co plete an t pi es the ilipino professional services at MSS. Being a lawyer, PR D is schooled but he is as uneducated as or i e iate help an assistance in the notari ation an apos illions of ilipinos There is therefore a pressing nee to e u tille follo up of notari e ffi a its pecial o er of ttorne cate an iscipline the ilipino Than s to the or s an actions N T N roof of ife an ha e nall reali e the shoul be e ucate an T arental Tra el er it ee of tra u icial ettle of iscipline if the countr an the ilipino are to o e for ar ent of state an other ocu ents nee e in the hilippines an esson ight There is a real nee to o erni e our ilitar the other e ber nations of he ague postille on ention ust rite or contact NN a ri That is absolutely correct. Under present condition – we need nuclear weapons, battleships and submarines, military drones, treet an rancisco Tel or 7 095 or email: agmadlaing@ hotmail.com issiles of all in s fast o ing essels ne eapons for o T T N is accre ite an co issione No ern arfare s ua rons of the ost o ern ghter ets an he tar ublic an license eal state ro er in alifornia licopters. These are all designed for national defense in a world since e is foun er of (Continue on page 27) of bullies. (Continue on page 27)

Health & Wealth

e live in rapidly changing ti es than s to the technological wonders of internet and social media. As fast as we can clic an sen e can broadcast messages to friends, relatives and IG NA CIO T OT ING B UNY E to ust about an bo anywhere in the world. This despite the fact that Philippines remains the slowest and most expensive – in terms of connectivity – in this part of the world. n ho es schools co unities an ust about any place where one has access to a computer, an iPod, or a smart phone, every Juan and Maria of practically all ages are sending and receiving essages ia aceboo t itter instagra iber private messenger and what have you. Social media has become a very powerful tool for communication. And here is where Uncle Ben’s advice to Spider-Man should always be top-of-mind: With great power comes great responsibility. This message has been re-echoed by Pope rancis hile ac no le ging that the inter net te t essages social net or s an chats are ‘ a gift from God” as they can be “fully human for s of co unication the onti cautions that we must “use wisely the means at our disposal”. The papal caveat arises from the very nature of the technology available. Messages - true or not - have the potential of going viral in minutes , if not in seconds. “The speed with which information is communicated exceeds our capacit for re ection an u g ent an this oes not a e for ore balance an proper for s of e pression ope rancis sai Social media has become a two-edged blade. n the one han it can be use to infor an raise a areness ut it can also be eaponi e for spreading alternative truths, revising history, for maligning, defrauding and harming. Social media has given rise to armies of paid trolls who disrupt/ disturb discussions, bash personalities or ust si pl anno others Wittingly or unwittingly, careless social media participants give out personal information hich can e pose the to i entit theft nancial sca s blac ail se ual e ploitation an secu rity threats. Because of the foregoing, do we need to give up aceboo an T itter Not at all s long as we do not become mindless. And also for as long as we follow the common-sense advice of practising responsibilit in the eb Thin before ou t eet Thin so e ore before ou re t eet share or forward any message. (T he c ol umnis t is a j ournal is t b ef ore b ec oming a l aw y er, f ormer P res s S ec retary and membe r of th e M onetary B oard, among oth ers . )

Lessons for Filipinos from President Rodrigo Duterte Part III

Celebrating my 75th birthday at Golden Gate

Perils in social media

13 August 18-24, 2022

 OPINION

Offline

Is back to school this week a wise decision?

N SEPTEMBER 8 , 2022, the FBI executed a search warrant on former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home in Palm Beach, Florida. Trump said in a statement that “a large group” of FBI agents was searching his Mar-a-Lago home, accusing the bureau of prosecutorial misconduct and suggesting the raid was politiP ERRY D IA Z cally motivated to prevent him from running for president in 2024. Then Attorney General Merrick Garland dropped a nuclear bo b igosh arlan clai e that so e of the classi e documents were of the “nuclear” type. Suddenly, the whole ga e change The starte searching for classi e ate rial about nuclear weapons. Citing sources familiar with the investigation, the Washington ost reporte that go ern ent officials ere eepl concerned that the nuclear documents believed to be stored at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence could fall into the wrong hands. Separately, the New York Times reported the documents ere relate to so e of the ost highl classi e pro gra s an that officials feare the ere ulnerable to be sto len from Trump’s home by foreign adversaries. Nuclear documents The Washington Post said their sources did not give details about the nuclear documents, such as whether it involved U.S. weapons or those of foreign countries. Sensitive information about U.S. nuclear weapons is usually restricted to a small nu ber of go ern ent officials noting that aterial about weapons could be an intelligence coup for adversaries, and that other nations coul see classi e infor ation about their nuclear programs as a threat. A Justice Department source told the Washington Post that top-secret intel like nuclear information would cause law enforcement to q uickly want to recover any sensitive documents that are harmful to U.S. security. “If that is true, it would suggest that material residing unla full at ar a ago a ha e been classi e at the highest classi cation le el sai the for er hea of the ustice epart ment’s counterintelligence section. Stunning development In a stunning new development, the FBI seized 11 top-secret documents from Mar-a-Lago, some of which could cause damage to U.S. national security. The FBI is currently investigating allegations that Trump violated the Espionage Act and other laws related to national security. Among the materials retrie e ere classi e ocu ents inclu ing so e ar e “top secret” that were only meant to be viewed at secure government facilities. The Espionage Act of 1917 was established during World War I— protecting the spread of sensitive information that could harm the country or otherwise give an advantage to others. Three sections of Title 18 of the United States Code are listed on the search warrant. Section 7 93 covers the unlawful retention of defense-related information that could harm the nite tates or ai a foreign a ersar ection co ers destroying or concealing documents to obstruct government investigations or administrative proceedings. Section 207 1 covers the unlawful removal of government records. Violating the Espionage Act carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. According to the Washington Post, allies of Trump, alarmed and shocked by the details in the unsealed search warrant, are starting to distance themselves and “go dark.” Nobody wants to be associated with any potential criminal act, particularly when it involves national security. Some Trump allies insist that potential Espionage Act investigation would only strengthen his standing in a 2024 Republican presidential primary. GO P strategists claim that he’d be unbeatable in a Republican primary. However, it’s not clear at this point whether he’d win the presidency in 2024, particularly if he would be indicted of violating the Espionage Act. Trump claimed that he had “standing order” to declassify documents. But to declassify documents, there is an “elaborate ocu ente process for eclassi cation hich can ta e months. But Trump’s latest defense is: (Continue on page 27)

PerryScope

t the start of this week, three multinational food and beverage companies took the unusual step of telling the Filipino public that their main products were disappearing from store shelves because they had practically stopped production. The manufacturers of Coca Cola, Pepsi Cola, and B ET ING D OLOR RC Cola came out with a joint statement saying what many consumers already knew, but which is not fully recognized or appreciated by our political leaders. There is a serious sugar shortage, and the situation is bound to get worse in the next few weeks, all the way to September, when sugar millers start producing the key commodity which manufacturers and ordinary consumers will then gobble up like crazy. Last week, the Sugar Regulatory Administration board came out with an order authorizing or allowing the importation of 300,000 m etric tons of sugar. It was not really a solution, but more of a stop-gap measure to insure that there will be no shortage. Here’s where it gets complicated. That order was rescinded or scrapped because it did not have the approval of President Bongbong Marcos, who also happens to be acting as Agriculture secretary. The president’s backers were qui ck to congratulate Malacanang for stopping what was clearly a graft-tainted deal. Manufacturers, on the other hand, reminded the government that the sugar shortage is real. There is little, if any, sugar to be found in the wholesale and retail market. ilo of re ne sugar hich sol for a little o er or $1 a couple of months ago now sells for twice that amount, or about ashe sugar is cheaper at per ilo while ordinary brown sugar goes for P70, if they can be found in the shelves of stores and supermarkets. The likes of Coke, Pepsi and RC only use white sugar for their drinks. The same is true for the juices and iced teas that they also sell. This is why the planned sugar import is so divisive. And it is also the reason why big business is divided. The manufacturers will not produce their products with anything but rene sugar an there is none to be ha O r is there? O nly in times like these do we Filipinos realize how important sugar is to our existence. We literally cannot live without it, even if consuming too much of it is known to cause serious health problems, like diabetes. ugar is not ust that ne hite or bro n san li e po er that we put in drinks or use in cooking. The three abovementioned MNCs depend on a steady supply of sugar to keep consumers happy. Sugar is also found in a number of foods, both processed and unprocessed. And yes, it’s also the main ingredient in the junk foods that Filipinos cannot live without. The countr can an shoul be self suﬃcient in the co o it that as rst e elope in the rab orl an as known as ‘ sarkara.’ Aztecs and Mayans discovered that putting the s eet stu in chocolate turne the bitter rin into a heavenly delight. The candy, chocolate and confectionary industries cannot exist without sugar. There are a few provinces in the Philippines which produce raw sugar, and not too long ago sugar workers called sacadas were virtual slaves to the owners of the plantations. The local sugar industry titans became super rich because there ere al a s bu ers for their nishe pro ucts an not just in the country either. For a while, it seemed that the global manufacturers depen ent on sugar ere rea to shift to arti cial s eeteners Until studies showed that many of those sweeteners could cause cancer. Lately, plant-based sweeteners like stevia have appeared in the market, and while totally safe, have not replaced good, ol fashione re ne or e en ra sugar As a commodity that is still in high demand, there is no reason why a steady supply cannot be assured, year after year. (Continue on page 27)

Act of betrayal

fter waiting for two years, students are back in their classrooms this week. So, everybody is rearing to go back to school, but with the surge of the corona virus and the entry of the monkeypox virus, was this a wise decision school administrators have done? As I See It, no… the timing is bad! It’s too soon because the corona virus is back attacking almost everybody, including children and infants and a new virus ELP ID IO R. ES T IOK O (monkeypox) just started to proliferate an a e en in ltrate the campuses because nobody is exempt, according to medical experts, in the spread of the virus. So, this will expose not only the students but also sta to the t o iruses a be hat school a inistrators ust have done was to delay it until such time that we be able to ascertain that the two viruses are contained and assured of not spreading so fast as the rst a e of corona i t o ears ago I know that in-person instruction is still the best medium where students can learn, compared to distance learning. While still the best, however, during the pandemic we are faced with many challenges, foremost of which are the safety and well-being of the students, in or er to i ple ent this e iu of instruction e ecti el a i st the surge of the corona virus and the entry of monkeypox. Back to school amidst the new normal, according to writer Elizabeth illia s has its ongoing e ects on chil ren s health an well-being. Many children still face health risks due to their or their teachers’ vaccination status and increasing transmission due to the Delta plus variant. These are challenges schools face in order to safeguard the children in school when they decide to open the schools. In my last week’s column, I said that this is not the time for school administrators, parents, students, and medical personnel to be complacent. Instead, they must actively address the virus, adopt and implement an aggressive dual approach against corona and monkeypox. Well, if the schools want their students back to school in-person, then the most they can do is not to be complacent but address the problem with renewed vigor and enthusiasm. O therwise, they won’t be able to safeguard the safety of their students who returned to the classroom. Aside from aggressive approaches in combatting the viruses, hybri or e ible e iu of instructions ill be e ecti el o ere si e by side with in-person instructions. Classroom management will be a problem teacher need to address… big time! According to a federal survey, the vast majority of schools, 8 8 % of schools with 4th grade an of schools ith th gra e in the o ere h bri or full time, in-person learning in Spring 2021 although most of the schools are likely to be in-person in fall 2021. Are the teachers ready for this kind of managing the classroom? So, due to concerns over the Delta plus variant and rising cases of monkeypox, some local districts are beginning to req uire the CO accine for teachers an sta n our school for instance a massive vaccination and boosting are being implemented for all students and made sure that teachers are vaccinated and boosted too! The Health and Wellness department are pulling out students from their classes every day to be vaccinated and boosted because time is of the essence. They needed to be able to prevent themselves from being positive of the virus. There have been legal challenges to vaccine mandates, with a federal District Court in Texas recently upholding a Hospital’s mandatory CO VID-19 vaccination policy for employees which becomes another proble in ealing ith stu ents an sta Also, recognizing the surge, CDC recently updated their guidance for in schools reco en ing as s for all sta an stu dents regardless of vaccination status for in-person learning in the fall, but… there nine states that passed legislation to ban mask mandates for schools as of late July 2021. Recent K FF polling showed that about half the public overall supports K -12 schools req uiring CO VID-19 vaccination, but most parents are opposed, with divisions along partisan lines. This will be another problem schools face in implementing their combat plan to defeat the virus. The rst a of school brings ith it a hole ne set of chal lenges, according to NPR. Since March 2020, the world has struggled to adapt to and deal with CO VID-19, a dangerous novel virus still with many unknowns. As researchers continue to study CO VID-19, they are attesting that young people can carry, transmit, and catch CO VID-19. With this, CO VID-19 changed the approach profession of teaching! Schools must be physically safe for students’ and educators ‘ return This is the rst change hich is the ost i portant one afet in the era of CO VID-19 encompasses many factors. The American Federation of Teachers recognized that in-person school is safe only hen fe er than of corona irus tests in an area are positi e e yond this important statistic, NPR reports that there are a variety of factors that should be in place as public schools open: 6 -feet of physical distance between desks, small class sizes, consistent, mandatory mask policies for adults and children, freq uent replacement of HEPA lters in air entilation s ste s an ore ith the surge e are go ing back to where we were during the height of the pandemic which should be covered by a reopening plan (Continue on page 27)

As I See It

The problem is hoarders, not smugglers

 BUSINESS | IMMIGRATIONS September 2022 Visa Bulletin Petition for Caregivers The priority date for “O ther workers” for Final Action date is May 8 , 2019, which is about 3 years waiting for the visa. The priority date for Date of Filing of Adjustment of Status for those in the U.S. is now current. This means that when the petition is appro e an a ust ent of status can be le This process is good for those who need caregivers. Arrest and removal of undocumented is now up to the discretion of officer US Supreme Court did not allow Pres. Biden to overturn the immigration policy of Trump with regards to priority in arrest and removal. Under Biden the priorities are those that involve risk to national security. It is now a decision to be a e b the officer hich coul inclu e arrest of an one who is undocumented. It is time to work on your green card now. N-400 Application for Naturalization The USCIS is now giving priorities to application for naturalization . The reason is obviousl to allo uali e i igrants to ote in the co ing i ter an presi ential election There are cases when the waiting time is only six months compared to prior years. Pres. Biden is encouraging all uali e to le for naturali ation This is a rare opportunit that all uali e should take advantage of. We are presenting herewith the visa bulletin for September 2022, for the Philippines as follows: A. FAMILY-BASED FINAL ACTIO N DATES Category Philippines 1st 3 -01-12 2A Current 2B 10-22-11 3 rd 6 -08 -02 4th 8 -22-02 N N T T The chart belo re ects ates for l ing visa applications within a time frame justifying immediate action in the application process. Applicants for immigrant visas who have a priority date earlier than the application date in the chart may assemble and submit req uired documents to the Department of State’s National Visa enter follo ing receipt of noti cation fro the National isa enter containing etaile in structions. FAMILY-BASED FILING DATE CHART Category Philippines 1st 4-22-15 2A Current 2B 10-01-13 3 rd 11-08 -03 4th 4-22-04 Employment based Final Action Date 1st, 2nd and 3 rd Current 3 rd other workers 05 / 08 / 2019 Employment Based Filing Date 1st, 2nd and 3 rd Current 3 rd other workers Current STATUS O F VISA PRO CESSING AT US EMBASSY Provided below is the U.S. Embassy processing as of August 16 , 2022 U.S. Embassy Manila is providing all routine visa services, though interview appointments for some visa classes remain limited in order to prioritize travelers with urgent needs and certain critical categories of isas ue to a high olu e of applicants an consular staffing shortages wait-times for many visa classes are longer than the pre-pandemic norm. Immigrant Visa (IV): The Embassy is processing immigrant visas across all categories. o e er ith signi cant bac logs in ost categories ait ti es for inter ie s are length for all but immediate relatives (IR-1 through IR-5 ). It is not possible to provide precise wait times as staffing an local con itions a ect capacit an sche uling s of a ost isa cases being scheduled for interview were documentarily complete at the National Visa Center in March 2022. Most K visa cases being scheduled were documentarily complete in April 2022. Most current employment-based cases being scheduled were documentarily complete in March 2022. Most current family preference cases are approved expedite cases that were documentarily complete in January 2021. Nonimmigrant Visa (NIV): The Embassy prioritizes travelers with urgent (i.e., matter of life or death) travel needs and certain critical categories of travelers, such as students and exchange visitors (F-1, M-1, and J-1) and temporary employees (H-1B, H-2B, and L nonimmigrants). We are processing renewals of business/ tourism (B1/ B2) visas for applicants eligible to have their inter ie ai e o ering bio etrics onl appoint ents for applicants ho recei e their last visa prior to age 14, and interviewing a limited number of B1/ B2 applicants each day. While we continue to e pan our isa processing please note that e ha e a signi cant bac log of cases so wait times are much longer than pre-pandemic times. Many visa applicants paid a visa application fee and are still waiting to schedule an interview appointment. The validity of your payment (known as the MRV fee) is extended until September 3 0, 2023 , to allow all applicants who were unable to schedule an appointment the opportunity to do so. ppoint ent che uling pplicants can sche ule or resche ule the rst a ailable isa in terview appointment slot by phone at (+ 6 3 2) 7 7 92-8 98 8 or (+ 6 3 2) 8 5 48 -8 223 , or through our online appointment system at http: / / www.ustraveldocs.com/ ph/ . There is no fee to change an appoint ent f ou ha e ifficulties resche uling a pen ing ap (Continue on page 27)

August 18-24, 2022

Forbes lists Philippines’ 50 richest persons MAK ATI CITY - The siblings of the late taipan Henry Sy Sr. who control the SM Group continued to be the richest in the Philippines even as their net worth dropped by $4 billion to $12.6 billion, marking the biggest decline in dollar terms. The Sy’s SM group operates the SM Malls, the biggest mall chain in the country, the biggest bank in terms of resources, the BDO Universal Bank, department stores, supermarkets, drug stores and is into property development building condominiums and operating hotels and other businesses. There are six siblings of Henry Sy Sr. They are Teresita Sy-Coson, who is chair of BDO Unibank and co-vice chair of SM Investments; Elizabeth Sy, head of SM Hotels and Conventions; Henry Sy, Jr., chairman of SM Prime and co-vice chairman of SM Investments; Hans Sy, chair of SM Prime’s executive committee and China Banking Corp.; Herbert Sy, director of SM Prime; and Harley Sy, exective director of SM Investments, director of China Banking, and adviser to BDO Unibank. Mall and housing tycoon Manuel “Manny” Villar Jr., once on top of the list, maintained his second spot with a fortune of $7.8 billion after adding $1.1 billion in the past year as the biggest dollar gainer. Villar, whose wife Cynthia and senator as well as his son Mark, and daughter Camilla a congresswoman representing Las Pinas City, had served as Senate President and Speaker of the House of the Representatives and once mounted a presidential campaign but lost the race. Villar is known for the Vista Land and Landscape, the largest homebuilders in the country, Camella Homes, Brea Homes, Star Malls, All Day Marts, All Home stores, and Golden Haven memorial parks. He is also into other businesses like townships, casino, condominiums, water distribution, health care and hospitals, Third in the list is ports magnate Enrique Razon Jr., who saw a slight decline in his net worth to $5.6 billion. Razon is doubling down on gaming hubs and casino resorts and renewable energy with plans to build the world’s largest solar farm in the Philippines. The new entrants in this year’s list include the Po family at the 16t h spot after inheriting the food empire of Ricardo Po r of entur aci c oo nc ho passed away in O ctober 2021. Century aci c is into tuna sar ines il eat and other canned products. Sylvia Wenceslao also entered this year’s list with a net worth of $340 million as she took over as chairman of D.M Wenceslao & Associates, following the eath of her husban el n enceslao last September. The company is into infrastructures, roads, bridges, construction and other development projects such as Aseana City, a 204-hectare property in the Manila Bay reclamation area. The boiti fa il is on the fth spot

with a collective fortune of $2.9 billion, which includes holdings of the broader family. ecor rst uarter earnings of million at engineering conglomerate DMCI Holdings also lifted the fortune of Isidro Consunji and his siblings by 47 per cent to $2.65 bi llion and into sixth spot Forbes’ downgraded the minimum net worth for this year’s list to $185 million from $200 m illion in the past year. The complete list follows: 1. Sy siblings - $12.6 bi llion 2. Manuel Villar - $7.8 bi llion 3. E nrique Razon Jr. - $5.6 bi llion 4. Lance Gokongwei & siblings - $3.1 billion 5. Aboitiz family - $2.9 bi llion 6. Isidro Consunji & siblings - $2.65 billion 7. Tony Tan Caktiong & family - $2.6 billion 8. Jaime Z obel de Ayala & family - $2.5 5 billion 9. Ramon Ang - $2.45 bi llion 10. Andrew Tan - $2.4 bi llion 11. Lucio Tan - $2 bi llion 12. Ty siblings - $1.9 bi llion 13. Dennis Anthony & Maria Grace Uy $1.75 bi llion 14. Lucio & Susan Co - $1.7 bi llion 15. Hartono K weefanus & family - $1.5 billion 16. P o family - $1.2 bi llion 17. William Belo & family - $1.15 billion 18. Vivian Q ue Azcona & siblings - $1.1 billion 19. Mercedes Gotianun & family - $1.09 billion 20. Betty Ang - $1.05 bi llion 21. Soledad O ppen-Cojuangco & family - $985 m illion 22. Inigo Z obel -$930 m illion 23. R oberto O ngpin -$830 m illion 24. Dennis Uy - $810 m illion 25. C ampos siblings - $780 m illion 26. D ean Lao & family - $710 m illion 27. H enry Soesanto - $625 m illion 28. L uis Yu Jr. - $545 m illion 29. Jacinto Ng - $490 m illion 30. E usebio Tanco - $450 m illion 31. Yap family - $440 m illion 32. M anuel Z amora Jr. - $430 m illion 3. R obert Coyiuto Jr. - $420 m illion 34. M enardo Jimenez - $380 m illion 35. M ariano Tan Jr. - $375 m illion 36. G ilberto Duavit Jr. - $360 m illion 37. F elipe Gozon - $35 m illion 38. C arlos Chan - $350 m illion 39. S ylvia C. Wenceslao - $340 m illion 40. Edgar Sia II - $30 m illion 41. K eng Sun and Peter Mar & family $310 m illion 42. Alfredo Yao - $280 m illion 43. J ose Antonio - $270 m illion 44. Mariano Martinez Jr. - $250 m illion 45. O scar Lopez - $245 m illion 46. Tomas Alcantara - $240 m illion 47. Wilfred Steven Uytengsu Jr. - $23 0 million 48. F rederick Dy - $220 m illion 49. Philip Ang - $190 m illion 50. Benedicto & Teresita Yujuico - $185 million

 ENTERTAINMENT

August 18-24, 2022

Liza Soberano part a Hollywood movie? Is Filipino American actress Liza Soberano having her rst oll oo o ie The poser as raise b fans ho are speculat ing that i a oberano ho is ope li abeth anle oberano in real life is about to star in ol l oo o ie isa ran enstein follo ing hat appeare to be so e sort of lea on social e ia The reports in icate that the o ie fro ocus eatures ill be the irectorial ebut of el a il lia s aughter of the late actor obin illia s The o ie s cast as earlier announce inclu es ole prouse an athr n Ne ton The script as ritten b scar inner iablo o ho s no n for the o ie uno eports fro alifornia reaching anila state that i a ran enstein is a o bie ro co set in The s nopsis of the o ie escribes it as be ing about an unpopular high school girl na e isa ho acci entall re ani ates a han so e ictorian corpse uring a lightning stor an starts to rebuil hi into the an of her rea s b using the bro en tanning be in her garage

cast but eagle e e fans of a es ei ho is o berano s ne anager spotte a post lin e to the o ie hich tagge the actress essie ta or ho o ns os ngeles base e ent pro uction co pan ents ha re share a post b athr n Ne ton about the rst a of shooting for isa ran enstein Ne ton share photos of the clapperboar an irector s chair for the o ie set n ta or s repost she tagge el a illia s i a oberano an Transparent rts an artist an age ent agenc that represents both ei an o berano ta or rote in her nstagra tor en ing ou an our tea all the a a ing energ to ill this l ta or s state ent ob iousl i plies that o berano is so eho part of the tea or ing on the o ie accor ing to reports f oberano in ee has a starring role in isa ran enstein this oul be the ilipino actress s oberano has not been announce as part of the oll oo ebut

Bea Alonzo, Maricel Laxa, Danny Trejo star in Hollywood film on battle of Mactan es irginia co el actress ea lon o is in a lea role in a oll oo o ie oining her as lea star is aricel a a ang ilinan supporte b other ilipinos Their o ie is The attle of actan is a co pro uction b il s rancis ara o of nspire tu ios as pro ucer an ichael opon as actor an irector is a groun brea ing collaboration be t een the nite tates an the hilippines as it ill be the rst ti e a oll oo pro uction is

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a ing a pro ect about the hilippines in the coun tr itself an featuring ilipino actors The l s ilipino erican irector ichael opon best no n for his earl or in o er angers an ne Tree ill ill be portra ing the legen ar hero apu apu through ho ost of the stor ill be tol opon sai a a angilinan as chosen be cause she e bo ie the po erful ilipina o an an for her beaut an poise hile lon o s cre its spo e for her hence the ne ore hance star s inclusion The irector a e that he as loo ing for so e one ith a nature a in to achel c a s an he as ra n to lon o s bashfulness also sa ing he as e cite to irect her in her rst oll oo role ala an is ho e pro ince of the l s pro uc er rancis ara o ho lau e the hilippines for being ahea uring its gol en age of cine a after arti e o sai the i ea for starte ith esire in his heart to tell ilipino stories of herois an upon eeting opon in pril began to conceptual i e a ing a ocu entar about apu apu hich e entuall beca e a full length feature opon echoe this b sa ing he as e icate to a ing o ies about ilipino culture ith ilipi nos an as uch as possible in the hilippines an through hopes to bring such stor telling to the highest le el The pro ucer clari e that is not entirel a historical l such as ilipino l s onifacio an o o ng atang eneral but rather a lo e stor set against the bac rop of ar such as oca hontas an ra eheart though the still too in spiration fro historical ocu ents il ing of the historic o ie actuall has starte in ala an ccor ing to ariet an other publishe reports in anila ea ho is

h lbert n gelli anollo Fagestrom in real life ill pla i ata a princess fro actan hile aricel ill pla her sis ter h ani apu apu is the atu ho ille ortugese e plorer er i nan agellan to be pla e b oll oo et eran ann Tre o lso in the o ie are ector a i r ostas an lor an Terr os The script as ritten b ar rell ishi ccor ing to N the l is sche ule for a une release in ti e for hilippine n epen ence a ea share on nstagra stories their group pho to in ala an hich sho e the ith a re cap ith the or s ccor ing to a report b ra io station ala an the cast an cre of the l hel a press conference in the pro ince in hich it as an nounce that shooting at se eral locations in ala an began on ug aricel also share photos ith ea uring the press con i ata an te h ani to roc our orl soon she rote on nstagra a ing the hashtag o ie ann Tre o ean hile share on nstagra stories a group photo fro the e ent The eri can actor is no n for his roles on achete p i s an ro us Till a n

17 August 18-24, 2022

 ENTERTAINMENT

‘Easter Sunday’ screening hosted by Rick Caruso pays homage to Filipino-American community

ISO 12647-7 Digital Control Strip 2009

100 60S ANGELES, 100Rick 70 ence 30 100 60 40 100 40 100 3 100 70 30 100 60 — 100 10 25 50 75 90 100 70 30 100 40 40 70 40 70 40 40 40 70 40 40 70 40 70 40 40 LO California Caruso hosted an event to celebrate and Rick Caruso acknowledged the impact bring together the Filipino community that representation and visibility can have from across Los Angeles for an Easter on communities that have traditionally Sunday screening with comedian Jo K oy been left out of the con ersation G i l C 40ed100 i l l o 10,40J o 40 K o 20y 70, 70R i c 70 k 70C ar40 uso70 40,40D an 0 0L 0i 0n 3.1 2.2 2.2 10.2 7.4 7.4 25 19 19 50 40 40 75 66 66 100 100 100 80 70 70 100 60 100 30 100 100 60 100 100 70 70 30 30 Caruso 100 100 60 100 100 he70is 70 honored 30 30 100have 40 100 40 an100 100an in100 the70 70l s30pro ucer Rick said to out the he a e help make this evening possible: K uya The signi cance of this e ent cannot hosted thes event and was moved by the Rick Caruso has been a champion of or ig oi af eet ish be understated, said Caruso in a state- outpouring of support that as itnesse small businesses, as they are the backus b ish he sai ent This is the rst l in oll oo The Filipino community has made im- bone of our co unities ic o ere his sincerest congratula history that boasts an all-Filipino cast and measurable contributions to the city, andT:9.75" e are grateful to the en ors an tions to Dan Lin and Jo K oy on this hishighlights the Filipino-American experi- Los Angeles would not be the same with- participants that dedicated their time to toric achie e ent A

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 ENTERTAINMENT

August 18-24, 2022

Maggie Wilson row with estranged husband worsens

The word war between erstwhile husband and wife Victor Consunji and beauty que en and model Maggie Wilson is getting worse. This as aggie appeare to be ght ing back as she accused her estranged husband of cheating while they were still together. In a series of stories on her Instagram account, Maggie is turning the table against Consunji who had accused her earlier of allege in elit n her posts aggie sai that her hus ban as ith another o an i enti e as Rachel Carrasco, and posted proof of

their allege a air onsun i has not re sponded to Maggie’s statements at press time. “In 2019, a woman (one of) despite her being married at the time, I found was taking ‘ trips’ and checking in to various hotels with him, without my knowledge. She has recently been posting in our ‘ conjugal’ home, living her best life! ” she said in published reports. She added that it was this woman and not her ho ha been allege l co it ting adultery, but instead, it was her who had been issued an arrest warrant against.

According to published reports, a fe ee s ago aggie got a hour temporary restraining order from Taguig egional Trial ourt against her e hus band, after representatives of Consunji trie to loc her out of the rente prop erty where she and her son, Connor, are currently living. “Since it cannot be denied that a valid lease contract is existing and subsisting bet een the petitioner an the efen ants the ease ontract shoul be re spected by the parties wherein the lessor is obliged to maintain the lessee in the peaceful and adequa te enjoyment of the leased premises for the entire duration of the contract,” the court said. Also included in Maggie’s post is a screenshot of her conversation that they sa ictor an achel together an an

other picture of the two cozying up to each other. “Many people again may ask why I a so public n that a lot of o en and men in the Philippines may tolerate or deem this kind of BS acceptable but I won’t! ” she said. She said in the published reports that she tried to amicably settle privately with her husband but admitted she failed. She said she’s had enough as all of her issues against him “has fallen on deaf ears, and instead various legal cases have been le against e “I’ve always believed in happiness (even now) for him and I, even if it’s not with me. I kept qui et for years and never wanted to drag anyone else into this but here I am, left with no choice,” Maggie added as reported by various media.

Pampanga teacher wins Philippines’ 2nd Miss United Continents crown

Miss Philippines Joanna Camelle Mercado was crowned as Miss United Continents 2022 in glittering rites held in the City of Portoviejo, Ecuador Saturday night (Sunday morning, August 7) . erca o a in econ ar u cation gra uate an hospitalit a bas sador from Floridablanca, Pampanga, beste the el of elegates fro e continents to in the co ete title suc ceeding Colombia’s Anairis Cadavid, ho on in The pageant as can celled in 2020 and 2021 because of the pandemic. Aside from the top title, Camelle also too rst runner up honors for her nation al costume created by Francis Lee with a headdress by Naphiel Brandon. Mercado became the second Filipina an sian to in in the atin o inate beauty search, following in the footsteps of Bulaceña Jeslyn Santos, who won in 2016 and now the national director for the

pageant in the Philippines. earing a full bea e gol en ello gown by Benj Leguiab, Mercado elicited applause an cheers fro the pre o i nantl local au ience at the open a phi theater at Parque Las Vegas where the nals as hel Camelle impressed the judges with her insight about the pan demic, which she delivered alternately in Spanish and English: “Nosotros no solo yo (We are not alone). We must come together espite our i erences through love and cultural awareness. Through unity, we have surpassed the nightmare of this pandemic. And it is evident that we can triumph any trials that may come including war. Just like Portoviejo, una e e plo e resiliencia an e a ple of re silience). El verdadero poder es la union (The true power is unity). Solo tenemos una raza, es la raza humana (We only have one race, that is the human race)…”

19 August 18-24, 2022

 COMMUNITY NEWS

SC voids MTRCB sanctions vs. Tulfo brothers’ show

DSWD Secretary Erwin Tulfo (le�) Senator Ra y Tulfo (center) and TV host Ben Tulfo MANILA – The Supreme Court (SC) has turned lassi cation oar T against the arch o n a petition le b the go ern ent s tele ision ruling of the ourt of ppeals that nulli e regulation bo uestioning a ruling that oi e the its a ecision to suspen the sho T sanctions it i pose on the sho of the Tulfo broth apati agot ita aire on T ers for their on air rants follo ing the auling of their si e fro the suspension the T ha also el est sibling at an airport i pose a ne of on the sho an or ere it n a ul ecision ritten b ssociate ustice a to be place un er probation or on a per episo e per it on aul ernan o an publishe online on ug basis the high court s irst i ision enie the petition for T i not ha e to i pose an longer the re ie le b the o ie an Tele ision e ie an three onth suspension ne an probationar sta

Actress Nathalie Hart, 154 others now bona fide Army reservists

ilipino ustralian actress Natalie art is the latest ce lebrit to co plete the hilippine r basic ilitar training course art ho as in an e ro aguna as rincess Tin erbell ristina ar orie e ere nell oine so e in i i uals ho ha e co plete asic iti en ilitar Train ing T an ill oin its reser e force an help regular troops in assisting persons isplace b cala ities an other e ergencies elebrities ho un er ent ilitar training earlier an oine the reser e force inclu e for er congress o an il a antos ho is ieutenant olonel in the hilippine ir orce ing ong antes ho is t o an er in the hilippine Na an eral n erson ho is ith hilip pine r an hilippine oast uar ther reser ists are hristopher e eon ulia arretto rcie uno e u an ene a ru ho is a e ber of the hilippine ir orce reser e force occo Nacino hilippine Na eser e orce atteo ui icelle an on nie iang ho are secon lieutenants in the hilippine r

tus as T s act of self regulation in accor ance ith its charter as sufficient enough The court sai that T i e iatel suspen e the Tulfo brothers ith a arning that a si ilar act in the future oul be treate ore se erel if not ete the penalt of ter ination fro T the sai The also affir e that the utterances co plaine of an penali e b the T are not ght ing or s an ere not sufficient to stir an constitute a clear an present anger to the state that is gra e an i inent uring the progra s a episo e siblings a en an r in Tulfo oice out their ire after their el est sibling a on gure in a bra l ith then celebrit couple a art antiago an lau ine ar retto at the Nino uino nternational irport Ter i nal a on as purporte l attac e b the couple an their co panions after he recor e their outburst at the airport sta The Tulfo brothers o e to get e en ith the cou ple pro pting the T to clai that the utterances ere a iolation of ethical stan ar s The subse uentl apologi e but espite a three episo e suspension sanction han e o n b T the T pursue the case an e entuall or ere an initial a pre enti e suspension a subse uent three onth suspension an a ne The T s o e pro pte T to ta e the case to the courts

 REAL ESTATE

August 18-24, 2022

Demand for retail space returning to pre-Covid level I MANILA – Demand for commercial space is supporting the growth of the country’s property market with the easing of travel restrictions and recovery from the pandemic. Real estate services company Santos K night Frank reported that vacancy rate in the commercial sector for the second q uarter of 2022 was at 4.6 percent, which was close to pre-pandemic level. Before the Covid-19 pandemic, vacancy rate for commercial space was at 3 .6 percent in the fourth q uarter of 2019. “The easing of travel restrictions, pent-up demand for consumption, high vaccination rates, an the return to oﬃce T are all being cite for the reco er in bric an ortar retail a sec tor that sa an businesses closing shop ur ing the height of pandemic lockdowns,” Santos K night Frank said in a statement. For the upcoming stores in Metro Manila alone, 3 2.7 percent of commercial space takers are for the foo an be erage sector an percent are for clothing apparel stores. T he hilippines propert sector is li el to see signi cant reco er in the ne t t o to three

ears into the a inistration of resi ent er i nand Romualdez Marcos, Jr., as demand returns on both co ercial an resi ential propert it added. With the government’s directive to register business process outsourcing r s to the T last pril antos night ran has also seen an increase in acti it in the office ar et econ uarter as the rst uarter for an e plo ees to return to the office ith that e also saw an increase in leasing activity for the rst ti e in a hile antos night ran senior director for occupier strategy and solutions Morgan McGilvray said in a press conference. However, vacancy rate in April to June 2022 period has remained high at 23 percent as 228 ,5 00 s uare eters of office spaces ere a e in Metro Manila in the second q uarter of the year. astl the hilippines as ith n ia outh K orea, Singapore, and most of Asia, is likely to see a greater rate of T for e plo ees than the rate in e elope estern econo ies T in the hilippines is a result of both the office culture an the nee s of its occupiers the consul tanc r sai

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How to Find Distressed Properties for sale

f you have cash on the sidelines and you are just waiting for this moment when the Real Estate would have a correction of home prices, this is the time to start to prepare and start gathering information. So here are way to n istresse properties that will come for sale. ners in elin uent Status ortgage re oreclo sures: The most motivated o ners are the ones ith a e nite foreclosure ate eal es tate in estors can locate these properties in the egal aper for our ount oogle egal aper ount Na e Ta es ocate o ners ho are ust ee s a a fro the ta auction ate eal estate in estors can get the list of ta elin uent properties fro the Ta ssessor s ﬃce or the ollector of e enue ﬃce of our ount i orce rocee ings an an ruptcies ners ho are going through a i orce procee ing or ban ruptc are also ost li el intereste in selling their propert These public notices are also publishe in the local count legal paper ban one or acant istresse roperties s ou far an area or ri e for ollars ou ill n a lot of acant ho es These istresse properties ight follo in one of these categories probate out of to n absentee o ners or an or o ern ent o ne er gro n ee s run o n properties that ight see acant o an n the o ners an see if the oul sell the house to you. robate hen a ho eo ner ies the propert goes into probate an the probate trustee attorne is responsible for as signing the property to the right heirs or the State. You can locate probate properties in the egal aper for our ount ut of To n ners These are o ners ho ha e relocat ed, and keep the property as an investment, rental, or the property is left vacant. They are often just waiting for the market conditions to change or simply they have not gotten around to selling the property yet. There are several sources of getting lists of these owners: title companies have this information and also crisscross directories like Haines.com. or an ne These are istresse properties that ha e alrea been foreclose an no the ban o ns the ost of these properties sit acant The ban s usuall list these properties on the ultiple isting er ice un less the sit in sha o in entor aiting to be liste lot of these distressed properties have some type of paperwork ispla e on the front oor or in o ith the phone nu ber and name of the asset manager or agent. or o ern ent roperties ho e is a one to four unit resi ential propert ac uire b as a result of a foreclosure action on an insure ortgage ou can n these ho es on the ebsite annie ae also has a site for their foreclosures at o e ath co an re ie ac at HomeSteps.com. l erl ners ging opulation ith a high percentage of aging popu lation ab oo ers are entering that phase in their life an improving economic conditions, we are seeing elderly homeowners and landlords interested in relocating or selling their rental properties or instance ust b oing a e ographic search of people over 60 years of age who have owned properties in a certain area for at least 10 years, you are going to n out that this sa ple population ight be ore responsi e to a irect ar eting ca paign ou can purchase lists base on e ographics b an ailing list co pan or aines co istresse roperties pecialt trategies MLS Strategy: This is a simple strategy that I have emplo e for ost of real estate career ou are basicall perfor ing an search in a speci c area for istresse properties that ha e been on the ar et for at least a s an sub it o ers in bul uch lo er than the liste price put the un er contract an resell the or assign the contract at a price still belo hat is liste on the f ou ant to n out ore about this strateg inclu ing contracts negotiation tips and more, I have a course called MLS Strateg that o er as a real estate in esting entor or or ale b ner o e of the best eals e foun ha e co e fro al ing up to a house that has a sign in the front yard. These are often motivated sellers that can be intereste in a oi ing (Continue on page 27)

21 August 18-24, 2022

 COMMUNITY NEWS

POC to immortalize I Lydia de Vega in museum

hihimlay na sa huling hantungan ang mga labi ni trac an el legen ia e ega sa an a an e orial ar sa e cau ayan, Bulacan, kung saan si a a isinilang taon na ang nakalilipas. ng ata an ni e ega ia sa an ang mga kababayan, ay inilipat ED D IE G . A LINEA sa e caua an ula sa eritage e orial ar sa ort onifacio noong unes isang linggo atapos si ang pu ana noong gosto ahil sa breast cancer ula noong an ang pag ao ibinurol ang ata an ng ating sia s astest o an sa eritage ar sa Taguig City ng anim na araw kung saan ang kanyang ga i a a ali utang aba anihan sa iba t ibang sporting arena sa aig ig a inalala ng ga pina a atataas na opias al ng pa ahalaan sa pangunguna ni angulong er inan ongbong arcos r Ang kapwa niya atleta at ala at sa aig dig ng palakasan tulad ng ga bo ling great afael aeng Nepo uceno at li ia ing oo long u p ueen l a uros osa as at chess ugene Torre at aging ang kanyang matagal na naging aribal sa pa giging sia s print ueen T sha ng India, ay nagparating din ng pakikiramay sa pamilya at sa bansa.

Sala sa Init

ouse esolution hich also pai ho age to e ega erca o s contri butions to the countr as a orl class athlete The resolution is princi pall authore b pea er artin o ual e a orit ea er anuel ose alipe inorit ea er arcelino ibanan Tin gog art list ep e a arie o ual e senior eput a orit ea er er inan le an er ar cos an eput a orit ea er an Tingog art list ep u e ci re o ual e sai e ega erca o s legac ill li e on in the hearts S PO R T S H E R O . S tep h an i e M er c ad o -K o en i gsw ar ter ( c en ter ) , d augh ter o f th e l ate sp o r ts great Lydia de Vega, tal s to Philippine Olympic Commi�ee president A raham Tolen�no of illions of ilipinos as at H er i tage Par k i n T agui g C i ty . one of the best an bright est shining stars of hilip T T The hilippine l pic o it tee ill i ortali e the late sian sprint ueen pine sports s ia e ega erca o not onl brought ia e ega at the soon to rise useu at the honor pri e an unparallele istinction to our belo e Ne lar it in apas Tarlac ore athletes to follo presi ent braha a bol Tolentino a e countr but inspire so an the pro ise to e ega s aughter tephanie erca o suit an follo their rea s s e ega has irtuall oenigs arter an other ar hen he isite e put our countr on the ap b being at one ti e the o ual e sai ega s a e at the eritage ar in Taguig it before fastest o an in sia The resolution ill be presente to the fa il of e the sports heroine as burie in her ho eto n in e ega erca o ho passe a a at the age of last cauayan, Bulacan. ug ia s legac ill fore er be re e bere o e t is in ee ith great sorro that the countr lost the are planning to put all her achie e ents on a ia all insi e the l pic useu Tolentino tol oe a or class athlete ith the unti el passing of e ega erca o but her legac li es on an she ill nigs arter an ar e ega er achie e ents in the outheast sian a es al a s be re e bere as one of the greatest ilipino sian ha pionships an sian a es a ong others sports icons ho brought great honor an pri e to the ill be i ortali e there in the useu Tolentino countr the resolution rea s The resolution cite that e ega erca o foun sai he ll be an inspiration to all aspiring athletes on the gol e al or on the hea uarters at the Ne lar her a to the national tea an in the eter ash an eter run in the it ill soon start accor ing to Tolentino a es hel at the i al e o This is the rst ti e that the ill ha e a ho e outheast sian of its o n sai Tolentino ho as acco panie in rial ta iu in anila at the age of The resolution further note that she then ent on the a e b secretar general for international af e als nine fairs ones loro n a useu ill be built to aptl to in se eral e als inclu ing nine gol sil er e als an t o bron e e als in the a es highlight this ho e e als in the an sian e ega o inate trac an el in the region in bac to bac gol a es gol e als in the eter an eter her pri e inning bac to bac sian a es e e ents in the an sian thletics ha pion ters gol e als in Ne elhi an eoul secon s t o an t o eters titles in the sian cha pi ships an got her personal best recor of eter ash e ent at the a es onships in ingapore an u ait an nine uring the that re aine un ispute for o er three eca es a es gol e als fro to t sai e ega erca o a t o ti e l pian rep e ega s a e as later transferre to her ho e eter an eter to n in e cau an ulacan here she also once resente the hilippines in the e ents at the os ngeles l pics an e ser e as councilor eoul l pics The epart ent of ucation ep sai e ega ter e ent at n e ega erca o successfull en e her as a testa ent that rea s can be achie e through trac an el career b inning the gol e al in the har or an sacri ces eter ash at the anila u ian a es e hope that her legac ill li e on in the in s n she ser e as one of the countr s ag an hearts of oung ilipinos ep sai in a state bearers uring the opening cere on of the ent on un a a es s one of the ost recogni able fe ale ath Tolentino ean hile ill to ang o on on ia e ega erca o s passion a for a a es e eration ouncil eeting on letes in the countr strength brilliance an iscipline a e her a great role the a bo ia n a es in a o el for the ounger generations of ilipino athletes in The ouse of epresentati es a opte a reso lution e pressing its con olences to the fa il of sia s reaching their full potential an achie ing their goals the resolution rea sprint ueen ia e ega erca o uring the plenar session the cha ber a opte

Paalam, Diay!

10 PBA players complete Gilas pool for FIBA qualifiers N T part fro ilipino erican N star or an lar son an N hopeful ai otto ten hilippine as etball ssociation stars ha e been a e to the ilas ilipinas pool for the fourth in o of the orl up uali ers o pleting the pool accor ing to the a ahang as etbol ng ilipinas are eralco s hris Ne so e llein ali si an a on l a an an iguel s une ar a ar o an ere inebra s cottie Tho pson apeth guilar an r in Tolentino North ort s obert olic an Terra r a s oose elt ams. The pool no has e bers o e er it is e pecte that the ilas pool oul be tri e o n as the olts an the eer en ill ispute the last seat in the hilippine up inals at the art raneta oliseu in ue on it o issioner illie arcial sai the tea s that ill a e the cha pionship series oul be e cuse fro len ing pla ers to national tea uties as the fourth in o of the falls ithin the perio of the nals ilas ill tra el to eirut to battle ebanon on u gust hilippine ti e an ill uic l return ho e to host au i rabia in asa it on ugust nterestingl oach hot e es tea TNT also a e it to the nals although he sai after eli i nating agnolia in the se i nals that ilas oul be his priorit lrea announce to be inclu e ere ai otto or an lar son e in las al in ftana a ie alon o iefer an Thir a ena ight a os a a ar s e in uia bao arl Ta a o io a lalon an angalang an e ron ope

August 18-24, 2022

Q: Are there Internet ﬁnancial experts who aren’t really what they appear to be? nfortunatel there are a lot et us categori e the i erent a s that so calle e perts uses social e ia n so e cases celebrities professional o els an sports icons are hire to en orse certain pro ucts n this case these people o not reall isrepresent the sel es The are being use an pai b the co panies to en orse their pro ucts an in e change the pa the endorser. n another note there is another for of inappropriate presentation This is hen so eone clai s to be so eone ho the are not n ost cases this happens hen the person oing the isrepresentation is after people to in est or bu their pro uct or ser ices ne a a client calle e The client as er cal an ante to chat a little before get ting on to speci cs hich is the ebt progra ser ices that ha e s the client ent on ith her story, she mentioned to me that she chose me because she did a background check on me. Not no ing ho to react as on ering if she hire a pri ate in estigator to chec up on bac groun so as e her ho she i that he ust sai that she loo e o er the internet an foun as an sites that contain na e er search ga e her ultiple sites that ga e her an i pression that a a cre ible in i i ual ith nothing to hi e he foun e in the ost popular social e ia ebsites bearing the sa e na e as hat sho on T he e en no s hat college ent to aughing together tol her that she got e an that ha nothing to hi e but as er surprise that she ent through a length e ercise to chec up on e ran l as attere s the con ersation ent on she cal l sai that s h chose ou s attere as alrea as ust ha to sa than ou t reall eant a lot to e that so eone oul ha e reall gone out of their a to n out certain truths before getting eepl in ol e in a nancial transaction o continue to help her get into the progra ta e pri e that a true to the clients ser e ting lesson ato bato sa langit apag linlang a hu ag agagalit f ou nee help in getting out of ebt call ebt i onsulting nternational e o not use call centers hich eeps our infor ation safe e ha e a ne progra that reconstruct ebts for half of hat ou oul pa our co petitors e also pro i e legal assistance that eeps collectors a a e ta e e eral re it nions a a loans an high interest personal loans in our progra too This is e clusi el a ailable for ebt i onsulting clients None of our co petitors pro i e this pro gra ou are ell protect ed. e onl pro i e e eral Tra e o ission co pli ant progra s o ith ebt i onsulting o not fall for ar eting gimmicks saying that they ha e the right progra for ou ost ar eting co panies onl ha e one pro gra an ill enroll ou in that progra hether it ts ou or not o be are en ou at our ser ice ha e o er ears of nancial e perience f ou oul li e soun nancial a ice call us at ebt i onsulting nternational e o not use call centers No one has the right to put your information at risk. ebt i onsulting is the rst an onl ilipino ebt e iation co pan incorporate in the an ana a aribbean slan s ingapore ustralia Ne ealan an the hilippines our lobal ebt olu tions o pan Ta ag na po sa at tutulungan po namin kayo. ta a po natin ang ali

 COMMUNITY NEWS

August 18-24, 2022

San Diego County community leaders recognize Iglesia Ni Cristo’s 108 years, commitment to public service

SAN DIEGO , California — City Councils in Southern California joined community leaders throughout the U.S. in recognizing local congregations of the international religious organization Iglesia Ni Cristo (INC or Church O f Christ) last July 27, to honor and acknowledge the INC for its dedicated history of public service in the region and throughout the world. “Thank you for providing a place of comfort and healing, as well as fellowship and peace to the members that are a part

of the community,” Assembly member David A. Alvarez of California Legislature’s 80t h District stated in a letter addressing the Church’s 108t h anniversary celebrated last July 27. “O ver 100 years of service is commendable and appreciated … Thank you for your service and contribution to the National City faith community,” said Mayor Alejandra Sotelo olis of National it here the hurch f hrist s rst congregation in San Diego County was established in 1970. Since then, eight local congregations throughout the region have opened its doors to communities, as a result of its growing membership and rapidly-expanding Church, which now maintains 7,000 c ongregations globally. “Thank you for your compassion, commitment, and dedication to helping residents,” City of Vista Mayor Judy Ritter wrote in a letter of congratulations. “Vista is fortunate to have one of your locations and we especially thank Iglesia Ni Cristo for providing humanitarian support and outreach to our local community, particularly to the most vulnerable.” To continue this commitment to cities in Southern California care pac ages an bac pac s ere lle ith school supplies an basic necessities o ere at eight co u nity celebrations throughout greater San Diego and Riverside Counties to commemorate the 108t h Anniversary. “It’s a small gesture to residents and families for welcoming the INC congregations and its houses of worship into their neighborhoo s for the last e eca es sai rother at thew T. Capistrano, Supervising Minister of the Ecclesiastical District of San Diego County, California congregations. “We have seen plenty of businesses, and even religions, close and move away; but the Iglesia Ni Cristo is growing stronger in Southern California, and our doors remain open for families and residents who are longing to grow a connection with their community and most especially, with God.” Events such as these have spanned the last 108 years of the Church’s history throughout the world and in the U.S. since 1968, which led City of Temecula Mayor Matt Rahn to celebrate the INC’s “several programs providing humanitarian support and outreach within the local community. We congratulate Iglesia Ni Cristo on celebrating 108 years of dedicate ser ice to the global illage as state in the erti cate of Recognition from the City Council. These donations given at the eight events follow a DriveThru Aid To Humanity outreach event servicing the San Ysidro School District, and also one that serviced more than 1,000 individuals in South San Diego County. With congregations in 162 countries and territories, the Iglesia Ni Cristo remains a pillar in communities around the world, continuing its pledge of sharing the gospel and extending help, to the best of its ability, to strengthen the bond between the congregations of the Church O f Christ and the communities in which they serve. It reached its 108t h anniversary on July 27, under the current lea ership of rother uar o analo or ore about the Church and its activities, please visit www.iglesianicristo.net. (Don O rozco)

S oc ial S ec u rity U pdate

A N E W — AN D F AS T E R — W AY T O R E Q U E S T A S O C I AL S E C U R I T Y C AR D B y G . S amso n Social Security Public Aﬀairs Specialist in Bay Area

Do you need an original or replacement Social Security Number card? We now have a new – and faster – way for you to start online. When you go to our Social Security Number and Card webpage at www.ssa.gov/ ssnumber, we now ask you a series of q uestions to determine whether you can: • Complete the application process online. • Start the application process online, then bring any reuire ocu ents to our local office to co plete the application typically in less time. O nce you complete your application (online or in-person), we will mail the card after we process the application. Please understan that e on t issue car s at our offices inish our application in the office f ou nee to isit an office please follo these steps to co plete the application: 1. Learn what types of documents you need to bring to your local office

2. Print and save the online control number shown once you complete the online application. ring the online control nu ber – along with the documents – to your local office ithin a s to nish our application in our local office using our ffice ocator at ssa go loca tor hec in at the ios hen ou arri e 5 . Meet with one of our employees to verify the information that you completed online and review documentation. That’s it! You’ll receive the card in the mail, usually within 7 – 10 business days. We’re continuously expanding our services to put you in control and help you secure today and tomorrow for you and your family. Please share this information with your friends and family – and post it on social media.

25 August 18-24, 2022

Get a Boost Against COVID: What You Need to Know About Boosters By the We Can Do This COVID-19 Public Education Campaign

CO VID vaccines and boosters have reduced the threat of CO VID, allowing many people to gather, travel, and celebrate with more peace of mind. Vaccines and boosters provide the best protection against the worst outco es of et people still ha e an ues tions around boosters. As of August 10, CDC data showed that while Asian Americans were among the highest boosted group— with nearly 70 percent of those eligible having received their rst booster oses onl percent of full ac cinated Asian Americans 50 years or older have gotten their second booster. First booster rates are still low for

Nati e a aiians an aci c slan ers ith less than half of the population age 5 and older receiving their rst booster oses To that end, the We Can Do This CO VID-19 Public Education Campaign has engaged community-based organizations as partners to increase vaccine and booster uptake across the country. partnership bet een aci c slan thnic rt u seu an po ering aci c slan er o munities (EPIC) has humanized the numbers behind those lost to CO VID-19 with a curated community exhibit titled, Toe Fo’i: The Return. Through the power of stor telling fro asi a artists Toe o i The eturn evokes a narrative that “reminds visitors the stories of those lost are the stories of those ho sur i e sa s K iki Rivera, PIEAM Guest Curator and EPIC Storyteller. “CO VID-19 devasted our Native Hawaiians and Paci c slan ers sa s i era e are as e icate to drawing awareness to the importance of vaccines and boosters as we are to guiding our communities through the hurdles of misinformation, fear, mistrust, and entitleent that surroun the topic Here is what people should know about the CO VID boosters: Boosters provide the best protection against severe illness and death. O ver time, vaccines may become less e ecti e at pre enting an ust because ou e had CO VID doesn’t mean you can’t get it again. Getting boosted extends your protection and keeps you safer from emerging variants. A booster shot is another dose that — as the name suggests — boosts immunity to the virus as time passes. Vaccinated people who have also had a booster are less likely to get sick; but if they do catch the virus, the illness is usually less severe. For

adults ages 65 or older, boosters can more than double their protection. Vaccines and boosters protect vulnerable populations against CO VID. Everyone 5 or older who has completed their initial CO VID vaccination series should get a booster. Individuals who are up to date on CO VID vaccines not only receive protection for themselves, but they also help reduce the spread of CO VID to people who are at high risk due to age or compromised immune systems. Second boosters provide added protection for people at higher risk. Adults age 50 or older and immunocompromised individuals can improve their protection even more with a second booster. CDC recommends second boosters ith either the er or o erna accines for eople age or ol er ho got their rst boost er four months or more ago, • People who got a Johnson & Johnson vaccine an their rst booster ith a ohnson ohnson ose at least four months ago, • Residents of long-term care settings, • People with certain underlying medical conditions that impact their immune systems, and • Pregnant and recently pregnant people. Boosters are readily available to all vaccinated people ages 5 years or older. Just like the vaccines, booster shots are available at no cost to anyone living in the U.S. eople ho got er or o erna accines shoul get a booster e onths after the initial oses accinate adults 18 or older may choose any available vaccine as a booster, regardless of the type or brand of vaccine recei e pre iousl nl the er accine is a ailable as a booster for those ages 5 t o 17. or ore infor ation an to n a accine isit www.vaccines.gov.

Councilmember O’Farrell, community leaders break ground on new fitness equipment at Echo Park Lake

OVER 5 MILLION California children are getting the food they need thanks to P-EBT.

ECHO PARK — Los Angeles City Councilmember Mitch O ’Farrell was joined by local seniors, the Department of Recreation and Parks and members of the Echo Park Advisory Board to break groun on ne tness e uip ent at cho Park Lake. Located at the northwest corner of the par the tness e uip ent will take approximately three months to install and was designed for use by local seniors. “Parks play a critical role in keep-

ing all ngelenos t an health sai Los Angeles City Councilmember Mitch O ’Farrell. “I’m proud to have worked with the local community to secure funding for Echo Park Lake’s latest amenity, keeping our seniors front and center, in a safe acti e en iron ent The tness e uip ent results fro extensive dialogue between Echo Park seniors and the Department of Recreation an ar s regar ing age appropriate t ness e uip ent

Watch Real Stories SCAN HERE

Learn more about P-EBT at ca.p-ebt.org

 COMMUNITY NEWS

August 18-24, 2022

Youth facilities andFilipinos featuresstrive unveiled San Joaquin County to do better in vaccination at Presidio Tunnel Tops

K ev i n S un ga

D r . M aggi e Par k

T T N alifornia an ing st of alifornia s counties for a ults ho ha e co plete the pri ar accines an oa uin ount stri es to reach an increas ingl i erse i of rural igrants recentl settle refugees lo inco e an un house people through progra s that has ra n on an inno ati e i of progra s to catch up on ac cination rate This surface in the irtual press eeting calle an oa uin ount s i ersit hallenge accinating efugees ural igrants solate l er ults nhouse eople presente b accinate ll an thnic e ia er ices an ha as its spea ers public health oﬃcials an co unit or gani ers ho ha e or e on the frontlines of the pan e ic since its start hea e b an oa uin ount ublic ealth ﬃcer r aggie ar ittle anila ising ealth irec tor e in unga psara group ser ing a bo ian refugees irector eng othea ng l oncilio resi ent ose o ri gue o unit rgani er of aith in the alle toc ton onnie Tho pson an unhouse Nic orrell largel agrarian region in alifornia s entral alle ith a glorious i ersit of cultures an oa uin ount is also presentl struggling to raise booster an accine rates for ounger i s t is also ho e to i igrants fro se eral outheast sian countries an ore than percent of the count s population is ispanic r ar a itte though that ith the i ersit challeng es in the istribution of the o i accine an boosters to its ispanic a bo ian aotian ong ilipino an un house resi ents an oa uin ount has le to a recor e o i infections to ate This gure ar belie es is a serious un ercount as it represents onl those ho ent to clinics an phar acies to get teste an those ho too tests at ho e e en those ho teste positi e are not recor e in this ata li e or an pla in this count an lo e it for its i ersit ar sai noting ho e er that there are nu er ous cultural linguistic an geographic challenges in ol e in getting cre ible infor ation about o i to resi ents an also getting the accinate booste an teste e to this the count has also counte eaths fro o i an also recor e ore than cases of long o i s pto s that last ore than one onth after infection

an that latel fe er than t o thir s of an oa uin ount resi ents are full accinate an booster rates are also lo accination rates are lo in the lac ispanic an hite co unities fe er than half are full accinate sian ericans in the count ha e the highest accination rates at percent e ha e trie to ri e those nu bers up an the coun t has create pop up accination clinics here people li e an or inclu ing far or er housing units lo inco e housing e elop ents eterans ser ice centers an ho eless enca p ents e ha e trie to reach the people ost at ris stresse ar or his part irector of the uit in an ealth utco es or rogra at ittle anila ising e in unga reporte that their progra is one of the ne er ones an is signal of gro th for an organi ation that began cultural an historical preser ation for the ittle anila o unit in toc ton hich as ho e to the largest population of ili pinos in the orl outsi e of the hilippines fro the s to the s ur progra helps increase testing accine clinic access across outh toc ton host e ucational e ents a ressing an intersectional health topics an a ress health s ste s barriers a ecting our co unit o ing into a ressing health ine uities through en iron ental ustice or asth a itigation an no e re e pan ing our perception as an organi ation in un er stan ing the in ustice an the ine uities not ust in ilipino co unities but in other outh toc ton co unities un ga said. unga a e that the ser e the nee s of roughl people of color constituting ostl atin lac ilipino a bo ian an ong populations an in the past ear helpe facilitate at least accines to in i i uals in this co unit e learne through our e periences an through resi ents fro our ilipino co unit that ifficulties in increas ing the accination rate is ue to ifficult in access of accine infor ation through language an technological barriers an isinfor ation unga la ente accine infor ation is often in languages inaccessible to co unit hich is a huge issue if ou re ser ing a i erse co unit an that there is a gap in translate infor ation in Tagalog an in certain pro i nent ialects such as locano unga also isclose that their cit s accine an clinic info are a ailable online hich poses an a itional la er of ifficult in access as an people pre o inantl their el erl population on t ha e s artphones an ha e trouble na igating accessing online infor ation an boo ing an ap point ent ro e periences e e seen politici e in our co unit longstan ing relationship of istrust e ists bet een our co unit an health s ste s because of historical isin est ent lso there s been negati e e peri ences ith health s ste s ith healthcare pro i ers so that co poun s to the istrust oul sa that attitu es to ar s accines such as opinions that accines ha e a hi en agen a

an that accines are insuﬃcient ue to lac of research are i pacting us the ost unga re eale an belie e e re out of the oo s but not et There are so e that belie e that the e ia or our or are ust e acerbating the issue but e re here to be an e tension of our health oﬃcials an hat e perts ha e share unga ho e er as uic to a that tailore e ucation an patience is hat s nee e as people nee to be hear in i i uall because all e periences are i erent an that in i i uali e an tailore con ersations ha e been successful in our or unga a not ha e the e act e ographic brea o n but he esti ate that at least ilipinos ha e been ac cinate through our e ents uring his ter on the tea an so e ore uring the beginning of accines bringing the total to at least an that an o er hel ing a ount of the el erl ilipino population co e out for their accinations accine hesitanc is ue to reasons because of the is trust ith go ern ent oul sa so ou can refer to that ans er itional reasons are because of ths ith e pect ing others icrochips in accine aterial accines caus ing a erse health e ects on a large scale unga e plaine easons for ta ing the accine is because of ph sician e u cation e e et a lot of ilipinos ith co orbi ities such as iabetes asth a an car io ascular isease ho got acci nate because the ere a ise b their octor The learne of the possible repercussions of being un accinate ith their un erl ing isease an that ta ing the accine is i portant to protect their o n fa il a l unga an tea n that social e ia speci call i eo base platfor s such as Ti To an nstagra pla s an e ual role in isinfor ing our co unit as uch as it pla s a role in infor ing resulting to so e of the ths e e co e across especiall in our ilipino co unit are ho accines a ersel a ects e pecting others an feeling that accines are not e ecti e because the ere rushe b the go ern ent To co bat so e of these e periences e e shifte to ore irect engage ent approaches an focuse on le erag ing partnerships b co unit apping The thos of eet ing people here the are reall helpe our or Though e still use social e ia to share infor ation e integrate ore in person interaction acti ities e e relie on can ass ing noc ing on oors set clinics up in areas here co unit con enes such as our ar er s ar et n er the ri ge hich is hoste an sent te ts sharing here clinics are in our area unga countere To also counter isinfor ation their tea hoste a ari et of e ucational sessions such as focus groups a bassa or or shops to nhalls in i erent languages in s aller group settings here the ill ha e ore ti e ith co unit e bers an in these ore inti ate group settings people are illing to share an engage in ialogue an that focusing on in i i ual interaction pro otes a feel ing of connecte ness hich is hat s nee e for a co unit that feels isin este

National 811 Day a Reminder to Contractors and Homeowners to Call 811 Before All Digging Projects, Large or Small E oins in Recogni ing a�onal 11 ay to Help rotect Customer afety SAN FRANCISCO , Calif. — Today, Aug. 11, is National 8 11 Day an aci c as an lectric o pan is oining together ith utilities across the countr to help sprea the or about the ris s of igging at an epth ithout placing a free call to to ha e all un ergroun gas electric an other ser ice lines ar e prior to starting an ig ging pro ect usto ers contractors an an one planning to ig at an epth shoul place a toll free call to the free ser ice a ini u of t o business a s prior to starting the pro ect tilit or ers ill respon to the call at no cost to the custo er to locate an ar the location of un ergroun lines a ing the free call ill help a oi safet inci ents inclu ing in uries propert a age an costl re pairs alling is free eas an fast an ill help ou eep our fa il an neighbors safe an connecte to essential utilit ser ices itting an un ergroun gas or electric line hile igging can be an gerous no ing here the lines are locate so that igging can be one safel in those areas is the best a to a oi a safet inci ent an a oi costs associate ith repair sai oe orline enior ice resi ent as perations n ergroun utilit lines can be shallo so eti es onl a fe inches belo the surface ue to erosion pre ious igging pro ects shifting or settling of the groun an une en surfaces n a aging

an un ergroun utilit line hile igging is e pensi e ith repairs a eraging call to is the best safeguar an the rst line of efense to help eep our fa il an neighbors safe an to a oi e pensi e repairs o far this ear an ul throughout s ser ice area of Northern an entral alifornia There ha e been inci ents here un ergroun utilit lines ere a age ue to igging an in percent of inci ents hen an un ergroun utilit line as a age ue to igging as not calle or ho eo ners speci call that percentage rises to percent The a erage cost to repair a a age utilit line is ea ing causes of a ages to un ergroun utilit lines hile ig ging inclu e buil ing or replacing a fence gar ening an lan scaping planting a tree or re o ing a stu p se er an irrigation or an buil ing a ec or patio alling is ast an ree usto ers shoul call a ini u of t o business a s before beginning an pro ect that in ol es igging no atter ho large or s all usto ers can also isit e press co to ha e un ergroun utilit lines ar e for their pro ect site rofessional utilit or ers for all utilities gas electric ater se er an teleco unications ill be ispatche to ar the loca

tion of all un ergroun utilit lines for the pro ect site ith ags spra paint or both The call center ser ing entral an Northern alifornia North is sta e hours a a se en a s a ee an ill pro i e panish an other translation ser ices afe igging Tips ar pro ect area in hite entif the igging location b ra ing a bo aroun the area using hite paint hite sta es hite ags hite chal or e en hite ba ing our all or sub it an online re uest a ini u of t o or ing a s before igging e prepare to pro i e the a ress an general location of the pro ect pro ect start ate an t pe of igging acti it an other utilities ill i entif un ergroun facilities in the area for free e uests can be sub itte a a i u of a s prior to the start of the pro ect ig safel se han tools hen igging ithin inches of the outsi e e ge of un ergroun lines ea e utilit ags sta es or paint ar s in place until the pro ect is nishe ac ll an co pact the soil. e a are of signs of a natural gas lea ell for a rotten egg o or listen for hissing histling or roaring soun s an loo for irt spra ing into the air bubbling in a pon or cree an ea ing eg etation in an other ise oist area

27 August 18-24, 2022

FAJ focuses on wellness at recent retreat. Courtesy Bigayan newsle�er.

Upside...

(From P age 11)

ongti e oﬃce anager u ith lais is the rst respon er or ing ith operations coor inator enr ith outh ser ices irec tor hristopher ara naturali ation counselor ea Nelson outh counselors Nic oncepcion an a utierre outh progra specialists obin uili an an l en pusen ental health spe cialist on autista outreach or er urora anche ci ic engage ent organi er ais a ion tenant organi er enise icat ong co unit organi er e e co unications an in i i ual onor coor inator a oseph ha arria racial ustice pro ect coor inator srael ue on e bership coor inator Nicole a ines transition age outh organi er ina allesteros an or ers organi ers Nur anna aali ar a aali anti uensuceso an eet au The re s heroes each an e er one * Che rie M . Q uerol M oreno is E x ec utiv e E ditor of P hi l ippine N ew s T oday .

Immigrants Help

(From P age 14)

point ent ou a sen an e ail to support philippines ustra el ocs co for speci c gui ance N nter ie ai er The inter ie ai er progra has been e pan e to inclu e those rene ing for bio etrics ngerprints onl applicants ages belo an o er an aca e ic isa applicants an seafarer airline cre isa reissuance pe ite ppoint ent e uests pe ite re uests for e er genc tra el a be sub itte ia our ebsite at http ustra el ocs co ph ph ni isaappl asp lease note that the applicant ill nee to boo a regular appoint ent through our appoint ent s ste before re uesting an e pe ite appoint ent through http ustra el ocs co ph ph ni e pe ite appoint ent asp re ious an or current inter ie ai er applicants are not uali e to sub it e pe ite re uests an ruptc asics an ruptc ill actuall i pro e our cre it ithin one ear because our unsecure ebts are ischarge lthough the ban ruptc ill be in our recor s for ears not ling ban ruptc ill a e our cre it e en orse until ost our ebts are pai f ou are being sue b our cre itors ost one u g ent can be eli inate in ban ruptc ollection actions continue an ou can be sue if ou are in ebt settle ent hapter ill eli inate all unsecure ebts f ou are near retire ent age ou ust eli inate ost of our ebts NT ur a ir successfull settle a car acci ent for e also han le unconteste N T e can help ou if ou are un er au it nee a representation ith nee to re uce our ta liabilit or nee to o er a pa ent plan to uccess tories or the onth of ul e recei e appro als fro e naturali ation applications t o ianc e isa petition four re o als of con ition on resi ence an four a ust ent of status ap plications Note This is not a legal a ice Ch ris Caday L oz ano, E s q . is an ac tiv e memb er of th e S tate B ar of Cal if ornia, th e A meric an I mmigration L aw y ers A s s oc iation and S an Franc is c o T rial L aw y ers . H e prac tic es immigration l aw , b ank ruptc y , pers onal inj ury and inc ome tax prob l ems s inc e J une 1999. H is c ontac t ph one is 1- 8 7 7 - 4 5 6 - 92 6 6 , email : inf o@ CCL l aw . net W eb s ite: w w w . c ris pinl oz anol aw . c om/

Ken Go...

(From P age 11)

foreclosure an sa ing their cre it rating The can often be er e ible in the in of o er the are illing to entertain an also can be e ucate to other strategies li e ease ptions an ub ect To f ou are intereste in learning ore about ease ptions an ub ect To also ha e a course on that strateg hich inclu es for s an ho to structure a eal oo luc an start our ho e or no before its too late Than s for our in uiries call en o of st nno ati e inance roup or rite to ennethgo eri on net N

Oﬄine

(From P age 13)

This brings e bac to the uestion s there reall a serious short age of sugar ans er is no There s ore than enough sugar for both anu facturing in ustr an consu ers The suppl is ust not being istrib ute to the en users n ustr insi ers tal of a a a or a cartel that hoar s co o i ties ho then ait for il panic to set in then release their stoc s to a grateful nation t s true fol s oar ing b so e big ba i le en is a c clical practice an each ti e there is an arti cial shortage the earn not ust tens of illions of pesos but hun re s of illions To a it s sugar but it s also hite onions hich ha e isappeare fro the ar et or a hile our as also in e tre el short suppl en so ething as lo l as our super hot siling labu o isap peare for a spell last ear an a cup of the hot spice hich use to sell for on or inar a s su enl beca e per piece i thee not fol s re iousl there as also an arti cial shortage of garlic the goo local in an not the tasteless ones fro hina ne can al ost pre ict here this suppose shortage ill en The pro uct ill iraculousl reappear in ar et sari sari store an super ar et shel es nce that happens the hoar ers ill again be happil laughing their a to the ban anufacturers an consu ers ill be happ but ou can bet our s eet tooth that sugar planters ill seethe in anger as the ha e been icti i e et again t oes not atter hich group or part is in po er The faceless hoar ers ha e been aroun for eca es an ill be oing their thing long after e re gone That s ust the a it is n h o no all this To be honest as still a bit of an innocent oung an hen ran into a couple of big ti e hoar ers ne as actuall fro the entertain ent in ustr but ho el e in istributing far pro uce hen the nee to earn a fe e tra il lions hit hi e literall oo e the ar et ith garlic at the height of a suppose shortage little later et a business an ho ha hat thought as a rice arehouse but he sho e e the tons of sugar he store behin sac s of rice t as this gent ho tol e that rats a go after his grains but the ne er ne er touch re ne sugar o gure t s one reason har l e er touch the stu asi e fro the fact that iabetic Ne t ti e ou rea or hear about suppose sugar s uggling ust no that it s er li el fa e ne s There s er little s uggling of sugar but there ost certainl is a lot of hoar ing going aroun

As I See It

(From P age 12)

for the school istrict The secon is teachers nee to change their teaching approach e ucators ust eet the nee s of in person an re ote online learners so eti es si ultaneousl This is a toll or er especiall hen a teacher has a big nu ber of in person stu ents an a han ful of istance learning stu ents at the sa e ti e e perience as a teacher re eale that this is one of the biggest un erta ings for us teachers an the e ucational support sta Teachers nee to be creati e an e ible in pro i ing a transition to ne blen e class approaches

ell N sai the thir one is closel relate to each of the rst t o points e ust all be generous ith oursel es an one another as e enter uncharte aters The fall return bac to school e an s e ibilit not onl for teachers but for school a inistrators too t is uite li el that so e schools ill open an close possibl e en ore than once t is also uite li el that ista es ill be a e an that safet protocols nee to be a en e or a uste N report sai that the e to the success of our public schools uring is public support here the parents an co unit e bers un erstan the shift as e ucators no begin teaching in the i st of hat is currentl uncharte territor itionall e are no as ing their return to the classroo ill assu e a ne role hich is beco ing to be frontline or ers o the eser e public support The pan e ic presents a signi cant challenge for public e uca tion o e er as e ha e seen ti e an ti e again throughout his tor our teachers are resilient the are uali e an the are oing one of the ost crucial obs in the orl preparing future generations of citi ens to engage in an e erchanging an e ol ing societ the report sai The challenge for teachers un er this situation accor ing to rit er arah ch art is ho to a e lessons cohesi e hen teaching both re ote an in person classes s to N ecuti e irector enrietta ore she sai that The rst a of school is a lan ar o ent in a chil s life set ting the o on a life changing path of personal learning an gro th ost of us can re e ber countless inor etails hat clothes e ore our teacher s na e ho e sat ne t to ut for illions of chil ren that i portant a has been in e nitel postpone s classes resu e in an parts of the orl illions of rst gra ers ha e been aiting to see the insi e of a classroo for o er a ear illions ore a not see one at all this school ter or the ost ulnerable their ris of ne er stepping into a classroo in their lifeti e is s roc et ing N urge go ern ents to reopen schools for in person learning as soon as possible an to pro i e a co prehensi e reco er response for stu ents our rst a of school is a a of hope an possibilit a a for getting o to a goo start ut not all chil ren are getting o to a goo start o e chil ren are not e en start ing at all e ust reopen schools for in person learning as soon as possible an e ust i e iatel a ress the gaps in learning this pan e ic has alrea create nless e o so e chil ren a ne er catch up ore sai (E L P I D I O R . E S T I O K O w as a v eteran j ournal is t in th e P h il ippines and a mul ti- aw arded j ournal is t h ere in th e U S . For f eedb ac k s , c omments … pl eas e email th e auth or at es tiok oel pidio@ gmail . c om. )

Health & Wealth fornia

T an N T

(From P age 12)

NT TN rt is acti e angelist ith the T in an rancisco ali

PerryScope

(From P age 13)

er one en s up ha ing to bring ho e his or her or fro ti e to ti e ut Tru p is no longer in oﬃce he s retire e ha no business han ling top secret ocu ents la er for Tru p sai that all in estigations into Tru p oul stop if he ere to announce he oul n t run for presi ent in ean hile u iuliani sai Tru p ill rai e er one of i en s houses if the for er presi ent ins the presi ential election No that s politici ing the issue hat has i en got to o ith Tru p s proble s h can t uiliani stop all these nonsense asn t it enough that he lost his license to practice la in Ne or t tu rutus ther than the e er lo al uiliani nobo see s to stan b Tru p in his hour of nee t this er o ent he nee s a lo al frien hich see s to be in scarce suppl no a a s ut the ost angerous are those ho ere purporte l lo al to hi li e fa il e bers not i ing o eti es betra al co es fro those closest to ou e e ber t tu rutus n ou rutus That s here the or brute originate fro so eone ho betra s a frien This brings to in Tru p s a isor an son in la are ush ner ho he once referre to as his star ell not an ore

Diliman Way

(From P age 12)

ithout these e are nothing in the e es of the o inating an o ineering countries in the orl to a ou nee one an e on t ha e it ou ill tell e ou are absolutel rong e ha e the one than ost of the coun tries in the orl not onl in sia but in other parts of the orl The proble ith our resi ents an their cor on sanitaires is that the o not publicl a it that the one is here in cash an hi en treasures an of the are no n to ha e retrie e an reco ere hi en treasures fro er inan ralin arcos to ora on uino i el a os to rap stra a an o rigo uterte e ha e clients ho are illing to help the go ern ent nance its operations an e elop ent pro ects an ipe out the national ebt ut it see s the current a inistration oul rather i pose hea ier ta es an incur foreign loans instea of ta ing a antage of this generous o er sn t that eir an perple ing esson Nine There is a nee for a hu an an hu ane alue s ste That esire alue s ste is pri aril base on the in io lable character of the hu an person that hu an life is ore pre cious than one or an other aluable ob ect in this planet

 HEALTH NEWS

August 18-24, 2022

US issues health, travel advisories on PHL; DOT’s Frasco assures visitors B y J ean n e M i c h ael Pen ar an d a WASHINGTO N/ MANILA – The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has placed the Philippines anew under alert level 3 for “high-level of coronavirus disease 2019” (Covid-19). Meanwhile, in a travel advisory posted on its website on ugust the bass in anila as e ericans to “exercise increased caution to the Philippines due to crime, terrorism, civil unrest, and kidnapping. In the advisory, US citizens were asked not to travel to the Sulu Archipelago, including the southern Sulu Sea, due to crime, terrorism, civil unrest, and kidnapping and Marawi City in Mindanao due to terrorism and civil unrest. Reconsider travel to other areas of Mindanao due to crime, terrorism, civil unrest, and kidnapping. the US citizens were told. “Terrorist and armed groups continue plotting possible kidnappings, bombings, and other attacks in the Philippines,” according to the advisory. “Terrorist and armed

groups may attack with little or no warning, targeting tourist locations, markets/ shopping malls, and local government facilities. The US embassy said: “The Philippine government has eclare a tate of National ergenc on ccount of Lawless Violence in Mindanao.” The “high” travel risk level is the second highest health notice the CDC categorizes countries for American travelers. Under the said notice, travelers are encouraged to make sure that their vaccination is up to date before going to the Philippines. “If you are not up to date with your CO VID-19 vaccines, avoid travel to the Philippines,” the CDC warmed. en if ou are up to ate ith our ac cines, you may still be at risk for getting and spreading CO VID-19,” it added. The CDC also told travelers with weakened immune systems to “consider delaying travel to the Philippines.” Reacting to the US travel and health advisories, the Department of Tourism (DO T) assured travelers that measures

are in place to ensure their safety while visiting destinations across the Philippines. Seeking to allay fears, the DO T noted that more than half of the roughly 23 5 places the CDC monitored have also been placed under the said level. “The global pandemic continues to expose the tourism industry to challenges, but our travelers can rest assured that the Philippine government continues to ensure that minimum public health and safety standards are in place, coupled with the precautionary measures observed by our partners from the private and public sectors. Therefore, our guests can safely enjoy any of our 7 ,6 41 islands even in the time of the Covid-19 pandemic,” Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco said. e are con ent of the easures an gui elines that we have instituted to strike a balance between safety and travel in the new normal,” she added. Unlike many other countries in the west, the Philippines maintains a strict policy on wearing face masks to prevent the spread of the virus.

Polio in NYC Heart of Hope

Polio virus was detected in the sewage system in New York City, a discovery that signals this dangerous virus has been spreading locally. Poliomyelitis (Polio) is a contagious, disabling, and life-threatening disease caused by the poliovirus which infects the spinal PHILIP S. CHUA cord and results in paralysis. It can lead to meningitis and death. The polio virus enters the mouth, through feces-contaminated hands. A most popular polio victim, infected in 1921, at age 39, was US President Franklin D. Roosevelt. In the early 1950s , before the polio vaccines were available, it was a most feared disease, with outbreaks of 15,000 cases of paralysis among children and adults per year. Like the vaccines for CO VID-19, the vaccines for Polio are safe an er e ecti e as the historical statistics belo sho With the introduction of the inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) in 1955 and the oral polio vaccines (O PV) in 1963, the polio cases dropped precipitously to less than 100 in the 1960s and less than 10 in the 1970s . Last month, a man in his 20s in New York was found to be infected with polio and is now paralyzed. People who have not been vaccinated for polio are at a great risk and advised to get vaccinated. Consult your physician about this matter. COVID new rules Last Tuesday, in the United States, there were almost 130,000 cases and 5 5 deaths from CO VID-19, with 40,406 hospitalizations. In spite of these statistics, the CDC revised its mitigating guidelines to the following: (1) “Instead of qua rantining if you’re exposed to CO VID-19, wear a high-qua lity mask for 10 days and get tested on or after day 5, irrespective of vaccination status; ” and (2) “qua rantine is no longer recommended for persons exposed to CO VID-19, regardless of vaccination status.” This departure from pure science, particularly from the principles in epidemiology in dealing with serious infectious diseases, like CO VID-19, might cause a rebound. Let’s continue to be vigilant and see what happens with this lowering of our guard.

For those who are concerned and want to be careful, especially seniors and those with weak immune system, there is no law against wearing a mask, avoiding crowds, and doing social distancing to prevent infection, even if others don’t. Scary racing h eart This is a response to an email que ry about a “scary rapid heart rate.” The incident, as described by the reader, could be SVT (Supraventricular tachycardia), where the heart suddenly beats much faster from usual (60- 100), pulse becomes weak, a sense of “palpitation” and mild chest fullness, sometimes light headedness, and then the beat slows down to normal. Alcohol, smoking, drugs, stress, low oxygen, tiredness, could cause it among some individuals. SVT is not life-threatening, but could be scary. Valsalva (taking a deep breath, holding it, straining, for 10 seconds and repeating it, side of the neck (carotid) massage, cold water on the face, are maneuvers one could try, while waiting to see you ph sician for con r ation of the iagnosis to rule out other conditions) and treatment. GERD - COPD CO PD (Chronic O bstructive Pulmonary Disease) is a lung disease usually caused by smoking, which, over time, burns the lung tissues, rendering the air sacs to thin out an ineﬃcient in o gen transfer fro the lungs to the blood. This leads to chronic hypoxia (low blood oxygen level) and shortness of breath, which could be so severe as to requi re continuous nasal oxygen treatment. ut a signi cant nu ber of is seen a ong non smokers who have gastro-esophageal regurgitation (reu here the sphincter bet een the esophagus foo pipe) and the stomach became loose, allowing acid fumes (normally in thew stomach) to rise up and inhaled into the lungs. O ver time, this burns the lung tissues, and lead to CO PD, some shortness of breath. This condition is milder than smoking-related CO PD. Treatment is priaril ai e at the gastric re u Vitamin D nti in a ator foo s li e arious egetables (except night shades), fruits, nuts, and certain supplements are known to reduce the risk for development of diseases. Night shades, which are bad for arthritis, include white . -potato, tomato, eggplant, pepper, paprika.

“There is mounting evidence that improvement in vitamin D status reduces risk for autoimmune diseases including type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis, and other in a ator isor ers such as t pe iabetes an car diovascular disease,” according to Dr. Michael F. Holick, professor of medicine at Boston University School of Medicine.- Medical News Today. Adults who took 2000 IUs vitamin D3 daily for up to e ears re uce ris for all autoi une iseases b 22 percent compared to those who did not. Do not start taking any drugs without consulting your physician. M icrob iome There are appro i atel trillion i erent organ isms living in our gut and in our mouth and skin. This world of microbes plays a critical role in our health. It is important for us to have a healthy balance between the good and the bad microbes in us to prevent or minimize arious iseases esi es in a ation as the in ucing cause of diseases, unhealthy microbiome is now recognized as a vital initiating factor in the causation of most illnesses, and not only gut ailments. That shows how important a balanced microbiome is for health maintenance. The human gut microbiome is essential for body development, immunity, and nutrition. The bacteria in our gut help us digest food, control our immune system, and produce vitamins our body needs. What we eat or drink a ects our icrobio e ach person has a uni ue gut microbiome. Symptoms of an unhealthy microbiome include constipation bloating iarrhea gass sto ach an in a mation, all due to an unbalanced microbiome. Avoiding or minimizing red meat to once to twice a ee eating a lot of sh egetables of arious colors fruits, nuts, and pre- and probiotic supplements, daily physical exercises, no smoking, disciplined alcohol intake or abstinence, stress management, are ways to help maintain a health microbiome in our body. P hi l ip S. Chua, M D , FA CS, FP CS, a Cardiac Sur geon E meritus bas ed in N orthw es t I ndiana and L as V egas , N ev ada, is an international medic al l ec turer/ author , H eal th A dv oc ate, new s paper c ol umnis t, and Chai rman of the Fil ipino U nited N etw ork - U SA , a 501( c )3 hum anitarian f oundation in the U nited St ates .W ebs ites : FU N 8.c om, T oday .SP SA today .c om, and phi l ipSc hua.c om E mail : s c al pel pen@ gmail .c om

29 August 18-24, 2022

NEWS  NATIONAL VIEWS & COMMENTS Punishment and Discipline

INSPIRATIONAL ARTICLE FOR THE WEEK

By TIM PEDROSA

LET US PRAY THAT O UR LO NELINESS MAY SPUR US INTO FINDING SO METHING TO LIVE FO R, GREAT ENO UGH TO DIE FO R. Loneliness and isolation can leave us feeling empty and without hope sometimes. I have learned that when we feel stuck in our own thoughts and just want to be free of this pain, then all we have to do is look to God, the creator of the universe. He sent His son to overcome all of the pain of this world and He wants to help us overcome our pain as well. Loneliness doesn’t come from being alone: it comes from feeling that no one cares. We are meant to thrive in the community. It adds so much more to our lives and causes us to be happier. We all deserve happiness. I have learned that loneliness is the human condition that we can cultivate. It can allow our soul room to grow. LET US NEVER EX PECT TO O UTGRO W LO NELINESS; NEVER HO PE TO FIND PEO PLE WHO WILL UNDERSTAND US, SO MEO NE TO FILL THAT SPACE, O THERWISE, WE WILL BE DISAPPO INTED. The best we can do is to understand ourselves, know what we want and not let others stand in our way. Loneliness expresses the pain of being alone and solitude expresses the glory of being alone. WHY DO I WRITE? It is not that I want people to think that I am smart, or even that I am a good writer. I write because I want to learn from my loneliness, from the problems that life constantly brings and to inspire and encourage others to do the same. I have learned that if we try to really learn, sit with loneliness and embrace it for the gift that it is… and an opportunity to get to know ourselves; to learn how strong we really are; to depend on no one but ourselves for our happiness; we will realize that a little loneliness goes a long way in creating a richer, deeper, more vibrant and colorful self. There is absolutely no point in sitting around and feeling sorry for oneself. The great power we have is to let go… focus 1. O ur Lady of Angels Church - 17 21 Hillside Drive, Burlingame, CA 94010 on what we 2. St. Isidore Catholic Church - 222 Clark Avenue, have, and what Yuba City, CA 95 991 we want and 3 . St. Andrew’s Catholic Church - 15 7 1 Southgate Avenue, Daly City, CA 94015 remove which 4. St. Jarlath Church - 26 20 Pleasant St., O akland, CA 946 02 ones that have 5 . St. Isabella Church - O ne Trinity Way, San Rafael, CA 94903 been mean or 6 . St. Catherine Church - 3 45 0 Tennessee Church, unkind to us. Vallejo, CA 945 91 7 . Holy Child and St. Martin Church - 7 7 7 Southgate Avenue, O nce we have Daly City, CA 94015 mastered to do 8 . Parish of the Holy Infant Jesus - 3 7 05 1 Cabrillo Terrace, that, we will Fremont, CA 945 3 6 never be alone 9. Good Shepherd Church - 3 200 Harbor St, Pittsburg, CA 945 6 5 and lonely.

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Aﬂame The Heart

DEALING WITH LONELINESS AND ISOLATION

n the Scriptures we can learn these: Ps. 94: 12, “Blessed is the man whom the Lord disciplines… ; ” in Prov. 3 : 11-12, “My son do not despise the Lord’s discipline… for the Lord reproves him whom He loves… ” And from Heb. 12: 7 -11: “Endure your trials as “discipline”; God treats you as sons. For what “son” is there whom his father does not discipline? If you REV. JOSE PELAGIO A. PADIT, SThD are without discipline, in which all have shared, you are not sons but bastards. Besides this, we have had our earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them. Should we not [ then] submit all the more to the Father of spirits and live? They disciplined us for a short time as seemed right to them, but he oes so for our bene t in or er that e a share his holiness t the time, all discipline seems a cause not for joy but for pain, yet later it brings the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who are trained by it.” Punishment is abhorred either as an idea or especially in reality; nobody likes punishment. When I hear the word punishment immediately painful memories come to mind; the times I experienced it bodily or emotionally. unish ent a es us thin right a a of the su ering or pain but not about the lesson learned. Another word comes to mind, discipline. As the word itself suggests, discipline has Latin roots with “discipulus” meaning “disciple; ” hence, to discipline is an act of teaching the disciple, the pupil, a lesson. Discipline and punishment are usually used interchangeabl ho e er there is actuall a i erence unish ent is thought to be interchangeable with discipline; because, the experience of something painful will become a lesson that will be engraved in the mind of the person punished. But, actually punishment in itself is not concern with the lesson; but rather as a conseq uence of the bad action or breaking of a rule The punish ent is about that hich is the er e ect of brea ing a command. And when the punishment is given, the person experiencing the punish ent ill co e to in of a lesson That is h punish ent in icts bodily or emotionally-psychologically; so that, such tangible experience intends to evoke in the punished person a lesson from doing the undesired or bad action. In other words, punishment is the tool itself, like a brush to a painter; while discipline is the image that the painter intends to paint. nother analog ha e a glass that shoul ll up ith ater but uring the a faile to ll it up so at the en of the a ha e no ater in glass to drink. Whose fault it will be when I will be thirsty? No one must be bla e e cept self The thirst is the punish ent the e ect cause b failure to put ater f e su er of thirst because e faile to put ater into our glass, it should not be said God’s fault or He caused it, or we say, e is punishing us er ti e e co it sin an su er its conse uence the su ering is not cause b o as to sa e is punishing us No o is not to blame of my thirst for having no water. God punishes no one; but He can use such experience to become our discipline. God treats us more than we deserve or imagine. The bad is allowed in order that something good could hopefully come out of it. I say, hopefully, because we are still to will or want to learn; then, from learning something good will happen. As mentioned above, “… yet later it brings the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who are trained by it.” Those who willed or allow themselves to be disciplined can bear fruit of righteousness. Hence, discipline is i erent fro punish ent for the fact that it is about the lesson itself that the disciple must learn or take note of. Discipline teaches the disciple to do what is right and to follow the rules or norms set for the disciples to imbibe and translate in their lives. Moreover, unlike punishment, disciplining is not concerne to in ict so e for of pain or so ething iﬃcult per se to teach a lesson; but that, it uses the very conseq uence of a bad action or misdemeanor done as a demonstration to the person being disciplined of the validity of the lesson to be learned. Disciplining can be by talking, by persuasion, that even only using words that address the heart and mind of the person can already become a compunction to the disciple so that he learns the lesson. Discipline is born out of love; the punishment may come not from love but from anger. God disciplines us; because, He wants us to live righteously; that is, to live always attuned to Him. Amen.

31 August 18-24, 2022  NATIONAL NEWS

 FOOD & TRAVELS

Recipe of the Week Special Beef Kaldereta Ingredients: 1 kilo beef spareribs 1/ 2 cup chicken liver, fried, massed in to paste 2 medium size red bell pepper, cut into 1” squa re 2 pcs. whole sweet pickle, sliced crosswise 1 small can button mushroom 1/ 2 cup grated cheddar cheese 1/ 2 tsp. ground peppercorns 2 medium size onion, chopped 1/ 2 head garlic, chopped 1/ 4 cup vinegar 1 cup green olives 1 cup tomato sauce 1/ 2 tsp hot sauce 3 ba y leaf salt Cook ing procedure: Marinate beef meat with vinegar, a dash of salt and pepper for 5 to 10 minutes. Drain marinade and stir fry meat until color changes to light brown, keep aside. In a saucepan, sauté garlic and onion, add meat and sauté for another 2 to 3 minutes. Add tomato sauce and stir cook for 3 to 5 minutes. Add 8 to 10 cups of water, ground peppercorns and bay leaf simmer for 1 to 1/ 2 hours or until meat are tender and just enough sauce remains. Add more water as necessary. Add liver paste, mushroom, green olive and cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until sauce thickens. Add bell pepper, hot sauce, cheddar cheese and season with salt and cook for another 2 to 3 m inute, serve hot.

Green Oasis emerges in Nueva Vizcaya heritage town DUPAX DEL SUR, Nueva Vizcaya --Are you looking for a unique tourist destination for your next travel? Why not the Dupax del Sur, a hilly town in Nueva Vizcaya province. The town is fast becoming a preferred destination for food and nature lovers, thanks to its beautiful sceneries and a new attraction called the Green O asis of Dupax. The Green O asis of Dupax is a unique dining concept that combines the freshness of farm-to-table cuisine with Italian inspiration. It is situated in an ancestral farm in the inner part of the town, which is famous for the 18t h Century St. Vincent Ferrer Church, declared a national treasure by the National Museum in 2001; the Spanish era Dampol Bridge, also a declared National Treasurer; Clouds in the Sky and the oldest acacia tree in Northern Luzon. The Green O asis has a restaurant that o ers talian an local cuisine using fresh ingredients from the fertile soil of Dupax. Guests can enjoy fresh food, stroll around the lush garden and purchase local produce as “pasalubong” or giveaways. e belie e e are the rst in Nue a i ca a to o er a ariet of ser ices fro foo gar en par an shops in one destination,” says John Lacanlale Danao, Managing Partner of the Green O asis of Dupax. Danao says the name of the destination speaks for itself. “As what oasis connotes, we foresee it as a haven of greens fro i erent plants fruits trees o ers an egetables “We get most of our ingredients from the farm, especially the herbs and vegetables. Nueva Vizcaya is known for delicious citrus and is considered the vegetable basket of Cagayan Valley region,” he says. “The project site is an ancestral farm inherited from our Mendoza ancestors whose heritage are Tagbanuas from El Nido, Palawan,” says Danao. The reen asis is situate e ilo meters from Saint Vincent Ferrer Church or a three-minute drive from Poblacion. Green O asis welcomes both local and foreign visitors who put a premium on their food and health. The oasis restaurant reen asis itchen is open Tues a s to ri a s from 11 a.m. to 730 p.m. and Saturdays to Sundays from 9 a.m. to 730 pm. It offers Italian staples as well as all-veggies pizza which is loaded with tomatoes, eggplants, onions and black olives; Teri-

yaki chicken, Paella; vegetable soups; Mulberry smoothie; Tarragon tea; and many other dishes made from fresh produce from the area. Aside from the fresh food, diners and visitors can go around the greenhouse, herbal and medicinal plants area and lush gar en ith colorful o ers ou can tr al ing our re e olog path. K ids can play at our playground an ie i erent ani als at our ani mal world. You can also shop for native goo s an organic pro ucts an i erent plants an o ers sa s anao reen asis ill soon open a sh pond area, hold Sunday farmers market of organic products and showcase the arts and crafts of local artists. “With this, we hope that we can help Dupax del Sur and Nueva Vizcaya become a favorite tourism attraction, not merely a transit point for the Banaue Rice Terraces. We also hope to be a venue for local farmers and local artists to showcase their products and talents,” says Danao. Dupax del Sur is located some 280 kilometers from Manila but travel to this national heritage site has been shortened to four to e hours b the North u on Expressway (NLex), the Subic-ClarkTarlac Expressway (SCTex) and the Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway (TPLex) and good highways in Pangasinan and the adjoining province of Nueva Ecija. Nueva Vizcaya aims to be a premium ecotourism destination for local and international tourists. Among its attractions are cascading waterfalls, majestic mountains, unspoiled caves, crystal-clear rivers and brooks, historic churches and sacre sites t also o ers a uni ue cul tural experience with multi-ethnic and indigenous people. Gifted with temperate climate and bountiful agricultural lands, Nueva Vizcaya is also a major producer of highalue crops egetables an cut o ers