PNEWS 9.7-9.14,2023

1 September 7-13, 2023

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA EDITION

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Vol.63 No.4 September 7-13, 2023

NEWS AND VIEWS YOU TRUST

As PHL, Malaysia, Vietnam, India, Taiwan alarmed at China’s new map

By ALFRED G. GABOT and CLAIRE MORALES TRUE Editor in Chief and Managing Editor

JAKARTA/WASHINGTON/MANILA – Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has gone ballistic once more, this time during the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in Jakarta, Indonesia as he assailed the “alarming” illegal activities like “militarization and dangerous maneuvers” in South China Sea. Page 7

Union City fetes its 9 sister cities at 18th annual Sister Cities Festival US VICE PRESIDENT Kamala Harris meets President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on the sideline of the ASEAN Summit in Jakarta. The White House said they discussed the mari�me security environment in the South China Sea, and reviewed opportuni�es to enhance bilateral mari�me coopera�on, among others.

Marcos leaves again in middle of worsening rice crisis

By Jun Nucum NEWARK, California - In the ark, California, there is no doubt recently-concluded kick-off gath- that one way of getting together is ering of the Taste of Asian event through sharing of food. at Isla Filipino restaurant in NewAnd this sharing of Page 7

By Be�ng Laygo Dolor, Editor MANILA – He may be president but he is also concurrent Agriculture department secretary. Ferdinand Marcos Jr, however, may have forgotten he was the latter, leaving for yet another foreign trip while the country was suffering from a deteriorating supply crisis of the Philippines’ most important staple food, rice.

Marcos left for Indonesia at the

start of the week to attend the annual ASEAN Leaders’ meeting, but not before issuing a stop-gap measure to arrest the soaring price of rice. Through Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, he issued Executive Order #39 pegging the retail price of rice at P41 per kilogram for the regular milled variety, and P45/ Pasay City officials led by Mayor Emi Calixto (in light pink center) with kilo for the well-milled kind.

Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco officials led by Consul This came after prices Page 6 General Neil Frank Ferrer (to Calixto’s right)

Upside

‘Friends of friends’ prove Ninoy Aquino is unforgotten Conclusion

By CHERIE M. QUEROL MORENO

Inspired by Ninoy Aquino, Donny de Leon protests human rights abuse.

Courtesy DONNY DE LEON

HUNDREDS of relatives, admirers and friends of Senator Benigno Aquino Jr. reunited last month to commemorate the 40th anniversary of his assassination. The shots that killed Aquino on his return from political exile in the United States shook millions to take to Page 9

A targeted hate crime

By Gilda P. Balan, Correspondent JACKSONVILLE, Florida There was something more disturbing than usual about the violent hate crime that took place late last month in Jacksonville, Florida.

Based on eyewitness accounts, 21-year-old Ryan Christo- Page 6

Hunt on vs Teves as arrest warrant out PHL, US warships hold sail in Palawan waters VIEWS & COMMENTS

SHOWBIZ

SPORTS

Requirements for a child to be a U.S. Citizen

Vice Ganda’s ‘It’s Showtime’ suspended for 12 days

FIBA WC finals set; Gilas gears for the Asian Games

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By A�y. Lozano

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P4 P3

PESO-DOLLAR RATE

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September 7, 2023 1:30am

 NATIONAL NEWS

September 7-13, 2023

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Marcos imposes rice price ceilings; farmers react MANILA – President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has approved the recommendation to impose mandated price ceilings on rice in the whole country, amid what Malacañang described as the “alarming increase in the retail price” of the national staple which has surpassed P60 per kilogram for certain types of rice.

Under Executive Order (EO) 39, inked by Marcos the mandated price ceiling for regular milled rice is P41 per kg., while the mandated price cap for wellmilled rice is P45 per kg.

As of Aug. 28, the Department of Agriculture (DA) reported that the price per kilogram of local regular milled rice in markets in Metro Manila ranged from P42 to P55, while local well-milled rice stood at P48 to P56.

There is no ceiling currently in place for special and premium rice.

The price caps took effect on September 5.

The Foundation for Economic Freedom (FEF), meanwhile, urged the government to lift or reduce existing import tariffs on rice from 35% to 10%, which it said will have an immediate effect on lowering rice prices.

In a statement, the think tank said that Marcos’ Executive Order 39 will “harm Filipino consumers and farmers, and the entire economy” as it will drive away supply and fuel the black market, and that traders will use it to justify lowering the buying prices from farm-

ers.

“The price cap will harm the entire economy because it will not be effective in solving the demandsupply gap and arrest increasing food price inflation,” it said. “It will only aggravate the current tight rice supply situation into a full-blown rice crisis.”

“The mandated price ceilings shall remain in full force and effect unless lifted by the President upon the recommendation of the Price Coordinating Council or the DA and the DTI,” read the EO, which takes effect immediately upon publication in the Official Gazette or a newspaper of general circulation.

The DA and the DTI’s recommendation stemmed from the current increase in retail prices of rice in the country, which resulted in a considerable economic strain on Filipinos, particularly the underprivileged and marginalized.

“The Department of Agriculture and the Department of Trade and Industry have reported that the country’s rice supplies have reached a stable level and are sufficient owing to the arrival of rice imports and expected surplus on local rice production,” the order stated.

“Despite the steady supply of rice, the DA and DTI have also reported that the widespread practice of alleged illegal price manipulation, such as hoarding by opportunistic traders and collusion among industry cartels in light of the lean season, as well as global

events taking place beyond the Philippines’ control, such as the Russia-Ukraine conflict, India’s ban on rice exportation, and the unpredictability of oil prices in the world market, among other factors, have caused an alarming increase in the retail prices of this basic necessity.”

EO 39 directs the DTI and the DA to ensure the strict implementation of the mandated price ceilings, monitor and investigate abnormal price movements of rice in the market, and provide assistance to affected retailers, with the help of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).

It also mandates the Bureau of Customs (BOC) to intensify its ongoing inspections and raids of rice warehouses to combat hoarding and illegal importation of rice in the country and facilitate the confiscation, seizure or forfeiture of smuggled rice as may be warranted by the law.

The DA is also instructed to share with the BOC relevant information, such as the inventory of rice stocks, the list of accredited rice importers, and the location of rice warehouses.

In a meeting in Malacanang, the DA reported its projection that rice supply for the second semester would reach 10.15 million metric tons (MMT), 2.53 MMT of which is ending stock from the first semester while 7.20 MMT is the expected yield from local production and only 0.41 MMT is imported rice.

Groups call for credible elections, seek Smartmatic disqualification MANILA — Groups led by former Information and Communications Technoogy Secretary Eliseo Rio have renewed calls for a transparent and credible system for the LAW OFFICE OF 2025 midterm elections by disqualifying technology provider Smartmatic for alleged irregularities in past general elections.

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Kabataan party-list Rep. Raoul Manuel backed the clamor of the groups to seek answers to the supposed irregularities.

Last week, the Makabayan bloc filed a resolution in the House of Representatives seeking an inquiry into the evidence presented by Rio. The Comelec earlier said it will use a new automated election system in 2025, and ditch the over 90,000 vote counting machines purchased from Smartmatic.

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3 September 7-13, 2023

 NATIONAL NEWS

PHL, US warships hold ‘bilateral sail’ in Palawan waters

PUERTO PRINCESA, Palawan – Filipino and American warships have started conducting a “bilateral sail” in waters off the western part of Palawan province.

Lt. Col. Enrico Gil Ileto, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) public affairs office chief, said the activity

highlights the “robust maritime cooperation” between the two nations.

Earlier, Philippine, Australian and Japanese vessels, together with US ships, also held their maritime exercises off Palawan and Zambales waters.

“The activity is done under the Mutual Defense Board – Security Engagement Board framework that aims to develop operational interoperability between the navies of the two countries,” he said in a statement.

Ileto said the AFP deployed the Navy’s guidedmissile frigate, BRP Jose Rizal (FF-150) while the US Navy deployed the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer, the USS Ralph Johnson (DDG-114).

The AFP Western Command’s Naval Task Force 41 and the US 7th Fleet were also scheduled to carry out a “division tactics” rehearsal aimed at enhancing interoperability between the two navies.

“In particular, this event aims to provide an opportunity for the Philippine Navy and the US Indo-Pacific Navy to test and refine existing maritime doctrine and demonstrate their defense capabilities in line with the shared commitment of upholding peace and security in the Indo-Pacific Region,” Ileto said.

He said the AFP will continue to be involved in “bi-

MANILA – Two more vessels will boost the Philippine Navy’s maritime patrols especially in West Philippine Sea. This as the Navy is set to christen and commission into service two US-donated Cyclone-class patrol vessels on Sept. 11.

In a statement, Navy spokesperson Captain Benjo Negranza said the ships will be known as the Alvarezclass patrol vessels once commissioned in service.

The christening and commissioning rites would be held at PN headquarters at Naval Station Jose Andrada, Roxas Boulevard, Manila.

“The PN will be conducting the christening and commissioning ceremony of the two newly-acquired Alvarez-class patrol vessels, namely BRP Valentin Diaz (PS177) and BRP Ladislao Diwa (PS-178) with Honorable Gilberto C. Teodoro Jr., Secretary of National Defense as Guest of Honor and Speaker,” Negranza added.

BILATERAL SAIL. The Philippine Navy’s BRP Jose Rizal (FF150) (right) and US Navy’s USS Ralph Johnson (le�) are seen carrying out “division tac�cs” rehearsal at an undisclosed loca�on off the waters of Palawan province on Sept. 4, 2023

lateral and multilateral activities” that will contribute in further developing its capability to perform its mission of protecting the country’s national sovereignty and national territory

2 ex-US patrol vessels boosts PHL Navy’s maritime patrols

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 METRO NEWS

September 7-13, 2023

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SC orders agencies to report on Manila Bay pollution, reclamation MANILA - The Supreme Court has ordered government agencies to report in oral arguments on the pollution in Manila Bay, the steps being taken, the reclamation projects, and their environmental impact.

The order was made as the High Tribunal, in an en banc session, resolved to conduct oral arguments as regards G.R. No. 171947-48 or the case of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, et al. (petitioners) v. Concerned Residents of

Manila Bay, et al. (respondents) and Akbayan Citizen’s Action Party (intervenor).

The concerned agencies, according to published reports in Manila, were ordered to report on: Their measurement benchmarks of the pollution in Manila Bay; Current government strategies being implemented to comply with their mandate to clean up, rehabilitate, and preserve Manila Bay, and restore and maintain its waters to SB level (Class B Sea waters

per Water Classification Tables under Department of Environment and Natural Resources [DENR] Order No. 34 [1990]) to make them fit for swimming, skin-diving, and other forms of contact recreation; Realistic targets for the next five years; and Ongoing reclamations and their respective environmental impact assessments especially their effect on pollution.

The agencies ordered to respond by the SC resolution include the MMDA,

Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Department of Education, Department of Health, Department of Agriculture, Department of Public Works and Highways, Department of Budget and Management, Philippine Coast Guard, Philippine National Police Maritime Group, Department of the Interior and Local Government, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, and the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System.

Cable cars for Metro Manila proposed anew

By Jeanne Michael Penaranda MANILA - Aerial cable cars to help solve Metro Manila’s monstrous traffic woes?

This mode of transporting people just like those of Mexico City and other areas may soon be a reality after the Metro Pacific Investment Corp and Malaysia’s Hartasuma Sdn Bhd have signed a deal for rolling stock refurbishment projects for rails and the exploration of other modes of transport such as cable cars and monorails.

Last year, neophyte Senator Robinhood Padilla proposed the construction of cable car system in Metro Manila.

Padilla said he saw from his travels abroad how cable cars help move people around.

In 2018, the Department of Transpor-

tation proposed a cable car system from the Light Rail Transit-2’s Santolan Station in Marikina City to Barangay Rosario in Pasig City and the proposed was endorsed by the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA).

MPIC Chairman Manny Pangilinan said Hartasuma has declared that cable car systems are cheaper to build than rails, which do not require a huge mass of land.

“We thought it’s good to partner with them for our requirement in LRT-1…Not only as a supplier but for other modes of transport... to build cable cars, monorails and we like to explore that opportunity to upgrade our modes of transport in the country,” he said.

In 2019, an official of the Asian Development Bank said cable cars may be a feasible form of public transport for some parts of Metro Manila.

5 September 7-13, 2023

 PROVINCIAL NEWS

Arrest warrant out vs. Teves, 3 others over Governor Degamo massacre

DUMAGUETE CITY — Expelled Negros Oriental Rep. Arnolfo Teves Jr. may soon catch up with the law.

This as the Manila Regional Trial Court issued an arrest warrant on Teves and three others last September 5 again-

stTeves over the killing of Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo and nine others in Pamplona town.

Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 51 Presiding Judge Merianthe Pacita Zuraek signed the arrest warrant naming Teves among the co-accused.

“After a personal evaluation of the amended information, the court finds probable cause for the issuance of a warrant of arrest,” the judge said in an order dated Sept. 5.

Judge Zuraek set the arraignment of the accused on Oct. 4. Murder, frustrated murder and attempted murder cases were filed against Teves and four of his cohorts

on Aug. 18.

The court noted that Teves is known for his aliases Arnie, Big Boss, Big Boss Idol, Idol and Kalbo. Also included in the charges are Angelo Palagtiw, a certain Jie Ann/Gie Ann described as the sister of Palagtiw and helicopter pilot Capt. Lloyd Garcia II. A fifth individual who was also included in the charges, Nigel Electona has already been detained and the court issued a commitment order transferring him from the Manila City Jail to Camp Bagong Diwa in Bicutan.

The five will be joining eleven other suspects already indicted in July. They are Winrich Isturis, Joric Labrador, Benjie Rodriguez, Eulogio and John Louie Gonyong, Joven Javier, Dahniel Lora, Romel Pattaguan, Jhudiel Rivero, Rogelio Antipolo Jr. and Marvin Miranda.

They are facing murder, frustrated murder and attempted murder charges

for the commando assault on Degamo’s residence during a social welfare handout program in March.

The attack occurred a month after the Supreme Court (SC) affirmed Degamo’s victory over Henry Pryde Teves in the gubernatorial race in Negros Oriental.

Earlier, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said in a briefing he was confident that the court would issue an arrest warrant against Teves.

“This is a waiting game, you have to be patient, you have to wait for the results properly, at [and] we have to give time to the institutions that are in charge of their different responsibilities to look at the Teves case and to cast their judgment on these matters, especially with the issuance of warrant of arrest if ever,” he said.

Remulla also said he still believes that Teves is in Timor Leste, and continues to travel to Cambodia and Thailand.

Batanes lists projects for US okay: envoy

US Ambassador MaryKay Carlson

BAGUIO CITY – The governor of Batanes has brought up several potential development projects for the United States’ consideration, US Ambassador to the Philippines MaryKay Carlson disclosed.

On the sidelines of a post-Independence Day celebration in Baguio City, Carlson confirmed that she and Batanes Governor Marilou Cayco met at the US Embassy in Manila “a couple of months ago” and discussed possible development cooperation.

She said the governor had laid down a list of projects that the US Agency for International Development may be interested in investing in, including providing solar lights, street lights and the construction of a breakwater to allow cargo ships to dock safely when waters on the islands are rough.

Carlson, meanwhile, did not elaborate on the reported discussions to develop a US-funded civilian port in Basco, Batanes.

Ombudsman orders dismissal of Mexico, Pampanga mayor

QUEZON CITY/MEXICO, Pampanga - The Office of Ombudsman has ordered the dismissal of the mayor of Mexico, Pampanga and several other officials due to the alleged irregular procurement of construction materials from 2009 to 2010.

A 16-page decision ruled that Mayor Teddy Tumang, municipal accountant Perlita Lagman, municipal engineer and former Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) vice chair Jesus S. Punzalan, and Administrative Officer V and former BAC member Luz C. Bondoc were guilty of grave misconduct for the anomalous purchases amounting to ₱8.66 million from March 2009 to February 2010.

The decision affirmed that Tumang approved and signed disbursement vouchers without the signature of the municipal accountant and performed functions and duties accorded only to BAC members.

It also questioned the capacity of Buyu Trading and Construction as the supplier of the construction materials.

Despite the respondents’ denial of the allegations, the Office of the Ombudsman found substantial evidence to hold them administratively liable for grave misconduct. “(They) are hereby meted the penalty of dismissal from service, together with the accessory penalties of

cancellation of eligibility, forfeiture of retirement benefits, perpetual disqualification from holding public office and bar from taking civil service examinations,” the decision said.

It added that should dismissal not be an option because the person is no longer in service, “the same shall be converted into fines equivalent to their respective salaries for one year...and may be deductible from their retirement benefits, accrued leave credits or any receivable from their office.”

A separate 27-page consolidated decision authorized the filing of 41 counts of violation of Section 3(e) of Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, by way of conspiracy, against Tumang; BAC chair Marlon D. Maniacup; Punzalan; BAC members Lucila M. Agento, Bondoc, and Romeo M. Razon; and private respondent William B. Colis, the owner of Buyu Trading and Construction which supplied the construction materials.

It also ordered the filing of another 23 counts of violation of Section 3(e) of RA 3019 and seven counts of malversation under Article 217 of the Revised Penal Code against Tumang, Maniacup, Agento, Punzalan, Bondoc, Razon, Lagman, and Colis.

“We’re looking at a number of things but in terms of the specific with the port, that’s still to be determined,” she told reporters.

Reuters earlier reported that the “US military” is in talks to build the port, which is intended to assist in the unloading of cargo when the existing port is inaccessible.

Citing Cayco, the newswire said a decision on the proposal could be made in

 NATIONAL NATIONAL NEWS NEWS Marcos...

September 7-13, 2023

6

had soared in recent weeks, creeping up to the P60/kilo level, or triple the P20/kilo price that was one of his top campaign promises.

Speaking in the vernacular, Bersamin told local media that the EO was “a temporary policy, not only to address inflation but also to reduce the suffering of the people and prevent rice manipulation.”

He did not say how long the EO would be in effect.

Marcos’ EO also came following an order to import the staple to make up for an expected shortfall by yearend.

Retailers were up in arms at the order, as most of them were caught unprepared. Their most common complaint was that they had stocks that had been purchased at a higher price than the P41 or P45 SRP. Local media took a survey of small rice retailers and found that some had opted not to sell at a loss by keeping their stores closed.

Others grumbled that the president was “punishing” them when the high retail prices were not their fault.

The government promised to “intensify”

its monitoring of rice prices in wet markets and supermarkets after a large number of retailers were found to have refused to follow the new low prices.

Marcos himself had admitted that prices were high because big traders were hoarding rice in warehouses, causing an artificial shortage. Other traders were illegally importing the staple, waiting to see at what point prices would reach their optimum level.

Marcos’ cousin, Speaker Martin Romualdez, had even led a raiding party of one warehouse where thousands of sacks of rice were lying idle.

Before departing for Indonesia, Marcos had half-heartedly apologized to the country’s rice retailers whom he admitted would have to bear the brunt of the losses to be incurred due to the regulate rice prices.

In order to appease the rice retailers, the government is offering financial support for the smallest merchants to the tune of P15,000 as a one-time financial assistance.

However, as of press time, the mechanics of the financial support were still not released to the public. There were concerns regarding who should receive the windfall, since there

are countless rice retailers throughout the archipelago who are not even registered with the Bureau of Internal Revenue nor the Department of Trade as a small or micro-enterprise.

Social Welfare Secretary Rex Gatchalian said P5.5 billion had been allotted to help rice retailers with small inventories under the department’s Sustainable Livelihood Program.

Release of the funds, however, will not start until next week, and only after the Trade and Agriculture departments have given the DSWD a master list of small-scale rice retailers.

As of Wednesday, Gatchalian said the two departments were still computing the “onetime, big-time” amount to be doled out to affected rice retailers Marcos’ solution to import whenever there is a shortage of any key agricultural product has been slammed by economists as being anti-farmer and simply a bad economic policy.

Besides rice, Marcos had earlier allowed the importation of sugar.

Meantime, aside from rice, prices of tomatoes have also shot through the roof, to the consternation of Filipinos who use the vegetable for a wide variety of dishes. At the same time, Filipino onion farmers have decried the

cheap imports of the spice, which is yet another must have in Philippine kitchens.

Onions imported from China are sold at lower prices than the local variety, and still sell well despite their inferior taste.

Possibly compounding the country’s rice woes is the recent announcement from India that it would not allow exports of rice for the time being. India has been one of the biggest suppliers of rice imports for the Philippines, along with Thailand and Vietnam, which may also impose a ban on rice exports.

There was worse news for the jet setting president. After six months of steady decline, the country’s inflation rate for August reversed the trend, and saw an unexpected rise to 5.3 percent, from July’s 4.7 percent. The cause of the unexpected hike in inflation were the high prices of rice as well as petroleum products, besides the recent spate of typhoons that had affected the agriculture sector.

Recently, a ranking Agriculture department official admitted that Marcos had not been attending meetings for the last six months, putting into question the president’s seriousness in addressing the serious food supply problems facing the country.

pher Palmeter, a white male, entered the Dollar General Store while heavily armed, and with the exception of people of a certain racial stock, told everyone else inside to leave.

Then he opened fire, killing three.

The August 26, 2023 shooting was done with legally purchased firearms, an assault rifle and a handgun.

The mass shooting has been described as a racist rampage, making it a federal hate crime. The victims ranged in age from a young 19-year-old male, another male aged 29 (who left behind a four-year-old daughter), and a 52-year-old woman.

After the slaughter, Palmeter then took his own life.

A sheriff on the case said there was “no question” that the killings were racially motivated. Not only did the killer’s rifle have swastikas emblazoned on it, Palmeter had also worked previously at a Dollar Store where the sheriff said “he hated just about everyone who wasn’t White.”

Prior to heading to the Dollar General Store, Palmeter had gone to a local university, where he was seen putting on a bullet proof vest.

It may have been pure luck that a university security officer saw Palmeter, and tried

to confront him. The gunman, however, left the site before he could have done more harm considering the higher number of students present there.

Attorney General Merrick Garland said what happened in Jacksonville last month was a racially motivated act of violent extremism.

Florida State Senator Tracie Davis said the racist attack is a sign of the times.

While mass shootings have tragically become the norm in the US, attacks specifically targeting one racial group – be they Blacks, Asian-Americans, Latinos, or the LGBTQ community – are not as commonplace. In many cases, victims have been a combination

of races, as well as age groups and genders.

Sadly, there were no red flags in this latest incident of a targeted hate crime, except for his donning a bullet proof vest shortly before the carnage.

Last month’s mass shooting occurred exactly five years after a mass shooting in downtown Jacksonville.

Said President Joe Biden of the incident: “We must say clearly and forcefully that white supremacy has no place in America.”

How to prevent future such acts is something that federal, state, and local governments must grapple with as they try to find ways to Stop the Hate.

MANILA – Malacañang announced three new appointees of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. Marcos appointed Hans Leo J. Cacdac as officer-in-charge of the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) replacing the late Secretary Susan “Toots” Ople who died on Aug. 22, 2023.

Before he was appointed DMW OIC, Cacdac was the Department’s undersecretary for welfare and foreign employment.

He also served as administrator of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administra-

tor (OWWA) and the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA).

Also named for a new position is Jennifer Pia S. Las, as chairperson of the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP).

Prior to this new stint, Las was NCIP’s Central Mindanao Commissioner.

The Palace also announced the appointment of Jose F. Lim IV as Assistant Secretary of the Department of Transportation (DOTr).

(From page 1)

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PSEi extends gains, peso nears 57-level vs. US dollar MANILA – The local stock market sustained its rally for four straight days while the peso closed near the 57-level Wednesday.

The benchmark Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) gained 16.69 points to 6,241.69 while broader all shares also increased by 8.11 points to 3,368.25 level.

“Still, PSEi remained on bargain levels despite the lingering risks in the economy, and investors took this opportunity to buy at attractive prices,” Philstocks Financial, Inc. research associate Claire Alviar said as PNA reported.

Alviar said the National Economic and Development Authority’s plan to temporarily cut rice tariff to slow down domestic prices boosted the sentiments of investors despite concerns about rising inflation.

“The mining and property sectors were in the red, down by 1.07 percent and 0.33

percent, respectively. Meanwhile, the Holdings sector had the biggest gain, increasing 0.72 percent. Among the index members, Puregold Price Club, Inc. was at the forefront, up by 3.39 percent, while Metro Pacific Investments Corp. dropped the most by 1.96 percent to PHP5.00,” she said.

Total value of trade reached P3.84 billion.

Decliners slightly outpaced advancers at 95 to 91, while 40 issues were unchanged.

Meanwhile, the peso nearly touched the 57-level as it shed 0.14 on mid-week’s trading.

It finished 56.94 to a US dollar from last day’s closing of 56.80.

The local currency started weak this day at 56.90 compared to Tuesday’s kickoff at 56.70 to a dollar.

7 September 7-13, 2023

 NATIONAL NATIONAL NEWS NEWS

VP Harris... (From page 1)

This as United States Vice President Kamala Harris and Marcos held bilateral talks in Jakarta which the White House stated was a buildup on President Joe Biden and Harris’ bilateral meetings with Marcos in Washington in May 2023 and the Vice President’s visit to Palawan and the Philippines in November 2022.

Aside from Harris, other world leaders also attended the ASEAN summit like Brunei’s Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet, Lao PDR Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, Bangladesh President Mohammed Shahabuddin, Timor-Leste Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao, and Thai permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs Sarun Charoensuwan, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres, Cook Island Prime Minister Mark Brown, Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio, Russian Federation Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Lavrov, and Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol..

Although details of the Harris-Marcos talks were not yet made public, the White House stated in a readout: “The two leaders discussed the maritime security environment in the South China Sea, and reviewed opportunities to enhance bilateral maritime cooperation, including alongside likeminded partners.”

In another meeting, VP Harris and Indonesian President Joko Widodo reviewed the importance of upholding international law and freedom of the seas in the South China Sea, according to the White House.

Marcos’ position was made following Beijing’s aggressive expansionist claims when it released a new China map indicating its expanded 10-dash line claims of

Union...

almost all of the entire South China Sea and which now extends up to the borders of Russia and India. The new map has 10 dashes that appear to the east of Taiwan and extends into the exclusive economic zones of the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia.

The Philippines, Malaysia, Taiwan, Vietnam and India immediately rejected China’s newly released map asserting sovereignty over the South China Sea, some of them lodging official protests.

Marcos said the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) “must never allow the international peaceful order to be subjected to the forces of might, applied for a hegemonic ambition” in the South China Sea. While he did not directly mention China in his speech during the Retreat Session in the 43rd ASEAN Summit, the President called out nations that were peddling “misleading narratives“ in the South China Sea. “The Philippines firmly rejects misleading narratives that frame the disputes in the South China Sea solely through the lens of strategic competition between two powerful countries,” Marcos Jr. said.

“This not only denies us of our independence and our agency, but it also disregards our own legitimate interests,” he said.

“We must emphasize that practical cooperation in the maritime domain can only flourish with an enabling environment of regional peace, security, and stability, anchored in international law,” Marcos said in his intervention at the said summit.

“The Philippines therefore continues to uphold the primacy of the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea as the framework within which all activities in the seas and oceans are conducted. We once again reaffirm our commitment to the rule of law and peaceful settlement of

food forms part of the Asian American Stories Video Contest to shine the spotlight on stories that unite diverse cultures, amplify underrepresented narratives, and reshape perceptions.

This event also aims to foster understanding, friendship, and appreciation among different ethnic groups, creating a space where they can celebrate shared humanity and diverse backgrounds while sharing the flavors and tradition of Filipino cuisine and creating lasting memories.

“We started this Asian American Stories competition because of the rise in incidents of Asian hate and Asian Americans are being attacked during the pandemic. Ally realized who we are and our contributions to the U.S. so we want to come out with stories and bring our communities together to stop Asian hate ad celebrate our diversity together,” revealed Ding Ding TV and Silicon Valley Community Media Founder and Chairperson Diane Wei Ping Ding And in the first of the monthly Taste of Asia series of cultural celebration, the lunch at Isla Restaurant featured popular Filipino favorites such as adobo (a savory meat dish), pancit (stir-fried noodles), lumpia (spring rolls), singing (sour soup), and halo-halo (a refreshing dessert).

As is known by many, Filipino cuisine is a delightful fusion of various influences, including Spanish, Chinese, Malay, and American. It features a wide range of dishes that are diverse, with options for meat lovers, vegetarians, and seafood enthusiasts in the goal of provide you with a taste of the Philippines and showcase the rich culinary heritage of this vibrant culture.

“Taste of Asia is inviting all our committee members to different restaurant – Korea, Indian, Vietnamese – we can go everywhere because it is not only food we are giving out here/ We also give out the story, the culture, the background behind the food. Every time we taste the food, it is a quick way to somehow understand the culture and learn from the people,” Wei Ping Ding said. “And we really want to thank the owners of Isla restaurant for being generous and the service is so good. And I just love everything. Next in line ae probably Vietnamese and Chinese then Korean, Japanese, Indian and all kinds of foods.”

Wei Ping Ding said he also wants everybody to come and join in telling their Asian American stories “because it is important to share our contributions, our history, our culture to this great country. And we all belong here, we love each other, we share each other’s culture and also we support each other.”

For her part, contest judge and Milpitas City Mayor Carmen Montano reminded that throughout history, breaking bread and sharing with others always bring peace and conversations with others.

“When we break bread with others, what it does is that it promotes world peace, cultural understanding. It is sacred tradition as to eat together is to communicate share values like in a family. Breaking bread is a fellowship. Food is very sacred and when you share food with others, you are really forming a bond,” Montano added.” When you learn about a culture, you learn to respect one another. Respect brings world peace and peace for everybody.

Asian American Video Contest’s Committee Member Francis Espiritu, Publisher of Philippine News Today, said

Baybay City Councilor Rommel Peñaranda came along with city councilors Filemon Avila and Ramon Veloso.

Union City Friends of Sister Ci�es (UCFSC) President and former City Council Member Pat Gacoscos (extreme right) receives a $10,000 check from Alameda County District 2 Supervisor Eliza Marquez (center), with Mayor Carol Dutra-Vernaci (extreme le�)

(From page 1)

disputes,” he added.

During its summit, the ASEAN itself raised concerns over “serious incidents” in the South China Sea that it said have “put the safety of all persons at risk” and caused “damage to marine environment,” stressing that these have “increased tensions, an may undermine peace, security, and stability in the region.”

“We discussed the situation in the South China Sea, during which concerns were expressed by some ASEAN Member States on the land reclamations, activities, serious incidents in the area, including actions that put the safety of all persons at risk, damage to the marine environment, which have eroded trust and confidence, increased tensions, and may undermine peace, security, and stability in the region,” the summit chairman, Indonesian President Joko Widodo, said in a statement.

“We reaffirmed the importance of maintaining and promoting peace, security, stability, safety, and freedom of navigation in and overflight above the South China Sea and recognized the benefits of having the South China Sea as a sea of peace, stability, and prosperity,” the statement added.

“We emphasized the importance of non-militarization and self-restraint in the conduct of all activities by claimants and all other states,” it was pointed out.

There is a need to “enhance mutual trust and confidence” and to “exercise self-restraint in the conduct of activities that would complicate or escalate disputes and affect peace and stability, and avoid actions that may further complicate the situation,” the regional bloc said.

“We further looked forward to the early conclusion of an effective and substantive COC that is in accordance with international law, including the 1982 UNCLOS,” it added. he believes that one thing that can be done to stop Asian Hate is that “we were able to come together and be with one another even if we come from different ethnic communities.”

“We need to fight Asian hate together as one healthy family. If we don’t work together, we won’t be able to do it but if we all work together through this sharing of Asian American stories committee gathering. We won’t be able to tell what is happening in our communities that needed to be told. Let us not be negative nor divisive pitting one another but instead look at what the good qualities in each of us,” Espiritu stressed.

9 September 7-13, 2023

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W

Injustice most foul

e must begin by saying that we at Philippine News Today unequivocally support our criminal justice system, be it federal or statewide. But we must at the same time acknowledge that the system is not perfect. No system is.

Every so often, cases of miscarriage of justice can and do take place. As it did most recently, involving the FilAm Roque family.

From our point of view, the facts of the case were so clear that expectations were high that the person who assaulted members of the family would have received a stiff sentence, certainly time behind bars so that he could realize full well the crime he had committed and hopefully find it in himself the necessity of atoning for his cruel misdeeds.

Instead, the perpetrator of the attack received an exceptionally lenient sentence of two-year probation. This despite the fact that he was found guilty of two counts of felony assault against Gabriel Roque and his daughter Nerissa Roque, respectively, as well as one count of misdemeanor DUI. This came after 15 months when the decision was finally handed out. To say that the Roque clan was hugely disappointed would be an understatement. They had survived an anti-Asian hate crime, after one man over-reacted to what was nothing more than a minor car accident.

It is not just the Roques who felt disappointed. It is the FilAm community, and more. They can take comfort in the fact that beyond their countrymen, friends, and kin who stood squarely behind them, even the extended Asian-American community took the cudgels for them, creating the Justice for the Roques campaign.

Still, we bear no hatred nor malice towards perpetrator Nicholas Weber. We even pray for him that he learn to control his temper, as the next time he assaults another person or persons, he may not get off so lightly.

It is in our nature as Filipinos and FilAms to bear no grudges, and to forgive those who wrong us.

Still, the pain we felt for the Roques cannot be taken lightly.

We are painfully aware that the Philippine justice system is terribly unfair, especially when the rich and the powerful can get away with serious crimes against the poor and the powerless. But we had always believed that this was not case here, not in these United States of America where all men are considered equal in the eyes of the law.

At this point, we can only say to the Roque family that we still stand behind you. We believe in your testimony regarding the case.

Still, we must all follow the law. We must accept the judgment of the court.

Most of all, we must accept the fact that sometimes, justice is not as blind as it should be.

In time, the Roques will not only forgive and forget, they will also move on.

Life goes on and we all become wiser once we learn to accept that the world may not be perfect, but it’s the only one we’ve got.

“Friends of friends... (From page 1)

Upside

 OPINION

the streets demanding justice for the assassination of the man who had declared “the Filipino is worth dying for.”

August 21, 1983 remains in the minds of countless Filipinos grateful for Aquino’s sacrifice so they CHERIE M. QUEROL MORENO could live in freedom. In return they took to the streets, eventually forcing out the perpetrators of martial law.

Many who had lived through the repressive period and the ensuing restoration of democracy reunited Aug. 21, 2023 at Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church in Daly City to honor Aquino and assure his family that they are not alone.

After four decades some martial law adversaries have passed on like Philippine News publisher Alex Esclamado, Steve Psinakis and Presy Lopez Psinakis, but Aquino cousins Gang A. Cheong and Joy A. Valdes sat on the front row with their families. Right behind them were Chita Lopez Taylor, her husband Dick Taylor and Aida Barrios, who was longtime secretary to the late envoy to Tokyo Manolo Lopez. Ninoy Aquin Movement co-founder Goya Navarrete coordinated the buffet dinner.

The occasion brought together retired family violence prevention pioneer Leni Marin and ACLU stalwart Mila de Guzman, culture maven Malou Babilonia, realtor Susan Po Rufino, retired SF attorney Ernie and banker Mila Llorente, Inquirer.net chief consultant in North America Rene Ciria Cruz and Katipunan Ng Mga Demokratikong Pilipino comrades including Cynthia Bonta to the occasion.

Former Hercules Mayor Andy Paras, Tourism official Rene Santiago, newspaper publisher Fely Santiago made sure to greet Ninoy’s younger sister film and TV director Lupita Aquino Kashiwahara and her husband retired ABS News SF bureau chief Ken Kashiwahara and former KTVU South Bay bureau chief Lloyd LaCuesta, the event speakers. Attorney Gen. Rob Bonta paid respects to the Aquino family.

Event chair Donny de Leon welcomed attendees with the story of how he met his hero, in hopes of inspiring the values Ninoy Aquino instilled in him and building a connection with the new generation he believes owes the Philippines’ second national hero a debt of gratitude.

The Tarlac native was a hospital corpsman with the United States Navy at Vallejo’s now defunct Mare Island, fulfilling his aspiration to live like his hero Ninoy Aquino - purposeful, bravely, selflessly - always giving his best.

A radiologic technology supervisor, he worked in the Kaiser Permanente system for 29 years and retired as assistant director of imaging services.

His community engagement began when he sat on the board of the Filipino American Political Association - San Mateo County upon invitation of community leader Alice Bulos.

(Continued on page 21)

I

Speaking of FAMAS 2023

did not attend the 2023 FAMAS Awards night at the Fiesta Pavilion of Manila Hotel last August 13,2023 . I was miles away at the time, but my thoughts were most certainly on the event.

FAMAS has a special place in my heart, having been a member and officer of the organization in the early ‘70s when Daily Express Entertainment editor Romy Arceo was its president, and being its Vice-President from 2011 to 2021.

I was glad to hear that the event was a well-attended and successful one.

Reports from people who were there on August 13 and views of videos on the internet, however, made me conclude that FAMAS 2023 was a clone of ALIW 2022.

“Watching FAMAS 2023,” a source told me,” gave me a feeling of dejavu. It brought to mind last year’s Aliw Awards at the Fiesta Pavilion.”

Why so? For one, unlike past FAMAS awards events, FAMAS 2023 had a pre-program of live performers as its first part. It had the awarding of socio-civic organizations like the PNRC as its second part, and the actual awards rites as its third and final part. The first and the second parts were just like the last Aliw awards at the same venue.

They say that imitation is a sign of admiration and there is no law forbidding one organization from imitating another. What I object to is the fact that FAMAS, mandated to honor members of the MOVIE industry , awarded LIVE entertainers at its annual awards event.

Why the current leadership of FAMAS chose to do so is a mystery to me .

I sincerely hope that this is not a new trend for FAMAS, which people have looked up to for decades as the body that promotes excellence in MOVIE ARTS AND SCIENCES! So the question now is: “Whither, where to, FAMAS?” Will it continue to veer away from its mandated objective? Will it maintain its prestige as the organization , the equivalent of the Oscars, that honors ONLY members of the MOVIE industry? Or will it branch out and extend its giving out awards to persons and groups in fields OTHER than the movie arts and sciences?

We, the public, and I, as one who has shared a lengthy history with FAMAS, would like to know!

 OPINION

September 7-13, 2023

THE OUTSIDER

S

AN FRANCISCO – Serious drugs, upsurge in crimes, the homeless swarming on the streets in downtown San Francisco and elsewhere, businesses downturn.

These are the major woes confronting the city and county of San Francisco as it is in a frenzied preparations for one of the biggest events CLAIRE MORALES TRUE in California and the United States this year – the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders Summit to be attended by world leaders from at least 21 countries, plus hundreds of ministers, business leaders and others in sidelight conferences and meetings.

Is the Philippines, one of the APEC members, not worried about these problems, especially that Philippine President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. will be one of the key players in the global conference?

“Not at all,” says Philippine Consul General in San Francisco Neil Ferrer, visibly oozing with confidence during a call and interview by a team of Philippine News Today at the Carlos P. Romulo Hall of the consulate office on Sutter st. in downtown San Francisco.

Ferrer explains that the problems are not distinct to San Francisco but are common to many bustling cities not only in the United States and in other countries, adding that the Philippine Consulate, the Philippine Embassy, with the support of the “very active” and concerned Filipino community in the Bay Area and elsewhere, are the ready to help ensure the success of the first visit of President Marcos in California and the APEC multi-sectoral meetings.

Ferrer reveals that his office is coordinating with all offices and agencies tasked to support APEC, like the State Department, the Department of Foreign Affairs, Malacanang, the city and county of San Francisco, the Office of California Governor Gavin Newsom, among others.

It was gathered that the Filipino community is also organizing activities, including a gathering with President Marcos at an undisclosed hotel. The Philippine News Today may also participate with a planned book launching by editor in chief Alfred Gabot and book signing by three other Filipino authors, including two PNT columnists.

As the Philippine Consulate readies for the milestone event, it has also expanded its services to the Filipinos on various aspects such as renewal of Philippine passports and processing and oath taking for Filipino citizenship retention or dual citizenship.

Ferrer reveals that the Philippine Consulate has been opened and made more accessible in person or online for the Filipino passport applicants and those wanting to get back their Philippine citizenship after being naturalized as US citizens.

“We are very happy that many of our countrymen have availed of our services for the renewal of their passports and retention of Philippine citizenship,” Ferrer enthuses.

The Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco covers a vast territory that includes not only Filipinos in San Francisco and Bay Area and Northern California but also those in nearby states of Nevada, Oregon and Washington.

It has also jurisdiction on Alaska, Idaho and the counties of Churchill, Douglas, Elko, Esmeralda, Eureka, Humboldtm, Lander, Lyon, Mineral, Persh(Continue on page 18)

TRUE OR FALSE

M

any people have thrown in their two cents worth on the flooding that occurred in the aftermath of Typhoons Egay and Falcon.

Flood-prone Bulacan and Pampanga were among the provinces flooded, both being catch basins of water from the Sierra Madre mountain range.

There are allegations that the flooding particularly in Bulacan, has been the result of the ongoing construction of the New Manila MELANDREW T. VELASCO International Airport located in the province.

The New Manila International Airport is one of the big-ticket infrastructure projects of the government started during the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte and it is now part of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s BBM (Build, Build More).. It is envisioned as a world-class airport that will decongest the existing international airports located in Metro Manila. Its project proponent is San Miguel Corporation (SMC).

Amid all the allegations which were dismissed by SMC, its President and Chief Executive Officer Ramon S. Ang (RSA), has offered to help solve the problem of flooding in the area.

SMC is committed to assist the local government of Bulacan in solving the flooding problem in the province. It also plans to extend the desilting and clean-up of rivers located outside Bulacan to include critical tributaries throughout Central Luzon.

Like earlier river clean-up by SMC, this extensive clean-up of rivers and waterways will be undertaken at no cost to the government.

RSA asserted that there are many contributing factors to the flooding in Bulacan. “Degradation, siltation, and pollution of our rivers are of course major causes of flooding,” he said.

“Because of these, rivers become shallow and their flood carrying capacity is severely diminished, resulting in river overflow and floods. The proliferation of fish ponds in coastal areas has also contributed to severe flooding in the province,” he added.

SMC is an active partner of government in river rehabilitation.

With its heavy equipment and technical know-how, it has cleaned up the Tullahan- Tinajeros River spending Php 1 billion without cost to government. The clean-up involved extraction of over 1.12 million metric tons of silt and solid wastes. This effort from SMC has greatly helped residents in nearby areas, giving them respite from flooding that used to occur every year when the rainy season sets in.

At present, SMC is undertaking the clean-up of Pasig River and has removed more than one million tons of silt and waste. It is also desilting and extracting waste from the Meycauayan and Maycapiz/Taliptip rivers as components of the plan to rehabilitate the Bulakan-Obando-Meycauayan-Marilao-Bocaue-Guiguinto river system. Out of the initial 13-kilometer target along the Meycauayan and Maycapiz/Taliptip rivers, SMC has cleaned up about 4.45 kilometers with 543, 266 metric tons of silt and solid waste extracted.

The flood mitigation project of SMC in Bulacan at the onset was limited to rivers surrounding the site of the New Manila International Airport. It was however expanded to include other tributaries in Bulacan.

The flood mitigation project of SMC is reinforced by its mangrove planting initiative.

Mangrove planting is part of the strategy to address flooding in Bulacan. Mangroves provide shield those living along the coastal areas from flooding. Mangroves also provide natural habitat for marine species.

It was in 2020 when SMC began its mangrove planting initiative. The initiative calls for the planting of 190,000 mangrove seedlings in 76 hectares in Bulacan and identified areas in Central Luzon. Its launch in Hagonoy, Bulacan saw the planting of 8,000 mangrove seedlings in an area of more than three hectares. A total of 25,000 mangrove seedlings were earmarked for planting in 10 hectares for 2020.

It has also collaborated with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and planted 6,000 mangrove propagules a the 24.5-hectare Bulakan Mangrove Ecopark.

Aside from mangrove planting, SMC is also undertaking reforestation in many provinces. Its tree-planting activities are being carried out by its subsidiaries.

We are grateful for organizations like SMC. For over a century, it remains steadfast as a partner in the country’s sustainable development. Its infrastructure projects are engines for economic development; and as it pursues these projects, it does not relinquish its responsibility to protect the environment.

I often wonder if heavy precipitation can be controlled. I am not aware if there is already a solution to prevent this. But we can find ways to minimize if not totally prevent flooding that comes with heavy rains. As responsible citizens, we can do our share. We can help in the task of caring for our environment, including flood mitigation by managing our waste, properly disposing of our garbage and refraining from making our bodies of water as trash bins.

As our nation nears the celebration of National Heroes Day this (Continue on page 18) month, I am reminded of our heroes

Phl Consulate opens up for APEC, renewal of passports, others

CONGEN Neil Ferrer with Philippine News Today editor in chief Alfred Gabot

Keep sharing the gospel during these last days

A

( Part II)

s columnist, accredited and commissioned Notary Public, licensed Real Estate Broker (DRE #00635976) and active Evangelist with the GOLDEN GATE CHURCH OF CHRIST in San Francisco, California, I received several calls from old clients and regular readers of my weekly column who regretted and apologized for not attending my 76th BirthART GABOT MADLAING day celebration and heard my sermon last Sunday, August 20, 2023.

Some were happy to read the first part of my sermon published in the Philippine News Today last week. Here’s part II of my sermon or message for our avid readers and the general public.

Secondly, on W2, every Christian (young and old), must share to every lost soul from among our FRANCS --- WHAT IS THE GOSPEL? Gospel is the power of God to salvation. Romans 1:16 said, “ For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek or Gentiles.”

1 Corinthians 15:1-4 explained the historical facts of the Gospel of Christ which can never be denied. “I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you – unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures; and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day, according to the Scriptures.” This is the gospelDBR =Death, Burial and Resurrection of Jesus.

Thirdly, on W3, every Christian (young and old) must tell every lost soul from among our FRANCS – WHY OBEY THE GOSPEL? 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9 explained why every alien sinner must obey the gospel immediately after knowing and understanding the Gospel (DBR = Death, Burial & Resurrection of Jesus Christ). “And to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power.” Every alien sinner must obey the gospel to avoid eternal damnation in hell.

Fourthly, on H1, every Christian (young and old) must tell every alien sinner from among our FRANCS – HOW TO OBEY THE GOSPEL. On the Day of Pentecost, in Jerusalem during the first century, Apostle Peter first preached the gospel – Death, Burial and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Many of the Jews heard, understood the gospel and were cut to the heart and asked: “Men and brethren what shall we do?” (Acts 2:37).

Peter answered in a very simple and straightforward words HOW TO OBEY THE GOSPEL “Then Peter said to them, ‘Repent and let everyone of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 2:38) Fifthly, on H2, every Christian (young and old) must reach out to every lost soul from among our FRANCS (Friends, Relatives, Acquaintances, Neighbors, Co-Workers, Strangers) HOW DO WE EVANGELIZE AND REACH OUT TO OUR FRANCS COLLECTIVELY AND INDIVIDUALLY TODAY? Here are some simple, practical and proven ways: 1.Pray that God will open doors of opportunities to share the gospel to our FRANCS. 2.Invite our FRANCS to the Worship Services.

3.Watch My Angel Radio (MYAR). Invite your FRANCS to watch MYAR with you. Watch also the regular TV Program “IN SEARCH OF THE LORD’S WAY” every Sunday morning.

4.Order some books and magazines through our BOOKS MINISTRY. Read and share the books and magazines ordered to your FRANCS. After they finished reading the books, follow up with WE CARE Gospel Presentation.

5.Wear and show the Fish Bracelet to your FRANCS to generate curiosity and interest. Then, follow-up with WE CARE Gospel presentation.

6.Arrange for WE CARE Gospel Presentation to your FRANCS. 7.Confront and say something to your FRANCS. Examples: 1.”

How are you with the Lord today?” 2. “What if Christ were to come right now or if you’ll die tomorrow? Would YOU know for sure, without any doubt, that you would go to heaven?” After the initial friendly and sincere confrontation, you can follow-up with WE CARE Gospel Presentation.

CONCLUSION & INVITATION: To conclude our lesson and message this morning, may I share with you the most unfortunate and tragic event in the life of King Agrippa. In Acts Chapter 26, Apostle Paul had the opportunity to share the gospel to King Agrippa. In verse 27, Apostle Paul asked, “King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you believe.” In verse 28, King Agrippa replied to Paul, “You almost persuade me to become a Christian.” In verse 29, Paul said to King Agrippa, “I would to God that not only

Health & Wealth

Flooding solutions

10

11 September 7-13, 2023

 OPINION

W

V

Breaking Through

Offline

ALLEJO - Flying back as it the late presito California after an dent George Bush extended vacation in Sr. who referred to our native land, I consider some of the decisions of the myself lucky for having as late, great president Ronald my seatmate in the plane a Reagan as “voodoo economVietnamese young man who ics?” I believe it was but corwas so accommodating he rect me if I am wrong. And as was always ready to rise from an aside, when did the GOP his seat without any qualm or stop producing outstanding sign of it everytime I needed chief executives like Reagan? to disturb him. And I disAnyway, I am recycling BETING DOLOR turbed him for a number of TEDDY P. MOLINA that phrase not only because times. it has such a nice ring to it, He was also kind enough to lift our not so light hand carry but more because it is most apt with some of the decisions of one Ferdinand Marcos Jr, luggages.

He was on the aisle seat while I sat beside him on his left. supposedly the president of the Philippines, but this has been Phuong Thanh Nguyen who is on a one-month vacation and placed under a serious cloud of doubt.

Anyway, Junior’s weak understanding of Economics “tour in the United States is based in Thailand where he is 101 is being made more and more apparent with each pass- working as an IT professional.

I must say that it’s not often to encounter fellow travelers ing hour. He will, of course, be hounded for the remainder of his presidency for his misguided campaign promise to bring who is as obliging like him especially during long haul flights down the price of rise to PHP20 per kilogram, especially now when passengers are either watching movies, busy with their that the country’s principal staple food has been skyrocketing. laptops/Ipads, or fast asleep.

In Phuong’s case, I had to to wake him up sometimes. And No, I don’t mean that rice is being sent to the space, the moon, or Mars, but it might as well be. Rice has reached a he had to wait for my return before going back to sleep! I take price point that the majority of Filipinos will soon have to do my hat off for Phuong’s much appreciated, if not heroic. act.

Earlier, before the flight when he learned that my wife without the staple. No, not the bullets used in staplers, silly.

Pardon my jesting, but there is precious little that ordinary was with me , he volunteered to exchange seats with her so Pinoys like yours truly can do but make fun of the misery we she can be with me. But he didn’t know she was assigned to all share. Inflation has gone up again last month, after six con- another middle seat in front of mine so I begged off, not wantsecutive months of slowly but steadily heading south. That’s ing to inconvenience him.

He was also kind enough to lift our not so light hand carry a bad sign because Junior’s advisers seem to have convinced him that all is well and good with the Philippine economy, and luggages to the cabin, and retrieved them when we reached SFO. it will be all sunshine and roses by the end of the year.

Phuong’s example disproves the mounting belief that the By then, the likes of Ben Diokno are saying, that deadly animal inflation would have been tamed, and the majority of age-old tradition of giving respect and courtesy to the elderFilipinos will be dancing in the streets to celebrate the grand lies no longer rubs on on young people.

Mabuhay ka Phuong, may your tribe increase!

Marcos presidency, Part 2. Except they won’t.

HOLD UP GANGS PRAWL PINOY STORES This week, Junior again committed another fool economic A daring hold up incident shocked this writer and two othdecision vis-à-vis rice. He issued an Executive Order pegging the prices of rice at PHP 41 and PHP45, respectively, for regu- ers including my wife and a Filam executive when we went to Vallejo for foodstuff and groceries at a Pinoy store there, at lar milled and well-milled rice.

The EO was issued mere days ago, and was supposed to Seafood City recently.

It happened when we had just entered the executive’s car take effect early this week. after shopping. Our friend Irene Tabor had just seated and So what’s wrong with this little picture?

For one, it punishes the mostly small businesses that sell was about to start her car.

But her door was open yet and would have closed it in a rice to consumers as they are being forced to quite likely sell at a loss. See, the small entrepreneurs get the rice they sell few seconds when the holdupper barreled the upper part of from the big traders, who have a monopoly on rice’s transpor- his body in and went for her handbag.

Unfortunately for him, Irene’s handbag was safely tation, warehousing, and distribution.

Junior is aware of this. He even said so himself. But ac- hatched at the side of the passenger seat where my wife was knowledging one thing and taking concrete action against it seated the con man couldn’t take it.

So he tried grabbing my wife’s own handbag but didn’t are two different things.

For reasons that remain unclear, he has taken little if any succeed too as the bag hung across her body.

Failing in his brazen attempt and in broad daylight, the action against the bigtime traders. Instead, he took the insane action of punishing the small entrepreneurs engaged in the black man withdrew quickly.

Then he got inside his waiting car parked close by and buying and selling of rice, be it in the wet markets, or the sped away. The whole operation took only about 10 seconds. small sari-sari stores, found all over the archipelago.

I immediately looked for the store’s security guard. No In effect, Junior said: So sorry, little people, but you have to lose some money by selling rice for less than the price you one on sight, so I went inside Seafood City but I learned that purchased your stock from the untouchable traders, some of there’s only one securing the store.

They contacted him by radio and he said he was roving whom are my friends. Or my wife’s.

On the first day of the new, lower prices of rice, the vari- around the complex as part of his duties. When he returned ous news organizations surveyed the situation on the ground, to the store entrance, I complained that he can’t be located.

I learned that there’s only one security officer manning and to no one’s surprise it was learned that the retailers were either still selling at above the retail price dictated by Junior’s the huge store.

Unfortunately for him and for the shoppers, the guard EO. Or some simply refused to sell, using the still inclement weather in Metro Manila as an excuse to keep their stores can’t be at several places at the same time!

I also leaned that there’s another guard assigned at the closed.

Oh, there were some who sold at the PHP41 and PHP45 main parking area by the side of the store which is far from price point, but the stocks being sold were either of very low the place where Irene parked her car.

After the incident, several kababayans I came into disquality or were old leftover rice purchased from dealers beclosed that the store has been the scene of repetitive robberies fore prices took to the stars and beyond.

The worst thing is that Junior’s EO is open ended. It will and hold ups lately but left unsolved nor efforts to prevent remain in effect for the time being, maybe until hell freezes them made.

The police reportedly never came. The guard believes the over. Or until he decides that it’s not really working, so might as well declare his order a complete success and let the prices only way to prevent a recurrence is the deployment of more security men to secure the place. be determined by the law of supply and demand.

I further learned that aside from Seafood City, also vicIncidentally, Junior’s cousin, the Speaker, has gotten into the act by making like James Bond and raiding warehouses timized and having security issues include Island Pacific with massive stocks of rice which were probably being with- store also in Vallejo.

I want to commend a Pinoy held from the public until prices (Continue on page 18) (Continue on page 18)

Salt ponds, not beaches

H

ave you seen large areas of salt ponds, not beaches, in California? I just did!

Last Friday (September 1), was my birthday! My daughter Tweety (she and her 3-year-old Hawaiian-born Baby Ellie from South Carolina who are vacationing in California) told me and my wife Delia something: “Wear ELPIDIO R. ESTIOKO white and we will go for an outdoor photoshoot.” This must be one of the things she thought of celebrating my birthday, so we obliged without even knowing and asking where we were going.

My other daughter May from Manteca, who was also vacationing in our Milpitas home, drove her Audi car with us as her passengers going to the planned destination.

When we arrived at the designated place, I noticed many cars parked as she was looking for a vacant spot. It appears that the place they chose was a popular spot for people to visit.

It’s the Alviso Marina County Park, part of the Restoration Project’s Ponds in the Bay Area/San Francisco Bay. It is a place for hiking and bird watching. These are the popular activities at this bayside park with paths and boardwalks.

We went through the wetlands and bushes but what made me curious and perplexed was the large tract of water, likened to the beaches of Hawaii. I found out that it’s a long stretch of salt ponds which is the main attraction of the county park, not a beach.

Not knowing what a salt pond is, Baby Ellie asked me if she can play in the water and wade, just like what she was doing in Hawaiian beaches where she used to live. Well, I explained to her it was not a beach, but a salt pond. All we can do is touch the salt and enjoy the scenery which we did.

She enjoyed posing and walking along the salt edges which looked like sand where we can leave our footprints (footprints on the sand).

I never thought and imagined of salt ponds as huge as the Alviso ponds which is part of the Restoration Project’s ponds, salt marsh, trail, and salt making ruins which allow visitors to experience the wide-open edge of the Bay, boat, fish, hunt, learn about history, and see some of the millions of birds stopping in during their migration season across continents.

Its 15,000 acres of ponds are clustered in three distinct areas: the Eden landing ponds near Hayward, home of the Bay’s oldest salt making ponds used by native Ohlone tribes; the largest pond complex, Alviso ranging from Fremont along San Jose to Mountain View; and the smallest, the Ravenswood ponds at the West ending the Dumbarton bridge.

The Alviso Marina County Park (trails) is an 18.9 acres bayside park which provides for picnicking and bird watching as well as access to their public lands for seasonal fishing and hiking. I thought it’s a must place to visit for all of us who love to enjoy communing with nature.

Some 23 square miles of South Bay Salt evaporation ponds became public property. The Alviso ponds is almost 8,000 acres wraps around the southernmost tip of the San Francisco Bay. It is indeed a place for nature lovers and outdoor enthusiasts to go and enjoy each other’s company.

I remember my outdoor escapades when I was younger as a member of the Philippine Nomads, an outdoor organization devoted to spelunking, mountain climbing, cave exploration, hiking treks, river trips, and observation of minorities.

I climbed, with four other members of the Philippine Nomads (Pete Reyes, Patrick Pineda, Jeng Pineda, and Atty.

Baquizal) the 8,000 feet Mayon volcano in the Bicol Region.

It was a 3-day assault (ascent and decent) with the following terrain: the Commission on Volcanology (Comvol) office at 2,000 feet; vegetation area at 4,000 feet which serves as our camp area before the day’s assault to the top; granite- hard rocks at 6,000 feet and loose rocks at 8,000 feet up to the mouth of the volcano (crater). Since it was an active volcano with poisonous gas fumes emanating from the crater, we wore masks and stayed only for five minutes at the top of the volcano.

Three months before the climb, we went through stair practice climbing and climbing smaller and easy-to-climb mountains to prepare us to the rug- (Continue on page 18)

As I See It

Junior’s voodoo economics

A Vietnamese yuppie shines, hold up gangs prawl on Pinoy stores

 BUSINESS | IMMIGRATIONS Requirements for a child to be a U.S. Citizen Breaking News!

The Visa Bulletin for September 2023 is showing that priority date for F2A spouse and children of Lawful Permanent Resident to be currently processing under the Filing Date Chart of the Visa Bulletin. This means that if you are in the United States and you petition your wife and children who are also in the U.S. they can file an adjustment of status and wait for the green card when the Fina Action Date becomes current.

When does a child of a US citizen becomes a US citizen?

A child of a U.S. citizen born abroad is a U.S. citizen by operation of law. However, the parents need to register them as a child of a U.S. citizen by applying for a Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA) at the State Department. In the case of a child born to an immigrant who later naturalize, the child will be a U.S. citizen under certain requirements.

Under Section 320 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA 320) it provides that children acquire U.S. citizenship if they satisfy certain requirements before age 18 which include: • Have at least one U.S. citizen parent by birth or naturalization • Be admitted to the United States as an immigrant for lawful permanent residence.

• After admission to the United States, reside in the country in the legal and physical custody of a U.S. citizen parent • If the child is adopted, his or her adoption must be full and final so that the adoption process is legally complete and fully recognized by the U.S. state where the child is residing.

What are the requirements if the parents and the child are residing outside the US? If you and your child reside outside the United States, your child may apply for a certificate of citizenship through U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) under Section 322 of INA and take an oath of naturalization to complete the child’s citizenship acquisition. This includes children of U.S. government employees and members of the armed forces who live abroad with parents stationed outside of the United States. To acquire U.S. citizenship under INA 322, you must demonstrate to USCIS your child meets certain requirements before age 18 which include: • Have at least one U.S. citizen parent by birth or naturalization • Have a U.S. citizen parent who has been physically present in the United States for a total of at least five years, at least two of which are after age 14. If the child’s U.S. citizen parent cannot meet the physical presence requirement, one of the child’s U.S. citizen grandparents must meet it.

• The child lives abroad in the legal and physical custody of the U.S. citizen parent and is temporarily present in the U.S. pursuant to a lawful admission and is maintaining that lawful status.

Note: This is not a legal advice an is presented for educational purpose only.

You may seek an appointment for consultation with our office for more information.

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT 1. PETITION FOR NURSES LVN AND CAREGIVERS Our Law Firm entered into agreement with nursing facilities in the U.S. to process applicants for Nurses, LVN and Caregivers in the US You may qualify if you have RN or LVN license. Caregivers will need six months of caregiving experience.

Applicants Inside or outside the United States may qualify.

Bankruptcy Basics We also process Bankruptcy cases.

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

2. If you are being sued by your creditors, most money judgment can be eliminated in bankruptcy.

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

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

FAMILY LAW We also handle uncontested DIVORCE. ITIN and INCOME TAX PROBLEMS We can help you if you need an ITIN (Individual Taxpayer ID number) We also prepare income tax returns and if you are under IRS audit, and need a representation with IRS, need to reduce your tax liability or need to offer a payment plan to IRS, we can help you with that.

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

Chris Caday Lozano, Esq. is an active member of the State Bar of California, the American Immigration Lawyers Association and San Francisco Trial Lawyers. He has practiced immigration law, bankruptcy, personal injury and income tax representation since June 1999. His contact phone is 1-877-456-9266, email: info@CCLlaw.net Website: www.crispinlozanolaw.com/ with offices in Hayward and Cerritos, CA.

September 7-13, 2023

12

Inflation hits 5.3% in August MANILA – Headline inflation accel- leged hoarding incidents, artificial shorterated to 5.3 percent in August from 4.7 age and speculative business decisions of percent in July, the Philippine Statistics market players may have put further upAuthority (PSA) reported. ward pressure on the domestic retail price Last month’s inflation however was of rice. lower than the 6.3 percent recorded in AuBalisacan cited the importance of progust last year. viding comprehensive assistance to rice In a briefing, National Statistician Den- and vegetable farmers to help them raise nis Mapa said the uptrend was mainly due their production. to the higher year-on-year increase in the He added that the Department of Agheavily weighted food and non-alcoholic riculture and the National Food Authority beverages at 8.1 percent in August from should augment support to farmers in the 6.3 percent in July this year. drying and milling of palay in the upcomCore inflation, which excludes volatile ing harvest season. oil and food items, however, was down to NEDA also recommended the faster 6.1 percent from 6.7 percent in July, Mapa implementation of programs to facilitate added as reported by PNA’s Anna Leah the swift recovery of production in tyGonzales. phoon-affected areas.

Mapa said the main contributor to the Balisacan said the government also higher inflation of food and non-alcoholic needs to accelerate the Food Stamp beverages was the faster increase in the Program rollout, which would provide prices of cereal and cereal products, partic- PHP3,000 worth of food credits to target ularly rice with an inflation of 8.3 percent beneficiaries each month for six months. from 5.9 percent in July; vegetables, tuThe DSWD will provide PHP15,000 bers, cooking bananas, and tomatoes (31.9 to small-scale rice retailers affected by Expercent inflation from 21.8 percent); and ecutive Order No. 39 through the Sustainfish and other seafood (6.9 percent from able Livelihood Program, Balisacan said.

4.5 percent).

The government will also provide asFor rice alone, inflation surged to 8.7 sistance in transporting rice sacks from percent in August from 4.2 percent in July. farmer cooperatives and traders to retailers The annual growth of transport at 0.2 and wholesalers. percent during the month, from -4.7 perThe Office of the President will augcent in July 2023, also contributed to the ment the funding needed to ensure assisuptrend. tance to retailers.

Year-to-date headline inflation stood at Other government support to consum6.6 percent, still outside the Bangko Sen- ers includes the continued implementation tral ng Pilipinas’ 2 percent to 4 percent tar- of Kadiwa stores, targeted cash transfers get range. and the Department of Trade and IndusInflation in the National Capital Re- try’s (DTI) Diskwento Caravan. gion (NCR) accelerated to 5.9 percent in Balisacan also called for a review of the August from 5.6 percent in July. existing tariff levels on rice to help reduce For areas outside the NCR, overall in- the cost of this staple for consumers while flation also quickened to 5.2 percent from considering the impact of this intervention 4.4 percent the previous month. on local producers.

Inflation for the bottom 30 percent of households, meanwhile, increased to 5.6 percent from 5.2 percent in July this year.

In a statement, the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) said the government would strengthen its measures to ensure food security, protect consumers and provide assistance to farmers.

“Despite the ongoing challenges we encounter, such as severe weather conditions and trade limitations imposed by other nations, our objective remains to achieve an inflation rate between 2 (percent) and 4 percent by the year’s end,” NEDA Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said.

Balisacan said the expected reduction in rice production due to El Niño and the export ban recently imposed by major rice exporters, such as India and DOJ SELLER OR TRAVEL # 2025230-40 Myanmar, led to higher international rice prices.

He added that the al-

13 September 7-13, 2023

 ENTERTAINMENT

Vice Ganda’s ‘It’s Showtime’ suspended for 12 days by MTRCB QUEZON CITY — The Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB), in a unanimous vote, suspended the popular noontime show of ABS-CBN “It’s Showtime, “ raising eyebrows among television fans.

M T R C B Chairperson Diorella Maria “Lala” Sotto-Antonio, daughter of former Senate President Vicente Sotto III, one of the mainstay hosts of rival show “E.A.T.” on TV 5, inhibited herself from voting.

ABS-CBN, producer of “It’s Showtime,” immediately said it will appeal the decision of MTRCB. “We will submit a Motion for Reconsideration as we humbly maintain that there was no violation of pertinent law,” ABS-CBN said in a statement.

“We are also committed to working with the MTRCB to ensure that It’s Showtime can continue to bring joy and entertainment to our noontime viewers. We are truly grate-

ful to the Madlang People for their unwavering love and support for It’s Showtime,” ABS-CBN added.

“On 29 August 2023, during its regular board meeting, the Board unanimously voted on the suspension of the said program. This decision was made with careful consideration of prior warnings and offenses associated with the show,” MTRCB said in a statement.

The MTRB said a special board meeting was held to address adjudicated cases, including the July 25, 2023 episode.

The board said Sotto inhibited from voting so that members could judge independently. She is the daughter of Tito Sotto, one of the three former hosts of noontime show “Eat Bulaga,” and now of “E.A.T.” On July 31, MTRCB summoned the show’s producers to explain the alleged ‘indecent acts’ of hosts Ion Perez and real life partner, Vice Ganda, in the “Isip Bata” episode that aired on July 25, where the two hosts were seen exchanging and licking icings of cake.

Vice Ganda was seen taking some of the cake’s icing from Ion’s fingers before tasting it and greeting Ion a “happy monthsary.”

In the notice, the MTRCB said that Vice and Ion’s exchange is in violation of Section 3 (c) Presidential Decree No. 1986.

The section states the MTRCB has the power to “approve or disapprove, delete objectionable portions from and/or prohibit the importation, exportation, production, copying, distribution, sale, lease, exhibition and/or television broadcast of the motion pictures, television programs and publicity materials.”

On September 4, the MTRCB suspended the noontime variety show for 12 airing days.

“Viewers have lodged multiple complaints before the MTRCB concerning the show’s 25 July 2023 episode wherein the program’s hosts allegedly acted in an indecent manner during one of its segments, ‘Isip Bata,’” MTRCB said.

The decision of MTRCB to suspend “It’s Showtime” received mixed reactions from the public.

The review body said the noontime show’s producers can file an appeal within 15 days after receipt of the decision. They can also raise the issue at the Office of the President within 15 days from the receipt of the MTRCB decision on the appeal.

Vice Ganda took to social media to react to the decision of the MTRCB to suspend the noontime program “It’s Showtime” for 12 airing days.

“In the middle of difficulty lies every opportunity,” shared Vice Ganda in an art card posted on Sept. 4.

Graton Has Many Promotions and Events in September Including Autumn Moon Festival Street Fair in San Francisco’s Chinatown, and exciting games await you!

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Besides providing an exciting gaming experience, Graton Resort & Casino is dedicated to serving and contributing to the Asian community. Graton Resort & Casino is the Proud Title Sponsor of the 2023 San Francisco Chinatown Autumn Moon Festival Street Fair, which will be held on September 23 and 24.

In addition, Graton Resort & Casino recently introduced a mobile app, which allows guests instant access to personalized offers and rewards and tracks funds

for slot play. Guests can download the free app on Google Play or the App Store.

All guests must be at least 21 years of age to qualify for a Rewards Card or the Graton App. Complete Graton Rewards information is available here.

Get ready for an exciting lineup of upcoming events that will surely light up your entertainment calendar! Tickets for each of these can be purchased online at www.gratonresortcasino.com.

• 9/23 – Jay Leno • 9/29 & 9/30 – Thunder From Down Under • 10/6 – Night Ranger About Graton Resort & Casino Located in Sonoma County, Graton Resort & Casino has a commanding presence among the rolling hills of Northern California’s wine country. Owned and operated by the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria, Graton Resort & Casino features table games, the latest slot machines, upscale and casual dining, plus entertainment options for visitors and locals alike. For more information, please visit www.gratonresortcasino.com or call 707-588-7100.

 ENTERTAINMENT

September 7-13, 2023

14

SKY RIVER CASINO ANNOUCES NEW PRESIDENT AND EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT APPOINTMENTS Sky River Casino announced today a new president and three executive level management promotions by the Wilton Rancheria Tribe and their manager Boyd Gaming Corporation of Las Vegas.

Michael J. Facenda has been named the President for Sky River Casino, Matthew Morgan as Senior Vice President & Assistant General Manager, Clay Crawford as Chief Financial Officer, and Jeffery Jarvis as Vice President of Information Technology.

Michael joins Sky River with over 35 years of experience in the gaming industry with an extensive background in Operations and Marketing. He has held numerous leadership positions in the gaming industry including Assistant General Manager, Vice President & General Manager, and most recently as Senior Vice President, General Manager of Agua Caliente’s Cathedral City property in Southern California. Michael was also a member of the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa development and opening team in Atlantic City. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing from Rowan University in Glassboro, New Jersey.

“Michael brings a wealth of experience to lead the Sky River team. His in-

sight into guest services and team member relationships are paramount to drive the success of the property well into the future,” said Chris Gibase of Boyd Gaming. “Michael joins at an amazing time for the property. With the properties first year anniversary in August, he is able to lead the team and strive to build the Sky River property into a resort that the Tribe and greater Elk Grove community will be proud of.”

Matthew Morgan – Senior Vice President & Assistant General Manager With more than 26 years of experience in the gaming and hospitality industry, Morgan has an extensive background in Information Technology, Marketing Operations, Food & Beverage, and executive management. Matthew started his career in the St. Louis market and has held senior positions at multiple organizations within California and Las Vegas, serving on four grand opening teams. Matthew has been a part of the Sky River project team since June 2021 and has previously held the positions of CIO and Senior Vice-President of Operations before stepping into his new role as Assistant General Manager.

ficer Crawford first joined Sky River Casino in April 2021 as the Vice President of Finance. Prior to working for Sky River, Clay worked as Chief Financial Officer for Bridge Capital, LLC. In all, he has served in a variety of senior financial management po- Michael Facenda – President sitions for more than 29 President of Information Technology. years. Most of his extenFor more information about Sky River sive experience in the finance industry comes from working for the Mandalay Casino, its offerings, the 17 bars and resResort Group. In addition, Crawford is a taurants, and hours of operations, please call 916-866-0200 or visit www.SkyRivlicensed CPA in Nevada.

Jeffery Jarvis – Vice President of In- er.com.

About Sky River Casino formation Technology Sky River Casino was built by the WilWith more than a decade of dedicated experience in the hospitality industry, ton Rancheria in partnership with Boyd Clay Crawford – Chief Financial Of- Jarvis has successfully overseen opera- Gaming Corporation, which is building tions for Project Management Offices and and managing the property for the tribe.

Information Technology Departments. The casino opened in August 2022 and Jeff’s career is highlighted with being a includes 100,000 sq ft of gaming, 2,100 part of nine grand opening teams in sev- slot machines, 80 table games, and 17 eral jurisdictions. Previously, Jarvis held bars and restaurants. To learn more, visit the position of IT Director for Sky River www.SkyRiver.com. before moving to his new role as Vice

Cignal TV, TV5 programs, hosts win in 11th PMAP Makatao Awards CignalTV programs and news personalities were recognized during the Professional Management Association of the Philippines’ annual Makatao Awards.

Luchi Cruz Valdes, Amy Pamintuan, Ed Lingao and Roby Alampay of One News’ The Chiefs were named Best TV Public Affairs Program hosts.

Last year, the Cignal TV program, The Chiefs, won as Best Public Affairs Program.

This year, another CignalTV program bagged the award for best public affairs show: Woman in Action.

Gretchen Ho received the award for her show during the PMAP event.

TV5’s Frontline Tonight, bagged this year’s award for Best Newscast.

Ed Lingao, one of Frontline Tonight’s hosts, accepted the award for News5.

PMAP also recognized other Kapatid programs and personalities by nominating them in key categories.

The anchors of Cignal’s election program Short Take were nominated as best public affairs show hosts. Ed Lingao, Patrick Paez, Manny Mogato, Regina Hing and Jove Francisco were

finalists together with The Chiefs.

Cignal TV news anchors Cheryl Cosim and Jay Taruc were nominated as best newscasters.

The PMAP Makatao Awards honor various people and members of the mass media for their outstanding contributions to enhancing public understanding of the role and impact of good people management.

The 11TH PMAP Makatao Awards for Media Excellence was held at the Luzon Ballroom, Sofitel Philippines Plaza Manila.

15 September 7-13, 2023

 SPORTS

Serbia, USA, Dominican Republic sweep FIBA World Cup groups; Gilas tumble with no win

QUEZON CITY – Serbia completed its domination of Group B play in the FIBA World Cup after manhandling South Sudan, 115-83, on Wednesday night at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City.

The Dominican Republic completed a 3-0 sweep of Group A play in the FIBA World Cup after beating Angola, 75-67, on Tuesday night at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Gilas Pilipinas, meanwhile, failed in its first shot at outright Paris Olympics

qualification after bowing to Italy, 90-83, in their FIBA World Cup game on Tuesday night at Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Luckily for Gilas, the race to Paris remains wide open after Japan lost in its own shot at making the Top 16 with a 109-89 Australia win at the Okinawa Arena Gilas was relegated to the lower bracket of the competition, or the classification phase.

Needing to win by at least 12 points to

POC says Gilas keeping FIBA WC core for Asian Games

MANILA — Seven Gilas Pilipinas players who saw action in the 2023 FIBA World Cup are gearing up to represent the country in the upcoming Asian Games in China.

The Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) released the names of players who will represent Team Philippines in the men’s basketball in the Hangzhou 12th Asian Games later this month.

The Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas listed World Cup veterans June Mar Fajardo, Kiefer Ravena, Scottie Thompson, RR Pogoy, CJ Perez, Japeth Aguilar, and Jamie Malonzo.

Added in the roster are Chris Newsome, Calvin Oftana, Brandon Rosser, and naturalized players Justin Brownlee and Ange Kouame.

The POC said Brownlee and Kouame are eligible to play and they only need to present their Philippine passports.

Dwight Ramos, Renz Abando, Kai Sotto and naturalized player Jordan Clarkson as well as AJ Edu, are not on the Asian Games roster.

clinch an upper bracket seat, Gilas looked poised to pull off an upset against the World No. 10 Italy as it took a 23-20 lead at the end of the first quarter.

However, Italy responded with a 2816 second quarter to go up, 48-39, at the half then stretched the lead to as much as 78-60, with 8:27 left in the match.

Gilas closed the game strong, but just enough to cut Italy’s lead to a respectable margin.

While Jordan Clarkson prevailed over Simone Fontecchio in the scoring battle between Utah Jazz players, the Italian had the last laugh as they joined the Dominican Republic in the final 16.

Fontecchio led Italy with 18 points, six rebounds, one assist and one steal, while Giampaolo Ricci added 14 points, two rebounds and one assist.

Clarkson put up 23 points, seven rebounds, six assists and one steal for Gilas, which became the first host team to drop its first three games in the FIBA World Cup after Colombia also went 0-3 to start the 1982 edition.

Serbia sizzled early on, dropping 30 points on South Sudan in the first quarter before ending it with a 10-point lead.

Serbia continued to pounce on South Sudan in the next two quarters and led by as much as 25 midway through the third quarter.

South Sudan seemed to have found

some glimpses of rhythm after finishing the third period strong to cut Serbia’s lead down to 18, but the latter pulled away for good early in the fourth.

NBA player Nikola Jovic scored 25 points on 9-for-9 field goals including 5-of-5 from long range, two rebounds and three assists for Serbia, which joined Group A top notchers Dominican Republic and Italy in the Round of 16 starting on Friday night.

Bogdan Bogdanovic added 23 points, two rebounds, nine assists, and three steals, while Nikola Milutinov put up 17 points, 10 rebounds, three assists and one block.

Dut Jok Kacoul put up 21 points on six threes, two rebounds, three assists and two steals to lead South Sudan, which can only hope for China to beat Puerto Rico later Wednesday by 35 points or less to move on to the second round.

Over at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay, the United States of America (USA) made quick work of Jordan for a 110-62 blowout to complete a 3-0 sweep of Group C action.

Team USA whipped Jordan early on with a 31-12 first-quarter lead and never looked back from there.

Anthony Edwards played his best game so far in the FIBA World Cup, leading Team USA with 22 points, eight rebounds and four assists.

 REAL ESTATE

September 7-13, 2023

Los Angeles County celebrates Fair Housing Month

16

What will a reverse mortgage loan cost?

What will a reverse mortgage loan cost?

The cost of a reverse mortgage loan will LOS ANGELES – Each year during the The LACDA has also worked with com- depend on the type of loan and the lender you month of April, the nation celebrates the munities, stakeholders, the Housing Rights choose. Typically, a reverse mortgage loan is rights granted under the Civil Rights Act of Center, and local governments to advance the more expensive than other home loans.

1968, Title VIII (Act), which guarantees the goals and actions identified in the Analysis With a reverse loan mortgage you will owe the right to equal housing opportunities for all of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice for money you borrowed as well as interest and fees. persons regardless of race, color, religion, 2018 – 2023, which address identified imped- Unlike traditional mortgage loans, the amount gender, families with children, persons with iments related to segregation, racial or ethnic you owe on a reverse mortgage loan will grow disabilities, and national origin. It also in- concentrated areas of poverty, disparities in over time. Its not free interest, your interest that cludes requirements that reasonable accom- access to opportunity (such as employment, modations be made for persons with disabili- education, healthy neighborhoods, and trans- is owed to the lender will be added monthly to ties. portation), disproportionate housing needs, your mortgage balance compounding monthly.

What will reverse mortgage counseling cost?

This year marks the 54th Anniversary of and housing discrimination.

Borrowers taking out a HECM reverse mortgage loan, must receive counthe Fair Housing Act, and the County of Los Emilio Salas, LACDA Executive Director, Angeles (County) is committed to upholding said, “Los Angeles County remains commit- seling from a HUD-approved reverse mortgage counselor before receiving the rights the Act guarantees for all residents ted to protecting the values of the Fair Hous- the loan. and remains dedicated to promoting activi- ing Act and ensuring that County residents reHousing counseling costs will vary depending on the agency and your ties that affirmatively further the goal of fair ceive fair and equal treatment in housing. We individual situation. The housing counseling agency must make a determinahousing. are dedicated to uplifting our goals to enforce tion about your ability to pay, which should include factors, including, but The County’s fair housing efforts are ad- and promote the understanding and knowl- not limited to, income and debt obligations. HUD approved housing counselministered through the Los Angeles County edge of fair housing and American with DisDevelopment Authority (LACDA). In the abilities Act laws; promote healthy and viable ing agencies may charge you a reasonable fee, but they cannot charge you a past Fiscal Year, over 2,600 households were communities in racial and ethnic concentrated fee if you can’t afford it and must explain all charges prior to counseling.

What are the other upfront costs of reverse mortgages? provided fair housing assistance, 1,477 social areas of poverty; enhance accessible housing Like with a traditional mortgage, borrowers will typically have to pay media and 35 radio/TV/print media events and supportive services to persons with diswere conducted, and approximately 450 train- abilities; and coordinate with other agencies’ one-time upfront costs at the beginning of the reverse mortgage loan. These ings, workshops, community meetings, walk- plans and programs to address impediments costs include: in clinics, and other special events were held affecting fair housing choice.”

▪ Origination fees (which cannot exceed $6,000 and are paid to the throughout Los Angeles County to increase Through these efforts, the LACDA con- lender) public awareness of this important issue and tinues to strive toward the goal of furthering ▪ Real estate closing costs (paid to third-parties) that can include an apeducate the public on resources available to fair housing and ensuring that all residents are praisal, title search, surveys, inspections, recording fees, mortgage taxes, individuals and families who may need as- afforded the opportunity to live in a home that credit checks and other fees sistance. brings them to their fullest potential.

▪ An initial mortgage insurance premium: There is an initial and annual mortgage insurance premium charged by your lender and paid to the Federal Housing Administration. Mortgage insurance guarantees that you will receive your expected loan advances. This insurance is different and in addition to what you have to pay for home owner insurance.

You can pay these costs in cash or by using New Funeral home with Reception Center Flower Shop the money from your loan. If you use your loan Beautiful Garden Memorial Park Cremation Services proceeds to pay for upfront costs, you won’t have We transfer your loved ones to and from the Philippines to bring any money to the closing, but the total amount of money you’ll have available from the reverse mortgage loan proceeds will be less.

What are the ongoing costs for reverse mortgages?

Ongoing costs are added to your loan balance each month. This means that each month you are charged interest and fees on top of the interest and fees that were added to your previous month’s loan balance. Ongoing costs may include: ▪ Interest ▪ Servicing fees paid to your lender to cover such costs as sending you account statements, distributing your loan proceeds, and making certain that you keep up with the loan requirements ▪ Annual mortgage insurance premium which is 0.5% of the outstanding mortgage balance and ▪ Property charges such as homeowner insurance and property taxes, and if applicable, flood insurance.

The larger your loan balance and the longer you TTT BBBBBBBBB NNN FFFFFFF HHHH RRRRRRRRR CCCCCC CCCCCCC LLLL keep your loan, the more you will be charged in ongoing costs. The best way to keep your ongoing costs low is to borrow only as much as you need.

This has been becoming a go to loan for Seniors who has a fixed income that they cannot survive on, Seniors who still has a small loan balance yet a huge equity that they cannot access. These Seniors due to inflation are feeling the pinch and are not really have a quality of life that they expected after years of savings and paying down their mortgage loan.

It could be a good choice for you, call Ken Go of 1st Innovative Finance to discuss, call 562-5087048 CABRE 01021223 NMLS 238636.

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September 7-13, 2023

Offline

(From Page 11)

reach the maximum allowable before an angry public storms the Philippine Bastille AKA Malacanan Palace.

In fact, there is the solution right there. With the vast power at his manicured fingertips, Junior can go all out and raid all the warehouses keeping the rice from the public.

Their owners are nothing less than economic saboteurs, and must not be let off with a slap on the wrist. If anything, the kitchen sink must be hurled at them. Figuratively, of course, not literally. I do not espouse violence against these evil traders but they should be made to suffer where it hurts them most – their pockets. Or their fat bank accounts.

The stashed rice should be distributed at all possible outlets, including those impossible to find Kadiwa stores. These stocks can be sold at well below SRP, with the proceeds used to purchase buffer stocks for next year.

The absentee Agri secretary and well-travelled president needs to take more drastic steps in order to arrest what is agreed to be a potential food crisis that will have serious consequences for his regime. But unless and until he acknowledges that the country’s food supply is in deep doodoo, he and his family will most certainly regret that he even entertained the possibility that he can be an effective president. Then will he regret applying all means fair and foul to win the presidency despite being handicapped by his lack of understanding of the vagaries of economics.

Thus far, he has been getting barely passing grades as president and as Agri secretary. When he starts getting failing marks from the people, he should prepare for an emergency exit from the presidential palace at the snap of a finger.

At least he already has the experience of leaving the country in the dead of night with his tail between his legs. Perhaps the Honolulu mansion he shared with his family after their inglorious exit all those years ago is still available.

Ever hear of Baby Doc Duvalier, bro? Brush up on your history books and know that his experience will be shared by you if you do not shape up. Very incidentally, Baby Doc is from Haiti, the global seat of voodoo.

As I See It

(From Page 11)

ged climb of Mayon Volcano, Philippines’ perfect cone.

Communing with nature, especially the Mount Mayor climb, was fun and challenging, but for a member of the Philippine Nomads, mountaineering is a way of life!

Breaking Through

(From Page 11)

employee of Seafood city who told me he honked his car’s horn repeatedly when he saw our incident happening.

I’m sure this brought the holdupper back to his car hastily.

Thank you so much kababayan. I forgot to get his name.

He had just arrived then to start his job at the store.

The Outsider

(From Page 10)

who sacrificed and worked in the service and welfare of our nation and future generations.

Let us work for the betterment of our nation. Let us recall one of our heroes, Dr. Jose Rizal who said in one of his speeches “if a Filipino wills, he can”. We can do it!# (The author is president and executive director of the Million Trees Foundation Inc., a non-profit group advocating tree planting and watershed protection. He is also a book author and publisher of biographical and historical coffee-table books through his outfit, Media Touchstone Ventures, Inc.)

Health & Wealth

(From Page 10)

pa, “I would to God that not only you but also all who hear me today might become both altogether such as I am (a true and plain Christian)” In the account related in Acts 26:27-29, we find the following: 1.

Paul stated that King Agrippa was a believer. 2. King Agrippa stated that he was not a Christian. King Agrippa missed the mark and died in his sins because he refused to obey the gospel in baptism for the forgiveness of his sins due some obvious reasons.

There are millions of people in the world today who are believers and almost become a Christian like King Agrippa. IS FAITH ALONE ENOUGH TO SAVE? The plain answer is NO! Even the demons believed and trembled but they are lost (James 2:19).

Almost a Christian like King Agrippa will not bring you to eternal home in HEAVEN. And yes, almost a Christian like King Agrippa will surely bring you to eternal

damnation in HELL! If you are here today and heard and understood the gospel ---the Death, Burial & Resurrection of Christ, we encourage and invite you to obey the gospel in baptism for the forgiveness of ALL your sins. Don’t be like King Agrippa who missed the mark and died in his sins for refusing to obey the gospel in baptism. Please do not leave this church building today not sure of your ETERNAL DESTINY. If you are a Christian but became lukewarm, we encourage you to repent and rededicate your life to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Whatever your needs, we invite YOU to come forward as we sing the invitation song - Almost Persuaded.

UPDATED “LONGEVITY TIPS “NOW AVAILABLE AT AMAZON : I have good news for you! One of my best-selling books “LONGEVITY TIPS” subtitled “Secrets You Discover and Do for Good Health and Longevity” is now available at Amazon in Hardcover, Paperback and E-book (Amazon price is $15.95 per hardcover copy plus shipping and handling; $12.95 per paperback copy plus shipping and handling; $7.95 E-book) The updated book includes group picture of the Philippine News Today team (Editor-in-Chief Alfred G. Gabot; Managing Editor Claire Morales True and yours truly) during our courtesy call and interview with Philippine Consul General Neil Frank R. Ferrer last Tuesday, August 22,2023 at Romulo Hall of the Philippine Consulate in San Francisco, California, in the presence of Consuls Vanessa Bago-Llona and Rowena P. Daquipil. My full sermon or message KEEP SHARING THE GOSPEL DURING THESE LAST DAYS” is also included in the updated book.

YOU can order now the autographed paperback copy of “LONGEVITY TIPS” at the discounted price of only $10 per copy with FREE shipping and handling. For every order of the book, you’ll also receive an autographed copy of the original “HISTORICITY OF JESUS” subtitled “Facts and Evidences for Agnostics, Atheists and Believers.” It’s like buying TWO BOOKS FOR THE PRICE OF ONE. These two books are excellent addition to your Personal Library or Family Library. This Special Offer is good only in the United States.

For your autographed copies of the two books, just send $10 (in check or money order) to: ART G. MADLAING, 730 Madrid Street, San Francisco, CA 94112 Tel (650) 438-3531 or (415) 584-7095 or email:artmadlaing@hotmail.com (ART GABOT MADLAING is accredited and commissioned Notary Public and licensed Real Estate Broker (DRE #00635976 in California since 1981. He is founder of MOBILE SIGNING SERVICES, FITNESS FOR HUMANITY (aka FITNESS FOR CHRIST. Art is active Evangelist with the GOLDEN GATE CHURCH OF CHRIST in San Francisco, California USA.)

True or False

(From Page 10)

ing, Storey, Washoe and White Pine, among others.

Ferrer also reveals the Philippine Consulate is assisting in the registration for the absentee voting for overseas Filipinos in 2025 in which Filipinos will vote for the Philippine President, Vice President, Senators and a party-list group.

He expresses optimism that more Filipinos will be participating in the absentee voting because of new mechanisms giving impetus to their registering as voters. Voting, meanwhile, could now be made by mail in addition to voting in person at authorizing voting centers. Ballots are sent out by mail to registered voters who will then fill them out and mail them back to the Philippine Consulate, he explains.

(The author is managing editor of Philippine News Today. She was formerly deputy managing director of Health Frontiers which handled multinational companies and public relations consultant of then Pampanga Vice Governor Juan Miguel “Mikey” Arroyo.)

(To be continued)

18

Harvard hires Pinay as first Filipino language instructor MANILA — Harvard University has made history by

hiring its first-ever Filipino language instructor, Lady Aileen Orsal, who will teach beginning September.

Other colleges and universities in the United States like those in Hawaii and California have actually been offering Philippine history, government, culture and language as subjects for years now, but this is the first time that Harvard University is offering Filipino language and hiring a Philippine-born instructor for the language.

The Community College of San Francisco is one of the US colleges which has been offering extensive Philippine studies on culture, language, government and history.

“Dear Friends of the Asia Center, the Harvard University Asia Center and the Department of South Asian Studies are pleased to announce the hire of Lady Aileen Orsal as Preceptor in Filipino Languages (Tagalog),” Harvard University Asia Center (HUAC) Faculty Director James Robson said in his statement last Aug. 25 as reported by CNN Philippines and other Philippine media.

“Beginning in Fall 2023, Elementary and Intermediate Filipino (Tagalog) courses will be offered for the first time in Harvard’s nearly four-hundred-year history. Filipino (Tagalog) is currently the fourth most spoken language in the U.S. (after English, Spanish, and Chinese),” he added.

The HUAC said Orsal taught Filipino at Cavite State University in the Philippines where she also received her B.A. in Mass Communications in 2012, and MA in Philippine Studies in 2017.

She began her teaching career as a Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistant at the Center for Southeast Asian Studies at Northern Illinois University in 2018.

She is completing both an M.A. in Communication from Northern Illinois University and a Ph.D. in Philippine Studies from De La Salle University in the Philippines.

“Lady Aileen is a dedicated, creative, and effective teacher who is committed to being a leader in Filipino language pedagogy. She also has an impressive background in Philippine Studies, including Philippine culture, history, and politics,” the HUAC said.

“She has conducted research and published on traditional tattoo art, the coffee culture of the Philippines, and the use of music in political campaign jingles,” it added.

The HUAC said it secured financial support for the Filipino courses through fundraising efforts.

“Thanks to a generous gift, this new Preceptor position is funded through an endowment that ensures that Filipino languages will always be taught at Harvard,” it added.

According to the Department of South Asian Studies, Harvard is set to look out for three preceptors to teach Filipino, Bahasa Indonesian, and Thai for academic year 2023-2024.

The Harvard Crimson, a student-run nonprofit newspaper of Harvard University on March 24 reported that Eleanor V. Wikstrom ‘24, co-president of the Harvard Philippine Forum (HPF) and a Crimson Editorial chair, said getting a Filipino course offered has been one of the goals for “as long as HPF has been in existence.”

19 September 7-13, 2023

 COMMUNITY NEWS

San Francisco Fil-Am Chamber celebrates 50th Golden Anniversary S A N FRANCISCO - For half a century, the San Francisco Filipino American Chamber of Commerce (SFFACC) has been promoting and advocating for the success of the Filipino American business community in the San FranGroup Photo circa 1983: Le� to Right: Consul cisco Bay Area.

General of SF Romeo Arguelles; FACC Director P. This milestone J. Rhodes (P.J. Rhodes & Co.); Director Kathy Hoffis definitely a man (Ci�bank); Director Larry David (President, cause for cel- Aaron Orcino, 2023 new SFFACC president Tondena USA); President Bert Galang (Purchasing ebration.

Its Early Bird proManager, AG&P Company of Manila, Inc.); Directheme “Building Bridges, Honoring our Legacy, COM and Embracing the Future” encapsulates its mis- mo ends Sept. 15, go to Manila Visit c. 1998 – Cultural and Trade Mission head- tor Maria Luisa Gallego; Vice President and Direcsion. Since 1973, it has been collaborating with https://us.givergy.com/ ed by SFFACC President Sid Protasio with San Francisco tor Juan Collas (Baker & McKenzie Law Offices); big and small business within the community Filam50/?controller=tickets Mayor Willie Lewis Brown Jr., Charlo�e Maillard Shultz, Director Mariano Aspillera (J. A. Marke�ng); Diand beyond. Today, it will honor those who’ve Chief of Protocol, together with Dr. Paquita Reyes and rector Jose San Gabriel (Banque Na�onal di Paris); and Director Frank Podesta (Maersk Line Agency). gone before and paved the way for its success; Shirley Spinosa visit Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim and finally, from the shoulders of those who’ve cemented its solid foundation, spring forward unencumbered. On October 7, at the San Francisco Design Center Galleria, SF Chamber rolls out the carpet to business and civic influencers who have contributed to its success.

Ben Menor, Chair of the festivities, said “SF FilAm Chamber of Commerce has played a major role in fostering a successful Filipino business community.” AND, “The fact that the original organization has survived fifty years is a testament to its strength and perseverance.”

As part of its cultural DNA, SFFACC has chosen the Filipino Cultural Center in San Francisco, Sentro Filipino, to be the beneficiary of funds raised at the event. Jose Pecho, Chair of SFFACC, said “Through collaboration and cooperation, we’re forging a brighter future postpandemic. Let’s reflect on 50 years of business growth and cultural connectivity while supportFAMILIES, STUDENTS, EDUCATORS AND ing Sentro Filipino, our cultural hub. Together, COMMUNITIES MAKE DECISIONS AS ONE. we’ll inspire and sustain Filipino entrepreneurship and doing our part to make our community in the SF region a better one. We invite those who love business and love our community to CLASSES BUILT AROUND come out for this momentous occasion!”

THE NEEDS OF STUDENTS. Keynote Speaker is Mona Pasquil, a prominent figure in the Filipino community and currently serving as the Strategic Partnerships COUNSELING, MENTAL Manager for Facebook and Meta. Pasquil has HEALTH, CHILDCARE AND a rich history of public service and advocacy, PARENT EDUCATION. including her role as the first Asian, first female acting Lieutenant Governor of California.

New officers of SFFACC will be formally sworn in at this time, headed by its Chairman, ENT ENGAGEMENT Jose Pecho, and incoming President, Aaron INCREASING STUD VEMENT GAPS. Orcino who said “I’m very excited about the AND CLOSING ACHIE possibilities to enable prosperity through technology enablement. Accepting this role is an extension of my lifelong mission to elevate our community…”

This event will also honor the pioneers who paved the way for economic growth and build bridges that span generations, industries, and communities, paving the path for an even brighter future.

300 attendees are anticipated and not only will include the entrepreneurial and civic stars of the Filipino Community but will also have on hand the diverse business and civic influencers from San Francisco, reflecting the city’s rich diversity.

Early major sponsors are Philippine Airlines, STIIIZY, ABS-CBN and Make it Mariko.

Bronze sponsors are UCSF and AARP. REIMAGINING PUBLIC EDUCATION CTA.ORG/COMMUNITYSCHOOLS For more information on SF FilAm Chamber’s 50th Golden Anniversary tickets and sponsorships, please visit www.FILAM50.

As we go back to school, there’s Something new happening in California’s public schools... ity ...they’re called Commun

Schools.

Learn more at

September 7-13, 2023

20

AAPIs in Indiana Fear Being Targets 6 Months After Knife Attack on Chinese American Student

By Rong Xiaoqing Asian Americans in Indiana say an attack on a Chinese student in Bloomington earlier this year created a stronger sense of solidarity within the community.

A�y. Chris Caday Lozano successfully represented the approval by USCIS of Camille Isidro’s green card

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Anne Watkins says the January 11 stabbing of an 18-year-old Chinese American student by Billie Davis, 56, who is white, fundamentally changed her perception of the city she calls home.

“When it happened in Bloomington, I was like, they’re one step closer,” says Watkins, a Taiwanese American and recent graduate of nearby Indiana University. Watkins currently works as an assistant manager at a Starbucks on the university campus in Bloomington.

But for Indiana-born Chinese American and IU alumna Katherin Chi, the attack came as no surprise. An active member of the Indiana chapter of the National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum (NAPAWF), Chi had witnessed the rise in anti-Asian hate nationwide and warned Bloomington officials and residents of the impending danger.

“This was our biggest fear,” says Chi, recalling the unprovoked attack at a local bus stop.

Davis allegedly told investigators that she stabbed the female victim because she was Chinese, saying “it would be one less person to blow up our country,” according to the police affidavit. The victim survived the attack.

Her family has asked that she remain unidentified out of fears for her safety.

A federal grand jury decided in April to charge Davis with one count of a hate crime.

The victim and her family have not spoken publicly about the incident, and they declined interview requests for this article. Davis’s son, meanwhile, told local media that his mother is mentally ill.

The ensuing silence surrounding the case troubled Watkins. “I felt like it was a hot topic in Bloomington for two or three days, and after that it just vanished.”

Yet for members of Indiana’s growing API community, there remains a lingering anxiety and fear. For some, the attack came as a wakeup call long in the making.

‘That could have been me’ “I thought I was white before I was 30,” says Michelle Waugh-Dahl, a Korean adoptee who grew up in Franklin, an hour north of Bloomington. It wasn’t until 2016 and the election of Donald Trump that Waugh-Dahl began to have misgivings about her own identity, and about broader issues of race and equity.

She began distributing food outside her home, later joining in Black Lives Matter protests and painting slogans in support of the movement across her front yard. Friends were confused, some began to shun her. But for Waugh-Dahl, the attack brought home a troubling lesson: “That could have been me on the bus.”

Indiana’s API community has almost doubled in size since 2010 to more than 191,000, making up 2.8% of the state’s overall population. And while there are around 150 APIserving organizations across the state, according to a study from Asian American Alliance Inc., which focuses on empowering Asian American business and civic leadership, most have focused largely on cultural promotion and social services. Then came NAPAWF Indiana.

Founded in 2020, the group advocates on behalf of API women and is a fierce promoter

Michelle Waugh-Dahl and NAPAWF Cochair Melissa Borja in front of Waugh-Dahl’s house in Franklin, Indiana. (Credit: Rong Xiaoqing) of social justice issues. It’s arrival in Bloomington could not have come at a more critical moment, as attacks targeting Asian Americans that same year spiked by as much as 145% in cities across the country, according to data from the Center for the Study of Hate & Extremism at California State University, San Bernardino.

While data on Indiana does not identify a specific race or ethnicity, the U.S. Department of Justice found 87 incidents of “race, ethnicity or ancestry” motivated attacks in 2021, double the number from two years prior.

Asian Americans in the state, meanwhile, say the atmosphere has become notably more hostile, citing a rash of incidents, including the 2021 mass shooting that killed eight people, including four Sikh employees at an Indianapolis FedEx facility where the majority of employees are Sikh. This year, Purdue University Northwest Chancellor Thomas Keon was captured in a recording mocking Asian languages during a commencement address.

Even in more liberal Bloomington, API residents say they’ve seen a growing number of vehicles flying the Confederate flag, while a standoff in 2019 between activist groups and white nationalists at an area farmers market grabbed national headlines.

For NAPAWF Co-chair Melissa Borja, by the time of the stabbing in January, “we were already exhausted, it’s not sustainable to continually react. We have to make connections with other AAPI people in Indiana before an event happen.”

But Borja and other NAPAWF members note that it’s not even clear where the Asian Americans are in Indiana. ”We need to proactively make spaces to network, organize and build solidarity.”

Past as predicate That sense of solidarity was evident during a rally in Indiana following a 2021 shooting spree that killed seven women, six of them Asian American, in Atlanta. Rupal Thanawala, president of the advocacy group Asian American Alliance, says she expected maybe two dozen people to show up that day.

Instead, more than 200 came, making it the largest such protest by Asian American residents in the state.

“Chinese organizations, Korean organizations, Indian organizations, Burmese organizations, we all came together,” recalls Thanawala.

In the same month, NAPAWF Indiana delivered a petition signed by more than 2,700 individuals and 49 local organizations to Republican Governor Eric Holcomb asking him to address anti-Asian violence.

Kwan Hui came to Indiana 34 years ago.

Today he serves as president of the Indiana Association of Chinese Americans, which he says has since its inception in 1973 focused primarily on cultural promotion.

21 September 7-13, 2023

 COMMUNITY NEWS

Upside...

(From Page 9)

San Francisco Chronicle captured him in an evocative February 1986 photo denouncing Pres. Ferdinand Marcos on a bullhorn at a demonstration outside the Philippine Consulate General.

At age 30, he was elected president of the Filipino American Youth Involvement of San Mateo County.

Politics, economics and education topped their agenda, but the new leader stretched his advocacy mantle by attending the “Aryan Woodstock” in Napa to confront racism.

With his cohort Akbayan and Filipino American Human Rights Alliance, he roared back to the PH Consulate General in San Francisco to decry the extra judicial killings in Pres. Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs. (The anti-immigrant pronouncements of former President) Trump, he said, “reawakened” his activism.

Never too far from home in his heart, he is active with Concepcion Community USA and Saup Saup Scholarship Foundation, providKen Kashiwahara with PNews Today execu�ve editor Che- ing scholarships for the town rie Querol Moreno and Publisher Francis Espiritu. Photo high school students in need

Heart of Hope

by MZMORENO

PHILIP S. CHUA

T

he CDC announced that COVID-19 hospitalizations rose by 19 percent and COVID deaths by 21 percent last week. As of two days ago, the USA has 2,690 new cases, with a total of 108,174,265 cases and 1,174,146 deaths since the pandemic started.

Twenty-six states had a substantial increase in hospital admissions recently, with South Dakota taking the lead

at 127 percent increase.

The culprit is “Pirola” (nickname for COVID-19 BA.2.86, a new highly mutated strain sparking grave concern around the world, first detected in Denmark on July 24, 2023, then Michigan. This variant has undergone a large number of mutations compared to previous omicron subvariants, the dominant strain in 2021. Pirola has been found in humans and wastewater samples in several countries, including the USA. “As of Aug. 31, the BA.2.86 variant has been linked to 28 cases in 10 countries,” per the global virus database GISAID. These include United States, Canada, Denmark, Sweden, Portugal, Israel, the United Kingdom, South Africa and France,” according to CDC. More virulent?

The fear, expressed even by WHO, is that BA.2.86 may be capable of bypassing immunity and infect people who have recovered from COVID infection or who are full vaccinated.

So far, since there are only a few cases, scientists are still observing its behavior.

“Early sequencing data show BA.2.86 has 34 more mutations in its spike protein than BA.2, which drove a COVID surge in 2022, and 36 more than XBB.1, which rapidly took over the U.S. in early 2023,” according to an August 24 paper in medical journal The BMJ. The number of mutations can affect how contagious a virus is, how it responds to treatment, and how severely it affects people. The symptoms are basically the same as of the previous strains.

The current variant, EG.5 or Eris subvariant of Omicron XBB, accounts for the largest proportion, 20.6 percent, of infections in the USA. The next most common is FL.5.1, followed by XBB.1.16 as of August 19th. Globally, EG.5 and

Former ABS-CBN exec Ging Reyes, Filipino WWII veterans advocate Louanne Tancinco, Esq. and Archdiocese of SF leader Nellie Hizon.

Photo by MZMORENO

and outstanding college students.

Ninoy would have been impressed, even without knowing of de Leon’s bout with stage 2 cancer and ensuing procedures he says “nearly killed” him but which he has overcome with early detection, faith, and a loving family including David Swanson, his husband of 33 years.

Colma Mayor Joanne del Rosario hears about Mila and Ernie Llorente’s upcoming event for AG Bonta. Photo by MZMORENO

- Adapted from the original reprinted with permission from INQUIRER. NET Cherie M. Querol Moreno is Executive Editor of Philippine News Today.

COVID deaths up!

XBB.1.16 are the most prevalent, 21 percent, according to WHO. There are not enough cases of BA.2.86 to fully understand its behavior, transmissibility, response to vaccines, and how the immune systems may interact with this virus.

A “different” disease Remember, this is a “new disease” and should be treated like one. All the shots, including the two last boosters, may not be effective for this new strain, BA.2.86.

My suggested concept that any NEW strain of COVID-19 be treated like an entirely “different” disease entity is an oversimplification to make my readers understand easier why we need a NEW vaccine for this new strain, and why all the vaccines we received so far may not be effective for this new strain. A new strain may need a new vaccine. Time will tell.

All strains of COVID viruses are related but each strain behaves differently and responds differently, like the original Wuhan virus, the Delta, and the Omicrons. So, here comes BA.2.86, which is making everyone in the medical community nervous.

New booster Since this new strain should be considered a “different disease,” we need a new vaccine, tailored to this virus, to control BA.2.86. It is anticipated that the FDA will authorize the updated “reformulated” booster, which will be available by the mid- or end of September, especially for high-risk individuals, like the immunocompromised and those 65 and over, with health issues. Added to the new booster, “people can protect themselves by wearing a mask, practicing social distancing, avoiding sick people and maintaining good hygiene,” according to CDC. Masking controversy It is most unfortunate that even laymen are joining the fray in the medical community “expressing their personal medical opinion” about the value of masks during an epidemic or pandemic. The common misconception is that masks are useless in preventing the spread of an infectious disease, like COVID-19. The KN-95 mask is NOT useless, otherwise surgeons and nurses in the operating room would have done away with masks – used in the OR to protect the patient. And during this pandemic, physicians and all first-responders would not have been wearing masks, if masks were of no value. Masks minimize the viral dose hitting the face. With a massive dose, the body’s immune system is overwhelmed, and the person gets infected.

Some of the reasons why the value of masks was not maximized the past 3 years are: some people refused to wear them (freedom of choice, civil rights, etc.), others used them improperly with noses uncovered, many not using the recommended KN-95, or any mask at all. And some do not do social distancing! In an epidemic or pandemic, mitigating measures would be highly effective if there was 100 percent compliance by at least 95 percent of people.

Of course, masks are not 100 percent protective (because they are not air-tight, so viruses could still get in), and so with bullet-proof vests worn by security and military personnel when bullets are flying all over. Some of those wearing bulletproof vests have died from gunshot wounds. Does this mean we should do away with bullet proof vests, because they are “useless,” of no value, simply because they do not prevent deaths 100 percent? During a dust storm or when someone farts, or during a gas leak, doesn’t covering our mouth and nose reduce the dust particles, fart, and fumes we inhale?

Wouldn’t you feel more secure if a stranger near you who sneezes or coughs was wearing a mask and you were also wearing one? Plain common sense.

The idea of using a mask and doing social distancing is to minimize the viral dose that hits our face/nose. Masks certainly do that. If there are 100 people wearing masks and the other hundred are not, and you spray talcum powder into their faces, which group do you think will have more powder on their face? Masks are valuable, albeit not 100 percent. Like bullet-proof vests, as I stated.

If masks (worn by surgeons for the past 103 years) are useless, would you allow the surgeons (and nurses, techs) operating on you or your loved ones not to wear them, or would you go close to a COVID-infected person without a mask, not wearing a mask yourself? Mis- or dis-information kills worse than the virus. Indeed, a no-brainer.

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

23 September 7-13, 2023

 FOOD & TRAVELS

Recipe of the Week Seafood Chopsuey Ingredients: 150 grams medium size shrimp, shelled 150 grams squid, cut into rings 150 grams mussels par-boiled shell discarded 150 grams white fish fillet cut into strips 100 grams green beans, sliced diagonally 12 young corn, cut diagonally 1 medium size carrot, sliced thinly 1 medium size sayote, sliced thinly 1 small size cauliflower, cut into floweret 1 small size brocolli, cut into floweret 1/2 small size cabbage, cut into wedges 1/2 small size pechay baguio, cut into wedges 1 large size red bell pepper, cut into wedges 1 stalk celery, separate leaves, stem sliced thinly 2 small size onion, chopped 1/2 head garlic, chopped 1/3 cup cornstarch 1/4 cup fish sauce 2 tbsp. soy sauce 2 tbsp. oyster sauce 2 tbsp. hoisin sauce 1 tbsp. sugar ground pepper salt cooking oil Cooking procedure In a wok, Sauté garlic and onion, add in the seafood and stir cook for 1 to 2 minutes Add in fish sauce, soy sauce and a few dash of ground pepper, stir cook for about half a minute. Add 2 to 3 cups water, oyster sauce, hoisin sauce and sugar bring to a boil then add the young corn, sayote, carrots, green beans, celery stalks and stir cook another minute.

Add in cauliflower, brocolli, cabbage, pechay baguio, bell pepper, celery leaves and for another 1 to 2 minutes or until vegetables are just half cooked. Correct saltiness if required.

Thicken sauce with the cornstarch diluted in 1/3 cup of water cook for another minute or until sauce thickens. Serve immediately.

NEW PASSENGER TERMINAL. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. (le�) and First Lady Liza AranetaMarcos (right) unveil the building marker of the Clark Interna�onal Airport’s new passenger terminal building.

Clark airport’s modern terminal launched, eyed as Asia’s next premier gateway

By Claire Morales True CLARK FREEPORT – The new passenger terminal building of the modern Clark International Airport’s (CRK) is officially open.

This as President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. led its unveiling and grand opening, saying the event is a “strong signal” to the world that the Philippines is open for business.

Marcos said he is optimistic about the state of the art facility serving as a “building block” to the government’s goal of turning the Philippines into the “logistics center of Asia” and envisioned to be Asia’s next premier gateway.

Built under the Private Partnership Program (PPP) of the government started by the previous administration, the CRK’s 10,000 square-meter passenger terminal building can accommodate around eight million passengers, and aims to decongest the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Metro Manila.

Joining the President during the event were First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia-Frasco, Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista, BCDA chairperson Delfin Lorenzana, Luzon International Premier Airport Development (LIPAD) chairperson Frederick Go, and other LIPAD officials.

Pampanga Governor Dennis Uy and Vice Governor Lilia Pineda and other local officials also witnessed the inauguration.

In January 2021, the Department of Transportation and the Bases Coversion Development Authority (BCDA) turned over the new airport terminal to LIPAD Corporation, its operations, and maintenance partner. “...This facility is essentially a very strong signal that yes, indeed, we are open for business. We just opened a new terminal. It is state-of-the-art and this is one of the things that we will continue to do in the future to bring you all to come and be partners with the Philippines to help the lives of our people to help the Philippine economy and para pagandahin ang buhay ng Pilipino, para pagandahin naman natin ang Pilipinas (and to improve the lives of Filipinos, make the country more beautiful),” Marcos said in his speech.

He expressed confidence that the CRK’s new passenger terminal building and other public-private partnership (PPP) projects encourage investors to do business in the Philippines.

He also renewed his commitment to ensuring that the government would do everything so that partnerships are to the advantage of both the public sector, the private sector, and the people. “...This is a perfect example of what government and the private sector can do. And makikita mo kung private sector lang ang gumawa nito, hindi nila kinaya.

Kung gobyerno lang ang gumawa, hindi rin kinaya ito (And you can see that if it’s only the private sector, they wouldn’t be able to accomplish this. If it’s only the government, they wouldn’t be able to do it either). And that is why this is a perfect example of that. And I think it will serve to encourage other people to enter into this kind of arrangements,” he added.

Citing his working visit to the US last week, Marcos recalled how he invited American investors to take part in the Philippines’ economic resurgence.

“This is also the kind of activity that we were actively endorsing when we were in New York and talking to possible investors, in companies who are already in the Philippines but would like to increase their investment. And this is exactly the kind of partnership that we need to encourage,” he said.

“The general idea that [Tourism] Secretary Christina [Garcia-Frasco] and the Cabinet and I have come to is that habang hindi pa natin naaayos ang airport sa Maynila, habang hindi pa naitatayo at nag-operate ‘yung airport sa Bulacan, hindi pa nag-operate ‘yung airport sa Sangley — ito ‘yung mga proposal ngayon eh — ay kailangan natin buksan ang mga airports sa regional (while we have not yet improved our airport in Manila, while we have not yet started operations in our airport in Bulacan and Sangley, our proposal is to open our regional airports),” he said.

He also emphasized the importance of terminal building operations in providing opportunities in the areas of employment, investment, and tourism.