Philippine News Today by Philippine News Today

1 January 28-February 3, 2022

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA EDITION

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Vol. 61 No. 25 January 27-February 2, 2022

NEWS AND VIEWS YOU TRUST

PHL REMAINS ‘HIGH RISK’ FOR COVID-19 INFECTIONS Isko twits President over intelligence fund

Mayor Isko Moreno

MANILA– Only a week into the oﬃcial start of the campaign for president, vice president and senators, Presidential aspirant and Manila Mayor Francisco Isko Moreno Domagoso appeared on a clash with the administration as he asked the Ofﬁce of the President how it uses its intelligence funds, saying this should be discussed with the public. Earlier, President Rodrigo Duterte said he would unmask the presidential aspirants and dared he would reveal the most corrupt of the candidates. (See related story). “Eh dapat maging public din, bakit naman hindi. Page 10

3 more succumb to Omicron variant

By ALFRED GABOT, Editor in Chief

MANILA/GENEVA/WASHINGTON - The Philippines remains under high risk for COVID-19 infections even as cases in Metro Manila and nearby areas are slowing down while other cities have increasing cases. This developed as the Department of Health (DOH) reported three more fatalities among the Omicron cases in the country, bringing the total to ﬁve. Omicron has been declared as dominant variant of the virus in the country with 535 cases. Page 9 ATTORNEY GENERAL Rob Bonta warns on fake tes�ng sites.

Safety, security of banks under AG Bonta warns on scammers, scrutiny after series of online theft fake COVID-19 testing sites By Be�ng Laygo Dolor, Editor

MANILA – No sooner had the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) solved the online theft from some 700 bank accounts at BDO when another case involving hackers taking the payroll money of teachers was revealed this week. Teacher after teacher complained of losing their savings in accounts maintained at the Land Bank of the Philippines. The common complaint cen-

By Jun Nucum tered on their receiving onetime password text messages from Landbank. The teachers then learned that funds had been moved from their accounts to another account in another bank. In other cases, funds are transferred to electronic wallets such as GCash. The teachers who fell victim to the new scam ﬁled their complaints before the Department of Education this week. Page 8

SAN FRANCISCO Alarmed by the mushrooming of fake COVID-19 testing locations and websites, California Attorney General Rob Bonta issued an alert warning against scammers exploiting the recent increased demand to determine whether one has the virus or not after another spike in cases lately. “Throughout California, fake testing sites are sprouting

up to exploit families and individuals seeking COVID tests. It is important to recognize the signs of sham testing sites to protect both your money and personal information,” said Bonta. “I urge Californians to do their part to avoid fake testing sites by utilizing state resources, including the California Department of Public Health’s website, to ﬁnd a veriﬁed COVID-19 testing site,” Bonta added. Page 8

US Embassy cancels visa interviews through February 18

Duterte warns he’ll unmask presidential bets, to name ‘most corrupt’ VIEWS & COMMENTS

SHOWBIZ

What law governs good faith marriage?

Villar, Quiboloy Mark Magpayo awarded ABS-CBN new PHL world boxing champion frequencies

By A�y. Lozano

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SPORTS

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 NATIONAL NEWS

January 27-February 2, 2022

PHL, US troops gird for war drills in March MANILA – This year’s “Salaknib” exercises between Filipino and American military units is slated March 5-24. The participants are troops from the Philippine Army’s (PA) 1st Brigade Combat Team, Training and Doctrine Command, Army Support Command, 51st Engineer Brigade, Civil-Military Operations Regiment, Army Artillery Regiment, Aviation Regiment, Armor Division, Light Reaction Regiment, Special Forces Regiment, and First Scout Ranger Regiment and their counterparts from United States Army Paciﬁc Command (USARPAC). “Salaknib, which means shield in Ilocano, is a testament to our enduring ties with the US Army. It is anchored on the Philippine-US Mutual Defense Treaty and has been ongoing since 2015,” PA commander, Lt. Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. said in a state-

ment. “Salaknib” is an annual exercise sponsored by USARPAC and hosted by the PA. It aims to enhance the defense readiness of both Filipino and American troops by developing tactical interoperability and at the same time, showcase the US government’s resolve to fulfill its alliance obligations in the region. Last January 21, the PA and USARPAC teams completed the three-day inspection of the proposed training sites in Central Luzon to ensure availability, suitability, and training-worthiness. Brawner commended the “Salaknib” planning team for carrying out a thorough planning process aimed at ensuring the success of the bilateral exercise even amidst the pandemic. “The conduct of combined training exercises be- in effectively dealing with the fast-changing security tween the Philippine and US armies will capacitate us landscape of the Indo-Pacific region,” Brawner said

No replacements yet for 3 retiring Comelec execs MANILA – Malacañang has yet to release information regarding the appointment of a new Commission on Elections (Comelec) chairman and two commissioners. Comelec Chair Sheriff Abas and Commissioners Rowena Guanzon, and Antonio Kho Jr. are set to retire in February, or three months before the May 9 national and local polls. “Wala pa pong advice from the

Palace (No advice from the Palace yet), but obviously the President understands the importance of appointing the new Comelec commissioners immediately after the end of term, itong mga (these) present Comelec commissioners at iyong (and the) chair, especially with the upcoming elections,” said Cabinet Secretary and presidential spokesman Karlo Nograles said.

SAI RAM ASTROLOGER & PSYCHIC MISS DEVI SHAMALA

Nograles emphasized that President Duterte knows the importance of appointing successors of the outgoing Comelec officials. “But so far, no word from the President yet as kung sino (as to who), so let’s just wait until the further announcement,” he added. Abas was apppointed as commissioner by the late President Benigno Aquino III in 2015 and as chair by

Duterte in 2017, in lieu of the impeached Andres Bautista. Guanzon, who presides over the First Division, and Bautista were also Aquino appointees. Guanzon said that Commissioner Socorro Inting, the most senior among the remaining poll body officials, will be acting chair pending the appointment of Abas’ replacement.

Comelec releases 2022 elections ballot face

MANILA - The Commission on Elections (Comelec) released on January 25, the oﬃcial face of ballots for the May 9 national elections. The ballots contained the names of the 10 presidential aspirants - former Duterte spokesman Ernesto Abella, labor leader Leody De Guzman, Manila City Mayor Francisco “Isko” Moreno Domagoso, former national security adviser Norberto Gonzales, Senator Panﬁlo Ping Lacson, Faisal Mangondato, former senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., Jose Montemayor Jr., Senator Emmanuel “Manny” Pacman Pacquiao and Vice President Maria Leonor Leni Robredo.

For the vice president position, listed are Deputy Speaker and former Manila mayor Lito Atienza, former party-list representative Walden Bello, Rizalito David, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte, Manny SD Lopez, Dr. Willie Ong, Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan, Carlos Serapio and Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto. The ballot includes 64 senatorial aspirants and 177 party-list groups. The Comelec excluded Wilson Amad who ﬁled his candidacy for vice president, and senatorial aspirant Norman Marquez despite a restraining order issued by the Supreme Court after they were declared as nuisance candidates by the agency.

Carlos names new PNP spokesperson CAMP CRAME, Quezon City – Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Dionardo B. Carlos has named Col. Jean S. Fajardo as his oﬃcial spokesperson. In a news conference in Camp Crame, Carlos formally introduced Fajardo, who is also a lawyer, to members of the PNP Press Corps, replacing newly-promoted Brig. Gen. Roderick Augustus Alba. Fajardo, a member of the Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA) Class of 1996, graduated from Jose Rizal University College of Law and passed the Bar examinations in 2009. Positions previously held by Fajardo are deputy director for operations of PNP

Drug Enforcement Group, director of the Pampanga provincial police, and chief of the Public Information Office (PIO) of the Police Regional Office 3 (Central Luzon. Alba, meanwhile, will assume as fulltime chief of the PNP PIO, the unit designated as the official publicist of the police force. Aside from being PNP PIO chief, Alba is also the PNP’s head coordinator with the Presidential Task Force on Media Security, and executive producer of PNP public affairs programs on radio, television, and social media platforms. Alba is a member of the PNPA Class of 1992

3 January 27-February 2, 2022

 NATIONAL NEWS

US Embassy cancels visa interviews through February 18 MANILA – The United States Embassy in Manila has canceled non-immigrant business and tourist visa interview appointments through February 18 amid the rise in Covid-19 infections in the country and “signiﬁcant worldwide challenges related to the pandemic.” In a statement, the US Embassy said applicants who have scheduled visa interviews through Feb. 18, 2022 may reschedule their cancelled visa interview “once routine business and tourism (B1/B2) visa services resume.” Their call center can be reached at (+632) 7792-8988

and (+632) 8548-8223, or through the online appointment system at http://www.ustraveldocs.com/ph. “There is no need to contact us at this time. Please continue to monitor our website at https://ph.usembassy. gov/visas/visa-updates/ for updates regarding the resumption of B1/B2 visa services at the US Embassy in the Philippines,” the advisory stated. The embassy said that there would not be a fee to change an appointment and the validity of the visa fee payment or MRV fee is extended until Sept. 30, 2023. “There is no fee to change an appointment, and the

validity of the visa fee payment (known as the MRV fee) is extended until September 30, 2023 to allow applicants who are unable to schedule a visa appointment because of the suspension of routine consular operations an opportunity to schedule and/or attend a visa interview appointment with the already paid fee,” it stated. “[This is] to allow applicants who are unable to schedule a visa appointment because of the suspension of routine consular operations an opportunity to schedule and/or attend a visa interview appointment with the already paid fee,” the US Embassy said.

Return to 3-day quarantine for int’l arrivals pushed MAKATI CITY – Presidential Adviser for Entrepreneurship Joey Concepcion is pushing for reverting to the three-day quarantine protocol for fully vaccinated individuals entering the country. Concepcion said this protocol for international arrivals had been in place late last year but was only put on hold amid the threats of the Omicron variant. “We should revert back to the three-day quarantine for the fully vaccinated, which was approved and implemented prior to Omicron,” he said. Aside from negative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test results 48 hours before departure, at least ﬁve days of facility-based quar-

antine is required for international arrivals. They are also subject to mandatory RT-PCR testing on the ﬁfth day, in which the result will determine if they will continue the facility-based quarantine or they will be allowed to continue observation for coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) symptoms at home. Concepcion also proposed that passengers that had Covid-19 for the past 60 days upon arrival should be exempted from quarantine, and should present an RT-PCR test result when they were infected. “We all know remnants of the virus can still linger on creating false positives,” he added. OCTA research fellow Dr. Michael Tee said “quar-

antines are meant to catch the entry of variants of concern, which have already managed to enter the country anyway”. “We don’t see any variants of concern at the moment,” Tee said. Another OCTA research fellow, Fr. Nicanor Austriaco, supported the easing of protocols for international arrivals. Austriaco said the Philippines can adopt Thailand’s “test-and-go” system, where arriving passengers will only spend one night in a quarantine hotel while waiting for their Covid-19 test result.

Comelec to roll out presidential, VP debates starting February MANILA – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) will conduct three presidential and vice presidential debates as it hoped for the participation of all candidates for these posts. “We are preparing for the debate. We see high people’s interest in the opportunities where candidates will be facing each other and we would give them the opportunity to see that in a Comelec sanctioned event for everyone to attend,” Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez said.

Jimenez said one debate each will be held for presiJimenez said the poll body is planning to hold the dential and vice presidential bets which starts next debates in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. month. “We expect high participation from candidates when we stage the debates. Please look for the debates in February, fourth week, then another in March and April. One debate a month to cover the entire campaign period,” he added. He said the events will be scheduled one after the other. “It will be back to back. Today, (we hold the) presidential (debate). Tomorrow, (we have the) vice presidential. That’s three times. Participation of the media is open. At every debate, every media will be invited. They can broadcast it on air, all at the same time,” Jimenez said. The poll body spokesperson added that for candidates who will not attend the discussions, the podium assigned to him or her will be vacant. “If a candidate refuses to attend, their podium will remain empty. So we will make a big deal of the fact that they’re not there. I guess for a campaigner that could be a huge motivation to actually attend. So we were pretty conﬁdent that they will attend,” he said.

 METRO NEWS

January 27-February 2, 2022

Metro Manila now down to ‘high risk’ on COVID-19; may slide to Alert Level 2 MANILA – Health Secretary Francisco Duque III declared the spike in coronavirus cases in Metro Manila may have reached its peak as the number of new cases from the region continues to decrease. As of January 24, some 262,997 people are currently recuperating from Covid-19, of whom a total of 72,382 are in Metro Manila. Meanwhile, at least 47 percent of the 1,300 intensive care unit beds for Covid-19 cases in the region is occupied, including 46 percent of its 4,500 isolation beds and 50 percent of 4,500 ward beds. Duque said the health care utilization rate must be maintained at low-risk classiﬁcation or less than 50 percent total bed utilization rate and intensive care unit utilization rate. With the slowing down of cases, the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) is set to meet and discuss the

possible de-escalation of Metro Manila from Alert Level 3 to the less strict Alert Level 2. Cabinet Secretary and acting presidential spokesperson Karlo Nograles said the task force would make the study and announce its decision before the month ends. “Dahil sa gumagandang datos sa National Capital Region, tatalakayin sa IATF kung handa na bang ma-deescalate ang Metro Manila sa Alert Level 2. Pagaaralan pa ito ng IATF at asahan ninyong mailalabas ang desisyon bago matapos ang Enero (Because of the improving ﬁgures in NCR, we will discuss at IATF if Metro Manila is ready to de-escalate to Alert Level 2. We will study this and rest assured that a decision will come out before January ends),” Nograles said The OCTAResearch Group, meanwhile said the National Capital Region (NCR) is now down to “high risk” classiﬁcation for Covid-19 from “severe outbreak” last

week. “Expecting NCR to be at moderate risk next week,” OCTA Research Fellow Group member Guido David said. Data from Covidactnow showed NCR’s seven-day average cases is 6,280 for January 19 to 25 -Meantime, the region’s reproduction lower than previous week’s 15,782 cases. number, individuals a Covid-19 patient can infect, is down to 0.71 from last Its current average daily attack rate is week’s 2.06. 44 percent while its seven-day positivity The health care utilization rate in the rate is 24 percent. region is now low at 48 percent. Positivity rate is the percentage of CoThe intensive care unit utilization rate vid-19 tests performed which turned out is also low at 44 percent. positive in a certain area or region.

Unvaccinated NCR workers allowed to use public transport for 30 days MANILA – Unvaccinated and partially vaccinated workers in industries and establishments in the National Capital Region (NCR) will be given only 30 days from January 26 to continue riding public transportation in going around the metropolis.

Thirty days after the announcement of the new protocol, only workers in the NCR who are fully vaccinated will be allowed to use public transportation. Within the 30-day window, partially vaccinated workers will still be allowed to board public transportation.

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However, because partially unvaccinated individuals are still at risk, they will not be allowed to use public transportation if vaccination remains incomplete within the 30-day window. This was after Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Secretary Silvestre Bello III, Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Eduardo Año, and Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Arthur Tugade decided on the matter in an interagency meeting on January 21 after looking into the country’s vaccination data. DOTr Undersecretary Artemio Tuazon Jr. said the decision intends to protect unvaccinated and partially vaccinated workers who are using public transportation from contracting and developing severe coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19). Tuazon added that the joint decision supported the government’s further ramp-

ing up of vaccination eﬀorts, especially amid the highly transmissible Omicron variant. “We want our workers to get fully vaccinated, especially now that there is no longer a shortage of Covid-19 vaccines, and there is a threat of highly transmissible variants of the virus. We are giving our workers the time to get themselves vaccinated,” he added. Tuazon clariﬁed that the latest protocol is not discriminatory. “As jointly decided by the DOLE, DILG, and DOTr, workers who will remain unvaccinated 30 days after the announcement are not being barred from their workplaces. They are simply not allowed to use public transportation, but can still use other means, such as active transport, private vehicles, or company shuttle services,” Tuazon said.

2 nabbed, P27-M shabu seized in Caloocan, Makati ops CALOOCAN CITY – Law enforcers have seized over P27 million worth of shabu from two drug suspects in separate buybust operations in Caloocan and Makati on January 25. In a report, Brig. Gen. Remus Medina, chief of the Philippine National Police Drug Enforcement Group (PNP-DEG), identiﬁed the ﬁrst suspect as 25-year-old Janesa Canoy. The suspect yielded around two kilograms of shabu worth P13.6 million during the buy-bust along Langit Road corner Crusher Street, in Bagong Silang, Caloocan City at around 4:30 p.m. Police also recovered two pieces of P1,000 bills, 15 bundles of boodle money, a pouch bag, and a mobile phone. The suspect will be charged with violation of the Comprehensive Dangerous

Drugs Act of 2002 while the pieces of evidence seized in the operation were brought to PDEG in Camp Crame for documentation. Meanwhile, members of the Southern Police District (SPD) seized P13.6 million worth of shabu from 21-year-old Aldren Mariscal in another operation along Evangelista St. corner Arnaiz Ave. in Barangay Bangkal, Makati City at around 5:30 p.m. Mariscal yielded one plastic pack containing two kilograms of shabu two plastic bags, two reusable bags, P2,000 buy-bust money, and 898 pieces of P1,000 bill used as boodle money. The suspect is now detained at the temporary custodial facility of the Makati City Police Station and will be charged for violation of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002

5 January 27-February 2, 2022

 PROVINCIAL NEWS

Cebu City remains at ‘very high risk’ for Covid-19 CEBU CITY - Cebu City remains at “very high risk” for coronavirus disease (Covid-19) and cases “could be peaking there soon,” according to Octa Research fellow Dr. Guido David. David made the statement after Cebu City’s sevenday average cases increased from 325 from January 12 to 18 to 722 from January 19 to 25, while its one-week average daily attack rate (Adar) rose from 31 to 69. The city’s seven-day positivity rate also went up from 36 percent from January 12 to 18 to 40 percent the following week, David said. However, the reproduction number in the city, which

refers to the number of people being infected by one Health. case, declined from 4.64 to 2.99, but is still on “very A total of 50,525 Covid-19 cases have been recorded high risk” classiﬁcation. in the city, with 1,440 deaths Octa also noted the increase in the healthcare utilization from 45 percent from January 12 to 18 to 68 percent from January 19 to 25. The intensive care unit occupancy in Cebu City also went up by over 100 percent or from 28 percent to 42 percent. As of January 25, Cebu City has a total of 5,961 active Covid-19 cases, or at least 2.4 percent of the country’s total active cases, according to the Department of

Comelec cancels gubernatorial CoC in Sultan Kudarat of Maguindanao By Ali G. Macabalang COTABATO CITY – Former beauty titlist Sarifa Akeel-Mangudadatu is virtually left without a rival in the gubernatorial race for Sultan Kudarat after the Commission on Elections (Comelec) cancelled the certiﬁcate of candidacy of her lone opponent. The First Division of the Comelec under Commissioner Rowena Rueda-Guanzon upheld the petition of

the female candidate earlier filed against Datu Ali Pax Mangudadatu, sitting mayor of Datu Abdullah Sangki town, Maguindanao, for alleged lack of residency and violation of the Omnibus Election Code provisions. “Let the records of the case be forwarded to the Law department of the Commission for the conduct of a preliminary investigation relative to the election offense aspect of this case,” the first division said in its 23-page decision penned last Jan. 18.

Ex-Isabela solon dropped by Comelec secures TRO from SC SANTIAGO CITY, Isabela – The Supreme Court (SC) has issued another temporary restraining order (TRO) against the Commission on Elections’ (Comelec) decision junking the bid of a former congressman, this time for mayor of Santiago City in the May elections. In an order signed by Clerk of Court Marife M. Lomibao-Cuevas dated January 25, the SC en banc issued the TRO in favor of former Isabela 4th District Rep. Giorgidi Aggabao.

Last December 22, the Comelec denied the substitution of former mayor Amelita Navarro by Aggabao as the oﬃcial candidate of the Partido para sa Demokratikong Reporma for the mayoralty race in Santiago City, Isabela. The high tribunal also directed the poll body against enforcing its order in the case and tasked it to comment on the petition within 10 days.

 NATIONAL NATIONAL NEWS NEWS

January 27-February 2, 2022

Duterte warns he’ll unmask presidential bets, to name ‘most corrupt’

NOT POLITICKING. President Duterte said naming “most corrupt” candidates is not poli�cking but part of his job as head of the country. MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte disclosed he would start talking about the May 9 elections and candidates in due time, as part of his job as the head of the country. “I will personally name the candidates and maybe what’s wrong with them na kailangan malaman ng tao (for the people to know) because you are electing a president. Sino ‘yung pinaka-corrupt na kandidato (Who is the most corrupt candidate),” Duterte said in his prerecorded Talk to the People aired on January 25. Duterte noted that this move is not a form of politicking, but rather merely informing the public based on the information he received. “Hindi ako namumulitika (I am not politicking). I am talking to you as your President. There are things that which you must know sa aking trabaho and ito kailangan ilalabas ko kasi (I need to an-

nounce it because) we are talking of elections, we are talking of our country and the next rulers, so to say, so to speak,” he said. Duterte said he only wants the people to know what he knows. “If you want to believe in me, if you still believe me, I will tell you. But if you reject it, kung ayaw ninyong maniwala, ang masasabi ko lang bahala kayo, tutal (if you don’t want to believe, then it’s up to you anway) it’s your country, it’s not only mine, and kailangan may malaman kayo na alam ko (You just need to know what I know). Why? Because I am the President and I get all information from everybody and not only that, from personal experience,” he said. He said one of the candidates “really cannot be a president” while another candidate can be elected president, but is “too corrupt.”

CAMP BICUTAN, Taguig City – The National Capital Region Police Oﬃce (NCRPO) saw a decline in the number of focus crime incidents since November 2020. Citing the latest data, NCRPO chief, Maj. Gen. Vicente Danao Jr. said 109,079 focus crimes were recorded from Nov. 10, 2020 to Jan. 23, 2022 covering 440 days, an almost 17-percent drop from 131,230 incidents recorded in 441 days from Sept. 5, 2019 to Nov. 9, 2020. Classiﬁed as focus crimes are murder, homicide, physical injury, rape, theft, robbery, vehicle theft, and motorcycle

theft. Physical injury cases logged the biggest decline at 42 percent from 1,934 to 934 incidents; motorcycle theft, 25 percent from 836 to 625; murder, 24 percent from 802 to 611 incidents; robbery, 22 percent from 2,053 to 1,603 incidents; homicide, 21 percent from 221 to 175 incidents; theft, 16 percent from 4,494 to 3,756 incidents; vehicle theft, 16 percent from 172 to 144 incidents; and rape, 6 percent from 1,315 to 1,241 incidents. Meanwhile, special complex crimes also decreased by 34 percent from 66 to 43. Special complex crimes are composed of two or more crimes but are specifically defined, treated, and punished under the Revised Penal Code as a single indivisible offense. “We do not only give credit to our men for their unwavering efforts but we also appreciate the trust and confidence of the public through their support and

“Akala lang kasi ng mga tao malinis pero ‘yung mga nag-transact sa business sa kanya, mga official business, pati yung mga Chinese nagreklamo na na masyadong corrupt daw (People thought that candidate is spotless but those businessmen who has had official transactions with this candidate, even the Chinese are complaining of being so much corrupt),” Duterte said. “Sabi ko, ang magagawa ko (I said, all I can do) is to charge him for corruption (So I said that what I can do is charge him for corruption). It could be under the Revised Penal Code, or the Corrupt Practices Act,” he added. Duterte did not mention any name and emphasized that he is not looking for a fight, especially now that he is already retiring from politics. “Pero (But) I feel that there are things which I would have to reveal to the Filipino people because it’s my job, to tell the truth. Wala akong karapatan (I don’t have the right) not even—I am not given a privilege of whatever for lying,” Duterte said. In a virtual Palace briefing, Acting Presidential Spokesperson, Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles, said Duterte knows the supposed issues about the presidential hopefuls because of his “wide array of sources of information.” “Bilang Pangulo ng Republika ng Pilipinas, siyempre marami po siyang mga (As President of the Republic of the Philippines, of course he has many) sources, vetted intel reports and other various sources at his disposal bilang Pangulo. So, abangan na lang po natin si Pangulo sa mga further pronouncement niya about that (as President. So, let’s just wait the President for his further announcement about that),” Nograles said.

Crimes in Metro Manila down since Nov. 2020

cooperation on the programs of the PNP (Philippine National Police), particularly in the fight against all forms of criminality. We assure our commitment to serving and protecting our community 24/7,” he added. Danao also reported that police officers conducted 681 operations from January 1 to 23, wherein 1,247 persons were arrested, and 12,662.89 grams of shabu and 3,534.19 grams of marijuana, with a total estimated street value of P86.5 million, were confiscated. Over the same period, 439 anti-illegal gambling operations resulted in the arrest of 1,353 suspects and the confiscation of P466,055 worth of bets. The NCRPO also recorded 191 most wanted persons and 319 other wanted persons nabbed. In terms of accomplishments on loose firearms, 82 operations were conducted, 81 persons arrested, and 90 firearms recovered or confiscated.

PNP logs 444 Covid-19 recoveries, 158 new infections PASAY CITY = Some Cabinet members and economic managers who served under the administration of the late President Benigno Simeon “Noynoy” Aquino III can play a key role in helping the country get back on its feet. Partido Reporma Chairman and standard-bearer Senator Panﬁlo “Ping” M. Lacson said that some of them have good track records in addressing the humongous problems of the country. “The late President Aquino had his share of good, capable Cabinet members and economic managers from where a pool may be created to get the country back on its feet - Rene Almendras, Babes Singson, Kim Henares, Johnny Santos, Sonny Coloma, Arsi Balisacan - to name some of them,” he said on his Twitter account. Lacson has worked with members of the Aquino Cabinet, having served as Presidential Adviser for Rehabilitation and Recovery from late 2013 to early 2015. During the Aquino administration, Almendras served as Cabinet Secretary while Rogelio “Babes” Singson served as head of the Department of Public Works and Highways. Juan Santos headed the Social Security System. Kim Henares served as head of the Bureau of Internal Revenue and is now part of Lacson’s think tank, while Herminio “Sonny” Coloma headed the Presidential Communications Operations Oﬃce. Arsenio Balisacan headed the National Economic and Development Authority.

145 new Covid-19 cases among overseas Filipinos: DFA PASAY CITY – The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) reported 145 new Covid-19 cases among Filipinos in the Asia Pacific, the Americas, Middle East, and Africa over the previous week in 106 countries and territories all over the world. In a Facebook post, the DFA said there were also 39 new recoveries and no new fatalities. To date, it said there were 24,518 total confirmed cases among overseas Filipinos, 8,580 are undergoing treatment, 14,480 have recovered or were discharged, and 1,458 deaths. In 29 countries and territories in the Asia Pacific Region, it said there were 1,828 individuals currently undergoing treatment, 4,519 recovered or discharged, and 135 deaths. In 40 countries in the Middle East and Africa, it said there are 5,668 undergoing treatment, 6,710 recovered or discharged, and 929 deaths. In Europe’s 23 countries, there are 959 active cases, 2,564 recovered or discharged, and 130 deaths. There are 125 Filipinos under treatment, 687 recovered or discharged, and 264 deaths in 14 countries or territories in the Americas, it said.

7 January 27-February 2, 2022

 NATIONAL NATIONAL NEWS NEWS

Business leader, ex-DFA secretary Roberto Romulo passes away at 84

Former Foreign Affairs Secretary Roberto R. Romulo MANILA — Former foreign affairs secretary Roberto “Bobby” Romulo passed away on January 23, the Carlos P. Romulo Foundation announced. He was 84. Philippine government and business leaders immediately mourned the death of Romulo, remembering him as a business leader and government official with sterling record. Romulo was born in Manila on Dec. 9, 1938 to the late Foreign Affairs Secretary and United Nations General Assembly president Carlos P. Romulo and Virginia Llamas-Romulo. His father served as the last Resident Commissioner of the Philippines to the United States (non-voting member of the US House of Representatives) and served as president of the United Nations General Assembly from 1949 to 1950 before becoming secretary of foreign affairs. The younger Romulo completed his primary, secondary and college education in the United States. After graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Georgetown University, he pursued his studies at the Ateneo de Manila College of Law, which granted him a Bachelor of Laws degree in 1964. He took the bar in 1965. The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) sent its condolences to the family of Romulo as it paid tribute to the late foreign affairs secretary. In its tribute, the DFA remembered Romulo as a visionary and an accomplished diplomat who had Philippine interests at heart while serving the country as Ambassador to Belgium, Luxembourg, and the European Union Institutions, and later as Secretary of Foreign Affairs. “He will be remembered for bringing forward Philippine Foreign Policy in a post-Cold War context, helping to shape how regional security would be

discussed in the years to come through his support for the establishment of the Asean Regional Forum (ARF) in 1994,” it said. It also hailed Romulo as the father of institutional economic diplomacy at the DFA, directly supervising the agency’s economic diplomacy unit during his term. “With these and numerous other accomplishments, he will be fondly recalled by the women and men of the Department of Foreign Aﬀairs as a statesman that upheld the ideals of excellence in the conduct of diplomacy,” it said. Romulo joined government service in June 1989 when he was appointed Ambassador to Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Commission of the European Communities. He became the country’s top diplomat in 1992. As a diplomat, he has been decorated by the governments of Belgium, Thailand, Spain, Chile, France, and the Philippines. Romulo was the chairman of AIG Philippines Insurance, Inc., PETNET Inc., MediLink Network Inc., and Nationwide Development Corporation, and a trustee of the US-Philippines Society. He also chaired other non-proﬁt foundations, Foundation for IT Education and Development, Philippine Foundation for Global Concerns and Asia-Europe Foundation of the Philippines. In a separate tribute, Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said he had led an “exemplary and full life” in both the private and public sectors. “I am deeply saddened by the passing of Tito Bob. He led an exemplary and full life in both the private and public sector. Tito Bob was very supportive of my career in public service,” she said. “His last message to me was to tell me that the two volumes of the most recent Department of Tourism book were

well done. I appreciate how he always cheered me on in everything. Our family, specially my Dad, will dearly miss him,” she added. Romulo began his professional career with IBM Corp. in New York City in 1965. During his career at IBM, he held various marketing and management positions in New York, Thailand (managing director) and the Philippines (president and general manager). In June 1989, Romulo joined government service when he was appointed by then president Corazon Aquino as Philippine ambassador to Belgium, Luxembourg and the Commission of the European Communities. In July 1992, then President Fidel Ramos appointed Romulo as secretary of the Department of Foreign Aﬀairs. As a diplomat, Romulo has been decorated by the governments of Belgium, Thailand, Spain, Chile, France and the Philippines. He resigned in April 1995 over the Philippines’ handling of Singapore’s decision to hang Filipina maid Flor Contemplacion after she pleaded guilty to the murder of another Filipina maid Delia Maga and a four-year-old Singaporean boy in Maga’s care. Romulo then rejoined the private sector. He served as chairman of the Philippine Long Distance Telphone Co. and vice chairman of San Miguel International from 1995 to 1998. He was also chairman of the Carlos P. Romulo Foundation for Peace and Development and Zuellig Family Foundation. He was also a columnist of The STAR. In July last year, Romulo sent out an urgent appeal to his fellow members in the business community, an appeal that has gone viral and was even translated to Tagalog and Cebuano. He wrote: “Dear Friends: This letter is about the sad plight of our country under the Presidency of

Duterte which has been characterized by incompetence, brutality, corruption, incivility, abuse of power and dishonesty. In a span of five years, (Duterte) has reversed the gains that the Aquino presidency has bequeathed him – a robust economy, a healthy balance sheet, shrinking poverty levels, the confidence of foreign investors, international credit rating agencies and corruption ranking institutions and the respect of other countries. He has squandered the weight of global public opinion in our favor following the ruling of the UN arbitration court invalidating China’s claim on the South China Sea by meekly standing by while she continues encroaching on our territory and denying our fishermen access to traditional fishing grounds. His brutal implementation of his antidrug war has caused the lives of thousands with little success to show for it. His incompetent management of the pandemic resulted in unnecessary deaths and impoverished the poor even more. The simplicity, dignity, moral values and respect for democratic ideals that the under-appreciated Noynoy Aquino brought stands in stark contrast to Duterte. Do we really want six more years of this dark age in our history? Six more years of Harry Roque and Jose Calida? The next election will be fought in cyberspace – be it the social media trolls or even outright digital shenanigans by the side that has the means to do so or is friendly with those who have. Truth is the counter weapon of choice against those who will bend it to change the narrative. I strongly suggest that you highlight Aquino legacies to your family, friends and acquaintances. If possible, provide moral and financial support to those who are in social media. It is my understanding that there are trolls on our side but regrettably weak in comparison to Duterte trolls.

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January 27-February 2, 2022

(From page 1)

For its part, the Landbank said that while their systems were safe, the teachers had fallen victim to phishing schemes. The government-controlled bank said the devices of the victims had been “compromised (of) their personal information.” Thus far, only about a dozen teachers have admitted being victimized by the hackers, with one teacher saying he had lost P121,000 and another experiencing a loss of P84,815. Landbank said the hacking involved “isolated cases,” and bank depositors had nothing to fear. The Landbank scam came in the wake of the NBI declaring that the scandal involving the loss of tens of thousands of pesos from the accounts of at least 700 individuals who maintained accounts at the

AG Bonta...

(From page 1)

The unverified sites pose as legitimate companies and healthcare clinics offering COVID-19 testing but usually fail to provide their patients with their test results after receiving payment, it was learned. Also, the sites may also ask for a patient’s personal identifiable information with the intention of committing fraud. Attorney General Bonta shared tips on how to avoid testing site scams, and how to search and locate legitimate, verified testing sites. He urged every-

Banco de Oro, the country’s largest bank. Amounts ranging from P25,000 to P50,000 on the average were siphoned oﬀ the accounts of BDO in the waning weeks of December, last year. NBI Director Eric Distor told local media that a tipster had provided the lead that resulted in the arrest of two Nigerians and three Filipinos. The suspects, Nigerians Ifesinachi Fountain Anaekwe and Chukwuemeka Peter Nawadi; and Filipinos Jherom Anthony Taupa, Ronelyn Panaligan, and Clay Revillosa, were apprehended in separate entrapment operations in the province of Pampanga. Taupa was tagged as the leader of the gang, referred to by the NBI as the Mark Nagoyo Heist Group. The gang had previously tried to hack the accounts of other BDO account holders in the past, but the

simultaneous hacking of some 700 individual accounts was the largest heist of its in the last few decades. Previously, the Yuchengco familyowned Rizal Commercial and Banking Corp was the victim of an illegal transfer of funds on a global scale. This was back in 2016 when withdrawals were made from the Bangladesh Bank’s New York office. Of the $951 million heist, $81 million found its way to RCBC’s branch in Jupiter St., Makati. The branch manager was fired but not before she pointed to two senior RCBC officials as having approved the questionable transaction, including its president and chief executive officer. The series of questionable banking transactions from three major commercial banks – BD0, Landbank, and RCBC

– have raised questions on how safe and secure Philippine banks are. To make matters worse, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas raised the prospects of fake money being dispensed by automated tellering machines (ATMs). The country’s central bank warned the public that ATMs were not as safe as widely believed. From January to September, last year, the BSP seized more than 500 fake bank notes with a total value of P480,000. An executive from one of the country’s biggest banks and who requested anonymity said the Philippines’ big banks all spent large amounts of money upgrading their systems every year. “Unfortunately, today’s hackers are employing progressively more advanced means to beat the upgraded systems,” he said.

one to observe the following: Only get tested at verified COVID-19 testing sites or through medical groups: To find a testing site near you that is verified to perform COVID-19 testing, use the California Department of Public Health’s test site search tool. You may also search for local testing sites through your county’s local public health department. You can find your county’s public health department website at COVID19.CA.GOV’s Hotlines and Local Info web page. Also check with local medical groups to see if they offer testing services within their facil-

ity.

unfamiliar names in the URL. Be cautious of unsolicited calls regarding testing sites: A legitimate company or health clinic will not call, text, or email you without your permission. If you receive an unsolicited message from an individual, do not provide the caller or sender with any personal information until you have confirmed it is coming from a legitimate source. If you feel pressured to provide personal information, just hang up. Victims of fake COVID-19 testing site scams are encouraged to report to your local police or sheriff’s office and file a complaint with the Attorney General’s Office online at oag.ca.gov/report. Bonta also reminded that the federal government has launched a new federal resource where individuals can get free FDA-authorized at-home COVID-19 test kits by visiting COVIDtests.gov, or calling 1-800-232-0233 (TTY 1-888720-7489) to order free COVID test kits from the federal government. COVIDtests.gov Free at-home COVID-19 tests Every home in the U.S. is eligible to order 4 free at-home COVID-19 tests. The tests are completely free. Orders... When placing an order online, you will be redirected to the United States Post Office website to fill out an order form that only requires you to provide your first and last name, shipping address, and an optional email, he said. Bonta also cautioned that no one from the federal government will call, text, or email you to ask for additional information to help you with your order. If someone reaches out asking for additional information such as your credit card information or Social Security number, do not respond – it is a scam.

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Should you choose to use an unafﬁliated testing site, be wary of the following: If a provider insists on documenting your nationality or immigration status; If a provider does not oﬀer a notice of privacy practices, or cannot explain how it will use and share your personal data; or If a provider insists on accessing your passport or driver’s license when you have other documents that show your insurance status. Identify and avoid “lookalike” websites: Fake testing sites may require you to sign up online. Beware of fake websites that purposely look identical to those belonging to well-known, trusted organizations and state agencies. Before entering personal information into an online form, always make sure that the website you are visiting is secure and does not display misspellings or

9 January 27-February 2, 2022 PHL...

 NATIONAL NEWS (From page 1)

In another development, at least 10 percent of overseas Filipinos arriving every day and who are quarantined at hotels test positive for COVID-19, according to the Bureau of Quarantine (BOQ). According to BOQ deputy director Roberto Salvador Jr., some 300 out of 3,000 Filipinos arriving daily over the past week were found carriers of the virus. Meanwhile, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III earlier said Metro Manila is “ready” to deescalate to an Alert Level 2 status should the government decide for a less restrictive level by February. Earlier, the Department of Health (DOH) reported 15,789 new coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) infections and 32,712 recoveries. The latest Covid-19 bulletin indicated 230,410 active cases while total recoveries rose to 3,191,219, or 91.8 percent of 3,475,293 infections since the pandemic started in March 2020. Out of the active cases, 218,711 are mild, 2,982 are moderate, 6,902 are asymptomatic, 1,507 are severe, and 308 are critical. “Of the 15,789 reported cases today, 15,061 (95 percent) occurred within the recent 14 days -- Jan. 13 to Jan. 26, 2022,” the DOH reported. The regions with the most cases in the recent two weeks were Region 4-A

(Calabarzon), 2,248 or 15 percent; the National Capital Region (NCR) with 2,135 or 14 percent of new infections; and Central Visayas, 1,520 or 10 percent. The death toll has reached 53,664 with 66 new deaths, representing 1.54 percent of overall cases. “Of the 66 deaths, 65 occurred in January 2022 (98 percent), and 1 in August 2021 (2 percent) due to the late encoding of death information to COVIDKaya,” the DOH said. Meanwhile, new cases of COVID-19 in the Americas in the past week have been the highest since the pandemic began in 2020 with more than 8 million cases and 18,000 new deaths and the very contagious omicron variant has clearly become the predominant strain, the Pan American Health Organization said. The United States continues to have the highest number of new infections, although cases decreased by nearly 1 million over the last week, according to PAHO. In Geneva, the World Health Organization reported that globally, the number of new COVID-19 cases increased in the past week (17-23 January 2022) by 5%, while the number of new deaths remained similar to that reported during the previous week. Across the six WHO regions, over 21 million new cases were reported this week, representing the highest number of weekly cases recorded since the beginning of the pandemic Nearly 50 000 new deaths were also

reported. As of 23 January 2022, over 346 million confirmed cases and over 5.5 million deaths have been reported worldwide The risk level related to the Omicron variant remains very high, the WHO added. “Over 21 million new cases were reported, representing the highest number of weekly cases recorded since the beginning of the pandemic,” the World Health Organization said in its weekly epidemiological coronavirus update. Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said all five are individuals with comorbidities. “Three are seniors and all have comorbidities. One partially vaccinated, one unvaccinated, and the remaining 3 are still for verification,” Vergeire said. The DOH previously stressed that senior citizens, those with comorbidities, and unvaccinated individuals remain at risk against Omicron, a highly transmissible variant of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. “While Omicron mostly presents with asymptomatic and mild disease, our data shows that those most at risk for fatalities are still the elderly and those with comorbidities and unvaccinated,” the DOH said. The first two deaths confirmed Omicron cases in the country involved unvaccinated senior citizens with preexisting medical conditions. Oone of the first two fatalities was partially vaccinated. The government is monitoring the

growth rate of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) cases in 22 areas outside Metro Manila, Malacañang said Wednesday. Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles, acting presidential spokesperson, said authorities are in close coordination with the regional Interagency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) and are looking closely at the following areas: - Calabarzon - Central Luzon - Ilocos Region - Dagupan City - Cordillera Administrative Region - Baguio City - Cebu Province - Cebu City - Lapu-lapu City - Mandaue City - Iloilo Province - Iloilo City - Bacolod City - Cagayan de Oro City - Davao City - General Santos City - Ormoc City - Naga City - Western Samar - Tacloban City - Biliran - Zamboanga del Sur “What we’re seeing now is while cases in Metro Manila and in fact some areas in Region 4-A and 3 are slowing down in terms of the growth rate, we’re seeing higher growth rates in those (abovementioned) areas,” he said

 NATIONAL NEWS

January 27-February 2, 2022

Manila mayoral aspirant hits P1.7-b city zoo renovation

ATTY ALEX LOPEZ AT HONEY LACUNA

MANILA - The mayoralty race in Manila is heating up two months before the local election campaign starts. This as businessman-lawyer and Manila mayoral candidate Alex Lopez said the renovation for P1.7 billion and the conversion of Manila Zoo into a vaccination site was “a mistake.”

Isko...

(From page 1)

Kung sa COVID-19,” said Domagoso in an interview. If the funds are used for national security operations, however, the local chief executive said prudence must be employed before discussing the matter, according to Domagoso as reported by ABS-CBN. “Kung (if) threat to national security, we have to be very careful, for your sake,” he added. He said security matters are dealt by appropriate agencies, which conduct study on the conduct of use of intelli-

Lopez, son of the late Mayor Geminiano Mel Lopez,, is the candidate of the Marcos-Duterte team under the Partido Federal Pilipinas . He is up against Vice Mayor Honey Lacuna-Pangan, a doctor of the Asenso Manileno party of Mayor Francisco Isko Moreno Domagoso; and independent former Manila congressman Amado Bagatsing of Kabalikat ng Bayan Tungo sa Kaunlaran (KABAKA). Lopez said he believes the zoo’s renovation, which cost P1.7 billion, is “untimely.” ““Kung kulang ang pagkain sa hapag kainan, kulang ang trabaho, palagay ko ho hindi po napapanahon na itayo ang Manila Zoo, i-renovate for P1.7 billion, budget po ng tatlong probinsya yan. Eh sino ba ang pupunta sa zoo ngayon? (The gence funds. President Rodrigo Duterte has around P4.5 billion intelligence funds in his last year in oﬃce. Duterte has refused to tell Congress how intelligence funds in the 2021 national budget would be spent, according to a copy of his veto message that ABSCBN News obtained in 2020. Senate Minority Leader Franklin had questioned why programmed allocations for intelligence and conﬁdential funds, as well as the government’s anti-insurgency program, were higher than funding for COVID-19 vaccines under last year’s national budget.

P1.7 billion is already a budget for three provinces. And who would go to the zoo right now anyway?),” Lopez said. “Sa tingin ko mali na naman yan… Magkiki-create lang ‘yan ng coronavirus [COVID] pero ginawa naman nila ng vaccination center. Alam n’yo naman na ang zoo ay maraming mikrobio dyan (In my opinion, it is a mistake… it will only create more COVID but they made it a vaccination site anyway. You know that a zoo has many microbes) and you don’t have to be a genius, just go to Google and you’ll see several animal-borne diseases coming from the zoo. That is the ﬁrst time in the world, only in Manila ginawang vaccination center ang zoo (a zoo was turned into a vaccination center),” he further explained.

Lopez said that the city’s priority now should be the acquisition of medicines instead of infrastructure development. “Pero nasa ngayon po na kung saan nakikita ko na ang kailangan po ng taong-bayan ay gamot po, basic medicines. Mahaba pila ng paracetamol, gamot sa ubo, sipon, sa lagnat, wala vitamins ang barangay halls, ‘yung gamot sa diabetes, gamot po sa lagnat. (I see now that citizens need basic medicines. Lines are long for paracetamol, medicines for colds, cough, fever, and diabetes, and there are no available vitamins in barangay halls),” he said. Vice Mayor Lacuna-Pangan countered Lopez statement, saying that the Manila Zoo vaccination site is safe and that its opening was backed by research.

4 suspects in December 2021 BDO hacking charged MANILA – Prosecutors have ﬁled criminal charges against four suspects arrested by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) over the hacking of hundreds of accounts of BDO Unibank Inc. (BDO) clients in December last year. Justice Undersecretary and spokesperson Emmeline Aglipay-Villar said the four -- Jherom Anthony Taupa, Nigerian national Ifesinachi Fountain Anaekwe, Ronelyn Panaligan alias ‘Luka Hanabi’, and Clay Revillosa alias ‘X-men’ -- have been charged with violations of Republic

Act 8484 or the Access Devices Regulation Act of 1998 and RA 10175 or the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012. A similar complaint against a second Nigerian national, Chukwuemeka Peter Nwadi, was recommended for further investigation, she added. The cases were ﬁled by the NBI – Cybercrime Division (NBI-CCD) in connection with several entrapment operations conducted on January 20 and 22 against the individuals who were allegedly behind the fraudulent transactions that targeted BDO account holders.

US DONATION. Department of Health and Bureau of Customs staﬀ check 168,000 doses of Janssen Covid-19 vaccines upon arrival at the airport. Its the ﬁrst shipment this year of the vaccine donated by the United States through the COVAX Facility.

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Manila mayoral aspirant hits P1.7-b city zoo renovation

ATTY ALEX LOPEZ AT HONEY LACUNA

geted BDO account holders. Prosecutors found out that Panaligan acted under the user name “Luka Hanabi” on the “Max Bounty” Facebook page and sold dummy accounts. Acting as a “veriﬁer”, Panaligan would pretend to conduct a survey and ask victims for their identiﬁcation cards with photographs in exchange for P50 in prepaid credit load for “participating in the survey”. The information and photographs of the victims, without their knowledge,

would be used to apply for veriﬁed GCash or Paymaya accounts and after securing the debit cards, would oﬀer it for sale to other fraudsters looking to cash out funds from illegitimate sources. Panaligan was arrested after she offered for sale the ATM fraudulently applied for a Paymaya account. There was even an agreement with the poseur customer that after the money has been transferred to the account, they will share in the proceeds of the fraudulent transaction.

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11 January 27-February 2, 2022

 OPINION Life of caring cut short

EDITORIAL

A time for diplomacy

f there was ever a time for diplomacy and not saber rattling, it is now. It is not just the US facing off against Russia, but the entire might of NATO that Vladimir Putin has to consider. But being the stereotypical Russian leader, Putin cannot allow himself to appear weak. What’s not clear is if is willing to take extreme measures to attain what he sees are necessary political ends. What President Joe Biden and the US’s NATO allies are facing is the difficult task of preventing a Russian invasion of Ukraine. This, after Russia had earlier annexed a portion of the country which used to be one of its most important allies during the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics era. Most political analysts understand why Putin is so dead set in reclaiming Ukraine as part of Russia. It is where close to half of Russia’s nuclear arsenal is housed. Ukraine is also where a portion of Russia’s vast submarine fleet is docked when not out at sea. There are no easy solutions to the brewing problem. After NATO determined that some 100,000 Russian troops had been massing near the border with Ukraine, the alliance immediately took a war footing. President Biden necessarily had to stand squarely behind NATO, and a conversation he had with his Russian counterpart at the end of December, last year, did not provide much comfort. The US president reportedly threatened to impose sanctions on Russia if it pushed through with its reported plan to invade its neighbor. To even talk about the possibility of war by either side is extremely foolish as one wrong move by whatever side can lead to the most dreaded of all scenarios – a nuclear war. This must be averted at all cost as there is no way either side will win such a catastrophe. Putin would like nothing more than to divide NATO, but thus far the alliance is holding strong. NATO countries have deployed a small number of ships and aircraft to the Baltic as a message to Putin that they are prepared for any eventuality. This is by no means a declaration of war, but simply a strong signal that any military move against Ukraine can and will be met with a sufficient reply. Because of this, the ball is literally in the hands of the Russian strongman. We do not claim to be qualified analysts of global politics. But the root of the problem – Russia’s nukes located inside Ukraine – should be addressed in order to find a lasting solution. Maybe Russia would be willing to defuse the situation by removing all its nuclear weapons in Ukraine with the help of NATO. Russia can also strike a deal with the Ukrainian leadership to use some of their ports, with the corresponding rent, of course. The growing crisis between the two former allies is the biggest test for the Biden presidency. Hopefully, his long years of experience in global politics will result in his finding solutions that will be acceptable to all sides.

Upside

ichelle Alyssa Go’s life is suddenly over, prompting her family to urge those who knew her to remember “how she lived and not just how she died.” For 10 years, the New Yorker had been serving at The Junior League, one of the oldest women’s volunteer organizations in this country. Founded in 1901 by social activist Mary Harriman, the Junior League’s mission today remains as it was 121 years ago: “To develop exceptionally qualified civic leaders who collaborate with community partners to identify a community’s most ur- CHERIE M. QUEROL MORENO gent needs and address them with meaningful and relevant programs and initiatives that not only improve lives, but also change the way people think.” That Michelle Go was drawn to the nonprofit was unsurprising to her intimates. The California native who owned diplomas from UCLA and NYU cared about society’s most vulnerable, they say. And so on top of her day job as senior manager at the global accounting leader Deloitte, she found time to volunteer with Junior League as an advocate for empowerment. “Michelle’s focus populations were seniors, recovering homeless, immigrants, and under resourced and academically struggling elementary and middle school kids and their parents,’’ a spokesperson for the organization told reporters. “She helped them prepare to enter or re-enter the workforce by developing their professional skills of resume writing, interviewing, and networking, and by making sound decisions in matters of personal finance.” In the course of her typical day January 15, Michelle waited to board a train at the Times Square subway station when police say she was shoved by a total stranger into the tracks and onto the path of an oncoming train. The unprovoked attack robbed a human being of a meaningful life, a family of a loving daughter and sister, a Michelle Go community of a friend and caring ally who might have been able to lend him a hand as was her calling. She was 40. Her family issued a statement Jan. 18 expressing shock and sadness amid their grief. “Her life was taken too soon in a senseless act of violence, and we pray that she gets the justice she deserves,” they said. While requesting privacy from the media, they gave an insight into their daughter and what would be her final birthday. “Michelle had a love of life, loved her family, and loved to meet and work with people. She made and kept up with countless friends from grade school to college to graduate school and at her workplaces. Her friends would tell us that Michelle was smart, funny, big hearted and a real role model,” they said. “Michelle loved to travel the world to meet new people and different cultures. Most re-(Continued on page 27)

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 OPINION

January 27-February 2, 2022

o you need to donate properties in the Philippines but can’t go home due to the travel restrictions brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic? You are not alone. Mobile Signing Services had helped several couples and individuals donate their properties in the Philippines ART GABOT MADLAING to their children or loved ones without going home to the Philippines. The other year, we helped an elderly woman in Daly City, California in donating a portion of her land parcel to her daughter in La Trinidad, Benguet without going home to the Philippines. Her lawyer prepared the DEED OF DONATION and sent to her in Daly City, California. When she received the copies of the DEED OF DONATION, her son who was staying with her called MSS for the notarization and apostille follow-up. I then, instructed her son to make three copies of the DEED OF DONATION and have three copies of his mother’s ID. During my meeting with his elderly mother Gloria (who was in her mid 90s) for the notarization of the DEED OF DONATION, I was surprised to see her looking very much younger than her actual age. She was smiling, alert and easily walked to the nearby table where I met her in the Daly City apartment she was renting. I had her signed the three sets of DEED OF DONATION (in two pages); and then signed my Journal of Notarial Acts and put her right thumb mark in the journal. After notarization, I submitted the notarized DEED OF DONATION to the Secretary of State, Notary Public Section in Sacramento, California, for apostille. After 10 days, the apostilled DEED OF DONATION arrived via USPS Priority Mail which I subsequently delivered the following day to our elderly client. Our elderly client and her son were very happy for the efficient, complete and unique MSS services. Last week, another client called me and requested help and assistance for the notarization and apostille for the DEED OF DONATION on the two lots he and his wife are donating to their son. The two lots are located in the Municipality of San Luis, province of Aurora in the Philippines. Victor and his wife came to our home office in San Francisco last Thursday, January 20, 2022. The couple reviewed the draft of the DEED OF DONATION prepared by our paralegal and lawyer-friends. After the draft was okayed by the couple, I had them signed three copies of the DEED OF DONATION as DONORS. I also had them signed my Journal of Notarial Acts and put their right thumb marks in the journal. The following day their son as the DONEE came to my home office in San Francisco and signed the three copies of the DEED OF DONATION and then signed my Journal of Notarial Acts and put his right thumb mark in the journal. After notarization, I submitted the notarized DEED OF DONATION to the Secretary of State, Notary Public Section, in Sacramento, California for apostille. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, the Front Desk is still closed. There are only two options available namely: 1. Mail the notarized document to the Secretary of State, Notary Public Section, in Sacramento or Los Angeles; 2. Drop off the notarized documents in the Apostille Box ( which is the faster and safer way) at the lobby of the Secretary of State building in Sacramento, California. The normal turn-around of apostille processing on notarized documents dropped off in the Apostille Box is about 8-12 working days. Turn around of apostille processing on notarized documents mailed is very much longer. We at the Mobile Signing Services (MSS) are committed, dedicated and will continue to assist and help old and new clients particularly the elderly, veterans and those physically handicapped in the notarization and apostille follow-up on Affidavits, Special Power of Attorney, DEED OF DONATION Waiver of Rights, Proof of Life, DEED OF ABSOLUTE SALE, Deed of Extrajudicial Settlement of Estate and other documents needed in the Philippines and the other member nations of the Hague Apostille Convention. Here are some advantages and benefits with MSS: DISCOUNTS FOR THE ELDERLY AND THE VETERANS – We offer special discounts to the elderly and veterans. Gloria, our elderly client from Daly City, California got additional 10% discount. (Continue on page 27)

Tough questions and tough decisions

or the second time since he filed his certificate of candidacy for president, former Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. refused last week to participate in a major forum where fellow presidential candidates are offered a chance to lay out their programs of government and answer questions relevant to their candidacies. On November 18 last year, VAL ABELGAS five of the leading candidates -- Vice President Leni Robredo, Senators Ping Lacson and Manny Pacquiao, Manila Mayor Isko Moreno, and, yes, even Senator Christopher Go, who was to withdraw his candidacy as PDP-Laban candidate a few days later -- attended a presidential forum organized by the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PPCI). It was, after all, a great opportunity to allow them to expound on their platforms before a group of highly influential businessmen. The candidates knew the prestigious event would be covered by reporters and would be read in newspapers and news broadcasts the following day. For unspecified reasons, Marcos declined the PCCI invitation. Robredo, Lacson, Pacquiao, Moreno and Go were asked about their plans on economic recovery amid the pandemic, and their programs for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to enable them to recover from the economic impact of the pandemic. In addition, they were asked to enlighten people about their plans on education, agriculture and fishery, infrastructure and digital transformation, and on what their specific plans were for the first 100 days in office. All five gave concrete plans if they were elected to lead the nation that has in the past six years grappled with the pandemic, corruption issues, extrajudicial killings, human rights abuses, subservience to China, mounting debts and incoherent leadership. Although the forum was held just a little more than one month after the deadline for the filing of candidacy and 10 days after the deadline for substitutions, the five leading candidates showed they were ready to assume leadership of a country challenged by crises. Even Go, who had been accused of being a mere placeholder for someone the PDP-Laban was still wooing, presumably Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, appeared prepared for the presidency. But Marcos was not there to give voters a glimpse of how ready he was to assume the presidency his infamous father held for 20 years. Last week, the same set of presidential candidates, except for Go who has withdrawn from the race, was invited to an interview with multi-awarded broadcast journalist Jessica Soho in a three-hour program dubbed “Presidential Interviews With Jessica Soho” which was aired last Saturday on GMA-7 platforms in the Philippines and abroad. Again, it was an opportunity for the candidates to reach out to voters, expound further on their platforms and plans, on free airtime and before a much wider audience. It was also a chance to clarify issues that have been raised against them in the course of the campaign. The interviews were watched by hundreds of thousands around the globe, and by at least three million more so far in YouTube and Facebook. That certainly beats costly ads in newspapers, TV, radio and other media outlets. Again, Robredo, Lacson, Pacquiao and Moreno gamely and patiently answered questions by the veteran journalist Jessica Soho on the pandemic, the economy, and other relevant issues – from the issues of divorce, death penalty, political dynasty, the withdrawal from the International Criminal Court, to POGOs, PCGG, the Visiting Forces Agreement, and on the many problems with China. They were also given the chance to clarify certain issues raised against them, as in the case of Pacquiao his alleged lack of experience, and Lacson, his change of stand on the death penalty, and Moreno, on his moral turpitude. Again, Marcos wasn’t there. It would have been a good chance for him to explain the many issues that have been raised against him and his family, to “remind” the people how his father, the late President Ferdinand Marcos, “made this country great again,” and detail how he would replicate his father’s infrastructure and (Continue on page 27)

On Distant Shore

USSIAN PRESIDENT Vladimir Putin told the nation on April 25, 2005, that the “demise of the Soviet Union was the greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the century.” “It became a genuine tragedy for the Russian people,” he said. He lamented, saying “Tens of millions of our fellow citizens and countrymen PERRY DIAZ found themselves beyond the fringes of Russian territory.” “The epidemic of collapse has spilled over to Russia itself,” he said, referring to separatist movements such as those in Chechnya. Putin began his political career when he was appointed head of the International Committee at the St. Petersburg Mayor’s Office in June 1991. He was involved in attracting foreign investments to the city economy. He also worked in establishing and maintaining cooperation with foreign partners and supervising the creation and opening of joint ventures. Then the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics – USSR – collapsed on December 25, 1991. To the former KGB officer, it was time to reflect. As it turned out, the leaders of three of the USSR’s founding and largest Republics had declared that the Soviet Union no longer existed, and 11 more republics had also joined them shortly thereafter. President Mikhail Gorbachev had resigned and what was left of the parliament acknowledged the Union’s collapse as a fait accompli. It was over! It was very painful for Vladimir Putin who was then stationed in East Germany as a KGB agent – a spy – when the Soviet Union disintegrated. He claimed that the collapse left him struggling so badly financially that he was forced to work as a taxi driver to survive. Right place, right time Then, Lady Luck struck! He was offered to move to Moscow and take up legal affairs in the presidential administration. He took the job. Pretty soon he was moving up the political ladder. He went to work for then-President Boris Yeltsin, who was ailing at that time. Consequently Yeltsin appointed him Prime Minister in August 1999. It was a clear sign that Yeltsin was preparing Putin for the Kremlin. Yeltsin was not due to leave office for another year, but in December 1999 he took the surprise decision to go early. On December 31, 1999, Yeltsin resigned and appointed Putin – who was virtually unknown – as acting president. Three months later he was elected President of Russia. Rise to power He has been in power since 2000. He made no secret of his determination to reassert Russian power after years of perceived humiliation by the U.S. and its NATO allies. He resented NATO’s expansion up to Russia’s borders. It did not then come as a surprise that Russia’s new buildup of troops around Ukraine has rekindled Western suspicion of Putin. The West also accused Putin of helping pro-Russian rebels in eastern Ukraine with heavy weapons and troops. Although he insisted that only Russian “volunteers” had gone there to help. Putin will never forget the “coup” that forced Ukraine’s then-President Viktor Yanukovych to flee to Russia in 2014. Russia then attacked Crimea with its “Little Green Men,” who are masked soldiers in unmarked green army uniforms. Russia eventually annexed Crimea that caused the Group of Eight -- G8 -- to expel Russia from the group, which is now called G7. Russian demands With more than 100,000 Russian troops poised to invade Ukraine, Putin demanded that the West “immediately” guarantee that NATO will not expand to include Ukraine. He blamed the U.S. for inflaming tensions in Eastern Europe and the likelihood of war. Russia also demanded that NATO withdraw its forces, hardware, and arms from countries that were not NATO members before 1997 as part of security demands it is seeking from NATO. Whoa! Does that mean that NATO will pull out of the following 14 former Soviet bloc countries: Albania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Po- (Continue on page 27)

Health & Wealth

Donating PH properties without going home

PerryScope

Putin’s punch is coming!

13 January 27-February 2, 2022

 OPINION

Offline

anny Villar did not win in the 2010 presidential elections but he has emerged a winner, expanding his business empire and, at the same, his family members are well entrenched in politics. The wife who came a political dynasty is in the MANNY MOGATO Senate, his son is in the Cabinet and daughter is in the lower house. The son would likely join his mother in the Senate. Having a big clout in business and politics are a lethal combination, a classic model for an oligarchy seen in the pre-martial law Philippines. Rodrigo Duterte further clipped the power of the Lopez family, no longer an oligarch, by taking away ABSCBN’s legislative franchise, but created a new oligarch. There were media reports that Villar’s small media holdings which is not known for producing content was given the old broadcast frequencies of ABS-CBN. It is symbolic. It is passing the baton from a fading oligarch to an emerging oligarch. Who knows someday the son of the businessman would succeed where his father had failed, rising to the top in politics. ***** I completed two years military training in the university and I am personally in favor of bringing back citizen’s military training but not mandatory for all 18 years-old, which is a requirement in other countries, like Singapore and South Korea. I have fond memories of my ROTC days and was proud to belong to Delta Company under Cadet Captain Edgar Alulod,, who is now a Christian minister in Australia. I happened to see him in 2011 when I visited Melbourne and I was amazed by his transformation. I would not think a man who trained in the profession of arms would become a commander of God’s army. Some in the PLM ROTC Corps went on to become regular army officers. Pastor Alulod’s experience is one of the rare examples that not all men who went through ROTC are violent. I agree that patriotism and nation-building could not be achieve only through the ROTC program. Former president Fidel Ramos, a West Point graduate and a retired general, also believed that the ROTC alone cannot discipline young men. He expanded the citizen’s nation-building training by introducing alternatives to ROTC, like disaster preparedness and response and civilian policing. I also learned citizenship as the senior patrol leader of Troop 183 pf the Boy Scouts of the Philippines, earning by Eagle badge. I was exempted from Citizen’s Military Training (CMT) in my senior year. I was hoping to get an exemption in ROTC but I decided to go through it, borrowing fatigue uniforms, combat boots and other items from my cousins who are in the military, in the air force actually. They were commissioned officers. At that time, I was entertaining thoughts of joining the air force too but journalism has other plans for me. Sara Duterte-Carpio may have noble intentions but she also has ulterior motives to expand the country’s reserve force. She wanted to become defense chief if she gets elected in May, the first woman defense chief. She may also have a violent streak. Remember punching a local court official in Davao when she was mayor. She has certainly learned a lot from her father’s way on how to control the country. Seriously, I support the ROTC program but let the students volunteer for the program. It should not be mandatory. There are other ways to serve country.

“To be willing to march into Hell For that heavenly cause And I know If I’ll only be true To this glorious quest That my heart Will lie peaceful and calm When I’m laid to my rest And the world will be better for this That one man, scorned and covered with scars Still strong with his last ounce of courage To reach the unreachable star.” - The second half of the song “Impossible Dream” from MAN OF LA MANCHA, the musical

he Impossible Dream is a highly elevating and inspiring song. I was not at all surprised why Doy Laurel, Ninoy Aquino and Evelio Javier were enamored by the song and probably also by the entrancing obra maestra of Miguel de Cervantes’ Don Quixote, the man of La Mancha. In my point of view, they had a common problem – their dream was to become HOMOBONO A. ADAZA President of the country. They had no known vision of what the country should be as they were all prisoners of the system. It seemed enough to them – ambition but no vision.. That is not the case – the system is dysfunctional. It cannot be repaired – it has to be demolished but the thry were all men of the system and they did not think outside the box where the horizon glitters with promise of new beginnings. Theory and practice: Theory unless translated into practice means nothing. Experts in all sciences will tell you that. This has become a biblical truism, especially with political revolutionaries.. To succeed in any enterprise, there must be confluence of theory and practice. Reduced into the level of the law, the brilliant Justice Oliver Wendell Homes of the American, Supreme Court once wrote that the life of the law is not logic but experience. It is in this spirit that I will share with you my experience in the light of what Benjamin Tiu Constreras thought I could be “that little spark that could ignite a conflagration of radical ideas.” . Decision 1977: Succumbing to pressure from the United States government, President Marcos called elections of the Interim Parliament (Batasang Pambansa) on April 1978. When Marcos announced the call for elections sometime in 1977, the national opposition met at the offices of the Laurels in Makati City with the leading leaders of the Opposition that included Former President Diosdado Macapagal, Former Speaker of the House of Representatives Jose “Pepito” Laurel, Jr, Senators Salvador “Doy” Laurel and Rene Espina, Former Secretary of Foreign Affairs Salvador Lopez and a host of other including this writer, The prevailing view of the overwhelming majority of the attendees led by President Macapagal was to boycott the election. In so deciding to boycott the election, President Macapagal made the following rationalization, he said: “We should boycott the election because to participate will legitimize Marcos and his regime.” Unable to agree with his argument, I asked permission to speak. This is what I said, “With due respect to you, Mr. President, I am sorry I cannot agree with you. Legitimacy in a developing country like ours is being in possession of power. Marcos holds power and that makes him legitimate. This is not the USA, France or Britain where legitimacy means election. Marcos is giving us an opportunity to fight him and he says we can say anything and we will be prosecuted. This is our chance to fight him. If we do not participate in the election, our only option is to join the armed revolution. (Everyone was silent about the idea of an armed revolution.) If you’re ready to join the armed revolution, I’ll join you but since no one is ready, I’ll participate in the elections I respect the majority decision but I expect you to respect mine as this is a decision of conscience.” Suddenly Former UP President and Secretary of Foreign Affairs Lopez stood up and said in a loud voice, “I agree with Adaza. He is right. We should participate in the elections.” Hurt that someone dis(Continue on page 27)

Diliman Way

presidential candidate from decades past named Genaro Magsaysay fared badly at the polls, with one reason being his unwillingness to face the press. He was counting on the “Magsaysay magic” to take him all the way to Malacanang. Unfortunately, it became clear to the public BETING DOLOR that this relative of the great president – a brother if memory serves – did not have the same charisma and intelligence. In explaining why he refused to do interviews, he became known for the abovestated adage: Less talk, less mistake; No talk, no mistake. The voters back then could only surmise that Genaro was no Ramon, and he had precious little to offer the country. Genaro even used the campaign jingle “Mambo Magsaysay” which was written by Raul Manglapus, who as a youngster campaigned hard for the leader who was called The Guy. Not Nora Aunor Guy, mind you, but the Pinoy everyman loved by the people. Were he in the US, Ramon Magsaysay would have been called The Man. Last week, it became abundantly clear that one Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is today’s version of Genaro Magsaysay. He is a presidential wannabe who has very little to offer the people. He may carry the name of his father, but he is miles away in the political smarts department. Junior refused to attend the presidential interviews conducted by veteran newshen Jessica Soho. The four other candidates were present, and this gave the public a better chance to see the four up close, and find out which one would make the best president. By most accounts, Vice President Leni Robredo performed well, followed by Senator Ping Lacson. Senator Manny Pacquiao and Manila Mayor Isko Moreno? Not so much. Robredo and Lacson displayed a strong grasp of the issues affecting the country, while Pacquiao was applauded for his sincerity. Moreno tried too hard to impress, but he did make clear that he had the credentials to do a good job, if elected. As for Marcos Junior, his absence was felt but not in a good way. His camp said their bet would not attend because Soho was biased. She wasn’t. The interviews had been mistakenly referred to as a debate, and this may be the real reason for Junior to back off. With every excuse given by Junior’s camp, he became more and more a laughing stock over social media. The word most commonly used to describe Junior is “duwag,” or coward. The memes that followed all painted a negative picture of Junior, and there was little that his army of trolls could do to defend or justify his refusal to answer the tough questions that Soho was certain to ask. Junior’s critics asked such simple questions as, “How would you handle a crisis if a simple media interview already terrifies you?” or “Will you let your spokesmen do the talking for you when there is an emergency that needs to be addressed?” One reason Junior now fears public debates is because when he was running for vice president back in 2016, one of his opponents made mincemeat of him, rendering him practically mute. In short, Junior does not have the ability to communicate and depends on his lawyers to speak in his behalf. As the Soho camp said, difficult questions are asked of the candidates because the presidency is a difficult job. What followed his snub of the Jessica Soho interviews made Junior even more pathetic. He agreed to be interviewed by Boy Abunda, a showbiz reporter who is known for asking the most inane questions. Sample: Coke or Pepsi? Sex or chocolate? There is even the likelihood that Junior was furnished questions ahead of time, or that his camp gave a list of issues to be avoided, like his hidden wealth, the real reason he is banned from entering the US, or what he really finished in college, if anything. Having his accomplishments or lack thereof would have been placed under the micro(Continue on page 27)

New horizon for new beginnings IN THE TRENCHES

Less talk, less mistake; No talk, no mistake

Oligarch, Citizen’s Military Training

 BUSINESS | IMMIGRATIONS What law governs good faith marriage?

f you are applying for immigrant visa based on marriage to a U.S. citizen, it is a must that you discuss your case with an immigration attorney. Many people do it by themselves but later on find problems along the way. It could be in the long wait for adjudication, more evidence requested and legal issues they could not resolve. In proving good faith marriage the USCIS is governed by case law that we will discuss here. Question: What is the main consideration to determine if the marriage is in good faith? Answer: The central inquiry in determining whether a bona fide marriage exists is the INTENT of the parties at the time they entered into the marriage; the parties must have had the intent to establish a life together. See, Bark v. INS, 511 F.2d 1200, 1201 (9th Cir. 1975), see also Matter of McKee, 17 I & N Dec. 332 (BIA 1980). The conduct of the parties after the marriage is relevant to their intent at the time of their marriage. See, Matter of Laureano, 19 I & N Dec. 1 (BIA 1983). There is no sham marriage where the petitioner and beneficiary INTENT to establish a life together at the time they were married, Bark v. INS, 511 F. 2d 1200 (9th Cir. 1975). Question: What kind of evidence is needed for USCIS to determine is the marriage is a fraud? Answer: The BIA in Matter of P. Singh, 27 I&N Dec. 598 (BIA 2019), enumerated the following are the legal standards to follow: (1) The standard of proof necessary to bar the approval of a visa petition based on marriage fraud under section 204(c) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, 8 U.S.C. § 1154(c) (2012), is “substantial and probative evidence.” (2) The degree of proof necessary to constitute “substantial and probative evidence” is more than a preponderance of evidence, but less than clear and convincing evidence; that is, the evidence has to be more than probably true that the marriage is fraudulent. (3) The nature, quality, quantity, and credibility of the evidence of marriage fraud contained in the record should be considered in its totality in determining if it is “substantial and probative.” (4) The application of the “substantial and probative evidence” standard requires the examination of all of the relevant evidence and a determination as to whether such evidence, when viewed in its totality, establishes, with sufficient probability, that the marriage is fraudulent. (5) Both direct and circumstantial evidence may be considered in determining whether there is “substantial and probative evidence” of marriage fraud under section 204(c) of the Act, and circumstantial evidence alone may be sufficient to constitute “substantial and probative evidence.” If your case has been long delayed, it probably is under investigation. Many marriage cases are now under investigation due to fraud. Even if the parties were able to get approved in their petition and adjustment of status, there is the next hurdle which is the removal of condition on residence. In addition if you get your immigrant visa based on marriage, there is another hurdle coming which is when you apply for naturalization. Usually the USCIS opens up the file and further check if the applicant’s marriage is in good faith. For those who get their green card through marriage, it is best to consult with an immigration lawyer before filing a Form I-751 removal of condition on residence and Form N-400 application for Naturalization. Many cases are now being denied based on fraudulent marriage. Note: This is not a legal advice. You need to speak to an Immigration Attorney to analyze your personal circumstances. We offer free consultation on immigration matters. 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. What will happen if the Philippines become part of China? If the Philippines become part of China, it will have a far reaching effect on immigration and on overseas workers. We can no longer petition our relatives because the U.S. will not consider the Philippines as independent country. Many countries importing Filipino workers will no longer do it because they will think that we are Chinese spies. Most countries we deal with like Canada, Japan, Australia, and European countries will not hire Filipino workers because we are considered Chinese spies. We will be slaves in our own country. We cannot expect other countries to fight for us. We will lose our dignity and standing among people of the earth. Let us make a stand. 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 practices immigration law, bankruptcy, personal injury and income tax problems since June 1999. He has offices in Hayward and Cerritos, CA. His contact phone is 1-877-456-9266, email: info@CCLlaw.net Website: www.crispinlozanolaw.com/

January 27-February 2, 2022

Agri sector grows by 0.6% in Q4; 2021 palay hits new record yield

QUEZON CITY - Led by the crops, poultry, and fisheries subsectors, the value of the country’s agriculture and fishery production based on 2018 constant prices grew by 0.6 percent (%) during the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2021, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA). The crops subsector, which contributed 59% to the total value of production, expanded by 2.6%, bannered by palay, corn, and other major crops like sugarcane, pineapple, coconut, banana, and mango. Amid the Covid-19 pandemic, mobility restrictions, and losses due to Typhoon Odette in December 2021, totaĺ annual palay production registered an all-time high of 19.96 million metric tons (MMT), 3.4% more than the previous record of 19.29 MMT, based on PSA estimates. “We would have easily breached the 20-million ton level as Typhoon Odette damaged more than 130,000 metric tons of palay,” said Agriculture Secretary William Dar. “Nonetheless, it shows that we are on the right track in our continuing efforts to increase the production of our major staples, in partnership with millions of our farmers, fishers, livestock and poultry raisers, local government units, private sector, and agri-fishery industry stakeholders,” he added. “We have been relentless since we assumed office more than two years ago in August 2019 in pursuit of the Duterte administration’s food security goals. These include massive promotion among farmers, fishers, and entrepreneurs of relevant,

efficient and sustainable technologies and innovations, and providing them needed capacities through technical, farm mechanization and consolidation, financial and marketing assistance,” the DA chief said. Overall, we will remain focused in the implementation of our planned programs and projects in the remaining months of the Duterte administration, as we bequeath a solid foundation and legacy to the succeeding leadership,” Secretary Dar said. Corn production also hit a record output of 8.3 MMT in 2021, 2.2% more than the 8.12 MMT yield in 2020, according to the PSA. Other positive performers in terms of total volume of production in 2021 compared to 2020 are: Sugarcane, up by 7.7%; Cacao, 7.1%; Pineapple, 5.8%; Rubber, 1.9%; Coconut, 1.6%; Banana, 0.4% and Mango, 0.3%’ Poultry production, which accounted for 12.5% of total value of agriculture output, grew by 2.7% in Q4 2021, while chicken egg production increased by 12.7%, the PSA said. Fisheries output also performed better, as value of production in Q4 2021 inched up by 1.4%. The subsector shared 14.6% total value of agri-fishery production during the period in review. The livestock subsector that contributed 13.8% to total value of production, contracted again by -9.7% in Q4 2021, pulled down by the hog subsector, whose value dipped by -12.6%, due to ASF incidence, according to the PSA.

MANILA – Monetary officials are optimistic of within-target inflation this year despite the higher-than-target print in 2021 as well as the number of upside risks that include supply-side pressures and higher global commodity prices. In an Open Letter to the President dated January 18 and a copy of which was released to journalists, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Governor Benjamin Diokno attributed the elevated inflation last year to constraints on key food items like pork as well as increasing oil and energy prices. The average inflation last year stood at 4.5 percent. “The continued and effective implementation of direct non-monetary interventions and policy reforms to alleviate supply constraints remains crucial in keeping the trajectory of inflation within the target band, particularly as risks to the inflation outlook appear to be slightly on the upside for 2022,” Diokno said. However, he said these risks are expected to be countered by the spread of new Covid-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) variants, which could delay the further easing of remaining containment measures as well as dampen the out-

look for global and domestic economic growth. Diokno said that while monetary authorities expect inflation to continue to decelerate to within-target levels, “the inflation outlook, however, is subject to considerable level of uncertainty given developments relating to the Covid-19 pandemic, which could affect domestic and external economic conditions going forward.” “Nevertheless, we would like to assure the President and the Filipino people that the BSP is closely monitoring developments and challenges brought about by the pandemic to ensure that the monetary policy stance remains consistent with its price and financial stability objectives,” he said. The BSP issues an Open Letter to the President whenever inflation breaches the target band set by economic managers. According to the BSP website, this practice is aimed “to ensure accountability in cases where the BSP fails to achieve (the) inflation target.” Previous Open Letters to the President were issued in 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2016, 2017, and 2019.

BSP chief eyes within-target 2022 inﬂation

15 January 27-February 2, 2022

 ENTERTAINMENT

Amid rumor split, Carla Abellana and Tom Rodriguez unfollow, then follow each other again on Instagram

Fans and supporters of couple Carla Abellana and Tom Rodriguez have somehow heaved a sigh of relief when they saw that they are following each other again on Instagram. This was after the news broke out that

they have separated just after three months of their wedding. Tom and Carla were married only last October 23, 2021 after seven years of being sweethearts. Fans were shocked to know the news

of separation as they have seen how Carla and Tom have been sweet to each other, even before when they were just sweethearts. Netizens wondered even more when they noticed that the couple has unfollowed each other on Instagram. However, few hours after the news of separation broke out, Carla and Tom followed each other again on their respective social media account on the evening of January 25.Tom’s cryptic post on his IG did not escape the netizens’ eyes where there was a written text “.ﬂoat” with a black background. Could it be a post about leaving and is it related to Carla? Based on the audio post, spiels could be heard from a scene taken from Cow-

Kailangan Ninyo ng FasTrak sa US 101

boy Bebop, a Japanese anime sci-fi series about bounty hunters aboard a spaceship with the name Bebop. Faye’s character based on Tom’s IG post, “And now you’re leaving just like that. “Why do you have to go? Why are you leaving? “What are you gonna do?! Just throw away your life like it was nothing?!” The lead character Spike has a meaningful answer: “I’m not going there to die. I’m going to find out if I’m really alive.” Following the audio, a song could be heard with the lyrics about a person on the crossroads and seems like he doesn’t know what to do. A part of the lyrics states: “I wonder if I stepped off / Would have float in space. “Standing at a crossroads / Frozen in place “I’m looking for salvation / But I miss my train “I’m too scared to go / too weak to stay.” As of this writing, Carla and Tom have not given their official statement about the news on their alleged separation. (ECD/ MTVN)

Maghanda Na!

SET BEF

ORE DR

2 PEOPLE 1 PERSON

IVING

3+ PEOPLE

 ENTERTAINMENT

January 27-February 2, 2022

Villar, Quiboloy awarded ABS-CBN frequencies QUEZON CITY – The government has dealt the final death blow on the ABSCBN Network as it awarded several frequencies it once had under its franchise to known allies of President Rodrigo Duterte. The biggest beneficiary is business tycoon Manuel B. Villar Jr. whose Advanced Media Broadcasting System Inc. was awarded by the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) provisional authorities (PA) to to install, operate, and maintain digital TV channel 16 and temporary simulcast on analog TV channel 2. Other beneficiaries of two separate companies to use channels 23 and 43 -both previously used by broadcast giant ABS-CBN Corp. -- to operate on digital television (TV) in Mega Manila are presidential spiritual adviser Pastor Apollo Quiboloy and the Aliw Broadcasting Co. of the late Ambassador Antonio Cabangon Chua. The NTC first granted a PA to the Villar-led Advanced Media Broadcasting System, Inc. the use Channel 2 “for simulcast purposes only” until the analog TV shut-off in 2023 as part of the country’s full transition to digital TV. NTC sources said the Villar group has 18 months within which to put Channel 2 back to work. In a statement, the NTC said it granted a provisional authority to Aliw Broadcasting Corporation (Aliw), which operates DWIZ, RPN and other stations, to “install,

operate, and maintain” a digital TV broadcasting system using channel 23 in an order promulgated on Jan. 5, 2022. “Aliw was the second applicant to install, operate, and maintain a digital TV in Metro Manila as filed on 30 July 2007, under Cast No. 2007-0126. ALIW has been waiting for an available digital TV frequency since 2007 after undergoing a quasi-judicial process which includes notice to all interested/affected parties and hearing,” the NTC said. On the other hand, the NTC granted the Swara Sug Media Corporation (SSMC), the legal operating name of Sonshine Media Network International (SMNI) founded and led by Pastor Apollo Quiboloy, a provisional authority to install, operate, and maintain digital TV channel 43. SMNI president Dr. Marlon Rosete confirmed the award to their company. “Yes ‘yung ch43 ang binigay,” he said. Channel 43 used to be assigned to Amcara Broadcasting Corp., whose legislative franchise expired in 2020. ABS-CBN used it for its TVPlus channels under a blocktime agreement with Amcara. Quiboloy already owns UHF Channel 40 where he broadcasts news and religious programs of his religious group Kingdom of Jesus Christ. Both companies, it said, were granted the provisional authorities after the determination of their “legal, technical, and financial qualification.” “Prior to the grant of the PA, the NTC sought policy ABISO NG PUNONG OPISYAL NG MGA HALALAN TUNGKOL SA ORAS AT LUGAR NG guidance from the DICT, a PAMBUONG-ESTADO NA DIREKTANG PRIMARYANG HALALAN, MGA PEDERAL, PANG-ESTADO, AT PAMBUONG-COUNTY NA KATUNGKULAN KUNG SAAN MAGMUMUNGlegal opinion from the DOJ KAHI NG MGA KWALIPIKADONG KANDIDATO SA PAMAMAGITAN NITO AY IBINIBIGAY ANG ABISO na gaganapin ang Pambuong-Estado na (Department of Justice), and Direktang Primaryang Halalan sa Martes, sa ika-7 araw ng Hunyo, 2022. the concurrence of OP-OES SA PAMAMAGITAN NITO AY INAABISUHAN ANG LAHAT NG KWALIPIKADONG TAO na gaganapin ang mga halalan sa County ng San Mateo, sa Estado ng California, para sa layunin ng (Office of the President – paghalal ng mga miyembro sa mga Pederal, Pang-Estado at Pambuong-County na Katungkulan na gaya ng sumusunod: Office of the Executive SecMga Pederal at Pang-Estadong Katungkulan: Senador ng U.S. (Buong Termino): 6 na taon, magsisimula sa Enero 3, 2023 retary),” the NTC said. Senador ng U.S. (Hindi Buo/Hindi pa tapos na Termino): Ang espesyal na halalan para sa bakanteng posisyon na ito ay para sa natitirang panahon ng hindi pa tapos na termino sa Senado ng Estados Cabinet Secretary Karlo Unidos, na matatapos sa Enero 3, 2023. Nograles clarified that when Kinatawan ng U.S.,Mga Distrito 15 at 16: 2 taong termino na magsisimula sa Enero 3, 2023 Gobernador: 4 na taong termino na magsisimula sa Enero 2, 2023 the NTC sought the legal Tenyente Gobernador: 4 na taong termino na magsisimula sa Enero 2, 2023 Abugado Heneral: 4 na taong termino na magsisimula sa Enero 2, 2023 opinion and concurrence of Kalihim ng Estado: 4 na taong termino na magsisimula sa Enero 2, 2023 Magsusupil: 4 na taong termino na magsisimula sa Enero 2, 2023 the DOJ and OP-OES on the Ingat-Yaman: 4 na taong termino na magsisimula sa Enero 2, 2023 matter, it was a “purely leKomisyonado ng Seguro: 4 na taong termino na magsisimula sa Enero 2, 2023 Lupon ng Pagpapantay ng Estado, Ika-2 Distrito: 4 na taong termino na magsisimula sa Enero 2, 2023 gal question” and no names Asembleya ng Estado, Mga Distrito 19, 21 at 23: 2 taong termino na magsisimula sa Disyembre 5, 2022 of individuals or companies Mga Di-partidistang Katungkulan sa Estado: Superintendente ng Pampublikong Pagtuturo ng Estado: 4 na taong termino na magsisimula sa Enero were discussed. 2, 2023 “When the NTC went to Mga Di-partidistang Katungkulan sa County: Hukom ng Kataas-taasang Hukuman: mayroong 6 na puwesto; 6 na taong termino na magsisimula sa the OP-OES, it was only to Enero 2, 2023 Lupon ng Mga Superbisor: Ika-2 Distrito at Ika-3 Distrito; 4 na taong termino na magsisimula sa Enero seek guidance on the author2, 2023 Tagatasa-Klerk na Tagapagtala ng County: 4 na taong termino na magsisimula sa Enero 2, 2023 ity to assign available and Kontroler: 4 na taong termino na magsisimula sa Enero 2, 2023 unused frequencies. Again, Koroner: 4 na taong termino na magsisimula sa Enero 2, 2023 Abugado ng Distrito: 4 na taong termino na magsisimula sa Enero 2, 2023 there was no mention of any Serip: 4 na taong termino na magsisimula sa Enero 2, 2023 Ingat Yaman-Tagakolekta ng Buwis: 4 na taong termino na magsisimula sa Enero 2, 2023 name or entity whatsoever,” Superintendente ng Mga Paaralan ng County: 4 na taong termino na magsisimula sa Enero 2, 2023 Mangyaring tumawag sa Dibisyon sa Pagpaparehistro at Mga Halalan ng County ng San Mateo sa Nograles said. 650.312.5293 para sa higit pang impormasyon. The decision to grant Makukuha ang mga papel ng deklarasyon ng kandidatura at papel ng nominasyon para sa mga kwalipikadong kandidato na gustong mag-file para sa alinman sa mga pagbobotohang katungkulan sa PAs to allow the operation Dibisyon sa Pagpaparehistro at Mga Halalan, 40 Tower Road, San Mateo, 650.312.5293, sa o pagkalipas ng Pebrero 14, 2022, at dapat itong ma-file nang hindi lalampas sa 5:00 p.m. sa Marso 11, of channels previously used 2022. Kung hindi na-file ang mga papel para sa kwalipikadong nanunungkulan bago lumipas ang takdang petsa at oras, magkakaroon ang mga botante ng hanggang 5:00 p.m. sa Marso 16, 2022, by ABS-CBN, he said, was upang magmungkahi ng mga kandidatong bukod sa nanunungkulan para sa naturang katungkulan. “up to the NTC based on IPINAHAHAYAG KO RIN na sa naturang halalan isusumite sa boto ng mga manghahalal ang naturang mga iminumungkahing pag-amyenda sa konstitusyon, katanungan, panukala, at inisyatibang their rules, regulations, and hakbang alinsunod sa iniaatas na pagsusumite ng mga ito ng Konstitusyon at mga batas ng Estadong ito. existing laws.” BILANG KARAGDAGAN SA ABISO magbubukas ang mga botohan sa naturang halalan mula 7:00 a.m. hanggang 8:00 p.m., sa araw na iyon. The NTC decision was BILANG KARAGDAGAN SA ABISO ang mga may botong Balota sa Pagboto sa Pamamagitan ng Koreo at Pansamantalang Balota para sa Halalan na gaganapin sa Martes, Hunyo 7, 2022, ay criticized by various groups, bibilangin sa lokasyong nakasaad sa ibaba: including Carlo Katigbak, County ng San Mateo Dibisyon ng Pagpaparehistro at Mga Halalan ABS-CBN president and 40 Tower Road San Mateo, CA 94402 CEO. Petsa: Pebrero 7, 2022 _______/lagda/_________ “ABS-CBN is not our Mark Church franchise. It’s not our transPunong Opisyal ng Mga Halalan at Tagatasa-Klerk na Tagapagtala ng County mitter, not oiur studios. 1/27/22 CNS-3549459# ABS-CBN is found in your

Villar

Quiboloy

heart of e very kapamilya that chooses to serve the Filipino, ABS-CBN is you. For so long as the passion to serve burns brightly in you, ABS-CBN will continue to be alive and well,” Katigbak said in a statement. “You will never be ABS-CBN!,” said former ANC head Jing Magsaysay, referring to Villar. “A frequency is just a frequency. Content creation is a whole different ball game. Plus, I hope they realize that the audience does not come with the frequency. You’re going to have to work blood, sweat and tears to build what ABS-CBN accomplished over 34 years plus the years before Marcos stole the channel.You can get the franchise but you will never be ABSCBN,” Magsaysay added. Villar-linked Advanced Media Broadcasting System Inc., got its 25-year franchise extension in 2019. It is taking over the television broadcast frequencies previously held by Lopez-led ABS-CBN Corp. ANC reported the award of frequencies to allies of President Rodrigo Duterte has provoked outrage. In a report, ABS-CBN stated that on January 5, Advanced Media Broadcasting Systems Inc (ABMS) took control of two channels that ABS-CBN once used. Channel 2, which ABS-CBN used for its analog broadcasts, and Channel 16, which the company used for its digital TV broadcast, were transferred to ABMS on the order of the National Telecommunications Commission. ABMS, which operates the FM station K-Lite, is owned by Planet Cable, a firm owned and operated by billionaire Manny Villar, one of the biggest supporters of President Rodrigo Duterte. The board of directors of Planet Cable is chaired by Cynthia J. Javarez, who sits as Treasurer and Chief Risk Officer of the Villar family’s listed real estate developer Vista Land and Lifescapes and retail mall operator VistaMalls. ABS-CBN also reported Planet Cable’s controlling shareholders are Prime Asset Ventures, and Streamtech Systems Technologies, both controlled by the Villar group. The company builds, operates and maintains cable, television and other related systems and services, covering the Villar group’s many real estate developments across Luzon and Visayas. The NTC said AMBS had applied for a permit to build and operate a digital TV broadcasting system in Metro Manila as

early as October 2006. In 2019, ABMS was granted a 25-year congressional franchise and sought government approval to sell itself to the Villar group. At the end of 2020, AMBS had suffered a net loss of over P3 million, based on its latest SEC filings. Planet Cable on the other hand lodged total revenues of P712.8 million in 2020, up substantially from 2019’s total sales of P445 million. Planet Cable’s SEC filings show its net profit in 2020 was P164.2 million, more than double 2019’s P69.3 million. Its total assets amounted to P3.6 billion. On Sept. 6, 2021, the House of Representatives approved the sale of AMBS to Planet Cable, according to ABS-CBN’s report. Planet Cable has substantial financial muscle compared to AMBS. It can also raise more capital through its principal, former Senator Manny Villar, who is listed as the richest man in the Philippines and valued at $7.3 billion by Forbes. The Villar group has yet to respond to requests for comment. AMBS has 18 months, or until 2023 to prove it can put up and run a digital television broadcasting system, or risk losing its provisional authority to use the frequencies previously held by ABSCBN. According to Bilyonaryo website and reported by ABS-CBN, the NTC sought the Justice Department’s opinion on opening up digital TV service to new players like Advanced Media. “The DOJ declared that the digital TV service could be opened to new players like Advanced Media because… the applicability of Memorandum Circular No. 07-12-2014 (which limits digital TV licenses only to those with analog TV operations) has been “altered by the change in factual circumstances,” according to Bilyonaryo. Bilyonaryo noted that Villar’s daughter-in-law, Emmeline Aglipay, was appointed Justice Undersecretary in 2018. Villar’s daughter, Las Piñas Rep. Camille Villar, meanwhile voted in 2020 against granting ABS-CBN a new franchise. The billionaire is a major supporter of President Rodrigo Duterte, and his son Mark was head of the Department of Public Works and Highways before resigning last year to run for a Senate seat in this year’s elections.

17 January 27-February 2, 2022

US-based Star Magic artist, former Net25 newscaster eager to join public service Former Star Magic artist and Net25 newscaster Eduard Bañez, now based in the US, is planning to come back to the Philippines, this time, not as an artist but to try his luck in public service. Eduard started singing at an early age of 5. However, it wasn’t until he was 17 years old when he decided to pursue a musical career.His rendition of Sharon Cuneta’s “Kahit Maputi Na ang Buhok Ko,” penned by Rey Valera, generated over 120,000 views on YouTube then. Eduard eventually became a member of Star Magic Batch 15 and was launched in 2006. His notable batchmates were Miss World 2013 Megan Young, Bela Padilla and Jessy Mendiola. Fortunately, Eduard managed to pursue his undergraduate nursing course at the New Era University then. Eduard was given a chance to co-anchor a tele-radio show with Arnell Ignacio on Radyo Singko 92.3 News FM. He also had a stint as a newscaster on Net25. he chance to work in the US came for Eduard. For ﬁve years in California, he had an opportunity to work with Ed Sheeran and Justin Bieber in the music video, “I Don’t Care.”

Eduard also relished the opportunity of working with Sia and her team for the music video, “Chandelier.” They used a lot of antique furniture from Africa is the shoot. He was so honored to have worked with Sia, that he intends to bring the artist to perform in Manila. However, that is set to happen when he pandemic tapers oﬀ and entertainment performances return to normal. Eduard even expressed his plan to release a single for Sia and other international artists, like R&B, pop and soul singer-songwriter Cassie Ventura, in the near future. Eduard remains undaunted in pursuing his Hollywood dream. He started with his small breakthrough, but he intends to continue until he makes his mark. While in the US, Eduard had the chance to pursue his studies in political arts and media history at the University of California in Los Angeles (UCLA). In the meantime, Eduard has been busy with an upcoming sitcom for the children’s cable network, Nickelodeon. He also recently worked at the popular California theme park, Six Flags, best

known for the largest roller coasters in the world. As he returns to Manila, Eduard wants to try his luck in public service. He has been considering to enter the political arena soon. Eduard also would like to devote his time and support relevant causes, such as HIV awareness in the Philippines. If given the chance, he would like to help

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those aﬀected by the virus and to encourage them to always stay positive in all that they do and live life to the fullest. This year, as soon as the pandemic is over, Eduard wants to support the least fortunate children in diﬀerent parts of the country. “I want to make them feel that somebody loves and cares for them, no matter what they are going through in life,” Eduard promises. (MTVI)

 ENTERTAINMENT

January 27-February 2, 2022

Bong Revilla, Agimat ng Agila S2 takes flight THERE’S more action, more adventure, and more exciting scenes to look forward to in the highlyanticipated GMA fantasy drama series “Agimat ng Agila Season 2” beginning January 29. Led by versatile actor Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. as Major Gabriel Labrador, the top-rating program showcases his adventures and misadventures as the bearer of the powers of an enchanted eagle who sets oﬀ on various missions to battle evil forces and protect the environment. Also returning to the series is the stellar roster of cast headlined by special guest Sanya Lopez as Maya Lagman, Ms. Elizabeth Oropesa as Nanay Berta, and Benjie Paras as Sergeant Wes Dimanahan together with new cast members Gardo Versoza as Zeus Limjoco, Betong Sumaya as Sergeant Art, Kim de Leon as Jumong, Lia Salvador as

Sharmaine, Sandro Muhlach as Archie, Shermaine Santiago as Carol Llamanzares, and newest Kapuso and Miss Universe Philippines 2021 Rabiya Mateo as Agent Asha Raj. “I am very thankful and very pleasantly surprised,” shared Bong. “Sobra sobra po ang pasasalamat ko sa lahat ng tumangkilik ng book 1 ng Agimat ng Agila. Siyempre alam naman natin ang ganda at husay ng produktong pinagsikapan natin para sa publiko, pero ganunpaman, sobrang nakakatuwa ang naging ratings natin at ang pagsubaybay ng mga manonood hanggang matapos.” He added that they’re all grateful to everyone anticipating the upcoming season, “Nakakataba ng puso marinig ang feedback ng mga manonood na sinasabi sa akin na After a successful ﬁrst season sobrang ganda raw ng Agimat, at earlier this year, the story continnabitin sila, at hinihintay na nila ues in a brand-new light with more ang book 2.” twists and exciting characters. Bong promises that they have intensely prepared for action-packed scenes that viewers loved from the ﬁrst season, “Mas pinaghandaan ko physically itong book 2. Gusto kasi ng ating mga viewers ng mas maraming aksyon kaya ‘yan ang pinaghandaan at ginagawa namin. Makikita nila sa action scenes sina Betong at si Rabiya Mateo. Kung nagandahan na sila sa mga napanood nila sa book 1, hintayin nila itong book 2 and I’m sure hindi sila madi-disappoint.” Agimat ng Agila is under the supervision of the GMA Entertainment Group headed by SVP for Entertainment Group Lilybeth G. Rasonable, VP for Drama Cheryl Ching-Sy, Senior Program Manager Ali Marie Nokom-Dedicatoria, and Executive Producers Joy Pili and Nieva Magpayo.

Based on the ﬁlm concept by Revilla, the series is a product of the visionary minds of GMA’s award-winning creative team -Creative Director Aloy Adlawan; Creative Consultant Agnes Gagelonia-Uligan; Head Writer Jojo Tawasil Nones; Senior Writer John Roque; Writer Ays De Guzman and developed for television by Agnes Gagelonia-Uligan and Jojo Tawasil Nones. Joining them is Genaro Nerdie Cruz, script consultant of Revilla. Be part of Major Gabriel’s oneof-a-kind journey in Agimat ng Agila Book 2 - under the helm of award-winning director Rico Gutierrez – starting January 29, Saturdays at 7:15PM on GMA. Kapuso abroad can catch Agimat ng Agila Season 2 on the Network’s international channel, GMA Pinoy TV. For more stories about GMA Network, visit www.GMANetwork. com

19 January 27-February 2, 2022

 ENTERTAINMENT

LA Unified School District supports measure to hike arts and music funding LOS ANGELES, California – The Los Angeles Unified School District Board has voted unanimously to support The Arts and Music in Schools Ballot initiative to increase arts and music funding in public schools after hearing from a diverse coalition of supporters. LA Unified arts educators voicing their support of the measure to the board include Stephanie Brown (Art Educator, Maclay Middle School), Stephen McDonough (Instrumental Orchestral Strings & Classical Guitar instructor, Hamilton High School), Jesus Sotelo Martinez (Teacher, Simon Rodia High School), Lea Woods (Theatre Teacher, Joseph Le Conte Middle School), and Eloy Adame (Teacher, Elizabeth Learning Center). Educators were joined by public education advocates Kevin Frazier (Co-host, Entertainment Tonight) and Chris Meledandri (founder & CEO, ILLUMINATION), as well as LAUSD Beyond the Bell Music Coordinator Tony White, urging the board to support this initiative. Additional supporters of the measure include actors, entertainers, and musicians who are education advocates including, Dr. Dre, will.i.am (Grammy Award-winning musician, producer, and tech entrepreneur), Issa Rae (actress, writer and producer), Jimmy Lovine (entrepreneur), and Richard Lovett (Co-Chairman, CAA). The Arts and Music in Schools measure seeks to increase funding for arts and music education in all PreK-12 public schools statewide—without raising taxes. It provides additional funding dedicated to arts and music education equivalent to 1% of the state’s existing PreK-12 annual investment--generating roughly $1 billion in funding each year. Funding from this initiative will cover a wide range of arts education programs. In addition to traditional music, visual arts and performing arts, funds will be used to pay for instruction in computer graphics, animation, coding and costume design. While all PreK-12 California public schools will see an increase in arts funding, schools serving students from lower income communities will receive more money. This will directly benefit the Black and Hispanic students that makeup 77% of public school enrollment in low-income communities. “Black and Latinx students comprise 61% of Pre-K-12 enrollment in California, 77% in low income communities. In LAUSD, the second largest school district in the country, 80% of our students are low-income. We know that an increase in access to the arts within our schools will open the door of opportunity for students to have careers in media and technology,” said Mónica Garcia, LAUSD Board Member who introduced the resolution alongside Board Members Melvoin and Gonez. “This measure understands what we see in our school system continually–Black and Latinx children are most likely to lack access to arts education—and specifically allocates more funding to schools serving these children to close the gap.” “Our coalition continues to grow with the endorsement of LA Unified, California’s largest school district,” said Austin Beutner, founder and Chairman of Vision to Learn and proponent of the initiative. “We hope each of the more than 1,000 school districts throughout the state will join us in support of the initiative. It’s clear the support is there in the

community for this effort—we’ve already collected more than 100,000 signatures in just two weeks.” LA Unified School District’s vote in support of this measure comes as public school arts and music educators recently kicked off the effort to gather signatures to ensure the measure will qualify for the November Ballot. Beutner’s coalition, Californians for Arts and Music Education in Public Schools received the official Title and Summary from the Attorney General on January 5th which can be found here: 21-003A1 - Final TS (ca.gov). The initiative needs 623,212 signatures from registered voters to qualify for the November ballot. The California Music Educators Association has endorsed the measure and is actively engaged with the campaign’s committee. They are joined in support of the measure by the California Art Education Association, the California Dance Education Association, and the California Educational Theatre Association. These statewide organizations have brought together arts and music educators for a series of online discussions to help organize signature gathering efforts at schools. Events have featured actor, author and musician John Lithgow. Within just two weeks of early signature gathering efforts, the campaign has received more than 100,000 signatures. Educators lead the way to the ballot qualification alongside supporters from across California.

Businesses Fender Musical Instruments Corporation and NBCUniversal headline the fundraising alongside committed individuals and public education advocates including Austin Beutner (founder and Chairman of Vision To Learn and proponent of the initiative), Connie and Steve Ballmer (former Microsoft CEO & owner of the LA Clippers), Frank Baxter (former Chairman of Alliance for CollegeReady Public Schools), Chris Meledandri (founder & CEO, ILLUMINATION), and entrepreneur Sky Dayton (founder of EarthLink and Boingo). Education, art, and community leaders are also supporting the measure including Michael Govan (CEO and Wallis Annenberg Director, Los Angeles County Museum of Art), Ravi Rajan (California Institute of the Arts), Antonia Hernández (President and CEO, California Community Foundation), John Echeveste (CEO, La Plaza), Michael A. Lawson (President and CEO, Los Angeles Urban League), and Neal Benezra (Director, SFMOMA). Guitar Center and The Forum are also supporting signature gathering eﬀorts on their premises. “The arts are not optional, they are essential. While students are recovering from the isolation and trauma of the pandemic, the arts provide an outlet for healing and spark joy,” said Kelly Gonez, LAUSD Board President. “This proposed initiative would bring signiﬁcant funding to our district and all school districts towards supporting arts and music education for our students, and I hope the voters will support this investment.”

 REAL ESTATE

January 27-February 2, 2022

Loan Modification soon to be a popular option for homeowners

SEC approves Century Properties bond offering PASAY CITY – The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has considered favorably the public offering of Century Properties Group for P6 billion worth of fixed-rate bonds under shelf registration. In its meeting on January 25, the commission en banc resolved to render effective the registration statement filed by Century Properties for the debt securities program, subject to certain remaining requirements. The bonds may be offered in one

or more tranches within three years. For the first tranche, the listed property developer will offer up to P2 billion of five-year fixed-rate bonds due 2027, with an oversubscription option of up to P1 billion. Net proceeds from the offer could amount to P2.94 billion, assuming the overallotment option is fully exercised. Proceeds will be used to partially refinance the company’s debt, fund capital expenditures for horizontal af-

fordable housing developments, and fund general corporate requirements. Century Properties will offer the bonds comprising the first tranche at face value from February 14 to 18, in time for their listing on the Philippine Dealing & Exchange Corp. on February 24, according to the latest timetable submitted to the SEC. The company has engaged China Bank Capital Corporation as the sole issue manager, sole lead underwriter, and sole bookrunner for the offer.

Pag-IBIG releases record P1-B housing loans in 2021 QUEZON CITY – The Home Development Mutual Fund (Pag-IBIG Fund) last year ﬁnanced P100.8 billion worth of housing loans, the highest ever released by the agency in a year despite the continuing Covid-19 pandemic. Department of Human Settle-

ments and Urban Development (DHSUD) Secretary Eduardo del Rosario, who also heads the 10-member Pag-IBIG Fund Board of Trustees, said the in-home loan disbursements contributed to the economic recovery eﬀorts of the government. “While the country is still facing

challenges caused by the pandemic, I am happy to report that Pag-IBIG released more than PHP100 billion in home loans in 2021, surpassing its best-ever ﬁgure which it achieved in 2019, before the health crisis started,” del Rosario said in a statement.

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What is loan modification? Loan modification is when a lender agrees to alter the terms of a homeowner’s existing loan to help them avoid default and keep their house during times of financial hardship. Goal is to reduce borrowers payment so they can afford to stay and not let the property go into foreclosure. Loan modification vs refinance A refinance is typically the first plan of action for homeowners who need a lower mortgage payment. However, borrowers going through financial hardship might not be able to use a refinance program. They may have trouble qualifying for the new loan due to a reduced income, lower credit score, high-interest credit card debt, or other unexpected debt obligations (such as medical expenses). In these cases, the homeowner might be eligible for a mortgage loan modification. Loan modification vs forbearance Forbearance is another way servicers can help borrowers during times of financial stress. Loan forbearance is a temporary plan that pauses mortgage payments while a homeowner gets back on their feet. For example, many homeowners who lost their jobs or had reduced income were able to request forbearance for up to a year or more during the COVID pandemic. “At this time, it may be much less of an option due to the amount of forbearance provided early on, during COVID, and many are now becoming due,” says Jon Meyer, The Mortgage Reports loan expert and licensed MLO. Unlike forbearance, mortgage loan modification is a permanent plan that changes the rate or terms of your loan. Forbearance and loan modification can sometimes be combined to make a more effective mortgage relief plan. Conventional loan modification Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and private lenders of conventional loans have their own modification programs and guidelines. In particular, Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae offer Flex Modification programs designed to decrease a qualified borrower’s mortgage payment by about 20%. Flex Modification typically involves adjusting the interest rate, forbearing a portion of the principal balance, or extending the loan’s term to make monthly payments more affordable for the homeowner. To be eligible for a Flex Modification program, the homeowner must have: At least three monthly payments past due on a primary residence, second home, or investment property Or less than three monthly payments past due but the loan is in “imminent default,” meaning the lender has determined the home loan will definitely default without modification. This is only an option for primary residences Certain hardships can trigger imminent default status; for instance, the death of a primary wage earner in the household, or serious illness or disability of the borrower. Unemployment is typically not an eligible reason for Flex Modification. Borrowers who are unemployed are more likely to be placed in a temporary forbearance plan — which pauses payments for a set period of time, but does not permanently change the loan’s term or interest rate. In addition, government-backed FHA loans, VA loans, and USDA loans are not eligible for Flex Modification programs. FHA loan modification The Federal Housing Administration offers its own loan modification options to make payments more manageable for delinquent borrowers. Depending on your situation, FHA loan modification options may include: • Lowering the interest rate • Extending the loan term • Rolling unpaid principal, interest, or loan costs back into the existing loan’s balance • Re-amortizing the mortgage to help the borrower make up missed payments In some cases where extra assistance is needed, FHA borrowers may be eligible for the FHA-Home Affordable Modification Program (FHA-HAMP). FHA-HAMP allows the (Continue on page 27)

21 January 27-February 2, 2022

NEWS  NATIONAL SPORTS NEWS

Mark Magsayo upsets Russell, wins WBC featherweight belt ATLANTIC CITY/MANILA – The Philippines has a new boxing world champion. This after Mark Magsayo, who fights under MP Promotions, trounced undefeated American Gary Russell Jr. for the WBC featherweight championship on Sunday at the Borgata Hotel Casino in Atlantic City, making him the first Filipino world sporting champion in 2022. Malacañang joined the nation in celebrating the victory of Magsayo, now the country’s fifth world reigning professional boxing champion. Earlier, Sen. Emmanuel Pacquiao, a world boxing icon, congratulated Magsayo, his protegee, for the upset win. “Congratulations, Mark Magsayo on your first world championship,” Pacquiao tweeted. “Thank you for bringing honor to our country by becoming the latest Filipino world boxing champion. Welcome to the club.” “We are one with the Filipino people in celebrating the victory of Mark “Magnifico” Magsayo when he dethroned Gary Russell Jr. to become the new WBC featherweight champion,” Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles, acting presidential spokesperson, said in a statement. Other reigning Filipino world titleholders include Jerwin Ancajas (IBF super flyweight), Rene Mark Cuarto (IBF world minimumweight), John Riel Casimero (WBO bantamweight), and Nonito Donaire (WBC bantamweight). “We thank Mark for giving pride and honor to the country and demonstrating to the world the courage, determination and perseverance of the Filipino boxer,”

Nograles said. “Mabuhay ang new world champion! Mabuhay ang Pilipinas! (Long live to the new world champion! Long live Philippines!).” Magsayo later said he is eyeing Mexican fighter Leo Santa Cruz in his first title defense. The pride of Tacloban said battling Santa Cruz would be a great clash in the ring. “It will be good to fight him because he’s also strong,” the 26-year-old Magsayo said. Magsayo said he will work harder after his win because it’s tougher to defend a title than to chase it. “I will double my efforts because it’s harder to defend the title. I will persevere more in my trainings,” he added. Magsayo kept his immaculate record at 24-0 with 16 knockouts. Another report indicated taht unbeaten Mexican contender Rey Vargas emerged as Magsayo’s mandatory challenger, according to WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman in a report from BoxingScene. Currently, Vargas, the former WBC super bantamweight champion, is the No. 1 contender in WBC’s featherweight division while he is ranked No. 4 in the World Boxing Organization with Magsayo being the No. 1. Vargas has an unbeaten record of 35-0 (win-loss) with 22 wins coming by way of knockout. With the latest development, the possible unification bout between Magsayo and WBO world featherweight champion Emanuel Navarrete will be likely sidelined, it was reported.

In his biggest victory so far, Magsayo, a native of Tagbilaran City, ﬂashed his brilliance for most part of the bout. Russell, however, showed heart despite hurting his right shoulder and kept the ﬁght too close that it ended up in a majority decision favoring Magsayo. Magsayo began the match aggressive, quickly tagging Russell with power shots especially to the torso to get a head start three rounds in. Russell appeared to have bounced back early into Round 4, but after landing a punch, he apparently injured his right shoulder. Despite the injury and even the weight issues he had late into training camp, the 33-year-old Russell proved

why he has been a champion in the 126-pound division for nearly seven years, eventually slowing Magsayo down midway through the bout. But come the second half, Russell’s injury took a toll on him as Magsayo put on a clinic, forcing the former to just go on dodging mode with his right arm feeling the pain already. Lynne Carter had it 114-114, but fellow judges Mark Consentino and Henry Grant both scored the bout 115-113 for the now 24-0 Magsayo, who was successful in only his ﬁrst world title shot. Russell, on the other hand, fell to 31-2, losing for the ﬁrst time since also dropping a majority decision loss to Vasyl Lomachenko in 2014.

Obiena-PATAFA mediation put on hold MANILA – The Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) has put the mediation between EJ Obiena and the Philippine Athletic Track and Field Association (PATAFA) on hold. The PSC made the statement after Obiena announced his decision to back out of the talks. According to the world number six pole vaulter, he was “forced to officially withdraw” from the mediation process to be led by the PSC “due to the bad faith” of his mother national sports association. “It is a recipe for failure to enter into mediation when one party is in bad faith; PATAFA was in bad faith this whole time as they signed the mediation with their true intention to still pursue the filing of a baseless criminal case of estafa against me,” Obiena said. Obiena also accused PATAFA of lying about its true intent to enter mediation with him, bringing up the case of World Athletics vice president Sergey Bubka’s affidavit regarding Obiena’s liquidation matters. “PATAFA has said they want a peaceful resolution, but their actions prove this as a lie. You cannot have peace while pointing a gun at the other guys’ head, and say ‘let’s have a peaceful resolution.’ This is the exact opposite of good faith mediation. They have been tell-

ing the public that Sergey Bubka voluntarily executed his affidavit. They omitted the fact that it was Mr. [Philip Ella] Juico who prepared the affidavit of Sergey Bubka, instructed him to get it apostilled, paid all associated costs, and cajoled him to sign,” Obiena claimed. Regarding the liquidation itself, Obiena said he already completed it last week. “As of January 21, 2022 all my pending liquidation with the PSC is done. It’s closed,” he added while thanking PSC Chairman William “Butch” Ramirez for his efforts as the peacemaker. Obiena also lashed out at PATAFA for not completing the information it released during its press conference on January 4 where the body ruled to have him removed from the national team and slapped with an estafa complaint. “As mediation requires the voluntary agreement of both parties for the process to proceed, we inform you that mediation is temporarily on hold,” the PSC stated. The PSC said it remains firm that the mediation process is the best way to finally put to rest the rift between Obiena and the PATAFA, which stemmed from liquidation issues. “We maintain our stand that mediation is still the best option to resolve this matter,” it said.

Speaking of liquidation, the PSC also confirmed that Obiena has accomplished his liquidation reports. “Mr. Obiena has submitted his liquidation reports. The PSC’s accounting office and the Commission on Audit shall proceed with their normal post-audit process of checking and verification on submitted liquidation documents,” it said. Meanwhile, Philippine Olympic Committee president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino disclosed that Obiena is listed in the Philippine team that will compete in the Southeast Asian Games (SEAG) in Hanoi this May. Tolentino reiterated a certain clause in the International Olympic Committee (IOC) charter that could allow Obiena, the defending SEA Games men’s pole vault champion, to compete even without an endorsement from his mother national sports association (NSA), which is the PATAFA. “The NOC (National Olympic Committee) is the sole authority who submits the delegation as the final list on all Olympic, regional, continental, and world tournaments patronized by the IOC not only based on sports merits but based on if the athletes will be the inspiration of the youth of that country,” Tolentino told the Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum as reported by PNA’s Ivan Stewart Saldajeno.

January 27-February 2, 2022

Q: How do you eat an elephant? A: I often ask clients who are severely affected and overwhelmed by their debt problems this question, How do you eat an elephant? In most cases they really don’t know how to reply. Some think it is a trick question but it is merely a hyperbole of what to do with their problem. Just the thought of where to begin becomes very overwhelming right away. The way to answer this question is not to think of the question in itself but to think of what it means. The answer is one bite at a time. To some clients instead of attacking the problem one step at a time is impossible that is why they really do not know where to begin. Sometimes we need to back away from the picture in order to see it whole. When we are too close we cannot see the full picture. So back up, look at the picture so we can analyze correctly and sort out a solution one step at a time which also translates to one bite at a time to eat the elephant. In most big problems the solutions do not come in one big package. Solving problems take a lot of steps and sometimes it can take multiple trials and errors in order to find the solution. The right attitude is to not give up on it like some do and end up getting sued. Debt problems are just like any other problems. Ask for help if it is too big for you and to get the right answer sooner than later. There are experts in this field which can make finding the answer easier. Ating lesson, Problema man ay malake, may solusyon pag marunong dumiskarte. If you need help in getting out of debt, call Debt Aid Consulting International. We do not use call centers which keeps your information safe. We have a new program that reconstruct debts for half of what you would pay our competitors. We also provide legal assistance that keeps collectors away. We take Federal Credit Unions, Payday loans and high interest personal loans in our program too. This is exclusively available for Debt Aid Consulting clients. None of our competitors provide this program. You are well protected. We only provide Federal Trade Commission compliant programs. Go with Debt Aid Consulting! Do not fall for marketing gimmicks saying that they have the right program for you. Most marketing companies only have one program and will enroll you in that program whether it fits you or not. So beware! Ben Lou at your service! I have over 35 years of financial experience. If you would like sound financial advice, call us at Debt Aid Consulting International. We do not use call centers. No one has the right to put your information at risk. Debt Aid Consulting is the first and only Filipino debt mediation company incorporated in the US and Canada, Caribbean Islands, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand and the Philippines! Your Global Debt Solutions Company! Tawag na po sa 1-888341-5234 at tutulungan po namin kayo. Itama po natin ang mali!

 COMMUNITY NEWS

January 27-February 2, 2022

CA top epidemiologist urges everyone to cooperate in war against COVID-19

By Jun Nucum

SAN FRANCISCO - Admitting that California is in a critical stage of the COVID-19 pandemic, State Epidemiologist Dr. Erica Pan declared that “we are getting back to basic” as cases continue to rise to the “highest levels that we have ever seen.” Pan shared the view as she addressed the most frequently asked questions around Omicron, COVID-19 vaccines, boosters and testing, among others, in a media briefing organized by Ethnic Media Services and the Vaccinate All 58 campaign. Questions also included queries received from Californians who called the Statewide COVID-19 Hotline to respond to them live. As the state’s top-ranking epidemiologist appointed by Governor Gavom Newsom to the Western States Scientific Safety Review Workgroup, which is responsible for independently reviewing the FDA’s actions related to COVID-19 vaccines, Dr, Pan enlightened participants on the basics and even complex questions on the pandemic. .As part of the California Department of Public Health’s “Week of Action” (Jan. 17-21), the briefing was hosted by the Vaccinate ALL 58 campaign. “Though some leveling off are seen at some level but case numbers are still increasing. And we are greatly impacted by this Omicron variant. As of January 19, around 15,000 Californians are in the hospital with COVID-19 and the state has seen a 20.9% positive history meaning a fifth of those tested have proven positive,” Pan reported.. Pan stressed that it is everyone’s responsibility to do what “we can to slow the spread of COVID-19 and end this pandemic.” “The risks of hospitalization and death remain high for unvaccinated individuals, so the most important thing we need to continue to do is get vaccinated and get boosted,” said Pan, a pediatric disease specialist and an expert on COVID-19. “All three available COVID-19 vaccines continue to be highly effective at preventing severe illness, hospitalization and death.” In pitching for the vaccine, Pan underscored that vac-

cines teach the body’s immune system to fight against infection. Scientists have made the COVID-19 vaccines by using part of the virus’s genetic code, either a messenger RNA (mRNA) or DNA, depending on the type of vaccine. “Like all other vaccinations, the vaccines teach our body’s immune system to fight against infection. Once inside the cell, this piece of the genetic code gives instructions to make a small, harmless piece of the COVID-19 virus called the spike protein. Our body notices the spike protein, and the immune system makes antibodies to destroy the spike proteins,” Pan said. “This process then teaches your body how to recognize and fight against the virus. If you are exposed to the virus in the future, even currently circulating variants of the virus, your immune system will quickly recognize the virus and have the antibodies and T-cells ready to fight infection,” she said. In replying on how effective the vaccines are against the new variants, Pan countered that the risks of hospitalization and death remain high for un-vaccinated individuals, so the most important thing we need to continue to do is get vaccinated and get boosted. All three available COVID-19 vaccines continue to be highly effective at preventing severe illness, hospitalization and death. On the benefits of the vaccine even after still contracting the virus, Pan said that “getting vaccinated and getting boosted helps keep you out of the hospital by lessening the severity of positive cases. Vaccines keep Californians off of ventilators and save lives. Protect yourself from the worst impacts of this virus and prevent spreading it from those at high risk or who can’t get the vaccine.” Pan y answered yes when asked whether someone still needs to be vaccinated even after having COVID-19 especially considering highly contagious variants are impacting communities. “Immunity acquired from a previous infection of COVID-19 is strong but often variable from person to person and antibodies developed from a previous infection are also temporary, with immunity declining over time,” Pan said. “The immunity protection from vaccination appears to be broader, providing stronger protec-

tion against the virus and variants. The more vaccinations get into the arms of eligible Californians, the more we prevent the spread and shrink the pool of people vulnerable to COVID-19.The goal is to minimize and mitigate the burden of disease in California, which is why every sinERICA PAN gle shot counts.” Pan advised that even with a vaccine and a booster dose, harm reduction precautions are still prudent to keep all Californians safe. Vaccines are not 100% effective, and some groups are not yet eligible for the vaccine, so taking harm reduction precautions such as wearing a face mask helps protect them from contracting COVID-19 and becoming seriously ill. Pan also addressed the concerns that vaccines may not be safe for young children saying that comprehensive clinical trials in more than 4,500 children ages 5-11 demonstrate that the COVID-19 vaccine is safe and effective in this age group, resulting in strong antibody response in children who received the vaccine. The COVID-19 vaccine was found to be safe for children ages 5-11, with only mild side effects like fatigue, fever and headache. The nation’s immunization experts analyze all reports concerning any possible serious side effects following a COVID-19 vaccine. Serious side effects are rare — and the benefits of vaccination far outweigh any risk. “There have been rare, reported cases of inflammation of the heart muscle known as myocarditis and pericarditis sometimes a week after receiving the second dose of mRNA vaccine. Cases have generally occurred in young adults, men, and people with certain medical conditions or recent medical procedures. In contrast, COVID-19 disease can cause more severe myocarditis than cases rarely seen after immunization.,” Pan said.

Gold House, other API brands to usher in Year of the Tiger with campaign for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital MEMPHIS, Tenn. (Jan. 25, 2022) – Gold House is partnering with several Asian and Paciﬁc Islander-owned brands for its second annual Lunar New Year campaign for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital® to bring good fortune to St. Jude patient families and raise awareness and support for its lifesaving mission: Finding cures. Saving children.® From February 1 through April 30, when shoppers purchase from participating brands, they will have the option to donate to St. Jude during the checkout process. Additionally, a portion of the proceeds from each sale will go toward St. Jude research and treatment of childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases. Pediatric cancer is a trillion-dollar, multi-year problem, requiring millions of supporters coming together to solve. The public and partnerships like this one make it possible for St. Jude to save children together. “Gold House is proud to once again partner with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital to direct the collective power of API-founded businesses in the Gold House community toward supporting and advancing its crucial research and treatment of cancer and other catastrophic children’s diseases,” said Mikkoh Chen, Head of Gold House Futures. Last year St. Jude launched its six-year, $11.5 billion strategic plan – the largest in St. Jude history – to create a brighter future for children with cancer and other catastrophic diseases by delivering on its promise to triple its global investments and

help more of the 400,000 children with cancer around the world each year. Thanks to generous supporters, St. Jude has pressed ahead with a vital collaboration with the World Health Organization to increase global access to pediatric cancer medicines, which will allow St. Jude to impact as many as 120,000 young cancer patients in 50 countries by 2027. Participating brands in the Lunar New Year campaign include Covry, Dagne Dover, Duck Duck Books, Fly By Jing, Glow Recipe, Health-Ade, Neuro Gum, Nona Lim, The Qi, Sanzo, and Tochi Snacks. These companies oﬀer a wide array of products, including food, condiments, beverages, books, eyewear, beauty and handbags. Several of them are members of the Gold House Founder Network, a cross-industry community of promising Asian and Paciﬁc Islander entrepreneurs and business leaders. St. Jude patient families embody the strength and courage of the Tiger. Among the children who are thriving after receiving treatment at St. Jude are Calvin who had an aggressive, noncancerous brain tumor called craniopharyngioma, Max who had retinoblastoma, a cancer of the eye, and Maelin-Kate who was diagnosed with a rare blood disease called Fanconi anemia. A limited-edition Tiger plush toy named after St. Jude patient Maelin-Kate is available via the St. Jude Gift Shop. For additional campaign information, visit stjude.org/lunarnewyear.

### About Lunar New Year Lunar New Year is celebrated by billions of people around the world. The holiday begins with the ﬁrst new moon of the lunar calendar. Loved ones gather to usher out the old year and welcome the new with celebratory feasts and the traditional exchange of monetary gifts in red envelopes to children. The Year of the Tiger commences on February 1. About St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital ® St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is leading the way the world understands, treats and defeats childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases. Its purpose is clear: Finding cures. Saving children.® It is the only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center devoted solely to children. Treatments invented at St. Jude have helped push the overall childhood cancer survival rate from 20% to more than 80% since the hospital opened more than 50 years ago. St. Jude won’t stop until no child dies from cancer. St. Jude shares the breakthroughs it makes, and every child saved at St. Jude means doctors and scientists worldwide can use that knowledge to save thousands more children. Because of generous donors, families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food, so they can focus on helping their child live.

25 January 27-February 2, 2022

 COMMUNITY NEWS

VP Harris, Newsom push State-Federal investments, action to build wildﬁre resilience

At San Bernardino Na�onal Forest, Governor Newsom joins Vice President Harris to highlight state-federal ac�on to support California communities hit hard by recent Jennifer Eberlien, California Natural Resources Agency build wildfire resilience. wildfires with cleanup efforts, reforestation, watershed Secretary Wade Crowfoot and CAL FIRE Acting Di-

SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY – Governor Gavin Newsom last week joined Vice President Kamala Harris and U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on a visit to the San Bernardino National Forest to highlight new federal funding for wildfire recovery and mitigation efforts and discuss state-federal collaboration to tackle the wildfire crisis, complementing California’s bold investments and ongoing work to build wildfire resilience statewide. The California Blueprint proposes an additional $1.2 billion as part of a total $2.7 billion multi-year package to step up forest management and other projects to decrease catastrophic wildfire risk amid the extreme climate impacts across the West. “California is on the frontlines of the climate crisis, experiencing record-breaking heat waves, wildfire seasons, and droughts. We’re fortunate to have the BidenHarris Administration’s partnership in meeting this existential challenge head-on,” said Governor Newsom. “Our state is leading the nation with transformative investments and innovative strategies to protect Californians and the environment. We look forward to our continued collaboration with the federal government to scale up this vital work, and I thank Vice President Harris for her leadership in this space,” Newsom said. Vice President Harris announced $1.3 billion in federal funding for post-wildfire and hurricane recovery in states across the country, including $600 million to

restoration and infrastructure repairs. In addition, the Vice President announced more than $48 million in funding for Joint Chief’s Landscape Restoration Partnership projects – including four in California – that mitigate catastrophic wildfire risk and help create climate-resilient landscapes, protect water quality and enhance wildlife habitat. At San Bernardino National Forest, Governor Newsom joins Vice President Harris to highlight state-federal action to build wildfire resilience. The announcements build on the Biden-Harris Administration’s recently-released 10-year strategy that aligns with the Governor’s Wildfire and Forest Resilience Action Plan. The strategy calls for the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) to significantly expand fuels and forest health treatments, prioritizing high-risk areas including the Sierra Nevada Range in California. Joint state-federal management is crucial to California’s overall forest health and wildfire resilience, as the federal government owns 57 percent of California’s forestlands while the state owns 3 percent. Following an aerial tour of fire scars from the 2020 El Dorado Fire and Apple Fire, the Governor, Vice President Harris and Secretary Vilsack joined officials including Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA) and Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-CA) at the USFS Del Rosa Fire Station for a briefing by state and federal fire officials. USFS Chief Randy Moore, USFS Regional Forester

rector Michael Richwine provided an overview of this year’s fire outlook, current drought impacts and the extreme weather conditions that are driving catastrophic wildfires in the Western U.S. Building on the Governor’s previous budget investments in emergency management and executive actions to help combat catastrophic wildfires, the California Blueprint proposes an additional $1.2 billion as part of a total $2.7 billion multi-year investment to step up forest management and other projects to decrease catastrophic wildfire risk. The Blueprint also includes $648 million for firefighters and firefighting equipment, including new fire hawks and helitankers. In addition, a proposed $175.2 million, as part of a planned $1.1 billion investment over the next five years, will fund major capital outlay projects that include replacing fire stations and making improvements to accommodate CAL FIRE’s new helicopter and aircraft fleet. In 2020, the Newsom Administration and the U.S. Forest Service announced a shared stewardship agreement under which they are working to treat one million acres of forest and wildland annually to reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire. The Governor last year launched an expanded and refocused Wildfire and Forest Resilience Task Force with federal, local and tribal leaders to deliver on key commitments in his Wildfire and Forest Resilience Action Plan. (Jo Erlinda Maufit)

LOS ANGELES - Several LA County COVID-19 metrics are showing decline, including daily cases, daily case rate, positivity rate, and hospitalizations, the county’s Department of Public Health reported. Although the declines are a positive sign, residents should not take them as an indication to forgo common sense protective measures that will allow these declines to continue, the department said. Utilizing public health safety measures will drive down cases, which will ultimately end staﬃng shortages, reduce workplace and school outbreaks, and most importantly, keep residents from getting seriously ill and dying, the department added in a statement sent to Philippine News Today. Two weeks ago on January 11th, LA County reported 34,827 new cases, two days after seeing the highest number of new cases since the pandemic began, said the Department of Public Health. The number is down to 18,822 new cases at press time, the department said. “While this is still a high number of cases, it represents a 46% drop in new cases in two weeks. Over the same time period, the daily rate of cases per 100,000 residents also de-

creased by 20% and the daily positivity rate decreased by 30%,” the department added. The department also reported that the number of residents getting seriously ill and needing hospitalization has also begun to decline. “As hospitalizations lag cases, the number of people hospitalized peaked on January 20th at 4,814 and have slowly declined since, with 4,554 people currently hospitalized. While this decline is small and just beginning, we are hopeful with a reduced number of cases, the number of people hospitalized will continue to go down,” the department said. The department noted that while the declines are cause for hopefulness, “the number of people dying from COVID-19 is unfortunately increasing, as deaths typically lag increases in cases and hospitalizations.” Over the past two weeks, deaths have increased by 140% from 15 deaths reported on January 11th to 36 deaths reported on January 25, the department said. “Sadly, the number of people dying is expected to continue to increase for the next several weeks,” it added. “I know so many are mourning the loss of a loved one and I send my heartfelt condolences and wishes for heal-

ing,” said Dr. Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health. “While we are finally turning a corner on this surge, we will need to remain cautious in order to reduce transmission to a low enough level that it poses less risk for those most vulnerable and less risk for our recovery journey.” “We are in a different place today because we have more effective tools for managing transmission, and these tools allow us to use different strategies for getting through this surge,” Ferrer said. “Even during the surge, it’s been possible to continue many of our customary activities if we layer in all of the protections now available and take personal responsibility for recognizing our role in reducing transmission, protecting those we love, and protecting those most vulnerable.” This as the Department of Public Health confirmed 36 additional deaths and 25,784 new cases of COVID-19. Of the 27 new deaths reported, one person was between the ages of 18 and 29, three people were between the ages of 30 and 49, four were between the ages of 50 and 64, eight were between the ages of 65-79, and 15 were over the age of 80 years old.

COVID-19 cases down but deathsup in LA County; residents told to help reduce risk and spread of virus

 COMMUNITY NEWS

January 27-February 2, 2022

From pandemic to endemic: Will we ever be there? By Ethnic Media Services LOS ANGELES - Even as Covid-19 hospitalization rates surge in some parts of the U.S., many public health experts are advising a shift from thinking of the crisis as a pandemic to an endemic, in which Covid will continue to be around for an unknown number of years, but at levels that are low and controllable. At a round-table news briefing Jan 21, hosted by Ethnic Media Services, Dr. Ben Newman — chief virologist at Texas A&M University’s Global Health Research Complex — and Dr. Dali Fan, Health Science Clinical Professor at the University of California, Davis, debated the issue in a lively discussion. Fan likened Covid-19 to the flu. “We have to learn to live with this virus, like we do with angina or cancer.” Newman disagreed. “In the US, in a given year, the flu will kill between 12,000 and 16,000 people. And in a given year, Covid will several hundred thousand people. So this is a very much more serious problem.” “I’m not done with this thing until we have exhausted every possible opportunity to get rid of Covid once and for all, because the reward for doing that is a world where you don’t have to worry about Covid, and you don’t have to live with that number of deaths and hospitalizations in the ones you love. And I think that’s worth fighting for,” he said. QUESTIONS AND RESPONSES The Centers for Disease Control announced Jan. 21 that booster shots of the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines have proven highly effective at preventing Omicron-related hospitalizations, and 90 percent effective at keeping people out of hospital after they had become infected with the Omi-

cron variant. DALI FAN — Well, that’s hardly surprising. We know that even the protective effect of two shots of the Pfizer vaccine, wanes after some time from 80 percent to about 30 percent, but a booster shot really elevates it back up to 70 percent. So this was a really good piece of news. The undertone of the news is: get vaccinated, get the booster shots. Given that that the vaccine’s effectiveness wanes after a period of time, will we have to get fourth and fifth boosters as we go along, maybe boosters every six months? BEN NEUMAN — It’s not clear whether this is the case, but at the moment, based on the data we have, I think I would agree that more boosters are likely. Additional doses of the vaccine raise both the levels of cellular immunity and antibody immunity. And they give you both broader protection and more protection. They are a good idea, and they are the best idea that we have so far to deal with this virus. DALI FAN — It is not only whether we should have a fourth or fifth shot or not, but also the time of those shots, whether it’s six months or 12 months or later. That is still unknown. I think time will tell. When do we expect to see a peak of the Omicron variant? And what target number or percentage must we reach before we can say we have effectively fought off this variant? DALI FAN — Omicron started in South Africa, and then went to England very quickly. So if you look at those countries, they peaked very quickly within the first week or two, and then they come down very quickly as well. That’s the hallmark of Omicron across the globe. I think that’s the same thing happened in the US. It started in New York, then spread towards the middle part of the country, and to the West Coast right now.

From le� to right: Dr. Ben Neuman, Chief Virologist at the Global Health Research Complex, Texas A&M University; Dr. Dali Fan, Health Science Clinical Professor, UC Davis; Dr. Monica Gandhi, Professor of Medicine and Associate Division Chief of the Division of HIV, Infec�ous Diseases, and Global Medicine, UCSF/San Francisco General Hospital I think we’re peaking in the West Coast it. In California, I think we should spike now or in the next week, and then come down by early February. BEN NEUMAN — Testing centers are overwhelmed: we are under-reporting because we are under-testing at the moment. So to some extent, I’m not sure how much we can believe the apparent slowing in the number of cases. Given the current rates of infection, is it safe for our schools to re-open? DALI FAN — I do. I think it’s always a balance, not just in infectious disease, but in also in any other field. You balance the risk and benefit of reopening schools. Societal engagement for children right now outweighs the benefit of shut down. My concern is the side effect of shutdown society, and it’s aftermath. Can we move towards an endemic, in which we acknowledge that Covid-19 will be with us for the long-term, and re-open our society to pre-pandemic norms?

DALI FAN — if you look at cancer, or in my ﬁeld, chronic angina, you try a bypass, you do everything you can to mechanically provide more circulation back to the heart. But at some point you’re going to have to say enough is enough. And then the patient has to live on. There’s a life to live, their families, work that needs to be done. So at that point, you have to live with angina. By that same analogy, we have to learn to live with Covid, no matter how brutal it is. BEN NEUMAN — I do not believe we have come to the point where we have to give up. And that’s essentially what people are talking about when they talk about the the disease becoming an endemic. I’m not done with this thing until we have exhausted every possible opportunity to get rid of Covid once and for all. Because the reward for doing that is a world where you don’t have to worry about Covid, and you don’t have to live with the number of deaths and hospitalizations in the ones you love. And I think that’s worth ﬁghting for.

PG&E Offers Wide Variety of Resources to Reduce Energy Usage, Costs Here are Ways to Reduce Winter Energy Bills and Get Help Paying Them

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif.— By taking advantage of some simple, realistic steps, customers can reduce energy bills this winter. Paciﬁc Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) knows some customers may be experiencing higher energy bills this winter. A decline in natural gas production during the initial months of the pandemic, combined with drought conditions reducing hydroelectric generation is impacting the cost of natural gas around the nation. Natural gas prices from November 2021 to January 2022 are 90% higher than last winter. PG&E passes the cost of energy purchases – both gas and electricity -- to its customers with no mark-up, meaning that what customers pay for fuel costs is what PG&E pays. “We take a number of actions to reduce the impact of volatile natural gas prices but recognize even these proactive measures can’t prevent a spike like this from impacting a customer’s monthly bill. That’s why we are encouraging customers to act now by making simple changes, checking available rate options, and ensuring they are aware of and participating in ﬁnancial assistance programs, if eligible,” said Aaron August, PG&E’s Vice President of Business Development and Customer Engagement. https://d.adroll.com/cm/aol/out Ways to Save Energy this Winter Heating can account for more than 40% of energy costs. Here are ways to make sure that you’re getting the most from the money you spend on heating your home or business: Set the thermostat at 68 degrees or lower,

health permitting. Save 2% for each degree the thermostat is lowered. Install and properly set a programmable thermostat. With proper use, programmable thermostats can save about $180 every year in energy costs. Clean or replace furnace filters monthly to improve efficiency and save up to $15 a year. Use window coverings to prevent the outside temperature from impacting the temperature inside the home. Closing blinds or drapes on a cold winter day can help to keep the cold from migrating further into the room. Additionally, PG&E continues to work with customers who are having difficulty paying their bills. In September 2021, PG&E began automatically enrolling all residential and small business customers with past due balances over 60 days in new extended payment arrangements. Customers are being automatically enrolled on an ongoing basis based on eligibility through September 2022. As of December 2021, nearly 1 million PG&E customers were enrolled in the payment plans as well as the Arrearage Management Plan (AMP), both focused on helping customers reduce unpaid balances over time and protecting those enrolled from disconnection once the process restarts later this year. Get Help with Past Due Bills Customers struggling to pay their bills can learn more about the following programs: Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) offers up to $1,000 to pay eligible household energy costs.

Relief for Energy Assistance through Community Help (REACH) Program offers one-time financial assistance to qualified customers with past-due bills. The Arrearage Management Plan offers up to $8,000 in unpaid balance forgiveness to qualifying customers who owe at least $500 or more on their gas and electric bill or at least $250 or more on their gas only bill and are more than 90 days past due. The newly established California Arrearage Payment Program (CAPP) included in the 2021-2022 California state budget offers financial assistance for eligible customers with past due energy bill balances accrued during the pandemic. Customers do not need to apply. The funding will be automatically distributed to qualifying customers in February and March 2022. Only energy bill balances over 60 days past due for energy use from March 4, 2020, to June 15, 2021, qualify for relief under CAPP. If a customer still has a past due balance after receiving a CAPP benefit, PG&E will offer a payment plan. For additional questions on the program: contact the California Department of Community Services & Development. California’s COVID-19 Rent Relief Act helps income-eligible households pay rent and utilities, both for past due and future payments. Renters and landlords are eligible to apply. Ways to Reduce Future Energy Bills

Customers may also qualify for several programs at once and can start applying or enrolling now. California Alternate Rates for Energy Program (CARE) saves 20% or more each month on energy bills for income-qualified customers. Family Electric Rate Assistance (FERA) Program (FERA) offers a monthly discount on electric bills for income-qualified customers with three or more people in the household. Medical Baseline provides a lower monthly rate for customers with special energy needs due to certain medical conditions. Budget Billing averages out energy costs for more manageable monthly payments and eliminates big spikes in bills due to seasonal changes. Energy Savings Assistance (ESA) Program provides qualified customers with free improvements to make the home more energy efficient, safe, and comfortable. For more information please don’t hesitate to call (800) 743-5000 or log onto pge. com/covid19. About PG&E Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E Corporation (NYSE:PCG), is a combined natural gas and electric utility serving more than 16 million people across 70,000 square miles in Northern and Central California. For more information, visit pge. com and pge.com/news.

27 January 27-February 2, 2022

Upside...

(From Page 11)

cently, Michelle travelled to the Maldives with friends to celebrate her 40th birthday and the New Year 2022.” Authorities described her attacker as a “homeless man” who reportedly has a history of schizophrenia. The sister of 61-year-old Martial Simon told reporters her brother has been sick and needs help. “People who saw him know he’s crazy… he’s been on medication for over 20 years and in and out of mental hospitals in New York,” Josette Simon told reporters. “My heart goes out to whoever lost their loved one, whether it was a mother, a sister, a daughter. I just would like to put that out there, to apologize, to feel for them.” A social media post reminded users to focus on the life lost instead of the one that took it. “The death of Michelle ripped out my heart, to see what happened to her, and to see what has happened in our city, months after months. What has happened to the AAPI community,” New York City Mayor Eric Adams said at the vigil for Michelle Go. “I don’t want the kneejerk reaction of going through our subway system and going through our streets and demonizing those who have slipped through the cracks and did not receive the mental health treatment that they deserve. We must ensure that we have a plan of intervention and prevention.” Adams’ statement is not novel. Last year a video spurred outrage as it showed a Filipina American being kicked and mauled by a man at least twice her size on a Manhattan sidewalk. Employees of a building nearby shut the door, evading involvement instead of helping the woman. The attacker reportedly was mentally ill and had served time for beating his mother to death with a hammer but had been released. Simon reportedly turned himself in. He has been charged with second-degree murder. The tragedy occurred amid the surge of hate crimes against Asian and Pacific Islander Americans, and police say they were investigating the killing to determine motive. Local AAPI officials and activists condemned the fatal attack. Hate crimes against Asian - Pacific Islander Americans in New York rose by 361%, according to NBC News. Michelle Go’s death shines the light yet again on the failure of the criminal justice system to protect citizens from people who are a danger to themselves and others, and for the health and human service community to provide services for persons who are mentally ill.

Ken Go

(From Page 20)

lender to defer missed mortgage payments to bring the homeowner’s loan current. It can then request that HUD (FHA’s overseer) further reduce the monthly payment by opening an interest-free subordinate loan of up to 30% of the remaining loan balance. The borrower only pays principal and interest based on 70% of the balance, and can pay back the remainder upon a sale or refinance of the home. Deferring this extra principal amount can help make it easier for FHA borrowers to get back on track with their loans. FHA-HAMP is typically combined with one of the loan modification options above to lower the borrower’s monthly payment. Eligible FHA borrowers must complete a trial repayment plan to qualify for either loan modification or the FHA-HAMP program. This involves making on-time payments in the modified amount for three months straight. It may be difficult to qualify for a refinance program during times of financial hardship. But before writing this strategy off, check all the loan options available. Streamline Refinancing Homeowners with FHA loans, VA mortgages, and USDA loans have an additional option in the form of Streamline Refinancing. A Streamline Refinance typically does not require income or employment verification, or a new home appraisal. Even the credit check might be waived (though the lender will always verify you have been making mortgage payments on time). These loans are a lot more forgiving for homeowners whose finances have taken a downturn. Note that Streamline Refinancing is only allowed within the same loan program: FHA-to-FHA, VA-to-VA. Thanks for your inquiries and comments, call Ken Go of 1st Innovative Finance 562-508-7048 or write to kennethgo@verizon.net CABRE 01021223 NMLS 238636.

Oﬄine

(From Page 13)

scope, and Junior would have fared badly compared to the four. It is not clear how many votes he lost after his latest public display of cowardice. Two weeks ago, he appeared to feign sickness when he was expected to attend the Comelec hearings to disqualify him. Junior claimed he was sick but was miraculously up and about mere hours after his failure to show up. When asked why he couldn’t even switch on his cellphone and meet briefly with the commissioners trying his case via zoom, his spokesperson gave an exceptionally idiotic reason: Junior did not want to spread the coronavirus by switching his phone on. Even his fiercest defenders – paid or otherwise – could only slap their foreheads and cringe over that faux pas. The official start of the campaign period is weeks away. Marcos is expected to face crowds everywhere he goes, and he cannot dismiss the questions of local media by giving them that patented goofy smile of his. Since it is known that he always resorts to canned replies to tough questions, his handlers had better prepare the hardest queries he will face, and have a credible, ready answer. Unfortunately, the one thing his camp cannot do is to force him

to display a sincerity the he does not possess. There is a strong possibility that Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will follow in the footsteps of Genaro Magsaysay. He will falter because he does not have the glib tongue or the sharp mind of his father and namesake. In truth, Junior’s biggest mistake was believing he could win the Philippine presidency by dumping billions of pesos of ill-gotten wealth at the poorest segment of the electorate. Having zero qualiﬁcations could be his undoing.

Health & Wealth

(From Page 12)

AVOID TAKE OFF FROM WORK: You don’t need to take off from work and drive to Sacramento just to submit the notarized documents to the Secretary of State, Notary Public Section, for apostille. MSS will take care everything for you. SAVINGS ON GAS AND MILEAGE FEES – We encourage old and new clients to drive and come to our home office in San Francisco for savings on gas and mileage fees ($50 - $120). Victor and his wife and their son came to our home office in San Francisco so they saved $160 on gas and mileage fees. FREE PARKING – When we had our office at the Philippine Center near the Philippine Consulate Office, our old clients were complaining for the expensive parking fees. With our home office in San Francisco, old and new clients can have free parking on our driveway and the available street parking spaces. Those who can’t drive can take the BART up to the Balboa Park and Geneva Avenue BART Station and we’ll pick you up. VERY FLEXIBLE APPOINTMENTS – We have very flexible appointments for old and new clients during regular office hours, after office hours and weekends except on Sundays. For those who can’t come to our home office in San Francisco, we can do notarization in your homes, offices, schools. restaurants, BART and Post Office lobbies and other locations. MULTIPLE DOCUMENTS AND MULTIPLE SIGNATURES DICOUNTS - We offer 10% discount on multiple documents and multiple signatures for old and new clients. DOCUMENTS PREPARATION DISCOUNT - With our paralegal and lawyer-friends, we offer special discounts in the preparation and drafting of documents for old and new clients. CONVENIENCE AND PEACE OF MIND – With the efficient, complete and unique services at MSS, you can have total convenience and peace of mind. Most of the time, it is more convenient and economical for you to avail yourself with professional and complete services at MSS. For immediate assistance and help in the notarization and apostille follow of documents needed in the Philippines and the other member nations of the Hague Apostille Convention, just write or contact: MOBILE SIGNING SERVICES, 730 Madrid Street, San Francisco, CA 94112 Tel. (650)438-3531 or (415)584-7095 or emai:agmadlaing@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) and ACAPINOY. He is active Evangelist with the GOLDEN GATE CHURCH OF CHRIST in San Francisco, California. )

PerryScope...

(From Page 12)

land, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia? Heck that’s about half the membership of NATO! Russia also demanded that the U.S. must pledge to “bar entry to NATO for ex-Soviet states such as Ukraine and Georgia and refuse to make use of their military infrastructure or develop bilateral defense ties with them,” the security demands said. Russia also demanded that the U.S. must also “agree not to fly heavy bombers armed with nuclear or non-nuclear weapons or deploy warships ‘outside national airspace and national territorial waters’ if they could be used to attack another country,” the document said. NATO swiftly rejected Russia’s demands the same day, with a spokeswoman saying that such a move would create first- and second-class alliance members. The question is: Does Putin think that NATO would ever withdraw its troops from NATO’s frontline countries? Biden’s withdrawal But President Biden, who would withdraw or surrender NATO territory to Russia at the slightest provocation, is clearly a sign that he is up to his old trick of withdrawing troops like what he did in Afghanistan. In a recent video chat with Putin over the situation in Ukraine, details of the conversation have emerged: “Administration officials have suggested that the U.S. will press Ukraine to formally cede a measure of autonomy within its eastern Donbas region, which is now under de facto control by Russia-backed separatists who rose up against Kyiv in 2014.” Lately, Biden refused Russia’s demand that NATO will never admit Ukraine into NATO, the fact of the matter is: NATO will never admit Ukraine into NATO, while Putin is in power and the Russian “volunteers” are still in Donbas. Biden said that he thinks Russia will attack Ukraine but he warned that Moscow would face a “stiff price.” He also said that Russia would prevail militarily in an invasion but would suffer heavy casualties. He then said that NATO was divided on how to respond if there is only a “minor incursion.” One Ukrainian official told CNN it “gives the green light to Putin to enter Ukraine at his pleasure.” Immediately, NATO allies criticized Biden for saying that. Biden

then clarified, saying, “Any Russian troop movement into Ukraine would be considered an invasion.” He also said that if Russia invades Ukraine, “it is going to be a disaster,” and the U.S. and its allies would respond with measures including economic sanctions. It amazes me to hear Biden say that Russia would “prevail militarily in an invasion.” Has he surrendered before the Russians invade Ukraine? My God! That’s defeatism! And coming from the U.S. Commander-in-Chief, it would surely encourage Putin to invade. One needs to remember Putin’s favorite strategy, which is: “If a fight is inevitable you have to throw the first punch.” Yes, Putin’s punch is coming!

On Distant Shore

(From Page 12)

other projects. Marcos’ ever-loyal and capable spokesman, Atty. Victor Rodriguez, said the younger Marcos declined the invitation because he perceived Jessica Soho to be “biased against the Marcoses.” Marcos later confirmed he did not participate because he knew from personal experience that Soho was biased against the Marcoses. The GMA Network, whose reputation has been boosted by Jessica Soho’s outstanding journalism and her many awards in prestigious TV awarding events in New York and elsewhere through the years, rejected Rodriguez’s claim of bias. Lacson agreed with the network, saying it was Jessica’s job to ask tough questions. “The questions are tough because the job of the presidency is tough,” the network stressed. The next day after the Jessica Soho interviews aired without Marcos, it was reported that he has accepted an invitation to be interviewed by Boy Abunda of ABS-CBN, who is known more as interviewer of showbiz personalities, and a DZRH presidential forum with a Manila Times columnist and three DZRH broadcasters. The Manila Times is owned by Dante Ang, long time publicist of former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and special envoy on international public relations of President Rodrigo Duterte. Arroyo and Duterte are part of the MAD + E (Marcos, Arroyo, Duterte and Estrada) dynasties that supports the candidacies of Marcos Jr. and Sara Duterte. DZRH is owned by the Elizaldes. That should explain why Marcos readily agreed to attend the program. Lacson, Pacquiao and Moreno have gamely agreed to join the DZRH forum, but Robredo said she was willing to attend the forum, but that the producers moved it to a later schedule, which, she said, was in conflict with another commitment. She said she would be available if the producers would move it to a later date, to which DZRH has reportedly agreed. Three more opportunities for the people to gauge the readiness and eligibility of the candidates, and for the candidates to explain their stand on various issues are the upcoming three presidential debates being organized by the Commission on Elections. All four candidates -- Robredo, Lacson, Pacquiao, and Moreno -- have expressed readiness, and, in the case of Pacquiao, “excitement,” to join all three debates. But Marcos, as of this writing, has not advised the Comelec if he would join the debates, nor has explained his reluctance to attend them. The moderators will definitely ask tough questions, and the candidates are expected to ask their rivals’ even tougher questions. But following what the GMA Network said, the candidates should be ready to be asked and to answer tough questions because the president should be able to confront tough issues and problems during the six years of his term. While there will be spokesmen and advisers to help him, he still has to make the ultimate decision. Indeed, if Marcos is not ready to face tough questions, will he be ready to make tough decisions?

Diliman Way...

(From Page 13)

agreed with him, Macpagal stood up and said, “I’m leaving. Even my Secretary of Foreign Affairs is shouting at me.” Before he could leave, Speaker Laurel got a glass of water, handed it to Macapagal and he drank it and sat down. The spark: After that meeting, I organized the first regional political party in the country, MINDANAO ALLIANCE, to accept the challenge of President Marcos. It was only composed of a bunch of young lawyers – Atty. Firdausi “Seng” Abbas as Secretary General, Atty. Jesus “Jess” Balicanta as Regional Chairman for Region 12 and this writer as Chairman. That little spark which Ben mentions resulted to front page treatment in the Marcos mainstream media and the consequent mushrooming of regional parties like Zamboaga City Mayor Cesar Climaco’s Concerned Citizens’ Aggrupation (CCA), Ninoy Aquino’s Laban, Nene Madarang’s Pusyon Bisaya, Abdul Khayer Alonto’s Muslim Federal Party, Atty. Badong Princesa’s Bicol Saro, and Congressman Tito Dupaya’s Timek Ti Umile’ That little spark that led to the organization of MINDANAO ALLIANCE and the mushrooming of regional political parties eventually led to the birth of national political parties like Senator Jovito Salonga’s National Union for Liberation (NUL) Francisco “Kit” Tatad’s Socialist Party of the Philippines (SPP), Mayor Nene Pimentel’s Partido Demokratiko Pilipino (PDP), Senator Edgardo “Ed” Angara’s Laban ng Demokratikon Pilipino(LDP).and the giant of all political parties, the United Democratic Organization (UNIDO) which toppled the regime of President Marcos. Yes, Ben, it only takes a little spark to start a conflagration. That little spark that led to the organization of MINDANAO ALLIANCE bloomed into a conflagration. All my life, I have always believed like some other good men that – it is better to light a candle than curse the darkness.

 HEALTH NEWS

January 27-February 2, 2022

Health dep’t opposes anti-health vape regulation bill MANILA – The Department of Health (DOH) strongly opposes the blatant disregard of public health in the recently approved Senate Bill 2239 (Vaporized Nicotine and Non-Nicotine Regulation Act) that seeks to further expand access to vaporized nicotine and nonnicotine products. The bill is retrogressive and contains several provisions that contradict public health goals and international standards and undermines the country’s progress in tobacco control, according to the DOH in a statement. Nineteen senators approved last week the bill seeking to regulate the importation, manufacture, sale, packaging, distribution, use, and communication of vaporized nicotine and non-nicotine products. By lowering the age of access to vapor products from 21 to 18 years old, allowing ﬂavorings, and permitting advertising and sponsorship strategies, the bill exposes the youth to harmful and addictive substances by making vapor products enticing and easily accessible. The DOH maintains that vape products are harmful and not risk-free and should be regulated as health prod-

ucts due to their toxic substances and eﬀects. Vape liquids and its emission contain chemicals such as nicotine, propylene glycol, carbonyls, and carbon monoxide that are either addictive, toxic or can cause cancer. Additionally, studies have shown vape use increases the risk of using other known addictive substances such as cigarette, alcohol, and even marijuana. There is also growing evidence of the harmful eﬀects of using vapes, both to the user and those exposed to its emissions, including its potential to cause cardiovascular diseases, respiratory problems, and explosion injuries. The DOH said that the approval of Senate Bill 2239 puts the Filipino youth at risk. The agency cited the Global Youth Tobacco Survey, which showed that the prevalence of using electronic cigarettes is increasing among the Filipino youth. Data showed a 110-percent increase in vape use in just four years -- from 11.7 percent in 2015 to 24.6 percent in 2019. A recent study conducted by the Philippine Pediatric

Society and the Department of Education also showed that the age of initiation of using electronic cigarettes starts at 10 to 15 years old. The DOH added that this is concerning because several studies noted that the brain’s prefrontal cortex, which is involved in executive and decision-making functions, continues to mature until about the age of 25. This bill predisposes adolescents and young adults to be more susceptible in initiating smoking and subsequent nicotine addiction. An overwhelming majority of Filipinos support stringent measures in protecting themselves from the harms of using and exposure to electronic cigarettes, according to a Pulse Asia Survey conducted from September 6 to 11. In particular, 74 percent support a 100-percent cigarette-or-vape free policy in public spaces, 70 percent support a policy that restricts accessibility of electronic cigarettes at 21 years old and above, and 62 percent support a bill that will ban the availability and accessibility of ﬂavors that appeal to the youth.

Coconut oil: “poison”? Heart of Hope

Coconut oil, touted to be a healthy oil and a “superfood” is a “pure poison” according to some Dutch researchers, claiming there are no studies to prove it does your body better than other edible oils. We have been warning the public about the danger of coconut oil since the PHILIP S. CHUA early 80s as false claims ﬂooded the market, together with various forms of coconut products, including virgin coconut oil. The American Heart Association published a report a couple of years ago warning about the dangers of eating too many unhealthy, saturated fats, was a big blow against coconut oil, which is listed and characterized as one of the “unhealthy fats,” which raises LDL (bad) cholesterol levels “more than any other liquid fat.” The report further stated: “From a structural perspective, coconut oil is about 90 percent saturated fat (which is why it stays solid at room temperature). According to Harvard’s Walter Willett, that’s a far higher percentage than butter, at 64 percent, as well as beef fat and lard, both at 40 percent.” Olive and avocado fruits and oils are healthy food items. Coconut oil is known to be good for the hair, and perhaps for the skin, but falsely marketed as a “superfood.” As always, caveat emptor! * * * Fecal Transplant One of the most recent popular topics in medical science is the microbiome, especially of the gastrointestinal tract. Microbiome, as the term suggests, concerns the microscopic life environment in and on our body. The gut microbiome (microbes in our intestinal tract) inﬂuences our metabolism, immunity, and mediator of resistance to some infections. There are good and bad microbes (trillions) on our skin and in our body, like the gut. The balance of their coexistence with us and our body determines our health and wellbeing. Our body needs both types of microbes, in harmony and in balance, for good health. It has been reported that the “distinct and essential organ within the human body, the gut microbiome contains an estimated 500-1000 species and 100 trillion organisms, encoding 100-fold more unique genes than our own genome.”

Antibiotic-associated diarrhea, for one, is caused by a disturbance in the balance of the microbiome milieu when the drug kills both types (good and bad) of bacteria in the body. The condition leads to Clostridium difficile infection, which has doubled in incidence in the USA alone from 1996 to 2003, and in 2010, estimated to be half a million a year, resulting in 20,000 deaths a year. To reestablish the original balance of gut microbiome, Fecal Microbiome Transplantation (screened donor human stools given to the patient) has been found effective in the management of C. difficile infection, which has saved countless lives. The donor feces, blenderized and filtered, is introduced by enema or colonoscopy into the patient’s colon, aimed at providing the gut a normal flora of stool bacteria. FMT has been found to be very effective. Stools, after all, are not a total waste. * * * NIOSH-N95 Mask The government is providing free masks for all soon, a mitigating PPE that should have been distributed two years ago, followed by a federal mandate for vaccination for all when the vaccine first came out on December 11, 2020. Those two strategies would have ended COVID-19 in the USA before 2022. Mutations gave us Delta, Omicron, Deltacron and now a subvariant of Omicron, BA.2 virus, an even more rapidly transmissible strain (first found in Denmark late December 2021 and now 30,000 new cases per day, the 45-percent predominant strain in Denmark), nicknamed “Stealth Omicron.” With the massive surges of these new variants, we can expect the virus to be all around us, on us (especially among the unvaccinated), flying in the air, and dropping on the floor. Talking, breathing, sneezing, and coughing (without a mask) spews out the virus and transmit the virus to people around. Sneezing and coughing shoot the virus into a trajectory of 16.5 meters per second. Certainly beyond 6 feet. The more reason to mask-up, perhaps doubly, or with a gaiter or a face shield on top of the mask. One can never be too careful in the presence of this stealth enemy. Even to a silly degree of protection. The size of COVID-19 (SARS-CoV2) virus is 0.1-0,5 micron, 600 times smaller than a grain of salt, 150 times smaller than pollen, 25 times smaller than dust, 20 times smaller than bacteria. The mask we need should have pores smaller than 0.1 micron to really prevent the virus from going through our mask and entering our nose and mouth. Unfortunately, such a mask does not exist (yet). Cloth masks, using 100 percent cotton, found to be the

best material among dozens of common fabrics, still has about 100 micron-size pores, which would allow (accommodate) 1000 viruses in one pore alone, making it a poor filter for COVID-19 viruses. The NIOSH-approved N95 mask filters up to 0.3 micron. During a high velocity cough, even N95 masks filters only 53 percent of small particles. But reducing the viral load is always beneficial. Even 100 percent cotton, when made into a 3- to 5-layer mask, is still helpful, better than no mask at all. NIOSH-N95 mask is still the best (when worn properly covering the nose also), compared to all the other masks, even expensive high-end and designer masks. The N95 could be doubled or reinforced with a gaiter or a face shield to maximize protection. Frequent handwashing, social distancing, avoiding crowds, and staying home except for essential travel, are still the best weapon we have against the virus, which has so far killed more 5.6 million worldwide, greater than 890,000 in the USA, and almost 53.6 thousand in the Philippines. * * * Cancer and diet Diets high in red meat, processed foods, and low in vegetables, fruits, and nuts are well-known causes of cancers in general. High saturated animal fats and burnt meat (barbeques) are believed to increase the risk of pancreatic and colon cancers. Recent studies show the impact of diet on cervical cancer. Eating a variety of natural fresh whole food items (unprocessed, no preservatives, no additives), minimum red meats (twice or once a week), a lot of green leafy vegetables, other colored veggies, nuts, and fruits, lowers the risk for cervical malignancy and other forms of cancers. In the Philippines, about 5,000 cases of cervical cancer (caused by Human Papilloma Virus) are detected each year, making it the second most common cancer in women. The vaccine, Gardasil, which prevents cervical cancer almost 100 percent, when given to young boys and girls in grammar school before they become sexually active, is a miracle drug all parents should welcome. 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. Websites: FUN8888. com and philipSchua.com Email: scalpelpen@gmail. com

29 January 27-February 2, 2022

NEWS  NATIONAL VIEWS & COMMENTS

THE WINTER OF MY LIFE By TIM PEDROSA

We have to decide how we want our life to be. If our life were ending tomorrow, would this be how we would want to have spent it? The truth is, nothing is guaranteed. We know that more than anybody. So don’t be afraid. Be alive. A good life is when we assume nothing, do more, need less, smile often, dream big, laugh a lot, and realize how blessed we are. Love what you have. Need what you want. Accept what you receive. Give what you can. Always remember, what goes around, comes around.Here are some thoughts about life’s regrets, outlook and perspectives inspired by the writings of an unknown writer. Time has a way of moving quickly and catching us unaware of the passing years. It seems just yesterday that I was young, just married and embarking on my new life with my mate. And yet in a way, it seems like eons(indefinitely long time) ago, and I wonder where all the years went. I know that I lived them all... And I have glimpses of how it was back then and of all my hopes and dreams... But, here it is..the winter of my life and it catches me by surprise... How did I get here so fast? Where did the years go and where did my babies go? And where did my youth go? Life is a one time offer, use it well. You only live once but if you live it right, once is enough – Mae West I remember well.. seeing older people through the years and thinking that those older people were years away from me and that winter was so far off that I could not fathom it or imagine fully what it would be like... But, here it is...my friends are retired and really getting gray...they move slower and I see an older person now. Lots are in better shape than me... but, I see the great change... Not like the ones that I remember who were young and vibrant... but, like me, their age is beginning to show and we are now thosee older folks that we used to see and never thought we’d be. Each day now, I find that just getting a shower is a real target for the day! And taking a nap is not a treat anymore...it’s mandatory! Cause if I don’t on my own free will...I just fall asleep where I sit! And so, now I enter into this new season of my life unprepared for all the aches and pains, the loss of strength and ability to go and do things that I wish I had done but never did!! But, at least I know, that though the winter has come, and I’m not sure how long it will last...this I know, that when it’s over...its over....Yes , I have regrets. There are things I wish I hadn’t done ......, things I should have done, but indeed, there are many things I’m happy to have done. It’s all in a lifetime.So, if you’re not in your winter yet...let me remind you, that it will be here faster than you think. So, whatever you would like to accomplish in your life, please do it quickly! Don’t put things off too long!! Life goes by quickly. So, do what you can today, as you can never be sure whether this is your winter or not! You have no promise that you will see all the seasons of your life...so, live for good today and say all the things that you want your loved ones to remember...and hope that they appreciate and love you for all the things that you have done for them in all the years past!! Life is a gift to you. The way you live your life is your gift to those who come after. Make it a fantastic one. Live it well! Enjoy today! Do something fun! Be happy and be thankful! Old age is like a bank account. You withdraw in later life what you have deposited along the way. Age is a question of mind over body. If you don’t mind it does not matter. We do not remember days, we remember moments. The richness of life lies in memories we have forgotten – Cesare Pavese

The Lord’s Prayer 1 The Lord’s prayer or the “Our Father” as it is also called is among our most important prayers as Christians. There are many books written about this prayer and our Catholic Catechism has an ample treatment of it as well. However, I would like us to spend some time on it with some fresh eyes as people of faith of our time. Maybe you, dear reader, have had some readings about it, or maybe none at all except learning about it from our basic catechism when we were kids. So, let us take this REV. JOSE PELAGIO A. PADIT, SThD as an opportunity to learn and relearn about it anew. Oftentimes, we pray the Lord’s prayer without minding much from whom it came and for whom it is addressed. And just considering about the “from whom” and the “for whom” about this prayer, we should already take on a disposition of seriousness and of highest respect. The Lord Jesus Christ Himself taught us this prayer, that’s the from whom; hence, this prayer should be treated as far better than our spontaneous and flowery-words prayers. Our liturgical celebrations, if you notice, always include the Lord’s prayer. The Holy Mass, our highest form of prayer, also contain this prayer; it is positioned as the bridge from the Consecration to the Holy Communion. To facilitate the flow of our discourse, we will have three parts: First part, the “for whom” and its implication in our prayer and life; second, the different forms of prayer and their consequence to our ways of praying; lastly, the missionary aspect of this prayer, what it calls and commands us to do. Hence, The First Part: The Lord’s prayer is addressed, “for whom,” to God as “Our Father.” Jesus Christ introduces us to His personal way of relating to God the Father. He opened us a door way to the Father through Him, through His way of relating to God. He taught us using the pronoun “Our;” for, we cannot go to God unless through Him and we cannot be God’s children without Him. Hence, using the “our,” He first includes us into His own relationship to the Father; and then, with Him and in Him, we call God Our Father too. Furthermore, we cannot overlook the significance of the word “Father.” God is Father because He is Love and He is The Creator; and in Christ Jesus, we are reborn anew into His divine life. In Jesus, we are born anew as God’s children, adopted children in the Son. We are incorporated and made participants in the IntraTrinitarian Life. Jesus, the Only Son of God, the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity, relates to the Father, and it is in this relationship to The Father that we are deigned worthy to participate in. Therefore, every time we pray this prayer, let us bear in mind how special we are to God. Furthermore, the very moment we say “Our Father” we call into mind His love for us in and through His Son, Jesus; and God, as well, is reminded how much He loves us. So, He listens when we pray and grants our prayer for we are His children. Notice, we have nothing to claim meritable before God. It is God’s love for us that we call Him Father and relate to Him as Father. Let us practice these truths; and we will pray the Lord’s Prayer in a new and best way we can. Meanwhile, calling God, Father, is also a recognition that He is our Creator. He is, therefore, the source of our life and everything in it. Thus, we are His children who must relate to Him with the highest respect, honor, and glory. We are to obey God as good children. As good and responsible children, we can never take for granted His Holy Will. Doing the Will of God is of primary importance even Jesus our Lord did the Will of the Father; even if, it meant He is to be sacrificed on the altar of the Cross. This is explicit in the prayer, “…Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Jesus included this line in the prayer to teach and remind us always, it is not our will and wants that matters, it is God’s. As we pray the Lord’s Prayer, we must know God’s will comes first. We may say that such and such is very important to us, but God’s will is infinitely more important; hence, God’s will must always be prioritized. Our Lord Jesus showed us an example; in Gethsemane, He prayed: “…not my will but yours be done (Lk. 22:42).” Amen. This ends this part, please stay tuned, for next week’s issue. God bless!

Aﬂame The Heart

INSPIRATIONAL ARTICLE FOR THE WEEK

31 January 27-February 2, 2022  NATIONAL NEWS

 FOOD & TRAVELS

Recipe of the Week Pork and Chicken Afritada Pork and Chicken Afritada. Afritada is one of the Pinoy dish that is as popular with adobo and kaldereta to non-Filipino. In fact it would be safe to say that it is more acceptable to a nonFilipino because it is milder in taste compared to the tangy adobo and spicy kaldereta. Manila. Ingredients: 1 kilo pork belly or pork chop, cut into cut into serving pieces 1/2 kilo chicken tights, cut into serving pieces 1/2 head garlic, chopped 2 medium size onion, chopped 1 big canned crushed tomatoes 3 medium sized potatoes, quartered 1 medium size carrot, cut into wedges 2 large red bell pepper, cut into trips 1 cup tomato sauce 1/4 cup patis 3-5 pcs. bay leaf 2 tsp. dried parley ﬂakes 1 tsp. peppercorns salt and pepper 1/2 cup cornstarch 3 slices loaf bread, trimmed, soak with water, mashed cooking oil Cooking procedure: In a bowl marinate pork and chicken with light dust of salt and pepper for 15 to 20 minutes before cooking. In a sauce pan fry the pork and chicken for 1 to 2 minutes or until colour turn to light brown each side in batches. Remove from pan and set aside. In same sauce pan sauté garlic and onion, add pork and chicken and stir fry for 2 to 3 minutes, Add patis canned tomato and tomato sauce, stir cook for another 1 to 2 minutes. Pour in 6 to 8 cups of water add in the peppercorns, parsley ﬂakes bay leaf and the mashed loaf bread, simmer for 15 to 20 minutes or until liquid is reduced to half. Add potatoes and carrots simmer for another 5 to 10 minutes or until pork and vegetables are cooked and tender. Add bell pepper, season with salt and pepper to taste, thicken sauce with cornstarch dissolve in 1/4 cup of water, cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. Serve hot with a lot of rice.

 FOOD & TRAVELS

71 more ‘new normal’ tourism circuits eyed MANILA – The Department of Tourism (DOT) is in the process of validating 71 new tourism circuits in 13 regions across the country in a bid to boost tourism in the country. Tourism Undersecretary Woodrow Maquiling Jr. said the circuits are being developed in coordination with local government units and tourism stakeholders and will feature activities based on travelers’ preferences in the new normal. In a virtual presser, Maquiling said these circuits would reintroduce the best travel products and experiences a region offers, including but not limited to culinary, history, nature, wellness, farm, and faith-based tourism. As of posting, 44 tourism circuits have been validated in Metro Manila, the Ilocos and Cordillera regions, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol, Western Visayas, Eastern Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, Davao region, and Soccsksargen. ‘Touring a circuit’ Developed for the new normal, the DOT sees to it that the destinations included in the “recalibrated” circuits are not only infused with the health and safety protocols but are carefully crafted for different kinds of travelers. One example is Laguna’s SaRiLiNa (San Pablo, Rizal, Liliw, Nagcarlan) circuit, which spotlights the province’s cultural heritage, historical landmarks, and rich ecotourism offers. In Rizal, Laguna, the Tayak Adventure and Nature Park (TANAW) is a must-visit with the unparalleled view of Mount San Cristobal offers, and the cool, fresh air that would welcome you when you reach the park’s peak at Noah’s Ark. About 17 km. from Rizal is the famous Nagcarlan Underground Cemetery, a museum and historic gravesite set against the town’s hilly terrain. And just a stone’s throw away from it is the Belen’s, the store that is said to be the origin of the traditional Filipino rice cake known as espasol. Less than 30 minutes away from Nagcarlan is Liliw where one can stroll in the town’s bustling Gat Tayaw Street, where all sorts of abaca footwear are sold, for a genuine Laguna travel experience. San Pablo would be a fitting last stop for this specific circuit if you want to end your Laguna trip with a food crawl. San Pablo is home not just to traditional Filipino dishes but also to unique cuisines prepared from ingredients that are sourced from its very own lakes – the Bunot, Calibato, Mohicap, Palakpakin, Pandin, Sampaloc, and Yambo lakes. Among the interesting finds here are Sinugno, Kulawo, Pinaete, and Hipon Palakpakin. Beef Spareribs Adobo with Oyster Sauce

‘Sustainably, inclusively’ Two years into the pandemic and with less than a year left in the administration, the DOT continues to promote a “safe, fun, and competitive” Philippine tourism, Maquiling said. “For the fiscal year 2022, we will continue the pursuit of sustainability, resiliency, and inclusiveness of tourism,” he said, highlighting the department’s commitment to rebuilding confidence and growing demand in the domestic and foreign markets. While the plan to reopen the country to foreign tourists was halted due to the threat posed by the Omicron variant, Maquiling said the DOT continues to prepare for possible international travel corridors or green lanes. “These things are continually being discussed and hopefully, we will have more travel bubbles because the secretary wanted to bring in, for instance, familiarization tours coming from abroad... for tour operators to come here to the Philippines and visit destinations that have been already recalibrated,” he said. “These are being closely coordinated with our foreign attaches across 13 offices, (including in) London, Taiwan, and Korea.” In the same presser, Maquiling said the

World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) Global Summit is set to happen in Manila in March. The WTTC Global Summit is widely considered the most inﬂuential event for travel and tourism professionals and stakeholders, with at least 650 executives expected to attend. “(T)hey have been given special lanes. They will be coming from diﬀerent countries. These are the things that are always being talked about in the IATF (Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases). Hopefully, it can expand to more groups coming in for special purposes. Hopefully, these are the things that we look forward to in the coming months,” he said.

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