Philippine News Today by Philippine News Today

1 December 16-22, 2021

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA EDITION

www.pnewstoday.com

THE PREMIER FILIPINO-AMERICAN NEWSPAPER IN THE U.S. SINCE 1961

Vol. 61 No. 19 December 16-22, 2021

NEWS AND VIEWS YOU TRUST

POSTPONE 2022 POLLS TO 2025? PETITION FILED threat cited as reason; Duterte drops Senate bid COVID-19 Unconstitutional, say poll experts

By Be�ng Laygo Dolor, Editor

By ALFRED GABOT, Editor in Chief

MANILA – Unless he has another change of heart, President Rodrigo Roa Duterte may have ﬁnalized his retirement from Philippine politics when his term ends next year. Mr. Duterte unexpectedly announced this week that he was dropping his bid for a Senate seat, saying that he was retiring for good. The announcement came as a shock because he had just been endorsed by his daughter Sara to lead her party’s Senate slate. She is running for vice president alongside former senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. who is seeking the presidency. Page 8

PHL detects 2 Omicron variant cases; COVID deaths hit 50,449 By Claire Morales True and Jeanne Michael Penaranda

Florida wife seeks driver in hit-run of husband by Cherie M. Querol Moreno

MARCOS-DUTERTE TANDEM. Presiden�al aspirant Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Mayor Sara Duterte drew thousands of supporters in a rally in San Pedro City, Laguna. They were joined by Rep. Sol had left for his rou- Aragones and Vice Mayor Art Mercado who is the team’s bet for tine walk mid-after- mayor in the city. (Photo by Bong Madelo) noon Sunday along Mobile Highway MANILA – As presidential and vice presidential aspirants near their Escambia and local candidates stepped up their “dialogue” with the County home. When voters in various parts of the country and held motorcades he seemed to take to “inform” the voters of their candidacy, a group filed a longer, she began to worry and called his petition with the Commission on Elections seeking to postcellphone but got pone the 2022 general election to 2025 or at least a year due no answer. She was to the threat to lives of the COVID-19 pandemic. Page 9 getting frantic when a police officer inLt. Commander (Ret.) Paul Lawrence and Lourdes Fernandez Archer were lovingly mar- formed her of her husband’s fate. ried for 40 years. Florida Highway A FLORIDA woman is askPatrol reported that MANILA – Even as former ing with the Commission on ing the public for help to find the an unidentified motorist “failed Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Elections. driver who struck and left her to maintain their lane and ran continue to top the surveys with This as the Comelec denied husband fatally injured Dec. 5 off the road to the right, collid- his runningmate Davao City three motions to intervene on a on the roadside near Pensacola. ing with the pedestrian.” The Mayor Sara Duterte, petitions petition to cancel the certificate of Lourdes Fernandez Archer driver may have pulled over to disqualify him as presidential candidacy (COC) of Marcos Jr. said her husband, retired USN then drove off, according to the candidate and cancel his certifiIn a 13-page order, the poll Lt. Commander Paul Archer, 70, statement. FHP ear-Page 11 cate of candidacy remain pend- body’s Second Divi- Page 8

Comelec junks 3 motions on Marcos disqualification case

MANILA/GENEVA — The Philippines has detected its first two cases of the Omicron coronavirus variant as the Department of Health (DOH) accelerated its nationwide vaccination against COVID-19. More Delta variant of the Covid-19 have also been detected, including those from returning Filipinos from overseas, including the United States. The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that the new coronavirus variant omicron was spreading at an unprecedented rate and was likely already present in most countries around the world. Since the new, heavily mutated variant was first detected in southern Africa last month, it has been reported in 77 countries, said WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. This as all regions in the Philippines are now classified to be under minimal risk for COVID-19 cases, the Department of Health said. All regions except Bicol region and Soccsksargen Page 8

US warns China: Stop aggressive acts in SCS

Sulu in secret plot to invade Sabah? VIEWS & COMMENTS

SHOWBIZ

SPORTS

Waiver of appearance for certain expired visa due to Covid 19

Olivia Rodrigo Is Time’s 2021 Entertainer of the Year

Donaire Jr. drops Reymart Gaballo with body shot to retain WBC title

By A�y. Lozano

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$1.00= P50.37

PESO-DOLLAR RATE

as of December 9, 2021 1:50am

P10

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 NATIONAL NEWS

December 16-22, 2021

BSP’s Diokno under fire for new P1,000 bill design By Jeanne Michael Penaranda MANILA - Governor Benjamin Diokno of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas is under fire from historians, educators and other sectors for insisting on a new design for the P1,000 bill in which figures of three Philippine heroes have been removed and replaced with that of the Philippine eagle. Among those who criticized the move early were Presidential aspirant and Manila Mayor Francisco Isko Moreno, and Rep. Carlos Zarate who called Diokno’s bid as anti-Filipino. Diokno is also under fire from abaca farmers and several groups, including two government agencies, for shifting the use of to polymer from abaca of the peso bills. “While it is not wrong to feature Philippine flora and fauna in our banknotes, but, it should not be at the expense of removing totally our heroes who stood and fought for our rights and liberty,” Zarate said. Zarate also called out the BSP for the “glaring errors” in the new design of the bill after the scientific name of the Philippine eagle was spelled Pithecophaga “jefforyi” instead of Pithecophaga “jefferyi.” “It is bad enough that the BSP misspelled the scientific name of the Philippine eagle, but, it is even worse that it erased very important historical figures from the new banknotes, in effect also denigrating their historical contribution in the defense of our freedoms and the fight

against foreign aggression,” he said. Various groups have opposed the plans to shift to polymer from abaca fiber, noting that this move threatened the livelihood of abaca farmers. The new P1,000 bill will feature the endangered Philippine eagle, replacing Filipino heroes Chief Justice Jose Abad Santos, Brig. Gen. Vicente Lim and Girl Scouts of the Philippines founder Josefa Llanes Escoda, who were killed during the Japanese occupation in the Philippines. Amid the growing criticism over the removal of the portraits of three Filipino World War II heroes from the design of the new P1,000 banknote, Malacañang assured the old bills would remain in circulation. Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles, said the new P1,000 banknotes that feature the Philippine eagle would only be released as part of a test for its possible adoption. “Hindi po ma-demonetize ang ating (We will not demonetize the) P1,000 bills featuring our three national heroes and martyrs. Ito lamang ay iyong featuring iyong Philippine eagle ay for test circulation lamang po to test the polymer material (The banknotes featuring the Philippine eagle is for test circulation only to test the polymer material),” Nograles said in a Palace press briefing. The BSP earlier said the issuance of the polymer P1,000 bills is part of their efforts to ensure that banknotes are more hygien-

ic, sustainable, durable, and cost-effective. “Itong bagong P1,000 bill featuring iyong Philippine eagle po, iyan po ay iyong polymer series po natin na ginagawa naman po ng BSP as a test circulation din para malaman natin at ma-validate po natin kung totoo nga iyong polymer is more hygienic, more environmentally friendly, and more secure kaysa sa mga dati nating ginagamit na materials for our peso bills (This new P1,000 bill featuring the Philippine eagle is part of the polymer series as test circulation to find out and validate if it’s true that polymer is more hygienic, more environmentally friendly, and more secure compared to the old materials we use for our peso bills),” he added. Currently, Philippine banknotes are made of 80 percent cotton and 20 percent abaca. Nograles said the new P1,000 banknote would have more sophisticated security features. “According to BSP, they say it’s cyclical ang pagpi-feature ng different banknotes (featuring these banknotes is cyclical), number one. Number two, again apart from validating the advantages, the so-called advantages ng polymer, it also will help them in terms of ensuring na mas secure ang ganitong klaseng banknote (that this type of banknotes is more secure),” he said. Nograles also said using polymer would help prevent the circulation of

counterfeit money. “Although, maraming security features naman presently ang ating P1,000 bills kaya hindi agad at madaling pekein ang P1,000 (Although our present P1,000 bills already have many security features), the BSP is constantly developing ways and means to ensure that hindi mapipeke ang bill na ito (this bill cannot be faked), especially since it is our highest denomination,” he added. The ﬁrst batch of polymer P1,000 banknotes would be delivered in April 2022. The BSP has tapped the Reserve Bank of Australia and its wholly-owned subsidiary Note Printing Australia for the production of the polymer banknotes.

Annual health care workers’ deployment cap raised to 7K MANILA – The ceiling on the annual overseas deployment of health care workers (HCWs) has been raised to 7,000 from the current 6,500. This developed after the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) approved Resolution 153, acting Presidential Spokesperson, Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles, said in a Palace brieﬁng. Nograles said nurses with visas expir-

ing on Dec. 31, 2021, will be prioritized for deployment. “Upon the authority vested to the IATF through Memorandum from the Executive Secretary dated Nov. 20, 2020, the 2021 annual deployment ceiling of new hire health care workers for occupations identiﬁed by the Department of Labor and Employment as Mission Critical Skills shall be further increased to 7,000,” Nograles said.

CAMP CRAME, Quezon City - The Philippine National Police (PNP) has identiﬁed 488 towns and 58 cities as potential hotspots for May 9, 2022 national and local elections. The PNP was earlier tasked by the Department of the Interior and Local Government to identify election hotspots to ensure an orderly and peaceful polls. In a press brieﬁng, PNP Acting Director for Intelligence Police Brigadier General Michael John Dubria said that of the number, the PNP only focuses on areas under the red category. The election hotspot list has four categories -- Green, Yellow, Orange, and Red. He said only 3 percent out of the country’s 1,438 towns and about 5 percent of 146 cities are under the red category.

“So those are the ﬁgures translated into just 39 towns and seven cities. Those are the critical areas that we are focusing on,” he added. Among those under the red category include areas from the Cagayan Valley (Region 2), Central Luzon (Region 3), Bicol Region (Region 5), Western Visayas (Region 6), and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. “The good thing about this is under the red category, we have only 3% out of the total 1,438 number of towns in the country and we also have 5% of 146 cities in the country. So, ‘yun lang ‘yung ﬁgure natin translated into just 39 towns and seven cities na pinaka-typical natin na binabantayan,” he said.

PNP tags close to 550 towns, cities as initial election hotspots

3 December 16-22, 2021

 NATIONAL NEWS

Kamalayan gets top slot, retired cops’ PRAI

MANILA – Kalipunan ng Maralita at Malayang Mamamayan, Inc. (Kamalayan) secured the top spot on the ballot for 166 party-list groups in the 2022 elections. This developed after the Commission on Elections (Comelec) on December 14

conducted an electric raffle at its main office in Intramuros, Manila to determine party-list organizations that will participate in the May 9 elections. A new party-list group, Philippine National Police Retirees Association Inc. (PRAI) co-founded by bemedalled retired generals Reynaldo V. Velasco, Leo Napenas and Van Luspo, among others, was listed among the top 20 in the list, prompting police, military and uniformed retirees to laud the Comelec for its work. General Velasco, who is also a farmer and experienced corporate manager having been the Chairman of the Board and Administrator of the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS), among others, said the PRAI advocates the welfare of thousands of retirees, including their families, to ensure that they get their rightful pension and other benefits, after devoting the best years of their lives maintaining peace and order and protecting the people from criminals, rebels, insurgents, separatists, kidnappers, among others. Aside from Kamalayan, other partylist groups comprising the top 10 are Kilos Mamamayan Ngayon Na, (KM NGAYON NA), Philippine Society for Indus-

trial Security (PSIS), Agricultural Sector Alliance of the Philippines (AGAP), Kabalikat ng Mamamayan (KABAYAN), Home Owners and Marginalized Empowerment Through Opportunities with Neighborhood Economic Reliability (HOME OWNER), Kabalikat Patungo sa Umuunlad na Sistematiko at Organisadong Pangkabuhayan Movement (KAPUSO-PM), PDP Cares Foundation Inc. (PDP CARES), Noble Advancement of Marvelous People of the Philippines Inc. (MARVELOUS TAYO), and Advocates and Keepers Organization of OFWs, Inc. (AKO OFW). The rest of the list are as follows: 11 United Senior Citizens Koalition ng Pilipinas, Inc. (UNITED SENIOR CITIZEN) 12 Wow Pilipinas Movement (WOW PILIPINAS) 13 Alternatiba ng Masa (ALTERNATIBA) 14 Ang Buklod ng mga Motorist ng Pilipinas (1-RIDER PARTYLIST) 15 1st Consumers Alliance for Rural Energy Inc.(1-CARE) 16 Ang Bumbero ng Pilipinas (ABP) 17 Ako Musiker Association, Inc.

(AKO MUSIKERO) 18 Ako Bicol Political Party (AKO BICOL) 19 Philippine National Police Retirees Association, Inc. (PRAI) 20 Pagtibayin at Palaguin ang Pangkabuhayang Pilipino (4PS) 21 Movement of Active Apostolic Guardians Association of the Philippines (MAAGAP) 22 Avid Builders of Active Nation’s Citizenry Towards Empowered Philippines (ABANTE PILIPINAS) 23 Aktibong Kaagapay ng mga Manggagawa (AKTIBONG KAAGAPAY) 24 Alsa Bisaya (ALSA BISAYA) 25 Probinsyano Ako (PROBINSYANO AKO) 26 You Against Corruption and Poverty (YACAP) 27 Magdalo para sa Pilipino PartyList (MAGDALO) 28 Anti-Crime and Terrorism Community Involvement and Support, Inc. (ACT-CIS) 29 Hugoong Federal Movement of the Philippines, Inc. 30 Talino at Galing ng Pinoy (TGP).

Go officially drops out of presidential race MANILA – Exactly two weeks after announcing that he is pulling out of the presidential race, Senator Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go officially withdrew on December 14 his candidacy at the Commission on Elections (Comelec) office in Intramuros,

Manila. Without fanfare, Go took a taxi to the Comelec by himself and personally submitted his statement of withdrawal before the poll body’s Law Department. The document was received at 10:46 a.m., Comelec records showed. Go’s withdrawal from the presidential race means that the administration party headed by President Rodrigo Duterte was no longer fielding a candidate. “I am no longer in this race to run for the presidency in 2022, I spoke last November 30, I just waited a little while to let my supporters know that my heart and my mind really re-resisted to run as President,” Go said in an interview aired on radio and television. Go said he felt that it was the right time to file his withdrawal. Not even his two parties, the PDP-Laban and the PDSP, knew that he was filing the withdrawal on December 14. “No one knows. Because if I let them know, many will know,” the senator said. “I’m just looking for the right time. Honestly, I was the only one who came here, I just took a taxi. My security and driver, I didn’t inform them that I was going here,” he said.

 METRO NEWS

December 16-22, 2021

QC is top local gov’t, back as PHL’s most competitive By Claire Morales True QUEZON CITY - The Quezon City government has emerged as the country’s best local government unit with the highest nominal locally sourced revenues of P21.57 billion, eclipsing Makati City and Manila. Mayor Joseﬁna Belmonte received four awards from the Bureau of Local Government Finance (BLGF) of the Department of Interior and Local Government during a recognition program held in Mabalacat City, Pampanga. In another development, Quezon City was adjudged as the country’s most competitive city in this year’s Cities and Munic-

ipalities Competitiveness Index (CMCI), an annual ranking of cities and municipalities across the country that builds, maps out and tracks local competitiveness. Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Ramon Lopez said during the 9th Regional Competitiveness Summit that Quezon City landed in the top three in four pillars of the CMCI, which include economic dynamism, government eﬃciency, infrastructure, and resiliency. Quezon City placed second for economic dynamism, government eﬃciency, and infrastructure pillars, and third for resiliency pillars. Following Quezon City as the country’s

most competitive city is Manila, which slipped by a notch in the ranking. The Philippine capital was CMCI 2020’s most competitive city. In this year’s index, Manila also led Philippine cities in the pillars of government eﬃciency and infrastructure. Pasay City has maintained its ranking at third place for two consecutive years. Pasay City landed the top position in terms of economic dynamism. Davao City was displaced in the top three most competitive cities during this year’s CMCI after data from Quezon City local government unit (LGU) were captured for CMCI 2021.

Metro Manila, 16 other regions now ‘minimal risk’ for Covid-19 MANILA – All 17 regions in the country are now classiﬁed “minimal risk” for the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) while all island groups showed plateauing in the case trend. This was reported by Director Alethea de Guzman, oﬃcer in charge of the Department of Health (DOH) Epidemiology Bureau, adding the country logged an av-

erage of 380 cases per day for the period of December 8 to 14. The number is 26 percent lower than the average of 516 cases per day during the previous week. “This is among our lowest cases since we had the peak around August 2020 last year, 1,130 cases for the period of December 27 to January 2, and after the April

2021 peak at 4,982 cases for the period of July 12 to 18,” De Guzman said. As for Metro Manila or the National Capital Region (NCR), the average daily cases reported is lower than the lowest cases after the peak months of August 2020 and April 2021. For the period December 8 to 14, NCR’s average daily cases was 83, or 20

Senate, House ratify P5-trillion 2022 nat’l budget MANILA – The Senate and the House of Representatives have ratified the bicameral conference committee report on the proposed P5.024-trillion national budget for 2022. During the plenary session, the chamber ratified the final version of the spending measure after the bicameral committee reconciled the disagreeing provisions earlier in the day. Following its ratification, the 2022 General Appropriations Bill (GAB) will be transmitted to Malacañang for President Rodrigo Duterte’s signature. Among the amendments introduced in the final version of the proposed 2022 budget is the increase in the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC)’s budget to P17.1 billion after it was initially cut down to P4 billion. House committee on appropriations chair Eric Yap said the proposed 2022 budget would be “crucial for our full recovery from the pandemic as a nation.” “Rest assured that the government’s battle strategy on health and nutrition, social protection, governance, and development, are carried out in this budget,” Yap said. The proposed 2022 General Appropriations Act is 11.5 percent higher than this year’s P4.506 trillion.

5 December 16-22, 2021

 PROVINCIAL NEWS

Lapu-Lapu City dads nix P25-B skyway project LAPU LAPU CITY - The proposed P24.8 billion Lapu-Lapu expressway project that will connect Cebu to Mactan island has suﬀered a setback as the opposition bloc of the Lapu-Lapu City Council thumbed down the project. In rejecting the project, the councilors led by Councilor Flaviano Hiyas Jr. said the project cannot solve the traﬃc problem in the city since only 44 percent of the LLEX will be elevated as a skyway and 56 percent will go alongside the existing road.

The project is proposed to be undertaken under a Mayor Junard “Ahong” Chan, who attended the sesJoint Venture Agreement (JVA) at no cost on the part of sion, expressed his dismay over the decision of the counthe government by Premium Megastructures Inc., Ulti- cil. con Builders Inc. and MTD Philippines. The opposition city aldermen rejected the project during their special session despite the willingness of the proponents of the project to revise some provisions in the agreement that were raised by the council, including the 50-year exemption from business, community and real property taxes.

Zamboanga Archbishop dela Cruz dies at 74 ZAMBOANGA CITY – Zamboanga Archbishop Romulo dela Cruz has died after a lingering illness. He was 74. The Archdiocese of Zamboanga, dela Cruz died at about 11:05 p.m. on Friday, December 10, at the Zamboanga Doctors’ Hospital where he was brought due to an “erratic heartbeat.” He suffered a stroke in July. Fr. Armand Aquino, chancellor of the archdiocese, said dela Cruz also had “very low blood pressure and slight fever.” “He has long suffered from his illness and is now given relief to enjoy eternal peace in heaven,” read a statement released on Saturday. “We offer our prayers to God for the soul of Abp. Rommy, for his family and we pray for our Archdiocese of Zamboanga.” Dela Cruz, who was born in Balasan, Iloilo on June 24, 1947, served the Archdiocese of Zamboanga for seven years. He was ordained at the Archdiocese of Cotabato on Dec. 8, 1972. In 1987, he was named coadjutor bishop

of Isabela and became the bishop in 1989. Dela Cruz is well-loved by the Catholic faithful in Basilan as he stood his ground despite threats from the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG). He was the province’s archbishop when a kidnapped priest, Rev. Ruel Gallardo, died during a rescue attempt in May 2000. Gallardo, who was reportedly tortured while in captivity, was shot on the back of the head by escaping ASG terrorists. Dela Cruz also served as bishop of Kidapawan from 2008 until 2014 when he was appointed to Zamboanga. The archdiocese is under the care of Auxiliary Bishop Moises Cuevas, who was appointed apostolic administrator by Pope Francis on August 11. “Deepest condolences to the relatives, friends, the Catholic community, and the Archdiocese of Zamboanga family of the late Archbishop de la Cruz,” Mayor Maria Isabelle Climaco-Salazar posted on her Facebook account.

 NATIONAL NATIONAL NEWS NEWS

December 16-22, 2021

Bongbong, Sara top Q4 survey MANILA - The tandem of former Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte are the leading candidates for president and vice president if a survey of PUBLiCUS Asia is to be believed. In the PUBLICUS fourth quarter survey, the presidential daughter was the preferred choice for vice president in the 2022 polls with 54.8 percent of the 1,500 respondents randomly sampled. Sara is followed by Dr. Willie Ong (11.2 percent) , Senate President Vicente Sotto III (11 percent), Senator Francis Pangilinan (9.7 percent); Deputy Speaker and Buhay party-list Representative Jose “Lito” Atienza (1.5 percent); and Professor Walden Bello (0.7 percent). The mayor got the highest rating in Mindanao with 78.6 percent. “Her entry into the vice-presidential race broke the three-way tie for ﬁrst place in the third-quarter survey,” Publicus noted. Marcos Jr. topped the preferred choice for president. His choice share was up by 2.6 percentage points from the 49.3 percent in the third-quarter poll. Marcos was also the frontrunner in the third-quarter survey, as well as in Publicus’ Final List Survey where he was the choice of 56.7 percent of the respondents. Trailing Marcos in the latest survey were Vice President Maria Leonor “Leni” Robredo with 20.2 percent; Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso (7.9 percent); Senators Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go (3.9 percent); Panﬁlo “Ping” Lacson (3.4 percent); Emmanuel “Manny” Pacquiao (2.3 percent); and the former spokesman of President Rodrigo Duterte, Ernesto “Ernie” Abella (0.5 per-

cent). Go had still been included in the list despite already announcing his withdrawal from the race. Publicus did the fourth-quarter survey from December 6 to 10, polling 1,500 respondents. The Marcos-Duterte-Carpio tandem is running the Uniteam Alliance, a coalition of Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP), Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD), Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP), and Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP). Marcos, the son of late dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr., is running under PFP, while the mayor, the daughter of incumbent President Rodrigo Duterte, is both the chairperson of Lakas-CMD and HNP. HNP Secretary-General Anthony del Rosario said the survey results “are humbling, and at the same time, encouraging.” “It shows that the BBM-Sara UniTeam continues to capture the hearts of the Filipino people,” Del Rosario said. “But most importantly, it leads the

party and all the organizations supporting the UniTeam to focus more on the pressing challenges that we are facing today -- such as recovery from the impact of the pandemic,” the HNP official added. The BBM-Sara UniTeam has recently been holding caravans around the country, meeting local officials and organizations supporting their bid in the 2022 elections. The PUBLiCUS Asia’s Pahayag Quarter 4 survey is a nationwide purposive sampling survey comprised of 1,500 respondents that were randomly drawn from a market research panel by the Singapore office of PureSpectrum, a US-based firm. The sampling was guided by statistics generated from official data from the Commission on Elections (Comelec). The survey also showed that President Duterte was the second preferred senatorial aspirant in the 2022 national elections with 56 percent. He, however, withdrew his certificate of candidacy on December 14. Sorsogon Governor Francis “Chiz” Escudero kept his post as the top preferred senatorial aspirant with 57 percent. Also in the top five spots were TaguigPateros Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano with 45 percent, television personality Raffy Tulfo with 42 percent, and Senator Sherwin Gatchalian with 42 percent. Deputy Speaker and Antique Representative Loren Legarda (38 percent), Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri (37 percent), former Public Works Secretary Mark Villar (35 percent), Senator Joel Villanueva (33 percent), and Senator Risa Hontiveros (33 percent) made the top 10.

Secret plot to invade Sabah? Isko to assert Philippine claim

JOLO/MANILA — Officials of Sulu have reportedly held a secret meeting and agreed to recruit at least 60 men to “invade” Sabah which historically is part of Philippine territory having been bequeathed by the Sultan of Brunei to the Sultan of Sulu. The meeting was reported by the South China Morning Post but denied by both Philippine and Malaysian authorities. Sulu officials actually met for their Bantay Dagat project, which aims to strengthen maritime security in the province. In a statement, the Joint Task Force Sulu said Governor Abdusakur Tan and the 19 mayors of the province met on Dec. 1 to develop the project that will involve officials from the municipal and barangay levels.

This developed as 299 privates, who are mostly Tausugs, recently joined the 11th Infantry Alakdan Division. They either have special skills or have served in the Citizen Armed Forces Geographical Unit Active Auxiliary. Meanwhile, presidential aspirant and Manila Mayor Francisco Isko Moreno Domagoso hinted he would “ﬁght for the country’s claim over Sabah” if chosen by voters. “We must pursue it the way we do with the West Philippine Sea. If it is ours historically and we have a valid claim about it, then we must pursue it,” he said. The JTF Sulu and 11th Infantry Division Commander Major General William Gonzales said 300 civilian volunteers are currently undergoing training to reservist. “All in all, we have 820 men and women ready to serve the nation wear-

ing the military uniform... We are at the forefront of ensuring security and we will tirelessly collaborate with the LGU when it comes to humanitarian development and economic initiatives,” Gonzales said. “The local chief executives will be in charge of recruitment of ﬁshermen or seafarer volunteers that would conduct maritime patrols in collaboration with the military in Sulu to help improve border control against terrorists and any other lawless elements. Further, it will also be utilized for disaster risk reduction and management during calamities in the maritime and coastal areas,” JTF Sulu said. The project was created in line with the goal of continuing to improve the province’s stability in terms of security and economic aspect, they added.

Convicted magnate allowed by SC to travel to Europe MANILA – The Supreme Court (SC) has allowed a construction magnate convicted by the Sandiganbayan for graft to travel to Europe, saying “he does not appear to be a flight risk.” Jesusito Legaspi and 12 former executives of the Public Estates Authority were sentenced to up to eight years in prison in 2015 for padding the cost of a 2.3-kilometer (km) section of the 5.1-km asphalt road project, the President Diosdado Macapagal Highway that traverses Pasay and Parañaque cities. The case is on appeal. In a recent resolution, the SC First Division authorized Legaspi’s motion to travel from December 12 to January 16 next year. A similar request filed by Legaspi in August was also granted for travel to the United States from August 18 to September 22 but the trip did not push through as the visa of one of Legaspi’s children was not renewed. Like in the previous grant of authority, the SC said Legaspi “does not appear to be a flight risk, considering that he continues to actively participate in the defense of his case and that there was no reason for him not to return to the country where his family and his substantial business interests are located”.

PHL to remain under Alert Level 2 until Dec. 31 MANILA – The entire Philippines will remain under Alert Level 2 status from December 16 to 31. Acting Presidential Spokesperson, Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) decided to retain the alert level status as the Department of Health (DOH) reported the first two cases of the Omicron variant of Covid-19 in the Philippines. “We are being very cautious because eto nga yung banta ng Omicron na nakikita natin sa ibang mga lugar, mga bansa, territories, and jurisdictions na may positive na Omicron lalo na local transmission ng Omicron, pataas ng pataas ang bilang ng Covid cases doon at marami pa tayong hindi nalalaman tungkol sa Omicron (because of the threat of Omicron that we see in other countries, territories, and jurisdictions positive for Omicron especially local transmission where cases are increasing. We also don’t know a lot about Omicron yet),” he said in a Palace press briefing. Nograles said the IATF-EID has also yet to finalize the parameters to shift to the least restrictive Alert Level 1 status. He also said the government is still in the process of boosting the country’s Covid-19 vaccination rate. The Philippines aims to fully vaccinate more than 54 million Filipinos by yearend.

7 December 16-22, 2021

 NATIONAL NATIONAL NEWS NEWS

PHL ﬁrm on rights in South China Sea, Locsin tells G-7/ASEAN meeting in UK LIVERPOOL/PASAY CITY – The Philippines will continue to uphold its rights in the South China Sea, Foreign Aﬀairs Teodoro Locsin Jr. stressed at inaugural Group of 7-Association of Southeast Asian Nations (G-7-ASEAN) Foreign and Development Ministers’ Meeting in Liverpool, United Kingdom. “UNCLOS and the 2016 Arbitral Award are the twin anchors of Philippine positions and activities in the South China Sea. We will not raise anchor and drift or sail away from them. We value your support,” Locsin said during the meeting. Tensions between the Philippines and China over the hotly contested waters have risen late November after Chinese Coast Guard ships water-cannoned Filipino boats trying to deliver supplies to Philippine Navy personnel at the BRP Sierra

Madre anchored on Ayungin Shoal, a part of Philippine territory. The 2016 ruling by The Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration invalidated China’s expansive claims in the South China Sea, but Beijing continues to disregard it. Locsin said the heightened tension in the South China Sea remains a “serious concern” and underscores the urgency of the Code of Conduct (COC) in the region. “We will not raise anchor and drift or sail away from them. We value your support,” he said during the December 12 meeting. “China can claim what it wants and say what it wants but it cannot do anything it pleases without blowback from the Philippines.” On November 16, the Chinese Coast Guard blocked and ﬁred water cannons

at two Philippine boats transporting supplies to military personnel of the BRP Sierra Madre at the Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal. Philippine Navy resupply boats Unaizzah May 1 and Unaizzah May 3 eventually completed the mission one week later without any untoward incident. Defense Secretary Delﬁn Lorenzana called it “an aﬀront to the Filipino people”. “I have told the Chinese Ambassador (Huang Xilian) that no one can prevent us from doing what we have to lawfully do within the West Philippine Sea, an area where we have sovereign rights by international laws,” Lorenzana said in a statement. The COC is expected to be a regional framework that establishes the rules and

standards for peace and stability amid the maritime row in South China Sea. The G7 is an inter-governmental political forum consisting of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States As the previous country coordinator for the Asean-China Dialogue Relations, Locsin said the Philippines have “helped lead the process and build consensus”. However, the negotiations for the COC went nowhere, Locsin said. Locsin did not share further details on the negotiations but said he opposed the exclusion of outside power in the crafting of the document as it “would create a semi-legal sphere of inﬂuence repugnant to the comity of all nations.” In a separate statement, Locsin recognized the G7’s concern amid latest devel-

MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte’s trust and approval ratings rose in December 2021, if the fourth quarter survey results of a political consultancy ﬁrm is to be believed. In PUBLiCUS Asia’s Pahayag Quarter 4 survey conducted from Dec. 6 to 10, Duterte had an approval rating of 65 percent, up by 5 percentage points from its 60 percent approval rating in the third quarter. Duterte’s trust rating also rose to 55 percent, 2 percentage points higher than his 53 percent trust rating in the last quarter.

Duterte was tagged by at least 50 percent of respondents in all but one of the traits namely “religiosity.” He notched the highest share for “bravery” with 80 percent, “love for the Philippines” with 72 percent, “decisiveness” with 72 percent, and “concern for Filipinos” with 71 percent. On the other hand, the approval rating of Vice President Leni Robredo dipped by 1 percentage point to 30 percent from 31 percent in the third quarter. However, her trust rating rose to 23 percent from 22 percent.

Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III’s approval rating rose 2 percentage points to 36 percent from 34 percent in the third quarter. Sotto’s trust rating also jumped by 1 percentage point to 21 percent from 20 percent in the last quarter. The approval ratings of House Speaker Lord Allan Velasco and Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo remained at 24 percent. Velasco’s trust rating rose to 13 percent from 12 percent in the last quarter while Gesmundo’s trust rating dipped by 1 per-

centage point to 14 percent from 15 percent. As for institutions, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) had the highest total approval with 70 percent and the highest total trust with 53 percent. The AFP is followed by Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) with a 68 percent approval rating and a 46 percent trust rating and the Philippine Air Force (PAF) with a 65 percent approval rating and 46 percent trust rating.

Duterte’s trust, approval ratings climb in survey

Senate approves bill creating OFW department PASAY CITY- The Senate has unanimously approved on ﬁnal reading a bill that would create a department speciﬁcally addressing the needs and concerns of overseas Filipino workers. Voting 20-0-0, the upper chamber approved on December 14 Senate Bill No. 2234, or the proposed Department of Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipinos Act. One of its proponents, Senator Joel Villanueva, said the department will

serve as the go-to agency for all OFWs’ concerns, including on recruitment, red tape, regulation, emergency response, repatriation, and reintegration. He added the proposed law will fasttrack not just the applications of migrant workers, but also cases ﬁled against illegal recruiters. Previously, lawmakers have raised questions on the necessity of creating a separate agency and pointed out the huge amount needed to set it up. The

of December 8 to 14. The number is 26 percent lower than the average of 516 cases per day during the previous week. “This is among our lowest cases since we had the peak around August 2020 last year, 1,130 cases for the period of December 27 to January 2, and after the April 2021 peak at 4,982 cases for the period of July 12 to 18,” De Guzman said.

minimum amount required is estimated at over ₱1.1 billion, and this only covers the personal services, maintenance and operating expenses, as well as capital outlay, according to the Budget depart-

ment.he measure had been certiﬁed as urgent by President Rodrigo Duterte. The House of Representatives also passed a similar bill on ﬁnal reading in March last year.

 NATIONAL NEWS Duterte...

December 16-22, 2021

Campaign materials had started to appear over social media showing the president as head of the six-man line-up of Lakas-CMD headed by Ms. Duterte. There had been talk that the president and his daughter had not been in good terms of late, and the exit of Mr. Duterte was seen as proof of a lack of communication between the two. Davao City mayor Sara said her father had made a personal decision which should be respected. “The filing of candidacy and withdrawal is a personal decision,” she said in a statement, adding, “We can only respect that decision.” A few hours earlier, the president’s long-time personal assistant and now Senator Bong Go also officially ended his presidential dreams by heading to the Commission on Elections headquarters in Manila to recall his certificate of candidacy (COC).

Unlike Mr. Duterte, however, Go had earlier announced that he would end his quest to succeed the president, but took his own time before cancelling his COC. Mr. Duterte had long said that he was tired and wanted nothing more than to retire to his home in Davao City, but then surprised his followers earlier this year by saying that he would run for vice president because he still had “unfinished business” that he wanted to settle. Had Mr. Duterte pushed through with his VP bid, the country would have witnessed the odd spectacle of a father running against his own daughter for the second highest post in the land. Mr. Duterte, however, dropped his bid in favor of Go, who then filed a COC as the vice presidential bet of the Cusi wing of PDP-Laban. At that time, Senator Ronald dela Rosa was the party’s presidential bet. But Dela Rosa dropped his presidential bid, paving the way for Go to take over as the official candidate for president of the party which had propelled then candidate Rodrigo Duterte to the presidency in 2016.

Age was seen as a factor in the president’s decision to end his political life at the end of his six-year term in 2022. Mr. Duterte is already 76 and has a number of health issues. He has had frequent disappearances from the public eye, with Malacanang saying that he was working from home. Early in his presidency, however, Mr. Duterte admitted taking the powerful painkiller fentanyl on a regular basis on his doctor’s orders. In his younger days, the president was an avid biker and he patrolled the streets of Davao regularly on his motorcycle. With the exit of Mr. Duterte and Go, the administration party has been thrown into disarray having no presidential, vice presidential, and senate bets. The other wing of PDP-Laban headed by Senator Koko Pimentel is ﬁelding Senator Manny Pacquiao as its presidential bet with former Manila mayor and current party-list Rep. Lito Atienza as his running mate.

Comelec...

(From page 1) sion

The Comelec also said the Motion for Intervention filed by Bautista’s group, Motions to Intervene and Admit Attached Answers-in-Intervention filed by Tamayo and others, and the Motion for Leave to Intervene with Motion to Admit Attached Answer-in-Intervention filed by PFP, were not admitted and therefore, “treated as mere scraps of paper.” The poll body said Bautista and others filed the Petition-in-Intervention, 33 days after Marcos filed his COC, which is beyond the mandatory 25-day period prescribed in Section 78 of the Omnibus Election Code (OEC). “If the Commission (Second Division) shall admit the Tamayo and PFP Motions are considered the same in the resolution of the main case, we would be in effect be according undue advantage to respondent. Allowing the intervention of Tamayo, et al. and PFP necessarily places respondent on unfairly advantageous position,” it added.

It said allowing the petitioners to intervene could also trigger other intervenors to file their own motions for interventions that would require the Comelec to first resolve these motions before resolving the main case. After deciding on the three petitions, the Second Division said it would no longer entertain future motions for interventions and/or petitions-in-intervention or answers-in-intervention on the case. On the other hand, Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez said the First and Second Divisions have yet to decide if they will consolidate the cases to avoid conflict in their decisions on the petitions filed against the former senator. “While there is a possibility that the cases might be consolidated, but so far there is no decision yet, so I guess they have not seen grounds for possible conflict,” he added. Other petitions filed against Marcos were petitions to disqualify and declare him as a nuisance candidate.

PHL...

(From page 1)

In another development, the Philippines has fully vaccinated some 41.5 million people out of its 54 million yearend target for COVID-19 inoculation. Authorities have administered about 97.2 million COVID-19 shots, of which 54.9 million are first jabs, Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said. At least 37,895,271 people have completed two doses, while 3,617,800 others received the single-dose Janssen vaccine, said Nograles. In a statement, Health Secretary Francisco T. Duque said the two cases — both international travelers — are currently isolated in a facility under the Bureau of Quarantine. The report came following the latest genome sequencing of 48 samples on November 15. The first Omicron case is a returning overseas Filipino who arrived from Japan on Dec. 1 via a Philippine Airlines flight. The patient had coughs and colds upon arrival but is now asymptomatic, the health department said. The second case is a Nigerian national who arrived on Nov. 30 via an Oman Air flight, and is also currently asymptomatic. The government is conducting active case finding and tracing for possible close contacts of the cases during their flights. Government officials, meanwhile, encouraged Filipinos to get their COVID-19 shots as soon as they can. “We assure our people that we will closely monitor developments of the two cases in light of existing protocols, as we continue to remind the public not to let their guard down, to religiously observe minimum public health standards, and call upon all those unvaccinated to get their jabs as soon as possible,” acting presidential spokesperson Karlo Nograles said in a statement. Secretary Duque also called on the public to sign up for boosters. “Of course, we should all be alarmed. That is why, kinakailangang magpabakuna na po tayo,” Duque told

reporters. “Magpa-booster shot tayo doon sa mga nakatapos na.” As of December 15, the Department of Health (DOH) recorded 235 new Covid-19 cases -- the lowest the country has recorded since May 23, 2020. The DOH tallied 780 new recoveries, bringing active cases down to 10,526 and marking the third week the country recorded less than 1,000 cases per day. The country’s positivity rate is also at its lowest at 0.9 percent out of 24,120 tests conducted. However, the DOH said the test rate is considerably lower than the past days after 12 labs were not able to submit their data. With this, the total conﬁrmed cases are now at 2,836,868, while recoveries are at 2,775,991.

(From page 1)

junked the motions for intervention separately filed by Rommel Bautista and others; Reynaldo Tamayo Jr. and others; and by the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP) in connection with the petition filed by Fr. Christian Buenafe and others. According to the Comelec 2nd division, helmed by commissioners Antonio Kho and Socorro Inting, admitting both the pro and anti-Marcos intervenors would “necessarily result to unduly delaying the resolution of the main Petition” filed by civic leaders Christian Buenafe, et al. “It shall unduly delay or prejudice the adjudication of the rights of the original parties in the case. If the instant Motion for Intervention is granted, this will necessarily result to unduly delaying the resolution of the main petition,” stated in the resolution promulgated on Dec. 13. showed negative growth rates for the past week, said Dr. Althea de Guzman, director of the DOH Epidemiology Bureau. The two regions are being monitored if their cases will continue to increase for 2 weeks, she added.

9 December 16-22, 2021 POSTPONE...

 NATIONAL NEWS (From page 1)

The move was immediately opposed by Constitutional experts and the aspirants themselves, pointing out that the election date is set by the Constitution and enabling laws, adding that only Constitutional change can make the re-scheduling of the elections possible. The law provides that national elections are held every six years on the first Monday of May. For next year, the date falls on May 9. Election campaign, however, will officially start only in February. The presidential aspirants going around with the vice presidential bets are Senators Emmanuel Pacquiao and Panfilo Lacson, Manila Mayor Francisco Isko Moreno Domagoso, former senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Vice President Leni Robredo and labor leader Leody de Guzman, following the withdrawal of candidacy of Sen. Christopher Lawrence Go. One of those who voiced opposition to the petition was former Commission on Elections chairman Christian Monsod who said a constitutional crisis may ensue if elections are not held as scheduled. Several senators said the proposed postponement of elections is “unconstitutional.” Senate President Vicente Sotto III warned that postponing the elections will create a “vacuum in the government.” “Unconstitutional. There will be a vacuum in the [government],” said Sotto, a vice presidential aspirant. “There is no provision in the Constitution that will allow a holdover for national officials except for 12 members of the Senate,” he added. James Jimenez, spokesman of the Commission on Elections, also shot down the proposed postponement of elections, saying it is unlikely. “It doesn’t look like it’s going to have much of a chance. You’re basically saying ignore the Constitution,” Jimenez said. “The implication is of course you’re going to need to amend the Constitution and to do that… you’re going to have a ratification plebiscite and the plebiscite is an election. Medyo absurd siya [It’s quite absurd].” He said the country will be without a president and other positions left vacant if the elections are pushed back, given that there are no provisions for holdover that will allow incumbents to remain in power. Jimenez said pushing back the scheduled May 9 polls is disregarding the Constitution. “When you call for suspension of elections of this magnitude, nationwide and for at least a year, you’re basically saying ignore the Constitution, not hold elections the way the Constitution says it should. The implications of that is the need to amend Constitution. You cannot ignore the Constitution,” he said in a virtual press briefing. “You want to suspend elections but you need to hold an elections/plebiscite to suspend the elections. To amend the Constitution, you need to have a plebiscite,” Jimenez added. Should the elections get suspended, Jimenez said there would be no officials elected. “There is no holdover provision. Which means, that if you suspend elections for 2023, then that means you have entire year with no elected officials. What are we going

to do? Nominate, appoint, by whose authority, for what purpose? This doom mongering doesn’t help. The petition itself is probably based on a mistaken notion, that the Comelec has the power to suspend elections,” Jimenez added. Jimenez explained that the commission has no power to postpone the polls because it is mandated by the Constitution but has the authority, under the Omnibus Election Code, to postpone it if there is a valid reason. He said the Comelec can suspend electoral exercises but on certain conditions, such as when free and fair elections do not exist. “Example: there is fire, ballots have been damaged by flood, all the teachers were infected with Covid-19 for those reasons, we can suspend elections. But only while that reason exists. For example, there have been replacement, then you can hold elections right away. Not supposed to suspend on a great length of time,” the poll body official said. The petitioner, called Coalition for Life and Democracy (NCLD), invoked the Constitution which states that the right to life “takes precedence” and is “the highest and most sacred” in the hierarchy of human rights. In its petition, the NCLD, which is said to be composed of lawyers, cited the continuing threat of COVID-19, noting that the Omicron variant poses a “clear, present, and imminent danger” even if its detection has yet to be confirmed by health authorities. The NCLD said the State can use its police power and adopt extraordinary measures to protect health and prevent more deaths from COVID-19. At the same time, the NCLD slammed the “meet and greet” engagements of aspirants for the 2022 polls as these place the life, health, and safety of the “poor and innocent in grave jeopardy.” “These politicians do not really care about the lives of the poor voters. If they truly are concerned of the plight of the poor, there are many other ways of helping them and not thru assemblies in violation of IATF protocols and end either laws and ordinances making them appear as mendicants for money or relief goods,” the NCLD said. The group made a similar request to President Rodrigo Duterte in August, and it now cite the Omicron variant as another reason to postpone the voting, fearing that campaign activities will cause another outbreak. “NCLD, true to its advocacy, is extremely worried of the clear, present and imminent danger posed by this new variant. Transmission and infection could hardly be prevented specially with the rampant violation of health and safety protocols being committed by vote-buying politicians who in the pretext of helping the poor, engage in early vote-buying - in blatant violation of the Omnibus Election Code,” the group said. “Television and social media show large crowds gathering in various parts of the country hoping to receive amounts

from presidential, gubernatorial and mayoral candidates who in the guise of ‘meet and greet’ engage in open vote-buying, and in the process placing the life, health and safety of the poor and innocent in grave jeopardy. These politicians do not really care about the lives of the poor voters,” it added. However, the petition itself may have inconsistencies. In one page, the group wants the polls held in 2023 and in another, by May 2025. It was eventually clarified by NCLD that it wants only a one-year postponement. “We can seek the postponement of a scheduled national elections through the filing of a bill in congress, to be decided by both Houses, and to be signed by the President; along this line ang mga local officials naman, the elections for the local officials…

the [Comelec], voting on a majority of the members of the en banc, can postpone a local election,” said Francisco Buan, one of the petitioners. Buan said they wrote Congress, but no bill has been ﬁled as of yet. Noticeably, the petition cited diﬀerent years for the resetting of polls: in the body, the plea was for the polls to be held in May 2023, while the prayer states it should be in May 2025. The petition states the coalition was formed in June 2021 at the St. Clare College in Caloocan City, “anchored on a noble mission to underscore and uphold the importance and primacy of life, its protection and preservation, while adhering to democratic systems, principles and ideology.” Buan said their group is “apolitical.”

 NATIONAL NEWS

December 16-22, 2021

US warns China to halt aggressive actions in South China Sea JAKARTA/MANILA – The United States government would continue to “push back” on Beijing’s expansive maritime claims in the South China Sea (SCS) as it outlined its priorities in the Indo-Paciﬁc region. US State Secretary Antony Blinken, during a speech in Jakarta on December 14, said Washington, DC is determined to ensure the freedom of navigation in the strategic water where more than US$3 trillion worth of goods pass through every year. “It’s worth remembering that, tied up

in that colossal number, USD3 trillion, are the actual livelihoods and well-being of millions of people across the world. When commerce can’t traverse open seas, that means that farmers are blocked from shipping their produce; factories can’t ship their microchips; hospitals are blocked from getting life-saving medicines,” he said. Blinken also reaﬃrmed the 2016 arbitral ruling that rejected China’s nine-dash line in the region. “Five years ago, an international tribunal delivered a unanimous and legally

binding decision ﬁrmly rejecting unlawful, expansive South China Sea maritime claims as being inconsistent with international law. We and other countries, including South China Sea claimants, will continue to push back on such behavior,” he said. The US, he said, would forge “stronger connections” within and beyond the region and deepen its treaty alliances with Japan, the Republic of Korea, Australia, Thailand, including the Philippines. China, the Philippines, and several lit-

toral states are locked in a territorial dispute over the South China Sea. At the recent ASEAN-G7 ministers meeting, Foreign Aﬀairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. said “recent incidents and the heightened tension” in the area remain a serious concern. He noted that Manila has ﬁred diplomatic protests for every incursion and opposed the application of China’s Coast Guard Law beyond the limits of its maritime entitlements under the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

$250-M ADB loan to help boost Covid-19 vaccine supply in PHL MANDALUYONG CITY – The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $250-million loan to help the Philippine government secure additional coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) vaccine supply to boost the health security of Filipinos and ensure a safe and steady economic recovery. The assistance will allow the government to purchase 40 million additional doses of Covid-19 vaccines for eligible children and booster shots for adults. “The Philippines has continuously enhanced its capacities for testing, tracing, isolating, and treating Covid-19 cases and vigorously pursued Covid-19 inoculation for its population,” ADB Principal Social Sector Specialist for Southeast Asia Sakiko

Tanaka said. “ADB is supporting the government’s drive to provide vaccines to protect its citizens and save lives, especially with the emergence of new Covid-19 variants. Vaccination will allow the health system to better manage the effects of the virus and will help sustain economic recovery. It is key to the country’s full recovery from the pandemic,” she said. The project, the Second Health System Enhancement to Address and Limit Covid-19 under the Asia Pacific Vaccine Access Facility (HEAL2) Additional Financing, will be co-financed by the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. The new assistance builds on ADB’s active support for the country’s overall

Covid-19 health response and its universal health care program. Under the amended Health System Enhancement to Address and Limit Covid-19 under the Asia-Pacific Vaccine Access Facility, or HEAL, approved in January 2021, ADB provided advance payments for vaccines and purchases of microsyringes and other vaccine-related items. It also financed investments in health infrastructure to complement vaccine financing, such as the upgrading of laboratories and construction of isolation facilities. Through HEAL2, approved in March 2021, ADB helped purchase 85.6 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines through bilateral agreements, with 81 percent of the supply delivered as of 2 December 2021. This

made up about half of the country’s vaccine supply as of Dec. 2, 2021. More than 98 percent of the funds from HEAL2 have been committed for vaccine supply contracts as of Dec. 6, 2021. These supply contracts have helped the government expand its national Covid-19 vaccination program. As of Dec. 8, 2021, more than 57 million Filipinos, or nearly 65 percent of the Philippines’ target population, had been vaccinated with at least one Covid-19 vaccine dose. On Nov. 19, 2021, ADB approved the $600-million Build Universal Health Care Program to ensure equitable access to quality health services and ﬁnancial protection for all Filipinos.

11 December 16-22, 2021

 OPINION Florida...

(From page 1)

Upside

lier said they were “looking for a possible black midsize passenger car with front-end damage.” On Monday, Dec. 6, they said they had located the vehicle. Investigation is ongoing. Archer’s death shocked neighbors who were aware of his daily habit and safety precautions. “He’s always wearing the reflective vest. He had a neon hat and a little walking stick all the time,” said Jennifer Laux. “My heart really does out to his family CHERIE M. QUEROL MORENO because his life is gone, just like that.” Relatives around the world expressed their grief and consoled each other on social media. “My kids and I can’t stop sobbing as he and his wife were very close to us,” Rosana Robles Fernandez, Lourdes Archer’s cousin-in-law, told Inquirer.net. “Paul was a very good man! Please pray for him.” Formerly a resident of Southern California, Robles Fernandez said she cannot believe she and her daughters have lost a beloved father figure. “Paul and Lourdes used to come to the Philippines every year. They loved Tagaytay, where they planned to buy a house,” said Robles Fernandez, now living in San Juan City, Metro Manila, with her daughters Nash and Nichole after their father Bing Fernandez died in EDITORIAL Los Angeles. The Archers were longtime residents of Washington State, where Paul was born. He celebrated his 70th birthday just two months ago. “They moved to Florida to be near the base,” Robles Fernandez said, referring to the US Naval Base in USN Lt. Comm. Paul Archer t was a question asked of then President Richard Nixon when the truth about the Pensacola. was dedicated to naval serWatergate scandal slowly came to light. Was the 37th President of the United Lt. Commander Paul Lawrence Archer dedicated vice. States part of the plot or was it all the doing of the men closest to him? his life to the US Navy. He attended the University of The Watergate tapes would show that Nixon knew everything at the earliest Washington in Seattle on a naval scholarship in 1970. stages of the aborted break-in of the Democratic National Committee headquar- Four years later he was commissioned as a Navy officer. In 1984 he was promoted Lieutenant Commander. He officially retired in 1994, concluding a 20-year career ters. that earned him the National Defense Service Medal, a Sea Service Deployment Now that same question is being asked of former president Donald Trump. This Ribbon with three bronze stars; and the Navy and Marine Corps Overseas Service time, the yet unanswered question is about the January 5 insurrection, an event infiRibbon with three bronze stars. nitely more serious than a simple failed break-in. Naval service also led him to the love of his life. While stationed in Manila in What sketchy data that has come out thus far does not appear to bode well for the 1981, he met and married Lourdes Fernandez, daughter of a former governor of 45th POTUS. Jolo. They were loving partner for 40 years. Together they cheered their hometown It cannot be denied that there is growing impatience with the January 6 committeams Seattle Seahawks and Washington Huskies, even after relocating to Florida. tee’s apparent slow pace at ferreting out the truth about what happened on that fateful Post-service he worked as insurance adjuster. They enjoyed traveling, especially day. ocean cruises, said Robles Fernandez. That impatience was alleviated somewhat this week after the investigative body His obituary stated: “Paul never met a stranger—his intense curiosity about life, recommended the criminal prosecution of former president Donald Trump’s former his bountiful knowledge about history, people and places, and(Continued on page 27) chief of staff Mark Meadows for attempting to obstruct the ongoing investigation. Meadows had initially agreed to cooperate with the committee by surrendering thousands of pages of documents related to Mr. Trump’s role in the event, but then took a 180 degree turn by suddenly refusing to continue revealing what he knew. His about face may have been triggered by the public statements made by Trump Philippine News Today is published weekly by Philippines Today LLC with business and editorial offices at 6454 regarding the book that Meadows wrote, details of which proved embarrassing to the Mission Street, Daly City, CA 94014., with telephones 650.757.1480, 650.872.3200, 650.552.9775 and website former president. address www.pnewstoday.com and email address advertising@philippinestodayus.com or editor@philippinestodayus.com Trump had actually done the foreword for the book and praised its author before MANILA OFFICE: Le Marquis Townhomes, 51 P. Tuazon Blvd. Quezon City 1112, Tels. 8546.8426, 8451.1892, 8546.8421 such ugly details as his having tested positive for COVID-19 days before his debate FRANCIS ESPIRITU with then candidate Joe Biden. Publisher/President MARILYN B. KING It was pretty reckless of Trump to endanger so many people that he came into conTHELMA L. CRUZ ALFRED G. GABOT Vice President Vice President Editor-in-chief tact with before he was finally rushed to the Walter Reed Hospital, where he recovered for Sales and Marketing for Operations & Promotions CLAIRE M. TRUE soon enough. But not before a number of men and women with access to the Oval BETING LAYGO DOLOR CHERIE QUEROL MORENO Managing Editor Manila Editor Executive Editor Office were themselves infected. That potentially dangerous act by the twice impeached, one-term president was not JUNNI RANILLO NEIL GONZALES JO ERLINDA YABUT LYDIA SOLIS Entertainment Editor Chief Correspondent Entertainment Editor Chief Correspondent the worst of Meadow’s revelations, it now appears. Northern California Southern California What Meadows now refuses to discuss even with the risk of facing up to a year in ANGELO LOPEZ MA. CECILIA G. MADELO THOMAS G. MADELO JR. jail is what Trump knew about the plans of the insurrectionists. Cartoonist Graphic Director Creative Director There remain many questions that the House committee is expected to answer beELEANOR SMITH Office Manager GILDA PASION BALAN BLESIE D. SISON fore they complete their probe, which should be sometime in the spring of next year. FRANCO G. REGALA ALBERT MARTINEZ NICK SAGMIT What is becoming increasingly clear is that the mob that came close to completely ALI MACABALANG RENE AMON GEORGE GANGE Account Executives JEANNE MICHAEL PENARANDA overrunning the Capitol were part of a larger plan which would have installed Trump RENE AVENIDO Manila Correspondents Photo Correspondents as a president without a mandate. The man at the center of that plot could not possibly be the chief of staff of the VAL G. ABELGAS, HOMOBONO A. ADAZA, PERRY DIAZ, JOJO LIANGCO, JO ERLINDA G. NEBRES, ROY C. MABASA, ART G. MADLAING, president, who surely was acting on the orders of his superior. FR. JOEPEL PADIT, RODEL E. RODIS, LOURDES TANCINCO ESQ, MELANDREW T. VELASCO, It may be difficult to prove at this stage, but it is logical to surmise that Trump DANTES & CYNTHIA VELUZ, CRISTINA OSMENA, LUDY ONGKEKO. COLUMNISTS had somehow gotten to Meadows and told him in no uncertain terms to back off. The The views and opinions expressed herein by writers, columnists and advertisers are their own and do not necesstrong message could have come from someone very close to Trump if not from the sarily reflect those of the publisher, management and staff of Philippines Today. We are not responsible for former president himself. incorrect printing, photographical errors or information listed or for loss or damage of unsolicited manuscripts. Reproduction or redistribution in whole or in part is prohibited. Little by little, the truth is coming out.

What did he know and when did he know it?

 OPINION

December 16-22, 2021

Notary thumbprints and privacy issues

F THERE IS ONE thing that I really miss in the Philippines, it is Christmas. It’s a day – nay, four months – of celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. Yes, Filipinos celebrate Christmas from September 1 to January 6, the Day of the Epiphany. It’s called the “Ber Months” because they all end with “Ber” --September, October, PERRY DIAZ November, and December. It’s the longest Christmas season in the world. The season starts in earnest and picks up in December when most Filipinos will be in a festive spirit. The Philippines has the largest population of Catholics (about 80%) and arguably the most religious. Going to mass on Sundays is a special day for Filipinos. Churches are jampacked with people – young and old. And Filipinos observe the Sabbath as God has commanded in his fourth commandment: Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. For Catholics, Sunday is the Sabbath day. It’s a day of rest and worship. The four preceding Sundays mark the Advent, a period of spiritual preparation in which many Christians make themselves ready for the coming, or birth of Jesus Christ. Celebrating Advent involves a season of prayer, fasting, and abstinence (no meat on Fridays), and repentance. It is followed by anticipation, hope, and joy. But make no mistake, Filipinos start observing these Christian traditions way back in September. Indeed, Christmas in the Philippines is truly one of a kind. The overwhelming amount of food and presents, it’s time to celebrate family, friends, and community. It’s also time to renew old friendships. Most family reunions, school reunions, and office reunions happen during the Christmas season. The Philippines also has adopted western traditions such as Santa Claus, Christmas trees, Christmas cards, and Christmas carols. And come September the first to go up are the nativity scenes – called the “Belen.” Most Filipino households will have their Belen set up early to signify the start of the Christmas festivity. Some towns hold competitions for the best Belen. A complete set of Belen is composed of baby Jesus, Mary, Joseph, and the Three Kings. Some Belens have shepherds and barn animals. Then the Christmas lanterns – parols -- start showing up in the windows of homes. The parol is a Christmas ornament unique in the Philippines and it is one of the most significant and oldest Christmas traditions in the country. It’s commonly star-shaped but they could come in every shape, color, and material imaginable. The parol was originally made to hang on lamp posts to guide mass-goers to Simbang Gabi -- which starts on December 16 -- but now the parol can be found everywhere like outside houses, in malls, and offices. Simbang Gabi means “Night Mass.” Filipinos attend mass nine days before Christmas either at night or in the early hours of the morning. It’s a religious practice and Filipinos believe that attending all nine masses will grant them their wishes. Getting up for Simbang Gabi makes you hungry. The two most popular treats are rice cakes (bibingka and puto bumbong), two delicacies that Filipinos love. They usually are sold outside churches after mass. Simbang Gabi is also one of the longest running traditions in the country. This is a “must” for any devoted Christian to do, which is one of the most cultural experiences you can get. It is done to honor the Virgin Mary and the farmers who worked in the country during the Spanish colonization of the country. The farmers worked very early in the morning to avoid the heat of the sun at noon. Caroling is very popular in the Philippines. Filipino kids form groups called “cumbanchero” and they go from house to house with their makeshift instruments. The adults are more formalized with some groups wearing a uniform of the same color and style. Of course the favorite color is red. Although caroling is a western tradition, it has become very popular among adults. The caroling group usually starts practicing in November. They get together every week on a Friday or Saturday evening at one of the members’ houses. As usual it’s a potluck and everybody brings his or her favorite food. They practice for two to three hours and then eat their food with gusto. It’s another feast day! (Continue on page 27)

s founder of Mobile Signing Services(MSS)and accredited and commissioned Notary Public in California since 1981, I’ve encountered some old and new clients who asked me why I required them to put their right thumb marks in my Journal of Notarial Acts. ART GABOT MADLAING As answer and clarification, I am sharing to our readers and the general public excerpts of the article “Notary Tip: Thumbprints and Privacy Issues” by Kelle Clarke published in the NNA (National Notary Association) monthly magazine for information and guidance. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, biometrics, such as thumbprints, are the “measurable biological (anatomical or physiological) or behavioral characteristics for the identification of an individual.” As a biometric identifier, a signer’s thumbprint affixed in a Journal of Notarial Acts offers irrefutable identification of the signer and helps Notaries prevent impersonation and/ or forgery. It is for this reason that the practice is still heralded and required, particularly for transactions involving real estate and powers of attorney documents. However, currently only one state, California, requires a journal thumbprint record for all documents affecting real estate, as well as all powers of attorney. (Government Code, Section 8206). This strict requirement in California is for the protection of the general public, the customers and Notaries who are honest, ethical and professional. It’s not just state governments that are seeking to regulate the collection of thumbprints. A couple of years ago, a major mortgage lender issued a bulletin prohibiting Notary Signing Agents handling its loans from collecting thumbprints in their journals if they did not have a Notary Commission in the states of California or Illinois. In states that do not require Notaries to keep a journal and do not have a thumbprint requirement, such as Florida, Notaries may not refuse to notarize because a signer does not wish to provide a thumbprint. Given this heightened caution about guarding personal identifying information, it is important for the Notaries as well as the clients to know ahead of time if their state allows or regulate the collection and usage of signer thumbprints and proceed accordingly. ADVANTAGES AND BENEFITS OF MOBILE SIGNING SERVICES We at the Mobile Signing Services (MSS) are committed and will continue to assist and help old and new clients particularly the veterans, elderly and those physically handicapped in the notarization and apostille follow- up of Affidavits, Power of Attorney, DEED OF DONATION, Proof of Life, Deed of Extrajudicial Settlement of Estate, DEED OF ABSOLUTE SALE 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: AVOID TAKE OFF FROM WORK – You don’t need to take off from work and drive to Sacramento or Los Angeles just to submit 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 all our old and new clients to come to our home office in San Francisco, California for savings on gas and mileage fees ($50-$120). DISCOUNTS FOR THE ELDERLY AND VETERANS – We offer special discounts to the ederly and veterans. MULTIPLE DOCUMENTS AND MULTIPLE SIGNATURES DISCOUNT – We give 10% discount on multiple documents and multiple signatures for old and new clients. VERY FLEXIBLE APPOINTMENTS - We offer very flexible appointments for old and new clients during 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 of documents in residences, offices, hospitals, schools, restaurants and other locations. FREE PARKING – When we (Continue on page 27)

S “

o young, yet so corrupt.” Thus said Mayor Arsenio Lacson of the then 23-year-old Councilor Ernesto Maceda as he was fighting graft and corruption in Manila where the “Arsenic” was mayor from 1952 to 1962. That admonition was never proven, of course, and Maceda went on to become senator for many years “and closed his political career VAL ABELGAS as Senate President. The remark would most certainly also fit an institution like the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth), which was created in 1995 and at 26 years old, has been at the center of numerous scandals since 2007, when it was just 12 years old. The mess at PhilHealth came to the fore again last week when seven hospitals in Iloilo City said it would cut off ties with the state health insurance agency starting next month over unpaid claims amounting to over P545 million. That would mean even PhilHealth members would have to pay the full hospitalization bills to the hospitals. Earlier, the Private Hospitals Association of the Philippines, the Philippine Medical Association, and the Philippine Hospital Association warned that their ties with PhilHealth was on the verge of collapse after it suspended payment of claims to the hospitals over allegatiuns of fraud. PhilHealth already owes hospitals more than P80 billion, according to PHA. The hospital administrators said it is another excuse by PhilHealth officials to delay payment of claims, which were mostly for services rendered to Covid-19 patients. Hospitals have been hard-pressed to provide medical services to thousands of Covid-19 patients with their limited resources that have now been further depleted by the non-payment of their claims. And yet, PhilHealth was able to provide cash advances under the agency’s Interim Reimbursement Mechanism (IRM) to several favored hospitals, including those in Davao, home province of President Rodrigo Duterte, last year even before they could provide the services. The Southern Philippines Medical Center in Davao City, for example, received the biggest amount, with P326 million. Another hospital in Davao, the Davao Regional Medical Center in Tagum City, got P209 million. Congressional investigations revealed later that as of June 9, 2020, PhilHealth had released more than P14 billion under the IRM to different hospitals and clinics all over the country – when it should have taken effect only on June 11. And yet, PhilHealth has refused to pay the $545 million for services already provided by the seven Iloilo hospitals. Why? Is it because Iloilo is the home province of administration critic and opposition leader Sen. Franklin Drilon? The Iloilo hospital administrators have been trying to collect from PhilHealth for several months now, and all they got are excuses like “lacking supporting documents and signatures, etc.” We all know that bureaucratic red tape breeds corruption, and it seems PhilHealth thrives in corruption. PhilHealth was created in 1995 to implement universal health coverage in the Philippines by providing health insurance coverage to Filipinos who don’t get medical benefits from their employers. A monthly premium of P1,800 is shared by the employee and the employer, while overseas Filipino workers, self-employed individuals and domestic helpers pay the full premium. What started as a well-intentioned program has in a few years become a milking cow for many corrupt doctors, hospitals and health facilities obviously in connivance with some PhilHealth officials and employees. According to an article in Spot.com, as early as 2007, PhilHealth has been embroiled in corruption scandals. In 2007, a congressional hearing revealed that some hospitals and health care facilities had been overcharging PhilHealth for services rendered. One eye doctor claimed and was paid P16 million for an astounding 2,017 eye surgeries in one year. A hospital in Davao was claimed to have charged PhilHealth for services to patients who were later found to be non-PhilHealth members. In 2014, an employee who exposed anomalies in the agency’s Davao regional office was fired allegedly for incurring too many absences. (Continue on page 27)

On Distant Shore

What’s wrong with PhilHealth? Health & Wealth

PerryScope

128 days of Christmas

13 December 16-22, 2021

 OPINION

Offline

Solving malnutrition! Banana bread for children

ne of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors.” – Plato “The fault dear Brutus is not in our stars but in ourselves that we are underlings.” – Cassius to Brutus in Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare Political carnival is finally in town, Political fever is HOMOBONO A. ADAZA rising to suicidal heights. The candidates are participants in the never ending circus in this country – and so are the people. Nobody is thinking except a few who might just make a difference. I hope and pray. Marcos bubble: Every intelligent person in this country is surprised at the popularity of BB Marcos in the polls. But knowing the surveys, I am not all surprised. BB M must have a good propaganda machine, both in mainstream and social media This BB M propaganda is challenged by the populist movement of VP Leni Robredo. There are motorcades everywhere – here and abroad. This is a clash between an immovable object and an irresistible force - if the elections will be clean and honest. But it will not be clean and honest. Both BB M and VP Leni, in the end, will struggle for nothing. Why? Bong Go: Senator Bong Go may be lagging in the polls but is far ahead in these factors – PR D, COMELEC, Smartmatic, Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine National Police, Dennis Uy’s F2 Logistics and the whole machinery of government. Against all these, no group of Marcos Loyalists or VP Leni’s populist armada can be a match. It would be a mismatch unless the two have covert components which are beyond the reach of PR D’s intelligence task force. If not, BB M and VP Leni will be on the way to oblivion on the fastest space vehicle. But PR D has been repeatedly saying the May 2022 elections will be clean and honest. Common kids, grow up. Do you believe PR D, perceived to be a 10 11 politico, will deliver on his commitment? If you do, it’s about time you consult a psychiatrist. Cocaine puzzle: The number one subject of conversation these days is the puzzle introduced by PR D – cocaine using presidential candidate, one of the leaders in the survey, son of a late powerful and popular father, spoiled child and weak leader. BB Marcos did not feel alluded to but was fast to undergo a laboratory test for cocaine and bingo - the test proved negative. His propaganda machine claims the negative test result puts the issue to rest – not really and not that fast. There are questions needing answers before the issue can be buried for good. Who did the cocaine test for BB M? Is it a reputable laboratory? If not a laboratory, is it a doctor or a chemist? Is he/she reliable and credible? To erase any doubts about the reliability and credibility of the test results, BB M must do to things – reveal the identity of the laboratory or chemist or doctor who did the testing and undergo another test with a reliable and credible government laboratory witnessed by mainstream media in full view of national and international television networks. Failing to do these, the negative test result is not worth the paper on which it is written. The BB M is test result is written on water. It is useless and nothing but waste paper. On the other hand, PR Duterte should reveal the identity of the cocaine user. Why? The man is running for President of the country. People have the right to know his identity so that they can make the correct choice in the May 2022 election. Moreover, under Section 5, Article IV of the Constitution which embodies his oath of office as President, PR D is sworn to fulfill his duties as President - preserve and defend the Constitution, execute the laws and do justice to every man. If he has evidence, why did he not order the arrest and prosecution of this suspect? Using cocaine is illegal under our laws and bail is not allowed - why the failure of PR D to do his mandated duty? More questions for PR D: I still remember PR D threatening drug lords he will kill them because they are destroying his country. I do not know of any suspected or confirmed drug lord PR D or his boys killed on his orders. Suspected drugs lords like his compadre Peter Lim, his once upon a (Continue on page 27) time adviser Michael Young,

ith one of the country’s leading doctors who also advocates the reduction of malnutrition among poor Filipino children. When I told Dr Rowena Burdem that every year Mindanao’s vast plantations and farms of the export-bound Cavendish Bananas throw away an estimated 1-million metric tons of rejects, her MANNY PINOL eyes literally twinkled. We right away agreed to start a venture which would process the banana rejects into nutritious food for the country’s malnourished children. A foundation she belongs to, SimplyShare Foundation, Inc. will partner with the Mindanao Development Authority for the establishment of a banana flour processing facility. Banana rejects are hands or fingers which are either too small or too big for the market standards. Also included in the rejects are bananas which are blemished during harvest or handling from the farm to the packing houses. The bananas which meet market standards are packed in 13-kilo cardboard boxes which are loaded into refrigerated containers and shipped abroad. The rejects are either given out to workers’ groups who feed the bananas to their animals or process these into chips or flours. Those which could not be absorbed by the backyard processors are just thrown in dumps to rot. Many of the big banana farms are just too willing to share the banana rejects as part of their CSR projects. The Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) had explored partnerships with groups interested to turn the banana rejects into flour to feed Mindanao’s hungry children. The program aims to address malnutrition in many rural areas in the island. With this program, we will be turning thousands of tons of banana rejects into food which would nurture healthy Filipino children. ***** I visited the Balintawak Market in Quezon City to check on the prices of products coming from the provinces to complete my study of the food marketing system of the country and how it could be improved. In my conversations with the sub-dealers of vegetables and fish in the market which in turn are bought in volume by smaller vendors to be brought to community markets, I was able to confirm that the commodities from the farm gate to the kitchen of Filipino families pass through at least five hands. Assuming that each middleman or trader makes a mark up of P10 per kilo, a kilo of Bangus which sells for P130 at source would be sold for P180 to P200 in the market. The added P50, of course, would be shouldered by the consumers. There are two things which could be done. First, the marketing system in the country of over 7,000 islands, should be reformed with government providing the enabling facilities to bring the goods from the production areas to the big cities like Metro Manila, thus cutting the number of middlemen and traders. The proposal to establish Food Consolidation Centers in the regional food production areas coupled with the Farmers’ and Fishermen’s Outlets in Metro Manila and other big cities to be operated by an expanded Food Terminal Inc. would be the answer. Second, the processing of agricultural products at farm level into high value products would be another option as it would give farmers or fishermen added value and bigger income. One example would be the Kalabasa or Squash which now sells at P3 to P5 per kilo at farm gate. The Dept. of Science and Technology had already established processing facilitiies in several parts of the country turning raw squash into healthy and delicious noodles. They are now doing this in Cabadbaran, Agusan del Norte but the production volume is very low because the facility operates as a backyard livelihood project. There should be government funding support for projects like this and I am looking at the establishment of a national fund to support industries like (Continue on page 27)

BRAVE HEART

he details are hard to get, but something terrible happened last week – possibly earlier -- to one of the country’s biggest banks, the Sy family owned Banco de Oro AKA BDO Unibank, Inc. Officially, BDO as it is commonly called is one of the country’s Big Three banks, along with BPI and MetroBETING DOLOR bank. BDO may now have the biggest network nationwide, having more branches than the other two universal banks. It is also tops in resources, deposits and assets. As such, BDO is a target for any criminal group looking for weaknesses in its systems. The old style crime of a gang entering a bank and declaring a hold up is pretty much passe these days. It still happens every so often, but the “better” way to take the depositors’ money is not by forcing open a vault and getting as much cash as possible. The more effective way is to do so while being invisible. Today, criminals have gone high tech, and robbing banks is mostly done online via hacking. This is what appears to be the case with BDO. Just how serious the problem is was made obvious when BDO issued an official statement admitting that a “sophisticated fraud technique” had affected “some” of their clients. Based on what little information has been released to the public, hackers were able to access BDO accounts, withdraw funds, and use the same to buy Bitcoin in another bank. That other bank is medium-sized UnionBank, which was chosen by the hackers due to one seeming weakness. There is no limit in daily transactions with UnionBank, while for most others there is a daily limit of a P20,000 withdrawal from their ATM machines. Depositors needing larger amounts can still do so, but they have to physically go to the branches where they maintain their accounts, or in other branches of the same bank, but proper identification will be required for over-the-counter withdrawals. UnionBank will almost certainly need to alter their nolimit policy. The hackers did not target the big accounts of high value individuals or companies, but rather middle class depositors. The amounts stolen ranged from P25,000 to P50,000, or about $500 to $1,000. In a few cases, the funds stolen reached P100,000 or $2,000. This may not seem like much to the rich folk, but is painful to middle class Pinoys who save their money for such expenses as tuition for their kids, family vacations, or to amortize big ticket items like cars and real property. Beyond the official statement, BDP chairperson Teresita Sy also eased the concerns of the victims by guaranteeing that no one will lose their funds to the hackers. This is practically a personal guarantee and the Sy family is more than able to reimburse the losses of their depositors. But how much exactly has been lost? This is where the data is difficult, if not impossible to determine. Neither BDO nor the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas are willing to give any figures for fear of causing a panic and resulting bank run. My sources gave a guestimate of tens of millions all the way to hundreds of millions, but the low end is more likely. I have to trust their instincts because a truly mega-scandal cannot be hidden for long. Some decades ago, I was the banking and finance editor of the country’s largest business newspaper. I learned that all banks take extreme measures to enforce the Banking Secrecy Law. This necessarily includes keeping negative news from the public in order to avoid that dreaded bank run, when depositors decide to withdraw their funds en masse. Under a worst case scenario, a bank can be forced to go on holiday, suspending operations until the market has calmed down. I recall one instance when a medium-sized bank fell victim to a bank run. Its president was able to ease the fears of their depositors by physically going to their largest branch and addressing the depositors who had gone there to close their accounts. (Continue on page 27)

Presidential drug game

Diliman Way

Major banking scandal being kept under wraps?

 BUSINESS | IMMIGRATIONS

Waiver of appearance for certain expired visa due to Covid 19

ccording to DOS, nearly 49,000 individuals were issued immigrant visas between August 4, 2019 and September 30, 2021, and have not yet sought admission. Of the individuals issued immigrant visas between August 4, 2019, and May 31, 2021, over 11,000 did not seek admission before their immigrant visas expired. Additionally, according to the Department’s database query, at least 244 individuals were refused admission into the United States at a port of entry between August 4, 2019, and September 30, 2021, though it is not certain how many of those refusals of admission were due to suspensions of entry relating to the COVID-19 pandemic. Some individuals in this population may be eligible to benefit from the TFR. Temporary relaxation of in-person requirements The TFR allows consular officers to waive the personal appearance of certain repeat immigrant visa applicants who were approved for an immigrant visa in the same classification and on the same basis as the current application on or after August 4, 2019 (6 months prior to the start of the pandemic and travel bans). It also gives consular officers discretion to allow this subset of immigrant visa applicants to affirm the accuracy of the contents of their application without appearing in person before a consular officer. The temporary final rule is effective from December 13, 2021, through December 13, 2023. To qualify for the discretionary in-person waiver, an applicant must: 1. Have been issued a U.S. immigrant visa on or after August 4, 2019; 2. Seek an immigrant visa in the same classification and pursuant to the same approved petition as the previously issued immigrant visa, or an immigrant visa pursuant to the same approved petition as the previously issued visa but in a different classification because it was automatically converted due to the death or naturalization of the petitioner of the previously issued immigrant visa; 3. Qualify for an immigrant visa in the same classification, or another classification as the result of automatic conversion due to the death or naturalization of the petitioner of the previously issued immigrant visa, and pursuant to the same approved petition as the previously issued immigrant visa; and 4. Have no changed circumstances that could affect the applicant’s eligibility for the visa. In addition, the applicant must be willing to affirm under penalty of perjury to the information provided on the Online Immigrant Visa and Alien Registration Application, Form DS-260 (or Form DS-230, Application for Immigrant Visa and Alien Registration if the consular officer authorizes the use of that form). The consular officer may communicate with the applicant by telephone or email, may request that the applicant provide additional information that the consular officer deems necessary, and may request the applicant to appear in person. If the applicant identifies the need to change responses to Form DS-260, the consular officer or other authorized consular staff can reopen the DS-260 for the applicant to make changes to that form and re-sign it under penalty of perjury. Repeat immigrant visa applicants will still be required to submit a new Form DS-260 and pay a new fee. Note: This is not a legal advice. Success Stories For the month of November 2021, we received approvals from USCIS three naturalization applications, one Fiancée visa petition, two removals of condition on residence and four adjustment of status applications. Bankruptcy Basics 1. Bankruptcy will actually improve your credit within one year because your unsecured debts are discharged. Although the bankruptcy will be in your records for 10 years, not filing bankruptcy will make your credit even worse until most your debts are paid. 2. If you are being sued by your creditors, most money judgment can be eliminated in bankruptcy. 3. Collection actions continue and you can be sued if you are in debt settlement. 4. Chapter 7 will eliminate all unsecured debts. If you are near retirement age, you must eliminate most of your debts. China is the main issue in the Philippine election 1. China may annex the Philippines after the May 2022 election because of China’s ambition to control the West Philippine Sea and the important sea passage. When this happen, all of us including our children and grandchildren will become slaves of Communist China. We will have no more country. We need to unite in order to defeat the current administration and its allies running for President. Listen to Percy Lapid (or Lapid Fire) and Waldy Carbonell on You Tube and Facebook for details and more corruption in the government. Note: If you have immigration problems the Law Offices of Crispin C. Lozano can help you find a solution before your problem gets worse which could lead to deportation and family separation. Chris Caday Lozano, Esq. is an active member of the State Bar of California, the American Immigration Lawyers Association and San Francisco Trial Lawyers. He practices immigration law, bankruptcy and income tax preparation since June 1999. His contact phone is 1-877-456-9266, email: info@CCLlaw.net Website: www.crispinlozanolaw.com/

December 16-22, 2021

ADB raises 2021, 2022 growth forecasts for PHL MANDALUYONG CITY – The Philippine economy is forecast to remain on a steady growth path in 2021 and 2022, supported by an acceleration in the government’s coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) vaccination program and a sharp drop in Covid-19 cases, according to a report released by the Asian Development Bank (ADB). The supplement to the Asian Development Outlook (ADO) 2021 said the Philippine economy will grow 5.1 percent in 2021 and 6.0 percent in 2022, up from the bank’s September forecast of 4.5 percent in 2021 and 5.5 percent in 2022. “The Philippine economy has shown impressive resilience,” ADB Philippines Country Director Kelly Bird said. “Growth momentum has clearly picked up on the back of the government’s vigorous drive to vaccinate Filipinos against the Covid-19 virus. Public spending on infrastructure and continued vaccination of the population will help the country further accelerate its recovery in 2022.” The inﬂation outlook for 2021 and 2022 is 4.4 percent and 3.7 percent, respectively, mainly due to rising fuel prices. These are up from ADB’s September forecast of 4.1 percent in 2021 and 3.5 percent for 2022. Vaccination has allowed the economy to slowly reopen, boosting consumer and business conﬁdence. More than 57 mil-

lion Filipinos, or nearly 65 percent of the target for vaccination, had received at least one Covid-19 vaccine dose as of 8 December 2021. In addition to the government’s purchases of Covid-19 vaccines, the World Health Organization-supported Covid-19 Vaccines Global Access (COVAX) facility also donated supplies for the country’s nationwide vaccination program. ADB has been assisting the government in procuring Covid-19 vaccines. It provided US$425 million in total financing through the Health System Enhancement to Address and Limit Covid-19 under the Asia Pacific Vaccine (HEAL) and HEAL2 programs. These loans helped fund nearly half of the country’s vaccine supply purchases for 2021. On Dec. 13, 2021, ADB approved USD250 million in additional financing under HEAL 2 to help the government procure more Covid-19 vaccines for minors and booster shots for adults. Public spending on major infrastructure projects will support the country’s economic growth. ADB has been supporting the government’s “Build, Build, Build” infrastructure development program, which seeks to boost investments on roads, bridges, and railways to fuel faster growth, especially in areas outside the capital Metro Manila.

DBCC hikes 2021 PHL growth target to 5%-5.5% MANILA – Economic managers revised upwards the government’s 2021 growth target to between 5 percent to 5.5 percent as economic recovery continues to strengthen. In a statement, the inter-agency Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC) said it kept the 7 percent to 9-percent growth target, as measured by gross domestic product (GDP), for 2022 and the 6 percent to 7-percent target for 2023-2024. “With our strong economic performance in 2021, the DBCC is optimistic that the country’s GDP will return to its pre-pandemic level by 2022,” it said. The domestic economy ended its ﬁvequarter contraction in the second quarter of this year when it posted a 12-percent expansion. This continued in the next three months with a growth of 7.1 percent. The DBCC said the government’s accelerated vaccination program against coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) “has enabled the safe and targeted reopening of the economy.” It said around 41.5 million Filipinos are now fully vaccinated and the country has registered a drop in Covid-19 cases and deaths since movement restrictions were relaxed in the last quarter of 2020. This resulted in the 1.3 million increase in employment compared to the pre-pandemic level, as well as the abovetarget revenue collections and a strong

economic recovery. The DBCC said the Economic Development Cluster has crafted the 10-point policy agenda to “shift the country from a pandemic to an endemic paradigm.” These 10-point agenda cover metrics, vaccination, healthcare capacity, economy and mobility, schooling, domestic travel, international travel, digital transformation, pandemic flexibility bill, and medium-term preparation for pandemic resilience. “Through these strategies, we will sustain our recovery and restore our path to a rapid and inclusive growth,” the DBCC said. Aside from the growth target, the Committee also adjusted the macroeconomic targets for this year. Inflation is now expected to stay between 4.3 percent to 4.5 percent; Dubai crude oil price at USD68-70 per barrel; foreign exchange rate, 49-50; growth of goods exports, 16 percent; and growth of goods imports, 30 percent. These were previously at 2 percent to 4 percent for inflation; USD50-70 per barrel for Dubai crude oil; foreign exchange, 48-53; growth of goods export, 8 percent; and growth of goods import, 12 percent. For 2022-2024, projections for inflation, foreign trade, and foreign exchange rate were kept but assumption for Dubai crude oil was hiked to US$60-80 per barrel for the three-year period.

15 December 16-22, 2021

Fil-Am pop star Olivia Rodrigo named TIME’s 2021 Entertainer of the Year

When it rains, it pours. This may well be the slogan of young Filipino-American pop star Olivia Rodrigo as more awards and citations come her way. The latest recognition is her being hailed as TIME’s Entertainer of the Year for 2021. In a report, ABS-CBN’s Josiah Antonio, citing the Time Magazine, the FilAm singer and song writer was chosen for her nostalgic choices in the lyrics of her songs, giving

a big impact to her listeners. “Rodrigo has a gift for picking the best of the past — whether a well-worn shirt, the faded feedback of a guitar, or the intensity of first love — and finding just the right way to situate it in the present,” the article read. “Her songs have hit with audiences of all ages, in large part because she renders adolescence so viscerally: she’s resentful, seething, crushed, itching to just grow up already,” it added. Rodrigo, whose father is Filipino, said it feels surreal to have this kind of accolade, the ABS-CBN report stated. “I’ve gotten to do some crazy things this year but this one feels particularly surreal. thank u [TIME] !!! entertainer of the year !!!!!!” she said in an Instagram post. Rodrigo tackled sorrow and her childhood in her debut album “SOUR,” mostly written with Daniel Nigro under record label Geffen. The highly anticipated album caught the attention of new supporters with its “angst-filled” and “heartbreak” tracks. This is evident in her first three singles “drivers license,” “deja vu,” and “good 4 u” which were relatable to many fans, who dedicated them to their exes. Earlier, it was reported that Rodrigo tackled sorrow and her childhood in her debut album “SOUR.” Rodrigo produced and wrote the songs mostly with Daniel Nigro under record label Geffen. The highly anticipated album caught the attention of new supporters with its

“angst-filled” and “heartbreak” tracks. This is evident in her first three singles “drivers license,” “deja vu,” and “good 4 u” which were relatable to many fans, who dedicated them to their exes. The tracks “traitor,” and “jealousy, jealousy” should be added to breakup playlists, while “brutal” and “hope ur ok” tackle growing up, seals Rodrigo’s impressive songwriting skills. Rodrigo got help with record-breaking artists Taylor Swift and Jack Antonoff with the track “1 step forward, 3 steps back,” about moving forward. Despite all the heartache, Rodrigo still left us with tracks like “happier,” “favorite crime,” and “enough for you” that gave listeners a vibe of contentment. Rodrigo’s album reveals the tremendous power of her raw self-expression, poetic specificity, and talent at illustrating complex emotions in high-impact pop songs. Her music first captured audiences worldwide early this year after the launch of her original debut single, “drivers license” which premiered at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. It held the top spot for eight consecutive weeks and became the first in 2021 to hit one billion total global streams. The song was also the first in 2021 to be RIAA certified at gold, platinum, double, and tripleplatinum aside from landing on the top spot at Top 40 radio for five consecutive weeks. “Drivers license” also

Senator Revilla’s actor son joins politics

Young candidate and actor Bryan Revilla has joined politics. He is aspiring to become a congressman in the 2022 election with the pledge of bringing livelihood closer to the mass. Revilla, 34, a son of Sen. Ramon Bong Revilla Jr. and Mayor Lani Mercado, is running under the Agimat party list concentrating on his agenda on anti-poverty policies, envisioning governance prioritizing pandemicstricken low-income and working sectors, reports SunStar’s Ayunan Gunting. The creation of an emergency unemployment assistance program that does not only beneﬁt government and corporate workers but also the informal sector is a highlight from the political aspirant. It aims to expand government assistance and more unemployment ben-

efits. Other propositions Revilla extends to the public include: * Increasing the minimum wage to accommodate the current standards of living without compromising the profitability of the business sector * Providing security and protection to the street vendors and sellers to supply hazard and risk allowances to healthcare workers in the government and private sectors, including frontliners such as barangay health workers, during the pandemic and other emergencies * Enhancing the barangay health care program. “One of my priority bills is to craft a law giving regular salaries, emergency benefits and hazard pay, medical facilities and supplies to our barangay health care workers during this pandemic,” says Revilla. A third-generation movie actor, Revilla hopes to endow assistance to workers in the performing arts, entertainment, and film industry who lost jobs in this pandemic and to help them restart their work. Revilla grew up in a political-showbiz family. His grandfather, the late action star, Ramon Revilla, served the Senate for 12 years. His father, Ramon Jr. or Bong likewise an action star, has been in politics for 26 years and has been a senator since 2004. His mother, former actress Lani Mercado is mayor of Bacoor, Cavite. A graduate of Consular and Diplomatic Affairs in De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde, the younger Revilla says that more than the family’s political tradition, he believes that politics is his calling.

broke the Spotify record for the most single-day streams for a non-holiday song (on January 12) and had the biggest weekly streaming debut for any song globally in Spotify history. Rodrigo played the lead female character in the Disney+ series “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series” in 2019, three years after her Disney Channel breakthrough series “Bizaardvark,” which she also top-billed. Rodrigo identiﬁes as part-Filipina. She was born and raised in California to a Filipino father and a German-Irish mother. Tracing her family history in a Disney Channel feature in 2017, Rodrigo shared that her Filipino great-grandfather immigrated to the US. His daughter, Rodrigo’s grandmother, married a fellow Filipino who is also based there. “Some traditions that have carried over to my generation [include] making Filipino food,” Rodrigo said at the time, adding that lumpia is her favorite. Sharing photos of her childhood, Rodrigo mentioned being respectful as one of the values her family has instilled in her growing up. “My parents taught me how to be kind and respectful and to always do the right thing,” she said. (with ABS-CBN)

 ENTERTAINMENT

December 16-22, 2021

Julia Montes shines

in comeback thru Ang Probinsiyano

Gorgeous and badass, Julia Montes proves she’s a rare breed of leading lady by joining FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano wherein she takes on adrenaline-pumping stunts as the ‘astig’ assassin Mara. Check out how she steals the scene with her combat ability via this Kapamilya Toplist from FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano.

Mara, as the daughter of the group’s leader, Armando (John Estrada), tends to be one of the most dangerous in the room. She’s always on the front line during big battles such as when they infiltrated the mansion of Don Ignacio’s business partner. Mara and Lucas (Joseph Marco) attacked in tandem. He controlled the motorcycle while she rode and shot the enemies behind. Mara’s beauty is dripping with lethal charisma, and that’s a bonus treat while watching her intense performance in gunfights, combat, and chase scenes. One of her most enthralling scenes so far is the plotted assassination at a Mara seemed quiet and soft in hotel in Ilocos where Don Ignacio, the beginning, happy with dreamthe target, was supposed to attend ing big and working in her parents’ an art exhibit. piece of farmland. But an act of Carrying out the toughest task, injustice and bloodshed suddenly Mara moved fast to capture Don awakened her dauntless spirit. She Ignacio, killing anyone who tried was given a mission to kill Don Ig- to block her way. She fired bullets, nacio (Tommy Abuel), the old busi- threw deadly punches, and engaged nessman who violently evicted the in a female brawl with the head of group of farmers from their lands. Don Ignacio’s security team, Thalia

(Marela Torre). The target almost slipped if it weren’t for Mara’s sharp thinking. She has not just the looks and physical skills but the brains as well. She uses every bit of her spy instinct. She caught Don Ignacio praying in his car and then took him as a hostage so they could escape from the cops encircling them. While hiding at the exhibit venue, Mara’s faction encountered Cardo (Coco Martin) and the Task Force Agila. Tension was in the air at ﬁrst until Armando played his card wisely by joining forces with the Agilas. In the middle of the hostage-taking scene, Don Ignacio managed to steal a gun and shot Lolita (Rosanna Roces) on the shoulder. Mara rushed to end Don Ignacio’s life. The pursuit of revenge is done. Now it’s time to start anew, Mara thought. But it seems the intense action is not yet over, so we’re seeing more of her stone-cold gunﬁght and combat abilities, matched with her killer stares, in the coming

17 December 16-22, 2021

 ENTERTAINMENT

Ai-Ai delas Alas migrating to US?

Ai Ai Delas Alas ﬂies to US with husband, declares: ‘This is it’

Comedienne Ai Ai de las Alas may not be able to spend Christmas and the New Year in the country. She left for Los Angeles, California to join her husband, Gerald Sibayan, who is applying for a green card. Ai Ai said she learned she needed to be there to give Gerald the support, personal and otherwise, he needs. The comedienne is a green card holder, entertainment writer/editor Ethel Ramos stated in her latest column.

Ai Ai is part of the judges of the reality and singing contest, “The Clash,” with Lani Misalucha and Christian Bautista. It was first reported that AiAi and husband are migrating and will be staying permanently in the US. Ai-Ai, however, later that they are there only for vacation. Latest reports indicated that they are in Virginia and may later fly to Las Vegas where they are based. Meanwhile, everyone is reacting differently to the romance between senior showbiz personalities Filipino American Edu Manzano and Cherry Pie Picache, columnist Ethel Ramos wrote. Edu, 66,and Cherry Pie, 51 just arrived from days of vacation in the United States. “Ganyan naman ang pag-ibig. Hindi mo inaasahan. And when it does, it just simply hit you like mad,” according to a fan.

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Even Edu’s son, host Luis Manzano, admitted to being surprised by the romance. “Sobrang we were caught oﬀ guard. No one saw it coming. I don’t even think Dad and Tita Pie saw it coming,” he was quoted as saying in an interview. Speaking of Luis, he and wife Jessy Mendiola are busy making sure that they fulﬁll their promise to Luis’ mom, politician-actress Vilma Santos-Recto, to make her a lola. Vilma, who is currently Lipa representative, has said she is ready to spoil her grandchild to bits. She will not be running for re-election. It is her husband, Senator Ralph Recto, who will run for her current post. Senator Ralph is on his third term. In another development, Senator Ramon Bong Revilla Jr. has two former beauty queens for his leading ladies in the second book of “Agimat ng Agila.” They are Rabiya Mateo and MJ Lastimosa, both winners of the Miss Universe crown. Rabiya has already shot some scenes with Senator Bong, who noted that she is good. “She told me beforehand that she prepared for the role,” Senator Bong said. “Ayaw daw niyang mapahiya. “Well, thank you, Rabiya.” Sanya Lopez is returning in the series. All three beautiful actresses, according to Senator Bong, will do action scenes with him. “Sa totoo lang dahil sa ang se-sexy ng mga leading ladies, my director (Aloy Adlawan) suggested that I trim down,” said the actor-politician. “Well, I’m glad I did.”

 ENTERTAINMENT

December 16-22, 2021

‘Magikland’ wins 7 FAMAS awards, Alessandra de Rossi is best actress “Magikland” was the biggest winner in the just concluded Filipino Academy of Movie Arts and Sciences (FAMAS) Awards, sweeping seven awards, including best picture. The film also bagged Best Director (Christian Acuña), Best Visual Effects (Richard Francia and Ryan Grimarez), Best Sound (Mike Idioma and Alex Tomboc), Best Editing (Manet A. Dayrit and She Lopez-Francia), Best Production Design (Ericson Navarro), and Best Cinematography (Rody Lacap). Allen Dizon bagged the Best Actor award for his role in the film “Latay”, while Alessandra de Rossi was named Best Actress for her role in the film “Watch List”. “Maraming-maraming salamat, FAMAS, I’m very, very touched na ikinunsider ninyo akong Best Actress,” Alessandra said in receiving her award. “Gusto ko lang sabihin na napakaespesyal ng FAMAS para sa akin dahil sila ang nagbigay ng kauna-unahang award ko when I was 17, Best Supporting Actress for Azucena,” she added. “And twenty years later, my second FAMAS. Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Best Actress naman! So, parang… whooahh!!!” said Alessandra. “Sobrang agang pamasko ito para sa akin. How I wish may awards night…

may stage para may whoooahh!!!” “But wala, e, pandemic. So, mabuhay po tayong lahat at mabuhay ang pelikulang Pilipino!” Alessandra said. It is the fifth Best Actor award from FAMAS for Allen Dizon, making him eligible for the FAMAS Hall of Fame. Allen first won the award in the film Paupahan, Dukot, Magkakabaung, at Bomba. “Noong bata pa po ako, noong hindi pa ako nag-aartista, kapag yung artista po, magaling umarte, sinasabi nila, ‘Uy! PamFAMAS ‘yan, ah?!’ said in receiving the award. “Kaya maraming-maraming salamat po dahil isa sa pinakamatagal na award-giving body ng Pilipinas… taos-pusong pasasalamat, FAMAS, sa panibagong Best Actor na ibinigay ninyo sa akin,” Allen added. “Sobra po akong natutuwa. Panlimang Best Actor na po ito na ibinigay ninyo sa akin kaya maraming-maraming salamat po. Hindi ko po makakalimutan ang FAMAS,” he said. Allen thanked Baby Go, the producer of Latay under BG Films, writer-director Ralston Jover and his leading lady Lovi Poe. Allen said he dedicated the award to his family – wife, four children and his mother

and siblings. Enzo Pineda won the Best Supporting Actor trophy for his role in He Who Is Without Sin. “Thank you so much, FAMAS, for this prestigious award!” he said at the awards rites. And it’s truly an honor to be receiving this tonight. And finally po, masasabi ko na sa magulang ko na, ‘Ma, Pa, finally… after 12 years sa showbiz, may acting award na ako! And this is for you, guys!’ “Thank you so much sa lahat ng judges ng FAMAS, at sa lahat po ng bumubuo ng FAMAS, thank you so much in believing in my talent,” Enzo said. The winners were announced In a pre-recorded ceremony streamed on the group’s YouTube channel. The leading films each had 11 nominations—”Magikland,” crime thriller “Watch List,” and romantic drama “”On Vodka, Beers, and Regrets.” They were followed by “Fan Girl” which had nine nominations, drama-thriller “Untrue” with eight, and zombie thriller “Block Z” with seven. Singer-songwriter Nicole Laurel Asensio opened the show. In her opening remarks, Famas President Francia Camacho Conrado noted that the Filipino film industry faced various uncertainties due to the pandemic. “Ikinalungkot ng industriya ng pelikulang Pilipino ang pagpanaw ng marami nating kasamahan ng dahil sa pandemya. Malungkot man, ngunit kailangan nating magpatuloy lumaban. The Filipino film industry responded to the extraordinary challenges posed by the pandemic,” she said. “Film productions stalled by the pandemic engaged in virtual production techniques coupled with the required quarantine lockdowns. Nagbago man ang ating pamaraan ng ating paggawa ng pelikula ng dahil sa pandemya kasabay ng bagong panlasa ng mga manonood sa uri ng pelikula na kanilang nais matunghayan,” Conrado added. “I am very much confident that the Filipino film industry will bounce back. That despite the effects of the coronavirus pandemic, the fire and passion of the Philippine filmmakers will remain. Laban lamang tayo sa galaw ng panahon,” she said. “It has been almost two years since the coronavirus spread across the world. Film productions have stopped. Shootings and cinemas have closed all at once,” she said. Ms. Francia added: “The fire and passion of the Philippine filmmakers remain. Laban lamang tayo sa galaw ng panahon. Pasasaan ba, maaaring bukas, makalawa, sa tulong at awa ng ating mahal na Panginoon, ay tuluyan nang magwakas itong pandemya.”

The full list of Famas winners is as follows: BEST PICTURE Magikland BEST DIRECTOR Christian Acuña (Magikland) BEST ACTRESS Alessandra de Rossi (Watch List) BEST ACTOR Allen Dizon (Latay) BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS Dexter Doria (Memories of Forgetting) BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR Enzo Pineda (He Who Is Without Sin) BEST CHILD PERFORMER Miel Espinosa (Block Z) BEST SCREENPLAY Manny Angeles and Paulle Olivenze (Hayop Ka!) BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY Rody Lacap (Magikland) BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN Ericson Navarro (Magikland) BEST EDITING Manet A. Dayrit and She Lopez-Francia (Magikland) BEST MUSICAL SCORE Kean Cipriano and Brain Coat (On Vodka, Beers, and Regrets) BEST ORIGINAL SONG ‘Maibalik’ by Joshua Bulot and JBK (Us Again) BEST SOUND Gerald James D’Lonsod, Albert Michael Idioma, and Vanya Fantonial (Magikland) BEST VISUAL EFFECTS Richard Francia and Ryan Grimarez (Central Digital Lab) for Magikland BEST SHORT FILM Solo by Kevin Piamonte GERMAN MORENO YOUTH ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS Joaquin Domagoso Cassy Legaspi FPJ MEMORIAL AWARD Mon Conﬁado

19 December 16-22, 2021

 ENTERTAINMENT

John Arcilla, Dingdong star in Metro filmfest entry ‘A Hard Day’

This Christmas, only one survives. Viva Films presents its Oﬃcial Entry to the 47th Metro Manila Film Festival, A Hard Day, starring primetime actor and two-time MMFF Best Actor Dingdong Dantes and 2021 Venice Film Festival’s Volpi Cup Best Actor John Arcilla, a.k.a Heneral Luna. Detective Edmund Villon (Dingdong Dantes) is having a hard day and the following events happen to him in less than 24 hours: His mother passed away. He and his coworkers are investigated by police inspectors over al-

leged embezzlement. Then on his way to his mother’s funeral, he drives recklessly and commits a fatal hit and run. He tries to cover up the accident by hiding the man’s corpse in his deceased mother’s coffin. After the burial, Lt. Ace “Alas” Franco (John Arcilla) out of nowhere, starts giving Villon threats and warnings. He is about to expose Villon’s crime if he does not get what he wants from him -- the corpse of the man that Villon hit. A Hard Day is the Philippine adaptation of the 2014 South Korean crime action film with the same title, starring Lee Sun-Kyun (Parasite). The film was an official selection at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival’s Director’s Fortnight. A Hard Day also received numerous awards from several award-giving bodies in South Korea, including the prestigious Baeksang Arts Awards where they won the Best Actor and Best Director awards. An award-winning movie like A Hard Day only de-

serves an adaptation by award-winning actors and director. That’s why Director Lawrence Fajardo chose two of the best and finest actors in Philippine cinema, Dingdong Dantes and John Arcilla. Through the years, Dingdong Dantes has earned several acting awards for film and television, which includes two Best Actor Awards from the Metro Manila Film Festival for his role in “Segunda Mano” and “One More Try.” John Arcilla is also a Philippine Cinema pride with his latest win at the 2021 Venice Film Festival. John received the Volpi Cup for Best Actor for the movie “On the Job: The Missing Eight.” Movie fans are sure to get a treat from the stellar performances of the actors, up to the film’s hard-hitting action and suspense. So don’t forget to watch VIVA Films’ official entry to the 2021 Metro Manila Film Festival, A Hard Day, showing on December 25, in cinemas nationwide.

GMA wins TV Station of Year at 2021 Platinum Stallion Media Awards Bbroadcast company GMA Network won 14 awards, inNow in its 7th year, the Platinum Stallion National Me- the allied arts. Winners were decided by the entire Trinitian cluding the “TV Station of the Year,” at the 2021 Platinum dia Awards celebrates the continuing efforts of individuals community which included students, alumni, faculty, staff, Stallion National Media Awards organized by the Media and and groups in educating the public through the media and and other stakeholders. Communication Department of Trinity University of Asia and held virtually last November 27. For the fifth straight year, the Network’s regional arm, GMA Regional TV, won as “Best Regional TV Network,” proving that it is indeed the regional channel of choice by the entire Trinitian community. Various Kapuso programs and personalities were also honored for their significant contribution to media and the allied arts. Award-winning newscast 24 Oras was once again chosen as “Best TV News Program” while well-loved and trending public affairs show Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho earned another “Best Magazine Program” trophy. GMA wins TV Station of Year at 2021 Platinum Stallion Media Awards Long-running public affairs show Wish Ko Lang was named “Best Public Service Program” while its host Vicky Morales won as “Best Public Service Show Host.” The country’s longest running morning TV show Unang Hirit triumphed as this year’s “Best Morning Show.” Documentary program I-Witness was conferred the “Best Documentary TV Show” award while Howie Severino’s documentary on the coronavirus, “Ako si Patient 2828,” was recognized as the “COVID 19 Documentary of the Year.” Ground-breaking family drama Legal Wives was awarded as “Culturally Relevant TV Series.” The recentlyconcluded original series was headlined by Kapuso Drama King Dennis Trillo, Andrea Torres, Bianca Umali, and Alice Dixson. Rounding off the Kapuso winners in the Television category were Pia Arcangel and Atom Araullo. Pia won as “Female News Personality of the Year” for GMA’s latenight newscast Saksi while Atom was named “Male News Personality of the Year” for GTV’s flagship newscast State of the Nation. The Kapuso Network also dominated the radio categories. Its flagship AM and FM radio stations Super Radyo DZBB 594 and Barangay LS 97.1, were recognized as “AM Radio Station of the Year” and “FM Radio Station of the Year’’, respectively.

 REAL ESTATE

December 16-22, 2021

Megalopolis rising in Pampanga By Claire Morales True CLARK FREEPORT - A megalopolis is rising in Pampanga in answer to the already congested Metro Manila. Former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, who is a presidential adviser on Clark and Subic ﬂagship projects, is spearheading the megapolis plan by initially pushing several infrastructure projects to what she called as the Pampanga Golden Triangle as Luzon’s next megalopolis. It was reported that to make the vision for a megalopolis a reality, world renowned urban planner Felino Palafox Jr. has drafted a development plan for Pampanga Golden Triangle with key infrastructures such as new roads, mass transit systems and regional transport networks. According to published reports, the Pampanga Golden Triangle consists of the cities of Angeles, San Fernando and Mabalacat,

which spans the Clark Freeport Economic Zone and the expanded Clark International Airport. Also part of the envisioned megalopolis are its surrounding municipalities of Porac, Floridablanca, Lubao, Guagua, and Santa Rita which are in the second congressional district which Arroyo represented in the House of Representatives and Bacolor, once the country’s capital under the Aguinaldo revolutionary government. The three cities of Angeles, San Fernando and Mabalacat and six municipalities represent fast-growing as well as high-density settlements within Pampanga, Manila Times’ Aaron Ronquillo reported. Other Manila media also made reports on the grand megalopolis plan. “The potential rise of the Pampanga Megalopolis is limitless. It also has the opportunity to become one of the most livable, sustainable, and resilient places to live in the Philippines. Being the front

door and gateway to Asia makes Pampanga possibly the next biggest ﬁnancial and economic center in the country, “ Palafox said in an article. Palafox said his plan envisioned a wider megalopolis composed of an agropolis for farms, food production and agro-industrial businesses; ecopolis as the center for environment tourism, education and natural heritage; aquapolis as the center for waterfront development and marine food production; and the aerotropolis, the airport driven city which is the center for business, logistics, technology, innovation and education. From the Pampanga Golden Triangle, it was gathered that the development will spread to a larger part of the province, according to Arroyo. “The private sector and the government cooperation will play a signiﬁcant role in transforming Pampanga into the country’s next major economic corridor,” Arroyo stated.

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What will happen to Mortgage Lenders when the music stops?

ore than half, or 54%, expect onestop shops mortgage brokerage doing residential real estate finance companies are in the midst of working out how to position themselves in light of that shift. Some mortgage companies don’t have the ability to offer multiple products, but what they will increasingly switch out to do non-traditional loans called “Alternative Financing” to keep up with the diminishing refinancing market. Other potential disruptors include all-cash purchase programs (25%) and online companies that make algorithm-based instant offers for real estate online (21%). If that comes to pass, the likelihood of real estate companies becoming mortgage-industry business partners could grow in cases where the former don’t have inhouse financing units. In upcoming years, they could increasingly serve as referral partners for lenders, and look to servicers to help manage their housing-related cash flows. Will this be a disadvantage for buyers who will be cornered into one space or will there be a conflict of interest if this one firm is controlling your purchase and financing in one transaction? The extent of growth that will emerge among real estate innovators next year may depend on how public policy affects the market for, supply of, and financing conditions for low-cost homes. Policy predictions Affordable housing topped the list of legislative priorities. If we can create a political situation where more people can afford a home and we can have a very healthy inventory, then the main issue would be for untapped segments of the population to have a more flexible way of looking at credit and a more lenient way of looking at the ability to repay without getting anyone into trouble and creating another subprime crisis. Foreclosure forecast Mortgage professionals generally expect more foreclosures in 2022. Half of survey respondents expect the pace in “some or all areas” to be back to normal by year-end, depending on what state or local rules allow. They are predicting that next year, assuming the Delta variant isn’t an issue, and the booster works, the industry will move back to what is a more normal foreclosure environment, for the most part. There will be jurisdictional exceptions, but on an overarching basis we expect to go back to more what it looked like in the pre-pandemic environment.” Nearly one-third of respondents think foreclosures will “definitely” get back to normal in some areas, but another 30% predict — as Price does — that will only happen if new pandemic-related concerns don’t emerge. Almost 20% are confident of a return to normalcy across the board, but 14% think that’s “unlikely.” Another 6% think foreclosures “definitely won’t” return to normal. The varying predictions related to whether foreclosures will get back on track in 2022 may depend a lot on what respondents consider “normal” given the mandates introduced for servicers since the onset of the pandemic. Many of these are aimed at providing expanded access to alternatives for troubled borrowers, in the hopes of limiting foreclosures. Some Analyst don’t anticipate seeing a normalization of foreclosures similar to the pre-pandemic levels in 2022, and it’s important to understand that the industry has been heavily preparing for this momentl. Servicers will still be needed to ensure seamless communication with borrowers, so they can exit forbearance plans and do everything possible to avoid foreclosure. However, relative to the level of foreclosure activity during the pandemic, servicers do generally expect more distressed mortgage activity, whether through foreclosure or other alternative home dispositions. That could create a slightly larger market for distressed homes, freeing up some inventory and potentially creating more of an opportunity for buyers to have more choices in homes. Thanks for your inquiries, please call Ken Go of 1st Innovative Finance at 562-508-7048 or write to kennethgo@ verizon.net CABRE 01021223 NMLS 238636.

21 December 16-22, 2021

NEWS  NATIONAL SPORTS NEWS

Donaire Jr. drops Reymart Gaballo with body shot to retain WBC title

CARSON, California - Filipino American Nonito Donaire Jr. showed his class in knocking out fellow Filipino Reymart Gaballo to retain his World Boxing Council bantamweight belt last Saturday at the Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California. Gaballo was the mandatory challenger to Donaire, who was making the first defense of the WBC belt that he won in May from France’s Nordine Oubaali. Gaballo opened the contest throwing sharp jabs and right straights to the head and body. Donaire was patient, throwing calculated punches as he seemingly tried to read what his fellow Filipino had to offer. Donaire started to press in round two but neither landed telling blows yet. They exchanged leather in round three with both fighters having moments of their own. Donaire then started to sit on his punches more in round 4. As Gaballo opened up during an exchange, Donaire unloaded a left hook to the body that reduced the challenger to a knee Gaballo tried to beat the count but went

back to a knee due to excruciating pain, earning the 39-year-old a knockout victory. Donaire won via fourth round stoppage, as he landed a crushing body blow with his left hand that forced Gaballo to take a knee. The 25-year-old Gaballo tried to beat the count but had to kneel again, grimacing in pain. The referee waved the fight off, and Donaire quickly celebrated before checking on his compatriot. Donaire improved his record to 42-6 with 28 knockouts, recording a second consecutive stoppage win. Meanwhile, it was the first loss of Gaballo’s career against 24 wins with 20 knockouts. Retired boxing champions were all praises for Nonito Donaire Jr. after his impressive defense of the WBC bantamweight crown by way of a fourth-round stoppage of fellow Filipino challenger Reymart Gaballo. “Old and wise, I think Nonito has still what it takes to remain in the spotlight with the proper game plans and the right discipline,” Cagayan de Oro-based Rene

Barrientos, the oldest world boxing champion alive at 79, said of the oldest active world champion Donaire in the company of fellow 39-year-old Gennady Golovkin of Kazakhstan. “I was also nearing 40 in my last victorious fight, but that was a non-title and I sensed that my body had already little resistance to absorb power punch,” added Barrientos. “Maybe a more disciplined Donaire can keep fighting for some more years.” Former amateur boxer Roberto “Bobby” Jalnaiz agreed that Donaire still has some tricks left up his sleeves. “Had they fought, even Johnriel Casimero would have experienced a hard time against Donaire who’s still looking fit and sharp at his age,” said Jalnaiz, the country’s lone gold medalist in the 1990 Asian Games in Beijing, after watching the fight live on TV at his Long Beach, California house. Cebuano’s Gerry Peñalosa, erstwhile two-division world champion, was right on target when he predicted earlier that Gaballo’s only chance of winning is if he managed to go the full distance in the 12-round all-Filipino title showdown. “Of course, Nonito knew better that he has to get the job done early or he will be in jeopardy against the young and unbeaten Gaballo. He just proved that he’s on a different level,” Peñalosa said. Marlon Tapales, meanwhile, reintroduced himself to the international stage with a devastating second-round knockout of Hiroaki Teshigawara in their IBF super featherweight title eliminator. Showing the form and power that made him the 2016 World Boxing Organization bantamweight champion, Tapales caught the Japanese with a barrage of heavy punches for a standing 8-count. Tapales, one of the stars of Sanman Promotions headed by JC Manangquil, again cornered the taller Teshigawara and unloaded more solid blows that dropped the Japanese anew but got saved by the bell. Not about to waste the chance, Tapales went on full assault again early in the second round and knocked Teshigawara out with another flurry capped by a wicked right. The 29-year-old Tapales, now being trained by Ernel Fontanilla with assistance from Lucas Sugar, raised his record to 35-3 with 18 knockouts while Teshigawara, who entered the ring riding a string of 6 knockouts, skidded to 22-3-2 with 15 knockouts. Tapales earned a crack at WBA/IBF titlist Murodjon Akhmadaliev and this could happen in either February or March, according to MP (Manny Pacquiao) Promotions head Sean Gibbons in the post-bout conference.

House calls for safe resumption of school sports trainings QUEZON CITY – The House of Representatives adopted a resolution calling for the safe resumption of school sports trainings and the conduct of athletic competitions. During the plenary session, the chamber passed House Resolution 2275, which urges the Interagency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases, the Department of Health, the Commission on Higher Education, and the Department of Education to allow the resumption of school sports training activities and competitions so that student athletes who could potentially bring honor and award to the country in the future can continue to enhance their skills under prescribed

health and safety protocols. The resolution states that the Covid-19 restrictions have severely disrupted the conduct of all forms of physical activities and sports training programs of student athletes in the Philippines. “It is vital for the country’s young athletes to be able to train in the proper venues, so they can keep themselves physically fit and thus perform optimally even as they strictly comply with health protocols and other safety measures,” the resolution read. The resolution stressed the need to inoculate student athletes as it is a critical step in mitigating the spread of Covid-19 and minimizing any disruption

to learning and sorting activities. According to the resolution, health and safety protocols and other guidelines for the resumption of school sports trainings, competitions, and collegiate athletic leagues shall include the following: Covid-19 vaccination, pre-entry preparations, pre-event and intra event testing guidelines, billeting health protocols, training venue health protocol, retrofitting of sports facilities and communal areas, management of symptomatic or suspected individuals. The resolution noted that the resumption of sports training and competitions under a bubbletype facility shall be permitted.

December 16-22, 2021

Q: Is it true that repaying your debts is like going on a diet plan? A: I couldn’t agree more! When one becomes buried in debt that person would need to go into a trimming mode on their expenses in order to be able to accomplish repaying the debt. Much like a person who wants to lose weight, they have to be disciplined enough to control their eating in order to meet their goal. A client called me one day and said she was buried in debt. She did not feel that a program was for her since she did not want her credit score to be affected due to some short term goals. I told her that the only way she could keep the score and even make it go up was to repay the debts. It would take much discipline in spending in order to achieve the goal. It would take a lifestyle change. Much like a diet plan, it does not happen overnight. It will take some time but it is a doable chore. If you set goals like in 6 months you want the debts to go down by five thousand, it is like setting a goal of losing ten pounds in a month. Others who know that they do not have the discipline to do this are the ones who are not able to get out of debt. Remember, it is just like trying to lose weight. No pain, no gain. That’s the analogy. Ating lesson, Pag walang hirap, wala ring sarap. 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 1-888-341-5234 at tutulungan po namin kayo. Itama po natin ang mali!

 COMMUNITY NEWS

December 16-22, 2021

COMMUNITY LEADER AND 1ST FILIPINA AMERICAN TO SERVE AS MAYOR OF ARTESIA, CALIFORNIA The Artesia City Council appointed Mayor Pro Tem Melissa Ramoso as the city’s Mayor during its in-person meeting on Monday, December 13, marking a series of firsts in the local leadership — as an Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI)/Filipina American woman and a millennial in the role. Notably for the last decade, Ramoso is a recognized national leader in the AAPI and Filipino American communities through her work in government and politics. A grateful Ramoso, a local high school graduate of ABC Unified School District’s Gahr High School and of UC Irvine, gave thanks to her “Council colleagues for entrusting in me to serve as Artesia’s first Asian and Pacific Islander and Filipino female mayor. I am deeply honored and humbled to be elected by my peers into this role.” Highlighting the purpose of an elected officials Ramoso stressed, “Power is not held within a title; it is how one can effect positive change. Let me tell you how I have created positive change in this city.“ Over the past three years recognizing the Council and City staff Ramoso noted some of her past accomplishments:  Pushed for more transparency within Artesia, asked for minutes to be done regularly and posted. Requested updating the city website to be more userfriendly and serve as a resource for residents and businesses as it did for the pandemic.  As the pandemic unfolded before Artesia, Ramoso sought government action “outside the box” such

as: a) an eviction moratorium on residential and commercial properties marking Artesia as one of the ﬁrst cities to pass these ordinances especially commercial which was never done at the county and state levels; b) proposed a mental health services initiative for residents during the pandemic; and, c) memorialize Artesia COVID-19 city statistics.  Proposed a price gouging ordinance which prohibited increases in pricing of goods and a delivery app-base cap fee at 15% to big companies like Door

Dash, UberEATS. Artesia was one of the first cities in California to pass the 15% cap with San Francisco first to do it, and the City of Los Angeles followed Artesia.  Proposed Anti-AAPI hate resolutions to make a stance against the hate in the community and passed changes to the City’s discrimination and harassment policy which gave employees an added portal to report incidents.  Pushed for funding to create Artesia’s Business Assistance Program which will help Artesia businesses who have struggled through the pandemic. For the coming 2022 year Ramoso laid out her Mayoral priorities:  Ensure that the City continues to have financial stability.  Residents are safe and that quality of life is at the forefront of the City’s priorities.  As the City navigates through challenging times, together with Council colleagues and City staff, hard but sound decisions will be made. This will ensure Artesia is accessible and at its best with customer service at the forefront such as Artesia’s youth having a space and avenue to engage in sports, seniors are thought of and engaged with, and critical lifesaving services continue with public safety, fire and first responders. Ramoso concluded with an optimistic message: “I have so much more to give and show. I can’t wait to lead the city, and the best is truly yet to come.” Melissa added, “I believe in you and this great little but mighty city of Artesia.”

25 December 16-22, 2021

 COMMUNITY NEWS

LA COUNTY LAUNCHES NEW PHASE OF “DELETE THE DIVIDE” CAMPAIGN TO ENROLL RESIDENTS TO GET $50/ MONTH OFF INTERNET BILL

Upcoming Deadline to Enroll for Federal Emergency Broadband Beneﬁt is Dec. 31, 2021

Los Angeles County is launching a new phase of its “Delete the Divide” campaign today to encourage residents to learn if they may qualify for up to $50 a month off their internet bill. An estimated 822,000 County households may be eligible, including households with at least one person already participating in one of these programs: Cal-Fresh, Medi-Cal, SSI, Lifeline or students with a Pell Grant. Qualified households are encouraged to apply before December 31, 2021 to receive the maximum benefits before the program evolves next year. To apply for EBB, LA County residents can either call 866-696-8748 or apply online at https://www.internetforallnow.org/applytoday . The initiative promotes the Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB), a federally funded program for consumers with low-income that will show up as a discount on their Internet bills. The U.S. Congress and President Joe Biden established this benefit because of the COVID-19 pandemic emergency, and they recently made the benefit permanent. The federally funded benefit will help households get online, save money and gain access to County digital

services to obtain critical safety net resources such as housing, food assistance, and telehealth. “If we, as a County, are ever going to truly realize digital equity, now is the time. So many of our opportunities and resources are accessible online, and yet, so many of our residents and small businesses do not have access – especially those in Black and Latino communities,’’ Los Angeles Board of Supervisors Chair Hilda L. Solis said. She noted that she is proud of the investments that the Board has approved to expand infrastructure in order to provide low-income LA County residents with affordable, sustainable internet service. The “Delete the Divide” campaign is administered by LA County’s Internal Services Department (ISD) which is responsible to ensure the County’s efforts to get all residents affordable broadband are aligned and coordinated. To reach communities that are impacted right now, the County is partnering with the California Emerging Technology Fund (CETF). CETF developed a marketing and public awareness initiative that has been tailored for the County’s Delete the Divide mission to get in the marketplace right away, including print materials, TV and Radio in multiple languages (English, Spanish, Chinese and Vietnamese). CETF has a history of funding community organizations to help residents understand affordable Internet offers and the FCC Broadband Benefit program. CETF grantees have assisted more than 250,000 households in California with getting affordable Internet. “More than 365,000 Los Angeles County households do not have any Internet access at home and for the most part these are largely homes of people of color. The fifty dollars in assistance is a quick, short-term solution to help County residents get online. We’re also working on longterm solutions that help delete the digital divide altogether and this is a great step toward that overall goal,” said Selwyn Hollins, Director, Los Angeles County Internal Services Department.

TRADITIONAL SIMBANG GABI KICKS OFF FILIPINO CHRISTMAS CELEBRATIONS IN SF BAY AREA

The Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco joined the Filipino Catholic community in the San Francisco Bay Area during the 14th Annual Commissioning Mass for the “Simbang Gabi” (Dawn Masses) at the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assump�on in San Francisco on 10 December 2021. Consul Jed Mar�n A. Llona led the procession of the “parol” (Filipino star lanterns) that were blessed during the mass. Filipino priest Fr. Angel Quitalig of the St. Mark Catholic Church in Belmont presided over the eucharis�c celebra�on. Consul General Neil Frank R. Ferrer thanked the Filipino Ministry of the Archdiocese of San Francisco for their eﬀorts in keeping Filipino Christmas tradi�ons such as the “Simbang Gabi” alive amid a global pandemic, and as the Filipino faithful celebrate the 500th anniversary of the arrival of Chris�anity in the Philippines. The “Simbang Gabi” or “Misa de Gallo” is a series of novena (nine) masses that is tradi�onally celebrated at dawn beginning December 16. In recent �mes, an an�cipated “Simbang Gabi” is also held for nine nights star�ng December 15. For the “Simbang Gabi” schedule in San Francisco, San Mateo and Marin Coun�es, visit h�ps:// pcgsanfrancisco.org/category/ﬁl-com-announcements/. (San Francisco PCG photos)

 COMMUNITY NEWS

December 16-22, 2021

PG&E Offers Safety Tips for Customers on Home Heating and Carbon Monoxide

Silence isn’t always golden, especially when it comes to carbon monoxide poisoning SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. — Cold winter weather has arrived in California and Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) urges customers to be aware of the dangers of carbon monoxide. Every year, approximately 430 people die in the U.S. from accidental carbon monoxide poisoning and approximately 50,000 people visit the emergency room. Carbon monoxide is a colorless, tasteless and odorless gas produced by the burning of fossil fuels and wood. In general, properly installed and maintained natural gas appliances produce very little to no carbon monoxide. However, if unsafe concentrations of carbon monoxide are not detected, the result can be fatal. PG&E reminds customers to make sure their natural gas furnaces and appliances are in working order. Customers should inspect the flame on gas appliances. A blue flame indicates complete combustion and that

the appliance is working properly. A lazy, yellow or white ﬂame is a warning sign that the appliance is not burning properly and could be producing carbon monoxide. If customers suspect a problem with a natural gas appliance in their home, they should call PG&E immediately at 1-800-743-5000. A gas service representative will be dispatched to do a thorough inspection. To help prevent carbon monoxide poisoning, PG&E oﬀers the following safety tips: • Install a carbon monoxide detector, which will warn you when concentrations become dangerously high. California law requires owners of all single-family homes with an attached garage or a fossil fuel source to install carbon monoxide detectors within the home. Owners of multi-family dwellings must comply by Jan. 1, 2013. • Place detectors near sleeping areas, where they can wake you if you are asleep. • Never use prod-

ucts inside the home that generate dangerous levels of carbon monoxide, such as generators, barbecues, propane heaters and charcoal. • When using the ﬁreplace to stay warm, make sure the ﬂue is open so that the byproducts of combustion can vent safely through the chimney. • Ensure that generators are properly installed and operated outdoors. For more generator safety tips, visit www.pge.com/generator. • Do not idle cars inside the garage, and do not allow snow to block tailpipe emissions when operating a vehicle outdoors. • Make sure water heaters and other natural gas appliances have proper ventilation. Older appliances and room heaters that are not vented externally should be inspected annually. • As part of customers’ gas service, PG&E representatives are available to inspect gas appliances and make sure they are working safely. To schedule an inspection, customers can

visit the “My Energy” feature at www. pge.com or call 1-800-743-5000. Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning include headaches, drowsiness, dizziness, nausea and convulsions. Because carbon monoxide is hard to detect, someone with mild poisoning can go to sleep and continue to breathe the carbon monoxide until severe illness or death occurs. People may also mistake their symptoms for a viral infection like the ﬂu. For more ways to stay safe this holiday season, visit www. pge.com/safety. 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.

We Can Do This COVID-19 Public Education Campaign:

Four Ways to Have a Festive and Safe Holiday Season COVID-19 vaccine, boosters are free to everyone living in the U.S. They are readily available both by apEntering the second holiday seapointments and walk-in visits, and no son of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are all eager to reconnect with family insurance or identification is required to receive your booster shot. Learn and friends and return to treasured holiday traditions. Some simple steps more at www.cdc.gov/coronavirus. In addition to getting vaccinated can keep family and friends healthy and/or boosted, people can take these through their fall and winter celebrasteps to ensure they safely enjoy famtions. ily, friends, and special connections As generations gather to celebrate, they may have missed recently, even the best way to avoid spreading COas people from different households VID-19, including to grandparents, and different parts of the country young children, and others who may gather. be vulnerable, is to make sure everyone who is eligible gets vaccinated Assess travel plans. Consider against COVID-19. Children 5-11 are delaying travel until you’re fully vacthe most recent group eligible for a cinated. Remember, masks that cover COVID-19 vaccine. your nose and mouth are required for Booster shots are also now availeveryone on planes, buses, trains, and able to all vaccinated adults 18 and other public transportation. If you’re older. Get your booster at least six unvaccinated, plan to get tested one months after your second dose of the to three days before your trip within Pfizer or Moderna vaccine or two the United States and three to five months after your single dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. You may days after you return. Plan to selfquarantine for seven days, even if choose any of these three COVID the test is negative. If you travel by vaccines to receive as your booster, since your booster shot doesn’t have car, be aware that you and your travel companions could be exposed to to be the same vaccine you received the virus on stops for gas, food, and before. bathroom breaks. Remember to wear Like the initial dose(s) of the By: Staff Writer

a mask, wash your hands frequently, and maintain social distancing at these locations. If travelling internationally, especially to locations where vaccination rates are low and COVID-19 is spreading, visit the CDC’s website for recommendations on international travel. Get tested. If you’ve been in close contact with someone who has COVID-19, or if you’re not feeling well before the holidays, especially if you have COVID-19 symptoms, get tested. Tests are widely available at pharmacies and doctors’ offices. Getting tested can provide security, knowing that you won’t infect your friends and relatives, and everyone can enjoy a stress-free holiday. If in doubt, consider joining festivities virtually and enjoy the fun, while staying safe! Pay attention to ventilation. When celebrating with your families, try to avoid crowded, poorly ventilated spaces. Consider moving celebrations outdoors, especially if you are planning a large get-together. Have a cookout or roast marshmallows! If you attend family festivities indoors where some guests may not be vaccinated, wear a well-fitting mask over

your nose and mouth, remembering that you should never put a mask on a child under the age of 2. The CDC also recommends mask wearing in public indoor settings regardless of vaccination status. Consider your health status. If you or someone in your household has a health condition or someone is taking medications that weaken the immune system, you should take extra precautions, even if you are fully vaccinated. The CDC recommends that those with weakened immune systems follow similar guidelines for unvaccinated people, like mask wearing and social distancing. The winter holidays are a time to reconnect and celebrate with people we care about. There are many ways to make this year’s festivities a time to remember. Following these safety measures can allow you to gather together and practice traditions that make the holidays so special. Safe practices are key and the most effective way to ensure a joyful holiday is to get vaccinated. For more information and to find a vaccine, visit www.vaccines.gov.

27 December 16-22, 2021

Upside...

(From Page 11)

his kindness and generosity to others will long be remembered.” “Lourdes found out he was alive after the impact for a few seconds, so we are thankful he did not suffer,” said Robles Fernandez. “Police recovered his cellphone and eyeglasses, and are hopeful of finding fingerprints leading to the killer. We are seeking justice for Paul. Please share the news so the person responsible for his tragic death answers for it.” Anyone with information about the incident may contact Florida Highway Patrol at 859-484-500 or Fax # 850-484-5090. – Adapted from original reprinted with permission from Inquirer.net.

Oﬄine

(From Page 13)

In a large glass case, millions of pesos were displayed to show that they were not going to run out of cash anytime soon. The tactic worked. Many of the depositors took the word of that president that their money was safe in his bank. It helped that he had a pretty sterling reputation in the industry, of course. As banking editor, I also became aware that any potentially horrible news was met with the nuclear strategy of killing stories. There were and still are two ways of doing this. One is to ask the news organizations’ top editors to not use the story, extending the request through the advertising department. The message is clear. Use it and we pull out our ads. The worst way is to pay oﬀ reporters, editors and columnists, telling them what to write and what to deny. In eﬀect, the newsmen become mouthpieces of the bank, or any large company that has a crisis in its hands for that matter. Thus far, BDO has been able to keep the details of the online heist from the public. As far as the bank is concerned, it is business as usual. Those who did discover that a big chunk of their funds have gone missing are banking on the Sy family to make good their promise that whatever has been lost will be returned. The question is, will the Bangko Sentral get to the bottom of this latest scandal involving the Philippine banking industry? More importantly, will the perpetrators be caught, charged, tried, and imprisoned? We shall see, folks. We shall see.

Brave Heart

(From Page 13)

Kalabasa Noddle Processing to boost the production. This would create an economic activity which would open up jobs while at the same time provide the Filipino consumers with healthy and aﬀordable noodles.

Health & Wealth

(From Page 12)

had our office at the Philippine Center near the Philippine Consulate office, our old clients were complaining for the expensive parking fees in downtown San Francisco. With our home office, old and new clients can have FREE parking in our driveway and available street parking spaces nearby. If you can’t drive to our home office in San Francisco, just take the BART and we’ll pick you up at the Balboa Park BART Station along Geneva Avenue in San Francisco. DOCUMENTS PREPARATION DISCOUNT – Through our paralegal and lawyer-friends, we can offer special discounts in the draft and preparation of documents for old and new clients. CONVENIENCE AND PEACE OF MIND - You have convenience and peace of with the complete, prompt, professional and unique services at MSS. Most of the time, it is more convenient and economical for you to avail yourself with the services at MSS. For immediate help and assistance in the notarization and apostille follow-up of all notarized 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)5847095 or email: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. Art is active Evangelist with the GOLDEN GATE CHURCH OF CHRIST in San Francisco, California.)

PerryScope...

(From Page 12)

That’s the fun part of it. Meanwhile, they start contacting their friends and ask for permission to carol on a certain day, beginning on December 1. On caroling days, they assemble in one of the members’ house and then they all travel to the host’s house together. At the host’s home, they form a semi-circle and sing using their songbooks. The caroling leader will give an extemporaneous speech thanking the host(s) for allowing them to carol in their home. Then the group sings for about 30 to 45 minutes. The group leader will speak again and call upon the host(s) to present them with a gift from the carolers. The host(s) will receive the gift and in turn present the carolers with an envelope containing some money. Normally, the host(s) have prepared a sumptuous buﬀet dinner for the carolers. After dinner, carolers thank the host(s) and make their exit, singing, “We wish you a Merry Christmas…” This routine is repeated about two or three times each night until December 23. Just imagine

how much money the group would raise for the 13 days of caroling. They would then donate the money to their favorite charities or their parish church, leaving some amount to fund their own projects. Thus ends the time-honored ritual of receiving and giving gifts on Christmas. On Christmas Eve, most Filipinos will wake up at midnight to welcome Christmas Day with Noche Buena, a feast of traditional Filipino Christmas dishes like lechon, hamon, queso de bola, spaghetti, and fruit salad. Then on Christmas Day, a special mass called Misa de Gallo is held. It’s a celebration that includes lighting candles, singing, and sometimes a re-enactment of how baby Jesus was born. Exchanging gifts is something that Filipinos; particularly the kids look forward to. Sometimes, gifts are exchanged on numbers picked from a bowl. So nobody knows from whom the gifts are from. So it’s important to select a gift that is gender-neutral because you don’t know who would end up with it. But to your godchildren – manitos and manitas – the aguinaldo that godfathers and godmothers give to their godchildren involve cash in an envelope, in addition to special gifts that they asked from them. It is customary for ninongs and ninangs to ask their godchildren what do they want for Christmas. And you’d better not disappoint them. New Year’s eve is a celebration to welcome the New Year. Again, a feast called Media Noche is served. And as midnight approaches, everybody joins in making loud noises – torotot, sparklers, firecrackers, and other noisy instruments -- when the clock strikes midnight. Young kids are encouraged to jump up and down so they’ll grow taller. Neighbors will bring out fireworks in the streets and begin their noisy celebration. For about 15 minutes, the whole neighborhood is aglow with fireworks – like the “bawangs” that produce a loud and dangerous explosion -- on the streets. Filipinos believe that loud noises deter evil spirits from entering the New Year, thus the noisier the better. Also, husbands and wives and their children kiss each other as a sign of affection. And finally, the Feast of the Three Kings or the Epiphany. It’s commemorated on January 6th or the “Twelfth Day” after Christmas. The 12 days between Christmas and Epiphany are known as the “Twelve Days of Christmas.” But in the Philippines, it’s “128 Days of Christmas.” Merry Christmas to all my PerryScope readers and have a wonderful and prosperous New Year! (PerryDiaz@gmail.com)

On Distant Shore

(From Page 12)

In 2015, the health secretary at the time allegedly diverted P10.6 billion of the PhilHealth budget to fund barangay health stations, rural health units, national government hospitals, and mobile dental vehicles. Also in 2015, at least six facilities made PhilHealth members undergo unnecessary cataract surgery even without informed consent, which led to bigger claims from the state-run insurance agency. In 2019, PhilHealth was alleged to have made overpayments of up to P154 billion for patients supposedly stricken with pneumonia from 2010 to 2018—with up to 757,000 claimants in 2018 alone when the Department of Health had not made any declaration of pneumonia outbreak. That same year, President Duterte ordered PhilHealth executives to submit their courtesy resignations after reports that the health agency allegedly paid out billions of pesos for dialysis of non-existent or dead patients. An investigation by Rappler, which cited Commission on Audit documents, found that a ranking PhilHealth official spent at least P627,293 of agency funds on accommodations, flights, and terminal fees on travels between her home in Bohol and her office in Pasig City in 2017 at a time when the agency reported P8.92 billion in losses. In June 2019, the Department of Justice indicted the owner of a dialysis center and two whistleblowers for 17 counts of estafa through falsification of official documents. The charges stemmed from an investigative report by the Philippine Daily Inquirer that said PhilHealth approved and released payments for dialysis treatments of patients who are already dead and patients who were yet to complete treatment. Another major anomaly identified during a Senate investigation was the alleged bloating of PhilHealth’s proposed information technology (IT) budget for 2020, which at P2.1 billion was P734 million more than the amount recommended by the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT). The list goes on and on. Suffice it to say that PhilHealth is treading the path taken decades ago by Bureau of Customs, Bureau of Internal Revenue, the Department of Public Works and Highways, and other government agencies that have long gained notoriety for graft and corruption. That allegations of anomalies are coming at a time of a national emergency when every available resources should be directed at ending the pandemic make it even more a matter of major concern. A review of its systems and personnel must be carried out before it is too late.

Diliman way

(From Page 12)

his Congressman son being charged as being a part of the international drug Triad, the five generals in his well publicized drug book – why has not PR D done anything to them? These are his companions Is PR D confirming the saying – Tell me who are your companions and I’ll tell you who you are? Since they are PR D’s companions, will anyone please tell him who he is? No wonder the drug lords have gone scot-free and thousands of poor young drug users are dead. Are the users destroying the country? They only destroy their lives if they do not go through rehabilitation. PR D’s claim they cannot be rehabilitated is as false as his claims to accomplishments. But what about the drug lords – importers, manufacturers, distributors, facilitators and protectors? They are almost beyond rehabilitation because they are there for the money. By way of comparison, water continues flowing as long as you don’t close the faucet. Since the drug faucet is not closed, illegal drugs continue flowing throughout the country courtesy of PR D’s government. Pacquiao confession: Presidential candidate Manny Pacquiao admitted that when he was a kid – he did shabu and marijuana. He regrets it and he has gone over it. Good for Manny! But why has he not denounced PR D’s government extra-judicial killings. Once upon a time not so long ago, he was one of the lap dogs of PR D singing praises to his idol and master. But when PR D castigated him, he reacted but his reaction was tepid, if not anemic. And now he claims to be with the Opposition. Common, Manny, grow up kid. Show your powerful knockout punch and kayo PR D. But is the power still there or did it disappear with Paris Hilton? Lacson and Sotto: They claimed they underwent drug testing at PDEA and the tests came out negative. But that is not enough as both have extra baggage on illegal drugs. I still remember Rosebud charged Senator Lacson with involvement on an illegal drug incident. On Senate President Sotto, there was a mainstream media report that he had an involvement on an illegal drug activity long time ago. Both of them should clear the air on these charges and suspicions. Relevance: Illegal drug use is a major problem of the country coupled with graft and corruption. Were it not for corrupt officials in government, the problem of illegal drugs in the country would have been solved years ago. It cannot be solved because public officials from the highest to the lowest levels are involved in illegal drugs – from manufacture to distribution, from importation to protection, from police to PDEA, from Customs to Immigration, from local government to the highest levels of the Executive, from Congress to the judiciary. No traditional politician can eradicate this problem in this country. Why? It is the surest way to quick money – from millions to billions, enough to fund several presidential, senatorial, congressional, gubernatorial, mayoral or barangay chairman campaigns. The temptation is just too great to resist for our politicians whose major drives are – wealth, power and influence and sex. There is no hope for the people from them. The hope is system change. The only exponent for system change is the X-Factor. If he does not materialize and surface before the end of this year – the solution is not an election, it is something else. So I quote to you my favorite lines from a poem of Oscar de Zuñiga –“ “And I walk the streets rutted with mud holes Underneath a sky suffused with graying clouds And I feel I am coming to a house which only my heart knows.”

 HEALTH NEWS

December 16-22, 2021

More than half a billion people pushed or pushed further into extreme poverty due to health care costs COVID-19 pandemic disrupts health services worldwide DUBAI/GENEVA/WASHINGTON DC — New evidence compiled by the World Health Organization and the World Bank shows that the COVID-19 pandemic is likely to halt two decades of global progress towards Universal Health Coverage. The organizations also reveal that more than half a billion people are being pushed into extreme poverty because they have to pay for health services out of their own pockets. The ﬁndings are contained in two complementary reports, launched on Universal Health Coverage Day, highlighting the devastating impact of COVID-19 on people’s ability to obtain health care and pay for it. In 2020, the pandemic disrupted health services and stretched countries’ health systems beyond their limits as they struggled to deal with the impact of COVID-19. As a result, for example, immunization coverage dropped for the ﬁrst time in ten years, and deaths from TB and malaria

increased. The pandemic also triggered the worst economic crisis since the 1930s, making it increasingly difficult for people to pay for care. Even before the pandemic, half a billion people were being pushed (or pushed still further) into extreme poverty because of payments they made for health care. The organizations expect that that number is now considerably higher. “There is no time to spare,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “All governments must immediately resume and accelerate efforts to ensure every one of their citizens can access health services without fear of the financial consequences. This means strengthening public spending on health and social support, and increasing their focus on primary health care systems that can provide essential care close to home.” He added: “Prior to the pandemic, many countries had

made progress. But it was not robust enough. This time we must build health systems that are strong enough to withstand shocks, such as the next pandemic and stay on course towards universal health coverage.” The new WHO/World Bank reports also warn that financial hardship is likely to become more intense as poverty grows, incomes fall, and governments face tighter fiscal constraints. “Even before the COVID-19 pandemic struck, almost 1 billion people were spending more than 10 per cent of their household budget on health,” said Juan Pablo Uribe, Global Director for Health, Nutrition and Population, World Bank. “This is not acceptable, especially since the poorest people are hit hardest. Within a constrained fiscal space, governments will have to make tough choices to protect and increase health budgets,” he added. In the first two decades of this century, many govern-

Cruelty to our planet Heart of Hope

It does not take an Einstein to understand that clean air, pure water, and unpolluted environment are conducive to health and longevity. In certain parts of the world, like in the serene Okinawa to the verdant valleys of Ecuador to the unspoiled hills of the Himalayas, a significant PHILIP S. CHUA number of people normally live to a hundred. A common denominator among these centenarians is an environment that is nature’s best, untainted by the toxic byproducts of the advances in technology in this modern world of ours. Today, man, in most parts of the earth, especially in well-developed cities, is no longer living in harmony with nature. He has been hostile to his environment, gradually killing it with poisonous gases and deadly chemicals from our factories and toxic smokes from our vehicles that pollute the air and deplete the ozone layer which shields and protects us from dangerous solar radiation. Irresponsible massive deforestation, obviously for financial gains, disregarding the law of nature, has caused widespread flooding and mudslides that kill thousands every year. Individually, we use countless noxious chemicals at home for cleaning which eventually end up in rivers and oceans destroying bodies of water and their priceless inhabitants and contaminating our drinking water. And there are other human activities, some criminal like arson causing forest fires, that negatively alter the “homeostasis” in our world and the equilibrium in our environment and in our own selves. These unwise and negligent human behaviors against Planet Earth and Mother Nature for centuries have boomeranged, causing untold calamities worldwide, in the form of human diseases and destruction of our physical milieu, not to mention their immeasurable adverse effects on the human psyche around the globe. Our immune system as a species, for one, has been negatively impacted. Various diseases, including cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure, diseases of the heart, lungs, and various other organs, and some unexplained ailments, have increased, especially in the last century or so. Our

misadventures are now haunting us and our children. While the governments of the world are trying to remedy this dire global “climate change,” it behooves us, earthlings, to do our daily share in showing more respect and love for our environment. After all, planet earth is the only home we’ve got today. And destroying it is like helping detonate a bomb on board a plane we are in. Organic is Healthier Most of the produce and products on the market today are “contaminated” with some type of chemicals used in fertilizing them, protecting them, making them more appealing, preserving them, or enriching them. Let’s opt for organic foods, vegetables, meat products, fruits, etc. that are raised and produced without pesticides, herbicides, hormones, antibiotics, preservatives, coloring. We must also avoid processed foods, which increase our risk for cancer. Versatile plastic wares abound in the world, many of them releasing vinyl chloride and other toxic gases, or phthalates, which are cancer and birth defect-causing agents, and which are also harmful to the lungs and liver. Surprisingly, unbeknownst to most of us, some plastics are also used in chewing gums, cosmetics, carpeting, mattresses, toilet papers, sanitary napkins, polyester clothing, and tissue papers. The use of glass containers, natural fiber clothing, personal care-cosmetic products made with natural ingredients, wooden toys for kids, etc, and staying away from aluminum cookware, to prevent aluminum poisoning, are the healthier ways to go. All white paper products are bleached with chemicals that leave behind residues of cancer-causing dioxin, which are likewise found in lunch bags, coffee filters, diapers, paper towels, napkins, tissue, and toilet papers. Dioxin, like other harmful chemicals, enters the soil and eventually contaminates groundwater. The use of organic household cleaners, “Green Your Clean Routine,” is the safer and healthier alternative. An effective and safer cleanser, for instance, is diluted vinegar, for use in the kitchen and bathroom tiles, mirrors, and even in carpets, to inhibit mildew and bacteria. For hand sanitizer against viruses, alcohol (must be 75 percent or higher) is effective, but frequent handwashing with soap is still the safest. For COVID-19, social distancing is beneficial, and vaccination, is a must to prevent getting infected with this killer virus with its Delta

variant, and now, the new South African Omicron strain, which experts are closely monitoring. Our obligation The corporate world, our community, and we, as individuals, have the moral duty and responsibility, as members of society, to protect and preserve our planet and Mother Nature for our survival and the survival of our family and all our fellow human beings traveling with us in this journey on planet earth. We, as a species, our genus, our race, will only survive if we all endeavor together to save Mother Earth. We do not have any other option. If we don’t stop poisoning and destroying our only home where we are all trapped, the end of man is not far behind. I pray that reality catches up with our race sooner than later, while there is still time. The basic principle in all this is for us, the inhabitants of Planet Earth, to be responsible and be good to our environment by not contaminating our natural habitat with poisons in whatever form, and to allow Mother Nature to ﬂourish at its best. We each can start this education, positive awareness, behavioral modiﬁcation, compassion, and responsible practices in our own homes and community. The purer the air we breathe in, the cleaner the water we drink, the unadulterated food we eat, the more robust the ozone layer is, and the healthier our lifestyle is, the more wonderful our world will be, not only for us and our loved ones, but for humankind as a whole, and for all the future generations to come. Before the year 2021 ends, in the midst of this deadly COVID-19 pandemic which has so far killed 5.3 million, let’s be wiser and kinder to ourselves. Let us protect ourselves and others around us by wearing a mask and doing social distancing in public. More importantly, let us all get vaccinated. More than 4.5 billion people have been safely vaccinated around the world, more than 230 million of them in the United States. It is really a matter of life and death. Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, a Cardiac Surgeon Emeritus based in Northwest Indiana and Las Vegas, Nevada, is an international medical lecturer/author, Health Advocate, newspaper columnist, and Chairman of the Filipino United Network-USA, a 501(c)3 humanitarian foundation in the United States. Websites: FUN8888.com and philipSchua.com Email: scalpelpen@gmail.com

29 December 16-22, 2021

NEWS  NATIONAL VIEWS & COMMENTS

Lovelife Special

Note: Because of numerous encounters regarding this kind of problem between couples, instead of our featured question this week we want to quote and share with you, our dear readers, this special article that we read from the book of Bob and Audrey Meisner entitled, “Best Friends, Best Lovers”. This article is intended for women who have transgressed their PTR. DANTE & CYNTHA VELUZ husbands but have realized their faults and would want to turn their lives around. We want the husbands to know that even if their wives have failed them, God can still restore their relationship and can give grace to start afresh. For couples that have experienced this stigma in their lives, we highly recommend Bob and Audrey’s book. It will be a source of healing for you. “We (Bob & Audrey) sat in a small room facing a young couple, and we knew there was trouble. Their faces told the story, and their words confirmed it. They had only been married two years. Confusion and unmet expectations had led to a disaster in their relationship. He was in mourning, totally at a loss as to what to do. Her face was almost gray, she was numb to any emotion and she wanted out of the marriage. She watched her husband cry and she had no response. She had already begun another relationship with an abusive drug dealer. Bob and the hurting husband left the room, and the young wife said to me, “ I don’t know who I am. I do not want to be here.” I (Audrey) was at a complete loss; she wasn’t responding to anything I said. However as soon as I closed my eyes to pray, I instantly saw a vision in my heart of this same woman worshipping Jesus! I was shocked, and I said out loud, “You are a Jesus girl! You are a daughter of the King! You love to dance and worship!” As I opened my eyes I saw a tear roll down her face. In a monotone voice she said, “When worship was about to end, I used to beg God, ‘Just ten more minutes in Your presence!’” One tear turned into a cry from her heart. I had the privilege of ushering her into the arms of the Father in heaven who held her as she wailed and wept. She was lost, desolate and on the road to death- and Jesus healed her heart! What happened next astounded me. Joy began to spill over from this once lifeless human. Her eyes began to twinkle and her face was radiant with God’s glory. After we were finished praying, she ran out of the room, literally laughing and ran straight to her husband! She didn’t just hug him; she jumped him! She wrapped her legs around his waist and squeezed him, and they began to twirl. Laughter was restored! The healing had begun, and it all started in the deep places of her heart.” Our Admonition: If you are a wife in the same pit of darkness, and you want to get out of it, we implore you to run back to Jesus. He is waiting to forgive you and save your relationship. He will never condemn you, but rather He will lift you up, carry you in His arms. For He said, “Come to Me who are tired and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. For I Am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30). For you, dear husband, continue to just open your heart and mind toward forgiveness and reconciliation, no matter how hurtful it had been. You see God is a God of miracles. He can restore your broken relationship in an instance. God will reward you and set you above your situation right now. Go and see godly counselors who can lead you back to God’s throne of grace. Shalom! To our readers: you may call or write to us at our address above-stated or email us at danteveluz@gmail.com or you can channel your feedbacks or problems through Philippines Today. God bless you all!

INSPIRATIONAL ARTICLE FOR THE WEEK

MENDING BROKEN RELATIONSHIP By TIM PEDROSA

LET US NOT BE AFRAID OF LOSING PEOPLE BUT BE AFRAID OF LOSING OURSELF BY TRYING TO PLEASE EVERYONE AROUND US. Let us walk away from arguments that lead to anger, from people who put us down, from anyone who does not see our worth. Let us walk away from mistakes and fears; they do not determine our fate. The more we walk away from the things that poison our soul, the healthier and happier we will be. A broken relationship is like a broken glass. It is better to leave it broken when it gets expensive and keeps hurting yourself trying to fix it. It is time to let go and replace it. Sometimes God gives us the wrong person before giving us the right one, so that when the right one comes, we know how to appreciate the gift. Relationship is a game of chance, sometimes we win, and sometimes we lose. The key is to know when to hold on and when to move on. We cannot determine who will come into our life but we can choose whom we will allow to stay. The biggest tragedy is to hang on long after the respect has gone. We are better off being alone and happy than staying with those who make us unhappy. Every goodbye is good as long as we keep the good memories and skip the bad ones. Let us stop mending a broken relationship and start fixing ourselves. Sometimes what we are most afraid to do can bring us the most happiness. Let us listen to our heart, let us learn to let go, and live without regret. Anybody can become angry, that is easy; but to be angry with the right person and to the right degree and at the right time and for the right purpose and in the right way,

The Lesson of Shame In prophet Joel 2:12 – 13, the Lord says: “… return to me with your whole heart, with fasting, weeping, and mourning. Rend your hearts, not your garments, and return to the Lord, your God…” Our Advent journey must involve acceptance of our sinfulness REV. JOSE PELAGIO A. PADIT, SThD and then making a decision to go back to God. Sin makes us ugly. Sin not only separates us from God but also leads us into the oblivion and darkness. Sin makes us deeply ashamed of ourselves; and more so, we become ashamed of God. Remember in Genesis 3:8; Adam and eve hid themselves from God for they were ashamed of themselves, to say the least. They saw their nakedness which is an image of degraded dignity; because, a person of dignity must be well dressed. A person’s status can be known by how he is dressed. When the prodigal son returned; Luke 15:22, the father said to his servants, quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet (Lk. 15:22).” When we were reborn in baptism, God did it to us. He clothed us with divine life signified by the white garment. Dressing well makes us presentable and respectable. When sin occurs, our divine image is disfigured and our white garment, the purity and divine life in our soul, is stained and dirtied. We become disgusting; we become ashamed before God, others, and to ourselves. Advent season is our journey towards encounter with God in our Lord Jesus Christ. It is right to be ashamed in sin, and at times, discouraged to go back to God. But the good news is that He comes precisely to wipe away our sin. He comes to restore us into our dignity with God by making us His adopted children. He comes to give us clothes of righteousness, of virtues, of grace and divine favor. So, we have to be joyful in knowing there is hope for us. We must forget our pride but be contrite to approach His mercy and healing in the sacrament of Confession and Penance. Do not delay your conversion. Do not delay your steps towards a new you in Christ Jesus. Shame is a powerful emotion God endowed us with. In positive sense, shame is a powerful deterrent for us not to do bad things. For if, we know how shameful we will be if we commit sins supposed to be we will choose not to commit them. Like the fate of the prodigal son, after he lost everything; he barely could eat and his place was with the pigs. The pigs are animal that the Jews associate with dirt or is unclean and is among the lowest state among animals. So, his was at a shameful state; he had a shameful end after he left his father’s side and squandered his fortune. Are you not ashamed of God when you commit sin, dear reader? Do you think of shame when you are about to commit sin? When you go to confession, do you confess your sins with contrition? Do you know that shame can make you confess making your language frame your sin in a way that you water it down or make it light instead of grave when in fact it was? We can use our feeling of shame for the good. Let us be ashamed before God and others, if we fail to do what we are supposed to do. Let us be ashamed on the many forms of our laziness, or be ashamed when we do not want to make a sacrifice. Let us be ashamed before God, others and ourselves, when we are proud and conceited. Advent journey is our opportunity to become the best person we can be. Let us employ the guilty and shameful feeling to our advantage; that is, truly being determined not to fall into the same sins and be resolved to never offend God or leave His side. Though we can be ashamed before God; yet, it must not hinder us to go back to Him. God tells us in Isaiah 1:18; “Come now, let us set things right; though your sins be like scarlet, they may become white as snow…” With God, we can be made whole from all our brokenness. And we can be clean and beautiful, if we welcome and receive Him, the Emmanuel, into our lives. Amen.

Aﬂame The Heart

Restoration in an Instance

31 December 16-22, 2021  NATIONAL NEWS

 FOOD & TRAVELS

Recipe of the Week Papaitan Baka / Pinapaitan Baka Ingredients: 1 k. ox tripe/innards 1/2 c. diluted ox bile 1 head whole garlic 1 thumb size ginger, crushed 2 thumb size ginger, cut into strips 1 head garlic, chopped 2 medium size onion, chopped 1 bundle spring onion, chopped 1 small packet, sampalok sinigang mix 2-3 siling labuyo, chopped 1/2 c. patis salt and pepper Cooking procedure: Wash thoroughly ox innards, drain and cut into small slices, set aside liver. In a sauce pan put all innards, whole garlic and crushed ginger cover with water and boil for 15 minutes, drain and discard liquid. Rinse and add fresh water and boil for 1-2 hours or until innards are tender. Remove from pan separate broth and keep aside. In same sauce pan sauté onion, garlic and ginger. Add innards including liver stir for 3-5 minutes, add patis and cook for another 3-5 minutes. Pour in broth and simmer for 10-15 minutes, add siling labuyo, sinigang mix and goat bile (half quantity at time and taste sourness and bitterness add more if required). Simmer for another 3-5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, garnish with spring onion. Serve hot.

 FOOD & TRAVELS

UN names Bojo in Cebu among best world tourism village ALOQUINSAN, Cebu - The United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has named Barangay Bojo in Aloguinsan, southern Cebu among the Best Tourism Villages for 2021. Barangay Tenani in Paranas, Samar, meanwhile, was selected to participate in the UNWTO’s Upgrade Programme of the Best Tourism Villages–receiving the Organization’s support in improving elements of the areas identified as gaps in the evaluation process. Owing to its world-acclaimed river, Barangay Bojo is one of the top tourist destinations in the western part of Cebu province and a multi-awarded model of sustainable tourism. Bojo is the town’s crown jewel. It was named as one of the Top 100 Sustainable Destinations in the World during the World Tourism Day 2016 and Best Community-based Tourism at the ASEAN Toursim Awards 2017. The Bojo River River Cruise was launched in 2019. It offers a 1.4 kilometer boat cruise which would take at least three hours to complete. Bojo is famous also for its hills, underwater natural resources, mangroves, birds, and responsible locals with the Bojo River Eco-Cultural Tour as its main tourism activity–managed by the BAETAS. BAETAS provides an eco-cultural river tour with mangrove ecology, bird and wildlife lectures–the profit from which was shared among the local government, community fund, barangay fund as well as the wages and payment to its suppliers Tourism Secretary Berna RomuloPuyat expressed her elation with the latest development, recognizing the “remarkable work” of the local community in Bojo through the Bojo Aloguinsan Ecotourism Association or BAETAS and the strong support of the municipality of Aloguinsan. “A local destination being inducted into the UNWTO Best Tourism Villages Program on its pilot year is a testament to the Philippines’ commitment to sustainable tourism development from the national level down to the grassroots,” said Puyat. “The wealth of our natural resources and unmatched hospitality remains our key strength as we strive for the reopening of the industry to international travelers anchored on the principle of safe and sustainable tourism,” she added. The Department of Tourism (DOT) said Philippine Ambassador to Spain Philippe Jones Lhuiller received the award together with Tourism OICUndersecretary Verna Buensuceso in Madrid last December 2. “To be a nominee was already an honor. To be runner-up (for upgrade) is a validation that the tourism movers and doers who worked together to develop the tourism communities and tourist activities in Barangay Tenani are indeed moving towards the right Beef Spareribs Adobo with Oyster Sauce

direction,” said Karen Tiopes, tourism director of Eastern Visayas. Barangay Tenani has been known as “Home to the Ulot Torpedo Boat Adventure Ride and the Paranas Eco-Trail and Birding Site.” The town is located about 100 kilometers from Tacloban City, the region’s capital. Under the “Best Tourism Villages” Upgrade Program, villages will receive support from UNWTO and its partners in improving elements of the areas identified as gaps in the evaluation process. Other villages included in the Upgrade Program are Biei, Japan; Capulálpam de Méndez, Mexico; Godinje, Montenegro; Gornja Lastva, Montenegro; Oukaimeden, Morocco; Gasura, Rwanda; Gostilje, Serbia; Gorenja Vas, Slovenia; Cantavieja, Spain; Bo Suak, Thailand; Ruboni, Uganda; Ordino, Andorra; Khinalig, Azerbaijan; Koprivshtitsa, Bulgaria; Kaštelir Labinci, Croatia; Agros, Cyprus; Fuwah, Egypt; Western Samos, Greece; and Hollókő, Hungary. UNWTO launched the Best Tourism Villages “to advance the role of tourism in safeguarding rural villages, along with their landscapes, natural and cultural diversity, and their local values and activities, including local gastronomy.” “Tourism can be a driver of social cohesion and inclusion by promoting a fairer distribution of benefits throughout the territory and empowering local communities,” said UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili. “This initiative recognizes those villages committed to making tourism a strong driver of their development and wellbeing,” the official added. For 2021, a total of 44 villages from 32 countries across the five world regions were granted recognition “for their natural and cultural resources as well as for their innovative and transformative actions and commitment to the development of tourism in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).” Barangay Bojo, Aloguinsan in southern Cebu became the only village in the Philippines that made it to the list of the world’s “Best Tourism Villages” for 2021. The Best Tourism Villages by UNWTO initiative was launched to advance the role of tourism in safeguarding rural villages, along with their landscapes, natural and cultural diversity, and their local values and activities, including local gastronomy. A total of 44 villages from 32 countries across the five world regions were granted the recognition in 2021. All of them stand out for their natural and cultural resources as well as for their innovative and transformative actions and commitment to the development of tourism in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

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