Philippine News Today by Philippine News Today

1 February 3-9, 2022

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA EDITION

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Vol. 61 No. 26 February 3-9, 2022

PHARMALLY ROW: PLUNDER, RAPS EYED VS DUTERTE, DUQUE, OTHERS

Senate panel recommendation needs plenary okay, questioned

NEWS AND VIEWS YOU TRUST

PHL down from critical to moderate risk on COVID-19

By Jeanne Michael Penaranda MANILA – The Department of Health has downgrade the Philippines’ coronavirus risk classiﬁcation from high/critical to moderate as fewer conﬁrmed cases are reported. The DOH, at the same time, reported a rise in coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) cases among children aged 5 years old and below. The DOH data showed that some 632 kids in this Page 8

Robredo gets nod from FVR, Pnoy Death threat bared admin execs vs Marcos; By Jeanne Michael Penaranda probe ordered President Duterte

Sec. Duque

Sec. Cusi

By BETING LAYGO DOLOR and ALFRED GABOT

PASAY CITY – The Senate Blue Ribbon committee’s extended investigation of the Pharmally Pharmaceuticals scandal has made public its draft report, recommending that President Rodrigo Duterte and Health Secretary Francisco Duque and others be charged with graft and plunder in connection with the over P10 billion medical supplies awarded to the ﬁrm. Aside from Duque, recommended to be charged with graft and plunder were former government oﬃcials Lloyd Christopher Lao and Warren Rex Liong, and Pharmally executives and employees Linconn Ong, Mohit Dargani, Krizle Grace Mago, Huang Tzu Yen, Lin Weixiong and former presidential adviser Michael Yang, who was also recommended for deportation. Page 9

Senate endorses raps vs Cusi, others over P40-B Malampaya deal PASAY CITY - The Senate has adopted a resolution seeking charges against Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Alfonso Cusi and other oﬃcials over the approval of the sale of a majority stake in the Page 8

QUEZON CITY — Only a week before the election campaign starts, Vice President and presidential aspirant Maria Leonor “Leni” Robredo continues to draw support from various sectors. This as Robredo and runningmate Sen. Francis Pangilinan completed her senatorial slate with the addition of lawyer and former party-list representative Neric Colmenares. The latest to endorse her are 95 former Cabinet oﬃcials, former Armed Forces chiefs of staﬀ, and retired ambassadors mostly from the administration of the late President Benigno Aquino III. Page 8

By Claire Morales True MAN I L A - Presidential a s p i rant and f o r m e r Sen. Marcos senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has reportedly received death threats prompting the government agencies to mount an investigation. Leading the probe are the Department of Justice Page 8

No more PHL quarantine for Pinoys, foreign travelers

PHL gov’t debt rises in P11.73 trillion in 2021 VIEWS & COMMENTS

SHOWBIZ

SPORTS

What should you consider before ﬁling bankruptcy?

2 Filipino ﬁlms win awards in Sundance festival

PHL wins historic berth in FIFA World Cup

By A�y. Lozano

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 NATIONAL NEWS

February 3-9, 2022

US expects ‘strong, productive’ ties with next president of Philippines forward to a “strong and productive” relationship with the next Philippine president who will be elected in the May polls, the top official of the US Embassy in Manila said. In a media roundtable, US Embassy Chargé d’Affaires Heather Variava expressed confidence that the two nations’ ties will remain strong based on their longstanding and wide-ranging cooperation. She said the US government respects and supports the Philippine democratic process and look forward to working with whichever candidate is elected by the Filipino people. “I think the bonds between our people are so strong and I think regardless of who is elected in May we look forward to having a strong and productive relationship US Embassy in Manila Chargé d’Affaires Heather with the new president, and we look forward to continuVariava ing that strong partnership and supporting the Philippine MANILA – The United States government is looking rights and sovereignty in the region,” she said. Variava said there are multiple areas the two nations

could further work on, including security, trade, development, and cultural and educational exchanges, among others. “Last year, we celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Mutual Defense Treaty and we continue to celebrate the 75th anniversary of our bilateral diplomatic relationship, both of which are reminders of the strength of our longstanding commitment to one another as friends, partners, and allies,” she said. She noted Washington D.C.’s interest in participating in observation programs that the Commission on Elections may host for the upcoming national polls. “We may indeed see observes from the United States joining as well. We don’t have details on that yet but we’ve gotten inquiries from some of the leading organizations about coming to observe and of course we are willing to work with Comelec to participate in whatever program is available,” she said.

3 bemedalled PNP generals nominated by PRAI party-list group for 2022 polls QUEZON CITY – To serve and protect. With this as battle cry, a group of decorated police and military ofﬁcers who have retired from service decided to join the 2022 elections through their party-list group, the Philippine National Police Retirees Association Inc. (PRAI) party-list. PRAI’s leading co-founders Gen. Reynaldo V. Velasco, Gen. Leo Napenas and Gen. Van Luspo are on top of the party-list group’s list of nominees submitted to the Commission on Elections. The Comelec recognized the role of the retired police and military oﬃcers and men as it readily approved the accreditation of the PRAI party list. Later, the Comelec also placed the PRAI to number 19 in the ballot list for the party-list race, giving it a vantage point for the election. Although retired, the PRAI co-founders underscored that their oath to defend the country and serve the people which they took while still in uniform has not waned, adding they will continue to help maintain peace and order and serve the people, especially the thousands of retirees like them. In case, the PRAI gets the necessary votes, the three generals, or at least one or two of them, will serve as

members of the House of Representatives representing the PRAI and the thousands of police, military and other retirees in uniform. Gen. Velasco called on the fellow police and military retirees to help the PRAI party-list win so that through them they can represent and fight for their interests, especially their needs, and that of their families, in the Halls of Congress for faster actions. Gen. Velasco, a bemedalled police and military officer until his retirement, reminded some 1.7 million registered overseas Filipinos that they can participate in the 2022 elections as they are qualified under Philippine laws to vote for the president, vice president, 12 senators and one party-list representative. “Don’t lose this chance to exercise your right of suffrage and choose the nation’s next leaders,” said Gen. Velasco, who had earned respect and plaudits from government and private leaders as well as millions of water consumers in Metro Manila, Bulacan, Laguna, Cavite and Rizal provinces for his successful stewardship of the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) as Chairman and Administrator. PRAI co-founders Generals Napenas and Luspo supported Gen. Velasco’s calls for millions of overseas Fili-

PRAI NOMINEES. Re�red PNP Gen. Reynaldo Velasco, who had served also as MWSS Chairman and Administrator, leads the nominees of the PRAI party-list group of former police and military oﬃcers and men. PRAI is no. 19 in the party-list ballot for the May 9 2022 elec�ons. pinos and millions of water consumers to exercise their right of suﬀrage by voting for the country’s leaders in the May 2022 elections.

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3 February 3-9, 2022

 NATIONAL NEWS

US CDC warns against travel Smooth Home buying and selling to PHL amid COVID-19 threat

WASHINGTON/MANILA — As the Philippines opened its doors to vaccinated tourists and returning Filipinos from several countries, including the United States and

Canada, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), unexpectedly, advised against traveling to the Philippines amid the threat of COVID-19 in the country. In a statement, the CDC included the Philippines in the list of nearly 130 countries under “Level 4: COVID-19 Very

High” category, which means the country has recorded more than 500 cases per 100,000 residents in the past 28 days. Also in the highest risk CDC category for travel are Anguilla, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, French Guiana, Kosovo, Mexico, Moldova, Paraguay, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Singapore. The US Embassy in Manila posted the CDC announcement on its website under health alert. CDC uses COVID-19 data reported by the World Health Organization and other oﬃcial sources to make determinations about THN levels. If a destination does not provide data, their THN level is designated as “unknown” and travelers are advised to follow THN Level 4 recommendations. Although the U.S. CDC has advised against traveling to Level 4 countries, it noted that passengers who must travel to these areas shall be vaccinated and up to date with their COVID-19 vaccines. The Philippine national government earlier decided to again accept fully vaccinated foreigners from non-visa required countries for tourism and business purposes starting Feb. 10. The Philippines also lifted the facility-based quarantine for fully vaccinated international travelers, including Filipinos.

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3 February 3-9, 2022

 NATIONAL NEWS

US CDC warns against travel Smooth Home buying and selling to PHL amid COVID-19 threat

WASHINGTON/MANILA — As the Philippines opened its doors to vaccinated tourists and returning Filipinos from several countries, including the United States and

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 METRO NEWS

February 3-9, 2022

Belmonte, Defensor claim lead in QC mayoral race By Claire Morales True QUEZON CITY - If surveys are to believed, Anak Kalusugan party-list Rep. Michael Defensor is leading reelectionist Mayor Maria Joseﬁna “Joy” Belmonte in the Quezon City mayoral race. Defensor is running under the Unity Team of former senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte. Another survey, however, showed Belmonte a sure winner in her reelection bid against Defensor. Belmonte’s team said city residents will reelect the lady mayor in the May 9 elections considering her performance in raising re-

cord revenues and taxes during her term. The record revenues and taxes paid by city residents and businesses reﬂect their trust and conﬁdence in the administration of Mayor Belmonte, the team said. Under Mayor Belmonte’s stewardship, Quezon City regained its status as the richest city and local government in the country, the team pointed out. A survey by the relatively unknown group, The Issues and Advocate Center, involving 1,200 respondents from January 10 to 16 showed 53 percent favored Defensor while Belmonte got 39 percent. “The Center learned that the main factor that contributed to the high disparity in the

preference of respondents with regards to the mayoralty bids of Defensor and Belmonte was the failure of the City Government to adopt the necessary measures to mitigate the eﬀects of the Covid-19 virus on the health and welfare of city residents,” it said in a statement. In the campaign for vice mayor, veteran Winnie Castelo received 48 percent, compared to the incumbent Gian Carlo Sotto, got 22 percent. Meanwhile, the Marcos-Duterte team has chosen Quezon City to hold the proclamation event on February 14, also Valentine’s Day. The latest news was shared by Quezon City councilor Winnie Castelo, also

San Juan’s active COVID cases drop by 86%

SAN JUAN CITY – The San Juan City’s Covid-19 cases dropped by 86.03 percent during the past 18 days, with its hospital Covid-bed and quarantine facilities now at a low-risk utilization rate, Mayor Francis Zamora reported. Zamora said the city’s active cases “sharply” dropped to only 272 from a record-high of 1,947 logged last January 12. Likewise, only 23 percent of Covidbeds are occupied in San Juan Medical Center and 13 percent in quarantine facilities. “We attribute this continuous drop of

Covid-19 cases to the high rate of vaccination in our city which is now at 250 percent of our target population and the adherence of our people to all health and safety protocols,” Zamora told the reporters. “With the forthcoming vaccination of children aged 5-11 years old starting February 4, we expect a bigger percentage of our population to get protected against the Coronavirus,” he added. Zamora said his constituents are now self-regulating in following the government-set health protocols. “I think the very high rate of vaccina-

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tion in San Juan and in Metro Manila is a major factor because even if people get Covid, for an instance here in San Juan, 99.9 percent of our cases are simply mild or symptomatic,” he said in a television interview on Monday. Despite the city’s declining cases, Zamora reminded his constituents not to be complacent in dealing with the dreaded disease. “Let us continue to follow all minimum public health standards and get our booster shots for the numbers to decline even further,” he said. Zamora said the public should learn to “safely” live with the Covid-19 pandemic.

QC breaches 5-M mark in Covid-19 vaccination QUEZON CITY – The Quezon City government has breached the 5 million mark of coronavirus vaccine doses administered, achieving a “major milestone” in the vaccination campaign. Mayor Joy Belmonte said a total of 5,021,207 Covid-19 vaccines, for first and second doses as well as booster shots, had been administered. “Our vaccination rollout has achieved a major milestone as we breached the 5-million Covid-19 doses administered. We owe this to our health workers and private sector partners who are tirelessly working to protect our citizens from the virus,” Belmonte said. A total of 2,171,656 individuals are fully vaccinated after receiving their two doses of the Covid-19 jabs, as well as the single dose Janssen vaccine. Meanwhile, a total of 234,023 minors aged 12 to 17, with or without comorbidities, have received their first dose of the life-saving jabs. Recently, the city government has intensified its Covid-19 vaccination program by expanding their vaccination sites to 140 amid the spike in Covid-19 infections due to the highly transmissible Omicron variant of the coronavirus.

vice mayoralty bet in the city. “Now it can be told! BBM – Sara proclamation rally ay gaganapin sa QC sa February 14 – araw ng mga puso,” Castelo said. The campaign period for national candidates will run from February 8 until May 7 based on the calendar of activities released by the Commission on Elections. Local candidates can start campaigning on March 25. Rep. Anthony Peter “Onyx” Crilosogo (Lakas-Christian-Muslim Democrats), the incumbent in the ﬁrst congressional district, leads his closest competitor, Juan Carlos “Arjo” Atayde, 49-24, by a margin of 25 percent.

QC expands vax sites, include churches, parks QUEZON CITY – The Quezon City government has expanded its vaccination sites to 140 in order to protect more residents and workers against mild and severe symptoms of Covid-19. Health centers, malls, schools, community venues, churches, and special venues like the Quezon Memorial Circle have been converted into inoculation hubs. The city government also conducts vaccination activities in subdivisions and private companies, government agencies, and care homes. Limited walk-in slots are allotted in mall sites, where vaccinees must first claim stubs and return at the time indicated. Walk-ins are likewise accommodated when supplies exceed the number of registered vaccines. Also ongoing are home vaccination for the bedridden and differently-abled, drive-through in mall parking lots, and pharmacy-based services launched recently in coordination with the Department of Health. “We are expanding and intensifying our vaccination program to accommodate the city’s eligible population, estimated at 2.8 million residents, including 5 to 11-year-olds. The figure does not include the thousands of non-resident workers who also get their shots in the city,” Mayor Joy Belmonte said in a statement on Monday. Dr. Maria Lourdes Eleria, QC Vax to Normal Action officer, previously attributed their successful vaccination program to the work put in by front-liners, medical workers, local government employees, village officials, and volunteers. To get free shots, register through the QC VaxEasy Portal or go to village offices for the vaccination schedules. Schedules and vaccination sites are also regularly updated at official website quezoncity.gov.ph and Facebook page Quezon City Government. As of Monday, QC has already administered 5,001,833 doses, with 2,159,976 adults and minors aged 12 to 17 already fully vaccinated

5 February 3-9, 2022

 PROVINCIAL NEWS

Murder raps filed vs. 2 suspects in newsman’s slay CALBAYOG CITY – Barely two months into the killing of veteran journalist Jesus “Jess” Malabanan, Undersecretary Joel Sy Egco, Executive Director of the Presidential Task Force on Media Security (PTFoMS), said a murder complaint has been formally filed by the Philippine National Police (PNP) against two suspects in connection with the crime. Egco said the PNP’s Special Investigation Task Group (PNP-SITG) formed to thoroughly probe the murder of Malabanan has successfully completed its initial findings with the filing of a murder charge against suspects Aries Solomon and Jerry Trinidad, both of Tinambacan District, Calbayog City, before the Office of the Prosecutor of Calbayog and docketed under NPS No. VIII-10INV-22B-00030. “I commend the men and women of the PNP who worked tirelessly in the investigation into the killing of my colleague and friend, Jess Malabanan. We are very

grateful for your swift and thorough work in identifying the killing was a dispute over a large tract of land in Calthe perpetrators of this heinous crime,” Egco said. bayog. Malabanan represented a group of poor farmers Egco, who has been in constant coordination with the who were fighting for their rights over the property. SITG Malabanan, said he has absolute confidence in the investigation done by the PNP. “I am confident that justice will soon be achieved in this case. The government through this Presidential Task Force created by President Rodrigo Duterte will not stop until the perpetrators of this dreadful act are made to pay for their crimes,” he said. Malabanan, a correspondent for various news outfits, was shot dead by motorcycle “riding-in-tandem” gunmen inside his small store in Calbayog City on Dec. 8, 2021. Earlier, the PNP-SITG confirmed that while Malabanan worked as a journalist, his murder was not related to his work. According to the PNP, the most probable motive for

Baguio mayor positive for Covid-19 again, goes in isolation BAGUIO CITY – Mayor Benjamin Magalong continues to work while under isolation after contracting mild coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) infection. “Very mild lang siya, nagta-trabaho pa rin siya habang nasa bahay (His infection is mild and he continues to work while at home),” City Public Information Oﬃce (PIO) chief Aileen Refuerzo said. She said Magalong tested positive for Covid-19 based on results released on January 29 and is now on

his fourth day of home isolation. “By weekend, pwede na siyang lumabas (He can already go out on weekend),” Refuerzo said. This is the second time Magalong was infected with Covid-19, the ﬁrst time in April last year. He has already received a booster shot against Covid-19. In a radio interview on Wednesday, Magalong said the city’s Covid-19 cases continue to decline. “Our highest seven-day moving average of daily cases was 693. Now,

we are down to just 141. We saw the peak in cases last January 3 but now, the cases are continuously declining. It took us 29 days before our cases declined and our reproduction number to be at below 1,” Magalong said. Amid the continued improvement in Covid-19 situation, Magalong said they will request the national government to downgrade the city to Alert Level 2 by next week. Baguio City is under Alert Level 3 until February 15.

 NATIONAL NATIONAL NEWS NEWS

February 3-9, 2022

Comelec chief, 2 commissioners retire amid Marcos disqualiﬁcation row

Commission on Elec�ons Chairman Sheriff Abas MANILA – Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairperson Sheriff Abas and two commissioners retired on February 2 amid a controversy on the alleged delayed ruling on the disqualification cases of presidential aspirant former senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Even as a Comelec division has not officially decided on the Marcos case, Commissioner Rowena Guanzon, division chair, came out with her own decision on the eve of her retirement, insisting that Marcos should be disqualified from running for president for non-payment of income tax for four years and conviction for the offense, among others. Also retired on February 2 a week before the start of the presidential campaign was Commissioner Antonio Kho Jr. whose replacement along with Abas and Guanzon will have to be appointed by President Rodrigo Duterte. Guanzon’s decision, however, would not be considered as she has retired when the division has not made its ruling. In a 24-page document released on January 31, Guanzon noted that Marcos non-filing of income tax returns from 1982 to 1985 when he was governor and vice governor of Ilocos Norte constitutes “moral turpitude,” a ground for disqualification. “After an assiduous analysis of the arguments of the parties and the evidence on record, I find that Respondent’s repeated and persistent non-filing of income tax returns in 1982, 1983, 1984,

and 1985, which resulted in his conviction, constitutes an offense involving moral turpitude,” she said. Guanzon noted that while the absolute sum of the deficiency taxes may not seem very large today, Marcos “appears to have evaded payment” of 100% of his income taxes in 1982, 40% in 1983, 28.7% in 1984, and 29.2% in 1985. Despite the Marcos camp showing a receipt for a ₱67,000 payment supposedly certified by the Bureau of Internal Revenue, Guanzon said she finds more weight in the non-compliance certification of the Quezon City Regional Trial Court, since it was the court that issued the penalties. The payment must have been made in the same court as well. “Taken together, all of these circumstances reveal that Respondent’s failure to file his income tax returns for almost half a decade is reflective of a serious defect in one’s moral fiber,” she added. Fellow commissioner Aimee Ferolino, the ponente in the consolidated disqualification petitions filed by Akbayan Citizens’ Action Party, Bonifacio Ilagan, and Abubakar Mangelen against Marcos, has not penned the decision. Guanzon challenged Ferolino to step down with her following the alleged delay in the release of the resolution. Ferolino has refused to comment on the matter, saying it “might be against the sub judice rule.” In a memorandum later in the day, Ferolino responded to Guanzon’s allegations, noting that she is “judiciously scrutinizing all the attached evidence” and substance of the documents related to the case. “I am asking you to please stop conditioning the minds of the people that there is a delay because there is none... spare the Commission from all these controversies because you are destroying the credibility of the agency,” Ferolino said. In their retirement rites, Abas said the successful holding of mid-term elections in 2019 was one of the “milestones” he

achieved as official of the poll body in the last six years. “Also, one of the milestones of my tenure is the successful holding of the 2019 national and local elections, of course, with the en banc. Aside from the fast proclamation of the winners. We have also experienced zero election-related violence and no failure of elections nationwide,” he said during the retirement ceremony held at the Sofitel hotel in Pasay City. Abas was first named as Comelec commissioner by the late President Benigno Simeon Aquino III in 2015. He was appointed to head the Commission by President Rodrigo Duterte two years later. The retiring officials were each presented with Philippine and Comelec flags, Book of Decisions, gavel, shingle, pen, pin, and robe as tokens of the Comelec’s highest esteem and symbols of gratitude. They also received another token, a frame of their official portrait as officials of the Commission. Present during the ceremony were the other members of the Commission en banc, namely: Commissioners Socorro Inting, Marlon Casquejo, Aimee Ferolino, and Rey Bulay. Inting, being the senior official, will be the acting chairperson of the poll body until Duterte appoints the successor of Abas. Guanzon, who is not in good terms with Ferolino due to the alleged delay in the release of the resolution on Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s disqualification cases, said she is retiring with a grateful heart. “I retire today at midnight with a grateful heart, who have served the Commission on Elections and the country with your unwavering support. I retire with a grateful heart because I know that you have kept me in your prayers whenever there is a difficult time and whenever the Commission is undergoing some crises,” Guanzon said.

Over 59-M Filipinos now fully vaxxed vs. Covid-19 MANILA – Over 59 million Filipinos received full doses of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) vaccines, as of February 2. The latest data from the National Covid-19 vaccination dashboard showed the Philippines has already administered 127,163,606 doses of Covid-19 vaccine nationwide. Of the total administered jabs, 60,466,380 doses were used as ﬁrst shots, 59,120,367 as second jabs, and 7,576,859 as booster shots or additional doses. More than 7.5 million adolescents, or children aged 12 to 17 years, are likewise fully protected against the dreaded Covid-19 infection.

Meanwhile, the government will start the Covid-19 vaccination program for children aged 5 to 11 years old on Friday. At the Laging Handa public brieﬁng, Dr. Ted Herbosa, medical adviser of the National Task Force (NTF) Against Covid-19, said the pilot administration of lower-dose Covid-19 jabs for kids will be done in select hospitals and local government-run vaccination sites within Metro Manila. These include the Philippine Heart Center, Philippine Children’s Medical Center, and National Children’s Hospital, SM North EDSA’s Skydome, all in Quezon City; Fil Oil Gymnasium in San Juan and in Manila Zoo.

This will be expanded in other vaccination sites in Metro Manila and nearby provinces after a week. Herbosa urged more parents to allow their children to get protection against Covid-19 infection, noting that the Philippine Pediatric Society, Inc. and the Pediatric Infectious Disease Society of the Philippines, have already recommended the vaccination program for a much younger population. Parents and guardians are reminded to bring necessary requirements on the scheduled day of their children’s vaccination. Eligible Filipinos may also avail of the booster shots at select pharmaceutical stores in Metro Manila.

38 PNP officials get new assignments ahead of May 9 polls

CAMP CRAME, Quezon City – At least 38 police commanders in the National Capital Region and other parts of the country were reassigned to other posts in line with ongoing efforts of the Philippine National Police (PNP) to isolate the organization from local partisan politics. PNP chief Gen. Dionardo Carlos said those reassigned effective last January 8 are composed of provincial directors, city directors, and chiefs of police. “That’s what we did even before the start of the election period to make our organization apolitical, to do away with perception of bias or familiarity,” Carlos said on the sidelines of the 31st foundation day of the PNP at Camp Crame, Quezon City on Monday. He said some of those reassigned are already overstaying in their posts while some have to be replaced because they were picked by the incumbent mayors or governors who are running for reelection in the May 9 local and national elections. “Our police personnel should be apolitical. They will be there to level the playing field and make sure they are not biased to one candidate or another,” Carlos said. He said it was the PNP leadership that decided on the reassignment of the provincial police directors based on the assessment conducted through the PNP rotation policy. In the case of chiefs of police, Carlos said it was the police regional directors who made the decision.

House raises centenarian cash gift to P1-M

QUEZON CITY – A measure seeking to grant additional benefits to Filipino centenarians hurdled third reading approval at the House of Representatives. During Monday’s plenary session, the chamber approved House Bill 10647 with 193 affirmative votes, zero negative votes, and no abstention. The bill proposes amendments to Republic Act 10868 or the Centenarians Act of 2016. Under the bill, those who reach the age of 101 years old shall receive cash gifts worth P1 million on their birthday, as well as a letter of felicitation from the President. Under the law, the current amount given to Filipino centenarians is P100,000. Bukidnon Representative Manuel Zubiri, one of the authors of the bill, said not many Filipinos live up to age, thus only a few get to enjoy the benefits of the law. Zubiri said the bill proposes to expand the coverage of the law by including the Filipino octogenarians and nonagenarians. “To provide our beloved senior citizens the motivation to live longer, as well as to aid them the means to purchase medicines and other necessities, this bill seeks to expand the coverage of Republic Act No. 10868 to include those Filipinos who have reached the age of 80 and 90 years old,” he said.

7 February 3-9, 2022

 NATIONAL NATIONAL NEWS NEWS

PHL, US Marines hold joint military exercises

FORT BONIFACIO, Taguig City – Philippines and United States military forces have started their week-long joint Marine Exercise 2022 Philippines (MAREX 22 PH) aimed at enhancing the capabilities of both sides. MAREX 22 PH is a combined Philippine-US Marine Forces bilateral exercise that aims to develop the two services’ in amphibious operations in support of counter-terrorism, internal security operations, and humanitarian assistance and disaster

response (HADR). U.S. maritime assets participating in the exercise include the ships of the Essex (ESX) Amphibious Ready Group comprised of USS Essex (LHD 2), USS Portland (LPD 27), and USS Pearl Harbor (LSD 52) with the embarked forces of the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) to include Battalion Landing Team 1/1, Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 165 (Reinforced), Marine Attack Squadron (VMA) 214, and Combat Logistics Battal-

NCR, 7 provinces placed under Alert Level 2

MANILA – The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) has placed the National Capital Region and seven other provinces under less stringent Alert Level 2 beginning February 1. “The other areas placed under Alert Level 2 are Batanes, Bulacan, Cavite, Rizal in Luzon; Biliran and Southern Leyte in the Visayas; and Basilan in Mindanao,” said Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles. Nograles said the IATF-EID has the following cities and provinces have been placed under Alert Level 3: * Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR): Abra, Apayao, Benguet, Kalinga, Mountain Province, and Baguio City; * Region 1 (Ilocos Region): Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union and Pangasinan, and Dagupan City; * Region 2 (Cagayan Valley): Cagayan, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, and City of Santiago; * Region 3 (Central Luzon): Aurora, Bataan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Tarlac, Zambales, Angeles City, and Olongapo City; * Region 4-A (Calabarzon): Batangas, Laguna, Quezon Province, and Lucena City; * Region 4-B (Mimaropa): Marinduque, Romblon, Occidental Mindoro, Oriental Mindoro and Puerto Princesa City; * Region 5 (Bicol): Albay, Camarines

Norte, Camarines Sur, Catanduanes, Masbate, Sorsogon, and Naga City. * Region 6 (Western Visayas): Aklan, Antique, Bacolod City, Capiz, Iloilo, Negros Occidental, Guimaras, and Iloilo City; * Region 7 (Central Visayas): Bohol, Cebu, Negros Oriental and Siquijor, Cebu City, Lapu-Lapu City, and Mandaue City; * Region 8 (Eastern Visayas): Eastern Samar, Leyte, Northern Samar, Western Samar, Ormoc City, and Tacloban City; * Region 9 (Zamboanga Peninsula): Zamboanga Del Sur, Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga Sibugay, City of Isabela, and Zamboanga City; * Region 10 (Northern Mindanao): Bukidnon, Lanao del Norte, Misamis Occidental, Misamis Oriental, Cagayan de Oro City, and Iligan City; * Region 11 (Davao): Davao Del Sur, Davao Del Norte, Davao Oriental, Davao de Oro, and Davao City; * Region 12 (Soccsksargen): North Cotabato, Sarangani, South Cotabato and Sultan Kudarat, and General Santos City; * Region 13 (Caraga): Surigao del Norte, Surigao Del Sur, Agusan Del Norte, Agusan del Sur and Butuan City; and * Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao: Maguindanao, Lanao Del Sur, and Cotabato City. “These respective Alert evels shall be in eﬀect from Tuesday, Feb. 1, 2022 until Feb. 15, 2022,” Nogales said.

ion (CLB) 11. Together, these units form a robust team to work alongside their Philippine Navy and Marine Corps counterparts. As the U.S. and Philippines celebrate 75 years of security cooperation, MAREX 22 represents a mutual commitment to enhance the security and stability of the region. “It will have simultaneous amphibious operation events in the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ Western Command (Wescom) in Palawan and the Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom) joint areas of operation from January 27 to February 2,” said PMC public aﬀairs oﬃce chief, Maj. Emery Torre. The opening ceremony of the exercises took place at the Philippine Marine Corps headquarters in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City with PMC commandant Maj. Gen. Ariel R. Caculitan as keynote speaker. All amphibious planning and executions will be in the Wescom area while all HADR and medical training exercises will be held in the Westmincom area with the participation of the provincial government of Tawi-Tawi. Caculitan expressed his appreciation for the partnership with the US Marine Corps and underscored the importance of training to equip troops with better skills and knowledge and to achieve a smarter Marine Corps. “We must continue to conduct relevant trainings that will improve our individual and collective capabilities. MAREX is joined by our foreign counterpart and

our major ally, the United States Marine Corps, that has long been training with us and sharing with us the duty to preserve regional peace and security,” Caculitan said. Col. James Lively, commanding officer of the US Marine Corp’s 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit, said their goal is to “successfully integrate our forces during planning and execution to conduct a fullscale expeditionary amphibious operation, side-by-side with our Filipino partners.” “Marine Exercise 2022 Philippines will further strengthen our commitment in the Indo-Pacific region as well as be a memorable experience for our Marines and sailors,” he added. During MAREX 22, the U.S. and the Philippines will conduct maritime operations training to boost their joint ability to enhance mutual defense capabilities and respond to natural disasters. Due to the pandemic, the forces will minimize contact throughout the exercise and implement protocols to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. “We appreciate this opportunity to strengthen our enduring alliance with the Philippines in the Indo-Pacific region through combined amphibious operations,” said Capt. Karry DeWayne Sanders, commodore of Amphibious Squadron One. “Our shared focus of regional security, stability, and prosperity in the Pacific will continue to enhance our partner nation’s capability as it has for the last seven decades.”

SAI RAM ASTROLOGER & PSYCHIC MISS DEVI SHAMALA

 NATIONAL NEWS Robredo...

February 3-9, 2022

Forces chief of staﬀ Eduardo Oban, Jr. In the statement, they said Robredo possesses the characteristics of a leader who is competent, experienced, and committed to principles of integrity, democracy, and genuine public service. “We believe that the best candidate who embodies these aspirations is a true leader who brings with her a solid track record of serving the public; one who possesses all the qualities of an ideal Chief Executive and Commander in Chief of our Armed Forces,” the statement added. “We commit ourselves fully to Vice President Leni Robredo’s bid for the presidency to lead the Philippines on an upward

path of recovery and greatness,” they added. The group enjoined Filipinos to elect Robredo “to give our country the leader that we all deserve.” In a tweet, the Vice President thanked the officials for their trust and support, adding that she knew about their “culture of competence and collaboration” from her late husband, former Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo. Robredo, who is running as an independent candidate, denied the “dilawan,” or officials previously affiliated with the Liberal Party, will receive favors if she wins in the May 9 race. When asked if officials

with ties to the Aquino family will be appointed to government posts, she said many oﬃcials have already left the political party. “Kakaunti na lang ‘yung mga natirang pulitiko sa Liberal Party, such that nagdesisyon nga ‘yung partido na i-bukas na sa ordinaryong mamamayan, i-bukas na sa society, i-bukas sa mga advocacy groups, i-bukas sa mga interest groups ‘yung membership ng partido,” she said in the DZBB radio interview. Twenty-three former government oﬃcials who served during the administration of former President Fidel V. Ramos also pledged back in January to help Robredo win the presidency.

ing interest of Chevron in Malampaya gas field, key DOE officials led by Secretary Cusi are criminally and administratively liable for graft, gross neglect of duty, and grave misconduct and should immediately resign from their posts. “I call on Secretary Cusi and his erring subordinates to immediately resign. With all that has happened, the Filipino people can no longer trust you to faithfully safeguard our country’s precious energy resources,” Gatchalian stressed. In a privilege speech delivered on February 2, Gatchalian exposed the numerous times that the DOE officials violated laws just so they could give a seal of approval to the sale of the 45% participating interest in the Malampaya gas project of Chevron Malampaya LLC Philippines, now known as UC 38 LLC, to UC Malampaya - an indirect subsidiary of Udenna Corporation. At the onset of the Senate inquiry into the $565 million or more than P40 billion Chevron-UC Malampaya deal, DOE

officials prescribed prior government approval as dictated by Presidential Decree No. 87 and Department Circular 2007-04-0003 on such transaction only to retract late last year after financial evaluation of UC Malampaya yielded the findings that it has a negative $137.2 million working capital or negative P6.9 billion. As such, the Senate Energy Committee Chairperson said Cusi and his subordinates are liable for the following: gross neglect of duty and grave misconduct in evaluating and approving this transaction; Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act for knowingly approving the transfer of the 45% participating interest in SC 38 to UC Malampaya - an entity that is clearly not qualified, and in so doing providing an unwarranted benefit, advantage, or preference to UC Malampaya through manifest partiality, evident bad faith, or gross inexcusable negligence in evaluating and approving the deal. If found guilty, they could face dis-

missal from public service, imprisonment of six years and one month to 15 years and perpetual disqualification from public office, Gatchalian said. In the light of this incident, Gatchalian said amendments to strengthen PD 87 are in order and to also ensure that future service contractors and DOE officials will not repeat the same mistakes. “The law is the law. Anyone who violates it must be punished to its full extent. I call on the proper authorities to promptly file administrative and criminal cases against Secretary Alfonso Cusi, who approved the deal, and other DOE officials who evaluated the Chevron-UC Malampaya deal and recommended its approval,” Gatchalian emphasized. Malampaya powers more than four and a half million homes and businesses in Mega Manila alone. Six out of every ten light bulbs in Meralco’s franchise area are powered by Malampaya gas. It contributes almost 20 percent of the entire country’s power generation mix.

Philippine National Police. Due to the death threats, Marcos had doubled security measures and cut which has under its supervision the Nadown on visits to voters. He was seen, tional Bureau of Investigation and the however, during the last two days in Tagum Cty and in Digos City opening campaign headquarters with Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte, his vice presidential candidate. The threat is reportedly contained in a post on the social media platform TikTok. “If a bomb joke is actionable, so is a threat

of assassination, whether true or not,” Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said as he ordered an investigation. Guevarra said the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has a month to report on the alleged slay attempt on presidential candidate Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. made on videofocused social media platform TikTok. Guevarra said the government investigates all threats on public officials, past and present, including candidates running for public office, upon prompt receipt of information. “Thirty days is our standard reporting period but the NBI immediately reports if it finds something early

enough,” Guevarra told reporters via text message. A death threat is an unlawful act whether one believes it or not and even if it is unlikely, he added. Vice President Leonor Robredo, who is also running for president, was likewise the subject of death threats before. The TikTok user allegedly posted “we are meeting everyday to plan for BBM’s (Bongbong Marcos) assassination. Get ready.” Lawyer Vic Rodriguez, Marcos’ chief of staﬀ, said in a statement on Sunday “we are not cowered by such threat” and all their campaign activities will continue.

(From page 1)

Earlier, several former Cabinet members and officials of the administration of former President Fidel Ramos also expressed their support to Robredo. Those supporting Robredo includes other senior government officials and career civil servants. In a statement, the officials signed a resolution extending support to Robredo. The latest signatories include Robredo’s 2016 running mate former Interior Secretary Manuel Mar Roxas II, former Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin, and former Armed

Senate...

(From page 1)

Malampaya gas ﬁeld for $565 million or more than P40 billion. The Senate action came following a privilege speech by Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian after he released a report of the Senate energy committee on its hearings on the allegedly questionable Chevron Philippines-UC Malampaya transaction which involves President Rodrigo Duterte’s campaign contributor Dennis Uy. The DOE led by Cusi and Udenna Corporation’s Uy claimed that the transaction was “above board.” Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri and Senators Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. and Francis Tolentino abstained during the vote on the resolution but the measure was still approved by majority of senators. Sen. Gatchalian said that for railroading the approval of the sale of participat-

Marcos...

(From page 1)

PHL...

(From page 1)

age group were infected with coronavirus from January 24 to 30, higher than the 554 seven-day moving average recorded during the peak in September. She then urged parents and guardians to get their children inoculated as soon as possible. Children aged 5 to 11 years old may start getting their Covid-19 vaccine on February 4 as the DOH rolls out the inoculation in pilot vaccination sites in Metro Manila. These include the Philippine Heart Center, National Children’s Hospital, Philippine Children’s Medical Center, Fil Oil Gym in San Juan

City, Manila Zoo, and SM North Edsa. By February 5, the rollout would expand to ﬁve sites in Region 3 (Central Luzon), two in Region 4-A (Calabarzon), and 38 others in the National Capital Region, including SM Megamall. Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said that vaccines are free, safe, and eﬀective for all age groups, including children. There is a decline in the number of cases among 60 years old and above, but a general increase is observed in the infection in the pediatric age group, the DOH said. “We show a negative one-week and two-week growth rate. Ang aver-

age daily attack rate natin nasa high risk pa rin pero bumaba siya sa 19.43 cases for every 100,000 individuals (Our average daily attack rate is still at high risk but it already went down to 19.43 cases for every 100,000 individuals),” Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said in a brieﬁng. In addition, Vergeire said the utilization rates of hospital and intensive care unit beds are both at “low risk”. The DOH reported 7,661 new coronavirus infections nationwide, another drop in the number of cases from Tuesday’s 9,493. In its daily Covid-19 bulletin, the DOH said active cases have further dropped to 160,297 from Tuesday’s 176,053.

9 February 3-9, 2022 Pharmally...

 NATIONAL NEWS (From page 1)

The panel led by Sen. Richard Gordon in its partial committee report also recommended filing charges against a certain Dickson Panti for allegedly violating the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act. The panel’s recommendation will have to be submitted officially to the Senate as a plenary, but this will have to wait because it is now in recess. Meanwhile, the lawyers of those recommended to be charged in connection with the controversial Pharmally Pharmaceuticals deal said they will wait for the copies of the report, adding that as it is the recommendations may have no strong legs to stand on. The Senators noted how Secretary Duque moved over ₱40 billion from his agency to the Department of Budget and Management’s Procurement Service (PS-DBM) to supposedly hasten the purchase of medical supplies. “Even after the multi-billion peso inter-agency transfer, DOH was purchasing supplies at considerably lower prices than that of PS-DBM,” the 113-page committee report stated. Duque said if ever the report will adopted, his camp will fully cooperate with the court’s processes as they have “nothing to hide.” Senators who are members of the panel also said Lin, Yang, and Qing Jin Ke should be deported for being “undesirable aliens.” The committee also said Lincoln Ong, Krizle Mago, Mohit Dargani and Rose Nono Lim could face charges for perjury/ false testimony. Also recommended to be charged for allegedly violating the Government Procurement Reform Act were Lloyd Christopher A. Lao, Warren Rex H. Liong, Huang Tzu Yen, Twinkle Dargani, Mohit Dargani, Linconn Ong, Krizle Grace Mago and Lin Weixiong. The panel also said the following should be charged of disobedience to summons issued by Congress: Linconn Ong, Mohit Dargani and Michael Yang while those found to have violated the Revised Corporation Code were Huang Tzu Yen, Twinkle Dargani, Mohit Dargani, Linconn Ong, Krizle Grace Mago and Lin Weixiong while others were recommended charged for falsification of public documents. The Senate blue ribbon committee is also seeking estafa charges against Mago and Mohit Dargani while Lao and Liong, the lawmakers said, should be charged with Frauds Against the Public Treasury and Similar Offense

Duterte, according to the panel, may be charged once he steps down from office later this year. The Senate Blue Ribbon committee recommended charges against former DBM Undersecretary Lloyd Christopher Lao, former presidential economic adviser and Chinese businessman Michael Yang, and several other officials of the embattled Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corporation. Lao was the head of the PSDBM when it awarded the supply contracts to Pharmally in 2020. Yang, on the other hand, was tagged as the firm’s financier. The Senate’s draft report also recommended the deportation of Yang, whom the committee called out for being evasive during hearings. “Financing the Pharmally contracts was a sure way of washing his cash. He, for all intents and purposes, is the co-conductor of this horrible mess,” it said. Yang’s camp maintained that the report findings “have no legal basis.” Atty. Ferdinand Topacio, who represents Pharmally executives, also expressed confidence that his clients would be exonerated. The draft becomes final after the majority of the members sign off on the report and submits it to the Senate plenary for approval. Gordon said filing of charges against the president at this time was not possible as Mr. Duterte enjoys immunity from suit. The senator, a former close ally of the president, earlier said that “the president is part of this. You cannot not mention him (in the report).” Late last year, the president even ordered his Cabinet officials to ignore any summons from the Blue Ribbon where the investigation of Pharmally was concerned. The case stemmed from the P42 billion (about US$840 million) that the government spent to purchase medical supplies for use against the coronavirus pandemic, a large bulk of which went to Pharmally without benefit of public bidding. It was later discovered that Pharmally was not a manufacturer of the supplies, but only served as a middleman. Also, some of the supplies supplied to the government turned out to be substandard and/or grossly overpriced. Gordon’s report said, “at some point after his term of office, charges must be considered against President Rodrigo Duterte for what has transpired in this great anomaly.” The draft report added that Mr. Duterte “was the one who appointed all the people who approved these transactions and aggressively

protected and defended them when they were caught.” As of press time, Malacanang had not commented on the Blue Ribbon panel’s report. The investigation began in August, last year, at the height of the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. The president had authorized the purchases of the medical supplies without public bidding, ostensibly due to the ongoing health emergency. Mr. Duterte even attacked the Commission on Audit, which found deficiencies on how the Health department was spending funds to fight the pandemic. Gordon’s report slammed the president’s “tyrannical use of presidential powers to prevent officials and employees from participating in the hearings.” The report also questioned the president’s allowing his close friend Michael Yang – a Chinese national – to finance the Pharmally contracts. Pharmally was a newly-incorporated private company with an operating capital of only P625,000 with no record of dealing with the government.

Yang reportedly ﬁnanced the multi-billion peso transactions that Pharmally had with the Health department, but he told the Senate hearings that he had actually borrowed money from his friends. The Blue Ribbon found this claim as unlikely, especially after Yang was unable to name the friends who allegedly lent him the money. The Blue Ribbon report noted that Mr. Duterte had admitted ordering the transfer of P42 billion from the Health department to the Budget department’s Procurement Service, headed by Lloyd Christopher Lao. Lao was found to have awarded a single contract worth more than PHP8 billion to Pharmally. While it was possible that the president was not fully aware of what his subordinates were doing, “it certainly came to his attention when the hearings were underway,” the report said. The Blue Ribbon report concluded: “Based on the president’s own behavior, one cannot help but conclude that he was aware of, allowed, and condoned the misdeeds of his closest associates and appointees. For this, he must be held accountable.”

 NATIONAL NEWS

February 3-9, 2022

PHL sovereignty in SCS ‘non-negotiable’ in US Indo-Pacific thrust: US envoy MANILA – The Philippines’ sovereignty over the disputed South China Sea (SCS) is a “non-negotiable” part of the United States’ thrust in the Indo-Pacific region, according to the acting head of the US Embassy in Manila. “The US is a proud Indo-Pacific member and we will forge stronger connections with our treaty allies, including the Philippines to promote broad-based prosperity and security,” US Embassy Chargé d’Affaires Heather Variava said, citing a recent policy speech by State Secretary Antony Blinken. “Philippine sovereignty over its territorial waters in South China is a nonnegotiable part of the US commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific,” she added. She said Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. has been “very active in his diplomatic efforts” to make clear what the Philippine rights are in the region, and the US “certainly supports that.” “I think you saw our statement after the Whitsun Reef incident last March and again in the Ayungin Shoal incident in November. We are continuing to reiterate these statements and urging the People’s Republic of China to respect the rights of the Philippines and other regions when it comes to this issue,” she said.

In a recent State Department report, the US government said Beijing’s maritime claims in the South China Sea “gravely undermine the rule of law in the oceans”. Variava underscored the US’ readiness to work with the Philippines and other nations to “help support and bolster” the international rules-based order, and free and open use of the South China Sea. China, the Philippines, and several other littoral states are locked in a territorial dispute over the South China Sea, where Beijing claims about 80 percent of the strategic water based on what it calls “historic rights.” At present, the parties are utilizing bilateral and multilateral means to tackle the issue, including negotiating on a Code of Conduct with other members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. The Philippines and China convene regular Bilateral Consultation Mechanism (BCM) on the SCS, with the most recent virtually held in May 2021. As the 2022 elections loom, Variava expressed conﬁdence that any discussions between the next administration and other countries on the South China Sea would not weaken the Philippine-US alliance.

“As a sovereign country, it is expected that the Philippines will have discussions with other countries in the region in attempting to resolve the territorial disputes, those discussions will not weaken a longstanding alliance between the US and the Philippines which is proven time and again to be a bedrock of stability and prosperity in this region,” she said.

She also reiterated that the US commitment to Philippine security is ﬁrm as she cited the PHP57 billion military assistance it has provided since 2015. “The Philippines remains the largest recipient of military aid in the Indo-Pacific and this is a testament to our commitment to the Philippines and the peace and stability in this region,” she said.

Philippine gov’t debt hits P11.73 trillion in 2021 MANILA - The Philippine national government ended 2021 with a total outstanding debt of P11.73 trillion, pushing the debt-to-GDP ratio slightly higher for the year, data from the Bureau of Treasury showed. For the month of December, total debt decreased 1.7 percent due to net redemption of domestic securities, the treasury bureau said. Debt-to-GDP ratio was at 60.5 percent, higher compared to the 54.6 percent in 2020 “but still within accepted sustainable threshold as the economy continues to recover from the eﬀects of the pandemic,” the bureau said.

Domestic debt in December was at P8.17 trillion, lower by 3.2 percent compared to the previous month as the repayment of the P540 billion provisional advance from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas outpaced the net issuance of government securities, data showed. For the full year, domestic debt grew 22 percent in line with the borrowing program that favors domestic issuance to mitigate foreign exchange risks and support local capital market development, the Bureau ofTreasury said. External debt, meanwhile, rose 1.9 percent at P67.81 billion in December compared to the previous month, data showed.

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

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11 February 3-9, 2022

 OPINION

EDITORIAL

Philippine poll body may have been compromised

ree, fair and honest elections are the lifeblood of any democracy. Any attempt to thwart the will of the people before, during and after an election is tantamount to not just weakening, but actually destroying a democratic way of life. We’ve seen this before in our beloved motherland, the Republic of the Philippines. The late dictator Ferdinand Marcos came close to subverting the results of the snap elections of 1986 when he bulldozed his way to a questionable victory over Cory Aquino with a lot of help from his rubber stamp parliament. That win was undone by a popular people’s revolt backed by the military. Now we see disturbing signs that the elections that are scheduled to take place less than four months from now are already being heavily padded in favor of another Marcos, the son and namesake of the dictator. The disqualification of Ferdinand Marcos Jr is being undone by all means by his camp, which has no qualms about throwing everything including the proverbial kitchen sink at whoever and whatever gets in the way of their buying the election lock, stock, and barrel. Focus this week has been on the Commission on Elections, which is tasked with insuring that all players follow the rules, which includes disqualifying any candidate deemed unfit to run. One by one, the disqualification and/or cancellation of the Certificate of Candidacy of Marcos Jr. have been rejected, even when such luminaries as a former Supreme Court spokesman and a retired associate justice of the high tribunal offered their strong arguments to justify the blocking of Marcos Jr. from running. The most suspicious actions came in the last few days, when the sole independent commissioner of the poll body released her decision calling for the disqualification of Marcos Jr. For reasons that no one quite understands, her decision will not come into play due to the technicality that Commissioner Rowena Guanzon is retiring this week. Her two fellow commissioners in the First Division have intentionally delayed their submission of their decisions, in defiance of the law that gave them a limit as to when they should have completed and submitted their decisions. Clearly they were paving the way for a decision favoring Marcos Jr. We are witnessing a repeat of the months that led to Marcos Sr.’s ill-advised snap elections, which he knew he would win by outright and blatant cheating. We all know how that turned out for him. Marcos Jr. and his camp are forewarned. They may cheat and he may win, but it is guaranteed to be themost pyrrhic of victories. There is no way that he can effectively rule for six years without the people of the Philippines again rising in popular revolt Look at all the parties that support his candidacy. They are nothing but the same tired bunch of traditional politicians who will do everything to stay in power. Marcos Jr. may feel that now is his time. He is wrong. Just as his father is considered one of the world’s greatest thieves, his planned theft of the 2022 elections will put him in the same boat. He may have bought the top brass of the Comelec, but ultimately it is the people who will give him and his cohorts what they deserve in due time – an inglorious exit.

Learn from the Black community Upside

HAT an auspicious coincidence: The Lunar New Year and Black History Month began the same day, Tuesday, February 1. Think about it. Blacks comprise the only population in the United States who did not come to this country by choice but were in fact abducted from their homes by slave traders, while we from Asia chose to cross the Pacific to find opportunity for a better life. Given why and how we got here, seems like we CHERIE M. QUEROL MORENO have little in common with our fellow Americans from the continent second largest to our origin. But let’s be frank. We Asians are rowing the same boat as African Americans. Especially in the last two years. Documenting attacks against Asians has been easier technology, so hate crimes against Asians fueled by misinformation blaming us for the spread of the coronavirus are widely known. Targeting Asians is not new, however. Legislation such as the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 limiting the entry of people from China and Anti-Miscegenation Laws preventing intermarriage between whites and non-whites clearly aimed to preserve the color or - more accurately - noncolor of “Americans.” People of color were not welcome to what ex-UK colonials rhapsodized as “land of the free and the home of the brave,” even those who had lived on the land for millennia. We of deeper pigmentation, among differing features, were branded unassimilable at the very least, less human at worst. Yet the former enslaved found the capacity to stand up to authority and claim the same basic rights as those who govern. Centuries had passed before the Civil Rights Act of 1964 outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, and later sexual orientation and gender identity, after decades of debate between Congress and the Supreme Court. President John F. Kennedy introduced the act months before his assassination in 1963, but it was Martin Luther King Jr. and cohort who instigated the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom and, with Pres. Lyndon Johnson, urged passage of the proposed legislation. We now collectively referred to as BIPOC – Black, Indigenous and People of Color – all benefit from the law. No doubt the Black Lives Matter movement emboldened us to take to the streets and call out authorities for concrete steps to end hate crimes against Asians. This Year of the Tiger demands us to roar. *** Cherie M. Querol Moreno is Executive Editor of Philippine News Today and founder-executive director of ALLICE Alliance for Community Empowerment.

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 OPINION

February 3-9, 2022

PerryScope

s book author, columnist and active Evangelist with the GOLDEN GATE CHURCH OF CHRIST in San Francisco, California, I am delighted to announce the winners of the monthly Book Launching and Raffle Drawing hosted by Abe Barber Shop in cooperation with the ART GABOT MADLAING Restoration Books and the global My Angel Radio last Tuesday, 1:30 pm, January 25, 2022 at the Abe Barber Shop in Daly City, California. The Raffle winners were drawn by author John Jeffrey, publisher Terry Denis of the Restoration Books, barber Januario S. Lomboy with Abe Barber Shop in Daly City, California and yours truly. The January Raffle winners are as follows: Cesar Cruz, SAFEWAY Gift Certificate; S. Bill Jimenez, SAFEWAY Gift Certificate; Romualdo Cerezo, FREE Haircut Certificate at the Abe Barber Shop in San Francisco; James Martin, FREE Haircut Certificate at the Abe Barber Shop in Daly City, California; Ricardo Aficial, Sr., FREE autographed copy of “LIFESTYLE FOR LONGEVITY” subtitled “How to be Healthy Emotionally, Financially, Physically, Sexually and Spiritually; Merly T. Obnamia, FREE autographed copy of “LIFESTYLE FOR LONGEVITY” subtitled “How to be Healthy Emotionally, Financially, Physically, Sexually and Spiritually;” Joel Tabang, FREE autographed copy of “JESUS CHRIST” subtitled “His Last Few Days on Earth Before Returning to Heaven;” Rosalina Avena, FREE autographed copy of “JESUS CHRIST” subtitled “His Last Few Days on Earth Before Returning to Heaven;” Mario Runco, FREE autographed copy of “HISTORICITY OF JESUS” subtitled “Facts and Evidences for Agnostics, Atheists, Believers and Christians;” Brenda Barrozo, FREE autographed copy of “HISTORICITY OF JESUS” subtitled “Facts and Evidences for Agnostics, Atheists, Believers and Christians;” Rodolfo Panelo, FREE autographed Quarterly Journal from World Christian Ministry; Maricel Terrado, FREE autographed Quarterly Journal from World Christian Ministry; Angelina Paraiso, FREE autographed copy of “REAL ESTATE & YOU” subtitled “Your Basic Information and Guide for Successful Investing in Home, Land and Income Property;” Ben Ferrer, FREE autographed copy of REAL ESTATE & YOU” subtitled “Your Basic Information and Guide for Successful Investing in Home, Land and Income Property;” Rodil Gonzales, FREE Signatures Notarization Certificate; Cesar Aling, FREE Signatures Notarization Certificate. All winners of the January Book Launching and Raffle Drawing can call (650)438-3531 or (415)584-7095 or emal: agmadlaing@hotmaill.com for delivery of their corresponding prizes. REMINDER TO GUESTS AND CUSTOMERS OF ABE BARBER SHOP The next monthly Book Launching and Raffle Drawing will be held at the ABE BARBER SHOP located at 5308 Mission Street (two blocks from Geneva Avenue), San Francisco, California 94112 on Tuesday, 1:30 pm, February 22, 2022. To qualify for the next monthly raffle, guests and customers of ABE BARBER SHOP both in San Francisco and Daly City locations can just visit and sign the REGISTRATION LOG. You don’t need to be present to win. All winners of the monthly Book Launching and Raffle Drawing will be published in the weekly PHILIPPINE NEWS TODAY and be announced also in the global MY ANGEL RADIO every Saturday 11am. WATCH “MY ANGEL RADIO” Every Saturday 11am Via Facebook Live and/or at http://www.myangelradio.com SEGMENT I – “Sisters Act @Golden Gate” with Rose de la Cruz, Deborah Q. Marcos, Virginia Jimenez Madlaing and other ladies; SEGMENT II- “READING FOR THE MASTER” with John Jeffrey, Wallace Patton and Art Gabot Madlaing; SEGMENT III – “VOICE OF THE MILLENIALS” with Kenneth Wilson, Mercyllena Talon Madlaing and other young people’ SEGMENT IV- “GOSPEL WARRIORS” with James Quitoriano, Steven Prine, Bert Tupas and other guest Preachers/Evangelists; SEGMENT V – “ACAPINOY” with Rose de la Cruz, Virginia Jimenez (Continue on page 27)

The dangers of mandatory military service

wo weeks ago, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio said that if elected vice president, she would call on Congress to pass a bill that would make military service mandatory for all Filipinos once they turn 18 years old. Citing Israel and South Korea as examples, the younger Duterte said she is proposing not just the revival of the Re- VAL ABELGAS served Officers Training Corps (ROTC) as what her father, President Rodrigo Duterte, had been pushing in Congress since 2017, but a military conscription program that would make it mandatory for adult Filipinos to serve in the Armed Forces of the Philippines for a still unspecified period of time. In Israel, that would be 30 months for men and 18 months for women, and in South Korea, 18 months in the Army, 20 months in the Navy and 21 months in the Air Force for men. Military service is voluntary for Korean women. Sara did not give specifics of her proposal, except to say that a subsidy would be given to those who would render the mandatory service, obviously to lure young Filipino adults, many of whom can’t find jobs nor can afford to pay college tuition. As early as 2015, then presidential aspirant Duterte had been proposing to revive the ROTC program, which was stopped in 2002 after a UST student died following his expose on corruption and abuses in the ROTC program. Duterte said reviving the ROTC would be one of his priority programs as president, saying it would help augment government forces in the face of Chinese aggression in the West Philippine Sea and that it could “instill discipline and patriotism among young Filipinos.” The House of Representatives passed in May 2019 a bill that sought to make military training mandatory for all students in Grades 11 and 12, in all senior high schools in public and private educational institutions. The Senate has yet to discuss the proposal. Meanwhile, the President’s daughter upped the ante by saying she would go for a mandatory military service, not just an ROTC training. Her proposal was immediately greeted with skepticism from Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana and criticisms from lawmakers and human rights activists. Lorenzana said while he supported the idea, he said the proposal would meet “high hurdles,” including the need for lands, manpower and funds to train hundreds of thousands of Filipinos who turn 18 every year. That would mean hundreds of billions of pesos more for the defense budget, which as it is, is already being criticized for getting a big chunk of government funds that could have been used to soften the effects of the pandemic. Besides, the defense chief said matter-of-factly, the country is “not on war footing” like Israel and South Korea. Israel is constantly on high alert because of its conflict with the Palestine, Iran and other Arab countries, while South Korea is still technically at war with North Korea. He said the ROTC revival is a “better alternative.” Obviously not happy with Lorenzana’s remarks, Sara was quoted the next day by Bongbong Marcos as saying she wanted the post of defense secretary. Vice presidential rival Lito Atienza said Sara’s proposal is a “step in the wrong direction” and an “added burden to the youth.” He said that the government should instead strengthen the youth’s “civic consciousness and capability to respond to problems that affect the nation and Filipinos in general.” Karapatan secretary general Cristina Palabay said the proposal is a violation of political and civil rights. “Mandatory military service or conscription, especially with the current prevalent repressive military institutions that we have, will only bring about involuntary servitude or forced labor,” Palabay said. Former Sen. Antonio Trillanes, a former military colonel, said the proposal is “wrong on so many levels and “shows her lack of understanding on national security matters.” He added: “Like her father, everything is about power tripping.” And that’s the main problem with mandatory military service. Instead of raising citizens who will exercise their rights and who will be vigilant against repressions, abuses and corruption in in a democratic so(Continue on page 27)

On Distant Shore

HE FIRST AMERICAN case OF Covid-19 was reported on January 20, 2020. Since then, 71,708,189 confirmed cases have been reported with 868,503 deaths. However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimated that – as of May 2021 – there could be a total of 120.2 million infections in PERRY DIAZ the United States. Covid-19 was the third-leading cause of death in 2020, trailing only heart disease and cancer. If that doesn’t scare the hell out of you, I don’t know what else would. This has prompted the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to aggressively develop a vaccine to fight Covid-19. In December 2020, vaccines became available under emergency use, which started the national vaccination program. On August 23, 2021, the FDA officially approved the first vaccine. Today, the Biden administration announced that it will make 400 million highly protective N95 masks available to Americans for free. People can pick up the masks at thousands of pharmacies and community health centers. The masks will start to become available next week and the program will be fully up and running by early February. And just as the U.S. government has been doing its best to vaccinate and protect the people from exposure to the virus, a growing number of Americans have protested the vaccination programs the government implemented. Known as the anti-maskers and anti-vaxxers, they have gained momentum particularly among whites. Defeat the Mandates Last January 23, a rally was organized in Washington DC that highlighted the opposition to vaccination mandates imposed by Federal, State, and local governments across the country. Known as “Defeat the Mandates: An American Homecoming,” the rally attracted several thousand protesters who weren’t wearing masks. One of the leaders of the rally was Robert F. Kennedy Jr., son and namesake of the late senator and presidential candidate who was assassinated in 1968. As one of the leaders of a movement that is encouraging Americans to risk their own health and those of others, RFK Jr. has been taken to task by several of his family members – including Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, former governor of Maryland and former Congressman Joseph P. Kennedy II – for spreading “dangerous misinformation” about vaccines. Even his own wife, star Cheryl Hines has distanced herself from RFK Jr.’s statements. It was reported in the news that on May 8, the three members of the tightly-knit Kennedy clan published an op-ed declaring that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has been “tragically wrong” in his years-long crusade against vaccines. RFK Jr. has become a hero of the anti-vaxxers with his persistent claims that vaccines contain deadly ingredients, in particular, a mercurybased preservative known as thimerosal, which are linked to autism. He was wrong on both scores. Only vaccines with formulations of the flu vaccine contain thimerosal, and the type of mercury it uses is ethylmercury, which is cleared from the body quickly and harmlessly. And no vaccine causes autism. RFK Jr. should – nay, must – stop spreading false information. It’s un-American and could cause the pandemic to remain a threat to Americans’ health. A large number of anti-vaxxers insisted that their antimandate sentiments came out of their desire to preserve personal freedoms. Which reminds me of Patrick Henry’s speech that he delivered at the Second Virginia Convention in 1775, when he said, “Give me liberty or give me death.” In today’s parlance, that would translate to “Give me vaccine or give me death.” Do you agree? Recently, I was reading an article about unmasked mothers attacking – and screaming with rage -- those arriving at a school with masks on. And they did it in front of little children! What’s happening in this country? Why the intolerance, anger, and loss of control? Shade of Trump And something just crossed my mind. Has Trumpism anything to do with this kind of behavior? I was watching the Washington DC rally on televi- (Continue on page 27)

Book launching, Abe Barber shop rafﬂe winners Health & Wealth

How the anti-vaxxers polarized America

13 February 3-9, 2022 MWSS, water ﬁrms provide assistance to ‘Odette’ victims Offline

here is a reason why the Philippine communist underground is the longest running movement of its kind in the world. For as long as the poor do not get a fair share of the country’s wealth, and while social injustice reigns supreme, there will always be a Communist Party of the Philippines/ New People’s Army/National BETING DOLOR Democratic Front of the Philippines. Their strength may wax and wane with the seasons, but the men and women who are committed to armed struggle as the only means of change will never disappear. To be clear, I do not support the underground Left, but I do understand why they remain a force that the Armed Forces can never eradicate. It’s become almost funny how every time a president appoints a new Armed Forces chief of staﬀ, that person will announce that he will end the communist threat under his watch. Yet here we are more than 60 years after Joma Sison and Bernabe Buscayno revived the moribund Philippine communist movement and Filipinos are still killing Filipinos, all in the name of an ideology that is considered obsolete. The underground Left is still the court of last resort for Filipinos who have been victimized by their own government, or by the very rich who are able to deprive them of life and liberty just because they can. If the underground Left is pretty silent these days, it is because they are quietly cheering the possibility that Ferdinand Marcos Jr. may win the presidency later this year. Such a victory guarantees that the CPP/NPA/NDFP will see their fortunes revived like never before, as recruitment of new members will go into overdrive with ever misstep that Marcos Jr makes, and he is sure to commit an endless series of mistakes that will reveal his true self – an incompetent and uncaring head of state whose administration will focus on two things and two things only. One is to restore the name of the Marcoses. This means rewriting the history books to downplay the Edsa People Power revolt as little more than a US-backed coup that toppled a legitimately elected administration. The other focus of the Marcos Jr. regime is to revive the crony capitalism practiced and perfected by his father. Marcos Jr. may even set the stage for his sister to assume the presidency after he steps down. But this presumes that he will be able to serve a full six-year term, which is highly unlikely. In fact, under a worst-case scenario, the Philippines may be thrown into a civil war if his incompetence results in the economy taking a deadly downward spiral, and the cost of goods and services skyrockets beyond the reach of the average family. There will be no peaceful people power. The Armed Forces will be divided into two camps, one in support of the people, and the other backing a regime led by oﬃcers whose loyalty has been bought and paid for. There can be no economic growth under Marcos Jr. as the majority of big business will be wary of investing in the country because they know that entire industries will be controlled by the new cronies sooner or later. Common sense tells us that the underground Left should support Leni Robredo, but they dare not do that because their fortunes will be lost if she wins. Her entire history has been one of helping the poor and the downtrodden, which should make her a natural ally of the Left. But a President Robredo will only weaken them further to the point that they may actually fade to obscurity. Thus, Marcos Jr. is the only candidate they want to win. They don’t want populists like Isko Moreno or Manny Pacquiao to win, and they are even more fearful of a Ping Lacson in Malacanang. The day that Marcos Jr. is declared the winner is the day that the Left goes into a massive recruitment drive, knowing full well that the son of the late dictator will be absolutely clueless on what to do once he is in power. Marcos Jr. will not be able to recruit a Cabinet that can perform well and deliver the goods for the people. At best, he may be able to invite a few (Continue on page 27)

yphoon Odette, the strongest typhoon to hit the country last year, affected a total of 2,366,309 families or 8,409, 602 persons. According to Situationer Report No. 39 posted at the NDRRMC (National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council) website, 11 out of the country’s 17 regions were affected. A total of 531 cities and municipalities were affected of MELANDREW T. VELASCO which 361 were declared under the state of calamity. Houses, roads and bridges, communication lines, agriculture, power and water supply were damaged. Government efforts to immediately extend assistance to the affected population were reinforced by private sector initiatives. Among those who extended assistance included companies in the water sector industry, namely, the Manila Water Company, Inc. (Manila Water), Maynilad Water Services, Inc. (Maynilad), San Miguel Corporation and the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS). To ensure access to safety potable water, Manila Water President JV Emmanuel “Jocot” de Dios deployed a mobile treatment plant (MTP) to Siargao. It was in Siargao Island where typhoon Odette made its first landfall on December 16, 2021. The mobile treatment plant is capable of treating and converting any type of raw water into potable water. It can produce up to 3,000 liters of drinkable water per hour and can operate up to 12 hours daily. Various areas in the province of Surigao del Norte were also recipients of safe water brought by Manila Water tankers with a capacity of 10,000 liters of water per trip. Manila Water distributed almost 23,000 liters of water to 5,000 residents in Siargao. Other typhoon affected areas such as Cebu and Bohol also benefitted from Manila Water’s mobile treatment plants as the company dispatched two MTPs and several water tankers. For his part, Manila Water Foundation President Donato C. Almeda who is also Manila Water Chief Regulatory Officer, also ordered the speedy distribution of bottled water and hygiene kits in Bohol, Cebu, Dinagat Island, Palawan, Siargao and Southern Leyte. Project partners for this endeavor were the Philippine Coast Guard, P& G Safeguard Philippines and other business units of Manila Water, namely, Boracay Water, Clark Water and Laguna Water. Meanwhile, Maynilad President Ramoncito S. Fernandez deployed Maynilad MTPs along with the manpower to operate these MTPs that can produce a total of 43,000 gallons of water per day for typhoon-affected areas. It also donated P6.5 million cash aid through the Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation and One Meralco Foundation for typhoon Odette survivors. Leading the charge for Maynilad timely assistance to typhoon affected areas was Maynilad VP for Corporate Communication Marie Antonette De Ocampo who made a roundthe-clock trip to the Visayas on New Year’s eve via PAL/PAL Express. In her FB post on December 31, 2021, De Ocampo wrote: “Mission accomplished for Maynilad and our kapatids in the MVP group of companies Marge Macasaet Barro of the Makati Med Foundation and Jeffrey O. Tarayao of One Meralco Foundation after we turned over our donation earlier today for the communities affected by typhoon Odette to the Office of Presidential Assistant for the Visayas (OPAV), represented by Undersecretary Anthony Gerard Gonzales.Huge thanks to PAL / PAL Express for this partnership. Sleepless at Mactan Airport yet big smiles behind the masks.” Around 10,000 bottled water were also sent to the provinces of Bohol. Cebu, Palawan and Surigao del Norte.For her part, MWSS Administrator Leonor “Bobby” Cleofas ordered the deployment of the agency’s mobile water treatment plant was first dispatched to Talibon, Bohol, the hardest hit municipality in the province. According to MWSS, its MTP can pump from streams and is capable of treating compromised water, recycle floodwater into purified, potable state at a rate of 4,000 liters per hour. A team of volunteers traveled to the Visayas led by Engr. Jose Escoto, Department Manager, Field Operations Management of MWSS. Accompanying him were Engr. Wilson Baluca, Engr. Joseph Burdeos, Mr. Wilfredo Gonzales, Mr. Ramil Ochavillo, Mr. Willie De Guzman, and Mr. Cenon Ordoña. They were tasked to provide potable drinking water to the residents of the devastated area. Affected families in the municipality numbered 20,947 or 62,841 individuals. MWSS supplied a daily average (Continue on page 27)

New horizon for new beginnings

“The fault dear Brutus Is not in our stars but in ourselves That we are underlings.” -Cassius to Brutus in William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar

lection season in the Philippines is a game – of fools, pretenders and underlings. Who are the fools? The people who think that elections will bring better days in their lives; the persons who believe their candidates will win and after assuming office will solve all the problems of the country; and the candidates who tell the people that HOMOBONO A. ADAZA they are the messiah to solve all our national and local problems, Of course, they are all pretenders – almost to a man or woman This has been happening for ages. Nothing has happened for the better – for the worse, yes. It’s all imagination bordering on hallucination. But nothing ever changes – the words and methods are the same. The people never learn. They allow themselves to be fooled. Credit it to ignorance. Attribute it to greed. Credit it to the failure of all institutions – from government to churches and religions, and finally, the family. And we are all to blame for our inaction – as we are all participants in the conspiracy of silence. Back to 2016: There was a promdi from Davao City who ran for President of the country in 2016. He successfully manipulated mainstream and social media. He mesmerized the people with his bullying, vulgar and indecent language and the huge promise of PAGBABAGO – change. The promise was so huge – federal and parliamentary system, revolutionary government upon assumption of office, independent foreign policy, solving the illegal drug problem and graft and corruption within six months from assumption of office, giving better life for the Filipino, rice at fifteen pesos a kilo, going to the Scarborough Shoal on a jet ski to plant the Filipino flag in defiance of the People’s Republic of China, cancelling the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA), and solving the communist insurgency problem at the earliest opportunity. Huge and impressive promises fit for a President! Listening to PR Duterte intoned these promises with a bravado and certitude of a god from Mt. Olympus one cannot help but be impressed. But when you look closely at his qualifications – absolutely wanting in intellectual depth, one cannot help but seriously entertain doubts on his ability to be able to deliver on his promises. Failure: After five years and seven months in office, PR Duterte has failed to deliver on his promises as shown by the following: Federal system – Failed. It does not exist. Parliamentary system –Failed. It does not exist. Revolutionary government – Failed. It does not exist Independent foreign policy – Failed. Scandalous joke! The reverse is true, RP is a lapdog of China. Better life for the people – Failed. It is a bitter life. Illegal drugs – Failed. It is still flourishing. Graft and corruption – Failed. It goes unabated. Insurgency problem – Failed, It is still active and growing. VFA – Failed. It was gone yesterday but it is here today. P15 a kilo of rice – Failed. It’s a hallucination. Jet ski to Scarborough – Failed. It existed in PR D’s mind. With all these failures, why is PR Duterte still around – going strong, flamboyant and at his demagogic best? In every Filipino lies the answer - reminiscent of what the late Senator William Fullbright said of the Philippines during the martial law regime of President Ferdinand, “It is a country of sixty five million cowards and one son of a bitch.” I was one of the few in this country who openly disagreed with Fullbright and history proved me right. But this time, the Fullbright diagnosis gives a familiar ring. Pretenders: From Cory Aquino to Rodrigo Duterte, we have a cycle of the same – all pretenders to be able to solve our problems and give better life for our people. Bitter life –Yes! Solutions to problems – No! Everyone seems to give the impression that believing in pretenders is the law of life, the name of the game. Why do we believe in this? From Cory Aquino to Rody Duterte are thirty-six (Continue on page 27)

Diliman Way

The CPP/NPA/NDFP watches and waits

THE OUTSIDER

 OPINION

 BUSINESS | IMMIGRATIONS What should you consider before ﬁling bankruptcy?

any people believe bankruptcy as a last resort to save an unsuccessful financial aspect of life. However, financial problems necessitating bankruptcy are not the result of poor decisions. Sometimes people are not financially prepared for a major life change such as unemployment, divorce or illness. This can take a toll not only on a person’s health but also on their finances. Nowadays, filing for bankruptcy is considered a good solution for those who cannot pay back their unsecured debts as compared to other uncertain options. Credit scores can be repaired and a clean slate can be achieved within a year after discharge. Question: What warning signs should I consider before filing a bankruptcy? Answers: If any of the following applies to you, it is time to consider filing bankruptcy: 1. If you are facing foreclosure or repossession. 2. If your creditors have attached your wages or your bank account. 3. If you can’t catch up with your bills no matter how hard you try. 4. If you no longer answer the phone because creditors call you night and day. Question: What can bankruptcy do for me? Answer: While bankruptcy cannot help you out of every single financial situation, like relief from child support, it can help you with some of the most common types of financial distress. Both State and Federal Laws are enacted to protect your rights and save your dwelling and your ability to earn a living. If you are feeling guilty or ashamed of the financial situation that you are in, consider that in these difficult times, you are not alone. The rich and the poor filed for bankruptcy at least once in their lifetime. Question: What are the benefits of filing bankruptcy? Answer: Among the benefits of filing bankruptcy are: 1. Allows for the “discharge” of most, if not all of your debts. This means that you are no longer legally obligated to pay the debts. 2. Prevents property from being repossessed, or it may require creditors to return property that was repossessed. 3. Stops the collection process. This means that creditors must stop attempting to collect on the debts. 4. Prevents you from having your utilities cut off, or if they are cut off, requires the utility company to restore service. 5. Stops or prevents wage garnishment. 6. Halts the foreclosure process and gives you time to catch up on payments. This means you will not necessarily lose your house or mobile home. 7. Gives you the opportunity to dispute false claims from creditors who may be trying to collect more than what it owed to them. Question: Will bankruptcy improve my credit score in the future? Answer: YES! Although filing for bankruptcy is a black mark on your credit report, it is also important to remember that your existing debt is also a black mark in your credit. Filing a Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 bankruptcy, in many cases, may actually improve your current credit situation because the black mark will go away eventually. If you do not file bankruptcy, the black mark will continue in your lifetime unless you paid all your debts. Note: This is not a legal advice. Signs China may annex the Philippines China has been interfering in our election since 2015 to put their person as President. China may annex the Philippines after the May 2022 election because of China’s ambition to control the West Philippine Sea which will enable them to control all and the important sea passage. When this happens, all of us including our children and grandchildren will become slaves of Communist China. This is something that we have to fight to the last drop of blood. We will have no more country because we were sold by our politicians. The only way we can do is to protest in unity. This is a right granted in our constitution and a basic human rights nobody can deny. . We need to unite in order to defeat whoever China is supporting 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/

February 3-9, 2022

Philippine gov’t debt hits P11.73 trillion in 2021

MANILA - The Philippine national government ended 2021 with a total outstanding debt of P11.73 trillion, up by 19.7 percent year-on-year, pushing the debt-to-GDP ratio slightly higher for the year, data from the Bureau of Treasury showed. Data released by the Bureau of the Treasury (BTr) showed that as of end2021, outstanding government debt accounts for around 60.5 percent of gross domestic product (GDP), slightly above the international debt-to-GDP threshold of 60 percent and higher than the 54.6 percent in end-2020. An economist considers this level relative to domestic output still sustainable. In a report, Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation (RCBC) chief economist Michael Ricafort said repayments of liabilities and continued reopening of the domestic economy contributed to the drop in the national government’s debt compared to end-November 2021’s PHP11.93 trillion. Ricafort said the higher-than-expected growth of the domestic economy in the last quarter of 2021 at 7.7 percent contributed to the improvement of the debt-toGDP ratio for the full year. He added that while the level of government debt relative to the domestic economy’s output increased, especially compared to the low of 39.6 percent in end-2019, this is understandable given the pandemic-related expenses. “The country’s debt-to-GDP ratio is still expected to be around the international acceptable threshold of 60 percent of GDP, especially if GDP continues to recover in the coming months/years, thereby giving the government greater leeway to increase spending, budget deﬁcits, and overall debt to pump-prime the economy,” Ricafort said. Although the Omicron variant of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) is a risk to the continued recovery of the domestic economy, Ricafort said the government’s decision to implement the alert level system and the granular lockdowns

are “great ways” to ensure the safe reopening of the economy. He said these measures will allow more economic activities and bring in additional revenues to both the businesses and the government, as well as lessen the government’s social amelioration expenditures. “Further reopening of the economy as justified by the significant reduction in new Covid-19 cases with increased vaccinations vs. Covid-19 towards herd immunity as early as before the May 2022 elections would help further narrow the budget deficit and reduce the need for additional government borrowings/debt,” he added For the month of December, total debt decreased 1.7 percent due to net redemption of domestic securities, the treasury bureau said. Debt-to-GDP ratio was at 60.5 percent, higher compared to the 54.6 percent in 2020 “but still within accepted sustainable threshold as the economy continues to recover from the effects of the pandemic,” the bureau said. Domestic debt in December was at P8.17 trillion, lower by 3.2 percent compared to the previous month as the repayment of the P540 billion provisional advance from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas outpaced the net issuance of government securities, data showed. For the full year, domestic debt grew 22 percent in line with the borrowing program that favors domestic issuance to mitigate foreign exchange risks and support local capital market development, the Bureau ofTreasury said. External debt, meanwhile, rose 1.9 percent at P67.81 billion in December compared to the previous month, data showed. The Bureau said the increase in external borrowing for the month was due to the impact of peso depreciation against the US dollar amounting to P40.87 billion and the net availment of external obligations worth P33.83 billion.

DTI approves SRP hike of 73 basic, prime goods MAKATI CITY – The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has released the updated suggested retail prices (SRPs) of basic necessities and prime commodities, approving SRP increments for 73 units. Data provided by DTI listed basic goods and prime commodities that hiked their SRPs, which include canned sardines, processed milk, bread, instant noodles, salt, detergent soap, bottled water, candles, processed canned meat and canned beef products, toilet soap, and battery. Out of 73 shelf keeping units (SKUs), 20 items have an SRP increase of 1 to 5 percent. These include 3 SKUs of canned sardines, four SKUs of instant noodles,

four items of detergent soap, three bottled water, one processed canned meat and canned beef, two units of toilet soap, and three SKUs of battery. More SKUs have hiked their SRPs between 6 and 10 percent with 43 units in the list, including canned sardines (2), processed milk (7), bread (2), salt (6), detergent soap (2), bottled water (4), candles (8), processed canned meat and canned beef products (7), toilet soap (4), and battery (1). Ten SKUs have an SRP increment of above 10 percent, which include one SKU each of detergent soap and bottle water soap and eight SKUs of candles. DTI’s previous SRP update was on Aug. 29, 2021

 ENTERTAINMENT

February 3-9, 2022

Remembering Rosemarie de Vera-Javier, a beauty queen with a mission collected were sent to this group of 21 officialdom, manufacturers and produchandicapped children and young adults ers to promote their products in a Busito buy essential sustenance and medical ness Expo in Carson, CA. “She did her goods. job well. She was a catalyst,” quipped I knew it, I was there lending a help- Eddie C. Ferrer, former president of Paning hand. gasinan Brotherhood-USA. As a CEO and Board chairman of Renowned fashion designer Renee APO Global Foundation, I picked up the Salud discovered 18-year-old, 5’8” tall pieces and also recommended Gabay as Rosemarie de Vera and egged her to join our beneficiary and sent financial assis- the beauty pageant. After her reign as tance twice in 2020 -- to buy goods like Mutya ng Pilipinas, she toured several medications, vitamins, food, rice, pam- countries as a singer with well known repers, etc. Rosemarie’s legacy had a cording artists like Rico Puno, Marco SiDomino effect. Our implementor on the son, Rey Valera, Hadji Alejandro, Bobby ground then, the Ateneo APO Alumni As- Vale, among others. She recorded “Nasociation picked up the project and also saan Ka”, a mellow dramatic Original raised funds twice in a row in one year in Pilipino Music under Blackgold Records 2021 and also distributed similar goods. headed by Vic Del Rosario. Her favorBy DAN NINO At one time while visiting Manila, she ite singers included Carole King, Linda donated her travel allowance to the needy Ronstadt, Michael Jackson and the Bee Beauty queen. Movie actress. Singer who were in a hospital’s corridors wait- Gees. and recording artist. Charity fund-raiser. ing to be treated. Giovanni, Rosemarie’s Rosemarie’s fame as beauty queen Philanthropist. Community leader. Mar- husband was choking with emotion while was her vehicle as an actress. She starred keting specialist. relating this episode about Rosemarie’s with action giants like Fernando Poe, Jr. Those are the words I use to charac- concern for the hapless patients. (Sambahin Ang Ngalan Mo), Rudy Ferterize Rosemarie de Vera-Javier: a good Born and raised in Manila, Rosema- nandez (Vendetta), Ramon Revilla, Sr. friend, a province mate and fellow com- rie is the 5th child (Sierra Madre), munity leader. She passed away quietly at of 12 children of Lito Lapid, Jun Cedars Sinai Hospital on Jan. 15 at 9:05 the late Rustico de Aristorenas and p.m. surrounded by immediate family Vera of Mangaldan, Anthony Alonzo, members and via zoom in both the U.S. Pangasinan and Zeto name a few. and in the Philippines. She was 60. naida Rosario-de I first met RoseRosemarie was proclaimed Mutya ng Vera of San Carlos marie at a dinner Pilipinas Tourism in 1980 and represent- City of Pangasinan. banquet in Orange ed the Philippines at the Miss Asia Quest Although a fullCounty organized and wound up as runner-up in 1981. blooded Pangasiby National Asian With all her accomplishments, and nense, Rosemarie American Coalibusy schedules as mother to four young could not speak flution sometime in children, Rosemarie soldiered on in her ent Pangasinan. 2017. I gave her humanitarian endeavors -- helping the Although she my business card. disadvantaged and less fortunate mem- was already unA year or so later, bers of society -- belonging to Gabay For der the weather on she called, inChildren of Autism and Cerebral Palsy, Oct. 31, 2021, the forming me that her favorite charitable NGO in Quezon last time I saw her, she is also a felCity, Philippines. Despite the challenges Rosemarie was still low Pangasinense. of organizing fund-raisers, Rosemarie delighted to meet I invited her and undauntedly organized a fund-raising her fellow Pangasihusband Giovanni event in partnership with Pangasinan nenses and offito a dinner in CerBrotherhood-USA at Marriott Hotel in cers of Pangasinan ritos with my felLong Beach in 2018, summoning her Brotherhood-USA Rosemarie de Vera-Javier and Giovanni Javier low Pangasinenses. well-heeled friends to participate. Funds wherein she’s a on their wedding day. Presto! She was eager to reconnect Board member. You can with her roots. This led to many meettell that she was somehow ings and phone conversations. She even frail due to Chemotherapy. asked me to cover the Search for Mutya As customary, she cooked ng California. After establishing so much her own potluck. That’s rapport, we asked her to be a Board memhow she was -- devoted to ber of Pangasinan Brotherhood-USA. Oh her cause and to people she Boy! Although she lived in San Fernando was associated with. She Valley, she was consistent and devoted in was gentle, kind, humble, her participation in our activities, meetgenerous and no put-on-air. ings both in person and on Zoom – with Rosemarie graduated full support from hubby Vanni. We even with B.S. degree in Tour- assigned her to chair the Search for Miss ism at San Sebastian Col- Pangasinan-USA in 2020 but Covid- 19 lege, Manila. This serves torpedoed our campaign. Rosemarie, you her well. As a marketing are something else. You left an exemplar specialist, she was assigned legacy that is rare for a celebrity like you. to travel to Pangasinan She is survived by her husband, Fellow Board of Directors of Pangasinan Brotherhood-USA. province not only as an am- Giovanni Javier, four children: Vanross, Seated from le�: Elisa Urbano, Nieves Coquia, Rosemarie debassador of goodwill but to Micah, Krystal and Zyde, mother ZenaiVera-Javier, Lina Cabal, Rhenee M. Ferrer and Jackie M. Ferrer. Standing from le�: Dean Mandapat, Ping Coquia, Neil M. Estra-coordinate with the Pangas- da Rosario-De Vera and living siblings da (President), Roger Cabal and Dan E. Nino (Board Chairman). inan governor and provincial Arnold, Judy, Emelie, Jocelyn, Giovanni,

Rosemarie de Vera-Javier secured cavans of rice from Vietnam when there was a rice shortage in Los Angeles during the early days of pandemic and distributed to her fellow church members of Kingdom of Jesus Christ.

Jaenalyn, Gemma, Jaywin and Christopher. A family statement was issued by her eldest child, Vanross: “Hello everyone. This is her son, Vanross. On January 15th, 9:05 pm, my mother Rosa Maria de VeraJavier passed away from her 2-year fight with cancer. The family is devastated by the news and I’m sure those who knew her, are too. I want everyone to know that she was one of the brightest lights in my family as well as many others’ lives. And that her capacity to love had no limit. She loved you all. I truly believe that. Just know that she is not suffering anymore and she is watching us all from a better place. God bless you all.” – Vanross de Vera Javier. Rosemarie’s cousin, Eulo de Vera of San Diego reminisced her. “She loved visiting us, her relatives. She loved to mingle, sing and always finds a way to throw a humor in between conversations. When she had a special event, she didn’t forget to invite us to attend like when she performed with the Earth Wind and Fire.” Viewing will take place on Feb. 17 from 10 am to 4 pm at Forest Lawn Memorial in Glendale. A funeral service will follow at the Church of the Recessional from 5 pm to 7 pm also at Forest Lawn. Interested parties may e-mail: Info@forestlawn.com. Thereafter, her remains will be flown to the Philippines and will be interred at Himlayang Pilipino in Quezon City. Farewell my friend. You will be terribly missed by those whom you’ve touched with your kindness, gentleness, humility and humanitarian endeavors. Your family and Pangasinan Brotherhood-USA will miss you dearly. You will also be missed by the organizers of Mutya Pilipinas California which you’ve helped nurture through the years. See you someday in another realm. (denino1951@gmail.com)

17 February 3-9, 2022

Enchong Dee posts bail for cyber libel case

Actor Enchong Dee is out on bail on his cyber libel case. Enchong said voluntarily submitted himself to the National Bureau of Investigation and authorities and posted bail for the cyber libel case ﬁled against him by Party-list Representative Claudine Bautista-Lim. Dee, 33, who is Ernest Lorenzo Velasquez Dee in real life, shared on his Instagram account a statement from his lawyers, which clariﬁed he has not made any attempt to evade ar-

rest, contrary to some reports. His counsel said he willingly surrendered “as a show of respect for the rule of law,” but added the actor will take “all the appropriate and necessary legal steps to defend himself against the pending lawsuit.” Dee was indicted for cyber libel over his tweet which claimed money supposedly meant to beneﬁt commuters and drivers was used to fund Bautista-Lim’s controversial Balesin wedding in August 202

A few days after posting the tweet, he apologized to the lawmaker for being “reckless,” and said he takes full responsibility for his “lapse in judgment.” Rep. Claudine BautistaLim filed the case against Enchong on August 23, 2021. Enchong was indicted by prosecutors in Davao Occidental last November 16, 2021. The cyber libel complaint filed by the lawmaker was reportedly over the actor’s alleged “malicious” and “defamatory” social media posts about her grand wedding in July last year. The same panel, however, dismissed the criminal complaint filed by the party-list rep against actors Agot Isidro, Pokwang, Ogie Diaz, Filipina drag queen Deedee Marie Holliday, Kristina Mae Misajon, and a certain Jane Doe. The panel said the statements of these respondents were “mere expressions of disapproval (or disgust)” made in the exercise of their freedom of expression. Bautista-Lim, daughter of Davao Occidental Gov. Claude Bautista,

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drew criticisms after celebrities and netizens found her Balesin Island wedding with businessman Jose French “Tracker” Lim as “lavish.” Enchong has apologized for his

Rep. Claudine Bau�sta-Lim

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 ENTERTAINMENT

February 3-9, 2022

Film, theater stalwart, educator Rustica Carpio dies at 91 Veteran actress and university professor Dr. Rustica Carpio passed away at age 91. “She died peaceful in her sleep at our home in Imus, Cavite,” Carpio’s niece Michelle Tibayan told ABS-CBN News, citing complications of old age as cause of death. “Bedridden na din for the last two years,“ Tibayan told Mario Dumaual. Carpio was best known for her decades-long contribution in ﬁlm, theater and the academe. The Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (PLM) led by Dr. Emmanuel Leyco and alumni mourned the passing of Dr. Carpio. Sh was a pioneer English professor when the university opened in 1967. Carpio was last connected with the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) where she once headed its Mass Communication Department. She also taught at the Far Eastern University where she headed its cultural arm. .Carpio’s nieces Nessea Carpio and Myrea Carpio Baquira said Carpio died on February 1. The Carpio family reportedly opted for a private wake in Cavite. Carpio, an alumna of the New York University, was best known for her award-winning role as Lola Puring in Brillante Mendoza’s 2009 movie

“Lola” with Anita Linda, Carpio made a distinctive mark in many other movies like “Nunal sa Tubig,” “Tarima,” “Aparisyon,“ and “Ano ang Kulay ng Nakalimutang Pangarap”; and stage plays where she portrayed, among others, Leonor Rivera and Lady Macbeth. She was also in the ABS-CBN teleseryes “100 Days to Heaven” and “Aryana.” For “Lola,” she won a string of awards, notably the Gawad Urian for Best Actress, the Crystal Simorgh for Best International Actress at the Fajr International Film Festival in Iran, and the Las Palmas International Film Festival for Best Actress in Spain. Calling her an irreplaceable loss, director Mendoza told ABS-CBN News that he and Carpio were still in touch until last year. “More than my actress, she was a dear friend. Lalong tumibay ang pagkakaibigan namin pagkatapos ng ‘Lola,’“ Mendoza related to ABS-CBN’s Mario Dumaual. “Isa siya sa institusyon ng teatro at pelikula at malaking bahagi niya ng industriya at ehemplo sa mga bagong henerasyon ng artista. Sana magpatuloy ang kanyang pamana sa sining,” he was quoted as saying by the network. Aside from “Lola,” Carpio also played an Abu Sayyaf hostage victim in Mendoza’s 2011 international movie “Captive” with Hollywood and French actress Isabelle Huppert. She also appeared in his film “Resbak” before the pandemic and in one of his short films. A Doctor of Philosophy in Literature graduate from the New York University, Carpio was also the dean of the College of Mass Communication at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines. She also enriched the arts and communications programs of many other universities. She was also a singer, a Palanca awardwinning essayist, book author and one-time member of the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) during the Ramos administration. Carpio continued to teach shortly before the pandemic. Her niece Michelle told ABS-CBN News of her last poignant moment with the bedridden

Carpio. “Sabi niya meron na nasulat na drama para sa aming dalawa. Magda-drama tayo, magpa-practice tayo,“ she related. “Up to the end, sining pa rin ang nasa puso at isip niya. (with ABS-CBN)

19 February 3-9, 2022

 ENTERTAINMENT

2 Filipino films win awards in Sundance Film Festival 2022

Don Josephus Eblahan

Yes, Virginia, two Filipino films brought pride to the country by winning awards in the just concluded Sundance Film Festival 2022. Don Josephus Eblahan’s “The Headhunter’s Daughter” won the festival’s Short Film Grand Jury Prize. Written and directed by Eblahan, the film is about an aspiring country artist who went to the city to join a televised singing competition. Martika Ramirez Escobar’s “Leonor Will Never Die,” on the other hand, bagged the World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Award: Innovative Spirit. Escobar’s film follows a retired filmmaker who suddenly becomes the hero of her own unfinished screenplay after a near-death experience. Both films had their premiere in the prestigious film festival last weekend and were shown until Jan. 30. The Sundance Film Festival is an annual film event organized by Sundance Institute, which is founded by multi-awarded Hollywood actor Robert Redford. Escobar’s film was regarded as a “movie-withina-movie and a homage to ‘80s Pinoy action movies.” The festival jury stated in its citation: “Switching in-between genres, this film within a film follows an ailing screenwriter who enters her unfinished screenplay of a gangster film to experience and edit her own creation. Constantly shifting in tone, the film is a playful display of the love of cinema. Its innovative and risk-taking spirit is especially commendable. “ Reacting to the Sundance award, Escobar said, “Films can speak and films can be heard, and today

I’m glad that our film is felt by the jury. Thank you so much Sundance; our spirits are smiling.” “Hello Sundance jury, thank you so much for recognizing our team’s labor of love! This is special to us, coming from a set that felt like one giant friendship film. I would like to say thanks to the entire Sundance team for treating us like family and thanks to everyone who has shown their love and support. You are proof that after 8 years, our film is alive,” she said. “I would like to share this award with our amazing team, led by Mario and Monster. It is because of all of them that this film exists. Thanks to my parents for allowing me to be a filmmaker and lastly, I would like to share this award to all the young female filmmakers out there. The dreamers. I am like you and I am with you. I hope this shines a bit of light in our difficult path. May we all make the films we want to make in life because we can. I love you, Sundance. Rawr,” Escobar continued. Mar�ka Ramirez Escobar

 REAL ESTATE

February 3-9, 2022

Pivot to real estate pays off Haus Talk, a homegrown real estate company run by the Madlambayans of Pampanga, has emerged as one of the leading residential developers in Antipolo and San Pedro, Laguna where it has established a diversified portfolio of socially responsible, affordable developments. The family-run company has a simple business formula: build houses for the working class that are worth every peso of their investment; design houses that exceed the buyer’s expectations; develop idle lands into some of the country’s finest locations; and, create communities that would be a source of pride, especially for the first-time home buyer. Today, the company continues to offer quality and affordable homes. It has several ongoing projects: horizontal developments in Barangay San Roque (Eastview Homes 3 and Eastview Resi-

dences Premiere) and Barangay Baguyo (Celestis 1 and 2) in Antipolo; and Sta. Rosa (Southview Homes) and San Pedro (Southview Homes Calendola) in Laguna. Early next year, the Eastview Condominiums is set to be launched in Antipolo, as well as ar high-end development in Quezon City, 50 Jocson Residences. Also in the pipeline are more economic and mid-market housing projects in Antipolo and San Pedro Laguna, as well as Mariveles, Bataan, and Calasiao, Pangasinan. Established in the 1980s, Haus Talk was the product of the family’s pivot from a completely different industry: sugar. Despite the blow to their sugar business, the Madlambayans leveraged their property in Pampanga and raised livestock, tried their hand in farming and opened a pawnshop before ﬁnally deciding

to venture into real estate by dividing their one-hectare property and selling lots to other families in the province. This marked the beginnings of Haus Talk, as well as the Madlambayans’ expansion outside of Pampanga. Haus Talk’s ﬁrst stop was Cavite, where the Madlambayans established a 3.6-hectare development that catered to underserved mid- to low-income families who wanted to live in an aﬀordable gated community. The company’s formal establishment in 1994 spurred more residential developments, which included Eastview Homes 1 and 2 in Antipolo; Southview Homes 1 and 2, and South Hills in San Pedro Laguna; and Eastview Homes Marikina, Tradition Square Maceda, Eastview Town Homes Marikina, Tradition Square, and Winn Residences in Metro Manila.

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Understand FHA Mortgage Insurance Premiums

here are actually two types of Mortgage Insurance Premiums associated with FHA loans: 1. Up Front Mortgage Insurance Premium (UFMIP) – a one time mortgage insurance fee financed into the total loan amount at the initial time of funding. 2. Annual Mortgage Insurance Premium – this is actually paid monthly along with Principal, Interest, Taxes and Insurance. Mortgage Insurance is a very important part of every FHA loan since a loan that only requires a 3.5% down payment is generally viewed by lenders as having more risk than one with 20% down payment. Without FHA around to insure the lender against a loss if a default occurs, low down payment loan programs such as FHA would not exist or be much more costly. Calculating FHA Mortgage Insurance Premiums: FHA Up Front Mortgage Insurance Premium (UFMIP) UFMIP varies based on the term of the loan and Loan-to-Value. For most FHA loans, the UFMIP is equal to 1.75% of the base FHA loan amount and paid directly to HUD. THE UFMIP must be financed into the loan unless paid entirely in cash. The UFMIP is not refundable unless refinancing into a new FHA loan. For Example: >> If John purchases a home for $400,000 with 3.5% down, his base FHA loan amount would be $386,000 >> The UFMIP of 1.75% is multiplied by $386,000, equaling $6,755.00 >> This amount is then added to the base loan, for a total FHA loan amount of $392,755.00. FHA Annual Mortgage Insurance Premium (MIP): The annual FHA Mortgage Insurance Premium is based on the LTV, base loan amount, and term of the loan. Usually its about .95% of the loan amount divided by 12 is what you would pay every month for the remainder of the term. MIP are now going to be a lifetime premium if you are getting a 20-30 year term loan and putting less than 10% down pay. Otherwise, if you get a 15 year loan with more than 10% down pay, your premium will be required for a minimum of 11 years. The F.H.A.’s market share has risen sharply in recent years as subprime lenders and others left the business during the housing crisis, or were forced out. F.H.A.-insured mortgages represented almost a third of all mortgages in 2016. Loans insured by the F.H.A. require only a 3.5 percent down payment for borrowers with a credit score above 580; those with a score of 500 to 580 need at least 10 percent down. FHA Streamline refinance is a great way to lower your FHA rates to current lows without having to redo an appraisal and providing too many documentations. You will have to continue your MIP for a streamline refi. The Mortgage Market is going thru major shuffling again. More wholesale lenders are coming up with possibly more innovative ways to help homeowners finance their loans. Which is a very good sign. Mortgage rates rose for the second week in a row, but still fairly low and still very affordable so this might be a good time to start to position yourselves to buy if you are waiting. Housing Stats both for new homes and resells have been slowly but surely increasing due to the lack of inventory out there. We are hoping for more move up buyers to start getting into the market. This means, if they have to sell their homes to buy that will capture both the mid range prices and the lower upper range prices. These are people that have been waiting for the market to get better in order for them to list their homes average in the 3-400’s and then they might move up to buy homes in the 5-700’s ranges. The move up buyers has been dormant the past 3-4 years due to the shortgage of better choices for these homeowners, therefore if they come out and start to increase the housing inventory that will help the second tier of prices to move up. I have had a big decrease in callers that are in hardship of paying their mortgages, still getting calls from homeowners that are underwater but most of them have the income to make the payments. This is a great sign hopefully I am not the only one feeling this. I surely am very optimistic of this uptick in the real estate market and hope this will have the traction to continue its way up for the market to start to turn. If you are still considering refinancing your loan, please consider the no cost refinancing options, Call me and I will be more than happy to discuss these options for you. Please send your inquiries and comments to Ken Go of 1st Innovative Finance Group at 562-508-7048 or write to Kennethgo@ verizon.net. BRE 01021223 NMLS 238636

21 February 3-9, 2022

NEWS  NATIONAL SPORTS NEWS

PHL clinches historic first FIFA World Cup berth MANILA/INDIA – The Philippine women’s football team made history as they clinched a spot for the ﬁrst time in the FIFA Women’s World Cup (WWC) after beating Chinese Taipei in the quarterﬁnals of the AFC Women’s Asian Cup early Monday (Philippine Time) at the Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex in Pune, India. Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) President Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino immediately joined the entire country

in celebrating the historic achievement of the national women’s football team which booked a ﬁrst-ever berth in the FIFA Women World Cup 2023. “The POC congratulates our women’s football team for making world football history,” said Tolentino on Monday, hours after the Malditas beat Chinese Taipei, 4-3, in a penalty shootout at the Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex in Pune, India. The victory also allowed the Malditas to

advance to the Asian Football Confederation Women’s Asia Cup, also a ﬁrst by any Philippine team on the continental stage. With the historic feat, Tolentino said Philippine sports have never been this successful. “We won our ﬁrstever Olympic gold medal in Tokyo last July—adding two silvers and one bronze—and then this in football,” Tolentino. “Filipino athletes have been leveling up and are putting the country promi-

nently on the world sporting map.” Sarina Bolden set up the Filipinas’ date with history as her penalty was the diﬀerence in their 4-3 shootout win over Chinese Taipei following a 1-1 deadlock after extra time. But it was FilipinaAmerican goalkeeper Olivia Davies-McDanie who set up Bolden’s magic down the stretch even as the Taiwanese girls suddenly lost steam despite being a goal away from clinching their own place

in the FIFA WWC. With her team up, 3-2, in the shootout, Cheng Ssu-yu gave Chinese Taipei the major advantage after saving Jess Miclat’s attempt that would have kept the penalty contest tied. But Hsu Yi-Yun kept the team also known as the Malditas in the game after she sent her penalty attempt to the left goal post despite sending McDaniel to the wrong side of the goal. Cheng stepped up anew for Chinese Taipei as she

punched Hali Long’s own shot, although she had to breathe a sigh of relief as the ball still bounced high before eventually sailing out of the goal line. After saving Su SinYun’s attempt, McDaniel stepped into the penalty dot and sent a power shot to the left side that Cheng could not keep out, forcing the sudden death round. McDaniel then showed that she can still save the football after kicking it in as she stopped Zhuo LiPing’s attempt, setting up Bolden’s heroics.

Golden State Warriors trash Timberwolves on a Filipino Heritage Night 124-115 By Jun Nucum SAN FRANCISCO - Filipino Heritage Night proved to be a lucky charm for the Bay Area basketball world champion team as Golden State Warriors fought off repeated attempts of the Minnesota Timberwolves to beat the team on a night Filipinos were being toasted and given the center stage. The start of the year 2022 treat dubbed Filipino Heritage Night (FHN) of the Golden State Warriors proceeded smoothly and with much success in the Bay Area despite the still crippling effect of the pandemic. The steady play of veterans Steph Curry and Klay Thompson blending very well with first-time All-Star Andrew Wiggins and the rest of the guys proved too much for the Timberwolves to overcome. It was, however, the great attempt of the FHN organizers to still bring back the regular features, albeit gradually due to pandemic restrictions, that was felt by my heritage night enthusiasts who still missed the usual Filipino food trucks, different cultural dance numbers, arena parking lot games and fellowship activities like free haircuts. First Filipino-American player to be drafted by the NBA Raymond Townsend rang the pregame cable car bell while P-Lo provided the halftime court entertainment. There to save the day was cultural marker Filipinostyle colorfully-adorned tricycle that was ostensibly displayed at the entrance to the Chase Center Thrive City for everyone to see, ride, take pictures with and enjoy. Mike Arcega of San Francisco and Cubao QC brought the artistic Filipino-style colorfully-adorned tricycle that was ostensibly displayed at the entrance the

The St. John the Bap�st choir of Milpitas CA singing the na�onal anthem

Filipino tricycle in San Francisco with Mike Arcega

Chase Center Thrive City. The San Francisco Arts Commission 2018 grant gave the opportunity to come with a customized native Filipino tricycle, an artwork funded by the city, the SOMA Pilipinas Cultural Heritage District that can somehow indicate the presence of Filipinos in the district. “Through this, the tricycle, a humble means of transportation in the Philippines, now serves as a symbol of being Filipino. We made it as beautiful as possible, filled with stickers of inside jokes Filipinos can easily identify and understand and even has a built-in karaoke, another Filipino symbol of entertainment,” Arcega stated. Arcega added that there are only five tricycles in the North America – San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego -- including Canada and Mexico as far as he knew. The tricycle serves to reinforce the Filipino presence for at least four or five generations now. This can be driven around by itself as it is properly registered as such. They have done events at Kapwa Garden, San Francisco Museum of Modern Arts, Buena Center for the Arts, Exploratorium, etc. and urged everyone to follow them in Instagram tnt@traysikel. Providing native flavor of Filipino food for guests was Sarap Shop right inside the Chase Center of General Manager James Brillantes and chef/co-owner JP Reyes. Their place has been in Chase Center for two years. “We are happy to be part of Filipino industry serving regular (lumpia, and bibingka rice cake like ube crinkle cookies/ macaroon, banana caramel flan, etc.) and our inclusive American take on Filipino traditional food we grew up liking and loving as their version of locomoco (vegetarian rice topping) at this site of great basketball enthusiasts. And, of course, the Filipino fans won’t be

far behind on that,” said Brillantes and echoed by Reyes. St. John the Baptist of Milpitas Music Ministry choir sang the national anthem before game proper. “The choir in the Milpitas church is comprised of faithful parishioners and school alumni, as young as high school age to professionals, who share the same passion and mission to serve the community by sharing their gift of music. The members are both parents and children of long-time serving ministers and parishioners. The choir is led by the resilient SJB volunteer, Estela Buenconsejo Centino,” recounted Gina Libunao-Rondez whose daughter Allson is also an active member. “We were asked to send a video to GSW by a previous coordinator who has heard our choir before and we were so happy to be chosen to sing the national anthem.” The choir is composed of seven females and six males -- Sophia Sayno, Rachelle Cortez, Isabelle Asuncion, Allison Rondez (SJB Alumni), Jelissa Bueza, Regina Rondez (UST HS Batch 81), Estela Centino, Calvin Keen (SJB Alumni), Justin Cortez, Christian Andrade, Angelo Sanchez (UST HS batch 80), Gavin Heraldo, and Lyle Rosales. A big well-deserved respite was what father and son Tonette and Topee Rivero of San Jose were after in watching the Warriors game in a Filipino Heritage Night right after Tonet fully recovered and finished isolation after contracting COVID-19. “As you know you are not Filipino if you don’t like basketball. It is in our blood to eat, sleep, breath this sport from the Jaworski and Mon Fernandez Ginebra, Crispa days. Memories are ingrained in our hearts Father and son Tone�e and like our Sinigang Family Topee Rivero recipe,” explained Topee. “It’s our second FHN outing celebrating my Dad’s sacrifices over the years. Besides, FHN is not only an evening of getting public opinion on which is the best Filipino Food crowd likes or getting a free FHN shirt it’s really celebrating our contribution to our San Francisco Bay Area Community for the sacrifices of our fellow kababayans before us.”

February 3-9, 2022

Q: Can I be sued from a foreclosed home? A: Anyone can be sued for anything nowadays. Whether the suit will stick is another story. Some lawsuits may be considered as nuisance lawsuits in cases a way to extract money from a defendant or just to give them a hard time. Some people have nothing better to do. The answer to the question is yes, you can be sued by the banks for walking away from your home. Whether you owe for the first mortgage or have second loans, if you decide to walk away from the home, any of them can go after you for the balance on the loan once the home is sold. During these times when the value of homes are high, it would be foolish to walk away from a home if you cannot pay for it. Just sell it and it should go fast. Inventory is low and people are willing to pay premiums for a home. It is when home values are down when you should worry about walking away or having your home foreclosed. The banks who have paid for your home want their money back and will try to get it if it means suing you for it. Also, think of the money you put down on the house. You lose that as well. And you might end up having to pay the deficiency when they sell your home. Ating lesson, Bahay na pinaghirapan, huwag basta iwanan. 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

23 February 3-9, 2022

Steadfast Friends, Equal Partners and Enduring Allies By U.S. Embassy Chargé d’Affaires ad interim HEATHER VARIAVA Friends help each other. Partners respect each other. And allies stand by each other. These values have been central to the U.S.Philippine relationship for 75 years, and they remain as important as ever. As the world battles another wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, many of us have concerns about the coming year. However, as I reflect on our historic bonds and survey the possibilities before us, I am hopeful for our shared future. I witnessed a poetic symbol of this hope in November when I had the privilege of visiting the majestic Philippine eagles in Davao. When the newest eagle chick hatched a short time later, I shared the joy and hope of millions of Filipinos who celebrated the continued flourishing of this national treasure thanks to the dedication of conservationists. Their incredible devotion to protecting eagles reminds us that hope springs from commitment, and I am proud of the commitment that the United States and the Philippines continue to show one another as equal, sovereign partners with a shared future. While in Davao, I also visited a U.S. governmentsupported vaccination site where I saw firsthand how

COVID-19 vaccines from the United States are protecting Filipinos. The United States has facilitated the donation of more than 65 million vaccine doses to the Philippines through COVAX, including more than 25 million donated by the American people, enough to fully vaccinate more than one in five Filipinos. We have also donated nearly Php2 billion in other COVID-19 assistance. This month, I joined a team of nurses and doctors from the U.S. Embassy who trained Department of Health and Red Cross professionals to use pediatric vaccines to protect the children of the Philippines—training that will be provided virtually to healthcare workers across the country. Soon, 15 million doses of Pfizer vaccine for children will arrive, raising the total to more than 124 million doses of U.S.-branded vaccines in the Philippines. The United States has also stood beside the people of the Philippines after Typhoon Odette as we support government relief efforts in places like Surigao del Norte, Dinagat Islands, Southern Leyte, Bohol, Palawan, and Cebu. Thanks to years of ongoing cooperation and steady planning, we and our partners provided supplies to affected communities within 24 hours. The United States then followed up with more than Php1 billion to meet urgent needs like food, water, and shelter; and our experts on the ground continue to assess needs so we can walk with the Philippines each step along the road to recovery. We know that true safety from natural disasters requires a long-term commitment, especially related to climate change. In October, the United States pledged

P750 million to help Philippine cities adapt to and mitigate the impacts of climate change. In November, the Philippines set an ambitious goal of reducing carbon emissions by 75 percent before 2030. Over the next year, we will work together toward this goal by increasing access to green finance, planning new clean energy deployment, and bringing U.S. private-sector solutions to support climate-resilient economic development. Of course, public health and natural disasters are not the only challenges we face together. In November, when the PRC Coast Guard used water cannons against Philippine resupply ships, the United States quickly and firmly reiterated our support for our oldest ally in Asia and affirmed that an “armed attack on Philippine public vessels in the South China Sea would invoke Mutual Defense commitments.” Philippine sovereignty is not negotiable. In October, I had the privilege of turning over four Unmanned Aerial Systems to the Philippine Air Force to strengthen our shared commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific. This year, the United States will continue to provide state-of-the-art equipment and participate in combined joint exercises to strengthen Philippine defense capabilities. There is no guarantee that 2022 will be easy. It has already started with great difficulty for many people. However, I am confident in my hopes for the United States and the Philippines this year because I have seen how much we can accomplish together, and I know that our commitment to steadfast friendship, equal partnership, and enduring alliance will give us a safer, stronger, and more secure future.

 COMMUNITY NEWS

February 3-9, 2022

McDonald’s USA and Fashion Trailblazer Humberto Leon Reimagine Lunar New Year Traditions through Metaverse Experience for Fans The Golden Arches introduces a first ever cross-media collaboration, “McDonald’s Hall of Zodiacs: 2022 Lunar New Year by Humberto Leon,” to include red envelopes at select restaurants and national TV spot (CHICAGO–Jan. 31, 2022) – To ring in Lunar New Year with style and innovation, McDonald’s has teamed up with Humberto Leon, co-founder of fashion brand Opening Ceremony, to create a one-of-a-kind collection of zodiac animal designs. Focused on the Year of the Tiger and its courageous and fearless qualities, the “McDonald’s Hall of Zodiacs: 2022 Lunar New Year with Humberto Leon,” is an immersive and interactive experience for fans that is set in the metaverse. As a Chinese-Peruvian American, Leon’s creative vision is largely shaped by his cross-cultural identity and passion to serve and celebrate his diverse background. “Lunar New Year is not only a time to celebrate with family and friends, but also gives us Asian Americans the perfect opportunity to share our cultural heritage with people throughout the various communities we call home,” said Leon. “Partnering with McDonald’s means a lot to me because it’s a brand that has always been committed to embracing and celebrating the universality of all cultures, helping me see myself in the brand and in the world. Kicking off Lunar New Year with McDonald’s in a way that underscores the creativity and innovation of the Asian American community, makes me proud to offer a true expression of my identity and the influences that have shaped it, to which I know many will relate.” Experience the Hall of Zodiacs As a first in the U.S., McDonald’s is sending fans to a new

place for their Lunar New Year celebrations. Starting today until Feb. 15, fans can enter the life-like exhibit on virtual reality social platforms, AltspaceVR and Spatial, to experience the elegant McDonald’s gallery hosting Leon’s work. While there, fans can take in Leon’s zodiacs and receive horoscope readings that give foresight into their year ahead, based on birth year and zodiac animal. And feng shui expert and popular content creator Cliff Tan’s interior design direction takes it up a notch to give the feelgood space balanced energy. The exhibit can also be enjoyed via mobile and desktop, with additional info and instructions on how to access it at McDHallOfZodiacs.com. McDonald’s worked in tandem with multicultural ad agency, IW Group, to bring this campaign to life. “We’re excited to reach our fans in a meaningful way that captures the essence of the Year of Tiger showcasing bravery, strength and confidence through art, while leveraging a digital experience that meets them in spaces they enjoy,” said Elizabeth Campbell, McDonald’s Senior Director of Cultural Engagement. “Bringing on Humberto Leon, a trailblazer who uses the world around him to influence his work and others, is what makes this a next-level moment for McDonald’s. We’re honored to celebrate this Lunar New Year through his art expressions and hope our fans will enjoy this very cool and celebratory experience with us.” Honor Lunar New Year Traditions As part of the cross-media collaboration, McDonald’s and Leon also produced a TV spot that features the designer’s reflections on beloved traditions for Lunar New Year while also speaking to his diverse identity. The spot, which you can watch here, airs nationwide today on Asian news channels in English, Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese. Share Good Luck and Prosperity And it wouldn’t be Lunar New Year without stunning red envelopes! Traditionally filled with money and given out to symbolize prosperity, these red envelopes designed exclusively for McDonald’s customers will feature Leon’s Year of the Tiger design. Customers who visit participating restaurants will receive a packet of two red envelopes that can be given to friends and family to honor the tradition of sharing good fortune. The participating restaurants are in Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Dallas, Houston, and Atlanta starting on Feb. 1, and available while supplies last: • 9852 Westminster Ave, Garden Grove, CA 92844 • 7503 Garvey Ave, Rosemead, CA 91770 • 255 Winston Dr, San Francisco, CA 94132 • 1150 S De Anza Blvd, San Jose, CA 95129 • 1125 Peachtree Industrial Blvd, Suwanee, GA 30024

• 40-18 Main St, Queens, NY 11354 • 8435 N Beltline Road, Irving, TX 75063 • 1460 Hwy 6, Sugar Land, TX 77479 This Lunar New Year celebration represents a longstanding commitment to the Asian American community, which includes celebrating meaningful cultural moments, such as last year’s Lunar New Year partnership with leading global Asian artist collective, 88rising and distributing custom red envelopes during San Francisco Chinese New Year Festival in 2020. The Golden Arches commitment extends to education as well, as it feeds and fosters the communities it serves. Through programs like the McDonald’s APA Next platform, which includes an annual scholarship for Asian Pacific Islander American students in financial need and a partnership with self-care app Shine, the brand strives to support students in and out of the classroom. About McDonald’s USA McDonald’s USA, LLC, serves a variety of menu options made with quality ingredients to millions of customers every day. Ninety-five percent of McDonald’s approximately 13,500 U.S. restaurants are owned and operated by independent business owners. For more information, visit www.mcdonalds. com, or follow us on Twitter @McDonalds and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/mcdonalds. About Humberto Leon Humberto Leon is the co-founder of Opening Ceremony, a cult fashion brand that launched in 2002, first as a retail destination in New York, Los Angeles, and Tokyo, and then as an eponymous label of women’s and men’s ready-to-wear, footwear, accessories. From 2011 to 2019, Leon served as the co-creative director of the French fashion house KENZO. As the campaign for the release of his Fall/Winter 2018 collection at KENZO, Leon wrote and directed his first film, The Everything, starring Milla Jovovich, Alexandra Shipps, Kodi Smit McFee, and Leo Reilly. In 2020, Leon opened his first restaurant in Eagle Rock, California. CHIFA has received the prestigious Bib Gourmand Award by the MICHELIN Guide and earned a coveted spot on Condé Nast’s “The Best New Restaurants in the World” and the Los Angeles Times “101 Best Restaurants” lists for 2021.

COVID-19 cases in LA, positivity rate, hospitalizations continue downtrend LOS ANGELES - Latest data from the Department of Public Health showed that Los Angeles County is continuing to head in the right direction with decreases across most COVID-19 metrics including daily cases, test positivity, and hospitalizations. For the week ending January 31, LA County reported an average of 18,617 daily cases, representing a 38% decrease from the average of 29,978 daily cases reported the previous week. Similarly, the daily average case rate decreased to 193 positive cases per 100,000 residents for the week ending January 31 compared to 311 positive cases per 100,000 residents for the prior week, representing a

38% decline in the average daily case rate. The seven-day average daily test positivity rate also declined by 33% to 8.8%, compared to 13.2% for the week prior. In addition to hopeful case and test positivity trends, hospital admissions for Covid-positive patients in LA County have also signiﬁcantly declined. For the week ending January 30, the seven-day average of daily hospital admissions decreased by 143 admissions from the prior week to 441 admissions, translating into a 24% decline in County hospital admissions. However, deaths, which typically lag hospitalizations by several weeks, continue to trend slightly upward. The 7-day av-

erage daily deaths increased by 7% from an average of 58 daily reported deaths for the week ending January 24, to an average of 62 daily deaths reported for the week ending January 31. At press time, the department reported another 37 deaths in the county. “I send my heartfelt condolences and wishes for healing to every family mourning the loss of a loved one due to COVID-19,” said Dr. Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPh, MEd, Director of Public Health. “The declines we are seeing are a hopeful sign that many of the disruptions experienced during this surge will begin to dissipate.”

25 February 3-9, 2022

 COMMUNITY NEWS

Biden appoints Supervisor Hilda L. Solis to Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts’ Board of Trustees

WASHINGTON - President Joseph R. Biden has appointed Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda L. Solis to the Board of Trustees at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, commonly referred to as the Kennedy Center. The Kennedy Center, the living memorial to President John F. Kennedy, is this country’s national cultural center—as a presenter, it hosts world-class performing arts that are made available to the broadest possible constituencies, and as an agency, it delivers powerful arts education opportunities nationwide. Supervisor Solis is President Biden’s first Kennedy Center appointment – a recognition of her longstanding advocacy for underserved communities and people of color. Solis has fought for equitable resources for these groups in many sectors, including environmental justice, community building, public safety, housing, workforce development, and arts and culture. She co-authored the resolution that directed the Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture to release its 2017 Cultural Equity and Inclusion Initiative (CEII), which set out strategies for ensuring people in LA County have equitable access to arts and culture, and improve inclusion in the wider arts ecology for all residents, in every community. CEII directs these outcomes so that everyone can participate in the benefits the arts provide—personal and community resiliency, positive education outcomes, and career opportunities in the creative economy. The Kennedy Center, likewise, is steeped in this work on a national level. It works to foster anti-racism across the performing arts field and through its social impact initiatives, leverages arts for non-arts outcomes. “I am deeply honored to be President Biden’s first appointment to the Kennedy Center at a critical time where arts education is essential to building vibrant and thriving communities,” said Supervisor Solis. “The Kennedy Center enriches the lives of Americans across the nation and I am humbled to join in the mission of the Board of Trustees to inspire and enrich communities through art. My work to develop and advance Los Angeles County’s

FABULOUSLY 60. OVER a hundred of her closest friends and associates joined family in gree�ng Allen Capalla a happy birthday. Born Lowellyn Chin on January 7, 1962 in the Philippines, the celebrant received a bounty of well wishes at a formal ball at a hotel on the Peninsula. The fun-ﬁlled event had the honoree performing songs and a dance with her husband Eric Capalla and their only child Andrew with an interac�ve game that inspired guests to show oﬀ their moves soon as the music played. A chemist by educa�on, the celebrant is a dedicated execu�ve administrator for a venture capital. She is much-admired president of Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church Legion of Mary and 2020 president of ALLICE Alliance for Community Empowerment, recipients of her commitment to serve. Photo by VOLTAIRE YAP

Cultural Equity and Inclusion Initiative (CEII) over the years is a testament to my commitment to ensuring all Angelenos, regardless of where they live, have access to the arts. I look forward to uplifting this work at the national level so that Americans across our country can benefit from increased equity and access.” “We are delighted to welcome Supervisor Solis to the Kennedy Center family. Her time spent in Washington D.C. and her leadership in Los Angeles County supporting arts communities and arts education are important assets as we expand our reach and advance our work in the Washington, D.C. area and across the country. Supervisor Solis’ commitment to Anti-Racism and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion are in perfect alignment with the Kennedy Center’s mission and we look forward to working with her in the years to come,” said Deborah Rutter, President of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. “I have known Supervisor Solis for decades. I have the great privilege of representing her First Supervisorial District on the Los Angeles County Arts Commission, which advises the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors on arts policies and programs, and I serve as Co-Chair on the Cultural Equity and Inclusion Initiative Advisory Committee. So, it is with much lived experience and first-hand knowledge that I express my confidence in Supervisor Solis as a true advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion in the arts. These are not just popular or topical soundbites, these are her core values, which she has fought for and advanced throughout her career. I am thrilled to see her bring that expertise to the national arts stage at the Kennedy Center,” said Helen Hernandez, CEII Advisory Committee Co-Chair. “I am thrilled that President Biden has appointed Supervisor Solis, a long-standing advocate for arts and culture, to the Kennedy Center board,” said Rachel S. Moore, president and CEO, The Music Center. “Supervisor Solis’ tireless commitment to inclusion across all sectors of civic life in Los Angeles is an inspiration, and the Supervisor’s partnership with our team to ensure ac-

cess and equity at The Music Center has been invaluable. Her dedication to those values and the implementation of best practices will be immensely important to the Kennedy Center as it continues its important work to heal, empower and uplift communities.” About the Los Angeles County Arts Commission The Arts Commission, an advisory group to the County Board of Supervisors, consists of up to 15 members, three members appointed by each of the five Supervisors. CEII was developed in response to a Board motion in November 2015 directing the LA County Arts Commission to conduct a constructive Countywide conversation about ways to improve diversity in cultural organizations” for all LA County residents, and focused on five key areas: staff, boards, audience, programming and creators/artists. The Advisory Committee has been a part of Arts and Culture’s CEII Work from the beginning. When the LA County Board of Supervisors adopted the Cultural Equity & Inclusion Initiative, they also directed that the CEII Advisory Committee remain as a standing committee the Arts Commission. About the Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture The mission of the Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture is to advance arts, culture, and creativity throughout LA County. The department provides leadership, services, and support in areas including grants and technical assistance for nonprofit organizations; professional development opportunities; public art commissions and the supervision of the County’s civic art collection; countywide arts education initiatives; research and evaluation of the arts sector; the formation of career pathways in the creative economy; free community programs; and cross-sector creative strategies that address civic issues. This work is framed by the County’s Cultural Equity and Inclusion Initiative and a longstanding commitment to fostering access to the arts. For more information, please visit the Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture.

25 February 3-9, 2022

 COMMUNITY NEWS

Biden appoints Supervisor Hilda L. Solis to Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts’ Board of Trustees

FABULOUSLY 60. OVER a hundred of her closest friends and associates joined family in gree�ng Allen Capalla a happy birthday. Born Lowellyn Chin on January 7, 1961 in the Philippines, the celebrant received a bounty of well wishes at a formal ball at a hotel on the Peninsula. The fun-ﬁlled event had the honoree performing songs and a dance with her husband Eric Capalla and their only child Andrew with an interac�ve game that inspired guests to show oﬀ their moves soon as the music played. A chemist by educa�on, the celebrant is a dedicated execu�ve administrator for a venture capital. She is much-admired president of Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church Legion of Mary and 2020 president of ALLICE Alliance for Community Empowerment, recipients of her commitment to serve. Photo by VOLTAIRE YAP

 COMMUNITY NEWS

February 3-9, 2022

PG&E Expands Scope of Wildfire Safety Center to Encompass, Ensure Readiness for Any Natural Disaster and Emergency With Wildfire Information Still a Priority, New Hazard Awareness & Warning Center Enables Faster, Better Response to Storms, Earthquakes and More OAKLAND, Calif.— Opened in 2018, Pacific Gas and Electric Company’s (PG&E) Wildfire Safety Operations Center (WSOC) has successfully served as the company’s 24/7 hub for monitoring wildfire risks and for wildfire coordination, prevention and response efforts across Northern and Central California. Today, PG&E announces a new name and an expanded scope to more effectively monitor potential natural disasters and the impact to our assets to ensure the continued safety of our customers and the hometowns we are privileged to serve. The WSOC is now the Hazard Awareness & Warning Center, or HAWC. Why? Without sacrificing any of the facility’s deep expertise related to wildfires, the expanded scope will allow the HAWC to serve as the source for reliable, real-time situational awareness of a broader range of natural disasters, emergencies and other events throughout PG&E’s service area. That includes enabling enterprise-level communications to ensure the appropriate level of response as well as providing a focal point of understanding potentials risks to our gas

and electric infrastructure. “As with the WSOC, the HAWC is akin to an air-traffic control center for PG&E,” said Sumeet Singh, the company’s Chief Safety and Risk Officer. “It’s where our trained and experienced teams have access to real-time information from many sources and are able to monitor, analyze and enable rapid response so that we can keep our customers and our hometowns safe.” From its inception, the WSOC monitored wildfires. Now the HAWC monitors a broader range of natural disasters including wildfires, land movement (such as debris flows and slope failures), earthquakes, tsunamis, flooding and avalanche hazards. Through strong partnerships among PG&E’s internal teams as well as with external entities such as the National Weather Service, Cal OES and others, the awareness of additional hazards will increase into the future. When it opened in May 2018, the WSOC was located in PG&E’s San Francisco headquarters. The center provided a birds-eye view of high-fire threat areas within PG&E’s service territory, which encompass about 50 percent of the company’s 70,000-square-

mile service area. The center also assimilated weather model information, satellite images and other enhanced, real-time data for experts tracking wildfire conditions and threats. PG&E’s new headquarters will be in Oakland, and the HAWC now operates in San Ramon through the headquarters transition. At that state-of-the-art facility, analysts track incoming information and rely on an active incident dashboard showing fire incidents, the locations of PG&E facilities and support crews, satellite imagery, detailed outage maps and more. One example of what’s available to operators in the HAWC are direct feeds from more than 500 high-definition cameras in high fire-threat areas. Of these cameras, 46 are included in a new Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine-learning testing program where the capability to differentiate wildfire smoke from fog and other false indicators during extremely dry, hot, and windy weather is invaluable to PG&E analysts and fire agencies. Images from the ALERTWildfire system are viewable online at www.alertwildfire.org. Real-time data from 1,300 weather sta-

FDA okays Moderna COVID-19 vaccine for individuals 18 years of age and older

SACRAMENTO - California Health and Human Services Agency Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly, and Director of the California Department of Public Health and State Public Health Oﬃcer Dr. Tomás J. Aragón lauded

the United States Food and Drug Administration for its approval of the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine for individuals 18 years of age and older. “We applaud our Federal partner’s decision to grant Moderna full approval for their COVID-19 vaccine for everyone age 18 and over. The science and real-world evidence are clear; vaccines provide the safest protection against infection, hospitalization and death,”Ghay and Aragon stressed in a joint statement. “Seeing the undeniable benefit of boosting during this latest surge fueled by Omicron, we hope this announcement encourages anyone who remains hesitant to take the most critical step for protecting themselves and their families and get vaccinated. It is also crucial for those who have already gotten vaccinated to receive a booster when eligible to significantly increase vaccine effectiveness almost immediately,” they added. Californians can make vaccine and booster appointments or find a walk-in clinic by visiting myturn.ca.gov or calling (833) 422-4255.

Los Angeles County Commission For Women to hold 37th Annual Women of the Year rites LOS ANGELES - Each year the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors and the Commission for Women recognize and celebrate women who work to bring about social and economic change, promote women’s equality and serve as outstanding role models for women. In an abundance of caution due to the ongoing disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, this year the Women of the Year commemorative celebration will be virtually broadcast live on Monday, May 9, 2022. A select number of guests will be attending in-person, which will allow the Commission to follow social distancing guidelines. The celebration will also provide an opportunity to recognize Women’s History Month, which takes place in March every year. The Commission is now accepting nominations of

women for their exemplary contributions in the areas of art, business, education, health, labor, or public safety. Nomination applications are available for download at the Los Angeles County Commission for Women website. Deadline for accepting nominations is Friday, February 18, 2022. A portion of the proceeds from these events will be used to provide education scholarships for young at-risk women. Join us and show your appreciation for these exceptional women. We look forward to your participation on May 9, 2022. If you would like more information about this event, please call Commission Staﬀ at 213-9741431 or email laccw@bos.lacounty.gov.

tions also is tracked by the HAWC staff, and that information plays a key role in evaluating whether to proactively turn off power for safety when elevated weather conditions include a potential fire risk. The HAWC is part of PG&E’s Community Wildfire Safety Program. Through its 2021 wildfire safety work, PG&E: Improved the Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) program for our customers and communities, using advanced weather forecasting technology and nearly 300 new sectionalizing devices, to impact 16,078 customers on average per outage in 2021, down from 108,843 customers impacted on average in 2020 and 287,770 customers impacted on average in 2019 Launched an initiative to underground 10,000 miles of distribution powerlines in and near high fire-threat areas and hardened more than 200 distribution circuit miles to increase system resiliency Met and exceeded state vegetation safety standards across more than 1,900 miles in areas with the highest wildfire risk to manage trees that posed a risk to electric distribution powerlines and equipment

Before you apply for retirement benefits: what to know Are you thinking about retiring and applying for Social Security retirement benefits? Our online tools can make your planning easier. Visit www.ssa.gov/myaccount to access your personal my Social Security account to get an instant and personalized estimate of your retirement benefits based on your earnings record. It is important that your earnings record is correct because we base your benefit amount on the earnings reported to us. If you find an error, you will want to contact us to get your information corrected. Read our publication, How to Correct Your Social Security Earnings Record, at www.ssa.gov/pubs/EN-05-10081.pdf, to learn how. You can also get benefit estimates based on different retirement ages, and choose the best retirement age for you. Don’t have a personal my Social Security account? You can create one today at www.ssa.gov/myaccount. When you’re ready to apply for Social Security retirement benefits, you can complete your application online in as little as 15 minutes at www.ssa.gov/retirement. We will contact you if we need any more information. You can check the status of your application with your personal my Social Security account. You can apply online for your Social Security retirement benefits, and for benefits as a spouse, if you meet all the following criteria: • You must be at least age 62 for the entire month to be eligible to receive benefits. • You are not currently receiving benefits on your own Social Security record. • You have not already applied for retirement benefits. • You want your benefits to start no later than four months in the future. (We cannot process your application if you apply for benefits more than four months in advance.) Find more information about our online services at www.ssa.gov/onlineservices.

27 February 3-9, 2022

Oﬄine

(From Page 13)

good men and women who will try to do good, but who will quickly realize that Junior does not have half the brains of his father. A series of crises will be enough to rattle Marcos Jr., who will then count on his team of self-serving executives to pull him out of the fire. Much like President Duterte, he will have a team of apologists who will lie pointblank to the public by silencing legitimate media. In comparison, the day that Leni Robredo is declared presidentelect, the underground Left will adopt a wait-and-see attitude. They will want legitimate members of their movement to find a spot in her Cabinet. President Robredo will be able to recruit the best of the best from the private sector, civil society, and the academe. Her focus will be to strengthen the economy with the goal of turning the Philippines into a full-fledged tiger economy by the time she steps down in 2028. She knows that there is only one way to end the communist movement with finality, and that is to turn the country into an economic powerhouse. Once the majority of the working population are earning decent incomes for each family to own a house and a car, and to send their kids to the best schools around, there will be no use for a shadow government that is a court of last resort. These are the only choices the Filipino people have – progress under a President Leni Robredo, or a return to the dark days of martial law under a President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Meanwhile, the Left watches and waits.

The Outsider

(From Page 13)

of 21,300 liter containers of potable water, four sorties of water tank with 2,000 liters capacity and two static tanks refilling to affected barangays in Talibon.The team stayed in Talibon from four days after which they traveled 95 kilometers to service the water supply needs of Albuquerque, another municipality in Bohol. Typhoon Odette has affected 2,841 families or 8,523 individuals in Albuquerque alone. MWSS treated about 15,000 liters which were distributed to residents. With the surge in COVID infections in the area, MWSS also ensured potable water supply to the rural health unit in the municipality and refilling three static tanks with 1,500 liter capacity. On the other hand, San Miguel Corporation (SMC) President Ramon S.Ang whose subsidiary Luzon Clean Water Development Corporation (LCWDC) is the third concessionaire of MWSS, has extended over P35 million worth of food and water donations to provinces hit by typhoon Odette aside from donating 24,000 liters of water from LDWDC’s Bulacan Bulk Water Supply Project. SMC also partnered with the armed forces on an extended feeding program through its AFP Mobile Kitchen, which brings hot meals, including donated SMC food products, to various locations all over Cebu. Emerging from the devastation and rebuilding on what has been left by the calamity, victims are confident they can rise again with the assistance extended by government and the private sector.

Health & Wealth

(From Page 12)

Madlaing, Art Gabot Madlaing and other singers; The global MY ANGEL RADIO is now being watched by viewers and listeners from all over the United States, Canada, Philippines, Hongkong, Singapore, Thailand, Taiwan, China, Japan, Spain, Hongkong, UAE, Saudi, England, Belgium, Palestine, Germany, Uuwait, Africa, Jordan and other countries. Episodes include “RESCUE MORNING,” “CIA”, “UPCLOSE,” “RESCUE EVENING,” “TAPATAN TAYO,” “Q & A,” Monday to Friday. Live broadcast is with global Director Ed Bacani in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA; James Quitoriano in San Francisco, California and other anchors in Baguio City, Butuan City and the latest team in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan, Philippines with Ed Maquiling. ROOM FOR RENT IN DALY CITY One of our clients with MOBILE SIGNING SERVICES has available room for rent located in a very quiet neighborhood in Daly City, California. Monthly rent is 875 with utilities included. She is looking for non-smoker renter, preferably female and no pets. If you are interested, Call: (650)296-9451 (cell phone); or (650)992-2852 (home). (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)

On Distant Shore

(From Page 12)

ciety like the Philippines, military training will raise men who are trained not to question their superiors, but to blindly follow their orders. If you have noticed, Duterte refers to military men as “my soldiers” and policemen “my police.” To him – and to his daughter who also rules Davao City with an iron ﬁst – the country needs more soldiers and policemen who would blindly obey his orders as commander-in-chief. Can you imagine if every 18-year-old obtains that mentality during the one or two years of training and goes back to civilian life with that kind of attitude? It’s a perfect recipe for fascism. Contrary to what supporters of mandatory military service say, this program would produce undesirable results for both the indi-

vidual and the country in the long run. While the training would certainly result in a bigger army, it would be disastrous for a democratic society since many of these trainees would go back to civilian life with a wrong notion that questioning our superiors and leaders is a no-no. Opponents of mandatory military service say such program is the first step in the breakdown of democratic institutions, adding that the “principle of compulsion, as contrasted with voluntary loyalty, was native to fascism and alien to democracy.” There is also the fear that a fascist ruler might use such a vast army with blind loyalties to destroy democratic institutions and rule with an iron fist. Young men and women should get their education and training from schools and universities where they will be taught civic consciousness and get training in democracy. The military, which out of necessity is an authoritarian institution, must not be relied upon to mold the youth who will inevitably go back to civilian life. We can also point out that the compulsory military service would derail young men’s career, education and their path to the future because they would have to leave such plans behind at a time when they are most focused to establishing a stable future for themselves. And with corruption plaguing basically the entire bureaucracy, the rich and powerful would find ways to exempt their children from such a compulsory service. In the end, it is mostly the meek and the poor who will be driven into forced servitude. These young men would go back to a life nursing hatred of the government that coerced them to one or two years of involuntary servitude. If ever we are forced into a war, I have no doubt that millions of Filipinos would sign up to defend our country as we saw when Japan invaded the Philippines in 1941. In the meantime, the government should focus on giving military training to those who are willing to devote their life to military service, instead of forcing every adult Filipino to serve under threat of imprisonment. An army of a million unwilling men would be no match to an army of a hundred thousand well-trained and dedicated soldiers.

PerryScope...

(From Page 12)

sion when a reporter was interviewing several people. I couldn’t believe the things they were saying. One said that she’d only recognize one leader and that was Donald Trump. Another one said that he believed Trump won the election – by millions of votes, but he was cheated. Another one said that he’d support an insurrection against the Democrats. Another one said that there is a civil war going on right now! Obviously, America is being polarized politically right now. There is a division among the anti-vax, anti-mask, and anti-mandate Americans against those who are pro-vax, pro-mask, and pro-mandate Americans. The animosity between the two groups has separated friends and even relatives. And nothing will bring them together. As a matter of fact the division is getting worse and wider. The anti’s won’t talk to you if they find out you’re pro-vax, pro-mask or pro-mandate. During the American Civil War, there was a straight line that separated the Southern slave states from the Northern Free states, known as the Mason-Dixon Line, which was along the southern Pennsylvania border. However, it’s unlike the American Civil War where the separation was drawn along the lines that divided the pro-slavery Southern States from the anti-slavery Yankee North. Today the division is among people in every community across the U.S. It’s neighbor against neighbor. It’s ugly! What is the root of the problem? There are two groups – the vaccinated (vaxxed) and the unvaccinated (unvaxxed). To prevent spreading the Covid virus, the unvaxxed are being confined for their safety. The unvaxxed are required to be locked down at home or in some cases in “quarantine camps.” They are denied services, jobs, and entertainment – for a good reason: They didn’t want the unvaxxed to mingle with the vaxxed for fear of infecting the unvaxxed with the Covid virus. Restaurants and theaters require their customers to show their vaccination cards. You cannot ride public transportation without proof of vaccination. Deaths of the unvaxxed bring joy to the vaxxed. Nobody would attend funeral services for people who died mysteriously for fear of getting infected. Anybody who opposed treatments or vaccines were shunned and branded as heretics. You can be fired from your job, expelled from school or shamed in public if you refuse to be vaccinated. You cannot make public statements against “science” or vaccination lest you’ll be treated like a pariah, an enemy of the state. Government compliance The government wants compliance, hence the mandates. They force businesses to impose compliance. And the fearmongers would remind you that the government is using science to shackle people to comply with mandates and executive orders that they deemed tyrannical and dictatorial. Are we governed by Hitlers and Mussolini’s bandying as the Pied Piper who enticed people to follow him through outrageous promises and personal charisma? Now, you can see how Robert F. Kennedy Jr. could easily enthrall the American people into believing the “dangerous misinformation” he is spreading about vaccines. At the end of the day, the attempt of RFK Jr. to mislead the American people would fail because nothing good would ever come out of an evil design. (PerryDiaz@gmail.com)

Diliman Way...

(From Page 13)

years. Why have we remained asleep or stupid that long? We always make the wrong choices. What is wrong with us as a people? We are at the early stage of active campaigning. All the popular presidential candidates are trying to duplicate the PR Duterte performance in 2016. None of them can do it – since PR D knows the Filipino better than the palm of his hand. All of them are poor imitations of PR D. But they are all trying - knowing the gullibility of the Filipino. Whoever of them gets elected – it’s all the same, over and over again. Nothing will change. It’s another six years of cyclical motion – no horizontal progress but just like a Ferrris Wheel turning and turning around but staying in place. Candidates in brief: Let’s rake a glance at the presidential candidates. We start with the supposed front runner – Former SENATOR FERDINAND “BONBONG” MARCOS, JR. also known as BB M. What are his qualifications for President of the Philippines? Watching him all these years and having talked to him once on serious matters, you may ask me this question – What do I think of him? As student and participant in the game of politics, both on the local and national level, my judgment on him is that he is not fit to be President. Why? He has no vision of what this country should be. He has well pronounced ambition but he has no vision. He does not show that kind of character, integrity and discipline required of a President .He does not show a value system that makes of a good President. He is happy go lucky and shows no serious commitment to country and people. He is a million light years away from the qualities of his father.. What about VP LENI ROBREDO? She looks attractive and trustworthy except for her choice of her chief advisers which leaves so much to be desired. Like BB M, she too has no defined vision of country though she does not show the kind of ambition that BB M and the rest of the pack do. Leni will make a good Secretary of Social Services or Governor of a province. But certainly not the kind of President the country needs, especially now. SENATOR PANFILO “PING” LACSON projects the impression he could be a leader of men except that the record of Lacson as a public official does not do well for him in his bid for the presidency. He was one of the aides of Colonel Abadilla in the notorious Metrocom. He has not overcome the charges against him in the Kuratong Baleleng rubout. The charge of Rosebud on Ping’s involvement with illegal drugs looms large in the shadows. His obsequious and canine behavior in support of PR Duterte during the past five years of his presidency does not speak well of character, integrity, discipline and commitment to country. On top of that, Ping is no different from BB M and LENI ROBREDO – all ambition but no vision. SENATOR MANNY PACQUIAO is no different from the rest of the pack – no vision, just ambition. I used to think highly of Manny in the initial stage of his interest in the presidency. In jousting with PR Duterte, he showed a lot of courage, character, discipline and commitment to people and country. As the days moved on, however, he demonstrated he is nothing but a flash in the pan – motherhood statements just like all the rest. If Manny really wants to be of service to the country, it is best for him to run for Provincial Governor of Saranggani. That job he can do well while learning what it takes to be President. CITY MAYOR FRANCISCO “ISKO” DOMAGOSO aka Isko Moreno and Yorme. Some people are impressed by his performance as City Mayor of Manila – Moreno himself, his omnipresent propagandists, his leaders and followers. From the objective point of view, there is nothing Moreno has done for the people of Manila that can justify his elevation to the presidency. Again, like the rest of the popular presidential candidates, he is brimming with a lot of ambition but no vision. From the standpoint of character, integrity, discipline and commitment to people and country needed for the next President of the Philippines – I am afraid he is just a pygmy version of PR Duterte whom Isko publicly admires. What now: I have been continually asked up to this moment - Where is the X-FACTOR who I have been mentioning on this page. Is he an illusion? Is he a product of fertile imagination? Is he a dream? Or, is he hallucination? It’s not anyone of them. He is a real person armed with a vision for a better Philippines. But it takes more than vision and qualifications to win the presidency. Logistics and an effective national organization are necessities to mount a successful campaign – and win. Without logistics and an effective national organization, you are running not to win but to prepare for the next presidential campaign – if you are still alive by then. You may counter these arguments by asking me – Why did you win the governorship of Misamis Oriental in 1980 under conditions of martial law, without money and organization and against the overwhelming money and machine of President Marcos and VicePresident Pelaez? Well, Misamis Oriental is not the Philippines. The operative electoral rules and methods for a national campaign are so hugely different from a provincial or city or town campaign. Anyone who thinks otherwise is a fool. If the X-FACTOR does not materialize before the first ten days of February 2022, what shall we do? Ask yourself that question. Me? I will continue writing in Facebook, publish my books and go back to Misamis Orietnal to rethink my options. Why? I am a Sun Tzu warrior and I hate being a fool, pretender or an underling. Whichever situation is unacceptable to me but in the well remembered words of Reinhold Niebuhr – “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”

 HEALTH NEWS

February 3-9, 2022

Tons of COVID-19 health care waste expose urgent need to improve waste management systems GEVENVA - Tens of thousands of tonnes of extra medical waste from the response to the COVID-19 pandemic has put tremendous strain on health care waste management systems around the world, threatening human and environmental health and exposing a dire need to improve waste management practices, according to a new WHO report. The WHO Global analysis of health care waste in the context of COVID-19: status, impacts and recommendations bases its estimates on the approximately 87,000 tonnes of personal protective equipment (PPE) that was procured between March 2020- November 2021 and shipped to support countries’ urgent COVID-19 response needs through a joint UN emergency initiative. Most of this equipment is expected to have ended up as waste. The authors note that this just provides an initial indication of the scale of the COVID-19 waste problem. It does not take into account any of the COVID-19 com-

modities procured outside of the initiative, nor waste generated by the public like disposable medical masks. They point out that over 140 million test kits, with a potential to generate 2,600 tonnes of non-infectious waste (mainly plastic) and 731,000 litres of chemical waste (equivalent to one-third of an Olympic-size swimming pool) have been shipped, while over 8 billion doses of vaccine have been administered globally producing 143 tonnes of additional waste in the form of syringes, needles, and safety boxes. As the UN and countries grappled with the immediate task of securing and quality-assuring supplies of PPE, less attention and resources were devoted to the safe and sustainable management of COVID-19 related health care waste. “It is absolutely vital to provide health workers with the right PPE, “said Dr Michael Ryan, Executive Director, WHO Health Emergencies Programme. “But it is also vital to ensure that it can be used safely without

impacting on the surrounding environment.” This means having eﬀective management systems in place, including guidance for health workers on what to do with PPE and health commodities after they have been used. Today, 30% of healthcare facilities (60% in the least developed countries) are not equipped to handle existing waste loads, let alone the additional COVID-19 load. This potentially exposes health workers to needle stick injuries, burns and pathogenic microorganisms, while also impacting communities living near poorly managed landﬁlls and waste disposal sites through contaminated air from burning waste, poor water quality or disease carrying pests. “COVID-19 has forced the world to reckon with the gaps and neglected aspects of the waste stream and how we produce, use and discard of our health care resources, from cradle to grave,” said Dr Maria Neira, Director, Environment, Climate Change and Health at WHO.

Stealth Omicron

Heart of Hope

he subvariant of Omicron, BA.2, nicknamed “Stealth Omicron,” is 1.5 times more rapidly transmissible than Omicron. From the original SARS-CoV2 corona virus that originated in Wuhan, China, the virus had mutated to the Delta variant, to Omicron, DeltaCron (now PHILIP S. CHUA determined to be insignificant or an error) to the new subvariant “Stealth Omicron,” first detected in early December 2021 and now in 49 countries, foremost, in India, Denmark, South Africa, and the United Kingdom. While the Omicron underwent 50 mutations, the Stealth Omicron had 90 mutations, mostly in the bodies of unvaccinated individuals. There are more than 100 cases in the USA, in at least 20 States. This new sub-strain appears not to be any more dangerous than Omicron, which itself is highly transmissible and milder (not MILD) compared to the Delta variant. The two shots plus a booster do not totally prevent acquiring the BA.2 strain but are effective in minimizing the severity, hospitalization, and death from both the Omicron and its new subvariant BA.2. The unvaccinated are mostly the ones who are sitting ducks for Omicron and the BA.2 subvariant. When all the unvaccinated get infected (hopefully with Omicron, which would be milder), they would get some natural immunity, but not against newer variants in the future. Those vaccinated persons who get infected will acquire a super “hybrid” immunity, more protective than vaccines alone or infection alone. 590,000 cases, 2600 deaths There were 2600 deaths last Friday (the 28th) alone, as the number of cases reach an average of around 590,000 a day in the United States, down from 800,000 two weeks before. The hospitalization and death were down, compared to the Delta period. But the daily cases are massively higher. In the meantime, more than 10 billion doses of the COVID-19 vaccines have been administered worldwide, albeit gaps remain for third-world countries. In the United States, about 63.1 percent of the population has been vaccinated, only 26.1 had the booster shot. Israel leads the world, with more than 84 percent of people ages 70 and older having received at least the two

shots, which resulted in a rapid decline of COVID-19 cases, with a similar result in dozens of other countries. There is no more question about the eﬃcacy and safety of the vaccines. There are 35 COVID-19 vaccines under clinical trials. European vax mandate There are still at least 50 million people in the United States refusing to get vaccinated, in spite of the more than 10 billion doses administered around the world proving how safe the vaccines are. The virus will continue to replicate and mutate in the bodies of people, mostly in the unvaccinated, which will super-spread new strains they produce in their bodies to people around them. And the cycle will continue viciously. Without a warm body host, the virus will instantly self-destruct and the pandemic will come to a halt. Knowing this and with the massive surges of COVID-19 in his country, French President Emmanuel Macron, vowed to “piss-oﬀ” the unvaccinated to make life uncomfortable for them by restricting their access to restaurants, stores, theaters, and other public areas, in order to curb the spread of COVID-19 and end the pandemic soonest. Macron is running for re-election in April 2022, and these words and actions clearly show his great leadership, wisdom, and courage in protecting his nation and people, even at the peril of his own career and personal safety. Mandatory vaccinations (national lockdown for the unvaccinated) are also being introduced in several European countries, with Austria leading the way for over 15 countries also planning compulsory vaccinations for their citizens starting this February. These actions are an acknowledgment that faithful application of science (epidemiology) in its purest sense, not politics, is what will destroy killer viruses and end the pandemic. I applaud President Macron and the leaders of the European countries for their Solomonic decision. In the United States, political correctness and people’s wrong interpretation of what civil liberties and freedom mean as guaranteed by the First Amendment is enabling the rapid spread of viruses. Those who refuse the vaccines, claiming their right to refuse and do what they want (freedom to mingle with the public and spread the virus to others), under the United States Constitution, are obviously misinterpreting the First Amendment rights. As I have posted before, while they have the right to refuse the vaccines, risk, or kill themselves, they do not have the right to spread the virus and kill others, albeit unintentionally. National safety and well-being supersede

and prevail over individual freedom and liberty. Epidemiologically speaking, the unvaccinated should be separated from those vaccinated to protect the latter from getting infected with newer strains. Just like in any infectious disease section of a hospital, where patients with infectious diseases are segregated from others to prevent the spread of the disease, and where sterile instruments are separated and protected from contaminated ones. It’s simply common sense. So, if those who refuse the vaccines stayed home and not spread the virus to others, then their exercise of the freedom to refuse would be well within their rights under the Constitution. Army’s Pan Vax Since future strains of the COVID-19 virus (SARSCoV2) are expected because of the enormous number of people refusing the vaccines, the Military is now developing a pan-corona vaccine that would be effective against the various current strains and future variants of the SARS-CoV2 virus. So far, we have Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, Omicron, and Stealth Omicron. The latest super surges raised the probability of the need for a 2nd booster (4th shot). A variant-specific vaccine has been developed. The military pan-vax would be ideal. The trial has just completed its first phase, showing excellent results. A universal “all-covered” vaccine is certainly welcome. Since this pandemic is most likely to remain as “endemic” in the United States, perhaps the pan-vax could also incorporate the flu vaccine, so people would only need one shot a year to protect against all these various viruses. Stats Updates As of 3:25 PM (CST), Tuesday, February 1, 2022, there were 380,955,461 cases of COVID-19 worldwide with 5,699,065 deaths; 76,351,647 cases in the USA and 912,460 deaths; and 3,569,665 cases and 54,054 deaths in The Philippines. Although Omicron is milder, it could still kill. We must continue to use a facemask that covers both our nose and mouth, preferably NIOSH-approved N95 masks, and do social distancing in public. KN95 and regular cloth masks have larger pores and are not as protective. 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, Today.SPSAtoday.com, and philipSchua. com Email: scalpelpen@gmail.com

29 February 3-9, 2022

NEWS  NATIONAL VIEWS & COMMENTS

LEARNING FROM LONELINESS By TIM PEDROSA

LET US PRAY THAT OUR LONELINESS MAY SPUR US INTO FINDING SOMETHING TO LIVE FOR, GREAT ENOUGH TO DIE FOR. Loneliness and isolation can leave us feeling empty and without hope sometimes. Sometimes you just need to be alone and let your tears out. I have learned that when we feel stuck in our own thoughts and just want to be free of this pain, then all we have to do is look to God, the creator of the universe. He sent His son to overcome all of the pain of this world and He wants to help us overcome our pain as well. Loneliness doesn’t come from being alone: it comes from feeling that no one cares. We are meant to thrive in the community. It adds so much more to our lives and causes us to be happier. We all deserve happiness. It’s easy to stand in the crowd but it takes courage to stand alone – Mahatma Gandhi. I have learned that loneliness is the human condition that we can cultivate. It can allow our soul room to grow. Let us never expect to outgrow loneliness; never hope to ﬁnd people who will understand us, someone to ﬁll that space, otherwise, we will be disappointed. The best we can do is to understand ourselves. Loneliness expresses the pain of being alone and solitude expresses the glory of being alone. Why do I write? It is not that I want people to think that I am smart, or even that I am a good writer. I write because I want to learn from my loneliness, from the problems that life constantly brings and to inspire and encourage others to do the same. I have learned that if we try to really learn, sit with loneliness and embrace it for the gift that it is…and an opportunity to get to know ourselves; to learn how strong we really are; to depend on no one but ourselves for our happiness; we will realize that a little loneliness goes a long way in creating a richer, deeper, more vibrant and colorful self. There is absolutely no point in sitting around and feeling sorry for oneself. The great power we have is to let go… focus on what we have, and what we want and remove which ones that have been mean or unkind to us. Once we have mastered to do that, we will never be alone and lonely. A season of loneliness and isolation is when the caterpillar gets its wings. Remember that next time you feel alone. Manday Hale

The Lord’s Prayer 2

e continue our discussion on the Lord’s Prayer: We are learning and relearning about this prayer; so that, we can improve our disposition and the manner of praying this prayer. Last week, we focus on the importance and consequence in our lives as call and relate to God as Our Father. Now, The Second Part: We learn and re-learn that the Lord’s Prayer reveals forms of prayer REV. JOSE PELAGIO A. PADIT, SThD or ways of praying to God. Let us bring the words of the prayer as we usually pray them: “Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into the temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.” First and foremost, this prayer shows us two parts: The first part, the person praying speaks about God; that God is Father, that His Name is to be respected and honored as holy, that His Will be done, and that His kingdom is to come amongst us or has come in the presence of Jesus, God’s Only Son. The second part, the praying person speaks about himself; his need of bread – symbolic of his material and spiritual necessities, he speaks about his sinfulness, he asks to be forgiven as he tells, that he too forgives others who offends him, also asking that he be delivered from falling into temptations and from the evil one. These two parts demonstrate a relationship between God and the praying person – the son or daughter of God. The Lord Jesus wants us to know through this prayer that God wants relationship, friendship, and intimacy with Him. Thus, we are to nurture our relationship with God through prayer in general and by this prayer, the Lord’s Prayer, accompanied with good conduct. By this prayer, we please God if we honor and hallow His Name, if we will always obey His Will just as it is obeyed in heaven, and that we will forgive others as He expects us to; so that, we can also obtain His mercy. Meanwhile, the Lord’s Prayer is our model for our other prayers to God. We can notice that each line or lines of the prayer speak of different things; like a music, it has different tunes in harmony that becomes one beautiful masterpiece. Hence, the first part of the Lord’s Prayer express praise, worship, and adoration. Calling God, Father, and that His Name be sanctified, His Will be done, His kingdom is in our midst, these are expressions from a heart full of faith and love of God giving Him due honor, glory, and praise. We are, then, made aware that there are forms of prayer called; prayer of praise, prayer of adoration, of worship, or prayer of exaltation of God’s majesty in one’s life. Moreover, we learn another form of prayer which we can call; prayer of submission and resignation: The lines, “Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven,” this expresses humility from the praying person. The person humbles himself, submits Himself to God’s reign and His command. This prayer of submission can also be called a prayer of humility. We must be humble. God favors the humble (1 Peter 5:5) and He exalts whoever humbles himself (Mat. 23:12 or Lk. 18:14). A third form of prayer is called; prayer of petition; “give us this day our daily bread,” we beg God to bless us in our material needs, as He also graces us with our spiritual needs. A fourth form of prayer is called; prayer of contrition, this refers to one’s acceptance of sinfulness and consequently asks for pardon and mercy, “forgive us our trespasses.” This prayer of contrition is a petition that focusses on sin and us, as sinners. Sin is to be destroyed and sinner to be forgiven. Our disposition must be with a contrite heart. Lastly, prayer of protection and deliverance, “lead us not into temptation, deliver us from evil.” God surely wants His children be away from harm, physical, moral, or spiritual. But He wants us to fight against evil and sin as well by willing the good and choosing to do the right thing. We fall into temptations because we fail to choose God. Praying not to fall into temptation is praying that we may always choose God, not what the evil one dictates. Also praying to be delivered from evil also means reminding us to cooperate and submit ourselves to God. For when we live for God and with God the devil will run away; St. James says, “…resist the devil and it will take flight (James 4:7).” Amen. This ends this second part, please stay tuned for the next week’s issue. God bless!

Aﬂame The Heart

INSPIRATIONAL ARTICLE FOR THE WEEK

31 February 3-9, 2022  NATIONAL NEWS

 FOOD & TRAVELS

Recipe of the Week Pork and Spinach in Coconut Milk, Pinoy Laing Style Ingredients: 1/4 kilo pork belly, cut into thick strips 1/2 kilo frozen chopped spinach 200 grams fresh baby spinach 1 400 ml canned coconut milk/cream 3-4 clove garlic chopped 1 thumb size ginger, cut into thin strips 1 large size onion chopped 2 tbsp. bagoong alamang (use ﬁsh sauce if not available) 1 stalk lemongrass (optional), trimmed crushed 1/2 tsp. cracked peppercorns 3-5 pieces green/red chili, chopped or whole salt cooking oil Cooking procedure: In a medium size sauce pan sauté garlic, ginger and onion until fragrant. Add in the pork and stir cook for 3 to 5 minutes add in the bagoong alamang and continue to stir cook for another 1 to 2 minutes. Add in 1/2 cup of water, the coconut milk, lemon grass, crushed peppercorns and chili, bring to a boil and simmer at moderate heat for 20 to 30 minutes or until the pork are tender and the sauce renders oil and almost dry, stirring occasionally. Add in the frozen spinach and baby spinach, cook at low to moderate heat for 15 to 20 minutes until almost dry, stirring occasionally. Correct saltiness if required. Serve with a lot of rice.

 FOOD & TRAVELS

No more quarantine in PHL for fully vaccinated Filipino and foreign travelers MANILA –Good news to Filipino travellers and foreigners, especially those from countries which are the biggest sources of tourists to the Philippines! The Philippine government has decided that fully-vaccinated international travelers from more than 150 countries with visafree entry to the Philippines like the United States, Canada, Japan, South Korea and Australia and returning overseas Filipinos (ROF) will no longer be required to quarantine, but must present a negative Covid-19 RT-PCR test results. The announcement was immediately lauded by Filipinos in America and other countries in Europe and Asia who said they could now plan their return to the Philippines and enjoy their reunion with the families. Cabinet Secretary and acting presidential spokesperson Karlo Nograles made the announcement in a Malacanang briefing, adding the new protocols on the entry, testing and quarantine for fully vaccinated returning overseas Filipinos, regardless of their country of origin, will take effect starting February 1 and February 10 for leisure travelers. Nograles said the new protocols were based on the recommendations of the Task Force on Covid-19 New Variants, as well as the sub-technical working group on data analytics. Based on IATF Resolution No. 159, foreign tourists will be allowed to enter the country, provided that their passports are valid for at least six months at the time of arrival, and they possess outbound tickets to their country of origin or next country of destination. They must carry “proofs of vaccination” against Covid-19 that are recognized by the IATF-EID. They include certificates of vaccination issued by the World Health Organization (WHO), VaxCertPH of the Department of Health, and a national/state digital certificate of a foreign government that has accepted VaxCertPH under a reciprocal arrangement unless otherwise permitted by the IATF. Children below 18 years of age are exempted from the requirement of full inoculation and providing proof of vaccination status prior to boarding. Under the new protocols, they would no longer be required to observe mandatory facility-based quarantine but should self-monitor for any sign or symptom for seven days with the first day being the date of arrival. They, however, must present a negative Covid-19 RT-PCR test result taken within 48 hours prior to departure from the country of origin. Nograles said international travelers must present proofs of Covid-19 vaccination, such as the World Health Organization International Certificates of Vaccination and Prophylaxis, VaxCertPH, or national/ state digital certificates from foreign governments which has accepted VaxCertPH under a reciprocal arrangement, unless othBeef Spareribs Adobo with Oyster Sauce

erwise permitted by the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases. “[They] shall be required to report to the local government unit of destination upon the manifestation of symptoms, if any,” Nograles said. The Philippines has also temporarily suspended its “green,” “yellow,” and “red” Covid-19 risk classifications for countries, territories and jurisdiction due to the Omicron variant of the coronavirus. Under IATF Resolution No. 159, the unvaccinated, partially vaccinated, or individuals whose vaccination status cannot be independently validated shall be required to present a negative RT-PCR test result taken within 48 hours prior to departure from the country of origin. They would also undergo facility-based quarantine until the release of their negative RT-PCR test taken on the 5th day. They will have to undergo home quarantine until the 14th day, with the date of their arrival being the first day. The LGUs of destination and their respective Barangay Health Emergency Response Teams are tasked with monitoring arriving passengers undergoing home quarantine. As for children below 12 years of age who can’t be vaccinated, they will follow the quarantine protocol applied to the parent or guardian accompanying them. The country’s upcoming reopening to foreign leisure travelers would restore jobs lost and businesses forced to shut down during the pandemic, according to the Department of Tourism (DOT). Starting February 10, the Philippines will allow fully vaccinated international tourists from visa-free countries, provided that they present a negative RT-PCR test taken within 48 hours prior to departure from the country of origin. To date, a total of 157 countries enjoy visa-free entry privileges to the Philippines, including some of its top tourist markets prior to the pandemic such as South Korea, Australia, Canada, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, United Kingdom, United States, and Germany. “We at the DOT are very thankful to our partners in the IATF-EID (Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases) for approving our proposal to allow the entry of foreign leisure travelers. The Department sees this as a welcome development that will contribute significantly to job restoration, primarily in tourism-dependent communities, and in the reopening of businesses that have earlier shut down during the pandemic,’’ Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said. “With years of coordination between national agencies, industry stakeholders, and the various local government units (LGUs) to prepare our destinations for tourism in the new normal, we are confident that we will be able to keep pace with our Asean neighbors who have already made similar strides to reopen to foreign tourists,” she added.