Philippine News Today by Philippine News Today

1 March 10-16, 2022

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA EDITION

www.pnewstoday.com

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

Vol. 61 No. 31 March 10-16, 2022

NEWS AND VIEWS YOU TRUST

PHILIPPINE GOV’T EYES ‘ECONOMIC EMERGENCY’ NEDA pushes steps to cushion eﬀects of Russia-Ukraine war By ALFRED GABOT, Editor-in-Chief

MANILA – Bothered by spiralling prices of food, petroleum and other products triggered by the Russia-Ukraine war, the Philippine government has started studying plans to declare a state of economy emergency. Page 9

PRESERVE INDEPENDENCE. New Commission on Elec�ons Chairperson Saidamen Pangarungan (3rd from right) vows to preserve the independence of the poll body. With him are Commissioners Aimee Neri, Aimee Ferolino, Socorro In�ng, Marlon Casquejo, and Rey Bulay.

3 new Comelec officials assume posts, vow independence, fair polls QUEZON CITY) - More than 100 current and former heads of of schools, colleges, and universities backed the candidacies of Vice President Leni Robredo and Sen. Francis Pangilinan for presi-

dent and vice-president in the May elections. A statement from the RobredoPangilinan team cited that 117 top educators signed a statement declaring their “unequivo-

Page 8

Sharp rise in oil prices sparks jitters with PH consumers

Duterte to Ilocanos: Vote for an Ilocano leader By Claire Morales True, Managing Editor

By Be�ng Laygo Dolor, Editor

MANILA – The blame falls squarely on Russia’s invasion of the Ukraine. Local shares fell below 7,000 while the peso also fell against the dollar this week in ominous signs of dark days ahead for the Philippine economy. Oil prices also rose to levels not seen in years, and the transport industry is expected to demand a new round of fare increases, which will also exert inﬂationary pressure. Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Governor Benjamin Diokno said the war in Eastern Europe would likely aﬀect the country through higher oil prices especially after crude oil prices breach the US$100/barrel level, which is expected to happen in the next few days or weeks. The US$100/barrel may only be the half of it, as prices could soar to US$200/barrel, according to Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi. This would force pump prices to reach P100 (about Page 8

FARMERTS MARKET. President Duterte leads the inaugura�on of a modern farmers market in Narvacan, Ilocos Sur as Mayor Luis Chavit Singson, Agriculture Secretary William Dar and other oﬃcials look on. NARVACAN, Ilocos Sur – dential aspirant Ferdinand President Rodrigo Duterte has “Bongbong” Marcos, who is reiterated he will not endorse the only Ilocano candidate vyany presidential candidate to ing for the country’s top leader“stay neutral” but in a public ad- ship, Duterte went on to say that dress here the Chief Executive many Ilocanos are members of virtually endorsed an “Ilocano his Cabinet. leader” who the audience said Also present during the event could be no other than former were Sen. Christopher LawSenator Ferdinand Marcos Jr., rence “Bong” Go, Agriculture being the only Ilocano presiden- Secretary William Dar, National tial candidate. Security Adviser Hermogenes Speaking during the inaugu- Esperon Jr., Presidential Adration of a modern farmers mar- viser for Northern Luzon Raul ket in Narvacan, Duterte told the Lambino, Ilocos Sur Gov. Ryan Ilocano crowd to choose the Ilo- Luis Singson, Probinsyano Ako cano leader they favor. Party-list Rep. Jose Singson Jr., Without mentioning presi- and Narvacan Municipal Mayor

Page 8

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital celebrates 60 years of saving children’s lives

New law protects Filipino workers in New York VIEWS & COMMENTS

SHOWBIZ

When may John Lloyd Cruz USCIS revoke an in movie comeback approved marriage petition? with Jasmine Curtis By A�y. Lozano

Page 14

Page 18

SPORTS

World-class Pinoy pole vaulter shut out by PATAFA Page 21

P10

PESO-DOLLAR RATE

$1.00= P52.23

March 10, 2022 2:10am

Page 8

P25

 NATIONAL NEWS

March 10-16, 2022

Comelec suspends MOA with Rappler MANILA – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has suspended its memorandum of agreement (MOA) with online news website Rappler a day after the Oﬃce of the Solicitor General (OSG) ﬁled a petition before the Supreme Court (SC) seeking to nullify the deal. In a memorandum signed by Comelec acting chair Socorro Inting, all activities in connection with the fact-checking MOA are ordered on hold. “Given the allegations against Rap-

pler and the subsequent ﬁling of the Petition with the Supreme Court, it is judicious for the Commission to hold in abeyance the implementation of the provisions of the MOA until the issues are settled and/or decision of the court is rendered,” Inting said. “All actions in connection with the MOA shall be deferred, including coordination between the Commission and Rappler on matters of the MOA,” she added.

Last month, the OSG sent a letter to Comelec, asking it to unilaterally rescind the MOA with Rappler because of undue delegation to Rappler of the Commission’s authority; its alleged violation of the Constitution and the laws; its alleged record of reporting false and grossly biased information; and its supposed violation of the State policy to be fully independent from foreign interference and secure integrity of elections. In its petition, the OSG asked the high

court to issue a temporary restraining order and to declare the MOA as void. On February 24, the Comelec and Rappler signed the agreement on voter engagement and ﬁghting disinformation in connection with the upcoming May 9 national and local elections. The National Press Club, one of the country’s oldest and biggest media organizations, has also opposed the partnership between the Comelec and Rappler.

2 of PAF’s 6 Turkish-made attack choppers now in PHL

US Embassy in Manila Chargé d’Aﬀaires Heather Variava CLARK AIR BASE, Pampanga – The Philippine Air Force (PAF) announced that two of the six units of the Turkishmade T129 “ATAK” attack helicopters it has acquired arrived at Clark Air Base, Pampanga “The PAF welcomes the arrival of two units of T129 ‘ATAK’ helicopters onboard the (Airbus) A-400M from Tur-

key at 30 minutes past midnight 09 March Mariano said the Turkish-made attack 2022 at Clark Air Base, Mabalacat City, helicopters are expected to enhance the Pampanga,” PAF spokesperson Col. “surface strike system” of the Air Force. Maynard Mariano, said. The six T129s were acquired by the PAF from the Turkish Aerospace IndusThe A-400Ms are cargo aircraft of the tries in line with the Armed Forces of the Turkish Air Force. Philippines (AFP) Modernization Plan Mariano said one of the A-400Ms car- Horizon 2. ried the two helicopters while the other Mariano said the PAF’s 15th Strike aircraft transported the initial logistics re- Wing would operate the T129s, which quirement of the two T129s. will be used for close-air support for He also said the helicopters would un- ground troops and armed surveillance and dergo technical inspection and flight tests reconnaissance. before being accepted for service to the “The T129 is a dedicated attack heliPAF. copter, much like the (Bell) AH-1S Co“It will undergo inspection, it will un- bra. This new system will complement dergo acceptance (test), test flights before the several surface strike systems of the the acceptance ceremonies can be done Air Force and will be another gameand it will go through a lot of orientation changer in support to the numerous misin (the) country, together with the pilots sions of the AFP,” he added. and the crew,” Mariano said. The first two units were supposed to He added that he expects the two T129 be delivered in December but this did not helicopters to be commissioned within push through for still unknown reasons. one or two months at the most. The six T129 attack helicopters were

acquired for a total contract price of USD269,388,862 (about PHP12.9 billion) from TAI Aerospace Industries through a government-to-government mode of procurement under Republic Act 9184 or the Government Procurement Reform Act. The T129 is a twin-engine, tandem seat, multi-role, all-weather attack helicopter based on the Agusta A129 Mangusta platform and is designed for advanced attack and reconnaissance missions in hot and high environments and rough geography in both day and night conditions. Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana signed the contract for the acquisition of the Turkish attack helicopters in July 2020. The PAF is looking at acquiring dedicated but affordable attack helicopters to beef up its fleets of lightly-armed helicopters, such as the MG-520 and AW-109E that are being used for counter-terror and ground support missions.

Comelec chairman, 2 commissioneres named MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte has named a new chairperson and two new commissioners of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) ahead of the May 9 national and local elections. Prior to the appointments, the Comelec has been operating with only 4 commissioners since last month, following the

retirement of Antonio Kho, Rowena Guanzon, and Sheriff Abas. In a Palace press briefing, acting presidential spokesperson Martin Andanar confirmed the appointment of former National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF) secretary Saidamen Pangarungan as Comelec chairman.

Pangarungan, a lawyer, was former governor of Lanao del Sur province from 1988 to 1992. He finished his Liberal Arts degree in 1971 and Law in 1976 at the San Beda College as a consistent college scholar. After passing the bar, he immediately went to law practice with the prestigious Siguion-Reyna, Montecillo & Ongsiako law offices in Makati City until 1984, where he became a legal counsel of both local and multinational companies in the country. Also appointed were veteran election lawyer George Garcia and Social Welfare undersecretary Aimee Neri as Comelec commissioners. Garcia represented Senator Grace Poe during her disqualification case in the 2016 presidential elections. He also represented defeated 2016 vice presidential candidate and aspiring presidential candidate Ferdinand Marcos Jr. during his electoral protest. Garcia was also part of the campaign team of Manila Mayor Francisco Isko Moreno Domagoso. He resigned on Monday. Currently, there are at least four unresolved cases against Marcos’ 2022 bid. Amid concerns over Garcia’s appointment due to his being a former election lawyer of a presidential candidate, Andanar assured that the selection of Comelec offi-

COMELEC CHAIRMAN Saidamen Pangarungan, and Commissioners George Garcia and Aimee Neri. cials underwent a merit-based vetting process. “Dapat respetuhin natin ang prerogative ng Pangulo. Hindi naman ito basta-basta na pinipili. Napakahabang proseso at mayroon ngang (We should respect the prerogative of the President. He doesn’t just select them. It is a long) vetting process. It’s not easy to choose an appointee na tatagal sa isang (that would last in a) quasi-judicial independent body like the Comelec,” he said. The new appointees ﬁll the three vacant seats in the seven-member Comelec en banc. Other members of the Comelec en banc are Rey Bulay, Marlon Casquejo, Aimee Ferolino, and Socorro Inting.

3 March 10-16, 2022

 NATIONAL NEWS

Lacson backs Alert Level 1 status for entire PHL dard-bearer Senator Panﬁlo “Ping” Lacson backed the recommendation of the country’s economic managers to place the entire country under Alert Level 1. “I support the recommendation of the economic managers to shift the entire country to Alert Level 1 as well as prepare for the transition from pandemic to endemic,” he said in a statement. This shift, Lacson added, is needed for the economy to recover from the efSenator Lacson fects of the coronavirus pandemic. MANILA – Partido Reporma stan“Our economy has taken a bad beat-

ing from the lockdowns and imposed alert levels over the past two years and needs to recover -- especially at this time,” he said. Lacson also said that government authorities must also be prepared for the next pandemic or any variant that might again endanger the health situation in the country. “As I always say, there is no tradeoff between health and economy. We must always be prepared to confront the problems affecting both. We cannot afford a repeat of 2020 when the

government was caught unprepared,” the Partido Reporma standard-bearer added. Meanwhile, Partido Reporma senatorial candidate and retired police chief Guillermo Eleazar expressed concern over reports that Filipinos appear to be no longer interested in being vaccinated and in getting a booster shot against the coronavirus disease (Covid-19). Eleazar said he has been receiving reports since January that most of the vaccination sites in the country are now almost empty.

Duterte names 7 more Court of Appeals justices, 39 additional trial court judges MANILA- President Duterte has appointed seven more associate justices of the Court of Appeals (CA) and 39 more judges of the regional trial courts (RTCs) and metropolitan trial courts (MeTCs). Their appointment papers were received by Chief Justice Alexander G. Gesmundo from Executive Secretary Salvador C. Medialdea. Appointed CA associate justices were Mercedita G. Dadole Ignacio, Jaime Fortunato A. Caringal, Eduardo S.

Ramos Jr., Jill Rose S. Jaugan Lo, Jose Lorenzo R. Dela Rosa, Rex Bernardo L. Pascual, and Emily L. San Gaspar Gito. Except for Pascual who was an assistant solicitor general and Ramos who was undersecretary of the Department of Public Works and Highways, all the new CA justices were former RTC judges. Ignacio took over the post vacated by the late Justice Priscilla J. Baltazar Padilla who was promoted to the Supreme Court (SC) in 2020; Caringal,

post of now SC Justice Ricardo R. Rosario; Ramos, post of retired Justice Celia C. Librea Leagogo; Lo, post of now SC Justice Jhosep Y. Lopez; Dela Rosa, post of retired Justice Edgardo T. Lloren; Pascual, post of retired Justice Elihu A. Ybanez; and Gito, post of the late Justice Franchito N. Diamante. Appointed RTC judges were Bernard De Rivera Rosario, Branch 120, Caloocan City; Manuel Isidro Rosauro Antonio V. Barrios, Branch 126, Caloocan City; Nerina Casandra N. Anasta-

cio Mendinueto, Branch 199, Las Pinas City; Vladimir B. Bumatay, Branch 56, Makati City; Ruth S. Pasion Ramos, Branch 59, Makati City; Karla Regina D. Valera Chua, Branch 147, Makati City; Joeven D. Dellosa, Branch 208, Mandaluyong City; Elizabeth M. Lim, Branch 211, Mandaluyong City; Aileen N. Saquing Agacita, Branch 213, Mandaluyong City; Delight Aissa A. Salvador, Branch 29, Manila; Maria Lourdes E. Mislang, Branch 39, Manila;

Karlo Nograles named new CSC chairman MANILA – Former Cabinet Secretary and acting presidential spokesperson Karlo Nograles has been named chairperson of the Civil Service Commission (CSC). President Rodrigo Duterte admin-

istered the oath of Nograles as new CSC chairperson at Malacañan Palace. Nograles replaced Alicia dela Rosa-Bala who retired on February 2, the end of her seven-year term. His new post requires confirmation by Congress. If his appointment is confirmed, he will be CSC chairperson until 2029. Nograles was Duterte’s cabinet secretary since 2018, replacing Leoncio Evasco Jr., who resigned to run for Bohol governor in the 2019 elections. He co-chairs the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) and chairs the Task Force on Zero Hunger. Nograles is also vice president of the Partido Demokratiko PilipinoLakas ng Bayan (PDPLaban), which Duterte chairs. He was named acting presidential spokesperson after Harry Roque joined the senatorial race in 2022. Prior to joining Duterte’s Cabinet, Nograles served his third and final term as Davao City Representative.

 METRO NEWS

March 10-16, 2022

Covid-19 cases in NCR, areas under AL 1 continue to decline MANILA – The number of new Covid-19 cases in the National Capital Region and 38 other areas under Alert Level 1 continues to go down, according to OCTA Research Group. Since the group’s prediction of less than 1,000 new cases by March, Dr. Guido David noted that the numbers might continue to decrease to a few hundred at the end of the month. “Medyo nag-slow down, pero bumababa pa rin, ‘yun ang mahalaga (It has slowed down, but it’s still going down, that’s the important thing),” David said in a televised public brieﬁng. “About 300 to 500 [new cases] tulad ng nakita natin December last year bago pumasok ang taon na ito (just like what we’ve seen in December last year before this year entered.” The slow downward trend in the Covid-19 numbers could be attributed to decreased vaccination data and population protection, he added.

To continue the decrease in cases, the group said the public must continue adhering to minimum public health standards. “Baka nagiging kampante pa rin ‘yung iba nating mga kababayan. At least, ‘yung pagsuot ng face mask, ito ay napakahalaga, napakalaking tulong ito para maalis ‘yung (Maybe, some of our fellowmen are being complacent. At least, wear a face mask because this is very important to eliminate the) infection,” David said, warning that the coronavirus is causing a rise in cases in other Southeast Asian nations. He said there could be more areas that are qualiﬁed to deescalate to Alert Level 1 considering the low number of new cases and healthcare utilization rate nationwide. However, there are areas with very low vaccine coverage, one of the metrics used by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious

Diseases and the Department of Health in the Alert Level System classiﬁcation. “Sana patuloy yung pagpapabakuna, isa rin ‘yan paraan para ma-protect tayo sa spike in cases kase ‘yung immunity bumababa rin over time kahit na-vaccinate na tayo o na-expose tayo kaya maganda pa rin mapa-booster mga kababayan natin for additional layer of protection (I hope people will decide to get vaccinated, it’s for us to be protected against a spike in cases because our immunity level decreases over time after being fully vaccinated or exposed. It’s best that we receive booster shots for additional layer of protection),” David said. As of March 5, the National Covid-19 Vaccination Dashboard showed that a total of 135,929,478 doses have been administered. Of the total doses, about 10,518,413 were given as booster shots. Despite the decline in coronavirus cases, the Department of Labor and Em-

Metro Manila subway project 30% complete: DOTr VALENZUELA CITY – Some 30.55 percent of the Metro Manila Subway Project (MMSP) is already complete, Department of Transportation (DOTr) Undersecretary for Railways Timothy John Batan reported.

“Despite the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, again, back-to-back to back major milestones were still realized despite all odds,” Batan said in his speech during an inspection of the MMSP’s Valenzuela depot.

$495

408.286.9360 408.286.9311

Batan said 576 out of the 6,400 tunnel rings needed for the partial operability segment of the MMSP have been completed, with more underway at the MMSP’s 7.5-hectare fabrication yard in Norzagaray, Bulacan. The DOTr has acquired 197,000 square meters of land and 585 structures from 324 property owners as part of the project’s right-of-way acquisition. Despite this, he said there has been no “forced eviction resettlement” of the 183 informal settler families affected by the project through the help of the Valenzuela City government. Through a right-of-way agreement signed with the Department of National Defense – Armed Forces of the Philippines (DND-AFP) in December 2020, he said the MMSP will make use of 50,000 square meters of DNDAFP land, with an additional 60,000 square meters of land for tunneling works, and additional 55,000 square meters of land for temporary works.

ployment (DOLE) reminded anew both employers and employees of the strict observance of health protocols inside workplaces under the most relaxed Alert Level 1. “The face mask will still be worn whether indoors or outdoors and the ventilation in closed spaces should also be complied with, and the vaccinations. The most important thing, we already know that and we have the mindset to wear a mask, your ventilation, especially when we enter the office and it is considered a closed space, if you have windows especially, you can open them so that your airflow is good,” Labor Assistant Secretary Ma. Teresita Cucueco said in a Laging Handa briefing. Cucueco added that the policy requiring unvaccinated on-site workers to submit negative reverse transcriptionpolymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test results every two weeks remains in effect.

QC barangays endorses Sotto’s VP bid

QUEZON CITY – More than 100 members of a group of villages in Quezon City have expressed support for the vice-presidential bid of Senate President Vicente Sotto III, who was a former vice mayor of the city, in the May 9 polls, Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte reported. Belmonte, who heads the Serbisyo para sa Bayan local political party, said 122 members of the city’s Liga ng mga Barangay rooted for Sotto as their vice presidential candidate due to his vast experience in public service which started when he was ﬁrst elected as the city’s vice mayor. Belmonte said their endorsement of Sotto was made after her consultations with local political party members. “SP Sotto was a unanimous choice of the members of my local party, yung Serbisyo para sa Bayan Party,” Belmonte said.

QUEZON CITY Mayor Joy Belmonte and Vice Mayor Gian So�o raises the hands of Senate President Vicente So�o III as barangay leaders look. The group endorsed So�o’s candidacy for vice president.

5 March 10-16, 2022

 PROVINCIAL NEWS

7 Luzon provinces ‘very low risk’ for Covid-19 BINAN CITY, Laguna – Laguna and six other provinces in Calabarzon and Central Luzon are now classiﬁed as very low risk for the coronavirus. Citing the latest data from the Department of Health, OCTA Research Group Fellow Guido David said the growth rates in new Covid-19 cases in the provinces of Aurora, Bulacan, Laguna, Pampanga, Quezon, Rizal and Zambales range from –20 percent to –58 percent while their reproduction number or number of individuals case

can infect is between 0.14 and 0.20. Meantime, the National Capital Region (NCR) and Aurora’s healthcare utilization rate (HCUR) is 0 per- the provinces of Bataan, Batangas, Cavite, Nueva Ecija cent; Bulacan’s, 13 percent; Laguna, 20 percent; Pam- and Tarlac remained at low-risk classiﬁcation. panga, 15 percent; Quezon, 11 percent; Rizal, 30 percent; and Zambales, 16 percent. For the intensive care unit utilization rate (ICUR), Aurora has 0 percent; Bulacan, 13 percent; Laguna, 17 percent; Pampanga, 27 percent; Quezon, 15 percent; Rizal, 15 percent; and Zambales, 14 percent.

Nueva Ecija bets sign pact for peaceful polls

PEACE FOR POLLS. Gubernatorial bets reelec�onist Governor Aurelio (right) and Palayan City Mayor Adrianne Mae Cuevas (2nd from le�) pump their ﬁsts as they led other aspirants for various posts in Nueva Ecija in a peace covenant for a safe, accurate, free elec�ons in May 2022. CABANATUAN CITY, Nueva Ecija – Gubernatorial bets, reelectionist Governor Aurelio Umali and

Palayan City Mayor Adrianne Mae Cuevas led other aspirants for various posts in this province rendering a vow for a safe, accurate, and free elections (SAFE) on May 9. In a program that started with a unity walk, the aspirants for governors, vice governors, Sangguniang Panlalawigan members, and representatives for the province’s four congressional districts also signed a peace covenant and released white balloons at the Nueva Ecija Police Provincial Oﬃce compound. The activity, conducted ahead before the start of the oﬃcial campaign period for local candidates, was led by the Commission on Elections, Department of the Interior and Local Government,

Philippine National Police, Philippine Army, and the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting, among others. Reelectionist Vice Governor Emmanuel Anthony Umali and his rival, former vice governor Edward Thomas Joson also signed the covenant. They also had selﬁes to the delight of the crowd. Actor Actor Rommel Padilla and former Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Oﬃce chair Alexander Balutan (1st congressional district), Joselito Violago (2nd district), reelectionist Rep. Rosanna Vergara and former Gov. Czarina Umali (3rd district), reelectionist Rep. Maricel Nagaño and Gapan City Mayor Emerson Pascual (4th district), also joined the event.

 NATIONAL NATIONAL NEWS NEWS

March 10-16, 2022

Isko vows to sustain gains in improved internet, telecom services

Isko Moreno MANILA – Aksyon Demokratiko standard-bearer Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso has vowed to sustain the current administration’s gains in improved internet and telecommunications services. During a recent roundtable discussion with top oﬃcials from the business processing outsourcing industry, Domagoso said he would invest in information technology infrastructure by building a national ﬁber-optic backbone. Domagoso said he plans to acquire satellite Internet access provided by Elon

Musk’s Starlink which provides highspeed broadband internet and is now being availed by 24 countries in the world. A report by the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) in June 2021, citing data from global monitoring ﬁrm Ookla Speedtest, said the country has climbed the rankings to the 65th spot from 84th in January of the same year, out of 180 countries in ﬁxed broadband, and 77th spot from 80th out of 137 countries in mobile. The DICT attributes this improvement in President Rodrigo Duterte’s mandate to advance improvements in telco services and ensure that the country’s internet speed and quality keep up with the rest of the Southeast Asian countries. Domagoso also planned to adopt a system of online transactions in government, similar to what he did in Manila. “We have adopted online transactions in the city of Manila, and this is scalable. Customs and other income-generating agencies of government, we have to adapt existing technology,” he said. With a reliable information technol-

ogy infrastructure, Domagoso said this would boost connection in schools, government oﬃces, and industries that rely heavily on internet connectivity. A reliable and stable interconnectivity is vital in accelerating human and economic growth, he added. The roundtable discussion, organized by the IT and Business Process Association of the Philippines, the umbrella organization of the IT-BPM sector in the country, tackled issues that they want the government to address, including improving the ease of doing business, fostering future-ready digital talent, and a stronger national digital infrastructure. “As an ally in creating jobs for more Filipinos and in nation-building, I assure you that my administration’s policies will be business-friendly and consistent to induce foreign investors and enable sustained growth for the IT-BPM industry,” Domagoso said. The IT-BPM industry has become one of the biggest economic contributors in the country generating an estimated US$28.8 billion in revenues last year.

Duterte names Matibag new CabSec; DMW Secretary, Deputy Ombudsman also appointed

PDP-Laban fac�on Secretary General Melvin Ma�bag takes oath as ac�ng Cabinet Secretary before Execu�ve Secretary Salvador Medialdea. (Photo from Ma�bag) MANILA – President Rodrigo Cabinet Secretary. Duterte has appointed Partido DemokraMatibag, who immediately took his tikong Pilipino (PDP-Laban) Secretary oath before the President, replaced Karlo General Atty. Melvin Matibag as the new Nograles who was appointed as chair-

person of the Civil Service Commission (CSC). Duterte also appointed former presidential adviser on overseas Filipino worker (OFW) concerns Abdullah Derupong Mama-o the first Secretary of the newly created Department of Migrant Workers. Mama-o’s experience and qualifications in labor and diplomatic negotiations, among others will be “invaluable” to his new position and to Filipino migrant workers. Duterte also named former Palace Undersecretary Anderson Lo as Deputy Ombudsman for Mindanao. Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea confirmed Lo’s appointment. Acting presidential spokesperson Martin Andanar also announced Lo’s appointment in a statement. “We wish Deputy Ombudsman Lo success as we assure him of the Executive’s support in the Office of the Ombudsman’s drive towards good governance in the public sector,” Andanar said. With his new post, Lo will be in charge of graft and corruption cases involving Mindanao public officials.

Survey: Pinoys see life getting better

MANILA- More Filipinos are optimistic that their lives will get better in the next 12 months, according to a Social Weather Station (SWS) survey that polled 1,440 adults from 12 to 16 December. Forty-ﬁve percent of the survey respondents said they see the quality of life improving, compared to only three percent saying otherwise, and 42 percent predicting it would just be the same. Nine

percent of the respondents did not give an answer. The ﬁgures were equivalent to a net personal optimism score (percentage of optimists minus percentage of pessimists) of plus-42, classiﬁed by the SWS as “excellent.” It was the highest net personal optimism score since the pre-pandemic level of plus-44 in December 2019, surpass-

ing plus-33 in the September 2021 poll, plus-37 in June 2021, and plus-32 in May 2021. According to the SWS, the latest three surveys showed a continuing recovery from historic lows of minus-19 in May 2020 and minus-10 in July 2020, which were conducted at the height of largescale lockdowns in the country due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Groups pushing Isko-Sara tandem mount BUTUAN CITY – Various volunteer organizations have joined the Caraga Region’s Ikaw Muna (IM) Pilipinas in supporting Presidential aspirant Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso and Vicepresidential candidate Sara Duterte in the coming May 2022 elections. This developed as the IM Pilipinas, one of the largest volunteer networks for Domagoso, oﬃcially launched “ISAng PILIPINAS” Caraga on Tuesday to serve as an umbrella organization of groups from Mindanao supporting Domagoso and Duterte. In a statement, IM Pilipinas Caraga Regional Convenor Alain Buque said “overwhelming” support continues to push for the Isko-Sara tandem. “People from all walks of life including businessmen, sectoral groups, fraternity, and brotherhood associations and our less privileged kababayans (countrymen) have joined us in this event of support for the tandem,” he added. Buque said the launch of the IM Pilipinas was the result of the massive support of Mindanaons for Domagoso and Duterte. He added that the spirit of volunteerism was evident in each of their events where supporters use their own resources to deliver victory for the IskoSara tandem. Ernesto Palaran, president of the Butuan Basurero Association, believed that people belonging to their sector will get enough attention and assistance once the Isko-Sara tandem wins this year’s election.

Sermonia is PNP’s No. 2 as more ofﬁcials retire

CAMP CRAME, Quezon City – Lt. Gen. Rhodel Sermonia is now the second-highest oﬃcial of the Philippine National Police (PNP) after being named as the deputy chief for administration. In an order, PNP chief Gen. Dionardo Carlos named Sermonia as the replacement of Lt. Gen. Israel Ephraim Dickson, who is now on non-duty status ahead of his mandatory retirement on March 27. Meanwhile, Lt. Gen. Ferdinand Divina replaced Sermonia as the deputy chief for operations, the PNP’s third in command. As deputy chief for operations, Divina will also serve as the new commander of the Joint Task Force (JTF) Covid-19 Shield, the enforcement arm of the national government in the implementation of quarantine rules and health protocols. Divina is a member of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) Class of 1988. Meanwhile, Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Eduardo Año said only President Rodrigo R. Duterte has the authority to appoint the replacement of Carlos, who is scheduled to retire on May 8, the eve of this year’s national local and elections.

7 March 10-16, 2022

 NATIONAL NATIONAL NEWS NEWS

Marcos camp belies report UniTeam skipping debates MANILA – The camp of presidential candidate Ferdinand Marcos Jr. belied a report the UniTeam is skipping poll-related debates, calling it “fake news”. “The statement being attributed to me with the title, ‘Wala ng debate para sa mga kandidato ng UniTeam magmula presidente hanggang konsehal,’ is a complete falsity and downright lie,” Marcos’ spokesperson Vic Rodriguez said in a statement. Rodriguez said the circulating report quoting him was false information and “part of gutter politics” by Marcos’ opponents. Meanwhile, Marcos has yet to conﬁrm his participation in the debate being organized by the Commission on Elections on March 19. Rodriguez earlier said Marcos’ participation would only be conﬁrmed “if his hectic campaign schedules permit.” The Commission on Elections (Comelec), meanwhile, said it will soon release the decisions on the motions for reconsid-

Uniteam

erations (MRs) to the rulings of the First and Second divisions on the disqualification cases filed against Marcos Jr. “We will be deciding it soon. Definitely, the MRs have to be decided before the elections,” commissioner Socorro Inting said. Inting said these MRs have been raffled to a particular Commissioner. “I believe that this has been raffled to a ponente the identity of which I don’t know yet because this is confidential. We just have to await the release of these MRs,” Inting added. Petitioners of the disqualification cases which have been consolidated by the former First Division namely: Bonifacio Ilagan, among others, Akbayan and Abubakar Mangelen have filed their respective MRs. Meanwhile, the petitioners led by Margarita Salandanan of another disqualification case against the former senator urged the Second Division to fast-track the resolution of the case.

Charlie Ang blamed on 34 missing ‘sabungeros’, Palace orders probe MANILA – The Philippine National Police (PNP) and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has been ordered by Malacanang to conduct a thorough investigation on the disappearance of 34 “sabungeros” (cockfighting enthusiasts) which some people were blamed on gambling tycoon Charlie “Atong” Ang. The order followed a Senate investigation into the disappearance of the “sabungeros” led by Sen. Ronald dela Rosa whose panel recommended the suspension of the operations of online sabong due to the disappearance of cockfighting enthusiasts and the addiction by many, including teenagers and some policemen, losing thousands of pesos prompting them to steal or rob establishments. Malacanang, however, was silent on the recommendation for suspension of esabong operations which during the hearing was found to be earning P60 billion or more a month. In the same hearing, e-sabong operator Charlie Ang, bewailed that several gambling operators were blaming him for the disappearance of the sabong enthusiasts. He vehemently denied the accusation. Ang identified the alleged gambling operators as Rodolfo “Bong” Pineda, alleged to be a long-time gambling operator including jueteng; a former Congressman Teves. ex-congressman Patrick Antonio, a certain Mayor Elan and former PNP chief Gen. Cascolan, of PMA class ’86.” The order for investigation is contained n a March 8 memorandum signed by Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea and addressed to Interior Secretary Eduardo Año, Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra, and Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor) chairperson and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Andrea Domingo. Medialdea directed the PNP and NBI to “submit its findings to the Office of the President and the Department of Justice

(DOJ) within 30 days from the issuance of this order.” He also directed Pagcor to conduct an investigation for any violations of its e-sabong licensees under their existing terms of agreement and to ensure compliance with the security and surveillance requirements under its regulatory framework for e-sabong off-cockpit betting stations, particularly the installation of CCTV systems in e-sabong gaming sites among others. Medialdea said the operations of e-sabong licensees not being investigated may continue. “Unless otherwise directed, the operations of e-sabong licensees must remain unaffected, pending the result of the investigations,” the memo read. The Palace memorandum was in response to Senate Resolution 996 which urged to suspend the operations and licenses of e-sabong (online cockfighting) until cases of the 31 sabungeros have been resolved. Senator dela Rosa, the chairperson of the Senate Public Order and Dangerous Drugs Committee, earlier said he would have stopped e-sabong had he been the president. Dela Rosa previously campaigned for the presidency as the standard-bearer of the ruling Partido Demokratikong Pilipino (PDP-Laban) party but later withdrew. Pagcor, for its part, thumbed down the suspension of e-sabong operations, noting that Pagcor might be held liable if it is done without a legal basis. The Senate panel is currently conducting a series of hearings on eight incidents of abduction involving 31 people that occurred between April 2021 and January this year. The abductions were allegedly linked to the victims’ involvement in esabong. Several of the missing persons had attended cockpits managed by businessman and former gaming consultant Charlie

“Atong” Ang. The PAGCOR’s P640 million revenue collection per month from e-sabong is only a “pittance” if the government would check the billions of money involved in the online gambling activity, Senate Mi-

nority Leader Franklin Drilon pointed out at a Senate hearing. The lawmaker raised this after gaming tycoon Atong Ang disclosed that his e-sabong ﬁrm, Lucky 8, alone is earning a gross monthly income of P3 billion.

SAI RAM ASTROLOGER & PSYCHIC MISS DEVI SHAMALA

 NATIONAL NEWS Sharp...

(From page 1)

US$2) per liter, according to Cusi. This week’s round of increases for gasoline and diesel “is not yet the last increase,” said Cusi. Only last month, the BSP had assumed that Dubai crude would be available in the global market at US$83/barrel, or US$10 more than the US$73/barrel assumption made in December, 2021. Dubai crude – the primary pricing reference for crude oil from the Middle East, and therefore the world market – reached a record high of US$141.33/barrel in July, 2008. This is what makes Cusi’s raising the spectre of US$200/barrel all the more worrisome. His worst-case scenario is far higher than Diokno’s US$120 to US$140 range.

Duterte...

(From page 1)

or and League of Municipalities National President Luis “Chavit” Singson. “In my Cabinet, apat o tatlo na lang kaming Bisaya, ang naiwan puro mga Ilokano na (in my Cabinet, there are only four or three of us who are Bisaya, the rest are Ilocanos,” he said. It is not the ﬁrst time the President talks about Ilocanos as his close allies and considers them as “bright and handsome” in so many ways. “Kaya ibigay ko na lang ito isang buwan aalis na ako sa Malacañan, mamili na kayo kung sinong Ilocano na lider ilagay ninyo doon (That’s why I am giving this one month, I will soon be leaving

3 new...

cal support” , following (From page 1) a scrutiny of their track record, plans for education, and “more importantly, their character as individuals.” They said Robredo demonstrated, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic,

March 10-16, 2022

At the start of this week, prices of diesel, gasoline, and kerosene rose by P5.85, P3.60, and P4.10 per liter, respectively. This spurred the public transport sector, speciﬁcally jeepney owners and drivers, to seek an increase in the base fare from P9 to P10 for short distances. A jeepney drivers group said they can barely earn P300/day (US$6), which is far below the minimum daily income needed by a family of six to survive in the metropolis. The growing jitters have forced lawmakers to call for a special session to address the issues that could cause the country to miss its already low growth target for this year even as inﬂation could again soar beyond target, just as it did last year. For the Philippines, there’s worse to come.

Traditionally, election spending particularly when the presidency is at stake results in massive spending by the political parties and their candidates. While this may result in short term ﬁnancial gains for consumers, it also adds substantial inﬂationary pressure in the short to mid-term. Thus, the recent gains of the economy which went into freefall two years ago as a result of the global pandemic that forced countless businesses to suspend operations or even permanently shut down will be eradication. The economy shrank by 9.6 percent in 2020, but recovered to eke out a growth of 5.6 percent last year. The last quarter of 2021 saw growth climb to 7.7 percent. The exchange rate on Tuesday this week saw the Philippine peso traded at 52.32 to the dollar. Only last week, the

exchange rate was still slightly below PHP50:US$1 The falling peso means that imports of oil which are already expected to hit new peaks in the near future will cost more pesos per barrel. The burden can only be assumed by the Filipino consumer. Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez assured the public that measures were in place to cushion the impact of the war in Eastern Europe on the economy. Dominguez said the country can weather the current crisis, as it has done in the past. “We have the tools and the preparation necessary to help our people through this crisis,” he said. The ﬁnance secretary said he expects the country to keep inﬂation within the two to four percent range, and the economy to grow by seven to nine percent.

Malacañang, so choose the Ilocano leader you want to stay there),” the Chief Executive said in his speech, which earned a big round of applause and cheers from the crowd in Narvacan, Ilocos Sur. Duterte inaugurated the modern farmers market in Narvacan where the town mayor is former Governor Luis Chavit Singson, who is currently the president of the League of Municipalities of the Philippines. Duterte mentioned Secretaries William Dar of Agriculture and Silvestre Bello III of Labor as among the Ilocanos in his team. Among other Ilocanos in the Cabinet are Defense Secretary Delﬁn Lorenzana, National Security Adviser

Hermogenes Esperon, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu who lately resigned for health reasons. But even if his daughter, Sara DuterteCarpio, who is married to an Ilocano from Paoay, Ilocos Norte, and is the running mate of Marcos, the President has stood ﬁrm in his decision to “stay neutral” and not to endorse any presidential candidate. He said that if the people’s interest is at stake, then maybe he would choose a presidential bet to support in the upcoming May polls. Duterte visited Narvacan as he was invited by Mayor Singson to the formal inauguration of the state-of-the-art

Narvacan Farmers Market installed with solar panel rooﬁng to reduce the cost of electricity and lessen carbon footprint emissions. Speaking during the inauguration rites, Duterte said the Narvacan Farmers Market and Commercial Complex will bring bright hopes and great opportunities to businesses and consumers not only from the municipality of Narvacan, but also from other neighbouring areas. “The establishment of this commercial facility is a testament to the long and worthwhile journey that your town has collectively endured in surpassing the challenges that you are confronted,” the President said.

that her “brand of leadership shines through best in times of crisis—one that can ﬁnd solutions that are context-based, data-driven, and equity-oriented.” “’Thus, circumspect of the challenges ahead, we believe that Robredo is the Education President our country needs to address this learning crisis and attain quality education for all,” the group said. The signatories included former CHED chairpersons Patricia Licuanan, Angel Alcala, and Ester Garcia, former education secretaries Armin Luistro and Fe Hidalgo, and former TESDA director Edicio Dela Torre. Earlier, Robredo made it clear in a Catholic forum that her pro-LGBTQIA+ stand on civil unions is absolute. At the same time, Robredo reiterated that she is against divorce, abortion, and the death penalty. But she clariﬁed she won’t impose her beliefs, and if she becomes president, she would listen to all views. “Kahit kontra ako sa divorce, kontra sa abortion, kontra sa death penalty, obligasyon ko na siguruhin na yung divergent voices pinapakinggan. That is not to say magpapa-impluwensya ako,” she explained.

LAW OFFICE OF

& ASSOCIATES 3255 Wilshire Blvd. Ste# 1010 Los Angeles, CA 90010 Tel: (213) 388-9925 Fax: (213) 388-6080 ocampolawofc@yahoo.com

CALIFORNIA LAWYER SINCE 1993 FOR COMPETENT & AFFORDABLE LEGAL SERVICES COMPLIMENTARY/FREE CONSULTATION

US IMMIGRATION LAW

FAMILY/EMPLOYMENT BASED PETITIONS LABOR CERTIFICATION DACA LEGAL REPRESENTATION IN DEPORTATION/REMOVAL PROCEEDINGS DIVORCE

FAMILY LAW

SPOUSAL SUPPORT CHILD CUSTODY/SUPPORT/VISITATION ADOPTION GUARDIANSHIP

PERSONAL INJURY

AUTO ACCIDENTS

PREMISES LIABILITY

SLIP AND FALL CASES

LABOR/EMPLOYMENT LAW

WRONGFUL TERMINATION WAGE AND HOUR DISPUTES WORKERS’ COMPENSATION PROBATE

DISCRIMINATION

ESTATE PLANNING

WILLS

TRUSTS

ESTATE ADMINISTRATION

TREAT OTHERS AS YOU WOULD HAVE THEM TREAT YOU

9 March 10-16, 2022 PHL...

Meanwhile, Department of Labor and Employment Silvestre Bello III asked for an immediate review of the wages in Metro Manila and other areas, saying the wages may no longer be enough to sustain the workers and their families. Already, the government has allocated under this year’s national budget a P2.5 billion fuel subsidies for public utility vehicle (PUV) drivers and operators and a P500 million subsidy for the agriculture sector to help them cushion the effects of spiralling prices. Prices of gas, diesel and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) soared to a new high this week as oil companies imposed an unprecedented increase of P5 or more per liter, making the pump price of gas and diesel nearing P80 per liter. In far-flung areas, prices of gas and diesel have already reached P100 per liter, it was learned. Oil prices in the world market rose further following US President Joe Biden’s order that the US will stop Russian oil importation with the United Kingdom following through. Prices of the West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil jumped by as much as 7 percent but finished the day up by 3.6 percent to US$123.7 per barrel, while Brent crude oil rose by 4.3 percent to US$123.21 per barrel. The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) has proposed an increase to the subsidies to P5 billion for the transport sector and to P1.1 billion for the agriculture sector as public transport drivers, especially the jeepney drivers, pressed for fares increases. In a related development, after several days of finishing in the negative territory, the Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) rose by 0.17 percent, or 12.15 points, to 6,989.88 points on March 9 caused by the Ukraine-Russia conflict while the peso closed at 52.23 to a US dollar after the previous day’s 52.32 finish. The government is also mulling the suspension of the Oil Stabilization Fund as officials like Senate President Vicente Sotto III and presidential aspirants Manny Pacquiao, Panfilo Lacson and Isko Moreno joined the clamor for the suspension. Sotto said he was ready to convene the Senate if the President requests for a special session of Congress to act on measures to halt the spiralling prices of petroleum products and others. Albay Rep. Joey Salceda urged Mr. Duterte to declare a (From page 1)

state of economic emergency, sying this would enable local government units (LGUs) to tap their calamity funds to address fuel price surges. Acting presidential spokesperson and Communications Secretary Martin Andanar said Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Karl Kendrick Chua presented 14 recommendations to cushion the impact of the Russia-Ukraine war during Duterte’s Talk to the People on March 7. Andanar said Duterte backed Chua’s recommendations and invited lawmakers to talk with his economic team. “Ito ay masusing pag-aaralan ng Palasyo sa pamamagitan ng Office of the Executive Secretary at nagpresenta nga kagabi ang economic team ni Pangulo ng proposed government interventions kaya tingnan natin kung ang mga ito ay sapat na (The Palace is thoroughly reviewing this through the Office of the Executive Secretary and the President’s economic team presented last time proposed government interventions so we are trying to find out if these are enough),” Andanar said. Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi, however, opposed the proposed state of economic emergency declaration, saying it is “unnecessary at this point.” Cusi assured that the government is doing “everything” to address the oil price hikes, adding that the country has enough supply of petroleum products. “It’s a total effort of everybody to face the problem. Hopefully, this problem will not last long,” Cusi said. In a Malacanang briefing, Andanar said a “full-blown war” or “world war” may trigger the declaration of an economic emergency. The declaration of an economic emergency would require a meeting among Cabinet members, he said. “It will require the full Cabinet and it will require the security cluster, the economic cluster to convene on this. And of course, the President will be the one who would chair this meeting…Well, it’s not yet happening,” he said. Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III, meanwhile, has assured President Duterte that the impact of the current RussiaUkraine crisis on the Philippines would only be temporary, and a comprehensive set of measures are now being implemented to ease its impact on the economy and the people. Dominguez said that despite the negative repercussions of the crisis in the form of increased energy and food prices, he is confident that the government will be able to keep inflation within the target range of 2 to 4 percent and attain its goal of

expanding the economy between 7 and 9 percent this year. “I would like to emphasize that we do not expect this crisis to last very long. However, there may be some lingering effects. We have seen similar crises in the past, such as in The Gulf War in 1990, the oil price shock of 2008, and also the first Russia-Ukraine conflict in 2014, and we have weathered all of these crises very well,” Dominguez said during the President’s televised meeting with Cabinet officials. Duterte called for the meeting to discuss with his economic managers the government measures being put in place to control the effects of the price hike of basic commodities, such as the provision of subsidies to affected sectors. He said the 1997 Asian financial crisis and the global financial shock of 2008 had even more severe, direct and longer effects on the economy, yet the Philippines overcame its challenges. “Based on these experiences, we are confident that we have the tools and preparation necessary to help our people through this crisis,” said Dominguez, who heads the President’s economic team. He said the Russia-Ukraine conflict would not directly affect the domestic economy, as neither country is a major trading partner of the Philippines. “Instead, the Philippine economy will likely be collateral damage; it is as if we are hit by a ricocheting bullet,” he added. Dominguez said these “indirect shocks” will likely be felt through four major channels: the commodities market, the financial market, investments, and its impact on the country’s fiscal health. The first point of impact would be on the prices of fuel and food, as Russia is the largest exporter of natural gas and wheat, while Ukraine is the fourth largest exporter of corn. As the conflict continues, Ukraine’s and Russia’s main trading partners --predominantly the European Union (EU)-- will look to trade with other countries such as the United States (US) and China, which, in turn, will drive up the prices of commodities in these markets as well. The conflict will also likely cause a surge in interest rates or cost of borrowing, which was already expected to go up even prior to the crisis because of the US Federal Reserve’s tightening of monetary policy, he said. “The conflict will increase the perception of risk in investments,” he added, which could make investors more conservative, or decide to postpone their planned investments owing to global uncertainties triggered by the crisis.

1-877-456-9266 www.crispinlozanolaw.com • • • •

Deportation and Removal Defense Waiver of Misrepresentation Self Petition for Abused Spouse Waiver of Crimes and Inadmissibility • Fiancé Visa Petition

1290 B Street, Suite 205 Hayward, CA 94541

• Eliminate Credit Card Debts • Stop Collections and Harassments

17215 Studebaker RD., Suite 337 Cerritos, CA 90703

 NATIONAL NEWS

March 10-16, 2022

US donates nearly 4-M more Pfizer vaccines to PHL

MORE JABS FROM US. The Philippines receives over 3.9 million doses of Pﬁzer vaccines on March 7. The latest shipment is donated by the US government through the COVAX facility.

By Jeanne Michael Penaranda MANILA - The United States has delivered to the Philippines another donation of 3,999,060 doses of Pfizer vaccines as the Philippine government targetted to inoculate 70 million Filipinos by March, and a total of 90 million by June. United States Agency for International Development Philippines Health Office Director Michelle Lang-Alli was present at the arrival of the donated vaccines. Lang-Alli said the US government is working closely with the Philippines in its Covid-19 efforts. The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines donated

to the Philippines is part of the US government’s continuing worldwide effort to combat COVID-19 and its commitment to partner with the Philippine government to keep Filipinos healthy and safe. The vaccines are part of the 1.2 billion COVID-19 vaccine doses that the U.S. is making available for distribution through COVAX, a global initiative to support equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines. With this donation, the U.S. has accomplished President Joe Biden’s goal of shipping 200 million doses to partner countries, five days ahead of the 100-day target. To date, some 33.3 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines have been donated by the US to the Philippines. “We are immensely proud that our friends, partners, and allies in the Philippines are receiving this historic shipment. This significant donation underscores the United States’ commitment to continue working with our Philippine partners to combat COVID-19 even as we face serious challenges around the world,” said U.S. Embassy in the Philippines Chargé d’Affaires (CDA) ad interim Heather Variava. The US government had also provided an estimated P1.9 billion worth of assistance in support of its initiatives against Covid-19. The amount was allocated to support testing, vaccine deployment, training of health workers, procurement of supplies and equipment, among others. The new shipment of close to four million doses was the largest single-day delivery of Pfizer vaccines to the Philippines. The latest shipment was made possible through the COVAX facility. A total of 1,167,660 doses of Pfizer vaccine procured by the government through the World Bank arrived via

US COVID VACCINES. United States Agency for Interna�onal Development Philippines Health Office Director Michelle Lang-Alli (le�) joins Philippine government officials and other stakeholders at the Ninoy Aquino Interna�onal Airport to welcome the latest shipment of 3,999,060 Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines. This delivery marks the U.S.’ fulfillment of President Joe Biden’s goal of shipping 200 million doses to partner countries within 100 days.

DHL Express Flight LD 456 around 9:30 p.m. at the NAIA Terminal 3. The arrival of the new US donation to Manila coincided with the anniversary of the ﬁrst COVAX delivery of life-saving COVID-19 vaccines to the Philippines. The U.S. is the largest donor to COVAX, having donated $4 billion to help protect the most vulnerable and at-risk populations in 92 low- and middle-income countries. So far, the Philippines has received from COVAX a total of nearly 74 million vaccines doses, enough to vaccinate one in ﬁve Filipinos.

PHL welcomes new law protecting Filipino workers in New York NEW YORK – The Philippine Consulate General in New York has welcomed the new measures that would protect Filipinos and other domestic workers living and working in New York City. The landmark law signed by New York Governor Kathleen Hochul in December 2021 legally considers domestic workers as “employees” under the New York State Human Rights Law while Intro 39 signed by then New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio in August 2021 extends anti-discrimination protections to domestic workers of the city. “The Philippine Consulate General welcomes these positive developments that will improve employment security and enhance work beneﬁts of kababayan employed in the household service industry,” Consul General Elmer Cato said in a March 8 statement. The expansion of the human rights law provides explicit protection for a domestic worker, who often works as the sole employee of the employer, and protects them against discrimination and harassment, according to the consulate. While city employers of domestic workers

are set to comply with the law beginning March 12, 2022, the statewide protections are already in eﬀect, it said. Domestic workers are individuals employed at a home or residence as housekeepers, nannies, home healthcare aides, or similar positions. A person does not need to live with their employer to be considered a domestic worker. “As domestic workers have historically been laboring in a shadow economy, they become particularly vulnerable to abuse and all kinds of harassment,” Cato said. “Codifying protections for domestic workers will signiﬁcantly empower them and hopefully pave the way for more legal measures to improve the lives of domestic workers,” he added

11 March 10-16, 2022

 OPINION Leni Robredo: Endure, empower and inspire

EDITORIAL

History lessons for Putin

he Vietnam war was one of the biggest mistakes in modern day US history. Not only were American soldiers considered as invaders by the Vietnamese people, the US would eventually lose the war because of the effective guerilla tactics employed by the Vietnamese. There was also no public support for the military action, worsened by the images that appeared regularly over US media on how badly the US air and ground forces acted as aggressors, sometimes targeting innocent civilians. The My Lai massacre where an entire Vietnamese community was wiped out on the mere suspicion that its residents were supporting the VietCong may have been what turned the American public to call for an end to the unpopular war. As for the legendary leader Ho Chi Minh, the head of the resistance against the US is revered as a national hero and a unified Vietnam even named its largest city after him. Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy may yet meet a similar destiny as Ho. It may have ended some five decades ago, but the US experience in Vietnam should serve as a warning that invading forces will not succeed without the support of the people back home, as was learned more recently by Russia and the US where their attempted occupation of Afghanistan is concerned. Vladimir Putin appears to be ignoring the lessons of history, as his invasion of Ukraine is fast losing support among the people of Russia. From ordinary citizens to titans of industry, there has been a clamor to end the war. Russians not only want their forces to agree to a ceasefire, end the bombings, and withdraw from Ukraine, sooner rather than later. By all accounts, the Russian president is not listening to his own people. It has not happened yet, but there may come a time when Russians in large numbers will take to the streets, march to the Kremlin, and even call for the resignation or forced removal of Putin. And this could be the main difference between Americans calling for an end to the war in Vietnam and forcing then President Lyndon Johnson to abandon his bid for reelection, and Russians expressing their displeasure at their president. Putin is unlike any US president in that he is a strongman who has no qualms in silencing his critics with the use of extreme violence. He considers any form of dissent against his one-man rule as an act of treason, and therefore punishable by imprisonment, even death. This week, the last of Russia’s free media was silenced when Putin had broadcast station TV Rain shut down. We cannot even hazard a guess as to what fate will befall the Russian business leaders who have openly called for an end to the war since Putin had been expecting them to support his action, no matter the cost or consequences. In recent times, Russia was the center of an empire known as the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. Alas, the USSR is no more. And Putin is also ignoring yet another historical lesson. When an empire falls, chances of it returning to its former glory are virtually non-existent. The best thing for Putin to do now is to find a face-saving way out of Ukraine.

Upside

O this day, the Philippines can claim a fundamental but monumental accomplishment over the United States in having elected not one but two and potentially three women presidents. If the final count is fraud-free, according to her supporters, incumbent Vice President Leonor “Leni” Gerona Robredo, a front-runner in the ongoing presidential race, will join the company of Corazon Cojuangco Aquino and Gloria Macapagal Arroyo on May 9, 2022. Robredo rose to political prominence in the passing of her husband Jesse Robredo, Local Governments CHERIE M. QUEROL MORENO Secretary and former Naga City Mayor, who died in a plane crash on the job in 2012. An advocate for the marginalized like her husband, the mother of three daughters took on her husband’s mantle in 2013, when she won the seat to represent the Third District of Camarines Sur. In Congress, she authored the bills improving infrastructure, organizing youth engagement in nation-building, promoting fiscal accountability, increasing funding for high schools, decriminalizing premature marriage and reforming election service requirement for teachers. In 2016 she ran for Vice President and defeated Duterte’s running mate Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. While apparently shut out from the presidential circle, she continued her programs to fight poverty, women’s empowerment, Vice President and 2022 presiden�al race front-runner Leni education, health care, PH Robredo with daughters Aika, Tricia and Therese. Courtesy OVP housing and rural development, and housing. Robredo echoes the courage and conviction of Cory Aquino, who was swept into office after the assassination of her husband Sen. Benigno Aquino, Jr. She poured her education and experience as economist, lawyer, her husband’s partner in good governance and champion for social justice. The Liberal Party bet chose pink as campaign color, her followers self-identifying as “Kakam-pink,” portmanteau of Tag-lish “fellow pro-pink.” Their grassroots efforts have made ”lugaw” or porridge cool as it was in the 1980s, when it was the best cure for hungover folks of privileged as it was the only meal for their compatriots in need. Robredo portrays humility and grace, wisdom and resolve. She is the new Gabriela Silang, woman warrior for this millennium, a role model to recognize this week of 2022 International Women’s Day. (Continued on page 27)

Philippine News Today is published weekly by Philippines Today LLC with business and editorial oﬃces at 1290 bayshore hwy unit 151Burlingame ca 94010 Phone no . 650-872-3200 E-fax # 650-745-1442 and website address www.pnewstoday.com and email address advertising@philippinestodayus.com or editor@philippinestodayus.com MANILA OFFICE: Le Marquis Townhomes, 51 P. Tuazon Blvd. Quezon City 1112, Tels. 8546.8426, 8451.1892, 8546.8421

FRANCIS ESPIRITU MARILYN B. KING

Vice President for Sales and Marketing

BETING LAYGO DOLOR Manila Editor

JUNNI RANILLO

Entertainment Editor

ANGELO LOPEZ Cartoonist

ELEANOR SMITH Oﬃce Manager

NICK SAGMIT GEORGE GANGE RENE AVENIDO

Photo Correspondents

Publisher/President

THELMA L. CRUZ

Vice President for Operations & Promotions

CHERIE QUEROL MORENO Executive Editor

NEIL GONZALES

Chief Correspondent Northern California

LYDIA SOLIS

Chief Correspondent Southern California

MA. CECILIA G. MADELO Graphic Director

GILDA PASION BALAN FRANCO G. REGALA ALI MACABALANG JEANNE MICHAEL PENARANDA Manila Correspondents

ALFRED G. GABOT Editor-in-chief

CLAIRE M. TRUE Managing Editor

JO ERLINDA YABUT Entertainment Editor

THOMAS G. MADELO JR. Creative Director

BLESIE D. SISON ALBERT MARTINEZ RENE AMON Account Executives

VAL G. ABELGAS, HOMOBONO A. ADAZA, PERRY DIAZ, JOJO LIANGCO, JO ERLINDA G. NEBRES, ROY C. MABASA, ART G. MADLAING, FR. JOEPEL PADIT, RODEL E. RODIS, LOURDES TANCINCO ESQ, MELANDREW T. VELASCO, DANTES & CYNTHIA VELUZ, CRISTINA OSMENA, LUDY ONGKEKO. COLUMNISTS

The views and opinions expressed herein by writers, columnists and advertisers are their own and do not necessarily reﬂect those of the publisher, management and staﬀ of Philippines Today. We are not responsible for incorrect printing, photographical errors or information listed or for loss or damage of unsolicited manuscripts. Reproduction or redistribution in whole or in part is prohibited.

 OPINION GGCC hosts Books Launching & Monthly Rafﬂe PerryScope

HE RUSSIAN INVASION of Ukraine is now on its second stage: the bombardment of Ukraine. Without a no-fly zone over the Ukrainian sky, the Russian Air Force is now poised to launch all-out air strikes against Ukraine. But Russian President Vladimir Putin warned any attempt by NATO allies to impose a no-fly zone over PERRY DIAZ Ukraine would be viewed as “participation in the armed conflict.” Nevertheless, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called President Joe Biden and his NATO allies “weak” for not agreeing to impose a no-fly zone over Ukraine. He said that the “lack of a no-fly zone was putting blood in the hands of the West.” In a bitter speech, he renewed his call, telling NATO that “all the people who die from this day forward will also die because of you.” He also criticized Biden for not imposing severe sanctions against Russia and for not stopping buying Russian oil, which makes one wonder: Why? Why? Why? While Russian President Vladimir Putin has gone all-out on his barbaric and illegal assault on the brave Ukrainian people, Biden seemed to have cocooned himself in Washington DC issuing warnings to Putin that he’ll fight for every inch of NATO territory. How about a NATO partner’s territory, Mr. President? Aren’t you going to help a reliable and valuable ally from being slaughtered by Putin? Don’t you believe in the saying, “A friend in need is a friend indeed”? Or do you consider Ukraine a “fair weather friend” who is now fighting for her dear life? Do you treat Ukraine as a second-class ally to be used at your convenience but wouldn’t lift a finger to save her from annihilation? Putin smells blood But Putin, who must have sensed Biden’s rigid stand against helping Ukraine – after all, he vowed never to go to war against Russia over Ukraine – is having the best time of his life. Yesterday, he issued two ultimatums to Biden and NATO: (1) Sanctions against Russia will be considered a “declaration of war,” and (2) Sending weapons to Ukraine will be an “act of war.” Is Biden going to withdraw from Europe and surrender Ukraine to Putin? That’s what Putin’s ultimatums come down to. Is Biden going the easy way out by following Putin’s dictate? While withdrawing from Afghanistan had caused a geopolitical ripple, withdrawing from Ukraine would be tantamount to a “geopolitical catastrophe” far worse than what Putin said in 2005 when he lamented, “The demise of the Soviet Union was the greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the century.” It would be the end of Pax Americana and the beginning of Pax Russica. It would seem then that Putin is playing his end game with ultimatums. But Biden’s retinue of retired generals and admirals would probably advise him not to heed Putin’s threats to withdraw or else suffer the consequences of a nuclear war. Nuclear war A nuclear war? Heck, the specter of a nuclear war scares the hell out of Biden. Putin is very much aware of MAD; that is, Mutually Assured Destruction. But the question is: Does Putin have the courage to end his own life by pressing the Doomsday Button that would fire Russia’s arsenal of nuclear weapons, enough to blow planet Earth to billions of radioactive meteorites? Let’s analyze this very carefully. Putin may be crazy but he’s not stupid. He is a narcissistic megalomaniac whose selflove strips him of any compassion for people. Like Hitler, he delights in the suffering of people. He reminds me of the movie, “Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb.” But make no mistake; he loves his money. Actually, he’s rumored to have stashed $200 billion someplace. Anybody who has accumulated that kind of moolah wouldn’t want to leave it on Earth. But knowing that he is just a mortal being who lives on borrowed time, it must have stricken him to the core. So he’s got one option left; that is, to immortalize his legacy. But he has a problem; he won’t be in the company of the world’s great men and women. He’d be in the company of the world’s villains. He’ll be next (Continue on page 27)

s book author, columnist and evangelist, I am delighted to announce that the Golden Gate Church of Christ (GGCC) is hosting Books Launching & Monthly Raffle every last Saturday (2-3pm) of the month at the GGCC Fellowship Hall, 701-8th Avenue (near Golden Gate Park) San ART GABOT MADLAING Francisco, California 94118 starting March 26, 2022. More than 50 prizes will be drawn and awarded to the monthly raffle winners. The raffle prizes will include SAFEWAY Gift Certificates, Abe FREE Haircut Certificates, bottles of the proven and tested GLS natural health supplement, FREE MSS Signatures Notarization Certificates, FREE Real Estate Consulting (Loan, Buying or Selling) Certificates, autographed copies by the authors and publisher of the following best-selling books and publications, namely: “HISTORICITY OF JESUS” subtitled “Facts and Evidences for Agnostics, Atheists, Believers and Christians,” “JESUS CHRIST” subtitled “The Final Days on Earth Before His Return to Heaven,” “LIFESTYLE FOR LONGEVITY” subtitled “How to be Healthy Emotionally, Financially, Physically, Sexually and Spiritually,” “REAL ESTATE & YOU” subtitled “Basic Information and Guide for Successful Investing in Home Land and Income Property,” and “Christian World Ministry”, Quarterly Journal. There are four ways you can join the Books Launching & Monthly Raffle namely: 1. Visit the two locations of ABE Barber Shop located 5308 Mission Street (2 blocks from Geneva Avenue), San Francisco, CA 94112 and 7146 Mission Street (near Midas at the corner of Mission Street and School Street, Daly City, CA 94014 and sign the REGISTRATION LOG; 2. Visit the global MY ANGEL RADIO San Francisco studio located inside the GGCC building, 701-8th Avenue (near Golden Gate Park), San Francisco, CA 94118 every Saturday 11:am to 3:00pm and sign the REGISTRATION LOG; 3. Attend and/or join the Bible Classes (10:00 am) and Worship Services (11am) every Sunday at the GGCC Auditorium, 701-8th Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94118 and sign the REGISTRATION LOG; 4. Write or contact: BOOKS MINISTRY, 701-8th Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94118 Tel. (650)438-3531 or (415)584-7095 or email:artmadlaing@ gmail.com After registration, and/or completing the REGISTRATION LOG, you don’t need to be present to win. All monthly Raffle Winners will be published through the “HEALTH & WEALTH” column in the weekly PHILIPPINE NEWS TODAY. Monthly Raffle winners will be announced also in the global MY ANGEL RADIO San Francisco every Saturday, 11:am to 3:00pm. “Real Estate & You” now available at Amazon As book author and columnist, I consider the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown as a “blessing in disguise” for me. The pandemic lockdown enabled me to focus on writing and completing not only the two best-selling books “LIFESTYLE FOR LONGEVITY” subtitled “How to be Healthy Emotionally, Financially, Physically, Sexually and Spiritually,” “HISTORICITY OF JESUS” subtitled “Facts and Evidences for Agnostics, Atheists, Believers and Christians,” but also the third book “Real Estate & You” (Revised 2022 Edition) subtitled “Your Basic Information and Guide for Successful Investing in Home, Land and Income Property.” The upcoming “Real Estate & You” (Revised 2022 Edition) subtitled “Your Basic Information and Guide for Successful Investing in Home, Land and Income Property” will be printed and marketed by Amazon on March 31, 2022. Here are some reviews and comments on the upcoming book: “This book is a must reading for anyone deciding and planning to invest in real estate anywhere in the world,” said Henry T. Bravo, Elder, SURREY CHURCH OF CHHRIST, Vancouver, B.C. Canada. “Very readable and easy to understand, which should be about right for my ability,” wrote Bernice Bowen, San Francisco, California, USA. “Yes, this book is understandable for folks who haven’t spent years studying real estate laws and practices. It can save you money!” explained Patrick Andersen, Editor, Asian Wek, San Francisco, California. “I commend and salute Art (Continue on page 27)

New horizon for new beginnings Part III

“Don’t lose your way With each passing day You’ve come so far Don’t throw it away Live believing Dreams are for weaving Wonders are waiting to start Live your story Faith, hope and glory Hold to the truth in your heart.” - First part of the song, If We Hold On Together, sung by Diana Ross

en who want to change their countries or even the world are weavers of dreams. Many, if not most of them, come from privileged families. This is understandable as only the privileged can secure the best possible education while those who come from less privileged families are trying hard to make a liv- HOMOBONO A. ADAZA ing to support themselves and their families. As a rule, they have no time to dream of great things for their countries or even their communities. This is one of the vagaries of life that one often wonders why this is so. It is not really that complex. When you come to study the history of countries, you will find to your elation or dismay that this is true. The dreamers who did not abandon their dreams succeeded to build the countries in the shape of their vision. Revolutionary dreamers: In this country, we have a lot of revolutionary dreamers. They range from those who fought to build a country through the force of arms to those who struggled through constitutional methods. They are too many to enumerate - only books of history immortalizes their victories or their failures. The ones I remember with fondness are men like Andres Bonifacio and Luis Taruc. They epitomize and demonstrate unmeasured patriotism and heroism. I know Andres Bonifascio through the books that I read. He is quite impressive – so impressive he should have a better place in history books and national celebrations than what he has today But that life’s in this country. Being a man of the masses does not count for those who write the history of this country and bestow honors to the most deserving. Luis Taruc: My first meeting with Ka Luis took place when he was guest speaker of the West Cagayan de Oro City Rotary. Of course, I was visibly impressed because of his being the Supremo of the HUKBALAHAP, popularly known as HUK, the guerilla organization which fought the Japanese invaders during the Second World War in Central Luzon. After his speech and at the end of the program, Ka Luis was surrounded by about ten eager Rotarians who wanted to have the privilege of a personal touch with him. The first Rotarian who fired a question and comment was Tito Nable who asked and commented, “Ka Luis, why did you surrender? You should have continued with the Revolution.” Surprised at the question and suggestion, Ka Luis looked around the Rotarians surrounding him and said, “This is a good number. You have convinced me. So let’s go to the hills tonight and pursue the goals of the Revolution.” Almost to a man, the Rotarians commented, “No, Ka Luis, we will just contribute money and you pursue the Revolution.” Ka Luis replied, “Do you expect me to mount a Revolution by myself?.” And everybody laughed at the razor-edge answer. It took me to become Provincial Governor of Misamis Oriental during Marcos’ martial law to meet Ka Luis again when he was guest at the Provincial Farm House. I was to deliver the welcome remarks and I welcomed the idea as I was informed that after the program Ka Luis was to go to Claveria town with his FAITH members to take over the twenty-four hectare titled land of Mayor Juan Azcuna Po of Jasaan town. As we were seated together, I asked him, “Ka Luis, is it true that you are going to take over a twenty-four hectare land in Claveria with your followers?” “Yes, that is true,’ he an(Continue on page 27)

Diliman Way

How long can Putin stay in power?

Health & Wealth

March 10-16, 2022

13 March 10-16, 2022

Offline

he vote-rich Southern Tagalog region has become a key battleground for the coming presidential election. Specifically, the provinces of Cavite and Batangas could deliver the votes that will spell the difference between victory and defeat. Unfortunately, the governors of the two provinces BETING DOLOR have given strong indications that they will do everything to guarantee a win for Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. I am ashamed to say that Hermilando Mandanas is the governor of my home province. We Batangenyos have always prided ourselves in being ‘magiting’ or honorable, which is something our governor is not. Unfortunately, I do not vote in Batangas. I’m a registered voter in the city of Makati. But I know for a fact that my kabayans will NOT deliver the vote for Junior. He may get a chunk of the total vote, but he will not win the majority, or even a substantial plurality. Incidentally, Senator Ralph Recto had earlier endorsed Isko Moreno, and the husband of the popular Vilma Santos is also going to eat his words that our province will go for the Manila mayor. There are strong indications that Ate Vi is siding with Leni Robredo, and her implied endorsement carries greater clout than her husband. My friends and relatives on the ground tell me that it is the vice president who will likely win the Batangas vote. In a recent visit, she received the same rock star treatment she’s been getting everywhere she goes with not only large crowds but with ecstatic supporters not afraid to openly display their love for Robredo. In fact, it is the ever growing public support that tells me that the surveys indicating a win by Junior are false. But while Mandanas has only supported Robredo, Cavite Gov. Jonvic Remulla is worse. By his actions last week, this former media practitioner has shown that he is a trapo of the first order. He had been expected to support Senator Ping Lacson, who is proud of his Cavite roots. But Lacson does not have the money that Marcos has, so the governor of his home province preferred to back the half-baked Ilocano to be the country’s next chief executive. I say half-baked because the guy doesn’t even speak his province’s dialect. Remulla promised Junior that he would win by a huge majority in Cavite, even if there are strong indications that the province is Leni country. This was proven by the massive crowd that greeted her last week, a gathering that no other candidate has been able to match. Remulla even had the road leading to the venue of the Robredo rally closed, but this did not deter the candidate. She hopped on a motorcycle in order to make it to the site, and this only endeared her more to the Cavitenyo crowd. It should be noted that when the office of Remulla conducted an online survey, Robredo won over Junior by a mile. But the camp of the sole woman candidate for the presidency has precious little funds, and this has admittedly hampered their ability to mount a well-organized campaign. On the plus side, however, she has countless volunteers who are not only unpaid, but usually donate their own money for Robredo’s quest for the presidency. Sorry to say that when the likes of Mandanas and Remulla endorse a candidate who has no qualifications for the presidency but has all the money to buy an election, I can only surmise that they must have received tens of millions of reasons why. The Southern Tagalog pair are not alone, either. In fact, the camp of Junior has been concentrating on getting endorsements from entrenched politicians because it is the only way they can create some sort of bandwagon effect. This is also old style Philippine politics, which also engages in paying the poor to attend rallies, not just with money but also free food, cheap t-shirts, and tarps which can be recycled for use in house repairs. There are many things going Robredo’s way these days. One of the survey firms that earlier said Junior was some 30 points ahead of Leni came (Continue on page 27)

E R C U L E S CITY, California— The campaign that is aimed to mobilize support among US-based Filipinos and their connections back home for the front running Marcos-Duterte tandem moved to high TEDDY P. MOLINA gear recently as former six-term Milpitas, California Mayor Jose Esteves and Milpitas former Councilman Garry Barbadillo reaffirmed their pledge of commitment and support for both candidates. This developed as Hawaii construction magnate Lito Alcantra, Esteves’s Co-Chairman of the United States Pinoys’ Alliance for BBMSARA (USPA for BBM-SARA) similarly renewed his unwavering commitment to push the duo’s presidential and vice-presidential bids among Filipino communities in Hawaii. This writer met up with the two Milpitas leaders last Sunday at the Milpitas city Library. Their reaffirmation at the library was deemed more meaningful and significant as former Mayor Esteves was the huge library’s prime mover and founder. A marker on prominent display inside the library manifests this. Councilman Barbadillo who is USPA Vice Chairman and Legal Counsel had just planed in from El Salvador where he had a brief vacation with his family while their children were on spring break. He expressed his eagerness to advocate the BBM-SARA ticket. In Honolulu Tuesday night, mang Lito, as the most sought-after builder-contractor is fondly called, told this writer he will go all the way for Bongbong and Sara as he reiterated how he similarly stood four square behind the Marcoses when the late President Ferdinand Marcos and his family were living in exile in Honolulu. With their assets and finances frozen in 1986, the late President and his family were supported by Hawaiian Pinoys led mainly by Lito Alcantra. Alcantra also took charge when the late president died and his remains were laid at the Valley of the Temples in Honolulu for a while before they were transported to Ilocos Norte. A vast majority of US-based Filipinos live in Hawaii and California. They are expected to be the battleground for Pinoy votes in the United States in the coming May election for national positions in the Philippines. Sen. Marcos and Mayor Duterte enjoy a lopsided advantage over their rivals gauging from USPA field reports. “Now, it’s our job to not only maintain but increase and widen much more Bongbong’s and Sara’s lead,” mang Lito stressed. He also urged that preparations should now be initiated towards the protection of votes to preempt cheating in the canvassing of ballots. “Otherwise, masayang lang pinagtrabahuan natin kung madadaya lang ang kandidato natin, (Otherwise, all our efforts will be in vain if our candidates are cheated),” he warned.

Isolation will eventually take its toll

n the distant past, countries would come to the rescue of aggrieved nations by sending troops to help fight the aggressors. That was the case in the first two world wars. After Germany and Austria-Hungary attacked Serbia and Romania, and annexed Belgium following the assassination VAL G. ABELGAS of Austria’s Archduke Franz Ferdinand on June 28, 1914 by a Serbian assassin, the world was plunged into the First World War. Great Britain, France, Italy and other European nations sent troops to defend Serbia and fight the Germans. Russia saw on opportunity to control the Balkans and Tsar Nicolas II mobilized troops to fight the Germans and Austrian-Hungarians on July 30, 2014. The United States joined the fray when President Woodrow Wilson sent American troops to Europe after German submarines attacked passenger and merchant ships plying the Atlantic Ocean. With the infusion of US troops, the tide of battle turned and Germany eventually surrendered and signed an armistice agreement on Nov. 11, 1918, which made it pay huge reparations to countries damaged by the war. Determined to avenge the humiliation and the economic woes suffered by Germany, German Chancellor Adolf Hitler rebuilt the country’s army in violation of the Treaty of Versailles that ended the previous war. He annexed Austria and forced Czechoslovakia to surrender Sudetenland. The warweary European neighbors called for peace and convinced the Cezchs to give Sudetenland up in exchange for Hitler’s promise not to annex more territories. A few months later, in March 1939, Germany invaded the rest of Czechoslovakia and devoured Poland in September that year, again plunging Europe to another major war. Great Britain, under the new Prime Minister Winston Churchill, sent troops to France to rescue British troops trapped in Dunkirk and showed to the world that the Germans were not invincible. Churchill convinced US President Franklin Delano Roosevelt to send tanks and weapons to help Britain fight the Germans. A few months later, Roosevelt was able to convince Congress to come out of its isolation to help fight the Germans. The arrival of American troops and the entry of Russia after it was attacked by Hitler’s troops, turned the tide against Germany. Fast forward to 2022, or almost 80 years since the Germans’ surrender and the eventual surrender of Japan, the world is now faced with another aggression that threatens to plunge us into another devastating world war. Again Europe and America are cautious not to intervene militarily, not because they are wary about fighting Russia, but because sending troops into Ukraine might trigger a nuclear war, which has the potential of instantly killing millions of people and rendering a big chunk of Earth unlivable for decades. But in a new world where nations are interconnected by technology and commerce, the Allies may have found an alternative to nuclear annihilation on both sides, at least until Putin goes mad and decides to march on to other neighboring nations as Hitler did in 1939, in which case the West would have to resort to military intervention. Although the US, France and other European nations are sending weapons and other military equipment to help Ukraine fight the Russians, they have stopped short of direct military intervention. Economic, diplomatic and other forms of sanctions are now the weapons of choice in such military aggressions, at least in its early stages. The US, Europe and other countries showed their support for Ukraine and their condemnation of the unprovoked invasion launched by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

On Distant Shore

The Southern Tagalog battleground

USPA leaders on high gear

Breaking Through

 OPINION

 BUSINESS | IMMIGRATIONS When may USCIS revoke an approved marriage petition?

n approved marriage-based petition may be revoked if the USCIS or the U.S. Consulate has a reasonable basis that was not considered at the time of the approval. Until you are admitted to the U.S. as an immigrant or you adjust status, USCIS may revoke the approval of the petition at any time, for good and sufficient cause. Some petitions may be automatically revoked, such as when the petitioner withdraws the petition, divorces the beneficiary, or dies and section 204(l) survivor benefits do not apply. Other petitions may be revoked on notice when USCIS determines it issued the approval in error. An approved I-130 petition by a U.S. citizen or permanent resident spouse allows you to apply for an immigrant visa at the U.S. Consulate or file for adjustment of status within the U.S. (if eligible). An approved I-129F petition permits you to apply for a K-1 visa to come to the U.S., marry the U.S. citizen petitioner within 90 days of arrival, and then file for a green card. Getting the petition approved is just a preliminary step. When may USCIS revoke an approved petition? USCIS may seek to reverse its decision and revoke the approval based on information or evidence that it did not previously consider. The information or evidence need not have been unavailable or undiscoverable at the time the petition was approved. A NOIR may be based on plain USCIS error, such as overlooking a prior marriage fraud determination or lacking information or evidence discovered by the U.S. Consulate. How Does the Revocation Process Work? Revocation process applies only if you have not been issued a green card. Once you are permanent resident, revocation of the petition approval is no longer possible. Instead, the U.S. government must use rescission or removal (deportation) proceedings to take your green card away. The revocation process may begin at any time after the petition is approved, but before you adjust to permanent residence or before you are admitted to the U.S. on an immigrant visa. When USCIS, on its own initiative, determines it approved an I-130 or I129F in error, it retrieves the petition from the USCIS office, consular office, or National Visa Center (NVC) for possible revocation. The U.S. Consulate may also initiate revocation by sending the case back to USCIS for further review, due to negative information it obtained during review of the visa application or during its interview of the visa applicant. The consular officer typically denies the visa application under INA section 221(g) (temporary refusal of immigrant visa), pending USCIS’ review of the returned petition. The Consulate returns the petition to USCIS with a memorandum explaining why it believes the petition should not have been approved or is no longer approvable. Consulates return immigrant petitions to the National Visa Center, which then route them to the appropriate USCIS offices. Case Status Information When a petition is returned and relocated to USCIS, the status of the petition is logged into the national USCIS database system, which in turn updates the Case Status Online system on USCIS’ website. Note: This is not a legal advice and for information only. Immigration News The DHS issued a new guidelines for the arrest and deportation of undocumented immigrants. The guidelines focused on national security. crimes and border security as the government priority. Success Stories For the month of February 2022, we received approvals from USCIS four naturalization applications, two Fiancée visa petitions, three removal of condition on residence and four adjustment of status applications. 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/

March 10-16, 2022

Philippines’ gross international reserves hit $107.98 B in February MANILA - The country’s gross international reserves (GIR) level rose to $107.98 billion as of the end of February, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas said. The ﬁgure is slightly higher than January’s $107.69 GIR level, the BSP said in a statement. “The latest GIR level represents a more than adequate external liquidity buﬀer equivalent to 10.2 months’ worth of imports of goods and payments of services and primary income,” the central bank said. “Moreover, it is also about 8.4 times the country’s short-term external debt

based on original maturity and 5.8 times based on residual maturity,” it added. The increase in the GIR level is mainly due to the adjustment in the value of BSP’s gold holdings as well as BSP’s income from investments abroad. Prices of gold rose in the international market due to the ongoing crisis between Russia and Ukraine. BSP Governor Benjamin Diokno earlier said the country’s hefty dollar reserves would help the Philippines weather global crises such as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Law amending Foreign Investments Act signed MANILA – President Rodrigo R. Duterte has signed into law a measure amending the Foreign Investment Act (FIA) to make the Philippines more accessible to foreign investors. Signed by Duterte on March 2, Republic Act (RA) 11647 amends RA 7042 or the Foreign Investments Act of 1991. The new law allows qualified nonPhilippine nationals to do business in the country or invest in a domestic enterprise up to 100 percent of its capital and liberalizes the practice of professions not governed by existing special laws. The law also allows foreign investors to set up 100 percent ownership of all small- and medium-sized enterprises. Albay Rep. Joey Salceda, who was a principal author of the House version, said the law could boost the country’s bid to be “a leading startup hub in Southeast Asia”, especially for tech and other companies seeking to solve long standing problems in financial inclusion, agricultural productivity, health delivery, and other key services. “The fact of the matter is that disruptions in the global economy now come from small, tech-driven startups. Under the FIA amendments, tech startups would be able to locate in the Philippines with less friction, move their professionals and experts in, and teach Filipinos and improve conditions in lagging sectors of the economy,” Salceda said. Salceda said the law could be complemented by the establishment of special investors and experts’ visas for tech startups of the size that the FIA amendments now allow in the country. “The current special investors’ resident visa allows in foreigners who seek to invest US$75,000 or more in the country. I strongly suggest that we alter that a bit to also allow startup founders who may not have met that investment criterion yet, but are willing to locate their desirable startups in the country,” he said. He said the effect of a tech startup founders’ visa in the country is that while they may not necessarily be investors

themselves, they may potentially attract investors with capital to invest in their own startups, which will be Philippinebased. Salceda also said the FIA amendments pave the way for “expert and highly technical personnel visas,” similar to the EB-1 or Einstein Visas granted by the United States for people who are highly acclaimed in their field as well as respected academic researchers and multinational executives. “Encouraging the world’s best to live and work in the Philippines could only mean well for knowledge transfer in the country. And the FIA amendments pave the way for that by liberalizing the practice of professions not governed by special laws,” he said. AAMBIS-Owa Party-list Rep. Sharon Garin, meanwhile, said the country needs more foreign investments to come in and help supplement Filipino capital.” “After 30 years, we now have an updated and relevant law that fits the needs of our country. Definitely, Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) will play a big role in our post-pandemic economic recovery measures. This is part of the effort to gain more capital or investments and help grow ailing industries,” she said. Garin expressed hope that the creation of more jobs will result in faster post-pandemic economic recovery. “Hopefully, the time when we are ranked as the third most restrictive economy in the world based on the 2020 Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) report, is now behind us,” Garin said. She said there is a trickle-down effect when the country experiences a generally good investment climate, as it generates more employment opportunities and will introduce innovation to industries that need to compete in the international market. “Ultimately, you’ll have better buying power for everybody and will help the government provide better quality of goods and services. It’s definitely a winwin situation,” Garin said.

 ENTERTAINMENT

March 10-16, 2022

Promotions Are Waiting for You at Graton Casino! Don’t Miss the Chance – Concerts Are Back in Graton! Let’s gather with relatives and friends at Graton Resort & Casino to spend great moments together! The last Friday of March, April and May there is Lexus and Cash Giveaway, a Lexus will be guaranteed given away as well as cash prizes. Bringing you with unexpected good fortune by driving a luxury car home! And, starting from today till May 26, every Thursday, 5pm – 10pm, Good Fortune Slot Tournaments will be held, top prize up to $15,000 cash, total prize up to $500,000! All reward members get one free entry into each tournament and get a chance to win double or triple the prize amount! For more information related to the promotion, please visit GratonResortCasino. com or call 707-588-7100. In addition to the exciting entertainment gaming, Graton Resort & Casino will also host three concerts “Vietnamese Night Summer Concert”, “Filipino Hitmakers Concert” and “William So Concert” on 6/3, 6/25 and 9/2 respectively. Lots of famous Vietnamese singers and artists will perform on 6/3, such as: MC KỲ DUYÊN, HÀ THANH XUÂN, ĐAN NGUYÊN, MINH TUYẾT, NGUYỄN HỒNG NHUNG, TRỊNH LAM, LAM ANH, VÂN SƠN, BẢO LIÊM, KỲ PHƯƠNG UYÊN, NGUYỄN HƯNG … bring you a variety of different styles of performance. This concert deﬁnitely is your most anticipated one! Filipino Hitmakers Concert will be held on 6/25. Famous artists MARCO SISON, HAJJI ALEJANDRO, REY VALERA and NONOY ZUNIGA will be performed. Also, with the special guest POPS FERNANDEZ. Please don’t miss the chance! “Prince of Love Songs” William So will perform on 9/2 night. He will use his meticulous and tender voice to sing his masterpieces such as “Men Shouldn’t Let Women Cry”, “Na Shui”, “ Ai Yi Ge Ren Hao Nan “, “More Kisses, More Sorrows”. His charming voice will take you back to the past. We hope that the fans who grew up with his music can get together for a fun and unforgettable night. Tickets are on sale now. Please buy tickets online at GratonResortCasino. com as soon as possible. This is a rare opportunity, don’t miss out! “Vietnamese Night Summer Concert” Concert Date & Time: Friday, June 3, 2022 | 8:30PM Venue: The Ballroom at Graton Resort & Casino 288 Golf Course Drive West, Rohnert Park, CA 94928 Ticket Prices $48, $68, $88 “Filipino Hitmakers Concert” Concert Date & Time: Saturday, June 25, 2022 | 7PM Venue: The Ballroom at Graton Resort & Casino 288 Golf Course Drive West, Rohnert Park, CA 94928 Ticket Prices $58, $68 “William So Concert” Updated Concert Date & Time: Friday, September 2, 2022 | 9PM Venue: The Ballroom at Graton Resort & Casino 288 Golf Course Drive West, Rohnert Park, CA 94928 Ticket Prices $68, $88, $108 About Graton Resort & Casino Located in Sonoma County, Graton Resort & Casino has a commanding presence among the rolling hills of Northern California’s wine country. Owned and operated by the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria, Graton Resort & Casino features table games, the latest slot machines, upscale and casual dining, plus entertainment options for visitors and locals alike. For more information, please visit www.gratonresortcasino.com.

17 March 10-16, 2022

 ENTERTAINMENT

Grammy-nominated Toro y Moi pays homage to Filipino heritage in new album ‘Mahal’

Black-Filipino singer-songwriter Toro y Moi, also known as Chaz Bear, is paying tribute to his Pinoy roots in the upcoming studio album, Mahal. The Grammy-nominated recording artist’s new album features the

iconic Philippine jeepney on the cover with the Filipino word for love written on the front and San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge in the background. The latest track from the album is “The Loop” which was released

alongside a music video featuring the chillwave artist and his friends, including Filipino rapper Eyedress, having fun and cruising around San Francisco in the brightly colored ‘Mahal’ jeepney. The video, released in February also shows Toro y Moi riding the viral “TNT Traysikel,” a Pinoy motorcycle-sidecar and public artwork that made headlines last year after roaming the streets of the San Francisco Bay Area. The third song from the album, The Loop, is a funky and chill track that has Toro y Moi musing about the digital age and his friends. The singer previously released two music videos for his songs “Postman” and “Magazine” from the new album. In “Postman,” Toro y Moi also references Filipino culture and even rides a flying jeepney to the Philippines. The music video stars the singer

who helps deliver letters to Filipinos and their loved ones. The video also features Balikbayan boxes, Filipino snacks, and an animated version of a typical Filipino neighborhood. Toro y Moi’s forthcoming album “MAHAL” will be released on April 29, 2022. “Mahal” follows Toro y Moi’s album “Outer Peace” and his Grammy-nominated collaboration with Australian electronic musician Flume “The Difference.” Filipino-American artists H.E.R. and Saweetie have paid homage to their heritage in various ways – through their collaboration “Closer” video which showed them flying to the Philippines, and individually when H.E.R. issued a shoutout to her Filipina aunt after winning the Grammys and Saweetie wearing Filipino couture during her Met gala appearance. ( Margo Hannah De Guzman Quadra/goodnewspilipinas.com)

 ENTERTAINMENT

March 10-16, 2022

Gigi De Lana and The Gigi Vibes conquer Manila, head for the Middle East for concert tour OFWs in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Bahrain eager to watch Filipina pop sensation and her band after their sold-out show in Manila DUBAI, UAE - It’s been a long while since the Newport Performing Arts Theatre in Resorts World Manila saw a full house, but super-hot Filipina singing sensation Gigi De Lana and her band, The Gigi Vibes, packed the venue to capacity last March 5 as they kicked off their “Domination” international concert tour. The success of the the Manila leg just increased the levels of excitement and anticipation for Gigi and The Gigi Vibes among overseas Filipino workers in the Middle East where the group will have a series of three concerts: Dubai - March 12 at the Jubilee Stage of Dubai’s EXPO 2020, in partnership with the Philippine Department of Trade and Industry (DTI); Abu Dhabi - March 18 at the National Theatre of Abu Dhabi with guest artist, Sam Concepcion; and Bahrain - March 25 at the Crowned Plaza Bahrain, also with guest, Sam Concepcion. This is in partnership with The composed of Jon Cruz (musical director, keyboard), Jake Manalo (bass), Julius Traqueña (guitar), and Romeo Marquez (drums). While the Dubai EXPO leg -- which is free -- is just a one-hour mini-concert, ticket holders to the Abu Dhabi and Bahrain legs are going to have a two-hour full concert experience. A special treat for fans is also in store Filipino Club in Bahrain. “Domination” is the latest milestone for De Lana who, within a span of one year, has released a chart-topping single (Sakalam), co-starred in a lead role opposite Gerald Anderson in her first series, “Hello, Heart”, released her much-awaited self-titled debut album, performed at the 1MX Music Festival in Dubai, and held her first ticketed full virtual concert to end 2021, among others. Joining De Lana is The Gigi Vibes Gigi De Lana rocks with guest singer, the mul�-awarded Jed Madela, at “Domina�on” in Manila via a Meet and Greet with De Lana and The Gigi Vibes at the Al Ghurair Centre on March 11 at 7pm. The “Domination” concert in Dubai is free for those with tickets to the EXPO 2020. Tickets in Abu Dhabi are available at Virgin Megastore at the following prices: Platinum - 200 AED; Gold - 160 AED; Silver - 120 AED; and Bronze - 80 AED. For tickets to the Bahrain show, call Ric Advincula at +97339997288. Prices are at: Platinum - 25 BHD (reserved seating); Gold - 15 BHD (free seating); and Silver - 8 BHD (free seating).

19 March 10-16, 2022

 ENTERTAINMENT

John Lloyd Cruz to mark movie comeback with Jasmine Curtis-Smith

John Lloyd Cruz is oﬃcially returning to the big screen. And - hold your breath - not with fellow GMA Network talent and former co-star in several movies Bea Alonzo but with Jasmine Curtis-Smith! According to Aubrey Carampel’s “24

Oras” report as reported on GMA News, Jasmine said in a press conference that their ﬁlm was expected to come in the “next coming months.” According to the report, John Lloyd revealed that the Kapuso actress was his personal choice for his leading lady be-

cause he was impressed by her versatility when she guested on his sitcom “Happy ToGetHer.” “’Yung role na ginawa niya nung pilot episode namin, I think mahirap ’yon. Hindi lahat yata magagawa ’yon. Ang galing na nakita ko ’yon. Kaya niyang mag-transition from seryosong materyal to a sitcom,” he said. Jasmine said she was grateful to John Lloyd for seeing her talent. She is also looking forward to exploring more of what she can do with their upcoming project. “In my ﬁrst 10 years, puro drama. ’Yon talaga yung na-highlight sa’kin pero gusto ko naman mapakita yung range ko na kahit anong genre, kayang pasukin,” she said. John Lloyd inked a partnership with GMA Network after making his television comeback in June. It was followed by the premiere of his sitcom “Happy ToGetHer,” which airs every Sunday, GMA News reported. Last year, Jasmine was joyful after getting a chance to work with the one and only John Lloyd Cruz. The Kapuso actress made a guest

appearance on the ﬁrst episode of John Lloyd’s new sitcom “Happy ToGetHer.” Jasmine then posted a picture with the actor from set along with a short thankyou message for the actor who’s also producer on the show. “Always grateful for every work I get specially when its a chance to work with our industry’s greatest,” Jasmine began. “Salamat John Lloy for a great time on set and also to the cast of Happy ToGetHer for showing me what its like to work on a sitcom!” she added, tagging the actor and the show’s IG accounts. Jasmine also shared a photo with the cast and crew, as well as a gorgeous shot of her looking happy in hair and makeup. “I know its not my forte to do comedy but what a fun and enjoyable experience to guest on your ﬁrst ep!” she wrote. “Happy ToGetHer” premiered on GMA Network last December 26, bringing joy and laughter to Kapuso audiences a day after Christmas. Not only did it mark his big TV comeback — John Lloyd Cruz also serves as director and producer of the show! (GMA News)

iWantTFC unveils amazing content offerings to celebrate Women’s History Month this March The world’s leading Filipino streaming platform curates a star-studded line-up of women-centric content SAN FRANCISCO - The closing month of the first quarter - March - is already here, but to millions around the world, March is Women’s History Month which has been observed yearly in the U.S. since 1987. Meanwhile, International Women’s Day was adopted by the United Nations as far back as 1977. Women’s History Month celebrates women’s contributions to history, culture, and society. International Women’s Day celebrates women today as effective, powerful leaders and change-makers for sustainability initiatives around the world. But perhaps one of the best tributes to women came from St John Paul the Great (Pope Saint John Paul II) who in his “Letters to Women”, wrote: “Thank you, every woman, for the simple fact of being a woman! Through the insight, which is so much a part of your womanhood, you enrich the world’s understanding and help to make human relations more honest and authentic.” It is in this light that iWantTFC, the leading Filipino streaming service in the world, is unveiling from its expansive library of content offerings -- originals, films, and television series -- that celebrate the essence of this month for women. Jodi Sta. Maria in “The Broken Marriage Vow” and “My Single Lady” - Jodi as Jill Ilustre in “The Broken Marriage Vow” refuses to play victim to her husband’s infidelity and tries to gain back the dignity that she believes was taken away by her husband’s betrayal. In “My Single Lady”, Jodi plays a single mother whose focus is her 7-year-old son even as two attractive men chase after her heart. Angelica Panganiban, Loisa Andallo, Barbie Imperial, Maris Racal, and Elisse Joson in “The Goodbye Girl” - This series has six episodes which tackle the ways different women characters cope to overcome failed relationships. They realize the importance of dignified self-love and debunk the social stigma of being single. Iza Calzado in “Loving Emily” - Iza as Emily faces a complex role of a woman going through midlife crisis and being forced to choose between a miserable family life and an uncertain future with a younger man she falls in love with.

 REAL ESTATE

March 10-16, 2022

Governor Newsom bares Homekey grants for new homeless housing in Los Angeles and Sacramento SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom announced $45 million in awards for two new Homekey projects in Los Angeles and Sacramento which will provide 170 units of housing for people exiting homelessness. Newsom also announced California has awarded $323 million for 1,208 units across 14 projects statewide as part of the expanded Homekey program- a key component to the Governor’s $12 billion plan to tackle homelessness. “California is moving with unprecedented speed to house people experiencing homelessness through Homekey,” said Governor Newsom. “Behind every grant award we make for Homekey is the story of a Californian who will no longer have to sleep in a tent, in a car or on the street – these 170 units represent a fresh start for our most vulnerable residents.” Earlier, Governor Newsom visited the newest Homekey site in Sacramento, which upon completion will provide 92 units of permanent supportive housing. Since its launch in 2020, Homekey has been the fastest, largest, most cost-eﬀective addition of permanent housing in California history, successfully re-engineering the strategy to create more housing for people experiencing homelessness. Last September, the Governor announced a $2.75 billion expansion of the program, builiding on the $846 million invested in the program, and already the state has approved projects that are on track to create 1,208 units of housing for Californians most in need of a safe place to call home. Governor Newsom’s multibillion-dollar homeless

housing investments will provide more than 55,000 new housing units and treatment slots in the coming years. Building on last year’s historic $12 billion investment to help get the most vulnerable people off the streets, the California Blueprint proposes an additional $2 billion investment in behavioral health housing and encampment rehousing strategies, creating a total $14 billion package to confront the homelessness crisis. “We’re proud of how cities like Sacramento and Los Angeles continue to move with a sense of urgency to house people experiencing homelessness by leveraging Homekey,” said Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency Secretary Lourdes Castro Ramírez. “Close partnerships like this one, between the state and local jurisdictions, are the reason Homekey has been so successful.” “When the work is complete on the two projects approved today, the state will see an additional 170 units of housing for people most in need – and we continue to approve projects on a rolling basis, which should offer hope for California’s most vulnerable residents,” added HCD Director Gustavo Velasquez. The awards include the following projects: The Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles has been awarded more than $21 million for an acquisition of newly constructed apartment building located near off-site amenities including a transit station, pharmacy, library, grocery store and park. This project will offer 78 units of permanent supportive housing for people experiencing or at risk of experiencing homelessness.

THE NUMBER ONE CHOICE FOR FILIPINO FAMILIES The ONLY Place for All Your Arrangements in One Convenient Location New Funeral home with Reception Center Flower Shop Beautiful Garden Memorial Park Cremation Services We transfer your loved ones to and from the Philippines

TTT BBBBBBBBB NNN FFFFFFF HHHH

RRRRRRRRR CCCCCC

CCCCCCC LLLL

Mortgages Rates Rising Fast

ortgage rates hit their highest level since March 2020 last week, clocking in at 3.96%. Despite the recent increase, rates remain below what they were before the pandemic and near historic lows. Loan Experts have attributed the recent upward trend in mortgage rates largely to the highest inflation in 40 years, and expectations that the Federal Reserve will ease up on pandemicassociated monetary policies such as raising short-term interest rates above zero. COVID has definitely injected uncertainty into the markets. Interest rates are likely to move up more when the Fed raises its rates, a process expected to begin this March. Here is what last week’s mortgage rate changes mean for existing homeowners. Despite rates being higher than they were a month ago, it still might make sense to refinance your loan if you’re in certain situations. It was only a few years ago that rates were close to or above 4%. Refinancing makes the most sense if you can snag a new interest rate close to 0.75% below your current one. If you are refinancing a non-owner occupied property, those rates are off the charts but seems like more non owner cash out loans are in our pipelines. These investors of these rental homes are wanting to cash out and prepare for another real estate bust so they can buy more properties as I am told. Now might be the time to go forward with a refinance if you’re on the fence about it. Experts anticipate rates will generally keep moving up, so consider crunching the numbers with a few lenders to see if you can benefit. You might be one of the nearly 6 million homeowners who could save money by refinancing. Those homeowners, who could see their interest rate drop by 0.75% or more, could save an average of $276 a month. What the Latest Mortgage Rates Mean for New Homebuyers You might need a larger down payment to stay within an affordable range because of rising home prices the past few years. Remember your mortgage rate is just one part of the home affordability calculation, with a lower rate perhaps only partially offsetting increased purchase prices. Most importantly: Make a home purchase when the time is right for you. Don’t try to wait out the market in the hopes that home prices will come down and save you more than you’ll pay in rising interest rates. Home buyers shouldn’t be worried about the current interest rates but should start looking and making offers. If you’re serious about buying, don’t sit on the fence. Don’t think the market’s going to come down. Remember rates will always fluctuate up or down but home prices in the long run will always be up. Do you take profit on rental homes you currently own? Most investors are seriously not wanting to sell their current rental home due to these very valid reasons: 1) Rental income are high 2) These home that they own could be their children’s future homes, think about it. When your kids are ready to buy a home in 5-8 years, how much do you think they will cost? Homeowners are not selling their rentals for these reasons, and that is another reason why property inventories are low. Thanks for your inquiries, call Ken Go of 1st Innovative Finance 562-508-7048 or write to kennethgo@ verizon.net CABRE01021223 NMLS238636.

21 March 10-16, 2022

NEWS  NATIONAL SPORTS NEWS

Patafa excludes Obiena from SEAG team; P ‘horrible,’ says POC said. Rommel Sytin, one of the country’s business leaders, signed the entry by numbers form as PATAFA’s secretary general. Patafa has the second biggest number of entries with 53 athletes and 17 officials, second only to esports which has 54 entries. Obiena being out on the list meant he will also miss the World Indoor Championships scheduled March 18 to 20 in Belgrade because the World Athletics’ deadline of registration for qualified athletes was last Monday. Had Obiena been endorsed by PATAFA, he could have been the first full-blooded Filipino to compete in the world indoors, PATAFA training director Renato Unso said. Obiena won the men’s pole vault gold medal at the 2019 SEA Games at the New Clark City Stadium with a leap of 5.45 meters. Less than two years after on September 12, 2021, he broke the Asian record with 5.93 meters at the Golden Rooftop Challenge, in Innsbruck, Austria. Obiena was also the only Asian to qualify at the Tokyo Olympics last year.

pine Sports Commission (PSC), Philippine Olympic Committee (POC), and Cignal TV. The list of Olympians include skateboarder Margielyn Didal, boxer Irish Magno, golfers Bianca Pagdanganan (Clockwise) Tokyo Olympics gold medalist Hidilyn Diaz, silver and Juvic Pagunmedalist Nesthy Petecio, bronze winner Eumir Felix Marcial, san, weightlifter Elreen Ando, and silver medalist Carlo Paalam. trackster Kristina MAKATI CITY – Filipino athletes who represented the country in Knott, swimmers Remedy Rule and the 2020 Olympic Games will be cit- Luke Gebbie, judoka Kiyomi Wataed during the San Miguel Corpora- nabe, rower Cris Nievarez, taekwontion-Philippine Sportswriters Asso- do jin Kurt Barbosa, and shooter ciation (SMC-PSA) Annual Awards Jayson Valdez. The Paralympians meanwhile, Night on March 14 at the Diamond include swimmers Ernie Gawilan Hotel. and Gary Bejino, wheelchair racer Citations are going to be given Jerrold Mangliwan, taekwondo jin to 19 athletes who carried the counAllain Ganapin, trackster Jeanette try’s tricolors in both the Tokyo Aceveda, and powerlifter Achelle Olympics and Paralympics by the Guion. country’s oldest media organization A future Olympian in weightliftwhen it holds its traditional awards er Vanessa Sarno was added to the ceremony presented by the Philip-

list for winning two gold medals and a silver in the women’s 71 kg division of the Asian Women’s Championships in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. The rest of the Olympians not part of the citation led by first ever gold medal winner Hidilyn Diaz, who will be feted with the PSA Athlete of the Year award, are going to be conferred with other recognition such as the President’s Award (Yuka Saso and Carlos Yulo) and Major Awards (Nesthy Petecio, Carlo Paalam, Eumir Felix Marcial, and EJ Obiena). Also part of the Major Awards list is US Open men’s billiards champion Carlo Biado. All awardees, athletes, officials, guests, and PSA members are required to bring along and present their vaccination card to be allowed entry in the event venue. A compact list of 39 athletes, officials, and entities make up the 2021 batch of awardees to be feted by the Philippine sportswriting fraternity during the gala night backed by MILO (official choco milk), 1Pacman, Philippine Basketball Association (PBA), Philracom, Rain or Shine, ICTSI, Chooks To Go, MVP Sports Foundation, and Smart.

2020 PHL Olympians to be cited in SMC-PSA Annual Awards night

ahaba nang pahaba at pagulo nang pagulo ang sigalot na bumabalot sa pagitan ni Pilipino Olympia Ernest John Obiena at ng kanyang pederasyon, ang Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association (PATAFA). Sa mga sandaling ito, ang 26 anyos na pole vaulter ay tinanggal na ng PATAFA sa listahan ng pambansang ko- EDDIE G. ALINEA ponan sa athletics at nanganganib pang maharap sa criminal na kasong estafa kung masusunod ang rekomendasyon ng investigative committee ng asosasyon na nagsagawa ng imbestigasyon sa isyu. Na natural na ikinalulungkot, ipinagtataka at ikinababahala ng mga miyembro ng lokal na komunidad sa sports sa bansa. Bakit? Dahil sa nakikita nilang posibleng pagkawala ng isang potensiyal na makapagdadala ng malalaki pang karangalan sa Pilipinas at sa salitang Pilipino sa mga kompetisyong internasyonal na kompromisong lahukan ng bansa sa hinaharap. Ngayong taong ito lamang, ang Pilipinas ay nakatakdang ipagtanggol ang pangkalahatang kampeonato sa Southeast Asian Games na napanalunan ng mga atletang Pinoy, kabilang si Obiena mismo, tatlong taon na ang nakararaan noong 2019 sa pang-rehiyong palarong idinaos dito. Nakatakda ring mapantayan kung hindi man mahigtan ng ating mga atleta ang apat na gintong medalyang naiuwi nila mula sa nakalipas na Asian Games na ginanap sa Indonesia noong 2018. Sa darating na Mayo idaraos ang 31st SEA Games sa Hanoi at ang XIX Asiad sa Sityembre sa China. Sa kambal na kompetisyong nabanggit ay llamadong llamado ang ating si EJ na makopo ang gintong medalya bilang preparasyon sa mas malaking Olimpiyada sa Paris sa 2024. Subalit sa ngayon, anim na buwan matapos ang Tokyo Olympics kung saan si EJ ay nakatapos na pang-11 bilang kaisa-isang Asyanong nakapasok sa Finals ng kanyang event, ay hindi pa naipagpa-patuloy ang kanyang preparasyon sa kawalan ng pondo. Nangyari ito magtapos na ipatigil ng PATAFA sa Philippine Sports Commission ang pinansiyal na tulong na galing sa pamahalaan kay Obiena bunsod ng gusot. Si EJ ay kasalukuyang naka-base sa Formea, Italya, kung saan siya ay permanenteng namamalagi may kalahating dekada na ang nakalilipas at ni hindi nakakadalaw man lamang sa Pilipinas para makia man lamang ang kanyang mga magulang at mga kapatid dala ng pandemya ng Covid 19. Maging ang gastos sa soperasyong isinagawa sa kanya sa simula ng taon ay galing sa kontribusyon ng kanyang mga tagasunod at sponsor. Mula nang pumutok ang kontrtobersiya, napakaraming tanong na ang nailahad ng aming mambabasa tungkol sa mag kaganapan sa buhay ng atleta hinggil sa isyu ng pagsasara ng kanyang (liquidation) sa tulong na natanggap niya mula PSC, kasama ang buwanang bayad sa kanyang tanyag na Ukranian coach Vitaly Petrov, para sa preparasyonn ats aktuwal na partisipasyon niya sa 2020 Olympics. Ang hindi lubos na maintindihan ng aming mambabasa ay bakit pinahintulutan ng PSC na ang isang atletang tulad ni EJ ang mag-likida ng kanyang nagastos ganoong sa PATAFA nito ibinigay ang pera? Tulad ni Ginoong Ramon Avena, isang respetadong negosyante, anak ng dakilang basketball/volleyball player na si Vicente Avena, gusto ring malaman ng maraming suki ng Philipine News Today kung bakit isinalin ng PATAFA kay Obiena ang responsibilidad na dapat ang ahensiya ang gumanap. Katwiran nga ni EJ sa isa sa maraming palitan ng mensahe sa email sa pagitan niya at ng PATAFA: “During the season, I believe my number one priority is to train and compete the best that I could po and liquidation comes next po.” Ayon pa sa kanya, sa simula pa lamang ay hindi niya hinangad na hawakan nang liquidation at sa halip ay pinakiusapan niya ang organisasyon na PATAFA “pay his coach and team staﬀ directly for the past two years.” Ipinadala pa nga niya ang bank details ni Pertrov way back noong June 8, 2020 para dito. May ilang media outﬁt ang nakahalungkat ng mga dokumento ng palitan ng mensahe na nagpasinungaling sa mga alegasyon ng PATAFA tungkol sa umano’y di niya pagbabayad ng suweldo sa kanyang (Continue on page 27)

Sala sa Init

ena’s name missing from the entry by numbers form which the PATAFA and 38 other national sports associations (NSAs) taking part in Vietnam submitted to the POC. “Barring serious injury, EJ will win the gold medal even blind Filipino pole vault star Ernest John “EJ” Obiena folded in Hanoi,” Tolentino said. MANILA – Ernest John “EJ” Obiena has been excluded in the list “He’s not only the best in the SEA of athletes that the Philippine Athlet- Games, but in the whole of Asia— ics Track and Field Association (PA- not to forget that he’s No. 5 in the TAFA) intends to send to the 31st world.” The POC tasked NSAs to submit Southeast Asian Games to be held in their entries by numbers for the SEA Vietnam in May. Games as Vietnam set the deadline This prompted Philippine Olymfor submission of team composipic Committee (POC) president Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino tions for the May 12 to 23 Games. “An NSA relentlessly sanctionto stated that the move is one gold ing its No. 1 athlete — a guaranmedal lost for Team Philippines. teed win and who knows a future “I can only shake my head, this is horrible,” said Tolentino on Obi- world and Olympic champion — I just couldn’t ﬁnd a logic,” Tolentino

EJ OBIENA, biktima ng bulok na sistema?

March 10-16, 2022

Q: Should I wait until my debts end up with a third party collector before I enter a debt help program? A: Let us define a third party collector. When an account charges off from the original creditor, they usually do not want to use up their internal collection resources so they send delinquent accounts to third party collections. These are companies with names such example XYZ Collection Company. These companies are usually paid a percentage of the amount of debt if they are able to collect. This is just one of the examples of a third party collector. The other type of third party collector is a collection law firm. While this usually works much like a collection company, they can go to extreme lengths of collection which is to file a lawsuit against the owing party. Once you have been served with a summons you then become a defendant. This is when it gets really bad for you. Here is perfect example of a client whom I spoke to this week. This client called in mid 2017 and made an attempt to enroll in the program. After completing the application and wasting everyone’s time, he just disappeared and never returned calls and emails. So we let it go and count him as an inquiry. This past Monday, he called and said he wanted to complete his enrollment because he received a summons for a nine thousand dollar account that was supposed to be enrolled the first time. I told my assistant that I wanted to talk to the client first. When we spoke he told me that he wanted to wait until his debts end up with a third party collector before he enrolls in the program. Well, I told him the attorney is also a third party collector so now you got your wish but I cannot put you in the same program you wanted to enter the year prior. We now need to address the summons and you are looking at coming up with big money up front for me to take you in. I asked him if he had any money to hire an attorney or fight the lawsuit? He answered with a big NO. I told him that if he had only did what he was supposed to the year before, then he wouldn’t have to go through this problem but such is life. No matter what we do, we cannot go back to last year. We need to solve this year’s problem and the only solution is to file bankruptcy. Ating lesson, Ang solusyon kahapon ay maaring di na pwede ngayon! 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 1-888-3415234 at tutulungan po namin kayo. Itama po natin ang mali!

23 March 10-16, 2022

Kidney Health is Our Community’s Wealth By SOMCAN Kidney disease is a leading cause of death in the United States. According to the National Kidney Foundation, kidney disease, also known as chronic kidney disease or CKD, happens when the kidneys are damaged and lose their ability to filter blood to keep the body healthy. CKD “causes more deaths than breast cancer or prostate cancer (NVS 2021 report of 2018 data)” and is “the under-recognized public health crisis.” “Approximately 90% of those with kidney disease don’t know they have it. 2 of 5 adults with severe kidney disease don’t know they have it, about 1 in 2 people with very low kidney function (not on dialysis) don’t know they have kidney disease, and approximately 1 in 3 adults with diabetes and 1 in 5 adults with high blood pressure may have kidney disease.” In fact, the two main causes of CKD are diabetes and high blood pressure. Furthermore, COVID-19 targets people with kidney disease. “People with kidney disease and transplant recipients are at higher risk for developing serious complications from COVID-19.” According to the National Center for Health Statistics (2020), Filipino Americans have the highest rate of multiple chronic health conditions (23%) compared to all other Asian ethnic groups in the United States. Public health research presents chronic disease as an apparent health condition affecting the nation, but disproportionately affects Filipino communities even more. CKD is a disease that is prevalent yet preventable in Filipino Americans. With diabetes and high blood pressure being the main causes of CKD, part of the solution is to address, raise awareness, and provide education on the prevention of multiple chronic health conditions in the community. For the month of March, the South of Market Community Action Network

(SOMCAN) is spearheading a chronic health prevention campaign focused on the Filipino community in San Francisco. Under its program initiative called “Our Health, Our Community (Kalusugan ng Bayan),” made possible by the San Francisco Public Health Foundation under the SF Sugary Drinks Distributor Tax (SDDT) grant, SOMCAN aims to empower the community through health education and address health inequities in a larger, socio-cultural approach. SOMCAN believes that “The Community’s Health is Everyone’s Wealth!” and its Filipino-focused health program is doing a community event to celebrate Filipino community health and prioritize chronic disease awareness. March 10 is World Kidney Day. To commemorate this, SOMCAN is partnering up with a local holistic wellness organization, Community Well, based in San Francisco’s Excelsior District, for an in-person, FREE community event. SOMCAN aims to use the month of March to raise awareness on kidney health, highlight chronic disease prevention, and raise awareness on overall health for the Filipinx community in SF’s District 11. Come and join SOMCAN’s World Kidney Day Event, a family-friendly, healthy event happening on Saturday, March 12, 11a.m. to 2 p.m. at Community Well, 78 Ocean Ave, SF, 94112. Celebrate and enjoy fun activities such as health education, cooking demos, physical health activities, music, healthy food, and community engagement with other local community organizations. The health activity lineup features a Filipino Herbal Medicine Demo with Angela Angel, a Food as Medicine Cooking Demo with Sabrina Belara, and a Dance and Physical Exercise session with UJAM Fitness. Visit www.somcan.org/ohoc-event or contact SOMCAN Health and Wellness Coordinator, Alyssa Daulat, at adaulat@ somcan.org for more details or questions.

Fact or Fiction: COVID-19 Vaccine and Booster Myths Debunked By We Can Do This COVID-19 Public Education Campaign Two years into the COVID-19 pandemic, myths and misperceptions about COVID and vaccines continue to arise and evolve on social media, online, and in daily conversations. Getting facts from a reliable source can keep myths from complicating decisions about getting vaccinated and boosted or following other prevention measures. As of March 2, CDC reports that nearly 59 percent of eligible Asian Americans and over 45 percent of eligible Native Hawaiians and Paciﬁc Islanders have received their boosters—so our community

has a long way to go before we are all fully up to date with our vaccines. As a reminder, everyone 12 and older should get a booster at least 5 months after their second dose of the Pﬁzer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccine and 2 months after their Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen vaccine. Below are the facts behind COVID vaccine and booster myths: Myth: The need for booster shots is a sign that the vaccines aren’t working. Fact: Science shows that COVID vaccines are working well to prevent severe illness, hospi(Continued on page 24)

HEALTH ACTIVITY LINEUP

WORLD KIDNEY DAY EVENTT Celebrating kidney health with cooking demo, Filipino herbal medicine, physical fitness, health screenings, and face paintings. Saturday | MARCH 12, 2022 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM

HERBAL MEDICINE DEMO

Angela Angel

11:15 AM - 12PM SIGN UP at the EVENT (Limited Space Only)

FOOD AS MEDICINE COOKING DEMO

Sabrina Belara

12:30 PM - 1PM SIGN UP at the EVENT (Limited Space Only)

78 Ocean Ave. SF, CA 94112

COMMUNITY PARTNERS

DANCE & PHYSICAL EXERCISE

UJAM Fitness 1:30 PM - 2PM OUTSIDE (Sidewalk)

 COMMUNITY NEWS

March 10-16, 2022

99 Ranch Market opens in Westfield Oakridge, a new shopping experience! Have you ever been window shopping at Westfield Oakridge and suddenly realized that you still need to run to the grocery store to get stuff for dinner? Ugh. Now your free time has been cut short. Well, fortunately for you, 99 Ranch Market has everything covered. “We’re so excited for new and returning customers to see this new location. By combining a great location with our trusted services and a brand new interior look - 99 Ranch Market is ready to welcome you in!”, says Teddy Chow, Vice President of 99 Ranch Market in Northern California. The new San Jose - Westfield Oakridge Store is going to grand open on March 26th! Located at 925 Blossom Hill Road, San Jose, CA, 95123. Teddy adds, “we’re so excited to introduce our huge variety of Asian foods, produce, and other goodies to this community. This new location offers our customers unparalleled convenience.” In addition to offering customers the quality and fresh foods at this new store location, 99 Ranch Market at Westfield Oakridge is also designed as a food destination with several quick-service food counters offering a great place for a delicious meal. For those who don’t know much about 99 Ranch Market, let’s do a quick introduction. The produce section boasts the freshest vegetables and seasonal fruits - both locally sourced and imported! After visiting the produce aisles, take a walk toward the seafood section. Here, you will find a great selection of seafood items that aren’t as commonly found in other grocery stores. From clams to crab, oysters to lobsters, you’re sure to find the perfect seafood item for your meals. Along with the seafood section, the store is still offering the same services as our other locations. So, for those that want to

have their purchased seafood fry up or cut a fish - just let the staffs know and they’ll get that done for you. 2931 Faber Street, Union City, CA 94587 Tel: 510-487-8899 Website: www.99ranch. com If you’re looking for something to eat or interested in taking some food home to go, the store’s hot deli is the perfect place for you! The hot deli has a delicious selection of made-to order BBQ, Taiwanese Burrito (Run Bing), and red bean cakes! And for those that love dim sum, check out all the traditional handmade dumplings, bun, and other foods available like rice noodle rolls, baked pork puffs, and steamed pork ribs. So, for those looking for delicious highquality foods and seasonal fruits and vegetables, look no further than 99 Ranch Market! The staffs of this Asian American grocery leader pride themselves in being able to provide their customers with great service and an amazing selection of products. Oh, and if you’re someone with a busy schedule, take advantage of 99 Ranch Market’s mobile app! This convenient and easy to use app offers services like free same-day delivery for orders over $49, in-store pick up, no service fees, and exclusive in-app deals! Get the same wonderful shopping experience and selection of groceries and products all from your phone. The new San Jose store will be open from 9am - 9pm on Wednesdays through Mondays and from 8am to 9pm on Tuesdays. For more information about the new San Jose - Westfield Oakridge Store, please follow our announcement on social media, local media, or visit our website at www.99ranch.com. 99 Ranch Market’s success in the super-

market industry has made them more than just a typical grocery chain store as they have become closely associated with Asian American communities. 99 Ranch Market strives to give back and enrich lives with various community involvement programs. 99 Ranch Market is proud to become the “Gateway to Asia” and provide opportunities for mainstream American families and global customers to experience the authentic flavors of Asian cuisines. 2931 Faber Street, Union City, CA 94587 Tel: 510-487-8899 Website: www.99ranch.com About Westfield Oakridge Located in the Blossom Valley neighborhood in San Jose, California, Westfield Oakridge is a premier shopping, dining, and entertainment destination, anchored by three major department stores and a lineup of approximately 200 global and local brands. The property is home to favorites like Apple, Living Spaces, Sephora, Forever 21, Hollister Co., Lush Cosmetics, H&M, Swarovski, and more. Century 20 Oakridge and XD is among the 20 most productive cinema locations in the nation, and Bowlero offers unique retro-inspired bowling, dining, and nightlife experiences. The center’s leading dining destinations, including its top-performing dining terrace,

Fact...

feature a wide variety of nationally and internationally recognized restaurants such as BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse, The Cheesecake Factory, Jinya Ramen Bar, NooBowl, Ruby Thai, Slater’s 50/50 coming in 2022, and more. Soon, Oakridge will be welcoming 99 Ranch, the highly acclaimed premiere grocery shopping destination for Asian products and the brand’s ﬁrst concept store in California, into its renowned roster of tenants. Oakridge was established in 1971 and has been redeveloped several times across its history. For more information, please visit: https://www.westﬁeld. com/oakridge

(From page 23)

talization, and death. However, studies show that protection against mild and moderate disease can decrease gradually over time, and boosters can make your protection last longer. They can also help protect you against new variants. Myth: Vaccinated and boosted people no longer need to wear masks or social distance. Fact: Even though vaccines reduce the risk of spreading and getting COVID, the virus can still be passed through the air as people breathe and talk, especially in crowded and poorly ventilated spaces. To help prevent the spread of COVID and reduce risk of infection, everyone ages 2 years and older should wear the best-fitting mask available to them while in public indoor areas regardless of their vaccination status. In general, people do not need to wear masks when outdoors. Myth: Since there are more ways to treat COVID, getting vaccinated is no longer necessary. Fact: Many advances have been made in the fight against COVID, but treatments have limitations, and it is always better to prevent disease in the first place. Some treatments, including antivirals like “the COVID pill,” must be taken within days of getting COVID and are only for people at highest risk. Other treatments are taken by injection or intravenously in multiple sessions in a healthcare facility. Treatments are in limited supply and do not prevent you from getting COVID. They can also be expensive. Getting vaccinated

teaches our bodies to recognize and fight the virus. No-cost vaccines and boosters offer the best form of protection against severe illness, hospitalization, and death. Myth: Natural immunity from getting sick with COVID is better than the immunity you get from vaccination. Fact: The risks of getting seriously ill from COVID, or of developing long COVID after infection, far outweigh any potential side effects of COVID vaccines. Getting vaccinated gives most people a high level of protection against severe illness. Current data shows show that unvaccinated adults 18 and older are five times more likely to get COVID than vaccinated adults and 16 times more likely to be hospitalized from it than vaccinated adults. Vaccination also protects the people around you since you can spread COVID to others when you are ill. Vaccination even provides more robust protection for people who have already had COVID to reduce the risk of getting infected again. Myths and misperceptions about COVID, vaccines, and boosters are everywhere, and misinformation can interfere with making informed decisions about getting vaccinated or following other prevention measures — putting people at risk for severe illness, hospitalization, and death. For accurate, science-based information about vaccines and boosters, visit www.vaccines.gov.

25 March 10-16, 2022

 COMMUNITY NEWS

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital celebrates 60 years of saving children’s lives Celebra�ons feature stories from St. Jude supporters AJ Rafael, Tim Wang, mark expanding global impact

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (Mar. 3, 2022) — When St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital® founder Danny Thomas opened St. Jude on Feb. 4, 1962, he created an organization as rare today as it was then: a research hospital where children with catastrophic diseases receive free cutting-edge medical care. Thanks to millions of donors, St. Jude continues to honor its founding promise that no family receives a bill from St. Jude for their child’s treatment, travel, housing or food. This year, St. Jude is celebrating its 60th anniversary with events that feature supporters’ stories and mark the expanding global impact of its scientiﬁc and medical advancements. The Purpose That Unites Us: Hear from those who live and breathe the St. Jude mission St. Jude will mark 60 years of lifesaving work with a series of initiatives and events throughout 2022. One of these is The Purpose That Unites Us, a project showcasing videos and audio recordings from 60 donors, volunteers, researchers and patient families talking about why they support St. Jude. The project includes stories from people like musician AJ Rafael, who used to watch his father play the piano at churches in his community in California and now plays to honor his father’s legacy while supporting St. Jude. In his audio story, AJ reﬂects on the gift of music he’s been given and how “giving back is the best thing that we can do with whatever talent that you have.” Another story in the project comes from Tim Wang, the founder and principal of

TDW+Co, an agency that supports and advises eﬀorts by ALSAC, the fundraising and awareness organization for St. Jude, to tell multicultural stories that touch audiences across the United States. Wang’s sense of service is driven by his love for his community and his commitment to promote inclusivity in the world. Like Rafael, Wang’s story pays tribute to his parents who imparted to him a sense of purpose and giving back that is one of the reasons he supports St. Jude. As Wang puts it, “What matters to me is what contributions I can make in the world around us today that can leave this world in a better place than when I entered it.” Follow #StJude60 on Twitter and Instagram to hear these unique stories of purpose. The stories of hope and dedication in The Purpose That Unites Us echo the commitment that led founder Danny Thomas to create St. Jude 60 years ago. As a struggling young entertainer, Thomas made a desperate plea to St. Jude Thaddeus, the patron saint of lost causes, vowing that if the saint helped him ﬁnd his way in life, he would build a shrine in gratitude. When success arrived, Thomas was true to his word based on advice and input from a diverse set of experts he consulted, founding St. Jude as a beacon of hope to the sickest of children. Since then, his children and grandchildren in partnership with many other visionary leaders have inspired new generations of St. Jude supporters. Such support has allowed St. Jude to grow into one of the largest pediatric cancer research hospitals in the world. Extraordinary science meets outstanding pa-

tient care During the past 60 years, St. Jude research has yielded insights into how normal cells work and how alterations within their DNA contribute to the development of cancer and other childhood catastrophic diseases. This knowledge has served as the basis for improvements in diagnosis and treatment, helping to push the overall childhood cancer cure rate from AJ Rafael and Tim Wang are featured in The Purpose 20% when the hospital opened That Unites Us, an audiovisual collec�on of stories from donors, volunteers, researchers and pa�ent families to more than 80% today. St. Jude scientists, who are talking about why they support St. Jude. some of the most highly cited more than 127 hospitals, foundations, governresearchers in their fields, have also contributed volumes to the prevention and ments and partners who share resources and treatment of infectious diseases, such as influ- facilitate research and transfer of knowledge enza and HIV/AIDS; and nonmalignant hema- across seven regions including Asia Pacific tological diseases, including sickle cell disease and China. In December 2021, St. Jude launched the and X-linked severe combined immunodeficiency, also called bubble boy disease, a rare, Global Platform for Access to Childhood Cancer Medicines, a collaboration with the World hereditable immunodeficiency Health Organization to create a pipeline, supA growing global impact The next 60 years will be shaped by the ported by a $200 million investment from St. scientific and clinical programs outlined in the Jude, that provides an uninterrupted supply of ongoing six-year $11.5 billion St. Jude strate- quality cancer drugs to participating centers in gic plan. A key part of the plan triples invest- low- and middle-income countries. The proments to fund St. Jude Global, an initiative gram is expected to impact as many as 120,000 launched in 2018 to improve the survival rates young cancer patients in 50 countries by 2027. Learn more about the 60-year history of St. of children worldwide with cancer and other catastrophic diseases. One part of this effort Jude and how you can be part of the next 60 is the St. Jude Global Alliance, a network of years.

 COMMUNITY NEWS

March 10-16, 2022

During National Consumer Protection Week, PG&E Wants to Help Customers Recognize and Avoid Falling Victim to Utility Scams To Increase Awareness of Scams, PG&E Reminds the Public that March 6-12 is Na�onal Consumer Protec�on Week SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. — As the number of scams targeting utility customers continue at an alarming rate, typically by phone, online or in-person, PG&E is joining the Federal Trade Commission to help customers recognize potential scams during National Consumer Protection Week from March 6-12, 2022. In fact, during 2021 PG&E received over 11,000 reports from customers who were targeted by scammers impersonating the company, and customers lost nearly $600,000 in fraudulent payments. Unfortunately, this number is likely just the tip of the iceberg for overall scam attempts, as many go unreported. The number of reports is continuing at a high level thus far in 2022, as PG&E received 1,055 reports of attempted scams in January alone, with customers paying scammers over $65,000 during the month. “PG&E would like to remind customers if you ever receive a call threatening disconnection if you do not make immediate payment, hang up and either call PG&E to conﬁrm your account details or log onto your account on PGE.com. Remember, PG&E will never ask for you for your ﬁnancial information over the phone or via email, nor will we request payment via pre-paid debit cards or other payment services like Zelle,” said Chris Zenner,

vice president, PG&E residential services and digital channels. Scammers are opportunistic and look for times when customers may be distracted or stressed, as has been the case during the COVID-19 pandemic. During this time, scammers have increased calls, texts, emails, and in-person tactics and are constantly contacting utility customers asking for immediate payment to avoid service disconnection. As a reminder, PG&E will never send a single notiﬁcation to a customer within one hour of a service interruption, and we will never ask customers to make payments with a pre-paid debit card, gift card, any form of cryptocurrency, or third-party digital payment mobile applications. Scammers can be convincing and often target those who are most vulnerable, including senior citizens and low-income communities. They also aim their scams at small business owners during busy customer service hours. However, with the right information, customers can learn to detect and report these predatory scams. Signs of a potential scam • Threat to disconnect: Scammers may aggressively demand immediate payment for an alleged past due bill. • Request for immediate payment: Scam-

mers may instruct the customer to purchase a prepaid card then call them back supposedly to make a bill payment. • Request for prepaid card: When the customer calls back, the caller asks the customer for the prepaid card’s number, which grants the scammer instant access to the card’s funds. • Refund or rebate offers: Scammers may say that your utility company overbilled you and owes you a refund, or that you are entitled to a rebate. How customers can protect themselves Customers should never purchase a prepaid card to avoid service disconnection or shutoff. PG&E does not specify how customers should make a bill payment and offers a variety of ways to pay a bill, including accepting payments online, by phone, automatic bank draft, mail or in person. If a scammer threatens immediate disconnection or shutoff of service without prior notification, customers should hang up the phone, delete the email, or shut the door. Customers with delinquent accounts receive an advance disconnection notification, typically by mail and included with their regular monthly bill. Signing up for an online account at pge. com is another safeguard. Not only can customers log in to check their balance and pay-

ment history, they can sign up for recurring payments, paperless billing and helpful alerts. Scammers Impersonating Trusted Phone Numbers: Scammers are now able to create authentic-looking 800 numbers which appear on your phone display. The numbers don’t lead back to PG&E if called back, however, so if you have doubts, hang up and call PG&E at 1-833-500-SCAM. If customers ever feel that they are in physical danger, they should call 911. Customers who suspect that they have been victims of fraud, or who feel threatened during contact with one of these scammers, should contact local law enforcement. The Federal Trade Commission’s website is also a good source of information about how to protect personal information. For more information about scams, visit pge.com/scams or consumer.ftc.gov. About PG&E PG&E, a subsidiary of PG&E Corporation (NYSE:PCG), is a combined natural gas and electric utility serving more than 16 million people across 70,000 square miles in Northern and Central California. For more information, visit pge.com and pge.com/news.

As book author, columnist and evangelist, I Church of Christ (GGCC) is hosting Books (2-3pm) of the month at the GGCC Fellowship am delighted to announce that the Golden Gate Launching & Monthly Raffle every last Saturday Hall, 701-8th Avenue (near Golden Gate Park) San Francisco, California 94118 starting March 26, 2022. More than 50 prizes will be drawn and awarded to the monthly raffle winners. The raffle prizes will include SAFEWAY Gift Certificates, Abe FREE Haircut Certificates, bottles of the proven and tested GLS natural health supplement, FREE MSS Signatures Notarization Certificates, FREE Real Estate Consulting (Loan, Buying or Selling) Certificates, autographed copies by the authors and publisher of the following best-selling books and publications, namely: “HISTORICITY OF JESUS” subtitled “Facts and Evidences for Agnostics, Atheists, Believers and Christians,” “JESUS CHRIST” subtitled “The Final Days on Earth Before His Return to Heaven,” “LIFESTYLE FOR LONGEVITY” subtitled “How to be Healthy Emotionally, Financially, Physically, Sexually and Spiritually,” “REAL ESTATE & YOU” subtitled “Basic Information and Guide for Successful Investing in Home Land and Income Property,” and “Christian World Ministry”, Quarterly Journal. There are four ways you can join the Books Launching & Monthly Raffle namely: 1. Visit the two locations of ABE Barber Shop located 5308 Mission Street (2 blocks from Geneva Avenue), San Francisco, CA 94112 and 7146 Mission Street (near Midas at the corner of Mission Street and School Street, Daly City, CA 94014 and sign the REGISTRATION LOG; 2. Visit the global MY ANGEL RADIO San Francisco studio located inside the GGCC building, 701-8th Avenue (near Golden Gate Park), San Francisco, CA 94118 every Saturday 11:am to 3:00pm and sign the REGISTRATION LOG; 3. Attend and/ or join the Bible Classes (10:00 am) and Worship Services (11am) every Sunday at the GGCC Auditorium, 701-8th Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94118 and sign the REGISTRATION LOG; 4. Write or contact: BOOKS MINISTRY, 701-8th bawsca.org/conserve sfpuc.org/SaveWater Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94118 Tel. (650)4383531 or (415)584-7095 or email:artmadlaing@

gmail.com After registration, and/or completing the REGISTRATION LOG, you don’t need to be present to win. All monthly Raﬄe Winners will be published through the “HEALTH & WEALTH” column in the weekly PHILIPPINE NEWS TODAY. Monthly Raﬄe winners will be announced also in the global MY ANGEL RADIO San Francisco every Saturday, 11:am to 3:00pm. “Real Estate & You” now available at Amazon As book author and columnist, I consider the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown as a “blessing in disguise” for me. The pandemic lockdown enabled me to focus on writing and completing not only the two best-selling books “LIFESTYLE FOR LONGEVITY” subtitled “How to be Healthy Emotionally, Financially, Physically, Sexually and Spiritually,” “HISTORICITY OF JESUS” subtitled “Facts and Evidences for Agnostics, Atheists, Believers and Christians,” but also the third book “Real Estate & You” (Revised 2022 Edition) subtitled “Your Basic Information and Guide for Successful Investing in Home, Land and Income Property.” The upcoming “Real Estate & You” (Revised 2022 Edition) subtitled “Your Basic Information and Guide for Successful Investing in Home, Land and Income Property” will be printed and marketed by Amazon on March 31, 2022. Here are some reviews and comments on the upcoming book: “This book is a must reading for anyone deciding and planning to invest in real estate anywhere in the world,” said Henry T. Bravo, Elder, SURREY CHURCH OF CHHRIST, Vancouver, B.C. Canada. “Very readable and easy to understand, which should be about right for my ability,” wrote Bernice Bowen, San Francisco, California, USA. “Yes, this book is understandable for folks who haven’t spent years studying real estate laws and practices. It can save you money!” explained Patrick Andersen, Editor, Asian Wek, San Francisco, California.

GGCC hosts Books Launching & Monthly Rafﬂe Nasa panahon pa rin tayo ng tagtuyot. Magtipid ng tubig, California. Narito kami para tumulong.

We are in a drought. Save water, California. We’re here to help.

27 March 10-16, 2022

Sala sa init...

(From Page 21)

coach at pagbubulsa niya ng pera para dito. Isinumite ng PATAFA ang mga mensaheng ito sa isang virtual press conference noong Enero 4 maliban sa mga sagot ni Obiena. Speaking of honesty! Sa ilan pang presscon at pandinig inulit-ulit ni Obiena ang kanyang hiling sa PATAFA na ang ahensya na mismo ang magbayad sa kanyang mga coach ng diretso na ibinigay din niya sa kanyang budget proposal sa PSC kaugnay ng 2024 Paris Olympics. Ipinaliwanag din ni EJ kung bakit kailangan niyang idaan ang bayad sa coach sa ilang third party tulad ng kanyang Amerikanong padrinong si Jim Laferty at maging ang kanyang inang si Jeanette. Kailangan niyang gawin ito sa dahilang natatanggap niya ang pambayad sa halaga ng piso mula PATAFA at siya mismo ang nagbabayad ng bank transfer fees na nagkakahalaga ng P150,000 o $50 (P2,500) per transfer. Dito, aniya, malaki ang naitulong ni Laﬀerty na mapadali ang bawat transaksiyon. Ang gusto ring malaman ng aming mga mambabasa ay bakit nagagawa ng PATAFA na bayaran ang iba pang atletang nasa ibang bansa tulad nina Fil-Am Natalie Uy, Eric Cray, at Kristina Knott na bayaran ang kanilang mga coach ng diretso. Ang kaso ni Obiena, ayon kay Ginoong Avena “has been a curious setup, despite PATAFA having Petrov’s bank details in its ﬁle.” May kaguluhan nga, di po ba?

Upside...

(From Page 11)

Following is the message she issued March 8, International Women’s Day: TIMES of crisis have always brought out the best in women. Whether as mothers, as professionals, as public servants, or while juggling multiple roles, women have stood as beacons of strength, direction, and hope in the face of numerous challenges. During the pandemic, women leaders stepped up, acted decisively, and provided some of the surest leadership amid this unprecedented crisis. That women can stand as exemplars of courage, competence, and command should no longer be a matter of debate, but a truth borne from experience. But every day, women like us are still expected to prove ourselves, and for no other reason than we are women. This day is both a reminder and a call to keep telling our stories as women: The way we can bring people together to rally behind a common good; the way we ﬁght for our loved ones with the same passion and rigor when we ﬁght for our careers and our dreams; the way we endure, and in enduring, empower and inspire others. I stand with every woman, and with allies of all genders, in celebrating International Women’s Day. h t t p s : / / w w w. f a c e b o o k . c o m / V P L e n i R o b r e d o P H / v i d eos/1148822219215455/ Cherie M. Querol Moreno is Executive Editor of Philippine News Today and Founder-Executive Director of ALLICE Alliance for Community Empowerment.

Oﬄine

(From Page 13)

out with an analysis last week that said she had closed the gap and the son of the dictator’s lead had diminished to 10 points. One reason they surmised is his unwillingness to attend the presidential debates, where Robredo has been shining. In all of her sorties anywhere in the archipelago, Robredo has also been drawing massive crowds. Aerial shots prove this, which is why Junior’s camp has banned drones from taking photos of his bussed crowds. The better and easier to Photoshop them, no? Support from star celebrities? Robredo has it in spades. Junior, not so much, save for a handful of has-beens and never weres. It’s interesting to note that the great Kuh Ledesma was oﬀered big bucks to sing at a Marcos-Duterte rally. She said no, but performed at a Robredo-Pangilinan campaign event for free. Finally, there are the countless organizations that have endorsed Robredo compared to nearly none for Junior. Besides the trapos, the only large organization that has endorsed Junior and his running mate Sara No H is a Davao-based church whose leader is wanted by the FBI. Even the endorsement of El Shaddai’s Mike Velarde was disowned by the Catholic Church, which must have been humiliating. Hundreds of Catholic bishops, priests, nuns, and lay leaders have voice their support for Robredo to the extent that Junior’s camp has complained that the principle of the separation of church and state is not being respected. Leni supporters retorted by asking why it was alright for Junior to seek and receive the support of Pastor Apollo Quiboloy, Mike Velarde, and Ang Dating Daan’s Eli Soriano, but not for the Catholic Church to back Robredo without her even asking. Somewhat ominously, the Iglesia ni Cristo has not come out in full support for Junior and members of the Philippine-based church have not been shy in airing their support for his main opponent. There may or may not be a Solid North backing Junior, just as there may or may not be a Solid Bicol that Leni can count on. But if those two really exist and thus negate each other, then there is good reason to believe that the Southern Tagalog along with the central Visayas vote will spell the diﬀerence. There is little that the governors of Batangas and Cavite can do to turn the tide. But as trapos, they can be expected to say that they were secretly supporting Robredo if she wins.

Health & Wealth

(From Page 12)

Madlaing for writing this book. Every Christian couple and family must read it,” echoed Felix L. Olidan, Jr., Evangelist & Minister, WANCHAI CHURCH OF CHRSIT, Wanchai, Hongkong. “I highly recommend “Real Estate & You” (Revised 2022 Edition) to individuals, couples and families,” said Atty. Junas T. Sagurit, President, Asian Christian University, Bugallon, Pangasinan, Philippines. “This book is excellent and must reading for First-Time Homebuyers. I personally recommend it to anyone interested in real estate, “ wrote Josie Lewis, mother and grandmother who retired at the Laguna Honda Hospital in San Francisco, California, USA. “Art Madlaing’s book on real estate is very informative. I have to commend him for his pioneering efforts in writing this book,” said Ronald E. Quidachay, Superior Court Judge, San Francisco, California, USA. “The concepts shared by Art Madlaing in his book, particularly his updated real estate columns, are very helpful for firsttime homebuyers, home sellers and prospective land investors,” explained Cris P. Villanueva, CPA, former Vice Mayor, Vallejo, California, USA. Real Estate & You (Revised 2022 Edition) will be marketed by Amazon at the regular price of $15.95 per paperback copy plus shipping and handling on March 31, 2022. The upcoming book is an excellent and lasting gift to FRANC (Friends, Relatives, Acquaintances, Neighbors, Co-Workers) during birthdays, anniversaries, graduation days, reunions and other occasions. To express my appreciation and gratitude to our readers and the general public, I am giving a pre-publication Special Offer of $10 (includes shipping and handling) per autographed copy of the book. This Special Offer is good only in the United States on or before May 5, 2022 to commemorate our 48th Wedding Anniversary. Order autographed copies for you and your friends and relatives today. Just send corresponding payment in check or money order to: ART G. MADLAING, 730 Madrid Street, San Francisco, CA 94112 Tel. (650)438-3531 or (415)584-7095 or email:artmadlaing@gmail.com *ART GABOT MADLAING is accredited and commissioned Notary Public and licensed Real Estate Broker (DRE #00635976) in California since 1981 He is the 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 USA.

Diliman way

(From Page 12)

swered. “You better not do that because that land is titled. If you go there now, our Provincial Commander is waiting for you with his soldiers to take you and your followers as guest in our Provincial Jail,” I advised him. “If that is the case, I will not go there. Thanks for the advice,” he replied and we ended up with a big laugh. The last time I met Ka Luis was in a coffee shop after his regular radio program. Over a cup of coffee, he asked me, “Bon, will you be my co-host in my radio program?’ “Why?” I asked in return. “I need someone younger like you to help me as I’m growing old,” he answered. “But Ka Luis, are you not a revolutionary?” I asked him again. Without hesitating, he emphatically answered, “Of course, I am.” “But don’t you know, Ka Luis, that it is a crime for a revolutionary to grow old?” I gently smiled as I asked the question. “Ah, Bon, you’re really pilyo but very creative,’ he smiled at me in return. I miss Ka Luis, the inimitable revolutionary who, to quote Peter Ustinov acting as Nero, died with his dreams without my permission. Impressive: I am heavily impressed by dreamers who even failed to achieve their dreams – for one reason or another. I am more impressed by dreamers who continue to pursue their dreams despite unnerving difficulties – men like Jose Maria Sison who despite years of continuous fighting are still around pursuing their dreams. And I am mesmerized by dreamers who succeed in realizing their dreams – men like Fidel Castro and Che Guevara; Ho Chi Minh, Vo Nguyen Giap and Van Tien Dung; David Ben Gurion, Menachem Begin and Moshe Dayan; Lenin, Trotsky and Stalin; Mao Tse Tung, Zou-Enlai and Chu Teh; Moammar Khaddafi and Gammal Abdel Nasser; and, of course, the great innovative and creative revolutionary thinkers like Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, Woodrow Wilson, Franklin Delano Roosevelt and John Fitzgerald Kennedy. These are dreamers who built countries for their people and establish societies for the greater interest of mankind. There are distortions by those who came after them. But their original dreams will survive for all time. This time: We live in confused and confusing times. Many think the election is a certainty – some don’t. Senators Ping Lacson and Tito Sotto think there are dangerous plans to cancel elections. Knowing PR Duterte and his inner circle, there is reason to believe that there are such plans – the continuing denials of a PR Duterte controlled COMELEC notwithstanding. Dreamers who think of a better world for our people should always remember these lines of the Diana Ross song: “Don’t lose your way

With each passing day You’ve come so far Don’t throw it away Live believing Dreams are for weaving Wonders are waiting to start Live your story Faith, hope and glory Hold to the truth in your heart.” Yes, my friends of heart and mind don’t lose your way. Continue dreaming, working and looking at the horizon because, if you look hard enough, you will see, in John Milton’s words, Paradise Regained where the society is equal, just and free – the New Horizon which is yours and mine. Postscript: The Diana Ross song, If We Hold On Together, has beautiful and undying memories for me. It reminds me of the ladies of the RAM (Rebolusyonaryong Alyansang Makabayan) which had this for their theme song. Agnes Avenido, Marilyn Robles, Pong Querubin – pretty, sweet, charming and daring – among many others, sang this song with a lot of passion and verve. The captured memories bring a Niagara of tears in my heart and a tsunami of inspiring tunes into my soul. For dreamers, memories are the inspiring highways to realization.

PerryScope...

(From Page 12)

to Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini in the Rogues’ Gallery. But that’s his choice. He did it on his own volition. Path to greatness He could have taken a path used by such great leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, Napoleon Bonaparte, and Peter the Great. Some were men of peace and some were men of war. But none of them had been branded as war criminals. But Putin has been branded as a war criminal for the illegal invasion of Ukraine, which unfortunately killed innocent civilians. It has also displaced more than 1.5 million Ukrainians in the first ten days of the Russian invasion, dispersing them in the neighboring countries of Poland, Hungary, Moldova, Slovakia, and other European countries. It is expected that the number would increase to four to five million refugees, mostly women, children, and the elderly. Men between 18 and 60 years old were not allowed to leave and were encouraged to stay to fight for their freedom. Call to volunteers Volunteers have also started coming to Ukraine to join the International Legion of Territorial Defense of Ukraine. It is a volunteer foreign legion military unit created by the Government of Ukraine on the request of President Zelenskyy to fight in the Russian invasion of Ukraine. To date, more than 16,000 volunteers have arrived in Ukraine from Finland, Poland, Belarus, Lithuania, and other countries from all over the world as far away as Japan. Incidentally, as Ukrainians are returning to their country to fight, the Russians are leaving theirs so they won’t have to. Somehow in those dark days we see who is David and who is Goliath. On the battlefield, the Ukrainian freedom fighters have been successful in downing Russian jets and helicopters. So far, they have downed 44 Russian planes and 44 helicopters in 10 days of all-out war. On March 5 alone, the Ukrainian Armed Forces Air Command shot down five aircraft and four helicopters including one Su-25 fighter jet, two Su-34 fighter-bombers, and two Su-30 SM plane. As the war progresses into the coming days, the heroism of the Ukrainian freedom fighters is beyond my wildest dream. Armed with Stinger surface-to-air rockets and Javelin anti-tank guided missiles, which lock on the target before launch, thereby ensuring accuracy. Between the Stingers and the Javelins, the Ukrainian freedom fighters are having a field day downing airplanes and knocking out Russian tanks. This has caused demoralization among the Russian soldiers who are short on fuel and food, the two most important items in a ground war. Putin’s ultimatums Meanwhile, Biden is faced with ultimatums that could determine the outcome of the Ukraine War. I hope that he would reject the ultimatums and continue sending weapons to the Ukrainian freedom fighters and impose severe sanctions including banning oil import from Russia. The reason Putin issued the ultimatums is because weapons provided by the U.S. and her NATO allies are defeating the Russian troops. The Russian oligarchs are hurting, losing 30% of their billions’ worth. And with the ruble now valued a penny to the U.S. dollar, it’s on the brink of collapsing, which would make the ruble worthless. And with the sanctions imposed on the Russian banks, Russia’s central bank would be forced to dig into its hard currency reserves in order to bail out the banks and keep them afloat. It would cripple the Russian economy so it can no longer be able to fund her war machine. And if Putin doesn’t withdraw his forces from Ukraine, the Russian generals might be tempted to remove him from power, which makes one wonder: How long can Putin stay in power?

 HEALTH NEWS

March 10-16, 2022

WHO updates its treatment guidelines to include molnupiravir GENEVA - The World Health Organization (WHO) has updated its living guidelines on COVID-19 therapeutics to include a conditional recommendation on molnupiravir, a new antiviral medicine. This is the ﬁrst oral antiviral drug to be included in the treatment guidelines for COVID-19. As this is a new medicine, there is little safety data. WHO recommends active monitoring for drug safety, along with other strategies to mitigate potential harms. Because of these concerns and data gaps, molnupiravir should be provided only to non-severe COVID-19 patients with the highest risk of hospitalization. These are typically people who have not received a COVID-19 vaccination, older people, people with immunodeﬁciencies and people living with chronic diseases. Children, and pregnant and breastfeeding women should not be given the drug. People who take mol-

nupiravir should have a contraceptive plan, and health systems should ensure access to pregnancy testing and contraceptives at the point of care. Under the care of a health care provider, molnupiravir, an oral tablet, is given as four tablets (total 800 mg) twice daily for ﬁve days; within 5 days of symptom onset. Used as early as possible after infection, it can help prevent hospitalization. Today’s recommendation is based on new data from six randomized controlled trials involving 4,796 patients. This is the largest dataset on this drug so far. Along with a recommendation on molnupiravir, this ninth update of WHO’s living guideline on therapeutics includes an update on casirivimab-imdevimab, a monoclonal antibody cocktail. Based on evidence that this combination of drugs is ineﬀective against the Omicron variant of concern, WHO now recommends that it

is only given when the infection is caused by another variant. Molnupiravir is not widely available but steps have been taken towards increasing access, including the signing of a voluntary licensing agreement. The Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator (ACT-A) is making a limited supply available to countries with access constraints. WHO has also invited manufacturers to submit their products for prequaliﬁcation, with a number of manufacturers of molnupiravir going through assessment now. WHO evaluates the quality, safety and eﬃcacy of medical products for United Nations and other large suppliers to low- and middle-income countries. More WHO quality-assured manufacturers mean that countries have a greater choice of products and more competitive prices.

Disturbing News Heart of Hope

Erratum: In our column last week, the correct statement in the second paragraph under Health News Capsules should be: “Ivermectin, like hydroxychloroquine, has NOT been found to be eﬀective against COVID-19.” “TAMPA, Fla. (AP) March 2, 2022— A visibly PHILIP S. CHUA annoyed Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis admonished a group of high school students for wearing face masks at an indoor news conference Wednesday, saying it was time to stop what he called “this COVID theater.” The Republican governor approached the students and asked them to remove their masks as they waited for him at the press event at the University of South Florida in Tampa. The college is located in an area where the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention still recommends indoor masking due to high COVID-19 risk.” Obviously wanting to tell the world that “he was” the greatest state governor who was ahead in the country in “defeating” COVID-19, Governor DeSantis acted like a dictator demanding berating the students with him on the stage to remove their masks, while some towns in Florida still had a high level of COVID-19 cases and the “CDC still recommended indoor masking due to high COVID-19 risk.” He had no right to do that, especially in an angry manner devoid of respect, more so because of the risk, which the CDC recognized. Those students had the right to wear a cap, a gown, a mask as they so desired. This is a free country. If DeSantis had a mask mandate to reduce COVID-19 transmission at that time and the students refused to do so, he would have that right to demand them to wear masks, but not the opposite situation since that area and the nation as a whole still had a signiﬁcant number of cases and number of deaths, albeit lesser than a week ago. This is an example of a medically ignorant, misinformed leader just like many other politicians trying to be politically correct. They are one of the reasons why we have almost a million COVID-19 deaths in the United States. “The Florida Health Department plans to recommend against COVID-19 vaccination in healthy children, directly contradicting CDC guidelines. (Tampa Bay Times).” This is one of the many confusing opposing views among our leaders that risk people’s lives, the very reason a time-

ly national mandate on PPE and vaccination for all without medical contraindication is so essential during a pandemic, not leaving the management to the various States, whose 50 Governors have 51 different ideas, resulting in almost a million deaths in the United States, the worst compared to all other countries. Kennedy against vaccines The other reason is Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., who is insanely against the COVID-19 vaccines, besides all other vaccines in the past. He must be ignorant how the world has practically eradicated killer Smallpox with Jenner’s (1796) “inoculation vaccine,” and how Polio has been severely reduced with the Salk (1955) and Sabin (1960) vaccines. Not to mention all the pre-school vaccine requirements the whole world is using to protect all our children and the seasonal Flu vaccines saving millions in the USA alone every year. And the most current is the COVID-19 vaccines which have so far saved billions of people around the world. (WHO recommends the booster shot for more vulnerable adults with health issues for added protection.) Sadly, even doctors… Unfortunately, even some people of science, a few physicians and nurses are anti-vax, like “Simone Gold, founder of America’s Frontline Doctors, an activist group known for spreading misinformation and conspiracy theories about the pandemic and Covid vaccines, who has pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge related to the storming of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, which carries a maximum sentence of one year in prison and a fine of $100,000.” COVID-19: brain fog? People who have been infected and developed post-acute COVID-19 syndrome, termed Long COVID-19 (40 percent incidence), could have lingering neurological effects, like brain fog, fatigue, breathing difficulties, visual disturbances, cognitive impairment, anxiety, and a problem with memory. These could last for up to 6 months for 37 percent of people. Mild-to-moderate COVID-19 usually gets better within 1-2 weeks. Studies have so far explained the reduced oxygen supply to the cells of the nervous system can “silence” the cells. These “silent neurons” may be responsible for some Long COVID symptoms and increasing their blood flow to increase their oxygen and micronutrients supply using neuromodulation techniques can reactivate silenced cells of the nervous system.”- (Journal, Restorative Neurology and Neuroscience). “Researchers at the SAVIR-Center in Magdeburg, Germany, found that noninvasive neuromodulation

using NIBS improved visual field loss in under 4 days and noted improved blood vessel dilatation in peripheral arteries and veins (113 to 300 percent) after NIBS treatment. Both vision and cognitive problems have improved after treatment.” Indoor air quality A research team at the University of Oregon found that air filtration, and good humidity levels of an indoor room can reduce how easily a virus spreads. Dryness enables the virus (much like dust) to float and fly around easier with airflow and cause infection. Outdoors, the wind dissipates the virus, the reason why outdoor dining, for example, is safer than eating inside restaurants. One thing this pandemic also taught us is that “most public buildings have poor air quality inside them, which is conducive to increasing risk of pollution, respiratory illnesses, and during a pandemic like COVID-19, to increased risk of transmission. The recommendation is to regularly monitor the air quality inside these buildings and be publicly graded. Large apartment buildings, children’s facilities, schools, commercial buildings, and stores are advised to have MERV 13 filtration, and every classroom and childcare facility in the United States should either MERV 13 or HEPA filters.” Current data reveal COVID-19 case, hospitalization, and death rates are much lower for vaccinated Americans than they are for the unvaccinated, who are nearly 25 times more likely to be hospitalized than vaccinated individuals. COVID-19 stat update As of Monday, March 7, 2022, there were 69,459 cases and 1,686 deaths in one day in the United States. Globally, on Tuesday, March 8, 2022 ( 5:35 PM (EST), Total cases: 449,368,894, Deaths: 6,033,022, New deaths: 5,764; USA: 80,998,258, Deaths: 986,958, New deaths: 851; The Philippines: 3,668,710, Deaths: 57,072, New deaths: 6. While the numbers are going down, the pandemic is far from over. Let us continue to be wise, vigilant, and careful. We are almost there. And let us continue to pray for the people of Ukraine and all those who are suffering around the world. 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 March 10-16, 2022

NEWS  NATIONAL VIEWS & COMMENTS

FAITH IS THE ANSWER By TIM PEDROSA

LET US HAVE FAITH THAT BETTER THINGS ARE COMING; THAT THE BEST IS YET TO COME. Let us never regret anything that has happened in our lives, because it cannot be changed nor undone. We might as well take it as a lesson and move on. Faith is taking the first step even when we don’t see what could happen! There are times when we might have craved for certain things, but then, unfortunately, these particular things do not come to us. Sometimes someone or something dear to us is gone. When something happens beyond our control, we should accept it some way or the other. We should not keep chasing it for the rest of our lives. In life, something happens that might not be according to our wishes. In such a scenario, we have to accept the reality without allowing ourselves to keep nagging about it all the time. We must not feel low but continue to have faith in ourselves and our abilities. Let us rely on the Almighty and must understand that this is part of life. When something is gone, we must let it go! Maybe it was not meant for us; maybe there is something greater coming along the way. We probably deserve a lot better, and that is what is on the way. When one door closes another door opens; but we so often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the ones which open for us – Alexander Graham Bell. I have learned that if things are meant for us, they will come to us. All we need is to hold our patience and have enough faith in ourselves. The moment we actually have faith and trust in God, things are going to fall in their places all by themselves. Let us just accept the reality, keep working ahead and trust ourselves. We have survived a lot, and we will survive whatever is coming. We should realize that we are capable of withstanding any sort of difficulties that come along our way. Optimism is a cheerful frame of mind that enables a tea kettle to sing though it’s in hot water up to its nose. We often fear something because we are not aware of our own potential. Let us be confident that we are capable of dealing with all sorts of hardships, and nothing in this world can stop us from achieving all that we want to attain. Too often, we underestimate our own abilities and that is the biggest mistake that we can ever do. We have survived a lot in the past, we will be able to survive a lot more what is yet to arrive. Life is a battle and we are just like the soldiers trying to give our best and make sure that we win. Every time we feel that we are low, let us just look back at our past and we will be able to understand that we are good enough! We have survived many times, and we have a lot more to see ahead! All we need is to have faith in ourselves and to God and we will be able to overcome each and every hurdle that comes along our way. Always believe that you have the power to renew, revitalize and regenerate your life, you can heal yourself, body, mind, heart and soul! Feed your faith and your fear will starve to death.

Intend to Grow Spiritually Our Lord Jesus says: “Be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect (Mt. 5:48).” You and I, dear reader, may immediately say: “This is impossible! Nobody can reach perfection, we are weak human beings, etc.” Such opposition is valid, but I believe we all can agree that this statement from the Lord can also mean growth – we are called to grow in virtues, to develop and to progress in REV. JOSE PELAGIO A. PADIT, SThD the divine life. A journey is in motion, so also in spiritual journey nothing must stay inert or stall. We must always ask ourselves; are we growing? Are we progressing in virtues and good qualities? Oftentimes, we fail to ask this question; because we do not want to see and know the truth of who and where we are. We do not want to be told, for instance, we are irritable and impatient accompanied with bad words; since, we cannot seem to compose ourselves when trigger situations come. Also, we avoid mentioning or being mentioned by others that we have some bad attitude. Whenever we are corrected our ready answer, “I cannot change anymore, this is who I am.” Dear reader, for sure we are aware in ourselves of some bad manners; and we know we can change, but we are not giving effort into it. We justify our inaction to real change by saying: “I am a good person, I have many good qualities, these outweigh my bad ones.” But we know that spiritual life is not a journey of the minimum. Our faith and love of God are not and cannot quantified or qualified according to our human categories as to say, “enough” – I am good enough, I love God enough, I follow Jesus enough, I help others enough, I pray enough, I go to Church enough, I keep the Ten Commandments enough, and so on. Do we really think there is such enough in our love and service of God, or in our striving of righteousness? There is a spiritual imperative in us to grow in the faith and everything that matters to it. The vices and bad attitudes in whatever form must be annihilated. Our spiritual journey is our spiritual quest that entails determination and perseverance, willing sacrifice and unwavering love for God. Our quest for growth in spiritual life is ongoing. The moment we are stalling is the moment we are falling, like a plane in midair; the moment its engines stall, it would not only start to descend but also a moment of trouble, unless resolved immediately a terrifying disaster is inevitable. We must strive to progress in all things that matter to our faith and love of God. It is important for God that we be holy, would it not be important to us? if it is important for God that change our bad attitudes, change our tendency to bad words, would we take that for granted? Like the so-called violent stories in the Old Testament, for example, please read the whole chapter, 1 Samuel 15; God sent king Saul to exterminate the Amalekites, but Saul did not carry through to the end the instructions given him. This passage can be horrifying to say the least to our contemporary sensibilities, but this passage like other similar passages in the Old Testament are read with the idea of spiritual struggle, the battle of the soul, of which we can never stop until fully defeating the enemy or enemies. A simple victory is not enough; whatever God commands, whatever His words ask of us, we are to follow to the end. Jesus Himself gave us the example: “I did not come to abolish the law nor the prophets, I came not to abolish but to fulfill… (Mt. 5:17-18).” Fulfilling and accomplishing what God wants is to be taken seriously. Not progressing in divine life is not an option. We may not be progressing, because we do not give efforts to know and defeat the obstacles or hindrances in our spiritual endeavor. We must know where you are weak. We must know where we are playing with sin or sinful actions. We can never stop; we must progress and keep growing. God is generous even more to those who are honestly in pursuit of participating His Divine Life. God’s divine life is a free gift to us, we have to continually seek it and grow in it in order to live life to the fullest. Let us strive for the fullness of life here below with greater hope that we can be deigned worthy to that final and fullest life above. Amen.

Aﬂame The Heart

INSPIRATIONAL ARTICLE FOR THE WEEK

31 March 10-16, 2022  NATIONAL NEWS

 FOOD & TRAVELS

Recipe of the Week Bangus with Tausi, Milkfish with Salted Black Beans 1 medium size bangus, milkﬁsh, sliced into 1” thick 2 thumb size ginger, cut into thin strips 3-3 clove garlic, chopped 2 medium size tomato, coarsely chopped 1 medium size onion, coarsely chopped 1/2 medium size bell pepper, cut into thin strips 1 small bundle spring onion, cut diagonally 3-4 tbsp. tausi, salted black beans, rinsed, roughly mashed 2-3 tbsp. of brine from the salted black beans 1 tsp. sugar (optional) salt and pepper cooking oil Cooking procedure: Dust bangus slices with salt and pepper, keep aside. In a frying pan heat 2 to 3 tbsp. of cooking oil stir fry garlic and ginger until fragrant. Add in the salted black beans, sugar if using, onion and tomato and stir fry until the onion and tomato are wilted. Add in the brine from the salted black beans and about 3/4 cups of water and bring to a boil. Now add in the fried milkﬁsh and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Correct saltines if required. Add in the bell pepper and spring onion, continue to simmer for another minute. Serve with a lot of rice.

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

San Pablo is home not just to traditional Filipino dishes but also to unique cuisines prepared from ingredients that are sourced from its very own lakes – the Bunot, Calibato, Mohicap, Palakpakin, Pandin, Sampaloc, and Yambo lakes. Among the interesting finds here are Sinugno, Kulawo, Pinaete, and Hipon Palakpakin. ‘Sustainably, inclusively’ Two years into the pandemic and with less than a year left in the administration, the DOT continues to promote a “safe, fun, and competitive” Philippine tourism, Maquiling said. “For the fiscal year 2022, we will continue the pursuit of sustainability, resiliency, and inclusiveness of tourism,” he said, highlighting the department’s commitment to rebuilding confidence and growing demand in the domestic and foreign markets. While the plan to reopen the country to foreign tourists was halted due to the threat posed by the Omicron variant, Maquiling said the DOT continues to prepare for possible international travel corridors or green lanes. “These things are continually being discussed and hopefully, we will have more travel bubbles because the secretary wanted to bring in, for instance, familiarization tours coming from abroad... for tour operators to come here to the Philippines and visit destinations that have been already recalibrated,” he said. “These are being closely coordinated with our foreign attaches across 13 offices, (including in) London, Taiwan, and Korea.” In the same presser, Maquiling said the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) Global Summit is set to happen in Manila in March. The WTTC Global Summit is widely considered the most influential event for travel and tourism professionals and stakeholders, with at least 650 executives expected to attend. “(T)hey have been given special lanes. They will be coming from different countries. These are the things that are always being talked about in the IATF (InterAgency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases). Hopefully, it can expand to more groups coming in for special purposes. Hopefully, these are the things that we look forward to in the coming months,” he said.