Page 14 By A� y. Liangco

Actor Gerald Anderson joining VisMin Cup

MANILA – The Pilipinas VisMin Super Cup Mindanao leg just got some star power.

Actor and former reality show star Gerald Anderson is joining the team formerly known as the Cagayan De Oro Rafters for the Mindanao leg scheduled to tip off on May 25 pending the clearance from the Games and Amusements Board, PNA reported.

The 5-foot-11 guard, who still got to play high school hoops in his hometown of General Santos and last played for the Imus Bandera in the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL), signed up with the Brew Authoritea-owned franchise, which is currently looking for a new local government partner after CDO begged off .

Mac Baracael and JR Cawaling, who starred for Far Eastern University in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines during the late 2000’s, are set for a reunion as they will lead the way for Brew Authoritea.

Reil Cervantes, who last month was revealed to be the new main man of the CamSur Express in the National Basketball League, was also confi rmed to be joining Brew Authoritea.

Completing the lineup are Ronjay Buenafe, Joseph Sedurifa, Paul Sanga, Lucas Tagarda, Ralph Salcedo, Francis Munsayac, Mark Sarangay, Brylle Meca, Andro Catipay, Andoy Estrella, and John Gonzaga.

Vis Valencia will coach Brew Authoritea, reuniting him with Estrella, who was his player with the Quezon City Capitals in the MPBL.

Dale Lacorte and Leo Avenido will backstop Valencia in the coaching staff , while Nino Valenzuela has been named as the team manager.

 ENTERTAINMENT Jessica Sanchez, Mark Cuban, Apl.de.ap, others team up to stop Asian hate crimes

Remember Jessica Sanchez, the Filipino American teener who wowed millions for her performance in the American Idol?

Now a professional singer, Jessica, who hails from southern California and whose mother hails from Bataan, is marking another mark fi ghting for Asian Americans.

She and celebrity entrepreneur Mark Cuban are joining forces to raise awareness about Asian-American hate crimes with a new song “Us.”

According to reports, Jessica will debut the song and music video on April 30, with the goal of promoting unity for those affected by racism and hate crimes.

Cuban will be part of its music video along with Patrick Starrr, Liane V, Black Eyed Peas’ Apl.de.ap, who is Filipino American, and many others.

Jessica was born to a Mexican-American father and Filipina mother, who originally hailed from Bataan province. She was born and raised in San Diego, California.

In 2012, she made waves in the Philippines and in the United States for her remarkable performances during the 11th season of “American Idol” where she fi nished the runner-up. She was only the fi fth contestant of the hit American talent search who has Filipino roots to make the Top 12. Following her “American Idol” stint, she released her debut album in 2013 with Interscope Records titled “Me, You, and the Music” and went No. 8 on the Billboard Pop Charts. Her fi rst single was “Tonight” featuring Neyo.

Since then, Jessica has gone on to appear in various TV and live shows, and has done concerts alongside renowned artist like Andrea Bocelli and many others. For the fi rst time in her career, Jessica also had the opportunity of performing at the White House for former US President Barack Obama. Kris Aquino’s Bimby declares he is not gay, likes women

As he celebrates his 14th birthday, James Yap Jr., popularly known as Bimb or Bimby Aquino, declared that he is not gay and he likes women.

The son of Kris Aquino and basketball star James Yap (their marriage was annulled) made the statement in response to netizens who have time and again doubted his gender.

“I’ll set the record straight. I like women. I don’t like boys,” was his direct statement in a one-on-one interview with him by his mother Kris Aquino for their vlog.

Bimby’s answer made it various media entities and social in Manila and has become the talk of the town.

In the interview, the actress-host asked his son Bimb on how he feels every time he reads comments on social media branding him as gay, reported Evelyn Diao of Maharlika TV.

“Wala, I don’t feel anything. I just feel like, ‘O sige, if you think I’m gay, all right, dude. But you do realize that gay community sa Philippines is a strong community,’” Bimby stated.

For Bimb as his mom fondly calls him, he is just a minor to think, or for matters like being gay to slip into his mind.

“And you do realize that I’m 13 … I’m 14 in a few minutes. So parang like, it did not go through my mind, ’cause I know what I am. I’m straight, I’m straight as an arrow,” he declared.

Derek Ramsay, after a pattern of first to call it quits with girlfriends, finds ‘true love’ in Ellen

Has actor Derek Ramsey found his true love?

Will it be walk before the altar next with current girlfriend Ellen Adarna?

The posers are asked by showbiz observers, fans and netizens after his much publicized marriage proposal to the Cebuana actress.

The fans were surprised as the proposal came just weeks after Derek dump actress Andrea Torres reportedly not personal but via phone conversation.

When Derek broke up with Andrea during the last quarter of 2020 over the phone, fans and netizens observed that there seems to be a pattern that he follows each time he ends a relationship, reported Evelyn Diao of Maharlika TV. In his past relationships, Derek was always the fi rst to call it quits, which is so painful for those women he left hanging, according to the report.

Among Derek’s past girlfriends — Andrea, Joanne Villablanca, Cristine Reyes, Angelica Panganiban, Solenn Heussaff -- all ended up in hurting separation, Evelyn Diao disclosed.

In an interview with Cristy Fermin on her radio program on April 20, 2021, Derek detailed all the time frame of his relationships with his past girlfriends.

He did not mention the name of Mary Christine Jolly, whom he married in April 2002, which also ended in separation.

Derek narrated, “Over four years kami ni Solenn. Five years po kami ni Angelica. Six years kami ni Joanne. One year po kami ni Andrea.”

He admitted that he and Andrea just talked over phone when he called it quits.

This is not a new thing anymore because based on Angelica’s revelations in April 2013 in an interview with a now defunct entertainment magazine, Star Studio, the actress said that Derek was having a vacation in Boracay in February 2012 when they had an argument while talking over the phone. His ex-boyfriend asked her, “Ano bang nararamdaman mo?”

Angelica said she wanted to answer the question personally when he came back from Boracay, but Derek insisted to give an answer, so she just said, “Wala. Wala na akong nararamdaman.”

So, their fi ve-year relationship ended in a telephone conversation just like that as Derek gave Angelica a short answer, “Okay, it’s over!” the report added.

According to Angelica, the accusation that Derek was a “controlling boyfriend,” his lack of support in her mission to locate her biological father, his civil marriage to Mary Christine Jolly in Balagtas, Bulacan on April 3, 2002 were the three problems they had in their relationship.

During his promo guesting for the fi lm Ex With Benefi ts on Gandang Gabi Vice on September 6, 2015, Derek admitted that he was also the one who broke up with Solenn Heussaff .

The actor said, “that time, it wasn’t just the right time and I made decisions na parang, I guess, I won’t say the wrong decisions, pero decisions that broke my heart. Parang nakipag-break ako, and in the process, I broke my heart…

“Mahal na mahal ko siya noon, pero sometimes that’s not enough,” he was quoted in the report.

“Parang merong nangyayari sa relationship na, I guess, kasi sobra kayong nagmamahalan na sometimes you bring the worst out of each other,” he added.

“So, for me, it’s too much turmoil I had to get out. Kahit alam ko rin na mahal na mahal ko siya,” he said.

Since Joanne Villablanca is nonshowbiz and there was nobody from the entertainment media who took the courage to interview her, the root cause of their break up was never known.

But just like his relationship with Andrea, it was Derek who announced his breakup with Joanne.

“Yes, we have broken up. It’s all for the best,” was Derek’s short confi rmation on June 6, 2019 about their decision to end their live-in partnership.

Cristine Reyes was also in the list of Derek’s former girlfriends, Evelyn Diao wrote, adding they had a short-lived relationship, even shorter than his and Andrea’s.

Based on his statement on Cristy FerMinute radio show, it was also Derek who ended their one-month relationship.

He said, “Naging girlfriend ko rin si Cristine. Super close kami ni Cristine. She was one of my closest friends nung kami pa ni Angelica.”

“‘Tapos nung naghiwalay kami ni Angelica, we still maintained that friendship. Tapos magkasama kami every day kasi ginagawa namin ‘yung pelikula na Trophy Wife na ilang beses ni-reshoot. Umabot yata ng two years ‘yung pelikulang ‘yon. “E, galing ako sa break, galing din siya sa break, so alam mo yung dalawang magkaibigan na sobrang kumportable sa isa’t isa na naisip na may nangyari lang na, ‘tapos, ‘O, dapat siguro bigyan natin ng chance ito kasi sobrang kilala na natin ang isa’t isa.”

“Pero yun nga, dahil sa sobrang kilala na namin ang isa’t isa, after one month, napag-usapan namin, sabi ko, ‘Alam mo, Tin, hindi talaga tayo pang-boyfriend girlfriend. Pang-magkaibigan lang.’”

And now, Ellen Adarna. Derek and Ellen caught the public by surprised with their whirlwind romance and even followed it with Derek’s proposal for them to get married on March 30, 2021. They plan to hold their wedding in July 2021.

It looks like Derek is happy with Ellen, which is obviously seen on the glow

of his eyes and his moves, surmised Evelyn Diao in her report. “I’ve never been this happy in my life. Hindi lang sa relationship ko,” Derek said. “Kasi, everything around me, yung relationship ko sa anak ko (Austin), which has been my biggest… ayokong sabihin na problem, e, pero yung lagi kong ipinagdarasal na maayos at maging komportable na siya sa akin and everything,” he said. “Nung pumasok si Ellen sa buhay ko, parang all those little things in my life na ipinagdarasal ko, all fell into place,” Derek narrated on Cristy FerMinute. Love fi lls Derek’s life nowadays. According to his friends, they now see how Derek has become so sweet. Even if there are people who say they no longer act according to their age, Derek and Ellen are not ashamed to share to the public the photos of their sweet moments. Just like the photo where he carried the actress with a caption, “My big baby tuko.” Obviously, Derek has found his true love? ‘Ang Probinsyano’ director Toto Natividad succumbs to COVID-19

Veteran action fi lm director Toto Natividad passed away Tuesday morning due to

complications brought by the deadly coronavirus disease (COVID-19). He was 64.

Natividad’s daughter Maybel Natividad-Reyes confi rmed his demise through Facebook.

The director expired around 10:15 a.m. at the Green City Hospital in San Fernando, Pampanga.

Navotas City Mayor Toby Tiangco was one of the fi rst to announce Natividad’s death via Facebook.

Veteran action fi lm director Toto Natividad passed away Tuesday morning due to complications brought by the deadly coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

He was 64.

Natividad’s daughter Maybel Natividad-Reyes confi rmed his demise through Facebook.

The director expired around 10:15 a.m. at the Green City Hospital in San Fernando, Pampanga.

Navotas City Mayor Toby Tiangco was one of the fi rst to announce Natividad’s death via Facebook.

“Isa na namang masipag na serbisyo publiko at matapat na katuwang ng pamahalaang lungsod sa paglaban sa pandemya ang nawala sa atin. Ikinalulungkot po nating ibalita ang pagpanaw ni Kap. Toto Natividad, punong barangay ng North Bay Boulevard South (NBBS) Kaunlaran,” Tiangco said.

He praised the fi lm director’s dedication to public service, attending to his constituents amid the pandemic even at the risk of contracting the virus himself.

Last 21 April, his son John Isaac Natividad cried out for help on social media for leads for a hospital where he could admit his father given that most medical facilities are already at full capacity for COVID-19 patients.

A fundraiser was put up to cover the medical expenses of the veteran fi lmmaker. Reportedly, his bill already shot up to P430,000 just on his second day of admission. He had to be intubated to aid his breathing caused by Severe Covid Pneumonia.

REMEMBERING VICTOR WOOD

Singer and former matinee idol, Victor Wood, dubbed as the original “Jukebox King of the Philippines” passed away April 23, due to complications from Covid-19, at around 9AM at the New Era General Hospital in Quezon City as revealed by his wife, Nerissa. He was 75. A native of Camarines Sur, Victor shot to fame during the early 1970s with his cover of popular American hits from the 1950s to 1960s and was initially compared to Elvis Presley with his wavy curly hair and long sideburns that accompanied his popular renditions of rock and roll standards like “Daddy Cool,” (originally a 1957 hit for the doo-wop group, The Rays), “Little Darlin’,” (a hit by The Diamonds, also from 1957) and “Knock On Wood,” (a Stax/Volt soul hit by Eddie Floyd from 1966).

He was also known for several classics such as “Mr. Lonely,” “In Despair,” “Eternally,” “I’m Sorry My Love,” “I Went to Your Wedding” and “Carmelita

Victor, who also became known as “Plaka King,” later became an even bigger sensation when he started covering ballads like “Mr. Lonely” (originally by Bobby Vinton), “You Are My Destiny” (by Paul Anka) and what arguably became his signature song, “Eternally” (originally written by Charlie Chaplin and recorded by Engelbert Humperdinck, among many other artists).Other hits also included covers of Teddy Randazzo’s “One More Chance,” Jerry Vale’s “Innamorata,” Buddy Holly’s “Peggy Sue,” and John Rowles’ “Cheryl Moana Marie.”

At the height of his popularity, Victor Wood starred in many movies, mostly musicals opposite leading ladies that included Amalia Fuentes, Nora Aunor and Vilma Santos.

The advent of sub-genres like the Manila Sound and Pinoy Rock in the mid-70s that would later paved the way for a genre that is termed now as Original Pilipino Music saw the emergence of singers like Rico J. Puno and Hajji Alejandro who became popular with their Tagalog adaptation of known foreign hits. Although he did manage to record a popular original song with “Malupit Na Pag-Ibig,” quite possibly his last big hit, Victor was unable to keep up with the changing trends.

Victor Wood’s decline in popularity, was also due in large part to the payola scandal he exposed, along with fellow singer Julius Obregon, in the mid-70s. Payola refers to the sum of money paid by record companies to radio stations to ensure airplay of promoted releases. As a result of his exposé, Victor’s career stagnated and by the end of the decade, he decided to migrate to the United States and found success with several business ventures unrelated to music.

Victor later returned to the Philippines to dabble in politics and ran for a Senate seat in 2007 under the Kilusang Bagong Lipunan party but lost.

In 2011, he was honored as an OPM Icon in the 3rd PMPC Star Awards for Music along with Sylvia La Torre, Philippine Madrigal Singers, Joey “Pepe” Smith, Mike Hanopol, Freddie Aguilar, Celeste Legaspi, Ryan Cayabyab, Basil Valdez, Jose Mari Chan, Danny Javier, Jim Paredes, Boboy Garrovillo, Pilita Corrales and Nora Aunor.

He attempted to run again for the Senate in 2013 but was disqualifi ed by the COMELEC. He also ran unsuccessfully for vice governor and congressman of Rizal. Following his rendezvous with politics, Wood has since maintained a low profi le until his demise. In later years, art became his passion as painting became his way of best expressing himself.

At the time of his death, a biopic on his life and career, tentatively titled, “Jukebox King: The Life Story of Victor Wood” is set to be produced by EBC Films and Eagle Broadcasting Corporation. Written and directed by Carlo Ortega Cuevas, the upcoming fi lm will be headlined by actor Martin Escudero playing the title role.

“Pakikiramay sa pamilya ng isang haligi ng OPM, ang JUKEBOX KING Victor Wood. Mapalad ako dahil bago sya pinagpahinga ng Diyos ay (Continue on page 27)

 ENTERTAINMENT Rabiya Mateo has big chances at Miss Universe 2020

The Philippines’ Rabiya Mateo appears to be a strong contender for the Miss Universe 2020 title.

The pageant scene both here and abroad has been abuzz since Rabiya arrived in Los Angeles, California on April 20 for some sponsor-related pre-pageant events, the Philippine Entertainment Portal or PEP.ph reported.

Rabiya has earned raves from pageant followers with her diff erent gowns, the latest of which was a Filipiniana that looks like the Philippine fl ag. Beauty camp Aces and Queens released the photo taken by Filbert Kung on its Instagram page, saying the gown was designed by Florida-based Filipino designer Kirsten Regalado.

“Lalaban para sa Pilipinas,” the post stated.

In previous Instagram posts, Regalado referred to the Filipiniana she made for Mateo as the Sunrise Gown, according to ABS-CBN.

Rabiya, who is now preparing in Florida, is also currently leading the Miss Universe 2020 online poll in the Philippines, it added.

Shopping app Lazada has been tapped by the Miss Universe Organization to be the offi cial e-commerce and voting platform of the pageant in the country.

The voting period started on April 8, 2021, and will end on May 15, 2021.

A Lazada representative confi rmed to PEP.ph that Rabiya has received the highest number of votes on the app, as of Tuesday, April 27, 2021.

She is followed by candidates from neighboring countries: Miss Vietnam Nguyên Trân Khánh Vân, Miss Indonesia Ayu Maulida Putri, Miss Thailand Amanda Obdam, and Miss Malaysia Francisca Luhong James.

The tally does not include those who voted using the Miss Universe app.

The candidate with the highest number of online fan votes will automatically be included in the Top 21 semi-fi nalists.

To help Rabiya become one of the Top 21 semifi nalists, pageant fans can download the app and vote through the Miss Universe tab. Eligible users are entitled to one free vote during the entire voting period.

Pageant fans can also buy voting packages worth P48 for 3 votes, P243 for 20 votes, P486 for 45 votes, P973 for 95 votes, P2,434 for 240 votes, and P4,869 for 500 votes.

Rabiya is hoping to win the country’s fi fth Miss Universe crown. Other Filipina beauty queens who previously won the title are Catriona Gray (2018), Pia Wurtzbach (2015), Margie Moran (1973), and Gloria Diaz (1969).

The grand coronation of the Miss Universe 2020 pageant will be held at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida on May 16, 2021 (May 17 in Philippine time).

Rabiya’s chances were also bolstered by the withdrawal of several candidates due to diffi culties of travel and preparations due Covid-19 in their countries.

Megaworld closes deals for new office leases

By Jeanne Michael Penaranda

FORT BONIFACIO – Andrew Tan-led property giant Megaworld closed deals for new offi ce leases even as the last three quarters of 2020 were marred by community lockdowns across the country. Around 135,000 square meters of fresh offi ce space inventory were leased out in the company’s townships in Iloilo, Quezon City, and Fort Bonifacio. Around 78 percent of these new leases are part of the expansion programs of existing offi ce partners while the rest were taken by new client companies. “These are mostly companies operating BPOs (business process outsourcing), e-commerce, logistics, and fi nance. And we are very happy to see the strong interest in our offi ce developments in Iloilo Business Park. Approximately 20 percent of new leases have been booked there and we even cemented our dominance in terms of market share in the Iloilo offi ce market,” Megaworld chief strategy offi cer Kevin Tan said.

In addition to new leases, the company also bagged lease renewals of around 145,000 square meters of offi ce spaces from various company tenants last year. Megaworld Premier Offi ces ended 2020 with P10.4 billion in rental revenues, just around the same level in the previous year. The company was also able to complete the construction of around 87,000 square meters of fresh offi ce spaces last year, bringing the total leasable offi ce inventory to 1.4 million square meters. This excludes the offi ce spaces that are for sale in Iloilo Business Park and Maple Grove in Cavite. “At this point, we can say that our offi ce business is the most stable income generator in our company’s revenue stream with or without this health crisis, and we continue to focus on the expansion of this business in the years to come and further strengthen our leadership in the country’s offi ce property sector,” Tan said. In 2020, the company’s net income slipped by 45 percent to P10.6 billion while consolidated revenues decreased by 35 percent to P43.5 billion compared to the previous year due to the pandemic.

More Real Estate Predic� ons

We certainly have a very unpredictable RE market and it has been roughly one year when the pandemic put the housing market on hold for several months last spring. But the real estate market bounced back quickly and has been booming since then. More existing homes were sold in 2020 than in any year since 2006. Many market watchers are curious to know how long will this housing boom last or will the market eventually crash? Well, so far, the housing market continues to be sizzling hot resulting in higher home prices and quick-selling homes. Housing demand remained strong in the fi rst quarter of 2021 but the supply still lags behind. Buyers who are currently struggling to fi nd a house are likely to see improvement in the number of listings available to them as more sellers list their houses for the spring buying season. Existing-home sales fell 3.7% from the prior month to a seasonallyadjusted annual rate of 6.01 million as sales in all major regions declined. It marks two consecutive months of decline in home sales, according to the latest data released by the National Association of Realtors. There is still a huge inequality between number of buyers and sellers therefore I am concluding that the move up sellers cant help push the move up buyers market. Single-family home sales decreased to a seasonally-adjusted annual rate of 5.30 million in March, down 4.3% from 5.54 million in February, and up 10.4% from one year ago. Despite the drop in home sales housing market continues strong even as mortgage rates tick up to the highest levels this year amid rising long-term bond yields. The housing market has been struggling to keep up with the demand for the past decade. The pandemic has led to a surge in demand. The median sales price of an existing home has risen 17.2% from last year and they have increased even more in some regions of the country. It has reached a historic high of $329,100, with all regions posting double-digit price gains. March’s national price jump marks 109 straight months of year-over-year gains. The median existing single-family home price was $334,500 in March, up 18.4% from March 2020. Hence, the supply-demand dynamics will continue to push home prices up by 8 percent in 2021 – up from the previously predicted rate of 4.2 percent (FHFA Home Price THE NUMBER ONE CHOICE FOR FILIPINO FAMILIES The ONLY Place for All Your Arrangements in One Convenient Location Index). Another interesting thing is that this higher home price forecast more than diminishes the modestly higher interest rate forecast. Therefore, the mortgage originations are also expected to tick up by 14.5 percent year-over-year in 2021. New Funeral home with Reception Center Flower Shop Beautiful Garden Memorial Park Cremation Services Fannie Mae predicts overall single-family mortgage market originations in 2021 and 2022 to total $4.0 trillion and $3.0 trillion, up from $3.9 trillion and $2.9 trillion, reWe transfer your loved ones to and from the Philippines spectively. However, according to another mortgage giant, Freddie Mac, the total originations will decline to $3.5 trillion in 2021 as higher mortgage rates have the potential to soften the robust demand the housing market has been experiencing. Even with rising mortgage rates and higher prices, the housing market should remain strong due to very tight inventories and increasing demand as more millennials are projected to buy houses this year. Now millennials make up the largest share of homebuyers in the US, according to a 2020 survey from the NAR. According to a new study by Realtor.com, buying is more cost-effi cient than renting in a growing number of the largest cities in the country. This is encouraging news for the millions of millennials who are approaching peak homebuying age. With the increasing prices, the monthly mortgage payments have also increased by almost $100. The monthly payment for an 80% loan for the typical listing hit $1,260 in March 2021, matching the previous peaks in both fall 2018 and spring 2019, according to Realtor.com. We are now in a period where we can compare housing trends against the TTT BTBBBBBBB NTN FBFTFBB HHHT BF RTRTRBBHF CTFBTF BB CCRFTCC LBNF early days of the pandemic when the real estate market was largely halted. The U.S. housing market is 3.8 million single-family homes short of what is needed to meet the country’s housing demand, up 52% as compared with 2018’s shortfall, according to a new analysis from mortgage-fi nance company Freddie Mac. In 2018, Freddie Mac had estimated that the housing market was 2.5 million units short of what it needed to meet long-term demand. The new estimate is as of the end of 2020 and it emphasizes the severity of the housing supply. While the current housing shortage is also due to the moratorium on foreclosures but it’s mainly because of home builders not keeping up with long-term demand growth. Single-family housing starts rose last year to 991,000 units but builders would need to construct between 1.1 million and 1.2 million single-family homes a year to meet longterm demand. The last time sin- (Continued on page 27)

Young Pinay weightlifter wins 2 golds in Asian meet, may qualify for Tokyo Olympics

MANILA – Vanessa Sarno put Tashkent on notice last week as she ruled the women’s 71-kilogram category of the Asian Weightlifting Championships.

The 17-year-old Bohol native lifted a total of 229 kilograms to take home the overall gold in the event.

Sarno also lifted the heaviest in the clean and jerk (C&J) routine with 128 kg, giving her another gold.

This may make Sarno a wildcard to compete in the Tokyo Olympics, according to Samahang Weightlifting ng Pilipinas president Monico Puentevella

Only Gulnabat Kadyrova of Turkmenistan had a better lift than Sarno in the snatch as the former lifted 102 kg. against the latter’s 101.

However, Kadyrova struggled a bit in the C&J as she only lifted 121 kg., just good for third place, giving her 223 kg. in total.

Overall, Kadyrova still got the silver as Kazakhstan’s Yekaterina Bykova, despite having a heavier C&J lift at 122 kg, could only lift a 91 in the snatch for 213 in total and settled for the bronze.

Last year, Sarno won the IWF Online World Cup, making her a prospective gold medal hauler in the Olympics down the road.

Hidilyn Diaz, already an Olympic silver medalist, is set to be appearing in her fourth consecutive edition of the games later this year in Tokyo.

But while some of the team members were there to boost their chances to qualify for the Olympics, some of the junior members of the team – including Sarno – were there to gain valuable experience for the future.

“Actually si Sarno… she was really there for the experience. Ang problema yung bata, palaban eh. Talagang palaban [Actually, Sarno.. she was really there for the experience. The problem is, the kid is a fi ghter, a real fi ghter],” Puentevella told the Philippine Sportswriters Association.

Last November, she was competing in juniors competitions, winning three gold medals in the International Weightlifting Federation’s Online Youth World Cup.

In Tashkent, Saarnno managed to take home two golds and one silver in the 71-kg category.

Puentevella said he would try to request a wild card spot for Sarno for the Tokyo Games.

“Gusto ko ma-wild card si Sarno, kung puwede lang [I want Sarno to be a wild card, if it’s possible].”

He said that this would be similar to the path of Diaz, who herself competed in the 2008 Beijing Games as a wild card entry. The experience she gained there culminated in her eventually winning a silver medal in Rio in 2016. Besides Diaz and Sarno, there are a couple other hopefuls who may yet have a shot to make it in the Tokyo Olympics.

Elreen Ando, who won two silver medals and a bronze in the Asian championships, is one of those with a shot at getting in, Puentevellaa said.

Puentevella added that he was happy that Diaz herself was able to secure her qualifi cation for the Tokyo games safely during the Tashkent meet.

“I’m very happy that she was not injured. Our objective was to qualify and not for her to be injured since the Olympics is almost three months from now,” Puentevella said.

Diaz made her qualifi cation offi cial just by participating in the tournament, making her the seventh Filipino to book a spot for the Tokyo games scheduled in July.

Ayaw lumaban ni Floyd, so what? --Pacquiao

Para sa karamihan, ang pagsikat ng bituin ni Manny Pacquiao bilang isang boksingero ay maituturing na isang kababalaghan. Dito sa Pilipinas, si Pacquiao ay lumaki na bilang isang kababalaghan sa lipunan. Tuwing may laban saan mang dako ng daigdig, ang mga ito ay isinasahimpapawid ng lahat ng network ng telebisyon, istasyon ng radyo at lumalabas sa lahat ng pahayagan kinabukasan.

Dito sa bansang kilala sa pagiging katoliko, ang lahat ng simbahan ay wala halos tao sa dahilang lahat ng Pilipino ay nakatuon ang mga mata sa kanilang telebisyon, nakikinig sa radyo at nagbabasa ng dyaryo. Lahat ng lansangan ay wala halos nagdadaan. Ang mga inuman na EDDIE G. ALINEA karaniwang napupuno kung gabi ay nakabukas umaga pa lamang, puno ng taong nanonood ng laban sa telebisyion.

Siksikan din ang mga sinehan, plasa, stadium at mga lugar na ang LGUs ay naglalagay ng tv set para mabigyan ang lahat ng pagkakataong makita ang kanilang kababayang manalo o martalo. At magsaya kapag nagwagi at umiyak kasabay ng kanilang idolo kapag nabigo.

Sa Amerika, kung saan lahat halos ng laban ni Manny ay naganap, ginaganap at gaganapin pa, puno rin ang lahat ng palaruan mula noong wasakin ni Manny ang boxing career ng Aprikanong si Lehlo Ledwaba noong Hunyo 23, 2001, at makamit ang korona ng IBF super-bantamweight sa pamamagitan ng pagpapasuko (TKO) sa loob lamang ng anim na round.

Ang 122-librang kampeonato ay pangalawa sa walong nakatadhanang maagaw ng ipinagmamalaki ng Lahing Kayumanggi matapos na nakawin din ang sinturon ng WBC fl yweight kay Chatchai Sasakul ng Thailand na walong round lamang ang itinagal nang nakatayo sa ring bago nahimbing noong Disyembre 14, 1998.

Sa murang gulang na 23 Ang dapat sana’y poster sa labang Pacquiaoat anim na buwan pa lamang Maywearther noong 2010. (Eddie G. Alinea) sa propesyon ng sweet science, hindi tumigil ang ating bayani sa pagiging dalawang dibisyong pinaghaharian. Marami pang bundok ang posibleng akyatin at anim na dibisyon pa ang naghihintay na angkinin.

At makalipas lamang ang siyam na taon noong Nobiyembre 13, 2010, ginulpi ng ating si Manny si Antonio Margarito ng Mehiko at Amerika sa loob ng 12 round na sagupaan para sa bakanteng WBC super-welterweight (light-middleweight) na titulo. Halos bulag si Margaraito matapos ang pagtutuos at ilang taon pa lamang ang nakalilipas ay nag-retiro na. Bago yun, gulpi rin ang inabot ng gold medalist ng 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games na si Oscar De La Hoya sa unang laban ni Manny bilang welterweight at ng Puerto Rikanong si Miguel Cotto, kung kanino niya nabingwit ang 147-librang kampeonato.

Bago pa rin dumating ang komprontasyon niya kay Cotto, hiniya muna niya si Englisman Ricky Hatton na pinatulog ni Manny nang nanginginig ang dalawang paa makaraan lamang ang dalawang round noong Mayo 2, 2009 at maibulsa ang kampeonato ng IBO/RING junior welterweight.

Kinumpleto ng dating konrgresista at ngayon ay senador nang si Pacquiao ang kanyang mahaba at matinik na paglalakbay para maging kaisa-isang hari ng walong dibisyon sa kasaysayan ng boksing matapos supilin si Cotto, Margarito at Hatton, ayon sa pagkakasunod, at sabi nga ng marami, wala na siyang dapat hilingin pa.

Kabilang dito ang RING featherweight na inagaw niya kay Marco Antonio Barrera (TKO 11 round), WBC super-feather kay Ju an Manuel Marquez (UD 12round) at WBC lightweight kay David Diaz (TKO 9 round). Dahilan para makalimutan na niyang pinanabikan ng maraming harapin niya ang wala pang talong Amerikanong si Floyd Mayweather Jr.

“Alam mo, Pare, mukha ngang ayaw lumaban ni Floyd. Mas interesado siyang pangalagaan ang sero sa kanyang resume kesa dulutan ng kasiyahan ang fans ng boksing,” nasabi minsan ni Manny sa reporter na ito, pagkatapos niyang talunin si Margarito.

“Para sa akin, sementado na ang pamanang maiiwan ko sa sport ng boksing kung magre-retiro ako, sa laban na lang nang laban para bigyan ng kaligayahan ang fans. Si Mayweather? Darating ang labang yan kung talagang ukol. Pero hindi ako magpapakamatay na habulin siya nang habulin,” pangangatuwiran ni Manny. At ganoon nga ang nangyari. Nagpatuloy sa kanyang paglalakbay ang idolo ng buong mundo na bukod sa paglaban sa Estados Unidos ay nakarating hanggang Macau, China para lumaban ng dalawang beses doon at makapagpasaya sa fans sa dakong iyon ng daigdig, kasama ang mga Pilipinong di maka-biyahe tungong Amerika para makita ang kanilang bayaning lumaban doon.

Dalawa sa mga sumunod na laban ni Manny matapos ang isang taong pagkabigo niya kina Timothy Bradley at Juan Manuel Marquez noong 2012 ay idinaos sa Lunsod ng bisyong iyon ng China laban kay Brandon Rios at Chris Algieri na kapuwa niya nilupig sa nagkakaisang hatol.

Outside Looking In

Q: Is there really a statute of limitations which controls debt collections and how long a debt is collectible?

A: Let’s discuss the meaning of these terms as they are legal terminologies and need to be explained. 1) What a statute is and how it works regarding debts. Creditors and debt collectors have a limited window of time in which they can sue debtors for non payment of credit card debts. This limit is set by a state’s statute of limitations. These laws exist to protect people from claims being brought after evidence has disappeared. Anyone who has any unpaid credit card debt must know their statute of limitations for the state they live in.

In most states, the statute of limitations period on debts run between three to ten years. In some states, it is longer. If the debts have lingered more than the statute of limitations allows them, these are referred to as “Time-barred debts” says the Federal Trade Commission. 2) So what is a “Time-barred debt”? If a collector sues you with this kind of debt, you can have the judge dismiss it by letting them know it is a “Time-barred debt”.

Debt collectors caution that the statute of limitations does not prevent them from attempting to collect the debt, even if the debtor shows up in court and asserts their “Timebarred debt” rights. 3) The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, is the federal law that governs how and when debt collectors can contact consumers and collect unpaid bills and dictates when legal action may be fi led.

Please do not confuse the statute of limitations with the length of time that a debt may remain on a credit report. These are two diff erent items and may vary from state to state. 4) Re-aging your debts. The ticking clock on the statute of limitations may start all over if a consumer makes a payment that has exceeded the statute. In a way, this payment acknowledges the old debt and gives new life to it. Do not call or make a payment on an old debt if you do not want to reset the clock.

There are plenty of misunderstandings about how long someone can try to collect on a debt. The answer is there is no time constraints regarding collecting a debt. The most common misunderstanding is that after seven years, you no longer owe the debt. The statute of limitations begins on the fi rst day you miss a debt payment. Collections typically last to seven years. A debt collector is legally entitled to collect a debt even after the statute of limitations of seven years has run out. However, the debt collector is breaking the law if they sue you over the debt or even threatens to sue you.

The statute of limitation does not eliminate the debt. The only remedy it does is limit judicial actions available to the creditor or collection agencies after a certain period of time and they have to unlist the negative debt from your credit report. A debt collector may still seek payment of an old debt even though the law cannot force you to pay it. But in most cases, they may simply just give up when they feel that the debt has become uncollectible. And they may choose not to do business with you in the future until the debt is paid or settled.

If you still have some collectors hounding you even after the seven year statute of limitations is up, give me a call. I can settle these debts for much lower that what they are asking for so that you may go on with your lives debt free.

Ating lesson, Huwag bilangan ng taon ang utang, dahil ito ay walang takbuhan.

If you need help in getting out of debt, call Debt Aid Consulting International. We help with Credit Repair while and after your program. 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 International clients. None of our competitors provide this program. You are well protected.

We only provide Federal Trade Commission compliant programs. Debt relief companies who charge non refundable upfront fees are in violation of the ban. Go with Debt Aid Consulting International!

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 fi ts you or not. So beware!

Ben Lou at your service! I have over 30 years of real fi nancial experience. If you would like sound fi nancial 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. Say no to LLC corporations in Canada! Debt Aid Consulting International, now serving Asia Pacifi c.

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Itama po natin ang mali!

Governor Newsom takes action to phase out oil extraction in California

SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom has directed the Department of Conservation’s Geologic Energy Management (CalGEM) Division to initiate regulatory action to end the issuance of new permits for hydraulic fracturing (“fracking”) by January 2024. Additionally, Governor Newsom requested that the California Air Resources Board (CARB) analyze pathways to phase out oil extraction across the state by no later than 2045.

“The climate crisis is real, and we continue to see the signs every day,” said Governor Newsom. “As we move to swiftly decarbonize our transportation sector and create a healthier future for our children, I’ve made it clear I don’t see a role for fracking in that future and, similarly, believe that California needs to move beyond oil.”

Under the directive, CalGEM will immediately initiate the rulemaking to halt the issuance of new hydraulic fracturing permits by 2024.

Under Governor Newsom’s direction, CARB will evaluate how to phase out oil extraction by 2045 through the Climate Change scoping plan, the state’s comprehensive, multi-year regulatory and programmatic plan to achieve required reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. Inclusion of the target in the Scoping Plan means that phasing out oil extraction becomes a part of California’s blueprint to achieve economy-wide carbon neutrality by 2045. CARB will evaluate economic, environmental and health benefi ts and eff ects of eliminating oil extraction. CARB’s scoping plan process will be informed by cross-sector collaboration and public input focusing on benefi ts in disadvantaged communities, opportunities for job creation and economic growth as we achieve carbon neutrality.

In advance of the phase-out of fracking in 2024, CalGEM’s process for reviewing permits for this practice is the most stringent in the country, and includes input from experts at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. More on the permit review process is available here.

Permit approvals and resulting hydraulic fracturing activity are at the lowest level since the Legislature enacted Senate Bill 4 in 2014 to strengthen regulation of hydraulic fracturing.

In addition to instituting more rigorous review of hydraulic fracturing permit applications, CalGEM continues to operationalize its updated mandate to protect public health and the environment. This includes:

Developing a new health and safety regulation to protect workers and communities near oil fi elds.

Implementing new regulations that prohibit surface expressions and placing a moratorium on high-pressure cyclic steam injection, which has been linked to surface expressions.

Integrating independent experts from the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and the Department of Finance’s Offi ce of State Audits and Evaluations to recommend further improvements to CalGEM’s permitting process.

Increasing fi nancial bonding requirements on oil companies to ensure adequate closure of defunct wells and clean-up of inactive oil fi elds.

Earlier this week, the California Environmental Protection Agency announced the release of two independent studies that identify strategies to support the state’s goal to dramatically reduce transportation fossil fuel demand and supply by 2045. The studies analyze the health and safety impacts associated with pollution originating from the extraction and processing of oil and will inform CARB’s scoping plan.

Today’s actions build on the Governor’s September 2020 executive order, which called for an end to fracking and to accelerate California’s transition away from gasoline-powered cars and trucks and reduce demand for fossil fuels. The order also directed agencies to:

Develop and implement a just transition roadmap.

Propose strategies to reduce the carbon intensity of transportation fuels beyond 2030 with consideration of the full life cycle of carbon.

Expedite regulatory processes to repurpose and transition upstream and downstream oil production facilities, while supporting community participation, labor standards and protection of public health, safety and the environment.

Thanks to California Climate Credit, PG&E residential customers will see lower bills this month

SAN FRANCISCO. — Pacifi c Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) residential customer bills will be lower this month thanks to the California Climate Credit.

The credit created by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), is part of the state’s eff orts to fi ght climate change. The credit will lower bills by $41.82 for PG&E residential customers receiving both natural gas and electric service this month. For natural gas-only residential customers the credit will be $24.62, and for electric-only residential customers, the credit will be $17.20.

California requires power plants, natural gas providers and other large industries that emit greenhouse gases to buy carbon pollution permits from auctions managed by the California Air Resources Board. The Climate Credit is customers’ share of the payments from the state’s program.

In 2020, the CPUC accelerated the distribution of the Climate Credit in response to increased at-home energy usage due to the Governor’s March 19, 2020, stay-at-home order. This year, the CPUC returned the distribution of the electric residential credit to the standard twice-annual April and October schedule.

Customers do not need to do anything to receive the credit, it will automatically appear as a line item “CA Climate Credit” or “California Climate Credit” on their bill with the amount of the credit.

Though the credit will off set bills this month, PG&E recognizes some customers continue to struggle fi nancially as lingering impacts of the pandemic remain.

For Customers with Past-Due Balances: ‘We’re here to help’

As the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic start to subside, PG&E reminds customers with past-due balances to explore available fi nancial-assistance programs now, before the emergency customer protections put in place during the pandemic end on June 30, 2021. In place since March 2020, these emergency customer protections included suspending service disconnections for customers with unpaid bills.

Customers are encouraged to act now and not wait until protections expire if they are behind on payments. Numerous programs, tools and tips are available. Please call us today at (800) 743-5000 if you have an outstanding balance. Translated support in over 250 additional languages is available at that phone number.

“We have been working with customers with past-due balances and will continue these eff orts months after the protections expire,” PG&E said. Since March 2020, more than 1.6 million payment plans have been created for residential and commercial customers.

Proactive contact with customers during the pandemic has saved customers more than $5 million just by changing their rate plan.

Here are some of the ways to assist customers as the COVID-19 protections end:

Staggering the restart of the collections and disconnection process with a grace period after the protections end to support customers facing uncertainty.

Helping income eligible renters who have experienced a fi nancial hardship due to COVID-19 and have past due rent, or landlords who have experienced a loss in income because of unpaid rent, to fi nd fi nancial assistance programs with their utility bills through federal programs such as the California COVID-19 Rent Relief program.

The recertifi cation and post-enrollment actions that customers will need to take to qualify for the California Rates for Energy Program (CARE), the Family Electric Rate Assistance Program

(FERA) and the Medical Baseline Program will be spread out over the rest of 2021. Providing fi nancial assistance to help off set eligible household energy costs including heating, cooling and home weatherization expenses through the federally-funded Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). To learn more, dial 2-1-1 or 1-866-675-6623 for LIHEAP income guidelines and a list of participating agencies. PG&E will launch a new medical practitioner portal for the Medical Baseline program. To simplify the enrollment and recertifi cation process, the portal will enable qualifi ed medical practitioners to certify a customer’s eligibility for the Medical Baseline program online. The program provides customers an additional monthly allotment of energy at the lowest price on the current rate.

About PG&E

Pacifi c Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E Corporation (NYSE:PCG), is a combined natural gas and electric utility serving more than 16 million people across 70,000 square miles in Northern and Central California. For more information, visit pge.com and pge.com/news. US population soars to 331 M; California most populous state

WASHINGTON - The resident population of the United States has reached 331,449,281 as of April 1, 2020, the U.S. Census Bureau reported based on the 2020 Census.

The U.S. resident population represents the total number of people living in the 50 states and the District of Columbia. The resident population increased by 22,703,743 or 7.4% from 308,745,538 in 2010, the bureau said.

California remained the most populous state with 39,538,223 residents, the bureau said.

“The American public deserves a big thank you for its overwhelming response to the 2020 Census,” Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo said as she led in releasing the results of the 2020 Census. “Despite many challenges, our nation completed a census for the 24th time. This act is fundamental to our democracy and a declaration of our growth and resilience. I also want to thank the team at the U.S. Census Bureau, who overcame unprecedented challenges to collect and produce high-quality data that will inform decision-making for years to come,” Raimondo said.

“We are proud to release these fi rst results from the 2020 Census. These results refl ect the tireless commitment from the entire Census Bureau team to produce the highest-quality statistics that will continue to shape the future of our country,” acting Census Bureau Director Ron Jarmin said. “And in a fi rst for the Census Bureau, we are releasing data quality metrics on the same day we’re making the resident population counts available to the public. We are confi dent that today’s 2020 Census results meet our high data quality standards,” Jarmin said.

According to the bureau, Wyoming is the least populous state with 576,851 residents.

Based on the latest census, Texas had the biggest gain in population with 29,145,505 in 2020 from 3,999,944 in 2010.

The fastest-growing state since the 2010 Census was Utah (up 18.4% to 3,271,616), the bureau said.

Puerto Rico’s resident population, on the other hand, was 3,285,874, down 11.8% from 3,725,789 in the 2010 Census.

Aside from announcing the newly released statistics, Secretary Raimondo delivered to President Biden the population counts to be used for apportioning the seats in the U.S. House of Representatives.

In accordance with Title 2 of the U.S. Code, a congressionally defi ned formula is applied to the apportionment population to distribute the 435 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives among the states.

The apportionment population consists of the resident population of the 50 states, plus the overseas military and federal civilian employees and their dependents living with them overseas who could be allocated to a home state.

The populations of the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico are excluded from the apportionment population because they do not have voting seats in Congress. The counts of overseas federal employees (and their dependents) are used for apportionment purposes only.

After the 1790 Census, each member of the House represented about 34,000 residents. Since then, the House has more than quadrupled in size (from 105 to 435 seats), and each member will represent an average of 761,169 people based on the 2020 Census.

The bureau said Texas will gain two seats in the House of Representatives, while fi ve states (Colorado, Florida, Montana, North Carolina, and Oregon) will gain one seat each.

California, Illinois, Michigan, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia will lose one seat each, and the remaining states’ number of seats will not change based on the 2020 Census.

Upon receipt of the apportionment counts, the president will transmit them to the 117th Congress. The reapportioned Congress will be the 118th, which convenes in January 2023.

“Our work doesn’t stop here,” added acting Director Jarmin. “Now that the apportionment counts are delivered, we will begin the additional activities needed to create and deliver the redistricting data that were previously delayed due to COVID-19.”

Redistricting data include the local area counts states need to redraw or “redistrict” legislative boundaries. Due to modifi cations to processing activities, COVID-19 data collections delays, and the Census Bureau’s obligation to provide high-quality data, states are expected to receive redistricting data by August 16, and the full redistricting data with toolkits for ease of use will be delivered by September 30. The Census Bureau will notify the public prior to releasing the data.

PG&E appoints energy industry expert Carla J. Peterman as Executive Vice President, Corporate Affairs

2 company leaders promoted to Vice President

Ms Margarete Becker

SAN FRANCISCO — PG&E Corporation (NYSE: PCG; the “Corporation”) announced the appointment of Carla J. Peterman as Executive Vice President, Corporate Affairs, eff ective June 1, 2021. The company also announced the appointments of Margaret K. Becker as Vice President and Treasurer of both the Corporation and Pacific Gas and Electric Company (“Utility”), and Christopher M. Patterson as Vice President, State Legislative Aff airs of the Utility, both eff ective May 1, 2021.

Carla J. Peterman, Executive Vice President, Corporate Aff airs

In her role, Ms. Peterman will be responsible for developing and implementing strategies for all aspects of corporate aff airs, including regulatory; federal, state and local government relations; public policy; and charitable giving. She will report to PG&E Corporation Chief Executive Offi cer Patti Poppe.

“It is my honor and privilege to welcome Carla to the PG&E team,” said Ms. Poppe. “Carla brings with her a remarkable record of service to the State of California, a keen understanding of the policy landscape in which PG&E operates, and a steadfast commitment to a cleaner, more resilient energy future. We all look forward to working closely with Carla to move PG&E forward and better serve our customers and hometowns.”

Ms. Peterman joins PG&E from Southern California Edison (SCE), where she served since October 2019 as Senior Vice President, Strategy and Regulatory Aff airs. Prior to her position at SCE and earlier in 2019, she was appointed by Governor Gavin Newsom to chair the Commission on Catastrophic Wildfi re Cost and Recovery, which developed recommendations that led to legislation designed to hold utilities accountable for reducing wildfi re risk and encourage a fi nancially stable electric industry.

Prior to these roles, Ms. Peterman served a six-year term on the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) from 2013 to 2018. At the CPUC, she served as the assigned Commissioner to a number of proceedings, including those relating to energy effi ciency, alternative transportation, energy storage, the Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS), Power Charge Indiff erence Adjustment reform, and general rate cases.

She also led several clean energy initiatives, including the adoption of the nation’s fi rst utility energy storage mandate, the approval of $965 million of utility investments in electric vehicle charging infrastructure, the adoption of utility energy effi ciency goals and business plans, and the implementation of California’s RPS.

Before joining the CPUC, Ms. Peterman served on the California Energy Commission, where she was the lead Commissioner for renewables, transportation, and natural gas. Earlier in her career, she conducted energy policy research at the University of California Energy Institute and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

Ms. Peterman serves on the external advisory board for Sandia National Laboratories’ Energy and Homeland Security Portfolio, and as a member of the Federal Reserve of San Francisco Economic Advisory Council. She has also served on various other boards, including the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC), and NARUC’s Energy Resources and Environment Committee (Vice-Chair). She holds a BA from Howard University, a PhD in energy and resources from the University of California, Berkeley, and MS and MBA degrees from Oxford University, where she was a Rhodes Scholar.

“I am familiar with the issues PG&E has faced in recent years and with the challenges that it needs to navigate in the years to come,” said Ms. Peterman. “I am deeply passionate about serving Californians. I look forward to bringing my positive experiences from SCE and the public sector and working with Patti and the whole team to shape California’s energy future to deliver results for our customers and future generations.”

Vice President Appointments

Promoted to Vice President were Margaret (Mari) Becker and Christopher (Chris) Patterson. “Mari has long been a strong leader and performer in our Finance organization, and Chris has proved himself to be a key company representative in Sacramento. I am excited to see them move forward and am confi dent that both will continue to serve PG&E and our customers well in their elevated roles,” Ms. Poppe said. Margaret K. Becker, Vice President and Treasurer

As Vice President and Treasurer, Ms. Becker will be responsible for leading the companies’ fi nancing, treasury operations, accounts payable, and investment management functions. She will report to Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Offi cer Chris Foster.

Ms. Becker is currently Senior Director and Treasurer of the Corporation and the Utility and has been responsible for Treasury activities through PG&E’s restructuring and emergence from Chapter 11 last year. At PG&E she has held positions of increasing responsibility in the Treasury and Finance organizations of the Utility or the Corporation, including as Assistant Treasurer of the Utility and the Corporation. Prior to joining PG&E in 2010, Ms. Becker received her MBA from the Harvard Business School and worked as an economic consultant at Cornerstone Research.

San Francisco Filipino cultural heritage district SOMAA Pilipinas celebrates fi ve-year anniversary

SAN FRANCISCO - SOMA Pilipinas celebrates fi ve years as San Francisco’s Filipino Cultural Heritage District on Thursday, April 29, 2021, 4-6pm PST at new art and wellness pop-up Kapwa Gardens. The cultural heritage district honors the over 120-year Filipino history and living legacy of making home, celebrating culture, building community and fi ghting for economic and racial justice. Embodying the spirit of bayanihan, SOMA Pilipinas supports a community-inaction in the highly gentrifi ed South of Market neighborhood — the technology capital of the world for the last decade.

SOMA Pilipinas was offi cially established as SF’s Filipino Cultural Heritage District in 2016 and was among the fi rst selected for state designation by the California Arts Council in 2017. In its fi rst fi ve years, SOMA Pilipinas has raised the visibility of the Filipino community, helped increase funding for Filipino artists and established baseline funding for cultural districts to protect vulnerable communities and preserve San Francisco’s cultural diversity. Working with residents and other community groups, SOMA Pilipinas worked with community groups to block the development of luxury condos that would have shadowed Victoria Manalo Draves Park and preserved the Gran Oriente as a Filipino historic landmark and cultural asset for generations to come.

The cultural district has earned numerous accolades: receiving the prestigious National Endowment for the Arts “Our Town” grant, being honored for their revitalization work by the Architects International Association SF and being recognized for their work in building sustainable and equitable communities by Yerba Buena Center for the Arts.

“SOMA Pilipinas continues a rich history and legacy of Filipino-American activism that shaped California and San Francisco history, from the farmworkers movement to Manilatown, to the current struggle against displacement and to preserve the cultural diversity of our city,” shares District 6 Supervisor Matt Haney. “They have accomplished so much in the last fi ve years and I have no doubt that they will continue to be trailblazers in advancing community development strategies and creating new public art that lifts up the rich history and culture of the Filipino community.”

Working with other Filipino groups to support their community through the pandemic, SOMA Pilipinas is now poised to help in the recovery as they build out the Filipino Cultural Heritage District with extensive new public art and cultural project such as: Filipinx literary & visual arts anthology Liwanag Volume III, SOMA Pilipinas archway, historical plaques on 6th Street, decorative crosswalks on Folsom Street, a new Sarimanok School Bus Mural and cultural programming at Kapwa Gardens and SOMA Pilipinas street signs throughout the district.

SOMA Pilipinas is also partnering with other groups to provide programs:

Self-Defense Workshops at Kapwa Gardens

Free Mental Health Services with Filipino Mental Health Initiative-SF

Supplemental Groceries and COVID Education with Bayanihan Equity Center

Restorative Arts for Seniors with Bindlestiff Studio

Filipino Language Training with SOMCAN

“As we reach our fi ve year milestone, we are so grateful for all the grassroots support and activism of so many community members, artists and organizations that have built the foundation for SOMA Pilipinas,” says SOMA Pilipinas Executive Director, Raquel Redondiez. “We are excited to be part of the recovery of our City, a recovery based on racial equity and economic opportunity and sustainability for marginalized communities. As we re-emerge from the pandemic, we are excited to re-imagine our public realm and create new public art and cultural markers that honor our ancestors, our history, contributions, and cultural movement.”

SOMA Pilpinas is currently seeking donors, organizations and other partnerships to continue to support their mission. To become a supporter or donor, visit www.somapilipinas.org.

SOMA Pilipinas Five-Year Anniversary Celebration Details:

Date: Thursday, April 29th, 4-6pm PST

Location: Kapwa Gardens, 967 Mission St. between 5th and 6th Street in SOMA Pilipinas, San Francisco, CA

Featuring Pilipinx Diasporic Cultural Ritual ‘Lakbai Diwa’ by Kularts, guest speakers and more

Visit www.somapilipinas.org for more information and to RSVP

Upside...

(From Page 11)

Bed capacity motivated the decision to step up in the crisis, he stressed, by leading eff orts toward treatment and sharing both “learning and best practices on how to care and provide a safe environment during the pandemic.” The choice to take in people with COVID aligned with Seton’s identity as a “community hospital even through challenging times.”

Safety concerns were minimal, said the executive who has headed healthcare centers since 1990. Specifi c fl oors were dedicated COVID-free and COVID-positive during the months of the space designation. “We had a very active Surge Committee made up of our physicians, clinicians and administrative representatives to apply evidenced-based learning and approach to provide oversight to maintain a safe and quality environment,” he disclosed.

INVESTMENT IN UPGRADES In the next 5 years both the Daly City fl agship and the Seton Medical Center Coastside skilled nursing hospital will have a new IT platform to implement contemporary fi nancial application and clinical information system as part of the $10 million AHMC has invested in upgrades. A new CT/PET (Computed Tomography/Positron Emission Tomography) scanner trailer has been purchased to elevate diagnostic capability. Armada touted investment in human resources via clinical staff to reduce dependence on “temporary travelers staff .”

On tap is the seismic retrofi t of patient towers that has beset previous owners and prospective buyers.

Armada is candid about the terms of sale from Verity Health to AHMC when the County Board of Supervisors led by now President David Canepa last year voted 4-1 to fund the buyer $20 million over 4 years to help operate both sites. The Board requested Health Plan of San Mateo to provide half the funding. Armada says AHMC is still waiting for those funds.

FILIPINO FACTOR

As Daly City’s largest employer, Seton is a top contributor to the local economy. Over half the 1200 personnel are of Asian or Pacifi c Islander descent. Majority are Filipino, said Armada. FilAms also comprise 3% of “overall managers.” AsianAms make up 67% of the senior leadership team, including Armada, who was born in Pasay City a little over 60 years ago and immigrated to the US at age 9. “Tony” grew up in Michigan and earned his MBA and MHA at Xavier University. His name sports a suffi x - FACHE, Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives. He started out as a medical technologist at a 400-bed facility but switched to administration out of the “joy in coaching and seeing other people succeed and reach the potential they never thought they could.” His career spans top posts in the healthcare industry from the Midwest to the West Coast. In 2018 he was System COO at Verity Health. Armada self-identifi es as FilAm, which shows in his love of family and food, he shared. He and wife Racelle have 2 adult daughters living in Chicago. The couple resides in South San Francisco, where Seton overlooks through the famous Daly City fog. - Adapted from original reprinted with permission from Inquirer.net.

gle-family housing starts broke 1 million was in 2007.

The results of more listings in the spring-summer buying season and higher mortgage rates are that both could slow down the pace of home price appreciation. If homes would sit on the market longer, markets will then accumulate more active listings. In the second half of this year, we will see higher mortgage rates and, as they continue ticking up, which may begin to create a ceiling on the median home price growth, as monthly payments on new mortgages become less and less aff ordable.

Homebuilding will continue and new homes will pile up a bit which will slow down the rate of price appreciation. There are reasons to believe that the housing market will remain tight in 2021 because there are fi rst-time buyers (Millennials) coming into the market. First-time buyers were responsible for 32% of sales in March, up from 31% in February.

I believe if you can aff ord, save and qualify for a home, its always a good time. Quoting a famous persons saying “ Its always a good time to buy 5 yerars ago”. Thanks for your inquiries and comments, please call Ken Go of 1st Innovative Finance Group or email kennethgo@verizon.net . CABRE01021223 NMLS 238636

Ken Go

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Flipside

(From Page 19)

narinig ko sa kanya mismo ang isang kwentong ngayon ay isa [nang] kasaysayan,” the director said.

“Mahaba at makabuluhang usapan tungkol sa buhay, kasikatan, pagbagsak, pagbangon, pagtingala…at pagpanaw. Habang nagkukwento sya tungkol sa kanyang pagkabata, pakiramdam ko ay kasabay ko syang lumaki,” Cueva added. The director noted that it was an honor to have worked with the Jukebox King himself, stressing that he will never forget the lessons he learned from him. Yes, even as he dabbled in many other pursuits, music remains the greatest legacy of Victor Wood and for which many fans will always and perhaps, “eternally” remember him by. Rest in peace po. Thank you for your music.

Offl ine

(From Page 13)

away. The restaurant bar specialized in a variety of goat dishes. I had to pass on that invite.

Last month, a friend of ours called me twice. After suff ering from a serious stroke more than a decade ago, I knew he was bored to death at home.

My plan was to call Manny and another close friend, Val, and arrange a visit to our buddy. The four of us were part of a larger gang of 12 in high school. Five decades later, we were still buddies.

I never go to organize that visit. A few days ago, Val told me that Manny was seriously sick of COVID-19, and that’s when I texted him. He was in high spirits and we agreed to fi nally have that drinking session to belatedly celebrate his birthday.

This is what hurts the most. I will never drink with Manny ever again. And I can’t even bid him a proper farewell. As a COVID-19 victim, he will be cremated, with only his immediate family in attendance.

I am just one guy, losing one friend, to a disease that has killed millions worldwide.

Did I say bad news comes in threes? No, not this time. This time, horrible news comes in millions. And this health crisis is striking closer and closer to home.

The situation is bound to get worse before it gets any better, at least here in the Philippines.

Stay safe, folks. Stay safe. Immigrant’s story... (From Page 13)

and the liars who benefi t by taking advantage of people’s ignorance about themselves and their history. Knowing ourselves will make us and the Philippines better. It’s the only ticket to progress and to moving forward--- it’s the only way towards genuine democracy.

sites from Luzon to Mindanao where power quality mitigations are required.

According to RSA, the ongoing investment into battery energy storage facilities will greatly benefi t power consumers all over the country. “Faraway provinces or areas, can have the same stable and good quality power supply as everywhere else,” he said. This will give those areas better and more opportunities for industrialization and economic growth.“This can even support equal-opportunity industrialization in many provinces where historically, no industrial plants would locate because of poor power quality,” he added. RSA said the battery energy storage facilities can also facilitate the integration of renewable energy sources such as wind or solar into the grid. It is the task of the company president to ensure that his organization runs well and fulfi lls its goals.

No doubt, RSA is doing his job exceptionally well.

The Outsider (From Page 12)

Health & Wealth (From Page 12)

siblings benefi ted from the free parking in our driveway and on the side street parking spaces.

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PerryScope... (From Page 12)

should be stripped of committee appointments just like what happened to Greene.

But Greene said that the controversial document was a “staff level draft proposal” from an unidentifi ed “outside group” that she hadn’t read yet. She also claimed that it was it was “taken out of context” by “the scum and liars in the media.” She accused the media of creating “false narratives,” and focusing on race to “divide the American people with hate through identity politics.” The truth is that the media reports only as it happens in the community. It doesn’t fabricate the news.

WASP resurgence

On a personal note, I believe that Greene launched the America First Caucus to promote the nativist notion that the US was founded to serve only White Anglo-Saxon Protestants or WASPs. To them, there is no place for Catholics and immigrants in their white-only country and non-whites are deemed second-class citizens.

The WASPs belonged to an ethnic group of British upper-middle-class white protestants that dominated the economic and cultural aspects of the US. All of the US presidents up to George W. Bush – with the exception of John F. Kennedy who was of Irish descent – were WASPs. Barack Obama who succeeded George W. Bush was the only president who was not of white Anglo descent. Obama’s election as president broke the American tradition of electing white Anglo-Saxons. It was a major milestone in American presidential politics.

In the November 2020 election, Joe Biden, another Irish-American was elected president. His vice-presidential running mate was Kamala Harris, a woman of African and East Indian descent. And should she succeed Biden to the presidency, she’d be the fi rst woman and fi rst African-East Indian president of the US.

The political games being played today don’t bode well with the election of traditional white Anglo-Saxon protestants who have dominated presidential politics since the time of George Washington. White Americans, although still the majority ethnic group has been dwindling in numbers.

Racial diversity

According to census numbers, racial minorities are gaining in numbers. William H. Frey’s latest book, “Diversity Explosion: How New Racial Demographics are Remaking America,” projected that racial minorities are the primary demographic engines of the nation’s future growth, countering an aging, slow-growing and soon to be declining white population. The new statistics project that the nation will become “minority white” by 2045. During that year, whites will comprise 49.7 percent of the population in contrast to 24.6 percent for Hispanics, 13.1 percent for blacks, 7.9 percent for Asians, and 3.8 percent for multiracial populations. That’s only one generation from today! Among the minority populations, the greatest growth is projected for multiracial populations, Asians and Hispanics with 2018–2060 growth rates of 176, 93, and 86 percent, respectively.

It’s no wonder then that Greene is hell-bent in trying to promote Anglo-Saxon political traditions in the House of Representatives. Not that she would succeed, but that it would continue to propagate white Anglo-Saxon preeminence in the lawmaking body. In other words, she’ll use the America First Caucus to dominate the future direction of Congress to turn the other way around.

But with non-white Americans gaining in numbers, the trend is irreversible. America will stay as the melting pot of all the races in the world. However, recent anti-Asian sentiments could cause it to crack. In my column, “Is the melting pot cracking?” (April 16, 2021), I said, “When Trump called the coronavirus Covid-19 ‘China virus’ and ‘Kung Flu,’ it created an angry backlash against AsianAmericans. Anti-Asian violence erupted in various cities across the U.S. Many Asian-Americans across the country were killed or harmed as a result of Trump’s characterization of the coronavirus.

“The American melting pot, which has withstood the test of time for more than 100 years, is suddenly under stress as the AsianAmerican community is being blamed for the Covid-19 pandemic that has claimed more than 500,000 lives so far.”

What Greene and her America First Caucus cohorts are doing is to disrupt the multi-racial and multi-cultural harmony by promoting the “Anglo-Saxon political traditions” in the US Congress.

But little did she know that the whole country is way past the era of the White Anglo-Saxon Protestants. The United States of America is now in the age of multiculturalism, never again to resuscitate the prejudicial racist past of the US.

America has indeed come a long way but it still has a way to go to become an egalitarian society, when Americans will just refer to themselves as “Americans,” not the multitude of hyphenated Americans that is currently dividing the citizenry into various American ethnic sub-groups. It’s time to repudiate the America First Caucus’ WASP agenda. (PerryDiaz@gmail.com) Diliman way

(From Page 13)

no room for interpretation. The provision of the law, in application to President Duterte, states “– Any Filipino citizen who… adheres to her enemies, given them aid or comfort within the Philippines or elsewhere, shall be punished by reclusion temporal to death and shall pay a fi ne not to exceed a 100,000 pesos….” As previously stated, the provision of this law is clear - President Duterte is adhering to China by allowing Communist China to invade the West Philippine Sea, exploit its resources, build artifi cial islands with military installations and possible nuclear weapons, preventing Filipino fi shermen from fi shing in our exclusive economic zones Other than adhering to Communist China, Duterte is also “giving aid and comfort” to CCommunist China not only in his conduct relating to the West Philippine Sea but by allowing their drug lords to fl ood the Philippine with illegal drugs, dumping and allowing electronic gambling here which is prohibited in Communist China and according to Senator Ping Lacson, allowing more than three thousand members of Communist China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) to be here in the guise of workers in Communist Chinese gambling operations in the Philippines, in preparation to make legal what is a fact – de jure from de facto.. If this behavior is not adhering to Communist China and giving it aid and comfort, I really don’t know what is. Communist China: Does invasion and occupation of our exclusive economic zones and parts of Philippine territory make Communist China our friend? Its conduct is not that of a friend, it is that of an enemy. It simply means, the country is in state of war with China. It is not of our making – it is that of Communist China. How can that be? President Duterte says Communist China is our friend because President Xi Jin Ping of Communist China is his friend and Xi is an honorable man. True – Duterte and Xi are friends and they deserve each other.

COVID-19 continues to disrupt essential health services in 90% of countries

Some signs of recovery emerging but major eff orts required to restore and strengthen health services

GENEVA—The second round of a World Health Organization “pulse survey“ reveals that over one year into the COVID-19 pandemic, substantial disruptions persist, with about 90% of countries still reporting one or more disruptions to essential health services, marking no substantial global change since the fi rst survey conducted in the summer of 2020.

Within countries, however, the magnitude and extent of disruptions has generally decreased. In 2020, countries reported that, on average, about half of essential health services were disrupted. In the fi rst 3 months of 2021, however, they reported progress, with just over one third of services now being disrupted.

Overcoming disruptions

Countries have been working to mitigate disruptions. Many have now stepped up communications eff orts to inform the public about changes to service delivery and provide advice about ways to safely seek health care. They are also triaging to identify and better meet the most urgent patient needs.

More than half the countries consulted say they have recruited additional staff to boost the health workforce; redirected patients to other care facilities; and switched to alternative methods to delivering care, such as providing more home-based services, multi-month prescriptions for treatments, and increasing the use of telemedicine.

In addition, WHO and its partners have been helping countries to adapt their processes so they can better respond to the challenges being placed on their health systems; strengthen primary health care, and advance universal health coverage.

“It is encouraging to see that countries are beginning to build back their essential health services, but much remains to be done,” says Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General, WHO. “The survey highlights the need to intensify eff orts and take additional steps to close gaps and strengthen services. It will be especially important to monitor the situation in countries that were struggling to provide health services before the pandemic.“

Persisting causes of disruptions

Countries are still having to make important decisions when responding to COVID-19 that may negatively aff ect access to care for other health issues. Redeployment of staff to provide COVID-19 relief and temporary closures of health facilities and services continue.

Although they may have taken on new staff , 66% of countries continue to report health workforce-related reasons as the most common causes of service disruptions. Supply chains are also still disrupted in nearly one third of countries, aff ecting the availability of essential medicines, diagnostics, and the PPE needed to safely and eff ectively provide care.

Communications eff orts need to be further scaled up: more than half of countries report service disruptions due to patients not seeking care and because of community mistrust and fears of becoming infected.

Meanwhile, 43% of countries cite fi nancial challenges as major causes for disruptions in service utilization.

As a result, millions of people are still missing out on vital health care. In terms of services, the biggest impact reported by nearly half of countries is on provision of dayto-day primary care to prevent and manage some of the most common health problems. Long-term care for chronic conditions, rehabilitation, and palliative end-of-life care, is also still badly disrupted - severely aff ecting older people and people living with disabilities.

C-19 data capsules

PHILIP S. CHUA

Heart of Hope

India, with a population of 1.38 billion, second to China (1.439 billion) COVID-19, is today’s hotbed of the pandemic. In 3 days, it saw one million new cases, with an offi cial tally of 17.21 million infections and more than 196,000 deaths. Last week, almost 353,000 persons were infected in 24 hours. The hospitals are fully packed beyond capacity, running out of supplies, including life-saving oxygen. The United States, Britain, and Germany have off ered urgent medical aid to help manage and contain this tsunami of cases. *** Current COVID-19 stats: Globally: 148,623,843, deaths - 3,136,930; USA: 32,875,045, deaths - 586,611; The Philippines: 1,013,618, deaths - 16,916; China: 90,610, deaths - 4,636 (These stats from a country where the pandemic started are being questioned). COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, and deaths in the United States are going down. If people continue to get vaccinated and not let their guards down, we might avoid a 4th wave and achieve herd immunity before the end of the year. Behavior greatly aff ects viral transmission. *** The Journal Cell reports Medicine cited a recent study which shows that the UK variant B.1.1.7 of COVID-19 is 45 percent more contagious (transmissible) than the original SARS-CoV2. Meanwhile, the South African variant B.1.351 is also more contagious, perhaps more dealy, and may have the ability to re-infect people who have recovered from the original version of coronavirus. Whether the current vaccines are also eff ective remains to be seen. ***

According to the US Embassy in Manila, “The Philippine government has suspended the entry of all foreign nationals through April 30, 2021. In addition, the number of inbound international passengers has been limited to 1,500 per day.” The restriction includes all Filipinos abroad who do not have a Philippine passport. Dual citizens are allowed entry, but all entering the country need to have a pre-reserved hotel reservation for fi ve days for self-quarantine. Visit the US Embassy website or Philippine Consulate in the USA for more details. *** The CDC is expected to revise its guideline to allow people who have been fully vaccinated not to wear mask outdoors except in crowded places. As I have reported in my column last week, there were about 5800 fully vaccinated individuals who got infected with COVID-19 anyway, 784 of them died. Whether the infecting viruses were the new strains is not known. It is wise to still be cautious and vigilant, especially seniors, until the USA attains herd immunity, which appears to be around Fall this year. Fingers crossed. *** The WHO reported that there is “no evidence that people who have recovered from COVID-19 and have antibodies are protected from a second infection.” This makes it clear that those who have recovered from COVID-19 still need to be vaccinated.

***

More than 50 percent of Americans have received at least one dose of the vaccines. The extremely rare blood clot side eff ect of the one-shot Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine is about 7 in a million, mostly women, under 50, and one has died. There have been 16 cases reported, with one male. Those older than 50 do not seem to be aff ected. The best alternative for anyone concerned is, of course, to get the Pfi zer-BioNT or Moderna vaccine instead. More than 9 million J&J vaccines have been administered and the risk/benefi t ratio clearly tilts toward the benefi t, where these people have been protected against COVID-19, hospitalization, and possible death. The use of the J&J vaccines has offi cially resumed. *** More than 8 percent of those who have received the fi rst shot of either the Pfi zer-BioNT or Moderna vaccines are opting not to get the second dose for fear of side-eff ects. That’s unwise and dangerous. After hundreds of million doses of the vaccines have been given around the world, it is clear that if a person got the fi rst dose without any problem, the second shot (same vaccine, same ingredients, etc.) would also go without adverse eff ects. Having only half the full dose of any medications, including vaccines, does not provide the full benefi t of the drug. Partial vaccination obviously confers only partial protection. The full dose (2 shots) of those 2 vaccines are supposed to off er 92-95 percent protection over a few weeks. One shot only gives about 52 percent protection, still with 48 percent risk of getting COVID-19. The risk of side-eff ects is very small compared to the huge benefi t the vaccines provide. The more than 150 million plus individuals in the USA who have received the shots are proofs of the safety and effi cacy of the vaccines. Even those with the 2-shot full vaccination still have around 5 percent risk, as evidenced by those 5800 fully vaccinated persons who still got infected (second news capsule above). It is prudent to get the second shot to be fully vaccinated, to reduce your risk from 48 percent to about 5 percent.

*** Last Sunday, the European Union stated it is looking to resume trans-Atlantic travel “as soon as it is safe to do so” and that Americans would then be able to travel to Europe by summer.

*** People with gum disease periodontitis were 3.5 times more likely to need hospitalization for COVID-19, 4.5 percent more likely to require a ventilator, and 8.8 percent more likely to die, compared to those without oral disease, according to research at McGill University. Oral health, as we have written about in the past, translates to cardiac health and overall health of people. Oral hygiene is very important.

Post-Vax COVID-19 More than 5,800 individuals who have been fully vaccinated against SARS-CoV2 (corona) virus were infected with COVID-19 anyway (“breakthrough infections”), according to US-CDC. Of those, 396 who got infected after their vaccination required hospitalization and 74 of them died. The eff ectiveness of the Pfi zer-BioNT (95 percent), the Moderna vaccines (91 percent), and the Johnson and Johnson (72 percent) still leaving the fi rst two with about 5-9 percent residual risk of potential infection, and the J&J about 28 percent. This means people who have been vaccinated do not have 100 percent protection or immunity from the SARSCoV2 virus. This is the reality. And the other unknown at this time is when, after the vaccination, will the vaccine provide immunity, 2 weeks, 4 weeks, two months, and how much immunity after those intervals, and when the 95, 91, and 72 percent protection is achieved? As for eff ective duration, Pfi zer-BioNT vaccine “remains highly eff ective after six months.” How long after this is also not known since this vaccine is new and will need forward clinical observation to fi nd out if the shots will be effective for a year or longer. The same is true with all other COVID-19 vaccines. In the United States, about 87 million (around 26 percent of the 332.5 million total population) have been fully vaccinated and more than 40 percent had received one shot. According to CDC “breakthrough infections” are expected since the vaccines are not 100 percent eff ective, so more fully vaccinated people getting infected anyway will happen… Overall, this percentage (a fraction of 1 percent) of “breakthroughs is small.” The CDC and major medical centers are studying and looking for clues (demographics, geographic, vaccine types, viral strain, health issues, etc.) among those fully vaccinated who still got infected, those more prone to breakthrough infection. As we have advocated in this column since the vaccination started, those who have been vaccinated should still take the precaution of wearing facemasks, doing social distancing, frequent handwashing, and avoiding crowds, like those who have not gotten the shots yet, because this virus and its variants are new and the vaccines are also new, with so many unknowns about them. Obviously, those “breakthroughs” occurred because those more than 5,800 fully vaccinated individuals let their guards down and were careless, thinking they had 100 percent immunity to SARS-CoV2 virus from the vaccine. The loss of those 74 precious lives was than tragic. Getting as many people vaccinated in the country (in the world, for that matter) and not abandoning the original COVID-19 preventive guidelines until we achieve herd immunity are the two best strategy to end this pandemic sooner. We must stick to medical science and not politics when dealing with a disease. (Continued to page 34)

INSPIRATIONAL ARTICLE FOR THE WEEK

Ignorance Is Destructive

MONEY, LAST POWER AT OLD AGE

By TIM PEDROSA

In spite of the advice of many, preachers, philosophers and others that the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil; regardless of the warning, it is hard to argue that the more money we have, the better it is for us specially in our old age. Money is our last power at old age. With adequate money, we can stay safe, secured and comfortable. People look at us in a diff erent way, treat us with care and respect. Here are some ideas and suggestions inspired by the writings of some experts, what money can do for us, how we conduct ourselves and how to deal with others at old age. Do not retire early. If you have to retire, get all the benefi ts and fi nd something that will keep you active physically and mentally. Travel and bond with true friends, play a sport, learn a new hobby and volunteer in your community or parish. Solve crossword puzzles, play Scrabble, write your memoirs, and above all, read ...this will keep you alert and keep Alzheimer’s at bay.

Live in your own place to enjoy independence, privacy and a solo life. If you move in with your children, your rank or degree of importance is reduced to that of a bed spacer who has no place of honor or, worse, like crumbling furniture merely displayed with no added value. You have to conform to their own rules that are not sometimes kind, considerate nor mindful of you. Hold on to your nest egg, bank deposits and assets. If you want to help your children, do give, but not to the extent that you wipe out your life’s earnings, singing heroically not a shirt on your back nor a penny to your name. Give but don’t allow to be used. Love but not allow your heart to be abused. Trust but don’t be naïve. Listen to others but don’t lose your own voice. Staying solvent is a good hedge against all kinds of tempests. You will sleep better, you will not be afraid to express your opinion and you will be confi dent about yourself. Don’t believe your children’s promise to care for you when you grow old, priorities change. Many children are not guilt-ridden nor fi lled with a sense of moral obligation when the wife and off spring take top billing in their lives. However, there are still children who would consider it a privilege to show compassion, genuine love and deep concern for their parents but be warned that not all children think alike. Expand your circle of friends to include young ones who will defi nitely outlive your old BFFs. Keep up with new inventions, trends, music and lifestyle including all the scams and schemes you should guard against. Remember that when you mix with the young, you also open a fresh avenue to channel your thoughts, experiences and values through, so that the lessons you learned are not lost, forgotten or buried with you. Be well groomed and smelling fresh of spring water all the time. There’s nothing more depressing than seeing people exhale when you walk by because you smell like camphor chest or dirt. Old age or bust, don’t look and smell like a corpse when you’re not one yet. Do not meddle in the life of your children. If they ask for your counsel, give it, but be ready to accept that they may not take it. Their situations in life cannot be compared to the situations that you experienced in your life. The playing fi eld has changed and they need to develop their own set of survival skills. Champion and encourage their dreams and desires but on their own terms. Do not use old age as your shield and justifi cation for turning grumpy. There’s nothing more annoying than an arrogant, old fool. Welcome each day as another chance to be kind and forgiving, to yourself and to others.

Listen to what others may say. Do not throw your weight around just because you are a septuagenarian (person who is between 70 and 80 years old) or a nonagenarian (a person between 90 and 99 years old). You are not a depository of knowledge. Even if the roles have been reversed, make growing old a fun-fi lled, pleasant experience for you and others. Most important of all, money is your last power in old age. If you are broke at old age, nobody, not even your children nor your in-laws will come close to you; not even your spouse will respect you. If you are broke at old age, you become a parasite. Money buys you power when you need it most at old age. It is sad, but we have to remember the reality that in many cases, “No money, no talk”, (a Cantonese slang which means,” I will not talk to you if you have no money.”), is in the minds of those who have selfi sh expectations; that no money means: No “honey”, No relatives, No in-laws, No holidays, No wine, No friends, No social life, No phone calls, No email, NOTHING! Nevertheless, having learned all the above warnings, nothing in old age and in life for that matter, is to be feared. It is only to be understood. When we dare to face the things that concern us, we open the door to freedom. Most of our obstacles will melt away if instead of cowering or trembling before them or procrastinating about dealing with them, we face them with confi dence that everything will turn out satisfactorily. When we were kids, there were many things we do not know about; and it was fi ne, ignorance of many things according to our age. As we grow older, we come to know many things; and that, we learn that there are many things that we will keep on learning about, like the dictum of St. Augustine: “the more I know the more I do not know.” However, we also learn in life that there are things that we MUST know about. In all of us, there will always be ignorance to some degree, not knowing all things; but there must not be in us the choice to remain ignorant, especially with the things that matters most in our life, like our relationship with God. God wants us to know Him; because, He wants to have a relationship with us. Jesus taught us about God and how to love and serve Him. Afl ame The Heart Not seeking to know God deeper, choos- REV. JOSE PELAGIO A. PADIT, SThD ing not to learn more the teachings of the Lord Jesus and the moral teachings of the faith, can have crippling eff ects in our journey of spiritual life. Like that passage of the two disciples on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24: 13-35), due to ignorance of the Scriptures, they could not believe the events that took place about Jesus of Nazareth. And so, the Risen Lord had to explain to them everything written about the Messiah. Ignorance made them down cast and incredulous. We, therefore, must always seek to know more our faith, and whatever we know now must be understood deeper. Ignorance cannot be considered a bliss; rather, let us always seek to know more and to understand better the things about God and about our lives. During Easter Season, our Scripture readings at Masses give us narratives of how the Risen Lord Jesus kept appearing to His disciples in many occasions to confi rm them about His teachings prior to His paschal mystery, and also explaining to them all that was written about Him. Easter, hence, is a season of clarity in the faith and of conviction of the love of God, proven by Christ’s dying for us and rising again as He promised. So, let us destroy in ourselves these two tendencies: First, the tendency to remain ignorant. The saying, “knowing less makes me less accountable;” this attitude and disposition is wrong in relation to our spiritual and moral life. There may be things or teachings that we may not know at present, but we must not remain passive. Being passive is irresponsibility on our part, and we still can be held accountable for that. Being passive can lead to stagnation of the faith and moral life, such can be destructive to the person himself. Second, the tendency to think that truths can change or must change. The old truths of our faith must be changed or be forgotten, for they do not have a place to the current culture and mentality of peoples. This tendency, consequently, breeds not only the passive attitude mentioned above; but also grows into a decision that it is better to be ignorant, after all things change when people change. Moreover, this tendency makes the person choose to settle for less in the faith or settling for less in the journey of Spiritual life. This will not only lead to many sins of omission; but also, a tragic end to the person himself, as this is like that man in the parable who hid the talent or money of his master in the ground, see Mt. 25:24-27. Choosing to be ignorant of essential matters will be tragic to the person in the end. God is worth the greatest honor and glory from us; and it can be sinful when we settle for less in the service and love of Him. To be ignorant will not build the person up, but rather destroy himself in the process. We cannot let the dying and rising of Jesus Christ for us be in vain. God is worth the greatest eff ort we can master in ourselves in our spiritual endeavors. He is worthy of the best expressions of our love and service of Him. Jesus Christ gave totally Himself for us, being ignorant about some or many things in our faith in Him is to settle in the superfi cial relationship with Him. Let us be passionate of knowing our faith and learn new and best ways to love and serve the Lord God. May we be diligent in our search for greater knowledge of God mindful that we cannot fall into ignorance of Him, especially in what matters the most for Him. Amen. You can also fi nd this article in my website, faithexpressions.org, view us too in YouTube, Faith Expressions, for other faith formation videos.

Recipe of the Week

Pork and Spinach in Coconut Milk, Pinoy Laing Style

Ingredients:

1/4 kilo pork belly, cut into thick strips 1/2 kilo frozen chopped spinach 200 grams fresh baby spinach 1 400 ml canned coconut milk/cream 3-4 clove garlic chopped 1 thumb size ginger, cut into thin strips 1 large size onion chopped 2 tbsp. bagoong alamang (use fi sh sauce if not available) 1 stalk lemongrass (optional), trimmed crushed 1/2 tsp. cracked peppercorns 3-5 pieces green/red chili, chopped or whole salt cooking oil

Cooking procedure:

In a medium size sauce pan sauté garlic, ginger and onion until fragrant. Add in the pork and stir cook for 3 to 5 minutes add in the bagoong alamang and continue to stir cook for another 1 to 2 minutes. Add in 1/2 cup of water, the coconut milk, lemon grass, crushed peppercorns and chili, bring to a boil and simmer at moderate heat for 20 to 30 minutes or until the pork are tender and the sauce renders oil and almost dry, stirring occasionally. Add in the frozen spinach and baby spinach, cook at low to moderate heat for 15 to 20 minutes until almost dry, stirring occasionally. Correct saltiness if required. Serve with a lot of rice.

Baguio eases restrictions, expects more tourists

BAGUIO CITY – The city government here expects more tourist arrivals with the opening of borders to tourists from areas under general community quarantine (GCQ) and modifi ed GCQ.

Aloysius Mapalo, Supervising Administrative Offi cer of the City Tourism Offi ce, said that their portal https://visita.baguio.gov.ph registered 700 tourists for the weekend

On April 17 and April 18, the city received just 20 visitors.

Executive Order No. 50-A issued by Mayor Benjamin Magalong now allows the entry of tourists from GCQ and MGCQ areas provided they have the approved QR (quick response)-coded tourist pass from the online registration platform.

Tourists from high-risk areas, particularly those under modifi ed enhanced comBeef Spareribs Adobo with Oyster Sauce munity quarantine (MECQ), Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal, are not yet allowed for leisure purposes.

“All tourists are mandated to undergo triage check-up to ensure that they do not have symptoms of Covid-19 aside from the negative test result,” Mapalo said.

The city government off ers antigen test for P500 at the Baguio Convention Center, the central triage for non-residents.

A maximum limit of 3,000 per day was set by the city government but Mapalo said data from the online platform showed Baguio barely reaches 1,000 registrations daily because of restrictions.

“Those who pre-register do not necessarily arrive in Baguio,” Mapalo said.

Arrivals peaked sometime in March when a negative test result was scrapped.

“We had over 6,000 registrations but only half arrived. This was also the time that we were overwhelmed at the triage dahil sabay-sabay dumating at nakapila lahat sa triage (they arrived at the same time, creating a queue at the triage),” Mapalo said.

When negative test result was required anew, tourist registration dwindled to less than 5,000, with only 20 percent arriving.

“Tourist arrival decreased steadily after that especially during the implementation of the travel restriction from the NCR Plus bubble,” Mapalo said.

The Lenten Season sees a peak in tourism with over 100,000 visitors but for two years now, Mapalo said they had none.

From October 2020 until March 2021, tourist arrivals reached 61,574, including 24,000 in March