Philippine News Today by Philippine News Today

1 May 19-25, 2022

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA EDITION

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Vol. 61 No. 41 May 19-25, 2022

NEWS AND VIEWS YOU TRUST

12 senators proclaimed, unveil plans By Claire Morales True, Managing Editor

PASAY CITY – The Commission on Elections, sitting as the National Board of Canvassers, proclaimed the 12 winning senators in the May 9 elec12 SENATORS PROCLAIMED. The Commission on Elec�ons, si�ng as Others proclaimed are Sherwin Gatchalian, Francis Escudero, Mark tions and presided at their oath-taking the Na�onal Board of Canvassers, proclaim the 12 winning senators Villar, Alan Peter Cayetano, Joel Vilanueva, Juan Miguel Zubiri, Jo- in ceremonies at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) in led by topnotchers Robin Padilla, Loren Legarda and Rafael Tulfo. seph Victor Ejercito, Risa Hon�veros and Jose Estrada. Pasay City attended by close family members and some officials. Leading the newly proclaimed senators was actor Robinhood “Robin” Padilla, whose father, Casimero “Roy” Padilla Sr., was an actor, director and former Assembly- Page 8

SC ASKED TO STOP COUNT, MARCOS PROCLAMATION Divisiveness, animosity bewailed

Incoming admin will be forced to cut spending, raise taxes

By ALFRED GABOT, Editor-in-Chief

MANILA — Two petitions, one by so-called victims of martial law, seeking to stop Congress from canvassing votes for president and the cancellation of the candidacy of presumptive president Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. have been ﬁled before the Supreme Court. The Senate and the House of Representatives which sit jointly as the National Board of Canvassers for the president and vice president, meanwhile, appeared undisturbed by the petitions, as they scheduled the canvassing of votes for president and vice president on May 24 starting at 2 p.m. to May 25 to May Page 9 27 at 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

By Be�ng Laygo Dolor, Editor

UNITED STATES President Joseph Biden, Jr. (center) welcomes Foreign Aﬀairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin, Jr. (le�) and Philippine Ambassador to the US Jose Manuel G. Romualdez to the White House where the US president hosted the US-ASEAN Special Summit. Discussed were strengthening of �es between the US and ASEAN, the digital economy, sustainability, regional energy transi�on, economic coopera�on, healthcare and supply chain resilience, among others.

Upside

Responding to AAPI hate

By Cherie M. Querol Moreno HIS year marks the 30th anniver- the birth of a parent to the birth of a child sary of the enactment* of Asian as 25 years holds true today, many AmeriAmerican and Paciﬁc Islander cans may not know or have forgotten the Heritage Month, a historic event unto it- motivation behind the designation. Now self. If the deﬁnition of a generation or more than ever, however, Page 11

MANILA – Incoming President Ferdinand Marcos Jr will be inheriting a government so heavily in debt that it needs some $6.52 billion (P326 billion) in new revenues annually for the next 20 years. This is over and above the yearly national budget that has been operating at a deficit for years. The soon-to-exit Duterte administration is leaving behind an external debt of around $240.4 billion (P12.02 trillion) following six years of deficit spending partly due to its facing a global pandemic that crippled the economy. This, after the previous administration of the late President Benigno Aquino III had left office leaving behind a surplus of $20 billion (P1 trillion). He Page 8

Balikbayan from US, 2 others with Omicron variant

Sara to be DepEd secretary, Abalos at DILG VIEWS & COMMENTS

What happen during a Naturalization interview with USCIS ofﬁcer

By A�y. Lozano

Page 14

SHOWBIZ

FilAm Olivia Rodrigo wins big with 7 trophies at 2022 Billboard Music Awards Page 16

SPORTS

Carlos Yulo cop 5 golds, FilAms shine at SEA Games Page 21

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 NATIONAL NEWS

May 19-25, 2022

Romualdez picked as next House Speaker

QUEZON CITY – It’s in the bag for House Majority Leader and Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez to be the next Speaker of the 19th Congress. This as Congress leaders, including former Speaker and President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and outgoing Speaker Lord Allan Velasco, have endorsed Romualdez, a cousin of President-elect Ferdinand Marcos Jr., for the top House post. “I believe that his election as Speaker of the 19th Congress will ensure that the legislative agenda of the incoming administration will be pursued and completed. Majority Leader Romualdez has my support and friendship,” Velasco said during a meeting in Makati City. The incumbent Speaker thanked Romualdez for helping him shepherd the House in the outgoing 18th Congress, noting that his strong leadership and support was crucial to the passage of relevant and timely pandemic-response measures and the approval of important laws that will have “immense impact to stir and sustain our economic growth and development” in the new normal. “Under his watch, the House was able to carry on

and carry out its mandate despite physical limitations due to the pandemic with the passage of priority legislative measures of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte,” Velasco said. Romualdez, meanwhile, thanked Velasco for supporting him. “I am grateful for your support. From the bottom of my heart, thank you Speaker Velasco,” Romualdez said. Based on an unoﬃcial count, former senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte have won the May 9 presidential and vice presidential elections, respectively, by a landslide. The ruling party Partido Demokratiko Pilipino– Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban), which Velasco belongs to, announced its support for Romualdez over the weekend through its president, Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi. Cusi cited Romualdez’s track record in supporting the Duterte administration in the crafting of important pieces of legislation, such as the two Bayanihan laws, coronavirus disease-19 (Covid-19) Vaccination Program Act, the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises Act, and amendments to the Retail Trade Liberalization Act and the Public Service Act.

CAMP CRAME, Quezon City – A Philippine National Police (PNP) oﬃcial has ordered all police commanders to intensify its crackdown on illegal “esabong” operations. The order came as reports said some online sabong sites continue to run illegally. “The operation of e-sabong was suspended by President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, eﬀective May 3, 2022. Therefore, we should not permit guerrilla-style

activities of e-sabong by unscrupulous individuals and groups. “ PNP director for operations Maj. Gen. Valeriano De Leon said. He said they will ﬁrst ensure that no PNP personnel are engaged in e-sabong operations, either as players or as collectors of protection money. On May 16, the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) said online sabong sites are still running illegally, despite President Duterte’s

By Jeanne Michael Penaranda

SPEAKERSHIP. Speaker Lord Allan Velasco endorses House Majority Leader and Leyte Rep. Mar�n Romualdez as Speaker of the 19th Congress “His track record speaks for itself. He is indeed one of the most hard-working members of Congress. We believe that Rep. Romualdez can bring the various political parties and blocs in the House of Representatives together to continue the legacy programs of the Duterte administration as well as shepherd in Congress the vision of President-elect Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. for a more progressive Philippines,” Cusi said.

Cops ordered to intensify crackdown on ‘e-sabong’

order. Lawyer Jose Tria, vice president of PAGCOR’s e-Gaming Licensing and Regulation, said they monitored the following online sabong websites: pinassabong.live; pclive1.com; sabong-express.net; phbetting.live; goperya.com; phbet44.bet; phbet.bet; phbetr.bet. De Leon said they are coordinating with PAGCOR to ﬁnd other e-sabong websites that are still operating.

Congress to canvass votes for President, VP on May 24-27 QUEZON CITY – Congress will start the canvassing of votes for the presidential and vice presidential races on May 24 until May 27. Secretary General Mark Llandro Mendoza said the canvassing will begin on May 24 at 2 p.m., while from May 25 to 27, it will be scheduled from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Under the Constitution, the election returns for president and vice president, duly certiﬁed by the Board of Canvassers

of each province and city, shall be transmitted to Congress. Upon receipt of the certiﬁcates of canvass, the President of the Senate shall, not later than 30 days after the day of the election, open all certiﬁcates in the presence of the Senate and the House of Representatives in joint public session, and the Congress, upon determination of the authenticity and due execution thereof in the manner provided by law, canvass the votes.

Speaker Lord Allan Velasco rallied his fellow lawmakers to exercise prudence and diligence as Congress, sitting as the National Board of Canvassers, gears up for the canvassing of votes and proclamation of the country’s next president and vice president. “As Members of Congress, it is our constitutional mandate to receive and canvass the votes for the two highest leaders of our country - our next President and Vice President,” Velasco said.

“May we all undertake this task with a profound, and even critical, awareness that we are entrusted by the Filipino people with this duty to ensure that our choice of leaders is the legitimate expression of the will of our people,” he added. Senate President Vicente Sotto III earlier said Congress will be tasked to proclaim the winners of the presidency and the vice presidency for the May 9, 2022 elections, which is expected to be done by May 27 or 28.

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3 May 19-25, 2022

 NATIONAL NEWS

Sara to be DepEd secretary, Abalos at DILG; Marcos offers Cabinet posts to Ople, Laguesma By Claire Morales True MANILA – President-elect Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has oﬀered Cabinet positions to former Labor Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma and overseas Filipino workers advocate Susan “Toots” Ople, raising to four the possible Cabinet members in the new administration. Lawyer Vic Rodriguez, spokesman of Marcos, said Laguesma is being eyed as the head of the Department of Labor and Employment, while Ople was asked to lead the newly created Department of Migrant Workers. Earlier, Rodriguez announced that presumptive Vice President Sara Duterte

would take the helm of the Department of Education, while former Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chair Benjamin “Benhur” Abalos Jr. is set to become the next secretary of the Department of the Interior and Local Government. In a radio-tv interview, Ople, daughter of the late Senate President and Labor Secretary Blas F. Ople, said she has not decided whether to accept the job or not, but added she “would go to where God wills it for me.” “Panata ko na ang silbihan ang mga overseas workers,” she said. She admitted having undergone treatment for cancer and the incoming admin-

istration has been told of her condition. “Sila ay very warm ‘yung pagtanggap (They had very warm reception), they were honored,” Rodriguez, who also heads the Marcos transition team, said in a press conference in their headquarters in Mandaluyong. Rodriguez said Laguesma and Ople were honored by the oﬀer, but asked for more time to consult their families and friends. “Humihingi lang sila ng kaunting panahon para makonsulta at makausap ‘yung kanilang mahal sa buhay, siguro ‘yung ilang kaibigan at ‘yung mga taong kanilang pinaniniwalaan at pinakikinggan at hinihingan ng payo (They are just

A�y. Vic Rodriguez asking for time to consult and talk to their loved ones, friends, and people they trust for advice),” he said.

Law promoting foundlings’ rights signed MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte has signed into law a measure promoting the rights of deserted or abandoned children with unknown parents and recognizing their status as natural-born citizens. Under Republic Act (RA) 11767 or the Foundling Recognition and Protection Act, an abandoned child found in the Philippines or in Philippine embassies, consulates, and territories abroad is presumed a natural-born Filipino citizen, regardless of the status or circumstances of birth. “As a natural-born citizen of the Philippines, a foundling is accorded with rights and protections at the moment of birth equivalent to those belonging to such class of citizens whose citizenship does not need perfection or any further act,” RA 11767 states. The presumption of

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natural-born status of a foundling may not be impugned in any proceeding unless substantial proof of foreign parentage is shown. A deserted child shall be acknowledged a natural-born Filipino citizen, even though his birth certiﬁcate was simulated, his legal adoption was not processed, or his registration was delayed. “In the event that the biological par-

ents cannot be identiﬁed and located, the foundling shall be declared legally available for adoption, subject to existing laws, rules and regulations and taking into consideration the best interest of the child,” RA 11767 states. Once the adoption is ﬁnalized, the adopted foundling shall be considered the legitimate child of the adopter for all intents and purposes.

 METRO NEWS

May 19-25, 2022

Dolomite beach reopening slated MANILA – Manila’s dolomite beach besides the United States Em-

bassy will be reopened on June 2, according to the Department of Environ-

ment and Natural Resources (DENR). DENR Undersecretary Jonas Leones noted the new reopening schedule was made to give way to the completion of other infrastructures in the area. The DENR said it will also conduct a cleanup activity near the US embassy. Leones earlier said Manila Bay’s rehabilitation is now at around 80-percent complete, as the DENR ramps up efforts to achieve a water quality fit for recreational activities, such as swimming. However, he said the dolomite beach is not yet fit for such activity, although the DENR has recorded a significant decline in its average coliform level dropping to 21,100 mpn per 100 ml during 2021’s third quarter, from its pre-pandemic level of over five million mpn per 100 ml. Once reopened to the public, only 500 persons will be allowed at the DOLOMITE BEACH. A woman takes a selfie at the Manila Baywalk Dolomite Beach along beach at a given time. Roxas Boulevard in Manila.

QC, Manila COVID-19 cases drop, but vax drives not slowing down MANILA – Amid the decline in Covid-19 cases, Manila and Quezon City continue to administer vaccines, including booster shots. A total of 2,448,359 are fully vaccinated in Quezon City as of Tuesday, or 5,746,972 ﬁrst, second, and booster doses, including the single-dose Janssen jab. Of the total vaccinated, 336,587 are aged 5 to 17 years old while ﬁrst and second booster doses have reached 835,283. In Manila, 3,443,457 Covid-19 vaccine doses have been administered as of 6 p.m. Monday, mAY 16. A total of 1,786,641 are vaccinated, 1,702,786 of them with complete primary series. Among minors aged 12 to 17 years old, 140,890 are fully vaccinated, and in the 5-11 group, 50,622 are with two doses. The total number of booster shots is 547,017. Quezon City’s latest Covid-19 tally dated May 15 showed just 101 active cases.

Metro police steps up drive vs. illegal gambling TAGUIG CITY – National Capital dered the five police districts to in- areas. Region Police Office (NCRPO) Chief, tensify the campaign against illegal The order was made due to reports Maj. Gen. Felipe Natividad, has or- gambling activities in their respective that some illegal gambling activities including the “Peryahan ng Bayan” are continuously running and operating. Natividad also directed the Manila Police District (MPD), Quezon City Police District (QCPD), Northern Police District (NPD), Southern Police District (SPD), and Eastern Police District (EPD) to ensure the “no take policy” in addressing illegal gambling. “Team NCRPO will intensify its standing policy and campaign against illegal gambling, particularly the illegal numbers game operations. We will also strictly enforce the no-take policy from illegal gambling and other illegal sources. Commanders on the ground in violation of this order will face severe sanctions, “ Natividad said. Records on the accomplishment of NCRPO in illegal gambling campaign reveal that a total of 123 operations have been conducted for the period May 1 – 15, 2022. This includes operations against illegal numbers games, video karera/ fruit game, and other forms of illegal gambling that led to the arrest of 370 individuals and confiscated 107,455 gambling materials and paraphernalia. Natividad has called on the Police Community Precinct Commanders, Sub-station Commanders, Chiefs of Police and District Directors of the five districts of NCRPO to strengthen the programs and campaigns against all forms of illegal gambling and fortify the sense of responsibility of current police leaders in invigorating their efforts in addressing unlawful gambling operations with their area of responsibility.

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Meanwhile, Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año directed the Philippine National Police (PNP) and local government units (LGUs) to monitor if the “Peryahan ng Bayan” is continuously operating in their areas and further intensify its campaign against the illegal numbers game. “Suspendido pa rin po ang operasyon ng Peryahan ng Bayan (PnB) kaya inaatasan ko ang PNP na ipagpatuloy ang maigting na kampanya para supilin ang lahat ng uri ng illegal gambling, kasama na ang PnB (The operation of Peryahan ng Bayan is still suspended so I instruct the PNP to continue its campaign to suppress all forms of illegal gambling, including PnB.),” Año said

5 May 19-25, 2022

 PROVINCIAL NEWS

Cebu, 4 other vote-richest provinces solid for Marcos, Duterte By Claire Morales True CEBU CITY - Cebu, Pangasinan, Cavite, Laguna and Bulacan provinces delivered the biggest number of votes among the provinces and cities for president-elect Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and runningmate vice presidentelect Sara Duterte in the May 9 elections. As Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia promised over one million votes when she announced that her One Cebu coalition had decided to carry the Unity Team of Marcos and Duterte, Cebu delivered not only 1,515,812 votes for Marcos and 1,772,999 for Duterte but also the biggest number of votes in the country among provinces and cities. “Cebu has spoken, so will the rest of the country. The next president of the Philippines, [BBM] (Bongbong Marcos)!” Garcia said in her speech, which she mostly delivered in Bisaya, during their April 17 campaign rally which gathered more than 120,000 voters. In delivering the votes for Marcos and Sara, Garcia also scored a historic reelection win as governor with 1,478,436 votes while her opponent, former Tourism

Secretary Ace Durano, got only 341,455 votes. In her victory speech later, Garcia said she worked hard to campaign for the “UniTeam” of Marcos and Sara Duterte who her party endorsed the last few weeks of the campaign. One Cebu party included the cities of Cebu, Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu. “To me, it is a fulﬁlled promise to deliver one Cebu. We were able to unify the entire island, including the tri-cities,” said Garcia whose province is the richest in the country and has the highest number of voters at 3.2 million. Pangasinan, home province of the mother (Dr. Evangelina Macaraeg Macapagal) of former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, honorary chairperson of Lakas-NUCD under whose banner Mayor Duterte ran, delivered the second highest number of votes for the BBM-Sara tandem. A part of the so-called “Solid North,” Pangasinan, with the cities of Dagupan, San Carlos and Urdaneta, gave Marcos 1,374,560 votes and Duterte 1,054,326 votes. Former President Arroyo’s nephew, outgoing 5th dis-

Husband-and-wife tandems win polls in 4 Batangas towns BATANGAS CITY – This one is for the books. Four towns in Batangas elected husband-and-wife tandems as mayors and vice mayors during the May 9 elections. Re-elected for the position of mayor in the town of Mataasnakahoy is Janet Ilagan, who received 11,199 votes, and her husband Jay Ilagan for vice mayor with 10,907 votes as Rappler reported. In the town of Lobo, Lota Manalo won with 12,332 votes, while her husband Gaudioso Manalo was elected

Plan to return to old name of Manila airport revived

vice mayor with 11,399 votes. Lawyer Cindy Reyes won the mayoralty race in Agoncillo town to replace her husband, lawyer Daniel Reyes, who was elected as vice mayor. Both re-electionists Norberto Segunial and Ma. Aurea Segunial of Sta. Teresita town also won as mayor and vice mayor, respectively. Batangas is the 7th most vote-rich province in the Philippines withd 1,819,071 registered voters for 2022.

trict Congressman Ramon “Monmon” Guico III, who headed the Unity Team in Pangasinan, trounced incumbent Governor Amado Espino III in the gubernatorial race with over 800,000 votes.

 NATIONAL NATIONAL NEWS NEWS

May 19-25, 2022

Sara’s inauguration on June 19 in Davao City DAVAO CITY – Presumptive Vice President Sara Duterte set her inauguration for June 19 here. “It’s just right—it’s the pride of Davao City and Davao Region that they can witness an oath-taking of a vice president,” Duterte said. She noted that once a candidate is proclaimed, he or she can take the oath anytime. “The intent is I will be the ﬁrst to take the oath so that I can attend the inauguration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.,” Duterte added. Earlier, Duterte vowed to be supportive and loyal to whoever wins the presidency. Duterte said she will work hard for the country even if not given any cabinet position. She said one area she will focus on are peace-building and child protection acVice President-elect Sara Duterte. tivities, particularly in schools.

116,777 votes, while Chipeco garnered 78,325. A third candidate — actor and former Laguna Governor Emilio Ramon Ejercito III (Partido Federal ng Pilipinas) — obtained 41,149 votes. Rizal, a descendant of national hero Jose Rizal’s younger half-brother Patricio Rizal, was vice mayor to Chipeco -the son of Joaquin Chipeco, Jr. who also served as mayor of Calamba from 2004

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until 2013. Rizal’s win ends the rule of the Chipecos in Calamba. Cha Hernandez, meanwhile, beat Chipeco’s brother Timmy as Representative for the lone district of Calamba. Totie Lazaro was also elected vice mayor, defeating Chipeco’s running mate Rajay Lajara.

Law signed granting night shift pay for state workers MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte has granted government workers a well-deserved reward with the signing of Republic Act (RA) 11701 that grants night shift differential pay. Sens. Christopher Lawrence Go and Ramon Revillar Jr. said the law recognizes the sacrifices of government employees, especially health care workers. “Bigyan natin sila ng pantay-pantay na benepisyo. Alam niyo, napakaliit na halaga lang po yan para sa mga nagsasakripisyo para sa ating mga kababayan (We just gave what is due them. Let’s give them fair benefits. You know, that is just a small amount for the people who sacrifice for our countrymen),” Go said during his visit to fire victims in UP Village, Quezon City. The neophyte senator urged private

companies to also reciprocate the efforts of their employees. In particular, those who help the country survive the Covid-19 pandemic. Go said he is similarly pushing for a special risk allowance for health care workers. Revilla, author of RA 11701, thanked his fellow lawmakers, who worked to pass the measure. “Bilang may akda ng panukalang batas na ito, ako ay lubos na natutuwa para sa ating mga government employee dahil sa pamamagitan nito, masusuklian natin ang kanilang walang kapantay na sipag sa paghahatid serbisyo sa ating mamamayan (As the author of the bill, I am so happy for our government employees because we can now return them the favor for their diligence in serving our people),” Revilla

posted on Facebook. RA 11701 grants a night shift differential pay to government employees, including those in government-ownedor-controlled corporations, who work between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. The law will cover government employees occupying position items from Division Chief and below, or their equivalent; and permanent, contractual, temporary, or casual workers. They shall be paid the night shift differential at a rate not exceeding 20 percent of their hourly basic rate for each hour of work performed between the covered hours. The night shift differential pay will be in addition to and will not in any way diminish whatever benefits and allowances are currently enjoyed by government employees.

Market vendor wins mayoral race vs incumbent’s brother in Eastern Samar DOLORES, Eastern Samar — A market vendor and former barangay chairman who only ﬁnished second year high school won the mayoral elections in Dolores, Eastern Samar against a doctor, who is the brother of the incumbent mayor. Rodrigo “Onoy” Rivera, 62, won despite lack of machinery and money, only relying on people who knew him from the public market. He defeated Dr. Zaldy

Carpeso, who had the backing of his brother, outgoing mayor Shonny Carpeso, who also won the vice mayor post. Dr. Carpeso was based in Metro Manila before the election, a factor that could have triggered his defeat. The mayor-elect added he is preparing plans to address problems concerning drainage, streetlights, classrooms and hospitals. He added that he will also focus on providing livelihood pro-

AROUND THE NATION Magalong to prevent urban decay BAGUIO CITY – Mayor-elect Benjamin Magalong said his second term in ofﬁce will be focused on preventing “urban decay” from further eating up the country’s summer capital. The mayor had earlier said that urban decay is a process in which a previously functioning city, or city area, falls into disrepair and disuse whose common indications are abandoned buildings and empty plots, high unemployment levels, high crime rates, and an urban landscape that is generally decrepit and desolate.

Rizal kin unseats Chipeco as new Calamba mayor CALAMBA CITY — The City of Calamba in Laguna has elected a kin of national hero Dr. Jose Rizal, Ross Rizal, as mayor, ending the decadeslong hold of the Chipeco family on the city. Rizal, who ran under PDP-Laban, was proclaimed mayor after beating incumbent Joey Chipeco (Nacionalista Party) by over 38,000 votes. Rizal got

grams, and ensuring peace and order with the help of the military and the police force. Rivera was a barangay chairman for nine years in the village of Gap-ang in Dolores where he was known to have completed farm to market roads with support from national and local oﬃcials. After his term ended in 2010, he started selling ﬁsh and vegetables in the public market.

ILOILO CITY – The Department of Health regional office in Western Visayas (DOH-6) is calling on parents to submit their kids to vaccination to prevent diseases such as meningitis and disseminated or widespread tuberculosis (TB). DOH-6 Senior Health Program Officer Christine Mosqueda said that Western Visayas has recorded 1,134 TB cases among children in 2021; 782 in 2020; and 1,488 in 2019. “Our target supposedly for the number of children to be detected is 12 percent of the total TB cases notified,” she said.

Ilocos Norte under Alert Level 1 LAOAG CITY – Restrictions in Ilocos Norte will remain relaxed as the province stays under Alert Level 1 from May 16 to 31, recording only three new cases of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19). None of the 26 total active cases is currently admitted to the hospital, according to data from the provincial government. Dr. Josephine Ruedas, provincial health oﬃcer of Ilocos Norte, said booster shots continue to be administered to the more than 600,000 target population.

One Negros island region backed BACOLOD CITY – Efforts to revive the Negros Island Region (NIR) is expected to continue in the next administration as Negros Occidental fifth district congressman-elect Emilio Bernardino Yulo expressed support for the proposal in the House of Representatives. “I have made the commitment to support any initiative to revive the NIR,” said after taking oath before Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson at the Provincial Capitol. Yulo was elected congressman for the first time after defeating incumbent Rep. Ma. Lourdes “Marilou” Arroyo-Lesaca, sister-in-law of former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, in the May 9 elections.

7 May 19-25, 2022

 NATIONAL NATIONAL NEWS NEWS

Marcos, family in private trip to Melbourne; PHL, Australia to elevate ties, says envoy MAKATI CITY — The trip of presumptive president Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and his family to Australia was a personal visit without oﬃcial arrangements, according to the Australian Ambassador to the Philippines Steven Robinson. Speaking to reporters in Makati City, Ambassador Robinson said apart from visa requirements, the Australia embassy was unaware of other details. Robinson also said there were no arrangements for a meeting between Marcos and Australia Prime Minister Scott Morrison who congratulated Marcos earlier for his election victory. “It was a private trip initiated by the presumptive president,” Robinson said.

“Beyond getting visas in order to get to Australia, the presumptive president’s trip is no way oﬃcial, no way formal, so good luck to him, everyone should visit Australia,” he added. “I congratulate Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on being elected President of the Philippines at the national elections on 9 May. Following the 75th anniversary of Australia-Philippines relations last year, we look forward to continuing to advance our longstanding friendship,” Prime Minister Morrison said last week. Marcos spokesman Vic Rodriguez earlier said the Australia trip was for rest and family vacation. Meanwhile, Robinson said the Philip-

pines and Australia are set to elevate their bilateral relations to strategic partnership “at the end of the year” following a series of talks and high-level engagements between the two nations over the past years, particularly the August 2021 PhilippineAustralia Ministerial Meeting. “What they did in August 2021 was to set up a pretty ambitious program, which talked about the areas of development that were involved in: peacebuilding, economic recovery, trade, security cooperation and the like. And what that has resulted in is that we’re going to elevate our bilateral relationship to what’s called a strategic partnership at the end of this year,” he said. Robinson said this does not only reﬂect

the expansion of cooperation between the two nations but also how Australia regards the Philippines as a close partner in the region. Canberra and Manila’s bilateral relationship is centered on development, education, people-to-people links, trade and investment, and defense. This year, it also celebrates over 30 years of law enforcement partnership, focused on countering child exploitation and terrorism. On education, Robinson said Australia is investing at least 90 million Australian dollars between 2017 and 2026 to help strengthen basic education in the Bangsamoro region.

AFP chiefs, others to get 3 year terms; best ofﬁcers to get top posts under new law - Lorenzana the compulsory retirement of military personnel at 56 or 30 years’ satisfactory active duty, whichever is later -- for those in the grades of second lieutenant/ensign (O-1) to colonel/captain (O-6). For those in the grades of brigadier general/commodore (O-7) to lieutenant general/vice admiral (O-9), the retirement age will be 59 or the maximum tenure-ingrade, whichever comes earlier. Oﬃcers or enlisted personnel may avail

of optional retirement upon accumulation of at least 20 years satisfactory active duty. The law also provides that officers and enlisted personnel shall be retired one rank higher from the last rank held, provided that retirement benefits shall be based on the permanent grade last held, though this will not apply to those still in active duty prior to the effectivity of the law; and provided that the said retirees will form part of the Reserve Force.

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SALUTE. Armed Forces Chief of Staﬀ Gen. Andres Cen�no (center) greets Philippine Army staﬀ and personnel during a visit at their headquarters in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig

CAMP AGUINALDO, Quezon City – A new law has set a fixed term of three years for the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ (AFP) chief of staff and other key officials and is expected tol end the disservice to the military leadership entrusted with the security and defense of the country. Republic Act (RA) 11709, signed by President Rodrigo Duterte on April 13, sets a fixed three-year tour of duty for the AFP chief of staff, vice chief of staff, deputy chief of staff, major service commanders (Army, Air Force, and Navy), unified command commanders, and inspector general “unless sooner terminated by the President”. With the new law, only the best officers in the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) can assume the highest posts in the military, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said. “The principal objective of this law is to allow general officers sufficient time, i.e., three years time-in-grade, to do their jobs. If they are not promoted to the next higher grade, they are retired. This ensures

that only the best officers ascend the ladder of leadership. This also puts an end to the revolving door system in the AFP leadership that resulted from the retirement law passed in 1979,” Lorenzana said. “We would like to thank the members of Congress, especially Sen. Dick Gordon, Sen. Ping Lacson and Cong. Boboy Tupaz for advocating and espousing this law throughout the legislative process,” Lorenzana said. Under new law, the AFP chief-of-staff, vice chief-of-staff, deputy chief-of-staff, heads of the major services (Army, Navy and Air Force), unified command commanders and inspector general will have a three-year term of office “unless sooner terminated by the President.” The President may extend the AFP chief-of-staff’s tour of duty in times of war or other national emergency declared by Congress. The law also gives the Philippine Military Academy superintendent a tour of duty of four years, “unless sooner terminated by higher authority.” Meanwhile, the law also provides for

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also left an economy three times bigger than when he assumed the presidency. According to House ways and means committee chairman Joey Salceda, the additional amount should be generated every year to pay for both the principal and the interest on the debts incurred by the Duterte administration. Unless the new administration can raise the additional revenue, “we will have to borrow again to pay the debt,” Salceda told local media in a press statement. And while cutting down on expenses coupled with new taxes may be a bitter pill to swallow, the other remaining option – even more borrowings – will have deadlier mid- to long-term eﬀects. “Borrowing more to cover past borrowings is a downward spiral to ﬁscal hell,” said Salceda, who in his younger days had earned a reputation as being a local wizard of the stock market. He added that budgetary cuts would not be a good option “if you want to sustain COVID-19 growth.” While there have been positive signs for the economy, complete recovery to pre-pandemic levels is still

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man and governor of Camarines Norte and whose mother was actress Eva Carino, who topped the senatorial race with unprecedented over 26 million votes after he was belatedly included in the Unity Team and endorsed personally by President Rodrigo Duterte. Also proclaimed were returning Senator Loren Legarda, broadcaster Rafael Tulfo, reelectionist Sherwin Gatchalian, former senator Francis Chiz Escudero, former House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano, reelectionist Juan Miguel Zubiri and Joel Villanueva, former Public Works Secretary Mark Villar, returning senator Joseph Victor JV Ejercito, reelectionist Risa Hontiveros, and Jose Jinggoy Estrada.. Padilla, who is a converted Muslim and the first Muslim elected as senator after 30 years, and Tulfo — both first-time senators — vowed to get straight to work once they step foot in the chamber.

May 19-25, 2022

far oﬀ. The unemployment rate stood at 5.8 percent as of March, this year, from 6.4 percent in the previous month. Underemployment, however, rose from 14 percent to 15.8 percent for the same period. In absolute numbers the picture remains bleak with the number of unemployed Filipinos pegged at 3.27 million as of end-2021. In order to pump-prime the economy, the new administration needs to entice more foreign investments to help build more infrastructure as well as create new jobs. This is easier said than done, however, as the global ﬁnancial adviser JP Morgan recently downgraded the Philippines to “underweight” as an investment destination, placing the country last among Southeast Asian countries. The less-than-polite term says the Philippines is not a good place to invest in, at least in the foreseeable future. Salceda explained that the Philippines will have to pay some P144 billion in principal payments for the next 20 years and another P181 billion in interest payments. He added that in order to minimize budget cuts, debt

payments have to be stretched out for longer periods. The 20 years means the Philippines will be paying for the Duterte administration’s debts for more than three presidencies, or until 2042. This puts the country in similar straits that the martial law regime of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr. left the country, and the external debt he left behind took about three decades to settle. Salceda said the incoming president should utilize his supermajority in Congress to enact “smart, eﬃcient tax and economic policies” to address the inherited debt. The Philippines must also show its creditors that the country is in good ﬁscal standing, and that a tax policy reform is the best option. Salceda also said that he would ask the incoming administration to initiate more reforms at the Bureau of Internal Revenue. Critics, however, noted that the incoming president has shown no signs that he will be prioritizing the economy. Thus far, he has only named two secretaries for his Cabinet, namely Sara Duterte for the Education portfolio and Benhur Abalos as head of the Interior and Local Government portfolio.

The action star stressed he will push for Constitutional reform to address long-standing problems in the country. Padilla urged the newly elected and incumbent senators to give a chance for government reforms and constitutional reforms. The crowd cheered the newly elected senator as he ended his speech with a line culled from Eric Clapton’s classic song, “Wonderful Tonight.” “It’s late in the evening, I feel wonderful tonight,” said Padilla, who has been singing the song in the series of campaign sorties that he joined. Tulfo, on the other hand, said he would work double time to prove he deserves a spot in the top 12. “I won’t let you down,” he told supporters. The new senators will have a six-year term that begins on June 30 will end in June 30, 2028. The Comelec led by Chairman Saidamen Pangarungan, and Commissioners George Garcia, Rey Bulay, Aimee Ferolino, Aimee Torrefranca-Neri, Marlon Casquejo, and Socorro Inting, took turns in presenting the certificates of proclamation to the senators starting from no. 2 Estrada to no. 1 Padilla. In his speech, Pangarungan emphasized that the glory of the winning candidates was shared by the voters in Eleksyon 2022, which that had a record turnout of 83.11% or 55,549,791 out of the 66,839,976 registered local and overseas voters and the lowest number of poll violence with only 16 incidents. The senators all lauded the Comelec headed by Chairman Saidamen Pangarungan for “job well done” for a clean, fast and orderly election, except for few minor glitches. Also cited were election frontliners led by teachers, policemen, military men and others. Aside from Pangarungan, the other Comelec/ NBOC members were Commissioners Socorro Inting, Marlon Casquejo, Aimee Ferolino, Rey Bulay, Aimee Neri and George Garcia, who took turns in presenting the Certificate of Proclamation to each of the winning senators. Prior to the proclamation, Pangarungan congratulated the Filipino people for being part of a successful holding of the May 9 polls. “As we usher in a new set of leaders from the local government units up to the national positions, I am proud to say that the Commission on Elections has successfully defended the sovereign right of the people to the democratic process of elections,” he said in his speech.

“The glory does not belong solely to the winners of the elections. It belongs also to the voters who stood patiently in line to cast their votes in an election with one of the highest voter turnouts in recent history. This is an election with the lowest electionrelated violence of only 16 incidents compared to 160 violent incidents in the 2019 elections,” Pangarungan added. He also acknowledged their partners and other stakeholders that also contributed to the success of last week’s elections. “And significantly, this is an election with a very efficient and flawless Transparency Server that received all election results in record time immediately after voting on election day. The swiftest transmission was witnessed by the watchful eyes of all representatives of political parties, the PPCRV (Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting), NAMFREL (National Movement for Free Elections) and other citizens’ arms,” he said. “I would also like to express my appreciation to all the women and men of the Commission who gave their support to ensure an orderly and successful election. My colleagues and fellow Commissioners, thank you for your wholehearted support. Even as we look into the reports of VCM errors and a few other glitches in this election, I trust that the Commission en banc shall continually improve on the election process,” Pangarungan added. He also thanked the Department of Education and all the teachers and their support staff, the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Philippine National Police, the Philippine Coast Guard, the DOST (Department of Science and Technology), the DICT (Department of Information and Communications Technology), and the Comelec Advisory Council. “I also extend our heartfelt gratitude to the Department of Foreign Affairs, the Embassies and Posts around the world as they made sure that every Filipino voter in different foreign countries could exercise their right to vote. To our citizens’ arms, the PPCRV, NAMFREL, the IBP (Integrated Bar of the Philippines), LENTE, Association of Asian Election Authorities, the KBP (Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas), foreign and local observers, the National Press Club, and members of traditional media, your help enhanced the transparency of our elections. The energy sector, the communication sector, thank you for your valuable cooperation,” the poll body chief added.

9 May 19-25, 2022 SC...

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Under the Philippine Constitution, the election returns for president and vice president duly certified by the local board of canvassers of each province and city shall be transmitted to Congress for canvassing. In reaction to the petitions, the Comelec said it is ready to follow orders from the Supreme Court in connection with the petitions to stop Congress, sitting as the National Board of Canvassers (NBOC), from counting the votes of presidential frontrunner Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. in the May 9 polls. “The Comelec will always abide by any notice and decision of the highest court of the land,” said Acting Comelec Spokesman John Rex Laudiangco. . Comelec Commissioner George Garcia said it is the right of the petitioners to seek relief by elevating the case to the High Tribunal. “This is within their rights to seek redress to the High Court of something they believe is a valid justiciable controversy,” he said. The camp of Mr. Marcos, through lawyer Vic Rodriguez, though shrugged off the petitions and appealed to groups behind the failed presidential run of Vice President Maria Leonor Leni Robredo to respect the landslide win handed by over 31 million Filipinos to Marcos. Rodriguez said they are confident that the “processes will uphold the over-

whelming mandate that president-elect Bongbong Marcos has earned in the elections.” “It is understandable for petitioners to want to exhaust all their remedies under the law, regardless of the dim chances of success,” said Rodriguez, Marcos’ spokesperson, in a statement. “We live in a democracy and they enjoy rights under the constitution, including an appeal or to seek a restraining order.” In their petition for certiorari, the petitioners said that due to Marcos’ material misrepresentations in his certiﬁcate of candidacy, the SC must cancel or deny due course his COC declaring the same void ab initio. The issue has been decided by the Commission on Elections in favour of Marcos. Among the petitioners were Fr. Christian Buenafe, Fides Lim, Ma. Edeliza Hernandez, Celia Lagman Sevilla, Roland Vibal, and Josephine Lascano. In the petition of the Campaign Against the Return of the Marcoses and Martial Law, the petitioners pleaded to reverse the Comelec’s decision dismissing the petitions to disqualify Marcos from the presidential race. The group noted that the son of the late President Marcos failed to ﬁle his income tax returns during his four-year stint as vice governor and governor of Ilocos Norte from 1982 to 1985. “This case has been resolved unanimously by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) at the division and en banc

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levels. The petition was dismissed and the decision was unanimous,” Rodriguez said during a press conference at their headquarters in Mandaluyong. “I appeal to those who keep on pursuing this divisiveness, the Filipino people have already spoken and the overwhelming majority have voted for Presidentelect Bongbong Marcos and Vice President-elect Inday Sara Duterte,” Rodriguez said. “Instead of pushing your agenda of animosity, help us with our limited time in a day — 24 hours — to be productive and to learn to respect the will of the people,” he added. Aside from nullifying the candidacy of Marcos Jr., the groups allied with Robredo wanted the High Court to declare Robredo as the winner in the elections as indicated in their petition. Pending a final SC decision on the validity of Marcos Jr.’s CoC, the petitioners also asked the High Court to issue a temporary restraining order (TRO) against Congress convening to canvass the votes for President and Vice President. Rodriguez said they have yet to receive a copy of the 70-page petition filed by the martial law survivors group represented by lawyer and former SC spokesperson Theodore Te. Te’s group said nullifying the CoC of Marcos Jr. would make Robredo the winner. “The second-placer in the vote count (Robredo) is actually the first-placer among the qualified candidates,” the petitioners claimed.

Observers claimed the group expressed no qualms in wanting to supplant the will of the 31 million Filipinos who made Marcos Jr. the first majority-elected president since 1986 with their own or those of the appointed members of the SC. Robredo’s lawyer in the 2016 VP electoral protest filed against her by Marcos Jr. insisted the SC can overturn the will of the electorate. “Even if Marcos has already been sworn and assumed office, the Supreme Court would still have residual jurisdiction to rule on whether or not he committed material misrepresentation in his CoC and order its cancellation if it finds basis,” Emil Marañón said. “In that case, votes cast in Marcos’ favor will be treated as stray and not be counted. And whoever gets the highest number of votes after subtracting the stray votes, gets to be proclaimed President,” Marañón added. The petition echoed the position of Robredo’s lawyer when it said: “A candidate’s putative election victory cannot subsequently cure his ineligibility. Elections are more than just a numbers game such that an election victory cannot bypass election eligibility requirements.” The petition was described by some as a mere rehash of their position junked by the Comelec — that Marcos Jr.’s conviction for his alleged failure to file income tax returns in 1997 has made him ineligible to run for public office.

 NATIONAL NEWS

May 19-25, 2022

PRRD says he’s ‘quite behaved’ nowadays

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte

MANILA – “Quite behaved.” This was how President Rodrigo R.

Duterte described himself in a speech during his attendance at the Puregold Sari-Sari Store Negosyo Convention 2022 at the World Trade Center Lobby in Pasay City. Duterte, who usually holds weekly public addresses, has yet to hold one this week. “Nakalagay dito (It says on this speech), Mr. President, we are live on television. Kaya takot sila magmura ako (They are probably afraid I’m going to curse). I assure you, I’m quite behaved nowadays,” he said. Duterte has long been known for cussing and swearing in speeches. After delivering his prepared speech, he went oﬀ-script and again thanked the Filipino citizenry for making him presi-

dent. “For those who believe in me…I am on my tailend sa presidency ko. Yung tumulong sa akin, nagsuporta all these years at yung umintindi ng mga hangarin ko sa ating bayan, who brought me kayo sa pagkapresidente ko for six years, I would like to express my gratitude sa inyo at maraming salamat po (I am on the tailend of my presidency. Those who helped me, supported me all these years and those who understood my aspirations for the nation, who brought me to the presidency for six years, I would like to express my gratitude to you and thank you very much),” he said. This is not the ﬁrst time he thanked the citizenry for electing him as president. He also did so during the groundbreaking

ceremony of the Pampanga Provincial Hospital in Clark, Pampanga on May 1. After casting his vote in Davao City during the May 9 polls, he also thanked Davaoeños for his three decades in public service that started as a vice mayor. Duterte, who ﬁrst became a local government oﬃcial when the late President Corazon Aquino appointed him as vice mayor of the city, vowed to continue helping the people when he returns to civilian life. He also said he will continue his crusade against illegal drugs by reverting to his previous habit of roaming the streets on his motorcycle. Duterte previously roamed the streets of Davao City to look for criminals during his term as mayor. (PNA)

Balikbayan from US, 2 others tested positive for Omicron subvariant in Iloilo ILOILO CITY – Two of the three conﬁrmed cases of Omicron subvariant BA.2.12.1 in Western Visayas have already recovered while the other one remains in a hospital in Iloilo City, according to the Department of Health Western Visayas Center for Health Development (DOH WV CHD). All senior citizens and fully vaccinated, two are male local cases and one female returning overseas Filipino (ROF) from the United States of America.

“The DOH Western Visayas Center for Health Development is closely coordinating with local government units (LGUs) following the conﬁrmation of these three cases,” said DOH Director Ma. Sophia Pulmones. The two local cases, both from Iloilo province, are a 69-year-old due for discharge and a 66-year-old who is still recovering. The 60-year-old ROF who has likewise recovered arrived in the Philippines

on April 20, went to Iloilo on April 25, and tested positive on April 27. All three specimens were sent to the University of the Philippines-Philippine Genome Center Visayas on May 12 and came out positive for the Omicron subvariant as per the result released on May 16. One of three close contacts of the ROF tested negative while the status of the other two is under veriﬁcation. “Local epidemiology and surveillance

units of the concerned LGUs have undertaken backtracing to identify all close contacts and to complete the case profile of the confirmed case to identify exposure, travel history, (and) current health and isolation status,” the statement added. The Health department advised closed contacts with symptoms to isolate and undergo swab tests while those asymptomatic can quarantine for at least five days if fully vaccinated or 14 days if partially vaccinated or unvaccinated.

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11 May 19-25, 2022

 OPINION Responding...

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Upside

the impetus behind the federal resolution to acknowledge the contributions of the particular population to this nation requires reinforcement. Hate against any US immigrant group surges and ebbs according to world events involving the ancestral homeland. The pattern persists as Covid19 ravages this country and the world. Over 1 million Americans have died and hundreds of thousands have contracted the coronavirus since March 2020, a calamity unfairly blamed on the Chinese, and by association, Chinese and fellow Americans who trace their origins to the largest CHERIE M. QUEROL MORENO continent and its surrounding shores. More than 9,000 hate acts against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have been documented to date by Stop AAPI Hate**, the American advocacy group that emerged from the tidal wave crimes targeting AAPIs. Hate crimes spring from deep-seated prejudice borne of fear and ignorance often fueled by those who take advantage for their own benefit. These happen everywhere, unfortunately, but should have no place in a country whose symbol of enlightenment and welcome is immortalized by Emma Lazarus: “Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.” Inscription on the Statue of Liberty New York Following are some options to open the mind and the heart of non-AAPIs and AAPIs who harbor resentment out of disinformation and denial: 1. Be an ally to AAPIs. Broaden your knowledge of the population. Read up, listen and learn. Find out why May is designated as AAPI Heritage Month - also Mental Health Awareness and Older Americans Month. Ironically many hate crimes are perpetrated on older AAPIs by individuals who should be in the care of mental health clinicians. 2. Know who are the AAPIs around you. Yes, Filipinos are Asians and Pacific Islanders too. AAPIs are vibrantly diverse. Until 1910 Filipinos were lumped with Chinese, Korean and Asian Indians as “Other”; in 1920*** the US Census deemed the group among “newer Asian immigrant groups sizable enough to warrant” a specific category. Vietnamese, Guamanian and Samoan first appeared in the 1980 Census. By 1990, a new category “Other API” was introduced to include Tongan, Fijian, Laotian, Thai, Cambodia and Pakistani newcomers. The decennial count responds to immigration patterns and factors in proponents’ preferred self-identification. 3. Recognize the contributions of AAPIs to this country and to your circle. From astronomers to artists, teachers and techies, legislators, healers and soldiers, poets, clergy, civil workers, volunteers and family care givers, AAPIs fuel all sectors of US society.

EDITORIAL

What’s the best-case scenario for our motherland?

s the old saying goes, it’s all over but the counting. We must all be resigned to a second Marcos presidency, and everything that it entails. Our beloved motherland will be led for the next six years by the son and namesake of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos, who less than four decades ago was kicked out of the country by millions of Filipinos who had gotten sick and tired of his corrupt government. The question on our minds at this time is this: Can he be an effective ruler? Ferdinand Marcos Jr. inherits a government that is neck deep in debt with little prospects for an economic rebound, at least in the near future. Foreign investors will not be falling all over themselves to place their funds in the Philippines, be it for long-term investments or hot money that can be invested then pulled out at the first signs of trouble. JP Morgan’s downgrading of the Philippines to “underweight” is the biggest sign that the country is in for rough sailing ahead, struggling to win the scraps that foreign investors can still make available to the countries in the region. Being at the bottom of Asean investment preference also sends a signal to local investors, FilAms included, that investing in the country is not the wisest of choices. The most common euphemism is that local and foreign investors are adopting a wait-and-see attitude where the Philippines is concerned. The biggest fear is that a new generation of cronies will appear to take full control of key industries with the blessings of the new president. And why not? This is what his father did and it resulted in the Philippine economy crashing, unable to pay its external debt and forced to declare a moratorium. In truth, our beloved motherland cannot afford a weak leader, especially at this point in time. Neither can it afford a clueless chief executive who has precious little understanding of macro-economics. Marcos Jr. said he should not be judged by his family name, but by his actions as president. We agree. And this is why warning bells have been ringing since his apparent win last week. He started off by holding a mega celebration in one of the biggest casino-hotels in the country. Marcos Jr then followed this up by booking the most expensive island resort in the Philippines for yet another round of festivities. Meanwhile, he announced the appointment of his running mate Sara Duterte as his Education secretary, marking the first time that the all-important department will be headed by a person with no background as an educator. Then there is the likelihood that a close relative will be anointed as the incoming Speaker of the House of Representatives. Pardon us as we shake our heads in disbelief. Change is definitely coming for the Philippines under Marcos Jr., but will it be change for the better? We do not mean to rain on his parade, but we are not impressed by his early actions. We will give him the benefit of the doubt, though. There’s really nothing that can be done but to likewise adopt a wait-and-see attitude.

(Continued on page 27)

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 OPINION

May 19-25, 2022

PerryScope

he other week, I got a call from the son of an 85-year-old Filipino-Chinese lady residing in Atherton, California, who needs notarization of multiple documents needed in the Philippines for properties located in Davao City in Mindanao and San Ildefonso ART GABOT MADLAING in Bulacan, Philippines. The son said that I was referred to him by Atty. Cesar Fumar, licensed lawyer both in California and in the Philippines, who wrote the Foreword of the Revised 2022 Edition of my book “REAL ESTATE & YOU” subtitled “Your Basic Guide and Information for Successful Investing in Home, Land and Income Property.” Atherton is the city where many billionaires and multimillionaires reside. In fact, Gregy Araneta and his wife Irene Marcos Araneta (sister of BBM who won a landslide victory with more than 31 million votes in the recent elections in the Philippines) used to live in Atherton, California. After setting up an appointment in Atherton, California, I met the 85-year-old Filipino Chinese lady and her son last Tuesday, 1:30 pm last May 10, 2022. This was my first time to meet client for notarization of multiple documents in Atherton, California. Driving in the neighborhood of Atherton, my wife and I noticed the gated homes and well-maintained front yards of spacious mansions. Upon reaching the front gate of the gated home, I called and informed the son that we just arrived. Unexpectedly, the man who answered my call told me that we don’t have appointment with them. I then called Atty. Caser Fumar and asked if I was truly referred by him to the son of the 85-yearold Filipino Chinese lady. The receptionist confirmed that I was referred by Atty. Fumar for notarization of multiple documents for the elderly lady. After pushing several times the button of the front gate, the gate finally opened. My wife was hesitant for us to drive inside until we saw the son and his elderly mother waiting for us in the front door. After some preliminaries, the son brought out the three sets of documents ( AFFIDAVIT OF SELF-ADJUDICATION WITH WAIVER OF RIGHTS, 3 pages SPECIAL POWER OF ATTORNEY, 3 pages; DEED OF INDEMNITY, 6 pages) prepared by Atty. Cesar Fumar in cooperation with his partner-lawyer in the Philippines. I had the 85-year-old Filipino-Chinese lady signed all the pages of the three sets of documents. Then, I had her signed my Journal of Notarial Acts and put her right thumb marks. After notarization, I submitted the notarized documents to the Secretary of State, Notary Public Section, in Sacramento, California for apostille. The elderly lady and her son were very thankful for the prompt, efficient, complete and unique Mobile Signing Services(MSS)available for them. Here are some advantages and benefits of MSS: 1. MULTIPLE DOCUMENTS AND MULTIPLE SIGNATURES DISCOUNTS--- By having the three sets of documents together at one time for notarization and apostille, the 85-year-old Filipino Chinese lady and her son saved more than $350 multiple documents discount. 2. AVOID TAKE OFF FROM WORK - The son of the elderly lady don’t need to take off from work just to drive to Sacramento and submit the notarized documents for apostille. MSS will take care everything for him and his elderly mother. 3. SAVINGS ON GAS AND MILEAGE FEES – If physically able, we encourage old and new clients to come to our home-office in San Francisco, California for savings on gas and mileage fees ($60 to $130). 4. DISCOUNTS FOR THE ELDERLY AND VETERANS - We offer special discounts for the elderly and veterans. 5. FREE PARKING – When we had our Office at the Philippine Center near the Philippine Consulate Office, our old clients were complaining for the expensive parking fees. With our home office now, old and new clients can have FREE parking in our driveway and the available street parking spaces nearby. 6. DOCUMENTS PREPARATION DISCOUNTS With our paralegal partner and lawyer-friends, we can offer special discounts in the draft and preparation of documents for old and new clients (Continue on page 27)

Health & Wealth

T ALL BEGAN WHEN a Supreme Court draft opinion leaked out that Roe v. Wade will be stricken down. Justice Samuel Alito’s “sweeping and blunt draft majority opinion” striking down Roe v. Wade and the constitutional right to abortion remains the Supreme Court’s “only circulated draft in the pending Mississippi aborPERRY DIAZ tion case.” And there are no dissenting draft opinions circulating among the justices, which means that national abortion rights appears imminent. With six conservatives on the high court right now, it’s conceivable that Chief Justice John Roberts—usually a swing voter—would cast a dissenting vote that would end in a slim majority 5-4 vote. However, he could introduce an amendment that would water down the ruling and lessen the impact of the decision. He might even be able to convince another justice to go along with his amendment; thus, ending up with something that is palatable to the liberal justices. That’s just the way politics at the Supreme Court work. But still it’s politics at play. Roe v. Wade was a landmark decision passed in 1973 in which the Court ruled that the Constitution of the United States protects a pregnant woman’s liberty to choose to have an abortion without excessive government restriction. The decision struck down many U.S. federal and state abortion laws. Alito’s draft opinion In Alito’s 98-page argument, he wrote that Roe v. Wade should be overruled because the Constitution “makes no reference to abortion, and no such right is implicitly protected by any constitutional amendment, including the one on which defenders of Roe … now chiefly rely — the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, which states: “No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.” Alito then went on to differentiate between abortion and other rights guaranteed by the 14th Amendment, writing that the procedure is “fundamentally different … because it destroys ... what the law now before us describes as an ‘un-born human being.’” Clearly, the mention of abortion would immediately spark controversy, regardless of which side you’re with. Majority of American women are very protective of their reproductive rights while a small minority driven by their religious beliefs are against abortion and they are as well pretty vocal about it. Abortion rights bill fails In an attempt to pre-empt Alito’s anticipated opinion, Senate Democratic leaders introduced a bill—Women’s Health Protection Act—that would enshrine abortion rights in federal law. The bill failed in a 49-51 vote with all 50 Republican senators, along with Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin opposing. But even if all the Democrats had voted for the bill, it would still fail to pass because it didn’t have enough support to overcome the 60-vote filibuster threshold. If passed, the bill would have protected abortion access across the country and ensured the procedure remains legal in every state without additional restrictions. Manchin, an abortion opponent who represents a conservative state, said he voted against the bill because it went further than just codifying Roe v. Wade into federal law. He said the proposal “expands abortion.” He said he had been “prolife all my life” but did believe in some exceptions to abortion bans. “And with that, that’s not where we are today,” he said. “We should not be dividing this country further. We’re already divided.” He just divided it by voting against the bill. Republican Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, who said they support abortion rights and have offered a more narrowly tailored piece of legislation to codify Roe, also voted against Wednesday’s bill. The vote demonstrated the Senate’s inability to pass important legislation like the Build Back Better bill, which failed on a 49-51 vote that didn’t require a 60-vote filibuster threshold. Again, it was Manchin who dealt a blow. If Roe v. Wade is overturned, 13 states with so-called trigger laws, poised to go into ef- (Continue on page 27)

Notarization of Multiple Documents for Client in Atherton, California

Resounding victory of Marcos, Duterte

he people have spoken. They’ve spoken so loud that they gave incoming President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. a howling landslide victory beating his closest rival VP Leonor “Leni” Robredo by 17-million votes, more or less. It’s the same story in the VP race-- incoming Vice President Sara Duterte winTEDDY P. MOLINA ning by a very huge margin.

Breaking Through

Roe v. Wade under siege!

With over 31-million votes as of last count and garnering almost 60% of the total number of votes cast, the next President is emerging as one of the most popular presidents elected in Philippine history next to his father and namesake the late President Ferdinand Marcos who defeated Sen. Sergio Osmena Jr. in 1969 with a 61.4% majority, and Ramon Magsaysay who took 68.9 % of the votes against then reelectionist President Elpidio Quirino in 1953. For the second time in recent election history, the Liberal Party failed in its bid to capture power: former Senator Mar Roxas in 2016 lost to President Duterte and now Mrs. Robredo beaten by “Bongbong” Marcos. I can not comment much on Sen. Roxas’fate except that I believe he missed his ‘presidential’ destiny in 2010 when he allowed then Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino Jr. to take his place in the presidential race and settled for VP. As for Mrs. Robredo, many share the belief that she was a “poor” choice for the 2022 presidential derby by the opposition. The Liberals and others in the main opposition camp should have put up another standard bearer with no baggage or lesser baggage to bear. As the results show, the Vice President suffered a humiliating defeat after getting only half or less than half of Bongbong Marcos’s votes. Those who believe Mrs Robredo was a poor choice say that she’s carrying a heavy baggage that was tagging her all along during every minute of every hour everyday in the campaign. Her election as Vice President in 2016 has been under a shadow of doubt and it would be foolish for her political handlers not to be aware of it. It looks like they chose to ignore the issue. The best route could have been to confront the lingering doubt and marshall every effort to dispel it. It may not have sufficed to simply dismiss the issue by saying that the Presidential Electoral Tribunal (PET) had ruled Marcos Jr.’s election protest in favor of their client. The PET’s decision had in fact fueled more doubts on the integrity of the count in so far as the 2016 VP race is concerned. Especially so as Commissioner Andres Bautista who was then the COMELEC chairman took flight in the middle of an investigation of the alleged vote count anomaly. This was followed by the discovery by his wife of a large cache of cash he left behind stashed in a closet in their home. Many of us Pinoys were not swayed by the PET judgment even as the opposition was rejoicing. Instead, Pinoys or at least those who don’t subscribe to the PET ruling, were angered and consequently sympathized with former Senator Marcos. Their number grew by leaps and bounds as days and years rolled on so that by 2022 sympathy votes for Marcos Jr. were a great and solid force to reckon with. The Marcos loyalist solid base from North Luzon and globally was another hard nut to crack and their tenacity during the campaign is amazing. Many of them took the initiative on their own and in groups. Let’s also take note of BBM’s foresight and wisdom in adopting his agenda that he will implement once elected as President and his eloquence in presenting them before the people during the campaign. His unity call resonated with millions as the poll results show. Without unity, a leader will be hard put in accomplishing his agenda for his nation and people. This settled well in the hearts and minds of the people. They were also captivated by the Marcos charisma including hjs late Dad’s. The Marcos brand of public service so stuck in the minds of the public that no amount of mudslinging was able to ex(Continue on page 27) tract.

13 May 19-25, 2022

 OPINION Elections are over, let’s learn to unite

ith a plethora of candidates and party lists, the 2022 election period has been quite a spectacle. Whether you are an active supporter of candidates or just a plain “who cares?” observer, you have to admit it has been entertaining. Maybe financially rewarding for some, educational for others, and ATTY MANUEL B QUINTAL a few others, a memory of a lifetime they can share with their future grandkids. The Philippines election has not only turned into an entertainment galore with known and yet-to-be-known actors and actresses either running as candidates or dancing and singing with candidates who are proving themselves to be more qualified as entertainers than serious and capable public officials to be on the campaign sorties, but more so with the more than a hundred party lists wanting to have a share of the number of seats allotted to them in the House of Representatives. The anointed party list representatives are after the glamour and power to be addressed as a Congressman/woman with all the financial benefits and perks that go with the title, without spending (perhaps) as much as the regular representative of the legislative district does. Some of those possible party-list representatives are in them to avoid the ‘heat” of the politics that surrounds a congressional contest. Whatever may be the underlying reason, we cannot deny the pecuniary benefits. The 1987 Constitution of the Philippines created party lists. It provides that of the total number of representatives elected by representative districts, an additional 20% must be party lists representatives. Thus, based on the Constitution’s original 250 legislative district representatives, a different 50 representatives must come from the party lists. The census was conducted after that, and the division of specific political subdivisions (provinces, cities, municipalities) must have increased that original number. The voters vote for the party lists, which name the representative from a list of five individuals they submit to the Commission on Elections if they get the required percentage of votes. The law (Republic Act 7941) passed to implement the party-list system declares that the party-list system “will enable Filipino citizens belonging to the marginalized and underrepresented sectors, organizations and parties, and who lack well-defined political constituencies but who could contribute to the formulation and enactment of appropriate legislation that will benefit the nation as a whole” to have representation in Congress. (Italics added for emphasis) Upon reading the noble intention of the law, one is irresistibly tempted to ask: “Whom do the representatives elected by the legislative districts represent?” “ All the residents of the district (regardless of profession, economic status, religious beliefs, dialect, physical condition, employment, etc.) or specific sectors of the districts only?” “Some party list names do not really suggest what they are or seek to represent but only suggest connections to certain movies or entertainment programs. Those who have been or are movie and television show aficionados will be able to link and identify the people behind these party- lists.” For the May 9, 2022 elections, there are about 178 party lists or groups accredited by the Commission on Elections. Many appear to claim to represent the same or similar interest groups. They claim to represent various sectors and interests of society, including farmers, fishermen, taxi drivers, transport owners, teachers, homeowners, homeless, overseas workers, mothers, basketball players, indigenous people, seamen, breeders, firemen, marketers, midwives, persons with disabilities, cooks, seniors, youth, among many others, all with attention-getting acronyms, such as YACAP, AKMAPTA, BARKADAHAN, IPATUPAD, SOLID CHANGE, ANGAT, BUTIL, KABALIKAT, ANGLA, MAY PAGASA, CANCER, and AKAP. Some party list names do not really suggest what they are or seek to represent but only suggest connections to certain movies or entertainment programs. Those who have been or are movie and television show aficionados will be able to link and identify the people behind these party- lists. Or actors, who are either politicians themselves or known to support candidates, like Tutok to Win ac(Continue on page 27)

“If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue, Or walk with Kings - nor lose the common touch, If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you, If all men count with you, but none too much: If you can ﬁll the unforgiving minute With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run, Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it, And - which is more - you’ll be a Man, my son” -From IF by Rudyard Kipling

Offline

lections are over. On the presidential level, it’s just a matter of waiting for Congress to proclaim the winner. The hating should stop. The shouting at each other should cease. In a democratic setting, all partisanship should stop because after the election, what is needed is unity for the good of the country and the people. HOMOBONO A. ADAZA The whys and how are good for analysts and historians – and for the participants to learn where they failed and where they succeeded. So if there is a second time around – the mistakes will be corrected Victory or defeat: As they say, victory has a thousand fathers while defeat is an orphan; laugh and the world laughs with you, cry and you cry alone. Victory or defeat is not easy to handle. For the winners – they celebrate and boast to their hearts content and taunt their opponents. Celebrating is all right – that is part of the game. But boasting and taunting is in bad taste. It is indecent and it is not part of a truly democratic society. Victors should help the defeated bind their wounds. The defeated should accept defeat like a good democratic warrior – that is part of the game and that is the law of life. Precedent: I am doing this as citizen of this country with the hope we all should learn from the mistakes of the past and build a country for all the people. I was one of two Opposition provincial governors who got elected in the 1980 elections during martial law. In my inauguration which was intentionally held in the smallest municipality of my province, Misamis Oriental in Mindanao, Northern where my candidate won for Municpal Mayor – the lone mayoral survivor in twenty-four municipalities of my province. In my inaugural speech, witnessed by many international correspondents, I said that elections are over - partisanship ends and serving the people of the province begins. Since I was elected Governor of the province, every resident can expect to be served by the provincial government – irrespective of religion, age, gender, party aﬃliation, economic and social status, educated or uneducated, rich or poor, beautiful or ugly, military or rebel. These were my words but they did not remain words. I translated them into action. Action: In my province I implemented the good national programs – farm to market roads, communal water system, shallow and deep wells, irrigation system, kadiwa stores, reorientation of the Filipino, echo seminars, putting up school buildings, building bridges, tree planting, green revolution, modernizing hospitals, dairy farms and cotton plantations. Modesty aside, I was more intense and organized in the implementation of the national administration programs than many provincial governors who were with the administration. I attended all conferences in Malacañang to the consternation of many national Opposition leaders on the argument that elections are over – Marcos is incumbent President and I am current Provincial Governor of Misamis Oriental It was that simple. They were afraid that Marcos could convince me to join him. I countered saying that did they not ever entertain the idea that I could convince Marcos? But I did not stop there. I criticized the Marcos government on the issues of human rights, graft and corruption, cronyism, martial law, military abuses and dictatorship – openly and publicly. Proof of that are my three books of speeches delivered when I was Governor of my province and printed and distributed under diﬃcult martial law conditions – Freedom Is For the Brave; Political Obsession; and Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow I did not compromise on fundamental issues. I was the principal author in the Batasang Pambansa of an impeachment complaint against President (Continue on page 27)

Diliman Way

ore than a week after the presidential elections, a lot of people are still in disbelief at the unexpected results. Much of that disbelief stems from the fact that Google Trends had predicted a clear win for Leni Robredo. Instead – if the Comelec’s early figures are to be believed – Ferdinand Marcos BETING DOLOR Jr. ended up with some 31 million votes as against Robredo’s 14 or 15 million. That would be about the same number of votes she got when she ran and won the 2016 vice presidential race. Marcos Jr. had a slightly smaller total, and he contested his defeat before the Supreme Court acting as Presidential Electoral Tribunal, which conducted three recounts and still concluded that Robredo won fair and square. Another reason for the disbelief was the rallies from the Robredo camp which grew progressively bigger and bigger as the campaign period headed to the homestretch. It concluded with the one million estimated Leni followers who attended her miting de avance on May 7. By comparison, Marcos Jr’s rallies became progressively smaller, and it was known to all that his camp was paying attendees to cheer him on, even if half-heartedly. Truckloads of mostly poor citizens were given food stubs and taken to his rally sites in rented buses, and still his “followers” paled in comparison to Robredo’s true believers, who had named themselves kakampinks since the VP had adopted to color pink as her campaign color of choice. How Marcos Jr. was able to amass 31 million votes is indeed mind boggling, even highly suspicious. Most kakampinks, myself included, believe there was massive cheating. At best some of us believe that Marcos Jr. may have won, but that the race was much tighter than what the Comelec would have us believe. Yes, Marcos Jr. may have won and the proof is the results of the Senate race, where the slate of Robredo was all but wiped out. Only re-electionist Risa Hontiveros made it to the winning circle, and just barely at that. She landed on the 11th spot not too far ahead of Jinggoy Estrada. That senate race was extremely disappointing, to say the least. Taking first place is the washed up action star Robin Padilla. This is no insult. He hasn’t done a movie in years, and if memory serves the very last film he did was on the life of former Philippine National Police chief and now Senator Bato dela Rosa. That fictionalized life story of the man who orchestrated the mass killing of tens of thousands of suspected drug users was a massive flop, playing to near empty theaters. Padilla – who was once convicted for carrying unlicensed firearms but who was later pardoned – didn’t even give any campaign speeches, preferring instead to sing Eric Clapton’s Wonderful Tonight to adoring crowds. And yes, he was out of tune. Videos of him singing the love song can be seen on YouTube and they are definitely not worth watching. Also at the top of the heap of new senators is Raffy Tulfo, best known for his public service radio show where he has Filipinos hurling charges at each other before he intercedes and makes them kiss and make up, or at least settle their differences amicably. Previously, Tulfo had cursed like a fishmonger and even threatened anyone who refused to see things his way. At least, he has toned down his act and actually gets to help some of the downtrodden. A third topnotcher is former senator Loren Legarda, whose campaign was nearly derailed when one of her own adult children publicly lambasted her for being part of Marcos Jr.’s senate slate. The other winners are a motley collection of the usual traditional politicians, or trapos, who still practice the old-style politics of eschewing principles in order to win. They can be expected to side with whoever is popular, not who is competent. The apparent loss of Robredo may actually be a good thing, at least for her. In my book, she is much too honest and competent to end up having to make peace with the senators and congressmen/women, most of whom are political butterflies out to recover the expenses (Continue on page 27)

MindSparks

Party lists party

The dismal dregs of defeat

 BUSINESS | IMMIGRATIONS What happen during a Naturalization interview with USCIS ofﬁcer

hen applying for naturalization, there are problems many applicants encountered during the interview process. This is because they look at how you first get your green card and what actions you have made while a green card holder. Listed below are some of them: 1. Proving good faith marriage. You will be surprised that your are applying for naturalization and yet the USCIS is considering you as a green card applicant although your marriage happened ten years ago . If you obtained your green card through marriage, no matter how many years has passed, they always asked questions and documents about whether your marriage is bona fide and what joint documents support this marriage. 2. Proving family relationship if you were petitioned by your parents, siblings or as derivative of your parents. You should be able to show proof of your relationship through marriage certificate, birth certificate, divorce or death certificate, whichever documents applied to your case. 3. If you were involved is a crime, no matter how minor you think it is, they will always look for documentation if you have been convicted and if you served your sentence. 4. There are crimes that will make you deportable when applying for naturalization. This will include committing two crimes of moral turpitude or an aggravated felony. Theft is a crime involving moral turpitude. There are waiver available and you should talk to an immigration lawyer. 5. Green card holders who obtained their green card through misrepresentation may also be sent to removal proceedings. These include those who committed marriage fraud or declared as single but actually married. It is also a misrepresentation if you did not disclose all your children when you applied for a green card. If you have this kind of problem you need to talk to an immigration attorney to find if you qualify for a waiver of fraud or misrepresentation. 6. Failure to file and pay your income tax may also disqualify you for naturalization. If you have a payment plan agreement with the IRS and you keep paying the monthly payments you may be able to get approved. Again you need to consult with an immigration lawyer about your situation. 7. Failure to pay child support. You may be denied if you fail to pay for child support. 8. If you stayed outside the U.S. for more than 180 days in a single year, you may be denied naturalization. 9. If you lack the required period of residency, you may also be denied. So that you will not have a problem when applying for naturalization, you should consult with an immigration attorney to avoid possible problem along the way. Note: This is not a legal advice If you have immigration problems the Law Offices of Crispin C. Lozano can help you find a solution before your problem gets worse which could lead to deportation and family separation. Success Stories For the month of April 2022, we received approvals from USCIS six naturalization applications, three Fiancée visa petition, fiveremovals of condition on residence and four adjustment of status applications. Bankruptcy Basics 1. Bankruptcy will actually improve your credit within one year because your unsecured debts are discharged. Although the bankruptcy will be in your records for 10 years, not filing bankruptcy will make your credit even worse until most your debts are paid. 2. If you are being sued by your creditors, most money judgment can be eliminated in bankruptcy. 3. Collection actions continue and you can be sued if you are in debt settlement. 4. Chapter 7 will eliminate all unsecured debts. If you are near retirement age, you must eliminate most of your debts.

May 19-25, 2022

PHL’s GDP surpasses pre-pandemic level with 8.3% Q1 growth MANILA – The country’s gross domestic product (GDP) expanded by 8.3 percent in the first quarter of 2022, surpassing pre-pandemic levels, as the full reopening of the economy further perked up consumer spending and business activities. This is a significant reversal from the 3.8-percent contraction in the same period last year. The economy posted a 5.9-percent pre-pandemic growth in 2019. “Growth in the first quarter exceeded the median analyst forecast of 6.7 percent, making the Philippines the fastest growing economy in the East Asia region for the period,” said Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Karl Kendrick Chua, reading a joint statement of the government’s economic managers. In a press briefing, Chua attributed the robust three-month economic growth mainly to the full reopening of the economy, with about 70 percent was placed in Alert Level 1 by the end of March. He said a “significant piece missing” in the recovery is the resumption of faceto-face schooling, citing the learning loss and impact on future productivity of the

children of restricted learning. “Our strong economic performance moves us closer to achieving our growth target of 7 to 9 percent this year, but we will not rest on our laurels. We will continuously work hard to strengthen our domestic economy against heightened external risks such as the Russia- Ukraine conflict, China’s slowdown, and monetary normalization in the United States,” Chua said. Chua said the government has taken steps to address the inflationary pressures brought about by the Russia-Ukraine conflict, while oil and food prices are rising. He said it continues to implement various targeted subsidy programs for the public transport and agriculture sectors to cushion the impact of rising oil prices. Chua, chief of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), said the Department of Energy also continues its efforts to secure P1 to P4 per liter discounts from private oil companies for the public transport sector, while the Department of Agriculture is undertaking a fuel subsidy program for 159,000 farmers and fisherfolk.

2 major banks hike GDP forecast for PHL MAKATI CITY – Two major global banks hiked their 2022 growth forecast for the Philippine economy following the higher-than-expected expansion in the first quarter, which is also the reason for the projected hikes in the central bank rates. In its global research, HSBC revised upwards to 6.5 percent from 5.7 percent its economic growth forecast, as measured by gross domestic product (GDP), for the year and the 2023 projection from 5.3 percent to 5.6 percent. It said the 8.3-percent expansion of the economy in the first three months this year is a “good opportunity to pre-empt potential inflation and capital outflows.” This, as the rate of price increases is expected to accelerate further following the 4.9 percent print last April, which is already above the 2 to 4-percent target of

the government. The average inflation to date stood at 3.7 percent but authorities and economies alike forecast sustained acceleration given the uptick in the prices of oil and other commodities in the international market. “Data show that second-round effects are beginning to take effect and may further materialize over the coming months. Thus, we now expect inflation to accelerate to 5.5 percent in 2Q22 (second quarter of 2022 compared to the previous forecast of 4.7 percent), and to gradually taper back within the BSP target range by 1Q23 (first quarter of 2023),” it said. The report said that while the economy continues to recover, risks like the developments in the job market as well as the rate of the vaccination program against the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) persist.

Asean, US commit to facilitate resilient global supply chains

WASHINGTON D.C. – The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) and the United States (US) announced Massive vote buying and cheating in the May 2022 election that they are committed to facilitating There has been a record number of vote buying and cheating in the canvassing of election returns. This happened because the Comelec who is required to conduct a fair resilient global supply chains. “We are committed to continuing to election and implement election laws are not doing their job but are subservient to the cooperate to promote trade and investone that appointed them to their post. If there result of the election is not fair, there ment and facilitating resilient global is no mandate and we have a problem of leadership. There is always a consequence supply chains and seamless regional confrom this which is more suﬀering of Filipinos and bad reputation as a Filipino. nectivity, including for essential goods such as medical supplies, medicines, Listen to Percy Lapid (or Lapid Fire) and Waldy Carbonell on You Tube and vaccines, food and agricultural products, Facebook for details and more corruption in the government. commodities, high-tech products, and Chris Caday Lozano, Esq. is an active member of the State Bar of California, the other essential supplies and services, American Immigration Lawyers Association and San Francisco Trial Lawyers. He contributing to sustainable economic practices immigration law, bankruptcy and income tax preparation since June 1999. recovery and resilience in the region,” a His contact phone is 1-877-456-9266, email: info@CCLlaw.net Website: www. joint statement said. crispinlozanolaw.com/ At the conclusion of the Asean-US

Special Summit called by US President Joseph Biden Jr. and held in the US capital Washington for the ﬁrst time on May 12-13, the association and the US said they are aiming at a more inclusive economic growth and sustainable development, in addition to ﬁghting and recovering from the coronavirus pandemic, building better health security, deepening collaboration on transport connectivity, and improving cybersecurity capabilities. Asean, which is a political and economic union of 10 member states in Southeast Asia, includes Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.

 NATIONAL

May 19-25, 2022

FilAm Olivia Rodrigo wins big with 7 trophies at 2022 Billboard Music Awards

LAS VEGAS – Multi-awarded Filipino American singer, composer and actress Olivia Rodrigo has won big again, this time at the 2022 Billboard Music Awards held at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on May 15, going home with seven awards. Earlier this month, Olivia won big also at the Grammys for best pop solo performance for “drivers license” and other awards also held in Las Vegas. Last December, she was hailed as TIME’s Entertainer of the Year for 2021 for her nostalgic choices in the lyrics of her songs, giving a big impact to her listeners. Olivia, 19, who was born in Murrieta, California and whose father is Filipino from Tarlac province and mother of German-Irish descent, said she was thankful for all the recognition and awards. At the Billboard Music Awards, the Filipino-American pop music star romped off with the Top New Artist, Top Female Artist, Top Hot 100 Artist, Top Streaming Songs Artist, Top Radio Songs Artist, Top Billboard Global 200 Artist and Top Billboard 200 Album for “Sour” although it was the first time that she was nominated for the awards. Billboard noted that Olivia’s awards was “one of the strongest showings by a new artist in BBMA history.” Olivia was not able to receive personally her awards because she was on tour. “Sour” is Olivia’s debut album where she tackled sorrow and her childhood. Olivia produced and wrote the songs in the album “SOUR” with Daniel Nigro under record label Geffen. The album caught the attention of new supporters with its “angst-filled” and “heartbreak” tracks. This is evident in her

first three singles “drivers license,” “deja vu,” and “good 4 u” which were relatable to many fans, who dedicated them to their exes, according to reports from Hollywood. The tracks “traitor,” and “jealousy, jealousy” should be added to breakup playlists, while “brutal” and “hope ur ok” tackle growing up, seals Olivia’s impressive songwriting skills, it was reported. According to published reports, Olivia secured help of record-breaking artists Taylor Swift and Jack Antonoff with the track “1 step forward, 3 steps back,” about moving forward. Despite all the heartache, Olivia still left in the album with tracks like “happier,” “favorite crime,” and “enough for you” that gave listeners a vibe of contentment, it was reported. It was gathered that Olivia’s album “reveals the tremendous power of her raw self-expression, poetic specificity, and talent at illustrating complex emotions in high-impact pop songs.” It was reported that Olivia’s music first captured audiences worldwide after the launch of her original debut single, “drivers license” which premiered at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Olivia’s “Drivers license” broke the Spotify record for the most singleday streams for a non-holiday song (on January 12) and had the biggest weekly streaming debut for any song globally in Spotify history. The Filipino-American singer-composer played the lead female character in the Disney+ series “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series” in 2019, three years after her Disney Channel breakthrough series “Bizaardvark,” which she also top-billed.

 NATIONAL

May 19-25, 2022

Pia Wurtzbach, Jeremy Jauncey are engaged It’s official: Pia Wurtzbach and Jeremy Jauncey are getting married! The Miss Universe 2015 and her entrepreneur-fiance confirmed the news on their social media pages on May 6. “We found the perfect place to celebrate and tell you guys,” Wurtzbach wrote on her Instagram page, sharing a clip of her beach getaway with Jauncey while flaunting her engage-

ment ring. Jauncey, the founder and chief executive officer of travel company Beautiful Destinations, also shared snaps of Wurtzbach donning the ring on his personal profile. The couple did not provide further details about the engagement. Wurtzbach and Jauncey first confirmed their relationship in 2020.

WHO announces winners at the Awards ceremony of the 3rd Health for All Film Festival (HAFF) GENEVA - More than 1000 film makers from over 110 countries have submitted short films for the 3rd edition of the WHO Health for All Film Festival (HAFF), on themes ranging from the trauma of war to living with COVID-19, through women’s health and so much more. Seventy short films have been chosen for the shortlist reviewed by a jury of international actors, development leaders and senior WHO experts. WHO’s Director-General approved the advice from this jury and announced the winners today. “These compelling short films, combining powerful storytelling with important public health information, portray the huge range of health challenges that people face around the world every day,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO DirectorGeneral. “With 3500 submissions received over three years so far, the WHO Health for All Film Festival has demonstrated that short films can make a big difference to raising awareness on these important health issues, and stimulate action to promote and protect health.”

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The 70 shortlisted films are available to view online in six playlists. From this official selection one “GRAND PRIX” is attributed for each of the three main competition categories: Universal Health Coverage, Health emergencies, and Better health and well-being. Sharon Stone, Golden Globe and EMMY Awardwinning Actress from the United States of America, juror of the 3rd HAFF, Producer, and Activist for Health and Humanitarian Causes, said: “I am so delighted to be part of the Health for All Film Festival. This is about creating better awareness on crucial actions needed for reaching healthier living conditions around the world. These documentaries that we viewed were all just wonderful. The stories selected talk to us about the intrinsic value of good health and its access, and they advocate for universal health coverage. Universal health coverage is a very important right, it’s a human right for everyone around the world.” Four special prizes are also attributed for a Student-Produced Film, a film on Rehabilitation, a Health Innovation Film and a Very Short Film. Emilia Clarke, Actress and Health Activist from the United Kingdom, and juror of the 3rd HAFF, said: “It has been an honour and a pleasure for me to join the jury of the Health for All Film Festival by the World Health Organization, especially for watching this year’s special category about Rehabilitation which is something I care about and believe in deeply, as my Foundation is dedicated to this issue for people affected by brain injuries. Where rehabilitation means coming back to rediscover you are still the SameYou. I hope that you’ll be moved as I was by the winning short film of this special prize, not only is it for a cause close to my heart but it also is one of the most beautiful short films I’ve seen in a long time, as well as many others that I invite and encourage you to watch online at this festival’s website, it was such a close call as all the films we watched each had their own magic and importance!” List of films receiving awards UHC “GRAND PRIX”: “Pre-eclampsia: Predict Earlier, Prevent Earlier” - Indonesia / Maternal health / Documentary – Duration 7’53’’ / Submitted and directed by Indonesian Prenatal Institute Health Emergencies “GRAND PRIX”: “Intensive” - United Kingdom / COVID-19 severe case / Animation – Duration 7’26’’ / Submitted and directed by Oliver John Pratt (United Kingdom) Better Health and Well-being “GRAND PRIX”: “Euphoric” - India / Female Genital Mutilation / Artistic creation based on testimony – Duration 4’35’’ / Submitted and directed by Nirmala Choudhary and

Roopali Ramesh Kumar (India) SPECIAL PRIZE Rehabilitation Film: “Sim-Patia” – Spain - Italy / Brain injury / Animation - Duration 2’42’’ / Submitted and directed by Carlos Gómez-Mira Sagrado and Rossana Giacomelli SPECIAL PRIZE Health Innovation film: “For Every Girl, a Forest” - India / Gender equity / Documentary – Duration 6’24’’ / Submitted and directed by Jose Corbella (Argentina) STUDENT FILM PRIZE: “Improving Lives in Three Dimensions: 3D-Printed Prostheses” - Sierra Leone / Disability / Documentary – Duration 5’03’’ Submitted and directed by Merel van der Stelt (The Netherlands) SPECIAL PRIZE Very Short Film: “Glamming my Wounds” - Kenya / Gender Based Violence / Fiction – Duration 1’55’’ Submitted and directed by Terry Adhiambo Ombaka (Kenya) List of films receiving a special mention from the jury UHC Special Mention: “The 5% : A Family’s Perspective on Complex Clubfoot” - Brazil / Disability / Documentary – Duration 5’40’’ / Submitted by MiracleFeet and directed by Rachel Vianna (Brazil) Health Emergencies Special Mention: “I was just a child” - Philippines / Natural disasters / Animation – Duration 5’06’’ / Submitted and directed by Breech Asher Harani (Philippines) Better Health and Well-being Special Mention: “Autism in China: The Challenges Parents Face Raising Children of the Stars” - China / Documentary – Duration 8’28’’ / Submitted and directed by Andersen Weicong Xia (China) Rehabilitation Special Mention: “Move, Dance, Feel” - United Kingdom / Cancer and artistic dancing to support treatment / Documentary – Duration 4’58’’ / Submitted and directed by Emily Jenkins and Move Dance Feel (United Kingdom) Health Innovation Special Mention: “Malakit” Brazil, French Guiana, Suriname / Malaria - Access to diagnosis and care in remote areas / Documentary – Duration 8’54’’ / Submitted and directed by Maylis Douine (French Guiana) Very Short Films Special Mention:“Meet the Willbuts” - Saint Kitts and Nevis / NCDs prevention / Animation – Duration 1’23’’ / Submitted and directed by Oyehmi Begho and Lake Health and Wellbeing (Saint Kitts and Nevis) For more details on the official selection, the jury composition and further information, please visit https://www.who.int/film-festival

19 May 19-25, 2022

 ENTERTAINMENT

Toni Gonzaga says she stands for what she believes in, even if she’s ‘alone’

Television host and actress Toni Gonzaga has posted a meaningful message about standing for what she believes is right, even if she is “alone.” On her Instagram, Toni shared some of the photos which was taken from different campaign rallies while hosting for the Unity Team of now presumptive President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and presumptive vice president Sara Duterte. In her caption, Toni said in a Maharlika TV report: “In the end…. Stand up for what you believe is right. Even if it means standing up…. Alone.” It looks like this is related to how Toni was bashed after she first publicly announced her support for Bongbong Marcos during the first rally held at the Phillippine Arena on February 8, 2022’ During that time, Toni was still the resident host of Kapamilya reality show Pinoy Big Brother. ABS CBN was her home network for the past 17 years where she was given good breaks on television, movies and music industry. And many were surprised when she suddenly endorsed BBM-Sara tandem including the senatorial lineup of Uniteam. Also included in the senatorial line-up was Sagip party-list Representative Rodante Marcoleta, who openly stated during his campaign that he was one of those who moved for the shutting down of ABS CBN. He eventually backed out of the senatorial race. According to those who were not in favor of Toni’s decision, she failed to stand on her statement in July 2020 when she said, “Sa lahat ng nasa posisyon ngayon, hindi namin makakalimutan ang ginawa n’yo sa mga trabahador ng

ABS-CBN.” It was on July 9, 2020 when the Congress disapproved the franchise renewal application submitted by ABS-CBN. Amid the questioning from the Kapamilya supporters regarding her “delicadeza,” Toni resigned from the show Pinoy Big Brother where she was the resident host for 16 years. On the other hand, the TV host-actress has sent her early message of congratulations to presumptive president Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Based on the quick count, Bongbong Marcos won in landslide victory with 31,104,175 votes. On her Instagram story on May 10, Toni said, “Congratulations, Ninong Bong…” Bongbong Marcos was one of the godfathers of Toni and Paul Soriano during their wedding and Liza Araneta-Marcos is Paul’s aunt. It was

Paul who did the campaign video for the former senator. Paul also congratulated his Tito Bong. In Toni’s latest Instagram post, there were other celebrities who said that she is not alone in her support for her candidate.“Bilib na bilib kami sayo. Mas lalo kami humanga sayo. YOU ARE ONE OF A KIND!!!! Congratulations,” Mariel Rodriguez said. Mariel’s husband Robin Padilla who topped the senatorial race, was endorsed by UniTeam, by PDP-Laban, and even President Rodrigo Duterte. Karla Estrada also told Toni, “You won’t stand alone! Never!” Karla was a third nominee of Tingog partylist and was one of the celebrities who performed in UniTeam rallies. Those who sent hand-up sign with heart emojis were Alex Gonzaga, Rodjun Cruz, Daryl Ong, Zeinab Harake, and Daphne Oseña-Paez.

 REAL ESTATE

May 19-25, 2022

LA County property values near $1.9 Trillion Great year to have a plan for the May forecast projects 6% increase; record $100 billion add LOS ANGELES, California – Driven in large measure by a robust housing market, Los Angeles County Assessor Jeffrey Prang announced the May 15 forecast for the 2022 Assessment Roll will be a 6% increase over last year and the added amount will exceed $100 billion for the first time ever. The May forecast is the anticipated totals that will appear on the Assessment Roll after it closes June 30. The forecast gives cities and others a blueprint for planning purposes on municipal budgets as well as funding for public services. The Assessment Roll that’s published after June 30 is the inventory for all taxable property in the County for that particular year and, as such, can provide insight into the health and challenges of the real estate market as well as the local economy as a whole. To access the entire forecast for the 2022 Assessment Roll go to https://assessor.lacounty.gov/ news-information/assessmentroll. “The pandemic for the past two years has caused great hardship to many parts of the economy, but not in the housing market,” Assessor Prang said. “Low interest rates, inflation, and high demand continued to boost home values to new highs. As an example, the County’s median home price reached

a new record of $886,000 in September 2021.” The $1.86 trillion total net value translates into more than $18 billion in property tax dollars for vital public services such as public education, first responders and healthcare workers, as well as other County services. This forecast also indicates economic growth for the 12th-consecutive year. Assessments are based on the value of property on January 1, 2022. “The growth in the single-family residential market is projected to produce a record-breaking increase in transfer assessments,” Assessor Prang said. “Transfers are expected to add more than $68 billion, surpassing the previous 2006 record of $65 billion. That’s expected to push the Roll to a total net value of $1.83 trillion and a growth of 6%.” By contrast, the 2021 Assessment Roll grew by 3.7% over the prior year, pushing that year’s figure to $1.76 trillion. The inflation adjustment also is one of the most significant contributors to the growth of the Roll. This year the California Consumer Price Index trended beyond the full 2% allowable under Proposition 13. This component is anticipated to add an estimated $34 billion to the 2022 assessment roll.

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his is a fairly obvious advise yet, still surprising that our statistics tell us that a large percentage of Americans still don’t have a plan for the future. You also will be surprised to know having a plan makes you more profitable-averaging 145% profit. A plan for your business is better than a business plan. I don’t believe you have to have a 500-page business plan, particularly one that is not referred to on regular basis. A smaller plan for your business/personal that is actually thorough, simple, implemented and followed up provides significantly more value. An ancient Chinese curse that could sum up 2009 very well is: May you live in interesting times. This year has certainly been just that and the next couple of years are shaping up to be very interesting as well. As the end of the year approaches it is often a good time to start thinking about what happened between 2020 till now, what did we learn and what can we change to improve our business. Times have changed and people made a substantial change in their day to day livelihood. With “The Recession” that might come in the near future, we should also make time to start thinking very seriously about 20223 and developing a plan. No one plans to fail, they fail to plan While each business is different, the question must be asked: Which of these issues will affect MY business, my Life, my family, my work for next year? Treat your personal life, goals, plans as your business, or whatever you would like to improve on. Look at the four steps in the planning process In any business/personal planning process there are key questions to answer: 1) Where are you now? 2) Where do you want to be? 3) How do you get from ‘”A” to “B” and from “B” to “C”? 4) Where is your support group, a group of people that will help you get to your future goad. 5) What will you benefit or gain from achieving your goal. Once you have finalized your plan, it’s time to share it with your business/personal partners. To ensure you don’t get to the end of the year and discover that you haven’t achieved your planned goals, you need to regularly (i suggest monthly) review your progress to plan. These meetings should involve all of your key people. Critically assess your progress to goals and continually challenge (in a constructive and proactive manner) your assessment of the current status. One more thing – don’t be afraid to change your plan if the circumstances warrant it. It is an old adage, but a true one: If the horse is dead, get off it! Another Key factor, don’t go to high on your goals yet don’t make it too easy. Conclusion Somebody once said, “The best way to predict the future is to invent it”. While a business/personal plan may not be able to predict the future it certainly provides a business with more certainty and more focus. If all your 2022 business plan does is give you a framework to actually DO the things you want to, and achieve the objectives you have set for your business/personal, you have succeeded. I believe we are headed to a few very challenging years to come but with the proper preparation and goal setting, things might actually turn out well for you. I hope that all our problems, mishaps will fade fast and we will see better times. Please send me your information or questions to Ken Go of 1st Innovative Finance Group at 562-508-7048 or write to kennethgo@verizon.net . CABRE 01021223 NMLS 238636

21 May 19-25, 2022

NEWS  NATIONAL SPORTS NEWS

PHL wins more golds, medals, on track for 3rd place in Vietnam SEA Games HANOI – Philippine athletes are winning more gold and other medals in the ongoing Southeast Asian Games in Hanoi, Vietnam. Overall as of May 18, the Philippines raised its gold tally to 37 with 48 silver and 64 bronze medals. Indonesia had a 36-48-47 tally for fourth, followed by Singapore (35-37-44). Host Vietnam was unreachable with a haul of 122-75-72, its grip on the overall title won by the Philippines back in 2019 so solid with just six days left in the biennial competition. This prompted Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) Chairman William Ramirez and Commissioner Ramon Fernandez to express optimism that Filipino athletes will meet their goal of at least finishing in third spot in the overall medal tally of the 31st Southeast Asian Games in Vietnam. “We are halfway through the Games, and we are in the top three of the medal standings. We are well within our target of finishing at least third overall. We just have to maintain our performance until the end,” said Fernandez, Team Philippines chef de mission to the games. On May 18, Fil-American Kayla Richardson regained the 100m dash crown she won in 2015 as a teenager as the Philippines held off a spirited challenge by Indonesia for third overall in the 31st Southeast Asian Games. Richardson’s victory in the century dash at dusk came after the women’s archery team of Abby Bidaure and sister Pia, along with Phoebe Amistoso, bagged

the team recurve title at the Hanoi National Training Center. Meanwhile, Johann Chua emerged as the new singles 9-ball billiards king at the Ha Dong District Sporting Hall. Filipino athletes also bagged five silver medals, three of them in taekwondo and one in table tennis, plus 10 bronze medals, including one won by karateka Jamie Lim, one of the darlings of the 2019 national team, who lost her crown in the minus 61kg category of kumite. A slow starter, Richardson picked up the pace halfway through the 100-meter race and held steady to the finish, clocking 11.6 seconds to master an 8-runner field that included 200-m queen Shanti Pereira of Singapore, who clocked 11.62 seconds to bag the silver. Thailand’s Supanich Poolkerd placed third in 11.66 seconds. Kayla, a bronze medalist in the 200 meters three days ago, proved a worthy successor to FilAm Kristina Knott who was unable to compete this year due to ailment. “I can’t complain. I’m so grateful. It took me a lot to get here. I thank God for getting me here,” a teary-eyed Richardson said after sharing a sweet embrace with sister and fellow national athlete Kyla and father Jeff. Richardson only placed second in the heats with a 12.02 time, but it was a ploy to reserve strength for the race that mattered most. “I was just chillin,” Richardson said with a laugh. “I was just trying to get to

the finals.” Abby Bidaure, 20, competing in her second SEA Games, emerged as the heroine for Team Philippines, hitting the bullseye in the final arrow of a shoot-off for a 10 with just 10 seconds left on the clock, leading the team to a clinching 2625 win over the host squad. The hawkeyes battled back with a 5749 win in the fourth frame after trailing 1-2 in the first three, forcing a shoot-off that came down to Abby’s winning shot. Johann Chua, 29, pounced on two stunning miscues by reigning US Open champion Carlo Biado en route to a 9-6 victory and crowned himself the new 9-ball billiards champion here. The 9-ball gold was the second for Pinoy cue artists here, with Rubilen Amit winning the women’s side of the event last Tuesday, beating Jessica Chan of Singapore 7-2, for her ninth gold medal in the biennial event. Biado was favored to rule the allFilipino finals but uncharacteristically missed easy shots on the 12th and 15th racks, to the horror of the big crowd at the Ha Dong District Sporting Hall. Trailing 5-6 in the 12th, Biado, 39, failed to pocket the 9-ball, smiling after his miscue. He also failed to sink the 8-ball three racks later, with Chua gamely taking over both times to win his first SEA Games gold. Biado, who failed in his bid to reclaim the title he won in the 2017 Games, raised the hand of Chua after the match, gamely accepting his defeat for the silver medal. Gilas Pilipinas expectedly whipped

Singapore 88-37 at the Than Tri Gymnasium for its third straight win while the Gilas women trounced rival Thailand 9781 for its second straight triumph. Teen tennis sensation Alex Eala beat Malaysian Jo Leen Saw in straight sets at the Hanata Tu Son courts in Bac Ninh and also advanced to the semifinals of the mixed doubles in tandem with Treat Huey. “Won my very first ever SEA Games mixed doubles match. Thanks partner, Treat Huey! Also won my singles match today and moved to the semifinals. Laban PH!” the 16-year-old Eala exclaimed in her Facebook post. But Pinoy taekwondo fighters got shut out for the gold, with Vietnam winning five of the gold medals disputed and Myanmar and Indonesia taking one each. The women’s football team failed in its bid to reach the gold medal play, losing 0-3 to Thailand, and will face the loser of the Vietnam-Myanmar battle for the bronze. Filipino athletes have so far won golds in disciplines such as artistic gymnastics, athletics, bowling, dancesport, duathlon and triathlon events, fencing, kickboxing, martial arts events, pole vault, and swimming in the biennial meet. Here are the highlights of the nation’s gold-winning athletes so far in the 2021 SEA Games: Mary Francine Padios gave Team Philippines its first gold medal in the SEA Games with her victory in the Pencak Silat Women’s Seni (Artistic) Tunggal Single event.

Carlos Yulo wins five golds in SEA Games

HANOI – Carlos Yulo completed a ﬁve-gold romp while dancesport scored four rousing victories as the Philippines came up with its best performance yet in the 31st Southeast Asian Games here, going on a 10-gold medal rush to stay on the coattails of Thailand in their heated battle for second overall. Yulo, 22, triumphed in the apparatus where he is the reigning world champion, dominating the vault ﬁnals and adding a surprise gold in the horizontal bars as he ended his stint here with a shot at becoming the best male athlete. After wowing the crowd at the Quan Ngua Sports

Palace with a runaway victory in the vault where he scored 14.700 points, Yulo returned hours later and tied for first in the horizontal bars with Ding Phuong Thanh of Vietnam, both scoring 13.867 points. The horizonal gold was the fifth gold medal by Yulo, counting his earlier victories in the men’s all-around, floor exercise, and rings, on top of silver medal finishes in the men’s team event and parallel bars. He matched the five-gold haul recorded by a forgotten sports hero, Rolando Albuera, who achieved the feat in the Jakarta 1979 SEA Games where the Philippines collected a total of 24 gold medals and finished fourth overall. Overall, artistic gymnastics contributed seven gold medals, four silvers and one bronze to the Philippine drive here, the best finish by Pinoy gymnasts in memory. The other two gold medals were contributed by FilAm Aleah Finnegan in the women’s team and vault while adding a silver medal in the balance beam, losing to Malaysia’s Rachel Yeoh Li Wen (12.567-12.467). Aside from Yulo’s last day golden double, also contributing to the country’s cause was the dancesport pair of Jean Mischa Aranar and Ana Nualla, who completed a golden treble in tango, Viennese waltz, and all final dance standard at the Long Bien Gymnasium. Mark Jayson Gayon and Mary Joy Renigen contributed the fourth gold for the day, ruling the slow foxtrot,

raising dancesport’s contribution to five, counting another gold last Sunday. Bowler Merwin Tan ruled the men’s singles and ended an 11-year golden drought by the keglers; 110-meter hurdler Clinton Kingston Bautista kept his crown as the athletics team raised its haul to three golds; while Jocel Lyn Ninoble triumphed in women’s poomsae of taekwondo. Swimmer Chloe Isleta also joined the gold medal parade, ruling the women’s 200-m backstroke. Vietnam all but wrapped up the overall title won by the Philippines in 2019 but Pinoy athletes, whose stint here is backed by the Philippine Sports Commission, stayed in contention for second overall with a total harvest of 30-34-43 to Thailand’s 34-35-50. The host team zoomed away from the field with an 83-50-55 harvest. “If it’s up to me I wanted to win all the medals in all the events,” said Yulo, who ended up sharing the horizontal gold with Ding as decided by the organizing committee. “I thought I lost the gold there,” said Yulo, who was informed of the interesting decision by Gymnastics Association of the Philippines president Cynthia Carrion. “There were two golds (in that event). The difficulty of Caloy’s performance was much higher and the landing (of the Vietnamese) was not perfect. We should have scored higher,” Carrion said.

May 19-25, 2022

Q: Kuya Ben, what are the ways to make my money work for me? A: The best way to get money is to work for it, to earn it, to keep it and to make it work for you in order to get more money. Plenty of times, people after having earned their money find more ways to spend it rather than keep it. Suze Orman quotes “You must find as much enjoyment in saving money as much as spending money”. I know this is hard. Remember that there are two things that are certain in life. That is taxes and death. There will also come a time that no matter how much you would like to work, there will be none available for you unless you are self employed and can keep running it. This is because you simple got old and this is a fact of life. The older generation will be replaced by a new generation. That is why it is when you are employable, it is very important to set money aside for the future when you can no longer work. In order for your hard earned money to growyou must invest so it can gain proceeds. Always remember that the proceeds of this investment will be the source of your income when you are no longer able to work. Another way of keeping your money is to simply stay away from unsecured debts mostly credit cards. Credit cards are a drain in your pocket. Yes! It will help you get through an emergency and that is the key word “Emergency”. The use of credit cards other than for emergency use becomes an expensive way of financing the purchase. This is especially if you are going to make monthly payments on it. If you can’t buy it with cash, don’t buy it. You can save up for it instead. Always have an emergency fund. This fund will mostly get you through sudden financial hardships. Having a six month to a years worth of emergency fund consisting of a month’s total expenses is very important. This is also a sign of financial stability. Stay away from Payday loans. This is not a good way in managing your money, mainly since you will be throwing your money away due to high interest and fees. Most of the time people who take these types of loans are not able to pay it back. Also, they find themselves in a deeper hole from where they were before they took out the loan. Make sure you have a monthly budget and follow it. It does not make sense to create a budget if you are not going to use it. This budget must include the money that goes to savings and investments if they have not already been taken out from your net pay. Make sure the money that you have allotted for your budget does not get spent on something else. Always live within your means. Maintain your vehicles. One of the most expensive part of our daily lives is that one thing that helps us get to and from work. It only makes sense to take care of them since when they break down, it usually costs a lot. Most of us are surprised of the cost of the repair when we take our car in when something breaks down. Keep it in good running condition. No matter where you are in the world, money is an integral part of society. It makes the world go round. Ating lesson, Ang pera ay palaguin, nang tayo ay di kulangin. If you need help in getting out of debt, call Debt Aid Consulting International. We do not use call centers which keeps your information safe. We have a new program that reconstruct debts for half of what you would pay our competitors. We also provide legal assistance that keeps collectors away. We take Federal Credit Unions, Payday loans and high interest personal loans in our program too. This is exclusively available for Debt Aid Consulting clients. None of our competitors provide this program. You are well protected. We only provide Federal Trade Commission compliant programs. Go with Debt Aid Consulting! Do not fall for marketing gimmicks saying that they have the right program for you. Most marketing companies only have one program and will enroll you in that program whether it fits you or not. So beware! Ben Lou at your service! I have over 35 years of financial experience. If you would like sound financial advice, call us at Debt Aid Consulting International. We do not use call centers. No one has the right to put your information at risk. Debt Aid Consulting is the first and only Filipino debt mediation company incorporated in the US and Canada, Caribbean Islands, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand and the Philippines! Your Global Debt Solutions Company! Tawag na po sa 1-888-341-5234 at tutulungan po namin kayo. Itama po natin ang mali!

23 May 19-25, 2022

 COMMUNITY NEWS

Governor Newsom presents $300.7-billion blueprint paving California way forward

SACRAMENTO – As global inflation and war in Europe drive up costs across the country, California Governor Gavin Newsom has proposed a $300.7 billion budget to provide relief from rising inflation, ensure public safety, address homelessness, transform public education, and combat climate change. The Governor’s California Blueprint includes an $18.1 billion inflation relief package to get money back into the pockets of Californians and bring down costs for families.

“Backed by a robust surplus and grounded in our unshakable values, we’re paving the California Way forward to prosperity and progress for all. With historic investments, we’re doubling down on our formula for success and making sure no one is left behind – supporting working families and businesses, tackling climate change, expanding health care access, making our communities safer, and more,” said Governor Newsom. “While gridlock persists in Congress and right-wing fanatics turn statehouses across the country into laboratories of hate and oppression, here in California, we’re putting in the work to grow our economy and implement real, inclusive policy change to create a brighter future for all,” he added. The blueprint includes: $18.1 Billion Inflation Relief in direct payments to help address inflation, help people pay their utility bills and rent, and reduce costs like health care and child care. $47.1 billion climate commitment - an increase of $32 billion this year - to tackle pollution, build climate resilient water supplies, reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfires, ensure grid reliability and accelerate clean energy solutions, and protect communities from extreme heat. $660 million to ensure public safety with funding for new officers and mental health support for law enforcement, support for victims of sex trafficking, cracking down on internet crimes against children, and tackling the opioid crisis. $14.7 million to confront homelessness and the mental health crisis with investments to help get people off

our streets and into the services and care they need, focusing particularly on Californians who suffer from mental health and substance use disorders. $37 billion to rebuild California with money for infrastructure including broadband and new housing, as well as a historic investment of $128.3 billion to transform public education. Billions of dollars to invest in Californians and the Governor’s pro-life agenda, including funding to: Improve our education systems with universal preschool, after school and school meals; and expanded, more affordable child care Make health care more accessible and affordable through Medi-Cal expansion and subsidies, increased reproductive health care access, home visiting, and support for black infant health, youth mental health and suicide prevention, and addressing adverse childhood experiences. Clean up our environment by tackling pollution, particularly in disadvantaged communities that bear the brunt of its impacts. Ensure our communities are safe with violence prevention programs, expansive gun buyback programs and getting fentanyl and other opioids off our streets. Led by GDP growth of 7.8 percent, the Blueprint includes a $97.5 billion surplus. The Governor’s proposal ensures that this year’s spending will not hamstring future budgets, calling for $37.1 billion in reserves including $23.3 billion for the state’s Rainy Day Fund, and spends 94 percent of surplus revenues on one-time expenditures.

 COMMUNITY NEWS

May 19-25, 2022

HHS Announces Funding Opportunity for New Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Behavioral Health Center of Excellence This Mental Health Awareness Month, which is also Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), is announcing a nearly $3.5 million five-year grant opportunity to develop a Center of Excellence, advancing behavioral health care for Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) communities while reducing behavioral healthrelated disparities. The AANHPI Behavioral Health Center of Excellence will promote culturally and linguistically appropriate behavioral health information and practices; establish a steering committee to identify emerging issues; and provide training, technical assistance, and consultation to practitioners, educators, and community organizations. Training topics include addressing mental health impacts caused by unconscious bias and hate against

AANHPI communities. The Center of Excellence will also develop accessible, public-facing infographics and other materials that address behavioral health, including those that provide data disaggregated by race and ethnicity, as well as best practices for improving engagement and retention of AANHPI behavioral health professionals. It joins SAMHSA’s other Centers of Excellence directed at behavioral health disparities, including the African American Behavioral Health Center of Excellence and the LGBTQI+ Behavioral Health Equity Center of Excellence. “This new Center of Excellence is one of the many ways we’re advancing equity in health care,” said HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra. “When people seek behavioral health and other types of care, they should not encounter barriers because of their race and ethnicity. The Center for Excellence will help ensure behavioral health care is delivered more equitably to members of the AANHPI community in

alignment with our Equity Action Plan.” “This new Center of Excellence will provide comprehensive resources to ensure provider organizations are welcoming and inclusive environments for the many AANHPI communities across America,” said Miriam E. Delphin-Rittmon, Ph.D., the HHS Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use and the leader of SAMHSA. “People battling mental health and substance use issues deserve access to culturally informed, evidence-based care to facilitate their recovery.” The HHS Healthy People 2030 initiative deﬁnes health equity as “the attainment of the highest level of health for all people.” The initiative goes on to say that “achieving health equity requires valuing everyone equally with focused and ongoing societal eﬀorts to address avoidable inequalities, historical and contemporary injustices, and the elimination of health and health care disparities.” The Center of Excellence will help advance behav-

ioral health equity, which is a critical component of holistic healthcare. Funding of up to $700,000 each year for five years (totaling approximately $3.5 million) will be awarded to one grantee in late fiscal year 2022. Those eligible to apply for the grant include: states; political subdivisions of States; Indian tribes or tribal organizations (as defined in section 5304 of title 25), health facilities, or programs operated by or in accordance with a contract or grant with the Indian Health Service, or other domestic public or private nonprofit entities. View the notice of funding opportunity for this grant here: samhsa.gov/grants/grant-announcements/fg-22-001. Anyone seeking treatment for mental health or substance use issues should call SAMHSA’s National Helpline at 800662-HELP (4357) or should visit findtreatment.samhsa.gov. Reporters with questions about the grant program should email media@samhsa.hhs.gov.

PHL Consulate joins PMSNC on its 50TH founding anniversary

Nasa panahon pa rin tayo ng tagtuyot. Magtipid ng tubig, California. Narito kami para tumulong. We are in a drought. Save water, California. We’re here to help.

bawsca.org/conserve

sfpuc.org/SaveWater

SAN FRANCISCO The Philippine Consulate in San Francisco joined the Philippine Medical Society of Northern California (PMSNC) in celebrating its 50th founding anniversary celebration through a Grand Gala and Inaugural Ball held at the Hilton Oakland Airport Hotel. Deputy Consul General (DCG) Raquel R. Solano and Consul Vanessa Bago- Llona of the Consulate attended the event, which was keynoted by California Attorney General (AG) Rob Bonta. AG Bonta, in his remarks, commended the PMSNC for its continued support to Filipino American students in their pursuit of the medical profession through scholarship and financial assistance programs. He also noted that the organization has made a substantial impact on communities across the U.S. and the world through its medical and surgical missions. DCG Solano, in her message to PMSNC, on behalf of Consul General Neil Frank R. Ferrer, lauded the PMSNC for its efforts in elevating the profile of Filipino and Filipino American medical professionals in the U.S., in going beyond the duties of their chosen profession to uplift the lives of many, and in serving communities in the Philippines and in the U.S. through its community outreach programs, financial assistance, and scholarship programs. She thanked its members for their excellent and dedicated service during the pandemic and for making it possible for

people to gradually return to normalcy. She also highlighted the Consulate’s partnership with the PMSNC in bringing free medical services to Filipino-Americans in the Bay Area through the “Health Day sa Konsulado” project held in October 2021. PMSNC president Dr. Thad Padua related how PMSNC took the opportunity, despite the challenges brought about by the pandemic, to ﬁnd ways to evaluate its work, improve the organization, and advance its goals of community service, youth and professional development, and fellowship. He also underlined the need for the organization to continue its outreach to underserved Filipino-Americans in California, who according to a study, were the most impacted by COVID-19 among Asian-Americans. The gala event also saw the awarding of scholarships to three (3) Filipino-American medical students of UCSF, reporting on the 2020 medical mission in Bacoor, Cavite in the Philippines, and cultural performances by Kariktan Dance Company.

25 May 19-25, 2022

 COMMUNITY NEWS

First 5 California Executive Director Jackie Wong Applauds Governor Newsom’s May Revision Budget Sacramento, CA — Today, Governor Gavin Newsom unveiled the 2022-23 May Revision Proposal, which continues to reflect the state’s vision to defend women’s right to choose, expand access to health care for all Californians, and protect the most vulnerable. “We applaud Governor Newsom’s actions to support the whole-child, whole-family framework by investing in children’s mental health, supporting child care providers and infrastructure grants, and providing immediate financial relief to families most impacted by rising inflation and cost pressures.” said Jackie Wong, Executive Director for First 5 California. The May Revision does not address the challenges that prevent low-wage earners from utilizing the state’s Paid Family Leave and State Disability Insurance (SDI) programs. “The current wage replacement rates and other administrative challenges do not allow our lowest paid parents and caregivers the ability to access this benefit to bond with their newborns and babies.” said Ms. Wong. “California can lead by making our family paid leave program the most equitable in the nation by addressing the shortfalls in these programs.” The May Revision estimates General Fund revenues to be about $55 billion higher than January’s Budget Proposal, which provides this Administration an opportunity to establish a broad-based relief package of $18.1 billion in fiscal relief to Califor-

nians to address inﬂation-related cost pressures. The May Revision Budget proposal outlines the following new investments: ● $290 million to support children’s mental health and community-based youth suicide prevention and outreach programs. ● $157 million to waive child care and preschool family fees for about 400,000 low-income families from July 1, 2022 to June 30, 2023. ● $200.5 million for minor renovation and repair projects for child care facilities in low-income regions and areas with minimal access to services. ● $114 million to hold harmless voucher-based child care providers and preschool providers reimbursement for authorized hours of care, from July 1, 2022 to June 30, 2023. ● $57 million, for a total of $125 million, to expand access to reproductive healthcare services, improve clinical infrastructure and workforce support. ● $20 million to assist alternative payment programs in capacity grants. “We also want to recognize Senate pro Tem Toni Atkins’s and Senator Nancy Skinner’s leadership in crafting a budget priority package that works for children and families, the Senate’s “Putting Wealth to Work,” that would make signiﬁcant investments in improving early care and education.” said Ms. Wong.

The Senate’s “Putting Wealth to Work” plan proposes the following investments: ● $1 billion in ongoing support to increase provider reimbursement rates to the 90th percentile of the regional market rate and additional funding to improve benefits for the childcare workforce. ● $245 million to continue waiving family fees and extending the provider hold harmless policies. ● $445 million for child care facilities expansion and infrastructure investments, professional development and workforce support. ● Increase eligibility for low-income children, address rate adjustment factors to support preschool providers. For more information about First 5 California, visit www.ccfc.ca.gov. *** ABOUT FIRST 5 CALIFORNIA: First 5 California was established in 1998 when voters passed Proposition 10, which taxes tobacco products to fund services for children ages 0 to 5 and their families. First 5 California programs and resources are designed to educate and support teachers, parents, and caregivers in the critical role they play during a child’s first five years – to help California kids receive the best possible start in life and thrive. For more information, please visit www.ccfc.ca.gov.

Social Security Update

SOCIAL SECURITY HONORS OUR MILITARY HEROES By G. Samson, Social Security Public Aﬀairs Specialist in Bay Area, CA

On Memorial Day, our nation honors military service members who have given their lives to preserve our freedoms. Families, friends, and communities come together to remember the great sacrifices of military members and ensure their legacies live on. The benefits we provide can help the families of deceased military service members. For example, widows, widowers, and dependent children may be eligible for Social Security survivors benefits. You can learn more about those benefits at www.ssa.gov/ survivors. We also offer support to wounded warriors.

Social Security benefits protect veterans when injuries prevent them from returning to active duty or performing other work. Both the Department of Veteran Affairs and Social Security have disability programs. You may qualify for disability benefits through one or both programs. Read our new fact sheet, “Social Security Disability and Veterans Affairs Disability — How Do They Compare?” at www.ssa. gov/pubs/EN-64-125. pdf. Depending on your situation, some members of your family, including your dependent children or spouse, may be eligible to receive Social Security benefits.

Wounded military service members can receive quicker processing of their Social Security disability claims. If you are a veteran with a 100% Permanent & Total compensation rating from the Department of Veterans Affairs, we’ll expedite your disability claim. Want more information about how we can help? Visit www.ssa. gov/woundedwarriors for answers to frequently asked questions or to find information about the application process. Thinking about retirement or know a veteran who is? Military service members can receive Social Security benefits in addition to their military retirement benefits. For details, visit our webpage for veterans, available at www.ssa.gov/people/veterans. Please share this information with the military families you know. We honor and thank the veterans who bravely served and died for our country and the military service members who serve today.

MAGBUO NG MGA KAKAYAHAN

TUMULONG SA IBA

KUMITA NG PERA

Para sa ibang inpormasyon bumisita: WWW.CACOLLEGECORPS.COM

 COMMUNITY NEWS

May 19-25, 2022

COVID-19 Vaccines: A Way to Honor Heritage, Community, and Family During AANHPI Heritage Month CDC and the We Can Do This COVID-19 Public Educa�on Campaign emphasize vaccine availability and the need for con�nued safe prac�ces

By: Staff As Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) communities across the nation honor and celebrate the diverse contributions made in the United States we are reminded that COVID-19 vaccines and boosters continue to make it possible for us to gather safely in public and private. As of May 12, CDC reported over 258 million Americans (all eligible ages) have made the choice to be vaccinated. Currently, over 12.8 million Asians (non-Hispanic) and 618,000 Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders aged 5 years and older have received at least one COVID-19 vaccine. Additionally, 95% of older Americans have been vaccinated—that’s 56.5 million adults aged 65 and older—a significant achievement in protecting our community’s elders since last year. “We’ve got over 90% of seniors that are already vaccinated,” said Dr. Cameron

Webb, White House Senior Policy Advisor for COVID-19 Equity, at an April 22 summit called Conversations on Encouraging COVID-19 Vaccines. “We’ve got to get those same levels around boosters to really get that protection we need.” Although AANHPIs are generally more likely to have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine compared to the overall U.S. population, about 39% of eligible Asians and over 52% of eligible Native Hawaiian and Paciﬁc Islanders are still in need of a booster. Webb said, “If you have been vaccinated and boosted, you are very well protected against the [COVID-19] variants we are currently seeing. We have the tools to save lives … and we’ve seen [that] boosters are very critical in keeping people safe.” The nation has come a long way to keep communities safe but data consistently show how communities of color remain disproportionately impacted by COVID, and health

disparities for AANHPIs remain a key issue in achieving health equity. In fact, some AANHPI subsegments are at higher risk because of higher rates of diabetes, hypertension, and obesity. Experts also shared the importance of getting children vaccinated, encouraging parents to take action for the health and wellbeing of their families. “Almost all children who end up in the ICU are completely unvaccinated,” said Dr. Sean O’Leary, Vice Chair from the American Academy of Pediatrics. “This is both tragic and encouraging. Tragic because at this point in the pandemic, those hospitalizations were almost completely preventable, and encouraging because we have such a powerful tool [vaccines] going forward to prevent children from suﬀering.” With more relaxed public mandates on COVID safety protocols and increased trav- the death rate from COVID continues to deel, COVID cases and hospitalizations are on crease, thanks to widespread vaccinations. the rise again. What is encouraging is that

Resources Available to Help Customers Get a Head Start on Managing Summer Energy Bills Prepare Now for the Increase in Energy Use Associated with Hot Weather

2 NEW “BELOW MARKET RATE” HOMES FOR SALE AT 832 SUTTER STREET 2 one-bedroom homes priced at $353,803 and $360,346 without parking

Applicants must be first-time homebuyers and cannot exceed the following income levels: 100% of Area Median Income: One person - $93,250; 2 persons - $106,550; 3 persons $119,900; 4 persons - $133,200 etc. Applications must be received by 5PM on Monday, May 30, 2022. Apply online through DAHLIA, the SF Housing Portal at https://thousing.sfgov.org. Due to COVID-19, applicants will apply online as we are not accepting paper applications. Applicants must complete first-time homebuyer education and obtain a loan pre-approval from an approved participating lender. For assistance with your application, contact HomeownershipSF at (415) 202-5464 or info@homeownershipsf.org. For questions about the building and units, contact Mike Stack at Vanguard Properties: 415.580.9095 or mikestack@vanguardsf.com Units available through the San Francisco Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development and are subject to monitoring and other restrictions. Visit www.sfmohcd.org for program information. DRE#01486075

OAKLAND, Calif.— Summer’s warm weather is coming, and Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E) customers can benefit by participating in a variety of programs to prepare for the inevitable increase in air conditioning usage associated with hotter weather that typically drives up summer energy costs. To prepare eligible customers are encouraged to take advantage of incomequalified assistance programs including: California Alternate Rates for Energy (CARE) Program saves 20% or more each month on energy bills. Family Electric Rate Assistance (FERA) Program offers a monthly discount on electric bills with three or more people in the household. Customers who are not eligible for income-qualifying programs can sign up for the following programs to help manage energy costs: Medical Baseline provides a lower monthly rate for customers with special energy needs due to certain medical conditions. Budget Billing averages out energy costs for more predictable monthly payments and eliminates big spikes in bills due to seasonal changes. Bill Forecast Alerts are notifications sent by email, text or phone notifying the customer if their monthly bill is expected to exceed a specific amount set by the customer. Another way to get a head start on managing summer bills is to run a personalized rate comparison to determine

the best rate plan for the household. Lastly, the air conditioner accounts for more than 40% of summer energy use. The following three simple steps will ensure the system works more efficiently ahead of extreme temperatures: Schedule an annual safety and maintenance check by a licensed technician. A poorly maintained AC can unit consumes 10-30% more energy. Clear away weeds and debris to ensure air circulates freely around the unit. Shade the equipment to keep the system cooler, while ensuring the air flow isn’t blocked. For more information on ways to save on your energy bill visit pge.com/summer and PG&E’s Safety Action Center. About PG&E Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E Corporation (NYSE:PCG), is a combined natural gas and electric utility serving more than 16 million people across 70,000 square miles in Northern and Central California. For more information, visit pge.com and pge.com/news.

27 May 19-25, 2022

Upside...

(From Page 11)

4. Ensure meaningful representation. Be intentional in seeking diversity in committees and activities by inviting AAPIs to participate. Some may feel unsure about their ability to contribute and might just be waiting for an invitation, which reinforces their value. Beware of tokenism. Find a way to motivate AAPIs to share their thoughts, to engage. Start by conferring with members of said community to ensure appropriate and sensitive outreach. If you are a member of the community, identify yourself as such. Be proud of who you are. 5. Create a safe space for AAPIs to share about their identity and culture. May is an ideal time to launch Days of Understanding or making time to discuss inclusion, specifically of this sector. Assign a hightraffic area to post photos and videos, maps, quotes, books and handicraft, maybe a directory of resources particularly for an AAPI group or the larger population. Provide contact information for those who may have questions or want to know more. Have typical treats at meetings that coincide with the occasion. Offering food is a universal act of welcome. Gatherings like this invariably provide commonalities along with distinction. 6. Understand that Asia and the Pacific Islands comprise a diverse multitude of nations. Asia is the largest continent spanning 48 countries, per the United Nations, or 60 percent of Earth’s population, occupying 30% of the land area of the globe, per National Geographic. The Pacific, home to 15 independent island nations excluding innumerable smaller isles, according to World Population Review, covers over 155 million square kilometers or larger than the total landmass of all 6 continents. Each nation has its colorful history and distinct culture. Many immigrated to the USA before the last two centuries or earlier, as escapees of forced labor in the Spanish galleon trade between Manila to Acapulco. They helped build the railroads, tended farms, healed the sick or defended democracy. Some sought exile, fleeing tyranny, leaving lives of privilege to exercise fundamental freedoms. Mostly they come to enjoy basic human rights rather than economic opportunities. 7. Acknowledge US role in AAPI emigration from their birth land to comprehend their tendency to immigrate to this country. Know the history of US presence in their countries and what pushed them across the Pacific to a new land. Conventional wisdom incorrectly assumes that immigrants are lured by US jobs rather than authoritarian rule in their or their ancestors’ country of birth. 8. Call out racist jokes. Silence is complicity. Speak up and call the joke offensive and say why: It dehumanizes. Grab the opportunity to educate. Sometimes all a bully needs is to be called out. 9. Learn to pronounce their names correctly. Be enlightened. Refrain from saying you have difficulty pronouncing a name, which makes the owner feel like an outsider. It’s a form of micro-aggression - subtle, indirect or unintentional type of discrimination that may affect the mental health of the victim, leading to alienation and exclusion. 10. Empower AAPIs to seek help if they have been subjected to a racist attack. Provide them with information on how or whom to report to and access resources for help when they are ready. Empathize and reiterate your support for them. Assure them they are not alone. - Adapted from original reprinted with permission from Positively Filipino https://www.positivelyfilipino.com/magazine/how-to-respond-toanti-aapi-hate Sources: *https://www.npr.org/2022/05/02/1095812576/aapi-asian-pacific-heritage-month-origin-may-why **https://stopaapihate.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/SAH-xTAAF-Codebook-FINAL-2021-08-19.pdf *** https://www.census.gov/data-tools/demo/race/ MREAD_1790_2010.html Adapted from original reprinted with permission from Positively Filipino https://www.positivelyfilipino.com/magazine/how-to-respond-to-anti-aapi-hate

Oﬄine

(From Page 13)

they incurred to win their posts. In short, the Philippines does not deserve an accomplished leader like her, who had consistently earned the highest scores from the Commission on Audit for her judicious use of her budget as vice president. No one even came close. This week, Robredo is in the US to attend the graduation of her daughter. She ﬂew on economy class, and there was a picture of her ironing her daughter’s graduation gown. Leni Robredo is nothing except consistent. She remains a humble public servant, and the electorate lost a golden chance to elect a decent person to lead the executive department. For those with religious beliefs, the thinking is that God has diﬀerent plans for her. In fact, she announced before she left for the US that she would form a super-nongovernment organization to continue her good works for the

Filipino people. Robredo said her NGO will be the biggest in the country, fueled totally from donations from the private sector. Make no mistake about it. Her loss was painful for millions of Filipinos, who saw her as part savior and part competent professional needed to salvage the failing Philippine economy from total ruin. The worst thing about it is her loss to a person who has zero accomplishments in life. That supposed winner has held various government posts, and achieved absolutely nothing. It would have been better if Robredo had lost to any of the other presidential candidates, such as Manny Pacquiao, Ping Lacson, Isko Moreno, and even Leody de Guzman. Marcos Jr. must prove his critics wrong. But I wouldn’t bet on him doing anything of worth in the next six years. At this writing, he hasn’t been able to convince qualified executives to join his Cabinet. I suspect his official family will be nothing but a collection of old trapos, with perhaps one or two bureaucrats who could conceivably do a good job. In time, the millions of Robredo followers will accept the painful defeat she suffered at the hands of Marcos Jr., whose personal history tells us that his presidency is doomed to fail.

Health & Wealth

(From Page 12)

7. VERY FLEXIBLE APPOINTMENTS - We offer very flexible appointments for old and new clients during regular office hours, after office hours and weekends except on Sundays. 8. CONVENIENCE AND PEACE OF MIND - As accredited and commissioned Notary Public in California since 1981 and founder of Mobile Signing Services, you have total convenience and peace of mind with the complete, prompt, efficient, professional and unique services at MSS. Most of the time, it is more economical and convenient for you to avail yourself with the services at MSS. For immediate help and assistance in the notarization and apostille follow-up of all notarized Affidavits, Special Power of Attorney, DEED OF DONATION, Proof of Life, DEED OF ABSOLUTE SALE, Parental Travel Consent and other documents needed in the Philippines and the other member nations of the Hague Apostille Convention, just write or call: MOLBILE SIGNING SERVICES, 730 Madrid Street, San Francisco, CA 94112 Tel. (650)438-3531 or (415)584-7095 or email:artmadlaing@gmail.com ART GABOT MADLAING is accredited and commissioned Notary Public and licensed Real Estate Broker (DRE#00635976) in California since 1981. He is founder of MOBILE SIGNING SERVICES, FITNESS FOR HUMANITY (aka FITNESS FOR CHRIST) and ACAPINOY. Art is active Evangelist with the GOLDEN GATE CHURCH OF CHRIST in San Francisco, California USA.

Breaking through

(From Page 12)

In one of my earlier columns, I wrote about BBM’s ability to walk the talk as part of his drawing power. He’s now hitting the ground running even before he assumes oﬃce. Already he is eyeing the drastic reduction of rice prices to as low as P20 a kilo, way down from P40 -P50 presently. Targeted next is the cost of electricity which he also wants to bring down. These two items alone are causing too much drain in the pockets of ordinary Filipinos. BBM’s campaign handlers from the Execom led by Atty. Vic Rodriguez, political leaders spearheaded by former Ilocos Sur Gov. Luis “Chavit” Singson who is now Mayor of Narvacan town and Philippine Mayors’ League president, and BBM’s original loyalist group and conﬁdants headed by former Dept. of Labor exec Jonathan de la Cruz, the Federal Party stalwarts led by retired Gen. Thompson Lantion down the line to mass supporters, and parallel groups did an awesome job. Above all these groups and movements, credit is due to BBM’s one and only, incoming First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos. The doting hubby greatly acknowledged her contributions to the campaign during a thanksgiving meeting with supporters recently. Ranged against the formidable campaigns of four major rivals, the Marcos-Duterte camp stood out and prevailed. Many parallel groups came out on their own doing their part in the Marcos-Duterte campaign without being told. They did so driven by their conviction that Marcos Jr. is the most capable leader to lead the Philippines out of the pandemic. One such group is the US Pinoys’ Alliance for BBM-SARA (USPA) co-chaired by former Milpitas, California Mayor Jose Esteves and Hawaii’s top business leader Lito Alcantra. Top California Pinoy lawyer Garry Barbadillo is vice chairman and legal counsel. This writer is proud to be part of it as Secretary-General and founder. Another group-Canada Pinoys’ Alliance for BBM-SARA headed by Clarence Jacques Molina- also rose to the occasion pushing for Marcos Jr. and Ms. Duterte in Canada.

PerryScope...

(From Page 12)

fect if the Supreme Court strikes down Roe v. Wade, the time of restricted access to birth control is unfolding in states that narrowly deﬁne when life begins. Some states are even considering legislation that would limit the kinds of birth control residents can acquire. Some conservative lawmakers wasted no time signaling they were looking into restricting or banning certain types of emergency contraception, such as Plan B and certain types of intrauterine devices—IUDs—could be restricted, or other morning-after pills that can be used within 72 hours of intercourse to prevent pregnancy. In Louisiana, legislation was introduced that would classify

abortion as a homicide and deﬁne “personhood” as beginning from the moment of fertilization. Anything that would prevent a fertilized egg from turning into a pregnancy and being born into a baby could be considered a homicide. And abortion providers would be prosecuted as criminals. With all the maneuverings in the Senate, the Women’s Health Protection bill doesn’t have a chance of seeing the light of day. It has unnecessarily become too controversial that Republican women senators junked the bill. So what’s next? At this point in time, it doesn’t seem that Congress would ever pass anything that resembles the Women’s Health Protection bill, which means that the Supreme Court’s draft opinion to strike down Roe v. Wade will soon be deliberated by the justices. And unless Chief Justice John Roberts can come up with a anti-abortion ruling that can get the support of one more justice, which would give them a slim 5-4 majority decision. Otherwise, if the Supreme Court fails to fashion a palatable anti-abortion decision – like something that would legitimize abortion of pregnancies caused by rape or incest. At the end of the day, unless the Senate gets its act together, Roe v. Wade will soon cease to be the law of the land. Yes, Roe v. Wade is under siege in America! (PerryDiaz@gmail.com)

MindSparks

(From Page 13)

tively, Ang Probinsyano, PINUNO, and AGIMAT. By their names, some claim to or will represent particular ethnic minority, local, provincial and regional interests, such as IWO (Igorot Warriors International), KUSOG TAUSOG, OK PARTY (Moro Ako-OK Partylist), AIA (Ako Ilokano Ako), API (Abante Pangasinan-Ilokano), AN WARAY, UMA ILONGGO, AKO BISAYA, AKO BISDAK – Ako Bisdak Bisayang Dako (AB-BD) Inc., AMIN (Anak Mindanao Party }, ABEKA ( Ang Kapampangan}. PROBINSYANO AKO, BICOL SARO, ALIF (Ang Labanan ng Indigenong Pilipino), and ANGAT PINOY (Nagkakaisang Pilipino para sa Pag-angat ng Maralitang Manileno) Looking at the names of the party lists and their claimed membership, it appears only the politicians, lawyers, accountants, government employees, big landowners, and the rich and famous, among a limited few, are not marginalized and underrepresented. Which gives rise to another irresistible question: “Are these the only groups the legislative district representatives represent?” “It is well-known that some established political families are behind the formation of many party lists. These party lists are intended to bolster and advance the political career of a member of their family. In some cases, they are formed to retain or recapture a seat in the House of Representatives.” A curious mind asked: “Why is there a proliferation of party lists?” “ If a party-list is able to get a required percentage of votes that will entitle them a representation, who actually will represent them?” It is well-known that some established political families are behind the formation of many party lists. These party lists are intended to bolster and advance the political career of a member of their family. In some cases, they are formed to retain or recapture a seat in the House of Representatives. When a family member is an incumbent representative for a legislative district or running for it, another family member may have to seek a slot as the representative of a party list. A party list of teachers will not necessarily have a teacher to represent them in Congress. It is unlikely that a marginalized group of homeowners, homeless, seamen, fishermen, and similar others will have one of their own to represent them in Congress. Doubtful. Remember the case of a former congressman elected by the legislative district who became the representative of the party list of security guards because a family member wanted to run again as representative from the legislative district? Or a former mayor representing a group he was not known to be a champion? Or party list representatives who became known for advocating causes not directly related to the group they sent them to Congress to represent? Without considering how many public funds are spent to support the party list system and how effective or ineffective it has been in advancing the cause of the marginalized and underrepresented, I must say that the tangible results demand that the system must be disbanded. (ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Manuel B. Quintal, ESQ., has practiced law in New York since 1989. He is active in the community as a member, an officer, or a legal adviser of various professional, business, and not-for-profit organizations. He was a columnist for Newstar Philippines, an English language weekly newspaper published in New York, from 2006 to 2009. He was Executive Editor of International Tribune, an English language weekly newspaper for the Asian community, based in New York, from 2010 to 2012. He is admitted to practice law in the Philippines and New York State. He has graduate degrees in Political Science and an LL.M. major in International Law.)

Diliman Way

(From Page 13)

Marcos and was on the ﬂoor almost daily in the Batasan when the Marcos government continued to do wrong. I participated strategically in the establishment of the Cory Aquino government earning me a compliment from First Lady Imelda Marcos in these words, “You know Governor, were it not for your mouth in Parliament, we will still be in power today. My only consoling thought is that we are out of power and so are you.” I responded saying, “Ma’am, that is the law of life and that is part of the game.” This exchange took place when Imelda got back from exile and attended the launching of a book by Joe Lad Santos, editor and publisher of The Reporter, a publication that followed the steps of Philippines Free Press.

 HEALTH NEWS

May 19-25, 2022

WHO, UNICEF call on governments, industry, donors and civil society to fund, prioritize access to assistive products GENEVA/NEW YORK – A new report published today by WHO and UNICEF reveals that more than 2.5 billion people need one or more assistive products, such as wheelchairs, hearing aids, or apps that support communication and cognition. Yet nearly one billion of them are denied access, particularly in low- and middleincome countries, where access can be as low as 3% of the need for these life-changing products. The Global Report on Assistive Technology presents evidence for the ﬁrst time on the global need for and access to assistive products and provides a series of recommendations to expand availability and access, raise awareness of the need, and implement inclusion policies to improve the lives of millions of people. “Assistive technology is a life changer – it opens the door to education for children with impairments, employment and social interaction for adults living with disabilities, and an independent life of dignity for older persons,” said WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “Denying people access to these life-changing tools is not only an infringement of hu-

of 35 countries reveals that access varies from 3% in poorer nations to 90% in wealthy countries. Affordability is a major barrier to access, the report notes. Around two thirds of people with assistive products reported out-of-pocket payments for them. Others reported relying on family and friends to financially support their needs. A survey of 70 countries featured in the report found large gaps in service provision and trained workforce for assistive technology, especially in the domains of cognition, communication and self-care. Previous surveys published by WHO note a lack of awareness and unaffordable prices, lack of services, inadequate product quality, range and quantity, and procurement and supply chain challenges as key barriers. Assistive products are generally considered a means to participate in community life and in wider society on an equal footing with others; without them, people suffer exclusion, are at risk of isolation, live in poverty, may face hunger, and be forced to depend more on family, community and government support.

Rights of the unborn

redrafted this column last Mother’s Day, amidst the US Supreme Court revisit of the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision. I am eternally grateful to my mother, Maxima, who passed away in November 2019 at the age of 101, for respecting my rights and for protecting me when I PHILIP S. CHUA was a fetus in her womb. My admiration also goes to all mothers around the world who value and cherish their unborn. When I ﬁrst came across the question “Does the fetus have rights?”, I wondered how anyone could even think otherwise. If the fetus, which is actively growing with a life of its own, is allowed to develop normally, it would mature and eventually become one of us, so why wouldn’t it have rights, just like us? I grant you that a fetus is not a fully developed person and is not independent, exactly like us when we were in our mother’s womb. Even the fetuses of our animal pets, who do not even have the potential to become humans, are accorded their rights and have legal protection against cruelty and abuse under our laws. Why not for the unborn human fetus? I am surprised why there is even a debate at all whether fetuses should be considered human beings, and whether we, fellow humans, should have the right to kill them or not. To me, the issue is lucidly clear and has been “naturally pre-determined.” These are not fruits or vegetables or any inanimate objects. They are living organisms, with a life of their own. Killing them, even under a legalized system, is still murder, no matter the legal semantics. A fetus does count! If a pregnant mother is a victim of any violence or crime, which results in the death of both the mother and the fetus, the courts count the “value” of the fetus, and if the perpetrator is found guilty, he/she could be sentenced to, and meted out, “double” the punishment because of the two dead victims. So, why should the value of the fetus be “zero” in the case of intentional termination of pregnancy? Another argument I ﬁnd ludicrous is the one that says a woman has the right to do whatever she wants with her body, and therefore she has the right to terminate the life of her child inside her womb. The

Heart of Hope

man rights, it’s economically shortsighted. We call on all countries to fund and prioritize access to assistive technology and give everyone a chance to live up to their potential.” “Nearly 240 million children have disabilities. Denying children the right to the products they need to thrive doesn’t only harm individual children, it deprives families and their communities of everything they could contribute if their needs were met,” said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell. “Without access to assistive technology, children with disabilities will continue to miss out on their education, continue to be at a greater risk of child labor and continue to be subjected to stigma and discrimination, undermining their conﬁdence and wellbeing.” The report notes that the number of people in need of one or more assistive products is likely to rise to 3.5 billion by 2050, due to populations ageing and the prevalence of noncommunicable diseases rising across the world. The report also highlights the vast gap in access between low- and high-income countries. An analysis

fetus inside the womb is not a natural and integral part of the female body. All the women I know or have read about were not born with a fetus inside their womb as a part of their anatomy. Her entire body and appendages are natural parts of her, but not a fetus. So, how can the pro-abortion group claim that a fetus is a part of the woman’s body, and, therefore, could be “cut out” at her whim, like her hair, or her nails? The woman has the right to mutilate her own body, cut oﬀ her limbs or even her head if she so chooses because that’s her own body and her life is her own. But the fetus is not a natural part of a woman’s anatomy. It is another life. If a woman does not want to be pregnant, she could, and should, with modern medical advances, prevent conception. Why even carelessly allow life to start at all and then decide to annihilate it for expediency and personal comfort? If mercy killing of a terminally ill person in constant pain as an act of compassion is illegal, why should killing a healthy unborn at any stage be legalized? The wanton killing of fetuses our society has allowed for the past half a century is an immoral and shameful period in the history of man(“kind”?). As a physician, I fully agree that termination of pregnancy is medically and morally warranted in cases of incest, rape, and when the life of the mother is jeopardized by the pregnancy. I do realize the situation is not that simple and straightforward. But guided by our religious sensibilities and compassion, our education, and our culture where the family is the basic structure of our foundation in society, I am puzzled why there is, as I stated earlier, even a debate on the matter at all. The abuse of freedom The everlasting controversy in the abortion debate really hinges on the denial that a fetus is a human being, and on the misinterpretation of the word freedom. The pro-choice group (who, accurately, should call themselves pro-abortion – a distinction they evidently are not proud of themselves) believes that the freedom under the constitution means the right to do whatever one chooses, and in this case, obviously including the mother’s right to have her unborn killed. That is, of course, blatantly immoral, criminal, ludicrous, and actually should not be constitutional. The freedom and right to choose, as guaranteed by our constitution, gives us the liberty to do ONLY what is right, proper, ethical, moral, and legal. Freedom does not mean the liberty to do anything one wants to do, even

abridging the rights of others, like killing the weak, the sick, or even the hopeless and terminally ill, and extinguishing the life of the innocent, fragile and powerless fetus. Promulgating a law to declare premeditated murder legal does not make it right or deservingly constitutional. Terminating early pregnancy or mutilating a living fetus, cutting them into pieces, and crashing their skull should never be a part of our freedom in a civilized society. Even the blind can clearly see this very vividly! The unborn did not force its mother to have and enjoy a carefree, careless, unprotected sex. IF the “death penalty” were at all warranted to be meted out to one of them, it should be to the guilty perpetrators and certainly not to the innocent victim, the faultless and defenseless unborn. WHO reported between 40-50 million abortions are performed worldwide annually, about 125,000 each day. Since January 22, 1973, when abortion was legalized in the United States, more than 63 million have been carried out, 13 million more than the number of people killed during World War II. Today, over 3,000 abortions are performed daily (around 1 million 95 thousand a year) in the USA, where 22 percent of pregnancies are aborted. The US Supreme Court will soon decide whether to strike down the almost 50-year-old landmark Roe v. Wade decision which made abortion legal in this country. Will the millions of on-demand killings of the unborn be finally stopped? I honestly do not understand how some obviously intelligent and educated people, who value their own personal rights and are vigilantly fighting for those rights, can unconscionably deprive the rights of their own helpless fetuses, their own flesh-and-blood, to live? I wonder how the members of the pro-abortion movement would feel if they learned their mothers actually had wanted them terminated as fetuses. This is my opinion, and I’ll respect yours. Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, a Cardiac Surgeon Emeritus based in Northwest Indiana and Las Vegas, Nevada, is an international medical lecturer/ author, Health Advocate, newspaper columnist, and Chairman of the Filipino United Network-USA, a 501(c)3 humanitarian foundation in the United States. Websites: FUN8888.com, Today.SPSAtoday.com, and philipSchua.com Email: scalpelpen@gmail.com

29 May 19-25, 2022

NEWS  NATIONAL VIEWS & COMMENTS

HOW LONG DO WE HAVE TO WORRY

By TIM PEDROSA

orry is with us not because we are not good at stopping it, but simply because it’s part of being human. What matters is not whether good or bad things happen, both will, but our attitude towards them. There are things that we cannot change by worrying, but we can ruin the present by worrying over the unknown. Let’s not be anxious about anything , If we fill our heart with fear and regrets, we have no today to be thankful for. Worry is like a rocking chair. It will give you something to do but it won’t get you anywhere. If you worry you did not pray. If you pray don’t worry. So let’s be happy. This is the day the Lord has made, let’s enjoy, be glad in it. Here are some wonderful thoughts to reflect, derived from a forwarded email. Is there an imaginary cutoff period when children become accountable for their own actions? Is there some wonderful moment when parents can become detached spectators in the lives of their children and shrug, ‘It’s their life,’ and feel nothig? When I was in my 20s, I stood in a hospital corridor waiting for doctors to put a few stitches in my daughter’s head and I asked, ‘When do you stop worrying?’ The nurse said, ‘When they get out of the accident stage...’ My Parents just smiled faintly and said nothing. When I was in my 30s, I sat on a little chair in a classroom and heard how one of my children talked incessantly, disrupted the class, and was headed for a career making license plates. As

if to read my mind, a teacher said, ‘Don’t worry, they all go through this stage and then you can sit back, relax and enjoy them.’ My Parents just smiled faintly and said nothing. When I was in my 40s, I spent a lifetime waiting for the phone to ring, the cars to come home, the front door to open. A friend said, ‘They’re trying to find themselves. ‘Don’t worry! In a few years, they’ll be adults. ‘They’ll be off on their own they’ll be out of your hair.’ My Parents just smiled faintly And said nothing. By the time I was 50, I was sick and tired of being vulnerable. I was still worrying over my children, but there was a new wrinkle... Even though they were on their own, I continued to anguish over their failures, be tormented by their frustrations and absorbed in their disappointments...and there was nothing I could do about it. My Parents just smiled faintly and said nothing. My friends said that when my kids got married I could stop worrying and lead my own life. I wanted to believe that, but I was haunted by my parent’s warm smiles and their occasional, ‘You look pale. Are you all right’ ? ‘Call me the minute you get home’. Are you depressed about something?’ My friends said that when I became a grandparent that I would get to enjoy the happy little voices yelling Grandma! Papa! But now I find that I worry just as much about the little kids as the big ones. How can anyone cope with all this worry? Can it be that parents are sentenced to a lifetime of worry? Is concern for one another handed down like a torch to blaze the trail of human frailties and the fears of the unknown? Is concern a curse or is it a virtue that elevates us to the highest form of earthly creation? Recently, one of my own children became quite irritable, saying to me, ‘Where were you? I’ve been calling for 3 days, and no one answered I was worried.’ I smiled a warm smile. The torch has been passed.

Easter Special: Our Blessed Mother Mary

e may be tempted to think that our Blessed Mother Mary is parked to the side lines during Easter Season; that She does not share in the glory and joy of Easter like Mary Magdalene for example and the other women who went into the tomb that first day of the week of the resurrection as they were given the task of bringing the news to the other Apostles with exciteREV. JOSE PELAGIO A. PADIT, SThD ment and joy. The opposite actually is true; the Blessed Mother Mary is integrally a sharer of the Risen Lord’s glory and victory. In our written tradition which we call the New Testament gospel narratives, it is Mary Magdalene (Mk. 16:9-10; Mt. 28:9-10; Lk. 24:10) and other women who were the first recipient of the news of the resurrection. But very clear also that there were some moments of Jesus Christ disappearance from the tomb; that He was somewhere else; that only some angels have to tell them that He has risen. Then, afterwards, the Risen Lord Himself appears. So, where was the Risen Lord Jesus during those moments of His absence from the tomb or tomb’s place? Our Sacred Oral Tradition, which is also as important as our written tradition, says that the Risen Lord went to His Mother Mary first. That is why, we have a liturgical tradition and celebration of the holy encounter between our Lord Jesus and His sorrowful Mother. This encounter is dramatized culminating with the joyful and solemn singing of the Regina Caeli – Queen of Heaven rejoice, alleluia! Hence, Mary received the glory and joyful news of the resurrection first, but it was not Her mission to announce it. Hence, the Risen Lord Jesus, after seeing His Mother, appeared to Mary Magdalene and other women and the rest of His Apostles and disciples. I want us, then, dear reader, to reflect on the fact of our Blessed Mother Mary’s participation of Christ’s passion and His glorification. Firstly, just as Mary was present during those agonizing moments until Christ’s death on the Cross; so also, now in the glory of the resurrection, She also shares it with Her Son. This means for us, that just our Lord Jesus will not abandon us in our life’s endeavors; so also, our Blessed Mother Mary will never abandon us, but will also be with us in bad and in good times. We must, therefore, never hesitate to call on Her in prayer. We must never doubt the power of our devotion to Her, for that is also what Jesus wanted for all of us when He told John (Jn. 19:26-27), “behold your mother.” Our Blessed Mother shared the passion and death of Her Son spiritually; by Her spiritual martyrdom we are given an important clue of Her power to intercede for us. Her sharing of Her Son’s Paschal Mystery was meritable not only for Her but also for all humanity. Secondly, with Mary, we have Her consoling companionship. During this Easter Season just as She was with the Apostles and the other disciples of the Lord before the Pentecost event; She accompanies us also in all our human and divine endeavors. Her presence during the time of fear of the Apostles and other disciples before the resurrection gave them encouragement. Her presence during the time of the resurrection towards Pentecost gave them inspiration to persevere and be prayerful as they will receive the Holy Spirit. She knew what it means to receive the Holy Spirit, for She Herself received and been filled with the Holy Spirit. In all events of our life, we can go to Blessed Mother and pray for Her inspiration and guidance. The joy of life is gift of the Risen Lord and also of the Blessed Mother Mary; we cannot forget that. In closing, I want us to picture our Blessed Mother Mary as the Privileged Daughter of the Father, the Beloved Mother of the Son, and Holy Temple of the Holy Spirit or as the Fathers of the Church says, “Spouse of the Holy Spirit.” Mary was given a unique role in the history of our salvation; not by Her own merit, but singularly by the Divine Will of God. Let us be fond of praying or singing the Regina Caeli in honor of the Blessed Mother during this Easter Season; for as we honor her with joy, we also give glory to Her Jesus, our Risen Lord. Amen.

Aﬂame The Heart

INSPIRATIONAL ARTICLE FOR THE WEEK

31 May 19-25, 2022  NATIONAL NEWS

 FOOD & TRAVELS

Recipe of the Week Chicken Asado, Ingredients: 1 k. chicken, cut into serving pieces with the bones intact 1/4 cup kalamansi juice 1/4 cup soy sauce 1 cup tomato sauce 2 medium size onion, chopped 1/2 head garlic, minced 4 potatoes, quartered 3 pc. bay leaf salt and pepper cooking oil

 FOOD & TRAVELS

Bacolod, NegOcc tourism enterprises urged to seek accreditation

Cooking procedure: In a bowl marinate chicken with kalamansi, soy sauce, salt and pepper for 10 to 20 minutes before cooking. In a sauce pan fry chicken for 3 to 5 minutes or until colour turn to golden brown in batches. Remove from pan, set aside. In same sauce pan sauté garlic and onion, add in chicken, stir fry for 2 to 3 minutes, Add tomato sauce and bay leaf, stir cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Pour in 2 to 3 cups of water and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. Add in potato and simmer for another 5 to 10 minutes or until chicken and potato are cooked and tender and until most of the liquid has evaporated. Correct saltines if required. Serve hot.

BACOLOD CITY – The Department of Tourism-Western Visayas (DOT) urged tourism enterprises in Negros Occidental and in this capital city to seek accreditation to be oﬃcially recognized for their compliance with the minimum standards for operation. On Wednesday, the DOT-6 Tourism Regulation Division continued to receive applications through its “Accreditation on Wheels” program as part of the ongoing Lakbayanihan Tourism Fair 2022 held until May 29 at the Ayala Malls Capitol Central here. DOT-6 Regional Director Cristine Mansinares said through the initiative, they aim to assist tourism enterprises in complying with travel safety standards. “Let us continue to promote a safe, fun and sustainable tourism,” she added. So far, some 270 tourism enterprises in Negros Occidental and Bacolod City are already accredited, the second-highest number in Western Visayas. To apply for accreditation, a tourism establishment must submit a mayor’s permit and a certiﬁcation from the De-

partment of Trade and Industry or the Securities and Exchange Commission. Those that can apply are primary tourism enterprises such as accommodations, including hotels, resorts, apartment hotels, tourist inns, pension houses, and homestays. Others include travel and tour services like tour operators, travel agencies, tourist air, land, and water transport providers as well as meetings, incentives, conventions, and exhibitions (MICE) organizers and venues. Under ecotourism, an ecoguide, ecotour facility, and ecotour operator can also apply. Those considered secondary tourism enterprises can also seek accreditation, including health and wellness service providers such as ambulatory clinics, spas and medical concierges. Also qualiﬁed to apply are galleries, restaurants, rest areas, and tourism entertainment complex. Tourism front-liners such as tour guides and tourism trainers can also seek accreditation. (PNA)

ACCREDITATION BOOTH. The Department of Tourism (DOT)-Western Visayas “Accredita�on on Wheels” booth in the ongoing Lakbayanihan Tourism Fair 2022 at the Ayala Malls Capitol Central in Bacolod City. An accredita�on from the DOT ofﬁcially recognizes a tourism establishment’s compliance with minimum standards for opera�on. (PNA photo by Nane�e L. Guadalquiver)