Philippine News Today by Philippine News Today

MANILA – The Philippine economy cannot soon recover from the eﬀects of the pandemic, and it’s not because of this time of high inﬂation, skyrocketing

Page 8 Page 8

The music video, “All of

catchy all inclusive unifying song was launched during a a civic leadership forum on anti-hate recently held at City of Santa Clara and sponsored jointly by

MANILA – A new wave of kidnappings in the country has been uncovered prompting the Senate to launch an investigation as it called on the Philip-

Us Belong Right Here,” was launched at the forum that dwelt on the topic “AAPI: The Great Awakening” and its goal was to create a community platform for all AAPI organizations

BAMBOO PLANTING. President Marcos leads a tree plan�ng program in San Mateo, Rizal to mark his 65th birthday as oﬃcials look on.

While hate crimes are not a new phenomenon in the US, the rise of hate crimes aimed squarely at the Asian American community can be traced to an incident that occurred a little more than a year ago.

oil prices, or the falling value of the peso vis-à-vis the US dollar.

Ding Ding TV and Silicon Valley Community Media, a proud partner for 2022 National Civic Leadership Forum that was held from September 11 to 13 in Las Vegas.

By ALFRED GABOT, Editor-in-Chief

In the morning of March 17, 2021 three words spread across social media – Stop Asian Hate.

By Claire Morales True

The country’s biggest organization of professional private sector executives says

By Be�ng Laygo Dolor, Editor

It was both a reaction and a plea for an end to attacks against Asian Americans that had been happening in variousPage 10

CITY OF STA. CLARA - A

VIEWS & COMMENTS SPORTSSHOWBIZ PESO-DOLLARRATE Can you naturalize if you overstayed your green card? Heart Chiz?BreaksmovingEvangelistatoParis?upwith $1.00=P56.85 Page 14By A�y. Lozano Page 17 September 15, 1:30am2022 Narra leaves medicinal values cited Newsom puts Commission on State of Hate to work P28 P25 Alex Eala wins US Open girls junior tourney Page 21 PHL execs: Corruption, not inflation, is biggest hurdle to recovery Anti-hate crime music video launched to help combat hate New ‘kidnapping wave’ uncovered, probe on Asian Wherehate:itallbegan MANILA – Now, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. wants to reopen the estate tax case involving the Marcos family properties which in 1991 was worth over P23 billion so that, with due process, he said it can be settled and closed properly. MARCOS: OPEN FAMILY’S P23-B ESTATE TAX CASE Page 9 THE PREMIER FILIPINO-AMERICAN NEWSPAPER IN THE U.S. SINCE 1961Vol. 62 No.6 September 15-21, 2022 NEWS AND VIEWS YOU TRUST www.pnewstoday.com NORTHERN CALIFORNIA EDITION Page 19

By Jun Nucum

AN ANTI-HATE MUSIC VIDEO is launched by groups and oﬃcials, including Santa Clara Mayor Lisa Gillmor, Fremont Mayor Lily Mei, Kenson Ventures chairman Ken Fong, Lt. Commander Jay Chen and Joel Wong.

‘Our side will be heared,’ says President

pine National Police to look into the spate of kidnappings andAccordingtorture. to PNP data, out of 27 kidnapping cases

By Gilda Balan, Correspondent

--- Al & Lyn Relojo

3 September 15-21, 2022  NATIONAL NEWS

Smooth Home buying and selling experience

and Local Government (DILG).Both DOJ Secretary Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla and DILG Secretary Benjamin “Benhur” Abalos Jr. easily earned the nod of the CA members as nobody expressed opposition to theirFiveappointments.daysafter his overwhelming victory in the May presidential election, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. announced the appointment of Abalos to head the DILG, and 10 days later, he named Remulla as DOJ chief.Remulla was the former governor of Cavite and served as representative of 7th district of the province twice from 2019 to 2022 and 2010 to 2013.Hewas also the undersecretary of the Presidential Management Staff (PMS) during the Estrada administration and was the Chief of Staff of former Senator Loi Ejercito Estrada.

PASAY CITY – The Commission on Appointments (CA) confirmed two former local

Lyn and I can’t thank you enough how much smooth the process selling our home. You guys were there guiding us from beginning un�l the end. You answered every ques�ons and explained every part of the process

clearly and thoroughly. It was our ﬁrst �me selling a property and you made this experience painless and stress free! The house was sold approximately less than a month and above lis�ng price. With that said, thank you from the bo�om of our hearts!”

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chief executives to lead the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Department of the Interior

CA conﬁrms appointment of Remulla, Abalos

Progress of Paranaque revisited in new book

She also acknowledged the hard work of all employees across the nation, including those in OVP satellite o ces.

C C SU data showed that District logged the highest number with 13 cas-

The city also recorded 1 deaths due to dengue from anuary 1 to September , 2022.Meanwhile, the city government also noted an increase in its leptospirosis cases with 7 cases from an. 1 to Sept. 1, thisTheyear.city government advised residents to wear protective gear like boots especially when wading through ﬂood waters.

“Paranaque, A Mega City by the Bay” is foremost a legacy book on what the local government under the leadership of Mayor dwin L. Olivare has achieved from une 2013- une 2022. It features the Bagong Paranaque as envisioned by then Mayor Olivare when he took his oath of o ce in 2013. The journey has not been easy with the COVID-1 pandemic interrupting an otherwise smooth growth trajectory.

September 15-21, 2022 4

OVP spokesperson Reynold Munsayac said face masks will be required for those transacting business in the o ce.

MANDALUYONG CITY – The country’s vice president has a new o ce. The new o ce, located at the 11th ﬂoor of the Robinsons Cybergate Pla a, dsa corner Pioneer Street, Mandaluyong City, was blessed and opened by Vice President and ducation Secretary Sara Duterte on September 13.

“Pinagsikapan natin na magkaroon tayo ng opisina kung saan ang mga empleyado ng Central O ce ng OVP ay nasa iisang gusali lamang dahil nais nating maging mas epektibo, mas matipid, at mas mapabilis ang ating trabaho dito sa Central O ce,” Duterte said at the inauguration of the o ce.

Sara opens ne main ofﬁce

Duterte also lauded the workforce behind the eﬀ ective delivery of the OVP.“Nagpapasalamat po ako sa lahat ng mga kawani ng O ce of the Vice President kayong lahat na naririto ngayon na buong-puso, buong-katapangan, at buong-katapatan na nagsisilbi sa publiko

By Lolly Rivera Acosta

U ON CITY – The ue on City government is reminding residents to clean their surroundings and be cautious as it reported a three-fold rise in cases of dengue as well as leptospirosis in the city this year.

 METRO NEWS

She added that the public can now expect a wider range of services in the next coming months.

Clean up, C urges residents as dengue, leptospirosis cases rise

In a Facebook post, the city government under Mayor oy Belmonte said the C pidemiology and Disease Surveillance Unit C SU recorded a total of 2,32 dengue cases from the city’s six districts from an. 1 to Sept. . The city government logged a total of

7 dengue cases in the same period last year.“ Some 211.23 percent o 1, 0 ang itinaas ng kaso kumpara noong 2021. Patuloy na binabantayan ng lokal na pamahalaan ang bilang ng nagkakasakit sa dengue There is an increase of 211.23 percent or 1, 0 cases as compared in 2021. The local government continues to monitor the number of dengue cases ,” the city government’s post states.

es, while District 3 has the lowest with 31 dengue cases.

PARANA U CITY - The City of Para aque and Media Touchstone Ventures, Inc. MTVi launched on September 1 a sequel to the book ”From Pueblo to Mega City by the Bay” at The Forum, Solaire Resorts Casino, Para aque City.

I thank all of you, OVP personnel, all of you who are here, who have wholeheartedly, courageously, and faithfully served the public ,” she said.

By Jennifer Santos

Titled “Paranaque, A Mega City by the Bay,” the 30 -paged coﬀee table book is authored by Melandrew T. Velasco, a veteran writer and publisher who has authored 2 books among these historical biographies, institutional coﬀee table books and books for local government units.

The OVP is continuously providing medical and burial assistance, OVP Libreng Sakay, as well as the pagbaBAGo campaign.Otherprojects and programs will be also available soon including Peace 11 and MagNegosyo Ta Day. The programs are expected to be accessible through their satellite o ces in Dagupan, Cebu, Tacloban, amboanga, Davao, Surigao del Sur, and Bacolod.

Duterte said the new OVP central ofce aims to streamline the OVP services through a uni ed establishment. The OVP held its o ce at New Manila in ue on City under Vice President Maria Leonor Leni Robredo.

“We encourage everyone to exercise caution when passing through the drop zones in Burgos, Ilocos Norte, especially ships, aircraft, shing boats, and other vessels because rocket debris from the Chinese launch could fall into these areas,” the agency said in a public advisory.

Garcia said he is thankful that the sea is rough and the local shermen did not insist on going.

The proposal came from Mayor Junard “Ahong” Chan of Lapu-Lapu City, one of only two local government units in the progressive and densely populated island.

Mayor Garcia said: “As soon as we learned of the possible falling of rocket debris, we have been monitoring our seawaters for ﬂoating debris, but so far there’s none.” Garcia as he joined the personnel of the Philippine Coast Guard and the Philippine National Police in monitoring the Burgos shoreline.

Mactan also is known as top producer of furnitures, guitars, ukuleles and other musical instruments.

Chan said the separation of Mactan from Cebu province will hasten the development of Lapu-Lapu City, Cordova and the seven Olango islands.

“Dako kaayo na siya og ika tabang, nga para siguro ma picture out nako ang Lapu-Lapu, if they will become a Province of Mactan, siguro that will be the next little Singapore,” said Chan in a Sun Star report.

The Philippine Space Agency earlier warned that two drop zones for the debris within the Philippine territory have been identi ed based on the Notice to Airmen (NOTAM). Drop Zone is approximately kilometers from Burgos, Ilocos Norte, while Drop Zone is approximately kilometers away from Santa Ana, Cagayan.Theagency said that while the Chinese rocket is unlikely to fall on land features or inhabited areas in Philippine territory, authorities said falling debris still poses

a considerable threat to ships, aircraft, shing boats, and other vessels that may pass through these drop zones.

Creation of Mactan province pushed

In case suspected ﬂoating debris is sighted at sea, the PhilSA warned the public against retrieving or coming in close contact with these materials.

Ilocos Norte, Cagayan folk warned on China rocket debris

With a territory stretching 65 square kilometers and population going to almost 600,000, Mactan also covers the town of Cordova and the Olango group of islands which are top tourist destinations and under the jurisdiction of both Lapu-Lapu City and MactanCordova.island is one of Cebu’s top tourist attractions being the home of the Mactan-Cebu International Airport, the gateway to Cebu province, several resort hotels and casino resorts. It was in Mactan island where Ferdinand Magellan and his men were repulsed by chieftain Lapu-Lapu.

Mayor Chan said the creation of Mactan island as a separate province was the dream of the late Secretary Adelino “Addy” Sitoy, who also served as mayor of Cordova.

Burgos Mayor Crescente Garcia said in a PNA report that upon learning of the advisory, he immediately informed coastal villagers in Burgos town not to venture out to sea while authorities are still monitoring the area.

Poblacion barangay chief Joegie Jimenez said the local police are also monitoring and observing the sea within their respective areas of jurisdiction.

The island, which is connected with mainland Cebu province via three bridges, is also home of industrial plants many of which are based at the Mactan Export Processing Zone (MEPZ).

LAPU-LAPU CITY A plan to make the island of Mactan a new province separate from Cebu has been put forward.

5 September 15-21, 2022  PROVINCIAL NEWS

LAOAG CITY – Coastal residents in Burgos, Ilocos Norte have been warned against debris from a Chinese rocket that was launched on Sept. from the Wenchang Space Launch Center in Hainan Island.

At the hearing, Padilla said the Philippine Constitution changed several times from the Malolos Convention, 1 3 Constitution, 1 73 Constitution, and the 1 7 Constitution, adding all of this happened to adapt to the changes of times.

“Ang lahat ay welcome sa ating hear-

“Thankminutes.youfor your continued support of the budget and all the programs, activities, and projects of the O ce of the Vice President,” Duterte said.

Speaker Martin Romualde hailed Duterte for exhibiting her “exemplary brand of leadership” as she defended the proposed budgets of her o ce and the Department of ducation Dep d .

He said if the economic provisions of the Constitution are amended, it will attract more investors that will generate jobs.

“For the record, I’d like you to know I think this is an act of courage on your part, it is both patriotic and heroic. So far from what I’ve seen in the long history of our legislature, what you’re doing now is historic. And sana kung magkatotoo nga If the changes will take place , you will have the thanks of many unborn Filipinos . Bale next generation ang makikinabang sa pag-amend natin sa Constitution The next generation of Filipinos will bene t from all this ,” Abad said.

371 detainees freed ahead of prison decongestion agenda

This may be the largest mega prison in the world. There may be no other facility with this number of inmates ,” he said.

He reiterated that his committee will be fair and balanced in its hearings and that everyone will have a voice.

“Marahil ito na ang biggest mega prison sa buong mundo, dito po sa Bilibid ala na

he stressed as his panel started its hearings on proposals to amend the nation’s fundamental law.

By Jean Michael Penaranda

“Boying” Remulla, PAO Chief Persida Rueda-Acosta, and Bucor Director General Gerald Bantag “collaborated to make this possible. Three hundred more are up for executive clemency.”

The panel, chaired by Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. aldy Co, terminated the proceedings on the OVP’s budget in less than 15 minutes without any interpellation upon the motion of House Minority Leader and Ps Party-list Rep. Marcelino “Nonoy” Libanan.

Remulla, who has announced the prisons’ decongestion as a top priority of his o ce personally visited the NBP.

Currently, the OVP has programs like medical and burial assistance, the OVP Libreng Sakay, and the pagbaBAGo campaign.Other projects to be launced include Peace 11 and MagNegosyo Ta Day.

According to the OVP, the Department of Budget and Management DBM recommended a budget of P2.30 billion for 2023, compared to the P70 .3 -million proposal of the OVP.

September 15-21, 2022 6 NATIONAL NEWS NATIONAL NEWS

Padilla stressed the need for a change of the 3 -year-old Constitution to adjust to the needs of the times but clari ed that he is not blaming any previous administrations for the country’s situation.

The 2 0 majority of the 371 PDLs released already served their maximum sentence, quali ed for parole, while 31 were acquitted and two quali ed for probation.Acosta, meanwhile, said the plan is to grant clemency to up to 3,000 quali ed PDLs by the end of the year.

“If there is anything we can do to help you as an o ce in your respective mandates, in your legislative districts and partylists, please do let us know. e are open to collaborations in helping our fellow Filipinos,” Duterte said.

“We continue to support as well the legislative districts of our honorable members of the house of representatives with all the meager projects of the O ce of the Vice President If there is anything that we can do to help you as an ofce in your respective mandates, in your respective legislative districts and party lists, please do let us know,” she added.

Next year’s budget is more than thrice of the current year’s allocation of P702 million.

“Ang average acceptable sa correction facility, pupwede raw ay hanggang 2, 00 lamang ang laman. Mahigit sampung ulit nun ang nandito sa New Bilibid Prisons

He added that even the United States

ing pro or anti lahat po ay may boses veryone is welcome to attend to our hearing, pro or anti, all must air their voices ,” PadillaAbadsaid.lauded the senator for his courage in holding such hearings, adding the next generation of Filipinos stands to bene t from them.

“Nasa 2022 na tayo. ailangan lamang siguro sa panahon ngayon ay magadjust tayo kung ano ang nangyayari, una sa paligid natin at kung ano ang nangyayari sa mundo. Dapat nandoon na po tayo. Hindi po tayo dapat sarado e are in 2022. e have to adjust to the times and our surroundings. e cannot aﬀord to remain close-minded ,” he said.

Padilla pushes constitutional amendments

The ideal number in a prison facility is around 2, 00. e have more than 10 times that number here in Bilibid ,” he said.

Vice President Sara Duterte thanked the lawmakers for endorsing the OVP budget during the House budget deliberation for the OVP, which only took less than 1

Co said he fully supports the proposed P2.31 billion budget of the OVP for next year, the bulk of which will go toward good governance, projects, and the needed social services.

House panel endorses P2.3-B budget for ice resident s ofﬁce

MANILA – The sweet taste of freedom nally came for 371 persons deprived of liberty PDL who were released on September 12, even as the Department of ustice DO also submitted the names of 300 other PDLs to Malaca ang for the possible grant of executive clemency.

Forty- ve including four women were senior citi ens.

of America has undergone amendments and is very much diﬀerent from the 177 Constitution.Padillasaid Filipinos must remain open-minded “because the world is changing. veryone is now using the internet and anyone can run a business using “computers.”ailanman po wala kaming sinabi na kasalanan ng isang pangulong dumaan kung ano man po ang nangyayari na kahirapan sa Pilipinas. ala po kaming sinasabing ganoon. Ang malinaw po naming pinaparating po sa inyo na sa mga maan na panahon, natural lamang po na nagbabago ang Constitution,” he said.

The biggest growth in the 2023 budget was for the maintenance and other operating expenses, which increased by 27 percent to P2.0 billion in 2023 from P . 0 million in 2022. The MOO accounts for 1 percent of the proposed budget.Capital outlay for the OVP grew to P 2. million from P3. million.

ber 2,000 to 3,000 Our target until December is 2,000 to 3,000,” she said.

PASAY CITY – Amend the 1 7 PhilippineThisConstitution.isthebattlecry of neophyte Senator Robinhood “Robin” Padilla, chairman of the Senate committee on constitutional amendments and revision of codes, which

pe seconded the motion.

At least 1 1 PDLs, were from the New Bilibid Prison NBP in Muntinlupa, 37 from the Correctional Institute for Women CI , while 1 3 PDLs came from other prison and penal facilities run by the Bucor.

He noted the points raised by the resource person, law professor Anthony Amunategui Abad, that the Constitution adjusts to the needs of the times.

The OVP got P70 .02 million in 2020, P 0 .7 million in 2021, and P713. 1 million in 2022.

The approval of the motion to terminate means that the panel will endorse the proposed budget to the plenary for another round of deliberations.

“ hile some members of the Makabayan bloc would like to provide questions on some new items in the budget... They will provide questions in the plenary to extend courtesy to the O ce of the Vice President and therefore, Mr. Speaker, I move that we terminate the briefing of the O ce of the Vice President,” LibananHousesaid.Majority Leader Manuel Dali-

tricts.

The amount recommended by the DBM is 223 percent higher than the appropriated amount for 2022.

ho ganitong pasilidad sa ibang bansa kundi dito na lang na ganito karami ang nakapiit

“The 371 released were a result of the DO and Bureau of Corrections’ Bucor computation of time served with the help of Public Attorney’s O ce PAO lawyers,” said DO spokesperson Mico Clavano.Clavano said DO Secretary Crispin

“Ang target namin hanggang Decem-

QUEZON CITY – The House of Representatives appropriations committee swiftly terminated its hearing for the Ofce of the Vice President’s OVP proposed P2.3-billion budget for 2023.

She urged the lawmakers to coordinate with the OVP for possible program collaborations in various legislative dis-

“I speak for my colleagues when I say that this committee has full con dence in the VP’s performance of her duties,” Co said.Vice President Sara Duterte thanked the House panel for its support and swift termination of the 2023 budget of the OVP.

Remulla said consultants place the ideal capacity of NBP at 2, 00 individuals.

MANILA On his 65th birthday, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has signed an order imposing a year-long moratorium on payments of amortization and interest on loans of agrarian reform bene ciaries, the Department of Agrarian Reform DAR reported.

This as the daily average of coronavirus disease 201 Covid-1 cases went down by 10 percent for the period Sept. to 11, the Department of Health DOH reported.

To date, about 72,770, 721 or 93.18 percent of the country’s target population 7 ,100, 7 are vaccinated against Covid-19, including 78.18 percent of 8,721,357 senior citizens.

Marcos signs order to freeze land amortization, interest payments for agrarian reform farmers Mask wearing outdoors now voluntary State of calamity over Covid 19 extended 510-579-1382 (TTY:711) Daphne Delos Santos Licensed Insurance Agent medicaredaphne@gmail.com Got These cards? Let’s Find the Medicare Advantage plan for you. You may be able to get more benefits for no additional cost, such as coverage for: As a licensed insurance agent, I can help you decide how Medicare Advantage plans may help you get more benefits than you do with Original Medicare, while still keeping your state Medicaid benefits. Dental, Vision and Hearing Fitness program – Gym Membership Over-the-Counter health and personal items Healthy Foods And many more! *Not all benefits are available on all Plans. Coverage varies by Plan and location. By calling this number, you agree to speak with an independent health insurance agent about Medicare Advantage products. Neither Medicare nor Medicaid has neither reviewed nor endorsed this information. This is an advertisement. We do not offer every plan available in your area. Any information we provide is limited to those plans we do offer in your area. Please contact Medicare.gov or 1–800–MEDICARE (TTY users should call 1-877-486-2048) 24 hours a day/7 days a week to get information on all of your options.

Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia followed Rama by issuing her own EO making the wearing of masks in outdoor and well-ventilated areas optional in the province.

This was disclosed by Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles who said the extension of the declaration of state of calamity is aimed at preserving the bene ts under it, such as the indemni cation, emergency procurement and special risk allowance for healthcare workers.

MANILA Wearing of face masks in outdoor settings is now voluntary in the Philippines.Thisafter

The executive order covers the payments of amortization fees and loan interests for agricultural lands distributed by the government under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program.

The latest case bulletin showed there were 1 ,37 new cases and 300 veri ed deaths.

of the controversy that erupted after Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama issued his own EO last Aug. 31 making mask wearing “non-obligatory” both outdoors and indoors in Cebu City, except in medical facilities at the discretion of its administrator, as well as by persons who are immunocompromised, sick and experiencing flu-like symptoms who go outside their homes.Rama’s EO sparked a strong reaction from the Department of the Interior and Local Government DILG and the Department of Health DOH , both of which were not consulted before the issuance of Rama’s EO that deviates from the national policy that masks be worn in public places.Cebu

As of Sept. 11, a total of 18,552,043 have received booster shots out of the fully vaccinated populatio

7 September 15-21, 2022  NATIONAL NEWS NATIONAL NEWS

farms instead, DAR Secretary Conrado Estrella III said.

The DAR chief said the signed order is in preparation for Congress to pass a law that will condone the loans of bene ciaries with unpaid amorti ation and interests.“We always think about the farmers’ welfare. The one-year moratorium and condonation of farmers’ loan payment will lead to freedom of farmers from debts,” he said in a statement.

Marcos previously urged Congress to amend section of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law of to emancipate over ,000 bene ciaries from agrarian reform debt burden of more than billion.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. issued on Sept. an executive order O allowing the voluntary wearing of face masks in outdoor settings across the country amid the coronavirus disease Covid-1 pandemic.

The fruition of one of Marcos’ promises during his first State of the Nation Address in July is seen to unburden the beneficiaries of their debts, giving them the freedom to use the money as capital to develop their

Under O 3, which is “eﬀective immediately,” wearing of masks is no longer mandatory in “open spaces and non-crowded outdoor areas with good ventilation.”Butthe elderly, immunocompromised individuals and those who have not yet completed their Covid-19 vaccination are “highly encouraged” to continue wearing their masks in all public areas to ensure theirFullyprotection.vaccinated individuals are those who have completed their primary series of Covid-19 Marcos’svaccine.EOcomes on the heels

MANILA The declaration of a state of calamity in the country due to the coronavirus disease Covid-1 pandemic has been extended “possibly for three months” or until the end of the year.

Of the additional deaths, the DOH said 108 occurred from Sept. to 11.

In the same period, 12 cases were added to the tally of severe and critical infections, which went down to 727 from the previous week’s

Only768.23.9 percent or 594 out of the 2, intensive care unit ICU beds are in use, while 298.2 percent or 5,925 of 21, 020 non-ICU beds are utilized.

From 2,449 per day recorded from Aug. 29 to Sept. 4, the number decreased to 2,197 daily in the recent week.

By Jennifer Santos

The Philippines was rst placed under state of calamity in March 2020, over a month following the detection of the rst Covid-19 case in the country.

It was extended by former President Rodrigo Duterte until September 12, 2022 to ““eﬀectively aﬀord the national government, as well as local government units, ample latitude to continue to implement the Covid-19 vaccination program.”

In a related development, Interior and Local Government Secretary Benjamin “Benhur” Abalos Jr. said the PNP rescued another Chinese kidnap victim during operations in Angeles City, Pampanga on September

arlier, police o cers rescued a Malaysian woman who was kidnapped and held for ransom by a ChineseMalaysian man and his FilipinopingTheaccomplice.PNPAnti-Kidnap-Group(AKG),identied the suspects as ustine Alaraz, 28, and ChineseMalaysian national Chan Yong Howe, 29.

The 65-year-old Marcos Jr. also pledged transparency in transactions between the private sector and the government.

The Philippine peso also hit its all-time low, breaching the P57:$1 mark last week.

14.

The Chinese Embassy in Manila urged authorities to protect the “legitimate rights and interests” of Chinese citizens in the country in the wake of the series of kidnapping whose many victims were Chinese nationals.

hile the president has promised to practice sound scal management and spending e ciency to boost the country’s economy, he has much to prove as his dictator-father and namesake earned a global reputation for amassing ill-gotten wealth in the billions of dollars.

PNP chief Gen. Rodolfo Azurin, however, said the kidnapping of Chinese nationals and Fil-Chinese were not grounded in truth following his meeting with the leaders of the Federation of Filipino Chinese Chambers Of Commerce Industry, IncHe also said that per data from the PNP Anti-Kidnapping Group, there are “zero” cases of kidnapping for ransom being investigated.

Sen. Imee Marcos also aired concern over the “alarming number of incidents of abuse, kidnapping, disappearances, and killing of women in the country.”

the real problem is corruption.

“Uncontrolled inﬂation” only placed third in the list of threats to the potential rebound, even as Finance chief and former head of the central bank Benjamin Diokno claimed recently that the Philippine economy had already returned to pre-pandemic levels.

June was the month when Marcos Jr. was formally declaredMarcos’president.statevisit to Indonesia and Singapore two weeks ago which he described as “better than expected” was also seen to have produced mostly pie-in-the-sky promises but with no concrete commitments. Malacanang could not produce the names of the investors who were supposedly set to invest P840 billion (about billion) into the country.

from January to September this year, 15 were POGOrelated. This is slightly higher from the 12 recorded in the same period in 2021

Sen. dela Rosa, chairman of the Senate public order panel and himself a former PNP chief, said he will lead a probe on the cases in aid of legislation starting September 15.

A recent survey conducted by the Management Association of the Philippines in tandem with PwC – a global business advisory rm formerly known as Price aterhouse -- showed that percent of CEOs believe the decades’ old problem of massive graft and corruption in the government could delay economic recovery.

Senators Grace Poe, JV Ejercito and Ronald dela Rosa called on the PNP and other authorities to probe cases of kidnapping, abduction and disappearances, particularly involving women and oﬀshore gaming operations workers.

Results of the survey were released to local media this week. Among other ndings, the executives of top corporations also listed lower investments and political uncertainty as the next in line in their worries of the things that could slow down recovery.

The majority of the 119 CEOs who took part in the survey want President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.’s administration to prioritize transparency and accountability,

The survey was conducted both online and face-toface answering of questionnaires, and was conducted from July to August, this year.

PwC Philippines chairman emeritus Alex Cabrera said, “It’s just too tough to break this problem of corruption in agencies, and businesses are feeling it.”

A little more than one third of the CEOs said their businesses had not recovered from the coronavirus pandemic up to now.

That the Marcos brand is still considered toxic with global investors can be gleaned from the sharp drop in foreign direct investments to the Philippines, which the million recorded in June of this year being percent lower compared to the same month last year.

Police arrested Chen Yi Bien alias Ayi, 33, human resource manager of Lucky South 99.

ghting corruption, and attracting investments.

“Incidental to the rescue of the kidnapped foreigner, 42 other Chinese nationals who were similarly enslaved under human tra cking conditions in a Philippine Oﬀshore Gaming Operation (POGO) establishment were likewise rescued by operatives of the PNP Anti-Kidnapping Group (PNP-AKG) led by Police Colonel Rodolfo Castil Jr. at Lucky South 99, Fil-Am Friendship Highway, Angeles City, Pampanga,” Abalos added.

More than half of the surveyed executives expect economic recovery in two years at the earliest. They see infrastructure spending and domestic consumption as growth drivers in the next 12 months, but that growth will not be su cient to return to pre-pandemic levels.

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September 15-21, 2022 8

Marcos admitted that his landslide win “shocked” him.

“’You (Dad) should be here. This is yours. This is not all mine. This is yours and mom’s. It’s your good work that brought me here. Don’t leave me now. I’m going to need your help,” Marcos said, as he recounted what he had told his father when he visited his tomb on May 11, or two days after the May 9, 2022 presidential race.

Marcos said martial law was declared to suppress the armed rebellion from two fronts – the communists and the MuslimMarcosseparatists.alsorevealed in the interview his dream of lifting more Filipinos out of poverty, as many children suﬀer from hunger and living in poverty.

Late former president Ferdinand Marcos Sr. passed away in Hawaii in 1989.

Acknowledging that “performance is best politics,” Marcos promised to work for the Filipino people and give them a comfortable“Performancelife. is the best politics. ‘Pag maganda ang nagawa mo, kahit anong sabihin nila, nagawa mo eh (If you are able to accomplish something, whatever they say, you are able to do it),” he said.

In the same interview, Marcos disputed claims that his late father was a dictator, adding that his martial law rule in the 1970s was not meant to prolong his grip on power.

Marcos maintained that his goal of slashing rice prices to as low as P20 per kilo is “possible” but admitted that it may take some Despitetime.the challenges that he may face during his presidency, Marcos said he is now ready to take on a “wild ride.”

Marcos won the presidency by a landslide 31,629,783 votes, or over 16 million votes ahead of his closest rival, former Vice President Maria Leonor Robredo.

The SC’s decision became nal and executory in 1 . It means it can no longer be appealed.

Marcos...

The SC, however, said that the notices about the de ciency estate tax assessment were sent to Marcos family several times after they returned to the Philippines.

Martial law was painted as a dark chapter in Philippine history because the “victors” wrote it,” Marcos Jr. said, which victims disputed.

He, nevertheless, attributed his victory to his father and mother, former First Lady Imelda Marcos.

The President said that his family did not have the chance to answer the case, pointing out that they could not present an argument at that time because they were in the United States.“So when it was the time for us to answer, we had no chance to answer because we were nakakulong in Hickam Air Force Base in Hawaii,” he added.

According to the High Court’s decision, the Marcos family did not do anything to question these assessments.

namin talaga ‘yung sinasabi nilang property kasi hindi maliwanag ang pag-aari ng mga property na sinasabi amin. Sinasabi namin hindi amin ‘yan. Huwag niyo kami tina-tax diyan,” Marcos said.

“Paano ho sila nag-come up nung P23 billion na gure ”

Marcos said he is encouraging the investigation of his family’s so-called billions of pesos worth of unpaid estate tax, saying they are prepared to answer questions.

Marcos disclosed that he had signed a quit claim several times to prove that they had nothing to do with those properties. “Pumirma na ako, ilang beses na akong pumirma ng quit claim na tinatawag. Kung talagang gusto niyo, kunin niyo. Hindi amin ‘yan eh,” he added.

“ e are actually encouraging that this nally be resolved because…I don’t want to make a legal opinion for which I am not quali ed but we were never allowed to argue because when this case came out, we were all in the United States,” he said.

Marcos led a tree planting in San Mateo, Rizal as one of his activities on his 65th birthday. Marcos also celebrated his birthday with the orphans in San Juan City, conducting a giftgiving activity for them.

This led to the creation of a Special Tax Audit Team to assess tax liabilities and obligations of the late former president.

“Now we are all here, open the case and let us argue with it,” said Marcos.

Gonzaga

(From page 1)

In 1997, the Supreme Court found that the Marcos estate was liable for a total of P23 billion estate tax for failing to le estate tax returns and payments since the older Marcos’ death in “Iisa-isahin1989.

Basta’t pinagsama-sama lang nila kung ano-anong property. Eh ‘yung karamihan doon, hindi talaga wala kaming kinalaman doon,” Marcos said.

As he celebrated his 65th birthday, Marcos revealed a change of heart about the case during an exclusive interview with actress-singer-host Toni Gonzaga which was aired during the soft launch of the new Channel 2, the ALLTV of billionaire Manny Villar Jr.

The president admitted that “partisan interest” has divided the“Wecountry.lostsight, in many ways, of the national interest. And we only talked about partisan interest. Pinaglalaban lang natin ‘‘yung sa partido ko, ‘yung sa kandidato ko, ‘yung sa gusto ko,’ doon sa… Hindi natin iniisip ‘yung ano ‘yung para sa Pilipinas (We just talked about the political parties, their candidates, and their interests. We do not talk about what the Philippines deserves),” Marcos said.

The Marcos family left the Philippines for Hawaii in 1986 after the EDSA People Power Revolution.

Among the arguments of the Marcos family was that they were not given due process, saying that they were not given the opportunity to question the Notices of Levy.

October that year, the younger Marcos returned to the Philippines and led a petition in the Court of Appeals CA in 1993. The CA decided the case in 1994 and Marcos appealed it to the Supreme Court in 1995 but the High Court dismissed it in 1997.

9 September 15-21, 2022  NATIONAL NEWS

“Hindiasked.koalam.

In 1991, the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) issued a de ciency estate tax assessment for over P20 billion at that time.In

Marcos, who is also the Secretary of Agriculture, said in the interview he plans to provide rice allowance for government workers, citing the need to ease their daily expenses amid the rising prices of basic goods.

places across the US.

There had been other attacks that resulted in fatalities, but none in such a number as to qualify as a massacre.

The movement seeks to put an end to hate crimes against Asian Americans by making sure that the guilty parties are caught, charged in a court, and punished to the fullest extent of the law.

ings in spas in Atlanta.

Vaccines worth over P9 B expired — DOH

QUEZON CITY The Department of Health has confirmed that the private sector and the government have lost about 20 million COVID-19 vaccines worth P9 billion due to the expiration of the unused vaccines.

It was by far the worst attack on Asians and Asian Americans in the US in recent

But the DOH official said they only requested “half of what has expired.”

VID-1 shots, and over 1 . million received booster doses of the vaccine.

resentatives committee on appropriations on the department’s budget.

Vergeire. however, clarified there were “no expiries” from the batches procured by the national government.

memory.Ofthe eight dead, seven were women and one was a man. Of the seven women, six were of Asian descent. Of those six, four were of Korean heritage.

to silence, more needs to be done.

Vergeire made the admission during the hearing of the House of Rep-

“For all of these which expired, these almost 20 million doses, there was this commitment coming from the COVAX facility that it will be replaced in total,” she said.

 NATIONAL NEWS (From page 1)Asian...

It began with insults aimed at anyone perceived to be of Asian heritage, Filipino Americans included. This was followed by occasional small acts of violence that progressively got worse, perpetrated by both gangs and individuals who wrongly perceived Asians and Asian Americans as theirButenemy.onthe evening of March that blind hatred for Asian Americans took a dangerous turn for the worst when eight people – mostly women of Asian descent – were killed in a series of shoot-

An American lawmaker of Korean descent said shortly after the Atlanta tragedy that this mass murder clearly targeted the AAPI, or Asian Americans and Paci c Islander,(Note:community.Filipinosand FilAms are gen-

erally lumped together with the Paci c IslanderStopAsianHatecommunity.) became a hashtag, which became a slogan, which became a movement, growing out of California.

The movement has received widespread support from Americans of all stripe, from ordinary citizens sickened by the assaults on Asian Americans, to political leaders like President and Mrs. Biden, Hillary Clinton and Gov. Brian Kemp, businessmen, community activists, and even celebrities like LeBron James and Rihanna.And while their voices were both needed and appreciated by a community that has come close to being bludgeoned

Ethnic media, including Philippine News Today, is an active partner in seeking an end to hatred against Asian Americans, FilAms included.

The California-based Stop Asian Hate movement has recruited representatives from the Asian American community, among others, to keep tabs on hate crimes aimed at the vulnerable minorities, especially elders who have become the easiest targets of the cowardly haters.

September 15-21, 2022 10

“If we’re talking about around 20 million doses of these vaccines that were expired, we’ve estimated to have these estimated costs across all vaccines to be at 00, so 20 million multiplied by 00 would be more than around billion,” DOH officer-incharge Maria Rosario Vergeire said.

She said 6.24% of the expired vaccines came from donations and 22.3 were from local government units.The private sector purchased the bulk, or 40% of the expired vaccines.

“Because based from our needamountwouldcomputations,forecastedthatjustbethethatwewilluntiltheendof the year,” Vergeire said.In a separate statement, the DOH said more than 72.7 million people have so far completed their primary CO-

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11 September 15-21, 2022  OPINION FRANCISPublisher/PresidentESPIRITU VAL G. ABELGAS, HOMOBONO A. ADAZA, PERRY DIAZ, JOJO LIANGCO, JO ERLINDA G. NEBRES, ROY C. MABASA, ART G. MADLAING, FR. JOEPEL PADIT, RODEL E. RODIS, LOURDES TANCINCO ESQ, MELANDREW T. VELASCO, DANTES & CYNTHIA VELUZ, CRISTINA OSMENA, LUDY ONGKEKO. COLUMNISTS MARILYN B. KING Vice President for Sales and Marketing NEIL GONZALES ChiefNorthernCorrespondentCalifornia LYDIA SOLIS ChiefSouthernCorrespondentCalifornia THELMA L. CRUZ Vice President for Operations & Promotions ELEANOR SMITH Office Manager GILDA PASION BALAN FRANCO G. REGALA ALI MACABALANG JEANNE MICHAEL PENARANDA Manila Correspondents NICK GEORGESAGMITGANGERENEAVENIDO Photo Correspondents ANGELO LOPEZ Cartoonist ALFRED G. Editor-in-chiefGABOT The views and opinions expressed herein by writers, columnists and advertisers are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the publisher, management and staff of Philippines Today. We are not responsible for incorrect printing, photographical errors or information listed or for loss or damage of unsolicited manuscripts. Reproduction or redistribution in whole or in part is prohibited. CHERIE QUEROL MORENO Executive Editor THOMAS G. MADELO JR. Creative Director JO ERLINDA YABUT Entertainment Editor MA. CECILIA G. MADELO Graphic Director BLESIE D. SISON ALBERTRENEMARTINEZAMON Account Executives

In nearly three years since the pandemic struck and became politici ed to scapegoat people of a certain background, Chinese and their larger Asian American and Paci c Islander kin have suffered random attacks on the streets of this country. hile assailants have inflicted race-motivated offenses against AAPIs in general, many of those targeted have been the most vulnerable – individuals who are older and perhaps less conscious of their surroundings and risks to their safety.

The practice is not new, of course. In the late 1 0s, many Filipino American students from what would be San Francisco State University walked alongside the “manong,” their term of respect for pioneer Filipino immigrants living in the inner city. scorting the earlier generation was a way of reconnecting with the youths’ roots as well as safeguarding elders’ routineChumjaunts.said the San Mateo County escort program is in still in the works, seeking a coordinator and interviewing potential volunteers.

JUNNI RANILLO Entertainment Editor

Indeed it takes the entire community to rise and protect its vulnerable members. Hence state Sen. Dave Min’s SB11 1 and Assembly Member Phil Ting’s AB2 , bills awaiting Governor Newsom’s signature that would engage public transit and businesses in creating safe environments for all customers amid the unabated crisis.

OLD

Social worker Maria Orleman, care coordinator with Daly City Partnership’s Healthy Aging Response Team, lauded the prospect of the program especially in her area.

e can only conclude that something is very wrong with how the Duterte and now the Marcos administrations have been handling the Philippine economy.

R Asian American –Paci c Islander adults in San Mateo County soon will have escorts to protect them from hate crimes. And cheers to the San Mateo County Commission on Aging for recogni ing the current rise of anti-AAPI crimes as a communitywide rather than an isolated issue by inviting a respected service organi ation to address resources to stop hate and help heal survivors.

Long before the world calamity, Self-Help for the lderly SH , the nonpro t organi ation founded in 1 in San Francisco, has provided escort services to clients for their everyday appointments. Folks have the company of volunteers to go to a bank, store, vaccination site, laundromat or activity center. Service may be one-on-one or for a group. That service will be available to clients in San Mateo, SH social services director mily Chum said at the Sept. 12 meeting of the San Mateo County Commission on Aging.

For information on SH Senior scort Services, call 1 - 33- 71 . To urge Gov. Newsom to sign the 2 bills to law, call 1 -2 1.

CLAIRE M. TRUE Managing Editor

BETING LAYGO Manila Editor

DOLOR

Upside

belief is that exporters should also bene t from a weak peso as everything they export earns them dollars which is then converted to more pesos.

ith the surge in AAPI hate crimes that have taken the lives of AAPI 0 years and older - a man in front of his house in San Francisco and another man walking down the street in Oakland, where a popular female dentist was shot and killed recently – escort services have received vigorous interest from older adult service providers and advocates.

As for the exporters, their situation is just as bad, perhaps even worse. Most of the inputs they use to create their products for export use a lot of imported material. Before they can export anything, they have to create their nished products, and there is hardly any Philippine export product that does not use imported materials.

verything is more expensive, so the additional pesos only pays for the higher prices paid for everything. Not just the basics like food and rent, but also for utilities like water and electricity. And let us not forget the cost of transportation, whether the recipients own their own motor vehicles or are dependent on public transport.

Compared to Aquino’s economic cluster, it looks like the Duterte and the Marcos economic teams are inept amateurs.

The dependents of OF s may be receiving more in pesos after the dollars remitted them have been converted to the currency back home, but those additional pesos will have to pay for the higher prices of goods and services as a falling peso almost always comes with high inﬂation.

Time and time again, government o cials will seek to justify the fall of the peso, and argue that it is a good thing.

“It’s a good service for Daly City,” she said at the meeting. Older adults and older comprise around 1 of some 110,000 residents of the county’s northernmost city with Filipinos the most populous sector of color. Filipinos and Chinese dominate the population of color in San Mateo County.

EDITORIAL

CHERIE M. QUEROL MORENO

A weak peso is never a good thing

rgo, the exporters’ extra pesos earned will all go to pay not only for the cost of materials, but also other variables like the cost of transporting their goods. ven their workers will eventually ask for, and receive, additional pay, often from pressure from a government that tries to present itself as a friend of the masses.

Philippine News Today xecutive ditor Cherie M. uerol Moreno is in her th term as Commissioner with the San Mateo County Commission on Aging.

hile external factors do come into play where the exchange rate is concerned, the fall of the Philippine peso in the last week was just too drastic for comfort.

Past governors of the Philippines’ central bank, known as the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, would have taken some action to arrest the slide, such as ﬂooding the market with dollars. Our homeland does have a huge surplus of the greenback, courtesy of the OF Thes.

Philippine News Today is published weekly by Philippines Today LLC with business and editorial oﬃces at 156 South Spruce Ave Ste 205 South San Francisco CA 94080 Phone no . 650-872-3200 E-fax # 650-745-1442 and website address www.pnewstoday.com and email address advertising@philippinestodayus.com or editor@philippinestodayus.com

The escort program is among the programs provided by the organi ation that also serves the counties of Alameda, Santa Clara and Contra Costa. Case management, caregiver support services, abuse prevention and intervention, emergency short-term in-home support, pathways to citi enship and naturali ation are among related programs.

n o cial of the Marcos administration recently repeated the lie that the falling peso is good for a segment of the Philippine population, specically the families and dependents of overseas Filipino workers, or OF s. This includes the millions of Filipinos or Fil-Ams who regularly send money to their families back home.

This is wrong.

In this o cial’s view, the lower the value of the Philippine peso vis-à-vis the US dollar, the better for the dependents of the OF s. They get more pesos for every dollar sentThehome.mistaken

thinking has always been that the country is safe if it has enough dollars to pay for three months’ worth of imports. In fact, the BSP has three to four times that volume. e do not presume to know more than the chosen BSP governor of the Marcos administration, but he seems to have forgotten that the exchange rate in 201 – in the waning years of the Benigno Aquino III administration – the exchange rate was P : 1. OF s and exporters were not complaining back then, as the Philippine economy was perceived globally as a rising tiger.

Safety escorts for older AAPIs

Lunch will be served immediately after the internment or burial at the Reception Hall located inside the Main Building of the Skylawn Memorial Park.

Remembering London as world mourns passing of Queen Elizabeth II

From Germany, we went to Vienna in Austria, one of the countries Dr. ose Ri al had visited together with Dr. Maximo Viola, who nanced the printing of “Noli Me Tangere,” and home of his best friend, Dr. Ferdinand Blumentritt and the country of birth of Adolf Hitler. The Austria visit reminded me of a thesis at the University of the Philippines which “speculated” that Hitler may have had relation (son) with Dr. Rizal as Hitler was reportedly conceived when Rizal was in Austria. Moreover, Hitler was short like Rizal compared to the tall Austrians and Germans, and that Hitler had black hair just like Rizal, among others. The “theory” has been branded as “fantastic” and “cra y” by experts but it continues to titilate the imagination of some people.

The completion of Tullahan River rehabilitation project demonstrates SMC’s purposeful drive for accomplishment to bene t fellow Filipinos. Its active participation in government programs to protect the environment is indeed admirable.

I almost forgot this rst trip to London but I now recall visiting the Philippine Embassy then and interacting with our ambassador and other o cers there, including a very active press attache, whose name I cannot recall but whose surname is akin to Batangas. I had also the chance to meet the Salvador family, one of whose members was married to a sister-inlaw who had moved to California and they toured me around the beautiful and historic city.

Invitation to the funeral services of my mother

or the past days, my siblings and I received numerous calls and inquiries on the schedule for the Funeral Memorial Services of my beloved mother Elena Sampayan GabotAfterMadlaing.more than four hours of conference and planning with the director and staﬀ of the Skylawn Memorial Park in San Mateo, California last Monday, September , 2022 Labor Day , we have nali ed the Funeral and Memorial Services of my mother on September, 17, 1 , 1 , 2022 Saturday, Sunday and Monday at the Paci c Chapel located inside the Skylawn Memorial Park,, Highway 92 at Skyline Boulevard Route 35), San Mateo, California 0 2.

THE OUTSIDER

VISITED LONDON TWICE, but it left me great and unforgettable impressions – its resplendent and enchanting castles, the iconic “Ben Ben” clock in the Elizabeth Tower, the London Bridge which is not actually falling down, the majestic River Thames which makes us cry if we remember the polluted Pasig River, the Tower of London, the London Eye, the Westminster Abbey, the Trafalgar Square and its fountains and Nelson’s Column, the St. Paul’s Cathedral, the red double-decker buses, trams and ubiquitous black taxi cabs, and the Buckingham Palace, among others.

HeartMyIn

The project had ve phases: Phase 1 involved dredging the part of the Tullahan-Tinajeros River from Manila Bay to Tonsuya Bridge; Phase from Tonsuya Bridge to Lambingan Bridge; Phase from Lambingan Bridge to Tinajeros Bridge; Phase from Tinajeros Bridge to Tullahan Bridge, and Phase from Tullahan Bridge up to Potrero.

Another unforgettable experience in London was a visit to a noted city club where guests could sing their favourite songs almost karaoke style. I was dared to do my share and did two Beatles songs, “In My Life,” and “Hey Jude.” In the middle of my second song, some of the guests exploded and literally mobbed me at the podium and joined the chorus of their favourite Beatles song. I was surprised with the mood and merriment. Later, I remembered that UK is the home of the Beatles, explaining the love of their songs.

Scripture Readings by Brendon Madlaing Gacusan from Glendale, Ari ona Great Grandson ohn 1 :1- , N V and Ferdinand Lewis from Bethel Island, California Grandson 2 Corinthians 1:3- Musical Selection by Mercyllena Talon Madlaing from San Jose, California (Granddaughter); Poems by Salvador Gabot Madlaing from San Jose, California (Son) and Jeremiah Madlaing Gacusan from Glendale, Arizona (Great Grandson);

The cleanup project involved garbage removal, and dredging and widening the river. Dredging deepens the river and increases its carrying capacity and allows free ﬂow of water from upstream, aside from eliminating sediments that aﬀect water quality in the waterways, experts said.

My rst trip took me to the United ingdom capital via Philippine Air Lines (PAL) landing at the Gatwick Airport, south of London in est Sussex. From Gatwick, I rode the fully-loaded train to the city more than 30 miles (50 kms) away, about the same distance of travel from Manila to Malolos, Bulacan, the endpoint of the old Manila North Diversion Road now the North Lu on xpressway .

Health Wealth& (Continue on page 27)

September 15-21, 2022 12 OPINION (Continue on page 27)

SMC President and CEO Ramon S. Ang (RSA) said with the cleanup of Tullahan River, ﬂooding will be mitigated especially during the rainy season in nearby communities. He thanked everyone who contributed to getting the job done.

“Everyoneparticipation.waseager and there was photo opportunity with the DENR. I don’t know how they were able to deliver on their promise but what I am sure of is that SMC ful lled and delivered on its promise in the dredging of Tullahan River,” he

The special Viewings and Visitation on Saturday, September 17, 2022, 3-7 pm will be hosted by the GOLDEN GATE CHURCH OF CHRIST in San Francisco, California. vangelist Terry Denis will share a brief message. Brethren from the Golden Gate congregation and from the Hispanic Group are expected to attend the Viewings and Visitation. Our readers and the general public are cordially invited to attend., Light snacks and refreshments will be served

As active Evangelist with the GOLDEN GATE CHURCH OF CHRIST in San Francisco, California, I will take care and facilitate the gravesite (internment) services. James Quitoriano, Minister of the GOLD N GAT CHURCH OF CHRIST in San Francisco, California, will read a special and timely poem THE DASH written by Linda Ellis

IONLY

MELANDREW T. VELASCO

My second trip was when I joined the Philippine delegation and the media during the trip to Europe of then President Fidel V. Ramos. e rst landed at the Frankfurt Airport, toured Germany and even joined the famous and happy beer festival Oktoberfest in Berlin where we enjoyed a spic and span and e cient underground train, couples of Bavarian beer and the crowd favourite roasted chicken as “pulutan.” Here I also met two Filipinas -- a former Manila journalist who had married a German and a former colleague in the old Department of Local Government and Community Development (forerunner of DILG) then under Secretary Jose Rono. The former DLGCD co-employee is also married to a German, a doctor who hosted me at their mansion near the German Parliament (Bundestag) and who cured my eyes, enabling me later to continue our travel up to London, our last stop.

“ e’re extremely proud of what this partnership with the government and other stakeholders has achieved,” he added. “We are another step closer to realizing the dream of having truly clean and healthy rivers that can be enjoyed and appreciated by future generations.”

It’s very interesting that the death of my mother Elena Sampayan Gabot Madlaing at the age of 103 years and seven months was followed by the death of Queen Elizabeth of ngland at the age of . Both of them will have their funeral services on the same day September 1 , 2022. The Funeral and Memorial Services for my mother is on Monday, September 19, 2022, 11 am to pm. Brethren, friends as well as readers and the general public are cordially invited to attend. The complete Program on the Funeral and Memorial Services of my mother are as follows:

ALFRED G. GABOT

ART GABOT MADLAING

We also moved to Brussels in the Kingdom of Belgium; Geneva, the uropean headquarters of the United Nations and the Red Cross in Swit erland and one of the most expensive cities in Europe, among others.

With the completion of the project, 1.12 million metric tons of wastes were removed from the river of which 1,342 tons of solid wastes were extracted by the SMC team on the last day of operations at the Tullahan River. Despite the pandemic, SMC was able to breach the one-million-ton target.

Advocates for environmental protection and sustainability are happy that San Miguel Corporation (SMC) has completed its clean-up initiative for the Tullahan River, a project to mitigate ﬂoodings in northern Metro Manila and help rehabilitate ManilaWithBay.the completion of the project, the private sector is urged follow suit and help protect, rehabilitate and ensure the sustainability of the country’s natural resources.

Processional by clergy, family members, friends and pallbearers As active Evangelist with the GOLDEN GATE CHURCH OF CHRIST in San Francisco, California, I will be the O ciant Prayer by ose na Madlaing Lewis from Bethel Island, California (Daughter); Musical Renditions by Darlene Madlaing Gamble from Keithville, Louisiana (Granddaughter) and Wynema Joy Madlaing Gacusan from Glendale, Arizona (Granddaughter);

In memory and remembrance of my mother Elena Sampayan Gabot Madlaing, I’ll be giving autographed copies of the “LIF STYL FOR LONG VITY” 0 pages available in Hardcover, Paperback and E-book from Amazon) subtitled “How to be Healthy motionally, Financially, Physically, Sexually and Spiritually” during

In his extemporaneous speech at the inauguration of the Million Trees Nursery and Eco Learning Center inside the La Mesa Watershed, RSA recalled how other taipans promised then Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu to do their part in dredging the Tullahan River and other tributaries that need private sector

Asidesaid.from the Tullahan River rehabilitation, SMC is also actively involved in cleaning up Pasig River. It has allocated P2 billion for the initiative. Like Tullahan River, Pasig River empties into Manila Bay and a repository of untreated domestic and industrial wastes and plastic waste. This water pollution is a man-made problem that results in the destruction of marine life, among others.

SMC’s partnership with DENR for the Pasig River rehabilitation initiative was formalized with the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement in 2021. The Pasig River dredging project is also part of the conglomerate’s commitment to the Adopt-a-River program.The collaborative eﬀort aims to extract at least 00,000 metric tons of silt and solid waste per year to clean the Pasig River, improve water quality and lessen ﬂooding in Metro Manila. Some 10,7 0 metric tons of silt and waste from the pol-

ords of xpressions Remembrance by Family, Friends, Brethren Congregational Hymn Ama ing Grace Eulogy by Art Gabot Madlaing, Evangelist, GOLDEN GATE CHURCH OF CHRIST, San Francisco, California Parting Views for Friends, Brethren and Family Members Recessional to the Gravesite.

The clean-up of Tullahan River was funded by SMC at a cost of P1 billion and was launched in 2020. It is the rst partnership between SMC and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) under the Adopt-a-River program of the government.

Tullahan River dredging and cleanup completed

One of our last stops was Paris, France. It was one of most memorable visits, impressed with its Arc de Triomphe on the Champs- lysees, climbing the iconic iﬀel Tower, walking along the banks of the impressive River Seine (you will also cry when you compare the river to the sad state of Pasig River which Rizal had once admired together with Laguna de Bay), admiring the river boats and the landmarks like the Cathedral of Notre Dame de Paris, and, of (Continue on page 27)

The Tullahan-Tinajeros River system is a major tributary of Manila Bay and considered one of the most polluted waterways in the metropolis. It spans 27 kilometers from the La Mesa Water Reservoir in Quezon City to Centennial Park in Navotas City, ﬂowing through the cities of Malabon, Caloocan, and Valenzuela.

Viewings and Visitation are on September 17 18 (Saturday and Sunday, 3-7pm). There will video presentations of the 100th Birthday celebration of my mother in January 2019 held in our “Bangkag” (farmland) in Barangay Canarvacanan, Binalonan, Pangasinan, Philippines which was covered by “Balitang Amianan” GMA TV; video presentations of the 101st Birthday celebration of my mother held in January, 2020 at Barangay Amduntog, Asipolo, Ifugao, Philippines.

A generic ribbon-cuttingspeech-giving,chiefexecutive

The British Armed Forces have conducted gun salutes across the United Kingdom, on ships, at sea and overseas to honor the late Queen Elizabeth II, as reported in CNN by Lindsay Isaac. “Thousands of people stood in silence for 1 minutes at 1pm as the guns boomed once every 10 seconds,” the ministry said.

In recent weeks, it has been determined that the country has now or is about to have serious shortages of salt, garlic, and white onions.

CNN’s Owoseje reported that “One unique feature of the late queen is that she is not only leaving her nation and her family behind, but a gaggle of canine companions… Just like her family and her nation, the Queen’s loyal corgi companions will be cared for.”

That there was indeed a serious shortage was seen in recent weeks when the Coca Cola company was forced to temporarily shut down four of its plants due to lack of sugar.

13 September 15-21, 2022  OPINION

In fact, they were just being polite.

Simply stated, Marcos is making a mess of the Agriculture department which was already in bad shape to begin with.

The four testi ed that the president’s executive secretary had more or less given the go signal for the order, after Marcos himself had indicated that he was aware that there was a serious shortage of the commodity and was even considering allowing a larger volume of 00,000 MT to be brought in.

Queen Elizabeth ends reign, King Edward starts rule

The American Kennel Club said she had two Pembroke elsh corgis, Muick and Sandy, as well as an older, mixedbreed “dorgi” called Candy. A cocker spaniel, Lissy, reportedly joined the gang in January this year.

“Let’s go Jun,” I said to my companion, former Romblon Assemblyman Nemesio Ganan, Jr. “Please sit down,” said Marcos, “I’m sorry I raised my voice.”

need not be a rocket scientist to know that salt comes from the sea, and is there for the taking. All that’s needed is to set up salt beds, where sea water is let in, then allowed to ﬂow out, leaving behind good, old salt after the remaining sea water evaporates.

When I visited President Marcos at his home on Makiki Heights in Honolulu, I asked him: “Is it true that you told the pilot at Clark Air Base that you wanted to go to Paoay, but he misunderstood you and thought you wanted to go to Hawaii?”

And it seemed that it was flying eastward instead of northward. So Marcos asked an aide to call the pilot. The pilot came and Marcos asked why they had not reached Laoag and why they were flying eastward. The pilot told Marcos that the Laoag airport was surrounded by NPA rebels so it was not safe to land there, and they were instructed to fly them to Hawaii.

(Continue on page 27)

omeone should tell Philippine President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos, Jr. that now is a good time to take stock of his presidency, and not wait for the end of his rst 100 days to tweak the direction of his administration.Insimplest terms, he is not only doing a mediocre job, he is borderline doing a bad one. Horrible, even.

In truth, all the unnamed investors did was signify an interest in possibly investing in the Philippines.

I asked Marcos why they left Malacanang Palace when the army and the air force were still for him. “You ask the First Lady,” he “Ma’am,said.we asked the President why you left the Palace and he told us to ask you,” I asked her.

Marcos’s press secretary would say that the order did not have the approval of the president, who also happens to be Agriculture secretary, at least for the time being.

So, will King Charles rule like his mother or will he be different considering that he will be facing issues in world developments and pressures in modern times? As I See It, although he vowed to continue her mother’s way in running his country as a monarch, there might be a difference considering that when her mother became queen, she was only 26 years old. In his case, he became a king at the age of 73. The age difference upon assumption may spell some differences of actions and reflections in dealing with the present times.

Akhilesh Pillamarri wrote in the The Diplomat, that “monarchies are still relevant and useful in the 21st century.”

Instead they were ﬂown to Clark Air Base about 0 miles northwest of Manila. When they reached Clark, the Marcoses and their entourage were told to board an airplane for the trip to Laoag. While inside the plane, Marcos felt apprehensive that the Americans might bring them to Hawaii or the U.S. So Marcos asked Imelda to look outside to see how many engines were there on the plane. Imelda reported that there were two. Marcos then felt a little less apprehensive believing that a twin engine plane could not reach Hawaii. The C-130 which the Marcos entourage boarded has four engines, with two on the left and two on the right. Imelda saw only one side so she reported to Marcos that there were only two engines.

“I was kidnapped” – Marcos; Will the son forgive the kidnappers?

n February 2 , 1 , when President Ferdinand E. Marcos arrived at Hickam Air Force Base and our friend Hawaii Governor George Ariyoshi was putting a lei on him, a defrocked priest from Vigan, Ilocos Sur called me saying: “Awan kwenta yo nga taga Ilocos Norte, agtaray kayo met y*t.” (You people from Ilocos Norte are worthless, you run away f*ck.).

So, will King Charles be able to be relevant during the present time ill he be one in the 21st century if he will follow what his mother did as a monarch?

EMMANUEL SAMONTE TIPON UpWhat’s Attorney

Ever since he assumed the presidency, he has not done any of the serious work that comes with being chief executive of Philippines, Inc. His latest “achievement” was to go on state visits to Indonesia and Singapore where Malacanang’s spin doctors said was a huge success. He allegedly came home with billions of dollars in investments.

Offline

Malacanang could not even release a list of the companies or investors who would come in and bring tens of thousands of new jobs as a result of their investments.

Four o cials were found to have signed an order that would have allowed the importation of 300,000 metric tons of sugar, including an Agriculture department undersecretary and the head of the SRA.

Presuming that Marcos as Agriculture sec really is pure and innocent as the virgin snow, he still has a lot to answer for.

The Marcos group of around 0 people included his immediate family, General Ver and his children, security personnel, maids, food taster, and others. They left Malacanang around :00 P.M. aboard four helicopters. The understanding was that they would be brought to Laoag, the capital of Ilocos Norte, which is Marcos’ bailiwick having been born in his mother’s hometown Sarrat which is next to Laoag.

Mrs. Marcos said that an American claiming to be from the U.S. Embassy had gone to Malacanang and told them to leave. If they did not leave, they would kill them, hang their bodies upside down (ala Mussolini and his mistress) and say that the Filipinos did it. “And you believed him?” I asked. “Why not, said Mrs. Marcos, “don’t you know what they did to Ngo Din Diem?” [Questions have been raised whether the U.S. had a hand in the 1 3 assassination of South Vietnamese President Ngo Din Diem who was considered an autocratic ruler and had become unpopular with the people thereby becoming ineﬀective in ghting the communists.

After almost two hours in the air the plane had not reached Laoag which is about 207 miles from Clark with a ﬂying time of less than an hour.

The sudden death of the longest monarch in British history who died at the age of 96 shocked the world! First, we received news that Queen Elizabeth 11’s doctors were concerned about her health, so her children and close family members trooped to Buckingham Palace… then immediately after that came the news that she passed away.

“Who told you that. It’s not true. Maybe you concocted it. I was kidnapped,” Marcos said, raising his voice.

As for the projection that there will be a shortage of salt by yearend, this had everybody aghast when it was learned that more than 0 percent of the salt used in the country is imported.One

What Marcos “achieved” in

BETING DOLOR

The last also became clear when one of the fastfood chains announced that they would not be putting onions in their burgers, and even stopped selling onion rings for a while.

there is the most important staple food of rice. Marcos will never be able to live down his campaign promise to bring down the retail price of rice to P20 kilo.

During their rst meeting at Buckingham Palace on Friday, King Charles III spoke with Prime Minister Liz Truss and his comments were picked up by Lindsay Isaac of CNN as he shook hands and posed for photos with Truss at Buckingham Palace.King Charles described the death of his mother as the moment he had been “dreading” during an audience with UK Prime Minister Liz Truss on Friday: “The moment I’ve been dreading, as I know a lot of people have.”

“Second,relevant. which is closely related to the previous point, is that in factitious countries like Thailand, the existence of a monarch is often the only thing holding the country back from the edge of civil war. Monarchs are especially important in multiethnic countries such as Belgium because the institution of monarchy unites diverse and often hostile ethnic groups under shared loyalty to the monarch

I asked him why he did not order his soldiers to disperse the EDSA demonstrators. Even Bongbong was ready to ght he was in fatigue uniform and carried a submachine gun, I said. Marcos replied that he did not want bloodshed. “So you followed what Senator Paul Laxalt told you to cut and cut cleanly,’ I said.

ItSeeIAs

The biggest scandal of his still relatively young administration – regime might be a better word, but for now I shall refrain from using it – was the sugar import mess involving the Sugar Regulatory Administration.

For the Philippines to not be self-su cient in salt is simply criminal.Then

While to many contemporary readers consider monarchies seem to be already purposeless antiquated relics, anachronisms that ought to eventually give way to republics, Pillamarri, said: “On the contrary, nothing can be farther from the truth. Monarchies have an extremely valuable role to play, even in the 21st century.”Hesupported his argument by saying that there are several advantages in having a monarchy in the 21st century. “First,” as Serge Schmemann argues in The New York Times, “monarchs can rise above politics in the way an elected head of state cannot. Monarchs represent the whole country in a way democratically elected leader cannot and do not. The choice for the highest political position in a monarchy cannot be inﬂuenced by and in a sense beholden to money, the media, or a political party.”Well, this might be true considering that there are checks and balances democracy has to contend with in discharging their functions. That’s what is happening in the US with the GOP and the Democrats trying to outsmart each other in order to be

This is an impossibility, and every agriculture expert knows this. Worst his own regime, I mean administration, said last week that the retail price of rice is very likely to go up in the next couple of weeks from its already high cost of double the promised P20 kilo market price.

Former Mayor Ed Quilala of Currimao, Ilocos Norte told me that he and the Marcos loy-

An investigation by the Senate Blue Ribbon committee concluded that the four had taken it upon themselves to issue the order, and that neither the president nor his executive secretary were guilty of any crime.

The Senate probe left too many questions unanswered and serious doubts remain. It does appear that the four were made fall guys of the deal.

ELPIDIO R. ESTIOKO

This was an out and out lie.

(Continue on page 27) (Continue on page 27)

So, United ingdom’s 70 years of the ueen’s rule nally came to rest on Thursday. The whole world mourned for her death but people will remember her as a true leader, a caring mother, and a lover of four dogs.

I asked Marcos why they rode on the American helicopters in leaving the Palace instead of the Philippine Air Force helicopters. He explained that an American o cial told him that he should not trust the Philippine Air Force pilots because they might now be for Cory. The American oﬀered their helicopters which would be safer.

“Marcos did not run away, I believe he was kidnapped,” I told him and hung up.

If inside the United States, complete and properly le an Application for Travel Document Form I-131 with USCIS, with appropriate fees.

If you are being sued by your creditors, most money judgment can be eliminated in bankruptcy.Collection actions continue and you can be sued if you are in debt settlement.

FAMILY LA e also handle uncontested DIVORC .

INCOM TA PROBL MS

MA ATI CITY – Go Negosyo founder Joey Concepcion said businesses remain optimistic that the Philippine economy will grow this year despite inﬂation woes and depreciating peso.

Many clients have an expired green card and ask me if they can naturali e. The answer is it depends on your period of residence inside the U.S. If you have been in the U.S. for continuous years 3 years for married to U.S. citi en based green card then you may qualify for applying for naturalization based on residency, On the other hand there are those who overstayed outside the U.S. for more than 1 0 days but less than one year. They may qualify if they can prove that they did not relinquish their residence in the U.S. For those who overstayed for more than one year they will have to maintain a continuous residence for four years and one day after returning to the U.S. to apply for citi enship

Our Law Firm successfully settled a car accident for 7 .000.

We can help you if you are under IRS audit, need a representation with IRS, need to reduce your tax liability or need to oﬀer a payment plan to IRS,

Concepcion, who is also the Private Sector Advisory Council lead for jobs, said these challenges were eﬀects of the Russia-Ukraine war, and the impacts on the Philippine economy are expected to persist until next year.

1. Lost green card. The person who lost his green card may le to renew their USCISissued green card that have expired or replace ones that have been lost, stolen, mutilated, or destroyed, or that contain an error. If you need to apply for naturali ation and you believe you qualify except you lost your green card you may discuss this matter with an immigration attorney.Theperson who lost green card may complete and properly le an Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card Form I- 0 with USCIS, with appropriate fees if required , in accordance with the Form I- 0 instructions. hat happen if the green card is lost while outside the U.S.

“What America has done was basically to start curbing inﬂation. As you know, Americans want to tame inﬂation right away by increasing interest rates. What happens there when you increase your interest rates aggressively, the dollar will become much stronger,” he said. “All other countries lost value of their currencies.”

Can you naturalize if you overstayed your green card?

Pres. Biden reiterated to renew the DACA processing as of August 31, 2022 Petition for Caregivers

Concepcion said while Filipinos working in the Philippines are “losing” due to inﬂation and impacts of weaker peso, overseas workers are gaining from a stronger dollar “because now, they can remit more money to their families in the country”.

The Biden Administration will release a regulation by December making it easier to immigrate for people who have taken public bene ts. The public charge under Trump era will be revised signi cantly.

The SO 2’s value is lower by half compared to the controversial supposed importation of 300,000 metric tons of sugar.The SRA also released SO 1, indicating the allocation of the sugar production for Crop Year 2022-2023 for domestic use. Its production is expected to be 1, 7 ,13 .3 metric tons, and is meant for the domestic sugar market.

An LPR who is temporarily outside the United States for less than 2 years and who is not in possession of a valid green card for example, it was lost, stolen, or destroyed may properly le an Application for Travel Document Carrier Documentation Form I-131A to request documentation to demonstrate to an airline or other transportation carrier that he or she is authori ed to travel to the United States. The transportation letter does not replace the reentry permit. LPRs must complete and properly le Form I-131 upon reentry into the United States to obtain a replacement reentry permit.

Can you naturalize if you overstayed your green card?

BREAKING NEWS

Arrest and removal of undocumented is now up to the discretion of IC o cer US Supreme Court did not allow Pres. Biden to overturn the immigration policy of Trump with regards to priority in arrest and removal. ith increasing migrants at the border hite House is now requiring IC to deport more migrants under political pressure. It is now a decision to be made by the IC o cer which could include arrest of anyone who is undocumented. It is time to work on your green card now.

Note: This is not a legal advice. You should consult with an immigration attorney about the speci cs of your case.

The sugar supply is expected to stabilize incoming months, according to the SRA.

President Ferdinand Marcos r. himself approved and signed the said importation, as the concurrent Agriculture chief and SRA board chairperson.

For the month of August we received an approvals (Continue on

DACA reinstated

During the Pandesal Forum, Concepcion said the faster pace of increase in prices in commodities and the weaker local currency is not a problem unique to the “Philippines.henwe look at the Philippine economy, we are in the middle of these whole economic challenges. It’s not only the Philippines that is only aﬀected it’s the rest of the world,” he said.

The import volume is expected to arrive in the country before Nov. 1 , alongside the harvest season.

About 30 men, hired by 0 Housing Development Corp. which now insists on its ownership of the properties in question, threaten to evict the Vista Real Classica homeowners from their homes, according to a police report.

Bankruptcy

September 15-21, 2022 14 BUSINESS | IMMIGRATIONS

Businesses still optimistic amid in ation, ea er peso

Green cards are important especially when traveling abroad and applying for citi enship. There are certain issues about replacing green card which we will discuss.

He said due to the tension between Russia and Ukraine, prices of wheat and oil have skyrocketed due to shipment constraints. Prices of other commodities have also followed suit.

“What is the future? This can last until next year. e just have to ride it. e have ridden a lot of crises in the past –inﬂation, nancial crisis, the real estate crisis in America… MSMEs (micro, small and medium enterprises , medium and large corporations will have to ride it. I’m still optimistic that the Philippines will still grow this year,” he added.

U ON CITY – The Philippines is set to import 1 0,000 metric tons of rened sugar, according to Sugar Regulatory Administration SRA ’s Sugar Order No. 2 SO 2 .

N-400 Application for Naturalization

The priority date for “Other workers” for Final Action date is May , 201 , which is about 3 years waiting for the visa. The priority date for Date of Filing of Adjustment of Status for those in the U.S. is now current. This means that when the petition is approved an adjustment of status can be led. This process is good for those who need caregivers.

page 27)

The sugar imports will be composed of 7 ,000 metric tons of re ned sugar for industrial users and the other metric tons for consumers.

Sta. Lucia Realty and Development Inc. of billionaire xequiel D. Robles said it will le a motion of reconsideration with the Quezon City Regional Trial Court this week to prevent the forced eviction of 1 Vista Real Classica homeowners.Sta.Lucia Realty, a subsidiary of publicly-listed Sta. Lucia Land Inc. which reported a net pro t of P2. billion in

2021, made this assurance during a meeting with the 1 Vista Real Classica homeowners on Sunday.

A Lawful Permanent Resident LPR who is temporarily outside the United States for less than 1 year and who is not in possession of a valid green card for example, it was lost, stolen, or destroyed may properly le an Application for Travel Document Carrier Documentation Form I-131A to request documentation to demonstrate to an airline or other transportation carrier that he or she is authori ed to travel to the United States. This transportation letter does not replace the green card. LPRs must still complete and properly le Form I- 0 to obtain a replacement of the green card upon arrival to the U.S.

Agriculture Undersecretary Domingo Panganiban, acting SRA Director David Thaddeus Alba, acting Board MemberMillers’ Representative Ma. Mit i Mangwag, and acting Board Member-Planters’ Representative Pablo Luis A cona also signed the order.

BankruptcyBasicswill 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 ling bankruptcy will make your credit even worse until most your debts are paid.

SRA o ays importation of metric tons of reﬁned sugar

2. hat happen if the Reentry permit is lost

Go Negosyo founder Joey Concepcion

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“The intention is that the imported sugar shall be open and available for consumption by all industrial users and consumers,” it said.

The USCIS is now giving priorities to application for naturali ation . The reason is obviously to allow quali ed immigrants to vote in the coming midterm and presidential election. There are cases when the waiting time is only six months compared to prior years. Pres. Biden is encouraging all quali ed to le for naturali ation. This is a rare opportunity that all quali ed should take advantage of.

New Regulation will make it easier to immigrate

Chapter 7 will eliminate all unsecured debts. If you are near retirement age, you must eliminate most of your debts.

Sta ucia Realty to appeal court s order e icting ista Real homeo ners

Another Filipina actress made the Filipinos proud!This as ABS-CBN contract star Belle Mariano became the rst Filipina actress to win at the Seoul International Drama Awards.

The awards ceremonies is scheduled on September 22 in Seoul, South orea and will be aired live by BS 2TV.

Belle is the rst Filipino actress to nab the award, following the respective 201 and 2020 wins of actors Alden Richards and Dingdong Dantes.

“The question of the allyfranchiseABS-CBNisre-aboutthe violations and problems they have resentatives,”Housevestigationingsduringencounteredthehear-andthein-intheofRep-he said and reported by PNA, Manila Times and other Manila media.

On uly 10, 2020, the House Committee on Legislative Franchises forABS-CBN’srejectedbidanew2-year

Marcos has expressed full support for the promotion and development of the creative industry, as he recogni ed the country’s pool of talents and the sector’s potential to open more job opportunities.“Partof that brand is our culture. And it’s not something that’s going to be hard. The Filipino brand is attractive. The Filipino brand is singular, unique,” he said.

Asked what “Filipino brand” was for him, Marcos said: “Grace. If I have to describe it in one word, it’s grace.

She bested 17 male and female actors from apan, China, Thailand, Taiwan, and the Philippines.

Sonshine Media Network International SMNI founded and led by Pastor Apollo uiboloy, was also granted PA to install, operate and maintain digital TV channel 3.

Dubbed as the “New Gen Phenomenal Love Team” of the Philippines, Belle and Donny rose to fame of Maxpein del Valle Luna in the hit teen series He’s Into Her and Gabbie Sala ar in “Four Sisters Before the edding.”

franchise because of several issues, including the dual citizenship of ABS-CBN chairman emeritus ugenio Lope III, the possible violation of the constitutional limits on foreign ownership, reported labor and tax violations, and other violations of the terms of its franchise.

23.The Swara Sug Media Corporation SSMC , the legal operating name of

In a pre-recorded exclusive interview with TV host-actress Toni Gonaga aired exclusively on the AllTV Channel, Marcos said ABS-CBN’s bid for a new franchise was denied because of “technical reasons” that had surfaced during the previous House hearings.

The NTC also granted the Aliw Broadcasting Corp. of the late Ambassador Antonio Cabangon Chua to install, operate, and maintain a digital broadcasting system using channel

“It’s clear that the creative industry is an important part of our culture, even of our image and look abroad. If you go around Asia, and you go to the hotels, you go to the bars, ang tumutugtog laging Pilipino di ba the performers are always Filipinos, aren’t they e somehow have a special afnity to the performing arts,” he said. “Let’s make the Filipino brand important and to be well-known.”

MANILA – Good news to ABSCBN, its owners, and supporters.

This as President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos r. assured that he would not block any eﬀorts to give ABS-CBN Corp. a new 2 -year legislative franchise.

September 15-21, 2022 16 ENTERTAINMENT

Duterte had repeatedly complained that the local network failed to air his campaign advertisements during the 201 presidential elections.

The apamilya actress won the Outstanding Asian Star Pri e 2022 award at the 17th Seoul International Drama Awards, said Belle’s talent management Rise Artists Studio, a talent management arm of ABS-CBN.

“I know the suspicion is that it is always because of the political positions that they took against PRRD. The actual technical reasons are these issues that were found during the hearings in the House,” Marcos said as he toured AllTV host Tony Gon aga in Malacanang.

In an Instagram post, the caption reads, “Congrats Belle for winning the OUTSTANDING ASIAN STAR 2022’ in the Seoul International Drama Awards. Rise Fam is very proud of you ”

Among the Filipino nominees in the category were Belle’s on-screen partner Donny Pangilinan, as well as their fellow apamilya artists Charlie Di on, Dimples Romana, ake Cuenca, Maris Racal, aila strada, and anjoe Marudo.

ABS-CBN halted its broadcast operations on May , 2020, following the National Telecommunications Commission’s NTC issuance of a cease-and-desist order.

In anuary this year, the NTC granted provisional authority PA to the Villar-led Advanced Media Broadcasting System Inc. to “install, operate, and maintain” digital TV channel 1 and temporary simulcast on analog TV channel 2. That tv is now the newly-launched AllTV

Belle Mariano wins at Seoul International Drama Awards

ABS-CBN can get franchise ‘if issuesare resolved,’ Marcos assures

The channels were previously used by ABS-CBN.Meanwhile, Marcos acknowledged the creative industry’s role in boosting more jobs in the country and reviving the Philippine economy.

It was a tension lled voting period But after a month the Idol Champ application, the He’s Into Her lead star was hailed as the Philippine winner along with four other Asian artists: China’s allace Chung, apan’s Yusei Yagi, Taiwan’s Alice o, and Thailand’s rit Amnuaydechkrorn.

Marcos assured that ABS-CBN could secure a congressional franchise, once all the issues raised during the previous House hearings “have been“Soresolved.”longthose are attended to and those are resolved, there’s no reason actually for the Committee of Franchises in the House to deny them of franchise,” he said.

AllTV Channel of billionaire Manuel Villar r. has been awarded the frequency of ABS-CBN and aired its soft launch as Channel 2 on free television via Alabang, Muntinlupa and from the ilTower of host illie Revillame overlooking his former studio ABSCBN.In the interview, Marcos denied that ABS-CBN had failed to get a franchise because of their “political positions” against his predecessor, former President Rodrigo Duterte.

Is Heart Evangelista is going to live in Paris?

Will this mean she is leaving her husband, Senator Chiz Escudero who has just returned to the Senate after his

as rumors are circulating in Manila that the comely actress and businesswoman has reportedly broken up with husband Sen. Francis Chiz Escudero and is going to be based in France and will be pursuing a career in fashion there.Before the reports circulated, the actress has been going back and forth between the Philippines and Europe for her career as artist, brand ambassador and fashion inﬂuencer. She also frequents the United States, where she likewise models and attends fashion shows.Inher interviews for her last series, “I Left My Heart in Sorsogon,” Heart mentioned that it might be her last soap, as she is having a hard time managing her time, wrote respected entertainment columnist Ethel Ramos.

17 September 15-21, 2022  ENTERTAINMENT Cost rewards earned through energy conservation actions during a Flex Alert event will be credited to a future bill statement. To ﬁnd more details on how cost rewards are calculated and applied to your bill, and additional program details, visit your local utility provider’s Power Saver Rewards website. Unplug an outage. Get money back . When you reduce your power during a Flex Alert, you reduce the likelihood of an outage. Now, saving energy means getting paid with Power Saver Rewards. Learn more at PowerSaverRewards.org The Power is Ours T:9.75" T:5.88" 80 70 70 10.2100 7.4 7.4 100 100 10010070100 70 30 30 100 100 60 70 70 7040 70 30 30 100 40100 40 40 100 10 40 40 20 70 70 3.1 2.2 702.2 40 40 75 66 5066 40 2540 19 019 0 0 0 100 10070301025507590100 100 60 40 70 703040 100 40 40 10040 100 40 70 40 70 40 40 403 70 40 70 40 40 20093% B24958_10c_EUC_PSR_Newsprint_ENG_9_75x5_88.indd 07.07.2022 EPSON A24958x03B_50opacityBillsONLY_CMYK_240NEWS_smp.psdA24958x04C_JackieShadowONLY_CMYK_NEWS_smp.psd

The poser is being asked by many

With the current development in her life, does this mean it is good-bye acting for Heart? the columnist asked.

May elections win as an independent candidate?Asapublic servant, Senator Chiz can’t just leave the country and accompany Heart abroad, according to the columnist. She asked: What happens to the couple now? How about their plans to have a baby?

As rumors spread that Heart is also being linked to somebody in France, she is expected to clarify things soon as both Heart and the senator from Sorsogon have been mum on their reportedWebreakup.wonder if Senator Chiz, who has always been very approachable to the press, will decide to break his silence and address the issues about his personal life,” the columnist wrote..

Heart and Senator Chiz tied the knot on February at the Balesin Island Club in Quezon Province.

Senator Chiz was previously married to Christine Flores, with whom he had twins.Heart, meanwhile, in an interview with L’O ciel PH as part of being

Heart Evangelista building a homein Paris, breaks up with Chiz?

the cover girl of its September issue, shared the said cover photo on Instagram and used that particular news in her“Incaption.this exclusive interview with L’O ciel, read about how she’s taking everything in from the highs and the lows as she makes one crucial step after another to nally build the home she had always dreamed of in Paris. Read it in the September issue via link in bio,” the caption stated.

In the same post, Heart also expressed gratitude to her dedicated team for enabling her to work with the magazine.Rumours of marital issues sparked last month, when it was revealed that Heart had dropped her married name from her social media accounts. She then shared in her vlog that she is going through a rough patch in her life.

“I am not going to deny that I have been going through personal struggles. I feel a lot of pressure in my life. Basically now, I am really in a search for just being happy,” she said.

ALLTV also signed a content license agreement with CNN Philippines for its news content and program.

“ALLTV is for the Filipino viewers. Gusto natin masaya lahat ng viewers natin. Saya All. We have prepared an exciting and breathtaking show for all of you,” said AMBS President Maribeth Tolentino. “We have outlined programs that will give the Filipinos a new TV AMBS,experience.”whichruns ALLTV, is under Prime Assets Ventures, Inc. led by

Multi-awarded TV host and multimedia star Toni Gonzaga gave the audience an exclusive interview with

President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. during the pilot episode of her show, followed by more surprises from the new TV ALLTVnetwork.gave out two houses from the Villar’s Bria and Lumina property rms as Revillame returned to national TV with his popular program, Wowowin.Adding more fun and excitement were a variety of extravagant dance shows and song numbers, in addition to cash as much as P25,000 and big prizes like television which were given every hours to lucky television viewers called by co-hosts Maricel Rodrigue -Padilla, Ruﬀa Gutierre . Ciara Sotto, among others

Filipino viewers are in for a whole new TV experience as the new Channel on free television had its soft launch on September 13.

Revillame joined showbiz couple, Gonzaga and multi-awarded director/ scriptwriter/producer Paul Soriano, and accomplished theater, TV and movie actress, Ciara Sotto, broadcast journalist and radio commentator, Anthony Taberna, and TV host/endorser Mariel Rodriguez as contract stars of the new TV network.

September 15-21, 2022 18 ENTERTAINMENT

businessman Manuel Paolo Villar.

Abunda, who discovered Mariel before she became a TV personality, is excited about the “in nite possibilities” with Mariel now being part of ALLTV.Rodriguez started her career at the age of 15 as a commercial model. She is married to actor-turned-politician, Sen. Robinhood Padilla. They have two daughters, Maria Isabella and Maria AccomplishedGabriella. theater, TV and movie actress Ciara Sotto also joined the country’s new television network, ALLTV.Ciara Sotto, also a singer, TV host, dancer, and tness enthusiast, signed the contract with ALLTV at Mella Hotel in Las Piñas City with AMBS President Maribeth Tolentino, Chief Financial O cer Maryknoll Tolentino, and general counsel Atty. TJ Mendoza.

Ciara said she is happy to join the TV network. “I am honored to be considered as one of your talents, and I am very, very excited to work with all of you. God bless you and I promise I’d do my best, and I am very, very easy to work with,” said Ciara, who was very grateful for the opportunity to work withCiaraALLTV.isthe current President and founder of Philippine Pole and Aerial Sports Association (PPASA). She also founded the women’s community group,DespitePrinsesa.allher achievements, Ciara values her role as a mom to son Crixus the most. She is the youngest daughter of former Senate President Vicente Sotto and Helen Gamboa, both popular actors and respected pillars of the Philippine showbiz industry.

AMBS CFO Maryknoll Zamora, and AMBS general counsel Atty. TJ Mendoza.“Thank you so much to ALLTV. I am so excited for the many possibilities. Like what Ms. Beth said, ‘Let’s

New Channel 2 ALLTV launched with Toni Gonzaga, Willie Revillame, others; treats Filipino viewers with star-studded shows, exclusives

make a beautiful show. Let us make our viewers happy’,” Mariel said, quoting Tolentino. “All I want to do is make people happy.”

Called ALLTV, the premiere television station of the Advanced Media Broadcasting System (AMBS) of billionaire Manuel Villar Jr. opened a starstudded variety show to give viewers a more exciting brand of entertainment e hosted by popular TV host, singer, and comedian, Willie Revillame.

ALLTV airs on Channel on free TV and Planet Cable; Channel 35 on Cignal TV and Sky Cable, Channel 32 on GSAT, Channel 23 on Cablelink, and Channel on other cable TV providers.Mariel promises to make ALLTV viewing more exciting as she takes her role as TV host and actress to a new level, said AMBS President Maribeth Tolentino.“Mariel will surely add more fun, and entertainment that every viewer, especially moms, can relate to. We are looking forward to working with you, Mariel. Welcome to your new ALLTV family,” Tolentino said during the contract signing at Mella Hotel, a week before the tv station’s launch.

Mariel signed a contract with ALLTV, the premiere TV station of Advanced Media Broadcasting System (AMBS) which is under the Prime Assets Ventures, Inc. led by Manuel Paolo Villar.Also present during the contract signing were Padilla’s talent manager and talk show host, Boy Abunda.

The message that “All of Us Belong Right Here” wants to convey is that each wave of immigrants into the country, whether voluntary or otherwise, brought something unique and contributed to the greatness of U.S. as a country.

and leaders to interact, to work together, to learn from each other and to build trust so that our community will be strong via UNITY.

“But this is something also about racism that sadly has occurred for many years. And sill to this time occurs. When the pandemic hit, our city put out fact sheets and immeidatel I have received death threats alleging that I must be a communist, a spy destabilizing the U.S. economy among others. People still don’t reali e that unfortunately ignorance is prevalent in some parts of the community,” the mayor added.

(From

Mei added that when the topic on racism is talked is about “we have to talk looking at us as a collective not just as selective.

page 1)

Anti-hate crime music video...

When Wong asked each of the participants what they thought about the spike in the Anti-Asian hate crimes and what they plan to do about it, re-electionist candidate Mayor Gillmor spoke about hateful rhetoric that started at the beginning of the pandemic and the rising number of Anti-Asian hate crimes targeting both individuals and businesses.“Itisahealth

Early on, Wong shared that the idea for the song started in April when he created a blog about Asian American in the U.S. because of the pandemic.

19 September 15-21, 2022  COMMUNITY NEWS

For her part, Fremont Mayor Mei stressed that it is important that “we have the positivity that the song represents in terms of outreach and camaraderie between our communities in recognizing that we all belong right here.”

The video itself was a result of a collective community eﬀort to share the message “All of Us Belong Right Here.” And over 60 people participated in the making of the video, with 20 elected o cials making an appearance.

“ veryone should feel that they’re safe. hen it comes to justice, it cannot be just us as partisan. It has to be something united. I don’t think it is ok to terrori e, intimidate, threaten or bully anyone regardless of their political party, faith, gender, ethnic or sexual orientation. We have to stand united,” Mei Communitysaid.partners for the event also included National Asian Americans United, California State Library, Ethnic Media Services, CLUSA, Studio One, OneVetOneVote, Music Land School of Music, Jane Huang Dance Academy, American Chinese Youth Performing Art Foundation, American Teochow Foundation and Cupertino Rotary Club.

With Wong, founder of Ding Ding TV and Silicon Valley Community Media Diana WeiPing Ding shared the message of “All of Us Belong Right Here” with the participants of 2022 National Civic Leadership Forum: “AAPI – The Great Awakening” held in Las Vegas.

crisis and a human rights crisis. The city immediately passed a resolution to a rm the city’s commitment to stand against and condemn violence against Asian American and Paci c Islanders. Santa Clara also worked with community members to create a task force on diversity, equity, and inclusion to engage the local community and open a dialogue,” Gillmor stated: “By working together in our city and standing in solidarity with our Asian American and Paci c Islander brothers and sisters, we can work to create a more just and compassionate society. This music video is the perfect bridge to connect all of us and remind us that we all belong here.”

The launch included a panel discussion participated in by Mayor of Santa Clara Lisa Gillmor, Mayor of Fremont Lily Mei, Founder and Chairman of Kenson Ventures Ken Fong, President of the Board of Trustees for Mt. San Antonio Community College Lieutenant Commander US Navy Jay Chen and moderated by Joel Wong (the President of National Asia American Political Action Committee.

“Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, anti-Asian sentiments was unearthed and crimes against Asian Americans have increased. Then I started to write a poem stating, among others, that all of us belong. I got encouraged by Ken (Fong) to put some music behind the poem. So I did it. I realized people like it then I decided to put a fancy melody behind it. That was how it all started this song,” Wong related.

scams.The process of using a reverse mortgage is fairly simple: It starts with a borrower who already owns a house. The borrower either has considerable equity in their home usually at least 0 of the property’s value or has paid it oﬀ completely. The borrower decides they need the liquidity that comes with removing equity from their home, so they work with a reverse mortgage counselor to nd a lender and a program.

(Continue on page 27)

September 15-21, 2022 20

Private reverse mortgages have their own quali cation requirements that vary by lender and loan program.

“These operators are not just from China, but within our neighboring countries in Southeast Asia as well,” he said.Tan said ease of business transaction is also a plus for the developer, noting that the company last August signed a three-year contract with a triple A construction company for the lease of more than 1,000 sq.m. space in ton’s Blakes Tower.

In the end, most reverse mortgage loans are not repaid by the borrower. Instead, when the borrower moves or dies, the borrower’s heirs sell the property in order to pay oﬀ the loan. The borrower or their estate gets any excess proceeds from the Mostsale. reverse mortgages are issued through governmentinsured programs that have strict rules and lending standards. There are also private, or proprietary, reverse mortgages, which are issued by private non-bank lenders, but those are less regulated and have an increased likelihood of being

Multi-unit properties with up to four units Manufactured homes built after une 1 7 Condos or townhomes

Tan added the o ce building has four ﬂoors of spacious o ces well-suited for multinational companies’ local corporate headquarters or global support servicing and has direct access to the complete range of amenities and close to the modern conveniences of the Makati CBD.Itis located near the major thoroughfares of Ayala and Buendia Avenues such as the LRT-1 train, public buses, jeepneys, cabs, and even tricycles.

Reverse Mortgage Costs

 REAL ESTATE

Think of a reverse mortgage as a conventional mortgage where the roles are switched. In a conventional forward mortgage, a person takes out a loan in order to buy a home and then repays the lender over time. In a reverse mortgage, the person already owns the home, and they borrow against it, getting a loan from a lender that they may not necessarily ever repay.

ton Properties is the real estate brand of the Lucio Tan Group, one of the biggest business conglomerates in the Philippines.

ton Properties executive director yle Tan said “with the perceived stability and con dence of a new administration and the market starting to normali e, ton Properties gradually felt an increase in the demand for leasing spaces this second half of the year.”

Can you buy a house under a Reverse Mortgage Program

he answer is de nitely Yes, if you put enough down payment and qualify for the program, you can buy it under a “Reverse Mortgage Loan” where you wont ever have to make a PI mortgage payment, unless you choose to.

insurance pre-

POGO expansion boosts demand for office spaces

MA ATI CITY – xpansion moves by Philippine oﬀshore gaming operators POGO , along with strong client relations, boosted o ce space development of ton Properties in the second half of the year.

Tan said the e estPod is one of the company’s two o ce projects within the mixed-use complex of ton est nd Square.

There are two primary costs for government-backed reverseInterestmortgages:rates: These may be xed if you take a lump sum with rates starting under 3. a rate comparable to conventional mortgages and much lower than other home equity loan products . Otherwise, they’ll be variable based on the London Interbank Oﬀered Rate LIBOR , with a margin added for the lender.Mortgage

“ ton also sees the positive ripple eﬀect of POGO in our leasing business because some of them are also looking for residential and commercial spaces, which are a good indicator of our overall growth in occupancy

After a lender funds a reverse mortgage, borrowers use the money as provided for in their loan agreement. Some loans have restrictions on how the funds can be used such as for improvements or renovations , while others are unrestricted. These loans last until the borrower dies or moves, at which time they or their heirs can repay the loan, or the property can be sold to repay the lender. The borrower gets any money that remains after the loan is repaid.

In the case of government-sponsored reverse mortgages, borrowers also are required to sit through an information session with an approved reverse mortgage counselor. They also have to stay current on property taxes and homeowner’s insurance and keep their property in good condition.

Typically only certain types of properties qualify for government-backed reverse mortgages. ligible properties include:Single-family homes

Once the borrower picks a speci c loan program, they apply for the loan. The lender does a credit check, reviews the borrower’s property, its title and appraised value. If approved, the lender funds the loan, with proceeds structured as either a lump sum, a line of credit or periodic annuity payments monthly, quarterly or annually, for example , depending on what the borrower chooses.

In a statement, the property developer said it inked a deal with one of Southeast Asia’s POGO rm for the lease of over ,000 square meters of o ce space or two ﬂoors of ton’s e estPod building inside the mixeduse development, ton est nd Square near the Makati Central Business District.

He said the building was developed to provide a particular built-to-suit concept that allows the users to design and customi e the space according to their needs.

Its foreign counterpart, ton Properties Ltd., is an established real estate brand in Hong ong and mainland

China.ith

an extensive land bank in strategic locations all over the country, ton Properties speciali es in o ce projects, commercial centers, and mixed-use township developments, as well as, high-end and mid-income high-rise and hori ontal residential developments.

In order to qualify for a government-sponsored reverse mortgage, the youngest owner of a home being mortgaged must be at least 2 years old. Borrowers can only borrow against their primary residence and must also either own their property outright or have at least 0 equity with, at most, one primary lien in other words, borrowers can’t have a second lien from something like a H LOC or a second mortgage. If the borrower doesn’t own their house outright, they usually have to pay oﬀ their existing mortgage with the funds received from a reverse mortgage.

rate,” he added.

namin ang iyong patuloy na tagumpay. Inspirasyon ka sa ating mga kabataan dahil sa iyong galing, sipag, at dedikasyon (Our country is proud of you, and we pray for your continuous success. You are an inspiration to the youth because of your talent, diligence, and dedication).”

‘Flying Pinoy’ EJ Obiena continues making mark

To reach the nal, she defeated No. Australian Taylah Preston, 6-2, 7-6 (7-1); No. 14 Russian Mirra Andreeva, 6-4, 6-0; and No. Canadian Victoria Mboko, 6-1, 7-6 Eala(7-5).now has three junior Grand Slam titles, including the two doubles coming from the 2021 French Open with Russian Oksana Selekhmeteva and the 2020 Australian Open with Indonesian Priska Madelyn Nugroho. She had a career-high ranking of No. in October 2020 following a semi nal appearance at the French Open girls’Assingles.apro, Eala is currently No. 297 in the WTA rankings. This year, she won her rst ITF 2 title in Chiang Rai, Thailand and was a losing nalist at the ITF 0 event in Madrid to reach a career-high of No. 280 in July.

Eala, who improved her junior ranking to No. 10 from No. 167, said she learned a lot about herself during the competition.“Iamvery happy with the way I handled each and every point. I had a lot of moments in this tournament where I was down, and I could have lost a set and could have gotten mad easily but I didn’t. I think my behavior throughout the whole week was something I can be proud of,” said the 5-foot-9 Eala, who is based at the Rafa Nadal Tennis Academy in Mallorca, Spain for the past four years.

Eala debuted at the 2019 Southeast Asian Games held in the Philippines, win-

Nor becoming the rst for the Philippines to emerge victorious in the Asian level competitions in a little less than years, nor being the rst, too, from this shore to make it to the Olympic Games in his event, before becoming the high-

And, also, the rst Pinoy ﬂyer to come up with a podium nish 3rd in the 1 th World Athletics Championsihips held last July 15-24 in Eugene, Oregon, USA.

The past three years, Obiena showed what a tremendous athlete he is. His career broke all the Philippine and Asian records.

“I think I played very well and was mentally strong and I am happy I was able to keep my composure throughout the match,” said Eala during her postmatch press conference.

Senator Alan Cayetano also congratulated Eala for her win, saying, “Ipinagmamalaki ka ng ating bansa at ipinagdarasal

“We are truly blessed with incredibly talented athletes!” he added Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) chairman Noli Eala also lauded Alex, his niece for winning the girls’ title of the US Open.Eala was among those who stayed awake past midnight on Sunday (Philippine Time) to watch and eventually witness Alex’s historic moment in Flushing Meadows, New York as she became the rst Filipino ever to rule a singles grand slamThetournament.17-year-old Eala needed 68 minutes to conquer Havlickova, the world No. and reigning French Open girls’ singles reigning champion.

“The historic win of Alex is a testament to the Filipino spirit and our strength of character,” said the elder Eala in a statement.The 17-year-old tennis wunderkind is a product of Rafael Nadal’s academy, and she has to spend basically her teenage days

In his Facebook post, Tolentino thanked Eala for bringing home another honor to the “Wecountry.expect Alex to bring more honors to the country, and her accomplishment would de nitely inspire young Filipinos to follow in her footsteps,” he said.

in Mallorca, Spain for training, sacri cing her time with her family.

ning the bronze medals in women’s singles, women’s team event and mixed doubles with Filipino-American Treat Conrad Huey.Only 17 years old and already an owner of one of tennis’s juniors major title, Eala would go a long way, said POC President Tolentino.“Alex will go a long, long way in her tennis career, which, is just budding,” Tolentino said in a statement.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and other o cials and sports leaders immediately congratulated Eala for her achievement.Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) president Abraham Bambol Tolentino also congratulated the young Eala, adding he believes this is just the beginning for the young“AlexEala.will go a long, long way in her tennis career, which, is just budding,” said Tolentino, who is now the Tagaytay City mayor. “We expect Alex to bring more honors to the country, and her accomplishment would de nitely inspire young Filipinos to follow in her footsteps.”

It doesn’t matter now how many medals Filipino pole vaulter Ernest John Obiena has brought home since invading the European Circuit following his gold medal victory in the Asian Track and Field Championships held in in Doha, Qatar.

21 September 15-21, 2022  COMMUNITY NEWS

Alexandra Eala makes history, wins US Open girls’ singles title in New York

est nishing Asian to end up 11th in last XXXII Games of the Olympics held last year in Tokyo.

By EDDIE G. ALINEA Sports Editor

NEW YORK/MANILA – Filipino teen tennis star Alexandra Alex Eala made history in New York when she won the US Open junior championship trophy by defeating second seed Lucie Havlickova of the Czech Republic 6-2 at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York on Sunday, August 11.

In his gold medal victory in Doha, EJ to the athletics world, put an end to the country’s long 94-year draught for gold since Antonino Alo reigned supreme in pole vault in the edition of the Far Eastern Games held in Manila.

On her historic triumph, Eala said, “it’s very overwhelming right now. But I think this is a huge step for me personally as well. I am super happy to represent my country and do something worth for the big platform and being able to inspire other younger people.”

Eala dedicated her win to the Filipino people in a message in halting Filipino beamed at her Filipino fans who watched the nals.

We have to understand that a hospital, emergency responders and paramedics are all businesses. They are in the business of saving lives. In some cases they do get government grants but that is a drop in the bucket when it comes to budget that they need in order to perform their jobs accordingly. If one does not pay the bill, they will be sought after just like it was a credit card debt. The account can be put into collections, sent to attorneys and can even take legal action. So the reasoning that you did not ask them to help you can easily go out the window if you have to defend yourself in court.

A: In cases where an individual does not have any kind of health insurance, they mostly can go to the county hospital to get medical help for less expensive immediate attention. In other cases where one has medical insurance, they can pretty much go to any hospital if they need immediate attention like an emergency. In cases where one is involved in a traumatic accident or emergency requiring rescue and the victim or patient requires the most immediately care available, the emergency services provider may take them to any trauma hospital.

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The question is who picks up the bill for all the work involved in the rescue or emergency service? The answer is it becomes the responsibility of the patient or if a minor the parents. In most cases like motor vehicle accidents, it is the vehicle insurance carrier who will pick up the bill. In cases like if a patient or victim does not have insurance, they will be responsible for the bill. Generally if the patient or victim is incoherent or unconscious, then the emergency personnel has the right to provide the utmost service available which is stabilizing the patient before taking them to a hospital.

We only provide Federal Trade Commission compliant programs. Go with Debt Aid Consulting!Donot 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 ts you or not. So beware!

In some cases the victim who does not want to pay the bill can say that they did not call for the emergency service like paramedics to help them. But if it was a decision that had to be made by an o cer of the law or the head of the paramedics who deemed it necessary in order to save a life, then it becomes the responsibility of the patient to pay the bill. So what happens when the patient does not pay the bill?

Q: Can the hospital or collections?sendparamedicsmeto

September 15-21, 2022 22

Ating lesson, Laging mag ipon ng emergency fund para sa emergency nga talaga yan.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.

Founded in LA County Library is one of the largest and most innovative library systems in the US. It oﬀers free public resources including books, music, multimedia materials, computer and internet access, and educational and recreational services to million residents across square miles through its community libraries, 1 institutional library, and mobile ﬂeet of 1 vehicles, including Bookmobiles, M kM (maker mobiles), early literacy vehicles, and mobile outreach vehicles. LA County Library is dedicated to reducing barriers and increasing access to and equity of public services for all. To learn more, visit LACountyLibrary.org and follow @LACountyLibrary on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube.

the wonder and importance of books and reading, and challenges parents, educators, and librarians to nurture kids’ love of reading and libraries through art.

Kids and teens are encouraged to let their imagination shine using original designs to draw, paint, or create their own bookmark. Each of the Library’s locations will select winner from categories— Kindergarten through Grade Grades through Grades through and Grades through 12—who will be

Calling all crea� e kids and teens Pick up an entry orm and let your imagina�on shine

LOS ANGELES LA County Library’s 43rd Annual Bookmark Contest for grades – which celebrates the joy of reading and creativity, is now open. Submissions will be accepted through October

recognized at their Library.

September 15-21, 2022 24 COMMUNITY NEWS

The winning bookmarks from each Library will be shared with the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, who will select Countywide winners from each category that reside in their District. These winners will see their bookmark design professionally printed and distributed across all LA County Library locations!Los Angeles County residents and schools are encouraged to participate in the contest, which highlights

This year’s contest is sponsored by LA County Library Foundation.

LA County Library now accepting entries for Annual Bookmark Contest

About LA County Library

To participate, kids can visit their local library to pick up an entry form, or download the form online. For more information and to download, visit LACountyLibrary.org/Bookmark-Contest. Entry forms can be submitted in person, by mail, or online via submission form, and must be received by October

Brian Levin, , of Orange County, has been Founding Director at the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism and a Professor at the California State University, San Bernardino School of Criminology and Criminal ustice since 1 . He was a Professor at Stockton University from 1 to 1 . Levin was Associate Director of Legal Aﬀairs of the lanwatch/Militia Task Force at the Southern Poverty Law Center from 1 to 1 . He is a member of the California Association of Human Relations Organizations and an organizational representative to the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights and Human Rights. He is a member of the Bar of the U.S. Supreme Court. Levin earned a Juris Doctor degree from Stanford Law School. This position does not require Senate con rmation and there is no compensation. Levin is registered without party preference.

SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom announced his appointments to the Commission on the State of Hate, thus putting the agency to work.

25 September 15-21, 2022  COMMUNITY NEWS

Democrat.ErrollG.

Newsom puts Commission on the State of Hateto work with appointments of 5 members

tions at the University of Southern California from 2003 to 2022, including Professor of Practice in National and Homeland Security, Director of International Programs, Adjunct Professor and Associate Director of Research and Transition. He was Assistant Chief of Police commanding the O ce of Homeland Security and Intelligence at Los Angeles World Airports from 2007 to 2010. Southers was Deputy Director for the Protection of Critical Infrastructure at the Governor’s O ce of Homeland Security from 200 to 200 . He was President and Chief xecutive O cer at Risk Management Consultants International from 1 to 200 . Southers was a Special Agent at the Federal Bureau of Investigation from 1 to 1 . Southers is a member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police Research Advisory Committee, Society of Former Special Agents of the FBI and Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated. He earned a Master of Public Administration degree and a Doctor of Policy, Planning and Development degree from the University of Southern California. This position does not require Senate con rmation and there is no compensation. Southers is a Democrat.

Created by legislation the Governor signed last year and established in the 2022 Budget Act, the Commission will assess data on hate crimes in California, provide resources for victims, and make policy recommendations to better protect civilTherights.Governor said those appointed to the Commission on the State of Hate are:

Bamby Salcedo, 53, of Los Angeles, has been President and Chief Executive O cer at the TransLatin Coalition since 201 . She was HIV and Health Education Services Project Coordinator at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles from 2007 to 201 . Salcedo was Transgender Harm Reduction Project Coordinator at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles from 2007 to 200 . She held several positions at Transgeneros Unidas at Bienestar Human Services LA from 2002 to 200 , including Program Manager, Program Lead and Community Health Specialist. Salcedo was Peer Coordinator at Tarzana Treatment Centers from 2001 to 2002. She earned a Master of Arts degree in Latinx Studies from California State University, Los Angeles. Salcedo is a member of Groundswell Fund, ERA Coalition, Social Equity LA, Justice LA, Justice LA Coalition, California Lieutenant Governor’s Transgender Advisory Council, HONOR PAC and Pan American Health Organization. This position does not require Senate con rmation and there is no compensation. Salcedo is a Democrat.

Cynthia Choi, 56, of San Francisco, has been Co-Director of Chinese for A rmative Action since 201 and a Co-Founder of Stop AAPI Hate since 2020. She held several positions at Asian Americans and Paci c Islanders in Philanthropy from 200 to 201 , including Vice President of Philanthropic Partnerships and Deputy Director. Choi was Interim Executive Director at Khmer Girls in Action from 2004 to 2006. She held several positions at the California ndowment from 1 7 to 1 , including Program O cer and Regional Manager. Choi was Co-Director of MultiCultural Collaborative from 1 to 1 7. She was Program Developer at the Asian Law Caucus from 1 to 1 2. This position does not require Senate con rmation and there is no compensation. Choi is a Democrat.

Southers, 65, of Los Angeles, has been Associate Senior Vice President of Safety and Risk Assurance at the University of Southern California since 2022, Adjunct Staﬀ at the RAND Corporation since 2017, an Advisor at Avata Intelligence since 2013 and Managing Director at TAL Global Corporation since 2010. Southers held several posi-

Shirin Sinnar, 45, of Palo Alto, has been a Professor at Stanford Law School since 2012, where she has been ohn A. ilson Faculty Scholar since 201 . She was Staﬀ Attorney at the Asian Law Caucus from 200 to 200 . Sinnar was a Law Clerk for the Honorable Warren J. Ferguson at the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals from 2003 to 2004. She is a member of the Journal of National Security Law and Policy Editorial Board and the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area. Sinnar earned a Master of Philosophy degree in international relations from Cambridge University and Juris Doctor degree from Stanford Law School. This position does not require Senate con rmation and there is no compensation. Sinnar is a

The department also recorded 4,544 wew COVID-19 cases raising the total in the county to 3,430,358 cases.

LA health dep’t confirms first death due to monkeypox

National Chair Brendan Flores issued a call to action, saying, “Our elderly kababayans, especially someone like Tatay Victor and many others, who have sacri ced a lot for their family and country, have the right to exist without fear. We call on elected o cials, local authorities, and public servants to take concrete action and bring comfort to those a icted. We ask for authorities and elected o cials in Baltimore, Maryland, to take the necessary steps to heighten police visibility and address mental health issues, especially among the homeless.”

By Jo Erlinda Mau t

CITY OF CARSON Join the City of Carson in a night of music, food and entertainment at the highlight of this year’s Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration, the Mariachi Fiesta, on September starting at 6:30 Grammy-Awardp.m.. winning Mariachi Divas will headline the event joined by Myah Valenz, Ballet Folklorico Alma De Oro, and Mariachi Los Criollos de Guadalajara. Tickets are available for per person or per table (8 persons). Each ticket includes a three-course meal.

NaFFAA called for action from local authorities and elected o cials to nd the suspect and protect our vulnerable elderlies. This adds up to the several cases of brutal attacks on our Asian elders that have grown rapidly since the NaFFAA’spandemic.

The resident was severely immunocompromised and had been hospitalized.

man then grabbed Victor by the shirt, pushed him against a vehicle, and then to the ground.

LOS ANGELES The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, along with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), has con rmed the rst death due to monkeypox in a Los Angeles County resident.

NaFFAA National Presi-

To protect con dentiality and priva-

In making the con rmation, the Department of Public Health sent its heartfelt condolences, adding it wishes the healing to the family and friends mourning the loss of their loved one.

cy, additional information on this case will not be made public.

More than 12,508,000 individuals in the county have been tested of COVID-19, the department stated, adding 24% of people tested positive.

Washington, D.C. The National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA) is saddened by the death of another elderly “kababayan” after being injured and robbed in Baltimore, Maryland.Victor Malabayabas, was busy bringing groceries into his home when the unidenti ed man approached him to ask for a tissue. The

Tickets are sold online at https://cutt. ly/OnlineReg or call (310) 952-1782 ext. or Bring your family and friends. Enjoy an evening of live entertainment, great food and music. The deadline to purchase tickets online is Wednesday, September at 11:59 p.m.

“We certainly hope that as we continue to give these violent crimes limelight and show solidarity in their wake, that it will deter further acts of violence, but that will only happen in coalition with others. We cannot do this alone. NaFFAA is committed to empower our community through collaboration, and we pledge to do so in Victor’s memory,” Fletcher added.

dent Mariela Fletcher commented, “We extend our deepest condolences to Victor’s family and loved ones. It is absolutely horrifying that crimes like this continue to happen, particularly to the vulnerable members of our community, and a Navy veteran, no less. NaFFAA, and our Hate Crimes Task Force, is prepared to support in any way we can.”

Youth facilities and features unveiled at Presidio Tunnel Tops

NaFFAA mourns over death of FilAm Navy veteran Victor Malabayabas City of MariachicelebratesCarsonFiesta

September 15-21, 2022 26 COMMUNITY NEWS California children are getting the food they need thanks to P-EBT. OVER 5 MILLION Learn more about P-EBT at ca.p-ebt.org WatchStoriesReal SCAN HERE

“We are deeply saddened and outraged that a violent act was inﬂicted on someone who has served this country honorably,” said Maj. Gen. Antonio Taguba (Ret), Chairman of the Filipino Veterans Recognition and Education Project (FilVe-

The unidenti ed man then took his wallet and quickly ﬂed the area. The medics treated Victor at the scene, then took him to the hospital, but he died the following day due to the injuries he sustained from the horri c incident.

Youth facilities and features unveiled at Presidio Tunnel Tops

tREP). “We extend our deepest sympathies to the family of Mr. Malabayabas and pray that God grant them comfort in their time of grief.”

Persons severely immunocompromised who suspect they have monkeypox are encouraged to seek medical care and treatment early and remain under the care of a provider during their illness.The DPH at the same time reported 37 new deaths due to COVID 19 raising the total to 33,385 in the county.

(ELPIDIO R. ESTIOKO was a veteran journalist in the Philippines and a multi-awarded journalist here in the US. For feedbacks, comments… please email the author at estiokoelpidio@gmail.com.)

terviews in his o ce together with other journalists.

In My Heart

his twin state visits last week was quite similar to what Rodrigo Duterte accomplished – I am smirking as I write this – each time he went to China. The press o ce of the palace always made big deals of the billions of dollars Duterte allegedly clinched in Beijing.

In addition to these costs, lenders also will charge their own origination fees, which vary by lender, but typically range from 1 to 2 of the loan amount. Lenders also typically charge other fees, including for property appraisals, servicing administering loans and other closing costs, such as credit check fees.

This loan is tailored to someone who is on a xed income whom is not too liquid and have a mortgage payment that is taking up their ability to have a good uality of Retirement Life. Call to see if you can qualify.

(From

Remember that his biggest wins in the investment front was for Chinese companies to fund and build three railway systems. Only after the foul-mouthed former mayor of Davao City was about to step down was it announced that those mega projects would not be pushing through.

SMC has embarked on coastal cleanup eﬀorts in collaboration with community volunteers in Tan a, Navotas and Calatagan, Batangas. The conglomerate’s eﬀort to rehabilitate our waterways is inspiring.Letusemulate the good work SMC has done. And our esteemed salute to RSA, an environmentalist who walks his talk in getting done for Mother Nature. I See It

(From Page 12)

OF IDNAPPING

Yet another accomplishment of his was to make the birthday of his late father, the brutal dictator who was also the world’s biggest thief according to the Guiness Book of Records a legal holiday in their home province of Ilocos Norte.

Thanks for your comments, please call en Go of 1st Innovative Finance Group 2- 0 -70 or write to ennethgo veri on. net CABR 01021223 NMLS 23 3

course, enjoying its gastronomic delights, including the fresh and sweet oysters at its sidewalk cafes overlooking the nearby designer boutiques along the Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honor . I remember I was with the late Bubby Dacer and other media colleagues in the Paris cafes as we prepared to move on to London.

(From Page 13)

(From Page 12)

For RSA, rehabilitating waterways involves a holistic approach. “This will entail a solid waste and wastewater management system that will involve all stakeholders, including local and national government agencies, the private sector, and more importantly, the communities that are beside or near the river,” he said.

“Third, monarchies prevent the emergence of extreme forms of government in their countries by xing the form of government. All political leaders must serve as prime ministers or ministers of the

Oﬄine

Before that He also attended a basketball game of the Philippine team, but only showed up when it was clear that the Filipinos were winning bigtime.

From Paris, I remember crossing the nglish Channel this time to London. hile in London, we called on then Philippine Ambassador dgardo spiritu, father of my present California newspaper boss, Francis spiritu, at the Philippine mbassy at the London’ embassy district. The ambassador was accommodating during in-

duardo “Danding” Cojuangco, r., one of the richest men in the Philippines and “boss” of the inner circle of Marcos, had organi ed a group of armed men to escort Marcos from Manila to Ilocos Norte as planned. They were waiting in Paniqui, Tarlac to join the Marcos convoy. hen Danding learned that Marcos was in Clark, he went there. Marcos told him that they were going to Laoag. Danding said that they would join him there.

(From Page 12)

instead of to an ethnic or tribal group. The Habsburg dynasty held together a large, prosperous country that quickly balkani ed into almost a do en states of no power without it. If the restoration of the erstwhile king of Afghanistan, ahir Shah, widely respected by all Afghans, went through after the overthrow of the Taliban in 2001, perhaps Afghanistan would have more quickly risen above the factionalism and rivalry between various warlords.”

alists were at the Laoag Airport that night. There were no NPAs. There is a document stating that Cory Aquino told the U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines that he did not want Marcos in the Philippines. It was shown to me by our friend Ron Oldenburg, a Honolulu attorney. Oldenburg had helped the Marcoses and their entourage in their immigration cases. It was he who suggested to Marcos that at least one of the members of their family must leave Hawaii to be able to protect their interests. Imee was chosen to leave. In the movie “Maid in Malacanang” which depicts the last days of the Marcoses in Malacanang, Cory appears in the movie shouting: “Get them out of the CORROBORATIONPhilippines.”

27 September 15-21, 2022

So much for his build, build, build program, which incidentally Marcos said he planned to continue.

Health & Wealth

And nally, rather counterintuitively, monarchies can serve up a head of state in a more democratic and diverse way than actual democratic politics. Since anyone, regardless of their personality or interests, can by accident of birth become a monarch, all types of people may become rulers in such a system. The head of state may thus promote causes or stir interest in issues and topics that would otherwise not be signi cant, as Prince Charles views in architecture prove. Politicians on the other hand, tend to have a certain personality they are generally extroverted, can make or raise money, and tend to pander or at least publicly hold to pre-de ned mainstream views. The presence of a head of state with a psychological pro le diﬀerent from a politician can be refreshing.

What’s Up Atty

I would like to extend my personal greetings of “BL SS D AND HAPPY BIRTHDAY” to Adela Palanca and uanita Gangano Manaog. May God’s richest blessings be with you both

from the Immigration Court a waiver of misrepresentation for an immigrant in removal proceeding who entered the U.S as single but actually married. The waiver allows him to stay in the U.S. permanently. e also received approval from USCIS six naturali ation applications, two Fianc e visa petition, three removals of condition on residence and three adjustment of status applications.

Page 12)

Immigrants Help (From Page 14)

In light of the all the advantages, monarchy, as in previous centuries, will continue to show itself to be an important and bene cial political institution wherever it still survives,” Pillamarri argued.

Again, decision making rests in the king and nobody else. There will be no opposition and no long debates that will ensue after the decision has been made. No libustering. no issue of quorum, no concessions,“Fifth,etc.monarchies are repositories of tradition and continuity in ever changing times. They remind a country of what it represents and where it came from, facts that can often be forgotten in the swiftly changing currents of politics.”

Not Rodrigo, ok I refer to the Duterte who is not aware that her rst name should be spelled with an H. Shara is it Or Sarha I am, of course, just kidding as I do not wish to be sued for cyberlibel for exercising my right of free speech. But I do wonder if she will make a better chief executive than the son of a deceased dictator.

Speaking of the ducation secretary who also happens to be vice president of the republic, her followers have begun to grumble about the Marcos presidency. Social media has been bu ing about a growing anti-Marcos movement rising from the ranks of Duterte’s followers.

This might also be true considering that while his ministers are directly responsible to the king, ultimately, the decision rests in the king despite the fact that the ministers have their own pockets of powers.

Again, monarchs being charismatic and respected by the people, can unite diverse groups as what the late ueen li abeth 11 did.

“Fourth, monarchies have the gravitas and prestige to make lastresort, hard, and necessary decisions decisions that nobody else can make. For example, uan Carlos of Spain personally ensured his country’s transition to a constitutional monarchy with parliamentary institutions and stood down an attempted military coup. At the end of the Second orld ar, the apanese mperor Hirohito de ed his military’s wish to ght on and saved countless of his people’s lives by advocating for apan’s surrender.

Note: If you have immigration problems write us a letter and we will reply to you with no initial obligation. The Law O ces of Crispin C. Lo ano can help you nd a solution before your problem gets worse which could lead to deportation and family separation.

Chris Caday Lozano, Esq. is an active member of the State Bar of California, the American Immigration Lawyers Association and San Francisco Trial Lawyers. He practices immigration law, bankruptcy and income tax preparation since June 1999. His contact phone is 1-877-456-9266, email: info@CCLlaw.net Website: www.crispinlozanolaw.com/

miums: Federally backed reverse mortgages have a 2 upfront mortgage insurance premium and annual premiums of 0. .

“In present times,” Pillamarri argued, “most monarchies rule within some sort of constitutional or traditional framework which constrains and institutionali es their powers. ven prior to this, monarchs faced signi cant constraints from various groups including religious institutions, aristocracies, the wealthy, and even commoners. Customs, which always shape social interactions, also served to restrain. ven monarchies that were absolute in theory were almost always constrained in practice.

the Lunch Reception Break. RSVP: ust call 0 3 -3 31 or 1 -70 or email: artmadlaing gmail.com

luted Pasig River has been collected as of August 13 this year.

Page 20)

So, will ing Charles remain a monarch, just like his mother, during modern times and may last for the rest of his lifetime Maybe, no more 70 years because he is already 73, but will probably last throughout the rest of his life

Aside from the Pasig River rehabilitation, SMC will also start cleaning up the rivers belonging to the Marilao-Mecauayan-Obando River System in Bulacan. The initiative will be part of the ﬂood mitigation measures in the province of Bulacan which is site of the New Manila International Airport NMIA .

I sense that if no one makes an issue of this, he will make it a holiday nationwide somewhere down the road.

(From Page 12)

(From

And today’s heirs are educated from birth for their future role and live in the full glare of the media their entire lives Because they have literally been born to rule, they have constant, hands-on training on how to interact with people, politicians, and the media.”

Last week, Marcos was seen in a couple of events where he gave the usual feel good motherhood speeches that other past presidents who were not accomplishing much tended to also give.

Since graduating in 1 as Class Valedictorian at the Binalonan High School in Binalonan, Pangasinan, Philppines, I haven’t seen my former classmate for more than 7 years. ho would ever think that I can meet uanita Gangano Manaog at the ing Sun Buffett in South San Francisco, California during her birthday celebration on the same day and time coinciding with the Birthday Dinner celebration of my client and neighbor Adela Palanca

San Miguel Aerocity, Inc., a subsidiary of SMC responsible for the design, construction, nancing, and operations of the NMIA commissioned a study to assess the impact of the airport development on ﬂooding in the province. Measures to mitigate ﬂooding in the province have been identi ed.

His father would have been 10 , by the way, and he is still in the record books as a crook. But I’m sure unior will nd a way to rewrite history. It will be up to his ducation secretary, a certain Sara Duterte, to determine if history books should be rewritten.

In one event, he even cut the ceremonial ribbon, I believe.

At our hotel in London, I bumped into a prominent Filipino guest and friend, the late Interior and Local Government Secretary RobertLondonBarbers.came to my mind with the sad news of the untimely demise at the Balmoral Castle in Scotland of well loved ueen li abeth II, , the longest reigning monarch of ngland and head of the Commonwealth States.

e join the people of United ingdom and around the world in mourning the ueen. My daughter in law and her daughter, who both carry the name li abeth, join my family in grief at the ueen’s passing. Incidentally, records show that the Gabot family name was found in U between 1 0 and 1 20, in addition to those in the United States, Canada and France.

ART GABOT MADLAING is accredited and commissioned Notary Public and licensed Real state Broker DR 00 3 7 in California since 1 1. He is founder of MOBIL SIGNING S RVIC S, FITN SS FOR HUMANIY aka FITN SS FOR CHRIST and ACAPINOY. Art is active vangelist with the GOLD N GAT CHURCH OF CHRIST in San Francisco, California USA.

The Outsider

Mortgage insurance is meant to protect lenders in case of borrower default. hile reverse mortgages can’t usually default in the same ways as conventional mortgages when borrowers fail to make payments they can still default when owners fail to pay property taxes or insurance or by failing to properly maintain their properties.

ruler. ven if actual power lies with these individuals, the existence of a monarch makes it di cult to radically or totally alter a country’s politics. The presence of kings in Cambodia, ordan, and Morocco holds back the worst and more extreme tendencies of political leaders or factions in their countries. Monarchy also stabili es countries by encouraging slow, incremental change instead of extreme swings in the nature of regimes. The monarchies of the Arab states have established much more stable societies than non-monarchic Arab states, many of which have gone through such seismic shifts over the course of the Arab Spring.”

BL SS D AND HAPPY BIRTHDAYS: I was blessed and fortunate to attend the Birthday Dinner Get Together to celebrate the birthday of our client with Mobile Signing Services and neighbor Adela Palanca last September , 2022, Tuesday, at the ing Sun Buﬀett in South San Francisco, California. oining us at the Birthday Dinner were my sister-in-law Trinidad imene Tuliao, her husband Demetrio Tuliao, Marivic C. Fernande , former co-worker of my sister ose na Madlaing Lewis who both retired at the Laguna Honda Hospital in San Francisco, California celebrant’s sister, close friends and nurses doctors who are taking care of the birthday celebrant.hile enjoying the early Dinner, uanita Gangano Manaog, my former classmate at the Binalonan High School in Binalonan, Pangasinan approached our table and introduced herself. I found out that she was also celebrating her birthday in the same restaurant in a nearby table through a Dinner Get-Together with her mother, sister Mary Gangano Tuboro, who also retired at the Laguna Honda Hospital in San Francisco, California close friends and relatives.

Ken Go

I call this God’s providence and direction. If God can provide for the birds in the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, our Heavenly Father feeds them, are we not of more value than they Matthew :2 , N V . Yes, God controls time, date, events and circumstances!

However, all costs are typically rolled into the balance of the mortgage, so lenders don’t need for you to pay upfront.

hen Danding attempted to leave the plane to go back to Paniqui, he was barred. Danding was forced to ﬂy with Marcos to Hawaii. Danding told me the story when we became friends during his forced exile in California where I used to live. hen he ran for president in 1 2, Danding asked me to recommend him as the candidate of a powerful religious organi ation which votes solid in every election.

Like Ponce de Leon, we all want to nd the fountain of youth and extend our longevity. Since life is wonderful, in spite of all challenges and tribulations on our good earth, it is but natural for man to desire for a life that is longer than our current life expectancy, which in the USA is currently 79.05 years in 2022, in the Philippines, 71.53 years.Researchers recently recognized that the drug Rapamycin is a potential anti-aging drug. This drug was named after the island where it was discovered in the late 1960s, an Ester Island called Rapa Nui. It was isolated from bacteria living in the island soil which were found greatly effective in suppressing the immune system, and may slow skin aging in humans, effective against neurodegenerative illnesses, and extend the healthy longevity of some organisms. But it is also known that long-term use of Rapamycin have undesirable side-effects, like any antibiotic. The question scientists are now wondering about is whether a short course of this drug prescribed early in life would provide an anti-aging result over an entire lifetime of humans. Experimental laboratory results in animal studies are so far very promising.

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

A former chairman and administrator of the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS), Velasco is the prime mover of the successful Annual Million Trees Challenge (AMTC) that saw the planting of 5.2 million trees in years from 2017 to 2021.

RP calamity

A clinical study recently showed that individuals who received the flu shot have 12 percent lowers risk of a rst stroke. The vaccines anti-inflammatory effect is postulated to be the reason for this side-bene t of the vaccine.

Narra tree leaves, extracts top antioxidant source

As of last Tuesday, September 13, 2022, there were 87,002 cases of COVID-19 in the United States, with 569 deaths, and 32,291 in the hospital. Only 68 percent of the people are fully vaccinated, so there are still more than 100 million unvaccinated. This large number of potentially virus spreaders will keep COVID-19 with us much longer, if not permanently. It is, sadly, most unfortunate.

“This landmark ndings about the medicinal value of Narra tree gives us more reasons to pursue our ambitious goal of planting 10 more million trees by 2030,” said MTFI President and Executive Director Melandrew Velasco.

Samples of ultra-processed foods include: sodas (soft drinks), sweetened juices, sports and energy drinks, energy bars, powdered and instant soups, margarine, hamburgers, fries, mass-produced and packaged bread and baked goods made with hydrogenated fats, sugar, and additives, pre-prepared meals such as pizza, hot dogs, chicken nuggets, and sh sticks, infant formulas, meal replacement beverages, mass-produced ice cream, candies, sweetened yogurt, etc. Around 58 percent of American and more than 80 percent of Filipino diets are made up of unhealthy ultra-processed foods, causing metabolic syndromes (obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, joint diseases, thyroid problems, gut illnesses, etc.

“We should really protect and conserve our native trees and reforest our watersheds to protect our water source and ensure a steady supply of important ingredients for life-saving drugs that could save millions of lives worldwide,” added Mel Velasco.

Mocked for his obsessive search for the fountain of youth since 1513, Ponce de Leon in his grave must now

PHILIP S. CHUA Heart Hopeof

QUEZON CITY Unknown to many, narra, the Philippines’ national tree, is also a big source of antioxidant which when harnessed is a big help in the health of individuals.

By ALFRED GABOT Special to Philippine News Today

nal value waiting to be tapped. It is a matter of time that cure to various illnesses from narra could be discovered and developed into life-saving drugs that can help save millions of lives,” said Gen. Reynaldo V. Velasco (Ret), Chairman Emeritus of the Million Trees Foundation Inc. (MTFI), which is spearheading the propagation and planting of narra and other native trees in the country, especially at watersheds.

September 15-21, 2022 28

The MTFI, which was established to sustain the gains of the AMTC, targets to plant 10 million more trees in critical watersheds in various parts of the country by 2030.

This was stressed by a experts from the De la Salle University Dasmariñas College of Pharmacy who explained the antioxidant properties of the bark and branch wood of the criticallyendangered narra.

Protecting DNA

As I have underscored in my 800-page home health guide on healthy lifestyle and preemptive and proactive disease prevention (Let’s Stop “Killing” Our Children, published by Xlibris, available at amazon.com and philipSchua.com), the best way to maximize health and longevity is by protecting the body’s DNA, starting from the womb and “dieting” to start in the crib, not when they are in grade school or later when their DNA has already been subjected to various insults to their health. When the DNA is damaged, weakness in our health results and various metabolic illnesses creep in gradually, until we get to our 40s and the signs and symptoms start. High

If a food item has any single one of the following ingredients, it is an ultra-processed food: sugars, fats, and preservatives; additives designed to imitate natural unprocessed foods ﬂavor enhancers, colorings, and ingredients made through the synthesis of various unhealthy food constituents, like maltodextrin, high-fructose corn syrup, and hydrogenated fats. Hamburgers, hot dogs, sausages, bacons, canned/bottled vegetables, meats, fruits, are unhealthy processed foods.

Ipil and MarikinaUmiraygunaandgroupbeentreeVariousPalsoapis.nativespecieshavealsoplantedbytheinLaMesaareasaroundLa-deBay.Kaliwa-andUpperwatersheds.Narrahasantioxidant

Processed foods, especially ultra-processed foods are linked to increased risk for heart disease, colorectal cancer, and death (all-cause mortality), according to two new studies at the Tufts University, published in The British Medical Journal. Earlier research revealed that poor diet was associated with 20 percent (1 in 5) deaths worldwide, which could be prevented by a healthier diet. On the same issue, Italian scientists noted that people with the lowest quality diet and consuming the highest amount of ultra-processed food have an increased risk of both allcause cardiovascular deaths.

President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr., declared extension of the state of calamity former president Rodrigo Duterte proclaimed two years ago, in March 2020, in view of the rising cases of COVID-19 infections in the country. Press Trixie Cruz-Angeles said the state of calamity, which expired last Monday, was extended by about three months, “primarily to allow purchases and provide hazard allowances for healthcare workers. The Philippines “is among the Southeast Asian nations that has imposed the longest lockdowns around the world, causing economic recession in decades and deepened poverty, hunger, and unemployment.” In spite of the infection rate, the authorities seem to be in a hurry to end, instead of maintaining, the mitigating strategies (masking, distancing) against COVID-19 viruses, while extending the state of calamity. Lowering the guards now might spell spikes and waves of infections.

be saying to us “I told you so!”

COVID-FLU shots?

COVID-19 update

Longevity extender

Flu shot lowers stroke

Unhealthy foods

Over the years, native trees planted in Ipo-Angat watersheds through AMTC and MTFI stakeholders include Narra, Batino, Malaruhat, Rambutan, Cacao, and Guyabano, Bayog, Kawayan Tinik, Malaruhat, White Lauan, Mala-igot, Malapapapaya, Makaasim, Lipote, Ipil, Palosapis, Malaruhat, Lago Calumpit,

The experts pointed out that their studies showed that narra has the highest ORAC or Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity, and, in fact, is No. in the country and among the Top 10 in theORACworld.is a method developed by scientists at the National Institute of Health and Aging to measure the antioxidant capacity of diﬀerent foods. The ORAC Score is also the unit of measure of antioxidants which is the body’s natural defense versus harmful compounds that are linked to multiple illnesses, including weakened immunity, diabetes, heart disease, and cancer.

properties that can help improve the lives of millions of Filipinos, according to the Dela Salle University experts. Scienti cally known as Pterocarpus indicus, Narra is a tree species that can be found in southeastern Asia, northern Australasia, and the western Paci c Ocean islands, in Cambodia, southernmost China, East Timor, Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Ryukyu Islands, the Solomon Islands, Thailand, Vietnam, and the Philippines, where it is protected by law. In the Philippines, it is now strictly prohibited to cut down and harvest Narra tree.

 HEALTH NEWS

Umiray and Upper

blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, stroke, cancer, Alzheimer’s…one by one, or any combination, as we get older. The less red meat, the better for us. Fish and legumes (various color beans, chick peas, peanuts, green peas, lentils) are good plant-based protein. We do not need red meat to survive. Vegetarians are healthy people. And don’t worry about muscles weakness. Many of the powerful animals are herbivores (elephants, cows, horses, carabaos, rhinoceros, and many dinosaurs, with massive strength). Minus negative behavior and bad habits, a health lifestyle requires abstinence from tobacco, disciplined alcohol intake, a positive state of mind, and stress management. During this COVID-19 pandemic, part of our disciplined life strategy includes mitigating measures (masking, distancing, avoiding crowds where cases are high), and most importantly timely vaccination. At this juncture, the bivalent booster #3 or 4. This will greatly help protect our DNA too.

Yes, the COVID-1 booster vaccines and the ﬂu shot may be administered at the same time, one in each arm, according to experts at the Georgetown University School of Medicine. In the United States, the ﬂu season occurs in the fall and winter, the peak being in December and February, but this could last till May.

The DSLU study revealed that the ORAC scores of all methods tested displayed similarly high levels of antioxidant potency.“Indeed, our native trees are precious and they have medici-

Dying is giving, and the giving of self is a way of fully living our life; in just the same way as dying comes life in our Lord Jesus. The key to unlock that di culty of such out-worldly logic is love the willing of the good of another, or the willing of the greater good for oneself. When there is love, we do not think of the losing or suffering involved, rather we think of it as the very love expressed. When there is love, the dying is not the focus nor the suffering that comes with it, but the joy of the good that is being willed unto another, or unto oneself in the context of personal journey of sancti cation. The love of self in the journey of spiritual life is willing the greater good to oneself, now such willing the greater good demands in itself the greater effort to be given, and such is the acceptance of the sacri ce it entails. The more we love truly, the greater we grow in giving, and the dying or losing that accompanies the process is forgotten; for the joy of the good and fruits that come after very much outweigh the sacri ces along the way. Thus, the logic of esus Christ is the logic of love, which is very much different from our human logic and worldly ways. Love becomes the power in giving, it becomes the assurance of life in the dying of self, and it is the joy of doing the good deed done in spite of the di culties involved in its completion.

NO MAN IS AN ISLAND

ARTICLEINSPIRATIONALFORTHEWEEK

Let us learn to be the grain of wheat that allows itself to die for the purpose of becoming transformed into abundant grain of wheat. Let us give ourselves away in our relationship with our Lord, for losing ourselves is nding ourselves transformed in Him. Can you receive while holding back? Can a gift be accepted when your hands are closed? Giving is opening oneself in order to receive; just as dying is emptying oneself for the noble purpose of becoming lled up with the new and divine life. Every time, dear reader, we encounter the opportunity to die to oneself so as to give ourselves away, let us remember this principle of the grain of wheat: Giving is dying for a noble purpose; that of becoming fully alive in God’s abundant life.

29 September 15-21, 2022  NATIONAL NEWS VIEWS & COMMENTS

By TIM PEDROSA

REV. JOSE PELAGIO A. PADIT, SThD

Dying is always di cult to think about because of the losing and such too is giving. It is di cult to give because, when we give, we also lose what we give away. We cannot think in human logic that giving is also gaining; in as much as we cannot think of fully living life when we speak of dying. Jesus’ logic turns upside down our human worldly logic; yet, His logic is actually the one that is more logical. Our worldly standards do not want us to die or suﬀer, because dying is losing life suffering is losing the comfortable life, and it is rightly so. But in our path of sancti cation in Christ esus, we are presented with the fact that life is indeed imperfect thus, we are to accept all imperfections- the dying, suﬀering, and losing- as they come our way and use them as our tools to obtain greater and higher gifts.

I have learned that a life that is without problems may literally be more hopeless than one that always verges on despair. It is only when we have to face despair that we are really convinced that we need mercy and that those who do not want mercy never seek it. I have also learned that it is better to nd God on the threshold of despair than to risk our lives in a complacency that has never felt the need of forgiveness. Many noble human impulses die because there is no one to hear their expression. Truly, it is not good for man to be alone.

SS NTIAL TO RSILIENT LIVING.

THESE ARE NOT FACEBOOK FRIENDS, BUT RATHER THE SMALL CIRCL OF R LATIV S AND FRI NDS HOM TRUST ITH VERY ISSUE AND CONFIDENCE OF LIFE... ULTIMATELY THOSE WHO WILL BE IN THE FRONT ROW AT OUR FUNERAL, OR SERVE AS OUR PALLBEARERS. WE DON’T DEVELOP “911 FRIENDS” OVERNIGHT. iT TAKES TIME TO DEVELOP THESE D P R LATIONSHIPS OF COMFORT;CONFIDENCE,TRUST,ANDBUTIT IS

ameAﬂ HeartThe

“No Man is an Island” is a phrase that suggests that human beings should not live in isolation. We are all interconnected to one another. No one stands alone like an island that is surrounded only by the sea. We need one another to survive in life. It is a famous line of quote made by John Donne in 1624 as he wrote a series of reflections when he was in the grips of illness and while he was recovering a serious illness. It is in a single verse of lines. It has no rhyme scheme. It’s simply written in a meditative mood. He compares mankind to a continent. He sees each person as part of the continent and not as an island. He maintains that when a clod a lump of earth or clay breaks off from any continent, such a continent becomes lesser than as it is initially. By this assertion, Donne is referring to the effect of death. hen someone dies, mankind which he sees as a continent becomes shortened by that death of the individual.JohnDonne essentially argues that people need each other and are better together than they are in isolation, because every individual is one piece of the greater whole that is humanity itself. The phrase expresses the idea that human beings, when isolated from others do badly need to be part of a community in order to thrive. He was a Christian but this concept is shared by other religions, principally Buddhism. John Donne, a sixtieth century nglish poet who was well acquainted with grief, suffering, and resilience; penned this famous phrase suggesting that while there is a strong human tendency to isolate when we are in pain, the healthy spiritual and emotional response to trauma is to draw closer to God, family and friends. The resilience or the capacity to recover quickly from di culties is referred to by some people as “911 Friends”, people who hug us physically or virtually after we have a “body slam”.

ur Lord told us: “Amen, amen, say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; if it dies, it produces much fruit (Jn. 12: 24) The seed has to die into itself in order to become a tree. The grain of wheat has to break from its shell, by doing so, it dies, it forgets itself to give way to its new self. We are so focused many times on the pain of the process; that we forget the fruits that come after. Christ’s dying gave way to eternal and divine life for all humanity. In your personal experience, dear reader, what are the moments of your dying to self? How was the pain or suﬀering ould you consider to accept again similar moments of those dying and losing oneself?

Moreover, giving is distinctly simple, it is either you give or you do not give at all. When we give truly, we give the whole and not in part. When we are halfhearted giving or partially doing what is required, it destroys the very essence of giving itself. Holding back impedes the becoming of a giving heart, the transformation of ourselves to be a giver. If the grain of wheat will hold back in the process of its dying to become an abundant harvest, such process delays, and such delay can rot itself away and deteriorates to destroy itself. Ever willing to give and ever willing to die become a mark of great faith in God whom we imitate who Himself gave and died in Christ Jesus to make us sharers of His abundant life. Amen.

Giving is Dying for a Purpose

gram pork loin, lomo, sliced diagonally bunches bok choy, stalk cut into wedge, leaves cut across 2-3 stalks spring onions cut into lengths thumb size ginger, cut into thin strips

Measures in place for safe travel to PHL - DOT

Seeking to allay fears, the DOT noted that more than half of the roughly places the CDC monitored have also been placed under the said level.

MAKATI CITY – The Department of Tourism (DOT) assured travelers that measures are in place to ensure their safety while visiting destinations across the Philippines.Thestatement came after the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) placed the country under alert level for “high-level of coronavirus disease (Covid-19).

Cooking procedure:

The park is also the home to the critically endangered Philippine Eagle, Among the ongoing projects is the installation of concrete monuments in corners of SINP to serves as landmarks covered by the protected area.

Samar forest park push bid to join UNESCO heritage list

“The global pandemic continues to expose the tourism industry to challenges, but our travelers can rest assured that the Philippine government continues to ensure that minimum public health and safety standards are in place, coupled with the precautionary measures observed by our partners from the private and public sectors. Therefore, our guests can safely enjoy any of our 7,641 islands even in the time of the Covid-19 pandemic,” Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco said.

1-2 red chili, sliced diagonally tbsp. soy sauce

Ingredients:

Also inside the SINP are well-known natural landmarks Sohoton Cave and Natural Bridge National Park; Calbiga Cave, the country’s largest and the second largest cave in Asia; and the more than 100-kilometer Ulot River, the longest river in Eastern Visayas that starts from the upland town of San Jose de Buan, Samar and ends in the Paci c Coastal town of Can-avid, Eastern Samar.

More than million Filipinos have also been fully vaccinated as of Aug.

Unlike many other countries in the west, the Philippines maintains a strict

Stirfry Pork and Bok Choy with Black Bean Sauce

 FOOD & TRAVELS

“We need to revise our perspective and learn how to live with this virus in a manner that is reasonable, rational, as well as responsible of health protocols so not only lives but livelihoods of people dependent on tourism may be saved in the process.”

This was disclosed by Angelito Villanueva, Samar provincial environment and natural resources o cer, who said the application for inclusion is a 10-year activity that started in

policy on wearing face masks to prevent the spread of the virus.

“What we learned from the advent of Covid-19 is that we cannot continue to allow the fear of it to negatively shape our lives and our travel plans. So much has been lost to this pandemic,” Frasco said.

The park is also a center of plant and animal diversity and endemism, containing threatened species belonging to the Eastern Visayas and Mindanao biogeographic regions.

Aside from demarcation, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources established buﬀer ones to embrace other areas for biodiversity conservation.In Samar Governor Sharee Ann Tan proposed the inclusion of SINP in the UNESCOGovernorslist. from Northern Samar and Eastern Samar supported the campaign.

1/4 cup black bean sauce

Recipe of the Week

tbsp. fermented black beans, tausi, rinsed tbsp. cornstarch ground pepper corn cooking oil

31 September 15-21, 2022

“Demarcation is necessary to strengthen the environmental protection initiatives. This is one of the requirements for SINP to qualify to the heritage site list,” Villanueva said in a PNA report.

Nationwide, percent or out of intensive care unit beds and percent or about out of nonICU beds are in use.

“If SINP will make it to the World Heritage sites list, we can invite more funding from other countries to strengthen biodiversity conservation eﬀorts and develop eco-tourism activities,” Villanueva

TACLOBAN CITY – The Samar Island Natural Park (SINP) is in a campaign to be included in the UNESCO (United Nations ducational, Scienti c and Cultural Organization) World Heritage sites.

3-4 cloves garlic, minced

In a big bowl mix the pork slices with soy sauce, cornstarch and a dash of ground pepper corns, let marinate for to minutes. In a wok heat cooking oil and stir fry pork in batches for to minutes or until pork slices are seared, remove from wok and keep aside. On same wok add more cooking oil and stir fry garlic and ginger until fragrant. Add in pork and black bean sauce, continue to stir fry for to minute. Add 1/2 cup of water and bok choy stalks, let simmer for to minutes. Add in bok choy, spring onion, red chili and fermented black bean sauce, stir cook for another 1to minutes of until the vegetables are just cooked. Serve with steamed rice.

“ e are con dent of the measures and guidelines that we have instituted to strike a balance between safety and travel in the new normal.”

Theadded.park was declared a protected area in and a total of species of mammals, species of birds, species of reptiles, species of amphibians and species of plants have since been recorded inside the SINP.

The buﬀer is spread north to south over the island’s three provinces and totals hectares, about a third of the entire island of Samar.

In addition, the department said there is a stark diﬀerence between the Covid-19 positivity rate in the Philippines, which averages at daily, compared to that of the US, which recorded new cases in the last hours as of AugustCiting the Department of Health, the DOT said the country gives “more weight to the health care utilization rate rather than the number of new cases.”

The SINP is the largest contiguous tract of old-growth forest in the Philippines and the country’s largest terrestrial protected area with an area of hectares.