The Filipino Press: February 18-24, 2022

Expert warns against complacency as gov't prepares for 'new normal'

MANILA -- A health expert on Wednesday urged the public to remain vigilant against the spread of COVID-19 infections as the government is now preparing for the “new normal.”

Dr. Lulu Bravo, director of Philippine Foundation for Vaccination, said the public should follow the health protocols imposed by the government as these came from the recommendations of the health experts backed with scientific data.

Bravo said the public should always wear face masks and maintain physical distance despite the decrease of COVID-19 infections in the country.

“So pagsinabi nila na ganito ang naging consensus o naging official ay dapat po nating sundin. At kung sakali man po, yung new normal na sinasabi, hindi pa tayo dapat maging kampante, yan ang sinasabi ng ating eksperto. Hindi pwedeng magtanggal na ng mask at ipagwalang bahala ang ating distansya,” she said.

“Kasi talaga pong mag-hintay pa tayo, pero malapit na po, deep in my heart it is coming. But please huwag masyadong mabilis dahil dahan-dahan pong nangyayari ang new normal na ‘yan sa ngayon,” she added.

Bravo also encouraged the public to get inoculated against COVID-19, saying that vaccines will help the

country recover from the pandemic.

“There are vaccines, napakaraming vaccines that are under development that are safe and effective. Vaccines are safe and are shown to be effective, ‘yan po ang

sandata natin upang mas mabilis mawala ang pandemya,” she said.

Earlier, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said Alert Level 1 would be the country's "new normal." It is declared when case

transmission is low and decreasing, and total bed utilization and intensive care unit utilization rates are likewise low. Vergeire said under the new normal, restrictions will be very

specific or will only be implemented in areas with high risk of infection, while the capacity limit in establishments, whether indoor or outdoor, and in transportation will be removed.

The Department of Health (DOH) on Tuesday logged the lowest daily COVID-19 tally this year with 2,010 new COVID-19 infections, bringing the nationwide cases to 3,641,940. (MNS) Gov’t amping up pediatric COVID-19 vax for students’ return to schools by August — Vergeire

The Department of Health (DOH) said Thursday the government is amping up the pediatric COVID-19 vaccination so the students can safely return to school by August 2022 amid the pandemic.

“We are really trying to vaccinate our children so that they will be safe also when they go to school. I think by August for this next school year, the plan would be that schools will really open,” Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said.

“We’ve started already with the pilot implementation for this face-toface classes and the whole objective would be that eventually, by this next school year, everything will be starting,” she added.

The pilot testing of face-to-face classes started on November 15, 2021 in several areas in the country, in which 100 public schools— subject to strict health protocols— have participated in.

Meanwhile, several private

Program.

SAN DIEGO, CA -- Affirmed

Housing, a leading provider of affordable housing throughout California, in collaboration with the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (MTS), announced the groundbreaking of ShoreLINE, a new, 100% affordable, transitoriented development located at the Grantville Trolley Station on Alvarado Canyon Road.

“ShoreLINE is a great example of MTS taking a leadership role to address the region’s housing shortage, build sustainable, affordable communities, and increase transit ridership,” said Nathan Fletcher, MTS Board Chair, and Chair, San Diego County Board of Supervisors. “We appreciate the partnership with Affirmed Housing and look forward to seeing families thriving in this community for years to come.”

“This kind of transit-oriented affordable housing is exactly what we need more of here in San Diego,” said San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria.

“More housing options near transit are a win for our city, our community and our environment. When people live near convenient and reliable travel options like transit, there is less overall travel by car in the city, which reduces greenhouse gas emissions and enhances quality of life for all of us.”

The new, five-story ShoreLINE building features 124 studio, one, two- and three-bedroom units reserved for households earning 30 – 60% of the area median income

(AMI). Residential units and laundry facilities are located on every level, and the ground floor includes parking, bike storage, office space for property management, and community room with gathering space, a computer lab and a kitchen. Residents also have access to an expansive 5,800-squarefoot courtyard, outdoor gardens and gathering spaces with builtin seating, an enclosed tot lot play area and a barbecue station. Access to the building will be monitored 24/7 and restricted to residents only. Designed to encourage pedestrian and bike activity, the new development features a lush, 26-foot-wide paseo that leads to the main entrance and several paths through and around the building connect to the trolley/bus station.

ShoreLINE is part of a larger effort MTS is advancing to redevelop its top-tier park and ride locations into transit-oriented developments. Other top-tier properties MTS is in the process of redeveloping or actively looking to

redevelop include: Palm Avenue Trolley Station – 390 units Rancho BernardoTransit Center – 100 estimated units 12th & Imperial Transit Center – 500 estimated units

El Cajon Transit Center – 400 estimated units E Street Transit Center –170-390 estimated units Beyer Boulevard Transit Center – 100 estimated units

A full inventory of properties can be accessed on the MTS Real Estate webpage here.

“ShoreLINE is a shared vision to bring forward-looking solutions that address urgent, urban livability challenges and deliver long term, positive impacts,” said Jimmy Silverwood, executive vice president for Affirmed Housing. “Ensuring housing security is good, but it’s not enough – providing a little extra support and a welcoming environment where people are proud to live is significant for boosting the overall health and wellness of the entire community. We’re grateful to work with our partners who embrace these methods that benefit us all.”

Affirmed Housing leveraged various types of funding and credit sources for ShoreLINE’s development, including transitoriented development funds from the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD); project-based

SAN DIEGO, CA -- On Sat., Feb. 26, 2022 at 2:00 to 3:30 pm, the SAMAHAN Filipino American Arts and Education Center will hold a free workshop on Maguindanao dances and kulintang (gong) music at the Valencia Park Malcom X Library at 5148 Market St., San Diego Ca 92114. The workshop is the final free interactive worship of the series sponsored in part by the Lving Cultures Program of the Alliance for California Arts Council. For more information, email SamahanPhilDance @ gmail.com or call (619)4706024. Please register at https:// freemaguindanaoworkshop. evenbrite.com.

The series of workshops on Maguindanao culture educates participants about the indigeneous dances and music of the Maguindanao, the largest Muslim society in Mindanao Island in

the Philippines. The upcoming workshop on February 26th features the Cagayan warrior dance and the demystifying of the Singkil. Since May 2021, SAMAHAN artists, namely Dr. Bernard Ellorin, Kim Kalanduyan, Michelle CamayaJulian, and Nico del Mundo, have taught the workshop series covering a repertoire of indigenous cultural music and dance of the Maguindanao people. SAMAHAN is profoundly indebted to the Salamindanao dance company master artists Faisal Monal and Sata Abdullah, and the Kalanduyan family of musicians from Datu Piang, Cotabato, who were our resource persons and informants during our field study in 2019. Funding for our research was through grant from The San Diego Foundation – Dr. Lolita Diñoso Carter Endowment and from the Alliance of California Traditional Arts (ACTA) Apprenticeship

SAMAHAN’s cultural workshops aim to educate the community about the indigenous culture of the Muslim societies in Mindanao Island, Philippines. Historically, dances and music from this region have been incorrectly labeled and inappropriately presented. Many diasporic Philippine dance companies have presented Maguindanao culture under a highly problematic repertoire known as the “Muslim Suite.” This has brought forth orientalist interpretations of cultural dances choreographed to a cacophony of banging gong and drum patterns.

Recognizing the importance of educating students and the community at-large, SAMAHAN’s company performers

The local government of San Mateo, Rizal rolls out its pediatric vaccination for children aged 5 to 11 years old in SM San City Mateo.

data from the National Task Force (NTF) against Covid-19 as of February 13 showed that some 52,262 children aged 5 to 11 years old have also received their first dose of the reformulated Pfizer jabs. (MNS photo)

I get asked a lot how I fit everything into my day. Truth is, sometimes I don’t. I do try though. I’m avid multi-tasker. I figure: There’s a lot I want to do, and successfully trying to do it all doesn’t come without some solid planning and special effort.

Is it worth it? Yes, absolutely. Personally, I thrive in a busy, fast-paced environment.

I’m project-oriented and, admittedly, an overachiever by nature. Whatever I do, I do BIG. If I’m not careful and strategic, though, the world can start to spin too fast, and there’s nothing worse than feeling like a mess who’s behind or overwhelmed.

As such, I try to keep certain habits to ensure that I’m prepared to face the world even when my schedule starts to max out. For the next few weeks, I’ll share with you how I max out without stressing out.

This week, I’m sharing a few ways I stay organized while always being on the run.

I set a place for everything and try to keep everything in its place.

This goes for the way I organize my makeup and toiletries, my work desk, my purse, my email inbox, etc. Because I’m almost always in a hurry, I don’t like wasting time looking for things or having to replace things that aren’t in good shape due to mishandling or poor storage.brings so much

Busy Schedule? Max Out, Don’t Stress Out

peace of mind when I know exactly where an item “lives.” Once I find the best home for an item, it almost feels disrespectful to things (and my effort to organize them) to leave them strewn about.

For example, in my bathroom, I display/ store items based on the order of my daily regimen. It keeps me from missing any steps, makes me faster, and leaves me feeling prepared to face (or unwind from) the day.

It’s the same in my workspace. Taking the time to match the storage of items to my daily actions was life changing. I’m quite proud of my work desk drawers now, but there was a time that I used to allow myself a “miscellaneous [read: dump] drawer.” I don’t do that anymore. It didn’t serve me or my productivity level well. It was just an excuse and, quite frankly, wasted space.

I tend to change my purse often throughout the week (gotta match the shoes, right?), so I’ve become quite methodical about how I store items that are constantly being transferred. Anything cell phone related, for example, is always in one pouch. Makeup items are kept in another. I also try to implement the same pocket system from purse to purse. Certain items will always live in the large inside pocket of my purse, then other items are commonly grouped together in other available pockets (e.g., mints + hand cream, pens + business cards, bobbi pins + safety pins). When a purse doesn’t have enough pockets, I put small pouches to good use. *Pro tip: Small pouches are also great for grouping/packing/protecting items when traveling. No small pouches? Try Ziploc

bags!

Email…Oh.my.email…I often think about (and miss) our world before email. I try to keep my email in check with a few organizing habits. For starters, I have more than one email address. This helps with the compartmentalizing of the different layers of my life. My work email is separate from my social email, which is different from my shopping email that isn’t the same as my family & friends email, etc. This makes the process of checking my email less of a dreaded but must-do task.

Especially for my work email, I have a ton of folders. As soon as I’m able, I move messages from my inbox to the appropriate folder. This helps keep me from missing messages, helps me prioritize and makes it easy to pull up files and messages later. I find the more specific the folder and subfolder titles, the better.

Coming up next week…Hamper | Pamper Days – How to catch up on self-care while catching up on chores.

Exclusively here in The Filipino Press--Follow Francine Maigue’s adventures as she represents our region with grace and honor as one of the "100 Most Influential Filipinas in the World" and the "Global Face of Pinay Power," as named by the Filipina Women's Network. Francine is the FilipinoAmerican History Achievement Award Winner in Humanitarianism, Arts, and Community Service and an Outstanding Filipino American Young Leaders Awardee as selected by His Excellency Ambassador Cuisia and the Philippine Consuls.

COMMUNITY PRAYERS 4 FRANCINE'S HEALING & RECOVERY

The Maigue and Bendorf Families during one of their happier moments. We are requesting for Community Prayers for our very own Francine (9th, l-r), who is still in ICU because of her lung cancer. Francine has openly documented her health challenge/ journey in this column and we appeal to our readers to show your love and give much needed prayers. Dedicated and loving of her family, friends and community, we are re-printing one of her articles which was earlier published, yet remains relevant.

Originally from Cavite City, Philippines and raised in Chula Vista, Francine Maigue received her master’s degree from Harvard University and bachelor’s degree from UCLA. Francine is the District Director for California State Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez. She is the Immediate Past President of the Filipino-American Chamber of Commerce of San Diego County, Board Member for the Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center Foundation and Los Chabacanos of Cavite City, and is a former Miss Philippines of San Diego. Got an organization, business, or event Francine should know about?

Email: thepamperedpinay@yahoo.com.

USS Dewey Participates in Exercise Noble Fusion

PHILIPPINE SEA -- Lt. Samuel Galli, left, from Cupertino, California, Ensign Sebastian Madrid, from Chula Vista, California, and Ensign Krystal Francis, from Augusta, Georgia, Stand watch on the bridge aboard the Arleigh Burke-class guidedmissile destroyer USS Dewey (DDG 105) while ships of the America and Essex Amphibious Ready Groups, and Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group, sail in formation with the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force during exercise Noble Fusion. Noble Fusion demonstrates that Navy and Marine Corps forward-deployed stand-in naval expeditionary forces can rapidly aggregate Marine Expeditionary Unit/ Amphibious Ready Group teams at sea, along with a carrier strike group, as well as other joint force elements and allies, in order to conduct seadenial, seize key maritime terrain, guarantee freedom of movement, and create advantage for U.S., partner and allied forces. Naval Expeditionary forces conduct training throughout the year, in the Indo-Pacific, to maintain readiness. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Benjamin Lewis)

Galvez on Muslim vaccine hesitancy: Information drive is important

MANILA -- Vaccine czar

Carlito Galvez Jr. on Thursday said conducting information drive is important in some Muslim communities who are resisting COVID-19 vaccine due to their beliefs.

Galvez said he went to Sumisip, Basilan to encourage Muslim communities there to get inoculated against COVID-19.

“Ang importante po talaga yung tinatawag na information drive kasi karamihan nga po yung iba nga po parang magiging zombie pagnabakunahan sabi nga ng iba. So pero ang gusto kong paunawa sa ating mga Muslim brothers, actually kami ang nag-usap ni chief minister. Si chief minister nabakunahan na po ng booster yan, ng Pfizer kasama po yung kanyang asawa,” Galvez said.

“Pinaunawa ko po sa kanila maraming inyo ang nag-OFW hindi po kayo makakaalis hangga’t hindi vaccinated. Pangalawa, hindi kayo makapag Hajj kung hindi kayo vaccinated kasi yung mga countries na ano kailangan mayroon tayong vaccine certificate,” he added.

The Hajj is a key pillar of Islam that is an annual pilgrimage made by Muslims to Mecca, Saudi Arabia.

Galvez issued his remarks after he was asked on the government’s solutions amid vaccine hesitancy of some Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) communities due to their culture and beliefs.

In January 2021, then-Food and Drug Administration (FDA) chief Eric Domingo said COVID-19 vaccine makers are working on securing “Halal” certification for their products.

Bangsamoro Region leaders raised concerns on COVID-19 vaccines. The National Commission on Muslim Filipinos defines "Halal" in Arabic to mean "permissible" and refers to food and non-food products that are lawful for consumption.

Also, based on Shari’ah law, the concept covers other transactions including banking, finance and other activities Islam believers are engaged in.

During his weekly Talk to the People last month, President Rodrigo Duterte expressed concern that some communities in Mindanao are resisting the COVID-19 vaccine due to the belief that they are not allowed to receive vaccines due to their culture and religion.

Philippines reports 2,671 new COVID-19 cases; active tally at 68K

The Department of Health (DOH) on Wednesday reported 2,671 additional cases of COVID-19, bringing the country's total tally to 3,644,597.

According to the DOH, the country's positivity rate was at 9.6%. The total conducted COVID-19 tests were 25,629.

The new infections brought the active cases to 68,829, of which 1,130 are asymptomatic; 63,037 are mild; 1,433 are severe; and 309 are in critical condition.

This is the lowest number of active cases since January 6.

Of the cases reported today, the DOH said 2,610 or 98% occurred within the recent 14 days from February 3 to 16.

Jane Oineza blessed with happy love life, busy career

The top regions with cases in the recent two weeks were the National Capital Region with 622 or 24%, Region 4A with 323 or 12%, and Region 3 with 287 or 11%.

Total recoveries also increased to 3,520,545 after 6,130 more patients recovered from the disease.

The death toll climbed to 55,223 with 77 new fatalities.

Of the 77 deaths, the DOH said 32 occurred in February 2022, 16 in January 2022, six in December 2021, nine in November 2021, five in October 2021, three in September 2021, five in August 2021, and one in May 2021 due to the late encoding of death information to its system.

The DOH noted that 14 duplicates were removed from the total case count, while 62 cases previously tagged as recoveries were reclassified as deaths after final validation.

The DOH said all laboratories were operational on February 14, while six labs were not able to submit their data on time.

Latest data from the DOH also showed that 33% of the country’s intensive care unit beds are utilized, while 17% of the mechanical ventilators are also in use.

In Metro Manila, 32% of the ICU beds are utilized, while 19% of the ventilators are in use.

Philippines seeks to secure ¥30B loan from Japan for COVID-19 vaccination program

The Philippine government is eyeing to secure additional loan financing from the Japanese government to bankroll its ongoing COVID-19 vaccination program, the Department of Finance (DOF) said Wednesday.

During the 12th PhilippinesJapan high-level joint committee on infrastructure development and economic cooperation meeting, the two countries discussed proposed additional financing support of JP¥30 billion (roughly about P13 billion) from Japan under the 2nd COVID-19 Crisis Response Support Loan (CCRESL 2) “to help cover the funding for the Philippines’ ongoing national vaccination program,” the DOF said in a statement.

The proposed loan financing will follow the JP¥50-billion (roughly P23 billion) loan signed by the Philippines and Japan in July 2020 to support the government’s COVID-19 response and economic relief efforts.

During the high-level meeting, conducted virtually, Special Advisor to Prime Minister Fumio Kishida of Japan Mori Masafumi reported that Japan's public and private financial contributions to the Philippines since January 2017 have amounted to JP¥1.3 trillion, exceeding the Asian country’s JP¥1-trillion commitment.

The Philippines and Japan reaffirmed their economic partnership, according to the DOF.

“I'd like to emphasize that the government of Japan's commitment to the bilateral cooperation project remains unchanged under the Kishida Cabinet,” Mori said.

For his part, Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III said the past six years of development cooperation between the Philippines and Japan under the high-level committee “have been fruitful despite the challenges and inevitable

delays brought by the pandemic and unforeseen natural disasters.”

“Between the first Joint Committee Meeting in 2017 and today, much has been started, achieved, and will be further continued,” Dominguez said.

Despite new WHO study, PH to retain 3-week interval for kids' COVID vaccine

The Philippines will continue implementing a 21 day interval between the first and second doses of the reformulated Pfizer vaccine for children aged 5 to 11 years old, despite new data from the World Health Organization saying that the second dose should be administered 4 to 8 weeks after the first.

"We have to review the data that we have na kapag binigay after 8 weeks ay better ang immune response. Right now it is three weeks at least, or 4 weeks. We may have to get those data to make such recommendation but right now wala pang data sa atin," Dr. Nina Gloriani, Chairman of the Vaccine Expert Panel said on Wednesday.

According to WHO, longer interval between doses is "associated with higher vaccine effectiveness and potentially lower risk of myocarditis or pericarditis," Gloriani mentioned in an online forum by the Department of Health.

However, status quo will be followed until said study is reviewed by the Vaccine Expert Panel.

Gloriani said Philippines followed the shorter interval between doses to "balance the effect of omicron."

The country recorded an increase in cases attributed to the more infectious omicron variant in January, with peaks surpassing that of the delta surge in 2021.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention still recommends a 2-dose series separated by 21 days for the reformulated Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine intended for children aged 5-11 years old.

Dr. Wilda Silva, DOH National Immunization Campaign Program Manager, added that while myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle) were noted after receiving mRNA COVID-19 vaccines such as Pfizer, cases are very rare.

"Most people with myocarditis after vaccination with simple treatment they can recover. However if you get it from a viral infection, this can be very severe," Silva warned.

The risk of getting myocarditis from a COVID-19 infection is 4 to 8 times higher for unvaccinated individuals, according to Silva.

On the other hand, there is only 1 in 200,000 chance of getting myocarditis after a COVID-19 vaccination.

She reiterated that most adverse effects following immunization among the 5 to 11 age group are mild and treatable, such as headaches, rashes, and fever.

"A review of adverse effects, severe adverse effects, and adverse effects of clinical interest suggest no short-term safety concerns," Silva said.

There were also no reported cases of myocarditis and pericarditis 3 months after inoculation in the age group thus far. (MNS)

MANILA -- Actress Jane Oineza thanked all those who expressed support for her relationship with actor RK Bagatsing.

"Nakakatuwa siyempre. Nakakakilig, nakakatuwa. Thank you everyone. And siyempre we wish everyone happiness and we wish everyone the love that they deserve," Oineza said.

Asked to give three words to describe her state right now, the actress replied: "It's balanced, it's happiness, it's manifesting and alignment."

Oineza and Bagatsing were first paired onscreen in 2018 in the ABSCBN drama “Araw Gabi.” They then reunited in the 2020 romance film “Us Again.”

Oineza fueled rumors of their romance when she referred to Bagatsing as “my source of happiness,” in her public greeting on his birthday last year.

Aside from a happy love life, Oineza is also blessed when it comes to her career. She is part of ABS-CBN's upcoming drama "The Broken Marriage Vow," the Pinoy adaptation of the hit BBC Studios drama "Doctor Foster."

"Nakaka-excite, nakakatuwa.

Ang daming excited na manggigil at ako rin nae-excite ako na mapanood nilla 'yung kabuuan nang ginawa namin. Kahit ako kasi hindi ko pa rin nakikita 'yung kabuuan ng eksena.

So nae-excite ako na 'yung mga napanood ko sa 'Doctor Foster' and 'The World of the Married' and now we have our own version and I'm so excited to watch the whole thing and makilala nila lahat ng characters na nandito sa show," Oineza said.

In the series, Oineza plays Diane, a pre-med student who will act as a spy for lead character Dr. Jill Ilustre, played by Jodi Sta. Maria.

"Kakampi ako rito siyempre. Team Dr. Jil. Ako rito si Diane Riagon, si Diane ay estudyante ni Dr. Jil at eventually magiging kakampi ni Doc. Ako ang isa sa mga magbibigay sa kanya ng hints ano ang nangyayari. Ako ang magrereveal sa kanya ng mga nakikita ko at na-spy ko na mga nangyari, so kaabang-abang," Oineza shared.

"Kasama ko rin dito si Joem (Bascon). Siya yung isa sa madalas kong kaeksena kasi siya rito ang boyfriend ko at ako ang battered girlfriend, so isa pa 'yon sa part ng character ko," she added.

"The Broken Marriage Vow"

is about a married couple whose family is rocked by her husband’s affair.

The Dreamscape Entertainment production is the sixth international adaptation of “Doctor Foster,” following its versions in France, Russia, Turkey, India, and South Korea.

The Korean remake, “The World of the Married,” became the country’s highest rated cable TV drama, and also courted a massive following from Filipino viewers. It was also aired locally by ABS-CBN. (MNS)

Kaila Estrada considers 'Viral Scandal' a milestone in her showbiz career

MANILA -- Kaila Estrada considers her stint on the ABS-CBN series "Viral Scandal" a milestone in her young showbiz career.

"Sabi ko nga hindi ko in-expect na magiging ganito 'yung experience ko. I really have no words. As in I can't even express like how grateful I am na ganito 'yung experience ko. It's really something that I will never forget. It's the highlight of my career, talaga. It really is," Estrada said.

"I just started but I think that this is the most memorable experience in terms of me being on my own and working. Ito talaga 'yung highlight ko. This is an experience that I will cherish talaga," she added.

Just last week, Estrada's performance in "Viral Scandal" was praised by viewers and netizens. In the scene, she confronts the lead character Raven, played by Charlie Dizon.

"Sobrang grateful ako na close na kami ni Charlie prior to shooting that. Talagang napag-usapan namin

kung paano gagawin ang scene na 'yon. As in, sobrang ni-nerbiyos ako, sobra rin siyang kinabahan. One of my fears ay ayaw ko siyang masaktan kasi kailangan ko siyang sabunutan doon. Dahil bago ako I don't really know how it works, like how they shoot scenes like that. So talagang pinag-usapan namin at tinulungan niya ako," Estrada said.

"Sobrang happy ako to get

support from the fans that are watching 'Viral Scandal.' ...Sobrang nakakatuwa na mabasa 'yung mga tweet to see what they think of the show and what they think of our characters," she added.

Estrada is the daughter of former couple Janice de Belen and John Estrada.

In "Inside News," Estrada also shared that her parents got to watch her "highlight" episode in the Kapamilya series.

"Actually ako pa 'yung nag-text sa dad ko na, 'Dad, highlight episode ko ha, baka gusto mong manood?' Tapos natuwa ako sa mom ko. Normally she doesn't really watch me. But noong night na 'yon of that episode, sumakto na pareho silang nanood. So sobrang saya ko na nanonood sila. They sent me videos ganyan, nakakatuwa," she said.

“Viral Scandal” is available on Kapamilya Channel, Kapamilya Online Live, iWantTFC, TFC, JeepneyTV, A2Z Channel 11 and TV5. (MNS)

DISTRICTING PUBLIC HEARING/WORKSHOP DATES

Participate at Community Hearings

*Tuesday, Feb. 22 , 3pm Public Hearing #2

Introduction of maps, from Demographer and Community

*Saturday, March 5, 9:30am Public Hearing #3

Additional Vetting of Maps

*Tuesday, March 15, 4pm Public Hearing #4

Adoption of District Map

LOCATION: National City Virtual City Council Meeting National City. Residents are strongly encouraged to attend hearings, submit proposed map virtually or obtain paper maps from National City library, update and submit to City of National City. For more info, please go to: http://nationalcityca.gov/districting or Email: schapel@nationalcityca.gov

Phone (619)336-4228

The People’s Bill of Rights People Should Have the Right to…

1. Health, peace, and the pursuit of education.

2. Be provided with edequate support, guidance, and protection.

3. Be nurtured by their family and respected by world societies regardless of skin color, ethnicity, disability and/or handicap.

4.Be hugged everyday by someone who listens and cares about them.

5. Be remembered on their birthday and/ or their appropriate cultural holidays.

6. Have a healthy diet of food and clean drinking water.

7. Be in a safe shelter during bad weather.

8. Have access to sex education and birth control.

9. Be free from slave labor and physical punishment.

10. Speak with truster law enforcement officer and/ or nurse about physical sexual and/or verbal assaults.

11. Speak with an advocate such as a medical doctor and/ or attorney when neglected and/or abused.

12. Have adequate clothing, transportation and housing.

13. Obtain a high school diploma and have affordable higher education.

14. Have economic, financial, intellectual, emotional and, social equality.

15. Have friends who help them when they are having difficulties.

16. Have freedom of religion or from religion.

17. Tell people when or why they are happy, sad, and angry.

18. Learn and grow with people all over the world and have a world society that recognizes human life as sacred.

19. Oppose illegal drugs, tobacco products, and alcoholic beverages.

20. Dispute air, water, and land pollution.

21. Disapprove of animal neglect and/ or abuse.

22. Criticizes war and weapons of all kinds.

23. Have access to current laws of world societies by which we might be judged.

24. Protect the good laws and protest the bad laws of world societies.

25. Have a copy of the Bill of Rights.

1st Published 1984. Copyright @1987. Revised 2015.

By James M. Horstmann

To help offset publishing and mailling expenses a contribution of $5.00 or more would be appreciated.

James M. Horstmann P.O. Box9841 San Diego, CA 92169-0841

VACCINEE. A boy and his sister look at the reformulated Pfizer Covid-19 jab being given to him by a health worker at the rollout of the jabs for the 5 to 11 age group at the SM City Taytay in Rizal on Tuesday (Feb. 15, 2022). The Department of Health said vaccinating children will allow them to go out, attend physical classes and restore social skills development and cognitive function affected by the pandemic. (MNS photo)

SAN DIEGO, CA -- Greetings to all!

First and foremost, I applaud the new Administration’s efforts to address anti-Asian discrimination that rose due to terms used during the onset of the pandemic.

I would like to point out though that Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders are not a monolith – we are a multicultural group with diverse needs and backgrounds.

The Filipino American community, in many areas across the country, has been disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, and this past year has amplified pre-existing health disparities in its community. For example, according to the New York Times, 30 percent of nurses who died from COVID were Filipino, even though only four percent of nurses were Filipino.

The National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA) echoed the concerns for our Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander brothers and sisters, and called upon the Biden Administration to provide muchneeded relief to the Filipino American community, especially to its healthcare workers serving tireless hours on the frontlines during this pandemic.

“Nobody came. Nobody helped. Nobody made a video.”

According to a news report filed by CNN’s correspondent Harmeet Kaur, they were the words of Noel Quintana, a 61-year-old Filipino American who on February 3, 2021 was slashed across the face on the New York City subway. Quintana was describing his experience to reporters at the Washington Post and would later echo the same sentiment to city leaders during a recent rally protesting violence against Asian Americans.

Evidently, the quote has been ringing in fellow Filipino American journalist, filmmaker and migration rights activist Jose Antonio Vargas’ ears, too - ever since he came across it. For Vargas, Quintana’s remarks underscored how he feels Asian Americans have long been seen in the United States: as “the invisible within the invisibles.”

Despite being the fastest growing racial and ethnic group in the country, in spite of some 20 million people with roots in more than 20 countries, the racism, discrimination and disparities experienced by many Asian Americans are often overlooked, Vargas pointed. Now, as a string of high-profile attacks has made more people pay attention, that’s starting to change.

“It’s been really quite stunning to witness ‘mainstream America’ wake up to this invisibility,” noted Vargas, a journalist whose organization Define American seeks to humanize immigrants through storytelling.

Wider recognition of the racism Asian Americans have been facing since the start of the pandemic is a critical step, advocates and experts say. But this moment has also prompted some to consider another question: What is the best path forward?

To understand the current problem, it’s important to acknowledge the unique position that Asian Americans occupy in the United States’ racial hierarchy.

“From the moment that the first Chinese arrived in the 1850s until today, Asian Americans have been considered not White but also considered not Black,” says Claire Jean Kim, a professor of political science and Asian American studies at the University of California, Irvine.

In many ways that status has worked to their advantage, Kim concluded.

Asian Americans haven’t experienced the same degree of historical injustices that Black Americans have, meaning they also haven’t faced the same structural barrier and inequities. On the whole, Asian Americans earn more and are more likely to have college degrees than other racial groups – though a closer look at the data yields a more nuanced picture.

And while it’s true that Asian Americans aren’t as visible in politics and popular culture, their overall lack of visibility has shielded them from the kind of scrutiny and suspicion that has made their Black, Latino and Native American counterparts more likely to die at the hands of police violence, Kim surmised.

Still, the discrimination and hate Asian Americans have experienced throughout United States history is very real. Often perceived as foreigners, Asian Americans have been systematically targeted during periods

of tension or crisis – a pattern that’s being repeated again today.

In the Philippine-American War, more than 20,000 Filipino soldiers were killed in combat and 200,000 plus Filipino civilians died from warinduced famine and disease. During that time, Filipinos were characterized as savages in need of civilization and these depictions were used to justify the colonial conflict and its massive casualties.

A shameful aftermath legacy that echoes into the present – and which I believe should not be buried in the chronicle books are the human zoos – a shocking history of exploitation of more than 1,000 Filipinos from dozens of tribes in the Islands. Most popular exhibit of the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair was a recreated Filipino village which featured the indigenous Igorot people in minimal clothing and who could often be found forced to eat dog as the American audience clamored for a better look. No doubt about it, these despicable episodes from our history as fellow Americans should not simply effaced or forgotten but should stand as a testament to a deplorable, and often uncomfortable past.

Reminiscent of such rhetoric is the “yellow peril” in the late 1800s and the perception of Chinese Americans as perpetual foreigners excluded from immigration and naturalization by law for close to a century. In the same time period, Chinese laborers were scapegoated for a declining American economy.

These stories are painful, but they are also part of a larger, and often dismissed, history of violence against Asian Americans. In the 1930s, assaults against Filipino farmworkers by white mobs were common in California.

During World War II, Japanese Americans were painted as disloyal and rounded up and forced into concentration camps.

More than 250,000 Filipinos answered President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s call to serve in World War II but when the war was won and over, the Rescission Act of 1946 stripped these courageous veterans of the benefits promised them for fighting side-by-side with the U.S. military. They sacrificed so much and yet at the war’s end were considered not equal when it comes to privileges granted to their fellow American comrade-inarms.

In the aftermath of the Vietnam War, nobody understand the enduring impacts of the chemical Agent Orange, which American troops used during the conflict and the racist characterizations of Vietnamese people employed to legitimize millions of death.

In the 1980s, a Chinese American named Vincent Chin was mistaken as Japanese and beaten to death by two White men who blamed Japan for the loss of auto jobs. In the same point of time, East Asians were blamed for American unemployment in this period of economic competition with Asia Pacific nations.

After the 9/11 terrorist attacks, South Asians, Pakistanis and Sikhs were among those swept up in a wave of Islamophobia.

The above highlight only a few historical examples of scapegoating of ethnic minorities during times of national distress in America.

No doubt about it, since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, countless (and most often not reported) Asian Americans have been coughed on, spat at, harassed and assaulted.

And if you are a concerned citizen and have been watching the recent news, as I always do, too – a new surge of violence against mostly Asian women is forcing another racial reckoning, if I must bluntly put it…this time focusing on repeat offenders of these crimes.

In an opinion by host Greg Gutfeld of Fox TV’s “The Five” last Valentine’s Day (14 February 2022),”

It’s a glorious day, if you haven’t been murdered yet by a nut boy. It’s true: We have an epidemic of crazy people what we used to call the criminally deranged or ‘The View’s’ audience. But they’re everywhere…on the streets, on the subway. But they’re also in our city halls, our governments and our district attorney’s offices, from New York to Chicago to L.A. or Baltimore. And they’re spreading faster than Omicron. It’s not funny anymore. On Saturday morning, a maniac waited as a train entered the Times Square subway station before he happily pushed an Asian woman to her death. Michelle Alyssa Go, aged 40, was murdered that morning. The killer stuck his tongue out at the police

like a third grader at the window of a school bus; the perfect metaphor for bail reform or any other garbage that passes as social justice reform. But if you dare ask, why was he out on the street? Well, you’re probably racist or worse, a Republican.”

Moving on, and just last weekend, too – a 35-year-old woman was stabbed to death inside her Lower Manhattan apartment early Sunday by a man who had followed her from the street and into her building, the police said.

The woman, whom police identified as Christina Yuna Lee, was the latest person of Asian descent injured or killed in a string of random attacks in New York City, many of them committed by people who had severe mental illness.

The victim, Ms. Lee was a Rutgers University graduate and worked as a senior creative producer at Splices, an online platform for digital music, a company spokeswoman confirmed. She had also worked on photo and video campaigns for brands such as Marriott International and Equinox, according to her website.

The attacker, Mr. Nash has a history of misdemeanor arrest, court records show including an incident in September of last year in Grand Street station, near the building where the killing occurred, when a 62-years-old man told the police that Mr. Nash had punched him in the face after the man allegedly sniped his MetroCard for another passenger.

Though the police have not yet called the killing a hate crime, it is very evident that there has been a rise on violence against AsianAmericans especially on its women.

Last December, the New York Police Department reported that such attacks were up 361 percent from the previous year.

Last week, Jarrod Powell, 50 who was charged with second-degree murder as a hate crime in the death of Yao Pan Ma, a 61-year-old Chinese immigrant, who died last Dec. 31 from injuries he suffered that East Harlem attack.

Even here in our own backyard –in our beloved hometown of “The Finest City in America” San Diego – and just last month, too, an elderly Asian man was attacked in the Lincoln Park neighborhood. 81-years-old Mark Sanouvong, who is Laotian, was suddenly beaten by a stranger, causing severe injuries to the elderly. In a tweet last Sunday afternoon, New York’s Mayor Eric Adams called the stabbing of Christina Yuna Lee “horrific” saying “we stand with our Asian community today.”

Meanwhile, Assemblywoman YuhLine Niou, who represents the district, called the details of the attack a “worst nightmare scenario.” “Lee was still screaming and fighting for her life, and they weren’t able to get to her for almost an hour and a half,” Ms. Niou reiterated.

She said that she was emotionally drained from the string of rallies she and other Asian-American community leaders have had to attend in recent weeks including one two days ago about a Korean diplomat who assaulted.

“This has happened so many times and we have attended too many vigils,” she added.

Tung Nguyen, chair of AAPI Progressive Action and director of the Asian American Research Center on Health, says Asian Americans “suffer from the racism of being made invisible.”

He sees the invisibility of Asian Americans everywhere.

It’s in the “model minority” myth, through which the successes of a relative few obscure the stark inequities felt by other subgroups.

It’s in the aggregated collection of data, which masks health disparities and justifies the lack of investment in certain communities.

It’s in the challenges to language

access, which prevent many Asian Americans from accessing resources in their native tongues.

Those notions, which suggest Asian Americans, are outsiders who don’t face disadvantages, make it possible for them to be seen as acceptable targets – and contribute to the spate of violence seen over the past year, Nguyen remarked.

“It’s easier to hurt someone when they’re invisible,” he asserted. “Our invisibility is all over the place.”

Even in recent years, as mainstream society has begun to acknowledge the need to address white supremacy and systemic racism, Asians and Asian Americans are often left out of the conversation.

Despite the feelings of invisibility, or perhaps because of them, the recent high-profile attacks against Asian Americans have generated a level of mainstream attention that feels different these days, if I must add.

I say it is hopeful to see this first step of public messaging against the discrimination of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders from the new President and his administration. A lot of people look forward to engaging the Administration and the Attorney General’s office in taking action to prevent anti-Asian hate incidents and ensure they are properly reported.

Indeed, multiracial coalitions have come together to denounce the violence. Last year, actors and athletes have delivered impassioned responses. Mainstream media outlets have published numerous stories. California has allocated more than a million dollars to help track incidents of discrimination and hate, while New York City announced a new push to combat the issue.

A number of factors might explain the heightened awareness this time around, experts deduced.

One is a younger generation who grew up in the U.S. and is no longer willing to stay silent the way their immigrant parents might once have.

“The older parents or the aunties and uncles and the grandparents may not say something, but their children and their nieces and nephews and their grandkids will because we’re online,” Vargas said. “We know how to use the hashtag.”

Social media, in turn, has allowed video footage from the disturbing incidents to be seen and circulated widely, while more Asian American journalists in newsrooms have helped to amplify those stories. Meanwhile, the killing of George Floyd last May and the uprising that followed thrust issues of racism into the national spotlight and prompted Americans to take them more seriously.

“There’s been a kind of shift where people feel it’s important to at least talk about racism,” contended Kim. “That doesn’t mean they’re necessarily committed to changing it in any deep way but there’s more discussion of it.”

Advocates and activists are largely united in calling for more discourse and attention across the issue of hate and violence against Asian Americans. But they seem to diverge on how best to address it.

“The main issue for us right now is: Do we go ahead as a single Asian American movement to address antiAsian racism?” Nguyen said. “Or is anti-Asian racism both part of a bigger wave of racism, and the solution is beyond just what Asian Americans care about or should do?”

In 2021, after a string of attacks in Oakland’s Chinatown, actors offered a $25,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and some community leaders called for police to step up their presence in the neighborhood.

A coalition of more than 90 Bay Area organizations took a different approach, calling for communitybased solutions and warning against interventions that would contradict reforms championed by Black Lives Matter activists.

Jesse T. Reyes

Filipino Potpourri

Some are calling for the recent attacks to be charged as hate crimes, arguing it would help deter potential perpetrators and encourage otherwise reluctant Asian Americans to report such incidents. The New York Police Department created an Asian Hate Crimes Task Force after a spike in assaults last year, while recent occurrences in the Bay Area prompted officials in Alameda County to announce a special response unit focused on crimes against Asians.

But bringing and prosecuting hate crime charges requires proving a specific motivation of bias, which can be difficult to do.

Through the family of Vicha

Ratanapakdee, the 84-year-old Thai immigrant who died last year after being violently shoved to the ground in San Francisco called his attack a hate crime, law enforcement officials have so far indicated there isn’t evidence to suggest it was motivated solely by race. The perpetrator who allegedly shoved a 91-year-old man, among others, to the ground in Oakland’s Chinatown had been hit with several charges, though none accuse him of a hate crime.

Others have cautioned against connecting the recent high-profile attacks to the larger wave of violence Asian Americans have been experiencing since the pandemic.

Alvina Wong, campaign and organizing director for the Oaklandbased nonprofit Asian Pacific Environmental Network, told the local news outlet OaklandSide that it was common for the community to experience robberies, especially around Lunar New Year.

“These crimes and violent situations that happen in Chinatown have been happening for a while,” Wong told the publication. The public safety threat that many Asian Americans are feeling right now stem from structural problems of unemployment, housing insecurity and income inequality, some progressive activists argue. And they say what’s needed to combat that threat is a movement that works in conjunction with other racial groups to help solve those big issues.

“The idea that we’re going to solve anti-Asian racism without addressing racism in general and anti-Black racism is a mistake,” Nguyen added.

Vargas says he’s heartened by the efforts he’s seen so far. Hundreds of volunteers across racial lines have volunteered to escort elderly Asian Americans to keep them safe, and communities at the local level have rallied together to express their solidarity.

“What’s needed is really putting intersectionality in action,” he explained. “What does it actually look like to protect each other? What does it look like to be somebody’s neighbor?

I know these seem like basic question but I would argue that these are basic questions that we all have to answer to really make this country safer for everybody.”

Vargas hopes more people are having conversations about the history of hate and violence that Asian Americans have long faced. But what happens next is critical, he and other advocates say. Because how communities choose to respond in this moment could set the course for whether Asian Americans – and other groups – continue to face these problems in the future.

As CNN’s writer Harmeet Kaur concluded in her article, “the history of attacks against Asian Americans is complicated…addressing it will be, too.”

Statistics indicate that despite the increasing acts of intolerance, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have made our Nation more secure during the COVID-19 pandemic and throughout our history. An estimated 2 million Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have served on the front lines of this crisis as healthcare providers, as first responders, and in other essential roles.

For my two cents, I say that for too long we’ve been passive observers, reveling in how much better America is compared to where we or our ancestors

have come from, instead of actually shaping how good America could be.

I want my grandchildren to grow up in an America that will treat them equally as a U.S. citizen, and not over where they will be asked “But where are you really from?”

But if they do, I want my grandchildren to be sure of themselves when they say, “The United States.

Just like you.”

“Kababayans”…We have to start somehow at some point in time by finding the way out of America’s thinking on race…Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders have been hurting for a long time, and they’ve been working to create solution for just as long. Now, finally, their stories are getting some attention. Hopefully, resources will come next.

I say let’s encourage advocacy and collaborative efforts to protect Asian American Pacific Islanders (AAPI) residents and victims of discrimination and to curb hate acts related to COVID-19 for other groups, including, but not limited to, Black, Latinx, Indigenous, Muslim, Jewish, and LGBTQlA+ communities, and people with accessibility needs.

We should all combat racism, xenophobia, and intolerance against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and should work together to ensure that all members of AAPI communities – no matter their background, the language they speak, or their religious beliefs – are treated with dignity and equity.

Let’s call upon each other across America in denouncing anti-AAPI racism!

Let this moment in time be a reminder to build together, to continue to share our unique stories, to provide resources, to help one another address immediate needs and create longlasting change in America.

Lastly, our communities deserve answers and we haven’t been given any. It is time, as I have often said in the past to acknowledge that we exist and that the mental health crisis that is leading to an uptick in violent assaults is a problem and do support our community for a change.

Now, maybe this is a hate crime. Maybe this is not a hate crime, after all. But it’s yet another Asian woman…and the authorities continue to seemingly talk about long-term solutions without providing the relief that the Asian-American community needs and demands right now. Our lives depend on it – and each other, if you get my drift.

“We keep us safe.” Mabuhay!

WORKSHOP

Continued from page 1 acknowledge the discrepancy between “Muslim Dances” and indigenous Maguindanao ritual and secular cultural arts. Hence, the SAMAHAN Performing Arts espouses a respectful performance of music and dances as taught by native Mindanao master artists. Mindanao cultural arts symbolizes an indigenous heritage with deep Southeast Asian roots practiced for many centuries before the arrival of Spanish colonization. Maguindanao culture is part of a larger realm of dynamic southern Philippine cultural realm rooted in ritual and the veneration of ancestors for generations to come.

“YET ANOTHER ASIAN VICTIM:” IN THE RACIAL HIERARCHY OF THE UNITED STATES, CONVEYING THE CHRONICLE OF ATTACKS AGAINST ASIAN AMERICANS REMAIN CONVULUTED AND PUTS A NEW FOCUS ON REPEAT OFFENDERS

Professional Business Directory

Continued from page 1

vouchers, tax-exempt and taxable bonds issued by the San Diego Housing Commission; ground lease from MTS; and federal and state tax equity.

Land use for the project site is regulated by the Navajo Community Plan, which was adopted in 2015 and encourages multifamily residential development to boost housing availability in the region. Although ShoreLINE’s plans follow the guidelines set forth in the Plan and do not require discretionary planning approvals, Affirmed Housing still engaged the San Diego Development Services Department (DSD) in a preliminary review process to move the project forward. The site replaces an existing MTS parking lot, with ShoreLINE situated on the western half, and a separate, neighboring development, comprised of market-rate housing for students, Union Grantville, is located on the eastern side of the lot.

In addition to delivering muchneeded affordable housing to the region, ShoreLINE will offer on-site supportive services tailored to aid and empower residents to live their best lives. The supportive services plan includes after school programs for children and adult education programs that focus on health and wellness, skills and career building, computer education, human services, contract management, civic involvement and community

leadership. Affirmed Housing will regularly survey residents to confirm that programs and services offered are appropriate to the needs of the resident population.

About MTS: MTS operates more than 100 bus routes and three Trolley lines in 10 cities and unincorporated areas of San Diego. Frequencies and spans have been restored to nearpre-COVID-19 levels. Updated schedules can be accessed on the MTS website. MTS asks that people wear face coverings at all times and practice physical distancing when possible.

About Affirmed Housing Affirmed Housing is a leader in affordable, multifamily housing development, delivering safe, sustainable, high-quality communities for families, veterans, seniors and people experiencing homelessness. The company works with municipalities and private owners throughout California to promote housing stability and neighborhood well-being by leveraging deep expertise in public finance, low-income housing tax credits, and tax-exempt bond finance, as well as site selection, engineering, architecture, construction, relocation and marketing. Since 1992, Affirmed Housing has financed more than $2 billion in affordable and supportive development, with 5,000 units developed or under development in 64 communities. The company has offices in San Diego and San Jose. Visit: www.affirmedhousing.com.

Help Wanted / For Rent / For Sale

Spiritual Life

Life begins each morning

I am sharing with my readers a reflection about life which I lifted from a devotional booklet edited by Joan Stott, a friend from Australia.

Joan was the first stranger who reached out to me after I was elected as World Secretary of the World Federation of Methodist Women (WFMW) in Singapore (1991). I did not know then who she was, but she graciously congratulated me and said, “I am one of the voting delegates representing Australia. I voted for you, because I was impressed by your resume that was distributed to all the voting delegates, but I would really like to meet you in person, to associate the name with the face, and of course to know you better.” I thanked her for her kind words and for her support in what I now consider as one of the most significant events in my life.

I believe that my meeting with Joan over a cup of coffee was also significant for her, because I requested her to serve as Editor of “The Tree of Life” a quarterly newsletter of the WFMW. In our exchange of experiences, I found out that she has been a creative writer and editor of a devotional book entitled, “In God’s Presence.”

My friendship with Joan grew throughout the five years that I served as World Secretary. In fact, she gave me the opportunity to

Aurora S. Cudal-Rivera

My Personal Testimony

travel to Australia, New Zealand, the Kingdom of Tonga, and Papua New Guinea when she invited me as her special guest in the South Pacific Regional Conference which she presided over.

I am becoming more aware that as I grow older, the beautiful memories of times past come back as a refreshing reminder of God’s goodness.

Now, here is the reflection, entitled “Life Begins Each Morning” one of the readings in Joan’s book, “In God’s Presence.”

Have you ever thought that life begins each morning? Whether one is twenty, forty, fifty, sixty or eighty, or somewhere in between; whether we have succeeded, failed or just muddled along - life begins each morning.

Yesterday has gone beyond recall,

things that have happened, words that have been spoken, opportunities that have been missed cannot be brought back again. Tomorrow and all the days to compare veiled in mystery. No matter how we may plan our lives, we can never be sure that things will work out just as we want them to. Each new day begins life anew; each night is a wall between yesterday and today.

Most of us find that sorrows, troubles, anxiety and fears are magnified during the dark hours of the night, How much more optimistic we are when the new day breaks, and we find that some of our mountains of fears are really molehills. We feel so much better able to cope with whatever life may bring us. The psalmist put it this way; “Tears may flow in the night, but joy comes in the morning. (Psalm 30:5)

Blessing on my knees

A friend had quadruple bypass surgery and his first hospital stay. Instead of parking in the ministers' reserved area and visiting the sick, he lay in an airy hospital gown and received visitors. Later, his sweet wife listed the kindnesses extended from hospital staff, family, and friends because many rallied to "bless" this godly couple. Their helpers bowed their knees to them, not in worship but in service.

When God called Abram, one of the promises he made was to "bless" him. The primary root for "bless" means "to kneel" or "to bow the knee":

[God said to Abram,] "I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you" (Genesis 12:2-3).

The idea of blessing may come from several factors including that of bending the knees to give or to receive. Both elements of giving and receiving are present in God's call to Abram.

First, God bowed his knees and served Abram so Abram could accomplish God's will for his life. Eventually through Abram's lineage, God gifted the entire earth with Jesus Christ. Abram believed God's promises, used God's provisions, and bowed his knee in service to his family and foreigners.

I easily imagine Abram bowing his knee to serve God and his contemporaries. However, I have difficulty when I picture God on his knees, serving Abram, not in worship but through the keeping of his promises to bless Abram.

While the picture of God kneeling to serve might be difficult to visualize, testimonies of God's gracious service appear all through scripture. From the earliest days, God has served his creation and expressed his allout love through provisions and justice. The Creator seeded the earth and set up an atmosphere to support plant life and humans. He didn't let Cain get away with murder. For thousands of years, God has nurtured humanity, yet we as humans have continued to

Danny Hernaez

ignore or bite the hand that feeds us. In addition, God planned a complete demonstration of his love through Jesus Christ - a demonstration of love that would impact us like nothing before or since.

Ultimately, God let us view his servant heart through his Son Jesus, and his three year ministry held countless revelations of God's truth and grace (John 1:1418). On the evening before his crucifixion, Jesus assured his disciples, "Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father" (John 14:9).

Earlier that night, Jesus had demonstrated God-as-servant, showing his disciples the "full extent of his love" (John 13:1). When the Master Teacher had gathered to dine with his disciples in the upper room, street grime had come along on their feet. That's when the God of Abram, "found in appearance as a man" (Philippians 2:8), got up from the meal, took off his outer garment, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After pouring water into a basin, the God of Abram knelt, and one at a time he would lift and clean 24 dirty feet. Wash and dry. Wash and dry. Wash and dry.

Thomas. John. Thaddeus.

Bartholomew.

Andrew. James.

Peter. Judas.

The cleansing wasn't brief: The meal stopped. It took time. Minutes and more minutes ticked by as Jesus, found in appearance as a man, made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant (Philippians 2:6-8).

Servant God knelt. Moved from man to man, foot to foot, and physically touched each disciple.

Dipping water from a basin, scrubbing toes, toweling ankles, Jesus humbled himself one more time before he "became obedient unto death-even death on a cross!" (Philippians 2:8). When Jesus reached the

On this seventh Sunday in Ordinary time we continue reading the Gospel of Matthew chapter five that is actually a continuation of the discourse of Jesus on the fact that his mission was indeed to fulfill the law and not to abolish it. This fulfillment of the law truly introduces us to the new law that Jesus proposed his disciples to follow. This law of love which he pronounced only in the last days of his ministry he first manifested in the way he related himself with others, through his parables of forgiveness and reconciliation, healing miracles and other miracles that revealed the omnipotence of His Father and the ever present concern that he had for the poor and the helpless. In this long process of his ministry he introduced the real spirit that the law which every Christian disciple should embrace only once he is truly converted.

In today’s gospel however, Jesus directly reversed the law of relationship that governed the usual Jewish society where one was expected to duly respond to the action of the other corresponding to that one has been acted upon such as what the saying goes “an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.” A disciple of Jesus is rather asked “to offer no resistance to one who is evil. When someone strikes you on your right cheek, turn the other one as well. If anyone wants to go to law with you over your tunic, hand over your cloak as well. Should anyone press you into service for one mile,

go for two miles. Give to the one who asks of you and do not turn your back one wants to borrow.”

Do you think that one who is not been converted to live according to the beatitudes, namely, being meek, patient in suffering, peace-making, enduring insults and persecution in the name of Jesus, could ever follow such new commandment? Certainly only those who have encountered the Lord and freely followed him and his new commandment can embrace such new understanding of the law.

Furthermore Jesus has completely made a new order of personal relationship when he reversed the saying “you shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy,” asking his disciples to all everybody, “but I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,…” This is a declaration of universal love for all since every person shares in the dignity of being children of God, since Jesus says “that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad

and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust.” Indeed this confirms what Jesus mentioned in the gospel last Sunday that his disciples should be righteous and this righteousness that we should have must surpass the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees lest we miss entrance into the Kingdom of heaven.

Truly Jesus has come not to abolish the law and the prophets, but he fulfilled this law of Sinai by preaching the law of love that has been pronounced in detail in the Sermon on the Mount of the Beatitudes. Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI himself mentioned this, in one of his Angelus messages in the past, and I quote: “Dear friends, perhaps it is not by chance that Jesus' first important occasion of preaching is called the ‘Sermon on the Mount’! Moses climbed Mt. Sinai to receive the Law of God and bring it to the chosen people. Jesus is the very Son of God who descended from heaven to take us to heaven, to the height of God, along the path of love. Indeed, he himself is this way: we must do nothing other than follow him, to put God's will into practice and enter into his Kingdom, in the eternal life. One creature has already arrived at the summit of the mountain: the Virgin Mary. Thanks to her union with Jesus, her justice was perfect: This is why we call her "Speculum justitiae" (Mirror of Justice). Let us entrust ourselves to her that she might guide our steps in fidelity to the Law of Christ.

reluctant Peter, we find these words in John's story of Jesus: He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, "Lord, are you going to wash my feet?" Jesus replied, "You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand."

"No," said Peter, "you shall never wash my feet." Jesus answered, "Unless I wash you, you have no part with me" (John 13:6-8). Later ... the disciples comprehended. They remembered the night Jesus made himself of no reputation and took upon the form of a servant - the night he declared most of them were clean and set in motion a perpetual cleansing. They learned from God "found in appearance as a man" that protocol couldn't hinder lavish love.

When Abram received his call, Servant God eventually furnished everything Abram needed to carry out the divine path for his life. Abram believed God and his belief equaled righteousness in God's court (Genesis 15:6).

I find it easy to picture looking up into the heavens and praying to God. I can even clearly picture God at my side walking in a garden as we talk about life. However, the image blurs when I look down into the eyes of the God of Abram fashioned as a man washing my feet.

I am ready for a new portrait. I am praying that God will place in my mind and heart the knowledge of a towel-draped Savior at my feet who will equip me to blessbow my knees to others.

God knows that you can stand that trial; He would not give it to you if you could not. It is His trust in you that explains the trials of life, however bitter they may be. God knows our strength, and He measures it to the last inch; and a trial was never given to any man that was greater than that man's strength, through God, to bear it.

<(((><

Fr. Agustin T. Opalalic

“There is a mistaken notion among some that to own a paper is to have a license to clobber one’s enemies and attack people we don’t like. A newspaper is an information tool to reach a large number of people at a given time. A newspaper should inform, educate, entertain and provide viewpoints that could give us the means to make intelligent decisions for ourselves and others.” — Ernie Flores Jr., founding editor and publisher

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Pang-negosyo upang magalak sa eksklusibong “Lucky” Lunar New Year Dining and Drink Specials na maiging pinaghandaan ng mga nagluluto ng Bamboo, Blazing Noodles at Umi Sushi & Oyster Bar.

Malasang timpla na ginawa ng Umi Chef na si Kiyo Ikeda, ang Lobster Three Ways ($98), Sticky Rice, Stuffed Chicken ($55) at ang Eel Lotus ($42) ay tiyak na maghahatid sa inyo ng bagong lebel na mararanasan sa kainan.

Si Chef Marie Surakul sa Bamboo ay naghahain ng Steamed Whole Fish ($98) na nangangahulugan ng karagdagang prosperidad at LongLife Noodles na may Beef Tenderloin ($38). Sinabi pa nito na ang noodle ay simbolo ng kaligayahan at kahabaan ng buhay, at ang mga bisita ay makakaranas ng agad na kaligayahan habang kumakain ng Lunar New Year na mga espesyalidad. Ang Blazing Noodles, na malapit lang sa hotel lobby, ay maghahanda ng walong putaheng tradisyunal na espesyalidad ng Asians para sa okasyon. Mula Fried Red Snapper hanggang Stir-fry Lamb Meat na may Spicy XO Sauce, ang mga espesyal na pagkaing ito ay may presyo mula $22 hanggang $92.

Amg nga espesyalidad na pagkain sa Blazing Noodles, Bamboo at Umi ay maaaring matikman mula Enero 28 hanggang Peb. 13. Inirerekomenda ang pag reserba sa Umi & Oyster Bar at mangyaring bumisita sa www. Pechanga.com/eat o sa pagtawag sa (951) 770-8504.

Higit sa Lahat, ang ekspertong mixologists ng Pechanga ay lumikha ng 5 Old Fashioned Cocktail para sa Lunar New Year. Kada spices nito ay nagre-representa ng limang mga elemento: wood, fire, earth, water at metal, kung saan simbolo ang mga ito ng habambuhay na swerte

at kasaganaan. Ang mga bisita ay maaaring humimpil sa Acorn, Corner o Round Bars mula Enero 28 hanggang Peb. 13 upang matikman ang mga espesyal na cocktails sa halagang $12.75 lamang. Pag-aaring Dekorasyon sa Lunar New Year

Ang Lunar New Year ay simbolo ng panibagong umpisa ng bagong taon, ang bagong simulain. Sa pagdiriwang sa selebrasyong ito, ang Pechanga, simula Enero 17, 2022, ay mag-aayos ng kabuuang pagaari nito na may tradisyunal na mga elemento sa bagong taon, kagaya ng matingkad na pulang parol, pinagiging oriental-style na garden bridge, napakagandang namumulaklak

na peach blossoms, tradisyunal na calligraphy spring couplets at iba pa. Sa kabuuang palapag, maaari niyong matagpuan ang di mabibilang na photo-op spots para sa inyong selfies o litratong pampamilya, at makunan ang nakamamanghang mga palamuti ng Lunar New Year na mga dekorasyon.

Sa iba pang impormasyon sa mga kaganapan at promosyon sa Pechanga, mangyaring tumawag sa (877) 7112946 o bumisita sa aming website pechanga.com Kinakailangang 21-anyos upang sumali sa mga promosyon.

Halina na kayo at magalak sa fourdiamond rated service ng Pechanga na may kaalwanan sa pag-iisip, at upang alamin pa ang patungkol sa kalusugan at mga alituntunin sa pag-iingat na isinagawa na, bumisita sa Pechanga. com/covid.

Patungkol sa Pechanga Resort

Casino Ang Pechanga Resort Casino ay nagtatampok ng isa sa pinakamalaki at napakalawak na resort/ casino na eksperiyensa saan man sa United States. Ibinoto na numero unong casino sa bansa ng USA Today at may rata na Four Diamond property ng AAA Mula 2002, ang Pechanga Resort Casino ay naghahatid ng walang katumbas na pasyalan, kahit isang araw lamang o sa kahabaan ng masaganang pananatili rito.ang

Pechanga ay naghahatid din ng mahigit 5,000 na mga pinakamainit na slots, table games, world-class na libangan, 1,100 hotel rooms, dining, spa at golf sa Journey at Pechanga. Ang Pechanga Resort Casino ay namamarali ng destinasyon na tumutugon at humihigit pa sa pangangailangan ng mga bisita at komunidad. Ang Pechanga Resort

Casino ay pag-aari at pinamamahalaan ng Pechanga Band of Luiseno Indians. Sa karagdagang mga impormasyon, tumawag ng toll free sa (877) 711-2946 o bumisita sa www.Pechanga.com. Sundan ang Pechanga Resort Casino sa Facebook at sa Twitter @Pechanga.com

GOVERNMENT

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schools from areas were deemed low risk for COVID-19 also started their own pilot face-to-face classes on November 22, 2021.

So far, only those in Kindergarten to Grade 3, as well as Senior High School, are included in the pilot run.

Education Undersecretary Nepomuceno Malaluan earlier noted that more grade levels will be included in the conduct of expanded face-to-face classes.

The government is currently conducting a COVID-19 vaccination drive for minors aged five to 11, on top of the inoculation of those 12 to 17 years olds which started in November 2021.

Alert Level 1

Moreover, Vergeire said the people should have a transition mindset wherein they will try to move on and live with COVID-19 in the new normal or Alert Level 1–the lowest in the new alert level system.

She, however, said the fear

of doctors on the easing to Alert Level 1 would be “expected and understandable,” but she assured the public that the sectors will not be opened up drastically without safety nets in place.

“We can't stay in lockdown forever. We can’t stay like this that all sectors or most of the sectors are closed. We need to go on and move on with our lives again,” she emphasized.

Under Alert Level 1, all establishments, persons, or activities, are allowed to operate, work, or be undertaken at full on-site or venue/ seating capacity provided it follows minimum health standards, except for those located in areas under granular lockdowns.

The National Capital Region (NCR), and several other areas, is under Alert Level 2 until the end of February.

Under Alert Level 2, certain establishments and activities are allowed at 50% capacity indoors for fully vaccinated adults and minors, even if unvaccinated, and 70% capacity outdoors.

Should the country shift to Alert Level 1, Vergeire said that the government should also transfer its resources and efforts to enforce the health protocols and increase the vaccination drive.

“What would be retained would be the minimum public health standards that will be practiced by all individuals. This now turns into self regulation, not just for the community and individuals, but also for establishments and spaces,” she added.(MNS)