Voter Information Pamphlets Go
By TRAcy DEFORE/cSDcO
SAN DIEGO, CA -- Voter information pamphlets are on their way to the County’s 1.9 million registered voters for the November Presidential General Election.
Remember, they look a little different now. The Registrar’s voter information pamphlets changed in March. They provide the same important information but are larger in size, like the Secretary of State’s Voter Information Guide.
The Registrar’s pamphlets contain information on voting options, election deadlines, candidate statements, ballot measures and more. It also includes a sample of what your official ballot will look like.
Voters may also see their pamphlets online with the View A Voter Information Pamphlet (Sample Ballot) tool at sdvote. com.
If you signed up to get your voter information pamphlet electronically, you should have received an email giving you the same information and a link to your pamphlet.
Voters who want to be among the first to see their pamphlet every election can sign up to receive all future pamphlets electronically. Voters who take this option will no longer receive a paper copy in the mail but will get an email when the pamphlet becomes available online.
TAGALOG NA BERSYON
Ang mga pamplet ng impormasyon ng botante ay papunta na sa 1.9 milyong rehistradong botante ng County para sa Presidensyal na Pangkahalatang Eleksyon sa Nobyembre.
Tandaan, may onting pagkakaiba ngayon. Ang mga pamplet ng
If you plan on voting in person, be prepared. Due to the large number of contests on the ballot, it will take longer to complete the ballot. Read your pamphlet and mark your selections on the sample ballot in advance. When you go inside the voting booth at the vote center, you can refer to your choices on the sample ballot to quickly mark your selections on your official ballot. Meantime, the Registrar is still looking for poll workers, especially bilingual poll workers. Learn more about voting in the November Presidential General Election at sdvote.com, or call (858) 565-5800 or toll free at (800) 696-0136.
By SELEn OzTURk/EMS
If not countered, misinformation targeting immigrants and Latinos will be make-or-break this election year.
Although the political use of immigration as a scapegoat for hate is nothing new, the Latino vote — the largest-growing U.S. voter demographic, with currently 36.2 million Latinos representing 15% of all eligible voters — able to decide elections in large states like California, Texas and Florida, and swing states like Nevada, Arizona, Georgia, Wisconsin and North Carolina.
At a Thursday, September 26 panel held by CALÓ News and the Latino Media Collaborative, ethnic media leaders explained the trending misinformation tactics used to undermine electoral trust among Latinos, and discussed ways to fight this misinformation.
‘Undermining the voice of a decisive vote’
“Millions of immigrants are living quietly in harmony with nativeborn residents. We’re neighbors, coworkers and friends, and we’re caring for each other across racial, ethnic and bipartisan lines — yet we rarely see those stories on the front page,” said Jessica González, co-CEO of Free Press.
“Instead, we see stories that exploit and demonize immigrants. We see the lie that non-citizen immigrants are voting in droves, fabrications about Haitian immigrants, false claims such as that the U.S. election will be extended this year,” she continued.
“The intent is to scare voters of color from the polls, to pander to antiimmigrant sentiment by stirring up fear … and to legitimize authoritarian power-grabs by sowing distrust in our
electoral process.”
A 2024 Free Press poll of 3,000 Americans found that 79% were “concerned that the information they see online is fake, false or a deliberate attempt to confuse people,” while 76% were concerned about 2024 presidential election misinformation.
“I became politically active organizing 10,000 students to march out of LAUSD schools during the ’90s in California’s Prop 187 era,” said Jennie Carreón, principal of public affairs firm Carreón Group. “It’s hard to believe that it passed. It denied undocumented immigrants access to public education and social services, and it also required police to report and verify the immigration status of all individuals.”
“Thankfully, Prop 187 was struck down by the courts, but 30 years later, here we are hearing the same antiimmigration stories, but this time it’s at a national level,” she added. “Latino voter misinformation is undermining the voice of a decisive vote in 2024 … and we need to show its impact in a digestible way, so that a generation of new voters doesn’t feel so apprehensive.”
Trending misinformation
“These messages with the purpose of creating hate and fear are no longer just about undocumented immigrants. We’re now seeing attacks on legal immigrants — such as DACA and other legal pathway programs, and recently the Springfield, Ohio Haitian community, most of whom had Temporary Protected Status,” said Vanessa Cárdenas, executive director of America’s Voice.
In tracking media coverage of immigration reform, America’s Voice found two common ideas behind these attacks, she explained, the first being a “replacement theory … that immigrants are here to replace ‘real’ Americans and ineligible immigrants are going to vote in our election, seeding doubt as to whether we can trust the outcome.”
State-led investigations by Republican and Democratic officials, news organizations, law enforcement and universities have found that noncitizen voting is extraordinarily rare.
For instance, a 2016 Brennan
impormasyon ng botante ng Tagapagrehistro ay nagbago noong Marso. Nagbibigay sila ng parehong mahalagang impormasyon ngunit mas malaki ang sukat, katulad ng Gabay sa Impormasyon ng Botante ng Kalihim ng Estado. Ang mga pamplet ng Tagapagrehistro ay naglalaman ng impormasyon tungkol sa mga opsyon sa pagboto, mga deadline ng eleksyon, mga pahayag ng kandidato, mga panukala sa balota at marami pa. Kasama rin dito ang isang sampol kung ano ang magiging hitsura ng inyong opisyal na balota.
By y UGEL LOSORATA
SAN DIEGO, CA -- Community leaders and candidates in the upcoming election came together at the Night of The Round Tables held at Jasmine Seafood Restaurant here in San Diego last September 25.
Leaders and members of the Asian Pacific American community met up with some candidates to discuss significant issues related to the people’s welfare in San Diego County.
The civic engagement provided the stakeholders with direct, up-close conversations on issues affecting San Diegans.
The organizer pointed out, “This is not a time for debate but an opportunity to learn about each candidate’s campaign or to share your organization’s mission.”
Some 20 table hosts and APAC Coalition partners graced the wellattended occasion, including Filipino put-up groups such as the Council of Philippine American Organizations, Filipino-American Chamber of Commerce. and United Pilipino International.
The participants running for electoral posts included Larry Turner who is running for Mayor in the City of San Diego, Trustee Dr. Darshana Patel
Maaari ring makita ng mga botante ang kanilang mga pamplet sa online gamit ang tool na Tingnan ang Isang Pamplet ng Impormasyon ng Botante (Sampol na Balota) sa sdvote.com. Kung nag-sign up kayo upang kunin
who is gunning for State Assembly in District 76, Council member Marcus Bush who is going for reelection in National City Council in District 2, and Randi Castle who is running for National City Council in District 4.
Turner said, “I am not a politician.
I am just looking for solutions and trying to make San Diego better. With your permission, I'm really excited about being your next Mayor. We're gonna make this place safe again for you. We're gonna take care of the homeless… It doesn't have to do with parties. It’s not a right or left issue. 95 percent of us agree on this." .
Each table host and its members and guests had the opportunity to meet the candidates face-to-face and engaged in small, yet significant talks about community concerns. The candidates rotated tables after every 10 minutes in what was described as a “speed dating with a political focus.”
Some of the discussions touched on housing, education, business, public services, among others. The people in the tables were urged to focus their questions on the most pressing issues for more meaningful interactions.
Asked what she’d do first if and when she wins, Patel replied, "First step is I'm gonna listen and talk to the community. As an elected official, the
ang inyong pamplet ng impormasyon ng botante sa elektronikong paraan, dapat ay nakatanggap kayo ng email na nagbibigay sa inyo ng parehong impormasyon at isang link sa inyong pamplet. Ang mga botante na gustong mapabilang sa mga unang makakakita ng kanilang pamplet tuwing eleksyon ay maaaring mag-sign up upang matanggap ang lahat ng mga pamplet sa hinaharap sa elektronikong paraan. Ang mga botante na kukuha ng opsyong ito ay hindi na makakatanggap ng isang papel na kopya sa koreo ngunit makakatanggap ng email kapag ang pamplet ay naging available sa online. Kung plano ninyong bumoto nang personal, maging handa. Dahil sa malaking bilang ng mga kontest sa balota, mas matatagalan kayong kumpletuhin ang balota. Basahin ang inyong pamplet at markahan ang inyong mga seleksyon sa sampol na balota nang maaga. Kapag papasok na kayo sa booth ng pagboto sa vote center, maaari kayong mag-refer sa inyong mga seleksyon sa sampol na balota upang mabilis na markahan ang inyong mga seleksyon sa inyong opisyal na balota. Samantala, naghahanap pa rin ang Tagapagrehistro ng mga manggagawa sa botohan, lalo na sa mga bilingguwal na manggagawa sa botohan. Matuto nang higit pa tungkol sa pagboto sa Presidensyal na Pangkalahatang Eleksyon sa Nobyembre sa sdvote.com, o tumawag sa
voters are my boss. I have to make sure I'm serving the needs of the community."
Each candidate present was given two minutes to introduce themselves and make some opening remarks. Also on hand were former Mayor Kevin Faulconer (running for San Diego County Board of Supervisor in District 3), Supervisor Joel Anderson (for re-election for San Diego County Board of Supervisor in District 2), and Coleen Cusack (for San Diego City Council in District 3) who sang a familiar tune during her introduction to the surprise and amusement of the racially diverse attendees.
Running for office for the first time, the lawyer by profession said, “I adopted San Diego as my own when I moved here 35 years ago. I don’t want to move anywhere else. I want to fix things and get back to living as a resident.”
Other table hosts were America’s Thai Chamber of Commerce San Diego, House of China, House of Taiwan, Vietnamese Community of San Diego, The Samoa Association of San Diego, Japanese American Citizens League, among others. APAC Board Members were led by Secretary Donna Lee, Parliamentarian Alex Nguyen, and Treasurer Mitz Lee.
The Pampered Pinay Lifestyle: October is Breast Cancer Awareness
By Francine Maigue
This past month, we discussed Type II Diabetes and some easy steps and changes in our habits that can have big impact on having a healthier, longer life. This is particularly important because Type II Diabetes is a rising health threat in our community…but it's not the only one.
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, my pampered friends. Along with Diabetes and Cancer, we’ll be taking a look at a range of diseases this month whose rates are rising in our community. When we know better, we do better… and this case, we may live longer.
Here's a glimpse into what I'll be sharing with you this month and some key steps we can all take to help prevent or overcome medical conditions that are especially impacting women.
Breast Cancer
As with most medical conditions, early detection and preventative measures make for the best outcome when dealing with breast cancer. The American Cancer Society shares that
breast cancer is the most common cancer in women. (The second is lung cancer.) Though some women may be predisposed for breast cancer, it's important that we all regularly screen for the disease and stick to some healthy habits.
1. Limit your alcohol intake.
2. Maintain a healthy weight.
3. Do regular self-exams and schedule yearly exams with your doctor.
4. Don't smoke.
5. Check in with your doctor if you have a family history of cancer.
Heart Disease
Ladies, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, heart disease is responsible for 29% of our deaths. The extra scary fact is the suddenness of such deaths. Many women go for years with undetected heart disease. Often they believe their inability to complete physically engaging tasks or difficulty breathing are simply signs of being out of shape. Unfortunately, heart disease in women, tends to be underdiagnosed, and the condition is only identified
when it's too late. This is our number one killer, and it's affecting women of all ages.
1. Monitor your blood pressure.
2. Keep a close eye on your cholesterol level.
3. Stay active.
4. Eat a balanced diet.
5. Don't smoke.
6. If you regularly experience nausea or jaw pain, check in with your doctor.
7. If heart disease tends to run in your family, it's never too early to get checked out.
Depression
While most folks tend to focus on physical health, mental and emotional health are equally important to address. As women, we try our best to juggle multiple stressful life situations and responsibilities with grace. We do it all and work hard to make it look effortless. The National Institute of Mental Health shares that women are twice as likely as men to endure depression. We may be Wonder Women, but we are human… and even gladiators have feelings. It's important to shrug off any stigmas and ask for help.
1. Set aside time just for you each day to reflect and relax.
2. Make your health and well-being a priority.
3. Regularly and openly communicate your feelings—at home, at work, amongst friends and family.
4. Seek help when overcoming a troubling experience, whether recent or from your past.
5. Say “no” and take a time out when you are feeling overwhelmed or when your health and well-being are being compromised.
We get one life, one body, and one mind, my friends. Pamper them with care. Knowledge and healthy habits will take us far.
Stay tuned! In the coming weeks, I'll be sharing tips from local experts in the medical field that will help make our pathway to better health a successful one.
SAN DIEGO, CA -- A collection of recipes and stories encompassing culture, culinary and maritime heritage, and the beauty of the region’s sustainable seafood. Each recipe threads the past and present together to demystify seafood for institutional and at-home chefs.
Providing this book to the San Diego community will elevate awareness and appreciation of California’s sustainable and nutritious seafood and its contributions to our community's health, well-being, and sense of place. What’s more, this book will give back. Complimentary copies will be gifted to institutional kitchens in San Diego- including hospitals and schools- and proceeds will be donated to local charities.
Driven by California Sea Grant and project partners, with contributions from San Diego historians, fishing families, artists, scientists, at-home
chefs, and celebrity chefs like Davin Waite, Travis Swikard, Natalie Sawyer, and Drew Deckman, this has been a collaborative local-community effort from the start. Now we ask you, San Diego’s community, for your support in publishing and printing San Diego Seafood: Then and Now. Let’s get this celebration of multicultural heritage and seafood into San Diego’s kitchens by early 2025!
“There aren’t many cities in the country where seafood lovers and chefs can get to know fishers and their families as they buy their fish, but San Diego is one of them!
Conversations about our uniquely varied types of catch, sustainable fishing practices, and favorite preparation and cooking methods have all gone a long way toward strengthening San Diego’s seafood system... That is why I am excited about this cookbook”
This community labor of
Theresa Sinicrope Talley, California Sea Grant, University of California, San Diego, Emily Miller, California Sea Grant, University of California, San Diego, Cynthia Fuller
Eat Fruits daily, it will keep you healthy.
National City to Celebrate the 66th Annual Salute to Navy
NATIONAL CITY, CA -- The National City Chamber of Commerce proudly announces the 66th Annual Salute to Navy luncheon from 10:30 am – 1:00 p.m., on Thursday, October 19, 2023, at the Coronado Beach Harley Davidson dealership, (3201 Hoover Ave, National City, CA 91950).
National City is privileged to continue the 66-year tradition of honoring the men and women of the U.S. Navy. The National City Salute to the Navy is the longest running event of its kind in the nation. National City is home to Naval Base San Diego (NBSD), the principal homeport of the U.S. Pacific Fleet. Naval Base San Diego, a modern Navy complex and homeport to nearly a third of the Navy’s fleet in the Pacific theater, is located off of 8th Street in National City. We celebrate NBSD as a neighbor and strategic partner in shaping our future.
“Naval Base San Diego has a tremendous impact on National City’s economic vitality and quality of life.
Our hotels, restaurants, maritime industry, and other businesses are proud to support the U.S. Navy.” said Brian Clapper, past Chairman of the National City Chamber of Commerce. Twenty-two percent of jobs in the region are supported by the defense industry, and San Diego ships bring in billions of dollars of economic impact to the region.
“National City is a navy town and a home away from home for our sailors and their families. We are co-planning for our future to advance our mutual interest of national security, efficient transportation, sustainability, and community programming” – Captain Roy Love, Commanding Officer, NBSD.
Sailors, their families, civilians, local elected officials, and the general public are invited to attend this event.
The National City Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Scholarship will be presented for the 7th year to one student from each of the following three San Diego organizations: Sweetwater High School Marine Corps JROTC, Mar Vista Naval Academy and Naval Base San Diego. The luncheon will include the STEM Scholarship presentation hosted by the USS Midway Foundation. For sponsorship and ticket information, please contact the National City Chamber of Commerce at Grepe@nationalcitychamber.org/ (619) 477-9339 / www.NationalCityChamber.org . Event Tickets Available at: https:// nationalcity.chambermaster.com/ eventregistration/register/5713
management and direct marketing. In 2020, this group also founded and has since co-led the charitable Fish to Families program, currently in collaboration with Craft Meals and Feeding San Diego.
Quinonez, MAKE Projects, Neva Sullaway, Author, Editor, Publishing Consultant, Chris Rov Costa, Words & Pictures Co., Heather Ponchetti Daly, Iipay Nation of Santa Ysabel, University of California, San Diego, Sarah Shoffler, NOAA Fisheries, Riley Davenport, Designer. With assistance from others at California Sea Grant, University of California, San Diego, and Arizona State University. Cookbook proceeds will go to three San Diego-based charitable causes that represent themes throughout the book.
San Diego Fishermen's Working Group - A non-profit organization of San Diego fishermen whose mission is to revitalize San Diego fisheries through community-based
MAKE Projects- A non-profit employment social enterprise whose mission is to empower refugee and immigrant women and youth with the job readiness skills to achieve their dreams. They operate an urban farm, restaurant, and events/catering company to provide paid, real-world work experiences while leveraging the power of food to bring diverse populations together, unite a community, and educate each other about our history, differences, and commonalities.
Indigenous Futures Institute, UC San Diego. Still under development at UCSD, this new institute will consist of programming including education, applied research, hands-on practice, and community engagement that
will focus on the preservation of and reconnection to Indigenous foods, culture and ecology; and the advancement of Indigenous food justice and sovereignty. Inspired by the popular Food Justice and Indigenous Food Sovereignty course at UCSD, the institute will also host a demonstration kitchen and a cultural workspace.
Celebrities of San Diego’s Food Scene, including, but not limited to:
Oz Blackaller, Joe Busalacchi, Mitch Conniff, Drew Deckman, William Eick, Philip Esteban, Tommy Gomes, Mario Guerra, Chris Logan, Accursio Lota, Jason McLeod, Kelston Moore, Anthony Pascale, Cynthia Fuller Quinonez, Mike Reidy, JoJo Ruiz, Rob Ruiz, Juan Pablo Sanchez, Natalie Sawyer, Travis Swikard, Davin Waite, Luca Zamboni
Chula Vista Business Community Honors 9/11 First Responders with Meal Deliveries to
Fire Stations and Police Headquarters
CHULA VISTA, CA – September 11, 2024 – As the 23rd anniversary of the September 11, 2001, attacks passed, the bravery and sacrifice of first responders were honored in a heartfelt tribute led by Seven Mile Casino in partnership with the Chula Vista Chamber of Commerce. Together they spearheaded a community-wide challenge, delivering meals to all fire stations in Chula Vista, Bonita, and Imperial Beach to pay tribute to the 441 first responders who lost their lives on that tragic day.
Seven Mile Casino rallied local businesses and organizations to join them in this initiative, honoring those who continue to protect and serve their communities. Throughout the day, appreciation meals were delivered to 12 Chula Vista fire stations, along with fire stations in Bonita and Imperial Beach, as well as the Chula Vista Police Headquarters. Meals were provided during breakfast, lunch, and dinner, with first responders having opportunities to share in the meals when their schedules allowed.
“Our first responders serve with unwavering dedication and courage every day,” said Masis Kevorkian, Managing Partner for Seven Mile
Casino. “By reflecting on the tragic events of 9/11, we hope to inspire the community to express their deepest gratitude to those who continue to protect and serve, often at great personal risk.”
In a powerful display of unity, local businesses, restaurants, and elected officials joined forces with community leaders to personally deliver meals and express their thanks to first responders for their ongoing service. Chula Vista Fire Chief Harry Muns expressed his gratitude: “The fire service is deeply thankful for the recognition society extends to current emergency responders on 9/11. More importantly, we want everyone to remember the selfless acts of those who lost their lives putting others first.
Let the anniversary of this tragic day bring us together in unity, and never forget who we are and what we stand for.”
Through this effort, led by Seven Mile Casino and supported by local elected officials, the Chula Vista, Bonita, and Imperial Beach communities united to remember those lost on 9/11, honoring their memory as symbols of resilience and strength.
Participating Businesses: The event is supported by a diverse group of local businesses, including the South Bay Family YMCA, California Coast Credit Union, The B Factor, Lolita’s Mexican Food, Ale’s Delights, Herb N Joy, Prescott and Lowther, Lighthouse Cares Foundation, AT&T, Wyyerd Fiber, Funeraria del Angel, Fastest Labs, Torrey Pines Bank, Realtor Sharmane Estolano, Sweetwater Valley Civic Association, Costa Modern Properties, Atlantis Group Land Use Consulting Inc., Courage Christian Academy, Paul Davis Restoration, Energy Communications, South County EDC, Let Me Stamp It, Scripps Health, Talent Connection, Jersey Mike’s, SD Regional Fire Foundation, San Diego Hispanic Insurance Services, HomeFed Corporation,
Kim Chiu emotional over Seoul Drama award and experience
MANILA -- Kapamilya actress
Kim Chiu wasn't able to hold back her tears while delivering her acceptance speech at the 2024 Seoul International Drama Awards.
Chiu said she had a speech prepared on her phone but it accidentally got erased. "Buti na lang memorize ko na siya by heart," she said.
Chiu dedicated her awards to her legion of fans and to key people who opened doors of opportunities in her 18-year long career. Her father-figure from Pinoy Big Brother, the reality show that introduced Kim to the world back in 2005, Laurenti Dyogi or who she fondly calls Direk Lauren was present during the awarding ceremonies. Her voice began to crack when she started dedicating her award to the late Deo Endinal, founder of Dreamscape Entertainment.
"Sobrang hindi ako makapaniwala. Diba, naiyak pa ko?! Una pa lang, start pa lang, na-starstruck na ko sa lahat ng nakita ko. Kasi lahat ng mga nanalo, yung 'Moving' yung 'Mask Girl', ang daming palabas. Napanood ko siya habang nasa bahay ako tapos ngayon nakita ko yung directors, producers, actors tapos kasali ako sa event. So naoverwhelmed ako, so nung nagpasalamat na ko, naiyak na ko," said Chiu.
Some of the Korean celebrities whom Chiu met were 'Mask Girl' lead cast and Seoul Drama Awards K-Drama Best Actor and Best Actress Ahn Jae-hong and Yeom Hye-Ran. "Yung mga speech nila kanina, yung magtiwala lang sa project. Na kahit hindi pa siya gaano kaalam o katanggap ng mga tao, basta may tiwala ka lang sa ginagawa mo. Yun yung nangibabaw (sa akin)," she said. Chiu also got to bond with her co-Outstanding Asian Star awardees Kim Hye-yoon of South Korea,
Desmond Tan from Singapore, Win Metawin from Thailand and Siti Saleha from Malaysia.
The Kapamilya actress has nothing but gratitude to her fans who rallied and voted for her in this year's competition. She also thanked her mother network ABS-CBN during her acceptance speech.
During the after party, Chiu also got the chance to personally thanked Bang Moon Shin, the Chairman of SDA 2024 Organizing Committee. (MNS)
Center survey of 44 election administrators overseeing 23.5 million votes across 42 states saw 30 incidents of suspected noncitizen voting — or .0001% of all votes.
A state-led audit of 1.1 million ballots in Nevada that same year identified three noncitizens who had voted, amounting to .0003% of all votes.
A 2020 state investigation in Ohio referred 104 cases of alleged noncitizen voter registration and 13 cases of alleged noncitizen voting for prosecution; because the latter would amount to .00016% of all votes, Ohio’s own secretary of state said “voter fraud is exceedingly rare.”
The second idea behind trending misinformation “pits Latinos who’ve been in the U.S. for generations against new migrants … through a notion of scarcity, crime and racial tensions, particularly in communities in blue cities, like New York, where migrants were sent from Texas,” Cárdenas explained. “These narratives are setting the stage for the idea that it is okay to deport people en masse because these folks are not desirable, not American.”
Economists estimate that a mass deportation of undocumented immigrants, of the kind proposed by Donald Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign, would entail economic losses between $711 billion and $1.7 trillion, at 2023 levels.
Given a removal of 11 million people, this would entail a shrinking of the U.S. economy between 2.6% and 6%.
“The reason why so many
MANILA -- Model Carlene Aguilar thanked Jennylyn Mercado for treating her and ex-boyfriend Dennis Trillo's child Calix as her own. Aguilar expressed her gratitude after Mercado greeted Calix on his birthday through an Instagram post.
The multi-awarded actress also included photos of the birthday boy who was at a fencing competition.
"Happy birthday, Kuya Calix! May all your wishes come true today and every day. We love you!" Mercado's caption reads. Awed with the sweet post, Aguilar
showed how grateful she is on the comment section.
"Thank you mommy Jen for loving Calix as your own," she said.
Trillo also shared a birthday greeting for his first child on the same platform, with the video of the same fencing match.
"Daisy Siete! Congrats to my panganay, so proud of you, mahal na mahal ka namin! We’re always here for you! Happy Birthday," he wrote.
Calix is the eldest in the blended family of Trillo and Mercado. The Kapuso actress and Aguilar evidently share a healthy relationship over the years, exchanging parenting advice.
"'Pag minsan naiinis ako kay Calix, sinusumbong ko kay Jen actually… Stepmom siya and ‘pag wala ako, siya ‘yung tumatayong ina kapag kasama ni Dennis si Calix," Aguilar mentioned during a 2023 interview.
She has two other younger sons aside from Calix.
Meanwhile, Mercado has a son, Jazz, with Patrick Garcia, and a daughter, Dylan, with Trillo.
Mercado and Trillo, who are among showbiz's longest couples that collaborated on a lot of TV projects, tied the knot in 2021.
(MNS)
MANILA -- Challenge accepted.
This is how Alexa Ilacad described her role as Sunny in the upcoming family drama movie "Mujigae".
Based on the movie trailer, Ilacad will look after her niece Mujigae played by child actress Ryrie Turingan a half-Korean who returns to her father Ji Sung Park in South Korea played by Korean actor, Kim Ji Soo. The actress revealed she relates to Sunny's character who is not fond of taking care of children.
"Mujigae" casts and director Randolph Longjas, South Korean actor Kim Ji Soo, Alexa Ilacad and Ryrie Turingan
"I'm not really fond of kids. Until, nagkaroon ako ng pamangkin maliliit pa ang pamangkin ko and honestly they changed my life and sila lang talaga ang bata na gusto ko, pero after working with Ryrie sabi ko 'a cute rin naman pala sila, ok rin naman pala' and she's so matured kulang na lang mag heart to heart na talaga kami like sis para na kaming magka-tropa sa set ang saya niya kasama," the actress said during the "Mujigae" media conference. "Takeaways ko, actually it's really hard to be a mother. And it takes so much selflessness to be a mother. Napasabi tuloy ako sa sarili ko, 'Kaya ko ba ito ever?' Of course, the Alexa that is me today, wala pa talaga 'yun sa isip ko talaga as in hindi pa ako
nag-iisip at all to be a mother or to have a family, not really the priority as of now," she added. Part of her realization while doing the movie is to prioritize and secure her future dreams if she decides to start her own family. "I want to build a career, I want to be really really rich and I know, that could be pretty hard. Pero, na-open rin naman po ako na parang it's not so bad naman pala or maybe one day, as long as I am stable and I have a good partner with me, maybe I think I would like to try to have a family or to have a kid, but right now I am
a fur mom and that is also hard work and that is something I really enjoy," Ilacad said.
"In this life, ang taas ng mga bilihin etcetera, ang economy ang hirap.Kaya sabi ko, move na lang po ulit kung kailan na lang po sobrang yaman ko na saka na lang ako mag-aanak whenever that happens and this is a personal choice," she said.
"Mujigae" was produced by Unitel Straight Shooters (UXS), written by Mark Raywin Tome, and directed by Randolph Longjas, opens exclusively in SM Cinemas beginning Oct. 9. (MNS)
undocumented immigrants are coming to the U.S. is because the U.S. has destabilized their economy and governments,” added Anshantia Oso, senior director of Black history project Media 2070. “U.S. foreign policy is a pull factor for immigrants to come to the U.S., and our political candidates are manipulating ideas of scarcity to keep the population scared and divided.”
Fighting misinformation
“In having conversation with folks who may be repeating this misinformation, it’s important to understand what their concerns actually are,” Oso continued.
“Often, political rhetoric plays on valid concerns around housing, jobs or finances … and it’s not about being anti-immigrant, but having a government that’s actually going to work for us. We need to speak to those concerns and point towards actual solutions.”
A demographically representative Harvard Kennedy School poll found that 49% of Americans were exposed to some form of misinformation intervention, like social media factchecking.
However, these interventions triggered significantly polarized responses between Democrats, who supported the intervention overall, and Republicans, who opposed content evaluation on the grounds that it was biased.
“One approach to countering disinformation is not getting bogged down in tackling specific claims, but rather exposing their motives of division,” said Roberta Braga, founder and executive director of Digital Democracy Institute of the Americas (DDIA).
“We don’t have to correct the record on every single thing we see. Instead, we should focus on changing the conversation by telling real stories about the impact of deportation policies,” she continued, “and by telling stories about what a functional migration system would look like by telling immigrant success stories.”
“The issue is that fighting misinformation doesn’t work the same way for everyone,” said Braga. “Someone who believes one in 15 lies may need a fact check, but someone who believes 14 out of 15 lies, that’s not what they’ll respond to. Beyond content-oriented factors, we need to consider the real day-to-day concerns that people have.”
A June 2024 DDIA poll found that most Latinos targeted by misinformation don’t outright believe it. Among the 3,000 Latino adults polled, 62% were either unsure of, or rejected, media misinformation claims.
Although the DDIA findings, like the Harvard Kennedy School poll, saw consistent correlation of Republican party affiliation with “lower levels of trust and confidence that one’s vote will count,” low trust in the system wasn’t correlated with voter turnout for Latinos. In other words, many Latinos less likely to perceive their vote to matter would still vote despite this ambivalence.
“There’s a large group of Latino voters out there that are undecided or ambivalent, and I think that’s where we should be spending most of our time sharing our information and ideas,” Cárdenas said. “These are people that we could really move to our side.”
achievements, events or business leads to share? Feel free to email us at filpressads@aol.com We love to hear from you! Let our Fil-Am voices be heard, our achievements inspire our community, our pride & joy spread everywhere.Visit us at www.thefilipinopress.com
POPE FRANCIS’ ZERO WASTE EMBRACE: A THEOLOGY
OF RECYCLING AND OUR NEED TO ADMIRE THE MOST Jesse T. Reyes
Perhaps, if you – my dear folks – are still not aware of it yet –Pope Francis has expressed in several occasions its support to environmental fights.
Eleven years ago, Pope Francis posted a video on YouTube praising waste pickers for their task. At that time, he said that “we live in a wasteful culture, in which, we not only waste stuff but also people.” Alternatives to this culture of waste preserve the environment, create jobs and dignify human lives.
More than an isolated case, the truth is that, in his two years and a half as a Pope then, Francis has met waste pickers of India, Ecuador, Argentina, Brazil, and of course from our beloved old homeland –the Philippines – and has certainly addressed environmental issues in his speeches in the past. Earlier of Year 2015, while visiting the Philippines he recalled the devastating effects of climate change and how environmental destruction is a source of global suffering. In his speech of January in Manila, Pope Francis warned about the negative implications of wasteful societies and stressed the need to care for the environment.
That very same year, the Vatican published “Laudato Si”, an encyclical in which the Pope goes through major global environmental problems, calls for strong action on climate change, advocates for phasing out toxics and embraces zero waste.
According to the encyclical, “the Earth, our home, seems to turn more and more into a huge garbage dump,” which “is intimately linked to the culture of waste, affecting so much the human beings left behind when things turn quickly into trash.” The Pope argue that natural ecosystems manage to create closed loops of nutrients and energy, while human beings “have not yet succeeded in adopting a circular pattern of production which ensures resources for all and for the future generations.” He calls, therefore, for limiting the use of non-renewable sources of energy, moderate consumption patterns and increase reuse and recycling.
The recycling also pays particular attention to the role of toxics and their risk for human health and to the environment, and to climate change. In both cases, the Pope highlights how most vulnerable communities people tend to be affected the most by such environmental problems bring, hence, not only an environmental question but also a social justice one.
Zero Waste Europe welcomed the encyclical of Pope Francis and was pleased to see that there is a growing consensus on the need to
transform our wasteful societies into zero waste ones. As the prominent English water fluoridation critic Dr. Paul Connett once said, “God recycles, the devil burns.”
Moving on, I supposed every generation is enamored with what’s new just as in the case of Pope Francis’ embrace of zero waste. I say Christians aren’t an exception. And a quest for what’s new isn’t always bad at all. The Psalms speak often of singing a “new song to the Lord.”
Creating something completely new is a healthy aspect of the creativity God has given us. In the context of work, the creation of something original – sculpting a new piece of art, finding a firsthand plan to manufacture a product, creating a untried direction to deliver goods to customers – is reflective of the creative nature of God.
But there’s also a form of creativity and ingenuity that is available for those of us whose jobs aren’t on the cutting edge of innovation. Specifically, there’s the aspect of recycling old things or even mending things that are simply worn out.
Themes of redemption and transformation lie at the very heart of Christian theology. Applying these themes to the area of work begins to sound quite a bit like the tasks of mending and recycling. And these may be a special connection with God we can come to experience as we mend, repair, refurbish, and recycle while at work in the marketplace or at home.
There’s a kind of good feeling that comes with fixing a broken machine, or with mending a fence or piece of clothing, or with making a children’s piece of art out of used wrapping paper, some discarded buttons and an empty cereal box. It’s much better feeling than buying those items new.
What say you? And what do you think of it?
For me, I imagine that it’s interesting and quite worth reflecting on.
I do believe that this feeling is not connected merely to the knowledge that we’re saving money, or that we’re being good stewards of the environment, or even that the end product can be tangibly traced to the work of our own two hands. The good feeling we undergo includes all these things -- but seemingly more. It’s hard to put a handle on why it is that we should experience such a deep and unique feeling when we take a used item of little value and recycle it into something genuinely useful and appealing.
Indeed, the Bible from beginning to end records God “recycling” people. That is, he takes people of
“A person who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges is not Christian. This is not in the Gospel.” Pope Francis In the final analysis, the man who could be anointed next pope will depend on what Pope Francis wants for the future of the Catholic Church and who he believes will carry out his vision for a universal church. One thing is for sure; his pick will make history as the first pope from a particular geography, if the trend continues: Pope John Paul II (first from Poland), Benedict XVI (Germany), and Francis (South America, Argentina). Will it be the first Asian pope or American? There is an old wisdom that an American will never be pope for a host of reasons that can be categorized as cowboy politics, Wall Street, and Hollywood. In November, Americans will elect the 47th president of the Union and the choice is between the “lesser of two evils,” according to Pope Francis.
The pope, who was asked while on the way back from his Southeast
little instrumental value and does great, lasting things through them. But there’s at least one big difference between us and objects.
When we recycle objects like buttons and cereal boxes, there is still the recognition that their original design was for something else. Interestingly, when God recycles people by changing their hearts and, at times, their situations, it is the final product which is the true design God has for us.
So maybe part of the feeling we have when we refurbish and recycle is that we ourselves are finding out something new about God’s original design for us. We’re finding out something extra about God’s original hope for how we would use
at St. Charles Catholic Church here in the South Bay.
Filipino Potpourri
the creativity he has given us to help bring redemption and transformation to the world around us.
And all of the above previous declarations and statements bring me to my contention that on how the good we see in others should help us to see the good in ourselves! Now, take a moment and think about someone you admire more than anyone else in your life: What is about this man or woman that makes you look up to him or her? Courage? Intelligence? Modesty? Tenacity? Charisma? Love? Spirituality? Talent in a particular field? Really try to hone in on the one or two qualities of the person you admire.
Now hear this: Those qualities are in you, seeking to come out, and that’s why you’re able to see them so clearly in another person. Just as with the example of a person who felt great hostility but wouldn’t acknowledge it and so saw it in those outside, so too the positive qualities you’re not acknowledging within yourself are appearing in those around you.
If you’ve ever been a teacher, if you have ever led a group, if you’ve ever spoken to an audience, you have felt these projections. As soon as you step in front of the class/ group/audience you are looked at differently. People begin to project onto you and you can feel it. This can have a lot of positive aspects: people are more open to someone they have a positive projection on. Your words take on more weight; your actions are invested with more significance; you have greater capacity to impact people. This is leadership in its positive light: you are able to influence people, ideally guide them in a way for their own good. Uniforms of all kinds inspire this kind of projection: a police officer’s uniform should inspire a projection of trust and security, a doctor or nurse’s white uniform a projection of medical know-how and competence, a priest or other clergy’s vestments a projection of spiritual authority and guidance.
The downside to positive projections, like negative projections is when we don’t take responsibility for when they come from within us. We need to take ownership of the positive qualities within us, believe in them, and bring them to the surface. If we leave them unconscious, we will always look to others for guidance in all matters of our life when ultimately, we should be using other people’s positive
qualities as a means to access our own inner resources. There is an interesting and subtle process to positive projections and good to be aware of. Teachers and role models are important for showing us what is possible. We need them as something to aspire toward or emulate. But if we stay only in the realm of positive projections – “I’ll never be as……as you” then we miss the opportunity to become our own unique version of that quality. It’s very important that each and every one of us take seriously our own abilities and use positive projections as a way to surface them.
The greatest of the Scholastic philosophers, St. Thomas Aquinas once stated that to withhold a compliment from someone is a sin because we are withholding “food” that this person needs to live. That’s a challenging statement, but the dare is more than that of providing food for others to live on. Admiring others also provides us with the “food” we ourselves need.
I reckon that’s one of the reasons why we especially nowadays live with so much dissatisfaction, anger, bitterness, and depression is precisely because we no longer know how to admire. It’s hard to be happy and to feel good about ourselves when we don’t feel very good about anything or anyone around us. Without admiration we can never be happy – nor can we see straight, irrespective of how sophisticated, educated, scientifically-trained, aesthetically fined-tuned, we are.
That’s why whatever I do in life, I am sure to admire others who do it as well or better than me. And there is no doubt about it that when you admire certain qualities in another person, it often reflects your own values, desires or aspirations, essentially revealing something about your own personality, and what you consider important in life. In my college psychology class – if I remember it right – this concept is known as “projection.”
For as long as I can remember, all I wanted was to emulate her. My late-lamented mother’s grace, composure and empathy were all qualities I eagerly studied. And so now, whenever someone brings up a decent trait of mine, I’m always quick to remind them that I have likely copied these from her. Outside of a very select circle of
The Man who could be Pope, Part 6
‘tougher” on border security, is proimmigration and has a bleeding heart for the poor.
Asian tour, could have easily ignored the question posed by a news reporter about the upcoming U.S. election, but he decided to add a little spice to an already overheated, albeit messy, contest. The fact that he waded in and added his voice to an already messy campaign tells me that the pope is highly invested in the outcome. The pope clearly recognizes the dilemma many American Catholics face in this election, and he was telegraphing his punches with who to pick – Kamala Harris. Pope Francis has declared the year 2025 as a jubilee year themed “Pilgrims of Hope” - a year of hope for a world suffering from wars and conflicts, diseases, and climate change.
President Harris will be a better partner than Donald Trump to address these issues. One of the hot topics today is immigration from the southern border. Trump demonizes immigrants and looks at this as a security issue and is threatening to implement mass deportation of immigrants if elected. He inflicts fear. Harris, while trying to appear
On abortion, Trump markets himself as pro-women but was proud having appointed the justices who overturned Roe vs. Wade. Harris supports abortion and frames it as healthcare and a right for women. Pope Francis agrees to the “sacredness of the unborn, BUT, he averred that just as sacred are the lives of the poor, the elderly, those needing healthcare, victims of human trafficking, and new forms of slavery.”
In this context, that an American pope will ignore and overcome the negative stereotypes of Americans and will endeavor to help arrest declining Catholicism in North America. Yes, making inroads in China and giving prominence to the impressive Catholic conversion stats in Asia and Africa is important; yet the fact is, he cannot ignore the declining trend for Catholicism in America and the unprecedented opportunity of an American being God’s next representative here on earth.
According to Pew Research, 20% of the U.S. population are Catholics which is roughly 74 million – that’s more than most countries in the world except for Brazil, Mexico, and the Philippines with the first two being south of the border. This is 4% less than when
it was 2007. Four percent sounds small but when you put numbers to it, it means that roughly 3 million have left the Catholic Church. That is a lot of ground to recover, but with immigration from Central and South America, the possibilities are real.
Most U.S. Catholics are White (57%), Hispanic (33%), Asian (4%), and other races for the rest. A more troubling statistic from the Pew data is that the White majority are ages 50 and older, while Hispanic Catholics tend to be a lot younger. This is one reason why some wellknown dioceses and archdiocese have filed for bankruptcy. Catholic Church sex abuse cases in the United States have drained the church’s coffers and older White Catholic immigrants from Europe that were a reliable source of support are dying. Pope Francis is clear-eyed about the ramifications of such demographics which leads me to believe that the pope is banking on young people for the future of the Catholic Church in the United States. The pope is aware of the imbalance between the younger Catholics and older Catholics. According to a 2023 Washington Post article, Catholics over 55 are the primary funders of Catholic congregations, and that even those with fixed incomes give more. But he’s got more important things in mind.
One negative stereotype for Americans is their propensity to engage in wars and conflicts overseas. The fear from a policy standpoint is that an American pope will get dragged into the quagmires of wars and conflicts because of such cowboy foreign policy. The other side of such a stereotype, however, is the positive role the United States takes in maintaining a world order grounded on peace and rule of law.
Hope springs eternal and the pope might just see the next four years under the first female and Black president as a Renaissance period for Catholicism in North America, a year to reestablish a proper relationship with God and experience Amoris Laetitia (The Joy of Love). Imagine combining the power of the papacy and the power of the presidency makes an awesome, if not far-ranging, power that could reshape the next world order.
Which begs the question as to who could be the first American pope? There are so many good candidates and there is even one who could pull a big upset. The leading contenders from North America based on the results of 2013 conclave are third and fourth placer, respectively, Cardinals Marc Ouellet (Canada) and Sean O’Malley – the first American to score highly in any papal election.
Cardinal O’Malley, however, is over 80 years old and ineligible to participate in the conclave.
Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan of New York would have been a great candidate too but like O’Malley, he is too old to be eligible. Which brings us to Joseph Cardinal Tobin, Archbishop of Newark, Pope Benedict’s appointee as a member of the Roman Curia as Secretary of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life (CICLSA). Pope Francis created him Cardinal in 2016 and Archbishop of Newark. Furthermore, the Holy Father appointed him as a member of the Joint International Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church, Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, Synod of Bishops, Congregation for Catholic Education, Pontifical Council for Culture, Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, Council for the Economy, and Congregation for Bishops.
Cardinal Tobin speaks English, Spanish, Italian, French and Portuguese, and reads several other languages. He has participated in many Synods of Bishops and has been a member of the Canon Law Society of America since 1985, according to Wikipedia. (To be continued)
See JESSE REYES on 9
ANOTHER TIME, ANOTHER PLACE: Posing for posterity, Gerry's wife Julita pinned the Navy Chief's insignia on Gerry while he was serving as a Company Commander at the Naval Training Center (NTC) San Diego.
CHURCH CONTRIBUTOR: Gerry donates the proceeds from his sale of recyclables to St. Charles Catholic Church for the parish building fund.
LITURGICAL MINISTRY: Gerry (4th from the left) serves the community and fulfills his baptismal call as a "sacristan"
Spiritual Life
A triumph of faith over fear
When I was planning my trip to the Philippines, I jotted down several reasons to justify my expenses. Making a trip to your homeland is not only physically tiring, it is financially draining, given the high cost of travel these days and the “pasalubongs” you have to buy for loved ones and friends. Now that I’m back after five weeks visit to various places – Metropolitan Manila, Tagaytay City, Pangasinan, Cagayan de Oro and Bukidnon, I realized that no amount of money can pay for all the enjoyable and heartwarming experiences that I had, as I attended the Global Summit of Filipinos in the Diaspora held at the Philippine International Convention Center; as I renewed old ties with former co-workers, friends and relatives; as I established new and warm friendships with achievers and professionals, and as I bonded with my son and his family.
I’ve not visited the Philippines for almost 8 years and the changes I saw especially in my hometown, San Carlos City, Pangasinan was mind-boggling . My heart went through a gamut of emotions as I visited familiar landmarks. The home where I was raised was no longer there. The schools that I attended during my elementary school years were relocated to give way to a large shopping mall. Another place that filled me with nostalgia was the well-kept and clean Soriano Mausoleum where my mother was laid to rest. With all Saints Day just around the corner, I can imagine my brothers, nephews and nieces coming all the way from
Man is like a breath; his days are like a fleeting shadow. (Psalm 144:4)
Every time I fly over a large body of water, I imagine opening the window of the jet and pouring out my coffee into the immense body of water below. I imagine the time that I spend on this earth compared to eternity is no more than that cup of coffee. The incredible size of the ocean compared to one small cup of coffee is what our life is like compared to eternity. Why then do we invest so much in temporal pursuits when we know that our investment here can have so much impact on our eternity? It is the great paradox of human behavior, especially for Christians. Does your business life have an overall ministry objective to it?
This does not mean we must be constantly involved in "Christian activity." It only means that we should be about what God has called us to do with the motive of being obedient to this mission. Do not let the worries and cares of this life keep you from having an eternal impact on the lives of those you meet each day. Satan has a way of keeping our focus on the problems of today rather than the spiritual opportunities before us. He is master of the urgent, not the important.
Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. (1 Corinthians 15:58)
Luke 24:13-35 New International Version (NIV) On the Road to Emmaus
Now that same day two of
Aurora S. Cudal-Rivera
My Personal Testimony
Manila to celebrate the lives of their forbears with delectable food and pop music, a practice that prevails during the eve of All Saints’ Day. .
My travel to Malaybalay City was a sentimental one. My husband’s older brother passed away recently. Hence, I took time to pay my respects to his wife and children. I hugged a disabled sister in law with tears in my eyes because stroke took its toll on her frail body. She was paralyzed and could not speak, but she hugged me so tightly to let me know that she recognizes me. The bitter –sweet encounters were supplanted by the pleasant welcome lunch given by my second and third generation in-laws, most of whom are now professionals and with families of their own. A nephew shared the help we have extended to him while he was pursuing his journalism internship in Manila and how we have touched his life. Figuratively speaking, he made me feel that I found the bread that I’ve cast upon the waters long time ago. I’m happy to know that the little favors we did for our nephews and nieces
when they were growing up made a big difference in their lives.
But the most memorable experience that I had during the whole trip was riding the Zipline at the Dahilayan Forest Park in Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon. It was an awesome experience which demonstrates the triumph of faith over fear. There I was being prodded by my grandchildren to try zipping through the air with harness and chords to hold on to as you go through the cable lines. Many negative thoughts entered my mind, but I asked myself, if I will not do this now, I may never have the chance to come to this place and ride the zipline. So with faith in my heart, I decided to do the whole package. I put on the harness and followed the instructions. I said a prayer of thanksgiving for the exhilarating experience and the joy of seeing God’s creation – the forests and the landscaped rolling hills in a different angle. It dawned on me that fear is only in your mind. Let go of fear and have faith in God and He will carry you through. Thank you Lord for the experience.
Flow
them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles[a] from Jerusalem. They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; but they were kept from recognizing him.
He asked them, "What are you discussing together as you walk along?"
They stood still, their faces downcast. One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, "Are you the only one visiting Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?"
"What things?" he asked.
"About Jesus of Nazareth," they replied. "He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning but didn't find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women
had said, but they did not see Jesus."
He said to them, "How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?"
And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.
As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus continued on as if he were going farther. But they urged him strongly, "Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over." So he went in to stay with them.
When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. They asked each other, "Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?"
They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together and saying, "It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon." Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread.
Greetings in the Lord!
Last Sunday our reflections on the readings during the Eucharistic celebration were centered on the fact that the message of salvation that Jesus preached throughout his mission has a universal dimension. This means that everybody is called to holiness as well as the ministry is open to all men and women who are willing to actively involve themselves in participating in his mission of bringing the message of salvation to all. What a wonderful realization to know that even those who are not ordained to the ministerial priesthood has both the right and duty to share in the ministry of Jesus himself.
Today’s readings give particular focus on this reality, the participation of the lay faithful in the ministry of Jesus especially by the married people. Summarizing the doctrine spelled out by the documents of the Second Vatican Council and defined with precision in the 1987 Code of Canon Law has a canon that points to this reality with significant precision and which I quote canon 225 paragraph 2 which says that the laity have, “according to the condition of each, the special obligation to permeate and perfect the temporal order of things with the spirit of the Gospel.”
Today’s first reading and gospel reading gives special emphasis on one of the essential characteristics of the Sacrament of Marriage. There are three essential characteristics of
marriage in the Catholic Church, namely: unity, indissolubility and fecundity. I wish to speak about these three sometime, but allow me to focus on the second essential characteristic which is the focus of our reading today, that is indissolubility. The Gospel from St. Mark even quotes the first reading saying “God has made them male and female. For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.”
My dear brothers and sisters, let us pray that our married couples would be true sacraments of this love of God for man, that they be real instruments of bringing the gospel values back into the world that really needs it so urgently. The Church’s teaching on the indissolubility of marriage flows from that Jesus. God’s plan is that marriage be graced and life-giving, a community of love and life that is forever and ever. Let us invoke the intercession of St. Francis of Assisi, whose feast we celebrated two days ago, so each and every married couple and the young who are contemplating to enter into this wonderful vocation, may open their hearts and minds to see the beauty and splendor of married life that this lasting and faithful.
Christian marriage has always been considered a way by which lay people could be sacraments of the covenant relationship between God and man himself initially sealed in the Old Testament and finally perfected by Jesus dying on the cross which keeps God always faithful of his love for man for all eternity. This is His promise and he keeps his promise of fidelity, demanding the same faithful response forever from man himself to be faithful to God forever. In a world that no longer believes in keeping promises and the significance of the lasting characteristic of covenant relationships, the Christian marriage of a man and a woman is one living way of bringing into the world what our Church considers as a way to “permeate and perfect the temporal order of things with the spirit of the Gospel.” Christian spouses have a true and urgent responsibility of bringing into the world the value of the permanence of the marriage vows, that their marriage bond is indissoluble and lasting just as God’s covenant with man is forever and eternal.
THE MEANING OF THE CROSS
One of the most consequential commands of our Lord Jesus is when He said “If anyone desires to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his Cross, and follow me.” Matthew 26:24. It is short and very explicit. Our Lord does not give any conditions. The command is direct and unconditional. How we are going to respond to this command will determine whether or not we are worthy to be considered His disciples.
Perhaps the most iconic figure in the Christian world at least un the Catholic church is that of Jesus hanging on the Cross. You will find it in every altar especially where a mass is being offered. Our Lord is our model on how to Love and it is Jesus hanging on the cross which is telling the whole world how it is to Love. It is an image whose message is not easy to discern.
To begin with, we can not separate Love from Suffering simply because to Love is to undergo through Suffering. Suffering comes in every form and we know it is inevitable in life. The Cross that our Lord is referring to is the Suffering we go through each and every day of our life. The Truth that not everyone can grasp is this: that to live life to the
fullest is for us to willingly embrace our Suffering with Love. Our Lord showed us this when He willingly embraced His Suffering and Death on the Cross and offered it to God to redeem us from our sinfulness.
He who is sinless died bearing all the sins of mankind. Everything could have meaningless if the story ended with His death. But No! He rose again from the dead! With His resurrection, He claimed victory over Sin and Death. It is a victory which He would like to share to everyone who believes in Him.
When we love, we simulate the suffering, sacrifice, death and resurrection of our Lord. Life is not about us. To love is to focus on God and our fellowmen. Loving is willing the Good of our fellowmen. When we decide to love, inevitably we suffer because we need to deny ourselves. We deny ourselves of our Treasure, our Time and our Talent. Our God given blessings of Wealth, precious Time and Talent need to be shared with others. We also suffer when we bear the insults of others, when we are persecuted in the pursuit of social justice, when we learn to forgive the wrongdoings of others and when we strive to help bring Peace in our wounded and broken
world. When we embrace our suffering with Love, our suffering becomes a sacrifice which we too can offer to God just like what Jesus did when he died on the Cross. What happens if we unite our suffering with the suffering of our Lord on the Cross is that we too, can share in the Glory of His resurrection. When we Love, the Sin in us dies and we experience Spiritual rebirth. From Death to our Sins, we resurrect to a Life of Grace. Christianity is a a way of Life. It is embracing our Suffering with Love and following Jesus.
Fr. Agustin T. Opalalic
Ni Salvador S. Idos
Salvador S. Idos
Danny Hernaez From Whom All Blessings
JESSE REYES
Continued from page 5
“my own”, i.e. my mom - the gaze of admiration at this moment in time falls to my good friend and fellow U.S. military veteran/Navy shipmate – Gerardo “Gerry” Silva. In his volunteer liturgical ministry, Gerry is a “sacristan” at St. Charles Catholic Church here in the South Bay of San Diego. He helps in preparing the altar, sanctuary and church area for the Sacred Liturgy, and put items away after mass. He also coordinates with other liturgical volunteers before the liturgy to ensure that all roles are filled.
As we all in the neighborhood parish church fondly calls him –Gerry - if I must say in all honesty – can be defined this way: A very mature man – a principle of order rather than disorder – someone who helps carry the burdens and tensions of others rather than dumps his own discords on them – someone who helps feed others rather than feeds off of them – and genuinely someone who admires others as opposed to demanding that others admire him.
With his awesome willingness to care for others – in this case Mother Earth – and in essence a “Waste Warrior”, so to speak - Gerry Silva is a huge recycling fan – someone who definitely embraces the Pope’s zero waste advocacy.
He had recycled plastic beer cups, thousands of cans, aluminum food trays, bottles, plastic plates and “to-go” containers.
Sometimes it will be dirty and burdensome – not fun at all, if I must
confess myself – but Gerry does it enthusiastically as the right thing to do.
Last week, I helped him bring bags of empty plastic water bottles, soda cans and other recycled containers to the recycling center… the entire proceeds from the sale of which he handed over to our beloved church here in the South Bay…for the church’s building funds, if I am correct - and from the bottom of my heart, I certainly felt great about it, too.
I wrote this particular edition of my column “Filipino Potpourri” as it gave me joy because I also want to contribute on Gerry’s ministry –and most of all, it nudges us all –other church parishioners included –to think outside the pew and outside their annual mission projects and responsibilities - just as my good friend does.
The first book of the Bible –Genesis – says “God created the heavens and the earth … and it was GOOD!”
To my thinking – Gerry sincerely believes that there is no legitimate excuse for failing to keep it that way.
Way to go, brother!
“Amen” to that, if I may add, too.
One of the defining traits of human maturity is the capacity to admire. If that is true, and it is, then our proclivity for criticism speaks of a lot more things than simply our enlightenment.
Leading theologian and writer on mystical theology Hugh of St. Victor had an axiom which said: “Love is the eye!” Only when we see through the prism of love do we see correctly. Admiration is part of that. When
we don’t admire, we aren’t seeing straight, pure and simple. When we are forever seeing what’s wrong in others that speaks volumes about our own interior state. Partly we see what’s out there, partly though what we think we see is largely colored by our own disposition. Thus, a habitually negative eye says as much about the beholder as it does the beholden. Whenever our world feels gray, whenever we feel bitter and shortchanged, and whenever we feel frustrated with everything and everyone, we need to ask ourselves: “When was the last time I really admired someone?” “When was the last time I told someone that he or she had done something really well?” “When was the last time I looked at anything or anyone with the gaze of admiration?”
When we admire, we get to feel good because, when we act like God, we get to feel like God. God is never gray, depressed, and cynical, and God’s first gaze at us, as both Scripture and the mystics assure us, is not one of critical disapproval but one of admiration.
As English anchoress of the Middle Ages Julian of Norwich (also known as Juliana of Norwich, Lady Julian, Dame Julian or Mother Julian) puts it, God sits in heaven, completely relaxed, smiling, his face feeling like a marvelous symphony… hardly the description of how we –in all honesty – normally look at the world most of the times…and not as my good friend Gerry does…and that’s why I admire him the most! May his tribe increase! Mabuhay!!
National Emergency Declared for Tijuana River Valley
SAN DIEGO, CA -- Recently, the San Diego City Council unanimously approved Councilmember Vivian Moreno’s resolution to call on the federal government to declare a national emergency and fully fund the Environmental Protection Agency’s Comprehensive Infrastructure Solution and Minute No. 328 to address the sewage contamination that is entering the Tijuana River Valley.
Councilmember Vivian Moreno said, “As a resident and mother in the South Bay, I have experienced the daily torments caused by the Tijuana River Valley crisis,” says Councilmember Moreno. “The reality is that we have needed help since 1993, we need to see actions from our federal representatives to solve this crisis. There is an identified infrastructure solution, but the federal government has yet to fully fund it.”
Mayor Todd Gloria stated, “The residents and businesses in the South Bay who are suffering from the impacts of the cross-border sewage crisis are right to expect action, and a federal declaration of emergency would unlock resources to properly address this issue. Leaders from across our region are all united; we’re doing what’s within our authority to address this environmental disaster and demanding the same of the federal government. We won’t stop until it’s fixed.”
Mayor of Imperial Beach Paloma Aguirre commented, “I am thankful to Councilmember Moreno for this resolution. We have the science, we have the data, and we have the support of Congress and the California State Legislature— all 120 members calling for a state of emergency. The evidence is there. The impact is undeniable,” says Imperial Beach Mayor Paloma Aguirre. “It’s time for the federal government and the state to take action. President Biden, Governor Newsom, we’re calling on you to declare a state of emergency and to fully fund the infrastructure needed
to solve this crisis. The people of South County deserve clean air and clean water.”
State Assemblymember David Alvarez stated, “The sewage, solid waste and sediment in the Tijuana River is an environmental and public health disaster,” said Assemblymember Alvarez. “I commend Councilmember Moreno for elevating this issue and support the call for an emergency declaration at both the state and federal level.”
County Chairwoman Nora Vargas said, “As Chairwoman of the Board of Supervisors and a board member of both the California Air Resources Board (CARB) and the Air Pollution Control District (APCD), I See EMERGENCY on 11
Dr. Leighangela Brady Selected as Kiwanian of the Year
NATIONAL CITY, CA -- The Kiwanis Club of Sweetwater proudly announced Dr. Leighangela Brady, Superintendent of the National School District, as the Kiwanian of the Year during their annual officer installation ceremony on Saturday, September 28, 2024.
Dr. Brady was recognized for her leadership and commitment to supporting the children and families of National City.
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