010324 - Southern California Midweek Edition

JANUARY 3-5, 2024 Volume 34 - No. 1 • 12 Pages

Marcos vows to ‘build better, more’ in 2024 DATELINE USA FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA

LA County reinstates mask mandate at health care facilities LOS ANGELES – Los Angeles County has reinstated a mask-wearing requirement for staff and visitors at all licensed health care facilities in light of an upswing in coronavirus metrics, officials said Saturday, December 30.

The county recently entered the “medium” level of COVID-19 hospital admissions, as defined by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The threshold for the CDC’s medium level is between 10 and 19.9 new COVID hospital admissions per 100,000 population over seven days. The CDC reported 10.5 new COVID hospital admissions per 100,000 people in Los Angeles County for the week ending Dec. 23.

“Based on the Los Angeles County Health Officer Order posted on December 27, 2023, when the COVID-19 hospital admission level in Los Angeles County meets or exceeds the CDC’s Medium Level, all healthcare personnel, regardless of COVID-19 and  PAGE 2

States expand health coverage for immigrants as GOP hits Biden over border crossings A GROWING number of states are opening taxpayer-funded health insurance programs to immigrants, including those living in the U.S. without authorization, even as Republicans assail President Joe Biden over a dramatic increase in illegal crossings of the southern border.

Eleven states and Washington, D.C., together provide full health insurance coverage to more than 1 million lowincome immigrants regardless of their legal status, according to state data compiled by KFF Health News. Most aren’t authorized to live in the U.S., state officials say.

Enrollment in these programs could nearly double by 2025 as at least seven states initiate or expand coverage. In January, Republican-controlled Utah will start covering children regardless of immigration status, while New York and California will widen eligibility to cover more adults.

“These are kids, and we have a heart,”  PAGE 3

by CATHERINE S. VALENTE ManilaTimes.net

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. vowed that the government will "build better and more" this year.

In a pre-recorded New Year's message, the president said that he looks back on 2023 "pleased" with the administration's accomplishments.

"Your government's New Year's resolution is to fully work towards giving efficient and devoted service, which will be the key to improving life for us all," Marcos said. "We look forward to the new

year with a pledge to build better and more. We have set high hopes for the days ahead, and we know that these can only be achieved with hard work."

The president also promised to keep the nation united in the face of new challenges.

"No doubt the coming year will bring its fair share of new challenges. But these we have weathered before, like the great tribulations our forefathers defeated, and as a proud inheritors of this indefatigable spirit, we, too, shall overcome," he said.

He reported that in 2023, his administration built 33 specialty centers, over 2,000 classrooms, and seven additional co-chain facilities.

The government also facilitated investments in renewable energy with a total potential capacity of around 121,000 megawatts and completed eight water supply projects, Marcos said.

"We also completed eight water supply projects, with 147 additional water projects being implemented in preparation for next year," Marcos said, referring to the threat of El Niño.  PAGE 2

No Filipino hurt in magnitude 7.5 quake in Japan - envoy

by BERNADETTE E. TAMAYO ManilaTimes.net

NEW YEAR BABY. Medical personnel raises the baby boy of Ronalyn Concepcion, 23, who gave birth at 12:00:05 a.m. on Monday, January 1 at the Dr. Jose Fabella Memorial Hospital in Sta. Cruz Manila amid the cheer and applause of other medical staff who assisted in the delivery. Concepcion and her partner, Michael Dizon, 22, named their first child Jhaiden Railey PNA photo by Avito Dalan

MANILA - No Filipinos were hurt during the 7.5 magnitude earthquake that hit the Ishikawa Prefecture in Japan on New Year's Day although some of them sought shelter in evacuation shelters, Philippine Ambassador to Tokyo Mylene Garcia-Albano said.

Garcia-Albano on Tuesday, January 2 gave an update on the situation of Filipinos in Ishikawa during a Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon television interview.

"We have not received any report of Filipinnos there who have been harmed because of the earthquake that occured yesterday (Monday) afternoon," Albano said in Filipino and English.

She said there are about 1,300 Filipinos in Ishikawa Prefecture, which is in the western part of Japan and near the sea, which prompted officials to issue a tsunami warning.

"There were about 35 of them who [were] transferred to the city hall because of the evacuation  PAGE 2

DOT sets 7.7 million target international arrivals for 2024 MANILA — After surpassing its conservative target of international visitors in 2023, the Department of Tourism is increasing its target number of international arrivals to 7.7 million in 2024 — the highest target it has set since the COVID-19 pandemic paused global tourism.

In a release, Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco said that the country is aiming to reach at least 7.7 million international visitors in 2024, which is just half a million Concluding her presentation of the Department of Tourism’s (DOT) Accomplishments on December 12, 2023, Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco lower than the country’s preshared the baseline target of 7.7 million international visitor arrivals next pandemic arrivals of 8.2 million Filipino boxing legend Manny Pacquiao during his appearance in the Rizin 45 event in Saitama, year.

DOT photo  PAGE 2 Japan.

Inquirer.net photo

More countries eye joint patrols with Philippines Pacquiao ‘ready’ to fight

by GHIO ONG Philstar.com

MANILA — The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) is firm on its stand in asserting Philippine sovereignty in the West Philippine Sea over China, as the former engages with more countries for further capacitybuilding.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter) last Thursday, December 28 by Global Times, “China’s national English language newspaper, under the People’s Daily,” Chinese Filipino fishermen fetch MV Kapitan Felix Oca at a designated rendezvous point in the Defense Ministry spokesman West Philippine Sea on December 11, 2023.

Philstar.com photo by Michael Varcas Wu Qian reacted to a “French

plan to hold joint patrols with the Philippines in the South China Sea and a joint drill between the Philippines and India in the region.”

“The China-Philippines maritime dispute is an issue between the two countries, and no third party has any right to interfere,” Wu said.

In response, PCG Commodore Jay Tarriela defended the Philippines’ plans to involve other countries in military capacity-building.

“By engaging in military collaborations with other countries that support the rules PAGE 4

ISLAND PACIFIC

Mayweather again in 2024

by LANCE AGCAOILI Inquirer.net

MANILA — Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao seeks to face rival Floyd Mayweather Jr. in a rematch in 2024.

The former eight-division world champion on New Year’s Eve announced during the Rizin 45 mixed martial arts event in Saitama that he will have a “big fight” in Japan this year.

Rizin chief executive Nobuyuki Sakakibara revealed that Pacquiao will be facing Mayweather nine

years after last facing each other in what was dubbed the “Fight of the Century.”

Sakakibara asked the Filipino boxer if he could fight Mayweather this year and the latter answered: “I’m ready.”

“Thank you so much for inviting me here again. I’m sorry for the last time that we promised that we were going to fight this year, but like Sakakibara-san explained,” said Pacquiao, who had promised to have an exhibition match against a  PAGE 2

2 JANUARY 3-5, 2024 • SoCal ASIAN JOURNAL

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From the Front Page

DOT sets 7.7 million target international...

PAGE 1

in 2019.

In 2023, the Philippines recorded a total of 5.45 million international visitors, higher than the projected 4.8 million it set for the year.

South Korea remained the country’s main source of international visitors, making up 26% or over one out of four foreign arrivals. This is followed by the United States (17%), Japan (6%) and Australia (5%).

Other foreigners who visited

the country from other top source markets after China were from Canada, Taiwan, the United Kingdom, Singapore and Malaysia.

Lockdowns due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 had put a brake in the tourism industry worldwide, and it was only in 2022 that the tourism department in the Philippines resumed setting their target number of foreign arrivals for the year.

According to the DOT, the Philippines has recovered 66% of

its record number of international arrivals in 2019.

The local tourism industry is also "recovering faster than expected," according to the DOT, which noted that international tourism receipts have "surged" at an estimated P482 billion in 2023. This is 124% higher than the previous year.

Frasco previously said that the Philippines may once again breach the 8 million mark in terms of the number of tourists by 2025. (Cristina Chi/Philstar.com)

PAGE 1 Japanese fighter during his 2022 New Year’s Eve appearance but it didn’t push through.

But the 45-year-old retired professional boxer promised something bigger to the Japanese crowd. “[This] year I hope to see you here in Japan again with a big fight against …” said Pacquiao before Sakakibara quipped: “Floyd Mayweather.”

“Floyd Mayweather, yeah. I thought you didn’t want me to say that. But I’m excited for that.

Thank you for always supporting Rizin, and thank you Sakakibara-

san,” he added.

Both Pacquiao and Rizin didn’t disclose the full details of their possible rematch as Mayweather’s camp has yet to respond to the announcement as of posting time.

The Pacquiao-Mayweather’s bout was held in May 2015, which broke the pay-per-view records.

Mayweather beat Pacquiao by unanimous decision and unified the World Boxing Association, World Boxing Council, and World Boxing Organization welterweight championships.

The American boxer hung his

glove unbeaten in 50 bouts in 2017, while Pacquiao retired three years ago when he decided to run as president in the May 9, 2022 elections but he lost.

Pacquiao last fought against South Korean YouTuber DK Yoo in his first exhibition match by unanimous decision in six rounds last December 2022.

The former senator has another exhibition set in April against Thai Buakaw Banchamek.

Mayweather already saw action in 10 exhibition matches but his last in June against John Gotti III ended up with an inring brawl. g

PAGE 1 influenza vaccination status, in licensed health care facilities that provide inpatient care are required to mask while in contact with patients or working in patient-care areas,” the department’s statement said.

“In addition, all persons visiting a licensed health care facility that provides inpatient care are required to mask when around patients and while in patientcare areas. This will remain in effect until the COVID-19 hospital admission level in Los Angeles County is below the CDC’s Medium Level for at least 14 consecutive days.”

There were 609 COVIDpositive patients in LA County hospitals as of Dec. 23, according to state data. That’s up from 259 on Nov. 1, but lower than at this time last year, when the number was over 1,200. Some of those patients were admitted for other reasons and discovered they had

COVID after being tested at the hospitals.

Since last week, the reported daily average of COVID-19 cases in the county has increased by more than 25%, from 495 to 621, according to the health department. Officials said the number represents an undercount due to the large number of home test results for COVID-19 that are not reported.

The department also reported a daily average of five COVIDrelated deaths, an increase from two earlier this month on Dec. 6.

Health officials have said that the great majority of people who die with COVID-19 have pre-existing conditions such as diabetes, heart disease or hypertension.

A week ago, the health department said it was possible that at least part of the local increase in transmission is driven by new COVID-19 strains gaining dominance in Los Angeles

County, including JN.1, a newly emerging strain descended from BA.2.86, an Omicron lineage.

JN.1 does not, however, appear to be resulting in more severe cases of COVID-19, officials said.

To protect against COVID-19 and other respiratory viruses circulating this holiday season, health experts recommended the following common-sense precautions: Wash hands often or use hand sanitizer, especially before eating, after sneezing or coughing, or when in public places.

Consider wearing a well-fitted, high-quality mask in crowded indoor spaces, travel hubs or poorly ventilated spaces.

Stay home if you have any symptoms of illness, including coughing, sneezing, a fever or sore throat, and consider talking with friends and family so they know to be cautious about gathering if they show signs of infection. (Inquirer.net)

Pacquiao ‘ready’ to fight Mayweather...

LA County reinstates mask mandate at...

AFTERMATH. Smoke from fireworks blankets the Rizal Park in the City of Manila early Monday, Jan. 1 on the aftermath of New Year’s celebrations. The Department of Health (DOH) urged the public to wear face mask as smoke from fireworks could pose health risks.

PNA photo by Avito Dalan

Marcos vows to ‘build better..

PAGE 1 He cited government assistance programs, including college scholarships and livelihood grants, as well as welfare programs that are meant to help people "graduate" from poverty.

The president said these programs serve as government support for Filipino skilled and talented workers that will serve as ladders to fulfilling their dreams.

"This is the reason why we continue to give support to

our farmers, from seedlings to fertilizers to fuel, because their sweat alone should not nurture the crops they grow in feeding the nation," Marcos said.

"We will continue to purge the government of rules that slow the delivery of public services because when projects get delayed, progress is denied our people," Marcos said.

"And this commitment to efficiency and service will extend to documents and licenses, because service delayed is also service denied," he added.

Meanwhile, the president reminded Filipinos "that great things are always possible so long as we keep the faith in each other, in our nation, and in God." "I am one with those of you who are fervently praying that the coming days will be filled with hope brought by prosperity for all," Marcos said.

"And as long as values that bind us keep us united in our collective pursuit of shared progress, we will succeed.

Mabuhay ang Bagong Pilipinas," he added. g

in central Japan.

The Philippine Consulate General (PCG) in Osaka and Nagoya also reported that no Filipinos were hurt during the strong earthquake.

Garcia-Albano said the embassy and the PCGs are "in constant touch" with Filipino community leaders in different parts of Japan "throughout the year to prepare ourselves for this kind of event" and they "in turn inform us of their situation."

"Our Assistance to Nationals

Unit and our Migrants Workers Office are active in monitoring the condition of our countrymen," she said.

Asked what advice she can give to Filipinos in Japan, GarciaAlbano said, "We are here to help. Please visit our website in case you need something."

"Our [telephone] hotline is there. Please reach out to us if we can provide help. We will try to respond as quickly as we can. We are also following Japan government sources [for any updates]," she said. g

No Filipino hurt in magnitude 7.5 quake...

PAGE 1

alert that was given out last night," Garcia-Albano said.

The embassy received reports that some Filipinos have transferred to temporary shelters. However, she said that due to damaged roads and bridges other Filipinos have opted to stay in their homes rather than transfer to evacuation centers.

The ambassador said the earthquake was also felt in Tokyo "but it is quite a distance" from Ishikawa because Tokyo is

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Cancer patients face frightening delays in treatment approvals

by Lauren SauSSer KFF Health News

MARINE Corps veteran Ron Winters clearly recalls his doctor’s sobering assessment of his bladder cancer diagnosis in August 2022.

“This is bad,” the 66-yearold Durant, Oklahoma, resident remembered his urologist saying. Winters braced for the fight of his life.

Little did he anticipate, however, that he wouldn’t be waging war only against cancer.

He also was up against the Department of Veterans Affairs, which Winters blames for dragging its feet and setting up obstacles that have delayed his treatments.

Winters didn’t undergo cancer treatment at a VA facility.

Instead, he sought care from a specialist through the Veterans Health Administration’s Community Care Program, established in 2018 to enhance veterans’ choices and reduce their wait times. But he said the prior authorization process was a prolonged nightmare.

“For them to take weeks — up to months — to provide an authorization is ridiculous,” Winters said. “It doesn’t matter if it’s cancer or not.”

After his initial diagnosis, Winters said, he waited four weeks for the VA to approve the procedure that allowed his urologic oncologist at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas to remove some of the cancer. Then, when he finished chemotherapy in March, he was forced to wait another month while the VA considered approving surgery to remove his bladder. Even routine imaging scans that Winters needs every 90 days to track progress require preapproval.

In a written response, VA press secretary Terrence Hayes acknowledged that a “delay in care is never acceptable.” After KFF Health News inquired about Winters’ case, the VA began working with him to get his ongoing care authorized.

“We will also urgently review this matter and take steps to ensure that it does not happen again,” Hayes told KFF Health News.

Prior authorization isn’t

unique to the VA. Most private and federal health insurance programs require patients to secure preapprovals for certain treatments, tests, or prescription medications. The process is intended to reduce spending and avoid unnecessary, ineffective, or duplicative care, although the degree to which companies and agencies set these rules varies.

Insurers argue prior authorization makes the U.S. health care system more efficient by cutting waste — theoretically a win for patients who may be harmed by excessive or futile treatment. But critics say prior authorization has become a tool that insurers use to restrict or delay expensive care. It’s an especially alarming issue for people diagnosed with cancer, for whom prompt treatment can mean the difference between life and death.

“I’m interested in value and affordability,” said Fumiko Chino, a member of the Affordability Working Group for the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. But the way prior authorization is used now allows insurers to implement “denial by delay,” she said.

Cancer is one of the most expensive categories of disease to treat in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And, in 2019, patients spent more than $16 billion out-of-pocket on their cancer treatment, a report by the National Cancer Institute found.

To make matters worse, many cancer patients have had oncology care delayed because of prior authorization hurdles, with some facing delays of more than two weeks, according to research Chino and colleagues published in JAMA in October.

Another recent study found that major insurers issued “unnecessary” initial denials in response to imaging requests, most often in endocrine and gastrointestinal cancer cases.

The federal government is weighing new rules designed to improve prior authorization for millions of people covered by Medicare, Medicaid, and federal marketplace plans. The reforms, if implemented, would shorten the period insurers are permitted to consider prior authorization requests and would also require companies to provide more

information when they issue a denial.

In the meantime, patients — many of whom are facing the worst diagnosis of their lives — must navigate a system marked by roadblocks, red tape, and appeals.

“This is cruel and unusual,” said Chino, a radiation oncologist. A two-week delay could be deadly, and that it continues to happen is “unconscionable,” she said.

Chino’s research has also shown that prior authorization is directly related to increased anxiety among cancer patients, eroding their trust in the health care system and wasting both the provider’s and the patient’s time.

Leslie Fisk, 62, of New Smyrna Beach, Florida, was diagnosed in 2021 with lung and brain cancer. After seven rounds of chemotherapy last year, her insurance company denied radiation treatment recommended by her doctors, deeming it medically unnecessary.

“I remember losing my mind.

I need this radiation for my lungs,” Fisk said. After fighting Florida Health Care Plans’ denial “tooth and nail,” Fisk said, the insurance company relented.

The insurer did not respond to requests for comment.

Fisk called the whole process “horribly traumatic.”

“You have to navigate the most complicated system on the planet,” she said. “If you’re just sitting there waiting for them to take care of you, they won’t.”

A new KFF report found that patients who are covered

by Medicaid appear to be particularly impacted by prior authorization, regardless of their health concerns. About 1 in 5 adults on Medicaid reported that their insurer had denied or delayed prior approval for a treatment, service, visit, or drug — double the rate of adults with Medicare.

“Consumers with prior authorization problems tend to face other insurance problems,” such as trouble finding an innetwork provider or reaching the limit on covered services, the report noted. They are also “far more likely to experience serious health and financial consequences compared to PAGE 4

BACK ON THE ROAD. It’s still business as usual for a jeepney terminal at the corner of Agoncillo and Pedro Gil Streets in Malate, Manila on Tuesday, Jan. 2. Traditional jeepneys with unconsolidated franchises will be allowed to operate until Jan. 31 in routes where the consolidation rate under the modernization program is below 60 percent.

PNA photo by Yancy Lim

States expand health coverage for immigrants...

PAGE 1

said Utah state Rep. Jim Dunnigan, a Republican who initially opposed his state’s plan to cover children lacking legal status but relented after compromises including a cap on enrollment.

There are more than 10 million people living in the U.S. without authorization, according to estimates by the Pew Research Center.

Immigrant advocates and academic experts point to two factors behind state leaders’ rising interest in providing health care to this population: The pandemic highlighted the importance of insurance coverage to control the spread of infectious diseases; and some states are focusing on people without legal status to further drive down the country’s record-low uninsured rate.

States have also expanded coverage in response to pleas from hospitals, lawmakers say, to reduce the financial burden of treating uninsured patients.

All states pay hospitals to provide emergency services to some unauthorized residents in emergency rooms, a program known as Emergency Medicaid.

About a dozen states have extended coverage for only prenatal care for such people.

Full state-provided health insurance coverage is much less common, but increasing.

An estimated half of the people living in the U.S. without authorization are uninsured, according to a KFFLos Angeles Times survey.

That’s more than five times the uninsured rate for U.S. citizens. Immigrants lacking authorization are ineligible for federal health programs. But states can use their own money to provide coverage through Medicaid, the state-federal insurance program for lowincome people.

California was the first state to begin covering immigrants regardless of their legal status, starting with children in 2016.

“This is a real reflection of the conflict we have in the country and how states are realizing we cannot ignore immigrant communities simply because of their immigration status,” said Adriana Cadena, director of the advocacy group Protecting Immigrant Families. Many of the millions of people without permanent legal residency have been in the United States for decades and have no path to citizenship, she said.

These state extensions of health coverage come against a backdrop of rising hostility toward migrants among Republicans. The U.S. Border Patrol apprehended nearly 1.5 million people in fiscal year 2023 after they crossed the southern border, a record.

GOP presidential candidates have portrayed the border as in crisis under Biden, and dangers of illegal immigration, like increasing crime, as the nation’s top domestic concern.

Simon Hankinson, a senior research fellow specializing in immigration issues with the conservative Heritage Foundation, said states would regret expanding coverage to immigrants lacking permanent legal residency because of the cost. Illinois, he noted, recently paused enrollment in its program over financial concerns.

“We need to share resources with people who contribute to society and not have people take benefits for those who have not contributed, as I don’t see how the math would work in the long run,” Hankinson said. “Otherwise, you create an incentive for people to come and get free stuff.”

Most adults lacking authorization work, accounting for about 5% of the U.S. labor force, according to the Pew Research Center. The state with the most unauthorized residents with state-provided health insurance is California, which currently covers about 655,000 immigrants without regard for their legal status.

In January, it will expand coverage to people ages 26-49 PAGE 4

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These are the top New Year’s resolutions for 2024, according to a survey LOS ANGELES – For many Americans, the start of the new year brings an opportunity to set new goals and make positive changes.

Statista’s Consumer Insights survey shows that planning to save more money takes the top spot on the list of Americans’ resolutions for 2024.

Protecting their wallets is now more important for Americans than exercising more, eating healthier and losing weight, which were the most commonly cited resolutions in previous years.

This shift in priorities does not come as a surprise, given that millions of households in the United States are facing rising costs of living.

Slightly further down the list are goals of reducing stress from work and spending less time on social media (both 19 percent), while less popular resolutions included cutting down on alcohol (13 percent) and becoming a vegetarian or a vegan (3 percent).

Here are the top eight New Year’s resolutions: • To save more money – 59 percent • To exercise more – 50 percent

• To eat healthier – 47 percent • To spend more time with family/friends – 40 percent • To lose weight – 35 percent • To reduce spendings on living expenses (e.g., food, energy) – 26 percent • To spend less time on social media – 19 percent • To reduce stress on the job – 19 percent The survey also shows that one in four U.S. adults said they wanted to reduce their spendings on living expenses such as food and energy in the coming year.

Looking further into U.S. savings habits, data from an earlier Statista survey found that in 2022, the three areas most commonly cut back on in times of high inflation and rising energy costs were contracts and subscriptions (66 percent), purchasing clothes (42 percent) and visiting bars, cafes and restaurants (39 percent).

The survey was conducted among 417 respondents of age group 18-64 years, from Oct. 19 to 29, 2023. (Inquirer.net)

States expand health coverage for immigrants...

PAGE 3

regardless of their immigration status, benefiting an estimated 700,000 additional Californians.

Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, D.C., and Washington state also provide full coverage to some people living in the U.S. without authorization. New York and Washington state are expanding eligibility next year.

Oregon, Colorado, and New Jersey in recent years began covering more than 100,000 people in total regardless of legal status. Minnesota will follow in 2025, covering an estimated 40,000 people.

While states are expanding coverage to people living in the U.S. potentially without authorization, some are imposing enrollment limits to control spending.

The cost of Utah’s program is capped at $4.5 million a year, limiting enrollment to about 2,000 children. Premiums will vary based on income but cost no more than $300 a year, with preventive services covered in full.

“The pandemic highlighted the need to have coverage for everybody,” said Ciriac Alvarez Valle, senior policy analyst for Voices for Utah Children, an advocacy group. “It will make a huge impact on the lives of these kids.”

Without coverage, many

children use emergency rooms for primary care and have little ability to afford drugs, specialists, or hospital care, she said. “I am not sure if this will open the door to adults having coverage, but it is a good step forward,” Alvarez Valle said.

Colorado also limits enrollment for subsidized coverage in its program, capping it at 10,000 people in 2023 and 11,000 in 2024. The 2024 discounted slots were booked up within two days of enrollment beginning in November.

Adriana Miranda was able to secure coverage both years.

“You feel so much more at ease knowing that you’re not going to owe so much to the hospitals,” said Miranda, 46, who is enrolled in a private plan through OmniSalud, a program similar to the state’s Obamacare marketplace in which low-income Coloradans without legal residency can shop for plans with discounted premiums.

Miranda left Mexico in 1999 to follow her two brothers to the United States. She now works at Lamar Unidos, a nonprofit immigrant rights group.

Before she had health insurance, she struggled to pay for care for her diabetes and racked up thousands of dollars of debt following foot surgery, she said. Under the state program, she doesn’t pay

a monthly premium due to her low income, with a $40 copay for specialist visits.

“I was really happy, right?

Because I was able to get it. But I know a lot of people who also have a lot of need couldn’t get it,” she said.

OmniSalud covers only a small fraction of the more than 200,000 people living in Colorado without authorization, said Adam Fox, deputy director of the Colorado Consumer Health Initiative. But starting in 2025, all low-income children will be able to be covered by the state’s Medicaid or the related Children’s Health Insurance Program regardless of immigration status.

“There is a growing acknowledgement that people regardless of their immigration status are part of the community and should have access to health care in a regular, reliable manner,” Fox said. “If they don’t, it adds costs and trauma to the health systems and communities.” (Phil Galewitz/ KFF Health News) KFF Health News senior audio producer Zach Dyer contributed to this report.

KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces indepth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF—an independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism.

DEVOTION. The Catholic faithful greet the new year by attending Masses at Quiapo Church in Manila on Monday, Jan. 1. The church will be brimming with activities leading to the Feast of the Black Nazarene on Jan. 9.

PNA photo by Joan Bondoc

More countries eye joint patrols with...

PAGE 1

based order, the Philippines can not only prevent China’s domination, but also deter its illegal bullying and aggressive behavior,” Tarriela wrote on X. “France’s intention to conduct joint patrols not only demonstrates its support for the Philippines, but also reinforces

our claim that an increasing number of states believe in our legal backing in asserting sovereignty and sovereign rights in the West Philippine Sea compared with the baseless 10-dash line claim of (China),” he added.

In a separate statement, PCG Commandant Admiral Ronnie

Gil Gavan said the agency “recognized the significance of stronger partnerships with foreign counterparts, including the United States, Japan, Australia, Republic of Korea and Germany, in developing the PCG and becoming an organization of world-class guardians of the sea.” g

Cancer patients face frightening delays...

PAGE 3

people whose problems did not involve prior authorization.”

In some cases, patients are pushing back.

In November, USA Today reported that Cigna admitted to making an error when it denied coverage to a 47-yearold Tennessee woman as she prepared to undergo a doublelung transplant to treat lung cancer. In Michigan, a former health insurance executive told ProPublica that the company had “crossed the line” in denying treatment for a man with lymphoma. And Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana “met its match” when the company denied a Texas trial lawyer’s cancer treatment, ProPublica

PAGE 1

reported in November.

Countless others have turned to social media to shame their health insurance companies into approving prior authorization requests. Legislation has been introduced in at least 30 states — from California to North Carolina — to address the problem.

Back in Oklahoma, Ron Winters is still fighting.

According to his wife, Teresa, the surgeon said if Ron could have undergone his operation sooner, they might have avoided removing his bladder.

In many ways, his story echoes the national VA scandal from nearly a decade ago, in which veterans across the country were languishing — some even dying — as they waited for care.

In 2014, for example, CNN reported on veteran Thomas Breen, who was kept waiting for months to be seen by a doctor at the VA in Phoenix. He died of stage 4 bladder cancer before the appointment was scheduled.

Winters’ cancer has spread to his lungs. His diagnosis has advanced to stage 4.

“Really, nothing has changed,” Teresa Winters said. “The VA’s processes are still broken.”

KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces indepth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF—an independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism. Learn more about KFF.

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5

DFA: Advancing Filipino interest within PH, overseas

MANILA – The year 2023 was a busy year for the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) as it strived to protect the rights of Filipinos both abroad and within the country’s very own waters while continuing to increase interaction with countries to boost cooperation in areas of mutual interest.

In the last 12 months, the DFA convened 45 political consultations and 65 bilateral meetings with traditional and non-traditional partners.

These include engagements with the United States, China, Japan, Israel, India, Australia, and other partners, such as Canada, Malaysia, Portugal and South Korea.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo said these partnerships have resulted in cooperation and collaboration in multiple sectors and cross-cutting issues.

On top of this, the DFA had sought to advance the country’s interests amid shifting regional and global landscapes before international organizations such as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the United Nations.

West Philippine Sea While defending the agency’s budget at the Senate, the top diplomat said the DFA had fully committed to defending the Philippines’ sovereign rights in the West Philippine Sea while raising awareness of the 2016 Arbitral Award amongst partners.

Tensions in the area were heightened after China in August 2023 fired a water cannon on a Philippine resupply vessel, which was followed by similar incidents and near collisions in the succeeding months.

The most recent ones were the water cannon attack of a Chinese Coast Guard vessel against two Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) ships that were delivering supplies to Filipino fishermen near Bajo de Masinloc (Scarborough Shoal) on Dec. 9; and the harassment against Philippine boats and their escorts that were on resupply mission to the BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal on Dec. 10.

A BFAR official who asked

not to be named was quoted

by CNN Philippines that the Dec. 9 incident was the “most aggressive” it experienced yet while doing the resupply mission.

The Dec. 10 water cannoning on the other hand damaged two of the four Filipino ships.

In both cases, the Philippine government lodged a “strong protest” to the Chinese government and summoned its envoy to verbally deliver Manila’s position over their dangerous maneuvers within the country’s exclusive economic zone.

Meanwhile, the DFA repeatedly assured that it would pursue constant dialogue and diplomatic approaches to resolve any issue that may arise, with national interest as the paramount.

On Dec. 20, Manalo and his Chinese counterpart Foreign Minister Wang Yi had a telephone conversation and “noted the importance of dialogue” in addressing issues surrounding the area.

A week later, the Filipino top diplomat reaffirmed this during a separate phone call with Secretary of State Antony Blinken and highlighted Manila’s “abiding interest to protect its sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction, while maintaining peace and security and upholding the rulesbased international order”.

Manalo emphasized the importance of dialogue and maintaining open lines of communication with other parties in pursuit of these objectives.

Serving Filipinos The past year also witnessed the outbreak of the deadly wars in Sudan and Gaza, prompting the agency to launch a series of backbreaking evacuation operations and diplomatic representations to get Filipinos in the conflict areas to safety.

On April 15, armed clashes erupted between the Sudanese Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces and sent foreign governments scrambling to extract their nationals from Sudan during a 72-hour ceasefire.

In a rush to get to Filipinos waiting at the Sudan-Egypt border at that time, non-resident Philippine Ambassador to Sudan Ezzedin Tago and his vice consul

Bojer Capati even figured in a car accident, with their vehicle rolling twice.

They were unharmed but Capati had to get clearance before he was released from the hospital.

In the latter part of the year, the DFA’s grueling work to ensure the safety of thousands of Filipinos in Israel, Gaza, West Bank, and Lebanon began following the cross-border attack of Hamas on a farm settlement in Israel on Oct. 7, which killed more than 1,000, including four Filipino caregivers.

The attack resulted in Israel mounting a retaliatory strike, including a ground assault in Gaza. With this, the DFA held non-stop talks with relevant governments to allow Filipinos to exit the besieged enclave until the border crossing with Egypt was finally opened in November.

The rising hostilities and tensions in the West Bank and Lebanon brought about by the Israel-Hamas also placed the agency on alert, advising Filipinos in the area to avail of its voluntary repatriation program.

For the entire year, the DFA utilized its assistance-to-nationals (ATN) fund well and granted a total of 7,346 welfare assistance to overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in need, including those affected by the deadly earthquake that struck Turkiye and Syria in February.

In total, it repatriated 5,043 OFWs, including those from Sudan, Israel and Gaza.

“The DFA’s ATN services have been supported by both funds, such as when our men and women go out in crisis situations such as in Sudan, Türkiye, and Sabah to assist our fellowmen, and the rescue of trafficking victims in Southeast Asia, amongst other emergencies,” Manalo said.

“And as we transition and complete the turnover of our ATN work to the Department of Migrant Workers, the DFA shall continue to serve all other overseas Filipinos who are not classified as OFWs, as well as all overseas Filipinos in countries without a Migrant Workers Office,” he added.

For 2024, Manalo said the agency was prepared to take on u PAGE 7

NO TRAFFIC. Motorists cruise along traffic-free Quezon Avenue in Quezon City on Tuesday, Jan. 2, the first working day of the year.

Government agencies and private firms are back in business as Malacañang did not declare a holiday, unlike last year.

PNA photo by Robert Oswald P. Alfiler

SC approves procedural rules on anti-terror law MANILA — The Supreme Court on Monday, January 1 said it has finalized the set of procedural rules guiding all petitions and applications related to the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020, which will take effect on January 15.

In a statement, the High Court said that the approved rules will cover all petitions and applications related to detentions without judicial warrants of arrest, surveillance orders, freeze orders, travel restrictions, designations, proscriptions and other court issuances meted out in the implementation of the anti-terrorism law.

These guidelines will apply to all individuals or groups who “seek to obtain judicial relief from their designation as terrorist by the Anti-Terrorism Council (ATC) and the issuance of any freeze order by the AntiMoney Laundering Council (AMLC) as a result of such designation.”

According to the rules, the CA (Court of Appeals) can only issue a preliminary order of proscription within 72 hours of receiving a verified petition if

the petitioner has sufficiently established probable cause that the order is necessary to prevent terrorism.

This order allows the AMLC to investigate and freeze the assets of the accused. The CA then holds hearings and decides on the petition within three months.

If clear and convincing evidence is presented, a permanent order of proscription is issued for three years.

Law enforcement personnel must also first obtain a written order from the CA before they can conduct surveillance on individuals associated with terrorism and secretly monitor and collect information related to their communication and activities. The rules specify the grounds, content, and effectiveness of such surveillance orders.

Under the rules, individuals suspected of terrorism can be arrested and detained without a warrant for a limited period as provided by the Revised Penal Code. The ATC can extend this period for up to 14 days, and a designated Regional Trial Court can approve an additional 10

days. The arrested individuals must be informed of their rights, and any form of torture or cruel treatment is prohibited.

Procedures for handling classified evidence related to national security and state secrets are also established under the guidelines. Additionally, when vulnerable groups like the elderly, pregnant women, persons with disabilities, and children are involved, a guardian ad litem may be appointed to protect their rights.

Prior to its passage in 2020, the anti-terrorism law was widely contested by civil society and the government’s own human rights commission largely due to its loose definition of terrorism, which raised fears that peaceful dissent and legitimate expressions of opposition could be unjustly labeled as terrorist activities.

After several petitions to nullify the entire law, the High Court in 2021 struck down just two parts that included the overbroad definition of terrorism and the second mode of tagging individuals or groups as terrorists. (Philstar.com)

6 JANUARY 3-5, 2024 • SoCal ASIAN JOURNAL

http://www.asianjournal.com • (818) 502-0651 • (213) 250-9797

OPINION

FEATURES

Continuing challenges

THE year 2023 opened with bad news for the country: chaos at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. Improving public infrastructure is a continuing challenge for the government. The inadequacy of infrastructure continues to be among the disincentives to investments, along with hindrances to ease of doing business. These are problems that cannot be cured by Charter change, which the House of Representatives wants to revive this year.

One bright spot for the year was the end of the COVID pandemic, as declared by the World Health Organization. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine continued, however, and the war between Israel and Hamas is threatening to become a wider conflict. As in other countries, global developments have affected the Philippines in its continuing efforts to recover from the pandemic. Supply chain disruptions pushed up food and fuel costs, restraining economic growth.

Taming inflation – consistently seen as the weak point of the Marcos administration – remains a challenge for the government in the new year.

In November, President Marcos finally decided to drop his post as agriculture secretary and hand it over to fishing magnate Francisco Tiu-Laurel. With El Niño seen to intensify in the coming months, Laurel has his work cut out for him.

The past year also saw the creation of the controversial Maharlika Investment Fund.

Discussions continue on the exact nature of what is supposed to be a sovereign wealth fund – the country’s first – which is facing a legal challenge before the Supreme Court.

Education is in crisis, as indicated in the results of the 2022 Program for International Student Assessment, in which Filipino 15-year-olds ranked in the bottom 10 in math, science and reading. The

secretary of education, meanwhile, is herself undergoing a crisis of sorts, with her loss of P650 million in secret funds for 2024 and a widening rift within the UniTeam.

The past year gave human rights groups some reasons to rejoice: Leila de Lima was freed, and the government is studying cooperation with the International Criminal Court in its probe of the bloody war on drugs launched by Rodrigo Duterte. Exploratory talks are on for the possible resumption of formal peace negotiations with communist rebels. But there is disagreement among civil libertarians on the use of state power against Duterte and his favored broadcasting network, SMNI. And impunity was again highlighted in March in the massacre of 10 people led by Negros Oriental governor Roel Degamo, with accused brains, expelled congressman Arnolfo Teves Jr., still beyond the reach of the law.

Another continuing challenge for the government this year is dealing with the threat posed by China in the West Philippine Sea. Surveys have shown that most Filipinos support the Marcos administration’s response to Chinese aggression.

Despite the daunting challenges, surveys show that Filipinos are again greeting the new year with high optimism. A happy New Year to all!

(Philstar.com)

Editorial

Looking to a great 2024 for the Philippines

Go Negosyo Pilipinas Angat Lahat!

JOEY CONCEPCION IT is my opinion that one of the attributes of a successful businessman is a strong sense of ownership of the enterprise. They are hands-on when it comes to running their businesses. This is not to say that they micro-manage; that is counterproductive because it slows down the decision-making process and undermines the confidence of delegates. I am talking about the strong sense of responsibility they have for the future of their business.

I see the same thing in the country’s economic team. They have demonstrated throughout their careers the same devotion to government service a business owner shows to his own company. They have taken on the challenge of seeing to the turnaround of the country’s economic fortunes, to make sure that the Philippines is no longer the laggard of the Asian economies.

What gives me optimism is the fact that the president, like a good leader, knows how to delegate. He runs the country like a company. As the head of a company myself, I recognize

ManilaTimes.net photo

that I am no expert in all aspects of the business; that is why I hire people who are.

In the president’s case, he has assembled a very competent and well-respected economic team – among them Fred Pascual at the DTI, Arsenio Balisacan at the NEDA and Ben Diokno at the DOF. They are veterans of several administrations and various economic cycles. He has also wisely decided that he needed someone to align all the efforts and catalyze into action the plans for the country’s economic development. For this job, he chose Deck Go to become the Special Assistant to the President for Investment and Economic Affairs. It will be Deck’s job to ensure the smooth integration and implementation of the government’s investment and economic policies and programs.

This comes at a good time because headwinds are tapering. At the height of the Russia-Ukraine war, the talk was all about the skyrocketing prices of commodities. But look at things now: commodity prices are down and consumer spending is up.

Forex remittances continue to be a driver toward the last quarter of 2023. OFWs are a formidable force and that is why

we at Go Negosyo pour so much effort into enticing them to put up businesses here. They, much like foreign investors, need to be reassured that competent people are at the helm, and that the Philippine economy remains resilient.

This is a valuable lesson we business veterans try to share with MSMEs. There will be headwinds, but those who are prepared will be able to sail through them. The winds blow different ways and at different times; one just needs to adjust the sails and ride it out. The important thing is to have the fortitude and the knowledge to power through the difficulties.

While there are things that are beyond our control, like the weather and war, things eventually return to normal and settle down. We saw that in the prices of wheat and sugar. We know this first-hand in RFM, when, after commodity prices skyrocketed, they reached a peak and started coming down – enough to restore our margins and improve our profits. With stable prices and a sense of stability restoring confidence, businesses can move on and even invest in expansion, creating jobs for more people.

With this confidence among the bigger companies, brisk

business among the MSMEs cannot be far behind. Sari-sari stores, for example, benefit from stronger consumer goods companies as a robust logistics system and competition among the big manufacturers benefit them in terms of more competitive prices and retailer incentives.

This is why big corporations keep a close eye on the men and women at the helm of the country’s economy.

When we feel that the president has chosen well, we are confident in the decisions they make.

I believe this also manifests in how well the PSAC (Private Sector Advisory Council) is working together. The PSAC was set up early in the president’s term to advise the president on jobs, health, digitalization, infrastructure, agriculture and tourism. Today we are seeing the synergy growing and maturing.

Our team in the jobs sector, all fellow top businessmen, have gotten into the groove of things and we are all fully engaged in the job at hand.

For some of us, the PSAC tasks go beyond recommendatory and extend into execution. I, for example, have Go Negosyo and the MSMED Council, and the PSAC Jobs recommended the creation of the Private Sector

Jobs & Skills Corp. (PCORP) to create a skilled workforce.

These are all initiatives of the private sector. Nobody told them to do it. But being in the private sector has taught us a lesson or two: every project must be seen to its completion. To get things done, you don’t stop at giving recommendations; instead, you have to be part of the solution.

And to make sure things are sustained, you build the structures that make it possible – even easy – to implement.

These are real-world solutions acquired through years of practice and even mistakes.

Proposals are only as good as the paper they’re written on; follow-through is the key.

And this is where that sense of ownership I mentioned earlier is so important. We must all feel that we have a stake in the country’s future. Perhaps businessmen feel it more acutely because every fluctuation and every disruption is magnified and is directly quantifiable in the daily reports that we receive.

Perhaps the policymakers feel the repercussions more deeply because they know where these come from and how they could have been headed off.

The PSAC will play a big part in how our economic policies move forward because they

will provide support and ensure that the recommendations are implemented. I work together with the secretaries of the DTI, the DepEd and the DAR and I can say that partnership with the government is important in making sure that the program implementation pulls through as envisioned. Without this cooperation, we will all be throwing punches in the air.

There are so many opportunities for the Philippines. Organizations like the ADB, the World Bank and the IMF remain optimistic and expect the country’s economy to be among the fastest-growing in the region. The numbers show that we are experiencing broadbased growth, and a young, digital-savvy population will be our edge.

Opportunities are with us, but we have to stay confident and reject the pessimism. The government cannot do it alone.

We in the private sector must be there alongside them because we are all in this together.

With teamwork, 2024 will be a great year. (Philstar.com) *** The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff.

2024: Marcos’ moment of truth?

Horizons

RICHARD HEYDARIAN THE Philippines is a land of extreme paradoxes, cutting across every major dimension of our collective lives. Ours is a nation that has had the deepest encounter with liberal republicanism among all Asian nations, dating back to the 1812 Cádiz Constitution. Yet, we have elected the most ruthlessly illiberal leaders into power.

We suffered over three centuries of subjugation under Western empires, yet we can’t help looking to the West as our proverbial knight in shining armor. Ours is arguably the most Westernized nation in Asia, yet our political and economic systems are positively pre-modern. We have had almost a century of education

in the global lingua franca, yet our nation suffers from one of the highest rates of functional illiteracy on earth.

We have been posting the fastest gross domestic product growth rates in the region, yet we suffer from one of the highest unemployment and poverty rates in Southeast Asia. Our folks often complain about corruption, the supposed mother of all evils, yet countless voters enthusiastically support rapacious political dynasties election after election.

The list is long, but one of the most perplexing paradoxes in our contemporary politics is this: We have a notoriously conflict-avoidant president, and yet our political landscape is riddled with intrigue and infighting at the highest levels.

By all indications, the muchvaunted “UniTeam,” which bulldozed its way through last year’s elections, is now history.

But what exactly comes next?

In his first year and a half in office, President Marcos confounded both his closest allies and vilest critics by adopting a distinctly “moderate” approach to governance. He dispensed with the worst aspects of his predecessor’s policies, while also shunning any genuinely progressive agenda.

Mr. Marcos has been as tough against China as he has been soft on fighting corruption.

He has been as vocal on the international stage as he has been relatively quiet in dealing with media and pressing questions at home. As historian Lisandro Claudio correctly pointed out early on, the current President is, ironically, a classic post-Marcosian Filipino leader: more politician than revolutionary, more traditional than populist, and more statesmanlike than demagogic.

But, dear reader, make no mistake, the coming year will likely be the most consequential year in Mr. Marcos’ reign.

Conflict avoidance has its own merits, especially on the heels of a populist catastrophe. But excessive caution invites chaos.

If anything, heedfulness is often a luxury.

To begin with, the President will have to make big decisions in the West Philippine Sea, where he faces stark choices. On one hand, he risks confrontation with a global superpower, which also happens to possess the world’s largest naval fleet.

At the same time, Mr. Marcos can’t ignore the sentiments of the supermajority of Filipinos, who want the country to take a tougher stance against China’s bullying in our own exclusive economic zone.

Mr. Marcos will need to finalize our next move on the Second Thomas Shoal, where

a major fortification effort is desperately needed to sustain our military presence, as well as in Reed Bank, where our decades-long energy exploration efforts have been thwarted by Chinese harassment. Both our territorial integrity and energy security are at stake.

On the domestic front, Mr. Marcos also faces hard choices, especially in dealing with the former president and his factotums. Barely two years into his administration, there have been multiple reshuffles at the highest echelons of the national security establishment and, more recently, even rumors of coup attempts against the sole son of the former dictator.

The UniTeam may be over, but Mr. Marcos will still have to deal with the powerful Duterte dynasty in one way or another.

The former president has made it clear that he won’t go gently

into the night. This brings us to the third important element, namely the upcoming 2025 elections, which may end up as a prelude to nothing less than a total overhaul of our political system.

There are growing indications that the ruling coalition is contemplating constitutional change. Mr. Marcos faces the historic choice of creating a new political order altogether should his coalition secure a clean sweep in the upcoming elections. Whatever choice he makes, there will be major consequences for him, his dynasty, and the Philippines.

(Inquirer.net) *** The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff.

*** rheydarian@inquirer.com.ph

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SoCal ASIAN JOURNAL • JANUARY 3-5, 2024 7

Filipinos abroad urged to sign up as voters for 2025 polls MANILA – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Monday, January 1 again reminded overseas Filipinos to register as voters for the 2025 midterm elections.

“As of January 1, 2024, you only have 273 days to register as an Overseas Voter. Deadline is September 30, 2024,” it said on a social media post.

Those who will register are advised to bring their valid Philippine passport to the nearest Philippine Embassy/Consulate General or designated registration centers in the Philippines.

It added that the period is not only for registration as they will also accept other poll-related applications.

These include updating addresses and other details and checking or reactivation of voter registration status, it added.

“Visit the COMELEC website for relevant information: https://

comelec.gov.ph/?r=OverseasVoting,” it added.

Based on Comelec Resolution No. 10833, the filing period for overseas Filipinos started on Dec. 9, 2022 and will run until Sept. 30 this year.

Applications may be filed at any Post abroad, or at designated registration centers outside the Post, or at the designated registration centers in the Philippines as approved by the Comelec.

For Transfers from Post to Local, the application shall be filed at the local Office of the Election Officer in the city/municipality/ district where the overseas voter intends to vote in the Philippines, subject to rules and regulations on local voter registration.

Those who are allowed to register are all citizens of the Philippines, who are abroad or will be abroad during the 30-day voting period, at least

by Delon Porcalla

recent PISA results where Filipino students scored dismal rankings in math, reading and science, ranking 77th among 81 countries in all areas. PISA stands for Program for International Student Assessment of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development.

Health problems like the three-year global pandemic COVID-19 should make the Philippines ready should such issues arise again, according to her. “A critical step towards this is to establish a robust and resilient health care infrastructure and develop sufficient human resources for health.”

“As our economy moves forward in 2024 and beyond, there is a growing consensus that reforms are needed in various areas to improve the state of our nation and to uplift the lives of the Filipino people,” Quimbo, a lawmaker-economist, stressed.

“In the case of economic liberalization, there is a consensus among economists and the business sector that the economic provisions of the 1987 Philippine Constitution should be liberalized,” she said, underscoring the need to lift very prohibitive economic provi-

18 years of age on the day of the elections and not otherwise disqualified by law.

On the other hand, qualified Filipinos who are in the Philippines but will be abroad a month before the polls may file their applications at government agencies to be designated as registration centers in the Philippines.

Applicants are also advised that mobile registration will be set up at various locations outside the Posts, other than at the field registration, that will accept their applications.

Overseas voting is allowed during the continuous 30-day voting period where the first NO TRAFFIC. Motorists cruise along traffic-free Quezon Avenue in Quezon City on Tuesday, Jan. 2, the first working day of the year. day starts at the local time of Government agencies and private firms are back in business as Malacañang did not declare a holiday, unlike last year.

PNA photo by Robert Oswald P. Alfiler the host country and the last day of which is the day of the election in the Philippines.

For the 2025 polls, they will be voting only for the positions of 12 senators and one parsaid.

THE government remains it added. ty-list group. (PNA) The DILG said one of the agenThe index and non-index relentless in combating illegal drugs, insurgency, and various cy's key programs is the 'Buhay crime volumes also decreased by forms of criminality, Malacañang Ingatan, Droga'y Iwasan (BIDA),' 8.44 percent and 7.32 percent, which stresses the government respectively. Improvements were said.

Citing the Department of the and private sector's shared re- also noted in seven of the eight sions in the Charter.

Interior and Local Government's sponsibility in eradicating illegal focus index crimes.

Quimbo pointed out, howev- (DILG) year-end report, Pres- drugs.

The DILG also continued to er, that “amending our Charter idential Communications SecThe agency partnered with fight extreme violence to support must go hand in hand with ad- retary Cheloy Garafil said the companies to encourage the im- the peace-building efforts of lodressing other critical issues: government's multi-sectoral en- position of stricter measures and cal government units under the the cost of power, the traffic gagements in promoting and en- the conduct of random drug test- Campaign to End Local Commuproblem, enforcing contracts, suring the safety of communities ing. nist Armed Conflict. reliable internet speeds and continue.

It also formed partnerships As of November 2023, 1,119 the development of human cap"To meet the ever-evolving with major sports leagues and former rebels were granted fiital.” challenges faced by our nation celebrities to feature public ser- nancial assistance amounting “The bottom line is we need and to fortify our mettle and grit vice announcements on combat- to P91.4 million under the Ento send a certain and predict- as we contribute to nation-build- ing drug abuse. hanced Comprehensive Local able signal to the global inves- ing, we initiated various efforts The Philippine National Police Integration Program. tor community: the Philippines to fully realize the government's (PNP) reported an improvement "DILG continued its commitis ready, able and willing to long-term vision of a "Matatag, in the crime-related statistics, ment to fight violent extremism accept FDIs,” she stated in her Maginhawa, at Panatag na Buhay with a 0.14 percent drop in over- through the 'Preventing and 2023 yearend report entitled for every Filipino," the DILG said all crime incidences and a 1.38 Countering Violent Extremism “A Year of Economic Challeng- in its report. percent rise in Crime Solution (PCVE) Program'. It has unes and Steady Progress.”

"Similarly, we continued to Efficiency from January to De- dertaken PCVE and Chemical, Another senior adminis- align our actions to achieve the cember this year compared to Biological, Radiological, and tration stalwart, Rep. L-Ray President's eight-point socio- the same period in 2022.

Nuclear (CBRN) awareness and Villafuerte of Camarines Sur, economic agenda as embedded "The volume of both index readiness training to confront expressed optimism about in the Philippine Development and non-index crimes decreased security concerns presented by this year’s performance of the Plan 2023-2028 and amplified from January to November 2023, terrorism and the use of weapHouse under the leadership of in the Administration's 'Bagong compared to the same period ons of mass destruction," it said.

Romualdez and President Mar- Pilipinas' brand of governance," of the previous year," the DILG (ManilaTimes.net) cos as head of the government.

“I am looking forward to a fine year ahead for our people in 2024 on the back of expectincluding the opening of four traditional partners. ed bigger strides by President PAGE 5 The agency, he said, would also Marcos a year-and-a-half into future challenges aligned with new foreign service posts, office in his socio-economic re- President Ferdinand R. Marcos raising public awareness on continue campaigning for a seat form agenda of ensuring better Jr.’s eight-point socio-economic the 2016 Arbitral Award, and in the UN Security Council for intensifying engagements with 2027-2028 and open additional lives for Filipinos and a pros- agenda.

He said the DFA would focus traditional allies as well as consular offices to reach more perous and peaceful Philippines on his watch,” he said. g on its strategic directions, building relations with non- Filipinos, among others. (PNA)

War on drugs relentless – Palace

Cha-cha train to get going this year – lawmakers Philstar.com

MANILA — Regardless of what its bicameral partner, the Senate, wants, the House of Representatives is bent on pursuing this year its plan to revive moves to amend major provisions in the 1987 Constitution that have hindered the country’s economic growth.

“The task ahead is to pave the way for major, long-overdue structural economic reforms, including economic Charter change,” Rep. Stella Luz Quimbo, senior vice chair of the House appropriations committee, said in support of Speaker Martin Romualdez’s pronouncements.

The Marikina second district congresswoman enumerated the sectors that have kept the Philippines a laggard among its ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) neighbors, ranking eighth among 10 member-nations, not just in foreign direct investments (FDI) but also in other crucial fields.

“In the case of education and health, a proper assessment is necessary to determine the required reforms,” Quimbo pointed out, citing as basis the

DFA: Advancing Filipino interest within...

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Fil-Am human rights activist Michelle opens up about crowned Miss Earth USA sexual abuse trauma Beatrice “Bea” Millan-Windorski becomes the first Fil-Am to hold the national title By niMfa u. rueda Inquirer.net

LOS ANGELES – Beatrice “Bea” MillanWindorski, a Filipino American university student who describes herself as a human rights activist, was crowned Miss Earth USA 2024 at the national pageant finals held at the Rosen Centre in Orlando, Florida on Sunday.

Millan-Windorski, representing Wisconsin, became the first Fil-Am to hold the title.

She is from Whitefish Bay, Milwaukee County in Wisconsin. Her maternal grandmother Marcela Buenavista Millan lives in San Juan, San Fernando in La Union.

She went to Whitefish Bay High School in Whitefish Bay. She became interested in environmental advocacy as a young girl while visiting her family in the Philippines.

Millan-Windorski is a student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, with a double major in International Relations and History. She is set to graduate with honors in May this year.

“Education is incredibly important to me,” she said in a Miss Earth USA video. “My lola or grandmother was the first in her village to attend university.”

Millan-Windorski said everyone in her grandmother’s hometown thought her family was making a mistake by selling their farmland to support her education, she added.

Her grandmother earned a nursing degree and migrated to the United States.

“She made sure to emphasize to me from my young age that an education is never wasted on a woman,” she said.

The Fil-Am beauty queen has completed a fellowship with the Philippine Embassy and an internship at the East-West Center in Washington DC. She has conducted research on the U.S.ASEAN relations, translated articles from Tagalog to English and wrote articles about local connections between the US and communities across Southeast Asia.

She often visited the Philippines and

By Jan Milo Severo Philstar.com

ACTRESS Michelle Madrigal revealed that she was a victim of sexual abuse in her younger years.

In her Instagram account, Michelle bravely shared her abuse experience without disclosing the perpetrator’s identity.

“2024 is all about doing things bigger than myself and serving others. It starts today.

This might stir emotions, but I am here to shed light on the issue of child sexual abuse.

Those close to me understand that I’m a survivor myself,” Michelle wrote.

“To be completely transparent, I endured sexual abuse at a tender age for a number of years, a time when my innocence was cruelly taken, leading to a tumultous adolescence,” the actress said.

Beatrice “Bea” Millan-Windorski, who describes herself as a human The former Star Circle rights activist, was crowned Miss Earth USA 2024 last Sunday. contestant reflected that her Photo from Instagram/@theladycodeshop experience led her into a rebellious phase in her life. volunteered for Project CURMA or Coastal “Unaware that I was Underwater Resource Management Actions in experiencing PTSD (postSan Juan, La Union. traumatic stress disorder), I Project CURMA is a sea turtle conservation carried this burden alone until I program that educates volunteers on avoiding sought help from a therapist at plastic garbage, cleaning up coastlines and 20. For nearly a decade, I held saving turtle nests from poachers. onto something that was finally She has described her involvement with the released when I opened up,” International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP) Michelle said. as “the advocacy closest to my heart.”

“Understanding my IRAP helps ensure that people fleeing from rebellious phase suddenly made climate-related disaster have a legal path to sense. Shame and self-blame asylum and safety. consumed me for years. I was She was crowned Miss Wisconsin Earth in angry, indifferent, seeking May 2023. Last Sunday, she competed against 52 other candidates at the Rosen Centre in Orlando.

She will represent the U.S. at Miss Earth 2024 in Vietnam.

Michelle Madrigal in Austin, Texas

solace in drugs and alcohol to escape the overwhelming emotions, unworthiness, and fear. I often questioned why it happened to me,” she added.

Michelle said that she will use her experience to empower others to step forward and begin their healing journey.

“This year, in conversations with women, I was astonished to find that 3 out of 5 had encountered some form of sexual abuse. My purpose in life is clear: to support survivors. I’ve always yearned to use my voice for a greater cause, and my mission is to help one survivor at a time feel acknowledged and secure, reassuring them that their story is significant,” she said.

“As a mother, it is my paramount responsibility to

Photo from Instagram/@mitch_madrigal

educate my daughter about these realities. Past generations often lacked the knowledge or tools to address such issues, often sweeping them under the rug in different cultures,” she added.

Michelle said that many children don’t feel safe enough to confide in anyone, not even their parents, about their experiences.

“I’m determined to change that narrative, to extend a helping hand, and foster an environment where openness and support prevail,” the actress said.

At the end of her post, Michelle urged support for the group RAINN or Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network, a US-based anti-sexual violence organization.

Ara reflects on past rift with sister Cristine

By JeSSica ann evangeliSta Inquirer.net

IN 2012, Ara Mina had a public feud with her half-sister Cristine Reyes, which led Mina to sue Reyes in court. After a decade, Mina admitted that she did that to teach her little sister a lesson.

Sitting down on Fast Talk with Boy Abunda, Mina said that she sued her sister for libel and grave coercion out of her tough love for her, noting that they are siblings and their issues should not have been publicized.

“I think ginawa ko lang,

Ara Mina and Cristine Reyes

Tito Boy, tough love. Because I’m the ate, I want to teach her a lesson na hindi tama ‘yun, hindi dapat tayo nag-aaway.” affirmed Mina.

(I think I only did that out of tough love because I’m the older sister; I want to teach her a lesson that what she did was not okay and we should not have been fighting over it.)

“If we have something na kailangan pag-usapan dapat hindi na nalabas sa media, dapat inside na lang, kasi at the end of the day magkapatid pa rin kami.

Blood is thicker than water,” she added.

(If we have something not okay between us, it should not have reached the media; it should have stayed privately because, at the end of the day, we are sisters and blood is thicker than water.)

The 44-year-old actress said that she had no intention to put her sister in jail. Even if she sued her, it was not on her plans to continue the case.

“Of course, hindi ko naman gugustuhin na makulong ‘yung kapatid ko or something. It’s just, ano lang ‘yun, to teach her a lesson lang pero hindi ko itutuloy ‘yun,” said Mina.

(Of course, I don’t want my sister to be put in jail or something. What I did was just to teach her a lesson, but I had no intention to continue the case against her.)

The former ‘That’s Entertainment’ host shared that they were able to fix their rift after Reyes went to her and asked for amends: “Lumapit po siya sa akin, nag-sorry po siya nun,” (She came to me and said sorry.)

To this day, the half-sisters are on good terms, and Mina said that she is happy that someone (her boyfriend, actor Marco Gumabao) is looking after Reyes and making her Photo from Instagram/@niceprintphoto happy.

Andrea reflects on solo Spain trip, grateful for ‘healing’ 2023

By KriStofer Purnell Philstar.com

YOUNG actress Andrea Brillantes reflected on the loaded past year she had highlighted by solo soulsearching trip to Spain last May. Andrea uploaded her Spain trip vlog on the last day of 2023 though she had gone much earlier in the year, citing hours of footage that required voiceover narration instead for a faster edit.

The actress was initially going to be accompanied by her close friend Bea Borres but instead opted to travel on her own.

“Experiencing solo travel

had always been a dream of mine so I decided this was the perfect time to do it. I needed this time to myself kasi nga may pinagdadaanan ako at that time,” Andrea said, referencing her break-up to basketball player Ricci Rivero on the same month.

Andrea had a tearful flight to Madrid (with a quick layover in Abu Dhabi) as she admitted to being afraid of planes, heights and turbulence, as well as experiencing nervousness in travelling alone.

The actress went on guided trips to Granada — her first time commuting alone — where she misplaced her passport and wallet (but Andrea Brillantes Continued on Page 9 Photo from Instagram/@blythe

MegaMix Expo 2024: The San Gabriel Valley’s Biggest B2B event yet unites 27 top chambers of commerce and business associations ARCADIA – On February 8th, 2024, the highly anticipated MegaMix Business Expo will launch, promising to be the San Gabriel Valley region’s largest B2B event yet. This groundbreaking expo is made possible by an unprecedented collaboration uniting 27 leading local Chambers of Commerce and business organizations. The MegaMix Expo seeks to connect, strengthen, and propel growth amongst our thriving San Gabriel Valley business community.

Taking place at the magnificent Santa Anita Park Club House, this comprehensive expo delivers unrivaled opportunities for companies to showcase products and services, network with fellow professionals, engage in enlightening workshops, and increase visibility - all under one roof.

With participation spanning diverse sectors from manufacturing to tech, and a vast range of notable Chambers and impactful groups like the Arcadia Chamber, BNI, Los Angeles Latino Chamber, United States International Chamber, and Asian Chambers and Business Organizations involved, the MegaMix Expo reflects the incredible diversity that fuels commerce across the San Gabriel Valley.

“By bringing together the rich diversity that drives entrepreneurship and economic growth across our region, we embrace

business leaders from all racial and ethnic backgrounds while highlighting groups that empower vibrant minority-owned enterprises.

From Latin American and Asian Chambers to Business Associations and more, we spotlight a unifying space for visionaries of all origins and markets to connect, learn, and lift each other higher. Our stages, showroom floors and workshops belong to every culture and community that calls this home, fueling commerce with many voices as one,” said Alexis Salamanca, Director of Operations of the MegaMix Expo.

At its core, this event strengthens bonds within the business world, empowering continued growth and innovation valleywide. Sponsorship and Exhibitor participation opportunities remain open as we gear up for the big debut!

The MegaMix Expo platform serves as a bridge between entrepreneurs, start-ups, and Fortune 500 companies, fostering valuable connections and cultivating new business opportunities.

The 2024 MegaMix Expo takes place on February 8th at the Club House in Santa Anita Park, Arcadia. Attendees can expect a day overflowing with discovery, inspiration, and networking that will springboard progress across all industries.

Rico wants to travel the world more with Maris

By Charmie Joy Pagulong Philstar.com

MARIS Racal’s biggest discovery this year about her boyfriend Rico Blanco was his sense of humor.

When they traveled to different cities in Italy for a month, she was amused to see his funny side.

“I didn’t know he was that funny,” shared Maris in a recent interview. “I thought he was a very serious person. Then, when we traveled together, tawa lang talaga ako ng tawa.”

Rico’s humor is “dry and sarcastic,” described Maris. “Unexpected humor. Grabe siya,” she added.

Rico, on the other hand, found out how a great team player Maris was during their sojourn in Italy. “Na-discover ko this year, I know that she is a team player like sa couple, but when we traveled together, I really saw kung gaano siya ka-team player. Kasi nakikita natin siya inaalalayan sa trabaho. She works so hard and I understand that,” said the former Rivermaya frontman.

“So, I thought if we travel, medyo baka ako mostly (organize), but no… We also tried some stuff, akala ko ako lahat because it was her first time in Europe, so I thought like, ‘Ako ‘to.’ But no,” added the rocker.

Maris was the one who also booked the train rides, looked for restaurants, and other stuff. “It was really teamwork,” she asserted.

Rico chimed in, “We enjoyed it tsaka walang sisihan (there was no blame game). You know what, when you’re on vacation, may mawawala, may iiwan. Nakakatawa pala siya kahit umuusok na siya. Tapos ako maya-maya tatawa.”

The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - January 3, 2024

By ronnie CarrasCo iii ManilaTimes.net

Showbiz couple Maris Racal and Rico Blanco get to discover more of each other as they spend a holiday in Italy for a month.

Photo from Instagram/@ricoblanco100

Going on a trip is just part of the couple’s bonding time together. “Isa yun because that takes us away from work. So, ‘pag nag-ta-travel kami, kami lang,” Rico told The STAR. Maris was the one who picked Italy as their travel destination.

“We pictured kung anong country lang muna. I travel a lot, and then, I told her it would be nice to stay in just one place and just really explore. So, she chose Italy. I just chose the main destination (cities) na kaya ng schedule namin.

When we were there, she was the one who would Continued on Page 11

Young actress Andrea Brillantes...

From Page 8 managed to get them back), Seville, Toledo and Madrid.

On her free day in Madrid, Andrea visited the Bank of Spain, a nearby market, Mercado de San Miguel, and Plaza Mayor where she encountered several Filipinos, and at night partied at a famous club.

“I went home by myself — oo na may mga naga-assume! — I didn’t bring anyone with me to my hotel,” Andrea adamantly clarified.

The clarification likely comes after fans pointed out that fellow Kapamilya Daniel Padilla had also visited Spain in the same areas and their individual photos went viral following Daniel’s break-up with longtime partner Kathryn Bernardo.

Andrea was tipped as the reason for the split, however it should be noted that Andrea and Daniel’s Spain trips were several weeks apart.

During another free night in Madrid Andrea managed to drop by the 360º Sky Bar without a reservation because a teenage Filipina invited her to join her table, spending the rest of the evening with her and a friend, and in another watched a flamenco show.

entertainment 9 Celebrating the multi-talented Ogie Diaz

Towards the end of her trip while visiting the Royal Palace of Madrid, Andrea encountered a Filipino couple who offered to take photos of her as she was alone, and at night met up with friends she learned were also in the Spanish capital.

On Instagram, Andrea posted a similar video this time reflecting on 2023 which she compared to a wild roller coaster, “It’s like I was three different people this year, with everything that has happened shaping me into who I am now.”

The actress noted key moments like beginning her own makeup business Lucky Beauty, getting noticed by idols like BLACKPINK and Sabrina Carpenter, attending Milan Fashion Week, and the previously mentioned solo trip to Spain.

“This year, like a lot of people, I have been hurt and I have hurt, I have cried and I have laughed, I have loved and I have lost, I have been broken and repaired, I have stumbled and learned,” Andrea said.

The young actress ended by describing 2023 as a year of healing that made here stronger and wiser, and hoped 2024 would be one of growth.

JANUARY 2 marks the 54th birthday of one of my very few closest friends this side of showbiz — Roger Pandaan in real life or more popularly known as Ogie Diaz.

No, this isn’t a tribute of sorts but a bit of history how we crossed paths, well, as fate would have it.

It was sometime in 1990 when the morning edition of “Headline Manila,” of which I was the entertainment editor, folded up. Since it was my first regular crack at showbiz, I felt I had to settle in another outlet with regular pay although times then were not as hard as they are today.

Compared to the tabloids, it was the fan magazines which were lording it over.

Considered a behemoth chain of publications then was the Graphic Arts (GASI) which also churned out a good number of the now-extinct komiks.

Probably next to the GASI fan mags which produced some of the revered names in showbiz writing was the Mariposa Publications. It was owned by then-couple Loren Banag and Cristy Fermin who dared to thrown down the gauntlet, so to speak, in the highly competitive magazine business.

Unlike the GASI mags, those published by Mariposa (Gossip, Scandals, Teenstars, Scandals, Rumors and later Bitchy) had to painstakingly make do with very little resources it had.

Made as mag covers were solo shots of celebrities on 3R, enlarged around which were graphics (from letter transfers or what we used to call “pulot”) of direct quotes ascribed to them.

In stark contrast, GASI’s mags had well-photographed windows with a stronger visual appeal any reader’s eyes could feast on. I remember having spoken personally to Cristy the day I applied for a

Ogie Diaz

job as an editor. It was under a coconut tree beside where her van was parked.

Cristy took me to the second floor of the duplex office, made me edit a pile of manuscripts on the spot while she watched.

Having been used to newspaper work, I must confess magazine editing sounded Greek to me. But it became a cushy job in no time. My fast learnings would not have been possible if it were not because of Ogie who mentored me as much as I taught him on matters he’d graciously ask my help for.

I got the job the day I applied. It was perfectly timed as the editor of the magazine (Scandals which was released every Tuesday) I got assigned to had left for good.

Ogie was already one of its regulars plus he wrote the “blind item” page using a catchy, funny pseudonym “Amy B. Yasis.” Ogie maintained columns in all five

Photo from Instagram/@ogie_diaz

mags.

His manuscripts were honestly any editor’s delight.

He made it easier for me as the moment I got hold of his Tuesday column, all I needed to do was to supply the head.

But wait, it wasn’t exactly a blissful life at all.

While Ogie’s manuscripts were untouched and clean, he’d flunk in the deadline department.

While all manuscripts must be strictly in by late afternoon unless there were important events or late breakers, Ogie’s would arrive the next morning.

I understood it if only because he had so much on his plate.

Then, Ogie was already gracing the TV and movies as a newbie in comedy. He was also making a name as showbiz talk show host.

Ogie had also tried his luck at talent management.

He was also running a VHS Continued on Page 10

10 community The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - January 3, 2024

MMZ Law: Your legacy protected

By Amrylois Ferido AJPress

FOR the Filipino community, family is one of the most important things.

The generations past, present, and future are what marks the legacy of every Filipino, whether they are here in the US or in the Philippines. MMZ Law is a law firm that protects these legacies and seeks to help those in need, especially in the area of Estate Planning. While the firm is located in Claremont, CA they cater to all communities and people throughout Southern California.

MMZ Law specializes in a variety of areas: estate planning, elder law, trust administration, special needs trust, conservatorship, and probate.

The law firm was founded in 2016 by Marivel Zialcita, MMZ Law’s lead attorney. She has been an attorney for over 21 years now, where she started her own practice just seven years ago. Asian Journal had the chance to speak to Zialcita as well as MMZ Law’s client coordinator, Bella Domingo, who is crucial in the firm’s interactions with clients.

“I’ve known I wanted to be an attorney since I was five years old. I just love learning, books, analyzing, and helping people. I also didn’t see many female attorneys out there or that looked like me,” Zialcita described, highlighting how significant her presence in the law community is as both a woman and Filipino. Her inspiration and dedication in founding MMZ Law stems from her own experiences.

“I don’t know why I chose trust and estate; I think trust and estate chose me very early,” she expressed, detailing how all of the firms she had been working for were either finance or estate based, signifying her already extensive experience in the field. “I knew I wanted to help families with their generational planning. That is our mark here (at MMZ Law). For those that are gone, that is the legacy they leave for their family moving forward,” Zialcita continued before describing how while

even within our Filipino community, there is sometimes a disconnect,” Zialcita continued, highlighting how Domingo helps her bridge a gap with their clients, especially those within the Filipino community. As Domingo speaks Tagalog, Zialcita expressed how she is able to interact and reach out with the Filipino client base much easier.

The Filipino community is important to Zialcita and Domingo, hence why the firm hopes to build a stronger connection with them. “I really want to outreach more into the Filipino community,” Zialcita expressed, explaining Marivel Zialcita, MMZ Law’s lead attorney how she hopes to collaborate, working with a civil lit firm for a sponsor, and donate time and few years, both her father and resources in furthering not just uncle became sick. law but also art and educational “I became a power of programs for Filipino youth. attorney for my dad and helped However, even when him through until he passed,” they were not doing much she recounted, detailing how outreach, Zialcita found that she also helped her uncle who many Filipinos had already had no family left. While helping been reaching out to her and her uncle, she realized that looking for her help. “What I there were more people out found is, while I was not doing there like him that needed help. any outreach in any community, “If it took me that long to find Filipinos in general were starting programs and do things for my to reach out to me and look own uncle as an attorney, what for me,” she explained, where more do people experience out around 20 to 30 percent of there just to give up,” Zialcita the clients coming to her were described.

Filipino.

To MMZ Law, the client “What more if we can go and their relationship with their out there in the community clients is important in every and actually let them know aspect of what they do. This is this is there for them and that where Bella Domingo steps in they can save generationally as the client coordinator for the for their families and pass on firm. “I am the front liner so if I that legacy,” Zialcita remarked. don’t do well at first, everything “I would see a lot of Filipino else fails,” Domingo described, families working and giving expressing how she is the first money back in the Philippines person that the clients come but not really thinking about in contact with. Domingo is what it means for their legacy the one who makes sure that and their generational planning communication with MMZ Law for their families. It’s a great clients runs smoothly. “Bella thing that we still think of is the person that makes our our families holistically, but I lives easier,” Zialcita added, think it is important to look emphasizing how this front and see what we can carry on desk aspect of Bella’s job is generationally,” she explained, important. highlighting how MMZ Law is “Bella came on with the the perfect place for Filipinos to perspective of a Filipino seek out this kind of guidance. growing up in the Philippines “Whatever issues they may and I’m in the perspective of a have, we are able to bridge Fil-Am that grew up in America. that gap for them very well This helps me all across the because I’ve lived it,” Zialcita board because unfortunately Continued on Page 11

Divorce mediation as an option prior to pursuing litigation Barrister’s Corner Atty. Kenneth uRsuA Reyes IF the divorcing parties are both reasonable in their expectations in resolving their family law case and if they don’t think involving lawyers in their divorce case early on would be an efficient and cost effective way of going about their divorce process, then perhaps mediation is the way to go. It can be a more cost effective option to resolve your family law issues. There may be situations where involving the wrong type of lawyers in either side of the case can turn your family law case into a circus and end up costing the parties unnecessary legal fees x2 (legal fees for each party). Remember, legal fees from both parties can rapidly escalate in litigation and those fees will be coming out of the same pie. If both you and your spouse are open to a fair and amicable settlement in your family law case and both of you are not interested in playing games or weaponizing the judicial process against the other spouse, then both of you can benefit from trying mediation first before pursuing litigation.

This can result to a less stressful process and preserve the size of the pie that both of you are trying to divide in your divorce case.

By hiring an experienced mediator in your case, the mediator will serve as a “neutral” in your case. A mediator with many years of family law trial experience to draw upon to advise you on a myriad of possible solutions to your family law issues that is fair to both parties under the California Family Code and case law can increase the chances of settling your case substantially and in cost effective manner with less stress. Further, both parties can share in the cost of the mediation services instead of

Minding Your Finances Atty. RAymond BulAon IS the government after you for unpaid IRS taxes that you cannot afford to pay? Do you get sick to your stomach not knowing what the government will do next to collect what you owe?

Most people think they have no recourse when it comes to dealing with the Internal Revenue Service. This is absolutely NOT TRUE! Don’t let the IRS take advantage of your lack of knowledge – because they will (it is, after all the, the government we’re talking about here).

News Alert: The IRS just announced this week that it will now go FULL-FORCE again in collecting taxes that you owe! This was temporarily put on pause during the pandemic and so the IRS was not doing much to collect in the last 3 years. That is about to change so expect to get a collection letter to be in your mailbox soon! What does that mean? That means that if you have ignored your IRS tax problems in the past, you can’t afford to do that anymore. The IRS is a giant collection agency that will not be ignored! They have an arsenal of weapons in their hands to make sure that you pay every penny that you owe. I’m talking about the IRS garnishing your wages, putting a tax lien on your home and other assets, freezing your bank account, and revoking your U.S. passport! You don’t think that can happen to you?

Do you really want to find out the hard way or do you want

each party paying for their own attorney to fight it out in court. If you have young children, taking a scorch earth position in litigation might not be a good idea. Remember, you will continue to co-parent your children even after the divorce case is over. Through mediation, you might be able to avoid burning bridges with your ex spouse. As part of the mediation services, mediators can also assist both parties in drafting the pleadings necessary to successfully complete the case. This may include filing the divorce petition, preparing the required financial disclosures, and drafting the settlement agreement and stipulated judgment should the parties successfully settle the case.

Of course, there is no guarantee that you will be able to come to an agreement but chances are higher is done through an experienced mediator. The good thing about family law is that each issue in a family law case is “divisible.” This means it is not an all or nothing predicament like in civil cases.

You do not have to settle all the issues. You can settle some of the issues that you are able to agree upon and litigation the other issues you have an impasse on in court at a later time. For those issues you cannot settle in mediation, you will still have a chance to litigate them in court at a later time and hire lawyers to represent you.

Both parties can also utilize experts as part of the mediation process. For example if you own a business and need the business to be appraised, the parties may jointly retain an expert for purposes of appraising the business during the mediation process in order to arrive at a fair and equitable division of community property. If you own a property prior to marriage but there was a mortgage on the property which was paid using community income during the marriage, you may have to involve an forensic accounting expert to calculate and apportion the community interest in the property during

the mediation process.

In addition, most statements during mediation are privileged and confidential. The only statement or writing made in connection with mediation which can be disclosed without the express consent of both parties is the settlement agreement reached during the mediation. Except for limited exceptions created by the courts, nothing else said or written during or in the course of the mediation, or for the purpose of the mediation, can be received in evidence, compelled in discovery, or compelled as testimony in any proceeding. California Evidence Code Section 1119, 1121, and 1123.

Of course, both you and your spouse need to agree to give mediation a chance and will be jointly retainer the services of a neutral.

Mediation should be a process to think about as an option in your divorce prior to litigation.

It can save you a lot of agony and resources. *** Please note that this article is not legal advice and is not intended as legal advice. The article is intended to provide only general, non-specific legal information. This article is not intended to cover all the issues related to the topic discussed. The specific facts that apply to your matter may make the outcome different than would be anticipated by you. This article does create any attorney client relationship between you and the Law Offices of Kenneth U. Reyes, APC. This article is not a solicitation. *** Attorney Kenneth Ursua Reyes is a Board Certified Family Law Specialist.

He was President of the Philippine American Bar Association. He is a member of both the Family law section and Immigration law section of the Los Angeles County Bar Association.

He is a graduate of Southwestern University Law School in Los Angeles and California State University, San Bernardino School of Business Administration. He has extensive CPA experience prior to law practice. LAW OFFICES OF KENNETH REYES, P.C. is located at 3699 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 700, Los Angeles, CA, 90010. Tel. (213) 388-1611 or e-mail kenneth@ kenreyeslaw.com or visit our website at Kenreyeslaw.com.

(Advertising Supplement)

Tax problems? Don’t let The IRS ruin your life!

to do something about it now BEFORE the worst happens?

There are completely legal and ethical ways to put the IRS at bay. What you need is the knowledge about IRS procedures and rules that will help you in fighting the tax man. You have legal rights as a taxpayer but if you don’t know what they are, there’s a chance you’re not getting a fair deal when dealing with the government. These powerful strategies I’m talking about can buy you precious time to save your business, your assets, and your sanity!

Is your tax bill GROWING every day? Believe it or not, the penalties and interest that the IRS is charging you can exceed 20% in some cases!

This means that if you can just get some of the penalties and interest removed from your account, you can drastically reduce the total amount of your tax debt. Of course, the government will not tell you this and it is up to you to find out for yourself how this can be possible under certain circumstances. Ultimately, you want to accomplish four primary objectives when fighting the IRS: 1. Remove the threat and worry of the taxing authorities taking aggressive collection action against your income and assets.

2. Seek a reduction in the total amount of debt.

3. Negotiate a formal resolution to your tax situation that will be the most affordable arrangement given your financial situation.

4. Ensure the appropriate

steps are taken to permanently eliminate any possibility of a future tax burden.

If you owe the IRS, the State or both and don’t have the money to pay them, I would like to help you resolve your tax liabilities. My office will work diligently to prevent any enforced collection action such as bank account and accounts receivable levies and seizure of assets. After you hire me, you will never have to talk to the IRS again! As your attorney, I will call the IRS and deal with them directly while trying to find the best solution for your situation. I can help you wherever you are in the United States.

How about a good night’s sleep for a change? I know that having IRS problems can be very stressful, but unless you do something about it, nothing will change, and your problems just get worse over time. Call me now for a quick consultation and let’s talk about how we can get rid of your IRS problems forever!. ***

NOTE: Due to the current lockdown order caused by COVID-19, I am offering free consultations BY PHONE to anyone who needs help in dealing with their debt problems. *** None of the information herein is intended to give legal advice for any specific situation. Atty. Ray Bulaon has been in private practice for 23 years and have helped more than 6,000 clients obtain debt relief. For a free attorney evaluation of your situation, please call RJB Law Offices at TOLL FREE 1-866-471-8273.

(Advertising Supplement)

Celebrating the multi-talented...

From Page 9 rental business shebang in his Loreto, Manila neighborhood.

I bore witness to Ogie’s career goings-on in those five years of my Mariposa stint until I left.

While Ogie began charting his TV career in ABS-CBN, I was with a GMA weekend program as writer. There was hardly any issue despite our network affiliations.

In fact, Ogie and I would get reconnected more often — at ABS-CBN mediacons, parties, reunions, random gatherings and alike.

Regrettably, we barely keep tabs lately except on social media. But that is what Messenger was designed for — it keeps our communication lines open and easy to access.

I need not rub this in but Ogie knows how extremely proud I am of his achievements, but more so of his being able to weather life vicissitudes and vagaries. He knows he’s one person I hold dear, and vice versa.

Happy New Year, ‘teh. Happy 54th birthday! Here’s looking forward to seeing you cradle your first grandchild. Don’t you think it’s about time you became a lolo?

community 11 IPSC shooting: Today’s one of the most exciting shooting sports The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - January 3, 2024

By Manny V. Ilagan

PRACTICAL shooting, also called dynamic shooting or action shooting, is Iza Calzado and Toni Gonzaga Photo screengrabbed from Youtube/Toni Talks YouTube a type of shooting sports where players attempt to combine the three principles of power, speed, and accuracy by using a firearm with a minimum power factor to score points as quickly as possible.

One of the most exciting and difficult shooting sports available today is the International Practical Shooting IZA Calzado and Toni Gonzaga both kicked off their careers at Confederation (IPSC) shooting. IPSC was GMA, and as they recalled their famous confrontation scene in Star founded to protect the values of the sport, Cinema’s “Starting Over Again,” the two actresses also reminisced encourage its growth, and develop global about their time as Kapusos. regulations for the lawful, recreational use “Pero naalala ko kasi sabay tayo nag simula sa GMA. Nauna of weapons by morally upright individuals.

IPSC SHOOTING ENTHUSIASTS. From left to right: Dennis Nicolas, Dennis Manalo, Jojo Berango, Rick Gavino, Robert Co, Manny lang ako ng two years. Pero hindi kita makakalimutan kasi before What makes the IPSC shooting Ilagan, Buddy Bautista, Thurver Ordonez, Andy buencamino, Jimmy Vidanes (1911 speedshop), and Ding Aquino.

Eat Bulaga, All My Love. Naririnig ko na ‘yung pangalan mo Iza sport so appealing is that the shooting Calzado na nag-dub niyan,” recalled Gonzaga. enthusiast is never short of challenges. combination in the dynamic marksmanship targets that react when struck, penalty Calzado looked back on the projects she did with her first IPSC shooting keeps the competitor’s skills discipline of Practical Shooting, one must targets, targets that are partially covered, network while highlighting that she had always wanted to enter up to date and challenging by providing possess a mix of power, accuracy, and obstacles, and movement are all included show biz since she was a little girl. a variety of courses. To achieve a winning speed. Multiple targets, moving targets, in this discipline.

“Commercial, Kung Mawawala Ka, Mis Tres Hermanas, then Te Amo. Kung Mawawala Ka, my first show! With Cogie and Sunshine,” she said.

“Bata ako, gusto ko talaga [mag-artista] dahil si daddy diba nasa industriya. Nag artista ako for a bit nung bata ako. I wanted to be in That’s Entertainment.” reminisced Calzado. bang ways if ever merong gusto think we figured out on how Because traveling is not all fun, From Page 9 However, the “Encantadia” star admitted that when she started decide what we should do. (gawin).” we could fix it if ever may it’s also planning and dealing to gain weight as a kid, she left the industry for a while before So, we took turns in terms of After their first big trip in mag-come up na mga ganun. with weather, health, so we returning as an adult. planning,” furthered Rico.

2023, they’re looking forward Because when you are there, became sensitive to each other “When I was getting bigger, maybe I was getting self-conscious After touring for a month in to exploring more of the world you don’t have a choice. We after that.” kapag hindi ko nakukuha ‘yung role. I don’t know. Maybe things at a foreign place, Maris told this together. have to fix it. We are stuck with Rico admitted that there home weren’t so great, ayun I stopped,” she opened up. paper that their communication “My dream (vacation) is for each other in the middle of were times when they would Careers at GMA skills as a couple have us to be able to keep doing nowhere. So, I think that yun disagree on some things After almost a decade in the work, Calzado left GMA in 2012. In improved. “Individually and it (traveling together) until we ang naging initiative namin na during their vacation but they 2023, she paid a visit to the Kapuso network after appearing in Fast especially with each other. grow old,” declared Rico. like mag-discover kung paano were able to sort them out. “I Talk with Boy Abunda. The actress noted that regardless of which station she is at, she never forgets the people she worked with.

“Hello, mga Kapuso! It’s nice to be back. Hindi ko sukat akalain na mangyayari ito. So much has changed, but so many things are still the same. The love that I have for the people in this business, regardless of which station you’re from, basta nakatrabaho kita, and you made an impact in my life, siyempre hindi ako nakakalimot.

Even if you think nakakalimot ako, hindi ako nakakalimot,” affirmed Calzado.

Meanwhile, Gonzaga also began her career with GMA when she first appeared on the network comedy show ‘Bubble Gang’ and became one of the original hosts of the longest-running noontime show ‘Eat Bulaga from 2002 to 2005 before transferring to ABSCBN. (By Jessica Ann Evangelist/Inquirer.net)

Iza, Toni recall humble beginnings at GMA

Rico wants to travel the world more...

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The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - January 3, 2024

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