010621 - Los Angeles Midweek Edition

January 6-8, 2021 Volume 31 - No. 1 • 2 Sections - 14 Pages

MENDIOLA AJPress

THE Philippines is barring the entry of foreign travelers from the United States to prevent the transmission of the new COVID-19 variant.

The move comes after the new variant of the

virus was detected in Florida, following the first two known cases in Colorado and California. The U.S.’ fourth case was recorded in New York on Monday, January 4.

The U.S. now joins the list of countries under a travel ban, including the United Kingdom, Denmark, Ireland, Japan, Australia, Israel, the

by AJPRESS THE Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Tuesday, January 5, observed another spike in the number of COVID-19 cases among Filipinos abroad as it logged 67 additional infections.

This brings the total tally to 12,996, of which 3,632 are currently undergoing treatment.

The agency also reported 40 new recoveries, which raises the official number of recovered and discharged patients to 8,430.

Meanwhile, the death toll remained at 934 as no new fatalities were recorded by the DFA. “Today, the DFA reports a spike in the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases and recoveries, with 67 new cases and 40 new recoveries in Asia and the Pacific, Europe, and [the] Middle East and Africa,” the agency said.

“Meanwhile, no new COVID-19 fatality was reported,” it added.

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‘Last responders’ brace for surge in COVID deaths across US DEVOTEES. Churchgoers pray outside the Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene in Quiapo, Manila on Monday, January 4. Church officials remind the devotees to not go to Quiapo church during the Traslacion or Feast of the Black Nazarene on January 9. The Quiapo Church officials decided to localize the observance of the anticipated event by bringing the image to several areas in the Archdiocese of Manila and in neighboring dioceses to avoid mass gatherings at the church.

PNA photo by Avito C. Dalan

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Vilma Santos-Recto to refile bill Lorenzana backs AFP seeking new ABS-CBN franchise decision to drop probe PHILIPPINE Deputy Speaker Vilma Santos-Recto on Monday, January 4, said that she will refile a bill seeking to give broadcast giant ABS-CBN a fresh 25-year franchise.

“I am refiling the bill seeking for the renewal for another 25 years of the ABS-CBN franchise. I filed it the last time and I continue to believe that it is the right thing to do,” she told Inquirer.net in a text message.

Santos-Recto’s statement came after Philippine Senate President Vicente Sotto III filed Senate Bill No. Philippine Deputy Speaker Vilma Santos-Recto Inquirer.net photo

of PSG vaccinations

by FRANCES

MANGOSING Inquirer.net

MANILA— Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana on Tuesday, January 5 said he supported the decision of Armed Forces of the Philippines chief of staff Gen. Gilbert Gapay to drop a plan to investigate the use by u PAGE A2 the Presidential Security Group (PSG) of a Chinese coronavirus vaccine that had not been approved by Philippine authorities.

“I support it. It is in compliance with the President’s statement last night,” Lorenzana said of Gapay’s decision to stop the investigation. to violate pandemic protocol, Cal/ “In fact I told them at the start OSHA has the authority to shut it down.

Recent outbreaks in vulnerable areas like the Central Valley and Southern California — where ICU capacity remains at 0% — highlight the impact of employers who were slow to report workplace outbreaks.

SB 1159: COVID-19 workers’ compensation Workers who contract COVID19 on the job will now more easily become eligible for workers’ compensation benefits with SB 1159, which makes it easier for COVID-19 to be classified as an occupational injury if a worker

New year brings 5 new laws in California COVID-19 workplace protections, minimum wage raise and criminal justice reform breaks to public health officials within 48 hours of an outbreak.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, many employers have opted to provide written notification of outbreaks or exposures in the workplace for ethical reasons; this law simply makes that a legal obligation.

These written notifications must be detailed and be distributed to any worker who was in physical contact with the “qualifying individual” (the infected worker) within the “infectious period.”

This also gives more power to Cal/OSHA to enforce pandemic safety violations and protect workers. If a workplace is found

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Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana

Inquirer.net photo

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NEW year, new laws.

On Jan. 1, a flurry of new laws came into effect in California.

Some of these laws were set in motion years ago and were simply on the docket, but many of these new laws reflect the unique trials and tragedies brought forth the previous year: especially, the coronavirus pandemic, the economic fallout of the pandemic, wildfires and criminal justice.

The pandemic has especially influenced the new set of laws, which seek to quell outbreak surges in places like Los Angeles County, which has experienced

increases of in-person gatherings and record-shattering increases in infection, hospital capacity and death due to COVID-19.

Hundreds of bills were signed into law and scheduled to take effect in 2021 — such as new protections for student loan borrowers that’ll go into effect in July — but many of them won’t be enacted until later this year.

Here are six of the most crucial laws that went into effect on the first day of 2021.

AB 685: COVID-19 workplace protections Employers are now required by law to notify workers of potential exposures to COVID-19 in the workplace and report any out-

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MEDENILLA AJPress

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by KLARIZE

not to investigate,” he told Inquirer.net. But, he added, the AFP chief “has already said they will.”

Gapay canceled the investigation, which had been scheduled to start on Tuesday (Jan. 5), following President Rodrigo Duterte’s order to the PSG, his close-in security detail, not to divulge details about the vaccination and ignore Senate summons.

For Lorenzana, the issue was already “moot and academic and we will not engage in anymore discussion.”

“Let the concerned agencies pursue their investigations,” he

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DFA sees new spike in infections among overseas Filipinos

LOS Angeles County continues to hold onto its title of the worst, coronavirus-striken county in the country.

As of Tuesday, Jan. 5, LA County has recorded 11,071 deaths related to the COVID19 so far, putting into sharper focus the dire situation in the county as ICUs across the Southern California region continue to be at a critical low. (The single-day increase from Monday to Tuesday was 224 deaths.)

In other words, in less than a week, the county docked more than 1,000 new COVID-19 deaths; on Wednesday, Dec. 30, the county reported 10,056 fatalities.

Currently, 7,898 people are currently hos-

FUNERAL director Kevin Spitzer has been overwhelmed with COVID-related deaths in the small city of Aberdeen, South Dakota.

He and his two colleagues at the SpitzerMiller Funeral Home have been working 1215 hours a day, seven days a week, to keep up with the demand in the community of 26,000.

The funerals are sparsely attended, which would have been unthinkable before the pandemic.

“We had a funeral for a younger man one recent Saturday, and not 20 people came, because most everyone was just afraid,” he said.

As COVID-19 has spread from big cities to rural communities, it has stressed not only hospitals, but also what some euphemistically call “last responders.” The crush has overwhelmed morgues, funeral homes and religious leaders, required ingenuity and even changed the rituals of honoring the dead.

Officials in many smaller cities and towns learned from seeing the overflow of bodies during last spring’s first wave of COVID deaths in places such as Detroit, where nurses at Detroit Medical Center Sinai-Grace Hospital

Netherlands, Hong Kong, Switzerland, France, Germany, Iceland, Italy, Lebanon, Singapore, Sweden, South Korea, South Africa, Canada, and Spain.

“The Office of the President, upon the joint recommendation of the Department of Health

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Emergency services stretched thin as hospitals continue to be overrun

by RITCHEL

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FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA

US travelers banned from entering PH amid new COVID-19 variant

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DATELINE LA County exceeds 11K COVID-19 deaths, ICU capacity remains 0%

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From the Front Page

US travelers banned from...

PAGE A1 and the Department of Foreign Affairs, included the United States of America (U.S.) as among the countries subject to travel restrictions,” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said Friday, January 1.

Foreign passengers coming from the U.S., or who have been to the U.S. within 14 days preceding arrival in the Philippines, are prohibited from entering the country from January 3 to January 15.

However, those who arrived before January 3 were allowed to enter the country if they undergo a 14-day quarantine regardless of a negative COVID19 swab test result.

Filipino nationals are exempted from the restriction, but they are likewise required to undergo a 14-day quarantine.

Malacañang also said that both Filipino and foreign travelers transiting through any of the countries covered by the travel ban “shall not be deemed as having come from or having been to that country” provided that they stayed in the airport the whole time and were not cleared for entry by immigration authorities.

They are also not required to complete a 14-day facilitybased quarantine and may be allowed home quarantine after getting a negative RT-PCR test

result at the point of entry.

Transiting foreign passengers who left the airport or were cleared for entry into the country covered by Manila’s travel restrictions are likewise prohibited from entering the Philippines.

Meanwhile, transiting Filipino citizens who left the airport or were cleared for entry into the country covered by the travel restrictions are allowed to enter the Philippines provided they undergo an absolute facility-based 14-day quarantine period, even if they obtain a negative RT-PCR test result.

As of this writing, the Philippines has recorded 479,693 COVID-19 cases and 9,321 fatalities, according to the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center.

Bello: Expanding travel restrictions to OFWs being studied The Philippine government’s Inter-Agency Task Force on the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) is also studying the possibility of prohibiting the entry of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) from countries with confirmed cases of the new virus variant.

“Right now, if the traveler is coming from the 21 countries, he will not be allowed to enter. The only exemption [is] if you’re an OFW, but there is a

move that even OFWs will be included, but it’s still being studied,” Philippine Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said in a virtual forum on Monday, January 4.

So far, no OFW has caught the new strain, according to Bello.

“Once we find an OFW contaminated by this new COVID19 variant, this might be a factor that will move the IATF-EID to consider including them in the restriction,” he added.

The labor chief also revealed that the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) is concerned about the shortage of quarantine facilities for OFWs. “I just had a meeting with OWWA administrator Hans Cacdac and he is apprehensive that we’ve run out of quarantine because we are repatriating at least 1,000 to a maximum of 3,500 OFWs a day,” Bello said.

A total of 327,511 OFWs have been repatriated since the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs started its COVID-19 repatriation flights in 2020.

Of the figure, 231,537 were land-based OFWs coming from at least 90 countries, while 95,974 were seafarers from more than 150 cruise ships, oil tankers, and other bulk vessels. n

BELIEF. Catholic devotees buy an image of the Black Nazarene outside the Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene after the mass in Quiapo, Manila on Monday, January 4. In an effort to still celebrate the Traslacion or Feast of the Black Nazarene on January 9, the Quiapo Church has decided to localize the observance of the anticipated event by bringing the image to several areas in the Archdiocese of Manila and in neighboring dioceses to avoid mass gatherings at the church.

PNA photo by Avito C. Dalan

DFA sees new spike in infections among...

PAGE A1 Overall by region, Europe – which comprises 20 countries – has recorded 1,794 Filipino cases, including 339 undergoing treatment, 1,337 recoveries and 118 deaths.

The Middle East and Africa, covering 33 countries, has re-

ported 7,712 cases; of which, 2,421 are undergoing treatment, 601 deaths and 4,690 recoveries.

The Asia Pacific region, which spans across 21 countries, has 2,708 cases, with 810 undergoing treatment, 1,877 recoveries, and 21 deaths.

The Americas – covering 10 countries like the United States – have 782 reported cases, with 62 undergoing treatment, 526 recoveries, and 194 deaths.

“To date, the Middle East and Africa remain to be the region with the most number of con-

firmed COVID-19 cases, recoveries, under treatment, and fatalities among our nationals,” the DFA noted.

“The Americas has the least numbers in all categories compared to other geographic regions, except in the total number of deaths, wherein Asia and the Pacific rank lowest with a total of only 21,” it added.

Meanwhile, in the Philippines, there are a total of 479,693 confirmed COVID-19 cases, with 9,321 fatalities and 448,375 recoveries. n

Vilma Santos-Recto to refile...

PAGE A1 1967, which seeks to give ABSCBN a fresh legislative franchise, citing the importance of television as the main source of information for most Filipinos.

“We need to start rebuilding our economy,” Santos-Recto said.

“Through this bill, we will be creating jobs (so many people do not have jobs today) and help promote healthy competition among the networks. Most importantly, di mapagkakaila ang (one cannot deny the) far reach ng ABS-CBN in the regions during calamities,” she added.

Santos-Recto expressed hope that the House Committee on Rules will “immediately act” on the counterpart measure of Sotto’s bill so that “it will hopefully be referred to the Committee on Legislative Franchises the soonest.”

Under the 1987 Constitution, private bills like the granting and renewal of franchises must first be approved by the House of Representatives before the Senate can tackle it in plenary.

According to Sotto, ABSCBN’s franchise renewal has a “better chance” now with the change of House officials.

“New (House) Speaker, new

officers. (There) could be a better chance,” he told the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

Meanwhile, Santos-Recto said she is “hoping for the best.”

In July 2020, the Philippine House of Representatives rejected the bills seeking to grant ABS-CBN a new 25-year franchise.

Voting 70 to 11, the House Committee on Legislative Franchises adopted the recommendation of its technical working group to deny the network a new franchise. Two congressmen inhibited while one abstained.

ABS-CBN stopped its operations on May 5, 2020 in compliance with the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC’s) cease and desist order due to the expiration of its congressional franchise.

The order directed ABS-CBN to shut down its various TV and radio broadcasting stations nationwide “sent a valid Congressional Franchise as required by law.”

Republic Act No. 7966, which granted the network a 25-year franchise to operate TV and radio broadcasting stations expired on May 4, 2020. n

Lorenzana backs AFP decision...

PAGE A1 said.

Although he admitted that the vaccines were smuggled, the defense secretary said last week that the PSG action was “justified” because it showed the PSG intent to protect the President from infection by getting vaccinated.

PSG commander Brig. Gen. Jesus Durante III earlier said that some of his unit’s members injected themselves with the vaccine in September and October.

He did not disclose the manufacturer of the vaccine and its source.

It was Duterte who first revealed in December the use of vaccines from the Chinese state drug company Sinopharm by members of the Philippine mili- PSG commander Brig. Gen. Jesus Durante III Inquirer.net photo tary, including those in the PSG. In Filipino, Arevalo told reportBut on Monday night (Jan. 4), Duterte said he had no knowl- ers that Duterte’s message was clear—he did not want an invesedge of the vaccination.

Both Lorenzana and Gapay tigation and that it was directed earlier claimed they did not know at Congress or the Senate.

He said the AFP, being under about the PSG’s vaccinations bethe Executive, “should be able to forehand.

The Philippines’ Food and understand.”

“In the military, we call that Drug Administration has yet to approve a coronavirus vaccine, commander’s intent,” Arevalo making the importation and dis- said.

He said the AFP need not be tribution of such as illegal.

While Duterte’s order appeared told directly by Duterte to stop to be related to the Senate’s plan the investigation “because he is to summon the PSG commander our commander in chief.” “So if in relation to the inquiry on the that’s what he’s saying, we don’t government’s vaccination plan, have to be told that the PSG Gapay canceled the military’s should not attend,” Arevalo said.

If the military pursued an inown probe because it appeared vestigation without the particito be Duterte’s wish.

“We should be able to read pation of the PSG, as ordered by in (sic) between the lines,” said Duterte, then the probe would AFP spokesperson Maj. Gen. Ed- be an “exercise in futility,” he added. n gard Arevalo.

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LAX shares tips for essential travel amid the pandemic

LOS Angeles city, state and health officials continue to urge people to avoid traveling for the winter holidays to help stop the spread of COVID-19. For those who need to fly, Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) wants passengers to understand the many protocols, physical changes and technologies that will help them Travel Safely at LAX. “We are grateful to see so many people heeding the warnings of our public health officials to avoid unnecessary travel and gatherings outside of their own household, but we also know that there will be some people who will still need to head to the airport this holiday season,” said Justin Erbacci, Chief Executive Officer, LAWA. “For those who must fly, we have safe, clean facilities and new services such as on-site COVID-19 testing to provide an extra layer of protection for our passengers and employees.”

Last year, nearly 5.9 million passengers used LAX during the winter holiday period between Dec. 13, 2019, and Jan. 6, 2020.

So far in December, passenger traffic has been about 27 percent compared to the same days last year, compared to 31.4 percent in November. The decrease in passengers is likely linked to public health guidance to avoid unnecessary travel, although an increasing number of people have traveled in the week leading to Christmas, so far, averaging about 40,000 people through the security checkpoints over the last few days.

Airlines have scheduled 18,341 commercial passenger flights

at LAX for the period between Dec. 16 and Jan. 4 for an average of 917 flights a day. For the same period last year there were 35,435 flights, averaging 1,772 flights per day. This is a reduction of 48 percent compared to available flights last year. It’s unknown how full those flights will be, and schedules may continue to change based on demand.

Many travelers will be coming to LAX over the holidays for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic, and there have been many changes designed to protect airport guests through a layered approach. Here’s a look at what passengers should expect, and tips to ensure a successful airport journey this holiday season and beyond.

Key Tips for Success Do not travel if you don’t have to.

Do not come to the airport if you are sick.

Wear a face covering at all times. Face coverings are required at LAX for everyone.

Most airlines also require a face covering on the aircraft, and refusal to wear one will likely result in being denied boarding. We now have Travel Safely Ambassadors working to remind guests to wear a face covering and provide a free one if needed.

Click here to watch a video of the LAX Travel Safely Ambassadors in action.

Follow public health guidance and wash your hands frequently, using soap and water for at least 20 seconds. LAX has provided 350 hand sanitizing stations for use throughout the airport. Use hand sanitizer when washing

Safety measures from plexiglass to touchless scanning have been implemented at LAX

isn’t possible. Avoid touching your face, mouth, nose eyes and ears.

Remain physically distanced.

While LAX has installed signage at security screening, along jet bridges, at baggage claims and other locations to help guests remain physically separated, it is everyone’s individual responsibility to maintain a distance of six feet from one another at all times. Signage on elevators will indicate whether two or three people are allowed in the elevator at a time, depending on the size of the elevator (family groups are exempt from this limit). LAX requests that those who are able to take an escalator or stairs do so, so the elevators can be reserved for those who need them.

Check in online with your airline before you leave for the airport. This prevents the need to interact with a check-in kiosk. If you are traveling without checked luggage, you can skip the ticket counters entirely this way.

Check parking options ahead of time. Real-time parking availability within the LAX Central Terminal Area (CTA) parking structures is available here.

Parking structures could fill up at any time, so be aware of offairport private lots as alternatives. Economy Lot E remains closed.

Parking and traffic updates are available 24/7 via the automated @FlyLAXstats Twitter feed.

Picking someone up? Curbside pickup and drop-off is permitted on the Upper/Departures and PAGE A4

SWAB TEST. A Manila resident undergoes a swab test at the San Andres facility on Tuesday, January 5. The city government recently announced that it would require residents returning from vacation during the Christmas season in the provinces to be tested before they could go back to their homes.

PNA photo by Avito C. Dalan

‘Last responders’ brace for surge in...

PAGE A1 alerted the media to bodies accumulating in hospital storage rooms. They watched as New York hospitals and funeral homes marshaled refrigerated trucks to store bodies. More than 600 bodies of people who died in the spring COVID surge remain in freezer trucks on the Brooklyn waterfront because officials can’t find next of kin, or relatives are also sick or unable to pay for burial.

People like Dr. Robert Kurtzman, Montana’s chief medical examiner, took heed. Last spring, he worked with funeral directors and others to study the state’s morgue capacity. After looking at COVID projections, the state arranged with the Montana National Guard to have 13 refrigerated semitrucks ready to dispatch anywhere in the state.

“We are already in a precarious position, and the projections present a scary proposition,” he said.

“We need to be ready for worstcase scenarios.”

Chad Towner, CEO of St. Joseph Health System, which has two hospitals in northern Indiana, ordered two refrigerated semitrailers in April. For a time, things were relatively quiet. But the pandemic has hit.

“I told a friend who was a COVID doubter that if my wife needed a bed today, I could not arrange one. That’s the dire situation we face here,” Towner said. “All our competitors in the area are in the same boat, and we’re working to-

gether instead of competing.”

Although the freezer trucks have not yet been needed, he worries that the sharp increase in cases, and those anticipated from holiday gatherings, will make lastresort measures necessary.

“We recently had four deaths in one afternoon,” said Towner. “A priest approached me to say he’d been asked to provide last rites to three patients in one hour.”

Moving bodies from the hospital morgue is a slower process than usual, he said. “Morticians and funeral homes are overflowing as well. Families that are sick or quarantined at the time of the loved one’s death often can’t work with us on a transfer, meaning bodies are here longer. The entire system is stressed to the tipping point,” said Towner.

Private enterprise has created a solution for smaller communities.

In Bozeman, Montana, a specialty truck company has retrofitted trailers that can be pulled by an SUV or a pickup.

Acela Truck Co. has already sold hundreds of the pull-behind refrigerated units created in response to the COVID pandemic.

They range from 9 to 53 feet and have racks that each hold four body trays. “We’re very busy and have orders in all of the lower 48 states,” said CEO David Ronsen.

Acela has partnered with Mopec, a Michigan autopsy supply company, to help sell and deliver the new product.

Billings Clinic in Montana also

anticipated a flood of deaths last spring by reserving a semitrailer for delivery, if needed. The clinic, which has just two morgue spaces, has dealt with 80 COVID deaths, including seven on the weekend after Thanksgiving.

Chief Nursing Officer Laurie Smith said the hospital is at capacity, despite adding beds by converting office space and building an addition. The hospital, which currently has 335 beds, so far has handled the additional deaths through what she calls a “sad partnership” with funeral homes, which have been quickly picking up bodies the hospital cannot store.

The hospital does its best to allow relatives to say goodbye, but that often involves family members standing at an interior window outside the patient’s room, using a computer tablet to communicate their last words.

That is just one way in which the rituals of grieving have changed during the COVID pandemic.

Typical congregational hymns are pretty much gone, as are choirs.

“We are using mostly recordings, sometimes a soloist,” said Spitzer. (Cindy Loose/Kaiser Health News) This story was produced by KHN (Kaiser Health News), which publishes California Healthline, an editorially independent service of the California Health Care Foundation. KHN is not affiliated with Kaiser Permanente. n

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LA County imposes mandatory 10-day quarantine for travelers

INTERNET EXPANSION. A technician installs internet cables to a post near an internet satellite tower on Salvia Street at Saint Dominic Subdivision in Barangay Kaligayahan Novaliches, Fairview in Quezon City on Tuesday, January 5. The internet provider is expanding its network capacity to accommodate more subscribers.

PNA photo by Oliver Marquez

Bianca Pagdanganan keeps rookie status in LPGA

by Dante

navarro Philstar.com

Bianca Pagdanganan will likely return to competitive play in March or April still as a rookie as the LPGA Tour restricted the players’ status in 2020 with the rankings carried into the new season.

Pagdanganan sneaked back into the country last week for the New Year holidays and played a round the other day at a top course in Cavite. She enjoyed every minute of her break following her maiden season in the world’s premier ladies circuit.

But the ICTSI-backed ace frets over the possibility of encountering problems when she returns to the US at the end of the month due to border lockdowns in an effort to help curb the spread of the new coronavirus variant, which has spread to a dozen of countries, including the US. It has infected people in Colorado, California and Florida, which will host the kickoff leg of a 34-tournament 2021 calendar on Jan. 21-24 in Lake Buena Vista in Orlando.

In a recent announcement, LPGA commissioner Mike Whan outlined broad revisions on how the Tour will treat the 2020 and 2021 seasons, including the players’ status and qualifying. Rookies in 2020 will remain rookies in

Bianca Pagdanganan

2021.

“Pursuant to the goals of presenting as many playing opportunities as possible while being fair to everyone in the abbreviated (2020) season, the LPGA Tour will essentially freeze players’ status in 2020 with that (status) carried into 2021,” said Whan.

He stressed that the reason for the freezing of the players’ status is because players were not given the season they earned through their 2019 results due to the global health crisis that led to the cancellation of a number of money-rich tournaments.

Pagdanganan made quite an

Philstar.com file photo

impact in her rookie season, winning the driving honors with her 284-yard norm. She also posted eight consecutive cuts made, spiked by a joint ninth-place effort in her first major, the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, and a best third-place feat in the LPGA Drive On Championship.

She, however, missed the cut in her second crack at a major, the US Women’s Open, and closed out her stint with a tied for 68th finish in the CME Group Tour Championship. She is currently ranked No. 150 in the world after starting out at No. 798. n

AS Los Angeles County continues to grapple with record-high infections and deaths related to COVID-19, it is imposing a mandatory 10-day quarantine on individuals who travel into the county from outside the Southern California region.

The directive, which took effect on December 30, 2020, expands on the state’s travel advisory, which provides both that Californians stay home or in their region and avoid non-essential travel and persons who arrive into any region of California self-quarantine for 10 days after arrival.

The County Health Officer discourages travel, especially for non-essential purposes.

“Because travel involves mixing of persons between regions and households, and because so many areas of the State and United States are also currently experiencing significant surges in COVID-19 cases, travel is discouraged and should be minimized,” the directive said.

Quarantine requirements All persons traveling into Los Angeles County, whether by air, car, train, or any other means, directly or indirectly from a point of origin outside the Southern California Region, defined as the counties of Imperial, Inyo, Los Angeles, Mono, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura, must quarantine for at least 10 days after arrival.

“Quarantine” means staying at home or another place of temporary shelter and away from contact with others, including those in

one’s household (unless they are also under quarantine), for a period of 10 days. Quarantine may end after Day 10 if the traveler(s) never had any symptoms and they must continue to monitor themselves for COVID-19 symptoms for 14 days after arrival.

Exemptions There are several exemptions to the quarantine order, includ-

ing licensed healthcare professionals; those working to perform an essential government function or critical infrastructure, and members of professional or college sports teams, film or media production personnel Those passing through LA County and are not staying overnight are also exempt. (AJPress)

LA County exceeds 11K COVID-19 deaths...

PAGE A1

pitalized with COVID-19 with 21% of these patients in intensive care, according to LA County Public Health. As of Tuesday, there were 13,512 new cases of COVID-19 across the county.

The influx of cases, hospitalizations and deaths likely stems from the holiday season when thousands of people, although advised against partaking in large gatherings, celebrated with people outside their households.

“The increases in cases are likely to continue for weeks to come as a result of holiday and New Year’s Eve parties and returning travelers,” LA County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said. “We’re likely to experience the worst conditions in January that we’ve faced the entire pandemic. And that’s hard to imagine.”

Since the beginning of December, hospitals and health care

workers have been overrun with record-breaking numbers of cases that have exhausted the health care system in Southern California.

“Hospitals are declaring internal disaster and having to open church gyms to serve as hospital units,” said LA County Supervisor Hilda Solis, who called the situation in the county a “human disaster.”

She added, “Our health care workers are physically and mentally exhausted and sick.”

The worsening state in the county means that even those who need emergency health care services but don’t have COVID19 may not be taken to a hospital. The coronavirus onslaught continues to devastate the entire community as ambulance crews across the county are advised to not take patients who have little chance of survival to hospitals.

According to the LA County Emergency Medical Services (EMS), if a patient shows no signs of breathing or a pulse, EMS will try to resuscitate a pvatient for at least 20 minutes, and if they are stabilized, they would be taken to the hospital.

But patients who are declared dead or have no discernible pulse will not be transported to a hospital.

Supplemental oxygen is also at a critical low, meaning that EMS will only administer oxygen to patients with oxygen saturations below 90% — having an oxygen saturation of at least 90% is enough to maintain the regular circulation of blood in the body.

These changes to emergency services come at a time when a projected 1 in 17 people in LA County are currently infected with the disease. (Klarize Medenilla/AJPress)

New year brings 5 new laws...

PAGE A1 catches the virus at work.

Employees who suffer illness or death from COVID-19 between July 6, 2020 and Jan. 1, 2023 may be entitled to compensation. Since the beginning of the pandemic, many Californians were allowed to work from home, but millions of Californians who are deemed “essential workers” — including health care workers, retail and restaurant workers and deliverers, for example — have had to return to the workplace.

Among health care workers, there have been more than 67,000 confirmed positive cases and 250 deaths in California, as of Dec. 27.

Minimum wage increase Per a law that was signed by former California Gov. Jerry Brown in 2016, employers must now pay a minimum wage of $14 per hour, a dollar increase from last year’s hourly minimum wage.

Workplaces with fewer than 26 workers are now required to pay a minimum wage of $13.

The law that Brown signed in 2016 made it so that the state’s mandatory hourly minimum wage would increase every year until 2022 when it reached $15 an hour. Gov. Gavin Newsom decided to maintain the law, arguing that it could help families and individuals who work hourly jobs

who have financially struggled throughout the pandemic.

“Not allowing this increase to go forward will only make life harder for those Californians who have already borne a disproportionate share of the economic hardship caused by this pandemic,” Newsom said in a statement.

AB 2992: Expanded work leave for crime victims Victims of crime or abuse that has caused physical or mental injury are now eligible for job-protected leave. Specifically, these new protections involve individuals who have been victims of domestic abuse, sexual assault or stalking as well as any employee whose immediate family member is deceased as a direct result of any of these crimes.

AB 2992 imposes new limitations on employers from unfairly discriminating against or discharging employees who are victims of crime or abuse.

With domestic abuse on the rise as families continue to be sequestered at home due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this new law aims to protect victims. CA State Assemblymember Shirley Weber (D-San Diego) authored the bill as a way to “create a safe haven for survivors who need time to recover and get to safety following traumatic crimes, without the risk of losing their job.”

SB 1383: Expanded family leave California was the first state in the country to institute a paid family leave guarantee, and this law expands on that landmark legislation. SB 1383 would expand the types of situations that would be eligible if an employee at a small business needs to take time off to care for a loved one: domestic partners, grandparents and grandchildren, siblings and parents-in-law.

This law also expands existing protections to businesses that employ five people or more, which opens up paid family benefits to millions more Californians — a timely expansion during a time when more people, especially women, are taking time off work to care for family members.

CA Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson (D-Santa Barbara) authored the bill that passed in 2020 and noted that for years, all employed Californian workers pay into the paid family leave program (through deductions) but many don’t take advantage of it for fear of being discharged from their jobs.

According to the First 5 California Commission, 40% of California workers in 2020 were at risk of losing their jobs if they took leave to care for a newborn or a sick loved one because their employer was too small. n

LAX shares tips for essential travel amid...

PAGE A3

Lower/Arrivals levels. All parking structures are free for the first 15 minutes, and Terminal B (Tom Bradley International Terminal) pickup area is also free to use.

To access the Terminal B pickup, use the second entrance to Parking Structure 3 from World Way North on the Lower/Arrivals Level. This area is for passenger loading only with no parking allowed.

To help speed their journeys, travelers are encouraged to enroll in the Transportation Security Administration’s Pre√® or other trusted-traveler programs, such as U.S. Customs & Border Protection’s Global Entry, which improve security and reduce wait

times.

According to TSA, baked goods and other solid foods are allowed in carry-on luggage. This includes breads, cookies, candies and meat. However, jams, jellies, sauces, gravies or other liquids need to be in quantities of 3.4 ounces (100 milliliters) or less to travel in carry-on luggage. Anything over 3.4 ounces needs to be placed in a checked bag. For additional guidance, please visit the TSA’s “What Can I Bring?” website.

COVID-19 tests are available for purchase at three locations at LAX: Tom Bradley International Terminal on the Upper/Departures level at the check-in counters located in Aisle C, along the

north side of the terminal; Terminal 2 Lower/Arrivals Level at the information booth; and Terminal 6 Lower/Arrivals Level at the information booth.

Clarity Lab Solutions offers FDA-approved COVID-19 tests using a standard Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) nasal swab test and provide results directly to participants.

The PCR tests cost $125 each and are available by making an appointment online or on a walkup basis as available - appointments are strongly encouraged.

Testing services are offered seven days a week from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m.

For more information, visit www.FlyLAX.com/TravelSafely. n

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Dateline PhiliPPines

9 suspects in flight attendant rape-slay at large — PNP

by Darwin

Pesco ManilaTimes.net

NINE suspects in the rape-slay of a flight attendant are still at large, the Philippine National Police (PNP) reported.

Gen. Debold Sinas, PNP chief, said that three suspects were now in police custody following the death of Christine Angelica Dacera, 23.

John Pascual Dela Serna 3rd, 27; Rommel Daluro Galido, 29; and John Paul Reyes Halili, 25, were charged with rape with homicide during inquest proceedings at the Makati City Prosecutor’s Office on Monday, January 4.

The nine suspects at large were identified as Gregorio Angelo de Guzman; Louie de Lima; Clark Jezreel Rapinan; Rey Englis; Mark Anthony Rosales; Jammyr Cunanan; Valentine Rosales; a certain Ed Madrid; and a certain

Christine Dacera

Paul.

Sinas said a manhunt is ongoing.

Based on initial investigation, the victim and the suspects were at a New Year’s Eve party at the City Garden Hotel in Barangay

Photo from Instagram/@xtinedacer

Poblacion, Makati City.

The victim was found unconscious in the bathtub of her hotel room at noon of January 1, and was rushed to a nearby hospital, where she was declared dead by doctors. n

Magistrates, legal experts hit ICC probe

by Jomar

canlas ManilaTimes.net

MAGISTRATES and legal experts denounced the International Criminal Court (ICC) for pushing an investigation into the alleged extrajudicial killings in the Philippines during the government’s crackdown on illegal drugs and the prosecution of President Rodrigo Duterte as its chief architect.

Retired Supreme Court justice Noel Tijam, a member of the Judicial and Bar Council, told The Manila Times that the President cannot be prosecuted because a sitting President has “immunity from suit.”

Tijam referred to a case filed against former United States President Jimmy Carter, which stemmed from Carter’s scrapping of the US’ defense treaty with Taiwan.

Members of the US Congress questioned Carter’s decision to abrogate the treaty unilaterally. The US Supreme Court dismissed the case.

Tijam said international law cloaks a head of state with per-

sonal immunity or immunity ratione personae. The International Court of Justice itself has ruled that such an immunity “is fundamental to the continuance of diplomatic relations and are inviolable for the maintenance of foreign relations,” he added.

Duterte was well within his powers when he withdrew the Philippines from the ICC fold without the concurrence of the Senate, Tijam said.

“Moreover, the preamble of the ICC also expresses the clear legislative intent of the Diplomatic Conference to not allow the ICC to infringe upon the political independence of nations,” he continued.

Tijam said the inquiry conducted by ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda into the extrajudicial killings was simply an “exit report” that she needed to submit as among her accomplishments before she retires.

“It has not been submitted to a court,” he added.

Last December 15, Bensouda released a preliminary report where she concluded that there was evidence that crimes against

humanity had been committed in the Philippines under Duterte during the campaign against drugs.

The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency reported that 5,000 people died during the campaign from July 2016 to November 2018.

Bensouda said law enforcers were actively promoted and encouraged to kill suspected drug users and dealers.

Two justices who talked with The Manila Times on condition of anonymity agreed with Tijam that any case filed by the ICC has no legal footing in the Philippines.

“For as long the Philippine courts are functioning it appears that they cannot take cognizance of the case,” one justice said.

Another magistrate said Jude Josue Sabio has withdrawn his 2017 complaint of “crimes against humanity” before the ICC against Duterte, so there was no point in pursuing the case.

Former University of the East College of Law Dean Amado Valdez considers the ICC case as u PAGE A7

BACK TO WORK. Passengers queue at the Metro Rail Transit 3 (MRT3) North Avenue Station in Quezon City on Monday, January 4. Many businesses and offices have resumed operations on the first working day of the year after the long holidays.

PNA photo by Joey O. Razon

Child porn transactions hit P113M in 6 months by lawrence

agcaoili Philstar.com

MANILA — Suspicious transactions worth P113.1 million related to child pornography were reported in the first half of last year, almost double the P65.8 million booked in 2019 as the government stepped up its campaign against the sexual abuse of children, the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) revealed.

In a public bulletin titled “Child pornography in the Philippines,” the AMLC showed the volume of suspicious transaction reports (STRs) reached 27,217 from January to June 2020 or more than 2.5 times the 10,627 reported for the entire 2019.

“STRs submitted in the first semester of 2020 have already exceeded STRs submitted in 2019,” the AMLC said.

The financial intelligence unit pointed out that STRs related to child pornography reached 37,844 from January 2019 to June 2020, significantly higher than the 2,611 reported from 2015 to 2018.

It added that the STR submissions have increased by 1,654 percent from 2018 to 2019 and 156 percent from 2019 to the

first semester of 2020.

“This is expected to increase further until the end of 2020,” AMLC stated in the report.

The observed increase in STRs could be attributed to the sharing of the AMLC study on child pornography and the improved collaboration and cooperation of the AMLC with its partner covered persons.

As a result, AMLC said STRs filed by covered persons are based on existing indicators and not merely triggered by news reports. Moreover, various awareness campaigns and information exchange of the AMLC, law enforcement agencies and other financial intelligence units as well as private organizations also contributed to the increase in STR submissions.

The report showed 97.3 percent of the total STRs were submitted by money service businesses followed by electronic money issuers with 1.3 percent, banks with 1.2 percent and virtual currency exchanges with 0.1 percent.

In terms of value, money service businesses cornered 89.4 percent of the total amount from January 2019 to June 2020 followed by electronic money issuers with 6.9 percent, banks with

3.6 percent and virtual currency exchanges with 0.03 percent.

“The accessibility of money service businesses in most areas, including remote rural locations, may still be the primary reason for using them to channel funds. Some payments were also made via banks, noting that offenders and facilitators prefer to use traditional payment methods through money service businesses and banks,” AMLC said.

The financial intelligence unit also noted the use of electronic money issuers and virtual currency exchanges via electronic wallets accessible through mobile phones and other devices.

Of the total value from January 2019 to June 2020, the report showed 68.4 percent pertain to international remittances from the US, Australia, Canada, Saudi Arabia, United Kingdom, Norway, United Arab Emirates, Korea and Singapore.

Pampanga topped the list where recipients of remittances related to child pornography are located in terms of volume and value. It was followed by Cebu, Bulacan, Cavite and Quezon City.

The report also showed several domestic remittance transu PAGE A7

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A6 JANUARY 6-8, 2021 • SoCal ASIAN JOURNAL

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OPiniOn

A festering problem

FeatURes

WITH repeated emphasis on the presumption of innocence, President Duterte finally decided to publicly identify the members of the House of Representatives implicated in corruption in the Department of Public Works and Highways.

Eight incumbent congressmen and a former lawmaker were identified in a report prepared by the Presidential Anti-Crime Commission, which conducted a probe on corruption in the DPWH. The department had merited special mention by President Duterte himself for investigation.

PACC Commissioner Greco Belgica has explained that the lawmakers were not the subjects of the probe, since Congress is outside the PACC mandate. But the names of the congressmen surfaced in the course of the probe, Belgica said. The President, who initially refused to name the lawmakers in the PACC report, said they were linked to various anomalies including kickbacks ranging from 10 to 25%, bid rigging and influence peddling.

Such stories have in fact surfaced in the DPWH through several administrations. While the department has its share of rotten eggs, some DPWH officials in the past have lamented that

lawmakers also promoted corruption in the department. Even contractors that did not meet DPWH criteria were awarded projects due to pressure from lawmakers, the officials said.

It’s the public that suffers the consequences.

Studies conducted by groups including the World Bank have shown that road projects are among the biggest sources of corruption around the globe. And the cost of corruption is usually passed on to the end users, who suffer from substandard roads.

All the congressmen named in the PACC report have denied the allegations. The Department of Justice has stepped into the probe. The Office of the Ombudsman, champion of opaqueness in government, might be interested in pursuing its own probe. These stories have been swirling around the DPWH and Congress for years. A presidential body has unearthed leads. It’s time to find out the truth. (Philstar.com)

Editorial

The Fil-Am Perspective GEL SANTOS-RELOS “GEORGIA…Georgia on my mind”…must have been the soundtrack of Tuesday, January 6, 2021 as American voters in this state have once again cast their solemn vote through ballots — either through mail-in or in-person at polling stations throughout the state.

WHY again, you’d ask, especially when President-elect Joe Biden is constitutionally bound to be sworn into office as the 46th president of the United States by noontime of January 20, 2021, after his historic win to be the candidate for President who has won the biggest number of popular votes in American history?

This is true as well for Vice President-elect Kamala Harris — the first woman, and the first person of color to hold the second highest position in the Executive Department — who could possibly be the first woman president in the future.

This is how The Washington Post explained it: Ever since Trump lost to President-elect Biden, he has made repeated and false claims that widespread voter fraud cost him the presidency. Yet almost every single legal challenge filed on his

Georgia on my mind: Why this special Senate runoff election matters to effect change in America

behalf has been rejected by the courts, including the Supreme Court. His own attorney general said there was no evidence of widespread fraud.

Trump can count on about a dozen conservative senators, as well as scores of House Republicans, to press his case by objecting to the certification of results from some crucial battleground states.

Democrats, however, control the House, and are certain to reject any effort to overturn the outcome. Additionally, many Senate Republicans oppose the pro-Trump efforts.

That all but guarantees that after hours of debate, Congress will certify President-elect Biden’s victory, clearing the path for his inauguration Jan. 20.

Why does Georgia’s Senate runoff matter?

Georgia is on our mind NOT because it will give the outgoing President Donald J. Trump four more years as president to further shield him from all the legal woes he would be facing for all the alleged and reported criminal, civil, and political transgressions he has committed. No. Justice will prevail and he will be held accountable for all that he did and did not do according to

the oath he took as president.

Whatever the outcome of this special election will NOT affect the certification of Electoral College results by Congress, no matter how hard the propaganda machinery has been trying to make supporters believe that the election victory was “stolen” from Trump.

Georgia is on our mind because the results of this special election will determine if the leadership of the Senate will go blue — ejecting Republican Mitch McConnell from his post as Senate Majority Leader and paving the way for a Chuck Schumer leadership.

Last November 3, none of the Senatorial candidates in Georgia garnered more than 50% of the vote. This forced dueling runoff races between the top two vote-getters in each contest, the Post reported.

So the American voters in Georgia will be casting their most consequential decision that will determine if PresidentElect Joe Biden will be able to smoothly put into action the changes he campaigned on to “restore the soul of America” and “build back better” from the rubbles and ashes of the failed Trump leadership.

Hello Garci Trump-style

Street Talk

“I...am...sor..ry…”

GREG B. MACABENTA WITH these words of contrition, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo hoped to cleanse her presidency of the grave sin of “influencing” the 2004 Philippine election, which she had just pulled from under the feet of Tagalog movie action king, Fernando Poe Jr. Arroyo had just emerged victorious in a bruising contest for her first full-fledged presidential term, having served the balance of the aborted tenure of another film star, President Joseph “Erap” Estrada.

Estrada had been forced out of office through the combined efforts of the Philippine Congress, the Supreme Court, the military, civil society and his then-VicePresident Arroyo.

According to political pundits, it was the pseudo-Constitutional equivalent of a shotgun wedding. In a protest march reminiscent of the 1986 People Power dethronement of President Ferdinand Marcos, the military and civil society forced Estrada to “resign” the presidency. This was after an attempt by Congress to impeach him was suddenly discontinued without the

Philstar.com photo

requisite Senate trial and verdict of guilt. Estrada was, in effect, simply told to “cut and cut clean” like Marcos.

Supreme Court Chief Justice Hilario Davide, Jr. then swore in Arroyo as president on the grounds that Estrada had “resigned.” Actually, like Marcos, Estrada was threatened with forcible eviction, so he felt compelled to leave Malacañang.

At any rate, because Arroyo only served the balance of Estrada’s term that technically allowed her to run for a full term of six years. However, her election became questionable because of allegations of corruption. In fact, Arroyo stated at one point that she had no intention to run. However, she eventually changed her mind — and that was how she was pitted against another film star, FPJ. In a country that has always had difficulty telling the difference between reel and real heroes, Poe was expected to win handily.

Obviously, not wanting to take any chances, Arroyo placed a call to an official of the Commission on Elections (COMELEC), Virgilio Garcillano, nicknamed, Garci.

And thus, did “Hello Garci…” become part of Philippine politi-

cal lore.

Arroyo insisted that it was a perfectly legitimate call. She just wanted to have a sense of where the election was heading.

Of course, in the course of the “legitimate” conversation, she also suggested that Garci should ensure a million-vote victory for her.

And Garci agreed. What’s more, Garci delivered.

Thus was coined the term, “Garcified” and “Garcification.”

The trouble was, somebody in Malacañang recorded the conversation. The recording was subsequently leaked to the media and the political opposition in the Lower House moved to impeach Arroyo.

Of course, Americans are familiar with what happens to an impeachment proceeding against a president who has control of the Senate. Those who don’t know about the failed attempt to dislodge Donald Trump from the White House must have been asleep like Ichabod Crane in Washington Irving’s short story, “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.”

It was also a “perfectly legitimate” phone call to Volodymyr Zelensky, the President of Ukraine (rhymes with Ichabod Crane), that got Trump into

Avid Trump supporter Republican David Perdue seeks a second term in office and is challenged by Democrat Jon Ossoff.

Separately, the Post reported that appointed GOP Sen. Kelly Loeffler is running against Democrat Raphael Warnock to complete the remainder of retired Republican Sen. Johnny Isakson’s term.

What results are needed by both sides of the aisle to win?

The Post explained: “Republicans need to win only one of the races to secure a narrow 51-49 majority. But if Democrats take both seats, the Senate would be divided 50-50, with Vice President-elect Kamala Harris poised to cast tie-breaking votes once she takes office and assumes her duties as the Senate’s presiding officer.”

The Post further reported that the results of the elections will not change the “calculus in Congress when it comes to the Electoral College certification process.” This is because pursuant to quirks in Georgia election law, Perdue won’t be able to cast a vote Wednesday even if he wins.

“Perdue’s contest went to a Jan. 5 runoff that is being held after his term ended, he

is not a senator right now. If he wins, he can retake his seat after the results of his election are certified later this month and Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp issues a certificate stating he won. Loeffler, on the other hand, is still a senator. Her appointment by Kemp remains in effect until the winner of the election is sworn in,” the Post explained.

In the days leading up to the January 5 election, the New York Times reported that about 3.1 million people have already voted in the run-off races, and this accounts for almost 40% of all registered voters in the state.

The Times reported that based on early voting data, the races are very competitive, meaning the state that used to be “red” may have already evolved to be purple, and even blue, with the Democrats having an even bigger share of the early voting electorate compared to their share in the November general elections. The question now is: Will the Republicans be more compelled and motivated to vote in person to beat the fire and enthusiasm of Democratic voters lead by Stacey Abrams who has been turning the tide in Georgia by mobilizing people of color to

vote?

Despite the desperate efforts from Trump’s Republican minions in Congress who “pledged to undo Democrat Joe Biden’s victory by mounting a challenge to the election results during a joint session of Congress,” they will not be successful in subverting the will of the American people who decisively fired Trump and elected Biden to be president of the United States in the next four years.

HAPPY NEW YEAR! May 2021 clear the path toward new hope and new beginnings to fulfill our shared goals of healing and unity for the greater good of the American people. ***

trouble. Trump wanted Zelensky to make a public statement that the government of Ukraine was investigating allegations of corruption against Hunter Biden, the son of former Vice-President Joe Biden, apparently to dissuade Biden from challenging Trump’s reelection bid. This was an impeachable offense and the U.S. Democrats who had just regained control of the House of Representatives filed impeachment charges against Trump.

Unlike Arroyo, Trump was impeached but was, expectedly, acquitted by the Republicancontrolled Senate. In the case of Arroyo, she controlled both Houses of Congress and the attempt to impeach her did not prosper.

At the outset, Arroyo was rattled enough to actually go on national television to express remorse for what she had done. But as it became clearer and clearer that the impeachment threat was headed nowhere, she dug in her heels and in the classic tradition of Philippine politics, she went on to serve a full six years.

But at least, Arroyo said, “I... am...sor...ry!” Which is more than anyone can expect from Donald Trump.

And Arroyo did it only once.

Or, at least, she was exposed only once.

Trump’s version of “Hello Garci” was first exposed when he called up the President of Ukraine. And like the proverbial

dog who returns to his vomit, Trump made another questionable phone call again. And he has been exposed again - with an audio recording, no less. A virtual “smoking gun,” in the words of the Washington Post’s Carl Bernstein, recalling the White House audio recordings in the Watergate scandal that forced President Richard Nixon to resign.

Last week, still unwilling to accept the prospect of vacating the White House on January 20, Trump called up, Brad Raffensperger, the Secretary of State of Georgia, a fellow Republican, and suggested — and then demanded — that 11,800 votes be produced to overturn Joe Biden’s victory in the hitherto Republican-leaning State.

Fortunately, Raffensperger is one Republican with both cojones and integrity. Over Trump’s insistence that the election in Georgia had been “rigged” the Secretary of State denied that it was — in fact, the results had been counted and recounted two more times, with Biden’s victory being confirmed in each case. Trump even threatened Raffensperger, warning that the latter could get into trouble for not complying with Trump’s demand. But the Secretary of State held his ground.

This scandal is still developing. By the time this piece sees print, the Senate runoff elections in Georgia will have been held

and the winners — whether the Republican incumbent Senators David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler or their Democratic challengers Jon Ossooff and Raphael Warnock — will have changed the balance of power in the U.S. Senate. It will have shifted to the Democrats or will have remained in Republican hands.

How Trump’s version of “Hello Garci” will affect the Senate runoff is anybody’s guess.

What is certain however is that Trump will never say, “I...am... sor...ry…”

Note that the results of the Georgia runoff elections are different from the chaos — and possible violence — that Trump will have incited on January 6, when the election of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, as President and Vice-President, will have been confirmed by a joint session of Congress. I shudder to think of what could happen, with fanatical Trump supporters clashing with the police and anti-Trump marchers in Washington DC. Meanwhile, the COVID-19 pandemic continues to kill Americans by the thousands every day.

It has not been a good start for the New Year. ***

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.

*** Gel Santos Relos has been in news, talk, public service and educational broadcasting since 1989 with ABS-CBN and is now serving the Filipino audience using different platforms, including digital broadcasting, and print, and is working on a new public service program for the community. You may contact her through email at gelrelos@icloud.com, or send her a message via Facebook at Facebook.com/Gel. Santos.Relos.

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.

*** (gregmacabenta@hotmail.com)

The views expressed by our Op-Ed contributors are solely their own and do not necessarily reflect the predilection of the editorial board and staff of Asian Journal.

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Dateline PhiliPPines

SoCal ASIAN JOURNAL • JANUARy 6-8, 2021

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Chinese American Artist Professor Yuhua Shouzhi Wang Received “International First-Class Artist” Title ON December 20, the UNESCO convention was held on the occasion of the 2020 United Nations International Day for Human Solidarity, and the United Nations Secretary-General His Excellency António Guterres attended in person and delivered a speech. During the convention, the Chairman of the U.S. National Commission for UNESCO Clubs, Centers and Associations Guy Djoken proclaimed Professor Yuhua Shouzhi Wang’s title and level of artistic achievement, which was based on a determination of the artistry accomplished by the Professor in her paintings. The issuance of the “International First-Class Artist” title to Professor Yuhua Shouzhi Wang on December 20 was a determinative recognition that Professor Wang has attained the highest level of achievement among international first-class artists. This is the ultimate world class title for artistic accomplishment, and Professor Wang is the only Asian artist who has ever received such a title.

U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen congratulated Professor Yuhua Shouzhi Wang for being honored with the title recognizing her as a world class international artist on December 20. On December 29, Chairman Guy Djoken went

to the International Art Museum of America in San Francisco to personally present the title certificate to Professor Yuhua Shouzhi Wang.

Back in 2013, out of the works of all painters, the World Federation of UNESCO Clubs, Centers and Associations (WFUCA) awarded the title “WFUCA2013” to the artworks of Professor Yuhua Shouzhi Wang. In 2019, the New York Academy of Art determined that Professor Wang is an international first-class artist; the President and the Provost of the Academy jointly signed a certificate issuing the title in recognition of Professor Wang’s level of accomplishment. The Provost also personally led graduate students to the International Art Museum of America to see Professor Wang’s artworks in the Museum’s collection. He also gave lectures on site. Faculty members and students were all thrilled to see the original paintings in the museum, and they studied the artworks by copying them.

Dr. Yuhua Shouzhi Wang is the Lifetime Honorary Chairwoman of the International Art Museum of America. The museum has a dedicated gallery exhibiting her artworks. Her paintings encompass a broad range of styles and

subject matters, including landscapes, animals, flowers, birds, and so forth, all of which have reached the summit of world class artistic excellence. Based on her lotus and water lily paintings, artists have acclaimed that Professor Yuhua Shouzhi Wang is the foremost lotus painter of all times. No artist in the past would have been able to surpass her accomplishment, and her works will continue to inspire generations to come. Among all notable lotus painters, her skills are extremely profound, substantial, and masterful, and she is among the most distinguished artists in history. Her artistic achievement has reached perfection at the summit of the “ten ultimate artistries.”

The Kingdom of Thailand’s Department of Culture especial- The United Nations Secretary-General His Excellency António Guterres delivered a speech at the convention. ly organized a solo exhibition of the art of Professor Yuhua Shouzhi Wang at their Ratchadamnoen Contemporary Art Center in Bangkok. The Department of Culture also notified all university and middle school teachers and students to visit the exhibition and study the artworks.

In 2019, When Professor Wang’s solo exhibition was held at the Shanghai Exhibition Center that used to be the SinoSoviet Friendship Building, a re-

The Chairman Guy Djoken of the U.S. National Commission for UNESCO Clubs, Centers and Associations personally went to the International Art Museum of America to present the title certificate.

Chairman Guy Djoken presented the “International First-Class Artist” title certificate to Professor Yuhua Shouzhi Wang.

cord-breaking number of people visited the show. The Museum Director Wu Shufang stated that the museum had never experienced such an overwhelming number of visitors since its official opening, and for this exhibition, they had to post notices to limit admission.

When Professor Yuhua Shouzhi Wang’s solo exhibition was held in the Hall des Maréchaux of the Musée des Arts Décoratifs at the Palais du Louvre in Paris, it sent shockwaves through Europe. Artists and visitors were reluctant to leave the show. Art critics and artists unanimously

agreed that Professor Wang is truly an international first-class artist. Professor Wang is a person of humility and noble morality. She is modest, unassuming, beneficent and genial. The characteristics of an artist’s paintings essentially reflect the character of the painter. n

PhilHealth owes Red Cross P1 billion SC stops govt from collecting more taxes from POGOs

by John

Eric MEndoza ManilaTimes.net

THE Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) owes the Philippine Red Cross almost P1 billion in coronavirus swab tests, the humanitarian organization’s chairman said on Monday, January 4.

Red Cross Chairman Sen. Richard Gordon urged the state insurer to pay the outstanding balance on time to prevent another suspension of state-funded swab tests.

“We’re biting our nails in hopes that they settle their dues before this becomes a ‘part two’ of the issue,” Gordon said in a tweet, referring to Red Cross’ decision to stop the tests in October last year after PhilHealth’s debt reached nearly P931 million.

The tests resumed shortly after Philhealth made a partial payment.

by JoMar

canlas ManilaTimes.net

THE Supreme Court (SC) stopped the implementation of the Bayanihan Law 2 which covers additional taxes for Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations (POGO), sources privy to the ruling but are not authorized to talk to the media told the Manila Times on Tuesday, January

Philippine Senator and Red Cross Chairman Richard Gordon

Gordon said the state insurer should pay at least P500 million “right away.”

PhilHealth was supposed to pay Red Cross “every three days,” but its last payment was

ManilaTimes.net photo

on December 29.

The Red Cross has done 1.6 million swab tests, many of them on overseas Filipino workers and medical frontliners, Gordon said. n

This includes rationalizing even local government permits, subject to consultation with local chief executives. Exempted from the measure’s scope are environmental clearances which means contentious mining projects stuck in waiting for environmental permits would not gain reprieve with the law’s enactment.

It took more than a month for the priority bill to reach Duerte’s desk despite Congress doing away with a bicameral conference committee typically convened to reconcile conflicting provisions of two versions of the bill.

But the measure’s importance to the Duterte administration cannot be denied. Shortly before the upper chamber passed

Senate Bill 1844 on October 14, Duterte himself certified it as urgent, allowing the Lower House counterpart, House Bill 7884, to breeze through the measure’s second and third readings 2 days after.

An offshoot of Duterte’s complaints on slow rollout of telco towers, the bill heeded the chief executive’s request for broader powers to drop permits notorious for blocking the quick rollout of projects like roads, rail, and tollways under the flagship “Build, Build, Build” infrastructure agenda.

Observers earlier said that the delayed enactment of the bill would stall economic recovery from the coronavirusinduced slump. (Ian Nicolas Cigaral/Philstar.com)

Cases of index crimes down in 2020 – PNP

THE reported number of index crimes last year decreased by 39.39 percent compared to 2019, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said on Monday, January 4.

MGen. Marni Marcos, director of the Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management, bared that there was a significant decrease in index crimes committed from January 1 to December 31 last year compared to the same period in 2019.

“The total crime volume for

The high court en banc issued a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) against the implementation of Sections 11F and G of Republic Act 11494 and Bureau of Internal Revenue Regulation 30-20 and Revenue Memorandum Circular 102-17 and Revenue Memorandum Circular 078-18.

Only Associate Justice Marvic

Leonen dissented.

The high court said the stay order was issued to avoid “grave and irreparable injury” to the rights of POGO operators who filed a Petition for Certiorari against the contested provisions, which are measures to address the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) by raising more funds and collecting more taxes from POGOs. n

Child porn transactions hit P113M...

Duterte finally signs anti-red tape bill into law MANILA — President Rodrigo Duterte finally signed into law a new anti-red tape bill that would allow him to “expedite” the processing and release of business permits “in times of national calamity.”

Malacañang on Tuesday released a copy of Republic Act 11517, a piece of legislation that despite being a priority was only signed by Duterte last December 23, or 3 days before the bill would have lapsed into law based on legislative records.

The new measure gives Duterte the authority to “suspend the requirements for national and local permits, licenses and certifications, and to streamline and expedite the process for the issuance thereof.”

5.

2020 is significantly lower than that of the previous year,” he said in a press briefing in Camp Crame.

Index crimes include murder, homicide, physical injury, robbery, rape, theft and car theft.

But there was a slight increase of non-index crimes by 1.43 percent, Marcos said, mainly because of the pandemic.

Meanwhile, of eight focus crimes, theft had the biggest decrease — almost 50 percent.

The eight focus crimes are

murder, homicide, physical injury, rape, robbery, theft, carnapping of motorcycles and motor vehicles.

“Monthly trend of the eight focused crimes in 2020 is signficantly lower compared to that of 2019,” Marcos said.

Moreover, Marcos attributed the drop of crimes committed to the implementation of enhanced community quarantine, which limited the movement of the people. (Darwin Pesco/ManilaTimes.net)

PAGE A5 actions made across regions with Rizal, Cebu, Davao del Sur, Bohol and Taguig City topping the list in terms of value and volume.

“The report also revealed a possible existence of organized crime groups and syndicates involved in child exploitation activities due to multiple links between senders and beneficiaries. Child pornography in the Philippines is predominantly cross-border in nature, but localized setting is also evident because of the domestic remittances related to child pornography,” AMLC said.

Meanwhile, Malacañang urged people yesterday to report to the police any information about the alleged selling of sensual photos and videos by financially troubled

students as the National Bureau of Investigation and the justice department’s cybercrime office vowed to strengthen efforts against online human trafficking.

The Philippine National Police (PNP) also ordered its Anti-Cybercrime Group (ACG) to monitor such activities in social media as PNP chief Debold Sinas called on parents and the Department of Social Welfare and Development to intervene if these acts are done voluntarily.

The agencies noted reports of some students holding a “Christmas sale” of lewd photos and videos, selling videos and photos to raise money allegedly for their internet bills and gadgets for online classes.

Various sectors have expressed concern that the prac-

tice makes students vulnerable to sexual exploitation and unlawful acts.

“Report that to the police because we have laws to punish such acts,” presidential spokesman Harry Roque said at a press briefing.

Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian, chairman of the Senate’s basic education committee, previously said there have been reports that the students are selling their sensual content through social networking site Twitter.

Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra has also warned the public against traffickers who are taking advantage of the pandemic lockdowns to search for potential victims. (Alexis Romero, Neil Jayson Servallos/Philstar.com)

Magistrates, legal experts hit...

PAGE A5

“dead on arrival.”

Valdez, an expert in Political and International Law, cited several reasons the ICC investigation cannot prosper — there is no complainant and there are no witnesses, Philippine courts continue to function normally and are impartial, the Philippines has withdrawn its membership from the ICC. If there are no complainants and the courts are working, and there are people who wanted to proceed with the case, then the case becomes a political battle, he added.

Any intrusion would be considered an infringement of Philippine sovereignty, Valdez said.

Valdez pointed out that the ICC could interfere only if the courts cease to function.

Sabio withdrew the communication he filed against Duterte in January last year, turning away from former senator Antonio

Trillanes 4th, who had supported him in filing the case before the ICC. “Understandably, Trillanes is throwing himself at center stage in a bid to grab the political credit; he insists that he personally went to the ICC and filed his communication, which he said was very much ahead of those filed by other groups later by email,” Sabio said.

“My desire for the interest of justice is bolstered by the fact that I never asked for any compensation for my legal work, trip to and submission with the ICC. Trillanes just shouldered my hotel expenses, plane travel and a pocket money of P30,000,” he added.

“Impelled by that same interest of justice, in collaboration with lawyer Lorenzo Gadon who is in his own right a lawyer of principle, I announced last January my withdrawal of my communication from the ICC as

a consequence of and in the aftermath of the Bikoy scandal,” Sabio said.

He claimed that had it not been for the coronavirus lockdown, “we would have travelled to the ICC headquarters to personally submit the notice of withdrawal.

“As the obscure lawyer who first came to represent the interest of justice in the ICC, the ‘removal’ of myself represents the very same removal of the interest of justice that I have represented.

“I would like to think that my controversial ‘removal’ of myself has led to the effective collapse of the interest of justice in the ICC. “In this case where the interest of justice is effectively collapsed by the ulterior political motive for propaganda, the case for crime against humanity has no more legal leg to stand on,” he said. n

A january 6-8, 2021 • SoCal aSIan jOurnaL

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

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The

Asian Journal

mdwk The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - January 6, 2021

Wednesday JANUARY 6, 202

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Part I: Looking back at the Asian Journal’s MDWK Magazine stories of 2020 H

by AJPress

APPY New Year! With a fresh start in front of us, it’s customary to reflect on what the past 365 days were like.

But, how would one even begin to describe 2020, especially the events that unfolded and defined the year?

Let’s see: the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and its effects on vulnerable communities like the Filipino American community; the introduction of two vaccines against the virus; the United States’ continued fight for racial equity; the November general election; the decennial census and the court rulings that followed; deaths of numerous high-profile individuals; championships for the Los Angeles Dodgers and Lakers‌among many other headlines.

Following tradition, the Asian Journal editorial team dedicates the first issue of the year reflecting on the MDWK Magazine stories from 2020. Each week, the MDWK Magazine features long-form stories of Filipino Americans who continue to break barriers in their respective career fields, as well as highlighting the Fil-Am experience living in America and the social issues the community faces.

The 52 features published covered ways families have celebrated major holidays while staying safely at home, how business owners in Los Angeles County have coped with the ever-changing restrictions related to the pandemic and the summer of protests for racial justice, new books by FilAm authors, and more.

It’s always difficult to narrow down the best features — as each one is compelling —  we remember several stories that have been widely shared and discussed. To read these selected features & other stories in their entirety, visit:https://www.asianjournal.com/category/magazines/mdwk-magazine.

Social justice, activism and allyship: Filipino American History Month kicks off with calls to engage politically, culturally and socially For Fil-Am History Month 2020, the Filipino American National Historical Society (FANHS) dedicated October around the community’s history and fight toward social justice. Though commemorating Fil-Ams’ participation over the years, the theme resonated in particular as younger generations over the summer marched in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement, as well as spoke up against the rise in anti-Asian hate crimes. “We choose this theme to highlight the myriad ways Filipino Americans have participated in social justice movements, including but not limited to, the Filipino labor leaders Philip Vera Cruz and Larry Itliong, key United Farmworkers Movement, the fight for Ethnic individuals during the Delano Grape Strike that started in 1965, Studies, Hawaii Sugar Plantation strikes, Washington are memorialized in “Gintong Kasaysayan, Gintong Pamana,� a Yakima strikes, and Anti-Martial Law Movements across mural by Eliseo Silva in Los Angeles’ Historic Filipinotown.

File photo courtesy of Eliseo Silva multiple decades,� the organization said.

Two Pinays reappointed to key Los Angeles boards serving the city’s 4 million residents Filipina American commissioners — Jessica Caloza on the Board of Public Works and Susana Reyes on the Board of Water and Power Commission — were reappointed to five-year terms on LA boards that handle critical infrastructure programs and utility services for the city’s 4 million residents.

Caloza, who became the first Pinay to sit on the board in March 2019, is one of five full-time executive members who oversee projects and programs, such as construction and sanitation. She specifically handles the Bureau of Engineering, which deals with infrastructure plans, and has introduced key community projects like the Historic Filipinotown Eastern Gateway Project with Councilmember Mitch O’Farrell and artist Eliseo Silva.

Meanwhile, Reyes, a 32-year veteran in the city, became the first Pinay and retiree to serve the LA Department of Water and Power (LADWP)’s board of commissioners. The five-member commission oversees the country’s largest municipal utility by setting policy for the department and voting on utility rates and renewable energy projects.

Board of Public Works Commissioner Jessica Caloza, Department of Building and Safety Commissioner Jocelyn GaegaRosenthal, Board of Water and Power Commissioner Susana Reyes, and Deputy Mayor for Budget and Innovation Miguel Sangalang pose before lighting City Hall up in Philippine flag colors in October 2019. Photo by Jon Duede / Streets LA

How entrepreneur Vanessa Lee brings her Filipina heritage, nursing background to the beauty business Channeling her childhood curiosity of reading about trends and do-it-yourself tutorials and lola’s background as a beautician back in Abulug, Philippines, Vanessa Lee has made a name for herself in the local beauty industry, and helps clients receive facial treatments and injectables with natural beauty and mental health at the forefront. Today, Lee is a soughtafter medical aesthetic provider, and the founder and CEO of The Things We Do, a beauty concept bar with locations in Downtown LA and Chino Hills that has a lineup of trusted by celebrity clients like Jessica Alba. “What we say ‘yes’ to is mental health, inclusivity and doing the right thing for patients naturally. How can we balance your natural features and how can we preserve how you look Filipina American Vanessa Lee, a medical aesthetic at your youngest, happiest self with what you’re comfortable provider and the founder and CEO of The Things We Do, a with instead of just giving someone huge lips? We really work Los Angeles-based beauty concept bar. on facial balancing and profile harmony,� Lee said.

Photo by Jessie Casprowitz Continued on Page 2

features

Part I: Looking back at the Asian Journal’s...

From Page 1

The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - January 6, 2021

Calixtus Acapulco Dolalas October 14, 1948 - December 13, 2020

THE first-born son of Cuadrato Irlanda Dolalas and Nenita Acapulco Dolalas. Beloved husband to Elvessa Descallar Dolalas. Loving father to Elaine Descallar Dolalas and thoughtful father in law to Michael Nailat. Manong to his siblings Luz, Teresita, Titus, Fe, Joey, and Alan. Affectionately known to his family and friends as Dodge, Manong Dodge, Tito Dodge, and Papa.

Dodge was a storyteller who could regale you with tales of his life as a child growing up in Oroquieta City and later Ozamis City in the Misamis Occidental province of the Philippines. His penchant for mischief led to punishments from his Mamere Annie, such as kneeling on mungo beans while holding large books in his hands. During martial law, Dodge ignored his mama’s instructions about coming home before curfew. After a night of gallivanting with his barkada, he found the front door locked. Dodge spent the night sleeping in a ditch, avoiding being caught by the police.

In the Philippines, Dodge studied engineering and math as an undergrad, in the hopes it would lead him to a career as a pilot with the Philippine Air Force. However, his mother would persuade him to pursue less risky endeavors like law.

Mischief was one consequence of Dodge’s charismatic personality which allowed him to connect with everyone he met. This larger than life personality captured the eye of his wife Elvessa when they were both employees at the Development Bank of the Philippines. Persuaded by coworkers, Dodge serenaded her with the classic ballad “Strangers In The Night.”

Their courtship would lead to their wedding on July 1, 1978 at Pope Pius XII Chapel in Manila.

Later, the couple would emigrate to Los Angeles, California, where their only daughter Elaine was born on a fateful day in September. The 12th of September would mark their daughter’s birth and also the day Dodge quit smoking cold turkey at the advice of his sister-in-law Gertrudes Collyer, who he teasingly called “Manang” since she is a few weeks older than him.

Dodge attended a local community college and took computer programming courses which then led him to a career that started at Sunkist Headquarters in Sherman Oaks. He went on to join Litton Industries in Woodland Hills. The company would then change to Northrop Grumman after a merger.

At Sunkist, he started as a COBOL computer programmer. Inside the Smithsonian, there is a COBOL reel in its collection. When Dodge learned that a piece of what he used to work on is now in

Calixtus Acapulco Dolalas

Photos courtesy of the Dolalas family

V. GuNo

Inquirer.net

YOUTUBE star Alex Wassabi (real name: Alex Burris), announced that he will take a break from creating videos after 15 years on the platform.

Burris, 30, explained to his millions of followers on his channel Wassabi why he wanted to go on a hiatus, in a vlog titled “Thanks for the last 15 years… Goodbye” on Friday, Jan. 1.

“I’m honestly burnt out

CaRRasCo ManilaTimes.net

iii

AN ARTIST manager who requested anonymity — concerned about Nadine Lustre and her situation — understands and supports Viva Artists Agency (VAA) in its move to make the actress honor her management contract. Allow me to address the artist manager as Ms. X who has a vast experience in the field.

It was on December 11 when Boss Vic del Rosario’s VAA filed a lawsuit against Nadine before the Quezon City Regional Trial Court. It reasoned out that “early this year, Nadine violated her valid and existing Agency Management Agreement with them

Droplet co-founder and CEO Celeste Perez shows off a box oft the beverages, which are now available at all five Erewhon locations in Southern California.

Photo courtesy of Celeste Perez

Calixtus Dolalas (right) with son-in-law Michael Nailat, daughter Elaine Dolalas, and wife Elvessa Descallar Dolalas.

the Smithsonian, his response was “Now it’s a museum piece...But it fed the family.”

Over the course of Dodge’s career, he would go from computer programmer to software engineer. This close to 30-year career would be his 9 to 5. The work he did to ensure his family would be taken care of in the years to come.

As the family historian and photographer, Dodge would attend parties, weddings, baptisms, and Ozamisnon & Misamisnon events with his camera in tow. Because of that, his family and friends have years of photos and memories to cherish. Smiles and laughter directed at his camera; directed at him. However, the family knew to avoid the watchful eye of Dodge’s camera when food was around. Dodge had a penchant for capturing people midbite. He would affectionately call this collection of photos “Yum Yum Moments.”

His marksmanship transcended his passion for photography and extended to a hobby with archery and firearms. As an adult, Dodge took archery classes and began a passion for shooting arrows well before the likes of Katniss Everdeen became the norm.

Shooting archery targets was an easy transition from the ranges he frequented with his firearm collection. He would partake in this hobby with his brother-in-law Michael Collyer. The two of them could easily be found joking at family parties together over shots of Chivas Regal or Crown Royal.

The family would like to thank everyone who has supported them through this difficult time. Thank you to everyone who has shared memories of Dodge and contributed to his memorial fund.

Special thanks to the Collyer’s, the extended Descallar clan, the extended Dolalas clan, the Acapulco’s, and the Abesamis clan for the love and support you have shown Elvessa and Elaine & Michael.

Funeral services for Dodge Dolalas will be held at San Fernando Mission Cemetery on Thursday, January 7th at 8:30 a.m. To share a memory of Dodge or send your condolences to his family please visit: https://tinyurl.com/DodgeDolalasMemories. Livestream info for the funeral services can be found here: https://tinyurl.com/ DodgeDolalasFuneralServices.

(Contributed by Elaine Dolalas)

guys. I feel less creative,” he said. “I don’t have the same urge to create that I used to.”

“So I want to take a break to just be myself, just figure out who I am, just figure out what I want to do with this channel or if I even want to be a YouTube creator anymore.”

Burris said that since he launched the channel in January 2006, he had not taken a break for longer than a week, his reason being that he felt pressured other people depended on him.

Alex Wassabi (real name: Alex Burris Photo from Instagram/@alexwassabi

Artist manager to Nadine: Honor thy contract

By RoNNie

After a wake-up call to slow down, Filipina American entrepreneur Celeste Perez turned to adaptogens, non-toxic substances derived from plants that help one’s body adapt and regulate the natural ability to respond to stressors. Though, the available adaptogen products on the market, she said, weren’t too palatable for long-term use. So together with fellow Entrepinay, Adrienne Borlongan — a food scientist and the co-founder of artisanal ice cream shop Wanderlust Creamery — Perez unveiled Droplet, a line of sparkling functional beverages that are enhanced with adaptogens and superfoods.

“The entire idea behind Droplet was our own roots as Filipina Americans and our experiences with herbal medicine,” Perez said. “There is no appropriation here. We are just shining a light on what it is that we’ve done and hoping that it uplifts our community also.”

Fil-Am filmmaker Isabel Sandoval on ‘Lingua Franca,’ cinematic authenticity and the art of subtlety

Fil-Am vlogger Alex Wassabi to take break from YouTube after 15 years

By Niña

Self-care in each sip: Pinay-founded Droplet enters the wellness industry with functional beverages

Movie poster for “Lingua Franca,” the third film from Filipina American trans filmmaker Isabel Sandoval.

“Lingua Franca,” the third film from Filipina American filmmaker Isabel Sandoval, is an austere portrait of the kinds of love stories that are so authentic and specific that couldn’t have come from any other filmmaker.

Though the film, which was released in August on Netflix, centers a trans Filipina in a green card crisis, it’s not a “trans issue film” nor is it a “Filipino film” or even a film that overlays the overall current immigration crisis into its thesis.

“We have to establish what is distinct and unique about our voice and our worth because it’s so easy to get pigeonholed or to be put in a box especially for someone like me,” Sandoval said. “There will always be several expectations about you and the community you belong to…”

From egg sandwiches to burgers: Chef Alvin Cailan returns to LA with new meat shop, releases first cookbook on upbringing as an American-born Filipino After living in New York for a few years, Alvin Cailan — the chef behind breakfast sandwich empire Eggslut — made his homecoming to LA to open Amboy Quality Meats and Delicious Burgers in Chinatown as a “micro-steak boutique” reminiscent of the butchers and delis Cailan frequented in his adopted city. And on top of the already busy year of 2020, the Fil-Am chef released his debut cookbook, “AMBOY: Recipes from the Filipino-American Dream,” with co-author Alexandra Cuerdo. The 13 chapters tread between an autobiography and cookbook as anecdotes give a sense of how the recipes appeared in Cailan’s life, whether they were learned from his parents and lola to those creations served at his restaurants.

“It’s a culmination of what it means to be an Amboy — being Filipino and cooking modern or new American cuisine and really making a career out of it but always having the Philippines in mind and heart,” Cailan said.

Cailan at Amboy Quality Meats & Delicious Burgers in Chinatown, Los Angeles Contributed photo

Fil-Am culture critic, author Jia Tolentino on the gifts and curses of the internet in the time of a pandemic, racial reckoning “Trick Mirror: Reflections of SelfDelusion,’’ by celebrated Filipina American writer and journalist Jia Tolentino of The New Yorker magazine, embarked on a second book tour to celebrate the release of the paperback version of her debut book.

“Trick Mirror,” which was released in August 2019, comprises nine sweeping essays that intertwine relevant critique of these deeply rooted cultural issues (and the ways they con people into delusion) and Tolentino’s personal life and her upbringing as the daughter of Filipino immigrants in Houston, Texas.

“One of the things that is really important for people that were sort of raised on the internet, whose industries are being shaped by the Author and writer Jia Tolentino and her best-selling internet and people who could use book, “Trick Mirror: Reflections on Self Delusion.” the internet para-professionally is Photo by Elena Mudd / courtesy of Penguin separating the internet’s incentives Random House from your own,” Tolentino said.

Fil-Am makeup guru Patrick Starrr on defying beauty standards and debunking misconceptions about being an ‘influencer’

When Patrick Starrr, born Patrick Simondac, wasn’t given a shift at a MAC Cosmetics store he was working at in Orlando, Florida, he turned to YouTube disregard of the exclusivity of and uploaded his first tutorial her contract.” walking viewers through his While Ms. X is supposedly daily makeup routine. To date, pro-artist management, she’s Starrr has become a leadquick to share a typical showbiz ing beauty guru in the online upstart’s mindset when offered space, amassing over 4.4 million a contract. followers on the video host“Usually, we, managers, ing platform and 4.6 million on offer a one-year management Instagram. On top of his colcontract with the artist. There laborations with major brands, are stipulated clauses in it which Starrr launched his own beauty we ask the artist to study careline called ONE/SIZE. The fully, or if necessary have it read brand’s moniker comes from by his lawyer. That contract Starrr’s mission of inclusivity and almost always gets extended for body positivity and his mantra of five years,” Ms. X explains. “makeup is a one size fits all.”

The problem, she adds, “I’m very proud to have normally arises within that fivesparked a change in the Filipino Nadine Lustre Photo from Instagram/@nadine year period, “Kadalasan kasi, on community and represent them the second or third year biglang in the beauty community as by contracting independently sikat ‘yung talent mo. That’s well,” he said. with advertisers, promoters when he gets inundated with Starrr has collaborated with major brands, including most recently, with Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Fire To be continued in next and other third parties in utter for its Pride Month “Drag Queen Mukbang” series.

Photos courtesy of Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Fire Continued on Page 3 week’s issue with Part II

entertainment

The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - January 6, 2021

Arnel shares his journey out of depression, anxiety

By Jan

Milo Severo Philstar.com

Dennis Trillo and Jennlyn Mercado with Calix and Alex Jazz

INTERNATIONAL singer Arnel Pineda has an advice for people who are suffering from anxiety and depression during the pandemic.

Photo from Instagram/@mercadojenny In an exclusive interview with Philstar.com, Arnel admitted that he also suffered from anxiety and depression in the past.

“I think they shouldn’t stop working, you know, they should keep on trying. Don’t stop thing, it’s to not take anything believing. I think they need to have someone who’s telling for granted. HAPPY NEW them that only them that can YEAR, BESSIES!” she said. tell that it’s over,” he advised “May the world become a those facing the same ordeal. better place for everyone this “I went through a lot of 2021!” depression and anxiety, too.

Mercado shares her child All I do is work. Just keep on Alex Jazz with her ex-boyworking. I just keep on trying to friend Patrick Garcia. Meanbetter myself. Once you fulfilled while, Calix is Trillo’s son with something, I think it eases out his former girlfriend Carlene depression and anxiety. We just Aguilar. got to stay positive and (be surrounded by) a lot of people who can help you or support you and compliment all your aspirations in life,” he added.

Jennylyn, Dennis celebrate 7th anniversary with their kids By ryan

arcadio Inquirer.net

JENNYLYN Mercado and Dennis Trillo marked their seventh anniversary as a couple with a romantic dinner date in Tagaytay.

The two celebrated the occasion with a short video of their intimate, candle-lit dinner on New Year’s Day. Mercado

shared the nearly 30-secondlong clip on her Facebook page last Saturday, Jan. 2.

Along with snippets from their date, the video also featured the phrase “Seven years strong” before ending.

The couple welcomed the new year with their respective sons as well, as seen on Mercado’s Instagram page.

“If 2020 taught us any-

April Boy Regino biopic in the works Milo Severo Philstar.com

From Page 2 offers which, of course, translate to money. Ang nangyayari, nanghihinayang na ‘yung artist sa 30 percent commission off his talent fees without taking into consideration the management office’s efforts in building him up, plotting his career, investing on him, etc. Eh, paano rin naman ‘yung company which gambled on him?”

Ms. X terms it as “build-up contract” which, in most cases, is a win-win situation on the part of the contracted artist.

She sees the parallelism in the case of Nadine who started out with VAA in 2009. The actress’ contract got renewed until 2014, for another 10 years to expire in June 2024.

In 2015, Nadine had signed another five-year contract to end in June 2029.

April Boy Regino

marinig ko kwento niya nu’ng magkasama kami sa Cagayan de Oro. Tapos nakita ko kung paano siya sinasamba ng mga tao sa mga shows doon, kaya

Inquirer.net photo

sabi ko kailangan makita din ito sa pelikula,” Gamboa added.

April Boy died last Novermber due to renal disease complications.

For Richard, signing with GMA 7 is ‘easy,’ ‘most practical’ career move By allan

PolicarPio Inquirer.net

WHILE Richard Yap had other offers from different networks, transferring to GMA 7, the former ABS-CBN talent said, was the “easy” and “most practical” career move.

“GMA has been there for a long time, it has been doing a lot of shows. I simply chose a more established network; it’s the main reason we went here,” related the actor, who recently signed an exclusive contract with the Kapuso network The nonrenewal of ABSCBN’s franchise—coupled with the production restrictions prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic—forced a number of Kapamilya stars to seek projects elsewhere: Some found work in the revitalized TV5; others like Richard, opted for GMA 7.

“I think GMA was the easiest choice. Others are still starting out, while GMA does everything by itself, so it’s the practical choice,” Richard, who started his show biz career at ABS-CBN in 2010, told reporters in a recent virtual conference.

He first gained prominence for playing Papa Chen in the 2011 soap “My Binondo Girl,” then rose to stardom as Ser Chief in the phenomenal latemorning series “Be Careful with My Heart,” which ran from 2012 to 2014.

“At first, they were only inviting me for guest appearances. That’s why I was on ‘Eat Bulaga!’ early this year. But a month or two ago, we started our talks. It all happened so quickly,” he said.

Network transfers are typically met with mixed reactions from fans. But given the current situation in the industry, people, Richard observed, have become more forgiving.

“I think they’re more un-

Overall, he said he wishes “for the world and the people who got affected by this pandemic to heal.”

He that his Chirstmas song, “This Christmas,” was about the people who are willing to help the unfortunate during these tough times.

“This is about people who

Photo from Instagram/@arnelpineda2007

are willing to be Santa to someone helpless, to the one who needs it the most, the hope that we could give to them, the freedom that we could give to them. Because this pandemic, we all grieve and (are) paranoid, buti na lang may mga frontliners who are still doing the work for us, protecting us.”

Artist manager to Nadine...

By Jan

THE life of Original Pilipino Music (OPM) icon April Boy Regino will be soon turned into a biographical film.

The movie “Di Ko Kayang Tanggapin” will be directed

by Efren Reyes and financed

by Regino’s friend, Marynette Gamboa of Waterplus Productions, an ABS-CBN News report said.

Reyes envisions the movie to be like the biopic of the late blind musician Ray Charles starring Jamie Foxx.

“Sa Mindanao kami nagbonding (ni April Boy). Natuwa ako sa dami ng makukulay na kwento niya. Sabi ko ang gandang gawan ng pelikula buhay mo,” Reyes said.

Reyes bared that they already had a contract-signing with April Boy last February 2020. He said he was inspired at how the singer set an example for all aspiring talents.

“He sets an example to all aspiring talents in terms of facing struggles. Patunayan mo sarili mo, kahit ano mangyari.

He did it on his own, walang nagturo sa kanya. Everything that he aspired for, nagawa niya,” Reyes said.

“Kinilabutan nga ako nang

Arnel Pineda

Richard Yap

derstanding now because of what happened. They’re heartbroken, they get it. I would say that around 98 percent of the comments I got were positive,” he related. “But of course, there were some who didn’t want me to transfer.”

Richard’s first project as a Kapuso is an appearance in the comedy anthology “Dear Uge.” And while he was known for doing lighthearted romantic-comedies, he said he would love to take a jab at comedy and action in the future.

“I’m sure there will be rom-coms, but the network is opening a lot of avenues for me to explore, and I’m excited about my future projects,” he said. “We’re busy these days and that’s a good thing.”

Asked which Kapuo stars he’s most excited to collaborate with, Richard said it’s Michael V. “I have been a fan of ‘Bubble Gang’ for a long time,” the 53-year-old star said.

As for possible leading ladies, Richard named Heart Evangelista, Rhian Ramos, Marian Rivera, Lovi Poe, Solenn Heussaff and Jennylyn Mercado. “I would love to

GMA photo

work with anyone of them.

There are a lot of great actors here, too,” he said.

The year 2020 was a challenging one for everyone. In his case, it’s his restaurants that took a beating. “The businesses suffered, especially during the enhanced community quarantine. But the past few months were better.

We’re slowly recovering,” the actor-entrepreneur said.

Richard is also thankful that show biz is starting to find its footing again. “We haven’t been able to work a lot this year, because the industry really slowed down,” he said, adding that vlogging has been a good way to maintain visibility while television work was nonexistent.

“At least my supporters still get to see me and get updated about what I do,” he pointed out. “I hope to continue vlogging and shooting new content, especially when things are back to normal.”

Richard and his family usually travel during the holiday season. This time, they stayed at home. “We’re just happy and grateful that we’re alive and healthy,” he said. “I hope 2021is better for all of us.”

Ms. X continues, “Ako, I have nothing against Nadine.

Pero di ba, last January she wanted released from VAA kasi raw civil right niya ‘yon. Ang akin, what is a contract for?

What purpose does it serve kung hindi mo rin pala ito iohonor? I suppose Nadine had willingly signed it since it was done in good faith.”

Nadine announced she had left the VAA this January with a legal statement from the Kapunan and Castillo Law Office citing her rights under the Civil Code of the Philippines specifically Article 1920. This was, however, countered by the VAA saying that Nadine could not unilaterally withdraw from her contract.

“Given this scenario,” Ms. X stresses, “Sana, antimano Nadine should have sought a

dialogue with the VAA to lay down her terms or if she was no longer happy with the way the VAA was handling her career.”

Ms. X went on to cite how professional and business-like Boss Vic and his daughter Veronique are, “Nakaka-deal ko ‘yung mag-ama at matino silang kausap. The matter could have been resolved amicably without Nadine taking it to the courts of law.”

As a refresher, Nadine’s passport to instant fame was via the Wattpad novel-based film “Diary ng Panget” in 2014 opposite James Reid. It gave birth to their JaDine loveteam which had since graced the wide screen and two widely followed TV series on ABS-CBN. “Sa showbiz,” Ms. X concludes, “may commandment din, ‘Honor thy contract.’”

What is a postnuptial agreement?

community The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - January 6, 2021

Mindfulness aka situational awareness Immigrant Living: 101 and Beyond

“Be present.

It is the only thing that matters.”

– Ways of the Peaceful Warrior

monette AdevA mAglAyA THESE are the best of times. These are the worst of times. Charles Dickens could have said these words just as fittingly to apply to this tech crazy world we live in today.

There are far too many distractions emanating from tech wizardry that derail us from being mindful — that glorious state of mind which allows us to fully live joyfully while recognizing and appreciating the present moment.

Mindfulness, in the words of 2 retired ex-lApD officers, who I have had the good fortune to listen to in a training on personal security is what they call in law enforcement as situational awareness.

Mindfulness is a skill borne of discipline. It is the mental and deeply spiritual process of laser focusing one’s energy and full attention to the sensations and experiences happening RIGHT nOW. This skill effectively places all other concerns in the back burner while fully engaged in the moment. Mindfulness has become a highly valued skill in today’s extremely distracting world seemingly spinning at warp speed.

It is essentially a mental skill that can be honed and developed by consciously tuning out all distractions through the discipline of regular prayer and meditation. It is the finely honed craft of just being yourself in the moment, without the baggage of the past or the anxieties of the future. It is considering the present moment as a gift to be relished and enjoyed fully.

Do you feel incomplete, naked, inept and insecure when you are not tethered electronically to your cellphone or your computer? Do you feel less of a person? Take heart. You are not alone. There are billions of us in this increasingly wired

world.

The advances in communication technology have created a world where we can send and receive information at breakneck speed. The thoughts, the images of anyone, from kings to paupers, from the most profound to the most profane, from the wisest to the most foolish, from the most beautiful to the most horrific, once formed, can be transmitted to billions of people around the electronically wired community.

Just like the common cold, thoughts and images “go viral…” The power of a message is now measured by the number of tweets, hits and views it gets.

Many are choosing to live in virtual reality rather than in the real world believing they can safely hide behind a cloak of anonymity. STOp and disabuse yourself from the idea. no one remains anonymous for long. no one in the internet is sacrosanct.

These thoughts and images go around fast just like the weather patterns that change and swirl around the globe.

And just like the weather, our cultural world is being shaped by our collective thoughts within the structure and framework of the technologically wired environment we live in today.

Do we then damn technology because of the potent power it helps wield over us?

Certainly not. It would be a big mistake to blame technology for our present woes. Just like fire and electricity and practically all of man’s tools and inventions through the ages, technology is a double-edged sword. It can enhance human life or it can destroy just as well.

The fault, dear tech user, is not in our stars but in ourselves. It is how we define our

ANNOUNCEMENT

EMPLOYMENT

Barrister’s Corner Atty. Kenneth UrsUA reyes

California community property law provides for a 50% interest to your spouse for any income earned by you during the marriage and any property acquired by you and your spouse during the marriage. Basically, your spouse has a one-half interest in your salary, earnings, and any assets you acquired during the marriage even if it was you who sweated to earn that money and even if a particular asset or bank account is under your name alone. This 50/50 division can be changed even after the marriage by ways of a postnuptial agreement.

What issues can be resolved in advance through a postnuptial agreement? You can agree on how a business or a professional practice is to be divided in case of a divorce. Through the postnuptial agreement, the division does not have to be 50/50. The agreement can provide that the business will be awarded to one spouse alone or it can provide a certain amount of buyout to the other spouse. There is a lot of flexibility as to how you want to structure this.

You can also provide for how real property is to be divided such as a house or rental property. Typically, a house purchased during the marriage is community property to be divided equally. A house pur-

A pOSTnupTIAl agreement is a contract between you and your spouse entered into after you get married resolving issues in your marriage. It is similar to a prenuptial agreement except it occurs after relationship with technology your marriage. For couples and use it in our daily lives. that get married without a We can be the boss of it.

Or if we lose control, we can let prenuptial agreement, it is not too late to have an agreeourselves be obsessed by it. It ment dealing with issues of can wreak havoc on our souls, our persona and ultimately our property division, management of finances, spousal support, lives.

How do we know if technol- division of a business that takes ogy has us wrapped around its effect in case of a divorce. You little keypads? It is easy enough can enter into a postnuptial to self-diagnose this condition. agreement even if the marriage is going well. people grow When we are no longer and change over time. You can mindful of our present condinever predict if your relationtions and depend on technolship with your spouse will stay ogy overly much to do the the same in the future. In a thinking for us, then we are way, it is a form of planning to truly in deep doodoo. cover the contingency in case people have become so preoccupied and distracted by the marriage does not work out the mind boggling possibilities in the future.

If you are the spouse who presented by multitasking that is the primary breadwinner is engendered by a tech-ensuch as a Registered nurse, a hanced way of life, that they physician, or other professional, tend to forget what is important and what truly matters.

How badly can it get? There are horror stories of mindless Minding Your idiocy. Countless car accidents Finances borne of texting while driving, are a testament to the tragic loss of mindfulness and by extension, common sense, among us earthlings.

Atty. rAymond Witness the number of BUlAon news items about overly busy, distracted working parents who ARE your debts keepforget that they have babies ing you up at night? Are you strapped in car seats in the always worried about money? back of their cars leaving them Are you barely surviving to die in the heat of the sun. It and can’t even keep up with is a sad commentary that while minimum payments on your we have all the technological credit cards? Do you wish to aids at our disposal to make reduce or eliminate your debts our lives better, we fail to use but don’t even know where to them appropriately. start?

How do we detox? Try If you are searching for going tech free at designated debt reduction solutions, times or for long stretches of you may be inundated with time without having to check advertisements for various your phone or your computer debt management programs, for messages that you feel companies, and solutions. The compelled to respond to choices seem confusing to the ASAp. As I have said in another average consumer. The truth is article championing the cause that every situation is different Continued on Page 5 and what may work perfectly

for others is not necessarily going to work the same way for you. So, what do you do before your debt problems get worse?

If you know your finances are a mess and you’re struggling with a mountain of debt, then you need to create a plan of attack to help you get rid of your debt properly. If you’ve ignored your debt problems for a while and you are now at a point where creditors have taken legal action to collect what you owe, self-help debt reduction may be out of the question and you may need to immediately take the legal steps necessary to protect what you have.

Many times, people come to our office with wage garnishments, bank levies or a

EMPLOYMENT

EMPLOYMENT

chased before the marriage is separate property but if there was a mortgage or refinancing during the marriage and the monthly mortgage payment is paid from earnings during the marriage, there could be a community interest in that separate property house which entitles your spouse to a portion of the house. This confusion can be squared away and clarified in a postnuptial agreement. You can provide for who gets the house and what buy out , if any, your spouse will get in case of a divorce.

Spousal support can also be addressed in the postnuptial agreement. A common provisions is to agree to a certain amount of spousal support which varies depending on how long the marriage was at the time the parties divorce.

It is also possible to waive spousal support altogether.

However, such waiver of support will be scrutinized as to unconscionability at the time of the divorce.

Other issues that can be resolved in a postnuptial agreement are division of debts and credit cards, ownership of a life insurance policy, beneficiaries to a life insurance policy, and who gets the family pet.

Since the postnuptial agreement is the first issue Continued on Page 5

Too much debt and don’t know what to do?

lien filed by a creditor against their home and they don’t know what to do to stop it.

These are the situations where filing bankruptcy may be the only way to get out of debt as quickly as possible and to protect yourself from further creditor actions.

It is important for you to have an accurate picture of your current financial situation before you embark on implementing a solution. This means understanding exactly how much income is coming in and how much you pay out in expenses. As a starting point, you should also write down your outstanding balances on all your current debts and add up the totals. The total figure might shock you at first but Continued on Page 5

Secret’s out: Janella, Markus reveal details about baby hidden for months

By Jan

Milo Severo Philstar.com

KAPAMILYA actress Janella Salvador and boyfriend Markus Patterson introduced their firstborn to the world.

In the newly created YouTube channel of the couple, Janella revealed how she gave birth to her son Jude Trevor.

Jude was born in the United Kingdom on October 20, 2020.

Janella said that Jude is too precious so they chose not to share him to the world then, and she admitted that she’s nervous upon sharing the wonderful news.

“I was quite nervous about this day because I know how harsh the world could be,” Janella said.

The video blog showed how the couple prepared for their firstborn.

Markus Paterson and Janella Salvador

“Hey Jude, I know you came to us as a surprise,” said Janella’s mom Jenine Desiderio in the vlog, “but you are one pleasant surprise!”

Janella and Markus confirmed their relationship last

Photo from Instagram/@markus

September 2020.

Reports said that Janella and Markus began dating in 2019. The two remained quiet about their relationship even though pregnancy rumors hounded them.

Mindfulness aka situational awareness...

From Page 4 of living mindfully in the moment, “Log off and enjoy your hot chocolate.”

Unless your work involves saving lives, taking a vacation from technology may prove to offer a higher quality of life by getting back to a state of mindfulness. Eventually, as we learn to synch and balance our lives with our tech tools, they will be obedient dogs serving us as their master.

Think of the perks. We

get to appreciate the present moment and appreciate and deeply love the people we are with right then and there.

We get to “Carpe Diem” and experience joy in real time. We get to open our eyes and our hearts to the beauty and infinite majesty of just breathing and knowing LIFE IS GOOD – so good you can feel it in your bones.

Best of all, we get to reserve the eminent right to remain essentially human — ever

mindful that we are created in God’s own image and likeness.

Happy, healthy and balanced 2021 to all! *** 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.

*** Nota Bene: Monette Adeva Maglaya is SVP of Asian Journal Publications, Inc. To send comments, e-mail monette.maglaya@ asianjournalinc.com

What is a postnuptial agreement...

From Page 4 that can be attacked in a divorce case, it is best that each party be represented by their own attorney in negotiating the agreement. In that case, there is less likelihood that the postnuptial agreement will be found invalid since you can argue that there was no undue influence since both parties were represented by counsel.

Having a postnuptial is definitely beneficial in minimizing the uncertainty in the future pertaining to your marriage

and finances.

*** 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, APLC This article is not a solicitation. *** Attorney Kenneth Ursua Reyes is a 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, APLC. is located at 3699 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 747, Los Angeles, CA, 90010. Tel. (213) 388-1611 or e-mail kenneth@kenreyeslaw.com or visit our website at Kenreyeslaw.com (Advertising Supplement)

community

The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - January 6, 2021

Too much debt and don’t know what...

From Page 4 it’s important for you to know where you’re starting in order to create a plan of attack.

Alongside each debt balance, write down the amount of interest you’re being charged and how much you’re paying each month on that debt. Sadly, most people who are buried in a mountain of debt have lost track of what they owe. And because they have stopped paying their creditors, the bill collectors are now demanding the full amount which, of course, makes it even harder for the person to catch up on their delinquent debts.

If you’re on a very tight budget or if your income is not even enough to cover your living expenses, it may be impossible for you to get out of debt without having to file bankruptcy in order to wipe out what you can no longer afford to pay. For many people, this may be the only realistic way to get rid of debts hanging over their head instead of trying to pay their creditors slowly or even worse- not paying them and having to face the legal consequences later on.

Working out the right debt elimination or debt reduction plan to help you get out of debt can be tricky. Everyone seems to have all kinds of advice and they’re all convinced that their solution is the best.

How can you know which one is the right one to help you?

If your debts are mounting up and becoming uncontrollable, maybe you also need to take a current look at your current lifestyle and how much it costs to maintain your standard of living today. Can you maintain this standard of living based on your current income or is it forcing you to borrow even more which just makes your situation worse?

To become debt-free, you first need to fix your spending leaks to make sure that you are living within your means.

This might mean finding the discipline to stop charging anything else on your credit cards and only buying those

things you have the cash to afford. *** NOTE: Due to COVID-19 pandemic, 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 successfully helped over 5,000 clients in getting out of debt. For a free attorney evaluation of your situation, please call RJB Law Offices at TOLL FREE 1-866-477-7772.

(Advertising Supplement)

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UNT CO

DIS

FLOWN FRESH FROM BAJA, MEXICO SUSHI | SASHIMI GRADE

BEFORE

79¢

1

2lbs $ FOR