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Filipinos among AAPI groups affected most by COVID in California

FILIPINOS are among the top Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) groups affected by COVID-19 in California, according to data presented by the state’s Department of Public Health.

The data released during a recent webinar was to inform the public on AAPI health data disaggregation and how the information can help facilitate better outcomes and support for the community.

The Filipino community was one AAPI group seen frequently throughout data presented within the webinar.

A significant part of the meeting was the presentation of collected disaggregated

Xi to Marcos: China ready to resume oil, gas talks

by Frances Mangosing Inquirer.net

BEIJING — China is ready to resume oil and gas talks with the Philippines and handle maritime issues in a friendly and consultative manner, China President Xi Jinping told President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. here on Wednesday, January 4, Chinese state television reported.

Xi also said both countries should increase communication and cooperation in agriculture, infrastructure, energy and culture, according to the report.

In 2018, China and the Philippines pledged to jointly explore oil and gas assets in the West Philippine Sea.

But the talks failed and in June, before Marcos assumed the presidency, outgoing Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. said discussions had been terminated as a result of constitutional limits and sovereignty issues.

In response to Xi’s statement, Marcos said: “I really hope — I would very much like, as you have suggested, Mr. President — to be able to announce that we are continuing negotiations and that

Poll: 84% of Filipinos want to leverage US partnership for WPS defense

MANILA — A survey commissioned by Stratbase ADR Institute showed that 84% of Filipinos want the country to work with the United States in defending its sovereignty in the West Philippine Sea.

The same survey also showed that 80% or four out of five Filipinos believe that the current administration should focus on improving the country’s military capabilities, on top of conducting joint maritime patrols and military exercises with allied countries.

“Working with friends, allies and partners as a strategy allows the Philippines to practice an independent foreign policy based on the public’s interests,” Stratbase President Victor Andres “Dindo” Manhit said during a hybrid forum organized by the think-tank and the U.S. Embassy in Manila on Thursday, January 5.

The survey was conducted from November 27 to December 1, 2022, polling a randomly-selected 1,200 pool. Pulse Asia President Ronald Holmes u PAGE 4

Airlines mount recovery flights

by

POLICE in San Ramon, California arrested a man from Denver, Colorado who was caught on video harassing three Filipino American siblings with racist taunts on Christmas morning and two Korean Americans the previous evening.

Jordan Douglas Krah, 40, was arrested Dec. 26 for violating California’s anti-hate crime law. He was caught on video on video harassing siblings Abigail, Adriana and Anjo Halili on Christmas morning.

“We heard a guy parked in his car yelling from his window saying keep walking you need to get away from that store, ‘you’ve been the people vandalizing and robbing

IT will take at least three days before airlines finish the recovery flights for stranded passengers affected by the power outage that canceled flights to and from Manila on New Year’s Day, Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista said on Monday, January 2.

Although the arrival and departure of passengers at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) and other airports continued on Monday, it is estimated that it will take 72 hours or 3 days before operations will normalize.

Local airlines said it will take time to fully restore their schedules as they reposition aircraft that had been held back or diverted to other airports and adjust the schedules of flights based on revised clearances in coordination with local authorities.

Bautista said that around 65,000 passengers were affected when the Air Traffic Management Center (ATMC), which serves as the facility for controlling and overseeing all inbound and outbound flights and overflights in the Philippine airspace, went down due to power outage, resulting in loss of communication, radio, radar and internet.

Airlines have been asked to operate additional flights or upgrade aircrafts in order to accommodate more passengers.

Bautista said he discussed with Manila International Airport Authority General Manager Cesar Chiong the possibility of operating the runway 24 hours until the recovery flights are over.

“We will also conduct maintenance checks

What we know so far about the XBB.1.5 COVID-19 subvariant Over 2M foreign tourist arrivals in 2022 – DOT

MANILA — The XBB.1.5 subvariant, a new version of the Omicron variant, is taking over the United States, raising concerns about a potential surge in COVID-19 cases.

Estimates from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday, December 30 showed that XBB.1.5 is responsible for around 40% of the confirmed cases there, up from 20% a week ago. About 75% of cases in the Northeast—or regions spanning New Jersey through New England—are caused by the new variant.

In the Philippines, the presence of the XBB.1.5 subvariant has yet to be detected.

Here’s what we know and don’t know about the new COVID-19 subvariant.

What is XBB.1.5?

XBB.1.5 is a spinoff of the Omicron XBB subvariant, which is a recombinant of the Omicron BA.2.10.1 and BA.2.75 subvariants.

The XBB subvariant drove the surges of infections in Singapore and India in October. Health authorities in the Philippines have so far detected 878 cases of the XBB subvariant.

It is unclear where XBB.1.5 came from, but it is spreading quickly.

What makes it different from XBB?

Andrew Pekosz, a virologist at Johns Hopkins University, told CNBC that XBB.1.5 is different from XBB because it has an

by John eric Mendoza Inquirer.net

MANILA — The Philippines received and welcomed more than two million foreign tourists in 2022, the Department of Tourism said on Monday, January 2.

Data from DOT indicated that a total of 2,025,413 foreign tourists arrived in the country from February to December 2022.

There is no data for January 2022 since the country only reopened on February 10 after lifting travel restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Robredo heading home after US stint

FORMER Vice President Ma. Leonor “Leni” Robredo is heading home after over two months in the United States.

“Last stretch of my U.S. trip. In 2 days, I will be back home in Manila,” a post on her Facebook handle wrote on Tuesday, January 3.

In November, Robredo served as a Hauser leader at Harvard Kennedy School in Cambridge in the U.S. state of Massachusetts.

Robredo, who also serves as the chairman of Angat Buhay since stepping down as vice president last June, spoke in numerous American universities, including Princeton University, as well as at an event hosted by former

U.S. president Barack Obama. Most of her talks focused on disinformation, which she had to deal with during her presidential run last year.

The former vice president’s daughters are now in different fields: Aika is presently teaching at the Ateneo de Manila University, Tricia is currently in Chile with Harvard Graduate School students, while her youngest, Jillian, is now working after she graduated from New York University.

“I have worked here for the past two months [in Harvard and other speaking engagements],” Robredo wrote in Filipino.

“I was also able to relax and spend time with relatives since

Denver man arrested for racist taunts on Filipino siblings and Korean couple in SF Bay Area

by Kaycee ValMonte Philstar.com

Franco Jose c. Baroña and BenJaMin l. Vergara Philstar.com

COOPERATION AT EVERY LEVEL. President Marcos, shown here in a meeting with Li Zhanshu, standing committee chair of China’s National People’s Congress on Wednesday, Jan. 4, says Manila’s relationship with Beijing is not defined by tensions in the West Philippine Sea. Rather, he says, it “extends to commerce, culture, education, investment, in trade and in every level.” Malacañang photo

TOUCHING THE BLACK NAZARENE. A devotee touches the image of the Black Nazarene on the side of the Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene in Quiapo, Manila on Tuesday, Jan. 3, six days before the celebration of the Feast of the Black Nazarene. Priest Earl Allyson Valdez, the spokesperson of the 2023 Feast of the Nazarene celebration, said there will be no “Traslacion” this year but other activities will continue, such as the hourly mass and touching the Black Nazarene image.

PNA photo by Yancy Lim

FORMER vice president Ma. Leonor “Leni” Robredo. ManilaTimes.net File Photo

A man sitting in a car, who was later identified as Jordan Douglas Krah, was caught on video insulting Filipino American siblings with racist taunts.

Screengrab/ABC7

Older adults can start the year of the rabbit on a healthy note even as COVID lingers

By We Can Do This CoViD-19 PubliC eDuCaTion CamPaign

WITH vaccines and treatments, we’ve come a long way in preventing the worst outcomes from COVID-19. But older adults remain among the most at risk. As we gather together to celebrate Lunar New Year, there are many tools that older adults — and anyone — can use to help protect against a severe COVID infection.

Here are a few ways older adults and their loved ones can begin the Year of the Rabbit in the best health possible:

Get an updated vaccine. With Lunar New Year dinners and festivals quickly approaching, having an updated vaccine is an effective way to protect yourself and your loved ones — of all ages — as the celebrations ensue. CDC recommends people 65 and older stay current with their COVID vaccines because they are at high risk of hospitalization, illness, and death from COVID. Staying up to date means getting an updated vaccine as soon as you can. An updated COVID vaccine can restore protection that has waned over time from earlier doses. If you’ve recently had COVID, wait three months before getting your updated vaccine.

Lunar New Year and New Year celebrations across the country this month and next will be offering vaccine clinics with the updated vaccine, including:

• The Japanese Cultural Center of Hawai’i will be celebrating the Year of the Rabbit at its ‘Ohana Festival with a vaccine clinic 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 15, at JCCH, 2454 S. Beretania St., Honolulu, HI.

• That same weekend is the San Francisco Chinese New Year Festival & Parade’s Flower Market Fair, which is taking place

on Jan. 14-15 Grant Avenue and will offer vaccines.

• The Tu-Gether Lunar New Year Festival in LA takes place with a vaccine clinic on Jan. 2122 in Monterey Park, CA.

• Later that week, Chinese New Year in the Desert will be held on Jan. 28 with a spring festival—and vaccine clinic—at Fremont East Entertainment District in downtown Las Vegas.

• Chicago celebrates with the Chinatown Lunar New Parade Jan. 29, and vaccines will be available at the event, in downtown Chicago.

• San Diego’s Chinese New Year Fair will have a vaccine clinic on-site on as it celebrates on Feb. 4-5 in downtown San Diego.

• The Manhattan Chinatown Lunar New Year Parade & Festival will offer vaccines at its event on Sunday, Feb. 12, which starts at Mott and Canal in New York at 1 p.m.

Continue practicing healthy habits. In addition to vaccines, there are plenty of things you can do to help protect yourself from a COVID infection. Wash

your hands regularly with soap and water. When feeling ill, stay home and rest to take care of yourself and the people you care about. Avoid crowded spaces and spaces that are not well ventilated. If you must be in those spaces, limit your time there and consider wearing a mask.

Find ways to relieve stress. The ongoing pandemic has been stressful for many people, including older adults — and admitting that is ok! Daily routines have been upended, and many have experienced increased loneliness, stress, and anxiety. Tips for coping with stress include having an open conversation with someone you trust, taking a break from the news, unwinding with physical activities that you enjoy, eating healthy foods, and finding ways to stay connected with family, friends, and community.

Updated COVID vaccines are currently free and widely available. For more information and to find a vaccine, visit www. vaccines.gov.

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Airlines mount recovery...

of the runway on a daily basis so we can be sure that our runway is always safe,” he said.

Airlines, he added, can use the runway even at night “so their operations will also normalize.”

He said two uninterruptible power supplies (UPS) used to provide power to the air traffic management system of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) failed, forcing CAAP to tap commercial power which caused a power surge.

“There was a problem with one UPS that was being used. When they switched to the backup UPS

there was still a little problem so our technical team made a way to fix it. Unfortunately when they fixed it, the incoming power to our equipment was 300 volts and it had an effect,” Bautista said.

He explained that the malfunction could not be avoided because the ATMC system was outdated.

At present, a back-up power supply is being used and officials have procured a replacement power supply that is expected to arrive in 30 days.

Meanwhile, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) expressed hope that

the government will release the requested P120 million budget to upgrade the system of the NAIA in Pasay City.

“As early as last year we asked for P120 million for spare parts [of the Air Traffic Management Center],” CAAP spokesman Eric Apolonio said in a radio interview over DZBB on Monday.

He said that the ATMC will be fully functional in the first quarter of 2023 if the budget is released immediately.

At least 3,000 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) were affected by the disruption of flights on January 1.

Department of Migrant Workers Undersecretary Hans Leo Cacdac said on Monday that all of the affected OFWs were provided assistance for the rebooking of their flights, while some 400 needed help in hotel accommodations.

Food and transportation assistance were also given to the stranded migrant workers.

The DoTr likewise liaised with the airline partners for the provision of food, refreshments, transportation, lodging and accommodation for passengers.

Philippine Airlines on Monday said that 18 domestic and three international flights were cancelled in addition to some delays caused by some flight adjustments.

Meanwhile, Cebu Pacific said it continues to review its operations while AirAsia Philippines has implemented additional flight adjustments through a recovery flight on Jan. 3, 2023. n

Xi to Marcos: China ready to resume oil, gas...

we hope that these negotiations will bear fruit. Because the pressure (is) upon not only China, not only the Philippines but the rest of the world to move away from the traditional fronts of power.”

Speaking earlier with other Chinese leaders during his three-day state visit here, Marcos said Manila’s relationship with Beijing should not be defined by “difficulties” and “disagreements” on the West Philippine Sea.

“I believe that this cannot be, we must not allow that [to be] the sum of our relationship… It is not the only relationship that we have with China. It is not over the South China Sea,” the President said during a meeting with Li Zhanshu, standing committee chair of China’s National People’s Congress, earlier Wednesday.

“Our relationship extends to commerce, culture, education, investment, in trade and in every level,” Marcos noted.

The Philippine leader said the partnership with Beijing in the next few years should “stabilize and strengthen all our economies so that we are able to face the challenges and the different shocks that now we are already been able to feel and continue to feel,” especially during the pandemic.

He said he hoped China, as the Philippines’ biggest trading partner, “will continue to invest in the Philippines.”

Total trade between China and the Philippines stood at $29.1 billion from January to September 2022, with exports amounting to $8.1 billion and imports at $21 billion, according to Malacañang.

“We feel that we must strengthen those ties and we must strengthen the cooperation we have at every level,” Marcos said.

After the meeting with Li, Marcos sat down with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and echoed his call for continued cooperation with Beijing.

“It is important that these partnerships continue to be strong, continue to be encouraged. And I think that will be the way forward to the mutual benefit of our countries,” he told the Chinese premier.

Evening meeting with Xi

The two officials first met on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Plus Three Summit in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, last November.

Marcos was due to have bilateral discussions with the Chinese president on Wednesday evening.

House Speaker Martin Romualdez, who was part of the presidential delegation, told reporters that disputes in the West Philippine Sea would be dealt with in an “amicable” manner.

“We just decided that we will try to emphasize

where we have common interests, where we have a lot of cooperation. We will leverage on that goodwill and we will leverage on all that political, diplomatic capital,” he said.

The president’s three-day state visit — his first foreign trip in 2023 — comes against a backdrop of a lingering maritime row with China in the South China Sea.

Swarming of Chinese vessels

In recent weeks, the Philippines expressed great concern over the swarming of Chinese vessels within the country’s 370-kilometer exclusive economic zone (EEZ), waters it calls the West Philippine Sea, as well as over Beijing’s reported reclamation on unoccupied features.

The Philippines also recently protested an incident where a Chinese coast guard vessel forcibly retrieved rocket debris that the Philippine Navy was towing toward Pag-asa (Thitu) Island.

China claims nearly all of the South China Sea, including parts of the West Philippine Sea, along with its potential offshore oil and gas deposits and traditional fishing grounds.

A 2016 ruling by an international arbitral tribunal recognized the Philippines’ sovereign right to fish and exploit resources in the region, invalidating China’s sweeping historical claims to virtually all of the South China Sea.

During his first State of the Nation Address in July last year, Mr. Marcos said the Philippines would not yield “a single square inch” of territory to any foreign power.

Later on Wednesday, the Philippine and Chinese sides were expected to sign up to 14 agreements in areas covering trade, agriculture, trade and investment, and tourism.

“We will be signing more than a dozen of agreements and loans so that we expect our ‘Build, Better, More’ to be accelerated. And also other areas like agriculture will be a big part of this mission,” Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno said.

Wife, sister, and cousin

The president was accompanied by former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, his wife Liza Araneta-Marcos, his sister, Sen. Imee Marcos, his cousin Romualdez, Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo, Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan and Special Assistant to the President Secretary Anton Lagdameo during his meeting with Li.

The first lady took a short tour around the Forbidden City and the Memorial Hall of Mao Zedong in the morning, writer and entrepreneur Wilson Lee Flores told the Inquirer —with a report from Reuters n

What we know so far about...

additional mutation that makes it attach better to cells.

Are experts worried?

Some medical experts are increasingly worried about the XBB.1.5 and the XBB subvariants.

Dr. Michael Osterholm, an infectious disease expert at the University of Minnesota, told Reuters that “probably the worst variant that the world is facing right now is actually XBB.”

In a series of alarming posts on Twitter, epidemiologist Eric Feigl-Ding called the XBB.1.5 a “super variant” and warned that it is “one of the most evasive variants against immunity.”

Yunlong Cao, a genomics researcher and assistant professor at China’s Peking

University, said on Twitter last week that XBB.1.5 evades protective antibodies as effectively as the highly immune evasive XBB.1 variant and binds better to cells.

Does XBB.1.5 cause more severe illness?

Dr. Barbara Mahon, director of CDC’s Coronavirus and Other Respiratory Viruses Division, told NBC News that there is no indication that XBB.1.5 causes more severe illness than other Omicron versions.

She added that areas with many cases of the variant have not experienced a disproportionate rise in hospitalizations.

“We’re seeing hospitalizations have been notching up overall across the country… They don’t

appear to be notching up more in the areas that have more XBB.1.5,” she said.

What should Filipinos do? The Department of Health said the government continues to implement surveillance and monitoring activities, and is confident in detecting variants that may enter the country.

“COVID-19 variants will continue to emerge and reemerge,” the DOH said. “What’s important is we continue to employ our layers of protection such as sanitation, masking, distancing, vaccination and boosters, as well as good ventilation to keep cases manageable and prevent virus transmission,” it added. (By Gaea Katreena Cabico/Philstar. com) n

POLICE OFFICERS. Police officers listen to the announcement of Interior and Local Government Secretary Benjamin ‘Benhur’ Abalos Jr. during a press conference at Camp Crame in Quezon City on Wednesday, Jan. 4. Abalos urged all colonels and generals in the Philippine National Police with purported links to illegal narcotics to immediately resign their posts. PNA photo by Joey O. Razon

Photo above shows festivities at the 2020 Manhattan Chinatown Lunar Year Parade and Festival. Photo courtesy of TDW+Co PR

Phl News Today section editor dies in Florida

SAN FRANCISCO – Philippine News Today entertainment editor and California correspondent Jo Erlinda M. Gabot died in Sebastian, Florida in what investigators said was a traffic homicide last December 30 (December 31, Manila time). She was 47.

Jo Erlinda, who started a fulltime career as web developer in Florida, was a daughter of Philippine News Today editor in chief Alfredo G. Gabot. She was a goddaughter of former Manila Mayor and Deputy Speaker Jose Lito Atienza Jr. and Los Angelesbased journalist Val G. Abelgas who expressed shock at the untimely and tragic death of Jo Erlinda and called for justice for the loss.

Jo Erlinda started writing travel and showbiz stories in the Philippines Today. When Philippine News and Philippines Today merged, she continued writing entertainment stories and California stories under the names Jo Erlinda Maufit, Jo Erlinda Yabut and Jo Erlinda Nebres when she migrated to the U.S. three years ago. Her Texas-based sister, MarieAlsie G. Penaranda, works as a reporter of the Manila-based television station UNTV.

Meanwhile, Jo Erlinda’s son, Ian G. Nebres, has set up a GoFundMe in the U.S. to seek financial assistance to cope with unexpected big expenses for funeral services, the homicide case, and bringing her body to the Philippines, among others.

Contributions thru GCash in Manila or other means will also be set up.

Reports from Sebastian indicated that the lifeless body of Jo Erlinda was found along U.S. Highway 1 in Sebastian, Florida last December 30, and members of the family and friends called for justice for her death.

At press time, no one has been arrested in connection with the case, although the Sebastian Sheriff’ Office reported they have identified a person of interest.

“Her death was senseless because she was always friendly, helpful, cheerful to all and she was loving to her four children whom she has been supporting for their education, especially her two daughters,” said Mr. Gabot.

Mr. Gabot, who served as president of the National Press Club of the Philippines and a retired senior editor of the Manila Bulletin, a major daily in Manila, Philippines, and a university professor, has reached out to the Philippine Embassy in Washington D.C. and the honorary consul in Florida for assistance. He also sought the help from Sebastian media.

Robredo heading...

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December 16. Now that I am going home, I am energized and excited for the work that is to come.”

Over 2M foreign...

Most of the visitors came from the United States (505,089), South Korea (428,014) and Australia (137,974). China ranked only tenth with only 39,627 visitors. Meanwhile, a total of 628,445 overseas -based Filipinos also visited the country within the said period. n

Filipinos among AAPI groups affected...

data that detailed leading causes of death among AAPI groups as well as statistics regarding COVID-19. Speaker Michael C. Samuel with the CDPH Strategic Development and External Relations Fusion Center spoke first on the data related to causes of death.

Samuel showed attendees a detailed chart that compared the rate of death for various AAPI groups based on specific causes that were ranked for each subgroup.

According to the data presented by Samuel, COVID-19 was the leading cause of death for Filipinos in 2021, followed by ischemic heart disease, Alzheimer’s, stroke, and hypertensive heart disease.

This depicts how COVID-19 truly made an impact within the Filipino community, where it affected them the most out of all other AAPI groups in California. Data presented by Charsey Porse, who is with CDPH’s Center of Infectious Disease, detailed COVID’s impact even more.

According to the data that was provided, Filipinos have specifically shown a significant impact from COVID-19 based on the cases that had detailed information on race and ethnicity available.

“Among Asian patients (with known detailed race), the largest number of cases occurred within the Filipino, Indian, Chinese, and Vietnamese groups,” Charsey Porse, an epidemiologist with the CDPH, detailed.

Similar to the data provided by Samuel, Porse also revealed which groups had the highest death rates due to COVID. Once again, Filipinos were in the top of the list, alongside the Cambodian and Japanese communities. There was no data explaining why this was the case, however future data collected could lead to eventual conclusions and answers.

While this webinar addressed issues and disaggregated data for the AAPI community as a whole, its information is important to understanding how Filipinos fit within the AAPI community as well as what makes them different. The following sections detail the happenings of the webinar. The information acts as a crucial step towards transparency and understanding regarding health data within our community.

Data disaggregation

The issue of aggregated data takes a step towards being addressed through Assembly Bill No. 1726, written by Attorney General Rob Bonta when he was a member of the state Assembly.

With the passing of this bill, the CDPH became required (on or after July 2, 2022) to make available and collect demographic data that would include an expanded list of AAPI groups that were previously not included as subgroups. A full list of these groups can be found on CDPH’s website dedicated to the bill.

The type of data collected and how much progress has been made in the implementation of this bill was outlined in the webinar, which started with a

welcome from Maral Farsi, deputy director of legislative and governmental affairs at CDPH. Attending and speaking were a variety of experts tasked with working together in and towards the implementation of AB 1726.

Karthick Ramakrishnan, chair of the California Commission on APIA (Asian and Pacific Islander American) Affairs introduced how there has so far been meaningful progress in implementation of the bill.

However, while there was progress, they also ran into challenges, specifically the pandemic. In light of this challenge, Ramakrishnan also made clear that the pandemic showed the “dire need” in collecting disaggregated data on AAPI communities.

“We know if we just collect data on ‘Asians’ we don’t have the kind of detailed understanding that we need to target the investments needed to make sure that our communities are being served adequately,” Ramakrishnan explained, hoping that this data will be used to aid in progress m ade for and within AAPI communities.

“Disaggregation doesn’t get at the heart of what this is about, which is data equity. Equity in the collection, analysis, and dissemination of data. But it’s also data to advance equity,” he added, noting the importance not only of the data but how it is used.

Rohan Radhakrishna, deputy director and chief equity officer with the CDPH’s Office of Health Equity, detailed how race and ethnicity data were collected, analyzed, and reported in five broad categories that were defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budgets since 1997, where AB 1726 is a step towards breaking down those categories for AAPI communities.

“Data disaggregation refers to the breaking down of collected data into smaller definable units to better illuminate underlying patterns and trends,” Radhakrishna noted. He went on to describe how each individual has a complex array of factors that affect their life and health.

Radhakrishna listed the following factors as immigration, socioeconomic status, nativity, language, and an individual’s experience as a minority with structural and intrapersonal racism. “These complexities are obscured when data is aggregated into broad categories,” he explained, adding that disaggregated data can therefore illuminate social and health disparities that were otherwise hidden by broader categories.

“Asians aren’t a monolith,” Radhakrishna expressed, where he elaborated how ‘Asian’ is often used as an umbrella term, categorizing groups of people into one. This can therefore “reinforce inaccurate and harmful notions of the model minority” as well as lead to disproportionate access to opportunities and resources.

Implementation Julie Nagasako, deputy director of

CDPH’s Office of Policy and Planning, addressed key actions the CDPH has been taking to implement AB 1726.

“One of the critical steps that will improve our ability to share disaggregated data are updates to our vital records system, both for birth and death data,” Nagasako shared. She was transparent in expressing how as these implementations were made mid-year, in April and June, it would take a bit of time to have a complete year of data under the new protocols for collection detailed by AB 1726.

Nagasako emphasized that the collection and provision of this disaggregated data is not an effort made by one person let alone one department, rather a multitude of teams at CDPH are working on strengthening their coordination. They are aiming to build connections in an effort to better understand how to offer disaggregated data in a way that can help AAPI communities most.

Additionally, in order to ensure “data completeness” Nagasako expressed how the coordination extends to external partners as well. “AB 1726 has to do with how we manage and display the data that we generate,” she explained, highlighting that this data comes from a variety of sources, such as external surveys, federal data, and health systems to name a few.

Nagasako then spoke on another crucial part in the implementation process, where in order to make the disaggregated data available, it would be released bit by bit to the public. One of the resources she referenced, which was referenced by other speakers in the webinar, was the “Asian and Pacific Islander Data Disaggregation Brief.”

CDPH, according to Nagasako, will be incorporating disaggregated data wherever possible, such as an upcoming 2023 health assessment core module. She also noted how, based on feedback from the public, the CDPH’s website that houses the data brief will also include information about upcoming data releases, with links to where people can access them directly.

The data: Leading causes of death and COVID-19

As previously outlined, two speakers, Michael C. Samuel and Charsey Porse spoke on highlights from disaggregated data that has so far been collected and made available to the public. Both speakers were transparent with attendees throughout, even providing thorough analyses of various data and charts provided as an example.

“Different systems often collect race and ethnicity data with different categories,” Samuel declared before proceeding to show examples of aggregated population data in California. Referencing what Radhakrishna had detailed about how race and ethnicity data were collected, Samuel’s example of aggregated data only showed five broad categories, which included Asians and Pacific Islanders as separate entities.

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Robredo served as vice president from 2016 to 2022. She ran for president but lost to Ferdinand Marcos Jr. (Aric John Sy Cua/ManilaTimes.net) n

Poll: 84% of Filipinos want to leverage US partnership...

noted that the ASEAN Summit in Cambodia, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit in Thailand, and U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris’ quick stop to the Philippines in November may have impacted public opinion during their survey.

Results also showed that respondents also want the Philippines to work with Japan (52%), Australia (25%), the United Kingdom (24%), South Korea (23%) and the European Union (20%) to secure the West Philippine Sea.

Meanwhile, 20% also want the Philippines to work with China to resolve maritime issues.

The Philippines has claims over the West Philippine Sea, backed by the 2016 Hague ruling that invalidated China’s nine-dash claims over the waters. However, Beijing has continuously ignored this.

Washington’s ‘ironclad’ commitment

Since President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. assumed office in 2022, U.S. President Joe Biden has expressed that he wanted to build closer ties with its oldest treaty ally despite “rocky times.”

The Philippines has hosted a number of high-ranking White House officials last year, starting with the visit of U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy

Sherman

Meanwhile, nine percent want the ASEAN to finalize the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea.

international rules-based order and the importance of the 2016 arbitral ruling. Still not as urgent

While respondents recognized that defending the nation’s seas is an important aspect of protecting the Philippines’ marine resources and coastal communities, they view it as not as urgent as the country’s economic woes.

Out of the 16 “most urgent national concerns” Pulse Asia identified, “defending the integrity of the Philippine territory against foreigners” ranked 15th with only 3% of survey respondents saying it is of immediate concern.

Ranking at the top of the list were primarily economic issues such as inflation, calling for the increased pay of workers, creating more jobs, reducing the poverty of many Filipinos, and cutting down graft and corruption within the government.

In the Pulse Asia survey, 10% of the respondents want the country to “fully implement” the Visiting Forces Agreement or the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement it has with Washington, aside from improving military and maritime strategy.

Blinken, during his visit in 2022, reaffirmed the U.S.’ ironclad commitment to the Mutual Defense Treaty between the two countries.

The U.S. has also repeatedly made statements backing the Philippines in defending its sovereignty over the West Philippine Sea, with Harris emphasizing the need for

“Across the years, we’ve also tracked this and we note that the concern for the defense of the integrity of the Philippine territory against foreigners has always been less than the other primary concerns that you find at the top of the list tier,” Holmes said.

This only changes if the government shows its constituents how important it is to defend the country’s sovereignty, he added. n

Filipinos among AAPI groups affected...

PAGE 3

“Looking at this disaggregated (or in detailed categories) is critical,” Samuel expressed.

As a comparison, Samuel, then after, showed attendees charts of disaggregated data, which included a variety of AAPI groups. This highlighted how the aggregated data had so much missing.

The next set of data that Samuel presented was the chart comparing rates of death among AAPI groups. “COVID-19 is the top leading cause of death based on age adjusted rates,” Samuel described, noting that while there is this common thread amongst the data for different groups, there are still a variety of differences. For example, for the Chinese/ Taiwanese group, “lung cancer is the fifth leading cause of death as it is for Vietnamese,

but it doesn’t appear in the top five in the rest of the groups,” he said.

“In conclusion, great progress has been made in analyzing and sharing disaggregated race and ethnicity data. There are important differences observed between disaggregated groups,” Samuel concluded in his section, pointing out that this data should hence be interpreted with caution in order to get an accurate understanding.

Continuing from what Samuel had spoken about, Porse provided ample detail about data collected regarding COVID-19. “Relative case and death rates of COVID have varied across racial and ethnic groups throughout the pandemic,” Porse started, before providing statistics that showed that when 2020 ended,

“28% of COVID-19 cases were missing race and ethnicity data.”

However, this data with CDPH has since improved. “Cumulatively now, about 19.5% of our COVID-19 cases are still missing race and ethnicity information, which spans the entire pandemic period,” Porse emphasized the difference in numbers.

There is still of course more to be done as many of the cases that do include race and ethnicity data, specifically for AAPI communities, are still “missing data in detailed race ethnicity subgroups,” Porse explained. She then provided more numbers, where in 2020, around 5% of California COVID cases were reported among Asians and around 89% of those cases were missing detailed race information.

“Due to the amount of missing data, we cannot calculate rates for race groups due to statistical unreliability,” Porse continued, detailing how around 12% of California’s COVID-19 deaths in 2020 were among Asians and that 16% of those deaths were missing detailed race information. This highlighted that while data was being collected, they were not enough to completely tell the story due to the lack of disaggregation.

However, Porse reassured attendees that while there was “under-reporting of detailed race information,” which makes it “hard to measure disparities and draw conclusions across subgroups.” The CDPH intends to continue to improve on data collection as well as making it available to the public.

(Amrylois Ferido/AJPress) n

Denver man arrested...

these shops,’” Abigail Halili told ABC7 News. Krah allegedly followed up with obscene hand gestures.

“We didn’t know what to do and he kept going on and on saying ‘you’re Filipino idiots. You probably sell cocaine. You’re dealers,’” says Halili.

The Halilis were not the only Asian Americans allegedly targeted by Krah.

On Christmas Eve, Arine Kim and her friend Elliot Ha were shooting a video for TikTok while eating at an In-AndOut Burger when a man later identified as Krah spewed racist and homophobic slurs at them.

A man off camera can be heard saying, “You guys filming yourself eating? You’re weird homosexuals.” A little later, the man says, “You’re Kim Jong Un’s boyfriend?” And moments later says, “Normally I could spit in your face…that’s some Filipino s**t.”

When the victims’ videos went viral, the police said they were flooded with tips that helped them identify Krah, who has ties in the San Francisco Bay Area. Kim and the Halilis said they were thankful for the quick arrest of Krah, as it shows that the attacks on Asians are very real, but also punishable by law.

(Inquirer.net) n

PERMIT RENEWAL. The Davao City government starts the processing of the one-stop-shop renewal of the mayor’s permit for this year on Tuesday, Jan. 3. The city’s Business Bureau set up processing in strategic areas of the locality for the renewal of the mayor’s permit that will run this January. PNA photo by Robinson Niñal Jr.

This handout satellite image taken on November 4, 2022 by Maxar Technologies shows a land formation (C) at Eldad Reef in the Spratly Islands, in the disputed South China Sea. The Philippines said on December 21, 2022 it was “seriously concerned” over a report that China has started reclaiming several unoccupied land features in the disputed South China Sea. Handout / Satellite image ©2022 Maxar Technologies / AFP

in June, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in August, and U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris stopping over in Manila and Palawan after the APEC Summit in November.

PAGE 1

Jordan Douglas Krah allegedly also targeted Arine Kim and her friend Elliot Ha with a homophobic and racist rant at a San Ramon In-N-Out Burger. Photo from Tiktok

Dateline PhiliPPines

PH inflation rose further to 8.1% in December

by Ronnel W. DoMingo Inquirer.net

INFLATION in the Philippines went up even higher at 8.1 percent in December 2022 from 8 percent in November, bringing the full-year average to 5.8 percent, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority.

National Statistician Dennis Mapa said in a press briefing the December readout was mainly driven by faster rate of increases in prices of vegetables especially cabbage, rice, and

fruits like bananas.

Other big contributors to faster inflation were restaurants and accommodation services as well as housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels.

Inflation in December was the highest since November 2008, and was more than twice as high as the 3.1 percent recorded in December 2021.

It was slightly below the 8.2 percent median forecast in a Reuters poll, but within the central bank’s 7.8 percent to 8.6 percent forecast for December.

Core inflation, which strips out volatile food and energy components, rose to 6.9 percent in December from 6.5 percent in November.

Food inflation at the national level rose further to 10.6 percent in December from the prior month’s 10.3 percent.

The Philippine central bank has not ruled out further interest rate hikes in 2023, after raising the benchmark by a total of 350 basis points last year to curb inflation and support a weak peso. n

Most OFWs able to leave after airport shutdown

by Mayen JayMalin Philstar.com

MANILA — Only a few overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) affected by last Sunday’s (January 1) airspace shutdown are still unable to leave and awaiting flights for their jobs abroad, according to the Department of Migrant Workers.

DMW Undersecretary Hans Cacdac reported that the government has assisted about 3,000 affected OFWs needing to rebook their flights.

“We are not seeing rebooking issues now,” Cacdac said in Filipino during the Laging Handa public briefing on Wednesday, January 4.

He noted that some of those who sought rebooking were already able to leave, but there are still those awaiting their rebooked flights on Jan. 6 and 7.

The DMW is providing accommodation until the OFWs are able to depart, according to Cacdac.

DMW Secretary Susan Ople previously ordered all recruitment and manning agencies and labor attachés to assist OFWs in explaining the delay in their arrival to their foreign employers.

During the same public briefing, Cacdac gave assurance that the government is exerting efforts to address the plight of OFWs affected by the ban on deployment to India.

He said the DMW and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) are working closely to resolve the issue.

The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration declared India as a “non-compliant” country based on the assessment of the DFA.

Deployment of OFWs to non-compliant countries is prohibited under the Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipinos Act.

‘Keep their jobs’

OFWs who were trapped at the Ninoy Aquino

International Airport (NAIA) due to the New Year’s Day technical glitch should be able to keep their jobs, a key House of Representatives official urged the DMW.

“I am urgently calling on the DMW to give our OFWs the necessary protection from termination or sanction, and reassure them that their jobs are safe and that they don’t need to worry,” Kabayan party-list Rep. Ron Salo said yesterday.

“Our OFWs should not be the ones to suffer because of this disruption,” Salo, who chairs the House committee on overseas workers affairs, added.

He called on Ople to take “necessary actions to protect the welfare of OFWs.”

“Private recruitment agencies should immediately coordinate with their foreign counterparts or foreign employers to provide updates on the flight status of affected OFWs,” Salo said.

“Manning agencies should likewise undertake the same measure with their foreign principals concerning affected seafarers,” he added.

The lawmaker also called on other government agencies to ensure that the needs of OFWs and other passengers are provided for while they are stranded at airports, following fears raised by OFWs returning to their employers that they might get terminated or rejected by their employers for failure to show up on time.

“We are fully aware of and understand the fears of our OFWs. The government must do everything in its power to ensure that our OFWs are not sanctioned, or worse, terminated because of this unfortunate event,” Salo said.

Special rate

Meanwhile, Sen. Raffy Tulfo appealed to airline companies to give a special airfare rate to

Bantag drags Remulla, Catapang into conspiracy theory on Percy Lapid killing

by Jonathan De SantoS Philstar.com

MANILA — Gerald Bantag — murder suspect and former head of the Bureau of Corrections — has accused Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla and acting BuCor chief Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr. in the murders that police have accused him of.

In a complaint filed before the Office of the Ombudsman, Bantag accused Remulla, Catapang and several others of conspiracy in the killings of broadcaster Percival Mabasa — known on radio as Percy Lapid — and of Jun Villamor, the convict who supposedly acted as a middle man for Mabasa’s murder.

“In this case, there was a grand conspiracy to kill [Mabasa and Villamor],” Bantag said in his complaint. “As will be shown, the conspirators are the respondents.”

Bantag claimed that Mabasa had criticized Remulla on his program in July 2020 and on September 29, 2022.

“It was because of these that Remulla was hurt and upset,” Bantag said. “This is the motive in ordering the killing of

Percy Lapid.”

Bantag claims conspiracy Included as respondents in Bantag’s complaint are German Agojo, Alfie Penaredondo, Aldrin Galicia, Mario Alvarez and Alvin Labra, who are in government custody.

Galicia and Alvarez of the Sputnik gang and Labra of Batang City Jail are included in a list of people whom the Department of Justice believes were involved in the killing of Villamor, who was found to have died at the New Bilibid Prison.

Bantag said that the investigation into the killings was stopped after police and the National Bureau of Investigation obtained statements from Galicia, Alvarez, Labra and Pendaronda and that the agencies “concluded to file the case” against him and others.

“Secretary Remulla prematurely stopped the investigation purposely to shield his name from coming out in the investigation,” Bantag claimed in his complaint without offering proof.

Bantag further claimed that Remulla had ordered Agojo to look for people to kill Mabasa,

prompting him to tap Villamor to arrange for confessed gunman Joel Escorial to murder the veteran broadcaster.

The former corrections chief meanwhile raise doubts on whether Villamor was murdered, citing initial findings by the NBI that he had died of natural causes. The findings have since been contradicted by an autopsy conducted by forensics expert Dr. Raquel Fortun, whose services Bantag claimed Remulla had engaged to “destroy the credibility of the NBI forensics experts who had already conducted the autopsy.”

Bantag said that if Villamor had indeed been murdered, “it must have been done upon the orders of German Agojo, who is the boss of Galicia” as he again linked Remulla to the death.

Apart from the murder raps, Bantag has also filed administrative complaints of grave misconduct, conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service and conduct unbecoming of a public official against Remulla and Catapang. He is also asking the Office of the Ombudsman to conduct an in-depth investigation into the case. n

KADIWA ON MAGINHAWA STREET. People flock to the Kadiwa store to buy fresh vegetables on the corner Maginhawa and Mapagkumbaba streets, Barangay Sikatuna Village, Quezon City on Wednesday, Jan. 4. Kadiwa stores have been offering fresh fish, fruits, vegetables and other produce at a cheaper price compared to the regular market. PNA photo by Robert Oswald P. Alfiler

Safe religious devotion

The annual Traslacion or procession is not yet being revived, but a “Walk of Faith” will be held on Sunday, January 8 in Manila on the eve of the Feast of the Black Nazarene. Starting at the Quirino Grandstand in Rizal Park at 2 a.m., the procession is expected to last about three hours as participants make their way to Quiapo Church, home to the Black Nazarene image.

Devotees are allowed to bring Nazarene replicas, but nothing larger than two feet tall. The traditional pahalik or kissing of the original image is prohibited although devotees can touch the Nazareno. There will be midnight masses on Jan. 8 and 9, with Manila Archbishop Cardinal Jose Advincula celebrating the mass on the feast day itself.

The Catholic Church and city officials led by Mayor Honey Lacuna, who is a physician, are appealing to participants to strictly observe basic COVID health safety protocols, starting with masking and hand hygiene. Physical distancing is still encouraged although this is not easy to observe in a procession.

Authorities are also appealing to devotees with symptoms of illness – those with fever, sore throat, continuous sneezing, coughs, cold and diarrhea –to skip the Nazarene activities. Viruses can spread rapidly in mass gatherings, and COVID-19 is still very much around, with highly infectious strains detected in the country.

Babe’s Eye View

BaBe Romualdez

THE World Health Organization is cautiously optimistic that the COVID-19 pandemic will no longer be a global health emergency by mid next year. According to WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the number of weekly COVID-19 deaths has dropped to almost 90 percent since its peak at the end of January last year. Many experts also believe that COVID-19 will likely become endemic, meaning the virus would still be around but more manageable, like the cold or seasonal flu.

There is, however, great concern about the situation in China due to surging infection rates, compelling some countries to require travelers from China to present negative COVID-19 swab results. Whatever it is, we are all praying and hoping that the outbreak would be controlled to a certain extent and would not result in new mutations of the Omicron subvariants such as BA.5, BA.2.75 and the

These new coronavirus strains are proving to be highly evasive to both natural and vaccine immunity. Even if fully vaccinated and boosted people show only mild or no symptoms if infected by these new strains, they can pass on the virus to vulnerable members of their household such as the elderly and those with comorbidities, who can suffer serious illness or even succumb to COVID. The current dire COVID situation in China illustrates the threat posed by the new strains of the Omicron subvariant.

The Philippines has lifted mandatory masking outdoors along with restrictions on religious gatherings. The Catholic Church itself, however, has found it prudent to cancel the traditional Traslacion for a third year in a row, to avoid creating a COVID superspreader event.

The Church has had its share of COVID deaths, with members of the clergy and supporting laity succumbing to the illness. In January last year, amid an Omicron-driven post-holiday surge in cases, Quiapo Church was closed to devotees

and guarded by police on the Feast of the Black Nazarene, with masses instead live-streamed. This year the restrictions have been eased, but prudence is still needed in preventing Nazarene-

related activities from spreading illness and death. Religious devotion and protecting public health need not be incompatible. (Philstar.com)

2023: A year of economic opportunities for the Philippines

BF.7 that has been identified as largely responsible for the spike in infections across China. The U.S. has offered assistance with their effective mRNA vaccines, but China has so far declined the offer. There are reports, however, that people from the mainland are getting Pfizer’s mRNA vaccine in Hong Kong.

Nevertheless, the lifting of worldwide restrictions is driving a lot of optimism that 2023 could be a year of recovery for most of the global economy, including the Philippines.

Finance Secretary Ben Diokno says “the worst is over and the best is yet to come” for the Philippines. And despite projections of a global recession this 2023, the Development Budget Coordination Committee predicts that the Philippine economy will grow by 6 to 7 percent in 2023 in the face of external headwinds.

“…an average GDP growth of 6.5 percent is nothing to be sneezed at: it is still one of the highest, if not the highest, growth rates among ASEAN+6 economies,” said Secretary Diokno, referring to the members of the Association

of Southeast Asian Nations and dialog partners Australia, China, Japan, South Korea, India and New Zealand.

Driving this optimistic economic outlook are several factors that include the early approval of the 2023 national budget; the country’s strong international credit profile that continues to be at investment grade and the stable and resilient banking system that is characterized by strong capitalization well above international norms.

He also points to the country’s adequate buffers against external headwinds, such as the hefty level of our gross international reserves of $95.1 billion as of November 2022, the low external debt to GDP ratio of 26.8 percent by the end of September 2022 and a favorable external debt profile. The Philippines also has a steady supply of foreign exchange from overseas Filipino remittances, export revenues from business process outsourcing firms, tourism receipts and inflows from foreign direct investments, Secretary Diokno disclosed.

Significantly, the policies and reforms that have

removed barriers to foreign investments to allow for more participation in Philippine industries have made the economic environment more attractive and favorable.

The “game-changing laws” such as the Public Service Act and amendments to the Retail Trade Liberalization Law are “expected to boost foreign direct investments in particular, and the economy in general,” the country’s Finance chief said.

Great opportunities are certainly opening up with more countries taking interest in the Philippines as an investment destination.

No doubt all the trips of President Marcos are extremely important, leading to enhanced trade and economic partnerships worldwide.

Economic opportunities from the U.S. abound for the Philippines following the passage of the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act by the U.S. Congress, allocating a record $858 billion to the U.S. Department of Defense.

One of the significant provisions of the NDAA is outlined under Section 5949 that prohibits executive agencies from buying or obtaining any

electronic parts, products or services that include “covered semiconductor products or services” from certain Chinese companies which represent a sizeable and growing share of the chips market and a broad range of American electronic equipment such as mobile phones, networking equipment and automobile parts.

Although Section 5949 takes effect five years after the enactment of the 2023 NDAA with the Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council issuing the implementing rules and prohibitions in 2026, the Philippines can take advantage of the fallout from this legislation. Just consider, the Philippines’ semiconductor and electronics exports to the world amounted to $45.92 billion in 2021, with most of the exports going to the U.S. The Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors and Science Act of 2022 or CHIPS Act signed into law by President Joe Biden last August is also a positive development, according to the Semiconductor and Electronics Industries in the Philippines, as this will diversify the source of semiconductor wafers which the Philippines imports for the

New year chaos

of Jan. 1, the first day of 2023.

COULD the New Year chaos at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) be a portent of things to come for us, here in this insanely chaotic nation of 110 million? I surely hope not because this is certainly bad news for us.

Is it possible that somebody or some groups with vested interests – rumored syndicates in the airport, for instance –sabotaged aviation systems to make our airport authorities look incompetent? Wasn’t it just a few months ago that some groups desperately wanted changes in airport leadership?

Or could the rumor going around our chat groups that somebody mis-plugged an equipment which triggered the shutdown, be true? “Nasaksak sa 220 (volt) ang computer,” so goes the story in the grapevine.

There are so many conspiracy theories but what is clear is that at the end of the day, some 65,000 passengers were affected by a massive airport disruption that happened around 9:49 a.m.

What a way to start the New Year in our land of mayhem. Just a few days ago, I wrote about the noticeably positive changes in our airport when I flew out of the country last week. I was pleasantly surprised to have enjoyed a smooth experience at NAIA. Oh how swiftly things would change.

Now, about to head back to Manila, I’m quite anxious. Would I be able to make it home or, like many other flights, would our plane be sent back in mid-air?

Even tycoon Manuel V. Pangilinan could not help but heave a sigh of frustration: “We’re told radar and navigation facilities at NAIA down. I was on my way home fm Tokyo – 3 hours into the flight, but had to return to Haneda. 6 hours of useless flying but inconvenience to travelers and losses to tourism and business are horrendous. Only in the PH. Sigh,” MVP tweeted on Sunday, Jan.1.

Only in the Philippines, indeed. We make positive changes once in a while, only to fall two steps backwards.

So what really happened?

Transportation Secretary

Jaime Bautista, in a brief phone call, said there is absolutely no truth to the report going around that “nasaksak sa 220 (volt) ang computer.”

Sec. Jimmy was hearing a New Year’s Day mass with his wife when his phone started buzzing minutes after what turned out to be a power outage.

He immediately informed President Marcos of what happened.

Despite this – and strangely – Marcos’ social media account talked about our destiny in 2023 and nothing about how our destiny was actually unfolding with the airport mess.

What really happened was a loss of power in the Air Traffic Management Center. The exact reason for this is being investigated. The center’s uninterruptible power supply (UPS) also bogged down, crippling the country’s airspace. ATMC is the facility in charge of all inbound and outbound flights between Manila and elsewhere.

The system likewise failed to connect to the commercial power supply from Meralco.

Sec. Jimmy said the

equipment was acquired in 2010 but started operations only in 2018. It also did not have a back-up system.

“At around 09:49 a.m. the Air Traffic Management Center (ATMC) went down due to a power outage which resulted in loss of communication, radio, radar and internet. The primary cause identified was a problem with the power supply and the degraded uninterruptible power supply which had no link to the commercial power and had to be connected to the latter manually. The secondary problem was the power surge due to the power outage which affected the equipment,” the Transportation department said in a separate statement.

As of 5:50 p.m. on Jan. 1, operations resumed, while equipment restoration is still ongoing.

The Transportation department has instructed airline partners to provide – free of charge – food, refreshments, transportation, lodging and accommodation for all affected passengers.

The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) also advised all its airports to attend to all stranded passengers.

These efforts are all good but at the end of the day, passengers just want to fly back home or head toward their planned destinations.

10 years behind Moving forward, Sec. Jimmy said we need to acquire an upgraded system, which would need a budget of more than P13 billion.

“With what happened today, we need to fast-track the backup system. if you compare us to Singapore, they are at least 10 years ahead of us,” he said at a press conference that day.

‘Anywhere except the Philippines’

Sadly, what happened last Sunday brought us irreversible damage and major inconvenience to tens of thousands of passengers.

I heard that in Singapore, some foreign tourists planning to head off to Boracay after landing in Manila, changed their plans and looked for other destinations instead.

Overheard from these foreigners: “Anywhere except the Philippines!”

For sure, Sec. Jimmy and his team or the Marcos administration for that matter only inherited this problem but

assembly, test and packaging of chips. According to Mckinsey research, global demand will also continue to grow, with semiconductors poised to become a $1-trillion industry by the end of the decade.

We are catching up as a top exporter of semiconductors and electronics to the U.S., and a strong sign that the United States is looking at the Philippines as one of the alternative sources for its imports is the upcoming visit to Manila of U.S. executives from the Semiconductor Industry Association in mid-January.

As Sec. Diokno said, 2023 augurs a bright future for the Philippines – and we have the potential of being one of the leading economies in the AsiaPacific region as long as we remain focused and not “drop the ball,” with our leaders and policy makers keeping their eyes on growing our economy.

A prosperous new year to all! (Philstar.com)

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

* * * babeseyeview@gmail.com

it is now their duty to address it. Clearly, our aviation system – among many other systems in this country – is old and outdated. Did the previous administrations do anything to upgrade it? How about maintenance efforts?

That said, I wonder what former transportation secretary Art Tugade and the Duterte administration did to address this system. And to think secretary Tugade even wanted his son to manage our airport.

Last Sunday’s New Year chaos puts the spotlight on how we run things in this country.

As a reader pointed out, “Whatever is in place is dependent on the person in charge and not on proven procedures.”

How many more snafus can this country bear? (Philstar. com)

* * *

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

* * * Email: eyesgonzales@gmail. com. Follow her on Twitter @ eyesgonzales. Column archives at EyesWideOpen on FB.

ASIAN JOURNAL PUBLICATIONS, INC. Publisher

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ROGER

ManilaTimes.net photo

‘Tighten PH border watch amid China COVID surge’

by Javier Joe ismael ManilaTimes.net

SEN. Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go, chairman of the Committee on Health, called for securing the country’s borders and strengthening the monitoring of incoming travelers as a rise in COVID-19 cases in China raised concerns around the world.

“Secure our borders. Let’s intensify further our monitoring,” said Go in an interview after personally providing aid to flood victims in Misamis Oriental on Monday, January 2.

“Review our protocols now, especially on the incoming travelers from China where according to reports there is a rise in COVID-19 cases, and lockdowns are being implemented anew,” he added.

Go also urged the InterAgency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) to review and strengthen

COVID-19 guidelines to prevent the Philippines from being impacted by the surge.

“I appeal to our health authorities, our IATF, to intensify, to review our guidelines. Our study on this matter has to be made on a daily basis and ensure that no new cases could enter the country as it is hard to go back to zero,” said Go.

“We have to ensure that our past efforts against COVID-19 will not go to waste. Our Covid response has already reached that far, and we do not want to go back where we are compelled to implement lockdowns, and our countrymen will again lose their jobs,” he added.

The Philippines sees a need to step up monitoring and border control for incoming travelers, particularly from China, which is seeing a record rise in COVID-19 cases, the Department of Health (DoH) said on Saturday, December 31.

The DoH ordered all ports of entry to increase surveillance

of any respiratory symptoms in any travelers from China and to report any symptomatic passengers who are intercepted.

In the meantime, Go reminded Filipinos that they cannot relax their vigilance as long as COVID-19 is still present.

“For me, it is important to balance everything. It is still dangerous as Covid is still around,” said Go.

“Let us protect the life and health of every Filipino,” added Go.

Go also reiterated his call for those who are eligible to get COVID-19 vaccinations and boosters.

“As I have said, let us all get our booster shots, get ourselves vaccinated. We still have sufficient vaccines for everyone,” said Go.

“The vaccine is the only key or solution for us to go back to our normal lives and reach herd immunity. If you are vaccinated, you are more protected,” he pointed out. n

‘Miscomm’: Malacañang clears ex-agriculture execs in sugar import mess

MANILA — What was once called an “illegal” order to bring in sugar from abroad has been ruled a simple case of miscommunication as Malacañang absolved former agriculture officials involved in the botched importation plan.

While the Office of the President absolved the former officials from any charges related to the sugar importation mess, it still “admonished” them “to be more prudent and circumspect in the performance of their duties.” These duties are no longer theirs as most of them quit their posts in the middle of the mess.

According to News5, the Office of the President has ruled that the issuance of the controversial Sugar Order No. 4, which would have brought in 300,000 metric tons of sugar into the country, was done in good faith.

It found that the former agriculture officials only thought they were allowed to sign off on the importation order even without the approval of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who also heads the agriculture department, due to “miscommunication” brought about by a memorandum from then Executive Secretary Vic Rodriguez, who has since left government service.

Former Agriculture Undersecretary Leocadio

Sebastian previously justified his signing of SO No. 4 by citing a memo from Rodriguez, which he said gave him the impression that he had the power to sign on behalf of Marcos.

Malacañang’s ruling is in stark contrast with the Senate Blue Ribbon committee’s recommendation to file graft, smuggling and usurpation of official functions complaints against Sebastian, former Sugar Regulatory Administration head Hermenegildo Serafica, former Sugar Regulatory Administration board member Roland Beltran and current member Aurelio Valderrama Jr.

Valderrama said last August that he would not resign, with the Daily Guardian in Iloilo City quoting him as saying: “I am just holding on to the position simply because I need to clear my name to the people that have supported me.”

The Senate panel also recommended to the Office of the Ombudsman the filing of administrative charges against the four officials for serious dishonesty, grave misconduct, gross neglect of duty, conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service and gross insubordination under the revised rules on administrative cases in the civil service. (Philstar.com) n

Comelec junks over 1,000 poll overspending cases

by robertzon ramirez Philstar.com

MANILA — More than 1,000 overspending cases in previous elections have been dismissed by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) as part of its efforts “to unclog the dockets of the commission” before the May 2025 elections.

Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia recently told reporters that 1,024 overspending cases involving candidates in national and local elections in 2010 and 2013 were dismissed upon the recommendation of the poll body’s law department.

“There will still be several cases because we want to unclog the dockets of the commission. We want to clean up everything before the 2025 election,” Garcia said partly in Filipino when asked if there are still pending cases before them aside from cases involving prominent individuals that were recently released.

The Comelec recently disqualified former Albay governor Noel Rosal for allegedly violating the public spending ban in the May 2022 national

and local elections while the poll body’s Second Division disqualified Cagayan Gov. Manuel Mamba for a similar violation.

“These are just the highlighted cases whose decisions have been released by the Comelec because the positions are high-ranking, but we have also released case decisions on mayors disqualified by the Comelec on the division level and some, en banc,” Garcia said.

“Not because that’s what we want to do, but because the evidence and the law dictate that it should be the decision of the Comelec. You can count on us: when we decide (on a) case, it’s based on facts and the law as applicable,” he added.

A 59-page minutes of the executive session on Sept. 28 last year that was released only yesterday stated that the Comelec affirmed its law department’s recommendation to dismiss 437 and 489 overspending cases that are still pending preliminary investigation and resolution in the 2010 and 2013 general elections, respectively.

The Comelec said it also dismissed 51 and 47 overspending cases that still have pending motions

Most OFWs able to leave...

PAGE 5

returning OFWs, who dream of being with their families after a long separation from them.

Tulfo said the fare price in and out of the country has doubled due to the breakdown of the Communications, Navigation and Surveillance System for Air Traffic Management (CNS/ATM) of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP).

He added that many OFWs delayed their long-planned vacations to be with their families to celebrate the past Christmas and New Year due to high airfare rates.

Several OFWs who were distressed by the destruction of the CNS/ATM sought the senator’s help and expressed their frustration due to the excessive exaggeration of other airline companies in raising fares.

Tulfo noted, for example, the one-way flight from Manila to Japan costs from P90,000 to P140,000, which cannot be afforded by OFWs who have limited budgets.

The STAR, however, checked Wednesday afternoon with the website of an airline that showed a roundtrip Manila-Japan-Manila ticket was pegged at a little over P20,000, while another airline set the fare at over P40,000.

Tulfo specifically urged Philippine Airlines and Cebu Pacific to consider providing a preferential pricing system for OFWs, who are considered national heroes.

“It would be unfair for our OFWs to absorb the fault or negligence of the CAAP for the maintenance of their CNS/ATM system. Many of them only come home once… a year. The money that was supposed to be a welcome or support for their family was forced to go to the fare,” he said.

The sudden increase in fares is said to be caused by the demandbased algorithm that airlines use to impose airfare increases, according to an airline company that spoke with Tulfo’s office.

The senator said his office is coordinating with the DMW for possible subsidizing of discounted airfares for OFWs affected by this problem.

“I stand with my colleagues, especially Sen. Grace Poe and Senate President Migz Zubiri, in initiating an investigation as to the breakdown of essential navigational and air traffic control systems,” he added, noting this is one of the first things the Senate will discuss when it resumes session on Jan. 23.

No penalties

In a related development,

foreign nationals whose flights were canceled or delayed after the CAAP’s Air Traffic Management Center encountered problems were given by the Bureau of Immigration (BI) until Jan. 12 to fix their flights without added immigration penalties.

In a statement, BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco noted that foreign nationals whose visas and Emigration Clearance Certificate have expired during the period when the technical problem occurred at the NAIA were given extensions until Thursday next week.

“Considering what happened to many foreign nationals who were unable to leave on their scheduled flights, we issued this advisory to assist them in rescheduling, without having to worry about overstaying,” Tansingco said.

“This extension is given in the spirit of the hospitality of the Filipino people. Those who were affected did not mean to overstay their visas, hence, appropriate considerations are given to them,” he added.

Foreign nationals are only required to present their confirmed ticket showing their canceled flights or boarding passes from Jan. 1 or onwards, according to the BI official. n

Comelec junks...

PAGE 7

for reconsideration involving 2010 and 2013 general elections, respectively.

A complete list is available on the Comelec’s official website. Garcia said interested parties affected by their decision may seek an appeal before the Supreme Court.

He accepted and admitted that certain cases were left unresolved as he committed that they would now expeditiously resolve cases. n

PNP Chief Azurin leads resignation of close to 1K police officials

by Francis Earl cuEto ManilaTimes.net

PHILIPPINE National Police Chief (PNP) Gen. Rodolfo Azurin Jr. led the close to 1,000 police officials who tendered their courtesy resignations on Thursday, January 5 and called on his colleagues to do the same as part of the “cleansing of the police force”.

Azurin tendered his resignation a day after Local Government Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. called on those linked to the illegal drug trade to step down.

“I heed the call of the Honorable Secretary of the Interior and Local Government and the concurrent chairman of NAPOLCOM (National Police Commission). Thus, I am submitting my resignation from the police service voluntarily,” Azurin wrote in a letter addressed to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. PNP PIO Chief Col. Rederico Maranan said, a total of 956 ranking officers are expected to submit their courtesy resignations.

The highest-ranking official is a police general. There are also 812 police colonels, 8 Lt. Generals, 21 Maj. Generals, 114 Brig. Generals who will resign.

Azurin said they submitted to President Marcos 22 names from whom five will be asked tby the Chief Executive to stay.

will be by Marcos to determine if he was in any way involved in the narcotics trade, or if he had been tolerating police officers who were.

But Azurin also said that not all officials were pleased with the “request” of Secretary Abalos.

He said that during their command conference with colonels and generals, some expressed apprehension, others said they would not resign because this has been their “bread and butter, their career and that they have not committed any wrong for the last 30 years”.

Azurin even sent a message saying that the PNP, not the officials personally, is on trial and that they should prioritize the interest of the organization.

He said that while several expressed resistance, he expects everyone to comply before Jan. 31, 2023.

This is not the first time such drastic measures have been used to clean up the Philippine police force.

Former president Fidel Ramos cracked down on police in the early 1990s, ordering all officers over 56 years of age or with more than 30 years of service to resign. This resulted in the resignation of the PNP chief and nine other senior officers. n

LEGAL SERVICES LEGAL SERVICES LEGAL SERVICES

CASE NUMBER: 37-2022-00050492-CU-PT-CTL

TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS: Petitioner Karinna Banales on behalf of minor child filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: a. Sebastian Steven Ochoa Banales to Adan Gilberto Diaz Banales.

THE COURT ORDERS that all persons interested in this matter appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing.

NOTICE OF HEARING Date: 02/14/2023 Time: 8:30 AM Dept. 61 Superior Court of California, County of San Diego 330 WEST BROADWAY DEPT. 61 San Diego, CA 92101

A copy of this Order to Show Cause shall be published at least once each week for four successive weeks prior to the date set for hearing on the petition in the following newspaper of general circulation printed in this county. Asian Journal: DEC. 29, 2022

NO HEARING WILL OCCUR ON ABOVE DATE: SEE ATTACHMENT Michael T. Smyth Judge of the Superior Court AJ 1093 01/06, 01/13, 01/20, and 01/27/2023

ATTACHMENT TO ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME (JC Form #NC-120)

NO HEARING WILL OCCUR ON THE DATE SPECIFIED IN THE ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE.

The Court will review the documents filed as of the date specified on the Order to Show Cause for Change of Name (JC Form #NC-120).

If all requirements for a name change have been met as of the date specified, and no timely written objection has been received (required at least two court days before the date specified), the Petition for Change of Name (JC Form #NC-100) will be granted without a hearing. One certified copy of the Order Granting Petition will be mailed to the petitioner.

To change a name on a legal document, including a birth certificate, social security card, drivers license, passport, and other identification, a certificate copy of Decree Changing Name (JC Form #NC-130) or Decree

Changing Name and Order Recognizing Change of Gender and for Issuance of New Birth Certificate (JC Form #NC-230) may be required. Contact the agency(ies) who issues the legal document that need to be changed to determine if a certificate copy is required.

A certified copy of Decree Changing Name (JC Form #NC-130) or Decree

Changing Name and Order Recognizing Change of Gender and for Issuance of New Birth Certificate (JC Form #NC230) may be obtained form the Civil Business Office for a fee. Petitioners who are seeking a change of name under the Safe at Home program may contact the assigned department for information on obtaining certified copies.

If all the requirements have not been met as of the date specified, the Court will mail the petitioner a written order with further directions.

If timely objection is filed, the Court will set a hearing date and contact the parties by mail with further directions.

A RESPONDENT OBJECTING TO THE NAME CHANGE, MUST FILE A WRITTEN OBJECTION AT LEAST TWO COURT DAYS (excluding weekends and holidays) BEFORE THE DATE SPECIFIED. Do not come to court on the specified date. The court will notify the parties by mail of a future hearing date.

Any Petition for the name change of a minor, that is signed by only one parent, must have this Attachment served along with the Petition and Order to Show Cause, on the other, non-signing parent, and proof of service must be filed with the Court. AJSD 1093

NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF DAX G. PUCKETT.

CASE NO: 37-2022-00025441-PR-LA-CTL

To all heirs, beneficiaries, creditors, contingent creditors, and persons who may otherwise be interested in the will or estate, or both, of: DAX G. PUCKETT

A Petition for Probate has been filed by JOHN PUCKETT in the Superior Court of California, County of SAN DIEGO

The Petition for Probate requests that JOHN PUCKETT be appointed as personal representative to administer with will annexed the estate of the decedent.

The petition requests the decedent’s will and codicils, if any, be admitted to probate. The will and any codicils are available for examination in the file kept by the court.

The petition requests authority to administer the estate under the Independent Administration of Estates Act. (This authority will allow the personal representative to take many actions without obtaining court approval. Before taking certain very important actions, however, the personal representative will be required to give notice to interested persons unless they have waived notice or consented to the proposed action.)

The independent administration authority will be granted unless an interested person files an objection to the petition and shows good cause why the court should not grant the authority.

A hearing on the petition will be held in this court as follows:

Date: 03/31/2023 Time: 11:00 A.M.

Dept.: 504 Address of court: 1100 Union Street, San Diego, CA 92101 Branch Name: Central, Probate

If you object to the granting of the petition, you should appear at the hearing and state your objections or file written objections with the court before the hearing. Your appearance may be in person or by your attorney.

If you are a creditor or a contingent creditor of the decedent, you must file your claim with the court and mail a copy to the personal representative appointed by the court and mail a copy to the personal representative appointed by the court within the later of either (1) four months from the date of first issuance of letters to a general personal representative, as defined in section 58(b) of the California Probate Code, or (2) 60 days from the date of mailing or personal delivery to you of a notice under section 9052 of the California Probate Code. Other California statutes and legal authority may affect your rights as a creditor.

You may want to consult with an attorney knowledgeable in California law.

You may examine the file kept by the court. If you are a person interested in the estate, you may file with the court a Request for Special Notice (form DE-154) of the filing of an inventory and appraisal of estate assets or of any petition or account as provided in Probate Code section 1250. A Request for Special Notice form is available from the court clerk.

PETITIONER: JOHN PUCKETT 303 E. EL NORTE PKwY ESCONDIDO, CA 92026 760-814-3046 01/06/2023, 01/13/2023, AND 01/20/2023 AJ 1094

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS

NAME STATEMENT NO. 2022-9026927

Kujo Eats located at 3400 E 6th Street, National City, CA 91950.

Registrant: Joel Sarandi Soriano, JR., 8852 Delrose Ave, Spring Valley, CA 91977.

This business is conducted by Individual.

REGISTRANT HAS NOT BEGUN TO TRANSACT BUSINESS UNDER THE NAME(S) ABOVE.

Signature: Joel S. Soriano, JR..

Statement filed with Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on 12/13/2022.

AJ 1086 12/16/2022, 12/23/2022, 12/30/2022, and 01/06/2023. AJSD 1086

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT NO. 2022-9027999

HABIBI BOUTIQUE located at 2142 Cuyamaca Ct., Spring Valley, CA 91977.

Registrant: a. Yadira Leonor Rodriguez, 2142 Cuyamaca Ct., Spring Valley, CA 91977.

b. Gildardo Rodriguez, 2142 Cuyamaca Ct., Spring Valley, CA 91977.

This business is conducted by General Partnership.

REGISTRANT FIRST BEGUN TO TRANSACT BUSINESS UNDER THE NAME(S) AS OF 12/29/2022.

Signature: Yadira Leonor Rodriguez.

Statement filed with Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on 12/29/2022.

AJ 1090 01/06, 01/13, 01/20, and 01/27/2023. AJSD 1090

STATEMENT OF ABANDONMENT OF USE OF FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT NO. 2022-9026441

Alpha Dental located at 4276 54th Place, San Diego, CA 92115.

THE FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME REFERRED TO ABOVE WAS FILED IN SAN DIEGO COUNTY ON: 12/06/2013, and assigned File no. 2013-9027623

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME IS BEING ABANDONED BY: Roy J Vegter A Dental Corporation, 4276 54th Place, San Diego, CA 92115.

This Business is Conducted by: A Corporation Signature: Roy J Vegter. Statement filed with Recorder/ County Clerk of San Diego County on 12/06/2022.

AJ 1087 12/16/2022, 12/23/2022, 12/30/2022, and 01/06/2023. AJSD 1087

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT NO. 2022-9028067

Above & Beyond Carpet Care located at 3617 Bancroft Dr., #1A, Spring Valley, CA 91977.

Registrant: Carpet & Stone Support Inc., 3617 Bancroft Dr., #1A, Spring Valley, CA 91977.

This business is conducted by Corporation.

REGISTRANT FIRST BEGUN TO TRANSACT BUSINESS UNDER THE NAME(S) AS OF 12/30/2022.

Signature: Alec Haskett. Statement filed with Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on 12/30/2022.

AJ 1091 01/06, 01/13, 01/20, and 01/27/2023. AJSD 1091

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT NO. 2022-9025997

Cherilyn V. Mallari Singing Services located at 2327 14th St., National City 91950.

Registrant: Cherilyn Diane Viloria Mallrari, 2327 14th St., National City 91950. This business is conducted by Individual.

REGISTRANT HAS NOT BEGUN TO TRANSACT BUSINESS UNDER THE NAME(S) ABOVE.

Signature: Cherilyn Diane Viloria Mallrari. Statement filed with Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on 11/29/2022.

AJ 1088 12/23/2022, 12/30/2022, 01/06/2023, and 01/13/2023 AJSD 1088

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT NO. 2022-9027855

Road Ready Auto Sales located at 4626 Mercury St., Suite 2200, San Diego, CA 92111.

Registrant: Mohamed Sharif Osman, 6758 Rio Plato Ct., San Diego, CA 92114.

This business is conducted by Individual.

REGISTRANT HAS NOT BEGUN TO TRANSACT BUSINESS UNDER THE NAME(S) ABOVE.

Signature: Mohamed Sharif Osman. Statement filed with Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on 12/27/2022.

AJ 1092 01/06, 01/13, 01/20, and 01/27/2023. AJSD 1092

STATEMENT

OF

ABANDONMENT

OF USE OF FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT NO. 2022-9027793

Balboa Oasis Spa located at 2121 Fifth Ave #110, San Diego, CA 92101.

THE FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME REFERRED TO ABOVE WAS FILED IN SAN DIEGO COUNTY ON: 06/10/2021, and assigned File no. 2021-9011734

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME IS BEING ABANDONED BY: MACNAM LLC, 1771 Royston Dr., San. Diego, CA 92154.

This Business is Conducted by: A Limited Liability Company Signature: Amy T Le. Statement filed with Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on 12/23/2022. AJ 1089 12/30/2022, 01/06, 01/13, and 01/20/2023.

NEW YEAR BABY. Melanie Soriano gives birth to her first child, Nathalie, at the Dr. Jose Fabella Memorial Hospital in Sta. Cruz, Manila on Sunday, Jan. 1. Baby Nathalie was born at exactly midnight of Jan. 1.

PNA photo by Joey O. Razon

Leading by quitting Philippine National Police chief Gen. Rodolfo Azurin Jr. shows his resignation letter. Photo by Mike De Juan

“A stronger vetting process among personnel of these units and among all key positions in the PNP will be implemented with strong resolve. Similarly, our counterintelligence efforts must all the more stepped up to protect the integrity of all police undertakings,” he added.

He said that he will submit himself to the soon to be formed evaluation committee that

SAN DIEGO

Enrique pens sweet birthday message for Liza

by

ACTOR Enrique Gil penned a short but sweet birthday message for his girlfriend Liza Soberano who is pursuing a career in the U.S.

In his Instagram account, Enrique posted a series of photos of him with Liza.

“We might be worlds apart, but you’ve never been closer to my heart,” Enrique wrote.

“To the most beautiful soul in the world. To my best friend and baby, I love you so much. Happy Birthday!!” he added.

Meanwhile, Liza thanked her family, friends and fans for remembering her birthday. “So this is 25,” Liza wrote on Instagram.

back home who have been there for me since day 1,” she added.

Liza also teased an upcoming project under James Reid’s Careless Music.

“I’m eternally grateful for each and every one of you. I wish I could be with all of you today to celebrate how far we’ve all come just like we used to but for now I hope I can continue making you all proud! I love you and can’t wait for what’s in store this 2023. I promise to work harder and become better with each day that passes,” she said.

“This is a sneak peak of something special I shot with the @carelessph team back in December at Joshua Tree. Stay tuned for the live performance video!!” she added. n

Heart bonds with Chiz in Japan after shutting down separation rumors

By HannaH Mallorca Inquirer.net

HEART Evangelista and Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero appeared to have rekindled their romance, as the actress-socialite and the politician were spotted together exploring various tourist sites in Japan.

As seen in a series of photos posted on Evangelista’s Instagram page Thursday, Jan. 5, she was enjoying her time in Japan with Escudero and her stepchildren, Quino and Chesi. The family vacation marks their

first public appearance after she shut down rumors last Dec. 31, 2022, that they had broken up.

One of the actress’ vacation snaps showed her and Escudero enjoying coffee at what appears to be a coffee shop at the Roppongi district in Tokyo, Japan. The senator was also tagged in the caption of her post.

Evangelista also shared a snippet of Escudero observing a cat on her Instagram Stories on the same day.

Fans of the actress expressed their support for Evangelista and Escudero, as they hoped

for the best in their relationship.

“Loved to see couples believing and fighting for love,” one netizen said.

“I’m so happy seeing you together. Ewan ko ba, di nyo ako kilala pero affected ako [emoji] Basta, I love seeing couple stays as couple. Sad ako kapag may naghihiwalay,” another fan wrote.

(I’m so happy seeing you together. I don’t why, you may not know me but I got affected with [your relationship]. Anyway, I love seeing [a] couple staying [together]. I’m sad when a couple breaks up.)

The fashion icon previously shared glimpses of herself bonding with Quino and Chesi at a restaurant and on the streets of Japan.

Rumors about Evangelista and Escudero’s separation swirled on social media after eagle-eyed netizens noticed that the former had dropped her marital surname from her Instagram account and revealed in October last year that she would be staying abroad “indefinitely.”

Despite break-up speculations, the couple seems to have shut down the rumors for good after Evangelista said she would be spending time with Escudero and his children for the holidays. n

Celeste’s communication skills take spotlight in Telemundo interview clip

by Jeline Malasig Philstar.com

AN interview clip of Miss Universe Philippines Celeste Cortesi went viral as Filipinos took notice of her communication skills days before the grand coronation of the beauty pageant.

The 25-year-old FilipinoItalian was interviewed by Telemundo 42, the Spanishlanguage channel in Louisiana, where the crowning of the 71st Miss Universe will be held.

Celeste was approached by its correspondent minutes after she arrived at the New Orleans airport.

The clip of her interview was reposted by an online pageant community on Facebook, where it has earned 12,000 likes and “love” reactions and 160,000 views so far.

Ayun, nilabas na interview [niya] from @telemundo42,” Facebook page Powerhouseph wrote with a heart-eyed emoji.

The original video is also uploaded on Telemundo 42’s own Facebook with the following caption, as translated from Google:

“The beautiful Miss Universe Philippines 2022, #CelesteCortesi, minutes after her arrival at the #NewOrleans airport.”

Those who watched the interview praised Celeste for “improving” her communication skills, especially amid the looming coronation.

“Celeste, your accent sounds Italian Spanish! Go get that crown! Very eloquent…” a Filipino Facebook user commented with folded hand emojis.

“Nag-improve [‘yung] communication skills niya… laban, Celeste!!! Wear the 5th [fifth] crown,” another Pinoy wrote with a raised arm emoji.

“Articulate… laking improvement… hope and pray she will win. Wait, maka-vote na nga..” commented a different Filipino.

Some non-Filipinos who also watched the clip also expressed fondness for Celeste.

“Una de mis favoritas,” a Facebook user wrote with a heart-eyed emoji. It translates to “One of my favorites.”

The Pasay beauty grew up in Italy and has assimilated the heavy accent of how Italians speak in English.

Despite this, she said that it is her values which make her a Filipina, crediting her Filipina mom.

“And what makes me a Filipina are the values that my Filipina mom always gave me throughout my journey here. She always expressed the values of Filipino people, and those values have been with me up to this day. And that’s what makes me a Filipina, a real Filipina,” Celeste said last year.

She will compete against more than 80 delegates in the beauty pageant with the coronation happening on January 14.

If Celeste wins, she will bag the country’s fifth Miss Universe crown. n

Miss Universe Philippines Celeste Cortesi

Photo from Instagram/@celeste_cortesi

Celebrity couple Enrique Gil and Liza Soberano Photos from Instagram/@enriquegil17

Heart Evangelista and Sen. Chiz Escudero

Photo from Instagram/@iamhearte

Jan Milo severo Philstar.com

“Thank you everyone for all the birthday greetings. Especially to my family, friends, lizanianz, lizaviors and lizquen

photo/www.countynewscenter.com

File

Bark in the mew year with pet adoption

WHY not start out 2023 with more love and companionship in your life? The San Diego County Department of Animal Services is offering a name your price adoption special for animals from Jan. 1-8 only.

Many dogs, cats, tortoises, rabbits, chickens and pigs are looking for new homes and families.

“This is the time of year when many of us resolve to spread kindness, be more active, make new friends and generally make changes that will improve our well-being. Pets can help us achieve some of our goals,” said County Animal Services Director Kelly Campbell. “Animals are a natural stress-reliever and they thrive on your kindness and affection which they return in kind, sometimes multiplied 10 times over.”

Included in the Bark in the Mew Year special, all animals will be spayed or neutered, have vaccinations, a microchip and a one-year license for dogs in the service area.

The first step to finding a new best friend is browsing all the lovable animals from cats to dogs to chickens and pigs available now on the Adoptions page (https:// www.sddac.com/content/sdc/ das/adopt.html). Animal Services staff recommend picking out a second and third choice too, just in case your first choice is already chosen by another person.

Walk-in hours are from 1 to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at both the South Shelter, 5821 Sweetwater Road in Bonita, or the North Shelter, 2481 Palomar Airport Road in Carlsbad.

Fill out an application online to print or pick one up at the shelter. Applications can also be emailed but it is quicker to go in person.

If you cannot adopt, consider fostering or volunteering.

(Yvette Urrea Moe/County of San Diego Communications Office) n

Resolve to give yourself the gift of health in 2023

THE County Health and Human Services Agency is encouraging San Diegans to resolve to be healthy in 2023 and get vaccinated against COVID-19 and the flu.

Both viruses are circulating at high levels this winter. Vaccinations offer the best protection against getting ill and both the COVID-19 vaccines and bivalent boosters, as well as the flu shot are widely available at medical providers and local pharmacies.

“Start the new year off right and protect yourself and others from COVID-19 and seasonal illnesses,” said Wilma J. Wooten, M.D., M.P.H., County public health officer. “Make a New Year’s resolution to stay healthy, get updated on your vaccines and avoid gatherings if you are ill.”

COVID-19 vaccines, including bivalent boosters, and flu vaccines are widely available at local medical providers and pharmacies. The County will also be offering vaccinations throughout the holidays at its vaccination sites. Check online (https://sdcounty.maps.arcgis.com/ apps/Nearby/index.html?appid=7369c2080ccf447ab91610ae69d84c43&distance=10&find=Pechanga%2520Indian%2520Reservation) for the days and hours sites will be open.

Preventive measures

In addition to vaccination and staying home when ill, San Diegans can take other precautions to protect themselves against COVID-19, as well as seasonal illnesses like the flu. These measures include:

• Cleaning hands thoroughly and often.

• Staying away from sick people.

• Wearing a facial covering, especially in crowded indoor settings.

• Regularly cleaning commonly touched surfaces.

• Conducting home testing when exposed or when ill. The federal government is providing free at-home COVID-19 tests available again through the winter for a limited time. Households can order one pack of four free tests through the U.S. Postal Service. For more information about testing, go to the County of San Diego COVID-19 testing webpage (https://www.sandiegocounty.gov/content/sdc/ hhsa/programs/phs/community_epidemiology/dc/2019-nCoV/ testing.html).

COVID-19 vaccination progress

• More than 2.69 million or 80.5% of San Diegans received the primary series of one of the approved COVID-19 vaccines.

• Bivalent boosters administered: 510,895 or 20.5% of 2,495,435 eligible San Diegans.

More vaccination information can be found at coronavirus-sd. com/vaccine.

COVID-19 deaths

• 15 additional deaths were reported since the last report on Dec. 22, 2022. The region’s total is 5,641.

Of the 15 additional deaths, six were women and nine were men. They died between Dec. 25, 2021, and Dec. 19, 2022. Nine of the newly reported deaths occurred in the past two weeks.

• 11 of the people who died were 80 or older, two were in their 70s, one was in their 60s and one was in their 50s.

• Eight of these people had been vaccinated and seven had not received any COVID-19 vaccines.

• 13 had underlying medical conditions and two did not have any underlying medical conditions.

COVID-19 cases, case rates and testing

• 4,537 COVID-19 cases were reported to the County in the past seven days (Dec. 20, 2022, to Dec. 26, 2022). The region’s total is

now 962,312.

• The 4,537 cases reported in the past week were lower compared to the 4,764 infections identified the previous week (Dec. 13, 2022 through Dec. 19, 2022).

• 4,200 tests were reported to the County on Dec. 24, and the percentage of new positive cases was 14.9% (Data through Dec. 24).

• The 14-day rolling percentage of positive cases, among tests reported through Dec. 24, is 10.6 %.

Influenza activity

The County Health and Human Services Agency now publishes the Respiratory Virus Surveillance Report weekly. The report is published each Thursday and tracks key respiratory illness indicators, including flu cases and deaths.

For the week ending Dec. 24, 2022, the report shows the following:

• Two additional flu deaths; the season’s total is now 29.

• Both of the additional flu deaths were women and both died on Dec. 20, 2022.

• One of them had received a flu shot this season and the other had not.

• Both of them had underlying medical conditions and none of the newly reported deaths were coinfected with COVID-19.

• Emergency department visits for influenza-like illness: 6% of all visits (compared with 6% the previous week).

• Lab-confirmed influenza cases for the week: 906 (compared to 1,155 the previous week).

• Total lab-confirmed cases to date: 19,372 (compared to 1,093 at the same time last season and a 1,982 prior 5-year average during the same week).

More information

Data updates to the County’s coronavirus-sd.com website will be published Thursdays around 5 p.m., with the exception of holidays. More information about the flu is available on the County’s influenza website (https://www.sandiegocounty.gov/ content/sdc/hhsa/programs/phs/immunization_branch/Vaccine_ Preventable_Diseases/Seasonal_Influenza/).

(Katie Cadiao/County of San Diego Communications Office) n

Get important tools that could save someone’s life

KNOWING how to perform CPR and how to locate and use an AED, automated external defibrillator, can help someone when seconds are critical.

The collapse of Buffalo Bills player Damar Hamlin during an NFL Monday Night Football game was a heart-wrenching sight. Medical professionals provided immediate support on the field, and it’s a vital reminder that you can learn some of those life-saving skills to help in an emergency.

What to do if your online order never arrives

WE’VE all been there.

During the holidays you order something online and anxiously await its arrival. But then your package doesn’t come when the seller said it would. And worse, you hear nothing. Your happy anticipation is turning to anger and frustration. So now what?

If you didn’t get your stuff:

• First, contact the seller. Most businesses will work with you to resolve the problem and keep you as a customer.

• If that doesn’t work, you still didn’t get your order and the charge shows up on your credit card statement, dispute the charge.

• If you paid by debit card, contact your debit card company (often your bank

or credit union). Ask if they can help you. This sample letter (https://consumer.ftc. gov/articles/sample-letterdisputing-credit-debit-cardcharges#sample) for disputing debit card charges can help.

Sometimes, you can head problems off by doing some research before buying from an unfamiliar online store.

• Check out the company or product. Search online for the name plus words like “review,” “complaint,” or “scam.” See what other people say about it. And read the seller’s description of the product carefully. If they offer name-brand goods at steeply discounted prices, they might be fakes.

• Pay by credit card. You’ll

get protections under federal law, so you don’t have to pay for things you ordered but didn’t get.

A word on timing, as the holidays approach: online sellers have to ship when they (or their ads) say they will. (The law says so.) If they don’t ship then, they have to tell you (and give you a chance to cancel and get a full refund). If they don’t give a shipping date, they have 30 days to ship from the date of your order.

If you suspect a scam, report it to the Federal Trade Commission at ReportFraud.ftc. gov.

(Colleen Tressler/FTC Division of Consumer and Business Education) n

Medical experts say every second counts once cardiac arrest has brought about the abrupt loss of heart function, breathing, and consciousness. Quick actions like CPR and defibrillation can improve outcomes while waiting for medical professionals to arrive.

CPR, or cardiopulmonary resuscitation, is used when the heart can’t pump blood to the rest of the body. It uses chest compressions to mimic how the heart pumps. Many organizations like the American Heart Association and YMCA provide CPR certification courses.

An AED can also help someone in cardiac arrest. They are located in many public places, and you can download and use the PulsePoint AED app to help build a regional registry of where the defibrillators are located. The app is the companion to the PulsePoint Respond app, which notifies nearby responders of a cardiac

emergency, providing a map of the location and nearby approved AEDs.

Another way to be prepared is by caring for your own heart health. Heart disease is a leading cause of death in the United States, according to the World Health Organization, and annually claims the lives of more than 4,600 San Diegans. The disease can lead to heart failure or cardiac arrest.

“Cardiac arrest is sudden and can be caused by a variety of factors,” said Dr. Jennifer Tuteur, San Diego County’s Deputy Chief Medical Officer.

“It often happens to people who didn’t know they had a heart problem. That is why it is so important to understand

your heart health by knowing your blood pressure numbers and getting an annual physical. Youth are encouraged to receive a preparticipation physical evaluation, or sports physical, to help keep athletes safe and healthy while participating in sports.”

Heart disease is one of three chronic diseases, caused by three behaviors – limited physical activity, poor diet and tobacco use – that lead to over 50% of all deaths worldwide. You can get a free blood pressure screening and learn more about your heart health during the Love Your Heart Week of Action Feb. 11 – 19.

(Cassie Klapp/County of San Diego Communications Office)

Commissioner Lara alerts Californians about coverage for floods and mudslides caused by wildfires Issues

insurance companies that damage is covered if caused by a wildfire

LOS ANGELES

— With powerful winter storms increasing the threat of mudslides, especially for people in wildfire burn areas who are even more vulnerable, Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara issued a formal Notice to insurance companies reminding them of their legal duty to cover damage from any future mudslide or similar disaster that is caused by recent wildfires that weakened hillsides.

Many people may not be aware that homeowners’ and commercial insurance policies typically exclude flood, mudslide, debris flow, and other similar disasters — unless they are directly or indirectly caused by a recent wildfire or another peril covered by the applicable insurance policy. The Department of Insurance has posted a fact sheet for consumers to answer questions about what their policies cover.

“With continued winter storms threatening areas already damaged by wildfires, it’s critical to know

how you are protected especially if you are living in a more vulnerable area,” said Commissioner Lara, who created the California Climate Insurance Working Group focused on long-term solutions to combat climate change, including reducing risks to vulnerable communities as a result of strong storms, atmospheric rivers, and flooding. “I am alerting insurance companies to follow California law requiring they cover any mudslide, debris flow, or other damage that is caused by our recent wildfires so that people can recover quickly.”

The Montecito mudslide in Santa Barbara County in January 2018 that followed the destructive Thomas Fire claimed 23 lives and caused more than $421 million in damage, according to Department of Insurance data. Following that disaster, then-Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. enacted a new law to help prevent confusion about coverage following mudslides.

Due to the scale of previous wildfires across the state and the current and potential flooding, the Department of Insurance preemptively issued the Wednesday, January 4 Notice to all property and casualty insurance companies to ensure consumers are protected.

Commissioner Lara also urged consumers to take the following steps to prepare for the winter storm season:

• Use their smart phone to perform a home inventory to create a record of their belongings and store scans of important documents that they can easily access.

• Locate their insurance papers and put in a safe place or upload to an online location.

• For renters, consider purchasing renters’ insurance to protect their personal belongings, which typically are not covered by their landlord’s homeowners’ policy.

• Consider comprehensive auto insurance, which would protect their

vehicle in the event of flood damage.

• Visit the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (CalOES) “winter wise” web page to read more tips to prepare for winter weather (https://news.caloes.ca.gov/winterweather-resources-for-vulnerablecommunities/).

• Consider flood insurance for future disasters in addition to their homeowners’ insurance policy.

The National Flood Insurance Program currently provides the majority of flood coverage written in the state, but private flood insurance is also available. Flood insurance takes effect 30 days after it is purchased, except in the case of a home purchase where flood insurance is required by the lender.

The Department of Insurance can help consumers with insurance coverage or claim questions. Contact us at our consumer hotline at 800927-4357 or through online chat or email at insurance.ca.gov.

(CA Dept’ of Insurance Release) n