011422 - New York & New Jersey Edition

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JANUARY 14-20, 2022 Volume 15 - No.10 • 16 Pages

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FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA

Also published in LOS ANGELES, ORANGE COUNTY/INLAND EMPIRE, LAS VEGAS, NORTHERN CALIFORNIA

‘OMICRON TSUNAMI’

Gov. Murphy reinstates Public Health Emergency in New Jersey

by AJPRESS

Mary Venus, a nurse from the Philippines, checks on a patient inside the in-patient surgical recovery unit at Billings Clinic in Billings, Montana.

Photo by Nick Ehli for KHN

GOVERNOR Phil Murphy on Tuesday, January 11 reinstated a Public Health Emergency, effective immediately, in order

to ensure that the state is able to respond to the continued threat of COVID-19 and the rapidly spreading Omicron variant.

Executive Order No. 280 declares a Public Health Emergency and restates the existing State of Emergency across all 21 counties

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PH now at ‘critical risk’ as COVID cases reach 3 million

Hospitals recruit international nurses to fill pandemic shortages

BILLINGS, Mont. — Before Mary Venus was offered a nursing job at a hospital here, she’d never heard of Billings or visited the United States. A native of the Philippines, she researched her prospective move via the internet, set aside her angst about the cold Montana winters and took the job, sight unseen.

Venus has been in Billings since midNovember, working in a surgical recovery unit at Billings Clinic, Montana’s largest

in New Jersey, allowing state agencies and departments to utilize state resources to assist the State’s healthcare system and affected communities responding to and recovering from COVID-19 cases.

by LEILA

READY TO FLY. Passengers line up for security and health checks at the entrance of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 on Wednesday, January 12. Some flights have been canceled due to soaring coronavirus infections among crew members of airline companies.

PNA photo by Avito Dalan

B. SALAVERRIA, TINA G. SANTOS Inquirer.net

MANILA — The Philippines is now at “critical risk” for COVID-19, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said on January 10, hours after the country logged a record-high number of cases for the third straight day.

On Tuesday, January 11 the country breached the 3-million mark in COVID-19 cases after the Department of Health (DOH) reported 28,007 new infections, bringing the country’s total caseload since the pandemic began to 3,026,473.

Typhoon Odette Pacquiao: Congress should casualties 2nd-biggest ‘Long COVID’ from look into alleged hacking among world’s natural omicron coronavirus variant possible, say experts of Comelec servers disasters in 2021 MANILA — Typhoon Odette, which flattened six Philippine regions in December, had inflicted the second-biggest number of fatalities among the world’s natural disasters in 2021.

In a January 10 report, global reinsurer Munich Re listed the strong August 14, 2021, earthquake in Haiti as last year’s deadliest natural catastrophe with 2,248 deaths. It was followed by the onslaught of

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by DAPHNE

GALVEZ Inquirer.net

WHILE the Omicron COVID-19 variant appears to cause less severe illness compared to the Delta variant, it may be capable of causing long-term afterinfection effects otherwise known as “long COVID,”

experts warned on on Tuesday, January 11.

Thus, Filipinos should not be complacent about catching the coronavirus, said Philippine Genome Center (PGC) chief Cynthia Saloma, considering it is unclear who among carriers of the Omicron variant of

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by CHRISTIA

MARIE RAMOS

Inquirer.net

MANILA — Congress should look into the hacking of the servers of Commission on Elections (Comelec), presidential aspirant Senator Manny Pacquiao said on Tuesday, January 11.

In a statement, Pacquiao also urged the Comelec to “allow political

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parties to conduct an independent and third party audit on the extent of the alleged hacking incident.”

“Congress should exercise its oversight powers in relation to Republic Act 8436 or the Automated Election Law. This is not the first time that the Comelec has been hacked and this shows very serious security flaws on the poll

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Gov. Murphy reinstates Public...

Boxer Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire held a press conference last December in Carson, California to announce his fundraiser for families affected by Super Typhoon Odette (international name Rai).

Photo by Nikki Arriola/courtesy of Fred Docdocil

Nonito ‘The Filipino Flash’ Donaire raises funds to assist victims of Typhoon Odette IN response to the extensive damages brought about by Category 5 Super Typhoon Rai (Local Name Bagyong Odette) in Central and Southern Philippines, Mabuhay Credit Union hosted a Press Conference / Meet and Greet / Fundraiser with WBC Bantamweight Champion Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire Jr. on Tuesday, December 28, 2021.

Odette has claimed over 400 lives, with almost 100 still missing; has affected over 13 million people in some way, shape, or form (140,000 of whom were severely affected); and has caused over P40 billion or about $800 million in damages when it touched down in Mindanao and tore through Visayas on December 16–17, 2021.

Nonito Donaire is a 9-time World Boxing Champion across 4 different Weight Categories who had most recently defended his WBC Championship Belt against fellow Filipino pugilist Reymart Gaballo in Carson’s Dignity Health Center last December 11th. Born and raised in Talibon, Bohol, Donaire is taking time away from his ultimate goal of unifying the Bantamweight Belts to respond to a higher calling - which is to help his fellow Filipinos who have been devastated by the strongest Super Typhoon to hit the Philippines in 2021. According to Donaire, “I am truly grateful to see the unity from people all over the world, and I am happy that we can all work together in putting effort and energy into this to support our kababayans, especially those who have been affected by Odette.”

Fred Docdocil, the Mabuhay Branch & Business Development Coordinator of Mabuhay Credit Union who is a Planning Commissioner and an active Community Leader in the City of Carson, CA, helped to spearhead and organize this event in only a few days time by invoking the famous Filipino Bayanihan Spirit – which refers to the spirit of community unity, work, and cooperation to achieve a particular goal.

“We don’t need to wait for anybody else to tell us what to do, we should have that initiative, and most importantly, we should be courageous enough to follow through on that initiative (of helping those in need),” said Docdocil.

PAGE 1 “COVID-19 remains a significant threat to our State and we must commit every resource available to beating back the wave caused by the Omicron variant,” said Governor Murphy, adding that the “omicron tsunami” has been “washing across the state”.

The Public Health Emergency will allow the state to continue vaccine distribution, vaccination or testing requirements in certain settings, the collection of COVID-19 data, implementation of any applicable recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to prevent or limit the transmission of COVID-19, staffing and resource allocation, and other critical components of the State’s COVID-19 response. The new Public Health Emergency will allow for existing orders requiring masking in school and daycare settings to remain in effect.

“While we hope to return to a state of normalcy as soon as possible, the step I am taking today is a commonsense measure that will protect the safety and well-being of

all New Jersey residents while allowing state government to respond to the continuing threat that COVID-19 poses to our daily lives,” Murphy added.

Governor Murphy’s public health emergency declaration also empowers all State agencies to take all appropriate steps to continue to address the public health hazard resulting from new variants of COVID-19.

Under the Emergency Health Powers Act, the Public Health Emergency will expire after 30 days, unless renewed. State COVID-19 metrics will be re-evaluated at the time of expiration to determine if an extension will be needed.

New Jersey was recording 35,000 new coronavirus cases a day with more than 10,000 current hospitalizations.

Murphy assured residents that there are no plans of issuing a lockdown mandate.

“It does not mean going backward from any of the progress we’ve made together over the past 22 months. In fact, in your day-to-day life, this step won’t have any new impact at all,” he said. n

‘Long COVID’ from omicron...

Nonito Donaire

Photo from Instagram/@nonitodonaire

Miguel Ileto Carlos, who works with the Champ on his Finances, set up a GoFundMe (https://gofund.me/acf872d5) to collect cash donations that will be going directly towards the purchase of food, water, and other necessities to benefit those who have been drastically affected by Odette.

Furthermore, he has also pledged to donate an additional dollar for every new follower that he gets to his YouTube channel.

Commissioner Alex Cainglet got the fundraising started off strong by purchasing $400 worth of Team Pilipinas jackets that the Champ gamely signed and took photos with the community with. Among those who attended and showed their support were Benny Uy and Nikki Arriola of the Filipino American Press Club of California as well as former Miss Asia USA Didi Caneda, who participated despite already having their own fundraisers. Much appreciation to Councilwoman Arleen Bocatija Rojas for preparing a Certificate of Appreciation for Donaire, and to former MPT Jim Dear for presenting it to the Champ. n

PAGE 1 the SARS-CoV-2 – whether they experienced mild or no symptoms – may develop long COVID. SARS-CoV-2 is the latest strain of coronavirus that causes severe respiratory illness COVID-19. It has undergone mutations that resulted in numerous variants including Delta and Omicron – said to be the most contagious of all.

“Gusto ko lang talaga i-emphasize din na mayroon pong isang aspect that we have not put into the equation, this is the possibility of long COVID. So, very, very important that as much as possible, if we can help it na hindi tayo mainfect,” she said.

(I want to emphasize that there is one aspect that we have not put into the equation, this is the possibility of long COVID. So, very, very important that as much as possible, if we can help it that we do not get infected.)

“Kasi hindi natin talaga maintindihan pa o malaman pa kung sino sa mga pasyenteng nagpositive, even with mild or asymptomatic kung magdidevelop ng long COVID; because that is also a possibility,” she added.

(Because we still cannot understand or determine who among the COVID-19 patients, even with mild symptoms or asymptomatic, would develop long COVID;

because that is also a possibility.)

Saloma’s statement comes after microbiologist Fr. Nicanor Austriaco said that Omicron could become the “nature’s vaccine” to protect the public against COVID-19 – which “remains to be seen” according to the PGC chief.

For pediatric infectious disease expert Dr. Anna OngLim, it is still best to avoid contracting the coronavirus since it may lead to other complications.

“We can never predict sino sa mga tinamaan ang magkakaroon ng kumplikayson, including long COVID,” she said.

(We can never predict who will have complications, including long COVID.) n

Pacquiao: Congress should look into alleged hacking...

PAGE 1 body’s computer system,” the senator said.

“Hindi na ito dapat palampasin at kailangang magpaliwanag ang Comelec kung ano ang totoong pangyayari at kung ano ang epekto nito sa darating na halalan,” he added.

(We should not let this slide and the Comelec needs to explain what really happened and what are the effects seen on the upcoming polls.)

Congress should also be

informed of any measures the Comelec will put in place in case the country’s automated polling system is compromised, according to Pacquiao.

On Monday, January 10 the Manila Bulletin reported that hackers were allegedly able to breach the servers of Comelec and purportedly stole files including usernames and personal identification numbers of vote-counting machines.

Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez, however,

said those information do not exist yet in the poll body’s systems because these files have not been completed yet.

Jimenez, nevertheless, said the Comelec is still validating the alleged data breach.

Vice President Leni Robredo, who is seeking the presidency, and her vice presidential running mate Senator Francis Pangilinan have also expressed alarm over the alleged hacking of the Comelec servers. n

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From the Front Page

PH now at ‘critical risk’ as COVID cases...

PAGE 1 Duque said the country had a two-week growth rate in cases of 3,663 percent, while the seven-day moving average number of cases was higher by 690 percent.

“Our country is now at critical risk case classification,” he said in a meeting with President Duterte in Malacañang.

Among the regions, Metro Manila, Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon) and Central Luzon were considered critical, while others were either at high or moderate risk, Duque said.

Metro Manila, in particular, is now considered under a “severe outbreak” of COVID-19 cases, according to Duque, as it contributed the highest number of cases to the national tally.

Duque said the country’s bed utilization rate was at 40 percent, while the usage rate for intensive care unit (ICU) beds was at 38 percent and 17 percent for mechanical ventilators.

Almost all regions registered an increase in their hospital care utilization rates, he noted, reminding hospitals “to give priority to accepting or admitting moderate, severe and critical cases and to coordinate with our One Hospital Command Center to refer mild and asymptomatic patients to temporary treatment and monitoring facilities.”

Around 55 percent, or

15,256 cases, of the new infections reported on Tuesday were from Metro Manila.

Twelve laboratories failed to submit their data to the COVID-19 Document Repository System.

The positivity rate—or the percentage of people found positive out of the total number who underwent testing—was 44.5 percent, slightly lower than the 46 percent reported the previous day. This was based on 58,409 people tested on Sunday, January 9, or smaller than the sample size on Saturday, January 8.

The World Health Organization standard is a positivity rate of below 5 percent daily for at least two weeks—the maximum incubation period for the coronavirus — to consider COVID-19 transmission under control.

“Overall, NCR (National Capital Region, or Metro Manila) is classified as very high risk,” independent pandemic monitor OCTA Research fellow Guido David also said in a post on Twitter.

“The average daily attack rate (Adar) increased to 89.42 (from Jan. 4 to 10), which is above the Covid Act Now threshold (of 75 per day per 100,000 population) for a severe outbreak,” David said. Adar refers to the average number of new cases in a period out of every 100,000 individuals. Based on OCTA’s data, the Adar

from Dec. 28 last year to Jan. 3 was 12.71.

The DOH also observed an increase in incidental COVID-19 cases, or those who were admitted for other reasons but tested positive for COVID-19.

Citing figures from the Philippine General Hospital (PGH), Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said 53.9 percent of patients were admitted for COVID-19 while 46.1 percent were incidental cases from Sept. 15 to 18, 2021.

The number of incidental cases increased to 88.7 percent during the holiday surge from Dec. 25 to Jan. 7.

During the period, only 11.3 percent of patients were admitted at PGH for COVID-19.

Vergeire also said that cases recorded in NCR had 60-percent less chance of hospitalization compared to other regions, especially amid the holiday season.

She said a “decoupling” phenomenon was being observed in NCR. “Decoupling means that although cases are increasing, it does not translate to a large number of severe and critical cases,” Vergeire explained.

The country’s health-care utilization rate remained under low risk classification despite the surge in cases, Vergeire added.

Ready for Alert Level 4 “Despite case increases, the national health-care utilization remains to be at low risk. We have 40 percent for

FULL CAPACITY. As Metro Manila experiences “severe outbreak” of COVID-19 cases, several hospitals declared that they had reached full capacity.

Photo by Marianne Bermudez

our ward beds, while for ICU utilization at 38 percent,” she said.

However, Vergeire said the health-care utilization rate for Metro Manila was already nearing the moderate-risk category.

Despite Duque’s pronouncement, the government’s pandemic task force said there was still no reason to place Metro Manila under the tighter restrictions of Alert Level 4. Metro Manila and several other provinces are under Alert Level 3 until Jan. 15.

Acting presidential spokesperson Karlo Nograles said on Tuesday that the task force decides on the alert level based on the two-week growth rate, Adar and total bed utilization.

While the capital region was considered at critical risk, the use of hospital beds has not reached 71 percent, which was why it remained under Alert Level 3 for now, Nograles said.

He added that the government was ready should there be a need to shift to Alert Level 4.

The government has been preparing the hospitals and has asked them to increase their beds for COVID-19 patients, the official said.

There are also efforts to increase the capacities of isolation and temporary treatment and monitoring facilities, and the government has been augmenting the number of health-care workers, he added.

Health Undersecretary Leopoldo Vega said the DOH has also been expanding its facilities and recently inaugurated 130 beds for moderate and severe cases.

Meanwhile, Duque said that Omicron has replaced Delta as the dominant COVID-19 variant, accounting for 60 percent of the results of the government’s latest genome sequencing.

He said that of the 48 samples tested, 29 had the Omicron variant, while 18 had the Delta strain.

Executive Director Cynthia Saloma of the Philippine Genome Center said Duque was referring to the latest results of the genome sequencing, but added that more data would be needed to determine if Omicron was indeed the dominant variant in the country. n

A family whose house was damaged, take shelter under a tree covered with iron sheets along a highway in Surigao City, Surigao del Norte province, last December 24, 2021.

Philstar.com photo

Typhoon Odette...

PAGE 1 Odette (international name: Rai), which killed 408 people.

Also in the top five in terms of fatalities was the massive flooding in central China’s Henan province in July 2021, which took 302 lives; 272 were killed in Australia, Indonesia and Timor-Leste due to tropical cyclone Seroja in April 2021; and the winter storm, as well as cold wave frost that swept the United States and Mexico in February 2021, recorded 235 fatalities.

In a statement, Munich Re described the aftermath of the super typhoon in the Philippines as a “humanitarian catastrophe.”

“Many of the weather catastrophes fit in with the expected consequences of climate change, making greater loss preparedness and climate protection a matter of urgency,” Munich Re said.

“Scientists anticipate that the proportion of severe storms and of storms with extreme rainfall will increase because of climate change. Even though events cannot automatically be attributed to climate change, analysis of the changes over decades provides plausible indications of a connection with the warming of the atmosphere and the oceans. Adapting to increasing risks due to climate change will be a challenge,” said Ernst Rauch, Munich Re’s chief climate and geoscientist as well as head of its climate solutions unit.

About 9,200 people died due to natural catastrophes worldwide in 2021, up from around 8,200 in the previous year.

In terms of economic cost inflicted by natural disasters, the onslaught of hurricane Ida in the US and Canada from August to September 2021 ranked No. 1 with $65 billion in overall losses. It also had the biggest insured losses among natural disasters that struck across the globe last year, with $36 billion.

Globally, natural calamities like earthquakes, floods, storms, and wildfires destroyed a total of $280 billion worth of assets, of which only $120 billion or less than half in value had been insured, Munich Re said. Losses last year rose from $210 billion in 2020 and $166 billion in 2019, the German reinsurer’s estimates showed. (by Ben O. de Vera/Inquirer.net) n

CLOSED FOR NOW. Security guards stand in front of the gate of the Land Transportation Office along East Avenue, Quezon City to assist some applicants on Tuesday, January 11. The agency and its offices in the National Capital Region (NCR) have ceased operations since January 6 as many employees have contracted the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). PNA photo by Robert Oswald P. Alfiler

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OPINION

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FEATURES

2022 feels like a second chance IN considering how we would greet this new year, we took a look back to the impressions we shared in The Manila Times’ editorial on New Year’s Day 2021: “Last night’s turn of the year was more than the usual transition that we make with the passing of the old year and the advent of a new year,” we observed then. “We said goodbye to 2020, which will enter the world’s annals as a never-before milestone that we hope will never again be repeated.”

Much of the rest of the editorial focused on the significance of 2021 being the quincentennial of Ferdinand Magellan’s arrival in the islands that would thereafter be known as the Philippines, a historic event that was important not just for this country, but for the entire world. The arrival of Magellan’s expedition, though that did not have a good result for the explorer personally, completed the circumnavigation of the globe, the point at which familiar sea routes from West-toEast finally met one from East-to-West. It was our hope then that the historic occasion would inspire the country to make 2021 “a

year of resurgence and rediscovery of our significance to the world.”

Let us be the first to acknowledge that that is obviously not how things worked out. The Magellan quincentennial passed with hardly anyone noticing, as this country struggled along with the rest of the world with a year that quickly seemed to be a continuation of the one before it and perhaps, even worse in some respects. There was some progress; the country’s battered economy began to recover some of the ground it lost in 2020, and the availability of vaccines against Covid-19 – a development that was, we should not forget, miraculous for its speed and scale despite lingering problems of unequal distribution – gave us a justifiable sense that we were, at least, beginning to get the upper hand on the pandemic.

Yet, the year ends with the looming threat of another dangerous variant of the corona-

Editorial

Babe’s Eye View BABE ROMUALDEZ THERE is absolutely no doubt that if there is anyone who has suffered from this pandemic and sacrificed a lot for this country in so many ways, it is the overseas Filipino worker, enduring the heartache of being separated from loved ones for very long periods of time.

ManilaTimes.net photo

virus, one which is already rampaging across other parts of the world; a third of the country in tatters from a powerful, late-season typhoon; and a variety of growing economic and geopolitical pressures that threaten to

derail our progress. What happened in 2021 has been extensively reviewed elsewhere; but again, it seems, we are saying goodbye to a year “that we hope will never again be repeated.” (ManilaTimes.net)

Filipino heroes during this pandemic Prior to assuming my post as ambassador to the United States, the President’s marching orders was to see to it that the welfare and interest of our OFWs are attended to and, more importantly, that their rights are protected. I am very well aware of the sacrifices that an OFW has to make, mainly for the welfare and benefit of his family, but ultimately – for the country.

During the first few months following the onset

of the COVID-19 pandemic, I saw firsthand the anguish, distress and depression that Filipino seafarers had to go through because of repatriation problems. Close to 85,000 Filipinos were working in cruise ships based out of Florida and the Caribbean, but COVID-19 caused unprecedented disruption on the cruise industry. The impact was so devastating: passengers were stranded, cruise ships were refused entry to ports,

borders started to close.

Filipino cruise industry workers – who comprise about one third of the global industry – were forced to go on leave and go home.

We set in motion the immediate repatriation of our seafarers, finally convincing cruise liners to bring their ships to the Philippines for easier transport of our OFWs in large numbers. Arriving in Manila Bay after one month, the seafarers had to

endure additional months on the ships for processing, testing and quarantine, with the procedure taking long because of the sheer number of returning OFWs. One can only imagine the frustration and depression that they were going through – so much so that one of them killed himself while two others died while waiting for a negative COVID-19 test result.

When Afghanistan was overtaken by the

Taliban, we assisted in the repatriation of OFWs, coordinating with our friends at the US Pentagon to secure the necessary flight clearances for the Philippines’ repatriation effort. The whole world saw how chaotic the situation was in Kabul, with Afghans desperately trying to flee their country. One can only imagine how nervewracking it must have been for Filipinos and other PAGE 10

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

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D ateline PhiliPPines Philippine passport places 77th in Gov’t ready for Alert Level 4 international passport ‘power’ index

by Zacarian

Sarao

Inquirer.net

MANILA — The Philippine passport placed 77th out of 111 in the 2022 Henley Passport Index (HPI), slightly higher than 2021’s 82nd spot.

The country’s past ranking in 2021 at 82nd out of 116, was the lowest for the country’s main international travel document since 2006, while the current ranking now is tied with the country’s spot in 2019.

According to Henley & Partners, the firm that oversees the global index of passport power, it assessed the strength of the passports of 199 countries — with each passport scored based on the total number of destinations a holder of the passport could access visa-free.

This means a score of one is given in each travel destination where the passport would not be required to come with a visa. On the other hand, a score of zero is given for each travel destination where the passport would be required to come with a visa — that is, a passport-holder must apply for a government-approved electronic visa before departure.

In the 2022 HPI, Philippine passport holders tied with Cape Verde Islands with a total of only 66 visa-free destinations, which is still the same as last year’s.

The Philippine passport’s rank last peaked at 62nd for three consecutive years in 2007, 2008, and 2009.

Meanwhile, below are the Top 10 strongest passports – with the number of destinations their passport holders can go to visa-free – according to the latest HPI: • Japan, Singapore – 192 countries • Germany, South Korea – 190 • Finland, Italy, Luxembourg, Spain – 189 • Austria, Denmark, France, Netherlands, Sweden – 188 • Ireland, Portugal – 187 • Belgium, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States – 186 • Australia, Canada, Czech Republic, Greece, Malta – 185 • Hungary, Poland – 183 • Lithuania, Slovakia – 182 • Estonia, Latvia, Slovenia – 181 Meanwhile, Afghanistan is still ranked lowest on the list at 111th, with only 26 countries PAGE 7

by catherine

S. Valente ManilaTimes.net

THE government is ready for the possible implementation of stringent measures under Alert Level 4 if the coronavirus situation in the country worsens, Malacañang said on Tuesday, January 11.

In a virtual press briefing, acting Palace spokesman Karlo Alexei Nograles said the government will not think twice about escalating the alert level status in the National Capital Region (NCR or Metro Manila) and neighboring areas should the health care utilization rate (HCUR) reach the threshold for Alert Level 4.

He added that the government is monitoring the two-week growth rate, average daily attack rate and total bed utilization to assess if the alert level in Metro Manila should be heightened.

As of Monday, January 10 Nograles said the capital region has a 52 percent ICU utilization rate, 54 percent isolation bed utilization rate and 67 percent ward bed utilization rate.

“We have not breached the threshold for Alert Level 4,” the official said.

Alert Level 4, the second highest in the country’s COVID-19 alert level system, can be declared in areas where case counts are high and increasing and where the total bed utilization rate and intensive care unit utilization rate are also high.

Based on the guidelines of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases, as of Dec. 14, 2021, inter-zonal travel is allowed under Alert Level 4 subject to regulations of local government units, except for those below 18 years old, those above

65 years old, those with comorbidity or other health risks, and pregnant women.

Alert Level 4 in NCR not ruled out yet Some establishments, including venues for indoor and outdoor contact sports, cinemas, “perya (carnivals),” venues where children may play, karaoke bars, clubs, concert halls, theaters, casinos, horse racing venues, cockpits, lottery venues and betting shops will not be allowed to operate.

Gathering in residences with individuals not belonging to the same household is also prohibited.

Metro Manila is under Alert Level 3 until January 15.

On Monday, the Department of Health (DoH) reported 33,169 new COVID-19 infections, the highest since the pandemic started in March 2020.

PAGE 10

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Hospitals recruit international...

PAGE 1 hospital in its most populous city. She and her husband moved into an apartment, bought a car and are settling in. They recently celebrated their first wedding anniversary.

Maybe, she mused, this could be a “forever home.”

“I am hoping to stay here,” Venus said. “So far, so good. It’s not easy, though. For me, it’s like living on another planet.”

Administrators at Billings Clinic hope she stays, too. The hospital has contracts with two dozen nurses from the Philippines, Thailand, Kenya, Ghana and Nigeria, all set to arrive in Montana by summer. More nurses from faroff places are likely.

Billings Clinic is just one of the scores of hospitals across the U.S. looking abroad to ease a shortage of nurses worsened by the pandemic. The national demand is so great that it’s created a backlog of health care professionals awaiting clearance to work in the U.S. More than 5,000 international nurses are awaiting final visa approval, the American Association of International Healthcare Recruitment reported in September.

“We are seeing an absolute boom in requests for international nurses,” said Lesley Hamilton-Powers, a board member of AAIHR and a vice president for Avant Healthcare Professionals in Florida.

Avant recruits nurses from other countries and then works to place them in U.S. hospitals, including Billings Clinic. Before the pandemic, Avant would typically have orders from hospitals for 800 nurses. It currently has more than 4,000 such requests, Hamilton-Powers said.

“And that’s just us, a single organization,” added Hamilton-Powers. “Hospitals all over the country are stretched and looking for alternatives to fill nursing vacancies.”

Foreign-born workers make up about a sixth of the U.S. nursing workforce, and the need is increasing, nursing associations and staffing agencies report, as nurses increasingly leave the profession. Nursing schools have seen an increase in enrollment since the pandemic, but that staffing pipeline has done little to offset today’s demand.

In fact, the American Nurses Association in September urged the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to declare the shortage of nurses a national crisis.

CGFNS International, which certifies the credentials of foreign-born health care workers to work in America, is the only such organization authorized by the federal government. Its president, Dr. Franklin Shaffer, said more hospitals are looking abroad to fill their staffing voids.

“We have a huge demand, a huge shortage,” he said.

Billings Clinic would hire 120 more nurses today if it could, hospital officials said. The staffing shortage was significant before the pandemic. The added demands and stress of covid have made it untenable.

Greg Titensor, a registered nurse and the vice president of operations at Billings Clinic, noted that three of the hospital’s most experienced nurses, all in the intensive care unit with at least 20 years of experience, recently announced their retirements.

“They are getting tired, and they are leaving,” Titensor said.

Last fall’s surge of covid cases resulted in Montana having the highest rate in the nation for a time, and Billings Clinics’ ICU was bursting with patients. Republican Gov.

Greg Gianforte sent the National Guard to Billings Clinic and other Montana hospitals; the federal government sent pharmacists and a naval medical team.

While the surge in Montana has subsided, active case numbers in Yellowstone County — home to the hospital — are among the state’s highest. The Billings Clinic ICU still overflows, mostly with covid patients, and signs still warn visitors that “aggressive behavior will not be tolerated,” a reminder of the threat of violence and abuse health care workers endure as the pandemic grinds on.

Like most hospitals, Billings Clinic has sought to abate its staffing shortage with traveling nurses — contract workers who typically go where the pandemic demands.

The clinic has paid up to $200 an hour for their services, and, at last fall’s peak, had as many as 200 traveling nurses as part of its workforce.

The scarcity of nurses nationally has driven those steep payments, prompting members of Congress to ask the Biden administration to investigate reported gouging by unscrupulous staffing agencies.

Whatever the cause, satisfying the hospital’s personnel shortage with traveling nurses is not sustainable, said Priscilla Needham, Billings Clinic’s chief financial officer. Medicare, she noted, doesn’t pay the hospital more if it needs to hire more expensive nurses, nor does it pay enough when a covid patient needs to stay in the hospital longer than a typical covid patient.

From July to October, the hospital’s nursing costs increased by $6 million, Needham said. Money from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the CARES Act has helped, but she anticipated November and December would further drive up costs.

Dozens of agencies place international nurses in U.S. hospitals. The firm that Billings Clinic chose, Avant, first puts the nurses through instruction in Florida in hopes of easing their transition to the U.S., said Brian Hudson, a company senior vice president.

Venus, with nine years of experience as a nurse, said her stateside training included clearing cultural hurdles like how to do her taxes and obtain car insurance.

“Nursing is the same all over the world,” Venus said, “but the culture is very different.”

Shaffer, of CGFNS International, said foreign-born nurses are interested in the U.S. for a variety of reasons, including the opportunity to advance their education and careers, earn more money or perhaps get married. For some, said Avant’s Hudson, the idea of living “the American dream” predominates.

The hitch so far has been getting the nurses into the country fast enough. After jobs are offered and accepted, foreign-born nurses require a final interview to obtain a visa from the State Department, and there is a backlog for those interviews. Powers explained that, because of the pandemic, many of the U.S. embassies where those interviews take place remain closed or are operating for fewer hours than usual.

While the backlog has receded in recent weeks, Powers described the delays as challenging. The nurses waiting in their home countries, she stressed, have passed all their necessary exams to work in the U.S. “It’s been very frustrating to have nurses poised to arrive, and we just can’t bring them in,” Powers said.

PAGE 9

Majority of Filipinos hope worst of COVID is over

MAJORITY of Filipinos hope the worst of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) crisis is over, a Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey revealed.

The 2021 Fourth Quarter Survey showed that 80% of the respondents believe “the worst was behind us,” surpassing the previous record of 69% in the Fourth Quarter Survey in November.

It was also higher by 42% than the previous quarter.

The%age of those saying the worst is over was highest in Mindanao at 83%, followed

by Metro Manila (82%), the rest of Luzon (81%) and the Visayas (75%).

The same sentiment was prevalent among elementary graduates (83%), followed by junior high school graduates (81%), college graduates

(80%) and nonelementary graduates (72%).

Percentage of respondents who fear that “the worst is yet to come” sharply declined, from 31% in the fourth quarter of 2020 to 19%.

It should be noted that the survey was done from December 12 to 16, when the daily average of new COVID-19 cases was around 300.

During the same period, the government also conducted blitz vaccinations twice, on November 29 to December 1 and December 15 to 18.

The survey also showed that 88% of respondents said they were “a great deal worried or somewhat worried” that a family member might catch COVID-19, while the remaining 12% “a little worried or not worried.”

Compared to the same pe-

7

riod last year, the number of those worried about the virus infecting family members was lower by 3%.

The percentage of worrisome respondents was highest in the Visayas with 94%, followed by Mindanao (91%), Metro Manila (87%) and the rest of Luzon (84%).

SWS said the concern was “much greater than worries about catching previous viruses” such as Ebola, swine flu, bird flu and severe acute respiratory syndrome.

SWS polled 1,440 adults using face-to-face interviews.

There was a sampling error margin of ±2.6% for national percentages and ±5.2% for subnational percentages in Metro Manila, Balance Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao.

(By Kaithreen Cruz/ManilaTimes.net) n

Philippine passport places 77th in...

PAGE 6 to which Afghan passport holders can travel visa-free.

It is followed by Iraq with only 28 countries,

Syria with 29, Pakistan with 31, Yemen with 33, and Somalia with 34.

The latest and complete HPI ratings can be found here: The Henley Passport Index. n

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Face shields, plastic barriers do little to Hospitals recruit... stop COVID-19 spread — aerosol scientist

by Gaea

Katreena Philstar.com

CabiCo

MANILA — A debate on Twitter has revived discussions on how the coronavirus spreads and on whether plastic barriers can help prevent the transmission of the virus as talk continues of requiring face shields again.

The debate was prompted by an interview on ABS-CBN News Channel of Jose-Luis Jimenez, an aerosol expert and chemistry professor from the University of Colorado-Boulder, who said that plastic barriers and face shields do not reduce the spread of infectious diseases that undergo airborne transmission such as COVID-19.

“Face shields are outdated.

At the beginning of the pandemic, we saw that when two people talk, there were some projectiles, these droplets, were flying through the air and then a face shield could intercept them,” Jimenez said last week on ANC’s “The Rundown”.

“Now we know that’s not the case. It’s like smoke, and the smoke can go under the face shield. So face shields, basically, are useless except in a hospital,” he added.

The aerosol expert stressed the public must use their money to buy better masks and “things that actually work.”

Plastic not that fantastic vs COVID-19 The Philippines is one of the few countries that advocate the use of face shields, with the Department of Health insisting that plastic coverings provide an additional layer of protection.

Face shields are no longer required in areas under Alert Level 3 and lower. The use of face shields will be mandatory in areas under Alert Level 5.

Jimenez also said that seethrough plastic barriers in schools holding in-person classes and motorcycle barriers — used to supposedly prevent COVID-19 spread — actually increase transmis-

sion.

A study from John Hopkins published in June 2021 suggested that plastic barriers in classrooms were associated with an increased risk of COVID-19 infection. A study looking at schools in Massachusetts found that plexiglass dividers with side walls were impeding air flow.

The Philippine Society of Mechanical Engineers said in 2020 that there is no guarantee that motorcycle barriers will be effective in protecting riders from the spread of air particles to each other. It also warned the barrier can compromise the stability of the motorcycle, putting riders at risk.

COVID-19 is airborne “Airborne transmission, breathing the virus in, is the only important for of transmission. We should put there a 100% of our efforts,” Jimenez stressed in the interview.

Scientists have been pointing out that there is strong evidence that SARS-CoV-2—

or the virus that causes COVID-19—spreads by airborne transmission. Early in the pandemic, the researchers called on the World Health Organization to revise its recommendations.

The WHO had long held that SARS-CoV-2 is transmitted primarily through droplets when an infected person coughs, sneezes or speaks.

It took until 2021 for the United Nations health agency and the US Centers for Disease Control and Preventions to acknowledge that airborne spread is a major route of COVID-19 infection.

The WHO said that aside from droplet transmission, a person can contract the virus when infectious particles that pass through the air are inhaled at short range or if infectious particles come into direct contact with the eyes, nose, or mouth.

The virus can also spread in poorly ventilated indoor settings and in crowded areas.

PAGE 10

9

PAGE 7 Once they arrive, the international nurses in Billings will remain employees of Avant, although after three years the clinic can offer them permanent positions. Clinic administrators stressed that the nurses are paid the same as its local nurses with equivalent experience. On top of that, the hospital pays a fee to Avant.

More than 90% of Avant’s international nurses choose to stay in their new communities, Hudson said, but Billings Clinic hopes to better that mark. Welcoming them to the city will be critical, said Sara Agostinelli, the clinic’s director of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging. She has even offered winter driving lessons.

The added diversity will benefit the city, Agostinelli said.

Some nurses will bring their spouses; some will bring their children.

“We will help encourage what Billings looks like and who Billings is,” she said.

Pae Junthanam, a nurse from Thailand, said he was initially worried about coming to Billings after learning that Montana’s population is nearly 90% white and less than 1% Asian.

The chance to advance his career, however, outweighed the concerns of moving. He also hopes his partner of 10 years will soon be able to join him.

Since his arrival in November, Junthanam said, his neighbors have greeted him warmly, and one shop owner, after learning he was a nurse newly arrived from Thailand, thanked him for his service.

“I am far from home, but I feel like this is like another home for me,” he said. (Nick Ehli/Kaiser Health News) This story was produced by KHN (Kaiser Health News), a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues. Together with Policy Analysis and Polling, KHN is one of the three major operating programs at KFF (Kaiser Family Foundation). KFF is an endowed nonprofit organization providing information on health issues to the nation. n

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Filipino heroes during...

BEAUTIFICATION. Workers build concrete planter boxes inside the Promenade Des Dasmariñas public park in Dasmarinas City, Cavite on Tuesday, January 11. The city government continues its beautification project and expansion of the park, one of the open spaces in the city where families can enjoy fresh air and greens.

PNA photo by Gil Calinga

90-M Pinoys jabbed by June 2022 eyed THE government aims to vaccinate 90 million Filipinos against COVID-19 by June 2022, National Task Force Against COVID-19 chief implementer and vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. said.

So far, 52,393,229 Filipinos have been fully vaccinated while 61,902,516 have received at least one dose.

Included in the target is the administering of the primary series, or first dose, of the vaccine to around 28 million to 30 million citizens.

The government also plans to administer around 72 million booster shots for the

adult population and 12.74 million individuals aged 12 to 17. “’Yung 100 million doses na nasa stockpile po natin ay sapat sa remaining primary series ng unvaccinated at para sa 25 million na eligible ngayong quarter for boosters (The 100 million doses we have in our stockpile are enough for the remaining primary series for the unvaccinated and for the 25 million eligible this quarter for boosters),” Galvez said during President Rodrigo Duterte’s prerecorded “Talk to the People” public briefing late Monday night, January

10.

He said that the government needs to procure 17 million doses for boosters and 26 million doses for children.

The pandemic task force aims to start inoculating children aged 0 to 4 also by the second quarter of the year.

The vaccination of children 5 to 11 years old, meanwhile, may start by the end of this month.

“We are now making some contingencies to acquire doses that we need to include ages 0 to 4,” Galvez noted.

(ManilaTimes.net) n

Face shields, plastic barriers do...

PAGE 5 People may also become infected when they touch their eyes, nose or mouth after touching surfaces or objects that have been contaminated by the virus.

On Twitter over the weekend, Jimenez had an exchange with physician Ted Herbosa about airborne transmission after the National Task Force Against COVID-19 adviser questioned the professor’s expertise and warned that lab findings might not be applicable in the real world.

Jimenez also told Herbosa that airborne and aerosol transmission “are the same thing.” The WHO uses two terms interchangeably for both short-range and long-range transmission.

The exchange between Jimenez and Herbosa prompted social media users to discuss airborne transmission on Spaces, Twitter’s audio chat feature.

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Reducing airborne transmission The virus that causes COVID-19 is in the air. Now what?

According to experts, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning providers should use air filters to clean the air. UV lamps need to be placed near vents and away from people.

Improving ventilation is key to reducing airborne transmission. Building owners and individuals are advised to use exhaust fans to suck air out, and open windows but they need to ensure that air is coming in and out.

To push air out, electric fans are preferred over ceiling fans.

The public is also advised to wear well fit and high-quality masks such as N95.

“The most effective measure we can do is do things outdoors,” Jimenez said, noting the chance of getting

infected outdoors is 20 times less than indoors.

Listen to the qualified scientists Scientists also called on policy makers to work with them to design better strategies to combat the pandemic.

“I’ve talked to government ministers from many countries... But the problem is that they often don’t listen.

That’s why I have to resort to Twitter,” Jimenez said.

A wind dynamics expert who has been saying that face shields increase the use of transmission stressed that experts outside the medical field must be tapped for their insights.

“They need to merit and allow expert opinion coming from other fields, especially us who know face shields intervene,” Joshua Agar, assistant professor at the University of the Philippines Institute of Civil Engineering, said in an interview with Philstar.com last year. n

PAGE 5 foreign workers who also feared for their lives.

There is absolutely no question that the creation of the Department of Migrant Workers is the right thing to do for our OFWs to address the issues and problems that hound them such as red tape, illegal recruiters and emergency assistance when they are in distressful situations in host countries.

The DMW, which will have offices in every region in the country, will serve as a one-stop-shop that would streamline processes as it will integrate different government agencies that deal with OFW concerns such as the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration, the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, the International Labor Affairs Bureau of the Department of Labor and Employment, all Philippine Overseas Labor Offices and other similar agencies.

I can say this, Filipino overseas workers are highly appreciated and preferred by foreign employers because they are hardworking, reliable and are really good at what they do. These “modernday heroes” are our major asset, and even during this pandemic, they continue to step up and have been a strong pillar of the economy because of their remittances which, according to the latest report from the

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, grew by 5.4 percent from January-October 2021 to $28.82 billion – with remittances coming from the US accounting for 40.9 percent and emerging as the major source of remittances.

On the other side of the coin, there are also other Filipino heroes – wealthy individuals who have done so much in assisting people and helping the country during this pandemic. They are businessmen and top executives of some of the biggest companies in the country who came to the aid of victims of calamities and disasters, the most recent of which was Typhoon Odette that killed over 400 people and whose damage to agriculture is estimated at P11.5 billion. We have the SM group headed by Tessie Sy-Coson, SMC’s Ramon Ang as well as Manny Pangilinan and countless others who utilized their resources in providing assistance to families that were displaced.

One individual who has done more than expected, quietly doing his part to help Filipinos without fanfare, is a tycoon who I know hates publicity but whose Manila Water Foundation sent truckloads of drinking water and hygiene products to communities battered by Typhoon Odette. Aside from linemen and engineers, his Group also deployed a boat to hasten power restoration efforts, with electricity

restored in 18 hours.

What stands out for many Filipinos, however, is the tycoon’s efforts in helping the government manage the pandemic situation through his Foundation, in particular the purchase of Moderna vaccines, the construction of quarantine facilities and vaccination rollouts through the Nayong Pilipino Foundation Drive Through and another vaccination center in Parañaque City.

With the Omicron variant now present in the Philippines and daily cases surging once again, fully vaccinated Filipinos are truly grateful for the help from the businessman’s Foundation. I know this tycoon hates publicity, even having PR people in his employ to make sure that his name is kept out of the limelight as much as possible.

I must admit there are many more Filipinos helping their fellowmen out of the goodness of their hearts, not thinking of profit but simply following the Lord’s teachings.

“Blessed are they who help those in need, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” *** 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: babeseyeview@gmail. com

Gov’t ready for Alert Level...

PAGE 6 Of the 33,169 fresh cases, 32,972 or 99 percent occurred within the recent 14 days from Dec. 28 to Jan. 10, 2022.

In the recent two weeks, Metro Manila had the highest number of new cases with 18,535 or 56 percent, followed by Calabarzon with 7,443 or 23 percent and Central Luzon with 3,403 or 10 percent.

This is the third straight day that the Health department posted record-high fresh cases.

Meanwhile, Nograles assured the public that the government’s coronavirus response, particularly its vaccination program, will not be politicized.

He asked the Department of the Interior and Local Government “to ensure that local government units deliver as far as vaccination efforts are concerned.”

“What we in the national government will do is make sure na that our works won’t be hampered. We will continue to focus on the deliverables. May mga target tayo. Naka-set ang mga targets na ‘yan (We have our target.

We’ve set our target) and we continue to

deliver sa national government,” Nograles said.

“We will make sure that vaccination and our COVID-19 response is not politicized and that everybody stays and remains neutral especially in the distribution of vaccines,” he added.

The Palace official justified President Rodrigo Duterte’s directive to barangay (village) captains nationwide to restrain the movement of those unvaccinated amid the surge in COVID-19 cases.

Citing health experts, Nograles said unvaccinated individuals are at higher risk of experiencing critical COVID-19 symptoms or death.

Nograles then urged senior citizens who are yet to receive their COVID-19 shots to get inoculated.

The DoH had bared that 3 million senior citizens remain unvaccinated.

The country has over 9 million Filipinos 60 years old and above as of 2019.

As of January 10, over 52.8 million individuals had been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 in the country. n

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COMMUNITY Journal

11

Told she must leave, Marie was able to receive her green card in the US! IN 2002, Marie and her three children visited the U.S. as tourists.

They planned to visit family and then return home to the Philippines.

However, Marie later decided to remain and became out of status.

In 2009, Marie’s mother, a green card holder, petitioned Marie in the F2B category.

When the priority date on her petition became current, she consulted with at least four attorneys, all of whom told her that because she was out of status, she had to go back to the Philippines to apply for her immigrant visa.

But Marie did not want to go back because she was worried about the uncertainty of applying in the Philippines, and that she might not be able to return to the U.S.

She finally decided to consult with the “Attorney of Last Hope,” Attorney Michael J. Gurfinkel, who was able to find a way for Marie to apply for a green card (adjust status) in the U.S. After retaining Attorney Gurfinkel, Marie got her green card in October 2021 in the U.S., and can now get healthcare, find a better job, and enjoy the other benefits of being a green card holder.

Watch this success story on an encore episode of “Citizen Pinoy” on Sunday, January 16 at 7:00 PM PT (10:00 PM ET thru select Cable/ Satellite providers), right after TV Patrol Linggo. Citizen Pinoy is also available on iWantTFC. Viewers may download free app.

(Advertising Supplement)

GREEN CARD ACQUIRED AFTER BEING TNT FOR NEARLY 20 YEARS THIS SUNDAY ON CITIZEN PINOY. Marie was petitioned as single by her father in the ‘90s, but she got married in 1998, revoking her father’s petition. The marriage did not last, and in 2002, Marie and her three children went to the U.S. as tourists. Since then, they had been overstaying and living in fear. Marie’s mother, a green card holder, petitioned her daughter this time. Marie had consulted with four attorneys who all told her she had to go back to the Philippines once her priority date becomes current. Marie refused to go back to the motherland for fear that she might not be able to return to the U.S. She consulted with leading U.S. Immigration Attorney Michael J. Gurfinkel who was able to find a way for Marie to remain in the U.S. and be interviewed here, and eventually get her green card in October 2021. Watch this success story on an encore episode of “Citizen Pinoy” on Sunday, January 16 at 7:00 PM PT (10:00 PM ET) through select Cable/Satellite providers, right after TV Patrol Linggo.

(Advertising Supplement)

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Here comes Deltacron!

Health@Heart PhiliP S. Chua, MD, FaCS, FPCS THIS new variant of the SARS-CoV2 virus of COVID-19 (Deltacron) is not totally a surprise. We have predicted for the past two years that new variants would keep on developing so long as there are unvaccinated people.

Those 20 percent (about 60 million) who refused the vaccines have been “percolating,” replicating, mutating into new viruses in their bodies, which were (are) acting like a giant reservoir (a factory). They are developing new strains of the virus, and acting as carriers, spreading the virus around, albeit unintentionally, but nonetheless, making the situation worse by increasing hospitalizations and deaths, and enabling the pandemic to linger longer, indefinitely.

From the original virus of December 2019, to Delta, to Omicron, and now the Deltacron (Delta-Omicron, first detected in Cyprus.), these are the variants “manufactured” in the bodies of mostly the unvaccinated. Without a warm body, a host, the virus will self-destruct and end the pandemic rapidly. That’s why everybody should be vaccinated. The unvaccinated are at the gravest risk.

More than 95 percent of those infected and hospitalized (on ventilators) are unvaccinated.

The massive surges in COVID-19 infection led to about 5 million cases in one week alone, 488,000 two Wednesdays ago, and 1.5 million cases last Monday (January 10), including children, and filling up hospital beds around the country.

Omicron is severely contagious. Hopefully, the Deltacron would be as mild as the Omicron, but we do not know yet, Scientists are still observing its clinical behavior, transmission/hospitalization/kill rate, compared to the original Wuhan virus, the Delta and the Omicron.

In the meantime, as a general health caveat, prevention is the best “cure” for a serious killer like the COVID-19 virus. Limiting our travels to essential ones even near our home, avoiding crowds, face (mouth and

nose) covering with KN95 mask, social distancing, and frequent handwashing are good preventive measures to do religiously, almost to a paranoid degree (medical vigilance with wisdom and compassion for others).

Personally, as a teenAGED cardiac surgeon with common medical issues, I even use a gaiter over my KN95 mask whenever I go out to the pharmacy, grocery, or UPS store, and do social distancing religiously. Just like a SWAT team wearing two bullet-proof vests in grave instances.

I am doing this because even with the CDC best-recommended KN95 mask, I know I could still get the virus mostly from unvaccinated carriers. When it is inevitable that some people pass by me, I even try to hold my breath till no one is near me.

Overdoing it? Crazy? Perhaps, but health is wealth and fabulous, and life, wonderful and priceless, irreplaceable, as far as I am concerned. I want to avoid any possible danger within my power and control. I have but one life, without spare, and I want to preserve it as healthily as possible and enjoy life as long as I can. My family and I treat this killer virus with humility, reasonable fear, and not with arrogance, carelessness, or recklessness. All of us had our two shots and the booster (with eagerness), and as soon as the 4th vaccine is available, we are ready to take it.

Let us all do what is needed (doing mitigating preventive measures and getting the vaccines plus booster soonest, and the fourth vaccine, if advised) to protect each other, our community, our nation, and other countries by minimizing the transmissions and deaths, and end this pandemic soonest.

As I have frustratingly complained as early as January 2021, I could not understand why the government, which has at its disposal a long proven rapidly effective epidemiologic standard of care protocol accepted worldwide to treat any severe infectious disease and end this pandemic within 2021, did not federally mandate PPEs and vaccination.

Legal mandates for vaccination requirements for daycare and school entry in the past several decades have saved millions of children’s

lives. And the mandates about smoking, seatbelt, parking, smoke detectors, traffic and driving, littering, etc., and mandates that all persons with active tuberculosis or other infectious diseases be treated, are all saving lives and people have accepted them.

So, why not a federal mandate for vaccinations for all the 330 million people in the United States (except those with medical contraindication to the vaccines), when almost 860,000 have already died so far among the 61.4 million COVID-19 infections?

As I have asked in this column before, is this not negligence and dereliction of duty of the executive and legislative branches of our government?

Technically, could the inaction (a malpractice) be legally considered negligent “genocide”?

If a medical practitioner had failed to practice the accepted standard of care epidemiologic protocol when he/she treated a patient and the refusal to follow that proven standard of care has resulted in the death of even one person (never mind 860,000), the physician could have been sued for malpractice, de-licensed, fined, and/or jailed.

So, why can’t We, The People, hold our government culpable, accountable, and liable for these massive infections and about 688,000 plus preventable deaths for not rapidly implementing the proven accepted standard of care epidemiologic protocol, including a federal mandate for vaccination starting Day One when the vaccines first became available?

The fact that the Biden administration wants to mandate vaccination among federal employees and businesses with 100 or more employees proves its acknowledgment that vaccination is vital in our war against COVID-19. Why then limit the benefit and protection to only this small segment of our society? This is a scientifically flawed plan because so long as there are even a dozen, or thousand or a million people unvaccinated (never mind the 20 percent or 60 million who refuse the vaccines), they are enough to enable rapid replication and mutation of the virus in their bodies and churn out more strains of viruses.

Remember the single

Eduardo dela Cruz, a retired nurse, is one of the organizers of a scheduled Pink Caravan for Leni in Union, New Jersey.

Contributed photo

Pink Caravan for Leni set in Union Township on Feb. 6

A GROUP of Robredo supporters who helped organize the successful Pink Caravan For Leni in Jersey City on Dec. 12, 2021 is preparing to hold another pro-Leni motorcade at Rabkin Park in the Township of Union, Union County, New Jersey at 10:00 a.m. on February 6, 2022.

This was announced

by Eduardo Dela Cruz, a retired nurse from Bellevue Hospital in New York, who is now active in the local community and spiritual affairs. Dela Cruz has earned the moniker “Lugaw ni Leni King of NJ “ because during the last three pro-Leni public activities in NY and NJ, he gave away delicious free lugaw which he and his wife Jo, also a retired nurse, cooked.

A member of Global Filipinos For Leni, Dela Cruz is being assisted in organizing the Union Township caravan by 1SAMBAYAN NJ Chapter, United Filipinos in North America-New Jersey, Eastern Seaboard Bicolandia Association, and the newly-formed Filipino Americans For Leni.

Union Township is about 25 minutes drive south of Jersey City. Of the Township’s 56,000 population, some 3,000 are Filipinos, part of the 10% Asian people who call the Township their home.

It may be recalled that Paul Verzosa, a long-time Union resident ran twice for a township council seat.

Unfortunately, he lost by 400 votes in one of those elections.

A Filipino couple, Romeo

person, the first victim of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China? He has spread this killer virus that resulted in this global catastrophe, the pandemic of 2019, with almost a third of a billion (with a “B”) cases and almost 5.6 million deaths worldwide.

Had our government federally mandated the use of PPEs in January 2020, and vaccination on August 23, 2021 when the first vaccine came out, the United States could have developed herd immunity and cut hospitalizations and deaths by at least 80 percent (saving 688,000) of the 860,000 who

died by now.

Once again, how many thousands more deaths do the Biden administration and the Congress need before doing the right thing? *** 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. *** The main objective of this column is to educate and inspire people live a healthier lifestyle to prevent illnesses and disabilities and achieve a happier and more productive life. Any diagnosis,

By Manny

Caballero

and Teresa Palencia are among the Mayor’s Aides and Deputy Mayor’s Aides, respectively, in the Township.

Two big organizations of Filipinos have been in existence in Union, Bayanihan Club and Battlehill, of which Dela Cruz is an active member and former officer.

The Feb. 6 Caravan promises to draw participants from the local Filipino community as well as Pinoys in neighboring counties of Middlesex and Essex. At this writing, a good number had expressed interest in joining.

Invited to speak and attend the caravan are Mrs. Loida Nicolas Lewis and Vice Presidential daughter Jillian Robredo who is a college student in New York City. n recommendation or treatment in our article are general medical information and not intended to be applicable or appropriate for anyone. This column is not a substitute for your physician, who knows your condition well and who is your best ally when it comes to your health. *** Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, a Cardiac Surgeon Emeritus based in Northwest Indiana and Las Vegas, Nevada, is an international medical lecturer/author, Health Advocate, newspaper columnist, and Chairman of the Filipino United Network-USA, a 501(c)3 humanitarian foundation in the United States. Websites: FUN8888.com and philipSchua.com; Email: scalpelpen@gmail.com.

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Filipinos well-represented in ‘Spider-man: No Way Home’, thanks to Lola

By Jan

Milo Severo

Philstar.com

Sharon Cuneta is in home isolation after her husband, vice presidential candidate Francisco “Kiko” Pangilinan. Photo from Instagram/@reallysharoncuneta

Sharon in isolation as Kiko tests positive for COVID-19

By Marane

a. Plaza

Philstar.com

“Megastar” sharon Cuneta is in home isolation after her husband, vice presidential candidate Francisco “Kiko” Pangilinan, tested postive for COVID-19. the actress shared the news on her social media accounts. “somehow last night, I tested negative on my antigen.

Kiko tested positive on his PCr test results. this morning, all of us at home tested negative on antigen. a couple of days or so to see this

EMPLOYMENT

morning’s PCr test results - all of ours. We are all isolating in different parts of our homem,” she wrote.

Her announcement came a few days after her birthday last January 6. she continued, “I worry for my children. Please pray for us all, including our beloved yayas. thanks so much. so not the birthday gift I expected!” the actress then reminded her fans to stay safe. “Keep safe and take good care, everyone. I love you. May god bless us all.” n

WarNINg: spoilers ahead! the Filipino community was well-represented in the blockbuster film “spiderman: No Way Home” with Jacob Batalon playing tom Holland’s spider-man best friend as Ned Leeds.

But Ned’s grandmother caught the attention of the Filipino viewers of the movie when his “Lola” spoke tagalog in one of the scenes.

In one of the most exciting scenes of the movie where andrew garfield and tobey Maguire’s spider-man was shown in the movie, Ned’s lola, played by Mary rivera, ordered andrew to clean up the ceiling while he’s hanging on there.

“Ned sabihin mo diyan sa mamang yan na alisin ang agiw sa sulok,” the Filipino grandmother said.

Ned translated it to andrew as he cleans the

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Filipino American actor Jacob Batalon

ceiling.

But when tobey’s spiderman entered, the two spider-men from different universe shot each other leaving webs on the house.

“Ikaw ha nagkalat ka nanaman. Linisin mo lahat ng mga basura mo dito.

Photo from Instagram/@lifeisaloha

At ikaw naman, alam mo naman na gusto ko na itong bahay natin maayos pero tignan mo, dumi dito, dumi doon,” Mary said.

“My lola was asking if you could clean up the web you just shot,” Ned said.

“Yes of course, Lola,”

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andrew answered.

Mary’s casting in the movie confirmed speculations last year that Disney was looking for a Filipino grandmother who will play in the movie. according to Project Casting’s website, the Filipino should be 50 to 90 years old and fluent in speaking english.

“Katie Doyle Casting, Hawaii is assisting sarah Finn Casting (avengers: endgame, the Mandalorian, guardians of the galaxy) in looking for an actress to play a role in an upcoming Walt Disney studios film,” the post read.

“No professional acting experience is required, but the applicant must speak english fluently and be comfortable traveling on a plane to atlanta. they also should be currently authorized to work in the United states (either a U.s. citizen, a green card holder, or an O-1 visa holder.),” it added. n

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people events arts culture entertainment

BAKING MAMA: How a Fil-Am couple built Hoboken’s best-kept secret

by MOMAR

G. VISAYA / AJPress

OOKIE fans across New Jersey have declared theirs the best chocolate chip cookie in the state. Eat This, Not That says that their brownies are the best in C the state. And last December, Drew Barrymore invited them to her daily show to talk about their cookies.

The husband and wife team of Dominic and Tina Rivera runs Baking Mama, a small bakeshop in Hoboken. Last month, Baking Mama’s holiday cookie became an instant bestseller immediately after Tina appeared on The Drew Barrymore Show where they gave the cookie a unique and catchy name: “Hallelujah It’s Raining Mint”.

“It was exciting and nerve-wracking, but it was really fun. She was really nice. And at the same time, it was a good experience for Baking Mama, so that people will also know that even we were just small but we also have good baked goods,” Tina told the Asian Journal.

Located on Hudson Street, a couple of blocks away from the PATH train to the city, the small

Tina’s passion for baking dates back to her youth in the Philippines. Here, she turns sentimental as she explains why she put an old birthday photo on display in the bakeshop, saying that cakes have always been a part of family celebrations and milestones.

AJPress Photo by Momar G. Visaya

Through patience and hardwork, the husband and wife team of Dominic and Tina has made Baking Mama one of Hoboken’s best-kept secrets.

mom-and-pop bakeshop gets healthy foot traffic.

Well, until the pandemic happened in 2020.

“We were all scared. We

Tina proudly shows their bakeshop’s bestsellers, including what Yelp calls the best

Tina with Drew Barrymore and Ross Matthews, who named Baking Mama’s holiday cookie “Hallelujah It’s Raining Mint!”

Contributed photo

didn’t know what to do,” the couple shared.

There was a point where Dom and Tina and their kids were all working to keep the business afloat as neighboring businesses began to close one by one and the volume of orders dipped drastically.

Then came the slow reopening of businesses and the business picked up once more.

“I guess it’s the vibrant community of Hoboken that really helped us during the pandemic,” Tina said. “People ordered small cakes, cupcakes for their celebration. I guess they also wanted some semblance of normalcy.”

Tina is likewise thankful to their landlord for giving them a break on their rent

and that they were able to get a small grant from a private company to help in their operations.

Hobby-turned-passion Tina started baking as a hobby, even back home in the Philippines.

She remembers taking up classes under Sylvia Reynoso Gala and Chocolate Lovers in Cubao to learn more about baking and pastries.

When she gave birth to their son 27 years ago and she had some downtime so she had more time to bake. She continued doing that even in their new life in America, baking for family and friends, and sometimes, she’d bring her baked goods to the church.

The hobby became a passion, something she did

Dominic and Tina’s family helped in the bakeshop during the pandemic to keep the business afloat.

Contributed photo

on the side while on a fulltime corporate job. They began attending fairs and markets and showcased her French macarons.

By this time, the couple’s son was already a college student at Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, and one day, the couple passed by a spot that looked perfect for a small bakeshop. They took a major leap.

That was five years ago.

Today, despite the little hiccup brought about by the pandemic, Baking

Mama is doing well. They are slowly regaining the steady stream of customers similar to what they experienced before the pandemic.

Dominic and Tina even got a second location which they use for private parties and small workshops for moms and their kids who want to learn the basics of baking.

Not bad for a bakeshop that they initially thought would be all about French macarons. Then people PAGE 15

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Seth urges teens to make a stand on crucial issues, make their voices heard

By Marinel

Cruz

Inquirer.net

WE shouldn’t just depend on grownups. We also need to make a stand.”

This was according to actor Seth Fedelin, who has called on teenagers like him to be responsible especially when deciding who to vote for in the coming national elections in May. “While we rely on them most of the time because we’re still too young, there are things that we can already do on our own, stuff that we can contribute in order to improve the state of our country,” Seth told reporters during a recent media gathering.

“To be fair, our generation is very much capable of doing things that we only know how to. Let’s be more active in expressing our opinions on social media. Let’s make our voices heard. Let’s make others know that we care about what’s happening in society, too,” said the 19-year-old actor.

Seth is the other half of the onscreen partnership called SethDrea, opposite Andrea Brillantes. They appeared in TV series like “Kadenang Ginto,” “Huwag Kang Mangamba” and “Saying Goodbye.”

Seth admitted that he also hoped to make a mark in the industry as a solo artist. “This is really part of the plan, eventually. When people talk about Andrea, they often say, ‘I’ve known her since (the 2013 soap series) ‘Annaliza,’

Seth Fedelin

Photo from Instagram/@imsethfedelin

while people refer to me as ‘Andrea’s love-team partner.’

I want to be able to prove to them that I’m also capable of being on my own. I want to be able to grow as an actor, not just with Andrea but also alongside her.

Love team “Of course, our love team is my priority now, but even Andrea would often tell me to also make my own identity.

That’s what I’m working on right now. We both want to be successful in this industry, but we want to succeed in our own way,” he explained.

Seth added that whenever he becomes part of a particular project, he makes sure to try to learn as much as he can from the experience. “I also make sure to come to the set prepared because if I make a mistake, I become a burden to my other coworkers. I don’t want to take up their time more than I should,” he pointed out. “I also told myself that I should be fearless, that I shouldn’t allow fear to stop me from taking risks.”

He further said: “Going

to the set of a new project is like experiencing first day in a new school. You feel shy as you introduce yourself to people, but you also feel excited. When I enter a lockin taping for the first time, I tell myself that I’m not going in just to be with friends, or to enjoy. I’m going in to work and to learn from the people I work with.

“I remember feeling nervous whenever I meet veteran actors, but I later realized that they’re there to help new ones like me. When they’re asked, they would generously give pointers.

They will never try to put you down. They will always try to bring out the best in you so that when you eventually leave for another project, you will be able to bring gems of knowledge with you.”

Only good words Meanwhile, Seth only has good words for Andrea.

Talking directly to her, Seth said: “I’m proud that you are a loving and generous child to your parents. You were able to build a house for your family. All the rooms

of your siblings now have air-conditioning. This may not be a big deal to other people, but you were able to accomplish this at your age now. That’s something!”

Knock some sense He added: “When we’re at work, it’s only natural that we become tired. She would often try to knock some sense into me by telling me, ‘Hoy, magtrabaho ka!’ She would remind me to post stuff on my Instagram account because it’s part of our job.

She would teach me things she has learned about show biz through the years. She grew up in this industry, while I was suddenly thrown in (after joining ‘Pinoy Big Brother’ in 2018). In the beginning, I really had no idea what to do. She guided me.”

He added that he and Andrea would even schedule “meetings” to discuss work.

“We would talk about our next moves, about what we will show on social media next.

We often remind ourselves that we should always think of something new to share with our supporters, that all our plans should be in sync.”

When asked to give a message to Andrea, Seth said: “Like what I always tell you, no matter what happens to the world—even if it crumbles—I will be here for you. If you’re sad, I will be here to listen and to try to cheer you up. You can always count on me. I will never let you down so don’t be afraid.

Ako, si Seth, or si Tisoy, will always be here.” n

How Fino created chemistry with Sunshine FINO Herrera’s Luke character fell in love with Sunshine Dizon’s Paula in “Marry Me, Marry You,” and ensuring that chemistry is one task that the actor took to heart, especially now that the series is on its last two weeks.

Herrera shared how Dizon helped make his fitness coach character of Luke lighter and easier to portray. ”Siya (Dizon) ‘yung unang nagsabi na huwag akong kabahan at maging kumportable lang and gawin mo ‘yung sa tingin mong babagay sa eksena namin. Sabi naman niya sa akin na may tiwala siya sa akin,” Herrera said during the online media conference for the series’ finale, last Tuesday, Jan. 4.

(She was the first to tell me not to be nervous and to just be comfortable and do whatever I think is fit for our scene. She said she trusts me.)

Herrera admitted that there was awkwardness during the first taping days. But as the

production progressed, they were able to get way past it, and they became comfortable with each other. “’Pag hindi nag-ro-roll ‘yung camera tahimik lang kami pareho. Pero ‘pag on na ‘yung camera, andun na kami sa moment naming dalawa,” he added.

(When the camera is not rolling, we’re just quiet. But when the camera is on, we get into our moment.)

Herrera is grateful for all the gains he received out of playing his character in “Marry Me, Marry You.” “Una, marami akong na-experience na natutunan and siyempre nag-gain din ako ng panibagong kaibigan, ‘yung mga cast and directors and staff, naging kaibigan ko na,” he said.

(First, I experienced a lot of lessons, and of course I gained new friends. There’s the cast and directors and staff who became my Sunshine Diazon and Fino Herrera friends.) (By Alex Brosas/Inquirer.net) n ABS-CBN photo

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One of the most recent visitors of Baking Mama was Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop.

Photo from @iambakingmama

BAKING MAMA...

PAGE 14 would ask if they have cupcakes and cookies as well.

Tina listened to what the customers wanted and their tiny bakeshop evolved.

Among the bakeshop’s bestsellers are chocolate chip cookies, French macarons, cakes, and bonbons. They found out about Yelp declaring their classic chocolate chip cookies the best in the state through a church-mate who told them the good news.

Asked about the secret why their classic chocolate chip is New Jersey’s favorite, Tina said there are no secrets.

“Just the quality of ingredients, that’s it,” she said, adding that almost all cookies have the same base recipes.

“It’s just how you incorporate different types of chocolate, different types of cocoa powder. And the quality is really important.”

Having their own bakeshop opened an opportunity for Tina to showcase a bit of her Filipino culture and this she did by introducing her ube cookies, leche flan, and ube leche flan. Occasionally, they make other Filipino specialties like cassava cake and brazo de mercedes.

Last week, Tina introduced her version of silvanas, a delicious treat made with cashew meringue wafer with buttercream filling. She said it is one of her favorite sweet treats from her childhood in the Philippines.

Through the past six years, the Rivera couple has learned several lessons as they navigate the world of small business.

“Kung love mo yung ginagawa mo, everything will follow, magiging madali lahat. Although being an entrepreneur, ang hirap hirap,” she shared. “Having a retail shop entails a lot of patience.”

She added that she also learned how to be kind to everyone, even if some of them are not kind to you and even to the people who say they are evil because they sell their macarons for $2.50 apiece.

Dominic echoed what Tina said, remembering an old man from the neighborhood who talked to him outside the bakeshop a few weeks into the opening.

“He told me, ‘Just be nice to people’ and I always go back to that. Yun lang naman talaga eh, just be nice to people,” he said. n

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