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USA

DATELINE Gov. Gavin Newsom proposes universal health care, including for undocumented FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA

CALIFORNIA Governor Gavin Newsom recently announced his plan for universal healthcare, which would extend coverage to the state’s 1.1 million undocumented residents.

If approved, California would be the first state in the nation to provide universal health care.

Speaking at the Clinica Sierra Vista’s Lamont Center in Kern County, an agricultural region which serves as home to roughly 70,000 undocumented people, Newsom laid out his plan for universal access throughout the state, regardless of pre-existing conditions, ability to pay, or immigration status. Long-time labor activist Dolores Huerta and California state Assemblyman Rudy Salas took the mic to commend the governor on his proposal.

“This is a historic moment,” said Huerta.

“Thank you, Governor Newsom for including all undocumented people in your budget.

California is the first state in the nation to finally recognize our immigrants and their contributions,” she said, expressing her confidence that the state Legislature would pass the budget.

J A N U A RY 2 1 - 2 7 , 2 0 2 2

Also published in LOS ANGELES, ORANGE COUNTY/INLAND EMPIRE, SAN DIEGO, LAS VEGAS, NEW YORK/NEW JERSEY

US residents can now order free at-home COVID-19 tests

by AJPRESS

STARTING this week, residents in the United States can order free at-home rapid COVID-19 testing kits from the federal government.

As part of the White House’s initiative to deliver

rapid tests to Americans amid the latest surge, the website (www.covidtests.gov) to place orders went live on Tuesday, January 18, a day earlier than previously announced.

This is part of the Biden administration’s plan to purchase 1 billion at-home, rapid COVID-19 tests,

NEW YORK — In recent months, mobile COVID-19 testing tents and vans have sprouted on urban sidewalks and street curbs as demand has skyrocketed in response to the rapid spread of the omicron variant.

Some of the sites run by private companies offer legitimate, timely and reliable results, but others are more like weeds.

High demand and scarce supply opened the door to bad actors, and officials in some states are having a hard time keeping up their oversight amid the proliferation. And they are sounding the alarm that by visiting the pop-up industry’s sometimes makeshift tents, desperate patients could be putting their health, wallets and personal data at risk.

“These conditions change so rapidly,” said Gigi Gronvall, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security who leads the COVID-19 Testing Toolkit, which provides guidance to employers and others. “It’s not a surprise that these conditions were totally ripe for consumers to be gouged and to get fraudulent tests.”

Consumers seeking testing — either a rapid antigen test that provides results in under an hour or a polymerase chain reaction, or PCR, test that generally takes longer but is more accurate — may think all testing sites are created equal, but they’re not. Unfortunately, telling the good from the bad is not always easy.

Consumers at testing sites in the Chicago area have encountered employees who aren’t wearing masks or gloves or have been asked to provide a Social Security or credit card number before a test is provided, said Dr. Eve Bloomgarden, who co-founded Illinois Medical Professionals Action Collaborative Team, an advocacy group.

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‘Caregivers should be a priority’: Advocates fight for recognition of caregivers as essential, frontline workers

by KLARIZE

MEDENILLA AJPress

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Officials struggle to regulate pop-up COVID testing sites — and warn patients to beware

with the first 500 million available for ordering this month.

“Every home in the U.S. is eligible to order 4 free at-home COVID-19 tests. The tests are completely free. Orders will usually ship in 7-12 days,” the

READY TO GO. Passengers show their vaccination cards to a barker of a jeep en route to Manila at the terminal along West Avenue, Quezon City on Wednesday, January 19. Authorities check vaccination cards of passengers in public transport as the “no vaccination, no ride” policy is in effect while Metro Manila is under Alert Level 3.

PNA photo by Robert Oswald P. Alfiler

WHEN the coronavirus pandemic went into full force in early 2020, health care workers were lauded for being the frontline warriors against the highly contagious and deadly virus.

Nurses, doctors, EMTs, and other hospital staff were in the thick of the most concentrated centers of infection, prompting social media campaigns and PR efforts to show gratitude toward medical staff.

But health care workers are more than those who work at hospitals and doctors’ offices. In many cases, those providing the most immediate care are family members and in-home caregivers who are not only trying to keep themselves healthy, but they’re also working tirelessly to keep family members safe.

“Many times the care we have here in California the majority of care is done by us: family members and elder caregivers. We are an essential part of the health care system,” said Dr. Donna Benton,

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Comelec: 10 presidential candidates, including Omicron now dominant Bongbong Marcos, in 2022 PH polls ballot COVID-19 variant in PH MANILA — The official ballot for the 2022 national elections will contain 10 names of presidential candidates, including Partido Federal ng Pilipinas bet Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. whose bid faces a slew of legal challenges at the Commission on Elections.

On Tuesday, January 18, Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez told CNN Philippines’ The Source that they released the final ballot face on Monday, January 17.

“We already have what the ballot will

look like with all of the names that will be included in the final ballot,” he said.

“Bongbong Marcos’ name is there,” Jimenez added in Filipino.

The Comelec spokesperson said the ballot will contain 10 presidential candidates, nine for vice presidential bets, 64 for senators and 178 party-list groups.

On Tuesday, the Comelec held a virtual walkthrough of the ballot printers at the National Printing Office. Printing of the

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Foreigners now required to show proof of vaccination before entry to PH by Feb. 16

by CHRISTIA

MARIE Inquirer.net

RAMOS

MANILA — Foreign nationals will be required to present proof of full vaccinvation against COVID-19 before their entry to the Philippines starting Feb. 16, 2022, Malacañang said Friday, January 14.

The Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases approved this new protocol for the entry of foreign nationals in the country, Cabinet Secretary and acting presidential spokesperson Karlo Nograles said in a Palace briefing.

“Beginning Feb. 16, 2022, proof of full vaccination shall be made a requirement for entry of all foreign nationals allowed to

enter the Philippines,” he said, citing IATF Resolution No. 157.

But Nograles said the following are exempted from the requirement: • Children below the age of 18 • People medically unable to receive the vaccine, as certified by a competent public health authority in the country or port of origin • Foreign diplomats and their qualified dependents or 9(e) visa holders The Department of Transportation (DOTr), through the Civil Aeronautics Board, is tasked to mandate the airlines to require foreign nationals traveling to the Philippines to present proof of full vaccination prior to boarding flights to any points in the Philippines, according to the resolution. ■

by RED

MENDOZA ManilaTimes.net

THE Philippines on Wednesday, January 19 reported an additional 492 new cases of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus disease 2019 and the first two deaths due to the highly infectious strain.

The Department of Health

(DOH) said the two fatalities were both above 60 years old, unvaccinated and with pre-existing health conditions.

The high detection rate of the variant, equivalent to nearly 69 percent of the 715 samples sequenced by the Philippine Genome Center from January 13 to

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January 21-27, 2022 • nOrCaL aSIan JOurnaL

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From the Front Page

US residents can now order...

PAGE 1 website reads.

It adds, “Order your tests now so you have them when you need them.”

The site redirects to an U.S. Postal Service form where individuals can fill in their contact and shipping information.

There is a limit of one order per residential address and orders will ship free starting late January.

The tests available for order are rapid antigen at-home tests, not PCR and can deliver results within 30 minutes.

The website’s guidance advises individuals to take an

at-home test if they begin to exhibit COVID-19 symptoms; at least 5 days after they come into contact with someone with COVID-19; or if they are going to gather with a group of people, especially those who are at risk of severe disease or may not be up to date on COVID-19 vaccines.

“To ensure equity and access for all Americans, the Administration will also launch a call line to help those unable to access the website to place orders, and work with national and local community-based organizations to support the nation’s hardest-hit and highest-

risk communities in requesting tests,” according to a White House announcement.

In addition to the tests, the covidtests.gov website offers additional resources for those who need to get tested immediately or are looking for another type of test. These include at-home tests at retailers and pharmacies, insurance reimbursement and a list of over 20,000 free testing sites nationally.

According to the CDC, over 65.1 million COVID cases have been tracked in the United States and 847,577 deaths, as of Tuesday, January 18. n

Comelec: 10 presidential candidates, including...

PAGE 1

official ballots may start two days after the walkthrough or on January 20, Jimenez added.

Cases vs Marcos Marcos, who leads the latest Pulse Asia pre-election survey, is still facing four petitions for disqualifications.

Three of these, all consolidated, are pending before the Comelec’s First Division. Parties already

submitted their respective memoranda.

Promulgation of the resolution, initially said to be on Monday, has been delayed as staff of the division had to be isolated due to exposure to COVID-19 cases, Commissioner Rowena Guanzon said.

Marcos faces another disqualification suit filed by an Ilocano group, which is pending before the Comelec’s Second

Division.

The poll body’s Second Division on Monday dismissed the lone petition to cancel Marcos’ Certificate of Candidacy, although petitioners vow to appeal the case to the Commission En Banc.

All the suits seeking to block Marcos’ presidential bid are also expected to reach the Supreme Court for appeal. (Kristine Joy Patag/Philstar.com)

Gov. Gavin Newsom proposes universal...

PAGE 1 The $614 million proposal is part of the 2022-23 state budget known as the California Blueprint, which the governor unveiled a day earlier. The budget must be approved by the state Legislature; Newsom said he expects to see the finished package on his desk

by May. If approved, expanded coverage would be rolled out by the end of 2022.

Currently, Medi-Cal covers all low-income children and young adults under the age of 26, regardless of immigration status.

Last year, the state expanded Medi-Cal eligibility to low-income undocumented adults over the age of 50. The new proposal would expand Medi-Cal coverage to low-income people between the ages of 26-49, regardless of immigration status, Newsom addressed the concerns of critics who fear an increase in state taxes. “We

already have universal health care, but it is at the back end and called the emergency room. It’s costing you a bundle, with all of us paying higher premiums.”

“Why not have access to preventive care at a much lower cost?” he queried, expressing his hope that other states would follow his lead to extend coverage to the nation’s 10.5 million undocumented residents.

The California Taxpayers Association raised its objections to the proposal Jan. 7, before the plan was formally announced, noting that taxes would be increased on businesses and individuals earning more than $149,000 annually. California state Assembly members Ash Kalra and Alex Lee, both Democrats who represent portions of the Silicon Valley, have introduced ACA 11, which would raise an estimated $200 million annually to support universal health care

in the state.

“This measure would add to the cost of living in California and lead to job losses, without any guarantee that the billions in new taxes would benefit anyone,” said CalTax President Robert Gutierrez in a press statement. “Taxpayers want and deserve quality healthcare services, but there is no guarantee that a governmentrun healthcare system will deliver better care for Californians at an affordable price.”

Kalra defended his bill in a press statement: “Those that profit off the immoral status quo may not like it, but I am confident that the vast majority of working and retired Californians will see the benefit of significant cost-savings as we remove debilitating insurance costs, outof-reach prescription drugs and arbitrarily high hospital fees.”

(Sunita Sohrabji/Ethnic Media Services)

Officials struggle to regulate pop-up COVID...

PAGE 1 Fake testing sites put consumers at risk for identity theft, inaccurate or missing test results, and financial losses if they’re charged for the tests, which are typically free to consumers.

“I don’t think we can put this on the public to know” which sites are legitimate, Bloomgarden said.

“Guidance needs to be coming from the state and regulated at the public health level.”

Melaney Arnold, a spokesperson for the Illinois Department of Public Health, said state officials “are aware of complaints for various testing locations across the state” and are investigating. She said consumers should contact Attorney General Kwame Raoul’s office if they are concerned about fraud or criminal activity at testing sites.

In Philadelphia, workers at a sidewalk covid testing tent falsely claimed to be working with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, said James Garrow, communications director for the Philadelphia Department of Public Health, in an emailed response to questions. But FEMA told the department it wasn’t funding any testing centers in the city at the time.

“Currently, there are no quick markers to help folks know if a site is legitimate or not,” Garrow said.

“That’s why we’re investigating if it is possible to provide a placard to demonstrate that a site is legitimate.”

It’s hard to walk down a street in some parts of Manhattan without running into at least one or two of the pop-up sites. Leading up to the holidays, people stood in long lines in the cold waiting to be swabbed. Some vans and tents are clearly marked with company names, while others are operating out of what appear to be rental vans.

The sites were also ubiquitous in Los Angeles. In some places, testing sites run by the same company were clustered within easy walking distance of one another. In the pre-holiday rush, the operator at a Crestview Clinical Laboratory site on Wilshire Boulevard, who wouldn’t give her name to a reporter, said she also provided a VIP service from another testing company for people willing to pay extra for rapid PCR tests.

Public health experts say they

hope that concerns about a mobile test site’s legitimacy won’t deter people from getting tested.

Testing outdoors has advantages, too.

“If I had the choice between two options while there was a surge happening, one being completely outdoors and one indoors, I would choose the outdoor testing site,” said Denis Nash, a professor of epidemiology at the City University of New York. “And I would choose affordable home testing over both of those.”

In general, more testing is better than less.

“I tend not to care why people are testing,” Nash said. “If they are doing it to be safer at a party, great. But I do care if access is inequitable.”

Some testing operators are more prominent in neighborhoods where large shares of residents likely have health insurance rather than those where people are more likely to be without.

For example, a map of testing locations for LabQ, a company that offers mobile covid testing in the New York City area, shows dozens of spots in Manhattan but only a handful in the Bronx.

One weak spot in the system is that although city and state health departments keep close regulatory tabs on the labs that process covid tests, they typically don’t regulate the site operators that administer the tests.

In Philadelphia, Garrow said, the only licensing requirement for covid testing sites is that the lab they use have a license from the state health department showing that it meets federal standards under the law known as Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments. CLIA sets lab testing standards for accuracy, reliability and timeliness.

In Maryland, covid testing sites must have a CLIA “waiver” from the federal government allowing them to perform the tests, said Andy Owen, deputy media relations director for the Maryland Department of Health.

In general, labs in the U.S. must have CLIA licenses, and requiring waivers for point-of-care testing is also standard.

In December 2020, Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh issued a news release warning consumers about unauthorized covid testing operations that could collect people’s personal

identifying information and use it to steal their identity.

Since then, the department hasn’t received any complaints about pop-up testing sites, according to Aleithea Warmack, deputy director of communications in the consumer protection division of the attorney general’s office.

In general, a test site operator seeking payment from a health plan for administering a covid test must have a national provider identifier, which comes from the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, said Kristine Grow, a spokesperson for AHIP, a trade group for health plans.

Although test operators routinely ask consumers for health insurance information, asking for credit card numbers is not routine. Individual consumers typically don’t have to pay out-ofpocket for a covid test because it is covered by insurance or by the federal government for people who are uninsured. However, some people are charged if the test isn’t ordered by their doctor, is a rush service or is performed by an out-of-network provider, where “we do continue to see price gouging through the course of the public health emergency,” Grow said.

One way to identify a legitimate testing operator is to check lists maintained by states and cities of the testing operators they work with or fund. But many legitimate testing operators are not in the official databases, Bloomgarden said.

Some independent test site operators are “highly qualified,” said Scott Becker, CEO of the Association of Public Health Laboratories. Becker went to a drive-through testing site in his neighborhood in Montgomery County, Maryland. The test operator told him which lab they used, and he received results with the name of the lab on them.

“They’re not all bad,” Becker said. “It’s just hard for Joe Consumer to figure it out.”

As demand for covid testing grows, even legitimate test operators may not meet their commitments.

Theo Servedio stood in line with a handful of other people at the sliding door of a LabQ mobile testing van near Columbia University in New York in u PAGE 4

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SFIO announces $50-M eco-luxury community Omicron now dominant... project in world-renowned Puerto Princesa, Palawan With stunning views of Ulugan Bay, the eight-hectare seaside community will feature world-class resort amenities and pioneer health and wellness offerings in one of the world’s most iconic islands LAST month, global asset management company Starfleet Innotech, Inc. (OTC: SFIO) closed off 2021 by signing a joint venture with Filipino partners to build a world-class eco-luxury, health and wellness communi ty on their bayside property in globallyrenowned Philippine destination Puerto Princesa, Palawan.

The project will be owned and developed by SFIO Leisure and Development, Inc., a joint venture stock corporation, and will see eight hectares of beachfront land transformed into an exclusive, holistic lifestyle community hidden amongst Palawan’s iconic mangrove glades and situated less than half an hour from the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River, one of the official New Seven Wonders of Nature.

The seaside community will feature a beachfront resort, as well as condominiums and a residential subdivision for longer-term residents looking to embrace Palawan’s luxurious lifestyle and relocate to its idyllic isles.

With stunning views of Ulugan Bay and resting upon some of the nation’s most fertile soils, the resort will offer a lush, nourishing environment for both short and long-term visitors and long-term residents to reconnect with nature. The resort’s tropical design evokes the nostalgic warmth of Filipino hospitality, featuring the nation’s iconic pitched roofs, woven textures, and natural shade elements.

These initial design and feasibility studies are already underway, with development scheduled to kick off within the year.

Visitors and residents alike will enjoy resort amenities across the development’s condotels, private villas, natural springs, chapel and meditation garden, spa and wellness centers, glamping sites, forest trails, and of course, walking access to Palawan’s iconic white sand beaches and crystal-clear waters. With a focus on nurturing wellbeing, the resort will also offer productivity features for remote workers looking for the perfect blend of

modern accessibility and natural living.

SFIO’s announcement comes on the heels of a series of joint ventures with Philippine-based partners to develop world-class resorts and townships across the country. With their latest venture, SFIO brings its global expertise in real estate development to a global destination in island leisure.

Palawan consistently places among the world’s top islands, coming in first on Travel+Leisure’s definitive global ranking multiple years in a row. Based on Collier’s 2021 Residential Survey, Palawan was the top destination for Filipinos once travel restrictions are lifted.

The global research firm expects domestic tourism to drive the leisure sector’s looming rebound, citing the Philippine Department of Tourism’s projection that domestic trips will reach 84.8 million in 2022, or 90 percent of total trips in 2019.

Not long after, the Philippines’ hotel industry – led by island beach destinations like Palawan – is forecasted to surpass even pre-pandemic revenues as early as 2023. According to latest data from Statista, the industry is expected to reach an all-time revenue high of $2.1 billion by 2025.

Timed to debut amidst this renewed renaissance for Palawan, SFIO’s latest development in Puerto Princesa is expected to be completed by 2024.

SFIO’s joint ventures in real estate play a crucial role in the global asset management company’s strategy of collaborative innovation towards building better communities.

Work is already underway at SFIO’s recently established Technology Division on a suite of state-of-the-art, smart-building technologies designed to ensure the long-term, holistic wellbeing of communities. The team has also designed a proprietary

project management platform tailored for their real estate projects. With this system, SFIO’s partners and global network of licensed realtors are able to easily access information and seamlessly collaborate with project proponents, expediting the selling process across SFIO’s real estate portfolio.

These technologies are expected to set new goldstandards for real estate management and community health systems across resorts and townships.

According to SFIO, the company is in talks with a number of investment banks to enter debt financing deals that would fund these projects while preserving shareholder value. Profits from these high-yield projects are intended to be reinvested into future growth, helping carry the group towards their plans to uplist from the US OTC Markets to the NASDAQ by 2024.

(Advertising Supplement)

PAGE 1 14 classified it the most dominant variant in the country.

Results of the latest sequencing said that 332 were local infections and 160 were from returning overseas Filipinos. The total number of Omicron cases in the country is now 535.

The National Capital Region (NCR) logged the highest number of local transmissions with 227, Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon) with 76 and Central Luzon with 11.

Other regions were Omicron infections were detected include Central Visayas, Cagayan Valley, Western Visayas, Davao, Soccsksargen (South Cotabato, Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani and General Santos), Cordillera Administrative Region, Ilocos, Mimaropa (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan), and the Bangsamoro Region in Muslim Mindanao.

Three remain as active cases, 467 were considered recovered, and 20 were under observation.

The Health Department earlier confirmed community transmission of the Omicron variant in the NCR. Experts said Omicron’s characteristics that include a shortened case doubling time resulted in the sudden increase in the number of cases though mild in nature.

“Sa ngayon, this time period, ang predominant na po ay Omicron, specifically dito sa NCR kung saan na-detect most of these Omicron samples (Omicron was currently the predominant strain, specifically here in the NCR where samples were detected),” Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said in a media briefing.

In a House committee hearing also on Tuesday, January 18, Department of Health (DoH) Epidemiology Bureau Director Dr. Alethea de Guzman said that besides Omicron, the increased mobility during the holiday season, reduced health protocol compliance, and delays in detection and isolation were the primary drivers of the Omicron surge.

Meanwhile, 115 cases of Delta strain infections were recorded by the Health department, 88 of which were local transmissions while 27 were from returning overseas Filipinos.

To date, there are two additional Delta strain fatalities and two active cases. The number of recoveries is 107 while four were still being verified for outcomes.

Delta remains the most sequenced Covid variant in the country, with 8,612 detections.

Technical Advisory Group member, Dr. Anna Lisa OngLim reported a high incidence of COVID-19 among young unvaccinated people.

“Marami ding ina-admit coming from the fact na halos bata na lang ang hindi bakunado lalo na dito sa NCR (There were many young children admitted owing to the fact that they are yet to be vaccinated, especially here in the NCR),” OngLim added.

Rising number of COVID-19 cases were also recorded in Lanao del Sur, Negros Oriental, Cebu, Zamboanga del Sur, Northern Samar, Quezon, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Bohol, Ifugao, Western Samar, Davao del Sur, Cotabato City, Negros Occidental, Antique, Nueva Vizcaya, Agusan del Sur and Occidental Mindoro. n

Officials struggle to regulate...

PAGE 2 December.

The 19-year-old sophomore planned to attend a fraternity party, but with the uptick in covid cases, he wanted to get tested first. A sign at the registration table promised a 24hour turnaround on its PCR tests.

“They’re both free, but turnaround for testing at the school has been 48 to 72 hours in the past,” Servedio said.

He got his results in 24 hours.

But others weren’t so lucky.

According to a warning letter sent to LabQ in December by New York Attorney General Letitia James, some consumers had waited more than 96 hours for their covid test results despite the company’s promise of a 48-

hour turnaround. LabQ was one of several covid test companies that received the warnings in late December and early January.

LabQ didn’t respond to a request for comment. (Michelle Andrews/Kaiser Health News) KHN’s Chaseedaw Giles contributed to this report.

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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Dateline PhiliPPines

NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL • JANUARy 21-27, 2022

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If elected VP, Sara Duterte will push for mandatory military service for all Filipinos

by Neil

MONDAY COMMUTE. Passengers queue at the EDsA Carousel Nepa Q-Mart station in Quezon City on Monday, January 17. Commuters have to present vaccination cards before boarding public transport as the “no vaccination, no ride entry” in Metro Manila takes effect, in compliance with President Rodrigo Duterte’s order to restrict the movement of unvaccinated persons.

PNA photo by Joey O. Razonn

UN seeks more support for Odette-ravaged areas

by PiA lee-BrAgo Philstar.com

MANILA — The United Nations (UN) has appealed for more support to hasten the recovery and reconstruction in areas damaged by Typhoon Odette.

Relief efforts for communities are hampered by challenges – surging COVID cases, overstretched health facilities and staff getting sick – forcing movement restrictions

and causing supply chain constraints, according to UN Philippines resident coordinator Gustavo Gonzalez.

“This cascade of challenges is severely hampering operations on all fronts,” Gonzalez said in a statement released on Monday, January 17.

The humanitarian community continues working despite these obstacles to support national and local relief efforts.

Present in 10 regions are

57 aid organizations and 107 partners that are distributing food, building shelters and providing other essential items.

Gonzalez said among the top priorities were to ensure that people have access to adequate food, clean drinking water and shelter, and to address protection concerns. He said Odette destroyed communities that were already suffering from malnutrition, stunting and lack of food. n

‘Caregivers should be a priority’: Advocates...

PAGE 1 research associate professor of gerontology at USC and director of the USC Family Caregiver Support Center and Los Angeles Caregiver Resource Center.

Benton, along with other community advocates, spoke at a press conference on Thursday, Jan. 13 about the massive community of caregivers in California, a vast majority of whom are women, immigrants, and/or people of color.

According to Benton, there are 4.5 million family caregivers in California, meaning that there are millions of caregivers in the state who have been struggling accessing personal protective equipment (PPE) and other essential needs and services to better care for their patients during the pandemic.

As of Tuesday, Jan. 18 athome COVID-19 test kits are available for delivery through the United States Postal Service, which has started taking orders at www.covidtests.gov/.

Cheryl Brown, chair of the Social Action Committee of St. Paul’s First AME Baptist Church-San Bernardino and former California State Assemblymember, noted that caregivers should be among those who are prioritized in the rollouts for free testing kits.

“Our caregivers should be a priority in terms of accessing these resources and supplies,” Brown said, noting that caregivers are often responsible for the care of those with dementia, Alzheimer’s, and other palliative diseases that warrant prime concern.

Benton noted that many caregivers didn’t receive priority for vaccines and boosters since many didn’t fit the special qualifications for early eligibility: frontline medical professionals, senior citizens aged 65 or above, or suffering from an underlying health issue.

“It’s difficult when you’re

taking care of someone who is homebound and can’t leave the house,” Benton said, adding that as part of the California Caregiver Resource Centers, family caregivers were dropping out of the workforce in droves.

According to a study released

by Morning Consult in October 2021, 1 out of 5 health care workers in the United States have either resigned or retired.

With the omicron surge, Benton said those changes can bring about even more struggles for caregivers, many of whom are caring for individuals who are more susceptible to the harsher effects of the coronavirus.

Even with vaccines and boosters, scientists have noted that the omicron variant is still highly contagious, and reports have shown that even the vaccinated are still catching the virus. (However, the unvaccinated continue to dominate hospitalization stats; those who are vaccinated are less likely to suffer the more severe effects of the virus.)

For many communities, caregiving isn’t a job; it’s an essential, ubiquitous part of family. As Filipinos, taking care of elders — especially those who are family — is not only normal but expected.

For Filipina American Marienne Dominguez, her path to eldercare was forged when a family member got seriously sick, and when she was asked to help care for this relative, she didn’t think twice.

“I didn’t plan on being a caregiver, but it just happened because of family issues where I had to care for an auntie for a few years,” Dominguez told the Asian Journal in a phone interview. “I remember when my mom used to care for her grandmother, who was in a vegetative state. I just thought that was part of being Filipino, caring for our older relatives.”

In 2014, her great aunt became physically dependent

after suffering a stroke and since Dominguez had a job that allowed her to work from home, she took the responsibility of helping her great aunt take her medicine, go to the doctor, and prepare her meals.

But after her great aunt passed away in 2017 — shortly after which she lost her other job — Dominguez decided to apply to become a licensed practical nurse (LPN). For the last five years, Dominguez, 38, has worked at a nursing home in Northern California; it’s a job she loves, but she admits the COVID-19 pandemic has made the job “a hundred times harder.”

“Every day I’m worried I’ll catch COVID, and amazingly, I haven’t yet. But we’ve seen so many patients suffer and a few have died in our facility before we had vaccines,” Dominguez said, adding that access to PPE, ventilators and other necessities was difficult during the first year of the pandemic.

She continued, “I wish these politicians did more to provide for [those of] us who work in elder care facilities. We are in health care so it would make sense to put us in the same category as hospital workers, but I understand that it’s generally been difficult for all of us.”

As the omicron variant continues to complicate daily life, Dominguez said she hasn’t had any plans to quit her caregiving job. Despite its difficulties and oftentimes feeling hopeless, she knows that quitting would make her feel worse.

“I understand the desire to just quit. I’ve seen many LPNs and nurses quit. But knowing me, I would feel terrible about the patients I leave behind,” she said. “I don’t want to quit, but I wish that the health care industry would take us caregivers and elder care workers seriously.” n

ArwiN MercAdo Inquirer.net

MANILA — Davao City Mayor Inday Sara Duterte-Carpio said on Wednesday, January 19 that, if elected vice president, she would push for mandatory military service for all Filipinos reaching the age of 18 — male or female.

She said she would use the Office of the Vice President to urge the House of Representatives and the Senate of the Philippines to pass such legislation.

“We see this in other countries like South Korea and Israel. It should not just be like ROTC [Reserved Officers’ Training Corp’ where it’s just one subject or one weekend or a month in a year,” Duterte-Carpio, said, speaking in a mix of English and Filipino during the Manila Virtual Caravan.

“Everyone, once your turn 18, once you reach 18 years old, you will be given a subsidy. You will be asked to serve our country under our Armed Forces of the Philippines,” she added.

In 2002, military training was made optional through the National Service Training Program (NSTP) Act of 2001 (Republic Act No. 9163).

Calls to abolish mandatory military training were

Davao City Mayor sarah Duterte leaves the senate session hall on March 11, 2020, right after her confirmation with the rank of colonel as a Philippine Army reservist.

Inquirer.net file photo

fueled by the killing of University of Santo Tomas sophomore cadet Mark Welson Chua in 2001 after he exposed corruption in his school’s military training program. n

PAUNAWA SA ELEKSYON INIHAHATID NG PAUNAWANG ITO na ang isang REGULAR NA ELEKSYON SA MUNISIPAL ay gaganapin sa Lungsod ng San Jose, California sa Martes, ika-7 ng Hunyo 2022, para sa ihalal ang mga sumusunod na opisyal: Miyembro ng Konseho – District 1 Buong Termino ng 4 na taong magtatapos sa 12/31/26 Miyembro ng Konseho – District 3 Buong Termino ng 4 na taong magtatapos sa 12/31/26 Miyembro ng Konseho – District 5 Buong Termino ng 4 na taong magtatapos sa 12/31/26 Miyembro ng Konseho – District 7 Buong Termino ng 4 na taong magtatapos sa 12/31/26 Miyembro ng Konseho – District 9 Buong Termino ng 4 na taong magtatapos sa 12/31/26 Alkalde Buong Termino ng 4 na taong magtatapos sa 12/31/26 Ang nominasyon para sa mga tanggapang ito ay magsisimula sa Pebrero 14, 2022 at magtatapos sa Marso 11, 2022 sa ganap na 12:00 p.m. (Tanghali).

Ang mga botohan ay bukas sa pagitan ng 7:00 A.M. at 8:00 P.M. TONI TABER, CMC KLERK NG LUNGSOD Petsa ng Publikasyon:

VACCINATE

KIDS 5+ TO PROTECT

THEM FROM

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No exemption from restrictions HOW can unvaccinated officials enforce restrictions on other unvaccinated people? Over the weekend, the undersecretary for barangay affairs said that if he could have his way, village officials who remain unvaccinated against COVID should go on leave during the pandemic or even resign.

Some barangay officials, not necessarily unvaccinated, protested that the recommendation is unconstitutional and there is no law that allows it. Interior and Local Government Undersecretary Martin Diño did not say his suggestion would be implemented. He simply said barangay officials tasked to implement vaccination restrictions “should be ashamed” if they themselves had not received the COVID shots.

An improvement of the message would be an assurance to the public that barangay officials are not exempted from the mobility restrictions and would have to stay home except for essential errands. Obviously, being covered by the restrictions would prevent them from participating in the enforcement of the new rules.

Restrictions on the unvaccinated have been tightened as new COVID infections believed fueled by the highly contagious Omicron variant surge in the National Capital Region and neighboring areas. Vaccines are seen as the main weapons to

contain the pandemic. The tighter restrictions are meant to get more people inoculated particularly in the NCR, which has the highest infection numbers and the largest supply of vaccines in the country.

Barangay officials have been tasked to conduct an inventory of the unvaccinated in their areas as the government considers house-to-house inoculation. Officials who are unvaccinated themselves should either lead by example and get their shots, or else confine themselves to their homes as they are included in the inventory.

The Department of the Interior and Local Government has warned that penalties will be imposed on those who fail to submit the inventory of unvaccinated. The DILG should add that heavier penalties await those who submit inventories that are deliberately inaccurate and leave out unvaccinated barangay officials.

It can deter deliberate inaccuracies by picking a One problem is whether the DILG has the ca- few barangays at random for verification with local pability to verify the accuracy of the inventories. government and health officials. Pandemic restric-

Editorial

Philstar.com photo

tions entail heavy sacrifices, and a sure way to promote non-compliance is the selective application of the rules. (Philstar.com)

Is the US really in the position to ‘learn to live with COVID’ like some EU countries?

The Fil-Am Perspective GEL SANTOS-RELOS AS the whole world feels battle fatigue and desperation in fighting the nearly two-year war against COVID-19 and its variants, a little bit of victory in some battles gives some European countries a bit of impetus to change their strategies and tactics in order to keep the momentum of rebuilding their nations going. And Americans are watching closely.

As the New York Times reported, “For Italy, France, and the UK, we see that the number of patients in hospital with COVID remains much lower than in previous waves. In the UK, 291 patients with coronavirus per million were in hospital on 10 January. Just under a year ago, the ratio stood at 576 per million. In France, the ratio stood at 347 per million on the same day, compared with a high of 490 in November.”

“In Spain, for instance, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez declared last week that citizens would “have to learn to live with it, as we do with many other viruses,” and said that the country should adjust the national approach to more closely align with how it handles influenza outbreaks. Olivier Véran, the French health minister, said recently that France’s high level of infection and strong vaccination rate could “maybe” mean

this would be the final wave,” the Times report added.

Those who push the U.S government to relax restrictions and be bold like these EU countries so businesses can rebuild faster pick up on this boldness, seemingly ignoring the fact about one very important difference in our trajectories in this war: the U.S.’ peak in the rate of infection and hospitalization is in an uptick, and the peak is yet to come.

In the U.S., “411 US COVID19 patients per million people were in hospital as of 9 January - surpassing a previous peak of 400 per million set on 14 January 2021,” BBC News reported.

This is a hard and bitter pill of a fact to swallow, considering the reality that the United States, the most powerful and richest country in the world that has led the nation in the fight against pandemics and epidemics in the past would lag behind other industrialized countries in this fight against COVID. We produce most of these life-saving vaccines, remember?

We lead in the research and development of our arsenals in the fight against the invisible enemy, right?

This is explained by Dr. Mark Cameron, an associate professor in the department of population and quantitative health sciences

at Case Western University in Ohio, in the BBC News report.

Dr. Cameron believes “the U.S. is suffering from ‘a perfect storm’ of COVID-19, co-morbidities, uneven access to health care and hostility to vaccines, masks, and other preventative measures.”

“When all of that ‘perfect storm’ nature of vulnerabilities that are unique to the U.S. combine, you’ve got an outbreak of the virus that can quickly lead from increased cases to increased hospitalisations, which tax the local hospitals and health community.”

Let us talk about numbers to substantiate this.

“Just over 63% of the U.S. population is fully vaccinated, much lower than in the UK (71%) as well as Italy and France (both 75%). In Canada, almost 79% of the population is fully protected,” BBC News report stated.

Let’s talk about organized institutional resistance to the life-saving vaccine and mask mandates.

There are still Americans who do not believe in vaccines and are sick and tired of wearing masks despite the glaring facts that these have been saving lives.

They continue to spread misinformation and disinformation against these public safety measures, demonize our scientists, health officials, and the federal

and state governments who fight hard day and night to save lives.

Then there are also those Americans who are so obsessed and fixated with their personal liberties instead of focusing on the safety and wellness of people during wartime like where we are right now. They filed cases before the Supreme Court, which, by the way, now has the majority of justices, thanks but no thanks to Donald Trump. Unfortunately, this same SC blocked the Biden Administration’s vaccine-or- mask mandates for big employers.

The dissenting opinion as penned by Justices Stephen G. Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan “expressed incredulity at the court’s willingness to frustrate “the federal government’s ability to counter the unparalleled threat that Covid-19 poses to our nation’s workers.”

Talk about being pro-life, well this is definitely antithetical to what these dissenters in the Conservative party claim they are fighting for.

Let us talk about a real-life experience.

My husband and I were privileged to travel twice to Europe in 2021 — to Spain, France and Germany and the Netherlands.

Despite the pandemic, we felt safe. We saw how most of the

people, and I mean a vast majority of them, sacrifice a little of their liberties for the greater good. They get vaccinated, they use their health passes to show proof of vaccination to eat out, attend concerts, join public events.

They wear masks, urge people to wear masks indoors.

They do not whine. They do not curse their government because they know and understand that saving lives is the obligation not only of the government, but of the citizens.

Here in the U.S., We have so many “pasaway,” trying to game the system for their own personal selfish reasons.

The Times report added that “the World Health Organization cautioned this week against treating the virus like the seasonal flu, saying it was too soon to make that call. Much about the disease remains unknown, the W.H.O. said. And a surge in cases driven by the Omicron variant is still battering the continent, while the population of much of the world remains vulnerable because of a lack of widespread vaccination, and more variants are still likely to arise.”

And so to answer my own question in the title of this piece: NO. The United States is not yet in the position to be bold like most EU countries. Before we

can even claim that for ourselves, let us do our part in getting fully vaccinated and boosted. Let’s agree to use health passes. Let us get tested so we can self-isolate to avoid spreading the virus and killing the more vulnerable people like the chronically ill with co-morbidities, the old and the children.

Let us start thinking less of ourselves and more of the what will be good for the community. Then, maybe, we can be bold because we have all collectively done our responsibility to be part of the solution instead of the problem.

Then and only then, can we be bold when we finally work TOGETHER to save the lives of our people, and not side with the invisible enemy. *** The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff.

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

Filipino health workers: The best worldwide

Babe’s Eye View BABE ROMUALDEZ LAST Thursday, January 13, at ANC’s Headstart with Karen Davila, I had the opportunity to give a rundown on the situation in the United States and how Filipino-Americans are faring amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

No doubt the Omicron variant is rampaging across the globe with the U.S. registering one of the highest rates of infection, averaging more than 750,000 cases a day in the past week alone.

According to Dr. Anthony Fauci, the medical adviser to President Biden, most Americans will likely get infected by Omicron, saying the variant will find “just about everybody.”

Unfortunately for a first world country like the U.S., only 62 percent of Americans have been fully vaccinated, with only 23 percent having received boosters according to CDC data.

About 65 million have yet to be vaccinated – a problem the U.S. faces as hospitals are completely overwhelmed with unvaccinated

and immunocompromised individuals manifesting serious illness.

It’s very clear that those who have been fully vaccinated and received booster shots have better protection, and even if they contract the Omicron, they will most likely dodge getting severely ill. We’re very glad that – judging from the reports that our consulates from Guam all the way to New York have received – most Filipinos in the U.S. have been vaccinated and have received booster shots.

There is concern though regarding the risk that Filipino and Filipino-American nurses and health care workers are facing because the number of days for isolating people who tested positive for COVID-19 has been reduced to five, the same for those who have also been in contact with those who tested positive. At the same time, asymptomatic health care workers who are fully vaccinated or have received a booster can continue to work, according to the new guidelines which are still being debated by experts however.

While there is continued

discussion about the Omicron variant, there are indications that the wave is peaking in some states. And although the Delta variant remains dominant globally, experts believe Omicron could become the most prevalent variant within the first quarter of 2022.

Researchers believe that the transmissibility of Omicron could hasten the transition of COVID-19 from pandemic to endemic, with those who have survived emerging with a degree of “natural immunity” that would provide protection against the next variant of concern. The good news is that once the situation transitions into endemic, COVID-19 can be managed similar to the flu. Spain is the first country to declare that the COVID-19 pandemic should now be considered as endemic.

Spain has a 90 percent vaccination rate, and its death rate has dropped to one percent.

During the interview with Karen, I was asked to give my assessment on our current relationship with the United States.

I told Karen – we are definitely in a very good place now as far

as our relationship with the U.S. is concerned. There is clear mutual trust and respect, which is extremely important for both countries.

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin also said it in no uncertain terms when he visited the Philippines last July that the U.S. will not take its friends and allies for granted. This is a message that bodes well for our relationship with the U.S. – we should not take them for granted, neither should they take us for granted. This is how things should be moving forward.

One area that the U.S. is giving special attention to is climate change, with the Philippines among the most vulnerable when it comes to natural disasters, seen in the recent onslaught of Typhoon Odette whose damage to agriculture has risen to over P13 billion.

The U.S. government through USAID has allocated over $20 million in humanitarian assistance to help communities rebuild. The U.S. is also prepared to help ensure our clean energy goals through small modular reactors that can help lessen

our heavy dependence on fossil fuels, especially coal.

On the upcoming May elections, the U.S. is obviously interested and is keenly watching. There are over 4.5 million Filipino-Americans living in the U.S., and American legislators are well aware of the special ties between our two countries.

What is important to our friends and allies is for the elections to be clean and credible.

U.S. government officials made it very clear to us that they have no problem dealing with any of the major presidential candidates, being well aware of their backgrounds. They are fully prepared to work with any leader who has been duly elected by the Filipino people.

I have always believed that a great anchor in the special friendship between the Philippines and the United States is our personal, deep people-topeople ties. Many Americans have a strong affiliation towards the Philippines, and many of my friends would like to visit again.

Our friend, Moderna’s vice president Patrick Bergstedt, visited Palawan with his family

years ago. “I really loved the Philippines and the people.

I’m eager to go back,” he said.

These are the same comments I hear from many of my American friends.

During my discussions with U.S. officials and legislators, the talk would inevitably turn to Filipino nurses and health care workers who are very much appreciated because they are dedicated, hardworking and very competent – which is why they are most sought after and considered among the best in the world.

If so many Americans and other nationalities have come to appreciate the Philippines and its people so much, certainly we should not wish our country ill and instead be grateful for our blessings. No matter what our political persuasion is, we should be proud of our country.

(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.

***

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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Friday, January 21, 2022

INSIDE >>> L I F E S T Y L E • C O N S U M E R G U I D E • C O M M U N I T Y • M A R K E T P L A C E

Alden’s food for the soul to prevent burnout

by ALLAN

POLICARPIO Inquirer.net

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)

Visas issued, despite petitioner’s death, this Sunday on Citizen Pinoy ALMITA’S father petitioned her in 2001. However, before her visa was issued, her father died on Christmas Eve of 2014. This resulted in the petition being “revoked.”

Her previous lawyer suggested that the family lie about the petitioner’s death, pretending he was alive, and continue pursuing the case. However, Almita’s mother did not want to lie. They discussed Humanitarian Revalidation but were informed by the lawyer that

he did not handle such cases.

However, the lawyer sent a single-page letter to the National Visa Center (NVC) seeking Humanitarian Revalidation. Due to delays and missing documents from the previous lawyer, the USCIS eventually officially revoked the petition.

Mom refused to give up and insisted on getting the “Attorneyof-Last-Hope,” Michael J. Gurfinkel, who was able to submit a new humanitarian revalidation

request that was approved. Almita and her five children were able to get their immigrant visas and arrived in the U.S. in November 2021.

Watch this success story on a brand-new episode of “Citizen Pinoy” on Sunday, January 23 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 the free app. (Advertising Supplement)

ALDEN Richards isn’t one to publicize his charity work, so not a lot of people know that he has actually been sponsoring the education of underprivileged children and young adults for the past eight years.

In fact, some of the scholars themselves didn’t know that it was the GMA 7 star helping them go to school.

“It’s my food for the soul.

Sometimes, in life, when you do the same things over and over again, burnout is always there. To get rid of that burnout, I find scholars or extend help to different foundations. But I don’t tell them it’s me—I ask others for help and do it for me,” he told the Inquirer in a virtual conference for his Jan. 30 documentary-style concert, “ForwARd: Meet Richard R. Faulkerson Jr.” “All I get are photos of them.

They don’t know it’s me,” he added. “That’s how I have been doing it the past couple of years.”

Alden has sent 14 scholars to school: two of them recently graduated college with degrees in information technology and electrical energy, respectively; the others—whose grade levels range from elementary to college—are currently studying.

“There was a time when I had no idea that I already had that many scholars. It’s usually after a payday that I look for new ones to help,” he related.

Up until last year, his philanthropic efforts were mostly carried out by him and the people he closely worked with. But with the creation of Alden’s AR Foundation, Alden

Alden Richards

plans to expand the scope of his initiative.

Formally registered last September, the charity organization aims “to raise and grant funds to scholars who aspire to achieve their full potential” and become “well-rounded, confident and responsible individuals.”

Education is a matter Alden feels strongly about, he said, because he knows what it was like having the desire — but not the resources — to study.

‘I know how it feels’ “Poverty is a hindrance to

Photo from Instagram/@aldenrichards02

education. I know how it feels wanting to go to school, but not having means to do so. I experienced that when I was younger. And I don’t want that to happen to kids today. With this cause, I hope I can help break the cycle,” Alden said.

This project isn’t going to be a one-off thing. Now, the 30-yearold actor has a team helping him map out his foundation’s future plans. “I have good people behind me. We have talked about how big our budget has to be by 2025 if we were to take PAGE 10

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Fe atu re s

January 21-27, 2022 • nOrCaL aSIan JOurnaL

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Carmina Villaroel asked for three signs to celebrityworld make sure Zoren Legaspi was ‘the one’

By Ferdie Villar workers, colleagues.”

“After our careers got launched, napunta na siya sa mga ka-love teams niya, we parted ways na,” she continued.

“And then, we rekindled our friendship when he became an action star….we did two movies together,” she further stated.

Both were residents of Pasig in the late ‘90s and Carmina gushes at how everything came into place.

“It was great how he were able to rekindle that friendship. He introduced me to his friends. And then we started hanging out, although there was no ligawan. We knew we liked each other. But there was no courtship. But there were a lot of kilig moments,” she said.

Carmina Villaroel and Zoren Legaspi started out as friends in showbiz when their careers were According to Carmina, she launched by Mother Lily Monteverde of Regal Films. It was in 2012 when they got married after asked for three signs to tell her if being together for many years and being proud parents to twins Cassy and Mavy.

Photo from Instagram/@mina_villaroel Zoren was the right man for her.

And those did not happen in one “For some strange reason, tion star and who doesn’t know a night, but over time. when I got into his red pick up thing about makeup,” she said.

First, she wanted the actor to [truck], that was the song playing “Because that time, Shu Uesing to her the song “You Look in the car. It wasn’t on the radio, mura was not known here (in the Wonderful Tonight” when she but in a CD. I don’t know if he Philippines) yet. When he went got in his vehicle. And it hap- meant to do that or if it was just to Japan, he asked me if I wanted pened. coincidence, but I got the shivers him to buy something for me, so that time. ‘Oh my gosh! The song I asked if he could buy for me is playing’,” Carmina reminisced, makeup and nail polish by Shu adding that the song was not as Uemura. I wasn’t expecting him popular as other ditties like “It to do it. But when he got home, Might Be You” so it was really a he gave me eye shadow and nail polish… I was amazed,” Carmina big thing to her.

The second sign she asked for continued.

She was thrilled about that was if he would carry her purse gesture as she knows that boys or bag.

“I really find it cute – guys who don’t know the first thing about bring their girlfriend’s purses. makeup, and Zoren was with It’s not because it’s heavy, but I his crew who were all boys. She just find it cute. Imagine, he’s a doesn’t know how he pulled it off big buy and then he’s carrying or who he asked, but she is apa purse that’s so girly-girly… It preciative of his efforts.

As for Zoren, he said he really was that time that we were going to Fridays when he (referring to does not believe in the courtship Zoren) just carried my purse. At stage where people normally put that time, he was an action star, their best foot forward.

“You should be friends. he was in a leather jacket but he just got my purse and carried it. There’s no courting stage beSo, for me, that was one of the lit- cause people don’t show their tle things that’s memorable and bad attitudes during the courting talagang nakakakilig for me,” stage… Of course, girls like the courting stage, you bring flowshe related.

The last one that she recalled ers, you bring chocolate. Me, I is when Zoren remembered to don’t do the courting thing,” he buy her some makeup when he explained.

He let Carmina know how went to Japan. They were not in a he felt about her by kissing her relationship then at that time.

Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray turned 28 last January 6. Known for her lava walk in the Miss “For a guy to buy makeup, when he was acting as her “bodyUniverse competition, Catriona’s advocacies over the years have included women’s rights and that’s really plus points for me, guard.” It was the time when the promoting Filipino culture. She is currently in a relationship with actor/singer Sam Milby.

Photo from Instagram @catriona_gray especially for him who’s an ac- actress felt that there was a ghost

EVER since she made was introduced to the masses, Carmina Villaroel and acting seemed to be a match made in heaven. Her ability to cry buckets in dramatic TV scenes and tearjerker movies, plus her willingness to tackle different roles, had audiences pulling for her, and earned her respect among her peers.

Her fairytale wedding to Rustom Padilla had everyone gushing about her charmed life, but then that marriage turned south and life became complicated.

Cut to more than two decades later, and a beaming Carmina Villaroel-Legaspi is at an interview with PEP.ph talking about her love story with fellow actor Zoren Legaspi, whom she married in 2012.

According to Carmina, there was no courting that took place as both actors started out as friends.

“We started out at the same time in showbiz. We were both launched by Mother Lily,” the actress declared. “We didn’t exactly grow up together, but we really started out as friends, co-

Actor/singer/model Piolo Pascual turned 45 last January 12. He is dad to singer/actor Iñigo Pascual.

Photo from Instagram/@piolo_pascual

TV host/comedian/businessman Willie Revillame, whose game/variety show Wowowin is telecast in GMA Network, turns 61 on Thursday, January 27. Photo from Instagram/@@willierevillame

visiting her during the wee hours of the morning. Zoren went to Carmina’s house to act as her bodyguard at that time from nighttime to morning.

“I did not say anything. I just kissed her,” Zoren said, adding that the actress got so surprised that she ended up taking a seat after he kissed her for the first time.

According to Zoren, the things that he did for Carmina then, including the makeup gifts from Japan, was because he simply

liked her, and not because he was courting her.

“It’s like that. If you really like a girl, you will give her the things that she really likes, but I don’t really do the courtship thing,” he said, as he recalled panicking inside when Carmina asked for the Shu Uemura makeup which he did not even know how to pronounce.

Everything since then has been great for the couple. Carmina and Zoren are parents to twins, Cassy and Mavy.

Jessy reacts to comments about Susan on late husband FPJ her body, ability to get pregnant honored through FPJ Avenue

by Anne

PAsAjol Inquirer.net

by Anne

PAsAjol Inquirer.net

JESSY Mendiola still is not one to back off from unsolicited comments, especially those questioning her body, as she wittily responded to one about her physique and pregnancy plans.

Mendiola gave fans a glimpse of her toned body in a video of her exercising and lifting dumbbells, as seen on her Instagram page on Monday, Jan. 17.

“Started the year right during our stay in Baguio. Napakain ng madami kaya dapat mag-exercise (I ate a lot so I need to exercise),” she said.

In the same post, one @modznaabdullah commented about the actress’ abs, while asking about her plans of getting pregnant. “[Nagpapa-abs], [walang balak] mag buntis?” the netizen said. (Working on your abs, do you not have plans of getting pregnant?)

“Porket may abs bawal mabuntis?” Mendiola then quipped.

Jessy Mendiola

Photo from Instagram/@senorita_jessy

(Just because I have abs, I can’t get pregnant?)

Fans then expressed their agreement with Mendiola, stressing how exercising actually helps in trying to get pregnant.

Mendiola, who is married to actor-TV host Luis Manzano, recently revealed that getting pregnant is her current priority, adding that she hopes to have twins.

LJ on self-love: ‘You are enough’

by Doris

MonDrAgon Inquirer.net

LJ Reyes

Photo from Instagram/@lj_reyes

LJ Reyes is loving it there in the city of dreams!

The actress uploads a photo of herself and a photo of Central Park in New York, USA. She wrote along with the photos, a caption about self-love.

“You are enough.

Yes! To all of you reading this, I want to remind you that YOU are ENOUGH. Why? Because YOU are God’s best creation. You were created from His image. You are His masterpiece!

I couldn’t get this image out of my head, of this area in Central Park that just really had me in awe of God’s creation! God created a beautiful world — a world that is an expression of His love for us. So if sceneries such as this take our breath away, how much more should you feel confident that YOU.. are.. beautiful! YOU.. are.. ENOUGH! Stay WONDERful!,” she wrote as a caption.

Reyes is currently in New York with Summer and her eldest child Aki, whom she had with actor Paulo Avelino.

They are all staying with the actress’ New York-based family, in the wake of her separation from Contis.

Reyes and Contis’ split was announced by Contis’ manager Lolit Solis in August last year.

SUSAN Roces expressed her gratitude to the public for honoring his late husband Fernando Poe Jr. (FPJ) through the renaming of Roosevelt Avenue in Quezon City as FPJ Avenue.

The veteran actress gave her words of appreciation, after President Rodrigo Duterte signed into law the measure seeking to honor the late action star. She issued her statement on Thursday, Jan. 13, through the office of Sen. Grace Poe, her and FPJ’s daughter.

“Maraming salamat sa inyong pagkilala at pagpapahalaga sa aking kabiyak sa pagpapangalan sa kanya ng FPJ Avenue,” she said. “Maging inspirasyon sana ang kababaangloob, malasakit sa kapwa, at pagmamahal sa sining ni FPJ sa bawat daraan sa abenidang ito.”

(Thank you for honoring and appreciating my husband by naming FPJ Avenue after him.

May his humility, compassion for others, and his love for the arts be an inspiration to everyone who will pass by this av-

Susan Roces in “Ang Probinsyano.”

enue.)

Meanwhile, Sen. Poe expressed her appreciation as well for the said legislation on her Facebook page, also on Thursday.

“For every Filipino, every ‘probinsyano’ (those from the provinces) who will pass along this avenue, we hope this serves as a physical reminder that no dream is too big and no goal is ever out of reach,” she said.

“Nawa’y magsilbing ehemplo ng katatagan, pagpupunyagi

ABS-CBN photo

at pag-asa ang buhay ni FPJ sa ating mga kababayan (May FPJ’s life serve as an example of courage, determination and hope to our fellow Filipinos).”

The late Fernando Poe Jr., fondly referred to in the Philippine entertainment industry as “Da King,” starred in about 300 movies in his 46-year film career. In 2012, President Benigno Aquino III confirmed President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s proclamation in 2006, declaring Poe a national artist.

Alden’s food for the soul to prevent...

PAGE 9 this number of new scholars while sustaining the existing ones,” he related.

“Granting scholarships is just the first stage… We have bigger plans in the coming years,” he added. “We want holistic development for the kids.”

Asked why he finally decided to make his efforts public, after years of working behind the scenes, Alden said he wanted to let people know that, “in these trying times,” the AR Foundation’s doors are open. “I want to let them know that the foundation is there for deserving kids struggling with education,” he said. “In fact, we have already gotten a lot of inquiries.”

Introducing the foundation Inspired by documentaryinspired concert specials by foreign artists on streaming platforms, Alden figured that the concept could be an effective way to introduce AR Foundation to the public. “I

thought, ‘Why not do a concert, so the viewers can have a deeper understanding about how the foundation came about? Where is Alden coming from?’” he said. “I want to show [what] I stand for … fight for.”

When some members of the show biz press pointed out that it was mature of him to pursue projects that some celebrities think of only toward the end of their careers, Alden said losing his mother at an early age compelled him to grow up faster. “I lost my mom at 17, so I matured early. I got motivated to help others,” he said.

“It all started with my family.

But now that I’m blessed with a good career, I have a bigger platform to spread influence,” he added.

‘A deeper calling’ Unlike his previous concerts that put the spotlight on him and his performing talent, the music setlist for “ForwARd” is meant to accentuate its narrative:

The life journey of Richard R. Faulkerson Jr.; how he became Alden Richards we know now; the milestones; and the path that led him to creating his own foundation. (For tickets and more information, visit Ticket2me.net and AR Foundation’s official Facebook page.)

Directed by Frank Lloyd Mamaril and produced by FLM Creatives and Productions, the fundraising digital show will have Alden revisiting the place he grew up in Laguna, and doing production numbers with his foundation’s beneficiaries.

“The way the songs and performances are laid out conforms to the narrative of the documentary… There are mellow and nostalgic songs and something happy and inspirational,” Alden said.

“What I had been showing about my life in my past shows was just the tip of the iceberg.

There’s a deeper calling and I want to show that.”

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Fe atu re s

NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL • JANUARy 21-27, 2022

11

Eileen Viray Alcones joins JPMorgan Chase as San Leandro Community Manager EILEEN Viray Alcones was raised in the heart of the East Bay after her parents immigrated to the United States from the Philippines to live out their American dream.

Now, as the newly created Community Manager in San Leandro for JPMorgan Chase, Alcones is working with the local community to help them reach their financial goals.

“My mom worked three jobs and taught my siblings and I how to go after what we want. While she was able to raise a healthy family, what always seemed like a Eileen Viray Alcones challenge was how to achieve the American dream,” realize their potential. I’m here said Alcones. “That’s what got to help minimize that gap and me into banking. I wanted to provide the local community learn how to help people like my with the financial resources they mom find success.” need.”

Working in banking for over As part of JPMorgan Chase’s 20 years, Alcones started out recent $30 billion commitment in processing and went on to to address racial equity, the firm experience various roles within is hiring 150 new community the industry, including as a managers across the U.S. to teller, business specialist, wealth oversee and build relationships management professional, with important community branch manager, and learning leaders, nonprofit partners and and talent professional. One small businesses with the goal thing has remained consistent, of promoting and improving Eileen has always dedicated her financial health among the time to community work as well. local community. The firm is “One of my biggest goals is to also refreshing 150 branches open and enlighten people while in traditionally underserved supporting the community that communities, including 17 new I’m a part of,” added Alcones. Community Center Branches, “There’s a noticeable gap among in cities like Oakland and Los minority families who don’t Angeles, designed with extra

Health @Heart PhiliP S. Chua, MD, FaCS, FPCS WHERE does oxygen come from?

Oxygen, which makes up about 20% of the air we breathe in, is an odorless, colorless, tasteless gas that is essential for the production of energy and, therefore, to life. Its main source is from living green plants. The ambient air we inhale is absorbed by the lungs which “ex-

space to be a focus for the community, as well as building 100 additional branches in low-to-moderate income neighborhoods across the country.

Doors are now open to the refreshed branch in San Leandro, located at 1601 East 14th street, featuring Chase’s latest digital banking technology, including deposit-friendly ATMs that dispense cash in multiple denominations, tablets and telepresence, and offers an open and collaborative environment for customers. The branch will be open Mondays through Fridays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and can be reached at 510-614-1675.

“Eileen has deep roots in the East Bay and is dedicated to lifting up her local community, unlocking financial opportunities for San Leandro and surrounding communities,” said Jonathan Morales, Head of Community Banking for California for Chase.

“What we’re doing across the U.S. is creating lasting change by bringing needed financial resources and guidance to underserved communities to help support growing small businesses, first-time home buyers and people building generational wealth.”

Based in Union City, Alcones has a Bachelor’s degree in Communications and Business Management.

Wisdom vs COVID

tracts” and filters oxygen, which then combines with hemoglobin (red pigment in blood cells). The resultant oxyhemoglobin is circulated throughout the body by the pumping action of the heart to supply oxygen to the entire body.

Some tissues in our body are more sensitive than others to oxygen deprivation. The brain is super-sensitive to lack of oxygen. It “dies” in about 3-4 minutes after oxygen delivery ceases (as in suffocation, drowning or cardiac arrest).

What is dyslexia?

“Word blindness” is a term

commonly used to describe this condition where the person, starting from childhood, has extreme difficulty with reading and writing. About 10% of children are dyslexic, and it is more common among boys. Dyslexia, which may be inherited, is caused by a localized brain lesion, where there is a certain number of brain cells being “faulty,” or there is delayed or incomplete development of the brain. These children are NOT brain-damaged. Usually, these youngsters are not recognized as dyslexic and may be thought of

Stars gather at Graton Resort & Casino A big cash prize is waiting for you

ROHNERT PARK – Goodbye 2021, win BIG in 202! Graton Resort & Casino will host the “New Year New Winnings Cash Giveaway” on Friday, January 28. Drawings will be at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. One lucky winner at each drawing wins $25,000 cash guaranteed. Plus, 20 winners will win $2,022 in cash! Come and try your luck at Graton Resort & Casino.

Graton Resort & Casino will also host two concerts “Vietnamese Night New Year Celebration Concert” and “William So Concert” on February 11 and February 18, respectively.

Lots of famous Vietnamese singers and artists will perform on February 11, such as MC Ky Duyên, Lân Nhã, Hà Thanh Xuân, Uyên Linh, Dan Nguyên, Minh Tuyet, Nguyen Hong Nhung, Trinh Lam, Lam Anh, Vân Son, Bao Liêm… bringing you a variety of different styles

of performance. This concert definitely is a most anticipated one!

“Prince of Love Songs” William So will perform on the night of February 18. He will use his meticulous and tender voice to sing his masterpieces such as “Men Shouldn’t Let Women Cry,” “Na Shui,” “Ai Yi Ge Ren Hao Nan,” and “More Kisses, More Sorrows.” His charming voice will take you back to the past. We hope that the fans who grew up with his music can get together for a fun and unforgettable night.

Tickets for both shows are on sale now. Please buy tickets online at GratonResortCasino. com as soon as possible. This is a rare opportunity, don’t miss out!

• Vietnamese Night New Year Celebration Concert Concert Date & Time: Friday, February 11, 2022, 8:30 p.m.

Venue: The Ballroom at Graton

Resort & Casino (288 Golf Course Drive West, Rohnert Park, CA 94928) Ticket Prices: $48, $68, $88 • William So Concert Concert Date & Time: Friday, February 18, 2022, 9 p.m.

Venue: The Ballroom at Graton Resort & Casino (288 Golf Course Drive West, Rohnert Park, CA 94928) Ticket Prices: $68, $88, $108 Located in Sonoma County, Graton Resort & Casino has a commanding presence among the rolling hills of Northern California’s wine country. Owned and operated by the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria, Graton Resort & Casino features table games, the latest slot machines, upscale and casual dining, plus entertainment options for visitors and locals alike. For more information, please visit www.gratonresortcasino.com.

as lazy, disobedient, bored, problem kids and can be relegated to the background as dumb. Early detection is important for those affected to be able to benefit from special schooling and catch up in their learning skills. With early and proper training, many of them can grow up to be very successful individuals.

What causes lead poisoning among children?

Ingestion of lead is the obvious cause, and the sources could be inhaling lead from the leaded paint used inside, say, a classroom, where children stay for hours. In the United States, it is a legal requirement to use only unleaded

paint, especially in schools, etc.

Toddlers can also get poisoned by the paint chips from cribs, toys, pencils and other objects with lead. Parents can prevent poisoning in general by being aware and being cautious of the environment and items their children are exposed to. We can never be too careful when it comes to our children’s health.

Are tampons safe?

If used properly, yes, the new tampons are fairly safe. In 1978, a worldwide phenomenon called Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS) was first described, with symptoms ranging from high fever, skin rash, fall in blood pressure, severe eye

infection, headaches, disorientation, joint and muscle pains, diarrhea and kidney failure. The victims were females (average age 23) having their normal menstrual period. A number of deaths from TSS has been reported. Implicated was the use of super-absorbency tampons, which acted as a culture medium for the staphylococcal infection in the vagina. The longer the tampon was left in the vagina, the greater the risk. The toxin or poison produced by the staphylococci caused the serious illnesses described above. Most patients recovered after appropriate treatment of intravenous fluids and PAGE 12

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12

January 21-27, 2022 • nOrCaL aSIan JOurnaL

Co m m u n ity Jo u rn al

Mayor Breed proposes public safety improvements to local camera restrictions to better protect residents, businesses, and neighborhoods Amendment to existing law will allow police to monitor cameras in real-time related to organized criminal activity and threats to public safety in specific neighborhoods SAN FRANCISCO — Mayor London N. Breed on Tuesday, January 18 announced details on her plan to address public safety in San Francisco by improving and clarifying local laws governing the use of cameras during serious public safety events and in neighborhoods facing critical public safety challenges. Mayor Breed will introduce legislation at the Board of Supervisors to enact this law, while also proposing a measure for the ballot if an agreement cannot be reached on improving San Francisco’s laws.

Under current law, access and use of real-time video footage by the police department faces significant challenge except in exigent circumstances, which are narrowly defined as emergencies involving imminent danger of death or serious physical injury to any person. For example, during the recent organized retail theft event in Union Square, police commanders were forced to instruct officers not to monitor live camera feeds while the crimes were underway.

Police face similar obstacles in using technology to disrupt organized open-air drug markets that operate daily in the Tenderloin.

Few law enforcement agencies in the Bay Area have restrictions on their access to tools like live monitoring of cameras, putting San Francisco at a disadvantage compared to most nearby jurisdictions. In fact, some law enforcement agencies in the region have recently increased their technology investments to keep pace with recent crime trends.

The Mayor’s proposed legislation will clarify and explicitly authorize law enforcement to temporarily use cameras to respond to and monitor criminal activity that takes place during Critical Events or in Public Safety Crisis Areas.

The ordinance clarifies and provides law enforcement the tools to ensure that San Francisco is able to respond to the challenges presented by organized criminal activity, while still maintaining critical safeguards and oversight.

“The criminal activity at issue is not victimless,” said Mayor

EMPLOYMENT

Breed. “We are talking about violent crimes, including property crimes that are being perpetrated more frequently with the use of guns, getaway vehicles, and other weapons that can seriously injure or even kill innocent bystanders.

These situations also include entrenched open air drug dealing, again with the use of firearms and other weapons, in neighborhoods where families and seniors are afraid to leave their homes.

We can give our law enforcement the tools they need, while also maintaining strong oversight and safeguards to ensure these tools are used appropriately to address dangerous criminal activity.”

Organized criminal activity, such as organized retail crime, professional auto burglary rings, fencing operations, roving and often dangerous stunt-driving or ‘sideshow’ events and home and commercial burglary crews, is increasingly facilitated through technology such as messaging apps, geopositioning/location sharing tools, and social media.

“At a time when criminal enterprises are using increasingly sophisticated technologies to victimize Bay Area residents, businesses and visitors, San Francisco police are hamstrung in our or ability to nimbly and effectively use many of these same tools to keep our city safe,” said Police Chief Bill Scott. “We can’t continue to put the San Francisco Police Department at a disadvantage by prohibiting or needlessly complicating our access to industry-standard police technology when necessary. Without the commonsense amendments Mayor Breed is proposing, San Francisco will become an increasingly easy target for organized criminal activities. SFPD is absolutely committed to robust oversight — but we also need to be able to address serious crimes and support embattled neighborhoods in the ways San Franciscans are demanding of us.”

The legislation will be introduced at the next Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, January 25th, and on Tuesday was signed onto the ballot by Mayor Breed. The

goal is to address this issue at the Board of Supervisors, but if an agreement cannot be reached that better balances public safety, the Mayor is committed to going to the voters.

Details about proposed public safety measure The ordinance authorizes live monitoring of cameras in two situations: Critical Events and in Public Safety Crisis Areas.

A Critical Event is an incident, occurrence, or event of a criminal nature involving serious property damage or serious physical injury to any person or an imminent threat of such an incident, occurrence based on credible information. Some examples are: • Mass assaults using firearms, vehicles, or other dangerous weapons; • Actual or suspected terrorist acts; • Hostage and kidnapping incidents; • Arson; • Organized theft or burglary; • Looting or rioting.

Critical Events do not include peaceful protest or lawful assemblies.

A Public Safety Crisis Areas is a geographic area in the City and County of San Francisco where repeated or sustained high levels of criminal activity are directly impacting or jeopardizing public health or safety, including but not limited to: • Open-air illegal drug markets; • Where public drug sales and use inhibit public access to community amenities and services, such as public transit, parks, and playgrounds; • Where there has been a documented increase in violent crimes over a period of time 14 days or longer.

The legislation comes with significant safeguards and oversight, including: • Clear Safeguards on Use of Cameras that include restrictions on how the cameras can be used, how long they can be used for during both Critical Events and in Public Safety Crisis Areas, limi-

EMPLOYMENT

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Wisdom vs COVID

PAGE 11 antibiotics, but at a later stage lost the skin of their palms and soles, the face and even the tongue.

Mortality rate for TSS is about 2 or 3 percent. Tampons should be changed 3 to 4 times a day, even if not fully stained to prevent TSS. This makes it a bit too expensive.

A time-proven safer alternative is the use of sanitary pads.

Does a pet help pre-m women?

Yes, this is no fable. It has been shown that pre-menopausal women who owned a pet they could communicate with (like a dog or a cat), and who kept them company, went through this change in their life and physiology with much less pain and agony. The constant companionship and love the pets gave these suffering women provided the much-needed love, sense of loyalty and security during this formidable stage in their life. For one thing, these pets do not complain and do not answer back. They give their love totally, genuinely and unconditionally. Because of these attributes, pets are considered by some people as “better than some friends and family members.”

COVID-19 updates As of 11:30 AM (CST) Tuesday, January 18, 2022, there were 332,280,117 cases of COVID-19 worldwide, with 5,566,715 deaths, and 269,571,029 who have recovered. At that same time in the United States, there were 67,633,1409 cases and 874,347 deaths, and in the Philippines, 3,270,758 cases and 28,471 deaths. Records show daily hospitalization at 156,515 (5,109 of them children).

Omicron (developed in human

– mostly unvaccinated – bodies after 50 mutations), albeit apparently milder but highly transmissible, is causing havoc around the world. First reported in South Africa on November 26, 2021, Omicron could have actually started in Europe, according to an article from the Netherlands. Those with the booster are better protected although not 100 percent, but the vaccines provide a significant degree of protection from Omicron.

Vaccination remains to be the best preventive measure together with frequent handwashing, masking, social distancing, and avoiding crowds by limiting our travels to essential chores only.

More than 95 percent of those infected recently were unvaccinated. Almost 9 million children have been infected by COVID-19 since the pandemic started. During the first week of January 2022 alone, there were 580,247 children infected. Omicron is super contagious.

If needed, drug firms are ready to develop (within 100 days) a tailored, custom-made, vaccine specifically for Omicron. The newest variant, Deltacron, is being closely monitored.

Eating in a restaurant, or group eating and conversation, appear to increase the risk of getting infected, as masks are removed to eat and conversation sends the virus flying in the air and inhaled by others in the room. Symptoms from omicron could rapidly manifest within 6 hours from exposure.

COVID-19 test kits are available for free which started on Wednesday, January 19, 2022, and could be ordered online and at your

nearest pharmacy.

Since the pandemic started on January 19, 2020 (CDC reported it two days later), handshaking, hugging, and most body contact were abandoned by people, and wisely so. And being social beings, we all miss such rapport and intimacy. While many are still arrogant, careless, even reckless, most have accepted they are mortal and could be killed by this stealth virus and treat this killer with humility and extreme caution.

Vaccination and wisdom are two effective weapons against this deadly nemesis. May God bless all of us with an abundance of the second to help end this pandemic sooner than later.

tations on evidence gathered to criminal activities delineated targeted by the prescribed circumstances, and setting data retention rules.

• Strong Oversight provisions that include notification requirements to the Police Commission and the Department of Police Accountability so they can monitor for any potential misuse, requiring mandatory reporting to the Board of Supervisors after every Critical Event or establishment of a Public Safety Crisis Area, and maintaining the private right of action enshrined in the existing law which allows for additional monitoring through the civil legal system.

Existing surveillance law In 2019, the Board of Supervisors enacted the Surveillance Technology Ordinance into Chapter 19B of the San Fran-

cisco Administrative Code, which prescribes how city departments could use surveillance technology that the departments possessed or used in 2018. Although its provision banning the City’s use of facial recognition technology received the lion’s share of news media attention at the time, the ordinance also required departments to seek Committee on Information Technology (or COIT) and Board of Supervisors approval for surveillance technology policies and impact reports before obtaining or using any new such technologies.

While the legislation sought to create a transparent public process relating to surveillance technologies, it also resulted in unintended consequences that now hinder law enforcement’s ability to effectively deter, respond, and investigate criminal activity while strictly ad-

hering to the measures required of them. Lack of clarity and legal uncertainties have also plagued the 2019 law, as evidenced by litigation advocates filed against the City in 2020. City Attorney David Chiu recently moved for summary judgment in the advocates’ lawsuit, arguing that they sued to enforce a “far more restricted (and imaginary) version of that legislation that plaintiffs evidently wish the Board had enacted.”

Mayor Breed’s proposed amendments will clarify the ordinance by providing clear rules for law enforcement around the use of cameras in certain circumstances.

It leaves the large majority of 19B provisions in place, including San Francisco’s ban on the use and acquisition of facial recognition technology. (SF Mayor’s Office Release)

*** 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, 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, a Health Advocate, and Chairman of the Filipino United Network-USA, a 501(c)3 humanitarian foundation in the United States.

Websites: FUN8888.com, Today.SPSAtoday. com, and philipSchua.com; Email: scalpelpen@ gmail.com.

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Ang Rosefield Village ay isang abot-kayang komunidad na paupahan na kasalukuyang kino-construct at inaasahang matatapos sa Summer ng 2022. Ito ay sentral na matatagpuan sa Alameda, at malapit sa mga pamilihan, mga eskuwela, mga kainan at sakayan. Magkakaroon ng studio, isa-, dalawa- at tatlong-bedrooms na bahay paupahan sa Lungsod ng Alameda. Ito ay binuo sa pamamagitan ng Constitution and Eagle, LP. Ang mga paghihigpit sa kita ay ilalapat. Dalawang libo (2,000) sa mga paunang aplikante ay tatanggapin para sa listahan ng paghihintay (wait list).

Mag-apply online sa https://housing.acgov.org/listings Para sa karagdagang tulong, o para humingi ng makatwirang akomodasyon, tumawag sa 510-649-5537.

Telepono Para sa Mga May Kapansanan sa Pandinig: (415) 345-4470 Batas Para sa Non-Discrimination Ang pederal na batas ay nagbabawal sa diskriminasyon sa pabahay base sa lahi, kulay, relihiyon, pagkatao, natural na pinagmulan, edad, katayuan ng pamilya at kapansanan. Ang California Fair Employment and Housing Act ay nagbabawal sa diskriminasyon sa pabahay sa mga nasaad na basehan, at kasama na rin ang kasarian, pansariling kasarian, ekspresyon ng kasarian, oryentasyong sekswal, katayuan ng pag-aasawa, angkan, pinagmumulan ng kita at genetic na impormasyon. Ang Constitution & Eagle LP at ang John Stewart Company ay tutupad sa lahat ng pederal, state at lokal na batas ng nondiscrimination, at ang mga tuntunin at regulasyon ukol sa pabahay na patas at pantay na oportunidad sa pabahay at trabaho.

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NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL • JANUARy 21-27, 2022

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January 21-27, 2022 • nOrCaL aSIan JOurnaL

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