012221 - New York & New Jersey Edition

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JANUARY 22-28, 2021 Volume 14 - No. 11 • 16 Pages

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‘Democracy has prevaileD’

Biden becomes president of the United States, Harris breaks barriers as VP Harris is the first woman, Black and Asian American in nation’s second-highest office

by Christina

M. Oriel

AJPress

shOrTLY before noon on Wednesday, January 20, Joe Biden became the 46th president of the United states in a “triumph” for

DATELINE

USA

frOm ThE AJPrEss NEWS TEAM AcroSS AMEricA

Filipina traveler from SoCal details ‘frustrating’ two days in NAIA custody following PH travel ban Duterte extends last minute travel ban that left airport staffers, travelers in a confusing scramble LIKE countries across the world desperate to mitigate the coronavirus, the Philippines instituted a new ban on international travel from certain countries where the new strain of the virus has been detected.

The latest ban includes and applies to foreign travelers coming from Pakistan, Jamaica, Luxembourg, Oman, mainland China,

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democracy amid the backdrop of an ongoing coronavirus pandemic and a fractured nation.

After two failed campaigns, the third time’s the charm for the 78-year-old former vice

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Joe Biden becomes the 46th president of the United States on Wednesday, January 20 after being sworn into office by Chief Justice John Roberts (left) as First Lady Dr. Jill Biden (right) holds the Bible.

Photo courtesy of the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies

Palace hails Biden proposal Relieved, but still cautious: Fil-Am health care workers get second dose of COVID-19 vaccine to prioritize legal status for millions of immigrants

by Christina

M. Oriel

AJPress

by ritChel

MendiOla

AJPress

mALACAñANg has welcomed United states President-elect Joe Biden’s plan to offer legal status to millions of immigrants living in the U.s. illegally.

“Ang mabuti sigurong

mangyayari, ngayon pa lang inanunsyo na ni President-elect Biden na magpo-propose siya ng batas (one good thing we can expect, is that as early as now President-elect Biden proposed a law) to legalize the stay of 11 million illegal

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LAsT month, Eva Teniola kicked off sacramento, California’s vaccination campaign as she became the city’s first health care worker to receive a dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.

Three weeks later, Teniola, a 47year-old emergency room nurse at UC Davis medical Center, received her second jab on January 5 and

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Eva Teniola, an emergency room nurse, celebrates after receiving the first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine at UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento, California, on December 15, 2020. She received her second dose on Jan. 5.

Photo by Wayne Tilcock/ UC Davis Health

Report: Black market for illegal Jollibee opens in Delano, Bakersfield next COVID vaccines emerges in PH POPULAr filipino fast-food chain recently opened its first location in Delano, California as part of its 2021 expansion plans in North America.

The Delano location is along Woollomes Ave., complete with a drive-thru option for customers to get their Chickenjoy fix. It opened last Dec. 20.

This year, the fast-food giant is set to add 28 stories to North America, 19 in the United states and nine in Canada, working towards its goal of amassing 300 stores by 2024.

The next Kern County location is set for Bakersfield along stockdale high-

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by ritChel

MendiOla AJPress

A BLACK market for unauthorized COVID-19 vaccines is ‘thriving’ in the Philippines, according to a recent report by the Washington Post.

Only Pfizer-BioNTech’s

COVID-19 vaccine has been granted an emergency use authorization (EUA) in the country, but the national government is still in talks with the American pharmaceutical firm to secure a deal.

The country may only start

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January 22-28, 2021 • nEW yOrK anD nEW JErSEy aSIan JOurnaL

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From the Front Page

PH envoy to US gets first shot of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine

by Christia

Marie Inquirer.net

raMos

PHILIPPInE Ambassador to the United States Jose Romualdez has received his first dose of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine as part of Washington’s inoculation program.

“I received the first dose of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine as part of the continuous rollout of Washington, D.C.’s phase-based vaccination program days before the inauguration of President-elect

Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris,” Romualdez said in a statement posted of the Philippine embassy’s Facebook page on Tuesday.

Ambassador Romualdez on developments in vaccine talks with Moderna, 18 January 2021.

The Philippines is currently in final talks with Moderna for the procurement of up to 20 million doses of its vaccine.

“The creation and deploy-

ment of safe and effective vaccines take us a step closer to defeating this pandemic and restoring our economies,” Romualdez also said.

He then underscored the importance of close collaboration within the international community and between governments and private entities in ensuring the procurement of vaccines.

In the Philippines, the government is eyeing the rollout of the national inoculation program by February. n

Kamala Harris takes the oath of office on Wednesday, January 20 to become the U.S.’ first woman, Black and Asian American vice president.

Photo courtesy of CSPAN

Biden becomes president of the United...

PAGE 1 president and senator from Delaware who is the oldest president inaugurated.

Moments before, Kamala Harris — four years after she was elected a senator from California — made history as the first female, Black and South Asian American vice president as she was sworn in by U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, the first Latina on the nation’s highest court. She is also the highest-ranking woman to ever serve in the U.S. government.

“This is America’s day.

This is democracy’s day. A day in history and hope, of renewal and resolve,” Biden declared as he began his inaugural remarks, standing at the steps of the U.S. Capitol exactly two weeks after a violent mob stormed the grounds in a last-ditch attempt to contest the election results.

President Joe Biden signs a series of executive order on Wednesday, January 20 just hours after taking office.

He continued, “The will of the people has been heard, and the will of the people has been heeded. We’ve learned again that democracy is precious and democracy is fragile. At this hour, my friends, democracy has prevailed.”

This week, the United States hit over 400,000 deaths related to the COVID19 pandemic, and continues to undergo the impacts from business closures to unemployment. The new adminis-

tration will also be pressed to address ongoing calls for racial justice following a summer of protests and reckoning.

“Few people in our nation’s history have been more challenged or found a time more challenging or difficult than the time we’re in now. Once-in-a-century virus that silently stalks the country. It’s taken as many lives in one year as America lost in all of World War II.

High hopes or another false hope?

Green cards for undocumented ‘essential workers’ on Biden’s agenda

On a recent Monday, Maribel Lapuz got up at 4:30 a.m. The 46-year-old immigrant from the Philippines braved the sub-zero weather and took the train from Jersey City, nJ to a nursing home in Brooklyn, nY, where she has worked six days a week as a caregiver since last February.

A thousand miles away, Mario Ramirez drove from one house to another starting at 5:00 a.m. doing construction and plumbing work in Marietta, Georgia. Ramirez, a 52-yearold Mexican immigrant, has never missed a working day since the start of the pandemic.

“When the Trump administration sent the $1,200 stimulus checks to workers,” Lapuz said, “I didn’t get it; I was ignored.”

“Someone like me in this country is not eligible for unemployment,” Ramirez said. “That means I can’t stop working in order to support my family, despite the risk of COVID-19.”

Their situations may soon change.

Deemed “essential workers” by the federal government, Lapuz and Ramirez are among the 5 million undocumented immigrants who may be rewarded a path to citizenship—and it could happen during the first days of the Biden-Harris administration.

Indispensable to American life and economy, undocumented essential workers are now at the core of an immigration plan currently being drafted by congressional Democrats and immigrant rights advocates, and aggressively promoted by the incoming administration.

The new immigration legislation—folded into the $1.9 trillion COVID relief bill that Biden unveiled last week—will include granting undocumented essential workers a green card and decreasing the wait time to obtain U.S. citizenship.

Millions of jobs have been lost. Hundreds of thousands of businesses closed. A cry for racial justice, some four hundred years in the making moves us. The dream of justice for all will be deferred no longer,” Biden said.

Wednesday’s inauguration was attended by former Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama, while former President Donald Trump broke away from tradition and left for Florida earlier in the morning. He told a small crowd prior to his departure that “we will be back in some form.”

Though Trump has vacated the high office, his shadow looms as he will face a second impeachment trial in the Senate in the coming weeks.

Biden did not mention his predecessor, but he mentioned the divisiveness and falsities that were perpetuated, and instead called for Americans to “listen to one

“Essential workers, many of whom are undocumented immigrants, are unsung American heroes—risking their lives during this deadly pandemic to care for our communities and ensure food is on the table,” Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-Texas) said in a recent virtual press conference. “I’m working on legislation to immediately protect essential workers and their families from deportation and provide them with a fast-track path to citizenship.”

Vice President-elect Kamala Harris weighed in publicly on the issue. Speaking last week with Spanish-language Univision, she said the incoming administration would automatically grant green cards not only to undocumented essential workers but also to DACA (Deferred Action For Childhood Arrivals) recipients as well as Temporary Protected Status (TPS) holders, and shorten by 5 years the time it takes to get U.S. citizenship.

“The incoming administration has a golden opportunity to set things right and offer immigrant essential workers and their families relief from this pandemic, relief from persecution because of their immigration status, and relief from invisibility,” said Angelica Salas, executive director of the Coalition for Humane Immigration Rights, on a press call organized

by America’s Voice.

Pushback from Republicans has already started. Lora Ries, former acting deputy chief of staff at the Department of Homeland Security, told The Los Angeles Times that the legislation will create more problems.

“Such rewards will attract more people to illegally enter the U.S. to await their eventual green card, undermining border security,” Ries said.

another again.”

“We must reject the culture where facts themselves are manipulated, even manufactured,” he said, later adding that the “answer is not to turn inward, to retreat into competing factions.”

He echoed themes from the campaign to restore the soul of the nation and decency: “We must end this uncivil war that pits red against blue, rural versus urban, rural versus urban, conservative versus liberal. We can do this if we open our souls instead of hardening our hearts.”

Again, he pledged to “be a president for all Americans, all Americans. And I promise you I will fight as hard for those who did not support me as for those who did.”

Former Vice President Mike Pence was present on Wednesday, and was sent off after the ceremony by Harris and her husband, Doug Emhoff, who will be the nation’s first “second gentleman.”

u PAGE 4 After the Inauguration Day events, such as a shortened parade and wreath laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington national Cemetery, Biden hit the ground running with a series of executive actions regarding issues from the pandemic to racial equity, in an effort to undo actions from the previous administration. He is slated to send an immigration bill to Congress to give a pathway to citizenship for millions of undocumented immigrants.

Last week, Biden unveiled a $1.9 trillion virus relief package that would send $1,400 direct payments to families and funding for mass vaccinations and contact tracing, among other provisions.

Throughout this week, virtual celebrations welcomed the new administration, including one gala organized

by Fil-Am Biden-Harris supporters on Thursday night, January 21. n

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NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL • JANUARY 22-28, 2021

ATTY. GURFINKEL FPFC

January 22-28, 2021 • nEW yOrK anD nEW JErSEy aSIan JOurnaL

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Filipina traveler from SoCal details...

PAGE 1 United Kingdom, Denmark, Ireland, Japan, Australia, Israel, The Netherlands, Hong Kong, Switzerland, France, Germany, Iceland, Italy, Lebanon, Singapore, Sweden, South Korea, South Africa, Canada, Spain, United States, Portugal, India, Finland, Norway, Jordan, Brazil, and Austria.

Specifically, the mandate applied to the U.S. starting on Jan. 3.

The Philippines’ new ban comes as more of the world is becoming more exposed to a new variant of SARS-CoV2 and earlier this month, the new variant (which was first found in the United Kingdom) was found in the Philippines.

To date, the Philippines has the second-highest number of COVID-19 cases in Southeast Asia behind Indonesia, according to the World Health Organization.

“Huwag na kayong bumili ng ticket kung galing kayo sa mga lugar na iyan at hindi kayo Pilipino at darating kayo on or about the 15th of January (Don’t buy plane tickets if you are from areas included in the travel ban and if you are not Filipinos; also, if you wish to come here on or around the 15th of January),” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said to foreign travelers from the temporarily banned countries in a press briefing last week.

For many travelers, the ban simply halts immediate plans to travel, forcing people to reschedule and request refunds for any purchased plane tickets: another inconvenience in a time colored by inconveniences.

And the Philippine government has said that it wasn’t planning on barring Philippine-born kababayan from entering the country: Roque said on Jan. 14, “Nanindigan na po ang Presidente walang Filipino na pupwedeng mapigilang umiwi (The President has stood form that no Filipinos will be barred from coming home).”

But the ban reflected dissimilar sentiments for the dozens of travelers who arrived at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) on Jan. 3 with unsettling news.

“They took our passports and gave us no information.”

Ms. Almares, who declined to give her first name for privacy, was en route to the Philippines on the same day that the travel ban included the U.S. The Filipina expatriate — who was born in Batangas and moved to Los Ange-

les with her family to escape martial law in the 80s — had been adhering to pandemic public safety rules.

But when she found out her grandmother in Manila had been sick with nobody to look after her, Almares took the initiative to go back home and care for her lola.

“I actually didn’t buy a return ticket because I planned to stay for as long as possible to care for her and provide any kind of financial aid and be her primary caregiver,” Almares told the Asian Journal in a recent phone interview.

“She’s my only living lola and I call her my last ancestor on my mother’s side so I definitely wanted to take care of her, and unfortunately there are no other family members so I made the choice and set out on this journey,” Almares added, saying that she was able to make the trip financially since airline tickets are at an all-time low (about $400 for a one-way journey, she said).

Ahead of her flight on Jan. 3, Almares prepared all the documents needed to prove that her travel was considered essential. Since the beginning of the pandemic, governments across the world have imposed travel bans on foreign travelers with varying degrees of severity and rigidity.

The Philippines had previously imposed travel bans that allowed those who were mid-flight amid the ban’s implementation to quarantine for 14 days in a safe location and either allow them to stay in the Philippines or travel back home.

Travel advisories posted at that time by the Philippine Embassy and U.S. and Philippine immigration noted that Filipinos were able to travel back to the Philippines if they provided documentation of essential travel (in Almares’ case, proof that her grandmother was hospitalized).

Through the Philippines’ Balikbayan Program, travelers were also allowed to travel if they provided their old Philippine passport or a copy of their birth certificate.

“All of us were solely on that flight because of the Balikbayan Act, so you know we were prepared,” she said.

But in the case of Almares and the dozens of travelers on her flight, airport staff and security were ill-equipped in the face of the new travel ban.

According to Almares, once she landed, travelers were notified of the new ban. She still had to pay the $80 USD

for a swab test through Philippine Red Cross, but once they reached immigration, they were notified that the new ban included the United States.

But Almares’ flight was in a gray area because they had a layover in Guam, meaning that in Guam, United Airlines could have notified them of the ban and that they were unable to enter the Philippines, but because “it said Philippines on our passports,” the airline let them continue on to Manila.

According to the Almares, an airline official told them that the airline could not “prevent you from going to your birth country,” and that they had certain birthrights as Philippine-born Filipinos.

“But that day [at NAIA], I guess we didn’t,” Almares said.

At the immigration kiosk at NAIA, Almares said that airport security told travelers that they could not travel any further, reportedly confiscated their passports with no explanation, and stuck the travelers in a holding room at the airport.

“Mind you, I’m coming off an almost 14-hour flight.

It’s 10 p.m. when we landed, nothing is open to eat because airport restaurants were closed, and we’re put into this holding room that had no beds, no showers, no TV and it was just completely uncomfortable and we had no idea what was happening because nobody gave us any information, even when we asked,” Almares recounted.

The next day, they were shown the government mandate that banned visas from countries that appeared on the list of barred nations. The mandate had been implemented while Almares’ plane was in the air, but airline security did not announce plans to quarantine the travelers in a legitimate way or provide any accommodations beyond the holding room.

The passport confiscation, in particular, made Almares uncomfortable: “They had them in backpacks, not secured whatsoever. There were already incidents of stealing throughout those two days so I was worried something might happen to my passport.”

Almares said that throughout their detainment, she befriended fellow travelers and offered to help those who didn’t have any internet connection by giving what information she can find. One of

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Palace hails Biden proposal to...

PAGE 1 aliens in the United States at siyempre po may mga Pilipino na magbebenepisyo sa batas na ‘yan (and of course there are Filipinos will benefit from that law),” Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque said at a press briefing on Monday, January 18.

Biden plans to send a groundbreaking legislative package to Congress addressing the goal of immigration reform, according to various reports. It would include a pathway to citizenship for an estimated 11 million immigrants who are in the country without legal status.

In November 2020, Philippine Ambassador to the U.S. Jose Manuel Romual-

dez said some 350,000 Filipinos are facing deportation in the country.

Roque expressed hope that the bilateral relations between the Philippines and the U.S. will have “continuity.”

“Pagdating po sa panlabas na relasyon, may continuity naman po ang Estados Unidos (When it comes to foreign relations, the U.S. has continuity),” he said.

The spokesman also dismissed claims that outgoing U.S. President Donald Trump losing the presidential election meant Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte “lost an ally.”

“Wala po kaming comment diyan, walang basehan iyan. Ang mayroon po

tayo ay mainit at malapit na relasyon sa bansang Estados Unidos (We do not have a comment on that. It has no basis. What we have is a warm and close relationship with the U.S.),” said Roque.

According to Ateneo de Manila political science professor Melay Abao, Biden would not support Duterte’s controversial war against illegal drugs.

“Duterte has lost an ally.

The Biden camp is not likely to compromise on the human rights issue so for sure, it will frown upon the extrajudicial killings and the drug war,” she told Rappler in November.

Biden was inaugurated as the 46th U.S. President on Jan. 20. n

Jollibee opens in Delano...

PAGE 1 way. Though a date has yet to be announced, reports say about this spring.

Other beloved favorites include Jolly Spaghetti and peach mango pie, bringing customers a taste of the Philippines.

Though the pandemic has delivered challenges across the restaurant industry, Jollibee has been able to persevere by focusing on off-premise channels apart from dine-in.

At the onset of the pandemic, the brand encouraged its customers to experience the joy of Jollibee from the comfort and safety of their own homes via call ahead pick-up, takeout and drive-thru. By April, Jollibee announced the launch of its nationwide delivery service via DoorDash.

“We have remained nimble and optimistic which has led Jollibee to defy expectations amidst an extremely difficult year and experience double-

High hopes or another...

PAGE 2 This week, more than 6,000 Honduran migrants and asylum seekers have reportedly been making their way north through neighboring Guatemala and Mexico.

This caravan could represent a resurgence of such efforts as Biden has vowed to reform President Trump’s hard-line immigration policies.

Some immigration advocates and scholars also question whether the upcoming immigration plan is the right approach. If the Biden-Harris administration proposes to extend legalization opportunities to 5 million undocumented essential workers, what about the other 8 million undocumented immigrants?

“Millions of immigrant workers are on the frontlines, risking their lives to keep our country running. The depth of this crisis requires urgency,” said Mary Kay Henry, president of SEIU, on the press call with America’s

Voice. “We can’t beat the virus when millions of undocumented essential workers are left out. Providing [a fast-track to citizenship] is the only way we’ll be able to tackle the pandemic.’

Alex Padilla, California’s Secretary of State who is set to replace Vice Presidentelect Kamala Harris in the U.S. Senate, defended the immigration plan for undocumented essential workers.

“It’s not that we are not going to deal with other undocumented immigrants,” Padilla said on the call with reporters. “Because of the urgency of COVID relief, it’s better to act sooner rather than later.”

Padilla invoked the immigration experience of his own parents, who came to California from Mexico in the 60s.

They never had a formal education, he said, and never had a day off—his dad worked as a cook and his mom cleaned houses.

digit sales growth across North America,” Maribeth Dela Cruz, president of Jollibee Group North America, Philippine Brands, previously said in a statement. “Make no mistake though, we would not be weathering these hard times without the support of our customers.”

Last December, locations were also opened in San Antonio, Texas, Mira Mesa, California, and downtown Toronto. (AJPress) n “But they told us that if we work hard and do well in school, we can do what we want to be. That’s the American Dream,” he added. “After four years of [Trump’s] constant attack on immigrant communities, the Biden-Harris administration will help us turn the tides. I hope the Congress and our nation will recognize that these [undocumented essential] immigrants stepped up when the U.S. needed the most and put themselves in danger during this deadly pandemic.”

“I’m very excited when I heard about this great news,” Lapuz said in Jersey City, NJ. “But I can’t help worrying that they are sending another false hope. I have been through this before.”

“My family has been waiting for this moment. We risk our lives and help this country to survive the pandemic,” Ramirez said. “We should not be left in the dark anymore.

My children were all born here—this is our home.” (Anthony Advincula/Ethnic Media Services) n

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NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL • JANUARY 22-28, 2021

Features

OpiniOn

Crime pays

IF the government wants to intensify its campaign against criminality, it must ramp up efforts to go after financial crimes. Based on reports, if regulators could go after dirty money in the Philippine financial ecosystem, the amount would be more than enough to buy all the reputable COVID vaccines needed by the country, with many more in reserve.

A recent report from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas estimated that proceeds from money laundering, proliferation financing and terrorist financing across the financial ecosystem have breached the P1-trillion mark. Proliferation financing, as defined by the Paris-based Financial Action Task Force, relates to dirty money used in the trafficking of nuclear, chemical or biological weapons.

In March last year, calls for tighter regulation of money laundering in the Philippines were aired after Australia’s Westpac Banking Corp. was blamed for that country’s worstever money laundering breach in 2019, with millions in cash remittances, some allegedly sent to child pornographers, going to Southeast Asia. Westpac’s Philippine banking partner warned at the time that weak laws against

money laundering combined with tough bank secrecy laws were attracting dirty money and eroding confidence in the country’s financial system.

The BSP reported that criminals continue to use cash-based transactions to move dirty money in and out of the country’s banking system. Criminal proceeds in the country were estimated to have reached from P938 billion to a whopping P1.02 trillion. Topping the list of sources of dirty money was corruption, with proceeds estimated at P670 billion to P752 billion. Other sources were smuggling with an estimated P100 billion; tax evasion, P75 billion; environmental crimes, P50 billion; intellectual property violations, P31.9 billion, and drug trafficking with P11 billion in just the first half of 2020.

Among the suspicious transactions moni-

Philstar.com photo

Editorial

The Fil-Am Perspective Gel SantoS-ReloS THE “I Have a Dream” speech by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. never sounded more real, more poignant and meaningful for us, citizens of our beloved adoptive country the United States of America.

The past four years had been like a nightmare that has made many people al-

tored by the BSP in 2020, swindling accounted for 41% or P12.83 billion in terms of value as of end-June. Trafficking in persons followed, with 20% of P6.19 billion. Drug trafficking placed third with 15% or P4.6 billion.

Those amounts are so hefty criminals would be willing to risk capture or even tokhang. As long as a criminal activity pays, it will proliferate. Shutting off the pipeline for dirty money is critical for the success of any campaign against criminality. (Philstar.com)

January 20, 2021: The dawning of a new day as we reclaim the soul of America

most lose faith in America.

But on January 20, 2021, we wake up to the dawning of a new day. From out of the rubbles and ashes of the Trump presidency, the soul of America has seen its rebirth, because we chose to rise with faith over fear, love over hate, light over darkness, empathy over apathy, and decisive action over learned helplessness.

We dared choose to use the power of our vote and our trust in every American to make the right choice and take the right path toward healing, unity, and a better, brighter, stronger Union and that day in America sees its renaissance at noontime of January 20, when Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are sworn into office as our duly elected President and

Vice President of the United States, respectively. We did so because somehow, somewhere in our heart and soul, we still dare to dream on and believe...

I HAVE A DREAM that one day, we all will see the goodness in the hearts of our fellow Americans, regardless of their political party affiliations, holding on to the faith that we all love our beloved

country and only want the best for our people in this generation and in the next generations to come…

I HAVE A DREAM that one day, we shall all again live in one universe, embracing the same truth and facts no matter how painful and inconvenient, but it will be a good start toward our collective effort in making our wrongs right, and in rebuilding our

nation together standing on a strong solid foundation…

I HAVE A DREAM that one day, we shall again see the sacred value of each and every American, appreciating our uniqueness intrinsic in our differences in skin color, ethnicity, culture, life story, faith, gender, age, talents, expertise — yet unified by that one collective goal — to PAGE 10

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

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Dateline PhiliPPines

Manila court orders ‘Bikoy’ arrest for perjury

by John

eric Mendoza ManilaTimes.net

THE Manila Regional Trial Court (RTC) issued a warrant of arrest for Peter Joemel Advincula alias “Bikoy” for falsely linking Free Legal Assistance Group (FLAG) lawyers to an ouster plot against President Rodrigo Duterte.

Manila RTC Branch 17 said Advincula’s bail for perjury was set at P18,000.

FLAG lawyers Chel Diokno, Lorenzo Tanada III and Theodore Te filed the complaint against Advincula for lying in his sworn affidavit when he linked the three lawyers to “Project Sodoma,” an apparent plot to install Vice President Maria Leonor “Leni” Robredo as President, and former senator Antonio Trillanes 4th as vice president.

PAGE 10

Duterte will get COVID-19 vaccine shot in private

by LeiLa

B. SaLaverria Inquirer.net

Peter Joemel Advincula, who claims to be “Bikoy.”

ManilaTimes.net photo by John Orven Verdote

MANILA — President Rodrigo Duterte will be given the COVID-19 vaccine once it becomes available in the Philippines, but he will be vaccinated behind closed doors, Malacañang said on Tuesday, January 19.

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said the public would be informed if the vaccine had been administered to Duterte.

Roque was answering a question about the President’s willingness to take the first shot of CoronaVac, the COVID-19 vaccine made by the Chinese company Sinovac Biotech.

‘No problem’ He said he had talked to Duterte about the question and the President had

responded, “No problem, I will take the vaccine as soon as it is available.”

The President knows he has to be inoculated against COVID-19, Roque said.

“But he said it does not have to be shown to the public. He is taking the route of the British sovereign because the decision of Queen Elizabeth and her husband was to make their vaccination private,” he added.

Duterte has expressed his preference for CoronaVac or Sputnik V, the vaccine developed by the Gamaleya Research Institute of Russia.

The Philippines is expected to receive next month the first 50,000 doses of the 25 million doses of CoronaVac it is planning to buy.

Also expected next month is the first batch of the vac-

cine made by the US pharmaceutical company Pfizer.

The Pfizer vaccine is the first to be granted emergency use authorization by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

China is also donating 500,000 doses of CoronaVac to the Philippines, with Chinese Ambassador Huang Xilian vouching on Tuesday for its safety and promoting it as “very suitable” for tropical countries.

Emergency use permit The Department of Health (DOH), however, said any donated vaccine could not be used in the country without being granted emergency use authorization by the FDA. Sinovac has applied for emergency permit for CoronaVac with the FDA, but PAGE 9

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NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL • JANUARY 22-28, 2021

Relieved, but still cautious: Fil-Am...

Report: Black market for...

PAGE 1 completed the process to be fully inoculated.

The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is 95% effective against COVID-19, and must be administered in two doses 21 days apart, according to the Food and Drug Administration.

The path to hope and protection after a grim year outweighed the “tolerable soreness” the nurse felt on her left arm into the next day.

“I feel thankful, proud, honored, and hopeful for the safety of myself, my patients and my loved ones,” Teniola told the Asian Journal.

Her experience mirrors that of hundreds of other health care workers across the country who have been on the frontlines of the devastating virus since last March.

And while both the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines’ record development and arrival in the U.S. offered some reprieve, the daily infection and fatality numbers remind of the sobering reality and the infectious nature of the virus.

In Teniola’s case, she continues to witness numerous deaths working in the emergency room, especially in individuals over the age of 45.

“These ages supposedly are the prime years and best time to travel or spend quality time with family and friends, but instead, because of the deadly COVID, we have to isolate ourselves from our loved ones,” she said.

For Emmanuel Bando, a nurse manager of ambulatory care at Lincoln Medical and Mental Health Center in New York, his turn to get vaccinated came as a blessing because he initially wasn’t prioritized since he does not work in an emergency room or intensive care unit. But, he made his case for being vaccinated as overflow COVID patients have been sent to his unit.

During the first round of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, he reported muscle weakness and a spike in blood pressure, but did not experience other side effects other than soreness at the injection site the second time.

He completed his vaccine on January 12, which made him “feel more confident and effective” in stopping

PAGE 1 its rollout of Pfizer vaccine in February through the COVAX facility, a global platform that aims to ensure fair and equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines for all countries.

The Philippines also only recently secured 25 millions of China’s Sinovac, of which the first 50,000 doses are set to arrive in the country — officially — next month.

However, a number of Chinese workers employed by the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) have reportedly been inoculated with a COVID-19 vaccine already.

“It is illegal to import unauthorized pharmaceuticals.

But soaring demand among Chinese workers, many of them employed in the Philippines’ lucrative online casinos catering to gamblers in China, is driving a black market in which vaccine doses are sold for many times the standard $30 price in China,” said the Post’s article by journalist Regine Cabato.

The article also noted how the black market “exposes pandemic inequalities and problems with immunization

ALL VACCINATED. (Top) Dr. Antonio Moya, a neurologist in Los Angeles County; (Middle row, L-R) Dr. Joyce Javier, a pediatrician at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles; Emmanuel Bando, a nurse manager of ambulatory care at Lincoln Medical and Mental Health Center in New York; and (bottom) Anna Medrano, a nurse practitioner at City of Hope in Duarte, California, have all completed both doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.

Contributed photos; Photo credit - City of Hope

the spread of the virus.

“Right now, in our hospital, we have 60 cases and I found out that the other Health and Hospital [locations] are sending their COVID patient to us,” Bando told the Asian Journal. “The really sad part is that they removed my three ambulatory care nurses to work in the inpatient units and left me with [a] skeletal crew.”

As of this writing, the United States passed the 24 million mark of total cases and over 400,000 deaths.

In California, three areas — the Bay Area, San Joaquin Valley and Southern California — continue to be under the state’s regional stay-at-home order as their ICU capacities are well

below the 15% threshold.

The state confirmed over 2.97 million cases to date with a seven-day positivity rate of 10.6%.

Los Angeles County over the weekend became the first county in the country to hit 1 million cases, and estimates show that 1 in 3 residents have been infected at some point, according to the Los Angeles Times.

“The public needs to be reminded that the vaccination does not provide full protection from COVID19 right away as it takes some time for the body to develop immunity to it,” Anna Medrano, a nurse practitioner at City of Hope in Duarte, California, told PAGE 9

drives in places plagued by corruption and patronage.”

The unauthorized distribution of the vaccines isn’t limited to Chinese POGO workers.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, in late December, revealed that some members of the Presidential Security Group (PSG) have received Sinovac jabs — angering ordinary Filipinos as well as healthcare workers.

Philippines Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, for his part, confirmed that the vaccines administered to the country’s military personnel were smuggled, since they have not been authorized by the government.

“Time and again, health workers are being neglected,” Reigner Antiquera, president of the Alliance of Young Nurse Leaders and Advocates, told the Post.

He added, “Nurses, doctors, and other health workers should be prioritized in receiving these vaccines because they are the most at risk and exposed to the virus.”

Decentralized operation Teresita Ang See, a Filipino-Chinese civic leader, told the Post that an estimated

100,000 Chinese nationals in the Philippines have already been vaccinated, citing advertisements on Chinese media and information from gambling industry worker chat groups.

“The vaccine could fetch between $200 and $300 on the black market, presumably for both doses,” the newspaper quoted.

Meanwhile, Jesse, a Filipino POGO worker who chose to go by her nickname for fear of reprisal, divulged that she accidentally read the conversation of her Chinese colleagues in a group chat where they discussed getting administered the Pfizer vaccine, shipped in from China.

“In an emailed statement Tuesday, Pfizer did not address questions about whether it had shipped doses to the Philippines. The company said it was committed to engaging with the Philippine government to make its coronavirus vaccine available in the country,” wrote the Post.

The article also noted that Beijing’s efforts to distribute vaccines for its nationals working overseas have raised suspicions that it could “use vaccines for political leverage in areas where it is trying to PAGE 8

January 22-28, 2021 • nEW yOrK anD nEW JErSEy aSIan JOurnaL

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Scrapping of UP deal raises furor

by Bernadette

e. tamayo

ManilaTimes.net

LAWMAKERS and various groups on Tuesday, January 19 raised a big howl over the termination by the Department of National Defense of its agreement with the University of the Philippines that banned uniformed personnel from entering UP campuses.

Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon asked Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana to review the termination of the pact because it does not solve any problem with regard to communist insurgency.

“We are not saying that UP should be beyond the law. If there are issues of violations of the law, a search warrant is a remedy available to the authorities not only in other places but also in UP,” said Drilon, a graduate of UP Law. Sen. Francis Pangilinan filed Resolution 616 expressing the sense of the Senate to oppose the unilateral termination of the 1989 UP-DND accord and to urge the UP and DND

to start a dialog and find a common ground that promotes peace and security and protects academic freedom.

Sen. Panfilo Lacson said with the termination of the 1989 pact, the security sector should come up with an agreement with the UP on boundaries to be observed.

The chairman of the Senate Committee on National Defense said this is to prevent the move from negatively affecting academic freedom in UP. “Once the pact is terminated, what will the security sector do? We don’t know that yet. Probably they could come to an agreement that there are boundaries to be observed,” Lacson said in a television interview.

Sen. Ana Theresia Hontiveros said, “If the administration is determined to look for communists, they must turn their attention to the communists who openly encroach in the West Philippine Sea.” “The University of the Philippines is a bastion of student activism and its

grounds must continue to be a safe space for dissent and peaceful assembly,” Hontiveros said.

Lacson warned that the security sector would overstep its bounds if the move was designed to muzzle the academic and other freedoms enjoyed by the UP community.

He noted that during the Senate hearings on redtagging, it was established that students were being recruited by the New People’s Army not only in UP but in other universities.

“To join the militant organizations, that’s fine.

You can protest all you want. But when you bear arms against government and you are very young, you are vulnerable, you are easily radicalized, and the hotbed of recruitment would be UP, PUP (Polytechnic University of the Philippines) and other universities, then I think the security sector has studied all the factors involved before they acted on the matter,” he said.

But he added the termiPAGE 10

YOUR WORKSPACE, YOUR FUTURE.

GRASS CUTTING. A Neopolitan Business Park Leisure Center worker cuts the grass on the sidewalk bricks in Farview in Quezon City on Tuesday, January 19. The park is a popular place for people who love various sports and wellness’ activities, especially during the weekend.

PNA photo by Oliver Marquez

Report: Black market for...

PAGE 7 expand its influence.”

A Philippines-based businessman revealed to the Post that he had been approached

by Chinese businessmen from the online gambling industry about supplying the Sinopharm vaccine to their employees.

“The process, he said, entailed the buyer declaring the smuggled vaccines as supplements, before customs officials would relabel the

shipment accordingly and approve the importation,” the article said.

“Would-be local distributors would have to agree to assume legal responsibility and sign a waiver committing not to resell the vaccine. The businessman said that many groups were interested and that it was a ‘decentralized operation,’” it added.

Neither the Philippine Bureau of Customs nor the Chinese Embassy in Manila com-

mented on the matter.

Meanwhile, Malacañang assured that the investigations of health and law enforcement authorities are already underway.

“Both FDA [Food and Drug Administration] and the NBI [National Bureau of Investigation] have been investigating this issue,” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said Monday.

“Abangan nalang po natin ang resulta ng kanilang imbestigasyon (Let’s just wait for the results of their investigation),” he added. n

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NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL • JANUARY 22-28, 2021

Duterte will get COVID-19...

PAGE 6 the regulator has found the company’s papers incomplete.

The government aims to begin immunization next month, hoping to inoculate 70 million people, or twothirds of the country’s population, this year.

The Philippines has one

of the highest numbers of coronavirus cases in Asia.

On Tuesday, the DOH reported 1,357 additional coronavirus infections, raising the overall number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the country to 504,804.

The DOH said 324 more patients had recovered, bringing the total number

of COVID-19 survivors to 466,249. But the death toll rose to 9,978 with the deaths of 69 more patients.

The deaths and recoveries left the country with 27,857 active cases, of which 86.1% were mild, 6.1% asymptomatic, 0.42% moderate, 2.7% severe, and 4.7% critical. n

Relieved, but still cautious: Fil-Am...

PAGE 7 the Asian Journal. “Collectively, we can help control the staggering number of new cases by continuing to practice social distancing, wearing a mask and practicing other infection control measures. Continue to stay informed and stay healthy for the sake of our loved ones, our communities and our country.”

Medrano, who was the first at her hospital to receive the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine last month, got her second dose on January 4.

Similar to the first round, she experienced a slight fever, generalized body aches fatigue, and tenderness on her left arm afterward. She seeks to dispel any misinformation about the side effects of the vaccine.

“For those planning to receive the vaccine, please plan ahead of time. If you can, take Tylenol or ibuprofen before getting your vaccination and plan to take the vaccine when you can stay home and take care of yourself for one to two days, depending on your symptoms,” she said.

Setting an example For every individual who gets vaccinated, there is the other side of those who are still skeptical, despite studies showing the safety and efficacy of the PfizerBioNTech and Moderna vaccines.

Still, health care workers are pleading with colleagues and those eligible in the next tier to complete their injections and trust the science.

“Let’s be encouraged. If not for yourself, think of your loved ones and the future of humanity. COVID is like the lottery: if you get it, you may have mild side effects, or you get it big time, that you get sick and die. We don’t know what effect COVID will bring until you get it. So, get vaccinated before COVID gets you,” Teniola said.

Jesse Caloza, an operating room orderly, said getting the vaccine was the “most important decision” he’s made in his 25 years working at an LA Countyarea hospital.

“Taking the COVID-19 vaccine was the most important decision I’ve had to make in my 25-year career at the hospital. It was also one of the easiest. I hope all health care workers, especially my kababayans, take it,” Caloza told the Asian Journal. “The fight against COVID-19 isn’t over, but taking the vaccine means we are one step closer. We must do everything we can to protect ourselves, our patients, our families, and our community.”

For Dr. Antonio Moya, a neurologist and public health advocate, getting both rounds of the vaccine goes further than protecting himself and his patients — but to provide an example for the greater Fil-Am community as LA County is set to roll out vaccinations for individuals 65 years and older.

“I recommend all Filipinos to be proactive and ask their primary care providers about when they can be considered for the vaccine. It would be great for younger Filipinos to also help advocate for their elderly parents or grandparents to get the vaccine as soon as possible,” Moya, who completed his second dose on January 8 as part of LA County’s effort to vaccinate health care workers, told the Asian Journal.

However, Moya cautioned that being inoculated is not “a free ticket” to engage in nonessential travel and to forget the public health precautions that have become part of the new normal.

“Regardless of vaccination or not, our community needs to stop the spread through public health…

These actions are the easi-

est ways to prevent overwhelming our hospitals nationwide,” he said.

Dr. Joyce Javier, a pediatrician and researcher at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, echoed the importance of the community to be protected, given the numerous factors that have contributed to Fil-Ams being at higher risk — being employed in frontline, essential services like the medical field as well as living in multigenerational households.

“It’s important for our health care workers to model to our community that the vaccine is safe and that can help alleviate fears about the vaccine,” Javier told the Asian Journal, citing National Nurses United’s findings that Filipino nurses make up 31% of COVID deaths, despite only being close to 4% of the nursing population in the U.S. She added, “I hope my story can encourage others to get the vaccine when it’s available to them. My hope is that having the vaccines available will help address not only the health impacts of the pandemic, but also the mental health impacts of COVID-19 on all our communities.”

Javier and Moya shared culturally relevant resources, including the Filipino Family Health Initiative, a program that is offering parenting workshops; and Tayo Help, an online platform with expert-backed articles to dispel any COVID misinformation, as FilAms continue to navigate the pandemic and wait for the opportunity to get vaccinated.

“There’s obviously a lot of anxiety among all communities and also with our teens, children and health care workers. I think it’s just important to keep the communication lines open in the family,” Javier said. n

10

January 22-28, 2021 • nEW yOrK anD nEW JErSEy aSIan JOurnaL

Immigration Manila court... bureau reports 55 foreign fugitives arrested in 2020

Comelec data showed that 1,050,793 people have signed up since the voter registration resumed on Sept. 1 last year.

Philstar.com photo by Edd Gumban

Registrants for 2022 polls reach 1 million

MANILA — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has recorded over one million registrants for the 2022 presidential polls.

Comelec data showed that 1,050,793 people have signed up since the voter registration resumed on Sept. 1 last year.

The poll body said it expects the number of registrants to reach four million.

The Comelec is expecting one million old voters

http://www.asianjournal.com • (212) 655-5426

to apply for re-activation of registration.

Under Comelec regulation, voters who failed to vote for two consecutive elections are automatically removed from the list.

The poll body said the low voter registration turnout was expected amid quarantine restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The voter registration will run until Sept. 30. (Sheila Crisostomo/Philstar.com) n

MANILA — The Bureau of Immigration on Tuesday, January 19, said it arrested 55 foreign fugitives in the country in 2020, recording a significant drop in numbers as pandemic hampered operations.

Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente explained that due to restrictions placed due to the pandemic for a majority of the past year, the bureau’s Fugitive Search Unit conducted lesser operations against alien fugitives. In 2019, BI’s FSU arrested 420 felons, the bureau said.

But Morente said that despite restrictions, the bureau arrested “high profile fugitives wanted for serious offenses” in their home country, such as sex offenders, investment scammers, swindlers and telecommunications fraudsters.

BI FSU chief Bobby Raquepo for his part said fugitives from South Korea topped the list of those arrested with 26 fugitives.

This was followed by 10 Japanese nationals, nine

Americans and six Chinese nationals.

Raquepo said operatives had also arrested a British national, a Russian, a Czech and a Saudi national.

The FSU head said that fraud and economic crimes topped the violations of the arrested fugitives, followed by telecom fraud, cybercrime fraud and sexual offenses.

Among the high-profile fugitives the bureau arrested are eight Japanese nationals nabbed in a February 2020 raid who were “caught in the act of engaging in cyberfraud and voice phishing operations.”

The bureau said they were duping their fellow Japanese, many of them retired senior citizens, of millions of pesos in their scheme.

BI also said they arrested three Chinese nationals tagged as members of an organized crime syndicate that forged that seal of a hospital in China and used it to dupe their victims of more than 1.5 million U.S. dollars. n

January 20, 2021: The dawning of a...

PAGE 5 give all we’ve got to enrich and strengthen the United States of America, the nation that immigrants like all of us build...

I HAVE A DREAM that one day, this goal will make us realize that what we share in common is far stronger and more powerful than what divides us, and therefore, we shall again treat each other with respect and decency as we let our voices heard, exchange of differing perspectives, debate on policies and programs without having to doubt in the integrity of our leaders who we trust and know share the same faith in the strength of our unity and common purpose…

I HAVE A DREAM that one day, we will again share the value of the life of every human being from womb to tomb, and use the Godgiven intelligence of our people, scientific knowledge and procedure to save lives especially in our war against

the coronavirus pandemic, against the abuse of Mother Nature and our environment so we can pass on a healthy thriving planet to our children and grandchildren…

I HAVE A DREAM that one day, we will all honor our solemn oath as citizens of the United States — to support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that we will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that we take this obligation freely without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion, and expect our leaders to fulfill their oath of office as a public servant as well, exercising our constitutional duty to make them accountable, in affirmation that in our democracy, nobody is above the law, not even the President of the United States of America…

I HAVE A DREAM that one day, our electorate and our

government will be a reflection of who we are, honoring our diversity in appointing and electing officials and public servants in the executive, legislative and judiciary that will be responsive to the needs and concerns of our people — especially those that are most vulnerable and marginalized throughout our nation’s history…

I HAVE A DREAM that one day, we will again be investing in the American people, by allocating resources toward education, health care, science and technology, environmental protection, peace and order, a more vibrant and honest watchdog in our fourth estate — the news and information media — so that we can help foster and bring out the best in each one of us despite our differences, helping us all to be more informed and engaged citizens, inspiring and empowering us to give back and do our share to help create a more perfect Union…

I HAVE A DREAM that one day, the United States of America will again be a government of the people, for the people, by the people, and on January 20, 2021, when Joe Biden and Kamala Harris took their oaths, we have proven we still have the vision, the resolve and the commitment to make this come true…

So help us, God! *** 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.

PAGE 6 In a resolution signed

by Assistant State Prosecutor Ferdinand Fernandez, the Department of Justice (DoJ) said that evidence showed that Diokno and Tanada were present at the Ateneo De Manila University to attend a senatorial candidates’ forum on March 4, 2019.

“Clearly, such allegation in planning ‘Project Sodoma’ … is an outright lie and perjurious considering they were there for the purpose of attending a debate,” the resolution read.

Also, Theodore Te met Advincula only after he requested assistance from FLAG. Furthermore, prosecutors said that there was no evidence that the three actively participated in the prepara-

tion of ‘Project Sodoma’ since “they were only mentioned by respondent Advincula as part of the shadow group and nothing more.”

“Respondent Advincula’s statement against the complainants cannot be believed considering that there was no clear-cut of their involvement in ‘Project Sodoma,’” the prosecution panel said.

Prosecution said false testimony complaints filed by both Advincula and Police Col. Arnold Thomas Ibay were also dismissed since not all of their statements were false.

The perjury complaint against Thomas Ibay was also dismissed since he only endorsed Advincula’s affidavit.

Advincula is now facing charges of perjury and conspiracy to commit sedition. n

Scrapping of UP deal...

PAGE 8 nation of the pact will affect the culture of academic freedom in UP, whose community is known to be independent.

“They enjoy so much freedom. And then all of a sudden you take it away from them, that really hurts. Definitely there will be outcry, protests and disagreements. Let’s see how it shapes up in the future,” he said.

Members of the UP community held a rally on Tuesday as university president Danilo Concepcion urged Lorenzana to reconsider his decision.

Concepcion said the termination of the agreement was “totally unnecessary and unwarranted.”

“Instead of instilling confidence in our police and military, your decision can only sow more confusion and mistrust, given that you have not specified what it is that you exactly aim to do or put in place in lieu of the protections and courtesies afforded by the agreement,” he said in a letter to Lorenzana.

Alter ego President Rodrigo Duterte stood by the decision of the Defense department.

“Si Secretary Lorenzana po is an alter ego of the President. Of course, the President supports the decision of Secretary Lorenzana,” Palace spokesman Harry Roque Jr. said in a televised Palace press briefing.

Roque, a UP alumnus and former professor, also defended the DND decision, saying academic freedom would not be affected.

He also pointed out that campuses in the United States and United Kingdom have police presence, but academic freedom has never been violated.

The 1989 agreement, according to Lorenzana, had been a hindrance to operations against communist rebels, especially the recruitment of cadres in UP. No crackdown Amid fears that the scrapping of the deal would lead to militarization in the university, the Philippine National Police gave assurances that there will be no crackdown inside UP campuses.

BGen. Ildebrandi Usana, the PNP spokesman, said academic freedom will be respected.

“No crackdown. No arrests without warrant. No militarization. The police will just normally do their daily work in communities,” Usana said.

In a statement, the PNP said the agreement “did not serve the best interest of public order and security.”

“The PNP wishes to state that the termination of the agreement does not diminish our mandate to uphold the law at all times. Any abuse or criminal behavior committed by men in uniform shall be dealt with accordingly,” it said in a statement. n

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NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL • JANUARY 22-28, 2021

COMMUNITY Journal

11

President Biden’s proposed immigration bill/amnesty: Who benefits?

Immigration Corner Atty. MichAel Gurfinkel, eSQ IT’S official: Joe Biden and Kamala Harris were sworn in as president and vice president, and the Trump era of strict immigration enforcement and demonizing of immigrants is now over. We look forward to positive changes in immigration laws, and President Biden has now submitted his proposed immigration reforms to Congress, entitled “the U.S. Citizenship Act of 2021.”

But first a word of caution: this is only a proposal.

It must pass both the House and Senate, and be signed by the President. This Bill could be subject to change, such as amendments, deletions, etc.

Therefore, there is nothing to apply for or file until it becomes law.

It is a lengthy bill, with numerous provisions, but here are some of the highlights of the bill in its present form: • Replaces the word “alien” with “noncitizen” in U.S. immigration laws.

• Immediate green cards for DACA and TPS. They could be eligible for U.S. citizenship three years later.

• 8-year pathway to citizenship for the approximate 11 million undocumented immigrants living in the U.S. It requires registering with the U.S. government, background checks, payment of back taxes, proof the person was in the U.S. as of January 1, 2021.

Thereafter, they apply for a green card after five years, and U.S. citizenship three years later. You should already gather documents now to show you were in the U.S. and keep them safe, such as bank accounts, rental agreements, phone bills, etc.

• Allows certain immigrants who were deported but had been living in the U.S.

for at least three years to return to the U.S. to be reunited with their families. It would depend on the reasons they were deported. If they had committed felonies, they may not be eligible.

• “Recaptures” unused visas from prior years. Before, if the allotment of annual visas weren’t issued, they were lost. Like a phone plan with no roll-over minutes.

• Increases the number of visas available for family petitions so that more family members can immigrate.

• Eliminates per-country allotment of visas for employment-based petitions, and instead allocates visas on a first come first served basis, based on the person’s priority date.

This could benefit people from India and China where there was a long line or backlog but may cause people from other countries, such as the Philippines to wait longer.

• Won’t count derivative spouses and children of persons being petitioned through employment against the annual allotment or quota of employment-based visas. This could increase the number of visas available for employment-based petitions. Before, if a worker had a spouse and three children, that would count as five visas being used up. Now, only the worker is counted and the family members will not reduce the number of employment-based visas.

• Provides for work permits for the spouses and children of temporary work visa holders, like H-4 spouses of H-1B visa holders.

• Will end the 3/10 year bar for people who have overstayed. Therefore, they may no longer need the provisional waiver.

• Will clear the visa backlogs for family and employment-based cases. This could mean that the government will infuse thousands and thousands of additional visas so that the current lines or waiting times are eliminated.

• Increases the number

of immigration judges to reduce backlogs in immigration courts.

Many people in the U.S. are unable to apply for green cards under existing programs, such as family petitions or employment sponsorship, because they are out of status. Instead, they are required to return to their home countries. Therefore, even if you are under petition by a family member or employer, you should consider this as an option, if it becomes law. Under immigration law, a person can be petitioned in as many different ways as are available, all at the same time.

Amnesty and immigration reform is a developing story, and there will be much more to report as the bill winds its way through congress. I will provide updates on the details on who is included, what are requirements, etc. So stay tuned. *** Michael J. Gurfinkel has been an attorney for over 40 years and is licensed, and an active member of the State Bars of California and New York. All immigration services are provided by, or under the supervision of, an active member of the State Bar of California. Each case is different and results may depend on the facts of the particular case. The information and opinions contained herein (including testimonials, “Success Stories,” endorsements and re-enactments) are of a general nature, and are not intended to apply to any particular case, and do not constitute a prediction, warranty, guarantee or legal advice regarding the outcome of your legal matter. No attorney-client relationship is, or shall be, established with any reader.

WEBSITE: www.gurfinkel.com Follow us on Facebook.com/ GurfinkelLaw, Twitter @GurfinkelLaw and YouTube: US Immigration TV Call Toll free to schedule a consultation for anywhere in the US: 1-866-487-3465 (866) – GURFINKEL Four offices to serve you: LOS ANGELES ∙ SAN FRANCISCO ∙ NEW YORK ∙ PHILIPPINES (Advertising Supplement)

LEADING U.S. IMMIGRATION ATTORNEY MICHAEL J. GURFINKEL (TOP AND LEFT) CONTINUES TO PROVIDE RELEVANT IMMIGRATION INFORMATION AND ANSWERS TO KAPAMILYA, VIA ZOOM, THIS SUNDAY. Liza of Concord, CA (center) asks if there is a faster way to expedite her son’s petition. It was filed in August 2018 and has been pending since then. From San Antonio, TX, Gio (right) would like to know if his nephew still qualifies for a visa under the CSPA because the nephew’s mother was petitioned when the boy was only two years old. The parents were approved and arrived in the U.S. when his nephew was already 26. Many other questions regarding family petitions will be discussed and answered by Atty. Gurfinkel. Be sure to watch an encore episode of “CITIZEN PINOY: Your Tanong, My Sagot – Social Distancing Style” this Sunday, January 24 at 6:15 pm PST/EST (9:15 pm EST thru select Cable/Satellite providers).

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Health@Heart PhiliP S. Chua, MD, FaCS, FPCS LIFE-saving info Knowing the correct information could save your life. Now that the two vaccines against the SARSCoV2 virus of COVID-19 and its variants are here, and a third to be available soon, all of us must know the facts and details about them. Otherwise, we will be wasting the vaccines, getting infected after receiving the shots, and spreading the disease anyway. Currently there are more than 96 million cases of COVID-19 and greater than 2 million deaths in 219 countries, killing 409,000 in the U.S. and almost 10,000 in the Philippines.

The chance of dying from COVID-19 greatly outweighs the risk of dying from the side-effects or complications of the vaccine. It’s a no brainer: the vaccine is a life saver. Talk to your physicians for any queries or if you have severe allergies.

COVID-19 vaccines being sold online are fake and dangerous. Get yours from official sites.

Warning: If one becomes careless or reckless after getting the first or the second shot, and stops using facemask, social distancing and crowd avoidance, the residual risk could still lead to infection and death. Only when herd immunity in the country and in the world is fully established will it be safe for the then vaccinated 95.5 percent of people. The 4.5 percent (people who are skeptics, misinformed, Muslims, Christian Scientists, Jehovah’s Witnesses, etc.) who object to getting the vaccine, could be the only segment of the society who could be infected and keep the SARS-CoV2 virus around. They could cause future outbreaks of COVID19 every now and then, even beyond the next five years.

An example of this is measles, which was no longer endemic in the United States since 1997 because of the high vaccination rate.

Sadly, came the outbreak in 2005 when a member of a religious group in the U.S. who refused the vaccine got infected while in Romania, and came back to the U.S. and caused the outbreak. This has led to many pockets of measles infection thereafter. Indeed, a single

http://www.asianjournal.com • (212) 655-5426

Life-saving info Willie’s charity work not ‘politically motivated’

irresponsible person can cause an outbreak, which could lead to an epidemic, and result in a devastating pandemic.

An analogy Vaccines are for protection, much like the bulletproof vests which also do not offer 100 percent coverage. But as proven by Edward Jenner, who invented the first vaccine (for Smallpox and Cowpox) in 1796 and others that followed, and by Casimir Zeglen, who invented the bullet-proof vests in 1893, vaccines and bullet-proof vests, although not 100 percent guaranteed to prevent infection (injuries) and deaths, have saved billions of lives around the globe. When bullets are flying in the air (much like the SARS-CoV2 virus and its variants today), I would rather have a bullet-proof vest (and the vaccine during this pandemic), albeit neither is guaranteed 100 percent. It’s just plain common sense!

Talking of protection, the CDC states pregnant women, who are at a higher risk for COVID-19, may safely get the vaccine without undue side-effects on the fetus. As a matter of fact, it has been shown that the vaccines have prevented premature births and miscarriages.

Still at risk A frequent question I get: “After getting vaccinated, am I immediately immune from getting COVID-19?”

The answer is NO. Following the first shot of the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccine, it will take at least 21 days to get 52 percent (partial) immunity, so there remains 48 percent risk of getting infected if one stops avoiding crowds, wearing facemask, social distancing, washing hands often, etc.

After the second shot (21 days after the first for the P-BNT and 28 days for Moderna vaccine), one does not get the full 95 percent immunity until after several weeks or months. It is obvious there is still a 5 percent risk after the second shot (a must to have to complete the vaccination).

We must not allow the vaccination to give us a false sense of complete security.

About 5 percent of those vaccinated have been infected with COVID days/weeks after the vaccination. There are a lot we still do not know about the virus, its variants, and the duration of protec-

tion the vaccines confer.

Historical firsts The first person in the world to receive the COVID-19 vaccine (Pfizer-BioNTech) outside the clinical trials was a 90-year-old grandmother in the UK, Margaret Keenan, on December 8, 2020. Sandra Lindsay, a nurse in Queens, New York, (originally from Jamaica) was the first person in the U.S. to get the shot (also P-BNT) on December 14, 2020.

My wife, Farida, and I received ours (P-BNT) on January 13, 2020 as a part of the largest vaccination campaign in modern history, with 32.5 million doses of the vaccines administered in 45 countries (almost 41.5 million as of today); 10.8 million (now about 13 million) in the United States alone, with almost 800,000 given their second dose. There are 77 candidate vaccines on trial in 47 countries, 19 of which are in stage 3 clinical trials, and 8 have been authorized.

The Philippines is starting its vaccination in February, with 65,000 doses of SinoVac from China, a part of a 25 million dose-deal. Other potential suppliers include Moderna, Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Jannsen, Novavax, all from the U.S. Variants spread faster The variant (with 17+ mutations) of SARS-CoV2 virus first discovered in the UK in September 2020, now plaguing the United States as well since December 20, 2020, is predicted to become the primary (predominating) strain by March, crowding out other strains.

While the variant strains are multiple times more rapidly transmissible, they are not more deadly and the vaccines we have are effective against them, including the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine. A bonus from following the COVID-19 guidelines: the seasonal flu has dramatically decreased.

Wisdom and discipline It is now obvious that we are fighting two pandemics, COVID-19 and the pandemic of STUPIDITY. Those who abused democracy, demanding civil rights, protesting, and did whatever they wanted (not following the CDC guidelines) amidst this pandemic – refusing to wear facemask in public, do social distancing and avoid crowds – are the main reasons why this pandemic has

By Ricky Lo Philstar.com

TIME and time again, especially as the election season approaches, rumors spread that Willie Revillame is being lured by different political parties to run in 2022, thanks to his various charity projects during calamities, continuing on his GMA show Tutok To Win (a spinoff of his bigger show Wowowin which is on hold due to the pandemic).

Five times a week, Willie gives away cash prizes to his followers from Aparri to Jolo. All they have to do is make tutok to (stay glued to) the show aired from Willie’s WilTower, wait for their submitted phone numbers to be dialed and, voila, instant winner! As we all know, Willie donated P500,000 to jobless jeepney drivers, another P500,000 to Marikina City which was badly hit by Typhoon Ulysses and undisclosed cash to this and that charity.

Is Willie doing it as investment in a political career?

Even if he continues to deny that his charity work is, uhm, to use an overused and over-abused term, “politically motivated,” many people still don’t believe it, and the rumor has started to sound like a broken vinyl record.

“Once and for all,” Willie texted Funfare in answer to a question, “I don’t have any political plans. I am not a politician. I have experienced how it is to be poor and now that I can afford it, gusto ko lang maging masaya ang mga mahihirap; I just want to make them happy.” reached this massive proportion, killing two persons in the U.S. every minute.

Vaccines alone are not enough to prevent infection and deaths. We must have the wisdom and discipline as a people to still follow the guidelines and behave properly. After receiving the vaccine, we must continue to limit our trips to essential travels, wear facemask in public, avoid crowds, and do social distancing, because, as explained above, there is still a significant risk, albeit small, until after herd immunity is established. And this could be a year or two

Willie Revillame

Inquirer.net photo

As a tradition on his birthday, instead of receiving, Willie is the one who will give away gifts next Wednesday, Jan. 27, when he turns 60.

“Every call I make is worth P60,000,” revealed Willie, so Tutok To Win viewers better stay close to their phones Monday thru Friday.

“In the Pera o Kahon segment, at stake is P1M cash and house and lot. There will be more prizes.”

Does a million-peso celebrity who flies his own chopper, lazes around in his own yacht and shuttles between several houses (one in Ayala Heights, one in Tagaytay and one in Mindoro) still wish for something on his birthday?

“Nothing more,” said Willie. “I can only thank God for all the blessings. My only wish is for the pandemic to be over at bumalik na tayong lahat sa dating normal,

bumalik ang kasayahan ng buong mundo, for our planet to be safe again. All of us have learned a lot of lessons during this pandemic. Let’s pray that we will all be safe and sound.”

Incidentally, although open about most everything in his life, Willie is mum about his love life. Survivor of two failed marriages (first to Princess Punzalan who is based in the U.S. with her husband and to Liz Almoro who is now married to Victor Aliwalas; Princess has no child by Willie and Liz has one, Juan Emmanuelle/ Juamee, now 12), Willie has three daughters by three different women, one of them Meryll Soriano (with Bec Bec Soriano, Maricel’s sister) who has given him two grandchildren, Elijah (now 10, by her ex-husband Bernard Palanca and a weeks-old baby by her partner Joem Bascon).

ahead. After receiving the shots, let us behave as if we did not get them yet and continue to follow the CDC guidelines religiously.

So, let us all endeavor to help end this pandemic soonest. If we cannot help, let’s us stay out of the way to avoid killing people. Every life is precious. *** 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 Public Advocate, and Chairman of the Filipino United Network-USA, a 501(c)3 humanitarian and anti-graft foundation in the United States.

Visit our websites: philipSchua. com and FUN8888.com; Email: scalpelpen@gmail.com.

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NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL • JANUARY 22-28, 2021

Lani: Life is precious

Alex explains why she had to keep wedding a secret

By ricky lo Philstar.com

FOUR months after she and her husband Noli were afflicted with what the doctors described as a “rare disease,” Lani Misalucha is slowly recovering but she and Noli are not completely healed. She has gotten back her sense of hearing and balance, and, most importantly, her voice...losing it could be the worst that could happen to a singer famous for her perfect pitch.

But we’re getting ahead of the story...

“It was bacterial meningitis,” Lani, Asia’s Nightingale (also jokingly dubbed Reclining Diva because she can hit the highest note while flat on her back), told Funfare Thursday night in a phone interview. “The doctors said that it was a rare case that infected us.

It was weird. The doctors were puzzled why both Noli and me got infected.”

Actually, it was a double whammy.

As Lani related, Noli underwent a triple bypass on Aug. 17 last year. In September, one month and one week later, they ate at a restaurant.

“It was a Tuesday. Two days later, Noli and I got a fever at dawn, 38 to 39 degrees. Noli was shivering.

A few hours later, I started shivering, too. At first, we were scared since we thought that it was COVID19. Noli was delirious, disoriented, at hindi na makausap. Iba na ang hitsura.

When he tried to get up, he was groggy, bumabanggabangga sa walls. Sabi ko, ano ‘to?”

Early Friday morning, they summoned an ambulance that brought them to the St. Luke’s Medical Center. When the doctors talked to her, Lani replied, “Ano po ‘yon, ano po ‘yon?” By Sunday, she couldn’t hear anymore, except garbled sounds.

She had to talk louder and louder. That was when she realized she was losing her sense of hearing. Noli was confined at the ICU for six days and Lani four days.

“We suspected that we must have eaten pork,” said Lani. “We seldom, if ever, eat pork and I don’t remember ordering pork.

There were other people in the restaurant but they were okay naman.”

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By Jan

Milo Severo Philstar.com

Lani Misalucha

Naturally, she was depressed.

“I was in denial. Feeling ko, hindi na ako marunong kumanta. I was having a hard time singing. I kept trying to hum. Feeling ko, nag-shutdown ang lalamunan ko.”

Before that fateful September day, Lani was able to co-host (with Ai-Ai delas Alas and Christian Bautista) three episodes of the GMA talent search The Clash, and was later replaced by Pops Fernandez. In December, she joined the shoot of the network’s Christmas special and kept apologizing because she couldn’t do it right. She was worried that she was causing the delay but her co-stars (Ai-Ai included) assured her that everything was all right. After several takes, she managed to render a heart-tugging version of O Holy Night.

“I felt that I lost my confidence,” sighed Lani. Her co-stars told her that she was as good as new.

Lani and Noli had to return several times to the hospital for therapy. Back home, they are taking so many medications that Lani exclaimed, “OMG, grabe ang dami, especially Noli who has to take nine different medicines.”

Aided by a nephew, Lani

GMA photo

and Noli exercise daily by walking around BGC. “I can walk without holding on to my nephew, diretso kung flat ang surface.

I have started vocalizing at home. I have regained my balance and sense of hearing. My voice is back. Pero si Noli, dapat inaakay pa when he walks.”

Results of the doctors’ findings were submitted to the Department of Health (DOH).

“Para may record that there is such a rare case of bacterial meningitis,” noted Lani.

The couple were caught home by the lockdown and unable to fly to Las Vegas where they are based. They do plan to go when they are well enough.

“In the meantime, we cannot because it’s risky.

The air pressure inside the plane might be bad for our ears, at nandyan din ang altitude. At baka tatabitabingi ang lakad namin.”

Asked what the incident has taught her, Lani said, “That life is precious,” adding, “that you are not sure what could happen.

Sometimes, no matter how careful you are, may mangyayari pa rin sa’yo. I think we should just be grateful every single day that we can still walk, we can still talk, we can still move.”

KAPAMILYA actress Alex Gonzaga revealed yesterday that she got married with boyfriend Mikee Morada last November.

In her YouTube account, Alex said that the intimate wedding was only attended by their immediate family and was held in their family residence in Taytay, Rizal.

“Isa na po akong may bahay at isa na po akong wife,” Alex said.

She also apologized to her fans for not immediately talking about the wedding.

“We want to celebrate together as a family muna and s’yempre alam din namin ‘yung timing din at tsaka alam din namin na may pandemic. So we just wanted to keep it to ourselves for a little while to celebrate,” she said.

Celebrities such as Melai Cantiveros, Bianca Gonzalez, Loisa Andalio, Billy Crawford, Karla Estrada, Jessy Mendiola, to name a

Alex Gonzaga with husband Mikee Morada Photo from Instagram/@cathygonzaga

few, commented on Alex’s Instagram post, extending their congratulations for the couple.

“Congratulations alsy balsy and mikee,” Melai wrote.

“Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Morada,” Bianca commented.

“Netizens, we are mar-

ried!” Alex said in an Instagram post.

Luis Manzano, who is also set to be married to Jessy Mendiola, jokingly commented: “Alam naman ni Mikee?”

Alex and Mikee got engaged in 2019. They announced their engagement last January 2020.

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people events arts culture entertainment

New businesses bring Filipino flavor through simmer sauces, starter packs

T

by MoMar

G. Visaya / AJPress

HE unprecedented global health crisis brought by the pandemic has somehow forced many people to go back to their kitchens and either cook or bake and this presented an opportunity for some business-minded folks to come up with something new to offer the market.

Founded by first-generation Vietnamese-American sisters, Vanessa and Kim Pham, Omsom reclaims the cultural integrity of Asian cuisines too often diluted on grocery shelves in the ‘ethnic’ aisles and increasingly inaccessible in everyday life.

“As daughters of refugees, we started Omsom as a celebration of the multitudes within Asian cultures,” explains co-founder Kim Pham. “Walking down most ‘ethnic’ aisles in mainstream grocery stores — which frankly shouldn’t even exist — feels like stepping back in time — old-school products that feel compromised in flavor, outdated in brand, and rooted in stereotypical design. We want to start making this category feel representative of the changing DNA of this country, and reflect the depth and nuance in Asian recipes, tastes, and traditions.”

Southeast Asian Product Imagery by Mischelle Moy & Jenny Huang

Meet the first-generation Asian American risk-takers who decided to move forward with their ideas, despite the many challenges and unknowns, and introduce new products in these uncertain times.

Home-style Filipino cuisine is delicious, heartwarming comfort food that our parents (or anyone in the family for that matter) would cook every day. Jake De Leon, founder of Fila Manila and a Filipino American, had always hoped that one day, more people can experience that same joy and delight.

Now, he hopes to ignite and highlight the unique and delicious flavors of Filipino cuisine in the United States by way of simmer sauces.

First-generation Vietnamese-American sisters and daughters of refugees, Vanessa and Kim Pham on the other hand are the founders of Omsom, which offers ready-touse starters that are packed with the specialty sauces, aromatics, seasonings, citruses, and oils - the foundation of a variety of Asian dishes.

The sisters tapped the talents of estimable chefs and restaurant owners to exclusively collaborate on each starters’ formulations and recipes; beginning with a Southeast Asian line of three dishes from Vietnam, Thailand, and the Philippines.

Filipino Simmer Sauces “I thought to myself, ‘How could this be?’ when Filipinos represent the second-largest Asian ethnic group and immigrant population in the US,”

Fila Manila is available in three simmer sauce varieties inspired by the Philippines’ most iconic & beloved dishes: Adobo, a soy-based umami flavor explosion and unofficial national dish, Kare-Kare, a savory and tangy peanut stew, and Caldereta, a zesty tomato-based stew that’s the culinary lovechild of Filipino and Spanish cuisine.

Jake Deleon, a first- generation FilAm (Filipino American), is the founder of Fila Manila, which offers authentic Filipino simmer sauces that are inspired by the rich flavors of the Philippines.

decided it was time to start working on Fila Manila,” De Leon shared.

He put his thinking hat on and thought about what unique items he could offer to the market. He used his stimulus check as seed money and began to work on this project.

De Leon felt that Adobo, Kare-Kare, and Caldereta best represent Fil-Am cuisine and his own family’s cooking. Besides, these three were always on the table at every Pinoy dinner, party, or gathering he went to while growing up in New Jersey.

“I found those would be the dishes that Filipinos would also prepare and share with their non-Pinoy friends. I have several cousins who are RNs who would make adobo for their work potluck and thus introduce our delicious foods to their coworkers,” he said.

“I also feel that if you were to

go into any Filipino restaurant or food truck, their signature dishes would be some type of variation from Adobo, Caldereta, or Kare-Kare.”

He is hoping that the three sauces become successful and that Filipinos and non-Filipinos both love them, so they could expand the offering. He is looking beyond more simmer sauce varieties, but other food products where folks can experience unique Fil-Am flavors such as condiments, Filipino spaghetti sauce, or even frozen meals or Pinoy ice cream.

De Leon had a career in food marketing working with some of the world’s largest food companies like Procter & Gamble and Starbucks. He eventually made the jump to entrepreneurship where he founded his first food and beverage company, Origin Almond.

PAGE 15

Jake De Leon told the Asian Journal. “Even culinary icons like Anthony Bourdain and Andrew Zimmern constantly praised our food and have said it was on the ‘cusp’ of a breakthrough in the US.” To start the first mainstream Filipino American food brand has always been a dream for him but he became busy with his first food startup so the idea went to the back burner.

The pandemic happened and it hurt and slowed his first business to almost a halt. Like many other entrepreneurs and business owners, he saw a significant impact on sales so he had to make the necessary adjustments.

“The pandemic gave me a fresh perspective on the impact of Filipino healthcare workers and the time to think during the lockdown as to why Filipinos, and our culture and cuisine, are not widely recognized in the US. I then

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NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL • JANUARY 22-28, 2021

TV5 shows bid goodbye reportedly due to poor ratings

By Jan

MIlo Severo Philstar.com

TV5 shows “Sunday Noontime Live,” “I Got You” and “Sunday Kada” broadcast their final episode yesterday.

In a statement released to the press last Saturday, Brightlight Productions Chief Executive Officer Albee Benitez said that “Sunday Noontime Live,” the Sunday variety show that featured Catriona Gray, Maja Salvador, Piolo Pascual, Jake Ejercito and Ricci Rivero, among others, had a great three-month run.

“Sunday Noontime Live (SNL)’s delightful run is about to end and we await future endeavors from its outstanding stars and phenomenal newcomers,”

Cast members of TV5’s “Sunday Noontime Live”

Benitez said.

“I Got You will re-air its concluding, exciting finale episode in response to numerous requests,” he added.

TV5 photo

Reports said that the cancelled shows’ staff and crew, including the celebrities, were surprised why the shows were suddenly

cancelled without notice because they still had upcoming taping schedules.

Reliable sources told Philstar.com that the shows were canceled for not doing well in ratings.

It can be recalled that TV5’s morning show “Chika: Besh” has gone ahead in announcing its cancellation and the return of one of its hosts, Ria Atayde, to ABS-CBN. Meanwhile, “Lunch Out Loud,” Brightlight Productions’ weekday noontime show, will continue to air on TV 5, according to Benitez.

“We are truly grateful for all your support which inspires us to create new and exciting programs. Brighter days continue as we collaborate with TV5 and our other industry partners,” Benitez said.

New businesses bring Filipino...

PAGE 14 Fila Manila is his second startup and says it’s more personal to him because it is a nod to his heritage and culture as a Filipino.

He considers himself lucky being born to parents who come from regions known for their distinct culinary offerings.

His dad is from Iloilo and his mom from Pampanga, both culinary powerhouses in the Philippines. His dad moved to the US in the late 70s to find a job; De Leon, his mom, and an older brother followed in the early 80s. They are currently based in Laurel Springs, New Jersey.

Like many immigrant families, his parents worked several jobs and side hustles to ensure a better life for their children. Growing up, he vividly remembers helping his mom and grandma make lumpia, turon, and longanisa in their kitchen for them to resell to friends and family for some extra cash.

He says both his parents are just as obsessed with food as he is so they usually cook homemade Filipino dishes daily. Before the pandemic, he would sometimes go to North Jersey or parts of Philadelphia to shop and eat at Filipino-owned shops.

“One of the reasons I made Fila Manila is so that anyone who may not have access to Filipino restaurants (or parents) can easily enjoy Filipino food themselves,” he shared.

For him, it is also about helping more home cooks to simplify the way they cook just by simply adding the simmer sauces together with protein and veggies of their choice for a simple yet delicious home-cooked Filipino feast. He takes pride in the fact that their sauces use authentic Philippine ingredients like coconut vinegar and they contain no added sugar or artificial ingredients and are naturally gluten-free, and vegan-friendly.

Venturing into this kind of business is deeply personal to De Leon and much of what he brings to the table comes from his memories of Filipino food growing up.

“My interaction with Filipino food has mostly come from my family and friends, so to me, it means comfort and a symbol of love. Yes, I love cheeseburgers, pizza, and sushi like everyone else, but there’s a certain feeling of ‘home’ when you smell freshly cooked adobo,” he said.

“Also, I feel that our food is a sense of identity and pride to the Filipino culture -- ours is not Chinese, Thai, or Indian but rather a familiar, yet distinct flavor of many cuisines combined. As the Fila Manila tagline says, we are more than Asian, we are Filipino!”

Southeast Asian Flavors “We landed on the starter format because we really want to provide the foundation of a dish for home cooks with a level of cultural integrity that

has been, disappointingly, hard to achieve until now,” Kim told the Asian Journal.

“From there, home cooks can take it home with our recipes or make it their own. We want to not only celebrate these flavors but also empower folks to actively engage with them.”

Given their heritage, the Pham sisters are excited to share their heritage and they chose to cast a wider net and include the larger Southeast Asian story.

In addition to Vietnamese dishes, they opted to include Filipino and Thai flavors.

“Both cuisines have interesting places in the American dining table. Thai flavors, while well-loved throughout the US, are often bastardized in their proliferation throughout the US. Filipino dishes are quickly growing in popularity, but still largely on the rise for most Americans,” Kim said.

“The Philippines, as a country, is entirely unique to the continent of Asia, given its history of colonization, imperialism, and occupation. We wanted to showcase a cuisine + dish that doesn’t nearly get as much love as it should on the mainstream!”

The sisters have chosen chefs and restaurateurs for their deep-rooted connections to each cuisine: chef Jimmy Ly of Madame Vo helped develop Vietnamese Lemongrass BBQ, chefs Chat and Ohm Suansilphong of Fish Cheeks collaborated on Thai Larb, and Jeepney’s owner

Nicole Ponseca was the expert source for Filipino Sisig.

“We partner with chefs who are, while lauded and well-loved in the industry, are redefining it in their own right. They have connections to these dishes that run deep but are also on the cutting edge of what it means to eat modern Thai, Vietnamese, Filipino, Korean, Japanese, and Chinese. They are all collectively pushing the future of these cuisines in American - modern Asian food doesn’t have to look “one” way anymore and we’re honored to support folks at the frontier of that thinking,” Kim said.

Omsom starts the process for home cooks to finish with suggested recipes -- from aromatic noodle bowls with pork shoulder and fresh herbs (Lemongrass BBQ) and fiery plates of chicken, sticky rice, and cabbage (Larb) to pork belly umami bombs served with garlic rice and sliced chili (Sisig).

The Pham sisters also encourage users to experiment with whatever ingredients they have available/prefer or to accommodate dietary preferences/restrictions.

These entrepreneurs are hoping that the products they created would someday become Asian pantry staple brands that make cooking one’s favorite Asian dishes (with uncompromised flavors and hard-to-find ingredients) easy and possible in any home kitchen.

Toni Gonzaga

15

ABS-CBN photo

Toni gave her talent fee to displaced ABS-CBN workers, Olivia Lamasan reveals

By Ian

BIong Inquirer.net

ACTRESS and television star Toni Gonzaga gave away her talent fee to ABSCBN workers who were displaced following the denial of the network’s franchise renewal bid.

ABS-CBN Film Productions Inc. managing director Olivia Lamasan revealed to the public Gonzaga’s good deed during the Jan. 17 episode of the latter’s talk show, “I Feel U,” for her birthday on January 20.

“Happy birthday Tin. I am sending you my heart so full of love and gratitude for everything, for all the support that you have given ABS-CBN, ABS-CBN Films, Star Cinema,” Lamasan told Gonzaga in a recorded video greeting.

“Sobrang maraming salamat anak (Thank you very much, child). Thank you so much for staying on with us,” she added.

While Gonzaga received a heartwarming surprise from family and friends for the birthday special, the Ultimate Multimedia Star became more emotional after hearing Lamasan’s greeting.

“Alam niyo po mga kaibigan, ito pong si Toni gave a generous portion of her talent fee, if not all, diba anak?

Para po sa mga empleyado ng ABS-CBN na nawalan po

ng trabaho nung inorder po ng Congress na i-shutdown kami,” Lamasan recalled.

(Friends, did you know that Toni here gave a generous portion of her talent fee, if not all, right, my child? [She gave it] to the employees of ABS-CBN who lost their jobs after Congress ordered to shut us down.)

“I will never forget that kasi napaiyak mo ako noon sa sobrang kalakihan ng puso mo at kabutihan mo, Toni. Maraming maraming salamat,” the director stressed as she turned emotional.

(I will never forget that because you made me cry over how big and good your heart is, Toni. Thank you very much).

“I pray that God returns your generosity a thousandfold and that blessings may continue to abound you in all aspects of your life,” she added.

Lamasan added that she is looking forward to the day they will be able to work together again as a director-actor duo, emphasizing that their 2014 film “Starting over Again” remains one of her favorites.

Aside from Lamasan, Gonzaga’s parents, Pinty and Bonoy, her sister Alex, her husband, Paul Soriano, and their son Seve appeared on the birthday special to greet Gonzaga.

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January 22-28, 2021 • nEW yOrK anD nEW JErSEy aSIan JOurnaL

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