020223 - Las Vegas Edition

GoFundMe created for Fil-Am man killed in Monterey Park shooting

THE family of a Filipino American man killed during a Lunar New Year shooting in Monterey Park, California has launched a GoFundMe campaign to help with funeral costs.

Valentino Alvero, 68, was one of 11 individuals killed during the mass shooting at Star Ballroom Dance Studio on Saturday night, Jan. 21 as the Asian American community celebrated Lunar New Year festivities nearby.

“We want to honor his memory the way he would want, with a big funeral Mass and party,” the fundraiser page created by Alvero’s daughter Kristenne Reidy, reads.

Previously, his family confirmed in a statement that he was among the victims and remembered him as “a loving father, a dedicated son and brother, a grandfather who loved his three granddaughters fiercely, an uncle who loved his nieces and nephews like his own.”

Millions to lose coverage during the ‘unwinding’

STARTING in April millions of families could see their health coverage disappear as the government unwinds pandemic-era policies.

During 12 months after April 1, 2023, between 15-18 million Americans will lose health coverage provided during the COVID-19 pandemic by the Families First Coronavirus Response Act.

“Through COVID legislation, states have mostly kept people covered through Medicaid without interruption in exchange for an increase in their Medicaid federal matching funds,” says Farah Erzouki, Senior Policy Analyst, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP). She spoke to reporters during an Ethnic Media Services briefing cosponsored by CBPP last week.

When that program ends, so will the continuous coverage requirement, and all 89 million Medicaid enrollees will have to

by PIA LEE-BRAGO, RALPH EDWIN VILLANUEVA Philstar.com

MANILA — The  Philippines  has granted the United States military access to four more sites,  the defense chiefs  of the two countries said on Thursday, February 2, amid mounting concern over China’s increasing assertiveness in the South China Sea and tensions over self-ruled Taiwan. Washington would be given access to four more locations under the 2014 Enhanced Defense Cooperation

Agreement (EDCA),  Defense Secretary Carlito Galvez and visiting U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a joint news conference.

During Austin’s courtesy call at Malacañang earlier on Thursday, President Marcos emphasized that the U.S. will always be involved in the future of the AsiaPacific region.

Austin, who was in the  Philippines  for talks as Washington seeks to extend its security options in the country as part of efforts to deter any move by China against Taiwan,  described Manila’s decision as a “big deal” as he and his counterpart reaffirmed their

World Bank to lend PH $600M for pandemic recovery, climate nancing

MANILA — The World Bank awarded a fresh loan program to the Philippines to support the domestic economy’s recovery from the pandemic and improve the resilience of the financial sector.

In a statement on Tuesday, January 31, the Washington-based lender granted the country a $600-million loan. Aside from supporting the Philippine economy’s recovery from the pandemic, this new loan financing is aimed at supporting three policy reform areas: the stability of the financial sector, improving financial inclusion for Filipinos and businesses,

and climate and disaster risk finance.

“Policy actions that strengthen the stability of the financial sector – including banks and insurance companies – will help Filipino families, businesses, and investors withstand financial shocks and enhance their resilience by ensuring that problems in these financial institutions are detected at an early stage without severe disruptions to the economy,” said Ndiamé Diop, World Bank country director for Brunei, Malaysia, Philippines and Thailand.

 PAGE 3

Pres. Marcos okays tax refund for foreign tourists

by JEROME ANING Inquirer.net

MANILA — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has approved the implementation of the Value-Added Tax (VAT) Refund Program for foreign tourists by 2024 in an effort to boost tourist arrivals in the country, Malacañang said on Sunday, January 29. The program is among the “Quick Wins” recommendations presented by the tourism cluster of the Private Sector Advisory Council (PSAC) in a meeting with Mr. Marcos last Thursday, January 26.

PSAC is composed of business leaders and industry experts

providing technical advice to the President on the government’s economic objectives in six key sectors — agriculture, digital infrastructure, health care, infrastructure, jobs generation, and tourism.

According to the Palace, the president will soon issue an executive order on the tax refund, which other countries are also implementing as an enticement to tourists.

This would allow foreign tourists to get a refund on the VAT they have paid for their purchases here which they would bring back to their home countries.

The Bureau of Internal

commitment to bolstering their countries’ alliance. Austin and Galvez did not say where the new locations would be.

But it has been widely reported that most of the new locations will be on the main island of Luzon – the closest Philippine landmass to Taiwan – where the U.S. already has access to two bases.

The fourth will reportedly be on Palawan, facing the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea, taking the number of sites there to two.

Before his courtesy call on Marcos, Austin met with  PAGE 2

MANILA — The actions of the United States heighten regional tension in the South China Sea, the Chinese Embassy said on Thursday, February 2.

The embassy issued the remark amid the visit of US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin in Manila.

“China always holds that defense and security cooperation between countries should be conducive to regional peace and stability, not target against any third party, even less to harm the interests of a third party,” the embassy said in a statement.

“The United States, out of its self interests and zerosum game mentality, continues to step up military posture in this region. Its actions escalate regional tension and undermine regional peace and stability,” it added.

Austin, the embassy said, “smeared China on the issue of South China Sea to advance the anti-China political

MENTAL HEALTH OR GUN CONTROL OR BOTH?

AAPI community leaders seek solutions following recent shootings in

Monterey Park, Half Moon Bay

by KLARIZE MEDENILLA AJPress

CALIFORNIA’S vast Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community has been wrought with multiple tragedies: the Lunar New Year party massacre on Jan. 21 that killed 11 people and injured others and the Jan. 23 Half Moon Bay shooting that killed seven people.

Most of the victims of these two murderous rampages were Asian Americans and members of the Hispanic community, but there continues to be little to no clear explanations for what led to these tragedies.

With the proximity of these attacks and the widely celebrated Lunar New Year, the Asian American community is on high alert, especially as it tries to move on from wrongly being placed in the crosshairs of racist violence and harassment during the peaks of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Gloria Pan, Senior Vice President, National Member Engagement, Campaign Innovations & Gun Control at MomsRising, said in a national press briefing, “This was a horrific intrusion on one of

our most cherished holidays” and that following the string of anti-Asian attacks, the Asian American community is “feeling more unsafe than ever.”

The many families of these victims are still healing and reeling from the sudden deaths of their loved ones, most of whom were in the coveted twilight years of their lives. Seeking solutions or pondering what could have been done to prevent these tragedies won’t bring back their loved ones, but it’s crucial to prevent these kinds of attacks from happening, Pan said.

It’s important to point out that it is unclear if the motivations behind these murders were related to any hate crime, as defined by the U.S. Department of Justice, in the way that the 2021 Atlanta spa shootings were.

Investigators of the Monterey Park massacre have yet to confirm a motive for the shootings; the shooter killed himself the following day.

A Half Moon Bay prosecutor told reporters that the shooter may have snapped after he was forced to pay $100 to repair a forklift he damaged at work and

China says US actions ‘escalate regional...

agenda of the U.S.”

The embassy said that such moves go against the common aspiration of regional nations to achieve “peace, cooperation and development, and run counter to the common aspiration of the Filipino people to pursue sound economic recovery and a better life in cooperation with China.”

The embassy hoped that the Philippines will remain vigilant amid the developments.

“It is hoped that the Philippine side stays vigilant and resists

from being taken advantage of and dragged into trouble waters,” it said.

During Austin’s visit, the Philippines and U.S. agreed to have four new additional Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (Edca) sites in the archipelago.

The Philippine Department of National Defense said that the “expansion of the Edca will make our alliance stronger and more resilient and will accelerate the modernization of our combined military capabilities.”

US gets greater access to PH...

Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo and National Security Adviser Eduardo Año. Malacañang has yet to release details of the meeting.

“The Philippines and the United States are proud to announce their plans to accelerate the full implementation of the (EDCA) with the agreement to designate four new Agreed Locations in strategic areas of the country and the substantial completion of the projects in the existing five Agreed Locations,” their joint statement said.

“The Philippine-US Alliance has stood the test of time and remains ironclad. We look forward to the opportunities these new sites will create to expand our cooperation together,” it added.

The Philippines and China have an ongoing maritime row in the West Philippine Sea, which is a territory of Manila.

However, Beijing has a sweeping nine-dash line claim in the South China Sea, including parts of the West Philippine Sea.

In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration invalidated China’s claim and ruled that the Philippines has sovereign rights in the West Philippine Sea.

Despite the ruling, Chinese aggression and harassment against Filipino fishers continue. g

“Our alliance makes both of our democracies more secure and helps uphold a free and open  IndoPacific,” said Austin, whose visit followed  US Vice President Kamala Harris’ trip  to the  Philippines  in November, which included a stop in  Palawan in the South China Sea.

“We discussed concrete actions to address destabilizing activities in the waters surrounding the  Philippines, including the West Philippine Sea, and we remain committed to strengthening our mutual capacities to resist armed attack,” Austin said.

“That’s just part of our efforts to modernize our alliance. And these efforts are especially important as People’s Republic

of China continues to advance  its illegitimate  claims in the West Philippine Sea,” he added.

$82-M investments

The additional locations under the EDCA bring to nine the number of military bases the US would have access to, and Washington had announced it was allocating more than $82 million for infrastructure investments at the existing sites.

The EDCA allows US access to Philippine military bases for joint training, pre-positioning of equipment and the building of facilities such as runways, fuel storage and military housing, but not a permanent presence.

Galvez, a former military chief,  had said  the US had requested access to bases on Northern Luzon, closest to Taiwan, and on Palawan, facing the disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea.

There was no immediate comment from the Chinese embassy in Manila.

Outside the military headquarters, dozens of protesters  opposed to the United States maintaining a military presence in the country chanted anti-US slogans  and called for the EDCA to be scrapped.

Ties between the US and the  Philippines, a former colony, were soured by predecessor Rodrigo Duterte’s overtures toward China, his famous anti-US rhetoric and threats to downgrade their military ties.

But Marcos  has met with US President Joe Biden twice since his landslide victory in the elections last year and reiterated he cannot see a future for his country without its longtime treaty ally.

“I have always said, it seems to me, the future of the  Philippines  and for that matter the Asia Pacific will always have to involve the United States,” Marcos told Austin.

A senior US defense official noted that the presence of US forces in the Philippines, upon the invitation of the government, is a show of true partnership.

“What we’re doing with Philippines is working with them,” the official said in a news release in the US Defense Department website.

“So that together as an alliance, we can help ensure their future, and so they have the capability to defend their own sovereignty and prevent the kind of coercion that they’re facing on a day-to-day basis,” the official added.

China, the official said, is the nation doing the coercion, even after losing a landmark ruling at an international tribunal in 2016. The tribunal in The Hague ruled that China’s excessive claims in the South China Sea were illegal according to international law.

“What the Philippines is trying to do, is uphold its rights,” the official said. “And we’re trying to help them do that in the same way we are with other partners around the region. That’s what this is really about, not about simply countering China.”

‘Terribly complicated’

In his opening remarks during Austin’s courtesy call, Marcos said the situation in the Asia Pacific region has become “terribly complicated” and its “troubled waters” could only be navigated properly with the help of partners and allies in the international sphere.

He described the ties between the Philippines and its “longest

partner and ally” as “strong” and “so historically embedded in our common psyches.”

“And as we traverse these rather troubled waters, geopolitical waters, the economic waters that we are facing, I again put great importance on that partnership specifically with the United States but all partnerships and alliances that we are able to make with our friends around the world,” the President said without elaborating.

“And again, I have always said that it seems to me that the future of the Philippines and for that matter the Asia Pacific will always have to involve the United States simply because those partnerships are so strong and so historically embedded in our common psyches that we can only – it can only be an advantage to both our countries,” he added.

“And so from the defense perspective, we will continue to work together with our great partners to build and modernize your capability as well as increase our interoperability,” Austin said in response to Marcos’ remarks.

In a speech delivered in New York last September, Marcos said he could not imagine the Philippines’ future without the US as its partner.

“Now of course, this has evolved as time has gone on but the strength of that relationship continues. And we envision a further strengthening of those relationships,” Marcos said at a forum at the New York Stock Exchange on Sept. 20. It was Austin’s second visit to the Philippines. He first visited the country in 2021 during the Duterte administration. In that visit, Austin thanked Duterte for his decision to withdraw the termination letter for the Visiting Forces Agreement.

In 2020, Duterte announced that he would terminate the VFA following the US cancellation of the visa of Sen. Ronald dela Rosa, who – as national police chief – was chief implementer of his administration’s war on drugs. Malacañang later said other reasons for Duterte’s decision were the US Senate resolution linking his administration to human rights violations, the demand of some American lawmakers to free detained opposition senator Leila de Lima, and the US travel ban on persons behind her detention. Duterte eventually agreed to recall the abrogation of the VFA, an offshoot of the Mutual Defense Treaty signed by the Philippines and the US in 1951.

Westmincom visit

On Wednesday, Austin visited the Western Mindanao Command headquarters in Zamboanga City and discussed with its chief Maj. Gen. Roy Galido ways of further improving interaction between the local military and members of the US Joint Special Operations Task Force 511.2 (JSOTF 511.2).

The JSOTF is a small US military team tasked to provide technical assistance and training to its Filipino counterpart in countering terrorism. Galido said Westmincom was grateful to Austin for the visit.

“This shows how strong is our working relationship and how committed our most powerful ally to help us in addressing our security issues here in southern Philippines,” Galido said, mentioning in particular the campaign against terrorism and insurgency. g

Valentino Alvero, a 68-year-old U.S. citizen of Filipino descent, was among 11 killed in a shooting massacre at Monterey Park in California on Saturday, January 21, his family confirmed in a statement. Photo courtesy of Karmel Kwan/Twitter

GoFundMe created for Fil-Am man...

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“He loved people and hearing about their lives, and in return he shared his own stories with so much gusto and enthusiasm that you couldn’t help but listen and laugh along with him,” the statement continued.

“He loved ballroom dancing, he loved his community, and was the life of any party.”

Alvero was a hospitality worker who was planning to retire in his home country of the Philippines, according to his son Val Anthony Alvero’s interview with CNN.

Alvero’s GoFundMe can be found at: www.gofundme.com/f/ valentino-marcos-alvero.

The identities of the remaining victims, according to the Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office are: My My Nhan, 65; Xiujuan Yu, 57; Lilian Li, 63; Ming Wei

Ma, 72; Diana Tom, 70; Chia Yau, 77; Yu Kao, 72; Hongying Jian, 62; Muoi Ung, 68; Wen Yu, 64. GoFundMe has a centralized page with verified fundraisers for the victims and their families affected by the shooting.

In addition to the individual campaigns for the victims, a GoFundMe campaign named the “Monterey Park Lunar New Year Victims Fund” has been organized by community groups, spearheaded by legal and civil rights organization Asian Americans Advancing Justice Southern California. It seeks to provide financial support to families who have experienced loss as well as those who have been physically harmed by the shooting. The page has raised over $916,000 of its $1 million goal, as of Friday, Jan. 27. (AJPress)

NEW LOCATIONS.  US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin III (left) and Department of National Defense Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. said the Philippines and the US have agreed to designate four new locations to boost the full implementation of the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA), during a press conference held at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City on Thursday, Feb. 2. The five existing locations under EDCA are the Cesar Basa Air Base in Floridablanca, Pampanga; Fort Magsaysay Military Reservation in Nueva Ecija; Lumbia Airfield in Cagayan de Oro City; Antonio Bautista Air Base in Puerto Princesa, Palawan; and Benito Ebuen Air Base in Cebu.  PNA photo by Joey O. Razon

AAPI community leaders seek solutions...

alleged bullying from his coworkers and long working hours.

Regardless of the motive, Asian American leaders across the country recognize the presence of military-grade firearms in both events, sparking eerily familiar conversations about the gun epidemic in the United States.

According to Gun Violence Archive, there have been 40 mass shootings in the U.S. in 2023: more than there have been days in the year so far. (The organization categorizes a mass shooting as an event where three or more people are shot.)

Statistically, the United States dominates the world in the number of gun-related deaths and homicides. In 2020, those in the U.S. were responsible for 79% of gun-related killings; that same year, Canada was responsible for 37%, Australia for 13%, and the United Kington for 4%, according to data from the U.S. CDC, UK House of Commons, Statistics Canada, and the Australian Institute of Criminology.

Gun ownership is also significantly higher in the U.S. than in any other country, with an estimated 120.5 firearms per 100 residents — this is up from 88 per 100 in 2011, according to a Small Arms Survey.

“Only in America do we see this kind of carnage, this kind of chaos, this kind of disruption of communities and lives,” California Governor Gavin Newsom said last week.

According to AAPI Victory

Alliance Executive Director Varun Nikore, 70% of Asian Americans support stronger gun control legislation but noted that interest in gun ownership among AAPIs, along with the U.S. population in general, has increased since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Like the many mass shootings that reach national and international attention, urgency toward stronger legislation that makes it harder for the wrong people to get guns occurred almost immediately in the aftermath of the Monterey Park shooting.

“No one policy will solve this issue, but an assault weapons ban will dramatically reduce these mass shootings,” said Po Murray, co-founder and chairwoman of gun control group Newtown Action Alliance and Newtown Action Alliance Foundation.

Murray also stressed the importance of stronger restrictions and practices in purchasing firearms in general.

Currently, lawmakers in the U.S. Congress are pushing for safer storage solutions for firearms and permit requirements to purchase guns.

In addition to gun control legislation, Asian American community leaders also believe that mental health should a priority and that counseling services for Asian immigrants should be more accessible.

A Stanford University panel in 2022 stated that in one study, less than 9% of Asian Americans sought mental health services

or intervention over one year compared to 18% of the entire U.S. population. It’s unconfirmed whether either the Monterey Park or Half Moon Bay shooter was diagnosed with a mental disorder, but mental health is a usual suspect in mass shooting investigations.

Dr. Brett Sevilla, a Filipino American medical director at the Los Angeles-based Asian Pacific Counseling and Treatment Centers (APCTC), told Ethnic Media Services that elderly Asian immigrants are not as likely to prioritize mental health counseling as a solution.

“Plenty of elderly Asian immigrants have unserved psycho-social support needs, but there is an intense stigma related to mental illness,” Sevilla said, noting that the collectivist thinking of many AAPI families can make one person’s struggle a reflection of the entire family.

“Most families will try to contain it within the family or may reach out to clergy. A psychiatrist is very low down the list.”

According to Dr. Sheila Wu, director of APCTC, it’s common for elderly Asians, especially men, to portray themselves as strong and silent, which often belies what’s really going on mentally.

“In our culture, a man in his 60s is a father figure, who does not become vulnerable, share his feelings, or say he needs things. He would feel a lot of shame if he did,” Wu said.

The investigations into both shootings are ongoing. g

World Bank to lend PH $600M for...

The Philippine economy took a hit at the onset of the pandemic. The economy sank to lows unseen since World War II as the Duterte administration imposed mobility restrictions to prevent the spread of the virus.

Catastrophe insurance

As it is, the World Bank noted that the new loan program will aid the development of the country’s catastrophe insurance market.

This relatively-new financial instrument could prevent the public from sliding into poverty if natural disasters strike. As it is, catastrophe insurance products are designed to

protect households, assets, and businesses against natural disasters.

The Southeast Asian archipelago sits within the Pacific Ring of Fire, which leaves the Philippines vulnerable to a host of natural disasters annually. Likewise, the developing nation is at the receiving end of the climate crisis, as its wildly vulnerable to the effects of a warming planet.

Diop noted that catastrophe insurance will enable the national government to use its limited resources to support communities and Filipinos who need it most.

On the other hand, the development policy loan will

Millions to lose coverage during...

reapply to renew their eligibility.

Erzouki says enrollment in Medicaid grew to 89 million-plus people since February of 2020, an increase of 30%. It was the biggest experiment in universal health care since the 2010 Affordable Care Act (ACA) was passed in 2010.

“Access to coverage and healthcare services has been critical during this time of increased hardship. At the same time, this continuous coverage policy has meant that most Medicaid enrollees probably have not had contact with their Medicaid agencies in three years, and in some cases, even longer,” she said.

also expand financing access for the public and businesses through digital technologies.

The World Bank indicated that development policy loans are sources of quick-disbursing assistance to countries pursuing reforms. As it is, this type of loan supports policy and institutional changes to foster an environment for equitable growth within a country’s development priorities.

That said, the World Bank stood as the country’s thirdlargest source of official development assistance in 2021 according to data from the National Economic and Development Authority. (Philstar.com)

Erzouki said that people would have to do the paperwork in order to keep their medical coverage. People have moved during the pandemic or may not receive their renewal notice in the mail.

Erzouki said in the coming months Medicaid agencies are going to be overwhelmed processing cases and documents. She estimated seven million people could lose their coverage due to paperwork issues although they are still eligible.

“They need to make sure that their Medicaid agency has updated contact information for them,” said Laura GuerraCardus, CBPP’s Director of State Medicaid Strategy.

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid have dubbed the end of expanded health coverage an “Unwinding.”

The Biden Administration could extend the date of the Public Health Emergency (PHE) for another 90 days and the continuous coverage requirement would remain for another three months. However, at some point it would end.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) projects that some 8.2 million Medicaid recipients who reapply will no longer qualify and will have to transition to another source of coverage. Another 6.8 million will lose Medicaid coverage despite still being eligible.

“Check your mail,” says Guerra-Cardus. People could receive letters at some point from either Medicaid or CHIP and they should complete the renewal forms if they get one, she says. If they don’t qualify, they may be able to get affordable coverage through the Affordable Care Act marketplace and can learn more by visiting www.healthcare.gov

“However, people are given a pretty limited time after they lose Medicaid coverage to transition to the ACA. So the concern there is that people won’t have enough time to enroll in the marketplace after they lose Medicaid coverage without experiencing some sort

of gap in coverage,” she said. Eligibility and income requirements vary widely by state. So contacting non-profit groups can help you fill out state-specific applications forms. For local help filling out an application go to: https://widget. getcoveredamerica.org

Children (5.3 million) and young adults (4.7 million) will lose CHIP/Medicaid coverage. Nearly one-third of those predicted to lose coverage are Latino (4.6 million) and 15% (2.2 million) are Black, according to CMS. Medi-Cal, California’s Medicaid program, covers 15 million people regardless of immigration status.

“One third of our population use this as insurance for children.

Over half of all California children have coverage through Medi-Cal,” says Kristen Testa, Health Director at The Children’s Partnership.

“So this unwinding will have a tremendous effect on all those families. Every one of them is going to have to renew,” she said.

Calling this period “an all hands on deck situation,” Testa noted there are community-based organizations all over California that are trained and given grants to help with enrollment.

“There’s also the California

LASTING RELATIONSHIP.  Mr. and Mrs. Avanceña, a couple of 39 years, enjoy their vacation in Davao City as they spend their Thursday morning, Feb 2 taking photo souvenirs at the People’s Park. The couple said the secret of their lasting relationship is putting God at the center of their marriage.  PNA photo by. Robinson Niñal Jr.

Pres. Marcos okays tax refund for...

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Revenue collects a 12-percent VAT on goods sold in the country. Travel tax, e-visas

The Department of Tourism (DOT) recorded 2.65 million visitors from February to December last year—much higher than the 163,879 in 2021, but still significantly lower than the prepandemic level of 8.26 million.

According to the department, the 2.65 million international arrivals translated to P208.96 billion or $3.68 billion in tourism revenues. Of the total arrivals, 2.02 million were foreign tourists while 628,445 were Filipinos based abroad.

inclusion of the travel tax in all airline tickets. Passengers currently have the option to pay the tax in advance with their ticket purchase, online before their flight, or at the airport during the day of their flight.

Taxable individuals may be charged the full travel tax of P2,700 for first-class flights and P1,620 for economy-class flights. The standard reduced travel tax for minors 2 to 12 years old, journalists whose travel is in pursuit of an assignment, and authorized individuals by the President of the Philippines is P1,350 for first class and P810 for economy class.

Dateline PhiliPPines

The president also gave his go-ahead on the rollout of e-visas this year. Furthermore, he scrapped the One Health Pass (OHP), which was the lone requirement for monitoring health, immigration, and customs concerns, as well as the practice of loud-speaker announcements in the country’s airports.

PSAC noted at the meeting that these proposals are aimed at improving airport infrastructure and operations and promoting tourism investments, among other objectives.

DFA, DMW plan transition concerning OFW assistance

by Kaycee Valmonte Philstar.com

MANILA — The Philippines is preparing to handover the full responsibility of assisting overseas FIilipino workers to its newly established migrant workers department this year.

The DOT said it aims to draw 4.8 million tourists to the country this year.

While he granted the tax refund for purchases by foreign tourists, Mr. Marcos also approved the automatic

Marcos and the council also agreed to prioritize China and India in terms of trade and other relations.

New app

PSAC then informed the president that it is working on an app called e-Travel, which integrates all information on immigration, customs, and health and quarantine measures.

The app, which could be introduced to the public by February, is being modified to allow easy data input for families and other groups, they said, adding that the database will include tourist destinations, information on available transportation and hotels, and traffic monitoring.

Tourists can complete the form through the app before boarding or while onboard their plane.

Marcos highlighted to the group the importance of digitalization, which he said would allow tourists to easily fill out forms while traveling and enable authorities to ensure security at the borders. g

Millions to lose coverage during...

The privileged reduced travel tax for legitimate spouses of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), unmarried children of OFWs below 21 years old, and children of OFWs with disabilities even above 21 years old are P400 for first class and P300 for economy class. PAGE

Health Department website that has listings across the state,” she said.

California passed a continuous coverage law last year for young children that won’t go into effect until 2025, so some kids are going to lose coverage in the interim.

“So the important thing is for everybody to know and help our community renew their coverage and know where to go,” she said.

Not so lucky are people in 11 states that did not expand Medicaid under the ACA or the American Rescue Plan.

CMS estimated 383,000 individuals, who will lose eligibility for Medicaid, would fall in the coverage gap in the remaining 11 non-expansion states – with incomes too high for Medicaid, but too low to receive Marketplace tax credits.

CMS noted that state adoption of Medicaid expansion in these states would mitigate potential coverage loss at the end of the Public Health Emergency (PHE).

Those states are Wyoming, Wisconsin, Kansas, Texas, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and

Florida.

“This is a moment where we’re going to really feel the stark differences across our country. In the eleven remaining nonexpansion states, eight of which are in the south, there is already too little access to healthcare coverage for people, including communities of color,” GuerraCardus said.

After being able to take care of their healthcare needs for several years, she said that some people suddenly will lose coverage and not have any other option for affordable coverage. (Peter White/Ethnic Media Services)

According to a joint circular between the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Department of Migrant Workers, the DFA said it will continue to provide Assistance to Nationals (ATN) and legal services to OFWs until March 31 this year, “pending the full turnover of ATN functions to the DMW.”

“It shall retain and disburse ATN and legal assistance funds to assist OFWs, until such time that the concerned Migrant Workers Office (MWO) is fully-equipped with the operational and financial requirements to provide such assistance,” the circular read.

The announcement comes as the DFA’s Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs helps the DMW in its transition to be the

MANILA — The national government’s outstanding debt, as a share of the economy, remained within alarming levels in 2022, keeping the threat to  the country’s creditworthiness.

The Philippines’ debt-to-GDP ratio, a  gauge  of the government's ability to settle its liabilities,  settled at 60.9% in 2022, the Department of Finance reported Thursday.

This was notably a better showing than the 63.7% ratio recorded in the third quarter of 2022. But it was slightly higher than the 60.5% ratio recorded at the end of 2021.

Nevertheless, the DOF said the 2022 figure fell below the Marcos administration’s ceiling of 61.8% debt-to GDP ratio for last year.

Treasury data showed the state’s debt pile sagged 1.7% monthon-month to P13.42 trillion in December 2022.

While this is a welcome development, Nicholas Antonio Mapa, senior economist at ING Bank in Manila, warned that the Philippines’ hard-won investment grade credit rating would remain at risk of a downgrade if the debt-

of providing assistance to OFWs.

The two agencies have established a technical working group (TWG) to implement changes during the transition.

The group is chaired by DFA Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs and is co-chaired by the DMW Undersecretary for Foreign Employment and Welfare Services.

to-GDP ratio stays above the 60% threshold that is deemed manageable for developing economies.

A downward revision of the credit rating would have serious repercussions on the Philippines. For one, a lower rating would make borrowing money offshore more expensive for both the government and Philippine companies.

A downgrade could also affect the country’s appeal to foreign investors.

“The longer we stay above 60 percent we will always be susceptible to a downgrade. It’s clear that the strategy for fiscal consolidation hinges on growth to hit or surpass target,” he said in a Viber message.

The country’s debt-to-GDP ratio hovered at 39.6% in 2019, or before the pandemic turned the domestic economy on its head. In 2020, the former Duterte administration embarked on a borrowing spree to fund its crisis response, bloating the state’s debt load.

The Marcos administration, which inherited the heavy debt

Both departments will also assign three officials each to joint the DFA-DMW TWG.

Throughout the transition, the DFA will be training and mentorship to the DMW’s MWO staff to prepare them to handle OFW cases and other concerns.

The DFA will also start turning over existing ATN cases to the DMW, along with relevant data and other information.  g

burden, set a fiscal consolidation strategy that would entail imposing and reforming taxation measures to fatten national coffers. The government now looks to trim the debt-to-GDP ratio to less than 60% by 2025, and then down to 51.1% by 2028.

That said, economic growth in 2022 helped trim the ratio, as GDP benefitted from the boons of a reopened economy.

“We think that as long as we have a credible fiscal program and GDP remains robust, there is little reason for a credit downgrade,” Domini Velasquez, chief economist at China Banking Corp., said. For ING Bank’s Mapa, 2023 could prove to be a trying time for the Philippines’ growth ambitions, as it looks to outgrow base effects and roiling global headwinds.

“Other countries in the region, most notably Indonesia has successfully completed its fiscal consolidation plan post-COVID Our timeline, suggests that we will only achieve this a couple more years from now,” he said. (Philstar. com)

Investment grade still at risk as debt-to-GDP ratio stays above 60% in 2022

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.

Malacañang photo

Not academically pro cient

THE problems besetting the various aspects of Philippine education were enumerated on Monday, January 30. Attending the release on Monday of the Basic Education Report or BER 2023 prepared by the Department of Education, President Marcos committed to boost education infrastructure as well as upskilling programs for teachers. He made the commitment as Vice President and DepEd Secretary Sara Duterte said “Filipino learners are not academically proficient” and many of them “may fail to meet the standards of the demanding and competitive world.”

The Vice President, who delivered the education report, identified inadequate school infrastructure and resources “to support the ideal teaching process” as the most pressing problem.

Editorial

Duterte also noted the “weak teaching methods… in addressing 21st century skills.”

Basic education learners, meanwhile, cannot understand mathematics problems or comprehend text of moderate length. The Vice President said there are also learners who suffer from emotional abuse, exhaustion and psychological fatigue.

Duterte also cited “cracks” in DepEd procurement processes including the lack of transparency and accountability – problems that hounded the procurement of laptops for teachers’ use during the COVID pandemic lockdowns.

The curriculum under the K-12 program, meanwhile, will be tweaked as it has failed to deliver on its promise of producing students who are employable upon finishing basic education,

she said. BER 2023 showed that the majority of senior high school graduates still find it necessary to pursue higher education to obtain gainful employment. The lack of classrooms has been a problem for many decades. Despite a continuing program to build more schools and classrooms, the infrastructure expansion cannot keep up with the booming student population. Even before the pandemic, international studies have also shown that Filipino 10-yearold students rate poorly in mathematics and reading comprehension. The basic education curriculum has been revised in the past years to put more emphasis on the teaching of the sciences, mathematics and English proficiency. Yet the BER 2023 shows that more must be done. The exodus of teachers slowed down as pay and benefits were improved, and there has been a continuing government program to hire more

educators. But the country continues to suffer from a lack of qualified teachers. The hybrid learning mode employed during the pandemic lockdowns highlighted the inadequacies of teaching skills especially in the use of digital technology for education.

With the problems identified, they must now be confronted with greater commitment, effort and resources. Education is supposed to narrow social inequities and open opportunities for advancement in life across income classes. This can still be achieved. (Philstar.com)

US, PH mull potential restoration of bases

INVOKING the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty – acknowledging and repeatedly stressing its applicability in the West Philippine Sea (a Philippine proposition earlier rejected by the Obama administration) –the United States appears to be angling to use Subic Bay once more as its naval base in this part of the world.

After the Philippine Senate voted in 1991 to reject the continued presence of American bases, Subic is now a freeport, with a 300-hectare shipyard that was built in 2006 by the South Korean firm Hanjin. Considered in 2015 as one among the top 10 shipbuilders in the world, Hanjin was sold to U.S.-based Cerberus Capital Management in 2020 in the wake of the Korean company’s financial troubles. (It is now known as the Agila Subic Shipyard.)

Cerberus appears to have entered the picture to foil a move by Chinese investors to buy the facility, according to a report last year citing an unnamed “security official.”

It was “very opportune that the (U.S.) came into the

Glimpses

THERE are so many times in our lives when it is easy to drop the high road for an easier, safer, and more profitable one. Yet, despite making choices much lower, even opposite the high road, we still look for it. There is an inherent attraction to the high road; it has logic, lots of logic, but beyond that, like a siren, it sings to the soul.

If the high road were not indelibly etched in our soul, if it is purely a matter of personal choice without an inborn, inner nudging, there would vastly be more of humanity unable to attain it. That there is a universal voice encouraging us to seek and move towards the high road is a deep message about its primacy in the totality of human creation.

I believe that religions resonate with humanity, that even before religions had their intellectual packaging, primitive man already looked to the sky

picture,” Ambassador to the U.S. Jose Manuel Romualdez candidly admitted in a forum early this month. “We would like to have more economic activity between the Philippines and China, being a neighbor, but we were also quite disturbed by the fact that they came in very strongly wanting to take over that project.”

The shipyard could soon see the presence of U.S. Navy ships because an American defense contractor, Vectrus Inc., has set up shop there. Earlier, in May last year, the Philippine Navy had leased the shipyard’s northern part to set up a naval operations base.

Security cooperation and “issues related to the South China Sea” were the core issues tackled at a fourday meeting held in Manila last week, billed as the 10th Bilateral Strategic Dialogue. In a joint statement, the Philippine and U.S. foreign affairs and defense panels highlighted Subic Bay as “priority site” for “high quality, private sectorled infrastructure investment as a means of supporting Philippine economic growth and enhancing connectivity in the Philippines.”

But the visits by U.S. Ambassador MaryKay Carlson

and the heavens, feared yet revered the sun, resonated with the moon, was awed by the stars. It was not from teachings; rather, the sense of the supernatural was an impulse that man simply followed.

It appears, too, that while the history and development of man did have their very primitive stages, there was an unerring thrust toward the high road. In human time, it may seem like forever from one century to another, from one millennium to another. But in that context of seeming forever, the pattern of seeking the light, of moving to refinement, of expressing artistry – in other words, the high road – jumps out.

Every society, no matter how crude, crass, or violent, will profess they are acting so because they are pursuing elements of the high road. Many times, their leaders will be mouthing the high road but acting the opposite. Dictators and tyrants align themselves and their rhetoric to the high road in order to justify their cruelty to their enemies. Even in utter

last November and, last week, by Lindsay Ford, the U.S. defense deputy assistant secretary for South and Southeast Asia, showed their specific interest in the shipyard. Notably, Ford was joined by Maj. Gen. Chris McPhillips, the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command’s director of strategic planning and policy directorate. That move aroused more curiosity over the U.S. military’s plans on how to maximize use of the shipyard.

Besides the Subic project, the U.S. is hurrying up the completion of building facilities inside five selected Philippine military bases: three in Luzon, one in the Visayas and one in Mindanao. Purpose: to enable, as soon as possible, the U.S. armed forces to store war equipment and other materials in these facilities.

The five sites, however, seem not enough for the U.S., as it presses for hastening the verification of “additional agreed locations” for the same purpose.

On this point, DFA Undersecretary Teresita Lazaro clarified that “we agreed to finalize the procedures for the additional agreed locations. In fact, it is a work in progress.” Lazaro co-headed the Philippine panel with Defense

hypocrisy, the worst will use the words of the high road.

There are many among us who feel deep frustration and even the beginnings of despair. They have been trying so hard to stay within the high road, struggling to resist compromise and corruption. Yet, they say that things are worse than ever, that many societal leaders have totally sold out their pride and principles for money and power. Sad, but with ample basis.

The very instincts of man may recognize the attraction of the high road but there are baser instincts that demand urgency over others. The need for survival will too often overwhelm the subtle voice of nobility, of heroism. When hunger dominates the lives of people, subtlety is temporarily muted, drowned in the noise of grumbling stomachs. No matter how divinely ordained the high road may be, it cannot just subvert the primal needs of man.

Those among us who may insist on the high road, risking everything including life itself, can do so because he or she has

Undersecretary Angelito de Leon. The U.S. panel was coheaded by Daniel Kritenbrink, assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, and Ford representing the defense department.

One can easily see that, in effect, the U.S. facilities would be mini-military bases within Philippine bases, wherein U.S. and not Philippine jurisdiction would prevail.

Note that under the 2014 Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA), such facilities would be strictly controlled by American forces and off-limits to Filipinos. EDCA is the executive agreement that implements the 1999 Visiting Forces Agreement or VFA, which allowed the rotational stay of U.S. troops – numbering 600 per batch – in the country throughout a year.

Last week’s 10th Bilateral Strategic Dialogue was intended to “facilitate focused and sustained inter-agency coordination, planning and implementation of action plans on priority areas.” The 9th BSD, held in Washington DC, came out with a “Joint Vision for a 21st Century United States-Philippines Partnership,” which Ambassador Romualdez said “outlined several areas of

tasted the sweetness of purity, nobility, and altruism. We can give up the lower for the higher because we have known enough the flavor of the supernatural, enough for our courage to make a painful exchange. But those who have been left behind are not expected to know what a few have known, and will not sacrifice their survival for what they cannot understand.

The high road, then, demands of those who adhere to it a kind of advocacy beyond the conviction. Knowing the difficult path to the high road, the temptations that overcame us before we overcame them, those who have managed to attain to the next level or levels of life and understanding, can discern quite quickly that many remain in the grip of survival. Their decisions, then, will be to ensure survival. Survival is at the foundation of the totem pole – which means it must be served first before the journey upwards.

From dictatorial rule, which humanity has been used to from the start, to freedom and democracy, is a journey of

cooperation aimed at boosting security and economic ties” in the face of “current realities and challenges.”

Besides the above-cited moves, at the 10th BSD, the two panels agreed on the following:

• The U.S. will host a “maritime dialogue” this year to identify potential points of maritime activities;

• The Philippines will take steps to “streamline technology transfer” and develop a “road map for defenses mobilization;”

• Aside from the BSD, defense and foreign affairs ministers of both countries will hold their “two-plus-two ministerial dialogue” – the third since 2012 and 2016 – and stage a “policycentric tabletop exercise” by the third quarter of 2023. Supposedly intended to ensure “more coordinated responses to potential flashpoints,” no further details were provided.

• Set a year-end target for the conclusion of their General Security of Military Information Agreement to help simplify technological transfers of their respective defense units; and

• Reconvene the Trade and Investment Framework Agreement meetings that apparently have been temporarily sidelined.

Ambassador Romualdez has

lifetimes. If dictation had been the experience of mankind for millennia, it needs enough counterforce to reverse it and then move forward to the high road. But since the beginning of humanity to the present time is almost too much to measure not only in time and influence, shedding it from habit and culture for the refined will surely demand a great effort.

Thank goodness that several societies and countries have gone ahead of us in the political journey of man. They may have been most brutal and violent in their early stages but they did eventually learn from the pain of savagery. Their lessons drove them to try new ways. We have seen totalitarianism slowly gave way to shared power, even the beginnings of democracy. Their paths inspire us to follow, not necessarily them, but the universal journey to the high road. It does not mean that they have fully transcended their old patterns; but the high road has become competitive and will fight to go even higher.

I do not believe that patience

also disclosed that in the past few months, “we have been discussing with the White House a possible visit by President Marcos to Washington.” The objective, he wrote, is “to further cement the ties between the longtime allies on various areas of mutual concern and interest. We hope to find a suitable schedule for both our leaders to meet this year.”

Last Thursday, January 26, in a television interview, Romualdez couldn’t help turning up the volume on the trumpets and drums that the current administration has been deploying to promote its initiatives.

Certain U.S. officials are impressed by Marcos Jr., according to him. “They find it refreshing, to say the least. They’ve obviously seen him when they came here… and they were very pleased to hear the things that the president has articulated, especially with regard to our relationship with the U.S..” (Philstar.com)

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

* * * Email: satur.ocampo@gmail.com

alone can contain the painful frustrations that afflict those who see and know the ethical decay eating away at the Filipino collective soul. There has to be courage to accompany convictions. Short of that, it is despair that will set in and anger that will erupt. Yet, either or both will simply be distractions in an already arduous journey we know as the high road.

It becomes even more grating when those who sell themselves to greed and lust for power at any cost seem to get away with anything, with everything. And, around us, are whispers from their secret agents trying to tell us, “If you cannot beat them, join them.” Devils come in many disguises.

There is nothing easy about the high road or the effort to come closer to it. But look at it this way. If we do not want to fall back, what else is there for us?

(Inquirer.net)

* * * 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

Garlic price also shoots up

by Bella CariaSo ManilaTimes.net

WHILE consumers are still grappling with the high prices of onions, the retail price of local garlic has increased to P400 per kilo even if there was no shortage of the pungent bulbs.

"We don't have a shortage of garlic. We have a small supply of local garlic, a small supply as the preference of our consumers is the big [imported] garlic," Department of Agriculture (DA) deputy spokesman Rex Extoperez told The Manila Times. He said that the country is only producing four percent of its garlic requirement.

"I visited Occidental Mindoro and I found out that many garlic farmers shifted to onions as consumers prefer imported garlic," he added.

Estoperez said the Philippine weather is not conducive to planting garlic.

"Some farmers in Occidental Mindoro tried to plant big garlic but the cloves did not grow, and they said it was because of the weather," he said, adding the situation will be discussed during the DA meeting this week.

"We will tackle if we need to produce more local garlic or will just depend on importation," he said.

Bureau of Plant Industry data said that the country's garlic production in 2022 reached 45,656 metric tons compared to the 93,951 metric tons of

imported garlic. Meanwhile, the prices of onions remain high despite the efforts of the DA to make the bulb cheaper.

An official of the DA said on Wednesday, February 1 that no consensus was reached on the price cap of onions during a meeting with stakeholders ordered by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

The official, who requested anonymity, blamed the onion farmers and importers for the failure to bring down the prices of onions.

"The retail prices of imported onions remain high and the farm gate price is also high. Farmers were saying the importation was not needed as it's already the peak season but when is the peak season? For importers, where are the imported onions, the prices are still high?" the official said.

Prices of onions did not go down despite the 3,500 metric tons of imported onions flooding the market.

The retail price of imported onions ranged between P180 and P250 per kilo and local onions between P170 and P330 per kilo.

The DA official said onion farmers should not use their losses in previous years to justify high farm gate prices.

"They should adopt a certain percentage of the cost of production plus profit margin in the farm gate price," he said.

Marcos approves his first PPP project

Without specifying, the official said the reasons the importers mentioned were "unreasonable, illogical."

"We will talk again with the farmers and importers to bring down the prices to benefit the consumers," he added.

Earlier, Estoperez said the retail prices of onions will go down between P100 and P120 per kilo because of imported bulbs flooding the markets.

DA monitoring data said the retail price of imported red onions ranged between P180 and P220 per kilo; and imported white onions, between P180 and P250 per kilo.

The retail price of local red onions ranged from P200 to P330 per kilo and local white onions between P170 and P300 per kilo.

At Mega Q Mart in Quezon City, the retail price of onions ranged from P200 to 250 per kilo.

Onions were sold for as high as P330 per kilo at New Las Piñas City Public Market in Las Piñas.

The DA said the country's annual onions consumption is estimated at 260,000 MT or 21,679 MT monthly.

At least 100,000 MT of onions were presumably wasted because of a lack of cold storage.

In 2022, a total of 283,172 MT of red and yellow onions, as well as shallots, were harvested locally from 29,728 hectares of production area. g

by Catherine S. Valente ManilaTimes.net

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Thursday, February 2 approved the rollout of the University of the Philippines (UP)-Philippine General Hospital (PGH) Cancer Center, his administration's first Public Private Partnership (PPP) project.

The President, who heads the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Board, gave the nod for the construction of a P6-billion, 300bed capacity hospital during a meeting in Malacañang on Thursday, February 2.

In a statement, Presidential Communications Secretary Cheloy Garafil said the project aims to modernize the country's health infrastructure on oncology services and cancer care.

"The project aims to establish UP-PGH's dedicated cancer hospital that will modernize its health infrastructure and offer comprehensive, high-quality, and affordable oncology services towards enhancing the country's

health service quality and capacity for cancer care," Garafil said.

Garafil said the project will be solicited from the public through the submission of a bid and will be structured as a 30-year Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) arrangement under the BOT Law.

She said the BOT approach "is an agreement that grants a concession to a private partner to finance, build, and operate a project over a fixed term."

"After that period, the project is returned to the public entity that originally granted the concession," she added.

The Cancer Center, with a lot area of 3,000 square meters, will be located within the UP-PGH campus in Manila.

The entire building will have a capacity of 300 beds (150 charity beds for the UP-PGH Area and 150 private beds for the Private Area), 15 to 20 floors, 350 parking spaces, 1,000 square meter of commercial space, and an area for three linear accelerators bunkers.

The hospital will provide a full range of cancer treatments,

including radio oncology (radiotherapy), imaging, medical oncology, and support for the UP-PGH's teaching and research activities.

The UP-PGH's private partner will design, engineer, construct, and commission the entire new hospital building, procure, maintain, and provide for the periodic replacement of medical and non-medical equipment. It will also maintain all nonclinical services for the entire hospital building, operate relevant commercial activities, provide clinical services to private-paying patients in the private area, and assume all associated costs of clinical manpower, drugs, and consumables.

UP-PGH, on the other hand, will provide the site at no cost, transfer the existing equipment to the Cancer Institute, provide clinical services to non-paying charity patients in the UP-PGH area, assume all associated costs of clinical manpower, drugs, and consumables, as well as undertake clinical teaching and research. g

Minority bloc to reject Maharlika Fund bill

SENATE Minority Leader Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III said the minority bloc will reject the proposed Maharlika Investment Fund (MIF) as he insisted that the government has "no extra" wealth to support this endeavor.

The senator made the remark on Thursday in an online interview when asked whether he and Sen. Ana Theresia "Risa" Hontiveros will support the proposed MIF measure. "We cannot defend the indefensible. We cannot justify what is unjustifiable. So, we do not need this law," Pimentel said, adding that the MIF bill contains unclear provisions, hence, defective."

He said the government has no compelling reason to set up the MIF because it does not have excess money to support it. "Kaya sintunado na yung batas (That's why the [proposed] law is out of tune)."

The senator said the "extra" funds in the Landbank of the Philippines and the Development Bank of the Philippines cannot be used for MIF since these are already programmed for farmers loan assistance.

He also raised the competency of the people who will run the corporation that will handle the

Senate Minority Leader Koko Pimentel ManilaTimes.net file photo

MIF. He questioned why the proposed law grants power to the chairman of the said corporation to acquire loans on behalf of the Filipino people to run the MIF.

"Posibleng maipamana pa natin yung utang (It is possible that we will pass on the debt [to future generations]," Pimentel said.

He cited the case of Norway whose sovereign wealth fund lost a record $164 billion as a result of war in Europe, high inflation, high interest rate, among others.

"Those are professionally-run

funds which are very transparent. And look what happened. That is now the question of timing. The condition of the world economy is really bad," Pimentel said in Filipino and English.

Sen. Francis "Chiz" Escudero said he is open to the creation of the MIF but reiterated that the proposed legislation in its current form needs further amendments to address the "many gaps and loopholes."

The senator stressed this on Wednesday during the hearing on Senate Bill 1670, filed by Sen. Mark Villar, which proposes the establishment of the MIF to boost government resources.

He said the administration should not rush the Senate into passing its own version of the MIF bill.

House Bill 6608, authored by Speaker Martin Romualdez, was approved in the House of Representatives on December 15 last year after President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. certified the proposal as urgent. Escudero questioned several provisions in the bill, saying that unless they are addressed immediately by the administration's economic team, its passage is bound to get delayed. (ManilaTimes.net)

Bureau of Plant Industry data said that the country's garlic production in 2022 reached 45,656 metric tons compared to the 93,951 metric tons of imported garlic. Manilatimes.net photo

The show goes on for APO’s Jim and Boboy

by Nathalie M. toMada Philstar.com

JIM Paredes and Boboy

Garrovillo looked back on their favorite memories with the late Danny Javier, and how the “fun and friendship” from 50 years ago led to them becoming the iconic trio APO Hiking Society.

“Too many but since we’re in front of Ateneo, we met Danny in the counselor’s room, he was a new student, we were from Ateneo High School, and Basil Valdez was there. We would just sing spontaneously. It was a great memory,” Jim told The STAR during an interview held at a restaurant fronting Ateneo de Manila University, where it all began for them back in 1969.

“Initially, Danny was attracted to Basil kasi parehos yung choice of songs nila. Tapos, biglang nag-gravitate si Danny towards us.” Boboy shared, “We didn’t know Danny was older than us. He was ahead by four years…

Ang nakakatuwa kay Danny talaga, when we started, we were playing the guitar, but nung humawak na siya ng gitara, sobrang mas magaling pa siya sa amin. You know, Danny even played the banjo. We thought to ourselves, ‘Who’s this person? Mukhang magaling ‘to.’ So, he became our barkada.”

“He was also able to arrange a party between our class and the girls in the international school so we became very popular,” Jim recalled. “So, our song Saan Na Nga Ba’ng Barkada, (with the lyrics), ‘Nagsimula ang lahat sa iskwela…’ that was really it. That’s how we started.”

Jim and Boboy hinted at plans for a tribute show to Danny this 2023, which happens to be the 50th year since APO performed professionally.

In October 2022, Danny died from “complications due to prolonged illnesses,” his family’s statement said. He was 75.

Jim and Boboy are aware that people expected them to do a tribute of sorts last December when they mounted an intimate yet full-house show at 19 East.

Boboy said, “19 East was planned way, way before. Then Danny got seriously sick and he passed,” adding that it was “too small of a show to be a tribute to Danny.”

They also avoided interviews afterwards because “we didn’t want to talk about it,” Boboy admitted. “Because even if I’m in showbiz… ayokong gamitin yung pagkamatay ng isang kaibigan mo para mag-promote ng something.”

According to Jim, “For us, the death of Danny wasn’t a surprise. For the people out there, it was a shock because they had no idea he was sick… Even during the campaign, people were expecting Danny was going to show up, but it was impossible. I mean, you can’t make him wait in a dressing room the way he was, and stand up and sing there like, ‘I’m okay,’ and everything.’ Hindi talaga pwede, so we were just avoiding it.

“But even if we expected it, masakit pa rin. We’re kind of very depressed.

“But I remember, when we were thinking of a title, we knew Danny had a sense of humor. So crazy time, we’re catching up

like that… ‘APO Minus One,’ sabi ko, Danny would appreciate this, but not our audience, they’re still mourning, so ‘wag muna.’”

Nevertheless, a tribute may happen, not yet in their next show as headliners of the Valentine’s concert All Heart, on Feb. 14, 8:30 p.m., at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC), but still this year.

“People are expecting some time that we are going to have something, that we will have a little tribute for a loved one. So, this year, we will probably come up with something like that,” Boboy hinted.

Boboy and Jim began performing together about two years after APO “officially retired” in 2010. It all started with an invitation to sing at Ateneo, followed by requests to perform at weddings.

“It was difficult to start with. Jim and I were even asking, ‘Who’s going to do the lead voice of Danny?’ Danny’s voice is one of a kind. So effort kami ngayon. We’re thankful that we’re still healthy enough that we can still project our voice na lumabas naman na tunog APO pa rin,” Boboy said.

But since it’s impossible to render their songs as a “duo,” they’ve been getting backup singers to guarantee the signature APO sound. “It’s unfair if ‘di naman lumabas ang tunog na APO, which is really the harmony. We’ve worked on that. The two voices will always be there, but we always need a third,” said Boboy.

Jim is grateful that even if there are only two of them onstage, their songs can carry them throughout a show.

“We’re very grateful to say this that even if it is just the two of us onstage or even if I’m just alone, the moment a song starts, it’s sing-along already because people know our stuff,” he said.

“It’s our song that carries us now. When you have a new recording, you carry the song because people know you. ‘This is an APO song, let’s listen to this.’ When the song gets popular, even if there’s only one APO or two APO singing it, the song has a life of its own.

“We are thankful we have many songs like that. That’s why we’re still around.”

Just like what happened at 19 East. Jim said that while they knew they had fans, the “worst moment I imagined (because) we’re not on the radar, we’re not being played on radio, we’re not on TV.”

“When I went there, I thought, buti nalang small (venue) ito. If we don’t do well, it’s alright. But the reception was so amazing. Every song was a sing-along,” he shared.

Expect the same at their All Heart show since they’ve selected their best and “sweetest” love songs for their repertoire.

The STAR had to ask Boboy and Jim to name three of their favorite love songs.

In response, Jim mentioned When I Met You, which took months to finish. “There was a flow the moment I wrote the song, ‘There I was… You gave me a reason for my being… And it all began when I met you…’ Stop. I didn’t continue. Seven months later, when I played it, pumasok yung… ‘You taught

me how to love.’ Dun ko lang natapos (because) you can’t dictate inspiration. You just have to catch it.”

Boboy, on the other hand, shared the story behind Paano. When he wrote the song, people asked him why he came up with it when he was already married.

He explained, “May nakilala kasi ako na babae na nasaktan talaga at naghiwalay sa love niya. She was so angry with men she didn’t want to fall in love again.”

“I was thinking, that must really hurt, kawawa naman. If I were to court someone like that girl, it would be difficult, right?

Hurt na hurt, tapos kailangan mong kausap… That’s why there’s a line there, ‘Subukan mong magmahal o giliw ko.’”

Jim is also proud of the group’s heartbreak songs such as Tuyo ng Damdamin. “A friend of mine called me and told me his wife had left him,” Jim shared.

“He said, ‘I can’t fake it anymore. There’s nothing left.’ I wrote that in Tagalog, ‘Kahit anong gawin ‘di mo na mapilit at madaya. Aminin sa sarili mo na wala ka ng mabubuga.’

“So, I thought every group should have a great heartbreak song. That’s why I wrote that.”

APO’s hits, now classics, from over 25 albums continue to weave their OPM magic, even revived and reworked by younger artists.

“We didn’t try to be whatever artists of the Philippines. We wanted to write the theme songs of the love lives of ordinary Filipinos. I think that caught on because that’s real,” Jim reflected.

“For me, in this world, you either set the trend or you chase it. When you chase a trend and the trend is at an end, you’re at an end. In our case, parang we just wrote what we felt. The feeling was organic. When it’s organic, it’s real. Mas kakapit sa tao because you are not trying to get stylized. You are not being pretentious or anything like that. That’s one element, I think.”

“(It’s like) you’re a traveler and others ask you what direction you’re going, you point to the mountain. Sundan mo lang ‘yung bundok. In our case, without us planning it, kami ‘yung naging bundok. We’re lucky.”

Meanwhile, when asked by The STAR about any plans of re-releasing or re-recording old songs, they shared that they hoped to showcase their “nonhits” in a concert.

“To be honest, marami kaming songs na hindi naging hit. We’ve talked about doing a show where we will do our ‘never-heard’ songs. Yung mga songs namin na baka na-mintis niyo lang and this time, when you hear it, ‘Ay o nga. Bakit hindi nag-hit ‘yan?’,” Boboy said.

“Jim calls those songs our ‘misses.’ Not our misis (wives), but our misses — songs that got away. There’s one song that Danny did, wrote and recorded but we never actually sang it. It’s a very jazzy number and it tells everything about the person that’s Danny. That song is Care.

“In time, I’m sure Jim and I will find a way of bringing up these old songs that you missed and we will give them back to you.”

‘Awesome ensemble’ behind Janine’s latest TV series

by MariNel Cruz Inquirer.net

THIS is a team effort all the way,” declared Janine Gutierrez, lead star of ABS-CBN’s latest series “Dirty Linen,” adding that she refuses to think that the show’s success relies solely on how effective she portrays her role and would rather attribute this to the fact that she is part of an “awesome ensemble.”

“I refuse to think that I carry the entire weight of the show on my shoulders. The idea will most likely kill me,” Janine said when asked to react to director Onat Diaz’s comment that her character, Alexa Salvacion, “is the driver of the story.”

“One of the things that is special about this show is its awesome ensemble. The stories of these characters are all interesting enough for you to take time to follow them. Each of them has dirty linen in the closet but at the same time, each has goodness to share.”

Janine said she prefers to think that it was Dolly de Leon’s character, Olivia Salvacion, that acted as catalyst for a series of unfortunate events. Dolly plays Alexa’s mother whose death Alexa is determined to avenge.

Keeping with the theme

“For me, she is the reason the story moves in the direction that it is taking. Personally, I rely on the help of my coactors, directors, writers and staff in order to fulfill the task given to me,” Janine insisted.

“In keeping with the theme, I always have to keep that anger deep inside. I’m lucky that I was able to watch the pilot episode, where Alexa’s mother got killed. Whenever I am asked to express that anger within me, I go back to that scene again and again,” Janine pointed out.

The actress also said she was thankful that Zanjoe Marudo was her leading man in this project. Zanjoe is Aidan Fiero, whose father, Carlos, is blamed by Alexa for Olivia’s death.

“Dirty Linen” is Janine and Zanjoe’s first project together. She said they never took any

effort to work on their onscreen chemistry. “The story starts with us not knowing each other, so it helped that we hadn’t had the chance to bond before taping. We tried to get acquainted with each other while we were already on the set. At least, we were able to reflect in real life what our characters are going through in the story,” she explained.

Prior to assuming the role of Alexa, Janine made sure to do her homework. “I started by reading the script again and again. The story of ‘Dirty Linen’ is so multilayered that it gets confusing sometimes. I first needed to find out what is truly in my character’s core. This is not easy because there are a lot of things going on with her and they’re happening all at the same time,” she began.

‘Well-written’ script “I don’t just play Alexa, who is seeking justice. Sometimes, I am also Alexa disguised as the Fieros’ servant Mila, who appears sweet and innocent,” said Janine.

“What really helped were the guidelines set by Direk Onat and

Direk Andoy (Ranay, codirector). We all worked on identifying nuances that are Alexa’s and those that are Mila’s.”

Janine said it also helped that she was able to watch Erika Clemente play the young Alexa. “She did so well in the scenes where she was with Ms Dolly. As much as possible, I tried to copy her. This also helped me differentiate Alexa from Mila,” she said. “Another thing that you will see Alexa do throughout the series is crack her knuckles. That tells you how wonderfully written the script is. This gesture will serve as the thread that weaves the story.” Toward the end of the interview, Janine said she got to do a lot of things in the series, including her own stunts in some action scenes, but what was “really tricky” for her was playing Alexa disguised as Mila. “I have to make sure I show Alexa’s sinister look when the attention of other characters are not focused on Mila. You really have to watch in order to understand what I’m talking about,” she declared.

New year, new boyfriend and job for Michelle in America

by Dolly Dy-Zulueta Philstar.com

FORMER celebrity turned vlogger and fitness trainer Michelle Madrigal  is now a real estate agent with U.S.-based EXP Realty.

In her vlog and Instagram page, Madrigal shared  her first day at work and actively offered  her assistance in finding their future homes in Austin, Texas.

"You know that saying, 'Throw me to the wolves and I'd come back leading the pack,' that's me, I'm the lady in the wild. It feels like, you can throw me anywhere, any situation and I'll come back stronger, leading," said Madrigal.

Back in 2016, Michelle left her showbiz career to pursue culinary in the US. She got engaged to a former football player in 2017 and married her first husband in 2019. They had a daughter named Anika Austin and their marriage lasted for two years.

Madrigal became an online fitness coach and got certified to become a pre- and postnatal specialist after having a successful transformation in her own postpartum journey. In 2021, Madrigal joined the global fitness competition, Ms. Health & Fitness, and made it to the Top 5. In 2022, she revealed her new job as a broker in Texas, where she is now based for the past six years.

“We are delighted to work with talents like Michelle Madrigal who is a lifelong learner. At Gushcloud Studios, we focus on developing our talents and enabling them through different solutions and capabilities that we offer. We are very excited for Michelle’s new career journey and we hope that it will open more opportunities for her,” said Em Cruz, Gushcloud Philippines Head of Studios, in a press

statement.

In her recent vlogs on YouTube channel, Madrigal announced her relationship with her new boyfriend, Kyle.

The new couple visited the Philippines and Thailand during the last holidays. During their short visit, they shared their love story with their fans in a "His and Her Perspective" video.

Madrigal also got reunited with her sister, Ehra, and revealed secrets in their "Never Have I Ever"  video. Both videos were produced in partnership with Gushcloud Philippines.

“Michelle, who was born and raised in the Philippines, is now currently based in the U.S. During her short visit here, we were able to work with her and capture her story that entertains, sparks love and showcases a

reunion. But most of all, we collaborated in creating content that matters to her, her loved ones and her followers. That is the beauty of a borderless organization like Gushcloud International, we operate in 11 offices globally, and no matter where our talent is, we are able to ensure that the Gushcloud family can provide the support that they need. This truly is a testament to our mission of creating tomorrow’s positive influence,” said Jamie Paraso, Country Director of Gushcloud Philippines.

Madrigal has amassed over 150K YouTube subscribers and 770K Instagram followers. Her popular videos consist of her migration in the U.S. — from her first job, first apartment, to her U.S. citizenship journey.

Janine Gutierrez

Photo from Instagram/@janinegutierrez

Michelle Madrigal

Photo from Instagram/@mitch_madrigal

by Vhenna marie mantilla Inquirer.net

IT has been more than three years since their split, and actress Bea Alonzo is still upfront about saying that she can ‘never’ be friends with ex-boyfriend Gerald Anderson.

After being asked by TV host Boy Abunda during the latter’s show, if there’s a chance of becoming friends with Anderson again in the future, Alonzo addressed this straightly, saying that she did not want to have a connection with someone whom she could not trust.

“Hindi. I can never be friends with somebody I cannot trust, and somebody who doesn’t take responsibility for his actions so siguro hindi,” she said.

(No. I can never be friends with somebody I cannot trust, and somebody who doesn’t take responsibility for his actions so, maybe, no.)

The TV host also mentioned about the issue of ‘ghosting’ which Anderson denied during his interview with the latter last 2021. The actor [Anderson] said that the relationship was becoming ‘toxic’ and there was

no ‘ghosting’ that happened. “Siguro ‘yung pinakamalaking pagsisinungaling niya was that he never ghosted me, because he did,” Alonzo recalling how she cried over their break up with the actor in the past.

(Maybe his biggest lie was that he ‘never’ ghosted me, because he did.)

After witnessing the actor’s

exclusive interview with the TV host, Alonzo confessed that she had been affected, and explained that she was also just a human being that experienced pain. She also admitted that this had caused her to breakdown in tears.

“Siyempre, tao lang din ako. So kung sino man ang i-interviewhin siya at that time, it would hurt especially if half the time, he wasn’t telling the truth,” the actress said.

(Of course, I’m only just [a] human too. So whoever interviewed him at that time, it would hurt especially if half the time, he wasn’t telling the truth.)

When the actress shared many cryptic messages hinting about betrayal and hurt, rumors that the celebrity couple had split up began to circulate. Fans at the time then inferred that actress Julia Barretto, was to blame for the breakup who is now the current girlfriend of her ex-boyfriend Gerald Anderson.

The actress claimed that despite their painful split, it is now all part of the past.

Alonzo now says that she has moved on and is happy with her current relationship, Dominic Roque. With their relationship being made public in 2021.

Senator Raffy Tulfo’s impressive performance for a political greenhorn

by ronnie CarrasCo iii ManilaTimes.net

A WEEK ahead of the official opening of the Senate session this year, all legislators were already expected to resume their respective committees' hearings to tackle urgent matters as well as buckle down to hearing several lined up bills.

At the same time, citizens were earnestly looking forward to the feisty line of questioning and strong presence of Senator Raffy "Idol" Tulfo, chairperson of the Committees on Energy and Migrant Workers.

Modesty aside, Tulfo has proven himself to be the most active neophyte senator as though he were an old-timer.

Known for grilling personalities embroiled in anomalies and fiercely throwing mind-boggling questions to resource persons, the senatorial greenhorn by far has attended roughly 50 committee hearings since he assumed his post less than a year ago.

Aside from leading committee hearings on energy and the plight of the migrant workers, he has also dipped his finger in the committee deliberations on health and demography, public information and mass media, labor/ employment and human resources development, agriculture/ food and agrarian reform, justice and human rights, public order and dangerous drugs, local government, among others.

If that's not what you can call it multi-tasking, we don't know what is.

As the public very well knows, Idol — as he is addressed by his teleradyo following — is a known defender of the poor and the aggrieved.

Name it, Idol has listened to and continues to listen to their never-ending tales of woes. After all, Idol's 20-year career as a broadcaster has been dedicated to

genuine public service.

This did not escape even the watchful eye of the officers and members of the Philippine Movie Press Club (PMPC) which bestowed on him the Excellence in Broadcasting Lifetime Achievement Award in the recently concluded Star Awards for Television.

So, you might eagerly ask: what does it take to be a Raffy Tulfo?

Popular for his brand of public service where he acts swiftly on the problems of ordinary citizens, Idol is bringing his experience and expertise in crafting meaningful laws in his first term in the 19th Congress.

Living up to his monicker, he is the go-to man behind the multiawarded and widely popular programs, "Raffy Tulfo in Action" and "Wanted sa Radyo" on Radyo Singko/TV5.

As a media person, he began his broadcasting career as a disc jockey in a local radio station in Puerto Princesa City in Palawan. It didn't take long enough before he clinched his first big break in the broadcast industry when he became a newscaster/reporter of PTV 4.

Since then, Raffy hosted several

public service programs one after another on then-ABC 5. Such a break had given him the opportunity to provide immediate remedies to disputes of whatever kind.

As fate would have it, Raffy soon became the anchor of primetime TV newscast, "Frontline Pilipinas."

His advocacy includes promoting and protecting the rights of families, OFWs and locally based workers.

Using the might of the pen to keep the public well-informed and vent out his opinions on burning yet timely issues, his hard-hitting columns were widely followed in several tabloids such as Abante and Bulgar.

Not at all content with merely doing newspaper opinion pieces, Raffy later ventured into publishing a nationwide tabloid called Iskandal.

His storied life chapters way before he became who he is now might strike your fancy.

Unknown to many, Raffy wore different hats and took on different — if not odd — jobs both in the Philippines and the US in the sanctimonious name of survival.

Did you know that he worked as a vegetable vendor, dishwasher, waiter, nursing aide, account receivables clerk, shoe salesman and insurance representative?

Born on March 12, 1960 in Quezon City, Raffy is the eighth of the 10 children of Ramon Tulfo Sr. and Caridad Teshiba-Tulfo.

He pursued his studies in Holy Trinity College of Puerto Princesa City, Trinity College of Quezon City and Ateneo De Davao University.

Hiding his light under a bushel so to speak, he is currently one of the top social media influencers with 25M solid subscribers in his YouTube account, 20M followers on his Facebook account, 3.2M in his TikTok account and 1.5M in his Instagram account.

So, who says only female showbiz celebrities reign supreme on social media?

Paolo confirms dating Yen; clarifies breakup with LJ

by Kathleen a llemit Philstar.com

IT'S finally confirmed: Paolo Contis and Yen Santos are a couple.

On the second part of his interview in "Fast Talk With Boy Abunda" today, the actorcomedian has confirmed the rumor and speculation that he is dating his "A Faraway Land" leading lady.

"Si Yen Santos ba ang girlfriend mo na?" asked Boy.  Paolo initially jested, "As a friend?" while laughing.

When Boy said, "Umayos ka," and repeated his question, Paolo confirmed his relationship with Yen.

"Yes," he revelead. “Ang samin kasi, kung baga, what you see is what you get na naman e, 'di ba? Hindi na namin pwedeng ipilit 'yung tao to be happy for us, hindi na namin pwedeng ipilit 'yung mga tao na paniwalaan 'yung gusto nilang paniwalaan. Sana lang isipin nila na kung ano lang 'yung nakikita nilang naka-post, 'yung lang ang truth na alam nila.”

He clarified though that when the trending "Baguio as a friend" photo came out, they were not yet an item. It also took place when LJ had already left for New York.  Paolo also denied that Yen was the cause of his separation with LJ.  "Hindi. Somehow, medyo matagal na kaming hindi okay ni LJ pero we were together officially.

Napapadalas 'yung away. I think it was a combination of stress sa pandemic and everything.

"One of my biggest mistakes was hindi ko inalala 'yung mental health. Isa 'yan sa feeling ko simula ng downfall namin. Hindi ko inisip 'yun. Plus 'yung pagdidiskarte ko ng sarili ko na hindi ko na iniinform sa kanya 'yung mga bagay-bagay, which led to bigger problems. I won't divulge na sa isyu na 'yun. Eventually it piled up. Again, hindi kami naguusap nang maayos.  Everytime na lalabas ako ng bahay dahil may pandemic, may work, e, may mga kalokohan din akong ginagawa," Paolo shared.  Paolo and Yen starred in the

by Kristofer Purnell Philstar.com

JINKEE Pacquiao, wife of former professional boxer Manny Pacquiao, has debunked rumors that she has broken up with the ex-senator and is pregnant with another child.

In an episode of  "Fast Talk With Boy Abunda," the host announced such gossip about Jinkee being pregnant and splitting with Manny was fake news.

"Hindi ako buntis, hindi kami magkahiwalay ni Manny. We are very much in love with each other and we are doing great," Boy paraphrased what Jinkee had told him, adding that the couple is investigating who began such rumors.

Actress and talent manager Annabelle Rama, a friend of the Pacquiaos, further debunked such rumors in an Instagram post where she showed support for the couple.

"Unang una, imposibleng maghiwalay ang mag-asawa dahil sa nakikita ko ang sweet nila and happy family," Annabelle wrote in the caption, adding that Jinkee was busy helping complete a three-hectare mansion that will become their dream home.

Annabelle concluded, "Kaya 'yung mga 'marites,' tigilan

niyo na. Alam ko kung sino ang gumagawa ng chismis, mamatay ka sa inggit."

Jinkee thanked Annabelle for her support in the comments, even joking she looked fat in the photo the manager posted: "Hayaan mo na sila, God bless them! 'Vengeance is mine I  will repay, says the Lord.'"

On her own Instagram account, Jinkee showed images of the mansion located in General Santos City, and even posted a photo of her with Manny. The Pacquiaos have been married since 1999 and have  five kids together  — Emmanuel, Michael, Mary Divine, Queen Elizabeth, and Israel.

Pokwang bares real reasons behind split with husband

COMEDIENNE Pokwang spilled more details about her ex Lee O’Brian, over a year after they ended their marriage after six years together.

Pokwang posted on her Instagram account a short video of her emerging from a pool, set to the "Mission Impossible" theme, and in the comments section, one user called the actress "talakera" which is why O'Brian left her.

The comedienne clapped back at the user, "T**ga nagising lang ako sa katotohanan na anim na taon ko na pala siya palamunin at limang taon walang child support! Wag ka na baka madamay ka sa demandahan namin."

She continued further by saying O'Brian did not leave her, and dared the user to ask instead why she sent him away. "Super tanggol ka, type mo ba siya? Di ka papatulan niyan kung waley ka pakinabang!!!" Pokwang said in her final retort. "Or kaibigan mo 'yung babaeng involve? Pakisabi congrats, nagtagumpay siya na wasakin ang puso ng anak namin na ngarap na mabuo kaming muli!"

Pokwang and O'Brian first met in 2014 while working on the film "Edsa Woolworth." They welcomed their child Malia Francine in January 2018. But in November 2021, they officially called it quits.

Last July,  Pokwang  initially admitted that the cause of their breakup wasn't over money or a third party, "Siguro napagod lang kami...  Kasi ako ‘yung taong lahat tinitiis ko, hangga't kaya ko, ako lang," and even defended O'Brian as a good person. Pokwang is currently a host on the variety show "TiktoClock" and will next be seen in the first-ever  Filipino Prime Video original film "Ten Little Mistresses." (Philstar.com)

2021 movie shot in Faroe Islands.

In the same year, news of Paolo and then partner LJ Reyes broke up when the latter admitted it in her guesting in Abunda's online show in August 2021.

In August  2021, LJ moved to New York with her children, Aki and Summer. Aki is her son with actor Paulo Avelino, while Summer is her daughter with Paolo Contis.

Last Friday, Paolo talked to Boy about his failed relationships and his greatest fear of being hated by his daughters.  Apart from Summer, Paolo is also father to Xonia and Xalene, his daughters with ex-wife, former dancer Lian Paz.

Bea Alonzo Photo from Instagram/@beaalonzo

Raffy Tulfo has proven himself to be the most active neophyte senator as though he were an old-timer. TV5 photo

Paolo Contis and Yen Santos in an Instagram post. Photo from Instagram/@paolo_contis

Comedienne Pokwang

Photo from Instagram/@itspokwang27

Boxer Manny Pacquiao and wife Jinkee Photo from Instagram/@jinkeepacquiao

City of Las Vegas offers free spring concerts in the park

First concert set on Feb. 18 in the historic Westside Legacy Park

MYTHS abouts food, other matters, fake news, and other mis- and disinformation abound in social media. What a waste of a wonderful, valuable technological advance in communication! In this column today, we shall debunk 12 common myths about food and diet.

1. Eating out is healthier

Unless you are a lousy cook or have poor choice of food items, home cooked food items could certainly be a lot healthier than restaurant food. The quality and quantity of ingredients are under your total control.

2. Fasting is good

Occasional fasting, within reason, is fine, but eating small, portioned quantity more than the usual 3 times a day, even up to 8 times a day, can be healthier as far as having a more even keel in blood glucose level (less fluctuation), so long as you eat within your normal total calories a day. Dividing the total calorie intake into several times a day is healthier than fasting or missing a meal or two a day. The less blood glucose fluctuation the better.

3. Eating healthy is costly

This is false. If one eats less red meat, which is healthier (it even lowers your risk of getting cardiovascular disease and cancer), the grocery bills would be leaner. Some frozen food items are cheaper than fresh ones. Eating fish and vegetables, combined with regular physical exercise could even make one look and feel younger, and improve longevity.

4. Fat-free and low-fat are healthy

Low-fat and fat-free diets were popular in the 80s and 90s, but fat protects our organs, absorbs essential vitamins, supports our cell membrane and promotes growth and development. Not all fats are the same. Saturated and trans fats in fatty red meats and high-fat dairy products are unhealthy. Unsaturated fats from olive and canola oil, avocados and nuts provide healthy fats.

5. All big fishes are safe to consume Big fishes, like albacore tuna, shark, orange roughy, southern bluefin tuna, ray, swordfish, barrasmundi, marlin, king

mackerel and gemfish have high mercury content. Regular mackerel, salmon, canned yellowfin and regular small tuna, are safe. Unlike eating red meat that increases the risk for cardiovascular diseases and cancer, consuming fish five or more times a week helps boost the immune system, improves brain health, prevents blood clots, and reduces the risk for heart attack, stroke and cancer.

6. Unrefined sugars are healthier

A popular myth is that unrefined sugar, like raw sugar, maple syrup, coconut sugar and honey, provides lesser calories. All sugars, except artificial sweeteners, are sugars and carbohydrates, with high calories and fattening. The calories from consuming unrefined sugars should be counted accordingly, especially among diabetics or those trying to lose weight.

7. Processed foods are safe

While it is commonplace to see people all around us eat processed foods like hot dogs, bacon, ham, salami, sausages, processed veggies, etc., they increase the risk for the development of cancers, especially of the gastrointestinal tract, including pancreas and the colon. The risk is greater with meats grilled at high temperature, with burnt edges or surfaces. Eat fresh – it is healthier.

8. Detox pills are necessary

False! These pills or bowel cleaners (irrigation, enemas) could be dangerous to health. The best detox items are foods like vegetables, fish, nuts and fruits, which are all antioxidants and detoxifying agents via our liver, gastrointestinal tract, and kidneys, which are our natural detoxifying organs, day in and day out, 24/7, cleansing our body of toxins and poisons. Eat a healthy diet, avoid processed foods and minimize fast food, drink a lot of water (not poisonous soft drinks) and exercise daily to rejuvenate yourself.

9. Drinking water after 8 PM is good

Not for seniors or anyone who do not want to wake up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom. Even those in their 80s and 90s could avoid or minimize getting up at 2 or 3 AM to empty their bladder if they refrain from drinking after 8 p.m. During the daytime, it is a good idea to drink a lot of water,

at least eight glasses a day, to flush our kidneys, keep these “filters” healthy, and get rid of toxic waste through urination.

10. Soft drinks are better than water

Although soft drinks may contain some minerals, they are all (cola or uncola, diet or regular, caffeine-free or not) toxic to the body of adults, and more so to children. The phosphoric acid in them is only one scary chemical, which many use to clean car carburetors or flush a blocked toilet or kitchen drain. All soft drinks increase the risk for metabolic syndrome. They are indeed poison.

11. TV food ads are vetted

Not true. There is no government oversight that screens the ads on TV or other media. There are many claims about products that are not true. Unfortunately, manufacturers and vendors get away with them and ignorant consumers are the victims, and the perpetrators get richer in this trillion-dollar food industry. Caveat emptor (buyers beware)!

12. All veggies are good

In general, yes, they are superfoods, but not for people with arthritis, who should stay away from nightshade vegetables (Solanaceae), which include eggplant, tomatoes, potatoes, bell and cayenne peppers, paprika, etc. They contain toxic alkaloids that aggravate arthritis (neck, spine, hips, knees, etc.) Broccoli, kale, celery, asparagus, green beans, cauliflower, spinach, mushrooms, turnips, beets and bell peppers are the choice veggies for the general population.

Evidence-based scientific data show that eating red meat more than once a week is associated with higher risk for cardiovascular diseases, cancers, and a shorter longevity.

* * *

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.

* *

*

Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, a Cardiac Surgeon Emeritus based in Northwest Indiana and Las Vegas, Nevada, is an international medical lecturer/author, Health Advocate, newspaper columnist, and Chairman of the Filipino United Network-USA, a 501(c)3 humanitarian foundation in the United States. Websites: FUN8888.com, Today.SPSAtoday. com, and philipSchua.com; Email: scalpelpen@ gmail.com.

THE city of Las Vegas is sponsoring seven free outdoor concerts this spring, featuring a variety of music and entertainers. The public is invited to enjoy these afternoon/evening performances

Feb. 18-May 6. Bring low-back chairs or blankets to be more comfortable. Refreshments will be available for purchase. For more information, visit www. ArtsLasVegas.org or call 702-229ARTS (2787).

Concert in the Park - Derek Dominique

Saturday, Feb. 18, 2-4 p.m.

Free and open to the public.

Historic Westside Legacy Park, 1600 Mount Mariah Drive.

Composer/singer/songwriter

Derek Dominique accidentally ended up in Las Vegas by way of Houston. He has released new music, made some intriguing videos, written poetic tracks for other musicians, represented Las Vegas in a Super Bowl commercial, and scored a 2021 film soundtrack on Netflix. Listen to some of his music here. The Historic Westside Legacy Park is a partnership involving the city of Las Vegas and Clark County.

Concert in the Park - Kiara Musik

Saturday, March 18, 2-4 p.m.

Free and open to the public.

Historic Westside Legacy Park, 1600 Mount Mariah Drive.

Kiara is a singer, composer and producer who has been performing since she was 10 years old. She has performed in musical theater productions at venues such as The Smith Center of Performing Arts and also has done solo performances all over America, accompanying herself on piano or guitar. Kiara was featured on season 17 of “The Voice,” where she was coached by Gwen Stefani and Kelly Clarkson, finishing in the top 32. She has written songs that have reached millions of viewers on TV shows, such as “Love Island,” “The Today Show” and “The Voice.” Kiara loves to share her art with the world and hopes to provide a fun and memorable experience for all who are watching. The Historic Westside Legacy Park is

a partnership involving the city of Las Vegas and Clark County.

Concert in the Park - Broadway to Vegas

Saturday, March 25, 7-9 p.m.

Free and open to the public.

Bruce Trent Park, 8851 Vegas

Drive.

Broadway to Vegas is a musical tribute to some of the most iconic songs ever performed on the Broadway stage. Backed by a rocking live band and six singers whose combined professional experiences span television, film, the Broadway stage (including two Tony nominees!), major cruise lines, national and International touring shows, various headliners, and some of the biggest local and professional shows in Las Vegas, “Broadway to Vegas” is a classy, high-energy show that is sure to delight audiences of all ages!

Concert in the Park - Rita Lim

Saturday, April 1, 7-9 p.m.

Free and open to the public.

Bob Baskin Park, 2801 W. Oakey Blvd.

From Los Angeles, California, jazz vocalist Rita Lim has honed her talents singing with some of the top bands and musicians in the country. Both of her musical tribute shows featuring the music of Sade and the music of The Carpenters have sold out at top venues in Las Vegas, and she has garnered recurring engagements at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Italian American Club restaurant, South Point Hotel & Casino, Sam’s Town Hotel & Casino, Tuscany Hotel & Casino, and the Suncoast Hotel & Casino. Lim released her first album, “The Secret of Life,” in 2012, which was received with acclaim in the United States as well as in Asian countries. Her version of “I Will” is a bestseller in Japan.

Concert in the Park - Las Vegas Percussion Collective

Saturday, April 8, 7-9 p.m. Free and open to the public.

Centennial Hills Park Amphitheater, 7101 N. Buffalo Drive at Deer Springs Way

The Las Vegas Percussion Collective features four of Las Vegas’ premier percussionists who collectively have played in many of

the major productions on the Las Vegas Strip over the past decade. Led by Alex Stopa, the group brings percussion instruments to the forefront, performing music that highlights the versatility and musicality of the percussion family. The Las Vegas Percussion Collective features a wide range of percussion instruments including marimba, vibraphone, glockenspiel, drums, percussion of the symphony orchestra, and lesser known ethnic percussion instruments. This performance will showcase a wide range of musical styles and influences by composers from Japan, Latin America, Europe, Australia and the United States.

Concert in the Park - Raow Raow Earth Day Block Party

Saturday, April 22, 2-6 p.m. Free and open to the public.

Third Street Promenade; on Third Street from Hoover to Gass avenues in downtown Las Vegas. Celebrate Earth Day with Raow Raow Collective at the Third Street Promenade, featuring live musical performances, DJs, a drum circle, native and African dancing, and live art. Enjoy the custom bicycle show from Crank N Grind & Artistic Armory, with a photo booth by The Jungle LV, and a selfie zone with artist Jef Logan’s Mother Earth exhibit. Attendees also will enjoy tree and plant giveaways by Nevada Plants and visual art on display, all while feasting on refreshments from Tacos la Estancia and Patty Raspado.

Concert in the Skate Parkwith Death Drop Roller Skate Shop and Asteroid M Records

Saturday, May 6, 4-9 p.m. Free and open to the public. Garehime Heights Skate Park, 3901 N. Campbell Road. Calling all skaters and music fans! This concert in the skate park will feature musical guests from Asteroid M Records, food trucks and vendors. Come prepared to participate in quad and inline skating competitions with top-tier prizes from Death Drop Roller Skate Shop. Skate until the sun goes down and the lights come up for our night skate and jam session. Bring your friends and family to rock and roller skate!

Kate to star in int’l live action fantasy series on Filipino supernaturals

by Kathleen a llemit Philstar.com

KATE Valdez was the muse on paper and, in a rare feat, she will continue to be the face of "Dreamwalker" when it will premiere as a live action series in 2024.

The "Unica Hija" actress will star in the eight-episode series that will be produced by London/ Singapore-based international content investment studio 108 Media.

The production features familiar names in the Philippine filmmaking scene. "Respeto" director Treb Monteras II will serve as showrunner/director while his colleague, "Deleter" and "Birdshot" director Mikhail Red will be the series director. Los Angeles-based writer Kaitlyn Fae Fajilan will serve as head writer.

In an interview with Philstar.com, "Dreamwalker" author Michael "Mikey" Sutton said he will make the actress a comic book hero in 2018 and it seems he has kept his word.

"In 2018, I promised Kate that I would turn her into a comic book hero and a Hollywood star. Five years later, I fulfilled my promise. I'm a man of my word," he said.  Sutton was recovering from a near-fatal stroke when he came across an episode of Kate's 2018 drama "Onanay."

The Filipino-American author

and editor-in-chief of pop culture site GeekosityMag.com said he was struck with Kate's timeless beauty and emotionally rich performance.

With a muse and a story in mind, culled from his own experience of supernaturals growing up in his birthplace Angeles City in Pampanga, Sutton wrote his story with the help of visual artist Noel Layon Flores, whom he met through social media.

It was Flores who connected him to Kate. Flores worked on several projects for GMA-7 shows including the 2016 reboot of "Encantadia," where he served as head set designer. Kate was among the main cast of the beloved TV fantasy show.

Sutton said he did imagine "Dreamwalker" to be a streaming

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show. He was inspired, but was also realistic and thought it was not possible. But five years later, 108 Media took notice when he posted Flores' first art.

"I had an exciting feeling there was something in the air," he shared.

During their initial talks, he kept mentioning Kate but felt that he did not have enough "leverage" to demand that they cast the actress as the series lead.  His and Kate's dream came true when the producer said they were tapping the actress to star in the series as well.

"I created her for and because of Kate Valdez. It's means everything to me if Kate has the lead role," Sutton said.

"Dreamwalker" is a graphic novel about a monster-slaying vlogger named Kat who survives a bus crash and wakes up having the ability to enter people's dreams.

The Filipino-American heroine finds herself gifted with the ability that she uses to wield against Filipino supernatural beings as she investigates the source of the monster wave in the Philippines while attempting to help those affected by the looming threat.

Apart from Monteras II and Sutton, series executive producers also include  108 Media executives, president Justin Deimen,  creative producer Kirstie Contrevida  and CEO Abhi Rastogi.

Kate Valdez Photo from Instagram/@valdezkate_