020522 - Los Angeles Weekend Edition

FEBRUARY 5-8, 2022 Volume 32 - No. 9 • 2 Sections – 18 Pages

LA County trends prove vaccinations prevent DATELINE USA avoidable COVID deaths in health care facilities VP Harris swears in FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA

members of President’s Commission on AANHPIs

UNITED States President Kamala Harris and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra on Thursday, Feb. 3 swore in 23 members, including 3 Filipina American community leaders, of President Joe Biden’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (AANHPIs).

They were joined by U.S. Trade Representative Ambassador Katherine Tai, who serves as Commission Co-Chair alongside Secretary Becerra and delivered congratulatory remarks.

In December, Biden appointed the members to advise him on AANHPIs issues.

Among them are Amy Agbayani, Teresita Batayola and Luisa Blue representing the Fil-Am community.

“We know there's still a lot of work to do in an affirmative way, in a purposeful way, in an intentional way about ensuring that

Health leaders stress safety protocol on Super Bowl Sunday as the county discusses what it will take to ease mask mandate

by KLARIZE

MEDENILLA AJPress

AS the omicron variant continues to plague communities across the country, the coronavirus numbers in Los Angeles County continue to prove the efficacy of vaccines and boosters in

preventing deaths, particularly in highrisk workplaces.

According to LA County Public Health, the seven-day average death rate within skilled nursing facilities — defined as any long-term assisted living home for elderly, disabled, or severely ill patients — “dramatically declined”

to 21 residents per 100,000 residents; this time last year before vaccines became more widely available, the death rate was 106 residents per 100,000 in skilled nursing facilities.

The county reported that by the end of January, 91% of residents and 97% of staff at these facilities were fully vac-

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Travelers from visa-required countries may enter Philippines starting Feb. 10

by DAPHNE

GALVEZ Inquirer.net

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LA County ‘pick-up testing kit’ program expands to new sites THE Los Angeles County Department of Health Services has expanded its "Pick-up Testing Kit" program with an additional 7,000 free COVID-19 testing kits available daily via 14 new county library sites in Los Angeles County.

The “Pick-Up Testing Kit” program allows residents to pick up a PCR test kit, perform the test and return the completed test for processing. These test kits are not the rapid antigen tests. Residents will be notified of their test results within 24-48 hours. “Pick-Up Testing Kits” will be available without an appointment and until daily supplies are exhausted at designated locations.

The new expansion brings the pick-up testing locations to nearly 30 sites across LA County.

For a full listing of the new and existing PickUp testing locations visit: Pick-Up Testing Kit Program.

The "Pick-Up Testing Kit" Program including at the new Library sites, operates as follows: - 500 PCR Kits are available daily, at participating locations - Kits cannot be reserved and are given on a

cinated; 85% of residents and 75% of staff were reported to be fully vaccinated and boosted.

According to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), those who are “fully vaccinated and boosted had a 97 times

FLAGGED. A Land Transportation Office (LTO) personnel issues a citation ticket to a public utility jeepney (PUJ) driver for not wearing a seatbelt along Marcos Highway, Antipolo City, Rizal on Friday, Feb. 4. Republic Act 8750 or the Seatbelts Use Act of 1999 prescribes fines of P100 to P5,000 and confiscation of driver’s license for non-wearing of seatbelts in public and private vehicles, depending on the number of offenses committed by a driver.

PNA photo by JRico Borja

Pacquiao vows to run after Marcos ill-gotten wealth

by EMMANUEL

TUPAS

Philstar.com

MANILA — Sen. Manny Pacquiao vowed to run after the ill-gotten wealth of the Marcoses if he wins the presidency in the May 9 elections.

With stamping out corruption in government as the centerpiece of his campaign, Pacquiao said it is proper to pursue the funds, which were stolen by the Marcos family.

The presidential aspirant promised to  PAGE A3

MANILA — Foreign nationals arriving from visa-required countries or restricted foreign nationals will be allowed to enter the Philippines starting Feb. 10 through an entry exemption document, Malacañang said on Friday, February 4.

This is per latest guidelines of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) on the entry of Filipinos and foreign nationals, acting presidential spokesman Karlo Nograles said.

The entry exemption document will be issued under the latest rules and guidelines of the task force, he added.

These foreign nationals must be fully-vaccinated, except for children below 12 years old who are traveling with their fully-vaccinated parents.

They must also carry an accepted proof of vaccina PAGE A5

strengthen the Presidential Commission on Good Government, the body created during Corazon Aquino’s presidency to recover the Marcoses’ ill-gotten wealth.

“We will strengthen the PCGG. What is for the government is for the government,” Pacquiao said in Filipino at the KBP Presidential Forum on Friday, February 4.

Retired Supreme Court associate justice Antonio Carpio earlier said government efforts to recover the ill-gotten wealth would

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PH fails to make Women’s Asian Cup finals with loss to SoKor

by NEIL

VICTOR MASOY ManilaTimes.net

THE Philippines' historic run in the 2022 AFC Women's Asian Cup came to an end on Thursday, February 3.

In its first ever appearance in the semifinal round of the tournament, the 64th ranked Philippines bowed to 18th ranked South Korea, 2-0, at the Shree Shiv Chatrapati Sports Complex in India.

So-Hyun Cho gave the South Koreans the early advantage with a goal at the fourth minute and Hwa-Yeon Son was left unmarked for a close range finish at the 34th minute.

The Philippine women's team, which already secured a slot in the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup by reaching the Women's Asian Cup semis, tried to catch up in the remainder of the match but the South Koreans thwarted every attempt by the Filipinos to score a goal.

The team previously known as the Malditas exited the tournament with heads held high after it accomplished The Philippines’ Tahnai Annis (middle) and Jessica Miclat (right) battle for ball possession against South Korea’s its mission to qualify for the FIFA Women's World Cup So Hyun Cho in the AFC Women’s Asian Cup semifinal round at the Shree Shiv Chatrapati Sports Complex in India for the first time in 2023. on Thursday, February 3.

Photo courtesy of Asian Football Confederation  PAGE A3

Asa Miller carried the Philippine colors during the Parade of Nations at the opening ceremonies of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics at Beijing National Stadium on Friday, February 4.

Photo courtesy of Philippine Sports Commission

Asa Miller carries Philippine flag at Winter Olympics opening ceremony

by BONG LOZADA Inquirer.net

MANILA — Alpine skier Asa Miller carried the Philippine colors during the Parade of Nations at the opening ceremonies of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics at Beijing National Stadium Friday, February 4.

Miller, the country’s lone representative in this year’s Winter Games, will compete in the slalom and giant slalom events beginning next week.

This is also the second time that Miller carried the Philippine flag as he had the same honor during the 2018 Pyeong-

chang Olympics.

The Philippines is one of 19 countries in the Winter Games that fielded a lone representative.

Other countries with only one athlete representing them are Albania, American Samoa, Cyprus, Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, Ecuador, Eritrea, Ghana, Haiti, India, Kyrgyzstan, Malta, Morocco, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan, and U.S. Virgin Islands, according to CNN. Unsurprisingly, most of these countries who fielded a  PAGE A2

A2 FEBRUARY 5-8, 2022 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL

http://www.asianjournal.com • (818) 502-0651 • (213) 250-9797

FROM THE FRONT PAGE

LA County trends prove vaccinations...

PAGE A1 lower death rate (0.1 individuals per 100,000) compared to individuals who were unvaccinated (9.7 individuals per 100,000).”

On Friday, Feb. 4, the county reported 15,427 new positive cases and a whopping 85 new deaths due to COVID-19. (According to the press release, the case number reflects reporting delays from one.)

But the risk of getting sick still applies to all individuals, vaccinated or not, and with the upcoming Super Bowl LVI festivities that are planned for next weekend, officials are doubling down on safety — inside SoFi Stadium and out.

As previously reported in the Asian Journal, those at the Super

Bowl who are 2 years old and above must wear masks when not eating or drinking — which is part of the county’s mandate that requires masking at any outdoor event that is hosting 5,000 or more attendees.

SoFi Stadium’s safety protocols also include the following: electrostatic spraying throughout the space to frequently disinfect surfaces; outfitting the stadium with more than 400 automatic hand sanitizer dispensers; offering free KN95 masks to all attendees; and requiring proof of vaccination, a negative PCR test within 48 hours of the event, or a negative antigen test within 24 hours of the event.

According to the NFL, there

will be officials on every level of the stadium reminding patrons to uphold masking rules as well as large video boards that will remind everyone to keep masks on when not consuming food or beverages.

“It’s a challenge. It’s a very large building but we are prepared and ready to go,” said Jon Barker, head of Live Event Operations for the NFL. “We have had two years of experience of planning under COVID and we’re extremely confident in the plans that we have in place.”

Despite the controversial photos of Magic Johnson, Governor Gavin Newsom, and outgoing LA Mayor Eric Garcetti without

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Travelers from visa-required countries may...

PAGE A1

tion, Nograles said.

They should also present a negative RT-PCR test taken within 48 hours prior to their departure.

Nograles said that once they are admitted to the Philippines, they are no longer required to undergo facility-based quarantine but should self-monitor for symptoms for 7 days after their arrival.

These foreigners are required

to report to the local government unit of their destination should they manifest any symptoms.

Those who are not compliant with the conditions set will be required to undergo a facility-based quarantine until the release of their negative RT-PCR test taken on the 5th day.

After this, they will be required to undergo home quarantine until the 14th day following their arrival, Nograles said.

Foreign nationals who are not from restricted countries may be allowed to enter the country as long as they are fully vaccinated. They are not required to undergo facility-based quarantine but should self-monitor for symptoms for 7 days since their arrival.

Partially vaccinated or unvaccinated foreigners would be denied entry and will be subject to the appropriate exclusion proceedings, Nograles said. 

Asa Miller carries Philippine flag at Winter Olympics...

PAGE A1 lone athlete are located near the equator where snow are non-existent.

Miller will compete in the slalom and giant slalom events of the alpine skiing competition.

“I’m extremely excited the first time, it was one of the best moments of my life. And I can’t

wait to do it for the second time,” said Miller.

Joining Miller in the opening ceremonies are Philippine Olympic Committee President Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino, Philippine Ski and Snow Federation chief Billy Sumagui, and Chef de Mission Bones Floro.

“It feels great to be in China

again—the Olympic spirit and the culture all over the place, as well as the other athletes— they’re very fun and motivating,” said Miller.

This will be the second time in 14 years that China serves as host for the Olympics after the 2008 Summer Games was staged in the country. 

PH fails to make Women’s Asian Cup finals...

PAGE A1

The Philippines accomplished that feat after a 4-3 shootout win over Chinese Taipei on January 31 in the quarterfinals. The team also blanked India, 6-0, on January 27.

"Look at how far we've come.

We're competing against Australia and Korea. I'm so proud of this

team and how much we brought to the table," said Philippine forward Sarina Bolden, who scored the country's fourth and World Cup clinching goal against Chinese Taipei, in the post-match interview.

"We made a name for ourselves. Philippines, you're gonna

remember this team. And you're gonna see us in the World Cup, so don't forget about us, because we're coming back," she added.

South Korea is set to face the winner from the other semifinals duel between China and Japan for the Women's Asian Cup crown. 

CUSTOMS CHECK. A Bureau of Customs personnel inspects the boxes containing the newly delivered Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine shortly after it arrives at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 in Pasay City on Wednesday, Feb. 2. The latest vaccine delivery, a total of 455,130 doses, is procured by the national government.

PNA photo by Robert Oswald P. Alfiler

VP Harris swears in members of President’s...

PAGE A1 people are engaged, that they are involved, and that we are relevant to the way that they are experiencing and living life, and that we are connected with their goals and their dreams for themselves, for their families, and for their community. And that's why it's so important to have you all as the leaders that you are together in this advisory group, because the work that you will do is to give us candid feedback,” said Harris to the commissioners on Thursday.

“On behalf of the president and myself, thank you yet again for the life that you have chosen to live, which has been a life of leadership and service.”

Agbayani is an Emeritus Assistant Vice Chancellor for student diversity and equity, University of Hawai’i at Manoa.

Agbayani was born in the Philippines and received her education from the University of the Philippines, East West Center and the University of Hawai’i.

She is a former chair of the Hawai’i Civil Rights Commission, conducts research on AANHPI in higher education, member of the Patsy T.Mink PAC and The Legal Clinic for immigrant justice Hawai’i.

Batayola is the President and Chief Executive Officer of International Community Health Services, Washington state’s largest Asian and Pacific Islander non-profit health center providing comprehensive health care to all those who need affordable care, especially immigrants and refugees. Batayola is an advocate for health care access, equity, and addressing social determinants of health.

ICHS has received awards for its high quality of care and Batayola has been recognized in the Puget Sound Business Journal’s Award for Outstanding Business & Philanthropic Contributions, Woman of Courage Undaunted from the University of Washington Women’s Center, and the Filipino Women’s Network’s Most Influential Filipino Woman in the World.

Blue retired from the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) in August 2020 after serving as an Executive Vice President for four years, one of the highest ranking AAPI officials in the labor movement.

During her term was responsible for the SEIU Asian Pacific Islanders Civic Engagement and Leadership program, a member of the Racial Justice Task Force,

chair of the Environmental and Climate Justice Committee, and chair of the Ethical Culture Committee. She served on the SEIU Executive Board prior to her election as Executive Vice President. Luisa continues to be active in the community and serves on the Asian Health Services Community Board, a Trustee on Alameda County Health Systems Board of Trustees, and Vice President of the AAPI Victory Alliance Board.

Luisa is the proud grandmother of seven grandchildren.

The Commission will advise the president on ways the public, private, and non-profit sectors can work together to advance equity and opportunity for every Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) community.

The Commission is also charged with advising the president on policies to address anti-Asian xenophobia and violence, ways to build capacity in AANHPI communities through federal grantmaking and policies to address the intersectional barriers that AANHPI women, LGBTQ+ people, and people with disabilities face. The Commission will include civic leaders from

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DATELINE USA

LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • FEBRUARY 5-8, 2022 A3

It’s day 6 of COVID and a rapid antigen test comes back positive - stay home, say virologists by

SUMMER BECKONS. Cavite residents and tourists begin to enjoy the beach anew on Tuesday, Feb. 1, after the COVID-19 quarantine status has been downgraded to Alert Level 2 in the province. One of the popular beach destinations in Cavite is the coastal town of Naic, an excellent place to destress and have fun with family and friends.

ManilaTimes.net photo by Dennis Abrina

Los Angeles minimum wage to increase to $16.04 an hour starting July LOS Angeles Eric Garcetti announced that the minimum wage rate will increase from $15 to $16.04 per hour, effective on July 1, 2022.

“We fought to raise the minimum wage because hard work should always be met with the dignity, respect, and opportunity that fair pay brings,” said Garcetti on Thursday, Feb. 3. “Our decision to end poverty wages in L.A. caused a ripple effect across the nation, and this additional increase is the latest reason to celebrate today – and a reminder of how our fight for better wages is far from finished.”

The increase was made official on February 1 and is in accordance with the Los Angeles Municipal Code, which states that on July 1, 2022, and annually thereafter, the minimum wage will increase based on the Consumer Price Index for Ur-

ban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers in the Los Angeles metropolitan area, as published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

In June 2015, Mayor Garcetti led the coalition to sign the wage increase into law, raising the City’s minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2020 and making Los Angeles the first big city in America to implement such a change. The law will give a raise to more than 600,000 Angelenos currently earning minimum wage.

“Everyday workers continue to face many challenges. The minimum wage rate increase is intended to help move us toward a better economy and ensure that employees can have their basic needs met,” said Dr. Mike Davis, President Pro Tempore, Board of Public Works Commission.

“I commend the Mayor and City Council for their efforts to com-

LA County trends prove...

PAGE A2 masks, the county is still urging the public to follow masking guidelines, noting that masks are “an easy form of protection.”

“Masking is a modest requirement that works. Masking does not affect a businesses bottom line and it certainly will not affect the attendance or our enjoyment of the game,” said LA County Supervisor Holly Mitchell. “LA County’s transmissions are still high, so now is not the time to let down our guard.”

However, the county announced on Thursday that it may be easing its masking requirements in certain public settings if the county experiences two straight weeks at or below “moderate transmission”: 50 new cases per 100,000 residents over a week.

Also if there are no new variants, mask requirements may be relaxed at indoor establish-

ments, events, and areas of bars and restaurants. However, as of Friday, none of California’s counties are at moderate transmission levels.

Dr. Barbara Ferrer, director of LA County Public Health, said that even if the county as a whole stops requiring masking in certain spaces, individual businesses are still allowed to maintain stricter masking rules.

Ferrer also reminded the public that wearing masks is still an essential much-needed safety measure as the omicron variant continues to spread across the state, even though the county may be in a “post-surge” stage.

“Although there’s been inconsistent compliance, as we’ve seen in some settings, given the continued high numbers of new cases, including breakthrough cases, this is not the right time to stop wearing our mask when around others indoors and in crowded outdoor settings,“ Ferrer said. 

Pacquiao vows to run after...

least P171 billion worth of tainted wealth from the Marcos famlikely stop if Ferdinand Marcos ily and is in the process of runJr. is elected president. ning after P125 billion more in The PCGG has recovered at stolen assets. 

PAGE A1

LA County‘ pick-up testing kit...

PAGE A1 first-come basis - A limit of 1 kit per person or 2 kits per family - Residents should use the kits immediately and return them back to the site where it was picked up.

- Residents will receive their results in 24-48 hours via email Please Note: The Pick-Up Testing Kit is a PCR test that requires individuals to register online with a smartphone. Follow the instructions inside the package to self-test and return completed test for results. These kits are not rapid test kits. Residents unable to self-register or self-test can schedule an appointment at one of our other testing locations.

The “Pick-Up Testing Kit” program is part of ongoing efforts designed to expand testing capacity as demand across the county remains high.

LA County Department of Health Services also recently relaunched the COVID-19: LA County At-Home Holiday Testing program on an intermittent schedule and with new guidelines to reach more people and make it easier to get tested. Any LA County resident who is symptomatic or believes they were exposed to COVID-19 can order a home testing kit. The home testing kits are delivered and returned via FedEx. The test results are available within 48 hours after the lab has received the sample.

All testing services operated and affiliated with LA County Department of Health Services are free and can be found at https:// covid19.lacounty.gov/testing/.

We encourage residents to use our website to identify testing locations near them. Sites that are listed on the webpage have been pre-screened by LA County to ensure that they: • Offer the test with no out-ofpocket cost • Offer tests to everyone regardless of health insurance status • Offer tests to everyone regardless of immigration status • Offer FDA-approved tests It is important that LA County residents understand that not all COVID-19 testing sites are affiliated with or are operated by LA County. COVID testing sites are also being operated by private companies, private health care systems and local municipalities, and some privately operated sites may charge for their testing services.

LA County does not have oversight over testing sites not directly operated by LA County Department of Health Services.

As of January 31, there are over 300 COVID-19 testing sites listed in the LA County’s COVID-19 testing site, covid19.lacounty.gov/ testing/. Of those, 70 are operated by LA County’s Department of Health Services, while the rest are operated by testing partners. 

bat income inequality and our Bureau of Contract Administration for protecting and promoting the health, safety and welfare of workers in Los Angeles.”

The Bureau of Contract Administration is responsible for implementing and administering the guidelines of the Los Angeles Minimum Wage and Minimum Wage Enforcement Ordinances in the City of Los Angeles. 

RAE ELLEN BICHELL Kaiser Heallth News

WHAT does it mean if a person’s rapid antigen test result comes back positive after five days of isolation due to COVID-19? According to the experts, that person is most likely still carrying a viral load high enough to infect others.

“Anytime you’re positive by one of these rapid at-home COVID tests, it means that you’ve still got a really high level of the viral protein, and most experts are interpreting that as a high level of virus present in your nasal passage,” said Matthew Binnicker, director of clinical virology at the Mayo Clinic and president of the Pan American Society for Clinical Virology.

The Biden administration is buying a billion rapid antigen tests to ship to American homes, aiming to address the need for increased COVID testing and ease a nationwide shortage of tests. That influx of tests comes on the heels of revised federal guidelines that shortened the isolation period to five days after symptoms started or a positive test, followed by five days of masking.

It’s widely known that PCR tests, the highly sensitive polymerase chain reaction tests that detect viral genetic material, can pick up “dead” virus — material not capable of replicating — and yield a positive result for weeks after recovery, even when the person being tested is no longer infectious.

But virologists say that’s unlike-

ly to be the case for the rapid antigen tests — which detect certain proteins in the virus and produce results within 30 minutes — that are headed for people’s mailboxes.

The odds are very slim, outside of a laboratory setting, that someone who gets a positive result on a rapid antigen test is a non-infectious person shedding large amounts of dead virus, said Kelly Wroblewski, director of infectious disease programs for the Association of Public Health Laboratories.

There are several reasons for this. First, according to the Infectious Diseases Society of America, “a major advantage” of rapid antigen tests is that they are somewhat blunt tools for picking up on the virus. Therefore, a positive result tends to mean the person has a high viral load, especially if symptoms appeared.

Second, it takes a substantial amount of virus material to register as positive on an antigen test, so a person would need a high level of dead virus sitting around in their nose or throat, and usually that signals a high level of live virus, too.

Third, even if someone did have a high level of dead virus hanging around, quantity alone wouldn’t be enough to trigger a positive test — viral proteins tend to lose their shape after a battle with the immune system, which can render them undetectable by antigen tests.

In a laboratory setting, a rapid antigen test could detect bits of

“dead” virus, said Dr. Sam Dominguez, a pediatric infectious disease doctor and the medical director of the clinical microbiology lab at Children’s Hospital Colorado.

Federally funded scientists did just that to check whether rapid antigen tests would work as well on omicron as they did on other COVID variants. However, Dominguez said, the odds of dead virus — and dead virus alone — triggering a positive antigen test in a human rather than a petri dish are low.

Unlike scientists in a lab, the human body in attack mode isn’t trying to inactivate viruses just so.

It’s trying to obliterate them, proteins and all. “RNA can last longer than the proteins,” said Wroblewski, but neither substance is known for sturdiness. Even for scientists it’s somewhat of an art to keep proteins intact after inactivating the virus.

“It is not easy,” said Dr. Izabela Ragan, a veterinary scientist at Colorado State University who has branched into human virology, and who has worked for about two years on developing a vaccine against SARS-CoV-2. Her work hinges on killing the virus while preserving the shape of its proteins.

The confusion around how to interpret test results stems largely from this conundrum: While there is a wealth of testing options available, there is no foolproof way to gauge whether a person is actually infectious.

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A4 FEBRUARY 5-8, 2022 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL

DATELINE USA

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Airbnb bans far-right Filipina American columnist Michelle Malkin AIRBNB banned far-right Filipina American columnist and white nationalist supporter Michelle Malkin after she attended a gathering of the white nationalist organization American Renaissance in Nashville last November.

“Consistent with our policies, if we become aware of users who are members of or are actively affiliated with hate groups, we remove them from Airbnb,” company spokesperson Ben Breit told The Daily Beast on Wednesday, February 2. The site also banned Malkin’s husband since her trips were often booked from his account.

“The new twist in my case is Airbnb going after my HUSBAND for simply being married to me.

Are my kids next? How about other #AmericaFirst families?” Malkin, a close ally of white nationalist Nicholas Fuentes’ extremist “America First” movement, fumed Wednesday afternoon on Twitter.

“Of course, this latest & ongoing escalation of the deplatforming wars is not just about Airbnb or me,” continued Malkin. “It’s about curtailing underlying power of SPLC & ADL to oppress their

most effective political opponents & sabotage every aspect of our professional & personal lives.”

The SPLC (Southern Poverty Law Center) has deemed American Renaissance a hate group, while the Anti-Defamation League has called it a “white supremacist journal.”

Airbnb requires users to adhere to their “Airbnb Community Commitment” and “treat everyone in the Airbnb community—regardless of their race, religion, national origin, ethnicity, disability, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, or age—with respect, and without judgment or bias.”

The platform says that it has kicked out more than one million users for violating that commitment, most notably the white nationalists they removed in 2017 for attending the infamous Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville.

In 2019, the conservative group Young America Foundation cut ties with Malkin over her support for anti-Semitic internet personality Nick Fuentes.

Young America Foundation’s speakers bureau had booked Malkin for speeches across the country for the past 17 years. (Inquirer.net)

Internship program deadline extended to Feb. 18, says PCGSF THE Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco is pleased to inform members of the Filipino American communities in the United States’ Pacific Northwest that the deadline for the submission of applications for IMPACT! Filipino-American Internship Program for Summer 2022 has been extended until midnight of 18 February 2022.

The IMPACT! Program is a nine-week professional development program by the U.S.-Asian Institute (USAI), which allows young Filipino American adults to experience a first-hand look at the U.S. government in Washington, D.C., engage civically with government and political leaders, and reflect on the role they, as future leaders, might play in strengthening Philippine-U.S. relations.

The internship will run from 6 June 2022 to 5 August 2022. The program includes: • eight-week internship at a prominent Washington, D.C. organization; • one-on-one mentorship from a member of the Filipino Young Leaders Program (FLYPRO); • participation in workshops, networking op-

portunities, and social/cultural activities; and • stipend of $1,000 or $2,000, depending on whether the participant will be joining in person or virtually.

The internship program, which has the support of the Philippine Embassy and Consulates in the U.S., was launched by the USAI to empower future Filipino American leaders. It aims to inspire, motivate, and prepare the youth to contribute to civic transformation. The program is designed to uplift and equip future leaders with the knowledge they will need in furthering their careers. Young members of Filipino American Communities in the U.S. Pacific Northwest are highly encouraged to send their applications and take advantage of this rare opportunity to serve and lead.

Interested candidates may apply via this link – http://bit.ly/3zWnIUr. Additional information about the internship program is available on the USAI website (https://www.usasiainstitute.org/ impactprogram). For further inquiries, you may directly reach out to the USAI through email at usai@usasiainstitute.org. 

VP Harris swears in members...

PAGE A2 across the country and will reflect the rich diversity of AANHPI communities across the United States.

Other commissioners include Ajay Bhutoria, Kimberly Chang, Emily Chen, Daniel Dae Kim, Kerry Doi, Grace Huang, Vic-

toria Huynh, Mia Ives-Rublee, Kamal Kalsi, Michelle Kauhane, Kevin Kim, Sarah Min, Simon Pang, Ai-jen Poo, Naheed Qureshi, Raynald Samoa, Sonal Shah, Smita Shah, Robert Underwood, and KaYing Yang.

Biden on May 28, 2021 signed Executive Order 14031, “Advancing Equity, Justice, and

Opportunity for Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders” to establish the White House Initiative on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (WHIAANHPI) and deliver on his commitment to reinstate and reinvigorate this historic Initiative. (AJPress)

PRIORITY LANE. Senior citizens sit while waiting for their turn at the priority lane of a drug store along Zabarte Road in Quezon City on Friday, Feb 4. Republic Act 9994 or the Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2010 mandates the provision of express lanes for senior citizens in all commercial establishments and government offices.

PNA photo by Oliver Marquez

It’s day 6 of COVID and a rapid antigen test...

PAGE A3 to interpret test results stems largely from this conundrum: While there is a wealth of testing options available, there is no foolproof way to gauge whether a person is actually infectious.

“I wish there was,” said Binnicker. “There is no test that we have for infectiousness.”

The best option is to take a patient’s sample, stick it in a dish of thriving living cells, and see what happens to the healthy cells. If there’s live virus, said Dirk Dittmer, a virologist at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, “then the cells would die, just like the lung cells in your body would die.” But the finicky process takes about three days and can be done only in labs cleared to handle such pathogens, rendering it impractical.

Instead, the most widely available tests rely on totally different methods. They fall into two categories, typically called molecular tests and antigen tests.

Molecular tests, including PCR, look for specific bits of the virus’s RNA. With the exception of a few over-the-counter options, the tests are processed in a lab. They are capable of detecting tiny bits and pieces of the virus’s genetic material by copying whatever is floating around in a person’s sample over and over, amplifying it “a million- to a trillion-fold,” said Dr. Marie Louise Landry, director of the Clinical Virology Laboratory at Yale New

Haven Hospital. That’s why, she explained, “PCR can detect very low levels of viral RNA for weeks and even months after infection, when a patient is no longer infectious.”

Rapid antigen tests, on the other hand, look for viral proteins rather than the virus’s genetic material. Many of them look for nucleocapsid or “N” proteins, which are abundant in infected cells and form a protective capsule around the virus’s genetic material. Unlike molecular tests, rapid antigen tests work only with what’s available — no copying or amplifying involved. These tests drag a person’s sample across a special piece of paper that contains a fence of antibodies designed to grab onto the virus’s N proteins. If enough proteins snag on the fence, a visible line of color will appear.

“Even single molecules can turn a PCR positive,” said Dr. Michael Mina, an epidemiologist who has been a vocal supporter of rapid testing throughout the pandemic and is now chief science officer for the health care company eMed. But, he added, it takes “about 100,000-1,000,000 molecules to turn the rapid antigen test positive.”

But what about the official recommendation that people with COVID should isolate for five days at home — followed by five days of masking? Data from the world of sports, where

resources and testing methods abound, offer a glimpse into how variable that period of infectiousness might be.

A preliminary study of NBA players and employees found that among 70 people infected with omicron, by Day 5 after their first positive test about 40% of them were still likely infectious.

“What we’re recommending is that between Days 5 and 10, you can take an antigen test. If it’s positive, you stay in isolation till Day 10,” said Binnicker.

CDC public affairs specialist Jasmine Reed said the best approach is to use an antigen test toward the end of the five-day isolation period if the person’s symptoms have improved. “If your test result is positive, you should continue to isolate until Day 10,” she said.

Wroblewski said an important gauge of contagiousness is the simplest: how someone is feeling.

“If you have a high fever and a cough, don’t go see people. I feel like we somehow forgot that part,” she said. “Let’s not put so much emphasis on the test and the technology that we forget basic infection control practices: that if you’re sick, stay home.”  This story was produced by KHN, which publishes California Healthline, an editorially independent service of the California Health Care Foundation.

DATELINE PHILIPPINES

LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • FEBRUARY 5-8, 2022 A5

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FIVE of the six presidential candidates invited to a forum organized by the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP) were each given the opportunity to present their platforms of government, with a commitment to serve the Filipino people should they win in the elections in May. At the Panata Sa Bayan, the Presidential Candidates Forum, Labor leader Leodegario "Leody" de Guzman, Senators Emmanuel "Manny" Pacquiao and Panfilo "Ping" Lacson, Manila Mayor Francisco "Isko Moreno" Domagoso and Vice President Maria Leonor "Leni" Robredo were provided a manuscript of an oath, which they read at the end of the event.

"Ako (name) na tumatakbo sa pagkapangulo ng Pilipinas ay nanunumpa na itataguyod ko ang

malinis, patas, at mapayapang halalan sa darating na Mayo 2022," (I, who is running for President, do swear that I will support a clean, honest, and fair election in May 2022) read the introduction of the oath out by the candidates.

The candidates pledged that should they win, they will be a leader with "integrity, who will push for a government without corruption and will fight for the interests of the country".

Absent from the forum was former senator Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos, Jr., whose camp said had a conflict in schedule.

The forum was moderated by ABS-CBN news anchor Karen Davila and CNN Philippines senior anchor Rico Hizon. (Aric John Sy Cua/ManilaTimes.net)

Pediatric jabs rollout challenged in court

by JOMAR

CANLAS ManilaTimes.net

EMERGENCY VEHICLES. Around 50 units of patient transport vehicles are parked at the Toyota Otis in Manila on Friday, Feb. 4. The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) said these vehicles will be turned over to some hospitals and local government units.

PNA photo by Joey O. Razon

Alert level system will remain - Palace

by KRISTINA

MARALIT ManilaTimes.net

THE government's pandemic task force does not see the scrapping of the alert level system anytime soon, Cabinet Secretary and Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases Co-chairman Karlo Alexei Nograles said.

"Health experts will tell you that we hope the Delta variant would be the last variant of concern that's deadly, and hopefully, the next mutations will go the

way of Omicron — meaning to say more transmissible, less fatal for the fully vaccinated," the Palace official said in an interview with ANC's Headstart.

"Tingnan muna natin kung iyan ba ang direksyong patutunguhan ng (Let's see if that is the direction of) any further mutations or further variants of interest or variants of concern. That being said, hindi pa natin puwedeng tanggalin iyong (we cannot remove the) alert level system. We will not remove the alert level system.

Just in case a new variant of concern or interest would come, we can escalate immediately," he added.

An area, however, may be placed under the least strict Alert Level 1 if hospital bed utilization falls below the 49 percent threshold, and if it has a zero two-week growth rate and average daily attack rate of less than one, Nograles said.

"Under Alert Level 1, all indoor and outdoor venue capacity restrictions will be removed," he said. 

‘Lifting restrictions on unvaxxed up to LGUs’

by ROMINA

CABRERA Philstar.com

MANILA — It is up to local government officials to decide whether or not to ease restrictions on unvaccinated persons with the lowering of the alert level in areas where new COVID cases are decreasing.

Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) spokesman Jonathan Malaya said stay-athome orders and the implementation of the ”no vaccine, no ride” or

”no entry” policy depend on local chief executives.

Aside from Metro Manila, Cavite, Bulacan, Rizal, Batanes, Biliran and Southern Leyte were downgraded to Alert Level 2 from Feb. 1 to 15.

The DILG had earlier said local government units (LGUs) could pass ordinances imposing strict measures as more people are expected to troop to malls and other public places with the easing of alert levels.

However, Malaya said restric-

tions in mobility should be replaced with intensified vaccination to control the spread of the virus.

“The movement of people is something we cannot stop anymore. Meaning, we have to get out of the lockdown mentality,” he said in an interview on OneNews’ Agenda.

Malaya cited the situation in the United Kingdom and many countries in Europe, where residents ”are starting to live with the virus.” ”That is something that we need

 PAGE A8

A PETITION to stop the vaccination of 5- to 11-year-olds against COVID -19 was filed on Thursday, February 3 before a Quezon City Regional Trial Court by the Public Attorney's Office (PAO).

The petition for a temporary restraining order (TRO) was filed by PAO chief Persida Rueda-Acosta along with parents Dominic Almelor of Quezon City and Girlie Samonte, of Tondo, Manila.

Named respondents were the Department of Health (DoH), Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, Undersecretary Rosario Vergeire and the DoH's Public Health Services Team.

The claimed that the DoH memorandum issued on Jan. 24, 2022, "Interim Guidelines on the Management and Administration of Tozinameran COVID-19 mRNA vaccine (nucleoside-modified) [Cominarty] Pfizer COVID -19 Vaccine to Pediatric Population ages 5-11 Years Old," was unconstitutional.

The memorandum states that if a parent or guardian refuses to give consent to the vaccination despite the willingness of the minor to be inoculated, "the State may act as parens patria and give the necessary consent."

The state may be represented by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), according to the

memorandum.

The petitioners said the memorandum completely disregards the right of a parent or guardian to decide on the interest, well-being, life and health of the child.

"It undoubtedly allows COVID -19 vaccination done against the will of parents/ guardians exercising parental authority over their children who obviously cannot competently decide for themselves; even though no law has been passed making such vaccination mandatory. Simply put: forced COVID-19 vaccination," they said.

Rueda-Acosta said the petition was not meant to demean the efforts of President Rodrigo Duterte in trying to control the coronavirus pandemic but "to guide him in saving the lives of Filipino children and acting in their best interest, and protect them from undue experimentation without their parents'/ guardians' consent."

She said her agency should not be misinterpreted as being "anti-vaccination" because it has been all-out in supporting the government's COVID -19 measures, including inoculation.

But the DoH must "respect one's choice on matters concerning life and health especially if it involves a very vulnerable portion of the population and especially considering the uncertainties in the safety and efficacy of the COVID -19 vac-

 PAGE A8

LOS ANGELES COUNTY METROPOLITAN TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY (LACMTA) INVITATION FOR BID LACMTA will receive Bids/ Proposals for PS77329-2 - Metro Transit Security Uniforms and Equipment at the 9th Floor Receptionist Desk, Vendor/ Contract Management Department, One Gateway Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90012.

All Bids must be submitted to LACMTA, and be filed at the reception desk, 9th floor, V/CM Department, on or before 2:00 p.m. Pacific Time on Monday, March 7, 2022. Bids received after the above date and time may be rejected and returned unopened. Each Bid must be sealed and marked Bid No. PS77329-2.

For a copy of the Proposal/ Bid specification visit our Solicitation Page on our Vendor Portal at https://business.metro.net or for further information email Antonio Monreal at monrealan@metro.net.

2/5/22 CNS-3551444# ASIAN JOURNAL (L.A.)

A6 FEBRUARY 5-8, 2022 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL

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O PINION Back to school

FEATURES

AFTER nearly two years of confinement at home, students are raring to return to classrooms. Even parents, no matter how much they adore their children, will welcome the return of in-person learning, as education is carried out with much less assistance from parents.

The full return to face-to-face classes will have to wait until students and teachers alike at all levels are vaccinated. Even as pediatric vaccination is rolled out, however, and holdouts in the teaching community are encouraged to get their shots, limited in-person classes have started.

Health professionals have stressed that even for the fully vaccinated and boosted, strict adherence to health safety protocols must be sustained in schools. Masking and physical distancing must continue.

Hand hygiene plays a critical role in keeping people healthy; experts have stressed this even before the COVID pandemic. As in-person classes gradually resume, school administrators must ensure that there are sufficient facilities for hand washing, with soap and clean water. Alcohol dispensers must also be provided throughout the school.

COVID is not the only public health threat; school premises must also be cleared of possible breeding grounds for mosquitoes especially those that cause dengue.

A scare over the Dengvaxia vaccine, the world’s first against dengue, stopped that inoculation campaign. As children return to school, with open ventilation encouraged in the time of COVID, classrooms must have screens to keep out mosquitoes. Gardens or potted plants must be checked for stagnant water where mosquitoes can breed.

Prolonged home quarantine has affected the physical and mental health of children, and the return to in-person learning is always welcome.

This, however, must be done as safely as possible.

The World Health Organization has repeatedly warned that the pandemic is far from over, with coronavirus variants threatening the unvaccinated, the fully vaccinated. Protecting learners, educators the elderly and those with comorbidities, and even and their household members from illness and

Editorial

Philstar.com photo

possible death must be a top priority in resuming face-to-face classes. (Philstar.com)

‘No show’ red flag: All presidential candidates except Bongbong Marcos gave their ‘Panata Sa Bayan’ toward a clean, peaceful election in the KBP Presidential Forum

The Fil-Am Perspective GEL SANTOS-RE“PANATA SA BAYAN” (Vow to the People). Candidates applying to be the next president of the Philippines gave their solemn vow, signifying their commitment to a clean, honest, orderly and peaceful election on May 9, 2022.

All of them showed up — except for Bongbong Marcos, who notified KBP that he would not be doing the first-ever forum just one day before the much-awaited public civic event because of “conflict in schedule.”

It tuned out that such “conflict in schedule” excuse referred to Bongbong’s choice to instead guest on my friend Korina Sanchez show’s “Rated Korina” despite the fact that all the presidential candidates were invited since early December 2021, and it was Bongbong who chose the day and time of the taping of Korina’s show.

An old Filipino adage says, “Kapag gusto — gagawan ng paraan, kapag ayaw, gagawa ng dahlilan (If you want to do something, you will do everything to make it happen, but if you don’t, you will make up excuses).”

This is not the first time Bongbong had declined to participate in interviews or a hearing. In the Comelec disqualification case against him, he cited the COVID scare despite the fact that he could

participate in the hearing virtually online.

The most controversial “no shows” prior to this disregard of the KBP “Panata sa Bayan” forum were those of GMA Network.

He was also the only presidential candidate who did not join the forum on television moderated by award-winning veteran journalist Jessica Soho because he alleged Soho was biased against him and the Marcos family. Bongbong also snubbed the Radio DZBB interview.

But he was available, ready, willing and able to accept an invitation from more friendly territories. Remember the controversial interview by actress/TV host and Bongbong’s inaanak sa kasal Toni Gonzaga? Or the entertainment manager and talk show host Boy Abunda? Oh, didn’t they make him look good?

Kababayans opine on social media, this author included, that this is a deliberate tactic from the Bongbong campaign to stay out of the lion’s den where there are savage ferocious beasts salivating for the red blood of truth who wouldn’t stop until all their prey’s hidden skeletons are out in the open. Yes, they are the true journalists who would not take BS from anybody, especially from the son of the dictator who wants to be the next president.

Former Senator Bongbong Marcos with Korina Sanchez

These true journalists ask hard questions and incisive follow-ups to get to the bottom of the issues so that the electorate will be better informed, sifting through lies and propaganda meant to disinform people and revise history.

Korina Sanchez on her Instagram post gave teasers on the questions she asked of Bongbong: Magcharter change ka ba? Are you

Photo from Instagram/@korina

a dictator? Will your wife Lisa be an Imelda? Was history revised because of your trolls? How much of your father’s presidency will your presidency be if you win? Are you “disqualifiable”? Will you support anti-dynasty bills? Do you do drugs? What will be your policy on drugs and corruption?

Great questions! I look forward to the follow-up questions know-

Photo screengrabbed from news.abs-cbn.com

ing Korina was also a hard-core journalist herself before she focused more on the lifestyle/believe it or not type of stories on Rated Korina. And the pictures shared on her post featured Bongbong cooking Ilocano pinakbet and bagnet in the show.

BUT, may I submit my stance on this issue that IF Bongbong truly wanted to be part of the KBP fo-

rum he just snubbed, IF he really wanted to profess his “Panata sa Bayan” for a clean, orderly, honest and peaceful elections, IF he was really ready, willing and able to take in and respond honestly to the hard and incisive questions about his past, present and future, then he had the option NOT to schedule the Rated Korina on the same day/

 PAGE A8

The end is near?

Demand and Supply BOO CHANCO AFTER two years, we are hoping and praying that the end is near. It seems to be. We are seeing the number of cases going down as fast as it had spiked in early January. Some countries, including ours, are lifting restrictions.

We are now on alert level 2 and there is a proposal from Joey Concepcion to fully dump the alert level system by March or April. Is the end really upon us?

The science isn’t clear. There are scientists who say this may be the beginning of the end. Still, others say it is too early to declare an end, given the ability of the virus to mutate.

According to Time magazine, up to half of people around the globe have been infected by Omicron, and now presumably immune to the variant. With fewer unprotected hosts to infect, viruses generally begin to peter out.

If this assumption is correct, COVID-19 may be shifting from being a pandemic disease to an endemic one. There will still be

pockets of outbreaks among immunocompromised and the unvaccinated. But most people should be protected from the worst effects of the virus.

The director general of the World Health Organization has, however, warned in a Tweet we should not assume the COVID pandemic is reaching its ‘end game’.

“Since Omicron was first identified 10 weeks ago, almost 90 million COVID cases have been reported to the WHO. We are starting to see a very worrying increase in deaths in most regions of the world. It’s premature for any country either to surrender or to declare victory.”

But in England, the National Health Service lifted a number of restrictions, suggesting a return to normal pre-pandemic conditions.

As of Jan. 19, people no longer have to work from home.

As of Jan. 20, staff and pupils in secondary schools and colleges are not required to wear a face covering in classrooms.

As of Jan. 27, people are no longer required to wear a face covering, but may consider wearing one in crowded, enclosed spaces

where they may come into contact with people they do not normally meet. They no longer have to show their NHS COVID Pass at venues and events.

By Feb. 11, those who are fully vaccinated will no longer need to take a COVID-19 test either before or after arrival in the UK. Here, our government lifted some restrictions that surprised many. Dr. Edsel Maurice Salvana, an infectious disease specialist at UP-PGH advising IATF, explained in a Facebook post what factors were considered in removing quarantine from fully vaccinated travelers.

“1. Vaccinated people shed less virus.

“2. There is community transmission of Omicron right now, and so people coming from countries with similar or lower transmission than ours are just as likely or even less likely to have the virus compared to someone walking on the street. To further lower this risk, we retained the 48 hour pre-flight testing protocol.

“3. Many people in the vulnerable population have been vaccinated.

“4. Facility and even home quarantine are expensive and

have taken an extreme financial and emotional toll on many.

“5. We need to learn to live with the virus and with more and more people vaccinated, there is much less risk of death or severe disease.

“It has been two years and lockdowns have cost us a lot. Vaccines have changed the equation, and we also have antiviral medications for the vulnerable population and for those who develop severe disease...

“I understand people have reservations, but these changes are thoroughly discussed by experts on the advisory panels and are based on the latest data. As we transition to endemicity, we will continue to cautiously reclaim our lives. Please bear with us as we move forward and take these baby steps towards normalcy.”

Dr. Anthony Fauci was cautious when he spoke before the Davos Agenda, a virtual event this week held by the World Economic Forum. He said it is still too early to predict whether Omicron is moving to a more manageable endemic phase. “...that would only be the case if we don’t get another variant that eludes the immune response to

the prior variant. We were fortunate that Omicron did not share some of the same characteristics as Delta.”

Governments can’t wait to bring us back to normal times.

But given the ability of the virus to mutate, Fauci is right to say it is too early to declare victory over the virus.

John Barry, a distinguished scholar at the Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine and the author of “The Great Influenza: The Story of the Deadliest Pandemic in History,” shared the lessons of history in an op/ed he wrote for the New York Times.

“Most histories of the 1918 influenza pandemic that killed at least 50 million people worldwide say it ended in the summer of 1919 when a third wave of the respiratory contagion finally subsided. Yet the virus continued to kill.

A variant that emerged in 1920 was lethal enough that it should have counted as a fourth wave…

“This occurred despite the fact that the U.S. population had plenty of natural immunity from the influenza virus after two years of several waves of infection and after viral lethality in the third wave

had already decreased…“People were weary of influenza, and so were public officials. Newspapers were filled with frightening news about the virus, but no one cared.

People at the time ignored this fourth wave; so did historians.

“The virus mutated into ordinary seasonal influenza in 1921, but the world had moved on well before. We should not repeat that mistake. That is ceding control to the virus.”

We know the virus is still out there. But so long as we are vaccinated, continue to wear N95 masks, mindful of proper ventilation, continuing to social distance and avoiding crowds, we should be okay.

We cannot stop wearing masks and we cannot stop avoiding crowds just because we are tired of it all. It will be tragic to fall victim to the virus now that the end is so near. *** 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.

*** Comments are welcome at aocampo@ ateneo.edu

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

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Asteroid named after Filipino neurosurgeon

by CATHRINE

GONZALES Inquirer.net

MANILA — An eight-kilometer-wide asteroid between the orbit of Mars and Jupiter was recently named after a Filipino neurosurgeon.

The International Astronomical Union (IAU) officially named asteroid 1993 FN41 as 7431 Jettaguilar, in honor of Dr. Jose “Jett” Aguilar, a neurosurgeon at the Philippine Children’s Medical Center, Philippine General Hospital, and Cardinal Santos Medical Center.

The Working Groups for Small Body Nomenclature bulletin of IAU described Aguilar as “a Filipino neurosurgeon who has saved over one thousand children in the Philippines by volunteering his time and surgical expertise to treat their congenital malformations and brain tumors.”

“He is also an amateur astronomer and serves as vice president of the Astronomical League of the Philippines,” the bulletin read.

Asteroids are rocky, airless remnants left over from the formation of our solar system about 4.6 billion years ago. According to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the current asteroid count is over one million.

“I am really at a loss for words.

Not even in my wildest dreams have I imagined having an asteroid named after me,” Aguilar said in a press statement sent to Inquirer.net on Friday, February 4.

“Honestly, I sincerely believe that there is a long list of more deserving Filipino amateur astronomers ahead of me, but I guess there has never been a Filipino, or American, neurosurgeon yet who had received such an honor,” he

Dr. Jose “Jett” Aguilar in his home observatory

added.

Aguilar has been providing neurosurgical services to Filipino children for more than 20 years.

His recent surgeries include the successful removal of a parasitic twin from a three-week-old infant called “Baby Ned” in 2019.

He is also the clinical director of the Philippine Movement Disorder Surgery Center that pioneered deep brain stimulation surgery for Filipino patients afflicted with a rare genetic movement disorder.

According to a WGSBN Bulletin dated May 14, 2021, asteroid 7431 Jettaguilar was discovered on March 19, 1993, from the European Southern Observatory in La Silla, Chile, and was initially given the designation 1993 FN41.

Aside from being a neurosurgeon, Aguilar has also been an ardent astrophotographer. His photos of the sun, the transit of

Inquirer.net photo by Imelda Joson

Venus, lunar eclipses and other celestial events taken from his private home observatory have been published in spaceweather.com and skyandtelescope.org.

It was not the first time that an asteroid was named after a Filipino. In 1995, asteroid 1980 TS4 was named 6282 Edwelda, a combination of the first names of veteran space photographers Imelda Joson and Edwin Aguirre. In 2005, the IAU also named asteroid 1988 VB3 as 4866 Badillo, after Jesuit astronomer Fr. Victor Badillo.

In 2007, tahe IAU likewise named asteroid 1988 RK8 as 6636 Kintanar, in honor of Dr. Roman Kintanar’s service as director of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration. The IAU also named 2000 EL157 as 30100 Christophergo, after astrophotographer Christopher Go, in 2015. 

SFIO receives letter of interest from US EXIM Bank for up to $28.75-M in debt financing STARFLEET Innotech, Inc.has received a letter of interest from the Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM), in support of SFIO’s real estate development projects in the Philippines.

In their letter, EXIM, the official export credit agency of the United States, expressed interest in extending financing of up to $28.75 million, towards SFIO’s medical and retirement resort in Montemaria, Batangas, just south of Metro Manila in the Philippines. Potential debt financing from EXIM would be eligible for a maximum repayment term of seven years.

This follows a series of partnerships and exploratory talks SFIO has spearheaded towards

non-dilutive debt financing for its various projects. SFIO is currently engaged with a number of local banks in the Philippines to secure similar financing arrangements for their real estate developments, including a bayside, eco-friendly tech village in Batangas.

These projects play a crucial role in the global asset management company's strategy of collaborative innovation towards building better communities. Profits from these high-yield projects are intended to be reinvested into future growth, helping carry the group towards their plans to uplist from the US OTC Markets to the NASDAQ by 2024.

(Advertising Supplement)

A7

A8 FEBRUARY 5-8, 2022 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL

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As pandemic raged, more remittances went to health expenses worldwide MORE cash remittances sent worldwide in 2021 went to increased medical and educational expenses, particularly those sent to the Philippines, as the COVID-19 pandemic continued to ravage the global economy, according to WorldRemit.

The London-based digital payments firm conducted in December a survey involving 3,191 customers in the United Kingdom, United States and Canada.

Results showed that the pandemic had prompted senders to adjust their remittance habits, such that more than two-thirds (68 percent) of respondents sent money overseas at least monthly while close to one-third did so more than once yearly.

A separate report from Research and Markets predicted that remittance inflows would grow by 1.2 percent yearly in

the five years after the COVID-19 pandemic first broke out, to reach an estimated $745.1 billion by 2025.

According to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, remittances from overseas Filipino workers increased by 5.3 percent to $31.59 billion from January to November 2021 from $29.99 billion in the same period of 2020.

WorldRemit’s customer survey showed that the Philippines had the most number of senders for a single country, with 18 percent of respondents sending money here.

Trailing at far second and third were the African countries of Nigeria with 11 percent of respondents and Ghana, 10 percent.

Of those surveyed, 44 percent said the amount they send for medical expenses had in-

creased, while 41 percent said they sent more funds for daily expenses.

Meanwhile, 38 percent said they sent more for payment of utility bills while 35 percent said they sent more for educational expenses.

WorldRemit saw a decline in remittances earmarked for business investments and for deposit to one’s own bank account. The company said, however, the numbers were not significant.

“Many of our customers move abroad for better work opportunities and for the chance to earn better money,” WorldRemit said. “They then send some of that money home in support of their loved ones—a real act of selflessness, which we are honored to support with our services.” (Ronnel Domingo/Inquirer.net)

‘Lifting restrictions on unvaxxed up to...

PAGE A5  to do guided by our data and experience,” he said.

As this developed, in Pangasinan, unvaccinated workers in both the public and private sectors in San Nicolas town are required to undergo reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test every two weeks at their expense.

In an executive order dated Jan. 31, Mayor Alicia Primicias-Enriquez said workers should present a negative RT-PCR test before

they would be allowed to work on site.

If the RT-PCR test result is not immediately available, a rapid antigen test may be used.

Employers shall have the option to provide an unvaccinated employee a grace period of one month to get the first COVID shot.

The biweekly COVID test requirement will be lifted once an employee is fully vaccinated.

Barangay captains are also directed to prepare a monthly inventory of vaccinated residents and indicate whether they are

fully vaccinated or have received their first dose or their booster shot.

Residents who are not fully vaccinated shall remain in their residence except to procure essential goods and services. Individual outdoor exercise shall be allowed only within the general area of their residence.

Enriquez cited a memorandum of the DILG, which recognizes the lead role of LGUs to prevent and contain the spread of COVID-19 at the local level, in issuing the EO. 

Pediatric jabs rollout challenged in...

PAGE A5  cines as recognized by the law (RA 11525) itself," she said.

"The PAO is just being true to its mandate of assisting parents seeking protection of their children, the latter being the future of this country and our next generation," she said.

Almelor, a broadcast journalist and the father of a 7-yearold, said he did not want his child to receive a COVID -19 shot because he was concerned for his safety and health.

Rueda-Acosta said that if Almelor, who has been fully vaccinated, allows his child to be jabbed, he waives any right to

seek redress for any harm that may come to his child from the vaccination.

In case the DoH memorandum is followed to the letter, Almelor would find it repulsive that he would not have a say on the matter as his son is still very young and may not be able to stand the effects of the vaccination.

"His son cannot expect to know of the experimental nature of the COVID-19 vaccine and its possible adverse effects," the PAO chief said.

Samonte, who has two children, also did not want them to be inoculated with any COVID -19 vaccine because she did

not want them, she said, to experience what happened to one of her kids, Michael Jade, who is still suffering from the ill-effects of the dengue vaccine Dengvaxia.

Samonte said she sought PAO's help after learning about the vaccine rollout for young children.

"I do not want my children to be experimented on, just like what happened to my son MJ. COVID -19 vaccines are new because the pandemic only started in 2019-2020," she said.

Samonte said that after inoculation with Dengvaxia, MJ's health deteriorated"

SUMMER FRUIT. Watermelons are sold along the Marikina-Infanta Road in Antipolo City on Thursday, Feb. 3. A perfect thirst-quencher especially during the approaching dry season, watermelon contains as much as 90 percent water and is also rich in Vitamins C and A. PNA photo by Joey O. Razon

‘No show’ red flag: All presidential candidates...

PAGE A6 time of the KBP forum. He could have cancelled and rescheduled his interview with Korina and I believe as a news person she would definitely understand and schedule a new taping dayl. But alas, that never happened.

He chose to talk with Korina and be the only presidential candidate featured in the show and cooked pinakbet and bagnet. Our choices truly reflect much of our values and priorities.

Indeed, the reason behind the decision of Bongbong Marcos was revealed by no less than his Spokesperson Vic Rodriguez in an interview. Rodriguez pointed out that attending the KBP forum or any debates is voluntary. He also explained that people appreciate one-on-one interviews more because being in a panel of candidates would only allocate each a shorter time in a program.

You know what is alarming about this? Bongbong Marcos appears NOT to be ready, willing and able to be open, honest and transparent about his past, which includes his ties to his father who was a dictator who abused his power, declared martial law just before his term ended to cling on tightly to the presidency, and robbed private individuals, businesses and institutions of their rights, assets and true legacy. On top of that, the former president executed economic policies that caused the Philippines’ debt to balloon to an all-time high that ruined the credit rating of the Philippines after martial law until he was unseated by the People Power Revolution in 1986. The dictator also allowed a corrupt system to perpetuate and this chronic societal illness would continue to infest the political, political and cultural fibers of the Philippines up to now.

And Ferdinand Marcos Sr.’s

family did NOTHING to stop this betrayal of the Constitution, of public trust and benefited from this very assault on our democracy, justice and decency. They, too, act like they are above the law as evidenced by convictions in court and orders to pay back their ill-gotten wealth, even failure to pay estate tax more than three decades since Ferdinand Marcos Sr. died. income tax. This would include the one who wants to be president, convicted of not paying income tax for several years while he was a sitting Governor of Ilocos Norte. This is the man who appears to act like he is entitled to the presidency just because he is the son of the former president.

Bongbong Marcos’ campaign which, of course, includes him as principal, would claim credit to the “legacy” of his father whom they call the greatest President the Philippines has ever had. Yet the same campaign exhibits psychotic episodes when they distance BongBong from the father for all the corruption and abuse of power he committed as President. They want it both ways and the son has never shown remorse for, nor acknowledged the abuse of power the Marcoses have committed against the country.

The BongBong Marcos campaign has been unleashing his attack surrogates and trolls to discredit, demonize his critics, peddled and spread fake news to revise history and make him and the Marcos family appear to be THE victims instead of being THE oppressors. What a way to win the hearts of their blind followers.

Let me emphasize this: These parts of the PAST beg to be addressed before we can even talk about the present and especially the future. There is no reparation, healing and moving forward with-

out justice.

THE red flags are waving brightly and forcefully to get our attention. IF Bongbong Marcos could not be transparent and would refuse to make himself accountable NOW as a candidate for president, what more can he do to game the system so he would not be transparent and accountable to the people required in a democracy if he is elected president of the Philippines? Have we not learned from history?

The five other Presidential candidates — Leni Robredo, Panfilo Lacson, Isko Moreno, Manny Pacquiao and Leody de Guzman — voluntarily gave th eir “Panata sa Bayan,” shared their platform and with courage and good intentions allowed themselves to be “grilled” by journalists in the KBP Presidential Forum. These are all important so that voters will be better informed as they exercise the most important cornerstone of our democracy - the right to vote.

Bongbong Marcos chose otherwise. He has proven that he cares more about himself, his personal image, interests and agenda, than he cares for the peoples’ enlightenment and the quest for a clean honest government of the people, for the people, by the people. *** The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff.

*** Gel Santos Relos has been in news, talk, public service and educational broadcasting since 1989 with ABS-CBN and is now serving the Filipino audience using different platforms, including digital broadcasting, and print, and is working on a new public service program for the community.

You may contact her through email at gelrelos@ icloud.com, or send her a message via Facebook at Facebook.com/Gel.Santos.Relos.

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Saturday, FEBRUARY 5, 2022

Asian Journal

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Petition denied at embassy due to fraud for jumping ship on an all-new Citizen Pinoy this Sunday

LEADING U.S. Immigration Attorney Michael J. Gurfinkel provides the latest immigration developments, as featured on his YouTube channel: US Immigration TV. On Sunday, February 6, he also features another success story that is inspiring and hopeful.

Jun was a crewman who jumped ship and overstayed a few months in the U.S. in 2002.

He returned to the Philippines in 2003, and in 2007, his mother petitioned him as single.

After almost 16 years of waiting, Jun was finally scheduled for his interview at the U.S. Embassy. Unfortunately, he was denied due to fraud.

Distraught and desperate to get Jun to the U.S., his sister and their mother went to leading U.S. Immigration Attorney Michael J. Gurfinkel to seek his help.

The Law Offices of Michael J. Gurfinkel was able to file a fraud waiver, which was approved, and Jun was issued his immigrant visa, allowing him to rejoin his family in the U.S. Watch this success story on an encore episode of “Citizen Pinoy” on Sunday, February 6 at 7:00 PM PT (10:00 PM ET thru select Cable/Satellite providers). Citizen Pinoy is also available on iWantTFC. Viewers may download the app for free.

(Advertising Supplement)

Bea Alonzo to star in Pacquiao-co-produced Hollywood film

By Marane

a. Plaza

Philstar.com

Bea Alonzo

Photo from Instagram/@beaalonzo

BEA Alonzo is set to star in a Filipino-Hollywood feature film titled “Angel Warrior,” co-produced by “People’s Champ” Manny Pacquiao.

“Angel Warrior” is based on a real World War II story. It tells the story of Tala, a pre-war era Filipina whose near-death experience transforms her into an underground fighter, described as a “she devil.”

Alonzo’s character aided and fought alongside the poorly-equipped Filipino and American guerillas on the island of Panay as part of the country’s resistance movement against the Japanese occupation.

Award-winning Hollywood screenwriters Bruce McKenna and John Fusco have been tapped by U.S.-based Inspire Studios to write two AsianPAGE B2

FRAUD WAIVER AND THE LATEST DEVELOPMENTS IN U.S. IMMIGRATION THIS SUNDAY ON CITIZEN PINOY. Jun (right) was a crewman who jumped ship in 2002. He overstayed in the U.S. for several months, before returning to the Philippines in 2003. In 2007, his mother petitioned him as a single child. Finally, after many years of waiting, Jun was interviewed at the U.S. Embassy, but he was denied due to fraud. Jun’s sister (3rd from left) and his mother (2nd from left) consulted with leading U.S. Immigration Attorney Michael J. Gurfinkel (2nd from right), who was able to file a fraud waiver, which was approved. Watch this success story on an encore episode of “Citizen Pinoy” on Sunday, February 6 at 7:00 PM PT (10:00 PM ET thru select Cable/Satellite providers), right after TV Patrol Linggo. Citizen Pinoy is also available on iWantTFC. Viewers may download the free app.

(Advertising Supplement)

Chesca urges people to be careful about their feelings: ‘The heart is deceitful, wicked’ By alex

Brosas Inquirer.net

FOR celebrity mom Chesca Garcia-Kramer, it is important to make a conscious effort to “guard” one’s heart and mind to keep one’s self healthy.

Garcia recently finished her

fasting week and talked about her learnings from it, such as how what the heart feels can bring harm when not surrendered to God, as per her Instagram page yesterday, Jan. 31. She also gave a sunset view of the area surrounding her home.

She shared a line from

Proverbs 4:23: “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”

For Garcia, the heart “represents our inner feelings (mind, soul, spirit) and determines how a person acts.”

“The heart is deceitful and PAGE B2

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New Fil-Am show from ‘Yellow Rose’ producer, ABS-CBN tells multigenerational crime family drama ‘Concepcion’ will star ‘All Rise’ star Reggie Lee and take place in Los Angeles’ Historic Filipinotown

By Klarize

Medenilla AJPress

AS audiences continue to demand richer ethnic representation, a new drama series is seeking to make space within the criminal drama subgenre for the Filipino American community.

First announced by Deadline on Thursday, Feb. 3, “Concepcion” is an upcoming Filipino American drama series that will explore power, loyalty, and familial differences set in the backdrop of Historic Filipinotown in Los Angeles.

The show will center around Paulo “Lolo Pepe” Concepcion, the patriarch of a criminal empire that deals drugs, gambling, and hunger for power — a multigenerational epic that will span from 1992 to 2020.

The show — which currently does not have an air date or distribution details — will star (in an unknown role) actor Reggie Lee (“All Rise,” “The Fast and the Furious”), who is also a producer on the show along with producer Jeremiah Abraham (“Yellow Rose,” “Lingua Franca”).

The series co-showrunner, Craig Oblagacion Wilson, previously wrote and directed a short film called “Lolo Pepe” in

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Come celebrate the Lunar New Year with $100,000 EasyPlay, Cash Drawings at Pechanga “All Rise” actor Reggie Lee

2017 which also told the story of an aging drug lord reflecting on his life of crime and revenge toward those who wronged him.

It’s unclear so far whether or not that short film is a direct basis for the new show, but Abraham, Lee, and Ruel S. Bayani — head of ABS-CBN

“Yellow Rose” producer and Tremendous Communications CEO Jeremiah Abraham

International Production and Co-Production — all agree that “Concepcion” could be an historic show that’ll open the doors for other Filipino Americans to tell unique stories.

Abraham told Deadline, “Asian-Americans have a wealth of stories and experiences that Hollywood has only begun to acknowledge. I’m glad to produce such a unique project that I’m sure will captivate audiences everywhere.”

As the production will be a joint project between U.S.-based Only Humans Productions and the Philippine-based ABS-CBN, the international project will will seek to bridge the cultural gaps and create a story that will feel familiar to Filipinos everywhere.

“I am thrilled that ABS-CBN Corporation, with their wealth of resources in the Philippines, is joining us in this journey to hopefully bring this first Filipino-American drama with its dynamic scope and universal values to screens,” said Lee to Deadline this week. n

Erich, Agot & Janice share ways to feel beautiful inside and out

By CharMie Joy

Pagulong

Philstar.cim

THE ladies of the Kapamilya drama revenge series La Vida Lena shared their secrets to staying beautiful inside and out, and dealing with physical insecurities in a world obsessed with looks. The series dealt with themes about beauty, love, family and forgiveness.

The three main female characters Erich Gonzales (as Lena), Janice de Belen (as Ramona) and Agot Isidro (as Vanessa) stressed in a virtual call the importance of “protecting your own space and peace” as well as having a good disposition in life.

“Wala naman sigurong sikreto diyan basta mapayapa lang pamumuhay mo,” Erich told The STAR. “For me, just protect your space, your energy and your peace.”

When it comes to physical

insecurities, Erich acknowledged that “nobody is perfect in this world and that is what makes us human.” It’s all about “selfacceptance, embracing your flaws and imperfections,” she said.

“Like in La Vida Lena, dapat ang totoong kagandahan ay nakikita sa puso. Sa akin, (it’s) really inside, lahat ng pinapasok mo sa loob, lumalabas sa anyo mo. So ako, I eat a plant-based diet and I exercise. Good vibes, good thoughts (also) parang si Erich,” commented Agot.

She also echoed Erich about “protecting your space,” and furthered, “find your people, dapat walk away ka na ‘pag medyo nasasaktan ka na.”

“I’ve always believed that a woman’s best-kept beauty secret is her disposition,” began Janice. “Because your attitude, the way you look at life, the way you look at things, tama yung it’s from within eh. So, it makes

you beautiful the way you look at things and the way you see life. Yun dapat ang nakikita ng mga tao.”

Janice admitted she had “a lot of insecurities about my body.”

“Hindi naman ako kasing-sexy ni Erich, ni Agot. I’m not even tall. Para sa akin, so what? You have to be yourself. At some point in your life, you’ve got to accept that this is me. Ayaw niyo, di ‘wag niyo.”

She continued, “I do my job, this is who I am. I’m true to myself. At yun ang pinapakita ko sa inyo. Yun yung pinakaimportante. It’s not always about your body shape or height or whatever or how much makeup you have on or how tulis your nose is. It’s not about that, it’s about who you are and you should be proud of that.”

On the other hand, the actors playing the men in Lena’s PAGE B6

AS 2022, the Year of the Tiger, approaches, Pechanga Resort Casino welcomes everyone to join in the celebration of the festival with a series of promotions and giveaways this February.

Lunar New Year $100K EasyPlay & Cash Drawing Pechanga Resort Casino celebrates the Lunar New Year by giving away $100K in EasyPlays and cash prizes on Friday, February 11 & 18. Club members can earn entries to the drawing by playing slots or table games from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. each day for a chance to win big prizes. 60 winners will be drawn to receive $250, $500, or $750 in EasyPlay. 1 lucky winner will be drawn at 10 p.m. for the ultimate cash prize of $25,000. Come discover the thrill of possibly of winning multiple times! $5K Lucky Red Envelope Giveaway Pechanga lets players become even luckier with the “Lucky Red Envelope” promotion this February. Club members just simply visit the Promotional Area every Tuesday in February from 12 p.m. to 10 p.m. for a chance to win up to $5,000 in EasyPlay!

Lunar New Year Luck Lion Dance In celebration of the Lunar New Year, Pechanga Resort Casino will arrange a splendid Lucky Lion Dancer Performance on February 5. Starting at 3 p.m., the “Lion Dancer Team”, which symbolizes auspiciousness and good luck, will start at the north entrance, and cruise around the casino floors. Everyone will be able to get Red Packets to give to the Lion Dancers to pray for a Good New Year.

Exclusive Dining and Drinks Specials Pechanga Resort Casino also welcome guests to reserve tables for Family Dinner or Business Lunch to enjoy exclusive “Lucky” Lunar New Year Dining and Drink Specials that have been meticulously prepared by the chefs of Bamboo, Blazing Noodles and Umi Sushi & Oyster Bar. Tastily made by Umi Chef Kiyo Ikeda, the Lobster Three Ways ($98), Sticky Rice Stuffed Chicken ($58) and the Eel Lotus Wrap ($42) will certainly bring you to a new level of dining experience.

Chef Marie Surakul at Bamboo

serves Steamed Whole Fish ($98), which means an increase in prosperity, and Long-Life Noodles with Beef Tenderloin ($38). She points out that noodle is a symbol of happiness and longevity, and guests will experience instant happiness while eating these Lunar New Year specialties.

Blazing Noodles, just off the Pechanga hotel lobby, dishes up eight traditional Asian specialties for the occasion. From Fried Red Snapper to Stir-fry Lamb Meat with Spicy XO Sauce, these special dishes’ prices range from $22 to $92.

The dining specialties in Blazing Noodles, Bamboo and Umi will be available from Jan. 28 through Feb. 13. Reservations are recommended at Umi Sushi & Oyster Bar and can be made by visiting www.Pechanga.com/ eat or calling (951) 770-8504.

Above all, Pechanga’s expert mixologists created a 5 Spice Old Fashioned Cocktail for the Lunar New Year. Each spices represent one of the five elements: wood, fire, earth, water, and metal, which is symbolic for an everlasting luck and fortune. Guests can stop by the Acorn, Corner or Round Bars from Jan. 28 to Feb. 13. Guests can taste this specialty cocktail for just $12.75.

Lunar New Year Property Décors The Lunar New Year symbolizes the fresh start of a new year, a new beginning.

In celebration of this festival, Pechanga, starting from January 17, 2022, have decorated the entire property with traditional New Year elements, such as bright red lanterns, refined oriental-style garden bridge, and beautifully bloomed peach blossoms, traditional calligraphy

spring couplets and more.

Throughout the floor, you will be able to find countless photo-op spots for your selfies or a family portrait, while capturing the stunningly displayed Lunar New Year decorations.

For more information on Pechanga events and promotions, please call (877) 711-2946 or visit our website Pechanga.com. Must be at least 21 years of age to participate in promotions.

Come enjoy Pechanga’s four diamond-rated service with a peace of mind, and to learn more about the health and safety measures that have been implemented, please visit pechanga.com/covid.

Pechanga Resort Casino offers one of the largest and most expansive resort/casino experiences anywhere in the United States. Voted the number one casino in the country by USA Today and rated a Four Diamond property by AAA since 2002, Pechanga Resort Casino provides an unparalleled getaway, whether for the day or for an extended luxury stay. Pechanga offers more than 5,000 of the hottest slots, table games, world-class entertainment, 1,100 hotel rooms, dining, spa and golf at Journey at Pechanga, Pechanga Resort Casino features a destination that meets and exceeds the needs of its guests and the community. Pechanga Resort & Casino is owned and operated by the Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians.

For more information, call toll free (877) 711-2946 or visit www.Pechanga.com. Follow Pechanga Resort & Casino on Facebook and on Twitter @ PechangaCasino.

(Advertising Supplement)

Janella opens up on physical abuse in past relationship, Chesca urges people to be... trauma being around drunk men

PAGE B1 wicked,” she noted. “Nobody knows how bad it can get or how bad it is. And, our hearts are not always right.”

She thus believes that guarding the heart is important indeed, and that the first step to doing that is by strengthening the mind.

“The mind can manage our hearts. God created our minds above our hearts because our minds can control what we feel,” she said.

She believes that Philippians 4:8 also says it all – “Fix your thoughts on what is true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praise

Chesca Kramer

Photo from Instagram/@chekakramer

worthy.”

“Let this be a guide or an inventory of your thoughts,” she said.

Second, she thinks people need to search their hearts because “our hearts have the tendency to twist the truth and manipulate us.” So much so that “even when we know it is wrong we still try to justify what we do to convince ourselves it’s right.”

“Let God search our hearts. Surrender our hearts to the Lord. Let the Lord point out what needs to be changed and what is not pleasing to him. And finally, let God lead us to his good and perfect way.

The path of the righteous,” she said.

She also referred to Psalm 139: 23-24 which said, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.”

Lastly, she urges people to always “submit,” citing Proverbs 3:5-6 which said, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.”

Garcia believes that people should always include God in all their plans and that they should always make Him part of their lives.

“When we put our trust in him we’re putting our confidence and security in his hands. Seek his guidance in all that we do and think, and obey him so that he can make our paths straight,” she said.

“Our hearts are completely guarded when it is surrendered to the Lord,” Garcia assured. “God protects our mind, and our hearts perfectly.” n

By anne

PasaJol Inquirer.net

JANELLA Salvador has opened up about her past relationship and the trauma she suffered after experiencing physical abuse.

Though she did not name anyone, it can be recalled that Salvador previously claimed her ex-boyfriend, actor Elmo Magalona, physically abused her, after he allegedly hit her while he’s drunk.

Salvador spoke about how she chose to forgive him despite not having closure, in an interview with comedian and talent manager Ogie Diaz, as seen on PAGE B6 Janella Salvador

Photo from Instagram/@superjanella

Bea Alonzo to star in...

PAGE B1 themed war features, with the second one, “Palawan,” set for 2023.

Alonzo’s movie is slated for production this year. Both “Angel Warrior” and “Palawan” will likely be shot in the Philippines and Thailand.

The films are being produced by Inspire Studios’ founder and Chief Executive Officer

Francis Lara Ho, and executive produced by John Shepherd (“The Stoning of Soraya M.”), Thailand’s Buranasompod Pongrapee alongside boxing champion and presidentiable Manny Pacquiao.

Bea was previously named as a “Talent to Watch” by global news platform Variety, as well as the Internationals Film Festival & Awards Macao in 2019. n

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Fely Quitevis-Bateman: Seizing opportunities and making sound investments FELY Quitevis-Bateman has been in the real estate industry for almost five decades now, starting her career in Manila back in 1974. Through sheer handwork and determination, she was able to create a name for herself after moving to the United States.

The Nevada-based businesswoman established Precious Properties and has been calling Pahrump home for the past 30 years. Pahrump is located in Nye County, about 60 miles west of Las Vegas and an hour east of Death Valley National Park, a place known for extremes.

Through the years, QuitevisBateman has held positions in Nye County and she takes pride in these roles, which she navigated with ease.

“I have been very proud of all the positions I held especially being a Nye County Commissioner where together with the other 4 commissioners we carefully determined how to spend the county’s budget and the approval of different projects that came to our table for approval,” she relayed.

Quitevis-Bateman invested not just her money but her time as well. She knew she had so much to learn in the industry and believed that for her to succeed, she had to invest in improving her mental fortitude

Fely Quitevis-Bateman and her husband Russ Bateman

to grow a successful business venture.

She went to Harvard Business School in Cambridge from 2005 to 2007 after she was accepted from over 2,000 applicants to study Owner/President Management Program.

“I was lucky to be in the 6% who were accepted. My class was 21 days a year at $1,000/day and I had the honor to be in a group of multi-millionaire business owners and a couple of them are billionaires today,” she shared.

She makes it a point to learn from every position she gets herself into, whether it is in Harvard or her hometown of Pahrump.

Fely Quitevis-Bateman in front of the Harvard Business School entrance.

“I learned very important lessons as one of the commissioners of the Division of Aging too. As a member of the jury selection, I was honored to have met and sat down with all the NV Supreme Court justices and selected a candidate that replaced an elected Nye County Judge that passed away a few months after being elected,” Quitevis-Bateman recalled.

The hardworking achiever bought her first house in Pahrump in 1999 although she has been selling Pahrump land since 1992 as a California broker.

Indeed, she has amassed great memories in Pahrump, witnessing it rise and grow into what it is today.

One of her favorite memories is when former President Fidel Ramos stayed with them in 2007 for a few days. “He was very happy to have played golf at Mountain Falls Country Club,” she quipped.

Despite her successful and colorful career, Quitevis-Bateman takes pride and treasures her humble beginnings and low-key profile.

She was born in Bugallon, Pangasinan and her father used to be a carpenter turned contractor while her mother was a plain housewife who took care of them extremely well. She is proud to share her father’s success story in helping build some high-rise buildings along Buendia Ave, Ayala Ave, and Paseo De Roxas in Makati with her siblings who are engineers, CPA, and architect.

Pahrump Rising Quitevis-Bateman chose Nevada because demographics showed Nevada to be the No. 1 growing state, and it still is up to now, she said. She saw the great opportunity available in Pahrump and the surrounding region, especially since Pahrump is the heart of the desert and the perfect place to enjoy the best of southern Nevada.

She became a realtor in Manila in 1974 and came to Los Angeles in 1984 at the age of 41. She had several clients who wanted to retire in Nevada or Arizona so she would do her due diligence and look for properties the retirees could invest in. The first property that she herself bought gave her the idea that real estate is the best investment a person can have.

That is why when she saw that opportunities were aplenty in Pahrump, she decided to call it home. Decades later came a flourishing housing market coupled with a considerable population increase that necessitated multiple new businesses opening their doors to the public.

Over the past few years, several positive economic indicators have helped transform Pahrump to become a sleepy desert town on the rise as it slowly emerged from the Sin City’s shadow.

According to Kiplinger Letter, a trusted leader in personal finance, investments, and economic forecasts, Nevada and Arizona are the only two states to have a population growth of up to or more than 50 percent till the year 2040.

Nevada will continue to grow as predicted with Las Vegas being the entertainment capital of the world. Today, Quitevis-Bateman shared that approximately $12 billion-plus budget is on the pipeline, and some of them are now under construction.

“Investors should look at demographics in their investment process. There are approximately eight taxes that we don’t pay in NV including state income tax. We have entertainment, sports, fine dining, shopping, health care, and many more. Our international airport is one of the best nationwide,” she explained.

(Advertising Supplement)

Fely with Harvard classmate Rajan Mittal

Fely with her mentor, financial advisor, real estate consultant and loving husband Russ Bateman.

Fely and her family with former Philippine President Fidel Ramos at Mountain Falls Country Club.

Fely (3rd from left) with (from left) husband Russ and her Harvard classmates Rajan Mittal, who is Walmart’s partner in India, and Samir Modi, CEO of Modi Enterprises in India.

B4 FEBRUARY 5-8, 2022 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL

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Comcast celebrates the 2022 Lunar New Employees entitled to Year by curating Asian and Asian American penalty payments from entertainment collection including special employer for labor violations guest editors Lisa Ling, Gold House Protecting Xfinity Customers can ring in the Year of the Tiger with thousands of hours of content easily accessible via the award-winning voice remote

PHILADELPHIA – Lunar New Year is one of the most important festivals for millions around the world who return home to spend time with family, eat traditional foods, and share gifts with lots of red – a symbol of good luck and fortune for many Asian cultures. In celebration of the Year of the Tiger, Xfinity customers can access thousands of hours of Asian and Asian American entertainment in one curated destination via Xfinity On Demand and Flex, from February 1 to February 16.

For the second year in a row, Comcast has teamed up with guest editor Lisa Ling and Gold House, the non-profit collective of Asian and Pacific Islander cultural leaders that invests in new opportunities and celebrates historic Asian achievements, to leverage its talent relationships and staff for content recommendations to supplement the Asian American editorial voice on Xfinity’s video platforms.

Xfinity X1 and Xfinity Flex customers can browse and navigate the experience with the voice remote by saying “Asian American” and “Lunar New Year” to access a wide variety of popular movies, music videos, behind-thescenes content, and more, including: • X1 and Flex movies on demand like “Minari,” “Crouching Tiger & Hidden

Atty. C. Joe SAyAS, Jr.

Dragon,” “Spirited Away,” “Joy Luck Club,” and “Crazy Rich Asians.”

• Featured programming from Xumo, Netflix, Amazon Prime, Tubi, Kocowa, Anime Network, Hi-YAH!, Music Choice, GMA Pinoy, Filipino On Demand and TVK Pop. • Recommendations from Gold House and Asian American entertainer Lisa Ling, available via Xfinity on Demand on X1 and Xfinity Stream.

• Collections and YouTube selections featuring movies, music, traditions, and recipes.

• A unique digital wallpaper of swimming Koi Fish, which symbolize good luck, abundance, and perseverance.

“We are thrilled to celebrate the Year of the Tiger by teaming up with Gold House, for the second year in a

row, and offering our Xfinity customers curated content that showcases the best Asian and Asian American programming available,” said Keesha Boyd, Executive Director, Multicultural Video & Entertainment, Xfinity Consumer Services.

Year round, Xfinity customers can visit Xfinity’s “Asian American Film & TV” destination on Xfinity On Demand, a first of its kind collection, showcasing hundreds of curated titles, integrating culturally relevant content from partners including Netflix, YouTube, Amazon Prime Video, and Pandora, and celebrating significant cultural observances.

For more information on programming, visit Xfinity.com/ AsianAmerican. n

The heart of Catholic education Pastor’s Notes reverend rodel G. BAlAGtAS WHAT makes education Catholic?

It’s a worthy question that many of us—bishops, priests, and laypeople, especially Catholic school parents and students— should think about and answer. The question is not merely about delving into the reasons for sending children to Catholic school but rather understanding the foundation and the vision of faith-based education.

Thomas H. Groome, a senior professor of theology and religious education at Boston College, responds to this question in his new book, What Makes Education Catholic, Spiritual Foundations by Orbis Books.

The book is another masterpiece by Thomas Groome, who is well-known and respected for decades in the theological and religious education circle. In her review of this work, Melodie Wyttenbach, Ph.D. of Boston College, says it weaves together the author’s mastery of storytelling and deep theological wisdom. “Groome’s impressive scholarship leads readers to understand not only what Catholic education is, but its value for our complex

EMPLOYMENT

Employee & Consumer Rights

world,” she states.

Melodie Wyttenbach is right. As I read the first few chapters of the book, I could not help but become impressed and inspired by Groome’s insights, especially in this day and age when many parishes and dioceses struggle to keep their Catholic schools open.

In particular, his question regarding the heart of faithbased education intrigues me.

He writes: Ask any Christian what is the heart of their faith and Protestants are more likely to say “the Bible” and Catholics “the church.” The Bible, the church, and then the creeds and commandments, the sacraments and symbols, the values and virtues, and so on are all constructive of Christian faith. Yet, as the Catechism of the Catholic Church well summarizes: “At the heart… we find a Person, the Person of Jesus of Nazareth, the only Son of the Father (426). By the same logic, the “heart” of Christian faith should be the “heart” of Catholic education.

My friends, there is the basis of the vision and mission of Catholic education: the Person of Christ and all the values he taught and lived. We present the Person of Christ and his teachings to Catholic students and those of other faith, hoping that we influence their minds and hearts and engage their souls.

Alluding to some existential and philosophical thoughts, Groome contends that

Catholic education’s mission is to lean them “into a gracious Transcendent Horizon of meaning, purpose and values” and offer them “heightened hope for life lived well and for the common good of all.” But, of course, these thoughts are grounded in the teachings, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, as Groome explains: By simple logic, Catholic schools are to reflect the deep values, truths, and wisdom of this faith tradition as they pertain to the practice of education. Because so shaped by faith, we can say that the foundations of Catholic education are spiritual more than philosophical, arising more from faith than reason (though the latter is a critical partner).

In light of our celebration of Catholic School Week these past days, join me in praying for our Catholic schools’ health and success, including Incarnation Catholic School.

May they become means of cultivating the hearts and minds of our young people patterned after the heart and mind of Christ. In that way, they too would become “fishers” of men and women. *** 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. *** Fr. Rodel “Odey” Balagtas is the pastor of Incarnation Church in Glendale, California.

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Q: I RECENTLY resigned from work because I was tired of being shorted on overtime pay, not being given breaks half the time, being made to work before and after my shift with no pay, and not being reimbursed for using my personal vehicle and cellphone for work. Unfortunately, before being hired, we had to sign an agreement that we cannot sue the employer and if we have any claims we had to go to arbitration. This seems unfair. Is there anything else I can do?

A: Even though an arbitration agreement does not allow you to file a claim for wages in court, you may still be able to sue for civil penalties for every employment law violation that applies to you and your co-workers covered under California’s Private Attorney General Act (PAGA).

As previously discussed in this column, arbitration is a procedure to resolve disputes outside the court system. The disputing parties refer the case to a third party (the arbitrator) who makes a decision that is legally binding on both sides. By signing an arbitration agreement, the employee gives up the right to be heard before a judge or a jury and agrees to resolve any claim against the employer before an arbitrator.

This means the employee cannot file a lawsuit in court to resolve the claim. Many studies show that arbitration favor defendants and defense firms that pay the arbitration costs.

There is limited opportunity to appeal an arbitrator’s ruling.

However, claims under PAGA are generally exempt from arbitration and may be litigated in court. A PAGA claim is unique to California. This law was enacted to maximize compliance

with California’s labor laws.

Instead of the State of California pursuing penalties against an employer, the law gives a private citizen the right to recover these penalties. It allows a private citizen to act as an attorney general and seek to stop violations that other employees suffered. What the employees are awarded under PAGA are not the actual lost wages for violations of the law. Instead PAGA says the employer must pay the employee(s) penalties for violations of those laws.

Consider the following case reported by the Daily Journal: Blasa Reyes, Wendy Flores, and Salvador Mendoza worked for Kellermeyer Bergensons Services (KBS), a company that provides cleaning services. The employees were assigned to provide janitorial services for KBS’ customers. The employees filed a consolidated class action and a representative action under PAGA against KBS. The employees claimed that they were required to work before the start of their shifts and were not paid for those hours worked. They also worked more than 8 hours on some shifts and were not paid for all overtime worked. When they were not provided meal or rest breaks (which could also mean that their breaks were late, shortened or interrupted), they were not paid an extra hour for that meal or rest break. When the employer used their personal cell phones for work, they were not reimbursed for such charges.

Mendoza alleged that they were not provided suitable seating even though it was reasonable for their tasks. Lastly, before clocking in, employees had to undergo security checks and Covid-19 related temperature checks, but the time they spent for these activities were not paid by the employer. Each of these violations has an equivalent penalty amount under PAGA and can increase depending on how many times the violations occurred and how many

employees were affected.

The employer denied the employees’ claims stating that its timekeeping and meal and rest breaks policies complied with the law; that the company prohibited employees from working off the clock; and that employees were provided seating to use during breaks or when they had down time from cleaning.

Rather than proceed to trial, the parties decided to do a mediation. After “extensive” negotiations, the employer agreed to pay $7,500,000 to resolve the employees’ PAGA claims.

On January 1, 2020, Assembly Bill 51 took effect, prohibiting mandatory arbitration agreements.

It prohibits employers from requiring employees, as a condition of employment or continued employment, to waive any right, forum, or procedure when seeking redress for a violation of any California labor law. Even when the law was challenged in court, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeal, in September 2021, upheld the law, adding that employers also cannot require employees to opt out of arbitration as a condition of employment. *** The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff. *** The Law Offices of C. Joe Sayas, Jr. welcomes inquiries about this topic. All inquiries are confidential and at no-cost.

You can contact the office at (818) 291-0088 or visit www.joesayaslaw. com. [For more than 25 years, C. Joe Sayas, Jr., Esq. successfully recovered wages and other monetary damages for thousands of employees and consumers.

He was named Top Labor & Employment Attorney in California by the Daily Journal, consistently selected as Super Lawyer by the Los Angeles Magazine, and is a past Presidential Awardee for Outstanding Filipino Overseas.]

(Advertising Supplement)

Lovi camp denies link to Tom, Carla alleged split

By Marane

a. Plaza

Philstar.com

Actress Lovi Poe’s camp denied the supposed involvement of the actress in the breakup rumors surrounding newlyweds Tom Rodriguez and Carla Abellana.

Word about the breakup first started last week when “Take It... Per Minute, Me Ganun,” Pilipino Star Ngayon’s (PSN) digital talk show hosted by

Lovi Poe

Photo from Instagram/@lovipoe

Lolit Solis, Cristy Fermin and Mr. Fu, discussed about the alleged rift between Rodriguez and Abellana.

Recently, YouTube videos are claiming that actress and singer Lovi Poe has had something to do with the breakup.

Talent management company LVD Management Corp. denied the supposed involvement through Lovi’s talent manager, Leo Dominguez.

Dominguez said, as quoted by PSN, “Kawawa naman si Lovi kung mapagbibintangan siya.

Siya naman ngayon ang bagong biktima ng mga mahilig gumawa ng fake news.”

He added, “Natatawa na lang noong una si Lovi, pero ngayon na kumakalat na ang fake news na ito at maraming nagtatanong sa kanya kung totoo ba ito, kailangan na namin mag-react para klaruhin ang issue!”

Poe’s camp emphasized that Lovi is actually friends with Carla and Tom. “Kaibigan ni Lovi ang mag-asawa. Nakasama na ni Lovi si Carla sa pelikula at tatlong beses na rin nakasama ni Lovi si Tom sa pelikula. Hinding hindi magagawa ni Lovi ang makipagrelasyon sa isang taong may asawa na. Lalong hindi siya manghihimasok sa marriage na kinabibilangan ng mga kaibigan niya. So, gusto lang namin i-clarify na hindi totoo ‘yan. Very fake news, kaya tigilan na!”

Additionally, Lovi has been sharing posts on her Instagram page, showing snippets of her romantic relationship with Hollywood producer Montgomery Blencowe. n

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B6 FEBRUARY 5-8, 2022 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL

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What is the difference between What is a ‘hardship’ an annulment and a divorce? discharge in Chapter 13?

Barrister’s Corner Atty. Kenneth UrsUA reyes WHAT is the difference between a divorce and an annulment? Many people think these concepts are the same and interchangeable. There are many differences between the two concepts. A divorce ends a valid existing marriage. In a nullity, a determination is made about the validity of the marriage itself.

When a marriage is annulled, it has the same effect as if the marriage never existed. A nullity results in a void.

In California, any spouse can obtain a divorce regardless of the reason. A common basis used is a catchall phrase “irreconcilable differences.” However, anyone who wants to end a marriage can end the marriage and there is nothing the other spouse can do to stop that. However in a petition for nullity, the court will not automatically grant you the nullity. There has to be a legal basis for seeking the nullity as outlined in the family code.

Some of the basis are 1) entering into a bigamous marriage 2) incestuous marriage 3)fraud in obtaining the other spouse’s consent to marriage 4) incurable physical incapacity 5) unsound mind among others.

The petitioner would have to prove one of these grounds in court to be able to get a nullity.

In a Nullity, there is a statute of limitations. That means you have to file your nullity within a

certain time period depending on the basis for seeking the Nullity. Each ground has a different statute of limitation.

For example, if you are filing the nullity based on fraud, you have to file within 4 years of discovering the fraud. If you blow the statute of limitation, this can be used as a defense to dismiss your case. On the other hand there is no statute of limitation in a divorce. You can file a divorce at any time regardless of how long you have been separated from your spouse.

In a divorce, husband and wife are presumed to be the parents of children born during the marriage. In a Nullity, the marriage has no validity so it will affect the presumption of parentage of the children. The Court will have to make a finding of parentage for the children on a different basis before it can make orders relating to custody, visitation, and support.

The treatment of spousal support (alimony) is different between the two. In a divorce, the spouse that has less earning capacity and access to resources may seek an award of spousal support. This is not available in a Nullity since the marriage is invalid and there is no spouse as a result.

The division of property is also different. In a divorce, community property is divided equally between the spouses. In a nullity, since there is no valid marriage, there is no community property created and properties are not divided between the spouse. Similarly, neither party can receive survivorship benefits and inheritance rights from the other party in a Nullity.

Erich Gonzales, Agot Isidro and Janice de Belen

Finally, there are different immigration consequences between a divorce and a nullity when an immigrant spouse is involved. In a divorce, the immigrant spouse who obtains a greencard from a US Citizen spouse stands a bigger chance of keeping his or her greencard and ultimately become a US Citizen.

In a nullity, the immigrant spouse may lose their greencard status when the marriage is found to be invalid since it is the basis for the greencard. It can jeopardize the immigration status of the legal permanent resident spouse. *** Please note that this article is not legal advice and is not intended as legal advice.

The article is intended to provide only general, non-specific legal information.

This article is not intended to cover all the issues related to the topic discussed.

The specific facts that apply to your matter may make the outcome different than would be anticipated by you. This article does create any attorney client relationship between you and the Law Offices of Kenneth U. Reyes, APC This article is not a solicitation. *** Attorney Kenneth Ursua Reyes is a Certified Family Law Specialist. He was President of the Philippine American Bar Association. He is a member of both the Family law section and Immigration law section of the Los Angeles County Bar Association. He is a graduate of Southwestern University Law School in Los Angeles and California State University, San Bernardino School of Business Administration. He has extensive CPA experience prior to law practice. LAW OFFICES OF KENNETH REYES, APC. is located at 3699 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 747, Los Angeles, CA, 90010.

Tel. (213) 388-1611 or e-mail kenneth@ kenreyeslaw.com or visit our website at Kenreyeslaw.com.

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ABS-CBN photos

Erich, Agot & Janice share ways to...

PAGE B2 life — JC de Vera (as Adrian) and Kit Thompson (as Miguel) — related how their real-life personas resembled their characters, when it came to love and relationships.

For JC, it’s being faithful and loyal. “Ang pagkaka-pareho ko lang kay Adrian is yung faith and loyalty ko sa mga taong mahal ko. 100 percent yan. I’ll be very loyal and faithful talaga sa mga taong talagang pagbibigyan ko

ng pagmamahal,” he told The STAR. “Pero the rest, hindi ko gusto si Adrian. Hindi ko talaga siya gusto kaya ko siguro na enjoy ko i-portray yung character ni Adrian it’s because hindi ko siya gusto. I’m not comfortable portraying his character but I enjoyed it (nonetheless), kaya maganda kinalabasan,” he said.

This is also the first time that JC tried an off-beat role and he took it as a challenge. “In a way magandang experience ‘to para sa akin kaya kesa sa kabahan ako sa bawat experience ko sa show na yun, in-enjoy ko na lang,” he said.

As for Kit, “I guess, similarity namin ni Miguel is he would do anything in his way to get what he wants. Para siyang, ‘pag may gusto siya, parating may paraan, parati niya makukuha or gusto niya makuha. (We are) same in a way but not to that extent (Miguel’s hostile actions).”

However, the question remains about the series: How will Lena take down Miguel, Adrian and Lukas (played by Raymond Bagatsing)?

Will Lena finally get the justice she deserves?

As the show is down to its final episode tonight (Feb. 4), the full season of La Vida Lena started airing in Myanmar via Fortune TV last Jan. 31.

Meanwhile, Agot was asked how important it is for celebrities like herself to be vocal on social issues.

She responded, “It is important for everyone, not just for celebrities to voice out their opinions on certain social issues.

Siguro naha-highlight lang kasi nga we have a certain influence over viewers and people that know us.”

“Importante siya dahil kailangan siguro for equality.

Siguro kailangan pinupuna yung mga injustices and mga social issues na mga taliwas sa dapat mangyari. I-tama lang natin by voicing out our opinions or puna. Hindi siya nega, no, we just want to make it right. There is such a thing as freedom of speech and freedom of expression,” asserted Agot. n

CHAPTER 13 is a reorganization of your financial affairs where you pay a portion of your debts over 36 months or 60 months depending on where your household income is.

If it’s over the state median for the same size family as yours following current government statistics, then it’s 60 months. If not, it’s 36 months. But in reality, as bankruptcy law is practiced, even if your household is below the median, the Chapter 13 trustee normally wants all of your available disposable income and can and will object to a proposed 36-month plan on the basis of good faith or lack thereof.

Simply put, if you have $500 of disposable income are below the median and propose a 36-month plan, it’s not a slam-dunk case to have your plan confirmed by the court. The trustee will object to the 36-month plan saying that good faith requires you to propose a 60-month plan because creditors can get paid 24 months more at $500 a month, or another $12,000 so your 36-month plan should be denied on the ground of lack of good faith.

What happens if you are now on a 60-month plan paying $800 a month and currently you’re on the 38th month, and tragedy has just struck. By tragedy I mean, you just got COVID-19 despite having your two shots, have been intubated and are on a respirator for a month.

So you pray like you’ve never prayed before as if your very life depended on it because it does.

And the Sacred Heart of Jesus, in its infinite mercy answers your prayers and gives you back your life! A week from now, you’re out of the ICU and sent back home to recuperate. Two weeks from now, your test is negative. You’re COVID free.

But even though your COVID free, you’ve lost 30 pounds, can barely walk straight and it looks like you went on a hunger strike for a month. Skin and bones are what you look like now and you need a walker. Hey, but you’re alive and happy to be alive. The problem is you can’t go back to work just yet, and you don’t know if you can continue making the $800 a month Chapter 13 plan payment.

The ‘hardship’ discharge At this time, there are two kinds of “Hardship” discharge that you might be able to access.

In both kinds, you may be able to get a discharge without actually finishing all plan payments.

The first kind is a normal part of bankruptcy law which provides that if you have been permanently disabled that drastically changes your ability to pay, and have already paid a substantial portion of your Chapter 13 plan, you might qualify for a ‘Hardship” discharge. What is a substantial portion of your Chapter 13 plan?

Most courts consider at least a 70 percent payment of your plan substantial.

The other kind sunsets at the end of this year unless it is extended. It is pandemic-related relief for those debtors in Chapter 13 that have been negatively impacted by COVID, provided for in the CARES Act, and the

Debt Relief

Atty. LAwrence yAng CAA. If certain conditions apply, debtors can request the court for a discharge without complying with the substantial portion requirement. Specifically, if you are at least two months behind on your mortgage after a certain date during the pandemic era and are negatively impacted by the pandemic, you can file a motion to request for discharge.

If you qualify for instance and you still owe $50,000 on your plan payments, you can now, before the law expires at the end of the year ask for a discharge of the $50K without any further payments. Apparently, courts are given temporary discretion to disregard the best interest of creditors, and disregard the fact that the current market has increased home equities to the moon, beyond the exemptions applicable, and still give the eligible debtor a discharge.

From something bad comes something good. God is in control.

Don’t worry God has a good plan for you, even if something very bad has happened to you.

God can and does use something done by the evil one to you to bring about something very good for you and other people. What does this mean?

Joseph is sold into slavery In Genesis 50:20, the brothers of Joseph throw him into a well and sell him into slavery because they are jealous of him, being their father’s favorite. Their father is Jacob who is the grandson of Abraham, the father of the Israelites. Joseph is 17 years old when he is sold into slavery. He is brought to Egypt as a slave, but in Egypt, he is falsely accused of rape and is imprisoned for 13 years.

Clearly, the evil one has done a number on Joseph. But God gave Joseph the gift of interpreting dreams. The big boss in Egypt, the pharaoh keeps dreaming about 7 fat cows, which are eaten by 7 thin cows. He’s going nuts trying to understand what this means. So he puts up a show, Egypt’s got talent, to see if anyone can interpret his dream.

No one is able to give him the right answer. Finally, the chief butler of the pharaoh tells him that there’s this guy in prison who can interpret dreams, Joseph. The pharaoh summons Joseph to his palace.

7 fat cows are eaten by 7 thin cows Joseph tells the pharaoh that there will be 7 years of extreme abundance followed by 7 years of extreme famine. Then Joseph proposes to the pharaoh that during the years of abundance the extra produce must all be stored in huge barns so that the stored produce will be used to feed the people during the 7 years of famine.

Joseph appointed CEO of Egypt

Pharaoh appoints Joseph as CEO of Egypt and is in charge of the storing and distribution of produce. During the years of famine, the brothers of Joseph go to Egypt to get their ration of food because there’s no food anywhere. Joseph forgives his brothers and takes care of them.

So there you are, from something evil done to him, Joseph is elevated to become the CEO of Egypt and he is able to save the lives of many people including his brothers who sold him into slavery!

This is why Genesis talks about God’s plan for us, that He can turn something evil meant to harm us instigated by the evil one, into something good for us that helps not only us by many people. “As for you, you meant evil against me, God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to keep many people alive.” Genesis 50:20 God is truly awesome and all-powerful!

God’s plans are to prosper you not to harm you Despite all your problems, you can rest assured that our God’s plans are to prosper you and not to harm you. “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you, not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future,” Jeremiah 29:11. What can be clearer than this that God loved as so that He sent His only beloved Son, Jesus Christ, who also loved us so, to die for us, to give us a chance to spend eternity with them in heaven. What an awesome and glorious plan for us underserving humans!”

Our God can and does wonders beyond our imagination.

When you think all is lost, divine intervention springs out of nowhere to resolve your problems.

“Do not call to mind the former things, or consider things of the past. Behold, I am going to do something new, now it will spring up; will you not be aware of it? I will even make a roadway in the wilderness, Rivers in the desert,” Isaiah 43:18-19.

Believe it or not, Walt Disney, filed for Chapter 7 not once, but twice before his Disney global empire became successful. He went on to become a billionaire after getting rid of all his debt twice. Milton Hershey, of Hershey chocolates, the biggest chocolate business in the world, also filed for Chapter 7 once before he became successful and a billionaire.

If you need debt relief, set an appointment to see me. I will analyze your case personally. *** Disclaimer: None of the foregoing is considered legal advice for anyone.

There is absolutely no attorney-client relationship established by reading this article. *** Lawrence Bautista Yang specializes in Bankruptcy, Business, Real Estate and Civil Litigation and has successfully represented more than five thousand clients in California. Please call Angie, Barbara or Jess at (626) 284-1142 for an appointment at 20274 Carrey Road, Walnut, CA 91789 or 1000 S. Fremont Ave., Mailstop 58, Building A-10 South Suite 10042, Alhambra, CA 91803.

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Pauleen hopes for another baby with Vic KAPUSO host Pauleen Luna revealed that she’s hoping and praying for another baby with husband Vic Sotto.

In her Instagram account, the “Eat Bulaga” host posted photos of her and daughter Tali.

“Forever you and me,” she captioned the post.

“Still praying for a baby sis/ bro for Tali bachuchi tho!” she added.

During Tali’s birthday last November, she said that she wanted to have a baby sister.

Pauleen and Vic celebrated their 6th year wedding

anniversary last January.

“6 years ago, i married the man i love the most. The start of our relationship was very challenging. A lot of people didn’t want us to succeed.

People who knew so little about you and me. So, just like with a lot of things in my life, this part i’ve surrendered to God. And boy He had plans for us! At that time where we thought everything was lost, He turned it around.

He made is possible. He made it happen,” Pauleen wrote on her Instagram.

“God couldn’t have chosen a

better husband for me. Everyday (every night and random times in the day) i would thank Him that it is you babe. This pandemic has definitely proven that your heart was made for mine and mine for yours. Thank you. Thank you for loving me, for letting me be myself, for looking out for me, for giving me a sense of security, for always making me laugh and most of all, for giving me so much respect. I know you’re not good with your words but i feel you.

Happy 6th anniversary my love! I LOVE YOU!” she added. (By Jan Milo Severo/Philstar.com) n

Janella opens up on physical...

PAGE B2 his YouTube channel yesterday, Feb. 2.

“May trauma siyang nadulot sakin. Naforgive ko naman na. Ako as a person, mabilis ako magforgive. Hindi ako nagho-hold ng grudges kasi gusto ko peaceful tayo pero hindi kami nagkaroon ng closure. I just chose to — okay na, let go ko na,” she said.

(He caused me trauma. I already forgave him.

I, as a person, easily forgive people. I don’t hold grudges because I want peace, but we never had closure. I just chose to — it’s already okay, I already let it go.)

Salvador then talked about how her experience gave her the trauma of being around drunk men, adding how she and her partner, actor Markus Paterson are compromising when it comes to drinking.

“Actually, ‘yung naging trauma sa ‘kin hindi ‘yung physical part e. I have never talked about this. I won’t go into detail na lang pero ‘yung part na na-trauma ako for some reason is being around drunk people, drunk men. Pag lalaki, tapos lasing, tapos wala sa sarili, doon ako na-trauma.”

(Actually it was not the physical abuse that became traumatic for me. I have never talked about this. I won’t go into detail but for some reason, I had trauma being around drunk people, drunk men. When it is a drunk guy who’s not in the right state of mind, that’s what’s traumatic for me.)

“Syempre he’s [Markus Paterson] younger, hindi niya maiwasan na gusto niyang mag-enjoy minsan. Hindi niya naman din kasalanan na may trauma ako pero we’re trying to work on it,” she added.

(Of course he’s [Markus Paterson] younger, it can’t be avoided that he wants to have fun sometimes. It’s also not his fault that I have a trauma but we’re trying to work on it.)

She then stressed that she would never tolerate abuse again as she doesn’t want to go into the same situation twice.

Salvador and Paterson share a son together, Jude, who they revealed to the public in January last year. The couple recently threw a “Baby Boss” theme party to celebrate their son’s first birthday. n

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B8 FEBRUARY 5-8, 2022 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL

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