Southern California Midweek Edition: February 03 – 05, 2021

February 10-12, 2021 Volume 31 - No. 11 • 2 Sections - 14 Pages

PH, US set to meet about Visiting Forces Agreement

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Mendiola AJPress

PHILIPPINE President Rodrigo Duterte declared that he would not allow ABS-CBN to operate again even if Congress grants the network giant a new franchise.

“Congress is planning to restore the franchise of the Lopezes. Wala akong problema doon kung i-restore ninyo (I don’t have a problem if Congress restores it),” he said Monday, February 8.

“But if you say that if they can operate, kung may ano na sila (if they already have a franchise), no. I will not allow them,” he added.

Duterte said that he will not allow the National Telecommunications Commission to grant ABS-CBN the permit to operate.

In July last year, a Philippine House of Representatives panel rejected the bills seeking to grant ABS-CBN a new 25-year franchise.

Voting 70 to 11, the House Committee on Legislative Franchises adopted the recommendation of its technical working group to deny the network a new franchise. Two congressmen inhibited while one abstained.

Duterte said that he would only recognize ABS-CBN’s franchise once the broadcasting company settled their taxes.

Rear Adm. Jim Kirk, commander, Nimitz Carrier Strike Group, and Senior Chief Aviation Ordnanceman Chad McCraken, a native of Newark, Del., speak with President Joe Biden during a conference call aboard the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68). Nimitz is part of the Nimitz Carrier Strike Group and is deployed conducting maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts.

U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Cheyenne Geletka

Amid China’s warning, Comelec urges Filipinos abroad Biden calls US warship to join internet voting test run in South China Sea

by AJPress

AHEAD of the 2022 Philippine general election, overseas Filipino voters are urged to participate in a test run of four internet voting solutions by different election systems providers.

The country’s Commission on Elections (Comelec) Office for Overseas Voting (OFOV) is calling on overseas voters who have active and complete voter registration records to take part in the trial.

“Their registration status must be active, which means that it must not have been deactivated for failure to vote in the two previous elections in 2016 and 2019,” the poll body said on Monday, February 8.

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The test participants must also have complete biometrics data, including photograph, fingerprints and signature.

A smartphone capable of running Android or iOS apps, a laptop or personal computer, or any mobile device with internet/data access is required in order to participate in the test run.

“In compliance with our data privacy policy, interested participants will be required to email us their signed consent form, together with a copy of their passport or seafarer’s book. We advise that they only send these documents to our official email address at overseasvoting@ comelec.gov.ph.” said OFOV Director So-

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DAYS after China warned off a U.S. warship in the South China Sea, U.S. President Joe Biden called the crew aboard another aircraft carrier in the area.

Biden spoke to the leadership of the Nimitz Carrier Strike Group on February 8 during the Super Bowl.

According to a report from the U.S. Pacific Fleet, the new U.S. commander-in-chief thanked the crew for their work during their deployment in the South China Sea. “It was an honor to have the opportunity to talk with President

Biden during the Super Bowl. The Sailors and Marines of the Nimitz Carrier Strike Group continue to answer the nation’s call as we conduct maritime security operations in the South China Sea,” Rear Adm. Jim Kirk, commander of the strike group, said.

USS Nimitz (CVN-68), flagship of the strike group, entered the South China Sea last week. The supercarrier and its escorts have been deployed in the area since June last year.

Following this development, Beijing’s military warned off USS

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A FILIPINO American man received almost 100 stitches after he was slashed across the face by another passenger on the New York City subway last week.

Noel Quintana, 61, was riding the L train to get to work in Harlem on Wednesday, February 3, when a man walked by and kicked the tote bag that Quintana had set on the train floor, according to a New York Daily News report.

When Quintana confronted the man after he noticed his bag being kicked again, the man took out a box cutter and slashed Quintana across the face from cheek to cheek.

None of the passengers reportedly came to Quintana’s aid, according to the report.

He got off the train, and was only able to get help from a ticket booth attendant who called 911.

by Ritchel

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Fil-Am man’s face slashed while riding NYC subway

Duterte won’t allow ABS-CBN to operate with a new franchise

Frontline health care workers, staff at long-term care facilities and residents 65 and older have been prioritized in the initial shipments of the vaccine.

As of Feb. 4, 17.9% of Asian residents in the county have received at least one dose of the vaccine, while 25% of doses were administered to white residents and 25% to Hispanic residents, according to the County Department of Public Health. However, vaccination rates for communities like the African American/Black community (3.5%) remain low.

“This data is useful because it helps us reallocate supplies, including additional outreach and educational resources to u PAGE A2

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INDIVIDUALS who are ready for their second coronavirus vaccination will be prioritized as Los Angeles County’s first priority this week while supplies remain scarce.

County residents can only secure appointments to receive their second doses at the county-operated sites, starting Tuesday, February 9.

The sites include the Pomona Fairplex, the Forum in Inglewood, Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, County Office of Education in Downey, Cal State University Northridge, Balboa Sports Complex in

Encino and El Sereno.

Individuals should have received emails confirming their second dose appointment, and they will have to show proof of their vaccine record when they arrive.

While this applies to the seven mega sites, other city/county-run locations like Dodger Stadium will be administering first doses, but they may be facing short supplies as well.

The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine requires two doses given three weeks (21 days) apart, while the Moderna vaccine requires them to be four weeks (28 days) apart.

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FOLLOWING a disturbing slew of violent assaults on elderly Asian residents in the Bay Area, Oakland police announced on Monday, Feb. 8 that it had arrested and charged a suspect for a savage assault on a 91-year-old Asian man in Chinatown.

Police said they believe that Yahya Muslim (unclear whether the suspect is of Muslim faith) is also behind the attacks of a 60year-old Asian man and a 55-year-old Asian woman on the same day — Sunday, Jan. 31 — and neighborhood in which the 91-yearold was attacked.

The names of the victims have not been released.

Surveillance video footage of the 91-yearold victim’s assault, which went viral on so-

by AJPress

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White House responds to the attacks as AAPI communities share outrage over ‘hate crimes’

Region surpasses grim milestone of 18,000 deaths

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Suspect arrested in recent Bay Area attacks on elderly AAPI residents

LA County to prioritize second vaccine doses this week

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FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA

Tuesday, February 9. The simulation exercises involve concerned government agencies and private organizations that shall be responsible for the logistics management of the vaccines upon arrival in the country.

PNA photo by Robert Oswald P. Alfiler

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USA

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DATELINE

terminating the VFA reportedly after the U.S. cancelled Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa’s visa.

The termination was later suspended in June “in light of political and other developments in the region,” and the suspension was extended in November for another six months to enable the Philippines and the U.S. to find a more enhanced, mutually beneficial, mutually agreeable, and more effective and lasting arrangement on how to move forward in their SIMULATION. Health personnel, along with Department of Health (DOH) officials, receive the sealed cooler for COVID-19 vaccines during the mutual defense.

Last month, U.S. Secretary full-scale simulation exercises of the cold chain and logistics management at the Pharmacy division, Philippine Lung Center, Quezon City on

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THE Philippines and the United States will meet this month to iron out differences over the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) amid renewed regional concerns over China’s assertive maritime agenda, Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. said.

“I am narrowing down the issues and soon we will meet... and iron out whatever differences we have,” the secretary told ANC news channel on Monday, February 8.

Locsin added that a meeting is

likely to happen in the last week of February.

However, he declined to elaborate on the terms of a potential agreement.

The VFA, which came into force in 1999, covers the conduct of U.S. soldiers in the Philippines.

Among the provisions of the deal include lax visa and passport policies for U.S. troops, and the rights of the U.S. government to retain its jurisdiction over its military personnel when they commit crimes in the Philippines.

In February 2020, the Philippines sent the U.S. a notice

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Mendiola AJPress

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by Ritchel

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From the Front Page

PH, US set to meet about...

PAGE A1

of State Antony Blinken underscored the importance of the Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) “for the security of both nations” amid a new Chinese law allowing its coast guard to fire on foreign vessels entering disputed territories.

Blinken also rejected China’s

maritime claims in the South China Sea “to the extent they exceed the maritime zones that China is permitted to claim under international law” as reflected in the 1982 United Nations Law of the Sea Convention.

Locsin, for his part, issued a diplomatic protest against China’s Coast Guard Law, which

permits its coast guard to use “all necessary means, including the use of weapons” to stop or prevent threats from foreign vessels.

He also said that he would continue to press for a maritime code of conduct that “will never exclude” the U.S., to ensure the regional balance of power. n

LA County to prioritize second vaccine...

PAGE A1 ensure…there’s an equitable distribution of the vaccine,” County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said during a press briefing on Monday, Feb. 8.

Residents can visit www.VaccinateLACounty.com, and to find the vaccination site closest to you, click on the MyTurn button where you can see how appointments are made. The MyTurn site also allows you to sign up to

be notified when appointments open up, and when vaccinations begin with additional priority groups.

Though officials see improvement in the average number of daily cases and hospitalizations, the county on Sunday, Feb. 7 surpassed another grim milestone of over 18,000 deaths.

The county has experienced more than 1,000 new COVID-19 deaths since February 2, when

the region reported 17,057 total deaths.

As of press time, 1,152,239 positive cases of COVID-19 have been reported across all areas of LA County and a total of 18,360 deaths.

With the upcoming holiday weekend marking Valentine’s Day and Presidents Day, officials are continuing to urge residents to follow public health measures and help slow the spread. n

Fil-Am man’s face slashed while riding...

PAGE A1 Quintana was taken to Bellevue Hospital for treatment.

“I feel surprisingly OK. I can tolerate it,” Quintana told the NY Daily News about his injury.

He added, “Once in a while I take some pain relievers just to ease my pain. What bothers me is my face is still swollen, (and) that’s why I feel strange.”

The assailant was able to flee when the train stopped at First Avenue and 14th Street.

The New York Police have released images of the man and are asking the public’s help to find him. The assailant was described as between 20 and 30 years old, wearing a black mask with a Louis Vuitton logo, a black North Face jacket, red bandana, and light-colored sneakers.

Quintana said this isn’t the first time he experienced a violent encounter on the subway.

Two years ago, he was mugged and socked in the face when he alighted from the subway’s Manhattan station.

“I fell on the ground, but it was nothing like this,” he told the news outlet.

Quintana’s experience is among the latest reported sub-

CODE TEAM VISITS LAS PIÑAS. Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Francisco Duque III presents the overview of the Nationwide Vaccination program during the visit of the COVID-19 vaccine Coordinated Operations to Defeat Epidemic (CODE) Team held at the Las Piñas City Hall on Tuesday, February 9. The CODE Team has been visiting local government units to see their preparedness for the nationwide vaccination program in the coming days.

PNA photo by Avito C. Dalan

Comelec urges Filipinos abroad to join...

PAGE A1 nia Bea L. Wee-Lozada.

Comelec Spokesperson James Jimenez told Rappler that the test run is not specifically for the 2022 elections.

“The dry run is being undertaken under the Comelec’s mandate to study new forms of voting, to facilitate the exercise of the right of suffrage by over-

seas voters. The results of the dry run will be eventually presented to Congress, for Congress to decide if it should be adopted for overseas voting,” he said.

“As you can imagine, that is a long process and so, 2022 is an unrealistic target,” he added.

The four internet voting solutions are from Dominion Voting

Systems, Indra, Smartmatic, and Voatz.

Overseas Filipinos who are interested in joining may get the sign-up form posted on the OFOV’s official Facebook Page (www.facebook.com/overseasvotingph).

Test voters have until 8 a.m.

(Manila time) on Friday, February 12, to sign up. n

Duterte won’t allow ABS-CBN to...

Noel Quintana received nearly 100 stitches on his face after an attack on the New York subway.

ABC7 New York/Screenshot

way attacks in the city, and in a series of troubling violence against older Asian American individuals across the country.

In Oakland’s Chinatown, a viral video shows a suspect forcefully pushing a 91-year-old man to the ground. Actors Daniel Dae Kim and Daniel Wu are offering a $25,000 reward for any information leading to an arrest in the attack.

In late January, 84-yearold Vicha Ratanapakdee, who was originally from Thailand, died from injuries after Antoine

Watson, 19, knocked him to the ground while on his morning walk in the Anza Vista neighborhood of San Francisco.

A fundraiser for Ratanapakdee’s family has raised over $52,000.

From March to December 2020, Stop AAPI Hate, an online reporting tracking anti-Asian hate incidents, received 2,808 reported incidents of racism and discrimination targeting community members, as previously reported by the Asian Journal.

(Ritchel Mendiola/AJPress)

PAGE A1 “Unless and until mabayaran ng mga Lopez ang taxes nila (the Lopezes pay their taxes), I will ignore your franchise and I will not give them the license to operate,” said the president.

“Kalokohan ‘yan. Parang binigyan mo sila ng (That’s nonsense.

It’s like giving them a) prize for their being– for committing criminal acts,” he added.

However, the country’s Bureau of Internal Revenue debunked the network’s alleged tax liability during the House hearings on the ABS-CBN franchise last year.

According to BIR Assistant Commissioner Manuel Mapoy, ABS-CBN has been “regularly paying its corporate taxes for the past years.” The network was also confirmed to have no out-

standing delinquent accounts.

Duterte, in his weekly taped briefing, also cited the allegation that the Lopezes benefited when the state-owned Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) condoned or wrote off loans worth P1.6 billion in 2006.

The issue had been discussed in last year’s House hearings as well, where the DBP denied the allegation.

“There is no loan condonation or write-off involved in the non-performing loans (NPLs) and non-performing assets (NPAs) covered by the banking transactions with DBP of the companies controlled or affiliated with the Lopez family,” said DBP president Emmanuel Herbosa.

Duterte, for his part, admitted

that he does not know all the details about the issue, adding that he is planning on forwarding the document he received regarding ABS-CBN and DBP to the Office of the Ombudsman.

“Mayroon akong kulang dito (I am lacking information here) because I am not quite familiar.

Ito lang ang akin eh. Dumating sa akin ito in official capacity (This is all I know. I received a document in official capacity).

Ang magawa ko lang nito (The only thing I can do) is I think I’ll pass it on to the Ombudsman,” he said.

“Para sa akin ang Ombudsman ang pinaka- independent body na mag-solve nito (For me, the Ombudsman is the only independent body that can solve this),” he added. n

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Summer 2021 Impact! Program opens application for young Fil-Am students

MEAT HOLIDAY. A man cleans the empty stalls in the pork and chicken meat section of Muñoz Market in Quezon City on Monday, February 8.

Some pork and chicken vendors, traders and wholesalers went on “pork holiday” on Monday due to the implementation of the price ceiling on pork and chicken.

PNA photo by Robert Oswald P. Alfiler

Why the US is underestimating COVID reinfection

by Jonel

AlecciA Kaiser Health News

KAITLYN Romoser first caught covid-19 in March, likely on a trip to Denmark and Sweden, just as the scope of the pandemic was becoming clear. Romoser, who is 23 and a laboratory researcher in College Station, Texas, tested positive and had a few days of mild, coldlike symptoms.

In the weeks that followed, she bounced back to what felt like a full recovery. She even got another test, which was negative, in order to join a study as one of the earliest donors of convalescent blood plasma in a bid to help others.

Six months later, in September, Romoser got sick again, after a trip to Florida with her dad. This second bout was much worse. She lost her sense of taste and smell and suffered lingering headaches and fatigue. She tested positive for covid once more — along with her cat.

Romoser believes it was a clear case of reinfection, rather than some mysterious reemergence of the original infection gone dormant. Because the coronavirus, like other viruses, regularly mutates as it multiplies and spreads through a community, a new infection would bear a different genetic fingerprint. But because neither lab had saved her testing samples for genetic sequencing, there was no way to confirm her suspicion.

“It would be nice to have proof,” said Romoser. “I’ve literally been straight up called a liar, because

people don’t want to believe that it’s possible to be reinfected. Why would I lie about being sick?”

As millions of Americans struggle to recover from covid and millions more scramble for the protection offered by vaccines, U.S. health officials may be overlooking an unsettling subgroup of survivors: those who get infected more than once. Identifying how common reinfection is among people who contracted covid — as well as how quickly they become vulnerable and why — carries important implications for our understanding of immunity and the nation’s efforts to devise an effective vaccination program.

Scientists have confirmed that reinfections after initial illness caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus are possible, but so far have characterized them as rare. Fewer than 50 cases have been substantiated worldwide, according to a global reinfection tracker. Just five have been substantiated in the U.S., including two detected in California in late January.

That sounds like a rather insignificant number. But scientists’ understanding of reinfection has been constrained by the limited number of U.S. labs that retain covid testing samples or perform genetic sequencing. A KHN review of surveillance efforts finds that many U.S. states aren’t rigorously tracking or investigating suspected cases of reinfection.

KHN sent queries about reinfection surveillance to all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Of 24 responses, fewer than

half provided details about suspected or confirmed reinfection cases. Where officials said they’re actively monitoring for reinfection, they have found far more potential cases than previously anticipated.

In Washington state, for instance, health officials are investigating nearly 700 cases that meet the criteria for possible reinfection, with three dozen awaiting genetic sequencing and just one case confirmed.

In Colorado, officials estimate that possible reinfections make up just 0.1% of positive coronavirus cases. But with more than 396,000 cases reported, that means nearly 400 people may have been infected more than once.

In Minnesota, officials have investigated more than 150 cases of suspected reinfection, but they lack the genetic material to confirm a diagnosis, a spokesperson said.

In Nevada, where the first U.S. case of covid reinfection was identified last summer, Mark Pandori, director of the state public health lab, said there’s no doubt cases are going undetected.

“I predict that we are missing cases of reinfection,” he said.

“They are very difficult to ascertain, so you need specialized teams to do that work, or a core lab.”

Such cases are different from instances of so-called long-haul covid, in which the original infection triggers debilitating symptoms that linger for months and PAGE A4

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The US-Asia Institute (USAI), in partnership with the Philippine Embassy in the United States, has officially opened applications for the IMPACT! Program for summer 2021. The 2021 program is organized to provide opportunity for Filipino American students and young graduates to gain firsthand knowledge about the current practices and opportunities available in Washington, D.C. The program will help in their becoming future leaders and to open the doors for them to contribute to the strengthening of the U.S.- Philippines relations.

The entire program will be conducted virtually from June 7 to August 6, 2021 (nine weeks).

“It is wonderful to see more and more members of the Filipino-America community getting involved in U.S. politics and exercising civic leadership in their communities. Their unique perspective allows them to make vital contributions to the progress of both the United States and the Philippines and help our 75-yearold bilateral relationship achieve greater heights,” said Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose Manuel Romualdez in a statement.

Mary Sue Bissell, president of the US-Asia Institute said, “Our young people are our greatest resource, and the foundation for the future. Believing this to be true, the US-Asia Institute (USAI) has been committed since its founding in 1979 to providing opportunities for training, leadership, professional growth, and networking for students and young professionals from around the globe. Through its robust internship and professional development programs— such as this IMPACT! initiative for Filipino Americans—USAI provides the tools and introductions to build the participants’ understanding of the U.S. political and

governmental processes, underscoring the value of community involvement and civic leadership.

Young Filipino-Americans have a special and essential role to play in the fabric of this nation, and in the future of the U.S.-Philippine relationship. IMPACT! can be the impetus for you to step up and engage.”

Last year’s inaugural IMPACT! Program selected six candidates from all over the U.S. with a strong interest in civic leadership nationally and in their communities.

Kathleen Mallari was one of the selected few for the IMPACT! Program 2020 and she was placed at the Conference on Asian Pacific American Leadership (CAPAL) in Washington, D.C. Six months after the program upon Kathleen’s graduation from her University, she said, “This program helped shape my post-college career… honestly, my placement with CAPAL and my internship with

them…gave me the edge I needed to ultimately get hired.”

Another selected participant, Clarissa Cabil, was placed at the Asian/Pacific Islander Domestic Violence Resource Project.

Of the program she said, “The IMPACT Program provided me with the opportunity to surround myself with brilliant minds from all over the world. This fellowship not only served as an invaluable and insightful experience in and of itself, but it opened up doors to various professional opportunities that I have not yet explored or discovered as an undergraduate nursing student before applying to the program.”

Interested candidates may apply here (bit.ly/3a8izMH) until Sunday, February 28, 2021.

For questions and further information, please reach out to USAI Director of International and Government Affairs Zev Moses at zev. moses@usasiainstitute.org. n

Amid China’s warning, Biden calls...

PAGE A1 John S. McCain (DDG-56) for sailing near the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea, which China claims as their territorial waters.

The Chinese People’s Liberation Army said it “organized naval and air forces to track monitor and warn off” the U.S. navy warship.

The Chinese military also accused Washington of “seriously

violating China’s sovereignty” and “harming regional peace.”

Prior to this, USS John S. McCain also passed through the Paracel Island chain to “assert navigational rights and freedoms” in the island group, which is being claimed by China, Taiwan and Vietnam.

“Under international law as reflected in the Law of the Sea Con-

vention, the ships of all States–including their warships–enjoy the right of innocent passage through the territorial sea. The unilateral imposition of any authorization or advance-notification requirement for innocent passage is not permitted by international law,” the U.S. 7th Fleet said in a statement released February 5. (Patricia Lourdes Viray/Philstar.com)

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Schools walk the tightrope between ideal safety and the reality of COVID

by Laura

ungar and Samantha Young Kaiser Health News

DRIVING SKILLS. An applicant for a delivery driver in a fast-food chain takes a skills test on Monday, February 8 at Salvia Street, Barangay Kaligayahan in Novaliches, Quezon City. The driving test is to ensure the safety of delivery drivers in performing their jobs.

PNA photo by Oliver Marquez

Why the US is underestimating COVID...

PAGE A3 viral particles can continue to be detected. Reinfection occurs when a person is infected with covid, clears that strain and is infected again with a different strain, raising concerns about sustained immunity from the disease. Such reinfections occur regularly with four other coronaviruses that circulate among humans, causing common colds.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines call for investigating for possible reinfection when someone tests positive for covid at least 90 days after an original infection (or at least 45 days for “highly suspicious” cases). Confirmation of reinfection requires genetic sequencing of paired samples from each episode to tell whether the genomes involved are different.

But the U.S. lacks the capacity for robust genetic sequencing, the process that identifies the fingerprint of a specific virus so it can be compared with other strains. Jeff Zients, head of the federal covid task force, noted late last month that the U.S. ranks 43rd in the world in genomic sequencing.

To date, only a fraction of positive coronavirus samples has been sequenced, though the Biden administration is working to rapidly expand the effort. On Feb. 1, CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky told reporters that sequencing has “increased tenfold” in recent weeks, from 251 sequences the week of Jan. 10 to 2,238 the week of Jan. 24. The agency is working

with private companies, states and academic labs to ramp up to 6,000 sequences per week by mid-February.

Washington’s state epidemiologist for communicable diseases, Dr. Scott Lindquist, said officials have prioritized genetic sequencing at the state laboratory, with plans to begin genotyping 5% of all samples collected. That will allow officials to sort through those nearly 700 potential reinfections, Lindquist said. More important, the effort will also help signal the presence of significantly mutated forms of the coronavirus, known as variants, that could affect how easily the virus spreads and, perhaps, how sick covid makes people.

“Those two areas, reinfection and variants, may cross paths,” he said. “We wanted to be in front of it, not behind it.”

The specter of reinfections complicates one of the central questions of the covid threat: How long after natural infection or vaccination will people remain immune?

Early studies suggested immunity would be short-lived, only a few months, while more recent research finds that certain antibodies and memory cells may persist in covid-infected patients longer than eight months.

“We actually don’t know” the marker that would signal immunity, said Dr. Jason Goldman, an infectious diseases expert at Swedish Medical Center in Seattle. “We don’t have the test you

could perform to say yes or no, you could be infected.”

Goldman and colleagues confirmed a case of reinfection in a Seattle man last fall, and since then have identified six or seven probable cases. “This is a much more common scenario than is being recognized,” he said.

The possibility of reinfection means that even patients who’ve had covid need to remain vigilant about curbing re-exposure, said Dr. Edgar Sanchez, an infectious diseases physician at Orlando Health in Florida.

“A lot of patients ask, ‘How long do I have to worry about getting covid again?’” he said. “I literally tell them this: ‘You are probably safe for a few weeks, maybe even up to a couple of months, but beyond that, it’s really unclear.’”

The message is similar for the wider society, said Dr. Bill Messer, an expert in viral genetics at Oregon Health & Science University in Portland, who has been pondering the cultural psychology of the covid response. Evidence suggests there may not be a clear-cut return to normal.

“The idea that we will end this pandemic by beating this coronavirus, I don’t think that’s actually the way it’s going to happen,” he said. “I think that it’s more likely that we’re going to learn how to be comfortable living with this new virus circulating among us.”

This story was produced by Kaiser Health News, an editorially independent program of the Kaiser Family Foundation. n

CALIFORNIA mom Megan Bacigalupi has had enough.

She wants her kindergartner and second grader back in their Oakland classrooms.

But the coronavirus is spreading too quickly to open schools in Alameda County, based on the current state standards. And the local teachers union hasn’t agreed to go back — even after teachers have been vaccinated.

So she expects her kids will be logging on to school from home for a while.

“The impediments to opening are just too great,” said Bacigalupi, who is lobbying California lawmakers to establish firm, statewide health metrics that, once met, would require schools to open. “In the end, it comes down to a lack of political will to get the kids back in the classroom.”

Parents across the country, many of whom relied on schools to care for their children while they worked, are frustrated and angry that remote instruction has gone on so long, even as grocery store clerks, city bus drivers and other essential workers have braved the risks of their workplaces. Lawmakers are increasingly joining their calls to get kids into classrooms, citing the loss of worker productivity and parents’ concerns about the social, emotional and academic effects on children.

President Joe Biden has pledged to open most schools within his first 100 days in office if Congress provides funding, and if states and cities adopt safety steps.

But that will be a herculean task. Nearly one year into the pandemic, fewer than half of students are attending schools that are teaching in person every day, and the question of how and when to get kids back into classrooms often depends less on science than politics — including the strength of local teachers unions.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention concluded recently that schools can reopen safely if their communities have low levels of the virus and they adhere strictly to measures such as requiring everyone to stay 6 feet apart and wear masks.

But in numerous communities, those basic measures haven’t been followed, even before the vaccine rollout — and many teachers aren’t convinced they will be safe on campus.

With infection rates starting

to decline nationally, many parents, superintendents, school boards and politicians insist this is the moment to stop striving for perfection and embrace the health measures necessary to get kids into classrooms safely.

Some are even taking dramatic measures, such as the city of San Francisco, which sued its school district Wednesday to force it to open.

The same day, CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said at a press briefing that schools can safely reopen even if teachers aren’t yet vaccinated.

“If we wait for the perfect, we might as well just pack it up and just be honest with folks that we’re not going to open for in-person instruction in the school year,” Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom recently told school administrators — breaking with the politically powerful California Teachers Association, which wants all teachers vaccinated before reopening.

Teachers Fear for Safety In many states, teachers lobbied to be among the first to be vaccinated after health care workers and nursing home residents. But they also argue the vaccines alone are not enough to open schools. They want low levels of community spread.

They want as many school staffers as possible vaccinated, which could take months.

And they want assurances that schools won’t relax masking, physical distancing and other safety measures.

“We’ve had concerns about some districts being more lax even before the vaccine,” said Scott DiMauro, president of the Ohio Education Association, the state’s largest teachers union.

Dr. Mark Schleiss, a pediatrics professor at the University of Minnesota Medical School, agreed that health measures must be enforced even after vaccination.

“It’s unfortunate that people think life goes back to normal, that once we get the vaccine, the masks come flying off,” he said. “Vaccination doesn’t take things back to normal.”

That’s because there are still unknowns about the vaccines: It’s unclear if vaccinated people can transmit the virus. Plus, not all adults can get a vaccine (for medical reasons), and about 5% of those who receive the Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech versions might not be fully protected. Kids are another matter entirely: No covid vaccine has yet been approved for use in children younger than 16.

Teachers say they feel es-

pecially vulnerable when the virus is running rampant in a community, but health experts don’t agree on exactly what that means.

“We don’t know a definite threshold,” said Dr. Neha Nanda, medical director of infection prevention and antimicrobial stewardship at Keck Medicine of the University of Southern California.

In Montgomery, Alabama, four educators died within 48 hours in January, spurring the city’s district to go remote starting Feb. 1.

“We have educators who are dying from this. We know they’re taking it home,” said Theron Stokes, associate executive director of the Alabama Education Association teachers union.

The Politics of Reopening As of late January, about 38% of K-12 public school students attended virtual-only schools, 38% attended in-person schools, and 24% attended hybrid schools that offered a mix of both, according to Burbio, a company tracking a representative sample of 1,200 school districts.

Decisions about returning to school have often been driven by ideology in the absence of firm scientific guidance about community spread.

Politics plays as big a role as health, said Bree Dusseault, practitioner-in-residence at the Center on Reinventing Education, a nonpartisan research center that has tracked 477 school districts since March.

“Because the pandemic became so politicized, districts found themselves in political debates in their own communities.”

For instance, some politically motivated decisions to reopen schools were made despite dangerous surges in covid cases over the summer. In Texas, Republican Gov. Greg Abbott told schools in July they’d have to transition to in-person education after the state attorney general declared “sweeping” school closures unlawful. In Florida, Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis threatened to withhold state funding from schools that did not reopen in person.

In Democratic strongholds such as New Jersey and Chicago, powerful unions have protested and delayed school reopenings.

Union opposition played a part in the Oakland school district’s decision to stick with remote-only learning in the fall, which boggled Bacigalu-

u PAGE A7

Suspect arrested in recent Bay Area attacks...

PAGE A1 cial media last week, showed the victim walking along the sidewalk in broad daylight when the suspect — who police allege is 28year-old Muslim — follows him and shoves him to the ground.

“We have charged him with three counts of assault that involve three separate victims,” Alameda County District Attorney Nancy O’Malley said at a press briefing alongside Oakland’s new police chief LeRonne Armstrong.

The suspect has also been charged with multiple counts of elder abuse that police say are related to the Chinatown attacks.

He is currently in police custody at Santa Rida Jail in Dublin, California on $85,000 bail.

“We recognize some in our community come to Chinatown to target people. We know they target our elderly. They come because they believe our community won’t report it to the police,” Armstrong said.

He added, “We’re sending a message to those that commit crime in this city, that we will pursue you and we will arrest you and it’s not acceptable for things like this to happen in our community.”

It’s still unclear whether the suspect’s crimes were race-related, but the attacks strike a familiar chord: the disturbing trend of targeting the AAPI community — especially the elderly.

“It’s not unique to Chinatown or to the Asian community, the increase in crime we’ve seen across the city and across the country, but we have seen in the last several weeks and month a very specific increase in crimes committed against Asians,” O’Malley said on Monday.

The Chinatown Chamber of Commerce, which first released the footage of the 91-year-old’s assault, told a local station that it has accumulated more than 20 reports and videos of Chinatown businesses getting robbed and owners and customers assaulted.

In San Francisco, Vicha Ratanapakdee, an 84-year-old from Thailand, died after being attacked on a morning walk on

Jan. 28, the San Francisco District Attorney’s office said.

As the Asian Journal has covered throughout the coronavirus pandemic, harassment against the AAPI community has dramatically increased over the last year.

The dangerous conflation between the vast Asian and Pacific Islander community and COVID-19, which was first made known in China, has resulted in increased reports of verbal and physical assault, cyberbullying and other forms of discrimination.

In the wake of the Jan. 31 attacks, dozens of AAPI advocacy groups are calling for cross-cultural alliances to end violence against all targeted communities, especially in the Bay Area and other ethnically diverse regions of the country.

The Stop AAPI Hate initiative — started by the Asian Pacific Policy and Planning Council (A3PCON), Chinese for Affirmative Action and the Asian American Studies Department of SF State University — logged 2,808 reported hate incidents against the AAPI community in 2020, and more than 700 of those reports came from the Bay Area.

Although it is unclear whether or not some of these attacks were racially motivated, “they have profound impacts on our Asian communities across the country and internationally,” a coalition of more than 40 AAPI groups said in a joint statement on Tuesday, Feb. 9.

“Our elderly community members, along with their families, are fearful of being in public alone, simply going for a walk, and living their daily lives. And survivors of interpersonal violence and their families have historically not received enough culturally-competent and language-accessible support across government systems,” the statement read.

With Lunar New Year beginning later this week, the coalition advised the public to be vigilant and protect the safety of the AAPI community’s most “vulnerable” members.

It also called upon local and state leadership to invest in “culturally-relevant and trauma-informed” initiatives and programs to mitigate the violence against AAPI elders.

At a press conference on Tuesday, coalition members outlined a number of broad goals like expanding counseling and legal services for AAPIs of all language abilities, creating more intervention-based programs to end violence and “cross-community education and healing” in AAPI and Black communities, two communities that have historically been pitted against each other.

Before Oakland police announced that it had arrested and charged the suspect in the Jan. 31 Chinatown assaults, actors Daniel Wu and Daniel Dae Kim teamed up to offer a $25,000 reward for information that would lead to the arrest of the assailant.

“We’re being smashed in as a one-two punch. There’s lowlevel petty crime that’s happening to our community. We’re being targeted as easy targets,” Wu said on CNN last week. “But at a bigger scale, racist rhetoric from the pandemic has targeted us as being ‘the reason for coronavirus,’ and so Asians across the board have been targeted by racial slurs, being attacked, being pushed around, being spat on.”

President Joe Biden, who signed an executive order taking action on anti-Asian racism and discrimination amid the pandemic, has yet to comment on the recent attacks, according to White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki.

“I’m not aware that he’s seen the videos, but he is concerned about the discrimination against the Asian American community, which is why he signed the executive order and why he’s been outspoken in making clear that attacks, verbal attacks, any attacks of any form are unacceptable and we need to work together to address them,” Psaki said on Monday. (Klarize Medenilla/AJPress)

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De Lima granted medical pass by ralph

edwin villanueva Philstar.com

MANILA — A Muntinlupa court has granted the request of detained Sen. Leila De Lima to undergo a medical furlough, her lawyer said on Tuesday, February 9.

In an interview, Rolly Peoro said Muntinlupa City Regional Trial Court Branch 256 Judge Romeo Buenaventura gave his client 24 hours to undergo examinations.

“This medical furlough (request) is still way back in 2018, 2019. Now, we really need it, it was just delayed because of the pandemic,” he said, adding that De Lima needed the checkup “because she is a senior citizen and is feeling ailments.”

On Tuesday, De Lima physically attended a hearing at the court, which is hearing one of three drug cases against her.

It is her first time to physically attend a hearing after almost a year, when COVID-19 restric-

Philippine Senator Leila De Lima

tions were put in place.

Peoro said that the prosecution’s witness, New Bilibid Prison detainee Noel Martinez, admitted that he has no personal knowledge on alleged drug transactions with De Lima.

“The testimony was needed by the prosecution to form the

Philstar.com photo

conspiracy that there was indeed drug trading. But Martinez himself admitted that he did not have a personal transaction for illegal drugs, everything was referrals,” he said.

De Lima has been behind bars since 2017 on what she described as “trumped-up” drug charges. n

Trafficked Filipinos back from Syria

by Javier Joe ismael ManilaTimes.net

SIX Filipinos who were victims of human trafficking in Syria safely returned to the country on Saturday, February 7.

“Nagpapasalamat po kami kay Pangulong [Rodrigo] Duterte at Sen. [Christopher Lawrence] ‘Bong’ Go dahil napakalaki ng tulong ng ibinigay nila para sa pagsisimulang muli namin ng buhay sa bansa (We are grateful to President Duterte and Senator Go for the big help they have accorded us to start new lives in the country),” said one of the migrant workers.

“Maliban po sa tulong, naramdaman naming hindi kami iniwan ng pamahalaan, lalo na nina Pangulong Duterte at Senator Go (Aside from the help, we felt that the government did not abandoned us, especially President Duterte and Senator Go),” the three said.

Aside from official government aid, Go’s office also ex-

tended additional assistance to the overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and their families.

“Parte po ito ng kalinga at malasakit programs para sa ating OFWs na suportado namin ni Pangulong Duterte (This is part of the government programs for our OFWs that President Duterte and me support),” the senator said.

He added that the InterAgency Council Against Trafficking (Iacat) was helping the victims prepare trafficking complaints against the perpetrators.

“Dapat lamang po na papanagutin ang mga human traffickers na ito dahil mga salot sila sa ating OFWs. Hirap na hirap na nga ang mga kababayan natin, may mga nangsasamantala at nambibiktima pa (Human traffickers should be held accountable for victimizing OFWs. Our countrymen are already in difficult straits, and yet some people still have the nerve to take advantage and victimize them),” Go said.

The Iacat launched last year

the digitized Integrated Case Management System to ensure coordinated government action against the trafficking of OFWs. According to the Philippine Embassy in Syria, the services of Syrian lawyers were engaged to file cases against thepersons behind the trafficking of OFWs. Earlier, Go expressed grave concern over the reported trafficking of some Filipino women forcibly taken to Syria and abused by their employers. He said these incidents prompted him to push the passage of a bill that will establish the Department of Overseas Filipinos (DOFil).

“One of the main features of my proposed DOFil bill is the one country-team approach,” the senator said, explaining that this requires all officials in Philippine diplomatic posts to act together as one team, regardless of their mother agencies, in protecting the rights and advancing the welfare of Filipino migrant workers. n

A5

OpiniOn & Features

A6 FEBRUARY 10-12, 2021 • SoCal ASIAN JOURNAL

OpiniOn

Second conviction

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Features

DISPELLING criticisms that it is a clearing station for crooks, the Sandiganbayan anti-graft court has convicted Janet Lim Napoles for the second time in connection with the diversion of the Priority Development Assistance Fund or PDAF, the formal name for the congressional pork barrel.

Napoles, the accused mastermind, was convicted of three counts of graft and malversation of public funds, together with her co-accused, former Cagayan de Oro Rep. Constantino Jaraula, former Technology Resource Center employees Ma. Rosalinda Masongsong Lacsamana and Belina Concepcion, and Cared president Mylene Encarnacion. Cared was the NGO through which Jaraula’s PDAF funds were funneled.

For the graft case, they were sentenced to six to 10 years in prison for each count. For malversation, they received 12 to 18 years per count. They were ordered to pay P28 million for graft and another P28 million for malversation. Jaraula also received a prison term of nine years for each of the three counts of direct bribery for receiving P2 million in grease money from Napoles.

It was the second conviction for Napoles over the PDAF scandal. She is serving a life term over her conviction for plunder in 2018. In a bizarre ruling, her co-accused Sen. Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. was acquitted but ordered to return P124.5 million

Editorial

The Fil-Am Perspective Gel SantoS-ReloS HAPPY season of love!

Wherever we may be, we Filipinos are hopeless romantics, and therefore, Valentine’s Day is a month-long celebration for us talking about love and romance.

“Humans of Pinas” (HoP), a Facebook page inspired by Humans of New York, has been showcasing Filipinos’ stories deemed to be empowering and/ or inspiring. This Valentine’s month, HoP asked me to share my own story, and I am honored to join other well-known and respected couples of ‘Pinas in sharing their own stories seldom told in public. Here is my story.

May 2, 1979 was the fateful day I met the man who would turn out to be the person I would be sharing the rest of my life with. I joined the summer theater workshop of “Dulaang Abot-Kaya,” the community theater group of Sacred Heart Parish in Kamuning.

I just graduated from high school and was excited to pursue my dreams to be working in the field of mass communications — radio, television, and yes, even in films having the “artists” genes of my aunts Tessie Quintana of LVN Films in the 50s-60s and Rebecca of Premiere Productions in the 60s to the 70s, and my handsome cousin Gabby Concepcion.

in prison.

The Sandiganbayan has yet to clarify once and for all if Revilla must return the P124.5 million.

With the clarity must come an order to return the money stolen from the people. Senators are not above the law; anyone who defies a court order must face appropriate punishment.

Meanwhile, people expect Napoles and her cohorts in Congress to face more charges in connection with the scam. The Commission on Audit had presented documents that reportedly implicated about 200 members of both chambers of Congress, many of them still in office; about 100 have been indicted or are under investigation for the PDAF scam. The Office of the Ombudsman, also saddled with perceptions that it is a clearing station for the corrupt, should pursue these cases without letup.

(Philstar.com)

My Valentine story I joined the summer theater workshop, which was ran by graduates of the Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA), hoping to fulfill my longtime dream to meet and get my big break from no less than the late famed director Lino Brocka, one of the most influential and significant filmmakers in the history of the Philippines, who was once an executive director of PETA. But, God had a different plan in my life.

Rene Relos became my boyfriend a year after we top-billed several theatrical presentations for “Dulaang About-Kaya.” He just turned 18 and I was 17 when we became a couple. We went to the University of the Philippines together, where I graduated cum laude from the College of Mass Communications while he finished magna cum laude in his pre-med course.

Yes, we were both driven and have been planning to get married and share our lives together, but all of these were fulfilled expeditiously with the coming of our first-born son.

And so, we got married at age 21 and became parents at age 22. I was then an instructor in Broadcast Communication at the UP and later joined the broadcasting industry as a news anchor and TV host for ABS-CBN. Rene went on to pursue his medical education and residency at the UP College of Medicine, where he graduated

IN just over 15 months, our country will once again be subjected to the rituals of democracy. The 2022 national and local elections are looming, and the Filipino people will have a choice of, once again, voting for a nightmare masquerading as a messiah or voting for a real alternative. We are already witnessing the surfacing of familiar names on both sides of the political divide. More prominent of these are Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio on the side of the administration and Vice President Maria Leonor “Leni” Robredo on the side of the political opposition.

Some may consider this an interesting battle between two women, but it would be too shallow for one to read into this a feminist accolade, considering what recent events have pointed out to us. It may be unpalatable to hear and may appear misogynist, but gender has nothing to do

valedictorian and placed fourth in the Medical Board Exam with a rating of 90%, despite us having two children.

We had no money when we started our life together as husband and wife, grateful for the support of our parents as we worked hard to fulfill our dreams, build our family. We had two more children during his surgical residency years. Eventually, we became financially independent and began living a comfortable life.

However, somewhere along the way, we drifted apart. The emotional immaturity of early adulthood, the demands and stresses of his medical education and training, my building a career in the limelight of broadcasting, raising four children, our weaknesses as human beings — the interplay of these factors eroded our once happy relationship and our marriage.

The song of Neil Sedaka comes to mind: “I miss the hungry years The once upon a time The lovely long ago We didn’t have a dime Those days of me and you We lost along the way…”

We had a complicated relationship for more than three years, asking ourselves if we should stay or go on our separate ways.

But amid the inner turmoil, we knew deep inside how our vow and commitment to give our children the best life in spite of ourselves had been our guid-

Philstar.com photo

ing light and reason to remain friends.

And perhaps, more than how we wanted to admit during these times of uncertainties, the shadows of the simple joys of our hungry years nurtured by our love for each other had somehow kept on pulling us back and made it impossible to really let go.

And so, by the grace of God in the most miraculous circumstances, only He could have made possible, Rene and I found each other again. We went to court together just before the decision to annul our marriage was handed out to tell the judge we were dismissing the annulment case and are keeping our marriage.

“Beautiful!” gushed Judge Rosalina Pison of the Quezon City Regional Trial Court. Indeed, it was the greatest blessing of our lives — God’s promise of giving us “beauty for ashes” that healed our hearts and gave us the grace to start again.

As all of these events happened during Rene’s short month-long visit in between his interviews and the start of medical fellowship training in the United States in the summer of 2000, we made the most of this time to renew our marriage vows in the same church where we met, fell in love, got married, and had our four children baptized.

Rene went back to the U.S. and I went to visit with him during fall, winter and spring. It was during this time when we decided to immigrate to the United States to start a new chapter in

our life.

Everything just fell into place, after we said YES to God’s still small voice inside our hearts.

In May of 2001, I gave up my career at ABS-CBN. My children and I joined my husband in the United States. Rene was offered a rare chance to have a surgical residency after he finished his fellowship, and this opened the path for him to practice surgery.

We started anew with hungry years again as he was just getting a humble stipend as he completed his re-training in the U.S. to get his medical license.

I did real estate on the side. But our hearts were full of love and of renewed dreams in our adoptive country for us and our children.

And just after Rene started his medical practice here in the U.S. in 2005, ABS-CBN asked me to work for the company again as talk show host and news anchor for The Filipino Channel, which has started producing programs in California. I was given the chance to continue the career I gave up for my family.

We are now celebrating our 37th wedding anniversary this July. The kids have grown up and are building their own lives.

We have also been blessed with two grandchildren!

Rene and I are now (almost) empty nesters and are living our lives as honeymooners — something we missed when we were navigating the struggles and crises of our younger years all at the same time. We are now able to live our passion, pursue our own dreams, travel around the

world, celebrating each moment we are together.

We did not get here on our own. We grew up together from our teen years through adulthood, through middle age through the golden years. Every season of our life presented new challenges, which have been our opportunities to grow together.

But what had sustained us is our renewed faith in God who has been giving us the grace to carry on and nurture our love and our life together. All the pains of the past He used so we may find this new life in Him as one.

God has blessed us with each other to help us become better human beings, growing in love and faith together, making our crooked paths straight, smoothening our rough edges. And this all began when we said “YES,” and started the new chapters of our new life rooted in our faith, and He helped us do things we can never do on our own.

And we continue to say “YES.” Every day. *** 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.

Wanted: Ideal candidate for 2022

Commentary

antonio P. ContReRaS

– nearly half of the P224.5 million that he allegedly received in PDAF kickbacks from Napoles through his aide Richard Cambe, who was convicted and faces up to 40 years

with bringing feminism into the mainstream of politics. One just has to look at the likes of United States Representatives Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia and Lauren Boebert of Colorado to realize that being a woman does not assure deliverance from lunacy, violence and conspiracy theories, which abound in the political world, dominated by men. Both Sara Duterte-Carpio and Leni Robredo endear themselves to their political base, but it is not certain whether what they bring to the table is something of which blue-blooded feminists can be proud.

And then you have other names, mainly a coterie of politicians who are either allied with President Rodrigo —Duterte and their camp is simply teeming with familiar names such as Sen. Emmanuel Pacquiao or even former senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. — or from the shallow bench that the political opposition has become. For people who aspire for some fundamental change in our politics, the picture becomes depressing indeed. The popularity of the Duterte dynasty attached to the

fame, or infamy, of its patriarch Rodrigo has been proven time and again as unassailable despite ineptitude, allegations of corruption and human rights abuses, and his failure to deliver practically all the 15 points in his campaign platform which he promised in 2016. While the approval ratings of other leaders floundered during the pandemic, Duterte’s ratings continued to soar, defying the law of political gravity. This despite the negative growth rate of our economy, a lethargic pandemic response and being a laggard in the vaccine rollout, where Bangladesh and Myanmar even outpaced us.

There is no way a Robredo, or anyone from the political opposition, can win against a brand that has become a political cult.

If anyone would like to challenge the Duterte brand in 2022, and has a chance of winning, then one has to come to grips with the reality that Robredo, or anyone who can easily be framed as a “dilawan,” has practically a zero chance. Anti-Duterte people should come out of their echo chambers, trapped in their

own social media groups, or in their ivory towers in academe, or in civil society circles, and realize that what they have is a losing proposition.

They should abandon any wishful thinking that Robredo, or anyone like her from the current political opposition, can be molded in the like of a Joseph Biden Jr. After all, Biden won because more than half of the United States detested Donald Trump. So, anyone who would liken Robredo to a Biden should give it a rest and venture into reality.

The reality that we face is the fact that in the Philippines, politics is about narratives. And under present conditions, and in order to beat the Duterte narrative, one has to find another candidate with an equally compelling narrative that would have the ability to peel away the Duterte political base. Most vulnerable, and therefore easy for conversion, among this base will be those who simply support Duterte because they hate the Liberal Party and the current political opposition.

While the goal of transforming

Philippine politics is a lofty one, relying on slogans, and even well-crafted alternatives, will simply not make the cut. What we need is a candidate who would have the ability to match, and even punch holes, into the Duterte brand, but also one with an aura that can tickle the political imaginations of those who do not vote because of platforms, but simply because of image and optics. This candidate should be a lightning rod that would be able to steal thunder away from the jaded, provincial and parochial modalities of the Duterte dynasty and offer a contrapuntal that is new, inclusive and modern. This person must be a darling of social media but is also familiar with the underbelly of transactional politics. He or she should be both internet savvy, with a cosmopolitan worldview but would be willing to engage and is familiar with the ways of traditional local politics.

And of course, this candidate must have the ability not only to raise campaign funds from wealthy donors, but also able to whip up a mass base that can outmatch the grassroots idolatry

of the diehard Duterte supporters. He or she should be able to inspire people to contribute their own time and money for his or her campaign.

But most fundamental of all is that this candidate should be an independent political figure, outside the ambit of the Duterte dynasty and his allies, unaligned even with the current political opposition. He or she must be progressive, a unifier, and with a clear track record. He or she should have the ability to embody a new kind of politics that is both transactional and transformative, traditional and technologically savvy, amiable and inspiring but not cult-like, and one who would embody a compelling platform that speaks to the roots of our sufferings as a people.

The question that we need to ask ourselves, however, is this.

Does this candidate even exist at all? (ManilaTimes.net) *** The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff.

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

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SoCal ASIAN JOURNAL • FEBRUARY 10-12, 2021

A7

Palace: Duterte worried by economic impact of pandemic by alexis

romero Philstar.com

DRESSED CHICKEN. Trade and Industry Secretary Ramon Lopez, Mandaluyong City Mayor Carmelita Abalos, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority chairman Benjamin “Benhur” Abalos Jr., and Agriculture Secretary William Dar (2nd from right) show the price tag of the whole dressed chicken during the visit at SM Hypermarket on Shaw Boulevard in Mandaluyong City. The group visited markets and supermarkets in Metro Manila to monitor the price and supplies of pork and chicken on Tuesday, February 9.

PNA photo by Joey O. Razon

House bill allowing ‘virtual marriage’ pushed

by Divina

nova Joy Dela ManilaTimes.net

Cruz

AMID the limitations and restrictions posed by the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic, a bill seeking to allow marriage of couples through virtual or online video conferencing is currently being pushed at the House of Representatives.

House Bill 7042 or the “Virtual Marriage Act,” authored

by Kabayan Party-list Rep. Ron Salo, was tackled in the hearing of the House Committee on Revision of Laws on Tuesday, along with other measures seeking to amend Executive Order 209 or the Family Code of the Philippines.

“The current Covid-19 pandemic has caused the postponement and cancellation of many wedding ceremonies because of the prohibition on mass gatherings and the health risks posed to everyone, including the parties themselves and to the solemnizing officer who is oftentimes of advanced age. Thus, I am fully convinced that now is the opportune time to reevaluate our laws in order for it to adapt to present realities and to fully utilize technological advances. Who would have imagined in 1987 when the Family Code was adopted that we will be conducting this congressional hearing via Zoom?,” Salo said in his sponsorship speech.

Salo noted that due to the implementation of physical distancing, virtual presence has become an accepted alternative and the “new norm” in meetings and other exercises in the Philippines and abroad, including legal proceedings,

hearings in Congress, Supreme Court and other courts.

Salo said that his bill seeks to provide couples an alternative to the traditional marriage ceremonies conducted physically by expanding the meaning of “presence” and “appearance” to include virtual presence. He also noted that some states in the United States such as New York and Colorado and other countries had allowed couples to tie the knot virtually during the lockdowns.

Salo said that in a virtual ceremony, the bill requires the “contracting parties” or couples to be physically present in one place while the solemnizing officer and their witnesses may be present elsewhere but everyone must be connected either physically or virtually.

Salo also clarified that all the existing formal requisites such as seminars, marriage licenses, and notarization would still need to be fulfilled. He said these would also ensure that couples have given their free consent to the marriage, even though conducted virtually.

Panel Chairman Cheryl Deloso-Montalla ordered the creation of the technical working group to further thresh out details of the bill along with other proposed amendments to the Family Code. The other bills propose amendments on provisions regarding annulment, legal separation, legitimate or illegitimate children, property regime, foreign decree on the dissolution of marriage, and authority to solemnize marriage, among others.

In her opening remarks, Montalla stressed the need to revisit the 1987 Family Code to address changes in the dynam-

Schools walk the tightrope between ideal safety and...

PAGE A4 pi’s mind because covid cases had dropped after the summer surge. At the time, restaurants, gyms and hair salons in her county were allowed to partially reopen, and some schools in neighboring counties had also opened.

“One of the reasons it’s so frustrating is that we can look at so many places and we see tens of thousands of kids back in school,” said Bacigalupi, whose children, ages 5 and 8, have been out of school for nearly a year. “I’m also just sad.

And the sadness gets worse as you see what’s happening to your kid. It’s harming them.”

Bacigalupi said her second grader is like a different child — he’s quick to anger and struggles to regulate his emotions. He now gets counseling once a week.

Balancing Risks Under pressure, more schools are reopening by the day. In Cincinnati, city schools returned to a hybrid model of inperson and remote learning this month after a judge dismissed a teachers union lawsuit seeking to delay reopening.

Public health officials say districts must acknowledge that holding school in person is a calculated risk, and take concrete steps to minimize the danger for staff members and kids. These include separating desks in classrooms — even if that means holding class in a gymnasium — erecting plexiglass barriers where possible and limiting school sports.

“Implementing a combination of all of these layered approach-

es will make it a lot safer,” said Krystal Pollitt, an assistant professor of environmental health sciences at the Yale School of Public Health, which last year issued guidance to help schools determine when to reopen.

For example, the Los Angeles Unified School District, the second largest in the country, has taken a number of measures, including installing upgraded air filters, purchasing an ionized cleaning system to sanitize surfaces and rearranging furniture in classrooms, said Kelly Gonez, president of the school board.

But like the local and state teachers unions and the district superintendent, Gonez believes the rampant spread of covid in the region must be addressed first.

“Once the broader covid conditions are in a safer place in the community, I think we will be ready,” Gonez said. “We have the protocols in place to do this successfully.”

On Wednesday, the local American Academy of Pediatrics chapter countered that schools should reopen immediately because the social isolation, anxiety and lack of structure are “causing undue harm” to children. “‘Safe’ is a relative term,” said Schleiss, the Minnesota professor. “Continuing to attend school with careful monitoring is reasonable. We don’t want the perfect to be the enemy of the good.”

This story was produced

by Kaiser Health News, an editorially independent program of the Kaiser Family Foundation. n

ic society, saying “The process of globalization is catching up with the development of the Filipino family and change must occur if the family is to survive in this fast-changing world.” n

MANILA — President Rodrigo Duterte is worried about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the economy, Malacañang said Tuesday, February 9, as it cited the need to address the hunger caused by prolonged lockdowns.

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said Duterte expressed his concerns about the effects of the pandemic during an unscheduled meeting with Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez.

“It was on a Sunday. And the president really met with Secretary Dominguez to talk about the economy. So, our president was really worried and we really need to recover as soon as possible because clearly, more people may die of hunger instead of COVID-19,” Roque said at a press briefing.

“That is why the appeal of the president is to wear face masks, wash hands, observe physical distancing. Take care of our lives because it is important to save our countrymen who are going hungry because of the prolonged lockdown,” he added.

Trade chief: Relaxed quarantine restrictions possible Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said the relaxation of quarantine restrictions is possible if the COVID-19 numbers improve.

“If you ask the economic team, we are really considering it. As long as we establish the numbers, we will really make the proposal to deescalate, to relax. It’s about time... Perhaps by this time, most

President Rodrigo Duterte

of our countrymen, almost all of our countrymen are complying and are used to our health protocols,” Lopez said.

“With regard to the easing (of restrictions), I think it’s something we can really consider even next month if the number of cases continue to go down. Remember, we only paused (the reopening of the economy because of the entry of the new (COVID-19) variant,” he added.

Metro Manila, Batangas, Abra, Apayao, Benguet, Baguio City, Ifugao, Kalinga, Mountain Province, Tacloban City, Davao City, Davao del Norte, Lanao del Sur and Iligan will be under general community quarantine this month while the rest of the Philippines will be under the most lenient modified general community quarantine.

Lopez said the vaccination pro-

Malacañang photo by Simeon Celi

gram would “definitely” have a positive effect on the economy.

“It will definitely regain much of iyong lost consumer confidence and after that, business confidence, and people will be confident to go out,” the trade chief said.

“But even without the vaccine, we have been proposing also even earlier, if the number of cases continue to go down, we can consider a continuous, gradual, calibrated and safe reopening,” Lopez said.

Lopez said while there are signs of recovery, the country is still far from the pre-COVID-19 growth levels.

“We have to continue the gradual reopening so more people will have jobs,” he said.

“Once we establish that we (are) able to manage the new variant, I’m positive the president will allow it.” n

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The Year of the Ox: How Filipinos celebrate Lunar New Year F

by Ritchel

Mendiola / AJPress

EBRUARY 12 will mark the biggest event on the Chinese calendar, ushering in the beginning of the Year of the Ox. Unlike the fixed new year of the Gregorian calendar commonly celebrated on January 1st, the date of the Lunar New Year varies, determined by the appearance of the new moon — which is why it’s called the Lunar New Year, as it’s based on the lunisolar Chinese calendar.

The Lunar New Year usually falls sometime between January 21 and February 20. It will be on the 12th of February, a Friday, this year.

The Ox is the second animal in the Chinese zodiac. One myth said that the animals were decided in the order in which they arrived at a party thrown by the Jade Emperor. The Ox was set to be the first to arrive, but the Rat tricked the Ox into giving him a ride. As they arrived at the party, the Rat jumped down and landed in front of the Ox.

AJPress illustration by Kendrick Tan

The 12 zodiac animals are, in order: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig. According to ChineseNewYear.net, the Ox in the zodiac is seen as hardworking, honest, and earnest. It is also patient, and thinks logically. The Ox never looks for praise or to be the center of attention. However, the Ox can be stubborn, and might not have the best communication skills.

Those who are born in the year of the Ox — 2021 as well as 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, and 2009 — share the aforementioned traits with the animal.

Traditions and superstitions Similar to the Jan. 1 New Year, Lunar New Year is observed with traditions and rituals to attract good luck and for-

tune for the coming year.

Filipinos who celebrate the holiday typically flock to Binondo in Manila, which is considered the oldest Chinatown in the world.

They crowd the streets of Chinatown to watch the Parades of Dragons and Lions, a colorful and dynamic performance accompanied by the loud banging of drums and cymbals. The dragon, in China, is believed to represent great power, auspiciousness, and strength.

Meanwhile, the lion represents safety and luck.

The color red is prevalent during the festivities as it is a special color in Chinese culture, signifying energy, happiness, and good luck. Most people wear red clothing as it represents vitality as well as strength. Elders also hand out red envelopes (Ang Pao) to children. These envelopes contain money, and giving them is believed to bring good luck and long life to both the giver and receiver.

The Lunar New Year won’t be complete without setting off fireworks and firecrackers

or generally just making noise as it is supposed to drive away bad spirits, bad luck, and the mythical beast called Nian. Filipinos commonly use horns and cooking pots to create noise.

Families also gather to have their New Year’s Eve dinner where they usually serve tikoy (year cake), which is made from sticky rice and symbolizes unity among family members; pancit/noodles, for long life and represent the eater’s life; and fish and dumplings, which are believed to signify good fortune.

Families also prepare 12 different round fruits as they are believed to bring luck and fortune to them.

The New Year’s Eve dinner is perhaps the most important dinner for families — that’s why it’s necessary for all the members of the family to be present for it.

During the Lunar New Year, people across the globe greet with either Gong Xi Fa Cai, which means “you attain greater wealth,” or Kung Hei Fat Choi, which means “congratulations and be prosperous.”

“The Ox is the second animal in the Chinese zodiac. One myth said that the animals were decided in the order in which they arrived at a party thrown by the Jade Emperor. The Ox was set to be the first to arrive, but the Rat tricked the Ox into giving him a ride. As they arrived at the party, the Rat jumped down and landed in front of the Ox.”

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The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - February 10, 2021

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Bretman Rock prepares Filipino-style spaghetti and Ilocano dish igado for family dinner.

Screenshot/MTV

Fil-Am influencer Bretman Rock cooks igado, Pinoy spaghetti in premiere episode of MTV reality show

By Ritchel

Mendiola AJPress

FILIPINO American internet star Bretman Rock is giving fans a closer look at his life — and sharing bits of Pinoy culture along the way — with a new MTV reality show.

The first episode of “Following Bretman Rock,” which premiered on Monday, February 8, shows Bretman — along with his cousin-assistant Miss Kay, childhood friend Larry, and sister Princess — temporarily moving into a beach house while his dream mansion undergoes renovations.

On how Miss Kay became Bretman’s assistant, she shared: “[It was] me traveling around the world for him and I noticed my bank account was going negative and I’m just like: Bret, next time you want me to come, you gotta pay me.”

Meanwhile, Larry shared that he has been friends with Bretman since their grade school years.

“Don’t tell him I said this, but I’m so proud of him as a best friend,” he said.

“I’m not friends with Bret because of his money. I was friends with him when he was still broke, but moving into this beach house got me so excited,” he added.

The episode also featured all of them going on a horseriding excursion as well as Bretman preparing Filipino-style spaghetti and the Ilocano dish igado, which is a type of pork

With over 8 million YouTube subscribers, Bretman Rock is entering the TV world with a reality show on MTV. Photo from Instagram/@bretmanrock

and liver stew.

“My mom is the best cook in the world. I cannot eat other Filipino food that is not my mom’s,” he said, adding, “If I have to cook my mom’s food, I have to do it my mom’s way.”

He was able to impress his Mama Mercy with his version of Pinoy spaghetti, but she noted that the igado was “not good.”

Later, his mother opened up about her struggles as a single mother of three.

“I progressed. That’s why

God gave me a good life. Because I suffered and endured for my kids,” Mama Mercy said in Ilocano.

Bretman, 22, was born in Sanchez Mira, Cagayan in the Philippines. His family moved to Hawaii when he was 8 years old.

He cultivated his online persona by doing makeup tutorials and vlogs on YouTube. Currently, his channel has amassed over 8 million subscribers, while his Instagram has around 15 million followers.

The spotlight beckons Cristina Gonzalez By nika

Roque

ManilaTimes.net

STARTING as a singer to actress to public servant and businesswoman, Cristina ‘Kring Kring’ Gonzalez-Romualdez has really done it all. And now after 15 years away from the bright lights of show business, she has heeded the call to return to her first love, signing exclusively with industry leader Viva Artist Agency.

“I just want to do what makes me happy and I’m here now. I really thank also Boss Vic and Veronique for the trust for including me in Viva Artists Agency and I’m really excited,”

Cristina ‘Kring Kring’ Gonzalez-Romualdez

think Viva would offer me the same roles I used to portray before di ba. Syempre age-appropriate din. At my age, sino bang magki-kissing scene. I’m 50, so parang hindi naman siguro yan ang linya ko diba,” she laughed.

“Pero I would like to do comedy or mga funny roles.

Pwede naman ako maging mother ng beautiful young [actor], things like that. Hindi naman ako masyadong mapili.

Comedy and drama are fun, so [accepting a role] depends sa storyline.”

As someone who has worked her way through different paths and had rich experiences, Gonzalez has learned so much from her decades-spanning career. She looked back and saw roles that she regretted, but has come to understand that she accepted them because she was young and had to follow showbiz trends.

Gonzalez, therefore, is in a perfect position to advise next generation of actors, “Number one talaga be professional eh.

Be on time. And it’s still a job so kailangan you treat it as work.

If you need to practice, then practice. Review your lines or a song if you need to. It’s more of a good attitude towards yung ginagawa mo, then people will see [and say] na ‘ah, masarap pala katrabaho ‘to.’

“And of course, stay humble. Kasi marami diyan, eh di ba bago palang akala mo [beterano] na. Stay humble, showbiz kasi I would say mostly temporary yan eh. Hindi naman permanent talaga di ba na nandiyan ka [sa spotlight.] Syempre lahat tayo we will age and paiba-iba din yung [direction] ng career mo.

“Kaya stay humble and be kind to everyone, kahit sino sa shooting, kahit water boy lang yan o server. Madami ka kasing makakasalamuha, makakatrabaho so kailangan pakisamahan mo lahat yan. Treat them all Photo from Instagram/@ cristinagonzalezromualdez pantay-pantay.” she beamed.

Gonzalez admitted that though she missed showbiz before, she was living in Tacloban with her family and was busy with political commitments, making it difficult for her to come back.

“It makes me excited and keeps me happy. And syempre kailangan naman mag-relaxrelax tayo diba, to do something that you really enjoy. And naalala ko talaga na-enjoy ko ‘tong work na ‘to ever since.”

With projects still up for discussion, Gonzalez is open to work on any role or genre with this comeback.

“At my age, parang I don’t

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Catriona dishes on Sam’s best traits: ‘He has a great relationship with my parents’ By niña

v. Guno

Inquirer.net

MONTHS after going public with their relationship, Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray has become more open about boyfriend Sam Milby.

Gray described her love life as “masaya (happy)” in an interview on Teleradyo’s “Sakto” with Amy Perez last Friday, Feb. 5, as reported in Inquirer Bandera on Sunday, Feb. 7.

Although she has been low-key about her and Milby on social media, the singer conContinued on Page 3 Catriona Gray and Sam Milby with Gray’s dog Theo

Photo from Instagram/@jaysonsarmiento

Love life or loveless? Jane chooses fate of her ‘millennial’ Darna

By Jan

Milo SeveRo Philstar.com

KAPAMILYA actress Jane De Leon revealed that she has no time for love and for now, she will focus on her career first.

During her recent virtual press conference for “FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano,” Jane said she chose self-love first over love life.

“Love life? Pahinga muna ko diyan. Kasi siyempre ilang beses na ko nasaktan. Career talaga muna at sarili. Self-love na lang muna. Kasi paano mo mamahalin ang ibang tao kung hindi mo kayang mahalin ang sarili mo?” she pointed out.

Jane, meanwhile, said that her character Darna needs to have a love life. Jane will play the iconic Pinay superhero in an ABS-CBN TV series soon.

She said her Darna will be different because her version would be “very modern” and “millennial.”

“Kung ako po tatanungin, si Darna po siyempre, may puso din naman po siya at gusto niyang maramdaman ang pagmamahal at ma-expe-

Jane De Leon digitally edited to be in character as Darna.

rience po ‘yon. Ang tanong lang dito ay kung sino ba?

Abangan po natin yan,” she told Philstar.com during the media conference.

In the same press conference, Jane said that her celebrity crush is Paulo Avelino, who was first cast as Darna’s love interest in the postponed movie.

“Si Paulo Avelino pa rin.

Kasi ewan ko, alam ba niya?

ABS-CBN photo

Alam niya yata. Siguro naman alam niya na crush ko siya.

Siya ang celebrity crush ko, si Paulo,” Jane said when asked if who she wanted to be paired with in the future.

“Given na po na guwapo po si Paulo, pero pagdating po sa acting sobrang galing po talaga niya. Kaya ‘yon po ‘yung isa sa reason kung bakit gusto ko po siya makaeksena.”

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The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - February 10, 2021

Jaclyn on being a doting grandma and working with the Superstar By allan

PolicarPio Inquirer.net

The Grove, The Americana at Brand to celebrate the Year of the Ox TO mark the beginning of the Year of the Ox, The Grove in Los Angeles and The Americana at Brand in Glendale will celebrate the Lunar New Year with offerings in food, fashion, and more.

The celebration starts on Feb. 5 until Feb. 26.

Through the duration of the Lunar New Year celebration, the outdoor shopping and dining destinations will be adorned with traditional décor that guests can safely enjoy while taking advantage of special discounts from Charlotte Tilbury, David Yurman, Din Tai Fung, Laduree, See’s Candies, Sephora, Vince, and more.

In addition to these exciting retail offerings, several of the properties’ popular eater-

ies recently resumed outdoor dining, providing for a safe and fun environment for the whole family. At The Americana at Brand, guests who spent a total of $250+ in the same day will receive a commemorative Lunar New Year tote bag and complimentary parking.

The Grove and the Americana at Brand continue to observe COVID-19 protocols, such as face coverings, 6-feet social distancing, frequent cleaning, contactless hand sanitizier stations, and UV sanitization and covers at the valet.

The Ox is the second animal of the 12-year cycle which appears in the Chinese zodiac calendar. The Ox symbolizes diligence, dependability, strength, and determination.

Having great patience and

Juancho Trivino and Joyce Pring

a desire to make progress, people born in the ox year can achieve their goals by consistent effort and gain recognition through their hard work.

They always have a definite plan before taking any action.

As a result, people that are of the ox zodiac sign often enjoy great success. 2021 is the Year of “Metal” Ox which begins February 12, 2021 and ends on January 31, 2022.

For a full list of offers please visit The Grove (thegrovela.com) and The Americana at Brand (americanaatbrand.com).

The Grove is located at 189 The Grove Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90036. The Americana at Brand is located at 889 Americana Way, Glendale, CA 91210.

Photo from Instagram/@joycepring

Juancho, Joyce expecting first baby

By Katrina

Hallare Inquirer.net

IT appears that Joyce Pring and Juancho Triviño’s brood will be expanding this 2021 as the couple announced Tuesday they are expecting their first baby.

“THREEvinos coming soon!!

Yes, we are pregnant! Im going to be a dad,” the actor and TV

host said in an Instagram post as he cradled his wife’s growing belly.

Pring likewise shared photos in her own Instagram account, showing the couple in a photo booth set up as well as the baby’s sonogram.

“Fam, we’re excited to share with you all the news… we’re gonna have

our own #BundleofJoyth and he/she is ready to say hello this 2021!!!!!!!!” she said.

Pring and Triviño married in a garden wedding held at the Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila in Pasay City in February 2020.

The couple first confirmed they were together in May 2019, and announced their engagement in November the same year.

Loisa, Ronnie push bounds of forbidden love in new show REAL-life couple Loisa Andalio and Ronnie Alonte find themselves falling in love but doomed to stay apart as they play step-siblings in iWantTFC’s special Valentine treat and LoiNie’s first original series titled “Unloving U.” Having to live under one roof after their parents’ marriage, Fiona (Andalio) and Alfie (Alonte) are forced to learn how to live together as step-siblings. With completely different personalities, the two are disgusted with each other as Fiona vents to her father (Ariel Rivera) how she cannot stand Alfie’s snobbish personality. Alfie, on the other hand, bares his feelings to his mom (Gelli de Belen) about how he wants Fiona out of the house.

Fiona and Alfie’s constant bickering, however, leads her to secretly fall in love with him as their interest in music also allows them to grow closer and develop a deep bond. Knowing she can never be in a romantic relationship with Alfie, who also has a girlfriend, Fiona begins the process of unloving him.

Will Fiona be able to ignore her love for Alfie? How will her love for him affect their relationship with their parents?

“Unloving U” is directed by Easy Ferrer and also includes members of “The Squad Plus,” Sam Cruz, KD Estrada, and Anji Salvacion. (ManilaTimes.net)

Real-life couple Loisa Andalio and Ronnie Alonte play step-siblings in this special Valentine treat.

Photo from Instagram/@iamr2alonte

Catriona dishes on Sam’s...

From Page 2 firmed that she spent Christmas in the United States with the actor and his family.

“It was my first time to spend Christmas away from my family, so it was nice to feel that I was with my family pa rin (still),” she said.

Gray also talked about how Milby is as a boyfriend: “He’s a very good listener, I really appreciate that. And he really goes out of his way to make time for me because we are both busy.”

“So I really appreciate the

small things, that he really shows that he’s thinking of me and he makes time for me,” she added.

Gray’s parents are based in Australia and even with the distance, she said that Milby gets along with them.

“He has a great relationship with my parents which is a really fulfilling thing for me rin (too),” she said.

“When I usually call them when we we’re together sa (in the) States, we will all talk together. So it’s really nice to see them have that friend-

ship already with my parents because that means a lot to me and I know that Sam knows that. So it’s just nice to see him make the effort.”

She mentioned too that she hopes to bring Milby in a visit to her parents.

The couple confirmed that they were an item last May, during Milby’s birthday. For her 27th birthday last January, the “Ang Sa Iyo ay Akin” star gave a touching surprise message to Gray on the variety show “Sunday Noontime Live,” telling her, “I love you, Koala.”

WITH a new grandchild and project offers coming in despite the pandemic, Jaclyn Jose couldn’t be more grateful.

“I feel blessed because my child is healthy and all my apos are healthy. And these days, that’s all you could ask for, really. I’m just praying that no one gets sick,” she said at a recent press conference for Godfather Productions.

Last month, Jaclyn’s daughter, Andi Eigenmann, gave birth to her third kid, a boy named Koa. The baby is her second with her partner, surfer Philmar Alipayo. They also have a daughter, Lilo, who’s now 1. Andi’s eldest, daughter Ellie—with ex-boyfriend Jake Ejercito—is now 9.

“My new apo is so gwapo … mestizo. They all have their own beauty,” Jaclyn gushed. “I see myself in all of them!”Jaclyn has been a doting lola, making the most out of her grandchildren’s stay in Manila, before the family returns to Siargao Island, where they are now based. “Things are going well. I took care of Lilo while Andi gave birth.

Andi returned from the hospital after three days, and it was as if nothing happened. She’s the strongest woman—well, aside from …” she jested. “I bring her malunggay soup and other food. I take care of her requests.”

Because she’s around babies often recently, Jaclyn makes sure to take extra precautions. “As much as possible I really just stay at home. When I have to work, I do room quarantine for two weeks. I don’t visit them. I always carry a big bottle of alcohol,” she related. “Prevention is better than cure.

Mahirap na.”

The 56-year-old artist has nothing but support for Andi and Philmar’s relationship.

“They’re genuinely happy and living their lives to the fullest,” she observed. “They don’t

Jaclyn Jose

dwell on negativity or things that will drag them down.”

Asked when the couple plans to tie the knot, Jaclyn said the wedding may take place next year. “I’m pretty sure it will be there in Siargao.

Let’s wait for the pandemic to end first. Actually, everything will depend on that—the wedding, the baby’s baptismal,” said the actress who hopes to spend time in the picturesque island, given the opportunity.

“Their place there has been completed, and they’re having items shipped from Manila. I would love to visit them,” she related. “They’re just so positive.” Not a few fans have been wondering whether or not Andi still plans to work and return to show biz, because, by the looks of it, she is seemingly content with the simple island life.

Jaclyn said Andi is still inter-

GMA photo

ested in acting, but will probably prioritize indie projects.

“Right now, she’s focused on taking care of her family. But she still receives good offers.

In fact she had one around the time she announced that she was pregnant,” she related. “She told me, ‘Nay, kapag kaya ko na.’” “Maybe she will do indie films, because soap operas will take a lot of her time.” After “Anak ng Macho Dancer,” Jaclyn—the first Filipino and Southeast Asian actress to win best actress at the Cannes Film Festival—will do “Kontrabida” next, which also features Nora Aunor and director Joel Lamangan.

“I always look forward to working with people like Ate Guy and Direk Joel; I was with them in ‘Flor Contemplacion’ (1995),” she recalled.

“Masaya, nakakatakot at nakakanerbyos. But it’s always a pleasure.”

4

community The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - February 10, 2021

Why using your married child as a co-borrower to refinance your house is a bad idea Barrister’s Corner Atty. Kenneth UrsUA reyes MANY parents who may have problems refinancing their house due to low income in retirement or due to low credit score sometimes resort to the idea of having their married child serve as a co-borrower to refinance their house As part of the refinancing process, the parents usually adds their adult children to the deed

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of the house then have them apply as a co-borrower in a mortgage. This is a really bad idea especially if there your child’s marriage is in trouble.

This becomes a big problem if your married child ever gets divorced from his or her spouse. Your child’s spouse will have a claim for half the community interest in your house even if your intent was only to use your child’s credit to help you qualify for the refinance.

Although you can argue that adding your married child’s name to the deed of your house was only a gift which should be characterized as your child’s separate property, the fact that your

Vin, Sophie moving in together: ‘Another milestone for us’

By Niña

V. GuNo

Inquirer.net

AFTER eight years as a couple, actors Vin Abrenica and Sophie Albert announced that they are set to live together.

“Another milestone for us, WE ARE MOVING IN married child’s credit was TOGETHER!!!” Albert happily used to obtain the refinance declared on Instagram last mortgage loan during the Saturday, Feb. 6, sharing a marriage which was then selfie of her and Abrenica in used to pay off your prior their new home, which is still in mortgage creates a commuthe works. nity interest on his 50% share “[It] has been quite a of your house. According stressful process trying to get to In re Marriage of Branco, our home ready and finished,” a community property loan she admitted. “It’s moving a used to pay off a preexistlot slower than we expected, ing separate loan gives the but we’re hopeful that our community an interest in the home is coming together amount of that loan. In re veeeeery slowly, but surely!!”

Marriage of Branco, (1996) The couple’s announce47 Cal.App.4th 1621. Thus, ment to live together comes the refinance described days after they marked eight above allowed for the new years together last January. loan to pay off the old sepaAbrenica described 2020 as rate property loan, and for a their “toughest year to date,” community interest to arise. but said it only made them Continued on Page 5 “stronger and sweeter.”

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Vin Abrenica and Sophie Albert

“This beautiful woman makes my heart sing and she is my best friend. How lucky am I?” he said of Albert.

The two met in 2012 on the TV5 reality show “Artista Academy,” where they were

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FOR RENT

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Photo from Instagram/@itssophiealbert

both named grand winners.

They broke up in 2016 and not long after, were back together. With this “milestone” in their relationship, it looks like they are committed to making their love last.

community

5

The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - February 10, 2021

Why using your married...

Island Pacific’s Filipino flavored creamers come in five flavors from ube to buko pandan.

Island Pacific expands private label with Filipino flavored creamers

ISLAND Pacific is expanding its private label program by offering customers its own flavored condensed creamers.

The supermarket now has a unique product that provides great taste and convenience.

Customers wanting to experiment with authentic Philippine flavors will enjoy these new additions as these creamers are available in popular flavors that are unmistakably Filipino in taste. The Mango flavored creamer has the Manila mango taste, Ube is ‘Ubengube’, and Buko Pandan is authentically Buko Pandan taste.

With these flavors married in the condensed milk, it is like having ‘delicious convenience’ in a can.

According to Maricel Aguilar, R&D Director of Island Pacific, “When we develop products bearing the Island Pacific brand, the product must at least be equal, if not better, than the leading brand in that product category. Island Pacific brand will never sacrifice quality to reduce cost. As Island Pacific is the first to launch this kind of product in the market,

The flavored creamers can be used to make classic Filipino desserts like yema and pastillas.

there were no comparison, but it spells convenience for our community and has an authentic Filipino taste. We also made sure we had it manufactured by a trusted manufacturer in the industry.”

Island Pacific flavored creamers can be used in many recipes without needing to add hard-to-find exotic flavors of Ube, Manila Mango, and Buko Pandan. Traditional and classic recipes such as: Yema, Ube Spread, Pastillas, Halo-Halo,

Ube Cake, Mango Tango Cake, Candies, Ube Leche Flan and Filipino flavored frosting is now easily accessible even to the novice culinarian.

Island Pacific is supermarket chain dedicated to promoting Filipino food and seafood to the rest of the world. It is headquartered in Walnut, California and currently has 16 supermarket branches serving communities in California and Las Vegas.

(Advertising Supplement)

From Page 4 Your married child’s spouse can claim that adding your child’s name to the deed was not a gift but instead property your child acquired during marriage as community property because your child paid for that interest by getting a mortgage as a co-borrower during their marriage. Family Code Section 760 provides that all property, real or personal, wherever situated, acquired by a married person during the marriage while domiciled in this state is community property.

Procedurally, your married child’s spouse will join you as an indispensable party in the divorce case. Once you are joined as a party, you will be served with a summons and complaint for joinder into the action. You then would have to retain your own lawyer to defend you in your married child’s divorce case.

If you can avoid this situation and refrain from adding your married child to the deed and serving as a coborrower in your refinance.

However if refinancing would really make a big difference in your mortgage interest and you are willing to give one half ownership interest in your house to your married child, then you may be able to plan around this situation by having your married child execute a post nuptial agreement with his spouse before you enter into the refinance transaction. Although not bullet proof, it should offer you some protection in case your child gets divorced. *** 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, APLC. 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, APLC is located at 3699 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 747, Los Angeles, CA, 90010. Tel. (213) 388-1611 or e-mail kenneth@kenreyeslaw. com. Visit our website at Kenneth@ kenreyeslaw.com.

(Advertising Supplement)

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