021723 - San Diego Edition

TIME is running out for free-to-consumer COVID vaccines, at-home test kits, and even some treatments.

The White House announced this month that the national public health emergency, first declared in early 2020 in response to the pandemic, is set to expire May 11. When it ends, so will many of the policies designed to combat the virus’s spread.

Take vaccines. Until now, the federal government has been purchasing COVID-19 shots. It recently bought 105 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech bivalent booster for about $30.48 a dose, and 66 million doses of Moderna’s version for $26.36

US backs PH in new dispute with China

by Bernadette e tamayo ManilaTimes.net

THE United States renewed a warning that it would defend its treaty ally if Filipino forces come under attack in the disputed South China Sea, after a Chinese coast guard ship allegedly hit a Philippine patrol vessel with a military-grade laser that briefly blinded some of its crew.

The incident took place on February 6 when the Chinese coast guard ship beamed high-grade lasers to block the Philippine patrol vessel BRP Malapascua from approaching Second Thomas Shoal on a resupply mission to Filipino forces

there, according to the Philippine officials.

U.S. State Department spokesman Ned Price said China’s “dangerous operational behavior directly threatens regional peace and stability, infringes upon freedom of navigation in the South China Sea as guaranteed under international law and undermines the rules-based international order.”

“The United States stands with our Philippine allies,” Price said in a statement.

He said that an armed attack on Philippine armed forces, public vessels, or aircraft, including those of the coast guard in the South China Sea, would invoke U.S. mutual defense commitments under a

Marcos, Chinese envoy discuss sea rift after laser beam attack

by daniza Fernandez Inquirer.net

MANILA — President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and Chinese Ambassador Huang Xilian met to strategize on Tuesday, February 14 on how best to settle the maritime disputes between the two nations.

The high-level meeting between the two officials was held as a response to an incident in which a China Coast Guard ship fired a laser beam at a Philippine Coast Guard vessel near the Ayungin Shoal in the West Philippine Sea, causing temporary vision impairment to some of the PCG crew.

The Chinese Embassy in Manila issued a statement saying, “Both parties discussed how to actualize the consensus formed by the two heads of state, increase dialogue and communication, and thoughtfully manage maritime differences between China and the Philippines.”

Marcos summoned Huang to air his “serious u PAGE 2

SWS: Satisfaction with Marcos performance rose to +68 in December

MANILA — More Filipinos — 75% of those surveyed — told pollster SWS in December that they are satisfied with President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr’s performance as chief executive.

According to a release by SWS, this was up from 71% in an October survey, bringing net satisfaction with the second Marcos administration to +68. In the previous survey, net satisfaction was at +63.

hug the freeway underpasses that crisscross Roseville Road, and spill into the nearby neighborhoods and creek beds.

At one of the more established encampments, Daisy Gonzalez used canvas and carpet scraps to fashion a living room

Respondents who were undecided fell to 18% from 21% while those who said they were dissatisfied went to 7% from 8%.

Marcos got the highest net satisfaction in Mindanao at +72 (excellent) but got ‘very good’ ratings in Metro Manila (+65), Balance Luzon (+60) and the Visayas

Fewer Pinoys taking up nursing

MANILA — Despite the huge demand for healthcare workers (HCWs) abroad, the local recruitment industry on Monday, February 13 reported a downtrend in the number of Filipinos opting for a nursing degree.

Recruitment leader Lito Soriano observed that fewer Filipino youth are now enrolling in nursing schools because of the prevailing cap in the deployment of HCWs abroad.

Soriano, who owns an agency deploying health workers to

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(+67). Satisfaction with the president’s performance was higher in rural areas at an ‘excellent’ +74 against a ‘very good’ +62 in the cities.

Ratings were an ‘excellent’ +73 among respondents aged 25-34, followed by +71 among 35-44-year olds. The lowest rating, still a ‘very good’ +64 was among respondents who were 55 or older.

“Compared to October 2022, the president’s net satisfaction rating rose by six points from +67 among those who either had no formal education or some elementary education,” SWS said in its release on the survey. The rating was unchanged at +64 among those who either finished elementary or had some high school education but

Pope names 3rd Pinoy auxiliary bishop in US

by roBertzon ramirez Philstar.com

MANILA — Pope Francis has appointed Monsignor Anthony Celino as auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of El Paso, making him the third Filipino immigrant to be appointed bishop in the United States.

MANILA — Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Juan Ponce Enrile expressed gratitude to well-wishers as he turned 99 on Tuesday, February 14 Valentine’s Day.

“To everyone who greeted me or will greet me on my 99 years on this planet, thank you very, very much, and happy Valentine’s Day to all of you. I love you all,” the former Senate president wrote on his Facebook page.

Enrile added in his post: “99 years are, indeed, long in term of years, and I thank

News of Celino’s appointment was reported by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines in its website on Thursday, February 9.

The article stated that Celino, currently the pastor of St. Raphael Parish and judicial vicar of El Paso, will be the diocese’s first auxiliary bishop since its establishment in 1914.

El Paso Bishop Mark Seitz expressed his gratitude to Pope Francis for appointing Celino to the diocese.

“He brings a unique experience

as a Filipino immigrant serving our border community as a priest for the past 25 years, a steadfast dedication to pastoral ministry, and fidelity to the Gospel,” Seitz said of Celino.

Born in Anda, Pangasinan, Celino finished his studies in Philosophy at the Mary Help of Christians Seminary in Dagupan City in 1993.

He migrated to El Paso and pursued his theology studies at the University of Saint Mary of the Lake in Mundelein, Illinois, leading to his ordination as a priest in 1997.

The bishop-elect’s episcopal ordination will be on March 31 at the St. Patrick Cathedral in El Paso, Texas.

Earlier, the pope had appointed fellow Filipino-American Bishops Oscar Solis in Salt Lake City and Auxiliary Bishop Alejandro Aclan in Los Angeles. n

‘The country is watching’: California homeless crisis looms as Gov. Newsom eyes political future

Enrile thanks God, well-wishers as he turns 99

WELCOME. Passengers onboard the

clean, but it’s so hard out here,” Gonzalez says. Angela Hart / KHN

Nursing students from Centro Escolar University (CEU) gather for the annual capping and pinning ceremony at the World Trade Center in Pasay City. Philstar.com file photo by Edd Gumban

Enrile thanks God, well-wishers as...

God for granting me those years. But in terms of eternity, those seemingly long years are but a fleeting moment.

Nonetheless, thank you Lord for the years you gifted me; for the protection you blessed me and for all the blessings you have generously given to me and to my family; and the friends you, Lord, allowed me to have during my lifetime. Thank you dear God for this day!”

A former justice secretary and defense minister during the administration of Ferdinand Marcos Sr., Enrile’s alleged ambush in 1972 was used as a pretext by the late strongman to declare martial law.

In 1986, he broke away from the administration and supported the People Power Revolution that resulted in Marcos’ ouster.

Now facing plunder charges in relation to the pork barrel scam, Enrile – who served numerous terms in the Senate – patched things up with the Marcos family and accepted the offer to be a legal adviser of the

late strongman’s son who now sits in Malacañang.

Meanwhile, the Sandiganbayan Third Division continued hearing the plunder cases filed against Enrile on Tuesday.

ABS-CBN News reported that RJ Bernal, Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) chief counsel for company

registration and monitoring department, was presented to testify.

Enrile, who is out on bail, was not present at the hearing. In attendance was his former chief of staff and co-accused Gigi Reyes, who was recently ordered released by the Supreme Court on the condition that she attend all her hearings. n

1951 treaty. The treaty obligates the allies to help defend one another in case of an external attack.

China claims the South China Sea virtually in its entirety, putting it on a collision course with other claimants.

Chinese naval forces have been accused of using military-grade lasers previously against Australian military aircraft on patrol in the South China Sea and other spots in the Pacific.

Despite friendly overtures to Beijing by former president Rodrigo Duterte and his successor, Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who met Chinese leader Xi Jinping in January in Beijing, tensions have persisted, drawing in a closer military alliance between the Philippines and the U.S.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said Monday that a Philippine coast guard vessel trespassed into Chinese waters without permission.

Chinese coast guard vessels responded “professionally and with restraint at the site in accordance with China’s law and international law,” he said, without elaborating or mentioning the use of laser.

Aside from China and the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei also have overlapping claims in the resource-rich and busy waterway, where a bulk of the world’s commerce and oil transits.

Washington lays no claims to the disputed sea but has deployed forces to patrol the waters to promote freedom of navigation and overflight — moves that have angered Beijing, which has warned Washington to stop meddling in what it says is a purely Asian dispute.

The contested waters have become a volatile front in the broader rivalry between the U.S. and China in Asia and beyond.

Price said the Chinese coast guard’s “provocative and unsafe” conduct interfered with the Philippines’ “lawful operations” in and around Second Thomas Shoal.

In July, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken called on China to comply with a 2016 arbitration ruling that invalidated Beijing’s vast territorial claims in the South China Sea and warned that Washington was obligated to defend the Philippines under the Mutual Defense Treaty.

On Monday, Price reiterated that the “legally

binding decision” underscored that China “has no lawful maritime claims to the Second Thomas Shoal.”

China has long rejected the ruling and continues to defy it.

Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Wang Wenbin on Monday insisted that the Ren’ai Reef is part of China’s Nansha Islands.

In a statement shared by the Chinese Embassy in Manila, Wang said that on February 6, a Philippine Coast Guard vessel “intruded into the waters off the Ren’ai Reef (or Ayungin Shoal) without Chinese permission.”

He said that in accordance with China’s domestic law and international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (Unclos), the China Coast Guard ship “upheld China’s sovereignty and maritime order and acted in a professional and restrained way.”

“We hope the Philippine side will respect China’s territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea and avoid taking any actions that may exacerbate disputes and complicate the situation,” he said.

“China and the Philippines are in communication on this through diplomatic channels,” Wang added.

Sen. Ana Theresia “Risa” Hontiveros, however, rejected Wang’s explanation.

“China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) is lying,” she said.

“It cannot claim that the Chinese Coast Guard ship acted in accordance with international law, when the 2016 arbitral tribunal that ruled against China’s baseless 9-dash-line claim was constituted precisely under the Unclos,” she said in a statement.

The senator said Ayungin is part of the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone. “The Unclos affirms this.”

“The wider international community recognizes this. It is only China’s authoritarian government that seems to think otherwise,” Hontiveros said. She told China’s MoFA “to stop lying and stick to the truth: that China is using her military might to justify her blatant and dangerous disregard for international law, with her flimsy historical ‘claim’ as an excuse.”

The Philippines filed nearly 200 diplomatic protests against China’s aggressive actions in the disputed waters in 2022 alone. n

Marcos, Chinese envoy discuss sea...

concern” over the actions of China against the PCG and Filipino fishermen in the West Philippine Sea.

The Philippines has filed a

diplomatic protest following the Ayungin Shoal incident.

China, however, asserted that the Philippines intruded into Chinese territory (Ren’ai Reef), and hence took action.

The Philippines has sovereign rights in the West Philippine Sea, based on the Permanent Court of Arbitration’s 2016 ruling. China, however, refuses to recognize the court’s verdict. n

Fewer Pinoys taking up...

Saudi Arabia, said there has been a decline in the number of nurses applying to work since the pandemic as a result of the deployment cap. “We have been posting on social media job vacancies offering good salaries and numerous benefits for registered nurses, but we have few applicants,” Soriano disclosed.

According to Soriano, there are few applicants because the country is also producing fewer nursing graduates.

Soriano said young Filipinos are discouraged from taking up nursing because of the belief that the deployment cap limits their chances of working abroad.

Following the COVID-19 pandemic, the government set an annual deployment cap of 7,500 for HCWs to ensure a sufficient supply of nurses in the country.

Citing data from the Professional Regulation Commission, Soriano said a total of 48,686 nursing graduates passed the licensure

examination from 2016 to 2022. The figure he said is insufficient to fill the huge demand for HCWs in the United States, United Kingdom and other European countries.

To curb the downtrend, Soriano urged the government to raise or totally lift the deployment cap.

Migrant Workers Secretary Susan Ople previously reported that the government is currently studying the possibility of raising the deployment cap for HCWs. n

Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Juan Ponce Enrile appears Wednesday, September 21, 2022, before a Senate panel conducting an inquiry on Charter change. Senate PRIB

photo taken on

from

TOAST FOR SUCCESS. Senators Ronald dela Rosa (6th from left) and Cynthia Villar (3rd from left) together with Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) chief Arnell Ignacio (4th from left) and stakeholders from the maritime industry grace the opening of the Expo Maritime Philippines 2023 Flag State and Shipbuilders Convention at the Harbor Garden Tent, Sofitel Philippine Plaza, Pasay City on Thursday, Feb. 16. The two-day event serves as a forum to discuss issues, trends and developments relevant to the world’s largest flag states and to showcase the potential of the Philippines’ shipbuilding and ship repair industry.

PNA photo by Avito Dalan

country is watching’: California...

outside her cramped RV. Inside, Gonzalez took a quick hit of fentanyl, and turned to a mirror to apply a fresh face of makeup. As the opioid coursed through her body, her anxiety settled, her thoughts grew more collected. But she knows the addiction can’t end well and recounted a half-dozen failed attempts to get clean.

“I really need to get off this ‘fetty’ and stay clean, but it’s so hard out here,” said Gonzalez, 32, her eyes welling. She turned back to the mirror, finishing her eye makeup. “I want to get help and find a program, but there’s no treatment around here. It seems like nobody cares.”

Across California, homelessness is impossible to escape. Steep increases — Sacramento County saw a 67% rise in its homelessness count from 2019 to 2022 — have so far blunted unprecedented government efforts to fund housing and treatment for people living on the streets. And although some communities have made progress, statewide the gravity of the crisis has deepened.

Encampments have mutated into massive compounds proliferating with hard drugs and untreated mental illness. “Isn’t there supposed to be all this money and housing?” asked Gonzalez’s boyfriend, Joe Guzman, an ex-convict who enforces rules for their encampment. Guzman said he has experience in construction but can’t find a job because of a felony drug record.

“Everybody out here is using,” said Guzman, 38, checking their emergency stash of naloxone, an overdose reversal medication, on a brisk November morning. “What else are you going to do, especially when it’s this cold? You have to be numb.”

At its heart, California’s homeless emergency stems from a long-standing shortage of affordable housing. But it is also a public health crisis: The encampments are rife with mental health and addiction disorders. Rats and roaches are endemic, as are stagnant sewage and toxic camp smoke. Gov. Gavin Newsom brims with frustration — and purpose and new ideas — when confronted with what has become an ageold question for California leaders: Why, for all the money and good intentions poured into helping people out of homelessness, does it look worse today than ever? Experts on homelessness say California stands out as the state that has done the most in recent years to address the issue, yet communities are struggling to make headway.

“Some people are demoralized,” Newsom said last summer, unveiling a strategy to fund housing for homeless people with mental health and addiction disorders.

“Some people have, frankly, given up — given up on us, given up on the prospect that we can ever solve this issue. And I want folks to know that they shouldn’t give up.”

Newsom has muscled historic investments of public funds to combat the crisis, wresting a staggering $18.4 billion in taxpayer money in his first four years for initiatives directly targeting homelessness,

a KHN analysis found. And more money is on the way: Spending is projected to grow to $20.5 billion this year. As he wades into his second term as governor, the stakes are higher. He has signaled his ambitions for national office and speculation abounds that he’s positioning himself for a presidential run. He has cast himself as a vanguard for liberal values, taking out ads to goad the Republican governors of Texas and Florida for their conservative politics and publicly chiding fellow Democrats for being too meek in their response to the nation’s culture wars, including a right-wing assault on abortion and classroom speech on issues of race and gender.

On this national stage, California’s squalid tent cities loom as a hulking political liability, ready-made visuals for opponents’ attack ads. Newsom’s legacy as governor and his path forward in the Democratic Party hinge on his making visible headway on homelessness, an issue that has stalked him since he was elected mayor of San Francisco two decades ago.

And Newsom is recalibrating, injecting a new sternness into his public statements on the topic, something akin to “tough love.”

He is enjoining local governments to clear out the unsanctioned encampments that homeless advocates have long defended as a merciful alternative in a state woefully short on housing options. And he is demanding that cities and counties submit aggressive plans outlining how they will reduce homelessness — and by how much — as a precondition for future rounds of funding.

“We have written checks, but we’ve never asked for anything in return,” Newsom told reporters in August. “That has radically changed. We mean business. It’s unacceptable what’s going on in this state.”

Newsom has set in motion a costly, multipronged battle plan, in many ways a grand experiment, attacking homelessness on multiple fronts. Through his brainchild “Project Homekey,” the state has plowed about $4 billion into converting dilapidated hotels and motels into permanent housing with social services. Billions more have been allocated to cities and counties to clear encampments and open additional shelters and supportive housing.

Separate from that, his controversial “CARE Court” plan seeks a novel approach to compelling people languishing on the streets with untreated psychotic disorders to get treatment and housing. It melds the “carrot” of a court-ordered treatment plan, to be provided by local governments, with the “stick” of the prospect of court-ordered conservatorship if people deemed a danger to themselves or others refuse to participate.

Newsom allocated $88 million to launch the initiative, and state funding is expected to grow to $215 million annually beginning in 2025.

That’s on top of his CalAIM initiative, which over five years will invest roughly $12 billion into a blitz of health care and social services with the goal of improving health in

low-income communities and averting the financial crises that can land people on the streets. This includes direct interventions like emergency housing assistance, as well as unconventional support like help with groceries, money management, and home repairs.

Philip Mangano, a longtime friend of Newsom’s who served as national homelessness czar during the George W. Bush administration, credited Newsom for using his political might to take on a seemingly intractable issue like homelessness after so many administrations ignored it.

“Yes, we are spending a lot of money, and yet the problem is getting worse,” Mangano said. “But look, the largest investment ever made in the history of our country, on homelessness, came from Gavin Newsom. He sees himself as responsible for taking care of the poorest Californians, and homeless people. I’ve known him over 20 years, and there’s no question that’s where his heart is.”

Still, putting the issue front and center is a serious gamble for someone with Newsom’s ambitions.

“Doing nothing puts him in peril, but doing something — he runs the risk of failing,” said Darry Sragow, a Los Angelesbased political strategist. “People want strong, tough leadership and progress on this issue, but if Gavin Newsom is going to make headway in reducing homelessness, he’s going to have to have a pretty stiff spine.” ***

Daniel Goodman slept on sidewalks, in a tent, or on a jail bunk throughout much of his 20s and early 30s. Now 35, he only in recent years committed to a regimen of psychiatric medication and counseling for schizophrenia, a condition he was diagnosed with at 24.

“I didn’t want to take medication for a lot of years; I absolutely refused,” he said, eager to discuss a change of heart that has enabled him to reclaim a life with his mom in a comfortable neighborhood in the Gold Country city of Folsom.

Tall, with a bright smile and rock-’n’roll hair, Goodman said he was addicted to methamphetamines for a decade, selfmedicating to calm the voice in his head he calls “the witch.” He panhandled, pushed shopping carts, and bellowed his agony in public fits of rage. It was a hungry, ragged existence during which he cycled from the streets to jail on charges of drunk and disorderly and then back to the streets.

His mom, Susan Goodman, in her form of tough love, eventually closed her home to him after his untreated illness devolved into threatening behavior, including stealing from her and a violent bout of vandalism during which he shattered every window in her house.

“I lived from second to second, and I didn’t have anything to eat or blankets, so I’d think, ‘What can I steal?’” Daniel said. “I

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SWS: Satisfaction...

PAGE 1

rose by eight points to +64 for graduates of vocational school and junior and high school. Among college graduates and those who took graduate students, satisfaction with Marcos rose by five points to +50.

Among the top news stories

on December 10-14, 2022, when the survey was conducted were related to the contentious Maharlika Investment Fund and to updates on the investigation into the killing of Percy Lapid (Percival Mabasa), including the filing of raps against suspended corrections chief Gerald Bantag. (Philstar.com) n

Era of ‘free’ COVID vaccines...

PAGE 1

(These are among the companies that developed the first COVID vaccines sold in the United States.)

People will be able to get these vaccines at low or no cost as long as the government-purchased supplies last. But even before the end date for the public emergency was set, Congress opted not to provide more money to increase the government’s dwindling stockpile. As a result, Pfizer and Moderna were already planning their moves into the commercial market. Both have indicated they will raise prices, somewhere in the range of $110 to $130 per dose, though insurers and government health programs could negotiate lower rates.

“We see a double-digit billion[dollar] market opportunity,” investors were told at a JPMorgan conference in San Francisco recently by Ryan Richardson, chief strategy officer for BioNTech. The company expects a gross price — the full price before any discounts — of $110 a dose, which, Richardson said, “is more than justified from a health economics perspective.”

That could translate to tens of billions of dollars in revenue for the manufacturers, even if uptake

of the vaccines is slow. And consumers would foot the bill, either directly or indirectly. If half of adults — about the same percentage as those who opt for an annual flu shot — get COVID boosters at the new, higher prices, a recent KFF report estimated, insurers, employers, and other payors would shell out $12.4 billion to $14.8 billion. That’s up to nearly twice as much as what it would have cost for every adult in the U.S. to get a bivalent booster at the average price paid by the federal government.

As for COVID treatments, an August blog post by the Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response noted that government-purchased supplies of the drug Paxlovid are expected to last through midyear before the private sector takes over. The government’s bulk purchase price from manufacturer Pfizer was $530 for a course of treatment, and it isn’t yet known what the companies will charge once government supplies run out. How much of that pinch will consumers feel?

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President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Malacañang file photo

Era of ‘free’ COVID vaccines, test kits...

One thing is certain: How much, if any, of the boosted costs are passed on to consumers will depend on their health coverage.

Medicare beneficiaries, those enrolled in Medicaid — the statefederal health insurance program for people with low incomes — and people with Affordable Care Act coverage will continue to get COVID vaccines without cost sharing, even when the public health emergency ends and the government-purchased vaccines run out. Many people with jobbased insurance will also likely not face copayments for vaccines, unless they go out of network for their vaccinations. People with limited-benefit or short-term insurance policies might have to pay for all or part of their vaccinations. And people who don’t have insurance will need to either pay the full cost out-ofpocket or seek no- or low-cost vaccinations from community clinics or other providers. If they cannot find a free or lowcost option, some uninsured patients may be forced to skip vaccinations or testing.

Coming up with what could be $100 or more for vaccination will be especially hard “if you are uninsured or underinsured; that’s where these price hikes could drive additional disparities,” said Sean Robbins, executive vice president of external affairs for the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association. Those increases, he said, will also affect people with insurance, as the costs “flow through to premiums.”

Meanwhile, public policy

experts say many private insurers will continue to cover Paxlovid, although patients may face a copayment, at least until they meet their deductible, just as they do for other medications.

Medicaid will continue to cover it without cost to patients until at least 2024. But Medicare coverage will be limited until the treatment goes through the regular FDA process, which takes longer than the emergency use authorization it has been marketed under.

Another complication: The rolls of the uninsured are likely to climb over the next year, as states are poised to reinstate the process of regularly determining Medicaid eligibility, which was halted during the pandemic.

Starting in April, states will begin reassessing whether Medicaid enrollees meet income and other qualifying factors. An estimated 5 million to 14 million people nationwide might lose coverage.

“This is our No. 1 concern”

right now, said John Baackes, CEO of L.A. Care, the nation’s largest publicly operated health plan with 2.7 million members.

“They may not realize they’ve lost coverage until they go to fill a prescription” or seek other medical care, including vaccinations, he said.

What about COVID test kits?

Rules remain in place for insurers, including Medicare and Affordable Care Act plans, to cover the cost of up to eight inhome test kits a month for each person on the plan, until the public health emergency ends.

For consumers — including those without insurance — a government website is still offering up to four test kits per household, until they run out.

The Biden administration shifted funding to purchase additional kits and made them available in late December.

Starting in May, though, beneficiaries in original Medicare and many people with private, job-based insurance

will have to start paying out-ofpocket for the rapid antigen test kits. Some Medicare Advantage plans, which are an alternative to original Medicare, might opt to continue covering them without a copayment. Policies will vary, so check with your insurer. And Medicaid enrollees can continue to get the test kits without cost for a little over a year. State rules also can vary, and continued coverage without cost sharing for COVID tests, treatments, and vaccines after the health emergency ends might be available with some health plans.

Overall, the future of COVID tests, vaccines, and treatments will reflect the complicated mix of coverage consumers already navigate for most other types of care.

“From a consumer perspective, vaccines will still be free, but for treatments and test kits, a lot of people will face cost sharing,” said Jen Kates, a senior vice president at KFF. “We’re taking what was universal access and now saying we’re going back to how it is in the regular U.S. health system.”

KHN correspondent Darius Tahir contributed to this report.

KHN (Kaiser Health News) is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues. Together with Policy Analysis and Polling, KHN is one of the three major operating programs at KFF (Kaiser Family Foundation). KFF is an endowed nonprofit organization providing information on health issues to the nation. n

‘The country is watching’...

put my mom through a lot.”

Her heart broken, Susan would seek out her son on the streets, bringing supplies to his tent. In 2019, after a particularly cold spell, he begged her to let him come home. She responded with an ultimatum: He could move back home if he agreed to get clean and stay on his meds.

Susan, a lawyer, is among thousands of parents who support Newsom’s CARE Court initiative. For years, families who have watched in despair as children or siblings lost themselves to untreated mental illness have petitioned lawmakers to make it easier to mandate conservatorship and treatment, and CARE Court is a major stride in that direction.

Eight counties, including Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, and Riverside, have volunteered to launch the program this year. All 58 counties will be required to start programs by the end of 2024.

Newsom calls it a paradigm shift. Pushing the measure to passage meant standing against virulent opposition from civil and disability rights groups that argued people have the right to refuse treatment, and warned of a return to the horrors of forced confinement depicted in “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.”

“There’s no compassion in stepping over people on the streets and sidewalks,” Newsom said as he signed the Community Assistance, Recovery & Empowerment, or CARE, Act into law last fall. “They need intervention — sometimes that’s tough.”

Some county leaders have also balked, saying Newsom is sentencing people to a system of care that doesn’t exist. They worry a crush of patient referrals will overwhelm county behavioral health systems. They say they need more money, more time, and funding streams guaranteed year after year.

“There isn’t enough treatment capacity. And we can write a prescription for housing, but the reality under CARE Court is we don’t have what it takes to fill that prescription,” said Michelle Doty Cabrera, executive director of the County Behavioral Health Directors Association of California. “It’s a matter of having the level of funding and housing that is going to help that person be successful.”

Newsom’s response to the pushback has grown heated. He points out that local governments already get billions every year to provide mental health services and that recent state budgets have included funding to expand the system of care.

“I’m exhausted by that — $15.3 billion we’ve provided,” Newsom said at a January news conference, referencing homeless investments over the past two years. The state has provided “unprecedented support,” he said, pounding his fist on the podium. “I want to see unprecedented progress.”

Dr. Tom Insel, who formerly led the National Institute of Mental Health and has served as an adviser to Newsom, credits the governor for bold efforts to direct resources and attention to the nexus of mental illness and homelessness. Research indicates roughly 1 in 20 Americans have a serious mental illness, but for unsheltered homeless people, it’s 1 in 4, Insel said.

He sees CARE Court as a “two-sided mandate,” making counties legally liable for providing services for people whose survival is at risk because of untreated mental illness while putting individuals on notice that they are responsible for accepting that help. Still, he worries the state’s homeless population is so overwhelming in scope, their isolation so entrenched, that it will be difficult to make headway.

“You can have all the clinics and all the medicines and all this good stuff to offer, but if people aren’t engaging with it, it’s not

going to help,” Insel said. “And if there’s no relationship and no sense of trust, it’s just really difficult to engage.”

For Daniel Goodman, the return to mental health took both carrot and stick. Looking back, he can see his refusal to take his prescribed medication after being diagnosed with schizophrenia — he felt “freer” without it — set him on a dehumanizing spiral. A primal need for food and shelter led him to ask his mom for help. But without her “hammer” — the ultimatum — he would not have agreed to treatment. And without the medication, he said, no doubt he would be back on the streets, at the mercy of his vicious “witch” and scraping to survive.

“I’ve battled this question [of needing medication] for years,” he said, reaching for his mom’s hand in her sunlit living room. “I accept it now.”

***

If California is to make a visible dent in its homeless numbers, affordable housing presents the most daunting challenge. The state lacks the extensive shelter networks common in places with colder climates — an estimated 67% of people living homeless in California are without shelter.

And in recent decades, a mire of zoning restrictions and real estate development practices have transformed the housing market, jacking up rents and home prices and shrinking the options for low-wage workers. For every person moved off the streets, many others stand a paycheck or medical emergency away from losing their housing.

The longer people live on the streets, the more their health deteriorates. Addiction and mental health problems deepen. Chronic diseases advance.

“There’s almost nothing as destructive to health as homelessness, and there’s very little that the health care system can do to make up for it,” said Dr. Margot Kushel, director of UCSF’s Center for Vulnerable Populations at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital. “You just fall apart.”

The arrival of COVID-19 — and fears the virus would carve a deadly swath through shelters and encampments — gave Newsom an unexpected opportunity: open housing units in record time by throwing pandemic emergency funds at the problem and circumventing land-use restrictions and environmental reviews that can drag out approvals.

In 2020 he launched “Project Roomkey,” converting dilapidated hotels and motels into temporary housing for homeless people deemed vulnerable to serious covid infections. That morphed into a program to convert underused structures into permanent housing, and today the retooled Project Homekey has laid the groundwork for more than 12,500 housing units.

But much of that is one-time funding for start-up costs. If cities and counties want to participate, they are required to put up money for ongoing operations and services. And many have decided it costs too much to buy in.

“I really wanted to pursue a project, but it just doesn’t work for a lot of rural counties,” said Jaron Brandon, a supervisor in Tuolumne County, a forested province in the Sierra Nevada.

“Rural areas like ours have much lower tax revenues, and we had to figure out five years of funding, so when you start adding up all these costs and requirements, all of a sudden, we can’t afford to think big. It starts cutting into critical issues and basic services like funding roads and wildfire response and public safety.”

Filipina found alive after 3 days under quake rubble

by Bernadette tamayo and Vince JacoB Visaya ManilaTimes.net

A TEAM from the Philippine Embassy in Turkey on Tuesday, February 14 visited in the hospital a Filipina earthquake survivor who was rescued after three days under the rubble from a 7.8 magnitude earthquake in Turkey and Syria last week.

The Philippine Embassy, on Facebook, said its Mersin-based team checked on the condition of Juliva Benlingan, 33, a native of Lagawe, Ifugao, who was previously reported missing.

According to her sister Maribel, Benlingan sustained wounds on her face, head and feet, and was dehydrated when rescued.

“As she recovers well at an Adana hospital, she thanked God for a second chance at life and the embassy for their well wishes,” the embassy said.

The team provided Benlingan with financial assistance and gave her doctors and nurses “tokens of our appreciation.”

Maribel said Juliva, mother to a 12-year-old girl, endured 60 hours under the rubble of a collapsed building before she was rescued.

In its continuous evaluation on the ground, the Philippine Embassy said it is “focusing on

management of its resources toward the welfare, recovery and return to normalcy of Filipino evacuees.”

Displaced Filipinos continue to arrive at the shelter in Ankara, transported by the embassy and on their own volition, it added.

The embassy said its team in Mersin “is also in contact with a set of volunteers from the hospitality industry who have offered to provide food assistance to Filipino-Turkish families who chose to remain in Antakya and to [the] Philippine humanitarian contingent in Adiyaman province.”

“We deeply appreciate the charity of kababayan (fellow Filipinos) and our Turkish brethren,” it added.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) also on Tuesday said it will repatriate the remains of one of the two Filipinas who died in the devastating 7.8-magnitude earthquake in Turkey.

DFA acting Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs Eduardo Jose de Vega said the Philippine government will also repatriate other Filipino survivors who wish to return home.

Employers confident PH can attain upper middle class income status by 2025

THE Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP) expressed confidence that the Philippines can reach upper middle-class income status by 2025 through the support of the Japanese government.

In a press briefing on Monday, February 13

ECOP President Segio Ortiz Luis said the $13 billion worth of investment pledge from Japan will help boost the Philippine economy and generate around 24,000 jobs for Filipinos.

He was referring to President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s visit in Japan from Feb. 8 to 12, 2023. Marcos met Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida along with 1,300 private investors and discussed the improved climate and investment environment.

“It is not impossible for that to happen,” Ortiz

said.

He said the Japanese private sector representatives, along with about 240 Filipino business companies who were also part of the business delegation, were “excited to invest” in the Philippines.

“There are about 300,000 overseas Filipino workers in Japan, and they are treated very well. That is why OFWs don’t have a problem there. All of the hotel employees are OFWs, and the Japanese employers like them. So these 24,000 future jobs, this is not impossible,” he said.

The Philippines is currently classified as a lower middle-income economy by the World Bank. Its latest gross national incomes per capita rose from $3,430 in 2020 to $3,640 in 2021. (ManilaTimes.net) n

‘The country is watching’...

The Filipina fatality was already buried in Turkey based on the decision of her Turkish husband, de Vega said during a Laging Handa press briefing.

He, however, added that Filipinos who are already citizens of Turkey, being married to Turks, should first reacquire their Filipino citizenship to qualify for repatriation.

“Some of them are already Turkish citizens. They need to re-acquire [first] their [Filipino] citizenship under Republic Act 9225 to avail [of the repatriation service],” de Vega said in Filipino.

“So, madali po ‘yan (So, it’s easy). Kung magagawa natin (If we can do [that] within the next several days, dapat magsisiuwian na ‘yan (they would be expected to come home),” he added.

De Vega noted that there are about 248 Filipinos who were affected by the earthquake, with 64 of them staying at a temporary shelter in the country’s capital Ankara.

On the other hand, 70 others sought financial assistance from the embassy, he said.

De Vega added that there is no definite schedule yet on the repatriation of the distressed Filipinos and the body of the Filipina fatality. n

PAGE 4

increase since Newsom took office in 2019.

Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg welcomes Newsom’s push to more aggressively reduce homelessness. He also sees the confounding reality on the ground. The city and Sacramento County have poured millions into new shelter beds and permanent housing, only to see the homeless count surge to 9,200 in 2022, thousands higher than two years prior.

“We have housed over 17,000 people — undeniable success” — in the past six years, Steinberg said. “But it’s not success in the eyes of the public, understandably so, because all we see out on our streets is increasing numbers.”

Steinberg asked himself: “How is it that we are successful in getting tens of thousands of people off the streets only to see the numbers grow?”

Jason Elliott, Newsom’s deputy chief of staff, runs point on homelessness for the governor. He said the question of how to close the homeless spigot is motivating them to think bigger and be more aggressive. Clear out encampments, and at the same time connect people

with housing and services.

Steer more federal dollars into homeless response. Amend state land-use laws to enable counties to site and build housing faster.

Turn the state Medicaid system, Medi-Cal, into a tool to combat homelessness by marrying health care and housing — for instance, funding the first and last month’s rent and asking insurers to work with landlords to find housing for homeless people.

Elliott rattled through a list of reasons he thinks explain how the problem got so entrenched. California is generous with benefits. Its climate is hospitable. The extraordinary cost of living. He also reinforced the administration’s prime strategy: It’s not just about more money, but forcing cities and counties to go harder at the problem with the resources they have.

“The most important thing that we have to do as a state is build more housing and get more people into services, and fundamentally that is a local government responsibility.”

Elliott said. “Local government are the providers of behavioral health services, and they are the ones who choose whether or not housing gets permitted.”

As the administration takes its “just get it done” message across the state, those involved are keenly aware there’s a wider audience.

“There’s a broad sense in this country that we’re falling apart at the seams, and homelessness is part of the proof, to voters, that we’re falling apart. People want this problem fixed, and they want resolute leadership,” said Sragow, the Los Angeles strategist.

“The country is watching. Gavin Newsom has a record of getting out front on big national issues. Sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn’t.”

This story was produced by KHN, which publishes California Healthline, an editorially independent service of the California Health Care Foundation.

KHN (Kaiser Health News) is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues. Together with Policy Analysis and Polling, KHN is one of the three major operating programs at KFF (Kaiser Family Foundation). KFF is an endowed nonprofit organization providing information on health issues to the nation.

(By Angela Hart/ Kaiser Health News) n

Julieva Benlingan with her Turkish wards

Contributed photo

Rise for freedom

VALENTINE’S Day is not just a day of hearts. On Valentine’s Day in 2012, a global mass action was launched to end violence against women. The call to action was made amid reports that one in three women worldwide would be beaten or raped in her lifetime. In 2012, the global population stood at seven billion – meaning over one billion women and girls were expected to experience various forms of violence in that year. The One Billion Rising movement was born.

The Philippines, which has elected two female presidents and two vice presidents, recognized the problem much earlier. Republic Act 9262, the Anti-Violence Against Women and their Children Act, was enacted in 2004 when the country was led by a woman. RA 9262 has tough provisions against domestic violence. As in most laws in this country, however, the problem lies in the implementation. Since the passage of RA 9262, there have been numerous complaints about barangay officials who refuse to carry out their mandate stipulated in the law to serve as front-liners in assisting victims of domestic violence. Many women especially in impoverished communities are also unaware of the law and the protection it offers to victims.

The pandemic lockdowns aggravated the problem, with advocacy groups saying reported cases nationwide tripled in 2020. In 2021, over 12,000 cases of violence against women and their

Babe’s Eye View

BaBe Romualdez

THE announcement by the Philippines and the United States about the expansion of the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement with four new locations to be added to the current five sites and the conduct of joint maritime patrols in the South China Sea reverberated so well worldwide, with 90 percent of Filipinos welcoming this latest development in the relationship between two longtime allies.

Filipinos across the globe – in particular FilipinoAmericans – were extremely pleased, lauding the decision of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in reaffirming and further solidifying U.S.-Philippines relations. I received hundreds of messages and emails expressing their full support for the President’s decision.

The meeting between our Defense Secretary Carlito Galvez and U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was extremely substantial, with the

children were recorded nationwide, with 5,339 more reported in the first six months of 2022 alone. Advocacy groups believe the actual numbers are much higher as many women are unwilling or unable to report their ordeal and seek help.

An 18-day campaign was launched last year, from Nov. 25 – the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women – to Dec. 12, Human Rights Day, to promote mass action in ending the problem. The United Nations is supporting the One Billion Rising campaign. With united efforts globally, the UN aims to curb the problem significantly by 2030. Beyond “flash mobs” and other creative forms of political activism, ending violence against women and children calls for concerted action among multiple government agencies and sectors of society. Filipino women who work overseas face heightened risk of physical, sexual and psychological violence. Domestic helper Jullebee

Ranara was just the latest in an ever-growing list of Filipino migrant workers who were abused and brutally murdered by their foreign employers. For 2023, the call to action of One Billion Rising is “rise for freedom.” Despite some progress in fighting violence against women, confronting the

problem remains challenging in the Philippines, and even more so in other parts of the planet where women are still treated like second-class citizens. A more aggressive, pro-active approach is needed for this freedom to be attained. (Philstar. com)

90% of Filipinos agree on EDCA expansion and joint maritime patrols

discussions delving on shared security challenges in the Indo-Pacific region, and how both nations can address these challenges. The decision to restart joint maritime patrols in the South China Sea is not only seen as a positive development in helping the Philippines tighten its security strategy but an important step in securing our borders.

Filipinos are very patient people. We don’t want any conflict. But when push comes to shove, we will staunchly defend ourselves and those that we hold precious. Filipinos are convinced that our strategy of boosting defense ties and enhancing security cooperation with major allies like the United States will build up our capacity and capability to defend our territory and exercise our sovereign rights.

The headline news on our recent decision for the expansion of EDCA and maritime patrols with the United States has actually precipitated more inquiries from U.S. companies looking at how they can invest or, at the very least, expand their operations in the Philippines. The Philippines was at the front

to an FBI laboratory for examination. Washington has not released technical details to date.

OVER the past few days, U.S. fighter jets shot down four strange flying objects that have crossed over American and Canadian airspaces. This is a ballooning phenomenon.

On Feb. 4, after days of tracking its movements, a U.S. jet fighter fired a single missile to bring down a 200foot balloon closely observed as it crossed the country. The Americans waited for the object to float out to sea off South Carolina before shooting it down to avoid any collateral damage on the ground.

China protested the action, claiming the balloon was owned by a civilian company and used for purely meteorological research. Beijing is asking for the debris of the balloon to be returned to it. Washington is not obliging. The Americans want to know more about the technology being used by China over U.S. airspace.

Recovered remnants of that balloon have been sent

On Feb. 10, U.S. jets downed another “cylindrical” flying object off the coast of Alaska. Here, too, we are not told how much of the downed object was recovered from the frozen sea. All that has been shared is the observation that the downed object did not seem to have any system of propulsion or control. The flying object has not been attributed to China.

A day later, Feb. 11, another U.S. jet shot down a “highaltitude airborne object” over Canada’s Yukon province, close to the border with Alaska. Apart from describing it as a hexagonal object, little has been made publicly known.

On Feb. 12, yet another strange flying object was tracked from over Montana and shot down over Lake Huron. Still, we are not told about the nature of the object nor its origin. Washington says the object was shot down because it posed a threat to commercial aircraft.

With very little detail

and center of international news – that is, until the Chinese balloon incident came into the picture.

Clearly, the U.S. and the Philippines must also boost economic ties and increase trade and investment cooperation to strengthen the economic backbone, and therefore resilience, of our country. As I have mentioned on several occasions, the Philippines can become a stronger ally that can significantly contribute in advancing a more secure and prosperous region if it is also economically strong. At the end of the day, this is what we all want.

To reiterate, the EDCA is not directed at, or against, any country. Rather, this agreement with the United States is aimed at ramping up our defense capabilities, especially in light of the global security challenges – both traditional and nontraditional – that are emerging, and which all nations must take into account.

Let’s not also forget, the Philippines also has a defense agreement with Australia via the Status of Visiting Forces Agreement (SOVFA) signed in

2007 and which took effect in September 2012 following its ratification in July of that same year. The agreement was very timely as it paved the way for the conduct of disaster relief assistance by the Australian Defense Force when Super Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) hit the Philippines in November 2013.

President BBM’s recent visit to Tokyo is also expected to boost economic as well as security ties between the Philippines and Japan. No less than the President underscored this when he said prior to his departure that the bilateral visit is essential as it is “part of a larger foreign policy agenda to forge closer political ties, stronger defense and security cooperation” in addition to “lasting economic partnerships with major countries in the region amid a challenging global environment.”

In a recent brief written by our friend Gregory Poling with Andreyka Natalegawa and Danielle Fallin titled, “Building a U.S.-Japan-Philippines Triad” published at the Center for Strategic and International Studies’ online site, the authors

underscored Japan’s growing role in the Indo-Pacific, and why Tokyo and Washington should collaborate more closely in “engaging with other alliance partners, including the Philippines. Japan is uniquely suited to this role given its extensive and long-standing security partnership with the Philippines, creating a robust level of security cooperation between Tokyo and Manila.”

In fact, having security alliances that show we are part of a coalition of likeminded countries can serve as a deterrent and can promote peace in the Indo-Pacific region.

As usual, pseudo-nationalists are looking at it from a negative perspective, saying we may be sucked into the maelstrom if a conflict between the U.S. and China breaks out. In the first place, if there is a conflict in the region over Taiwan for example, the Philippines would not be able to remain a fence sitter for long because of its very strategic location as well as its proximity to Taiwan. We would feel the impact and would be involved in one way or another. In this global world, there is no such thing as an “island nation.”

Ballooning

disclosed, it is assumed that the three later objects were also balloons or something akin to it. Inasmuch as Washington had not officially attributed the three latter objects to China, Beijing has not issued any statement about them. The mystery deepens.

A debate has erupted in Washington over whether the flying objects shot down while wafting over North America were actually engaged in surveillance. We know next to nothing about the larger framework within which these strange flying objects was launched. These balloons and whatever equipment they carry are rather costly things. They are not being sent up for the pleasure of watching a balloon waft in the air, carried by atmospheric currents with apparently very little ground control over their precise flight paths.

In addition to the very real hazard these balloons pose to commercial aircraft, they have been flown over another country’s airspace without prior notice. That is a clear national security concern. We

are now told that unidentified balloons have been detected flying across U.S. airspace the past years, although nothing was done about these previous flying objects. One analyst surmised that China could be testing highaltitude or “near space” craft as part of its futuristic weapons development program. When enough has been known about wind currents and weather corridors, these devices could be fitted with warheads. Defense officials have enough reasons to be worried. Over the past months, North Korea has been testing missiles like mad. A few weeks ago, Pyongyang paraded intercontinental ballistics missiles that could theoretically reach the U.S. heartland.

It is not just North American airspace that have been violated by these strange flying objects. A large balloon similar to that one shot down off the coast of South Carolina was reported in the vicinity of Colombia. These devices apparently have the ability to circumnavigate the globe and stay aloft for long periods.

The downing of the first balloon was, no doubt, a huge embarrassment for the Chinese leadership. It marked the first strong response to whatever “near space” strategy China might be brewing. Beijing is probably scrambling for a viable explanation for the other objects shot down the past few days.

The balloon-related incidents reinstates Beijing as the true strategic rival to the U.S.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine merely exposed its muchballyhooed army as obsolete, badly trained and ill-equipped. It is an army that belongs to the past century, now forced to recruit convicts to man the frontlines or die in large numbers trying to achieve badly thought-out military objectives.

The Russian army is now hobbled by the fact that its most sophisticated weaponry has been shown to rely on parts made in other countries. Russian technicians are now reported to be cannibalizing refrigerators for chips to be used in assembling missiles. By contrast, China now

Fortunately, we have enlightened senators like Win Gatchalian, Chiz Escudero and Francis Tolentino who clearly see the significance of the EDCA expansion and the resumption of joint maritime patrols as good for the country. Even Senate President Migz Zubiri and many key legislators that include Congressman Rufus Rodriguez see the importance of our alliance with the United States.

Some may have an axe to grind against the U.S. but they know very well this latest development is a positive step for our country’s security. And more importantly, this decision by President Marcos is appreciated and supported by 90 percent of Filipinos not only here but in many parts of the world, who continue to look at the United States as our most trusted ally and partner. (Philstar.com)

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

* * * babeseyeview@gmail.com

appears to be gearing up its military for highly technological warfare. It appears to be devising strategies only poorly understood by the U.S. and its allies.

After the first balloon was downed by a missile, China might have gotten away with the explanation that this was a meteorological instrument that somehow flew off course. After the three subsequent shoot-downs, the original Chinese explanation can no longer hold. Beijing better come up with a more viable explanation for why these “lost” flying devices seem to be crossing into the North American airspace in a wave. Beijing does not have to explain anything until the remnants of downed flying objects reveal them to be of Chinese origin. Depending on the quality of the debris recovered, this could happen in a few days. (Philstar.com) * * * The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff.

House urged to declare ‘unequivocal defense’ for Duterte vs. ICC

MANILA – House Senior Deputy Speaker and former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo led the filing of a resolution urging the House of Representatives to rally behind former President Rodrigo Duterte as the International Criminal Court (ICC) is set to reopen its investigation for alleged crimes against humanity.

In a resolution released to media on Thursday, February 16 Arroyo and 18 other lawmakers called on the lower chamber to declare “unequivocal defense” for Duterte amid the looming probe on his anti-illegal drug campaign during his presidency.

House Resolution 780 highlighted that Duterte’s “remarkable accomplishments brought about by his relentless campaign against illegal drugs, insurgency, separatism and terrorism, corruption in government and criminality” made the life of Filipinos “better, comfortable and peaceful.”

The resolution cited the need for immediate action to curb the country’s serious and rampant illegal drug situation at the time when Duterte took office, as the drug problem was becoming an “existential threat to the country’s social fabric.”

“The country’s peace and order situation considerably improved due to the Duterte administration’s holistic and whole nation approach in ending insurgency and curbing the drug menace in the country that resulted [in] unprecedented growth in exports and investment,” the resolution read.

Underscoring the Philippines’ “functioning and independent” judicial system, the resolution quoted Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla who called the ICC’s intent to resume its investigation against Duterte’s anti-drug campaign as “insulting” and “totally unacceptable.”

Remulla has reiterated the government’s position that the ICC can rightfully conduct proceedings only in states without a functioning government and justice system.

“We are doing what it takes to fix the system. We have a functional judicial system and I don’t see where they can come in unless they want to take over our legal system and take over our country. I don’t see that happening,” Remulla said in a press briefing last week.

He said the “unreasonable” decision is not welcome in the Philippines and the Department of Justice “will not stand for any of these antics that tend to question our sovereignty and our status as a sovereign country.”

Other authors of the bill were Representatives Carmelo Lazatin Jr., Aurelio Gonzales, Anna York Bondoc-Sagum, Jose Alvarez, Mary Mitzi CajayonUy, Richard Gomez, Wilton Kho, Loreto Amante, Edward Hagedorn, Edwin Olivarez, Eric Martinez, Eduardo Rama Jr., Dale Corvera, Zaldy Villa, Ma.

Rene Ann Lourdes Matibag, Mohamad Khalid Dimaporo, Johnny Pimentel and Marilyn PrimiciasAgabas. (PNA) n

DOT: Philippines to welcome 139 cruise ships this year

by Ghio onG Philstar.com

MANILA — The Philippines is set to welcome foreign tourists carried by up to 139 cruise ships this year, which could help in the revival of the travel industry, according to the Department of Tourism.

The DOT is expecting a total of 139 ports of call – or docking of cruise ships – at 46 destinations in the country for 2023, Tourism Secretary

Christina Garcia-Frasco said.

The figure is higher than the 102 port calls in 2019.

One of them, the Silver Spirit cruise ship carrying 317 passengers and 404 crew members, arrived at the Eva Macapagal Super Terminal at Manila South Harbor on Wednesday, February 15.

A majority of the passengers were Europeans and Americans aged 50 to 70, while 181 of the 404 crew members were Filipinos.

Frasco and Manila Mayor

Honey Lacuna led the welcome for some foreigners who disembarked from the cruise ship, accompanied by musicians holding percussion and bamboo instruments as well as street dancers and Higantes performers.

The tourists received bamboo necklaces, fans and colorful wide-brimmed hats from the DOT before they boarded tourist buses.

During a press briefing on Wednesday, Frasco said a cruise ship passenger would spend an average of $100, which could benefit local governments and businesses in tourist destinations.

This year, the DOT expects the arrival of around 117,000 tourists from the 139 cruise ships, she added.

Docking in 46 areas in the country, they would visit tourist destinations that include Manila, Batanes, Palawan, Kalanggaman Island in Leyte, Bohol, Cebu, Hundred Islands in Pangasinan, Marinduque

OFW remittances hit record high in Dec.

by niña Myka Pauline arceo ManilaTimes.net

THE remittances of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) rose to a record $3.49 billion in December, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) reported on Wednesday, February 15 bringing the fullyear tally to an all-time high of $36.14 billion.

The cumulative count for 2022, meanwhile, was 3.6 percent higher than 2021’s $34.88 billion.

“The full-year 2022 level accounted for 8.9 percent and 8.4 percent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) and gross national income (GNI), respectively,” the BSP said.

and the world-famous Boracay Island, Frasco said. Frasco said she believes “cruise tourism allows both well-known and lesser-known destinations to be promoted and at the same time promotes opportunities for livelihood for both local governments and micro, small and medium-sized businesses.”

“The arrival of this cruise ship signifies the resurgence of tourism in the country, as well as confidence in travel,” she added.

The government has removed some travel restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic such as mandatory quarantine and testing and made wearing face masks optional in certain settings.

For her part, Lacuna said she hopes foreign cruise ship passengers will be able to appreciate Manila as a “hub for arts and culture” as well as explore the city beyond historic sites like Intramuros and Rizal Park. n

“The robust inward remittances reflected the increasing demand for foreign workers amid the reopening of economies,” the BSP said in a statement.

The December result — up 5.7 percent from $3.3 billion a year earlier — was attributed to higher remittances from land-based workers with contracts of a year or more and sea- and land-based OFWs with contracts of less than a year.

Of the total, cash remittances rose by 5.8 percent to $3.16 billion in December, up from $2.99 billion, while that for the full year hit $32.54 billion, 3.6 percent higher from 2021’s $31.42 billion.

Michael Ricafort, the chief economist at Rizal Commercial Banking Corp., said that the increased holiday spending in December, with abolished Covid restrictions, compared to 1 to 2 years ago, resulted in higher OFW remittances.

“The sustained year-on-year growth in OFW remittances in recent months may also reflect a faster economic recovery in some major host countries for OFWs around the world that has enabled more OFWs to work again, especially in countries with increased COVID-19 vaccine shot rollouts that helped reduce new COVID-19 cases and moving toward greater economic normalcy and led to stronger economic recovery that entailed the creation of new jobs, including for OFWs,” Ricafort added.

However, Ricafort cautioned that the positive development could be offset “by the fact that similarly higher inflation in host countries of OFWs could have also increased their cost of living, which could lessen their remittances to the country.”

Nevertheless, the continued YoY growth in OFW remittances could improve the Philippine economy in terms of spurring consumer spending that accounts for at least 75 percent of the economy.

“The growth in cash remittances from the United States, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Qatar and the United Kingdom contributed largely to the increase in remittances in JanuaryDecember 2022,” the BSP said.

The US posted the highest share of overall remittances in 2022, followed by Singapore and Saudi Arabia. n

Photo shows a remittance center at the Lucky Plaza Mall in Singapore. The remittances of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) rose to a record $3.49 billion in December, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) reported on Wednesday, February 15 bringing the full-year tally to an all-time high of $36.14 billion.

Photo by Aaron Ronquillo

SUMMER FRUITS. Ripe and green mangoes sell for P150 per kg. at the Kadiwa store inside the Philippine Heart Center in Quezon City on Thursday, Feb. 16. Eggs are also available, with the medium ones costing P240 per tray; the large ones, P250 per tray; the extra-large ones, P260 per tray; and the jumbo ones, P270 per tray.

PNA

photo by Robert Oswald P. Alfiler

LEGAL SERVICES LEGAL SERVICES

CASE NUMBER: 37-2023-00005481-CU-PT-CTL

TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS:

Petitioner Jacqueline Spidle Highbaugh filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows:

a. Jacqueline Spidle Highbaugh to ISIS 13. THE COURT ORDERS that all persons interested in this matter appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing.

NOTICE OF HEARING

Date: 03/27/2023

Time: 8:30 AM

Dept. 61 Superior Court of California, County of San Diego 330 WEST BROADWAY DEPT. 61 San Diego, CA 92101

A copy of this Order to Show Cause shall be published at least once each week for four successive weeks prior to the date set for hearing on the petition in the following newspaper of general circulation printed in this county. Asian Journal: FEB. 08, 2023

NO HEARING WILL OCCUR ON ABOVE DATE: SEE ATTACHMENT Michael T. Smyth Judge of the Superior Court AJ 1117 02/10, 02/17, 02/24, and 03/03/2023 ATTACHMENT TO ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME (JC Form #NC-120) NO HEARING WILL OCCUR ON THE DATE SPECIFIED IN THE ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE. The Court will review the documents filed as of the date specified

LEGAL SERVICES

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS

NAME STATEMENT NO. 2023-9001324

Oxeda Smoothie Club located at 560 Greenbrier Dr. Unit 105, Oceanside, CA 92054.

Registrant: Oxeda Company LLC, 4122 Fairmount Ave., San Diego, CA 92105. This business is conducted by Limited Liability Company. REGISTRANT HAS NOT BEGUN TO TRANSACT BUSINESS UNDER THE NAME(S) ABOVE.

Signature: Johny Oxeda. Statement filed with Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on 01/20/2023.

AJ 1106 01/27, 02/03, 02/10, and 02/17/2023. AJSD 1106

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS

NAME STATEMENT NO. 2023-9002452

Throw Lights located at 718 Sycamore Ave., Space 113, Vista, CA 92083.

Registrant: Throwlights INC, 919 North Market Street, Suite 950, Wilmington, DE 19801. This business is conducted by Corporation.

REGISTRANT FIRST BEGUN TO TRANSACT BUSINESS UNDER THE NAME(S) AS OF 09/01/2016.

Signature: Andrew Zhao. Statement filed with Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on 02/01/2023.

AJ 1110 02/03, 02/10, 02/17, and 02/24/2023.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS

NAME STATEMENT NO. 2023-9002794

PB Poke House 2.0 located at 746 Paradise Way, National City, CA 91950.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS

NAME STATEMENT NO. 2023-9001673

Little Tree House Child Care located at 210 Camino Vista Real, Chula Vista, CA 91910.

Registrant: Silvia Adriana Vasquez Zamora, 210 Camino Vista Real, Chula Vista, CA 91910. This business is conducted by Individual. REGISTRANT FIRST BEGUN TO TRANSACT BUSINESS UNDER THE NAME(S) AS OF 01/24/2023.

Signature: Silvia Adriana Vasquez Zamora. Statement filed with Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on 01/24/2023.

AJ 1107 01/27, 02/03, 02/10, and 02/17/2023. AJSD 1107

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS

NAME STATEMENT NO. 2023-9002462

The Glowed Mantle located at 7736 Arjons Drive, San Diego, CA 92126.

Registrant: Jennifer Thuy Ngoc Vo, 4965 Perkon Placce, San Diego CA 92105. This business is conducted by Individual. REGISTRANT FIRST BEGUN TO TRANSACT BUSINESS UNDER THE NAME(S) AS OF 01/27/2023.

Signature: Jennifer Thuy Ngoc Vo. Statement filed with Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on 02/01/2023.

AJ 1111 02/03, 02/10, 02/17, and 02/24/2023.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS

NAME STATEMENT NO. 2023-9002763

a. Maru’s Art located 517 Fourth Ave #3, Chula Vista, CA 91910.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS

NAME STATEMENT NO. 2023-9001194

Divine Grace Board & Care III located at 9315 Francis Dr., Spring Valley, CA, 91977.

Registrant: a. Henedina T Castillo, 9315 Francis Dr., Spring Valley, CA, 91977.

b. Severo N Castillo, 9315 Francis Dr., Spring Valley, CA 91977. This business is conducted by Married Couple.

REGISTRANT FIRST BEGUN TO TRANSACT BUSINESS UNDER THE NAME(S) AS OF 09/27/2011.

Signature: Henedina T Castillo.

Statement filed with Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on 01/19/2023. AJ 1108 02/03, 02/10, 02/17, and 02/24/2023. AJSD 1108

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT NO. 2023-9002398

It’s A Cold World located at 3608 S. Granada Ave., Spring Valley, CA 91977.

Registrant: Gregory Borja, 3608 S. Granada Ave., Spring Valley, CA 91977.

This business is conducted by Individual.

REGISTRANT FIRST BEGUN TO TRANSACT BUSINESS UNDER THE NAME(S) AS OF 02/01/2023.

Signature: Gregory Borja. Statement filed with Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on 02/01/2023. AJ 1112 02/03, 02/10, 02/17, and 02/24/2023. AJSD 1112

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS

NAME STATEMENT NO. 2023-9002744

Direct Plumbing located at 1555 Mendocino Dr 138, Chula Vista, CA 91911.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS

NAME STATEMENT NO. 2023-9002242

D and D Plumbing located at 3 E Parsley St., Chula Vista, CA 91911.

Registrant: David Louis Martinez, 3 E Parsley St., Chula Vista, CA 91911. This business is conducted by Individual. REGISTRANT FIRST BEGUN TO TRANSACT BUSINESS UNDER THE NAME(S) AS OF 06/02/2010.

Signature: David L. Martinez. Statement filed with Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on 01/30/2023. AJ 1109 02/03, 02/10, 02/17, and 02/24/2023. AJSD 1109

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT NO. 2023-9002554 Tabi Law located at 204 Forrest Lane, Berkeley, CA 94708.

Registrant: Maui Kuwabara JD, 3252 Corte Mazatlan, Carlsbad, CA 92009. This business is conducted by Individual. REGISTRANT FIRST BEGUN TO TRANSACT BUSINESS UNDER THE NAME(S) AS OF 02/01/2023.

Signature: Maui Kuwabara JD. Statement filed with Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on 02/02/2023. AJ 1113 02/10, 02/17, 02/24, and 03/03/2023. AJSD 1113

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS

will set a hearing date and contact the parties by mail with further directions. A RESPONDENT OBJECTING TO THE NAME CHANGE, MUST FILE A WRITTEN OBJECTION AT LEAST TWO COURT DAYS (excluding weekends and holidays) BEFORE THE DATE SPECIFIED. Do not come to court on the specified date. The court will notify the parties by mail of a future hearing date.

Any Petition for the name change of a minor, that is signed by only one parent, must have this Attachment served along with the Petition and Order to Show Cause, on the other, non-signing parent, and

EMPLOYMENT

Registrant: Sean Montgomery, 746 Paradise Way, National City, CA 91950. This business is conducted by Individual. REGISTRANT HAS NOT BEGUN TO TRANSACT BUSINESS UNDER THE NAME(S) ABOVE.

Signature: Sean Montgomery. Statement filed with Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on 02/06/2023.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS

NAME STATEMENT NO. 2023-9000563

Charleys Cheesesteaks located at 3030 Plaza Bonita Rd Ste FC-10, National City, CA 91950.

Registrant: S&JR Enterprise, Inc., 740 Ventura Blvd Ste FC2, Camarillo, CA 93010. This business is conducted by Corporation. REGISTRANT FIRST BEGUN TO TRANSACT BUSINESS UNDER THE NAME(S) AS OF 12/06/2022.

Signature: Suyeon Sung. Statement filed with Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on 01/10/2023.

AJ 1119 02/17, 02/24, 03/03, and 03/10/2023. AJSD 1119

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT NO. 2023-9003548 PHONOMENAL located at 811

b. Eugenia’s Art located at 517 Fourth Ave #3, Chula Vista, CA 91910.

Registrant: Maria Eugenia Ixtlahuac, 517 Fourth Ave #3, Chula Vista, CA 91910. This business is conducted by Individual.

REGISTRANT HAS NOT BEGUN TO TRANSACT BUSINESS UNDER THE NAME(S) ABOVE.

Signature: Maria Eugenia Ixtlahuac.

Statement filed with Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on 02/06/2023.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS

NAME STATEMENT NO. 2023-9003166

Short Dog Resale located at 340 S. 49th St Apt 2, San Diego, CA 92113.

Registrant: Heraclio Beltran, 340 S. 49th St Apt 2, San Diego, CA 92113. This business is conducted by Individual.

REGISTRANT FIRST BEGUN TO TRANSACT BUSINESS UNDER THE NAME(S) AS OF 02/07/2023.

Signature: Heraclio Beltran. Statement filed with Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on 02/09/2023.

AJ 1120 02/17, 02/24, 03/03, and 03/10/2023. AJSD 1120

Registrant: J Garden Plumbing Inc, 1555 Mendocino Dr 138,, Chula Vista, CA 91911.

This business is conducted by Corporation.

REGISTRANT HAS NOT BEGUN TO TRANSACT BUSINESS UNDER THE NAME(S) ABOVE.

Signature: James Garden. Statement filed with Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on 02/06/2023.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT NO. 2023-9002838

Sweet Mirror Counseling located at 1810 Cypress Ave., Apt 9, San Diego, CA 92103.

Registrant: Sweet Mirror Family Counseling Inc, 1810 Cypress Ave., Apt 9, San Diego, CA 92103. This business is conducted by Corporation.

REGISTRANT FIRST BEGUN TO TRANSACT BUSINESS UNDER THE NAME(S) AS OF 02/07/2023.

Signature: Yang Jiang. Statement filed with Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on 02/07/2023. AJ 1121 02/17, 02/24, 03/03, and 03/10/2023. AJSD 1121

NAME STATEMENT NO. 2023-9003122 Sweet Molar Kitchen located at 1423 N Cuyamaca, El Cajon, CA 92020. Registrant: Danica Ann Surdilla, 10123 Hercules Way, Spring Valley, CA 91977. This business is conducted by Individual. REGISTRANT FIRST BEGUN TO TRANSACT BUSINESS UNDER THE NAME(S) AS OF 02/09/2023.

Signature: Danica Ann Surdilla. Statement filed with Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on 02/08/2023. AJ 1118 02/17, 02/24, 03/03, and 03/10/2023. AJSD 1118

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT NO. 2023-9002862 Divine Grace Board & Care located at 6318 Jouglard Street, San Diego, CA 92114. Registrant: a. Henedina T Castillo, 9315 Francis Dr., Spring Valley, CA 91977. b. Severo N Castillo, 9315 Francis Dr., Spring Valley, CA 91977. This business is conducted by Married Couple. REGISTRANT FIRST BEGUN TO TRANSACT BUSINESS UNDER THE NAME(S) AS OF 10/26/2004.

Signature: Henedina T Castillo. Statement filed with Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on 02/07/2023. AJ 1123 02/17, 02/24, 03/03, 03/10/2023. AJSD 1123

Jose Llana, Conrad Ric amora to reprise original roles on ‘Here Lies Love’ on Broadway

International casting search for other company members now underway

THE producers of “Here Lies Love,” the groundbreaking musical from the minds of Grammy®, Oscar®, and Tony Award® winner David Byrne (concept, music and lyrics) and Grammy Award® winner Fatboy Slim (music), announced on Wednesday, February 15 that Jose Llana (“The King and I,” “The 25th Annual Putnam Country Spelling Bee”) and Conrad Ricamora (“How to Get Away with Murder,” “The King and I,” “Soft Power” –Grammy nominations) will join the show’s Broadway company, recreating the critically acclaimed roles they originated off-Broadway.

“Here Lies Love,” which tells the story of former Filipina First Lady Imelda Marcos’ rise to power and subsequent fall at the hands of the Philippine People Power Revolution, will begin performances Saturday, June 17 ahead of an official opening night on Thursday, July 20.

Developed & directed by Tony Award winner Alex Timbers, with choreography by Olivier Award nominee Annie-B Parson and additional music by Tom Gandey and J Pardo, the show’s home at the Broadway Theatre (1681 Broadway at 53rdStreet) will be transformed into a dance club where the audience is immersed in the story.

Jose Llana portrays Ferdinand Marcos, the tenth president of the Philippines whose 20-year dictatorship spanned from 1965 to 1986. He was the husband of Imelda Marcos. He lived in exile in the United States until his death in 1989.

Llana returns to this role after creating it at the Public Theater off-Broadway (Lortel nom). His Broadway credits include “The King & I” (Lincoln Center and US/ UK tours), “The 25th Annual Putnam Country Spelling Bee” (Drama Desk Award), “Wonderland,” “Flower Drum Song,” “Rent,” “Streetcorner Symphony” and the 1996 revival of “The King & I.” Additional New York theater credits include his many collaborations with the Public Theater including “Saturn Returns,” “On The Town” and “Twelfth Night.” Appearing on numerous cast albums, Jose is also a bestselling recording artist with the VIVA Philippines label. He has made two appearances with American Songbook at Lincoln Center, which led to the release of his second solo CD, “Altitude.” Find Jose Llana on Twitter/Instagram: @ thejosellana.

Conrad Ricamora portrays Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino, a Philippine senator, opposition leader and the Marcoses’ primary critic. His assassination in 1983 ignited the People Power Revolution which finally ousted Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos from power.

Ricamora’s television and film credits include six seasons opposite Viola Davis in “How To Get Away With Murder” (Oliver), recurring role on “The Resident,” “Fire

Catriona, Sam announce engagement

By Iza IglesIas ManilaTimes.net

MISS Universe 2018 Catriona Gray and actor Sam Milby announced their engagement on Thursday, February 16, several weeks after the two have been teased about tying the knot soon.

On their respective Instagram pages, the couple posted the same picture of the two of them about to share a kiss while holding a pair of latte cups in which the words “Mr. Milby” and “Future Mrs. Milby” were written.

“Living in an answered prayer with my best friend. I love you, fiancè (eeeeee) [emojis],” Gray said in the caption of her IG post. Milby, for his part, captioned his post with these words: “I (FINALLY) put a ring on it! I love you my forever koala… now my fiancé [heart emoji].” Gray, then commented with a sweet reply.

Following their announcement, celebrities, friends and supporters flooded their pages with congratulations and best wishes.

Hours after announcing their engagement, Gray shared more engagement photos with Milby on Instagram, which were taken by freelance photographer Jerick Sanchez. This time, her oval-cut engagement ring was seen more prominently.

“Our best chapter yet. [heart emoji] @samuelmilby,” she said in the caption.

Gray and Milby, who opted to keep their romance private, confirmed their relationship in May 2020 after the latter posted a polaroid photo of them on his Instagram account.

Speculations of an earlier engagement hounded the couple especially after Gray posted a picture of them in a sea setting in Australia last December, which

she captioned, “Today made me the happiest.” Milby, too, was asked in several interviews if he had thought of getting married soon, replying that Gray was the one for him. n

Celeste on first acting job, life after Miss Universe

By NathalIe M. toMada Philstar.com

Island,” “Over The Moon,” “Talladega Nights,” “The Light of the Moon,” “Raising Christopher” (writer/producer/ actor). He has appeared on Broadway via “The King And I” (Lincoln Center - Grammy Nomination), as well as OffBroadway with “Little Shop of Horrors,” “Here Lies Love”

(Public Theater - Theatre World Award, Lortel nomination), and “Soft Power” (Public Theater - Drama Desk, Lortel, Grammy Nominations); His other stage credits include “Soft Power” (Ahmanson Theatre); “Tartuffe,” “Woyzeck,” “Fuddy Mears” (Clarence Brown Theatre); “Romeo and Juliet,” “Richard III,” “Midsummer” (Utah Shakespeare Festival); “The Taming of the Shrew” (North Carolina Shakespeare Festival).

Ricamora receieved the 2016 Human Rights Campaign Visibility Award and the 2017 Equality California Award. Find Conrad Ricamora on Twitter/ Instagram: @Conradricamora.

Both actors received Lucille Lortel Award nominations for their performances at the Public Theater off-Broadway. Ricamora previously reprised his role in the show’s Seattle Rep production.

Jose Llana said, “This is a dream: to be a Filipino actor, playing a Filipino character, telling a crucial part of Filipino history, which is also part of American history. I’m honored to return to Here Lies Love. We built a family creating this show 10 years ago, and now we get to do it again on Broadway. See you on the dance floor!”

For his part, Conrad Ricamora said, “Working on Here Lies Love allowed me to embrace my Filipino heritage––all that Pinoy pride! This is a huge moment for increasing representation on stage, and I’m so excited and proud to bring this revolutionary show to Broadway.”

An international casting search is now underway for the remaining company of 20+ actors.

Ticket information

As the official card sponsor of “Here Lies Love,” American Express® card members have Early Access to exclusive presale tickets before the

general public, from Monday, March 13 at 10 a.m. EST through Monday, March 20 at 9:59 a.m. EST at Telecharge. com.

Presale tickets for “Here Lies Love” are available exclusively to Audience Rewards® members from Monday, March 20 at 10 a.m. ET through Wednesday, March 22 at 9:59 a.m. ET. It’s free and fast to join at www.AudienceRewards.com.

Audience Rewards is the Official Rewards Program of Broadway, providing membership benefits and rewards for more than 2.7 million members and representing more than a quarter of all Broadway tickets purchased through Ticketmaster and Telecharge. Free and easy to join, Audience Rewards allows buyers to earn Show Points on every ticket purchase, to be redeemed for free tickets, theater collectibles, unique experiences, and more. Founded in 2008 by a unique coalition of prominent theater owners, including Nederlander, Shubert, and Jujamcyn, major national presenters, and key performing arts centers from across the country, Audience Rewards has offered members first access presales to more than 100 Broadway shows and 200 VIP experiences and events, which have included a meet and greet with Jake Gyllenhaal, a walk-on role in Rock of Ages, a cooking class with Gavin Creel & Celia Keenan-Bolger, celebrity Q&As, backstage tours and much more. Tickets are on sale to the general public beginning Monday, March 27 at 10 a.m. EST online at Telecharge. com or by phone at 212-2396200.

For information on groups of 10+, contact Broadway Inbound at broadwayinbound. com or call 866-302-0995.

More information about the wide variety of standing and seating options available throughout the theater’s reconstructed space will be announced soon. Sign up now at HereLiesLoveBroadway. com for early access to tickets.

Additional show information

From its world premiere at The Public Theater in 2013, “Here Lies Love” has enjoyed popular and critical acclaim. The show returned to The Public in 2014-2015, debuted at London’s Royal National Theatre in 2014, and most recently opened at Seattle Repertory Theatre in 2017.

The creative team for Here Lies Love on Broadway includes three-time Tony Award® nominee David Korins (scenic design), Tony Award® winner Clint Ramos (costume design), Tony Award® winner Justin Townsend (lighting design), M.L. Dogg & Cody Spencer (sound design), and three-time Tony Award® nominee Peter Nigrini (projection design), with casting by Tara Rubin CSA, Xavier Rubiano CSA, Gail Quintos and general management by Foresight Theatrical. Additional creative

CELESTE Cortesi shared that she would love to explore the world of showbiz after her first acting experience in Mars Ravelo’s Darna. The surprise appearance in the series finale last Feb. 10 was quick to trend on social media.

The Miss Universe Philippines played the role of Kevnar, the Queen of Marte, who showed up before the titular character Darna (played by Jane de Leon) to thank her for keeping the planet safe and protected.

“It was a surprise for my fans and I’m happy I did it,” Celeste told The Philippine STAR and a few other members of the press in a chance interview on Monday, February 13.

“It was such a good opportunity because Darna is one of the most iconic characters in the Philippines, and it was my national costume in the Miss Universe. The script was in

Photo from Instagram/@celeste_cortesi

Tagalog and not even an English word. But I managed. I had like three days to really study. It was a very fun experience. It was very challenging actually. It was my first time to do, like, a whole script in Tagalog and a script in general as I’ve never really done acting,” she said.

“It was just a few days before

(that JRB Creative Production offered the role) and I was also very surprised but I really took the challenge. It was my first acting experience. It was my first experience acting in Tagalog. I’m really grateful. I just did my best as I always do. I hope more doors will open.”

She was also grateful for the chance “to work with very professional and talented people.”

“That’s the most important thing for me. The fact that I have so much to learn and so much to explore and I’m really looking forward to what’s going to happen after Miss Universe.”

Joining showbiz fully could be the next step for the Fil-Italian beauty and she’d welcome it. “I would love to. Honestly, now, I’m really exploring. I’m looking forward to my next step. I’m learning to speak Tagalog so I’m very focused on that. I have time to learn,” she shared.

“I’m really just excited about what’s to come. I want to grow,

Catriona Gray and Sam Milby are officially engaged.

Photo from Instagram/@catriona_gray

Celeste Cortesi on entering showbiz post-Miss Universe Philippines: I would love to!

Jose Llana plays the role of Ferdinand Marcos in “Here Lies Love.”

Photo by Billy Bustamante

Conrad Ricamora portrays the role of Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino in “Here Lies Love.”

Photo by Billy Bustamante

City of San Diego offers grant funding for artists to help increase awareness of regional issues

Program funds available for artists and cultural practitioners throughout San Diego and Imperial counties

SAN DIEGO – The City of San Diego and its regional partners have released a new grant opportunity for artists and cultural practitioners to inspire change within their communities. Through the Far South/Border North program, grant award recipients will develop artistic content and carry out public campaigns that increase regional awareness of issues impacting San Diego and Imperial counties, including public health, energy and water conservation, climate mitigation, civic engagement and social justice matters.

“The Far South/Border North program offers artists and cultural practitioners in our region an extraordinary opportunity,” said Jonathon Glus, Executive Director of the City’s Commission for Arts and Culture. “We know artists and cultural practitioners bring an important engagement perspective to intersectional work in environmental, civic and community health, and we appreciate the California Arts Council’s investment in San Diego and Imperial counties’ most disproportionately impacted communities.”

Spearheaded by the City of San Diego, Far South/Border North is a California Creative Corps arts program implemented through a bicounty regional collaborative and partnership with the Catalyst of San Diego & Imperial Counties, San Diego Regional Arts and Culture Coalition and San Diego Foundation.

The program provides funding to artists and cultural practitioners to help support the health and well-being of communities in the lowest quartile of the California Healthy Places Index in San Diego and Imperial counties while continuing to enrich their creative, artistic and cultural practices.

“We are pleased to partner in this work that will shine a light on and grow public and private funding for artists and cultural practitioners,” said Megan Thomas, President & CEO of Catalyst of San Diego & Imperial Counties. “We are excited about this opportunity to artistically and creatively elevate the dialogue about equitable resources for health, environmental, and other social justice issues across San Diego and Imperial counties.”

“Implementing the Far South/Border North program is vital to building a stronger regional creative sector,” said San Diego Regional Arts and Culture Coalition Executive Director Felicia Shaw. “Collectively, we will help support San Diego and Imperial artists and cultural practitioners while bringing awareness to the importance of the arts and health equity within our communities.”

Far South/Border North is funded through a $4.75 million California Creative Corps grant from the California Arts Council.

Grant guidelines and information sessions to assist potential applicants are available at farsouthbordernorth.com. Applications will be accepted through 5 p.m. on Wednesday, March 22, 2023. A second round of grant applications for organizations to regrant to artists and cultural practitioners will be released in the spring.

The City of San Diego advances and drives an equitable and inclusive creative economy and cultural ecosystem by investing in the work of artists and creatives and the institutions and systems that amplify creative work and experiences. To learn more, visit sandiego.gov/ arts-culture.

(City of San Diego Release) n

San Diego invites residents to share opinions on housing policy reforms

Mayor Gloria’s second housing action package aims to produce more homes that

afford SAN DIEGO – To continue creating opportunities to build more homes for all San Diegans, the City of San Diego is inviting residents to participate in several workshops in February and March to discuss nearly a dozen housing policy reforms.

Mayor Todd Gloria’s second Housing Action Package under his Homes for All of Us initiative outlines 11 potential amendments and updates to encourage the construction of more new homes near transit, with safe and enjoyable walking, rolling and biking options.

Housing Action Package 2.0 also aims to create anti-displacement measures that will protect current residents, increase the supply of land available for the development of new homes, and incentivize and promote new housing opportunities in all communities and all income levels.

“I am excited to begin public engagement opportunities for my second Housing Action Package,” said Mayor Gloria. “The City Council approved my first Housing Action Package last year, aimed at building more homes for individuals and families of all income levels. But the housing affordability crisis is far from over and we have a lot of work to do to ensure San Diegans of all income levels can afford to put a roof over their heads. I look forward to building on our progress and spurring

Diegans

and the workshops on the City’s Housing Action Package 2.0 webpage. Feedback can also be shared by email to planning@ sandiego.gov or by mail to the City of San Diego Planning Department, 9485 Aero Drive, M.S. 413, San Diego, CA 92123.

home construction near transit, protecting existing residents, incentivizing student housing and so much more.”

Public workshops will be held via Zoom on Feb. 21 and 23, and in person on March 2 at the Mission Valley Library and March 13 at the Valencia Park/Malcolm X Library. All San Diego residents are invited and encouraged to attend.

During the workshops, which will be held in both English and Spanish, staff from the city’s Planning Department will provide details about Housing Action Package 2.0, and attendees will have a chance to ask questions and offer feedback. San Diegans can learn more about the initiative

“San Diego residents continue to face barriers to housing, and no matter your income, background or age, everyone deserves to have access to affordable housing and a place they can call home,” said Planning Director Heidi Vonblum. “We are already seeing a positive impact with the first Housing Action Package that City Council passed last year, but we have more work to do. We look forward to collaborating with San Diegans on these proposals to ensure we are taking the best actions to provide more homes in all communities with safe and enjoyable options for walking, rolling, biking and transit.”

The proposal is anticipated to be considered this spring by the Planning Commission, the City Council’s Land Use and Housing Committee and, ultimately, the full City Council. San Diegans are welcome and encouraged to continue providing their input throughout the hearing process.

The City Council passed Mayor Gloria’s first Housing Action Package in February 2022.

(City of San Diego Release) n

City creates more opportunities for new home construction

Sustainable development areas will redefine geographic boundaries for some local housing incentive programs

SAN DIEGO – On Tuesday, February 14 the San Diego City Council adopted updates to the city’s development regulations, including an update to the definition that determines the geographical boundaries for certain home construction incentive programs. The move will increase the amount of developable land near major public transit stops.

Every year city staff updates the Land Development Code to keep up with the everchanging needs of the city’s development regulations. These draft updates include clarifications, corrections, regulatory reforms and changes to the regulations to bring the city into compliance with state law and advance the City’s housing and climate goals.

Among this year’s 78 adopted items is a new definition for Sustainable Development Area, which is replacing the city’s definition of Transit Priority Area. Properties within these areas are eligible for the City’s local incentive programs like the Complete Communities Housing Solutions program and the Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) density bonus program to help build more homes near transit.

Transit Priority Areas allowed for incentive programs to be used within a half-mile radius of an existing or planned major public transit stop. The distance was measured as the crow flies, or in a straight line, so barriers to accessing transit, like canyons and freeways, which may

have realistically made access to transit miles away, were not considered.

The new Sustainable Development Area definition removes the “as the crow flies” distance and instead allows local incentive programs to be used if the development is accessible to a major public transit stop up to a 1-mile walk. The change increases the potential developable areas by more than 5,200 acres while also removing other areas that would otherwise be less accessible to public transit.

“The new definition of Sustainable Development Area aligns development with the city’s Climate Action Plan goals to expand housing near transit so more people can bike, walk, roll or take transit to their work, home, shopping and other places of enjoyment within their community,” said Planning Director Heidi Vonblum. “At the same time, it furthers fair and affordable housing opportunities in our city that desperately needs it.”

The city will still use the State of California’s definition of Transit Priority Areas for other state-mandated incentive programs. Developers will continue to be able to use the local incentive programs under the city’s definition of a Transit Priority Area for a full year after the latest Land Development Code Update takes effect.

(City of San Diego Release) n

Celeste on first acting job...

I want to really step out of my comfort zone, which is what I’ve been doing for a very long time.

I am excited to try new things. There’s always an opportunity. When a door closes, there’s another one wide open.”

By “door closed,” Celeste meant her failed bid at the 71st Miss Universe held last month in New Orleans. The international pageant was won by Miss USA, R’Bonney Gabriel, who happens to be Filipino-American.

“Of course, everybody is very heartbroken about what happened in Miss Universe, and me as well. But I’m very grateful because I had a chance to represent the Philippines. And I worked very, very hard. I felt the love, I felt the support. At the end of the day, I’m just very grateful,” Celeste said.

While she didn’t get the chance to bond enough with R’Bonney during the competition, Celeste said she’s very happy for her. “I remember we took a photo together, I remember we danced together during a dinner. She’s really nice and I think that she’s been working very, very hard for the crown. I always said it is destiny, it’s her destiny. I’m happy for her and I think she’s gonna do

great things as Miss Universe.”

The STAR got to interview Celeste on the sidelines of the launch of Stanible app, which works as a one-stop shop for unique digital collectibles from celebrity creators. She said, “I can learn a lot of things about NFT. I’m here with my boyfriend. I’m here also to have a new experience.”

On a highlight of her life that can be shared on the Stanible app, she said, “To be honest, to be able to win the crown of Miss Universe Philippines was the best moment. It was a really good comeback for me. And I really felt the love of Filipino people.

I’m just grateful.” Prior to Miss Universe Philippines, she was Miss Earth Philippines in 2018.

When asked about what she did shortly after Miss Universe, she shared, “I had two weeks like I was eating everything hahaha. So good. Just two days ago, I started working out again since I wanted to continue my career. I wanna stay fit, I wanna stay healthy. But it’s good sometimes to let go after a lot of months of dieting and sacrifices. You need a break and you really need to also consider your mental health somehow. Now, I’m back, I wanna focus on new goals, so that’s it.”

The search for Celeste’s successor is already ongoing with applications being currently accepted until Feb. 17.

Told by a reporter that aspiring contestants last Feb. 13 included a mother, she said, “I think that Miss Universe has entered a new era, very inclusive of every single woman. And I think a woman, especially a mother, can be whatever she wants to be, she can have a family, she can have a career, she can also be Miss Universe,” she said.

“I wanna really meet the candidates. I want to give advice and you know, it’s the time for a new queen to be crowned and represent the Philippines so I’m really, really excited for them.

“My advice would be to really enjoy the experience, to work very hard, to not forget where you came from, to always be humble in every situation and to enjoy. Because sometimes, we have so much pressure, opinions from so many people. But as long as you remain yourself, as long as you respect yourself first, everything would be OK. And I always say the same thing: Miss Universe is destiny. Whatever is gonna happen, I’ll be very, very happy to see who’s gonna be the next Miss Universe Philippines.” n

Jose Llana, Conrad Ricamora...

team members include ATW Jonathan Larson Grant recipient J. Oconer Navarro (music director), Billy Bustamante (assistant director), Renée Albulario (assistant choreographer), Bobby Garcia (casting consultant/Philippines), Gregory T. Livoti (production stage manager), and Ryan Gohsman and Sheryl Polancos (assistant stage managers). Giselle “G” Töngi is the show’s Cultural and Community Liaison.

“Here Lies Love is produced” by Hal Luftig, Patrick Catullo, Diana DiMenna for Plate Spinner Productions, Clint Ramos, and Jose Antonio Vargas, with Aaron Lustbader serving as Executive Producer. They are joined by Giselle “G” Töngi,

n

Artists and cultural practitioners can apply for grants via the Far South/North Border program. More information is available at https://www. sandiego.gov/far-south-border-north. Screenshot capture from web

all San

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San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria File photo/www.sandiego.gov

Celia Kaleialoha Kenney, Bobby Garcia and Girlie Rodis, Miranda Gohh, Rob Laqui, Georgina Pazcoguin, Yasuhiro Kawana, Triptyk Studios, Shira Friedman, and Hunter Arnold/TBD Theatricals.

Find your new sweetheart at the county shelter

VALENTINE’S Day is not just about romantic love, it’s also about sharing affection and showing how you care for others. So, who’s to say your sweetheart can’t be furry?

The County Department of Animal Services is playing matchmaker this week. As part of a Sweetheart Special, starting on Valentine’s Day through Feb. 19, all animals are just $14 to adopt.

There is someone for everyone. For those of you who like to be the center of someone’s universe and don’t mind bad breath, try a dog. Maybe you prefer to earn your love, try a cat. If you like the intellectual type, try a pig — they’re smarter than dogs. If you like slow walks on aquarium beaches, how about a red-eared slider turtle? Recently gone vegetarian? Share a nibble on a carrot with one of our bunnies.

All animals will be spayed or neutered, have vaccinations, a microchip and a one-year license for dogs in the service area.

The first step to finding a new best friend is browsing all the lovable animals from cats to dogs to chickens and pigs available now on the Adoptions page (https://www.sddac.com/content/sdc/das/ adopt.html). Animal Services staff recommend picking out a second and third choice too, just in case your first choice is already chosen by another person.

Walk-in hours are from 1 to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at both the South Shelter, 5821 Sweetwater Road in Bonita, or the North Shelter, 2481 Palomar Airport Road in Carlsbad.

Fill out an application online to print or pick one up at the shelter. Applications can also be emailed but it is quicker to go in person.

If you cannot adopt, consider fostering or volunteering.

(Yvette Urrea Moe/County of San Diego Communications Office) n

Writer poet and journalist

Doris Trinidad Gamalinda, 95

DORIS Trinidad Gamalinda, poet, essayist, and editor of several national publications, died on Monday, February 13, 2023, in Manila. She was 95.

Doris Trinidad, as she is known in journalism and literary circles, is the mother of Marisse Gamalinda-Abelgas, former editor of the Philippine Post and Hiyas Magazine, and motherin-law of Val G. Abelgas, publishereditor of the Los Angeles-based Philippine Post. She is also the mother of award-winning New Yorkbased poet, novelist and journalist

Eric Gamalinda.

Born Adoracion Trinidad on November 15, 1927, to school teacher

Aurora Cañizares and lawyer Jesus Trinidad, she obtained her bachelor’s degree in Philosophy, summa cum laude, from the University of Santo Tomas, where she was also Assistant Literary Editor of The Varsitarian. She also attended high school at the Holy Ghost College (later College of the Holy Spirit) and was Valedictorian at Legarda Elementary School, a few steps from her ancestral home in Sampaloc, Manila.

She began her writing career as a section editor for the Manila Times until its closure during Martial Law in 1972, and later worked as associate editor for Focus Manazine, editor of the Times Journal’s People Magazine and the Journal’s lifestyle editor. In 1980, she joined the staff of the National Media Production Center, and a year later became editor-in-chief of Woman’s Home Companion, during which time she turned the magazine into the most widely circulated lifestyle magazine in the country. She retired in 1995 and devoted her later years pursuing her first love — writing — and rapidly published a succession of books, including Looking Glass (essays, New Day Publishers, 1991); Permutations of Love (essays, Anvil Publishing, 1996); The Way of the Miracle (essays, Giraffe Books, 1998); Mysteries and Memories (essays, Giraffe Books, 2000); and Now and Lifetimes Ago (poetry, Giraffe Books, 2001). She also published Two Voices (poetry, University of Santo Tomas Publishing House, 2012 ) with Gloria G. Goloy. In addition, her poems were also included in the

anthology Babaylan (Aunt Lute Books, San Francisco, Mysteries and Memories was awarded Book of the Year by the Manila Writers Circle. In his introduction to the book, F. Sionil Jose noted “the felicity of language that only a poet can muster, the depth of perception and the illumination that clear thinking brings.”

Eugenia Duran-Apostol, in her introduction to Permutations of Love, said: “She rises above mere journalese and ends up enchanting you with single-topic literary musings, many of them poems-inthe-rough, almost-poems, not-quitepoems, unmetered poems. For by nature, Doris is a poet.” Her alma mater UST also honored her with the Ustetika Award in 2006 and Philets Owl Award in 2010.

Doris Trinidad’s work explored the interconnectedness of writing, personal history, and memory, placing great value on the significance of family, friendships, art and literature, spirituality, and even politics and personal loss. Throughout her life, she remained a relentless student of the great metaphysical mysteries and the quest for God and meaning, and of being and becoming.

She wrote: “I will just remind you of the treasures that might be lying in your own mind, buried for years by layers of more pressing, more recent experiences. Find a quiet corner and a restful moment to coax them out. They are part of what you are.”

Doris Trinidad Gamalinda was married to the late Marcial Gamalinda, Jr., and the mother of eight children, Marcial III (“Bunny”); Marisse Abelgas; Marco; Celine Borromeo; Eric; Diana; Marvin; and Miel Lanting. Her siblings included the late Agnes Tolosa, formerly Dean of Student Affairs at the College of the Holy Spirit, and the late Dr. Juvenal Trinidad of the UST Faculty of Medicine. She leaves behind 14 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.

Her remains will lie in estate at St. Peter’s Memorial Chapels in Quezon City starting Feb. 16 and will be interred on Feb. 19 at Loyola Memorial Park. n

County to fund millions toward affordable housing

ON February 7, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved recommendations that will allow the county’s Housing and Community Development Services (HCDS) to leverage millions of dollars in state funding for the development and preservation of affordable housing.

The action came after the board announced last October its goal to produce 10,000 units by 2030. The effort is part of the county’s framework for ending homelessness through permanent housing and support targeted at the root cause and prevention.

“This is a huge step forward to advocate for San Diegans in need of safe affordable housing,” David Estrella, Director of County HCDS said. “It will allow us to reach our vulnerable neighbors and provide equitable housing opportunities.”

In 2022, the County provided financial support for new affordable housing units that will serve 1,151 people, a group that includes seniors, families, veterans, and those experiencing homelessness.

HCDS also received Board approval to apply for new and existing state funding through three state housing programs:

• Permanent Local Housing

The Permanent Local Housing Allocation Program increases the supply of lowincome housing and housing to assist those at risk of or experiencing homelessness, while the Prohousing Incentive Pilot Program helps create and preserve affordable housing. The CalHome Program provides support for first-time homebuyers through down payment and closing cost assistance.

The Board also provided

$3.3 million to help build Kettner Crossings. The $45 million development at the corner of Cedar Street and Kettner Boulevard will include 65 units for low-income seniors. It is being built on surplus County property and expected to break ground later this year.

HCDS helps more than 35,500 people live in safe affordable housing. As part of that housing, the department maintains nearly 7,600 affordable units in 109 developments throughout the County. More than 16,700 people call those units home.

(Cassie Klapp/County of San Diego Communications Office) n