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FEBRUARY 18-24, 2022 • NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL
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From the Front Page
Consulate General encourages... PAGE 1 The public is advised to check their names in the Certified List of Overseas Voters for the 2022 National Elections at https://pcgsanfrancisco.org/ certified-list-of-overseas-votersclov-2022/. The Consulate also reminds media practitioners, whether foreign or national media, who wish to report on the Philippine elections in May 2022, to apply for
accreditation with the Commission on Elections (COMELEC)’s Education and Information Department online through the following link: http://bit.ly/2022NLEForeignMedia on or before the deadline for filing of applications on 11 March 2022. Those who wish to observe and monitor the conduct of the May 2022 elections must also apply for accreditation with the COMELEC’s Education and In-
formation Department online on or before the deadline for filing of applications on 11 March 2022 through the following links: • For foreign observers: https://bit.ly/2022NLEForeignObserver • For domestic observers: http://bit.ly/DomesticMonitorObserver For further inquiries, please contact the Consulate by email at ovs@pcgsanfrancisco.org.g
US turns over port facility to... PAGE 1
Chargé d’ Affaires Heather region. This project displays the Variava said. Marine deputy commandant collective commitment of our nations to invest in long-term, Brig. Gen. Raul Jesus Caldez shared success,” U.S. embassy said the grant testifies the trust
and friendship between the Philippines and the U.S. as well as their shared interest in regional cooperation and mutual capability development. (Philstar.com)
Pulse Asia: Marcos’ lead grows... PAGE 1
with Mindanao being the sole exception at just 8% support. Robredo’s numbers in December were noted for their clear increases over the last surveys, indicating steady momentum. Within the time period the survey’s interviews were conducted, the Commission on Elections unanimously dismissed a petition to cancel the certificate of candidacy of former Senator Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. over his tax offense conviction. In that same frame, Marcos refused to join other presidential candidates in the taped Jessica Soho Presidential Interviews because he claimed Soho was “biased” against him and his family. Pulse Asia also noted that in one forum he did attend, Marcos said he has no plans to release his Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth or SALN to the public because he claimed it would only be “used for political attacks.” As in the last survey, Manila City Mayor Isko Moreno still had the highest secondchoice voter preference or among voters whose first choice for the presidency decides to withdraw from the elections, notching 24% of second-choice votes.
But when it came to firstchoice votes, Moreno was still tied with Sen. Manny Pacquiao with just 8% of the total vote. Sen. Panfilo Lacson was last among the top 5 candidates with just 4%. Marcos’ lead on his rivals was clear across all regions and all social classes. In both Metro Manila and Mindanao, he took more than half of voters with 61% and 64%, respectively. Sara Duterte, Tito Sotto lead vice presidential race In the vice-presidential race, Pulse Asia noted that Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte is the frontrunner in the May 2022 vice-presidential race while Senate President Vicente Sotto III posts the highest secondchoice voting figure. Surveys serve as a snapshot of public sentiment during the survey period and are hardly conclusive pictures of the actual election results later on. These have historically changed over time, but serve as guides for candidates and their campaign teams. The national campaign period prescribed by the Commission on Elections is set to continue for 85 more days until the elections on May 9. “A small majority of likely voters (53%) have a complete slate for the May 2022 senatorial
election; 13 out of the 64 senatorial candidates have a statistical chance of winning, with Mr. Raffy Tulfo enjoying solo 1st place (66.1%),” Pulse Asia also said of the senatorial race. “Most likely voters (62%) are aware of the party-list system; nine (9) party-list groups succeed in surpassing the 2.0% voter preference threshold needed to secure at least one (1) congressional seat.” For the nationwide survey, Pulse Asia interviewed 2,400 Filipino adults aged 18 years old and above and reported a ± 2% error margin at the 95% confidence level. Subnational estimates for each of the geographic areas covered in the survey also have a ± 4% error margin, also at 95% confidence level. “Pulse Asia Research’s pool of academic fellows takes full responsibility for the design and conduct of the survey, as well as for analyses it makes based on the survey data,” the report read. “In keeping with our academic nature, no religious, political, economic, or partisan group influenced any of these processes. Pulse Asia Research undertakes pre-election surveys on its own without any party singularly commissioning the research effort.” g
SNACK TIME. Residents, including children, flock to a mobile food stall selling siomai (Chinese dumplings) and sago at gulaman (tapioca with gelatin) near a public park along Gov. D. Mangubat Avenue, Barangay Burol Main in Dasmariñas City, Cavite on Tuesday, Februay 15. Movement restrictions on minors have been gradually eased as the government started inoculating children aged 5 to 17 against COVID-19. PNA photo by Gil Calinga
More than 9,000 overseas visitors...
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Romulo Puyat, in a statement, said: “We at the DOT are excited to see a revival in our local tourism and will continue to support our partners in achieving this goal.” “International travel and tourism saw an unprecedented decline in visitor arrivals amid the
pandemic; the reopening of Philippines’ borders to visitors from visa-free countries will surely help in improving our numbers,” she added. Fully vaccinated tourists are required to present proof of vaccination as approved by the country’s pandemic task force or the World Health Organization,
as well as a negative RT-PCR swab test result taken within 48 hours before their departure in their country of origin. Starting February 10, the Philippines has allowed the entry of fully vaccinated tourists from 157 countries that have visa-free arrangements with the country. g
Duterte reiterated that vaccination is necessary to put an end to the pandemic, which has so far claimed the lives of more than 55,000 people in the Philippines. “Now, some of our countrymen might not agree with us and, you know, posture the opposite. Just let them be if it’s really their strong belief that the vaccine is not good for a human being. Just believe the government... Someday, we will be COVID-free especially if most of the people are vaccinated,” Duterte said. Ten regions have fully vaccinated more than 70% of their population namely Metro Manila, Ilocos region, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Cordillera Administrative
Region, CALABARZON, Western Visayas, Davao region, Northern Mindanao and Zamboanga Peninsula. The regions of Bicol, Eastern Visayas, Caraga, MIMAROPA, Central Visayas, and Soccsksargen have fully vaccinated more than 60% of their population. However, only about 28% of the population of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao has been fully inoculated against COVID-19. The Philippines is now classified as low risk because of the downward trend in COVID-19 case rates but four regions namely Davao, Cordillera, Western Visayas and SOCCSKSARGEN remain at moderate risk. g
‘No one is still safe’: Duterte reminds Filipinos... PAGE 1
not yet vaccinated, please get vaccinated,” Duterte said during a public address last Monday, February 14. “The only way to fight COVID really is still the fundamentals: you wash your hands; you wear your mask; avoid crowds if you can, but the mask is important. It has proven (to be) very effective,” he added. Officials previously said 80 to 90% of the country’s population should be inoculated to achieve herd immunity against COVID-19. As of February 14, about 61.5 million Filipinos have been fully vaccinated or about 78% of the target population. More than nine million Filipinos have received their booster shot.
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NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL • FEBRUARY 18-24, 2022
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Why millions on Medicaid are at risk of losing coverage in the months ahead by Rachana
PRadhan
THE Biden administration and state officials are bracing for a great unwinding: millions of people losing their Medicaid benefits when the pandemic health emergency ends. Some might sign up for different insurance. Many others are bound to get lost in the transition. State Medicaid agencies for months have been preparing for the end of a federal mandate that anyone enrolled in Medicaid cannot lose coverage during the pandemic. Before the public health crisis, states regularly reviewed whether people still qualified for the safety-net program, based on their income or perhaps their age or disability status. While those routines have been suspended for the past two years, enrollment climbed to record highs. As of July, 76.7 million people, or nearly 1 in 4 Americans, were enrolled, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. When the public health emergency ends, state Medicaid officials face a huge job of reevaluating each person’s eligibility and connecting with people whose jobs, income, and housing might have been upended in the pandemic. People could lose their coverage if they earn too much or don’t provide the information their state needs to verify their income or residency. Medicaid provides coverage to a vast population, including seniors, the disabled, pregnant women, children, and adults who are not disabled. However, income limits vary by state and eligibility group. For example, in 2021 a single adult without children in Virginia, a state that expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, had to earn less than $1,482 a month to qualify. In Texas, which has not expanded its program, adults without children don’t qualify for Medicaid. State Medicaid agencies often send renewal documents by mail, and in the best of times letters go unreturned or end up at the wrong address. As this tsunami of work approaches, many state and local offices are short-staffed. The Biden administration is giving states a year to go through the process, but officials say financial pressures will push them to go faster. Congress gave states billions of dollars to support the coverage requirement. But the money will dry up soon after the end of the public emergency — and much faster than officials can review the eligibility of millions of people, state Medicaid officials say. In Colorado, officials expect they’ll need to review the eligibility of more than 500,000 people, with 30% of them at risk of losing benefits because they haven’t responded to requests for information and 40% not qualifying based on income. In Medicaid, “typically, there’s always been some amount of folks who lose coverage for administrative reasons for some period of time,” said Daniel Tsai, director of the CMS Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services. “We want to do everything possible to minimize that.” In January the eligibility of roughly 120,000 people in Utah, including 60,000 children, was in question, according to Jeff Nelson, who oversees eligibility at the Utah Department of Health. He said that 80% to 90% of those people were at risk because of incomplete renewals. “More often than not, it’s those that just simply have not returned information to us,” he said. “Whether they didn’t receive a renewal or they’ve moved, we don’t know what those reasons are.” Arizona Medicaid director Jami Snyder said 500,000 people are at risk of losing Medicaid for the same reasons. She said that processing all the eligibility redeterminations takes at least nine months and that the end of the federal funding bump will add pressure to move faster. However, she said, “we’re not going to compromise people’s access to care for that reason.” Still, officials and groups who work with people living in poverty worry that many low-income adults and children — typically at higher risk for health problems — will fall through the cracks and become uninsured. Most might qualify for insurance through government programs, the ACA insurance marketplaces, or their employers — but the transition into other coverage isn’t automatic. “Even short-term disruptions can really upend a family,” said Jessie Mandle, deputy director of Voices for Utah Children, an advocacy group. ‘More Marginalized People’ Low-income people could still
be in crisis when the public health emergency ends, said Stephanie Burdick, a Medicaid enrollee in Utah who advocates on behalf of patients with traumatic brain injuries. In general, being uninsured can limit access to medical care. COVID vaccination rates among Medicaid enrollees are lower than those of the general population in multiplestates. That puts them at higher risk for severe disease if they get infected and for exorbitant medical bills if they lose their insurance. “They’re more marginalized people,” Burdick said. She said she worries “that they’re going to fall off and that they’re going to be more excluded from the health care system in general and just be less likely to get care.” Burdick knows this firsthand as someone who experienced traumatic brain injury. Before COVID-19, she would periodically lose her Medicaid benefits because of byzantine rules requiring her to requalify every month. The gaps in coverage kept her from seeing certain specialists and obtaining necessary medicines. “I really do remember being at the pharmacy not being able to afford my medication and just sobbing because I didn’t know what to do about it,” she said. “It was horrible.” The COVID Medicaid continuous coverage requirement was enacted under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, which gave states an increase of 6.2 percentage points in federal funds if they agreed to maintain eligibility levels in place at the time. The boost meant tens of billions of additional dollars would flow to states, estimates from KFF show. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services can extend the public health emergency in 90-day increments; it is currently set to end April 16. Groups that advocate for the needs of low-income Americans say the renewal tidal wave will require outreach rivaling that of almost a decade ago, when the ACA expanded Medicaid and created new private insurance options for millions of people. Independent research published in September by the Urban Institute, a left-leaning think tank based in Washington, D.C., estimated that 15 million people younger than 65 could lose their Medicaid benefits once the public health emergency ends. Nearly all of them would be eligible for other insurance options, including heavily subsidized plans on the ACA marketplaces. Tsai said the 15 million estimate provides a “helpful grounding point to motivate everybody” but declined to say whether the Biden administration has its own estimates of how many people could lose benefits. “I don’t think anyone knows exactly what will happen,” he said. Tsai and state officials said they have worked hand in hand for months to prevent unnecessary coverage loss. They’ve tried to ensure enrollees’ contact information is up to date, monitored rates of unreturned mail, worked with insurers covering Medicaid enrollees, and conducted “shadow checks” to get a sense of who doesn’t qualify, even if they can’t disenroll people. Some enrollees could be renewed automatically if states verify they qualify by using data from other sources, such as the Internal Revenue Service and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. For others, though, the first step entails finding those at risk of losing their coverage so they can enroll in other health benefits. “It’s a big question mark how many of those would actually be enrolled,” said Matthew Buettgens, a senior fellow in Urban’s Health Policy Center and author of the September report. One factor is cost; ACA or jobbased insurance could bring higher out-of-pocket expenses for the former Medicaid enrollees. “I am particularly worried about non-English speakers,” said Sara Cariano, a policy specialist with the Virginia Poverty Law Center. “Those vulnerable populations I think are at even higher risk of falling out improperly.” The law center is planning enrollment events once the unwinding begins, said Deepak Madala, its director of the Center for Healthy Communities and Enroll Virginia. Missouri, already sluggish in enrolling eligible people into the state’s newly expanded Medicaid program, had 72,697 pending Medicaid applications as of Jan. 28. Enrollment groups worry the state won’t be able to efficiently handle renewals for nearly all its enrollees when the time comes. By December, the Medicaid rolls in the state had swelled to almost 1.2 million people, the highest level since at least 2004. The state — one of several with
histories of removing from the program people who were still eligible — did not say how many people could lose their benefits. “I want to make sure that everybody that is entitled to and is eligible for MO HealthNet is getting the coverage that they need — all the way from babies to older individuals to individuals on disability,” said Iva EggertShepherd of the Missouri Primary Care Association, which represents community health centers. ‘No End in Sight’ Some people argue the current protections have been in place long enough. “There’s no end in sight. For two years, it’s still a quote-unquote ‘emergency,’” said Stewart Whitson, a senior fellow with the Foundation for Government Accountability. The conservative think tank has argued that states can legally begin trimming people from Medicaid rolls without jeopardizing their funding. “This is the kind of problem that just grows worse every day,” he said of not removing ineligible people. “At the beginning of the pandemic, people were in a different position than they are now. And so responsible legislators and government officials in each state have to look at the facts as they are now.” Tsai said “it’s quite clear to us” that for states to be eligible for the COVID relief bill’s enhanced Medicaid funding, they must
u PAGE 4
CALL FOR GREEN SOLUTIONS. Members of the environment watchdog, EcoWaste Coalition, urge lawmakers to pass laws that will address problems brought about by climate change at the Rajah Sulayman Park, Malate, Manila on Monday, February 14. The Senate in January passed on third and final reading Senate Bill 2425 or the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), which seeks to amend the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act, which will mandate large companies to adopt and implement policies on the proper management of plastic packaging wastes. PNA photo by Jess M. Escaros Jr.
Fil-Am family in Oakland wants police to re-open... PAGE 1
Jaxon’s death. “We spent the first year trying to get reports,” Angie Sales told ABC7 News. They also believe their son’s case was dismissed as an “accidental overdose” because of his sexual orientation. “Jaxon is Asian, he is gay. When I heard the medical examiner say (the drug) GHB… and the gay community uses GHB… it was very dismissive.” Regardless of the outcome, the Sales family hopes their effort will inspire other families of children in the LGBTQ community to have a voice. Jaxon Sales, 20, was found dead at the age of 20 in a San Francisco apartment on March 2, (Inquirer.net) 2020.
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FEBRUARY 18-24, 2022 • NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL
Pacquiao vows to strengthen... PAGE 1 term of former president Joseph Estrada. This pact allows US servicemen to train and advise their Filipino military counterparts in disaster response, including the global fight against terrorism. The MDT, on the other hand, was forged between Washington and Manila in 1951, when the two countries vowed to help each other if and when an armed attack is launched against either of them in the Pacific area. Like fellow candidates, Pacquiao said he would be defending the country’s
sovereign rights over the West Philippine Sea without waging war against China. “We want to avoid conflict or war. It’s not the best idea,” he added. Pacquiao also promised to support any move that would reopen or renew the legislative franchise of TV broadcast giant ABS-CBN after the House of Representatives shut down the network in May 2020 due to supposed franchise violations. “I will support the renewal of the ABS-CBN franchise if I win in the elections,” the boxing icon assured FOCAP. “And press freedom also, because this is
Dateline USa
Car buyers of color vulnerable to fraud, FTC reports
very important to us Filipinos.” The senator invoked Article III, Section 4 of the 1987 Constitution, which states that “no law shall be passed abridging the freedom of speech, of expression, or of the press, or the right of the people to peaceably assemble and petition the government for redress of grievances.” The National Telecommunications Commission shut down the Lopez-owned network in mid-2020 after the House rejected the family’s application to extend by another 25 years its legislative franchise. g
SFIO receives letter of interest from US EXIM Bank for up to $28.75-M in debt financing STARFLEET Innotech, Inc. has received a letter of interest from the Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM), in support of SFIO’s real estate development projects in the Philippines. In their letter, EXIM, the official export credit agency of the United States, expressed interest in extending financing of up to $28.75 million, towards SFIO’s medical and retirement resort in Montemaria, Batangas, just south of Metro Manila in the Philippines. Potential debt financing from EXIM would be eligible for a maximum repayment term of seven years. This follows a series of partnerships and exploratory talks SFIO has spearheaded
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CAR buying is the fourth leading source of consumer fraud: the Federal Trade Commission last year received more than 100,000 complaints from consumers who had been duped by fraudulent sales people. Minority communities and low-income people are especially vulnerable to being ripped off, said Daniel Dwyer, an attorney with the FTC’s Division of Financial Practices, at a Feb. 4 news briefing organized by Ethnic Media Services. Elizabeth Goodell, supervising attorney with Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid, and Joe Jaramillo, an attorney with Housing and Economic Rights Advocates — HERA — also spoke at the briefing. Dwyer noted one particularly egregious case settled by the FTC last year in which Carlo Fittanto, general manager of a Honda dealership in the Bronx borough of New York, told his sales people to charge higher financing markups and fees to African-American and Hispanic customers. Fittanto told employees that these groups should be targeted due to their limited education, and not to attempt the same practices with non-Hispanic white consumers. According to the complaint, African-American and Hispanic customers paid more for financing than similarly situated non-Hispanic white consumers. Bronx Honda sales people also changed the prices on paperwork without telling buyers; failed to honor advertised sales prices; and double-charged taxes and fees to minority buyers, reported the FTC. Fittanto and Bronx Honda were ordered to pay $1.5 million to settle the case. “Cars are key to how we live,
learn and provide for our families. They are also one of the most expensive and complicated purchases many people will make,” said Dwyer. He advised consumers to think of car buying as a research project, in which extensive homework must be done before setting foot in the show room. His tips for preparation include: • Know what kind of vehicle you want and how much you can afford. Dealers will always try to up-sell you. • For used vehicles, get a report from https://vehiclehistory. bja.ojp.gov/ • Confirm the out-the door price before you leave home, and that the advertised vehicle is actually in stock. Dealers will often advertise one price, and then say that vehicle is not available. • Get pre-approved for a loan so that you don’t have to rely on a dealer’s financing, which often has much higher interest rates. • Read the paperwork before signing to ensure that the terms you agreed to are reflected. Watch out for “yo-yo” financing. • Many things the dealer says are required are actually optional. • Price and interest rates are always negotiable. The FTC has also released an advisory for those who are behind on their car payments because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Goodell of Minnesota Legal Aid, which provides free legal services for very low-income people, said the largest number of auto-related cases her organization takes on have to do with used cars. She has seen numerous instances in which a car stops working one to six months after purchase. The buyer stops making payments and the car
is repossessed, but the dealer still tries to get the balance of payments from the buyer, even though the car is no longer in their possession, and — in some cases — already sold to another buyer. “It is insanity to keep paying for a car that no longer works,” said Goodell, adding that the continued payments send consumers down a spiral of debt. Cases often end up in small claims court. “Most cases end up with the dealer prevailing. Consumers rarely get to tell their side of the story,” she said, noting that representing oneself in court is tricky. Goodell also advised against trusting a sales person just because of language affinity. She also spoke about the large number of cases in which dealers have targeted a specific minority community. Jaramillo of HERA noted that California has a car buyers’ bill of rights. Some of the provisions state that all charges must be itemized in writing, and contracts must be translated into Spanish, Chinese, Tagalog, Korean, or Vietnamese. The dealer must provide credit scores and inspector reports. The dealer must also inform the buyer in writing as to whether the car is being sold in an “as is” condition, or whether it has a warranty. A full warranty means all repairs are covered, but often only at the dealership itself. Jaramillo advised buyers to look for the “Truth in Lending” box to determine all the terms negotiated for financing. Many states have a “cooling off” period during which a car can be returned without charges. (Ethnic Media Services)
Why millions on Medicaid are at risk...
towards non-dilutive debt financing for its various projects. SFIO is currently engaged with a number of local banks in the Philippines to secure similar financing arrangements for their real estate developments, including a bayside, eco-friendly tech village in Batangas. These projects play a crucial role in the global asset
management company’s strategy of collaborative innovation towards building better communities. Profits from these high-yield projects are intended to be reinvested into future growth, helping carry the group towards their plans to uplist from the US OTC Markets to the NASDAQ by 2024. (Advertising Supplement)
PAGE 3 keep people enrolled through the emergency. “Those two things are interlinked,” he said. Meanwhile, states still have no idea when the renewal process will begin. HHS has said that it would give states 60 days’ notice before ending the emergency period. The additional Medicaid funds would last until the end of the quarter when the emergency expires — if it ended in April, for example, the money would last until June 30. “It’s hard to do a communication plan when you say, ‘You’ve got 60
days, here you go,’” Nelson of Utah’s Department of Health said. Colorado officials had debated sending letters to enrollees when the public health emergency was nearing its scheduled end on Jan. 16 but held off, expecting that it would be extended. HHS announced a 90-day extension only two days before it was set to expire. “Those kinds of things are really confusing to members,” Medicaid Director Tracy Johnson said. “OK, your coverage is going to end. Oh, just kidding. No, it’s not.”
KHN senior Colorado correspondent Markian Hawryluk and Midwest correspondent Bram Sable-Smith contributed to this report. This story was produced by KHN (Kaiser Health News), 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. g
Dateline PhiliPPines
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NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL • FEBRUARY 18-24, 2022
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Some Filipinos flee Ukraine capital Reversal of rulings on Marcos unlikely amid threat of Russian invasion by Jomar
Canlas ManilaTimes.net
by Xave
GreGorio Philstar.com
MANILA — Some Filipinos have fled the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv amid the looming threat of a Russian invasion of the former Soviet state, feared by Western intelligence officials to happen on Wednesday, February 16. Shirley Santosildes, head of United Filipino Global in Ukraine, told ANC’s “Rundown” on Tuesday, February 15 that some Filipinos have headed nearly 500 kilometers west of Kyiv to the city of Lviv, where a number of foreign governments, including the US, have relocated their embassies in light of the conflict. “Lviv is the safest place that we can go to. So far, some Filipinos are already there,” Santosildes said in Filipino. Santosildes, however, remains in Kyiv as the school that she teaches at assures her that a Russian invasion would not happen, despite the continued massing of Moscow’s troops at its border with Ukraine. ‘All political propaganda’ “We’re still working offline, face-to-face. Our school still has no order for us to leave. They tell us not to worry, that nothing like that will happen and that it’s all just political propaganda,” she
said. She added that the Filipino community in Ukraine is regularly meeting with the Philippine Embassy in Poland, which is offering free flights back to Manila. Around eight Filipinos have so far availed of the free flight back home, Santosildes said. Unlike the UK, the U.S., Canada, South Korea and Japan which have all called on their nationals to leave Ukraine as tensions continue to rise, the Philippines has yet to issue a similar advisory to some 380 Filipinos living in the eastern European country. The Philippines’ Department of Foreign Affairs said Saturday, February 12 that most of the Filipinos living in Ukraine are in Kyiv, which is “far from the eastern border near Russia.” Filipinos are “encouraged to contact the embassy, report any untoward incident they might observe in their respective areas, and continue monitoring their Filipino friends through social media.” Why is there conflict? Ukraine had long been a part of the Russian empire for centuries before becoming a Soviet state and then becoming independent following the fall of the USSR in 1991. It has since moved to forge closer ties with
the West. The current conflict is a continuation of Russia’s annexation of Ukraine’s Crimean peninsula and its backing of a separatist rebellion in the eastern part of Ukraine in 2014, in response to the removal of Viktor Yanukovych as Ukrainian president due to his rejection of an association agreement with the European Union in favor of closer ties with Moscow. Ukraine, under the administration of comedian-turned-president Volodymyr Zelensky, has asked the West for help and has wanted to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, a military alliance of 30 states. These moves have miffed Russia under the leadership of Vladimir Putin, who has ordered troops and military equipment to gather near its border with Ukraine. Russia appeared to open the door on Monday, February 14 to a diplomatic resolution of the deepening Ukraine standoff, as the United States said it believed Putin had yet to make a final decision on invading the eastern European country. While Russia said it was ending some military drills, signaling a possible easing of the crisis, in Washington the alert
THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) sitting en banc is unlikely to reverse the rulings of its two divisions on cases filed against presidential candidate Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., a highly reliable source told The Manila Times. The Comelec’s Second Division has dismissed the petition to cancel Marcos’ certificate of candidacy (CoC) and the First Division the petition to disqualify him on tax return charges. Commissioners Socorro Inting and Reynaldo Bulay have junked the petition to void Marcos’ candidacy, while Commissioners Marlon Casquejo and Aimee Ferolino dismissed the disqualification case. The Comelec en banc is made up of the chairman and six commissioners. The chances are very slim that Inting, Casquejo, Ferolino and Bulay would reverse their ruling in favor of Marcos, unless new evidence is presented, the source said. It is rare in the Comelec for a division decision to be reversed en banc, the source said. There are three vacancies in the commission following the retirement of Chairman Sheriff Abbas and Commissioners
[he is] meted the penalty of imprisonment of more than 18 months. There is likewise no definitive declaration by the said decision that herein respondent is perpetually disqualified from holding public office,” the division noted. It added that failure to file income tax returns is not tax evasion. The Comelec stated that the appellate court found that Marcos, “being an elected public official for taxable years concerned, was already subjected to the withholding tax system, hence, his tax liabilities were already paid as they were withheld by the government.” The division added that it becomes “ironic when we realize the thought that herein petitioners accused respondent of misrepresentations while they themselves are guilty of supposed misrepresentations in this very same proceeding.” The First Division said that “to erase doubts as to whether the failure to file tax returns is a crime involving moral turpitude,” it cited the pronouncement of the Supreme Court in the case against Ferdinand R. Marcos II and Imelda R. Marcos “wherein the high tribunal categorically ruled that a failure to file a tax return is not a crime involving
Risa Hontiveros (37.1), actor Robin Padilla (35.9) and JV Ejercito (33.9). Of the top 12 candidates in Pulse Asia’s latest survey, Estrada made the most significant leap – jumping to No. 9 from his previous number 13 ranking in a similar Pulse Asia survey conducted last December. El Shaddai backs Villar Influential Catholic charismatic group El Shaddai has endorsed the senatorial bid of Villar who led the department in completing numerous Build Build Build projects of the administration. Villar thanked El Shaddai leader Mike Velarde and his followers for the support, and vowed to push for unity in the country. “Thank you so much for your support, I want to thank Bro. Mike Velarde and the millions of members of El Shaddai. We,
together with the BBM-Sara UniTeam, have the goal of unity,” Villar said. Velarde made the announcement of support for Villar at the El Shaddai International House of Prayer in Parañaque City last Saturday. Velarde also endorsed the candidacies of former senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for president and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio for vice president, or the BBM-Sara tandem. During the prayer rally for El Shaddai, which has about six to eight million members nationwide, Velarde raised the hands of Marcos and Carpio. “We are always very grateful to Bro. Mike for all his support. Many thanks also to those who believe in us. We will continue to serve God and help our countrymen,” Villar said. g
Tulfo, Cayetano, Legarda top Pulse Senate survey by CeCille
suerte Felipe, Jose rodel Clapano Philstar.com
‘HEARTS’ FOR SALE. A woman vendor sells heart-shaped gift items to a motorist at a street near the Rajah Sulayman Park in Manila on Monday, February 14. Flowers, chocolates, and other gifts are being sold as the country celebrates Valentine’s Day. PNA photo by Jess M. Escaros Jr.
Rowena Guanzon and Antonio Kho Jr. Any new appointments will be ad interim because the Congress, which confirms appointments in agencies like the Comelec, adjourned on February 4. The Commission on Appointments is made up mainly of senators and congressmen. The Times learned from another source that among the people being considered to fill the vacancies in the Comelec are retired Court of Appeals justices Romeo Barza, Danton Bueser and Francisco Acosta. Another set of names includes former Justice secretary Vitaliano Aguirre, former Supreme Court Second Division clerk of Court Maria Lourdes Perfecto, former Comelec executive director Jose Tolentino and Presidential Adviser on Overseas Filipino Workers Concerns Abdulla Mama-o. In its ruling, the Comelec Second Division argued that Marcos can run for president since he did not commit any misrepresentation in the filing of his CoC. The Court of Appeals decision dated Oct. 21, 1997 “did not categorically hold that [Marcos] is convicted of a crime involving moral turpitude nor did it positively pronounce that
MANILA — Broadcaster Raffy Tulfo, Taguig Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano and Deputy Speaker Loren Legarda have topped Pulse Asia’s latest pre-election senatorial survey. The poll, conducted from Jan. 19-24, showed Tulfo garnering 66.1 percent voter preference, followed by Cayetano (58.2) and Legarda (58). Completing the list of the top 12 preferred senatorial candidates are Sorsogon Gov. Chiz Escudero (55.7), former public works secretary Mark Villar (52.9), Sen. Migz Zubiri (50.3), Sen. Win Gatchalian (45.9), former vice president Jojo Binay (44.5), former senator Jinggoy Estrada (40.4), Sen. Joel Villanueva (40.4), Sen.
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Demand for OFWs increasing, says POEA by Daniza
FernanDez Inquirer.net
MANILA — The demand for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) is increasing, an official of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) said. POEA Deputy Administrator Bong Ventura Plan said there is high demand for OFWs, particularly healthcare workers. “Actually, dumadami na po ang mga (there is an increase in the number of) demands [or] request coming from the different countries of destination,” Plan said during the Laging Handa briefing. “For example, iyong UK (United Kingdom), marami na rin po silang demand sa atin pagdating sa mga healthcare workers natin particularly iyong mga nurses
and caregivers. This is the same with Germany and Japan,” he continued. (For example, in the UK, there is a demand for us when it comes to our healthcare workers, particularly nurses and caregivers.) Despite the high demand, Plan said that the government has to consider the country’s needs, citing that there is a deployment cap of 7,000 health workers yearly. “Kaya iyon, marami pong demands kaso nga lang po (So, there is a high demand but), we have to consider also our personal demands here in the Philippines also kaya medyo mayroon pa tayong kaunting (that is why there is a limited) deployment,” he explained. “Up to 7,000 lang po ang puwede po nating i-deploy na healthcare workers kaya medyo
limitado pa rin po pagdating sa mga nurses and healthcare workers,” added Plan. (Up to 7,000 healthcare workers could only be deployed. So, there is a limit in sending nurses and healthcare workers.) He, however, said that when it comes to jobs abroad in the logistics sector there are available slots for application. “Pero pagdating po sa mga truck drivers, pagdating po sa mga seafarers open po tayo. At basically based on our data and our projected data, mas dadami po ang demands natin pagdating po dito sa logistics area po natin,” Plan said. (But when it comes to truck drivers, seafarers, we are open. And basically based on our data and our projected data, the demands in the logistics area will grow.) g
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EASING KIDS’ TENSIONS. Mascots and clowns who are members of the ‘Zoocial Distancing Team’ entertain kids at the rollout of COVID-19 jabs for the 5 to 11 age group at the SM City Taytay in Rizal on Tuesday, February 15. Vaccination centers have been converted into fun-themed sites to allay children’s vaccine hesitancy. PNA photo by Joey O. Razon
US government gives books for Magindanawn children in BARMM 51% of Filipinos believe COVID-19 crisis ending in 2022 ILIGAN CITY — The United States government has given nearly P10 million worth of reading materials for some 100,000 school-aged Magindanawn children. The materials were handed over to the Ministry of Basic, Higher, and Technical Education (MBHTE) of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in Davao City recently. According to the U.S. Embassy, the reading materials are in Magindanawn language and are intended for children in Kindergarten to Grade 3 levels in the province of Maguindanao, Cotabato City, and the BARMM villages in Cotabato province. “As education systems continue to rebuild amid the COVID-19 pandemic, USAID will continue working with partners to mitigate learning losses, equip educators and institutions to be more resilient and adaptive to the current situation, and ensure children have continuous access to quality education,” said Yvette Malcioln, USAID Philippines Acting Office Director for Education. Digital versions of the materials will soon be available through the online portal of the Department of Education
Officials of the BARMM’s Ministry of Education (from left) Abdulllah Salik Jr. Al Haj, Director General of Basic Education, Minister Mohagher Iqbal (2nd from left), and Deputy Minister Haron Melingis (right) joined by Ina Aquino, Chief of Party of USAID ABC+ Project, during the handover of Magindanawn reading materials. Photo courtesy of the U.S. Embassy in Manila
(DepEd). USAID supported the training of 40 local Bangsamoro writers, illustrators, editors, and evaluators to develop the reading materials; developing and distributing 77 books in Magindanawn; and translating or adapting 45 titles into Magindanawn. BARMM Education Minister Mohagher Iqbal expressed gratitude for the effort saying it is expected “to improve our children’s reading comprehension through specially-designed and qualityassured early grade books in
Magindanawn.” Through its ABC+: Advancing Basic Education in the Philippines project, which is carried out in partnership with the Department of Education, USAID has distributed more than nine million early grade reading materials, including books in various mother tongues, to over 600,000 students and 42,000 teachers. The project aims to ensure that young children will continue to have access to quality education and learning, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. (Inquirer.net)
MANILA — More than half of Filipinos believe that the COVID-19 crisis will come to an end this year, while 45 percent still think it would extend to 2023, the latest survey from Social Weather Stations (SWS) showed. According to the SWS survey, 51 percent of Filipino adults interviewed from December 12 to 16 said the crisis would end in 2022 — including 29 percent of the respondents who said that the pandemic would be solved in the next six months, and 23 percent who said within the year. Hopes of having the COVID-19 pandemic ending within 2022 is highest in Mindanao at 62 percent, followed by Balance Luzon at 51 percent, Metro Manila at 49 percent and Visayas at 41 percent. “Conversely, those who expect the COVID-19 crisis to end after 2022 are highest in the Visayas (56%), followed by Metro Manila (48%), Balance Luzon (44%), and Mindanao (35%),” SWS said. “About half in all educational levels expect the COVID-19 crisis to end within 2022: the percentage is 49 percent among non-elementary graduates, 53 percent among elementary graduates, 51 percent among junior high school graduates, and 50 percent among college graduates,”
it added. With other questions posed by SWS, 51 percent also agreed with the possible government policy of compelling Filipinos to get vaccinated against COVID-19, with 31 percent disagreeing while 17 percent were undecided. Another 51 percent also agreed to have unvaccinated employees submit RT-PCR tests every two weeks, with 35 percent disagreeing and 14 percent still undecided. “To the test statement, ‘It is only right to enact into law the proposal of Pres. Duterte to compel all Filipinos to get vaccinated against COVID-19,’ 51% agreed (consisting of 29% strongly agree and 22% somewhat agree), 17% were undecided, and 31% disagreed (consisting of 13% somewhat disagree and 19% strongly disagree, correctly rounded),” SWS said. “To the test statement, ‘It is only right that unvaccinated employees are not allowed to report for work until they give a negative RT-PCR test result every two weeks,’ 51% agreed (27% strongly agree, 24% somewhat agree), 14% were undecided, and 35% disagreed (15% somewhat disagree, 20% strongly disagree), for a moderate net agreement of +16,” it added.
In terms of no dine-in policies for unvaccinated customers, 49 percent agreed, 14 percent were undecided, and 36 percent disagreed. The country encountered a surge in COVID-19 cases in early January, brought by the more infectious Omicron variant. At one point, active infections soared to over 291,000 — an all-time high for the country. While the Omicron variant only led to mostly mild and asymptomatic symptoms for vaccinated individuals and lower mortality rates, health authorities are still wary about a possible increase in infections anew. Recently, the Department of Health (DOH) expressed concern that the start of the campaign period last February 8 may lead to so-called super-spreader events, as health and safety protocols against the pandemic have been disregarded. SWS said that they got the results through face-to-face interviews of 1,440 adults subdivided into 360 each for Balance Luzon, Metro Manila, Visayas, and Mindanao. The polling firm maintains sampling error margins are ±2.6% for national percentages and ±5.2% for Balance Luzon, Metro Manila, the Visayas, and Mindanao. (Gabriel Pabico Lalu/ Inquirer.net)
OFW remittances hit recordbreaking $34B in 2021 - BSP by Mayvelin
U. Caraballo ManilaTimes.net
OVERSEAS Filipino workers (OFWs) remitted a record-breaking $34 billion last year, accounting for 8.9 percent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP), the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) reported on Tuesday, February 15. Personal remittances, which are cash or in-kind transfers between families, totaled $34.88 billion in 2021, up 5.1 percent from $33.19 billion in the previous year. The full-year rise was attributed to a 5.6 percent increase in remittances from land-based workers on one-year or longer contracts, which improved to $27 billion last year from $25.56 billion in 2020, the BSP said. Meanwhile, remittances from workers with contracts of less than one year from sea-based and land-based workers increased
by 2.9 percent to $7.13 billion in 2021 from $6.93 billion a year before. “The growth in personal remittances reflected a pickup in OFW deployment, strong demand for OFWs amid the reopening of host economies to foreign workers, and the continued shift to digital support that facilitated inward transfer of remittances,” the central bank said. It added that increasing domestic demand was aided by robust inward remittances, which accounted for 8.9 percent and 8.5 percent of the country’s GDP and gross national income last year, respectively. Cash remittances, which only include money transmitted through banks, totaled $31.41 billion in 2021, rising 5.1 percent from the previous year’s $29.90 billion. The growth in receipts from land-based and sea-based workers, which inched up by 5.6
percent to $24.873 billion from $23.55 billion and 3 percent to $6.545 billion from $6.354 billion, respectively, underpinned growth in cash remittances in 2021, the Bangko Sentral pointed out. “Notwithstanding the global pandemic, cash remittances sent by OFs across various regions remained robust. This was evident in the growth in annual inward remittances from the Americas (7.1 percent), Europe (5.5 percent), Asia (4.5 percent), and the Middle East (0.7 percent),” it added. Last year, the United States accounted for 40.5 percent of all OFW remittances to other countries. Singapore, Saudi Arabia, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates, Canada, Taiwan, Qatar, and South Korea followed. During the year, the combined remittances from these top 10 nations accounted for 78.9 percent of all cash remittances, the central bank stressed. g
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Digital vote buying, laundering
DIGITAL technology has facilitated many aspects of life, unfortunately including illegal activities. In this election season, digital technology is being used for unfair campaigning including spreading fake news, revising history, trolling rivals and sowing scurrilous disinformation. It may also be used for money laundering and vote-buying during the election period, the Anti-Money Laundering Council has warned. In an advisory, the AMLC reminded banks and financial institutions to conduct customer due diligence measures and file reports on suspicious transactions, as stipulated in the Anti-Money Laundering Act of 2001. Also covered by the AMLC advisory are foreign exchange dealers, money changers, remittance companies, pawnshops, jewelry dealers, casinos, offshore gaming operators, and real estate brokers and developers. The task isn’t as daunting as it seems. The covered institutions and transactions can watch out for red flags such as large transactions within a short period of time, and those that seem inconsistent with a customer’s financial profile or business. Also suspicious are “unjustified” large cash deposits and withdrawals, transactions that are unusual when compared with everyday dealings, and structured cash deposits and money transfers. The use of multiple accounts by a single person
as well as the use of several money service businesses to send funds are also red flags. On Dec. 31 last year, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas had issued a similar warning about vote buying through online banking and mobile wallet applications.The absence of a law regulating campaign finance has made election spending an ideal way of laundering dirty money. In certain cases, those directly engaged in jueteng, smuggling and drug trafficking have used their illegal earnings to propel themselves to elective office. Others have seen their personal wealth rise through hefty contributions from supporters who often become influence peddlers if the candidates win. Such assets are not declared and are beyond the reach of the tax police.While the Commission on Elections has been largely toothless in enforcing caps on campaign spending, banks and financial institutions can do their part in curbing illegal campaign activities and money laundering. financial transactions in the country more difficult, This would also help the country get out of the affecting business dealings and the remittance of money laundering gray list of the Financial Ac- overseas Filipino workers’ earnings. tion Task Force. Inclusion in the gray list makes Banks that exert effort to reinforce the electoral
Editorial
Philstar.com photo
process and promote good governance will reap the returns in the form of a grateful public’s trust – a critical element in banking strength. (Philstar. com)
Getting boosted offers multiple benefits for businesses & workers Commentary PAT FONG KUSHIDA PRESIDENT & CEO CALASIAN PACIFIC CHAMBER
OF COMMERCE
WITH many California small businesses still recovering amid the ongoing pandemic, many owners worry about keeping their businesses open, especially if employees are required to quarantine after exposure to someone with COVID-19. We believe the solution is clear: to stay safe and stay open, small business owners must encourage employees to get vaccinated and get their COVID-19 booster as soon as they are eligible. First and foremost, boosters save lives. Our employees and customers are our family, and as small business owners, we should do everything we can to encourage healthy and safe behavior. Vaccines and boosters are proven to keep your immunity strong and protect you and your loved ones from being hospitalized or dying from COVID-19, including the fast-spreading Omicron variant. Boosters are authorized and
recommended for all persons 12 and older. Individuals 12+ who received the Pfizer vaccine and individuals 18+ who received the Moderna vaccine are eligible for a booster five months after their initial full series was completed. Johnson & Johnson vaccine recipients are encouraged to get boosted two months after their first vaccination. Visit MyTurn.ca.gov or call 833-422-4255 to find a booster near you. The benefits to businesses and workers are significant. In the event of close contact with a COVID-positive person, asymptomatic people who are vaccinated and boosted, or recently vaccinated, can skip quarantine, according to the California Department of Public Health. They should still test on day five after their contact with the COVID-positive individual, and mask for 10 days. Unvaccinated people who come into close contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 are required to quarantine, also in accordance with the California Department of Public Health. Even if they test negative, they must quarantine for five days and follow state guidance.
We already know that getting vaccinated and boosted prevents serious illness, hospitalization, and death from COVID-19. Now, we can add to the list of benefits: getting boosted also prevents asymptomatic people from having to quarantine, potentially missing work and income, as well as missing out on other important events. Small business owners can rest assured that employees who are vaccinated and boosted or recently vaccinated are allowed to stay on the job, provided they have no symptoms of COVID-19. We know that when employees are vaccinated and boosted, small businesses can stay open safely. This is all the more reason to encourage everyone to get vaccinated and boosted. Together, we can protect the health and safety of loved ones and ensure California’s businesses can thrive. To schedule an appointment for a vaccination or a booster, visit MyTurn.ca.gov, or call Unsplash.com photo by Parang Mehta 1-833-422-4255. Support is available in more than 250 lan- Sacramento Asian-Pacific Chamber of ethnically diverse business community and in California. Today, the CalAsian Chamber guages. Commerce (SACC) since 1998, and President/ create economic development opportunities is the largest statewide ethnic chamber *** CEO of the California Asian Pacific Chamber for Asian Pacific Islander business in California, with the mission to grow and Pat Fong Kushida is the President & CEO of CalAsian Pacific Chamber of Commerce and also serves as President/CEO of the
of Commerce (CAPCC) formed in 2010. Pat is a known as a visionary, entrepreneurial leader dedicated to strengthening California’s
organizations to prosper. The CalAsian Chamber was founded in 2010 to give a voice to the over 600,000 AAPI- owned businesses
empower the AAPI business community throughout California. Visit calasiancc.org to learn more.
Is a Leni-Sara mix possible on May 9?
Postscript
FEDERICO PASCUAL JR. A LENI Robredo-Sara Duterte combination winning in the May elections may be unthinkable to rabid partisans and most poll analysts, but with politics being the art of the impossible, such an unlikely pair could just be the key to national unity and economic recovery. We are talking of a scenario where voters ignore party tags, which have become meaningless anyway, and by some political alchemy pick from opposing camps – maybe Robredo (Independent) for president and Duterte (Lakas-CMD) for vice president. Their working as partners could help bring together disparate partisan forces, tone down divisive diatribes and heal the wounds of political combat. Pumping blood back into the anemic economy could then become easier. Surveys show that the following of the two ladies is substantial enough to make them win without having to ride on the supposed drawing power of their partners. They could win
on their own. That they are both women should not detract from their individual winning potential, as they would be voted for separately, and not as a pair. Without block voting, they would not be mutually exclusive. Even if President Duterte has an iron-clad deal with the Marcoses (he says he has none), his daughter Sara is known to have a mind of her own, meaning she is not bound by any agreement of the father. As for ex-senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr., he said after his teaming up with Sara Duterte was announced last November that they have no deal or agreement about term-sharing, that they would not split the six-year term in case they both win. It is curious that President Duterte said in his Jan. 25 report to the nation that one of the leading presidential aspirants is very corrupt and that all but one of the frontrunners in the race are hounded by negative issues. He did not mention any candidate by name. On Wednesday, February 9, Albay Rep. Joey Salceda announced he was backing Robredo for president. That move surprised many since
he was presumed to be also supporting Marcos (just because he is paired with Sara). After Salceda announced his support for Robredo and reiterated his backing Sara’s VP bid, she said that she and Marcos had agreed not to refuse endorsements “whether individually or collectively.” Their teamup is not that tight? Before she consented to run with Marcos, Sara was being pushed by Salceda to run for president, but she agreed instead to be the VP nominee of the Lakas-CMD party of former president Gloria M. Arroyo. Salceda announced that he had been talking with a group of financial managers and representatives of big foreign investors, who he said expressed confidence that if Robredo becomes president the local economy would be in good hands. Economic challenges await new president The Philippines posted a 7.7 percent 4th quarter growth in gross domestic product in 2021, resulting in full-year growth of 5.6 percent. It was slightly better than expected, considering the mobility restrictions imposed to stem the COVID-19 surges traced to the Omicron
variant. Most economists believe, however, that recovery prospects remain dim. For certain, the winner in this year’s presidential race will inherit a challenging fiscal situation. As of November 2021, the country’s debt reached P11.93 trillion as the administration borrowed more money to fund support measures it had to roll out during lockdowns while also dealing with falling revenue collection during the pandemic. With the country’s debt projected to reach P13.4 trillion in 2022, the incoming administration will inherit a substantial debt bill that could curtail its fulfilling campaign promises and sustaining the modest economic momentum gained in the last quarter of 2021. As we inch closer to May 9, we will need a leader who can walk the tightrope while putting the pandemic in check and getting more businesses to open safely and restore jobs and incomes. We’ll need someone who has the head to understand the economics involved in running a country and the heart to put the needs of the country first. We’ll need someone strong, steadfast
and who can make the tough calls and sacrifices to shepherd us into a brighter future. On Friday, February 11, Robredo was endorsed for the presidency by at least 163 Filipino economists, including five former chiefs of the National Economic and Development Authority who served in the previous and the present administrations. Calling themselves “Economists for Leni,” they said in a statement: “At this time when our country is struggling to recover from its deepest economic crisis since the 1980s, we believe that government’s role has never been more indispensable. We are convinced that only a competent leadership can restore the people’s trust and confidence in government, enabling it to effectively preside over the collective effort of economic recovery in the wake of the pandemic.” Among the signatories were former NEDA chiefs Ernesto Pernia (who served under Duterte), Winnie Monsod, Cielito Habito, Dante Canlas and Emmanuel Esguerra. Other prominent economists supporting Robredo are Diwa Guinigundo, former deputy
governor of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas; Marikina Rep. Stella Quimbo and two former presidents of the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (the government’s official think tank), Gilberto Llanto and Mario Lamberte. The economists cited Robredo’s “solid” background in economics and law, pointing out that this will be “necessary for crafting policies to accelerate economic recovery.” Before entering politics in 2013, Robredo was an alternative lawyer and economist who obtained her economics degree from the University of the Philippines-Diliman in 1986. They said Robredo has proven her track record for running “efficient and responsive” pandemic response programs despite the measly annual budget of the Office of the Vice President. (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.
*** NB: All Postscripts are also archived at ManilaMail.com. Author is on Twitter as @ FDPascual. Email: fdp333@yahoo.com
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Vice Ganda marries Ion in Las Vegas by anne
PaSaJol Inquirer.net
VICE Ganda surprised fans in time for Valentine’s as he revealed his Las Vegas wedding with boyfriend Ion Perez which happened in October last year. Vice Ganda and Perez had their wedding in the Little Vegas Chapel, where they vowed to “commit themselves” to each other, as seen in a vlog on the comedian’s YouTube channel on Sunday, Feb. 13. “Buong-buo ‘yung loob ko na makasama ka. Wala akong masabi basta mahal na mahal kita, Tuy. I love you,” Perez said. (I am decided that I want to be with you. I have no words to say but I love you, Tuy. I love you.) Vice Ganda, for his part, expressed his love to Perez and HUMANITARIAN REVALIDATION OR SURVIVOR LAW: THIS SUNDAY ON CITIZEN PINOY. Allain (left) was petitioned by his mother in 1997. He came to promised that he will always the U.S. as a tourist with his wife, Lorraine (center), in 2002 and overstayed. His mother passed away in 2006, which, at that point, Allain thought his mother’s petition for him was gone. What would now happen to Allain and his petition? Leading U.S. Immigration Atty. Michael J. Gurfinkel be one of his inspirations and
reasons to live. “Ang saya-saya ko na ikaw ‘yung kasama ko ngayon, ikaw ‘yung kasama ko kahapon at ikaw ‘yung alam kong makakasama ko pa rin bukas at sa mga susunod pang mga araw,” he said. “I promise na mag-iipon pa ako ng maraming-marami pang pagmamahal sa puso ko para makaya ko pang mahalin ‘yung sarili ko, makaya ko pang mahalin ka at ‘yung mga mahal natin sa buhay.” (I’m so happy that you’re the one I’m with now, the one I’m with yesterday and the one I know I will still be with tomorrow and the coming days. I promise that I will save up more love in my heart so I can continue to love myself, love you and our loved ones.) “Isa ka sa pag-aalayan ko ng mga magagandang bagay na mangyayari sa buhay ko. You’ll be one of the best reasons for
all of my achievements and I promise na isa ka sa magiging dahilan kung bakit gusto ko pang mabuhay ulit bukas at sa mga susunod na araw,” Vice Ganda added. (You’re one of those who I’ll be offering the good things in my life to. You’ll be one of the best reasons for all of my achievements and I promise that you’ll always be one of the reasons why I’d want to live tomorrow and in the days to come.) The couple can be seen overjoyed while signing their certificate of commitment after the ceremony. Vica Ganda and Perez have been together for three years now after revealing in 2019 that they have already been in a relationship for a yeaar. The two also recently went on an Amanpulo trip where they welcomed the New Year with their friends and family.
(right) is the attorney-of-last-hope, who guided them through the process and presented them the option to be able to acquire their green card, despite the death of the petitioner. Watch this success story on an encore episode of “Citizen Pinoy” on Sunday, February 20 at 7:00 PM PT (10:00 PM ET thru select Cable/Satellite providers). Citizen Pinoy is also available on iWantTFC. Viewers may download the app for free. (Advertising Supplement)
The immigration journey that took 24 years on an all-new Citizen Pinoy this Sunday LEADING U.S. Immigration Attorney Michael J. Gurfinkel presents another brand-new success story, after he provides the latest immigration developments, as featured on his YouTube channel: US Immigration TV. After the important U.S. immigration highlights, Citizen Pinoy shares an inspiring success story on how a family persevered, despite the many bumps along their immigration journey. Allain was petitioned by his mother in 1997. Due to certain circumstances, Allain and his family entered the U.S. in 2002, but overstayed. Meanwhile, Allain’s mother, his petitioner, passed away in 2006. Uncertain about the future of his
petition, Allain and his family lived in fear because of their undocumented status. Still, they took on several odd jobs to make a living. They persevered and kept the faith that someday they will achieve their American dream. Finally, after 24 years, Atty. Gurfinkel was able to help Allain and his family adjust their status and acquire their green cards. Watch this success story on a brand-new episode of “Citizen Pinoy” on Sunday, February 20 at 7:00 PM PT (10:00 PM ET thru select Cable/ Satellite providers). Citizen Pinoy is also available on iWantTFC. Viewers may download the app for free. (Advertising Supplement) Vice Ganda and Ion Perez
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Kiana V shares her latest 99 Ranch Market hosts Lucky Draw single, ‘Heartbeat on Me’ ceremony at Fremont branch
MULTI-tracked vocal harmonies soar.” - NME “The combination of the snappy production and her dreamy vocals make for a seductive jam that’s both laid-back and hugely infectious.” - COMPLEX UK “Blends electronic, funk, and RnB into a mesmerizing mix.” - Lyrical Lemonade “[Kiana] utilizes her enthralling vocal prowess to induce an almost celestial high.” - Ones To Watch “A soulful vibe along with subtle elements of electronic pop.” - HYPEBAE “Kiana’s raw talent shines through.” - Office Magazine “An empowering heartbreak anthem not just for herself but also a new generation.” - MTV “A message of self-love threaded by delicate, ethereal melodies.” - SPIN “[Dazed] is an open love letter.” - Paper Magazine “Kiana is part of an exciting new wave of Filipino creators who are sharing their music and culture through a variety of innovative, genre-bending lenses.” - American Songwriter Kiana V recently released her latest single, “Heartbeat on Me.” “Heartbeat on Me” opens with infectious synths and gently tapping drums, allowing Kiana V’s featherlight yet instantly striking voice to enter with a gentle immediacy. It’s a sunkissed delight that calls back to her native Philippines. Possessing the immediacy of Tinashe and the knack for undeniable melody of Aaliyah, Kiana is a powerhouse, possessing a quiet intensity that strikes bone deep. A delectable confection of R&B and pop, the track pulls forward with its flirtatious sound and deftly punchy vocals. It’s a display of both patience and a rush towards pleasure, never overdoing its pace, and sways seamlessly between emotive verses and an addictive call-and-response chorus. Kiana says about the track: “‘Heartbeat On Me’ is a song about when you feel like you can really dive in and fall in love with someone, but you want to make sure the feeling is mutual first. You want to know that
Kiana V
they’ll be there for you the way you are for them.” Exploring the delicacy of a relationship at its peak, she sings of waking up right next to the person you adore, taking in their breath, their pulse; two people so in sync as to become one organism. At the same time, she can’t help but wonder if her lover is equally devoted. It speaks to that nagging fear in the back of our minds whenever we risk sharing every aspect of ourselves with someone else. “Will your actions meet the honey you speak?,” she ponders to herself. In March, Kiana will perform at SXSW as a 2022 official showing artist, along with Maxo Kream, Priya Ragu, Poppy Ajudha, and more. “Heartbeat On Me” follows the release of Kiana’s 5-track EP “Dazed,” which earned praise from SPIN, NME, HYPEBAE,
Photo by Andrei Suleik
Office Magazine, Paper Magazine, and more. Music has always been a permeating force in Kiana’s life. Her father, Gary Valenciano, is one of the Philippines’ most prolific musicians with a four decade spanning career. She’s already a star in her home country of the Philippines and currently splits her time between LA and Manila. Kiana will continue to take fans behind the scenes of her musical journey and travels in the MYX original series documenting her musical journey, called The Crossover. The TV show will air globally on linear TV, MYX.GLOBAL digital and @ myxglobal social platforms. With over 20+ million Spotify streams to date and Grammy. com calling her a Filipino artist to watch, Kiana is poised to bring her R&B/Pop sound to the rest of the world.
99 RANCH Market held a drawing ceremony last February 5 for its Lucky Draw to celebrate the opening of the FremontWarm Springs location. Officials led by General Manager PeiYan Weng and Vice President for Marketing Teddy Chow welcomed the grand drawing participants and their family members who had been chosen at a previous drawing on January 14; the 30 winners chosen each received a prize. Raffle tickets were also distributed to attendees for bags of goodies from 99 Ranch Market. The following were the winners at the grand drawing ceremony: • Anita Yat Man C. of Fremont, CA – iPhone 13 Pro Max 128GB • Cathy M. of Fremont, CA – iPad Air WiFi 64GB • Maggie L. of Fremont, CA – iPad Air WiFi 64GB • Shimei Z. of Fremont, CA – Apple Watch Series 7 GPS • Wan Fen C. of San Jose CA – Apple Watch Series 7 GPS • Wa L. of Union City, CA – Nintendo Switch (Animal Crossing: New Horizons Edition) • Han Z. of Berkeley, CA – AirPods (3rd Generation) • Jeremiah W. of Fremont, CA – AirPods (3rd Generation) • Hwan-Yu T. of Milpitas, CA – Zojirushi Electric AirPot • Jin Quan L. of Fremont, CA – Zojirushi Electric AirPot. According to Mr. Chow, the Lucky Draw is a way for 99 Ranch Market to thank its customers for their support and their appreciation of the services that the Asian market retailer provides to the community. “Today, we are very happy [with how the drawing turned out]. This event not only is for our customers, but also a way to celebrate the Lunar New Year,” he said. Centrally-located in Fremont, this new branch of 99 Ranch Market is located at 46551 Mission Blvd. and features a design that accentuates the offerings inside the store, including produce, meat, seafood, favorite grocery items, frozen food, bakery items and beverages. It also has a food plaza where customers can buy food from vendors dine in, and a social bar, Piju Bar, where customers can meet friends for drinks and snacks, socialize and
Anita Yat Man C. of Fremont was drawn as winner of an iPhone 13 Pro Max 128GB.
Fremont residents Cathy M. and Maggy L. each won an iPad Air WiFi 64GB.
watch their favorite sports teams. Mr. Chow also revealed that 99 Ranch customers have given them feedback on opening more stores in communities around Northern California. In March, 99 Ranch will open a new store in San Jose, CA. “We want to expand our business to different communities, as well as provide our services and good products to our customers. The raffle draws, Lucky draws, we will continue to organize these for our customers,” Mr. Chow stated, while adding that customers can learn of more announcements for grand openings and raffle drawings via Asian media. “We are expanding our merchandising categories to fill the needs of different communities by adding more grocery items, including Filipino-
specific products that will please our Filipino-American shoppers. We actually get good feedback and opinions from our customers on what kind of products they would like to see in our stores additionally. We will always seriously consider these inputs from our customers,” Mr. Chow said. “We would like to invite the Filipino-American community to visit our new Fremont location and our other 99 Ranch Market branches in Northern California, and shop for their grocery needs and favorite items at our stores,” Mr. Chow added. 99 Ranch Market FremontWarm Springs is located at 46551 Mission Blvd., Fremont, CA 94539. For more information about 99 Ranch Market, visit www.99ranch.com. (Advertising Supplement)
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celebrityworld By Ferdie Villar SINGER Angelina Cruz, who will have a new single out soon entitled “Ayoko Lang” (Universal Records), recently bared to reporters that it is their mom, actress Sunshine Cruz, who encourages them to go with their dad Cesar Montano when he invites them out. In an article on PEP.ph, Angeline revealed that whatever ill feelings existed before when their parents went their separate ways in 2013 and the court battle that ensued have been buried and left in the past. Sunshine and Cesar’s marriage was annulled in 2018. In fact, Sunshine is the one who encourages her three daughters – Angelina, Samantha and Chesca – to go out with her ex-husband when invites them so that they could do some bonding. “No communication. That’s not true. We’re on good terms with our dad,” Angelina declared.
“Whenever our dad invites us, our mom pushes us to go [and says], ‘Go out with your dad.’ She doesn’t stop us naman,” she added. Recently, Cesar and his daughters were seen in an Instagram story where they had dinner to celebrate the birthday of Chesca. Angelina revealed some of the things that went on during that celebration. “We were talking. We were going through old photos on his phone. He was showing old photos, [saying], ‘O, do you remember this’?,” Angelina related. “And then we saw one photo. [We all went] O, let’s reenact this. So we did that photo again so that we could put them side-byside. It was a lot of fun.” On her singing career, Angelina is excited about her new single. “I really chose this song because it sounds different from
Miss World Philippines 2019 Michelle Dee says there is a growing emphasis on other attributes of pageant contestants, not just their physical beauty. Photo from Instagram/@michelledee
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Angelina Cruz says mom Sunshine encourages them to see their dad pays attention to details talaga and he really makes her happy. I’m really happy for both of them,” she added. *** Beauty queens MJ Lastismosa Michelle Dee and Rabiya Mateo expressed their opinions recently on the evolving qualities that beauty pageant contestants must possess in order to succeed in pageantry nationally and internationally. In an article in PEP.ph, the trio revealed that, for one, lack of height is not an impediment nowadays, as well as weight or body size. “For me, I am happy that when it comes to beauty, it has slowly become more open… When it comes to height, I’m very happy that now there is no height requirement. I remember before at Binibining Pilipinas na grabe talaga kami magsukatan ng height. Kailangan pumasok sa 4-point something, ganun. Pag hindi, ekis talaga, wala,” MJ said, as she illustrated the case of 2016 Miss Canada Siera Bearchell, who penetrated the top 10. Additionally, MJ would like to see members of the Philippines’ indigenous tribes represent at the national pageant and, perhaps, become the Philippine representative to the larger world pageant. “They have beautiful stories to share. If they are given the chance at the national stage and to represent the Philippines in the
international stage, I’d be happy to see them,” the former Miss Universe Philippines (2014) winner added. “Aside from height, it’s also weight. At Miss Earth USA, you see different sizes… what they refer to as real beauty. I think it started with me because I was one of the shortest contestants
2020 Miss Universe Philippines Rabiya Mateo sees a difference in the body types now being accepted in the world of pageantry than before. She said recently in an interview that she was one of the shortest contestants that Miss Universe Philippines had sent to the world pageant. Photo from Instagram/@rabiyamateo
Miss Universe Philippines 2014 MJ Lastimosa is happy that pageants have become more open when it comes to assessing qualities of contestants. Photo from Instagram/@mj_lastimosa
my past song… it’s a different genre,” she said. “I feel with this genre, I want to explore more. This song (Ayoko Lang) is a step closer towards the genre and song that I want to explore and really release.” “On top of that, the lyrics are so relatable and really resonates with me,” she added. Additionally, Angelina likes the message that the song imparts – that of moving on. “I want them to use this song to maybe a way to heal, maybe a way to make them realize that it’s okay to go through tough things, whether it’s in personal relationships or anything really. It’s okay to move on. It’s okay to go through personal things and you will realize that it’s time to love yourself and it’s time to heal,” she explained. On another topic, Angelina revealed that she is happy about her mom’s love life. Sunshine is currently in a relationship with Macky Mathay “Whatever will make her happy. I will one hundred percent support it,” Angelina answered when asked about her thoughts if Sunshine and Macky tie the knot. “At the end of the day, it’s her decision. It’s her and Tito Macky’s decision. Whatever makes her happy, my sisters and I, we’ll support it.” “Like what I’ve said before, [it’s] the way that he (Macky) takes care of Mommy. He really
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Angelina Cruz has just released a new single, “Ayoko Lang.” She revealed to media that she and her sisters have a good relationship with dad Cesar Montano, which is supported by exwife Sunshine Cruz. Photo from Instagram/@angelinaisabele
that Miss Universe Philippines sent [to Miss Universe],” Mateo, who was 2020 Miss Universe Philippines winner, said, for her part. “I hope that here in the Philippines, we eventually see that too. It’s a beautiful message especially to young ones that anybody can be Miss Universe.” Dee, on the other hand, talked about other qualities that pageants nowadays are looking for in the contestants. “It’s so different from the beauty pageants that we grew up with. And it’s really emphasizing what a woman can offer on inside and not just on the outside. It’s not just the physical, but it’s what we have on the inside. Because I really believe that anyone can become a beauty queen. It’s just about what they believe in, what they stand for,” the former Miss World Philippines said. “Those winning right now, it’s just really a symbol of what everybody can achieve also. So I am happy about the loosening of the rules because it can be such a waste. There are many women who have a lot to offer, but just because of the height requirement they are unable to tell their stories? So, it’s really a pleasing trend in pageantry right now,” Dee added. g
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Mayor Breed announces next steps for Board of Education appointments Vetting process will begin to fill three vacant seats resulting from successful recall SAN FRANCISCO — On Wednesday, February 16, Mayor London N. Breed announced the next steps for making appointments to the San Francisco Board of Education to fill the three seats that will be vacated by the successful recall of three members of the Board. The seats will not be officially vacated until 10 days after the election is certified and approved by the Board of Supervisors. That leaves at least three to four weeks before the seats are vacated. For the past several weeks, Mayor Breed has been speaking with groups of parents from all over the city to hear from them about what they want to see from San Francisco’s public schools and from the Board of Education. She has not discussed names of potential replacements in these meetings, or interviewed any potential candidates, but instead
has focused on what parents and students are experiencing and what they want to see for their children. She will continue to meet with parents and others, including the United Educators of San Francisco, to gather feedback and recommendations as she continues this process. “Moving forward, the School Board must focus on the essentials of delivering a wellrun school system above all else,” said Mayor London Breed. “My focus in the coming weeks is to identify individuals for these seats that can tackle the many immediate decisions the district faces right now, as well as structural issues the district has faced for years. The election is over, and now it is time for everyone to do the hard work of supporting our students and educators as we emerge from this pandemic and get this District on
the path to sustainability.” The next steps are for the Mayor to gather a list of candidates and begin to interview candidates. That work is happening now, and will continue in the days ahead. Under the schedule established by the Secretary of State for the February 15th Special Primary Election the Department of Elections has up to 9 days to certify the results of the election and transmit those results to the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors. The Board of Supervisors acts on this certification by resolution. The recall will become effective 10 days after the Board’s action which is when a vacancy would occur. It is likely any vacancy would occur in early to midMarch depending on how long the Department of Elections takes to complete its certification process. (SF Mayor’s Office Release)
PhiliP S. Chua, MD, FaCS, FPCS CHEWING gum An amazing clinical discovery: chewing gum with Xylitol decreases preterm birth by 24 percent! This simple and inexpensive intervention that prevents premature delivery is “linked to improvement in oral health, according to research presented at the meeting sponsored by the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine.” Oral health also impacts heart health, our gut microbiome, besides general well-being. COVID-19 vaccines also prevent preterm births. Arthritis drugs The World Health Organization has strongly recommended an arthritis drug, Baricitinib, a Janus kinase inhibitor, for severe or critical COVID-19 cases. The clinical trials using this arthritis medication reveal improved survival, reduced the need for mechanical ventilation, and reduced hospitalization of these cases. Antihistamines Two individuals with Long COVID-19 had significant improvements in symptoms after taking over-the-counter antihistamines. They were able “to perform activities of daily living.” This finding has led to larger studies to investigate the validity of this observation. Second booster Sweden’s Health Agency recommends that people 80 and older receive a second booster dose (fourth shot) of COVID-19 vaccines, given at least four months after the first booster to strengthen the protection. Airborne virus “A recent study investigated whether airborne SARS-CoV-2 particles were present outside of isolation rooms in homes containing one household member with a positive test result. The researchers found that aerosols of small respiratory droplets containing airborne SARSCoV-2 RNA were present both inside and outside of these rooms,” reports MNT. Unless each room has its own exclusive ventilation system, it shows that room self-isolation at home is not totally safe for other members of the same household. Opening all windows might help reduce the viral load in the air. Lingering symptoms The latest data from the United Kingdom reveal 2.1 percent of the population (one in 48 people) are experiencing Long COVID, a new emerging chronic condition. More than half a million have been having symptoms that linger for at least a year. This “post-COVID syndrome” may include any combination of these symptoms: “brain fog” or cognitive dysfunction, troubled breathing or shortness of breath, fatigue, malaise, sense of “not feeling well,” and disturbance in the immune sys-
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New COVID data tem. Vaccines have been helpful to these chronic patients, making them feel better. New rapid test Chinese scientists at Fudan University in Shanghai have developed a new COVID-19 test that provides results in less than 4 minutes, instead of hours or days. The test employs micro-electronic technology, using an “electromechanical biosensor that analyzes specimens from the back of the throat and nose and detects SARS-CoV2 RNA as accurate as a PCR.” Vaccines cover “Stealth” Although the Stealth Omicron subvariant (BA.2) is now the predominant virus (after 20 mutations in spike proteins) and is even more transmissible than Omicron (BA.1), which itself is a super-rapid spreader compared to Delta, the current vaccines have been found to be effective for all three. Stealth Omicron has also been found to be “less likely than Omicron to transmit from vaccinated people who did contract COVID-19 infection.” BA.1 and BA.2 are less likely to affect the lungs among otherwise healthy people. Lifting mask mandate The governors of Connecticut, Delaware, New Jersey, and Oregon are lifting the mask mandate in their schools by the end of February or March, citing rapid decline in Omicron cases and the desire for “normalcy.” Cases in New Jersey have dropped by half and hospitalization by a third since last week, but deaths around the country are still high, around 2,400 in one day alone. In view of the Stealth Omicron and potential future strains because of the number of unvaccinated people (20 percent) in the United States, lifting the mask mandate (social distancing will stop) may be too premature. Studies also show acceptable oxygen saturation among adults or children who wear masks for hours on end and did not negatively impact their health. Worldwide, an estimated 2.2 million children ages 5-19 died, 43 percent of them aged 10-19, and almost 1,000 in the United States alone in 2021. Omicron BA.1 and BA.2 are milder but NOT mild, and could still kill. Children getting used to wearing a mask when needed (like a security blanket or toy) may not be a bad exercise. We can never be too careful in protecting our little gems! Higher risk of death A new clinical study shows people hospitalized with COVID-19 have an increased risk of death and readmission afterward, especially highest among those with preexisting dementia/Alzheimer’s. Unvaccinated adults 18 and older have 13 times risk of testing positive and 68 times greater risk of dying from COVID-19.Bottom of Form Vaccines and fertility Earlier and new studies find the COVID-19 vaccines do not
adversely affect fertility in males or females, but there appear to be short-term effects on fertility among males. The COVID-19 vaccines are not detrimental to pregnant mothers. As a matter of fact, the vaccines are strongly recommended for pregnant individuals to prevent premature delivery and stillbirths that COVID-19 causes. A droplet is enough A landmark human challenge trial suggests that “being exposed to a single nasal droplet of SARSCoV2 particles is enough to cause a person to develop COVID-19 fast, within 42 hours.” The researchers also found that infected persons (with or without symptoms) were most likely to pass on the virus at 5 days into infection. For recovering patients, it is best to self-quarantine for about 10 days before mingling with people. Gut dysbiosis There is evidence of a possible connection between Long COVID-19 and gut dysbiosis (changes in the community microorganisms in the gastrointestinal tract). Gut symbiosis and balance (of good and bad bacteria) are important in general health and our immune system. People with the Long COVID-19 have distinct changes in their gut microbiota, showing that the more severe the infection, the greater the dysbiosis, with fewer “friendly” bacteria in their gastrointestinal tract. This inspires the need “to investigate the use of dietary changes, probiotics, and fecal transplants as potential treatments for Long COVID-19.” Life is precious The pandemic is far from over. While the politicians endanger the public with their political correctness and medical ignorance, let us listen to science and continue to protect ourselves and our loved ones with frequent handwashing, wearing NIOSH-N95 masks, and practicing social distancing until the number of cases, hospitalizations and deaths have flattened out. Plain common sense. *** The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff. *** The main objective of this column is to educate and inspire people live a healthier lifestyle to prevent illnesses and disabilities and achieve a happier and more productive life. Any diagnosis, recommendation or treatment in our article are general medical information and not intended to be applicable or appropriate for anyone. This column is not a substitute for your physician, who knows your condition well and who is your best ally when it comes to your health. *** Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, a Cardiac Surgeon Emeritus based in Northwest Indiana and Las Vegas, Nevada, is an international medical lecturer/author, a Health Public Advocate, and Chairman of the Filipino United Network-USA, a 501(c)3 humanitarian and antigraft foundation in the United States. Visit our websites: philipSchua.com and FUN8888.com Email: scalpelpen@gmail.com
Help the FTC get money back to people who experience impersonator fraud TO combat government and business impersonation scams and get money back to people, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is considering changes to the law that would give the agency better tools. Want to help? Submit a comment on the rulemaking and make your voice heard. Whether they call pretending to be from the Social Security Administration or email or text you claiming to be from a trusted business, impersonators are trying to steal your money or get your personal information — or both. And, for the past two years, they’ve been taking advantage of the confusion over the pandemic. The FTC’s data show that COVID-specific scam reports have included 14,069 complaints of government impersonation and 9,850 complaints of business
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impersonation. People have lost over $52 million to COVID-specific government and business impersonators since January 1, 2020. Current law limits the FTC’s ability to combat these scams and return money to people who’ve lost money to these scammers. The FTC wants to change the law to make it easier to sue and get refunds for people who have experienced impersonation fraud. If you’ve experienced impersonation fraud, or have an opinion about the proposed rulemaking, submit your comment online at https://www.federalregister. gov/documents/2021/12/23/2021-27731/traderegulation-rule-on-impersonation-of-governmentand-businesses. All comments must be submitted online by February 22. (Ari Lazarus/Consumer Education Specialist/FTC)
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