021823 - Los Angeles Weekend Edition

Marcos: Deals inked during travels have materialized

by HELEN FLORES Philstar.com

MANILA — Investment deals

amounting to $4.349 billion or P239 billion secured during President Marcos’ foreign trips “have materialized.” Marcos said various memoranda of understanding (MOU) and letters of intent (LOI) between the Philippines and the host countries he visited since last year are now being fleshed out by concerned agencies and sectors.

“So we’re starting to go into the details of all of those MOUs and LOIs that people have seen us witnessing the signing of agreements and exchanges in

different countries,” Marcos said during his meeting with officials of the Department of Trade and Industry and Office of the Presidential Assistant on Investment and Economic Affairs (OPAIEA) at Malacañang on Thursday, Febriuary 16. “I can already report that some of the MOUs that we signed in Indonesia and in Singapore already have results. And in fact, I think in the next couple of weeks, we will be starting to inaugurate some of these projects,” the Chief Executive said. In his report to the President, Trade Secretary Alfredo Pascual said a total of 116 projects worth $62.926 billion or P3.48 trillion were generated from Marcos’

USA

Combatting lasting COVID-19 disinformation

LOS ANGELES — Bridging information gaps through setting up effective digital media monitoring platforms for journalists is crucial in minimizing if not eradicating the spread of mis- and disinformation on COVID-19 related issues, according to an industry expert in the field of misinformation.

National Conference on Citizenship (NCoC)

CEO Cameron Hickey told participants of a recently-held webinar entitled “Vaccines and Public Health: Misinformation Trends

(Understanding and Identifying Problematic Content), jointly presented by NCoC and Ethnic Media Services (EMS) Myth Buster Project that while there are probably no means to stop the proliferation of mis- and

In California, Democrats propose $25 minimum wage for health workers

SACRAMENTO — Union-aligned Democrats were set to introduce legislation on Wednesday, February 15 mandating a statewide $25 minimum wage for health workers and support staffers, likely setting up a pitched battle with hospitals, nursing homes, and dialysis clinics.

State Sen. María Elena Durazo’s bill would require health facilities and home health agencies to give raises to many support employees, including nurse technicians, housekeepers, security guards, food workers, and laundry providers. The Los Angeles Democrat said workers remain underpaid even as they have played a crucial role in the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, she argued, many who earn close to the state’s $15.50 minimum wage struggle with inflation.

“How do people survive?” Durazo told KHN ahead of the bill’s introduction. “They can’t be on the edge of becoming homeless. That’s what we’re facing.”

While the bill is backed by the influential Service Employees International Union-United Healthcare Workers West, which represents

foreign trips. These included his visits to Indonesia ($8.48 billion), Singapore ($6.54 billion), United States ($3.847 billion), Thailand ($4.62 billion), Belgium ($2.20 billion), China ($24.239 billion) and Japan ($13 billion). Of the commitments, $4.349 billion or P239 billion have materialized with the companies in various stages of implementation of their projects in the country, according to a statement released on Thursday by the Presidential Communications Office (PCO). Projects worth $29.712 billion or P1.7 trillion have existing MOU or LOI, while confirmed projects worth $28.863 or P1.5

Countries rally behind Philippines in maritime incidents with China

by KAYCEE VALMONTE Philstar.com

MANILA — Several countries have expressed their support for the Philippines after the coast guard reported being tailed and directed a military-grade laser device by China during a rotation and resupply mission in the vicinity of Ayungin Shoal last week.

Former colonizer and treaty ally United States was the first to issue a statement of support. Trade and development partners Japan, Australia, Canada, and Germany also issued separate statements to back Manila.

"The PRC’s conduct was provocative and

unsafe, resulting in the temporary blindness of the crewmembers of the BRP Malapascua and interfering with the Philippines’ lawful operations in and around Second Thomas Shoal," U.S. State Department spokesperson Ned Price said in a statement dated February 13.

Countries also urged China to follow international rules-based order and put an emphasis on the 2016 Hague ruling that invalidated Beijing’s claims over the disputed waters, which include parts of the West Philippine Sea. However, it never recognized the validity of the ruling.

China justified its actions by saying that the China Coast Guard, asserting territory over what it called

Deeper defense ties with US: What it means for PH

by KURT DELA PEÑA Inquirer.net

MANILA — Far from how it was when Rodrigo Duterte was still in Malacañang, ties between the Philippines and the United States are now rekindling, with the two countries accelerating the full implementation of the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (Edca), which was signed in 2014.

Looking back, Duterte, in 2016, threatened to scrap the 1998 Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) that provided simplified access procedures to the Philippines for U.S. military men on official business, and a series of procedures for how to resolve

issues that may come up as a result of the presence of American soldiers in the Philippines.

But as Ferdinand Marcos Jr. assumed office on June 30, 2022 over a month after winning the presidency with 31,629,783 votes, the Philippines has strengthened its ties with the U.S., a clear reversal from Duterte’s often-hostile attitude towards the United States, which he once said the Philippines has separated from.

As Marcos said last Feb. 2, “again, I have always said that it seems to me that the future of the Philippines and, for that matter, the Asia-Pacific will always have to involve the U.S. simply because those ties are so strong

Enrile thanks God, well-wishers as he turns 99

by JANVIC MATEO Philstar.com

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

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

Enrile added in his post: “99 years are, indeed, long in term of years, and I thank God for granting me those years. But in terms of eternity, those seemingly long years are but a fleeting moment. Nonetheless, thank you Lord for the years you gifted me; for the protection you blessed me and for all the blessings you have generously given to me and to my family; and the friends you, Lord, allowed me to have during my lifetime. Thank you dear

the Ren'ai Reef (Ayungin Shoal).

On Tuesday, February 14 the Philippines filed a diplomatic protest against China’s recent aggressions, while President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. also summoned Chinese Ambassador Huang Xilian over “the increasing frequency and intensity” of China’s actions against the PCG and the Filipino fishermen.

Comply with UNCLOS

China already claimed that its actions were in accordance to local and international laws, namely the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), but other countries are still calling on  PAGE A2

HOUSE Senior Deputy Speaker and former president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo on Thursday, February 16 led other lawmakers in urging the House of Representatives to support former president Rodrigo Duterte, who may come under investigation by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for alleged crimes against humanity.

Arroyo was joined by 15 other representatives and her fellow Pampanga lawmakers.

In May 2021, the ICC prosecutor at that time, Fatou Bensouda, requested the court's authorization to launch a preliminary investigation into the

extrajudicial killings conducted during Duterte's war on drugs.

Under the Rome Statute, the ICC can investigate and prosecute individuals for war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide and the crime of aggression.

The United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights estimated in a 2020 report that at least 8,000 people were killed during the campaign on drugs implemented under Duterte.

In November 2021, the Philippine government requested the ICC to defer the probe, saying that it had begun its own inquiry into the killings.

In June last year, the court's prosecutor, Karim Khan,

Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Juan Ponce Enrile Philstar.com photo

Marcos: Deals inked during...

trillion are pn the planning stage, the PCO said. Apart from the aforementioned countries, Marcos also visited Cambodia and Switzerland for the Association of Southeast Asia Nations Summit and the World Economic Forum (WEF), respectively. The OPAIEA, headed by Frederick Go, acts as a presidential delivery unit which pursues the President’s priority investment and economic agenda, ensuring timely delivery of investment projects, trade agreements and pledges. Marcos, however, said there are many things that

should be resolved, particularly rules and regulations that are not investor-friendly. “And the next item is going to be, we will have to converge all of the different agencies of government so that we are working off the same plan. That is what we will do because we have to strike while the iron is hot,” he said. “We’re moving very quickly to, as I say, make sure that while the Philippines is still top of mind of these investors that we immediately explore those opportunities and take advantage of the contacts that we made during these trips,” Marcos added.

In a media interview in January prior to his visit to Japan, Marcos said he plans to cut down on travels this year to implement the agreements made in those trips.

The President went to Tokyo from Feb. 8 to 12 for an official working visit. Prior to this, he visited Beijing, China from Jan. 3 to 5 for a state visit and Davos, Switzerland from Jan. 15 to 20 for the WEF.

Marcos earlier confirmed the Philippine delegation’s attendance at this year’s AsiaPacific Economic Cooperation Summit, which will be held in the U.S. in November. 

Countries rally behind Philippines in maritime...

China to abide with international law as they express concern.

“All states should respect maritime order based on international law, in particular UNCLOS, and recall that 2016 Arbitral Award is final and legally binding. We firmly oppose any action that increase tensions,” the Japanese Embassy in the Philippines said in a statement.

convention.

“Recent actions that disrupted the lawful operations of Philippine vessels off the coast of the Philippines are in violation of international law and contrary to the maintenance of regional peace and stability, and the rules-based international order,” Canada said. Germany also called out China’s “intimidatory action” against the PCG.

UNCLOS. The 2016 Arbitral Award is final and legally binding.”

Combatting lasting COVID-19...

respond to them.

“We call to refrain from any conduct that increase tensions,” German Ambassador to the Philippines Anke Reiffenstuel said. “All states must abide by

Defend Duterte vs ICC probe...

Meanwhile, Canada expressed its “firm and unwavering” support for Manila, urging Beijing to comply with its international obligation as party to the requested the resumption of the investigation, saying the Philippine government had not substantiated its request for deferral.

Last January 26, a pre-trial panel of the ICC authorized the prosecutor to resume the probe.

The Philippines withdrew its membership from the ICC in 2019 but the court ruled that the country remained under its jurisdiction.

The 19 lawmakers filed House Resolution (HR) 780 which called on the chamber to declare the "unequivocal defense" of Duterte.

Arroyo was joined in filing HR 780 by Representatives Carmelo Lazatin Jr., Aurelio Gonzales, Anna York Bondoc-Sagum, Jose Alvarez, Mary Mitzi CajayonUy, Richard Gomez, Wilton Kho, Loreto Amante, Edward Hagedorn, Edwin Olivarez, Eric Martinez, Eduardo Rama Jr., Dale

Corvera, Zaldy Villa, Ma. Rene Ann Lourdes Matibag, Mohamad Khalid Dimaporo, Johnny Pimentel and Marilyn Primicias-Agabas.

HR 780 noted that Duterte's "remarkable accomplishments brought about by his relentless campaign against illegal drugs, insurgency, separatism and terrorism, government corruption, and criminality" made Filipinos' lives "better, more comfortable, and peaceful."

It said that when Duterte assumed office, the country faced a widespread illegal drug problem that posed an "existential threat to the country's social fabric."

The resolution cited Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla's statement that the ICC's intention to probe Duterte's anti-drug campaign was "insulting" and "totally unacceptable," underscoring the Philippines'

The British Embassy in Manila noted that China's "dangerous acts are in violation of international law." Australia called China's actions toward the Philippines "unsafe and intimidatory." “We continue to call for peace, stability and respect for international law in the South China Sea, a vital international waterway,” Australian Ambassador to the Philippines HK Yu said. 

effective and independent judicial system.

Arroyo said she is especially concerned with ensuring that justice is served equally to all because she, too, was a victim of unfair investigation and prosecution under the administration of President Benigno Simeon Aquino 3rd.

All but one of the cases brought against her were ultimately dropped; nevertheless, she remained in hospital custody for the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office plunder case.

The case against the former president and her co-petitioner, Benigno Aguas, was dismissed by the Supreme Court in July 2016 on the grounds that the Sandiganbayan "committed gross abuse of discretion when it refused their separate demurrers to the evidence." 

disinformation on COVID-19, there could be ways to inoculate and educate people on how to become more discerning when it comes to identifying facts from myths and/or misleading ideas and information.

During the online seminar, Hickey also underscored the crucial role of journalists in this endeavor of helping empower the public and the communities by providing them with legitimate sources of information that they could use in making critical decisions not only on issues about COVID-19 but also in their daily lives.

“Each of us has a role to play in reducing the impact of problematic content. You as a journalist have a frontline responsibility in educating the public in your communities,” Hickey, an Emmy Awardwinning journalist, said.  With his expertise in the analysis of misinformation and having been an advocate of democracy, Hickey has developed groundbreaking tools like Junkipedia, which is designed to centralize the collection of problematic content so that everyone with a stake in solving this problem can benefit from a shared understanding of what threats exist and how to

Specifically, Junkipedia gives not only journalists but also researchers and civil society organizations powerful tools to collect, track, analyze, and respond to mis- and disinformation spreading online.

“You can collect tips quickly and easily via tiplines, tag and classify each item submitted, and analyze narratives and identify trends in the data,” said Hickey, who also led the establishment of the peoplepowered misinformation monitoring program, the Civic Listening Corps. He has also served as the Director of the Algorithmic Transparency Institute, a current project of NCoC, for the past three years. Hickey recognized the urgency to put up these kind of legitimate platforms to safeguard people’s interests.

He said by now, we should be learning from the lessons from COVID-19’s experience and use these as future references to combat the spread of mis/ and disinformation or at least arm the public with safety nets that will allow them to scrutinize information presented to them in different social media.

“The appetite for this stuff does not go away and the people who have incentives to spread

it [don't] go away, whether incentives are political, or incentives are financial or those incentives are just to stir the pot and make people crazy which we see that as well. So when we think about efforts to curb this problem, we think less about the problems of proliferation of it and instead, we think about efforts to curb the impact of them and curbing the impact of them comes from inoculating folks, from educating folks, from having a positive interaction with them either through the journalism that we present, or the communication that we have or face-to-face reactions,” he said, when asked about how would he gauge the current efforts to curb mis- and disinformation on matters related to COVID-19.

EMS associate editor Pilar Marrero, for her part, said, “Disinformation narratives are spreading across digital media platforms including inlanguage platforms, monitoring these platforms to identify examples of dangerous dis- and misinformation in a timely and effective manner is critical for us as media reporters so we can challenge them and counter them with facts.” Headquartered in San Francisco, California, EMS works to enhance the  PAGE A5

Deeper defense ties with US...

and so historically embedded in our common psyches that can only be an advantage to both our countries.”

This, as the defense secretaries of the Philippines and the U.S. — Carlito Galvez and Lloyd Austin III — announced that the two countries agreed to four more Edca bases. As Austin said, “from defense perspective, we will continue to work together with our great partners and to build and modernize your capabilities as well as increase our interoperability.”

In California, Democrats propose $25...

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roughly 100,000 workers statewide, similar proposals have previously faced strong opposition from the health industry.

If lawmakers approve the bill and Gov. Gavin Newsom signs it, one labor leader estimated, 1.5 million California workers could get a wage hike come January 2024.

Last year, the union spent about $11 million to promote local $25 minimum wage measures in 10 Southern California cities while hospitals and health care facilities spent $12 million against them.

That fight yielded an opposite decision in November in two cities where the measure made the ballot: Inglewood voters approved raises at private hospitals and dialysis clinics, while voters in Duarte rejected the wage hike.

During the campaign, a ballot issue committee with funding from Kaiser Permanente of Northern California, Adventist Health, Cedars-Sinai, Dignity Health, and other hospitals and health systems warned that a $25 minimum wage would raise their costs.

Earlier this month, the California Hospital Association launched a campaign to ask lawmakers for an extra $1.5 billion in the state budget for Medi-Cal, the state’s insurance program for people with low incomes and disabilities. In a Feb. 9 memo, Carmela Coyle, the association’s president and CEO, wrote that hospitals need urgent financial relief, citing inflation and mounting costs: “Help is needed — immediately.”

Meanwhile, the nursing home industry has said it wants to pay workers more but can’t because

the state reimburses them too little for patients enrolled in MediCal. And the dialysis industry has shelled out more than $300 million over the past six years to defeat three statewide ballot measures sponsored by SEIU-UHW to increase staffing at clinics.

Negotiations for a statewide $25 minimum wage collapsed in the legislature last summer, in part because union leaders and the hospital association had tied the raise to a delay in costly earthquake upgrades at hospitals. The deal was scuttled by the California Nurses Association, the California Teamsters Public Affairs Council, and other unions concerned about their workers’ safety. The California Dialysis Council also opposed it.

Durazo said she’s willing to hear hospitals’ concerns about loosening seismic retrofit standards but prefers to treat the two issues separately.

The state has also recognized the need to attract and retain workers by setting aside roughly $1 billion to help the industry address workforce shortages. But labor leaders say workers need a financial incentive.

“We have a workforce that has just been through the wringer in the last three years,” said Dave Regan, president of SEIU-UHW. “And lots of health care workers decided, you know, this is just too difficult. It’s too exhausting. It’s too dangerous.”

Raising the minimum wage would bring families out of poverty, said Joanne Spetz, director of the Institute for Health Policy Studies at the University of California-San Francisco. But whether the bill will solve

chronic workforce shortages is unclear because wages are just one factor.

Costlier employees could have negative consequences for health care facilities.

“If you don’t get higher reimbursements from Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurers, then you’re gonna have to figure out how to absorb that cost increase,” Spetz said. “Or you just get rid of the worker.”

Since Inglewood passed its measure, the wage hike has transformed Byron Vasquez’s life, giving him more time with his family. A distribution technician at Centinela Hospital Medical Center, Vasquez earned $21.17 an hour restocking supplies on every floor. But he said that he needed to take additional work to support his wife and daughter — and that he often missed family celebrations.

“Before the increase, I was working two or three jobs to make ends meet,” said Vasquez, who until recently worked weekend shifts at a residential care center in Beverly Hills and drove for Uber.

“It was not fun because there’s really no time off.” (Samantha Young/Kaiser Health News)

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

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

But what does this mean for the Philippines, which was once home to massive U.S. military presence after World War II?

Expanded Edca

Last Feb. 2, as Austin arrived at the headquarters of the Department of National Defense (DND) in Quezon City on Feb. 2, Galvez said the Philippines granted the U.S. access to four more military bases, amid concerns over China’s continued aggression in the West Philippine Sea and a potential invasion of Taiwan.

The agreement is an expansion of the Edca, which the late President Benigno Aquino III signed with the U.S. in 2014— which the Supreme Court ruled was an executive agreement that was part of the larger agreements VFA and the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaties that needed Philippine Senate nod.

With the expansion, the DND said the Philippines and the U.S. are “proud to announce their plans to accelerate the full implementation of the Edca with the agreement to designate four ‘agreed locations’ in strategic areas of the country and the substantial completion of the projects in the existing five ‘agreed locations’.”

The five existing “agreed locations” are the Antonio Bautista Air Base in Palawan, Basa Air Base in Pampanga, Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija, Mactan-Benito Ebuen Air Base in Cebu and Lumbia Air Base in Cagayan de Oro City. The one in Palawan is the closest to the Kalayaan Island Group, while the one in Nueva Ecija is the country’s largest military camp.

As to where the new Edca bases will be located is not yet certain, with Galvez saying that the government is still consulting with the local governments concerned.

“We withhold the announcement of the Edca sites because our protocols and also our diplomatic notes have not been completed.”

“We need to complete all the staff work, including our consultations with the local government units,” Galvez said.

But looking back, some military officials revealed last year that the U.S. asked for access to military bases in Cagayan, Zambales, Isabela and Palawan, provinces that face either the West Philippine Sea or Taiwan.

PH-U.S. relations

The Philippines has been a treaty ally of the U.S. since 1951, when it signed with the MDT that bound the two countries to support each other should one of them be attacked by external forces—an agreement which the U.S. said is a foundation for close security cooperation between the two countries.

But even before the MDT was signed, the Philippines had allowed the U.S. to establish and operate air and naval bases for 99 years in 1947 through the Military Bases Agreement (MBA), which was later amended to reduce the tenure to only 25 years. As a result, the agreement was expected to end in 1991.

The U.S. had the chance to extend its tenure, but the Philippine Senate rejected in 1991 the RP-U.S. Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Peace that would have given the U.S. 10 more years at the Subic Bay Naval Base, which was the United States’ last military outpost in Southeast Asia then.

The MBA ended in 1992.

However, in 1998 and 1999, the VFA was signed and ratified, providing simplified access procedures to the Philippines for U.S. service members on official business and a series of procedures for how to resolve issues that may come up as a result of U.S. service members being present in the Philippines.

As the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) said, the VFA “provides clear procedures and processes for how to handle issues that arise as a result of the presence of U.S. service members in the Philippines,” like what happened in 2015, when “a U.S. Marine was tried and convicted of killing a Filipina.”

It was referring to the case of American soldier Joseph Scott Pemberton, who was sentenced to 12 years imprisonment. But because of the VFA, he served his sentence in a facility established

by the Philippines and the U.S. rather than the New Bilibid Prison. He was released in 2020 through absolute pardon granted by Duterte, a move condemned by progressive groups.

The CSIS also said the VFA is a “political signal of the closeness” of the alliance between the Philippines and the U.S., with “analysts and former officials believing that signaling close ties between the U.S. and the Philippines supports efforts to deter China from further encroaching on Philippines’ sovereignty.”

Over 15 years later, the Edca was signed, allowing the U.S. to preposition personnel, equipment and supplies at selected military bases in the Philippines to quickly respond in times of natural disasters and other crises. This, however, was criticized as a violation of the Constitution.

As explained by international studies professor Renato de Castro, the agreement allows U.S. service members to use facilities owned and controlled by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), but ensures that the base commander of the Philippines retains free access to those locations.

“Likewise, the U.S. military will be able to build or improve the infrastructure inside these installations, but Philippine forces will be able to jointly use them. Any construction and other activities within Philippine bases requires the consent of the Philippine-U.S. Mutual Defense Board and Security Engagement Board,” he said.

Stronger defense?

The DND said Edca is designed to promote between the Philippines and the U.S. interoperability, capacity building toward AFP modernization, strengthening AFP for external defense, maritime security, maritime domain awareness, and humanitarian assistance and disaster response.

De Castro explained in 2016 that once the Edca is implemented, a contingent of U.S. service members will be deployed to the Philippines on a short-term and rotational basis:

“This will probably include the stationing of a squadron of U.S. Marine fighter planes in a Philippine Air Force base for six months,” he said.

He said U.S. service members will be stationed in the country through these access arrangements—the forward operating sites, which are expandable and partially equipped facilities with limited U.S. military support presence, and cooperative security locations, which are facilities maintained by the Philippines with little or no constant U.S. presence.

The presence of the U.S. military will strengthen the Philippines’ resolve to uphold its territorial and maritime claims in the West Philippine Sea, De Castro, who is also a member of the Board of Trustees of the Albert Del Rosario Institute of Strategic and International Studies, said in a CSIS column.

“By increasing the U.S.’ ability to respond to crises in the South China Sea (West Philippine Sea), the Edca could also test American credibility regarding its defense commitment to the Philippines,” he said.

“Though the maritime row in the South China Sea will be a long-term security challenge and will never be solved solely through force, the potential for an armed conflict requires the presence of an effective U.S. deterrent force in the region. The Edca is aimed at producing such a deterrence posture,” he added.

Take as an example what former SC Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio said after a China Coast Guard ship struck a patrol vessel of the Philippines with military-grade laser that harmed some of its crew, an action which he said constitutes an armed attack: “The Philippines can thus invoke the MDT.”

With China’s aggression, Carpio told ANC on Wednesday, February 15 that the Philippines really has to think of strengthening its alliances, stressing that “you have to look at the history of the South China Sea”—1995, the Mischief Reef was seized; 2012, the Scarborough Shoal was seized; 2017, Sandy Cay was seized. He said China’s actions are not a reaction to the recent visits of Austin and even U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris to the Philippines, saying that China has long planned this. With this, he said setting aside the Permanent Court of Arbitration’s 2016 decision and setting aside relations with treaty allies will not stop China. “We have to use allies,” he said, taking as an example countries that want the U.S. to stay as an assurance that they will not be left behind.

“Us, what is our assurance?

Our assurance is Edca,” he said, explaining that while the Philippines does not want to station U.S. service members, equipment should be kept in bases so that the military can use it when there is a crisis.

Fast response, economic gains

Back in 2014, the DND released some of the key aspects of the Edca, including its purpose and how to attain its objectives. As it said then, “we are currently holding joint training exercises such as Balikatan and undertaking humanitarian assistance and disaster relief cooperation such as in the aftermath of Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan, the strongest typhoon to hit land).”

It explained then that “to improve on the above, we intend to undertake additional cooperation by way of construction of facilities and infrastructure upgrades, and storage and prepositioning of defense and humanitarian assistance and disaster response equipment, supplies and material.”

Looking back, when Yolanda, which was considered the strongest to ever hit land, struck the Visayas in 2013, the VFA allowed for some 13,000 military men, 66 aircraft, and 12 naval vessels to deliver more than 2,500 tons of relief goods and evacuate over 21,000 people.

Likewise, Galvez said the Edca expansion is not only about security and defense but also economic gains, especially for the communities and local government units (LGUs) that will host the military bases, aside from strengthening their protection from the effects of climate change through intensified mitigation efforts and more immediate disaster response.

“It is our fervent hope that our LGUs will also realize that the Edca is not just about security. We enjoin them to look into potential foreign investments and economic development that Edca sites will bring to their communities, as well as the enhancement of the protection of our areas that are vulnerable to the effects of climate change and the quicker response and mitigation if our front liners are called to action,” he said.

To date, the U.S. has allocated over $82 million in infrastructure investments in the existing five sites.

As written by William Berry Jr., “most Filipino opponents and proponents of the bases agree that the bases do contribute to the economy,” however, “they tend to disagree as to whether the Philippines could make the necessary adjustments to absorb the economic dislocations if the bases close.”

He stated that the Philippines has received $481 million in U.S. compensation yearly as a result of the MBA, but “compensation in the form of economic and military assistance programs is only part of the economic equation.”

“Employment opportunities, local contracting, American support for international loans to the Philippines, and the possible attraction of foreign investment are also some of the economic effects involved directly or indirectly with the presence of the bases,” Berry said in his article “The Effects of the U.S. Military Bases on the Philippine Economy.”

He said employment was a big problem for the Corazon Aquino administration then, not only because of the economic decline which took place in the last years of Ferdinand Marcos Sr.’s regime, but also because of the expanding population that placed a strong demand for the government to create new jobs.

Back then, the U.S. military bases was the second largest single employer in the Philippines after the government itself. Berry said at the conclusion of the fiscal year ending in September 1987 that the bases employed 68, 514 Filipinos—23,168 fulltime employees, 22,834 contract employees, 22,068 domestics and private hires, and 444 concessionaires.

“Wages paid to base employees in 1987 totaled more than $96 million,” he said. Likewise, the MBA amendments included provisions encouraging the U.S. to increase local procurement of products required by the bases, and the U.S. has attempted to comply with these obligations, Berry said.

Clark Air Base, for the fiscal year ending in September 1987, purchased more than $53 million worth of goods and services from Filipino contractors, ranging from cement for aircraft runways to food, like vegetables, sold in the commissary. Then at the Subic Naval Base, the U.S. spent more than $150 million.

Concerns still persist

But of course, this is just one side of the picture as concerns

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

PNA photo by Robert Oswald P. Alfiler

Enrile thanks God, well-wishers as...

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God for this day!”

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

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

Combatting lasting COVID-19...

capacity of ethnic news outlets to inform and engage diverse audiences on broader public issues with the goal of building more inclusive participatory democracy.

During the talks, Hickey has likewise put emphasis on the importance of context setting. “We all understand that viral misinformation is contagious and dangerous. It is, in some cases, as problematic than the actual viruses that are spreading. It can instigate people to make very poor decisions and put their health at risk,” he pointed out.

“We think about missing disinformation in ways that are very similar to the ways that we think about the spread of viruses," he added.

When the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2022, the World Health Organization declared an "infodemic" with regard to the mis- and disinformation spreading about the origin of the virus.

Now facing plunder charges in relation to the pork barrel scam, Enrile – who served numerous terms in the Senate – patched things up with the Marcos family and accepted the offer to be a legal adviser of the late strongman’s son who now sits in Malacañang. Meanwhile, the Sandiganbayan Third Division continued hearing the plunder cases filed against Enrile.

ABS-CBN News reported that RJ

Deeper defense ties with US...

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as to whether the presence of U.S. military in the Philippines would bring good or not still persist, like ACT Teachers Rep. France Castro, who stressed on February 4 that “as Filipinos, we have a responsibility to uphold the Constitution and never give up the sovereignty of the Philippines.”

“Let us not sacrifice our sovereignty on the promise that they are here for ‘mutual defense’ and supposed visit, because the damage and disadvantage to our people are greater than the gains. Let us end their excursion into our country and let us not allow ourselves to be used as pawns of their war,” she said. Castro also warned of the possibility of the Philippines

being used as a testing ground for U.S. nuclear weapons based on the 123 agreements brandished by Harris on what she called “civil” nuclear cooperation.

The Edca expansion also prompted the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan to stress that the Philippines should not be allowed to be used as a “staging ground” for what it called U.S. military intervention in the region.

Even House Deputy Speaker Ralph Recto raised concerns on the expansion: “In principle, this is an administration prerogative I support. But I ask that whatever agreements be made public and the pros and cons be told.”

“National security is not harmed by that candor. But any secrecy will deal with transparency, an avowed

Bernal, Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) chief counsel for company registration and monitoring department, was presented to testify.

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

hallmark of this administration, a serious blow,” he said.

Recto then asked how the Philippines will benefit from expanding Edca sites in the country.

“Will the nation win with that move? And what are the possible nuisances that it may cause, if any?”

“How many more military bases will they have access to as time passes? Are we being built up as their armed garrison in the Pacific as a tripwire to Chinese expansionism?” he said while asking defense officials to thoroughly review the agreement’s “ramifications, specifically the potential reaction from other states and our planned responses,” Recto said. 

“It’s important to recognize that the problematic messages that we see and hear online have many different forms. Sometimes, we will call them misinformation, sometimes we will call them disinformation, sometimes we’ll call them rumors, conspiracies, even hate speech is problematic content, and my personal favorite, junk news, stuff that’s not totally false but still not healthy for you, just like junk food,” he added.

“We frequently see conspiracy theories. Usually, conspiracy theories reference an important boogeyman with an ulterior motive. When shared without the proper context it can be incredibly misleading. This comes in a wide range of forms,” he added.

He likewise emphasized the need to effectively verify numbers that are accurate and up-to-date. “When a statistic is shared on the Internet, but we don’t know, for example, what part of the whole that statistic represents, then that might be a much scarier statistic than the reality.”

According to Hickey, it is also important to be wary of pseudoscience. “In terms of public health, pseudoscience things like unproven cures for COVID-19, things that draw together, things that aren’t based on sound research, or medical science, or coming from

trusted authoritative sources, spread quite a lot on the internet, and are off. As soon as you see things that have the hallmarks of that, it’s another clue to be skeptical,” he noted.

Another thing that warrants a closer look, he said, is “faulty logic."  “They’re frequently arguments that while they can’t be proven to be false, aren’t necessarily exactly true either. They often come in the form of what we call logical fallacies. A good example of that is a false equivalence argument when you are comparing things and making the implication that ‘if this is true, then that should also be true, because they’re similar.’ But when they aren’t similar, when you’re comparing apples to oranges, then the underlying argument is no longer valid,” he said. He said being able to establish the timeliness of the data presented is also critical.“This is particularly important in the ever-changing world of Public Health Information. Content that is old, might have been true the day it was published, or the day it was originally shared, but when it gets re-shared today, it may no longer be the case,” he said.

“We see this across the spectrum. It can often happen when a multi-year-old news article or piece of research is shared, but it can also be the case when it’s an image. It does not have to be false to be a problem,” he noted.

But he was also quick to point out that whatever the form (misinformation, rumors, conspiracies, disinformation, junk news and hate), it all misleads.

“Overall, the point is, it does not have to be false to be a problem, it is important to keep that in mind, how to respond, how to craft high-quality journalism in response to the kind of problematic ideas that we see,” he said.

He also discussed several key health themes, such as sudden death, excess deaths, vaccine detox, gas stove risks, and the bird flu, among other issues where the spreading of false information has occurred.

He said, “People are taking this fact, connecting it to the things they believe, or fear, and then amplifying it across social media. There are these

BBC News posts, an accurate news article from a legitimate news source, but when it gets shared with this additional context, vaccine, or something else, or it’s only a coincidence, suddenly people are questioning the underlying news story, and they are using a legitimate trustworthy news source as essentially the evidence.”

“It’s critical to think about what headlines are used, what kind of information one tries to communicate, recognizing that things like this, risk people taking that reporting out of context and using it to fearmonger and amplify,” Hickey lamented.

“It’s important to note that this theme links to something that we see often in our disinformation research which is that folks often use sensational, concerning, or exciting things to amplify problematic or misleading messages in service of making money,” he said.

On H5n1, commonly known as the bird flu, Hickey said “there hasn’t been much misor disinformation spreading on this yet but there has been some new potential risk amplified by legitimate news coverage in the form of opinion from a trusted source, The New York Times from a trusted expert Zainabeki, who has the headline – ‘An Even Deadlier Pandemic Could Be Here Soon.”

“There’s good news. We do have a vaccine for h5n1. It is not as easy to produce and there’s not as much of it as there has been for other diseases, including the flu, COVID-19. But it is a considerably harder disease to infect humans. We rarely see human to human transmission,” he said Learning from COVID-19 experience, Hickey said, “It (bird flu) doesn’t mean it’s not something that we should be concerned about, but it is at a lower level of risk today. This is a not to say we should not be concerned about it, but we should be cautious about how we report about it, and we should be careful to share facts and pay close attention to it as the situation changes this."

"As we saw with COVID-19, the facts on the ground can shift quickly and it’s important to be responsible and thoughtful and up to date,” Hickey said. (By Donnabelle Gatdula Arevalo/ AJPress)

RESCUE TRAINING CENTER. Metropolitan Manila Development Authority chairperson Romando Artes holds a press conference at the agency’s office in Makati City on Thursday, Feb. 16. Artes announced the launch of the MMDA Rescue Training Center, which aims to improve and institutionalize disaster response measures in Metro Manila. PNA photo by Yancy Lim

Private ights for tra cking

DESPITE the unending horror stories about overseas Filipino workers or OFWs suffering abuse and even murder, human traffickers continue to prey on Filipinos hoping for high-paying jobs abroad. And the human traffickers have enormous resources for luring victims. As detailed on Thursday, February 16 by Sen. Grace Poe, the traffickers appear to be breezing through the Ninoy Aquino International Airport with their victims on private jets.

This is believed to be the case, she said, in the departure of a private jet last Monday night, February 13 from the NAIA. Only seven of the 14 passengers were declared to authorities, she said. The Manila International Airport Authority has confirmed that the plane, operated by Hong Kong-registered Cloud Nine No. 1 Leasing Company Ltd. with local ground handler Globan Aviation Service Corp., received authorization to take off for Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.

Editorial

mostly from Myanmar, where they ended up operating cryptocurrency scams under the supervision of Chinese crime rings instead of the promised high-paying jobs in business process outsourcing. A number of those who have been rescued or managed to escape have detailed stories of being locked up by the cryptocurrency scam rings, forced to work long hours and beaten if they refused.

Aren’t immigration authorities at airports supposed to check the working papers of departing OFWs before allowing them to leave? Poe said the MIAA, Globan as well as the Bureau of Immigration and the Philippine National Police Aviation Group must explain how the aircraft was cleared for take-off. She noted that in December last year, undeclared Chinese nationals on a private plane also skirted pre-flight clearance.

Several OFWs are still waiting to be rescued

Commentary

AN overwhelming majority of Asian Americans support tougher gun laws and are now in a position to influence the outcome of elections in states across the country.

President Joe Biden reasserted during his State of the Union address the urgency to act on gun violence. I know first-hand just what gun violence can do to a community because on January 21, 2023, the city I love and was elected to represent experienced one of the largest mass shootings in California’s history.

Like many other Asian Americans in Los Angeles County and across the country, I was excited to spend Lunar New Year with loved ones. An important holiday for Asian Americans, this Lunar New Year was the first time in a long time many of us were able to celebrate together. It was supposed to be a holiday full of love and light, and looking to the future.

Our lives were interrupted

Filipinos should not be a party to this abuse of OFWs. Senators, however, have presented victims of human traffickers who have pointed to the collusion of certain immigration personnel with the crime rings.

Apart from human smuggling, private flights can be used for transporting contraband, including prohibited drugs and guns. Whether authorities at the airport have been sleeping on the job or deliberately looking the other way for a fee, this racket must be stopped and those involved must be caught and punished. (Philstar.com)

when we learned a gunman had targeted two dance ballrooms and killed 11 innocent people. The Monterey Park community was shocked, heartbroken, and scared. How could this happen here? A safe city that has been previously ranked as one of the country’s best places to live because of our schools, our local businesses, and our opportunities? And just as we began to process what happened, not even 48 hours later and about 400 miles north of us, another mass shooting unfolded in Half Moon Bay, California.

Unfortunately, shootings like these are not blips. These two incidents are all but just two more examples of a much wider tragedy long plaguing our communities: gun violence.

I came to Washington, D.C. this week to keep the stories of those impacted alive and shed a light on just how gun violence is tearing our communities apart. The issue of gun violence is nothing new to Asian Americans. We are still reeling and have

suffered everywhere from California to Georgia to Indiana, from temples to spas to sidewalks. We are often viewed as a model minority, doing relatively well and devoid of problems. The truth is, Asian Americans have an array of our own social problems. Lack of accessibility to culturally competent mental health services, gender-based violence, and poor labor conditions all contribute to the violence against and within our community. Anti-Asian hate and blame has compounded these problems, and made us walking targets. But we cannot talk seriously about change without talking about what ties it all together: America’s gun laws.

The United States experiences more death and injury from guns than all other comparable countries combined. It is no coincidence; our country’s weak gun laws are the culprit. While my home of California has some of the strongest gun laws in the nation, those wanting to do harm may easily obtain their weaponry

Philippines vs. Chinese expansionism

Initiative, a research group, China’s Coast Guard patrolled the Ayungin Shoal for 279 days last year, which is an increase from the 232 days of patrolling in 2021.

from nearby states who have not stood up to the gun lobby.

According to Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote (APIAVote)’s Asian American Voter Survey, 77 percent of Asian American voters believe our country needs stronger gun laws. And now, we are in a position to play a key role in strengthening our gun laws.

Over the past few years, Asian Americans have emerged to become the margin of victory in key elections. This is not only true in California, but everywhere from Pennsylvania, to Georgia, to Arizona. In 2020, Asian Americans saw a 47 percent increase in voter turnout from 2016 – the highest increase of any racial group! We are determining elections, and our power will only grow.

Consequently, there has been increased talk about how to “win the Asian American vote.” I’ll tell you: engaging with us and making sure our communities feel safe, protected, and secure – that includes implementing

stricter, common sense gun laws.

As an elected official in a majority Asian city, I understand first-hand the importance of public safety. Asian Americans are not a monolith, and we often do not agree on the issues, but I can tell you with full confidence that this is an issue that unites us. And at a time where 85% of Asian American voters list “crime/public safety” as an important issue to them when voting, this is an issue that is not fading away anytime soon.

The City of Monterey Park’s motto is: “Pride in Our Past, Faith in the Future.” We will not let recent tragedy define us, and we have faith we can plot a better path forward – one devoid of gun violence, and one that prioritizes the lives of our family, friends, and neighbors, not firearms. As elected officials, we have the power to make this a reality. But we cannot wait ten years, we cannot wait ten months. We must act today, or be held accountable by a community who refuses to

accept this violence any longer. (Ethnic Media Services)

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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.

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Henry Lo currently serves as a councilmember of Monterey Park representing District 4, and served as Mayor of Monterey Park during the 2023 shooting. Henry is a second generation Californian whose parents immigrated to the United States seeking the American Dream. He grew up as a latchkey kid and was the first in his family to go to college. He has over 20 years of experience in community relations, media communications, local activism, policy advocacy, and political campaigning.

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About APIAVote: Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote (APIAVote) is a leading national nonpartisan organization that works with partners to mobilize Asian American Pacific Islanders (AAPI) in electoral and civic participation. See more information at www. apiavote.org/

THE tension between the Philippines and China in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) is caused by Beijing’s military and naval presence in the waters which are part of Philippine territory. Early this month, a Chinese Coast Guard ship directed a laser at the Philippine vessel BRP Malapascua.

According to the Philippine Coast Guard, this incident caused “temporary blindness to the crew at the bridge.” This incident happened at the Ayungin Shoal which is partially Philippine controlled.

Australia and Canada have in the past accused Chinese naval vessels of directing a laser at their military aircraft. According to military and coast guard officials, targeting ships with laser can undermine safety.

This latest confrontation between the Philippine and Chinese naval vessels shows such confrontation has increased in frequency. According to the Asian Maritime Transparency

The China Coast Guard has become more assertive after Beijing authorized it to fire on all foreign ships in these disputed waters. Again, I should point out that the Ayungin Shoal is not considered disputed waters by the Philippines. In the 2016 arbitration ruling, the Philippine claim was upheld that this is part of the Philippines’ sovereign territory. In spite of this, the Chinese vessels have repeatedly been shadowing or blocking Philippine Coast Guard vessels near the Ayungin Shoal.

The Philippines has a naval outpost on the BRP Sierra Madre which was deliberately run aground on the Ayungin Shoal in 1999. This has become the Philippine naval outpost in that area. The BRP Malapascua was supporting a rotation of sailors and resupply for the BRP Sierra Madre when it was targeted by Chinese Coast Guard vessels.

In a public statement, the Philippine Coast Guard said, “The deliberate blocking of the Philippine government ships is a blatant disregard for and a clear violation of Philippine sovereign rights.”

The Philippines is not the only

country that is experiencing Chinese aggression. The Chinese patrols have also been seen around the Vanguard Bank where Vietnam is exploring for oil. China has asked that the confrontations and maritime tensions should be handled with friendly consultations. The problem with this approach is that China has occupied Philippine territory and considers Philippine vessels and fishermen as intruders in these occupied areas which are actually part of Philippine territory.

The Philippine government has stated that it wants to maintain stable relations with China without inflaming tensions in the West Philippine Sea more than its present level. Unfortunately, it seems that the only way China will accept reducing tensions is if the Philippines surrenders its sovereign rights to this area, which is considered Philippine territory by international law.

The Philippine government is choosing whether to surrender these territories to Chinese invasion or seek the help of other countries which are also concerned about China’s expansionism. This is the reason for the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) with the United States.

Recently, Japan has agreed to provide ships and training to the Philippine Coast Guard.

It is also seeking a reciprocal military access agreement with the Philippines. This will enable the two countries to participate in each other’s naval and military exercises.

The Philippine government must face hard choices. In order to reduce tensions, it must surrender its sovereignty over these contested territories. If it wants to protect the country’s waters and allow its fishermen the freedom to make a living in these waters, it must seek allies that will assist in containing Chinese aggression and expansionism in the West Philippine Sea.

The war between Russia and Ukraine has shown that the possibility of a non-nuclear war has dramatically increased. There was a time when people thought that there would be very limited threats to an all-out war because of the fear of a nuclear war. This has now been proven to be baseless.

The possibility therefore of a Chinese invasion of Taiwan without the risk of a nuclear war has now increased. In the event of a Chinese invasion of Taiwan, it is clear that the Chinese bases in the Philippine sea will be used to assist in this invasion. Unless

we are prepared to surrender sovereignty, we will see the prospect of Philippine territory being used as part of the effort to conquer Taiwan.

In this struggle against Chinese aggression, there is no clear path for the Philippines that will assure Philippine neutrality. (Philstar. com)

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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.

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Email: elfrencruz@gmail.com

China Coast Guard Vessel No. 5205 is shown directing a laser beam at the BRP Malapascua in the West Philippine Sea in this photo taken on Feb. 6, 2023.

Photo from the Philippine Coast Guard

OFW remittances hit record high in December

by NIÑA MYKA PAULINE ARCEO ManilaTimes.net

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

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

The December result — up 5.7 percent from $3.3 billion a year earlier — was attributed to higher remittances from land-based workers with contracts of a year or more and sea- and land-based OFWs with contracts of less than a year. The cumulative count for 2022, meanwhile, was 3.6 percent higher than 2021's $34.88 billion.

"The full-year 2022 level accounted for 8.9 percent and 8.4 percent of the country's

gross domestic product (GDP) and gross national income (GNI), respectively," the BSP said.

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

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

"The sustained year-on-year growth in OFW remittances in recent months may also reflect a faster economic recovery in some major host countries for OFWs around the world that has enabled more OFWs to work again, especially in countries with increased COVID -19 vaccine shot rollouts that helped reduce new COVID-19 cases and moving toward greater economic

normalcy and led to stronger economic recovery that entailed the creation of new jobs, including for OFWs," Ricafort added.

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

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

"The growth in cash remittances from the United States, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Qatar and the United Kingdom contributed largely to the increase in remittances in January-December 2022," the BSP said.

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

PH ranks 125th in VisaGuide Passport Index

MANILA — The January 2023 edition of the VisaGuide Passport Index puts the Philippines at the 125th rank, taking into account the country’s significance and number of destinations Philippine passport holders can visit visa-free.

The index ranks countries based on a “destination significance score,” which is determined by a country’s economic strength, its global influence, travelers’ preferences of tourist destination and the “overall happiness score” of the population.

The score is then multiplied to a separate score based on the number of destinations a country’s passport holders can visit visa-free.

“Filipino citizens can travel visa-free to 38 countries in the world. However, to enter the remaining countries, Filipino passport holders must apply for a visa beforehand,” the VisaGuide Passport Index statement read. Based on the VisaGuide Passport Index, Japan ranks as the most powerful passport, followed by Singapore, Italy, Finland, Germany, Spain, Denmark, Luxembourg, Austria and Sweden.

ASEAN countries, Brazil, Fiki, Morocco, Peru and Sri Lanka are among the 38 visa-free countries for Philippine passport holders. Filipinos need to apply for visas to enter 136 countries – over three-times the visa-free access

Remains of OFW killed in Turkey quake now home

by RUDY SANTOS Philstar.com

countries – and that includes the United States, Canada, France, the United Kingdom, Panama and South Korea. Meanwhile, there were 23 countries listed that issue eVisas Philippine passport holders, which include Australia, Georgia, India, Moldova, Qatar, Türkiye and the United Arab Emirates. Depending on the country, applicants may generally apply for an eVisa online and the status of the application will be sent via e-mail. Papua New Guinea, Madagascar, Maldives and Palau are some of the 29 countries identified that issue a visa on arrival for Filipino citizens. (Philstar.com)

Manila among top 10 cities with worst tra c in the world - report

MANILA ranked high in the traffic index that measured traffic congestion in 389 cities in 56 countries.

On average, it took 27 minutes for Filipinos to travel ten kilometers in Metro Manila, based on the 2022 findings of the TomTom Traffic Index

Given this travel time, Manila ranked 2nd with the worst traffic congestion, based on the metro area category.

The metro area category measured traffic in the entire region. It covers the nearby city

and rural areas.

The average speed during rush hour in the metro area was 21 km/h.

In terms of city center traffic, Manila placed ninth globally. This ranking measures a circle with a radius of 5 km covering the busiest parts of the city.

The report also showed that annually, Filipinos lose 103 hours or around four days on the road due to traffic congestion.

The worst rush hour in the Philippines, according to the traffic index is from 5 to 6 p.m.

every Friday.

Traffic congestion also contributes to the carbon footprint.

The study revealed that out of the 1,047 kilograms of carbon dioxide emitted by vehicles annually, 289 kilograms of which were caused by traffic congestion.

Japan International Cooperation Agency has reported that the daily economic cost of traffic congestion in Metro Manila is P3.5 billion. This is expected to rise to P5.4 billion per day by 2035. (Philstar.com)

VP Sara urges local leaders to uphold integrity, unite in service

MANILA – Vice President Sara Duterte on Friday, February 17 urged local leaders to uphold integrity and practice unity to realize true public service, as her political party Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (CMD) continues to expand.

In a speech, Duterte said membership in the Lakas-CMD entails the burden of public service and accountability.

“Today, we are reminded of our noble duty to uphold the highest degree of integrity and accountability in all our public pursuits. By accepting to become a member of a political party, we also accept the challenge to work in unity towards a common goal -the welfare of the people we serve,” she said.

Duterte made the statement during the joint Davao de Oro and Davao del Norte Lakas-CMD mass oathtaking at the Tagum City Historical and Cultural Center.

She reiterated that unity in leadership, down to local governance, would mean warm

recognition and development in the country despite diversity across cultures and ideologies.

“With a united political party, we can navigate the path to inclusive growth, and espouse good governance that sees beyond political colors and principles,” she added.

Duterte also recalled the administration’s eight-point economic agenda to point the targeted direction for the country within its six-year term.

Partnership with IBP

Meanwhile, Duterte expressed her gratitude to Supreme Court justices for giving her advice on a possible partnership between the Department of Education (DepEd) and the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP).

In another speech during the 50th founding anniversary of the IBP, Duterte, being the concurrent education chief, said she considers their advice to aid educators in legal matters.

“I sought their advice on how to help our public school teachers with regard to their loan

MANILA – An American wanted by authorities in the U.S. state of Wisconsin for sexually molesting a child nearly two decades ago was arrested in Manila, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) reported on Friday, February 17.

Immigration Commissioner Norman Tansingco said Francisco Gomez, 62, was apprehended by the bureau’s fugitive search unit (FSU) in Ermita last Feb. 9. Tansingco issued a mission

for the arrest of Gomez at the request of the U.S. authorities

in Manila which sought the BI’s help in locating the suspect. “We will deport him as soon the BI board of commissioners issues the order for his summary deportation after which he will be blacklisted and banned from re-entering the country,” he said in a statement.

Tansingco noted that the American’s continued presence in the country poses a threat to Filipinos. BI-FSU chief Rendel Ryan Sy added that Gomez is wanted to stand trial before a circuit court in Milwaukee, Wisconsin which

MANILA — The remains of Wilma Abulad Tezcan, who was among those killed in a magnitude 7.8 earthquake in Turkey’s Antakya City last Feb. 5, arrived late Wednesday night, February 15, at the Pair Cargo warehouse on a Turkish Airways flight.

Only her daughter Nicole accompanied her return to Manila as her Turkish husband Gurol Tezcan lost his passport during the earthquake. Tezcan is scheduled to arrive on Saturday, February 18 after securing a new passport.

Wilma’s remains, placed in a metal box that is contained in a coffin, were brought to Lucena City for the wake. However, this will remain sealed until her burial following a Muslim ritual.

Her father William Abulad, who met her remains together with other government officials at the airport, said “Ako po ay lubos na natutuwa kahit siya ay nasa kabilang buhay ay makakarating sa amin lugar sa Ilayang Dupay at doon naming ililibing malapit sa amin (I am very grateful that even when she is already in the afterlife, she will still arrive in our place in Ilayang Dupay and there we will

bury her near to us).”

The grieving Nicole narrated how they were able to find her mother after the earthquake.

“My stepfather sent a message saying he could not contact my mother. We immediately traveled to Hatay, Antakya for 15 hours to help find her alive. But we failed,” she said in Filipino.

The remains of the other Filipina who died in the earthquake were already buried in Turkey as per request of her Turkish husband.

There are at least 4,000 Filipinos living and working in Turkey, mostly in Istanbul and the northwest part of the country.

Meanwhile, the labor group Migrante International wants the government to adopt additional measures in protecting overseas Filipino workers (OFW) in Kuwait.

Migrante chair Joanna Concepcion said the government, especially the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), should go beyond just sending a factfinding team to the Middle Eastern country to investigate the brutal killing of Filipina domestic helper Jullebee Ranara.

“Sending a fact-finding team to Kuwait to investigate only when a high-profile case of an OFW death occurs is part of the problem and in fact demonstrates

that government agencies and officials mandated to uphold and protect the rights of our OFW have been passive in responding to cases of rights violations among our OFW,” Concepcion said, noting that a surge in contract violations since 2017 should have alarmed the government.

“The increasing numbers should already sound the alarm that the conditions of our OFWs in Kuwait are worsening and that policies of government to protect them have not been effective. Decisive government action should have been done to address these weaknesses,” she added.

She questioned why there are no regular investigations concerning the rising contract violations and improvement in internal policies as she noted that regular monitoring is a primary responsibility of the government and not of recruitment agencies.

“Monitoring can be done by implementing systems to make it easier for OFWs or their families to report violations and receive immediate and comprehensive assistance,” Concepcion stressed. OFWs who experience violations of their rights and dignity must have access to justice mechanisms both in the host country and in the Philippines, she added. 

obligations,” she said. “They gave me good advice and I am looking forward to partnering with the Integrated Bar of the Philippines to help our public school teachers with regard to their problems sa mga utang nila at sa mga kontrata nila (in their loans and contracts).”

Besides legal assistance, Duterte assured the DepEd is doubling its efforts to address the concerns of teachers.

These include the review and updating of the Magna Carta for Public School Teachers with the aid of legislators, the provision of free medical check-ups through a partnership with the Department of Health (DOH), and addressing concerns of teachers for their insurance and benefits through coordination with the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS), among others.

The DepEd also vowed to hire teaching and non-teaching personnel to drop unnecessary loads of teachers, particularly their administrative tasks. (PNA)

issued a warrant for his arrest on Feb. 26, 2003, after he was charged with sexual assault of a child. He, however, eluded arrest in the U.S. and on Oct. 6, 2006 he fled to the Philippines and never left the country since then. Gomez is already an undocumented alien due to the cancellation of his passport by the U.S. State Department.

The foreigner is currently held at the BI warden facility in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig City pending deportation proceedings. (PNA)

American wanted for child sexual abuse nabbed in Manila

MANILA SUBWAY.  The tunnel boring machine (TBM) has penetrated seven meters at the southbound portion in Barangay Ugong, Valenzuela City at the ongoing construction of Metro Manila Subway on Thursday, Feb. 16. The Department of Transportation and Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology assured that the first-ever subway is safe and less vulnerable to the impact of earthquakes since no segment would run over the West Valley Fault and the alignment will also pass through an adobe layer, which is ideal for tunneling.  PNA photo by Joey O. Razon

COMMUNITY MARKETPLACE

‘Love... in Other Words’: Legendary Filipino crooner Jose Mari Chan and The CompanY return to Los Angeles

VALENTINE’S Day has come and gone…but love is here to stay.

Lovers all across Southern California now have the opportunity to see worldrenowned Filipino singer and entertainer Jose Mari Chan perform with Filipino singing group The CompanY.

On Saturday, Feb. 25, the Starmedia Entertainmentproduced show spectacular “Love…in Other Words” will be hosted at The Scientology Auditorium in North Hollywood, California, and it’s sure to be an evening of love, laughs, and levity.

Most Filipinos know Jose Mari Chan as the awardwinning icon of Original Pilipino Music (OPM), a style of music that originated in the 1980s that favored pop ballads — a sonic movement that shaped generations of Philippine music.

Born to a Chinese father and Filipino mother in Iloilo City and raised in Bacolod City, Chan was musical from a young age. Inspired by singersongwriters Neil Sedaka and Paul Anka, Jose Mari wrote his first song at 13 years old and release his first single, “Afterglow,” at 22 years old, in 1967.

Since then, Chan has released more than a dozen albums and performed all around the world with some of the most talented musical acts, like Lea Salonga and Pentatonix. He even had time

to participate in the family sugar cane business; since 2018, he has been the CEO and Chairman of Binalbagan-Isabela Company Inc. and A. Chan Sugar Corporation, which he inherited from his father.

Jose Mari’s musical collaborations are among his career’s long list of highlights, the upcoming show with The CompanY is sure to impress Tagalog and English speakers alike.

Named after the Stephen Sondheim musical “Company,” The CompanY’s history dates back to the early 1980s when the original members toured with the Manila-based Ateneo College Glee Club.

Through the years the popular vocal group has had many iterations of member lineups, but currently the group features Moy Ortiz, Annie Quintos, Diohanna “Sweet”  ColladoPlantado, and OJ Mariano.

Jose Mari Chan and The CompanY will perform their collaborative show “Love… in Other Words” on Saturday, Feb. 25 at the Scientology Auditorium located at 11455 Burbank Blvd. in North Hollywood.

Both acts will be joined by guest performers LA Jukebox Queens, Fil-Trio, and Richard Del Rosario.

The show begins at 7:30 pm and for tickets and information, please call: (818) 913-8998, (818) 913-5818, (213) 216-9668, (213) 250-9797, (818) 455-2132, (206) 403-7377, (206) 403-7378. (Advertising Supplement)

Robin calls for ban on film ‘Plane’ for painting bad picture of Philippines

by Kathleen a llemit Philstar.com

THE Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) on Thursday, February 16 said it will reevaluate the movie “Plane” after former actor and now Senator Robin Padilla said he would like to ban it for painting a bad picture of the island of Jolo, Sulu.

“We acknowledge the sentiments expressed by our honorable Senators concerning the film, ‘Plane.’ Although the film is fictional, we still would not want our country to be portrayed in a negative and inaccurate light. The MTRCB will reevaluate the film in view of the concerns and will take all necessary measures if found to be in any way injurious to the prestige of the Philippines or its people,” said MTRCB chairperson Diorella “Lala” Sotto-Antonio.

Padilla on Wednesday, February 15 urged the ban of the Gerard Butler movie in Philippine theaters.

Sa kanilang pelikula, ang sinasabi ang ating otoridad ay naduwag na sa mga rebelde. Hindi na po sila umaaksyon. At sinabi pa dito , ‘They went down somewhere in the Jolo island cluster. It’s run by separatists and militias. The Filipino armies werent there anymore,’” said Padilla.

Addressing Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri, Padilla emphatically said that they should not let slide the slight on Jolo. “Hindi po natin ito dapat tanggapin. Sana po, nakikiusap po tayo sa ating MTRCB, na sana po sa mga ganitong ganap, kumakatok po tayo sa opisina nila. Hindi po dapat ito pinapalabas sa Pilipinas. Dito po dapat sa ating bansa, ipinagbabawal ito at

Senator Robin Padilla Philstar.com photo kino-condemn po natin ito,” Padilla said.

Zubiri shared that he has not seen the film but shared that he agrees with Padilla’s sentiment. The Senate President also added that President Bongbong Marcos was in shock when he saw the trailer.

“Of course, we should send our regrets. As a nation, we should send our regrets that this is not the real situation on the ground,” said Zubiri.

“Plane” tells the story of how the crew and passengers led by pilot Brodie Torrance (Butler) of an international flight survive the jungles of Jolo, Sulu where their plane landed after it got hit by a storm. It was shot in Puerto Rico, and was released last January 13 in the United States. Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes’ numbers reveal that “Plane” has 76% positive reviews, with an average rating of six out of 10 stars on its site. As of February 15, it has a worldwide gross of $47.4 million. g

Miss Universe 2022 R’Bonney Gabriel was most inspired by Pinoy dad throughout pageant journey

By earl D.C. BraCamonte Philstar.com

LONG before R’Bonney Gabriel was crowned as the 71st Miss Universe, her dad, Remigio Bonzon “R-Bon” Gabriel, predicted his daughter’s win even before the pageant started.

Much like how Catriona Gray’s mom dreamt of her daughter being crowned Miss Universe in a red dress. In fact, her dad told people she’d win the title for sure.

Confessing to being a daddy’s girl, R’Bonney inherited most of his father’s endearing qualities though, she said, she also loves her mom in equal measure.

Franco Finn to host NBA All-Star weekend events

By aJPress

FILIPINO American Franco Finn, who is the in-arena emcee/ host and television personality for multiple National Basketball Association (NBA) champion the Golden State Warriors, will represent the organization in the upcoming 2023 NBA All-Star festivities in Salt Lake City, Utah, according to a release provided by the organization.

Known as the first and only Filipino/Asian American “Hype Man” in the NBA, Finn will host two events during AllStar Weekend: the Rising Stars Challenge on Friday, February 17, and All-Star Saturday Night on Saturday, February 18. This will be his first time joining the All-Star festivities on-site as host for events featuring the biggest, brightest and current/upcoming NBA league stars.

Finn, who many Warriors fan know and love, regularly entertains and energizes soldout crowds during Warriors home games (now at Chase Center). He hosts the pre-game show “Warriors Warm-up,” introduces the team’s starting line-up, and conducts contests and promotions at the arena. He is in his 20th season with the Golden State Warriors franchise.

“My name came from my dad’s name, R-Bon. Though initially, my parents wanted to coin both their names to come up with mine. I guess my dad won on this one.”

Born in Houston to Filipino dad R-Bon and American mom Dana Walker, R’Bonney grew up in the Woodlands and Sugarlands area, specifically in Missouri City and Friendswood, with her three brothers. And though she was born and raised in the Texan state, she would spend her summers with her father’s side of the family in the Philippines. After all, her parents tied the knot in Manila years before she

“I am truly honored to not only represent the Golden State Warriors as a host in my first ever NBA All-Star, but I’m also doing this for all of my fellow Filipinos and the AAPI community. Representation matters. As the first Fil-Am ‘Hypeman’ and host in the NBA, this opportunity is a dream come true and to me this is more than just hosting the biggest NBA event. I’m happy if I can inspire anyone to dream big, aim high, and to reach their fullest potential. This moment is the pinnacle in my 20 plus seasons as the Warriors’ Hypeman & in-arena host. I never take these opportunities for granted.  I may be the first Fil-Am, but I certainly hope I’m not the last. Mabuhay!” Finn told the Asian Journal in an email message.

Franco Finn is a firstgeneration San Francisco native. Born & raised in the Mission & Excelsior districts in Francisco, he eventually settled in the Sunset

District. Franco attended French American International School (FAIS) in grade school, where he had a bilingual education and learned how to be fluent in French. Finn then attended Sacred Heart Cathedral Prep in San Francisco, and received his B.A. in Communications at Santa Clara University.

For nearly a decade, Franco has been an aviation professional, working in many capacities within the airline industry from Brand Marketing, Partnerships, Communications, External Relations & Employee Engagement. Currently, Franco manages the Community Relations & Engagement efforts for the state of California at Alaska Airlines, while also serving as their company media spokesperson, host, and travel influencer.

Franco is an active member in the San Francisco community where he also serves on the Executive Board of the

San Francisco Chamber of Commerce, board member for the Hotel Council of San Francisco, and was recently appointed as a Commissioner for the City & County of San Francisco’s Film Commission. When Franco is not working his business and corporate jobs, people recognize him and his voice in the last 20 years as the in-arena emcee/host and TV personality for the current NBA World Champion the Golden State Warriors. Finn is also a well-known professional auctioneer, nicknamed the “Hypeman Auctioneer,” where he shares his voice and influence at many charity benefits, galas, celebrity events and all types of fundraiser events around the San Francisco Bay Area, the country & beyond. He’s a graduate of the Mendenhall School of Auctioneering in North Carolina, as well as a member of

Miss Universe 2022 R’Bonney Gabriel

Photo from Instagram/@missuniverse

Franco Finn becomes the latest Fil-Am to land a big hosting gig, as he will host two events in the upcoming NBA All-Star weekend. Photo provided by Golden State Warriors

Franco Finn during one of the home games of the current NBA champion the Golden State Warriors.

Photo provided by Golden

Success story: A terminated case is reinstated and visa issued, on Citizen Pinoy this Sunday

JOSEPH was petitioned by his mother in 2007 and waited 12 long years for his Nanay Pilar’s petition to become current. Unfortunately, Joseph was in Zurich, Switzerland for work and was unable to attend his embassy interview in April 2019.

Despite Joseph’s attempt to contact the National Visa Center to reschedule his interview date, he received a termination letter, where

the Embassy said Joseph failed to contact them within the allotted one-year period, and his file had now been destroyed.

Joseph consulted with the Law Offices of Michael Gurfinkel to get his case back on track. After writing to the Embassy, arguing for Joseph’s eligibility, Atty. Gurfinkel convinced the Embassy to reinstate the case.

Joseph’s PAGE B3

Anne gives birthday advice for aging gracefully

by Kristofer Purnell

Philstar.com

KAPAMILYA actress and host

Anne Curtis shared a key secret to her youthful appearance as she celebrated her 38th birthday on Friday, February 17, and it has something to do with a particular outlook.

In an intimate media interview held a day before her birthday,

Anne laughed when she was reminded her birthday was coming up.

“Kaya ‘di ko na alam mga

TikTok trends ngayon!” Anne said with a big smile, but pivoted well to answer how she and everyone else could age gracefully.

“I think it’s embracing that you are growing up, you are aging, and embracing everything that comes along with it,” she explained. “It could be your

wrinkles, signs of gray hair...

Don’t be afraid of it. It’s part of life.”

Anne added that turning a year older also means turning a year wiser, though she poked fun again at the word “older” and instead referred to it as “gaining another year.”

The “It’s Showtime” host was also asked how being a mother has changed her lifestyle; the actress and her husband, restaurateur and content creator Erwan Heussaff are parents to Dahlia, who turns three years old in March.

“It changed my priorities in life — before you would only really think about your schedule, now my work schedule is based on my time as a mother,” shared Anne.

Parang mas naging priority ko talaga is being a mother.” g

Vilma defends Luis over gas station mess

by Jan Milo severo Philstar.com

“STAR for All Season” Vilma Santos turned emotional upon the accusations being thrown at her son Luis Manzano.

In an interview with Boy Abunda, Vilma admitted that they are having a hard time because of Luis’ involvement in a gas station scam.

“It’s not easy. I am sorry. It’s not easy. Mahirap din kasi kung minsan it’s your job to do good, to show people that you’re comfortable but deep inside you are hurting,” she said.

“And the only thing I can say is I know my son. Ang anak ko

Anne Curtis

Photo from Instagram@annecurtissmith

Kylie, Sanya say ‘Mga Lihim ni Urduja’ very different from ‘Encantadia’

By Kristofer Purnell Philstar.com

KAPUSO actresses Kylie Padilla and Sanya Lopez have pointed the differences in their upcoming series “Mga Lihim ni Urduja” from the “Encantadia”

2016 to 2017 reboot they starred in together.

Kylie and Sanya had played Amihan and Danaya respectively during that run of “Encantadia”; Gabbi Garcia, who portrayed Alena, is also a leading actress on “Mga Lihim ni Urduja.”

Other “Encantadia” alums making an appearance in the new show based on the legendary warrior princess Urduja are Rochelle Pangilinan, Pancho Magno, and Zoren Legaspi.

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ay tumutulong, hindi nanloloko. Kaya ‘yung mga nagsasalita at naghuhusga sa kanya, dahandahan lang kayo. Walang ibang nakakakilala sa anak ko kung hindi ako. And I know he is such a good person,” she added.

Vilma asked for prayers for her son as she left a message for Luis that all will be fine.

“I am fine. It’s just it’s not easy. It’s not easy. At this point in time to all my friends and sa lahat ng mga kaibigan ko, just prayers, because I know my son, lalagpas din ito because I know him. I know my son,” she said.

“You will be fine, anak.

Maraming nagmamahal sa iyo and the truth will prevail. Alam ng mga tao ‘yan. Tumutulong ka, anak, hindi ka nanloloko and I love you. I love you, Lucky,” she added.

The National Bureau of Investigation issued a subpoena for Luis recently after the actor figured in an alleged gas station investment scam.

In a report on GMA’s “24 Oras” recently, it was revealed that the Criminal Intelligence Division of the NBI has issued the subpoena after investors of Flex Fuel Petroleum Corp. alleged the company including the actor are involved in estafa.

Fifteen (15) overseas Filipino workers have filed the complaints at the NBI. There are 40 complainants in the Philippines. g

Franco Finn to...

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the National Auctioneers Association (NAA) with a Benefit Auction Specialist (B.A.S.) designation.

Franco has been involved in a multitude of fundraising events for many years, working with some of the most recognizable nonprofit charities and organizations from the American Red Cross, March of Dimes, The Ronald McDonald House, the Boys & Girls Clubs, the YMCA, and the Make-A-Wish Foundation, just to name a handful, helping to raise millions of dollars and counting, in his career.

Within the Filipino American community, Finn has been an active member in community events over the past 20 years, generously and proudly providing his emceeing talents to the Pistahan Parade and Festival, SF Giants Filipino Heritage Night, and Filipino American History Month Celebration at City Hall.

Finn’s media background and experience includes being a current segment host on KRON 4 TV, where you can see his recurring “Franco On The Fly” travel segments. He also has worked as a freelance emcee/host for the San Francisco Giants’ special events department for the past 14 seasons. He is a local and national emcee – Franco has hosted a variety of signature events, as well as sporting events from NASCAR to Red Bull’s extreme sports competitions. His previous stints include being an on-air personality and host for TV and radio for entities such as CBS, Comcast SportsNet, the Oakland Raiders (NFL Network), KOFY-TV, Radio Disney, KGO AM 810, and guest appearances on ESPN Radio. g

Miss Universe 2022...

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was born.

R’Bonney was recently in Indonesia doing a sponsor shoot for the Miss Universe Organization. This is part of her Asian tour that includes visits to Malaysia, and hopefully, the Philippines where she’s rumored to have a homecoming parade. In her interviews, she

has acknowledged her Filipino bloodline and the support of Filipino fans who have reached out to her as a pageant hopeful right from the start. When the 72nd Miss Universe edition unfolds in El Salvador toward the end of the year, R’Bonney would have sat and served her crown for 11 months.g

Luis Manzano and mom Vilma Santos

Photo from Instagram/@

Philippines’ Annabelle McDonnell wins Miss Charm International 2023 1st runner-up

By Earl D.C. BraCamontE Philstar.com

LUMA Russo of Brazil bested 37 other delegates to win the firstever Miss Charm International title held recently in Ho Chi Minh City. Annabelle McDonnell of the Philippines won as 1st runner-up, while Olivia Tan of Indonesia was the 2nd runner-up.

From the Top 6 finalists, the Top 3 were deftly revealed through a portrait painting done on stage by a draftsman.

Annabelle was appointed by the Miss Universe Philippines (MUPH) organization to compete in the Vietnam-based pageant, months after winning as 1st runner-up in the national pageant. This was the same pageant that Ashley Subijano Montenegro was supposed to compete in, prior to joining the Miss World Philippines competition (and winning the Eco International national crown), had this search pushed through in 2019.

The three other ladies who made it to the Top 6 were Juliana Mabib of Colombia, Luyanda Zuma of South Africa, and Lady

(Puerto Rico) completed the Top 10 roster.

The other candidates who made it to the Top 20 were Chile, China, Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, Ukraine, Thailand, Russia, Poland, and host country Vietnam. The competent all-female selection panel included Miss Universe 2005 Natalie Glebova, Miss World 2015 Mireia Lalaguna, and Miss International 2012 Ikumi Yoshimatsu.

An interesting perk of joining the Miss Charm International competition is the subsidized free transportation to and from Vietnam that’s enjoyed by all the delegates. Whether this gets to be enjoyed by future national delegates remains to be seen.

Apart from the beautifully crafted crown from jewelry maker Ricardo Patraca (who also makes the Miss Supranational crown), Luma Russo also won a cash prize of US $100,000!

Di Mosquera of Venezuela; while Julieta Garcia (Argentina), Andrea Montero (Costa Rica), Valentina Campion (Dominican Republic), and Alejandra Pagan

Success story: A terminated...

new interview was scheduled in March 2022 and Joseph’s visa was issued, to the joy of Nanay Pilar who was finally reunited with her son after such a long time.

Watch this success story on a brand-new episode of “Citizen Pinoy” on Sunday, February 19 at 6:30 PM PT (9:30 PM ET) through select Cable/Satellite providers, right after TV Patrol Linggo. Citizen Pinoy is also available on iWantTFC. Viewers may download the free app. (Advertising Supplement)

Stay friends or cut clean?

‘Will You Be My Ex’s’ Diego Loyzaga weighs in, Julia Barretto holds back

By allan PoliCarPio Inquirer.net

CAN exes be friends with each other?

With Annabelle winning as 1st-runner up, pageant observers are definite in their guesses that one of the three crowns at the forthcoming Miss Universe Philippines 2023 pageant will be Miss Charm. g

The man behind ‘Real Talk Darbs’

BEFORE rising to fame as the “Pambansang Good Samarites ng Pilipinas,” Darbie Kim Estrebilla worked multiple jobs in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). When he resigned from his work abroad in 2020, he decided to pursue video blogging or vlogging. Fast forward to today, “Real Talk Darbs” has carved its spot in the social media scene while promoting self-worth.

“Real Talk Darbs” currently has 3 million followers on Facebook, 210,000 subscribers on YouTube, 640,000 followers on TikTok, and 52,000 followers on Instagram. Estrebilla first went viral with the episode titled “Pagod

Ka Na Bang Maging OFW?”

It currently has a total of 2.3 million views.

“It was mainly to save a soul from quitting work. I was

surprised that a lot of OFWs worldwide found my vlog relatable,” Estrebilla shared. “This new venture gave me a sense of purpose and responsibility. It dawned on me that I now have the capability to influence people to not quit.”

Given the online fame and support he has been getting, the content creator and social media expert said he’s more than just entertainment. He wants to use his platform to inspire and uplift people experiencing anxiety.

“Every video is meant to save at least one soul. I guess that’s the reason why people follow me. They see and feel that intention.”

Estrebilla gives advice to his followers as if he’s a longlost kuya. His words of wisdom covers a wide range of topics,

While the topic has been tackled countless times in movies, a lot of them feature lead characters whose postbreakup relationships inevitably turn sour—if they try to maintain any sort of relationship, that is. But what if things do work out?

What if exes manage to cultivate a healthy dynamic despite their painful past?

That’s what Viva Films’ upcoming romantic drama “Will You Be My Ex?” intends to explore. Directed by Real Florido and written by Jon Verzosa, the movie tries to answer the question: “Have you ever loved someone so much that, despite breaking up, you still want that person to remain in your life as a

supportive friend and confidant?”

The story revolves around Chris (Julia Barretto), a carefree, impulsive and loving young woman who grew up in a family of artists, and Joey (Diego

Loyzaga), an introverted and hardworking civil engineer, who hopes to build the ‘perfect’ future with the woman he loves.

The two enter a relationship, but eventually realize that they make better friends than lovers. After breaking up, they become each other’s pillars and constants.

To a certain extent

In a recent virtual story conference for the movie, most of the cast members agreed that, through time, being friends with exes can be possible—but only to a certain extent.

“Yes, definitely, but it depends on how the relationship ended. If things ended on good terms, then why not?” Diego said. “Staying friends after a relationship will bring out a new dynamic. To what extent you want your friendship is up to you.”

For Bea Binene, time heals.

Piolo Pascual, Enchong Dee, Dante Rivero, Cedrick Juan lead cast of historical film ‘GomBurZa’

By annE Pasajol Inquirer.net

AFTER extensive research and a series of auditions, Jesuit Communications (JesCom) has unveiled the cast of the historical film “GomBurZa,” which includes Piolo Pascual, Enchong Dee, Dante Rivero and Cedrick Juan. “GomBurZa,” which will be helmed by awardwinning filmmaker Pepe Diokno, is based on the story of Catholic priests Padre Mariano Gomez,

Padre José Burgos and Padre Jacinto Zamora, who were executed in 1872 on charges of subversion. JesCom, the Ateneo de Manila University-based producer of the upcoming film, announced in a press release on Thursday, Feb. 16, that the movie will feature Dee as Zamora, Rivero as Gomez, Juan as Burgos, and Pascual as Padre Pédro Pelaéz, the Filipino clergy leader who was a mentor of Padre José Burgos.

Dee spoke about his role and admitted that he

Talk of the town: ‘Martyr or Murderer’

“MARTYR or Murderer,” the sequel to Darryl Yap’s “Maid in Malacañang” is showing in cinemas on March 1 but ahead of its premiere, the director’s followers and supporters are already talking about the film.

On his Facebook post, Yap expressed his gratitude for the hype and enumerated the numbers of the reactions and shares that the poster received in just two days — nearly 200,000 accumulated reactions on all postings across mainstream media; 54,000 reactions on Vincentiments official pages; 17,000 shares, and 6,400 uploads on personal accounts and pages.

Martyr or Murderer recounts what happened to the family before and after EDSA Revolution, a sneak peek to their life in exile, and a brave discussion on the intrigues surrounding Imee Marcos’ exploits in Morocco. Did she really go into hiding and forge passports? How did her siblings cope with the sudden turn of events? How did the ailing

patriarch and his Imeldific wife carry on with their lives after being stripped of power and dignity?

Furthermore, the film aims to provide answers to the unending hows and whys involving President Ferdinand Emmanuel Edralin Marcos and Senator Benigno Simeon Aquino, Jr.

Cristine Reyes, Cesar Montano, Ruffa Gutierrez, Diego Loyzaga, and Ella Cruz reprise their roles as Imee Marcos, Ferdinand Marcos,

Imelda Marcos, Bongbong Marcos and Irene Marcos. Additionally, Isko Moreno plays Ninoy Aquino while Jerome Ponce plays the young Ninoy. The powerhouse cast also includes Marco Gumabao as the young Marcos Sr., Cindy Miranda as the young Imelda, Elizabeth Oropesa, Beverly Salviejo as the remaining maids of the Marcos family, and Rose Van Ginkel as Maricar, Imee’s confidante during in Morocco. (ManilaTimes.net)

Kylie, Sanya say ‘Mga Lihim ni...

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On “Mga Lihim ni Urduja,” Kylie will play rookie police officer Gemma Davino who — unlike Amihan — is based in the real world. Mas realistic talaga, like ‘yung mga fight scene, and first time ko mag -play ng pulis ,” Kylie said in a media conference promoting the show. “It’s a very different place na nanggagaling sa craft, so iba talaga siya .” Kylie doubled down on the

show’s combat sequences where she is more hand-to-hand this time around, “I’ve been waiting so long for an action project and they’ve given me a really good one.”

Meanwhile Sanya admitted she was initially surprised to find out she would be part of “Mga Lihim ni Urduja,” and no less as the titular character herself.

“Na-excite ako kasi nakita ko ‘yung lahat ng mga tao na makakasama ko rito — si Gabbi, si Kylie, mga ibang kasama namin

sa ‘Encantadia’ — importante rin kasi ‘yung mga pinagsamahan namin before,” said Sanya. The actress said what makes her role of Urduja stand out is her legendary status in history, which makes it a good role for her.

Gumanap na rin ako before ng warrior princess, malaking bagay ito para kay Urduja, pero iba ang timpla ng ‘Encantadia’ sa ‘Urduja’ at ‘yan ang dapat abangan,” ended Sanya. Kylie circled back to how her Gemma character — whom the series will show is a descendant of Urduja — wants to be a protector of the people, which explains why the story sees her as a cop.

Doon niya magagamit ang kapangyarihan niya... Queen si Urduja, it’s her job to protect her people and decide what’s best. Doon I think feeling [ni Gemma] mas magagawa niya ‘yun para sa mga tao, protect them and do what’s best for them,” Kylie ended.

Mga Lihim ni Urduja” will premiere on February 27, replacing “Maria Clara at Ibarra” once the hit show based on Jose Rizal’s books finally finishes its popular run. g

Julia Barretto and Diego Loyzaga Inquirer.net photo

Cesar Montano as former president Ferdinand Marcos Sr. and Isko Moreno as former senator Ninoy Aquino in ‘Martyr or Murderer.’ ManilaTimes.net contributed photo

Annabelle McDonnell of the Philippines won as 1st runner-up Photo from Instagram/@ annabelle.mcdonnell

Darbie Kim Estrebilla

Photo from Facebook/ Darbie Kim Estrebilla

Leading U.S. Immigration Attorney Michael J. Gurfinkel (right) was able to reinstate Joseph’s (left) terminated case, on a brand-new episode of Citizen Pinoy.

Gabbi Garcia, Sanya Lopez and Kylie Padilla will lead

serye” in GMA-7. GMA photo

1,500 see action in PAL Interclub

MORE than 1,500 players representing 178 squads will converge next week for the 74th Philippine Airlines Interclub golf team championships in Cebu City.

National flag carrier Philippine Airlines is the organizer of this prestigious international sporting event which brings players from various countries in PAL’s global network.

Canlubang starts its defense of its Seniors’ crown on Tuesday, Feb. 22 against a host of challengers led by rival Luisita.

The Seniors’ event has drawn a total of 100 teams, nearly half coming from the United States, Canada, the Middle East, and Malaysia, among others.

Alta Vista and Club Filipino de Cebu will play host to the four-round event that uses the Molave scoring system that awards 3 points for par. A regulation round is equivalent to 54 points.

Each team is allowed to field a maximum of four players per round with only the top three scores counted. Each player is limited to two rounds.

After a three-day break, the regular Men’s Division tournament kicks off on 1 March with defending champion Manila Southwoods gunning for its seventh crown.

Twenty-one international teams are among 75 clubs entered in the tournament that is

adopting the PAL scoring system. A par is worth 2 points with 36 points awarded to a regulation round.

Hosting the regular Men’s event are Cebu Country Club and Club Filipino de Cebu.

A maximum of five players can be fielded by each team but only the top four scores count. A player is also limited to two rounds.

Cebu City last hosted the Interclub in 2019.

The annual PAL Interclub, considered the country’s unofficial national team championship, was shelved for two years due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The 74th staging of the event is supported by platinum sponsors ABS-CBN Global, Asian Journal Media Group of Companies, Airbus, and NuStar Resort and Casino.

Gold sponsors include Radio Mindanao Network, Mastercard, Primax, University of Mindanao Broadcasting Network, PLDT/Smart, and Konsulta MD.

Joining the event as silver sponsors are Philippine National Bank (PNB), Biocostech, and VISA.

Minor sponsors are Bollore Logistics, Manila Standard, Tanduay Brands International, and Asia Brewery while donors are Department of Tourism, Ogawa, Newport World Resorts, Rolls Royce, and Boeing. g

Misclassification as independent contractors can be costly to employees and employers

$75 million employer payout for class of insurance agents

Protecting Employee & Consumer Rights

Atty. C. Joe SAyAS, Jr

IRENE Parry and Jeanette

O’Sullivan worked as captive insurance agents for Farmers. They sold insurance products in California on behalf of Farmers and its affiliated companies. Under Farmers’ Agents Appointment Agreement (“AAA”), which Parry and O’Sullivan—and other agents like them—were made to sign, the insurance agents were classified as independent contractors rather than employees.

As supposed independent contractors, the agents were made to pay for their own business expenses in selling Farmers’ insurance products. Had they been classified as employees, Farmers as the employer would have paid or reimbursed the agents these expenses.

Piolo Pascual, Enchong Dee...

felt a “certain level of pressure and inspiration” weeks before the movie’s scheduled filming.

“But I have faith in the people who are behind the camera, [so] it’s only right and just for me to give the same level of professionalism towards my character,” he said.

Rivero and Juan, for their part, expressed excitement on taking on their roles as they shared some of the preparations they did for the film.

“I love my role as Padre Gomez! Pinag-aaralan ko na sa bahay (I am already studying it at home),” Rivero was quoted as saying. “I want to engage the audience. I want to make it memorable for them.

This is going to be epic!”

“I said ‘yes’ right away when I got the offer; it was a no brainer!” Juan, meanwhile, stated. “Kailangan todohan ng effort, time and puso.” (This requires utmost effort, time, and [dedication].)

Other cast members include Epi Quizon, Jaime Fabregas, Carlitos Siguion-Reyna, Khalil Ramos, Elijah Canlas, Neil Ryan Sese, Paolo O’Hara, Tommy Alejandrino, Gerry Kaimo, Dylan Tay Talon, Jomari Angeles and Bon Lentejas.

The film’s production team and cast gathered for a Mass and a send-off event also on Thursday, a day before the 151st death anniversary of the three priests. g

Parry and O’Sullivan filed a class action alleging that they, and other captive insurance agents, were wrongfully misclassified as Independent Contractors even though they were actually treated like employees. They alleged that Farmers wrongfully failed to reimburse them for the mandatory business expenses they incurred in working for Farmers. On November 16, 2022, the Los Angeles Superior Court granted final approval of the $75 Million settlement in

their case.

Under California law, a person providing labor or services is considered an employee rather than an independent contractor unless the hiring entity demonstrates all of the following:

(i) that the person is free from the control and direction of the hiring entity in connection with the performance of work;

(ii) that the work performed is outside the usual course of the hiring entity’s business; and

(iii) that the person is customarily engaged in an independently established trade, occupation or business.

Even if workers sign an agreement that labels them an Independent Contractor, the agreement will not be enforced by the courts if an actual employment relationship can be demonstrated under the above test. Employment status is determined by law, not by the parties’ agreement. This is for the protection of workers.

In the case of Parry, et al. v. Farmers Insurance Exchange, et al., although Farmers expressly denied any wrongdoing, they agreed to certain amendments to their AAA with the class members that addresses issues of control over the captive insurance agents. Additionally, the monetary portion of the settlement, totaling $75,000,000, resolves the insurance agents’ claims for reimbursement of expenses they incurred in the course of their work for Farmers.

Employees misclassified an

Independent Contractors miss out on the many protections and benefits guaranteed under California’s employment laws. As such, workers classified as Independent Contractors—who commonly receive a 1099 tax form rather than a W-2 form—should carefully examine the nature of their working relationship with their company. If workers are actually employees under California law, they may be entitled to back wages, reimbursements for expenses, and the value of employment benefits such as health insurance, retirement or pension benefits. Knowing your rights at work makes a lot of difference.

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

* * * The Law Offices of C. Joe Sayas, Jr. welcomes inquiries about this topic. All inquiries are confidential and at no cost. You can contact the office at (818) 291-0088 or visit www.joesayaslaw. com. [For more than 25 years, C. Joe Sayas, Jr., Esq. successfully recovered wages and other monetary damages for thousands of employees and consumers. He was named Top Labor & Employment Attorney in California by the Daily Journal, selected as Super Lawyer by the Los Angeles Magazine for 11 years, and is a past Presidential Awardee for Outstanding Filipino Overseas.]

(Advertising Supplement)

The man behind ‘Real Talk...

but mostly dealing with love and life concerns.

Outside vlogging, Estrebilla is also an author with published works “The Ultimate Guide of Moving On,” “Is it Worth It?,” and “Heartbreak to Breakthrough.” He also offers intimate online sessions for those who seek guidance and support in their

healing journey.

Having founded RTD Creator Academy and RTD Creatives, Estrebilla additionally shares his technical know-how and content creating expertise to aspiring content creators.

“Most people don’t realize that the content creators they now idolize took more than 10 years for their channels to really

take off like Nas Daily, Cong TV, and Wil Dasovich. “So my advice to would-be or budding content creators is to practice consistency and patience. Be consistent in coming out with output and be prepared to outlast anyone who is better than you in terms of skills,” Estrebilla ended. (ManilaTimes.net)

From left: Piolo Pascual, Enchong Dee, Dante Rivero and Cedrick Juan Photos courtesy of Jesuit Communications (JesCom)

Stay friends or cut clean...

“You get more mature as time goes by. You may get to the point where you’re able to accept everything that has happened in your life, where you can finally look at your ex eye to eye,” she surmised. “You can still be friends, but not right away. And maybe not the chummy-chummy type of friendship.”

Comedian Divine Aucina said it’s a “case-to-case” basis. “It will be determined by how the

relationship ended. If things weren’t very good between the two, don’t force it. I tried to be casual with my exes because I didn’t want to live with hate in my heart. But they were the ones who didn’t want to have anything to do with me anymore. And that’s OK.”

Newbie actor Juan Carlos Galano believes that there may be room for friendship if the persons involved have yet to enter another relationship. “Yes, you can be

friends with your ex. But I would say that there’s a limit. When you move on to a new relationship, you should put a period on that chapter in your life,” he said.

“Leave the past behind so the new relationship can flourish.”

Mickey Ferriols put it succinctly: Do you. “I stayed friends with some of my exes, but the communication isn’t as constant,” she said. “Sure, you can be friends. Why not? Whatever works. Whatever’s OK with you, then I’m all for that.”

Benj Manalo, on the other hand, felt the need to draw a distinction between being friends and being acquaintances.

Being more human

“From my perspective, saying you’re friends means that you always mingle—you talk and see each other often. If that’s not how things are between the two of you, then it’s just more of being acquaintances. Being human,” he pointed out. “Time heals, which will allow you to be more human to each other. But being friends is a different thing, a different kind of relationship.” Julia didn’t readily give her thoughts on the topic, joking that she would answer the question when the movie nears its playdate. She did, however, let on that she found the story “interesting,” and expressed excitement about being paired with Diego.

The last time the two worked together was in the soap opera “Mirabella” in 2014. “I’m looking forward to doing this film because Diego and I have been friends for a long time. I’m excited to work with him now that we’re older— and hopefully, more mature,” said the 25-year-old actress. “I can’t wait to play our characters and just be vulnerable and open up to each other.”

Aside from their love for acting, Julia said she and her character, Chris, are nothing alike. “Her impulsiveness and immaturity is so different from how I am now. But what I enjoy about acting is that I get to be someone else, experience someone else’s frustrations, pains and joys,” she said.

“It’s very important to be in touch with my emotions to show the journey of my character. I’m happy we did workshops with our director, who reminded us about the importance of trusting our instinct and emotions,” Julia added. g

Debtor with $70K credit cards but good income needs Chapter 13 relief

THE debtor who is 50 has accumulated credit card debt at the rate of $6,000 a year for the last 20 years. Now, he owes $70,000 in credit cards. He needs $2,400 a month of minimum credit card payments to keep all $70,000 current.

His mortgage payment is $2,500 with a mortgage balance of $400,000. The fair market value of his residence located in LA County is $650,000, so there’s equity of $250,000. He lost his job during the pandemic but has found new employment that pays him $5,000 a month in a mid-management level. His wife is employed as a medical professional and makes about $100,000 a year. Thus, their household income is $150,000 a year. I’d say that is good income.  There are already three lawsuits with two judgments against him for three credit cards that he has not paid for a year. He has not been able to pay any of the credit cards for the last eight months. So all cards are now in default. Well of course the judgment creditors want a part of his salary by wage garnishment. They’re merciless you know. It doesn’t matter that he lost his job for a year and just got a new job. They just want to get their pound of flesh. That’s the way it works in the real world. We’re not living in Mother Theresa’s world after all. If you lose your income and can’t pay your mortgage or rent, then after the mortgage and rent forbearance expires, the mortgage holder and the landlord want all unpaid mortgage and unpaid rent repaid in full, plus the current mortgage or rent.

If you still have no income, you are going to lose your house by foreclosure, or eviction. In either case, you are moving into tent city, unless you have relatives or friends who are kind enough to shelter you until you get back on your feet. Nobody wants to live under the freeway or even in a nicer tent city provided by the City of LA. But when push comes to shove, that is the reality we live in. Even with three stimulus payments and a year of pandemic unemployment income, the wolf is still at the door, ready to pounce.

There are now supposedly millions of new jobs available, businesses that were closed during the pandemic have reopened and looking for people to hire. The economy is roaring back at an unheard of 6.5%. So, the job market is looking good. Many people who lost their jobs will be able to find new jobs, and the first problem that they will face is the credit cards that have accumulated during the pandemic that were used for necessities.

Just like the client, many people will have to get relief from accumulated debt, either by a total discharge of debt by a Chapter 7 petition, or a reorganization of financial affairs paying a portion of debt. There’s nothing wrong with the client’s household income at $150,000 annually, that’s almost $13,000 a month. But even at $13,000 a month, after deducting withheld taxes, mortgage, car payments, 401K contribution, food, insurances, money sent abroad to help relatives survive COVID in the home countries, it’s a heavy burden to service $70,000 of credit cards at $2,400 a month minimum payments. At $2,400, it’s almost the same amount paid for his mortgage of $2,500.

Many people, who have close relatives, parents, and siblings in their home countries, are also in dire financial straits because COVID has made them lose their jobs. So they have no income. Thus, many people who are fortunate to have good paying jobs here have the moral obligation tugging at their hearts to send money back home for their relatives to survive. In the client’s case, he sends $1,000 a month for his relatives back home. Without this $1,000, his relatives would be homeless and have nothing to eat in their home country.

In addition, the client has four adult children with low income who live with him. That’s a lot of food expenses, as we all know. Easily, that’s $2,000 a month for food. With all these necessary expenses, another $2,400 to cover minimum credit card debt of $70,000 is just not manageable. Creditors don’t care about the client’s family and financial situation, they just want their money back with high interest, penalties and legal fees as they are in business after all and they are not charitable organizations. So, unpaid creditors do what they do, they file their lawsuits to collect.

Obviously, the client wants a Chapter 7 wipe out of the $70,000. There’s no problem with $250,000 of home equity under the new homestead exemption of $600,000. But with $150,000 of annual income, even with so many dependents, the client would not qualify under the means test for Chapter 7 even if that’s what he wants.  He would need Chapter 13 which would allow him to pay a portion of the $70,000 over five years with no interest. How much would the plan payment be? Well, certainly a lot less than $2,400 a month, which is the minimum monthly payment to keep them current. He might be able to get away with $600 a month of plan payment. That will pay about half of the $70,000 in five years.  If he makes all timely payments, then the court will discharge the unpaid balance of $34,000. That’s certainly a reasonable reorganization plan under Chapter 13. The two court judgments with garnishments will stop with the filing of the case and the third lawsuit will be dismissed outright. All creditors will be forced by the confirmed plan in Chapter 13, which is a court order to accept a proportionate equal distribution from the $600 a month of plan payment.

The client will have peace of mind as all creditor collection efforts and lawsuits will stop because of the bankruptcy automatic stay. No more collection phone calls, letters, threats of lawsuits and actual lawsuits once his Chapter 13 case is filed, order and peace out of chaos. The client immediately decides to file for Chapter 13. It’s the right thing to do.

If you have too much debt and need relief, please set an appointment to see me. I will analyze your case personally.

* * * Disclaimer: None of the foregoing is considered legal advice for anyone. Each case is different. There is no absolutely no attorney-client relationship established by reading this article.

* * * Lawrence Bautista Yang specializes in Bankruptcy, Business, Real Estate and Civil Litigation and has successfully represented more than five thousand clients in California. Please call Angie, Barbara or Jess at (626) 284-1142 for an appointment at 20274 Carrey Road, Walnut, CA 91789 or 1000 S. Fremont Ave., Mailstop 58, Building A-10 South Suite 10042, Alhambra, CA 91803. (Advertising Supplement)

Five benefits of establishing a revocable living trust

process is a lot faster than going through probate.

2. Your estate is not public record.

THERE is never the perfect time to think about who you would like to inherit from your estate in case you pass away or at least who among your closest friends (BFFs) and family members are even deserving of inheriting from your estate. In doing so, you should also think about which vehicle you plan to use in implementing your estate plan. One of the best vehicle in implementing your estate plan is a revocable living trust. Five major benefits of establishing a revocable living trust are:

1. Your estate can avoid the time, cost, and hassle of going through the probate court process. If you pass away without a will (intestate) in California, one of your close family would have to file a petition in probate court to probate your estate. Your estate will be divided and distributed according to the California probate code rules of intestate succession. Even if you have a will when you pass away, your family would still need to file a petition in probate court if your estate is worth over $166,250 and go through the probate process. This can become a circus if certain beneficiaries contest the validity of the Will or the distribution of the estate. Your estate will pay for attorney’s fees, probate referee fees, appraisers and other experts, CPA fees, etc. If people contest the case, your estate would end up paying legal fees to defend the estate in litigation. The entire process can take anywhere from 9 months to years depending on the contentiousness of the probate case.

With a revocable living trust, your trustee or successor trustee if you were the initial trustee, would administer the trust and distribute the estate according to the trust document without having to open a probate court case. If the trust is funded with all your assets, it is possible to administer and distribute the trust assets without any Court involvement at all. This

When you file a probate case, the public has access to your probate case file. The public will know the assets of the estate including the values of those assets. If the Will is admitted into probate, the terms of the Will is open to public scrutiny.

Establishing a revocable living trust makes your estate affairs private. Strangers do not have access to the terms of your living trust. Only certain beneficiaries and possible heirs can request a copy of the revocable living trust after you pass away.

3. You can dictate who will inherit from your estate.

If you pass away without a Will, your estate will be divided and distributed in Probate Court following the rules of intestate succession in the California probate code. Certain relatives will be entitled to a share of your estate even if you feel they are not deserving. By establishing a revocable living trust, you can designate who you want to inherit from your estate. You can designate what and how much each one will received from your estate after you pass away.

The assets distributed to each beneficiaries does not have to be equal. The people you designate as beneficiaries of your living trust does not even have to be close family members. You can designate anyone as a beneficiary, with certain exceptions, of your estate.

4. You can structure your estate to minimize estate taxes

If your estate is valued above the estate tax exemption, establishing a trust can allow you to divide up your estate into smaller sub trusts to minimize the overall estate tax effect on your estate. It allows you to set up a vehicle for certain charitable giving which carries tax advantage and asset protection.

5. You can choose who will administer your estate after your death

When you establish a

revocable trust, you can appoint someone else as trustee or you can appoint a successor trustee if you are the initial trustee. The trustee will be administering (managing) the trust after you pass away without a need to open a probate court case. This allows for continuity in operating the trust and the efficient and cost effective distribution of estate assets. If you are concerned about whether you can trust any family members as your trustee, you can appoint an institution as a professional trustee to carry out the terms of the declaration of trust. These type of trustee services are often offered by banks, financial institutions, wealth management firms, and business management firms for a reasonable fee. This minimizes conflicts within the family and prevents negligence and wrong doing by inexperienced family members.

* * * Please note that this article is not legal advice and is not intended as legal advice.  The article is intended to provide only general, non-specific legal information.  This article is not intended to cover all the issues related to the topic discussed.  The specific facts that apply to your matter may make the outcome different than would be anticipated by you.  This article does create any attorney client relationship between you and the Law Offices of Kenneth U. Reyes, APLC.  This article is not a solicitation.

* * * Attorney Kenneth Ursua Reyes is a Certified Family Law Specialist. He was President of the Philippine American Bar Association. He is a member of both the Family law section and Immigration law section of the Los Angeles County Bar Association. He is a graduate of Southwestern University Law School in Los

and California State University, San Bernardino School of Business Administration. He has extensive